Disclaimer: The characters belonging to Janet Evanovich are used strictly for entertainment purposes.
A/N: Thanks to my betas, M and Alf, for making me keep my characters in character. To my readers: I am so overwhelmed by the response to last week's chapter. I appreciate all of your support week after week. Thank you so much. We're on the downward slope, now; not too much longer!
"You two know each other?" Lucio asked as his eyes flicked from Ranger to Stephanie, who kept their eyes locked on each other. An awkward silence fell over the group since neither Ranger nor Stephanie answered. They simply stared at each other, unmoving and unspeaking. The only movement was the way Stephanie's eyes narrowed as they roamed over Ranger's face.
Lucio motioned the other two men to the table where Stephanie still sat perched at the edge of the bench seat. "Why don't we all sit and–"
"Stephanie," Ranger said her name again in a bewildered tone. He'd almost turned down Luc for breakfast this morning, but had felt a pull to be here he didn't understand until the moment he saw her approach the table. His heart had begun a heavy thud in that second and showed no sign of settling.
Stephanie licked her suddenly dry lips and looked up at Merc in panic. "I can't do this," she whispered. The pain of seeing Ranger again slammed through her body and held her immobile. How could he be here? What were the odds? And Merc had even met him before!
Merc leaned down and placed his mouth close to her ear. "The Babe guy?" Stephanie nodded. "Fuck, I had no idea. Sorry, Belle. Whenever we met, he said his name was Carlos."
Stephanie nodded again with her hands in her lap, not chancing another look at Ranger until she could control her breathing. "It is."
"You should talk to him." Stephanie jerked her head back and looked at Merc with wide eyes. Merc sighed and looked at the two men by the booth. "Could you excuse us for a minute?"
"Sure, hon. We'll sip this excellent coffee." Lucio sat and picked up his cup. Ranger still stood where he was, an unmovable wall, his eyes never moved or blinked.
"Ah, we'll be right back." Merc held up a finger to indicate one moment, and gently took Stephanie's elbow to ease her to her feet and steer her to the back hallway where the bathrooms were located. "Belle, you have to talk to him for this reason alone." He gestured to her shaking form.
"I can't. I'm not ready," she gasped.
"It's been over a year. How much time do you need?" He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "Would things be any different than they are now if he turned you down again?"
Stephanie thought about it. He had already sent her away once; he couldn't push her any further away. The only thing he could do was destroy any hope she secretly clung to by rejecting her, or worse, by acting indifferent toward her.
The second the thought crossed her mind, Stephanie realized why she had run away. It wasn't to stay away from Ranger or hide from the Burg. She didn't want to face Ranger because she wanted to keep that one small piece of hope in her heart that he hadn't meant what he said and he really did love her. That night had never felt real to her. If he said it again, it would become real, so real she was sure she wouldn't recover. "He might say it again."
Merc pulled her into his arms and gave her a tight squeeze. "You never really gave up on him, did you?"
Stephanie shook her head and clung to him. She wanted something to drive the fear away, to make her heart stop racing. She suddenly sensed they weren't alone and raised her head. Ranger stood at the hall entrance, his eyes glued to her.
Merc disentangled from her and said, "Belle, go have a seat. I think Carlos and I should talk."
Stephanie gave Merc the 'are you out of your mind' look, but he squeezed her shoulder and tilted his head toward the dining room. She nodded and walked toward Ranger. He raised a hand up to her arm, but lowered it again when she halted her steps. Gauging her reaction, he turned his body to the side so she could pass and kept his eyes on her until she walked out of his field of vision.
Merc watched her walk away with slow, stiff steps, and had a sudden thought. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Lucio. "Don't let her leave. She might try to run." He hung up, crossed his arms over his chest, and centered his full attention on Ranger.
Ranger lessened the distance between them to stand and face Merc, matching his stance. Merc stared for a moment and opened his mouth to speak, when Ranger beat him to the punch. "You know how she thinks." It wasn't a question.
Merc nodded. "I do."
The two men fell silent again for a moment. A woman and her young daughter came down the hall and skirted past the two men. Merc blew out a breath. "I'm just going to say what I have to say." Ranger inclined his head slightly and Merc continued, "I don't know if I've ever met anyone as stupid as you."
Ranger raised an eyebrow, but his hard expression never changed.
"Did you mean what you said to her that night?" Ranger said nothing and didn't blink. Merc tried to wait him out, but the desire to comfort Stephanie cut his patience short. "Great, pointless conversation. See you at the table."
Merc made to step around Ranger when the badass finally opened his mouth. "No."
"No? Excuse me. Was that 'no' you can't leave; or 'no' you didn't mean it? I'm confused."
Ranger uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands into his front pockets. "No, I didn't mean it. I said it, but it was a lie."
"Okay," Merc said slowly. "If you didn't mean it, then you understand what you did to her." An expression crossed Ranger's eyes Merc couldn't adequately identify, but it was enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Where has she been?"
Merc shook his head. "Sorry. That's need to know. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you herself."
