When I woke up, I was alone in bed. The sun was shining in the window, letting me know the morning had arrived. I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly, feeling groggy. I stood and realized the air in the house was cold, so I tugged on a pair of yoga pants from my bag. I stumbled clumsily out of the bedroom and surveyed the house.

No Ranger.

Ximena was sitting on the love seat in the living room working on her laptop.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning," I yawned.

"Ranger is out for a run," she announced as I stepped into the bathroom.

I did my business then washed my hands, studying my reflection in the mirror. The bruising on my face had turned to green and was fading fast. The track marks on my neck and arms had almost entirely faded. For this, I was extremely grateful. My hair, on the other hand, was major bed-head. I tugged it back into a ponytail, knowing I needed to score some dry shampoo—and fast.

"Do you happen to have any dry shampoo?" I asked Ximena as I stepped out of the bathroom.

"No, sorry," she said, shrugging. "We can run to town to pick some up today."

I went to the coffee pot to pour myself a mug, but the smell of the coffee turned my stomach. I groaned, placing the pot back on the warmer, and poured myself a glass of water instead. I took the water into the living room, where I slouched in a wicker chair. I wrapped myself in a blanket and settled in.

"You're a ball of fire this morning," Ximena joked.

I scowled at her, but didn't bother to waste my energy on a response.

"You should eat some breakfast," Ximena urged. "I can make you something if you're not up to it."

"Not yet," I said, sipping at my water. "My stomach is all sorts of funky."

"Morning sickness," Ximena declared matter-of-factly.

She stood and went into the kitchen, returning with a can of ginger ale and a bag of pretzels.

"Try this," she insisted. "But go easy on them. You need something in your stomach before your meds."

I cracked the can and took a sip of the ginger ale. It wasn't terrible, but I wasn't thrilled to be having it for breakfast either.

She dug around in her backpack and pulled out a pill bottle.

"Zofran," she said, handing me the pill.

"You're sure it's morning sickness?" I asked.

She shrugged.

"I can't be entirely certain, but I'm closely managing the methadone. You should be very gradually getting the opioids out of your system, so more than likely, whatever symptoms you're experiencing are pregnancy related."

"So… the boobs? The nausea? The exhaustion?"

She smiled.

"All totally normal for a pregnant woman. You'd likely have these symptoms no matter what. Sorry. All part of growing a human being."

I nibbled on a pretzel, then washed it down with a sip of ginger ale. Then I laid my head back and closed my eyes.

"I hate it," I whined. "Why would anyone want to do this?"

"Oh, I don't know. To have a child, maybe?" Ximena laughed.

I ate a few more pretzels and finished the ginger ale, then curled up in the chair. In no time, I was fast asleep. I stirred when Ranger came through the cottage door, though my brain wasn't firing on all cylinders. He was doused in sweat, wearing black gym shorts and a gray Army t-shirt.

"Good run?" Ximena asked him.

"Not my best," he admitted, "but it felt good to get moving and stretch out the leg."

"How's the leg feeling?" she asked.

"Decent. Tight," he admitted.

Ximena gave him a 'tsk-tsk' sound.

"You've let your physical therapy slip. I know you've got a lot going on, but you need to be intentional about working that leg after your injury."

"Yes, mamí," Ranger joked.

"Hey, you're the one who asked me to manage your care. Her care, too," Ximena argued, gesturing at me. "If you don't want my professional services, I'm happy to pack up and be done. You're both a wreck anyway."

Ranger looked irritated, but he said nothing.

"So… physical therapy this afternoon, right?" Ximena insisted. "I need thirty minutes."

Ranger nodded his agreement, and Ximena stood, closing her laptop. She dug around in her backpack and began pulling pills out of bottles. When she'd finished, she brought them to me.

"Time for meds," she announced, picking up my glass of water.

I obediently took the pills and lay my head back in the chair again.

"You're quiet this morning," Ranger observed, looking at me.

"I'm tired," I complained.

Ranger gave me a small smile and busied himself showering, and Ximena went back to her cottage. I resigned myself to exhaustion and drifted back to sleep, this time curled up on the loveseat.

When I woke, I found Ranger reading a paperback novel. He looked relaxed in black and white plaid pajama pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

"Hey, good looking," I yawned, sitting up and stretching.

"I was beginning to think you were hibernating," Ranger said, placing a bookmark in his book.

"I'm growing a human over here. Cut me some slack."

Ranger grinned.

"Babe."

I used the bathroom then dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and sneakers.

"Lunch?" Ranger asked, standing at the sink.

I shrugged.

"I'm not really hungry," I admitted.

