**A/N...hi everyone. I've been working on this for the last few weeks and finally pushed through and finished it. A day late, but I almost did it in time. Warning for a little bit of swearing here and there, but otherwise it's a safe read. This one is based on one of my favorite bad 80s movies, Secret Admirer. Hope you enjoy it.
PS, followers of my other works in progress, I'm going to school full time this semester and I'm crazy busy so I haven't had much time to write, but nothing is abandoned. I'll update as soon as possible, but please be patient I need to keep my straight A's going here.
Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day-B. **
The Love Letter
This may seem silly, but I need to say this to you. Just this once.
I can't stop thinking about you. You're the first thing I think of in the morning. I imagine waking up in your warm embrace, kissing your sweet lips until you awaken, and being the first person your gorgeous eyes gaze upon each day.
All day long I hope for just a glimpse of you and when I'm finally blessed with the sight, I immediately long for another. I turn around every time I hear a car approaching, hoping it's you. Every time the door opens, I anticipate your smile greeting me. Every time the phone rings, I long for it to be your voice echoing in my ear. But even if I get my wish and see you, speak to you, touch you, it's not enough.
I drive by the places you go and watch you inside. I stop in the office when I don't need to be there, just hoping you'll be there too. I drive by your place, trying to find the courage to go inside and tell you my true feelings, but I can never find the courage. So I go home without you. I lie in my loveless bed and I dream that you'll come through the door and tell me the three words I long to hear so badly.
I hope and pray that you feel the same connection that I do. That you get that same spark of awareness whenever I'm near. That you feel the same tingle run through your body. That your heart beats harder and faster when you hear my voice. That my scent is imprinted in your memory. That my voice makes you shiver with desire. That you know we are truly meant to be together.
If you do, then come to me. Make my dreams come true. Shout it out to the heavens and to all of the burg, that you love me, want to be with me, and no one else. All you need to do is ask and I'll be yours for eternity.
She grasped the envelope in her hand and took a good look around the room before scurrying over to his desk. She tucked the envelope inside the pocket of his leather jacket, then walked away as quickly as possible. She couldn't watch as he opened it. She didn't want to see his reaction.
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Joe Morelli was really not excited about today. Let's just say Valentine's Day wasn't exactly his thing. Hell, truth be told he didn't think it was any man's thing. It was his belief that guys only celebrate because their women love it, plus the women usually dispense sex as a gift. Joe didn't think sex really made it worth his time. His girlfriend, Stephanie, was usually good to go without all the sweet talk and expensive gifts. He knew romancing a girl like her would only put ideas in her head. She'd expect hearts and flowers all the damned time and he was not about to get trapped into being that guy. No way.
He'd always outsmarted this Valentine's crap…up until this year. He usually made arrangements to be out of town on a job so he didn't have to do anything too serious with her. Unfortunately that didn't pan out this year. So there he stood, in line at the drug store, holding a heart shaped box of chocolates and a Hallmark card with a puppy on it that simply said, "Be My Valentine". He knew it wasn't what most women would expect as a gift after four years of dating, but remember, he didn't want to raise Steph's expectations too high. Besides, she not exactly begging for a diamond either.
Yes, he knew if he bought a ring she'd say yes, or at least that's been implied, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet. He wasn't ready for marriage, not by a long shot, and neither was she. That's why they got along so well. Steph's easy to please, she never asks for too much, and she doesn't make demands on him. Hell, she's so breezy about their relationship she'll probably just be happy that he was finally asking her out to dinner on Valentine's Day. See, keeping her expectations low makes the little things like dinner seem like a big deal. She'll probably be so excited about the date that she'll let him bring her home for some long overdue nighttime loving. Okay, so maybe sex was part of the draw for Joe after all.
He tossed the candy and card into the passenger seat of his SUV and headed over to the bonds office where Steph usually spends her mornings, if eleven can still be considered morning. As soon as he turned the corner he could see her POS Ford with the school bus yellow paint job. She only bought it because she figured it'd die a quick death and he couldn't argue her logic, but there was no way in hell he'd drive that monstrosity for even one day. He laughed at the absurd vehicle as he pulled in next to it.
Joe leaned over and checked himself the rearview mirror. He shoved his hand through his hair, not that it needed it, but Steph likes the tousled look. Once he was happy with his look, he stepped out of his car and pocketed his keys as he headed for the front door for the bond's office. He stopped walking when his hand brushed against a folded paper he didn't remember putting in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened it up, immediately noticing the neat writing that could only belong to a woman. He looked around, no one noticed him yet, so he walk over to the edge of the building to read it in private. It didn't have a name on it, but there's no doubt that it was meant for him. Oh yeah. This chic was into him, hardcore.
