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 10

***Apr 25

It's the Monday after the beach party and the teasing has just begun. If you ask the guys, I flashed everyone before I tried to talk them into skinny dipping but their good virtue wouldn't allow them to participate. Jerks.

I'll never live it down. They're also working really hard to get me drunk again but threatening them with 'I will never be their wingman ever again' put a stop to that. Thank goodness.

Everything with Ranger and me is getting back to normal but I'm now really sensitive to the contrast from his public and private personas. It's not like he's a love sick fool but he did give me jewelry for my birthday and Christmas last year and we're taking steps in the right direction, right? In public, I'm just one of the guys, no personal attention. However, any time we're in public and he can pull me into a private setting he shifts seamlessly into, dare I say, boyfriend Ranger? Oh well. I'm hopeful we'll make progress and I'm sticking to the plan.

I'm still doing the Bounty Hunter thing and show up to the office with donuts and coffee. I'm sitting on the couch talking to the girls when my phone rings. It's Val.

"Hey Val" I greet.

"Oh Steph, thank God. I'm desperate. Can you take the baby? I have to take Lisa to the doctor. She has a fever and is throwing up. Please, Mom can't do it. She's at the doctor's office with Grandma. Please, I am begging you, Steph."

"It's okay Val. I can come right now. I'll be at your house in 15 minutes," I tell her and hang up. I look at the girls and they're waiting for me to tell them what is going on. "Val has to take Lisa to the doctor and needs me to watch the baby." I tell them. "Wish me luck." I add as I grab a third donut out of the bag. I have a feeling I'm really going to need it.

I arrive at Val's and she's waiting by the door with Lisa. "Thanks Steph, I owe you. I shouldn't be too long," she tells me as she rushes out the door. I look around and see that the baby is in the bouncy seat on the living room floor. He isn't crying so I crouch down to hand him toys to play with. That game lasts about 10 minutes and he starts to get fussy. I pick him up and take him to get changed. His diaper was dry so I go into the kitchen and find puffs to feed him. That doesn't work and he starts to go from whimpering to crying. Maybe he's tired. I pick him up and bounce him as I walk through the house. I'm telling him it's ok while patting him on the butt and he starts to wail. Okay, I'm out of tricks. What am I supposed to do now? I do what I am trained to do. I call my Mom. Her phone goes to voicemail. Right, she is at the doctor's office. Shit. The baby had been crying for 20 minutes before he started wailing. He has been wailing for 8 minutes and 23...24 sec. "Dang it" I mutter. What am I supposed to do? I can't call Batman. Mary Lou? I place the call. Voice mail. "Shit!" I scream and the wailing is paused. Okay, maybe he likes cursing? Nope. He was just startled by my outburst because the wailing resumed two seconds later. I can't call Connie or Lula. Then it comes to me...Ella. She's a goddess among women. I don't have her direct line so I call the control room and ask to speak to her. "It's an emergency" I tell Ram who answers the call. After assuring him I wasn't in mortal danger, I get to speak to Ella and relief floods over me so hard, I start to cry.

"My nephew won't stop crying and I don't know what to do. He's not hungry. His diaper is dry. I'm holding him and he's screaming at the top of his lungs." I explain to her, sniffling in between words.

"It's okay Stephanie. There are only a few reasons that babies cry. If they're not hungry, tired or wet then we have to assume he's sick or in pain," she says and it clicks.

"Val took his sister to the doctor for a fever. That's why I'm watching him."

"Is he warm?"

"Yes. thought he was warm because he was screaming." I add, calming down a little.

"Okay then. Call your sister or take him too," she tells me in her calm motherly voice. I'm comforted by her demeanor and her plan.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I would do without you. I guess I have my answer on the 'should I ever have children?' question. I panicked. I would make a terrible mother. I wouldn't do that to a kid. I would hate for an innocent child to be stuck with me." I admit in a rush.

"Oh nonsense," she tells me gently. "Any child would be lucky to have you. You are loving and kind. You'll be okay when the time comes. Now get that little one to the doctor. Val has two sick kids," she adds and I hang up with another sincere 'Thank you'.

After dropping the baby off to Val, I head home wanting to take a nap from the exhaustion of the morning. I'm so thankful Ella was able to talk me off the ledge. I want her to adopt me. If only...

