Here's another chapter that makes me no money. Instead, it entertains me and hopefully one or two of you. Please enjoy!

Ron's POV

I imagined my life without Rachel plenty of times. Every time, I shuddered to think what it would be like for the kids. Rachel would make it hard for me to see them. She would fight for custody. The kids would have to go through hell.

Now, I wonder if that would have been better. How am I going to explain to the kids that they will never see their mother again? She has been murdered and it is now up to me to make sure that they are raised right. I know I left Rachel and I knew that she'd be out of the picture for a while, but it wasn't until just now that it hit me. I'm a single father. I have been that for a month, but it never really sunk in until now.

Before, Rachel was out there. She would still want to interact in the lives of our children. They would want that as well. Now, it's just me. I know I'm not alone. I know I have friends and family, but everything is different now.

I no longer have any legal rights as a parent for Julie. Rachel's death negated the adoption papers, but Carlos assured me that nothing would change. He reiterated this when he broke the news about Rachel a little while ago. He also offered to draw up new papers to put me at ease. I'm not sure whether or not this is needed right now, so I declined, but asked to discuss things again later.

I didn't want to tell the kids about Rachel and then disappear for two days and go to Boston, so I had to decide whether or not to cancel my trip or wait to tell them. Carlos said that there were some DNA tests pending to confirm that the remains found definitely belonged to Rachel. I was going to wait to tell the kids about their mother until those tests were performed, but should I leave them and go about my life as if nothing is wrong?

I loved Rachel. I was angry with her and couldn't spend the rest of my life with her, but I did still have feelings for the woman. I will mourn her loss just as the kids will. The kids were supposed to go and stay with Carlos and Stephanie tonight and tomorrow night. I'll be back on Saturday and we would all meet at Pino's. Carlos said something about a surprise for the wedding party and Stephanie.

Now, I'm wondering if I should stay home with the kids. I didn't know what to do. I walked out to the living room and saw all three kids on the sofa with Stephanie. She was reading a story to Emma, but Diego and Julie were joining in on the fun. Carlos looked up when I came into the room, so I nodded my head outside and he followed me out into the back yard.

"I don't know what to do. I know I want to wait to tell them until the test results come back, but I don't know if I should stay here or go to Boston."

Carlos placed his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "Ron, there is no right answer here. No matter what you choose, the news will be the same whether you stay or go to Boston. I can't even begin to tell you what to do in this situation. Just know that we will support you and your decisions, no matter what."

I nodded and said, "Thanks Carlos. Maybe I'll go out and talk to the kids. If they have their hearts set on a trip to the beach, I don't think I could say no."

Carlos followed me into the living room. Stephanie must have finished her story because Emma was putting the book away and Diego had slunk off the sofa and onto the floor. He was drawing something on Steph's cast. I didn't see how it would show up against the black, but I left him to figure that out.

I looked at my kids and noticed that all three of them were smiling as they talked with Stephanie. Julie looked up at me and her smile faltered. She knew me well enough to know when something was wrong. She excused herself from beside Steph and come over.

"What's wrong Dad?"

I couldn't tell her the truth, at least not yet, so I told her part of it. "I'm having second thoughts about leaving you guys. It will be the first time since we moved up here that I've left you. I'm just wondering if I should cancel my trip and stay home."

"Dad, we'll be fine. This trip is important for you and the future. I know you want to start your own business and do this sort of thing more often. If you don't go now, when will you go? Once Steph's cast is off, she'll be back at work full time. Papa is also well on the road to recovery. He won't be free soon either. Now is as good a time as any."

I looked down at this young woman in front of me. How did she get so wise? I hugged her and said, "OK. You three can head to the beach and I'll go up to Boston as planned."

Julie smiled at me and said, "We'll be fine with Stephanie and Ranger. We'll also have some RangeMan guys around for extra protection. We can also talk as often as you like on the phone."

We returned to the group and I said, "Kids are you all packed and ready? It's getting late and you have a bit of a drive ahead of you."

