Simple Hearts
Chapter 7
"I'm on my way, Mom," Stephanie told her mother with a shaky voice. Ellen Plum called her younger daughter from St. Francis Hospital. Her husband, Frank, got up from the table after finishing his coffee doubling over in pain. An ambulance was called; she and Edna Mazur were in the ER waiting for a doctor to finish his exam. The younger Plum daughter did hear a gastroenterologist was being paged in the background through her cell phone.
Closing her cell phone, her hands were trembling picking up the blow dryer again to finish with her first client of the morning. Tony in his flowered polyester shirt was glaring at her for answering her cell phone. "NO, I repeat, NO cell phones during work!" He yelled so loud his squeaky voice echoed.
"My father is in the ER!" Stephanie yelled back meeting his glower.
"Call on your break!"
Another stylist called out, "What breaks?"
"I run this place!" Tony's voice reverberated through the busy salon.
Two clients in chairs rang out in unison, "Not very well! Stephanie, go!"
She finished drying her clients new blunt cut and was smoothing it with her flat iron. She was trying her best to concentrate on what she was doing and not in Trenton. "How is that?"
"Just what I need for my new administrative assistant job," the young woman smiled at her stylist and handed her a tip before exiting her chair. She gave Tony a nasty look walking to the front.
"Your next appointment is here," April told Stephanie. "I'll give her roots a touch up. Go. You should be with your family. Mary can reschedule your other customers. Tony's an ass if you didn't know already!"
"I figured that out," Stephanie laughed at the comment.
"I heard that!" Mr. Slave-driver roared loud enough for his employees and patrons all to hear.
Another customer having her hair colored spoke up, "I'm not coming here for your sparkling personality!"
Stephanie began picking up her styling tools throwing them in her quilted bag she carried. Tony stomped over stopping behind her. "Where are you going?"
"Trenton," she said continuing to place her things in her bag never acknowledging him.
"This is a business that pays you to be here!"
Stephanie whipped around so fast; the breeze caused him to step back. "THAT IS MY FATHER!" Her clear blue eyes were dark with rage. The daggers shooting out of them would have struck the new owner in the forehead. Since Monday it had been hell for all of 'The Hair Shack' employees and kept getting worse if that was possible working with the devil. She wanted to walk out after the first day, but came back because it was a job with benefits.
"He's a big boy! There are clients here! If you leave, you may not have a job when you come back!"
Stephanie made a large step, her shoes smacked on the tile floor. She was nose-to-nose with him. "Kiss my New Jersey 'Burg' girl ASS!" She grabbed her purse and styling tools swinging them over her shoulder; he had to move out of the way or would have been knocked out with them.
Also, hopefully, while she was there she could see a certain Cuban Man to apologize for her attitude on the phone. The bright spots of her days were her son and the evening phone call from Ranger, but last night the stress had gotten to her. He offered her a job with his company and she bit a part of his short hair off. Stephanie didn't mean to, but it seemed as if he was trying to control her life. A job which she figured he created would involve moving and packing, finding a new place to live, and it was more than she could handle at that moment. She prayed she didn't ruin the true friendship they developed and their budding romance.
"Go, Stephanie!" The salon cheered. The door opened as she reached it. A man in a black suit, dark sun glasses, and briefcase stepped into the waiting area.
"I'm looking for Anthony Roman," the man said from behind the sunglasses.
Tony stepped into the reception area. "Who wants to know?" he snarled.
"Irwin R Smith. I'd like to see your financial records."
Even with his artificial tan, the salon owner went pale.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Babe," Ranger said to himself. He was kicking himself for upsetting Stephanie. Each evening speaking to her, the pressure the new boss Tony was applying increased incrementally. It was in the tone of her voice. Each day of the week so far he mentioned at some point about Stephanie working on Saturday. Under Marilyn she worked only Monday through Friday because she had daycare for Reilley while she worked. Only if a client had something special like a wedding, prom, or special occasion would she schedule a regular client on Saturday. The time wasn't long so her son accompanied Stephanie and busied himself in the employee lounge playing with his cars or coloring and the owner never minded. It wasn't that often. If she worked the full day, there was no daycare open so that meant she had to hire an unknown babysitter or ask her parents to come to Wilmington to stay with her son. Her father would come in a heartbeat, but the weekends were to spend with Reilley so she was denying Tony's demand. Ranger could hear the stress rising in her voice when they spoke.
He asked Tank to contact the administrator of the Rangeman benefits to discover the minimum number of hours she would need to work to qualify for benefits as an employee and to compile a job packet for an entry-level research assistant. Once everything was given to Ranger to review, he mentioned a part-time position with his company to Stephanie. Her reaction wasn't what he expected, Ranger believed in his macho Cuban brain she would jump at the opportunity. Stephanie didn't and was actually upset.