"Do you want to go take a walk?" Ranger asked. "Maybe you'd feel better with some fresh air."

"Sure," I said, fixing my ponytail.

Ranger selected a bottle of bug repellant from a shelf near the door, and we sprayed ourselves liberally in the yard before heading to the shoreline. We walked in silence, with my hand in Ranger's, until the sand disappeared into a massive rocky wall. Then we turned to walk back to the house.

"Have you ever thought about moving up here?" I asked Ranger curiously.

"No," he said. "The house is only really habitable May through October. It doesn't have insulation, and the only heat is a wood stove. The spring freezes, so there is no winter access to water. The cottage gets winterized with the others like it on the point each fall, then we open them late in the spring."

Ranger studied my face as we walked.

"Do you want to leave Trenton?" he asked.

"Where would I go?" I laughed. "I've never lived anywhere else, really."

"You could go anywhere, Babe. Move to Maine? Florida?"

I thought about his question. I didn't exactly love Trenton, but I'd never really considered moving away. Not seriously, anyway.

"My family is in Trenton," I said. "You're there. My friends. My job. I'll stick around."

He was lost in thought for a moment.

"I almost forgot," he said. "They got the warrant and tested Pagglioni."

"Who? What?" I asked, not having a clue what, or who, he was talking about.

"The driver who took you out of state," he said in explanation. "He tested clean. Nothing should have been transmitted to you. You should be in the clear."

With that news, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank god."

The tide was rolling in, and the wind coming off the water was strong. A sailboat was on the water in the distance.

"I heard you say something about taking leave last night," I said. "What's that about?"

Ranger's face grew thoughtful, and he stared out to the water.

"I've been falling behind at work," Ranger admitted. "I need to step away for a while. Tank has it covered with Santos and Brown, and Ximena is around to help, too."

"I'm sorry for the role I've played in that," I admitted sheepishly. "I've consumed a lot of your time lately."

Ranger glanced to me and furrowed his brow.

"I was struggling to keep up before," he admitted. "Physically, I feel strong. I have mostly recovered from my leg injury, but I'm still dealing with lingering effects of the concussion."

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked, feeling uneasy.

"It didn't come up," he said. "The neurologist said this could go on for a year or more."

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I wish you'd have said something. I had no idea…"

My voice trailed off, and I felt like a horrible partner. How didn't I notice something was wrong?

"Sleep disturbances, memory problems, trouble concentrating, sensitivity to noise and light…" Ranger said, repeating a list he'd apparently committed to memory. "I can do the physical parts of the job, but I'm finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the business side. The computer gives me a pounding headache. My brain needs time to heal."

"It's hard to imagine you not working," I admitted.

Ranger shrugged.

"I'm at peace with the decision," he confessed. "I trust the team at Rangeman to maintain the business without me. And now, more than ever, we both need time. To rest, to heal, to recover… to prepare for the future. You've got Dickie's estate to settle, and my mom still needs help. They want to move, too. We've got a lot on our plates."

"So, I'm on leave, too?" I asked hesitantly.

Ranger nodded.

"For now, anyway. I told Ximena to cut you loose for a few weeks. You can reevaluate then, but I don't think it's advisable for you to do bond enforcement while pregnant."

I'd known that was coming, but it didn't make it an easier pill to swallow. It made me cringe. Part of me was relieved—I'd seen the danger of the job, and I was scared like I hadn't been before. But part of my identity was tied to my bond enforcement job. Without it, it felt like part of me was missing.

"Okay," I said, sighing. "I'm sure Ximena will have Newark work for me to do when I do return."

"There is always work to do," Ranger acknowledged. "But Ximena has been reassigned from the Newark job, so that's off your plate now."

"Reassigned?" I asked, gob-smacked.

"Yes. Disciplinary move."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"It seemed an appropriate consequence."

"Consequence for?..." I asked, failing to understand.

"Failure to protect you," Ranger said, his eyes holding mine.

"So that is why she's pissed with you. That's totally unfair," I argued, placing my hands on his chest and pushing away from him.

"She's unhappy," Ranger acknowledged. "But she should be grateful she wasn't fired."

"It's not her fault this happened," I argued. "She's worked so hard to make the Newark project happen for Rangeman. She relocated from Boston for it. You can't do that to her."

"Babe," Ranger said, his voice stern.

"She's been taking care of both of us, too. Not to mention helping out your mom. This is the thanks she gets?" I fumed.

"This isn't your decision."

"Yeah, it was yours—and you decided wrong. Don't be an asshole," I shouted, walking away from him.

"Babe."

I turned on my heel and glared at him, determined to get in the last word.

