Chapter 10

The following year, Mateo Manoso, Marcus Santos and André Sherman met with the CEO of a new local security company. I was missing my children, so they invited me to attend their business dinner. It was the day I met Ricardo Carlos Manoso. He was exactly how Mateo and Celia described. Extremely attractive, sexy... okay they didn't say that, but it's still true, and he's very quiet. Ranger, as he preferred to be called, is slightly darker than Mateo and Celia... more mocha latte than they are. He has long straight black hair, pulled into a low pony tail tied by a leather strip and dark brown eyes. His eyes slightly warmed as he checked me out. I could tell he likes what he sees.

When business was completed, I asked Carlos about his military career. After disclosing he was a Ranger, I tensed and my face paled. He attempted to discover the reason for my reaction, but I wasn't willing to offer an explanation at this time. I quickly excused myself before I could break down and cry in front of complete strangers.

Celia called the minute I walked into the house, "Steph. I'm coming over. Please let me in. I'll be there in 10 minutes." I was thankful to have Celia as my best friend. Whenever I needed a confidant, she was readily available. Jasmine and Alexandria tried to help, but Celia has been my friend for such a long time and understood exactly how my brain works.

She arrived at the same time as Mateo and Carlos. I groaned when I saw Carlos exit the car. "Why did you bring him?" I asked Mateo, clearly not happy about the intrusion into my private life.

He pulled me into his embrace and whispered, "He was worried about you." Mateo meant well, but Carlos was a complete stranger. Carlos knows next to nothing about me or how my brain works. Right now, it was more than I was able to process.

I really didn't have the energy to play hostess. Celia being the wonderful friend she is asked, "Can I offer anyone something to drink? Steph has water, coffee, tea, and lemonade."

Carlos and Mateo said, "Water." I could hear her put the kettle on the stove and grab mugs from the cupboard. She was making me tea, knowing exactly what I needed to calm myself.

I accepted the hot tea she gave me. She squeezed herself beside me on the oversized chair. It was obvious we were close friends. I was surprised she didn't spill our teas as she shifted until we were in our comfortable spots.

"Teo, I'm fine. I was taken by surprise when he mentioned the Rangers." I put my head on Celia's shoulder as she wrapped her free arm around my waist. "Sorry Celia, I forgot you already told me he was a Ranger. I've been living in Denial Land since I felt Jeremy die." Tears streamed down my face as I remembered the day I felt Jeremy's spirit leave me. The pain was almost as fresh as it was on that fateful day.

"It's alright to miss him Stephanie. Jeremy Richards was your husband. From the stories you shared, he was the love of your life," she quietly said.

I noticed Carlos raise his head when Celia mentioned my husband's name. His eyes carefully assessed me before he spoke. "You're Stephanie Plum?" he asked. How could he not know who I was? I assumed he met me at Jeremy's funeral. So many people attended the funeral and everything was a big blur on that day. It took a few minutes to realize why he never made the connection.

Giving him the benefit of doubt I said, "Legally I'm Stephanie Romano. My 'incubator' wouldn't allow me to use my birth surname and Jeremy made me promise not to use his. Romano was my mother-in-law's maiden name. Jeremy was already in Ranger training. He didn't know I changed my name. Didn't we meet at his funeral?"

"No, I was away on a mission. May I?" he asked, kneeling in front of me and holding out his hands. Reluctantly, I set down my tea and placed my hands into his. They were very warm. I felt myself instantly relax from his touch. "I would like to talk about your husband. Will you please listen to my story?"

"I'll try." Celia gently rubbed small circles on my back, silently offering her support. I leaned back into her, pressing my body closer to her. She set aside her mug before wrapping her arm tighter around me.

"Tank, Lester, Bobby, Cal and I were deployed to Afghanistan to rescue a missing Rangers team. We discovered a member of the missing team sold their position to an enemy faction. It took nearly a year to discover where the 3 men were being held. Peter Nichols, the traitor, told General Rogers that he was barely able to escape his capture. He said Jeremy, Michael and Colin were captured and tortured. Colin died from his injuries during the first night. Their captors were more careful with their techniques after losing one of their toys. Before we extracted them, I overheard Peter telling Jeremy that his wife Stephanie Plum died in an explosion at his childhood home. Jeremy begged Peter to kill him.

My sniper, Cal, ended Peter's life that night. We managed to neutralize the guards to rescue Jeremy and Michael. They spent several years in a German hospital. Only Michael's next of kin was notified of his survival. According to our intel reports, Jeremy had no surviving family members to notify. It wasn't until his last mission when we were told of your survival. Jeremy and his team completed another dangerous mission in Columbia. Given the dire circumstances, my team was sent to extract them. Jeremy lost 2 members of his team during that mission."

