A/N Everything you recognize belongs to Janet Evanovich. Thank you to Kathy's amazing beta skills, Heather for all her sound advice and encouragement and Lisa who did a little of both! Without you all, this story would not have happened.

~Chapter 8

***Apr 22

The day of the party is here and I'm so excited. I stayed on Seven last night and I was planning on working only half a day. "Are you still driving up this afternoon?" I ask Ranger at breakfast.

"Yes. I have to get the keys and open the house. Les and Hal are getting the food and drinks. Manny and Zero are bringing the sports equipment. We're all planning on getting there by one to get everything ready. You can ride with any of us," he says. I'm a little disappointed by this. I thought Ranger would want me to ride with him. The more I thought of it, the more irritated I became. All morning, I kept getting distracted by that simple little phrase. I finally decided to drive myself. That way, I didn't have to depend on anyone for a ride and could come and go if I needed something.

I look at my watch and that spurs me into action. It's noon and I want to be on the road by 12:30. I carry my stuff down to my car and load up. I stop at a 7-11 to get a Coke slushy on my way out of town. I have snacks and good tunes. All I'm missing is a convertible. Maybe someday I'll get another Miata. I'm halfway to Point Pleasant when Ranger calls. "Yo?" I say.

"Who did you get a ride with?" He asks without saying hello.

"No one. I drove myself." I answer.

"I said you could ride with me."

"No. You told me I could ride with someone. I decided to ride with no one. This is better anyway. If I need anything I can get it myself. Have you left?" I ask, changing the subject.

"I'm leaving now. I just called to pick you up. We got delayed so the house won't be open yet. I'm about 30 minutes behind you."

"No problem. I'll grab lunch on the boardwalk. I won't have any trouble finding something to do." He hangs up and I say 'bye' to an empty line.

I reach the house and park on the street. I don't want to get trapped in the driveway with all the cars coming and going. I stop and take a look at the house. It's a craftsman style but it's big and looks well cared for. The location is perfect. I can see and smell the boardwalk from here. I'll be able to walk down and get funnel cakes whenever I want. Yippee. I leave everything but my wallet in the car and head to the water. If I walk on the sidewalk I'll get there faster but I would rather walk on the beach. I check out the house on the way. There's a large patio at the back that has a nice grill and hot tub. Plenty of tables and chairs. Perfect for what we want. Not everyone will be here at the same time so this will work. I look at the ocean. Peace washes over me and I feel myself relaxing. All the stress of getting here, and life in general, seems nonexistent. The world seems right. I see a row of lounge chairs at the edge of the property. I'll be able to pull one of them toward the water and lay out. I plan to work on my tan and eat fatty foods and hang out with the guys. I check my watch. Ranger isn't supposed to be here for another twenty minutes and I would rather not be here waiting plus the smell of the food is drawing me toward the activity. I start walking toward the boardwalk, shoes in hand. Each step gets me more and more relaxed so by the time I see the excitement, I'm only left with happy. This IS my happy place. I can't decide if I want a jumbo dog then funnel cake or just go straight to the good stuff. Ohhhh maybe ice cream. Such a tough choice.

RPOV

I hung up with Steph and am irritated. I had planned on picking her up. I love listening to her chatter as we head toward the beach. She thinks I'm always in my zone but my zone allows me to listen to her honest and happy outlook on life. Seeing the world through her eyes is the next best thing. Much like a child and all the wonder they see. I haven't had that since I was a child. I grew up close to the dregs of society and the hell on Earth I've been to in the Army. I take a deep breath. Well, let's just say Steph is refreshing.

I've been sensitive to the role that Steph plays at Rangeman. I don't want to lead her on and I've had to back off a little to maintain our distance. I also don't want the men to get the wrong idea. Things are going well and she seems to be okay with our current no strings situation. I certainly love the nights we're together. Life is pretty good. I drive as fast as I can to get there sooner. I want to christen the house before anyone gets there. I have to run the men on last minute errands to arrange this.

When I pull into the driveway, I see her car parked along the street. I don't care that my car will be blocked in. I have to be here the whole time, I'm only backup at work. I scan the area and see that she's not out front. Why would she be? I didn't expect to find her sitting on the front porch. I look in the back yard and at the beach. Nope. I pullout my phone and call. Voice mail. I open the app and check her trackers. I see her car and phone both sitting out front. The trackers are probably in her car. I don't see any other trackers on the move. Shit. She must not be wearing any right now. I'm going to have a problem keeping a tracker on her when she's wearing beach clothes. My men have no idea how many trackers are on her. The main ones, in her car and purse show up in the control room but I have a lot more that are tracked only by me. I have to assume she walked to the boardwalk to get food. I'm disappointed for the second time today. I open the house and check to make sure everything's ready for us. We will have about 20 men each night but more will show up daily on a rotating schedule. We have all our contract workers working both days to free up our full timers so they can enjoy as much time here as possible. The other three core team members each have a day they are in charge back at Haywood. Tank is today. Bobby is tomorrow and Les on Sunday. We gave Les the most time since he has to get back into the singles game again. Kelsey really soured him on women. I'm sure he'll be back to his playboy self this weekend. I even gave him his own room in case he finds someone. Not next to mine. I don't want to hear that shit. I'm looking forward to sharing a room with Steph. I thought about assigning her a room so no one would get the wrong idea but there's barely enough beds as it is and it's not like no one sees her spend the night at Haywood. Or notice when I don't. We're adults and can do adult things as long as we are consenting and I love that we are consenting, especially now that I don't have to use condoms. I have big plans for us this weekend.

