With this story I finished what I'd set out to do ... well mostly since I am planning on writing something for Valentine's Day, but I did manage to get stories out in time for every holiday and birthday that I'd wanted to. Now it's back to Steph's everyday world of stalkers and crazy relatives. I'd say this is a stand alone story, but there are a few things from "The Perfect Gift" and "The Perfect Celebration" that are mentioned in it. Nothing vital, though. All familiar characters belong to Janet. Happy New Year!
Well I did it, or should I say that I followed through with it. I told Ranger I'd move in with him and to everyone's shock, I did. I didn't pick a fight to get out of saying yes. I didn't have a panic attack when I packed up my stuff. And I didn't even keep paying rent on my apartment so it'd be free for when this didn't work out. All minor miracles for me because I've done all three in the past. I just dove into this head first, and couldn't be happier. All the years of back and forth with Morelli, the can I / can't I questions about Ranger, and the fear of being hurt, all have been worth it to wake up where I am this morning. Ranger was in the shower getting ready for the day and I was left lying in a satisfied heap on his side of the bed, which was rapidly cooling after Ranger slid out of it. Ranger had upped the ante on our relationship and I, in return, went all in. Maybe I should spend less time with Connie so I'd stop using poker references to describe my life. Though it is appropriate since life is one big freakin' gamble in my opinion.
After coming back from my surprise birthday weekend at Point Pleasant, Ranger wasted no time in moving me and Rex into his apartment. I looked to the dressing room where my clothes were now hanging side by side next to Ranger's Rangeman uniforms and business suits. The picture we had taken at Point Pleasant during that weekend was sitting in a frame next to the bed. That alone shows how much things have changed, since Ranger and I weren't ones to frame anything. I still have a shoebox full of pictures of my family that I'd never found time to put into books or hang up. But this picture was special to both of us because it captured exactly what we feel for each other. I was looking up at Ranger with what some would say was hero worship, but I'd call love instead. And Ranger was giving me one of his rare smiles that clearly showed just how relaxed he was that weekend. Ranger had been a good sport that day, willing to go along with anything I came up with. That photo being one of them.
Aside from the pictures Scrog took of the two of us, and the stills taken from various security cameras, there weren't a lot of pictures of Ranger and I together. Especially ones where we're looking at each other like that. Being free to express what we felt for each other was so new to the both of us. We'd always kept it hidden until the night of Ranger's birthday.
Ranger has also started including me in the business side of his life. Tonight we were going to a New Year's Eve party that one of his clients was throwing. I was excited about it, too. Everyone in Trenton knew that we were together, but this seemed like a serious couple type of party and I was really looking forward to going. It would be the perfect way to end what had turned out to be a pretty good year for me.
The party was supposed to last well past midnight, and I pictured being held in Ranger's arms as the clock counted down. Ringing in the new year with Ranger's lips on mine. Could there be a better way? If there was, I couldn't think of it. We got through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with each other's families and lived to tell about it. We'd also lived through telling our families that we were moving in together. Ranger's parents seemed happy about it since, to them, it meant that he was one step closer to settling down. My mother, on the other hand, took a lot of patience and many dinners at their house to get her to finally see that Ranger wasn't just a rebound from Joe. If anything, I think Joe was more the rebound because I didn't think I could have more with Ranger. But one day I realized that I couldn't keep doing it. To Morelli. To Ranger. Or to myself. I had to make a choice, and I chose to tell Ranger how I felt about him once and for all and just deal with the fallout. Pretending that Morelli and I had a future because I couldn't have a future with the man I wanted made me feel worse than the thought of ending up without either one of them. It was probably the most mature decision I've ever made, and boy did making it pay off.
I heard the shower turn off and couldn't keep the smile off my face. I spent Ranger's birthday with him and we've been together almost every day since. The bathroom door opened, and it looked like we were about to be together again. Ranger came back into the bedroom before I had a chance to wipe the stupid grin off my face, but the smile I saw on his made it feel a lot less stupid.
"Going to spend the day in bed?" Ranger asked me.
"That depends," I said,"are you coming back to it?"
"As much as I'd like to, my schedule is full today. And I want to make sure I leave myself plenty of time to enjoy looking at you in whatever it is you've chosen to wear tonight."
"I could have picked out something hideous and boring," I said to him.
"Doubtful, Babe."
He didn't know just how doubtful. I had two that I'd been trying to choose between. They were perfect for a New Year's Eve party or a night out in Vegas. Both of them included the three S's: short, sexy, and shiny. The one I eventually decided on would probably be considered too 'everything' at any other time, but it was still the holiday season and I thought I could get away with it. Plus, I think Ranger will be sticking extra close to me after he sees me in it.
"That was an evil smile," Ranger said.
"Yep," I said to him."And you'll know the reason for it tonight."
"That sounds promising."
"I think I'm safe in promising that you'll love it."
I slid out of bed and grabbed the T-shirt Ranger had left on the bed. He could go to the closet and get another one. I wasn't about to walk naked across the room when I could watch Ranger do it wearing a towel. I wasn't a dummy. My eyes followed him as he moved around the room getting dressed for the day. After noticing where his shirt ended up, he smiled down at me, fished another one out of the closet, and brought his boots over to where I was on the bed. He sat down next to me to put them on and I couldn't help but lean a little closer to him as he did. Since the day Ranger and I met, the biggest problem for me has been the gravitational pull surrounding Ranger that I had no hope of fighting. I was now in a place where I didn't have to, and my life has completely changed for the better because of it.
When Ranger finished tying his boots, he slipped a muscled arm around me and tucked me against his side.
"Where are you going to be today?" He asked me.
"In the building mostly," I said."The bonds office is slow and I think I can accomplish more with the programs you have here on the one skip I do have left."
"Are you planning to go out after him?"
"Maybe," I said to him."If I'm sure it's going to be quick. I'll see what I turn up on him."
