Round Robin

Chapter 4.

STEPHANIE

Hal looked through the peephole, assessing whoever was outside my door. He didn't pull a gun, so I took that as a good sign. Silently he stepped back making eye contact with Ranger. As Ranger nodded at him to speak, another knock sounded.

"Hey Stephanie?" a masculine voice called out from the other side of my door. I tilted my head trying to figure out the voice. It was familiar but I had no idea who was at my door. And then he continued speaking. "Cupcake?"

I turned to Ranger. He lifted his eyebrows and mouthed "Cupcake?" at me. I shrugged my shoulders. Why do these things always happen to me?

"Your mom sent me over," continued the man outside my door. "She said you might want to have dinner."

My eyes narrowed. I wasn't sure who I was going to kill first. My mother or Joe Morelli. Why couldn't my mother get it through her head that I was not interested in Joe or any other guy from the 'Burg'?

Shooing Ranger's men out of the way, I walked to the door and checked out the peephole. Sure enough, there stood Joe Morelli. I gestured to the guys to stay back and placed a finger to my lips telling them to be quiet.

I opened the door just as Joe raised his hand to knock again.

"Hey Joe," I said to the police detective in front of me. "What can I do for you?"

I leaned against the wall and held tight to the door that I'd only opened a foot or so. Joe Morelli was not welcome in my apartment. When I was a teenager, I'd found him handsome, with a charming smile and a great butt. Now he was just a reminder of the poor choices I'd made.

A smile spread across his face as he looked me up and down. Ick.

"Hey, Cupcake. Are you free for dinner tonight? I brought Pino's. I know their meatball subs are your favorite."

He held up a huge bag of Italian food. I could smell the subs. My stomach growled at the aroma of garlic, cheese, and sauce. I was tempted to grab the bag and shut the door in his face.

"Tonight isn't good for me. I'm sorry my mom gave you bad information. I have plans," I said. Those plans didn't involve anyone from the TPD in my apartment seeing my secret admirer's handiwork, and they definitely didn't involve Joe Morelli.

"Going out with the girls? How's Mary Lou?" he asked, fishing for information.

Wouldn't you like to know?

"Nope," I responded. "I just have plans." My Burg manners made it hard for me to tell him it wasn't his business and to go away, but I was seriously tempted.

One of the guys must have bumped into something in my tiny apartment and a loud crash echoed through the small space. Before I knew it Joe's eyes narrowed, and he pushed his way into my apartment. "Hey!" I yelled as he wrenched the door out of my hands.

The guys moved quickly. By the time Joe got by me and into the apartment, it was just Ranger standing in the kitchen. His body appeared to be casually leaning against the wall just beyond the entryway. But looking closer it was obvious he was a predator ready to spring.

Joe stopped short and then the Italian temper came out. "What is he doing here? Your mom said…" I cut him off before he could really get going.

"I'm not sure why my mom said you should stop by. I'm not interested. I haven't been interested since I was a teenager. You need to leave." I'd like to believe that the threat of my crazy temper made him calm down and allow me to push him out the door. But I'm pretty sure it was Ranger with his crossed arms and steely glare.

I guided Joe out of my apartment and shut the door in his face. I half expected him to wake up and start pounding on the door again, but he didn't. At least one thing was going well for me tonight.

Once Morelli was gone and I'd watched out the window as he drove away in his old blazer, I turned back to the guys.

Ranger looked expectantly at me. "Want to explain that? Could be he's your admirer."

I hadn't even thought of Joe. Was he a creep? Yes! Was he a stalker? Doubtful. He'd just show up and bug me to death. Probably, he wouldn't threaten me.

"Ugh. Do I have to?"

Ranger just continued looking at me. Words weren't even necessary for his powers of persuasion to work on me and before long I caved. "Fine. We hooked up in high school. It didn't end well. The next time I saw him I ran him over with a Buick and broke his leg."

One of the guys, I think it was Hal, snorted at my explanation.

"I don't know why my mother keeps trying to set me up with him. I am not interested," I whined.

Ranger almost smiled at that.

"So, do I really need to stay somewhere else? Can't I just lock my door?"

"It's not a good idea. Your apartment isn't safe."

I sighed. He was probably right.

"And besides," one of the guys piped up, "there's a hole in your mattress. The knife was stuck in your bed. Where would you sleep?"