Joe always thought secret admirer letters were kind of childish, but this one was definitely good for the ego. It was nice knowing he was wanted, especially since he never got that feeling from Stephanie. Sure she cared about him, but she never said things like what were written in that letter. Clearly this woman had it bad for him. And lucky for him, he knew exactly who wrote it. Terri Gillman.
Terri's a hot, mob mouthpiece that he used to bang back in high school. She's made it clear, on many occasions, that she's been hot for him ever since he got home from the Navy. Not that he made a play on her, she's definitely not a good career move. He's a cop for God's sake, he can't just take up with a mob princess anymore. Not that he hasn't thought about it. She's incredibly built and Lord knows she can use her assets too. Oh yeah…the memories of youth rush over him and send his blood shooting south.
Terri, Terri, Terri. He just can't help smiling. She must've slipped the envelope into his jacket when they met earlier this morning. He read the note again. He just couldn't believe how well she captured his own feelings for her. He knew exactly what she meant. He could always sense when she was near. He got an electric charge when she touched him. It was almost magical. He definitely felt it too, always has, but that still didn't mean they could be together, right?
No, of course not. He couldn't actually go after her like she wants him to. It wasn't like she was really in love with him though. She was an adult, she had to know the difference between love and lust. So, maybe, he'd just offer what he was able to, one night only…No, he couldn't do that. What was he thinking? He wasn't free to run after other women, not after he made a big stink about being monogamous to Steph. He definitely couldn't do anything about Terri if he and Steph were still together. If only they were in an off stage at the moment.
Just thinking about an off stage dragged a dozen more thoughts to the surface. Every little nitpicking, annoying thing that Stephanie did entered his mind. He was involuntarily making mental notes that he couldn't push away. He knew he could easily use any of those grievances to start a fight. It wouldn't take much provocation before she got mad and broke up with him, again. He knew it wasn't right to even think about breaking up with her just so he could sleep around, but Terri's letter was a temptation that was hard to resist.
He hastily shoved the note into his pocket and headed into the office to have a talk with Steph. As soon as he stepped inside he saw Lula munching a doughnut from the box that was resting on the couch next to her and Connie standing at the coffee machine looking bored. He looked around, but Stephanie was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, Joe," Connie smiled at him. "You just missed Steph. She's gone off after Sid Allen."
Crap. Another one of those anti-Stephanie thoughts surfaced, followed by another and another. Let's just say he never imagined dating a bounty hunter. He was still trying to get used to her decision to keep doing this dead-end job. No one understood how hard it was for him to deal with. He went crazy knowing she was in danger almost daily. Plus, he had to sit through all the jokes and teasing. No one likes to listen to his girlfriend getting laughed at and made fun of by the people he worked with.
The worst thing, though, was that none of that seemed to phase her. She was set on doing her own thing, not fitting into the neighborhood, or being a typical burg girl. She wasn't about to settle down any time soon. She loved her job, because she's a danger junkie and there was nothing he could do to fix that. He tried his best to ignore it, though it would have been a lot easier to accept her lifestyle if he didn't have to deal with her choice of work associates on top of all the rest. "Her car's out front?" he questioned, hoping he didn't hear what he thought he was going to hear.
"She's with Tank," Lula grumbled without looking up from her magazine.
Tank. Thank God. He was glad she had real, reliable backup for a change. He was even happier that her backup wasn't the Cuban thug that Tank worked for. Sid Allen was not a nice man, especially to women. He didn't like her going after guys like that alone, but he hated that she relied on that POS Ranger Manoso to keep her safe even more.
He supposed he should've just been happy that Manoso's been stepping back a little, sending his men to help her with her jobs instead of doing it himself. Joe knew she told Manoso that she decided to take her commitment to him seriously. Oddly Manoso seemed to respect that. It made things much easier for Joe now that Manoso wasn't trying to push his way into the middle anymore, but he still didn't trust him. He never would. He knew Manoso wanted her for himself and he didn't want to give him the chance to worm his way back into her life.
Joe knew it wasn't nice to provoke people, but his mood had gone down the toilet. Thinking of Stephanie and Manoso together had a tendency to do that to him. Maybe he just wanted someone else to feel the same way he did. Misery loves company and all that. He knew Lula's ex-fiancé was still a sore spot for her and he couldn't resist the temptation to take a jab. "They didn't invite you along?" he asked Lula, who was usually Steph's backup.
Lula looked up at him and he immediately saw the hint of real pain there behind the surface. Bingo, he knew it'd work. "I didn't want to go with them anyway," she grumbled.
"Yeah, right," Connie laughed from the other side of the room. "Seeing Tank with Steph ruins your day. No, life."
Lula frowned at her, then glared at Joe. "Let them get shot at and tossed into the trash together. I've got filing to do," she huffed.
