All recognizable characters belong to JE. All others are mine.
Chapter 13
Tank was standing by the bedside as the doctor came into the room. He was holding a sheaf of papers in his hand.
Dr. Sullivan stopped and looked at the two holding hands.
"Against my better judgment I am releasing you to the care of Bobby at your home. You are to stay on these antibiotics for the full ten days. We have to get this infection knocked out before we even look at any kind of surgery, Lula. I know you want to get home to your babies but you need to understand that you are not to lift them or carry them around. I want you on total bed rest."
Both Lula and Tank nodded their agreement.
The doctor reached out and shook both Tank's and Lula's hands before heading to the door then turned around.
"Make an appointment at my office when you finish your medications, Lula, unless there is a problem in which case come back to the hospital," and he disappeared out the door.
Tank and Lula gave each other a hand squeeze. The bags were already by the door and Tank strode to the closed door and opened it, motioning the two men to come in and take them out. He motioned for Lula to sit down in the wheelchair and proceeded to wheel her out the room toward the front door where his Hummer sat waiting. He helped her into the front seat and ran around to the driver's door, jumping in and putting on his seatbelt, before shoulder checking and pulling out of the loading area.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie was standing at the ticket counter. Ranger was by her side as he watched her confirm her flight back to Lexington.
She looked back to Ranger, watching as he lifted the suitcase onto the scale by the counter. Grasping her boarding pass she walked toward the security gate, treasuring every moment she could before leaving once again.
They stopped before the entrance for one last kiss. It was chaste. They had said their goodbyes earlier in the apartment.
Stephanie stepped out of his embrace and walked to the gate, waving as she passed through the doors. Ranger waited just a moment or two to school his face then walked back out to his car. He pointed it in the direction of Rangeman. He needed to do a lot of work today to take his mind off of the fact that he was being left behind, again.
~~~o0o~~~
Les stepped onto the control room floor. New York had such a different atmosphere and while he loved to visit, he still preferred Miami most of all. Trenton was too cold for him, New York did not have time to enjoy life as they bustled around. Miami had that special attitude that while there were important details needing to be addressed, there was still time to sit down, and enjoy life.
Les wondered how long he wanted to remain in Trenton. While the core team were all headquartered there, Bobby was making noises that he wanted to take additional medical training and was perusing locations, Tank and Lula would make their home in Trenton with their family, and Ranger, well, Ranger was like the wind. He could stay anywhere.
Les remembered that Ranger used to ride horses when he was younger and with Stephanie so involved in the equine scene, would he look at moving to Kentucky? While building security might not be as high a priority, maybe stealing or poisoning of prize animals might be. Something to ponder.
He headed for his office wondering how much paperwork would be on his desk. When the core team was in-house, Rangeman decisions reverted to them. Rory was an excellent XO, but he was quick to pass off the ever-increasing load whenever he could.
Les stood at the door and literally wilted at the in-box. He hung his head in defeat and walked around to the chair and sat down, pulling the box to him. It was going to be a long day. He could almost hear Rory in the next office laughing at his good fortune. Les wondered if tomorrow he could find a way to get Rory on the mats. He felt the need to point out a few things to discourage over-loading. Fair was fair, but still...
~~~o0o~~~
Rod looked at the photo once again that Stephanie had sent to his phone. He gazed at the chiseled features of the man Stephanie called Hector. He looked at the two teardrops under his eye and gulped. He knew enough about gang life that he was very, very cognizant what they meant. He wondered if he had other tattoos on his body or if he was otherwise tattoo free.
Rod had always wanted to have a tattoo but being in the fashion industry for as long as he had, it was most certainly frowned on and discouraged unless it was completely hidden.
Ella and Luis had kept an eye on him and had kept him out of the drug scene. He was too busy to hang out on the streets learning about the crack business and instead had excelled in sports more geared to his slight posture like gymnastics, fencing and badminton.
They had never discouraged him or had tried to change him from his sexual orientation, instead encouraging him to learn more about his feelings. They loved him for himself and encouraged him as he stepped out into society.
Rod wondered how Ella would feel if she were to meet this Hector. He had never felt the need or the desire to find someone good enough to introduce to Ella and Luis. He felt a quick burst of excitement as he took another glance.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie stepped out of the terminal and was directed to a waiting cab. She gave the address to the driver and sat back and watched as the scenery passed by.
Stephanie loved Kentucky. While New Jersey was her family home and always would be, she could see herself living in Kentucky full-time. The weather was not as bone-chilling cold during the winter and not as oppressively scorching during the summer. The pace was more sedate and truth-be-told, most of her business was conducted in Kentucky, which would make travelling so much easier.
She noticed a few For Sale signs on the outside of condo buildings and toyed with checking some out. If she sold her little condo in Trenton and purchased here, she could use it as a home base. Then, if Ranger agreed, she would stay with him whenever she travelled back to Trenton.
