Shades of Gray
Chapter 10
"Babe, that was excellent," Ranger put his fork down. The grilled chicken which she sliced into thin strips with Mexican cheese and spinach was rolled into tortillas and baked with a creamy mushroom sauce. She served them over brown rice and steamed the fresh green beans to go with the entree. For all the healthy food Ranger consumed everyday, he was entitled to add some variety. Even having two extra churros for dessert.
Stephanie laughed at the dreamy faces of Paulo and Tiana when she placed a dish of butterscotch pudding in front of each with whipped cream topping. "Their greatest food they have discovered is whipped cream in a can."
"Yummy!" digging into their dessert.
Ranger carried dishes in from the patio, "What happened to their parents, Babe?"
"Almost everyone in their village was killed by a hurricane including their parents," her voice breaking as she retold what had been explained to her. "They were rescued from a collapsed building. Sister Rita at the orphanage said they never spoke a word the entire they were there until I gave them the stuffed 'Sams' and read to the children because they didn't have anything to be happy about. I couldn't leave them after that and would have stayed in Honduras until I could bring them home."
Hearing the terror and sadness those two children experienced, Ranger felt even more of a Big Jerk on the plane and admitted it, "I was a really Big Jerk."
"You were!" Stephanie agreed laughing at the Cuban man standing in her kitchen staring at her. He was somewhere between sheepish and frustrated that she openly agreed with him. "But, you've redeemed yourself," poking the sculpted stomach that his tank molded to and defined very well.
He pulled her to him growling in her ear, "You can be a smart ass."
"Me?" batting blue eyes playfully.
His one and only response was his lips claiming hers.
"Mommy, hurry" Paulo and Tiana were at the door of the condo waiting to get a spot to watch 'Jack and the Beanstalk'.
Tossing an old quilt at Ranger from the closet, "We're coming! Let's go!"
He had to laugh. Crossing into the park, the passed playground, Paulo and Tiana each took exactly three swings which they counted out, then hurried to the outdoor stage. Stephanie and Ranger chose a spot in the shade and she had to giggle at the looks he gave anyone who even thought about sitting in front of them so there was a clear view of the stage. And they did. The Theater Group had goody bags they were passing out with glow sticks, 'Jack and the Beanstalk' coloring pages, stickers, fruit snacks, and juice boxes to their young audience.
At intermission after a bathroom run, Stephanie had to crack the glow sticks so they could put them on their wrists. Ranger just glared at the neon green one around his wrist so 'he didn't get lost in the dark'. Actually, he was quite relieved it wasn't the glowing pink bracelet Stephanie was sporting around hers and glad his friends didn't see because he would never heard the last of it. He spent the evening on the blanket with her leaning back in his arms; her curls tickled his neck with her head on his shoulder and he was contented to stay like that. Paulo and Tiana sat beside her focused on the action in front of them hardly moving an inch.
After the band came on playing a mix of reggae and oldies, Stephanie let them dance around to one more song before heading back through the park to her condo and a bath.
Waving his glowing wrist when Stephanie unlocked her door, "Can I take this off now?"
Paulo and Tiana nodded at him, "We're home. You didn't get lost," the little girl told him walking inside.
Stephanie stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, "Why? It screams Macho?"
He shot her half closed eyes under a furrowed brow and she just laughed.
"Damn Woman," he growled into her curls.
"While, they are in the tub, Carlos, you can use the shower in my bedroom if you want?"
His skin felt grimy and a shower would feel good. There were soft towels, washcloth, deodorant, and a new toothbrush waiting for him in her white bathroom. Ranger would have preferred a shower for two, but held himself back because of the children and not wanting to rush anything too much, but Stephanie was under his Cuban skin. He couldn't and wouldn't stay away from her. Never in his life was he so enchanted by a woman that he was flying across a portion of the United States just to be with her even for a few hours. The cost of the airplane ticket was inconsequential compared to the peacefulness he experienced just being near her. And he wasn't looking forward to the 6:00 flight he was booked on tomorrow.