Joe knew exactly how she felt, always the outsider, left behind while Stephanie was out saving the world with Manoso. Unfortunately, he realized that misery didn't love company. He felt like a total shithead for picking on Lula, so he patted her shoulder and gave her his special Morelli smile. "Their loss," he told her. "You can do so much better than someone like him anyway. You're a special woman, Lula."
He knew the Morelli charm would work, it always did. She smiled back at him and thankfully the pain was gone from her eyes. "Damn straight," she agreed as she pointed to the doughnut box next to her. "Want one?"
He bent over and select a sprinkled circle. "Thanks." Lula nodded and gave him a little smile in return, the kind of smile that would encourage him to make a move…if he were interested. He wasn't. "Have a good Valentine's Day ladies. Oh, and tell Steph we have plans tonight."
"Sure," Connie mumbled back with an eye roll that he didn't quite understand. What the heck did he do to deserve that?
He shrugged it off as he headed for the front door. He didn't care what they thought…though the feel of their eyes on his ass certainly lifted his spirits. It's always nice to feel appreciated.
Now he just needed to find Steph, have a little talk with her, and then plan a visit to Terri, just to let her know he appreciated her sentiments as well.
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Lula watched Super Cop leave the office. She couldn't help herself, the guy was voted best ass in Trenton for a reason. She knew it was wrong to flirt with him. He was her best friend's boyfriend, but she couldn't help it. He'd been so nice to her. No man's been that nice to her in a long time. Plus, he's hot, for a cop. Besides, it's not like she was planning to put the moves on him or anything. She was just looking. Nothing wrong with looking. Stephanie looks all the time.
In fact, Steph was probably looking at her Tankie that very minute. Except he wasn't her Tankie anymore. He was with Stephanie now. He was always playing bodyguard and backup and Lord knows what else. They even had a pizza together the other night. Tank never took Lula out for a pizza. He always took her back to his place to mess around. That's not a date.
Lula wondered if Steph had been to his house yet. No doubt she wasn't allergic to his cats like Lula was. Damned imagination. Why couldn't she stop it from running wild? She didn't have anything to be jealous about. Stephanie wasn't interested in Tankie. She's got Morelli and his ass, not to mention Ranger lurking in the shadows waiting to make his move. It just wouldn't be fair if she had Tank on her hook too.
Lula reached over to pick up another doughnut and her hand snagged a piece of paper instead of a pastry. She frowned at it, wondering what it was. She knew it had to be Morelli's, no one else touched the doughnuts and the paper definitely wasn't there before he came in.
Lula looked up, Connie wasn't paying any attention so she unfold it and read it.
Holy crap.
Super cop wanted to play hide the nightstick, with her. She thought about it for about two seconds before the thought of banging a cop gave her stomach cramps. Bad cramps. A cop! Not to mention the fact that he's white girl's man. He couldn't just go after her. That was against the rules. There weren't a lotta rules Lula followed, but she didn't do her sisters' men, past or present, even for money.
And what was this shit about him wanting to be with her for eternity? Eternity with a cop sounded way too much like jail too her. Oh, good Lord. She was gonna be sick.
She jumped off the couch, squeezed her butt cheeks together and made a run for the toilet. She only paused long enough to drop the note into her purse. This diarrhea was gonna be bad, real bad, almost like dating a cop bad.
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Connie caught Lula making a run for it, then heard the bathroom door slam shut. "I wonder what she ate this time," she muttered to herself as she plopped down into her office chair. She needed to get Ranger's check printed before he got there to grab his paperwork. She tried to focus on her computer screen, but it was difficult to ignore the sputtering and groaning coming from the bathroom.
The printer just started running the check when Ranger opened the front door. Connie knew it was him even before she looked up. It was like the air changed, became charged, and her body came alive. When she looked up, Ranger gave her one of those smiles, the one where only one side of his mouth tipped up just a fraction of an inch. God, she loved that smile. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst from lack of oxygen. She must've sucked in a breath and forgot to exhale or something.
"Connie," he said as he stepped over to her desk. Her eyes were torn between staring at his strong, handsome features or lower at his finely sculpted body, which was only hidden by a skin tight black Under Armor tee shirt. If only he lost the jacket. Oh, how she he loved his arms. "He in?" he asked, pulling her out of her lust-filled stupor.
His voice actually startled her so badly that she bounced out of her chair and tipped over everything on the shelf next to her. He didn't comment on her usual clumsiness. He just reached over the desk and helped her straighten the fallen items. She was going to die of embarrassment. Why was she only like this with him of all people? She was definitely going to die. "Thanks, um, yeah, he's in," she managed to squeak out like an idiot, hoping he'd leave the room to speak to her boss, Vinnie.
