Chapter 22

Ranger's POV

After my conversation with Stephanie, I called Frank. I want to know everything I can about Stephanie's mother and her relationship with her daughter. I don't appreciate surprises.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Plum. It's Carlos."

"Carlos, son, I thought I told you to call me Frank."

"I'm sorry, Sir, old habits are hard to break."

"That's okay. I know you're like me and didn't call to discuss the weather or the Yankee's odds of winning the World Series."

"You're correct. Stephanie informed me a few minutes ago that your ex-wife and elder daughter are planning on returning to Trenton. They are under the impression that Stephanie will be hosting them in her home."

I hear Frank sigh before he responds. "I have a feeling things are going to get a little crazy. When Stephanie purchased her home, the divorce agreement was basically finalized, but since I was buying the home with the money I received from the sale of my home with Ellen, the house could be considered a marital asset. Now, before you blow a gasket, my attorney was worth her weight in gold. She tried to get Ellen to sign an agreement that Steph's house was not part of our marital assets since neither of us officially filed for divorce before closing the house. Since Ellen and her attorney wouldn't respond to my lawyer's calls and letters, we got a court order that listed Stephanie's house as separate from our marital estate. Ellen doesn't have a leg to stand on, but I don't put it past her to try to connive everyone in Trenton into believing she has a right to that house."

Now it's my turn to let out a sigh of relief. "Who was your attorney?"

"Jo Kearney. She was recommended to me by Joe Juniak. Her mother is his wife's cousin. She served in the Navy and considered a career as a JAG attorney, but when she got pregnant, she chose to go civilian instead."

"She is one of the attorneys I have on retainer. She was in basic with Cal. I know that Steph is fine. This could be a lot of fun. I take it Stephanie is not aware of this hiccup."

"No, she's not. Steph was under so much stress at the time, I didn't want to worry her, especially since there is really nothing to be concerned about. However, I will talk to her about it before Ellen arrives."

"Great. Thanks for giving me that information."

"No problem, Carlos. You are doing a great job taking care of her and my grandkids. Keep supporting her, and we won't have any problems."

"That is not a problem."

"Bye, Carlos."

"Bye, Frank."

I drove with Stephanie and the twins to the house to have dinner, discovering that I'm required to dress up for Halloween. How they got me to agree, I still don't know. However, once dinner was finished, Lester and I cleaned the dishes while the twins cleared the table. Stephanie was sent into the living room to relax. When the twins completed their part, they went up to their room to get changed.

"I'm taking Stephanie to the house tonight."

"Tonight? I thought you were waiting for this weekend to do the big reveal."

"Extenuating circumstances. Steph's mother is coming back to Trenton with Steph's sister and nieces. Steph believes that her mother will basically commandeer her out of this house. She'll take it over, under the guise of having her "daughter" help out her sister in her time of need. Steph doesn't want to leave, but she knows her mother will strong-arm her way into the house. So, I want to offer her a permanent alternative, our home. Steph also mentioned that she is considering buying a bigger house."

"Do you think she'll move in with you?"

"I hope so, but if she's not ready, I'll continue to live in the penthouse."

Lester shakes his head. "I still think you were crazy to put her name on the deed. You could get royally screwed by this."

"Les, she's the mother of my children. She deserves it. I don't care if we break up tomorrow and she takes the house from me. I don't need it. You know I have another home in Miami. Besides, I have an apartment in each branch office. I'm not going to be homeless."

"Are you sure you are willing to stay here in Trenton? I mean, you spent six months complaining that we would be here for the opening of the branch, and now you decide to make Jersey your permanent residence."

"That's the one thing I'm not thrilled about. I prefer Miami. However, I will not uproot Stephanie or the twins. They have their life established here. Maybe I can convince Steph to spend the summer in Florida and the school breaks. Hopefully, when the twins head off to college, we can return to the Sunshine State, but if not, I'm okay. I would rather be here with my family than alone in Miami."

"Look, Carlos, we all can see that there is chemistry between you and Beautiful. Don't wait too long to claim her. I think if you made it clear to her that you want marriage and the white picket fence, she'd accept your proposal. The longer it takes for you to make a real commitment, the more her insecurities will grow."

"You're right. Soon, cuz, soon."

Once everything was spic and span, Lester and I joined Steph in the living room, now including Alex and Lucia. "Are you ready, Babe?"

"Yes. Let's go."

We kiss both the children before we head to the door. Stephanie grabs a light denim jacket to wear, along with her purse and keys. She locks the door behind her then hands me the keys to her car. "You drive since you know the way."

