I joined my parents in the living room. Dad was trying his best not to answer any questions. Lula was seated on the couch next to Grandma, looking entirely too uncomfortable for words.
"I think I had better be going. I got some filing to do," Lula explained. She lumbered off the couch and stopped in front of me.
"You need a ride anywhere?" she offered.
"No, but what makes you think that Ranger's going to let either of us out of his sight until we figure this mess out?"
My father overheard this part. "I hope he doesn't let you two out of his sight. That man is a lunatic. He kept talking to himself. I know I would feel better knowing you had Ranger to protect you."
Again more from my father than I expected to hear. The front door opened and Ranger joined us.
My father looked over at him. "Will you protect my daughter from that man?"
Ranger looked into my father's eyes and softly responded. "With my life, sir."
That did it for me. I wanted to throw myself at the man and have my way with him. That declaration was the closest I would probably get to a declaration of love from Ranger. Oh, he had said that he loved me in his own way, but he made it sound as if it was nothing special. The way he answered my father was genuine and heartfelt. Dad smiled in return.
"Lula, you can go back to your apartment. I'm certain that Noble's not after you."
Lula just shook her head and headed for the door.
"You," Ranger said looking at me, "are coming with me."
I started toward the front door when I heard my mother's voice. "Stephanie?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"Thank you and Ranger for bringing your father back. I hope you two will come to dinner tomorrow night."
I smiled at her. My mother was really something else.
"Sure Mom, I'll come." I wasn't about to speak for Ranger.
"And Stephanie, I'm sorry I tried to convince you go back to Joe."
That statement earned me a serious look from Ranger.
"It's all right, Mom. No harm done." I kissed her quickly and moved out the door followed by Ranger.
I climbed into the SUV, which was absent one Tank, whom I assumed had been dropped at Rangeman. I didn't know what to say to Ranger or even how to begin. I decided to keep my mouth shut. I probably would have too, but he was so good at baiting me.
"So, your mother wanted to get you and Joe back together?" He was fishing, but I wasn't biting.
I didn't reply so he continued. "Babe, I got some information from Joe as to why Willard might be after him." Now that grabbed my attention.
Ranger saw the look on my face change. He knew he had me. "But first, let's grab some food. You look hungry."
Funny, but a few minutes ago I was famished…. for Ranger. Now, as I thought about it, I realized that I was really hungry. We stopped at the McDonald's down the street. Ranger ate his usual salad lunch, but I had to have the fries and burger.
As I was finishing the fries, I looked over at Ranger to find him watching me. "It's not polite to stare at someone while she's eating," I lectured.
Ranger smiled. I heard the collective sigh of the restaurant's female population. He has an incredible smile.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about how beautiful you are, inside and out," he offered.
Wow. What just happened here? I was literally speechless.
Ranger continued. "You're a lot like your dad. He was pretty calm and collected throughout the entire ordeal. He didn't ask a lot of questions, but seemed to accept that we would find Willard and deal with him. That's the way you are, except that you usually want to be the one doing the apprehending."
I had to smile at that one. He was right. Dad and I were a lot alike, maybe more than I realized. I knew now that Dad understood me better than I could have ever imagined and that knowledge made my spirits soar. He would accept my relationship with Ranger, should I have one. He understood that I couldn't have been the wife to Joe that Joe needed. My dad was a pretty terrific guy, even if I had just figured it out.
"Yeah, well maybe he'll even talk to you when we go to dinner tomorrow night," I laughed.
Ranger sighed. "Babe, if I have dinner at your parents' house, you are going to owe me big. I won't take my time collecting either."
Baiting him I replied, "Promises, promises."
Before I could say anything else, his mouth covered mine in a mind-blowing kiss. When he was finished, I forgot what I was going to say. We were actually back in the truck when I remembered that he was going to tell me what Morelli had said.
I asked him to relate the details.
"You mean after he cussed me out for sleeping with you," Ranger grinned. "He told me that Willard was indeed one of the former Grizzoli employees who was responsible for guarding young Terry. Seems that Willard was dismissed because he developed an unhealthy relationship with his charge. Terry's father told him to stay far away from her."
I thought about this for a moment. "So he had to know that Joe used to be involved with Terry. Is that why he started coming after me? Did he recognize me from the apprehension with Lula?"
Ranger was in his zone, but he did respond. "He knew who you were, but he wasn't sure what you relationship was with Morelli. He also knew that Morelli had been seeing Terry the past week. Morelli claimed it was work related."
I could tell from Ranger's tone that he wasn't totally convinced on this point. I felt it best to let that slide.
"If Willard had been watching Joe, then it is possible that he had seen Joe at my parent's house and knew who my dad was. He also knew that Joe and I were involved. Maybe he didn't hear about the breakup." Although he would have been the one person in New Jersey who didn't if that were true.
"The fact that you and Joe aren't together any longer probably made it harder on Old Willard. Morelli's a free agent now and Terry is as well. Put one and one together and you end up with a very jealous Willard Noble."
I was beginning to understand Willard motivation. Maybe Joe had been waiting at my apartment when the fire was set. Maybe Willard had hoped to get Joe alone there. Who knows, but it is possible.
"Babe, Morelli wasn't at the apartment for long. My bet is that by placing you in danger, Willard hoped to push you and Morelli back together. He knew you split up, he had to have known." Ranger reached his hand over to clasp mine. "I'm sorry Babe, but I still think he was after you."
I grimaced. "Maybe he was, but he certainly didn't know about you, did he?"
Ranger looked over at me. "No," was all he said.