"Don't hurt yourself out here," he told her with another little amused smile before disappearing into Vinnie's office.
Damn. Damn. Damn. Why was she so clumsy and stupid in front of that man? Sure he's sexy. Okay, he's the sexiest thing walking this Earth. She can't help that he gets her all hot and bothered. Not that she'd ever do anything about it. He's clearly not for her. He's got a thing for Stephanie and everyone knows it, except Stephanie. That girl's been living in denial or something, though Connie had no idea why. If Ranger Manoso wanted her she'd be all over his junk before he could get the words out of his mouth. He'd certainly have more than a starring role in her shower fantasies, that's for sure.
Connie picked up the remnants of her latest Ranger-induced-disaster and settled into her chair. That's when she noticed the folded piece of paper. She didn't remember seeing it before her disaster so she picked it up and opened it, and holy crap…it was a love letter. A secret admirer love letter, to her.
Her mouth immediately went dry, her heart started thudding, and she couldn't breathe. Oh no. Either she was having a panic attack or a heart attack, either way it felt like she really was dying this time. Maybe she was already dead. That was the only way she could explain how Ranger Manoso could be secretly in love with her.
Lula came out of the bathroom, waving a file in front of her. "Whoo, don't go in there for a while," she warned. "I ain't doing so good." Connie nodded in return. "What the hell happened to you? You're as white as Stephanie."
Connie just shook her head. There was no way she could tell Lula about that note. There's no way she could tell anyone about that note. She quickly hid it in some files, before standing up. "I just need some air," she told Lula. "I'll be right back."
Connie rushed outside and stepped around the corner into the alley. She leaned back against the wall and tried to take deep even breaths. She was finally getting what she'd always dreamed of, a passionate affair with Ranger. Only now that she had the chance she really didn't think she could do it. Could she?
Oh, hell, what she going to do?
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Ranger stepped out of Vinnie's office and was immediately hit with the fumes. He needed all his military training not to show a reaction. Man, the smell was pungent. He scoped the room, looking for the source, and his eyes landed on the couch. Lula was leaning back on the thing, looking quite green. There was no doubt what he was smelling. He'd recognize that Taco-Bell-shit-stink anywhere. It was like pot, once you smell it, you never forget the scent.
He knew he should say something, but he desperately wanted to make his escape. He silently walked over to the desk, noting that Connie was gone. Not that he blamed her. She probably went outside to breath. He saw his check in the printer, so he grabbed it and the stack of files that had a note from Steph on top asking him to take a peek for her.
Man, the stench. She smelled like she was rotting from the inside out. "You should go home," he told Lula. "You don't look so good."
"I feel worse than I look," she groaned, then tipped over and stretched out on the couch.
Ranger was betting she smelled worse than both put together, but he didn't say that. "Take care," he said instead. He grimaced as he heard the echo of another fart before the door closed behind him. Man, that scent was never going to recede. He thought about sending his guys over, with the hazmat suits, just to make sure the place was aired out and safe for Steph's return. Then he wondered if that would be overstepping in her eyes.
As he's walked to his car he noticed Connie in the alley. He was going to keep walking, but she didn't look so good either. Ever the gentleman, he couldn't help walking over to check on her. "I got everything," he told her as he lifted the files into sight.
She nodded in reply, and honestly she looked worse than Lula did. In fact, she looked like she was going to pass out. He couldn't let her fall over on the cement, so he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest. He lowered them both to the ground until she was sitting on his knees.
"You're fine, just breathe. Nice and slow," he told her as he put his hand against the back of her neck and pushed her head between her knees. "Nice and slow."
She was trembling even harder now. He wondered if she was going to be sick. Maybe they all ate something bad. Maybe he should take them to the hospital to get checked out. Well, maybe he should call one of his guys to take them to the hospital. Stephanie's the only person allowed to barf in his Porsche.
Ranger rubbed her back until her breathing evened out. She finally sat up and looked back at him. "Thanks, Ranger," she said softly, then her lips curved into a smile. "I'm so glad you stopped here today."
Okay. He knew when a woman was hitting on him and this certainly fell into that category. He quickly stood and lifted her back to her feet. He was ready to bolt, but she was so wobbly that he couldn't just take off. Instead he kept an arm around her until they were standing in front of the door. "Better now?"
A slight blush tinted her cheeks pink and he swore to God that she batted her eyelashes at him. "I'm perfect," she sighed, then leaned in and kissed his cheek.
What the... He shook his head. There was no way this was happening. Not that he didn't believe Connie was attracted to him, but he'd given her no reason to think he was interested and she was smart enough to know better than to just make a move on him. He was Ranger Manoso, he made people shit their pants at least once a week. He certainly didn't do sweet kisses on the cheek, unless it involved Stephanie Plum.
