Everybody and anything familiar belong to Janet. I'm sorry if there are more typos than usual. Gifts and places are based on things that do exist.
Chapter 3
"Haven't you and Julie bonded enough over saving us all from Scrog?" Ranger asked me.
"Yes and no. The fear and stress of a life and death situation brought us together, but our real bonding comes during the times we team up to torture you."
"You picked a good way to do it. Junk food combined with your Batman obsession."
"Technically, it's a Ranger obsession I had … and still have. Transferring that onto a superhero was how I kept my feelings for you safe from the Burg. A Batman key chain got me a few looks and a couple comments about being too old to like cartoons. Anything sporting a Rangeman logo caused Scarlet Letter looks, followed by tons of rumors."
"You need to stop listening to outside noise, Babe."
"I have. The rumors bothered me when they weren't true. Now that every one of them is uncomfortably accurate," I said, pausing to kiss him, "I don't care who says what about who."
"Are you two making out again?" Julie asked us.
"Nope. We were waiting for you to come back into the room before we did that," I teased.
Unlike her dad, Julie's face shows everything and every thought she has.
She rolled her eyes, sighed, and then purposely deadpanned her voice. "You're not as funny as you think you are, Steph."
"We disagree," Ranger told his daughter.
She snorted in response. "Sure, take her side."
A couple months ago, that comment would've thrown me into a full-blown panic … thinking Julie was mad at me or pissed at her dad for introducing me into their life. Now, I just smiled and enjoyed their way of expressing affection with each other.
"I'm on the side of truth," he replied. "Had you said that you're happy we're making out, I would've agreed with you."
"Fine, I'm glad you guys are finally together, but I don't need to see any physical displays of that."
"You'd have to stop hanging out with us then," I added, knowing I can joke around with them too. "Because your Dad is kinda irresistible."
"Kinda?" He asked me.
"Oops, wrong 'c' sound. I meant completely irresistible."
"That's better."
"Aren't we supposed to be leaving?" Jules asked Ranger.
"Our flight takes off when we want it to. We've got time if you need to go grab another snack before we head to the airstrip."
Being a girl after my own heart, she dug out two boxes of Butterscotch Krimpets from her carry-on bag. "I already packed extra in case Steph and I get hungry."
"Have I ever told you that I love you?" I asked her.
"Yup. And a couple of those times I didn't even have any junk food in my hands."
I nodded. "That's how you know it's a real, genuine feeling."
"You're weird," I was told.
"You're welcome," I replied.
"I heard part of what you said, Dad. I'm the one who wanted to check out this café for my birthday trip. Steph is just an innocent bystander."
"I think that's the first time I've ever been called that. But your dad wasn't seriously grilling me, Jules. He said yes to this only because you asked. I don't know if you know this, but he likes you."
"Yeah, I get that impression too. But Dad has said our goal is to keep you happy."
"I don't recall saying those exact words," he pointed out.
"You didn't have to. I'm a smart kid. I can read between the lines and figure out what you aren't saying."
I nodded. "She is her Dad's daughter."
"Yup. And like my father … I'm ready to get moving."
"Careful," I warned, "he's about to say that you're sounding as impatient as I am."
She smiled at us. "He'd be right. Are we ready?"
"After you," Ranger said, opening the door for her before picking up our bags. I tried to help, but he gave me a pointed look for my trouble. "I've got them, Babe."
He kept up with the chivalry well after we got out of the building and onto the Rangeman jet. When we landed after a pretty long flight, I knew we weren't in Trenton anymore. The airport was clean, modern, and the food court area looked like it was taken out of a five-star restaurant. Upholstered chairs that are an optimistic white, glass-topped tables that have zero cracks or bullet holes, and totally relaxed travelers are the total opposite of what I'm used to when I'm forced to take a plane somewhere.
"Are you sure this isn't the vacation?" I teased.
"I haven't traveled a lot outside the US," Julie told me, "but I'm sure it gets better than just an airport."
Boy, was she right!
