Thank you to all who have read, favourited and/or reviewed the story! The characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I'm just playing with them.

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Chapter 11. A new leaf

The next day she got up early. Much earlier than she strictly needed, but after a night of tossing and turning she gave up and got up to shower and eat breakfast. She wasn't hungry, but managed to eat some toast and drink a cup of coffee. Then she put on the clothes she had chosen, did her makeup, including four coats of mascara and finally left for her new work.

Sebring had told her that she could use the parking lot behind the office tagged Employees, and she gratefully parked at the designated space. She got out of the car and realized she didn't have a key. Before she could decide if she should try the back door or the front the back door opened.

"Hi, Stephanie," said Les Sebring. "Welcome. I've got a new key for you, and then my mother will show you the ropes."

"Thank you, Les."

Nellie taught her the specifics. Steph reflected that she was much friendlier today than last week, and when Nellie said that she was so happy that she didn't need to be Les' assistant anymore, she thought that explained the change. Steph bought sandwiches at the deli for the three of them, and said that was to celebrate her new job. When it was time for Steph to leave for the day she thought she had a pretty good grip on the assistant part, they had had two new clients, and she had done most of the work with the second one. Driving home she wondered for a second if she should make a surprise visit at her parents, but decided that she should work a couple more days first. She did call Mary Lou to update her.

The work went well the rest of the week, she got to know a couple of the BEAs, and she also discussed if they wanted her to help them find the skips. They decided to try it for one of the trickier ones, with a higher bond than usual. When Steph helped to locate the skip and also used her snooping abilities to make an educated guess as to when and where the FTA would be easiest to apprehend, they decided on what a fair percentage would be. All in all she thought that she had a good grip on her new work, and the clients also seemed to like her. When Les called her into the office that Friday he confirmed that he thought that she fit in very well, and that she had done an exceptional work week. Right now he would continue to be the sole bond's writer, but if she kept up the good work they would look at that in a few weeks. Nellie was also very happy to not have to work as an assistant anymore, and gave Stephanie a heartfelt thanks and a bottle of wine. She said that she had planned to give her a potted plant, but that seemed to be the one task Steph didn't excel at.

"Thankfully my son has something of a green thumb, and I have told him the greenery will be has responsibility from now on," Nellie said.

Sitting in her car Steph decided to take the bull by the horns, and called her parents' house.

"Is today a good day to visit?" she asked.

"Val and her family is coming for dinner, but you are of course welcome," her mother said.

Since she had been very polite lately, Steph figured her mother had realized that her usual vitriol would cost her a lot of money.

x

Stephanie parked her car at the curb behind her sister's car. Walking up to the door she felt a pang of sorrow, never again would she see grandma Mazur waiting at the door. Before she was at the door it opened, but this time it was neither grandma or Helen, but her niece Mary Alice.

"Aunt Steph!"

They hugged, and then Angie came over, carrying Lisa. They both hugged her as well, and she smiled.

"I've missed you! You must tell me what you've done since I last talked with you."

She said hi to Helen and Val, before she and the girls looked into the room where Frank and Albert sat in front of the telly. Albert didn't look the least interested in the sport's channel, but Steph supposed he was banned from the kitchen to do manly things with his father-in-law.

"Hi dad, hi Albert," Steph said and kissed her father on the cheek.

"Hi Pumpkin," Frank said. "Why don't you and the girls go upstairs and look at the furniture in Edna's room. Then you can talk and be out of the way at the same time. The dinner's in fifteen minutes."

"We'll do just that dad, thanks."

Upstairs they looked at the furniture, while her nieces, well the oldest two at least, told her all about school, books they'd read (Angie) and the science club (Mary Alice). There wasn't a lot of furniture, and Steph thought that she would like the small side table, and maybe the rocking chair. As for the paintings she really wasn't that fond of the ones over the bed, but there was a small painting of a bluebird on the opposite wall she thought she might like.

Val came upstairs, carrying the baby in a sling.

"It's dinner," she said. "Have you looked at the furniture and paintings?"

"Yes, I would like the small side table, if that's OK with you. If I remember correctly Grandma Mazur's dad made it when he was just married to her mother."

"Oh, I'd never heard that story," Val said. "Maybe mum knows. And of course you can have it, you have first choice. I'd like the chest of drawers."

They went downstairs, and the dinner was soon the usual loud affair, with everyone passing the dishes between them. Today it was spaghetti bolognese, and for dessert pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.

During dinner they talked about the furniture, and Helen was for once subdued. She did say that it was her grandpa who had made the side table, just as Stephanie remembered. Helen wanted a mirror, and so Steph said that she would like the rocking chair as well, and that she didn't want any more pieces than those two. She did say that she had bought a new couch, and thought that both the table and the rocking chair would look good with it .

