Chapter 10

I pulled the Buick out and sobbed all the way to I-95. I thought about my broken dreams again and how I always managed to muck everything up. Probably it was best that I swear off men forever. If I had stayed at Rangeman much longer I probably would have blown it up with Ranger's whole fleet of cars. I thought about Ranger as I drove. He had done something that he would have to live with because he lost control of his anger. He was a man that had told me many times that those emotions are unproductive. What the hell darkness was in him to make him do that? He probably thought love was a really shitty emotion now. I knew I would wake up and that fairytale would go poof and it did in a big way.

Less than a week and I was back to starting over again and now I loathed myself even more. If I didn't concentrate really hard on changing and letting go of the past, I would be driving myself into a creek on purpose. I cried for about another 100 miles.

When I got close to Nash's neighborhood, I called him. He told me just to pull off and he would meet me and I could follow him to his house. He wanted to know what I was driving and he laughed when I told him. He said, "No shit, if that ain't cool." He pulled up next to me a couple minutes later in a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner with a 426 Hemi. He got out with a huge grin on his face and came over to my door. I said, "Let me guess Nash, you've got a thing for antique cars."

He said, "Yes I do indeed little lady and this is a fine one here. I think I'm in love."

"Well ,your new love will be my Grandma Mazur. It belongs to her. She will be delighted because it just so happens and I quote; she likes 'hot young men with nice butts and packages'," I said.

Nash threw his head back and laughed. "I bet she's somethin' else," he said. "Come on and follow me home. I've got dinner in the oven.

We went a few turns and I was trying to concentrate on a few landmarks as I went and then he pulled into the driveway of a really nice house; a mini mansion by burg standards. He opened his garage door and pulled in next to what looked like a new dark blue Ford Explorer. I picked a spot to park in his drive so that he could get his cars out. I got out and looked at his house and he walked up beside me.

I said, "Wow John what a beautiful home. You must be doing well in your business."

He said, "Not bad but not what you would think. This is from an inheritance; one side of my family comes from old money."

He looked me in the face. "Sweetheart, you don't look so good. You look tired and like you've been crying. Let me get your bags in and we'll have dinner and some wine and you can tell 'Uncle Nash' all about it." I giggled at that.

The inside of Nash's house was more beautiful than the outside. It was open and warm and cozy feeling. He had a fireplace in the living room and big overstuffed furniture. The colors were warm and traditional but not too masculine. He set the bags down and I followed him to the kitchen. It was large, but again, warm and inviting. It had an island with stools and a breakfast nook in front of a big bay window with a table and comfy chairs.

Oh, and it smelled wonderful in there. It smelled like cookies and comfort food.

"John, what are you making? It smells great. Is that chocolate chip cookies I smell?" He laughed.

"You like cookies? How about chicken and rice casserole with lots of cheese?" he asked.

"Yum, I'll take one of each and maybe seconds," I said.

"A woman with an appreciation for comfort food; I like that. That's pretty much what I do; I'm no gourmet chef"

He grabbed a bottle of White Zinfandel out of the fridge and held it up. "You like this kind?" I nodded.

He poured two glasses and checked the oven and put a big plate of cookies on the bar.

He said, "Sit and tell me what happened to you. I was worried about you when you didn't show up that night."

I took a couple sips of wine and a breath. I told him about running off the road and the creek and almost drowning and Ranger following me and saving me and about my car being totaled and Ranger taking me back to Trenton.

He looked at me. "That's not all of it, is it? Let me get the food and we'll go to the table."

I grabbed our glasses and the cookies and moved them over. He brought the casserole, then plates and utensils and dished us both out a generous helping.

"What else happened?"

I said, "Please don't think I'm a slut, but I have sort of been in love with two men the last few years. One I grew up with and had a history with." I told him a little about Morelli. He laughed about the part where I ran over him and broke his leg and that he ended up a skip I was chasing. I told him that after Joe was cleared of charges that we began a long time on and off again relationship.

"The other, Ranger, came into my life about that same time that I was chasing Joe. He was a bounty hunter and my mentor and my friend. He now has a large business, Rangeman, and offices in three cities," I said.

"When Joe and I were off one time, Ranger and I had sex and over time feelings developed. He looked after me, let me blow up a bunch of his cars, but he didn't want a real relationship with me until the accident here," I said.

He grinned when I mentioned blowing up cars. Nash said, "I've heard of that guy; supposed to be a real badass."

"Yep, a badass not be trifled with and I trifled. I poked the tiger and pulled his tail in his own cage and he bit me bad," I said.

