Thanks again for sticking with Changes even though it's taken 21 chapters to reach the actual wedding, which will be happening in the next chapter. All familiar characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine.

Chapter 21

Our wedding was now just days away and Ranger and I said screw tradition yet again - much to Lester and Lula's irritation - and didn't have bachelor/bachelorette parties. When we were chasing down Petiak leads, I saw firsthand what happens when Ranger walks into a strip club, and I had no problem stating - loudly - that the only boobs allowed near Ranger's face are mine.

And I didn't really see why I'd need to watch a stripper when I get to look at - and enjoy - Ranger's chiseled body every night. It probably wouldn't have been fair to the male dancers if I were to just sit there, unimpressed, their junk in my vicinity and mentally list how Ranger beat them in every single category; looks, sexiness ... packaging. Plus, there's a good chance Ranger would have ordered the removal of any 'package' waved in my direction, so the conversation with Lula and Ranger on the subject had been a short one.

"We'd planned on goin' to a strip club for the bachelorette party," Lula said to Ranger,"but Miss Prim and Proper here nixed the idea."

"I had to," I told them."I don't want me or Ranger brought up on murder charges."

"Babe."

"Like that's a stretch? The only way to get those skanks off you would be to kill them, which I might be inclined to do if they put their hands - or anything else - on you. And you're not any more civilized when men have approached me."

"They get what they deserve, Steph," Ranger had said to me at the time.

Only two people - Lester and Lula again - whined when we said we were just going to have dinner at Marsilios and anyone who wanted to join us could. It hadn't taken long for the restaurant to fill up, either. Apparently Ranger knew this was going to happen, and rented out the place for the night so there would be plenty of room for everyone. This time Ranger's parents did come. My mother didn't. I figured as much. She wouldn't miss the actual wedding, but my mother wasn't afraid of making a point. Good thing I no longer care what she did or didn't do as long as she left us alone.

Rachel and Julie had arrived the day before the dinner, and both had agreed to join us. After finally having all my stuff moved to Rangeman, I couldn't see why anyone would want to be anywhere else, but Rachel had insisted on her and Julie staying at a hotel for the duration of their visit. Aside from that, Ranger and I were okay'd for any time we wanted to spend with Julie. I applauded and also envied Rachel's approach to this. I don't know if I could've been as accommodating if I'd been in her shoes.

"Rachel knew as well as I did that we weren't meant to be anything except Julie's parents," Ranger assured me.

"I know. I'm just finding it a little bit weird that we're going to have this whole other life once we get married."

"It won't be all that different, Babe. You know I have a daughter. Rachel knows that I love you. And Julie wants all of us to be happy."

"I've said this a bunch of times," I told Ranger,"but Julie is an incredible kid."

"She is. And you've helped in that. If you hadn't held things together with Scrog, Julie wouldn't be nearly as well-adjusted as she seems right now. Even Rachel agrees."

"I didn't really do anything," I told him."Julie is the one who saved the day."

"You did a lot, Stephanie. You just refuse to accept credit for it."

And I'll always refuse to accept credit. Anyone would've done what I did to help Julie if they'd been in my shoes.

"How did you know everyone was going to show up tonight?" I asked Ranger, looking out at the room full of people who wanted to spend the evening with us.

"The men were going to follow us wherever we went. And my family wanted to meet yours before the wedding, so they were coming to whatever we had planned, Babe."

"That's more than my mother was willing to do," I said.

"Did you want her here tonight?" Ranger asked me.

"No. It's better this way, but I don't want your parents to hold my mother against me."

"Together - and separately - everyone in my family told me that you should be part of ours," Ranger said,"so what yours does isn't an issue. Eva even asked what took me so long to propose, and she's the hardest sister to impress."

"Everything is so simple with you, isn't it?"

"I try to put things into perspective."

"I'll have to try that sometime."

"How about you try it tonight?" Ranger asked me."Just enjoy yourself with the people here, and don't think about anything else."

"That was my plan," I said to him.

Our table had included me, Ranger, and his parents, Coleta and Emilio, and my eyes skimmed over our now empty seats to the table next to ours where Rachel, Julie, and Ranger's grandparents, Julian and Rosa, were talking.

I nodded towards the handsome, silver-haired man speaking to Julie.

"Am I right to assume Julie is named after your grandfather?" I asked Ranger.

"Yes. Strangely enough, he's the one Rachel was closest to in our family. We both put up walls and 'Grandpa Julian' was the first one to get through Rachel's."

