Thanks to everyone who has left guest reviews for chapter 2. So far, I'm still thinking that the next chapter will be the last one for this story. I've already started chapter 4, but I'm always interested in what readers think is going to happen, or what they want to read about, so feel free to give your opinion on what you'd like to see in it. All characters belong to Janet Evanovich. Any mistakes are mine.

Chapter 3

I'd been practicing what I was going to say all day, and I wasn't any closer to figuring it out. And when I heard the apartment door open, I knew I'd run out of time. I was sitting at the bar in Ranger's kitchen and I was trying really hard not to lose what little I had put in my stomach. Well, Stephanie, I said to myself, you said you were going to just come out and tell him how you feel no matter what, so you'll just have suck it up and go through with it now that Ranger was here. He was probably blocking my only exit anyway. I wasn't left with any options aside from just getting myself through this.

My romantic relationship with Morelli was history. I finally told him yesterday that it was over. And there was no going back now. Not that I wanted to. I knew that Joe and I wouldn't have made it much longer no matter how we deluded ourselves into thinking we would. Joe had been happy where we were, but I had begun looking for an escape route. I didn't know if I ever wanted to be married again, but I knew for sure that I never wanted a marriage where, eventually, guilt was the only thing holding it together. And every sign pointed to a marriage to Joe ending up like that. Now after a clean break I was free to go after who, and what, I wanted. And he just walked through the door. I just wish I knew if he felt the same way.The thing I was worried most about, besides getting my heart handed back to me, was that I wouldn't be able to convince Ranger that this time the breakup was for real. And forever. I knew Morelli and I were finished as a couple, but I didn't know if Ranger would believe me.

I waited until Ranger was finished working for the day for two reasons. One reason being that if things turned out the way I hoped they would, we'd have almost twelve uninterrupted hours together, barring an emergency. The second reason was that if things didn't go well for me, I'd have fourteen hours before having to face anyone until I could deal with Ranger rejecting me. But I was hoping that once he saw that I was clear on what I wanted now, and that I was determined to better my life, he would listen to what I had to say and start taking me seriously as someone he could be with permanently.

"Hey, Babe," Ranger said, as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hi," I said back. Ranger raised his eyebrow at my tone. Okay, so maybe I sounded like I swallowed sandpaper, but it was the best I could do at the time.

"Are you staying for supper?" He asked me."I can call Ella and tell her to bring up dinner for the two of us."

"Umm ..." Who knew speaking could be this difficult."I kind of wanted to talk to you before Ella got here."

"You have my attention."

"Maybe you should sit down for this," I said. If he was sitting next to me I'd have a clear path to the door if I needed to make a hasty retreat, I thought to myself. That wasn't exactly how I wanted to be feeling right now, but I have never been good at admitting how I felt about anything. And opening up in front of Ranger in particular was beyond frightening.

He looked at me for a long moment."It's that bad?"

"Well ... that depends."

After another beat of silence, Ranger sat down beside me. I clutched his hand in mine and took a second to get my breathing back under control. I had a feeling hyperventilating in front of him wouldn't help my case any. Ranger gave my hand a light squeeze, which I interpreted as 'Babe, I'm willing to listen to whatever is it you have to say, but you're going to have to start talking first.'

"Joe and I broke up," I blurted out to him."And there's no way Morelli and I are ever going to be a couple again. I'm moving forward with my life." I took a deep breath and looked straight into his dark eyes, not letting myself look away."And I want to move forward with you." There, I said it. Now I just had to deal with the outcome of it being said out loud."I need to know if that's going to be possible."

Ranger didn't say anything, but I was in full nervous rambling mode so I picked up the slack.

"I know that you don't do relationships, but I didn't know if that was a rule you had for everyone or was it specifically about being in a relationship with me. I know I've been confused. And because of that, I've been unfair to you. I justified my behavior by saying that you didn't want more from me anyway, but that doesn't excuse my using you, or tempting you, when I was going home to another man."

Ranger finally spoke."I didn't leave you many alternatives."

"True. But if I would have been honest about what I wanted with you and let Morelli go sooner, maybe you would have." I said to him."I might sound like an idiot for asking this, but have you felt the way you do about me for anyone else? I mean, you married Rachel because of Julie. And I can't see you sneaking into Jeanne Ellen's place just to watch her sleep." He wasn't aware that I knew about his nocturnal hobby. He never disturbed me, but I always knew when he'd been there. There was a slight charge to the air when I woke up. And Ranger was the only person I knew who could alter any airspace he entered. It was a good thing he had me so monitored, because it could have been really awkward had he chose to break in on a night when Joe had been there. I shook my head at the thought. Guess that wasn't going to be a problem any more.

Ranger was impersonating a statue again, so I took that as a sign to continue."You moved into my apartment to keep us both safe during the Scrog nightmare. You trusted me with the fact that you had a daughter in the first place. You hired me to work in your building and let me hang out with the guys. All while I was involved with Joe. That doesn't sound like you were any more immune to me than I was to you. So I thought maybe my going back and forth with my feelings about Morelli was the issue."

