I think this is the first story that I've completed, beginning to end, the way that I had originally planned to. This last chapter is longer than the last three combined, but I wanted to give a good idea of what Ranger and Stephanie's life will be like after we leave them. Anything familiar belongs to Janet Evanovich. The mistakes are mine.

Chapter 4

After the night surviving, or should I say enjoying, Ranger's bedroom bootcamp, I was tired but had never felt better. Ranger can do that to a girl. I tried to keep that feeling going even after he made me get up with him to start my first self-defense lesson in the gym. Ranger must have been feeling pretty good himself, because he kept his usual schedule of getting up before dawn to work out, but let me sleep an extra hour before waking me up for my own gym time. Ranger kissed me good morning and then left me to get ready. I would have liked to have spent some time in the shower with him before we left, but I couldn't see wasting water because I'd most likely just need another shower once Ranger got done kicking my butt downstairs. I got out of bed, grabbed a tank top and a pair of sweat pants out of the bag I had brought over from my apartment, and headed into the bathroom.

Lester and Bobby were standing by the mats when I walked into the gym with Ranger fifteen minutes later.

"Finally," Lester said as we walked over to them,"after all the years of my bitching, the Boss finally decided to pretty up the place."

"Can it, Santos," Ranger said.

Lester shut up, but I could still see a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and I knew he wasn't sorry for pulling the tiger's tail. I couldn't decide if he was brave or if he was stupid.

Ranger had been serious about helping me get better at what we do. He lined up back to back sessions of various forms of self-defense. The first lesson was in was I later learned was Krav Maga. Ranger had informed me that it would help when an opponent was bigger than I was. He had Lester be my guinea pig when it came to using pressure points to take down, or get away from, bad guys. I'm assuming since Lester was chosen out of the group of guys that were hanging around the gym, it was his punishment for mouthing off earlier. When I could easily identify every point on the body that would incapacitate someone, Ranger took me to the gun range. Ranger refused to let me leave until I hit every target exactly where he told me to hit it. By the time we were done, I still hated guns; the noise they made when they were fired, and what they could do to the human body, but I felt I had a better handle on how and when to use them in any given situation.

After taking the shower I had been looking forward to, Ranger decided to reward me for all my hard work, both on the mats and in the shower, by taking me out to lunch.

"Where would you like to go?" He asked me.

I wasn't sure. I didn't want to hide our relationship from anyone, but I didn't want to intentionally hurt Joe by going to a place where he or the guys from the station usually ate. So I chose Marsilio's. I could get the Burg reaction over with while hopefully not upsetting anyone directly.

Ranger parked the Turbo and we walked into the restaurant. Ranger's hand was resting comfortably on the small of my back and, as we were being seated, I could almost hear the rustling of material as people reached for their cell phones. I'd anticipated this reaction and had turned my phone off before we'd gotten out of Ranger's Porsche. I straightened my spine and thought to myself, I'll deal with them later, but right now I'm going to just enjoy being out on a date with Ranger.

Ranger smiled at me. The openly staring people didn't bother him, but he gave me the option to chicken out if I needed to."We can go somewhere else if you want, Babe."

"No," I said."I'm fine. I don't want to pretend that we aren't together. Everyone will just have to deal with it. Besides, the food is really good here."

"It's good that you have your priorities straight," he said.

"I did put you first," I told him,"in case you hadn't noticed."

Ranger brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed my knuckles."I noticed, Babe."

I swear I heard a camera click when Ranger kissed my hand. I rolled my eyes and picked up my menu. If whoever had taken the picture had asked me, I would have smiled for the stupid thing.

I don't know why I bother looking at the menu anymore, because I always ordered the same thing when I came here. Ranger, I noticed, did too. Boring chicken something or other, steamed vegetables. Yuk! I always thought that if you were going to go out to eat you should at least order something that you couldn't have at home. And I couldn't have sausage alfredo at home. First off, because I didn't have any of the ingredients. And second, because I wouldn't know where to start even if I did have all the ingredients.

Ranger pulled me out of my mental cooking lesson.

"I'm proud of you, Babe."

"You are?" I asked."What for?"

"For hanging in there today," he said to me.

"I didn't really have a choice."

"Yes, you did, Babe. And you chose to do everything I threw at you without once complaining about it."

"Technically, you're doing me a favor here," I said to Ranger,"so I can't very well complain about it."

"I don't consider helping you a favor," Ranger said."And definitely not when it comes to something as important as keeping you alive."

"I know. That's why I wasn't going to say anything about how sore my muscles were when we were finished."

"And still are, I'll bet."

"A little."

"It's lucky for you that I'm skilled in relaxation techniques, too."

"More than I've already seen?" I asked thinking about the shower we had shared earlier. I did feel pretty good after that. The hot water and Ranger's hands went along way to relaxing all of my muscles.

"Yes."

"Remind me to take you up on that tonight."

"Like you'd need a reminder," Ranger said a little smugly, I thought.

"It's not like I spend my whole day thinking about you," I said to him. Ranger didn't say anything to that, he just looked at me. I blew out a breath."All right, so I don't need a reminder. But just for the record. I only think about you maybe eighty percent of the day."

"I'll have to find a way to change that to a hundred percent," Ranger said.

Uh-oh, I thought, I may have just thrown down a challenge. I looked up at Ranger and he was giving me the sexiest smile I had ever seen on him. If the waiter hadn't chose that moment to bring us our food then I might have let him try right there to close the gap.

The waiter poured us each a glass of wine before leaving us to our food. I managed to finish my whole plate without moaning once. And it was hard, too, because the food was really, really good. I was glad that I didn't let the people around us make me uncomfortable enough to leave. What was also good was the fact that they didn't make me uncomfortable at all. Once Ranger and I sat down and started talking, I didn't pay attention to anything else in the restaurant. Ranger looked like he was enjoying himself, too. Maybe a relationship with The Man of Mystery was going to be easier than I thought.