"Take Hal with you if you do," he told me.
"Does Hal know he'll have the honor of accompanying me?"
"Yes," Ranger said."I warned him. I may have even seen him praying over his rosary beads after I gave him the news."
"Very funny," I told him.
But I didn't mind. Both Ranger and I know I've gotten better at avoiding garbage, random urinators, and the pavement, since moving in here. I've found that one of the best times to be with Ranger was first thing in the morning before the day had a chance to butt into our lives. And usually at that time Ranger was ready to hit the gym so, more often than not, I joined him. If I got bored running on the treadmill, Ranger or one of the guys helped me with weights or showed me some of their training moves on the mat. And I could now subdue skips with fewer mishaps. And I could also fit into the little dress I got for tonight.
If I would have listened to Ranger sooner, I would no doubt have less scars on my body, though the extra attention Ranger paid to those marks when we were in bed made them less of a regret. And they did serve a purpose, as a reminder to me of how stupid I've been, and what to never do again. And I think they remind Ranger of how close he'd come to losing me. Which would explain why he knew exactly where every one of them was located. I guess it was the same reason I knew where all of his scars were on his body, too. When you love someone it becomes all to clear at how easily you could lose them.
"Deep thoughts?" Ranger asked me.
"No more than usual."
And I wasn't kidding. My long standing habit of avoiding my feelings had disappeared around the time I told Ranger that I loved him. Since then, I haven't felt the need to hide much of anything. Not that I could if I wanted to between the men in the control room, the trackers on my car, and Ranger's ability to know exactly what was going on with me without having to ask.
"Would it make you feel better if I had a tracker on me?" Ranger asked.
See what I mean? There's no hiding anything around this man.
"Yeah, right," I said to him."Like the military, government, or Justice League, would agree to it if I did say yes."
He smiled and tightened his arm around me.
"I trust you, Ranger," I told him."And I know that you only insist on my electronic accessories because you want me alive at the end of the day. I know it isn't a trust thing."
He had nothing to worry about there. After Joe and I broke up, men just weren't registering on my radar. My eyes, heart, and doodah, responded only to Ranger for longer than I wanted to admit. If I was being honest with myself, it started before I even ended things with Morelli. And I think Joe knew it, too.
"That's all in the past, Babe. It's time to leave it there."
"I know. And I have better things to focus on now."
"Like the party tonight?"
"Among other things," I told him.
He kissed me and I pressed myself closer to him, knowing that he was going down to five soon.
"I hate to leave you like this," he said, reluctantly pulling away from me,"knowing that you're not wearing anything under my shirt, but I have to go."
"I know. I have to get moving, too," I said to him."If I can't find my skip, I at least need to make some headway in locating him. Plus Rodriguez has probably been filling up my inbox again."
"If you need me," Ranger said,"I'll be in my office. And I'll have my cell if I do have to leave."
"Okay."
Ranger turned me towards him and gave me a three minute preview of what I had to look forward to when we got back home tonight. When he finally raised his head, his lips turned up at the corners.
"Tonight, Babe."
"I'll be here," I told him.
"If you weren't, I'd know where to start searching for you," Ranger said to me.
"You think so? I'm sure if I really put my mind to it, I could find a way to fly under the Rangeman radar if I wanted to," I said."You should be real happy that I just don't want to."
"I am happy about that. And I'm sure Hal is, too."
I smacked him on the shoulder."You'd better go before I decide to challenge your control room just out of spite."
Ranger's smile was back."Wouldn't want you to do that," Ranger said, standing.
"Be careful," he said to me.
"I will if you promise not to get shot before dinner tonight," I said to him. And just to be on the safe side."Or during and after dinner, either."
"I promise."
"Good."
I stood up, too, and Ranger's eyes immediately went to my bare legs, visible under the hem of his shirt.
"Um, Ranger?" I said to him, when he didn't move."Aren't you supposed to be leaving?"
"Just taking some time to appreciate what's standing in front of me."
"Don't worry, you appreciated me plenty last night."
"I do what I can."
He did me pretty good, too. My body was still tingling.
"Well, Tank won't be too pleased if you don't show up for work," I said to him.
"Way to kill a mood, Babe."
"That's why I said it."
"I'm going," he said."I'll see you at six."
"Maybe you can wait until six," I said to him."But I plan on being up here earlier. I need the extra time to get ready."
"Steph, you don't need extra time to make yourself beautiful," he said softly."You can't possibly look any more beautiful than you do right now."
"You already had me naked, Ranger. You don't need to talk my clothes off now."
"That just proves that I'm not trying to. I'm telling you the truth as I see it."
Shit. Just when I think I can't possibly love him more, he goes and says something like that.
"You'd better leave now," I warned Ranger,"or you may be in danger of me jumping you. And I don't want to have to explain to Tank why you were late."
"Tank's a guy," Ranger said."He'd understand."
Ranger leaned down and kissed me again before leaving me jelly-legged in the middle of the bedroom. I heard the front door close and I took a deep breath. Guess I had to actually do something now that I was up and already halfway to the bathroom.
I showered, put anti-frizz gunk in my hair before pulling in into a ponytail to be dealt with later. I got dressed in black jeans and a long-sleeved Rangeman T-shirt. And after a quick breakfast left for me by Ella, I was sitting in my cubby on the fifth floor.
I ran my skip through one of Rangeman's super invasive programs and came up with a cousin I didn't know about who lived in Bordentown. I made a quick call pretending to be someone who wasn't a bounty hunter and had the whereabouts of my skip minutes later. Damn, I'm good, I thought to myself. Well, Ranger's nosy computer was good, but you had to know how to use the programs so I figured I could take a little bit of the credit.
I hung up the phone after declining a date from said cousin, and went to tell Hal the good news. I had a feeling he wouldn't be as happy as I was at hearing that I'd found my FTA.
