Helen walked around the house wearing a permanent glow. She couldn't believe her husband, Frank Plum, could still rock it in the bedroom. Fifty shades had nothing on her husband. Helen blushed as she thought about the cuffs, feather, riding crop and edible oils.
She remembered when the intimacy between her and Frank had changed. It was after her mother moved in three years before. Her sex life took a downward turn. Frank went from once a week to once every few months, until they only had sex on Helen and Frank's birthdays. Her mother would spend those nights at her friend's house. She was reluctant to have sex with her mother sleeping across the hall.
Helen shook her head of her wayward thoughts, then grabbed her purse and keys to pick up salami from Giovichinni's market. Everyone stared at her when she exited her car. Helen took a quick inventory of her outfit. She was wearing pants. Her shoes were tied and her blouse was buttoned. She usually wore two-inch heels, but her legs were still too wobbly. Helen touched her hair. It was appropriately styled. Not a hair was out of place.
"Morning, Helen," Gina said.
"Good morning, dear. How are you today?" Helen was always polite in public.
"I'm great. Have you heard from Stephanie or Edna lately?" Gina asked. Helen almost asked, "Who," but she caught herself in time. Frank distracted her whenever she asked about Stephanie.
"Two pounds of salami and one pound of the olive loaf," Helen ordered. "I spoke to mother last night. She's enjoying her time with Stephanie."
"That's great to hear. I'm sorry about the diagnosis. My mom told me a few weeks ago."
Helen brushed off Gina's kind words. "Mother lived a full life and is doing everything she wanted to accomplish before she dies. I'm glad she's having fun." It was old news. Helen came to terms with potentially losing her mother. Gina was surprised. She thought Helen wanted her mother and daughter to come home.
"Don't you want to spend time with her?"
"I'm too busy with… um… other things," Helen replied. She was busy having sex whenever Frank got in the mood, which seemed to be multiple times a day.
"Yo, Mrs. Plum. You are totally rocking the post-sex glow," Walter Dunphy, also known as Mooner, said as Gina handed Helen the meat.
Helen felt her cheeks get hot. "Don't be silly, Walter. Thank you, Gina. I'll tell Stephanie you said hi."
"That's what I couldn't place," Mrs. Bestler announced. "Helen's been getting some. I wonder if that's why she's more pleasant lately."
Helen sat in her car, placing her parcel on the seat beside her purse. "Well played, Frank." She wanted to be mad at him for distracting her, but she enjoyed the intimacy too much. Was it so wrong for her to feign interference in Stephanie's life to attract Frank's attention? Helen thought not.
~~~~~~~~~~
Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven.
Stephanie sent Ranger a message, warning him that Slick would likely stay in the UK. He replied that his friend, Tim Trainer, would ensure they caught the return flight on time. With his promise in mind, Stephanie would enjoy her time in the UK.
They spent a month travelling around Scotland before visiting Italy. Stephanie got to see the house where her grandpa Plum was born. The young couple living inside the house were Stephanie's distant relatives. Before they left Italy, Stephanie promised to visit her relatives another time.
Everywhere they visited brought Slick out of his perpetually angry state. He stopped seeing the world as an evil place where the most decrepit humans lingered in the shadows, threatening to steal his soul.
During their last night before their trip to Devon, Slick noticed Stephanie hugging a pillow to her chest. "Are you okay?" Slick asked when he saw a tear slip down her cheek.
"I'm fine. Facing your demons isn't easy. Deciding where to go is almost as hard. Long ago, I thought I had everything I needed. Life became a simple equation until I got pregnant. It didn't take long for me to break," Stephanie said. She passed Slick the pillow, flipping it to the blue side. "His death broke me. Turn it over." Stephanie waited for Slick to read the pink side. "Giving her away didn't break me, but it bent me. It could have been much worse. I gave up my baby. Keeping her would have pleased my mom greatly."
"Why didn't you keep her? Why aren't you past this?" Slick quietly asked.
"She was premature, and I couldn't afford the medical bills. For years, I've been fine living in the land of denial," she said.
"Have you?"
"What do you want me to say? I have nothing left. Joe had taken everything from me," Stephanie cried.
"There was so much more he could take. He could take your freedom. Joe could take away your smile before he takes away your job. Then he could take your security, so you don't feel safe anywhere. As the final nail in your coffin, he would transform you so that Ranger, your friends and your family won't recognize you anymore," Slick said.
"He can't," Stephanie cried. "I won't let him. It's why I permanently ended our relationship."