"I'm not an employee at Rangeman just so I can have a babysitter. At what point are you going to accept that I'm a disaster magnet, and I have to be held responsible for all of this? I'm incompetent, and Ximena is the one being punished. Fix this. Fix it now."

I jogged down the beach and to Ximena's teal cottage, shucking my shoes at the door. I was fuming.

"Knock knock," I said, entering without actually knocking.

"Hey chica! I'm in the kitchen," she shouted.

I walked into the kitchen and flopped down at the small table where she was sitting, eating a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Whoa. Who put the bee in your bonnet?" she asked, setting down her sandwich.

"Fucking men," I growled.

Ximena gave a light laugh and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"You're just figuring this out?" she asked, smiling. "Why do you think I'm single?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, the only two men I've found to be worth a damn are in my freezer," she said, getting to her feet and pulling out a pint of Ben and Jerry's Pistachio Pistachio.

She pulled a spoon from a drawer and set the ice cream in front of me.

"Spill your guts," she said, resuming her sandwich-eating.

I popped the lid off the ice cream and spooned into it. I needed comfort food.

"I can't believe Ranger reassigned you," I said through a mouthful of ice cream. "What an asshole!"

Ximena's face grew sad, and she chewed thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I'm disappointed," she admitted. "It is what it is. He's a control freak."

"It's not fair!" I fumed, sitting back in my seat.

"Not to worry, chica," Ximena reassured. "I've got applications in elsewhere."

I stuck the spoon in the ice cream and stared at her.

"You mean, leave Rangeman?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Life goes on. I'm not going to stand for being reassigned from top level jobs to push paper for my cousin," Ximena said, rolling her eyes. "He either wants me at Rangeman, or he doesn't. And there is always a need for nurse practitioners in emergency departments. Sure, the pay sucks, but at least I get treated like a professional."

"No," I whined, scrubbing my hands over my face. "None of this was your fault."

Ximena shrugged. "I should have been more vigilant, sure, but I think something would have happened that night no matter what. We hadn't put together the pieces of the puzzle to understand the threat."

I nodded agreement. Dickie had made a huge mess for himself, and we didn't know all the players involved at the time.

"If you go, I'm going too," I said.

"No, chica," Ximena said, waving her hand. "Stay the course. You're in good hands at Rangeman, and you've got a good partner in Morelli. You and I are on different professional trajectories. At Rangeman, I'm just passing through until the next right thing comes along."

Ximena placed her dirty plate in the sink and grabbed another spoon out of the drawer. She took the ice cream carton from me and dug out a spoonful for herself.

"Why does this have to be so good?" she asked, closing her eyes and smiling. "This stuff is crack."

It was mid-afternoon by the time my rage had run its course. I walked back to Ranger's cottage in silent resignation. I was still furious with him for reassigning Ximena, but I knew we needed to be functioning as a team given our current circumstances.

I quietly entered the front door and fount him dozing on the loveseat, his novel in his lap. His eyes fluttered when he heard the screen door close.

"Babe," he breathed, closing his eyes again.

"Sorry I woke you," I apologized.

"No problem," he said, setting his book aside. "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier."

I waved it off.

"I don't want to argue about it anymore," I said.

Ranger acknowledged his understanding.

"Can I interest you in an early dinner?" he asked. "I'd like to take you someplace in Milbridge, if you're up for it."

"As long as I can get dry shampoo while we're in town, I'm all about it," I admitted.

"Babe."

I was glad to know he found me amusing.

I grabbed my messenger bag, and we walked out to the Subaru.

"Shouldn't we invite Ximena?" I asked.

"We'll bring her carryout."

Ranger drove the short distance to town, and I checked my phone. No voicemails, thank god, but a variety of friendly, conversational texts from Lula and Connie. I responded to them, then tucked the phone safely in my messenger back.

"Learn anything?" Ranger asked.

"Well, apparently sales are booming at Vinnie's," I said with a laugh. "Lula seems happy with the new gig. And Connie said she's got a few new skips in. I guess Lester has been stopping in to collect files daily."

Ranger smiled.

"Vinnie figured out Lula's marketable skills," he said.

Ranger pulled into a small parking lot with a sign that read 'Vazquez' and parked near a porch covered in picnic tables.

"What's this place?" I asked curiously.

"The best Mexican food Down East," he said with a smile. "It's not fancy, but it's delicious."

I nodded my approval.

"You'll think the food is okay, but you'll love their ice cream," he said with a smile.

"Ice cream, huh?" I asked.

"They serve Gifford's—the best ice cream in Maine."

We stepped onto the small porch and placed our order at the window. A few teenagers sat at a picnic table eating ice cream, but otherwise, the place was deserted—likely a product of our mid-day stop. Ranger ordered pork carnitas with beans and rice, and I ordered a taco plate. We took our food to a picnic table in the sun, enjoying the warm rays.

