A young woman tapped on our door a few minutes after our deep and serious talk. She introduced herself as our cabin stewardess Cindy Sue Johnson. She was followed by someone with our luggage. Ranger tipped the guy before logging onto his laptop.

Cindy Sue was blond and perky and about 12. Okay…she was young. She was probably 19 and apparently she'd never seen a hot Cuban man before. She was in complete awe of Ranger's good looks. Oh and she was equally in awe of my luggage.

"Would you like me to unpack for you ma'am," she blinked at me.

"No thank you," I smiled. "The only way I can know I haven't forgotten anything is if I unpack it and take inventory myself."

"I completely understand." She turned to Ranger, "what about you sir?"

"Er…no thank you," he said absently clicking on E-Mails. "I don't have that much."

"Okay…well if you need anything at all, press one on the call button and I'll come and help you out. Again, my name is Cindy Sue."

"Thank you Cindy Sue," I smiled as she exited the cabin. "I feel better now," I said unzipping the garment bag.

"What do you mean," he asked not taking his attention from the laptop.

"She wants you. She thought you were a hottie. She thought you were smoking. She wants to have your little bambinos."

"She was a child," he shook his head.

I grinned. We agreed on that.

I was glad we had a huge walk in closet in our suite because I had to hang those dresses up and fast. When I took them into the closet, I was delighted to see there was a steam iron in there. "Yes," I said triumphantly.

"Babe," Ranger strolled into the closet with his tuxedo and his shirt. "What's so exciting?"

"Steam iron," I grinned.

"Of all the things that have changed about you since I've known you, this is the one that freaks me out the most," he said and hung up his tuxedo and left me alone in the closet.

I grinned. He'd be glad when I steam ironed his tuxedo.

He was putting his clothes in drawers when I entered the room again. He'd taken the side by the door leaving me the side by the wall as usual. I shook my head and took another load into the closet.

It took a while before I was completely unpacked and my makeup was stored and out of Ranger's way. I changed into a sundress and sank down with my book in our sitting room. Ranger was checking his email. I'd go up on deck when he was ready to go as well.

We appeared on deck at a little before five and found Lula and Tank surrounded by family and friends.

A tall gorgeous black man all but ran toward us and scooped Ranger up and hugged him tightly against his barrel chest. "Boy it's good to see you."

"Pop," Ranger grunted. "It's good to see you too."

The man settled him to his feet. "You're looking good boy. Life in New Jersey is agreeing with you?"

"Life in New Jersey is good," he nodded. "Pop…I want you to meet…"

"I'd know you across a crowded room," the man said and hugged me to him. I felt like a two year old in the arms of a giant grizzly bear. I'm telling you the man was freaking massive. "Stephanie Plum," he sighed as he released me. There were tears in his eyes.

"Are you okay sir," I asked in concern.

"You're just…Felicia and I have been waiting for this for our whole lives and we never thought it would happen…"

"What would happen," I blinked.

"Oh Babe…this is Jean Luc Thibodaux. He's Tank's father."

"Oh," I laughed as the realization dawned. I smiled up at him, "how wonderful to finally meet you."

"We know you introduced them," he sighed with emotion. "Pierre is a strong man. He'd need a strong woman or she'd disappear. Lula is perfect for him. We love her already."

"I'm so glad," I beamed.

He turned around, "Felicia," he called. "Come and meet Stephanie."

The tall slender woman hurried toward us with a grin. She had the most amazing smile and I could see Tank in it. He was a good blend of those two people. There was no doubt he was their child or that he was meant to be a military man.

Felicia Thibodaux hugged Ranger tightly before pulling me to her, "you are such a good friend. You did a wonderful job helping him choose the ring. The diamond is perfect."

I smiled, "I know some people. He's been a very good friend to me as well you know."

"I'm glad to hear that," she smiled and looped her arm through mine and pulled me toward the bar. Within seconds I had a fruity rum cocktail in my hand and we were chatting like old friends. She still hadn't seen the bridesmaid's dresses and pleaded with me to let her see them before the wedding. I told her that she could come by our cabin any time.

My parent's joined us a little later right after the ship began to move out to sea. They were the Thibodaux's age and they all settled in together discussing life. The men traded war stories and the women were discussing recipes. It was a little weird and oddly comforting.

There were couples scattered over the deck sipping drinks and cuddling up tight. Oh crap…I forgot this would be a romantic thing. Yea…weddings are romantic Stephanie. I sighed and gave myself a mental head slap. I went to the railing with my drink and leaned over to watch the water move beneath me. The sun was staring to sink and the warm ocean breeze ruffled my curls.

