Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to Janet Evanovich. I am only borrowing them. Thank you for allowing us to use your amazing characters for fun!
-chapter-13
The next morning, my alarm wakes me, and I'm immediately assaulted by the brightness and I look around, disoriented. It all comes rushing back to me and I fight tears. I have a wedding to get through and must keep focused. I quickly shower and tidy up the room and bath after use. I put my clothes back on from last night and make my way to the kitchen. Joshua is already there drinking coffee. "How long have you been up?" I ask.
"For a couple of hours. I got into the habit in medical school, and I continued it since I am up early for surgeries, rounds and office appointments. It's just easier for me to maintain the early mornings."
"Can you take me to the resort? I am so sorry to impose. You probably have plans."
"Not really. I'm still covering for the house doc at the resort and can't plan anything since I'm on call. We can head out whenever you're ready. Want some coffee?"
We get into his convertible and head down highway 1. It is a beautiful day, and I'm sucked into an animated conversation about cars and what it says about a person. I laugh and tease him about his fast car and then admit that I've had more cars than I can even remember. He teases me back and it keeps the mood light as we make our way to the resort. Once we arrive, he drives to the lobby and waits in his car. I again thank him for all his help, and he tells me to call him if there is anything I need. I lean over to give him a quick hug and then get out to head back to my Cabana. How am I going to get through the next 24 hours? Ugh.
We're supposed to meet up at noon to begin makeup and hair. It is 8:45 now and I need to take a longer shower to get the shaving/exfoliating thing done, but I have time and could do that later. I don't have to do anything with makeup or hair, so that makes it easier. I open my door and see that the dress has been delivered.
I'd answered a couple of texts from Olivia to keep her informed where I was. I need to head to the beach and think about the recent events. I change into my bikini and cover-up, grab the sunscreen and a towel, and head for the beach. I can get a couple of hours of sun before I need to shower. I spend some time walking the shoreline and I pull my cover up off; the beach isn't crowded but there are certainly people around, so I hid my scar with my discarded cover up. I walk back to my towel and lay down, enjoying the warmth of the sun. I put a stream of sunscreen on my scar without bothering to rub it in, that way there is no UV getting through. I'm lying there, almost asleep, when I hear, "Stephanie."
My eyes fly open, and Ranger is standing there towering over me. "Can we talk?"
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, preparing myself for this conversation. I know what I need to say to him to get through this day and I'm resolved not to fight or yell again.
I sit up and shield my eyes. "Yes. I have a few things I want to say to you." I notice that Ranger looks like hell. The usual calm and put together look is not there. He looks haggard, like when he comes back from a mission. He sits down next to me but doesn't look at me. He waits for me to say what I need to say.
"You crossed a line. I need time to get past this, but I am doubtful even a friendship will survive. I want Les and Olivia to have a perfect wedding, so we need to pretend that everything is ok, but everything is not ok. Can you do that?"
If Ranger is surprised by what I've asked, he doesn't show it. "Understood. For the record, Stephanie, I am sorry. I never should have done that. I can give you my reasoning of why I did what I did, and it all boils down to the fact that I love you and I can't let anything happen to you. I let my need to keep you safe supersede your need for privacy. I know that I crossed the line, and I am truly sorry. I don't know how I would function if something happened to you. I am not emotionally distanced from you. I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me."
He is not looking at me when he says this; he's staring at the horizon. I have so many thoughts running around in my head. I am no longer interested in screaming. I mostly feel like I want to throw up. When I don't speak anymore, he gets up and walks away. I have a lot to think about. What does that mean, he loves me? If he loved me, he would want to be with me. He doesn't want to be with me, he just wants me on his terms. No thank you, I deserve better. "You don't get to decide what happens to me" I say out loud to no one.
I stay on the beach another hour. I came up with no answers from my inner thoughts. I fear that if I spend any more time in my head then I will not make it to the wedding and ruin this day for Les and Olivia. I take a deep breath and head back to my room. The one thought that keeps surfacing is the idea that I could stay here. Live here. What if I could get a job working at the resort? Was Mr. Masterson serious? I guess there is no harm in asking. I find his card and call the number on the back. It went right to voice mail and I left a message saying I would really like to discuss a possible job and left my cell.