I used to think that I had to be more than what I was to be with Ranger. That little Stephanie from the Burg was too naive, too goofy, too everything that Ranger wasn't, to hold the attention of a man like him for very long. But I was starting to see that those might be the very qualities that drew him to me in the first place. The load that Ranger usually carried seemed lighter. And I'd like to think that I was part of the reason why.

We finished our meal and after the bill was paid, Ranger pulled out my chair for me starting another round of whispers. I was starting to really enjoy myself here. Enjoying myself enough to lean up and kiss Ranger's mouth. If they were going to watch then the least I could do was give them something to see, I thought. And it also gave me a reason to kiss Ranger again.

When I pulled back, he smiled at me again and wrapped an arm around my waist escorting me back to the Turbo.

After buckling myself in, I pulled my phone back out and looked to see that I had fifteen new messages. All within twenty minutes of each other. The grapevine obviously had nothing bigger to discuss. Maybe instead of being annoyed like I usually am, I should be flattered that Ranger and I were such a hot topic.

I held up my phone for him to see."They didn't waste anytime," I said to him.

"Does the thought of them knowing about us bother you?"

"Nope. I've decided to look at things differently," I told him."What they say about me, or us, isn't important at all as long as we know the truth. I'm just going to call Mary Lou and Connie and let them take care of everyone else. From now on, I'm going to be thinking about other people less and living more."

"Good for you, Babe."

When we got back to Rangeman, Ranger went up to his office on five and I stayed behind and called Mary Lou from the garage.

"Steph, you'd better get your butt over here and tell me what's been going on with you," Mary Lou said."You were still with Joe last time I talked to you. And now I hear that you've been seen kissing Ranger at Marsilio's. What happened? And how fast can you get over here?"

"If Ranger has nothing for me to finish up here," I said to her,"I can be over in half an hour."

"Remember, I know you," she said, probably remembering that I never arrive anywhere on time."You'd better not be late. I've got my eye on the clock."

"I won't. I'll see you in a bit."

Calling Connie was easier.

"You and Ranger?" Connie asked."Is that right?"

"Yes."

"When did this happen?" She asked.

"It's been happening for a while," I told her."And you were the one pointing it out to me every chance you got."

"Don't play dumb with me," she said."You know what I mean. When did the two of you become a couple?"

"Officially? Yesterday."

"And Morelli?"

"I decided that I had to break things off with him. He needs someone other than me in his life to truly be happy."

"Wow," Connie said.

"Yeah, I know," I said."It was a pretty big step for me, but it was one that I needed to take."

"Well, you couldn't have picked a more loyal man than Ranger to be with," she said."I didn't think he'd open himself up to a relationship but since he has, you won't find a better man to be in one with."

"Thanks Connie," I said."I think so, too. You can let Lula know. I have plans, and she probably wouldn't let me off the phone if I called her now. And she'll be beyond upset if everyone knew but her."

"I'll tell her. When are you coming back here?"

"Is there something for me?"

"Not right now, but you don't need a skip to stop in and say hi."

"I will, I promise," I told her."I'll talk to you later."

I disconnected and took the elevator up to Ranger's office.

His door was open and I poked my head in his doorway.

"Mary Lou wants me to come over," I told him."Do you have anything you need me to do here first?"

"No. Everything's up to date."

"I'm off then. I'll be back soon." I turned to leave, but Ranger's voice stopped me.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Babe?" He asked.

"I have my bag and my keys," I said."So no, I don't think so."

He crooked his finger at me. I looked at his finger and smiled at him. As I walked to his desk I felt a tiny bit of regret that I could have had this all along with Ranger if I'd just been secure enough with what we felt for each other to just go for it and admit to him, and to myself, that I loved him.

When I reached his chair he stood, pulled me in close, and gave me the sort of kiss that women everywhere dreamed about. I put my hand on the desk to steady myself when he ended it.

"Okay, then," I said, trying to control my now raging hormones."I definitely won't forget that any time soon."

"That was my plan, Babe," Ranger said.

"It worked," I told him, and walked out of his office with a little extra swing in my step. I waved to the guys on my way by and took the elevator back down to the garage.

I drove to Mary Lou's thinking about my life, past and present, and realized that I couldn't change how I'd handled things in the past. And if I had, I might not be where I am today. And I wouldn't trade what Ranger and I have now for a clear conscience, or a clean slate, even if I could.

I pulled into Mary Lou's driveway and wasn't even out of my car before her front door flew open.

"It seems like forever since I've seen you, Steph," she said.

"I know. We're going to have to make some time to see each other more often."

"Okay, enough about us," she said."Tell me about Joe, Ranger, and your mother while you're at it. I hear she's planning on becoming a nurse?"

Mary Lou closed the door behind us and followed me into the kitchen. She poured us each a cup of coffee before pulling out a bag of chocolate chip cookies and putting them on the table between us. I took a cookie while Mary Lou decided what she wanted to hear about first.

"Let's start with Morelli," she said."Did something happen between you that I don't know about?"

"Not really," I said to her."I just decided that I had to move on. We weren't giving each other what we needed. And I didn't want to live that way anymore."

"That's it?" She asked.

"Yep."

"He didn't cheat on you? Or give you another ultimatum about your job?

"Nope. I can honestly say that this was completely my decision. But I think he'll be happier because I made it."

"And your mother?"

"I didn't think it was possible, but we finally saw eye to eye on something."

"What?"

"That we each had to change what we were doing with our lives."

"And Ranger?"

"I told him that I loved him," I said to Mary Lou,"and he said it back to me."

"But you told me he's said it to you before. What was different this time?"

"Well, I guess you could say that he clarified what he meant when he'd said it."

"Damn."

"I know,' I said to Mary Lou."It's a lot to take in."

"All of this happened in the last couple days?"

"Yes," I said."I would have talked to you about it, buteven I didn't know how serious I was until I was driving to Joe's house."

"And you're happy with Ranger?" Mary Lou asked.

That was the greatest thing about about having a best friend like Mary Lou, she's always concerned about my feelings before anything else.

"Beyond happy," I said to her.

