All characters, familiar places, and phrases belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine.
Chapter 3
Five o'clock came all to soon. I shut my computer down, said goodbye to Ranger, and took the elevator down to the garage. I pointed my car towards the Burg and toyed with the idea off stopping at Giovichinni's or Tasty Pastry just to prolong the drive to my parents' house, but decided against it. My mother wouldn't need anything. And she would probably be insulted that I bought something in the first place. Implying that her food wasn't as good as food from a supermarket prepared by someone other than her.
I pulled into my parents' driveway. I took a deep breath, and hauled myself out of the car. Grandma Mazur met me at the door.
"Well this is a nice surprise," Grandma said."We weren't expecting you tonight. Valerie's here, too. It's gonna feel like a party." She looked past me to the driveway."Is Ranger with you?"
I walked into the house with Grandma right behind me."Nope, not tonight," I said."It's just me."
"Too bad," Grandma said."I always have a good time when Ranger visits."
Well that's good news, I thought. At least I'll have one person wishing me well. My mother and father, well that might take a little work. Maybe not so much my dad. He seemed to like Ranger. But whether he wanted Ranger marrying his daughter might be something else entirely. And at one point, in the midst of pregnancy induced desperation, Valerie had plans of marrying Ranger herself.
"Look here, Helen," Grandma yelled to my mother,"Stephanie's here for dinner." Grandma looked over at me."You're staying for dinner right?"
"Yes." Unless I could find a way out of it.
"We're having roast chicken, potatoes, and chocolate cake for dessert."
Dinner was sounding more and more like a good idea now. I loved my mother's chocolate cake. Just the thought of it had gotten me through many dinners here.
My mother poked her head out of the kitchen."Stephanie, what a nice surprise. Your sister is here, too." She paused for a moment, looking at my face."Why do you always have to wear so much make up? You're pretty enough without needing all of that stuff."
Pretty enough? What the heck did that mean? "Thanks," I said to my mother."I think."
I said hi to my father, who was parked in his usual chair in front of the television, on my way to the kitchen. I didn't hear any babies crying or girls arguing, so I assumed Valerie was here alone.
"Where are Albert and the girls?" I asked Valerie, walking into the kitchen.
Valerie was standing at the counter mashing the potatoes. My mother never trusted me with mashing the potatoes. I was always given table-setting chores. Not that I blamed her, because I was horrible at anything having to do with the kitchen aside from eating in it.
"Albert's parents wanted to take the girls for the day," Valerie said,"but I was worried they weren't up for watching over three kids for the entire day so I made Albert go with them."
I raised my eyebrow at that."And you think Albert would be a help?" More than likely he'd be more of a hindrance. I liked Albert but, in my opinion, he was more of a house pet than a husband.
Valerie blew a strand of hair off of her forehead."I really needed a day off and this was my only chance."
I knew exactly what she meant. If I had three girls, and had to live with Kloughn, I'd commit a serious crime just to get myself locked up.
Grandma came up behind me."How was your day?" Grandma asked me."I saw you get out of Ranger's car so I know that didn't get blown up. Did anything exciting happen?"
That was a tricky question. I wanted to wait until I had cake before I told my mother the news.
"Sort of," I said, trying to stall,"but I thought I'd wait until after dinner to discuss it."
My mother froze."You're pregnant!" She practically yelled."I've always wanted more grandchildren, but why do I have to be the one with two unmarried daughters getting pregnant?"
"Hey!" Valerie said."I'm married."
"You weren't married to Albert when you got knocked up," Grandma pointed out.
"I'm not pregnant!" I told my mother."Jeez. Why do you always think I'm pregnant when I say I have news? I've never been pregnant." And after the conversation I'd had with Ranger earlier in the day, I wasn't likely to be.
"Well, what is it then?" Grandma wanted to know."You got me curious now."
I blew out a sigh. This wasn't going the way that I had planned. Not that anything went as planned in my life.
"Can't we just wait until after dinner?" I said. I really needed that cake. And my mother wasn't the type to let you eat dessert first."Besides, if we don't eat dinner now the chicken will be dry."
I'd hit on the only thing that would distract my mother. In all the time my mother has cooked dinner, she's made sure that everything hit the table at exactly six o'clock. One minute late meant dry meat, lumpy potatoes, and cold vegetables. Something my mother would give her very life to prevent.
My mother's mouth thinned, but I knew I had her. She spun around and pulled the chicken out of the oven.
"Valerie," my mother said,"put the potatoes on the table. Stephanie can bring out the wine."
See, I still wasn't allowed anywhere near the food until it was already on the table. I grabbed the two bottles of opened red wine and brought them out to the dining room table. My father was already in his seat at the head of the table.
When there was only crumbs left of the chocolate cake my grandmother started.
"Okay," Grandma said,"spit it out. I haven't got all day."
"Yeah," Valerie said,"we want to know what's going on."
My mother looked like she wanted to cross herself, but wasn't sure if she should wait until after I spoke to do it."Did you quit working for Vinnie and get a job at the personal products plant?" She asked, sounding hopeful.
