SHADES OF GRAY

Chapter 53

Ranger let out a deep breath once he was seated at Pino's. After the limo episode, he needed this beer desperately. Something stronger would have been way better like straight Tequila. The whole bottle could make him forget, but he did need to go back to Rangeman sober.

Tank could barely walk into the police station much less see from crying, the results of the humorous fit he was in witnessing the 'Rangeman Limo to Lock-up Service' as Lester named it. He bestowed upon himself and Bobby the titles of 'Limo Kings'. A couple of them had their pictures taken by the vehicle in handcuffs and shackles. Another couple of the crooks recognized Stephanie; she posed with them in the police parking lot. Ranger only allowed that since they were petty crimes of robbery and drug possession and she thought it would be fun! She even autographed each of their shirts as they lined up to enter the police station. The skips even asked if they returned to their life of crime could they be picked up by the limousine service again. What the HELL is going on? Even the criminals were insane! Lester and Bobby were attempting to pick up the last six outstanding skips after this trip then go have the car cleaned. Ranger wanted it disinfected also.

"Stephanie," Mr. Pino said rushing over to their table with the root beer floats for Paulo and Tiana, "all the tickets have been sold. People still want more."

"Really? That's wonderful. What is the maximum capacity of your restaurant?"

"With the number of people coming since a ticket is for a family, we could do another 150 heads. A little more with the tent outside for the games I imagine."

"Would you be able to set up a long table or put two together? Since we decided to make this Sam's fifth birthday party to celebrate five years for my books, I was going to have big birthday cards printed up. For donating a nickel, the children could sign their name on the card. All the change will go directly to buying new books for the children's library with a label inside saying "This book was purchased in honor of 'Sam the Patchwork Puppy's Birthday'. Any child reading that book would know they helped to buy it."

"Perfect, Bella. You are wonderful!" Mr. Pino got up to leave when their pizza and salad were brought by a waitress.

Ranger sat there amazed by Stephanie's thought she had put into this project. "Babe, that's a good idea. The children will enjoy that."

"I think they would get a kick out of reading a book their contributions purchased for the children's library," Stephanie told him.

Ranger sat there watching the three faces around their table. With each bite, Paulo and Tiana's eyes closed savoring the pizza like Stephanie's. Even making little noises like she did when she enjoyed her food. Those three were meant for each other.

Finishing his salad and a slice of pizza, Ranger pulled the Rangeman newsletter out of his back pocket, 'Babe, what's this?"

Stephanie gave a guilty glance to her children, "Uh oh, the doo doo is going to hit the fan."

Paulo and Tiana were holding there noses looking at him.

"My employees thoroughly enjoyed this. No one paid attention in the meeting. What would it take for you to continue writing this? It is really good. The best one Rangeman ever had."

She gave him a mimic of his eyebrow, "What are you offering, Mr. Ranger Manoso? Could we have creative control like we did with Tank? This is a team effort you know."

His eyebrow was up smirking at them, "What do you want? Yes, but I get to approve the final draft before the printer. And I assumed so."

"We need to confer," she pointed to her children with a swaying finger. "Discuss it," Stephanie told Paulo and Tiana looking at her unsure what she actually meant. "Come here."

He sat there while they whispered with their heads together. Her children would look over at him, and then go back to whispering in the huddle.

"OK, here's the deal," she said as they sat back up crossing their arms watching him, "we'll do your company newsletter if the four of us join the Hamilton Lane's Family Cosmic Bowling League which meets once a month for bowling and pizza."

Ranger started to say something.

Stephanie held up her hand, "And," Stephanie added, "we wear matching bowling shirts."

"Cosmic Bowling?" They had him. How could he refuse because any issue after this would be lacking the finesse Stephanie gave 'News of the Range' if it was done by anyone but her and her children?"

All three nodded very deliberately with straight faces.

"No pink shirts!"

Stephanie, Paulo, and Tiana nodded in agreement.

"All right."

Stephanie placed her hand on the table, her children placed theirs on top, and Ranger covered their hands with his large one.

"Deal," she acknowledged.

Those adorable children cheered, "Yeah! We're going bowling!"

"I'm going to get an eleven!" Tiana threw her arms in the air and all of Pino's heard.

Before leaving the restaurant, Tank called. To be exact, he called laughing.

"Yo."