The men arrive with food and I help put everything away. We have cases of beer stacked in the garage. The fridge is big but not big enough for 30+ thirsty guys. I text Manny to pick up three large coolers and 6 large bags of ice on the way back to the house. I check my watch. Still no Stephanie. I take my bag to my room and look out from the upstairs windows. I see her walking back along the water line. She has a sundress on and is carrying her shoes in her hand. Thoughts of Hawaii pop into my head. We had so much privacy, we could do anything we wanted and we took advantage. I shut down those thoughts, no sense comparing the two. We will not be having much privacy here, except in our room so I have to keep my thoughts in check.

I'm directing the men that are showing up and making a list of all the things we forgot. Ella will be here later with the side dishes. We plan on grilling hamburgers, chicken and brats. I think a bunch of single men can manage a grill. Steph walks into the kitchen and smiles at everyone. Everyone smiles in return and she starts talking about how close the boardwalk is.

"It's only a 10 minute walk. If we get desperate and don't want to cook, we can go down there to eat or get ice cream." She trails off when she notices me looking at her. I see a smudge of powdered sugar on her face and I resist the urge to kiss it off. She must have noticed the change in me because she doesn't start chatting again. Instead she asks if she can help. We have everything put away and set up for dinner. All we have to do is get the grill going and wait for Ella. The guys are eager to get the beach volleyball net set up and start drinking so a few of them brake away to do that. Steph ducks out to her car and when she returns, I was expecting she would bring her stuff in to get settled in our room. She comes back with only her beach bag and announces that she's going to the beach. I decide to help with the volleyball net and jump in a game when we got it done. I can keep an eye on Steph that way.

"Can you put lotion on my back?" Steph asks Manny as she approaches him with a bottle in hand.

"Sure, Wifey. I can do that." Manny said and I give him a look that hopefully conveys 'over my dead body'. Steph rolls her eyes. Hopefully at Manny and not my Neanderthal death glare.

"Manny, cover for me." I tell Manny so I can put the lotion on.

I certainly won't pass up an opportunity to touch her so I take the bottle from her and rub it on her skin. "Well, somebody's gotta do it." I fake grouse.

"I can wait for Les" she teases back.

"Nope" I reply, popping the p. I finish her neck and move my head forward, giving her a kiss on the cheek. It's the most public display that I've ever done besides hugging her at disaster scenes. No one seems to notice so I take that as a good sign. She says a quick thanks and walks away. She puts a little swing in her step knowing I'm watching her cute little ass in her bikini. A ball flies at me and hits me in the shoulder. I look over at Manny and Zero who were giving me the 'I don't know who hit you' look. Good thing Les isn't out here yet or he'd be more than just shrugging his shoulders. He'd probably hit me a lot lower. Jackass.

We pla volleyball and I was hoping Steph would notice me shirtless and sweaty, and want to rip my shorts off and have her way with me. Not the case. She fell asleep in the sun. I shake my head. I call a timeout and head to her chair and sit on the side. She doesn't wake up so I start caressing her back but then stop. I don't want to get in a situation in my thin board shorts so I gently shake her instead. She wakes slowly and smiles. "I'm at the beach lying in the sun. Life is good," she says.

"Yes and if you don't turn over, you are going to burn and life will be miserable."

"You are right, good man," she replies and flips over and adjusts her top. I'm afforded a peak at side boob since the small triangle has shifted slightly. I smile my predatory smile and continue to appraise her body. Screw my situation. Speaking of screwing. My mind has taken a turn and I am unwilling to reign it in.

"Want some help putting lotion on? I wouldn't want you to burn." I reach down and grab the bottle sitting at the top of her bag. "I volunteer to take responsibility to make sure you don't burn." I tell her seriously.

"I bet you would," she says with a laugh.

"Hey, are you coming?" Manny yells. We both look toward the game and I say. "Hold on." I reply and look back at Steph.

"I can handle my front," she tells me. That's disappointing.

"Okay but if you change your mind, I'm your man." I say and inwardly cringe at the sound of that. She may be my woman but I am not her man. I go back and play volleyball for a few more games, stealing glances at Steph in her bikini. When she was putting on her lotion, I did more than just glance.

She falls back to sleep and lays there peacefully while we play on. More guys arrive and join the game. When Les comes, I take a break. I show the men where they are bunking and Les to his private room. He seems a little sad that this could have been for him and Kelsey but quickly thinks of picking up girls to join our party. With that, he wants Steph's help.

