Simple Hearts
Chapter 14
Before leaving Wilmington, Ranger had to see Stephanie. He weighed the hilarious attire of his best friend and being seen with him against seeing the beautiful woman and her son. They won out. Now if he could find a very dimly lit restaurant something on the order of a dungeon to take them to for lunch, all would be good. He knew Stephanie wouldn't let the bottle of 'Heinz' ketchup wait in the car for them. Ranger would make Tank eat out there not to be seen with him in that crazy red suit.
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"Mommy!" Reilley was at the front door turning the door knob but it was locked.
Stephanie came running from the dining room; the corner deli gave her some boxes when she asked. She began packing the dishes and things which were just for special occasions from there. "What's wrong?" The cat was in the window 'Meowing' quite loudly.
"Power Ranger and the Big Power Ranger are here."
"Why?" she asked locking the front door. "Hello, are you just out for a drive?"
Standing there on the front porch was Ranger in a perfectly filling black suit and his friend in a red one appearing to be out of a gangster movie. "Babe."
She opened the storm door so they could step inside and elaborate why they were on her doorstep.
"Tank and I had a meeting this morning," Ranger said but did not explain further.
Stephanie poked her curly head out the door. "This isn't Trenton. I wanted to make sure we weren't blown there by a gust of wind."
The big red guy chuckled. He was waiting to see what his friend said next.
Ranger was stretching the truth a bit. "It was a financial contract issue related to government work Rangeman does."
"Oh, you were in D.C.?"
"Outside of D.C. actually."
"Well," Tank thought, "we did flash our government badges, it was about Stephanie's money, and we did rough up those two guys. Wilmington is not in Washington D.C. It will work." He hoped.
"Wow! Two Power Rangers!" Reilley was jumping up and down excited over their visitors.
"Well, come on in," Stephanie invited. She thought it was strange Ranger didn't mention going to D.C. before she left Trenton, but she told herself it was none of her business. "Can I get you anything?"
Ranger tugged on her hand pulling her to him. He whispered "Babe" before he kissed her. While his friend was occupied, Tank asked the little boy the way to the bathroom.
"Follow me, Big Power Ranger." The little Plum boy marched past the kissing couple up the stairs with 'Tomato Man' following him. They never disturbed them.
"Hello," Stephanie re-greeted him. "I was going to make lunch for Reilley and I, would you like something, Ranger?"
That would solve the Zoot suit problem. "Babe, I thought I would take us out for lunch." He glanced around not seeing Tank or the red suit, then said quietly, "Is there someplace dark. That suit."
She giggled. It was quite loud. "I bought this new grill that Reilley and my father watched being demonstrated on the television. It can grill sandwiches and make waffles, not at the same time. He's so pleased with it. I'll make sandwiches. Your friend, Tank, is making a fashion statement."
"I'm a tomato!" Ranger smirked.
Coming down the stairs, the bald man minus his fedora called out, "I heard that! You're still jealous I got this before you!"
He was full out laughing now. Ranger nodded his head, "Yeah."
"Make yourselves comfortable and I'll go grill sandwiches," Stephanie told them heading towards the kitchen.
Tank became occupied with Reilly's loopy race track which he was demonstrating; Ranger left him and Stephanie's son to head into the kitchen.
Warm arms went around Stephanie while she was layering ham, turkey, and cheese on wheat bread in her grill. Her curls were pulled up on top of her head so her long neck was bare for his lips.
"Hmmm, I wonder who that can be?"
"Babe."
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The plate of toasted triangle shapes was down. By the number of consumed sandwiches, Stephanie placed her new grill-griddle a hit. The bowl of sliced bananas and strawberries was also low.
"Mommy, these is good."
That comment brought a smile to her face. "Mommy wants you to grow."
Both the older men agreed nodding their heads eating the lunch Stephanie had made. Her house phone was ringing. "I'll get it. Finish your lunch, Rye."
"Stephanie, this is the first chance I had to call you!" She recognized April's excited voice from 'The Hair Shack'.
"Hi, April. What's going on?"
"It was spectacular! I wish I could have seen it! Tony said two IRS guys man-handled him! He was quite damp and frazzled when I arrived. I thought he looked good. They dunked him in the big sink!"
"Really?" Stephanie sat back down at the table. "Did he know them?"
"I told you about the IRS going over his records and determined he owed money. These guys were different."
"How?" she asked noticing both Ranger and Tank were very quiet exchanging looks. That was odd.
"Tony swears one of them was wearing an Armani suit," April went on relaying what the nasty boss told them about the incident, "and the other was dressed as a gangster in a red suit."
"You're kidding!" She was talking hoping she sounded normal. One of the men from Trenton at her table was in a red pin-striped suit and the other in a very expensive one.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Tony gave me your final paycheck. I'll drop it off later."
"Who is sneezing?" In the background someone was sneezing non-stop Stephanie could hear.
"I'm outside eating lunch before my next appointment. The guy in the red suit left a carnation for Tony. He's allergic to them!" April was laughing. "It's great! I'll see you later."
"Thanks, April." She walked away from the table replacing the handset in the charger. Walking back to the dining room, she casually opened the black suit jacket to check the label that was draped over the back of the lounger. 'ARMANI' was embroidered on the inside lining. It confirmed what she knew without peeking. "THAT MAN!" she said under her breath.