"Later, Connie." He opened the door for her and waited while she stepped inside.
"Definitely later," she agreed before the door swung shut. He jogged off to his car while he tried to think of a way to let Connie down easily. He didn't want to make their work relationship uncomfortable, especially now that he was in the final stages of purchasing the business from Vinnie.
He leaned back in the comfort of his leather car seat and wondered if Connie was going crazy because it was Valentine's Day and she was single this year. That was definitely something he saw happen with his four sisters a time or ten. He was just never on the receiving end of that craziness before, most likely because he never left himself open to it. He was always completely clear about what he wanted and what he didn't when it came to dealing with women…except Steph.
He had to face it, when it came to Stephanie there were no rules he wouldn't break. That'd been obvious since the moment he realized he was in love with her. He didn't do love, he told her that once upon a time, and at the time it was true. That was before she broke through his walls, wiggled her way into his heart, and left no doubt in his mind that he was totally and completely in love with her though. Unfortunately, he'd taken too long in getting around to telling her that his feelings had changed. That he had changed. She took his words to heart and moved on. She was leaning toward marrying Joe Morelli, at some point in the future. She didn't know if her misgivings about marrying Joe were due to her relationship with him, or because of her feelings for Ranger. That's why she asked him, nicely, to back off and let her figure out what she wanted.
Letting her go was impossible. He couldn't let go. He was afraid she'd be hurt if he wasn't around to watch over her. So they came up with a compromise. He'd stop tracking her if she'd actually get some real training, so he wouldn't worry. That's why she was off with Tank, bounty hunting, while he was sitting in his car, alone, holding the files she left for him to look over.
He looked down at the files and read her scribbled note, "Make sure you read what I wrote. All of it."
He smiled to himself. She knew he wouldn't miss a single detail so something must have been up with one of the files. He quickly browsed through them, wondering what could have been so noteworthy. Everything she wrote seemed standard to him. Then finally, inside, the third folder was a folded paper. He grabbed it and opened it up.
He read it. Then he read it again. He couldn't believe she'd finally spoke not only her mind, but her heart. She was offering him everything he wanted, all he had to do was find the courage to take it.
He dropped the note back into the file with a smile on his face. He had some planning to do.
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Stephanie and Tank were just hauling in their scumbag skip when Tank's cell phone rang. He stepped aside, since the cops were already taking the douche back for processing.
"Yo," Tank answered, knowing it was Ranger.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"At the station, with Steph."
Ranger was silent for a moment, so he knew something was up. "I need to see her," Ranger finally said. "Keep her there for five minutes."
Tank's curiosity was piqued. "Okay. Anything important?"
Ranger was silent again, just a hair too long. "No." Liar.
"I'll try to stall her, but she's in a hurry. You know, it's Valentine's Day and all," Tank reminded him, just in case he forgot to get her something like the bonehead he is.
"I know what day it is," Ranger bitched back. "Just keep her there."
Tank smiled as he hung up his cell phone and wandered back over toward Stephanie. She was having some sort of conversation with Morelli that didn't look good. Tank rolled his eyes, assuming Morelli was trying to dump her so he wouldn't need to buy her a gift or take her out tonight or some other douche bag move. Morelli was a moron when it came to women…almost as bad as Ranger sometimes.
And poor Stephanie, stuck with the two of them. It was a wonder she didn't kick them both to the curb and run away with some other guy. Tank would have if he was her, not that he'd run away with a guy. Unless he was a woman, but he's not a woman, so…
Anyway, he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared through Stephanie, directly at that dickwad cop of hers. Tank swore to God that if Morelli hurt her again he'd hurt him even worse. He was through standing aside while both those morons abused her sweet nature. Someone needed to be on her side and that someone would be Pierre Auguste Baudin. Shit. No, it'd need to be Tank, no one would take the other seriously.
Five minutes passed and his cell phone rang again. He looked at the screen and frowned. He couldn't haul her outside to Ranger in the middle of whatever was happening between her and the cop. "Yo," he answered again.
"Forget it," Ranger said. "I left her new files in your truck."
"You're not going to see her?" Tank asked in a low growl. "How much longer can you do this avoiding her thing?"
"Not long," Ranger agreed to Tank's surprise. "I just can't do this here. Bring her to Pino's for lunch."
"Pinos?" Tank asked. "You hate that place."
"Yeah, but she loves it."
Tank smiled at the phone. That was more like it. Maybe Ranger could salvage this crap after all. "Noon."
"Got it." Then Ranger hung up, like usual, no goodbye.
Tank looked up as Stephanie walked toward him. "You alright?"
