26. Good

Lil was on her fourth day of recuperation after Physical Therapy with Doc on Wednesday. Today, she was finally feeling more like herself. They had agreed to postpone her next session until she was moving better. Well, Bobby insisted and Lil eventually agreed. Her days hadn't been spent in boredom though, there was plenty to keep her busy from their apartment. First and foremost, she needed to start her Christmas shopping. December had snuck up on her really quickly. Thankfully, much of her gifting needs could be handled via her laptop. Usually, Lil didn't have many people on her list. Since their parents passed away, her only remaining family was Cal. Tilde was easy to buy for, and Lil tried to keep her presents to a minimum. Giving quality over quantity was a trait long instilled from her own childhood. This year, she found herself with a much longer recipient list, like eighteen more names… Coming up with something to get her new Rangeman friends was proving to be a challenge. She'd figure something out though, she always did.

Lil had also spent the last two days helping the men enter data into their new computer programs. Inputting Bobby's lengthy list of medical supplies was not nearly as comical as Ram's ammo surplus. She was convinced that a third world war could break out and they wouldn't ever need to leave Rangeman for more arms. Fortunately, Hector was so happy to have his new program, he had already put all of his parts and materials into that section of the software. So far, it appeared to be working. The men, especially Tank, were incredibly pleased. When Cal dropped by to check on Lil, he told her that the backlog of piles was already reduced by half in Tank's office. Good.

The girls hadn't gotten many visitors lately. Ella came by to pick up Tilde, just so they could spend time together. Lil could tell they were cooking something else up. Bobby and Ranger texted her every day, to make sure she was doing OK. On Friday, Stephanie had phoned. That was an interesting conversation. The bubbly brunette told Lil all about the fall-out from her breakup with Morelli. Hearing how the news traveled through their area of town gave Lil the chills. After her own run-in with the moron, things had died down on Steph's end. Lil told her all about the incident at the ER. Steph was shaking with laughter by the end. Morelli hadn't bothered her since then. Good. Changing to a much more pleasant topic, they discussed the upcoming holidays. Stephanie wanted to go shopping with Lil, so they set a date for a Saturday before Christmas that worked with her newspaper schedule. Steph had plans for a date in late December with Brian, the editor at the paper she fancied. She said she needed a good first-date outfit. Understandable. Now, Lil was enjoying a lazy Sunday with her favorite person in the world. Tilde had been practicing her tumbling, she was getting really good.

One floor up, the Rangeman Core Team was gathering for an impromptu meeting. Ranger tended to only call meetings on Sundays when something was happening with a high-bond skip or the like. This was a totally different situation. Tank, Lester, and the others filed into the small conference room on five at 1000. None of the men knew exactly why they were meeting, but that it had something to do with Lil. Good money was on Mob movement or an increased threat. Needless to say, the men were on edge, especially Cal. They were all seated quickly, giving Ranger expectant looks. "Thank you for coming in, I know some of you were off today. I've called you here to discuss Lil." Cal stiffened, the others sat up straighter. "I would like to offer her a job at Rangeman, even if it's only temporary." The relief in the room was palpable, then quickly replaced with excitement. Ranger continued, "Her help this last week has been invaluable. I know she has more to offer. But she is doing it all for free and I don't like that... Something tells me that depositing random checks into her bank account wouldn't go over too well." Cal and Tank both laughed. No, Lil would have a fit if Rangeman did that. Ranger turned to Cal, "What do you think?"

Cal cocked his head, running different scenarios through his mind. "I think it's a good idea in general. But we will need to be clear on her job duties before even broaching the subject with her." Ranger nodded. "I agree. So, what opportunities do you see?" He directed his question to the group as a whole. Tank immediately spoke up. "The first day I showed her all the paperwork, she commented that I needed a full-time assistant. BUT, she is way too qualified for that. I think having her help me find one would be good. She also has other ideas for streamlining our programs and systems. Lil has more than proven her worth in that area." All the men nodded. Their lives had already become much easier in the last week. Lester rubbed his chin, "I know she would do real well with clients. Her manner, the way she works with people, could be helpful with some of our tougher sells." Ranger considered this. "That may be true, but her safety is still an issue. So she couldn't do client meetings that were outside of the building." Cal was getting anxious. He loved the idea of his sister working at Rangeman. She had already fit in so well with everyone. But the need to keep her safe was more important than anything else. "Look, I would love if Lilly-pad worked with us, but she needs to stay inside Haywood as much as possible. We all know the holiday season brings more visitors to the area. It gets increasingly harder to protect people from unknown threats this time of year. So whatever you want to offer her is fine, as long as she remains indoors." The men could see his point, though it was frustrating. "I know she would work well with my team, running searches and backgrounds, planning take-downs." Ranger nodded, making notes on the legal pad in front of him. The ideas were starting to flow. Good.

