Disclaimer still applies.

~oooOOOooo~

Chapter 14: Finding the Perfect One
Stephanie's POV

Julie and I looked at the list of places Chris had suggested and directed Paul to David's Bridal, not far from the hotel.

"Here's my card," he said, handing it to me as he let us out. "Just give me a call when you're ready, and I'll bring the car around for you."

"Thanks," I said, smiling at him.

I took Julie's hand, and we walked into the store, almost shaking with excitement.

"What kind of dress do you think you want, Steph?" Julie asked me, her eyes wide as she took in the hundreds of dresses around the store.

"I had a huge, puffy dress when I married my first husband," I told her. "I want something simple yet beautiful this time. I wear a size six, so if you want to look over here and I'll start over there, just shout if you find something you think I'll like, okay?"

"Sounds great!" Julie said as she started looking through the dresses in front of us.

I moved over to the far wall to begin looking.

Fifteen minutes later, Julie's voice called out, "Steph! I found it! Come here!"

I quickly looked around and found her near the back. She was holding up an absolutely beautiful gown. It was a chiffon, A-line gown, with an empire waist, pleated bust, beaded spaghetti straps, and a beaded, embroidered illusion back. You would be able to see through to my skin on my back, but it wouldn't be bare because of the beaded embroidery. It was cut low but modestly in front, and with my fairly small chest, I would be okay without a bra. It was ivory, which was better than white since it wasn't my first marriage.

"Julie, it's gorgeous! I'll have to try it on!"

She was already headed away from me to grab one of the salesladies.

"Hello, this little one tells me you'd like to try that dress on?" a perky blonde asked.

I nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Follow me." She turned and walked quickly over to the dressing rooms in the back. Directing us to the dressing area, she hung the gown in one of the small rooms and pointed Julie to a seat out in the main curtained off area. "You can sit here and wait for your mom."

Julie and I looked at each other and smiled, and then I closed the curtain and pulled off my clothes, leaving only my panties on. Looking in the mirror, I nearly laughed aloud. I'd have to buy some white panties because the black ones I had on were showing through! "Okay, Jules. Here I come!"

I stepped out and went to stand on the little stage area they had set up, surrounded by mirrors on nearly every side.

Julie took one look at me and burst into tears.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" I asked, ready to rush over and hug her.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just so pretty. It's perfect."

I smiled. "Thank you, honey. That's very sweet."

I looked in the mirrors, turning as much as I could to see every part of the dress. It was perfect. The length was just right, the bust fit me perfectly. The waist emphasized my slender waistline, and the A-line of the dress hid my flaws beautifully.

The saleslady came back into the room and said, "Wow, that's beautiful! Do you like it?"

"I love it so much, I'll take it. Can you show me some headwear? I want something simple to match the dress."

"Sure, just come with me," she said, helping me down the step and leading us out the curtain to the veil and train section of the store. "Are you thinking a full veil or something less complicated?"

"Something less complicated, definitely."

We began looking through their selection. I finally found a set of combs for my hair that would go perfectly with the dress. They had a cluster of pearls and Swarovski rhinestone crystals along the top and would do well to help keep my hair out of my face during the ceremony.

"Pretty, Steph!" Julie took them from my hand. "I'm buying these. My mom gave me her credit card. I asked if I could buy you something from both of us to congratulate you."

I nearly cried. "Julie, that's so sweet. Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure. I'm so glad you're going to be my stepmom."

Hugging her, tears finally fell silently down my cheeks. "I'm glad, too, honey. Thank you. Now, let's find some shoes to go with this gorgeous dress."

We walked over to the shoes, and it took me no time at all to pick out the pair I wanted. It was a dyeable sandal with rhinestones on the strap. They had a three-inch heel, and I spotted a pair of already-dyed ivory in my size that I snagged. I asked the saleslady for a pair of footsies, and once I had them on, I strapped on the sandals.

"Perfect fit," I said, smiling at Julie. "What do you think, kiddo? Do they go well?"

"They're great, Steph. I wish I could wear high heels," she said, sighing.

I laughed. "Someday soon, I'm sure, sweetie. Let me change clothes, and then we'll find something for you, okay?"

She nodded. As soon as I had changed back into my regular clothes, I handed the saleslady the dress, shoes, and hair combs, and then led Julie to the Junior Bridesmaid section. Her dress was much easier to find.

"Jules, what about this one?" I asked. It was similar to mine, made out of crinkle chiffon, and was an A-line with beaded bust. The back was elastic, which meant it should fit around her chest fairly well. It was a dark red and sleeveless, and the length would almost hit the floor, although Julie was a little tall, so it might hit her more mid-calf.

