Banana Muffins & Mayhem - Culinary Competition Mystery #5

Chapter 16

(Amy)

Amy watched as Geri played peekaboo with her granddaughter. The baby was lying on one of the floor pillows. She kicked and waved her arms around as Geri used a black silk scarf to cover her face and then reveal it over and over. The game sent Macy into a fit of adorable baby giggles.

Carla sat on the corner of the couch watching her daughter and mother play. She took a sip of iced tea and then said, "I have to admit, it does feel good to get out of the house for a while. Bruce said my hover-wife routine was driving him crazy. And— I confess that I was driving myself a little insane, too."

"You know I'm happy to have you and Macy over whenever you want to stop by. And Bruce too, if he wants to come along," Geri said as she swiped the scarf away from her face, eliciting a flurry of baby cackles. "My work in the studio is pretty flexible. So just give me a bit of warning to arrange a break, and I'll have the tea ready when you arrive."

Amy held up her hand. "And you know you're always welcome at my house. I miss the old days when you would stop in for breakfast after working the night shift."

"It seems like that was a hundred years ago, doesn't it?" Carla shook her head slightly. "Sometimes it takes my breath away to think about how much my life has changed in the last few years—from living alone to married mommy."

"Change is good though, right?" Amy wiggled around so that she was facing Carla on the other end of the couch. "Isn't it better to be a happily married momma than a night-dwelling, stressed-out workaholic?"

She nodded in agreement. "It is, but I'm still stressed out. Bruce getting shot has completely thrown me off-kilter. When have you ever seen me go crazy like I did in the ER?" Carla tilted her head to the side as she looked Amy in the eye. "And speaking of freaked-out people, Bruce told me to let you know to lay off trying to help Lauren by giving her information. She's pretty weirded out by it. Sounds like she's come up with some off-the-wall ideas for who could've committed the murder, so you never know how she could twist anything you say to her."

"Too late." Amy wrapped a strand of her hair around her index finger. "I talked to her last night about the television show's producer still being in town. And ended up with her asking me how well I know Alex's employees. I got the distinct feeling that she suspects the killer works at Quantum."

Carla glanced at her cell phone then held her arms out to Macy who wiggled excitedly in response. "I'm not going to say I told you so, but that's exactly the kind of thing I was talking about. Bruce said it seems that she's somehow turning around straight-forward leads and taking them into completely different directions." She picked up the baby. "Sorry to rain on your parade and run, but I need to get going to pick up the pizza I ordered. Deep dish with all meat and extra cheese, my husband's ideal comfort food. He's been so agitated from not being able to work this week, I'll try anything to make him happy again."

"Good luck!" Amy said as she stood up. She retrieved the baby blanket that was flung over a nearby chair and handed it to Carla. "If you need me to make some vanilla cupcakes or a carrot cake to help appease his grizzly-bear routine, let me know."

Those two desserts were among Shepler's favorites. If they could help perk up his downer mood, she would be more than happy to make them. Both desserts, if needed. While Carla was a whiz at trauma medicine and now motherhood, she readily admitted that the kitchen was not an area she did well in. Since the arrival of her daughter, there was even less time to learn how to cook.

When Carla and Macy were safely on their way to pick up the pizza, Geri and Amy settled back down on opposite ends of the couch. "I'm glad to see Carla in a good mood," Geri said. "I thought she was going to have a nervous breakdown when she dropped Macy off the day Bruce was shot. I was terrified she would get in an accident on the way there, but she refused to let me drive. She didn't want the baby anywhere near the emergency room. It's puzzling to me how she is repelled by the place she spent so many years of her life working. I always thought she loved her job there."