Thank you to Janet Evanovich for these amazing characters. We make no money from this and all mistakes are mine.
Chapter 10
Stephanie stepped through the arrival doors in Newark. It was after midnight and her flight had taken just over three hours. She felt grubby and tired, and concerned. She grabbed her suitcase from the carousal and prepared to head for the taxi stand. She was not aware of her surroundings and literally ran into a black-shirted muscular chest.
"I got you Babe," came a voice she recognized even in her sleep.
Stephanie looked up at Ranger as he continued to hold her from literally falling over.
Her sense of relief showed on her face and she dropped the handle of the suitcase and gave him a hug. She had not phoned to advise him, believing that he would either still be at the hospital or back at Rangeman. It was so late.
"How did you know that I would be on that flight Ranger?" came the soft inquiry.
Ranger continued to envelope her in his arms. He had already missed her and had just seen her. Looking back it seemed so very long ago.
"I had a feeling that you would come back. I took a look at all the flights and guessed that you would be on this one, Babe. All the others had much longer flight times and stops. Taking into consideration all you would need to sign out of your hotel, and give back the car, it seemed that this flight was the logical choice."
He chose not to mention that he had also phoned Hector and he had hacked into the system and had found her name on the flight manifest. Some things were best left secret.
Ranger could see her aching to ask how Lula was but afraid to broach the subject and he took a bit of pity on her.
"Lula has been given some pain medication and probably is sleeping right now. Tank is in the room with her. The babies are all safe at home with a bevy of assistants helping Amanda since she cannot lift them right now. Marjorie is due back in a couple of days so everyone is jumping in and assisting."
He purposefully did not elaborate on Lula's condition and Stephanie did not ask. She planned on being up at the hospital first thing in the morning after getting some rest. It had been a long day.
She pushed against Ranger and gaining some space between them looked up at him.
"Can I crash at your place tonight, Ranger? I'm dead on my feet."
Ranger pulled her back against his chest with his arms circling her again. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and spoke into her hair.
"Babe, it will be such a hardship to have you stay on seven, but I'll allow you to sleep in my bed tonight."
He chuckled as she tried to swat him on his arm, but he had wrapped her closely to him and she could not get free. She contented herself with his remark one day that one side of the bed was hers and hers only!
He put her suitcase and computer bag in the trunk of the Turbo and assisted her as she sat in the passenger seat, putting her seatbelt over her and giving her a soft kiss on her lips as he backed away. He could tell that she was very weary and worrying about her friend had taken a lot out of her. He would not be surprised if she worried about all the possible scenarios on the flight home, and all the possible reasons that Lula had fallen ill, going from the most minor to the absolute worst major options. Notwithstanding the fact that she was never comfortable in the air, he surmised that she was probably past the exhaustion phase and was running on adrenaline only.
He elaborated a bit.
"I left before they finished all the tests, but Bobby says they think it is a fibroid that is causing all the pain. They're letting her rest tonight and will be performing some additional tests tomorrow."
He continued.
"Bobby explained that while fibroids in women are not unusual, being that Lula is African American the chances are considerably higher than normal. There are a number of kinds of fibroids and it looks like they are narrowing down what it is. They hope that a simple procedure will help, but unfortunately they're not completely ruling out a worst case scenario of a hysterectomy at this stage. We'll just have to wait and see what happens and what they recommend."
Stephanie sighed. Mary Lou had had a bleeding fibroid and it had been difficult to diagnose. She had been experiencing lower back pain and a general achiness for days but hadn't complained thinking she strained herself picking up one of her boys. Unfortunately she had waited too long and a hysterectomy became the only option, putting the hope for a little girl to add to their family gone forever.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie woke up splayed over Ranger. He was watching her with his beautiful chocolate eyes that were becoming darker by the minute as his desire grew.
She nuzzled her cheek against his stubbly chin and moved up to just under his ear. Her lips gently bit down on his earlobe as he began to fondle her.
His morning wood twitched with anticipation.
