Ch 16 ….And the winner is...
A/N: It's done. It took a long time but it is complete. Thank you for your patience and sticking with me. I appreciate everyone who has read and especially those who have taken the time to comment and review. That you took the time means more than you know. Thank you. The feedback is helpful. I hope you'll enjoy this last chapter and the other stories I'm working on. All mistakes as always are mine.
STEPHANIE POV
This beach house that Ranger brought us to, put every place I had ever stayed at in Point Pleasant to shame. It wasn't big or even fancy by Hampton standards, but more than enough for two people. It was homey. Comfortable. It had an open floor plan with wide, wood plank floors, sand colored furniture with clean white accessories and huge, floor to ceiling windows facing the private beach area. The master bedroom had a king size bed that was like sleeping on a cloud. The master bath had a double sunk in jacuzzi tub that I took full advantage of!
The tub was like magic fingers massaging my tired body all over. As I soaked, Ranger got us settled in and secured for the night. I closed my eyes and dragged the brined air into my lungs and exhaled with a contented sigh. This was heavenly. My neck tingled a moment before a sexy voice said "Got room for one more, Babe?"
I smiled and opened my eyes. Slowly, they worked their way up from his bare feet, up his partially open trousers,and over his mocha latte skin. They cataloged the ripples of his eight pack abs, sculpted chest, strong arms, the seductive grin of his full, pink lips and twinkling dark eyes.
"Always room for you!" I purred hoping it sounded as sexy as I meant it and scooted back to make room.
He handed me a wine glass and was about to step into the tub pants and all. I jerked my head up, "Lose the pants Batman," I grinned. He responded with a waggle of his eyebrows and dropped his remaining clothing in a pile on the floor next to the tub before he climbed in with me.
You know that bathtub scene in the movie Bull Durham? Scratch that off my bucket list! Let me tell you, Kevin Costner ain't got nothin' on my personal Cuban Sex God! The Hallelujah chorus is still ringing through me!
Some time in the wee hours, I faintly remember Ranger pulling us up toward the plush headboard after we made use of every square inch of the king sized bed! I curled into him and he pulled me tight and covered us before we drifted off to sleep.
The bright sunlight lit up the entire room with a soft warm glow. I sighed and snuggled closer to the only man to ever really get me and appreciate me for me and not who he wanted me to change into. It just seemed so natural to lay there in his arms.
"I smell smoke," he mumbled softly not moving or even opening his eyes.
"Very funny," I said with a poke to his ribs.
He laughed. "What's on your mind Babe?"
"Just thinking how happy I am. How lucky I am to be here with you."
"I'm the lucky one," he said absently rubbing small circles on my back. I planted a kiss on his chest then rested my cheek there.
"Ranger?"
"Is this business related?" he asked.
"No, why?"
"You called me Ranger. I'd rather hear you call me by my given name in private, Babe."
I thought about it a second and understood what he meant. "Carlos?"
"Yes Babe?"
I took a deep breath. "Why did you want to go up for auction?"
Ranger sat up and propped himself up against the headboard and pulled me up with him.
"Is that what has your brow all furrowed?" he asked as he rubbed my forehead with his thumb. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "It wasn't so much that I WANTED to be auctioned off, but if it would help charity I'd do it for the kids and because it was your pet project."
I started to pull away but he tightened his hold around me.
"Hold on, let me finish," he said softly. "I had a plan that whatever the highest bid was I would outbid it so it was you who won. Edna was my proxy for you."
I blinked several times and probably did my best fish impersonation as I processed what he'd just said. "Grandma was supposed to bid on you for me?"
"Yes," he said and kissed the tip of my nose.
"Do you remember the song that was playing when it was my turn up for bid?" he asked.
"That 007 song," I replied.
"It's called For Your Eyes Only. I picked it specifically for you. When I heard it I knew it was about us. No one else sees us as clearly as we see each other. You can see into my heart- see the good that is left."
I rolled my eyes. "I know you struggle with what you've seen and things you've had to do," I said placing my hand over his heart and looking into his expressive dark eyes. I loved that when he was with me that the blank face rarely showed up. I felt honored that he let me see under the mask to the man underneath. "I don't know a better man than you or anyone with more love to give."
"Babe," he whispered.
He scrambled off the bed and went into the closet. When he came back a few moment later he knelt beside the bed and took my hand. "I was going to do this later; holding you on the beach; but..." he paused to look deeply into my eyes. Whatever he was searching for there he must have found. His eyes were soft and filled with love. "Babe, Stephanie, I love you with everything that I am. The words to that song are perfect. I never need to hide from you. You see what no one else can see, you accept and love me as I am and I could not love you more! I see the amazing woman that you are. I want to start and end every one of my days with you in my arms. Marry me Stephanie. Please?"
