Stephanie watched as Ranger headed into the airport, sorry that it was cold enough for overcoats and outerwear. What was that old saying? I hate to see him go, but I love to watch him leave. There hadn't been many opportunities to see how Trenton's Finest Ass was doing these days and, frankly, her mind had been so full of other, more serious, matters that it hadn't occurred to her until now. Miami. With a huff of annoyance she corrected herself. That was now Miami's finest ass.

A sharp honk behind her, followed immediately by a deep voice shouting, "Fuck off, asshole!", interrupted her musings. Relieved that neither of those things were directed at her, she put the car in drive and merged into airport traffic. Once she was out of the jumbled mess of frantic, harried, and distracted drivers and onto the slightly less frantic freeway, she had plenty of time to think as she headed to the office.

So, she had unburdened herself of her most shameful secret and Ranger wasn't repulsed. He didn't look at her in disgust or recrimination, and he certainly hadn't turned his back on her. In a way, it was two secrets. First, The Incident itself, and how her negligence had directly caused grievous bodily harm to another human being and, second, the aftermath, when her Grandma had to pull her back from the brink of alcoholism.

Neither of those were things she'd ever openly discuss. She could count on one hand the people she'd feel comfortable disclosing them to, and still have fingers left over. Honestly, worrying about her secret coming out had been far worse than divulging it. She felt lighter and more at peace.

Would Ranger feel that same relief now that he'd opened up to her and explained how he had felt? It had never occurred to her that he would think that she left because he wasn't good enough for her.

If anything it was the other way around. He was Batman, dammit. People looked up to him as a role model. He was strong, skillful, a true warrior, and handsome as hell. He attracted women – and some men – everywhere he went. How could he feel unworthy of someone's love? And to feel that so intensely that he fell into depression?

Every now and then, Stephanie would sit and wonder what everyone back in New Jersey was doing right at that moment. Never in a million years would she have guessed depression for Ranger, much less one severe enough that friends and family had intervened. That was on her for not seeing past the surface and forgetting that, for all his strengths, he was just as human as anyone else.

The strong and silent stereotype he'd been slotted into didn't have room for emotions, and that was wrong. Not talking about his feelings wasn't the same as not having any. Due to the nature of his work, he frequently ended up in highly intense situations where emotions had to be pushed aside to deal with later. Too often those emotions stayed bottled up, fermenting into something acrid and sour. Like wine turning into vinegar, ready to explode from the rising internal pressure if handled incorrectly.

Of course, she wasn't responsible for his feelings, but she hadn't even acknowledged that he had them. She'd treated him like the comic book hero she'd tagged him as. Someone who was all surface, with no inner dialogue or dilemmas. As if he'd never struggled with decisions about what he'd had to do, or what horrors he'd seen. She wouldn't make that mistake again. She tried to remember some things her therapist had suggested. Maybe, if he was willing, together she and Ranger could create a safe space to discuss such things.

By the time she finished sorting through the morning's revelations, Stephanie was stepping out of the elevator into the lobby of the GNR law office. The law firm took up half the floor of a highrise right in downtown Chicago. Swiping her keycard, she breezed past Sally the receptionist and into the maze of offices and cubicles. Only lawyers got offices. Their administrative assistants sat at desks outside the office and everyone else, including her, was stashed in Prairie Dog Town.

Passing by The Todds cubicle, she nodded at Todd S. and looked around for Todd L. but he was out of sight somewhere. She took the long way to her cubby, so she could check the printer for some documents she'd sent from home. Papers in hand, she continued her trek. Alice was at her desk, with Lori sitting on it and Shay standing next to it. In one perfectly synchronized move, all three ladies turned their heads to look at Stephanie and smiled widely.

Halting, Stephanie pointed at them. "Did you practice that move? Because that was pretty good. Creepy, but well done."

Alice ignored her. "What's his name? When did you meet?"

