As you know, these lovely characters don't belong to me but, I do so like to play with them.

Chapter 14

"There he is! Way to go!" Scattered applause. "All Right! WooHoo!"

Tank was the star attraction at the annual Frank Plum 4th of July picnic. He tried to be unobtrusive, but it's hard to be low key when you're a black six foot six giant hunk of muscle, wearing a grin as big Texas and are known to have recently rescued the President of the United States.

Probably didn't help that he had Lula on his arm wearing sequin encrusted red, white and blue spandex. Lula didn't do low key.

"White Girl," she enthused. "You seen what my Big Guy done? He done saved the President! And look at that hat! The President hisself give him that hat!"

I checked out Tank's headgear, a black baseball cap bearing the Presidential seal and the words - Captain - Air Force One.

"Big Guy says the President snatched that right off his pilot's head and handed to him. Said today my Big Guy was his Captain."

Her hero.

Tank's complexion is too dark to tell, but I knew he was blushing. Feeling good about being Lula's hero.

"Hey," I teased, "that cap says 'Air Force' on it. Thought you were an Army Ranger. Your buddies going to let you keep it?"

Tank went serious on me. "Just let them try and take it," he promised ominously.

Guess being the President's hero wasn't bad either.

He was mine too -- I gave him a hug to let him know.

"Tank?" I asked quietly once I let him go. "Have you seen Ranger?"

He knew I was concerned.

"No, Bomber, I haven't seen him," he replied, "but I know they released him. The President made sure of it.

"Thanks. That makes me feel better." Not much but at least Ranger hadn't disappeared down a governmental rabbit hole.

There were three constants about the annual Frank Plum 4th of July picnic -- Dad's barbeque, Mom's famous potato salad and the fact that you only got invited once. After that you knew when it was going to happen -- you came or you didn't as the spirit or a better offer moved you. Ranger's invitation was several years old. I was about to break a cardinal rule. I really hoped he didn't have a better offer.

I pulled out my cell phone, hit one on the speed dial and got Ranger's friendly call-back message. "Manoso!" it barked. "Talk!" "Make it snappy," was implied.

"Uh, Ranger? It's Steph." Duh. Like he wouldn't know. "I, uh....I was....uh....just wondering if you were....uh....coming to the picnic. You know, my dad's........." I felt a prickle on the back of my neck just before I heard his voice -- deep, husky.

"You lookin' for me?"

I spun around. Oh yeah, I was lookin' for him all right. He must have had his fill of flag colors because he was back to basic black -- his shirt crisp, rolled at the sleeves and collared. My eyes got stuck on the smooth patch of moche latte colored skin visible right above his top button. Actually, it was the third button. The first two were undone. Gulp!

I think I licked my lips.

"Playin' with fire, Babe," he breathed softly.

"Huh! Ah!" I jumped, tearing my eyes away from the spot on his neck I wanted to nip and nibble. Their next stop was the dark bruise at his jawline and I shivered thinking about how close I'd come to losing him.

I threw myself into his arms and held him tight -- displacing my fears with the solid reality of his so very hard body. "You really are okay?" I cried.

"I'm fine," he answered squeezing me back. After a minute he said, "Thought you only ever got one invitation to this shindig."

"I was afraid you forgot," I mumbled into his chest.

"Babe," he replied earnestly, "this is one day I don't think I'll ever forget."

Suddenly there was a poofing sound followed by a loud cackling voice exclaiming, "Yahoo!!! Look at the package on this one!"

Diesel making his entrance. To Grandma Mazur's great delight.

Dumbfounded, Ranger pulled away. "You invited him? Him?"

"Well, yeah, of course. He's staying at my place. It would have been rude not to invite him," I explained.

"Well shit," Ranger spit out, "we wouldn't want to be rude. Doesn't matter the Son of a Bitch has been screwin' with me ever since he got here. Making me look like a fool. Setting me up. Getting me arrested for treason! And now," he gestured with a flourish, "your grandma is pinching his ass!"

Ranger sounded kind of jealous. Who knew Grandma Mazur's attention was that important to him. Sure enough. Laughing and doing little dance steps, Diesel was only half-heartedly attempting to avoid Grandma's wicked fingers.

"Can't imagine you'd mind so much," I said to him. "Takes the heat off of you."

But Ranger was outraged. Seething he muttered, "Someone needs to teach this guy a lesson." He stalked off toward Diesel with shoulders bunched and fists clenched.

Oh Crap! I hurried after him hoping to discourage bloodshed. Bloodshed didn't go with picnics.

Ranger was two feet from Diesel's back and closing fast when he stopped dead. He took two jerky breaths and I heard him say, "Christ, not again."

"AHCHOO! AHCHOO!! AHCHOO!!!"

It was like he'd hit a force field made of pollen.

Diesel turned around with a big smile seemingly oblivious that Ranger had been planning to pound him into the ground. "Hey," he said giving Ranger's shoulder a hearty clap, "glad you could make it. Man, I gotta thank you. Couldn't have done it without you. Sorry about the misunderstanding with the Feds. Bet that was some red tape, huh?"

Next Diesel planted a big sloppy kiss on my lips. "Sweet Thing," he said, "great party! Thanks for the invite."

Angry, fighting another sneeze and unnerved by Diesel's gratitude, Ranger was close to hyperventilation. He struggled for control. "Thought you'd be long gone," he finally got out. "Don't you have paperwork to do?"

"Naw," Diesel said, "we're online -- all automated. Push a button. Enter the bad guy's code. Push another button. Done deal. Terrific system, you should look into it."

