Eyes to Remember

Chapter 48

"Shopping for Horses and Cowboy Hats"

Mommy," Allie nudged Stephanie snuggled in Ranger's arms on the sofa bed,
"is it time to go shopping?"

She opened an eye. Once it focused, her little girl was dressed in shorts,
tank top with a big gold fish on it, and her cowboy hat. Lifting her head,

squinting at the kitchen clock on the microwave read 6:52.

"No, Princess. Come here," lifting the blanket. Stephanie turned her head,
Ranger was still asleep. Hobo was lying beside him, curled in his other
arm. Sparky settled on the bottom not ready to go out.

Allie laid her hat on the coffee table pushed to the side, "I like
shopping," Allie whispered. "Is Dave going?"

Stephanie had that mother feeling she wasn't getting anymore sleep.

"What are we going to buy? Can we go to Gracie's? We going to see Midnight
and the other horsies?" she kept asking questions.

Stephanie felt a hard body stir next to her. "Am I your pillow?" Ranger
asked to a yawning grey cat. "What are you doing up?"

"Dave, its shopping day!" with all the exuberance of a four year old.

Resting his chin on Stephanie's shoulder chuckling, "Babe, she not only
looks like you, but she inherited your shopping gene."

"It's fun. You got to come, Dave."

"If nothing else, to keep the three stooges out of trouble. Morning, Babe,"
kissing her cheek.

Little feet were running over to the steps.

"Allie, let Grandma Edna sleep."

She gave her mother a finger to the lips and continued hopping up the
stairs, curls bouncing.

"When she's up, everyone's up," Ranger kissed Stephanie again.

Giggling against warm lips, "It's Allie's world, Carlos. Welcome to it."

Sparky went out into the warm, dewy morning. Stephanie flipped on two
coffee pots, one regular, one French Vanilla.

Ranger came out of the bathroom, "He followed me in." Hobo jumped up on a bar stool watching the Cuban man.

"I guess he's your buddy now. Hobo helped with the rescue."

"Crazy cat," he said rubbing his ears.

Stephanie took her turn in the bathroom and met Maria talking with her son,
"Did you sleep well?"

"Oh yes, Stephanie. The cool mountain air coming in the window and that bed
you just sunk down into. I can understand why my son and granddaughter
enjoy it so much here. We even heard an owl during the night. You don't
hear that in Newark."

Ellen and Maria made breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with
juice and coffee. That used 2 pounds of bacon, a loaf of bread, and three
dozen eggs. Probably the ham Stephanie baked the day before would be
finished off for lunch. There was the farmhouse table, breakfast bar, and
another folding table with people sitting at them.

"How was your evening, Boys?" Maria asked Tank, Bobby, and Lester.

All three were smiling. "They weren't hire to dance with their brains,"
Bobby commented.

"Yeah, Steph," Lester explained further, "Charity mentioned she met you your party and your loft had no walls."

Tank was laughing, "Tiffany wanted to know how the roof stayed up. I think
maybe she's been spanked one too many times."

That got a laugh from the entire room of adults. Stephanie had sat her
coffee mug on the breakfast bar to get out another jar of jelly; turning
around there was Allie drinking her French Vanilla coffee.

"Allie! That's coffee!"

She looked up with a coffee mustache, licking her lips, "I like it," saying
sadly putting the mug down, tears in her eyes, and slipped from the bar
stool running to her Grandfather's open arms. "It's good, Gampy," crying
on his shoulder.

"Princess, you know when you eat too much candy and Mommy makes you go run around outside," Franking was talking as Allie nodded at him. "Coffee will do that to you if it's too strong or a little girl has too much. When you're bigger, you can drink it, Ok."

"OK, but I still like it!"

Stephanie sat a small teacup in front of her daughter with caramel colored milk, "How's that?"

She drank down the milk with a little coffee for color, licked her lips, and had her milky mustache, "I like that," setting down the empty cup. Her brow furrowed, "Gammy, can I have cookies to dunk?"

"You want Grandma to make you cookies?" Ellen asked her little granddaughter.

