Okay, just to tease you all for a moment, I'm actually a chapter ahead of myself. I know exactly what will be happening. MWA HA HA!!! Anyway, as always, thanks for the wonderful reviews. This chapter is a little more adult than usual, I don't know why, it just happened. So enjoy!

Chapter Seven

We were in the Porsche, and Ranger was allowing me to drive. I'm not sure what that meant, but I was hoping he was just feeling generous. He had a newspaper open on his lap and was circling entries in the property section. He also had a number of print outs including an email from his real estate agent. I think he'd already been contemplating house hunting before this morning. He kept cutting his eyes to me, making me nervous. I was always nervous when I was driving with a male in the car, they seemed to think they knew everything about driving, but he wasn't helping my cause with his furtive glances.

It didn't take long for me to crack. I pulled to the side of the road without indicating and turned in my seat. "What?" I exclaimed.

I seemed to have frightened him a little bit, because his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "I was just wondering what you were thinking," he said timidly.

"I'm thinking you're freaking me out with your glances. Is there something you want to tell me?" I know what you're thinking, and no, this doesn't count as pressing him, this is simply me getting frustrated with him, there's a hug difference.

"Well, I suppose now's as good a time as ever to tell you that I have to go out tomorrow after lunch by myself."

"Why?" Okay, now I might be pressing, but it still doesn't count, no one's mentioned the disease yet, he probably thinks I'm just being curious, it's been known to happen.

"I have an appointment." That was all he gave me.

"An appointment with?" I prompted. He can't have expected me to leave it as he had an appointment.

"A medical expert," he sighed. Looking back at his papers he added, "I think we should check this place out first."

"Why do you have an appointment with a medical expert tomorrow, Ranger? What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Babe. Can we drop it for now?"

Of course we can't! I wanted to scream at him. Instead I settled for, "Is it your leg?" I had noticed the previous day that he had stopped dead on his was from his home office to the bathroom for no apparent reason, holding the wall for support, he then shook his leg vigorously and rubbed it. He hadn't noticed me looking, probably didn't even consider it, because I never once faltered in the story I was reading to Laura at the time. It was her favourite, "My Blue Boots," I had read it so many times that I knew it off by heart, including page turns.

He nodded. "Just some tests to rule out some major causes for the discomfort I've been feeling lately." Leaning over the console he cupped my face. "Absolutely nothing to worry about, I'm sure it's nothing."

Sure, I thought, Just a fatal disease that will give you a maximum of five years to live. Nothing to worry about there. "You'd tell me if something was seriously wrong with you, wouldn't you?"

Again, he nodded. "For now, I seriously think we should look at this house." He read me the address and I took us there. We walked through three potential houses before we stopped for lunch. He directed me to a scenic park and when I mentioned our lack of food he produced a picnic hamper from the trunk. "Chicken sandwiches for two," he said.

"Compliments of Ella?" I asked eagerly. I knew Ella well enough to know that even if Ranger requested chicken sandwiches for himself and me that she would throw in some sweets for me as well, that's why I loved her so much.

"The one and only."

I was halfway through my second sandwich when Ranger did something very peculiar; he wiped his forehead as if removing sweat, gulped twice and put his hand into his jeans pocket. I stopped chewing, watching him slowly pull his hand from said pocket. As he turned to face me I swallowed. "What are you doing?" I asked, slightly paranoid.

He took my hand in his and leaned in. "I want to make this family deal official. I've loved you for so long, and when you left I couldn't even look at another woman and not think of you. I love the daughter you've given me. I want you to marry me." He lifted the hand that had recently emerged from his pocket and struggled for several seconds. "Not now!" he muttered so softly that I almost missed it. After another moment or so, he simply opened his trembling palm.

I stared at the shiny object that sat there. The ring. The rock. I picked it up from his hand and held it between both hands, simply staring. When I raised my eyes to meet his I found hope and love and all the things I have always wanted. He was smiling tensely waiting for my reply. My throat had closed over, making speech virtually impossible at that moment, so I nodded and slipped the ring onto my finger. After another moment of staring at the rock I flung my arms around his neck. I had intended it as a hug, but he had other ideas for it.

He lips found mine in a matter of milliseconds and the sandwiches were completely forgotten on the rug next to was as he pulled me onto his lap, deepening the kiss. He manoeuvred my legs so I was straddling him and rested a hand at the juncture of my thigh and torso, causing me to move forward involuntarily. He chuckled and broke the lip lock for a brief moment, leaning his forehead against my own. "You don't have the Laura excuse this time, Babe," he mused.

Breathing heavily, I replied, "I do have the, we're in public excuse though."

He shook his head. "Look around, we're in a secluded area of the park. Not only that we're the only ones in the park, AND it's a Wednesday." I narrowed my eyes at him and he chuckled again. " I could always take you to those toilet blocks we passed on the way over, if you want to risk getting diseased."

I sighed, "Just shut up and kiss me." I was wearing a short green and white spotted skirt and three quarter length leggings, and, as I claimed his lips, I felt Ranger's hand pull down the leggings. He nipped my lip playfully, while his fingers worked away and baring my legs. Once they were off, he flung the leggings into the picnic basket and ran his hands along the goosepimply skin of my thighs.

"I don't know why you cover these up all the time," Ranger whispered, nipping a trail to my earlobe. "They're so sexy." His fingers found my panties and within moments they were gone and I was pinned beneath him as he worked his zipper. OH! Look at that! He's commando!

Ranger had refused to let me put my leggings back on after the picnic scene, claiming it was a shame for him not to be able to see them. I must say though, it made it rather hard to concentrate on the road because he kept running his hands over my thigh. We'd seen several more houses, and I was still liking the looks of the first one best. It was the only one with a decent sized back yard, all the rest were practically postage stamps.

"What do you think so far?" I asked him, stilling his hands on my thigh. "I liked the first one best."

"Wait until you see the next one." He directed me through a number of turns and eventually we stopped outside a gorgeous two story town house. It was painted a brilliant shade of blue with orange trimming around the door and windows.

I turned to look at my fiancé, yes that's right, fiancé. I had to get used to the idea. "This place isn't for sale," I said, indicating to the lack of signage.

"I have the key though, so it must be."

"This place is absolutely perfect!" I exclaimed several minutes later as we came back through the living area on our way back to the front of the house. "How did you find it?"

"I bought it not long before you went away. It was really run down at the time and I've been slowly doing it up. Everything was done with you in mind." He added, pointing out the cookie jar on the counter in the kitchen. "You never once left my mind the entire time you were here. This place kept me sane."

"You're not serious," I said disbelievingly.

"Yeah, Babe, I am. I bought this house for you, hoping that one day you would add your crazy life to it."

"My life isn't crazy," I countered, "Anyway, did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason my life is so crazy is because of you? I had a perfectly normal life until you walked into the coffee shop, thank you very much."

"Babe, I've heard the stories. You broke your arm trying to fly off the garage roof."

"That's different, I was only a kid. Completely irrelevant."

"Well then I guess I'll just have to bring you back to what really matter right here, right now." He pulled me to him and laid a sensuous kiss on my lips. All I could do was melt into him. "I love you," he said, punctuating the statement with a kiss. "You love me," another kiss, "We love Laura," and another, "And this house was built for you," this kiss that followed this statement was tender, with just a touch of tongue.

"We should go christen that bed upstairs," I moaned into his mouth.

"You read my mind," he chuckled.

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