Chapter Two

Stephanie parked her current POS car on the curb outside of her parent's house, got out and gave the door a hard bump with her hip to get it to close. She trudged up the walk ignoring her aching feet and itchy panty hose. She could smell the spicy, slightly pungent smell of basil and oregano as she headed up the walk.

If Stephanie hadn't been near brain dead from the mind-numbing temp work, she might have recognized the danger signs that dinner was a set-up long before she did. As she drew closer to the house, the back of her neck tingled in warning. Ranger was always reminding her she needed to be more aware of her surroundings. Stephanie scanned the street looking for the source. Irritation rolled through her. Why was it she couldn't go an hour without thinking about that man. She staunchly pushed the thoughts of him away and ignored the tingle at the back of her neck, dismissing it as nothing more than the scratchy fabric of her prim and proper blouse. Morelli always laughed at her so-called spidey sense anyway.

As she made her way down the hall towards the kitchen, the smell of chicken parmigiana and chocolate cake temporarily lulled her into a false sense of security. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled. Lunch had been a rushed protein bar at her desk. She'd been trying to make a good impression on the office manager in the hopes of a permanent job, so she'd been putting in extra effort.

All for a job she didn't much care for and didn't really want. Bitterness rippled over her but she pushed it away. It was a safe, adult job. Something that made her mother happy and it made Morelli happy. She missed chasing skips, and she missed Connie and Lula. The truth was she desperately missed Ranger. She wasn't sure when seeing him had become such an important, integral part of her life, but now that she only did the occasional bond for Vinnie, their paths didn't cross very often.

To be fair, there were good things about the new job. She was able to pay her rent and was rarely covered in garbage on more days than not. She definitely didn't miss the fights with Morelli over whatever predicament she had gotten herself into trying to chase a skip or the disappointed phone calls from her mother when she heard about it. Granted, accidentally burning down the office was still a distinct possibility but at least the likelihood of getting shot at was low. So, all in, this was for the best. Everyone thought so, except for maybe her. Hopefully one day it would make her happy too. It was long past time for her to grow up and stop jumping off garage roofs and relying on pixie dust.

The first inkling of danger came when she found Angie Morelli, Joe's mother, and his grandma Bella in the kitchen. Bella was a small woman with white hair and piercing hawklike eyes. She dressed in black and looked like she belonged in Sicily, herding goats, making the lives of her daughters'-in-law a living hell. Some people believed Bella had special powers, Stephanie just thought Bella was a full-on barking lunatic.

The second clue something wasn't quite right was when Stephanie's mother turned to her, and she didn't have that pinched look of disapproval on her face. Her mother was smiling and looking pleased, or maybe it was relieved. Even batshit crazy Bella seemed oddly pleasant, for Bella anyway. No threat of the evil eye or weird prophetic visions. Well mostly.

Bella put her hand to Stephanie's stomach. "I see babies," Bella said. "You will give me more great-grandchildren. I know these things. I have the eye." She patted Stephanie's stomach. "You have good breeding hips."

Stephanie resisted the urge to whimper or slap her boney hand away. Did Bella just say she had wide hips meant for childbirth? Stephanie was pretty sure breeding hips wasn't really a compliment. Stephanie felt a little like a prized cow as a shudder worked its way through her body. Where the hell was Morelli anyway, he needed to get that crazy old bat under control.

"It's nice to see you both." Stephanie hedged. "What brings you to dinner?"

Stephanie's mother twittered nervously.

"My Joseph has news." Came Bella's cryptic reply.

Stephanie looked around for help. Her father and grandma Mazur were in the living room glued to the television, the volume up to ear splitting levels. Her scalp prickled in warning as the three women looked at her expectantly.

Stephanie pasted a smile on her face and started backing out of the kitchen, thinking they might all be crazy and possibly dangerous. They'd been taken over by some brain eating amoeba and turned into the Burg equivalent of Stepford wives. She heard the front door open and felt Morelli come up behind her.

