A/N~ Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter… Now it's time for everyone to find out the big secret! ENJOY!

Chapter 21

I guess it is time now. Carlos and I have been sitting in bed talking for hours putting this off. I have been worrying about this phone call since 5:30 this morning and now that it was a little after nine I finally decided that I was going to put my big girl panties on and do it. "I'm going to call my parents." I picked up the phone and dialed my parent's number, my mother picked it up on the first ring.

"Plum residence?"

"Hi mom, it's Stephanie."

"Hi Stephanie, How is everyone?"

"We are all great how are you, dad and grandma doing?" God, why do I have to be such a chicken?

"We are fine just waiting for you to get home so that we can meet our new granddaughter. Well soon to be granddaughter. Have you and Carlos picked a date yet?"

"Well that is what I wanted to talk to you about. We got home really late last night and I didn't want to call you then because I thought you would be asleep. Carlos and I got married last week before we left Hawaii so that Julie would be my legal daughter before we came back her."

"Stephanie Michelle Plum-"

"It's Manoso now mom."

"Well whatever you are calling yourself these days. Gloria Jennings daughter doesn't call and tell her mother that she was married over a week ago and that she is home now. Why me? What were you thinking?"

"Mom, are you listening to me? I just told you I wanted it to be legal that Julie is my daughter before we left Hawaii. Carlos wanted us to be married when I adopted Julie so we got married on the beach it was just the three of us there and after we were married we signed the adoption papers. Mom it was so special for the three of us and I wouldn't want to do it any other way. Nothing could have made it any more meaningful."

"You couldn't invite your family?" I could hear her voice soften.

"Mom I had a big wedding once before and that didn't work out for me. This was truly amazing and I have no doubt that this is it."

"Okay as long as you are happy with it. So, when do I get to meet my new granddaughter then?"

"When do you want us to come over for dinner?"

"Valerie and her family will be here tonight I think we can handle three more people at the table."

"That would be wonderful mom. Are Grandma and Dad around?"

"Your father is about to leave do you want me to grab him before he does?"

"Yes, please mom"

"Hi, Pumpkin!" My father said

"Hi dad, I suppose you heard mom yelling at me."

"Yes I did. I am proud of you and I can't wait to meet Julie! I have to go now I will see you tonight though."

"Okay Daddy. Can you put Grandma on?"

"Is that you Stephanie?" I loved my Grandma Mazur.

"Yeah Grandma it's me!"

"Did I hear this right? You ran off and married the big bad bounty hunter with the nice package?"

"Yes Grandma Carlos and I got married while we were in Hawaii. I also adopted his daughter Julie.

"I thought she already had a mother."

"It is a long story why don't you ask mom about it because I don't really want to talk about it. She knows everything. All that matters is that she is mine and Carlos' daughter and we couldn't happier.

"Okay, Stephanie that's great I will see you for dinner tonight. I have to get going now I have an appointment at the clip and curl."

"Okay bye Grandma I will see you tonight."

I hung up the phone and handed it to Carlos. "Okay it's your turn now. OH by the way in case you didn't hear any of the conversation with my family we are having dinner over there tonight." He laughed at me.

"Just keep your grandmother away from me. I don't care how old or crazy she is, she still scares the crap out of me." I had to laugh.

"This coming from the man who can make serial killers shit their pants just by looking at them? That's hilarious. I never realized how funny you could be."

"Keep laughing about it Babe, just remember I have already met your whole family you have only met my parents. Just wait until you meet my abuela or any of my siblings yet." I stopped laughing. I went to get up.

"No stay with me, just because I can make fun of you meeting my family doesn't mean I'm not afraid to tell my mother I eloped." He dialed the phone and waited for someone to answer the phone. "Hola, Mama! We are all back in Trenton.", "Yes everyone is fine." , "I have something to tell you." , "Well Stephanie and I got married while we were in Hawaii and she adopted Julie at the same time." , "Yes Mama, we would love to come to dinner on Saturday. Stephanie needs to meet the rest of the family and I think it would be easier if it happened all at one time." , "That's great will you tell Abuela, and Papa for me?" , "Thank you Mama, we will see you on Saturday. I will have Julie call you before then." Then he hung up the phone. "That went so much better than I thought it would."

"It sound like you got off easy!"

"Just wait until Saturday; my mother will not be that easy on me." There was a knock on the door. "Come in." With that the door flew open and Julie took a running dive into our bed.

"So, when is Tia Ella coming with Breakfast?" She asked us. "I'm really hungry and I can't wait to see her."

"She should be up here any minute. Come on why don't we go wait in the living room I'm sure she would love to see us all and then we can tell her the good news." Julie and I looked at him funny. "I told you Steph, no one here knows except for Lester and Bobby."

"I know but Ella always seems to know everything that goes on." I told him. With that we all got up and walked into the living room just as Ella was walking in the door.

A/N~ I'm gonna end this chapter here. What will everyone at RangeMan think about Steph and Ranger getting married? And how will they feel about Steph adopting Julie?