"Hey, Hal," I said when I found him in the control room kitchen."You up for a capture?"
"Um ... sure," he said."When?"
"Is now good for you?"
"If you want to leave now then I'm at your service," Hal said.
"I'm just going to let Ranger know that we're heading out," I told Hal."I'll meet you in garage."
I turned to leave and heard a distinct 'oh crap' coming from where I'd left Hal. I smiled. Poor guy. He was still expecting the worst. I couldn't really blame him because if something did go wrong, dealing with Ranger would be more excruciating than anything the skip could do to him. I wasn't worried, though. Bradley Macaris wasn't considered violent. He was a low level dealer who used more of his product than he sold. As long as he wasn't already high when we got there, I should be fine. And as a direct result, Hal would be, too.
I walked down the hall to Ranger's office and knocked on the doorframe of his partially open door.
"Ranger?" I said, poking my head in the opening.
"Hey, Babe."
"I found my skip," I told him."He's staying with a relative in Bordentown so Hal and I are going to get him. We shouldn't be long."
"Do you need me?" He asked.
I walked over to his desk and leaned close."I always need you, Ranger," I said to him,"but not to catch this guy."
I moved closer to kiss him and heard someone clear their throat from the doorway. I knew it was Tank, but I continued moving my mouth until I met Ranger's. It was a quick kiss without a lot of tongue, but it still made my heart pump faster.
"Hi, Tank," I said with a smile when I lifted my head.
I didn't want Ranger telling him that he was late because we we're having sex, but I wasn't going to pretend that Ranger and I aren't a couple.
"Steph."
"I was just leaving," I told Tank."He's all yours until I get back."
"I can leave if I'm interrupting anything."
"Nope," I said."I'm on my way out."
Tank was almost as hard to read as Ranger, but as I've gotten to know him better I could detect the concern in his eyes. Becoming friends with Ranger's men has been fun. But the downside to it was that I now had more people to worry about me. It was bad enough before when he was paying them to protect me, but they were more determined than ever to watch out for me.
"Do you need backup?" Tank asked, proving my point.
"I've got Hal coming with me," I told Tank.
He nodded his head at me."Good," he said, pleased that I'd already planned to take someone with me.
"I'll be back before you have a chance to miss me," I told both of them before walking out of Ranger's office and closing the door behind me.
I waved to Bobby on my way to the elevator and pushed the button for the garage. Hal was waiting by the door to the stairs.
"I didn't know if we were taking your car or a Rangeman vehicle. I looked from Hal to my little crossover. I could almost hear my tires begging for mercy. It wouldn't be a good fit at all. I think Hal's muscles might even outweigh the thing.
"Rangeman vehicle," I told him."I'll even let you drive."
He seemed to loosen up a bit at that news. Hal was usually a pretty tough guy, but after all this time he still seemed to be a little skittish around me. Like he was afraid I'd bite if I got pissed off at him. I guess that was understandable since I did zap him with a stun gun before we'd had a chance to get to know each other, and then got myself kidnapped because of it. Ranger had been justifiably upset about what happened that night, but Hal was still beating himself up over it no matter how many times I tried to reassure him that he wasn't to blame. I got into plenty of trouble on my own in the past.
I climbed into the passenger seat of the shiny black vehicle that was as immaculate inside as it was out. I didn't know how they managed a stakeout without having the floor of the SUV littered with coffee cups and snack wrappers. Probably Rangeman policy rearing it's ugly head again. Hal started the car and pointed it towards Bordentown.
We parked two houses down from the cousin's house. And just as we were getting out, a beat up pickup pulled into the driveway of the house we were heading to and a guy who looked a lot like Bradley got out of it. I nodded at Hal and we started walking quietly towards the house. Bradley was busy pulling a twelve pack of beer out of the passenger's seat and didn't notice us at first. This may be faster than I thought. He closed the driver's door and started for the house but stopped short when he saw Hal blocking his way. I snuck up behind Macaris while he was busy trying to figure out where the heck Hal had come from, and cut off his route back to the truck.
"Bradley Macaris?" I asked, drawing his attention to me for the first time.
He looked surprised, but recovered quickly."Yeah?"
"Bond enforcement," I told him."You missed your court date."
"Not that crap again," he said to me."I told that bitch on the phone that I'd come in when I'm good and ready. And I'm not in the mood today."
I was betting that he's heard the same thing come out of his girlfriend's mouth on more than one occasion.
"Yep," I said back to him,"and that's why she sent me to haul you in."
"You?" He said, looking me up and down. And not in a flattering way."Yeah, right."
"You don't think I can cuff you?" I asked him.
I had to admit that I was enjoying this. Macaris was only an inch taller than me, probably fifteen pounds heavier, and not nearly as smart. He looked back at Hal before giving me a smirk that I couldn't wait to wipe off his face. Why do men always assume that they have an advantage over you just because they have a penis? Do they contain super powers that I don't know about or something? Well ... Ranger's did, but I think he's the exception.
"Only if you get muscle-man over there to hold me while you do," Macaris said to me.
I smiled at him right before I gave him a kick to the knee. He went down to the ground faster than I ever did when faced with someone bigger and stronger than me, not really saying much about his manhood. And I had him cuffed before he had time to stop swearing at me. Guess the workouts are paying off. Hal hauled him to his feet and half carried, half dragged him to our SUV.
"That was fun," I said to Hal, when we were buckled in with Bradley shackled in the backseat, still sulking.
I guess he didn't like having his balls handed to him by a girl. Unfortunately for him, ball rearranging is my specialty.
"Excuse me for saying so," Hal said to me,"but you might be hanging around Ranger too much if you're finding this fun now."
That made me smile again."Are you saying that Ranger's a bad influence?"
"God, no," Hal said quickly."Please don't tell him I said that."
"Relax, Hal," I said to him, feeling bad for picking on him."Ranger's not as scary as he appears."
