17

Grandma opens up the front door. "Are you two coming in, or are you going to sit out in the car and neck all day?"

"On our way!" Stephanie yelled.

"Come inside, I have one more Entenmanns cake left, and we should use it; otherwise, it will go stale." We walked back to the kitchen, sat down at the small table. Grandma cut a coffee cake and laid it in front of us.

"I'd offer ice cream with it, but we finished that off last night."

"Who is we?"

"Oh, S.P.E.R.M."

Ranger choked on his cake. Stephanie didn't miss a beat.

"Any news?"

"Someone has become aware of our organization. Last night someone tried to grab Marco while working in his garage, but he got the upper hand on them. He was a black belt in the Marines."

"Is he ok?"

"Oh, he's fine. He has to take the puppy's to vet now, but it should be just fine."

"They hurt his Puppys?"

"Oh, No. Leo needs to get their teeth cleaned; apparently, human tissue tends to get stuck in their teeth."

"Human tissue? Are you saying the dogs attacked whoever tried to grab him."

Ranger got up and helped himself to a cup of coffee then sat back down.

"They sound like little land sharks." Ranger said.

"No, not at all. Leo got these sweethearts from the police academy; they were all aggressive rejects. They can be real ankle-biters if he gives the command."

"Did he report this?"

"Yes, he did. He also made copies of the police report and sent it to several people so it won't get lost in the shuffle. He left after he packed a go-bag, he's on his way to a secret location. He wants one of them burnt phones and internet access. He intends to let me know when he's settled in.

So the rest of us have plans to be safe. To tell you the truth, I wasn't going to stay with Valarie I was going to go stay in a motel with Leo."

Stephanie gasped. "You don't trust Val?"

"I do, but I was worried about being taken, hostage. It has happened before."

Ranger looked at me, "Edna, I'd…"

"Don't you call me Edna you call me Grandma." She pointed at him.

"I hope one day you'll be the man who gives me some decent great-grandchildren. Don't get me wrong I love Valarie's kids, but let's face it two of them be Kloughn's and one thinks she is a horse, the other thinks she's the Virgin Mary reincarnated. I need some kids who want to have fun, play in the cookie dough, eat the cookie dough, and peek in the Christmas presents!"

Stephanie blushed.

"Quit blushing ain't nothing to be ashamed of being in love."

"I didn't say I was in love."

"You don't need to. I can see it, and since you dropped that hundred and eighty pounds, you look a lot happier."

Ranger grinned, then stood, washed his dish and cup, and put them in the kitchen drainer. He turned and collected everyone else dishes and did the same.

"Grandma." He said, "I'd like you to come with Stephanie and me instead of staying with Leo. Why don't you two go pack while I go check on Big Blue and make sure the house is secure."

Grandma looked at Stephanie. "I'm all out of words. I can't believe it. I'm going to stay with Ranger!"

"What should I do with Rex?" Stephanie asked

"Bring him. I like Rex. I'll call Connie to see if she is willing to stow the car away."

"Ranger, could we drop off the baby things at Valerie on the way? They are on the front porch. Valerie called this morning and said she is expecting again, so she will be needing them back."

"She might want to figure out what's causing that," Ranger said under his breath.

"No, kidding." Grandma retorted.

Kloughn's Castle

It was mid-morning when they reached Valarie's house, the school buses had run, all the parents were at work except for the stay at home Mom's. Val wasn't precisely a stay-at-home mom, but she didn't need to be in the rat race. Her youngest two were receiving a morning snack when they arrived. Ranger carried in the totes. Grandma and Stephanie hugged Valarie, congratulating her on the upcoming family addition. Ranger brought in with the first two totes. "Can I put these any place special?" Ranger asked.

"Just inside the door would be great." She said.

"No problem."

"Well, do you have any names picked out? You know my name is kind of pretty you could use it as a middle name Elaine Edna Kloughn. Just think of it, my very own namesake!"

"What would you like, Val, a boy or a girl?" Stephanie asked.

"It's too early for baby talk. I'm only about seven or eight weeks along. Do you think I should call Mom and tell her?"

"I'd wait, she needs some time away from home, and some time away from tippling in the pantry." Grandma tactfully said.

"Well, she wouldn't need anytime away if Steph would just get married."

"You think I'm the cause of Mom's behavior?"

"Well yeah, you refuse to grow up and have a family. It's like your Peter Pan."

"So, I should just buckle down and spit out a few kids, and all will be right with the world?"

"Well yeah. I think that's why Mom went a little nutty."

"You call tracking my period and flushing my birth control pills down the toilet a little nutty? I can't believe you! Don't you want your little sister to be happy? Don't you want me to have a love of a lifetime? Or do you want me to end up pregnant and alone, mooching off Mom while I raise my kids."

Valarie sucked in her breath. "I did not mooch off of Mom! My husband left me! I could not help that!."

