Chapter 15 The not a proposal proposal
"Babe?"
"I'm getting there. I'm getting there. It's just so unexpected. I never knew you felt this way. I never knew you ever thought about marriage with me. Thought about it enough to buy a ring. Joe has been talking about it for years and has never bought me a ring. It's just…it's just that I want this ring. I know if I open it I'm going to want it and I don't know if I'm ready for that. If I'm ready for that with you. Opening this ring is as good as saying yes and I need to know inside that I am ready to say yes." She looked up at me. "I have had occasional thoughts about being married to you for a long time, I just thought they were dreams, a fantasy, that it never could be real."
"Babe I slipped up one time and told you I thought about marrying you. Then I tried to take it back. To change it to sharing a closet with you. But obviously in my heart I really thought about a life with you."
"When I walked down the aisle to you at Kensey and Amanda's wedding rehearsal I knew I could marry you. I would love living with you. I would love to share your closet and I love your sheets. I love Ella's cooking. But it never seems real to me when I stay with you. I don't know if I can live like that for real." She went back to staring at the box and I knew I was right it was too soon for her. I prepared to take it out of her hands when she surprised me by raising her head, lifting the box up slowly and opening the lid.
Inside was a three-carat solitaire in a platinum setting, with a heart shaped diamond on either side, each followed by three more round diamonds. "I understand you're not ready for this, but I saw this ring and thought of you, the only woman to ever touch my heart. I knew if I was ever going to get married it would be to you and I bought it because I have always harbored dreams of a life with you, I just didn't think it was possible. I didn't think it would be safe. I didn't think it would be fair to you. But this is how I feel: I love you and I want you in my life. So, when you're ready I have a ring for you."
"You're asking me to marry you?"
"No, not right now. This isn't even getting engaged to be engaged. This is me telling you I love you and when you're ready I have a ring for you. We can just start dating now and get engaged in a couple of months." I was saying as I reached to take the box out of her hands and she cupped her hands around it and held it away from me.
"No way mister. You don't go hand a girl a ring and then try to rip it out of her hands." I dropped my hand and she brought the box back down to her lap.
"So, you're not asking me to marry you?"
"Not this moment. I'm just telling you that it's something I am wanting in the future."
"But you handed me a ring."
"I wanted you to know I am serious. I'm not just all talk."
"So, you want to get married?"
"When you are ready. I'm not trying to rush you and I know this is a big decision and you just broke up-" Abruptly, her mouth was on mine and her arms were wrapped around my neck and she was kissing me for all she was worth. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, delving into her mouth. I was shocked. She had never been one to instigate kissing. I could count on one hand the number of times she has instigated anything and she tended to go straight for the goods.
After several minutes she pulled away, breathing heavy. I leaned my forehead against hers and looked deeply into her clear blue eyes. "Stephanie, I love you. I want you for always." She smiled at me.
"So now do I get the ring?"
"Do you want the ring?" I was surprised again.
"Of course, it is a beautiful ring. And it matches my watch, they both have hearts." I stood her up, took the ring out of the box, put it into my pocket and slipped my flip flops back on. I took her hand and led her out the door. I was headed for a deserted section of the beach. I wanted this to be real and memorable for her.
I stopped along the beach just between two palm trees, about thirty feet from the aqua blue waters crashing softly against the shore and turned to look her in the eyes taking both her hands in mine. I took the ring I had made on the ship off the forth finger of her left hand and slid it on the fourth finger of her right. This was going to be one of the most important speeches of my life; I had to get this right.
"Stephanie Michelle Plum, you are the most beautiful thing in my life." She smiled at me. "I have loved you since I met you and I will love you till the end of time. I want to wake up next to you every morning and hold you in my arms every night. But," I hesitated, this was the hard part but I couldn't pull any punches. She had to know the truth of what this would mean. "My life is filled with dangers. If you agree to this union you need to realize that this is not going to be the first time someone comes after you. There will always be a long line of my enemies trying to get to you to punish me. I will do everything in my power to make you safe. If you can live with that, if you can love me forever, if you can trust me to protect you."
I got down on one knee, pulled the ring from my pocket and held it out to her. "Stephanie will you marry me?" Her smile continued to get bigger the longer I talked then she simply said "Yes."
I took her left hand and slid the ring on it as tears welled up in her eyes. I stood and kissed her hand where the ring now lived and then took her in my arms kissing her like there was no tomorrow. I pulled her body into mine as I ground my hard length up against her knowing that we were finally beginning our someday today.
If someone had told me last Sunday I would be proposing to Stephanie in one week on a tropical isle I would have told them to get their head checked because they were delusional, she was back with Morelli and I never thought anything was going to break their on-again off-again cycle. I never thought she would be safer with me than away from me.