"Ranger, you'll never believe this. It's out about the 'Rangeman Limo to Lock-up Service'," Tank was doing his best to speak clearly but it was too damn funny.

"What?" He was pinching his nose because he couldn't take much more to this insanity.

"I had to call Lester and Bobby to make a pass by Haywood. A couple of FTA's came here so they didn't miss their high society ride. This has been the easiest money Rangeman has ever made. I alerted the police; one told me he was expecting to rob the chicken market of Dawson in the next day or two. Lester has him booked for a pick-up next Tuesday at the barber shop, he's due for a trim. He wants to look neat in his new mug shot. Another said he would put on a suit for his next ride."

"Don't tell me anymore. Next, Santos will be running a jitney out of the limo."

"He's already contemplating it."

"I'll be there soon." Flashes of the last 24 hours passed quickly in his mind. Ranger reconsidered, "Maybe," before he clicked his phone closed.

"There has to be a full moon, Babe, or Trenton is just plain crazy and I never noticed before."

"Now, Cuban Man, nothing gets by you." Stephanie gave a cute little shrug, "Well, possibly a little cute puppy tattoo on your best moon."

Ranger just growled picking up the check off the table.

The drive back to Rangeman was one of dread. First, Ranger didn't want to leave Stephanie, but he knew he needed to catch up. And, secondly, he didn't want to know any more about the popular new Rangeman 'Limo to Lock-Up' service headed by the Limo Kings. Regrettably, he parked along the curb on Haywood.

"Here we are, Cuban Man." Stephanie smiled at him, "Work Sweet Work."

"Babe."

"Can I expect you for dinner and dessert or are you retreating to your lair tonight for some quiet time?" Those 'Burg' eyelashes were fluttering at him.

Crushing Stephanie to his muscled chest, "What do you think? After this crazy day, I don't think anything could surprise me anymore."

"Really?"

"Yes. You could tell me you were part vampire and I would accept it after the last day and a half. Tonight, I just want to curl up with you mid all this madness, but we still need to settle a little something about a tattoo much later."

"Mmmmm, that little thing. It was so cute," she purred in his ear tracing the outline with her tongue. "What do you have in mind?" Stephanie kept baiting him. "Oh, I am part Hungarian so you never know how those vampire genes might be mixed in through the generations." Stephanie made a mental note to pick up some Vampire teeth.

His reply was a lustful growl, "You might have a difficult time walking into that interview tomorrow."

"That's a treat."

"Babe," Ranger kissed her quickly with two children in the backseat watching before exiting the driver's side door.

Meeting on the sidewalk, his arms were wrapped around Stephanie. "See you later. What time is dinner?"

"After 5."

Utterly kissing his woman once more with all he had, "Perfect."

Before he could react, Stephanie hands wandered down to the back of his cargos clamping on his ass tugging him closer, "Just right for a little decoration." She released him after a quick squeeze in the middle of the sidewalk and went around to the driver's side.

Ranger stood on the sidewalk laughing at her actions as she drove away.

Coming out of the control room, Tank was snickering at the scene on the sidewalk. Ranger was exiting the elevator grinning.

The mountain of a man asked, "How was your lunch, Boss?"

"Good, I think. Stephanie agreed to continue writing the Rangeman newsletter if I agreed to join their family Cosmic bowling team." His brows knitted remembering the last part, "And, wear a team bowling shirt."

"Sounds fair," Tank agreed. He couldn't resist showing teeth in a big grin, "How's your ass cheeks?" nodding his head in the direction of the monitors.

Ranger continued on his way to his office and Tank thought he would ignore his question. He poked his head with ponytail out his door telling him, "Just fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Walking into Stephanie's backyard in time for dinner, Sam ran over barking at him, looked up at him with those pointy oversized ears, peed in the grass, and darted back to Paulo and Tiana climbing on the club house.

Stepping on the deck, Ranger saw the glass table in the sun room was set. He laughed stepping inside; Stephanie was wearing the ruffled retro apron from the morning over her khaki shorts and placed a bowl of steaming green beans on the table.

"Sweetheart, you're home," prancing over to peck his check. "How was your day?"

Like she didn't know. Ranger played along, "Rough at times," he told homemaker Stephanie.

"Here," pulling out a rattan chair for him, "relax." She handed him a glass of wine. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"What are you whipping up? Smells good," he told her watching Stephanie in the kitchen take something out of the oven.

