Author's Note: Google Images: Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, OK, to see the terraced gardens.

Moments later, Mrs. Juniak appeared at the door joining our rooms.

"Did you get him? What happened?" she asked nervously, taking in Ram's injury and Water's bloody hand. "Oh, no. Oh, no!"

"The situation is under control," Ranger assured her, offering his hand as he guided her to the love seat.

"What's happened?" she asked, her hand to her heart. "And Joe? Where's Joe?"

"He's fine. Still a few more hands to play before he owns the pot."

I located the make-up remover while Ranger and Woody gagged and bound Waters. Then I set to work with a fresh wash cloth. Ten minutes later, Waters features were free from the aging glue, but still somewhat distorted with pain, anger, and an overwhelmingly offensive odor. Turned out Jeanne Ellen had been gagged with one of Ram's socks, and now Waters had been gagged with the other. This act alone might be considered torture in some countries, but Mrs. Juniak assured us the US wasn't one of them. At least, not under these circumstances. In fact, it was most commonly used by high school athletes for hazing, and Woody said his brothers did it to him all the time, so it was really just child's play, right?

"Tank's giving the all clear," Ram said. He sounded eager to get downstairs to the waiting ambulance. "We're about to have company."

"OK," Ranger said, opening the bedroom door a crack. "All clear." Ranger signaled that Ram was free to go. Ram had his boots back on. He handed me my gun as he passed by. I got up and handed the gun off to Ranger, then returned to the love seat to wait with Mrs. Juniak.

A few minutes later, Ranger opened the door and we stood back to allow six men carrying two stretchers to enter. They were New Jersey State Police, specifically assigned to the Juniak's. Mrs. Juniak knew them by name and seemed incredibly relieved. One of the men was carrying a medical bag. He sedated both Jeanne Ellen and Waters after checking their vitals and examining their wounds. The stretcher was placed beneath Jeanne Ellen. Then, only one cuff at a time was released and secured to the stretcher. Once she was bound head to toe to the stretcher with six Velcro straps, Jeanne Ellen was removed from the room. Minutes later, Ranger reported that she was on her way to the hospital and the next ambulance was ready. The process was repeated with Waters.

Ranger followed the state police out, returning a few minutes later with Juniak. Mrs. Juniak burst into tears as her husband took her into his arms. Then she released him and embraced both me and Ranger. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," Ranger said.

"What can I do? Name it," Juniak said to Ranger, clapping him on the back.

"Marry us," Ranger said.

"Here?"

"Now," Ranger insisted.

"Okay," Joe said, with a laugh. "You got it."

"You can't get married in your pajamas," Mrs. Juniak laughed. She grabbed her overnight bag, then took my hand, leading the way to my room. "We'll just be a minute," she said.

I thought I only had my evening dress, but if we were staying over, what was I supposed to wear home? Mrs. Juniak was changing into a summer dress that she had brought for this purpose. I checked the shiny black suitcase again. Sure enough, there was another compartment. Inside was a white summer dress, similar in style to my evening dress. It was sleeveless. The bodice was lacey, with a built-in shelf bra. It was high waisted, with a knee-length pleated skirt that billowed softly like flower petals as I moved. Mrs. Juniak helped repair the damage to my hair and makeup, and I swiped on a few more coats of mascara.

I slipped on the white heels I found in a zipper bag tucked in with the dress, and looked at myself in the mirror.

"Now you're ready to get married," she said, giving my shoulders a loving squeeze. "Let's go make history."

I wrinkled my brow at that, not sure what she meant.

"Come now. Ladies like Betsy Preston may think they have the power to make the world go round, but you and I know it's the ladies who are content to stand behind their man, without recognition, that make the most meaningful contributions. And it's men like ours that do more than talk about changing lives. They forcefully impact them."