I sleep for three hours and wake up starving. I look in my fridge and don't find anything appetizing. I really think I deserve something good so I pull my sleep-ridden hair into a ponytail and add some makeup to hide my still slightly swollen eyes. I finish off with a couple of swipes of mascara and call it done. I grab my bag and head out the door to Pino's. Only Pino's will salvage this disaster of a day.

I place my order and am patiently waiting on it when Joe walks in.

"Hey Cupcake," he says.

"Hey Joe." I answer him neutrally.

He approaches and whispers in my ear. "I miss you. I want you back. I'm serious this time. I won't criticize your job anymore. I've changed." While he was leaning in, I didn't get the old tingles that I got when he was close. Interesting. They were never as strong as Ranger's but they were there and now they're not.

"Sorry Joe. I can't." I shake my head trying to get him to get out of my personal space.

"Please Cupcake. I'm a changed man. I'm ready to offer you everything."

Now, I know Joe and his idea of everything and my idea of everything are nowhere near compatible. He's a product of the Burg, plus he's a man. He wants the Burg lifestyle and I now know I not only don't want it, I can't have it. I'm never having kids. Plus having them with him and his temper? Oh he'll control it for a while but it'll return. What would happen if he yelled at me and the kid? I would either end up in a mental hospital or in jail. Nope this won't work so I go with the best plan to make him understand.

"No Joe. Listen. I don't want kids. I would make a terrible mother so I'm not going to do that to an innocent kid. I want you to be happy but I can't be the person you want me to be. I'm sorry but we are done for good. Please just accept that and move on. I am."

He's speechless. He has no defense. My order is up and I pay for it. I leave him standing there looking at me with a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

I let out a breath. Well, I hope it gets through to him this time.

I guess the look on Joe's face wasn't sadness or disbelief. It was pissed. I received a voicemail box full of messages from my mother telling me about the rumor that I would make a terrible mom and that's why Joe dumped me...again. Oh hell! I can either fight it with the truth or let it go. I opt for letting it go. I have to stop caring what the gossipers say about me.

***Apr 29

The distraction we have planned for tonight just fell into our lap. It was a high bond from Les Sebring that was due to expire in 3 days. Jeanne Ellen brought in Ranger and she was definitely not pleased when I got added to the team. She couldn't play the role of 'distraction' since she had already had an interaction with the skip on a failed attempt to capture. Since he would undoubtedly recognize her, she was forced to bring us in. This pissed her off and I can't say that didn't help in my decision to come along.

The event was in New York City so we all packed up and took off for Gotham, my new nickname for the metropolis. We were only able to procure one plate at the 100k dinner. It's the social event of the year and the tickets are very hard to come by. I don't know whose connections got this one plate but I'm impressed. We only have two men inside. Ranger, who will be a waiter and Manny, as a server. They'll both be in tuxes and have some freedom to circulate the room. Our teams at the front and back are made up of a combination of Rangeman and Sebring's contract workers. All of this trouble to get an untouchable.

The skip is a wealthy trust fund baby who spends most of his time with the upper echelon of society and the higher ups of the criminal world. So he's protected by money and crime. He isn't too bright since he's apparently the fall guy for his so-called friends. He can't be too stupid though or he wouldn't have lasted this long.

The crime he's being charged with is murder but I doubt he actually pulled the trigger. It doesn't matter though, he needs to be taken off the street and our team is tasked with the job. I often wonder how these wealthy criminals can circulate in society without anyone knowing or caring that they're breaking the law. I shake my head. I hate that they have a different set of rules than the rest of us.

I feel pretty good about the plan. Go in, cross paths with Charles and lure him to my hotel room. Simple. I may have majored in business at Douglas but all Jersey girls minor in flirting and I aced those classes.

I had very little time so I enlisted Ella's help with my outfit since she is, well, a goddess.

I stand in the hotel bathroom with Ella surveying her work. I'm at a loss. I feel like I'm going to the Prince's ball. I have on a beautiful ball gown in pale blue. It's adorned with crystals and I'm playing the part of Cinderella. Ella is playing the part of my fairy Godmother. Just Jeanne Ellen is recognizable by the skip so she is relegated to the wings. Tank, Bobby and Hal are here from Rangeman and Jax and Brian are from Sebring. They have the exits covered, dressed as bodyguards. Jeanne Ellen is in street clothes. She's not dressed as a body guard since Eduard, Charles' personal guard, would recognize her too. She's barking orders at everyone while sitting in the communication van a block away.

