Chapter 23: Wedding Daze
Stephanie turned the corner and prepared to make her way down the stairs. Her breath caught and her eyes filled with tears. "Daddy!"
Her father looking handsome, if uncomfortable, in a tuxedo stood at the top of the stairs. "C'mon, pumpkin, I'm here to escort you down to meet your groom."
"But, how?"
"It's a father's right to give his daughter away, and I'm pleased to be giving your hand in marriage to Ranger. Now let's go. Everyone is waiting."
"Everyone?"
"You'll see." He held out his arm and she took it, and together they walked down the grand staircase.
She didn't know who she'd be seeing, but she found she was glad her parents were going to be part of the celebration. Probably Ranger's parents, too.
At the bottom of the stairs, she hesitated and looked across the foyer into the room that had been prepared for the ceremony. There was a small group of people. Ranger's parents, her mother and Grandma, and Connie and Mary Lou. Her smile widened. Lester and Bobby looked handsome in their dress clothes. Then Ranger stepped front and center, and she forgot about how nice Bobby and Lester looked.
He was sporting a tux, like her father, but there was no comparison as to which man filled out the formal wear better. He looked magnificent. The bandages were gone from his temple and the healing wound was barely visible. Her heart swelled, and then fluttered as he continued to stare at her. His expression was not blank, and although she didn't share his ability to read minds, she could tell by the directness of his gaze, he was ready, even eager, for the step they were about to take.
…..
Ranger swallowed the emotion building inside of him. For the first time in his adult life, he was having trouble controlling his feelings. When he'd talked to his parents about the upcoming wedding, and seen and heard his mother's tearful reaction, he'd been affected deeply. It made him realize just how much he wanted what his parents had shared together the past forty years. And he could see it all coming to fruition as Stephanie moved through the room toward him. She was stunningly beautiful, he realized. His bride! The smile came unbidden.
He thought she would have regretted not having her family present, but there was a lingering doubt as to how she'd react. The serene smile and the directness of her gaze told him he'd made the right decision and the niggling worry vanished. He stepped forward to take her arm from her father.
They stood under a small archway of flowers with Tank and Lula on either side of them. And then yet another of Ranger's surprises stepped forward from the alcove where he'd been waiting. Ranger smiled broadly as he felt Stephanie startle at the sight of the minister.
"S-Sally?" she asked, softly.
Ranger leaned toward her and whispered. "He's an ordained minister. This is all legal, Babe." And then Ranger took a good look at Sally Sweet, and he was startled, too. The cross-dressing musician was wearing a floor-length robe of deep purple, suspiciously close to eggplant, he realized. And he'd promised Stephanie, no eggplant dresses. A scarlet stole embroidered with multi-colored flowers hung around his neck. There was a gold chrysanthemum tucked into Sally's shoulder-length curls, behind his right ear, which Ranger remembered from time spent in Hawaii, meant Sally was available. Ranger didn't think there'd be any takers here. Then Sally's rich baritone voice rang out in the room, and all attention was focused on the bride and groom.
"Good afternoon and welcome to the ceremony that will unite Carlos and Stephanie in marriage. I am Salvatore Sweet, a Rock of Ages Celebrant of the Church of the Purple Haze, and I've known the bride and groom for some time. I know they believe in a thing called love, that they listen to the rhythm of their heart."
Ranger recognized the lyrics of a popular rock song, and he internally groaned. He'd kill Tank. This had been his idea. But as Sally went on and the words became more traditional, he relaxed. Their vows were simple. He heard himself repeat the words after Sally's prompting. "To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish all the days of my life." He breathed a quiet sigh when his words ended, and he stared deeply into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen while Stephanie repeated the vows to him.
Before he knew it, he was turning to Tank to take the ring from him. He slipped the platinum band on her bare ring finger—she'd moved her engagement ring to her right hand for the ceremony, and then he held out his left hand and watched her slip a matching platinum band on his ring finger. The mutual exchange of rings gave a tangible reality to the vows they'd just spoken.
When Sally told him he could kiss his bride, he did without hesitation, his lips lingering on hers in a chaste sampling of what was to come later. But not too much later, if he had anything to say about it. They broke apart and Ranger took hold of her hand. He turned and smiled at the small group of guests.
