A Wish Come True
Chapter 3
"You can't go!" Delaney fussed over breakfast. "Dad, you just got here!"
"Delaney, Ranger has Rangeman that needs him," Stephanie tried to soothe her daughter.
He didn't know what to do. There was nothing pressing that he had to rush back to Trenton for other than the normal stuff, but Tank could handle it. "I'll be back. I promise."
"When?"
His eyes were pleading with Stephanie, "As much as your mother lets me." The two of them hadn't discussed how often Ranger could see his daughter, he knew Stephanie well enough to know she would encourage it.
"Good, be back for dinner."
"Sweetheart, Ranger is in Trenton. He can come here as his schedule allows."
"You say all the time Trenton is not that far so Dad can go to work from here. We can play. I'm making up for all the times when the Turd didn't. Dad's fun!"
Ranger tried not to chuckle, but he couldn't help it. His chest was puffed out because his little girl wanted him here, but this family meshing wasn't going to happen overnight and he wanted to take small steps. The problem was an impatient Delaney; Ranger hoped he could remain reasonable. "If Stephanie allows me, I'll come back in a couple of days. We'll spend New Year's Eve together, too, if your mother doesn't have plans."
Delaney thought about it and Stephanie nodded at him. "Ok, we'll be bowling after you get back from your date with Mom. Deal?" She held out her small hand to her father. "Grandma, Slim Jim, Momma Petunia, and Auntie Del will be here with me."
Stephanie shrieked, "Delaney!" She smelled set-up.
Since his Babe already gave her approval, Ranger shook his daughter's hand, "Deal. Pick a restaurant, Babe, for Tuesday night," he said winking at Stephanie who was giving the two of them wide blue eyes and raised eyebrows.
"Put it on your calendar," Delaney pointed to Ranger throwing his words back at him. "And, Dad, if you really want to score points, dessert is at the Naked Chocolate place," this time giving him a thumbs up.
"Got it, Shark," Ranger said returning the gesture.
That made the little girl happy. She put her cereal bowl and empty hot chocolate mug in the sink. "Come on, Mom, we have to go work, then shopping."
"Why?"
"To get a new dress. You have a date."
"Can I at least pick it out, Delaney?"
"Sure, Mom."
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Ellen Plum came into the kitchen in a white chenille robe from the B & B bathrooms, "Stephanie, did your grandmother ever make it back from the casino?"
"You and Daddy didn't hear them?"
Her mother shook her head, "Your father and I are quite comfortable upstairs. I'm thinking we need a queen size bed. Maybe that's why we sleep better here because we're not squished and your father can stretch out in that soft mattress."
"The Gamblers came in right before 3 and I'll give you the catalog where I bought the featherbeds."
"Three O'clock! What was Mother doing gambling all night? I'm thinking she has an addiction. Who gambles on Christmas?" she said pouring herself a mug of coffee. "You go open your flower shop. I'll get breakfast for your father, me, and the gamblers if they wake up." Her mother was shaking her head, "Two of them are over eighty!"
Delaney was putting on her 'UG' boots telling Ellen, "I bet Lady Luck was with them for Christmas, Grandma."
"I better open up because my customers are expecting an after-Christmas sale. I just don't have much left. Where are you going?" Stephanie asked the Cuban man following her and Delaney out of the backdoor. Ghost was running in the snow heading towards the flower shop.
"Babe, I wasn't here for your opening. Can't I look around? Tank and Ella told me all about it. You are the official Rangeman florist"
"In a flower shop?" She couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"Yeah."
"What about your morning meeting?" Stephanie had noticed the time and knew Ranger wasn't going to make it.
"Tank will take care of it and if something important comes up, he'll call."
Delaney had the jingling keys opening the door, Ghost went in first, and the little girl turned on the lights. Kicking the snow from her boots, Stephanie followed her daughter and dog flipping the sign to 'OPEN' on the door and placed a 'SALE' sign in the window. Ranger was the last one in the door of the small flower shop. It wasn't the biggest flower shop, but she maximized every inch it making it quaint. He heard the heat going up as it blew from the floor registers.
"Mom, we got orders," Delaney came from the back with papers in her hands. "Come on, Dad, let me show you around."
"That will be two seconds," the Flower Mom commented plugging in the thin tree lighting the window. "Oh, I guess you can deliver the arrangements to Ella," Stephanie called out seeing there was a fax from the Rangeman housekeeper. "You have client meetings tomorrow, Ranger."
"Thanks for letting me know, Babe," Ranger told her following Delaney around a corner. There was a small powder room that housed a small compact furnace. The back of the shop had what he would categorize as a work room. There were shelves lined with old teacups, vases, pots, and containers. Ghost was contented laying on an old blanket in the corner watching Stephanie and Delaney move about the room. A coffee pot was filled and turned on. Under a counter was a small refrigerator and Stephanie reached into a cupboard for mugs.
"Coffee?" she asked him.
Ranger wasn't in any hurry, "OK." He slipped off his jacket hanging it up on top of Stephanie's white one.
Her little girl was busy pushing a box that Ranger picked up. "Where are we taking this?"
"Those are a few of the left over gifts from my class shopping night here so we'll put those out for the after-Christmas sale."
"Delaney, let's use up the holiday bags for any purchases," Stephanie called after her daughter as she was selecting a container for her Rangeman centerpiece. She unlocked a metal box brought from the house for the cash register and went to fill it when she started to laugh watching Delaney instruct her father how to attractively place the small net wrapped gifts on the display shelves. "She has you working?"