Her face fell with the realization that she was planning on leaving the safety of Rangeman with this plan. Rangeman was security without pressure. Leaving Trenton would mean she would be leaving Rangeman and its employees behind. Moving to Kentucky would mean leaving Ranger.
~~~o0o~~~
Stephanie sunk into the barrel chair back in her hotel. She had visited Keenland Racetrack and had chatted with the trainers. She had smoozed with owners as they were gathering for the new season to begin. She had been wined and dined and if not for the extensive weight room in the hotel, would have gained weight from all the heavy meals and never-ending drinks offered to her.
It was an exciting time but she was now ready to head to Louisville for the some of the Derby Festival. There would be marathons, parades, dances, street entertainment, and all culminating with the Great Balloon Glow. There would be hundreds of giant hot-air balloons lifting into the sky.
One of Stephanie's bucket list items had always been to ride in a hot-air balloon. She was hoping to score a ride in one and was making inquiries who would still have room to take passengers. Unfortunately she was almost too late and she sighed at the missed opportunity.
She picked up the ringing phone with the batman ringtone.
"Hey Batman, I was just thinking of you."
Ranger chuckled. He was always thinking of his Babe.
He spoke.
"I was wondering when you were heading back to Louisville. I have a free weekend and Bobby has offered to take charge while I am away."
He waited with baited breath. If she was busy or at meetings, it would seem stupid to come out there and sit in the hotel room waiting for her to return. He smiled at her squeal of excitement.
"Oh, Ranger, I am pumped to hear you're coming to see me! I leave here tomorrow and have rented a car for the two weeks I'm in Louisville. We could take in the Festival! There are parades and street entertainment. I've scored premium box seats for the parade on Saturday. I know we talked about it but I am still trying to find a ride in a hot-air balloon but I think I am too late for this year."
Ranger could hear how disappointed she was and he stifled the smile that he could feel inside wanting to come out.
"Well, Babe, if you let me to tag along, I'll fly out tomorrow night but I have to leave on Monday. I'm sure we can find some time to see some of the sights."
Stephanie squealed again to herself this time. She had missed him and would have liked to share the Festival with him and with the confirmation that he was coming to see her made it all seem better, somehow.
"Text me your flight number and I'll meet you at the airport. You just made my day."
They chatted for a few minutes then hung up and Stephanie could hear her phone beep. It was Ranger's flight information and she put it in her calendar with a big star.
She climbed into bed and slept dreaming of Ranger riding in the Festival Parade with a big ten gallon hat, and spurs decorating his cowboy boots. She wriggled with desire dreaming of him in chaps. Then she dreamt of him getting off the plane in his chaps.
Stephanie woke up and dashed for the bathroom.
~~~o0o~~~
"I need Hector on the information highway looking for anything coming in under cover of Summit information."
He watched as they vacated his office. Checking his watch he strode to the door, picking up his duffel on the way out and headed for the stairs. He stashed the bag in the trunk and slid into the car, sliding down his sunglasses before turning the key. The powerful engine growled to life then purred as he headed out the garage on the way to the airport.
Ranger locked the car in the lot and strode to the building, mentally preparing himself for the security procedure he was about to endure once again. The alternative was to divest himself of his weapons while flying and he dismissed that immediately. He would feel as uncomfortable during the flight as if he had stood naked in the aisle.
Ranger sighed as he settled in an uncomfortable chair at the gate. Unfortunately he had been unlucky to arrive during a training session of new airport security personnel and their glee at practicing on him left him exasperated and a little short in the professional response department. He wondered how many images of him in the body scanning booth would be adorning bathroom walls tonight.
Ranger waited for his flight to be called. He observed that there were a number of young families preparing to board the flight, along with a bevy of athletes in matching track suits. He hoped the curtain separating first class and coach was sufficient to deaden what could be a very noisy flight.
Ranger walked out the door with his duffel in his hand looking around for a familiar face. He needn't have worried as at the last possible second he had time to open his arms and cradle Stephanie as she practically leaped into his arms.
He smirked slightly as he stared into Stephanie's twinkling eyes. "Missed me, Babe?" as he slowly set her down on her feet.
Stephanie smiled and tugged at his hand, pulling him toward the parking lot and pointing to her rental. She pressed the key fob and the trunk opened allowing him to place his duffel in the open cavity.
She motioned for him to take the passenger seat and she ran around to jump in behind the wheel. It was her turn to drive him around today.
She drove him past some of the memorable landmarks on the way to her hotel, chattering all the way about the celebrations that she had seen, were either on now or would be commencing that evening. She told him about her being offered premium seats to view the very first of the parades tomorrow morning, the street entertainment she had already taken in, and all the interesting food stands she had tested at The Fest-A-Ville. Sheglossed over the racing personnel she had already met with, the promotional picture with her beside one of the ten horses and their riders. Catching her breath she told him how, just that afternoon, the exciting cross-country ride she had taken on a mare that she was thinking of buying.
Ranger could only watch her as her face was lit up with excitement. He thought back and could not honestly say when he had seen her so very animated. It looked like she had found where she wanted to live her life.
