Shades of Gray
Chapter 21
Stephanie walked down to the garage with 'Business' Carlos in his perfectly tailored Armani black suit.
"Babe."
"Cuban Man."
"Babe," he smirked.
"Cuban Czar, go to your meeting. I'll see you this afternoon in Point Pleasant. After Newark, I probably won't have time to go to my beach house first, so I'll meet you at 'The Bookworm by the Sea'.
"I should have changed this appointment. But, he is one of the biggest client's I have in Trenton."
"Go," opening his Porsche door.
Ranger scrambled the cameras in the garage and kissed Stephanie so it would last until this afternoon. He couldn't help the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach every time Newark was mentioned. And where was his morning newspaper?
ON 5:
Tank, Bobby, and Lester were giggling like school girls on 5 viewing the front page photograph of Carlos Manoso, CEO of Rangeman, and mystery figure in black kissing children's author, Stephanie Plum.
ON 4 INSIDE A CERTAIN APARTMENT WITH TWO SLEEPING CHILDREN:
"I'm framing this picture, Ella," Ana Manoso was dancing on air holding the front page of the 'Trenton Gazette'.
"The boys hid the paper from him," she whispered in the phone. "Stephanie walked down to the garage to send Carlos off. That poor photographer would wake up in a box somewhere if he saw that first thing this morning!"
"I can't wait. I better start getting ready while a bathroom is free, Ella."
"Bye, Cousin."
A FEW HOURS LATER:
His business meeting finally over, Ranger dropped signed contracts on Tank's desk. His office was empty and the phone began to ring.
"Yo."
"Tank, it's Stu in Boston. I had a question about a report."
"This is Ranger. Tank is away from his desk."
"Huh," Stu the assistant manager in his Boston office, "like Ranger the owner?"
"Yes."
"I thought you would be in Newark at the family get together with Cesar."
That sinking feeling was back but it was a crater now, "What family meeting?"
"The one where Cesar, Cindy, and Alexia flew out for last night to be there for this morning. I didn't understand it really because they were meeting at some store."
Stu didn't hear anything on the other line, "Hello. Hello, Ranger are you there?" He could make out voices with the telephone receiver hanging off the desk.
"Tank! Tank!" Ranger was stripping out of his suit in the hall waiting on the elevator.
"What's wrong?" the big man poked his head out of the kitchen.
"Get me to Newark! My Momma knows! I'll meet you in the garage," almost falling into the elevator unbuttoning his pants and his feet got tangled in his suit jacket.
All Ella caught was "Damn family" when Ranger streaked out of his 7th floor apartment in only shorts, carrying sandals, sunglasses, and shirt in one hand and his overnight bag she had packed for the Hurricane name Carlos.
Ranger yelled running out of the elevator, "I'm driving! You drive to slow," pushing Tank out of the driver's seat of his Hummer.
"I'm stuck!" Tank was wiggling over the console but his massive body was stuck against the windshield.
"Work on it," Ranger backed the black vehicle out and almost took out part of the fleet of Rangeman SUV's and peeled out of the garage. The Hummer just cleared the steel door going up.
He finally noticed legs in the backseat, "What are you two doing here?"
"Ranger, this must be massive so we want to know what has you in such a state," Lester laughed knowing the reason.
"Momma knows about Stephanie."
"Oooh! You're in trouble."
"My family will eat her and her children alive," Ranger grumbled flooring it through a yellow light.
"Hey!" Tank was still trying to get in his passenger seat right so his ass wasn't taking up half the windshield.
Bobby was trying to get himself unstuck to the backseat because the speed of the driving was forcing him and Lester into it, "Ranger, where is the rest of your clothes?"
"Here," holding up his shirt and sandals flooring it even more.
"Don't break my engine!" Tank yelled finally facing forward.
Ranger was slipping a blue T-shirt over his head not realizing it had the face of a white puppy on it. A gift from Stephanie. "I'll buy you a new one. Take the wheel," once he was on the highway heading to Newark.
The Hummer stopped in front of the 'Border's' door. People were almost coming out of the door and looked very Cuban. Ranger jumped out with it hardly in park. "Park it."
Walking in the double doors, he made his way in the direction the crowd was facing. He saw Stephanie's wild curls in the middle of a Cuban circle recognizing his mother's voice.
"Stephanie, you are beautiful and exactly the woman I would pick for Carlos. I knew there was a fun side to him somewhere under all that black mystery stuff. Look, Juan, our son actually has fun sometimes."
