Everybody and everything familiar belongs to Janet. The mistakes are mine alone.
Chapter 2
"You aren't serious?" I asked, all the while knowing Stephanie wasn't kidding.
"Yep ... I am. I bet this wedding decision will make my mother iron the entire neighborhood's clothes, not just my dad's."
"Is that your reasoning behind it?"
"No. I wouldn't use us purposely to torture her. It's just a bonus this time. Think about it, what better place for a Halloween wedding than a haunted inn that was once an inpatient psychiatric hospital? It's perfect ... since we're obviously crazy for getting married."
"Babe."
"You're not allowed to think I'm totally nuts until you see the place."
"I'm assuming that will be soon, since Halloween is coming up quickly."
"Yup. I have it all arranged. Tank's handling all the Rangeman stuff tomorrow so I can have your undivided attention."
I circled her waist with an arm and hauled her against me. "You have it whenever you're nearby."
"Yeah, right. You're CEO Ranger up until the second you punch out at night. Even then, you carry an electronic tie to the office."
"I am focused on business during the day, but that's due to me knowing exactly where you are inside the building ... as well as when you're not here. I get more things done now that I'm not busy worrying about you."
"Despite all the spying and spy gear wasted on me, I'm pretty lucky, aren't I?" She asked, kissing the underside of my jaw.
"Yes."
She smacked me in the stomach, yet looked more disgusted with herself than me.
"Stupid ab muscles," she said under her breath. "That didn't hurt, did it?"
"No. But for the record, I'm also lucky."
That got me a better kiss, one to my lips this time, for saying and meaning it. She left my office with a happy and satisfied smile on her face a few seconds later.
I immediately called Tank and learned that he has in fact taken over tomorrow's schedule so I'd be free for Stephanie. I had an urge to punch him repeatedly for that, but if taking a tour of a retired mental health facility got Stephanie and I married, I'd sign on the dotted line.
I have other things to do before I can call it a productive day, but I'm putting our marriage first even though we haven't said the actual 'I dos' yet. I waited until I got the call saying Steph had left the garage with Binkie to apprehend an FTA I wanted, then I tracked Ella down. With a patient stare after assuring her that Stephanie won't be upset with her, I got the name of the possible wedding site, something Steph had purposely neglected to give me.
She's clearly excited about the location, but I have doubts. I had no intention of getting married ever, not due to an unplanned pregnancy, and definitely not because I can't see my life without one particular woman in it. Now that I have that woman and found myself wanting to go through all the red tape to make her my wife - not just in name this time - I don't want this wedding to be something dismissed as a joke.
But from the photos I saw on their site, the refurbished/repurposed hospital/inn included a hundred acres of riverside property along with the sprawling building. And there would have been impressive gardens in bloom if this was Spring or Summer instead of Fall. Steph hadn't been interested at all in a typical June wedding, she latched onto the idea of waiting a year and getting married on the anniversary of our engagement, which coincidentally is her favorite day of the year for a number of reasons now.
The venue appeared spacious enough to hold my employees and Helen Plum's disapproval, which I'm sure will be there in abundance. A Halloween wedding alone made her traditionalist nature recoil, but to have it in a place that served as an infirmary for the insane will likely cause a stroke or symptoms of one.
I agree with Stephanie. I wouldn't pick something solely for someone's reaction, but making Helen uncomfortable enough to keep her objections internal, in a place we both like, does hold a certain appeal. And from what I've seen so far, I do approve of the place. Tomorrow's visit will determine if there's an official location for the Plum/Manoso wedding.
We left the apartment early the next morning, and I drove us to meet with the owner of the now inn. The long, tree-lined driveway with leaves the color of a good Cabernet, led to the location and Delaware river flowing along it. Flowers would have been right for some, but the red, yellow, and bright orange leaves that have stubbornly refused to fall, seemed more appropriate for us.
While the used-to-be hospital looked large online, the renovated inn is significantly bigger in person. It took only one glance at the exterior as we parked and approached the man waiting for us, for me to correctly guess that the entire outside had been painstakingly redone after it was purchased.
"Hard to believe this is the place rumored to be haunted," Steph said, once introductions had been made.