"To you maybe."
"Hal, if Ranger didn't trust you to do your job," I told Hal,"and to protect me while we're out together, you wouldn't be working for him."
"You really think so?" Hal asked.
"Yes," I said."Ranger doesn't keep people around just to be nice."
Ranger didn't do anything just to be nice.
"I have to admit that he still terrifies me."
"He terrifies everyone, Hal," I told him,"and he always will. But you have to find a way to get past it."
I know I have. But to be fair to Hal, he couldn't do it the same way I did. He pulled away from the curb and we headed to the Trenton PD. Hal unloaded Bradley from the backseat and we waited while the docket lieutenant wrote out the receipt for me.
"Hey, Cupcake," I heard from behind me.
"Hi, Joe."
I stepped away from Hal so I could talk to Morelli for a few minutes. We haven't really seen each other much since we broke up, but we didn't end things badly so I wasn't freaked out at seeing him. I'd made it clear to him that we wouldn't have stayed together much longer even if I'd never met Ranger. And that we could still hang out, but we wouldn't be doing anything beyond that ever again because we wanted very different things for our lives. And I wished him the best in finding someone who would give him every single one of them.
"How are you? I haven't seen you in a while."
"I'm good," he said."I heard that you moved in with Ranger. Are you ready to kill him yet?"
"Actually ... no," I told him."And we still like each other and everything."
"How's your mother taking it?"
"You know her," I said,"she'd prefer that we got married before living together, but she's starting to get used to the idea."
"Whiskey?" Morelli asked.
I laughed."It helps. So what's up with you?"
"The usual," He said."Murder. Mayhem. Annoying relatives that make bugging me their sole purpose in life."
"Grandma Bella?"
"Who else?" He said.
I smiled at the expression on his face. But I was smiling even more on the inside, because I knew that I'd never have to deal with Bella again. It was just one more thing that Ranger had in his favor. Normal family members that actually like me.
"She keeps telling me that she sees me standing at the altar of a church."
"Anyone I know?"
"There's been no one serious since you, Cupcake."
"Don't worry," I said to him, not wanting him to dwell on his feelings for me,"there will be soon enough. I mean, who could resist Bob?"
Morelli smiled."Good point."
Hal came back over to me."I got the receipt for you," he said to me."Are you ready to leave?"
"Yes," I told him. I gave Morelli a smile."It was good seeing you."
"You, too, Cupcake."
Hal opened the station door for me, and five minutes later we were back on the road. The traffic was light and we pulled up to the bonds office minutes later. Hal chose to follow me inside instead of waiting outside the door. There's been no one out to get me for quite a while now, but that didn't stop their ingrained bodyguard tendencies from coming out. I handed my body receipt for Macaris to Connie.
She raised her eyebrows at me."You got him already?" She asked me.
"Yeah," I said to her."Once I found out he had a cousin in Bordentown, it was a cinch."
"You must have set a new record here."
"What can I say, he was an easy catch," I told her.
She looked at me."What aren't you saying?" She asked me.
"Macaris may have needed a little persuading and then he was an easy catch," I told her and I saw Hal smile.
Connie looked back and forth between us, but didn't question it. She pulled out the office's checkbook and wrote one out for me. The check wasn't large, but just knowing that the number of good captures were starting to outnumber the bad ones was reward enough for me. It also helped that I didn't have to worry about being kicked out of my apartment anymore.
"Where's Lula?" I asked Connie.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she said.
"Maybe you should go the same route Ranger took with me," I said to her,"and stick a GPS thing on her car so you can haul her butt back here whenever you need her."
"It's something to think about," Connie said."Do you and Ranger have big plans for tonight?"
"Party at his client's house," I said to her.
"And Ranger's going to it?"
"Yup."
"Wow," she said.
"What?" I asked her.
"I don't know," she said to me,"getting dressed up, socializing on purpose, and doing both of them on a holiday doesn't seem like something Ranger'd be interested in."
"I guess owning the company does have drawbacks," I said.
I was a little surprised too at first that he would want to go out tonight. But this particular client has been one of Rangeman's since Ranger started the company and he wanted to repay their loyalty by making an appearance tonight since they personally invited him. Whatever the reason, I'm glad that he asked me to go with him to it.
"Not to mention, he's gonna have to split his time between you and his business," she said."I bet there are other things that he'd rather do tonight than make conversation with total strangers."
"He's probably due for a little break from me by now," I told her.
But even as I said it, I had to discount it. Ranger didn't look like he needed a break, or even wanted one.
Connie agreed with me."Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes."I'm sure he really wants time away from you. I think if it weren't illegal, he'd probably chain you to him so he'd know you were safe at all times."
That made me smile, but it wasn't something that I'd even tease him with since the Trenton PD has a separate set of rules just for Ranger.
"Well ... I'd better get Hal back to Rangeman," I told her.
"Yeah, if you're gone too long Ranger's liable to send someone else out after you."
I laughed. It would be even funnier if it wasn't true.
Hal stopped being a statue long enough give a nod to Connie on our way out, and I gave her a little finger wave through the window before we pulled onto Hamilton. I bought Hal a burger on the way back to Rangeman, and almost two hours after we left we were back in the garage.
The only problem with apprehending Bradley without having any issues, was that I now had time to do more Rangeman business before I headed upstairs to get ready. Hal and I took the elevator up to the control room, and when we stepped off of it I learned from Lester that Ranger had been called out not long after I left, so I went straight to my cubby instead of stopping at his office first. I knew he'd already been informed that everything had gone well and wouldn't be expecting a phone call from me.
At five o'clock, I shut my computer down and pushed away from my desk. I picked up my bag and waved to Zero and Binkie who were in front of the monitors on my way out. I took the elevator to seven and spent the next hour and a half taming my hair, doing my nails, and reapplying makeup.
I'd just finished shimmying into my little dress when Ranger came in.
