Chapter 19
Stephanie's body had expanded faster than she had anticipated. Valerie had warned her that it would happen. Both women discovered they were due on August 18th. They had conceived on the same day. "Hey, Val. Would you like to go for a walk?" Stephanie asked as she approached Valerie's desk.
"Sure. I need to get some fresh air," Valerie replied. She sent a text to Ben, telling him she was going for a walk in the park. Stephanie told Ranger she was leaving with Valerie.
"Ranger said to take our guards," Stephanie said. She laughed and mentioned Ben had made the same request.
Hector, Manny, Cal and Hal met the women on the elevator. Stephanie rolled her eyes for Valerie to see. She rubbed her baby bump. "The baby keeps squirming," Valerie complained. She lowered her voice to ask, "Do they keep trying to trip you into revealing the gender?"
"Yup. It doesn't work. I keep alternating between boy and girl," Stephanie confessed. She had yet to reveal the biggest secret.
"That's diabolical," Valerie stated. Valerie had told Ben, Stephanie and Ranger that she was expecting a girl. Stephanie revealed to the group that she was expecting a boy. Only Ranger knew everything.
The women walked around the fountain in the park. Stephanie's belly expanded more than Valerie's had in the same length of time. Valerie had her suspicions, but she didn't want Stephanie to confirm them. It's something called plausible deniability. "I feel like I'm ready to burst," Stephanie confessed.
"We still have another twelve weeks to go," Valerie said. "How are you going to feel closer to our due date?"
"Like a whale," Stephanie said. "The doctor said I have to reduce the number of hours on my feet. But if I sit too long, my ass falls asleep."
Valerie took a close look at her sister. Stephanie was a few inches taller than her. In her opinion, Stephanie was prettier. However, Stephanie never seemed to consider herself as anything but ordinary. Valerie had always been jealous of Stephanie's blue eyes. "If you're supposed to keep off your feet, why did you want to go for a walk?"
"Because it's a beautiful day, and it's my last chance to get out," Stephanie replied. "I doubt Carlos would want me to venture too far from home."
"I've been wanting to ask you something for a long time, but I'm not sure how to ask," Valerie said.
"Well, that doesn't sound ominous at all," Stephanie sarcastically stated. "Rip off the bandaid and ask away."
"It's actually a few questions. How do you make everything you wear look sexy?" Valerie asked. Cal and Hal laughed at the question.
"We've been wondering that too," Cal said.
Stephanie shook her head. "I don't make anything look sexy. I've got to be the least sexy pregnant woman," she replied. "Look how my uniform hangs off my body. My pants are rolled under my belly, and I'm wearing Tank's shirt. Ranger's shirts are too tight."
"You truly don't see yourself, do you?" Valerie asked. "I have always been jealous of you. Ever since we were kids, you had always marched to your own drum. You lived life to the fullest and refused to settle for less than what you want."
Valerie stopped walking to face her sister. "Stephanie, you are gorgeous. Pregnancy makes you glow, and it enhances your beauty. I've always wanted to know how you can be a loving, kind, generous and forgiving woman after everything mom had done to you."
"I love life. There isn't anything that could happen to make me change my mind. I'm thankful for every day I wake up to see the people I love. Possessions and materialistic bobbles don't mean anything if I have nobody to share them with. It makes me happy when I give somebody my last dollar so they can eat. They get to enjoy another meal. My brief moment of suffering gives someone else great joy," Stephanie explained.
"Okay, that explains your kindness and generosity, but not your love or forgiveness," Valerie stated.
"Val, everything is connected. For example, you show your love for the girls by ensuring they have food and clean clothes. Your actions display your love without saying the words. Forgiveness is a part of showing love. One can not be happy if they hold anger within their heart and mind. I choose to be happy. Forgiving people who hurt me through their words and actions is a conscious decision I make."
"Is that why you forgave mom?" Valerie wondered. It would have taken Valerie a long time to forgive her mom if their situation got reversed.
"I forgave mom because she gave me life. She fed and clothed me when I was too young to care for myself. Some may not think she deserved my forgiveness, but I can't show others how to love if I can't lead by example. My life is richer because I treat others how I wish to be treated," Stephanie answered.
"Forgiveness isn't easy for me to offer," Valerie admitted. "I'm not sure I can forgive Steve for what he had done to our family."
"Val, you'll find that if you forgive Steve, you can truly be happy with Ben," Stephanie said. "Is that Joe Morelli?"
"It looks like him," Valerie stated.