"That's really pretty!" Julie squealed. "Can I try it on?" she asked excitedly. When I nodded, she took it from my hand and turned to head to the dressing rooms.

"I'll be right there. I'm going to find you some shoes," I called.

Heading back to the shoes, I found the perfect pair. I quickly called Rachel.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Rachel. This is Stephanie. Julie and I are shopping for dresses. She's trying hers on, and I wanted to grab her some shoes. What size does she wear, and is it okay if I get her some small heels? She mentioned wanting to wear heels."

"Just use your best judgement on the heels. She's never worn them, but I'd have no objection if you find some low ones that she would like," Rachel said. After giving me Julie's shoe size, she added, "Congratulations, Stephanie. I'm happy that Ranger has found someone that loves not only him but also loves our daughter. Thank you."

I nearly teared up again. "My pleasure, Rachel. Thank you for letting her come with us."

After we hung up, I grabbed the shoes and went quickly to find the saleslady.

"How fast can we get these dyed to match the red dress she's trying on right now? Her father and I are getting married tomorrow afternoon over at the Bellagio."

"Let me look at the list." She turned to look at some papers on the desk. "Okay, it looks like for those, we only need about four hours, so if you buy them now, you can pick them up tomorrow morning, and they'll be ready."

"Great, thanks! I'll take them so she can make sure they fit, and then I'll leave them with you." I went back to the dressing room just as Julie was coming out to the main area. "Jules, here are the shoes I found. I okayed it with your mom about the heels, if you'd like to wear them. We can get them dyed to match the dress and pick them up in the morning."

She squealed. "They're so pretty! Look at the pearls! They look like your hair combs!"

I nodded and smiled before bending over and helping her slip her feet in, buckling them well so they wouldn't cause her to trip.

She stood up on the stage and turned in a slow circle. "What do you think?" she asked.

"It's perfect," I said, smiling at her. "Stand still. I want to send a picture to your mom and Ranger."

I took out my phone and snapped a photo of her waist up. I quickly sent it to Ranger and then Rachel before putting the phone back in my purse.

"I don't think it even needs hemmed. Change clothes, and I'll go pay while you finish dressing."

She handed me the dress and shoes, and I walked to the checkout counter. Dropping them off, I held up a finger. "Give me a second."

I quickly went to the jewelry counter and picked out the bracelet I'd seen as I walked by. Hurrying back to the other counter, I said, "I'd like this wrapped and hidden, please. It's going to be a surprise."

I left it with her while I quickly went to pick out some white panties and some thigh-highs to go with my dress and then headed back to the checkout counter.

The woman behind the counter added the bracelet, both dresses, shoes, and my lingerie to my card, and by the time I had signed the slip, Julie was there, dressed and ready to buy the hair combs. The lady called Rachel to verify the charge as I called Paul.

"Hi, Paul. Give us two minutes, and we'll be ready to go back to the hotel," I told him.

He said he'd be in front for us when we were ready, and I hung up in time to see Julie sign the charge slip.

"Ready to go, kiddo?" When she nodded, I grabbed the bags, and we walked out to the waiting limo. I looked at my watch after I got in and saw that we'd been shopping for three hours!

"How about we get back to the room and relax for a few minutes with your dad before taking a walk on the Strip?" I asked.

"That would be great," she told me, smiling.

I picked up the phone and called Ranger.

"Yo," he answered.

"Yo yourself. We're on our way back. Should be about five minutes." I smiled when I heard him click off the TV. Good, he's been relaxing.

"Meet you downstairs, Babe," he said before hanging up.

I shook my head. Chuckling to myself, I realized that I was never going to get him to learn better phone manners.

"What's funny, Steph?" Julie asked, tilting her head in a way that reminded me very much of her father.

"Just thinking about how much his phone manners absolutely stink."

She laughed, knowing exactly what I meant. "Maybe that will change after you guys get married tomorrow," she suggested. We looked at each other and then burst out laughing. "Or not."

"Oh well," I said. "I guess that's something I can live with."

I smiled as we pulled up to the front of the hotel and saw Ranger standing with his back against the wall, legs out and crossed together at the ankles, arms crossed against his chest. He looked dark and mysterious, not to mention incredibly sexy. I felt a flash of heat when I saw him uncross his arms and flex his fingers. I knew what those fingers were capable of, and just the thought of them sliding into me nearly pushed me over the edge of an orgasm.