"But you seem to have a good relationship with Rachel now."

"We get along for Julie's sake, Babe, but Rachel and I will never be closer than that."

"Why do I feel both sad and happy hearing that?"

"Because you don't want any other woman interested in your fiancée, but do want Julie to have only the best."

"That would sum it up." I nodded to where Mary Lou and Lenny were sitting."I'm really glad Lenny came with Mary Lou tonight. I was a little worried that even being twenty months pregnant, Mary Lou might have tried jumping your brother."

"Marco can take care of himself, Steph, even if Mary Lou hadn't brought her husband. He looks more concerned about Lula and Connie."

I watched Ranger's brother try to shift his chair away from the acre of cleavage pointed in his direction. He's an inch or two shorter than Ranger, and has more of runner's body than Ranger's Rambo build, but like everyone in the Manoso family, Marco is unfairly attractive. Close cropped dark hair, intelligent brown eyes, and he came equipped with a killer smile when it wasn't busy grimacing because of something Lula said.

"Don't worry, Angeli is coming to rescue him," I said, watching Ranger's youngest sister pull Marco out of his chair and over to the other three who were talking with their Grandma Rosa in rapid Spanish that I had no hope of following.

Looks like I'm going to have to learn Spanish real quick so I'd have an in with his grandmother. Ranger only has one set of grandparents now, losing both his grandparents on his father's side when he was in his teens. Ranger and I have that in common. The only grandparent I have left is Grandma Mazur and I know how important they are.

"You don't need an in," Ranger said to me, reading my mind again."They don't expect you to be anyone except yourself, Steph. My grandparents - although old-fashioned - remain open-minded about people."

Unlike the Plums.

"It's strange to be in a room full of your family," I told Ranger, leaning back against him so I could see more of the activity around us."There were months when I was sure you didn't have any, never mind actually admit to having any."

"A lot has changed since those days," Ranger said, bending his head to kiss my neck.

"Yep, they have. The Plums, Kloughns, and Manosos are all sharing the same air space. Julie is here under happy circumstances. And the guys are all relaxed since they don't have to keep an eye on my mother."

"If she comes to the wedding, you know every single one of them is going to be watching her every move."

"Guess I won't have to come right out and ask them to then," I said, looking to where Ella was pointing before smiling back at her."Do you think Hector is playing hard to get? Or is he just not that into Martin?"

Our wedding couldn't possibly have come together as fast, or as easily, if it hadn't been for Martin, so I had invited him to this dinner, too. I'd like to think he would've come even if Hector wasn't going to be here, but now I'm not so sure.

"Hector is hard to read," Ranger said, sliding his arms around my waist from behind and resting his chin on the top of my head."But the fact that Martin is still breathing is a positive sign. If Hector doesn't want you bothering him, he'll let you know. He's not subtle when he's annoyed."

"I keep forgetting that these guys are the same ones I'd been nervous around," I told Ranger.

"They aren't the same, Babe. The men wouldn't have felt comfortable coming to a family dinner like this before you."

"That would've been a shame. To see Tank laughing with your parents, Grandma high-fiving Ella, and my dad discussing DIY stuff with Louis, to me is a clear indication of how well our lives will mesh."

"We didn't need tonight to show us that, Steph," Ranger said, tightening his arms.

"No, we didn't, but it's still nice to see. And tonight also gives us a preview of just how our reception will go."

"Both the wedding and reception will go smoothly," Ranger told me."Everything has been chosen, arranged, and booked. All that's left is a little waiting, showing up, and getting through the vows."

"You're not going to cry during them, are you?" I asked Ranger, tilting my head to the side and trying not to laugh.

Ranger used that moment to kiss my mouth before answering.

"The bigger fear would be me slinging you over my shoulder and immediately carrying you out of the church right after the 'I Do' part."

"You can't do that," I told him.

"I can do that and a lot more, Babe. The question is ... will I?"

"Hmm, guess I'll have to convince you that you don't have to carry me back to your lair."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" He asked me.

I turned to face Ranger."I'll just make sure all your ... appetites ... are satisfied before the wedding."

"Are you certain you're not thinking of your own 'appetites' being satisfied?"

"I don't mind those being taken care of, too, while we're at it," I told him, going up on my toes to kiss Ranger.

"Would you two put a little space between you." Tank said."Your daughter could be watching."

"Jeez, Tank," I said, turning to the room again."I was only going to kiss Ranger, not take him up against the bar."

"Maybe I want you to spare us the show, too."