All three of the kids jumped up and ran into their rooms. Moments later, three bags were packed by the door and the kids were standing there waiting patiently. I looked at Stephanie and Ranger and said, "I'll be back just after noon on Saturday. We can talk on the phone as much as the kids like while I'm away. If I'm in a meeting, I'll step out for a few moments. I want them to know that I'm available, even if I'm out of town."

Steph nodded and Carlos smiled. He also reached into his pocket and handed me a new phone, still in its box. "This is a RangeMan phone. It is encrypted and secure. I wanted to make sure that you can safely contact us without the chance of your call being intercepted or tapped. We still don't know who is out there so I want to take every precaution. All our numbers are programmed in the phone already."

I looked down at the phone and said, "Thanks Carlos."

I helped the kids get loaded into Carlos' car and hugged each of them before they left. Once back inside, I sat down on the sofa and looked around. The room was empty and I felt lonely without the kids here. I knew it was only temporary, but that didn't seem to help my mood much. I picked up the few toys that were left and retreated to the office where I pulled up the plans to the house I was thinking about building.

I worked for a little while and then got a call from the kids. They wanted to say good night. Since my flight left very early, I promised to call them from Boston as soon as Vince and I arrived. I made a quick phone call to Vince to confirm what time he would pick me up in the morning and then got back to my house plans.

At 11:30, I turned off my computer and got ready for bed. I lay there for a long while, thinking about how I felt about Rachel. Part of me was heartbroken. Another part of me was relieved. If Rachel really was dead, I wouldn't have to battle for my children. They would miss their mother, but at least they would know that she loved them and that she was trying to make amends for her mistake when she was killed. The details of her death would not be shared. I didn't want to scar the kids more than Rachel's death already would hurt them. They deserved to remember her in happier times. I drifted off to sleep remembering some of our happier times we had as a family.

Steph's POV

Friday morning dawned bright and early. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, so I got up and dressed for the sunny weather. I wore a nice frilly cotton skirt and a matching t-shirt. I knew that if I was careful, I could probably go down to the beach with the kids.

I heard Carlos get up a little while ago. He went for a very slow and what had to be a painful run along the beach and then returned for a shower. He must have gone down to the kitchen so I went in search for him. I walked in to find him surrounded by the kids and Woody and Zip.

Carlos had made breakfast and everyone was enjoying what looked like omelettes and toast. As soon as I hobbled into the kitchen, a plate was put down in front of me and Carlos insisted that I sit and eat while the food is still hot. What can I say? I obliged him. My stomach was rumbling as I got dressed earlier, so this was a welcome surprise.

After breakfast, the kids wanted to go to the beach. We all agreed to join them, but Woody and Zip would go down the steps with the kids and Carlos and I would go down by car. Carlos suggested that I wrap my cast up so that it wouldn't get dirty. I also decided that a pair of long pants would also help keep things tidy so I rushed upstairs to change. I had a light pair of tan linen trousers that were snug on the cast, but not too tight as to cause the pants to tear. I was happy with the end result and went down to meet Carlos at the car.

We drove down to the beach and met up with the kids. They already had their towels set up and were well on their way to beating Woody's sandcastle. Carlos laid out a large blanket for me to sit on and then went to join the kids. I was the judge of the castle competition.

Woody's castle was pretty amazing, as was Carlos'. Diego's on the other hand, was far superior. It was clear that he had inherited his father's eye for spatial recognition and aesthetic shapes and lines. I declared Diego the winner and the rest of the group joined together to destroy each others' castles, leaving Diego's standing proud.

After the castle competition, the kids went into the water. Carlos and Zip joined them and Woody stayed with me. "How are you feeling Steph?"

"I'm good Woody. My leg doesn't hurt much unless it's jarred or I roll over on it funny when I'm sleeping. I have an appointment next week with some orthopaedic specialist nearby who will take off my cast, do some scans, and then put on a new cast if necessary."

Woody grinned and said, "You'll be back to strength in no time."

"I hope so. I have a wedding to plan and it's hard to think about high heels when I can't even wear a skirt without showing off my cast."

