A/N: All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I use them for fun and not profit.

Chapter 3

My butt was sinking ever deeper into the sprung seat of my Cadillac. The car had been new about the time I'd started first grade and the driver's seat had an indentation so big I had to sit on a pillow to see over the wheel. It had been a bargain for eight hundred dollars. The beige color blended into the background and made this the perfect stakeout car.

Despite the pillow, my ass was growing numb. I wiggled to increase the circulation. The temperature outside wasn't helping the numbness. I was also having trouble feeling my toes. I was parked three quarters of a block away from Leo Morelli's front door, waiting for some sign of Mooch. I was sure of two things. Mooch was staying with Leo and Mooch wouldn't stay in the whole night. If he was there he'd at the very least have to sneak out to the liquor store and I was going to use that opportunity to grab him.

I started the car and watched the gas gauge immediately drop. I figured I could run the heater for ten minutes to regain feeling in my toes without emptying the tank. My luminescent watch dial showed it was eleven, not exactly the witching hour, but my spidey sense was zinging. Something was going to happen soon. Without taking my eyes off Leo's door I reached down and pulled my pocketbook from the floor and delved in to find a Butterscotch Krimpet. A girl has to keep her energy up. I was busily unwrapping the cellophane covered treat when the passenger door swung open and Joe Morelli slid into the seat.

"Long time no see, Cupcake."

I was momentarily speechless, taking in his appearance. The pale illumination of a streetlight showed a way beyond five o'clock shadow and longish hair curling over his collar. He was wearing jeans, a flannel shirt and down vest. He looked good. I'd forgotten the physical impact he exuded. Male, solid and sexy. His eyes casually roamed over me taking in my messy ponytail and dropping lower. My nipples hardened as his eyes lingered. I was momentarily nostalgic for what had been. Joe and I hadn't been all that good together in the forever after kind of way, but there'd been some good times. Mentally shaking my head I snapped my thoughts back to the present. I needed to put the events of my recent past behind me and move on. Maybe seeing Joe was the first step.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Are you following me?"

"I'm doing the same thing you are, Steph. Looking for Mooch. When I saw you sitting here I thought I'd join you and maybe we could talk. It's been awhile."

"Nice try, Morelli. You just saw an opportunity to use my gas to stay warm. Where's your vehicle?"

"Half a block down from yours." He smiled at me and suddenly I found myself smiling back.

"I'm being truthful, Steph. I thought maybe we should talk about the last time we saw each other. It might be time to put that behind us."

I glanced across the street toward Uncle Leo's house. Was it time to reestablish a connection with Joe? It was probably way past time, but I avoid conflict like Lula avoids filing. I blew out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"It is time, Joe," I agreed. "I don't like the feeling that we're trying to stay clear of each other. Our lives overlap too easily and I'm tired of trying to avoid you. I don't want to worry about running into you and how awkward it'll be."

We were both silent for awhile remembering our last meeting. I never would have guessed our last fight would be our last fight. It seemed so much like the ones that preceded it. I never could have imagined just hours after the big blow up I'd find myself in bed with Ranger or that Joe would walk in on us. But that is exactly what'd happened. When Joe's eyes met mine across my bedroom there was no recrimination, just a surety we were done.

"You were right," Morelli said, bringing my thoughts back to the present. "You accused me of being involved with Terry and I was." He had my full attention, the thought of capturing Mooch temporarily banished from my mind.

"I wasn't physically involved," he continued. "I suspect my relationship with Terry was a lot like your relationship with Ranger. I've had feelings for her since high school. Intellectually I knew it wouldn't work. Her family is mob and I'm a cop. But I just couldn't shake the feelings I had for her…the whole forbidden fruit thing."

I nodded my head yes, "I know you've always had feelings for her. I was jealous and, apparently, I had cause."

"Not unlike you and Mañoso."

I tilted my head in thought before I slowly conceded. "You may have a point. You were certainly jealous of Ranger, but Joe, I never crossed the line. The only time I have ever been with Ranger was when you and I were definitely off."

"Right before Abruzzi?" he asked.

"Yeah." I sighed. "And then he told me to repair my relationship with you. He didn't want a relationship with me and that hurt a little. It was unsettling to know he just wanted the sex. I guess I'm not wired that way."

