Standard Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich
From Chapter 6
"Babe. I own this cabin. It's one of Rangeman's safe houses. And, if you kiss me, I'll let you enjoy the bathroom with the Jacuzzi tub before, and after I make mad passionate love to you. Deal?"
She didn't say anything. She kissed him hard and skipped to the back door. Skipping and screaming "Yippee!" the whole way.
Ranger raised the glass of wine and toasted himself. "Damn, I'm good!"
Chapter 7 The Trip to Newark
Authors Note: I'm relying on Google for the Spanish translations.
Stephanie enjoyed her return to plumbing. She told Ranger that if he indeed wanted to make mad, passionate love to her, he would just have to wait until she bathed, shaved and lavished in the products that Ella had placed in the overnight bag just for her.
Ranger knew that that undertaking would be at least 30 to 45 minutes, so he took the opportunity to make a phone call. Being so far from a cell phone tower he knew that he would have to use the SAT phone.
"Hola."
"Hola papá. Soy yo, Carlos. Necesito hablar contigo. ¿Tienes un minuto?" (Hello Papa. It's me, Carlos. I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?)
Ranger's father always had time for his children, but he couldn't remember a time when Carlos wanted to talk to him.
"Sí, ¿hay algo mal?" (Yes, is anything wrong?)
Being the father of a military son, and now a son who has a dangerous occupation, he was apprehensive about what his son was going to talk about.
Ranger's mother walked into the room as her husband was on the phone and mouthed, "Quién es" (Who is it?)
"Carlos," he mouthed back. She was also surprised that Carlos had called. She was so intrigued that she sat down quietly in the room and listened to the one sided conversation.
"Necesito pedir tu consejo," Ranger said. (I need to ask your advice?)
-RSRSRS-
Her husband just sat there after they disconnected with a proud expression on his face.
¿Quieres decirme de qué se trata? ¿El está bien? (Do you want to tell me what that was about? Is he okay?) Carlos' mother asked
He gestured to her to join him on his chair and when she got close to him, he patted his lap. She sat down and he passionately hugged and kissed his wife. With all of the children out of the house for years, Carlos' parents enjoyed the freedom to display their love for each other.
"Entonces, ¿por qué nuestro hijo te llamó?" (So, why did our son call you?)
"Finalmente sucedió. Nuestro hijo ha encontrado a su alma gemela. Carlos está enamorado." (It's finally happened. Our son has found his soulmate. Carlos is in love.)
-RSRSRS-
While Ranger grilled some vegetables and a couple of steaks on the back deck, Stephanie filled up a large bag with pine cones. They ate outside and then gazed up at the stars.
The next morning, after a breakfast of fruit, pancakes and coffee, Ranger and Stephanie loaded up the SUV and headed back to reality.
As he backed out of the driveway and turned to head home Ranger said. "Babe, it is okay with you if we stop by my parents' house. We have to go through Newark anyway, and I haven't seen them in a while?"
He expected a panicked reply but what she said made him smile. "Sure, it will be nice to see them again. I haven't really seen them since Julie's kidnapping. How are they?"
Ranger replied with what he knew about them and the recent happenings of his siblings and the multiple grandchildren.
Once on the interstate Stephanie played with the radio and found an All 80's station and they sang along with their oldies. At one point Stephanie was gyrating so physically with Princes' "Let's Go Crazy" that the people in the car next to them started to laugh as Ranger passed them in the left lane.
It had been a long time since Ranger really enjoyed driving! Usually, even in his 911, he gets in his zone and manages to get from point A to point B. Today he was singing, talking and laughing with his Babe and before he knew it, he had to put the blinker on because the next exit was the one he needed to get to his former home.
About 2 blocks away she asked, "Do I look okay?"
"You look beautiful."
"Hey, do they know we're coming or are we just going to surprise them?"
"My father knows. I don't know about my mother."
"Maybe we should take them out to lunch?" Stephanie suggested.
"And break my mother's heart. I'm sure she will fix us a sandwich or something."
They parked and walked up to the front door. Ranger knocked and his father opened the door.
"Good afternoon! It is so good to see you!" and then he hugged Stephanie first and then Ranger.
"We hope we're not intruding?" Stephanie said.
"No not at all. Please come into the kitchen, Carlos' mother is making lunch."
This was the first time that Stephanie had been in that house and while it looked like the same floor plan as her parents' house, there was something different. She couldn't put her finger on it yet but there was something extra.
