Sorry for the delay. My best friend came back home after her mother's death. We've been for each other since high school and it was my turn to help her. Lee Anne
Simple Hearts
Chapter 4
"Who is this?" Ranger asked pointing to an astronaut looking character on the little boy's slightly faded pajamas.
"That's Buzz. 'To infinity and beyond'!" Reilley yelled hopping on Stephanie's lap sitting on the long lounger. "Mommy got me these at the store where I got my shepherd's robe," he proudly said. "He's Woody's friend. Power Ranger, don't you watch the movies?"
His handsome Cuban face scrunched up. "No."
"Power Ranger, it's the best. I'll let you watch one of my movies when you go home."
That was all those three goofballs in Trenton needed to know he was watching a Disney movie, but if he didn't, Ranger knew the little boy would ask questions to make sure he watched and he was positive of that. "Thank you," Ranger responded glancing at Stephanie. She was no help giggling aware of the unspoken predicament he was in.
"How about a bed time snack?" The young mother asked her son.
"Can I have juice in a little glass like today and a cookie?"
Now Ranger was laughing, while he and Stephanie were tasting wines, Reilley was sampling the white and purple grape juices the winery produced also. He and Woody thought the dark one was the better tasting. Ranger didn't know many four year old juice experts, but he discovered one today.
Looking up from his grape juice and oatmeal cookie, he had a curious expression on his small face. "Mommy, is tomorrow the day we see the tarantulas?"
She grimaced and smiled, but it wasn't very convincing. "Yes, it is, Reilley. It's family weekend at the museum."
"Power Ranger, want to see the TAR-ANT-U-LAS!" He said quite loudly.
Stephanie hoped her son understood the man next to them lived somewhere else and just returned so he may be needed in Trenton and not be disappointed when he left. "Rye, Ranger may have to get back to his company. He has been away."
Ranger answered that without a blink of an eye. "Babe, paperwork," he said with a hand down chuckling, "or Tarantulas." That hand went as far as it could go in the air. Spiders won. It made him laugh more when she breathed quite low. "Thank you, God." He had the feeling she didn't like the arachnids.
"Power Ranger, did you ever see a Tarantula?"
"I've had a few crawling on me in the jungle."
His blue eyes showed his astonishment. "What did you do?"
"I gave them the look." Ranger made his patented blank intimidating stare. "They crawled away."
"Wow! You are the best.""
The little boy's mother was trying not to laugh. "Come on, Spider Boy, it's time for bed. Tell your buddy, Power Ranger, Good Night."
"Nite, Power Ranger! I can't wait for the Tarantulas!" Reilley hopped down and his mother appeared like she was going to lose it as she rolled her eyes.
Ranger tapped the 'high five' the little boy gave going past him. "I'll be back," Stephanie said at the first ring of Ranger's cell phone.
"Yo."
"Ranger, you're back in Wilmington!" Tank's voice said in his ear.
"Yes. Have you been tracking me?"
"Hell, yes! Did you enjoy D.C. and what kind of wine are you bringing back?"
"Private stock."
Lester called out, "Maybe he was with Phil Maweeney!"
"No, new guy, Ben Dover," Ranger told his best friend.
Tank relayed repeating the words not putting two and two together. "No, a new guy, Ben Dover." He got quiet and Ranger could hear laughter. "Don't you start that shit again, Mr. Funny Bone!"
Ranger was chuckling in Tank's ear. "Have someone pick me up Sunday morning."
"Why not tomorrow?" the second-in-command asked realizing he wouldn't be in the loop.
Ranger said one word. "Tarantulas.," disconnecting the call
"Tarantulas! What's that mean?" Tank yelled at the dial tone. "That man is just back and driving me crazy already!" Fingers were typing furiously into the 'Code Word Scrambler'. "It means 'Tarantulas'," Tank muttered. "What's he up to?"
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When Ranger came downstairs clean from his shower in his navy lounge ware, the bottle of experimental wine was on the coffee table, the cork screw, two wine glasses, and a scalloped glass plate with arranged homemade chocolate covered cherries from the winery waiting for the two of them.