Joe stared out across the dimly lit night. I tried to follow his line of vision. Did he see something? Or was he being introspective? Part of the problem between Joe and I had always been our tendency to speak first and think later. A quietly reasonable Joe without temper was unfamiliar to me. He sighed and turned back to look at me.

"I wasn't fair to you. I wanted you to be my wife, but I wanted you to be a 'Burg' wife. I should have known from the beginning I couldn't mold you to fit my wants. I'm being honest now. I love you. I've loved you for a long time but I could never get over my feelings for Terry. When things fell apart between you and me the fault was mine. After I saw you in bed with Mañoso, I understood. What you felt for him was what I felt for Terry."

The temperature in the car seemed stifling. I turned off the ignition and turned to face Morelli. "Why are you telling me all this, Joe?"

"Because I want you to understand that I understand. Ranger isn't the man for you, Steph…just like Terry isn't the woman for me. Even so, here I am, trying to pound my cousin's head in when he was just another in her long line of victims. I still can't shake what I feel for her. I'm really screwed up and it's not a good way to be. I thought maybe if we talked you'd listen. I know it's over between us, but I know you and I know Mañoso. I don't want him to hurt you like Terry has hurt me."

"You're about seven months too late. The last time Ranger was in my bed was the night you walked in. He went 'into the wind' the next day. When he came home two months later he only stayed a week before moving to Boston. I haven't seen him since." I looked away, refusing to let Joe see my watery eyes. The conversation came to a quick end when we both saw someone walking up the sidewalk toward Leo's front door.

It was hard to see the person clearly under the dim streetlight. When the porch light turned on, a glow of white blonde hair was clearly visible and realization came to Joe and me at the same time. Terry Gilman. The door opened and she stepped inside. The dome light in the Cadillac came on as Joe opened the door and started to get out. His cop face was on, his expression grim.

"Joe," I said. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I'm really not into threesomes, but tonight may be an exception." He exited the car and started walking slowly but purposefully down the street. I grabbed my cell and paged through my call log for Mooch's number.

The phone starting ringing and I started mumbling, "Pick up, pick up, pick up."

"Yeah. Whaddawant?" I blew out a breath as Mooch's voice echoed in my ear.

"It's Stephanie. Joe's on his way to your front door right now. He saw Terry and he's not happy."

"Shit. Shit!" His normal whinny tone was replaced by a fearful one. I started the car and backed up to the end of the block.

"I'm coming around down the alley," I said. "If you head out the back I'll get you out of there." We disconnected simultaneously. As I pulled down the alley I saw Mooch run across the back yard and through the gate. He pulled open the passenger door and flopped into the seat that was probably still warm from his cousin's ass. He was coatless and shoeless.

"I may have just saved your rotten life." I said to him. "Joe's pissed, and he won't be happy I helped you."

"It's not what it looks like," he said. "She's throwing herself at me. She wants me to come to work for her Uncle Vito."

"Mooch, you're in big trouble. I'm taking you in. You can get rebonded if you want, but the safest place for you may be in jail. At least for a while. Joe is really pissed." This was all true and when Joe realized I'd snatched Mooch right out from under him he'd be pissed at me too. Oh well, I was used to it.

Mooch was silent, pondering his options. Mooch and Joe resembled each other physically, but the man sitting next to me was weak. I once again was struck with an awareness of Joe Morelli. Joe was strong, physically and emotionally, and he'd made a good career for himself. He was respected in the Burg. He had avoided the familial pitfalls of alcohol, physical abuse and womanizing. Well, mostly. I cared for him and he cared for me. I wanted to be in love with him. I was in love with Ranger.

"Alright," Mooch mumbled. "I'll let you take me in." I did a mental fist pump and headed for police headquarters.

I left Mooch at the police station, where he was going to wait at least until morning to get rebonded. I thought he'd made a wise decision. My hope was Morelli would be occupied with Terry long enough to let his temper cool from a boil to a simmer before he realized I'd scooped up Mooch right under his nose.

A wave of fatigue slammed into me as I walked up the stairs to my apartment. It had been a long, but profitable, day and all I wanted now was to get horizontal. I closed my door, turned the deadbolt and slid the security chain in quick succession. As my foot shoved the floor bolt into the locked position, a flash of memory skittered through my mind of another night when I'd locked myself in and fallen exhausted into bed. Determined not to dwell on events of that night I walked into my bedroom and began undressing quickly.