"Don't let the innocent-looking facade fool you," the current owner, Amil Penbroke, told her. "I've witnessed a few unexplained things myself when I came after work to check the progress on the remodel. I learned later from the only friend I'd told who didn't laugh it off or accuse me of drinking too much, that 'spirits' - as he calls them - don't appreciate it when you change what they still see as their space. I know from experience that they exact revenge in a number of ways."
It was small, but I did catch the shiver that ran through Stephanie's body.
"Still want to look around, Babe?"
She shot me a dirty look for thinking she'd be scared. "Yes. How can I fault a few ghosts for freaking out when someone makes changes to their 'living' situation. I know I've freaked whenever a guy has wanted me to make a few changes to my own living arrangements."
At my pointed stare she clarified that for the guy who isn't familiar with her history.
"That was before I started dating Mr. Sensitive here," she told him.
He cut his eyes to me and took note of my black tactical pants, Bates boots, and Rangeman jacket worn to cover what he knows I'm carrying. I don't appear like a man burdened with feelings. To the outside world, I am who I look like ... Stephanie's bodyguard. I come prepared no matter what, even to scout out something as benign as a wedding site. Since Stephanie and I are the two involved in this wedding, precautions are necessary.
"All right then," Penbroke started, "why don't I show you around. Usually we're booked up to a year in advance, but your ... circumstances have freed up the day or night of Halloween if you decide to have your special day here."
She glanced over at me. I just lifted my eyebrow at her, neither confirming nor denying her suspicions. She already knows that I'll give her whatever she wants or needs. And if she wants our wedding here, then all that will be left to do is pay for it.
She looked towards the river, which you can see clearly as the trees thinned out, before following our guide. Penbroke opened one of the industrial-sized front doors and gestured us inside. I was pleased to see that the downstairs rooms all opened up into each other ... security will be easier to map out with an open floor plan.
And we soon learned that we'd be able to rent the entire building if we choose to, so guests won't be confined to only one room. A library, music room - complete with fluted columns, grand piano, and working harp - ballroom, gallery, and dining room will be options to set up the food, entertainment, or for guests to just walk through.
Even though the rooms are all designed using different themes, it's clear that the house is paying homage to a much simpler era, if you had been fortunate to have a lot of money with nothing more pressing to do than think of ways to spend it. I don't really care where our vows take place as long as they do, but I'm not opposed to it being here.
"The ballroom would work for a reception, wouldn't it?" Steph asked me.
"If you'd like it to."
"I would. With the dining room being right off it, makes it definitely big enough to fit all the guys and the amount of food it'll take to feed them."
It should be frightening that we share a few of the same thoughts, but I find it rather amusing instead.
"I can't argue with that."
She jammed a fingernail into my sternum. "You're not just agreeing to anything I say to get out of debating more wedding crap, are you?"
"No, but I am agreeing with what you like ... within reason ... just so you can have it."
By that point, we had thoroughly explored the upstairs where we'd be getting ready before the ceremony, and her enthusiasm had steadily grown with every room we entered. I know what her answer is without having to ask, but I did anyway.
"Is this it?"
"It is," she confirmed.
I looked at the man. Over the last thirty minutes, I watched another guy bite the dust around her. Mr. Penbroke had become 'Amil' halfway through the tour. He was so charmed by her, formality was no longer required.
"You heard the woman," I told him.
His smile was bigger than Stephanie's.
"I look forward to working with you."
No doubt he's also looking forward to the large deposit coming his way.
Steph and I have a date, a place now, and each other. The only thing left to do is wait for October 31st to roll around to make Halloween an official Rangeman holiday.
We had a lengthy as well as celebratory meal Halloween morning consisting of 'breakfast pies' and champagne courtesy of Ella's excitement, then we gathered everything we'd need for the day before heading just over the Jersey/Pennsylvania border. I haven't seen Stephanie since.
As I stood at the altar beside my little brother, I barely registered Mary Lou, Valerie, and my sisters ... with a string of Steph's nieces - all wearing black - coming towards us. The black gowns were Steph's idea of payback for Valerie and Mary Lou making her wear colors that were either too bright, too pink, or too hideous during her stints as maid of honor to both.