"Yeah," he said giving a smirk and raised eyebrow as part of his response. He took the mug of steaming coffee kissing her as a 'Thank you'.
The shop door bell jingled with Lindsey and Tina stepping inside. Her red painted mouth dropped open at the sight of Ranger's muscled torso in a painted-on black turtleneck and faded jeans with his arms around her friend. "Oh my heavens!" slipped out.
"That's my Dad!" a very pleased Delaney announced watching her parents kiss.
"Tina," Stephanie said extricating herself from the strong arms, "this is Carlos, Delaney's father."
Ranger shook her gloved hand as the mother nodded. Lindsey whispered to Delaney, "I told my Mom your friend Ranger was a hunk, but when did he become your Dad?"
Having an answer to her friend's question, "There was a mix-up with the hospital records," Delaney explained.
None of the adults contradicted it. Stephanie would tell Tina the full story one day if she asked. Tina did mouth 'Hunk'.
Shaking herself out of the Ranger daze, "I came because all the gifts bought here everybody loved. Tony loved the mantle piece you did and wants me to get some things for his office next Christmas." She started lining up a few things on the counter, but eyes kept wandering to the sexy man fanning herself.
Stephanie couldn't help her giggles. He was at least ten degrees above a hunk in her book.
"Come on, Dad, I'll show you how to wrap." Delaney picked up one of the last remaining glass icicle ornaments in the shop which Tina selected. She handed Stephanie the tag and ripped off a piece of brown paper which she folded covering the end of the counter. "Double the paper for breakable stuff."
"OK," Ranger said watching with hands behind his back as his daughter carefully wrapped and tucked in the ends of the paper as she covered the items finally tapping the end. Next, picking up an artificial holiday arrangement in an old black 'Santa' boot, she placed it on a small stand pulling a cellophane bag over it. "We do special touches here. No small loopies," the little girl instructed as she cut a piece of red and green dyed twine twisting the top closed and tying a simple bow with big loops. "We do big ones." She opened a brown shopping bag decorated with trees lowering the arrangement in it and the wrapped ornaments. Cutting another piece of twine, she tied that to a handle.
Tina signed her receipt and picked up her bag. "Thanks," she told them and gave Stephanie a silent "Wow!"
"Bye, Tina."
Delaney walked her friend to the door, "Lindsey, you got to come over and play with my Wii."
"OK. I'll bring some of my games over."
"We can sled ride with the Rabid Rabbits."
"Yes!" Lindsey was excited at that prospect. "I didn't get that one yet."
In between her customers, Stephanie finished the Rangeman order from Ella and had the other orders completed when Stu came into the shop to make the deliveries after warming up the van.
"Mom, Ella's going too really like those."
Stephanie carried out two designs. One was a tall arrangement and the other a low one like she always does. She used blue metallic vases, one tall and one short filled with mainly blue irises, but there were blue and a few green accent flowers mixed in. To add drama and pick up the flower colors, she added peacock feathers which added a wispy quality.
"Babe, those are striking." Ranger was impressed looking over the flowers and feathers.
"I thought maybe something other than Christmas colors or design would be nice to greet your clients. The wreath Ella purchased for Rangeman's lobby had a big blue and green plaid bow."
He handed her a black credit card which she hesitated to take.
"Babe, ring them up and I'll deliver them."
She carefully packed them up in a box covering the flowers and feathers with layers of tissue paper so the cold wouldn't affect them and Ranger would put them in his Cayenne before he left.
Ellen Plum came in the door with a bag. "I brought you soup and some leftovers for lunch. Your father and I are going to get Amish meat to take home." Stephanie's mother looked out the shop window. "Stephanie, you need to have a talk with Mother! The only reason they came home at 3 AM is because Auntie Del's fingers were going numb from pressing the buttons. They're planning on going back. My mother is an out-of-control gambler and those Southerners are feeding her habit!"
Trying to calm her grandmother down, Delaney spoke very calmly, "Grandma, Lady Luck likes them. Look at the big slot chip collection I have."
"Please, don't take after Mother, Delaney."
"Don't worry, Grandma. I'll be dealing cards when we're not delivering slot machines and poker chips in the Rangeman rig. Huh, Dad."
"Yes, Delaney," Ranger agreed.
Ellen knew it was a losing battle she was in when it came to gambling involving her mother and granddaughter. "Well, that's a worry off my mind. Your father and I will stop in here before we leave and we'll be back for New Year's Eve."
"OK, Mom. Thanks."
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After a bowl of hot broccoli cheese soup with crusty bread and some Christmas cookies, Ranger reluctantly packed his black SUV with his things and flowers.
"Dad, you have to call me tonight," the sad little girl in Ranger's arms told him.
"I will before you go to bed."
"And don't forget your date."
"I won't, Delaney," her father said kissing her putting her down.
"Bye, Babe. You gave me the best Christmas," he whispered tracing Stephanie's cheek with a finger.
Stephanie's blue eyes were locked on his dark ones, "I'm glad, Ranger. It was more than I could have hoped for."
"It was perfect."
Even with Delaney and Ghost watching, Ranger wrapped his arms around Stephanie meeting her lips in a long kiss.
"I'll see you Tuesday night."
His Cayenne wasn't at the next corner and Ranger had to talk himself out of turning around five or six times. He missed Delaney and Stephanie. He wanted to take things slow between the three of them becoming a family, but not rushing sucked in his opinion. The next day and a half better go quickly. Realizing how much Ranger wanted to be with his 'girls'; he pulled out a green rabbit's foot.
"I don't want to be driving away too many times."