Now I was mentally preparing for a long engagement. I know my mama has always given me grief for not seeing me get married the first time and Stephanie's family will expect another large Catholic wedding. It was April, the soonest I could see us marrying would be the end of summer, maybe early fall, otherwise we could wait till next year. I wasn't big into snow (think dirty slush) covered weddings. I wanted it to be decent outdoors and we could go somewhere tropical for our honeymoon.
We broke apart and a smile was still splitting Stephanie's face. "Ready to go tell my family?" I asked her and she looked at me astonished. I guess she hadn't thought far enough ahead to telling people.
"How about we wait till dinner, then everyone will be together and we can tell them all at once." She suggested.
I nodded to her. I wasn't in any hurry and I could wait for Angelia and Oshanna to get a look at the ring. Angelia was very proud of her two-carat custom-made ring and Stephanie's three-carat, over five total weight, diamond ring will make her twist in her designer panties.
"Ranger-"
"Carlos, Babe, Carlos."
"Carlos, you need to work on your numbers, your counting is off," she smiled widely at me. "I have already been taken four times by your enemies, this latest threat is the fifth."
I looked at her seriously. "Can you live with it Babe? It's only going to get worse not better." I told her hesitant of her reply.
"Ranger, you have always told me about the dangers of your life. I have seen them firsthand and I trust you to keep me safe. By the way when did you buy the ring?" She held her hand up so she could look at it again.
"After Hawaii. Babe if I wasn't so worried about your safety I would have asked you a long time ago. I thought by keeping my distance I was keeping you safe."
"You've had this ring since Hawaii and you never told me, you never asked me?"
"Hawaii was really special to me. It showed me the kind of life I could have if I wasn't me. And Dios I wanted it. I wanted you, but there is a reason I carry two guns and a knife." I took her hand and led her down to the edge of the water while we talked. "Stephanie there is something I have never told you about myself. While I was a Ranger…" and I told her about the leak in SOCOM and Emilio and my records that keep showing up online. The long list of people who want me dead, the hits that are already out there and the people that may target her next.
"If you want to rethink this whole marriage thing I would understand." I told her at the end. Pulling her to face me so I could look into those deep blue eyes. She looked clearly up at me unfazed by what I had told her.
"Carlos, it has always been you. When you walked in and Scrog shot you, I knew that you would do anything for me and that… and that…and that…." She took a deep breath, "I love you. I'm not going to say that I don't love Joe because I do…well I did." She hesitated. "But I have always loved you more, wanted you more. I could never give you up just because he wanted me to. I needed you more than I ever needed him. For the longest time, I have been telling myself that you were my best friend, the one I could always turn to, the one that I could always count on. That doesn't change or go away just because there are some bad guys out to get you. Heck there always seems to be somebody after me, what's a few more nut jobs added to the roll." She smiled at me that perfect, innocent, mischievous smile and I pulled her into my arms and held her tight.
This was one of my secrets, when it first happened only people with top security clearance knew about the leak at SOCOM. But after the third massive release it was picked up by CNN and other news agencies so they can't say the public, at some point, wasn't told. These were my family's lives, I'm still not sure I should have told them the truth but really, they deserved to know the extent of the danger. I would rather them be aware and looking over their shoulders than obliviously getting kidnapped. Now that she knew and accepted the danger I could move on to keeping her safe.
I would convince her to go through self-defense training, some martial arts and more weapons training. She's not a bad shot she just hates guns, if I can get her more comfortable with them, maybe get her to carry one on her hip, and definitely get her a concealed carry license since when she does carry it's always in her bag. She was pulling away from me and I let her go bringing myself back to the present.
"Babe, we have an hour and," I looked at my watch, "twenty minutes till dinner. What do you want to do?"
She pulled me close again and ground her hips against mine, she turned my head and whispered in my ear. "Maybe we should go back to our cabana and make sure it's secure." And then she tugged on my earlobe with her teeth and bit down sending a painful zing through my body. I jerked away in reaction, even as my dick was suddenly throbbing hard and took her hand pulling her back the way we had come. After last night, I figured she would be too sore, but now she was acting like an alley cat in heat and I couldn't wait to get her back and make love to her as my fiancé.
We were walking back between the cabanas across from ours when my parents walked in front of us. They were headed back down to the beach and stopped when they saw us.
"Mi'jo we are going to play some more volleyball why don't you come and join us."
"Maybe in a little bit, Mama. We are going to get something important from the cabana right now." I told them and kept pulling Stephanie along. I looked back to see her turning five shades of red and smiled. I could juggle my family and have bedroom time with her. We could sneak it in.