Ranger knows people across the globe so even though we were only in Malaysia for one culinary purpose, a buddy of his had a home we were given permission to hang out at while we're visiting the area. I'm so used to rushing to make a flight only to wait hours as it ended up delayed, plus worrying about lost luggage or having to carry it. This leisurely way of traveling will take forever for me to get accustomed to. I had more to process when we finally made it to the DC Comics Café.
"I didn't think pancakes and waffles could get any better than what Ella and Grandma Mazur can whip up," I informed the table, "but putting the Bat Signal on everything does make them taste better."
"Mom always says 'you eat with your eyes first'," Julie shared. "I think it's your eyes that are making you think that."
I licked the melted chocolate and maple syrup off my fork. "Maybe, but my taste buds and stomach are doing happy dances at the moment. I know both of you will think it's too early to ask, since we're still elbow deep into breakfast, but we really should hang around so we can come back and try the Batman pizza and Wonder Woman turkey rolls for lunch."
Ranger passed on the bat-latte I ordered and was sipping a boring black coffee but was clearly enjoying himself. "How many of your decisions are motivated by food?"
"More than I'm comfortable putting a number to," I admitted.
He let a grin slip. "Since you'll be hungry in two hours, I'm sure we can fill the time somehow."
"I wanna check out the gift shop," Jules added. "That should kill a few minutes."
I nodded. "And after that, there's the rest of the mall to walk through," I added. "Mary Lou, Grandma Mazur, and Val will kill me if I don't bring them back something from this place."
"We can divide and conquer," Jules suggested.
"You stay where I can see you," Ranger reminded her.
She clearly thought he was being overprotective, but also loved the fact that he does care that much about her.
We were eight minutes into shopping when the first tingling of my Spidey Sense was tipped off. Julie texted her Dad from the other side of the store. I can see the side of her face clearly, but not what she was thinking or standing in front of. My instincts were twitching when Ranger glanced towards her and then down at me.
"I'll be right back," he told me.
"Is there anything wrong?" I asked, worried that maybe something had spooked Jules rather than interested her.
He pressed a hard kiss to my mouth before answering. "No. But this trip will go better if you just keep in mind that Julie is still a child."
"Ummm … okay?"
I kept my eyes trained on him, and then on them as they spoke to each other and then the woman manning the cash register at the end of the case they were having a discussion over.
He met my eyes after the flurry of activity. "Please," he mouthed. And then he made a circle in the air with his index finger.
Alriiiight. Obviously, I'm supposed to turn around so I could be surprised by whatever caught Julie's eye. 'Not … concerning … at … all, Stephanie,' I tried to tell myself. Truth is, I'm almost as excited as I am nervous. If they're gift-ganging up on me, it's because I've been completely accepted into their little family.
I kept repeating those words in my head as they finalized their purchase and headed back my way.
"Remember," Ranger said for Julie's benefit, "she's a child."
In reassuring me, he ticked her off. "I'm not a child or a little kid, I'm a young woman now."
"Don't remind me," he told his daughter. "You're growing up too quickly."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I am going to be an adult eventually."
To distract me from my nerves, I stood up on the toes of my sneakers and cupped my hands over Ranger's ears. "Are you trying to give your Dad a heart attack? Don't tell him that!"
She laughed while Ranger tugged my hands down and kissed my knuckles.
"Ooooh, while you've got her," Jules said to him. "Steph," she paused to dig a box out of the DC Comics bag she'd been white knuckling. "Will you marry us?"
When she tugged the top off the ring box, I was trying to decide if I wanted to laugh or needed to cry. She was presenting me with a teeny, tiny Batman who is sitting on the top of a silver band and hugging a diamond-like solitaire.
"Are you serious?" I had to ask.
"Yup. Dad and I want to make this kind of trip a tradition. And you need to be part of our family to make it an official family tradition."
"You guys don't have to do this to keep me around. I'm not going anywhere."
Knowing the reasons for my hesitation, Ranger stepped in. "We're not doing anything we don't want to, Babe. But I want it on record that this is Julie's ring to you. Mine will be more … expected."
