Once again, I have no idea where this chapter came from. Just go with it! LOL. Let me know what you think!

Sorry it took so long to update. I was on vacation and didn't have a lot of time to write and edit.

Not mine.


One week before the wedding...

"Carlos?" I called into the house. I dropped my purse behind the front door and put my keys into my pocket, fingering around one key. Carlos had called me home, but my spidey sense was going off like crazy.

"In here, Babe." He said.

I walked over to the living room, and…

"SURPRISE!" Everyone screamed.

I screeched and jumped about five feet in the air. "What the hell is this?"

"Your bridal shower!" My mother said, stepping to my right as Carlos came to my left.

"But…but I didn't want a party." I said, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"I know, but I insisted." My mother said. "Please do this for me, Stephanie. It's the one thing that has anything to do with the Burg I'm asking for."

I sighed. "All right," I said. And then I rounded onto Carlos. "You!"

"What did I do?" He actually looked remorseful.

"You let her do this!"

"Like I could stop her! She's a Plum! You're all unstoppable."

Who knew? Behold Carlos Manoso: Only known fear of Plum women.

Good to know.

My mother smiled. "He really had no choice."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're not completely off the hook. You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

As I walked away with my mother, I swear I heard him sigh, "thank God". I narrowed my eyes at him again and he looked innocently back at me. "Watch it," I mouthed. He just smiled.

Cripes. That smile always did me in.

"Okay, what are we doing first?" I asked the group. They cheered.

Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, Val, my mother and grandmother, his mother and grandmother, his sisters and a few friends I had kept in contact with after college made up the party. And…

"Lester, what are you doing here?"

"To scope out the ladies." He said, smiling wickedly. I began to tap my foot impatiently. "To keep Ranger busy while you ladies party."

I turned back to Carlos. "Wait, you're leaving me out here?"

"Babe, this is a female thing."

"You are so sexist."

He just smiled at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Go. Go smoke cigars, drink beer, watch football and talk about boobs and ass."

"Thanks babe." He said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. Lester, Hal, Tank, Bobby, Cal, Manuel and Zero all followed him into the den. I grabbed Carlos by the shirt. "But not my boobs and ass. I don't want to give the guys any ideas."

He wolf grinned at me. "Don't worry, Babe. My eyes and hands are going to be the only things to see and feel your boobs and ass."

"That's all I ask."

"Have fun." He said.

I rolled my eyes again. "Sure, sure." I turned back to my mother, who was holding toilet paper rolls.

"Are we TP-ing someone's house?" I asked hopefully.

She rolled her eyes. Like mother, like daughter. "It's to make dresses!"

"Huh?"

"It's a game, white girl." Lula said. She was already working on a bouquet.

"And you pick the best dress." My mother finished.

As long as I'm not the one who has to wear the toilet paper…

I don't know how they did it, but Grandma Mazur looked the best. Of course you have the Burg teachings from my mother and Grandma Rosa, who turned out to be as crazy and wily as my own grandma. We had a lot to handle. Lula's and Val's came looking out similar. Considering they copied and just wrapped their brides. We took a picture of Grandma, Lula and Celia all dressed in their toilet paper dresses. I couldn't believe how real mom's looked.

"And this is from Grandma Rosa." Lula said, handing me another gift.

I opened it. It was a beautiful afghan. "Thank you," I said.

She said something in Spanish and Carmen translated. "She says your welcome and to read the note inside. It was written in Spanish, so have Carlos read it to you."

"I will." I said.

"Okay, this is from your mother." Lula said.

I opened it. It was a cookbook. "Mom, Carlos does all the cooking. And if he doesn't, we have Ella."

"Keep it. Surprise Carlos one day. For my sanity, please?"

Sheesh, when did she learn that please worked on me?

And then it dawned on me.

Carlos.

Oh, he was so dead.

Ranger's POV

"Dude," Lester said. "You guys pregnant yet?"

I mentally sighed. I don't know how it happened, but somehow everyone was waiting for Stephanie and me to get pregnant. The last time I walked into the break room, they were taking bets.

I shut that down quickly. Not only was it offensive since they were guessing about my Babe's cycle, but it was our business.

That and Stephanie would've had our balls for it.

I put down fifty for three weeks ago.

It was just a hunch.

"Not yet."

"Damn," Bobby said, pulling the cigar out of his mouth. "I had this week."