Three hours later, they were relatively happy with the job offer. The Core Team had determined exactly what her responsibilities would be, who she would work with, and what requirements she would need to maintain. Writing up her contract was quick, until they reached the salary and benefits portion. Cal felt bad every time he had to shoot one of the men down. They were all tired of hearing him say 'she's not gonna like that'. Ranger and the others wanted to pay her the same salary they received. There was no way in hell Lil was going to accept it. Eventually, they got to an offer they thought everyone could live with, hopefully. Knowing Lil, more negotiations would be necessary. Life would be so much easier if she was greedy, but then she wouldn't be Lil. Wanting to sweeten their chances of convincing her, they called Ella. A few minutes later, Cal texted his big sister.

C: Hey Lilly-pad. Do you and T have plans tonight?

L: What-up Sugar-butt? Nope. Just us gals hangin out.

C: Mind if I bring dinner and company?

L: Lol. How much company?

C: Core Team… don't worry. Everything good.

L: Sure. We'll be here. No Pizza.

C: 10-4 ETA 1800.

Cal placed his phone on the table and smiled. "Alright, we have a dinner date men." Lester wagged his eyebrows. Bobby smacked him, "Get your mind outta the gutter Santos." Ranger was rereading their proposal for the seventh time. He was so focused, he didn't even threaten Lester with more mat time. Ranger wanted to be sure all their bases were covered. Experience had already taught him that Lil was a skilled negotiator who knew her value. She also knew how to win an argument. It was a dangerous combination. He would add things in the margins as they popped into his head. This was very important to him, he couldn't put his finger on why though. Ranger just knew that Lil was supposed to work for him. With Rangeman, with him. "Good. Cal, set up the food. Tank, make the appropriate copies of this for the attorney and contact the accountant. We'll meet on four at 1755." With that, the men were dismissed.

Each member of the Core Team went their own way, anxious to have dinner with Lil. Worried but hopeful that their presentation would go over well. Tank had to chuckle, this wasn't the proposal he had been joking about, it was even better. Seven of Rangeman's finest filled the space in front of Lil's door at five minutes til six. Every one of them had chosen to wear civilian clothes, Hector was carrying two bouquets of flowers. Ranger took a deep breath and knocked. Why the hell was he so nervous? Bad-asses didn't do nervous. Shit. Lil opened up and ushered them in with her usual warmth. "Well my goodness gracious. How'd we get so lucky Tilde? Seven handsome men joining us for dinner!" The little girl skipped to the group, eagerly offering hugs to all her favorite Rangemen. Before Lil could inquire about the occasion, Ella knocked on the door. Cal took her rolling cart with a thanks and a wink. Ella was all smiles as she waltzed back to the elevator.

The group sat down at Lil's dining room table after Hector doled his flowers out. It was a little cramped, but they made it work with Tilde in Ranger's lap. Ella had outdone herself. A large platter of roasted chicken was accompanied by buttered noodles and asparagus. A banana cream pie was tastefully decorated with whipped cream. Tilde was beside herself. They dug in with gusto. Lil was really enjoying Ella's cooking. Her chicken used different spices than she was used to, more Caribbean in flavor. She made a mental note to get the recipe. It was so fricken Good! The men were having a great time watching the girls enjoy themselves. Conversations were flowing, all was right in the world. Ranger was at the opposite end of the table from Lil, proudly telling Ram and Lester about Tilde's reading. Matilda was positively glowing from her handsome perch.

After the dishes were cleared, Lil cut the pie into enough pieces for everyone. Tilde was vibrating with anticipation. She didn't get this excited for Christmas or her birthday, but bananas… Geez. As they ate their sweet treat, Lil started to sense a change in the air. She knew something must be going on. It wasn't completely unusual for all of them to eat together, but it wasn't commonplace either. She figured it wasn't bad news, or Ranger would have been more direct. What caught her by surprise was that he almost seemed nervous. Hmmm. After Tilde licked the last of the banana off her spoon, Lil asked her to go play with her small kitchen for a while. The Peanut slid off Ranger's lap and merrily skipped into the living room. Sugar High.

Lil waited, but no one was ready to spill. She waited some more. Cal started to fidget. Good. "Alright gentleman. There's obviously an elephant in the room, and it's dancing with an ostrich in a tutu. Is somebody going to tell me what brought you all here tonight? Aside from my winning personality..." Cal chuckled, then pointedly looked at Ranger. The boss lifted his head a little higher, squared his shoulders. CEO Ranger had entered the room. "Lil, we are here tonight as friends or family, but also as the Core Team of Rangeman. And as the leaders of Rangeman, we would like to offer you a job." Her mouth opened. Nothing came out. Well, she hadn't said 'no'… That was good. Right?