"Damn, Babe," he said.
I was having second thoughts about wearing this dress until that moment. If Ranger liked it that much, then I was going to go ahead and wear it. It was a rose-gold color that came close to matching my skin tone, so at first glance it looked like I wasn't wearing anything at all. The saleswoman at the store where I bought it called it a 'bandage' dress. I didn't know why it was called that, but I loved what it was doing for my body. The dress ended halfway between my knee and my hoohah, had a v-neck that hugged the boobs I did have, and was shaped to fit closer than skin. I slipped on my glittery four-inch champagne heels and turned to him. The smile I had at the sound of his voice, hidden now behind a blank expression like the one he usually wore.
"Do you like it?" I asked him, turning around slowly in a circle in front of him.
"I more than like it," he said.
His eyes never left my body, and he definitely didn't have the blank expression on his face.
"And to prove just how much I do like it, I promise not to rip it when I take it off you."
"You must really like it to promise that."
Ranger could normally control himself, but every so often something was sacrificed in our haste to get each other's clothes off.
He gave my body one more glance before unlacing his boots and kicking them off.
"I'm going to jump into the shower and then I'll be ready to go."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that. He wasn't exaggerating. It takes Ranger's short hair longer to dry than it takes him to get dressed for an evening out.
He was back in the bedroom in less than ten minutes. Unlike this morning, though, he was minus the towel. I was really glad that I was ready early, because now I could just lean against the dresser and watch him pull on the gorgeous black Armani suit that looked like it was made for him. Instead of wearing a standard white dress shirt, he chose a dark gray one with a black silk tie. He looked like he just stepped off a runway or out of a magazine. Maybe I should switch out my little clutch bag for something larger so I could take my S&W with me in case I need to protect him from being mauled by the unsuspecting women at the party. I've known Ranger for a while and I still walk into walls when he smiles at me. I couldn't predict what a hoard of women who've never had the pleasure would do.
"You're going to make me blush if you keep looking at me like that," he said, amusement clear in his tone.
"You're incapable of blushing," I said to him. And I should know. After the things he's said to me over the years, I was always the one left blushing."But I do have to say that I think I have a better view than you had this morning."
Thinking back to when he was checking me out wearing his T-shirt after I got out of bed.
"Never, Babe."
As expected, I blushed at the compliment and Ranger laughed. The jerk. He slipped on his suit jacket and I smoothed out the front of his shirt. Of course the shirt wasn't at all wrinkled, but I needed an excuse to touch him.
"You never need an excuse to touch me."
"I know I don't," I told him,"but until recently, you have always initiated things between us. It still takes me a minute to realize that now I can, too."
"And that means I have a lot of you touching me to look forward to."
"Yep. And I'll start on that tonight," I said to him."Or should I say next year? Since we won't be home until after midnight."
Ranger gave me a full-on smile and my body had second thoughts about waiting until we got back. I blew out a breath and took a step away from Ranger's force field. It would have helped if his eyes weren't tracking every move I made.
"We'd better get going," I told him."Or we'll never leave the apartment."
"And that's a problem?" Ranger asked me.
"Yes. If you hadn't made plans, then I wouldn't argue," I said,"but I really do want to go on this date with you."
"You've been many places with me."
"Yeah, but I'm going to get to see Business Ranger in action tonight."
"And that's important to you?" He asked.
"Every part of your life is important to me," I said."And this is just one more piece of it that you're sharing with me."
"If it means that much to you, then we should get going so you don't miss a second of the endless small talk, unhealthy appetizers, and people who've consumed too many glasses of champagne."
"I know you're trying to make this party sound bad, but it's not working. I'd want to go just for the food and champagne."
I picked my little bag up from the dresser and wrapped an arm around Ranger's waist as we walked together to the front door. I released him long enough for us both to put on our coats and for Ranger to lock the door, and then I was tucked under his arm as we took the short elevator ride down to the garage.
The air was cold, but it wasn't raining or snowing which was rare for Trenton this time of the year. There were no clouds in the sky, and the stars were just starting to come out. It was a beautiful winter night, but I was really glad that I wasn't one of the people freezing my ass off in Times Square waiting for a giant glittery ball to drop. I'd take a cocktail party in Princeton over frostbite any day.
Ranger beeped the Turbo unlocked and stood at my door until my seatbelt was fastened. It was times like these that I thought about what a great father he would be now. His life is as settled as it is ever going to get, he's tons better at showing his feelings, and he's so much more hands on with Julie than he'd ever been. I still wasn't sure if I'd ever want kids of my own, because some days Rex still seemed like a lot of work, but at least I wasn't afraid of bringing up the subject if I ever decided that I was ready to try.
I watched Ranger walk around the back of the car and angle behind the wheel and I had to forcefully tell my hormones to calm down a little. It caught me by surprise sometimes just how physically beautiful Ranger is. He started the engine and we made the drive to Princeton in less time than I thought it would take us. I guess everybody was already where they'd planned on being tonight. The house Ranger pulled into the driveway of was jaw-dropping, and had to be worth seven digits easily. I knew that Ranger had money, and that Rangeman has been growing steadily as a corporation, but to know that whoever lived here was a client of his just made it that much more obvious at how successful he'd become.
As he parked in the area by the side of the house, I caught a glimpse of a pool and tennis court in the huge backyard. We got out of the car and he took my hand as we walked up the sidewalk to the front door. The house was three-stories and had two impressive columns on either side of the large entrance. A small balcony was directly overhead, probably part of the master bedroom. This didn't seem like a house that people lived in. It was more like a house movies were shot in.
"Jesus, Ranger," I whispered,"who the heck lives here?"
"Barbara and Eugene Price."
I rolled my eyes at him."You know what I mean."
"Both Eugene and Barbara are in sales," he said to me.
"That's funny. They're in 'sales' and their last name is Price? And what exactly do they sell? Oil? Gold? Illegal weapons to third-world countries?"
