"Why didn't we fly out to Bozeman a day earlier than the others?" Manny asked at the restaurant. We have been on the road for a day, stopping long enough for bathroom breaks and food. In another nine hours, we would arrive at the Nelsons' house. I could rest in a proper bed, but it would add too many hours to our already long trip. The passenger seat in my SUV was comfortable, and I could lower the seat's back enough to sleep comfortably.
"Uncle Vincent's team needed the jet to fly to a consult in the Dominican. Dad and the others are flying in Uncle Joe's plane tomorrow because Uncle Joe is on a campaign tour to become New Jersey's governor. He's driving to New York tomorrow for a conference, which is the only day the plane is available until two days after Christmas when Dad and the others come home," I patiently explained.
"You realize it's a long drive home, too," Hal laughed.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Yes. But on the way home, we're taking our sweet time and staying in hotels for a few evenings. Ella helped me plan which hotels to stay in on the way home. We're spending New Year's Eve with your family. Francine will arrive on the thirtieth to spend a few days with us."
"I can't believe she's dating Cal. How did your uncle react?"
"Uncle Vincent likes Cal and thinks they're a perfect match. Francine loves his tattoo," I replied, giggling about Francine's fascination with Cal's flaming skull forehead tattoo. "Marjorie and Ram are still going strong. I never thought my cousins would fall in love with our friends."
"Most of the guys used to think Cal and I were brothers because we look so much alike. We aren't related. It was worse when they called us by the wrong name. Cal got a tattoo after losing a bet," Hal laughed. "Nobody confuses us now."
I could tell them apart. Their personalities are different. Cal liked to puff out his chest whenever a woman looked his way. Hal's reaction was always to blush. Except Hal seemed to get over that affliction since we got married. I could have the dirtiest thought displayed on my face, and it doesn't phase him. He would quirk his brow and give me the sexiest of smiles. Delivery on the promise of his sexy smile with my dirty thoughts was explosive. Hal and I were a perfect match in every way.
We ordered some cold sandwiches to take on the road since we were unwilling to stop at another fast food restaurant during the trip. I had to be careful eating processed meats, as I couldn't eat them at all. The restaurant offered egg salad, tuna salad and chicken salad. All were great options for a pregnant woman. Hal placed them in the cooler, which he stored behind my seat. The waitress offered to fill it with ice, which Hal declined. Hal plugged our cooler into the SUV's 12V auxiliary power outlet. Thankfully, the cord was long enough to reach the front dash. Hal could get the cooler and food when we stopped at another gas station in four hours. I appreciated his thoughtfulness.
My thoughts drifted to the time I had wasted chasing Ranger while dating Morelli. Neither man would commit, though admittedly, Ranger claimed he wanted to be with me once I had money. As I mentioned to the guys before, Morelli only pursued me when I was with Ranger. Later, once Morelli heard I inherited PTES, he wanted to marry me to get his filthy paws on my money.
"We're together now, and that's all that matters," Hal suddenly said. My mouth popped open in surprise.
"Did I say anything?" I asked.
"No, but I know you as well as I know myself. You were thinking about the years wasted bouncing between Ranger and Morelli," he replied. Hal took my hand from my lap and entwined our fingers. He raised them to his lips and kissed my ring finger. "When we met, you weren't ready for us. We both needed time to grow and figure out exactly what and who we wanted. I don't understand why fate decided you and I were soulmates, but I couldn't be happier."
Hal placed our joined hands on his thigh. "I'm happy, too," I said. His thumb stroked against mine. I grumbled when Hal released my hand, but having both hands on the steering wheel made him feel more in control.
I stared at the scenery outside the passenger window while listening to another audiobook. It was Red Mist by Patricia Cornwall. As did towns like Sturgis, South Dakota, the trees and other greenery flew past. It was chilly outside, but I was dressed appropriately. "Hal?" I asked when the audiobook ended.
"Yes, my love?" he asked.
"Do you want more children after Alex and Mitch?" I queried. When I learned about the pregnancy, Hal mentioned getting a vasectomy after the children were born.
"Only if that's what you want," Hal said. I smiled at the perfect response and closed my eyes to concentrate.
"I see us with Alex, Mitch and another child, but she isn't ours," I replied, keeping the most crucial detail to myself.
"Is she mine?" Hal asked, hoping I would tell him no.