Smiling, "Yeah, chocolate chippies after shopping and horsies."

"OK, we'll make cookies, Allie."

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Ranger was walking back from making a trip to Stephanie's Volvo with things they bought at Gracie's and sidewalk sales along Murdock. Ellen and Maria rode with the stooges. He just met up with Stephanie and the girls, when Tank, Bobby, and Lester come running down the sidewalk with matching white sunglasses.

"What are you three wearing?" Ranger asked.

"Sunglasses. They go with Bobby's statue," Tank waved a hand at him.

Proudly, Bobby pulls from behind his back, a statue of a California raisin with the same big white sunglasses. "I got roller skates, too. Allie rides her bike so I'll skate in the office. Look, I got the key," Around his neck was a small worn silver key on a thin blue leather necklace.

"Look what I got," Lester holds up a pair of stilts, "these will be handy for surveillance."

Ranger stared at him, mouth open, "Someone won't notice you walking around on stilts peeking in second floor windows?"

"No," Lester shook his head, "they come with a clown suit. People expect clowns on stilts."

He turned to Stephanie, "Am I missing something here, Babe? Has he had too much sun or hit his head in the canoe?" shaking his head. "What did you buy, Tank?"

"A Sponge Bob cookie jar that talks. I have to get batteries. It's still in the box!"

He looked at the three smiling idiots, sarcasm in his voice, "Oh good, the clown can spy on the skip with his stilts, Bobby can run him down with his roller skates, and you can offer the skip a cookie while we haul him off to jail! You're ex-Army men!"

"You're just jealous, we got the good stuff first," Lester said swinging his non-existent long hair and stomped off indignantly to the SUV with Tank and Bobby following in a huff.

"Just you three wait, I'm buying antique cars. And you're not," their boss called after them.

"Who sounds like a spoiled brat, Carlos?" Stephanie had her hand on hips watching. "You may need some time out."

His eyes went dark in milliseconds, "Babe, in the naughty chair?"

Stephanie licked her lips, coming from those Cuban lips it sounded orgasmic. Shaking herself back to reality, "Let's go to the tack shop."

They had taken a few steps when a yell came out, "The Army in town!" from little Mr. Kim across the street.

"I was going to warn you, Mr. Kim. We'll see you later."

"OK," bowing and running in the direction of 'The Golden Dragon', "I prepare," he called out.

"What's that man talking about, Ricardo?" Maria asked as she and Ellen caught up them laden down with bags from Gracie's and the sidewalk sales.

"Momma, let me take some. Mr. Kim owns the Chinese restaurant and never saw anyone who can let like those three," Ranger took a bag from his mother and nodded across the street at the idiots checking out the sales on the other side of the street. "You'd swear those three just got out of the mental home."

Stephanie took a bag from her mother, "This has been so much fun, Stephanie, and I got a few things for the new kitchen."

"I can see, Mom," giggling at all the bags. "It's a good thing we have the motor home."

The tack shop was another adventure with Stephanie's group swarming on it. Julie immediately picked out a camel colored leather cowgirl hat with an inlay of turquoise wings across the top. Stephanie had the girls also pick out straw hats to be cooler. Ranger watching as she tried them on over her curls selecting one where the straw was tinted to look worn with a braided band of blue-green beads.

"Dave, you got to get one so you fit in," Allie was looking up at him with that lecture face them gave him the dimples, "please."

Stephanie walked over with a sexy hip swing, "This fits you," putting a variegated straw hat on him so it reminded him of snakeskin with a black braided trim. The kiss sealed the sale.

Tank and Bobby were paying for their straw cowboy hats, but Lester took the cake. He had on a straw hat painted as if it was camouflage

"No one will see me with this," smiling as his reflection in the mirror.

Allie had on a straw cowboy hat with painted ponies on the brim, "I like it, Lester."

Ranger lost it, doubled over laughing, "You're right, Santos. No one will see you on stilts wearing a clown suit with a camo cowboy hat. Never happen."

Maria watched as Stephanie switched his hat to a black leather one, "This one says Ranger. The band has 'Ranger' buttons all around it."