"Then I'm happy, too," she said."And I promise to try not to freak out when I see him. I mean, not only is he gorgeous, but he also scares the crap out of me."

"You don't have to worry about Ranger," I told her."When you get to know him, he's not as bad as he looks."

"Yeah, right," Mary Lou said, clearly not believing me."Jeez, Steph, if you weren't already the envy of every girl in the Burg for domesticating Joe Morelli. Now you've broken up with him, willingly I might add, and found someone equally as hot, if not hotter, to be with? You're going down in Burg history."

"It's not like that," I told her.

"I know it doesn't have anything to do with looks. After all, you did marry Dickie. But having those two men in love with you?"

"Hey!"

"I didn't mean it like that," she said."Any guy would be lucky to be with you. I'm just trying to put myself in your shoes and live vicariously through you. So be quiet and let me do it for a few minutes." Mary Lou said."I love Lenny and all, but let's face it Hollywood isn't going to be knocking on his door anytime soon."

"Mary Lou," I said,"you love your life. You married the man that you've been in love with since high school, and you have kids that you adore."

She laughed."Some days."

"They are a handful," I said. I thought that was an understatement, but when they were asleep they were really cute. Awake was a completely different story."But seriously, Mary Lou, you shouldn't be jealous of anyone else when you already have what you've dreamed about."

"I know."

Mary Lou filled me in on everything that was going on in her life while we polished off the bag of cookies. I wouldn't say that I'd ever want to trade my life for hers, but for Mary Lou, PTA meetings, school recitals, and date night once a week with her husband, are the things that make her happy. I think that's what I've always wanted my mother to understand. That women should be free to choose the kind of life that was right for them. And to not get judged by other women, or men for that matter, for living them. It should be a personal choice, not a collective one. Mine and Mary Lou's lives were different from each other's, but they were perfect for us.

Grandma Mazur called as Mary Lou was walking me out.

"I made dinner," Grandma said."Would you like to come over? Oven-roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Only thing is, I don't have dessert. But you could pick something up on the way."

"Is that the real reason you called?" I asked her."So I could bring dessert?"

"Yes," she said."We'd like to see you, too, but dinner would be even better if we had a nice cake to go along with it."

"I'll stop at Italian Peoples for something on my way," I told her.

"Thank you. Are you bringing Ranger?"

"You know about us?" I don't know why I bothered asking. Everyone probably knew.

"Everybody knows," she said, proving I was right."I, for one, am happy about it. And not just because Ranger has an excellent everything. If you catch my drift."

I wasn't catching anything."I'll check with him and see if he can come," I said.

"Good," she said."You can count on me to make him feel welcome in our home."

I got a little nervous at hearing that. Grandma was notorious for goosing, groping, and ogling, any man that she found attractive. And a few that she didn't.

"Don't make him feel too welcome," I told her."I don't want him filing charges against you."

I made a quick stop at Rangeman to see if Ranger was free. He was just closing up his office when I stepped off the elevator.

"Perfect timing," I said to him after giving him a quick kiss.

"For what, Babe?" He asked."I thought you were at Mary Lou's."

"I was," I told him."Grandma called as I was leaving and asked us over for dinner. And I have to make a stop at the bakery on the way. Do you want to come with me?"

"I'll go, but you'll owe me."

"How much? Things have been a little slow money wise," I told him, smiling. I liked that I could actually flirt with Ranger without worrying that it was going to lead to something I couldn't handle. I've since learned that I could handle many parts of Ranger with no complaints.

Ranger leaned in close."Your money isn't what I'm interested in," he said.

"I can't cook, either."

"Not a problem, Babe."

"So what do I have to give to pay off my debt?" I asked him, my smile getting bigger.

"You, Babe," he said.

I pressed my lips to his and whispered."That's good to hear, because you already have me," I told him."So you can't get out of dinner now."

"You mind taking that somewhere else?" Tank said."You're making us all sick with all that lovey-dovey shit."

"Love you, too, Tank. I think someone's jealous," I said to Ranger.

"Jealous?" Tank said.

"Uh-huh. What do you think?" I asked Ranger.

"Could be."

"I could have anyone I want," Tank said."Anytime."

"What ever you say, Tank. Come on, Ranger," I said to Ranger, taking his hand and tugging him towards the elevator.

"You don't believe me?" Tank asked.

My voice might have sounded a little like I was talking to a child."Sure I do, Tank," I said as the elevator doors opened."You can have any woman on earth. Anytime you want her. I got it."

"Tank let it go," Ranger said to him."You're not going to win."

We stepped into the elevator, and I gave Tank a little finger wave as the doors closed.

"That was fun," I said to Ranger.

"You realize he's going to be pouting about this for the next few days."

"Tank can pout?"

"You just brought his manhood into question, what do you think he's going to do?"

"Realize that I was teasing and get over it?"

"He will. But he might feel the need to get even when he does."

"Uh-oh."

"Don't worry, Babe," Ranger said."I'll protect you."

There are a lot of perks to Ranger being the boss, I thought. But I made a note to stay far away from Tank in the gym just in case.

We stepped out of the elevator and into the garage. Before I could ask whose car we were taking, Ranger had the Turbo unlocked. I could deal with that. Out of all Ranger's vehicles, the Turbo is still my favorite.

Before pulling out of the Rangeman gate. Ranger asked what bakery I wanted to go to.

"Italian Peoples," I told him. Since I was pretty sure that Ranger never entered a bakery unless I was with him, he proved once again that he knew everything by not needing directions to get there.

"Do you want to come in with me?" I asked him."Or wait here?"

"I'll wait," he said."But if you're not out in five minutes, I'm coming in after you."

I climbed out of the car and walked into the building. There was something about bakeries; the combined smell of sugar and vanilla, how colorful the sprinkles on the cookies are, and the way all the decorated cakes were arranged, that always made me feel a little bit happier when I walked into one.

After looking at everything in the cases, and probably adding five pounds to my thighs from just looking at the doughnuts and pastries alone, I decided to go with a German Chocolate cake. I paid for the cake and was on my way back to Ranger's Porsche when I caught the eye of Joe's mother, Angie Morelli.