The children were having milk and banana slices for a bedtime snack coloring their pictures from the play on the coffee table while Stephanie had a 'Tom and Jerry' cartoon on for them when he came back into the living room. Just in case he did sleep over he bought pair of brushed cotton sleep shorts, they weren't his usual silk boxers, but he was comfortable. The sofa was pulled out with sheets, pillows, and a blanket folded at the bottom for him. It would not be his first choice of sleeping arrangements, but knowing Stephanie was near would be enough for now.
Stephanie's heart stopped seeing Carlos walking down her hallway coming from his shower. His loose hair was damp and just grazing his broad shoulders, his chest was beyond sculpted and ripples going down and disappearing under the drawstring waist band of his shorts. Adonis would have looked like a bag woman compared to this Cuban man. She hoped the deep breaths she was taking weren't noticeable.
"Like what you see, Babe?"
Stephanie just fanned herself. "I think I'll get my shower now," passing him knowing she could use hers cold. He was smirking at her. She let out a deep cleansing sigh and squared her shoulders pretending that she wasn't affected by him walking to her bedroom.
The sounds of the few cars going down the street and the music of the band still playing in the park made for a relaxing time sitting on Stephanie's balcony. The air was still warm but the temperature had cooled down. The chairs at the table rocked and the cushions were plump, his legs stretched resting on another chair. His seventh floor apartment didn't have a balcony to sit on, and if it did he probably wouldn't use it much being alone. He was by himself out there, but the noise from below, the children watching TV inside, and Stephanie in her shower didn't make it lonely.
"Tell, Carlos, 'Good Night'," Stephanie was at the door with Tiana's head resting on her shoulder holding her and Paulo appeared just as sleepy said quiet "Nights."
She only read four pages of 'Spot' when she realized both of her children were out for the night snuggled under the sheets with their patched puppies. She pulled the light blankets from the bottom on their beds up and kissed them both; she had to stand on a stool to reach Paulo in his top bunk and checked the rail was secure. The frog night light cast a light shadow by the bedroom door when it came on automatically after shutting off the overhead light but letting the ceiling fan circulate the cool air in the their bedroom.
Ranger was sitting on the opened sofa with his long legs stretched out. The overhead light dimmed and the fan overhead was rotating slowly. He must have been in the refrigerator, a wine bottle and two glasses were on the side table. He was looking at some papers when he heard a 'whirling' sound and looked up trying to determine what it was.
"Rex, my hamster is running in his wheel," Stephanie pointed to a corner shelf between the dining area and kitchen. "He's been the only male in my life for a while. I bought him when I moved into my apartment after my divorce so I had someone to come home to at night."
"How long were you married?" Ranger asked knowing she was married from the background he had put together.
"Not long. Within a few months of being married, I discovered him poking Joyce Barnhardt from high school on our new dining room table. For our ninth month anniversary, I got my divorce. He got the house, but the judge called him a 'newlywed cheat', and because if it he had to repay me for my contributions to the down payment of the house, furniture, and my father for the 'Burg' wedding."
"Sounds like you got the better end of the deal."
Stephanie nodded, "I got rid of Richard Cranium and used some the money to buy my art supplies and new computer to launch my children's writing career."
"It was a good investment," clinking their wine glasses together.
Stephanie was watching him over her wine glass. He was a Major in the Rangers, lived in Trenton where one of his security offices was located, carried a gun or two that were on top of her refrigerator she saw, had a brother named Cesar and an Abuela, raised in Newark, and was the most handsome man she ever met in her life. She did know a little about the man beside her. "Have you ever been married, Carlos."
"Briefly," he nodded, "I met a girl on leave after I joined the Army in Miami, she got pregnant, I married her to give the baby my name and support, and shortly after Julie was born divorced me and married her boyfriend from high school. He adopted Julie and has raised her as his own. I still feel obligated and send money if nothing else for her college education. I've visited her a few times, but Rachel prefers I stay away. I wasn't ready to be a father at nineteen."