She shrugged and gave him a half-hearted smile. "Fine," she agreed, though he saw right through it. "He said he's been thinking about us and doesn't think it's the right time for us to make a commitment."
Tank lifted an eyebrow at her, wondering what she thought of that. "And?"
She just shrugged at him. "And either that means he wants to sleep with someone else or he's panicking because it's Valentine's Day and he thinks I want to get married."
"Don't you?" he asked, wondering if anyone else had bothered to ask her that question.
She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "What I want doesn't really matter. I can't have it."
He looked at her slumped shoulders and lowered face. Whatever she was thinking about had made her a lot more upset than the cop breaking up with her. "Have you actually tried to get what you want? Sometimes you need to fight for the shit that's really worth it."
She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders again, pushing away whatever was bothering her. "There's no way to win," she answered. "He's too strong to beat."
Tank knew for sure she wasn't talking about Morelli this time. He wanted to grab Ranger by the scuff of his pansy-ass neck and shake some sense into him. "Even the strongest man has a weakness, Stephanie."
She shook her head. "Not him."
Tank snorted, "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
"I just don't think I could stand to be rejected again," she answered as they settled back in the truck.
He really hated to hear that pain in her voice. He couldn't stand the thought of her getting hurt again. Maybe he'd spent too much time protecting her over the years, he wasn't sure, but he knew he wouldn't let anything happen to hurt her again. "You gonna be alright?"
"Yep. No big deal. Just another Valentine's Day alone." She picked up the files Ranger had left for her and touched the note he'd attached to the top. "I think I'm going to need a lot of wine to get through this one."
Tank glanced over at the note and tried to figure out what Ranger was referring to. "I read your notes, all of them, and I agree, babe. With everything." Cryptic.
Stephanie kept her fingers on the note, touching his handwriting over and over like she was caressing him. Tank doubted she even knew she was doing it. He had second thoughts about taking her to Pinos for lunch. She shouldn't have to deal with Ranger's crap after putting up with Morelli, but he had promised Ranger and there was always the hope that Ranger would get his crap together and fix things. And if not, Tank could always kick his punk ass.
"How about lunch?" he asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Sure."
"Pino's?"
She smiled back like he just made her day. "Please."
Once he parked the truck she leaned over and gave him a hug, then she jumped out of the truck and headed for the front door. Tank watched her go, too stunned by the hug to get out of the truck. He didn't remember the last time he was just hugged for no reason. It was kind of nice.
He shook himself out of his stupor and finally got out of the truck. Then he turned to shut the door, but stopped when he noticed a folded paper lying next to his seat. He picked it up, unfolded it, and to his surprise he found a love letter. At least it looked like someone was in love with him, but who?
He glanced up and saw Stephanie smiling and waving, then looked back down at the note. Oh, hell no.
He thought that she deserved someone better than the two jokers she had now. He even thought that she should run away with some other man, but he didn't mean him.
This was all Ranger's fault. What the hell was he thinking making Tank work with her so often? Didn't Ranger understand that people formed attachments to their partners, especially when working in dangerous situations? Of course he did! Then what the crap was he thinking putting them together like this?
Damn. Damn. Damn. How was he going to let her down easy, especially after Morelli had just struck her down earlier? Ranger better have a plan, a good one, because he couldn't deal with this. He's never dealt well with women, especially upset women. He didn't like breaking up with them or telling them no. Hell, that's how he ended up engaged to Lula. He couldn't say no to her. Not that she was so bad. She was good company. And she wasn't Ranger's woman.
Shit. This was bad. Real bad.
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Stephanie picked a booth in center of the restaurant and slipped into the seat, so her back was to the front door. She figured Tank would prefer to sit facing it, just like Ranger always did. She smiled up at him when he finally joined her, but he looked sort of ill.
"You alright?" she asked.
He nodded to her as he slipped into the booth. He was a big man and easily filled up his bench. "Stephanie?" he asked gaining her attention. She smiled in reply, waiting for him to keep going. "You know I think you're a real nice girl?"
Uh, okay. "I think you're a nice man too, Tank."
He fidgeted uncomfortably and scratched at his bald head before looking at her again. "Listen, just let me be straightforward about this, Steph. This can't happen."
She looked down at the note he was holding and blinked in surprise. "What is that?"
"You mean you didn't write it?" he asked in surprise. She shook her head no. "Oh, thank God," he practically shouted before she could even voice her reply. "I thought you wanted me."
She laughed at the very idea. Tank was a great guy, a good friend, but come on…he's Ranger's best friend. That was against some sort of dating code. Ranger's men were definitely off limits. "Where do you think it came from then?"
"It was in my car seat," he shrugged. "No one was in there except me and you."
"And Ranger," she pointed out, thinking of the files.
