Miguel didn't mean to run from Stephanie. The softness of her lips was inviting. He wanted to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away in shock. Miguel suspected that Stephanie was in love with him; however, when she broke the kiss, he thought Stephanie would ask him to leave and left before she could tell him.
As he promised, Miguel went to the courier to send the letter to her lawyer. He gave his address as the sender to keep Stephanie's location secured for longer. Miguel went home and lay in bed, wondering if everything changed with Stephanie because of the kiss.
Losing Stephanie's friendship frightened Miguel. He hoped the kiss wasn't a line he shouldn't have crossed. Miguel's thoughts ran away with him as he considered every possible outcome. His ringing phone brought him out of his head. "Hello," he grumbled.
"Hey, Miguel," Stephanie replied. "Please listen to what I have to say without interrupting, or I might not get the words out."
"Okay. I'll listen," Miguel promised. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He wanted Stephanie to admit she was in love with him. It wouldn't be in Stephanie's best interest if he forced a relationship when she didn't want one or wasn't ready for it.
Stephanie smiled and hoped he could feel the sincerity in her words. "I know you intended to kiss my cheek as you usually do, and I turned. But I felt something when our lips touched. It's too soon for me to pursue a relationship with you, though I'm willing to try if it means keeping you in my life. I don't want anything to change between us," Stephanie said. Miguel couldn't believe his ears. He wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with Stephanie. "Miguel? Are you still there?" Stephanie whispered.
"Yes, Sweetheart, I'm still here," Miguel replied.
"Say something," she begged. Stephanie feared her friendship with Miguel would end unless she offered to have a relationship with him before she was emotionally prepared. She didn't want history to repeat itself. After all, Stephanie didn't have much luck with men. Her hands felt clammy as she waited for Miguel to accept or reject her offer.
Stephanie swallowed several times before Miguel finally spoke, "I want everything you're willing to offer. Stephanie, you are in charge of what happens between us. We can take more time to learn more about each other. I want to be your son's father, but that has to be your choice. Sweetheart, I promise to defend you and protect your son."
Sighing in relief, Stephanie said, "I want to have a relationship with you, but I also want to take it slow. We aren't in a hurry to cross some imaginary finish line or some other reason to rush everything. My past marriage didn't last because I married to make my mother happy. It's the same reason my relationship with Morelli didn't work. Ranger showed his true self when he never considered I could be the mother of his child. Your support means more to me than anything. I was afraid to acknowledge my feelings or give them a label if you didn't feel the same way about me."
"Trust me, Sweetheart. The feelings are mutual. As I already said, we'll move at whatever pace you wish," Miguel stated. Stephanie felt her heart melt. She was in love with Miguel and hoped to build a life with him and Alex. The baby's birth certificate would indicate Ranger is Alex's birth father, but Stephanie wanted Miguel to be his dad. She almost shared her thoughts with Miguel. It was too soon in their relationship to make such announcements.
Stephanie and Miguel talked until she started to fall asleep. Miguel promised to pick her up in the morning for work. She thanked him and said goodnight. Stephanie couldn't wait to see him the following day.
In the morning, Miguel arrived at his usual time. He smiled when Stephanie exited her grandparents' house, looking happier than she had in days. Stephanie slipped into the passenger seat and buckled into his car.
"You look happy," Miguel observed.
"I am happy," Stephanie confessed. Miguel wondered if her happiness was caused by their conversation the previous night. Stephanie grinned at her friend. "You make me happy," she added.
Miguel grabbed her hand, entwined their fingers and placed them on his thigh. Stephanie enjoyed the sensation of his calloused fingers against the back of her hand. His thumb occasionally brushed along hers. They held hands until Miguel parked in the employee lot at headquarters.
"What's on your agenda for today?" Miguel asked.
"Research and digging through the dark web for a crumb," Stephanie joked. "It's easy to get lost inside those chat rooms. Nicola and I are trying to find a lost child. We think his uncle sold him. His parents left him with his brother and sister-in-law for two weeks. When they returned, the uncle's house was empty, and the boy was missing. They filed a missing person's report, claiming the sister-in-law kidnapped the child."
"Do you think she kidnapped the boy?" Miguel asked.
"No," Stephanie replied while releasing her belt. "Expect another joint mission with the military. The father's family is shady." Stephanie opened her door, promptly ending the conversation.
Miguel exited the car and waited for Stephanie to meet him on the sidewalk. She pulled the purse strap over her shoulder and stepped onto the asphalt. They walked side by side to the main entrance. Their hands brushed a few times, but neither moved to hold hands. Stephanie and Miguel wanted to keep their new status to themselves. As always, Miguel walked Stephanie to her office. He gently stroked her cheek before walking to the bullpen.
Josh noticed the extra spring in Miguel's step and wondered if it had anything to do with Stephanie. His friend's relationship status was none of his business, though he hoped it wouldn't impact their partnership. Men and women died in their line of work because of distractions. "You and Steph?" Josh asked when Miguel sat at the desk they shared.
"Yup," Miguel replied. "It won't affect my job, so get that thought out of your head."
"I'm requesting a new partner," Josh said. Miguel thought Josh's attitude about Stephanie was ridiculous. Josh didn't know Stephanie and never took the time to speak to the intelligent woman. It was his loss.
"That's your right," Miguel offered. He didn't want to appease Josh or beg him to remain his partner. "It's probably for the best." Miguel decided to file a request for a new partner to save Josh the trouble. He would rather deal with a new person than listen to Josh's shit talk about Stephanie. Miguel emailed his request to his supervisor.