He grinned down at me and rang the bell. The couple who opened the door were all smiles. Clearly enjoying life and their party.
"Ranger," the man I assumed was Mr. Price."Glad that you could come. You remember my wife, Barbara."
Ranger shook both of their hands before introducing me. I suddenly felt nervous. These people were in a different universe than me. But my nerves mostly went away as soon as Mr. Price took my hand.
"Stephanie, it's so nice to finally meet you." He winked at Ranger."I can see why you've kept her hidden. I wouldn't want to share her with the rest of the world, either."
I blushed for the second time today and wondered if his wife was going to be pissed at him.
"Don't worry, Babe, he doesn't mean anything by it," Ranger said to me."Eugene loves Barbara too much to risk flirting seriously with another woman."
"And he knows I'll hurt him if he does." Barbara said.
I relaxed a little more after that. They sounded like 'normal' people. They both looked to be in their late fifties, attractive, and in great shape. Their clothes were expensive, and it was obvious that the jewelry Mrs. Price was wearing was real, but aside from that, they sounded like they could have lived next door to me.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Price," I said to them."You have a beautiful home."
"Please," Mrs. Price said."It's Eugene and Barbara. Let's get the two of you out of the cold. Come in."
The inside of the house was even more impressive, and not just because of the size of it. A formal staircase took up the foyer, and floor to ceiling windows looked out into the backyard in every room of the downstairs I could see. There was a formal living room with no visible television. They probably had one that came down from the ceiling, popped out of the floor, or something equally high-tech. The dining room was full of champagne waiting to be poured and serving platters full of every kind of appetizer you could want. There was a sitting area with comfortable looking furniture. I wasn't about to test it out myself for fear of making an ass print in it. All the rooms were big in their own right and opened into one another, making the downstairs seem even larger. I couldn't see the kitchen, but I bet everything in it was restaurant quality.
Our coats were taken from us and we were given champagne and a tour of the house before the doorbell rang again. The Prices' still had a Christmas tree up. It was in the corner of the room and took up almost four feet of the floor space around it, covered in white lights and glass ornaments that I was afraid would break if I looked too hard at them. There was a fire in the fireplace, and the mantle was decorated with garland, more lights, and lit candles. The only things giving off light in the entire downstairs were the candles that were strategically placed around the rooms, chandeliers in each of the rooms fitted with low watt bulbs, fireplace, and the Christmas decorations. Overall, the house appeared warm and inviting instead of cold and intimidating. A true feat given the size of the place.
My whole apartment could have fit into one of these rooms, though they still seemed people-friendly. I was a little worried about spilling my champagne or dropping crumbs on the floor, but I wasn't afraid of being taken out back and shot if I did.
"What are you thinking about?" Ranger asked me.
I'd been right about the dress. He hadn't really left my side all night even when he was talking business with someone interested in Rangeman's services. Turns out Business Ranger was just as demonstrative as every other Ranger I'd been exposed to. He had kept his arm around me, or my hand in his, most of the night. Only breaking contact to shake someone's hand or to eat or drink something.
"I was just thinking about how nice everyone's been to me," I told him.
"And you're surprised by that?"
"Well, yeah," I admitted.
I was used to the people of the Burg who watched, judged, and sentenced you in the personal products aisle of Giovichinni's. To have the people I talked to be pleasant to me, and also interested in what I had to say when I told them that I was a bounty hunter, wasn't something I'd expected. They asked questions about how I caught people, and then laughed with me instead of at me when I told them some of my more memorable captures.
"One of the things that drew me to you was that you could handle yourself in any situation, Steph," Ranger said to me."And this party should be nothing to you considering the usual psychos and inebriated residents of Stark Street that you face on a daily basis."
"When I first walked in here tonight, I felt a little like a McDonalds hamburger in the middle of a five-star restaurant," I said to him."But after meeting everyone, I'm feeling more like a decent steak now."
"Only you would compare yourself to food."
"Yeah," I said to him,"I'm the only one. You've compared parts of me to dessert more than once."
He smiled and leaned closer to whisper against my ear."And you've made me love dessert, Steph."
My face got warm along with everything below it. The thirty other people in the room ceased to exist as Ranger brushed a soft kiss to my lips. It was warm, and short, and I wanted it to continue. Unfortunately for me, Eugene and Barbara chose that moment to come over to us.
"Ranger, Stephanie, you have to come meet Joseph Ligan," Eugene said to us."I told him about the two of you and he wants an introduction."
And the next few hours were spent talking to friends of theirs. And I realized the reason I felt comfortable around the Prices' was because they didn't see a monetary value when they looked at you, they saw you. I guess that's why they chose to call Ranger, Ranger, instead of Carlos or Mr. Manoso. And they were like him in that they cared more about what type of person you are, or how capable you are at what you do, over anything else.
Eugene and Barbara were friends with writers, artists, and construction workers alike. Which made the hours until midnight fly by, because everyone had something different to talk about. There were no boring or uppity people in this particular crowd. When it got close to midnight everyone started counting down the seconds until the clock chimed twelve o'clock. When we got to one, Ranger's arms were tight around me, and his mouth was giving me the kind of kiss that I'd remember for years to come.
The party lasted a little over an hour into the new year. When we were ready to leave, Barbara showed us to the front door and Ranger and I were invited back for dinner at the end of the month. That was fine by me. The Prices' were fun people to be around. The food that we'd eaten had been delicious. And I'd be more than willing to come back.
I walked back to the Turbo with my arm circling Ranger's and a smile on my face. A year ago, I was thinking that I was destined for a life in the Burg, doing a job I wasn't particularly good at, with a man I liked, but not enough to live with. And now here I was, living in a plush penthouse in a building across town, with a man I couldn't live without, doing the same job, but one I felt better about, walking out of a house that I'd learned had been featured in three different architectural magazines. After I stopped expecting people to look down on me for being a bounty hunter from Trenton, it finally dawned on me that I fit in with them, that I could hold my own in any one of Ranger's lives. And I wasn't self-conscious about who I am anymore. I let myself have a great time and met people that I knew I'd see again after tonight.
