We arrived at the house five minutes late. Thankfully, the agent waited for us. I was taken aback when the woman resembled one of Ranger's sisters. "My colleague, Audrey, is on maternity leave. She asked me to show you around today," she said. "I'm Sylvia Jacobson.
"I'm Stephanie Plum, and my friend is Hector," I reciprocated. I raised my brows and turned my gaze on Hunter. He shrugged and placed a possessive hand on Sylvia's back before guiding her into the house. "Are Sylvia and Hunter married?" I quietly asked Hector. He nodded. I wondered how Hunter arranged the viewing that fast.
Everything on the main floor of the house was as I remembered. The previous owner renovated the kitchen and washroom within the past few years. Both looked modern, and I loved it. Sylvia mentioned the upstairs bathroom was recently renovated. I hoped to find a huge jacuzzi tub under the window. Unfortunately, the previous owner made the bathroom smaller by removing the tub and inserting a single-person shower stall.
"Is there another washroom with a tub?" I asked, feeling disappointed the primary bathroom lacked a suitable bathtub.
Sylvia grinned and led me to the primary bedroom. "The other bathroom used to be twice the size. However, the previous owner wanted the oversized tub in the ensuite washroom. Go inside and take a look," Sylvia said. "She thought it would appeal more to the new woman of the house."
"Wow. I'm in love," I sighed. "This house is perfect." It didn't have a jacuzzi tub, but it was large enough to fit two men the size of Tank. The tub was deep. My only concern would be drowning if I fell asleep.
"If you think the house is perfect from the ensuite washroom alone, you should see the walk-in closet," Sylvia giggled.
"Holy shit!" I shouted upon seeing the right side wall of the closet, which contained enough storage space for my shoe collection. "You weren't kidding."
I checked the other bedroom, noticing the hardwood floors throughout. The house was gorgeous, and I had to buy it. "Steph?" Hunter asked when I stood too long in the doorway of the smallest bedroom.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
"What are you looking at?" Hunter asked, hoping for me to toss him a bone.
I entered the bedroom and removed the painting from the wall. "This," I replied, passing it to Hunter. He raised a brow and looked for a signature.
"The owner plans to give that to Francis Plum's granddaughter. They had trouble locating her," Sylvia explained. "The last address they had was in Newark. She never filed papers when she moved."
"Do you know her name?" I queried.
"Let me check with the sellers," Sylvia offered. She stepped into another room to place the call in private. Sylvia was shaking her head when she returned. I patiently waited. "You wouldn't believe it. They are looking for you, Stephanie."
I nodded and wiped a tear off my cheek. "Do you see this squiggle?" I asked, pointing to the bottom right corner.
"Is that the signature?" Hunter asked.
"Yes. My great-grandmother painted this as a wedding gift to my grandparents. We've been looking for it for years," I replied. "It was her last painting before she passed." I shook my head to calm myself. Dad and I thought Grandma tossed it in the trash. Great-grandma Plum died when I was seven. I loved painting with her, much to my mother's chagrin. It was more like she instructed me. Her arthritis was too bad to hold a paintbrush. All I wanted when Grandpa died was this painting. It had sentimental value.
"What do you think of the house?" Sylvia asked, sensing I needed a distraction from my memories.
"It's perfect for me. I want to offer the asking price," I replied.
"I have the paperwork in the kitchen," Sylvia said. I moved to hang the painting on the wall. "Take that with you. Catherine Bishop said you can remove it from the house. She doesn't want it to get included with the estate furniture when the company comes to collect it."
"Thank you," I whispered. Hector took the painting. I knew he would keep it safe until I moved into my new home. He sat at the breakfast bar as I submitted my cash offer for the house. I had a few rooms to upgrade and repaint, but Hector would oversee those renovations.
Hunter read the paperwork before he would let me sign them. Sylvia watched in amusement. "How long have you and Hunter been married?" I asked.
"Only five years. Hunter was afraid of commitment after serving his time," Sylvia confessed. "We have a four-year-old son who stays with my parents."
"You resemble Ranger's sister, Celia," I said without thinking.
"I certainly hope so. Celia's my older sister. I met Hunter through Carlos," Sylvia explained. "I heard Carlos relocated to Miami. How are you holding up?"
"Fine, until you mentioned Ranger relocating." When Sylvia looked confused, I added, "He told me it was a two-week visit."