"How serious is it?" asked Lori. "You didn't spend New Year's together, but he sure made a point of connecting with you at midnight."

"I just want to know if he's as fine as these two say he is," added Shay. "I was at the other end of the table when he called, so I didn't get to see this fine specimen of manhood."

Shay was an administrative assistant and a friend of Alice's. She was about Stephanie's age, a couple of inches taller, and slender. She had dark brown hair and skin, and a knack for dressing with tasteful elegance.

More than once Stephanie had wished she had whatever talent it was that Shay had. Stephanie could put on the exact same outfit as Shay, right down to the accessories and shoes, but where Shay would look as if she'd just stepped out of Vogue and was ready for cocktails in the Hamptons, Stephanie would look like she'd accidentally put on someone else's clothes and didn't know how to wear them.

"The next morning," said Lori, "I was thinking maybe it was just beer goggles making that man look so fine."

"Then I pointed out," said Alice, "That beer goggles are when cheap alcohol makes an ugly guy look okay. We were drinking some high end wine so this must have been wine glasses –"

"Get it?" interrupted Lori. "Glasses, not goggles, because it's fancier? And wine comes in glasses!"

"–where quality alcohol makes a good looking guy incredibly handsome," finished Alice.

"Unless," said Shay, "It was some kind of shared hallucination that these two dreamed up and there is no Super Sexy Smiling Guy. Because I didn't see him, so I can't say he even exists."

"Oh, he's real all right," Stephanie found herself saying, "and he's spectacular."

After that the flood gates opened and the questions came pouring out. Stephanie gave them the basics, that he was an old flame, they'd lost touch, and had run into each other by accident, but she kept the details to herself, especially the juicy ones.

"Oh my gosh." Alice sighed, a dreamy little smile on her face. "You know what this is, don't you? This is a Second Chance Romance, straight out of a novel!"

"That's what I said!" Stephanie admitted.

Advice and opinions flew after that. The ladies urged her to get back together with him but also asked questions she couldn't answer, like what happens next? Would he come to Chicago to live? Would she go to Miami? What about marriage? What about his family, and her family, and how they fit into all of this? And their friends? What did everyone think about the two of them reuniting? Most of all, the ladies insisted that she go down to Miami to visit him, get a feel for where he was now physically (that came from Shay) and spiritually (that came from Alice). Lori suggested she just get thoroughly laid and worry about the rest of it later.

Nothing they said was any different than things she'd considered. She gave them the same answer she'd given herself.

"We need to take this slowly and do it right this time. We definitely need to re-establish our romance, and make sure it'll last, before anyone moves anywhere."

It took a few more minutes to disentangle herself from the conversation, then she got the rest of the files she needed from her cubicle, and headed back to the car.

Once home, Stephanie put the files on her desk and opened her laptop. She was hoping to get through at least one file in full in what was left of the day. A quick trip to the kitchen and she had hot tea and two snack cakes for fuel. Later that afternoon, as she was sifting through the papers scattered over her desk, looking for one particular document, her phone dinged.

Ranger: Arrived in Miami on time. Waiting for baggage then I'll go meet Tank for the ride home. Missing you already.

Stephanie: Ditto, Batman. Winter in Chicago felt a whole lot warmer with you here.

Shoot. Re-reading that, she hoped it was clear that the 'ditto' referred to his 'missing you' and not the whole 'arrived and waiting on baggage'. That would be right up there with the time in college that the hostess at a restaurant led her and her friends to a table and handed them menus. As the hostess turned to leave, she said "Enjoy your meal" and Stephanie immediately replied with a cheerful "You too!" before she could stop herself.

Well, the text was sent. Too late to worry about it now. She waited anxiously for his reply.

Ranger responded with a heart emoji and nothing more. Ranger. Used. An emoji. She found herself bouncing in her seat with glee. That was quite a breakthrough in casual communications. The fact that he responded with a heart and no words meant at least as much as what the heart represented.