We buckled ourselves into the Porsche and Ranger drove us back to Rangeman. I looked at the houses as we passed by them and wondered if any of the people inside had a night like mine. My hand was on his thigh and I could feel the heat of his body through his clothes. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as I replayed the night over again in my mind. I had a feeling this freakin' smile was going to become a permanent part of my face.
A half hour later, we were pulling into the underground garage. He watched as I slid out of the car, pretending to be concerned that I'd trip, but was most likely hoping for a flash of thigh as I got out. We took the elevator to the seventh floor, and I waved to the camera at the guys unlucky enough to have to be watching us instead of being out celebrating themselves. Ranger let us into the apartment and waited while I took my coat off, giving my body a thorough once-over even though it'd only been covered for the drive home. While he took off his coat and put both of them in the hall closet, I noticed that the Christmas tree I've yet to take down was still lit up. I'd forgotten to turn it off when we'd left and I couldn't stop myself from walking over to it now. The night had been perfect and I wasn't ready for it to end. I smiled. Not that it would end right away. I'd promised Ranger some hands-on time and I was more than ready to begin. I was just about to turn the tree off when Ranger came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I sighed at the feel of his body against mine and leaned back into him.
"I was going to wait to until tomorrow to give this to you, Babe, but there's really no reason to."
He reached into his pocket with his right hand and pulled out a small square box. He handed it to me and my hands started shaking. It couldn't be what it looked like, could it?
"Come on, Steph," Ranger said. Even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell that he'd be laughing right now if he wasn't afraid I'd deck him for it."Don't chicken out on me now. Open it."
I flipped the box open and there sat the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. And I've done some major window shopping at a lot of jewelry stores so I've seen my share of mouth-watering jewelry, but this ring blew everything else out of the water. It had a thin band with a single row of tiny diamonds set into it and one big honkin' round one taking up the middle. It was either made of platinum or white gold - I could never tell the difference - and it looked like it was made for someone who hadn't spent the last few years rolling in garbage and landing in doggy do. To my horror, my eyes started welling up with tears. I never thought seriously about getting married again. And I sure as hell didn't want to be one of those women who went into the ugly cry at the sight of an engagement ring. But if I didn't get myself under control, I was well on my way to becoming one of them.
"Holy shit," I said, my breath finally coming back."I was expecting a kiss at midnight, not a freakin' ring!"
"I know. That's what's making this so much fun for me," Ranger said."And in case you haven't noticed, Babe, it's well past midnight."
"I know, but this ..."
"This is what I want for us," he said, his voice quiet."I know it's only been a couple of months, but ever since I gave you those diamond earrings for your birthday, I knew that you needed something to go with them."
"Ranger ..."
"In all seriousness, Steph, I see us having a future together. We can get married right away. We can elope. We can wait years before even discussing a wedding, or not go through with one at all. I'm good with whatever you decide."
"We will have a future together," I said, catching his hand in mine."I don't need a ring to prove it."
"That's the point, Babe. This promise is for us, not to make anybody else happy. I want you to know that I promise to be with you for the rest of my life in whichever way is right for us."
"And you think we're ready for this?"
He took the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger. I guess that's one way of answering the question. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.
"We've known each other for years," Ranger said,"and we've loved each other for almost all of them."
Damn, I hate it when he's right. And he was about that. Morelli would have been only a memory a long time ago if I thought for a second that Ranger would consider a relationship with me. I wasn't proud of it, but that didn't make it any less true.
"We've been together since my birthday, and we've officially lived together since yours." If this kept up, I was going to consider him the talkative one in our relationship. Though, he seemed only to be this chatty with me, and when he was serious in what he was saying."We've survived the holidays, our families, plenty of workouts, and I don't see the way I feel changing anytime soon. Or your feelings for me changing, since you didn't bolt from the room when you saw the ring box. I've told you that I love you in the past, and just about every day since August. This," he said, turning the ring on my finger with his thumb,"is only meant to reinforce that."
"I can't see a day without you in it," I admitted, not wanting him to be the only one spilling his guts here."And I have no plans of bolting anywhere unless you're with me. I love my life and you taking up the majority of it." Crap. Now I know why I've avoided saying stuff like this in the past. It makes you feel vulnerable, something I really, really hate being. But Ranger deserved my honesty even if we were seconds away from becoming a Hallmark commercial."I do have to admit that after moving in here, I did find myself wondering on occasion what it'd be like to be Stephanie Manoso. Or Stephanie Plum-Manoso. I guess we'll figure all that out later, but right now I just want to enjoy this moment."
"They'll be plenty of moments to enjoy, Babe," he said, turning me in his arms.
I smiled up at him."Yep," I said, pulling his head down to mine."They're about to start right now." And I kissed him.
I thought I was in complete control of the kiss, but as soon as Ranger's tongue touched mine, my brain checked out and my hormones happily took over. Ranger picked me up without breaking the kiss and carried me to the couch. Neither of us wanting to wait until we got to the bedroom. In the glow of the Christmas tree that was once again left on, he and I celebrated the new year, and with it the promise that we'd just made to each other.
I woke up significantly later New Year's Day to Ranger's eyes on me. He was leaning on his elbow, looking down at what I prayed was my drool-free face.
"Happy New Year," I said to him.
"It is," he said, looking awful pleased with himself.
He had good reason to be. After we dragged ourselves to the bedroom, we'd made a considerable dent in the early morning hours. I looked past Ranger and saw the clock on the nightstand. Ten-fifteen. Guess we're sleeping in this morning. I didn't even hear him get up to go to the gym.