"You deserve more than what he gave you. My brother has always been a player. He only married Rachel because she was pregnant, and her parents kicked her out of the house. I thought their relationship would improve after his deployment. That never happened. He never cheated on her, but once he proved Julie was his biological daughter, Carlos divorced Rachel. Since they never consummated their vows, the judge ruled on the divorce within months of filing the petition," Sylvia explained.
"Sylvia, you know Carlos wouldn't want you to talk about him," Hunter warned.
"I know, but I don't want Stephanie to hang onto some false hope that she has a future or a someday with my brother," Sylvia defended. Sylvia gave me her business card. "Please call me, and we'll have coffee once this transaction closes."
"Thank you," I replied, feeling like I had a new friend.
"You may sign," Hunter said. I rolled my eyes, entered my name on the documents, and signed and dated it. Sylvia added her signature and promised to email a copy to me. As warned, Sylvia asked for proof of funds for the sellers.
When I gave Sylvia a cheque for the deposit, I said, "Send it to Hunter. I'm planning to leave town for a few weeks." Sylvia raised a brow but never asked where I planned to go. It wasn't her business to know. Plus, I didn't want her to say anything to Ranger. He, in particular, had no right to know where I was going.
I thanked Sylvia for her assistance and for letting us view the house despite being late. She smiled and guided us outside. Sylvia wanted to meet with the sellers to review the offer. Maintaining professionalism in front of Hector and me, Sylvia waited until we were out of sight before kissing Hunter. "Are you able to represent me for the closing?" I wondered when Hunter climbed into the front driver's seat.
"It shouldn't be a problem. But if you're concerned, I'll have my colleague complete the title search and other pertinent documents," Hunter offered.
"I'm sure you'll do a fine job," I said.
"But?" Hunter asked.
"Since your wife is the agent of record, I would feel better if your colleague assisted you with the paperwork. It's not that I don't trust you. I don't want anyone saying it was a crooked transaction," I explained.
"Then that is what I'll do," Hunter promised. "Are we still going to the travel agency?"
"We are," I giggled. I couldn't wait to get my vacation plans in order. The last time I went anywhere was the trip to Hawaii on Dave Brewer's dime. He purchased travel cheques, and I cashed them in for a round trip to Hawaii. Ranger and I spent two glorious weeks pretending to be married. It was terrific until Joe arrived.
Hunter drove me to the travel agency next to purchase tickets for my vacation to Hawaii. It was frivolous to spend money on a destination I had no intention of visiting. I have been there and done that, Sayonara. Hunter and Hector never asked where I planned to go. They understood I needed time away from everything to prepare mentally for the changes in my life.
Before returning to Rangeman, I stopped by Vinnie's office to tender my resignation. Despite previously calling me a useless bounty hunter and griping about the number of outstanding skips (none of which are mine) needing to be captured, he begged me to stay. "Sorry, Vinnie. I can't work under these conditions anymore," I explained. "You're giving the easy bonds to Lula and those offering more money, but too low for Rangeman, to Barnhardt. I can't live off the meagre pickings. I've decided to work for Rangeman."
"What are you talking about, White Girl?" Lula demands, opening the door to Vinnie's office.
"Goodbye, Lula. You can have all the fun in the world chasing the lower bonds. I'm out of here," I replied.
"What about my share of Johan Smith's bounty?" Lula asked. I couldn't believe she had the audacity to go there.
"Are you talking about Johan Smith, the one you were jacking off when I entered the private room at Dominos? The same man you whispered to a second before he rushed from the room with his privates blowing in the breeze?" I asked, sounding eerily calm like Ranger.
Lula took a step back. Her lip quivered. "I didn't tell him who you were," she defended.
I shook my head and replayed the audio track from the club's recording. Thank goodness Hector had sent it to me for proof. Vinnie's face turned purple when he heard Lula tell Smith to run, that I was a bounty hunter there to apprehend him. "As I said, goodbye, Lula."
Connie sat at her desk with her mouth agape, wondering what the hell happened between Lula and me. "What about my cut?" Lula demanded, sounding like a broken record.
"You didn't assist. I don't owe you anything. Why don't you get your money's worth out of sucking Vinnie's dick?" I said before leaving the bonds office. It was time to get away from Trenton. I had another stop to make.