Stephanie suspected something was off with Miguel. She knew his partner, Josh, didn't think too highly of her. He had some preconceived notion that she was like his ex-wife. Stephanie knew the story because Miguel shared it. She kept denying her feelings for Miguel because, deep down, Stephanie was worried Josh might be right. Would Stephanie return to Ranger if he wanted her? When Stephanie arrived in Virginia, she would have said yes, but no more. Ranger broke her heart and discarded her when he assumed she lied about their son's paternity, which testing would soon prove he was the father.
The doctor's office wanted to conduct an amniocentesis when one of the measurements on the sonogram was odd. She said it was necessary to ensure the baby didn't have congenital disabilities. Stephanie noticed the doctor wanted the father's DNA for comparison. There was only one way to get that sample. She had to ask Ranger via her lawyer for his cooperation. Stephanie wanted to contact Ranger but refused to give him that satisfaction. He made his decision. It wasn't her fault.
During her break, she called Wilson. When he answered her call, Stephanie asked, "Would it be possible to get a blood sample from Carlos Manoso for genome mapping?"
"He was planning to produce a sample once the child was born to prove he wasn't the father. I could tell his lawyer that a medical issue had arisen and that we needed the sample immediately. Where should I have Manoso go for the blood draw?" Wilson asked.
"His employee, Bobby Brown, often collects urine and blood samples for their yearly physicals," Stephanie replied.
"I suppose that could work if his lawyer oversees the process to assure authenticity. What about yourself? Are you having the procedure done at the hospital? Where do we need to send Manoso's sample?" Wilson queried. "How do we prevent it from spoiling?"
Wilson's questions amused Stephanie. Armed with the information, Stephanie told him which courier to use and where it would get processed. Wilson smiled as he recorded the information that Stephanie had provided. "Remember, the courier must deliver the sample to the lab within fourteen days, or it won't be viable," Stephanie replied.
"When is your procedure?" Wilson asked.
"Tomorrow," Stephanie answered. "I probably should have called sooner, but I had only found out myself."
"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll call Manoso's lawyer immediately," Wilson replied. He ended the call and promised to let her know if he had any issues.
Wilson grinned as he contacted his friend Javier, who happened to be at Rangeman in a meeting with Manoso. He couldn't have planned the call better.
"I have to take this call," Javier told Ranger. He listened as Wilson explained the situation. Javier glanced at Ranger a few times, earning a raised brow from the man. Javier checked his watch. "We can take care of this today. I'll bring everything to the office once I leave here," Javier promised.
When Javier ended the call, Ranger demanded, "Sit rep." Javier had to tiptoe around Stephanie's name. Ranger was adamant about not knowing the woman's name, and Javier respected Ranger's decision, though he thought the man was being an ass.
"In the court documents, you promised to provide a sample to determine paternity, but you had already absolved your rights to the unborn child. The mother has to undergo prenatal testing, where your DNA is required to determine if the child has congenital deficiencies. We can establish paternity at this point," Javier explained.
Ranger nodded. He called Bobby to his office with the cold packs and collection supplies. Bobby arrived in a few minutes to draw blood from Ranger's arm. "I don't want a copy of the test results. My name is not to be used in the labs. Use the number associated with the court dockets. File them in my paperwork until I need them," Ranger ordered. Bobby wrapped two vials of blood and stored them in the cold packs before sealing them in a thermal envelope. After initialling the seal, Bobby gave it to Javier, who printed the lab requisition with the docket number instead of Ranger's name.
"Will I receive a copy?" Bobby asked.
"No," Ranger replied. Javier understood the instructions. He would request a copy of the results for the file, but nobody, under any circumstances, would see it before Ranger changed his mind about learning the paternity.
Hector watched Javier on the cameras from the safety of his office in the IT room on the second floor. He recognized the envelope Javier had carried as one Bobby had used to send the samples to the lab. Without notifying anyone, Hector slipped from his office to follow Javier. Hector isn't surprised when Javier meets with Wilson, the lawyer Stephanie hired to represent her. He only knew about the lawyer because Stephanie shared that intel with him. Hector promised not to interfere. Keeping to the shadows, Hector followed Javier from the parking lot and inside the office building. Hector snuck inside Wilson's law firm and waited in the area just past the receptionist. She never noticed him walking into the office.
Javier entered Wilson's office with the envelope to be sent by courier to the Quantico, Virginia, hospital for processing. Hector already knew Stephanie was living in Virginia and worked at the FBI. She had confessed as much to him. He also knew Stephanie's baby was a boy. Hector wanted to know why Javier needed the blood samples from Ranger.
Listening at the door, Hector learned Javier brought Ranger's blood samples to get processed at the hospital, checking for congenital deficiencies since something on the sonogram required genome mapping. Hector hoped the irregularity on Stephanie's sonogram wasn't indicative of a problem with her baby. He prayed it was an anomaly which would correct itself as the fetus grew. Hector left Wilson's law firm before someone could spot him.
"When I arrived, I told your receptionist to ignore Hector following me. Do you think Hector heard?" Javier asked.
"I hope so," Wilson replied. "We could lose our licenses if anyone learned we talked loud enough for Hector to overhear. I wanted someone Stephanie trusts to be aware of the situation and assist if necessary."
"Hector considers Stephanie as his sister. He thinks I don't know that he understands or speaks English, but how does he communicate with Stephanie? She doesn't speak Spanish," Javier stated. "How do we get the results to Hector?"
"We leave that to Stephanie," Wilson answered.