"I never would have pegged you for a prude," I told him.

"I'm not ... usually, but seeing two of my friends making out all the time is a little nauseating."

"I love you, too, Tank," I said, blowing him a kiss just to see him squirm.

"Stop that," he told me.

"Would you rather I actually kiss your cheek for including me in your friend circle?"

"I would," another voice said.

"Me, too. You know we also consider you our friend," Vince said, speaking for himself and Ram.

"Did I mention that I told Martin there will be no receiving line?" Ranger said to me.

I looked over at him."No. This is the first I'm hearing of it."

"Ranger doesn't trust Santos or Woody," Tank said to me."Ramon, either."

"I don't trust any of you," Ranger clarified.

"Ranger, they'll be on their best behavior."

"No, we won't," Lester said, coming up to us.

"What did I tell you, Babe?"

"That the guys are immature?" I said.

"Yes. And this conversation doesn't change my opinion of them."

"Ranger? Steph?" Julie called, parting Merry Men like Moses did the Red Sea.

"What's up, Julie?" I asked."Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah," Julie said, smiling at us."The guys are all so funny. I didn't get to talk to them much ... before."

When Scrog had kidnapped her she meant. Ranger and I weren't the only ones running on fumes during that time. The guys may not have ever heard Julie's name before then, but just knowing that someone Ranger cared about was in danger made Scrog public enemy number one in their eyes.

"They are all pretty great," I said to Julie."Strange at times, but still great."

"The same can be said about you, Steph," Tank told me.

"Yep, it can. I don't mind being lumped in with you guys at all."

"You're funny, too, Steph," Julie told me.

"I have to be to keep the Rangemen from being too serious all the time."

"Lester said he was gonna visit me when he comes to Miami for the party at your new house."

"He said that, did he?" Ranger asked, looking hard at Lester.

"Even we know every new house needs a party," Lester said to us."And you wouldn't have one without inviting all of us to it."

"We haven't really planned that far ahead," I told him."I'm still trying to figure out what we'll be sitting on when we get back there."

"But if you do have a party," Julie said, not letting the idea of a celebration go,"I get to come, right?"

"Are you kidding?" I said to her."I'll be asking you to help me plan it. I'm not good at that kind of stuff."

"Julie," Ranger said,"Stephanie's joking. You wouldn't have to do anything except show up. If we have a party."

"You heard Lester," Julie told us."You have to have one. You came when mom invited everyone over after we moved into our house. Remember?"

"We'll work on it," Ranger said to her, pacifying Julie for the moment.

A grapefruit-size lump formed in my throat when Julie hugged the side of Ranger I wasn't pressed against. He draped an arm around both me and Julie and I could feel Rachel's eyes on us from where she was sitting. I was about to step out of the two-way hug so Rachel wouldn't think I was encroaching on her place, but then I saw a small smile pass briefly across her face. It wasn't big, and I know it wasn't intended for me or even Ranger. Rachel wanted Julie to feel wanted and loved by every person in her life. And she is ... it just took Ranger longer to express it.

I understood. Like Ranger, I didn't like showing emotion or talking about my feelings, and I'm still a little uncomfortable with displays of affection at times, but I think both Ranger and I have been steadily getting better with both. And I'm glad Rachel is giving Ranger a chance after all this time.

"Hey, Steph," Julie said."Guess what? Hector said he'd help you learn Spanish."

Maybe it hadn't been smart to have said that earning points thing in front of Julie after meeting Rosa.

"Hector's so nice, he told me to tell you he'll teach you anything you want to know," Julie told me, pulling away from Ranger to wave at Hector.

"Hector's still gay, right?" I whispered to Ranger.

"As far as I know. So I probably don't have to kill him."

"I'm pretty sure we're the only ones you need to threaten," Lester told Ranger.

I waited until Julie was looking away again to elbow Lester.

"So ... " Julie said to us,"are you nervous about getting married?"

"Nope," I said."I'm looking forward to it. Ours has been a relatively short engagement, but it seems like forever since Ranger proposed."

"Want to share what that was like?" Mary Lou asked, leaving Lenny with Ella and Louis to join us where we were all standing near the bar."I need something to fantasize about."

"I told you what happened that night," I said to Mary Lou, and I guess Valerie, too, since she abandoned the girls and Albert and crossed the room to our little group."Ranger planned a romantic dinner and I screwed up the moment by accusing him of messing with my head with a fake proposal."

"It just gets better every time I hear it," Mary Lou said to me.