"Definitely not, and she isn't mine either, so get that thought out of your head," I laughed. I wondered how I would get custody of that beautiful girl and why she wasn't living with her father.
"If she isn't mine or yours, who is she?" Hal asked.
"You'll see," I cryptically replied. The beautiful girl was waiting for us in Bozeman, Montana. We exchanged emails and phone calls at least once per week. She was careful about calling me since it caused many issues whenever her parents caught her. Things at home were not as they seemed, and Ranger would blow a gasket once he learned the truth.
My phone rang. I removed it from my purse and checked the caller ID. It was Julie. "Where are you?" I asked instead of saying politely, "Hello."
"At the airport in Bozeman," Julie replied. "I called Sharlene for a ride. She's sending Uncle Jamie. Where are you?"
"Um," I said, looking for a sign, but resorted to checking the dash where Hal displayed the Google map. I zoomed into our location and added, "We just passed Hammond." Why was it on the map?
"How many hours away?" Julie asked.
"Five," Hal replied. "Steph will send a picture of Jamie to help you recognize him."
Sighing in relief, Julie said, "Thanks, Uncle Hal. Steph, I brought those papers."
"Great. I don't want to get charged with kidnapping. I'll see you in a few hours. Stick with Sharlene; she'll keep you safe," I replied. "Call me when Jamie gets there. Better yet, stay on the line and tell me about school."
The call ended fifteen minutes later. I wanted nothing more than to rip Rachel limb from limb. How the hell did Julie survive living in that toxic environment for so long? Rachel made my childhood experiences feel insignificant. Mom was harsh, but she never hit me. Ever. Not even a slapped cheek when I deserved it. Mom preferred withholding food as a sufficient punishment for me.
"Do you think Ranger will get mad at me?" I asked, suddenly unsure that having Julie fly to Bozeman, Montana, was a wise decision.
"Are you lying to him about Julie visiting us for Christmas?" Hal questioned.
Unnecessarily shaking my head, I replied, "No. Ranger knows Julie's visiting with us. He's busy working shifts to cover the men going home for the holidays. But…"
"He doesn't know we applied for guardianship," Hal finished.
"Nope," I whispered. "I want to tell Ranger, but that should come from Julie. She tried to have his parental rights reinstated. The family court in Miami said it was impossible, even if she had Ranger's permission. Once Ranger had signed the paperwork for Ron to adopt Julie, he can't get her back, despite how much money he throws at the family court judge. We're lucky the courts allowed Julie to come to us and move to Trenton."
"You need to tell Ranger," Hal insisted. He was right.
Before I called our friend, I texted Julie. She didn't want me to tell Ranger, but she was too afraid of his reaction to tell him. After a few more exchanged texts, Julie said I could call Ranger. As usual, he answered on the first ring. "Yo," he said.
Smiling sadly, I replied, "Hey, Ranger. Could we talk in private?" I heard him tell the others he had to take an important call. His footfalls echoed on the steps as he ran up two floors.
"Is everything okay? Do I need to fly to Bozeman?" Ranger asked once he entered his apartment. I heard him drop the keys on the table near the door.
"You don't need to come here. I have something to tell you, and I'm not sure how you'll react," I said, whispering the second sentence.
"Julie," he said. I could feel the anguish through the phone.
"She's coming home with us after our vacation," I replied.
"Rachel?"
"An abusive piece of shit who deserves everything I can throw at her."
"Ron?"
"Not much better than Rachel," I confessed. "Julie doesn't want me to share the details yet. I will once we get home. Hal and I have interim custody until we attend family court in January. We applied for permanent guardianship of Julie."
"I'll meet you in Bozeman," Ranger said.
"No, Ranger. You can't, or it will affect our application. Technically, you gave up Julie when she was a baby and allowed Ron to adopt her. It doesn't matter that you've paid support all along. The judge said that shouldn't automatically reinstate your paternal rights. You live in a building filled with men and are not in a committed relationship. It's in Julie's best interest to live in a home where the parental figures are married. Hal and I checked all the boxes the family court wanted," I explained.
"Why you and Hal?" Ranger asked. I wasn't offended by his question. Ranger doesn't sound like he was accusing us of doing him wrong. He was genuinely interested in why the family court selected Hal and me as Julie's temporary guardians.