I help Steph into the car, then walk to the driver's side. After adjusting the seat and mirrors, I start to drive. Stephanie is uncharacteristically quiet, so much so that it's unnerving. "What's wrong, Babe?"

"As much as I was considering selling this house for a new one, I wanted to do it on my terms. I wasn't quite ready for that to happen yet. Now, I'm afraid that my mother and sister are going to take over my house. Then, I'll never be able to get rid of it, and I'll wind up paying for it. I know that they won't allow me to change the utilities to their names. And there is no way in Hell that they will pay me rent. It's like everything I struggled for is being taken away from me."

"Babe, take tomorrow off. You don't need to work. You have plenty of days. I can set you up with my attorney, who handles all my real estate. She'll tell you what the law is and your options. Once you have choices, you will feel better."

"Thanks, I'll probably take you up on that, but I hate that I need to. This is so ridiculous; it's absurd."

"I understand, Babe. But don't worry, everything will work out in the long run."

"I hope you're right."

I make a few more turns and pull up to the gate that wraps around the property. It's a five-foot brick wall with a wrought iron double door gate at the entrance and along the street. Along the side and back of the property, it is wrought iron, with many trees and shrubs planted inside to hide it from view. I have cameras set up all along the perimeter, so no one can sneak on to the property. I enter my code, and the gates swing open. We drive up the road to the house's front, where the drive curves around a small fountain.

"The garage is off to the right side and back a little. This is the main entrance. There is another entrance by the garage and one off the kitchen." I park in front of the entrance and watch Steph's expression as she takes in the double-door entryway. When we get to the door, I unlock them.

"What, no alarm system?"

"Babe."

"Carlos."

"There are too many people in and out at this point to have one on the house, but it is activated around the property. Besides, the electrical wiring was finished last week. Everything is set up for Rangeman monitoring. Hector oversaw everything and will put in the panels, set up the monitors and the cameras when the contractors are out of here."

She looks at the grand foyer, taking in the broad staircase that leads upstairs. She sees the balcony going around the upper floor, leaving all the rooms along the perimeter. I lead her to the right side, where the living room and dining room are located. "This is where the formal areas of the house will be located. I expect we'll only use these rooms when we're entertaining.

"As you can see, there's an archway the separates the living room and dining room. I figure we will have French doors off the foyer. They could be fully open when we're entertaining but will help keep the heat and air conditioning in when we're not. Behind the dining room, we have the kitchen, which is almost the entire width of the house. The right side is the working area, where the appliances will be located along the outer wall. On the other side of the half-wall will be a counter. I figure that can be used as a staging area for serving. On the other side will be a table for six. I envision us using that table for our meals when it's just us. There will be a lot of counter space, along with a large window looking out to the yard. Sliding doors will also be there," I say, pointing to an area that has a board over it, "for access to the yard." On the left side are the pantry and a small ½ bath."

I walk her through the kitchen to the other side of the house. "Here will be the family room, with our offices at the front of the house. I planned on French doors between our offices but traditional doors off to the hallway. I don't want to advertise my office or yours to someone walking by, but I want us to be able to be together while working and close each other out when necessary."

"It's amazing, but I have a few ideas for the setup of the kitchen."

"Feel free to organize it how you see fit. However, you need to make those decisions soon because they are running the gas line on Monday."

"Okay. I think I can do that. Can we go upstairs?"

"Of course. I considered having a second staircase put in but decided against it. We would have lost a bedroom that way. I planned on our master bedroom being on the right side, from the front of the house to about this point." I say, pointing to the hall at the top of the stairs. The bed would be at the front, with the bathroom on this side and a large closet/dressing room. Along the back would be three bedrooms and a bathroom. Then along the other side would be two more bedrooms, with a shared bathroom. I figured the twins could have those rooms."

"I think we should make the twins' rooms bigger, with the bathroom not connecting to theirs. Part of their room can be made into a study area/sitting area. I know they both have different learning styles. Lucia likes quiet, bright spaces. Alex prefers to have music on and room to spread out. We can then have the two bedrooms along the back wall that can be guest rooms with the bathroom between them. I think five rooms is enough. Is there a linen closet up here?"

"No, but we can add one now that we are making the rooms a little bigger."

"Let's make a large, walk-in closet. One side can be for the towels, one side for bedding, and the last side for bath products, like shampoo, soaps, and tampons."