"Shut up, Mary Lou," I told her."It wasn't funny at the time."

"It was a little bit funny, Babe," Ranger felt the need to add.

"Okay, maybe it was, but you were acting weird all day. What was I supposed to think?"

"That I was trying to get my work done so I could have the night free? And at the same time figuring out how to get the ring delivered without you knowing, while also attempting to keep my plans a secret when you can usually tell what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, none of that entered my mind. I thought you just reached the point Joe did when he started giving me ultimatums."

"Who's Joe?" Julie asked.

"No one important," Ranger told her.

And I realized that in Ranger's mind, Joe has ceased to be an issue. Then it dawned on me, that I feel the same. I want Joe to be happy, and if we could end up friends that'd be great, but Joe no longer figures into our life.

"So what about your honeymoon?" Valerie asked.

"Ranger's being all mysterious about that one, so all questions about that should be directed at him," I told Valerie.

"That's sooo romantic," Mary Lou said.

"Romantic/annoying," I said to them."It's a tough call."

"You'll know where we're going as soon as we get on the plane," Ranger promised me.

"How will I know what to pack?" I asked him, thinking that was a reasonable question.

"I told Ella our destination," Ranger said to me,"so she can help without giving away anything."

"That's cheating," Julie and I said together.

"No, that's planning ahead," Ranger told us.

"Fine. You want to play hardball?" I said."I can do that, too. Julie, your assignment is to find out where Ranger is taking me."

Julie looked up at Ranger and gave him a smile almost identical to his when Ranger relaxed his guard.

"Don't worry, Steph," Julie said to me."I'll find out for you."

"Now who's cheating?" Ranger asked me.

"If you don't call using Ella cheating, then me bringing in Julie as backup isn't, either."

"Touché, Babe," he said.

"I can't believe you chose this place over mine," Shorty said, snapping me out of challenge mode.

"They were giving you a break," Tank told Shorty."Hal and Junior almost cleaned you out last time."

"I've restocked both the bar and the kitchen," Shorty said to him before addressing me."I really thought you had better taste than this place."

"I have a wide range of tastes, but you don't have anything to worry about, Shorty. You still make the best pizza. And my mother isn't here tonight, so the bar at least should be safe," I told Shorty.

"That's too bad about her being M.I.A. I got a good laugh out of her by the end of that night. No one has enjoyed my signature recipe more than your mother did," Shorty said, before taking off to talk to Zip and Ramon.

"Why isn't she here?" Julie asked."My mom goes with me everywhere."

"And your mother wouldn't want it any other way," Ranger told her.

Julie rolled her eyes at him.

"Our relationship is slightly different than yours and your mom's," I told Julie."We'll work it out, though."

Maybe.

"I hope so," Julie said."I can't imagine not being able to talk to my mom about stuff."

"And I hope you're letting her know that," Ranger told her.

"I don't have to tell her that, or anything else, Mom already knows everything," she said.

"Hmm, I know someone exactly like that," I said to Julie.

"Babe."

"I didn't say it was you. I could be talking about someone else."

"Like who? You rarely talk about anyone other than Ranger," Tank said to me.

Maybe inviting everyone was a bad idea after all.

"What do you expect?" I asked Tank."We're getting married soon. I'm supposed to be talking about Ranger a lot."

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain the time before you got engaged," Lester said to me.

"I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"No, Babe."

"You would say that," Tank told him.

"I'd say I'm sorry," I said to Tank,"but it's new for me to talk about a guy without it being nothing more than complaints, so really ... I'm not sorry at all."

"Just when you think she can't get any mushier," Bobby told everyone, after hearing what I'd just said,"she does."

"I really want to tell you to do something anatomically impossible right now," I told him, smiling,"but since Julie is here, I won't."

"And you say you have no willpower, Babe."

"I've got some, just not when it comes to you or doughnuts."

"She still put you first," Tank told Ranger,"so you must be doing something right."

Yeah, like everything, I thought to myself.

"After the wedding's over," Julie said to us,"when are you going to come visit me in Miami again?"

"Stephanie wants to stop on the way back from our honeymoon," Ranger told her."I'll call you when we have a date and time and we can make plans from there."

"And I'll get to see your new house, right?" Julie asked.

"If it's okay with your parents," Ranger said to her."You can even stay over for a night or two if you'd like."

"It's okay with us," Rachel said, walking over with Ranger's sister, Claudia."As long as I know where the house is, and where Julie will be when she leaves it, I don't mind."