"Stephanie, can't you see he already shattered your self-esteem?" Slick asked. He placed the pillow on her lap. Slick wanted to help the woman who brought him out of his downward spiral. "I can see how Joe's actions impacted your life. Ranger is slowly building you up. At first, I thought Ranger was insane to let you travel the world with your grandmother. During the past month, I watched you soar. When the time comes for you to become a mother, you will be phenomenal."
"How can you say that? I gave up my daughter," Stephanie cried.
Slick wrapped his arm around Stephanie's shoulder. He pulled her tight to his side, then kissed her temple. "Stephanie, I'm positive you will be a wonderful mother when the time is right. I've watched how you interact with Charlie. She isn't your flesh and blood, but you treat her as your child. You are a loving woman. Don't let Morelli or your mother make you wither and fade. If you do, they win," Slick said.
"And if they win, then I'll kill myself," Stephanie whispered.
"No," Slick quietly replied. "It would kill every man at Rangeman if you travel down that road. You have a bright future ahead of you. Promise me that you will continue to shine like the sun you had become in my life."
Stephanie gently wiped her eyes and sniffed. Quietly she said, "Okay."
"Now, admit that you love Charlie as though she was your daughter," Slick added. He tugged on a curl hanging over his arm.
She stood up and picked up the pillow from Slick's lap. Stephanie squared her shoulders, then glanced toward the bedroom where Edna and Charlie stood watching and listening. "You're right. I love Charlie like a daughter."
Charlie threw her arms around Stephanie when she approached. "I would be proud to be your daughter," she whispered. "Thank you for loving me."
Stephanie kissed Charlie's forehead. "Thank you for letting me," she whispered.
Edna wrapped her arms around Stephanie and Charlie. "I'm proud of you, Stephie."
"Are you ladies ready to go?" Slick asked. He was excited to see Madeline. Slick hoped she would still feel the connection to him.
Stephanie could feel Slick's excitement and trepidation rolling off his aura. She could almost smell the pheromones as a cloying scent which got stuck in her nose and throat. It made Stephanie anxious. Stephanie craved the calm vibes she could only receive from Ranger.
"Come on, Steph," Charlie said, pulling Stephanie from the room. Stephanie smiled at Charlie, then pulled the suitcase behind her.
Edna could tell something was on Charlie's mind. When they climbed into the back seat, she asked, "What's going on inside your head?"
"Um. What if my dad isn't there?" Charlie whispered.
Stephanie turned around in her seat to reply, "Then it's his loss. He's missing out on a wonderful young woman. You have grandma and me."
"And all your uncles when you get home," Edna added.
"Don't forget about your cousins, Angie and Mary Alice. They're excited to meet you," Stephanie said.
Slick listened to the conversation as he drove toward Devon, UK. It would take a few hours from their current location, but driving had always centred him. Stephanie paid attention to the highways Slick used. She had to drive the group back to the airport.
How did Stephanie do it? She got Charlie to laugh and smile within the first few days they spent together. Slick drove the women to various shops as they trekked through Scotland, Italy and the UK. He never knew what Ranger saw in the feisty brunette until she worked her magic on the teenage girl. Charlie didn't stay sad for long.
The boss was a lucky man. Ranger needed to pull his head from his ass to marry the amazing woman sitting beside Slick in the car. He looked in the rearview mirror to see Edna and Charlie asleep. Charlie had moved to the middle seat to lean against Edna.
"What if she doesn't remember me?" Slick suddenly asked.
"Slick, if what you felt then is the same as you feel now, why would you expect her to forget?"
"It's possible I had imagined the connection," Slick replied. Neither Stephanie nor Slick believed that. Stephanie could feel that his connection to the woman was exactly as he experienced.
She took a few deep breaths. "What's the worst that can happen?" she asked.
"Rejection," he replied.
"Okay. Now anything other than hearing, "I don't feel that way about you," would be optimal, right?"
Slick smiled. "Yes."
"It's settled," Stephanie triumphantly said, causing Slick to laugh.
"You're strangely optimistic despite your past," Slick said. Stephanie grinned and nodded. "Do you always see the good in everyone?"
"Of course. It's like Yin and Yang. In every evil is a tiny speck of good, and every good has a speck of evil," Stephanie replied. "Concentrating on the evil isn't any way to live."
"I have never seen any evil or cruel actions from you," he said.
Stephanie laughed so hard that she cried. "Oh my gosh. Have I got a story for you?" She waited until she was calm enough to explain how explosive her divorce was from Dickie Orr. Then she launched into the story where she commandeered Morelli's Jeep Cherokee when he was her FTA. Slick never heard those stories.