Not if I can help it. Expected to Ranger means too expensive for me. "I love this ring; I don't need another one."
I recognized the look in Ranger's eyes. I'm getting something he wants me to have whether I like it or not.
"Does that mean you'll accept it and us?" Jules pressed.
"I meant what I said. I'm always going to be here for both of you. But yes. I will marry you, your Dad, and the mini-Batman you got me. I hope you all don't regret this decision."
Julie was back to laughing. "We should be saying that to you. Not many people get us … or would agree to do it forever."
Ranger slipped Julie's ring onto my ring finger as I formed my reply carefully. "I'm not most people or most women. I'd be crazy not to want to be part of your team."
"Are you sure?" Jules asked me.
I stretched out my left hand and told my tiny Dark Knight to hang in there with me. "Yes. Today or ten years from now, I'm still gonna be in love with you two."
I could almost see the light bulb go off over Julie's head as she turned towards Ranger. Uh-oh, I thought to myself. I just set myself up for another 'surprise'. I found myself looking forward to whatever she came up with next. That's how I knew my feelings for Ranger are solid.
I was still fighting cold feet for weeks after I married Dickie and only felt like myself again when our divorce was finalized. Thinking of being legally bound to Morelli was enough for me to panic and initiate another fight that caused another months-long breakup. Julie's goal for her birthday, and Ranger's willingness to see where it led us, just made me feel happy and loved.
It was such an alien feeling that I wanted to freeze this moment just so I could go back to relive it on the bad days. Wanting to repeat this in my mind was proof that I wasn't going along with this just for them, I wanted this … these two … for myself.
Julie had turned pleading brown eyes to her Dad. "Can we take Steph to that place I showed you?"
"What place?" I asked. "Have you guys been talking about me?"
She nodded. "Yup. All the time."
Now I looked at Ranger. "Should I be scared?"
He tugged me to him and kissed my head. "Knowing you … yes. But you'll also love the reason Julie sent me a link for a potential wedding venue if we found ourselves needing one."
"You've really been thinking about this, haven't you?" I asked her.
"Yeah. Mom and Dad are so happy … I want the same thing for you guys."
"The four of us have you, isn't that enough?"
"No. You two need each other … especially when I'm not around."
"Shoot, now you've got me curious. Even if we don't get married, because there are some legal hurdles there, I want a peek inside your head. So … I'm good to go."
"Peek away … if Dad's okay with a side trip?"
"I'm not only okay with it, if Stephanie likes the place as much as you do … we can seal the deal while we're there."
"You mean get married there?" I asked, just to be sure I'm not misunderstanding anything. "Now?"
"Only if that's what you'd like to do. Whether you say yes to this or decide that we'll do it later, it won't change anything. We're together and already a family, everything else is just creating a paper trail."
His wasn't the standard engagement or wedding speech, but it worked for me. If we return to Trenton with a marriage certificate, it won't change what we do every day. We'll sleep together, wake up together, eat and work together when our schedules allow it, just like we've been doing.
"We've been partners in everything for months now," I told them. "Why not make it official? Happy Early Birthday, Jules. Your gift is another adult who'll love, protect, and likely embarrass you."
Her smile was so wide, my own cheeks hurt in sympathy. "Like you're not all that already."
"I'll be legally tied to you, which will no doubt make me even more annoying."
"Bring it," she teased.
Turns out, Ranger was the one to bring it.
I'm so used to everything running like a well-oiled machine when he's involved, I thought the jet would be ready for takeoff as soon as our butts were back in the seats. So, when no one was making us airborne after six minutes had gone by, I started to get antsy. I'm not a good flyer on a good day. Any delay spells impending air disaster in my mind.
I leaned into Ranger's side of the seat. "What are we waiting for?" I asked. "It's not for a new engine or a Hazmat crew, right?"
"Right," he assured me.
That didn't exactly make me feel better, but my curiosity pushed my worry aside when Ranger stood up. A man was escorted inside the plane, clearly on Batman's orders. My eyebrows took a vacation into my hairline as I caught Ranger's eye.
