Ranger was busy typing away on the laptop when he noticed Stephanie in the bedroom doorway. When her face came into focus, he realized something was wrong. She was as pale as a ghost. He quickly got up from the couch and walked to her.
"What's wrong babe?"
"Ranger, what did you mean when you said Joe was going to be permanently out of the picture?"
Starting Over
Chapter 7
"What are you talking about Steph? Tell me what's wrong, you're as pale as a ghost."
"Earlier, when we were talking you said Joe was going to be out of the picture permanently. What were you talking about?"
Ranger shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I meant that once you get a divorce he will no longer be between us. Was I wrong about that?"
"Are you sure that's all you meant?"
"Steph, tell me what's going on. Yes that's all I meant, why are you so suddenly worried about it?"
"Because Mary Lou just called. Joe's in the hospital, someone attacked him this afternoon."
Ranger pulled Stephanie into his arms. "I know what you're thinking, but it wasn't me. I won't lie, the thought of kicking his ass did cross my mind but I didn't do it."
Stephanie stared at Ranger as her blood pressure returned to normal. "If you say you didn't do it, I believe you. But the matter remains that someone did do it, so I need to get to the hospital."
"You're too shaken up to drive, let me take you."
Stephanie started to argue, but decided against it. She grabbed her bag and the two of them made their way to the car. Ranger squealed tires when he sped the Porsche from the garage.
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As the couple made their way to the 2nd floor of Trenton Memorial, Stephanie paused before entering the waiting area and turned to Ranger.
"Maybe it's best if you wait here."
"Sure thing babe."
"Thanks Ranger."
Stephanie looked back once before entering Joe's room and spotted Ranger shaking hands with Mad Dog and Carl.
She slowly pushed the door open and for the second time in one day, came face to face with the short blonde.
"Shit. Should've known you would show up."
"Excuse me? It apparently doesn't matter to you, but I am still his wife. So if you don't mind get the hell out of here and give us some privacy". Stephanie stepped towards the girl as if she was preparing for a fight to ensue.
The blonde took a step closer as well, but froze mid-movement when Joe spoke. "Crystal it's ok. Give us just a minute."
After shooting a weak scowl at Steph, Blondie turned toward the door. "I'll be back in five minutes."
Once the door closed, Stephanie turned her eyes to the man laying in the bed before her. His leg was visibly broken, his face was covered with dried blood and his nose was leaning more to the left than normal.
"Jesus Joe, what the hell happened?"
Joe chuckled softly, then grimaced in pain. "Don't bullshit me Steph. I know you sent him to the house to teach me a lesson. I'm sick of your goons always defending you."
"I don't know what you're talking about Joe. Ranger swears he had nothing to do with this and I believe him."
Joe laughed again, trying not to wince. "Should have known you would stick up for him, but you know damn well Ranger's not who did this."
"Ok Joe. Fun game you're playing here, but stop beating around the bush and just tell me what you're talking about."
"Your cousin Steph, and the fact that you sent him to 'teach me a lesson'. Of course, Carl is covering for you and says he did it on his own, but I know better than that."
Stephanie mulled over Joe's words for a moment then burst into a fit of laughter. "Carl did this to you? My Carl? The one that married my cousin? He's the guy that did this damage to you?"
"Stephanie stop the bullshit. I know you sent him to the house. I dumped you Steph, grow up and get over it."
"Don't worry Joe, that's exactly what I am doing. I just wanted to see if you were ok. I see that you are so now I'll just be going." She opened the door heading for the hallway then paused and looked back at Joe. "And Joe, what kind of name is Crystal? What is she, a stripper?"
"No Steph. She has a real job, she's a private eye."
A smile spread across Stephanie's face. "Oh how original. Well good luck, see ya in court loser."
As the door slammed shut behind her she noticed Ranger, Carl and Mad Dog laughing in a huddle in the waiting room. The men took turns laughing and patting one another on the back. Stephanie approached them slowly with her arms crossed at her chest. The laughing stopped the instance she came into their view.
Her eyes were locked on Carl. The closer she stepped to him, the further he withered backwards until he was pressed against a wall with nowhere else to go. He braced himself for the slap, punch, or hit that Stephanie was sure to send in his direction.
"Carl did you do this?"
"Ye.. yes."
"Why?"
"Because Mary Lou called the house this morning and told us what happened. I couldn't let him get away with it."
"So you decided the best course of action would be to go to his house, beat him up and break his leg?"
"Now wait a second Stephanie. Is that what Joe told you? Cause that's not what happened. I definitely went over there with that intention, but that wasn't how things went down."
Stephanie stepped closer to Carl until they were standing nearly toe to toe. "Then enlighten me. Tell me exactly what happened."
Carl flinched as he spoke, still worried about being hit. "Well um, Steph I rang the bell and when that blonde answered the door I stormed inside. I found Joe in the kitchen so I just walked up to him and punched him in the nose. Bob was circling his feet so when Joe was knocked off balance he tumbled backwards over the dog."
