JE owns it all. I'm just playing with them for a bit..
A/N All mistakes are mine. I would have posted sooner but my laptop got a virus and had to be taken all the way down and then back up. Lost all my stuff.. Hope you enjoy. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. Thank you to all that reviewed...
Chapter 10
Ranger grabbed the phone off the nightstand before it could ring a second time and wake up Stephanie. "Yo." He was up and out the door, closing it softly before Tank could respond. He made his way to the kitchen.
"How's it going down there, Boss?" He asked.
"Tank, you didn't call to chat. Tell me what you want? Then you can go torture Diesel some more." He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and leaned against the counter.
Tank chuckled a bit before answering. "Just thought I would let you know that Diesel is bringing Zip and Santos. Didn't want them to pop in and see something they shouldn't"
Before Ranger could retort he watched as the three men popped into the living room through the doorway of the kitchen. He gave an almost smile as he watched two of them sway a bit. In his most feared and commanding voice, yelled out. "Come on men, suck it up. We could have been shot and killed in the time it takes you to be aware of your surroundings."
Zip immediately straightened to attention. Les just walked to the couch and sat down throwing a smirk at his cousin before adding "You know that crap doesn't work with me." He chuckled but stopped suddenly to smile in another direction. "Hello Beautiful. Good to see you again." He got up and made his way beside her. He slung an arm around her shoulders.
She grinned up at him. "Les its good to see you too. Now off me so I can get my one cup before work." She flung his arm off and walked to the kitchen. She stopped as she passed Ranger to reach up and give him a kiss. "Morning Ranger."
He pulled her closer. "Morning Babe. Did you say work?" He led her to the table to sit down. Zip was setting a cup of coffee in front of her. He was trying to make up for the "unawareness" by being extra observant.
"Thanks Zip." She added just before she drank a sip. "Hummm. That's wonderful." She aimed her gaze to Ranger. "What are your plans or today while I'm working?" She grinned at him knowing full well that she wasn't getting out of his sight.
"Babe." That gave her the answer.
Yep he is so going to work with me.. I wonder how her customers will deal with him..
"They will just have to get used to it. Yes, you said that out loud. Where you go so do I. You do know you don't have to work." He lifted an eyebrow in question.
"Carlos, I know I don't have to, but I do know I can't sit and do nothing for the next few months. I can't leave them short handed." She walked to him and put her hands on his chest. His hands slipped around her, to pull her closer.
"Okay Babe. Get ready and we will go." He turned her and gently pushed her back to the bedroom.
She came back out dressed in her jeans and T-shirt a few moments later. The guys were all ready and waiting for her. She smiled at them. "Carlos got you guys on Bombshell duty?" She giggled.
"Babe, you and the baby are first priority." He pulled her into his arms, her back to his front, his hands resting on the roundness of her belly.
She patted his hand. "Let's go I don't want to be late." She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Lester on her left, Ranger on her right and Zip behind. They all loaded into the car and headed to the restaurant.
Ranger had briefed Zip and Santos as she was dressing. Zip would remain outside and Santos would guard the back. He would be in the middle with her at one of her tables. He scanned the restaurant. It was a nice place, only two exits, that made it great. He watched as she put her keys under the register and speak to just about everyone. She made her way back to him with a little smile on her lips. "Babe." She knew he was thinking of just taking her back home for some alone time in bed.
She walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss. "Later, Carlos." She smiled even bigger as she watched his eyes go black at the sound of his name on her lips. She turned and walked away before it could lead somewhere else, like the store room.
She walked over to a table of guys. "Hey guys. How are you this morning? You having your usual this morning?" She patted the one closest to her on the shoulder and got an answering squeeze on the hand.
"Hey Steph. I want my usual and add a small OJ with my coffee this morning." Tex chuckled then added. "Wife went with me to the doc yesterday and now I have to have some every morning."
"Tex you know Martha loves you and you love when she fusses over you. OJ isn't that bad. It could be only salad." She made a face at the man across from them watching. He just grinned back.
"Yeah, I couldn't do anything without my Martha. Speaking of fussing, How are you and that baby doing?" He rubbed a hand over her belly then gave a gentle pat.
She had to shake herself out of the pull from his gaze. She patted her belly herself and smile. "We are great. Just had my appointment yesterday and all is good."