Ahhh Ranger in a tux. Maybe I can persuade him to dance with me when we get this douchebag. I decided to go with the Cinderella concept and Ranger is my Prince. Hey, I may have not been interested in playing with dolls but I did secretly want a Prince ... or was it Bruce Wayne?

Ella is finishing up my hair when Ranger comes in. My hair is pinned up with soft curls falling all around my face. I couldn't have asked for a better style. My makeup was flawless and the jewelry was stunning. I looked every ounce the privileged socialite. I decided to go with the stuck up rich bitch attitude so I was going to have fun with this. It's definitely an upgrade to my Jersey girl attitude in many ways but similar in others. My nerves mingle with my excitement. I love this part of the job. Ella turns me to look at her handiwork.

"Babe, you look stunning." Ranger says to me and I blush.

"Don't you dare touch her." she warns him and goes into the room to get my matching clutch. The corners of his mouth lift. Oh yeah, he is definitely thinking of touching.

"What time do we have to leave?" I ask, trying to ignore the scent of Bulgari and the effects it has on me.

"20 minutes. I just have to put on your wire." he says looking at my breast to see how he can fit me with the wire.

"Oh no you don't." Ella says coming back into the room. "I'll do it. You." she points to Ranger. "Out". She's so funny bossing him around. Good thing it's just us. He looks at me with his eyebrow raised and I shrug my shoulders. I'm not about to get in the middle of this and I know how much work it was getting ready and I certainly don't want to start all over again.

"I'm going next door to get into my tux. I'll be back in ten." he says and I think how unfair it is that he can get ready in just ten minutes. I watch as Ella expertly fits the wire between my breasts just under the halter top. She tapes it into place and I check to make sure I can turn it on. I pick up my bag and see that I have a stun gun, lipstick and tracking pen. Perfect. I'm all set.

"Thank you so much Ella!" I tell her. I do a spin in the mirror to see how my dress floats around me. "I feel like I'm going to meet Prince Charming at the ball."

"Oh dear, forget Prince Charming, why don't you just look for a nice waiter instead." and she gives me a wink.

"Good idea." I reply smiling. I love Ella.

Ranger lets himself into the suite and comes over to me.

"Shall we?" he asks and I'm whisked away to the hotel lobby.

I get in the limo with the team from Rangeman plus Jeanne Ellen. Fantastic. Jeanne Ellen is giving me the stink eye but I'm busy trying to get into character. I straighten my spine and wipe the wondrous look off my face. If I'm going to pull this off I need to act like I fit in with the rich and famous. I'm ready by the time we arrive at the hotel. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel! This is the first time they're hosting the event since they dropped the pretense of benefiting charity last year. This is a straight up social event and it's silly to pretend otherwise. A place where the uber rich can mingle without having to worry about the dreaded middle class. I get a new resolve to show these bitches that the working class rocks and they have nothing on us. We drop everyone off at the back and I rode alone up to the door. Here we go, it's show time, I say to myself.

I don't have an earpiece but my team does so I speak clearly saying "I'll get 'em tiger" before the attendant opens my door. Only my Rangeman contingent will understand and that's all I'm worried about. I present my hand and am escorted to the entrance. I give my name to the man at the door and was granted entrance. My cover name is Annabel Williams. I'm a 30 year old heir to a large shipping magnate from California with questionable ties. The real Annabel is similar in looks and currently out of the country on vacation.

I walk in with a haughty air and head directly to the bar. I have my first eligible bachelor offer to order me a drink. "I accept. I'll have your finest Chardonnay." I don't normally drink this but I figure I can water it down so I don't have to worry about my light tolerance. I don't pay any attention to the man who ordered my drink. He is of no consequence and that fits with my persona. I use the time to search for my mark. I see him flirting with a busty blonde. Not ideal. Now I have to get him away from her. I can do this. I approach the blonde and hold out my hand. "Amelia, is that you?" I ask and she looks at me appraisingly. I must have passed the test and she smiles. "Sorry you must have the wrong person. I'm Olivia Cuthright , and you are?" she asks as she shakes my hand.

"I'm Annabel Williams and this is?" I ask, referring to Charles but not looking at him.

"What did you say your name was?" Olivia asks Charles, giving me the indication that she is way more interested in me than him. She hasn't broken eye contact with me yet. Charles has no chance with her. Idiot.

"Charles." he answers.

"Charles, no last name?" I smirk, looking at Charles for a second before looking back at Olivia. "Charles, why don't you get Miss Cuthright a drink." I say to him, smiling wider at Olivia. She smiles back.

