They aren't mine. I wish they were. Just going to borrow them for a while. Continuation of Christmas Eve Visitor, Starting Our Life Together and Holy Matrimony, Batman!. People, places and things in the story may or may not be totally factual or real.
Christmas Past and Present
By JayCee08
Chapter 6
Declarations
I jumped up and went to the tree. I put the two ornaments I had been holding back on. I took my time to hang them. I adjusted some other ornaments. I was using the time to get my emotions under control. I brushed the tears off my face before turning around to face Ranger.
"Hi." I said. I pasted a smile on my face. I am sure that it looked fake.
"Babe. I see you found the ornaments I left for you."
"Yes, thank you. It was very thoughtful of you."
"How was New York?"
"Fine. Uh, uh, um, I'm glad you stopped by. I have something I have to tell you. I didn't know if I would see you before the new year. I know you are planning on going to Miami to see Julie."
He looked at me.
"Um-um. I am giving my notice. I am quitting RangeMan."
"Explain."
"Uh, uh, I am moving to Atlantic City. I already have a job lined up. I'm sorry I'm not giving you a two-week notice. I hope that you won't be short handed . . . "
"Babe. Does this have anything to do with the other night?"
"Uh-um. Can I get you something to drink?" I raced to the kitchen to get some water, but really to get away from Ranger, to put some distance between us. I choked back a sob. Ranger was suddenly there. He turned me around. He tucked a curl behind my ear. His finger lingered and then he moved it down my neck.
"Babe. You didn't give me a chance to respond the other night. You bolted out the door so fast I didn't have a chance to say anything."
I inhaled unsteadily as I tried to stop my voice from quivering. "I al-read-y knew what the res-pon-se would be. I did-n't want to be re-ject-ed a-gain." I cried. Ranger cupped my face with his hands and brushed the tears that were streaming down my face.
"Babe. I love you." He whispered. He gave me a tender kiss. Then he pulled me against him and hugged me while I cried.
"Come on Babe. Let's go and sit down." He said as he led me back into the living room. He sat me down and went back into the kitchen and came back to two bottles of water. He opened one and handed it to me. Then he sat next to me and pulled me close to him. He put his arm around me and I laid my head on the shoulder.
"Babe, why did you think I was going to reject you?" He asked.
I took a sip of water. "Because you told me once that your life doesn't lend itself to relationships. I know you've told me that you love me, but you always qualified it like 'my love comes with a condom, not a ring'. It hurt then. I tried not to fall in love with you. I tried to make my relationship with Joe work. But I couldn't do it, because I love you."
"So your break-up with Joe was . . . "
"Because I told him that I loved you and wanted to see if we could have a relationship. I was just going to see where it would go. I wasn't going to tell you that I loved you until I knew that you loved me the same way. When I blurted it out that night, I panicked. I had to get away. I couldn't face you. So, I decided to move away and I found a new job and a new place to live."
"Babe."
We were quiet for a while. Then he spoke.
"I'm going to be totally honest with you. If you remember, I also said that maybe someday I would be able to have a relationship. My life right now doesn't lend itself to a relationship." I stiffened and tried to move away from him, but he just held me tight. "I am still under contract with the government. I would have to leave at a moments notice and I don't think it is fair for the other person to have to go on not knowing where I am and if I will ever come home. I saw what being in the army did to my marriage to Rachel. Although we never had a solid foundation to build a relationship to start with, but with me being away so much and for long periods of time didn't help. Our relationship crumbled and fell apart. But I only have a year to go. I decided not to renew my contract. And maybe, just maybe I won't get called up, but I highly doubt that. So I am just letting you know, Babe, that I do love you and I want a relationship with you and maybe forever with you, but I can't guarantee that I won't have to leave."
"You want a relationship with me?"
"Babe, I was hoping that when my contract expired that you would want to get together and see if we can make it work."
"Omigod!" I sniffled. We sat there for a while, in the dark, with just the tree lights on. Neither of us said a word.
"You also need to understand that there are people out there that want to hurt me. And one of those ways is to hurt someone that I love. Whether it is my parents, my siblings, Julie or you. There will always be that kind of threat. You will need to be alert and take necessary precautions to prevent anything from happening to you. It is one of the reasons that I keep myself so closed off. I don't want people to get too close to me for fear of something bad happening to them. I would never forgive myself if someone got hurt or worse because of their connection to me. Which is why I tried to keep my distance from you. Which is why I kept my distance from Julie but look what happened there. I thank God every day that she wasn't hurt any more than she was. You two are the most important people in my life. Which also puts you two on the top of the list on who to go after to get to me."