After hanging up, Ranger took a step back to analyze why the plan didn't go as he expected. It hit him in the shower; Stephanie was independent, not dependent. That characteristic stroked his ego because he was Mr. In-charge. Ranger had a habit; actually it was his escape clause, when he did decide to date a woman. The Cuban Bad Ass chose in the past women who he categorized as clingy. There weren't a lot, but it was a short diversion from Rangeman and the government. After a few dates, the cleaving as always got on Ranger's last nerve. He would never call again, change his cell phone number, and take a plane out of town to another office. Stephanie wasn't that, she was caring and beautiful standing on her own two feet. There was also one other thing he didn't factor in, she grew up in that mystical off-the-wall area of Trenton, 'the Burg'. Nothing related to that area was 'normal'. The playing field wasn't level he discovered when it was involved, look at her grandmother. Defensive survival crept out when she told Ranger she appreciated his offer, but she would figure out something. Stephanie didn't want to be a charity case or obligated to anyone. OK, she was stubborn, too! He had to fix it, her and her small Power Ranger meant a lot to him.
"Idiot!" he berated himself. He wanted nothing more than to floor it to Wilmington to clear the air, but he had a situation in Trenton that needed his attention first.
Ranger was walking down the hallway to leave St. Francis Hospital through the ER where he was parked. He was there because an employee was injured. Binkie's injured knee where a skip rammed him with a grocery cart was dislocated. Thankfully, not broken, but the FTA could use a new nose from Hal's boot which accidentally connected with the skip's face when he tripped. His trained ears perked up; he quickened and lengthened his strides hearing a panicked voice.
"My father was brought into the ER a little while ago! His name is Frank Plum! Can you, please, tell me where he is?" Her voice was edged with hysteria. He would know the voice anywhere or anytime and saw the curls turning the corner which confirmed the woman's presence.
"He was taken to Radiology on 4," the nurse at the ER desk told Stephanie looking up from her computer screen.
"Come on, Reilley."
He saw her pick up her son with shaking hands and anticipated her moving quickly, Ranger stepped aside to avoid the collision of their bodies. "Babe, what's wrong?"
"My mom called me at work. Daddy was having severe abdominal pains. She called an ambulance to bring him here. He's in radiology right now."
"Come on, Blue Power Ranger," Ranger said taking the fearful little boy from his equally frightened mother and ushered them to the elevator. As they stepped up to it, it opened.
It took her a minute to fully comprehend the Cuban man appeared just like she needed him. "What are you doing here?" She noticed his black attire and weaponry around his hips.
"One of my men was hurt when a skip tried to take out his knee. It's dislocated, but he'll be fine," he explained just as they arrived at the fourth floor. Waiting there in a wheelchair was Frank Plum with an orderly pushing him, her mother, Grandmother, her sister Valerie, and a fresh faced tubby man with round wire rimmed glasses.
"Daddy!" Her flood gates opened relieved to see her father and concerned as to the medical condition. Driving to Trenton from Wilmington, she tried to remain calm for Reilley's sake, but seeing her rock-solid father in the hospital as the patient was overwhelming.
"It's OK, Pumpkin," he told his younger daughter crying on the embarrassing thin hospital gown. "The doctor thinks its a few stupid gallstones. There's my boy!" Ranger gently placed the favorite grandchild on his lap.
"Grandpa, did you get sick? Mommy was trying not to be scared. She was driving fast." Reilley gave his simplified version of her quick packing and fast driving to get there.
"Hopefully, I'll be as good as new."
It was a cramped fit, but all the Plum family members got on the elevator which the orderly directed up to 6.
"We're waiting for the ultrasound and the doctor," Ellen Plum explained to her younger daughter Stephanie. "Your father will have to stay overnight and if it is his gallbladder, surgery will be tomorrow."
"Wow, it's a good day," Grandma Mazur spoke up getting off the elevator, "I got to see him." She pointed a finger at Ranger and the orderly made a noise. "And I got some ass."
"Mother!"
Ranger chuckled in Stephanie's curls. "Babe, stay next to me."
A petite nurse was waiting in a doorway waving to the orderly. "We have a crowd." She raked her eyes over the muscled form in black; Ranger never acknowledged her, his concern was with Stephanie.
"Valerie, this is Carlos Manoso. Ranger, this is my sister, Valerie, and her husband, Albert," she introduced her sister and brother-in-law since there was more space in the hospital room.
"I was wondering if we were going to be introduced," Valerie Kloughn offered her hand with a miffed demeanor to the Cuban man stuck to her sister. Stephanie's hand was tightly locked in his left and shook with his right hand.
