Joe nodded and squats to Stephanie's level. He noticed the children had Stephanie's blue eyes. The girl wearing the yellow bathing suit had Stephanie's wild curls. Her hair was dark like the young boy's wavy locks. Joe tried to picture Carlos Manoso in his mind but couldn't. He wasn't familiar enough with Stephanie's husband for an instant recall.
"I thought I recognized you. Are these your children?" Joe wondered.
"Yes," she replied. "These are my in-laws. Aunt Ella, Uncle Luis and Grandma Rosa. The boy is my three-year-old son, Ric, and the girl is my two-year-old Hanna. This is Joe Morelli from Trenton." Joe thought Stephanie's children with Manoso were adorable. He wistfully wished they were his children. Alas, Stephanie was married to her soulmate.
Shifting to his knees, Joe quirked a brow when Ric glared. "I'm a friend of your mom and dad," he said.
Not believing the man, Ric looked at his mom, who nodded. "Are you my Tio Joe?" Ric asked through narrowed eyes, with his head slightly cocked to the right. Joe recognized Stephanie's determination and sass, which made him smile. Hanna squirmed from Stephanie's lap, wanting to meet her new uncle. She approached Joe and held her hands up, wanting Joe to pick her up.
Joe waited for Stephanie's approving nod before answering, "Yes. I'm your Tio Joe. Steph, do you mind?" He didn't want to overstep his boundaries with Stephanie's children.
"It's okay. Hanna doesn't easily trust people. If she wants you to hold her, she trusts you," Stephanie explained. Joe felt honoured by the adorable toddler's acceptance.
He looked into Hanna's blue eyes and got lost in his thoughts of disappointment the children weren't his. Hanna smacked his face before he could feel sorry for himself, demanding his attention as she incoherently babbled about the water. Joe could only understand a few of her words. Stephanie found it hilarious that Hanna commanded Joe's attention.
Stephanie laughed, "Hanna's telling you about her ride on the flotation ring. I think she's trying to convince you to take her to the water to play."
"I caught the word water and wet, but I didn't understand what she wanted me to do. Are you ever returning to Trenton?" Joe asked. He stood up with Hanna in his arms. She wiggled until he put her on the sand. Hanna grabbed his hand before reaching for Ric's hand. Stephanie stood up and brushed off her bikini boy shorts, which covered the c-section scar. She held Ric's free hand and walked to the water, making them appear to be a family.
Stephanie was aware of her extended family watching them. "Soon. We opened a Rangeman branch in Atlanta. I want to expand to Trenton. We found a building a few years ago, and the city finally re-zoned it sooner than anticipated," Stephanie replied. She told Joe about the seven-story building on Haywood and that the city said they couldn't re-zone it until November.
Joe agreed it was the best location for the security company. He recalled seeing the petition in the Burg to prevent the security firm from opening in the city. Karen Smith presented it to her husband, Terry Smith, the mayor of Trenton. Joe remembered hearing his mom discuss it over the phone. Angie, Karen and Helen were thicker than thieves in elementary and secondary school. They were in each other's wedding parties.
Much to Helen's dismay, the petition only delayed it for a year. Karen used her friendship with the other wives of the city hall members, attempting to override her husband's decision and failed. With the increasing crime in Trenton, the mayor changed his mind and agreed to the zoning change. Joe explained it to Stephanie, who rolled her eyes. "I noticed the construction crews entering and leaving the building when I was on patrol," Joe confessed. He spent a few hours with Stephanie and her family until it was time to take the kids home for lunch.
"I think the mayor is using Rangeman to prove he's reducing crime in Trenton," Stephanie reasoned.
"You're probably right. Terry Smith isn't popular at the moment. Your uncle Joe is running for mayor in the next election," Joe explained. Stephanie thought Joe Juniak for mayor was a fantastic idea. The Burg didn't easily sway him.
Before departing, Joe reminded Stephanie about his offer to help them in Trenton. He wanted to discuss the plan with Carlos before saying anything to Stephanie. Joe, too, heard an increasing amount of rumours about Ricardo Manoso from his Navy buddies. He knew they weren't true. Stephanie wouldn't be married to a man like that. Joe wondered if there were other Ricardo Manosos in the world. There were probably quite a few, but only one currently enlisted in the Army.