I stopped thinking altogether when it was Steph's turn to come down the aisle. She did so in a breath-robbing combination of silver and ivory skin. She told me not long after we got engaged, that she was bypassing anything white or 'puffy' when it came to her dress. And how fucking beautiful she looks walking to me in her silver gown, has my eyes and dick fully agreeing with her decision. Her arms and shoulders are completely bare, the material of the dress fit snug to the curves my hands itch to touch, and her normally out of control curls were twisted up off her neck, which gave me more than a few vampiristic ideas.
The only adornment to the strapless gown, beside the sexy woman wearing it, were two slashes of something that caught and reflected the candlelight along her breasts and waist. She couldn't have looked better unless she walked down the aisle naked. But I never would've shared that particular pleasure with anyone, and she didn't seem enthused with the suggestion when I offered it during a bout of stress she was facing when she couldn't find a dress she liked. What she did eventually track down really did turn out to be the best thing next to only her skin.
I believed she was completely satisfied with everything up until I watched her face go completely white, all the blood suddenly rushing out of it, just as I took her hand in mine. I was momentarily concerned that she'd developed cold feet at the worst possible moment, then I registered the direction she was looking in.
"Holy shit!" She said, then looked guiltily at the J.P. who was waiting to get this ceremony over with. "Sorry."
"What's wrong, Babe?"
"I just saw a face in the window behind you. I know Amil said that this place is haunted, but I guess I didn't really believe it ... or him."
"Did the face belong to a bald man with a scar running from his lower right eyelid to the corner of his mouth?"
Her blue eyes came away from the window and landed on me. Despite knowing and loving her for years, I still feel sucker punched whenever she looks my way.
"How the heck did you know? You've seen it, too?"
"You could say that. What you saw wasn't a ghost or a spook in the paranormal sense of the word. Who you spotted was Bowie, one of the contract workers I brought in to provide added security, since the men wanted to attend the service, not watch the grounds or keep track of who's coming and going from them."
Her hand came away from her very distracting chest and grabbed both of mine in hers.
"Okay, that makes me feel a little better."
"Only a little?" I asked, knowing our guests are enjoying the hold up.
"Yeah. That guy looks like he can kill somebody 436 different ways using only his mind, so that's only partially better than a confused or pissed off dead person."
A laugh slipped out before I kissed her knuckles. Strange things apparently do just happen around her. She smiled at me in return, then gave the Justice of the Peace her attention. He's probably regretting his agreement to officiate this unconventional wedding of two even more unconventional people.
"Let's do this," she said to us.
I tuned out the dearly beloved crap and instead mentally listed the order I'll be removing her clothes in. The heels that put her closer to my height will be the last to go, I decided. Having certain areas of our bodies lining up could prove helpful, as could her hips being even with my mouth if I was on my knees in front of her.
I think Steph also zoned out a little. Though I'm sure her thoughts were less graphic than mine. But maybe not, because she did tease me this morning over coffee by saying she's been secretly off sugar for the past week. And she made sure I knew it had nothing to do with worries about her dress not fitting. She was right in assuming I'd appreciate her sugar-deprived cravings, which in the past has been sex ... lots of it. I have no problem supplying her with as much of it as she can take.
When it was time for the vows, she looked at me with no tears in her eyes, just a secret smile tugging at her lips before she spoke.
"Ranger - aka Carlos - in our line of work promises are almost impossible to keep when it comes to anything long term. I can't guarantee that I'll be here for the rest of your life ... but I can promise with absolute certainty that I'll love you for the rest of mine."
I needed nothing more than that. If our wedding was somehow interrupted before we were pronounced man and wife, I wouldn't require anything other than that vow from her to believe she's mine. Despite not liking myself much for the surge of emotion she just caused, my body still ran red hot with satisfaction at finally having all of her; her body, her thoughts ... now her promise to love me only. I'm a bastard ... but a fucking lucky one.
When my turn came, I didn't find it as hard as I thought it'd be to share what I feel for her with others looking on.
"I'm not big on declarations ..." I started.
She snorted adorably. "No kidding."
