-1A Wish Come True
Chapter 8
"How about I take us out to dinner tonight?" Ranger posed to his two Babes at the bus stop waiting for it to arrive.
Delaney and Stephanie looked at each other. "OK," the mother agreed. It worked out while the security system was being installed, there were no guests booked at the bed & breakfast.
"Not so fast, Mom," the little girl said. She arched a brow with a finger, "What are you offering, Dad? Make it good."
"Delaney!"
He put up a hand. "What would you like because later I have a surprise for us after dinner here?"
"A surprise! Well, why didn't you say so, Dad? I'm thinking I'll be in the mood for a crab pot at 'Beach Bum's' after school."
Ranger laughed at his little girl, "You will?"
"I'm a little kid. I'm growing."
The yellow bus was approaching the corner. "Go to school."
She kissed both parents 'Good-bye', petted her best four-legged friend, and hopped on with her friends.
It was like Ranger was walking Stephanie to school, but it was to 'BLOOMS'. Walking hand-in-hand to the door, she unlocked it and Ghost went right inside. Ranger did a quick check for 'evil' hobbits or trolls inside the small shop before taking his Babe in his arms kissing her 'Good-bye'. The temperature went up and her panties dissolved at the same instant.
"I'll be back," he told her in his sexy Romanian accent jogging to his Porsche. He waved to Millie and Stu coming down the sidewalk as he backed out heading to Trenton for the morning meeting. Today when Ranger returned, it would be continuing the security system into the flower shop and he wanted to have everything ready for 'Family Spa Night'.
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Everyone was seated in the conference room when he walked in taking off his jacket. Lester, Bobby, and Rudder were very animated and from the body movements they were describing the crazy rabbits with the balance board the three used with Delaney before they left for Trenton the day before.
"Am I disturbing you?" Ranger asked gruffly. The quicker he got out of here, the quicker he would be kissing Stephanie again.
"Ranger, will you get us one of those gaming systems for the lounge? Those rabbits are awesome!"
Bobby added, "And the race car game, but we need the attachments."
"Do you want to be trying to get off a mountain peak in Nepal?" the irritated man asked.
Lester glanced at his companions, "I didn't see that game. Is it a new one Delaney got?"
"I'm talking physically! I'll put you there."
"It's cold there," Rudder reminded the boss.
"That wouldn't be my problem!"
Lester glared for a second at the boss, and then the corners of his mouth upturned. "You're much more pleasant across the river! I bet it has something to do with a mother and daughter."
"If we get this meeting over with and I take care of a few things here like one-way tickets to Katmandu, I'm back there! I have a security system I want to finish, Santos."
Just to goad Ranger more, he made a kissing sound singing "Ranger's in love. Ranger's in love."
"Santos!" If he didn't want to get back to Philadelphia, he would drag that irritating moron down to the gym, but his babes were more important.
Tank was chuckling to himself, Lester lived to push the boss' buttons, but his best friend never denied being in love. The Great Manoso really met his match in those two 'Burg' girls, and Delaney has had him wrapped around her little finger since they met.
Updates on the outstanding skips, surveillance schedule, and client installations on-going were discussed in the morning meeting. Tank gave Ranger a heads up on potential customers which he will be in business man mode meeting with them in the coming week. Ranger was glad they all scheduled morning appointments so he would be in Powelton Village for when Delaney came home. It was tentatively agreed for Ranger to spend mid-week and the weekends with Stephanie and Delaney as his schedule permitted, but he was re-organizing it to be in time for her bus and one evening for the karate training that wasn't Wednesday. He figured staying at 'The Quiet Corner' from Friday afternoon until Monday morning and Tuesday evening for an hour training, Wednesday for his mid-week visit, then leaving for Rangeman on Thursday morning. Ranger would eventually work the other two nights into his family plan. He was a master planner.
Reaching into a pocket of his leather jacket, he tossed something at Tank. "Delaney sent that for you."