I'm just stepping out of the shower when I hear a knock at my door. I look out the peephole and see Olivia. Still wrapped in my towel, I let her in, and she asks me how I am.
"I'm ok. I'll probably crash when this whole thing is over, but I'll make sure you don't have any more of my crappy drama. I'm so sorry for ruining your bachelorette party. I really want your day to be special. I won't ruin your wedding day!"
"This is not your fault! You have nothing to be sorry for. We're going to have a great day and deal with whatever we have to deal with later. Are you ready to head out? I'm getting married today!" She says that last part with a lot of excitement.
It's easy to share her excitement and I'm surprised that I'm able give her a genuine smile. I really do like her. I put on a button-down shirt and shorts, gather my extra stuff and the dress, and we head out. I really am determined to make sure Olivia and Les have a great day. On our way to the wedding, my cell alerted me with an incoming text.
Mr. Masterson: Meet with me tomorrow at 11am in the security office to discuss the position I mentioned.
Steph: Thank you for the opportunity. I will see you then.
Wow! Did I just get a job interview? My mind is soaring with the possibilities and I am excited at what the futures will be. I know the rest of the day will cause stress but right here, right now, I am on top of the world.
The afternoon is spent drinking mimosas and getting hair, makeup and general pampering done. We have a light buffet of finger sandwiches and other delicious snacks. We're ready by 2:30pm and Olivia especially looked beautiful. She and Les have opted to see each other before the ceremony so we head off to take pictures of the wedding party. Everyone looks beautiful and I'm able to handle seeing Ranger. Bobby and Tank are looking a little uneasy, so I smile at them. That seem to relax them a little.
I greet Les's parents and Olivia's mom. The photographer is very efficient, and we're done 30 minutes before the ceremony. The guests are arriving and sitting in the chairs facing the ocean. It really is a dream wedding. My wedding to the Dick was big and over the top; this is more my style. Elegant and intimate. Since I'm the maid of honor, I busy myself with taking care of Olivia. I stay close for last minute errands and try to calm her when her nervousness finally kicks in. "Les is amazing and he loves you. You two are meant to be together. These feeling are normal, but you don't have to worry. Could you imagine a life without him?"
She seems comforted by my words. I, however, am not. Can I imagine a life without Ranger? Don't go there. Don't go there. I focus back on Olivia. "Focus on your future. Think about the life you two have decided on. Think of all the plans you have made. This is the first step in achieving that."
She smiles. "Oh, my goodness, you're right! I get to go out there and get my life started with the man I love."
Yes! Problem averted. A few seconds later there is a knock at the door and Olivia's mom walks in. The photographer takes a few photos of her and her mom in a heartfelt embrace. This is going to be a special day. Pretty soon, another knock signals that it's time to go. The guests are all been seated. The men have taken their places by the alter. There are only about 50 guests, so I'm able to quickly scan them while everyone is taking their places. I'm only able to identify Julie and Ranger's mom; I met her briefly in the hospital when Ranger was shot by Scrog. I was a wreck and really don't remember that much about the meeting, though.
The rest obviously has a strong family resemblance, but I don't know much about them. It really saddens me that after all these years, I can only name one of Ranger's siblings. The irony is not lost on me, knowing that one of the things I wanted was to know Carlos, the man, and meet his family; and when that finally happens, we aren't even friends.
The wedding march snaps me out of my internal musings. We're ready to go. When it's my turn, I start the slow journey down the aisle. I won't be stumbling this time. I look around at the guests and my eyes find Julie. I smile, and she smiles back. I continue to look around anywhere but at Ranger.
Les is beaming. I've never seen him happier. I arrive and turn to take my place. Everyone rises and Olivia and her father come into view. I hold my breath as she makes her way down the aisle. She's so full of love, looking at Lester. I know they will be happy. When the ceremony comes to a close, Ranger and I come together after Olivia and Lester, make their way up the aisle. I take his proffered arm and we walk up right behind them. I'm able to smile for Les and Olivia. Now, more pictures and onto the reception. I can do this. I can do this, I chant to myself.
Drinks are presented as we finish up pictures and I began to relax. The reception is at the same location as the rehearsal dinner, only now it's decorated much more elegantly. The patio has tall tables set up with access to the bar. Inside, the tables are covered, and the formal display is really quite beautiful. I'm sure when the sun sets, we'll be treated to another beautiful light display.
