Chapter 12
She held her breath while Ranger thought about her question. Stephanie exhaled as Ranger leaned in to kiss her. He kissed her hungrily as though his survival depended on her love. "Yes," he whispered against her lips.
"You said yes?" she asked.
"Babe. Absolutely, one-hundred percent yes," he confirmed. "Any day, any time."
"I want my dad, grandma, Valerie and her girls to be at our wedding," Stephanie said. "I want to show you something." Stephanie held Ranger's hand and led him to the backyard.
Philomena loved her gardens. A brick path leads from the door to the arch at the back of the yard. Variable coloured flowers lined the walkway. It was stunning. "Aunt Carla and Anna tend the gardens," Stephanie said. "I always imagined getting married here."
"We can get married here," Ranger said. He turned to face Stephanie. "I will make it happen if you give me the word."
Stephanie nodded as she replied, "Yes."
"Babe, what do you see?" Ranger asked.
She smiled and jokingly asked, "Are you starting a wedding planner business?"
"Babe," Ranger groaned, shaking his head.
Stephanie looked around the backyard. Ranger moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I see my dad walking me down the garden path towards the archway. I'm wearing a blue sundress and sandals. You are standing beneath the arch with the officiant. Jayden and Julie are standing on your left. Both you and Jayden are wearing khaki pants and white shirts. Julie is wearing a pretty white sundress with yellow, pink and blue flowers. Valerie and her girls are standing opposite Jayden. Angie and Valerie are wearing sundresses. Mary Alice is wearing tan pants and a blue top. My curls are hanging loose around my shoulders," Stephanie explained her vision.
"You paint a beautiful picture, Babe," he said.
"I forgot one detail. Your parents should be here too," Stephanie added.
~~~
Helen Plum sat at the kitchen table in the house where she had raised her daughters. She noticed a few items required repairs. There wasn't enough money in her budget to fix anything. Helen stared into the bottom of her whiskey-filled glass. The whiskey wasn't numbing the pain anymore. She stood from the chair. When she walked to the sink, she emptied her glass down the drain.
A knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts. She placed her cup in the sink and walked to the front of the house. Pasting on a smile that she didn't feel, Helen opened the door. "Good afternoon, Joseph. How may I help you?" Helen asked.
Joe Morelli looked at his shoes before replying, "Mrs. Plum. I'm sorry, but I need you to vacate the premises."
"What? It's my home. I'm not going anywhere," Helen shouted loud enough for the neighbours to hear. "Why me?"
"Helen, you're making a scene. Frank sold the house privately. The new homeowners take possession next week," Joe replied. "I have a court order requesting your immediate evacuation."
"What about my belongings?" she cried. "Where am I going to live?"
"I have an extra room in my home. You're welcome to stay at my house until you find suitable accommodations," Joe offered.
"What would the neighbours think?" Helen whined.
Joe didn't know how to answer the question. They would either think he's helping a neighbour down on her luck or having a sexual relationship with her. He had recently inherited the row house from his aunt Rose. Joe gave Helen the court order. "I'm sorry, Helen. You have two hours to grab your things," he replied.
"You should marry Stephanie so the neighbours would understand why I'm living in your home," Helen added.
He patiently waited for Helen to collect her jewelry, clothes and shoes. Joe didn't want Helen living in his house, but his mom would get angry for not helping her friend. He heard her rants throughout the home. By the time Helen got her suitcases prepared, she had planned Joe's wedding to Stephanie.
"Helen, we both know that Stephanie would never marry me. She left Valerie's reception early. I think she heard you and my mom plan our wedding. I doubt Stephanie would give me the time of day," Joe said.
"You can tame her," Helen suggested.
"Tame her?" he asked.
"Yes. With the proper discipline, you could have Stephanie purring in your lap," Helen stupidly said.
"Okay. Stephanie is like a tiger, wild and fierce. She will never become a house cat," Joe stated. Helen shook her head, thinking a few hard knocks wouldn't hurt. "Stephanie and I would be toxic for each other. She doesn't want to be a Burg housewife. Leaving Dickie at the altar was a clear indication that she won't conform to Burg ideals."
