I can't believe the amount of reviews that have come in. You all amazing in the kinds words that you have said to me. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the encouragement that you have shown. I also can't believe that this story is now 10 chapters.

Chapter 10

RPOV

In reaching in the doctor's office, I let Steph check in with the receptionist, while I made some phone calls to get our little get away set up. I could not wait for her to see where I was taking her. I know that after the last couple of weeks that we both needed some time away to relief stress and re-center ourselves. This morning was a great example of how stressful her life has been, once the news that she was pregnant got out, the entire burg knew and of course that damn cop was there trying to lay claim on what was mine. I could have killed him with one hand, but my Babe walked into my arms for protection, I am still not sure if it was for her or for me. That cop is one dumb son of a bitch if he thinks that just because he is a man that he has the right to lay claim on any woman that he walks by. I let him know in so many words that he was wrong and that he was no longer going allowed to make such claim on this woman, my woman. I was brought out of thought by the nurse calling Steph back. The doctor was quick in her exam and within an hour we were on our way to the airport.

"Ranger, where are we going?" Steph asked me.

"It is a surprise." I said simply state. She lets out a huff. I know that she is curious by nature and that she hates being patient. I know that she will love where we are going and the fact that I have a house there will make it so much better. We get ourselves buckled into our first class seats. She grabs my hand and squeezes it. I know how much she hates flying so I give her hand a squeeze back and gently kiss her as the plane starts its ascent. Once we are in the air she settles down leans her head on my shoulder and falls asleep. I begin to think about what my statement a few nights ago about marrying her. I start to ponder is that what I really want. She never mentioned my question, so she either didn't hear my question or she is avoiding it. I want to hope that she did not hear it. After all this time was I ready to move forward and trust this woman with my heart. I know that I love her and I know that she would never do the things that Amelia had done to me, but I thought the same thing about Mila. That bastard cop deserves what is coming to him. I still can't not get the vision of him and Mila together, that thought makes me tense.

I am sitting in a hammock under a green tree looking into the sky staring at the clouds. When a small child climbs up into my arms. I look down at the little girl in my arms and she looks into my eyes and smiles. Her eyes are the blue of my Babe's and she has a head of wild curls. Her skin is a couple shades lighter than mine. It dawns on me that this is my child.

"Daddy, I love you" my heart stops beating for a few seconds. She leans in and hugs me. I squeeze her back. She lays her head on my chest and curls into my side the manner in which she does this reminds me of the way my Babe does this when we lie together in bed. Within seconds the little girl is asleep. I hear 'Lexi' The woman's voice sounds familiar. I look over to see a house and a woman standing on the deck on the house. It is my Babe, she is smiling and she sees me and strides towards me

"There she is. I have been looking all over for her."

"Yeah, she crawled up into my arms, told me that she loved me and then fell asleep." Babe, smiled at me.

"Let me take her."

"No, I want to hold her a while longer. Care to join us?" I ask. She nods and then climbs into the hammock and curls up into my side. She lets out a long sigh. "What is wrong?" She shakes her head.

"It is has been a long time since we have done this on an afternoon. It is good to be here." I nodded in agreement. The ocean air sweeps over our bodies and it makes the hammock sways. Lulling us both to sleep.

I came awake with a soft hand caressing my cheek. I open my eyes and I am met with stunning blue ones.

"We are landing, Baby." I nodded. I moved the seat to upright position. The plane landed gently on the ground again Babe, grabbed my hand and squeezed it throughout the landing. Once the plane was docked at the gate. I grabbed Steph's hand and we disembarked the plane. She looked around the terminal that we were in. "You brought me to Virgin Islands." I nodded and smiled.

"Babe, I have a house here off the coast of St. Thomas. I can't wait for you to see it, but we have a little while till we get there." She nods and grabs my hand as we made it out to baggage claim and grabbed our bags and waited for a cab.

SPOV

I could not believe that he brought me to the Virgin Islands, he told me that he has a house off the coast of St. Thomas, which means…. Oh shit, he owns an island. I am in a daze as he pulls me to the baggage claim area where we gather our bags and make our way to the cab station. As the cab pulls away from the station I come out of my stupor.

"Baby, do you own an island?"

"Yes. Babe I do but it is a really small one." He laughs. I started to hyperventilate, Ranger gently placed his hand on the back of my neck and pushed my head between my legs. "Breathe Babe, breathe." Once I get my breathing back. I sit up and looked into his eyes there was worry in his eyes. "Are you okay Babe?"

"I am fine, just it kind of caught me by surprise when you mentioned the whole island owning thing."

"It is just a house on some land that I own. I love the beach and wanted to bring you somewhere no one could reach us and this is one of those places."

The cab driver pulled up to a marina, Ranger paid the cab driver and we climbed out. Ranger gathered into the bags and we walked down the marina docks to a boat. I was standing on the docks, looking at the boat, while Ranger, loaded the luggage on the boat. He wrapped his arms around me.

"How long have you had this boat?"

"About two years."

"How do you pronounce the name and what does the name mean?"

"The name is pronounced k-ree-da, it means dear or dearest. The boat was named for the original owner's wife. He sold the boat not long after he bought it, because his wife was diagnosed with cancer. He was devastated over her sickness. He had bought the boat for them to retire on, he told me the story when I came to buy the boat. I promised him that I would not rename the boat as way to honor his wife's memory. I nodded my head afraid that if I answered that I would let the tears in my eyes that threaten to fall go. Ranger pulled me tightly in his arms and kissed the back of my neck.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

"Well then let's go. " We boarded the boat and Ranger pushed off from the dock and started the engine as we carefully maneuvered the boat out of the marina. The sway of the boat made my tummy queasy. The boat hit a wave hard and then I found myself losing my breakfast over the side of the boat. Ranger stopped the boat and dropped anchor. He came over to me and rubbed my back.

