Ranger and I cleaned up and I tried to call Andy. When I got his voice mail, I left a message and fretted a bit. Look, I am not the type to fret, but when I find out that my best friend is in the middle of a string of disappearances, I might worry a little. What do you think?
I had just sat down on the couch when my phone started buzzing. I shot up and grabbed it off the coffee table.
"Hello?" I answered without looking at the caller ID. Imagine my confusion when I heard Mia crying.
"Steph, I need a place to stay for a while." Oh, god…Visions were racing through my head of her being hurt or Joe being dead.
"What's wrong?" She snuffled for a beat or two after my question.
"I need to come over."
"Sure, I'll order a pizza." She laughed, slightly hysterical.
"Sounds wonderful. See you guys in a few." And she hung up. I padded into the kitchen and slid up the counter to sit next to where Ranger was typing on his laptop.
"What's up?"
"Something's wrong with Mia. She's coming over and she might be staying for a while."
"Fight with Morelli?"
"Didn't say." I stopped swinging my feet and looked at him. "Why would you ask?"
"You ran away when you fought with Morelli too." I was about to reply or hit him at least when Mia knocked on the door.
"This isn't over." I informed him and jogged to the door before she woke up any of my elderly neighbors. Mia came in with Dawn in tow and pulled me into a hug.
"Oh, gods, Steph. Thank you." She started crying against me and I led her to the couch. Dawn squeezed my shoulder then walked in to see Ranger. I watched around Mia's shoulder as the little girl approach my mystery man. She waved slightly up at him and smiled. He looked down at her for a moment. He said something in a low voice and she nodded. She tried to climb up on the stool next to him and almost fell. Ranger picked her up before she hurt herself and lifted her onto the counter where I had been sitting. He tilted the screen so she could see it and she giggled. I was brought back to Mia when a knock sounded at my door. I pulled away from Mia and went to the kitchen to get my purse.
Ranger handed Dawn a twenty and she gave it to me. I smiled at her and ran my hand across his back as I walked past. I opened the door to Angie and shook her off fairly quickly. Sorry, pal. I have a crisis. The four of us sat around the coffee table on the floor, drinking Coke and eating Pino's terrific, greasy pizza. I knew something was seriously wrong with Mia since she seemed to enjoy it. When we finished, I pulled Mia to the bedroom and Ranger turned on the TV. I listened as I walked down the hall.
He flipped through the channels and Dawn told him to go back. She liked hockey. What a girl.
"What's going on, Mia?" I asked, flopping back on the bed. She paced in front of me.
"I just couldn't take it anymore. We were having dinner with them and they started doing that thing! That thing that I hate. Grandma Bella acted all innocent and started asking me questions, like-" She cleared her throat and began to do a passable imitation of Joe's grandmother. "When you marry Joseph, will you quit that job of yours? Or, the most horrible…when you marry Joseph, do you expect him to adopt that bastard?" Mia's voice broke with frustration. "I was humiliated and Joe just sat there. I'm sitting there, face red and about to cry, and he does nothing. The last straw was when Dawn asked what a bastard was and that bat told her!"
My jaw dropped.
"I stood up and told them I was leaving. I grabbed Dawn and packed some of our things. Joe came in and tried to convince me to stay. He actually told me that I was overreacting! He told me that I was being a foolish woman and it was just stress. Like he has any room to talk! He's a freaking vice cop! He's devoted to that damn job! I am not quitting my job! I love being a detective and I have always taken care of Dawn and myself! He has no right!" She was pacing wildly now and waving her arms at each point. She ran out of steam and fell back on the bed next to me. With a sob, she asked if she was over reacting. "Am I crazy?"
I shook my head and lay back next to her. "Don't change for him. He fell in love with a cop and he shouldn't expect you to change."
"How could I be so wrong about him?"
"You weren't. Joe's a good guy. He just needs to stop caring so much about what that woman thinks."
"He's always so sweet." She rolled toward me. "I don't know what I'm doing, Steph, I really don't." I sighed, wishing that I could tell her to go back to Morelli and give him another chance, but I knew how she felt. Morelli women were a pain in the ass.
"Give it some time, okay? Don't do anything you might regret later."
"I gave up my apartment when I moved in with him three months ago."
I tried to give her a comforting smile. "Stay here." She hugged me in relief and I patted her on the back awkwardly. "What are blood sisters for?" Oh, boy.
* * * * * * * *
We walked back into the living room and Mia snuggled up with Dawn. I walked out to the kitchen and started quietly talking to Rex.
"I don't know if I can handle that much Mia." I dropped my head down after I worked through the problem with Rex. "But Joe is a jackass and he's stubborn."
"Don't worry, it'll work out." I jumped, thinking Rex was talking to me. Hey, it's been a damn long day. Ranger chuckled and slid close to me and dropped a carrot in with the hamster. I turned around and he held me to his chest.
"She was talking about you sleeping on the couch and us three sharing the bed." I mumbled into his chest.
"You want me to?"
"No, I want you with me. Do you want to go to Haywood?" I really didn't want him to go, but I had to give him the option. He kissed my forehead.
"You think I would leave you with a crazy on the loose? You're a magnet, babe."
"Thanks for the reminder." We pulled apart and Mia shouted from the living room.
"Andy's on the phone!" I ran past Ranger and snatched the phone from Mia.
"Where are you?" I demanded. He laughed.
"Calm down, mom. I'm at Marcus's, he's back. Where are you? Mia?"
"She's staying here." I tried to calm down.
"Uh oh."
"Yeah, it isn't a pretty thing. How's Marcus?"
"He's good. We're good. He still wants to take me home. Are you okay?"
"Just overreacting."
"Anything I need to know?"
"Not right now, but be careful, okay?"
"Sure, sis. How's our man in black?"
"The strong silent type."
"Just curious, you know, but how did you go from an Italian hothead like Joe to Mr. Manoso?"
"I'm not sure I ever made the switch."
"Oh?"
"I'll tell you sometime."
"Good. Listen, take care of those girls. I had better go home and crash. I haven't slept much lately."
"Night, Andy." We hung up and I collapsed on the couch with Mia and Dawn. Ranger leaned against the wall. He quirked an eyebrow at me and I shook my head. Nothing was wrong. "How about we make a nest for you two on the floor?" Dawn was happy and Mia couldn't argue. See, I can handle Mia.
How long I could manage was still up in the air.