The Christmas Cradle by Warren Linda

Author:Warren, Linda [Warren, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harlequin American Romance
Published: 2010-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

ALMOST ON CUE, Cari and Reed walked into the apartment.

“You okay?” Reed asked, giving her a hug.

“I’m better than I’ve been in the past eight years. I have a daughter, and tomorrow I’ll see her as her mother for the first time.”

“I’m proud of the way you’re handling this.”

“Me, too,” Cari said. “Now, let’s have some pizza.”

Marisa noticed she had a big pizza carton in her hand. “I’m not very hungry.”

“You’re eating,” Cari insisted. “You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”

Marisa gave in, and as she nibbled on the food, Cari and Reed’s bantering kept her amused. Then the three of them discussed sleeping arrangements. Marisa tried to talk Reed into going home, but he was adamant in his decision to leave Dalton’s and their parents behind. Like her, he was tired of the manipulation and control.

In the end, they all slept in the den. They talked until the wee hours, then Reed fell asleep in a recliner and Cari on the sofa. Marisa curled up on the love seat with thoughts of Ellie…her baby.

She went over and over every detail of their short time together, especially the conversation about Ellie’s mother. “She’s very beautiful, and Daddy say I’m gonna look just like her.” There was much more meaning behind those words now; Ellie hadn’t been talking about Shannon, but about her. Colter thought she was beautiful. That was what he’d told Ellie—probably to satisfy her curiosity. She wasn’t sure why Colter had married Shannon, but she would find out in the days ahead.

It must have been very painful for him to talk about Ellie’s real mother, believing what he had. She was just grateful he hadn’t poisoned Ellie’s mind against her. But he wasn’t that kind of man. He loved his daughter; he would never hurt her.

What was she going to say to Ellie? She pushed those troubling thoughts from her mind. For now, she’d just savor the knowledge that her baby was alive. If someone had asked her to draw a mental picture of her daughter, the child would have looked exactly like Ellie. She was perfect with her big green eyes and that enchanting smile. Marisa felt a deep sadness for all the years she’d missed, but she couldn’t let herself dwell on that. The fact that Ellie was her daughter gave her the strength to face what lay ahead.

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