Chapter 19: Stephanie (Monday, October 10th)

We are getting ready to leave Atlanta this afternoon. It's been a productive weekend filled with work and pleasure. I enjoyed visiting Atlanta's sites with Julie and Tommy, especially on Sunday when Carlos was with us. We spent the day at the Atlanta Zoo, and I'm still not sure we saw everything. In particular, Tommy enjoyed looking at and learning about all the animals. I'm unsure, but we might have a future veterinarian or zoologist. Julie seemed happy and content for the first time since everything happened. It made me realize how much she needed a break from Miami. I hope we can control the Miami branch's situation with Marco sooner rather than later to concentrate on Tommy's adoption.

We spent this morning at the Botanical Gardens, and I feel an inner peace that I haven't felt in, well, never. I decided today that wherever I live, I want the land to have a garden for my solace. Yes, I still love the ocean, which will always be my go-to place, but a garden is much easier to have anywhere I live.

I was surprised when Nick agreed to sell to Ranger so quickly. I thought there would have been a long, protracted discussion. I guess his debts were much more significant than we first thought. Eagle from Boston arrived yesterday morning at 0800, calling a meeting with all the workers. Eighty percent of the employees showed up, and most looked promising. Eagle and Ranger hope they won't have to replace too many. More than half of the twenty percent who didn't show up had prior family commitments. They did arrive early today for a meeting with Eagle. They also seem to want to continue to work for Rangeman. Those who didn't attend either will get their walking papers today with a generous severance package. Only two men caused a scene, but the rest gladly moved on. We are back in our hotel room, packing up before our late lunch with Joe and his partner, Katrina.

I'm excited to meet Katrina. I've seen a change in Joe, in his demeanor and attitude, and in a positive way. I think that Atlanta and this new division is right for Joe. I also know that Katrina has a lot to do with it. Working with a woman was never Joe's strong point, and having a confident, competent partner is making him realize that the Burg ways are not right. I hope that Joe will meet a woman who he likes because he has the potential to be a great husband, just not one for me. I know that Carlos is not looking forward to this meal. Lester is taking Julie and Tommy to lunch at the local Chucky Cheese because Tommy has never been and wants to go. Since Lester was barely an overgrown child, he was keen on the job. I'm not sure Julie wants to go, but she is going along with the plans since Tommy is so excited.

We arrive at the café ten minutes early, securing a table in the back corner so Ranger can have his back to the wall. I sit next to him. When the waitress arrived, we informed her that we were waiting for another party, and she offered to get us drinks. I ordered a soda while Ranger requested water. So boring.

"Babe, why are we here? Why are we meeting with Morelli?"

"Because he wants to see me. Look, I know this is uncomfortable for you. It's not easy for me either. Seeing Joe talking to him brings back a lot of bad feelings, feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, and uselessness. Still, Dr. Karen thought having us spend time together in a neutral environment could help me. I need to start to face some of my demons, those people who enjoyed crushing my spirit. If I can't start to face them, I'll never heal. Joe is a first step. While there are many things he did to me that weren't right, we did have a lot of great times together as well. I must forgive Joe for those bad times to put them behind me."

Carlos sighs. "I understand. But please don't make this a habit. I think Joe still has some feelings for you, and I wouldn't want to have to threaten him or kill him in front of another cop."

I can't help but smile at Carlos's admission. He's jealous. I never thought I'd see the day when Ranger was jealous. I will admit that I like the feeling it gives me. I lean towards him to kiss him. Our lips meet, and we share a passionate but appropriate kiss.

"See what I told you, Katrina. They are worse than two high school kids with their PDAs."

"I think it's cute. I miss those days with my husband."

Carlos and I break apart and catch my first glimpse of Morelli's partner. I have to say, she doesn't look like a cop to me. Katrina has brown hair and eyes with a complexion similar to mine. She is about two inches shorter and about the same weight as me. I can tell Katrina is tough as nails, but I can see compassion and sympathy in her eyes. I can tell right away that she is the perfect partner for Joe.

"Hi, Joe. I hope you don't mind that we got a table."

"No, not a problem. Detective Katrina Donham, I'd like to introduce you to my ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Plum, and her fiancé, Ranger Manoso, who owns Rangeman Securities. This is Katrina."

"Nice to meet you, Detective," Ranger says, shaking her hand. Her eyes momentarily glaze over when she takes in Carlos's appearance. I don't blame her. "Please call me Carlos, as we are on a social call today, which is not business-related."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Joe has told me many interesting stories about you, Stephanie."