"That's because I didn't go," he said."I think we both got enough exercise this morning."
I smiled at the memory. I even managed to get him breathing heavy a few times himself."Do we get to stay here for the rest of the day?" I asked him.
"I have to check in with Tank," Ranger said,"but other than that, I'm free."
"Wow. I must be rubbing off on you if you're willing to play hooky."
"You did do plenty of rubbing during the last few hours."
I smacked his chest lightly and in retaliation Ranger kissed me. It worked. All the fight went out of me at the feel of his lips on mine. He pulled back and moved a strand of hair away from my eyes with a fingertip.
I lifted my left hand to touch his face and the sunlight coming in from the windows made my ring sparkle, and also made my retinas burn a little.
I looked at it for a minute before speaking."This really happened, didn't it?" I asked him.
"Yes," Ranger said. Serious."Are you having second thoughts?"
"Not a one," I told him."I just didn't know if I should tell everybody now, or wait until tomorrow."
He brushed his thumb across my lips."You could tell your family and let them take care of everyone else."
That was a good idea. Once Grandma Mazur knew about it, then the whole state of New Jersey would find out minutes later.
"If I tell my mother, she'll want us to come over today," I warned him.
"And?"
"You wouldn't mind?"
"I have the day free," he said to me,"and I want your mother to know that I asked you to marry me for no other reason than I wanted to."
"So I can just sit back and watch the show?" I asked him.
"There will be no show, Babe," he said, handing me the phone that was sitting on the table by his side of the bed."We've decided to be together and we're the only ones who get a say in how we do it."
I punched in my parents' number, thinking about Ranger's words as it rang.
"Hi, Mom," I said,when she answered."Is Grandma and Dad there with you?"
"Of course they're here," she said to me."Where else would they be?"
I rolled my eyes and Ranger grinned at me.
"I have some news that I wanted to share with everyone," I told her."I figured if I told you and Grandma it'd save me time."
"Honestly, Stephanie," my mother said,"you make it sound like we do nothing but sit around all day and gossip."
I knew that wasn't completely true. They did go to church and the grocery store during the week. But a lot of gossiping was done at Giovichinni's so I may have to remove the store from the list. Church, too, come to think of it.
"Has something bad happened?" She asked, when I didn't say anything right away."You didn't explode another car or burn down a building last night, did you? I don't know why I'm always the one who has to worry about those things happening. Leslie Slovich never has to worry about her daughter blowing up things."
Good for Leslie Slovich, I thought to myself. She may have bigger things to worry about, though. Like her husband boinking a barmaid in Hamilton Township.
"I just wanted to tell you that Ranger and I got engaged last night," I told her."Make that this morning, because we didn't get home until after one."
"Engaged?" She repeated.
"Yes."
"You and Ranger?"
"Yes. Me and Ranger," I said, smiling at him.
I'd finally made my mother speechless. Or as close to speechless as she was likely to get.
I could hear my Grandmother Mazur in the background."Helen? What's going on? Who's on the phone?"
"Stephanie," she said to Grandma.
"Let me talk to her," I heard her say before she took the phone."Stephanie? What's going on? Your mother looks like she just swallowed a pickle. Did you get arrested? You calling from the hospital again?"
"No to both of those." I told her."I just told her that Ranger and I got engaged this morning."
I decided to just go with morning. It was easier.
"Hot damn!" She said."I bet Ranger gave you a big 'ol ring, too," she said to me."He's not the type of guy to skimp on something like that."
"It is pretty incredible," I told her.
"When you coming over?" Grandma asked."I got to see it so I can tell everyone at the beauty parlor that I got a look at it first."
My mother took the phone back."Are you coming over?" She asked me.
"Yeah, we'll be over this afternoon," I told her.
"Make sure she brings Ranger," I heard my grandmother shout in the background.
"He has the day off so we'll both be there."
"Frank! Stephanie wants to talk to you!" My mother yelled."Frank!"
My father came on the line a few seconds later."What's going on?" He asked me.
That seemed to be a popular question this morning.
"I just wanted to let you guys know that Ranger asked me to marry him this morning," I told him."And I said yes."
He didn't say anything for a minute."Dad?"
"Is this what you want?" He asked me.
My eyes went to Ranger who was watching me with an amused expression on his face. His family most likely already knew about this and that's why he found this so freakin' funny. He'd already been through it. That, and his family wasn't crazy like mine, and probably just said congratulations to him and left it at that.
"More than anything," I told my father, but my eyes didn't leave Ranger's.
"Okay then," my dad said to me."Bring him over for dinner so we have a chance to talk."
"We'll be over later today."
"Good." And he handed the phone back to my mother.
"I'll make a roast for dinner is there anything special I should make for Ranger?" She asked me.
Wow, my mother was asking about dinner options? She must be more relieved about us getting married then she let on.
"Anything green will be fine," I told her.
"Green beans? Asparagus? Spinach?" She asked.
"Yes."
"All right," she said."I'll see you both this afternoon."
I disconnected and looked at Ranger."My mother's making a roast, and my father wants to talk to you," I said to him."All-in-all this was one of our better phone calls."
I called Mary Lou after I'd hung up because I knew she'd be hurt if I didn't tell her and she found out from someone else. And she was almost as excited as I was. Mary Lou couldn't figure out why I never married Morelli. Now we both know why I didn't.
I lucked out and got to leave messages for both Connie and Lula since they were probably still sleeping off the New Year's celebrating they'd done the night before. After I disconnected for the fourth time, I handed the phone back to Ranger. I snuggled closer to him and rested my head on his chest.
"Now, where were we?" I asked him.
"Right where we belong, Babe."
I was in Ranger's bed, in Ranger's arms, wearing Ranger's ring, and thought back to what he'd said yesterday ... that we'd loved each other almost from the beginning. It was true. And being in this apartment, at this moment, with him, was where I belonged. And a part of me has always known it.