AN: This story is in response to ShellSueD's 1000-word challenge, a story where Ranger sees Stephanie out with another man-who isn't Morelli-and he loses his grip on his legendary control. It also has to include the word ephemeral. I missed the boat on the 1000-word part, but the rest of it is there.
The cab dropped him off at the RangeMan building. The last time he'd walked through the lobby door had been more than six months ago. Woody jumped up from his chair behind the counter and almost saluted as Ranger strode through the lobby. Woody blurted out, "No one told me you were coming, sir."
"I wasn't aware I had to announce my presence in my own building," Ranger stated before he disappeared through the stairwell door. Ranger stepped out onto the fifth floor to a quiet control room. He walked toward his office but before he reached the door, Tank appeared.
"About time you put in an appearance," Tank said. "I was getting tired of doing your job and mine." He stretched out his hand and Ranger took it, drawing his friend into a one-armed embrace.
"It's good to be home," Ranger said, and he walked into his dark office, flicking on the light as he entered.
Tank followed him in and closed the door behind them. "You look like hell," he said.
"Back to back missions will do that. But it's over. I'm officially out." Ranger patted the papers inside his jacket pocket, and then let his body sink into the leather chair behind his desk, relieved to be off his feet.
"Good. Now you can concentrate on business...and on other things that are more... important," Tank said.
Ranger shot Tank a sharp glance. "Anything happen while I was gone?" Ranger asked, dreading what he might hear, not about business, but about her.
"Nothing too egregious," Tank replied.
Ranger raised an eyebrow. Tank smiled. "It's my Word of the Day. A new phone app." He held up his cell phone. "I try to work each new word into a sentence."
Ranger's mouth twitched. He swiveled his chair and turned his computer on. Tank took the hint and left. As soon as it booted up, Ranger opened the tracking program and looked for a specific signal, her signal. Before he left the office, he unlocked his desk's bottom drawer and took out a small black velvet box. Opening it, he smiled.
He found her in Macy's. But she wasn't where he thought she'd be. He'd gone to the shoe department and then women's department, but she wasn't in either place. When he finally spotted her, she was sitting in a brocade chair in front of a large desk. The sign over the desk read Wedding Registry. Ranger's jaw clenched.
She wasn't alone. There was a smiling woman with a rat's nest of thin blonde hair sitting across from Stephanie, and next to Stephanie was a man. He was dark-haired, broad-shouldered, and wearing expensive clothes. Ranger couldn't see his face, but he looked to be a few years older than Stephanie.
Ranger stepped back behind a rack of clothing, but kept his eyes trained on the seated couple. It couldn't be what it looked like. There had to be another explanation. Despite his thoughts, his stomach was tied in knots. He maneuvered himself closer so he could hear their conversation.
"I really like this wedding invitation you've chosen," the woman said enthusiastically. "It's an elegant design. You said you wanted the traditional format, so I just need a little more information." She looked to the man. "What are your parents' names?"
The man replied, "Robert and Janice Puszt."
"That's Hungarian, isn't it?" He nodded as the woman turned to Stephanie.
"Frank and Helen Plum," Steph said, her hand reaching up and rubbing the back of her neck. She turned around as if expecting to see someone.
As the woman wrote the names down, she said, "Your parents must be thrilled. I mean, after the first marriage ended so disastrously."
Stephanie dropped her head. "Yeah, he was a real scumbag. But Karl here is a wonderful man." Stephanie reached over and squeezed the man's hand. "My parents are thrilled to welcome him into the family."
Ranger's fists clenched and he fought down the urge to stomp over and tear Steph away from the man.
The woman smiled. "When's the wedding?"
"Next month, the 10th," he said.
"The 10th?" she exclaimed. "That doesn't give us much time to print the invitations."
"We need them as soon as possible. We're willing to pay extra," he said. "My bride is... well, she is in the family way and we'd like to get married before the baby is born."
"But of course," the woman replied. "We'll put a rush on the invites and get them to you by the end of the week."
If Ranger could turn pale, he would have. As it was, he looked ill. He'd heard enough. He left Macy's and returned to RangeMan.
Tank heard him before he saw him. A door slammed, and then there was a crash as something heavy hit the wall dividing their offices.