"No," I said. I took a deep breath and held up my left hand. I'd always heard that it was better just to rip off the Band-Aid than to draw it out and try to do it gently."Igotengagedlastnight," I said in a rush. There. Done. Goodbye Band-Aid.
The was absolute silence at the table. No one said anything. Great.
"Holy smokes," Grandma Mazur said."Get a load of that ring. That must have cost a lot of money."
My mother was the first to recover."I didn't know you got back together with Joseph."
"I didn't," I said."It's not Morelli I'm engaged to."
Grandma gave a snort."No kidding," she said."There's no way a cop could afford a ring like that."
I was pretty sure my Grandma Mazur knew the salaries of everyone in the Burg, along with all their deep dark secrets. Grandma Mazur had ways.
"Than who are you engaged to?" My mother asked.
I thought it was a weird question considering I'd been practically living at Rangeman. I thought the news might have screwed with her thinking a little. That and the whiskey bottle I saw her take a swig from when she was alone in the kitchen. I always thought that my mother's priorities were a little wonky. Who would rather have grandchildren from unmarried daughters than to have one of them marry someone they didn't approve of? My mother always cared more about the name on the mailbox, than about the man who lived inside the house. If I was pregnant, even if it was by Ranger, she'd probably have a list of desperate Burg men who would still be willing to marry me. Though something tells me Ranger wouldn't be happy with that suggestion. Ranger signed away his rights to Julie for her own good, but I didn't think that would happen in this case. But since I wasn't pregnant, and was getting married purely by choice, my mother didn't have a back-up plan ready to throw at me.
"It's Ranger isn't it?!" Grandma Mazur asked."I knew you'd get your head out of your behind someday and go after him."
I wouldn't say that I went after him, but why quibble over details."Yes," I said."It's Ranger."
Valerie's mouth dropped open."Wow," she said, her eyes looking a little glassy. She glanced longingly at my ring then looked down at her own thin gold wedding band and sighed.
I had no problem interpreting that sigh. Kloughn couldn't possibly measure up to Ranger. But to be fair to Albert, most men couldn't measure up to Ranger. Never mind adding the ring into the equation.
"I thought you said he wasn't marriage material," Valerie said to me.
That was back when Valerie had decided she wanted to marry Ranger. Not that Ranger would have ever considered marrying Valerie, being against relationships or not. Valerie was definitely not his type.
"He wasn't ... then," I said."He's changed his mind since." I still was surprised that he was the one who wanted to get married in the first place. I'd been careful to never bring it up.
"That's ridiculous," my mother said."You can't marry Ranger. We don't know anything about him. And we haven't even met his family." She paused for a moment."How come Ranger didn't come with you?"
"He wanted to come, but I didn't want him to have to put up with you if you were going to react badly to the news."
"Honestly, Stephanie" my mother said.
That was my mother's equivalent to swearing.
Grandma piped up again."I gotta call the girls. Everyone down at the Clip and Curl has got a thing for Ranger. They're going to be so jealous that Stephanie landed him."
I could hear my father mumble something that sounded like Jesus H. Christ under his breath. He hadn't chimed in, but I knew from past experience he'd wait until everyone else had quieted down before he added his two cents.
"I didn't land him," I said.
"He's gonna marry you, right?"
"Yes," I said. Until he realizes he'll have to spend even more time with my family, I thought.
"So, you did land him," Grandma said, as if this proved her point.
"Have you really thought this through?" My mother asked.
"What's to think through?" Grandma asked."He's hot. And sexy as all get out," Grandma said."He's also smart, unlike the horse's patoot she was married to. The horse's patoot that you approved of," Grandma said to my mother."And Ranger's made a success of himself by having the best security firm in Trenton. All the local hotshots use Rangeman Security."
I knew Grandma liked Ranger, but I always thought it was more about the way he looked, than him as a person. I could have kissed her right then just for her support of Ranger and I.
"Ranger has always been there for Stephanie," Valerie added."No matter what she's gotten involved in, he's always there to help her out of it."
I smiled my thanks to Valerie. I let the trouble comment slide, for now. Two down, two to go. Three, if you counted Morelli.
My father stopped eating long enough to look at my mother."Helen, if anyone can keep Stephanie safe and her cars from blowing up it will be Ranger."
That shocked us. My father said a whole sentence at dinner. I could count the number of times when that's happened on one hand. Usually the only thing he says is pass the gravy.
My mother looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it."You really want to marry Ranger?" She asked."You are actually going to get a marriage license, plan a wedding, and go through the whole ceremony?"
"Uh-huh," I said. I knew we were going to have to do all those things, I just didn't know when.
"Will Ranger be coming to dinners with you?" She asked.
"I guess, when he's not working."
"And his family, when will we be meeting them?"
That gave me a moments pause. I had no idea."We haven't discussed that yet, but I'm sure it will be soon."
"And you're not pregnant?" My mother asked again.
"No!" I said, rolling my eyes."I'm not pregnant."
