Fourteen hours into the new year and all was going well. The bulk of the re-branding had taken place in the days leading up to New Year's Eve, including the exterior signage, uniforms, and documents. Hector had programmed the website to automatically switch from Hawkins Protective to Rangeman precisely at midnight.

Now, Ranger was ensconced in one of the offices that lined the perimeter of the control room, working on his endless stream of paperwork. With December officially over, the month end, quarter end, and year end reports would start flowing in. Rangeman LLC should do quite well despite the cost of acquiring Hawkins Protective, although the figures wouldn't be finalized until the end of January.

A text from Stephanie popped up while he was reviewing the company's projected year end budget-to-actual profit and loss statement.

Stephanie: Happy New Year! We've already missed lunch but are you free for dinner? I was hoping we could meet one more time before you leave.

Ranger glanced at the top of his phone screen for the time: 1432. Definitely past lunchtime, plus he'd already eaten. Like her, though, he had been hoping for one more chance to meet. One more chance to see her in person. One more chance to be close enough to put his hand on the small of her back as they walked. Close enough to breathe in the scent of her shampoo. Close enough to feel as if they'd always been together. They hadn't, of course. There was a fifteen-year gap between them. But, God willing, they could get close enough to bridge that gap

Ranger: Happy New Year, Babe. I'm sorry but I'm taking Chicago's management team out for dinner tonight.

It was tempting to invite her along but not only was he still navigating the rocky waters of his reunion with Stephanie, he was also in the early days of establishing working relationships with the management here. He wasn't sure he could competently handle a dinner where there wasn't a single participant with whom he was on a firm footing.

He watched as the message status flipped to read. The little bubbles that showed she was typing popped up then disappeared three times before she replied.

Stephanie: How about I give you a ride to the airport and we can stop for breakfast on the way?

Ranger suppressed a smile. He had an early flight and needed to be at the airport by 0600. Unless she'd changed drastically, there was no way Stephanie would want to get up early enough to drop him off, much less take time for a sit-down breakfast. Which was too bad, because that would be a great opportunity.

Hang on. What if…

Ranger pulled up the airline's app on his phone and went into his flight information. He quickly thumbed through a few screens, tapping here and scrolling there, and it was done.

Considering how incredibly busy the airlines were this time of year, he was exceedingly fortunate to find a seat available, and even more fortunate that he didn't have to downgrade from first class. He thought of all his years with Uncle Sam when he'd flown on hard metal jump seats, or in the belly of a cargo plane, or strapped into a helicopter with its doors wide open. He was more than done with that kind of travel. He'd come to appreciate the luxury of first class and was reluctant to forego it.

Ranger: That would be great. I don't have to be at the airport until 10:00 a.m.

Would she notice that he hadn't used military time? Okay, he had, but he'd caught it and fixed it before hitting send. After that it was a matter of nailing down the time for her to pick him up.

She'd always hated it when he hung up the phone without saying goodbye, and he figured texts were similar, so he made a point of sending her a signoff text. It was nothing more than "see you in the morning" but she'd sent a heart in reply. Objective accomplished.

Thinking back on it, Stephanie always had been clear that it bothered her when Ranger and his men disconnected a call without saying goodbye in some form. At the time, he'd dismissed her words, making no effort to adjust for her. Instead, he'd found her annoyance amusing, and made sure she knew it. What a condescending ass he'd been.

And why? Was the habit so ingrained after years of military discipline that it seeped out into all aspects of his life? Yes, but so what? Why couldn't he have shown her how much he cared by doing something she actually asked for? What the hell had been wrong with him? If he'd tried harder back then, listened when it mattered, then maybe she wouldn't have –

'Stop it, Manoso,' Ranger told himself firmly, then forced his mind away from that line of thinking. There was nothing he could do about the past except not make the same mistakes again.

Putting his earbuds in, he opened the music app on his phone. He needed something with no words to distract him, and with enough beat to keep him working, so he went straight to the instrumental Spanish guitar selections and hit his favorite playlist. The latin beats of rumba and flamenco got his toe tapping under the desk and helped him clear the past from his mind. He texted the new flight details to Tank, then opened up the next set of preliminary reports and got back to work.

Surprisingly, Stephanie arrived ten minutes early the next morning. Ranger had just finished moving his luggage from the elevator onto the sidewalk between it and the client parking area when she drove into the garage. She guided her car into the spot in front of him and got out.

