I would love everyone to know that this is my first story, so please, go easy on me.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything. It's all Janet Evanovich's, with my words.
But, if anyone wants to get me Ranger, I will NOT object =)
Next chapter will hopefully be posted soon. Very soon.
~kj
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I made a beautiful bride, that much I had to admit.
Having managed to maintain my weight at a steady one hundred and twenty, my wedding dress fit perfectly. It was white with beading on the top. The dress was strapless and tight to my hips, where it flared out into a crumbled princess skirt.
My blue eyes looked stunning, staring back at me in the mirror. Outlined and shadowed perfectly, the blue was highlighted and shone out brilliantly. My naturally wild, curly brown hair was still hanging unruly in crazy tendrils.
I was a beautiful bride. From the dress, to my hair and makeup, to the shoes.
Lula and I had shopped for hours, looking for the shoes. Heals three inches high, white with rhinestones. They were perfect.
I had the bride part down, but the rest of the wedding was a mess.
I was marrying for all the wrong reasons. Sure, I loved Morelli, but I wasn't in love with him. He was a great man. He had a stable job, a house, a dog, he enjoyed the simple things. Pino's, a cold beer, the game on TV.
He was a great man, just not for me.
A moment of realization hit me as I looked in the mirror, the ring on my finger sparkling in the sunlight that was streaming through the window.
I'm marrying Morelli because that's what everyone wants me to do. It's what's expected in the Burg. My mother has wanted me to settle down and get married to Morelli before I even brought him home for dinner. Morelli wanted me to marry him, have his babies, stay home all day and become a housewife, instead of continuing my career as a bounty hunter.
And Ranger. There was always Ranger. Well, he sent me back to Morelli.
Everyone seemed to think it was a good idea to marry Morelli. Now, because I had wanted to make everyone around me finally happy, I had given up and taken the ring. I had helped plan this ridiculous wedding and picked out a dress and shoes. I convinced myself to be happy about this, when in reality, I was trying to run and get away from it.
I looked away from the mirror and looked back at my sparkling blue eyes.
I can't marry Morelli. It's just not what I want.
I stood and rushed to my purse, where my cell phone was sitting idly in the bottom. I pulled it out and dialed the number one speed dial.
"Yo." A husky voice picked up. How I loved that voice.
"I need help."
"Cold feet."
"It's not cold feet! I can't do this."
"Cold feet." He said again.
"I promise you, it's not cold feet. Ranger, we haven't talked since I took the ring. I won't be happy if I do this. We both know it. I can't make everyone else happy without being concerned about my own. Please, I need help."
"What can I do?"
"I just…I need help. I moved in with him, I don't have my apartment anymore. I don't know what to do. He'll be furious."
Smooth move, Steph. Talk yourself into a nervous breakdown.
"Calm down. I'll be right there." I heard the click of the phone and knew that he had hung up.
I made sure that my "honeymoon" suitcase was ready to go by the door.
The second I took the ring from Morelli, Ranger had instantly put a large amount of space between us. He didn't break into my apartment anymore, which was good, because I had moved out. He didn't call me, not that he ever did. He didn't pull me outside the bonds office for an alley make out session. For all he knew, I had died, but he was still the one I called when I needed help.
Morelli and I had such a long history that I had convinced myself that it made sense for me to marry him. He took my virginity behind the pastry counter when I was sixteen, not that I much objected. We had been an on and off again relationship for part of our adult lives.
The bridal suite door opening made me jump out of my chair in surprise.
"Ranger." I said, my hand flying to my pounding heart.
Ranger was a Cuban God bestowed upon earth as a gift to women. He had mocha skin and black hair, which he was wearing long again, to my enjoyment. He was tall and extremely muscular, gorgeous perfection head to toe. He was wearing his usual painted on black t-shirt and cargo pants.
"Babe."
Babe. He said babe. The famous Ranger word that he said in place of perhaps half the English dictionary. This time, it stood in for, "I'll grab the suitcase, you get your purse. Lets go."
Sure enough, Ranger reached for the suitcase and nodded towards the doorway. The wedding wasn't due to start for an hour, so no one would be hanging around my bridal suite. I left the engagement ring that Morelli gave me on the vanity table and grabbed my purse and followed Ranger out the door.
In the back hallway of the church, he quickly led me out a side door to the parking lot, where his orgasmic black Turbo 911 was waiting, tinted windows and all. He swiftly unlocked the car and put my suitcase in the trunk. I carefully climbed into the passenger seat, making sure all of my dress was in before I closed the door. I buckled the seatbelt and a moment later, Ranger was beside me, quickly pulling out of the parking lot.
"Ranger, I-"
"You always have a room and job at Rangeman."
That was all he said until we pulled into the Rangeman garage. We climbed out of his car and he grabbed my suitcase as we walked to the elevator. Ranger pressed the number I knew was the floor for employee apartments. We rode the elevator in silence, and when it stopped, he led me to a door and handed me a key.
"Babe." He said, then disappeared.
"Freaking Batman." I said as I unlocked the door and rolled my suitcase in.
It was the same apartment he had given me years ago. Simple, a small kitchen, a living room, bedroom and bathroom. I closed the door behind me and went to the bedroom, to find several of my belongings scattered throughout the room. On the nightstand, I saw my cell phone chord, which I was sure I had left at Morelli's house. Most of my clothes were already in the closet, and my toiletries in the bathroom. I unpacked my suitcase into the closet, careful to keep everything neat and tidy. On top of the bed, there were two pairs of black Rangeman cargo pants and two Rangeman shirts.
Subtle hint.
I changed out of the wedding dress and hung it on one of the higher hangers in the closet. I put the shoes on a shelve with all the other shoes in my closet. I pulled out a plain pair of black flip-flops and put on the Rangeman uniform. I put the flip flops on and put the key in my pocket as I walked into the kitchen. Sitting on the kitchen counter was my favorite fish aquarium.
"Rex!" I greeted him. No motion. I tapped on the soup can until my hamster, Rex, sleepily walked out, blinked at me, and went back into his can to sleep.
I walked out of the apartment door and took the elevator to the control room. Several familiar faces were sitting in front of monitors, seeming to not be paying much attention. Immediately, Tank and Lester greeted me.
"Bombshell!"
I smiled and gave a finger wave. "Who did that epic move from the house to the room?" I asked, hoping they would know what I was talking about.
"That was us. We were told we had ten minutes to complete the perfect move."
"Is everything set up alright?" Lester interrupted Tank.
"Yes, it's perfect. Thanks so much."
"Anytime. So, what happened with the cop?" Lester asked.
I shrugged. "You know."
Tank winked at me. "Yeah, I know. He's in there." He nodded his head to a door in the corner at the end of the wall of monitors.
"Thanks." I smiled again and walked to the door. I knocked lightly.
"Come in." I heard a voice within call.
I walked in and Ranger looked up from paperwork. My heart pounded lightly as our eyes met.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"Searches, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind." I stood awkwardly as Ranger went back to his paperwork. There was so much that I wanted to say to him. Along the lines of, "I love you, I want you. Take me now."
"Ranger, I just wanted to thank you so-"
"Babe." He interrupted me, looking up briefly.
"Oh…" I barely squeaked out. "Okay, I'll just get to those searches." I walked out of his office, trying hard not to let the tears well up in my eyes as I walked to my usual cubical and started up the computer.
"Give him time," a soothing voice whispered over the top of the cubical wall. I looked up to see Tank standing over, giving me a small smile.