Ranger paused to take a drink of water. Grabbing a hold of my hands again, he continued, "Both Jeremy and Michael were injured. As we maneuvered our way to the extraction site, I quietly told Jeremy you were still alive. He said couldn't wait to see his beautiful wife again. We continued our way through the jungle when we were ambushed. My team eliminated the enemies, but we were mistaken. One more man was waiting for us in the bushes close to the extraction site. As he fired his weapon, Jeremy covered my body with his. He saved my life that day because I had a daughter back home. I owe your husband my life."

Celia wrapped her arms around me, pulling me onto her lap and held me as I cried. "Didn't he know about his children?" I screamed. "He saves your life for your daughter's sake, but couldn't save his life for our son and daughter?" His face blanched before slamming a blank expression in its place. An expression I frequently saw on Dad's face. I knew he was hiding his emotions from us.

"Babe. He didn't know. Nobody knew. Our intel only mentioned he had a wife, Stephanie Plum," he sadly stated.

When my sobs subsided, I said, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. There was no way for him to know his twins were born to Stephanie Romano."

I shifted my position on Celia's lap. She quickly sensed I needed time alone. "Okay everyone," she announced, "Time to give Stephanie time alone."

"Carlos, thank you for telling me your story. Maybe someday we could talk again," I said in attempt to be a good hostess. I was in no condition to carry on any more conversations. Hopefully Celia will stay with me tonight. Even though I wanted to be alone, I really didn't want to be alone. I know it's confusing, but it's exactly how I feel.

"It would be my pleasure. Goodnight Babe," he said before kissing my forehead. Celia stayed the night. She slept beside me in my bed with her arms wrapped around me. If I swung that way, I could totally see me falling for her. She's a very kind, gentle, generous and beautiful woman... and my best friend.

A few months later, Manoso, Santos and Sherman decided to close their doors to work exclusively for Rangeman Inc. They moved their offices onto the second floor in the Rangeman building. Rangeman was officially open in Miami. It was to be their head office.

Carlos, Ranger as his employees called him, offered me a job as researcher and client liaison. I was getting to know Ranger and his team. Ranger volunteered to be my mentor. He seemed surprised by my accuracy in the gun range. "Jeremy taught me how to shoot a gun. I visit the gun range several times a week to maintain my skills," I explained.

"Something tells me that's not the whole story," he stated. It was funny how he could easily read my expression.

"I really enjoy playing paintball. Curt and Lory always enjoyed our outings with Teo, André and Celia." When he smiled, I realized he was already privy to this information. I wonder how much Celia and Mateo spilled to their brother.

To his staff, I noticed Ranger was implying I was his woman. He was an attractive Cuban Adonis. I often fantasized about spending a night with him, but I was still very much in love with Jeremy. Sure I was very attracted to him, but Jeremy often warned me to stay away. Ranger would never be able to commit or remain faithful. He often took jobs where he was required to cozy up to females during undercover operations. I learned he often volunteered for those missions, where he could have sex with these women to gain intelligence. That news knocked him down a few pegs on my scale of desirable men. He was not a man with whom I should become emotionally or physically entangled.

Celia let it slip this was the reason for his marriage demise. Ranger became too involved with a woman during a mission. When he returned home, he accidentally called Rachel by the other woman's name. It's the reason he started calling attractive women 'Babe.' I thought it was absolutely horrible. Using a nickname so he doesn't have to remember the woman's name made me sick to my stomach. Just how many women has he fucked during his military career? I certainly hope he was smart enough to use protection.

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into an embrace. I felt his lips touch mine. Quickly, I pulled away. "Ranger, please don't do that again. I'm not interested in having a relationship with you." It would take a very special man to win my heart. A man who would be faithful and never place himself in a position where he could potentially cheat on me.

In fact, there was a man currently holding my interest. I've only met him once, but I started feeling a strong connection to him. He's Jeremy's best friend Michael Ramsey. Kissing Ranger felt like I was cheating on Jeremy.

Ranger stupidly replied, "That's alright. I wasn't looking for a relationship. My life doesn't lend to relationships. I can't offer you a ring, but a condom will come in handy." I was furious. He only showed interest to convince me to sleep with him. We were friends and I was not interested in being his friend with benefits. I wanted more out of a relationship. In one stupid, yet truthful statement, he completely destroyed my faith in him.

"Thank you for your honesty, Ranger. I will always be your friend, but we will never be more. Having a friend with benefits isn't what I want for myself. I deserve more than being a convenient bed buddy. Find another woman to help you scratch your itch."

I was mortified when I heard Mateo yell, "Carlos, did you seriously proposition Stephanie?" Oh boy, I must have shouted at him. It's so embarrassing having everyone hear you yell at the boss. I could also tell Mateo was furious.

"Babe," Ranger pleaded. I could only interpret that word as him saying, 'please tell him he's wrong.' Ya... like that's going to happen. Mateo is not wrong. Now I understand why he never introduced Alexandria to Ranger until they were engaged. Alex had him pegged within the first few minutes after meeting him. I never agreed with her assessment until now.

