"Babe?" Ranger asked, pulling Stephanie against his chest. Stephanie interpreted the Babe as Ranger assuming she was laughing at Lester's outfit. It wasn't what she had found amusing.
"He looks great in drag," Stephanie confessed. "We'll talk about the other thing later. I want to know what's brewing inside Lester's mind."
"Are you sure you want to go there?" Ranger asked.
Giggling, Stephanie replied, "No."
Stephanie and Carlos waited by the front door for ten minutes before Lester exited the Drag Queen bar with Jose Ramirez hanging off his arm. Jose tripped over his feet, trying to walk. "He broke a heel," Lester explained. Stephanie could relate. She wondered why Jose chose stilettos instead of chunky heels like other men dressed in drag.
Ranger moved behind Jose and cuffed him. Jose didn't bother fighting. He couldn't run with a broken shoe. Tank and Bobby accompanied Ranger to the precinct to deliver Jose Ramirez to the officer in charge of booking criminals.
Stephanie pretended to be walking past and returned to the parking lot where Bobby parked the car. She smiled when Hector opened the door. Lester strutted to the vehicle after the one containing Jose Ramirez left the lot. Stephanie climbed into the backseat of the Rangeman SUV with Lester. Hector hopped into the driver's seat. "Okay, Lester. Spill," she demanded, determined to receive an answer.
Hanging his head, Lester described his dream. Stephanie listened in awe and shock at the details he provided and the concern evident in Lester's voice. She tried to think about where Lester had gone the previous day. Stephanie remembered hearing about a scuffle behind the mall where Dougie and Mooner were selling wares and other products from their cars. Mooner shoved an open container of brownies at the people crowding around the scene. Stephanie vaguely recalled Lester was in the area, off duty.
"Lester, I understand having a bad dream. But DAMN! I don't know what you were eating before you went to bed. Wait… did you eat one of Mooner's brownies?" Stephanie narrowed her eyes as she dared Lester to lie to her face. He looked at his feet and brushed the toe of his shoe across the bottom of the seat in front of him.
"Two," he confessed, slipping his feet from the uncomfortable shoes with chunky two-inch heels. Stephanie thought the shoes were gorgeous. It was a shame they weren't her size. She focused on Lester to share her thoughts.
"One of Mooner's brownies is enough for an epic trip. How did you manage the munchies?" Stephanie asked, reaching for Lester's hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze, encouraging him to talk.
Sheepishly peeking through his lashes to look at Stephanie, Lester confessed, "I ate everything in my apartment."
"Even the diced chicken and lean steak in the freezer?" Stephanie asked, praying common sense prevailed and he at least cooked the meat.
"Yup. I had the sense to cook the meat first. Bobby did the dishes for me this morning." Lester sounded ashamed of his actions. He glanced at Stephanie's face before settling his gaze on her abdomen. "Are you pregnant?" Lester quietly asked.
"No, Les. I am not pregnant," she replied. Stephanie never mentioned having her period the week before and getting the birth control injection. Bobby tested her for pregnancy before administering the shot. "You know how I feel about having children," Stephanie gently reminded him.
"I know," he whispered. "Would having a little Range-dude running around be so bad?"
Stephanie didn't know how to answer Lester's question. Surprisingly, the thought of having a baby with Carlos didn't make her skin erupt into hives. She shook her head. Carlos had a daughter. He didn't want more children. His life was dangerous. Despite Stephanie's acceptance of the risks involved while dating Carlos, was she ready to put an innocent child in harm's way? "I don't know," she answered honestly, yet her mind went there as she imagined a little boy resembling Carlos.
Lester stroked his thumb across Stephanie's hand to claim her attention. "Please, be careful when you're in the field. I feel Joyce is up to something nefarious," Lester whispered, moving her hand to rest over his heart. Stephanie understood. His heart would break if she died.
"Okay," Stephanie promised.
Hector caught Stephanie's eye in the rearview mirror and raised a brow. She nodded, letting him know she trusted him to watch her back. Stephanie's watch contained a tracker so the core team members could monitor her location. As a sign of faith, they gave Stephanie the details of their devices. They only watched when there was an active threat. It was the same for Stephanie. She only checked Ranger's tracker when someone was stalking her. The silent exchange through the mirror alerted Stephanie that she learned to ESP with her friends sometime during the past six months of living at Rangeman.
They arrived at Rangeman, parking in the third space designated for the fleet SUVs. Lester had removed the wig and makeup in the car. He wiggled out of the dress before climbing out of the SUV. Stephanie smirked as she shoved the items into the bag she thoughtfully grabbed. Lester had worn speedos beneath the clothes. She laughed as he ran to the stairwell.
"You've got that on camera, right?" Stephanie asked Hector, who nodded.
When Stephanie started dating Carlos, Hector decided to teach her Spanish. She knew some words, but it was taking longer for her to retain everything. Learning another language wasn't easy for Stephanie; she had to work hard and constantly required redirection when she mispronounced a word.
Stephanie returned to her desk to complete her portion of the paperwork. Basically, she had to explain her involvement leading up to the capture. She giggled as she described fixing Lester's makeup and wig. Once she electronically filed the debrief notes, she went to the apartment on the seventh floor. After showering without wetting her hair, Stephanie crawled into bed when Carlos arrived.