Woody laughed at this and said, "You'll have lots of time I'm sure."

"Not really. We've set the date for 3 months from tomorrow."

"You guys move fast."

"We do. We found where we wanted to get married and this was when they were available. Hopefully the weather holds so we can use the garden."

"I'm happy for you guys. I can't wait to see what your mothers come up with for the engagement party. It will be interesting."

I laughed at this. I was a bit apprehensive about the party, but I knew I didn't care. I'd be happy enough just marrying Carlos. I didn't need a party, but our mothers would want one so they could show off. We'd let them and that will keep them out of our wedding plans.

The kids and Carlos returned and everyone sat on their towels in the sun. Carlos disappeared with the car and returned about 30 minutes later with lunch. We all ate, drank and talked until around 2. We all returned to the house in the car. It was crowded, but it would save time. We had to get ready and go to Carlos' parents for dinner.

We all got dressed. The kids wore their best outfits. Carlos wore his blue shirt from D.C. and I wore my dress. Zip and Woody were relieved by Binkie and Ram. They followed us to Newark and kept watch outside while we were in the house.

Meeting Carlos' family was a bit overwhelming. They were very friendly and inviting to me and the kids. Of his siblings, only Celia was there. We were all sitting in the lounge while Maria was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner with Celia. I needed to go to the bathroom and I overheard the conversation in the kitchen.

Celia was saying, "I don't understand why he brought them. Why is he looking after Rachel's kids?"

I chose that time to hobble into the kitchen and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Maria looked at me and said, "No dear. You can go relax in the other room. We'll come get you when we're ready." After she said this, she gave Celia a very stern look. Celia walked out with me and said, "I assume you overheard our conversation about the kids."

I looked at her and nodded my head. Before I was able to say anything though, Celia stopped me and said, "I didn't actually mean it the way it sounded. I can understand why you guys want to spend time with all three of the kids. They're good kids. I just don't understand why he'd bring them tonight?"

I smiled and said, "We're looking after them until tomorrow afternoon. Ron is working for Carlos now and he had to travel to Boston to check on the new building up there. He only left his kids with us because he trusts that we'll take good care of them. With all the danger surrounding Carlos and RangeMan, it was in everyone's best interest to bring the kids with us tonight. Leaving them with a sitter would have been unfair."

Celia smiled and said, "I understand. Knowing that Ron is out of town makes things a little clearer. Come on. Let's join the men and the kids in the other room."

I spent an extremely pleasant evening with the Manosos. We ate a spectacular meal. We talked about the engagement party and we talked about the wedding. Maria seemed really surprised when we told her that the engagement party was up to her, my mother and Ella. We didn't want to be involved at all. As for the wedding, we had already made a lot of decisions, so there wasn't much for the mothers and families to do.

I explained what colour of dresses we would have but Celia couldn't picture the colour I was trying to describe. Carlos pulled out his phone and said, "Look up some pictures and see if you can find a dress in the exact colour you want. That might help Celia understand your colour theme."

I took Carlos' phone and spend 2 minutes looking through Google images of dresses and pulled up one in the right colour. I showed it to Celia and she immediately started gushing. Julie took a look and grinned. "That's my favourite colour Steph. Did you know that?"

"Yeah, your Papa told me after I told him the colour I wanted. Is that OK with you?"

"It sure is. I will probably want to wear the dress a lot after the wedding. Maybe even to a school dance or something."

Carlos' phone was handed around the room to all the women. When it was finally handed back to Carlos, he pressed a few buttons and then put the phone back in his pocket. I looked at him, wondering what he did, but he ignored my look and continued his conversation with his father.

Maria and Celia both agreed that the colour of the dress was lovely. Maria asked if I had a style in mind, but I shook my head. She smiled and said, "I'm sure you'll find one you and your bridesmaids will like. It's a beautiful colour. It will go well with the charcoal suits you want as well."

