Still not mine, still not making anything.
More smut.
Bad Day – Chapter 3
Ranger's POVI stopped the truck outside my parent's house. I had called them this morning and told them I would be over; I guess that by the look of things they had turned it into a family gathering. I noticed my brother's truck as well as my sisters' cars all parked in the drive. Great, well, too late now. I got out of the truck and headed for the house.
I made it into the kitchen before anyone noticed me.
"Carlos!" I heard right before my sister Maria threw herself into my arms.
I hugged her and moved onto the next sister who had appeared. Soon, the kitchen was full of bodies and noise. It was always overwhelming when the whole family was gathered. They were my family and as such I loved them but they were so different from me, when I was around them I always felt like an outsider. I loved quiet and solitude while the rest of the family seemed to thrive on this confusion of people.
"Where's Mama and Papa?" I asked.
"Outside. It's so nice out Papa wanted to cook outside," someone answered from my left.
I just nodded and headed outside, glad to get away.
"Papa," I nodded at my father. "Mama."
"Carlos," she replied hugging me tight.
"Mama, I thought it would just be the three of us today?"
"I was so excited that you were coming that I called Celia, and then the next thing I knew, the whole family was here." She explained with a wide smile.
"Mama."
I knew that, the sooner I said something, the better. I had her all to myself right now but that wouldn't last. But how the hell do you tell your mother that the girlfriend that she's never met is pregnant?
"Mama, I'm going to be a father."
"What are you talking about Carlos, you're already a father."
"No Mama, I'm going to have a baby. We, Stephanie and I, are going to have a baby," I corrected.
All of a sudden I had her attention, plus my father's eyes had turned to me. I could clearly see the disappointment in his eyes. Then the questions started coming and I drug my attention away from him.
"Stephanie who?"
"Stephanie Plum."
"That doesn't sound Cuban."
"She's Italian."
"Are you going to marry her?"
"Marry who?" my sister Selena had come up behind me and was joining the conversation.
"His pregnant girlfriend; she is at least your girlfriend, isn't she?" this was accompanied by a slap to my head.
"Yes," I answered the girlfriend question, ignoring the question about marrying Steph. I had married Rachel because she was pregnant I didn't want to marry Steph just because she was pregnant.
"Not again, didn't you learn anything the first time around," another slap.
"Celia, Maria, Toni, come here. Carlos has got another girl pregnant," yelled Selena.
I could hear the disgust in her voice.
With that, I was surrounded by my mother and my four sisters all asking questions, but not bothering to wait for a reply before asking the next one. I suffered several more smacks to my head as they berated me for my lack of judgement and for thinking with my dick instead of with my head. I let them have their say until they started in on Steph.
"Enough! Say what you want about me but leave Steph out of it."
"Ha, she's just after your money and -" I didn't let Toni finish her sentence.
"No, we are having a baby; we want this baby. Accept it or not." I growled and stalked back into the house and back out the front door.
My brother Damien was leaning against the truck waiting for me.
"She must be one good lay for you to be acting like this," he commented.
I didn't say anything, I didn't stop; I just took one swing, decked him and kept going. He went down and stayed there. I got in the truck and never looked back.
I pulled in the Rangeman parking garage still seething. I was glad that the Porsche was still gone; I didn't want to tell Steph about my family's reaction just yet. I needed to process it first myself. I knew they would be upset but I never thought they wouldn't accept the news. But then again, I had always been the screw up in the family. I had never fit the mold of the perfect son. Some times I think they loved me because it was expected of them to love their son, not because they actually loved the person I was.
I went up to the fifth floor, not even acknowledging Tank when I went by him. I was sitting at my desk with my head tipped back staring at the ceiling when Tank came in.
"Hey man, what's up?"
I just shook my head, not willing to talk about it just yet.
"Come on, tell Uncle Tank" he said as he sat down, put his legs on my desk and leaned back in the chair.
That brought a reluctant smile to my face.
"You okay with being an uncle?" I asked, hoping that I could count on Tank.
Tank started to say something, stopped with his mouth open and just stared at me. His feet crashed to the floor.
"Yeah," I said knowing what he was thinking.
"You and Bomber?"
I just nodded this time.
"You okay with it?"
Again, I nodded. Tank and I had been around each other for so many years, a lot of words weren't necessary.
"Steph?" he asked.
Another nod.
"So what's the problem?"