"You started a fire in your front yard? Did you get charged with arson?" Slick asked. "I can't believe you stole a TPD officer's vehicle. Did you get charged with grand theft auto?"
"Yes, no and no. At the time, my uncle Joe Juniak was the police chief. He's not technically my uncle, but he is my godfather. I didn't get charged for running Morelli over with my car either," Stephanie said with pride.
"Woah. Did Morelli get hurt?"
"Yup. I broke his leg in two spots. He got discharged from the Navy shortly after his recovery. Joe applied for the police force, then worked his way up the ranks to become a homicide detective," Stephanie replied.
"You're a girl who enjoys living on the wild side," Slick said, laughing. "I can see why Ranger loves you. He needs a woman to challenge him."
Slick and Stephanie told jokes for the last few miles of the trip. He parked in the lot of the Burgh Island Hotel. Stephanie looked around. "Um. This is Burgh Island," she said.
Edna sleepily said, "It's known as soldier's island. Charlie, we're here."
Charlie yawned, then exited the car. "It took longer than I thought," she said while yawning. They barely understood what Charlie said.
"We're staying in the hotel for the night, then we'll explore in the morning," Stephanie said. She grabbed the bags from the back of the car. She passed Slick's duffle and her luggage to Slick, while she took the other two bags.
The following morning, they explored the area. Edna took many photos. She sat on the beach along the coast and stared out at the deep blue sea. Stephanie sat beside her grandma, allowing themselves to think.
Slick and Charlie walked along the coast in silence. They reflected on the journey and the inevitable meeting with Madeline and William Lockwood. "Slick? What if my dad isn't there?" Charlie suddenly asked.
He had a strong feeling that William would be gone when they arrived. "It's his loss," Slick replied, repeating Stephanie's words from another day. "I went through basic training with your uncle Raymond."
"You did?" Charlie asked, shocked. Slick nodded his head.
"He's a good man. I know Raymond will take excellent care of you. Sending you across the globe wasn't the best decision."
"Uncle Raymond didn't want to leave me alone while he got deployed. We only moved to New Jersey a year ago, and my mom didn't know anybody," Charlie confessed. "The clinic was more affordable than Boston. Mom was a stenographer. She watched unaired television programs and movies to type the closed captioning. My mom taught me shorthand so I could help her."
"That's a useful skill," Slick said. A thought entered his mind. They met Charlie on the plane during the school semester. "What about school?"
Charlie snorted. "Please, school was too easy. I had already completed my assignments." Her chin wobbled as she fought back the tears. She nearly whispered, "I wrote the exams on the day of mom's accident. She told me I didn't need to be with her that day. I should have been with her. Maybe, she would have lived."
"Ah. Playing the 'what if' game is dangerous. Look at me, for example. I wasted a lot of time focusing on what could have been instead of living my life. In return, I became an angry man. Unfortunately, Stephanie experienced my wrath. She didn't deserve it, but she was the closest person. Stephanie made me think. She showed me that my anger was misplaced. You can't change the past, but you can learn from it to create a better future."
"Did you have PTSD?"
"Probably. I visited many therapists over the years. None of them helped me as much as Stephanie. She has a way of digging straight to the core. I found myself telling her all of my secrets without batting an eye." Slick chuckled. "Lester and Bobby said I could trust her. They were right."
Charlie grinned when a speedboat passed them. "Oh. I want to try that," she excitedly said. "How long are we staying here?"
"A few days. Sit with Edna and Stephanie while I inquire about the boat and waterski rentals." Charlie looked hopeful until Slick returned. He approached and asked, "Who wants to go waterskiing?"
"Hot damn," Edna said, jumping to her feet.
They spent a few hours on the motorboat and waterskis. Stephanie drove the boat for Slick to have a turn. By the time they had to return the rentals, everyone got soaked to the bone.
Stephanie ordered dinner from room service. She smiled when Charlie managed to eat everything. "We forgot to practice self-defence today," Charlie announced when she dropped her fork on the empty plate.
"Missing a day or two won't hurt," Stephanie said. "I'm too exhausted after all that walking."
"So is grandma," Charlie added. Edna was asleep in the chair. The fork in her hand contained food from her plate. Stephanie gently removed the fork from her grandmother's hand. Slick smoothly lifted Edna from the chair. He carried her to the bedroom, then placed her in the centre of the bed.
Stephanie and Charlie decided to call it a day. They brushed their teeth and took turns braiding the other's hair.