"Are you tired?" Carlos wondered.
"I was going to squeeze in a nap before dinner," she replied. Her conversation with Lester exhausted her emotionally. She needed time to relax her thoughts. Carlos gently tugged her from the bed and carried her to the shower. "I already showered."
"But I haven't," he growled. Stephanie felt the heat from his words. She let Carlos carry her to the bathroom. He pressed her against the shower wall and turned on the water, forgetting to remove their clothes.
Giggling, Stephanie tugged on his soaked shirt to pull over his head. It was almost as bad as trying to grab Punky Balog after he covered himself in Vaseline. She quickly blocked those thoughts in her mind. Carlos and Stephanie worked together to remove their clothes. "Yes!" Stephanie screamed when they finally connected.
Ella entered the apartment. She heard the shower turn off and hurriedly left the food on the table. Carlos wanted grilled chicken with rice and vegetables. It wasn't a meal Stephanie would enjoy, so Ella added a creamy sauce to the second serving of chicken and rice.
She retreated to the fifth floor to check on the crockpots filled with stew. Ella stirred the pots and set bowls on the counter for the men to eat. They always waited for Ella to place the dishes before serving themselves.
A line immediately formed behind Ella. She smiled and stepped out of the way. The men quickly emptied the first crockpot. Ram placed it on the cart after unplugging it. Ella gently tapped his cheek and left the break room.
"What did Ella leave us for dinner?" Stephanie asked, emerging from the bedroom. Carlos raised a brow as he looked at her. Stephanie wore a skimpy tank top and boy-short underwear. It was a change from one of his shirts.
"Chicken and rice. Ella saturated your meal in sauce," Carlos replied, attempting to ignore Stephanie's perky nipples straining against the thin fabric.
Stephanie clapped her hands in glee. She knew the sauce was low fat, but it didn't matter. "Yay!"
Carlos smiled as Stephanie ate with gusto. It was one of the many things he loved about her. He enjoyed his dinner as he watched Stephanie. She was in surprisingly great shape despite her previous eating habits. Since moving into his apartment, Stephanie has woken up early to run on the treadmill and exercise. It was a complete one-eighty from her aversion to getting in shape. Her muscles were lean without taking away from her curves.
Stephanie finished eating and then pushed from the table. She grabbed her plate and utensils while standing. "I'll start the dishes," Stephanie said after kissing his head. Carlos never liked women touching his hair unless it was during the throws of sex. He loved everything Stephanie did. She was the balm to his craziness. Stephanie kept him from disappearing into the darkness of his soul and loved him despite the red in his ledger.
Carlos pushed from the table after swallowing the last bite of chicken. He carried his plate to the kitchen and rinsed it before adding the dish to the dishwasher. Leaning against the counter, Carlos watched Stephanie lick a spoon after she ate the ice cream. "That stuff will kill you, Babe," he teased.
Stephanie rolled her eyes and replied, "Not with how much you make me exercise. Speaking of exercise, I need help burning those calories."
That was all Carlos needed to toss Stephanie over his shoulder. The spoon clattered to the floor as Stephanie squeaked in surprise. She thought Carlos was hilarious.
After a few rounds of making love, Stephanie rested her head on Carlos' shoulder. She shifted to a more comfortable position before rolling her head to see into his eyes. Her chin rested on his chest. Carlos lazily stroked her arm and back with his calloused fingers, sending a tingling sensation through her body and settling at her core.
"I have to tell you about Lester's dream," Stephanie said. Carlos tugged gently on her hair. She pressed her cheek against his chest and recited the story. "Earlier, I was laughing because Lester thought I was pregnant. Then, when we got back, he asked, "Would having a little Range dude running around be so bad?" It threw me for a loop."
Carlos chuckled. "Babe, I agree with Lester. It wouldn't be so bad if you're pregnant, you know."
"You want a baby?" Stephanie asked, shocked.
"I recall saying I would give you a baby if you wanted one. You won't have a child with someone you don't love," Carlos replied without answering the question. He turned to face her, shifting her cheek to his biceps. Carlos stroked a finger across her forehead and along the edge of her face, tucking loose hair behind her ear. "I'll support whatever you decide."
It was a lot for Stephanie to consider. She didn't want a child without being married. There was more to having a child besides her body distorting from a pregnancy. Stephanie was unaware she was speaking her thoughts. Carlos kissed Stephanie before climbing out of bed. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"Closet," he replied. Stephanie watched him disappear into their walk-in closet. He returned with his fist closed. "In Lester's dream, were you married or engaged?"
"I don't know, he never said," Stephanie replied. Carlos passed her the phone to call Lester. It was ridiculous. Lester's dream was his worst fear; it wasn't a premonition. Humouring Carlos, Stephanie called Lester, putting the call on speakerphone.
"Steph, are you okay?" Lester answered, sounding breathless. Stephanie wondered if he had run to answer the phone.
"Yup," she said. "I have a question about your dream. Was I engaged or married?"
The phone was silent for a few minutes before Lester replied, "No."
Before Stephanie could thank Lester, Carlos disconnected the call. "Babe, will you be my Batcave?"
"What?" Stephanie asked, shocked by the question. It wasn't what she expected. Stephanie remembered asking Carlos about the Batcave and him stating that it was forever. She understood his question. "Yes, Batman. I will be your Batcave."