"I don't think so," Ranger responded. "You and I have unfinished..........."

He was interrupted. "Ranger! Ranger!"

Mary Alice galloped up to us, grabbed Ranger's hand and began pulling. "Ranger, come play ball with us! Come play ball with us NOW!"

Without waiting for an answer she turned and galloped away tugging a reluctant Ranger behind her. Tension diffused by a pre-teen who liked to believe she was a horse. Wonders never cease.

Diesel did nonchalant as he watched as the ball game begin. Ranger pitching. Mary Alice at the plate.

He tried to ignore my death glare. "Ranger says you set him up."

"Moi'?" he replied the look on his face saying 'cat with canary'.

"Did you?" I persisted. "Set him up? Did you know Uncle Sam was a woman? And that she was the one stalking him?"

"Uncle Sam isn't a woman," Diesel replied. "It was a disguise, a clever well-planned ruse to throw us off."

I thought about the big boobs, the curly hair -- those wandering hands all over Ranger's chest. Ewwww! No wonder he was pissed.

"You knew!!" I cried. "And you didn't tell him!"

"No, I didn't know."

Diesel checked to see if that answer was going to fly.

Like a rock.

"Okay," he relented, "maybe I suspected. The important thing is we flushed him out. We got our man."

"At Ranger's expense," I protested. "According to him, this is quite a feather in your cap though. Nabbing Uncle Sam."

Diesel looked down and scuffed the toe of his boot against a tuft of grass. Diesel, shy, wasn't something I was used to. "Yeah, it's probably a promotion. They'll kick me upstairs. Assign me a desk." He looked up. "And you know what that means."

"No," I said. "I don't. What does that mean?"

His big brown eyes turned liquid, smoldering. He reached out and gently ran the back of one warm finger across my cheek. "Fewer operations in the field. Less danger. Opportunity to settle down. More time to see you."

"I......I...I...." I didn't know what to say. Me speechless.

There was a crack as ball met bat. The orb sailed over Ranger's head and carried to the back of the yard where it hit the wooden fence and bounced into some weeds. Ranger hot on its trail.

Diesel was still looking at me. Now I was the one hyperventilating.

"Be careful, Ranger," came a cry from Mary Alice. "Watch out for the poison ivy!"

Ranger had been about to reach into the tall grass. He froze against the fence searching the varied greenery surrounding him.

"What the heck?" I said snapping out of Diesel's spell. "There's no poison........."

Diesel stifled a giggle.

"You didn't! After what you did to him today -- this week! How could you?"

He gave me a rueful little grin and took my hand. "Look, Sweet Thing, what I said before, I meant it, but I know I'm not the one."

I dropped my head, unable to look him in the eye.

He lifted my chin with one finger. "I couldn't help but notice it wasn't me you threw yourself at when that bomb was going off the other day."

"Diesel, I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry," he replied. "I can take a hint. Just can't blame a guy for trying."

In the distance we heard, "ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

Still stuck against the fence, Ranger was using the sleeve of his no longer crisp shirt as a handkerchief. "I don't understand," I said, "Why is he like this around you?"

"You really don't get it?"

I shook my head.

"You," he tapped his finger on the tip of my nose, ".............absolutely rock his world. He's afraid of losing you."

"Don't be silly," I sighed. "Joe never gave him a headache or made him sneeze."

Diesel puffed out his chest. "I'd like to think I'm a lot better competition than Joe. Tell me. Ever any real danger of his losing you to the cop?"

"No," I admitted my cheeks turning pink. "Not really."

"Well there you go. Anyway, I offered him the antidote," Diesel said.

"You did?"

"Yep. No surprise, he wasn't real taken with my generosity. Said he didn't need me to tell him, 'cause he already knew what it was."

"He did?"

"Yep." Diesel gathered me into his arms for a long tender hug.

Suddenly I heard Ranger's voice carrying across the yard. Loud! Really Loud!! Demanding attention.

"STEPHANIE!! BABE!! DON'T GO WITH HIM!! PLEASE!! DON'T GO!! I LOVE YOU!!!"

Whoa!

Vaguely, I heard Diesel say, "Guess I'm finished here."

There was another little poofing noise. I looked over my shoulder. Diesel was gone.

Ranger still hadn't moved but his impossibly dark eyes held mine as I made my way across the yard. Seemed like it took forever.

"Hey," I said softly when I got there.

He looked a little shaken. "Babe," he replied.

I was shaky too.

"Ranger." "Babe." "I love." "I'm so.." We both talked at once.

We stopped. Ranger pulled me into his arms and we held each other for a minute.

Then he whispered in my ear, "There isn't really any poison ivy in here is there?"

"No," I whispered back, "but I have calamine lotion. I can rub it all over your body just to be safe."

His arms tightened around me. "Safe wasn't what I had in mind," he responded as he locked his lips on mine.

WOOSH! BOOM! WOOSH! CRACKLE!! WOOSH! BOOM! BOOM! WOOSH! POW! WOOSH! BOOM!! CRACKLE!! POW!

"Ranger?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Do you hear fireworks?"

"It is the 4th of July, Babe."

"I know, but it isn't dark yet."

"Guess that's what happens when your world's turned upside down."

"You might have to thank him"

"You're killin' me, Babe."

The End

Many thanks to you all who have gone on this unusual ride with me. I've had a lot of fun and hope you have too. For all your encouragement and lovely comments, I am truly grateful. SueB