Everything and everyone familiar belongs to Janet. Mistakes are mine alone.
Chapter 2
"You know what? Screw it," I said out loud.
"Would you mind filling me in on what or who needs screwing?" Ranger asked me, his eyes cutting to me as he stopped for a light.
"It just dawned on me that I don't have to wait for what I want anymore, so I'm making 'someday soon' today."
He got us moving again when the light changed to green, but I can tell I just totally killed his driving Zen. "Are you saying that you think we should get married today?" He asked.
"Yes. You're the guy I want to not grow old with. You seem interested in the idea. And I'm tired of fear making me miss out on stuff. If you were serious about wanting to marry me, then I won't stand in our way."
"Thank you, I think. But this isn't only my decision. You have to be sure."
"I am. We need rings, though. We could go find some, but I'm a little worried I'm going to change my mind by the time we pull up to a jewelry store."
"There's no hurry, Babe. I only suggested we do it now to get you used to the idea, and indicate that I'm ready to take that step whenever you are. We can hit the courthouse today or five years from now. It won't change how I see us."
"But I don't wanna wait five years. I'm known for acting without thinking if my gut tells me that I'm doing the right thing. And you are the right thing for me … and I want everyone to know it."
He nodded. Good. I've convinced him that I'm serious and am not just having a knee jerk reaction after an encounter with a big jerk.
"Alright. If you're sure," he said.
"I am. So where's the nearest ring shop? I'm okay with a Macy's run. We can make it to Quaker Bridge in about eleven minutes."
"There's no need." After he turned left to take us further away from the mall but closer to the courthouse, he kept one hand on the wheel and dug his wallet out with the other. He tossed the folded square of leather onto my lap. "Open it and check the pocket hidden behind my ID."
My eyes shot to him. "I get to rifle through your wallet?"
"You can, but I know you're too curious to waste time snooping for incriminating evidence I wouldn't keep in something that could be taken off my body."
"Do you have to be such a smartass?"
"Yes."
I sighed but did what he said to do. My mouth dropped open when a little digging produced a tiny velvet bag. That was not what I was expecting.
"Now open that," Ranger told me.
"I'm not sure I want to."
"Trust me, you do."
I did and poured out a platinum, three-band engagement ring/wedding band combo. I'm pretty sure my eyebrows were lodged into my hairline by the time I took my eyes off the large diamond solitaire and the two complementary bands that were caging it in, which were lined with enough little stones to add up to the 'centerpiece' carat-number.
He pulled into the parking lot of the courthouse and waited to speak until he found a place to park. "There's your engagement ring and a solitaire enhancer to act as your wedding bands. Put together like they are right now, they cover both our minutes-long engagement and our impending marriage. I told you I was serious about this."
"You were also really prepared, looks like," I added.
"I'm always prepared for the bad and for the very good. Now you don't have to worry about rings. Yours are in your hand."
"But what about you? If I'm marrying you, I'm putting a ring on your finger." I looked at my thumb where I'd slid Cal's father's ring for safe keeping. I gave Ranger a thumb's up so he could see the idea that was forming. "Do you think Cal and his Dad would mind if we borrow this? We can go shopping for the ring I want to give you after we seal the deal."
"I think Cal may pass out like he did at Lisa's birth, if his finger-weapon is used as a commitment-sealer for us."
"That settles it then. Let's do this, Batman. I'm ready. I have everything I need."
Ranger isn't a traditional guy, so I wasn't surprised that he didn't wait for the 'kiss the bride' part of the day to lean my way and plant a honeymoon-worthy kiss on me.
"Yes," I breathed out, when my brain stopped short-circuiting.
"Yes, what?" Ranger asked, looking more amused than internally battling a lust-attack.
Guess I'll have to up my game when we get down to officiating things.
"Yes, I'll marry you," I told him.
"Yes, you will. Minutes from now if I have my way."
Needless to say, Ranger always gets his way. Even though we're short a marriage license, he had it under control.
"I'm sure you have it on file," he told the clerk. "I'd hate to learn something that important was misplaced. We can fill out another one if you'd like, but the waiting period will need to be waived."
"You're scary," I whispered to him, as we were soon passed a paper to sign.
"And you love me for it."
"Right now ... I really, really do."
I didn't have much time to rethink my decision. As soon as the name Manoso started circulating around the building … a judge Ranger must know came out of his chambers and gestured us over.
"Carlos! I'd ask what brings you here, but this," he held up our marriage license application, "already tells me all I need to know. If you don't object …" he laughed to himself, "sorry … just little Judge-humor …"
"Jeez, and I thought Ranger-humor was bad," I told them.