I opened the door to our cabana and turned the overhead fans on. There was no air conditioning in the cabanas, the little solar powered cells on the roof didn't have enough juice to power one for long and if run at night would have drained the batteries too quickly. I pushed Stephanie up against the door and started pulling her clothes off as I attacked her mouth.
I wanted her and I wanted her now. She was mine, now and forever and I just wanted to be inside her. Her cover-up offered no resistance and her bathing suit was gone in a flash, I don't even know where it landed. I grabbed her hands and held them up above her head and growled, "Mine" and started kissing every part of her I could reach. When I got down to her breasts I released her hands and grabbed her torso and lifted her up to meet my mouth.
***************SMUT***************
I sucked, nibbled, left marks and teased her tips till they were hard little pebbles. Then I bit down gently and then harder pulling on her firm breasts as I loved them. I set her down, grabbed her around the waist and quickly picked her up again kissing down her belly as I went. She tensed, and squealed and grabbed my arms bracing herself upright. The ceilings in these cabanas were tall, obviously made that way for circulation. Right now, I was very grateful for the height, few rooms were tall enough for me to take her like this.
I kept lifting her up, until her apex was in front of me then pinned her against the door holding her still. I teased her with several soft kisses to the small bush of hair that was there and then I moved lower, slower, kissing her repeatedly and then spreading her with my tongue.
Dios, she was so warm and wet, sea salty and Stephanie sweet. It was like I was tasting my favorite warm pie right out of the oven. I couldn't get enough, tonguing and thrusting and sucking on her little nub. She tilted her head back against the door and moaned, spreading her legs wider, thrusting her hips out to meet my mouth. "Carlos" she moaned, her hands tightening on my arms and her hips forced away from the door to my mouth. Damn, I needed some fingers but none were available at the moment.
I lifted her a fraction higher, getting my tongue up underneath her and stroking while I kissed her lips with mine. I practically had her sitting on my mouth and I knew we would do this again in a bed, her kneeling over me. I loved eating her and right now she was loving it too as her thighs tightened and she groaned. Her head began moving back and forth and there it was, the low guttural groan that signaled her release. I didn't stop for a second knowing my reward was coming.
A moment later she was dripping wet and I lapped it up knowing she was getting more tenderized as I did so. Finally, she was calling to me. "Carlos, Ranger please." I pulled my head back and smiled a shiny wet full-on smile, like the cat that ate the canary and lapped up all of the milk, and slowly lowered her back to the ground.
Her legs were wobbly underneath her so I just picked her up, carried her to the bedroom and laid her out on the bed. My clothes were gone in the next second and I was on top of her kissing her again. She squirmed underneath me and turned her head. "Carlos, Carlos, let me catch my breath." She whimpered and I let my head drop to her forehead.
She lifted my head, wiping at my mouth with her hands. "You're all wet." she said and smiled at me. "There's no rush, we have forever now." And then she kissed me very slow and thoroughly, I immediately got involved in kissing her back. Holding some of my weight off her so I don't crush her even as I rub my length up and down where she is so wet. A few minutes later and I can't wait any more.
I pull away, get up on my knees and slide a condom on. I push her legs further apart and then I am inside her, Dios she is so tight, and wet and warm. I freeze once again as I let her adjust to my size and hold myself away. I could come right now, just being inside her is so fulfilling. Of course, then it would all be over in less than a minute and I'm not ready to disappoint her like that. I took a deep breath and relaxed back into my steely control.
I looked into the depths of her eyes and started to move. Slowly out, slowly in, creating an even easy rhythm that I could maintain. I watched her smiling face. She was mine, she said yes, she knew the risks and still said yes. She trusts me to take care of her and keep her safe and I was never going to let her down again. I built her up until her heels were digging into the bed propelling herself up and I reached down with one hand, sliding it under her butt, tilting her hips up more to meet mine and began really pounding into her. I heard her exhale first, then the air catch going back in and I knew what was coming next.
A few more strokes and she tightened underneath me and began to groan and instead of stopping like I would usually do, I pounded harder until she completely contracted around me and I lost it spurting into her again and again with a groan of my own and my whole body throbbed. The pleasure continued to pulse through me and I felt like I was cumming over and over again. With my final release I collapsed on top of her breathing hard.
***************END SMUT***************
A few moments later she tapped my side, her way of saying you're too heavy I can't breathe and I lifted myself up and smiled down into her flushed face and slightly unfocused eyes. She smiled back at me, her eyes becoming a little more focused and I kissed her. Mio Dios, to have her like this every day. To have what we had in Hawaii. I didn't want to leave. I just wanted to stay here on this island with her and be immersed in her.
I rolled over onto my right side and watched her lay there and catch her breath. She looked over at me and smiled again then scooted over until her soft supple body was pressed up right next to my hard one. I rolled back a little bit, peeled off the condom and flung it into the bedside trash then I rolled back against her, put my arm around her and pulled her flush to me.
