IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
CHAPTER 5
"Let's call the office. I know the guys would love to talk to you. They've missed you almost as much as I have. We'll have to use your phone. I left mine in the truck."
Steph handed Ranger her cell phone. He pulled her down onto his lap and dialed the number. He placed light kisses up and down her neck while he waited for someone to answer the phone. She was giggling when Tank answered the phone.
Ranger put his finger in front of his lips, telling her to be quiet until the right moment.
"Rangeman." Tank answered the phone.
"Tank." Ranger said when his friend answered.
"Ranger. Good to hear from you. What's happening? You're not calling from your phone." Tank asked. "Is everything ok? You're not in any trouble are you?"
"I'm fine. I'll be offline for a while. Absolutely no interruptions. Understood? My phone won't be with me."
"Are you hiding from your lovely wife?" Tank's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Let's just say…yes I am."
"When are you coming home? We're going to be really busy next week. You're probably going to be needed."
"I'm not sure when I'll be home, Tank. Listen, some things have surfaced here. Important things. I'm going to need more time than I thought. Call someone in from the Boston office if you need the extra help."
"You didn't kill her, did you?" Tank laughed. "Did you find the little weasel?"
"No, I didn't kill her. Not that the thought didn't enter my mind. I have a few leads, but nothing has panned out, yet."
"I don't know why you put up with her. That bitch doesn't only make you miserable, but the rest of us, also. You know there's more than one of us that would be more than willing to help you hide the body." Steph couldn't hold it any longer. She burst into laughter.
She was happy to see something hadn't changed. Even though she knew Tank was joking, or at least she hoped he was, the loyalty was still there.
"Ranger, where are you? Who is that in the background? That laugh sounded a lot like…"
"Like who?" Ranger asked. You could hear the smile in his voice.
"I must be working too hard. I'm having audio hallucinations. I could've sworn that I heard Bomber in the background."
"Hey, Tank." Ranger had the phone between them so that they could both her Tank's reaction.
"Bombshell? Is that really you? Woman if I was there…where are you two anyway?
Ranger, if you went off looking for Bomber and didn't tell us, I'm going to kick your ass when you get home."
"I didn't come here looking for Steph. Do you think I would've brought her with me if I was? It just happened to…look it's a long story and we'll explain it all to you later. Right now I just wanted Steph to be able to say hello to the gang."
"You never told me where you are." Tank said.
"We're in Canadian TX and what would you do if you were here?" Steph teased him.
"I'd smack you…right after I hugged the shit out of you." Tank laughed. "Hold on, I have to get the rest of the guys. They are going to shit."
"Tank." Ranger yelled.
Tank came back and put them on speakerphone. They could hear Lester, Bobby and Hal in the background complaining about Tank pulling them away from the game they were watching on TV.
"Ok, talk." Tank ordered.
"Hey, Guys." Steph was smiling so big. She missed the Merry Men almost as much as she missed Ranger.
"Steph." They all yelled at the same time.
"Yep. She's here with me." Ranger reported.
"Umm…I don't mean to put a damper on things, but where's Camary?" Lester had to be the one to ask.
"Don't really care." Ranger said.
"How?" Hal asked. "Where are you? Why did you leave? Are you coming back?"
"It's a long story. We'll explain it later. I just wanted Steph to be able to say hello. We'll call you tomorrow." Ranger said.
"You two don't have too much fun." Tank said.
"Tank, I'm going to need you to check on a few things for me. I'll call you tomorrow with some details." Ranger said.
"You got it, man. Are you bringing our girl home?" Lester asked.
"I'm planning on bringing my girls home." Ranger said with pride in his voice.
"Girls? Bomber, I didn't think you were into threesomes. If I'd know that, I would've suggested it long time ago." Lester smirked.
"Santos!" Ranger snapped.
"Ranger is talking about our daughter." Steph said.
There were gasps and then a dead silence on the other end of the phone. Bobby finally broke the silence.
"You two have a daughter?" Bobby asked.
"Yes, we have a daughter. She's ten. Her name is Rikki. She looks just like me. Ok, we'll call you tomorrow. I want to spend some time with Steph. We have a lot of catching up to do." Ranger said.
Ranger disconnected and threw the phone on the coffee table. He embraced Steph. For the longest time, he sat there holding her to him, not saying a word. He was just enjoying the feel of her body against his.
It was a euphoric feeling. He dreamed about this almost nightly. He was afraid to close his eyes for fear that this too was a dream.
"Ranger, I don't think it's a good idea for you to say here?" Steph finally spoke. "I mean, Camary does know where I live. What if she shows up here? What if she knows her family forced you to marry her? She could call them."
"Babe, there is no way short of calling the law or shooting me that you are going to get me to leave you. We will deal with whatever comes along, together."
"Ranger, really you should go." Steph said.
"No." He insisted.
"No?" Steph questioned.
"I promise I won't go anywhere. You can call me tomorrow." Steph wanted more than anything for him to stay with her, but it wasn't right. He had a wife; he needed to go to her.
"Babe, I'm staying."