For a moment, I found myself thinking about Ranger's reaction to Jeanne Ellen. She set out to change history too. But she would never have taken a back seat to any man. Not for her boss, Seabring, not for Ranger, and certainly not for Waters. Ranger had said Jeanne Ellen was a competitor, and I wasn't. Now I was beginning to understand how misguided my jealousy had been. She would never have allowed him to impress her. She would strive to out-perform him in every way. He shocked and impressed me all the time. If he made Jeanne Ellen feel inadequate, she would lash out. I knew darn well I was inadequate, and I often had to cling to him in moments of inadequacy, trusting him with my life. And in those rare moments when it was my turn to shine, it reflected positively on his trust in me. Whether I was screwing up or getting things done, Ranger saw it as an opportunity to build our relationship. And that was what I loved most about him, and about us.

The side door opened. "You ready?" Ranger asked, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, an impatient smile shining in his eyes if not on his lips.

"Ready, willing, and more than able," I answered, swinging the silver chain expertly, so that it wrapped around my wrist. I clicked the clasps into place and grinned at him.

"Babe," he said, giving me his 200 watts smile now.

I took his arm and he lead us down the hall. The Juniak's fell in behind us, with Hal and Woody bringing up the rear. We descended the grand staircase once again. There was minimal damage, but the carpet was clean, and it was unlikely the guests would notice before their morning coffee.

As I expected, Ranger lead the way through a pair of French Doors and down the tiled path to the terraced gardens. This time, we descended the stone steps along either side of the fountain, lined by columns of Italian Cypress, until we reached a glassy pond. From here, the outer perimeter of the garden was a dense forest of mature Oak and Pine. The water reflected the stars and the silver edged clouds. Dawn was approaching. Birds were singing. The occasional frog or cricket could be heard. A peacock emerged from behind a large rock and displayed his tail feathers. An owl hooted in surprise and took flight from a nearby tree, causing a family of squirrels to scamper from their nest.

Because I was a notoriously late riser, it had been a very long time since I'd experienced a sunrise. I'd never been one to appreciate the crack of dawn as anything but a blinding glare. Ranger, on the other hand, tended to get up at four in the morning for a run in the park. I'd always considered Ranger a creature of the night. Ranger was a shadow, standing guard on many a dark and dangerous night. For him, sunrise probably meant safety and survival, as it did this morning. As the sun approached the horizon, colors were changing right before my eyes, becoming richer and deeper every moment. The air was almost cool on my skin. The flowers were fragrant, and the sound of the fountain and the water trickling down to the pond was as musical as it had been last night when Ranger proposed.

We rounded the pond, and began ascending the stone steps that lead to a Federal-style gazebo with white column soaring at least thirty feet above us. The copper dome was tarnished green and black like the fountain below. A stone bench provided a breathtaking view of the house and grounds, with the fountain and pond as the centerpiece. The house was becoming a silhouette against the sunrise. Rays of golden light were streaming overhead, and the cottony clouds were on fire.

Ranger and I stood together in front of the bench. Mrs. Juniak stood at my side. Joe Juniak stood in front of us, ready to officiate the ceremony. Hal and Woody took defensive positions on either side, keeping their eyes on our surroundings. When I looked back at Ranger, I jumped in surprised to see Tank stepping through the tree line below, walking towards us. He took his place at Ranger's side as best man.

Ranger gave a nod, and Juniak made it short and sweet.

"Carlos Manoso, do you take Stephanie Plum to be your lawfully wedded wife, to faithfully love, honor, and cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he answered.

"Stephanie Plum, do you take Carlos Manoso to be your lawfully wedded husband, to faithfully love, honor, and cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," I answered.

"By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Ranger's arms came around me and I melted into his kiss. I heard a camera snap.

"Get another one, dear," Mrs. Juniak said to her husband as she and Tank both stepped away from us, out of the frame. The background turned out to be white columns and a backdrop of ivy with dark purple and white flowers glowing in dapples of light. Quite stunning.

