Not mine. Thank you MyMerryMen and Rainbow Servus for all your help.

Starting over after Failure

Chapter 25

Monday morning found Lester being discharged from the hospital and into Bobby's care for now. It had been determined Lester would go to Christy's house to stay and Bobby would come there twice a day to check on him. When Bobby left for the mission, Lester should be in good enough shape that Christy would be able to change his bandages and know if something was wrong with the incisions.

Christy and Carlos were there along with a security detail that would rival the president. With discharge papers in hand along with a marriage license, Lester and the entourage made their way to the courthouse for an eleven A.M. appointment with the Justice of the Peace.

Somehow the media had gotten wind of the man who had been shot by an unknown gunman, left for dead with his car crashed into a tree and in a coma, to being released from the hospital and getting married all in the matter of a few days.

A microphone and a tape recorder were shoved in Christy's face. "Are you Christina Maxwell-Adkins the woman who owns Maximum Auto Body," Scarlet Farley with the Trenton Times asked.

"Yes, I am."

"We were under the impression you were involved with Ranger Mañoso, everybody has seen you around town with him and knows he has stayed at your house frequently," Scarlet inquired just as Ranger had asked her to do.

"No, I'm not with him, Ranger Mañoso is my bodyguard nothing more. Mr. Santos and I have been together for several months. We were planning on a wedding this past Saturday and then he unfortunately was shot before that could happen," Christy replied with a tone of mixed emotions just as she and Scarlet had practiced earlier that morning.

"Why are you going ahead with the marriage now, why not wait until Mr. Santos is completely healed?"

"We discussed it at great length and decided it was the right thing to do. Mr. Santos didn't want to wait any longer and neither did I," this time Christy tried to sound more upbeat just as Scarlet had suggested.

"Ms. Maxwell, Malcolm Timmons, WTNJ. How and where did you and Mr. Santos meet?"

"We met at a diner in Point Pleasant several months ago."

"Mr. Santos, was it love at first sight?"

Lester took her hand and smiled as he looked up from his wheelchair first at her then at the reporter, "Yes it was. She took my breath away I can't imagine life without her."

Ranger stood in the background doing his best not to smile but he knew Lester deeply loved her, Stephanie was not as well controlled.

"Mr. Santos one last question. Do you know who shot you and why?" Malcolm asked.

"No, we don't know, Trenton Police and the FBI have been handling the investigation you would have to talk to them."

With the interviews over the group moved away from the reporters. Steph slid five hundred dollars in to the pockets of each reporter, they had done a great job and covered it just like Ranger had requested.

Scarlet Farley followed them to the chambers for the Justice of the Peace hoping to get some pictures of the couple after they had exchanged nuptials. Ranger allowed her to follow them in. He thought it might not be a bad idea to have a photo or two of them in the paper afterwards.

"Scarlet, any pictures you get please give me a copy or make up a photo album for them. You will be compensated for you time and trouble," Ranger asked of her.

She nodded that she would. Deep down she smiled, she would make more off of this hour to two hours worth of work than she would all week at the paper she had almost done that with the five hundred Steph slipped in her pocket. She might have to make a career change and find a way to work for Rangeman maybe doing public relations work. Scarlet was lucky to get to follow them to chambers but the fact that she had been seeing Bones for a couple years helped.

Christy and Lester saw some of her men waiting outside the chambers for the group to arrive. No way they were missing their boss tying the knot. They greeted the couple with hand shakes for Lester and hugs and kisses on the cheek for Christy. Christy looked at Eric, "I guess the shop is closed."

"What do you think?" Eric replied with a smile that told her how happy he was for her.

When the Justice came in, he reviewed the paperwork before speaking. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I see that we have plenty of witnesses this morning. I'm Justice Mark Grant. Would the couple please come forward."

Lester slowly stood, he had vowed that he would not get married sitting in that chair. He had agreed to ride in it while making it to chambers and probably on the way back out since he was going to be tired and still weak but not during the main event.

Ranger and Bobby stepped forward to steady him while he walked forward. Once there standing beside Christy he looked more stable. The Justice began once he was satisfied that Les was okay.

"Dearly beloved," he began.

Les had a smile on his face that would stop the world. Christy had seen the two hundred watt smile on Carlos, but this was brighter than that, she realized he was happy they were being married. Deep down she was too.

Since waking up in the hospital Lester had had plenty of time on his hands so he wrote his own vows. "Christy, when we met in the diner, I never dreamed I would be standing here marrying you today. You have brought a light into my dark world I didn't think I deserved. I love you and I will honor, cherish and keep you for as long as we both shall live."

"Christy your turn," the Justice quietly spoke.

"Lester, meeting you was one of the best things to happen in my life. You show me daily what a good person looks like. Remember while you say I'm a light for you, with all I have been through you are a light for me as well. I love you and I will honor, cherish and keep you for as long as we both shall live."

"Rings."

Ranger handed the Justice the rings that Lester had picked out. The Justice passed them onto Lester and Christy, then finished the ceremony. When the Justice told Lester he could kiss the bride, Lester place a soft gentle kiss on her lips that made her heart melt.

It was going to be tough on both of them to let the other go when Carlos came back but somehow they would have to let go.