My lips twitched. "You're interrupting a moment."
"Sorry ... go ahead," she said, her widening smile an indicator that she isn't sorry at all.
Even the Justice of the Peace I had to bribe to come to a notoriously haunted spot was quickly becoming captivated by her.
"Please continue," he said to me.
I tightened my fingers on hers. "You give so much, Babe, and ask for little in return. If you'd let me, you know I'd hand you everything you've ever wanted seconds after I hear what it is. But if I was only allowed to give you one thing in life, I'd give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Only then will you realize just how special you truly are."
Fuck. There are now tears in her eyes, and they're going to fall if I don't do something.
"Skip to the 'I dos'," I ordered the man, then turned back to Stephanie. "Do you remember your lines?"
As expected ... challenging her got her mind completely off crying.
"Of course."
In my mind, the two of us are the only ones in the building. This wedding will go, however unusual, how it should for us. Although I repeated everything how and when I should, I felt they were just words that can't adequately describe what I'd do for her.
I slid my ring on her finger and she claimed me the same way. Our rings are different, hers a diamond-caked white-gold band and mine a simple 3mm titanium ring, but there is one similarity between the two. Engraved on the inside top of both, are the diminutive letters ILY, and IK along the bottom of the band. On mine, the first three letters are in Stephanie's own handwriting and the IK are in mine. Hers is the opposite. The initials for "I Love You" for her ring are written in my hand, and the letters for "I Know" are hers.
When our lips touched as husband and wife, it did feel as though the last twenty minutes were more than just a ceremony. I don't care what happens at this point. We finished what we'd set out to do ... what had been talked about for a solid year. My new goal is to make our honeymoon one that Stephanie will still be talking about for years to come.
"We did it!"She whispered, just before we did the perfunctory walk up the aisle together.
"We did. No regrets?"
"Nope ... not a one. Just a sense of relief that neither of us chickened out, and that the place wasn't completely leveled before we were able to get married."
I aborted the smile that comment produced when I spotted Santos pantomiming a hanged man. One of these days, he's going to meet a woman able to put up with his shit, and I'm going to laugh my fucking ass off watching him try to deal with it. I subtly flipped him off as we passed his seat.
As guests were being shown to the area where the reception was being held - half I know will be visiting the open bar seconds after, Steph insisted we have a few pictures taken of just the two of us outside by the fountain and river. I was worried she'd be cold, due to her dress not covering any of her arms, shoulders, or back, and I unfortunately played right into the photographer's hands by taking my tux jacket off and placing it around Steph's shoulders.
The appreciative glance she gave me for my thoughtfulness and the chest that's now only covered by a shirt, had me mostly able to block out the fact that someone's intruding on our private time, even if we are the ones paying him to. I thought it being dark by the time the ceremony ended would cut down on some of this, but I would never hire someone who lacked the proper equipment for a job. And this time that job included a camera and lens specifically for nighttime shots.
"I promise this will be quick and won't hurt a bit," Steph whispered, correctly interpreting the look I shot the photographer.
"You're making a lot of promises today, Babe. Think you'll be able to keep all of them?"
"Yeah. I only promise what I know I can deliver. And I'm sure I can love you with my body and my blood-pumper longer than a day."
I'll make sure of it, I thought, dipping my head to kiss her. CLICK. I turned and got a cheery thumbs up from the guy I swear Bobby had a talk with earlier, likely giving him more money if he'd agree to irritate the shit out of me throughout the night.
Steph saved the moment by clutching my face in her hands, turning me back to face her, and kissing me in a way that made the three of us happy. Once the photo was taken, I was done sharing.
"Picture time is over," I announced, and tugged Steph with me back inside.
Like I stated in my vows, she's a woman of simple tastes who doesn't want a lot, but I'm a man who demands impressive results for anything I put my money into. We both learned to compromise and pulled together a non-fussy yet still formal reception.
The only light illuminating the upper and lower floors came from stone fireplaces in almost all of the rooms, large candles placed on tables and any furniture surface not being used, crystal-adorned chandeliers hanging from the ceilings in five foot intervals, and similar looking sconces attached to the walls. When we first arrived, sunlight was still being filtered through the trees and into the antique glass window panes. Now ... the rooms are heavily shadowed, which either added an eerie glow or romantic atmosphere depending on who you ask.