Stephanie appreciated Carlos' honesty, "I have a sister whose husband ran off with the baby sitter and left Valerie high and dry in California. She came back to Trenton with my nieces, got divorced, worked for this ambulance chasing inept attorney named Kloughn and he is a clown at times, got pregnant by him, had another niece out of wedlock, and one in, and my mother harps on me about being single still. Now I'm her single unwed daughter with adopted foreign kids which she wasn't happy about, but made me my favorite pineapple upside down cake and chocolate chip cookies for Paulo and Tiana when I brought them to meet her and my Grandma Mazur. Grandma was so happy with them, she was teaching them to play Poker for pretzel sticks so she had someone to play cards with when she isn't out looking to 'get some'," making quotes in the air with her fingers relating the highlights of her family life to him and Ranger almost choked on his wine.
"You have an interesting family, Babe," still laughing. "What is this? Are you moving?" picking up a printed page of a house Stephanie had on her coffee table.
She picked up her laptop off the dining room table and sat back down with Ranger's arm around her. "Paulo should be in first grade in September and Tiana I want to enroll her in pre-school at least three days. There is a retired school teacher who lives down on four with her husband. She's been tutoring both of them in the mornings around my schedule. Mrs. Gibson thinks Paulo is almost caught up to where he should be for his age. My father is retiring from the Post Office and I'm thinking of moving back to Trenton. I can hire a nanny to be here for them if I'm promoting a new book, but there I have family I know I could depend on. My mother will still gripe about my marital status, but she wouldn't hold that against them I hope." Stephanie had up a real estate website showing him pictures of a four bedroom house with a large wrap around porch. "Living here, there are still a lot of Arts and Craft houses influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and I like the style from my art classes in college. This is one of those type of houses. It even has an apartment over the garage and fenced in yard. If it's still available when I'm in Trenton for my book reading, I think I'll look at it after I talk with my business manager."
Ranger studied all the pictures, "I like it and I would like having you closer in Trenton." He put the computer and listing copy on the floor. Coming back up, he turned on his side, "Now I have a proposition for you, Miss Plum?"
"Really? Is it a good one?"
He had a wolf grin on his face, "I think so. I provide efficiency apartments for a number of employees in my building; there is an empty one on the fourth floor with a bedroom and sleeper sofa. Mine is on the seven. I'll have my housekeeper, Ella, clean it and instead of a hotel, the three of you could stay there. The building is secure and I have a game room on three with a gym." His fingers were playing with her curls as she was laying looking up at him, "I'll have Ella make you a pineapple upside down cake if you want."
"A gooey chocolate cake and Pino's pizza would seal the deal," she teased.
"No, this seals the deal," bending down to meet Stephanie's waiting lips.
Very dark endless pools of passion were gazing at Stephanie when they broke apart; his knuckles were caressing her cheek. Her body was tingling from his kisses and his hardness pressing all along her body.
"I want to make slow love with you all night, Stephanie Plum, but I want the time to be right. I hope I've made my attentions known. I want to see you again and again and again as such as possible. If you let me, I'll come back to Chicago, but I don't want to rush you."
Stephanie's lips twitched at that.
"You have me there; I surprised myself and rushed it flying here today. I was really glad you didn't slam the door in my face."
She sat up a little and kissed his cheek, "And hurt this handsome face. I think it's cute that you're following me."
"Good," Ranger gathered her in his arms and walked Stephanie into her bedroom. "I'll be back then," tucking her in under her soft sheets, kissing her one last time before he went back to settle on her sofa. They would wait for the perfect time and she would be his.
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Thanks for all your reviews. Lee Anne
Stephanie's proposed house in Trenton--Oldhouses com listing #2359 1917 Craftsman Bungelow.