"Hi." Stephanie sounded breathless and looked unsure of herself as she gave him a small smile.

Ranger nodded in return. "Hi."

They stood watching each other for a moment, as if waiting for the other to make a move or set the tone. He desperately wanted to pull her into him for a passionate kiss but was afraid he'd lose control, crowd her against her car then peel open her coat and run his hands along her torso and up her sweater to cup those perfect breasts. At the same time, he'd slide his foot between hers, making room to slip in his calf, then his knee, as his leg spread hers apart until the hard muscle pressed against the sweet spot at the junction of her thighs.

But CEO Manoso's behavior should set an example for the Chicago office, not announce a double standard. Any other employee caught making out in the parking garage would get written up for dereliction of duty if they were on the clock, or conduct unbecoming if they were not. More importantly, Stephanie's reputation mattered, and this would make a terrible impression, negating the good will she'd earned with her surprise appearance and cinnamon rolls. Although the spot where they stood was out of sight from the street, the security cameras all over this level made it a public space and Ranger had no doubt that any video of the hypothetical incident would be copied and shared behind closed doors. There was absolutely no way he'd let that happen to her.

The moment ended as she moved first, stepping forward and reaching out to hug him. He hugged her back and they held each other tightly, her head on his shoulder with their cheeks pressed together. His entire body clenched with the effort not to act on his desire. Stephanie let go first, and they stepped away from each other.

She looked at his luggage – a large roller bag with a smaller carryon bag atop it – then gave him a quizzical look.

"Do you bring your own guns when you travel? Or do they have, like, loaners here that you can sign out?"

"I bring my own." He pointed to the large bag. "They're secured in TSA approved lockboxes in the checked bag."

"Huh." She put one hand on her hip. "So, right now, at this moment and until after you arrive in Tren– um, Miami, you're running around undressed? That must feel weird."

Ranger grimaced. "You have no idea."

It had been a long time since an enemy had come for him directly. He knew the odds that he'd need to use those weapons dropped every year, especially since he'd retired from active duty in the military and worked the streets less often with the Rangeman patrols. But without his weapons he felt vulnerable in a way that was worse than being naked in public. He'd be glad to get his knife and both guns strapped back in place.

He put the luggage in the trunk and they got underway. Instead of taking the interstate, she stayed on a surface street lined with commercial buildings that paralleled it. Stephanie's phone was hooked into the display on her dash so he could see their route. After ten miles, the map showed a turn coming up into one of the strip malls that lined the road.

"There it is," Stephanie pointed. "I hope this place is as good in real life as it looks online."

Slowing, she put on her right blinker and turned. The building was nondescript, a generic restaurant style. The sign proclaimed "Windy City Diner - Breakfast all day!" The outside was a little rundown, but the parking lot was mostly full.

Inside was as shabby as the outside, but spotlessly clean. The place was bustling despite this usually being a low traffic day, with many business people still on vacation. As the host led them to their seats, Ranger scanned the other tables. The food wasn't fancy, but looked filling and smelled great. The host handed them menus, then hustled off to get them coffee, leaving them to peruse the selections. Their server came by a few minutes later.

"Welcome to Windy City Diner. My name is Daphne and I'll be your server. What can I get you today?"

Stephanie was ready and rattled off her order in one breath. "I'll have the Classic Breakfast. Make the eggs over hard, hash browns for potatoes, link sausage, and a biscuit. Oh, and a glass of orange juice, please."

Every year, Ranger's dietary choices were less about maintaining peak physical condition and more about staving off the heart disease that ran in his family. While he wished he was having Stephanie's breakfast, he needed to make up for indulging in some of the holiday foods.

"Egg white veggie omelet, no potatoes, whole grain toast, and water."

"Coming right up!" Daphne collected their menus and scooted off to the next table.

"Getting back to the temple now that the holidays are over?" Stephanie asked with a smile. When he nodded in reply she continued. "What did you do for New Year's Eve? Not another potluck at the office, I hope?"

"No, the tradition for New Year's is that the company rents event space from one of the big chain hotels and has the party there, catered by the hotel. Everyone not on duty that night is invited, along with a plus one. Most attendees also book rooms for the evening, so there's no issue with driving home. The party is on the company's dime but any rooms are a personal expense. Personnel on duty get a catered meal."

"Were there a lot of people there?"