I dropped my clothes on the chair in the corner of the room. Ranger hadn't been here for a midnight visit in months, but I couldn't look at the chair without thinking of him. In the top drawer of my dresser, next to the lingerie gifts from my secret admirer, I found what I was looking for. The RangeMan t-shirt slipped easily over my head, the soft cotton caressing me. I made an executive decision to forego teeth brushing and makeup removal and fell into bed.

I pulled the covers up under my chin and willed sleep to overtake me. As tired as I was, my brain was spinning and leading me to thoughts I didn't want to deal with. Seeing Joe earlier in the evening had brought to the forefront memories I'd worked hard to bury.

The fight with Joe hadn't been all that different from many we'd had before, but by the time I'd reached my apartment I'd decided that Joe and I were over. I dreaded the task of convincing Joe I really meant it this time when I said we were through. I knew he'd try to talk me into giving us another try but I didn't think that would happen. I was jealous of Terry Gilman and he was jealous of Ranger. The difference was I knew there was something going on with Joe and Terry. I only wished something was going on with me and Ranger.

I'd awoken suddenly and sensed I was not alone in the apartment. The bedside clock told me I'd slept only an hour. In spite of my turning all the locks and sliding all the bolts, Ranger could still get in. He came to see me infrequently in the middle of the night, sitting in the chair and watching me sleep. Sometimes I woke in the morning with the sense he'd been there. Sometimes I woke to see him quietly watching me. Other than brief eye contact he didn't acknowledge my awareness of his presence. Being there seemed to somehow center him.

I'd come to realize Ranger's late night visits meant he'd been called to go into the wind. I was usually the last place he stopped before he left. I was still upset from my fight with Joe, but I was thrilled to see Ranger, even if it did mean he was going away. I sat up in bed and stared at him for a moment in the dim light from the street lamp filtering through the window. I broke protocol by speaking.

"When are you leaving?"

"In a couple of hours, Babe."

"For how long?"

"I don't know…maybe months."

I held out my hand and he got up from the chair and walked to the side of the bed. He took my outstretched hand and let me pull him down. Once or twice before he'd laid down next to me and held me for a few moments before he left. I knew that's what he thought I wanted. He was wrong. I wanted much more. As he sat on the edge of the bed I reached up and pulled his head down to mine. His lips grazed mine and then became demanding, testing me to see if I'd pull away. My hands pulled him even closer to me and I took over the kiss, invading his mouth, taking pleasure from him. Soft moans were coming from Ranger. It wasn't a sound I was used to hearing from him. Pleasure mixed with something else, maybe need.

Ranger pulled back, giving me a chance to reconsider. "This will complicate things with the cop."

"There is nothing to complicate," I said. "Joe and I are done…and before you say anything else, I'm sure. I'm not going back this time even if you try to send me." That was a direct shot at his actions to the last and only time we'd been lovers. We were going to be lovers again and I wasn't going to give myself time to be reasonable or think of all the reasons it wasn't a good idea. I pulled his head back down to mine and the next time he pulled away it was to peel his clothes off and join me under the covers.

We made love, more than once. Afterward we laid in spent contentment in each other's arms. My eyes drank in the features of Ranger's face, knowing he was leaving soon. We were sharing the same bittersweet feelings, occasionally glancing at the bedside clock aware our time together was short.

For once Ranger wasn't totally aware of his surroundings as his focus was on me. I saw the realization in his eyes at the same time I became aware. We were not alone in my apartment. I looked toward my door and saw the silhouette of a man in the doorway. It was Joe and he was unmoving. Ranger's arm tightened around me, waiting to see what would happen next.

There was no yelling or fist waving. Just a few softly spoken words. "That didn't take long," and then he turned and walked away. After a few moments I heard the door close quietly behind him. I was in no doubt that Joe shared my earlier thought. We were over.

The next morning I awoke to find myself alone. Ranger was gone. Joe's key to my apartment was on my dining room table.

Ranger had come home two months later and then moved his base of operations to Boston. My life had changed irrevocably.