"None of it was my fault."

"That's what Joe said."

They sit across from us, and we settle into a comfortable banter. I instantly liked Katrina. She was amused and in awe when I told her the stories of some of my more memorable mishaps. "I can't believe you managed to escape those situations with relatively no scratches or injuries. I don't know if I would ever return to work if I got pelted with garbage regularly. I give you much credit for sticking with it for so long. Have you started to get any training yet?"

"Yes, after I arrived in Miami, I decided to try to improve myself. Lester, Carlos's cousin and business partner, is training me in hand-to-hand combat and using my gun, which I hate. Hector, another employee, is teaching me how to use various street weapons, like knives, sticks, and other weapons of opportunity. I finally realized that I must improve myself to continue working as a bounty hunter."

"I hated using my gun when I first started in the police academy. It was my least favorite activity of the day. I had wanted to be a cop my whole life. My father and grandfather were both cops. My brother enlisted in the Army when he turned 18. He's three years older than me and still is on active duty, though I think he's getting ready to retire. He's been a Drill Sergeant for the last two years. I know my father was disappointed that he did not follow family tradition, but he is proud that he chose to serve our country. How did you get into the security business?"

"I enlisted in the Army at twenty. I got accepted into Ranger School and graduated. My team and I finished high in class and were sent on dangerous missions. I excelled. Then, I was recruited to Special Forces. After my first mission, I started to think about what I would do when I retired. I realized that I could not do these missions forever and had a lot of downtime in between. I needed to do something when I wasn't tracking down the bad guys. When talking with a few of my closest team members, we discovered that our most marketable skills were our ability to keep people safe. We originally planned to run personal security and become bodyguards and security officers. However, when my cousin, Lester, worked as a security guard for a month, he hated it. We didn't have the adrenaline rush that we were used to. However, we knew there was a need for good security for businesses. That's when the idea for Rangeman started to come to fruition. When the opportunity presented itself to buy a small, established security company in Miami, we jumped on it. The company had only been in operation for about two years and had fewer than thirty clients. The owner didn't have the employees to expand and hit a plateau. We pooled our money together and worked as the only employees for six months. We installed the security systems after learning how to do it, and we started to consult with new construction to give the architects ideas on how to hide safes. After one of our first clients' businesses was broken into by an FTA, we decided to give bounty hunting a try. With our Army training, we could easily subdue our quarry and have the skills needed to track them down. The rest, as they say, is history."

I can tell that Katrina is impressed with Carlos. I can also see that Joe is discovering a newfound respect for him. I can tell that this lunch was a good idea.

"I hope you don't mind, but I did a little research on you and Stephanie after Joe told me he knew you. I read about Scrog and how he kidnapped your daughter. I can't imagine what you went through. I know that if anyone ever took on of my children, they would be lucky to be alive if I ever got my hands on them."

"It was the most surreal time of my life. As much as I hate that my little girl had to go through that and that she was the one who killed Scrog, I am grateful. That event allowed us to develop a relationship that allowed me to become her father. Until Scrog, I saw her rarely, two or three times a year, when her mother would permit me. She called me Ranger and didn't have much respect for me. However, after Scrog, we started to talk more often. Somewhere along the way, she started to call me Papi. Thanks to that psychopath, I was able to help her now that she needs me without her feeling like she was living with a stranger."

"Does your brother know what he will do when he leaves the Army?" I ask Katrina.

"No. My brother has no idea what jobs may be available to him. He's excellent with physical tasks but not so much with computers or electronics. He mentioned becoming a personal trainer, but I don't know if he could put his Army persona aside. He might scare away too many clients."

"Katrina, have your brother call me when he's out. We could use someone like him in my company. Right now, our medic develops all the training programs, but having someone on staff who is a certified personal trainer could help. Being a Drill Seargent will only ensure my men follow his directives."

"I will, thank you."

"How's Bob, I mean, Champ?" Joe asks, changing the subject.

"He's doing great. He enjoys running in the mornings. Who would have thought that he is an athletic dog?"

"Has he lost weight?"

"Yeah, he's a lean sixty pounds now. His fur is shiny and soft, and his eyes are clear. He doesn't have as many gastro issues, either. Eating homemade dog food has made a huge difference in Champ."

We continued to talk until it was time for us to leave. We are flying back to Miami tonight, so Julie and Tommy can attend school tomorrow. When we say goodbye, I suggest to Joe that he seek therapy. Joe told me that he had already started working with a therapist. I'm glad that he's taking steps to be a better man.