I'm soooooooooooo soooooooooo sooooooooo sorry for not updating this story in soooooo long... eepz, my bad. Anyway here's chapter 8! sorry again (sweatdrops) hehe.. I'll try to make chapter 9 asap.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they solely belong to Janet Evanovich.

Chapter 8

"No Plan For Now"

Ranger's POV

I didn't know what to do. For once a plan couldn't formulate in my mind. It was as if I didn't have a function to think. The guys were silent. They expectantly waited for me to tell them what to do, as always, because I usually had orders for everyone to follow even for people I did not have authority over, strange isn't it. The one time I needed to take direct actions and I couldn't even process a general plan. My eyes focused on the contracts on the table with my thoughts scrambled in another place that they wouldn't correct themselves into a formulated sentence. Love her… wedding … 8 months … she doesn't love him… contracts … love … 33 weeks to go … contracts … she loves me … no wedding … still, eight months … contract… love… God! I can't think properly, fucking great!

"Okay, man. No need to sit there and growl at the contracts," Lester pulled me out of my incoherent thoughts and I looked up at him. The guys looked warily at me; I didn't even realize that I was growling.

"Sorry, I can't think about what to do for once and it doesn't help. It makes me feel even more frustrated." I sighed and leaned back into the chair exhausted physically and mentally.

"I have some thoughts," Lester added. We all stared at him. He would usually just say what he was thinking and these thoughts usually pertain to something of his humor.

"I don't think we want to hear something 'funny' right now Santos," I barked at him.

"No seriously," he said with a smirk at me then looked down and continued, "according to this contract, you'll need to pull your head out of your ass."

"He's right you know," Bobby agreed. Tank looked away from me and I could tell he agreed with them too. I growled at them.

"Wait, just listen," Lester continued with a serious expression, "but even if you pull that head of yours out of that ass, just simply telling her 'Steph, I love you' really isn't going to cut it." Bobby and Tank both nodding their heads in agreement.

Bobby continued on Lester's thoughts, "In terms of this contract you have to 'prove' that you love her and not just simply 'say' it like Morelli, look at how that relationship was."

Tank looked at me hard for a moment, "They're right you know. You're going to have to prove you love her and the proof has to be accepted. Accepted from her friends, family and especially from Jeremiah since its under his jurisdiction if this 'proof of love' is creditable."

"We need to take out the big guns for you," Lester smirked at me, "Hmm, buy her an expensive car and diamonds, women love expensive shit and it's good you're loaded."

"Hell no!" Bobby argued, " Stephanie shouldn't be bought. If proving your love for her is pretty much buying her, that's bull! He should take her on a nice date."

"I can't take her on a date Bobby," I said, "She's engaged, even if she really isn't so much into her engaged relationship, she's really loyal, she'll just turn me down." The suggestions of both Lester and Bobby were out of the question I looked at Tank.

"Shit, don't look at me, I really have no ideas," he said.

"Lester and Bobby are both single," I pointed out.

"Yeah, you've got Lula," Lester grinned at Tank.

"Don't get me wrong, Lula and me are good. It's just when things go wrong, we just end up in bed and I don't think Bombshell will just end up in bed with you Ranger because she's engaged and all," Tank said while staring intently on the floor. He suddenly looked up at me and blurted out "shit, why don't you just save her the next time she needs help like always and carry her away to your bed, hell, I got no ideas."

Bobby and Lester were both laughing. I glared at them and they both stopped but it didn't keep the grins off their faces.

"Sounds good enough of a plan to me," Lester smiled at me. I shook my head at them. These guys were my best friends, no wonder we were single with the exception of Tank, but Lula wasn't any normal woman and she kind of fits into Tank in a weird sense.

"That would make things worse between me and her," I said softly. I was trying to think and nothing seems to work. I hated what I was saying next, "I should probably do things as we go. It's probably going to be spontaneous actions right now until I figure what to do because I got nothing else."

Tank, Lester and Bobby were all silent and staring at me.

"For real?" Tank asked uncertainly. I nodded. "You always have a plan, and you're sure that you're going to… to…"

"Wing it?" Lester finished Tank's question. I nodded.

"Until I have a plan, yes." I finished.

Steph's POV

I caught two easy FTAs with no problem since they were both first time offenders. I drove back to my apartment to get ready for tonight around five. Two and a half hours later, I was happy that its been a good day and I was ready for a good girls night out too. I dressed to impress and I knew I had a confident walk for tonight that said 'look out, Stephanie is damn fine!'

Deep down, my 'spidey senses' were ringing off the hook! I could tell whatever was going on, it wasn't going to be bad. It was a strange sense of knowing something you didn't want to happen will but not ruin everything for you. Get what I mean or have I really gone insane? I've discovered it was best to trust your instincts when I first started bounty hunting. It was a fact about me I actually did like. Also, Ranger always felt that I had good instincts. I sighed. Ranger. He is my only hope for right now and he didn't even know it. Hell, Ranger always help me, without question, but he usually knew my problem. My cell started ringing and jumped me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, Lula. I'll be right down," I said and hung up. As I was grabbing my purse, I could faintly hear the music blasting from Lula car outside from my apartment building. When I reached the car up front, Connie moved to the backseat as I came to sit shotgun in Lula's firebird.

"Looking good there Steph," Connie complimented me as soon as I was in the car.

"Ready for some fun?" Lula asked Connie and me.

"Hell yeah! Let's get going," I answered above the loud music.

That's all of chapter 8... R&R, plzzzzzzz?

vote for chapter 9, the merry men will be there on their girls night, will ranger? yes or no?