The minute they walked into the kitchen Carlos' mother ignored Ranger, just as his father did, and acknowledged Stephanie first.
"It is so good to see you again my dear. Welcome to our home." Then she hugged her son. "It's been too long. Please, let's sit, I have some sandwiches and potato salad."
Ranger and Stephanie sat down and watched as his mother and father brought everything to the kitchen table. They never got in each other's way, they continued to talk and when they were finished putting the food, condiments and drinks on the table, Carlos father pulled out his wife's chair.
"So how was your first camping trip my dear?" Asked Carlos mother.
Stephanie started the story beginning at Cracker Barrel and Tank's ability to eat, to the trick that their son had played on her at the cabin. At one point she sent Ranger to the car to get the camera so they could see the pictures.
The food was delicious, the tea was very sweet and the conversation was delightful.
"Carlos, can I get you to look at something in the garage that I'm having trouble with? I just can't seem to figure something out?" His father asked.
"Sure," Ranger said. They both got up, kissed their women, and walked out of the kitchen door and into the backyard.
Stephanie said as she started to gather the plates. "You know this house is basically the same as the house I grew up in." They both continued to have a pleasant conversation as they cleaned up after lunch.
Outside in the shed, Carlos' father gestured to a couple of chairs and they both sat down.
"¿Puedo hacerte una pregunta?" (Can I ask you a question?) Ranger laughed as he said it. How many times had he heard that in the past two days?
¿Cómo sabías que mamá era la mujer con la que querías pasar el resto de tu vida?" (How did you know that mom was the woman you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?)
"Es sencillo. Cada vez que estamos separados, me siento incompleto. Y siento que eso fue hasta que estamos juntos de nuevo." (It's simple. Whenever we are apart, I feel incomplete. And I feel that way until we are together again.)
Ranger just sat there and nodded as his father espoused his wisdom about love. Eventually, they returned to the house to find the women in the den watching the final segment of a Judge Judy episode. Come to find out, both Stephanie and Carlos' mom loved that show.
He whispered to his son. "I know better than to interrupt when Judge Judy is on. Other women watch soap operas. Not your mother. She's hooked on Judy Sheindlin. Your mother never misses a show."
After they both used the facilities, Carlos and Stephanie kissed them goodbye and walked to the car.
Waving from the front porch Carlos' mother asked. "¿Va a hacer algo al respecto esta vez?" (Is he going to do something about it this time?)
"Eso espero." (I hope so.)
As they started driving, Stephanie waved to Carlos' parents who were arm in arm on their porch.
She now knew what that one difference between the home she grew up in and here. This home has love within it.
-RSRSRS-
The trip home would have been the perfect time to move things forward with their relationship. She would have been a captive audience just sitting there in the passenger seat. Once they got back on the interstate Ranger could have done it. Confessed his undying love and devotion like his father told him to do. But, she fell asleep.
I'll talk to her later. He promised himself.
Five minutes from Haywood, he pushed a button and called Tank.
"ETA?" asked Tank.
"Five minutes." Ranger nudged Stephanie on the leg. "Babe, we're pulling in, you might want to wake up."
She yawned and stretched, ""How could you let me sleep the whole way?"
"You looked so comfortable."
"I think your mom put something in the potato salad." She joked.
When they pulled into the garage they were both surprised to see Tank and about four Rangemen waiting for their arrival.
The car barely stopped before Stephanie jumped out and cheered, "I did it. I went camping and I loved it." She then took a huge theatrical bow!
Those in attendance applauded and gave her high fives. Then the men moved from where they were and Stephanie was speechless.
"Oh my god. Is that my car? Oh my God . . Oh my God . . . she kept saying that as she walked around her beautifully washed, waxed, and detailed usually POS vehicle. "It looks great. Hey, and you got the dent out. How did you do that?"
The guys gathered around her and told her about what each one did. Oil change, tune up. Interior cleanup. She sat in the driver's seat and just smelled the clean.
"I don't think this car has ever smelled this good. Thanks guys, this is the best thing."
In the meantime, Tank was helping Ranger gather all of the stuff from the back of the SUV.
"So how did it go?" Tank asked.
"Surprising well." Ranger said. "Do you have a report for me?"
"We've been working on the Peerless Aviation bid but nothing earth shattering has happened over the past two days."
"Thanks guys." Stephanie repeated. "You're the best. How's Rex?"