He switched her hat to a white one, a bridal cowboy hat with white netting in the back.

"Mommy, that's pretty."

Stephanie hugged her little girl, "Mommy's not getting married."

"Yet," Ranger thought.

"I see an epic chick flick here," Lester waving his hand in the air, "The story of the ex-Army Ranger Bad-Ass bounty hunter tamed by the love of the ex-model magazine editor raising horses and living a simple country life."

"If not a movie, maybe a television series. 'The Ranger and The Bride' right up there," Tank went on, "with 'The Brady Bunch' or "The Partridge Family'."

They stared at the ex-Army men.

"Do you want to be looking for new jobs?"

Bobby spoke up, "Why? We like Trenton." ignoring Ranger's threat.

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The ham was almost a distant memory. Only a few slices of the ham and bone remained. The bowl of macaroni salad Ellen had made earlier was empty. Grandma was down at the General Store with Wally. Frank and Emilio had a relaxing morning fishing off the small island using the rescue raft. They caught some perch and a walleye. Ranger was grinning in his cowboy hat; he couldn't wait to go to Ben Hampton's farm. He had talked with his accountant three times to make sure they could do an electronic transfer of funds for a quick sale.

The Volvo and the SUV parked by the open barn. The horses were in the field running. A portly man, Agent Stevens, was walking over to them with Tom Simon.

"Carlos Manoso," shaking the strangers hand.

"Good day, Mr. Manoso. Andy Stevens. My, I see you have a crowd with you."

"This is Stephanie Plum, Julie, Katie, and Allie," Ranger introduced them. "My associates, Thomas Sherman, Bobby Brown, and Lester Santos," all in their cowboy hats. "My parents, Emilio and Maria Manoso and Stephanie's, Frank and Ellen Plum."

"Hello, everyone. Shall we go up to the house first? Everything is sold with the farm. Horses, house, land, barn, equipment, and antique cars," stressing the 'antique cars' as Mr. Stevens spoke.

"Wow, Stephanie, it's like the log house you decorated for Matt," Frank was rubbing the weather timbers.

Stepping inside it was cool in the darker log portion.

The girls went in one direction, "No touching anything," Stephanie said more for Allie.

"This is wrong," Frank was looking at the dining room furniture.

"Oh my, this is a kitchen," Maria exclaimed walking into the large modern room.

"Gampy, come here!" Allie was at the picture window watching the same the two does and three fawns from yesterday at the pond.

"That's Molly, Dolly, Tim, Kim, and Sue," Allie had named them already.

"Babe," Ranger shaking his head at Allie's names.

They finished the tour of the house. Ranger practically ran to the barn.

"Look," waving an arm for everyone to see.

It was a massive 'Oohing' and 'Ahing' party in the barn. Stephanie checked out the tack room. There were extra saddles, blankets, bridles, and various horse equipment. The riding crops and whips hanging on the wall had to go.

Frank looked around after drooling over the car noticing his wife standing in the barn doorway. From the way her body was shaking, she was crying.

"What's wrong, Ellen?"

Pointing to a freshly cut open field, Stephanie had saddled the large grey Arabian with her black saddle from the Volvo. Katie and Julie were on a Chestnut horse running along side of her. Allie was sitting in front of her mother, cowboy hats on their heads. Laughing.

"From the expressions on Katie, Allie, and Stephanie's faces, I would call that pure joy."

"I see a happy daughter and granddaughters, Dear. Their sadness behind them."

"It still hurts knowing we could have lost that precious little girl," watching Allie laughing all the more as Stephanie had Ghost galloping through the field.

Everyone was standing with the Plums watching the riders and horses come over to the group. Ranger saw the happy faces coming to him.

"Andy, let's close the deal."

Stephanie stopped the grey horse in front of Ranger. Frank took his giggling Allie in his arms.

"Enjoy that, Babe."

Patting the large grey horse, "Thunder may have completion in the speed department. Daddy, open the gate." Stephanie handed her cell phone to Katie, "Time him."