Her husband accepted the offered hand, but was half hiding behind his wife. "Aren't you the bounty hunter?" Albert stumbled.
"Yes," Ranger responded with one word turning his attention to the curly haired woman. "Babe, can I get you anything?"
She was watching the hospital bed her father just got in with her son; they were trying out the bed controls raising the head and foot up. "No," she giggled. Her mother was trying to fluff the pillow, but she gave up.
"I don't think we're needed here, Albert, the favorite grandson has arrived," Stephanie's sister sniped. Her father never seemed to give attention to her daughters the way he did when Reilley was in the house.
"Put a sock in it, Valerie," Mr. Plum grumbled. "Reilley and I understand each other. Your girls are afraid to get 'dirty' and inherited your 'whining' gene. I'm the patient!"
A man in a white coat stepped into the room. "Frank, I've checked over."
He stopped seeing the full house and the older man with the young boy rising the bed laughing. "We have a full house here."
"Come on in, Doc," Frank called. "This is my daughter Stephanie, my grandson Reilley, and the adopted family member, Carlos, who appears when my daughter is around. You met the rest of my family. This is Doctor Hildebrand."
The doctor shook the couples' hands on the way to his patient and with the little boy in the hospital bed. His patient appeared to be in no pain now. "Well, Frank, you have gallstones and I think we need to take out that gallbladder."
"When?" Ellen Plum asked.
The doctor looked at the chart. "We'll keep your husband overnight and I can do laparoscopic surgery tomorrow at 8. If he has a comfortable night tomorrow, then he can go home Saturday morning."
"Do it," Frank Plum agreed. "Ellen, don't cry. I'll be home before you know it."
Tears were being wiped. "We're rarely apart, Frank."
"It will be a vacation. I'll have a bathroom all to myself."
"So will I!" Edna Mazur announced. "I'm going down to the geriatric ward. Maybe I can read or play cards with some old coot who wants some of my special attention." She was flexing her bony fingers. "Or, another old guy might be getting discharged and need a date." She nudged Ranger. "I haven't seen my dates lately."
"I'll tell them," Ranger said trying to look serious as he spoke.
"Go check out the Mental Ward, too!" Frank yelled after his mother-in-law. "I bet they have room!"
Doctor Hildebrand choked when a finger showed in the doorway.
"Mother!"
Ranger was chuckling in Stephanie's curls. "Babe, I see your family is still the same."
"Yup."
"Ellen, go home with Stephanie and Reilley. I need clothes that cover me up, not one of these drafty things. I want to keep what I have from ending up on the evening news. You are staying with us?" Father directed to his favorite daughter.
Her eyes were becoming wet. "We may be moving in. I think I got fired today. Tony told me not to come back if I left after Mom called and I told him not too politely to kiss my 'Burg'ass! I think I might be coming home."
"Good for you, Pumpkin."
With Ranger standing next to her, their last conversation came to mind. "I'm sorry I seemed ungrateful for your job offer," Stephanie said shaking her head swaying her curls in all directions that Ranger watched.
"Babe."
"I didn't mean to be."
Ranger's hands stilled her swishing hair. "Babe, I was stupid. Forgive me. You're independent. I forgot that little fact and the 'Burg' is mixed in there. I want you here, but it has to be what is right for you and your son."
"I pretty sure I'm unemployed now."
"I'm fairly certain I have a research analyst position that needs filled. Even part-time with benefits if you want to work with your old boss in his salon. The guys will gladly give up doing some searches."
Frank Plum announced from his moving hospital bed, "I would have had a gallbladder attack a lot sooner if I knew it would get the two of you back to Trenton!" He was so glad his gallbladder acted up. This would get his daughter and grandson home where they belonged. It helped, too, the guy dressed in black had a job opening which Stephanie's father figured was created just for her.
"Daddy!"
"You're coming home."
"Reilley and I may be living with you until I find someplace for us to live."
"That's fine. We have room."
Ranger cleared his throat. "Babe, I think I can help with that, too."
The picture was forming in her head this man next to her had many resources.
"You don't even need to apartment shop," Ranger began to explain. "Rangeman owns a few properties around Trenton we've used as safe houses. We happen to have a small two bedroom Cape Cod over the 'Burg' border that is available. The government witnesses didn't particularly like it because it was small, they preferred 'larger' hotel class accommodations," Ranger said waving two fingers for emphasis.
"I may not be able to afford it."
"Babe, it's included with the benefits. There are no two bedroom apartments in the building and since Rangeman does provide living space to it's employees if they need it. It's mostly empty, because we didn't really use it."
"Take it, Pumpkin!" her father encouraged from his up and down bed. "Reilley and I will make hardware store runs."