He sits next to her on her beach lounger and she looks at him with her hands shielding her eyes. I see them talking but I can't hear what they are saying. I'm making my way over to them and see her get up. She stretches and puts her stuff away as she and Les keep talking.

By the time I get there, I hear her tell him that she is going in the ocean and if he wants to discuss anything more on 'operation girls gone wild' that he can follow her. She makes the cutest face when she says 'operation girls gone wild'.

I give her a raised eyebrow look.

"Don't ask," she tells me. "I'm getting in the water. Want to come?"

"Yes. I'm really hot and I need to rinse off this sand." I say showing her my back. I had tried to wipe it off but the sweat made it impossible.

"I can see that," she says as she looks at Les. Her look softens and says. "I promise I'll help you. There has got to be some ladies here for a bachelor party. You and some guys have to come with me though."

"Why can't I just go?" Les asks her and I wonder the same thing.

"If it's just us then everyone will think we're a couple and the kind of women that are into that are not the kind of women you want ... oh shit. I really don't want to know what kind of women you want." she says and both Les and I laugh out loud.

"You guys are pigs." I catch up with her in a few strides and she still has a sour look on her face.

"Thanks for helping Les. He's still reeling from Kelsey and I was hoping this weekend would get him back to normal."

She looks at me seriously and says, "I don't think Les was ever normal" and I laugh for the second time in as many minutes.

We get to the water's edge and I dive in as soon as it's deep enough. Steph is walking in at a snail's pace. Even though it's a sunny day, it's still April and the water is cold. I'm anxious to get her out in deeper water so I can hold her, touch her. I get tired of waiting. I come back and reach for her hand and pull her. She resists. I don't want to drag her so I come closer and pick her up and she squeals. Really loudly. I dunk us both and she comes up pushing at me.

"You! I can't believe you. I am going to get you back." I fully expected her to try to dunk me or splash me but she had something else in mind. She wraps her legs around me and presses her breast to my chest. Ok, I can get on board with this revenge, I think as she pushes my hair back off my face. She wiggles in my hands and I feel myself get impossibly hard. I know we can't do it in the water with my men this close because it would be obvious what we were doing but I am enjoying the foreplay. She brings her legs down to stand and backs up out of my grasp. I start moving to her as she is moving backwards. She is touching her breast as she is walking until she is completely out of the water. Before I realize it, I'm there too sporting a hard on in my clingy, thin board shorts. Oh she is evil. I want to pick her up and teach her a lesson but I see Les not twenty feet behind her and I think better of it. I see her flash me her breast and play with her nipple a couple of seconds before she covers herself back up and my eyes flash to her face. She has an evil smile on her face. Well played Babe. I turn to dive back in the cold water so I can clear my mind and take care of my problem. I'll get even, I promise myself.

SPOV

Oh shit. I'm in trouble. I really shouldn't bait Batman like that but I couldn't help it. You don't dunk a Jersey girl in freezing cold water and get her hair wet. Especially one with my crazy hair.

I turn to see Les walking toward me. "Hey Beautiful. Want to walk into town?" he asks and I know what he is really asking.

"It's too soon. The women you are seeking are off the beach and heading back to their rooms to nap and get ready for dinner." I say looking at my watch. "It's 4:30 and it's getting cooler.. We'll go around 6:00 hoping to catch a few groups out celebrating. We'll check ice cream shops and the places that sell souvenirs on the boardwalk. Trust me. I worked at the pier one summer and saw this pattern every day."

"You're the best." He puts his arm around me and we walk back up the beach. I grab my cover up and put it on. I also comb out my curls so I don't end up a matted mess. I could use a drink. I don't want to start too early but I'm thirsty. Laying in the sun will do that to you. I grab a cold beer and decide to get a bottle of water as well. I walk back toward the patio to see if Ranger has made his way back to the house and see him talking to Les. I approach and hear him say, "...relax Primo. I know." They stop talking and look at me. I offer them drinks and Ranger takes the water. Les declines the beer and I think that is odd. I don't comment. I get one raised eyebrow that tells me 'challenge accepted' and I start to squirm. I have no doubt that Ranger can get revenge but I'm more than a little concerned at what it will be.

More men have shown up and Ella and Louis are expected within the hour. Then the grilling will begin. My stomach growls in anticipation. "I'm going to find a snack to hold me over until dinner," I tell the boys and I leave in search of the snacks. There are plenty of chips in the kitchen and I search for a bowl in the cabinet. I find a whole stack and bring them all. I put them over by the chips and select a large bag of pretzels and pour the bag in. Pretzels aren't my first choice but I don't want orange fingers nor do I want to open any dip that may be for something special. I tuck my bag in an out of the way corner and walk back out with my beer and large bowl of pretzels. I sit down in an empty chair and Hal graciously takes the bowl from me. It's passed around and by the time it makes its way back, it's nearly empty. I sit there drinking my beer and eating the remaining pretzel crumbs. We discuss having a bonfire at the beach later and bet on who would get the most drunk and do the dumbest stuff. We vote for Les on being the drunkest and doing dumb stuff.