"Thank you for sharing this special moment with us. It's taken us a while to get here, but now that we're here, we intend to live each moment together to the fullest." He turned to Stephanie and gave her another brief kiss before addressing the small group surrounding them. "Please join us in celebrating our wedding." He lifted his free hand to indicate the table at the side of the room where platters were filled with assorted canapés, and silver buckets held bottles of champagne.
The party started immediately, with the noise level in the room rising dramatically. Champagne flowed freely, and the mounds of food Ella had prepared quickly decreased as the guests mixed and mingled.
When the background music changed, Ranger spun Stephanie out to the middle of the room and their first dance as a married couple was to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," a fitting song for them. Ranger had been taking Steph out dancing ever since they'd attended his parents' fortieth wedding anniversary party, and now, all that practice was paying off. She felt comfortable in his arms and was able to match his movements without thinking about it too much.
As the melody faded, Frank Plum stepped up behind Ranger and tapped him on the shoulder. With a knowing smile, Ranger relinquished his new bride, one last time, to her father. The song that filled the room was "You Look So Good In Love" by George Strait. Tears filled the corners of her eyes as her father danced with her, but she managed to keep them contained, though she suspected her father's disappearance immediately after their father-daughter dance ended indicated he was having some trouble containing his own emotions.
Ricardo Mañoso came up to the happy couple as they enjoyed a glass of champagne. He hugged his son and bent to kiss Stephanie on the cheek. "Welcome to the family, Stephanie. Sofia and I couldn't be happier."
She smiled at her new father-in-law. "I'm happy to be part of this family, Mr. Mañ…uh, sir."
"Papa," Ricardo said, his hand on his son's shoulder. "Carlos calls me Papa, and I would be thrilled if you would also."
Again, Stephanie smiled. "Papa," she repeated.
"It is your wedding and I cannot resist dancing with you. Would you do me the honor?" He bowed slightly and held out his hand.
Steph's smile was becoming a fixture on her face when she was with her charming father-in-law. He looked so much like Ranger, or, Ranger looked like his father. "I would love to dance with you," she replied. Ricardo took her masterfully into his arms and twirled her around several times before settling into the rhythm of the music that was playing. She thought the song was "I Wish You Love," an old song her father used to whistle while he worked in the garage. She had fond memories of this melody with her daddy, and now, she was making a new one with her papa. By the time he led her off the dance floor back to Ranger's waiting arms, she was warm but still smiling.
"I could use some more champagne," she began, but faltered midsentence, "… oh my gosh!"
Ranger also smiled. He'd seen the cause of Stephanie's exclamation. Ella and her niece, whom she'd hired for the day to help with the preparations and serving, were wheeling the last of his surprises into the room.
"It's huge!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Is that a problem?" Ranger asked her.
"No," she laughed, delighted. "Let's go get a piece now!" She took Ranger's hand and pulled him toward the most perfect wedding cake she'd ever seen.
With Ella's help, Stephanie carved a healthy slice out of the multi-layered cake. "You need to feed Ranger a piece, Stephanie, and then he will feed you one," Ella told her. "It's to symbolize your commitment to provide for each other with loving care."
As Stephanie held a large piece of thickly iced cake up to Ranger's mouth, he asked her, "Are you going to smash this in my face?"
Stephanie looked affronted. "I would never waste cake in that way!"
Ella took over the cutting and her niece helped to serve cake to the guests. Bobby was seated on a sofa, his cake plate balanced on his lap, sipping champagne when he saw Stephanie's grandmother heading directly toward him. He thought she was in her seventies, but it was hard to tell; the years had not been kind to her. However, her libido had not been dampened by her advancing years. He knew a moment's fear and then relaxed as he realized there was no way she could grope his ass when he was sitting on it.
"Hi, there," Edna said as she sat down on the sofa next to Bobby. "You're the medical man at RangeMan, isn't that right?"
"Yes, I am," Bobby said, hoping she wasn't going to prattle on about all her ailments and then ask for medical advice.