In the morning, Slick took the girls parasailing. Stephanie went up with Charlie while Slick took Edna. After a few turns each, they returned the rentals. Edna was exhausted. The magnitude of her illness was catching up to her. She could feel Stephanie watching her for signs of fatigue. Edna prayed she'd get through the bucket list before Harry, her late husband, came to collect her soul.
It was another two days before the group drove to Bull Meadow Clinic in Devon. When he parked in the lot behind the clinic, Slick second-guessed himself.
"Grandma, Charlie, we're here," Stephanie said. She waited for them to wake up before exiting the car. Charlie hopped out, hoping to see her father.
She tightly held Stephanie's hand as they entered the main doors and approached the information desk. "Hi. We're here to see Madeline and William Lockwood," Stephanie politely said.
"Are they expecting you?" the woman asked.
Charlie timidly stepped in front of Stephanie. "My name is Charlotte Lockwood. William is my dad, and Madeline is my aunt."
"One moment, dear," she kindly said. She dialled an extension and paged Maddie to the information desk.
Stephanie watched the woman with auburn hair, the same shade as Charlie's, approach the desk. Cinnamon coloured freckles peppered her face. Her eyes were the colour of whiskey. Maddie's heart raced as she recognized the man with strawberry blond hair. He didn't look any older than the last time she saw him. Maddie prayed he would not leave. "Leland Evans?" she gasped.
"Hi, Madeline," Slick replied.
"Oh my god. It's so good to see you." Maddie threw her arms around Slick before pressing her lips to his. "Are you here to stay?" Slick felt electricity flow from her lips. He had found his home.
"If you'll have me," he replied.
"Always." Maddie removed her arms from Slick to examine the women standing behind him. "Charlotte? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"My mom died in a car accident when she drove to her chemotherapy appointment. Uncle Raymond got deployed. He sent me here to live with dad, but dad gave me away," Charlie said. She managed to say the words without crying. Tears filled her eyes. While Charlie talked to Maddie, Slick tendered his resignation to Ranger. He would stay in Devon with Maddie.
"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry. Your father doesn't know what he wants. Where will you live? I travel way too much to take you," Maddie sadly said.
"That's okay. I'm with Stephanie and Grandma Edna for now. They will take me to New Jersey, where I'll live with Ella and Luis until Uncle Raymond comes home," she calmly answered.
Maddie looked at Stephanie for confirmation. "William relinquished his rights. Raymond accepted custody with the caveat of Charlie living with Ella and Luis Guzman whenever he got deployed. My friend, Ranger Manoso, who owns Rangeman offered Raymond a job and a two-bedroom apartment," Stephanie explained. She passed Madeline a paper with email addresses and numbers. "Please, feel free to contact Ella whenever you want. Charlie's your niece. We would never keep her away from you."
"Thank you," Maddie said, then hugged Stephanie. After hugging Charlie and Edna, she grabbed Slick's hand to leave.
"Wait, Slick," Charlie called. He turned around to embrace the girl. Edna and Stephanie hugged him, then wished him well.
When Stephanie walked to the car with Charlie and Edna, she felt a tingle at the back of her neck. She immediately looked around until she saw Ranger, dressed in faded jeans and a blue shirt, leaning against the rental car. "Ranger," Stephanie cried before launching herself into his arms. She kissed Ranger until she needed to breathe. "I thought Tim Trainer was meeting us."
"Something came up."
"Well, hot damn," Edna said.
"Edna," Ranger replied. He set Stephanie on the ground, then approached the girl. "Charlie?"
"Hi," Charlie shyly replied.
"My name is Carlos Manoso." Ranger held out his hand.
"Is Ella your aunt?" she asked. Ranger nodded. "I want to hear all about her."
As Ranger drove them back to Heathrow, he told Charlie everything he could about his aunt. Charlie was excited to meet the woman she met during video chats. "I can't wait to meet her in person."
"Tia Ella feels the same. She filled your closet and dresser with clothes. If there's anything you don't like, let her know," Ranger said.
"I had clothes at my mom's house. Why did Ella buy me more?" Charlie asked.
"Charlie, your uncle sold the house. Most of your clothes were worn out or torn. All the keepsakes and photo albums are in Ella's apartment. She replaced your boots and shoes. Ella asked Angie for help. Let Ella know if anything needs to get swapped," Ranger replied.
Stephanie turned in her seat to wink at Charlie. "Thank you, Mr. Manoso."
"Please call me Ranger or Uncle Carlos," he said. Charlie looked at Stephanie and grinned. She couldn't wait to meet her new family.
