Chapter 19

3 months later

RPOV

Stephanie and I have been dating seriously for the past three months. Even though she won't admit it she has basically moved up to the 7th floor with me. It has taken a lot of compromise on both of our parts to live together, but I we're making it work, even if she won't admit it. I can't believe that we've only been dating for three months, it seems like I've waited my whole life for someone like her and now that I've found her it seems as if time stands still in this perfect world we've created. I went earlier today and did a little shopping. I told Steph to be ready to go out at 1900 hours and made reservations at a Cuban restaurant in town. She insisted that she would go down to the 4th floor to get ready and that I had to pick her up from there, the humorous part of that is that she had to take her clothes down to the 4th floor so she could get ready.

I dressed in a black suit, black dress shirt, and black tie and headed downstairs. I took the elevator down to the 4th floor and knocked on the apartment door. When Steph opened the door she took my breath away. She had on a beautiful knee length navy blue dress with silver peep toe shoes. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Babe", that was all I could say at that moment.

"You clean up pretty well yourself Ranger," she said with a smile as we headed out the door.

The car ride to the restaurant was quiet and uneventful. I'm not much of a talker in the car, but Steph seemed a million miles away during the car ride. We finished dinner and I ordered flan for dessert. As they were delivering the flan out of the corner of my eye I see Morelli and Terri Gillman walk into the restaurant. Steph's back is to the front door and luckily she doesn't seem them. Fuck! That son of a bitch is going to ruin my night! Morelli and Terri start walking towards the table as I ask the waiter if he can box up our dessert so we can leave.

"Hey Cupcake"

"Joe, what are you doing here?" Babe asks.

"It's a celebration tonight. Why don't I get the waiter to get some champagne and we'll all celebrate together?" Morelli says.

"We were just leaving," I say as the waiter hands me the to go box.

"What are you celebrating Joe?" Babe asks.

"We're celebrating the new Mrs. Morelli. Terri and I got married today at city hall." Morelli says.

"Babe, lets go. Congratulations Morelli." I grab Babe's hand and pull her up trying to make it towards the door.

"Congratulations Joe, I hope Terri can be everything to you that I wasn't." Babe says as we walk away from the table.

As we get into the car I see tears starting to form in Babe's eyes. I make a snap decision and turn the car towards Point Pleasant. She gives me a look, but never questions why we're not heading back towards Haywood. As we arrive at the beach I grab the emergency blanket from the back of the car and grab Babe's hand to lead her towards the beach. As we hit the sand I lean down and take her shoes off so she doesn't fall into the sand. I take mine off and leave both pairs on the edge of the sand. I go and put out the blanket and sit down with my legs out. Steph sits down between my legs and leans back on my chest.

"You want to talk about it?" I ask.

"Not really, it just made me realize that maybe I'm just not the type of girl that's cut of for marriage. Maybe I'm not made to just make someone happy, to be with someone, raise a family, grow old together." At this point Steph is full out sobbing.

"That's just not true Babe. Just because Morelli has remarried doesn't make you anything more or less than you are. You cannot blame yourself for a marriage failing when he was cheating on you. Just because you and Morelli didn't have the fairy tale ending doesn't mean that it won't happen for you."

"Ranger, that's sweet to say, even if it's not true. I had just as much to do with that marriage failing as Morelli."

"Babe, if there is one thing that I've realized the past few months is that with you nothing goes as planned. Tonight was suppose to be a romantic dinner, I was going to take you dancing, and then I had a special surprised planned for you. Now we're sitting out here on the beach in the moonlight talking about your failed marriage. That is not what we should be talking about. You are not a screw up, Morelli is the one that fucked up not you! You are not damaged goods, you are a sweet, wonderful, caring, woman who keeps me on my toes and drives me absolutely insane at times." I take a breath and reach into my jacket pocket. "This is not that way I wanted to do this tonight, but Stephanie Plum will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Manoso? I cannot think of anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with and I will spend every day of the rest of my life showing you that if you would let me." I take the ring and put it on her finger.

"Ranger, yes I will marry you! Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, I love you with all of my heart Babe." I say as I kiss her.