Then, we were hustled around to the other side of the bench for a series of photographs, taken with Juniak's cell phone. My favorite, aside from the kiss, was of Ranger sitting on the bench with me behind him, my hand on his against his heart, showing our rings. The gardens and the house were behind us, but the camera failed to do it justice. The focus just couldn't cope. Fortunately, Gabriele was more than capable of creating the most magical images from the photos afterward. Ranger was quiet taken with my "Blind Justice" portrait when I showed it to him at breakfast. He commissioned Gabriele to do two wedding portraits. She just fine-tuned "The Kiss", making it 3-D, but for the stunning multi-layered effect of the garden backdrop, she super-imposed existing photos she'd taken of the gardens the day before. She even caught the peacock in full plumage by the fountain. The stunning blues of his tail were the same color as my eyes and diamonds. Ranger was perfect, of course, not requiring any enhancement. I didn't expect him to hang any of the portraits. I figured he'd have the miniaturized and the originals destroyed. But he didn't. He hung "The Kiss" in our apartment in Boston, "The Garden" in Miami, and "Blind Justice" in Trenton, where Rex could enjoy it too.

The days, weeks, and even months that followed were a blur.

My mother was more than forgiving that we'd eloped, especially when we gave her a framed print for her living room wall, signed by the artist, of course. Dad was ecstatic that he'd been let off the hook. He'd already given his daughters away once, or in Val's case twice, he wasn't eager to do it again. He was even more ecstatic when Ranger handed him the keys to his very own, brand new, black Dodge Viper SRT. Ranger figured dad had his own reputation to protect. Dad driving a foreign sports car just didn't fit. The Viper might not be the space shuttle, but it could soar in the upper atmosphere, and was by far the hottest car Detroit ever made.

Lula wasn't quite so forgiving when she found out we tied the knot without her, but she promised she'd get over it if I stood by her, in Spandex, when she married Tank. Not that they were engaged, but she was working on it, continuing to play hard to get.

Gazarra was still complaining that life wasn't fair when I refused baby sitting duty. He had to let me off the hook when I reminded him that I'd let him drive the Panamera. And he'd received a commendation for his work leading to the arrest and conviction of Brian Bandy and Frank Winkerman. Morelli received a suspension with pay pending a thorough review by Internal Affairs. Overall, I was feeling like things had panned out pretty evenly.

Zook's name came up in a discussion with Juniak about America's youth. I didn't know for sure, but I figured Juniak made a few calls to the high school. The following Monday, the Vice Principal personally called Zook to his office to discuss his future and to help him apply for a special scholarship to the community college. Zook was guaranteed a full ride if he could keep his grades up and participated in a program to tutor inner city kids who were interested in learning computers. Zook's mom, Loretta Rizzi, called everyone she knew with the news.

Juniak and Ranger had worked out the whole marriage proposal and wedding scene in advance. Once we said "I do", Ranger produced a blank marriage license. We all signed, and Juniak pocketed the paperwork, promising that if he said we were married, we were married. He would see to the paperwork personally on Monday.

And since Ranger and I were on the right track to getting our souls cleaned up, and it was still early morning on a Sunday, we left Bernardsville and went straight to confession and Mass. But I didn't see anyone I knew there. We went to All Saint's mission, three blocks over from Stark Street. The priest in charge was Father O'Leary, Irish through and through, a survivor of three tours in Afghanistan, and neutral ground for any future marital counseling we were likely to require. He was also familiar with most of my skips. He was working to reach both the victims and the multiple-count-felons of Stark Street.

Which reminds me that Leticia is no longer working the streets. She was accepted at cosmetology school with Clara's recommendation. With no work history or reportable income, she more than qualified for a scholarship. In the meantime, she began waiting tables and making excellent tips at Marsilio's, thanks to Mrs. Juniak. Letty leased a two bedroom apartment nearby, hoping she could support her son once she got her license. She was planning for a bright future for the first time in her life. Bobby V. promised that when her old man got out, he'd see to it that he abided by the unofficial restraining order he and the restaurant's most loyal customers would put out on him.

