Lester's mom smacked the back of Bobby's head for swearing. I fought back the laughter. She dragged Bobby to the kitchen to help carry the food platters to the table. It was his penance for cussing in her home.
My stomach grumbled louder the second time. I felt my face flush in embarrassment. Lester laughed as he guided me to the dining room. Six platters of Cuban food sat in the centre of the table as we grabbed plates to serve ourselves. "You have to try this, Beautiful," Lester said, piling empanadas onto my plate.
"Babe, try this one too," Carlos said, irritating me with the inappropriate nickname. "It's Ropa Vieja." He placed some shredded beef and rice onto my plate. I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to add more. Carlos raised an eyebrow, surprised I wanted more food. He wisely added a larger scoop to my plate.
"You're a tiny little thing. Where are you going to pack all that food?" Bobby asked when Lester added the Salsa Verde Chicken to my plate.
"Don't worry about me," I said, grinning. The men would be surprised when they saw exactly how much I could eat. I wasn't the type of woman to watch every calorie consumed.
Two men and a girl entered the house as I took my seat. The girl was laughing at something the one man said. I noticed the men looked identical and assumed they were Lester's brothers, Christian and Paul. The girl looked a few years younger. With her resemblance to Lester, I knew it was his eighteen-year-old sister, Piper. I wiped my hands on the cloth napkin and stood to introduce myself. "Hi, I'm Stephanie. You may call me Steph," I said, offering my hand.
"Well, hello," Christian or Paul said. "I'm Paul. What is a vision like yourself doing with this gang of misfits?"
"I'm married to Lester," I replied, laughing when Lester growled.
"Seriously, dude?" Christian asked Lester.
"Yup. Beautiful is my wife, so hands off, Chris," Lester said, smacking Christian's hands as he reached for me.
Piper squealed and ran toward me. She threw her arms around me and said, "Thank you. Now I'm not the only girl here." Piper released me as she grabbed a plate to dish her food. She let Lester sit on my right and took the seat to my left. "Woah. You have a lot of food on your plate." Piper's eyes were so huge that it was almost comical.
I shrugged and started eating the food off my plate. Everything tasted amazing. I especially loved the empanadas. "We have to make these, Les," I said after shoving the last one into my mouth. He said they took a long time to make, but I was willing to give them a try. I looked at the platter and noticed it was empty. Surprisingly, there was still more of Lester's favourite dish. Once I ate everything on my plate, I asked Lester to scoop another serving.
Lester's mom offered to come into Trenton to teach me how to make the empanadas. Piper volunteered to assist. "Beautiful, we can wait to make them together," Lester said, sensing I was getting overwhelmed.
"It's fine, Les. I'll be honoured to learn from you, Mama," I replied. She grinned and said a silent prayer of thanks.
Tank's mouth dropped open as I ate the last bite. "Little Girl, you ate more than me," he said.
"I did?" I asked. I wasn't aware he had less food on his plate. "Isn't that your second serving?" He shook his head no. "Huh."
"Stephanie, dear. You didn't leave enough room for dessert," Tia Maria admonished. Lester was taking a sip of water and sprayed Carlos across the table when he laughed. Carlos glared and used the spare napkins to dry his face.
"Sorry, Carlos. Tia, Steph always has room for dessert," Lester said. I blushed and lowered my chin.
"What?" Bobby asked. "How?"
"I have a hollow leg," I replied, barely keeping a straight face. "I have a big extended family. Whenever we gathered in the summer for a reunion, you had to grab food before it disappeared." I could have added more, but I didn't think it was necessary.
"How many girls are in your family?" Piper asked.
"I have a sister. She's two years older. I have twenty-six cousins, mostly on my dad's side of the family. Only six of them are girls," I replied.
Tank shook his head, but he understood. "If you didn't load your plate, the boys would eat all the food?" Tank asked. I touched my nose, letting him know he was correct.