"I can't allow my daughter to show me up," he explained, though it explained nothing.
He took something from the guy, thanked him for being 'prompt', and then the man disappeared as quickly as he showed up.
Julie grinned over at her Dad. "I already did show you up. I'm the one who asked her, remember?"
"Only because I don't believe in pressuring people."
"Sorry, Jules," I told her. "Your Dad wins this one, since he actually managed to say that with a straight face."
She rolled her eyes. "Big deal. He does everything with a straight face. It's kinda his 'thing'."
"At the risk of embarrassing both of you … Julie, I'd say you and I are both winners. We get Stephanie."
"No, don't give him that 'awww' look," I ordered my soon-to-be daughter. "He's just trying to sweet talk us."
"It's working, since you're not telling him to leave your ring alone."
"Huh?"
That's when I noticed that a certain sexy opportunist took advantage of my distraction to slide off Julie's Batman Solitaire and sandwich it between two sparkly wedding bands.
I jerked my hand back. "Hey, what are you doing?" I asked him. "I told you I'm happy with Julie's ring."
He recaptured my hand. "I know you did, Babe. And I listened. That's why I found an option that would complement it, not replace it."
He put mini-Batman back where he found him, and I looked down and studied him and his extravagant new friends.
"You found more than one option. We're not married yet, so I don't need one wedding band, never mind two of them."
Julie shook her head at us. "How do you guys get things done without me? Dad, Steph says you didn't have to, but she loves that you wanted her to have something special. Steph, this is Dad's way of showing you that he really will marry you the second you want to … he loves you that much."
"Wow. The genes don't stop with just your looks, do they?" I asked Ranger. "The kid's good."
"If you want me to handle your vows," she teased, "I'll be around."
"Of course you will, Jules. We're not tying the knot without you."
"There's one way to make sure that happens …"
"If your Dad can make it happen and at least mostly legal … I'm ready."
Ranger turned serious. "Are you sure? Like you told Julie earlier, we'll be here even if you want to stay 'engaged' indefinitely."
"I appreciate the out, but I don't need one. Word in the Burg is that I don't know what I want, or I need someone to run my life for me. But as much as I like you two … I wouldn't be here or on my way to wherever we're going if I wasn't one-hundred percent sure I'm where I want to be."
"I'll see what I can do then," Batman told us.
Which means we're as good as married.
Julie was smart and took a nap during the flight so she'd be bright eyed and bushy ponytailed when we landed in London which is the closest we could get to our destination by air. Not flying commercial made for faster travel time, but we still landed at the wrong time to experience what Jules had been planning on.
"When I first hinted that I wanted you guys to get married, you tried making it sound like a joke when you said the only reason your family would attend another wedding of yours is if it was to object," Jules explained. "So as long as the ceremony is on that island during high tide … no one can show up and cause trouble."
I was actually left speechless at how funny but sensitive and sweet she is. Her relationship with Ranger had a few bumps to survive to get to where they are today, but she always knew he'd protect and provide for her. They had issues but different ones than I have with my parents. Despite that, she managed to find a place where I would feel safe and also know that she wanted nothing to stop me from marrying her Dad.
"Since we arrived after the tide came back in, what's the plan?" I asked Ranger.
"I'll leave that for you two to decide. I don't want to alter Julie's brilliant plan, but you can access the island at any time. We can take the water taxi over now or stay in town tonight and walk out to the island tomorrow."
Julie sighed. "Not walking is cheating."
I didn't want her to be disappointed, so I spoke up. "Since it was your idea for us to get married on the island, what about we celebrate your almost-birthday here, so it gets its own time and we tackle the walk, the island, and the impromptu ceremony tomorrow?"
"You're going shopping, aren't you?" Ranger asked us, looking resigned to his fate.
"I brought dressier clothes for Julie's special b-day dinner, but if you guys are serious about a wedding …"
"We are," they said simultaneously.
I continued like they didn't chime in. "I'm gonna need something that's more appropriate."
"Me too," Jules said.