Fifteen minutes later my body was making noises about doing it again but I didn't want to wear her out before tonight. Dinner was now in twenty minutes and she was practically asleep. I nuzzled my face into the side of her neck, her hair slightly tickling my nose.
Another ten minutes went by before I decided to gently shake her shoulder. "Babe, time for dinner." She groaned and I smiled as she stretched herself awake. "Time for a shower." I told her and I got up and went to turn the hot water on. The solar water heater was several buildings away and took a long time to get here so I turned it on straight hot and waited. A few moments later a bumbling half-asleep Stephanie stumbled into the bathroom and I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her on the head.
Hot water showed up with a gust of steam. I adjusted the temperature and dragged Stephanie in with me. Ten minutes later I was sitting by the door while she frantically blew dry her hair afraid someone in the family would think we had taken a shower in the middle of the day and wonder why. I told her to put back on her swimsuit (as soon as we could find it), I would throw her in the ocean and no one would wonder why her hair was wet.
She came out of the bathroom in a huff, the shower not having done enough. Between the sex, the nap, the blow dryer and the humidity her hair was puffed up to epic proportions and her rubber band was just barely containing the riotous curls. "It's Ok Babe, we're not going out anywhere fancy to eat and no one in my family is going to notice your hair, but if its bothering you that bad, swimsuit-ocean option still available." I smiled at her as she frowned, because she had already dressed in khaki shorts, a pink tank top and a pair of brown sandals.
As soon as we walked into dinner I wanted to hold up her hand and announce we were engaged, but figured that would cause an uproar and embarrass Stephanie. Dinner tonight looked like a buffet of Chinese. We picked up plates and got food from the bar and took middle spots at the twenty-foot-long brown, metal picnic bench style table with Oshanna and Julio at one end and Ron, Rachel and their kids at the other.
I sat next to Stephanie, lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed her ring. I still couldn't believe that she dumped him and said yes to me. Even after I told her how dangerous it would be, she still chose me. I smiled inwardly to myself. I'd suspected she loved me for so long but the fact that she has finally said it, twice in two days, and then said yes, my chest felt like it was going to burst open with happiness and pride, she was finally mine, really mine.
Stephanie slid over to Oshanna, whispered to her, and held out her hand which Oshanna took in hers; tilting it back and forth looking at it under the light. Julio reached across the table for her hand and examined the ring, but would not let go as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. I wanted to get up, rip her hand away and punch him out, but I knew that Stephanie could handle herself and the sooner she realized he was a joda the happier I would be. (pain in the ass)
Stephanie finally yanked her hand away, told him loudly to cut it out that she was happily engaged and Carlos was the better man. Oshanna told Angelia to come see Stephanie's ring. She came right over and took Stephanie's hand and gave her an actual complement instead of a snide remark. Then she looked over to me and said "Good job Carlos, you picked out a very beautiful ring."
This caught the attention of my parents and Leyla who were sitting at the next table over. Mama said she wanted to see and Stephanie went over and leaned across their table to show them the ring. Angelia went back to her seat next to her kids who were seated just one spot down from my parents. My mama suddenly shrieked and stood up, walked around the table kissed Stephanie on both cheeks and hugged her tightly. My father was right behind her, as my mother passed Stephanie to him and came over to me.
"Carlos, you got engaged and you didn't even tell us." She lightly scolded. I got up to face her and she embraced me hard.
"Mama it just happened this evening we haven't been engaged two whole hours."
"Now we know what was so much more important than a volleyball game." She smiled up at me and turned to the room. "Everyone who hasn't heard, Carlos and Stephanie got engaged. He got her a beautiful ring you have to see!"
A/N To see the ring go to my Pinterest page www dot pinterest dot com/rangerbabe21/saving-all-my-women/
Julie jumped to her feet and ran over to me. "Did you really ask her? You two are finally together for good?"
"Yes Jewels. We are together for good." She hugged me and went to go see Stephanie and her ring. I watched my family mob Stephanie and remembered something my dad once told me. 'A wedding ring is for life, something that she looks at every day, but it is something that all her friends and family see and judge you by so it needs to be something special from your heart.' I hadn't thought about this when I bought the ring but it holds true right now.
Leyla came around the table to hug Stephanie and look at her ring, then came to hug me and tell me, "You did good hermano." Stephanie was passed around for hugs and I went to sit by my abuelas.
"Abuela esta tarde le pedí a Estefania que se casara conmigo y ella dijo que sí." I told them. (Abuelas, this afternoon I asked Stephanie to marry me and she said yes.)
"Felicidades pequeña que finalmente estás creciendo." Grandma Sanja told me as she got up to kiss me on the cheek and give me a hug. (Congratulations little one you are finally growing up.)