I know how I'm going to play this. Men are so easy. I have Charles on the hook playing waiter all evening. Olivia was getting really drunk and that's exactly how I wanted this to go. Manny found me twice and the drinks he provided for me was blessedly 100% water. Once when Manny approached, she checked him out. "Are we going to keep him too?" I asked and she blushed. I caressed her cheek.

"Whatever you want." she replied.

"Charles seems like a hard worker so he's definitely a contender." I say to her. "But ... I like muscles and stamina. Can Charles here work hard for both of us?" I say, emphasizing the word both.

"I do. I will. I will work very, very hard for both of you." he stammers, and I wanted to roll my eyes. "Good. I haven't decided yet but the night is young. I may have to try a sample before I commit." I tell Olivia. "Would you care to try?" I look at Olivia.

"You go ahead. I'm looking to sample you first," she says and I smile.

"Suit yourself." and I take Charles by the hand. "We can try the kitchen. I'm sure they have a storage room there somewhere. I don't want to leave Olivia very long. She may get worried about me." I say while walking through the kitchen door. I'm met by Ranger.

"Can I help you?" he asks.

"Yes, we are looking for a little privacy to have a... discussion. Do you think you could help us?" I ask and look at Charles.

"Charles, tip him." I say expectantly. That breaks him out of his stupor and he reaches into his jacket pocket for his wallet. As soon as his hand is up to reach in, Ranger grabs it and spins him around and cuffs him.

"Ma'am you are going to want to go back to the party. Charles needs to come with us." he says and I look at Charles curiously. I take a step closer to Ranger and run my hand up his chest. My curiosity changes to admiration.

"Maybe you could come back and find me later?" I say to him and turn back to the door.

"Wait here, I need to hand him off to my associate and I'll be right with you." he says.

"I don't wait for anyone." I tell him, spinning back around.

"I'll make it worth your while." he says, dropping his voice.. I go up to him and stare into his eyes.

"Hey." Charles protests and Ranger lifts up his cuffs making him protest more. He starts to yell and struggle and Ranger stuns him. We couldn't risk him alerting his protection detail.

"So, will you wait for me?" he asks and I look at my watch. "I'll give you two minutes."

I waited four before Ranger materialized.

"I was delayed. Seems like someone on the team wanted me to follow them to the station. I declined. I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room," he says and leads me to the corner of the kitchen. He kisses me and reaches in my dress to turn off the wire. I give him a questioning look. "That was to make up for the delay." he says as he leads me back to the ballroom.

"How about we meet your new friend?" Ranger says, smiling his two hundred watt smile.

"Not a chance mister. You have to pick. Me or her." I say, spinning out of his arms. He follows me out to the dance floor.

"You. I pick you." he says and pulls me close. After two dances, I go to find Olivia to let her know that I had gotten a better offer and she seemed really disappointed. I'm sure she'll find some other way to amuse herself.

I stay in character the rest of the night. It was fun treating Ranger like he was my personal attendant. He was very attentive. Even later, back at the hotel room. I was very pleased at his performance as he was with mine, judging by the contented look on his face.

This wasn't my idea of a fairy tale. It was so over the top ridiculous with all the money and egos but it was a fun experience. I love the dress but am happy to return to my normal life with my not so normal job and my genuine friends.

The next morning brought the sun and Ranger gone. The magical night is now just a memory. He returns later, all sweaty. He seems distant, like last night never happened. He offers either to have someone come with me if I wanted to stay in the city or I could ride back to Trenton. He doesn't seem to care either way. I have to hide my disappointment. We showered, separately, and get ready to return to Trenton. What am I doing? I ask myself as I hurry through my shower. I'm not cut out for this, this push pull thing.

The ride back to Trenton is very quiet and if Ranger suspects something was wrong, he doesn't comment. Not that I expect him to. That would violate about ten of his personal rules. I don't want to either. I'm afraid of where it may lead. I just don't want to ruin last night's memory. The 'Fake it till you make it' mantra is starting to tarnish.

***May 2

I walk into the Bonds Office carrying coffee and the usual selection of donuts. The expected chatter of Connie and Lula is unusually silent. The girls shift their gaze at me then each other then back to me.

"What?" I ask knowing something is up. We all just look back and forth at each other for ten seconds, which for them is a long time. "Come on, spit it out."

