AN: And now to introduce a character of my own creation, Anna Santos. All other characters belong to Janet Evanovich, including Terry Gilman, rest her soul...

Chapter Nine

"Babe, I want you to meet Anna," Ranger offered without either getting up from the couch or removing his arm from around her shoulders.

To her credit, the woman stood up and met me half way. "Hi Stephanie, I'm Anna Thomas-Santos. I've heard a lot about you."

I shook her hand, thinking 'well I haven't heard squat about you'. Ranger must have done that ESP thing again.

"Babe, Anna is Les's step-sister. She's like the little sister to all the guys here." Ranger motioned me down to the couch. I took a seat next to him.

"Yeah," Anna explained. "Can you imagine growing up with these guys as role models. Lester was always up to something. That man can be a real terror when he wants to be, but he was always there for me. I just hope that he'll stand by me this time."

It was then that I noticed it. "Wow," I exclaimed, "you're pregnant."

"Sure looks that way, doesn't it," she replied. "Kind of puts a crimp in my police career."

Ric whispered in my ear, "Anna's a cop in Richmond, Virginia. Lester thought she was crazy, but he really is proud of her."

"I'm kind of hoping that big brother Ric here will run interference for me with Lester." Anna did look a bit worried.

"You know what he'll want to know, Baby girl. Who's he goin' have to kill.?"

I wasn't sure that Ric was kidding on this point. I thought I would just stay quiet and see how the story played out.

"Ric, I told you that the father doesn't know yet. I don't care whether or not he wants to be involved in this kid's life, but he deserves to know first. I'll talk to you about it later."

Ranger got up off the couch. "Babe, can you leave Anna andme alone for a bit. I need to have a brotherly chat."

I was a bit put out that I was being excluded, but figured that Ranger had his reasons.

"Sure, Ric. I'll go down to the gym. Take all the time you need." Heaven knows I need to work off some of the sexual tension that was building up. I hated to admit it, but my heart stopped when I saw him on the couch with Anna. He looked too damn comfortable.

I stayed down in the gym for about fifteen minutes before Ric came to get me.

"Sorry for that Babe. I just had to ask some rather embarrassing questions. I figured Anna would answer more truthfully if we were alone."

"I understand," I lied. I didn't want him to know that I was actually jealous.

"It's okay, Babe. We both have to learn to deal with being jealous. I think we have to accept that our feelings are strong enough, you know. We don't have to worry about the other straying." He put his arm around me and led me to the elevator.

"You're right. I guess I was surprised to find Anna and you on the couch. It wasn't exactly the evening that I planned. She's all right, isn't she?"

Ranger smiled. "Anna's fine. What I want to hear is what type of evening you had planned. It's not that late, you know."

On the way to the apartment, I laid out the details of my planned evening. By the time we tumbled into the apartment, both of us were out of breathe and half our clothes were off. I remembered the camera a little late, but figured what the hell. I would figure out what tape covered that hallway and erase it later.

I was nearly asleep when I thought about Anna again. "Ric, tell me more about Anna."

Ranger shifted next to me. "What do you want to know?"

"You mean besides what you two talked about after I left?" Yes, I was curious.

Ranger laughed. "Babe, you don't disappoint. If you must know, I thought I had an idea who the father of the her baby was. I wanted to ask her in private. She doesn't even want to tell Lester who he is before she finds him and tells him."

"That makes sense, I guess. How did you meet her and why did you call her Baby girl?" I snuggled against his chest, delighting in his warm and strength.

"Lester and I have known each other for a long time. When his father married Anna's mother, Anna was six and Lester was thirteen. Anna followed him around like a puppy. When I entered the picture, Anna started to follow me around as well. She was a sweet kid, but a bit of pain. By the time she was eighteen, she had convinced herself that she was going to marry one of the guys. She didn't like the fact that I was divorced, but she tried to let me down easy."

I could feel Ranger smiling at the memory. "You mean, she didn't want you," I had to laugh as I said it out loud.

"I wouldn't go that far. She made her share of passes while she was growing up, but I think I was more important to her as a brotherly figure. She kind of had a rough childhood and Lester and I tried to make up for some of the lack of attention she suffered from. Lester's dad was crazy about Anna's mom, but their relationship was pretty exclusive. Both Lester and Anna were pretty much outcasts. They hung onto each other."

I tried to imagine how Anna must have felt. She probably figured that she lost her mother when the woman remarried. Fortunately, she didn't seem to hold any grudges against Lester. "What happened to their parents? "

"Lester's dad was killed in a car accident about eight years ago. Anna's mom moved away and left Anna with only Lester's support. She graduated from high school, attended community college and worked for Rangeman part time. She joined the force in Richmond when she heard they were recruiting. She hadn't returned to Miami since then. Lester moved up here from Miami when Anna moved to Richmond."

"That makes sense," I replied, stifling a yawn.

"Go to sleep, Babe. You can ask more questions in the morning."

I didn't need to be told twice. I was asleep almost before he finished the sentence.