RPOV

I finally make my way up the beach. It took a little longer to get out of the ocean since I was stuck thinking of ways to get even with Steph. I have settled on making her scream loudly during the night, waking everyone and making them aware of exactly what's going on in our room.

I catch up with Les and assure him that he can walk up to the boardwalk to find some nightlife and hopefully female companionship. I know he needs this.

Stephanie approaches looking nervous. I want to keep her on edge so I raise an eyebrow to let her know that I plan on retaliating. I have to get inside to make sure everything is ready for when Louis and Ella arrive. I'm pulling out the meat and placing it on large trays when Bobby comes in. "Hey, help me with this." I say and he grabs the ground meat patties out of their packaging.

"What time are you headed out tomorrow?" I ask, arranging the patties in a pile so I have room to add the chicken, hotdogs and Bratwursts.

"You sharing a room with Bomber?" Bobby asks out of the blue.

I pause for a moment thinking of the right words. "May as well. Wherever I would've put her, she would've ended up in my room anyway." I tell him, not wanting him to think we were in a relationship. It's better for her if everyone knows we're just casual.

He snorts and we continue until all the meat is laid out ready for the grill.

SPOV

I want to shower and I assume I'll be staying in the master with Ranger. I get my keys out of my bag and plan on cutting through the kitchen door so I can retrieve my bag out of the car.

I was just about to enter the kitchen when I hear Bobby ask about me sharing Ranger's room. I freeze. I'm surprised that Bobby has asked such a question. I remembered Ranger once telling me that the men wouldn't ask about us. That's what was flashing through my head when I hear his answer. What? Is that what he thinks of us? I know his stance on relationships and I was hoping to change his mind but I at least thought he cared about me. For crying out loud, he helps me all the time. He tracks me and gives me cars. That IS him pursuing me. I latch on to being pissed because it's a much easier emotion to deal with. If he wants to have his own room, then he'll have his own room, I think as I change directions and go out the front door to get the stuff out of my car. I can always drive home and sleep in my own bed. Hell, I would sleep in my car before I sleep in his bed. Damn him. Why do I have to have feelings for an ass?

I get my stuff and look for an open shower. I find one and lock the door. I'm minding my own business when Cal opens the door and walks in.

"Hey dickhead, why'd you lock the door? Some of us have to piss." He says to me, I peek around the curtain and see Cal peeing away at the toilet. I debate on just ignoring him and letting him finish and leave but he must have finally been aware enough of his surroundings that he realizes that I am not a dickhead and the lock was necessary.

"Oh shit. I'm sorry Bomber. Please don't tell the Boss," he says as he turns and sees me peeking out of the curtain. "What are you doing in here anyway. Why aren't you in his room?"

I have no good answer and I don't want to get into it with him so I just say "Just wash your hands and get out."

He follows my orders and I'm greeted by cool air that replaces my steamy cocoon. I decide that unless I want more visitors, I should hurry. A locked door is no obstacle for this group. I quickly finish and stay behind the curtain until I am ready to replace the towels with my clothes.

I put on my pale blue sundress. It has a halter style top and is one of those rare dresses that can look casual and dressy at the same time. I wipe away the condensation from the mirror and get to work. I put my anti-frizz stuff in my hair and apply my makeup efficiently. I'm concerned the longer I'm here that I'll get more interruptions. I'm going to let my hair air dry. It is going to end up a frizzy mess no matter what I do to it so Mr. Alexander's special stuff at least holds off the frizz for a while. I don't have any more visitors and think that I got lucky until I come out of the bathroom and see Cal standing there.

"I made sure no one else bothered you," he says.

"Thanks." I don't want to get into another conversation about why I was here so I change the subject. "How are things going with you and Shelby?"

"Good. She's coming up tomorrow. She has to work until 0030 er 12:30am." he says converting the time for me.. I'm getting a little more familiar with military time but the conversion in my head still takes a few seconds.

"Great. She seems really nice." I tell him and add, "I'll catch up with you later. Thanks for keeping everyone out." and leave to put my stuff back in my car. I'm certainly not going to put my stuff in the master now.

I head back outside and see that Ella and Louis are here and the grilling has begun. I jump in and follow Ella around trying to help her in any way that I can. I carry out side dishes and place them on the tables the guys just set up. I get all of the paper products and condiments and place them there as well. I check the coolers and find that the water and beer needs a refill. I go to the garage and get more from the fridge. I then replace the fridge beer with the cases that are stacked next to it. The ice seems to be holding strong so I leave that until later. I walk back through and can't see anything else that needs to be done. I seek out Ella in the kitchen and sit on the barstool watching her mix up guacamole.