As we enter, Julie runs to Ranger and jumps into his arms. I smile and am genuinely glad that they still continue to work on their relationship. After a few minutes, she comes over to me and gives me a big hug, too. Thankfully, she doesn't jump into my arms, since she's almost my size! I can't believe how she's turned into a woman practically overnight. We talk about her life, school friends, sports, and, of course, boys. She has a crush on a boy in her math class and is too afraid to say anything to her friends. I tell her that I was like that, too, and that it's no easier to be a teenager now than it was when I was her age. I remind her that she's smart, funny, and beautiful, and that any guy would be lucky to have her. I also remind her that if he doesn't treat her right, that she should kick him the curb. We check out the hors d'oeuvres and fill our plates with yummy selections. After eating, head to the restroom to freshen up.
We're giggling when we come out of the restroom and run into Ranger. Julie grabs his hand and pulls him away to the bar to get a drink. I guess she's going to try to get him to allow her a sip of champagne. I'm smiling and shaking my head when I search for Olivia. I've been shirking my maid of honor duties and want to check in. She assures me that she's fine and that I can relax and enjoy myself. I'm just about to head to the bar when run into Ranger's mom. "Hi. You may not remember me..."
"Of course, dear. You're Stephanie Plum." She interrupts before giving me a hug. "This is my husband, Ricardo."
"Ahh, it's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you," his Dad says.
"Oh no!" I groan. I can only imagine what they've heard.
"It's all good, I assure you. You've helped my granddaughter and my son many times. They're lucky to have you in their lives."
"Oh, well Julie saved us both, and Ranger has saved my life more times than I can count."
"Let me introduce you to the rest of the family," Maria Manoso says to me. Grabbing my hand, we traverse the reception area, and I'm acutely aware of Ranger's watchful eyes. I'm introduced to Celia and her husband, Ben. Camila and her husband, Alejandro. Anton and his wife, Elena. Isabel and her boyfriend Luke. I find out that Eva was unable to come since she is in medical school and is currently taking finals. We all chat for a few minutes before Ranger comes by and is immediately admonished for not bringing me to meet them sooner. He shrugs off the good-natured kidding and leads me away. "I'm sorry you were accosted like that. They can be a little overwhelming."
"Its fine. They're nice people. You're very lucky to have them. I better go check on Olivia." I weave my way through the guests, unaware of the watchful eyes of the Manoso clan.
I finally find Olivia and ask if she needs anything. "Great! Can you help me go to the bathroom? I need you to hold my dress." She chats excitedly through the restroom as we take care of business. Upon returning to the reception area, we are approached by the wedding consultant to inform us that dinner will be served in 5 minutes and that we should take our seats. At the head table, I'm at Olivia's left and relieved to be sitting next to Bobby.
"Hey Bomber, you ok?"
"I will be. Sorry you're stuck sitting next to me when you could be sitting between the other two hotties," I say, trying lighten the mood.
He smiles. "Well, you could put in a good word for me."
"Of course, I will but it'll cost you."
He surprises me with, "How about a bit of advice? Just because he says he doesn't do relationships doesn't mean you don't already have one. He is just too pig-headed to realize it. He needs you and he hasn't needed anyone since he was a kid, and he doesn't know how to deal with that." With that, we get our salads and I push around my food thinking about what he said. When my main course arrives, I'm able to eat a few bites of everything except the mashed potatoes. I still don't trust mashed potatoes at a reception. I hope my appetite comes back in time for the cake.
At regular intervals, people clink their glasses with their forks, much to Les's delight. He'll take any opportunity to kiss his beautiful bride. As toast time approaches, I'm getting less and less nervous about what I'll say. I've only known Olivia for a few days, but it has feels like a lifetime.
I stand for the Maid of Honor toast and clink my glass to get everyone's attention.
"Thank you, Les and Olivia, for including me in your special day. I couldn't be happier for you both as you join your lives together. I can see the love that you have for each other, and I know it will last forever. I'm honored to be here and to witness the beginning of your journey and look forward to watching your love grow. Olivia, I have only known you a short time, but I know you are an amazing person. You are so beautiful, both inside and out. You are kind and loving and I look forward to getting to know you better. Les, I have known you for longer and am so glad that you've finally met your soul mate. Love couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. You both deserve a lifetime of happiness. Here's to Les and Olivia," I say as I hold up my glass. "Cheers"
I sit down, relieved that my duties are almost done. Now I sit and listen to Ranger make the Best Man toast, wondering if he wishes this would all be over soon, too.