We were thinking of leaving when the doorbell rang. Carlos raised his eyebrow at his father, who shrugged and went to the door. Moments later, a man who looked a lot like Carlos, but a little less fit rushed into the room. It seemed like he was out of breath, and as soon as he saw Carlos, he said, "I'm so sorry I'm late little brother. I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to see you before I left town."

He turned and looked at me and smiled wide. He was a handsome man, but he wasn't even in the same ballpark as Carlos. "I'm Alex. You must be Stephanie." He held out his hand and I shook it. Before I could let go, he pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Stephanie. I never thought little Carlos would ever settle down."

This made me laugh. "Little Carlos? Are you sure we're talking about the same man? There's nothing little about him."

Alex leaned his head back and laughed. He looked a lot like his father and Carlos when he did that. He looked over at Carlos and said, "I like her. You've done well."

Alex looked back at me and said, "I'm glad you finally tamed Carlos here. We were beginning to fear that he might never settle down and have a normal life."

I looked at Alex and said, "You don't know me very well Alex, so I'll break it to you gently. I'm not very normal. I doubt anything Carlos and I do from now on will be considered normal."

Alex laughed and smiled. "I like you. You'll be good for my little brother."

I smiled and thanked Alex. Carlos came over and Alex gave him a quick hug and whispered something that I couldn't hear. Carlos grinned at his brother and said, "Thanks bro. Have a safe flight and thanks for stopping in."

Before I could say a word, I was wrapped in Alex's arm and he was kissing me on the cheek. "Welcome to the family Steph. I'm really sorry to have to dash, but I have a very early flight and I still have packing to do. We should set something up when I get back from this trip so we can get to know each other a little better. See you guys soon."

I waved as Alex left. Carlos looked around the room and said, "We should get going. Come on kids."

All three of the kids did the rounds and said goodbye with hugs. When I came to Maria, I handed her a piece of paper with my Mother's phone number and the packet of information I received from the party venue. I know what you're thinking and no, I didn't steal it from my mother, I had two packets for this reason. "My mother is expecting your call. Have fun planning the party. Call me if you have any questions."

Maria gave me a huge hug and then said, "Are you sure you don't want any input into this party?"

I shook my head and said, "No, we trust that you, my mother and Ella will do us proud. Besides, we've already pretty much planned the wedding, so there won't be too much for you to do there. We didn't want you to feel left out."

"OK dear. It's been lovely to meet you and I hope you will come to visit us again soon. I also look forward to meeting your mother. I will call her soon to make arrangements to meet and plan your party."

I smiled and hugged Maria and then Ricardo. Celia wrapped her arms around me and said, "Let me know if you need any help at all. I'd be happy to help in any way I can."

I thanked Celia and ushered the kids out to the car. It was going to be another late night and tomorrow was going to be another busy day. We were meeting with the entire wedding party at Pino's and Carlos had some sort of surprise.

We waved as we drove away and as soon as we were on the highway, Julie asked if she could see her Dad's phone. She wanted to look something up and show me. He obliged and Julie looked up what she wanted and then handed me the phone. I looked at her and grinned. "This is perfect Julie. It will match the bridesmaids' dresses and look lovely." She showed me a picture of a bouquet of purple hydrangeas that were gathered and held in place by a silver ribbon handle. It was gorgeous.

"I actually thought that this would be a good bouquet for you and the flower girls. I think the exact same flower, but cream instead of purple would be better for the bridesmaids."

I had to admit it, she was right. I looked over at Carlos and he was grinning. "You are right Julie. That would be perfect."

"Let me see Babe?"

I turned the phone to Carlos and he smiled. "That is beautiful Babe. It's so simple and perfect. I like it a lot."

I turned and looked at Julie and asked, "What about the flowers for the men? They need something to wear in their button holes. What do you think would work?"

Julie thought for a moment and said, "I think some of that flower, the hydrangea and maybe a cream rose? You probably don't want them all the same though. Perhaps a cream rose with some purple hydrangea for Papa, Abuelo and Grandpa Plum. For the groomsmen, we could have a purple flower and cream hydrangea. As for the mothers and grandmothers, I think a corsage with hydrangeas on a pretty bracelet would be perfect. Hydrangeas come in lots of colours from green to bright pink. If we know what colour of dresses the mothers and grandmothers are wearing ahead of time, we can try to match them. Alternatively, they can wear orchids. They also come in loads of colours and are quite elegant."