"Are you pregnant?" Lula blurts out. Where in the world has this come from, I wonder as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I was expecting big news like Vinnie was arrested and the Bonds Office was closing. Not some stupid rumor that is so off base it isn't even funny.

"Of course not. Where did you get that idea?" I reply, shivering at the thought.

"Well, Joe has been talking to anyone who'll listen that he broke up with you because you will be a terrible mother." Connie states, looking down, ashamed that she even entertained that possibility.

"Not this again! Joe's an ass. I broke up with him because he's an ass. He's still mad that I'm no longer taking his bullshit. We're done, completely done. I don't care if I end up alone with seventeen cats. I'm not getting back together with Joe." Connie and Lula relax and we continue to chat while we eat our sugary treats. "Did you really hear I was pregnant?" I ask.

"No but I thought I would cover all the bases, you know, where there's smoke..." Connie answers.

My phone beeps with Batman's tone to alert me that I have a new text message.

From Ranger: Take down scheduled tonight. Tomorrow?

I reply with an okay emoji. Pity, I was looking forward to a sleepover with Batman. A few days ago, when he dropped me off, he asked if I wanted to have dinner with him on Seven. We were just going to stay in, no big deal but I'm more than a little disappointed he had to cancel. We have been spending more and more nights together and even though it bothers me that we aren't in an official relationship, I know in my heart that I am, so I slip back into denial and try to focus on the time we spend together.

I spend the day chasing my tail and Carmine Romano. He isn't supposed to be this difficult and to be honest, it's probably dumb luck that he is able to dodge us so well. All I can say is that Lula and I keep ending up wherever he was about 20 minutes after he was there. Some days are like that.

I drop Lula off back at the Bonds Office with plans to go after Carmine tomorrow. I head home and pick up Chinese on the way. I feel like a nice relaxing bath, a glass of wine and Netflix. Perfect.

At 10:30, I'm falling asleep during the new movie with Channing Tatum when I decide to call it a night. I clean up and head to bed early. I could always use the extra sleep since tomorrow, I'll probably have a great reason to stay up. "Yum" I think as I prepare for bed.

Ranger POV

The takedown last night was a clusterfuck. We got intel that Sammy Fredrickson, a high bond federal skip, was going to be at his sister's birthday dinner in NYC. We quickly assembled a team and arrived to find that he was a no show. We were able to pick up his trail at a bar in SoHo when the party went out for drinks after dinner. We tagged him with a tracker and picked him up as he tried to enter an apartment in the same neighborhood. At least we got him, I think to myself as I head to Steph's place. I want to take her to breakfast as an apology for missing out on our evening together. I know I'm taking my chances arriving at 7:00am. She's not a morning person and I would be scared I would get shot if she didn't keep her gun unloaded in her cookie jar. I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I see Morelli's car in her lot. WTF? I park with my car still running thinking of all the possibilities of why Morelli would be here at this ungodly hour. I turn off the engine and walk purposely toward the doors. When I pass his car, I feel the hood to see if he has been here awhile. It's cold. "Fuck." I mutter to myself. I pick up my pace determined to find out what the fuck is going on. I reach her building in time to see Morelli stumble out. His look is disheveled and he smells of a hangover. I glare at him and he smirks at me. The fucking asshole actually smirks.

"Your turn. I'm done...for now."

I'm fucking livid. I can't believe she's still seeing him. Both of us. I want to confront her but as mad as I am right now, seeing her would be a huge mistake. I don't know what to do. I can't fucking believe she did this to me. I wait until Morelli is gone and I make my way back to my car. No sense letting the prick know he got to me. Fuck, I say to myself as I pound on the steering wheel. I need to get it together. Why is this affecting me? It's not like we have a relationship. We just get together to fuck. Friends with benefits. That's it. Fuck, I say again as I slam on the brakes to narrowly avoid hitting the truck in front of me. I push my thoughts away as I refocus on driving. I'm a master of control. I don't do emotional outbreaks. I'm not a fucking girl.

***May 3

Steph POV

The next morning I woke early, well, early for me. I had a shower and get ready for my day. On my way into the kitchen, I notice that my blanket is on the floor by my front door as I pass through the living room. The hairs on my neck rise. My blood is suddenly pounding in my ears as I beeline to the cookie jar and pull out my gun. I quickly load it and I walk back through my apartment checking all the hiding places a human would fit. I don't notice anything else out of place and I start to calm, but my uneasiness doesn't go away completely. I know Ranger sometimes comes and sits in his chair to watch me sleep but he wouldn't move my blanket. He wouldn't make it obvious he was here. I know it wasn't him. I don't know how to explain it, I can just feel him in my soul or maybe it's just that I can smell Bulgari? Either way, it wasn't him. I stop at Dillon's apartment on my way to the parking lot.