Speaking of apartments, it was a good thing I was moving in with Ranger, because the Johansen's filed a complaint, and given my long history of apartment fires, were successful in getting me evicted. The other tenants seemed to be ok with it. Mrs. Bestler told Grandma that it only took one call to her insurance agent to get her renter's policy reduced by half. I sent the Johansen's an apology bouquet, open-ended round-trip bus tickets so they could attend her best friend's wedding, and passes to see the Oom-Pah-Sters, their favorite polka band.

And while we are on the subject of apartments, I finally figured out who decorated Ranger's apartment. It was Kinsey's wife. I found this out from Julie when she came to spend the weekend with us. I was sorry she'd missed the wedding. The three of us went out to dinner to celebrate. Julie and I told stories on Ranger all night, and he was a good sport about it. Ranger's ego is anything but fragile, and besides, he was getting what he wanted. We were bonding. We were a family. We took the boat out on Sunday, after visiting with Ranger's family in Newark. We even went swimming in the ocean. It was a lot more fun without the chum in the water. Ranger gave us both lessons on driving the boat, and taught us how to tie and un-tie knots underwater.

The three of us also paid a quick visit to the Burg to introduce Julie to my parents, and then we dropped in on Valerie and the girls. Turned out, Ranger assigned Silvio to check on Albert's financial records. Silvio discovered that Albert had not been meeting hookers at the Days Inn. Surveillance footage proved that it was the manager of the coin-op laundry and dry cleaner's next door to Albert's law office that was having an affair, using Albert's credit card. He got the credit card number from Albert when he had his good suit laundered for a court appearance, which was a rare occasion indeed. Albert moved home the next day and filed suit. Albert won the case, which was a shock to everyone, including Albert. The next thing he knew, he was the owner of a dry cleaners. This was a great thing, because it provided Valerie with much-needed employment, was conveniently located, and Albert already knew how to fix all the coin-op machines. It also provided a more stable source of income than his law practice. Not to mention Albert was feeling the pressure of competition from Arnold Graham, who had opened his new law office just down the street. Albert, Valerie, and the kids moved into the apartment above the laundromat, so they no longer had to pay rent. All would have ended well, except Valerie turned out to be pregnant again soon after, and there wasn't quite enough room for six. So, a year later, Albert ended up moving back into his office, sleeping on the couch after all. It was kind of a round trip for Albert.

Legal issues were also looming large for Jeanne Ellen, Waters, and Deatherage, who unexpectedly found themselves on the same docket as El Pavor. All four were charged with attempting to assassinate the Governor. El Pavor and his entire network were also up on Rico charges thanks to Lurch and Stifken. All four were sent away for a very long time, which was a good thing, because in addition to confiscating her chain, I had also confiscated Jeanne Ellen's Gucci bag. I mean, why not? It's not like they were going to let her take it to prison with her. And by the time she got out, it would be out of style. Waters didn't get his fingers back, either. When Waters was loaded into the ambulance, Tank handed the paramedics the severed fingers in an ice filled baggie, but not until he'd received a signed receipt. Somehow, the fingers were misplaced at the hospital. Go figure.

Stifken, on the other hand, was off the hook. The insurance company dropped the suit, Vinnie got his money back, and Juniak used some of his poker winnings to place an insanely large order for some of those primo cigars. Coincidentally, Stifken's profit margin on the deal was roughly the same as the insurance deductible and replacement costs on Lou Delvina's yacht. I wasn't sure what angle Juniak was playing, but I trusted him this time around. I suspected Juniak and Ranger just purchased themselves an informant at L.D. and Sons Import, but what did I know? Maybe Juniak just liked purchasing fine cigars with the taxpayer'smoney.