"She can charge you with sexual harassment and win," André stated. I didn't realize he joined the party. Tears filled my eyes as I left the room. André and Mateo can handle our boss Ranger. I was mortified.

A few days later, Ranger joined his core team in Trenton to open a new office. It would be their fourth office. He also has an office in Atlanta and Boston. I've talked to several of the employees as we standardized searches.

I wonder if I could ever find someone else to love. Jeremy wanted me to give Michael a chance. We frequently texted and talked when our schedules aligned. His contract with the Rangers ended. He said he signed for a maximum of 5 missions where his sniper skills are required. I was surprised, but he assured me he could accept or refuse any mission assigned.

When I asked about his decision, he said it was because he was having trouble finding a civilian job other than Rangeman. He worked part time at the Boston office when it first opened, but he was chomping at the bit to continue on special ops missions. I wondered if he was working at Rangeman full time now or if he was still unsettled.

The following night, my phone was ringing on my night stand. I checked the time before reading the caller ID. "Hello Michael," I answered. "It's 2 am, are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Not really, but I had a feeling I should call you," he said with his voice hitching. He was obviously upset and I knew he needed me.

"Michael, what do you need?" I gently asked hoping he would come home to me.

"Someone to understand," he answered. I could tell he was trying to silently cry. A small hitch in his breathing was the only telltale sign.

"Where are you? Can you get to Miami?" I wasn't sure why I was asking him to come to Miami. It seemed like the best option at the moment.

"Fort Benning in Georgia. Just under 9 hours if I drive, 3 and a half by helicopter," he honestly answered.

"Do you have access to a helicopter?" I wanted him to arrive as soon as possible. Something told me he was teetering on the edge.

"I have a buddy who owes me a favour."

"Tell me where to pick you up," I stated.

"Okay. I'll text the details," he promised. I really wanted to tell him not to do anything drastic, but I was afraid of causing more harm.

'0900 Helipad on Rangeman building. Do you need an address?' I laughed when I read the message. No... I do not need the address.

'I know where it is. See you soon.' It was an amazing coincidence. He is being delivered almost on my doorstep. Rangeman was hiring for their Trenton office. I wonder if they would have a job available for Michael.

It took me another hour to fall asleep. Before I was ready, my alarm sounded at 5:30 am. I was scheduled to meet Manny in the gym. He was teaching me self defence until Lester Santos returned to Miami. Marcus ensured me his son was highly skilled in martial arts. He also warned me Lester was a bit of a lady's man like Carlos. I was surprised to learn Marcus was Ranger's uncle. His sister was married to Ranger's dad. It is becoming a very small world.

After working with the Miami team, I quickly learned each man personally served with Ranger during their Army or Ranger careers. Ranger selected men he implicitly trusted to work at Rangeman. For a man so focused on integrity, honesty and loyalty, he was certainly lacking in his personal life skills.

I bet many women fell victim to Ranger's charms. Fortunately, I had the strength to stop his advances from weakening my resolve. Mateo invited me to attend the morning meeting to represent the research department.

"Welcome to the meeting lady and gentlemen," he began. I noticed several men turn in their seats to locate me. Most of them appeared to be new to the Miami office. "I've been given the task to introduce the new core team and department heads. I'm responsible for managing the Miami office. My second in command is Hal Walters. He will take care of all scheduling and payroll. Hector Hernandez is our newest hire and will take over the IT department. Silvio moved to Trenton to assist Ranger's team in setting up the new office. Finally, Manuel Ramos is in charge of our research and client relations department. These assignments were granted according to Ranger Manoso, the CEO of Rangeman. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns." He could tell I was furious.

I was absolutely livid. Ranger promised I would be the department manager. He probably changed his mind when I spurned his advances. My watched vibrated, indicating it was time to meet Michael. I quickly grabbed my belongings and left the room almost unnoticed. Hal watched as I quietly shut the door behind me. He must have noticed me grab my belongings, indicating I would not be returning. Mateo was continuing the assignments for the week. I just needed to get out of the room.

The helicopter landed as I opened the door. I remembered to prop it open with the block of wood. Only Mateo, Hal and Junior had access to the roof. Junior was the Rangeman Miami pilot. He gave his buddy Zero permission to land the helicopter at Rangeman. I waited for the blades to stop before approaching the helicopter. Michael looked absolutely horrible. I ran to his side and pulled him into my arms.

An electric charge passed between us as he slowly wrapped his arms around me. "I'm home," he whispered into my hair. His eyes were rimmed in red and he looked disheveled. I wasn't sure if it was from travelling or his latest mission. If I had to guess, his last mission was difficult. He must have lost another friend.

"Yes, you're home," I agreed. In that moment, I knew without a doubt Michael and I would always be together. Zero watched in amusement as I helped Michael step out of the helicopter. I nearly fell over as he leaned into me.

Junior arrived as I was leading Michael to the door. "Ram!" he exclaimed. "It's been too long buddy." He smiled when he greeted his friend.