The big, bald man read the note attached to it. 'Thanks, Ho Ho. Love, Delaney'. He studied the green figure in his hand. It was a plastic doll of 'Sprout', the little companion to the Jolly Green Giant. One loud "Ha" came out of him and his body began to shake down to his black boots. "He's going on my desk!" Tank said proudly in between his laughs.
"Hey, Ranger," Lester called as the meeting was over and Rangeman were going in all directions, "what about our Wii?"
The man in black turned around with a hint of a smile, it had a devious quality to it. "You want one just like it, be in Philadelphia tomorrow night. I have concert tickets for date night. You can baby-sit the babysitter. Edna is staying with Delaney."
A groan came of the Rangeman employee but Lester rebounded with a smile, "Can I bring them with me?" He pointed a finger at Bobby and Rudder.
Ranger gave a nod. He knew Santos would jump at the bait. Ranger pays his entire staff well, but Lester tries to always get more. He'll let it slip tomorrow in Philadelphia that his friend and employee goes commando in front of the crazy old lady. She'll be groping him all night. "You're playing with the best, Santos," Ranger smirked thinking to himself.
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"Did I do this right?" Ranger asked finishing wrapping a bouquet of flowers for a customer. He hoped he did it exactly like Delaney showed him including the twine bow with big loops. Two men came into the shop, one after the other in frenzies, needing to say 'I'm sorry' to each of their better halves.
"Just like Delaney showed you," Stephanie giggled. "She trained you right."
He shook his head knowing Delaney would correct his wrapping skills, "I don't want to hear about it if I didn't do it Delaney's way." He walked into the backroom for his water and handed Stephanie hers, but he stood there gazing at her blue eyes. "Stephanie Plum, will do me the honor of going out with me tomorrow night?" Ranger held up two concert tickets. A little bird by the name of Delaney told him a band her mother liked was in town.
"For Nickleback? They were sold out the radio said," she repeated what she heard. She did a double take seeing they were front row tickets. "And front row! What about Delaney?"
His eyebrow went up, "Your Grandma is staying with her and just as back-up, I recruited Winkin, Blinkin' and Nod in case she tried to sneak our daughter into the casino again. I have to buy a Wii for Rangeman, but they're coming to play games."
"Rudder didn't have enough punishment from the other day?"
"No," Ranger had to chuckle at his confused temporary employee, "he's still sorting out the reputation versus the mission leader and employer versus the real life me."
"Have Delaney and I tarnished your Bad Ass image? I didn't."
Stephanie didn't finish her concern because warm Cuban lips stopped the progress.
"No," he said resting his forehead against hers, "I'm the skips worst nightmare in Trenton, but here I'm Delaney's father and her mother's date."
Her nose scrunched. "I think we're a step beyond dating."
"OK, I'm your Cuban lover," he said with total sex appeal in a bold Spanish accent as kisses trailed down her long neck.
"Hmmm," she thought out loud, "Latin men are supposed to be the best lovers."
Now Ranger boasted, "We are." His tone was filled with passion; tenderness and vulnerability were in his dark eyes. "But this Cuban man wants to be your everything."
Her body seemed to sink into his. Ranger picked up on turmoil as well.
"That's a lot. Almost from the beginning of my 'marriage', I found out the one person I could rely on was myself. It's about sharing in a relationship and it would be nice to do that."
He was kissing her tears, "I'll even share a candy bar or dessert with you."
"You would?"
"Anything, Babe."
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Paying the dinner bill, Ranger was chuckling to himself. Delaney was hungry. She ordered the crab pot, not the child's portion but the adult's. His daughter ate every piece. The dipping butter made him grimace internally, but she was an adorable greasy mess.
She patted her crab fill stomach the entire way back to 'The Quiet Corner'. Stephanie never said a word seeing a black booster seat in the backseat of his Cayenne.
They were back way before the cosmetology students were due to arrive to give Ranger time to put the white wine and sparkling grape juice on ice, set out the cheese, fruit, and sugar cookies, and get it up to the third floor.