Once more, Tank went into Ranger's office and shut the door. Ranger's desk was bare and the floor was strewn with paper and office supplies. A chair was overturned and there was a dent in the wall.
Ranger spun around, eyes flashing sparks and anger radiating from him in almost visible waves. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ranger shouted.
"Tell you what?"
Ranger closed his eyes. "She's getting married. And she's... pregnant."
Tank's eyes widened. "She tell you that?"
Ranger turned back to his desk, his body rigid. Suddenly, he lifted his fists and pounded them on the desktop. Tank winced.
Still with his back to Tank, Ranger uttered, "I saw her, in Macy's, at the Wedding Registry. She was with her fiancé." He uttered the last word through clenched teeth.
"Did she say she was pregnant?"
Ranger shook his head. "No. He said it, to the wedding consultant."
"So, you didn't talk to her?"
"What's the point? She's pregnant. With another man's child." His hand shot out and he punched his fist through the wall.
"Shit, man," Tank exhaled. "Take it easy. It's not what you think."
"Like hell. I heard them. She's marrying this Puszt."
"Karl Puszt?" Tank asked. "Stephanie was with Karl Puszt?"
"You knew?" Ranger bellowed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"If you'll settle down, I will," Tank replied.
"Puszt," Ranger spat out. "Her first husband was named Dickie. It's perfect that her second husband would be named Puszt." Ranger sank into his chair, and faced the window, eyes unfocused.
"Do you love her?" Tank asked.
Ranger stilled, but he didn't turn around. "What the hell kind of question is that? And what does it matter. She's getting married."
"I repeat. Do you love her? Or is your love ephemeral?"
That got a disgusted snort from Ranger. "Is that another one of your Words of the Day?"
"Answer my question."
Ranger stood up and walked to the window, his hands coming up and gripping the frame. "Yes, dammit. I love her. Is that what you wanted to hear? I've loved her since the first day I met her. I just didn't think I could offer what she needed. Stephanie deserves more than I could give her. Until now. Fuck. My timing sucks."
Ranger spun around and in his hand was a small black velvet box. With lightning speed he swung his arm back and threw the box across the room.
The men watched as it smacked into the wall and broke open. But then both men's eyes shot to the woman who stood in the now open doorway.
"You love me?" Steph asked, staring at Ranger.
"Babe." He stared at her as long as he could, and then his eyes dropped to her abdomen. She was wearing tight jeans with a t-shirt tucked in. He couldn't detect any bulge. He also noticed she wasn't wearing a ring on her ring finger.
She stooped and picked up something off the floor. "Ranger?" she queried, holding up a large diamond solitaire ring.
Tank mumbled, " 'Cuse me," and exited quickly.
"Did you mean what you said?" she asked. He continued to stare at her. "Ranger, I need to know...did you mean it when you said you loved me? And what was that 'until now' remark?"
"Are you getting married?" he asked.
She grinned. "So you were there? In Macy's?"
He stepped toward her. "Answer me."
"Answer my questions and I'll answer yours."
One more step and he was in her personal space. Through gritted teeth, he uttered, "Yes, I love you. And 'until now' meant," he plucked the ring from her hand and held it in front of her face, "I was going to ask you to marry me."
Stephanie gasped and her eyes got huge. "Oh, Ranger," she cried. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
He jerked back as if stung. "Babe." He stared into her eyes, his expression full of pain. "You're getting married in less than a month. And... you're pregnant."
She giggled. "And if I wasn't getting married and I wasn't pregnant?"
Ranger groaned. Steph grabbed his arm. "Well?"
"You're killing me, Babe."
"Answer the question."
He removed her hand from his arm and dropped the ring into her open palm. "Take the damned ring," he snapped. "Looks like your Puszt couldn't afford one." He turned away.
Stephanie walked around him and grabbed his face in her hands. "I'm not getting married to Karl and I'm not pregnant. Karl is my sister's fiancé and she is pregnant. I was just helping out with the wedding plans because they're rushing to get everything done in time."
After a full minute of staring at each other, Ranger gently took her hands and kissed each palm. Then he took the ring from her hand and dropped to one knee. "Stephanie Michele Plum, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"
Tears filled her eyes and she dropped to both knees and flung her arms around his neck. "Yes," she whispered. "A thousand times yes."