Chapter 12: Small Miracles

Steph’s POV

I’m stranded. I can’t go have a cigar, so I have to face the inquisition alone.

“I’m not fully buying that he can’t find anyone else to run his business, but if he’s chosen you I’ll accept it. You didn’t answer my question about bounty hunting. Are you still a bounty hunter?”

“Yes, Mom, I’m still a bounty hunter but until my leg heals, I can’t do the job. And since Ranger left me in charge, I have to meet the requirements of his company before I’m cleared to bounty hunt.”

My mother puts down her glass. I notice that she hasn’t had a drink all night. “What does that mean? Does that mean they have to train you?”

“Yes, I have to pass the requirements for fitness, weapons, and hand to hand combat before I can bounty hunt again.” I know I sound miserable, but I can’t help it. I see months of exercise looming in front of me. My mother, however, looks thrilled.

“You’re getting training? That’s wonderful, Stephanie! You should take advantage of learning as much as you can over the next few months. Let them teach you everything.”

What the hell! “Mom, I thought you hated my job! You complain about it all the time. You’ve never had anything good to say, even when I’ve done helpful stuff.”

“Stephanie, I don’t like your job, but you do. You’ve kept going for four years. What I didn’t like was the fact that you refused to do it safely. That’s all I ever wanted, for you to be safe. I’m tired of getting calls about your cars getting blown up and you getting shot or kidnapped. If you learn to do the job safely, I don’t have anything I can really say about it, other than I can’t wait for the day you quit. Take this opportunity to learn as much as you can from the men around you. I’m sure they can teach you things. If you’re going to go after dangerous people, I want you to do it as safely as possible.”

I’m stunned by this complete change in attitude. She hates my job! She’s always hated my job! Now she’s telling me. . . she’s telling me. . . she hates my job because of the way I do my job, which is unfair because I do my job just fine. . . except I don’t. . . and the financial problems at RangeMan Trenton tell the tale.

“Stephanie, look at me.” I glance up to see my mother looking at me, worried. She’s placed another piece of chocolate silk pie in front of me. “Your father and I had a talk about you, and it led me to think about some things. I do care about you and what happens to you, Stephanie. All I want is for you to be happy and safe. I still think you would be happier married and settled, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment. In the meantime, I’m happy that you’ll get some training to learn to do this job. And I made a promise to myself that I would start giving the RangeMen a chance.”

I’m shocked to hear her say that, and my face shows it. Mom looks at her glass then back at me. “For four years they’ve ridden after you when you’re in trouble. They partner you when you need help. They serve as bodyguards when you’re in trouble. Ranger loans you cars when you need them. It’s obvious that they either follow orders really well or they care, and for the next year it looks like you’re their boss. Men in fields like that won’t follow someone they don’t respect, so I have to accept that they must like you. I’ve always held back from approving of them because Joseph said that the RangeMen were a bunch of ex-cons and ex-gang members, but he also said that there were some ex-military men in there too.”

I should have known. Joe never has anything positive to say about the Merry Men. Or Ranger.

“Whatever the case, I think he might have been a little jealous, but I used that knowledge to treat them like thugs in my home and that was uncalled for, especially when they were putting their lives on the line to protect yours. So just know that any RangeMan who steps into this house from now on will be treated with respect. I don’t want you or them to think that I won’t treat them with respect when you come for dinner. And I’ll try to make more things they can eat, if you tell me what those are. I notice Ranger rarely eats most of the things I serve.”

Wow. This is really. . . shocking. . . I think that’s the word I want to use.

“Are you going to continue living at RangeMan?”

“Yes. I still have the physical therapy to do, and Ranger said that the job is pretty demanding. I’ll be on call all the time. And we both agreed that Dad would appreciate not having Grandma in the house for a year.” Mom smiles.

“Stephanie, I’ll appreciate not having Mother in the house for a year. By the way, can we get a key? The night you broke your leg your father went by your apartment, but neither he nor Dillon had a key to get in. If Mother is going to stay there for the next year, I want to be able to get in.”

“Sure. I think Ranger probably has the extra. Or Tank. I’ll ask them to have a copy made and brought over here.”

The rest of the visit is spent listening to family gossip. The guys come back in smelling of really good cigars. Lucky.

---

We’re in the car when I notice that Ranger hasn’t said a word and he looks pale.

“Everything OK?”

“No.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.” Ranger is quiet. “Your father told me that if, when I return, we end up in the alley behind the Bonds Office he would take a shotgun to me.” Daddy knows? Oh god, that’s embarrassing.

“Not a threat. Dad doesn’t have one.”

Ranger looks at me then turns back to the road. “Not the point, Babe. I got the meaning, and I can’t say I blame him. If I ever heard rumors about some boy and Julie they could dredge the Atlantic and never find him. I just wish that wasn’t the impression I’d given your father.”

I reach for his hand and he takes mine. We don’t let go for the rest of the night.

---

Frank’s POV

I might have to go to Mass tomorrow. They say prayer changes things, and it seems mine have finally been answered. I meant what I said in the garage; I’m a hell of a lot smarter than I look. I’m just quiet, that’s all. I see a lot of myself in Ranger, which is why his treatment of my daughter pisses me off, but she’s a grown woman. She has to handle that; I can’t jump in for her. Ranger would be perfect if he were Italian. That’s Morelli’s saving grace with me but if he touches the last of my desserts again, I’ll take his hand off.