Grandma Rosa kissed me, hugged me and looked me in the eyes. "Ella es buena. Bien por usted. Ella te hace sonreír, sana tu corazón. Desde que la conociste eres un hombre mejor. Bendiciones en tu matrimonio y todos tus bebés." (She is good. Good for you. She makes you smile, heals your heart. Since you met her you are a better man. Blessings on your marriage and all your babies.)
She took me by the hand and led me over to where Isabella was gushing over Stephanie's ring. "How many carats is it? I know that's no one-carat ring." Isabella was saying.
"I don't know, I didn't ask." Stephanie said.
"Woman, don't you know anything, that's the first thing you ask! Preferably before you say yes." Angelia who had joined the circle said. "Carlos, how many carats is this ring?" She asked me.
"The diamond or the whole ring?"
"Both" she answered.
"Three carat diamond. Five in the whole ring." I explained and Stephanie was gob struck.
Grandma Rosa went up to her and took both of her hands, "Estefania, eres una buena mujer, buena para nuestro Carlos. Bendiciones en tu matrimonio y en," she put her hand on Stephanie's stomach, "tu vientre. Que usted sea feliz y tenga muchos bebés."
I translated after she spoke. "Stephanie, you are a good woman, good for our Carlos. Blessings on your marriage," She still had her hand on Stephanie's stomach, "and your womb. May you be happy and have lots of babies."
Stephanie smiled at Grandma Rosa even as she looked uncomfortable. Then she glanced at me, wariness in her eyes. We had not directly discussed it but I knew how she felt about children from her complaining about Morelli and his desire to have them. Stephanie rose to any challenge presented to her, but the idea of children scared her. All she saw were other people's kids being noisy and messy and uncontrollable and she didn't know how to handle it.
I can only say for most parents something happens when that little bundle is placed in your arms that changes your whole world view on the messiness and problems of raising that baby. I know my whole world changed but I didn't raise Julie so I couldn't vouch for the messiness and problem parts. I only knew that there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her. I would have to reassure Stephanie that she didn't need to worry. Bringing a baby into my extremely dangerous life would be like waving a red flag before the bull to my enemies who want to hurt me. Not something I can ever imagine doing hence the two boxes of condoms.
When my family released Stephanie, I took her into my arms and looked into those deep blue eyes and smiled at her my full-on smile. "Babe" was all I needed to say and with it said 'I love you, I understand you, no worries, it will all be okay.' I led her back to the table and we started eating again.
"So, when is the wedding?" Oshanna asked. We hadn't discussed any of this yet so I was interested in what Stephanie would say.
"Um," Stephanie looked at me and I smiled at her.
"Whatever you want Babe." I told her.
"Well we'll just have to see. First, we have to tell my parents and see what they say. I expect that they are going to want to rent the VFW hall and reserve the church so it's going to depend on when places are available." She looked at me and I nodded back at her.
This would end up being our mothers' three-ringed circus, certain that my mother would get involved and Stephanie's mother probably already had it half planned, just waiting on the ring. I would help Stephanie through it, be supportive while her mother drove her nuts, show up in my tux on the appointed day and whisk her away for a wonderful honeymoon. Somewhere warm and tropical where she's never been.
My mother, Leyla, and Isabella all came over with their dinners, my mother sitting next to Stephanie, Leyla and Isabella across the table. One glance at Angelia and I could tell she was upset at being left out, but her kids were too hands on to leave alone.
"So, what are your colors?" Isabella asked.
"Um, I don't know. Carlos's color is black so black and something I guess."
"What's your favorite flower?"
"Ugh," Stephanie grunted quietly to herself and I patted the back of her hand.
"I know you all mean well, but we just got engaged and haven't discussed any of this stuff. Besides, her mother has been waiting years for this; she probably has a wedding mostly planned." I told them.
"Planning it is the best part of any wedding, you get to do it for months where the wedding is over in hours. What is your favorite animal or pattern? Do you like sparkles?" Mama asked.
"I'll let you guys and my mom do all the planning; I will get my nails and hair done and show up on time." Stephanie said.
"That's great, we have lots of ideas but you will want to give us a little input." Isabella said and turned the phone she had been frantically working on, laying it in front of Stephanie. "Here are some basic ideas to get a color palate. Here is green and black, here is royal blue and black, here is baby blue and black, here's turquoise and black, here is red and black, here is pink and black, here is purple and black and finally peach and black."
"Definitely not red and black it looks like something out of a horror movie." Stephanie said. "Not green that looks like a weird garden, the blue or a baby pink, the darker pink looks like a bordello. Not really the baby blue more like a medium, bright or shiny blue. The turquoise is nice but it looks like people have done it a bunch." She looked closely at one bouquet. "I really like the use of these black feathers. It needs some other flowers though, too."