"That isn't Ranger's writing," he grinned as he looked at the looping handwriting. No, it looked much more like her own than Ranger's.
"Definitely not," she agreed as she stared down at the words on the paper.
They both frowned as they came to the same conclusion. Ranger was carrying around a note from another woman. She was going to die. It was now official. She's had some stinky Valentine's Days in the past, but this one was taking the cake.
First Joe decided that he needed to take a break, because their relationship wasn't what he hoped it would be, and that he still didn't know if he could handle her job or her working with Tank. She was angry that he told her the way he did, but she didn't disagree. At least not about all of it. She didn't think their relationship was progressing like it should either. Even asking Ranger to step back, romantically, she couldn't get him off her mind. She couldn't focus on Joe. She didn't want to spend her life with him the way she did Ranger.
She was just working up the courage to tell Ranger that, but now she had proof that he didn't feel the same way. He was in love with some other woman. A part of her always figured Ranger would move on without her, but she didn't anticipate it hurting so much to know that he cared for someone else. Especially since he told her he wasn't capable of loving a woman that way. Now she knew it was just her that he wasn't capable of loving.
God. It felt like her heart was being torn in half. Odd that this note could kill her when her conversation with Joe didn't hurt at all. She supposed that was proof in itself. Ranger had always been and always would be the man she loved…and now it was too late to tell him she'd been wrong when she'd pushed him away.
Tank's eyes moved to the door, they narrowed, and turned into a glare. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, then a chill raced down her spine. She glanced back at the door, hoping she wasn't right. But there he was, and he was walking toward them.
Ranger's eyes were focused on her, not on Tank, who still looked like he was going to kill someone. Stephanie wanted to melt away, right into the old vinyl booth cushion. She really didn't want to have this conversation with him. Maybe if she closed her eyes it'd all disappear.
"Babe," he said in his deep, sexy voice. Crap. He hadn't disappeared. "You'll need to look at me for this."
Oh, no, she couldn't look at him, but her eyes fluttered open despite her wishes. He stood there looking good enough to eat. Cargo pants, black tee shirt, leather jacket, and a soft smile graced his perfectly sculpted body and handsome face. "Ranger," she whispered back and for the first time that one word meant so many things. All her pain and sadness was wrapped into that one word. It was both a plea not to leave her and censure for his lies about not doing love. But, mostly, it just meant I love you.
He stared at her for what felt like an eternity. She didn't know what to say or do so she waited for him to make his move, to tell her about the woman in the letter, but he didn't. Suddenly everything happened so fast. He dropped down onto one knee and knelt beside the booth. Held in one hand was a diamond ring that could easily put out an eye. Her mouth dropped open in shock. This couldn't be what it looked like. Could it?
People were standing, watching, taking photos and videos on their phones. Ranger didn't seem to care. He held his position, looking directly at her like no one else existed. Then he finally spoke, loud and clear for everyone to hear, "Stephanie Plum, I love you. I want to love you now and for the rest of my life. I want you, for eternity, even longer if I can. Say you'll marry me, here in front of God and the burg, say you'll be mine, forever?"
Her eyes widened. She recognized those words, they were from the note. What was happening? Did he write it? Or, God, did he think she wrote it? Did it matter that she didn't? She looked over at Tank's shocked face, then back at Ranger. What was standing in her way? A stupid paper?
This was what she had wanted for as long as she could remember. She loved this man with her whole heart, nothing could convince her otherwise. She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to live without him. She wanted him for eternity too. So she nodded yes. "Yes, I'll be yours."
He pushed the ring onto her finger and stood at the same time he pulled her out of the booth. His lips were on hers before her feet even touched the ground. Suddenly the rest of the world didn't exist for her either. It was just Ranger, her, and the kiss that the burg would never forget.
"Cupcake!"
Ranger broke the kiss and looked up at Morelli. "Stephanie," Ranger said correcting Morelli. "To you she's Stephanie."
"What do you think you're doing?" Joe yelled.
"You said we should see other people," she pointed out.
"See other people doesn't mean you marry Manoso, it means you wait for me."
"Wow." If it had been anyone else she'd say he must have been kidding, but it was Joe and he was just conceited enough to think she would sit and wait for him to come back to her, with open arms. "I'm done waiting. I finally have what I've been waiting for."
Ranger squeezed her closer and kissed her forehead. "Me too."
"Is this a joke? Is this like Hawaii again? Are you doing this for one of your stupid undercover jobs? You think by putting a ring on your finger it doesn't make you his whore?" Joe ranted.
"Watch yourself, Detective," Ranger warned. "You wouldn't want to lose your badge for this."
"Screw you!" Joe yelled, then his eyes fell on the note that laid open on the table. He picked it up, then glared at Stephanie. "Where the hell did you get that? Is that why you're doing this? Just because Terri Gillman wrote me a love letter?"
