All characters belong to Janet. Mistakes are mine alone.

"Are you sure about this, Babe?"

I only had to think about it for a second to be confident in my answer. "Yes. As much as I'd love to spend another week or month tucked away with you, I don't want to put our life on hold. We did that for too long already. It's time to go home."

"Despite what's going on there?" He asked.

"Especially because of what's happening right now. Plus, I'm really anxious to try out my new name. I'm interested to see if I can get a table at Marsilio's or free coffee at the bakery if I say 'Mrs. Manoso'."

Ranger's hand slid up my leg until it reached where my hands had been resting in my lap. He lifted one up to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

"So, you didn't marry me for my body or my money? You agreed to be my wife for food purposes only?"

"Your body is a side perk," I teased.

I experienced that particular perk at length over the last two weeks. I thought I'd be set with sex for the next two years, but I think Batman did some type of Jedi mind trick thing and programmed my body to immediately turn on whenever he touches it. He's only brushing his thumb over my knuckles, and I can feel myself warming up and ready to purr in contentment.

"Stop it," I ordered him, not meaning it at all.

I felt his smile before I turned my head to bask in it. "Stop what?"

"We're going to be touching down soon. I can't be all flushed and smiley in front of the guys. They'll never let me hear the end of it."

He ran the tip of his tongue along the underside of my wrist before deciding to behave again. "The men will think I'm doing something wrong if you don't return looking happy and satisfied. You saw for yourself the change in Mary Lou from the day she arrived to the day she and Lenny left."

There was a pretty dramatic shift in her demeanor by the end of their vacation week. If I appear as even a fraction of the giddy teenager beside Ranger as she was acting towards Lenny while they were leaving the island, I'm screwed when it comes to the teasing I'll be subjected to. The Merry Men are loyal to Ranger and to each other, but they're all merciless when it comes to talking shit any time an opportunity presents itself.

In a creepy change of pace, the teasing didn't actually come. Genuine affection seemed the emotion of the day at Rangeman when we walked into the lobby.

Lester wasn't shy about welcoming us, or more accurately me back. He got me into a bear hug that lifted me off my feet. "Welcome to the core team, Plum."

I smacked his shoulder, but not hard because I'm really enjoying having someone other than Ranger and Mary Lou happy to see me. "It's not 'Plum' anymore, remember? It's officially Manoso now. And if all I had to do was marry Ranger to become a core team member, I would've done it years ago. It's a tough club to join."

"And there'll be no getting rid of us now," Bobby warned.

"Good. Can I get that in writing?" I asked while Lester put me down.

"Yes," is all Tank added to the conversation.

It's all he needed to say. It was a vow that is set in stone. I didn't have a brother growing up, but now I have a building full of them. Even better is the teasing/protecting percentage when it comes to my relationship with the guys is only five-percent ribbing to ninety-five percent protection.

"Shit's been boring around here without you two," Bobby informed us.

"The highlight was watching Morelli get tagged in a supposedly secure building," Lester tacked on.

"He should've hired us," Hal said, either jokingly or because Rangeman is the best in their field and maybe would've stopped the shooter before he could get a shot off.

"Your mom has been calling the main line, Steph, demanding to speak to you," Gene chimed in. "So far, I've managed to remain polite. Permission to set my manners aside next time she calls, Boss?"

"I'll handle Mrs. Plum," Ranger told him.

"We'll handle her," I corrected.

"Or we can put a bullet in her and Morelli and call it a day," Tank said.

"I like Tank's idea," Lester added. "I bet I can get both of them with one bullet once the trial resumes."

My sigh was for effect only. "We talked about this, Guys. Shooting people isn't as immediate a fix as you like to think. The police reports alone on a double homicide would take days."

Lester slung his arm around my shoulders. "I missed this … you sucking all the fun out of our ideas. We're glad you're home."

As much as I'm dreading the inevitable run-in with my mom and hearing updated Burg news, I felt free of all of it.

"I am too," I told everyone who came down to the lobby to greet us.

I finally know how it feels to be part of a family that loves me.