Lester helped his mom carry the empty food platters to the kitchen and brought back the dishes of chocolate pudding, rice and tres leches cake. He set a plate with all three desserts in front of me. "Thanks, Les," I said before digging into the food. I noticed Carlos refused the desserts. "Don't you like chocolate?"
"My body is a temple," he replied. I remembered Rachel commenting on his resistance to eating refined sugars. Rachel never said anything about temples.
"Sweet. More for me," I said. The desserts were so good that I wanted to lick the dishes clean. If Lester and I were at home, I would have.
"You would lick them off me," Lester whispered. I blushed bright red. Bobby, Tank and Carlos raised an eyebrow, wondering what caused me to blush. Thankfully, I never said it out loud.
Mama and Tia Maria refused to let me help with the dishes. They got the men to clean while I relaxed with them and Piper. "Will you let us throw you and Lester a reception?" Tia Maria asked.
"No, thank you. Lester still has a contract in the Army. Until Lester gets discharged from service, we don't want anyone outside this group to know we are married. Lester and I are here as a courtesy to stop Mama from finding eligible women for my husband," I sweetly said. Mama was surprised I knew about her plan. It was one of the main reasons we never visited his family until now. She had promised to only have family over for dinner. I thought it was nice to include Tank and Bobby in the group.
"Where is your ring, dear," Tia Maria asked. I pulled the chain from between my breasts. Nestled with Lester's dog tags were our wedding rings. I got the jeweller to inscribe our initials and wedding date inside the band.
"Are these suitable for proof, or would you like to see the marriage certificate?" Lester entered the room as I asked my question.
"Mama, Tia, stop giving my wife a hard time. We're married. Neither Stephanie nor I have to prove our marriage to you. We are committed to each other," Lester said. He reached for my hand, pulling me to my feet. "I have some business to discuss with Carlos, Bobby and Tank. Please, give us some privacy."
Everyone else left to visit Maria at her house. She lived around the corner. I learned that Lester's dad was visiting Maria's husband, Ricardo. Maria and Lucinda, Lester's mom, were sisters, and Maria was Ric's mom.
"Report," Carlos demanded. I rolled my eyes and waited for him to treat me like a civilian. Carlos got annoyed when nobody spoke. He asked, "Lester, why are we here?"
"Stephanie created a business plan for our company. She printed a few copies for us to review," Lester explained.
"I've based my recommendations on the minimal information Lester shared before today. Let me know if you wish to take it in another direction, and I'll prepare the new packet during your deployment," I said.
Carlos flipped through the pages. Proving to be the group leader, he held his hand out to Tank, who placed a pen in his hand. Carlos made a few notes in the margins but didn't cross out anything. "Would you research buildings in each city?" Carlos asked me.
"Sure. I can make some calls to real estate agents and put out feelers. When do you anticipate opening for business?" I asked.
He raised an eyebrow before looking at the others. Lester squeezed my thigh, silently asking me to remain quiet. He knew Carlos best, and I waited for him to speak. "One year for the Atlanta branch. We prefer to locate the business near Fort Benning," Carlos said. "You may need one of us to contact the agents in the area."
"I've got it covered," I replied. "I know a man who can help."
"Not that I don't believe you, but I must know his name," Carlos demanded. I got annoyed with his arrogance and wanted to call him on the bullshit. The man didn't believe a word I said. At least he liked my business plan, which I considered his redeeming quality.
"Les, should you tell him, or should I?" I asked. Lester and I had a silent conversation. I wanted Lester to share the knowledge of his discovery.
"I met my father-in-law this week," Lester replied. "Do you remember Bomber?"
"Colonel Plum. Yes, I remember him," Carlos replied. Lester nudged my leg, wanting me to state the connection.
"He's my dad," I said. I watched his lip twitch before Carlos laughed as though he didn't believe me. It really pissed me off. I pulled my phone from my bag and opened the photo gallery. After flipping through the photos, I found one of Dad, Lester and me at Shorty's for lunch. Mindy used my phone to take a picture.
"What are you doing?" Bobby asked.
