Spoilers . . . . I am making an attempt to pick up after Finger Licking Fifteen. Somethings might be hinted to so be ware.
It has been two and half months since Ranger asked me to come back to work for him to help save his business. At the end of the day when the mystery was solved I stopped at Joe's place. After sharing some chips and dip I thought we might be on a way back to the "on stage" of our relationship if only we could avoid the constant arguing over everything. Maybe we are to much alike to make it work out. That was until Joe's pager went off and he was packing to leave town on an undercover job that I could once again know nothing about. So I have to say it was a good thing that we left things in the "off stage".
So it has been almost 4 months since I have had a social orgasm considering we were on the outs for about a month before he left. But I have been too busy to even realize it, well at least not thinking about it it every second of every day.
The other man in my life is Ranger. He said I could continue working for Rangeman, the 9-5 hours are not the greatest but it comes with a steady paycheck and health benefits so it is a good thing. I am still a bounty hunter for my cousin Vinnie but I mainly have been using the Rangeman resources to find more information on my skips and rounding them up on weekends or occasionally on an evening if I happen to get a tip that one has been seen out on the town. But since it is getting closer to Christmas, the colder weather seems to be keeping the skips in line. But the extra money has helped me pay off all my credit card bills and I am up to date on my rent, and I have some food in my cabinets not that I eat at home that often. I have been catching lunch and even dinner sometimes at work, Ella's cooking even if it is healthy is much better than attempting to cook or having to deal with my parents. Plus with Mom's finals coming up it is like a war zone at their house.
Even though I have been back working for Rangeman the last almost 3 months it feels like I am seeing Ranger a lot less these days. He has been in and out of the office alot. In the beginning it was meeting with customers due to the scare of all the break-ins. But then it seemed that he was in Miami alot. I am not sure if was for business or pleasure. The few times I seen him he seems tired and stressed. About a month ago he got back into town and I was treated to the 2am visit. I did not realize how much I missed them til he was not around to have them. He did not say any, but he looked exhausted. I pushed the covers down on the other side of my bed, stuck my hand out for him and told him to sleep. When I woke at eight the next morning he was still in bed with me and even more shocking was he was still sleeping. I was curled around him with my head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around my waist. It was only maybe five minutes later he work up. I asked if everything was alright, and told him I would help him any way I could all he had to do was ask. He said he was okay for now and he would let me know also that he missed me. This was stated as he pushed a curl behind my ear.
Besides running into Ranger a few times in the office I only had one other major visit with him. This time in his bed. I had been working alot of hours that week. I had worked my 8 hour days all week, caught 4 skips, and did three distraction jobs for the guys. So by the 3pm on the following Monday I was not feeling so hot. I told Tank I was going to go home and lay down. I headed back to the elevator and had my keys out. I was barely able to keep my eyes open so I sent the elevator up to seven instead. I figured I could lay down for a few hours and hopefully feel better to drive home then. I made it to Ranger's bed, removed my black cargo pants, pulled one of Ranger's tshirts over my head and was out before I could get under the covers. I woke up a few hours later with a killer headache, runny nose and achy all over. I went to the bathroom to relieve myself, than found some aleve in the kitchen cabinet and was right back in bed. I figured it was safer to stay then risk heading back to my apartment.
The next time I work up it was about 5 in the morning and I was very confused. There was a warm body wrapped around me, my head was still hurting but no where near as bad as the first time. I was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. I easied out of bed heading to the bathroom this time to shower the sweat away and if it could help lessen the pounding in my head the better. A half an hour later I was wrapped in a white towel and finger combing my hair. After a few minutes I figured it was pointless because I was going back to bed. I headed to the dresser and pulled out another one of Ranger's tshirts, slipping it on over my towel and then letting the towel drop to the floor. I then went and crawled back into bed. Ranger was still sleeping and pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me again. If I was feeling better my hormones might have won out in this situation and started something but unfortunately I was back to sleep within a few minutes.
I woke again the next time when my bed started to move. I protested though. Still half asleep I started burrowing deeper into the bed, but this bed apparently was actually Ranger. I could feel him chuckling silently, to get him back I brought my lips up slightly and rubbed them against his neck then processed to place gently kisses along his jaw bone while he was slightly distracted. I don't normally ignitate things between us, lately I have been standing back trying to determine if it is worth putting my heart on the line. The thing I realized is that it has been on the line for a while I just never wanted to admit it. Still moving along his jaw my lips found his and we shared a very intimate kiss. We both let up some and it left us inches apart just looking at each other. I think we each had a million thoughts running through our heads at that precise moment.
Ranger broke the silence by asking how I was feeling as he edged out of bed. I thought about lying but knew there was no point. After a few minutes of pointless talk Ranger said he had a favor to ask. I propted myself up soom so I can look at him better. The last favor he ask was for me to come back to work for him and help him save the business so I was not sure what kind of favor this would be.
Ranger pulled on some sweats and a tshirt. He looked hesitant.
"Ranger what ever it is, just ask, you know that I have never told you "no" well with the exception of going to a safe house"
"I know Babe, that is why I am hesitant, I don't want you to feel like you have to say "yes".
"The reason I have been in Miami so often the last few months is because of Julie."
"Oh God, is everything alright. She is not hurt is she? Steph ask practically jumping out of bed like that would allow her to help Julie any faster.
Ranger grabbed her arm to help steady Steph as she was a little dizzy from not feeling so well and jumping up so fast. He pulled her down on his lap in one of the side chairs.
"Babe relax, Julie is fine, well for the most part. She has been acting out, and seems her grades have dropped from A's to D's and F's. Ron and Rachel were concerned so we sent Julie has been seeing a counselor of sorts. We believe that she is having some side affects from the kidnapping from last year, and either something triggered a suppressed memory or possibly a delayed response. So I have been flying down because after a few months of counseling on her own she is not showing any progress and I have been sitting in on some of the sessions along with Ron and Rachel. The counselor thinks that she might relate and talk some if you attended some of the sessions also since you were with Julia in the trailor as well as in your apartment. Ron and Rachael weren't there so they can not relate, and I was only there for a few minutes."
"Ranger of course I will help, why didn't you ask sooner? Also don't think that I did not notice that you strung together more than 3 words there."
"Babe"
"Ranger"
Ranger sighs. Probably would be good to head down in the beginning of next month. Julie has spring break and a class trip which Ron and Rachael are taking her away for a week or so to see if that helps. Plus it will be after the holidays. The Miami office has been under staffed and have been having some problems so I have been spend my days and some evenings there when I have been in town trying to help out. You would be able to continue doing searches in Miami, we can develop a system for you to do the Trenton office ones and what ever you can get done in Miami during the day. This way you are still bring in a pay check. Just so you know it might be a month or two that you would be in Miami, would that be a problem?
Steph bit her lip thinking. Ranger has done so much for me over the years, he is a friend, possibly one of my best friends and this is his daughter. It is not like anything is tying me down in Trenton right now.
"No there is no problem, I said I would help, and I will do what ever I can to help Julie and you"
"Thanks Babe, it means alot, now how about we get up and get ready for work. I have a few cases I need check in on that we seem to be running a problem with"