I could hear Grandma whisper under her breath."Won't be long."
The phone rang while I was getting ready to leave.
"I'll get it," Grandma Mazur said.
I said goodbye to my father, and went back into the kitchen to get the bag of leftovers my mother had ready for me. I knew as soon as I stepped into the room, that I was in trouble. My mother's lips were pressed tight in a straight line again, and Grandma Mazur was redialing the phone.
My mother unclenched her lips long enough to ask."What is this about you being involved in a carjacking last night?"
I guess the guy finally made it to the police station. My mother's grapevine was in full swing.
"I'm okay," I said."It was just one of those wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time kind of things."
My mother crossed herself. Twice.
An hour later, after explaining everything that had happened, I was on my way back to Rangeman.
I let myself into the apartment and was struck at how comfortable I felt in Ranger's space. I figured once Rex was here it would begin to feel like home. And I was right. Ranger's space was slowly becoming our space. I dropped my bag onto the sideboard and carted my leftover bag to the kitchen. Since Ranger didn't eat dessert, I didn't feel at all guilty for eating his share of the cake at dinner. I put the bag in the fridge and then found Ranger in his office.
"How'd it go?" Ranger asked when he saw me.
"Better than expected, actually. Grandma thinks you're hot. Valerie's jealous. My dad thinks you might be able to keep me and my cars from blowing up. And my mother didn't have a heart attack when I told her."
"Sounds like you had a good time," Ranger said,"but you could have left off the part about your grandmother thinking I'm hot."
"Oh, she's not the only one," I told him, smiling."Apparently you're the object of all of the Clip and Curl regulars' affections."
I was pretty sure Ranger wanted to roll his eyes.
"Hey," I said."It could be worse. It could that salon on Broad," I said, walking into the room. A salon that only employed men. Only welcomed male costumers. And had a reputation for blowing out more than just hair.
Ranger looked like he was thinking about smiling."You know you don't have to do all this on you're own, Babe," Ranger said, his tone turning serious.
"What do you mean?"
"We're in this together now," he said."If going to your parents' house by yourself was important to you, then I respect that decision, but I don't want it to become a habit."
"It won't," I said."But you shouldn't have to sit through a dinner full of my mother's veiled insults. She wasn't bad tonight, but I think she would have been if you were sitting as a target across from her. I wanted to put you first, for once, before anything else. The same place you've always put me over the years. And I want to be able to handle some of the less serious things on my own and make you proud of the woman I'm becoming thanks to your encouragement every day. If I can do that, and protect you at the same time, then I wanted to try."
"Babe," Ranger said,"I've been proud of you from day one. And it only increases the longer I know you."
"Thank you for saying that," I said."But I want to be someone who can be your equal, not someone you have to take care of all the time."
"There's the difference," Ranger said."I want to take care of you, but I know I don't have to. Babe, you need to believe it when I say that I love and trust you enough to be your own person, but I also want us to be partners in this. If you need help with something, then I want to be the one you turn to. We're building a life together. Together, Babe. I want to be there for you even when you don't need me to be, the same way you've helped me when you weren't even sure what you were helping me with."
"And I'm going to continue to help you through whatever you need me to, Ranger," I said to him.
"Same here, Babe," Ranger said."We're entering a new phase of our relationship. One that means we support each other in everything we do."
"Don't you think you've supported me enough over the years?" I asked."I mean ... the cars, the bodyguards, and the job offers alone - "
"All those things don't even scratch the surface of what I'd do for you."
My mind flashed back to Abruzzi and I didn't doubt him.
"I love you, Ranger," I said, closing the distance between us."I hope you know just how much."
"I do, Babe. You show me everyday."
"Are you talking about our sex life again?" I asked him.
"While it does exceed expectations," Ranger said,"I was actually talking about wanting to protect me from your family even when you don't need to."
"I should have asked you to come with me tonight."
"Maybe," Ranger said."But missing the opportunity to be checked out by Grandma Mazur makes me glad that I hadn't."
I didn't smile."Ranger," I said, holding his gaze."I wanted you there with me tonight, but I didn't want my mother to disrespect you in any way, or to bring up my relationship with Joe in an attempt to come between us." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly."I'm happier now than I've ever been in my life and I wanted to protect that feeling, and us, from her."
"I know, Steph," Ranger said, brushing his fingers along my cheek,"but I had the same thoughts about protecting you."
"I'm new at this mature relationship stuff, Ranger," I said,"so I'm bound to make mistakes once in a while, but I want you to know that I'm going to keep at it until I get it right. Just don't give up on me, okay?"
"I would never give up on you, Babe," Ranger said, softly."Or on us."
I put both of my hands on the arms of his office chair, leaned forward, and kissed him.
When Ranger went missing during the Homer Ramos murder investigation, I could barely function with not knowing if he was all right, but even that paled in comparison to what I felt just thinking about what my life would be like without him.
"I never thought I'd feel comfortable saying this out loud," I said, when I pulled back,"but it's terrifying to think that if I'd never gotten fired from my job in Newark, I might never have met you."