"This is what you need to do." Mama took Stephanie's hand. "Close your eyes and imagine it is your wedding day. Just answer with whatever comes to your mind first. You're putting on your dress, what color is it?"
"White"
"Silk, tulle, satin or lace?"
"Silk"
"Pick up your flowers. What color are they?"
"Blue or purple or pink and black, with hearts and feathers."
"Your dad comes to walk you down the aisle, describe what he is wearing."
"A tux"
"Okay, you open the doors to the church. Look down the aisle, what do you see?"
"Carlos."
"And what is he wearing"
"A tux."
"Who are your bridesmaids?"
"Lula and Mary Lou and if she wants to, my sister. And maybe her daughters as flower girls and Julie if she wants to. I would really like Julie to be involved with the wedding. Maybe we should ask her what her favorite color is." Stephanie said. "Julie, bring your dinner down here."
Julie came down the table and sat across kitty corner from Stephanie.
"Julie, we don't have any definite plans yet but I would like you to be involved in the wedding. What is your favorite color?"
"Blue." Julie quickly replied, smiling.
"Would you like to be in the wedding party, like one of the bridesmaids?"
"Absolutely. That would be awesome. I can be the flower girl or a junior bridesmaid."
"Sure, Julie if you want to. You are the third most important person in this wedding whatever you want we will try to do." Stephanie said.
"Balloons, there should be lots of balloons." Julie gushed.
"It sounds like blue and black are our colors, feathers, hearts and balloons. Any other questions?"
"Well the first question on this check list is your budget." Isabella said.
"Carlos?" Stephanie turned to me.
"No budget." I told them.
"No budget? What does that mean?" Leyla asked.
"It means whatever Stephanie wants she gets." I said.
"$30,000? $50,000? There has to be a limit." Leyla pushed.
"Leyla, Mama, Isabella, just focus on what Stephanie, Julie and Stephanie's mom want. Her mom has to be happy in this. I'm not having my in-laws pissed off over something stupid from the start." I leaned over to Stephanie. "Babe don't think about the money, just plan the wedding you will be happy with. We are only doing it once and it is forever, so no budget."
I know if I tell my family a number like $30,000 it will cost me $50,000. If I say $50,000 they will spend $100,000. If I say $100,000 they will take it as a challenge to spend more than that. Stephanie is financially frugal, if I let her lead the way it will be well within my idea of a healthy wedding budget.
After dinner, the woman retired to the game room. They parked themselves on the two couches and one loveseat set in a semi circle in front of the TV to plan and discuss the wedding. They had already started a new Pinterest page dedicated to the wedding and were all busy on their phones coming up with ideas, showing Stephanie pins they have found and discussing design concepts. Julie, Becky and Maggie all had their phones out searching away, showing each other ideas and giggling.
The boys and dads were sitting on the floor in front of the women playing Nintendo. The younger girls were at the craft table drawing. Both three-year old's were in the ball pit. Julio came over to harass me. "So, you're finally going to tie the knot. Don't you think you are kinda rushing it with Stephanie? She should be free to explore and make sure she is choosing the best man."
"Julio, she's mine, she'll never be yours, suck it up and leave her alone. I catch you harassing her and you won't need an excuse to miss work. I'll do things that will put you out of work for the next six months." I threatened in a low voice.
"Woah, bro. I'm saying she just broke up with her boyfriend and may need time to explore some options."
I got in his face, "She is taken. You see her as the last single woman on this island because there is no one else for you to hit on. Touch her and I will break all three of your legs and getting laid will be the last thing on your mind."
He held up his hands between us, "Chill bro, you've made your point. But really it's her decision to make."
I clinched my fists, just wanting to hit him and if my parents weren't right there I would. "Julio," I held up the key to the liquor cabinet. "Go have a few drinks and get any ideas of Stephanie out of your head before they have to airlift your broken ass off this island."
He grabbed the key from my hand and walked away. I knew as long as we were only engaged he would still hit on Stephanie, but hopefully as he got drunk, she would see through the sham.
Rachel took me aside. "I am happy for you and that ring is something special. You've been through a lot in your life and you've given up a lot for your country. You deserve some good in your life and I think she really loves you. I hope you both will be happy for a long time."
"Thank you, Rachel. I know our marriage wasn't what you wanted but at the time it was all I could give."
"Carlos, you have done more than could ever be expected financially. I'm glad you are finally in Julie's life. She needs your presence more now than anything else you could give her."
"This might not be the best time to ask, but when this is all over, do you think she could come visit us in Trenton, like maybe over the summer?" I asked her.
"I'll have to discuss that with Ron. Maybe not this summer, but she is getting old enough for that."