Lester willingly sat back down in the wheelchair to leave the chambers after he thanked the Justice for taking time out of his day to officiate their wedding.

"Now that we are done call me Mark. How did you get shot?" the Justice asked as he sat down in a chair to be eye level with Lester.

Lester went on to tell him the filtered version of being in Ranger's car and feeling that maybe Ranger was the target, but not about Ranger being at the house with Christy. Mark asked a few more questions about Rangeman and what all the company did for clients. Lester handed him a business card and told him it would be a while before he was back to work but to call and ask for Calvin Harrison. Looking around the room Lester spotted Cal and asked him to come over. When Cal did, Les introduced him to Mark, then briefed him on what Mark was asking about. Cal told Mark about the products and services offered through Rangeman, at the end of their conversation Cal had an appointment to go to the Justice's home on Wednesday to discuss everything in more detail and to include his wife on the decision.

Christy walked over to Lester, "Scarlet wants to get a few pictures of us kissing to publish in the paper, do you think you can stand for a couple minutes more?"

"For you Gorgeous absolutely. Did I tell you that you look stunning in that dress?"

She smiled and put her hand on her chest in a 'what lil' ole me' fashion. He pulled her toward him being very gentle so as not to pull on his stitches. Carefully she wrapped her arms around him. Scarlet snapped several pictures of the couple kissing and looking into each others eyes. The favorite was with Christy and Lester's foreheads touching and their eyes closed, this picture showed a bond between husband and wife.

"Christy, you are one lucky bitch. You look beautiful in that dress by the way," Scarlet said as she winked at Christy.

Scarlet knew the truth, she had been as Shorty's the night of the party and seen Christy and Ranger with their tongues down each other's throats and was pretty sure they were having sex at the table in front of everybody. She had been a little put off about it at the time but given Ranger's looks, she would have done anything he asked too. Bones had filled her in on what had happened with the threats against them and that most of this was for their own safety. She however could see that Christy was still a lucky bitch because both men loved her.

To keep Carlos, Christy and Lester safe the entire entourage went to Shorty's to pick up a quick lunch before going back to Christy's house to eat it. Ella had made a sheet cake so they could have a small celebration after the ceremony. Pizza, beer and cake what a combo. What was to have been a small celebration turned into a huge party that took place in the basement. Some were playing pool others were playing outside in the pool. A few divided up into teams to throw darts. Scarlet was there to take a few more pictures for the couple and spend some time with Bones. Music was blasting out of the surround sound system. Manny and Stephanie were controlling the music, so they were able to dance some, Hector took a few turns dancing with Steph. The two people which everybody thought would never get along danced a couple times, Hector and Christy danced.

Hector whispered in Christy's ear, "Please take care of Lester for us while we are gone. What are you going to do when Ranger comes home? Both of them love you."

"I don't know Hector. I know both men have feelings for me, the only thing I know to do is cross that bridge when I get to it."

"You never know what goes on in their minds. They have both shared women before on missions."

"What are you saying Hector?"

"Christy, I am telling you, if you want both men when the time comes let them know. I have been on missions with them before. They have both pleasured the same woman at the same time."

Christy's eyes got big at what Hector was suggesting, but realized that he knew them on a totally different level than what she did or ever would since she would never go on a mission with them nor wanted to go on any mission with them or otherwise.

Christy went to the bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes when Lester slowly walked in. He helped her unzip her dress before running his hand over her breast. She drew in a quick breath but allowed him to continue, she stretched up to kiss him tenderly at first then it quickly deepened, neither fought it.

They had broken apart when Carlos came in the bedroom, Christy finished gathering up the clothes she was going to change into and went to the bathroom to finish changing and regroup after that encounter with Les. Lester made his way to a chair in the corner to rest a few minutes.

Carlos knew what had happened even though he had not witnessed it, "Don't forget she is mine."

"Hopefully you learn to share while you are gone. I'm not sure I will want to let her go when you get back."

Carlos quirked an eyebrow at him then growled out, "Do not bet your life on it. If she tells me to share I will, coming from you...not gonna happen."

Lester already knew it wasn't going to happen coming from him, but everything would be up to Christy and what she wanted. He would accept whatever she decided if and when the time came.

Christy could hear what was being said in the bedroom between the two men since she hadn't completely closed the door. The men were going to leave it up to her to decide if she wanted to be with either one or both of them. Her hormones did the happy dance. Then it hit her, the wink from Scarlet, Scarlet knew both men loved her why hadn't she seen it before now. After more thinking she realized as well that Stephanie had seen it too, she had basically said it at the hospital when she made the comment about Lester loved her more than friends should. She knew Carlos loved her but until this very moment she didn't realize exactly how deep Lester's love ran for her. How could she have been so naive? It also dawned on her that when the time came to divorce Lester to be with Carlos, it would destroy Lester. She felt panicked now, the hormones had decided to stop dancing as the reality of the situation set in. After things calmed down she would talk to Carlos and Lester separately and see what was in their minds and hearts. Hector's words came back to her, to let them know what she wanted. Could she see herself with both men really?

No, maybe, yes...Tough decision. She knew this, as much as she had said Lester would not get in her pants, a dress didn't count did it?