"Including the plus ones, there were over one hundred attending. About three-fourths of them stayed overnight."

They continued to chat about inconsequential things until the food arrived.

Stephanie was about halfway through her meal when she spoke. Her tone was hesitant, as if she wasn't sure she should be asking. "So, I'm curious. Why did you leave Trenton?"

Ranger had already planned to tell her, but first there was something he had to know. Back in the museum, when she recounted her time in Pittsburgh, he'd gotten the impression that she was holding back. That as shitty as things had been, she was keeping the worst of it to herself. She had talked about how badly things had gone, but she'd never outright said what had made her decide to quit. Maybe he could use his story as a bargaining chip.

"Tell me why you quit bounty hunting," he offered, "and I'll tell you why I moved to Miami."

Stephanie paused, hands frozen, the left hand gripping the knife that rested tip-first next to the sausage, and the fork halted midway between plate and mouth. She dropped her gaze down to her plate. And there it was again. The same reaction she'd given in the museum when he'd asked about her gun. Stephanie swallowed hard and her complexion paled ever so slightly. He might not have noticed if he hadn't been watching for it.

Something had happened. Something traumatic enough that, over a decade later, her body's involuntary responses still gave her away.

Between his time in special forces and his career in security, Ranger had seen first hand the horrible things humans did to each other, and was keenly aware of the special hells frequently inflicted on women. The thought of any woman suffering such abuse made his stomach churn. The thought of it happening to Stephanie made the bile rise in his throat, and he clenched his jaw hard against it.

With slow careful movements, she set her cutlery down on the plate and wiped her mouth with her napkin. She inhaled deeply then raised her head to look him in the eyes.

"There was…" She licked her lips, a nervous gesture he remembered, before continuing, "...an incident."

"Were you hurt?" Ranger should have stayed silent and let her speak but dammit, he needed to know. He could feel his heart rate and breathing increase as his body dumped adrenaline in a misguided need to defend her physically, as if he wasn't fifteen years too late to that party.

Stephanie shook her head. "No. I mean yes. But, no. It wasn't–" She let out a ragged breath, put her hands in her lap and the tip of her tongue skimmed across her lips again. "I wasn't exactly unscathed, but my injuries were minor compared to his. And the whole thing was my fault." Her anxiety overflowed into her hands, twisting and tugging at the napkin in her lap. "Large bond. Short deadline. Violent skips. Informants gave a handful of probable spots to find each. The bond agency needed all hands on deck to cover the locations.

"Gerry and I were partnered to check out one of the least-likely addresses. Even though I'd already gotten a wake up call thanks to Rita, and was working on self-defense, I was still half-assing everything. I showed up unarmed and unprepared but hey, it wouldn't matter, right? I mean, our assigned post was supposed to be a bust. Nobody home."

Her eyes watered and a tear spilled out, sliding down her cheek. She sniffed and dabbed the napkin at her nose. "Sorry. I just haven't talked about this in a long time." She cleared her throat. "Long story short, Gerry and I hit the jackpot. Both assholes were there. And because I wasn't properly equipped, they were able to swarm us. Gerry took the first hit trying to protect me since I was completely unarmed, which is when he lost his gun. They quickly realized that I was no threat and focused on him. Didn't shoot him again, though. Why waste bullets when you've got a baseball bat and a big fucking knife, right? Christ, I've never wished for a panic button so hard in my life."

Stephanie took a sip of her water, the tremor in her hand matching the one in her voice. "The only reason they didn't finish him off was because a neighbor's dogs were barking and attracting attention. I ended up with a broken arm, some stitches, and bruises. Gerry spent two weeks in intensive care, a month on the regular floor, and a couple of months in rehab re-learning how to walk and dress himself. Oh, and the agency lost the bond."

She smoothed the napkin in her lap. Her eyes were pink rimmed and damp, but not watering as she'd gotten herself back under control. "As you might have guessed, I was persona non grata at any business remotely related to bail bonds after that. I also started to spiral downward. I was lucky that someone managed to talk me out of a bottle and into counseling."

"Rita?" Ranger guessed. From what little he'd heard, Rita didn't seem like a friend, and it would take a really close friend to manage something like that. But Rita was the only person that Stephanie had spoken of that wasn't dismissive of her or openly hostile.

