Chapter 13

When I returned, Connie was dressed for the day and had breakfast on the counter. Fresh coffee had brewed, filling the apartment with a homey aroma.

"Hey," I said when I entered the apartment.

"Hey." She replied as I approached her.

"I talked to Tank. We'd like to get started on our plan tonight if that's okay with you." I uttered as she handed me a cup of coffee; dark with a splash of milk, exactly the way I had it every morning.

"Yeah. Sure. Okay. Whatever, but first, we need to talk." She said resolutely.

Taking one of the bar stools at the breakfast bar, she encouraged me to take the other with a few taps of her hand.

"Okay." I sipped my coffee then set the cup on the bar.

"This is hard for me to say, so please, just listen. Okay?"

Taking a breath as she lifted her head, letting tears stream down her cheeks, she continued.

"About … earlier. It was wrong." A large tear fell from her eye, then another. Her lower lip quivered making it difficult for her to continue. She took another breath. "It can't happen again. It was a mistake."

"Connie …"

"Please. This will soon all be in the past. After you catch Benny, and I'm out of your hair, you'll go on with your life and I'll go on with mine."

"Connie. It was just a kiss. It doesn't have to mean anything." I said aloud, but thought, "unless you want it to."

"Ranger," she continued as though I had not spoken, "believe me, in a few days, you'll regret this too." She turned her head refusing to look at me any longer, her tears increasing.

"Listen to me."

"No, don't say any more. Please." Pulling her hands from my attempted grasp, she tucked them under her arms, stood and began walking towards her room. "I have to get to work. It's going to be a short work day then I have to plan what I'm going to wear tonight."

"Listen to me," I said using my command voice. The voice that caused grown men to cry. She stopped and I lowered my voice. "I'm sorry for shouting at you. Listen to me, please."

"Ranger. There is nothing more to say. You need to make it right with Stephanie and I… well. I need to find myself a nice Italian guy who wants a family and a dog and is willing to remodel my grandmother's house with me. We'll date, get engaged, move in together, have a big Italian wedding and go to Italy on our honeymoon, then come home and have a bunch of kids." Moving further away from me, she continued, "when this is all over, it will be no more than just a faint memory and I'll realize my dream of finding that special someone." She waited for a second then said. "You're a wonderful person, Ranger. You're thoughtful, generous, caring, and I love you with all my heart, but Ranger, in the end, you're just not that guy, and I'm not the right woman for you. We both know that."

"I could be."

"No. I don't want you to change for me, Ranger. You are who you are." Taking another breath as she headed toward her work area, she added, "Call Stephanie. Today. Make it right between you. Joe is an ass. She'll see that eventually. You just have to keep after her. You want the same things. You're perfect for each other. Everybody knows that."

Connie had returned to her desk, turned her computer on, and then began typing, leaving me dumbfounded and tongue-tied.

The printer sprung to life. She then punched in each employee's cell number, sending them her weekly reminder text that payroll was due. 'Remember to forward your hours before noon today to assure that your paychecks are correct.' After my own phone pinged, as though nothing had happened between us, nonchalantly she stated, "It's Friday. You have your weekly team leader meeting at eight in the conference room." Glancing at the time on her computer, "You should have just enough time for a shower." She then checked her phone briefly. "Ella has coffee, muffins and a fruit tray ready for you. Is there anything else that you need at the moment?"

"No. Not at the moment." I mumbled as I stood. "I'm headed for the shower." Turning toward my bedroom I called to her, "Will I see you for lunch?"

"Yes." She replied as she continued to type, never looking at me, "Tank just left a message. He, Les and Bobby will be joining us. Probably to go over the plans for tonight. Oh, and you have a two o'clock appointment with a Mr. Winston in Newark. Do you want to reschedule that?"

"I'm just dropping off a price list for him."

"I could e-mail it to him if you'd like."

"He's an older gentleman. He's one of my father's neighbors. I'd like to meet with him in person."

"Will you be back in time for tonight?" Anxious, she stared at me.

"I'll be there if that's a concern."

"It is."

"Then, I'll definitely be there, as promised." With that, I shut my bedroom door then headed toward the bathroom to shower and shave.

I offered a quick goodbye as I closed my apartment door, then took the stairs down to my office, still numb from Connie's earlier comments. Once at my desk, I took the advice of the woman who had come to mean a great deal to me. I called Stephanie but had to leave a message, 'Call me.'

After our team leader meeting, I decided to go for a quick run to clear my head a little and to mentally prepare myself for the possible takedown that night, although I had my doubts that Benny would show up on our first outing. I was more than surprised when I came face to face with Joe Morelli in the park where the running track was. He was ordering a breakfast burrito and coffee from a food truck parked near the street. I was about to take an alternate route when he spotted me and waved me over.