"Stephanie," she said."How nice to see you."

"Hi, Mrs Morelli. How are you?"

"Well, I'm doing better than Joseph."

"I haven't seen him," I told her."How's he doing?"

"I think he would be doing better if you would just call him," she said to me.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" She asked."You obviously care about him, so why won't you talk to him?"

I really didn't want to discuss this outside of Italian Peoples, but maybe if everyone was eavesdropping I wouldn't have to go over it again later on.

"Joe and I broke up," I told her."And I don't want to confuse things between us by calling him right now."

"But once you talk to each other, you'll make up and I'll be back to looking up baby names."

"I hate to tell you this, Mrs Morelli, but they'll be no baby names. I'm seeing someone now," I told her."And I have no plans on getting back together with Joe."

"I knew it!" A scary voice said from my left side."I knew you were a puttana! I warned my Joseph about you, but did he listen?" Bella asked."No. He couldn't see past the body that you flaunted to keep him from looking elsewhere for a respectable girl to settle down with."

"Not now, Bella," Mrs. Morelli said.

"You're going to regret hurting my Joseph," Bella said to me.

"The only thing I regret is not breaking up with your Joseph sooner."

"You won't be saying that when your hair falls out and your female parts shrivel up."

Ranger came up behind us and heard the last part of Bella's threat."That could be a problem, Babe," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed."It doesn't sound like it'd be fun."

Bella looked back and forth between us."You're not taking the eye seriously?" She asked.

"Don't worry, Babe," Ranger said."Lester has an aunt that I'm sure could take 'the eye' off you should you get it."

I smiled at him."I knew there was a reason why you kept him around."

Ranger's cell rang. He looked at the number displayed."I have to take this," he said to me."Will you be okay?"

"Yep," I said."Everything's under control."

I watched Ranger walk back to the car. I really couldn't help myself. He looked good coming. And going. And he was finally mine.

I took a deep breath and faced Joe's family."Look," I said to them."I'm sorry that Joe is upset right now, but he'll be okay. He's a good man and I have no doubt that he'll find someone that he can be completely happy with. I don't want to hurt him anymore than I already have by prolonging a relationship that never would have evolved into what he wanted it to be."

"Joseph hasn't said anything to me about the two of you being over."

"He's probably scared that there'd be a stampede to his door if anyone finds out," I said.

"You know that you can be easily replaced, and you still crush his heart over and over again?" Bella asked.

"Don't worry," I told her."I'm not going to be crushing Joe's heart again. You'll have to find someone new to hate."

She narrowed her eyes at me, but I think it was finally sinking in that Joe and I really weren't together anymore.

"But I had the visions," she said.

"They were wrong," I told her.

"My visions are never wrong." She said, and she stomped off.

Did I miss something? First she's mad that I was with Joe. And now she's mad that I'm not with him anymore? There apparently wasn't any winning with her so I wasn't going to try.

"I'm sorry about Bella," Mrs. Morelli said."I won't admit this in front of any of the family, but Joseph is very special to us."

"He should be," I told her."I meant what I said, he's a great guy."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out between you," she said."You would have been a welcome addition to our family."

"I appreciate you saying that. I really like your family." My eyes strayed in the direction Bella went."With a few exceptions," I said.

"Don't pay any attention to Bella," Mrs. Morelli said."Her bark is worse than her bite."

I didn't believe her anymore than Mary Lou believed me about Ranger, but Bella wasn't my problem anymore.

"Well, I'd better get Bella home before she threatens someone who parked too close to the car."

I laughed."I have to go, too. Dinner at my parents' house."

"I heard about what your mother is doing," she said."How is she?"

"Everyone's good," I said."She seems happy."

"Some of the wives have been discussing her and I think Helen might have started something. Mrs. Martignetti wants to take a few cooking classes and then start a catering company. And Mrs. Carnabuci wants to start selling the quilts she's been making to earn a little extra money."

"Really? The Burg might never be the same."

"It seems to be changing for the better," she said."It was good seeing you, Stephanie."

"You, too, Mrs. Morelli." And I walked back to Ranger's car.

We've come along way from the woman who used to shout how I would go to hell if I didn't watch my mouth when I was a child. Maybe the Burg really was changing. Or maybe I was the one changing.

Ranger was hanging up when I slid back into the passenger seat.

"Tank needs me back at Rangeman so I'm going to have to miss dinner."

"Is it bad?"

"No," he said."Just a client that won't be happy until he speaks to me directly."

"I can understand that," I told him."You do have the knack for putting people at ease. Somehow I can't see Tank doing that."

Ranger smiled."Tank has a different set of strengths."

"I know. Keeping secrets isn't one of them, though." I said, thinking back on our meeting at the Blue Bird.

"Not from me, at least," Ranger said. He leaned forward and kissed me."I'll drop you off at your parents' house and I'll get back as soon as I can to pick you up."

"You don't have to," I told him."I can have my Dad give me a ride back to Rangeman or borrow Big Blue. One more time driving that whale won't kill me."

"I'll pick you up," Ranger said again.

"Okay," I said."I'm not going to argue if the hottest man I've ever seen, who also happens to be my boyfriend, wants to come get me personally. I'll even save some of the cake for you."

"You're willing to share your cake with me?" He asked, his smile returning.

"Uh-huh."

"You must really love me then, if you're willing to share your dessert."

I smiled back at him."I'm willing to share more than just cake with you."

"I'm counting on it," Ranger said.

Ranger drove down my parents' street and parked in their driveway. He turned the car off and faced me.

"If you're ready to leave before I get here, call my cell and I'll come get you."

"Would it help to argue that I can find my way back to Rangeman on my own?"

"No, Babe," he said."I'm not taking any chances. I like having you in my bed at night."

"If I remember correctly, you always did," I said to him.

"I did," Ranger said,"but I like it better now that I can do something about you being in it."