"I think that we would have found our way to each other without Connie's help eventually," Ranger said.
"Maybe," I said, but I wasn't so sure. And I didn't like the thought of a life without Ranger in it.
I scooted some paper out of my way and sat my ass down on the desk facing him.
"You look like you've been busy while I was gone," I said gesturing to the pile of paper I'd just moved.
"Contracts on a new account," Ranger said to me.
I took a moment to study him."Are you ever not on call?" I asked him. If Ranger wasn't busy hunting down a skip, he was out checking on clients, or meeting with potential clients, or flying to another Rangeman office in another state to fix a problem. And after every one of those things was handled, there was always an obscene amount of paperwork that needed to be done.
"I don't work all the time," Ranger said.
"Oh yeah? When was the last break you took?"
"Last night," Ranger said, his eyes dark.
"That doesn't count," I told him.
"It most definitely counts. I only spend time on the things that are important to me," Ranger said."Spending time with you is important to me. Keeping my businesses running smoothly is important to me. I don't need a lot of free time, or time off for a vacation when what I want is right here."
I think my heart got a little squishy hearing that.
I was in a Rangeman uniform so I couldn't come across as sexy as I'd like, but I did have some moves. And I really felt like using them. I crossed my legs, swinging my foot in a flirty way, and leaned back a little giving Ranger a good view of my chest in my tight black T-shirt.
"Are you saying that you don't want to go on vacation with me?"
Ranger smiled, knowing exactly what I was up to."What's the point in going somewhere, Babe? We wouldn't leave the room long enough to see anything besides each other."
I hadn't thought of that, but it was probably the truth."What would we be doing together if not sight-seeing?" I asked him.
Ranger was on his feet in front of me. He wrapped his hands around my waist and slid me to the edge of the desk. My legs came uncrossed and I was suddenly pressed fully against the front of him.
"I have some suggestions," Ranger said, against my mouth."Would you like me to show them to you?"
My voice stuck in my throat, but I managed to get out the only word Ranger needed."Yes."
His hands caught my thighs and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the bedroom. By the end of the night I was in favor of any idea, suggestion, or position, Ranger could come up with.
Two things surprised me the following morning. The sound of my phone ringing in the other room. And Ranger still in bed with me. I lifted my head from Ranger's chest and looked at the bedside clock. Seven-thirty. Late for Ranger. Too early for me.
Ranger's arms came around me and he kissed my curls."Ignore it," he said.
The phone had stopped ringing, but automatically started again."I can't," I said to Ranger.
I wriggled out of his arms, slid his discarded T-shirt over my head, and headed for the front hall and my phone.
I checked the number, and blew out a sigh. My mother. I knew I wasn't going to like the conversation, since she doesn't normally call me this early. But on the off chance there was a family emergency, I hit the call back button and braced myself.
"Stephanie," my mother said,"what took you so long answering the phone? We have a lot to do today."
Did I miss something?
"We do?" I asked, confused.
"Yes," my mother said."Honestly, do you think a wedding plans itself?"
Uh-oh. This is what I'd been afraid of. My mother trying to take over. She wanted a large wedding and the Polish National Hall for the reception. I wanted a small wedding and maybe a barbeque in the backyard.
"I can't talk now," I told my mother. Which was sort of the truth. I couldn't talk about the type of wedding she wanted without breaking out into hives."I'll stop by later," I promised. Unless something better came along. Like having to hunt down a homicidal maniac.
I hung up and made my way back to the bedroom. Ranger was awake, still in bed, waiting for me. I took a moment to appreciate the view before I climbed over him to get back to my side. Well, I tried to climb over Ranger but when my body slid over his, his arms circled me and held me where I was.
"Who was on the phone?" Ranger asked.
I grimaced."My mother."
"Should I ask?"
"No. It was just my mother being my mother again." I said."How come you're still in bed?" I asked Ranger."Not that I'm complaining at all, but usually you're out of here by five."
"You were concerned last night with my lack of time off. And since there's nothing right now that I can't get done in a few hours, I thought we'd sleep in. "
I pressed a light kiss against his lips."And that's what you want us to do ... sleep?"
"Not especially. And for what I had in mind," Ranger said, tugging his T-shirt over my head,"you won't be needing this." With his arms still around me, Ranger rolled over taking me with him.
After a quick breakfast in Ranger's little kitchen, I was on the road to the bonds office. I parked at the curb in front of Vinnie's, and saw Lula framed in the big plate glass window. I knew from the way Lula's face was pressed into the glass that she'd been waiting for me. And that the news of yesterday's events had already spread.
I hauled myself out of the car. I wanted to get this over with, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was about to face a firing squad.
"Boy," Lula said, when I stepped into the office,"you've only been engaged for one day. I'd hate to see what you'd do if you really wanted to get out of a wedding."
"Getting carjacked wasn't my fault!" I said to her.
"Hey, don't get mad at me. I was only pointing out what a coincidence it was."
"I was just in the wrong place," I said."If I wasn't there it would have happened to the next person who drove down that street." Probably.