I'm amazed at how Steph is already reimagining the house. I'm glad I'm showing her the house now instead of when it is finished. Thankfully, they haven't put the sheetrock up here yet. They should be able to adjust the frames for the rooms.

"Do you like the house, Babe?" I ask though I'm pretty sure I know the answer already.

"Like it? No, I love it. It's great. I've always liked houses like this, but it was never in my budget. How much did you pay for this property?"

"Believe it or not, only $250 K. It was on the market for $500 K, but it was not worth that much. When my lawyers spoke to the sellers, I found out that the sale price was high because they only wanted to sell to someone who would not take the house down but would renovate it. Their great-grandfather built the house, and it was in their family since. Their parents lived here but didn't keep up with the house. When they passed away six years ago, the kids originally planned on one of the siblings living here, but since their jobs all have them away from Trenton, they decided to sell. When I told them I liked the structure and only wanted to renovate the inside, they dropped the selling price to $250 K."

"That's crazy. I'm glad that it worked because it's charming."

"Stephanie, I know that being a family is new to us, but I want you to know that I'm all in, forever. I never knew that I wanted a family until I discovered that I had a family. Even though we are taking it slow, I want you, Babe, by my side. For the first time, I feel like I have a home, and that home is with you and the twins. Please move in here with me when this home is finished. Please let us become the family that we are already."

I watch Stephanie's eyes, seeing so many emotions running through them. I hope she says yes.

"Are you sure? I don't want to have us live together for you to decide that you don't want us in a few years. It wouldn't be fair for the twins."

"Babe, I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I would love to have more children with you, ones that I could raise from the start. I am so sorry that we lost contact. I wish that I gave you my Abuela's address instead. But who knows if we would be here now."

"Okay. We'll move here. Is it okay if we buy new furniture? I know I have a house full of furniture, but some of it was second-hand or not really good quality."

"Babe, we can buy whatever you want. Don't worry about the cost. Whatever you want to keep, we'll keep. However, we are getting rid of that couch."

Stephanie laughed, and her eyes sparkled with contentment. "You'll get no arguments from me. I hate it when I sleep on it."

"I hope I never have to sleep on it, but if I do, I want one that doesn't require me to see a chiropractor the next day."

"You went to the chiropractor? You know I could have had you back in top form."

"Yes, querida, but I know it would have ended with more than just the massage. We weren't at the point to go further. It's why I haven't allowed you to help me yet."

"Carlos, I can be professional."

"It's not you I'm worried about," I tell her before I pull her into my arms, allowing my lips to come down on hers.

"Stay at the house tonight, Carlos."

"What about the twins?"

"What about them? You are their father. Besides, we stayed together before, in Point Pleasant."

"Yes, but we had separate rooms. If I stay tonight, I don't want to be on the couch."

"I trust you."

Shit. A part of me says this is a bad idea, but I can't say no to Steph. "Tell me why?"

She sighs and looks down at her feet. "Knowing that my mother is coming to turn my world upside down has me out of sorts. I'm nervous, scared, and a little freaked out. I don't know what to say to the kids. The last thing I want is for them to feel unwanted, unloved, or pushed aside. My mother and sister will make them feel that way."

"Don't worry about them. The twins are a lot tougher than you think. If you want me to stay with you for support, I will. I just need to get my overnight bag."

"Can't you have someone drop it off?"

"I could, but why? Why do you want to hide us? I mean, everyone knows that we are dating, that I am the father of your children. They know we had sex at least once. I don't understand why you are still hiding."

"I don't want anyone talking about me and my personal life."

"What did you hear?"

"Nothing specific, but I know that there is talk. No one intends to be cruel or mean, but I don't think they understand how much gossip hurts me. Growing up in the Burg, I wasn't like the other girls. I wanted to fly. I wanted to be Wonder Woman, not Donna Reed. Everything that I did that wasn't what little girls should do was spread through the Burg busybodies. I couldn't go anywhere. When Morelli, you know, well, I was ostracized. I was called a slut and a whore. I finally started to get out of that reputation when I discovered I was pregnant with the twins. As much as I didn't want to marry Dickie, having him for my husband gave me a reprieve from the gossip. When I divorced him, though, it came back full-force. That's why I send the twins to a private school. I don't want them subject to the Burg. After my mother left, a lot of the focus on me died down. It seems she was the primary source for Stephanie Plum gossip. Now, it will start in again."