"On behalf of my family, I would like to thank everyone for being here in order to make this day special for Les and Olivia. Les, what can I say? You're my cousin, but you're also my brother. We've spent far too much time in God forsaken parts of the world to be anything but brothers. Even though we share some embarrassing history that I won't get into now, or ever, I want you to know that I respect you for the man that you've become. Olivia, I am very glad that you and Les have found each other and I'm happy to be gaining a sister. Mama, never thought I would say that did you?" Ranger says as he looks at his mom. The crowd laughs. He continues, "I wish you both happiness and health throughout your life. Congratulations!" he finishes as he raises his glass. Everyone cheers in response.
After the toast, the next item on the agenda is the cake cutting. Much to everyone's delight, both Les and Olivia smash the cake in each other's faces. They kiss but couldn't quite get everything off and I know Olivia will want to clean up and refresh her makeup. I grab her arm and whisk her away to the bathroom and help her clean up. It's also a good time to take care of business and she asks how I'm holding up. With a smile, I tell her everything is great, and she doesn't push for more details. I know she wants to, so I appreciate it when she lets me ask about her honeymoon. We chat about their Fiji trip as we leave, and I'm approached by Julie as soon as we make it back into the reception area. "Hey, do you want to get some cake with me? They're already at our tables."
"Yeeessss!" I reply to her as I turn to ask if Olivia if she needs me. Before I can even ask the question, she nods toward Julie and smiles. I let Julie lead me to the cake that has appeared at my place setting. Julie grabs hers from her table and we move to the head table to sit.
"What kind of cake is this?" Julie asks.
"I am not sure, let me taste and I will give you my expert opinion," I say, acting all serious. I take a bite and begin my evaluation. "It has a smooth taste, and a nice finish. It is definitely white cake with raspberry and cream filling. The icing is butter cream but not real strong, not real sweet. The cake to icing proportion is appropriate and they complement each other very well. I would say it is a 9 out of 10 rating and definitely worth a second piece."
Julie is playing along and doing her best to support my opinion, nodding her agreement with each bite. After our pieces are finished, we both look at our empty plates and then each other. Julie states, "I'm not sure I agree with your rating. I think I need another piece to make my official decision."
I smile. "Go grab your dad's piece and I'll get Bobby's. I'm sure they won't be eating any cake."
Julie nods in agreement. "Hey, can I stay with you tonight?" she blurts out. "I'm supposed to sleep in my grandparents' room, and I would rather not. Grandpa snores and I won't be able to sleep."
"Let me clear it with your dad," I reply. Having Julie stay with me will be good. It'll be nice to have a distraction, plus she really is a great kid that I like to hang out with. Just then, the DJ invites the wedding party to the dance floor that is now set up. It's time for the first dance as husband and wife. Les and Olivia take the floor dancing to Make You Feel My Love by Adele. After about thirty seconds, Ranger and I are supposed to join in, followed by the rest of the wedding party. I wish I'd done a few shots to pull this off because well, because my life sucks. I take a deep breath and let it out. I just want to get this over with. I look at Ranger, who is already offering me his arm. I guess it's time to go. Everyone seems to be paying a lot of attention to us as we walk on the dance floor. I guess our drama has made the rounds. I ignore the nervous glances and try to concentrate on not crying. I can't quite get into the song and the dance feels stiff and robotic. We're both going through the motions. When the song ends, I walk off the dance floor with Ranger's hand at my back. I turn and ask, "Do you mind if Julie stays in my room tonight? I really don't mind but if you prefer her staying with your parents, that's fine too."
"That's fine. I'll tell my parents that she's staying with you." He looks like he wants to say more so I wait a couple of seconds. When he doesn't, then I turn and walk away. Being around him now makes me sad. The anger is gone and left in its place is a large, empty hole. I go in search of Julie. She's super excited to learn the news and she leads us over to her grandparents so we can make arrangements to get a few things that Julie will need from her bag.