Joe was wearing dark jeans and a lightweight tee shirt. A short-sleeved button-down top was over the top of the other one. He was stopping random people, asking questions. Stephanie wondered what he hoped to accomplish by speaking to people in that fashion. Valerie linked her arm through Stephanie's to keep her close.
"Stephanie?" Joe said as he approached the women. "Should you be walking so close to your due date?"
"Hi, Joe. I'm not due for another three months," she replied. "Val and I are due on the same date."
"Wow. You probably should lay off the tasty cakes," Joe joked. Stephanie rolled her eyes while Valerie giggled.
"Whatever, Joe," Stephanie said. "I noticed you stopped people to ask questions. What's going on?"
"Oh. We are looking for anyone who saw Bernie Barker in the past forty-eight hours. He was found dead in his backyard by the neighbour's dog. I'm trying to find someone to lead us in the right direction," Joe replied.
"Ah. Any leads?" Stephanie wondered.
"Not yet. Have you seen Bernie Barker?" Joe asked. Stephanie laughed as she shook her head. "I had to ask even though it was a long shot."
"Was Bernie Barker or his associates Vinnie or Les Sebring's FTAs?" Stephanie asked.
Joe thought for a few minutes. "I think there were a few, but I need to check the file. May I have your email address? I'll send you the names," Joe replied.
"Sure, it's stephmanoso at rangeman dot com," she quickly stated. He showed her the notepad on his phone. "That's correct."
"I heard you married your son's father. Congratulations," Joe said.
"Thanks. I heard you haven't found the special woman yet?" Joe shook his head.
"I'm not looking. My mom wants me to get married, but I enjoy my freedom too much," Joe replied.
"Val and I need to get back to the office. Our husbands are going to send out the Calvary soon," Stephanie joked. "You look good, Joe. Take care of yourself. If I find anything, I'll let you know."
"Thanks for offering your assistance," Joe stated. He walked in the opposite direction to find witnesses.
Valerie waited until Joe was far enough away before bursting into laughter. "Oh. My. Gosh. Joe tried really hard to avoid staring at your stomach. You're not even that big," Valerie said.
"The doctor said the growth is acceptable and expected," Stephanie carefully explained. "I'm not that much larger than you."
"You're larger than you were with Jayden," Hal helpfully supplied.
Cal smacked him in the back of his head. "Hal, that was rude. Women carry each pregnancy differently," Cal said. "It's her second pregnancy, so her body knows what to do."
"Are you sure?" Hal asked.
Valerie decided to explain a few details with Hal, "When I was six months pregnant with Mary Alice, I looked ready to give birth. With this little one, I'm carrying more to my sides than out front, so my stomach doesn't appear to be as large."
"Is that why you look pregnant from the back, and Stephanie doesn't until you see her from the front?" Hal asked. He ducked when Cal swung at his head. "What? It's a reasonable question."
Stephanie stopped walking to tap Hal's cheek. "Halosaurus, you are too cute. But you are correct. I don't look pregnant until I turn to the side or you look at my huge expanse from the front. I'm carrying out front," Stephanie said. "Now bend down so I can kiss your cheek." Hal bent down so Stephanie could reach his face. "You know I love you," she whispered before kissing his cheek.
Hal kissed Stephanie's curls. "I love you too," he whispered. Stephanie linked her arm through his as they walked back to the car.
Manny helped Valerie into the seat in the back of the SUV. He sat beside her and made sure she was comfortable. His best friend, Blaze, would get angry if anything happened to his wife. "Thanks, Manny," Val said.
Cal and Hal got into the front seats as Hector helped Stephanie get into the car. He ensured Stephanie was secure before running to the other side and getting in. Hector sat beside Stephanie when a thought came to him. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. Stephanie rubbed a hand down her abdomen and nodded. She grabbed his hand to place it on her swollen belly. Hector grinned when he felt the baby kick. Stephanie shifted his hand to a spot slightly lower.
Hal watched over his shoulder while Hector felt the baby move. He furrowed his brow as he thought about the motion. When they got back to Rangeman, Hal found Lester to add a new bet. Lester laughed when Hal told him the details. "Your loss, buddy," Lester said as Hal walked away. Hal may be a little slow collecting his thoughts, but he was not stupid. He was more intelligent than everyone else realized.
Stephanie grimaced when she saw Hal leave Lester's office. She was afraid Hal noticed that she moved Hector's hand on her abdomen. Hal was the master of reading subtle clues. Stephanie dropped her head on her hands. "Crap," she practically shouted.
Lester ran into her office, "Beautiful, is everything okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Everything is fine, Les," she lied. "When does the pool end?"
"In ten minutes," Lester replied, checking his watch. "Did you want to place another bet?"
