Questions in Vermont

Part 6

"Ranger, what's wrong?"

Stephanie came running with Adam to my table in the restaurant visibly upset where I had been watching that insane video.

"Nothing, Babe. Is there a fax machine around here?"

"In the office," she wrote down a telephone number and I repeated it to my attorney I was talking to on my cell phone.

"I'll get it signed and faxed right back to you. When the overnight package arrives, we'll get it notarized and faxed back to you. Thanks, Simon," closing my cell phone and picking up my lap top. "Babe, I have some papers I need you to sign, will you sign them? I'll explain everything at lunch to you."

"Yes," she nodded. Trust was written all over her face. "Adam said you were sick when he saw you at your computer. You were talking to it," giving me a puzzled look.

Casually draping my other arm around her neck and kissing her wild curls, "I'm fine, Babe. Let's go see if those papers are here."

She handed me four pages across the desk, never even glancing at them. She had so much trust. I looked them over and indicated the lines she needed to sign, "Sign them with your full name."

"OK," scribbling Stephanie Michelle Plum and pushing them back to me. "Just fax them back to this number," pointing to the one Simon had on the cover sheet.

She did and Adam brought them to me around the counter as someone came to the reservation desk. "Want some hot chocolate?" I asked the little boy.

His hazel eyes grew wide and Stephanie gave him a nod and he nodded back at me. He gathered up the books and crayons he had on the table and put them in a bag with a train on it. The little boy loved trains.

"I have to go to the potty first."

"Let's go. We'll be waiting for you, Babe." Stephanie had about an hour before lunch so I gathered the papers and we walked off towards the bathroom.

Shortly after noon, Stephanie joined us. Not even settled in her chair, "What's going on, Ranger?" Curiosity was eating at my Babe.

A young college-aged waiter took our order, two cheese steak wraps, two hot chocolates, grilled cheese sticks, and a another bottle of water. The water tasted better here for some reason, maybe it was the mountains.

Once that was taken care of, I pushed my laptop over so Stephanie could see and clicked on the video file. Adam crawled up on her lap to watch the comedy show.

"Hey, that's Aggie where I lived," Adam pointed to the screen.

When the video finished, Stephanie I could she from her expression was trying to figure out if that was really real. She picked up the faxed papers and began reading them. Only after she finished going through them twice did she look at me. Tears were streaking down her cheeks.

"Mommy, why are you sad? That movie was so funny," Adam was watching Stephanie as he ate his lunch.

"No, Adam," touching his pink cheek, "I'm happy. If I understand these," touching the papers, "you and I will always be together. No one can ever take you away."

"That's the best, Mommy!"

"Ranger, I cost you more money. How can I ever repay you for this?" Watery blue eyes were glued on my face.

"Only money, Babe. I consider this a good cause and besides, Rangeman owns a rooming house now," I still chuckled at the thought of Lula serving fried chicken every Sunday for dinner. "Come back to Trenton now."

She thought about it, "I guess we can. I do miss my family. This had to cost you a lot of money, Ranger. I'll be working for Rangeman forever to pay this off."

Stephanie didn't have any idea how much she meant to me. She was my everything. My world. My forever. This was my way of loving her, I would do anything to have her happy and safe, and she's worried about paying me back for giving her Adam.

"Thank you, Ranger. No one could have ever giving me anything better," leaning across the table to kiss me, then drinking the last of her hot chocolate, "I have to get back to work. I have my little boy to support," smiling at me and the hazel eyed boy.

Adam picked up his train bag and followed her. He came running back to stand next to me, "Thanks for lunch," and went running off again.

"You, Boob," my brain told me, "she doesn't know that this your way of loving her." There's no price on my love for the girl from the 'Burg'. My Babe didn't know that deep down. Maybe, I should actually thank Morelli, it was like that saying 'If you love something, let it go', but in this case by me pushing Stephanie away, I realized how much I loved her and couldn't live without her, but how do I make Stephanie understand?

I thought for a moment, a lot of moments really. I brought up a couple of things on my laptop, closed it after I had my answers, and then doing what any good 'Burg' girl does, I went shopping.

I walked up to the large empty wooden counter with outward confidence, inside I was nervous. Stephanie was sorting through receipts as I approached.

'Ranger, you must be bored hanging around here. You have Rangeman to run and should go home," Stephanie told me.

I leaned my elbows on it casually so I was eye level with My Babe, "Not ready. I thought of a way you can repay me?"

Stephanie was caught off guard by my words; she sucked in her cheeks and made very delicious fish lips, "How?" Her voice went up from her uncertainty.

Smirking at her and saying simply, "Marry me," sliding a simple diamond ring across the counter.

She blinked, and then tapped her hand against her ear checking her hearing. I held up the engagement ring I bought in the resort jewelry shop. It was an almost flawless, sparkling pear shaped stone on a simple platinum band.

"Marry me, Stephanie, because I love you. I'm in love with you. The way I can show you how much is by making you happy," my eyes shifted to Adam playing with a small train on the table, "as you make me. You are the most caring, trusting woman I will ever have the pleasure to love. Please marry me, Babe."

She was crying again, "But," turning momentarily in Adam's direction.

"No, buts. Just love. Let's make someday last the rest of our lives to show each other," I told the woman I loved with all my heart. I felt the tears in the corners of my eyes hoping her answer would be 'Yes'.

She leaned her elbows on the desk just as mine were with her hands on top of mine, her fingers caressing mine, "I'm not going to be doing anything for the rest of my life but loving you, Carlos Manoso, and Adam. Yes, I'll marry you."

Slipping the diamond on her left hand, "Good to know, Babe.'

She let go of my hands and came running around the desk launching herself in my arms that would never let her go again in this life or through eternity. My lips met hers and not even the couple who came through the front door to check-in would break us apart.

"I think they want to get checked in," Stephanie whispered to me and I let her go reluctantly. Adam was standing there watching us smiling a big toothy smile and went around to help Stephanie getting out a resort map from slot in the counter. "Thank you, Sweetheart."

I think the couple felt they were intruding on our moment and tried to rush through the particulars Stephanie was explaining. "We'll find out later," grabbing the room key and heading for the elevator.

"Ranger, that wasn't nice giving them an eyebrow," Stephanie giggled and came back around the desk since there was no one to disturb us. She picked up Adam and set him on the desk.

"Babe, we could go get a marriage license today. All we need is to provide the dates of our divorces and a one day waiting period if you wanted to get married before going back to Trenton."

Stephanie looked at the little boy; he gave a continuous nod, "You'll be happy, now."

"Yes, I have both of you," kissing me who was wrapped in one arm and Adam in the other.