Lula shook her head at me."Nuh-uh. I don't think so. It's you. I ain't never seen nothin' like it. And I've seen some weird-ass shit. And the weird never stops, either. First you get Batman to agree to marry you, and then some random loser pulls a gun on you."
"How'd Ranger take it?" Connie asked.
"He wasn't happy," I said.
"I bet. I'm surprised he made it in one piece to the police station," Connie said."Word is that he looked like he got hit by a truck when he finally did, though."
"Yeah," Lula said,"a truck with Rangeman written all over it."
Not something I wanted to think about too much. I was still worried one of the guys would get in trouble on my account.
"I'm heading back to my apartment to pick up a few things," I told Connie."I'll check in with you guys later."
I spotted Morelli's green SUV as soon as I pulled into my lot. Great. This is exactly what I didn't want to have to deal with. If he hadn't already heard about my engagement, he'd know as soon as he saw my hand. I had a quick thought to slide the ring off my finger and hopefully put off what I assumed was going to be a fight, but I couldn't do it. I was done denying what I felt for Ranger.
Morelli's truck was empty, so I walked into my building's front door and took the elevator to the second floor. I saw Joe leaning against the wall next to my apartment when I stepped off the elevator.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, letting us into my apartment. If I was going to have to do this, I was going to try do it without my neighbors getting a play-by-play. My apartment was far from sound proof, but it was the best I could do.
"I called the bonds office looking for you," Morelli said,"and Connie said you were on your way here."
I dropped my bag on the counter before turning back to Joe."Why were you looking for me?"
"First off, I wanted to make sure you were okay. I was on shift when Mason Dobbs was brought in ..."
"So that's his name," I said, more to myself than to Morelli.
"Yeah, that's his name. He looked like he'd just survived a war so I asked what happened to him, and was told about the carjacking."
"I'm alright," I told him."I crashed the car and got away."
"That's what they told me," Morelli said,"but I wanted to make sure."
That was sweet, I thought. Joe came here to check up on me. I could handle this.
"I also heard something else that I found interesting," Morelli said.
Uh-oh.
"My mother informed me that you got engaged," Joe said, not sounding too friendly now."To Ranger."
"Uh-huh," I said. I know it wasn't the most articulate reply, but it was all I had.
"Explain to me, Steph," Morelli said, his voice still hard,"why you said no to me all those times I'd asked you to marry me, but Ranger pops the question and suddenly you're over your 'commitment issues.' "
"Do you really want to do this, Joe?" I asked him."Can't you just wish me well and be done with it?" If I didn't already have a slight headache, dealing with Joe would have given me one for sure.
"How can I wish you well on something that will never happen. Think, Stephanie, do you really think Ranger is going to marry you?" Joe said, his voice getting louder."You think he's going to stop trying to be Batman for you? That he'll stop whatever illegal activities he's involved in and suddenly become a legitimate businessman? A stable husband to you?"
I was starting to get annoyed at Morelli's tone as much as his words.
"That was always the problem with us, Joe," I told him."You think that when someone gets married they have to give up part of themselves to do it. I'm not asking Ranger to change into something he's not. And he's not demanding that I change for him. Not everyone is cut out for the typical 2.5-kids-white-picket-fence kind of marriage. That's what I've been trying to tell you for years. You just didn't want to hear it."
Morelli was hands on hips."I was listening to you, Steph," he said, his voice not at shouting level, but not particularly quiet, either."I know we can work it out. We were good together."
I was sure my eyebrows were going to shoot off my head. Was he serious?
"We couldn't last a month living together without wanting to kill each other," I reminded him."Don't you remember the fights over my job? Or how about the all times you've complained that I couldn't cook? Or the countless times you said you wanted to get married, but weren't sure if you wanted to be married to me? Does any of that ring a bell?"
Morelli's mouth thinned."I didn't mean it," he said.
"You sure sounded like you meant it at the time," I told him, not backing down."You have a set idea of what a good wife is supposed to be stuck in your head and you kept trying to force me into the role. I'm never going to be my mother. Or your mother. I'm sorry if it took this to make you realize that, but I am going to marry Ranger. I'd hoped we could still be friends, but I understand if you can't."
Joe caught my shoulders in his hands and looked down at me."Don't go through with this, Cupcake," he said."You know as well as I do that it's a mistake ..."
I shrugged loose of his hold and narrowed my eyes at him."Marrying Ranger is not a mistake!" I all but shouted. So much for my caring about nosy neighbors."The mistake was thinking that you could stop talking down to me for a minute, let alone be happy for me."
Morelli took a step toward me."Steph, listen ..."
I held my hand up."I've listened to all that I'm going to," I told him.
There was a loud knock on my door. Probably Mr. Kleinschmidt wanting us to shut up so he could enjoy his program in peace. I walked over, looked through the peephole, and groaned. Hal and Lester. Why me?
I opened the door to them."Hey guys," I said."What's up?"
"We were in the neighborhood and decided to drop in and say hi," Lester said.