"I've been having some trouble lately, and I was wondering if you could help me out," she said. Bobby inwardly groaned.
"I've got blood pressure issues. Every time I get next to a hot man my blood pressure goes up. It's probably through the roof right now." She leered at him, and his stomach rolled over. "Would you like to go someplace a little less crowded and check my blood pressure for me?"
The old lady was propositioning him! "Sorry," he told her. "I can't check your blood pressure. I don't have a sphygmomanometer."
"Oh, no problem," she told him. He watched in horror as she reached her bony hand out and squeezed his knee. He had to fight the urge to flinch, which would have sent his cake plate flying. "At my age I don't need that kind of protection," she explained.
"What?" he cried. Then, "Oh! No. A cuff. I meant I don't have a cuff with me."
"A cuff, a sleeve, a raincoat," Edna said. "Whatever they're calling it these days, we don't have to bother with one."
Bobby choked on a piece of cake as Stephanie's mother approached.
"Mother," Helen Plum said. "Come with me. I'd like to introduce you to Sofia Mañoso, Carlos' mother."
"Well, I don't know," Edna said. "Bobby and I were just making plans to play doctor, if you know what I mean." She winked at Bobby.
"Mother!" Helen Plum jerked her mother's arm so hard it was a miracle the old lady didn't need medical attention for a dislocated shoulder. Bobby quickly finished his cake, downed his champagne and went to give his congratulations to the happy couple. And then he'd leave, before Edna came looking for him again.
Bobby's departure started a trend. It was unspoken among the guests, but they seemed to know the bride and groom were longing for alone time.
Lester was deep in conversation with Ella's attractive niece. Tank didn't know if anyone else had noticed. Normally, something like that wouldn't escape Ranger's attention, but Ranger was otherwise occupied. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off his bride. Tank sighed and went over to do his duty. He was the best man and Ranger's number two so it was only normal that this job would fall to him.
He walked to Lester and nudged him on the back. "A word, Santos."
"Beat it, Tank, I'm busy here." He smiled his infamous disarming smile at the girl— and she was a girl—that was the problem.
"Your choice, Santos. I can say it here or in private, but I'm going to say it."
Lester squeezed the girl's arm. "I'll be right back, darlin'. Don't go anywhere." They walked to the other side of the room. "What's up your butt?" he asked Tank.
"It's not my butt I'm worried about," Tank said. "I'm trying to save your ass. That girl is underage. And she's related to Ella."
"I know she's Ella's niece," Lester said. "And she's not underage. She's twenty-one."
"She's off limits," Tank insisted.
"Give me some credit. I'm not an idiot," Lester said. He turned and walked back to continue his conversation with Ella's niece. Tank shrugged his shoulders. He'd tried. A burst of laughter drew his attention to the group of women in the foyer.
Mary Lou threw her arms around Stephanie. "I am so happy for you. I've never seen you so ... serene," she told Stephanie. "You're a beautiful bride."
"Yeah, you clean up good," Connie added. "And I've seen you at your worst. Congratulations."
"Thanks," Stephanie said. "The credit for this hair goes to Lula. Didn't she do a great job?" Stephanie twirled to show off the intricate hairdo. "And thanks to both of you for coming. It wouldn't have been the same without you."
"Ranger said it was a surprise," Connie said. "He made us promise not to tell." She looked around the expansive foyer and up the grand staircase. "So, this is the Bat Cave, huh?"
"It is," Stephanie said. "And it's where I'm living from now on. I'd give you a tour, but I haven't even seen everything yet."
"We'll give you time to get settled in, but then…" Mary Lou stopped talking to frown at the sound of a beep that indicated she'd received a text message. "Sorry," she said as she pulled her phone from her purse. "I've got a sick kid at home." She read the message and then shot an apologetic glance at Connie. "I've got to go. It's nothing serious, but my husband's freaking out, and since you're my ride…"
"No problem," Connie said. She hugged Stephanie. "I'm happy for you, Stephanie."
The women left and Stephanie went in search of her husband. Husband! Ranger was her husband. She smiled again. She was surprised her face wasn't sore from smiling. Ranger was saying good-bye to her family. She watched in amusement as he hugged her Grandma. "It was nice to see you here, Edna."