He slipped a gorgeous ring on my finger and looked up at me with pleading eyes. I'd never seen him look so vulnerable and at that my moment my heart had never felt more full. I nodded emphatically. "Yes! I could never love anyone as much as I love you, Carlos! Only you! Yes, I'd be proud to be your wife!"
Before I could blink, Carlos was back on the bed and kissing me senseless.
Sunday evening we were on the beach cuddled together on a lounge chair looking out over the water. His fingers caressed my hand and circled our ring.
"So, what was the deal with Grandma and Lester?" I asked.
Carlos chuckled. "She had a busy night. Not only was she my proxy but apparently she was bidding for Lula who was not at all comfortable with Tank's participation. She was also face timing with Lula during Tanks section."
"I saw that. Does Tank know?"
I could feel him shrug. "He may now," he said, "I haven't spoken to him since the auction."
"So, Lester?"
Carlos brought my hand to his lips and laid a kiss there. "Lester deserved payback for one of his little pranks, so I enlisted your grandmother to get her friends together and give him a run for his money. He couldn't say no if they won the bid and I made sure they had the funds to win."
I let that sink in as I watched the ebb and flow of the waves over the sand and I snuggled in closer to my fiance. I still couldn't believe that Ranger, Carlos and I were engaged. I couldn't wait to share the news with Grams.
"How does Ernesto fit into all this?"
"I don't know Babe," he said, "But if I had to guess, I'd say Santos called his grandfather for help when he realized he had been purchased by your Grandma and her friends who might be just as handsy as she is."
That made me laugh. I remembered all the times she'd scared off Rangemen, these brave badass men with her bony little hands. They all jumped and squealed when she grabbed their buns and pinched them.
Carlos looked at me thoughtfully. "What's so funny, Babe?"
"Just remembering Grandma and all the Merry Men she pinched and fondled. I think you should be safe now because you are mine and therefore off limits."
"The perks of being your fiance continue," he smiled and kissed me within an inch of my life.
"I wonder what will happen with her and Ernesto," I said once I was again able to put two coherent thoughts together again.
"I don't know," Carlos said, "but they seemed to genuinely enjoy each other."
I nodded and rested my head back against his chest.
On Monday afternoon when we got back to Rangeman we decided to keep our engagement a secret between the two of us at least a little while. So before we got out of the car I slipped my ring off into his hand.
"I don't like this being off your finger," he said quietly.
"Me either but you'll put it back after we deal with any problems and talk to the guys,"I said giving his soft lips a quick kiss.
He agreed and we strolled upstairs hand in hand.
The guys all gathered to greet us but it wasn't long before the auction results were forefront on everyone's minds.
"Come on Bomber, we need to know who raised the most money," Bobby urged.
"I can see productivity is on hold until the bets are settled," Ranger observed.
"Fine, give me a few minutes," I said and grabbed my laptop and took it into the privacy of Ranger's office. He followed and gave the guys a stern look to wait, while he followed me in and closed the door.
"Interesting," I said chewing on the end of a pen.
"What is is Babe?"Ranger asked flipping through the mail on his desk.
"Manny was purchased twice?"I half questioned, half stated tapping my pen to my lower lip.
"How did that happen?" Ranger asked setting the stack of envelopes down and leaned over my shoulder.
"Mrs. Stevens said a group of ladies pooled their money for a friend who is a military widow with a small child. They wanted her to feel alive again...Then the woman that followed him around..."
"The one with the long dark hair?" he asked
"How? Never mind. I forget you're Batman sometimes."
"Not Batman, just observant," he smirked.
"Whatever you say, but I've never seen you and Batman at the same time! Just sayin'!" I grinned smugly.
"Babe," he sighed and shook his head with an amused expression.
"So anyhow, that woman is very wealthy and offered to double his price if Manny would agree to give her a date too. He never mentioned a thing." I pondered.
"Not surprised," Ranger said. "He does a lot for charity that no one knows about."
"Except for you," I said glancing over at him. He gave me a brief nod.
"So, do you have the results to tell the men?"
"One more minute," I answered tapping away at my laptop.
"Take your time, Babe, I'll have the men gather in the conference room. Come in when you're ready."
Ten minutes later, I found the conference room crowded with Merry Men standing shoulder to shoulder. Les had his feet up on the conference table, his chair tipped back showing typical overconfidence. You would have thought his date would have knocked him down a peg or two or at least humbled him a not Les.
I walked over to where Ranger was sitting and he pulled me into his lap.
"What have you got for us, Babe?" he asked.
Tank popped Lester in the back of the head. "Feet down!"
Lester scowled and rubbed his head as he lowered his feet to the floor.
"Perdon" Hector said in his heavily accented English, "I have a short video."