Mom and Grandma waited by the front door. I smiled and waved. "Are you okay?" Mom asked. I raised my brows, wondering why she suddenly cared.
"I wasn't near the fire," I replied.
"Not that. Come inside. We don't need the busybodies knowing our business," Mom said, pulling me into the house.
"Mom, you're scaring me. What's going on?" I demanded.
She pulled me to the small desk in the living room, where Angie and Mary Alice often sat to do their homework. Mom turned on the computer and opened her email. I noticed my old email address was in the CC line. Several photos were attached to the email. I had a feeling I never wanted to look at them.
In full colour, I found images of Joe and Terry kissing in the parking lot of the Motel off Route 1 and more of them kissing, with Morelli's hand grabbing her ass. The photographs were very intimate. I kept scrolling through to the end, where the biggest photo proved Joe cheated on me before our latest breakup.
"I didn't know," Mom whispered.
"That Joseph Morelli was a lying, cheating asshole?" I asked, hoping for her to clarify.
"When I asked Angie if he bought you a ring, she said he saved cash to repair his garage. He promised to save for an engagement ring," Mom replied.
"Mom, if Joe wanted to marry me, he would have asked and never said, "I love you but not enough to marry you," a few years ago. Nothing changed. Women, they will come, and they will go. Once the rain washed me clean, I knew." Mom loved Fleetwood Mac. I wondered if she would catch the reference to the song.
Giggling, Mom said, "I promise never to invite Joseph for dinner again."
"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that."
"Why are you here?" Grandma asked.
"I'm heading out of town for a month to work at another Rangeman branch. They need help with their research," I lied.
"Okay. When do you leave?" Mom asked.
"Tomorrow morning. I'll have Dad drive me to the airport," I replied. "I'll call you when I land."
Mom surprised me with a hug. She typically expressed her feelings with food. I returned the embrace. Grandma patted my back when I hugged her. "I hope you find your mate," she whispered. I rolled my eyes.
What should I say to that? Thank you? "Don't get into trouble while I'm gone," I replied. Grandma laughed but made no promises.
"Don't worry about your apartment. Your grandmother and I will keep it clean and watch Rex," Mom promised.
"Thank you," I said, hugging her again before leaving.
"Where to?" Hunter asked when I climbed into the SUV.
"The lodge on Hamilton," I replied. I called Dad, letting him know I was on my way. He promised to meet me in the back parking lot. "You guys can drop me off. Dad will drive me home."
"We can wait," Hunter said when he pulled into the back lot.
"It's fine, Hunter. Thank you for everything. I truly appreciate having your assistance and meeting your wife. Hector, gracias," I replied. Hector understood. I thanked him more than his assistance the previous night. He exited the car and hugged me tightly. "Keep my painting safe," I whispered. Hector kissed my cheek. I knew he would protect it until I returned.
"Pumpkin," Dad said, interrupting our moment. I kissed Hector's cheek and thanked Hunter again before going to my dad. He offered an arm, which I readily accepted. We entered the lodge, and Dad guided me to an empty office, where we sat beside each other in comfortable chairs. "Why did you want to meet me here?" Dad questioned.
"I didn't want anyone to know my plan," I replied, removing the airline tickets from my purse. "Everyone will think I went to Hawaii," I explained when Dad raised a brow.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
Smiling, I replied, "Bozeman, Montana, for the rodeo and music festival. It's the first time they have both events overlapping."
"Your Uncle Joe is heading to Montana. He's landing at the Mission Field Airport east of Livingston, Montana. You could rent a car from Livingston and drive west to Bozeman. Or your uncle may fly you to Bozeman, and you can rent a vehicle there," Dad suggested.
"Wouldn't Rangeman be able to find me?" I wondered aloud.
"Are you hiding from them?" Dad asked.
"I want a vacation without having people find me. They may have my credit card tagged," I explained. Dad shook his head. He called his best friend, Joe Juniak and asked how to maneuver the trip. Dad was grinning when he ended the call.
"Uncle Joe will fly you to Bozeman. He will rent a vehicle in his name and have you as a licensed driver. The only way anyone could track you is to follow your godfather," Dad said. I had to admit it was a great plan. "What do I say if Rangeman asks?"
I took a photo of my boarding pass to Hawaii and sent it to Dad. "This is the information you have. It's something they can find on their own." Dad raised his brow. Laughing, I added, "Now, I just need someone to pretend to be me and fly to Hawaii."