We went back to watching the game.

"So, is she as stacked as she looks?" Lester asked.

"That's inappropriate, Santos."

"Aw, afraid of Stephanie?" Cal cackled.

Yeah, I was. "No." I said. "It's none of your business." I wanted to brag about her to every person I met, but I meant it. No other thing was going to see my beautiful Babe naked ever again. Not even a mental image.

Of course, the guys all probably had their own fantasies, but believe me, reality is so much better than fantasy.

"Come on, that's Bombshell you're talking about." Hal said, blushing.

"Why did I hire you again?" Sheesh, who blushes when talking about girls? He blushed again.

"What? She's like a sister to us."

"More like the hot step-sister."

"That's still gross, Lester."

"Why? Technically, you're not related so…"

"So you're actually going through this? The marriage?" Cal asked.

"I love her."

"The mighty Manoso falls for the beautiful Stephanie Plum and ties the knot. Who ever saw this day coming?" Lester said.

"Wouldn't you marry her if she gave you the time of day?" Cal asked.

We all thought about it for a second.

"Hell yeah," Hal said. We all smiled at him.

Stephanie's POV

"So, you're finally getting married again." Mary Lou said over her cup of coffee.

I nodded and smiled. Every time I think about marrying Carlos, I feel as giddy as a school girl.

"You look so happy, Steph." Val said.

"I am. I can't imagine my life without him."

They sighed.

"I wish I had what you have." Val said.

"What?"
"I love Albert, but…"

"He takes care of you and the girls. He may not be calm, cool and collected like Carlos, but he's perfect for you."

"What do you mean?"
"You've lived a perfect, clean life. Now its time to get a little messy. Life is messy, but with Albert, he won't give up on you guys when you need him the most."

Val looked at her ring. "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right. I lived for thirty-two years in a messy life. I'm finally getting some clean." Of course, my life was going to get messy again with diapers and bottles and…

"OH MY GOD, YOU'RE PREGNANT?" Mary Lou asked.

"SHHHH!" I said, waving my arms. I looked back at the grandmas and mothers. They didn't seem to notice the outburst.

"You're pregnant?" Val whispered.

"I might be. I'm not sure."

"Is that why Carlos is…?"

"NO!" I screeched.

"Okay, just checking." Val said. "You haven't taken a test yet?"

"No, not yet?"

"Well, what symptoms to do you have?" Mary Lou asked.

I thought about it. "Well, I get nauseous and my mood seems to be everywhere. Oh and I go to the bathroom more. And I haven't had a full period in about a month."

"Are your breasts sore?" Val asked.

I touched them. "Yeah, I guess so."

Mary Lou reached over and pinched my nipple. "Does that hurt?"

"Ouch! Yes!" I smacked her hand away.

"Don't stop!" We heard Lester say. The guys laughed behind them.

I blushed. Carlos came over to me. "Babe, I thought when you said not to talk about your boobs, that you were included."

"Asshole."

"She's pr… ouch!" Val said. I stomped on her foot. Carlos didn't know because I wanted to keep it as a surprise for his birthday. I figured a baby would be a great birthday gift. And if I wasn't…then he wouldn't have to feel depressed as I would be.

But I was pretty sure I was though.

Carlos looked at her. "She's what?"

"She's pr…pretty full from all the food. She's tired." Mary Lou recovered. I nodded.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" He asked, his eyes softening.

I nodded again.

He pulled me into his arms. "Alright ladies, we'll see you tomorrow."

I nestled into Carlos's chest and waved. They all waved and said good-bye.

Carlos put me on the bed. "I'm going to help clean up and then I'll come back up here and help you sleep."

I sat up. "This doesn't have anything to do with either of us losing clothes, does it?"

He smiled. "Only if you want it to. Otherwise, it'll just be about cuddling."

"Cuddling?" I snorted.

"That just dropped my testosterone, didn't it?"

"It needed to be lowered. I can't get any rest."

"Me? No, babe, that's all you. I can't keep up with you."

I blushed. "Shut up."

"It's true. You almost put me into a coma."

I rolled onto my side. "Go clean and then come up here for cuddling." I tried to hold back my laughter.

"You're laughing at me."

"Never darling." I said. This time a giggle escaped.

He kissed my cheek. "You're evil." He said before leaving to go help.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.