"Can't say I know that one firsthand," Judge Jokey said. "Carlos isn't one to express much emotion."
"Only because he saves them all for me … impatience, anger, humor, incredulity …" I began to list.
"How about we save the rest for the vows, Babe?"
"Speaking of, like I was in the process of saying … if you don't mind, I'll be doing the honors of marrying the two of you to each other."
"Stephanie, this is Judge Jamal Kelton. We met not long after I moved to Trenton."
"Nice to meet you," I told the guy.
"It's even nicer to meet you, Stephanie. Now, are you two ready?"
"If you'd been in the parking lot five minutes ago, you'd know nothing is going to stop us."
He turned to Ranger. "I like her."
Ranger's eyes stayed on me. "So do I."
Although the room and the vows were standard, having Ranger's dark eyes locked on me the entire time, and his hands refusing to let go of mine, made the moment feel intimate and special. The ceremony turned out more like I'd expect it to when I noticed that Judge Kelton raised his eyebrows and coughed in surprise when my turn came and I slid the silver skull onto Ranger's ring finger.
"It's our good luck charm," I told him, realizing I meant it as soon as I heard the words come out.
"Alright then, by the power vested in me … I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now k …"
Ranger held up his hand. "I'm familiar with what comes next … and was really looking forward to it," he said, and then I was in his arms with him kissing me in a very unlawful way, inside the Judge's chambers no less.
"My work here is done," I could sorta hear the judge say over the roaring in my ears and the inner moaning of my hormones.
He placed a congratulatory smack to Ranger's back and then he let himself out like we weren't in his place.
"Happy Wedding Day, Batman. I should warn you, you are now stuck with me for a wife. I can say for sure that unfortunate bit of news did not make the Dick Orr happy."
"Dickie is an asshole, and can you please stop bringing up other men now that I've been legally declared yours?"
"Yup. I'd rather talk about you anyway. Thank you for sticking with me through ... well ... everything."
"My pleasure, Mrs. Manoso. You ready to inform the men of what your felonious assault on a police officer led to?"
"Yes, but we're making a stop first. I like Cal and all, but my husband is wearing a ring I pick for him. If you argue with me, there will be no honeymoon night."
He leaned forward and kissed me again. I was relieved his judge-y friend was nowhere in sight, because Ranger held nothing back, which included his tongue and both hands.
"There is most definitely going to be a honeymoon night tonight," he said into my lips, when he ended the kiss but didn't pull away. "But we can hit a store on the way home."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Keep in mind that I'm paying for my/your ring before you take me somewhere you'd normally slap down what amounts to my entire salary."
I waggled my ring finger in front of him for emphasis.
"I could …"
"No," I said, cutting him off. "This is as non-negotiable as a divorce would be."
"Get in the car before I change my mind."
"About marrying me?" I teased.
"No. About letting you have your way … again."
He indulged my wanting to take a picture, or two, of our rings before opening the door for me to pass through ahead of him. He linked our fingers as we left the courthouse and walked back to his car.
"Are you already forgetting that this was actually your idea?" I pointed out.
"You started it by wearing that dress and looking fit to kill."
"So the bloodthirsty-thing turns you on."
"You turn me on. Always have."
Before he opened the passenger's door, I pressed a kiss to his mouth, wrapped my arms around him, and squeezed. It's not common knowledge, but Ranger is an excellent hugger. It's a gesture of affection I don't let myself accept very often, so I honestly don't know how I managed to end up married to the best cuddler there is.
"Is it okay if I call Mary Lou and let her know that I'm not in jail, but ended up ball-and-chained to you?" I asked, once we were buckled in and Ranger was pulling out of the lot.
"Make sure you tell her exactly like that so she'll know you're telling her the truth. Saying you just 'married the man of your dreams' will likely worry her far more than the thought of you attacking Morelli."
"Hah-hah. That's soooo funny, but also pretty accurate if you want me to go all cheesy on you."
His ghost of a grin was still threatening to become a wolf one by the time Mary Lou answered my call.
"Shit. Am I your one phone call?" She asked me in a rush.
"No. One, because Ranger was with me and he'd handle our release by using his cell or the Chief's to call his lawyers. And two, the cops were never called. I think Joe would be too embarrassed to tell his buddies that I socked him."
"So you didn't change your mind?"
She sighed under that knowledge.
"No, I did actually. I hit him square in the abs he keeps bragging about." The look I shot Ranger's midsection clearly said Joe has no clue what 'killer abs' are because he hasn't been up close and inspecting Ranger's. "Crap, now that I'm thinking about it, I could've just given him a reason to yank up his shirt and flash unsuspecting women, if he's as bruised as I hope. I'll have to ask Grandma to light a candle for me at church on Sunday as penance. Anyway, I called to tell you that I am okay and also that I just got married … to Ranger."