He said, "Well I can see some evidence on your neck. Did he hurt you?"

I nodded. "I don't have many physical marks from it, but I have the emotional ones," I said.

Nash winced, "Did he force you to do something you didn't want to do?"

I just looked at him with tears in my eyes. "I guess I need to explain the rest of the story this past week too," I said. Just then my phone rang and I excused myself to get it.

I looked at my phone and it was Lester. He said "Steph, I'm calling to check on you. Are you okay?"

I said, "Yeah, I'm good now that I'm here in Virginia with Nash. We're having comfort food and cookies and you know that's a cure all for me."

He said, "Are you making those yummy moaning sounds? It might give him the wrong impression."

"Very funny," I said

"You sound a little better. Ranger got his black eye about ten minutes after I looked at the security footage with sound. Ella is still a mess and looks at him like she knows what he did," he said.

"Oh no, I think I know why Ella's so upset. She must have seen my clothes. He tore them off and flung them all over the room," I said.

"Ahhhhh shit, now I'm going to have to go back and blacken his other eye," he said.

"Lester don't you do that. You're lucky to still have your job. He probably wishes now that he could blacken his own eye. So he gave you a free one. But, don't pull the tiger's tail like I did, promise me please," I said.

"Okay Steph. I'm going to tell Ella you're okay and I'll call tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lester," I said.

I walked back into the kitchen. Nash looked at me and said, "Sit and finish eating," and he filled my wine glass.

I said, "That was one of my friends at Rangeman and Ranger is now sporting a black eye and his housekeeper is falling apart and his men are probably miserable right now."

He said, "Well I would like to shake the man's hand that dealt the blow."

"That would be Lester and I have to warn you Nash, I'm a total disaster magnet and don't let me near your cars," I said.

He grinned. "I'm not worried; it's kind of boring here in Springfield. But, under the circumstances I want to make you another offer. I have plenty of room here and want you to stay with me for the company. I want you to have a choice though and I'll be happy to get you a place of your own while you're here for some privacy. You don't know me that well, really, and I want you to be comfortable, physically and emotionally."

I looked at him and I looked around the room and tears started rolling down my face.

I said, "I like it here Nash; it feels and smells safe and warm and I'm so glad to be here." Then I began to sob.

"Well, all right then," he said. Then he pulled a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and leaned to me and gently wiped my face and handed it to me.

I didn't have much of an appetite and we cleaned up and put our leftovers away and went to the living room. Nash turned his gas fireplace on low and we sat on the couch.

He said, "Tell me the rest."

"About a week ago I caught Joe cheating on me and I broke up with him for good. I was actually kind of glad and I want him to move on and be happy. He had wanted to marry me, but there was always Ranger between us and he wanted me to give up my job and just have babies and be a Burg wife. I couldn't do that and be happy."

"Lately, I had really felt like I was stuck and I was at a place where I didn't like myself much. My birthday is in a few weeks and my path hasn't moved in years and I have nothing to show for the time spent."

"Then after I almost drowned, Ranger tells me I scared the shit out of him and he loves me and with Joe out of the picture for good he wants to finally have a relationship with me and wants me to move in with him. I provoked him with a prank in his home and place of business and then you know the rest. I ran and Lester and Ella moved me out and back into my apartment and now I'm here with Grandma Mazur's Buick with you."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry that you're hurt and I want you to know that you are safe under my roof. I'm looking forward to working with you and having you around for as long as you want to be here. If there is anything that I can do for you, all you have to do is say the word and I mean that," Nash said.

I said, "Nash you don't know how much you've done already. Thank you."

He patted my hand. "Let me show you to your room." He grabbed my bags and headed up the stairs. I followed him into a cozy room with a comfy looking four poster bed with a chair and a little table.

He said, "Will this be okay? The upstairs bath is right next door and it's all yours. I have one off the master suite up here. Make yourself at home and drop your girlie stuff in there."

I said, "This is wonderful and I'm exhausted."

"Well, tomorrow is Saturday and I usually only work half a day doing paperwork unless I'm on the hunt. So, I'll have some time to show you around town. We'll go out someplace nice tomorrow night and have some fun."

"I'm looking forward to that. Goodnight Nash"

He smiled at me. "Goodnight sweetheart, you sleep well. I'm just right down the hall on the right if you need anything," he said.

I smiled at him.

He turned and walked away and I started to unpack some of my things and go to bed. I felt so tired and so heavy. I crawled into that comfy bed and was asleep before I even rolled over.

TBC