Stephanie shook her head and smiled fondly. "Grandma Mazur. Apparently I'd called her one night in the midst of a drunken pity fest. I still don't remember the conversation, but I do remember waking up with her in my apartment, standing over me where I'd passed out on the floor. She said I'd given her my address and asked her to bring Boston Cremes from Tasty Pastry, so she did." Stephanie rested one hand on the table, fingers idly fiddling with her spoon. "She'd also tossed out all my tequila and beer and was tidying up.

"Grandma couldn't stay long because she'd told everyone she'd gone on a senior's excursion to Atlantic City that, as luck would have it, was leaving the same morning that she did and it only lasted five days. But in those five days, she kicked my ass and helped me get my head on straight. Well, straightish. Grandma steered me in the right direction and a couple of years of therapy helped do the rest."

Reaching across the tabletop, Ranger took her hand in his. "I'm sorry you went through that."

Stephanie shrugged one shoulder and squeezed his hand. "At least between Grandma and my therapist I was able to learn from it and grow as a person." She looked away, her unfocused gaze going across the crowded diner. "It was exactly the kind of incident that you guys had always known would eventually come to pass, wasn't it?"

Ranger found himself reluctant to answer, and the silence between them grew. But they'd promised to be truthful.

"Yes," he admitted. He tried to lighten the mood yet acknowledge what she'd been through by putting the focus on her grandmother. "Babe, it's a five or six hour drive from Trenton to Pittsburgh. Did your grandmother come all that way by herself in Big Blue? And the National Guard didn't get called out? That's pretty amazing."

"She did!" Stephanie laughed, a big smile on her face. "I asked her if she'd gotten her driver's license back, and she said that wouldn't matter as long as she didn't get pulled over. When it was time for her to leave, I drove us almost all the way back to Trenton. I picked up a rental car near the Pennsylvania end of the Route 1 bridge over the Delaware, so she only had to drive Big Blue the last few miles home."

Pulling her hand from his, she squared her shoulders and picked up her cutlery. She resumed eating, so he did the same. "Okay, Batman. Your turn. Why did you leave Trenton? And why go to Miami?

"I left Trenton because the memory of you was everywhere. It was not only a reminder of what I'd lost, but of how I'd failed so spectacularly that you left without a backward glance. I'd spent most of my life before you alone because I'm crap at relationships. I couldn't even do casual dating right. The meltdown with Linda proved that. No one had ever wanted me, and no one ever would."

"That's a little dire, don't you think?" she replied. "You've always turned heads and frankly you've only gotten hotter as you've gotten older." She tipped her head toward the front of the diner. "You know there's an entire table of pretty young ladies who have been eyeing you since we arrived, right?"

Ranger laughed wryly. "Oh they'll look. They'll even sample the wares. But none of them ever want to stay. Not even you. I just wasn't worth it."

"Oh, God." Stephanie looked stricken. "That's not why –"

He waved one hand. "I know that now, but that's what it felt like at the time. I moved to Miami so I wouldn't be reminded of you at every turn, and threw myself into work. I figured that was the only thing I was good at, so that was all I did. I even took on a couple of highly dangerous missions for Uncle Sam. I didn't care if I made it back, as long as I met the objective."

Ranger thought back to how bleak his life had seemed at the time. Like some pathetic one-trick pony, only good for meting out justice through violence. All his emotions had shut down. What few he felt were muted, and none of them good. There was no happiness, no joy, no pleasant reveries. Only basic existence.

Gracias a Dios for friends and family who were concerned enough to kick his ass hard enough to get his attention.

"That was when Tank and Julie conspired and found a reason for me to reach outside of myself. They even came to my place together. Said it was an emergency foster situation. That the kitten needed a place right that second, and absolutely no one else was available to take him. Julie had the kitten in a carrier and Tank had all the supplies the kitten would need. I think they knew that I might be able to resist one or the other of them, but not both at once.

"The strategy worked. I suddenly had this little creature that I had to care for and consider before I made any decisions. That helped bring me out of myself. Lester, meanwhile, played a similar role to your grandmother, though his method of ass kicking was a bit more literal. He got me to see that I'd been mired in depression, and gave me the push I needed to go to counseling. I'd been before, of course, many times. But those were all mission related. I'd never thought of going on my own. Lester even drove me to the first few sessions. He said it was in case I needed a hug afterwards, but I know he was also making sure that I went."

"And did you?" Stephanie asked. "Need a hug?"

