I dropped off my last skip of the day at the police station and walked slowly back to my car. I must have worked too hard today because I was starting to feel a little draggy. When I sat in my car, I texted Connie quickly, telling her I'd bring the body receipt for Moses Babcock into the office tomorrow. All I wanted to do was go home and have a nap.
I drove home on autopilot, made kissy noises in the direction of my hamster, and stripped off my clothes on the way to my bedroom. By the time I hit my bed, I was wearing only my tee shirt and panties, and I fell face-down on my bed. I wrapped my blankets around me and burrowed in, needing the warmth.
I woke several hours later with a vague awareness that I wasn't alone in my bedroom anymore. The tingle on the back of my neck alerted me to the identity of my late-night visitor.
"Ranger?" I asked as I sat up, my voice thick with sleep.
"Hi, Babe."
I could vaguely make out his silhouette sitting on the chair in the corner of my bedroom. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine, Babe. Just needed to relax and focus."
"What's going on?"
"Had a rough takedown, Babe. Everyone's okay."
"Want to come to bed?"
Instead of answering, he bent down, untied his boots, and stepped out of them. He pulled his polo shirt off with one hand and unsnapped his utility belt, letting it fall to the chair. He moved to the bed and slid in beside me, wearing only his cargo pants. I didn't say anything. I assumed he didn't remove those because he wasn't wearing anything underneath them, and I wasn't feeling well enough to confront him in all his glory anyway.
He gathered me in his arms and kissed my forehead. "Babe, are you okay?"
"Hmm?"
"You have a fever."
"I do?"
"Yes. Are you feeling okay?"
"No. I was exhausted this afternoon after dropping off my skip, so I came home to nap."
"Have you been sleeping since this afternoon?" he asked.
"Yeah. Why, what time is it now?"
"Twelve-thirty," he replied. He stood and walked out of the room. I tried to hear what he was doing but was still so tired that I couldn't concentrate. After a few minutes, he returned with a tall glass of water, a bottle of Tylenol and a wet washcloth. He set down the washcloth and lifted me so I was sitting up, shook two pills from the bottle, and then handed them to me with the water.
I took them from him and swallowed the pills with a large gulp of water.
"Finish the water, Babe," he said. I tilted the glass back and drank it all. He took the glass from me, set it on the bedside table, and kissed my forehead again. "You need to rest, Babe." He laid me down, then laid the washcloth across my forehead when I was supine.
"Thanks, Ranger," I said. I smiled at him, but I could feel the darkness pulling at me as my eyes slid closed.
I woke hours later. Weak sunlight filtered through the curtains, and I was alone in bed. I wondered briefly if I imagined Ranger's visit last night, but a glance around confirmed his presence. The empty glass and bottle of Tylenol sat on the table beside me, and the now-dry washcloth was on the pillow next to me.
Speak of the devil. He strolled back into my room and smiled when he saw I was awake. "Good morning, Babe. Feel any better?" he inquired.
I shook my head. "Not really," I replied.
He moved closer and laid the back of his hand on my forehead. "Still warm," he said softly. "Babe, how do you feel about returning to Haywood with me? I have some meetings I can't cancel or postpone, but I'd like to be close in case you need me. And Ella can check in on you, too."
I started to decline, but as he cocked his head with a pleading look on his face, I froze. That wasn't an expression I was used to seeing on his face. Until this moment, I would have said he wasn't even capable of an expression like that. "Okay," I said.
The look of surprise that flashed across his face was so unexpected that if I had been feeling better, it would have made me laugh. He leaned down to kiss my cheek. "I'll fill a bag for you. I can grab the rat on our way out."
"He's a hamster."
His lips tilted at the corners before grabbing a duffel bag from my closet. He opened my dresser drawers, grabbing a few bras, panties, and pyjamas to toss into the bag. He added a pair of jeans and several tank tops. "You have toiletries at my house, Babe, but do you need anything from the bathroom that I don't already have for you?"
I thought for a moment. "I need to go to the bathroom before we leave, so I'll grab what I need then." I wanted to shower, too, but I'd wait until I got to his apartment. His shower with the unending hot water was much more luxurious and relaxing. He helped me out of bed and to the bathroom. I closed the door, used the toilet, and washed my hands and face before brushing my teeth. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, grabbed the packet of birth control pills and opened the door to go back to my bedroom to change.
I quickly changed into grey sweatpants and one of Ranger's tee shirts. I pulled on a pair of socks and walked to the kitchen, where I could hear Ranger moving around.
He was packing up Rex and his accoutrements and turned around when he heard me approaching. "Ready, Babe?"