Get a grip, Steph. The man's pre-teen daughter is sitting two feet from you, I chided myself.

Paul stopped the limo, and before he could even get out, Ranger had the door open and Julie was stepping out. "Babe, hand me your bags," he said, poking his head in and looking around.

I handed him the bags, and he switched them to his other hand so he could help me out of the car.

"Paul, we'll call if we need you again tonight, but I think we'll probably just walk the Strip." He smiled at us and then looked quickly back at the car. "Thanks for taking care of my girls."

Paul smiled and nodded before pulling away from the curb.

"Come on, Ranger, Steph! I need to use the bathroom, and I want to call Mom and tell her about my dress and shoes before we do anything else." Julie's voice was eager as she grabbed ahold of my hand and tugged me forward.

We made our way up to the suite, and Julie ran into her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Babe, wanna show me what you bought?" Ranger stood beside the couch I had flopped down onto, holding the bags. He set them down on the table in front of me, carefully draping the two dress bags across the back of the couch so as not to wrinkle them.

"Not my dress, and I'll let Julie show you hers. But I did buy her a surprise as a 'thank you for coming and standing up for us' gift."

I took one of the bags from him and dug out the smallest box. Opening it, I pulled out the silver charm bracelet. It had a toggle clasp and only one charm. The silver heart was shiny and beautiful and made a perfect charm to represent our love for Julie and our love for each other, as well as our marriage.

"It's perfect, Babe. She'll love it," Ranger said, dropping onto the couch beside me and gathering me into his arms.

I smiled as I placed it back in the box and put the box back in the bag.

We sat snuggled in each other's arms for a few minutes until Julie came bouncing out of her room.

"Mom says our dresses and shoes sound great, Steph! Ranger, want to see my dress?" At his nod, she pulled it out of the bag, showing how well the red went with her skintone, how soft the matieral was, and her favorite part, the intricately beaded front.

"Wait till you see it on her," I said, smiling softly. "She looks so grown up, it's scary."

He took my hand in his and squeezed, rubbing his thumb across the top of my hand gently.

Julie put the dress back in the bag and dropped down into the chair across from us, sitting sideways, her legs hanging off one arm of the chair. "So what's up for the rest of the day?"

I looked at Ranger, deferring to whatever plans he had made. "I thought we'd walk the Strip a little bit this afternoon, taking in the sights. After that, would you like to see 'O,' the Cirque du Soleil show? I've heard great things about it. It's supposed to be fantastic."

I grinned and then looked at Julie. "What do you think, kiddo? You up for some acrobats and stage action?"

She was so excited that she was nearly bouncing off her seat. "Yes! That's so cool! My friend Jessica has seen that, and she thought it was the coolest thing ever! I can't wait to tell her about it when I get back! When can we go?" She looked pleadingly at Ranger.

Ranger laughed. "We can go anytime you guys are ready."

She jumped up and ran to pull her sneakers back on and then ran back into the living room. "I'm ready. Let's go." When neither of us moved, she frowned. "C'mon, Steph!"

I stood up, laughing, and pulled Ranger with me. "Why don't we call Paul and see if he can drop us down at the end of the Strip, and then we can make our way back here on foot?"

"Smart idea, Babe. Let me call the front desk."

"Don't bother," I said, chuckling. I pulled the card he'd given me out of my pocket and grabbed Ranger's cell from his belt. "This is an intergalactic emergency. I need to commandeer a vehicle. Who's in charge here?"

Ranger laughed and grabbed the phone from my hand. "Hey, Paul, it's Carlos. Could you come by, pick us up, and then drop us off down the Strip?"

"Sure, where do you want to be let off? Right at the south end?" Paul asked.

"Yes, Mandalay Bay would be great. See you in a couple minutes, then?"

"I'm just at the bar, watching the game, so I'll go right out and get the car. Meet you guys out front."

Ranger hung up the phone and stuck it back on his belt. "All set. Let's go," he told us.

We walked out of the room, making sure we all had our room keys and cell phones.

"Before we go any farther, Julie, please put this in your pocket. It's a panic button with a built-in GPS linked directly to RangeMan. I doubt we'll need it, but I didn't bring anyone with us this trip, so this would give me a bit of peace of mind. Babe, I'm not going to force you to wear one, but please, think about it for me?"

I looked at the love in his eyes and realized there was no way I was going to tell him no. I held out my hand. "Give it here. I know me and my uncanny ability for getting into trouble. Better safe than sorry, right?"