"Why me? Why did my daughter get her fiancé arrested?" Helen cried.
"He was acquitted. Someone higher in the firm took the fall," Joe replied. "He claimed that Dickie was following his orders." Joe knew Richard Orr Sr likely paid the man to take the blame. He knew Dickie was guilty. There was more than enough evidence to bury Dickie.
"But he can't get a job at a reputable firm," Helen stated. Joe thought Dickie didn't want to work for a reputable firm.
Frank Plum watched from his car up the street as Helen left the house with Joe Morelli. He laughed when Juniak suggested that Morelli should remove her from the property. Frank sold the house to Juniak's nephew. He grabbed his phone to call the charity he selected to receive the furniture.
The organization helped single moms furnish their apartments. He gave cash donations to the charity too. It was his way to help other young mothers that didn't have help from family. Stephanie had his parents to help. Frank assisted whenever possible. Stephanie managed whatever she could on her own and made him proud.
Helen had always browbeaten Stephanie. Nothing the girl did was ever right in her mother's eyes. She never stopped being true to herself despite the harsh punishments. Valerie quickly conformed to her mother's ideals. Unlike Stephanie, Valerie craved the accolades. She had to be more intelligent, prettier, skinnier and more obedient than her sister. However, Valerie didn't know that Frank knew all of her secrets. He knew Valerie had sex with both Morelli boys in her teens. She portrayed herself to be innocent, but he knew better. Valerie knew how to protect herself.
Frank often wondered if Helen only saw what she had wanted to see or what the Burg bitches wanted her to know. He couldn't understand why they always focussed on Stephanie. She's the sunlight in the darkness. Nothing ever held her back. He removed the phone from his pocket to read the message, "Mom and dad are getting married at the Chicago home." Jayden switched to phone his grandpa.
"Great news. When?" Frank asked when he answered the call.
"TBD. But it wouldn't hurt for you to come for an extended visit. My sister, Julie, is coming tonight," Jayden replied. "Mom and dad won't mind. We have enough rooms to accommodate everyone. Oh, mom wants Aunt Valerie, Angie, Mary Alice and great-grandma Mazur to come."
"That's a hefty airfare expense."
"Dad said he'd pay for the flights. Mom offered to help, but he doesn't want her to worry about money," Jayden said.
"Did he say something about it's to contribute for the support payments she hadn't received before now?" Frank asked.
Jayden laughed until his stomach hurt. "Ya, he did."
"He's an honourable man," Frank stated. "I have a few things to handle in Trenton first. It should only take a few days to get settled." Frank talked to his grandson for a few more minutes before he had to go. The donation truck had arrived to grab the furniture from the house.
Jayden put his cellphone into his back pocket before looking for his mom. She was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. "What's for dinner, mom?" Jayden asked.
"Homemade pizza," Stephanie replied. "I used Grandma's recipe." Stephanie pointed to the recipe card. She had made the sauce simmering on the back burner of the stove. Ranger was standing at the counter preparing the toppings. He had red onions, green peppers, mushrooms, spinach and broccoli chopped.
"Tomatoes, Babe?" Ranger asked.
"Um. No. I have tomatoes in the sauce. We don't need them on the pizza too. Jay, I have pepperoni, sausage and real bacon for the second pizza. The bacon is cooking in the oven, but I need the sausage cooked," Stephanie stated.
"Sure. I've got it," Jay replied. He opened the refrigerator to find the ground sausage meat and dumped it in the pan. He browned the meat then poured off the fat. Stephanie told him to let it cool for a few minutes until the dough was ready. The oven timer sounded, indicating the bacon had finished cooking. Jayden removed the cookie sheet and pulled the bacon of the metal racks.
Ranger leaned against the counter as he watched mother and son prepare dinner. They bantered while preparing the pizzas. The oven was large enough to cook both pizzas at once. He waited until Stephanie and Jayden simultaneously looked at him and smiled. Ranger carried the vegetables to Stephanie, placing the dishes beside her on the counter.
"Thanks, Batman," Stephanie said before the doorbell rang. "Jay, do you mind answering the door?" Jayden opened the door, but nobody was there. He looked at his feet and found a box of gourmet treats. "Who was it?"