Stephanie stepped out of the shower and began to attempt to brush her hair into some kind of submission. She blamed Carlos for her look this morning, but they both had that special smile reserved for each other.
Stephanie could hear Ella in the kitchen delivering their breakfast and she hurried to complete her morning ritual. She needed to get to the hospital to see Lula before she headed off to more tests.
Ranger drove her in the Turbo. He waited outside the room as she opened the door and quietly walked in. Tank emerged and they headed for the waiting room to give the girls some privacy.
Tank sat with his head in his hands. He looked and felt like he had run a 14 mile Ranger obstacle course with a full pack, all the while being shot at, rained on, and shouted at.
Ranger sat quietly letting him gather himself. He recognized all the times he had been at Stephanie's side during her trips to the hospital and patiently gave him the time to collect himself to be strong once again as he continued to be by Lula's side.
Ranger was holding a small duffel full of clean clothes and handed it to Tank.
Tank looked at it and smiled at the ironic similarities between he and Ranger watching over their women.
He spoke.
"Lula needs to get some strength back but they are hoping to do surgery arthroscopically. Unfortunately, I could see in the surgeon's eyes that he is guarded in his assessment whether this will help or not. He explained to us that as Lula is African American and overweight, the incidence is much higher in this group. He explained that there are various fibroids, most requiring only medication and rest, but this one is a significant challenge.
If it does not stop the bleeding, she will require a hysterectomy. While we have the boys, she's worried that she is letting me if she is unable to conceive more children. I have tried to explain that our boys are a miracle in itself and I only want what is best for her."
He looked at Ranger and a tear fell, very, very rare for Tank to show this much raw emotion.
"She told me that if she has the operation, she will feel less like a woman and worried that I will have to be satisfied with what she called half a wife!"
He leaned back in the chair and sighed.
"I tried to explain to her that she is all the woman I need and want and whatever happens, I will love her even more."
He whispered. "I'm not sure if she believed me."
Ranger put his hand on Tank's shoulder and gave it a squeeze for support.
"Stephanie is in there and those two have a special friendship, just as we do. Showing up will be very, very good for Lula and she can give her all the support and words of comfort that a woman can. If I know my Babe, she will have a swarm of friends showing up as soon as Lula can handle it."
They sat in the waiting room patiently waiting. Tank stood up as the door opened and Stephanie stepped out. Her eyes displayed her concern but she smiled at Luke and Jerry standing by the door. They too were new hires and she didn't know them very well, but they were Rangeman and that was enough for her.
Stephanie walked to the waiting room and making her way to Tank, reached out and tried to give him a hug around his waist. He hugged her back and chuckled. Her arms had not come anywhere near to wrapping around him but the thought was there. She was there for them both.
He spoke.
"Appreciate you being here, Steph. I know Lula would never ask for you to drop everything but I know that both she and I really value the gesture."
Stephanie stepped back and headed for Ranger's side. She looked at him and a tiny smile peeked out from the side of her mouth.
"I just couldn't stay there and worry. I was at a customer's ranch and instead of talking business, he gave me a hug and let me use his phone to check on flights. He drove my car with me worrying in the passenger seat back to my hotel, then headed back home in his car that an employee had followed us in.
I have managed to change some things around, but will have to leave to get ready for my first Open House of the Season in a few days. The spring racing season is about to begin and I will have to leave at some point, but I want to stay as long as I can."
She thought about her next sentence.
"Lula was pretty much out of it, but she did squeeze my hand and smiled a little. We really didn't talk but I think she knows that I am here for the both of you and will do what I can, even if it is just to sit here and be supportive. I want to help as much as I can."
Just then, a number of medical personnel arrived at Lula's door and Tank stood up. He walked to the room and followed them in.
Stephanie looked at Ranger for some idea of their next plan. Should they wait and see what was happening or leave then come back. Tests took awhile and then the results took longer to process, so it could be hours before word came down.
Ranger took her by her arm and led her out of the room and down the hall.
"Since you're here and we will have to wait for whatever comes down, why not go home and see your family? I know that you were unable to see them when we rushed you out of here. You can catch up on the Burg gossip and get some happy food at the same time.