I nodded my head. "I understand."
"Come on, Babe. Let's go to bed." I stiffened. Was this just his way of getting me to sleep with him? Just to have sex with me?
"We're just going to sleep, Babe. Just like all the other times we shared a bed. When the time is right, we'll make love."
He took my hand and pulled me into the bedroom. "What are your plans for tomorrow, Babe?"
"Christmas brunch at my parents' with more gift opening. Do you want to go with me?"
"I was hoping you would like to go to Miami with me and see Julie."
"You want me to go to Miami with you?"
"Yeah, Babe. If we are going to have a relationship, we need to do things together. I want to be with you, but I told Julie I would come and see her between Christmas and New Year's."
"What time would we have to leave?"
"Around 3:00 p.m. Would you like me to go to your parents with you?"
"You would do that?"
"Babe."
"Yeah, I'd like that. I sort of told my mother about me moving and everything. I told her about us. So don't be surprised if she is surprised to see you."
"So you told her that I didn't return your love and you were running away."
"Yeah. I sort of ruined Christmas by sobbing out my story."
"Babe."
"Oh, I need to call Nancy and Mrs. Martin."
"Who are Nancy and Mrs. Martin?"
"Nancy is the waitress at the diner. She is the one that told me about the job and told me where I could find an apartment. And Mrs. Martin is the manager of the apartment complex. I feel bad that I made a commitment to them and now will be reneging on it."
"It'll be all right, Babe."
I let Ranger get ready for bed first. He came out of the bathroom wearing just boxers. I quickly slipped into the bathroom and did my usual nightly routine. I came out wearing flannel lounge pants and a long sleeved T-shirt. Not very sexy, but then we weren't going to be making love, were we?
Ranger was waiting for me in bed. He smiled when he saw what I was wearing.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing, Babe. Are you making sure that I don't make a move on you tonight by wearing that?"
"This is what I wear to bed every night. Especially in winter. The cute little pajamas you might be remembering were summer pajamas. And I don't have any of your T-shirts available to wear."
"Come on, Babe. Get into bed. It's getting late. We have a long day tomorrow."
I climbed into bed and immediately Ranger pulled me close to him. I put my head on his chest under his chin. His arms secured me to him and held me, protected me, loved me.
"I love you, Stephanie." He said.
"I love you, Carlos." I said. His arms immediately tightening around me when I used his name.
I woke up early the next morning before Ranger did and carefully slipped out of the bed. I made a necessary stop in the bathroom. Instead of going back into the bedroom, I went to the living room and sat on the couch. I looked at the tree again at the two ornaments from Ranger. Did he mean everything he said? Did he want a relationship with me? Nothing happened last night in bed, just like he said. I slept soundly wrapped in his arms, safe and secure.
"Good morning, Babe." His deep voice sounded. I looked over at him. He had his pants on but hadn't secured the button so the hung low on his hips. He hadn't put his shirt on and his well-toned chest was bare. My pillow from last night. He walked over to me and sat down. He pulled me to him and he gave me a deep, but tender and loving kiss. "Merry Christmas." He said. He pulled a slender box from his pants pocket and handed it to me.
I looked at it for a moment before I looked up at him. "Open it." He said. I unwrapped the package and saw right away that it was a jewelry box. I held my breath as I lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a beautiful opal heart necklace. It was an opal shaped like a heart surrounded in platinum scroll work with a single diamond. It was simple yet gorgeous at the same time. It wasn't ostentatious. It was something I could, and probably would, wear every day. And it was my birthstone.
"Oh, Carlos. It is simply gorgeous. Thank you, but you shouldn't have."
"Babe."
"Um, I don't have anything for you." I said.
"You gave me your love. That's all the gift that I need."
I stretched up to give him a kiss. He took over the kiss and deepened it. "What time do we have to be at your parents' house?"
"9:00 a.m. What time is it now?"
"It is 7:30 a.m."
"Oh my God! I need to get moving. I got up at 5:00. Where did the time go?" I leaped off the couch and ran to get ready. Ranger chuckled.
"I need to go home and change myself. I'll pick you up in an hour. Will that be plenty of time?"
"Yeah." I said as I raced into the bathroom after selecting my outfit to wear.
TBC Chapter 7 - First Christmas