Janet Evanovich's characters are hers and Caden is all mine. It's another birthday for Ranger with Caden style mixed it. Lee Anne
PS... To anyone not aware of 'How Many Kids', when Stephanie decorated Ranger's office in the townhouse waiting for him to come back from a mission, she has a cardboard cutout of Michael Keaton's Batman in the corner.
Holy Birthday Batmans, Ranger!
A few weeks before Ranger's birthday:
"Dad's birthday is coming up soon," Julie said to her siblings watching of all things 'Batman' starring Michael Keaton who had a permanent residence on the floor above the family room in Ranger's office.
"We need something big!" Caden deduced looking away from the flat screen TV.
"We did a surprise party."
"That was great. Ranger-Dad never knew."
The last birthday the Cuban man spent most of with Grandma Mazur. Who could forget that!
"How old is Ranger-Dad going to be?"
"Thirty-seven."
"That old? I think I got a plan." The boy genius began explaining the idea that was forming in his head.
Julie questioned for all the children not formulating a plan, "How are we going to pull that off?"
"We'll do it. We'll make a few calls. We know people and Ben has a soccer game that day. Ben, talk to your coach because we may need to stop the game a bit. Julie, you call Tank and I'll call the Mayor. It will be great!"
"How am I going to do that? You want thirty-eight? Ranger is going to be thirty-seven." Tank hissed into his cell phone.
Julie whispered into the phone. She was calling from the bathroom and had water running like Caden told her so one Cuban did hear if he came home early from his security company. "One extra for good measure. Caden said you would know the right people or give him the number for the President."
"Well, if Caden said so," the Rangeman second-in-command agreed some what scratching his bald head. He had to make a few calls. And probably be committed and never heard from again when he talked to a few military connections about this. He was attending Ben's soccer game himself that day to see the birthday surprise. "That little boy's ideas," Tank told himself. Actually, this was a piece of cake compared to keeping Ranger occupied like last year. and he loved the boy genius' plans. Those drove Ranger crazy.
"Uncle Mayor," Caden was talking on Stephanie's cell phone, "I wanted to check that we ain't breaking any laws or anything but we do know someone to get us out of jail."
Joe Juniak was laughing at the idea proposed for the security expert's birthday. "I don't see any ordinance being broken, Caden. I'll alert the Chief of Police so no police interfere."
"Good. It will be a surprise."
"I'll there that night."
August 12 Ranger's Birthday:
He let a sigh. It was his birthday and everything was as Ranger liked it. Quiet, no surprises., and no Edna. The children assured Ranger numerous times when he questioned there was no surprise party planned. It was hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill before Ben's soccer game and pizza at Pino's; he suspected there was a cake waiting there. Ranger could deal with it knowing Stephanie guaranteed to him Grandma Mazur was on a casino bus trip showing her Facebook photo of her at a slot machine posted earlier in the day. He did not want another back-up plan involving Grandma on his birthday. Once in a lifetime was enough. It was going to be a great birthday all day.
"Babe," Ranger nuzzled his wife sitting beside him in the bleachers as they watched their son's soccer game. His team just scored. Frank Plum was in charge of cleaning the game balls and inflating them. He was a happy equipment assistant who read up learning all about the game, and always cheering from the sidelines in the back field of Trenton Park. Rangeman bought the bleachers for the families to watch the Tigers. Caden kept the snack shack stocked with homemade treats and Ellen Plum was always willing to work it. The profits have bought new breathable, organic cotton shirts for the team to wear on the hot days. That was the genius-in-the-making's suggestion and team always ate good after practices and team meetings seemed to held in the Manoso's game room alot. Caden was popular with Ben's team.
A referee blew a whistle stopping the game momentarily due to the growing noise overhead. The crowd and players were glancing up. Flying over the field were two planes in a straight line formation. Looking closely they were military planes Ranger recognized and began to circle the field. He was about to get his family out of there not knowing what was happening when someone yelled, "LOOK!"
There were people jumping out of the planes and parachuting down. They weren't just any jumpers, but all were dressed like Batman with capes flying the crowd wtnessed as they floated down. The sky was raining Batmans! One by one each landed safely and immediately disconnecting a parachute which made a large mound in the field. Every custumed figure had a 'Happy Birthday' balloon in a hand walking to the crowd watching the line of black super heroes approaching.
The first Batman called out, "Carlos Manoso. Is there a Carlos Manoso here?"
Six children were pointing at the stunned Bad Ass.
"Yo," Ranger said his trade mark vocabulary taking a tentative step forward.
"Happy Birthday." Batman shook his hand and presented him with a colorful balloon. He received thirty-seven more in total from masked crusaders. Once all the balloons were delivered the Batmans were all lined together and his children were tooting kazoos while the heroes sang like a very large Barbershop quartet "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Dad from Julie, Ben, Danni, Caden, Cassidy, and Aubrey. And many m-o-r-e!"