She could see that Helen was on her way to say something, but Val made herself heard above her.

"As for the paintings I'd like the one with the children as my first choice, she said."

"I'd like the one with the bluebird," Stephanie said. "And then I don't want any more of the paintings either."

"Are you sure?" Val asked. "Then maybe the girls could get at painting each, if that's OK with you mum?"

Helen just said that it was a good idea, and then fell silent again. Steph hadn't even seen her drink any 'ice tea', but she didn't count on the good mood to last.

She took a drink of her coffee and deep breath.

"I've quit at Vinnie's," she said.

"Oh," said Helen. "It must be lucky for you that you got enough money after…"

"Helen!" Frank said.

Helen fell silent again, but Steph caught the glare in her direction.

"Have you got a new job, Pumpkin?"

"Yes, I started a new job this week," Steph said. "I'm working as an assistant and investigator for Les Sebring of Sebring's bond's office."

"Does this mean that you're not a bounty hunter, Aunt Steph?" asked Mary Alice. "I always had the coolest aunt in school."

"Yes, maybe someone else wins the competition of the coolest aunt now, Mary Alice, sorry."

"Have you deserted your cousin to work for his competition?" Helen snidely asked.

"I would phrase it more like that the cousin I blackmailed into giving me a job as a BEA hasn't given me enough skips to provide for myself for months. Instead he gave Joyce Barnhardt the better paying ones, and left me with the ones hardly paying for the gas driving them down to the TPD. He also told Connie not to tell me that he had Joyce working for him. As far as I'm concerned that means he didn't want me working there. And it also means that it will be a cold day in hell before I return there voluntarily."

Frank put down his dessert spoon.

"Do you mean he didn't give you the means to support yourself?" he asked in a deadly quiet voice. "And he gave those jobs to…"

He didn't get any further, because Val in a high voice said "Why don't you all discuss that person when there's not little pitchers around?"

Frank looked at his wide eyed grand daughters and fell silent.

"I will give my brother a call about his son and how he treats his family," he just said. "And congratulations on your new job, Pumpkin. I must say that while I support your right to be a bounty hunter, I hope that this will be a less stressful job."

"Thank you, dad."

And then Helen couldn't be quiet anymore.

"I suppose Joseph will be glad that you've quit bounty hunting, but I do believe he'd want a stay at home wife."

"Joseph can have the kind of wife he wants, but read my lips mum. I'm not interested in Joe, as a matter of fact we've been over for months, something I have told you numerous times. And please, if you talk to him, his relatives or other people of the Burg tell them the whole story of why I'm not working for Vinnie anymore. Don't try to spin it into me changing jobs because of a marriage to Joe that will never happen. I got a new job that includes me using a lot of my contacts and experiences as a bounty hunter, and even getting to use my exam in finances. I don't have to wear pantyhose, and I will hopefully not have to chase unstable skips or be shot at. And the salary is better than what I could earn most of my time as a bounty hunter, even before Vinnie gave the better paying skips to Joyce."

She stood from the table.

"Thanks for dinner. Would you be able to help me take down the furniture, dad? I believe I can fit it into my car."

She turned towards the other side of the table.

"Val, Albert, girls, it was really nice to talk to you. I hope to see you soon."

Frank helped her to stow the table and the painting.

"The rocking chair is too big," he said. "I have a friend with a pickup. Why don't I ask him if he could help, and get back to you?"

"Thanks, dad."

Steph gave her father a quick hug.

"And I'll try to get your mother to behave. At least Joe isn't around right now, even though I believe that they talk on the phone. And your mother and Angie Morelli meets up at church."

"I don't mind her talking to or meeting up with her friends, I just want her to be realistic. I never should have gotten involved with Joe. And mum always warned us against the Morelli boys, and now when I've finally wisened up and have broken up with Joe he's suddenly the best thing since sliced bread… I don't get it."

"Me neither. I suppose she deep down wants the best for you, and in her eyes that's being married and living in the Burg. Do you want me to follow you home and help you with the table?"

"Thanks, dad, but I hope Dillon will be able to help me. Bye."

"Bye."

Dillon was able to help her up with the table, and even helped her hang the painting on her living room wall. When she wanted to give him a six pack beers he just smiled and said that the last delivery was still good.

After Dillon had left she called Mary Lou and told her all about the dinner at her parents' house. Mary Lou promised to once again set the Burg straight, and was gleeful thinking about all she could tell about both Vinnie and Joyce Barnyard. They also decided that next Saturday would be their night out, since Mary Lou's husband Lenny would owe her after going out with his friends next Friday.