"Thank you," Ranger told Rachel.

"I've never stopped you from seeing Julie, Carlos, and I won't now unless I have a reason to."

"You won't ever have a reason," I promised her.

Rachel gave me a small nod, acknowledging my statement.

"Then just let us know when you'll be in town," Rachel told us,"and we'll figure something out."

"You guys make co-parenting look easy," Claudia said.

"It's not easy all the time," Ranger told his sister,"but we've found a way of making it not impossible."

"Considering you're always impossible," Claudia said to Ranger,"I'm surprised."

Ranger gave her a look that would've made homicidal maniacs crap themselves, but Claudia just smiled innocently at him. This is another side of Ranger I hadn't known existed until I actually saw him interact with his family. Each new facet of Ranger's personality only makes me love and respect him more.

Shit. Tank and Bobby are both right. I am mushy and nauseating.

"Claudia, how many times do I have to tell you to leave your brother alone?" Ranger's mom, Coleta, said to her.

"I'm distracting Carlos so he doesn't realize he's getting married in less than seventy two hours."

"I don't need to be distracted," Ranger told her."If anyone needs a diversion, it's Stephanie."

"No, I'm good. I could get married tonight and not even have to throw up first."

"Why would you have to throw up?" Julie asked me.

"A bunch of reasons," I told her."Nerves, worrying about botching the vows, not sleeping for weeks beforehand."

"Have you been struggling with any of those?" Ranger's mom asked me.

"Nope. That's why I said I can get married anytime. I'm only waiting because Martin went through so much trouble to make the day perfect for us."

"You just want to be able to wear your dress somewhere," Mary Lou said, chiming in again.

I swear we've been talking more just standing here than we have all night at our tables.

"You've seen it," I told her."It's a pretty great dress."

"Then it's good that Carlos will only see you in it right before the ceremony," Marco said, finally escaping Lula and now causing Mary Lou to swallow hard,"or you might not make it to the church."

Since Julie's eyes were taking in everything, Ranger didn't punch him, but when Ranger gave him a similar look to the one he gave Claudia, Marco appeared concerned. I guess him being male and all, means he isn't safe from Ranger's wrath.

"How can you say that, Marco?" I asked him."You haven't even seen the dress, or me in it."

"I have a very good imagination."

"You'd better be only imagining the dress," Ranger warned him.

"Mom and I went shopping for new dresses before we came here," Julie said, displaying excellent timing.

"And no doubt you'll look as beautiful as Stephanie in it," Ranger told her.

I couldn't help smiling at him. Ranger really could have every woman eating out of his hand if he wanted them to.

"Why can't I get Lenny to say romantic crap like that to me?" Mary Lou asked.

"One, because you call it 'romantic crap'. And two, because you'll probably laugh at him if he tries," I said to her, seeing Vince, Ram, and Bobby attempting to stifle laughs themselves.

"I only did that one time, Steph. One. And you and Lenny still won't let me forget it."

"What did he say?" Bobby asked her.

"It doesn't matter," Mary Lou said.

"It mattered to Lenny," I told her.

I probably should've let it go, but I didn't. Teasing Mary Lou is almost as fun as messing with my mother.

"He said my nails 'look healthy'," Mary Lou repeated."Tell me that isn't funny. Of all the things my husband of over ten years could have complimented me on, he chose my fingernails? He couldn't have said they were nice? Or even pretty? No, my Lenny said something I might've heard from my doctor."

"He has his hands in various car juice all day long," I said to her,"so Lenny probably really appreciates clean, healthy-looking fingertips."

"Yeah, well he could've earned way more points if he would've just bought me a box of chocolates and not have said anything at all."

"I'm learning a lot here," Vince said to us.

"Me, too," Marco told Vince.

"Then maybe you'll be next in line to get married," Coleta said to him.

"No. I'm not thinking about anything close to marriage yet."

"That's a shame," Lula said, her boobs taking out people right and left so she could get close to Marco again,"because Steph marryin' Batman has got me thinkin' about gettin' myself engaged again."

"Run, Tank," I said over her head to Tank's.

"Tank ain't gotta run nowhere," Lula said, glaring at me, then at Tank."He made his choice and it wasn't me, so Tank don't deserve another shot."

I could see Tank's visible sigh of relief. I felt relieved, too. I really didn't want them making each other miserable long term.

"And if you'd stop hoggin' all the hot men, I might be able to find Tank's replacement tonight."

"Not if I get to them first," Connie said, eyeing Marco, too.