"Your mother left ham from your party, buttered parsley potatoes, biscuits, green beans, and cherry tarts for dessert. Daddy went to play cards with a few of his friends at the Lodge and Grandma went to check of the senior coffee klatch in the backroom of the coffee shop. I want to go over later to walk her home and get Paulo and Tiana ice cream. It's an early bedtime since we have to be up so early tomorrow."

"I'm sure we can find something to do before we go to sleep," his voice was low and husky in her ear having silently snuck up behind Stephanie.

"You want me to paint your nails, too?" Stephanie asked so innocently with those wide blue gems.

Ranger picked up the platter of ham slices, "No! Something more extracurricular, Babe!"

"Oh! Maybe you can show me then."

"Gladly."

Tiana, Paulo, and Sam came running inside for dinner and went speeding past to wash their hands.

"Mommy, this was good," her son finished the last bite of his cherry tart with his sister agreeing with a nod of her head.

"I'm glad you liked those. How about you go clean up so we can show Carlos our surprise."

"Yeah!" Both told her and were out of their chairs.

"Babe?" Ranger was eying her suspiciously.

Taking his hand, Stephanie led him into the living room, "Patience, Carlos. Now just sit here for a moment," slipping a silk scarf over his eyes. "Don't peek and we'll be right back." She hurried to her children leaving Ranger sitting there on the sofa with a leopard print scarf blocking his sight.

His hearing focused, he could hear their movements until he knew they were in front of him.

"OK, you can remove your blindfold," Stephanie giggled.

He blinked. Stephanie, Paulo, Tiana, and the puppy were wearing bright turquoise bowling shirts with black and white piping along the front overflap of black buttons, the collar, bottom hem, and shirt cuffs. Each shirt had embroidered over the heart an initial 'S', "P, 'T" and 'C' on his shirt Stephanie was holding. Even 'S' was on the puppy's shirt he saw when her son held him up.

The sugary sweetness in her voice, "Aren't they cute?"

"They're not pink," Tiana told Ranger taking his shirt crawling up on the sofa next to him and slipping his hand through the sleeve assisting him with his shirt.

Standing up as he buttoned his bowling shirt, he noticed there was a big white bowling pin on the back. "Happy?"

One beautiful woman, two adorable children, and a puppy all were smiling at him.

He no sooner got the thing on when Stephanie held up a hanger, "We don't want to get these dirty before our first bowling night."

"When is this big event?" He asked with some flatness in his voice watching her put his shirt over hers on the hanger.

"Second Friday of the month and don't worry, Tank already blocked off that night on your calendar so nothing is scheduled. He, Shellie, and Benjy are joining, too. She is asking her sister if her niece can join their team."

Knowing he was outsmarted, Ranger gave a sarcastic, "Lucky for me."

"Isn't it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Reading his company's newsletter in bed waiting for Stephanie to finish in her bathroom, he had to chuckle at the day. Lester called after dinner to say the company limousine was clean and disinfected. They got five skips, supposedly the sixth was in Atlantic City playing the slots, but he did leave a note for the FTA to call the 'Rangeman Limo to Lock-up Service.' Now what would be the chance he would call? The skip was arrested for dealing drugs. Ranger was informed also that one of the criminals was taking his mother to BINGO when he and Bobby showed up, they dropped her off before the police station and promised to pick her up on the way back or the thirty-six year old liquor store robber wasn't going willingly. She didn't mind sitting on the blanket in the clean car. The limo was all clean for the morning ride Lester assured him.

He was marking his clue grid on the back page trying to solve the snail race when the nightstand lamp went off when he heard a snap. Ranger gave an internal groan. Inching to the bed was the outline of their bowling shirts glowing in the dark with an 'S'. The bed dipped slightly, Ranger felt a nibble on his big toe and nips working up his leg all the while seeing this radiating form. He picked a flash of something in her face. Holding his hand in the direction of the bed lamp, he snapped his fingers. It came back on.

Ranger let out a loud laugh, Stephanie was slinking up his body in her bowling shirt, but also wearing vampire teeth. "Are you telling me some of that vampire blood got mixed in along the way?"

"Cuban Man," Stephanie spoke with a Russian accent, "I want to suck your blood to bring you into my underworld of insane Trenton darkness."

"Gladly," Ranger rolled them over running his tongue along her fangs feathering kisses on her face. He felt her nip his neck gently. He was adding another color to his world. Blood Red Crazy.