"Hey Dillon. Can you help me install another lock? I have a feeling that someone was in my apartment last night but I'm not sure. I can buy it but I need you to tell me what I'm allowed to get."

"Sure Steph. If you get it early enough, I can install it this afternoon. Want me to re-key the lock for you too?"

"Yes, that would be great." I say though I'm a little sad that the only way to keep out bad guys is to also keep out the good guys, well, guy, singular. I wish I knew of a lock that would keep out everyone but Batman. I guess I'll just choose to stay at Rangeman more often. I like Seven much better anyway but there is still a pull to have my own space. I don't know what the future will bring but I'm seriously hoping that it will have lots of mocha latte skin in it.

"I'll text you the type of lock you need to get. Do you want me to secure your fire escape window as well?" he asks, breaking into my thoughts before they could go too far with the mocha latte skin that I love. Probably for the best.

"Yes, please. I don't know why I haven't done it before." I say even though I know exactly why I haven't done it before. Keeping all guys out is not my first choice but if I do have a stalker then I need to protect myself. I'm done being afraid to be in my own home.

I text Ranger on my way into the bonds office.

To Ranger: I missed you. Rain check for tonight?

I arrive to find Connie by herself.

"Lula's on her way. She's bringing in breakfast so who knows what we'll get," she says as I put my stuff down and plop onto the comfy couch. It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen but mostly germ free since we are constantly wiping it down with bleach.

"Good, I'm starving." I tell her. Just then my phone beeps alerting me to an incoming text. Knowing it's from Batman I make an effort to blank my face so Connie doesn't see me smile.

From Ranger: No Out of town.

Well, that wasn't the response I was expecting. My face fell.

"Is everything ok?" Connie asks.

I work to recover fast.

"It's fine," I lie. I'm about to come out with more excuses/lies when Lula barges in saving me from an explanation.

"Good morning ladies," she says cheerily. "I have a treat for you today. I have a full southern breakfast of eggs and grits and all the fixin's," she continues as Connie and I exchange worried glances. My shock at Rangers' message is pushed back until I can deal with it later, in private. I really need to focus on something else until I can get to the bottom of what that message means.

I spent the rest of the morning chasing a few skips and ended up getting one out of three. Johnny Smith was brought to the station without so much as a hangnail. I, on the other hand, looked like I rolled in garbage because I did. I did roll in garbage. I am so sick of rolling in garbage, I could scream. Luckily I had an opportunity to do that too. I screamed at Big Dog for making a joke. I screamed at Carl for collecting on the most recent bet. I screamed at Morelli for just smirking. FML, I think as I march out of the police station with my body receipt. The body receipt that only gets me $200. I probably should have just stayed in bed today. Fucking sunrise!

My mood hasn't improved when I reach my apartment. I had forgotten to stop at the hardware store to get my new lock. Dillon had suggested a floor bolt. It's completely pick proof and with my new keys, I'll be perfectly safe from surprise visitors, welcome or not. I jump in the shower and head off to buy the new hardware and the dowel rod that will secure my window. Who knew that a stick is as effective as anything to keep the window from being opened. Nothing will protect the glass from breaking except bars but I can't risk not having a way out in case there is a fire.

I stop by the grocery store and pick up beer for Dillon and some essentials for me. Looks like I'll be eating solo until Ranger gets back. I sit on my couch eating my sandwich when I think about the text message. I can't help but feel that Ranger is angry. He just said no. He's never outright told me no. Unless it was for my safety. And what does out of town mean? In the wind? He always comes to see me before he goes into the wind. Maybe he's needed at another office, I think as I try to come up with legitimate reasons he would blow me off. I decide to lay low for a while. Stay neutral. I'm not going to respond to his text, I'll just wait and see what happens. He's probably busy and me getting upset and blowing this out of proportion, will cause me to make a fool out of myself. Well, I already did that today so I'm happy to avoid a repeat.

***May 5

Last night was rough. I decide that Ranger must be in the wind or really tied up to blow me off like he did so I was able to fall asleep after that. Too bad that was at 3:00am. I promise myself a nap.