"It didn't help," Ranger said.

"Does that mean you have feelings for me?" I asked.

"Babe, I've had feelings for you five minutes after meeting you."

"So you've said, but what are those feelings now?" I stopped him before he could answer me."Before you say anything, I want you to know that I'm not trying to force you into something with me that you're not comfortable with. I'm ready to take the next step, but I'm prepared to keep things the way they are now if that's what you really want. But just know that I think if we both just stepped out of our comfort zone, we could have something really great here. But you have to be completely sure. I just ended a relationship because we weren't invested in each other the way we should have been. And I don't plan on settling for another one like it."

"Looks like Eliza doesn't need me anymore."

I thought back to the first time he referred to us as Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins and smiled."Eliza is always going to need you," I said."And so am I."

"The feeling is mutual, Babe."

"Yeah," I said,"but just how much do you need me? That's the question."

"That's one question that I can finally answer."

He stopped there, not saying anything more. I thought my heart was going to explode. This wasn't the time to draw out the suspense, I thought.

"Well ... ?"

"Babe, I need you more than you can possibly know," Ranger said.

That was a good start, but I needed to hear more than that."Try telling me then."

"I'm not sure where to start," he said.

That was a first. Ranger not being sure of something. I guess it was a day of firsts for both of us.

"How about telling me where you see us going from here."

"My bedroom?"

"Very funny, Batman," I said."I'm serious."

"So am I, Babe."

I was about to say something, but Ranger squeezed my hand again and continued talking."I know, Babe, we have some unfinished business to take care of first."

"Finally!" I said."You're going to let me in on what's going on in that mysterious mind of yours?"

"You sure you want to know?"

"Heck, yeah!" I said. Was he serious? "I've been waiting for this moment for years."

"Years, Babe?" He asked.

I thought his voice sounded a little doubtful."Yes!" I told him."That was part of the reason why I was trying to control what I felt for you, and why I kept convincing myself that I was better off with Joe because he was safe ..."

"Steph, when have you ever chosen the safe option over anything else?"

"When you sent me back to Joe a few hours after we'd slept together," I said to him. I didn't really want to open that wound again, but since we were clearing the air I always wondered what made him do it.

Ranger closed his eyes briefly before opening them and speaking."I knew when you walked into the diner that day, that there was something special about you," Ranger said, softly, locking eyes with me."And you've been proving me right every day since. At the risk of sounding like a mortal man here, I have to admit that I what I had begun feeling for you scared me."

"Oh, come on, Ranger," I said,"you can't make me believe that you're scared of anything."

"I'm not lying, Stephanie," Ranger said, never breaking eye contact."I have people in my life that I care about, but you're the one that I didn't want to risk losing."

"Why did you think telling me how you felt was going to make you lose me?"

"Babe, I said that I don't do relationships for a reason. I have a dangerous job. If I'm being completely honest, a few dangerous jobs. I work crazy hours. And I have to leave without any warning for who knows how long," Ranger said."How could I ask you to put up with that? After seeing what you've gone through with Morelli, I promised myself that I'd keep my distance as much as possible until I knew I could offer you something better."

That sounded sweet on the surface, but it still pissed me off. That he decided to not let me make my own decision about whether I could handle a relationship with him. It's lucky for him that I was trying to get rid of as many of my bad habits as I could. So instead of losing my temper, I told myself to calm down and listen to what he had to say. But, at the moment, telling myself that he was thinking of my well being was helping only up to a point.

"When DeChooch came up, I couldn't help myself," Ranger said."It may have been one of the weakest moments I've ever had. I wanted you. And knowing that Morelli was out of the way was too good to be true. I realized exactly that the next morning when I knew nothing had changed in my life except that the feelings I had for you were stronger than I would have imagined. So I tried backtracking. If you were with Morelli again, I'd be forced to back off until my circumstances changed."

"And have they?" I asked.

"Even if they hadn't," Ranger said,"everything that you've just said to me would have changed my whole way of thinking about them."

"What if I ended up marrying Morelli while you were waiting for things to change?"

"If it had been really what you wanted," Ranger said,"I would like to think that I'd have stepped aside and left you alone. But I probably would have ended up locking you in one of the safe houses until the date passed."

That sounded like something Ranger would have done. I still remember him threatening to do that very thing when he thought I was in too much danger.

"So we both sabotaged the relationship we could have had? Me by bouncing back and forth between you and Joe, and you by not wanting to admit how you felt for fear of losing what we already had?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he said."I had to know that you were serious about making this work, because unlike Morelli I won't tolerate someone poaching on what is mine, and I don't plan on ever letting you go."

"As endearing as Neander-Ranger is," I said to him, smiling,"you can put away your club and stop beating on your chest, because I have no desire to look at another man. Never mind actually make out with one."

"And Morelli is okay with you two being over?"

"I'm sure once the single Burg women, and some of the married ones, too, hear that Morelli is on the market again, I'll just be a distant memory to him."