When Morelli brushed a kiss across the nape of her neck, she relaxed a little.

"Just don't let her smell fear, and you'll be fine," Morelli whispered against the shell of her ear.

"She's ripe tonight, Joseph. Tonight, would be good." Bella cackled.

This time Stephanie couldn't quite stop the whimper that escaped from her lips, the sound of Bella's cackling went straight through her brain like an arrow. A moment of stunned silence passed. Ewww, had Bella just called her ripe like a piece of fruit? Stephanie looked at Morelli her lip curled back in disgust and mouthed the word help to him. Morelli had a lot of good qualities, but Stephanie wasn't so sure they trumped his nutty as a fruitcake family.

"Don't worry," he said. "I've got it covered; I got a new box today. Besides, there's no such thing as the eye." His voice was low and meant only for her.

"Bella doesn't scare you?" Stephanie whispered back to him, clearly skeptical.

"I'm her favorite grandson," Morelli gave her a mischievous smile. "I'm safe from the eye."

Stephanie thought that was all well and good for him, but Stephanie really didn't want the eye. She liked her teeth and her lady parts just the way they were, breeder hips or not.

Morelli moved farther into the room and stepped around Stephanie towards the kitchen.

"One thing you learn about Morelli men," Bella said to Stephanie as she pulled her into the kitchen cutting off Stephanie's escape. "You don't let them get away with a thing."

Stephanie thought that sounded more like a warden or a preschool teacher than a wife or girlfriend. Stephanie nodded and made a noncommittal sound. She threw up a prayer that the floor would open up and swallow her. Or Bella. Stephanie wasn't picky.

"Let's get the champagne. My Joseph has an announcement." Bella declared.

The hair on Stephanie's neck stood straight up. Was it wrong to hope for a meteor strike?

Stephanie stared after Bella's wake and her eyes cut to Morelli. Had he gotten a promotion? Morelli was studiously avoiding looking at her. Come to think of it he looked a little pale and sweat had popped out on his brow. Stephanie's spidey sense was in overdrive, lights flashing, horn blaring.

Stephanie's mother scrambled to get everyone a glass of champagne.

"Frank turn off the TV and get in here." Stephanie's mother called. Helen Plum was not the bossy type and the command in her voice startled Stephanie.

Stephanie heard her father mumble something unintelligible and mute the TV.

Her father and grandma joined them in the kitchen and champagne flutes were passed around to everyone but her and Morelli. Stephanie could feel her own pulse in her throat, her heart was starting to hammer wildly.

Bella and Stephanie's grandma Mazur eyed each other like a couple of gunslingers. Crazy recognized crazy and there was no love lost between the two of them. Morelli probably wasn't the only one carrying a gun. Suddenly the room seemed far too small and hot. Stephanie pulled at the collar of her blouse and felt sweat trickle down the small of her back. A sense of foreboding swept over her.

Bella gave Morelli a push forward. "Go on." She hissed at him.

Morelli stepped up to Stephanie and pulled out a small red box. Stephanie's heart thudded in her chest and her vision tunneled. All she could see was the box, and she had a feeling she was looking at it like it was a coiled rattled snake. To Stephanie, the little red box looked just as dangerous. Stephanie backed up and hit the wall behind her, a momentary flash of panic whipped over her. She felt trapped, like there was nowhere to go and no way to get off this crazy, out-of-control train. She thought she might be sick and swallowed hard. Praying she was wrong.

Please she thought, just put it back in your pocket and we can pretend this never happened. There was still time to avoid a tragic mistake that couldn't be taken back. She watched with horrified fascination as Morelli popped the top of the box open. Inside was an engagement ring. A small round stone set in plain white gold.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, marry me." Morelli abruptly proclaimed. Stephanie vaguely registered his tone was flat, and he sounded a little like a man on death row.