Once Mom and Grandma found out we were married, word hit the Burg grapevine at the speed of sound. We were also featured in Jayme Upton's society paper. The photo of our arrival clearly showed Ranger's wedding ring on his left hand, covering mine, which had been unadorned at the time. Once again, I was overwhelmed. Ranger was always two steps ahead. I figured he slipped the ring on when he rounded the car, while I was being helped out. He knew Jayme would be there on the steps, camera in hand. He could have told me, I guess, but what would have been the fun in that?

I got a congratulations card in the mail from Robin Russell a month later. She said she'd had enough excitement with Trenton PD to last her a lifetime. She quit, and was working as head of security for a large daycare facility. She was also taking up cooking as a hobby and was happily dating Morelli. She thanked me for breaking him in for her. Apparently the toilet seat was always down, and he was still cleaning up after Bob. That made me laugh. If only that was all it took.

While I was lucky enough to avoid Morelli, Ranger had a face to face with him at the station. Ranger brought in a suspect captured during a break in on one of Rangeman's accounts. Morelli was being escorted out of the building. It was probably a good thing Morelli was unarmed. Ranger didn't say much about their encounter, except that Morelli wished him luck, saying he would need it.

I asked Ranger if he thought I could still be friends with Morelli someday.

"No," he said. And that sounded like his final word on the subject.

I smiled. "Are you jealous?" I asked.

"Bitterly jealous. He stole a lot of time from me. He can't have anymore," he said.

"I thought we were supposed to forgive others, and ourselves, for our mistakes," I reminded him.

He paused for a beat, weighing his words carefully. "I've forgiven him. But I'm not that generous. Don't tease me, Babe. You don't really want to see Morelli, do you?"

"No," I admitted. "I just like knowing the thought makes you nervous, I guess."

"Why? Do you doubt that I still want you now that we're married?"

I shrugged. "Not tired of me yet?"

"Babe," he growled.

I did a double back flip on the trampoline while lashing out with my chain whip, popping the balloon pinned to the target. I landed on my feet for the tenth time in a row. I beamed at Ranger while he pinned a new balloon to the target.

"Good. Now, try it with your eyes closed this time."

But most of all, I enjoyed the look on Vinnie's rat face when I told him I was married to Ranger.

"So?" Vinnie whined.

"So, I don't have to work for you anymore," I told him.

"This true?" he asked Ranger. Clearly Vinnie thought I was pulling his leg.

Ranger held up his hand, showing Vinnie his ring finger.

"So? That doesn't mean you quit. This is where the excitement is. What the hell would you two do without me, huh?"

"Seriously?" Connie asked, sliding a pencil behind her ear and giving him an eye roll. "She's married to Ranger. I can think of a couple thousand things she can do without you," Connie said, smacking her gum.

"Crap!" Vinnie yelled, throwing up his hands. "What the hell am I supposed to do, huh? What about me?"

"You still have Joyce Barnhardt," I told him with an evil grin.

"That's it. I quit too," Connie said, tossing her clip board down on the desk.

"You can't quit. I own you," Vinnie told her.

"You wish," she said.

"What if I found you a replacement?" I offered.

"Like who?"

"Someone better than me. Someone who knows the streets. Someone like Ranger, but younger and without the military background."

"Someone crazy?" Vinnie asked, hopefully.

"Completely psycho," I promised.

"Who?"

"M-Rod," I suggested.

"That kid with the emerald tooth, from the 3-2 Crew?" Connie asked. "Didn't he try to kill Morelli? And you?"

"Just once," I said with a shrug. "It's all good now."

"Yeah, right," Connie said, rolling her eyes at me this time.

"He's a gangbanger. I can't hire him," Vinnie whined.

"Why the hell not. I was a lingerie buyer, and you hired me."

"You blackmailed me!"

"Fine. I'll just tell M-Rod he's got the job as soon as he blackmails you," I said. "That shouldn't take long."

"Don't you dare!" Vinnie croaked. "That's not funny."

"Look, I don't even know if he wants the job. It's just a hunch," I said.

"A hunch? You have a hunch this guy's done selling dope and pimping women? He must want to go straight now that Sid's been sent up, right?"

