Everyone familiar belongs to Janet. Mistakes are solely mine.
I looked down at the screen of my buzzing cell phone that I'd picked up off the kitchen counter. Reading the number had me smiling but also dreading this call.
"Hi, Eddie. Did you miss me?" I asked my buddy Gazarra.
"Yes, but that's not why I'm calling. Do you know anything about the two tickets to Aruba that were delivered to my house?"
"Nope, but I can guess who they came from. Trenton's sexier and more Cuban version of Santa Claus."
"Is this because you thought I'd be offended that Mary Lou and Lenny got to get outta Jersey?"
"No again. This is Ranger showing his appreciation for the people who have rallied around us, not only as a married couple but also as the people who have been targeted by Morelli and won. I know you think being my friend isn't a big deal, Eddie, but I'm sure I'm about to find out how many Burgers are going to hate or blame me for what happened to Joe."
"That asshole did this to himself."
Now I felt free to smile, which Ranger noticed. "It's Eddie," I told my hubby. "He thinks we're responsible for his upcoming second honeymoon with Shirley. He also thinks Morelli got what he deserved."
"And that's why he deserves a break," Ranger said, walking over to me to kiss the top of my head.
"See?" I said back to Eddie. "I was right. You can thank Ranger for wanting to thank you for loving me."
"If Manoso is close enough to hear you, add 'platonically' to that love comment. I want to live to see this second honeymoon and Shirley would enjoy being a grieving widow too much for me to allow that to happen."
"Shirley is … a lot, but she does love you. And Ranger is obnoxiously sure of where he stands in my life."
"Glad to hear it. Do you want to talk about your mother?" He asked. "Or avoid the subject?"
"Avoiding her isn't possible once I leave Rangeman property. What am I in for?"
"Will you promise me to not go anywhere without Ranger or one of his men with you?"
"No," was my emphatic answer to that. "I can take care of myself."
I felt Ranger move in and I wanted to smack myself. I forgot for a minute that his hearing borders on superhuman. He took my cell away from me long enough to put the call on speaker.
"Talk," he ordered Eddie.
"Hey!" I said a little too loudly. "I was having a conversation here."
"One that I need to hear. Start talking, Gazarra."
"That took longer than I'd expected," my buddy teased.
"Funny," I told him. "What trouble has my mom been causing now?"
"On the more delusional end, she doesn't believe the two of you are actually married," Eddie informed us. "She's telling people it's just a made-up story to switch the narrative about your role in 'causing' the trial."
That surprised me but also didn't shock me. One thing my mother would refuse to acknowledge is me marrying a man like Ranger, never mind being legally hitched to the Ranger Manoso everyone still whispers about.
"Sucks to be her right now. Not only do I have a judge that can testify that he married us, but I also threatened to break Ranger's kneecaps if he tries to divorce me."
Batman's eyes cut my way. "The second part is news to me."
I shrugged. "It was an internal threat I didn't feel I needed to share yet."
That earned me a sexy but quick kiss.
"Ummm, speaker. Remember?" Eddie butted in. "I can hear what you're doing. And please stop. I'm happy for you, but I don't need to hear how much you like each other."
"Sorry," I said, not really meaning it.
I like kissing Ranger. A LOT.
"No problem," Eddie said. "I also called to warn you to be careful. I wouldn't consider Mrs. Plum violent, but I know how good she is at messing with your head, Steph. She showed up to court offering support to Mrs. Morelli as well as Joe I'd guess. I don't want her to fuck up your life now that you're home. The look in Morelli's eyes when I spilled the beans would also concern me, but thankfully he's out of commission right now."
"Don't worry," Ranger assured him. "Nothing and no one can or will hurt my wife on my watch. And I plan to always be watching."