"This better be all that like Geraldo said at Giovanni's." Anticipation was written all over Stephanie's expressive face as Ranger sat beside her.
"If it isn't, I could be Geraldo's worst nightmare," he joked with a determined arched brow.
Stephanie playfully elbowed his ribs. "Open the wine, Power Ranger."
"Yes, Ma'am." The cork came out with effortless ease under the power of strong hands.
Holding up the glasses, Ranger poured an amount into each and a sweet aroma reached their noses. Waiting until he placed the bottle down, Stephanie offered him part two of the experiment. "Cherry?"
"Babe." His body was cringing at the sweetness in his glass and between his fingers, but he told 'his temple' this was special.
"Ready?" She studied Ranger unsure if she should bite the cherry then drink, or drink and then bite. "What should we do first?"
"Well," the handsome Cuban man contemplated it, "let's do what every good Italian would do, taste and wash it down. Geraldo bragged how the cherry and caramel flavors would linger."
Nodding, she told him, "We do it together." She challenged with a mischievous grin. "1-2-3."
Each took a bite of the gooey chocolate covered cherry. Bliss totally consumed her face and her eyes closed as she chewed. Ranger frowned internally at the sweetness.
"Oh, this is good," she sighed opening her blue eyes; the tip of her tongue he watched caught a small drop of the cream on her lip. "Ready for part two?"
Their wine glasses clinked together.
"We need to do this properly," Ranger teased entwining their arms for a sip of the wine.
The smooth, cool liquid with hints of cherry and vanilla mixed with the candy tastes of the cherry and cocoa, it was like a cherry bon bon.
"Oh, this is even better. It's like a smooth candy bar going down." Stephanie finished her last of her cherry and another sip. The same pleasurable expression crossed her features. "Mmmmm, this is heaven," she whispered savoring the tastes.
Ranger preferred the wine over the candy, but watching Stephanie, that was his treat. He leaned into her touching her lips with his for a lingering essence of wine.
She murmured against Ranger's lips, "What an experiment."
"Babe." Ranger didn't hold back, all his missing of her came out in the kiss.
Ranger broke away from the sweetened tasting lips; his breath was as quick as Stephanie's. His fingers worked their way under her T-shirt, without even seeing, from his touch he knew her breasts were perfect. Blue eyes were searching his face.
"I want to keep on kissing you, Stephanie, tasting the cherries on your lips, feeling you against me. I would give anything to carry you upstairs and make love to you, but I don't think we're ready for that. You are so beautiful." His long fingers found their own way into the soft curls brushing his hands.
Stephanie's arms were around his neck and cradled against Ranger heaving chest. "I don't want to lead you on. Our lives are so different." His arms kept her right where she was when Stephanie attempted to move off his legs, but she didn't struggle.
'You haven't. Being the kind, giving person you are, Babe, makes my cold person melt."
'You're not cold, Ranger. Your work makes you so focused and in doing so makes you the best at it. That is a lot to have on your shoulders."
He nodded knowing Stephanie was right. Ranger did put incredible pressure on himself. She saw him at a very frustrating low point and showed him an open door to her home. In the simplicity of the gesture, she began to show him the way back to himself. And learning what Stephanie did about him, she never treated Ranger any differently. "I get to let down the pretense with you."
"You're just the Power Ranger the snow blew in," Stephanie giggled with her head on a Cuban shoulder, "and that's some Junior Power Ranger I feel."
"That, Babe, is no kiddie cartoon."
"I love cable."
Stephanie fell asleep snuggled in Ranger's arms. Protecting her was all he wanted to do as he carried her gently up the stairs. When he covered her in her own bed, Reilley and Woody automatically found her under the blankets.
Having recorked the wine bottle and placed the wine glasses in the sink, he sent Tank a quick text message for Sunday. Ranger thought of a way to help her when he was fifty miles away in Trenton until he was able to see Stephanie and Reilley again.