Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jeanne Ellen POV

I submitted a formal offer for the cottage when everyone left for work on Tuesday. I only had a few days left before I'd be generally out of communication, and I wanted to get as much done as possible before leaving. I decided to take a page out of Stephanie's book and make a to-do list to finish before I left on Friday. I had wrapped up my current files at Sebring's bail bonds office, and the money owed me was already deposited into my account.

Miranda promised to do everything she could to expedite the house sale before I left. I had some things going in my favour: the house wasn't technically on the market yet, and I already had my financing sorted with no contingencies. If it couldn't be handled before I left, Tank would finish it and buy the house for me. I also had prepared an offer for my second choice, the townhouse with two master bedrooms. Technically, that one was within the 'Burg limits, but neither Steph nor I were involved with the residents there, except for the limited interactions with Dad, Grandma Mazur, and Helen. Steph and I discussed it a little last night and agreed on which houses were the best options for our situation.

Tank was planning on changing his work shift for the next few weeks to provide relief for one of the Rangemen recently injured in a car accident. He had a broken leg and arm and would be recovering at home for a few weeks before undergoing rehabilitation and working behind a desk for a few months afterward. Usually, Tank worked only during the day so we could be together in the evenings, but since I'd be gone, he didn't mind taking one for the team so someone else wouldn't have to disrupt their life.

Since Tank's schedule would be flipped upside down, I wanted to provide some meals for him to eat. Ella typically offered hot meals, fresh veggies, and fruit for the guys to eat at work during the day, but the guys on the night shift got sandwiches instead of hot meals. Since Steph now had a company vehicle, I drove to the supermarket and bought food to prepare meals for the next couple of weeks. I planned to make hot meals that Tank could heat and eat at work and for breakfast before sleeping during the day. I was in the middle of preparing the second meal batch when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered into the receiver.

"Hey, it's Steph. Mr. Manoso called. The Dick was arrested!"

"Shut up! That's fantastic news. The police called him?"

"Yep. I guess they used our evidence and did their official police thing or whatever, and now he's in jail. Mr. Manoso said he'd probably get bail, but there will be a court date. This can only help my divorce."

"Steph, that's great news. I'm so pleased. I assume Mr. Manoso will keep up with his case?"

"Yeah, he said he would. He also said that Richard did finish law school, but he failed the Bar three times and eventually stopped trying, and he is only a paralegal at his firm."

"Wow. The lies never stop, huh? Well, this is major. I'm doing meal prep right now, so I'll make something special for dinner tonight. Why don't you invite Ranger over to eat with us?" I suggested.

"Invite Ranger? I thought I was supposed to be avoiding him?"

I laughed. "Steph, it's not like you're going to be banging him on the dining room table. We'll all be there. You and he are developing a friendship, right? I think that's good. Don't overthink it."

"Okay. I will. Do I need to bring anything home with me?"

"No, I got it all covered. I hit the supermarket today."

"Alright. I have my self-defence with Ranger at four, and then I like running on the treadmill afterward. So I'd guess I'll be back there around six."

"Okay. See you later."

I thought about the ingredients I had bought at the store and decided to make a spinach lasagna for dinner.

A few hours later, Tank called and had more good news for me. "Baby, Hector found a bonanza on that second laptop. He found the FTP files for two more websites with more videos. There were videos of Steph, his second wife, their nanny, and two others. So there's tons of evidence of adultery."

"That's great. I wonder if Mr. Manoso can get the waiting period waived so Steph can be rid of The Dick's sorry ass sooner."

"I don't know. Steph should ask him about that," he replied.

"Did he find anything else?" I asked.

"I think this was his main laptop. Hector also accessed his financials; baby, he was sitting on a mountain of money. For a lawyer, or whatever he is, he's not so bright. He was logged into every site where he had an account and saved his passwords on an Excel spreadsheet. Hector said it was straightforward to get everything once he got past the original password to get into the laptop."

I laughed. "He is not a stupid man. At least, I never thought so. I'm rethinking everything I thought I knew about that man."

"So, Steph tells me you're making a special dinner to celebrate his arrest?" he asked in a subject change.

"Yep. Spinach lasagna, your favourite."

"Ooh. Sounds good, baby. I should be home around five-thirty or so."

"Alright, Lover. I'll see you in a few hours then. Love you."

"You too. Bye, Baby."

We hung up, and I couldn't stop smiling. The Dick was so going down.

I slid the lasagna into the oven just as Tank got home. I closed the range, set the timer and met my husband near the front door to kiss him hello. He smiled and kissed me back, bending me backward dramatically and smacking my lips with his. When I was upright again, I jumped into his arms, and he held me close by my thighs and butt. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I loved it when he held me like this. I felt so safe and loved in his arms, and kissing him never failed to get my motor revving. He released me, and I slid down his body, rubbing myself against him lasciviously.

He smacked my ass, and I bit my lip. I liked that too. Our eyes made promises we'd be sure to fulfill later in bed, and we reluctantly separated to get ready for Steph and Zoë's return home and for Ranger to get here.

Ranger arrived before Steph and Zoë did. We were all relaxing in the living room with a glass of wine, and when Steph opened the door, Zoë ran in and hugged everyone. She told us all about her day and her new friend, Hannah.

The lasagna was delicious. It was a little heavier than the fare I usually served, but I knew Steph loved Italian food, and this was mainly for her. As was the dessert afterward.

She put Zoë to bed, and after Zoë fell asleep, she returned to the living room. She had another glass of wine in her hand.

She flopped down on the couch next to Ranger and smiled. "I can't stop smiling at the idea of The Dick in prison. I keep imagining him as someone's girlfriend!"

We all laughed. "It couldn't happen to a better person," I said.

We chatted about what Hector had found on the second laptop for a while, and Ranger suggested hiring a forensic accountant might be a good idea. That way, any information found would be strictly aboveboard and could be used in the divorce. Since Debra had given Jeanne Ellen the laptop, we could argue that anything found was legal, but there was no way to know it contained everything Steph should know without someone going through it all who was trained to do so.

At around ten pm, Ranger stood to leave. "I should go. I have a few things to do before I retire for the night." Steph stood up and walked him to the door.

Tank and I met each other's eyes, and he raised his eyebrow questioningly. I knew he was unhappy with the obvious attraction building between Steph and Ranger. We had known Ranger for over ten years, but he knew more about Ranger's sex life due to locker-room talk. And it worried me that he was so worried. I didn't want Steph to get hurt. But I knew she wouldn't allow anything to happen until her divorce was over, and she's still so raw and damaged right now, no matter how well she hides it. Denial Land will serve her for a while, but eventually, she'll venture out and face her problems.

I saw Ranger kiss Steph on the forehead before he left, and she returned and sat on the couch again. "I called Mom today," she said. "Zoë and I are going to dinner over there tomorrow night. She invited you and Tank too if you'd like to come. I told her I thought you had plans, but I'd let you know."

"Thanks for setting it up for an easy decline, Steph," I smirked. "It's a hell no from me."

"I figured. I'm going to tell them about the divorce and moving back to Trenton."

"Are you going to mention The Dick's legal troubles?" Tank asked.

"Not sure. It depends on how much she nags me about 'keeping my family together for Zoë's sake,'" she said, scowling.

I rolled my eyes. "You should tell her everything. Surely even she can't expect you to stay with someone who has done everything he's done."

"You know her. Short of murder, there's no reason good enough to leave your husband."

"Maybe the fact that he's currently in jail will help your case," I reasoned.

"One can only hope."