The colors on the tables mirror our clothing. White roses were intermixed with bat flowers in arrangements set in large Baccarat crystal vases. The round tabletops were covered first in black then white linen tablecloths with thin silver borders. The ballroom looked more suited for a Rangeman fundraiser rather than a wedding reception, but I have no complaints. Steph's sudden exhale on seeing how everything came together after what seemed like months of planning, had me believing she didn't either.
Even the cake turned out better than I'd anticipated. The tiers were designed to resemble a winding staircase with black stair stringers and risers and white edible treads, which led to a 'spookified' replica of the Rangeman building on the top tier. A gun-holding bride and groom were standing guard in front of the haunted brick building.
Shortly after, I was questioning one decision I made when I was reluctantly dragged onto the floor usually meant for dancing. I preferred just holding Stephanie in my arms, using the first 'dance' as an excuse to caress or kiss the exposed portions of her body that's now in front of me.
"I can't believe I agreed to this song," I said, listening to the lyrics of the first song played.
Her face showed surprise. "Why? Weren't you the one who cockily told me that if I wanted you to be Superman, I should spend the night with you? I hope you weren't kidding, because I'm going to be spending pretty much all my nights with you from here on in."
"That was the goal. The Superman comment does sound vaguely familiar."
"It's more than just vaguely familiar. Elephants are jealous of your memory. Anyway, it's a good song. And since it is Halloween, you could've been Superman if you did stuff like put a costume on."
"Yet you always refer to me as Batman."
"Batman seems darker and more mysterious than other superheroes. You are my Batman, but you definitely have a few Superman traits, too. If you really listen to the words, you'd get how well they fit us. You are planning on taking me away for our honeymoon. And I was sort of stuck in my apartment - in my life - when you weren't literally dragging me out of it for a run, dinner, or because it was burning ..."
"Are we really standing in the middle of our reception debating the accuracy of song lyrics?"
"Yep. What are we supposed to be doing? Crying because we're so deliriously happy? Disgustingly declaring our undying love for each other? Deciding on baby names for our eventual 2.5 kids? I don't think so."
She has a point. We know what we are fortunate enough to have, we don't have to broadcast it more than we already have with our vows and rings.
"Back to the song ..." I told her.
She smiled in victory. "Okay ... where was I? You have been late for dinner or a date or two because you were busy saving somebody's day. And let's not forget how many times you've saved me. As for my personal life, it did feel like I was just waiting to be picked up in your arms ... so I rest my case. The song seems perfect for us even if it's not exactly a traditional wedding song. Hey!"
"What I got out of all that, is you wanted me to pick you up ... so I did."
"I'll have to keep that in mind ... that you have a good memory and also selective hearing."
"You should really just keep kissing me in mind."
Her face is so close to mine and I watched her red lips part in preparation for being a smart ass. So I went ahead and kissed her before she could.
Her eyes were a little glassy looking when I finally let her go.
"I could really get used to that," she said to me.
"You're going to have to, Babe, because I plan on kissing you frequently."
"Tonight or throughout our entire life?"
"Both."
"Guess it's a good thing my lipstick is long lasting."
"Is that a challenge?" I asked, eyeing her mouth with even more interest.
"Yep. If I could get my mom to stop scowling. She's a little bit of a mood-killer."
"You should be happy to have one more example of how the two of you are nothing alike."
As 'our song' was coming to an end, I had to agree with part of it, the words ... 'And she smiles. Oh ... the way she smiles'. Few things make her happier than hearing that she managed to escape the Burg without downing the Stepford wife 'Kool-Aid' it bullies girls into drinking at a young age.
"I really love your friggin' guts, you know that?" She told me.
"Same here, Steph. The rest of your body isn't bad either."
It's a toss up whether her smile or her eyes were brighter at that moment. Hard to believe this night is due to a pumpkin with a two word order I paid someone to carve into it.
Guests started to join us on the floor, but I don't think she noticed them. I found out, though, that she has become more aware of her surroundings, even during an evening when she should be completely relaxed.