"Jesus. It's like a friggin' meat market in here tonight," Lester added, moving his ass out of reach of Connie's hands.

"Sorry," I said to Lester."I knew there would be too much testosterone in the room for them to behave properly."

"It was asking a lot, Babe."

"No, it wasn't," Coleta said, her eyes narrowing at the two women eyeing her son like he's the last cake in the bakery."Tonight is solely about the two of you, not anyone else's needs."

I'm happy that Coleta didn't see me mentally undressing Ranger, because even that Ella-esque glare of hers couldn't have made me stop.

"Marco," Coleta said to her son,"I'm sure your father and Mr. Plum will want your opinion on whatever they're talking about."

Marco glanced at his bonds office bookends and then shot a 'thank you, Mom' look to her.

"Excuse me," he said, and went to join what I knew was going to be a heated discussion about some football game, or mild argument about whose team is actually better.

My dad seems more relaxed with Ranger's family than he is with his own.

"We're out of here," Lester said for both him and Bobby, since they - along with some of the other guys - carpooled tonight."Anybody need a ride home?"

Rachel was incredibly polite, but you could tell that she's still uncomfortable accepting favors from people in Ranger's life.

"I drove us here from the hotel," she told Lester,"so we're fine. We probably should get going, too. Julie has a busy day tomorrow."

"Do we really have to leave?" Julie asked.

"Julie, you're going to be spending the day with everyone tomorrow at the Rangeman building."

She sighed dramatically."I know."

"You'd better go on and rest up," I told Julie."You know the building has seven floors, right? And if you have a handful of ice cubes, you can make Hal and Lester run through most of them."

"That reminds me," Lester said."I owe you for that one, don't I?"

Crap.

"If you do anything to Stephanie, Santos," Ranger told him,"you'll be looking at a payback from me."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at Lester. It's times like these when it really pays to be marrying the boss. Julie was grinning at me, understanding more than anyone about the advantages of being under Ranger's protection. I winked at her in solidarity, causing her to giggle.

"I was just joking around," Lester told Ranger.

"I wasn't," Ranger said, ending the discussion. He turned to Rachel and Julie."If you're ready, I'll walk you both out."

Julie was still smiling as she hugged me and Tank. And it must be catchy, because I was grinning myself when her little arm snaked around Ranger as he escorted her and Rachel out of the restaurant.

"Your granddaughter is one of my favorite people," I said to Coleta.

"Mine, too, but I'm not surprised with her being Carlos' daughter."

Coleta has a point. Ranger has some freakin' amazing genes.

One by one we all migrated back to our tables. I was talking to Ranger's mom when Ranger came back to his seat beside me. He rested his arm along the back of my chair and kissed my temple. I couldn't help but notice Albert trying the same move on Valerie, with no results. Angie was asking Val a question at the same time, so all Albert ended up cuddling was air. I shook my head at them and relaxed into Ranger's arm. My eyes strayed to my dad who was at Val's table, and my thoughts were brought back to my mother, and what Ranger's parents must think of me because of her.

"I'm sorry about my mom," I told Ranger's mother."I held out on our families meeting because I was worried about her doing something like this."

"Your mother is the one who chose to pull a childish stunt," Coleta told me,"not you, Stephanie. You don't have to apologize for her. We have all enjoyed getting to know you these last couple of weeks, and your mother isn't going to influence our feelings towards you."

"Now I know where you get it," I said to Ranger.

"Even though they'll deny it, Babe, my parents are actually very mature."

"You better not have meant age-wise, Carlos," Emilio said.

"I know not to imply that either of you are old," Ranger told his dad.

"As if anyone would ever believe you're old," I said to his parents."Neither of you look like you could have children in their thirties."

Which Celia and Ranger are.

Emilio and Coleta smiled at me, and I was feeling pretty good at that moment. They seem to genuinely like me. And Ranger's parents are okay with Ranger choosing me to marry. They don't judge me by my family's actions - even Grandma who has been flirting non-stop with every male in the place. And the Manosos also didn't mind sharing their free time or Julie with us, so I pretty much struck the in-law gold mine here. Too bad Ranger can't say the same.

"I only want you, Stephanie," Ranger said quietly."Everything else is inconsequential."

"Well you got me," I told him.

"Do you realize that the next time all of these people are in a room together," Ranger said to me,"we'll be getting married?"

"Yup. It's been a long time coming," I said,"but our wedding really is here."

And I'm excited about more than just our actual wedding day. Like every day Ranger and I will have together from that one on.