Grandma looked Ranger up and down and gave him a cheeky grin, "Well, young man, it's always better to be seen than viewed!" Her family left the house, and Stephanie laughed out loud at her Grandma's flippant remark, which had momentarily left her husband speechless.
She looked around and saw that everyone was gone, except Lula and Tank, and Sally. She went to the group and grabbed Sally's hand. "You're a minister. I had no idea!"
"Yeah," Sally said. "The band is back together, and we've been doing a lot of weddings. We're in the process of setting up a whole wedding service. So, I got ordained. This way I can run the whole show. I marry 'em, and then I'm the DJ at the reception and the vocalist in the band. I'm the whole deal!"
"Are you still doing wedding consulting like you did with my sister, Val?"
"It's part of our package," he said. "I hate to break up this conversation, but I've got to run. I've got another gig tonight. I wouldn't have missed this one though." He gave Stephanie a bone-crushing hug and headed for the door.
Ranger came to Stephanie's side and stared pointedly at Lula and Tank, the only two remaining guests.
"Well, I guess I can take a hint," Lula said. "Me and Tank signed all the witness papers, so everything's legal. We'll be going now." She grabbed hold of Tank's arm and pulled him toward the door. "C'mon on, big boy. I think we overstayed our welcome."
And then they were alone. Ranger's arms, already around her, tightened their hold. "Are you happy, Babe?"
She nodded and exclaimed, "Yes!"
"Then the surprise of wedding guests was okay with you?" He brushed his lips over the smooth skin of her forehead.
She responded by nuzzling his neck. "It was wonderful," she said. "But how did you ever arrange it?"
"Ella," Ranger said. "I couldn't have done it without her." He walked Stephanie across the room toward a large armchair where he sat and pulled her down onto his lap. "There's a guesthouse at the back of the property," he said. "I'm thinking of offering it to Luis and Ella. Luis could handle the estate and Ella could continue, much as she has been doing, taking care of me … and now you."
"That would be nice," Stephanie said. It would be wonderful, in fact. She had trouble keeping her small apartment clean and in order. This place was way more than she could handle. "But what would happen at RangeMan?"
"I'd have to hire someone to replace Luis, but if I'm no longer living at RangeMan, there'd be no need for Ella. Or at least not a fulltime need for Ella. I haven't made any decisions yet. I thought I'd ask your opinion. You have a vote, now."
Stephanie ran her hands through his hair. She pulled his head to hers and, after kissing his wounded temple, placed her lips against his. "If I have a vote, then I vote we retire to the master bedroom. I haven't seen it. I don't even know where it is."
Ranger kissed her. "I'll happily show you our bedroom. Remember, you can make any changes you like."
"The main change I want to make is out of this dress and into your arms … in our bed."
"Don't be impatient, Babe. I want to savor every moment of our next few days. I've been alone most of my adult life, and that was fine. But now I am looking forward to being half of a couple. To finally have a future I can look forward to."
She thrilled at the words. He'd always told her that maybe, someday, and someday was ... now.
"I want to sit here with you on my lap for a few more minutes and revel in the fact that you're mine," he told her. "And then I'll take you upstairs and love you like you've never been loved before."
"You already do love me like I've never been loved before," she told him. "From the day I met you you've treated me better than any other man ever did, so I'm reveling, too. But can we revel together while you give me a thorough tour of this place?"
"I'll give you an in-depth tour. I'm going to show you how much I love you, room-by-room." His lips found that sensitive spot at the base of her neck and she shivered.
"You mean?"
"Yes," he said. "I mean that we'll start in the master bedroom tonight. But we're going to turn this from a house to a home, one room at a time. I'm going to make love to you in every room, in every nook and cranny." He wrapped his arms around her and stood. Her heart thrilled as she realized he was going to carry her upstairs. They were going to make love in every room!
"This place is huge, Ranger. That will take forever."
"Babe, the Bat Cave is forever."
AN: While this is just the beginning of Ranger and Steph's married life together, this story has come to an end. We hope you have enjoyed it. Since two writers collaborated on creating this story, we each have written an epilogue—of sorts—to finish it.