"This photo must not get shared since Dad still runs missions with the Rangers. I have a copy, and my phone is secure," I said, passing Carlos my phone. I knew Dad's promotion was in the works. He would become a general in a few months. Dad wanted to move out of fieldwork. Carlos accepted my phone.
His lips thinned as he looked at the image. It was easier to see the resemblance with us sitting side by side. I have Mom's hair colour, but Dad's tightly curled hair and blue eyes. "I never made the connection," Carlos said.
"You mean that you thought my wife was lying," Lester snapped. "She never lies, Ranger."
"Of course I do. But not about this. It doesn't matter, Les," I said, touching his arm. Rachel told me Carlos was a different man when he returned after Julie was born. He accused her of lying all the time. She didn't know what had happened, but whatever he experienced had changed him.
Lester wasn't allowed to share the details of the mission, though I know it got extended because some men got captured. At least, that was what Dad said was most likely to have happened. Dad knew I was married to Lester Santos, so I wondered if he contacted someone he knew to receive intel to ensure my husband's safe return home.
"Continue," Carlos said.
I rolled my eyes at his one-word sentence. "Anyway, I can get Dad to call if I run into any resistance. I can plant a bug in Grandpa's ear to see if he can find a building in Miami," I stated.
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "You have family in Miami?" he asked. I nearly responded with, "duh," before stopping myself.
"Yes. My grandfather, General Francis Plum, lives in Miami, Florida," I slowly said, waiting for the words to sink into his thick skull. My grandfather was their basic training commanding officer. Lester had made the connection after we got married. I was pleased he never mentioned anything to the others. It was amusing to see the looks of confusion, then realization spreading over Manoso's face. The smug bastard. Getting knocked down a few pegs suited him.
He nodded, silently permitting me to contact my grandfather. I gave him the Burg glare. Carlos was kind enough to appear ashamed for not trusting me. "It's a solid plan," he surprised me by adding.
"Thanks. Les said you had a business plan already?" I asked.
"Yes, but your plans are better," Carlos replied. "I have a few additions to the document. Would you be willing to add my notes and contact the investors?"
"And you can't… because?" I wondered.
"I don't have time before our next deployment. It got pushed up a day. We leave at 0900 tomorrow," Carlos replied.
"I only found out myself," Lester whispered in my ear.
Carlos didn't miss Lester's movement. "I just received the orders while we handled the dishes from dinner," Carlos said apologetically.
"It's fine. I knew Lester was leaving soon. Do you need a ride to the airport in the morning?" I asked.
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Bobby replied. He turned to Lester and asked, "Would Mama let us stay here for the night?"
"Yup," Lester replied. "Chris and Paul are returning to their dorms for the night. You and Tank could use their rooms."
"What about me?" Carlos asked.
Lester rolled his eyes, making me laugh. "You can stay at Tia Maria's house. I believe your bedroom is still available," Lester replied. I was about to point out the obvious that I didn't have anything to wear for tomorrow when Lester added, "I have a travel bag in the car for you."
My eyes popped open as he confessed to having a backup plan for the night. "You're always prepared, aren't you?"
"All part of the plan, Beautiful," Lester joked.
"Okay, then… I will revise the business proposal and get the plans professionally published. Carlos, could you please contact your investors that you permitted me to act on your behalf? I'll contact my cousin, Francine, at the bank to see if we can get a business loan instead of using private investors. It would save your company lots of money in the end," I said.
"Babe?" Carlos asked. I rolled my eyes since using that absurd nickname was not a sentence.
Did I really have to explain the concept to the man? "Carlos, investors have a tendency to stick their fingers into the daily operations of the business they're financially supporting. Unless you mutually agree that they would only get informed through quarterly reports and they are to remain silent, then you should apply for a business loan," I attempted to explain.
I could see the wheels turning in Tank's head. He studied me for a few minutes, assessing my thoughts on financing before he said, "I have money set aside to invest in the joint venture. I'll get my lawyer to forward the details."