"You didn't talk about her the last few times we met. How long have you known her?" Ranger slipped his hands from his pockets and took a step closer to Merc. The bathroom door swung open and Ranger stopped his advance and stepped back with his fists clenched at his sides. The mother scurried past with her daughter in tow and Ranger's hard stare settled on Merc's face.
"Not gonna work man. You want answers to your questions, ask the lady. From this point on, it's Belle's decision."
Ranger looked like he wanted to argue, but then settled for, "Fair enough."
"Glad we had this little talk. I'm hungry, let's eat." Ranger inclined his head and Merc walked past him into the dining room. He found Stephanie seated in the booth against the wall, blocked in by Lucio, who stood to let Merc take his place when the two men returned to the table. Stephanie had a scowl on her face and sent a glare toward Merc. "Sorry, Belle."
She made a noncommittal noise and took a sip of her coffee. "I ordered for you."
"And I ordered for you," Lucio looked at Ranger, then moved to slide into the bench seat first, but stopped when Ranger's hand clamped down on his shoulder. Lucio looked up in surprise, "You never sit on the inside."
"Today's different." Ranger tipped his head to the side.
"Guess so." Lucio stood aside to let Ranger in.
Ranger slid over toward the wall until he sat face to face with Stephanie, and folded his hands on the tabletop. His eyes rested on her, drinking in the sight of her, and waiting for her to raise her eyes to his. When she didn't, he took a slow breath and said, "How are you, Stephanie?"
Stephanie cast him a sidelong glance, not quite able to meet his eyes. "Good. You?"
"Terrible."
His response caused her to involuntarily meet his eyes. "You look good, what's the problem?" Except he didn't look the good. His eyes were etched with fatigue and he'd lost weight; he looked older, more – approachable.
Ranger stared at her for a few seconds, then looked over at Lucio and Merc. "Can you give us some privacy?"
Merc's arm went around Stephanie's shoulders when she tensed up. He leaned down to whisper, "Belle, you need to do this, for you."
Stephanie saw Ranger's brow furrow slightly at Merc's statement, but then he recovered his neutral expression. She leaned into Merc and accepted his support to bolster her strength. "Okay, you're right."
Merc turned around in his seat and caught the attention of the waitress. She held up a finger and bustled over. "What can I do for you?"
"Mands. You think you can hook me and Luc here up with a new table?"
Her eyes wandered over the table's occupants, but her smile never wavered. "No problem, come with me." Lucio stood to follow the waitress, and Merc turned to leave, but Stephanie gripped his arm.
"Belle, I'll be right over there. You can yell for me if you need me." He gave her an encouraging smile and stroked her cheek. "Remember who you are." She nodded and he kissed her forehead, spared Ranger a warning look, and then stood to join Lucio.
Ranger watched Stephanie as her eyes followed Merc over to his table. She stared at him so long, Ranger felt the first tendrils of panic well up within him. "You two seem close."
Stephanie nodded, but didn't look away from Merc. "We are close. In some ways, I'm closer to him than anyone else I've ever known." The conviction in her voice startled her.
His eyes narrowed slightly from the sincerity of her words, and also to hide the shock he felt inside. He wrestled with his emotions and struggled for the right words to say. Here she was before him, over a year since he'd seen her, and he didn't have a game plan. Tank had been right. He'd been so obsessed with finding her, that he'd forgotten the most important part: how to explain why he'd lied to her that night and win her back, if that was still possible.
Stephanie turned back until her shoulders were square with his, but wouldn't look at him. Instead, she fiddled with the fork on the table and bit her lip. He waited a few moments for her to look up, but she didn't appear to be in a hurry. Slowly, he covered her hand with his to still her movement.
Stephanie felt his heat penetrate her flesh and slipped her hand from beneath his. She reluctantly raised her eyes to connect with his. The emotion blazing in their depths stilled her breathing. She tried to think of something to say when he spoke again.
"I looked for you when I got back." His voice was quiet, slightly hoarse and not as liquid smooth as she remembered.
His words surprised her. She blinked and asked in an unsteady tone, "Got back?"
"Two months ago. Tank and the guys have been searching for you since that night." He paused briefly, then continued, "Where have you been?" He threaded his fingers together and rested them on the table, his dark eyes unrelenting.
"Wait a minute. You were gone a year?" Suddenly the pieces of Mary Lou's conversation made sense. Ranger left that night, people thought they'd run off together. Oh God, for how long? But he just got back two months ago? Stephanie's brow furrowed. Just where had he been and why had he left?
He nodded. "Got called up twenty minutes before you came over that night."
"You were getting ready to leave." He nodded again. She clamped her teeth together and gave an angry shake of her head. He hadn't had the decency to tell her he was leaving. Once again, he proved she wasn't important enough to let into his life. Her cheeks burned with temper and her voice was stiff when she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Ranger blew out a slow breath and blinked once. "That's what we need to discuss."
Stephanie held up her hands. "Nope, not now. I'm not ready." He made a move to say something and she shook her head. "I mean it. If I'm ever ready, I'll let you know, but it certainly wouldn't be today."