I need to check with Mary Lou on the babysitting front. She has taken over responsibility for arranging schedules. I can see how she raised three boys so well. She kicked into supervisor mode and had help at the house almost immediately."
Ranger looked at Stephanie and chuckled.
"If Mary Lou had been in the military, she would have made a very good senior NCO."
He didn't mention that Mary Lou had threatened that both he and Stephanie would be voluntold to take a shift or two. While playing with them at the house for a bit was fun, taking responsibility for two very active, growing boys was a whole different matter. Ranger looked at Stephanie. He figured it would take them both AND Amanda AND a few prayers on the side to complete that mission.
~~~o0o~~~
Lula woke up from her latest nap. She tried not to shift because of the discomfort, but her head turned slightly and she could see Tank leaning back in his chair, sleeping.
She grimaced in spite of herself. The men and the women in the hospital were looking after her but her poor husband looked like death warmed over from the stress and the lack of sleep and the inconsistent meals he had consumed.
She had been pleased to see Stephanie standing by her bed this morning. At the same time, she felt a terrible sense of regret that she had obviously dropped whatever she had been doing wherever she had been to come back.
Lula knew that this was the start of the spring racing season and her company profits would take a nose-dive on any interruption right now. That's what made the visit so special that she would drop everything and come back.
She glanced at her man again, sensing that he was waking up and watched as his eyes opened, automatically turning to see her.
She moved her hand closer to the edge of the bed and he slipped his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
She longed to be back home with her little men sitting in bed with her and crawling all over, trying out their crawling skills on an uneven surface. At least one of them would manage to almost fall off the bed and it took quick hands and ever-vigilant eyes to keep them both safe.
Tank stood up and carefully reached over, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips, not touching either her or the bed in case he jostled her. His eyes gauged her pain level ready to press the button if needed. He looked at her face checking if her forehead was furrowed confirming pain but could see that she was not suffering and relaxed as he sat back down in the chair.
"Hi, Baby," he whispered. "How are you? I think that all the tests are complete now, and we are just waiting on the results."
He looked at her as her face relaxed in relief. Some of the tests had been very painful because of the constant movement from bed to stretcher to rooms for x-rays, ultrasounds and scans. She felt like a chocolate pincushion as lab techs came in wanting more and more blood, or the ever-present blood pressure equipment and thermometers being administered just as she had begun to relax after a procedure.
In her heart, she knew that there was something wrong in her body and laying there unwilling to move she was becoming more and more convinced that it was a life-changing diagnosis, whatever it would turn out to be.
She worried that she could be dying and leaving Tank to raise two very young boys on his own. She worried that she would not live to see her babies grow up to be men. She worried that Tank would cease to love her if she could not be the wife he wanted or needed. She worried that she would have some debilitating condition that kept her in a bed for a long period of time, if not forever. These days, the word Cancer was everywhere and she worried that she would waste away in front of everyone and slowly die in front of them all.
A tear made its way down her cheek.
Tank once again jumped up and put his hand to the bell, but she shook her head at him.
He looked at her. Watching Stephanie through the years he had become pretty cognizant of her emotions. She wore them on her sleeve and while she had always said that Rangemen came equipped with ESP, anyone knowing the signs could figure out her mindset.
Lula was a bit more difficult to read but he now knew her signs as well. He could visualize her worrying that she would be a burden to him, not able to raise their boys, and probably worry that he would be disappointed if she could not be the wife and lover she wanted to be.
He put his hand over hers and kept his eyes on her and spoke.
"Lula Belle, we will get through this together, what ever it is. I love you and I'll do anything to get you well again."
She squeezed his hand again. He understood her fears.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie was sitting at her parent's kitchen table, drinking coffee and relating why she was back in town.
Edna grimaced. She had suffered from what they called back in the 'olden days' a fallen womb and had been forced into a hysterectomy well before she and Harry were ready to stop having children. Helen had been their only child and Harry did not believe in adoption.