"That decides it," he told us. "We can prepare for tomorrow first and then we concentrate on celebrating Julie. And I know what you're both thinking …"
I nudged Julie gently with my elbow. "I told you he has superpowers. He can read minds."
She rolled her eyes. "He always could. It's annoying."
"Let's make him prove it. What are you about to warn us not to do?" I asked.
"When I was purchasing your accessory rings, I got a wedding band for myself that adheres to Rangeman's uniform guidelines. So, there's no need to spend your time or money looking for a retaliatory ring."
Julie and I locked eyes and then I cut mine to her Dad before narrowing them into a glare. Damn it! That's exactly what I was gonna talk to Julie about as soon as we were alone.
"Tell me I'm wrong," Ranger said, crossing his arms over his chest in a way that showed he knew he was right.
I went with pleading the fifth. He doesn't need to hear that he was right or I was wrong … again.
"Clothes shopping here we come," I said to Julie.
Ranger caught my arm before I could get more than two steps away. "Afraid to admit defeat, Babe?"
"Nope. I'm getting pretty good at it."
He kissed me while Julie was busy looking for the nearest store on her phone.
"Got it!" She declared a minute later. "There's a shopping center on what I'd call the village's Main Street. We should be able to find what we need."
"Did your street view show a place for me to make my own arrangements while I wait for you two?" Ranger asked her.
"Are you afraid to go shopping with us?" I teased.
"Yes, though I know I'd survive. But someone has to lay the groundwork for tomorrow's events."
I grinned. "Just like old times. We have a separate set of orders to reach the same goal."
"Hey, save the vow work until dinner," Julie ordered. "We have to focus on your dress right now." She playfully pointed a finger at her Dad. "And no peeking at what we find until it's time."
He saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am."
As we started moving again, I couldn't help but think I'd have to be crazy not to want to belong to these two.
I'll have to tell Mary Lou that she has competition when it comes to speed shopping. Ranger was still on the phone with someone when we left the fitting rooms. Julie was hellbent on him being surprised on our 'wedding day' so she went to distract him while I paid for our purchases. I appreciated her wanting to stick to a tradition, but Ranger has seen me in every kind of outfit and wearing nothing at all many, many times. I doubt anything can shock him now.
He found us a hotel for the night, and we headed there to get ready for our a pre-birthday dinner for Jules. I had to laugh at us both choosing blue to wear for her night. Hers was an almost white-blue and I went with a much-darker navy. Maybe I should've thought about my choice since Ranger and I looked like the cake topper for a mob wedding, but we did make Jules stand out like the ray of light she is to everyone who knows her.
I was completely enjoying myself until it came to the cake and gift portion of our evening. I thought I did good when I was almost four-thousand miles away back in Trenton and in my element, now I'm not so sure I nailed my intention of choosing a 'meaningful gift'.
"Don't get too excited … it's nothing big," I tried to warn her, but Ranger cut me off.
"I disagree, Babe. I can promise you that Julie will be just as touched as I was when you showed me what you did."
"Crap, you just upped the ante when I was trying to do the opposite of that," I said to him. I turned to Jules. "If you don't like it … I can get you a puppy."
"No, you can't," I was told by the resident Julie-parent.
"I'm sure I'll love it, Steph. You don't know this, but I've looked up to you since the moment you woke up in Scrog's trailer. Whatever you give me, will be amazing because it came from you."
Shit. Hers was more a symbolic gift, but maybe I can salvage my end of the present-giving.
"Put your phone away," Ranger ordered me. "I don't want a dog, and Rachel and Ron would not be happy if Julie came home with one. Trust that what you picked was enough."
I rolled my eyes. That's easy for the gazillionaire to say. Not having money or sentimental attachments to many people makes this kind of thing send me into panic-mode. Good thing I've surrounded myself with people with calmer personalities. Mary Lou thought my gift was perfect and Ranger's eyes said he's still in agreement with her.