"Yup," she replied. She provided the date and gender but changed the birth weight of her baby to 10 lbs 7 oz. Stephanie watched him record the information below Hal's recent guess. She wouldn't be surprised if Hal won.
Stephanie started the search on Dickie. He applied for the junior corporate lawyer position at Smith, Berkeley and Simpson. She entered his full name into the programs. Dickie had a lot of skeletons in his closet. Stephanie learned that her ex-fiancé got arrested a month after they started dating for indecent exposure. Joyce Barnhardt was the woman he got caught screwing on the picnic table in the park. Stephanie felt sick to her stomach. She knew that Dickie and Joyce hooked up, but she didn't realize it started in the early phase of their relationship.
Dickie was a dirtbag and only cared about himself. She discovered he had slept with all the wives from the other law firm. It would be in Smith, Berkeley and Simpson's best interest to reject Dickie's application. Stephanie lifted the receiver on her phone and dialled Ranger's extension. "Babe," he answered.
"Hey, Carlos. I'm forwarding some information regarding Dickie. Gary Smith asked Rangeman to complete a background check," Stephanie stated. She sent him the docket.
"Smith, Berkeley and Simpson have a reputation for maintaining family values. Dickie isn't a suitable candidate," Ranger said, reading the data. "I'll file the recommendation with Smith."
"Thank you. I didn't want my name attached to his file," Stephanie added.
"Babe," Ranger said before hanging up. Ranger contacted Smith before emailing the details of the search. Gary agreed that Dickie was not the type of man they want working within the firm. He thanked Ranger for the quick response.
Ranger entered Stephanie's office after talking to Smith. He gently lifted her from the chair and placed her on his lap. "Babe," he whispered after kissing her neck. "Manny reported you bumped into Morelli."
Stephanie tried to shift her position to look at him, but her belly got in the way. "We did. He was investigating a murder. I'm waiting for him to send the names of the associates that Vinnie and Sebring bonded."
"I have no doubt you'd solve his case. Carbon copy the chief in all correspondence," Ranger stated. "Jayden is going to the paintball arena with the men." Stephanie nodded. "They're going out for dinner after." She squirmed on his lap. "We have the house to ourselves." Stephanie moaned as Ranger lifted his hips. She could feel his erection pressed against her ass. "Or we could go upstairs. Woody would let Batman out."
"Yes. That option," she moaned. He opened Stephanie's email to tell Woody he was responsible for Batman. Ranger logged off her computer before putting Stephanie on her feet. He grabbed her hand and guided her to the elevator.
"I love seeing you round with our child," he whispered. He placed Stephanie in front of him to hide his erection from the men at the control room monitors. His hands spanned her belly. One hand at the top, the other near the bottom, cradling the child.
"Hector and Hal figured it out," Stephanie whispered when Ranger lowered his mouth to her shoulder.
"I'd be surprised if they didn't," Ranger confessed. He waited until they entered the apartment on seven before saying, "I want to see how long it would take for the others to uncover our secret."
"Valerie and Ben likely know too. She keeps dropping hints. If she asks, I will not lie," Stephanie said.
Stephanie's back got pressed against the door. Ranger lifted her shirt to kiss her baby bump. He placed several kisses from the top to the bottom as he removed her pants and panties. "Hold on tight," Ranger whispered. She moaned as he licked her folds. He feasted like a starving man. Stephanie felt the pressure quickly build as he sucked on her clit. She exploded when he inserted his fingers inside. He rode out her orgasm as he licked and pumped his fingers inside her.
"More, Carlos," Stephanie moaned. She was insatiable. He wiped his hand on his shirt before he carried her to bed. Ranger removed his clothes after laying her in the centre. He kissed up her legs back to the place he loved to settle his mouth.
"I can't get enough of you," Carlos groaned. "You're always ready for me."
Stephanie lifted her hips to give him more room. After drawing another body-shaking orgasm from her, he settled her legs on his hips. Her baby bump got in the way of sex, but they found positions to work. He leaned forward slightly as he slid inside her warmth. "Carlos," she moaned. "It feels so good."
Ranger reached for her sensitive nipples to roll and pinch as he made love to her. He built her up before stopping. "Babe," he whispered as she flexed her inner muscles to squeeze him.
"Stop teasing me," she snapped.
"Yes, ma'am," he moaned as she continued to squeeze her muscles. Stephanie tugged on his hair as her orgasm built up again. He moved slowly as she continued to flex. Ranger felt the sensation from his balls to his heart as he pressed deep inside her. He groaned, "Stephanie," as his powerful orgasm shattered his body. Stephanie quickly followed him over as sweat poured off her body.