Stephanie was cornered and there was nowhere to run, not that she could have managed it anyway. Her feet were rooted to the floor and she was just staring at the ring. It was entirely unremarkable. Is that what Morelli thought about her, that she was plain and traditional? Stephanie realized that was a stupid thing to be concerned about, but she couldn't quite help but be miffed.

Morelli took the ring out of the box and picked up her limp hand, and slipped the ring on her finger. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. Her voice was caught in her throat, the only noise that escaped sounded like she was being strangled. No one seemed to notice.

Suddenly everyone was toasting, drinking champagne, and congratulating the happy couple. A flute was thrust at her and she downed it in one long gulp. Alcohol was going to be a necessity to survive the night, or maybe married life. She had a new found appreciation for her mother and her special tea.

Dinner was served. Conversation buzzed around her, but Stephanie couldn't quite make out the words as she reached for her wine glass. The ring felt foreign on her finger, its heavy weight like a shackle. She felt Morelli give her leg a little squeeze and she leaned into him. There was no need to panic, they had plenty of time to figure things out, with a long engagement. Like two, three, ten years even.

By the time dessert was over, Stephanie was well and truly on the way to being drunk. Morelli bundled her in his arms and kissed the side of her head.

"I'll give you a ride home. Then we can celebrate the right way." Morelli gave her a wicked grin. His eyes were all warm and melty. Everything about him felt familiar, and Stephanie relaxed a little.

This is what she wanted, right? Marrying Morelli was the next logical step. Stephanie smiled back. Stephanie loved Morelli and this was a good thing. It might not have been the most romantic proposal, but neither she nor Morelli were the romantic type. It was a proposal that was celebrated with family, and that's what you did in the Burg. She looked down at her hand, where the diamond winked back at her like a flashing warning light.

"Sounds good." Stephanie tried to sound like she meant it.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered what Ranger had wanted to talk to her about today. His sudden appearance on the sidewalk had caught her off guard. She'd been tired, grumpy, and hungry. She should have heard him out. Seen what he needed. There was no way she would ever be able to repay Ranger for all the help he'd given her over the years. He might say there was no price, but there really wasn't much she wouldn't do for him. She felt a familiar pain in her chest. It was getting harder and harder not to make a fool of herself. When she looked into those beautiful, soft eyes that sparkled with humor and intelligence it was hard to remember that she didn't do casual. She was already just a little in love with him, and that would never do.

Of course, the universe just might have been sending her a sign. If she'd gone to the beach with him, she would have avoided this whole engagement fiasco. Then again, that would have just been jumping from the frying pan into the fire. She might have avoided a marriage proposal from Morelli, but who would have kept her heart safe from Ranger.

She didn't think her heart would survive another encounter. Ranger had made his position crystal clear, and only a fool would think that someday things would change. Because that was the problem with someday. There might be seven days in the week, but someday wasn't one of them. Someday was just an illusion, and someday was never coming.

Stephanie and Morelli said their goodbyes and headed to her apartment. As soon as they were in the door, Morelli was unbuttoning her blouse and pushing her towards the bedroom, dropping his t-shirt and unbuttoning his jeans as he went. At least he was predictable, Morelli's first thought was always of sex. Not that there was anything wrong with sex. Morelli was an amazing lover, but Ranger, well he was pure magic. All heat and fire. After their one night together, it was hard not to wish for the man that could make her see stars and sing a halleluiah chorus, but that was the problem with magic. It was just an illusion.

Stephanie tried to get in the mood, but it was elusive. Her thoughts bounced between the fact she and Morelli were suddenly engaged and Ranger. If she'd just gone to the beach with Ranger her brain chastised.

Morelli rolled on a condom, and Stephanie winced a little when he pushed inside of her. She wasn't really ready, but Morelli didn't seem to notice. In his defense, he had made a valiant effort. It was her; her mind was racing in a thousand directions like a greyhound chasing a mechanical rabbit around the track, destined to never catch it. Stephanie was afraid she was destined to never find the answers to her questions.