"Julie, when you grow up, I think you should be a wedding planner, or at least a florist."

"My mom always told me I had a green thumb. I loved to help her in her garden. That's why I know so much about certain flowers. What else do you have to decide on?"

I thought for a moment and looked at Carlos. He mouthed "invitations and cake' to me and I smiled. I turned in my seat and said, "We still need to decide on invitations and a cake. I want to go to a dress shop to guarantee that I can get dresses in the colour I want and then I will look for an invitation that matches our colour theme. The cake is also dependent on the dress colour."

Julie nodded and said, "I can help with anything you need."

Emma piped up and said, "Me too, especially if there is cake taste testing involved."

"I'll second that motion," Diego said as he laughed at the look on my face. I must have been grinning because Carlos was even chuckling.

We arrived at the beach house at 9:30. It was late and as soon as we were inside, I sent the kids up to get ready for bed. Emma begged for a quick story so I went upstairs to read to them. All three kids had washed, dressed in pyjamas and were waiting when I came into Emma's room. She handed me a book and we settled into her bed to read.

Maria's POV

I wanted to get started on the engagement party as soon as possible. I read through the packet and looked at the clock. It was only 8:15, so I didn't think that it would be too late to call Stephanie's mother.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Ellen Plum?"

"Yes, this is she."

"Hi. My name is Maria Manoso. I'm Carlos' mother."

"Oh, it's so nice to finally talk to you. I've been wanted to talk to you for a few days, but Stephanie insisted I wait for you to call me, since she hadn't met you yet."

"I met her this evening. She is a charming young lady."

"Thanks. How do you want to proceed with the party planning?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to meet me at the hotel at Chimney Rock Park. We can see the venue first hand and then figure out what we want to do. Stephanie left me a very detailed packet that shows what they offer, so there are a lot of options."

"I like the sound of that. We can meet for lunch tomorrow at the hotel and then sit down and make some decisions. Should we also call Ella? I think both Carlos and Stephanie want her involved."

"Yes, I think that's a good idea. I will call her now. I'm sure she'll want to help out any way she can."

"That sounds good Maria. I'm looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. I'll be there by 12."

"Me too Ellen, see you then."

After I got off the phone, I sat down and thought about who we should invite from our family. Most of our family was local, so that was easy enough. I would invite people from out of town, but I doubted they'd travel all this way for the engagement party when the wedding is only a few months away. Also, the timeframe was so short. Most people wouldn't be able to travel on such short notice.

I asked Ricardo his opinion and he agreed that there was little chance that anyone from out of town would want to travel for a party, but he insisted we invite them all the same. We didn't want to offend anyone. I pulled out a piece of paper and started writing down names. After about 20 minutes, I counted the names on my list and found that there were almost 100 people.

I showed the list to Ricardo and he crossed off several names and said, "This party is about Carlos. These are your friends or our friends. Carlos barely knows them."

I agreed with Ricardo and said, "You're right. We need a list of friends and colleagues for Carlos and Stephanie. Hopefully Ella can provide that."

I realised that I had forgot to call Ella. It was now 9:30, but I knew she'd still be awake. She and Luis liked to read in bed for a little bit before sleep.

"Ella, it's Maria. Are you free tomorrow for lunch?"

"I think so, what's up?"

"I'm meeting with Ellen Plum tomorrow at that hotel in Chimney Rock Park and we wondered if you could join us. We're going to start the party planning and both Carlos and Stephanie expressed a wish that you were involved."

"I think I could manage that. I'll have to get Luis to deliver lunch tomorrow, but it's Saturday so it's a quiet day. Is there anything you need me to bring?"

"Actually, yes there is something we need. Ellen is making a list for her side of the family. I made a list for our side. We need a list of Stephanie and Ranger's friends and colleagues. We figured that you would be in a better position than us to get that information."