He relaxed a great deal and then took our hands, leading us to the elevator. We rode down in comfortable silence, excited about seeing some of the sights before taking in a great show. When we walked out the front doors, Paul was just pulling up in the limo. He hopped out and opened the door for us. We climbed in and settled back for the short ride.

When he pulled to the curb and parked, I said, "Thanks, Paul. We're just going to walk back and will be in the hotel the rest of the night."

"Enjoy," he said as he pulled away.

Ranger took Julie's hand in one of his and mine in his other, and we started moving. We walked the just under two miles slowly, taking our time and enjoying everything. Julie and I were fascinated by the New York New York, and laughing, I had to steer Ranger away from the Hooters Casino Hotel.

Grinning, with a twinkle in his eye, he said, "Babe, I wouldn't really want to go in there to see a possible stripper. Or twins." He sighed wistfully. "Yeah, that's it. Twins."

"Ricardo Carlos Manoso, if I have to handcuff you and get you tattooed with 'Property of Stephanie Michelle Manoso,' I will! Besides, it's more likely you'd see a cross-dresser instead of a stripper!" I giggled when he got a pretend horrified look on his face.

Julie laughed and pulled on our hands. "C'mon, you guys, we have so much to see!"

Ranger leaned down and gave her a quick kiss to the top of her head and a slightly longer one to my lips before walking on.

We spent a total of thirty minutes just walking and relaxing before getting back to our hotel.

"Let's go back up to the room and get ready for the show," Ranger said. "We need to be there about thirty minutes before showtime, so we have about an hour to get ready."

We stopped and picked up tickets for the show that Ranger had ordered and had delivered to the front desk and then hurried up to the room.

When we reached the room, we split up. Ranger went back to the couch to read while Julie and I went to our rooms to shower and change clothes. I had just finished in the shower and was pulling the clothes out of my suitcase that I wanted to wear when there was a knock on the door.

"Steph? Can I come in?" Julie asked.

"Sure," I called out, pulling the robe a bit tighter.

Julie walked in wearing a similar robe.

"What's up, sweetie?"

"What are you wearing tonight? I can't decide."

I held up the black, knit dress I was planning to wear. "Nothing fancy, Jules. If you have a casual dress, or skirt and blouse, that would be good. Or just some slacks and a shirt."

"Okay, thanks. My mom packed one of my dresses that isn't too fancy, so I'll wear it. Can you help me put on a little bit of makeup?"

I thought for a minute, not sure if Ranger would want her wearing makeup. "Sure, we can put on a little bit," I finally said. "Go get dressed and then come back in here."

Once Julie shut the bedroom door, I pulled off the towels and put on some new, sexy lingerie I'd brought with me on the trip before pulling my dress over my head. It fell to my knees and had a sweetheart neckline. I added the jewelry Ranger had given me a few days before.

"You look beautiful, Babe."

I jumped about three feet into the air, hand pressed to my heart as it felt like it was about to beat out of my chest.

"Geez! Make some noise, wouldja? You scared me! And yeah, yeah, I know. I need to be more aware, blah blah." I rolled my eyes as he laughed.

"I'm going to take a shower now. Be out in a minute." He swept my damp curls to the side and brushed his lips across the back of my neck in a soft, tender kiss before grabbing his clean clothes and shutting the door to the bathroom.

I had just finished drying my hair and placing part of it up in a clip to keep it out of my face when Julie walked back into the room. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, looking very much like Ranger's.

"That dress is perfect, sweetie," I told her honestly. It was a dark blue with an empire waist, fell to just above her knees, and she'd paired it with a pair of black flats.

"Let me do my own makeup quickly, and then I'll help with yours, okay?"

She nodded and sat on the extra stool in the dressing area to watch. I decided to go light on everything, even the mascara since I wasn't in the need for courage tonight. It only took me a couple of minutes to add some concealer, powder, blush, eyeshadow, and one coat of mascara. I added some lipstick and gloss before motioning Julie over.

Ranger walked out of the bathroom just as I was brushing on a light layer of powder. He glanced at me from behind Julie's shoulder, raising an eyebrow. I smiled softly, willing him to trust me. When he smiled and relaxed his shoulders, I knew he'd understood that I was going to be careful and not go overboard. He sat down on the edge of the bed to put his socks and shoes on and watched while I finished Julie's makeup.

After the powder, I added just a hint of light pink blush, some pale blue eyeshadow, and a coat of clear mascara. I looked through my bag and found the light pink lipstick, adding just a touch on her lips, before adding a coat of the gloss. When I finished, Julie looked natural, fresh, and absolutely right for a twelve-year-old.

