The characters belong to JE. I receive nothing from this, but it sure is fun.

A/N: For every that has left reviews, I appreciate the reviews more than words can express. I may not get a chance to reply to them all, but I want you to know that I read each and every one of them. It encourages me to keep on writing. I'm already plotting out my next story in my head.

Chapter 13

Once Ella left, it only took me about two seconds to take the garment bag to my bedroom and so I could check out its contents. Inside the bag was a Roberto Cavalli, sapphire blue one sleeve jersey dress. It look like it would fall about three inches above my knee. The dress had a symmetrical neckline. The single sleeve was three quarter length. The dress was absolutely stunning.

I hung the dress up on my bedroom door and went to move the garment bag off of my bed. The weight of the garment bag told me that there was still something in the bottom of the bag. I reached in and pulled out a shoebox. In the shoebox was a gorgeous pair of silver metallic leather Jimmy Choo sandals with a four and a half inch heel.

Ranger had bought me a Roberto Cavalli dress and Jimmy Choo shoes. It would take me months of saving to buy just one of these with the low level skips I bring it. I couldn't stop staring at the dress and shoes. I was finally brought back to reality when my phone starting playing Justin Timberlake's SexyBack. That was Joe's ringtone. I made a mental note to change to change his ringtone as soon as I got off the phone.

"Hi, Joe." I answered.

"Hi Cup…er…Steph." Joe replied. "I thought I would give you a heads up that Terry and I ran into your mom at the Tasty Pastry."

"Uh oh. Do I want to know what happened?" From the tone of his voice, I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear this or not.

"We would be bailing Terry and your mom out of jail right now if I wasn't a cop. We were lucky that a Carl Constanza and Big Dog were the responding officers." Joe explained.

"Oh God! What happened?" I asked.

"Terry insisted on stopping at the Tasty Pastry. She had a craving for a cannoli." Joe began.

I couldn't help it. I had to laugh at the irony. I had 'sold Joe my cannoli' at the same bakery when I was sixteen.

"Are you done laughing?" Joe asked annoyed.

"Yeah." I giggled. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"I guess your mother saw my truck in the parking lot and decide to stop." Joe continued. "You mother apparently was so intent on talking to me about the two of us getting back together, that she didn't notice Terry standing next to me."

"I hate to tell you this, but I'm sure she noticed. She just didn't care." I told Joe.

"I was about to explain that you and I getting back together was no longer an option, but before I could, Terry told her to stop living in a fantasy world, because it was never going to happen." Joe continued. "And then it happened."

"What happened?" I asked.

"First, your mother called Terry a harlot. Then she suggested that Terry could never be a fit mother with her mob connections. Your mother also said that she was sure that you would be willing to raise the child as your own when you and I get married."

"Should I start planning mom's funeral?" I asked, only half joking. "How did Terry react?"

"Terry grabbed a chocolate crème pie that was sitting on the counter and smashed it in your mom's face."

I laughed. "I almost wish that I had been there to see it. What did my mom do?"

"She grabbed a birthday cake from the day old section and started throwing handfuls at Terry. By the time they were done everyone in the shop was covered in pies, cakes, and donuts. Someone had called the cops, saying that there was a riot in progress at the Tasty Pastry." Joe explained.

At this point I was laughing uncontrollably. I couldn't believe it. My mother started a food fight in the Tasty Pastry.

"This is funny. Your mother and Terry had to agree to pay for all of the food and the clean-up. It was the only way I could convince the owner not to press charges." Joe said irritated.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it." I laughed. "I can't believe that my mother, the woman that is constantly worrying about what the neighbors would think, started a food fight in public."

"Well, believe it. When Terry and I got home, Bob thought that he had died and when to heaven. It took me twenty minutes to pull him off of Terry. I'm still covered in cakes and pies, and Terry has already had two showers and still can't get all the icing out of her hair." Joe said. "Listen, I need to help Terry wash her hair again. Could you try talking to your mother?"

"I'll try, but I think I'll wait a couple of days. Maybe Dad and Grandma can talk some sense into her." I agreed. "Just make sure Terry doesn't put a hit out on my mother."

"Thanks. I've already made Terry promise not to hurt your mother. I told her it wouldn't look good for a homicide detective to have to investigate the murder of his ex-girlfriend's mother, especially since everyone knows about her Family connections."

"Thanks, Joe. Take care."

"You too, Steph." Joe said before hanging up.

After hanging up the phone, I quickly changed Joe's ringtone to Fighter by Christina Aguilera. Not my usual style of song, but I felt that described my relationship with Joe. All of these years of on-again and off again, and then how we ended things made me realize that I was settling for what was comfortable and familiar. I was never going to do that again. I was going to fight for a relationship with Ranger. It was time for me to tell him to put up or shut up. Ranger's always ran hot and cold, and lately with the notes and roses, it was hot. I was no longer going to accept cold and distant.