"This is the last thing. Then we'll be ready to eat," she tells me. Just then Louis pops his head around the corner and tells us the first batch of chicken and burgers are ready. My stomach gives a low rumble but I wait until the guac is done so I can carry it out when I go.

"Stephanie dear, I forgot to tell you that per Ranger's request, I made you a pineapple upside down cake for today. It's over on the counter." She points to the corner of the kitchen by the coffee pot. "The cool whip is in the fridge so don't fill up on chicken and burgers," she adds and I can't help but smile big.

"Oh thank you Ella. I love you." I tell her as I give her a hug.

She hugs me back and says seriously. "You know, you're good for him."

I don't want to get into anything that resembles a serious talk about me and Ranger so I just say, "Thanks." We break apart and she says with a smile, "go eat. I heard that stomach of yours."

I smile back at her and head out to the patio to find that several guys have already filled plates of food. I look over to see Ranger staring at me from his place at the grill. I've avoided looking at him because I'm still pissed. I do want to thank him for the cake so I smile and mouth 'Thanks for the cake' and he nods his head in return. How in the world can this man be so frustrating and sweet at the same time? I really have to reel in my emotions.

I pile lots of potato salad and cheesy potatoes on my plate and with my burger, it barely fits. I guess I will have to eat my veggies later, I think, and smile at my own joke. No way am I eating veggies later.

I sit down at one of the tables furthest from the grill. I eat with Cal, Les, Woody and Zero. We laugh and have a great time. The food is great but the company is the greatest. I love these guys. I tell Les that as soon as we are done, we can grab a couple more guys and walk to the boardwalk. Our plans are made and I stand at the edge of the patio looking at the guys. They are all dressed for a beach party so only a few minor adjustments are made.

"Since you are looking for party girls, you need to show off the goods a little." I tell them, unbuttoning Woody's shirt a little. "If you're looking for a lasting relationship this would be over the top. Don't worry at the boardwalk, you'll fit right in," I say, looking up when everyone gets quiet. I see Ranger has left his post at the grill and is standing right next to me. "Oh hi. We're just going over the plan to find some more women for our bonfire. Don't worry, the guys know the rules."

"No underage girls. No sex in public. No fighting..." Smartass Les begins.

"Ok Les, we got it." I say before the fighting rule is broken before the bonfire begins. I pull at his hand so we can leave. "Let's go. The ladies are waiting." I say. I don't say goodbye to Ranger as I start walking down the beach. I stop and take off my sandals and carry them. I would have loved to leave them but that would mean I would have to walk barefoot on the boardwalk. No way!

We arrive and the sounds and smells are going full force. Point Pleasant will always have a special place in my heart. I look around, sizing up the crowd. I see several groups and zero in on a casual group of women. There are five of them and they look to be in their late twenties. I see that none were wearing wedding rings. Les gets my attention when he sees a group of barely legal girls in tight tops, short skirts and bare bellies. I look back at him and say "No." He gives me a pleading stare.

"No." I repeat with more force.

"Why not?" he whines.

"Yeah, why not?" Woody asks.

"I'll tell you why not. Those girls, and I do mean GIRLS, are looking for a wild night. They're looking to hook up and get into trouble. If you were here alone, you would be free to follow them around like a puppy dog. You are not here alone, you are here with Ranger and he is not gonna put up with a barely legal wild, let's get back at daddy for taking away my credit card, dependant immature child looking to get you to do something really really stupid," I say, taking all the excitement away from them. "Trust me, that group is trouble and we don't want that at a Rangeman outing." That seemed to finally penetrate the guys' brains and I returned to my observation of the twenty something group. "How about those ladies?" I asked them, gesturing toward them with my head.

"They don't look like they are looking to party." Les says.

"I disagree," I reply. "They just haven't started yet. They look like they are on a girls weekend, maybe celebrating something. They don't have any bridal paraphernalia so I don't think they'll get that wild."

"I want wild." Les practically whines.

"Then you are at the wrong party. Let me repeat, You. Are. Here. With. Ranger." I say, enunciating each word. "You aren't getting girls gone wild. You are getting a bonfire at the beach with someone to smooch. Get the 'wild' out of your head." Geeesh.

"Follow my lead but fall back when I talk. I want them to see you but do not talk to them." I tell them as I lead the group to a souvenir kiosk next to the funnel cake stand where the women were. "I need to get something for my nieces and quit complaining. The bonfire doesn't start until sundown. You aren't going to miss it." I look at the guys, hoping they'll continue a conversation while I move onto the kiosk.

Crickets.

"I know you're impatient but you agreed to come with me. Why don't you look around to see if there is anyone you want to invite. Remember, it's not going to be too crazy and I know you're on the shy side but you guys are great and a lot of fun. Any girl would be lucky to hang with you for the night." I look directly at Les, giving him a don't-mess-with-the-cover-story look. He's the farthest from being shy and if Kelsey hadn't pulled what she pulled with him, he wouldn't be looking to me for help getting women. I guess he doesn't trust his judgment. I turn away and continue to browse at the display holding key chains. I walk around to the backside and brush against one of the women.