After a questioning look from Maria to Ricardo, they turn back to us and smile. "Of course, we don't mind if Julie stays with you."
We make arrangements to leave at the end of the reception together and head straight to their room so Julie can get her things. We also plan to confiscate a few more pieces of cake and if that wasn't enough, we can always call room service, but no one else needs to know that. At this rate, I'm going to have to buy fat clothes to wear home. I haven't had a chance to run this whole time we were here. Oh well. I guess I'll have lots of free time after the wedding to get back into my normal clothes.
The reception is winding down and I split my time between Julie and helping Olivia. I dance only when Julie wants to and when any slow songs came on, I make myself scarce. I don't feel like holding up my happy facade for anyone but Julie. Finally, it's time to leave and everything goes according to plan. I have a plate with 4 more pieces of cake and quite a few other treats packaged up and ready to go. We meet the Manosos at the entrance and Ranger insists on escorting us until we're safely tucked into our cabana. As we approach my room, I turn away from Ranger and Julie and pull my keycard out of a very personal spot in my bra. Hey, I didn't want to carry a clutch tonight. I said to both, "Don't judge, I don't have any pockets."
Julie laughs and I unlock my door. Ranger, being Ranger, has to check to make sure it's safe, so we step aside and let him do his thing. Apparently, Julie knows the process, so she waits for the all-clear without a question. He looks at me and says, "I'll stop in the morning at 10 am to get Julie. We have brunch scheduled at 11." I nod in agreement and when I say nothing, he turns and leaves.
Julie is eyeing me with a strange look. "OK," she says. "What is going on with you and my dad?"
I don't say anything. "Look, you barely spoke all night and you've been avoiding him. What is going on?"
I can see she is not going to give this up and I need to shut down this conversation. I can't fill her in on the details so this is a no-go conversation. "I know. We are avoiding each other. We had a fight, and we called a truce for the wedding and that's all I am going to say." I hope that shuts this conversation down because if I tell her we are completely done then she will push for more info.
I try to deflect with "so tell me about this boy..." and it works because she smiles and goes to get her phone. We spend the next hour talking about Ethan from her math class. She shows me a picture of him that she was able to take in class without anyone noticing. He's a very cute boy and since he's in her advanced math class, he's smart, too. A definite plus. Going after the cute boys usually ends in heartbreak, I say from the experience of losing your virginity on the floor of a donut shop with the cute guy. Ethan doesn't look like the type that would do that or write the details on the bathroom wall the next day. "He's kinda shy and I guess I am, too," she says.
"Well, that's going to be an issue. So, you haven't told anyone yet?" I ask
"Nooooo. I'm afraid that he'll find out that I like him and then I can't ever face him."
"Well, you have to decide⦠do you want to take a chance or not? Or, you could just try to be his friend, but it'll be hard. It's a funny thing. You'll be able to talk to any boy in the world except the one you like. It's kinda not fair. It's also not fair that you can't control who you like," I tell her.
"So, do you like my dad?" she asks.
Dammit! I didn't see that coming. She really is a sneaky little thing. I believe I've underestimated her. "Yes, but it's complicated." I don't want to tell her that he doesn't want me. I still can't really face that. So, I just try to keep it simple.
She thinks about it for a bit. "I always hoped that you two would get married."
"Normally, don't kids want their parents to re-marry?," I ask trying to deflect that word bomb.
She considers this. "I know, but this is different. I've known Ron as my dad longer than I've known Ranger. My head understands why he keeps his distance, but it still hurts, and I miss him. So, I've just tried to enjoy the time he does spend with me and that makes it hurt less. I know he does this with everyone and I want him to be happy. I think he would be happy with you."
I'm floored. There is definitely wisdom in her 14-year-old brain. I need to think about her statement and figure out what it means. I know we have different relationships with Ranger, but there are some similarities. He loves us both, but he feels that a closer relationship will put us in danger. That still doesn't excuse the tracking chip, though. I guess I will have to wrap my head around all of this, but now is not the time.
"You're pretty smart, young lady. You're gonna be just fine. You have to decide what you want. What you can live with and make your decisions based on that. I think we need some more sugar. What do you want to drink? I have Coke and Sprite in my fridge."
"Coke," she replies. We get drinks and chat about teenage boys and eat all the treats on the overflowing plate that we brought back from the wedding.