My dad had the perfect suggestion. Cousin Francine resembled me enough to pull it off. She was a teacher and had the summer to relax before returning in August to set up the classroom for the following year. Francine never had money to go on vacation. I hoped she would accept the prepaid Visas and the plane tickets. She would need my passport too.
Dad called her, and she picked up after the second ring. "Hey, Uncle Frank. Is everything okay?" she asked.
"It's good. How would you feel about a fully paid three-week Hawaii vacation?" Dad asked.
"Oh my gosh. I would love to go there. How is that possible?" Francine wondered, hoping it wasn't a prank.
I replied, "I have tickets, but something came up. They're non-transferable or refundable. You'll have to use my passport."
"Wow. I guess I could let my hair curl," Francine said, pretending it was a hardship.
"You'll have to answer to Stephanie," I warned.
Francine laughed, "Steph, I haven't pretended to be you since your shift at the hotdog stand at Point Pleasant. We fooled your boss and coworkers. I'm sure we can do this too."
"If you get into trouble, call Dad. I'll rescue you. Your flight leaves at seven tomorrow morning. Get your bags packed. Dad and I will pick you up at 4:30," I said. Before ending the call, I added, "Do not tell anyone where you're going or say you won a vacation in a raffle."
Dad drove me to the store to purchase prepaid Visa cards for Francine. "Do you need money?" Dad asked when the teller rang up the 2000 in cards.
"No, I'm good," I replied. I paid for the Visas with my new debit card. Sure, it used my daily limit for point of sale, but I was okay with that. Francine deserved a vacation. Like me, she had a lousy ex-husband who took everything she brought into the marriage. Dad raised his brow when I purchased another two grand in Visas with the same card. He remained silent until we climbed back into his cab.
"Did you get a windfall?" Dad asked.
"You can say that. The skip I captured last night was on the FBI's list, and I received a significant reward for his capture. I bought the Bishop's property," I replied. I remained silent for a few minutes. "We found your grandmother's painting."
"Is it in your hands?" Dad asked. I wondered what he meant about that.
"Technically, Hector at Rangeman is hanging onto it for me. But yes, it's in my ownership," I explained.
Dad grinned. "I need to see it."
"Okay. We can stop by Rangeman for you to look at it," I suggested as my phone rang. Smiling, I answered, speaking in Spanish, "Hello, Hector. Dad and I were just talking about you."
"Hunter and I are in your parking lot," Hector said.
"Sweet. You saved me a trip. Thanks," I replied and hung up. "Take me home to pack, Dad."
Hector exited the car when Dad parked beside the back door. He leaned against the SUV until Dad and I approached. Instead of Hector removing the painting from the car, Dad and I climbed inside. Dad used his pocket knife to pick at a spot in the bottom left corner where the canvas had a huge glob of paint. "It's the real one," Dad announced.
"How do you know?" I asked.
He pointed to where he removed the paint, "Your initials are there." I used the camera on my phone to zoom into the spot. Sure enough, my initials, SMP, were written on the canvas in permanent marker. The oil paint used to cover it didn't adhere to it.
"When did I do that?" I mused, trying to remember when I added my initials to the painting I loved. Dad took a few photographs of the painting, zooming in on my initials.
"You were five. My father was upset, but your grandmother never liked the painting, saying it was a horrible scenery. She tossed it in the trash shortly after your grandfather's death. Reginald Bishop must have recovered the painting before someone on the block could take it. Your grandfather wanted you to have the painting because you loved the scenery," Dad explained. It felt like there was a part of the story Dad purposely kept to himself in front of the guys.
I remembered when Grandpa died. It was a horrible accident on the interstate. Grandma survived the collision. She spent most of their savings on the funeral and her recovery. Unfortunately, Grandma passed away a year later without changing the will. Everything was divided according to Grandpa's wishes.
Hector handed me a phone, silently demanding my other one. I shrugged and let him exchange them. The device was similar to Hector's secured phone. My chosen brother had my back. He would always protect me above anyone else.
"It's a great painting," I said. In Spanish, I added, "Keep my priceless inheritance safe, Hector."
My phone chimed when I sat in Dad's cab. I read the messages from my Merry Men and laughed. They knew I provided their lunch and dinner.