"Are you okay Babe?" I nodded not sure that I could open my mouth without getting sick. He nodded back, but kept rubbing my back. "Do you think that you could make to the house we have about another 20 mins before we are there. I nodded not really sure if I could make but knew that I would need to get off the boat in order for the queasiness to be completely settled. "How about we sit here for a couple of minutes and then start back?"

"Baby, that sounds great, can you hold me?"

"I would love to."

RPOV

After about 10 minutes of letting Steph's stomach settle I started back on the route that would take us to my house. I knew that she was braving making the final leg of this journey, but I also knew that we could not stay here on the boat forever either. I think this is what was going through her mind. The myriad of emotions that were going across her face told me the direction of her thoughts. I started the boats and we made our way to the house. Once I docked the boat she shot off the boat and on to the shore where she dry heaved off the dock. I felt so bad for her. I will be glad when this morning sickness is out of the way and she can really start to enjoy her pregnancy better. I gathered her into my arms and carried her into the house. I settled her down on the couch before making my way back to the boat to store the boat and gather our bags.

When I made it back to the house she was not on the couch where I left her but she was in the half bath off the entry way. I could hear her being sick through the door. I went to the kitchen and got her a bottle of water and grabbed her toothbrush and paste from the bag and made my way back to the bathroom. She was sitting on the floor with her head on her knees. She was crying softly.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing except that you bring me to the gorgeous place, and I am sick within the first hour that we are here. This sucks, I was looking forward to being here with you and no distractions. The baby seems to think that we should not be doing this."

"I think that the baby did not like the motion of boat and it upset your stomach. Let's get your teeth brushed and get you rehydrated. Then we can eat or go for a walk or if you're tired we can take a nap whatever you want to do."

"Thanks Baby, I don't understand sometimes how I got to be so lucky, but I am."

"I am the lucky one" I lean in and give my Babe a kiss. I am so glad that she is not pulling away from me, but that she is trusting her heart with me. "Let's get you something to eat that will ease that stomach of yours. And then what do you want to do?"

"I think a nap sounds really good and then maybe a walk if there is still light."

"Sounds good, Babe." I help her up and then we head to the kitchen get a lite snack and then I show her our bedroom. She gasps at the view from the windows and the sound of the ocean coming in from the balcony. She yawns and the she strips down to her panties.

"Baby, can I sleep in your shirt?" I nod and the strip the shirt off my back and hand it to her. She slips it over her head and then pulls the covers back and gets settled in the bed. As soon as her head hits the pillow she is asleep. I head to the bathroom and change into a pair of silk boxers and then join her in the bed. I wrap my arms around her and drift off to sleep.

RSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRS

I awoke to the sound of rain pouring outside, I shift myself loose of the grasp that my Babe has on me and make my way to the balcony door to close it. As I get to the door, I notice that it looks as if the storm is bigger than I thought. The winds are strong and the swells on the ocean are large. I pull the shutters closed over the French doors and lock them, then I do the same to the doors themselves. I make my way over to the bed and rouse my Babe, I will need her help.

"Babe, wake up." She stirs and then stares at me.

"Ranger, what's wrong?"

"I think there is a hurricane coming and we are right in the path. I need your help to close up the house to minimize the damage done." She nods and then slowly climbs out of bed. She slips on a pair of shorts and ties her hair back into a ponytail. I show her what to do on all the windows and doors throughout the house. I tell her that I have to go put the boat in the boat house. She nods and starts working on the rest of windows in the bedroom.

By the time that I get back from the docking the boat in the boat house, she has the upstairs secure and she is working on the downstairs. I help her with the kitchen windows and the French doors on the deck in the back. We make sure that we have everything secured down on the porch and deck and then lock ourselves in the house for the duration of the storm. I can tell that she is putting on a brave face, but that she is terrified that something bad will happen and we will be stuck here.

"Babe, I have a satellite phone that we can use for emergencies or when there is an emergency back home. We will be okay. We have food and supplies to last us for a couple of weeks if need be, but the storm will pass sooner than that." She nods and wraps her body around mine, I think that if she could climb inside of me that she would. Her body is shaking I gather her up and carry her to the couch. I set her down and start the fire. She gives me a questioning look and I tell her that it is run with propane. The tanks are buried and are safe from the storm. She nods her head in understanding. We cuddle on the couch for several hours making dinner and really enjoying each other's company. It is almost like the storm outside does not exist.

"Babe, I wanted to do this later in our time together but I cannot think of a better time than now." I get down on one knee and pull the ring that has been secure in my pocket all day out. She gasps in surprise. "Stephanie, I have never felt this way about a woman before in my life. I know that we have not been together long, and I know that we have a baby on the way, but I know in my heart and in my soul that you are the love of my life. I also know that if I don't ask you this than I am a fool. So Babe will do me the great honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

I know, I know, but this seemed like a good place to end this. Please don't kill me in reviews, I promise I am working on the next chapter and will not leave you hanging for long. I am thinking that there will only be a couple more chapters. I have a few ideas for a couple of new stories. I have not been able to think of a way to continue "Three of a Kind", but do not give up hope, my muse may come up with something.

Thanks,

Crys