"I can do that. What time are we meeting tomorrow?"

"We'll meet at 12 for lunch and then we'll start the planning and look around the venue."

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you there."

After I got off the phone with Ella, I got ready for bed and climbed in beside Ricardo. He was already reading and looked over at me as I pulled out my book. "Is everything set for tomorrow?"

I nodded and said, "Yes. I'm meeting Ella and Ellen at the party venue tomorrow. We'll each have our guest lists and after lunch, we'll start the planning. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun."

Ricardo smiled and said, "Just don't go too overboard. Don't forget that this party is to celebrate Carlos and Stephanie."

I smiled, kissed my husband and said, "I'll do my best." I realised that I was too tired to read so I turned off my bedside lamp and settled myself into my pillows. I didn't last long. The last thing I remembered was Ricardo chuckling softly at whatever he was reading.

Carlos' POV

As soon as Stephanie went upstairs, I pulled out my phone and called Brigitte Travis. I had saved a copy of the dress colour Stephanie wanted as well as the floral bouquet. I thought it would be easier for Brigitte to come up with dress swatches if she had an idea of the colour my Babe wanted.

I explained to Brigitte why I was calling, and when I sent her the photos, she said, "Mr. Manoso, when you described your bride's colour description, this is exactly what I pictured. I already have plenty of satin, crepe, silk, wool and chiffon in that colour. For some reason, it's not very popular for the events I tend to normally cater to. If Stephanie wants this colour, I can definitely oblige her. I will bring swatches of each fabric with me tomorrow. I also have some swatches of fabrics for the flower girl and ring bearer as well as some other coordinating fabrics for ties and waistcoats for the men."

"Wow, when you do something, you don't leave anything out, do you?"

"Well, it's been a long time since I've done anything like a wedding, and to be honest, I'm looking forward to the challenge. Interior design and decorating is challenging, but it doesn't really utilize my more hands-on skills like sewing and colour matching."

"I'm looking forward to meeting you in person tomorrow Brigitte."

"The same goes for me. Do you by chance have a photo of your bride and anyone else in the wedding party?"

I thought for a moment and said, "I do. If you have an email address, I can send you a few photos this evening."

"Great. I will come up with a few drawings and have them ready for tomorrow. I can tweak them right there in the restaurant after talking with the guys and girls about their preferences."

"Thanks Brigitte."

I got off the phone and went upstairs to find my Babe saying good night to the kids. I went in and was given a kiss and a hug from Emma. Diego shook my hand and Julie hugged me. They all hugged Steph and then we left them to get some sleep. Julie wanted to read, so we let her stay up a little longer in her room.

We retired downstairs and I pulled out a bottle of red wine. I poured us each a glass and then we sat on the sofa and Steph snuggled up to me. "How are you feeling? Is your back sore at all Carlos?"

I shook my head and said, "It's fine now. It was sore after my morning run, but some pain killers helped. What about you? How's your leg?"

"It's fine. It throbs a bit every once and a while, but it isn't sore."

"That's good. We have to go get your leg checked out next week. I also have an appointment to check on my lungs. My appointment is here in Trenton but yours is at an orthopaedic specialist in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, they're on the same day next week, so I won't be able to go with you. Who do you want to accompany you?"

"I'm not sure. Probably Lula and one of the guys, maybe Tank?"

"OK. Would you consider taking Bobby instead of Tank? I'd feel better if he was there to interpret all the medical terminology for you."

"That's a good idea. Maybe I'll just go with Bobby. I don't really need two people. I'd be fine with just Bobby."

"OK. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

We sat in silence for a long time. We both finished our glasses of wine and made our way to bed. We wanted to get up early and let the kids have one last morning on the beach before heading back to Trenton. The latest we could leave to get to Pino's by noon was 11. That meant we had to have breakfast early and be back at the house by 10 after the beach. I'm sure Steph would stay at the house rather than join us at the beach, but that was OK. She could take her time getting ready and the kids and I could have a bit of fun in the sand and sea.

More to follow. Thanks for reading.