"Ok that explains his nose, but what about his leg?"
"Well, when he tripped over Bob, he smashed into the dining room table and caused it to collapse on top of him. The table edge hit him directly in the shin. His leg snapped instantly, then that's when the lasagna landed on his head."
"Lasagna? You men the red stuff on his face isn't blood?"
"Blood? Is that what he said? There might be some blood there, but when I pulled him out from under the table his head was completely covered in tomato sauce."
Mad Dog and Ranger tried with all their might to suppress their laughs, but failed miserably.
A smile crept up on the corner's of Steph's mouth. "So Carl, are you telling me that you didn't break Joe's leg?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you. I broke his nose, but the rest of his injuries are a result of Bob and the dining room table."
Steph paused for a moment then lunged towards Carl, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thanks for defending my honor Carl."
After realizing he wasn't going to be attacked, Carl let his hands slide around Stephanie and pulled her into his embrace. "Anytime Steph. You are technically my cousin, and I always watch out for my family."
"You're a good man, don't ever forget that."
"You don't forget that either Steph. And remember, there are a lot of good guys out there. Joe turned out to be a rotten one, but don't let him cloud your judgment of all the others." After he spoke, Carl glanced at Ranger, making sure Stephanie was understanding his hidden meaning.
"I'll try my best to remember that Carl. Now I hate to be rude and run, but I really want to get as far away from this hospital as possible."
Ranger closed the space between them and placed a soft hand on her back. "That's were I come in babe. Let's go. Dog, Carl see you guys Wednesday. And if Morelli decides to press charges let me know, my lawyer will be happy to take the case."
The two uniformed cops nodded their heads in appreciation towards Ranger as they watched the couple step inside the elevator.
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Stephanie stared at Ranger in the car until he finally broke. "Um, what's up Steph. You're staring."
"Yes I am. Just trying to figure you out."
"Figure out what? Ask me and maybe I can be of some help." He said smugly.
"Ok for starters, since when are you, Carl, and Mad Dog such good buddies?"
"Hmmm.. Probably about a year now. I helped them out on a case and they did the same for me."
Stephanie pondered the answer. "And what's happening on Wednesday?"
"Poker night. We get together every week to play."
"We? We as in who exactly."
Ranger glanced over at Steph and smiled silently to himself. He was glad he could still keep her guessing after all these years. "Well, me of course, Dog, Carl, Tank, Lester, Bobby, and sometimes Hal."
"And you guys have been doing this how long?"
"Probably 6 or 7 months. Normally we do it every week, but we skipped this past one."
"Why?"
"We have it at my place because I'm the only one without a family or significant other hanging around, but this past week that wasn't the case."
"Oh." Stephanie realized she had been the interruption. "I'm sorry I messed up your plans."
"Why? I'm not. I'd much rather have you in my apartment than a bunch of smelly, hairy men."Stephanie laughed then realized they were already back at the Rangeman building.
Neither spoke while they made their way to the apartment. Once inside, Ranger headed to the couch and returned to his laptop while Stephanie went to the bedroom to change clothes.
When Steph returned to the living room she flopped on the end of the couch opposite Ranger. "Will it disturb your work if I watch some TV?
Ranger met her eyes. "Steph. You live here. Do as you would normally do."
"I just don't want to get in your way. And besides, if you would put a TV in your bedroom like a normal person this wouldn't be an issue."
"It's not an issue." Ranger paused for a moment then slide a few inches closer to Stephanie. "And normally when I'm in the bedroom I don't have time for TV."
Stephanie blushed 3 shades of red then grabbed for the TV remote. She searched for something that had absolutely no chance of containing 'adult content'. She settled on the Cartoon Network.
Ranger continued to peck away on the laptop as Stephanie laughed through two episodes of Tom and Jerry. After the second show was winding down, a question suddenly popped in her mind. "Ranger, is your lawyer still available to me?"
He stopped typing instantly and placed the laptop on the coffee table. "Absolutely Steph. Want me to give him a call now and set up an appointment?"
"No, it's way too late to do that tonight. Maybe you can call him tomorrow though and see when he can get to me."
"Name the day babe. I've already alerted him to the situation and he knows to make you priority #1 whenever you decide to start the proceedings."
"Thanks." His answer stirred through her mind. Too many questions formed and she felt unable to express them. Luckily, even after two years Ranger's ESP was still working well.
"Spit it out Steph."
"Spit what out?"
"Don't play with me babe. Tell me what it was I just said that made you unhappy. I can see it your eyes."
Stephanie exhaled deeply. "It's just… that I'm feeling a little pushed here."
"Pushed how?" Ranger turned his body so he was completely facing her.
"Well, you have your lawyer already on the attack. And I get the feeling that if I could have the divorced finaled tomorrow, you would be popping the question to me tomorrow night. Everything's just happening so fast."