"Frank, on one of these hardware store trips, you and my grandson could buy a dishwasher." Ellen Plum gave a wifely hint.
"Reilley and I will take it under advisement." The little boy gave his grandmother a thumb up.
"I can't let you do that," Stephanie began to decline rent-free living quarters. "A job with your company is one thing, but I'll find something else if I can't pay you rent."
Ranger huffed. "Babe, I'll show you the deed. Rangeman owns it."
"I believe you, Ranger, but I'll pay rent to you or someone else," Stephanie latched her hands on her hips and glared at the Cuban man. He wasn't going to argue in the hospital or in front of her family.
"Let me show it to you, and then we'll have a discussion."
"Power Ranger, do you have another house?" Reilley perked up.
"A few. I have other Power Ranger offices."
Stephanie rolled her eyes at him.
Everyone was leaving Frank's hospital room, his wife was coming back with pajamas and clothes for her husband, Stephanie had Pudding in the car so she wanted to deliver him to her parent's house. "Bring me some real food," he told his wife settling into the hospital bed to watch ESPN.
There was a rattling in the hallway. Edna Mazur went rolling past the door sitting on a gurney with a man pushing it slowly as he held on. "That's it, Ernie! The doctor wants you to work that new hip. Wa-hoo!"
"The mental ward hasn't realized she escaped yet. Tell the nurse at the desk," he instructed his family.
"Frank, that's my mother!" Ellen yelled wondering if that was actually good or bad witnessing her loose in the hospital.
"And I still love you."
That caused Mrs. Plum's tears to start again. "Go bring me clothes and food, Ellen. I'll be right here."
Due to the boisterousness of the patient, Ranger got the idea that maybe some pain medication was kicking into action.
"I won't be too long." She kissed her husband who was focused on the sport channel.
Reilley climbed up on the bed hugging his grandfather. "I'm coming back, too."
"OK, Reilley. You watch Grandma for me. You're the man of the house until I come home."
"Gotcha, Grandpa."
Stephanie, Reilley, and Ellen Plum with the all in black escort watched Grandma Mazur go rolling by again. "Come on, Ernie, your therapy time is almost over." The man guiding the gurney appeared as if his new hip had to be replaced again.
"You don't think your father's surgeon would hold Mother against Frank's gallbladder?" Ellen Plum asked now worried witnessing her mother in action.
Stephanie reassured her, "No, Mom." She glanced over at the Cuban Man he wasn't even hiding his mirth and mouthing "Babe".
Walking out of the Emergency Room doors, people leaving and ones not rushing into the hospital were giving a momentary look at Stephanie's blue Baha parked under cover. She became concerned because Pudding was in the vehicle. She left the windows cracked and under the roof, it would be cool for the cat. She left out her breath; Pudding was standing on the driver's seat with his white paws on the steering wheel ready to drive out of there if he had the keys.
"Pudding, are you driving?" Reilley asked his feline friend.
"Meow!"
Ranger was still laughing. He did that a lot around Stephanie and her family. "At least he's out of the Christmas tree." He kissed Stephanie before jogging over to his Porsche.
She expected Ranger to head in the direction of Haywood when she pulled out of the parking lot, but he didn't. His black sports car followed her SUV to her parents' house. "What are you doing?"
"Security, Babe." Arching an eyebrow as he spoke his two words, Ranger opened the backdoor grabbing the overnight bags she hurriedly packed. Stephanie carried the cat up the sidewalk and steps behind her mother and son.
"Power Rangers make sure it's OK, Mommy."
She gave a sideways glance to the man next to here. "The 'Burg' is a hotbed of activity."
She watched after stepping into the entry, Ranger gave the living room a quick once over. He followed through the dining room into the kitchen where Stephanie retrieved the extra bag of cat litter and box she kept there. Reilley was already upstairs with his backpack and Woody. Not only did he carry the overnight bags upstairs, he grabbed the bag of litter so Stephanie only had the plastic box.
"All clear," Ranger gave with a smart ass eyebrow having placed the bags in Stephanie's old bedroom. He got an eye roll for that.
Pots were clambering in the kitchen; the blue eyed little boy went running down the steps. "Grandma, I want to cook Grandpa's dinner!"
"OK, Reilley!" Mrs. Plum called.
She began giggling. It hit her, Stephanie realized for the first time in the week she wasn't stressed out and it was because of the man next to her. She remembered something. "Oh, did you have anything to do with a man in black showing up at 'The Hair Shack'? He looked right out of your 'M O'."
Ranger shook his head, but a grin was spreading. "Babe, me? It must have been that new door-to-door IRS service. Call me later when you go back to the hospital, I'll drive you."
She was going to protest but lips prevented it. Stephanie practically forgot her name lost in the kiss.