I nodded. He slung the duffel bag across his shoulder, picked up Rex, tucked him under his arm, and then held out his hand to me. He led me to the elevator to go down to his car, and thankfully, he was driving the Cayenne. He helped me settle into the passenger seat, then set Rex's cage on my lap after buckling my seatbelt.
I smiled lightly at him and closed my eyes. The sun was much brighter now that I was outside, and I could feel a headache building behind my eyes.
When he was sitting in the car behind the wheel, he looked over and asked, concern lacing his voice, "Babe? You okay?"
"Just a headache, Ranger. The sun is hurting my eyes."
"We'll be at Haywood before you know it, Babe. I can help you get settled in before my first meeting."
The car was silent as he drove across town. Before I knew it, Ranger pulled me into his arms, apparently intending to carry me to his penthouse. I opened my eyes long enough to see Lester and Bobby standing behind him, Lester holding Rex's cage, and Bobby carrying my duffel bag. I was too weak to argue that I could walk, so I closed my eyes again and rested my head against Ranger's chest. His normally warm body felt cool against my cheek, and I shivered. He wrapped his arms even tighter against me. "Hang on, Babe. I'll have you back in bed soon."
He carried me upstairs to his apartment, depositing me on his bed gently. "What do you need, Babe?"
"I need a shower and to sleep."
"Do you want anything to eat?"
I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."
"You should eat a little something, Babe. Even some broth. You need to keep up your strength to fight off the illness."
"Okay." I didn't have the energy to argue with him. "Can I go have a shower while you call Ella?"
He nodded, and I slowly made my way through his bedroom and into the bathroom. I loved Ranger's shower, but it was at times like these when I wished he had a bathtub. Soaking in a nice warm tub sounded wonderful right now.
I let the shower run for a minute or two while I stripped off my clothes. I stepped into the steamy enclosure and immersed myself in the spray. It was heavenly, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the feel of the water beating down on my sore muscles. I grabbed the detachable showerhead and sat down on the wooden bench. I bowed my head and let the water beat down on the back of my neck so the water streamed down my back. I sat like that for at least five minutes until I got another small burst of energy to stand up and replace the showerhead in its holder. I started washing myself with Ranger's shower gel and the shampoo he kept for me, and when I was done, I turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around myself. After I dried off, I put my sweatpants and Ranger's tee shirt back on, then went into the kitchen. Ranger had a bowl of what looked like beef broth, buttered toast on a plate, and a mug of something steaming.
I sat at the breakfast bar and smiled at Ranger. "Thank you," I said. I was a little hungry now that I smelled it, but I still only managed to eat half of the soup and one piece of toast before I was full.
Ranger guided me to his bed and tucked me in with a kiss on my forehead. "Rest now. I'll be here for a little while before I go downstairs for my first meeting."
"Thank you for everything, Ranger."
"No price, Babe."
When I woke up later, Ranger was gone, but my cell phone was on the nightstand with a note from Ranger.
Call me if you need anything, Babe.
R.
I went to the bathroom, then shuffled back to bed. I picked up his note and reread it. He was being so sweet and taking such good care of me. Usually, I would chafe at the implication that I couldn't take care of myself, but I couldn't find the energy to resist him.
I fell back on the pillow, clutching his note to my chest, a soft smile on my lips.
I stayed at Ranger's apartment for the rest of the week until I finally started to feel better. When I was awake, Ranger stayed with me and kept me company. To my surprise, he answered me if I asked him questions, and he volunteered information about his childhood. I felt like I was starting to get to know Carlos, the man behind the Ranger blank mask who held everything close to the chest and never revealed anything personal.
I started packing up my stuff when I felt like I couldn't put it off anymore. When I was stuffing a purloined bottle of Bulgari shower gel into my duffel bag, Ranger entered the bathroom with an odd look in his eye. "Hey, Ranger. Thank you so much for this week. I've never had anyone take care of me when I'm sick. At least not anyone I don't want to immediately murder when I'm feeling better," I joked.
"Anytime." He had an odd look in his eye that I couldn't place.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Fine, Babe." He reached out and took my hand in his. "Would you stay?"
"Stay?"
"Yes."
I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Stay, Babe. Don't go home. Move in. Stay with me."
"I…Really? I thought—?"
He stepped in front of me and cupped my face, tilting my jaw up to look directly at me. "Every stupid reason I ever had for keeping away from you is gone, Babe. I love you. Even though you were sick, I loved having you here and sharing space with you. I don't want it to end. I want you here, with me, forever."
A smile spread across my face as I contemplated the man standing before me. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him gently. "I'm in. I love you, too."
A/N: I'm currently at home sick, and I was wishing I had Ranger to come take care of me. Since that's not possible, I'll live vicariously through Steph.