I lifted the box covered with birthday cake and balloon paper from the chair across from me. The fact that it's survived multiple plane rides, car trips, and hotel stays is a miracle in itself. Ranger moved our glasses aside so I could place it in front of the guest of honor.
I held my breath until she unwrapped it, pulled the cover off, and lifted one of the plates up so she could see it better. I was assured that it was quality China with twenty-four carat gold lettering, but it's been a while since I was a teenager, and she might not get what I was trying to say with a weird three-set of monogrammed dishes.
Like I always do when I'm uncomfortable, I started to ramble. "The irony isn't lost on me, considering I didn't know about this side trip … that those are a wedding gift more than one for such a cool young lady. But I wanted you to know that no matter where you are … in Miami, with us in Trenton, or traveling on bucket list trips like this one, you always have your own special place with us. Side note, I'm so glad your parents last name starts with an 'M' because it doubles as 'Manoso' to us."
She dug every piece of dinnerware out of the box and still didn't say anything. I continued to panic and started talking even more. "I know you're too young for a car, but if I start saving now … I should have saved enough to get you …"
The hug that she almost knocked her chair over to give me shut me up faster than anything else could. "Thank you. I love them."
People often question my sanity or my logic, so I wanted to be sure she understood that I put my feelings into dish form here.
When she sat back down and picked up a dinner plate to look at, I started Steph-splaining. "I got three of everything thinking that way you'd have a set in Miami so you don't forget about us, one living on Seven for when you're back with us. And a third to take on our trips as a reminder that you'll always be wherever we are."
Out of respect, she curbed her eyeroll. "I know, Steph. That's why I jumped up. It's funny how at one time, I wasn't sure how Dad felt about me or how I could fit in his world if he did want me …"
"As long as I'm alive, you'll be my daughter, Julie. Distance, work, or an adoption certificate can't take that away from us. The only reason I would stay away from you is if it was safer for you."
They knew what they were getting with me, so they won't be shocked that I interrupted a potentially serious moment with a joke.
"Don't feel bad, Jules. He tried that with me too … and look at us. I got engaged to the man on one of your Daddy/Daughter Destination trips."
"Stop gloating, Babe."
"I'm not gloating. I'm pointing out to Julie that even if you wanted to stay away, you couldn't. We're too lovable."
"Would you like my gift now or when we get back to the hotel?" Ranger asked her.
I covered my mouth to keep my laugh in. "Now who's afraid to admit defeat?" I teased.
"Don't pick on Dad, Steph. Like I told him, I can hear what he isn't saying. He loves us … or we wouldn't be here."
I glanced over at him. "He probably wishes he wasn't here right now."
"That's the only thing you're wrong about," he told me before turning his chocolatey eyes to his daughter. "I thought your gift shop purchase was a trip plot twist until this moment. Now I know everything happened exactly as it should. Stephanie calls me Batman, we all think she's Wonder Woman, so all that's missing from our team is …"
"Our Super Girl," I finished for him, dropping my eyes to the pink diamonds that made up the famous 'S' symbol on the necklace Ranger had given her. "We're our own Justice League."
"Watch out world," the almost-birthday girl said.
"I thought we weren't working on vows tonight?" I reminded her.
"Very funny. Tonight is amazing and I can't help but think tomorrow will be even better."
A year ago, I would've felt sorry for her impending disappointment. Tonight, I can't help but agree with her. The party either went late or started early, because once we demolished Julie's birthday dessert we went back to the hotel, changed into pjs, and watched a movie while all sprawled across one of the beds.
I'm pretty sure Ranger was working or texting Tank, but he was as present as Jules and I were while we painted each other's nails and decided on what to do with our hair tomorrow. This is what Val and I should've experienced growing up, but I'm only looking forward - not back - from this day forward. And I'm happy to have everything at the time it arrived.
Breakfast was good despite there being zero Bat Symbols, so I didn't mind walking across a mile-long sandbar to reach our wedding venue. We spent only enough time inside to drop our bags and our wedding attire in our room and then we were off to explore.
"This is so cool," Jules said as we walked down a road on the island that ended in water for another couple of hours until the tide was low again. "It's like we're living in our own country."