"Babe, the guys are not talking about us. Woody put a stop to it early on. He hated when they would always ask him about the two of you, and when he heard them start on us, he told them they need to have more respect for you. He asked them if they would want people talking about their sisters like that, and they all shut up. They know better than to say anything to me. Other than Lester, no one will dare make a comment, and Lester only does it because he likes to push my buttons, and frankly, we want to spar with each other. So, by me calling him to the mats, we get a good workout in. Tank and Bobby are excellent fighters, but Lester is the only one who can take me down, and I, him. Besides, he's my cousin, and in all sense of the word, my brother. We're extremely close, so he knows he can get away with more."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. What is going to happen when we move in together? I hope you're not going to feel uncomfortable."

"I guess it doesn't feel as weird because we won't be in the building. Our home is ours; it's not part of Rangeman. It's separate, and even though Rangeman will monitor our security, I know that we have privacy once we are here. I know that there are cameras all over Haywood, and frankly, it freaks me out a little."

I look at Stephanie amusingly. I'm trying not to laugh, but she's so cute when she's all worried. "Can we stop at Haywood?"

"Fine. We can."

"Look, I'll have Bobby or Tank meet us out front, so we won't be on the garage cameras."

"Thank you for dealing with my unreasonable insecurities."

"They are not unreasonable. You are used to living a life of relative anonymity and independence for the last several years. Suddenly, you not only work in a building that is monitored 24/7, but you also live in a home that is monitored as well. Now, you are planning on moving in with a man who needs to have someone watching his back all the time. It's a lot to adjust to, to get used to, and I know it will take you time. I told you, I have a lot of enemies, and I hope none of them ever find out about you or the children."

I place my hand on Steph's back and guide her out of the house. I make sure I lock the door before we enter her car. The drive to headquarters is passed with a discussion on how we will decorate the house, from paint colors to carpet choices. Stephanie wants a ceramic tiled floor in the kitchen, which I think is an excellent idea. I love the way she envisions the kitchen. I'm so glad that we will be decorating our home together. Bobby is waiting for us outside Rangeman, just beyond the camera's scope, so the hand-off can be made. I inform him that Lester is on his way back once we get to the house. Fifteen minutes later, we park in Steph's driveway.

Once we enter, I find Lester on the couch, watching postseason baseball. "Who's winning?"

"Dodgers, 4-0, top of the sixth."

"How were the twins?"

"Fine. They went up to their rooms about a half-hour ago."

"I'm going to go check on them. See you tomorrow, Lester. Thank you." Stephanie says, kissing Lester on the cheek. Once she's upstairs, my cousin turns to me.

"What did she think about the house?"

"She loves it. Once it's finished, we're going to move in together."

"I guess I'm driving back to Haywood alone?"

"Yes, I'm going to stay. Steph asked me to."

"Hey, you don't need to explain to me. I'm happy for you, Carlos. You deserve each other."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow."

I walk Lester to the door and lock up behind him. I put the kettle on for tea because I know that Stephanie likes to have a chamomile tea before bed. I think I'll join her tonight. I get the mugs out and the tea bags when she walks into the kitchen.

"The twins are still awake. I told them you were staying. They are fine with it. In fact, they are thrilled."

"I should go say goodnight to them."

"I think they'd like that."

I wrapped my arms around Stephanie's waist, giving her a kiss, allowing myself to cherish the moment, one I hope to have every night for the rest of my life. I release my Babe, before walking upstairs to Alex's room first.

"Dad!"

"Hey, mi hijo. You ready for bed?"

"Yes. Don't hurt Mommy."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't hurt her. She cried a lot before we met you. She thought I was asleep, but I heard her. I know she thinks no one loves her but Lucy, me, Grandpa, and great-grandma."

I can't believe that Steph felt so alone, so rejected. I know that she, of all people, doesn't deserve that. "Alejandro, I love your mom very much. I want nothing more than to show your mother every day how much she means to me. I promise that I will never intentionally hurt her."

"Okay. I guess I can handle that. Good night, Dad."

"Good night, mi hijo. See you in the morning." I kiss my son on the forehead and tuck him in. I shut off the light and close the door. I then walk into Lucia's room after knocking.

"Come in," she calls out. "Daddy!"

"Lucia. I came to say good night." I can't get over how different my two children are. Alex's room is decorated in a sport's theme. He has posters of the 2006 Italian World Cup soccer team, Derek Jeter, and Yankee Stadium and a few trophies on shelves. My daughter, on the other hand, has a princess room. She has a canopy bed with ceramic figurines on her shelves, snow globes, and picture frames. While there are no Disney Princesses to be seen, her room is much more mature-looking than Alex's. Instead of pink, three walls are a light purple color, with one wall a deep plum color. Everything is neat and orderly. Her brother's room is a little cluttered, and his walls are blue with white molding.