Stephanie directed Ghost over to a training ring with barrels and fences. She nodded at Katie. The horse shot out, Stephanie had him go around the barrels in quick turns and finished by jumping over the fence section. He stopped next to Katie and Stephanie looked at her phone.

"That is a good time. With regular work, we could cut that down."

"Mommy, I like him," Allie was nuzzling the horse's nose.

Andy Steven's cell phone rang, "OK."

"Carlos, are you sure about this? I don't want you to buy this just because of me," Stephanie looked down from Ghost.

He was shaking hands with the agent, "Too late, Babe. We bought a farm. The money has been transferred. Watching the four of you, I had no doubts. I think this deserves a ride."

Stephanie looked at his grin, "Get on the platform so you don't reinjure your shoulder."

Bringing the grey horse to the inside of the fence where there was small platform to watch the ring and use for shorter riders to get on a horse, she slipped her foot out of the stirrup. "Put your foot in," sliding up slightly in her black saddle. It wouldn't be so high for him to get behind her easily and reducing the pressure on his left arm around her waist.

Ranger slipped into the saddle behind Stephanie, cowboy hat and all.

Stephanie trotted them through the cut field.

"I'll be, Cowboy Ranger," Tank was grinning watching his friend on the horse with Stephanie.

Katie and Julie came up next to them.

"Think, we can have horsie rides, too, after we go cruising in antique cars?"

Lester asked.

"I think, you'll have to stand in line," Emilio told him watching his smiling youngest son on Ghost while the beautiful woman who showed him how to live again.

Stephanie brought the horse over; Frank held the reins that Stephanie handed him so she could get down from the saddle.

"Easy," Stephanie held up arms for Ranger.

He jumped down with ease, "Babe, my shoulder is fine."

"Mommy," Allie came running over with a little blonde haired carrying one of here twins, "I got a new friend, Maggie. We was playing with my dolls."

"Hello, Maggie, I'm Stephanie," bending down to her level.

"Hi."

Tom introduced her, "This is my daughter, Maggie, and my wife, Karen. This is Stephanie Plum and Carlos Manoso."

"It's nice meeting you, Karen," Stephanie shook the hand of a pregnant petite blonde, "I'm Stephanie. This is Carlos."

"Hi, it's nice meeting you. Thank you, we thought maybe we would have to move to my parent's house if the farm was sold. Will the rent be going up?"

"What rent, Karen?" Ranger asked.

"The rent Mr. Hampton charged us for the gatehouse. We gave up the cable when he was going to raise it."

Ranger shook his head, "I'm not charging you rent. That's part of the Rangeman benefits. I provide housing in my office buildings. Those three live in Trenton," looking over at Tank, Bobby, and Lester feeding the horses carrots, "so I won't be charging rent. The utilities will also be included in the regular farm expenses. Tom, you'll be on the payroll starting today."

"Before we leave, can I have your social security numbers for your benefits?"

Stephanie explained. "I can mail the paychecks or have it direct deposited if you give me your bank information."

Karen was hugging her husband, "We can get the car fixed if we have extra money. Maggie wants one of those dolls, but we didn't have any extra money with the baby coming."

"She'll have it for her birthday in September," Tom nodded looking at the two young girls running with the American Girl dolls.

"We we're in New York recently and made a stop there," Stephanie said watching them also.

"Tom, give Stephanie the name of the feed store. We'll set up an account so when it's time to get it, it will be paid directly. If you need to call the vet about the horses, call him. We have an account because of Midnight, who will be coming back."

"I'll bring her over next week since there's a horse trailer here," Stephanie told Ranger.

Andy Stevens had Ranger and Stephanie sign papers for the sale of the farm and handed over the keys for everything.

"Pleasure doing business with you," he said as he got in his car.

Stephanie was looking at all the marked keys. She heard an engine start; Ranger rode the Packard out of the barn.

"Let one of them drive your car over to Bud's. Get the booster seat, Babe."

Lester took the Volvo keys from Stephanie.

"Tom, lock up the house. We'll be back tomorrow," Ranger said as he drove the white roadster down the driveway with Julie, Katie, and Allie singing 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'.

"There goes a happy family," Tank said to the remaining group.