No kidding. Being able to lay wrapped up in Ranger's arms at night, and then waking up still wrapped up in them, without Morelli between us, was an indescribable feeling.

"I like that you can do something about it, too," I told him."I'll see you in a little while."

"I'll be here," he said.

I gave him a small smile, knowing that he meant more than just picking me up tonight."I know you will," I said to him."You always were."

I met him halfway across the console and put what I felt about him into the kiss. Both our breathing was a little labored when we pulled apart. And that was saying something. Ranger could probably rescue an entire family from a burning building and then overthrow a radical government without his breathing ever changing. It's reassuring to know that I wasn't the only one that has invested everything I had in me into this relationship. After one last brush against his lips with mine, I climbed out of his car and waved to him before walking through my parents' front door.

I stopped to say hello to my dad on my way to the kitchen.

Valerie was sitting at the kitchen table when I walked in. I put the bakery box on the counter and sat down across from her.

"What is this I hear about you breaking up with Joe to be with Ranger."

"Did mom tell you?" She promised she wouldn't get involved in my business anymore, but I wanted to make sure.

"No," Valerie said."Everyone else did. It seems like mom's hardly home anymore. Not only has she attended her first class, she actually started a book club and a supper club with some women she met there. Her new schedule is looking a little hectic. We haven't had much of a chance to say more than a few words to each other. And Grandma has decided to reclaim the kitchen, as you could probably tell."

"I noticed that," I said."How's Dad handling it?"

"He seems to be enjoying himself," Valerie said."They seem to be talking to each other now. They tell each other about their day over coffee in the morning. And Grandma said that Mom sat down with dad last night and they watched a movie together before going up to bed. I like to think this is how they were before they had us. Like they're getting to know each other all over again."

That sounded nice, but I didn't want Ranger and I to ever get to the point where we would need to learn about each other again. One more thing to add to the important relationship info folder.

"So tell me about you and Ranger," Valerie said.

"What do you want to know?"

She gave him a look like I was insane. I remember that look from childhood. She gave it to me a lot.

"Everything," she said."I want to know everything."

"Well," I said to her,"I finally told him that I was in love with him and he didn't run screaming in the opposite direction when I did."

"Oh please," she said to me."I've seen the way Ranger is with you. I wish Albert would look at me that way."

This was the first I've heard of their marriage being anything but happy. First Mary Lou. And now Valerie. Two people that I was sure had their lives figured out were still questioning their choices. And here I was thinking I was the only one that wasn't certain about my future. Now it seems everyone I knew had the same doubts about their lives as I did.

"Kloughn loves you," I told Valerie.

"I know he does," she said."But sometimes I think it's only because I was too easy to catch. You were with Joe for a long time and Ranger still waited for you."

"I don't think Ranger was just passing the time until I was single."

"No?"

"Uh-uh," I said."I don't think so."

"He showed up every time you needed him without you having to ask. He let you borrow and destroy his cars ..."

"Hey!" I said."Not all of them got destroyed."

"Ranger looks at you like you're his last meal," Valerie said.

And that was the problem with me being with Morelli at the time, because I was looking at Ranger the same way.

"You don't think Albert looks at you like that?"

"Maybe he does," she said."But God, having a man like Ranger in love with you? That's entirely different. He has told you he loves you, right?"

"Yes," I said, reliving the moment in my mind.

This is how it should have been between Valerie and I during our school years. Talking about boys, not that I'd ever refer to Ranger as a boy, discussing our parents without the sibling rivalry we may never have shown, but have always felt. Valerie was the perfect one. I was the constant disaster. As someone who had watched The Brady Bunch reruns as a child, I was the Jan to her Marcia. Until recently, I still felt that way. But we both have gotten more comfortable with each other and our relationship. After her divorce Valerie had mellowed out a little. And after marrying Albert Kloughn, and having more kids, she doesn't have the time to be perfect anymore. I could relate to this Valerie. And I finally feel like I have nothing to prove to her or to anyone else around me. I had a job that I was improving on. A man that I love who loves me back in the same way. And a family that was still, for the most part, close. I knew I was lucky. And for the first time I could appreciate the feeling.

"Wow," Valerie said, bringing me back to our conversation."Imagine not only being able to look at Ranger all day, I mean his body alone ..."

"Val," I said, breaking into her obviously lustful thoughts.

"Sorry," she said.

"No problem," I said."I can't blame you for looking."

"But imagine, having him say that he loves you, too ..."

This time she sighed.

I smiled."I don't have to imagine it," I said."I'm living it."

"Stop bragging," she said, smiling back at me.

"I'll try," I told her,"but I can't promise anything."

Grandma walked into the kitchen. She was dressed in an apricot colored track suit that almost matched her hair, and was wearing bright red lipstick. Grandma must have been at the Clip and Curl recently to have gotten the new hair and lipstick colors. Her hair changed colors now almost as often as Lula's does.

"Oh good," she said."You brought cake. What kind did you get?"

"German Chocolate."

"I peeked out the window when I was upstairs and saw Ranger's car in the driveway, but it's not there now. And neither is he. Where'd he go?"

Well, that explains the bright red lipstick, I thought."He got called into work," I told her."He'll be back to pick me up."

"I wish I had a chauffeur that looked like Ranger," she said.

Here we go again, I thought, but thankfully Grandma let it go.

"Dinner is just about ready," she said to us."You two can set the table while I get the chicken out. Don't forget the wine. I left it on the counter to breathe like they tell you to do in all them fancy magazines."

"I got the wine," I said. I loaded the silverware onto the stack of plates and grabbed the bottle on my way into the dining room.

Grandma brought out the chicken and Valerie followed with the potatoes and beans. My father sat down at the head of the table and dinner was on.

"This is strange," I said."Having dinner here without Mom around."

"She's only gone two or three days a week," Grandma said."But it's fun to be in charge of the house again."

My father shot her a glare that would have made any teenage girl proud.

"I'm happy for Helen," Grandma said, ignoring my father as usual."She's finally got her head out of everyone's business and started working on her own. I knew there was more of me in her than she showed."