As she stared at the ceiling, she wondered how things had gotten to this point. She was engaged to Morelli. It was official. There was a ring on her finger that marked her as his, and pledged her fidelity and life to him. Stephanie was officially well on her way to being respectable. Whatever the hell that actually meant. Mostly she figured it just meant boring.

A tear leaked out of her eye and rolled down her face. She was lucky. She was engaged. She loved Morelli, so why was it that her thoughts were of another man? A man that didn't even want her. Ranger's life plan didn't include relationships, marriage, or her. Not ever. He'd pushed her back to Morelli and told her to repair her relationship with him.

Righteous anger rolled over Stephanie. Ranger hadn't even been out of her bed for eight whole hours before he ditched her. It had hurt a lot more than she had expected. Not that she really knew what to expect from the DeChooch deal. Yeah, OK, who was she kidding, that wasn't really true, she'd known exactly what to expect. Sex had been the offer, and she'd accepted. Ranger had gotten what he wanted and moved on. Stephanie had gotten some fabulous sex, but she hadn't gotten exactly what she wanted.

She should have asked more questions before she rolled into bed with Ranger, because a man like that would sear himself on your soul and ruin you for all other men. As she prayed for Morelli to hurry, she was just a little terrified Ranger had already ruined her. She pushed that thought away, and told herself it was silly. She was going to marry Morelli and she was going to be happy.

Stephanie was going to forget all about Ricardo Carlos Manoso and his flawless skin, soft, silky hair and his perfect body. She wondered, what his friends and family called him. Was it Ranger or was it Carlos? It was pretty clear she was neither. There was just one problem with her grand plan. Ranger was the sort of lover who could make a woman forget she valued commitment. All dark and alluring he had plagued her thoughts and starred in her dreams every night since. If she was honest, he had starred in a lot of her fantasies long before that fateful night. Stephanie had damn near wanted to jump him the minute he'd walked into the diner.

Marriage had never been big on Stephanie's list of priorities, and it still wasn't. Although she had to admit her mother was starting to wear her down. The constant nagging, the disapproving looks, the comparison to her sister. Eventually it tore a person down. It made her wonder if maybe her life really was pathetic and incomplete without a husband and kids. Stephanie had a hamster, and most days that was more than she could handle. How could she ever be trusted with another tiny human? Stephanie liked kids OK, as long as they were someone else's. Her mother had insisted her biological clock was ticking, but really the only thing Stephanie could feel was the throbbing behind her eyeball when the topic of kids came up.

Every time she had thought about settling down with Morelli, having kids, or being a housewife, Stephanie got nauseous. She wasn't entirely sure why, but it was possible a little part of that had to do with Ranger. She didn't want to admit it, but she was afraid she was addicted to him and to the freedom and adrenaline that came with being a bounty hunter. Ranger thrilled her, he excited her, he let her fly. Maybe she wasn't cut out for sedate or normal.

Over the years, Stephanie's relationship with Ranger had been many things. Ranger had been her mentor, protector, employer, as well as her one-time lover. Her feelings for him were dangerous and complicated. And, apparently one-sided. It was time to grow-up and stop playing bounty hunter, rolling in dog poop, and getting shot at. She would no longer be in Ranger's orbit and he would just slide right out of her life, and that would be that. The two biggest issues between her and Morelli would be solved. No more bounty hunter and no more Ranger. A heaviness settled over her, but she pushed it away.

This was all for the best. She wanted this. She wanted a life with Morelli. She ignored the fact she wanted that life because that was the only one available to her. There were a lot of reasons she had avoided marriage to Morelli. His family, his friends, his job were all factors. Not to mention he hated her being a bounty hunter. A job she liked, most days anyway. Morelli wanted a woman that would put him first, raise his kids, and tend to his house. Stephanie wasn't sure if that is what she wanted. On occasion, they both thought maybe Stephanie wasn't the right woman for Morelli, but apparently that had changed and the die had been cast, because Stephanie and Morelli were getting married.