"Maybe," I said, nodding. "I can ask him."

"What do you think about all this?" Vinnie asked Ranger. "You gonna let your wife keep running around with ho's and pimps?"

"Yeah," Ranger said, unfazed.

I pulled out my cell phone, grabbed the phone book off Connie's desk, and dialed Andre's Barber Shop.

"This is Stephanie Manoso. Can I speak with M-Rod, please?"

There was a fit of hysterical laughter on the other end, but a moment later, M-Rod came on the line.

"Yo, the infamous pied piper of the ghetto is calling my number? To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

I wasn't sure if he was taunting me or if he was pleased to hear from me. I hadn't seen him since he'd wiped out El Pavor's men on the highway.

"I wanted to thank you for, you know, the other day," I said.

"Thank me how?" he asked suggestively. The guys at the barbershop were laughing in the background.

"I heard about Sid being arrested. I wondered if you had any interest in working for Vinnie."

Silence at the other end.

"Hello?"

"You for real?" he asked, serious now.

"Of course."

"You kept your promise, to Letty, didn't you?"

"Yes," I said.

"I figured. She didn't say goodbye," he said. Something in his voice caught my attention. M-Rod was sweet on Leticia. He missed her. I could understand why.

"Why don't you come by the bonds office for a job interview? Vinnie's here now." I suggested.

"I would, but my car's in the shop," he said.

No kidding, I thought. Probably full of bullet holes.

"Just a sec," I told him.

I hit the mute button and glanced over at Ranger. "He says his car's in the shop."

"It's hot. He's got to lie low right now."

"Can we pick him up?"

"Nah," Ranger said. "Tell him to wait ten minutes, then boost the green Explorer on the corner. Keys will be in it."

Ranger dialed the control room to make the arrangements.

I hit the mute button again. "Rangeman is providing transportation. There's a green Explorer headed your way. It'll park on the corner. Keys will be in it."

"Yeah, right," he said, laughing.

"He doesn't believe me," I said, handing the phone to Ranger.

"Yo," Ranger said. "You know who this is?" Pause. "Carlos Manoso." Pause. "You mean, my wife?" Pause. "None taken." Pause. "I can't vouch for Vinnie." Pause. "I can't vouch for you." Pause. "Introduction only." Pause. "Ten percent of the bond." Pause. "Not right now. Maybe someday. You'll have to earn it. Bring the Explorer to Rangeman when you're done talking to Vinnie and we'll discuss it." Pause. Ranger cut his eyes to me. "That's up to Steph. Here."

He handed the phone back to me. I hit mute.

"What's up to me?"

"Hooking him up with Leticia's number."

"Are you offering to mentor M-Rod?" I asked.

"Only if he wants it bad enough," he said. "I don't waste my time."

I hit mute again. "Hello?"

"My ride's here. See you in ten." And he disconnected.

"What the hell is this world coming to?" Vinnie complained, pacing around, hands on hips, sweating like a pig.

"I don't know," I said, smiling at Ranger. "I think it might be changing for the better."

"He doesn't really need us," Ranger said, giving me a sly look as he cocked his head towards Vinnie.

"Not really," I agreed.

"What? You can't leave now!" Vinnie howled as we swung out the door.

I gave Connie a smile and a little finger waive as I followed Ranger out the door to the Panamera. This had been Juniak's Panamera, but the pink slip and the plates were registered to Rangeman now. There was no saving Ranger's car. It had gone to the crusher and had been placed in a prominent place in the car memorial.

"Well, I've quit my job. What do I do now?" I wondered.

"You can work for Rangeman on an as needed basis," Ranger said, turning over the ignition.

He'd handed me this line before, but I decided to play along.

"Do you need me now?" I asked, teasing.

Ranger put the car in gear and locked eyes with me, giving me a head to toe spine shiver. "I always need you, Babe."

The Panamera roared to life, and just like that, we were gone.

THE END