"No, Ranger. I'm sorry."
"Can I stay a little longer, then?"
Steph and Ranger spent a few more hours talking and catching up on the past seven years. They talked about Rikki, Steph's job…anything about Steph and Rikki. Steph showed Ranger of picture of Rikki and herself.
"God, Babe, she is so beautiful. I can't believe she's mine."
"Oh trust me, she is. Sometimes, she's just as infuriating as you are. She raises her brow at me, just like you used to do."
"When can we tell her?" Ranger was almost afraid to ask. He wasn't sure Steph was ready to tell their daughter about him.
"I…I don't know, Ranger. This is going to be difficult for her to understand."
"Babe, I understand. I want to protect her just as much as you do, but she has a right to know me. I have the right to know her." Ranger's eyes were pleading for Steph to understand. "She told me about her dad. She's proud of him…me.
She told me that even though she doesn't know me, she misses me. Babe, please."
"I know you're right. She does deserve to know you're her father. I just need some time to prepare her."
"I understand. Can I take the two of you to dinner tomorrow night? We could tell her then." Ranger asked.
"Ranger, I don't know if that's enough time. I need to figure out how to tell her. Ranger, I…we will tell her. I just need to make sure we do it carefully."
"Can I still take the two of you to dinner?" Ranger requested.
"How are we going to explain you taking us to dinner and Camary not being there? She's smart. She'll have a ton of questions."
"Ok, I'll wait for a few days and then we're telling her. I have a lot of time to make up for, Babe. I have a lot of time to make up to her mom, also." Ranger said nuzzling her neck.
"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait a lot longer than telling Rikki.
Ranger, I understand that you don't love Camary and you only married her to protect me, but that doesn't change the fact that you are married.
I am not going to sleep with a married man. I never have and I'm not going to start now." Steph stated her case. "I hope you understand."
"Babe, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But, I can still fantasize about it, right?"
"I don't think I could stop you if I tried." Steph kissed his cheek. Now go. I have to get up early to pick Rikki up and get her to her kick boxing class. I want to take her to breakfast before her class."
"She takes kick boxing?"
"Yeah, she's very good." Steph smiled. "She's not exactly the girlie-girl kind of kid. Can't imagine where she gets that from."
"That's my daughter." Ranger was so proud. "Where are you taking her to breakfast?"
"Denny's." Steph said. "It's a Saturday morning tradition for us. We go to Denny's every Saturday morning before her class."
"What if I happen to show up at Denny's say around nine o'clock? Would you invite me to have breakfast with you two?"
"I suppose if you just happen to be there at the same time, it wouldn't hurt if you joined us." Steph admitted.
"You're really going to make me leave?" Ranger pretended to pout.
"That doesn't work on me and yes you're leaving."
"Will you at least sit here with me? I promise I'll carry you to bed when you fall asleep. I just want to hold you until you fall asleep. Please." He pleaded.
"I don't know. I'm not sure it's a good idea. I feel guilty."
"There is no reason to feel guilty. As soon as we figure this out, I'm filing for a divorce."
"What about the baby?" Steph asked.
"I'll request joint custody and pay child support. If you're ok with it, we'll get visitation. Rikki should know her bother or sister. I'd like her to meet Julie also."
"One thing at a time. Let's take this slow. We'll see how tomorrow morning goes and go from there."
"Can I hold you until you fall asleep?" Ranger begged. "Please. Babe, I've dreamed of holding you for so long. Please don't take this from me. I'll be a perfect gentleman, I promise. I'll carry you to bed and lock up behind me when I leave.
"Promise?"
"Scouts honor." Ranger promised, holding up three fingers displaying the boy scout oath. "I just want you know I'm not going back to the hotel room. I will not share a bed with her ever again."
Steph went to change into some nightclothes while Ranger stretched out on the sofa. When she returned, he had taken his shirt off and was lounging in his pants.
Steph was in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of baggy boxers. She still looked sexy as hell to Ranger, though. He was half sitting half lying down. Steph walked over to the sofa. She was nervous. She felt like a teenager about to lose her virginity.
Ranger could sense her nervousness. "Relax, Babe. I will be satisfied with just holding you. I'm not going to lie, I want nothing more than to make love with you, but I can wait."
Steph settled between Ranger's legs with her head resting on his chest. She could feel Ranger's heart beating against her ear. It was pounding.
Ranger instinctively tried to wrap her hair around his finger. "Why did you cut you hair, Babe?"
"New start, new me, new hair style. I guess I needed the change."
"I like it, but I like your wild curls better." He kissed the top of her head.
"The curls are still there, I just straighten my hair now."
"Will you not straighten it tomorrow? I love your curls. Please, for me?"
"I'll see what I can do."
Before long, Steph drifted into dreamland. It was the easiest she had fallen asleep in a very long time. Ranger held her while she slept.
Holding true to his promise, he reluctantly carried her to her bed, but only after he held her sleeping body in his arms for a while.
"Ranger." She mumbled when he laid her on the bed.
"Yeah, Babe."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Babe. Get some sleep; I'll see you in the morning."