The Mazur women certainly had their women's issues. Edna with an early hysterectomy, Helen miscarrying anytime she was pregnant with male fetus's, Stephanie with her ovarian cysts, and if it could be called an issue, Valerie, who it seemed became pregnant any time she came into contact with a man's penis.
Stephanie looked at her watch. She needed to stop in at Rangeman to do some work. Her parent's had dial-up internet and it would take forever to do the work she needed. Besides, if she even attempted to work there, the 'helpful' comments would drive her to leave anyway.
She stood up, gave each one of them a kiss on the cheek and walked outside.
Ranger had had her car delivered to the house while she was visiting and she settled herself behind the wheel. She loved her car, new but not too new, paid for and insurance up to date. Besides that, it was now a tax deduction and she was quickly learning all the new expenses that qualified.
Stephanie pulled away just as her phone beeped with a message.
Stephanie pulled over to the side of the road a couple blocks away from the family home and opened up the text. It would not do to stop and read it anywhere on the block. Her parents phone would start to ring immediately from neighbors thinking something was amiss. They did not understand about driving distracted laws.
She smiled as she read the note. Gordon Fergusson had texted her saying he hoped that her friend was feeling better and saying that he thought she had made the right decision to fly back. He would see her at the next Open House and he already had his order in mind.
Stephanie stuffed her phone back in her bag and continued on to Rangeman, pulling up to the garage door and watching as it opened.
She parked in 'her spot', grabbed her computer bag and headed for the stairs. She had not been in the gym for a couple of days and felt the need to expend some energy.
Stephanie stepped out of the stairway and Bobby pretended to clutch his hand over his heart, all the while laughing at her. She had never taken the stairs unless chased by a skip with implements of destruction in the past and the sight of her emerging from the stairwell almost looking fresh as a daisy made him smile.
Ranger came out of his office and also gave a nod of approval with her new fitness level.
She walked to him and softly gave him a kiss on the cheek, ignoring the wolf whistles and remarks coming from the floor.
Ranger looked up at the disturbance and it became quiet almost instantly, except of course for Les, who obviously had left his brain in New York.
He shuddered when Ranger barked, "Santos, mats tomorrow, 5am."
There was one tiny snicker and Ranger squinted his eyes, looking around then smiled.
Ram was standing leaning against the door jamb between the control room and the break room holding what appeared to be a cup of coffee.
He was still dressed in his desert camo, with his pack by his feet. He looked tired, really tired.
Ranger and Stephanie walked to him and his beautiful smile lit up.
"Hey Steph, you are a sight for these very tired eyes," as he straightened up, putting down his coffee cup and pulled her into a tight hug to him. She could see that he had just returned and if she really thought about it, she thought she could almost smell pine tar.
He reached out with his right hand and shook Ranger's outstretched hand, all the while continuing to hold Stephanie to him.
Ranger's eyes changed slightly and Stephanie could almost feel Ram tense up. Fun was fun, but Ranger did not like to be messed with.
Stephanie stepped back but not before she gave Ram a kiss on his cheek.
"Thanks for the greeting Ram. I assume you just returned and I'm glad to see you."
She looked at Ranger.
"I have some work that really needs my attention. Is there a broom closet I can plug in my laptop?"
Just then, Ranger's phone rang. He looked down and stepped away. It was Tank.
"Yo".
Stephanie was watching Ranger's posture as he listened then spoke.
"Look after your family Tank. You are on leave starting now. Stephanie needs a secure place to work and I was going to let her work in your office, if that is OK."
They could see Ranger nod his head.
"Fine, man. We will be up later to see you both after Lula has had a rest."
He listened as Tank spoke.
"No, I have not heard how Mary Lou is doing with the schedule and I'm afraid to ask her. She threatened to have Steph and I take a shift."
He sighed.
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Give Lula our love."
He hung up without saying goodbye and looked at Stephanie with a smirk as she grimaced at the apparent lack of manners.
"Saves time, Babe," he said.
Ranger looked at Ram.