"I came here to say good night."

"Mommy said you were staying over tonight. I'm glad you are. Mom is so much happier when you're around."

"Really?"

"Yes. She's always smiling. It makes me happy to see Mom smile."

"Then I'm glad I decided to stay."

"Can you make us breakfast tomorrow? Your breakfast burritos are so yummy."

"I'll see what's in the fridge. If your mom has all the necessary ingredients, I'll make them in the morning."

"Yay! Night, Daddy."

"Buenos noches, Lucia." I kiss Lucia on the head as I did Alex and tuck her in. When I close her door, I can't help but feel that being here is the right place for me. I know that it is getting closer to that time when I will ask Stephanie to marry me but now is not the time. I know she still doesn't believe she's worthy, and I need to make sure that I let her know that a marriage with me will be nothing like her marriage to Dickie Orr.

When I return to the kitchen, Stephanie is pouring the hot water into our mugs. "Do you mind sitting in here? I have a few things I want to discuss with you."

"No, Babe, here's fine." We settle across from each other at her small round Formica table. She grabs a TastyKake from her pantry and sits down.

"I'm worried about my mother and sister returning. I have a bad feeling in my gut that something bad is going to happen. I truly believe I will lose my house."

"Why, Babe?"

"Because my mother is a vindictive bitch. Dickie Orr would like nothing better than a chance to pay me back for ruining his political aspirations. He thinks me airing his dirty laundry during our divorce is the reason he has no political career."

"Then he's delusional. His reputation as a lawyer is mediocre, at best."

"I know that, but one thing that I can't take away is his knowledge of the letter of the law. He knows all the statutes. He can't argue a case in court to save his life, but he knows how to twist the law to suit his needs. That's what he did when we divorced."

"Babe, you are going to meet with my attorney tomorrow. I can guarantee that she knows the law just as well, if not better than Dickie. As an added bonus, she can argue a case in court very effectively, mind you. Not to mention, your father used her as his attorney when he divorced your mother. Besides if your mother ends up with the house, we'll empty it out. There will be nothing left behind except the appliances, and this is only if you want to leave them; otherwise, I can have them removed. Your mother and your sister will have to purchase everything from scratch."

"Really? Jo is one of your attorneys? I guess that means she is as good as Uncle Joe said. As far as this house is concerned, I can't do that. If it were just my mother coming without St. Valerie, I wouldn't hesitate, but I can't do that to my nieces. Just because I never met them doesn't mean that they deserve to be stuck in the middle."

"So, then we'll leave Alex's and Lucia's bedroom sets behind. That way, your nieces will have a place to sleep."

"I don't know. This is so screwed up. I don't understand why I can never just have a normal, uneventful life."

"Babe, normal and uneventful are overrated." I can tell Stephanie was more upset than she let on since her dessert was left untouched on the table, but her tea was gone. "Let's go to bed. Tomorrow will be here soon enough."

"You're right. Thank you, Carlos."

"For what?"

"For being here with me. For not running for the hills, for having my back. No one, except my Dad and Grandma Mazur, has ever supported me like you do."

"It's my pleasure." I take her mug and mine, rinsing them both before placing them in her dishwasher. I start the appliance and make sure the windows and doors are secure. We walk upstairs to her room. Stephanie goes into the bathroom first to get changed while I get changed in the bedroom. I usually sleep in my birthday suit, but tonight, I'll wear a pair of shorts and my tank top. It's what I wore when I was in Miami with the twins. Stephanie comes out of the bathroom in a cute and sexy little short and tank combination, and I need to mentally talk myself down. I go into the bathroom, washing up, and using the facilities. When I return to her room, she is sitting on the bed.

"What side do you prefer?"

"I don't care. Whatever side you don't want." She settled on the right side, which I was pleased with. This made me closer to the bedroom door. I place my gun on the nightstand and lie down next to Steph. I want to hold her in my arms, but I won't push her.

We shut off the light and try to fall asleep after saying goodnight. I can tell that Steph wants to be closer to me but is afraid to say anything or make a move. "What's wrong?"

"God, I feel like an idiot," Steph mumbles. "Carlos, do you mind holding me?"

"No, Babe, I don't. Come here." I turn on my side and place my right arm under her body and my left wrapped around her waist. She rests her head on my arm, and I feel her body relax. Within minutes, she's out for the count. A few minutes later, I follow her into slumber.