That was hard to believe since Grandma and my mother were the exact opposite of each other, except for the fact that they both were always in everyone's business.

Dinner was excellent. Grandma obviously hadn't lost any of her cooking skills while my mother was in charge. And the cake had been worth my confrontation with Bella. I was just cutting Ranger's share of it when I heard a knock at the door. I was guessing it was Ranger. Apparently, so did Grandma because she cut off my path to the door so she got to be the one that opened it. I rolled my eyes and followed behind her.

"Ranger!" Grandma said, as she opened the door to him."We missed you at dinner. But I'm just glad that you could make it here at all."

"Mrs. Mazur," he said, his eyes immediately found me."Babe," he said, his lips turning up a little at the corners.

I could hear Valerie, who was standing next to me, sigh. Again. I would have sighed to if I wasn't so busy watching where Grandma Mazur's hands were. I didn't want Ranger scared off on his first visit to my parents' house as the man I was in love with.

Ranger closed the door behind him, dodged Grandma, and walked over to me.

He brushed a kiss across my lips before nodding to Valerie."Valerie," he said.

She looked like she was close to giggling when Ranger said her name. Oh boy. I guess I could understand the impulse, though.

"Mr. Plum," Ranger said to my dad.

"Call me Frank," he said to Ranger, and offered Ranger his hand to shake."I'm glad you're the one that Stephanie's bringing around now. You may not be Italian, but you seem like the kind of man that can keep up with her. And, from what I hear, I won't have to worry about you stealing my cookies at dinner."

That earned my dad an eyeroll, too.

"Everything okay at Rangeman?" I asked. I don't know why I did since it was pretty much guaranteed that if Ranger was called the problem would be solved, but I asked anyway.

"Yes," Ranger said to me."Rangeman has a new account. What did I miss here?"

"Grandma's still got it in the kitchen. And the cake was amazing," I told him."I was just cutting a slice of it for you when you knocked. I was thinking I could tempt you into a bite of it."

"Not going to happen, Babe."

"I know that," I said to him."But I'll be enjoying myself when I try."

"Steph," Valerie said, following my dad into the living room,"what did I say about bragging?"

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry, Val," I called out after her, ignoring Ranger's eyebrow."I guess since my ride's here, I should get going," I told Grandma.

"You don't have to rush off."

"We have an early morning tomorrow." That was true to a degree. Ranger got up early to work out and then he woke me up and hauled my ass down to the gym."We'll be back for dinner soon. Right, Ranger?"

"Sure, Babe," he said.

I got my cake from the kitchen, my bag from the living room, and waved goodbye to my dad and Valerie.

"Tell mom I said 'hi' when you see her," I said to Grandma.

"I'll pass it along," she said.

Ranger opened the door for me and we walked together down the sidewalk to Ranger's car. I settled myself into the passengers seat and Ranger got behind the wheel, turning the engine over.

"Everyone seemed relaxed at dinner," he said to me."Even about us."

"My mother not getting on everyone's case seems to have a calming effect on everybody," I told him."And no one has a problem with us aside from being a teensy bit jealous."

"Grandma Mazur?"

"Valerie, too," I told him."Albert apparently has a hard time expressing what he feels for Valerie. And she doesn't feel as appreciated as she should."

"That's not something you're ever going to have to worry about again, Babe," Ranger said, his voice serious."I'm not going to stop showing you just how much I love you and how grateful I am to have you in my life."

"You won't have to worry, either," I said, turning towards him."I may not be one hundred percent comfortable saying it, but I do love you, Ranger. More than I thought I could."

"Good to know, Babe."

He leaned over and kissed me before backing out of the driveway. As he drove us back to Rangeman, I thought back on the day that I had snuck into Ranger's apartment when I was hiding from the Slayers. And tonight I was being driven there by the man himself. Ranger has opened his apartment to me in the same way he had back then. The big difference was that I now got to share his space without hiding from anyone.

The day finally came a few weeks after Ranger had started working with me to test out what I had learned. The test came in the form of Chuck Linwood. Like Lula, he's been known to carry just about everything, had an obvious dislike of all women since his wife was found in bed with his best friend. She was later found with a bullet hole in her chest. A bullet hole which led to my having to go out after him. Well, I really didn't have to go out after him, since it was a Rangeman case, but I chose to anyway.

I had been working out with Ranger, and sometimes one of the guys, almost every day. Not only have I gained a little muscle tone, I've also gained a new confidence in my own abilities. Now I could speak my mind, and I could back it up, too. Not that I was Ranger or anything, but I felt I could handle my own if push came to shove. My newly acquired skills however weren't enough to keep Ranger from trying to protect me. Yes, I was going after Linwood, but I wasn't going after him alone. Ranger made that clear when he handed me the file to look over. He supported my decision to take on Chuck, but deemed him too dangerous for me to try a solo takedown.

"Everyone here at Rangeman goes out in two's," Ranger said to me."It's safer for everyone involved."

Yeah, right. Not safer for the skip, I thought.

"And you're definitely not going to be the exception to that rule."

"Ranger, I'm not asking to be."

"Good," he said."Because your asking wouldn't help."

"Has anyone every pointed out that you're a tyrant?" I asked him.

"Yes, but only one person lived afterwards."

I smiled."Me?"

"Yes," Ranger said."You can call me whatever you want, but it won't change the outcome."

"Can I call you the man I love?" I asked him.

"All day long, Babe."

I curled my arm around his neck and stood on tiptoes so that I was face to face with him."I love you, Ranger," I said. It really did become easier to say it as time passed.

"Love you, too, Babe."

Then he kissed me. It also became easier to say it after hearing Ranger say it right back to me, I thought to myself.

When I was one minute away from being a very 'happy' woman, Ranger eased away from me and grabbed my bag from next to the door.

"Let's go get your guy."

I smiled again."I thought I already got him."

"You got one of them, Babe. Now we need to get the other one."

I laughed."Oh great," I said."I'm back to having two men in my life." Surprised that I could now joke about the Morelli/Manoso/Plum triangle.