Ranger placed his hand on her thigh and slowly began to stroke her in the most soothing motion she had ever felt. "Stephanie, I don't mean to push you. I just wanted you to have everything you need, when you need it. And if you were divorced tomorrow I honestly don't know what I would do. This has been a shock to my system as well. One day I felt like I had lost you forever, and the next I saw a glimmer of hope. I swear I don't mean to push you, and I'll do my best to give you as much room as you need. But understand I've dreamed about being with you for three years, and now that you're so close it's taking all my willpower not to devour you."
The thoughts of being devoured by those Cuban lips sent a warm wave through Steph's entire body. "Thought you didn't do the pity fuck thing?" Stephanie teased bravely.
Ranger slide his body across the couch until he had hers pinned between his broad shoulders. His lips brushed hers lightly as he spoke, "That's true, because the next time I fuck you, there will be nothing pitiful about it."
Stephanie gulped loudly and braced for Ranger's impact, but it never came. When she pried her eyes open, she watched him push himself from the couch then offer her a hand to help her up. "Up Steph. I'm sleepy and you're in my bed and don't dare tell me to take the bed. You're sleeping there. No if's, and's, or buts. So unless you want me next to you all night, I suggest you go to the bedroom now."
Being a semi-intelligent woman, she knew that sleeping next to Ranger all night would not be a wise decision. She had made enough bad ones this week, so she opted to go the smart route and allowed his strong hand to lift her from the couch. Before she closed the bedroom door she looked back at the heap of man on the couch. "Night Ranger."
"Night babe."
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One Month Later
The past month had been full of more changes than Steph could count. She had comfortably settled into work. Ranger was right, this job was perfect for her. Every morning she headed downstairs to the central Rangeman office. For the first time in her life she was really putting her business skills to use. Ranger had given her free range on most of the day-to-day decisions and as a result things seemed to be running smoother than ever. Most days Ranger was home by 6 and he rarely needed to work more than 1 late night job a week.
Each evening Stephanie and Ranger would spend their time together. Most nights consisted of staying in the apartment, ordering food and watching TV. On occasion he would escort her out to a private little restaurant on the outskirts of town. While Joe felt the need to flaunt his new found love, Stephanie wanted to keep things quiet. Fortunately, Ranger understood her desire to maintain her privacy.
Their separate sleeping arrangements lasted for about 2 weeks, but it didn't take long for things to change. It began on a sleepless night for Stephanie. She had tossed and turned for 3 hours before she finally gave up and headed out onto the terrace. She tried tiptoeing through the living room as not to wake up Ranger, but it's hard not to stir a sleeping tiger. He joined her a few minutes later.
"Everything ok babe?"
"Yeah, just can't sleep. I'm sorry I woke you, I tried to be quiet."
"That's ok. Now why can't you sleep?"
"Couldn't get comfortable."
Ranger smirked at her then grabbed her hand and led her into the bedroom. She eyed him tentatively as he grabbed the covers and slid underneath. "Don't be a wimp Steph, I'm not going to grope you, just want to help you get asleep."
She paused for a moment then joined him in bed. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her into the safety of his body. Within minutes, they were both fast asleep. That night turned into every other night, until finally they awoke every morning in each other's arms. No kisses or caresses were exchanged, and as Steph entered her 2nd trimester she was beginning to wish Ranger's manners would wear off.
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Exactly 8 weeks after she walked out of Joe's house, Stephanie awoke to the buzzing of the alarm. The morning she had been dreading had finally arrived. She pried herself from the bed and padded into the kitchen where she found Ranger nibbling on some toast. He was dressed in his best black, business suit and he looked like as if he just walked off the cover of GQ.
He watched her eyes roam his body and when they returned to his face he let a slight smile greet her. "Like the suit babe?"
"Something like that. Got anymore toast."
He grabbed a piece from the toaster and placed it on a napkin in front of her. "Need to eat quick. It's already 8:00 and we need to be at the courthouse by 9:00."
Stephanie swallowed the bread quickly then ran off to the bedroom to find something to wear. It was a big decision, deciding what to wear to a divorce. The wedding attire was simple, but there were no magazines called Today's Divorcee, or Modern Divorced Woman. She settled on a simple red skirt and a nice matching jacket. The fit was a little more snug than the last time she had worn it, but at least this time she didn't have to worry over the recent weight gain. For once, she had a legitimate reason to get fat.
After she was dressed and ready to go she met Ranger back in the living room. He glanced at her then his watch. "Ready to go?"
"Just about. Wanted to ask you something first."
"Sure, what's up?"
"Just wondering if you are still in that that "give me what I need, when I need it" mood?"
"Sure Steph, thought of something you need?"
"In fact I did Ranger. Just wanted to let you know that I'm going to need sex tonight. Hope you don't mind."
To Be Continued in Chapter 8.