Half an hour later Stephanie was looking more than a little frazzled and worn out. I walked over to the couch where she was sitting between my mama and my sisters. "Ladies if you don't mind I'm going to steal my fiancé for a walk on the beach. Stephanie?" I held my right hand out to her and she looked relieved, putting her hand in mine. Thanking everyone for their help and telling them she will see them tomorrow.
The quiet waves and light breeze were soothing, as we stared out across the endless water.
"I didn't expect that from my family. Of course, I haven't been around for any of their weddings. I've been on assignment and just sent gifts or money." I explained.
"It was good practice for dealing with my mother. She's going to pin me to the kitchen table for hours while we plan the wedding. With any luck, your family will have it planned before we get back home and I won't have to deal with my obsessive mom." Stephanie said.
"Speaking of your parents, do you want to call and tell them?" I asked.
"Not today. I've had as much family craziness as I can take and I'm not sure how my mother is going to respond because you're not Joe and in her mind, you're the reason I was kidnapped and left town so really I'm not in a hurry to tell her."
I stopped us walking and pulled her into my arms searching her face. "Are you thinking this isn't a good idea?"
"No, God, I don't live to make my mother happy, just ask her: she hates my job, she wants me to be married with a house and several kids. That's what she thinks my life should be, but I would be miserable like that. I would feel trapped, suffocated and hate my life. Spending every day cleaning and cooking would be like torture." Stephanie said looking over my shoulder as if seeing into an almost future.
"So, you're happy to be marrying me?"
"Carlos," She looked into my eyes. "I have loved you for a long time, I just never thought it would ever go anywhere." She smiled at me. "This seems all rather sudden but it feels right. Like I have been waiting for something in a dark room and you just turned the light on. Other people kept offering to turn on the light but it was the wrong person and the wrong light." She laughed. "I don't know if that made any sense. It worked in my head till I said it out loud."
I gave her my half smile. "I understood the analogy. I just want to make sure you're ok with all this and don't feel that it's too much, too fast."
"You mean you don't want me to wake up in the morning and regret this, or give you the ring back and say get lost." She smirked at me. "I would never do that to you." She pulled away and started walking down the beach. "Honestly it all feels a little surreal. Like a fantasy come true. We kinda skipped the whole dating thing, you know where you take me out and then come back and spend the night in my bed. In fact, we have never done that. We skipped right to sex and then we kept being friends with occasional sex and now we're engaged." She looked over at me. "Are you okay with it? We haven't discussed it but I'm just assuming we're going to be living together now. You'll have to give up half of your fabulous closet and I don't know… major crimp in your lifestyle having somebody living with you when you are working all the time."
"I work hard to make my business a success, but besides you there hasn't been much else in my life. Now you're going to play a bigger role and I will probably work a little less. But you have to know now; work can call 24/7 and I have to go. Sometimes out of town, and my contract with the government is almost up but if they call me there are times I can't say no. I'll never be able to tell you where I'm going or how long I'll be gone."
"I've gotten used to you being in the wind. I can't say I like it but you always say goodbye and that's what matters to me."
"I'll always say goodbye." I told her.
We were quiet for several minutes each lost in our thoughts. I finally steered her towards the cabanas, it was almost 20:00. Maybe there was something we could cuddle up and watch on satellite TV. I knew I was leaving in two days, but I rode her hard last night and I didn't want to completely wear her out.
I told a woman that I was seeing while on a two week leave that I had to leave early and she thanked god. She said the sex was too good for her to turn down and she knew she would never see me again, so every time I wanted to go another round she agreed, even though I had worn her lady parts out. I didn't want to do that to Stephanie when we now had forever laid out in front of us.
We cuddled on the couch in front of the TV, there wasn't much on that held my interest, until I found 'The Hunt for Red October'. I knew Stephanie might not have much interest in it, but there was still two and a half hours of the movie left and that would take us to a more appropriate bedtime. Stephanie was probably a little tired from last night. If we went to bed early I could wake her up throughout the night, and she would still get enough sleep.
Half an hour later I was drawing little circles on Stephanie's belly and working lower when she twisted around on my lap, rubbing against me making me instantly hard. Well harder, I had been hard since she snuggled into my lap but I learned a long time ago that waiting only heightens my desire and for me getting my partner off several times is like an aphrodisiac, only making me want it more. Dios. I have waited years for Stephanie. In the past years, taking her every time she would let me and now she was mine.
I kept repeating it to myself because it happened so fast and it's so unbelievable to my mind that part of it still has her compartmentalized as off limits. I pulled her back flush against my chest and started kissing up the side of her neck. Her head tilted away from me giving me easy access and I worked my way back down and nibbled at her pulse point. I licked it before I opened my mouth and bit down causing her to tense against me practically panting.
