6

I awoke to the most heavenly smell in the world. McDonald's fries. Huh, guess when they said open 24 hours, they meant it. Even on Christmas.

Ranger was still in bed beside me, the icepack gone from his face, his nose looking much better, almost completely back to normal. Damn, how does he do it?

I, on the other hand, was still suffering from a painfully bruised wrist and swollen purple ankle.

"Knock, knock," came a voice from the partially open bedroom door. "Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas. Santa is here with presents."

It was Lester, carrying the blessed virgin McDonald's bag and a super-sized Coke, followed by Bobby with his medical kit.

I scooched up against the headboard, taking the bag from Lester and moaning with pleasure as the first salty, greasy goodness hit my mouth. After a huge gulp of Coke, I sighed. Things were looking up.

"Thanks, guys," I told them. "I really needed the four basic food groups this morning."

"Four basic food groups?" Ranger raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sugar, salt, fat, and caffeine," I answered with a smile, shoveling more fries into my mouth. I was feeling better for sure.

After giving me a few minutes to eat Bobby came over and sat down on my side of the bed. "Let's see that ankle, Sweetheart."

I was careful flipping the covers off, making sure I was decent, that Ranger's t-shirt was covering me. I still had no underwear on, and it made me a little nervous.

Bobby was quick and efficient wrapping my ankle in an elastic bandage, saying, "Keep the bandage on all the time, except when you're showering, and keep icing it every few hours for the next couple of days. Try to stay off it as much as possible and it should be fine in a week or so."

"Thanks, Bobby," I told him, grateful that there was no trip to the emergency room in my future. At least the near future. "And thanks again for the cure, Les. Oh, and merry Christmas."

Ranger got out of bed and walked the guys out. I could hear the rumbling of voices from the other room, and then the door closing. He came back into the bedroom carrying a large tray of muffins. I could smell coffee brewing.

"Ella left these yesterday for breakfast the next couple of days," he told me. "She and Louis are on vacation until January second, visiting their son in Miami."

He set the tray on the bed and went back to the kitchen, returning after a minute with a pot of coffee and two mugs. I sucked down the last of my Coke and reached for a muffin and coffee. Now that I'd had the cure I was hungry.

As we ate another memory slithered into my mind, sitting in the backseat of the SUV with Ranger, him telling me he loved me, and me drunkenly reciprocating.

Omigod! Drunken declarations of love. Jeez, what next?

"I meant it, you know," Ranger told me, taking my coffee cup from my hand, setting it down, and pulling me into his arms. "I've been waiting for you to be finished with Morelli, and after last night there's no way I'm letting you go back to him."

"There's no way I would. That was a side of him I've never seen before, and I never want to see again."

"Babe," Ranger began, his expression serious. Oh, crap. This is where he tells me he loves me in his own way, doesn't come with a ring, lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships, yada, yada, yada.

"It's okay, Ranger," I interrupted him. "You don't need to say it. I've heard it before, and I haven't forgotten."

"No, Babe, you haven't heard this before."

Huh?

"Stephanie, I've been in love with you for years now, and I'm through waiting for someday to come. I want you, and I want you now. For good. Forever."

Huh?

"I would have preferred that you broke up with Morelli on your own, without the mess that happened last night, but at least it's over. If you want to wait until a decent interval has passed before we get together, I can wait until you're ready, but I just want you to know right now. You're mine, and I'm not going to give you up again."

"What makes you think I want you, Ranger?" Okay, he knew damn well how much I wanted him. If he hadn't sent me back to Joe last time, we'd already be together.

"Babe," he said with a 200-watt smile. He always knew exactly what I was thinking.

He continued, "It was the biggest mistake of my life, sending you back to Morelli, and not one I will ever repeat. I love you, Stephanie, with everything I have. Be mine, for good. Forever."

He looked so hot sitting there bare-chested and beautiful, and I had loved him for so long, that I did the only thing I could. "I love you, Ranger," I said and threw myself into his arms.

After a little while he pulled away with reluctance. "We don't have time now for me to show you just how much I love you. We need to get ready to go to your parents' house.

"We?" I questioned.

"You don't think I'm going to let you go, even for a minute, do you?"

He was right. I needed to make it clear to my family that I was through with Joe, even if we didn't tell anyone about us for a while. In addition to always knowing what I was thinking, Ranger always knew exactly what I needed.

"Okay," I answered him. "Let's go get ready."

And with a quick kiss I hopped off toward the bathroom.

oOo

With one more sentence, this was the original end of the story. Then another challenge came up, so..... TBC