Stephanie took a few minutes to stretch and refill her water, then dived back into her work. Two hours later, another text popped in, this one from someone not in her contact list.

Unknown: Hola, Estefania. Es Hector. Through the years you have been far from my sight but always close to my heart. Bienvenida de nuevo.

She put a hand to her own heart as she felt emotion well up. So many times, she had almost reached out to him. She had a feeling that if anyone would accept her back without judgment, it would be him. Fear of rejection had always held her back.

She replied: It's good to hear from you. I thought about you often. I'm sorry I didn't reach out while I was away.

Hector: I know what it is like to wish to walk away and become someone else. I hope that you will stay in touch with us now.

She wanted to ask how he was, ask about his husband, Matt. Ranger had shared a picture of the two of them, and Stephanie was dying to hear all about how they met, their courtship, and everything Hector had been up to for the last 15 years. But not over text, and not as their first communication. To go from radio silent to a bundle of questions seemed intrusive, more like an interrogation than catching up. So she shelved her questions and kept it neutral.

Stephanie: I plan to. Thank you for the warm welcome.

Hector: De nada. We'll talk again soon.

Stephanie added the number into her contacts list, slightly ashamed that it took her a minute to remember his last name. Time was, the name Hector Águila would have rolled right off her lips without a thought. Oh well. At least she did remember. She would have felt way worse if she'd drawn a complete blank.

Okay. Word was getting out. Stephanie found herself staring at her phone, waiting for the next ding! of a text notice. The more time passed without one, the more anxious she got, and the more she needed to move, to bleed off excess energy. The unsettled feeling was messing with her concentration, so she put away her work and shut down her laptop.

Wandering into the kitchen, she popped a breakfast burrito in the microwave for dinner, but that task took all of ten minutes from opening the freezer to wiping her hands and mouth and tossing away the paper towel. It wasn't enough activity to settle her nerves, so she kept moving. She tidied up the apartment, making sure her phone was in her pocket with the ringer on and turned up to the max.

Almost an hour later, Stephanie had wandered around the apartment several times. She was in the kitchen when she finally heard the tone. After taking a seat at the table in the breakfast nook that was as close as she got to a dining room, she checked her screen. Smiling, she promised herself that she'd change the sound of the text notice for him the minute this conversation was done.

Ranger: Heads up, Babe. Over the next couple of days you might get texts or calls from the guys as word spreads.

Stephanie: I already heard from Hector. Who else did you tell?

She saw the "typing now" bubbles pop up then disappear. As she waited for them to reappear, her phone rang with an incoming video call from Ranger. His hair looked damp and was brushed back away from his face. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt and from what little she could see of the room in the background, she thought maybe he was in the office in his apartment. He didn't bother with niceties like hello but went straight into the conversation that had already started by text.

"I spoke with Tank, Lester, and Hector in person as soon as I arrived. Each of them will pass along the news to the Trenton and Boston offices over the next couple of days." As he spoke, he glanced over at something on the other side of the camera.

Stephanie's stomach fluttered with nerves. She hated hearing the quiver in her voice as she asked, "What, um, what did you tell them?"

"I didn't go into detail, but when they asked why you left, I told them you wanted to try to make it on your own as a BEA. When they asked why you didn't come back, I told them that it was because a takedown went bad and your partner was very badly injured."

"Great," she muttered, "they know I'm so incompetent that I almost killed a guy." Her stomach felt sick and she shut her eyes against the rising nausea.

"Stephanie," Ranger said sharply. "Look at me."

It took a minute to compose herself and meet his eyes. Once she did, he continued, his eyes boring intently into hers.

"Even the best planned takedown, with the best intel, the best equipment, and the perfect team to run it, can go sideways in an instant. You know that. You've seen it. Remember when Ram and Zero went to pick up Nutty Colvin, that meth cook? They're in place all set to pick him up going into his mama's house and what happens? Damn pigeon flying overhead unloads all over Colvin. Hits him smack in the face making him jerk around in time to see our guys behind him and all hell breaks loose. And not only is he packing, but his mama comes out with that pistol and then the neighbors pile in."