"My family didn't take it too well." Boy was that an understatement.
"Fuck 'em, let's go and celebrate," Tank said getting to his feet "Damn I'm going to be an uncle," he continued with a big smile.
We pulled into Pino's and went in. We didn't even make it to our booth before Tank yelled across the room ordering a picture of beer and two shots of tequila. Normally Pino's didn't serve hard alcohol, he had the license but wanted to stick mostly to beer, but he always had a little in stock.
The tequila arrived and we toasted Steph and the baby. Tank ordered another round when he ordered the pizza and salad. By the time the food came I'd lost count of how many shots I'd had.
I was on my way back from the bathroom when I passed the stuffed animal game, the one where you operate a claw and try and grab the stuffed animal. There was a blue teddy bear partially buried by other stuffed animals. I wanted that bear. It would be my first gift to my son.
I soon found myself putting more and more money into the game. I tried going straight for the bear but it was too packed in so I had to get all the other stuffed animals around it first. This wasn't as easy as it looked especially after the tequila and beer.
A mother came up and asked if her child could play the game. I didn't even look in their direction, I just kept after that bear. Tank came up and stood with me, the two of us figuring out my next move. A waitress came over and asked if others could play. Tank gave her a dark look and told her no.
We ran out of change and small bills. Tank went for change while I guarded the game. I was leaning back against the machine with my arms folded across my chest daring anyone to try and play. The manager was trying to talk to Tank about sharing the game. I could see Tank getting angry but they still weren't giving him any change.
Eddie Gazarra walked directly over to me.
"Ranger."
I just nodded but kept my position against the game.
"You're making people nervous, why don't you go back to your table? He asked.
I didn't say anything. I wanted that bear.
"Want me to call Steph? She was here just a little while ago, and I could have her come back and get you guys? You've been drinking, you should probably head out," he tried again.
Tank gave up on the change and came over to join us.
"We aren't leaving until he gets the bear," Tank said.
Eddie looked at the pile of animals I'd already won. "You've got a red bear, a yellow bear, a green bear, an orange bear and a pink bear. Don't you have enough bears?"
"Need the blue bear." Tank asserted.
"Come on, a bear is a bear, head back to your table, I'll get someone to take you back to Rangeman" Eddie tried to be assertive.
Tank leaned back against the game with me and we both shook our heads.
"Don't make me have to take you in," Eddie was almost pleading with us now.
"The baby needs the blue bear," Tank said firmly, not moving from his spot next to me.
Eddie looked around and when not spotting any babies asked, "What baby?"
"Mine," I replied.
Eddie looked stunned. "Your's? Your's and Steph's?" he asked hesitantly.
I just nodded. Tank just smiled. At that Eddie reached into his pants pocket and started pulling out all his change, handing it over to me, and ordering another round of tequila for us and a soda for himself. Soon, the three of us were plotting against the bear.
Ten minutes later I was holding the blue teddy bear. I was walking toward the door when Tank stopped me.
"What if it's a girl?" he asked.
"Fuck" I answered gathering up the rest of the bears and handing them to Tank but keeping the blue one.
As Eddie was putting us in the back of his cruiser to drive us back to Rangeman, Morelli pulled in. He spotted us and strutted over.
"Taking your teddy bear to jail with you, Manoso?" he said smirking at me.
"Not my bear."
"Let it go Morelli, it's for his kid" Eddie spoke up.
"His kid's too old to want a teddy bear."
"Get in the car Ranger," Eddie tried to diffuse the situation.
I'd had to deal with Morelli when he and Steph were together; but now she was mine and with all the alcohol in my system, I was feeling a little reckless.
"The baby won't be too old for it."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
I could see the fury in his eyes. He knew exactly what I was talking about, and he hated it and he hated me for it.
"Mine and Steph's baby," I said with a grin.
Even though I was expecting it, the swing caught me right next to my left eye and almost put me down. I regained my balance and went to hit him back and found my arm grabbed from behind. I struggled to break free. Eddie had grabbed Morelli and was pulling him away.
"Let it go, man, not worth it" I heard Tank say in my ear. "Get in the car and let's go home, Stephanie is probably there by now" he continued.
At the mention of Steph the tension left me. I relaxed against Tank and he let me go. I got in the car, Tank and Eddie following once they were sure Morelli was headed away from us.
I looked at the teddy bears and smiled.