I get a text from Val. She asks if we can meet for lunch. She probably needs more money and I have some saved but not the full 3k I'm planning on giving her. I reply, making a lunch date with her at the mall. I finish getting ready and head to the Bonds Office to see if I can grab an easy skip before I meet her at noon.

I walk into the bonds office to see Connie and Lula chatting over coffee and donuts. As soon as they hear the door, both women look at me.

"Do you remember Samantha Winters?" Connie asks me as I peek into the bag. I choose a Boston Crème, my favorite.

"Sure, she's your age, brown hair, cute dimples. She has a younger brother that was a year behind me, Steven, right?" I respond as I head for the Keurig to pick out my morning beverage.

"Yep that's the one. Did you hear she's pregnant?" she asks as I wait for the machine to finish so I can finish the upgrade with cream and sugar.

"That's great. I heard she was having trouble and this is their last ditch effort to have a baby. I guess in-vitro is pretty expensive and they only had enough for one try at it." I say as I finish my coffee looking for my second donut of the day.

"I guess she's really sick with nausea though. I bet she's having twins or triplets. I think they implant several fertilized eggs and hope at least one sticks." Connie pauses for a sip of her coffee. "Anyway, she was at Rossini's last night and puked on the way to the bathroom. Apparently she was fine all through dinner and a waiter passed with someone else's food and she just took off for the bathroom. I heard from Caitlyn that she has everything: fatigue, morning sickness and breast tenderness. I really don't see the appeal. Why would anyone go through all of that just to have a screaming infant? It's completely beyond me."

"I get it, but my sister and Mary Lou seem to really love the whole motherhood thing." I say in response but secretly wonder why pregnancy has to be hard when motherhood is even harder. What's that bull crap about glowing when you're pregnant? Maybe it's the cold sweat from puking all day. Yikes.

"Oh Connie, did we get any new skips yesterday?" I add changing the subject trying to get my mind on more pleasant things.

"A couple. One is Bucky Martin. He got himself into trouble again at that bar, over next to the post office on Stark. I guess he gets a little drunk and bothers the women. You should be able to get him tomorrow morning when he goes to the diner over by the highway. He loves when you pick him up in front of his friends," she says as I roll my eyes. Bucky's a trip. He's so unattractive that any attention from a woman will make him do anything they ask. Me included. The last time I picked him up he told his friends we had a date. He's a perfect gentleman when he's sober. I guess it's a different story when he's had a few cocktails. "And the other is a mid level bond, a new player in town named, Jackson Kenilworth. He's wanted for assault. Don't worry, it was his brother-in-law. I guess his sister married this asshole who likes to knock her around and Jackson is taking issue with him breathing. I heard it was supposed to be attempted murder but the cops sympathized and dropped it down to a simple assault." Connie informs us. She really knows everything that's happening in Trenton.

"Why the higher bond?" I ask.

"He has a record. Don't worry about that either, it was a college prank, a drunk and disorderly and a DUI. I guess he likes to party and doesn't know when to call it a night. Harmless though. You may be able to grab him during happy hour while he's too drunk to know better," she adds the last part with a wink.

"Do you have the files ready?" I ask as I smile back. Connie really has this office running with practiced efficiency.

"Of course. They're sitting in your box ready whenever you are," she says as I get up to retrieve the files. It was too late to get Bucky at the diner but Jackson was a possibility. I tell the girls I had a lunch date with my sister and head out the door, files tucked under my arm.

I want to do a drive by of the residence listed in Jackson's file to get my bearings. He lives in a mid-level apartment building over by Stark. It was remodeled recently in the city's efforts to 'beautify' Trenton but it's a little too close to Stark for my tastes. It probably has a nicer bathroom I think as I take in the whole complex. I note the parking lot closest to building C and see his 2016 Honda Civic in the spot with his apartment number. I was just about to drive by when I see movement on the driver's side. Holy crap, he's passed out in his car. I pull into an adjacent space and gather my toys. Flexicuffs, check. Charged stun gun, check check. Messenger bag with paperwork, check. I peek at the paperwork to get a look at Jackson, I'm ready. I get out of my car and make my way to his car. I note that he is in fact Jackson Kenilworth as I knock on his window.

It takes a couple of tries to startle him awake and he is a little disoriented as he opens his door. I use that to my advantage and step into the path before he can slam it shut on me.