"Ranger. Got a minute?"

"Officer Morelli." Bending at the waist to catch my breath, I continued, "What brings you back to Trenton? I thought you had taken up residence in DC."

"I have and it's Agent Morelli now."

"Pardon my error."

"Don't be a smartass." He chuckled. "I was going to call you but since you're here, you'll save me a call. I need to talk to you about Stephanie. It'll only take a minute of your time."

"So you said." I stretched one arm up and over my head then the other before I settled one foot on the bench Joe was sitting on, to stretch my hamstrings.

"Look, I know that you two have been … together."

I said nothing, keeping any expression from my face.

"Don't give me that blank face bullshit, Manoso. I know what you're doing. I had the same training."

"What do you want Morelli? Make it quick. I'm a busy man. Your minute's almost up."

"Okay, I'll get right to it. Stephanie and I are through."

"How many times have I heard that line?" I laughed as I took my waist and bent from side to side.

"This time it's for good. She's changed and not for the better. She's a distraction that I can't afford to have if I'm going to keep my job with the FBI."

"Too much for you to handle?"

"I could handle her here. I can't handle her there. I'm never around." He stood with his hands deep in his pockets. "I've been given an ultimatum. It's her or my job."

"Are you telling me that your job is worth more than your relationship with Stephanie?" If I would have ever wanted to slug that bastard, that would have been one of those times.

Raising his chin defiantly, he said, "It is. I've been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time and I'm not giving it up now just because Stephanie can't behave."

"So what do you want me to do? Get her a leash?"

"I'm telling you this so that you know that she's free. You can have her. I don't want her any longer. She's become more of a liability than an asset."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I couldn't be more serious."

"Does Stephanie know that you've dumped her?"

"She does. I gave her the option, 'clean up your act or get the hell out of my life'. She took her things and left."

"What exactly do you mean by 'clean up her act'?"

"Don't play dumb. You've been with her. I got the damned motel bill for the damages you two caused."

Remembering back to that night, I had to stifle the grin tugging at my cheeks.

"Didn't you notice that she has a few new tricks in her sexual repertoire? And the drinking? You can't tell me that you didn't notice that too."

The mouthwash at the diner. Shit! That lying bitch. Since I was not around her on a daily basis anymore, I had not put two and two together. I decided to play along to find out what else she had been up to.

"I noticed that she'd probably had a drink or two behind my back. Are you saying that she's been sleeping around, too?"

"Yeah. She started staying out all night and I caught her in our apartment with some guy she'd picked up at a bar. She didn't even know his name. They were both drunk as skunks."

"What about drugs? Do you think she's using?"

"I don't think so but I can't say with absolute certainty. She's still not working, by the way, no thanks to you, so I have complete control of the money. I give her spending money, but I can't account for every cent she spends."

"You're blaming me for this mess because I couldn't get her a job?" I growled. "Don't shift your responsibilities on me because you're incapable of handling your woman."

"She's not my woman. She never was. You know that. She's always been in love with you. I was just her pawn. Her in-between toy when you'd push her away."

"Funny. I always felt the same way about you."

"Look Ranger. I know we've never seen eye to eye on things, especially when it involved the law. However, I know this much, we both care about Stephanie. I can't take care of her anymore, I've moved on and you haven't. It's your turn to watch out for her now."

Stephanie could be mine with no strings attached. Joe had just handed me everything I had wanted for the past few years, on a silver platter. Stephanie, the woman of my dreams, was mine for the taking. Was it really finally my turn to step up to the plate? We were meant to be together. Everyone knew that. My father, my friends, even Connie.

Connie. Poor Connie.

Just a few short hours earlier, I had wanted to tell her things. To tell her how I felt about her. How badly I wanted her. However, she, like Stephanie, had sent me packing. Maybe it was time to give Stephanie another chance after all.

I reached out to take Joe's extended hand.

"Thanks, Joe. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and happy."

"I know you will. You always have." Joe tossed his backpack over his shoulder then pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. "Here's where she'll be living."

Unfolding the torn lined paper, I read the address.

"Isn't this near her old place?"

"It is. It's the same owner. I set her up, which is why I'm here. She has a very small studio in the basement until a bigger unit is available."

"Is she there now?"

"She's staying with her parents. At least that's where I dropped her off after she complained about the size of her apartment." I noted a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Thanks for this," I said as I waived the scrap of paper with Steph's address.

"Take care, Ranger. And good Luck. You're gonna need it"