Nobody was more surprised than Carlos when Lester and Bobby offered the same. I knew how much money Lester had in the bank and other investments. If I worked around the capital of his mutual funds, we could add to the funds for the new business. "Dad wants to invest, too," I said. Lester already knew this information, but the others didn't. I wasn't sure they'd go along with the plan.
"Can you gather a solid set of numbers?" Carlos asked. I nodded.
"I would do whatever is necessary to get the business from the planning phase to breaking ground," I promised. "I'll have everything ready when Lester contacts me in a few weeks."
I had a lot of legwork to do. Carlos went home for the night. Bobby and Tank stayed with our family. Lester and I quietly made love in his bed.
The following morning, Carlos arrived for breakfast. He passed me documents containing names and numbers for the investors should I decide it was the best route. I honestly felt keeping unknown entities from the business was the best option. Carlos didn't have anything to say. I drove the men to the airport.
Lester kissed me more passionately than I expected in front of his friends. I knew he was claiming me. We didn't miss Carlos checking me out. It was Lester's way of telling Carlos to back off. I wasn't remotely upset by Lester's actions. My husband made me feel loved. "Stay safe," I whispered when he broke the kiss.
"Don't go crazy," he replied. I hugged the others and wished them a safe mission.
Carlos surprised the others when he added, "Thanks for helping with the start-up."
I waved as my husband disappeared through the security gates. It felt strange saying goodbye to four men instead of just Lester. Saying goodbye to my husband was difficult. I wiped the tear off my cheek.
Daddy called as I climbed into the car. "Hey, Dad," I answered, having recognized his number.
"Are you okay, Pumpkin?" he asked. I looked around and saw him approaching. We hung up the phones when I slipped back out of the car.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"To drive you back to Trenton," he replied.
"Why?" I asked as I walked around my vehicle.
"Lester said we needed to talk," Dad answered. We got inside my car and buckled into our seats. "He said we had a lot of work to get the business off the ground."
"I can handle it myself," I said, shaking my head. "But I could use your help if you have the time. When do you leave?"
"In a few days," he replied. "Until then, you have my undivided attention."
I narrowed my eyes at Dad. "Where does Mom think you are?" I asked.
"On my way to DC," he confessed. "When does your vacation end?"
"I return to work on Monday. Do you need a ride to the airport? We can stay at Lester's house in Hamilton Township. It's a longer commute on Monday, but I can drop you at the airport before I go to work," I offered.
"Sounds like a plan," he replied.
Lester's house had two floors with an unfinished basement. He planned to renovate the space for his man cave. An area got set aside for his exercise room. Lester and I drew the floor plan. We'd start the renovations once the security business launched. I saved money to complete the renovations as a surprise.
Dad parked my car inside the garage. He didn't want anyone to recognize him. I unlocked the door inside the garage. "Most people keep it unlocked, but Lester made me promise to lock it," I explained.
"Valerie's pregnant again," Dad announced.
"Which pregnancy is it?" I asked. "Four or five?"
"Fifth," Frank replied.
"After what she went through last year? I can't believe she'd try again," I said, shaking my head. Valerie had a few miscarriages before getting pregnant with her son. He arrived on his due date, but he was stillborn. It gutted Valerie. I wouldn't have gone through another pregnancy.
"She's ten weeks along," Dad added. I wondered why Valerie kept miscarrying. She had two healthy girls. Losing the babies after already having two successful pregnancies had my intuition going haywire. I'd have to call Valerie to chat.
"Are you planning to have children?" Dad asked, interrupting my thoughts.
"Lester and I haven't discussed it," I replied honestly. "There's always that tiny chance my contraception would fail."
"I'll hang onto that hope," Dad said, making me giggle.
I had a fun weekend with Dad. He gave me more than enough names to contact in Atlanta for opening the security company. Grandpa offered to contact an agent regarding properties in Georgia, Florida, Boston and Trenton. I tried to politely refuse the offer, but he was persistent. He got me to cave by saying, "Please, Steph. Let me do this for you."