"Maybe this song will make my mom happier."
"Not going to happen," I told her. "But my parents seem to be enjoying it."
Her eyes followed mine. "Yep. But they're probably more Cheek to Cheek people than By My Side listeners. They don't appear to ever be that far apart from each other. Something Beautiful could describe our relationship and theirs too, I think."
"We are a demonstrative family."
"That's a word, right?"
"Yes."
"You want to demonstrate what a great kisser you are again?"
I don't need words to answer her. I put her back on her feet, but kept my arms around her waist and continued to kiss her until I was tapped on the shoulder. If I didn't have my hands full of Stephanie, I would have swung first and asked questions later. Since I knew it was Tank coming up to us, he could've withstood a punch or two before he went down.
"This better be important," I said against Steph's mouth, not looking at him.
"If you want to get out of here sometime tonight," he said to me, "you should move on from the kissing the bride portion of the evening."
As expected, his interruption wasn't necessary. Standing here kissing Stephanie until we were allowed to leave, is better than anything else that's been planned.
"Do you know what's coming up on our agenda?" Steph asked me, seeing that I have zero interest in moving away from her.
"What?"
She went up on tiptoes, whispering directly into my ear so Tank wouldn't overhear.
"You get to remove the garter I have on my thigh. And I may have 'accidentally' placed it higher than you're really supposed to. You probably already noticed how tight the skirt part of my dress is, so it's possible that your hands could get trapped there."
She just brought up something that tied kissing her ... getting my hands up her dress.
"Let's go," I told her.
Her blue eyes were definitely brighter than anything else in the room as I snagged her wrist and brought us to the appropriate location. I may have taken my time locating the blue lace garter - that I only noticed after the fact had a shadowy silhouette of Batman on it - until Woody let out an exaggerated and annoyingly loud cough. The heat I felt emanating from Steph's body had me fighting my own for control while we endured the toasting stage and forced separations as people came up to wish us well.
The toasts ranged from Tank's simple "It's about fucking time," an 'I told you so-esque' speech from Mary Lou, my parents gave us a heads up that they intend to usurp the Friday nights we have free. And my men were assholes, making Stephanie laugh by creatively and delusionally implying that they would have had a shot with her if I hadn't been their boss.
Despite the numerous and thorough checks I'd run on them, I apparently hired stupid men. They should be smart enough to know that even if I wasn't their boss, I'd still have a gun on me. And I would've used it repeatedly on each and every one of them if they ever attempted to flirt seriously with her.
I would've been fine with just staying beside my wife all night, but she told me to play nice with our guests and reminded me that we'll be alone for fourteen straight days. I'm almost certain I can wait to make her my wife in the biblical sense for a couple more hours ... if I have a distraction. That came by way of optically stalking her and plotting ways to get her alone again.
It was another form of foreplay and Stephanie knew it, purposely flagging down men to talk to while eyeing me over their shoulders. It was a dangerous game to play, but she didn't seem concerned about the consequences of engaging in it.
After forty-five minutes of this, there was a slight lull in activity. And I took full advantage of it. I shot Ram a look when it appeared he was about to approach the woman I wanted all to myself. He stopped dead in his tracks and did an about-face, heading to the bar instead. I fought a grin. All the training and rules I've drilled into them have paid off.
The candlelight made Steph's dress gleam and her new ring glinted a warning to anyone wanting to get too friendly. I wonder if it's possible to rig a taser to the thin band. With enough incentive, Hector can probably figure out a way of having the diamonds shoot acid at potential attackers. Something to discuss later. It's possible that the bride was thinking along the same lines, because she glanced down at the ring on my finger before meeting my eyes.
"Come outside with me," I said to her.
"Is the crowd getting to you?"
"You could say that."
In actuality ... she's getting to me. And now that I can smell her subtle perfume and see her flushed skin up close, the relative privacy we'd get outdoors versus the fishbowl we're currently in, seemed safer.
"It's supposed to rain," she told me.
"But it isn't right now."
"Good point."
I retrieved my jacket from our table and draped it over her shoulders again.
"We'll be by the river," I told Tank.