"Okay," he conceded. The last thing he wanted to do was further alienate her. Hell, he'd just found her and didn't want to scare her into hiding again. Merc would be no help; he was Stephanie's guard dog. "Thaddeus seems protective of you."
Stephanie blinked, not ready for the quick change of subject. "What?"
Ranger nodded his forehead in Merc's direction. "He hasn't stopped staring at us since he left the table." Not to mention the fact that he had his hands all over you.
A smile that nearly stopped his heart spread across her face and she turned her face to meet Merc's eyes. "He is protective. You know, he's treated me like an equal since day one."
Ranger looked like he thought about wincing; Stephanie couldn't be sure. "How long have you been together?"
Another blink from Stephanie followed his question. "Uh, a while." The waitress brought the food and Stephanie doused her pancakes with syrup and cut off a huge bite, which she promptly shoved into her mouth. "Actually, I met him the night I left Trenton." She licked the syrup from her lips.
Though he kept his face blank, the air left Ranger's lungs. He'd sent her away for the second time in their relationship, and somehow, she'd immediately found a replacement. Not only was he replaced, but by someone who let her be herself and remained open and honest with her. Now he worried that he'd closed the door on opportunity one time too many.
Stephanie knew that, on the surface, he looked calm, but even after all these months, she could tell he struggled with what she'd just told him. But why? She replayed their conversation in her mind and realized exactly what Ranger would have heard. She hadn't meant it that way, but he didn't need to know it just yet. "I've gotten close with him. Actually, all three of us are close: me, Merc, and Geo. I assume you've met Geo, right?" Ranger nodded.
They both looked up when Merc approached the table.
"What's up?" Stephanie asked as she wiped her mouth on her napkin.
"Sorry," he said to Ranger. Turning to Stephanie, he continued in an excited tone, "I hate to break up your reunion, but Stone-Croft just called and we need to meet him as soon as we can."
"Really? That's amazing! I'll be finished here in a second."
Merc nodded and then snapped his fingers. "Belle, this is going to cut your afternoon short. We need to do this quickly so you can get to your appointment on time."
"Since time is going to be short, can we get Luc on board for tonight?" She had an appointment to be pampered and have her hair cut. With the addition of this meeting, she worried they'd get to the bar on time for sound checks.
"I'll speak to him. Meet us up front in five minutes." He pointed toward the front of the diner.
Stephanie nodded and turned back to Ranger, who had been silently watching the exchange.
"What is it you do these days?" Ranger eyed her while she shoveled one last bite into her mouth and slurped her orange juice, wincing as the sour flavor battled with the sweet syrup.
Stephanie chewed the mountain of pancake in her mouth and swallowed roughly before she answered. "I work with the guys. Sorry, gotta go – something's come up."
"Are you the manager for Merc's band?"
Stephanie wanted to laugh. Instead, she settled for a headshake. "I do other stuff. You know, this and that."
Ranger nodded and let it go for the moment. "Will I see you again?"
She guzzled her coffee and shrugged her shoulders. "Not sure."
He grabbed her hand to still her frantic movements for a second and said, "Please, Stephanie. I need to see you again."
She wasn't ready for him to push his way back into her life just yet, but she didn't want to cut him out again, either. They had things to discuss, for one thing. For another, she didn't want to lose touch. "Got a pen?"
He reached inside his jacket and withdrew a pen from his inner pocket, then handed it to her. She wrote her number on a napkin and slid it across the table to him. "That's my number. Won't do you any good to trace it, it's a prepaid phone. Leave a message and I'll call you when I'm ready."
She shoveled the last bite of pancake into her mouth, then slid out of the booth and pulled her sunglasses down off the top of her head to hide her eyes from view. "Take care, Ranger." She turned around and followed Merc and Lucio out of the restaurant amid Lucio's shout back to Ranger that he would call him next week.
When they got outside, Stephanie tapped Merc's arm. "What does Devin want?"
Merc smiled wide and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "One of his bands heard our demo; they need a good opening act and want to meet us. They're also coming to the concert to listen to us live this weekend, but want to meet face to face today. I feel bad pulling you away, but we can't say no to this opportunity."
"No trouble. There wasn't much going on there." Merc sent her a sharp look, but she ignored it and climbed into the Cayenne. "You meeting us back at our place later, Luc?"
Lucio nodded and slipped behind the wheel of his silver Mercedes sedan.
As they pulled away from the diner, Stephanie had a sudden realization that almost made her groan out loud. Ranger knew Merc's real name. She should have realized the minute she saw him he would know everything about anyone connected to a family member of his, in this case, Lucio.
*\/*\/*\/*\/*
Ranger watched the group walk away and thought about the irony of Stephanie's business taking her away from him for a change. About ten minutes later, he was sitting in the Turbo and his cell rang. "Yo," he answered.
"Boss, you heading to see Chambers, now?" Ram asked.
"No."
"Your tracker is on the move."
"Just keep an eye on it twenty-four, seven." He hung up and a small, satisfied smile worked its way across his lips. It was only a matter of time before he found where she'd been for the last year. And just how close she and Thaddeus Mercer really were.