And I had a tingle. Not a good tingle either. It was a spidey sense tingle. I did not want a tingle on this ship for Lula and Tank's wedding. I wanted a nice calm happy excursion ending in a flawless wedding and a perfect reception. That's what I wanted, Lula had worked for and Tank needed whether he knew it or not. Unfortunately for me, life doesn't usually work the way I want it to.

It wasn't enough that there were couples canoodling as far as the eye could see, there was that little sense that something just wasn't right.

Ranger leaned beside me. "Notice anything?"

I chose to go with the couples smooching rather than the spidey tingle. "This cruise is loaded with pairs," I said not lifting my eyes from below. "Even my nearly eighty year old grandmother has a date. It's friggin Noah's ark around here."

He grinned and glanced down at the water. "Keep gazing at it like that and you're going to be seasick."

"Damn…I'll be trapped in the cabin and miss all the cuddling and kissing," I rolled my eyes.

"You'll also miss the food. I hear the food is right up your alley. I've heard," he leaned over to whisper, "The chef uses real butter."

"Shut up," I blinked at him in shock.

"It's true," he nodded.

"Crap," I lifted my head with a sigh.

"Well, there is a solution," he suggested with a raised brow.

"What is that," I raised my head to meet his eyes.

"For this cruise…we could be a couple."

"With privileges," I asked narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"What an accusation," he said shaking his head. "No…just a couple. We'll pretend that you're having some kind of weird woman issue," he grinned.

"Fuck that," I growled low and moved a little closer to him, "you can be having a little man issue. We can discuss your ointment."

"Only if you're willing to apply it," he said smoothly.

"Oh you're good. You're real good," I narrowed my gaze at him.

"It's a good offer Babe. I mean, you won't feel like the odd man out and your parents will be delirious with joy."

"I don't know that my parents need to believe there's something going on between us," I said seriously. "Speaking of which," I raised my own brow, "what in the devil is going on between you and my father?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you know," I shook my head in annoyance. "Don't play innocent with me. The two of you are thick as thieves planning on meeting in the bar or casino for drinking, cigars and gossip. I'm not stupid. What's going on?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. "We're going to have a couple of drinks, some cigars and discuss sports or war or world events or something like that. We'll discuss anything but how many pairs of shoes we brought."

"Ass," I said shoving at him with my shoulder against him as the smile tugged at my lips.

"But back to the subject," he said gazing at me, "most people believe there's something going on between us anyway. Why not just let them continue thinking it for this cruise. You'll always have a dance partner this way."

"That is a good point," I pursed my lips thoughtfully.

"So…what do you say," he raised a brow.

"And you're not going to try to maneuver this into something for your advantage to get me to…"

"Babe," he sighed. "Let's be real here," he raised a brow. "If I really intended on getting you alone and naked and under me, I could do it. We have chemistry. Do you want to argue with me about that?"

I shook my head until the light bulb went on, "what do you mean if you reallllly wanted to get me alone naked and under me?" My eyes narrowed, "does that mean that you don't really want to, but it's just convenient."

"God Stephanie…just stop thinking like a woman for just a few minutes, will you?" He ran his hand through his hair. When he spoke his voice was calm and measured, "I just meant that I'm not going to force myself on you. I don't want you under those terms."

"Oh," I blushed.

"That does not, however, mean that if you offered yourself to me that I wouldn't take it. I am a man and we do have chemistry."

"Okay," I nodded.

"I'm just saying that we could enjoy each other's company and not feel like we're anybody's third wheel including your grandmother and Burt's."

"You're willing to hang out with Grandma," I grinned up at him.

"Yea, but shore rules apply. She touches my dick and I shoot her," he said grimly.

"You brought a gun on the ship," I said wide-eyed.

"I take a gun everywhere," he said seriously. "I have a license to allow just that thing."

"Right," I nodded.

"So…what do you say?"

"It's a good plan. It will keep us from being uncomfortable around other people. It's a win-win situation. I'll do it."

"Good," he grinned taking my hand and pulling me toward Tank and Lula.

"You won't shoot Grandma," I said rolling my eyes.

"Have her touch my dick and find out," he said.

"What…now you want me to request that she does," I shook my head with a grin and pulled away.

He tugged me back against him and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "she touches my dick and I shoot her. If you ask her to touch my dick…I'll do something to you that will leave you unable to walk for a week. Got it?"

"Got it," I nodded as we joined Lula and Tank surrounded by our friends. Okay, the truth was…I was intrigued. I knew he'd never hurt me. I had a feeling that his threat meant that he'd screw me into being unable to walk. Honestly…I didn't think I'd mind that much.