I tried to give Ranger an adequate and honest answer, "Julie confided in me a few months ago, and I got her the help she needed. Hal and I visited her last month during a work conference. I wanted to tell you, but the judge and lawyers advised us against informing you since you're not Julie's legal parent. The last thing Julie needs is you storming in to take over her care." I let my words sink in before adding, "Julie asked to be placed in my care."
Ranger sighed. It took several minutes for him to get control of himself. "I'm glad she has you," Ranger said. "Thank you."
"I'll take care of your daughter, Ranger," I promised.
"I know, Stephanie. Have her call me," he said.
"It's up to her, Ranger. All I can do is suggest she contacts you." Ranger wanted to know if Julie flew to Bozeman alone. I assured him a flight attendant had accompanied Julie until Hal's brother, Jamie, picked her up from the airport. "Ranger, when you were in Miami six months ago, did you sleep with Rachel?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't get mad at me.
Sighing, Ranger confessed, "Ron took the children to their soccer games while Rachel and I discussed Julie's education. Her tuition increased and needed more school supplies and new uniforms for the following school year. We talked over wine and dinner. I don't know who initiated it, but Rachel and I went to her bedroom and had sex. Ron caught us."
"That was incredibly stupid," I snapped. "Were you that desperate for sex?"
"No. I don't know what came over me, and I crossed a line I carefully avoided whenever I visited with Rachel and Julie. It was as though I couldn't stop myself. My head was fuzzy afterwards, so I got Marco and Sybo from the office to pick me up since I couldn't drive. Someone had to carry me to my apartment. By the time Bones thought to test me for GHB or Rohypnol, it had already left my system," Ranger explained.
"Rachel drugged you?" I asked.
"I have no proof that she did. Don't hate me for my lack of control," Ranger quietly replied. I could feel Hal getting angry with Julie's situation. Hell, I was furious. Ranger fucking Rachel had complicated everything. The timing was perfect for when Ron and Rachel started taking their frustrations out on Julie. It wasn't her fault that Rachel wanted to rekindle a relationship with Ranger.
My phone buzzed, interrupting our conversation. "I don't hate you. Rachel and Ron's reactions were over the top. Julie's with the Nelsons," I announced.
"When will you arrive?" Ranger asked.
I checked the map and replied, "Four hours. I would love to talk longer, but we need to stop. Mitch and Alex are rolling on my bladder."
Ranger chuckled and hung up after saying, "Thank you" again. It wasn't exactly a "goodbye," but I considered it a polite end to our phone conversation. I guess there was hope I could train the guys to end a call appropriately.
"He handled that better than I expected," I said when Hal glanced my way. He pulled off the highway into another rest area. I noticed another fast food place and groaned. Thankfully, we had those delicious sandwiches from our last stop.
Cal and Manny filled their SUVs with fuel, leaving Hal, Hector and Junior to accompany me to the washroom. I patiently waited for Hector to check the women's restroom before I entered. He stayed in the room as I went into a stall. Usually, I couldn't pee with someone else in the bathroom, but I had to go too bad to let it bother me.
"Why did you stay?" I asked.
"A skinny person could fit through," Hector said as he pointed to the small window in the back. It was closed and locked, but it still offered a way for someone to enter if they chose. The frosted window prevented anyone from seeing into the washroom.
I washed my hands and dried them using the napkins in my purse since the washroom lacked paper towels or a hand-drying machine. Hector opened the door for me to exit. Hal stood stoically outside the door. He glanced at Hector and back at me for an answer. It wasn't about trusting Hector. Hal genuinely wanted to know why Hector remained inside.
Placing my hand over his heart, I said, "There was a window large enough for someone skinny to enter." Hal nodded his thanks to Hector.
While I was in the restroom, Manny and Junior moved the SUVs to the side parking area. The cargo door was open. I squealed when Cal picked me up and placed me into the space. Hal grinned and passed me an egg salad sandwich. It was delicious.
Junior gathered the trash to toss. I laughed when Hal and Cal did the rock paper scissors game, deciding who would lift me from my SUV's cargo area. Manny shook his head and helped me. "Thanks, Hubby," I said. Hal grumbled despite not caring if our friends called me by a pet name.
An involuntary chuckle escaped when Hal and Cal realized I was standing beside them. We climbed into our respective vehicles to finish the final trek to the Nelsons' farm.