"Are you Jackson Kenilworth?" I ask for formality's sake. He looks at me and nods his head. I immediately launch into my spiel about who I am and what I'm doing here. I quickly add that I am sympathetic to his situation and hopefully we can get this matter resolved without any trouble. He remains cooperative which I am eternally thankful. I cuff his hands behind his back while I explain the next few steps. Since he was cooperative, Connie will re-bond him and with some help, maybe he can get his charges lowered or even dropped. He admits that he was getting a suspicious mole removed as the reason he missed his court appearance. I ask if he could prove that and he said that the dermatology office would verify. I had him call the office and send the necessary paperwork to his phone so he could present that to the courts. As we approach the cop shop, Jackson is starting to get nervous and I have to reassure him that everything would be okay. He asks if I would stay with him until Connie gets there. I agree and we walk into the central booking area that was unusually busy for this time of day. There are people everywhere and we have to wait for about 15 minutes to get up to the desk sergeant.

"Steph, what brings you here?" Robin says jokingly.

"I have an FTA. He's really cooperative and Connie will be here soon to re-bond him. He has a legitimate excuse for missing his court date and the arresting officer really didn't want to charge him in the first place." I tell her as I pull out my paperwork for her. She looks over everything and smiles.

"I remember hearing about this. Seems like the guy deserved getting his butt kicked," she says as she looks at Jackson. She is appraising him and I have to suppress a laugh. He looks like an overgrown frat boy sleeping off a weekend party. He reeks of stale beer and is wrinkled from sleeping in his car. Oh well, defending your sister from an asshole abuser was noble so I'll give him that.

Jackson takes his seat over by the wall and I move aside to let the next person in line go. I check my phone and am looking through email when I hear my name.

"Steph, what brings you here this fine morning?" Eddie asks. I look up to see my cousin walking toward me.

"Work." I say "How's the family?" Eddie is a childhood friend and cousin. Well, he's married to my cousin, 'Shirley the whiner'. She picked up that moniker in high school and has never seemed to shake it. I guess it isn't much better than 'Stephanie the disaster' I think ruefully.

"Have you seen Joe?" he asks nervously.

"No, Joe and I are done." I say definitively.

"He isn't doing so well. He's been drinking and hanging out with his brother and cousin," he tells me. That isn't good. The Morelli boys when all together are trouble. Joe is usually the voice of reason but if Joe is drinking then there is no voice of reason. Yikes. "He tells anyone that will listen that you guys are getting back together and are going to have a baby."

"Well, that's not happening." I respond. "We are done with a capital D." I can't believe how many times he has waffled back and forth with the lies he's been spreading. I don't know which one I prefer, getting back together or breaking up because I'll be a terrible mother or we're going to have a makeup baby? The grapevine sucks!

His phone beeps and he looks at the message. "Listen Steph, I gotta go. Stop by and see us. Shirley would love to catch up," he says as he rushes away.

I continue looking at my phone and checking on Jackson. He still looks worried and I give him a reassuring smile. My phone beeps not two minutes later. A message from my sister canceling our lunch date. Lisa is sick again and Mom won't take the kids when they're sick. Apparently she did her time dealing with sick kids and will not do anymore. I guess I have some free time this afternoon. Connie walks in and comes over to us.

"Did you get the paperwork from the doctor's office?" I ask. He nods his head and I explain everything to Connie. I leave Jackson in Connie's capable hands and not having anything else to do, I head back to the office. I want to wait for my check so I can go to the bank. Jackson netted me 3k. Not bad for a morning's work. When Connie returns an hour later she cuts me a check and I head home for the day. I can't go after Bucky until tomorrow morning so I'm done. A quick stop at Cluck in a Bucket has me full and looking forward to a nap. My lunch doesn't sit well so I say a silent prayer that I'm not getting sick.

After sleeping for a surprising three hours, I wake up grouchy. Sleeping that long during the day usually means I'm in for a long night. I know I'm not going to get to sleep before 2:00am and that means I'll have a hard time getting up early. I was going to be really grumpy getting Bucky tomorrow. He's worth five hundred so I'll force myself to do it. If I treat myself to breakfast after I bring him in, then it'll be worth it, I think, trying to change my mood about my early morning.

The rest of the evening is spent cleaning since I can't go shopping. Money is tight since I've been helping Val. I really don't want them to lose their house and I understand not wanting to ask Mom for help. Yeesh. I could just hear the criticisms and 'why me's'.

I ate a big lunch so dinner was a peanut butter and olive sandwich on worthless white bread. By 10:00pm I was shocked to find myself falling asleep on the couch. My clean bed was calling my name and I obliged.