"A couple of times, yeah," he admitted. "The emotions that came up were kind of overwhelming. Lester understood because he'd been to counseling for personal reasons too."

She nodded in understanding. "I know how that feels." She paused. "Do you think that's part of why this reunion is going better than we might have expected? Because we've both been to counseling? I mean … you're actually opening up to me, and that's not something the old Ranger would ever have done."

"And you aren't deflecting or living in denial."

Their server had brought the check when she brought the food. Ranger picked it up, stood, and dropped a tip on the table.

Stephanie slid her purse onto her shoulder. "If only we could have –"

"Don't," he warned her. "Thinking in 'might haves' will only drive you crazy." He'd wasted a lot of time with that before he'd learned better.

"True. Besides, this way I get to live out my very own second chance romance trope."

Thanks to his daughter, his sisters, and his nieces – all of whom were avid readers – Ranger was familiar with nearly all categories of fiction aimed at women.

"Sorry I'm not six feet, six inches tall and a billionaire," he joked.

"But you are devilishly handsome and a successful businessman," she countered. "I'm just glad you don't have a twenty-foot wingspan and growl every other word. Then again, in romance novels nobody ever passes gas, either. I wouldn't mind that part. Wheatgrass was not your friend."

Ranger chuckled. "Don't worry, that's a thing of the past. Besides, you and broccoli had a, shall we say, tumultuous relationship."

Stephanie grinned widely. "Why do you think no one ever touched the broccoli during dinner at my Mom's house?"

Ranger paid and they got back underway. The drive was quiet. Ranger's mind was full of what she'd revealed today. The tipping point that had her quitting bond enforcement and, most likely, the event that ultimately had kept her from returning to Trenton.

He'd been on some FUBAR missions, some as part of the team and some as the leader. Even if he wasn't directly responsible for injuries they always felt like his fault. Like he'd failed his men in some way. Like he hadn't done enough as team leader to prevent whatever had caused it.

Ranger knew exactly how it felt to come home from something like that, and there'd been times that he'd wished he could just go somewhere else and start over instead of facing everyone. So, yeah, he understood now exactly why she'd stayed away.

All too soon, they pulled up at the airport dropoff for his airline. He reached for the door handle, but Stephanie's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Wait." Her hand moved to the console divider between their seats. She plucked a piece of paper out of the cup holder and handed it to him.

"That's all of my contact info. Home and work, addresses and phone numbers. I figure we can continue texting and maybe make some video calls or something. I want to keep in touch."

Ranger tucked the paper in his pocket, making sure it was secure. "I want to keep in touch too. When I said I hoped we'd get back together, I meant it."

"So did I. Maybe we can set up a regular call time," she suggested. "Give us something to look forward to every week? And, um, it's okay to mention that you ran into me. If anyone wants my contact info you can give it to them."

"Are you sure? I know you said you wanted to limit this at first since you weren't sure how others might react."

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, although from the way she was nibbling her bottom lip, Ranger thought she didn't really look sure. "I don't want to put you in the position where you're hiding things from your friends and family. Besides, I've already met some of the Chicago office including the former owner, right? What if someone from Chicago mentions it but you haven't? That would be awkward. So, yeah. Mention me. If anyone wants to contact me, they can and if they're mad at me I'll just deal with it."

They got out of the car and he retrieved his luggage, waving off a Skycap. Ranger found himself making small talk to prolong his time with her.

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

Stephanie made a face, like she was trying to decide something before she spoke. "I wouldn't say this to just anyone, but since you've been in therapy, I think you'll understand. I need to process all this. My, well, confession, I guess you'd call it and your revelations. I need to go home, have some tea, and think it all over."

Ranger did understand. Again, he tried to lighten the mood.

"Maybe hug your otter while you do," he suggested, then kissed her on the temple.

Stephanie gave him a cheeky grin. "Will you hug yours?"

He grinned back at her. "It's Julie's otter and I'm not really a plushie kind of person." He grew serious as he added, "But I will be doing some processing of my own on the flight."

He gave her a proper kiss then, filled with the passion and feeling he had for her. It was too soon to say the words yet, so he tried to show her how much he loved her, how precious she was to him, and he could swear her body was saying the same things in return.

The kiss ended. He promised to check his schedule and set up their first call once he landed. He gave her one last quick kiss to the forehead and walked away.