"Fine," Cal said. "We brought him down and put his cage by the monitors. The squeaky wheel helps stay awake and focus on the monitors."
"You see, I'm gone for three days and their goofing off. Nobody better be slacking on monitor duty," said Ranger as seriously as he could. Actually, he was happy that his men helped his Babe.
"No sir." They all said.
Stephanie asked Woody if she would help her carry Ranger's backpack to the storage room on two. "It's my job to clean and put everything back. Let's go."
"Babe, you don't have to do that now."
"But I want to do it and prove that I can do it. Please. Besides I'm sure you want to get up to your office and check on everything you missed."
"Alright. Meeting in my office in five."
Once Woody got the backpacks to the storage room, Stephanie painstakingly cleaned and put everything back where it was supposed to go. Including the MREs that she never opened. It took her 30 minutes, but she did it. She didn't have the key to return Ranger's backpack to his caged area so she just left it outside of his locked gate.
She went to seven, gathered her clothes from a few days ago and then went to five. She was going to say goodbye to Ranger but when she got there he and the core team were in the conference room in what looked like a serious meeting.
She went by the monitors and told thanked the guys for taking care of Rex and she grabbed the cage and got in the elevator.
She was so excited to drive her car. It was so nice of the guys to make it presentable again. She put Rex's cage on the ground and started to open the passenger car door when she heard the stairwell door slam open. It startled her.
"Are you leaving without saying goodbye?" It was Ranger and he was a little out of breath.
"I'm just loading up right now. I would never leave without giving you a proper goodbye." She reached up and gave him a very nice kiss and a compassionate hug. She knew that he didn't like to share his life with his men on the monitors.
"Don't you think it was so nice of the guys to fix up my car? Seriously it looks great." She walked around the whole car are she said it.
"You're very special to them." Ranger said.
"Babe." (pause) "Stephanie, can you come over here." Ranger said asking her to come to the front of her car. He knew that was where the monitors would be least able to see what he was going to do next.
"Sure."
She leaned against the hood of her car and Ranger started pacing in front of her.
"Are you okay? Nothing bad happened while we were gone right?"
Ranger chuckled but didn't respond. He put his hands in his front jeans pockets.
"Well? Is everything okay?" She asked again.
Still he silently paced.
"Carlos you're starting to scare me. What's going on? Please tell me what's going on."
And then he started to speak.
"When I was growing up, I was always embarrassed by my parents because they were always hugging and kissing in public."
"That was a problem I never had so I can't relate to that." She said laughingly.
"Please let me finish." Ranger was so serious. "There were sometimes when my father worked two or three jobs to make ends meet. We always had food on the table and we all knew that we were loved. I've always been amazed about their genuine compassion for each other." He added, "Oh, don't get me wrong, they had some epic Cuban fights, but they never go to bed angry."
Stephanie remained quiet, but she could tell that this was hard for him to say.
"Just a minute ago when Hal called to tell me that you had picked up Rex and got in the elevator, I had a pain in my chest."
Stephanie started to get up.
"Wait. Let me explain." She sat back down.
"When you were enjoying your bath last night, I called my father about these feeling that I was having in my chest."
Ranger looked up and made eye contact with her. "He asked me to tell him how I was feeling, and then he told me that I was experiencing something that many men never get the opportunity to feel."
"What?" She asked.
"He called it amor eterno. It comes when a man and a woman love each other so much that it physically hurts when they are separated."
"Amor eterno. In English it translates to 'everlasting love' and I know I sounds like a song from the 70s but when I thought you were leaving that feeling in my chest returned."
At this point, Ranger didn't care who was watching and what they could see. He grabbed her hands in his. "I know that if you get in your car and drive away from me, I won't be able to sleep without you next to me. I won't be able to function. (pause) I know I'm being incredibly selfish right now but, I'm asking you to stay."
He pulled her up and kissed her so tenderly. "Please stay with me. Eres mi amor eterno." (You are my everlasting love.)
She had never seen him more vulnerable.
She smiled hugged him around the neck. "Can Rex stay too?"
He said "Yes!" and picked her up and swirled her and screamed "Yippee" and it didn't matter who heard and who was watching.
They took everything back out of the car, he grabbed Rex's cage, got in the elevator and pushed seven.
It was the official start of their everlasting love.
-RSRSRS-
"It's about damn time!" Tank said out loud as he and many Rangemen looked at the garage monitors.
They all high-fived!