"Sorry," I tell her as I look at her more closely. "I'm on a mission.".

"No problem., she says then adds. "Are you familiar with this place?"

"Yeah. I've been coming here my whole life."

"Do you know a good place to hang out? We're not into the young club scene. We did that yesterday and some little teenager called me Ma'am. I wanted to strangle the jerk. I'm not that old." We both laugh.. I could relate.

"There isn't a ton to do that doesn't involve a club. There are a couple of martini bars that cater to those of us that don't have a curfew." I pause like I'm thinking. "You know, I'm here with my co-workers. We are planning to have a bonfire later. We rented a beach house about a 10 minute walk from here. You guys are welcome to come." I tell her and her friend.

"There are five of us. We couldn't impose."

"Don't be silly." I tell her. "Actually, that will be perfect, I'm one of two female employees. A few of the guys have dates but the majority are single. I can vouch for them. They're all pretty great. Some are painfully shy but all are sweethearts. If you want to come, we're just down the beach." I say pointing in the direction of our house. "By the way, my name is Stephanie, it's nice to meet you." I tell her, holding out my hand.

"I'm Rebecca and this is Elise," she says, shaking it. "It's nice to meet you too. Over there is Clara, Mia and Maggie," she says as she points to the other three women. "We're here celebrating my 30th birthday."

"Happy Birthday! We're here for a work celebration. We're bounty hunters hence the mostly male employees. That's also why they're in such great shape." I say with my eyebrows raised. "Those are some of the guys." I point towards them, looking at souvenirs. I'm thankful they let me talk to the women alone. It would have been more awkward if they had hung around.

"Wow, they are good looking and are you really a bounty hunter?" she asks, equally intrigued by both their good looks and my chosen profession.

"Yes and yes. I had a hard time getting used to all that sexiness while learning my new job. Their boss offered to help me learn the ropes and I've been working with them for about three years now."

"Wow, what an exciting life."

"It's actually exciting and boring and messy and sometimes downright scary if that makes sense?"

"How is it boring?" Elise chimes in.

"Stakeouts. You sit for hours staring at a house waiting for someone to show. It's not always like Dog the Bounty Hunter."

"Wow," she says again. "It sounds interesting."

"It's definitely interesting." I agree. "Hey, listen. You're all welcome to come. It'll start just after sundown and we'll have plenty to drink and eat. Plus, these are honorable guys. Most are ex-military and the boss has handpicked each one so you don't have to worry about anyone being a psycho. I have to go. The guys didn't understand that I wanted to shop for a few souvenirs when I asked them to come to the boardwalk with me. I don't have that much time and I still need to get a few things. It was nice to meet you and I hope I see you later." I take one of the key chains off the rack and walk up to pay for it. The guys had fanned out around the area and as soon as I paid, they all materialized back by my side.

"Well?" Les asks.

"They're a group of five women here celebrating a 30th birthday. I invited them and I think there is a pretty good chance they'll show up. Do you want to look around more for anyone else to invite?"

"I saw a couple of girls that looked interesting." Woody says.

"OK, I'll follow you."

Over an hour later, I was done souvenir shopping and we had successfully invited 10 women from three different groups and all seemed like they were interested enough to show. The guys were bouncing with excitement. Les was happy with the last group of three. They were mid twenties and looking to party but not like the barely legal girls we saw first. These seemed like they were mature enough that their 'out of control' days were over but interested in letting loose a little.

We arrive back at the beach house by 7:30. I just want to sit and relax. I grab a drink and sit with Ella and Louis. They are amazing people and I look around thinking how lucky I am to be included in this family. I explain to Ella what I was doing and she just laughed.

"I love these guys. I would have never guessed how shy they can be. You're good for them dear. Before you came into our lives, they were all serious. Not a lot of fun. They didn't hang out much and their idea of fun was shooting at each other with paintballs and jumping out of planes. That's fine but that can't be all they do. These boys need a woman in their lives. It's not good for a person to be alone," she says and I think about that.

"I agree, these guys are amazing. I feel like we're a family. I love these guys like brothers."

Just then, Les comes over with a drink for me and sits on my lap.

"Get off you big oaf. You weigh like two hundred pounds." I tell him as I push at him. I don't even move him an inch.

"SANTOS" I hear the deep baritone that belongs to Ranger. Lester scrambles off my lap and knocks over my bottle of water. Thankfully I kept the cap on. I'm trying to pace myself since I don't want to be a puddle this early in the evening. I reach to get it at the same time Les does and we bump heads.

"Oww" I yell. "You have a hard head." I add rubbing my forehead. Ranger appears and helps me back in my seat. He looks at my head and I have the feeling I'm just about to be carted off to hospital.

"I'm fine." I tell him. "It was just a little bump."

"I want Bobby to look at it," he says, not believing me.

"I'm okay too Primo." Les says jokingly.

"I don't care about you, "he says, still looking at me.