"That's a scary thought," I told her.
Ranger agreed. "If you two were running things, there'd be 24/7 snack delivery and mandatory reality show viewings."
Jules and I cut our eyes to him. "What's wrong with that?" I asked before she could.
"Everything," he informed us. "A balanced meal and a documentary both would help with brain development."
I snorted. "I'll take a pizza and brain rot over that any day."
He slid his hand down my back and stopped short of my butt. That was intentional. It reminded me of a Dust Bowl documentary he and I were 'watching' for a few minutes before his hands started wandering and my lips were suddenly desperate for his. I narrowed my eyes at him to let him know I was onto him, but Batman just grinned at me.
We spent a few hours just walking around the island. Julie took pictures for her monitored social media accounts and Ranger and I just stood where we were told or held hands on the bank and looked towards the mainland, genuinely feeling like the three of us were alone in the world and could enjoy it at our own pace.
"This is a sneaky way to get me to work off my vacation meals. The view is making me forget that I'm literally climbing mini mountains. Hey, maybe you can text Tank and discuss moving the company's home base to an island like this one. We'd be healthier."
"The men enjoy the gym. You're the only one who would need island incentive to work out."
"Steph might be onto something, Dad. It's really pretty here."
"It is," I agreed, walking up to stand right beside her on the top of this particularly steep hill.
The sky was blue, but a little moody looking with gray clouds mixing with the puffy white ones. The water was just as full of attitude. The waves crashing against the rocks were small but packed an audible punch. I used to think a tropical beach would be the ideal place to visit, get married on, and live by, but I was wrong.
This place has mystery, dimension, and demands respect. It was easy to tell that you could die a hundred different ways if you don't watch your back. It seems like a fitting place for Ranger and I to cement our relationship … since all of that could be said about the Man In Black himself.
"Where are we doing this?" She asked after our moments of silence.
I didn't even hesitate. "Right here. Just ask your Dad to order the clouds not to rain until we're done and back inside."
Ranger put one hand on each of our shoulders and pulled us close. "Consider the event rain-free."
To everyone else, it'd sound like he's humoring us. But Julie and I know better.
Since Ranger wears all-black all the time, Julie and I purposely went yin to his yang and bought dresses in pure white for the hopefully brief ceremony. Pure anything is a stretch for me to pull off but having a twinning moment with my Miami-daughter - not stepdaughter - is worth the risk of a stray bolt of lightning taking me out.
Ranger wore his suit from Julie's birthday dinner but added a tie and its jacket. Julie, being from a warm climate, went with a long sleeve sweater dress with a belt that matched the pink on her nails and now the Supergirl necklace that's highlighted against the white material. Me, being a Jersey girl, chose looking good in pictures over being uncomfortable, so my dress is a simple halter style with a knee-length, flowy skirt and beaded top.
Jules was smart and wore ballet flats. I did not. I wore d'Orsay heels as high as I could find in a color that matched my dress. The guys may rule in the Rangeman gym, but not one of them would be able to haul ass up a small mountain with these on their feet.
Of course, I got an assist with Ranger's arm being around me from the time we left the hotel, up the built-in stairs, and he still didn't let me go until after we were pronounced husband and wife. By then, both arms came around me to give me a kiss that really shouldn't have had chaperones.
"We did it!" Julie yelled, hugging her Dad and then me.
"We did," he assured her.
"There's no going back now," I added.
Not that any of us would want to.
Knowing a toast to the bride and groom was coming once we headed back inside, Ranger made sure Julie wasn't left out. When he and I were handed Champagne flutes filled with the stuff, Jules was given the same type of glass, but it contained kid-friendly sparkling apple juice.
"To us Manosos," I said, clicking my glass to Julie's and then Ranger's.
Sure, Julie's last name is technically 'Martine', and I just started the last name change process with our wedding certificate, but we're Ranger's family as much as his parents and siblings are.
"To us," Julie repeated. "Mom and Dad are gonna have a really tough time trying to top this birthday."