I gave him an abbreviated nod, which is code for keep an eye out for possible danger while also cautioning him that if he disturbs us again, his nuts will be floating in the Delaware on opposite sides of his body.
He held my stare long enough for me to know he got the message. I took Steph's hand and led her out one of the side entrances. I don't usually have time to take in scenery ... I'm too busy searching for possible ambush locations and noting every shadowy space where a Stephanie-stalker could be hiding, but I soaked up every detail of this particular night.
Due to unusual and unstable weather patterns, leaves are still on the trees as well as on the ground, and our footsteps sounded like gunshots whenever we veered off the brick-lined pathways. While the rain hasn't hit yet, it will shortly. Dark clouds are already drifting in front of a very full, very bright moon. The grounds are lit intermittently by old-fashioned style hanging lanterns that are giving off a muted yellow light, again forming an intimate yet eerie atmosphere.
With the soft rap of Steph's heels against the brick, we passed the large fountain at the front entrance of the building and made our way to the pergola where we would've had the ceremony if she hadn't predicted rain on our wedding day months ago.
We didn't speak until the path came to a stop right by the bank of the river.
"Does being a 'married couple' make you see us differently?" She asked.
"No. As soon as Morelli was out of the way, I committed myself fully to you. But being legally bound now to protect you, you're going to find me to be an even bigger pain in your ass."
"Are you only mentioning that after the ceremony because I can't do anything about it now?"
"Yes."
"I'd ask why I married you, but I already know."
"You love me," I stated.
"Yep."
I picked up her right hand and transferred her engagement ring from her right ring finger to her left one where it'll stay tucked against her new wedding band. I thought her hands would be cold from the short walk around the property, but when I brought her diamond-covered finger to my mouth to kiss, her hand was as hot as she is.
I wrapped an arm around her and she all but melted against my side as we took in the reflection of the partially obscured moon on the water's surface. The wind had picked up, making a whistling sound as it blew through the trees, acorns sounded like enemy fire as they were blown off trees and hit what was below them, and a falling leaf bounced off Steph's swept-up curls.
"Thank you," she said, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"What are you thanking me for this time?"
"For not thinking this was a stupid idea ... for keeping an open mind during all our wedding discussions."
"I don't plan on doing this again," I informed her, in case she doesn't already know that divorce will never be an option for us, "so it had to be something we both could live with."
"It has been a pretty perfect night, hasn't it?"
"It only gets better from here, Babe."
That got me a smile and a decent kiss. "Yeah, you've warned me about that. So what do you say we leave early and get this matrimony thing underway?"
"You're reading my mind."
"Were you just thinking about getting me out of this dress?"
"Yes."
"Huh ... maybe me having lots of sex with you has opened your brain up to me, so I can now read yours as easily as you read mine."
"I've allowed you access to everything else, why would my mind be off limits? I've even coaxed you into opening a few things yourself."
Even in the dark night, I could see her blush in what little light we have. The damn photographer chose to capture that moment as well... me giving Steph a small grin as she fanned her face in a futile attempt to cool her hormones off. I don't want them cooling, I want them to smolder ... barely able to be contained. So I kissed her with plenty of tongue to keep things hot ... much to her and the photog's pleasure.
"Let's go say our goodbyes," I said, when I separated our lips. "I can get us on an earlier flight if we arrive too soon for our original one."
"Sounds good."
Our fingers remained linked as we walked back inside and spoke briefly to both of our families. We were hugged by my parents and received head nods from hers. I'm glad but not at all surprised that my family saw exactly what I'd seen in Stephanie. I'm also not shocked that the Plums, with the exception of Edna and Valerie, still keep me - and Stephanie - at a distance. My opinion on the matter is that Frank and Helen aren't comfortable seeing the contrasts between our relationship as two strong-minded equals and their traditional yet one-dimensional union.
I shook hands with my men and to my annoyance, Stephanie was swallowed up in multiple embraces initiated by the guys she's grown even closer to this past year. She kept possession of my jacket as we left our wedding behind. I like to think she wanted something of mine surrounding her until it was time for me to be.