Yeah, right. Either Connie called Ranger or I'm more monitored than I thought.
Morelli's mouth tightened. He wasn't buying it, either."Give me a fucking break. Ranger knows that I wouldn't hurt Stephanie," he said to Hal and Lester."He didn't have to send out his watchdogs."
Lester took a threatening step forward. I stepped in front of Lester with my hand on his chest."It's okay," I told him."I'm fine. And Morelli was just leaving. Right, Joe?"
"Yeah, I'm going." He paused at the door and looked back at me."When this doesn't work out," Morelli said,"and it can't possible work out, call me and I promise I won't say I told you so." And he was gone.
I blew out a breath and looked at Hal and Lester."How did Ranger know?" I asked them.
"Connie called him," Hal said."She was worried about how Morelli would take things."
Looks like I'll have to have a nice long chat with Connie.
"Ranger was in the middle of a meeting," Lester said,"or he would have come himself."
Oh yeah, that would have really turned out well. Morelli and Ranger have always managed to be polite and indifferent while working together for the common good, aside from that, it was a clash of testosterone.
"None of you needed to come over," I said."Morelli was right. He would never hurt me."
"We could hear yelling before we even reached your door," Lester said."And he looked pretty pissed to me when we got here."
"Yes," I said, my eyebrows raised,"because you guys were here!"
"So," Lester said, changing the subject,"you and Ranger are really engaged? We saw the ring, but we still couldn't believe it."
"Yep, we're engaged."
"Excuse me for saying so," Hal said,"but I never thought I'd see the day the Ranger would get married."
Me either, I thought.
"But after meeting you, I knew if anyone had the power to ball-and-chain him," Lester said,"it would be you."
I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that."Ball-and-chain him?" I asked.
"You know ... the old saying 'strapping on the 'ol ball and chain' when a guy gets hitched.
Jeez. First, according to Grandma, I landed him. Now I've ball-and-chained him. I guess no one stopped to think about the fact that Ranger proposed to me?
I glared at him, but it wasn't having the desired effect. Not only wasn't Lester looking apologetic, he also wasn't leaving. Neither was Hal. Something was up. Usually once their mission was complete; the mission this time obviously making sure Morelli left my apartment, the guys would head back to Rangeman. Today they weren't budging. My glare turned into an eyebrow raise.
"Ranger wanted us to follow you back to Rangeman," Lester said, correctly interpreting my look.
What, like Morelli was going to turn around and come right back? I planned on talking to Ranger about this, right after I talked to Connie, but I didn't want to give the guys a hard time so I just nodded my head."Give me a minute," I said."There's a couple things I need to pick up."
Ranger told me the distraction job was set for tonight. I had some clothes at Rangeman, but I didn't have everything that I might need there. I left Hal and Lester in the living room and went to my bedroom to pack a small bag. I wasn't exactly sure what I would wear yet, so I threw as many clothes as I could stuff into it.
Lester took it from me immediately when I came back into the living room. See, Stephanie, there are some benefits to having muscle following you around, I thought. I knew Morelli'd give me a little space before he tried talking to me again, but since Rex wasn't here there'd be one less reason to stop here and run into Joe when he did show up again.
Thinking along those lines, I decided at the last minute to pack another bag of my every day stuff. I disappeared back into the bedroom after a quick, 'be right back' to the guys. When I came out of my bedroom the second time with another full bag, Hal was there this time taking it from me.
"This is ridiculous," I said to them."I am physically capable of carrying something."
"Not while we're here, you're not," Lester said.
Hey, I tried. If they wanted to cart my crap around, who was I to argue? I guess it was sweet of them in a slightly chauvinistic way.
Lester and Hal dropped my bags into the backseat of my car before climbing into their Rangeman SUV. They waited for me to pull out of my lot before practically attaching themselves to my bumper for the ride back to Rangeman.
Hal and Lester parked in the lot where the fleet cars were kept and I continued on, parking in one of Ranger's private spaces in front of the elevator. Ranger was waiting for me when I turned the ignition off. Let the interrogation begin, I thought. I slung my purse over my shoulder, grabbed my things from the back, and made my way over to him. He met me halfway, took the stuff out of my hands, and gave me a welcome home kiss that I could definitely get used to before ushering me into the elevator. He hit seven and I blinked up at him, trying to get my eyes to refocus after that kiss. And to think, I get to look forward to that kind of kiss every day for the rest of my life.
"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" I asked him.
"It wrapped ten minutes ago," Ranger said, wrapping an arm around my waist.
Good timing. I really didn't want to see a Ranger and Morelli confrontation.
"Why are you waiting down here for me?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh yeah? What did you want to talk about?" I asked him. I knew the answer of course, but I didn't mind delaying it as long as I could.
"Morelli." Ranger said.
"Morelli?" I asked, like I couldn't figure out why he'd want to talk about Joe.
"Stephanie," Ranger said, with a hint of warning in his voice.
Uh-oh, my full name, I thought, this wasn't looking good. I was saved by the elevator stopping and the door opening to the seventh floor.