He mentally wondered how he fit in her plans. His place was back east. While he could be mobile to a certain extent, there was no Rangeman branch anywhere near Kentucky.
Their first stop was to her hotel room to change into western wear for the evening barbeque. Ranger had dug into his closet and pulled out a set of stone-washed jeans, a western shirt, his cowboy hat and boots from an in-country mission. He had checked with her whether he needed to bring his chaps, and sounded puzzled on the phone when she had drawn her breath in before answering in the affirmative.
After coming out of the bathroom his breath had hitched at the cowgirl outfit his Babe was wearing. She had on a black short sleeved tailored shirt with two big white buttons, a short black flared skirt with a white ruffle at the bottom, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat perched back on her head.
Ranger wondered how long the evening entertainment would go on before he could bring back his little cowgirl to the hotel.
They headed out.
Ranger and Stephanie mingled with the crowd waiting for their supper to be ready. He watched as a group of men approached Stephanie. Standing close by, he listened as they proceeded to beg her to take over the final spot on their team for the Great Bed Race on Monday. Their driver had come down with a case of shingles and they were short. Would she consider it? Their charity of choice was The Boys and Girls Clubs.
Stephanie asked what her part in it would be and the men expanded on her job. She would be the driver and they would be the propulsion. She looked at Ranger and then grinned. This would be fun. Giving her the details of where she needed to be and when, they moved on.
The evening had been an eye-opener for Ranger. He had made a number of interesting contacts as soon as some businessmen had found out he was the owner of Rangeman. They had given him their cards and mentioned that if he ever contemplated expanding into Kentucky to give them a call. They were not as happy with their current security arrangements and wanted a chance to look at someone else
Stephanie sat in the passenger seat as Ranger drove back to the hotel. She had taken off her boots and was wriggling her toes as she rested them on the dashboard in front of her.
She groaned. "Ranger, these boots were definitely NOT made for walking."
He had to chuckle at her admission. She could wear impossibly high pumps without missing a beat, but a boot with structure and she was complaining.
"Babe, I'll rub your feet when we get back," and Stephanie smiled. She loved his foot rubs.
Ranger opened the door with the key card that Stephanie had arranged for him and followed her into the room. He tossed his now removed chaps over a straight-backed chair and watched as she sank onto the bed and groaned. He dropped the keys on the desk and took off his boots putting them by the door, picking up hers and also placing them straight and in line. He walked over and sat down on the bed motioning for her to lift her feet and put them in his lap. He started at her toes, gently massaging them, then moved down to her arch and then the heel. He watched her expression as he began to gently massage up past her ankle and then her calf, moving slowly, ever upwards. She sighed in relief. He put her foot down and she moaned in disappointment until he picked up her other foot and performed the same procedure. This time, watching her he moved up higher and higher.
Her eyes changed as his hands kept kneading and massaging. He looked at the belt with the little horseshoe decoration in the front and flicked it open. He found the invisible zipper on the side and slowly slid it down. Next he set his sights on those two big white buttons holding the shirt together.
Stephanie wriggled in anticipation. She reached for him and began to unbutton his shirt, one button at at time until she slid the material over his shoulders and let it fall behind him. She worked the buckle on his jeans loose and unbuttoned him, slowly sliding down the zipper.
Their breathing had changed as they took in each other's naked bodies. They reached for each other, missing being together. Their coupling was passionate, frenzied and voracious.
They headed for the shower and once again joined. They planned to make every minute of the weekend count.
~~~o0o~~~
Les woke from a sound sleep to his burned phone buzzing in his ear. He reached for it and opened it up, mopping his face with his hand as if to wipe the cobwebs from his brain.
"Hello," came out in a tentative voice.
There was silence then a recorded voice clicked on.
"Brother, your training begins. Be at the same place as the last time in three hours. Bring a change of clothes."
There was a dial tone in his ear and Les hung up.
He gulped and picked up his other phone. Ranger was off-line but Bobby was on-call. He would need all the help in the world to get him through this.
Bobby answered on the second ring and Les spoke.
"I need help buddy, and I'm in New York."
Bobby rang Ram and he fumbled for his phone on the night table.
"I have to leave town right now and I don't know when I'll be back. You're in charge. Please don't burn down the building!"
Ram hung up to the dial tone in his ear. He climbed out of bed and put on his uniform, grabbed his weapons and headed for the door. On the way up the stairs he wondered which office he should use? Ranger's? No way in hell was he sitting there! Tank's, nuh huh. Stephanie had used it with Tank away and he did not think that that would be appropriate. Bobby's or Les's? He mentally flipped a coin as he opened the stairway door walking onto the floor.
Men were at the monitoring station and there were some at their workstations. Rangeman Enterprises never slept. He stood at the door to Bobby's office and prepared himself. He turned the knob and walked in, heading to the desk.
On it was a single sheet of paper with Bobby's unique handwriting. He sat down and picked up the piece of paper. On it was one sentence, five words.
You made the right choice.