When she nodded, Ranger's expression eased up from deadly serious to serious in general.

She did remember that. They could joke later but Ram and Zero both took several shots to the vest from all sides. Ram got one through the thigh and Zero got shot in the ass. If Ram hadn't triggered his panic button neither one of them would have come home. Even so, they were damn lucky none of the assailants had gone for a headshot.

Without breaking eye-contact, Ranger reached for something out of camera range. "Let's walk through a debrief, okay? Now, you said the intel was that neither skip would be there. Your partner, was he one of the top dogs in the agency?"

"Well, he was way better than me," she admitted, leaving the 'so was everyone else' unsaid.

"But was he the best in the office?"

Stephanie wasn't sure where Ranger was going with this but answered anyway. "More like middle of the pack."

Ranger nodded like that was what he expected her to say. "The guy in charge of this op is allocating resources based on the intel he's got at that time. That location was supposed to be a bust. Because he had the manpower, he took the precaution of sending a team anyway. The team he sends is low-grade because realistically, he figures that team will do nothing more than sit around for a few hours bored out of their minds. But that wasn't what happened."

She felt her nose running and had to sniff. "I wasn't fully dressed and then my stun gun didn't work and it's like the pepper spray didn't faze the one guy that I was able to tag and I jumped on the other guy's back but these guys were both built like Tank and he just shrugged me off like I was nothing."

"I won't lie to you. Your actions figured into the outcome. But extremely faulty intel and a team that, even on their best day, would have been completely outmatched affected it a whole lot more, Stephanie." He paused and she could see him gathering his thoughts. "Shit happens and sometimes the best we can do is learn from it and keep moving. Did you do that?"

She thought about the time she'd spent in therapy, time spent becoming proficient in self-defense, and time spent examining what she really wanted in a career and then making it happen.

"Yeah. I think I did."

Ranger gave her a small smile. "Then you've done everything you can."

The knots in her stomach loosened up. She was grateful that Ranger had taken the time to go through it, lay it all out that way. It helped change her perception of The Incident. Still, it didn't change the fact that at least three of the men she'd been closest to knew about it now, but only one had spoken to her. That was discouraging, but then again, they probably needed time to get over the shock of Ranger's news.

Yes, that must be it. It wasn't that they had had enough of her attitude back then, or hated her for leaving, or were disgusted at her for wanting to come back, right? Please, let surprise be it.

Sure, she didn't expect any of them to be filled with joy. Before she left, she'd caught the side-eyes and heard the complaints whispered under their breath or behind her back, but hopefully Hector wasn't the only one who was willing to welcome her.

Pushing those dismal thoughts aside, Stephanie brought up something that had popped into her mind during the three way interrogation at the office this morning.

"Um, while I have you on the phone, there's something I think I need to make clear." She propped the phone against the sugar bowl to free her hands. "While you've specifically used the S word, I'm not sure that I have."

"Babe?" Ranger's eyebrows drew together. He paused long enough that she knew he had intended to stop with that one word. She saw him catch himself then he continued. "What word is that?"

"Sorry."

"That's okay." He shrugged and looked off to the side again. She saw his shoulder move, though his hand was out of sight.

"No, sorry."

"Just tell me what it is." He looked confused but sounded encouraging. "I won't be upset, if that's what you're afraid of."

"No, sorry. Sorry. I, oh, crap." Sighing she waved both hands in front of her in an 'erase all that' motion. "I'm sorry that I'm doing a poor job of telling you that the S word is Sorry."

"Ah. Got it." His image jumped as he repositioned his phone. He must have propped it against something like she had, because she could see both of his hands now. He looked to the side again and moved his hand out of camera range in that direction.

