I own nothing, all characters belong to Janet Evanovich

Tattered Dreams

By: Lisababe

My cell phone chirped and I flipped it open and heard Lula's voice. "I know I'm late, I'll be there as soon as I can. The fucking traffic is backed up on my side of town."

"It's okay. I'm in the back in the dressing room; just find me when you get here."

"I'll be there in a flash."

I smiled and flipped the phone closed. I looked up at the sales lady holding up a large white dress bag. "My friend will be a little late. I'll go ahead and get started without her."

"Certainly Stephanie. I have some beautiful dresses lined up for you to try. Have you decided if you want off the shoulder or a gown with sleeves?"

I felt the butterflies in my stomach shift into turbo flight. "I guess I'll know when I try it on."

She smiled and grabbed another gown off the rack. "Then we'll just try all of them in your size until you find one that you like."

I stepped into the huge dressing area and glanced at the mirrors surrounding the large circular area. In the middle of the room was a platform with a large spotlight overhead. I tried not to roll my eyes at the drama of the room. I guess there were women that really got into the wedding dress selection process, personally if I had it my way we would fly to Vegas and get married in blue jeans. The lady named Serena turned to me with a smile that was a little too contrived.

"We'll start with you removing your clothes and I'll get the first dress ready for you." She pulled a dress off the rack and I held up my hand. "I don't want a white dress, I've been married before, and I told the other lady I wanted a cream colored gown."

Her face flushed as she placed the gown back on the rack. "I'm so sorry; Arlene failed to mention that when she told me about your appointment today. I'll put these gowns back and find what you're looking for."

Her voice was sugar sweet, but the tension in her face said Arlene's ass was grass. She bustled out of the room and I looked across the room at my reflection in the mirror. I looked as uncertain on the outside as I felt on the inside. I gazed at the floral patterned carpet looking for answers as if it were a crystal ball. Before I came here today, being married seemed like the logical thing to do, but something about a dress with the word wedding in front of it made it all seem far too real. I wanted this, I wanted a life with Joe, we were a couple in every sense of the word. It was time to commit and make a life with one another. It was a case of pre- wedding jitters, I needed to try on a few gowns and the feelings would disappear. Serena came back into the room with an arm full of gowns. She placed them on the rack and pulled the one closest to us off the hanger. It was a beautiful gown with short sleeves made out of intricate lace. I stepped into the gown and she zipped up the back. It was all wrong, the sleeves fit too tight. It made my upper arms look like sausages. "I don't like it."

Serena looked at me closely. "We could alter the sleeves that would be no problem."

"I don't like the over all fit of the dress. Can we try another one?"

She smiled. "Certainly."

She unzipped the gown and I stepped out of it, and looked in the mirror. I was glad I remembered to wear a matching conservative bra and panty set. I was thinner than I had been in a long time; I guess losing one of the men in your life will do that to a girl. Serena held another gown up in front of me, and I pulled it on. It was off the shoulder and had a tight fitted bodice with a mermaid train. It was beautiful, but I had no idea how I would walk. I took a few steps and turned around just as the door to the dressing room opened. I expected Lula, but instead received the shock of my life.

Ranger was standing in the doorway.

He had been out of the country for almost a year. RangeMan had been looking for him on and off for the past six months. I wasn't given specifics, but the search had been called off. Talk around the burg speculated that he was dead or decided to never return. There was nothing dead about the man standing across the room from me; I had never seen him look better.

"Sir, this is a dressing area, can I help you?" Serena asked.

His eyes were black, and his voice pierced through my heart like a knife. "No I've found what I'm looking for."

"Sir I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Serena was becoming more agitated by the minute, and I couldn't decide if I was going to vomit, or cry.

"Miss Plum do you know this man?"

I finally found my tongue and answered. "Yes, can you please excuse us?"

She hurried out of the dressing room and shut the door. The door shut with a click, and the silence encompassed us like a cocoon.

"How can you be here?" I asked

"I just got back in town last night."

"Why are you here?"

"Babe, I haven't seen you in almost a year."

"So you came here to see me?"

He walked over to me and my breath caught as he pulled me close to his chest and placed his lips on my temple. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, recalling all the memories of his touch that I thought I had successfully buried. I was a fool, how did I ever believe that with one touch of his hands, all that he meant to me wouldn't be resurrected?

He pulled away and looked into my eyes. I knew he could feel me trembling, what must he think of me? I'm wearing a wedding dress I'm choosing for another man, and trembling at his very touch.

"I thought you were dead."

"A lot of people did."

I smiled. "It must feel good to be home."

"A lot had changed while I've been away."

"Life moves on Ranger."

"Yes it does." He traced the cleavage between my breasts with his fingertips and I bit back a moan. "But some things never change."

I stepped away from him and walked away. I was not about to go down the same dead end road with him again. I was fully aware of his position on commitment. All he wanted was a body to warm his bed, and I wasn't interested in applying for the job.