"Terri?" Steph asked looking down at the letter.
"Terri?" Ranger asked, looking at Steph strangely.
Stephanie shrugged. "It wasn't me."
"Is this really what you want?" he asked.
She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. "Yes, you?"
"Definitely."
"Terri Gillman!" a female voice echoed through the restaurant. The next thing they knew Joe was wearing an entire pitcher of coke over his head. "You idiot!"
They all watched Robin Russell storm out the front door in a huff. "It wasn't Terri?" Joe frowned looking at the door.
Eddie Gazzara tossed Morelli a bar towel and shook his head. "Let's get you cleaned up, Morelli." Joe frowned, but followed Eddie out the front door.
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Connie and Lula walked into Pino's just behind Joe Morelli. Lula was going to tell Stephanie what a dog he was, hitting on her while he was dating Stephanie, but apparently the situation took care of itself. There was Ranger, putting a ring on Stephanie's finger.
"Holy crap," Connie muttered to herself before walking over to the bar. "I need a shot of something."
Lula was left standing alone, staring at the drama unfolding. She didn't know if she should run for the hills or get sick again. If Steph was marrying Ranger, then Morelli would be free to pursue her. She was definitely going to be sick.
She ran off toward the toilets, but stopped when she heard Morelli say that some other woman wrote that letter to him. Her laughter started slow, then grew until she could barely stand.
Lula felt like the world had been lifted from her shoulders. Morelli didn't want her. She wasn't tempted to be with a cop. It was all over. She leaned back against the wall and smiled. Her stomach felt better already.
"Hey, baby," Tank whispered in her ear. "You alone?"
She looked up at him and grinned. Stephanie really wasn't interested in Tank. She was going to marry Ranger, and be off the market for good. "I might be."
Tank was so relieved to have dodged a bullet, that he couldn't stop thinking about how nice it had been to be with Lula. He didn't like to be alone and she wasn't crazy all the time. Maybe if they both gave things a real chance this time would be different. "How about dinner tonight, someplace nice?" he asked before he lost the nerve.
"That'd be nice," Lula told him. Especially since her Zyrtec took care of her cat allergies.
Connie couldn't help smiling as she watched Tank and Lula grinning at one another. Then she glanced back at Stephanie and Ranger and shook her head. She'd followed Ranger's car here so she could give him her answer. To think, Robin Russell wrote that letter to Joe all along. She was just so grateful that she hadn't made a fool out of herself that she didn't care that she missed her shot for a night with The Cuban Sex God. Easy come, easy go she always says.
"Connie," Big Dog smiled. "How you doing?"
She smiled back at him. Newly single, in top workout form, and sporting a fresh haircut he looked good enough to take home. "Pick me up at seven," she told him, leaving no doubt what she wanted.
He laughed and winked. "You got it, baby."
What could she say? Easy come sounded like a much better option this Valentine's Day.
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Joe stomped out into the parking lot with Eddie on his heels. "Russell's got a thing for you, huh?"
Joe glared back at him. "Not now, Eddie."
"If you went after her and explained your mistake maybe she'd give you a shot. She's a nice girl," he continued.
Who wanted a nice girl on Valentine's Day? He wanted Terri. That's why he broke up with Stephanie and now she was engaged to Manoso of all people. Unbelievable.
He looked down at the heartshaped box of candy still clutched in his hand and frowned. Screw this holiday anyway. He was just going to frizbee it when he noticed Stephanie's Grandma Mazur walking toward them.
"Hello boys," she grinned at them.
Her hair was pink today, probably for the damn holiday. "Looking good, Mrs. Mazur," he said with a fake smile. Then he handed her the box. "For you."
She took the box and gave him an eyebrow waggle. "You'd be getting lucky tonight if I were younger."
Joe shuddered at the thought as she walked off toward the restaurant.
"Can I read the letter?" Eddie asked.
Joe looked down at his hands. It was gone. He looked up and saw Mrs. Mazur waving at him. The letter in her hand. "You like them ripe, eh?" she yelled back. "I'll see you later, Italian Stallion. I'll bring my saddle."
NO!
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Ranger smiled at his new fiancé. She was finally his and he'd never let her go. In fact he had plans to bring her home with him that very moment. She had a very large closet to fill.
He swept her up into his arms and walked out the front door toward his Porsche. "I can't believe this is happening," she sighed happily as she nuzzled his neck.
"What? That we're engaged?" he asked touching her new ring.
She shook her head and laughed. "No, that I actually have a date on Valentine's Day."
He couldn't help laughing in return. "I love you, babe."
"I love you too, Ranger."
"Happy Valentine's Day," he told her. "And I guarantee, you'll never be alone again."