"I'm fine, Ranger. It doesn't even hurt anymore." I say, trying to get him to drop it. I'm still irritated at him for his comment, and this closeness is making me squirm. I want to escape so I tell him that I want to go look in the mirror. I thought that would work but sadly he follows me into the house. I walk to the main bathroom and it's full.

"Why don't you use the master?"

"That's your room." I answer simply.

"My room is your room."

"Oh yeah, right. That's where I will end up anyway, huh?" I probably sound a little more annoyed than I intended.

"Babe?" He looks at me questioningly.

"I heard you tell Bobby that no matter where you put me I'll just end up in your room." I say, thankful I was able to keep my voice from cracking. He looks at me and scowls.

"I didn't want anyone to get too interested in where you were staying so I played it off like it was no big deal."

"No big deal for you. It makes me look pathetic."

"Is that why you didn't get ready in our room?" I was going to say yes but the door opens to the bathroom and I take that as my chance to duck in and close and lock the door. I put the toilet seat down and sit with my head in my hands. This was supposed to be a fun weekend. So far I'm not having very much fun. I look at myself in the mirror and see a red mark where I bumped heads with Les. I don't have my purse, so I don't have any makeup, so there isn't much I can do about it. I want to stay here longer but with this many people a line will form. I hear a knock on the door.

"Babe, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I tell him. Ranger is an intelligent man but he's a guy and guys usually don't know that 'I'm fine' generally means the opposite. I take a deep breath. My plan isn't going to include hiding in the bathroom all night with Ranger on the other side, so I wash my hands and unlock the door. I decide that if I have to face him now, I can face him with a drink in my hand. He follows me out to the cooler and I reach in to get a fruity drink. I would have chosen beer but that doesn't go as well with cake. I offer one to him and he declines.

"Can we finish our discussion, in private?" he asks.

"I'm going to have a drink. Then I'm going to check out the dessert table."

"We need to talk about this."

"What's there to be said? You're going to tell me again that you didn't want the guys to know that you want me in your bed. You're protecting me..." I pause for effect, "...so that my reputation is that of a groupie rather than a partner."

"We need to talk about this in private."

"No talking necessary. I understand," I inform him with a slight shrug of one shoulder. I grab a second drink since my first one is half gone and move to get myself a very large piece of cake. After seeing a grimace from Ranger and getting the whipped cream out of the fridge, I go outside and find a place to sit. No one seems to notice our little discussion and I'm glad. I don't want the attention. He grabs my elbow and stops me. I don't turn, I stand my ground. If he wants me to discuss this in private he is going to have to man-handle me. He drops his hand and I continue. Score one for me. That probably makes the score a billion to one, I think ruefully.

I drink both drinks and start feeling the buzz. I wander over to the dessert table and fill another plate. I'm very aware that Ranger has had his eyes on me the whole time. I feel like he's waiting to pounce the second I leave the safety of the pack. Well, I can wait him out.

The last light of the day is just starting to disappear. I hope that some of the women come. The volleyball game has been abandoned for the bonfire preparations. Ella brought S'mores. I'm busy helping Ella with the food when Ranger whispers in my ear.

"We will finish our discussion." I turn to say something but he leaves too quickly. Ugh. He's infuriating. He has to get the last word.

I stay close to others and don't venture off by myself. I would have loved to walk down the darkened beach but I'm scared Ranger would see me and pounce. I decide to wait for him to be busy and sneak off. The bonfire is big and the conversation lively. We have a bunch of chairs sitting around and I was sitting on one with Woody when I see a group of women coming our way. I get up to make sure they don't walk on by and go to greet them. If I were them, I would feel awkward coming into a large group like they were.

"Hi Rebecca. I'm so glad you could come. Let me introduce you around."

I spend the next hour going from group to group, introducing them to everyone.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about how good looking they all are." Elise says to me.

"Yes, they're shy too but not as much since they've been drinking a little." I tell her. "Don't worry, they won't get sloppy drunk. The boss is here."

"Are you dating one of the guys?" she asks.

"No. I'm not dating anyone. I feel like these guys are my brothers." I tell her. Just then Ranger comes up and says, "I hope you don't think of me as your brother" and introduces himself to the women. "Hi, I'm Carlos," he says holding out his hand.

"He's a big flirt. He doesn't do relationships. Too bad though, he'd be a great catch." I say matching his boldness. He grabs me and pulls me to him.

"She's welcome to catch me anytime," he says to them and the women practically swoon. Oh give me a break! Do they not hear what he's saying? He's interested in sex. That's not romantic. I twist out of his grasp.

"Well, I'm not in a 'catching' mood. Maybe someone else can help you out." The women look hopeful so I take that as my cue to leave. Maybe he'll get ambushed and I will be free to walk the beach.