Ranger let us into the apartment. I put my shoulder bag on the sideboard and Ranger went ahead of me, bringing my things to the bedroom. If it had been me, and my apartment, I would have dropped the bags next to the door and spent the next week tripping over them and kicking them out of my way. But here in Ranger's apartment, everything had to be in order. And if Ranger hadn't done it, Ella would have. I was clearly out-numbered here.
Ranger met me in the kitchen.
I looked in at Rex who was busy sleeping in his soup can unaware of anything around him."Are you okay with Rex being here?" I asked Ranger.
"Babe, I knew when I asked you to marry me that you came as a pair."
I rolled my eyes at him."I meant having him here in the kitchen," I said."I know it sounds stupid, but I like eating breakfast and listening to his little feet running on his wheel. Some people might have a problem with a hamster living on their kitchen counter."
"Fortunately," Ranger said,"I'm not one of those people. Rex is welcome to live anywhere he wants to in this apartment."
That's what I thought Ranger would say, but I wanted to make sure. It was, after all, his apartment.
"It's fast becoming our apartment, Babe," Ranger said, briefly making me forget about why we were here.
He didn't seem at all bothered by his space being invaded. Ranger was taking this whole marriage thing as easily as he took everything else. No second guessing himself, no nerves, no doubts. The fact that marrying me didn't make him the least bit unsure, made me believe that maybe we were meant for each other. No one else on earth had the calming effect on me that Ranger does.
"What happened with Morelli?" Ranger asked, getting back to the conversation that I was hoping to not have. That seems like something I've thought a lot lately."Connie called me and said Morelli was looking for you, and that he was heading over to your apartment. And Lester told me he could hear you yelling when he and Hal got there."
Lester and Connie both had big mouths as far as I was concerned. I didn't know who I blamed more for having to have this conversation. Connie for calling Ranger or Lester for tattling. And I noticed that Connie forgot to mention that she was the one who told Morelli where I'd be in the first place.
I went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water and handed one to Ranger. I would have preferred a beer, but I knew Ranger didn't drink when he was working.
"Morelli was at the station when the guys brought in Dobbs," I told Ranger."When Joe heard that I was involved, he wanted to check and make sure I was all right."
Ranger almost raised an eyebrow. He knew I was trying to get out of saying more.
"And you were yelling because he was concerned about your safety?" Ranger asked.
"Umm ... yeah?" My voice making it sound like a question.
"Steph ..."
"Okay," I said,"so he may have also been concerned about other stuff that was none of his business."
"He heard about us getting engaged," Ranger said.
"Yep. His mother told him."
"And I take it he wasn't happy?" Ranger said.
"Nope. He definitely wasn't happy."
"What did he say?"
"Does it matter?" I asked him.
"Yes."
I blew out a sigh."He said that I was crazy to think that you'd marry me ..."
There was a slight narrowing of Ranger's eyes at the insult."He said that to you?"
"He didn't mean it in quite the way it sounded," I said, trying to smooth things over."He meant that even if you did marry me, you would always have a dangerous lifestyle. And that our marriage would never be normal."
"And your response to that was ... ?"
"The truth," I said."That I don't think a person has to change who they are for another person. And that I wasn't going to try to make you into someone you're not, and you weren't going to insist I change who I am for you."
"Why would I want to change you?" Ranger said.
"Do you want me to make a list?" I asked him, incredulous, surprised that he would have to ask."For starters, my job ..."
"Babe," Ranger said,"there's nothing wrong with your job."
My eyebrows almost shot off my forehead."You've got to be kidding?"
"I'm not kidding," Ranger said."You have a respectable job," I snorted at that one, but Ranger ignored it and kept talking."A job that you're, for the most part, good at ..."
Okay that was too much. I was definitely not a good bounty hunter. Lucky and persistent, maybe, but definitely not good.
"Sometimes they equal the same thing," Ranger said.
"Stop reading my mind," I told him."And it's not just my job. What about my history of destroying anything that I drive? Or the way psychos are automatically drawn to me, or my family, or my lack of wanting a typical-husband-plus-a-couple-of-kids kind of life?"
"None of those are bad things," Ranger said."Except for maybe your family and the psychos. The psychos I can work with, since I own a security company. And I've become expert at guarding your body in particular."
"And my family?"
"Not much I can do much about your family, Babe," Ranger said."You come from a scary gene pool."
"You'll do fine with my family as long as I make Grandma Mazur keep her hands to herself."
Ranger almost grimaced.
I thought that thought alone was enough to get out of anymore talk about Joe, but I should know better by now. Nothing distracts Ranger when he wants something, except for maybe me being naked. And even then, Ranger would wait only until I was boneless and satisfied before getting back to what he wanted in the first place. I wondered if that would be an option now, or if he had to leave to go back to work. I must have spent too much time debating, because Ranger broke the silence.
"I get the feeling that you're not telling me something." Ranger said, studying me.
Damn ESP, I thought.
"Steph?"
"It's not important."
"I'll be the judge of that," Ranger said.