"Mmm…" Ranger said as he chewed his carnitas. "Like mí abuela used to make."

I smiled at him.

"So, you do like real food, then?" I asked jokingly. "I thought you only ate bugs and tree bark."

"I'm human, babe," he said. "But I also worry about clogging my arteries. I have a long history of heart-issues in my family. I'm not looking to become a statistic if I can help it."

I had always assumed Ranger's dietary choices were a product of being a fitness-freak. It never occurred to me that he was trying to ward off potential heart-health issues down the road. That realization made me feel like an asshole.

"I had no idea," I admitted. "I'm sorry I've been insensitive about it."

"It's fine," he said with a smirk. "The jokes don't bother me. Mi abuela died from a heart attack, and my father had a mild heart attack a few years back, too. I'm doing what I can to avoid that fate."

I had learned so much about Ranger on this trip, and I was finding it truly meaningful to spend so much time together out of our normal routine. We'd known each other for years, but in many ways, he had continued to be the man of mystery with his personal life. When we formalized our relationship, we hadn't invested much time in us. Now, Ranger's human side was coming into focus, and I longed to understand him better.

We finished our dinner, then Ranger ordered carnitas to go for Ximena.

"Do you want to try the ice cream?" Ranger said.

"Heck yes!" I responded, studying the menu.

I ordered a single scoop of cookies and cream. To my surprise, Ranger ordered himself a dip of toasted coconut ice cream. We accepted the food and packed up the Subaru.

"I need an emergency stop for dry shampoo," I said, buckling my seatbelt.

"Well, you've got two choices—Bayside Grocery or Family Dollar. Pick your poison," Ranger said.

"Family Dollar."

I got my dry shampoo, and we returned to the house. Ranger delivered Ximena's dinner while I got busy in the bathroom with the dry shampoo. After much spraying, fluffing, re-spraying, and re-fluffing, my hair seemed happier. I felt happier, too.

I was surprised when I heard a knock on the door. I wandered out of the bathroom and saw a middle-aged woman standing beyond the screen door. She was holding a pie.

"Hello," I greeted. "Can I help you?"

"Hi! We haven't met. I'm Rachel!" she said, her gregarious personality apparent. "Is this your first time in Maine?"

"Yep, I'm a first-timer," I said. "I'm Stephanie."

I extended my hand to her, and she took it, then pulled me into a hug.

"It's so good to meet you! I've met Carlos's parents and daughter, but he doesn't typically bring other people up with him."

"I'm his fiancé," I said with a laugh, holding up my hand to display my ring. "He's acquainting me with Down East ways."

"Good for him! What have you done so far?" she asked.

I listed off the activities of the last few days, and she nodded her approval.

"He's doing a great job," she said. "Get him to take you to Acadia and Bar Harbor, and you're golden."

Ranger walked up to the house.

"Hi, Rachel," he greeted. "It's good to see you."

Rachel turned and gave Ranger a massive hug, which he accepted with resignation.

"It's so good to see you, too!" she chirped, shoving the pie in his hands. "Welcome back."

Ranger studied the pie.

"Blueberry?" he asked.

"Of course!"

"Would you and George like to come in for a slice?" he asked politely. "Stephanie and I just returned from Vazquez."

"Oh, we'd best not," she said, waving to the white Subaru that was parked on the road. "We've got another pie to deliver. Memorial Day weekend is a busy time! I do hope to see Stephanie around again soon, though. Congratulations on your engagement!"

Rachel left with a friendly wave, and the white Subaru, which I assumed was driven by George, drove away.

"She's sweet," I said.

"They're good people," Ranger said, stepping into the house. "I'm lucky to have them caring for this place."

Ranger set the pie on the counter, then leaned against it, studying me.

"What would you like to do this evening?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"We could read, nap, play Scrabble, go for a walk…"

I cut him off.

"You own a Scrabble board?"

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is that weird?" he asked.

I squinted at him.

"No. It's actually sort of… normal," I admitted. "And boring."

"Do you want to play?" he asked with a laugh.

"Heck no. You're smarter than me. I don't want my ass handed to me tonight. Let's go with reading."

We settled into a double hammock strung between two tall pine trees in the yard, Ranger with his novel and me reading People magazine. I snuggled into his side, and he had thrown an afghan over us. Despite my best intentions to read, I soon fell asleep and only woke when I was being carried from the hammock into the house. Ranger laid me in bed, pulled off my jeans, and tucked me in before giving me a goodnight kiss.

"Sleep tight, Babe."