It was pitch black outside when we exited our reception, and we walked out of the immense building and straight into a makeshift tunnel created by our guests holding up lit sparklers. This isn't my usual or preferred way of leaving a location, but I can appreciate the image it presented.
There isn't a limo taking us to the airport, instead I'd arranged for alternative transportation and will be driving us there myself. Without Steph's knowledge, I'd been told that the car I wanted to leave in had been brought around to the front by Vince minutes before we headed outside. In seconds ... we'll be out of here. I opened the passenger's door and waited for Steph's long legs to be tucked safely inside. Then I walked around the hood of a brand new black Porsche Boxster GTS.
I have to admit, looking in the rearview mirror of the car that will become Steph's personal vehicle once we get back, the current scene fulfilled every little kid's haunted house fantasy. The full moon is now completely shielded by heavy cloud cover. Rumbles of thunder sounded just as threatening as the wind whipping through the wooded area, blowing a few more leaves off the trees. And sporadic lightning flashes lit up the building that was, tragically, the last thing a lot of patients ever saw.
I noticed that the little kid was alive and well in Stephanie tonight, and she was smiling wide when the storm moved closer and the rain suddenly started to pour down.
"Most brides would be swearing at a storm approaching just as guests will be leaving," I said, as I drove us back down the tree-lined drive.
"I'm not most women ... or most brides," she reminded me.
"I wouldn't be married to you if you were."
"Yeah, weird seems to be what you're into."
"I'm into you."
Her smile turned sexy. "Not yet, but you will be getting into me as soon as we touch down. Though I'm going to let you know right now, I want to see everything, not just the inside of a hotel room. I plan on eating everything I can't pronounce and then work off those calories by walking to every tourist trap there is. I'd like to stop and have a glass of wine at any vineyard we pass. And I intend to window shop at places I've only heard mentioned during red carpet interviews."
"We can do better than window shop, Babe."
Her eyes became slits. "No. You've done enough by footing the bill for a two week tour of Italy. You are not bankrupting your company because I like a certain pair of shoes."
"My company would survive even if I'd flown everyone to San Quirico d'Orcia for the wedding," I pointed out.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her eyebrows raise. "And give up the chance of potentially having a haunted wedding ... no way. Too bad the only scary things I ended up seeing were your backup guys and my mother's face when your mom hugged me."
Just to get her going again, I brought up something I only momentarily thought of offering her.
"I could've had a word with Duster, my international tracking guy, and had him look into your father's ancestry. You could have had a few long-lost family members at a wedding held in Italy. I'm sure a ghostly face in the window could hold its own against that in terms of frightening experiences."
"I'd rather take my chances with a ghost. I've got my hands full with the family I have now, I don't need to go hunting down more."
I can understand that. Helen wasn't pleased with the idea of me being her son-in-law. And she definitely didn't want to attend a wedding that was being held in an insane asylum. Which is ironic in my opinion, since Stephanie seemed to have been trying to escape a nuthouse when she opted to go away to college.
"Besides," she said after a minute, "I'm finally going to have you all to myself, far away from everyone we know and any potential business problems. I wouldn't want anybody, no matter how friendly or how related, intruding on it."
"That was my thinking when I purchased the tickets for our honeymoon."
Her smile made more than one part of my anatomy tighten in response. "So ... my new BatHubby, how long will it be before we can get started on exploring Italy and each other?"
"Depends on your feelings about plane sex, Babe. But we're looking at almost half a day in the air if that answers your question."
I didn't glance at the clock on the dash to see when exactly that'd be. I had no thoughts other than how my wife will look spread out naked under me. Her curls will be lying tangled on the pillow, and those legs toned to perfection, will wrap first around my head, then my hips ... not only under a Tuscan sun, but beneath a moon in Rome, Venice, and Milan, among other memory-making places.
A/N: The songs I was listening to while writing this were "Waiting For Superman" by Daughtry, "By My Side" by Ben Harper, and "Something Beautiful" from NeedToBreathe. I thought two quotes I've seen could be perfect for Ranger and Stephanie, but they were too sappy for anything other than wedding vows ... so I added to - and subtracted from - them to create the vows for this wedding. The ceremony site is loosely based on Pen Ryn Mansion in Pennsylvania.