The tips of Ranger's mouth tipped up and he tightened his grip around my waist. Ram switched off the lights darkening the room just as the first frames of video showed on the screen. Suddenly we were transported back to the auction. They guys toasting backstage before the meet and greet. The video then cut to the men each strutting their stuff on stage. Lester tried to slink out of his seat during the Tank section but Tank grabbed the back of his collar and held him steady in the chair. Then the video went to a montage of Lester jumping each time someone grabbed his butt. Then we saw Gloria pull Les by the buns toward her as she ground her hips against his. The guys whooped and hollered and whistled. "You go "LOVE MAN!" they teased.
Woody strolled into the room as the lights came back on. He was dressed in the same clothes as the night of the auction and sporting a grin as well as love bites on his neck that trailed down under the open collar of his shirt. He shrugged off the guys' jokes saying "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." Then he flopped into a nearby chair, pulled a toothpick out of his chest pocket and chewed on the end.
"Okay guys, the results of the Bachelor Auction for charity are in. First, I'd like to thank all of you for your participation," I began. "Rangeman alone raised $62,450 for the kids."
Everyone applauded.
"You should all be proud of yourselves," I smiled broadly proud of each and every one of them.
"Yeah, yeah, tell us who won," Ram said
"I did," Cal said "Doesn't matter the amount. I owe you Steph for bringing Charlene into my life." The guys took a few moments to tease him and make kissy noises but when his eyes met my gaze I could see how happy he was. He shrugged off their teasing and glanced down at his phone.
"Without further ado," I grinned, "Woody brought in $4,000 for the kids and 4th place."
Woody grinned. "That was fun, sign me up for next year! " he said adding a little extra drawl for effect.
I smiled at him and looked down at my notes.
"In third place with a total of $6,500 was the 'Love Man' himself, Lester."
"What?! I didn't win? This thing is rigged." Lester protested.
"You really have the balls to say that after all the stunts you've pulled Santos?" Ram snorted; throwing an orange up in the air and catching it.
Before the boys got out of hand I continued on. "Had Ranger actually gone up on the bidding block he would have captured 2nd place."
Hector grinned.
"But women walk into walls drooling over him," Hal gasped confused, "How could he have not won?"
Bones stared at him. "He didn't even go up and still raised enough for second place!"
"Since he didn't go up and WON'T," I glared daring the man himself or anyone else to contradict me. When no one did, I continued. "Second place," I said and cleared my throat, "With a whopping $10,000 bid was the man with the velvet voice and smooth dance moves-Mr Medic in a white coat, our own Bobby Brown!"
"I want a recount!" Les hollered.
"How much of it did Brown pay of it to dine with his girlfriend?" Bones asked.
"Doesn't matter," I answered.
"Worthy cause," Bobby smiled and grabbed his bottle of water- a satisfied look of his victory over Santos apparent.
"So," Hal started, "if Ranger isn't eligible and Lester and Bobby are 2nd and 3rd then who won?"
"Second," Bobby pointed to himself , " And third," he said with a smile that showed off a full set of ultra white teeth as he pointed to Les.
"Children," Ranger warned, "Let Steph speak."
I turned and smiled at Ranger. "Thank you," I said before giving his plush lips a brush of my own.
"The person who raised the most money may surprise you," I began. Memories of his moment in the auction spotlight played in my head. "Not because he isn't as hot as any one of you, because this Rangeman is very attractive and..."
Ranger cleared his throat.
"Right, not that I noticed of course," I said sheepishly.
The guys laughed and Ranger raised an eyebrow. "But he won in such an unassuming way. In fact, he may not even know how much he raised." I grinned remembering our dance at the auction. "His class and grace garnered him TWO dates!"
Lester snorted. "I had FIVE dates!"
"Don't think you are making your own case there Santos!" Bobby laughed.
I shook my head and continued. "This Rangeman had a winning bid that touched my heart. A group of friends pooled their money..." I put up a finger to halt Lester's next comments. "Then a very wealthy woman who was so taken with him that she offered to double his winning bid if he'd agree to go out with her too."
"How do you figure this is fair?" Lester questioned.
"It was done at the auction and the officials asked if he would be willing to go on two separate dates for charity. He agreed. No funny business occurred," I said leveling Lester with my gaze just daring him to continue. He wisely stayed quiet.
"The Rangeman who brought in the most money for charity was Manny at $12,000! Congratulations Hubby!" I grinned and applauded.
Ranger cleared his throat again to get everyone's attention as the men patted Manny on the back and cash exchanged hands. Ranger slipped the ring on my finger and brought my hand to his lips. Once he had everyone's attention he congratulated Manny and said, "Effective immediately the only man Stephanie is calling 'hubby' is me. I asked her to marry me and she said yes!" He gave the guys his full 200 watt smile and the room erupted with congratulations and cheers.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the ride. If you have a moment or two I'd love to hear your feedback. See you soon with updates to Fall Carnival and Bare-Chested Ranger. :)