"What's the surprise, Dad?" Delaney asked just inside the back door.
"How about you go change into your pajamas and your mother can slip into something comfortable, too. The cosmetology students will be here soon for family spa night. Your mother is going to have the works if she wants while I get a massage and you get your nails painted, Delaney."
"Whoa! Thanks, Dad." The little girl took off running for her bedroom.
"Go get ready," Ranger ushered Stephanie out of the kitchen so he could go to work.
He was running down the stairs when the doorbell rang and he unlocked the door so the three cosmetology students could come inside and they went up the way he came. The guy's hair was short with purple streak to match the crazy hair of the females.
When Stephanie, Delaney, and Ghost walked into the third floor spa room, it was dimly lit; a hint of a meadow filled the room from the candles, and the calm forest
sounds were heard. Ranger was in loose fitting shorts, T-shirt, and bare feet waiting for his Babes.
"Dad, you went all out," Delaney was checking out the wine and grape juice chilling in ice and the delicious snacks on a tray.
"Only the best for you, Delaney."
Junie indicated the chair at the nail station for the little girl. "Wait till you see what I decided to paint on your nails."
"Cool. I can't wait until my birthday party."
The student had a tub of warm water waiting to soak her toes before they were painted and she settled in the chair so Junie could begin on her nails.
"Stephanie, do you want a full body massage or a neck one with your facial and nails," Beth asked.
She looked to daughter's father for guidance.
"Whatever you want, Babe."
Stephanie wiggled her nose thinking, "Let's go with the neck and my feet. I was in the shop all day."
"OK," her masseuse indicated to the sheet covered table.
Untying the short robe she had on, Stephanie had a short pink tube top on above matching short shorts. Ranger liked the view.
"Are we going head to toe, Mr. Manoso?" Aaron questioned in a deep voice that was unexpected for a guy with purple in his hair.
Nodding, the Cuban man slipped off his T-shirt revealing his muscled chest. There were intakes of breath around the room.
"Whoa, Dad, you got the muscles." Delaney spoke what everyone was thinking.
"I work out some," Ranger teased stretching out on the table next to Stephanie.
"We're trying out new organic massage oils. Let me know what you think, Stephanie," Beth said holding the cap near her nose.
"That smells wonderful." To Stephanie it reminded her of almonds with a hint of lavender.
"Oh' it seemed like Stephanie and Ranger were in sync with their pleasurable moans that escaped every time fingers found a tight spot to knead. Beth and Aaron took their time working on their clients. Ranger was enjoying the rubbing deep into his muscles.
"Feel good?" Stephanie asked looking across at a very relaxed man.
An eyebrow arched very lazily, "Yeah."
Getting off the table when her neck massage was complete, Beth placed a pillow for Stephanie's head and fastened a head band to keep the curls off her face.
"Mom, look!" Delaney held up a hand with pale pink pearl nail color. In alternating red and black, Junie painted a card suit image on a fingernail.
"That is you, Sweetheart."
"I'm too young to get a tattoo, so I think I'm going to keep these."
An eyebrow went up and a shocked eye flew open only to find Stephanie's merry expression meeting the surprised one.
"No tattoo," Ranger grumbled with a smirk at his little girl's mother.
"Dad, I'm too young for a real one."
"No tattoo ever. I'll pay for you to have a deck of cards painted on your nails every week if I have too!"
Delaney began to laugh. She got more than she wanted. "Deal, but how about I agree to only when we have spa nights. I don't want you to go broke, Dad. You have to buy me a Rangeman rig when I drive and I want a top of the line model with a big screen TV."
"Deal, Shark."
"I got witnesses."
"I won't forget, Delaney."
She gave Ranger a big mischievous grin, "I won't let you."
Dark eyes rested on Stephanie, then on Delaney in the corner. His little girl could remind him everyday if it meant all three of them were together everyday.
He gave a very contented sigh, "Just the way I want it," reaching across to Stephanie's hand and interlocking their fingers.
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