"I didn't say that you did. Do you think Joe would continue to be faithful to me? Do you know where Joe is? He's waiting for Terri. Joe doesn't love me, Val, he loves the ideal of me. He loves Terri, or he wouldn't be waiting to help her, he just hasn't stopped to realize what he wants." Stephanie turned to leave. " I love you, Val. I hope someday you see that I should have the chance to live my life as I want."

"Sweetheart, can't you see your sister is just now spreading her wings? She got lost in pleasing everyone around her instead of making a life of her own. It's time for Stephanie to enjoy life for a change, enjoy love, and all the good things that go with it. I wish you were more close to her and could see how unhappy she has been."

"Stephanie is unhappy? I don't understand how can she be unhappy with the most popular man in town?"

"Because she's not in love with him. I think she's in love with someone else."

"Who?"

"Bye, dear. See you soon." Grandma waved and was out the door.

Stephanie made it out to the truck just in time for her emotions to let go. She stood at the passenger door of Ranger's vehicle with a sob escaping her lips; she allowed her feelings to overflow. Ranger wrapped her in his arms.

"You've got to realize she does not know you. She does not understand where you are in life." He kissed the top of her head. "Get in and have a piece of cake."

Who's the blond stranger in chapter one? You're about to find out!

Connie lived in half of a house that burnt down years ago because she liked not hearing her neighbor "do it" every night, she bought out the burnt-out property side and owned a double lot. Connie opened up the front door and waved, in the Burg that was a coffee cake invitation. Ranger parked behind the Buick. Stephanie put some Visine in her eyes to make the redness go away.

"Do you do that often," Ranger asked.

"When I need to."

"That isn't an answer."

"That is all you get." Her eyes stung, so when she looked at Ranger, she was winking.

"Are you winking at me on purpose, or is it the drops?"

"You will never know!"

"I'm going to stay in the car and have some beauty sleep while you see Connie."

"Ok, I'll leave the truck running."

They climbed the stoop to Connie's home, she greeted them with open arms and hugged them.

"It feels like forever, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Stephanie replied.

"It's good to see you two, come on inside."

They all stepped into an eclectic style room that had a little bit of everything going on. An antique rocking chair sat by the window, yet a modern couch was front and center on polished wood floors.

"Have a seat, let me get you something to drink and some coffee cake."

"No thanks, Connie Grandma just did the same a few minutes ago," Stephanie replied.

"Well, how about a bottle of water?"

"Sounds good." Ranger gave in.

"Soooo… Word on the street is you broke up with Morelli. Did ya? Was he sleeping around with Terri as everyone says?"

"Yes, I did, and No, he wasn't sleeping around."

"Did ya get a better offer?" She pointed and winked Ranger.

"I'm doing something that needed to be done. I'm sure Joe didn't love me as he should."

"Good riddance. Joe sure was a cutie but a list bossy for my taste."

Stephanie stated the obvious. "When did you go, blond?"

"The week we closed the office, I thought it would give me a new professional look now that I'm job hunting."

"I like it. It suits you well."

"Well, thanks. I figure it can't hurt. Is it true that Terri was trying to leave the family?"

"Yes. Vito married Joyce. She's been vicious to Terri. At least that's what Joe said." Ranger replied.

Connie raised her eyebrows.

"Joyce Barnhardt? Wow. No wonder she and her Dad had problems. It feels like the old days. We are getting caught up on all the gossip."

"I miss the bonds office in some ways but not in others. I can't go back rolling around trying to cuff F.T.A.'S"

"I was pretty tired of Vinnie but not the paycheck."

"I want to thank you for keeping the Buick. Ranger is worried someone will blow it up." She tossed Connie the keys. "I'm not sure when Mom and Dad will be back, I'll update you at the end of the week."

"Connie, what kind of job are you looking for?" Ranger asked.

"I'm flexible, she said. I want to be more than a piss-ant but not in total control, and I want to stay out of corporate."

"Tank and I are going to look into moving Rangeman. Are you interested? It might be in Kansas City, though. None of my plans are concrete, but I'll have something eventually."

"I'm interested," Connie said and grabbed Ranger for a hug. "Thank you," she said.

Ranger and Stephanie said there good-byes and made their way back to the truck. Grandma was covered in chocolate cake.

"I see you found my Momma's German Chocolate cake," Ranger said with a smile.

"It's ok I only ate of the tree pieces, your Mom must love you! I'm going to need her recipe."

"You might want to save some for Tank." Said, Ranger.

"So that leaves an extra one?" Stephanie chirped in

"Yes, but it will cost you," Ranger added a bit of smolder to his eyes.

"I'll take it!." Stephanie ignored Ranger's innuendo. "Hand over the old cake lady."

"I'm saving it for Tank."

"Uh, huh. Give it up. Ranger can be the guardian of the cake."

Next time we will visit with Lula and Tank. We will see Joe and Terri as well.