Fidgeting nervously with her hair, Stephanie took a deep breath then said, "I just want to be clear that when I explained what I was thinking back then, and why I left and why I never returned, I was trying to apologize. I'm sorry for how I behaved. I'm sorry I didn't listen when you were trying to keep me safe. I'm sorry for walking out on you. I'm sorry I stayed away." She tried to lick her lips but her mouth was dry. "I know that I hurt you, and so many others, which would make, does, does make it harder to come back and face everyone. I'm sorry for everything I put you through."

Nodding, Ranger leaned forward into the camera. "I understood that was what you were saying. And I want to make it clear that I'm sorry for overdoing the security and protection. Above all, I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry I didn't try to work with you to achieve the objectives."

"I hope the guys are as understanding as you are." She chewed at her lip, not at all certain that they would be.

"I can't help you face the others, but I can support you while you do." Ranger glanced to the side again then continued. "I know that I was always closed off, but I've worked on that since you left. Plus, once I stopped doing missions, the need for constant secrecy eased up. I'm still under contract but only for consulting, training, mission planning and the like. I must say that this? What we're doing here?" He gestured back and forth between them. "I've never had this level of communication before. It feels weird, but good. Every day we talk, whether it's in person or by text, it feels easier. More natural."

"For me, too." Stephanie grinned. "I admit, I got excited when you sent that heart emoji."

Ranger grinned back at her. "I thought you'd get a kick out of that. I tried to picture your face when you got it."

She laughed. "Excitement was definitely in the air."

Suddenly, the video feed from his end was obscured. The feed hadn't cut out, something white and moving was blocking Ranger. She heard him speaking, the sound soft and gently chiding, and she caught the words "silly" and "Chico Travieso". The camera refocused and she had the perfect view of the wrong end of a cat. Watching Ranger wrestle the playful kitty was highly amusing, as was the amount of white fur she could see on his navy t-shirt.

"Well," she said with a laugh, "he's certainly a boy and those are very fluffy pants."

Ranger chuckled. "Sorry about that."

There was a jumble of movement then the image resolved into a large, long-haired tabby and white cat sitting on the desk with Ranger's hands keeping him in place. "He was throwing things off my desk a minute ago, trying to get my attention. When that didn't work, he upped the stakes and got between me and the phone."

"He's certainly pretty."

"He's a goofball and an attention hog. I should have named him Lester," he joked.

The next few minutes were spent comparing the care and feeding of a hamster versus a cat. Conversation petered out and they said good night. No sooner had she disconnected when the phone dinged again.

Unknown:Welcome back, Little Girl.

A warm feeling came over her at the nickname and Stephanie knew who it was. Like all the Rangemen, Tank wasn't much for showing emotion, but there was always something in the way he said that.

She wanted to know more about the years she'd missed. Ranger had shown her a photo of Tank and his wife, Olivia, who she was dying to hear about. As with her conversation with Hector, she felt that called for face to face meetings. Or maybe text would be okay later, but not right off the bat. Again she kept her reply simple.

Stephanie: Thanks, Big Guy. It's good to be back in touch. I'm still getting used to the changes. You're in Miami with Ranger?

Tank: Yes. If you need anything, call this number or the main line at Miami. I'll make sure they know to put you through.

Stephanie: Will do. Thank you, Tank.

Twice the three bubbles popped up and disappeared. She waited, but there was no third time. It seemed like she wasn't the only one uncertain how to proceed. Somehow, that made her feel better. Solid, dependable, no-nonsense Tank wasn't sure what to do. If he couldn't figure it out, then how could she?

She got into her jammies, tossed on her warmest robe and slippers, and fixed a mug of tea. Making herself comfy on the couch, she put her feet up on the coffee table, her phone in her lap, and Ollie under one arm. She flipped through the channels on TV but nothing held her attention. It was all busy work, really. Something to do while she waited for that third person to light up her phone. She even stayed up an hour later, but as she got into bed, she still hadn't heard from Lester.