"Nobody. Someone left us dessert," he replied. He grabbed a knife to cut the tape. "Mom, it isn't dessert."
Stephanie wiped her hands on the apron. "What is it?" she asked while approaching him. "Oh my gosh. They are the cutest things ever."
"Hey, Batman," Stephanie said, lifting the small puppy from the box. "Who is your adorable friend?" She passed the black lab to Jayden before lifting the black kitten from the box. It climbed her arm to settle on her shoulder.
"Come on, Shadow. I'll take you and Batman to my bedroom until we get pet supplies," Jayden stated.
Ranger kissed Stephanie's cheek. "Wait for thirty minutes before cooking the pizza. I'm taking Jayden to the pet store," Ranger whispered. He kissed Stephanie's neck before meeting Jayden at the door.
Stephanie prepared the pizzas and left them on the counter. She washed her hands and removed her apron. The puppy whined from behind the closed door. Stephanie carefully opened the door to slip into the room. "Hey, Batman and Shadow. Jayden will be home soon," Stephanie said.
She sat on the floor beside the door. The puppy and kitten climbed onto her lap. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep. Stephanie was still in Jayden's room when they returned. "I put the pizzas in the oven," Ranger said, taking a seat beside Stephanie. Batman opened his eye and wiggled from Stephanie's lap.
"Batman," Jayden called. "I have a collar for you." The puppy wagged his tail so hard that he fell over. "Can you put this on Shadow?" He gave Stephanie a cute green collar that matched his eyes. She smiled at the choice of tag. Jayden selected a metal paw print. He had the cat's name on the front and his cell number on the back. Jay got a bone metal tag for Batman. "We are keeping them, right?" Jayden asked, worried that he couldn't keep the pets.
"Yes. We have to take Batman and Shadow to the vet to get checked," Stephanie replied. She never asked Ranger if he wanted pets. It was assumed when he took Jayden to purchase pet supplies. Stephanie left Jayden to get the pets situated in his room. "Do you know a good dog trainer?"
"Woody," Ranger replied.
"Am I supposed to know him?" Stephanie asked.
"Babe," Ranger groaned. "Woody is one of my employees. He has a southern accent."
"Right. The man who called me darlin'," Stephanie said, making the connection. She entered the kitchen as the timer sounded. Ranger grabbed the oven mitts to remove the pizzas from the oven. He sat them on top of the stove. "I've been thinking. When we return to Trenton, I would like to give Rangeman a try."
Ranger tossed the oven mitts onto the counter and pulled Stephanie tight to his chest. "Babe, you have made me a happy man."
Shadow mewled at Stephanie's feet. She bent down to pick him up. "Are you a boy or girl?" Stephanie wondered.
Jayden followed Batman into the kitchen. He had leashed the puppy to get him used to the item. "I've been wondering that too," Jayden said. "The internet says to look at its butt." He examined the kitten then placed it on the floor. "It's a girl. We'd need to get her spayed."
"Her name still suits her," Stephanie said. She washed her hands in the sink before grabbing the plates from the cupboard. "I'll set the table. Jayden, wash your hands." Jayden gave his mom a sloppy salute before leaving the kitchen. "Smartass."
Ranger laughed at their banter. He loved seeing the strong relationship between mother and son. Abuela Rosa and Ranger had a similar dynamic. "I would like my Abuela to attend our wedding," Ranger said.
"Sure. You could have her travel with Julie," Stephanie suggested.
"Already done," he replied. Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Ranger, but she couldn't be mad. She just said he should invite her along.
"At least Julie didn't have to fly alone. I was worried something would happen on the way," Stephanie confessed. Stephanie wrapped her arms around Ranger. She knew he'd need to pick up Julie soon.
"One of my men would fly with her. I have Blaze flying with Abuela and Julie. He can sleep on a cot in the basement. Blaze is Julie's bodyguard," Ranger stated.
"Okay. Would your grandmother be okay sharing a room with Julie? I can give them the room with twin beds," Stephanie asked. "I've got to prepare the room." She kissed him before getting to work. Ranger watched her walk towards the stairs.