Shit."If I tell you, you have to promise not to do something stupid and macho."
Ranger leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest, staring at me, not promising anything.
"Joe told me not to go through with the wedding," I said on a rush."And thought that he and I were good together. And that we could make it work if we both tried a little harder."
It felt like all the air got sucked out of the room. Ranger's eyes were definitely narrowed now.
Uh-oh. I realized too late that I should have held out for the promise of him not doing anything stupid and macho.
I walked up to where he was standing against the counter, uncrossed his arms, and leaned into him. His arms came around me instantly, holding me tight against him.
"I only told you what Joe said to prove that it doesn't mean anything to me," I said."I'm not interested in him in that way. Nor could I ever be again, now that I've experienced what a real relationship is like with you. That's what I was yelling about. I couldn't believe he didn't remember how impossible it was for us to live together. He seems to have conveniently forgotten about all the bad stuff we went through, and I felt like I needed to remind him."
Ranger looked like he was thinking about smiling.
"Stop smiling," I told him."It wasn't fun to have to list the reasons why you were a nightmare to live with."
"You're not a nightmare to live with, Babe," Ranger said, kissing me lightly on the lips."You were just living with the wrong person."
I smiled."And I've found the right person, now?" I asked.
"Yes."
"How can you be sure?" I asked him. Serious.
"We're more alike than you think," Ranger said."We both sometimes need quiet to work some things out. We don't much care about what other people think about us as long as we're doing what we think is right. We're work-oriented ..."
"I'm definitely not a work-a-holic," I reminded him.
"Maybe not in the same way," Ranger said,"but if there's a case you're working on, and something doesn't feel right, you won't stop until you figure it out no matter who tells you to back off."
This was true.
Ranger continued."And there won't be any fighting over household chores, because I have Ella."
That was one problem.
"That's just it. You pay Ella to take care of this place, not to cater to me."
"If you weren't already a part of Rangeman," Ranger said,"you would be now. And Ella looks after everyone and everything here. Pets included."
I looked up at Ranger."Ella is not going to have to take care of my hamster. Rex is my responsibility."
Ranger's lips twitched."You're worried about not being mother material, and yet you're going all crazy over a hamster."
"Rex isn't just a hamster," I said.
"I know, Babe." Ranger said."But you don't have to worry about not feeling maternal. You have all the instincts of a mama bear."
I thought about what we talked about in his office. Ranger didn't seem as nervous about possible children as I was."So you're not opposed to having kids?" I asked him.
"I'd rather not have any right now," Ranger said to me."But if something happened to change that ... then no, I'm not opposed to the idea."
I was nowhere near ready; if I ever would be, to have a kid. I take my pills religiously, but it was nice to know that I wouldn't have to go crazy if I was one of the few women who happened to get pregnant while taking them and had to tell Ranger about it. I'd probably be more freaked out then he would be, too.
"We don't have to have everything figured out right now," Ranger said."We agree on the major issues and that's all that's important."
"You really think it's that simple, don't you?"
"Steph, not everything is as complicated as you make it out to be."
Easy for him to say. He didn't have years of self-doubt tagging along after him.
"Stop thinking so much, Babe," Ranger said."We've already covered everything that you and Morelli broke up over."
I thought about that for a beat."We did, didn't we?"
"Yes," Ranger said."I have no problems with your job ... as long as it's something you can take on and isn't too dangerous. And you agree to taking one of the guys with you if I think it is."
"I can live with that," I said, since Ranger sent a guy with me anyway.
Ranger continued."And I obviously don't mind you associating with me."
That made me laugh. I've done a lot more than associate with him."What else?"
"We both agree that now isn't the best time to start a family if we decided we wanted to, so I don't expect you to quit your job to raise our children. Which you wouldn't have to do anyway if you decided that you wanted kids, because you could always do office work here while you were pregnant."
That made sense. And I liked the idea. That way I could be independent and still stay safe. I wasn't the type of person to want someone paying my way, even if he was my husband.
"And we already discussed Ella, so the only household decisions will be about what time we want to go to bed."
And now I was back to the associating. It's amazing the effect he still had on me. With just one word, or one look, and I go into meltdown mode. And I had a sneaky suspicion that we wouldn't be arguing about our bedtime. That seemed to be something we completely agreed on.
"Anything else I need to know before I head back to five?" Ranger asked.
"Lester has a big mouth."
"Already knew that, Babe."
"That I'm lucky to be the woman you want to marry?"
"Some might argue that I'm the lucky one, Steph," Ranger said, smiling.
Not likely.
"I think we've covered everything then," I said. I didn't bother mentioning him having Hal and Lester follow me here. I knew it wouldn't do any good. He usually had a logical reason, one that you couldn't disagree with, for doing whatever it was it the first place.
Ranger kissed me again and eased away from me."I have some more work to do, but I'll be up for dinner and I'll fill you in on the job for tonight."
"Sounds good," I said. I needed to figure out what to wear anyway.
I walked with Ranger to the door, kissed him goodbye, and went to the bedroom to sort through my clothes.