"Only for today," Ranger said."If this one gets too friendly, he'll be eliminated."

I didn't know how to respond to that so I just took my bag from Ranger as I walked out of his apartment.

By the time we walked out of the elevator I noticed that while all Rangeman guys had partners, I had a parade. Okay, parade might be an overstatement, since it was just Tank and Bobby in an SUV waiting for us but still, four people for one guy seemed like overkill.

"I have you with me," I said to Ranger, looking over at the SUV,"why do I need Tank and Bobby?"

"Just a precaution, Babe."

"Precautions are good," I said."Especially with me." He wasn't implying that I couldn't accomplish this takedown, he just wanted me safe while I did it. I couldn't find anything wrong with his thinking. I didn't want anything happening to me, either. I had finally gotten to a good place in my life and I didn't want some idiot with anger issues to take it away from me. I felt like I was prepared for anything that could happen, but I wasn't going to be stupid about it.

"I'm ready to roll," I said to Ranger.

Ranger opened the passenger door and waited until I was buckled in before giving a nod to Tank and sliding behind the wheel of the Cayenne.

We drove across town to Chuck Linwood's last known address. The dilapidated house standing in front of us with gray/green shingles and peeling white trim, didn't look promising as a place that anyone or anything would be living in. Even if they were hiding out. Ranger parked on the street in front of the house and I could see the black SUV park behind us.

Ranger turned to me."This is your show, Babe," he said,"but I'm going to be with you at all times. If you feel like something's wrong at any point, you say the word and I'll take care of him."

"I think I can handle him," I said to Ranger,"but I like knowing that you'll be close if I need you."

"And I will be from now on."

I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his.

"Go get him, Babe," Ranger said, when he pulled away from me.

We got out of the car and Ranger came with me to the front door while Tank and Bobby went around to the back side of the house. This was my takedown, but knowing that it was a Rangeman case, they were all going to make sure that we got the guy in the end. I couldn't fault them for that. I didn't want Ranger to be out any money if I couldn't catch this guy.

It didn't seem likely that anyone was home, but you never knew until you tried. I knocked on the door and, to my surprise, Linwood opened the door on my second knock.

Ranger was standing out of Chuck's view next to the door, so all of Linwood's hatred was focused on me. I really appreciated Ranger letting me do this on my own. Nothing against Joe or anything, but it was different having someone support what I'm doing. And to take the time to actually help me do it better.

"What?" Chuck asked.

"Bond Enforcement," I said to him."You violated your bond agreement and you need to come with me to the station to get rebonded."

"I don't think so," Chuck said.

He outweighed me by about sixty pounds, was at least four inches taller, and looked meaner than his mugshot suggested.

Ranger made a move to help me, but I shook my head at him. I was bringing this guy in. Ranger showed that he had faith in my abilities because he stayed where he was and didn't interfere. I knew he would if things got out of hand, but knowing that he trusted me to do this meant a lot.

"Look," I said to Linwood."You can do this my way or the hard way. You're choice."

"How about you leave right now and I pretend this never happened and you won't end up like my wife."

That sounded a little scary, but I wasn't about to back down. I lifted my hand that held the pepper spray at the same time Chuck grabbed a fistful of my shirt. Apparently Chuck didn't think I was much of a threat, because he didn't reach for a gun or anything equally as lethal. He just tightened the hand on my shirt and pulled his other hand back. Probably thinking that a good punch to the face was all that I needed as incentive to leave him alone. And I had to admit that really pissed me off. That he thought just because I was a girl, I couldn't knock him down and haul him in. Granted, that would have been true not that long ago, but things were different now. I was different. And 'ol Chuck here was about to find that out.

I concentrated on what Ranger had told me."Look directly at the hand that's holding you and give a hard punch the back of it. You'll be free and will have a few seconds to get away or attack if you need to." I, of course, went one step further. I gave Linwood's hand one solid punch that would have made the guys proud. Linwood let go off my shirt and I followed up with a direct hit to the middle of his forehead with the heel of my hand. And with a surprised look on his face that I'll never forget, Chuck crashed to the ground like a bad-tempered tree.

I was smiling as Ranger checked out Linwood and Tank and Bobby came up behind us. I'd done good. And I knew it.

"Proud of you, Babe," Ranger said, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

"Yeah, Steph, we're impressed," Bobby said, while Ranger was cuffing Linwood."We've seen what you can do in the gym, but keeping your cool while being threatened is hard to do for a lot of people. Even if they do have training."

"He sort of pissed me off by thinking hitting me would get me away from him."

Tank had since forgiven me for giving him a hard time, and was now smiling at me."You taught him a valuable lesson," Tank said."He might think twice about trying to hit a woman again."

"Tank load him up," Ranger said."We'll be taking Mr. Linwood in."

I looked over at him."You're not going to have Tank and Bobby do it?" I asked him.

"You deserve full credit for this capture, Babe."

"It was only one capture, Ranger," I said to him. I still had a lot to learn.

"The longer you train, the better your captures will be. Don't sell yourself short, Babe," Ranger said."You now not only have luck on your side, you have techinques to catch skips without having to rely solely on it."

"I never thought of myself as someone who liked hurting people, but I kind of enjoyed that."

"Don't worry, Steph," Bobby said."We did, too."

By the time we made it back to the car, Tank had Linwood strapped into the Cayenne. Chuck was still a little out of it so the drive to the Trenton PD was quiet.

Carl and Big Dog were standing near the door talking when we walked in.

"Hi, Steph," Carl said. He looked at Linwood who was semi-conscious now."You helping Ranger out again?"

"No," I told them."I caught this guy myself." I wasn't sure if it was the shot to his forehead that knocked Chuck out, or if it was hitting the floor when he fell over after I had hit him. Either way, I guess I was responsible for the way he looked now.

"So tell us, Steph," Carl said,"how'd you get this guy. A knee to the balls again?" Carl asked.

"No," I told them calmly. I wasn't going to let them take away from my accomplishment."I smashed his hand and hit him in the forehead hard enough to make him crash to the floor."