I looked up and caught his reflection in the mirror. "I don't know what you expected to gain by coming here."

"I expected to see you."

I met his eyes in the mirror. "Well now you have."

"I guess that means you want me to go?" I could see the amused expression in his eyes.

Asshole.

I twirled around and looked at him. "What do you expect from me? You walk in here like you own the place, and expect me to fall into your arms like you never were gone. If your arrogant enough to believe you can change what has happened while you've been gone than you need to think again."

"I came to offer my congratulations. I misunderstood something earlier. Some things have changed; along with a ring on your finger you have inserted a righteous rod up your ass. Have a nice life Stephanie." He turned on his heel and walked toward the door.

I tried to run over to him but the damn skirt on the gown was so tight I could only take crab like steps. I resorted to hopping over to him. I put out my hand to grab his arm, but lost my balance and fell flat on my face in the floor. I heard a giant ripping noise and felt a draft.

Shit.

I heard the door open and Lula's voice as I struggled to sit up. "What the hell? Girl what are you rollin around in the floor for, and Batman's back from the dead. Now ain't this somethin."

I rolled over on my back but couldn't get up. I felt like a turtle stranded on its shell. Ranger reached down and lifted me to my feet. I looked down at the dress. The skirt was almost completely ripped off the bodice of the dress. My white panties were shining; I grabbed the skirt and bunched it in front of me. I was overwhelmed. The tears I suppressed earlier were coming to the surface and I didn't have the willpower to swallow them. I started sobbing. I grabbed the price tag on the neck of the dress and sobbed harder.

Lula had a panicked expression on her face. "Girl its okay, I'm sure it can be fixed."

"I don't even like this dress, I don't want to buy it, and you know I'll have to buy it."

"Babe, calm down, you won't have to buy this dress."

I snorted in between sobs. "Like you would know, I'm surprised you're not broke out in hives being close to all this wedding shit."

"Steph take off the dress, we'll hide it in one of those dress bags hanging over there and they will never know."

"We can't hide this dress, are you crazy?"

"You're not hiding the dress; I'll pay for the dress." Ranger said calmly.

I felt my eyebrows touch my hairline. "Are you nuts? Do you think I would actually let you buy this dress?"

"I get the feeling this was all his fault in the first place. I say let him buy the dress." Lula said.

The door opened on the dressing room and Serena walked in. She took one look at the skirt hanging in tatters from the bodice of the dress and fainted dead in the floor.

"Oh fuck, now what?" Lula said.

Ranger bent down and rolled her over on her back. "Is she okay?" I asked.

"She fainted. She'll come around in a few minutes."

I looked at Lula who was pulling out her cell phone. She was seconds away from broadcasting my latest disaster all over the burg. "Put that damn phone away, and get me out of this dress."

"I was just calling Connie to see if she wanted Chinese or McDonalds for lunch."

"Bullshit, you were going to tell her I am fanning my ass in the breeze at The Blushing Bride."

She mumbled under her breath. "And Batman ain't dead."

I glanced at Ranger and saw him helping Serena to her feet. She took one look at the gown I was stepping out of and swooned. Ranger caught her by the upper arms. She jerked away from him and picked up the dress, examining the tattered skirt. "Miss Plum this dress is ruined."

"I'll pay for the dress." Ranger said.

I jerked my jeans on over my hips and watched his eyes darken as I buttoned them.

"Lula can you and Serena please excuse us for a moment." I said through clenched teeth.

Lula hurried out of the dressing room with her phone to her ear, and Serena reluctantly followed. She glanced back at me, and I threw my hands up in the air. "I won't try on any more dresses."

The door clicked closed leaving us alone once again. I jerked my shirt over my head and Ranger smiled. "Don't get dressed on my account."

I ignored the innuendo. "You're not paying for the dress, is that clear?"

"So how are you going to pay for the dress Babe?"

"I'll charge it and find a wedding dress at the second hand store."

"Not a good way to start a marriage."

"How so?"

"Wearing something used. You deserve a new dress." He nodded toward the rack full of dresses. "Go find one."

"I'm done trying on dresses for today."

"Ironically I don't think it's all that you're done with." His eyes bore into mine, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. He always knew the button to push that would break me.

"It was over between us before you left."

"Babe it will never be over. A part of us will always care no matter what fork in the road you take."

I turned away from him, not feeling strong enough to deny his words.

I felt his arms slip around my waist, and my back melted into his front. He kissed a path from my collarbone to the shell of my ear. His mouth pulled away, and I could feel his breath against my neck. I closed my eyes savoring the feel of his embrace. I opened my eyes and met his gaze in the mirror. We were surrounded by wedding finery meant for me and another man, and still he managed to make it all so simple.

"I've told you before; I can make you forget him."