"I doubt that, Babe," Ranger said."You are one in a million. And not someone easy to get over. I should know. And what about your family?" Ranger asked."How are they going to take this? I know your mother was set on you marrying Morelli."

I smiled at him."There's been some new developments in the life of Helen Plum."

"Like what?"

"My mother is going back to school."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," I told him."My mother is going to be a working girl just like me."

"Babe."

"Okay, poor choice of words," I said."The way I figure it, this is going to be a nice reversal of roles. It's going to be hard for my mother to bug me when she'll have homework to get done."

The smile Ranger gave me made his eyes crinkle at the corners."Only you, Babe."

"Well, it's true," I said to him."She should be too busy harassing a whole classroom full of people to bother with what I'm doing anyway. And she recently promised to leave the decisions about my life to me. "

"And since we're on the subject," Ranger said in a tone that said he meant business,"would you like to tell me all about your new career aspirations?"

"How did you know?"

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me.

"Okay, besides the fact that you're Ranger and you know everything."

"Tank used a company car."

"And?"

"All the cars are monitored."

I was starting to get the picture."And the bugs in my bag and on my car put me and Tank at the same place."

"Yes."

"Crap." I said."And how is Tank?" I knew Tank was worried about meeting me yesterday, but I honestly thought he was exaggerating. Now I wasn't so sure.

"He's been better," Ranger said.

"You didn't hurt him, did you?"

"I went easy on him."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Tank can take care of himself," Ranger said, without showing an ounce of sympathy for his friend."He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to meet with you."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He took a Rangeman vehicle to the Blue Bird," Ranger said."He knew both of your cars were being tracked by Hal in the control room. He also knew that I'd be notified that the two of you were together."

It suddenly became clear."He did it on purpose, didn't he?" I asked, although I already knew the answer."He didn't want to keep our meeting a secret from you."

"Got it in one, Babe."

I didn't know if I was relieved for Tank, or if I wanted to take a swing at him myself since I told him I didn't want Ranger to know about what I was doing. I guess in Tank's eyes, facing an angry Ranger was way more scary than facing a mad Stephanie. I couldn't really fault him for that. I tried very hard not to piss Ranger off if I could help it.

"Why didn't you talk to me about this?" Ranger asked me."You knew I would have helped you."

"That's just it, Ranger, I didn't want you to." I held up my hand when I saw his blank face slam down. I knew he had misunderstood what I'd said. I cupped his jaw in my hand, and said a silent thank you when he didn't pull away; that he was going to hear me out before reacting. It was strange to have a conversation about something important without any yelling or without one of us leaving in anger. I could really get used to this, I thought."I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I wanted to fix my problems on my own without having to rely on someone doing it for me. I love the fact that you want to help me in anyway that you can, but I want to prove to myself that I can not only say that I'm going to do something, but actually follow through with it, too. I want to be you're partner Ranger, not a dependent," I said to him."You know, just one more thing you have to take care of."

"Babe, I don't think of you that way."

"I know you don't, Ranger, but I do."

"Well, it stops now," Ranger said."Everything I've done with, or for, you has been because I've wanted to."

"I know that too, but I want to be able to help you the same way."

"You help me all the time, Babe," Ranger said."You already mentioned Scrog. Do you think I could have gotten to him as quickly as I did if you hadn't offered yourself up as bait?"

"Ranger, you got shot multiple times because of me."

"I got shot because of Scrog," Ranger said."And I'd do it all over again if it meant getting you and Julie away from him. And that wasn't the only time you've helped to get me out of trouble. What about Ramos? You were essential in proving that I didn't kill Homer Ramos."

"Umm ... as much as I'd like to take credit for that, Ranger, he wasn't really dead. That kind of helped."

"And how exactly did we find that out?" Ranger asked.

"His father liked me and Homer himself tried to kill me?"

"Yes," Ranger said."And you were also the one who figured out who was stealing the codes to Rangeman's accounts. And exactly how it was done."

"That was a happy accident."

"It was more than that, Babe. You are such an important part of my life, Stephanie," Ranger said."Someone I could never replace. And wouldn't want to. And you've also become an integral part of Rangeman."

"Thank you for saying that, Ranger. You've told me that before, but it's different knowing the feelings behind it. And the guys are great," I said, meaning it. They hardly ever cringe anymore when Ranger tells them that they've got Stephanie duty.

"I'm glad to hear that, Steph, because I already called Robert and cancelled your appointment with him," Ranger said to me."The only one that's going to be helping you with your skills is me."

"Which skills are you referring to?" I asked.

"All of them," Ranger said before he covered my lips with his. He could have kissed me for five minutes or five hours. I wasn't even sure of my own name when Ranger lifted his head. He stood, tugging me up with him."I'll think I'll begin your training by evaluating the skills you have in the bedroom," Ranger said, pulling me towards his room.

By the end of the night all I could think was that Ranger was an excellent teacher, and that I was a very eager student.