Carlos came home the following day after training the Rangeman Atlanta manager. The man could rule the employees; however, he required a lot of feedback from Stephanie or Carlos. Roy Marston wasn't the ideal candidate for the position, but was the best in the employee pool. "Rough day?" Stephanie asked. Carlos appeared exhausted. Stephanie approached to smooth the wrinkle forming between his eyes.
"We need to keep an eye on Atlanta," Carlos sighed. "Marston caught onto the work. He's a born leader."
"But?" Stephanie asked.
"He needs continual feedback from us," Carlos explained.
"Maybe he needs to find his legs," Stephanie reasoned. "Why don't we give it a few months to see if it improves? You'll still have a month for training."
"Babe, I'm expecting a call any day. I can only promise one day at a time. Replacing Marston would require you to train him if I'm unavailable." Stephanie understood the dilemma. They didn't want the Rangeman Atlanta staff to know about their marriage or children. "How was your dad when you left?"
Giggling, Stephanie replied, "Crestfallen, but he'll get over it. I can't believe he has a house off the base."
"He mentioned buying it after the divorce and wanting you to have a safe place to stay," Carlos replied. "Rangeman can use it as a safe house."
"That's Daddy. He always has places to hide," she joked. "Guess who I ran into at the beach yesterday?" Carlos quirked an eyebrow. Stephanie told Carlos about the day and how Ric and Hanna took to Joe. Carlos smiled when Stephanie mentioned Hanna smacking Joe's face to get his attention.
Stephanie explained that she knew Joe was staying in Miami until Sunday, which was the only day a flight to Trenton was available. She had the number for the hotel where Joe Morelli was staying. "We should invite him to dinner at Rangeman," Carlos suggested after Stephanie explained Joe was still interested in helping them once they relocated to Trenton during the summer.
"Sure. I suppose we could," Stephanie replied before making the arrangements. She directed Joe to the lot they used for Rangeman while watching Carlos remove his clothes. Joe would have to park in the outside lot since the garage had limited space. Stephanie kept getting sidetracked by her naked husband. Joe laughed and promised to meet them at Rangeman.
Stephanie changed into black jeans and a blue tank top, which displayed her lean body. She quickly shed the weight from the pregnancies. Her breasts were a cup size larger, and her hips two inches wider. Stephanie had hoped they would return to normal but was resigned to having them stay the same. Carlos loved her curves and her curly hair.
"Babe, you look beautiful," Carlos said, tugging her into his arms. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, having showered after exercising in the gym. Carlos skipped his morning routine to leave Atlanta a few hours earlier. "Who has the children?"
"Zip," she replied. Stephanie giggled. "He won the rock, paper, scissors game. The guys are too much at times. I have never seen so many men wanting to spend time with two toddlers."
"Our children are great," Carlos said, pulling her against his chest. He felt her nipples pebble against his chest. His physical reaction to her sexiness was evident. "They have the best mother in the world."
"And the best father. I'll let you get dressed. We can't expect Zip to keep our children occupied much longer." Stephanie kissed Carlos and tugged the towel loose. "I wish we had time to do what you're thinking about," she whispered against his lips.
"Later," he replied. Stephanie left the bedroom for Carlos to get dressed without an audience.
She entered the living room to find Zip entertaining the children. "Are you staying for dinner?" Stephanie asked.
"Do you need me to?" Zip wondered.
"Not really. The children are usually tired after eating dinner. It should be easy to put them to bed with a guest," Stephanie replied.
"I'll be in the control room if you need me."
"Sure," she said. Stephanie wondered why Zip was reluctant to leave. She patiently waited until he spilled the intel.
"I need your help for an extraction," he replied. Stephanie waved her hand, motioning Zip to continue. "It isn't for the Air Force. We are collecting a skip for Johnstone."
"Where's Ace?"
"On an extraction in Colombia. Since you retired from the Air Force, he's been working harder and logging more flight hours," Zip explained.
"Please tell me you aren't putting on a guilt trip. I'll assist in a pinch, but the Air Force has enough pilots to make those extractions. Where do I need to go?" Stephanie asked, realizing Zip needed her to use the chopper while he pulled the people inside.
"I should rephrase my request. It's more transport than an extraction. It's one of Rangeman's skips. And you only have to fly to Miami International Airport. Johnstone said we could land on the precinct building. We can't afford to have him escape us to catch another flight," Zip replied.
"When does the team arrive with the skip?" Stephanie asked, checking her watch. She knew who they were recovering from the airport. Thanks to Stephanie's research, tank and Lester found Jesus hiding in Mexico City. Carlos remained in Atlanta to train the staff, letting the others chase after the criminals.