"I have an assignment for you, but I need you fresh and rested. See me tomorrow."
He put his hand on Stephanie's back and guided her to Tank's office.
"Tank says to use his office and push all the papers to the side. What he really meant to tell me was to take them off his damn desk and put them back on my own damn desk."
He looked at her and she smiled. It was a poorly kept secret that the two most senior men in Rangeman had the same distaste for paperwork. They were both men of action and forcing them to remain stationary and do office work was like doling out the worst punishment.
Stephanie nodded and watched as Ranger picked up the pile of papers. She put her laptop on the top of the desk and sat in his oversized leather office chair, unconsciously relaxing in it, and faintly smelling his cologne as she invaded his personal space.
Ranger took a look at Stephanie as she settled in. She was looking so self assured now as she settled in. He had talked to Tank about her 'renting' some space in Rangeman whenever she was in town, and he was mentally creating office space for her on five. He continued to need to know she was safe and putting her office in his building ensured that she could access services if need be.
Ranger felt a tug of desire. He was feeling the need to see her more than their schedules allowed. He missed her when she was travelling, using a phone call as a poor substitute for her in person. He now knew how it felt to see her walk out of a door and temporarily out of his life as she embarked on another round of travelling for possibly weeks on end. He had kept track and it was now almost sixteen months since she had taken on her job.
He groaned to himself.
The spring racing season was ramping up and this was a busy time, although he had noticed in the past months that it was busy all the time now. That's what being a successful businessperson looked like.
Ranger walked back to his office with the handful of files in his hand. He would add them to his already full in-box.
Time passed and Ranger could hear noise coming from the break room. He brought up the camera and noticed that Stephanie had emerged from Tank's office and was checking out the fridge. She was greeting the men as they came in, and in a number of cases, kissing one on a cheek, or hugging another. He longed to drop everything and walk in on the get-together but he stayed at his desk.
Ranger looked up at the light knock on his door jamb. Stephanie was standing there with a couple bottles of water, two veggie plates and some cut up fruit on a tray.
He smiled and beckoned her in, pushing the files he was working on to one side. She put the tray down and turned to sit in the guest chair but he waved her over.
"Babe, I want you closer," and pushed his chair back.
She smiled and walked around the desk, swaying her hips suggestively. His eyes narrowed and the color changed. He looked at the open door and sighed. Damn, this woman was going to be the death of him yet!
Stephanie sat down, and wriggled. Her eyes changed and a tiny smile peeked out at the immediate effect she had on Ranger.
She leaned back against his chest and sighed.
"Ranger, I'm really worried about Lula. I just know that she is worried about her boys, and Tank, and all the terrible things that could be wrong. My heart was aching for her knowing that she was putting the worst spins on whatever could be wrong."
Ranger wrapped his arms around his Babe.
"Tank told me that they are confident they have a diagnosis and will be meeting with them both later. I told him we would stop by this afternoon so when they are ready to let us know, they will."
She picked up some celery and held it to his mouth. He took a bite, then she took a bite. Slowly the plate of vegetables disappeared and then the fruit. Their bottles of water stood empty on the desk yet they continued to sit.
Stephanie grudgingly sat up and looked at her watch.
"I have a contract coming in and I guess I need to get back to work. I can only stay for two more days, and then I really have to leave to get ready for the Open House in Louisville."
Ranger put his hands down, signifying his agreement to letting her leave their embrace. It was starting again, the leaving, the distance apart, and the loneliness.
~~~o0o~~~
Les closed his little black book where he had dug it out of his safe. It was dog eared from use, but it was also fairly old. It had taken a number of phone calls to track her down, but the smile on his face confirmed that his mission was successful.
Melanie remembered him from that time in his past. He had just made plans to meet her for drinks in a couple of days at 'their bar'. He found out that she still worked at the strip club and was now the featured dancer. He adjusted himself. She had called him by her pet name for him, Les the Lizard.
I will send through another chapter on Monday. Have a good weekend, everyone.
A/N – Voluntold - our family's new made-up word. Works so well, don't you think?
Myrna