The reason she wasn't married to Ranger was much simpler. He hadn't asked, and that was the rub now wasn't it.

As she waited for Morelli to finish, she realized, when he asked her to marry him, she hadn't responded. Everyone, including Morelli, had just assumed it's what she wanted. Stephanie had never said yes, and no one seemed to notice or even care. Another hot tear popped out and ran down her cheek.

She could tell by his breathing and the rhythm Morelli was close. She felt relieved and she made a few noises of encouragement to hurry him along. It was just the wine and shock talking. Morelli was a good man and a good cop, and she loved him. Sure, they had a bit of a rocky history, and Morelli expected her to change once they were married. To give up her job and her friends, but that's what you did when you loved someone. You made sacrifices. You molded your lives together. Stephanie ignored the fact hers was the only life that would be changing.

Morelli finished and rolled off of her breathing hard, and pulled her into his arms. A couple of minutes went by where Morelli caught his breath and Stephanie pretended it had been good for her too.

"I think our families are really happy that we are finally engaged." Morelli told her as he stroked his hand down her back.

"Umm humm." Stephanie murmured.

She couldn't help but wonder if Morelli was happy.

"My mom has already reserved the VFW banquet hall, and talked to Father John to make sure he was available. He agreed to marry us in the church even though neither of us attend regularly. I'm pretty sure he's afraid Bella will give him the eye and his teeth will fall out." Morelli told her as he continued the lazy circles on her back.

Stephanie propped herself up on her elbow. Stephanie wasn't sure if she was more shocked that Bella had threatened a priest with the evil eye, or the fact they had picked her wedding date.

"Your mother set a wedding date for us?" Stephanie knew her voice sounded strangled and high pitched. She was rapidly veering into hysteria.

"Yeah, June sixteenth I think."

"That's less than two months away." Stephanie hissed.

"Come on cupcake, nobody thinks we need a long engagement. We've been dancing around this for years, and let's face it, your ovaries aren't getting any younger." Morelli sounded vaguely annoyed and that just set Stephanie's teeth on edge.

"Jesus Joe, my ovaries are none of your business. Besides what about your." Stephanie waved her hand in a vague gesture. "Your parts. It's not like you're getting any younger. You're older than me."

Morelli grinned. "Cupcake my parts are just fine. Besides my Uncle Mickey had his last kid at seventy-six, so I've got time."

Stephanie rolled her eyes, because clearly following in the footsteps of Uncle Mickey was something to aspire to.

"But I don't even have a dress or bridesmaids or anything." Stephanie wailed to cover her growing panic. Engaged was one thing, but now they had a date and it was just a few short weeks away.

"Oh, your mom and your sister are taking you shopping on Saturday for the dress. Not sure about the bridesmaids but I think Valerie and Mary Lou are all locked in."

Stephanie's eyebrows climbed about two inches up her head. Clearly Morelli had been in on the planning for a while. "And you're just OK with this." Stephanie thought she sounded suspiciously like that kid from the exorcist.

Morelli looked a little uncomfortable. "Sure, I mean we always knew we were going to get married. Right?"

Stephanie just stared at him disbelief and irritation flashing across her face. It was clear Morelli knew she was about to switch into rhino mode, and he made an attempt to avert that little disaster.

"Besides there are benefits." Morelli teased.

"Like?" Stephanie hissed.

Morelli gave her a kiss, with a fair amount of tongue and Stephanie kissed him back. Morelli definitely had some good qualities, and she was thinking he might be right about those benefits.

"Let me hit the high points for you. Wedding cake, oral sex, plus you can have my credit card." Morelli grinned at her.

Stephanie couldn't help but smile back. "OK, so I definitely like the cake part. And the credit card part isn't so bad."

Morelli rolled her underneath him, kissing her neck. "And the oral sex part." He growled as he worked his way down her body.

"That too." She whispered as his mouth found just the right spot.

This could definitely work she thought.