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

Chapter 10

I was unexplainably nervous when I called the number on the piece of paper Connie had given me. Rob Balestere, also known as Mr. Poughkeepsie, answered on the first ring.

"Hi, uh Rob?"

"Yeah."

"This is Stephanie Plum, I have your, well somehow I ended up with your g-string and I'd like to get it back to you. Could I mail it to your home in Poughkeepsie?"

He laughed. His voice was deep and velvety and I smiled a little, my nervousness melting at the pleasurable sound of it. "I don't really live in Poughkeepsie," he said. "Someone came up with the idea of the dancers using city names as identifiers. I'm the only one that could fill...well let's just say the Mr. Poughkeepsie costume fit me best. I live here in Trenton."

"Oh, that's great. Maybe you could stop by the bonds office where I work and pick it up."

"I'm actually on duty until late tomorrow afternoon. What about we meet someplace and I'll buy you dinner."

It was on the tip of my tongue to say no. I drew in a breath and the word was actually forming on my lips, "That would be nice." Where'd that come from?

"Great," Rob said, "What about tomorrow night at six. We could meet at Pino's." I thought for a moment. Pino's was a good choice. There was sure to be someone there I knew as it was a favorite hangout of cops…and firefighters, I realized. The burg grapevine would be buzzing with news of my date, but if he turned out not to be as nice as he sounded that could be a good thing. Pino's would be safe.

"Okay," I said. "It's a date." The words felt funny on my lips. Without giving myself too much time to think, I pulled the second piece of paper from my pocket and dialed the Newark office of Baldicott, Inc.

A couple of transferred calls and a short time on hold later and I found myself talking to Anthony Fenoglio.

"Stephanie, it's good to hear from you. I don't think we've spoken in quite awhile. What can I do for you?" I could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"I was wondering if you'd have time to see me tomorrow. I have something to discuss with you and I'd rather do it in person."

"Yes, I'm sure I can make time for you. Why don't we have lunch? We can discuss old times."

"That'd be great," I said. Discussing old times was exactly what I wanted to do. I was going to find out the relevance of my stalker having my business card and possibly Anthony Fenoglio could help.

I turned to Connie, "I'm probably not coming into the office tomorrow," I said. "If you get in an urgent skip give me a call. Otherwise I'm going to take care of some personal business."

Lula quit filing and came to the desk where I was rummaging in my purse looking for car keys. She bent forward splaying her hands with the inch-long cotton-candy pink acrylic nails across the blotter. "Girl, you best be comin' in here the next day with donuts. Your next three meals are all with different men and that's something me and Connie are gonna want to hear about."

I smiled up at her, "I'll let you pick one meal and I'll tell you all about it." I left the bonds office with Connie and Lula deep in thought. I didn't think my lunch with Anthony would hold much interest for them, but Mr. Poughkeepsie and Ranger might run a close race.

I adjusted my pillow and slid behind the wheel of the Cadillac. I started the car and turned the defroster on high. The sunshine of earlier was gone, replaced with the murky light of dusk and impending night. Winter days were short in Trenton. The temperature had dropped along with the fading light. I waited for the windshield to clear and wondered if I should go home before heading to Haywood. I was wearing my good jeans and black CAT boots. I'd dressed in layers to keep out the chill of the season, my baggy Douglass College sweat-shirt covering a stretchy white tee. Despite what Connie and Lula imagined, this meeting with Ranger was not for pleasure. I threw the car into drive and headed to Haywood.

Howdy was on door duty. "Hi, Ms. Plum," he said his broad face beaming. "Ranger is expecting you, just go on up." I thanked him and wondered at his Merry Man ability. He was built for the part, but his face was so wholesome and his manner so engaging it was hard to imagine him as a bad-ass RangeMan employee. Maybe Ranger had hired him to improve public relations.

I took a deep breath before I knocked on Ranger's door. I was nervous and upset with myself for being so. He opened the door and I saw I was right not to go home and change. He was wearing his typical black cargos and long-sleeved black t-shirt. He didn't speak as he stepped back to let me pass him. His eyes took in everything about me, working from my boots, over my down jacket and lingered on my face.

"Cut it out, Ranger. You're trying to make me nervous and it's working."

"Babe," he said slipping my coat from my shoulders, "I'm not trying anything with you. Come on. Ella's brought dinner." He put his hand on the small of my back and directed me toward the kitchen. We ate baked chicken and steamed vegetables and I enjoyed them. Once again Ella had taken a healthy meal and managed to make it delicious. We ate in silence and it should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn't. At the end of the meal Ranger placed a small covered plate in front of me.

"For you, from Ella," he said. I removed the cover to find an enormous piece of cheesecake covered in raspberries and drizzled with dark chocolate. I picked up my fork and took a bite. The bitter chocolate and sweet raspberries mingled with the tang of the cheesecake. I felt the tingle of pleasure as the flavors bounced on my tongue and sent quivers of delight along my lips and to the back of my mouth. I took another bite, then another.