That was it for the rest of the movie as I took her first right there on the couch, magic condom under the watch to the rescue, and then carried her into the bedroom to take her again. About midnight I took her again and woke up at 2:10 wanting her even more. I pulled her so she was lying half on top of me and started kissing down the side of her face to her ear when my phone beeped, and then beeped and beeped. These were all text messages coming in and I eased Stephanie off of me hoping she could fall right back to sleep and grabbed my phone.
Monday May 18 02:15
Two men reported they heard a boat motor off the northwest part of the island. Marc texted that he was getting up to check it out. I responded that I was on my way and for my men to move to intercept. I texted everyone at lunch to return to their stations. I was dressed and out the door in less than two minutes, flashlight in hand, taking so long because I hadn't turned any lights on in the bedroom.
I was running as soon as I was out the door knowing I was over two and a half miles away. The buildings on the island were located more towards the southern end. "Report" I yelled over the radio and I turned it up so I could hear it clearly as I ran. "Chet sir, started hearing a boat motor about five minutes ago, definitely sounds like it is moving towards the island. Must be running with no lights because there is no visual confirmation."
"Keep moving towards the sound till you have a visual." I told him.
The palmetto was thick in areas and I felt my arms getting scraped up as I crashed through it. I kept running till I could hear the low whine of a small two-cylinder outboard motor going at a consistent speed. I turned my flashlight off as I approached an opening onto the beach and slowed my speed, continually working my way north. Texting to Zip, Zero, Vince and Bobby as I went 'Boat detected coming towards Northwest shore, report immediately no lights.'
Within a minute I had four responding texts and I heard movement up ahead on the edge of the beach. "Report" I yelled as I ran.
"Chet, Sir, monitoring the north beach." He yelled back as I slowly made my way through the palmettos.
"Continue" I replied.
A few moments later I saw movement to the left of me. "Report"
"Chester, Sir, still can't get a visual but the sound is definitely getting louder."
I broke through the trees but stopped short of the beach. I pulled out my binoculars to scan the ocean. The moon was now three-quarters full and more than two-thirds the way across the sky giving good lighting to see anything approach but I still couldn't see anything. I hunkered down and made my way to the edge of the palmettos to wait.
Three minutes later I could see it, a small boat with what looked like the outlines of two men, slowly heading past our location around the north edge of the island. Their goal may be the east side, the closest beach to the cabanas. I started texting as I heard my men moving to follow. 'Visual confirmation, 2 men, small boat moving across north side of island possibly around to east side. Running without lights. Consider hostile and armed. Prepare to greet. Take alive if possible.'
I took off following my men around the island, knowing that through the brush we had no chance of keeping up. Eventually the boat moved around the end of the island and I could no longer see it. I broke out onto the beach and took off after them. Five minutes later I heard automatic weapons firing back and forth and the men with me all kicked up our speed a notch.
To be continued…
A/N: I am posting today for the guest reviewer who asked so nicely for me to update. I just happened to have it ready so here it is. Thank you all for all your reviews! So far in this story, chapter 14 and 15 are my favorite chapters. I hope you enjoyed them too. As always please read and review.
As always big THANK YOU to my beta Sassysaint who makes my story better. You are AWESOME! If it weren't for you I never would have started posting! THANK YOU!
Second Big THANK YOU to my sister, Jonelle. Who is giving my stories a thorough technical analysis (ie deep proof reading) Thank you for fixing all my commas, apostrophes, and all my many other little mistakes.
Ranger's Family Album
Mother's Mother – Abuela Rosa, Father's Mother – Abuela Sanja Manoso
Mother – Maria Manoso Father – Javier Manoso
Siblings and families in age order
Leyla (35) & Richard Gonzales – Rebecca (Becky) 12, Margaret (Maggie) 10, Richard (Ricky) 7, Michael (Mikie) 5
Angelia (34) & Jordan White – Shanna 5 – Kendrick (Ricky) 3
Ricardo Carlos Manoso (32) – Ranger
Julio Manoso (30) Ex-wife Allysa – Jacob 2
Isabella (27) & Diego Diaz – Chris 8, Shylia 6, Parker 3
Oshanna Manoso (22)
Rachel & Ron Martine – Julie 12, Fredrico (Freddie) 9, Cassandra (Cassie)6
Trenton Merry Men Assignments (20 Men)
Abuela Sanja – Vince
Abuela Rosa – Manuel
Maria – Erik
Leyla – Hal
Angelia – Woody
Isabella – Cal
Oshanna – Lester
Rachel – Eddie
Julie – Junior
Stephanie – Ranger, Marc
Extras – Bobby, Ram, Zero, Zip
Nights – Chester, Chet, Gino, Mario, Ramon, Ryan