I held my cell away from my ear so her shriek wouldn't rupture my eardrum.
"Oh, oh, OH MY GOD," she wheezed after a minute of making noises only a dolphin could translate. "I think I'm hyperventilating."
"Breathe, Mare. I need you to calm down because I have a gift/mission for you."
"What? You already skipped over the bachelorette and bridal parties. Wait, are you sure you aren't just messing with me? Did you really just get married?"
"Hold on." I took a picture of my left hand with Ranger's phone and emailed the picture to Mary Lou. "Okay, I'm back. Check your email when you hang up. Apparently both you and Batman knew this day was coming, and I have the rings to prove it."
"You knew too, Steph, or you wouldn't have agreed to marry him," she said, proving why she's been my best friend for almost our entire lives.
"You have a point. Since it was an impromptu decision and ceremony, I had to improvise. But to make up for you missing out on the ceremony you probably willed into existence … you get to tell the Burg what I've gone and done this time. Oh, and make sure to add that I'm turning my cell off while I hunt down a Batman wedding band.
"Babe."
"Fine, maybe not a literal Batman ring," I told him, "but definitely something that captures who you are … and what you've always meant to me."
After I hung up, finding Ranger's ring didn't take as long as I thought it would. A simple 5mm platinum band, I knew would speak to his no-fuss nature and appreciation of quality products. But an added band of black rhodium running along the center of the platinum ring sitting beside it in the case, to me represented ... Rangeman, his life spent on the road before he started the company, and the black marks against his soul I hope to be able to erase one by one. So that's the band I bought.
"Now I'm ready to go give this skull back to its rightful owner," I told Ranger, only partially worried about what was just taken out of my bank account.
Ranger pays his employees well, even those who've worked only part time, and I'm my father's daughter and hate to waste money … so I did have enough to buy something that I'm going to personally make sure never comes off Ranger's finger.
We got back to the Rangeman building and I was mindful of the cameras everywhere, only kissing Ranger twice while we took the elevator up to the fifth floor. I would've run over to hug Cal when we stepped into the control room, but I didn't want him to drop dead from shock. Instead, I calmly walked over to him and held out my hand to put his Dad's ring back in his.
"I can't thank you enough, Cal," I told him. "You and your Dad made a huge difference today."
"Did you punch the fucker?" Lester asked.
"Yup. I also married the Boss while we happened to be out. He came prepared," I told the men in the room, holding up my left hand. "But I was acting on impulse again and Mr. Skull Head became a stand-in during our vows until I could replace him with the permanent finger-shackle Ranger's wearing."
Again, no one was sure if we were kidding or not, so I grabbed Ranger's hand and played Show & Tell with his new wedding band. Just for good measure, I showed them the picture I took of Cal's ring on Ranger's finger while Ranger's hand was wrapped around my left one. We don't have a lot of evidence of our nuptials except for our marriage license and the pictures I took right before we left the Judge's chambers. And really, that's all Ranger and I need.
"Holy shit!" Lester yelled. "You aren't fucking with us."
"Clean up the language," Ranger warned him, "or you'll be 'grounded' for another week."
He snorted. "Guess having a wife hasn't softened you up any."
"Dude, his wife is Stephanie-Fucking-Plum," Woody said, coming over as the news started to spread throughout the room, and no doubt throughout the whole building in a few seconds. "You think he'll relax, not just get more alert?"
"Technically, it's Stephanie-Fucking-Manoso now," I told them. "I have the court-approved marriage license to prove it. I just have to get the SSA and DMV on board with the whole name change-thing."
"I'll take care of it," Ranger told me.
I smiled up at him. "See? I knew there were perks to marrying you. I should've done it a lot sooner."
"Yeah, you should've," Bobby said, "maybe then we would've been invited."
I shook my head at him. "Nope, you aren't going to make us feel guilty. What you are going to do is make Ranger and I full by throwing us a casual reception here and ordering tons of pizza from Shorty while the Boss and I go give Julie the good news."
"Jeez," Junior said, "she's been married to the Boss for like a half-hour, and she's already sounding like him."
My head shook in the negative. "That's not at all true. We all know Ranger would prefer our reception be catered by Whole Foods or a Farmer's Market."
"I'll call Shorty," Tank stated, taking control of a situation he knows will quickly spin out of his control.
On some level, I still believe Ranger kept this building and business hidden from me, until I retraced his truck back to it, because he foresaw my personality getting along a little too well with those of his men.
"Thanks, Tank. We owe you," I told him.
"Just stay happy and married so I never have to deal with this shit again."