My eyes were closed and a pleasurable "mmmm" slipped out as I licked raspberry juice from my lips.

I opened my eyes to see Ranger staring at me. His eyes were heavy lidded, his cheeks flushed and his lips parted as if he wanted a bite as well. Without thinking I scooped up a forkful of cheesecake and leaned across the table. He opened his mouth and I placed it on his tongue. His eyes never left mine as he swallowed. The awareness between us was palpable and unplanned. My nipples were so swollen and taut they ached. I looked briefly down to see them pebbled through all my layers of clothing. Ranger's eyes followed mine down lingering on my shirt front. I ached for his touch.

Our gazes met again and I saw his eyes darken with desire and something else. Sadness? Regret? I didn't know, but it reminded me he was soon to be my ex-husband. He'd hurt me in a way I didn't know I could be hurt. I'd vowed to leave him behind and start a new life, but all I wanted was for him to take me in his arms and make love to me.

"Babe, we really need to talk." He stood up and reached for my hand. We walked hand in hand into his living room. I didn't want to talk. My body was reminding me of all kinds of things I'd rather do, but the logical part of me knew we had to discuss our situation. The logical part won.

"Why are you suddenly back in my life?" I asked him.

"I'm back in Trenton. I don't mean to be a permanent part of your life…" I stumbled, his words striking me with the force of a fisted blow. Get a grip Stephanie, I told myself. You are in total agreement with him. You want to divorce him. You're going to find a man to give you babies and a humdrum life. It's what you want. I shook my head to dispel the voice.

"If you're not meant to be in my life, why aren't you cooperating with the divorce." I asked.

"I didn't say I would contest it," he said. "I just said I wouldn't actively pursue it. It has to be your decision. I left Trenton to put space between us. The world in general can't see you as my woman. It's a very dangerous position to hold."

"Lula said you never left Trenton," I reminded him.

"I left Trenton and planned to move my part of the business to Boston on a permanent basis, but I kept getting called back here. I tried to leave, Babe, but the business in Trenton is growing. It's at a point where I have to be here. I'm moving back in to Haywood full-time. I'll be back in the office daily starting next week. I'll be taking a more active role in the BEA sector as well. We'll be seeing each other on a professional basis once again, because I'll be doing some of the RangeMan work for Vinnie."

I sat in the big armchair and pulled my feet up underneath me. I kept my eyes glued to the intricate pattern of the rug in front of me. "What are you saying, Ranger? Are you saying you're available now if I need help with a skip?"

"RangeMan is always available to you, Stephanie, whether I'm here or not."

"I know I can always call on Tank for help," I said somewhat sarcastically, "but what about you? Are you going to reprise your role as Henry Higgins and be my mentor? When the marriage is over are you still going to pursue me for a lover? Are you still the opportunist?"

"What do you want me to be, Stephanie?" His voice was soft, his expression blank. I'd struck a nerve somewhere for him to withdraw so completely.

"I want you to be honest, Ranger. I want you to tell me you sent me back to Morelli the first time we made love to protect you, not me. I want you to tell me you felt the pain too, when I lost our baby. I want you to tell me that you don't love me so I can walk away." He was silent.

I stood and walked to the foyer. I picked up my coat and purse and walked out the door, letting it close softly behind me. While I stood waiting for the elevator door to slide open I heard a muffled thunk from inside the apartment. It sounded remarkably like a fist punching through drywall.

As I stepped off the elevator I noticed my car had been moved to a different spot in the RangeMan garage. I made my way across the floor and noticed once again the car had been washed. Howdy appeared in the doorway to the lobby.

"Good timing, Ms. Plum," he said beaming at me. "I just finished with your car."

"Howdy," I said, "you don't have to detail my car every time I visit. And please, call me Stephanie, or Steph but not Ms. Plum." I smiled to take any edge off my words. I was struggling for composure, my mind still in chaos after leaving Ranger's apartment.

"Okay, Steph," he responded. "But technically I wasn't detailing your car. I just finished installing the rest of the trackers."

"The rest of the trackers?" I was sure I hadn't heard correctly.

"Yeah," he continued. "RangeMan was unaware you'd purchased this car until yesterday and Ranger had me bring it to your parking lot before it was fully outfitted last night."

He'd left me alone at my lowest point, at my most vulnerable, and now he was back, having trackers installed on my dilapidated car. Lula said he'd never really left, but I knew he'd tried. No one but he and I knew the reasons behind what he'd done. I'd seen first hand, last night, the pain it had cost him to remove himself from my life. I knew he believed he was keeping me safe from unknown dangers, and Ranger, more than anyone else, would understand what was required to keep me safe. But trackers on my car after I'd told him I was starting down a new path without him? I wanted to go upstairs and punch him in the gut, knee him in the groin, wrap my arms around him and not let go. I got in my car and drove home.