My plan works. The women surround him and give me a minute to escape. I sneak back into the house and leave via the front door. I walk down the sidewalk opposite the boardwalk and cut back between a couple of houses to the beach. I walk for a while thinking how my life is a wreck. Something needs to change and I don't know if I have the strength to change it. I tried going with the flow to see if I thought there was a chance at 'someday' but so far it isn't working out. If I'm honest, I would say today's little stunt makes me think I'm losing ground. I stop at a chair and sit down staring at the water. The rhythmic waves help ease my soul. I close my eyes for a few minutes and am startled by Ranger's touch.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings," he says with no heat. He swings his leg over the lounger so he is sitting behind me.

"Don't you ever want to not be aware of your surroundings?" I ask seriously, watching the moonlight dancing on the waves.

"I don't have that luxury," he says and pulls me back into him.

"We have such different luxuries," I say and we both ponder that.

The silence stretches and I start to waver. I have never been good at keeping my emotions or my hormones in check when he's this close. I want to give in. I take a deep breath.

"I wish it were different. I wish I could offer you more... Maybe someday."

I think about that. I grasp onto that. If I could just hold on until someday.

"All I can offer you is right now," he says hugging me and leaning his head down to my ear.

"That's just it. You aren't offering me right now. Treating me like a groupie is not offering me right now. Find another groupie." I say and try to get out of his grasp. He tightens his hold. I feel close to tears and I want to put space between us.

"It's not like that. I didn't want you to feel like that. The more I pretend not to want you the safer you are," he tries to explain. "You know I want you. You know I would do anything in my power for you. Isn't that enough?"

I think about what he is asking. He wants me. He wants to be with me but he can't let anyone know. I'm torn. Half of me wants to take anything he'll give me. The other half wants to kick him in the balls and scream that I'm worth more than that. I take a deep breath and then the thought hits me like a ton of bricks. I can't walk away. I'm in too deep. I close my eyes.

"I want it to be but I don't know if I can." I tell him honestly. I don't know if I'll survive this but I can't give him up. I think of the line from Pretty Women. 'My special gift is impossible relationships.' Richard Gere says that to Julia Roberts. She got her fairy tale ending. I just have to hope I'll still get mine.

"I'll keep trying." I say and he turns me in his arms and kisses me. My Last fleeting thought is if I did leave this relationship, I would be leaving with only half of my heart.

Ranger and I walk back to the house. The party is going full force. There are a few more people here and the ratio of men to women is a little more favorable. I guess all the women I invited did come. I leave Ranger to deal with some sort of issue and I make my way to the group around the bonfire.

"Bomber" Woody screams and everyone's eyes look at me.

"You guys having fun?" I ask, uncomfortable with the spotlight. I hear lots of yeahs and continue over to Les. I want to make sure he's okay. I know it's been hard for him and a lot of us are hoping this weekend snaps him out of his funk. As I get close, I see him in conversation with one of the twenty five year old girls that he wanted me to invite. He re-introduces me to Evie and I tell her that I'm glad she made it. Les was in flirty-Les mode so I relax knowing he's going to be okay. I come back to the patio and find that a big group of men and the birthday party five-some are playing 'I never'. Oh no, that has disaster written all over it. I'm guessing there'll be some skinny dipping in the ocean or something like it. I'm glad I stayed sober enough to refuse that. I work with these guys and they'd never let me live that down. Plus Ranger would go ape shit. That thought makes me laugh when I think about what he would do.

Several hours later, the party is winding down. It's after 1:00am and there is a smattering of men passed out on lounge chairs. Besides skinny dipping, no one did anything too risqué. I laughed when I saw Manny's white butt streak down the beach. I thought with his coloring that his butt wouldn't shine like that. Boy was I wrong! I went around with a large trash bag and collected some garbage. Ranger came up to me and started helping.

"I feel like we just came home to find our kids had a party and we're stuck cleaning it up." I tell him. He laughs at the image of us parenting all these guys.

"I think everyone had fun." He says and I nod my head. By the looks of this mess, everyone had a blast.

"Come on, let's go to bed. I'll have the men clean this up in the morning," he says looking around. He grabs my hand and we head up to the master. He pulls his lock picking set out of his pocket and opens the door.

"Why did you lock it?" I ask, unsure who would have the guts to come in here.

"There was a shortage of rooms at one point and even though the men would think twice, the women can be quite persuasive. I didn't want anyone christening this bed," he says and I look at the neatly tucked in corners.

I see that my bag was brought up and waiting for me on the chair. I grab it and go into the bathroom. Everything feels a little off and I worry as I get ready for bed. I come back to the room and Ranger takes his turn in the bathroom. I climb into bed and settle into my side. I lay facing away from the middle. I'm still trying to process everything from today. The drive out, his comment about me ending up here anyway. I take a deep breath trying to shut down my brain. I try relaxing my muscles. Nothing seems to work. I hear the sink shut off and then the door opening.

I feel the dip as Ranger climbs into bed. He pulls me against him and our bodies are molded together. As he caresses my arm, I let all of the tension leave my body. "Goodnight Babe" he whispers to me and I settle down and drift off to sleep.