Big Dog looked closely at Chuck."Shit, Steph," Big Dog said,"remind me never to piss you off. What are you on the rag or something?"

It always bugged me when guys said stuff like that. Why did men think only a woman's period is involved when she got mad over something stupid a man did?

"No, Big Dog," I said to him."I'm just on the top of my game."

"We can see that," Eddie said, hearing the last part of the comment as he was walking over. His eyes flicked to Ranger who was quietly standing behind me."Looks like you changed more than just your game."

I took a step back, wrapped my arm around Ranger's waist, and smiled up at him."I did," I said to Eddie without taking my eyes off of Ranger."And things have never been better."

"Damn there goes fifty bucks," Carl said.

My eyebrows shot halfway up my forehead."Care to explain that?"

"We had a pool going about how long it would take you to dump Morelli for Manoso," Big Dog said."Looks like neither one us is collecting anything this time. I was way off. I thought that you'd tough it out with Morelli a little longer. At least until the end of summer."

My smile faded at that. Ranger took a step forward, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm. I could feel the tension in his muscles. He wanted to stop Carl and Big Dog himself, but this was my fight.

"I'll take care of this," I told Ranger, and then got in Carl and Big Dog's personal space."You place one more bet, or start one more pool, on any aspect of my life and I'll shove your balls so far up your body you'll be sneezing DNA for weeks."

They both lost some of their color, and were struck momentarily speechless. I'd thank Lester for that threat later. I probably wouldn't actually do it to Carl and Big Dog, but it felt nice knowing that I could if they didn't knock it off.

"Are we clear guys?" I asked them.

They both gave me a strangled yes. No doubt still wondering if they should cover themselves in case I decided not to wait.

I gave them one last Burg worthy glare and walked back to Ranger. I apparently earned the full-on Ranger smile with how I handled the situation. A lesser woman would have fainted when presented with that smile, but I was made of stronger stuff than that. I just smiled and used up a moment planning exactly what I'd do to him once we left the station.

Morelli chose that moment to walk into the station. He took one look at Ranger and I, and I saw the flash of pain in his eyes before he masked it.

"I knew he wouldn't miss his chance," Joe said to me.

There was no way he didn't know about Ranger and I, but this was the first time I'd seen him since that day in his living room. And it was also the first time he'd seen me and Ranger as a couple. Surprisingly, I couldn't sense any anger in his tone. Only resignation. Like he knew what was going to happen before I did. I thought back to the day I ended our relationship and he told me that if Ranger wasn't the reason I started changing my life, then he soon would be. Maybe Joe did know exactly what was going to happen, and was helpless to stop it.

"Hey, Joe," I said. I was determined keep this friendly, and to have as few awkward moments as possible.

"Hi, Cupcake, Manoso," he said, including Ranger in his greeting.

"Morelli," Ranger said, putting one muscled arm around my shoulders.

I guess boundaries were being set. The tight smile on Joe's lips confirmed it.

"I'd ask how you are, but I can see how you are for myself," Joe said."Just so you know, Steph, I don't plan on never seeing you again just because you're with him now." He was talking to me, but his eyes were on Ranger, daring him to argue. Ranger didn't. He knew as well as I did that he had nothing to worry about. Morelli wasn't a threat to our relationship.

"I don't own, Stephanie," Ranger said, showing me exactly why I was in love with him."She's free to be friends with whoever she chooses, but know that if you try anything with her and make her at all uncomfortable then you'll be uncomfortable yourself for a very long time."

I heard some gasps and looked over to where Carl, Eddie, and Big Dog were still standing. I caught Carl's eye and he immediately nudged Big Dog.

"We'd better be going," Carl said."Big Dog and I have important things to do. Isn't that right, Big Dog?"

Big Dog looked at me and paled again. No doubt remembering the state of the guy I'd just brought in. I'd make good on my threat. And he knew it.

"Yep, we were just heading out," Big Dog said.

"I'll leave you guys alone to figure this out," Eddie said to me."If you need anything just give me a call." And he followed Carl out.

I turned back to Ranger and Joe. If only I could break this up as easily."Umm, guys," I said to get their attention."I'm not an issue between you anymore, so cut it out." I looked at Joe."You and I will always be friends," I said to him, before turning to Ranger."And you're the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. No dinner at Pino's will ever change that. I need you to trust me the same way I trust you," I said to Ranger, before facing Joe again."Joe, you and I can still be friends as long as you know that nothing more will ever come of it. I'm with Ranger now and nothing you do or say will change that fact. If you can accept that, and promise to not do anything to undermine my relationship with Ranger, then we can still hang out once in a while. But the second I feel like you're not moving on because of me then I'm going to stop seeing you. There's someone out there just waiting for you and you have to find her. I don't want you spending your life wishing for something that will never happen again."

"Who are you?" Joe asked."And what have you done with Stephanie?"

I laughed. Everything was going to work out for the best. I was sure of it now.

"I just grew up," I told him."Turns out we all have to do it at some point."

"You'd better deserve her," Morelli said to Ranger.

"I'll never deserve her," Ranger said."But I'm going keep her so happy that she'll never notice that."

"You're too hard on yourself, Ranger," I said, softly."You deserve only the best."

"And I've got her," he said to me.

"This is where I'm going to leave," Joe said."I may want you to be happy, but I'm not a masochist. I'll talk to you soon, Cupcake." He started to walk away, but stopped halfway down the hall."Oh, I forgot to mention, my mother and Grandma Bella said hello."

I was wondering how long it would take Joe to bring them up."You're grandmother may have said something, but it wasn't hello," I told him.

"That's true, but you're the only one who showed no fear in the face of the eye," he said."She may not like you, but she has to respect you a little just for that."

"I can live with that," I said. I wasn't a fan of Grandma Bella's, either.

Joe disappeared into one of the offices and I reached out and took hold of Ranger's hand."Come on, let's get out of here," I said to him."We have our life to get back to, and I don't want to waste a minute of it."