0o0o0o0o0o

The next morning, Stephanie was up and at her desk by 8:00 a.m. There was a lot to be said for working from home, mainly how the commute consisted of getting out of bed and walking into another room. She spent a couple of hours working on the next file in her backlog and was just about ready for a break when her phone dinged.

Unknown: Hey, Wifey! Long time no see. Hope all is well. This is the best number to reach me at. Hope we get to see you soon.

Wifey? Who the heck – Oh, right. How could she have forgotten Manny and their wifey/hubby routine?

Stephanie: Hey, Hubby! I'm better now that I've heard from you. You're with Rangeman Miami, right?

Manny: I am indeed! Should've made the move sooner - no more crappy Jersey winters.

Stephanie: If you think Jersey is bad, you should try Chicago.

Manny: No way. You should come visit tropical Miami.

Stephanie: I'll see what I can do. :)

The next contact wasn't until late in the afternoon, but it wasn't one of the guys. She'd chosen that rising three-note chime for Ranger. He must have gone to see Julie and had sent a photo.

The picture was of the two of them standing in what looked to be the foyer of a house. Julie had the pink otter in the crook of her elbow and her other arm was around Ranger's waist. Her baby bump was much more pronounced than in the photo that Ranger had shared on Christmas Eve.

Ranger's eyes had that warmth she'd seen before when he'd looked at his daughter, and his mouth was quirked up in one of his almost-smiles. He was every bit the proud, loving father. He had one arm over her shoulders and his other arm stretched out, taking the photo.

Julie was a beauty, having inherited her father's dark good looks. She was smiling, but something about her face made it seem reserved, or maybe guarded. It was the kind of polite smile people made when they felt obliged to be nice in social situations with people they didn't know well, or weren't sure they liked. Then Stephanie read the caption and she had a sinking feeling that she knew what Julie was guarding against.

Ranger: I told Julie the good news about running into you, and that you two were otter-twins. Hers is named Miss Petunia Petals, Otter Extraordinaire.

Julie didn't exactly seem thrilled by the news of Stephanie's return. Or maybe she didn't like having the same plushie as the woman who'd abandoned her father and broken his heart to the point where she and Tank had had to scrounge up a kitten to shove at him in a desperate ploy to pull him back from darkness.

Or, you know, maybe it was just one photo and Stephanie was reading far too much into it and immediately spiraling down to the worst case scenario. Scolding herself for being negative and overly dramatic, she took a moment to consider her reply.

Stephanie: She looks wonderful. Glad she likes the plushie.

Checking the time, she decided it was close enough to quitting time and shut down her laptop. The rest of her evening was a repeat of the day before, except the phone stayed silent. She tucked herself into bed wondering if it was too soon to ask about visiting Miami.

0o0o0o0o0o

The next day started like every other, with Stephanie hitting snooze three times before finally giving in to the inevitable. After a quick shower, she pulled on comfy jeans, a t-shirt, and a big comfy sweater. Fuzzy socks and slippers completed her ensemble. She made toast and coffee then brought them into the office.

She opened the texting app on her phone - the wording took her three tries, but in the end she hit send.

Stephanie: Hi Ranger. Nothing important, just wanted to say good morning.

She put a smiley face and heart at the end in case it encouraged him to use emojis again. The reply was almost instantaneous and included those two symbols.

Ranger: Thanks, Babe. Good morning to you, too.

That little interaction made her feel all warm inside. She had a smile on her face as she started work.

The next text notification came mid-morning. Since she could hear that it wasn't from Ranger, she finished and sent the email she was typing before checking the phone. As soon as she read the text, she knew who it was.

Bobby: How's my favorite (im)patient?! Came back from vacation to hear great news. Glad to hear from you.

Steph: Doing well. How's my favorite medic? How do you like Miami?

Bobby: Love the winters. Summers are kind of brutal. Gotta stay inside or on the beach.