Stephanie was giggling beside her husband who was attempting to keep his blank face in place, but he lost the battle. "Midget, you could have just wished me a 'Happy Birthday'!" This had Caden written all over it. "I am thirty-seven."
"Why? That's boring. The extra Batman is for good measure. Don't you know the birthday rules."
The little boy had an answer for everything. The entire field was clapping and Ranger noticed Tank appeared out of nowhere, his parents, sisters and brother and their families, Joe Juniak was laughing silly, and more of his employees came out of hiding watching this spectacle.
"Ricardo, Batmans never invade Newark," Selena called out happily posing with a couple of costumed figures for a selfie.
"Only the best for you, Momma."
Noticing attached to each balloon was a rolled piece of paper. He removed one and began reading it.
"Dad, thank you for being my Dad. You have given me the best life. Love, Julie."
"Dad, we are so lucky to have you and the home you gave us with our brother and sisters. Love, Ben and Danni."
"Ranger-Dad, Happy Birthday. I love you and thanks for my appliances. Love, Caden." That note made him chuckle because there was a recipe attached for chicken dip.
"I love my Daddy, Cassidy."
A scribblely one that read: "Daddy, Love Aubrey."
Ranger sat there with his bundle of thirty-eight balloons tied to the bleachers reading the notes from his children, parents, in-laws, friends, and his wife.
"Carlos, Happy Birthday to the man I love. You are the one and only love of my life. Thank you for the family and the life we have. I love your strength and your tenderness all mixed into my Cuban man. I look forward to the years to come growing older together watching our children grow into adults. I love you more each day. Love, Stephanie".
"Babe." He kissed her and she felt the emotions the notes produced in her husband and love all around him.
The last note he just shook his head when he opened it. It was a print of very red lipstick lips and scrawled under them "Ain't that a pip! Grandma."
After the soccer game which the Trenton Tigers won and the Batmans drove off in a waiting mini bus, the ending of his birthday was pizza at Pino's.
Mr. Pino never blinked an eye when his family invaded his restaurant filling it to capacity. The pizzas were coming out almost non-stop with various toppings, drinks, and pitchers of beer.
"It's Daddy's birthday," his blue-eyed daughter told him feeding him birthday pizza.
"It is, Baby Girl. I loved my note from you." All the notes were locked safely in the Mercedes and Frank's backseat was filled with all the balloons to drop off at the townhouse later.
His children all disappeared he noticed and came out of the kitchen pushing a cart tiered with decorated cupcakes surrounding a large middle cupcake. Mr. Pino lit large '3' and '7' candles so for the second time of the evening Ranger was serenaded with 'Happy Birthday'.
Just as he was blowing out the candles, the large cupcake moved and the top popped up.
"SURPRISE! It's my grandson's birthday!"
There was Edna Mazur in the middle of all the cupcakes wearing a Super Girl costume. "I couldn't miss the party!"
Ranger gave his wife an eyebrow.
"You never asked when Grandma was coming home. She wouldn't miss your birthday. You are her favorite grandson," Stephanie giggled.
"How lucky can I be?" Ranger said dryly helping Grandma out of her hiding place. An old guy almost fell into his birthday cupcakes reaching to assist her. Ranger had to steady him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The children were in bed wore out from their birthday surprise for the their Cuban Bad-Ass father. The little sneaks. Tank explained General Perry must still be laughing at the request for military planes so thirty-eight jumpers from a local sky-diving club wearing Batman suits could drop in for Ranger's birthday and he sent the military leader a video to the event.
Scattered across his desk were all his delivered birthday wishes which Ranger was reading again. The emotions evoked by those notes from his wife and children were deep. Each one touched his heart from Aubrey's crayon letters to Stephanie's everlasting love declaration. He knew they loved him, but it was the thoughts in each one's handwriting or printing made their love real and touchable. It was on those papers.
Looking up, Stephanie was leaning on the door to his office. She was wearing a very sexy Bat Girl nightie holding a bottle of wine and glasses. "If you want, I can buy frames so I can do a collage of your birthday notes," she suggested seeing how they were all strewed on the desk top. Walking over, she touched one note in particular. "I think Grandma's lips deserve a special place on your wall."
He got up leaning into his wife. Ranger growled before kissing her lips. "The only ones I want to see are yours."
Ranger took several of his sized steps where the cardboard Batman was holding all his balloons and tapped a fingered on his chest. "It's good being me." In panther-like two strides Stephanie was in his arms, he touched the light switch off and carried his wife up the stairs.
His birthday wasn't over yet and he was showing Stephanie how much he loved her. That was a great ending to his birthday.
Happy Birthday, Ranger!