"I see, Dear," recognizing his father's voice.
The closer he got, Ranger had no doubt Stephanie had his entire family eating out of the palm of her hand and was showing the bubble picture.
"Carlos! What are you doing here?" Stephanie turned feeling her Cuban man was near.
Stepping into the parting of family, "Babe," kissing Stephanie.
Someone in his family said, "See, Inez, I told you Ricardo wasn't gay."
His petite mother drew her tall son down to her in a strong motherly grip, "Carlos, you made your Momma so happy," giving his the biggest, wettest kiss with tears mixed in.
"Stephanie, we're finally ready. I'm so sorry for the delay," Tony, the Border's manager, whispered. "I'm short handed since one of my lead cashiers went into labor."
Stephanie patted his shoulder, "Think nothing of it. I've enjoyed spending time with the Manoso family. Come on, Paulo," holding out a hand and picking up Tiana.
"Mommy," her son tugged on her hand, "your boyfriend has a big family."
Ana Manoso was wiping her eyes listening to the story of the little girl and her come-to-life white puppy, "She's wonderful, Carlos," crying in her son's chest. "Your brother, Cesar, thinks she's wonderful and Alexia loves her stories."
"She's happy for you son," a bearded Juan Manoso was watching his ecstatic wife weep and the young woman read to a very large portion of their Cuban family in the crowd. It was the quietest he ever heard them.
Paulo and Tiana were in their mode passing out their free gifts as their mother signed her books. A little girl stepped up with a worn and taped book.
'I'm Jenny, would you sign mine?"
"Of course, I will, Jenny." Stephanie looked at the young girl and mother beside her with a pleasant smile knowing they must be experiencing hard times.
"I'm sorry I don't have the money for a new one. I lost my job," the young mother told Stephanie.
"What did you do?"
"Claudia," the woman said, "I was a waitress, but the owner retired and I haven't found anything yet."
"So, you could run a cash register?" Stephanie asked motioning for Tony. "Excuse me one second."
Stephanie whispered something to the manager and he pulled Claudia out of line. He pointed to the line of people at the check-out. She said something to her daughter and ran up to the front where Tony was immediately showing the young mother how to operate it.
"My mom got a job. Thank you," the little girl came around the table to hug Stephanie.
"Carlos," she handed him a credit card, "when the line thins out, would you have someone charge four books and a puppy to it. Here, Jenny," handing the little girl the four 'Sam' books and a stuffed puppy, "these are from me. I bet you are one of his biggest fans." Paulo handed her a bunch of stickers, some coloring pages 'Green Dog Book Works' shipped to the location, and her little girl gave out a bookmark.
Handing back her credit card, "I'll take care of it, Babe," kissing Stephanie ignoring the "Ahhh" going through the still packed bookstore.
Stephanie watched the little girl walk away with what seemed to be a million dollars in her hands. Her mother ran over to the table in the café she was sitting holding her puppy and lost in the pages of her new books.
"Oh, Juan, she's precious," crying again in her happiness.
Once the last book was signed, Stephanie was packing up to leave for Point Pleasant. Her cell phone rang and a big smile came across her face. Tiana and Paulo were jumping up and down when she said something to them.
"What's going on, Babe?"
"Daddy just called," hugging him, "the house inspection showed only a section of slate tiles needed replaced on the house. I have a home!"
"Babe." Not caring, he swung her around. Stephanie would be in Trenton permanently soon.
Ana was walking out to Stephanie's blue truck with her son, his beautiful girlfriend, and her totally adorable children she couldn't stop hugging.
"You mean to tell me, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, you can't take the time to visit with your Momma. I want a chance to get to know Stephanie."
Ranger had to make his mother understand Stephanie had a commitment in Point Pleasant.
"Ana, I do have another book signing I must get to in Point Pleasant," Stephanie was trying to smooth things over because the handsome Cuban man next to her had a mother he couldn't resist. "Carlos," she whispered in his ear.
He gave her an eyebrow, "Really?"
Stephanie nodded. "Momma, how about I bring Stephanie home on Sunday after we leave Point Pleasant and I'll take us to lunch?"
"That's wonderful," kissing her son and his girlfriend, "but I have a better idea, I'll make brunch for the family that's still in town."
Ranger groaned, "It's a date, Momma," knowing he didn't stand a chance between his Cuban Momma and his beautiful author.
******* I'm leaving for vacation nd wanted to get the meeting with Momma Manoso up. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Lee Anne ********