Steph: You know how much I love the beach, so that would be my choice.

Bobby: If you come visit in summer, I'll show you the best spots to stay cool.

Steph: Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.

Setting her phone aside, she wondered if that would be the last one. The last Merry Man to voluntarily reach out to her. Well, no point worrying about it since there was nothing she could do. She opened up a new file on her computer. Her work offered the perfect distraction from her personal woes.

That evening, as she walked into the kitchen to fix dinner, she video called Ranger on a whim. An idea had come to her, and she had to act on it before she could talk herself out of it. He answered right away.

"Hey, Babe. What's up?"

She held her phone in one hand as she moved around, opening cabinets. "I thought I'd see if you'd like to have dinner together."

He gave her an odd look. "Where are you?"

Stephanie pulled a frying pan out and put it on the stove. "Oh don't worry. I'm not about to jump out of a closet in Miami and yell surprise. I'm in my kitchen and I thought, well, if we're on a video call and we're each eating dinner, we could chat and it would be like having dinner together."

He gave her his 200-watt smile. "That's a great idea. I just walked into the apartment, so the timing is perfect."

And perfect was the right word to describe it. She made eggs, bacon, and toast slathered with honey and butter. He sautéed a boneless skinless chicken breast and some fresh veggies. The second time the cat jumped on the counter to get a better view of the chicken, Ranger shut him in the office. There were no interruptions after that. They chatted as they cooked and while they ate.

Ranger.

Chatted.

It was amazing and wonderful and everything Stephanie had ever hoped for.

Surprisingly, they discovered that they had something in common that they hadn't had before. She'd taken up bicycling several years back and it turned out that he had, too. That subject took up most of their time. They talked about the different bikes they'd had, and the trails and paths they liked. Stephanie usually went riding with Lori, feeling safer than as a lone rider in the city, but the bike trails in the Chicago parks were truly beautiful. Maybe someday she'd take Ranger along on a ride.

Dinner was long over, their empty plates and discarded cutlery on the tables in front of them. There was a quiet moment, and Stephanie found the courage to ask about something that had been bothering her.

"I, um, I've heard from a few of the guys. Hector, I already told you about him. Tank, Bobby, and Manny too. But, that's it. You did tell Lester, right?"

She could hear the nervous quaver in her voice. Of all the Merry Men, his was the rejection that would truly wound her, and she was afraid of what Ranger might say.

Ranger looked thoughtful and took a sip of his water. "Stephanie, Lester was really hurt when you left, and he said he needed some time before he reached out."

"Oh." She could feel the back of her eyes start burning, but she refused to cry.

It would be stupid to cry about it. Rejection was no less than she deserved for leaving him in the first place. They'd been almost joined at the hip. He'd called her his best friend. Leaving him behind had hurt almost as much as leaving Ranger, but in a different way.

"He did ask me to forward your contact information," Ranger assured her, his voice soft and comforting. "Maybe you could reach out to him?"

"Maybe," she replied.

"I can give you his work cell phone number," he offered.

"No, that's okay." Stephanie smiled her thanks at him. "I can always call the main number and get him."

Their talk wound down and they said good night.

Later, as she lay in bed, Stephanie thought about how difficult calling Lester would be, especially knowing that he probably wouldn't be receptive. Wouldn't that be too pushy? Forcing him to talk to her when he was making it clear that he didn't want to? What if he was about to reach out then she shoved in there before he was ready? Wouldn't that push him away for good? Maybe if Lester didn't want to talk to her, she should take that as his signal that she didn't deserve to rekindle their friendship.

Stephanie sighed. She had never been good at confrontation of any kind. Sure, she'd gotten better over the years, but she was still a chicken at heart. She already knew she wouldn't be texting anyone first, much less calling the switchboard, although she decided she'd keep that to herself.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Translations:

Hola - Hello

Es Hector - It's Hector

Bienvenida de nuevo - Welcome back

De nada - you're welcome / it's nothing