I hadn't even thought of that part.

"Okay. I'll come. But is there a kitchen where I'm staying? I have jelly orders I have to get filled in the next few days."

The guys all just stared at me.

"What? I make jams and jellies. There's a farmers market coming up that I want to sell at."

"Like homemade strawberry jam?" Cal's eyes got wide, and a look of excitement crossed his face. "My mom used to make the best strawberry jam."

"Yes!" I answered. "Homemade strawberry jam. If you all help bring my supplies, I'll make you a batch."

I got a side-eye from Ranger.

"What?" I asked.

He just shook his head. "Why don't you pack a bag, and then get your stuff together. I'll have someone come clean up here, and we can set up a security system in the next few days, okay?"

"Really? Thank you!" I was worried about what the cost would be for such a setup, but I decided that was a problem for future Stephanie.

Wandering into my room to collect my clothes, I froze again at the sight of my bed and walls. A chill ran up my spine. What if I'd been home when he showed up? Just then Ranger walked up behind me and put his arm around me. "You've had a rough day, Babe. Do you need help packing?"

I closed my eyes and leaned into him for a moment, absorbing some of his strength. Funny how someone I'd known my whole life like Joe Morelli offered no comfort, but here I was soaking it up from someone I barely knew. I'd save those thoughts for future Stephanie too.

"No, I can do this." I grabbed my old suitcase and filled it with a few days of work clothes, as well as lounge clothes and shoes. Moving into the bathroom, I continued collecting the necessities. All my hair and makeup products filled the rest of the bag.

Once I had my suitcase packed, I returned to the kitchen to get my canning supplies together. I needed my old water bath canner, passed down from my Grandma Mazur's mother as well as jars and berries. I had plans to make strawberry jam and a few flavors of jelly. Once I had everything piled next to the front door, the guys carried it all down to the trunk of the vehicle they'd driven over in.

Then Ranger locked up my apartment and with a hand on my back guided me down the hall to the stairs.

"Wait!" I yelled as we got to the bottom of the stairs. "I forgot Rex."

Ranger just raised an eyebrow at me.

"He's my hamster, little guy in a cage on the kitchen counter?"

"Let's go get Rex," Ranger said. I think he almost sighed at me.

We turned around and hiked back up to the fourth floor. My calves were going to be on fire tomorrow after all these trips up and down the stairs.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me tonight," I said softly once we were settled in his Porsche with Rex safely stowed in the back seat.

Ranger was that guy. Gorgeous and he drove a Porsche. He was way out of my league. Why was he really helping me?

A comfortable silence settled over us as he pulled out of my parking lot and motored across town.

I hadn't checked my phone since Ranger had arrived at my apartment and I was afraid of what I would find when I did. I thought about what would happen the next time I heard from my mother. I'd like to think Joe Morelli wouldn't rat me out, but that was doubtful. I sighed. My mother was never going to make my favorite dessert ever again.

"Deep thoughts?" Ranger asked as he turned onto a side street and then slowed to a stop in front of the gated driveway of a large nondescript office building.

"My mom's never going to make me pineapple upside-down cake again. I'm not doing what she wants. Once it gets back to her that I blew off Joe, my dessert life will be over."

Ranger hit a button on the dash and the metal gate slid silently open. The building towered over us, maybe seven or eight stories tall. He pulled the SUV through the gate and down into an underground parking lot. Shiny black vehicles filled the garage. Three parking spots sat alone next to the elevator. Two of the spots were occupied by a smaller Porsche and a big black truck with oversized tires and a light bar on top. We slid into the final spot closest to the elevator. This guy had great parking karma

"Let's get you upstairs to your apartment. The guys put your belongings in there already."

"Wow. Thanks."

Such great service, I thought to myself. I could get used to this place.

We exited the vehicle and Ranger lead me into the elevator. He pushed a button for the fourth floor and began to tell me about the building as we climbed higher. "If you need anything while you're here, the control center on five is always manned and someone can help you. I'll also introduce you to Ella, my housekeeper. My apartment is on the 7th floor. Once we get you settled, we can have some dinner, okay?" My stomach rumbled at the thought of dinner. I was still regretting that I didn't keep the food when I kicked Morelli out earlier.

As the elevator came to a stop, I took a deep breath and steeled myself to see what other excitement this night would bring.