"At 0220." Zip hoped Stephanie would assist. He loved having her as a partner and missed their time rescuing the special ops teams.
"Babe?" Carlos asked when he noticed Stephanie staring at her watch.
"Zip recruited my help for a transport," she replied.
Carlos wrapped his arms around Stephanie and tugged her until her back touched his chest. Unwilling to be left out of the embrace, Ric and Hanna joined them. "To take Jesus Rodriguez back to the precinct?" Carlos asked.
"Yes. I'm surprised you didn't want to track him down," Stephanie replied.
"The men had it handled. I'll be with you for the transport to the precinct. Hector and Manny can watch the children. We'll have time to get them to bed." Carlos smiled when Ric and Hanna cheered. They would be asleep when they visited, but Hector and Manny would have breakfast with them in the morning.
A knock interrupted their conversation. Stephanie furrowed her brows, wondering who was knocking on the door. Carlos passed Ric to Zip and let Stephanie grab Hanna. He motioned for them to move behind him and stay out of sight. Carefully, Carlos opened the door. Ella stood on the other side, smiling. Joseph Morelli was standing beside her.
"I hope you don't mind me bringing Joe upstairs," Ella said. "Binkie said you were expecting him for dinner."
"Thanks, Ella," Stephanie said, stepping from behind Carlos' back. He opened the door for Ella to push the food cart into the apartment. She kissed the children before retreating with Zip. "Welcome to our home, Joe." Speaking in Spanish, Stephanie told Carlos she wanted a warning when guests arrived.
Joe raised a brow. He didn't know Stephanie spoke other languages. "When did you learn Spanish?" Joe asked. He couldn't understand what she said because he didn't know the language.
"I speak French and Italian too. Dad taught me Italian, and I learned Spanish and French in the Air Force," Stephanie explained, setting Hanna on the floor. She didn't want her mother to hold her anymore. Hanna focused on her new uncle.
"Mom and Dad never taught us Italian, and I never bothered to learn another language. I'm not surprised you joined the Air Force. You loved flying your uncle's plane," Joe chuckled. He felt a tug on his pant leg. Hanna raised her hands while opening and closing them. She wanted Joe to pick her up.
"Tio Joe, pick up Hanna," Ric demanded. His hands rested on his hips while glaring at Joe. Stephanie snorted.
Joe checked with Carlos before picking up Hanna. "She's a messy eater. I hope you brought a change of clothes," Stephanie teased.
"Hanna couldn't be messier than Anthony Jr," Joe replied, dismissing Stephanie's comment. He explained that Anthony, his older brother, married several years ago and had three boys. Angelina was pregnant again. Stephanie wondered if Joe's brother was like their father and cheated on the pregnant wife.
Carlos touched Ric's shoulder. The child understood the silent instructions and climbed into his seat at the table. Joe watched Ric pull the straps across his lap and snap them together. "Ric doesn't like people helping him," Stephanie explained.
Joe waited for Carlos to remove the table for the high chair and buckled her into the seat. Hanna raised her arms to let Joe snap the tray in place. When Joe went to sit across the table, Hanna whined.
"You put her in the chair, you feed her," Carlos explained.
"Isn't she two? What do I do?" he asked.
"The pasta with minced chicken is for the children," Stephanie replied. "Hanna wants you to feed her until she wants to play." Carlos smirked, knowing she would if you told Hanna to feed herself.
After comparing the two bowls filled with pasta, Joe gave the one with smaller pieces to Hanna. She opened her mouth, waiting for Joe to feed her. He alternated between feeding Hanna and eating his meal of grilled chicken with alfredo linguini. Eventually, Hanna shook her head and used her fingers to feed herself. Joe noticed Stephanie and Carlos added salad to their plates.
Stephanie and Carlos followed their after-dinner routine. Joe was surprised they didn't remove the children from their seats until Stephanie removed their shirts and washed their hands and faces. "It's easier to keep the mess in the dining room," Stephanie explained.
"Makes sense," Joe replied.
"Excuse us," Carlos said, placing the high chair's tray on the table. He removed Hanna from the high chair and carried her to the washroom to brush her teeth. Hanna was asleep within minutes of going to bed. Stephanie repeated the routine with Ric. The boy ran to the living room to hug his Tio Joe good night before bed.