"Okay, Jules, look in the mirror, and then show your dad," I told her, smiling.

She turned and gasped. "Wow! I look at least thirteen," she exclaimed. Turning around again, she looked at Ranger. "What do you think? Is it okay?" I could hear the pleading in her voice and knew from his expression that Ranger could, too.

He rose from the bed and came toward us, placing a careful kiss on the top of her head. "You look beautiful, Julie. I'm honored to have two lovely ladies accompany me to the show and to dinner after. Are you ladies ready?"

I finished pulling on my shoes and nodded. "Just let me grab my purse, and then we can go."

I walked to the bedside table and pulled out my gun, sliding it into the purse I'd picked up from the top. I added both mine and Julie's lipsticks and gloss and then held my hand out to take Julie's.

"Thanks, Steph. I love my makeup," she said, smiling at me.

I gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. We all left the room, relaxed and happy, ready to be entertained.

Thirty minutes later, we were in our seats, and the lights were dimming. Two and a half hours after that, the lights came back up, and the three of us were on our feet, clapping along with the rest of the crowd.

"That was so cool!" Julie exclaimed. "My favorite part had to be the..."

I let my mind drift as Julie talked, thinking about tomorrow. It was going to be a big day, and I was starting to get butterflies. Almost as if he knew what I was thinking—stupid ESP, I thought to myself—Ranger took ahold of my hand, squeezing softly. He brought it to his lips as we walked along to the restaurant, kissing it gently while never taking his eyes or attention off Julie.

We decided to go to Noodles for dinner. "My friend said this is where she and her family went after seeing the show, and they all liked it a lot," she said, steering us in that direction.

Once we were seated, the waiter came up to take our order. "I want the Signature Soya Chicken and a water," Julie said.

I ordered the Barbecue Pork and a Corona with lime and then turned to Ranger.

"I'll have the Abalone with mushrooms and a Corona, also with lime. We'll also take the Steamed Potstickers for a starter," he told the waiter, who wrote down our order, smiled, and then hurried away.

We talked until our food arrived, and then talked some more while we ate. I told Julie the story about Lester and Bobby playing a practical joke on Tank a few weeks before and about what Tank was planning in retaliation.

"I miss you and all the guys," Julie said with a sigh. "I wish I could come visit more often."

Ranger looked at me with a sad expression on his face. "We miss you, too, Julie," he said. "How about I talked to your mom and Ron when we get home about having you come out on your next school break? That isn't too long, right?"

"That would be great, yeah! Thanks!"

When we were all finished, we headed back to the elevator and up to our suite.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted," I told them. "Julie, are you ready for bed, sweetie?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm going go wash my face, brush my teeth, and change into pajamas. Then I'm going to read a book I need for school. Good night!" She leaned up and hugged me and then turned and hugged Ranger, brushing a quick kiss across his cheek. "Thanks for asking me to come, Dad."

He squeezed her shoulders and said, "Thank you for being so happy for us and for wanting to be here. Get some sleep. We'll wake you in the morning. Come wake us up if you need us tonight."

We watched her walk into her bedroom, and once her door shut, Ranger pulled me to him. "My soon-to-be-wife, why don't we follow Julie's example and head to bed? It's going to be an early morning and long day tomorrow."

I smiled and nodded. "Sounds good," I said, yawning.

We walked slowly to the bedroom, Ranger's arm around my waist and my head on his shoulder. I grabbed the black T-shirt I'd stolen from him before we left Trenton and walked into the bathroom. I stripped off my clothes and took care of necessities and then pulled on the shirt.

Opening the door so Ranger knew it was free, I made my way out the other door to the sink and washed my face quickly. Since I hadn't worn much makeup, it was a quick task, and before I knew it, I was cuddled under the blankets, my eyelids growing heavy.

~oooOOOooo~

Ranger's POV

I finished in the bathroom, pulling on the red silk boxers Stephanie had bought me for my birthday, and then moved out to the sink. I washed my hands and splashed cold water on my face before pulling my hair out of the leather tie currently holding it in a ponytail at the base of my neck.

I walked into the bedroom and slid under the covers after setting the alarm on my watch. Wrapping my arm around Stephanie, I pulled her close. She was barely awake, her breathing very even and soft.

"Te quiero, Babe," I whispered.

Her breathing hitched, and then she mumbled back, "I love you, too, Carlos. Good night," before falling asleep.

I laid my head down on the pillow beside hers, and within minutes, I felt myself falling asleep, too.