Tex leaned over and asked in a whisper. "That man behind me gonna pull out a gun on me if I give you hug later? Martha wanted me to pass one along since you been switching my regular coffee to decaf." He grinned at her.
She was in a bit of shock. "You knew? How? Huh...You're not mad? I was just doing it ever 3rd cup or so. She said that you had to cut back on your intake..."
He patted her hand. "Naw, Not mad. I think its sweet. Now he gonna shoot me or what? I'm going to take a wild guess and say that is your man and the baby's daddy."
She beamed at him. Thankful that he wasn't mad. "He won't shoot you. I'll make sure of it and yes he is the boyfriend and the baby's daddy."
Sam and Johnny came in at that moment and added their orders to Tex's She walked away to turn them in before she grabbed the coffees.
The guys talked and joked around but were checking out the guy in black watching her every move. Sam decided to man up and walked over to the table and sat down. They both just looked at the other for a moment. Steph was too busy to notice at the moment. Sam was the first to speak. "You gonna take care of them the way they should be?" He drew himself up to his 5 foot 3 frame and pressed on. "She deserves the best. Got a great big heart on that there girl. She is special, to all of us. Don't make me ask you to step outside." He was a ex-military man himself, he knew how to take care of someone, even if its been 60 years ago. He may be 90 but he could still fight if needed.
Ranger just sat there and waited for the little man to speak. He had no idea why he came over. He never expected for the little man to tell him to take care of his Babe and their baby or else. He looked at the frail looking body of the older man, then he looked into his eyes. There he saw steel. He could respect that he cared for her and wanted what was best and clamped down the desire to chuckle and offend him.
"She and our child will want for nothing. I love them and they are my life." He wasn't much on words and thought those were sufficient for the man.
Sam looked the man straight in the eye and he told him he loved the girl and the babe they made. He saw no hesitation and felt that he was honest. "Good, I haven't fought since about 65. You just get back?"
He froze for a second, wondering how this little man knew he was military. Given the circumstances he just relaxed and went with it. "Yes, I just came back. I don't have to go over again." He took a sip of his water. Steph walked to the table and poured Sam some coffee.
"Sam, What are you doing?' She put her hands on her hips and waited.
Sam just grinned up at her. "I'm just taking care of a friend of mine. She special and wanted to make sure it was known. I'm done now. I'll go back to the guys and wait for my breakfast." He pulled himself up and left.
She watched him go and then turned back to Ranger as she heard him chuckle. "Babe, He was calling me out if I didn't agree to take care of you and the baby. I think I passed his test. Thank God. I don't think I could handle him."
She looked from Ranger to Sam, her mouth open. "What? He called you out? H.."
"Close your mouth Babe." He grinned and gently closed her mouth with a finger to her chin. He pulled her over to him with her hand and placed one arm around her back the other hand on her belly. "It's nice to see you have made an impression on people here just as you do at home. He is right. You are a very special person." He pulled her into his lap and kissed her senseless.
When he let her up for air everyone was watching them and a few of the women were fanning themselves. Judy was at the table with them. "Steph, once you regain your brain can you pick up table 4's food, it just pulled up." She chuckled as she walked away. She was fanning herself from the kiss. The man himself was hot. She was a very lucky girl.
She realized that she had just been kissed senseless in front of everyone and was still in his lap. She knew she turned bright red and lightly slapped his arm as she scrambled up out of his lap. She kept her head down as she made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed the plates and took them to Sam and the guys.
Johnny was the first to comment. "You got you a nice kiss there didn't you Steph?" He just grinned at her.
She blushed again. "Johnny just hush."
"It's a wonder we didn't all go up in flames with that one." Johnny added. Steph just threw a napkin at him.
"No wonder they go themselves a baby coming if its like that in public can you imagine in private." He wiggled his eyebrows at the guys around the table. Johnny added but Judy had heard the last and popped him on the back of the head.
"Johnny, leave that girl alone, or you just might be wearing your breakfast instead of eatin it." She walked off. She didn't have to see him to know that he immediately started eating.
Stephanie sent a glare at Carlos. He just gave her one of his 200 wyatt smiles and then listened as dishes broke. She walked over to him after she had given everyone their food. "Carlos, try not to give all the women heart failure with that smile of yours. You are so going to get it later for that kiss." She walked off knowing that he thought that the payback would be good and it would be much later. The payback he would get for the picking she was getting would be fun for her not so much for him..