Stephanie patiently waited for Ric to return to his room. He climbed into the bed and hugged his mom. "I love you, Ric," Stephanie said, kissing his cheeks, chin and forehead. She went to Hanna's room to kiss her good night. A smile crossed Hanna's lips, warming Stephanie's heart. She tucked a lock of hair behind Hanna's ear, mimicking what Carlos does when her hair gets loose. Carlos stood in the doorway, watching his wife interact with their daughter. Stephanie was a remarkable mother to her children despite her upbringing.
Carlos sat on the chair and pulled Stephanie onto his lap. She swung her legs over the armrest and snuggled into her husband's chest. "What's on your mind?" Carlos asked Joe.
Joe explained the plan and how he wanted to assist Stephanie and Carlos. They listened to the options and discussed, in Spanish, which would be the logical course of action. "Have you found the man impersonating you?" Joe asked.
"We know who he is but haven't been able to pin down his location. He knows I'm married to Stephanie," Carlos replied. "Knowing him as well as I do, he probably thinks I lied about the marriage." Joe suddenly suspected it was a relative or someone who grew up with Carlos.
"However, I like your idea of us pretending to date whenever Carlos leaves on a mission," Stephanie said.
"Does he know about your children?" Joe wondered. Stephanie shook her head. "How is that possible? Wouldn't your names be on the birth certificates? It will lead that criminal to your door."
"Joe, nobody knows what we have done to protect our children. Only our trusted employees and a few family members know Carlos, and I have Ric and Hanna. Those people would rather die than tell the asshole," Stephanie replied.
"Stephanie is vulnerable when she has the children. It would take the jerk a second to grab Ric or Hanna and use them to barter for Stephanie," Joe explained. That was all it took for Carlos to agree with Joe's plan. Keeping the children from getting kidnapped was their priority. Stephanie and Carlos knew she would exchange herself for the children.
Carlos and Stephanie had a silent conversation. Eventually, Carlos raised his chin imperceptibly. Stephanie chastely kissed her husband. "We have an agreement," Carlos said. Joe and Carlos discussed the protocols. Stephanie closed her eyes and listened to Carlos and Joe plan her time in Trenton without Carlos.
"Are you putting the apartment in my name?" Stephanie asked. "I hope we have Rangeman securing it."
"Not Rangeman, but Hector, Silvio and Rodriguez," Carlos replied. "They will monitor you using Rangeman's system. However, if you press your panic button, Rangeman will receive the notice."
"And the children?" Stephanie asked.
"They are staying at your house with us," Carlos replied. He never told Joe where Stephanie owned the house. "Jeanne Ellen and Kyle purchased a home. They should be moved into their house when we relocate to open Rangeman Trenton."
"And when you're away? Where will our children live?" Stephanie asked.
"We're taking Ella, Luis and most of the Miami staff with us to Trenton. Our children will stay with Ella while I'm away. Make sure you visit with them when you go to work. I don't want them thinking you're abandoning them," Carlos replied.
"I'll have time to tuck them into bed. It's only until we catch that bastard," Stephanie said. Carlos stroked her cheek. As in the restaurant, Joe felt he was intruding on a private moment.
"When are you supposed to move to Trenton?" Joe asked.
"The end of July," Stephanie replied. "Rangeman Trenton would be ready for us to set everything up. We're training the Miami replacement team at the beginning of July."
Carlos admitted Joe's plan was the perfect way to draw the imposter, Javier, into the open without putting Ric and Hanna in danger.
Joe checked the time and realized it was getting late. He didn't want to wake up the children by staying too late. Stephanie moved off Carlos' lap. She smoothed the wrinkles in her jeans as Carlos stood.
"Thank you for coming here for dinner. We'll get together again in a few days. I have a feeling the children will invite their Tio Joe to the beach for more fun in the surf and sand," Stephanie teased, walking Joe to the door.
"I'd like that. Carlos, I'm on your side. I will do anything to protect your wife and children. Please let me know if you catch that asshole," Joe replied. He hugged Stephanie and shook Carlos' hand.
"I'll need to send you down," Carlos explained when he followed Joe through the apartment door.
Carlos returned a few minutes later. He helped Stephanie with the dishes and cleaned the mess from the dining room floor. Stephanie was thankful they went with the tiled floor with thin grout lines.
They spent a few hours together before asking Hector and Manny to babysit the children. Stephanie had changed her shirt to a black, nondescript one. She attached her harnesses and weapons. Once Stephanie finished, they left to pick up their skip.