Casually she sat back down. "That was April that I worked with at 'The Hair Shack'. She is dropping off my final paycheck from Tony."
"That's wonderful, Babe," Ranger said. "Lunch was excellent."
"Thank you." She thought Ranger was looking too 'innocent'. "She also told me Tony was roughed up by an IRS agent in an Armani suit and one in a red one. He was dunked in the shampoo sink."
"These are good sandwiches," Tank spoke up. He totally ignored what she reported.
"Babe, the IRS does pay very well I've heard," the Boss in the expensive suit said very matter-of-factly. "I guess your boss stepped on someone's toes."
Reilley looked across the table from his booster seat. "Mommy, the Big Power Ranger got a red suit just like that guy."
"Yes, he does, Reilley." There was sweetness in her voice staring at both Tank and Ranger. Neither said a word. "Ranger, by any chance is that an Armani suit you are wearing?"
He was about to say "Babe" when his best friend blabbed, "He made me! I was the extra muscle!"
The short haired head whipped to the side. His lips were tight. "I did not! You volunteered, Tomato Man!"
"You're still jealous I look so good!"
Before either could say another word, Stephanie tapped the table with her fork. "Let me guess, you paid a visit to the building manager also. He didn't harass me when I called a little while ago informing him I wasn't renewing my lease. He congratulated me and told me my deposit would be returned!"
"Babe."
Stephanie jumped up from her chair with hands on her hips. She was angry but laughing on the inside wishing she could have seen Tony and Mr. Orwell after their encounters with the Bad-Ass men. They probably didn't have dry pants on after that. She hoped the tight lips and knitted brow didn't give away any of the humor from inside. "What made you do that? I can stand up for myself! I'm a grown woman!"
Ranger stood up focused on Stephanie. His mouth opened and he couldn't stop the words pouring from his heart. "I love you."
Stephanie and the Cuban Man were fixed on each other from their spots. Never before did he ever say those words before to a woman, but he recognized the feelings she evoked in him. He not only wanted to protect her, he wanted to love her and had since the first moment he looked into her blue eyes.
"Really? You love me?" she whispered.
He nodded. Ranger was stunned in the realization he was 'in love' for the first time in his life. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time. What if Stephanie didn't feel that way about him? They hadn't known each other very long and met because of a snowstorm. Maybe it was too soon, but now that he realized it himself, he wanted her to know.
Her lips gently curved up and her sapphire eyes were misty. "That's so sweet. You're my bully."
He just nodded again.
"I love you, too!" she told him back. The second flashed in her mind. He looked so dejected went she brought food over to him after arriving at the church, his dark brown eyes were so far away. There was a spark in them she witnessed when Reilley mistook him for an Army Power Ranger and he went along with the ruse. Stephanie remembered the first time he touched her in the kitchen. The first time he held her hand. The first sweet kiss.
In one giant Ranger sized step, he had her in his arms. "Babe," he said softly and just as softly his lips met hers. Tank covered Reilley's eyes as the kiss deepened.
"Power Rangers always get the girls, Big Power Ranger," Reilley told Tank moving his big hand watching his mother and his hero kiss. "Power Ranger always kisses Mommy."
They remembered their audience at the table laughing.
Tank leaned back in his chair folding his arms over his chest. "How the HECK can you go from being in." He was watching his words with the little boy next to him. "Poop to getting the New Jersey girl in a blink of an eye."
He turned from Tank back to Stephanie then back to his best friend chuckling, and a smart- ass grin. "Cuban way and I'm not in a red Gangster suit."
"Jealous!" Tank spit back at him. "Let me guess, now that you realize you're 'in love', I have to send someone to pick up your Armani clad butt up."
"No."
That stunned the second-in-command declaring her loved Stephanie would be a reason to stay in Wilmington for a day or two. "No?"
"No," Ranger said with his patented raised eyebrow. He placed a long finger against Stephanie's lips. "I'll drive you to a rental car office and you can get back to Trenton that way. I'll help Stephanie pack up her things and be back maybe tomorrow."
She spoke up against the Cuban finger, "In an Armani suit?"
In the back of his mind, he knew his navy lounging set was clean upstairs, but he would need other clothes to take Stephanie and Reilley out to dinner. "I'll stop somewhere after you are on your way to buy something. I'll be back for the client meetings I have on Wednesday."
Tank was shaking his head. "You always have an answer," he joked.
"That's why I'm the boss," Ranger laughed, "and not a ketchup bottle."
"Make fun of my suit. I'm calling your tailor and getting' me a tailor made red suit."
That set Ranger off in a laughing fit. "A red Armani suit!"
"Yeah, stranger things have happened."
'"Have Franco make you a custom made string tie, too! That suit is perfect for square dancing."
Tank slumped at the idea of square dancing with Edna Mazur. "Hey, I got a girlfriend to square dance horizontally with!"
"My grandma will be disappointed, Tank, because she says you are light on your feet," Stephanie complimented.
That made the big man grin. "I'm am a good dancer. Lula agrees."
"A dancing bottle of Heinz is even better," Ranger laughed.
"Jealous!"