I walk into the kitchen after Pumpkin and the RangeMen leave. Helen is washing the last of the dinner dishes. I pick up a dish towel and begin to dry. She knows that I have things to say when I actually help.

“What did you learn?” she asks. I smile, and she smiles back. My wife is still beautiful after 36 years of marriage, even if she does nag just a bit too much.

“What did she tell you?” We’ve been playing this game for years.

“You first.”

“I got a lot out of them. What little bit did she tell you?”

She purses her lips. Sorry dear, but those men have seen you as a nag for four years. It will take some time for them to learn to like or trust you, and it will never happen as long as you’re pushing Morelli over Ranger. They’re loyal to their boss. “Well, she says that she’s still a bounty hunter, but she can’t get back out into ‘the field’ until she meets the requirements of his company.”

“She tell you how long that will take?”

“No.” Helen looks at me suspiciously. I can’t help but grin.

“Lester, the other Latino boy who comes here with her all the time, said he’s estimating 6-8 months. Less if she’s motivated, but regardless, she can’t get back out there until they clear her.” At this, Helen looks thrilled. She’s guessed what I have: Pumpkin will be chained to a desk for months. “What else did she tell you?”

“She’s going to continue to live at RangeMan. Ranger told her the job is strenuous and that she’ll be on call. She’s going to let Mother stay in her apartment.” At this I nod. “That’s really all I got. What did you learn? You’re grinning like you can’t wait to rub it in that you got so much more than me.”

My grin is reaching epic levels. I did, my dear, I did. This is what happens when you keep your mouth shut.

“She needs a job while her leg heals, which is part of the reason why he’s put her in charge. I’m guessing, just guessing here Helen, that three months is too long for Vinnie to be without a bounty hunter, so they expect Vinnie to toss her and they want her to get used to working at RangeMan.”

At this Helen is jumping up and down with excitement. She’s hated Vinnie for as long as she’s known him. Vinnie isn’t my favorite cousin, but he gave my daughter a job when no one else would, so he stays on the Christmas card list.

“Making her the head of the company while everyone is gone means that she has to meet their standards because she has to be the example. If she were anything less than the head of the company, she might be able to walk away once her leg is healed, but putting her at the top means she can’t walk away. Following me?” She nods, tears running down her cheeks. I know. This is great news. “Until they clear her, she’s running the company. Did you know that there are five locations?”

Helen shakes her head, stunned. My lovely wife is short-sighted sometimes, or perhaps I should say that she’s ‘Burg focused’. In any case, she sees Ranger as a thug. I see a boy who handles dangerous men in the streets but who owns and runs the company. After all, it’s his name on the door, RangeMan, none others. Quick internet search revealed he was a CEO of a major security firm. My respect level for him rose that day.

“Yup, five locations, Miami, Atlanta, New York, Boston and here. She’ll be buried in paper, which is good because she’ll get a chance to dust off those business skills and put them to work. If she does decide to leave RangeMan, she now has something besides E.E. Martin on her resume and since she ran the company in his absence, she’s bankable again.”

Helen looks stunned now. Yes dear, this is all for the best, which is why I didn’t want you to screw it up for her.

“Finally, she will be living at RangeMan, but I don’t think it’s so much for the on-call thing. That part I wasn’t able to work out with certainty but I have two guesses. One, Ranger wants her safe and secure. Since neither he nor his top men will be around to save her life if she gets in over her head, he’s putting her in his apartment, in his building, which is staffed by armed security men.”

Helen considers that, frowns, then nods. I can almost hear what she’s thinking: My daughter is living in that building with a bunch of dangerous men! Everyone will be talking about it! She’ll never be seen as a good girl again! I don’t care about that. She’ll be safe. No one can get past the security of that building. Besides, she’s been bouncing between Morelli and Ranger for years. Pumpkin has four years of alley stories to live down and I think the ship has sailed on thinking she’s some sort of virginal good girl. I don’t think my daughter is loose, not by a long shot, but I can see how that idea has been nurtured.

“Or it could be that he wants to be able to control her food intake. You’ve seen how they eat when they come here. That salad was demolished in minutes, but they barely touched the mashed potatoes or gravy and that’s what Pumpkin reached for first. Putting her in the apartment with the housekeeper means he gets to control her diet. That way, his men won’t start thinking it’s OK to eat junk food just because the person at the top does.” I see Helen consider this. I know she told Pumpkin to tell her what the RangeMen eat so she can fix meals in line with their dietary requirements, but I don’t think she really grasped what that might mean. “Actually, now that I think about it, it might be both.”

“And you got all of that out of watching them tonight?”

“No dear, I got all that out of watching them for four years. Ranger is a ‘lead by example’ sort of man. He doesn’t ask his employees to do anything he won’t do. So by putting Pumpkin in charge he’s making her take her life and safety seriously. He’s leaving her under the care and protection of his men, and they know to make sure that she’s safe. And he’s giving her time and space to figure out if she wants to be a part of this life. Putting her in his apartment and having her run his company gives her a chance to understand the man like she knows and understands Morelli. If it turns out to be too much for her, then she moves out and quits when the year is up. If she thinks she can take it on, then she’s in his home when he comes home. It’s not a bad plan.” Actually, if I’m right, it’s a brilliant plan.

Helen purses her lips and frowns. I go to our bedroom to prepare for bed and she joins me a short time later. I can tell she’s been thinking about what we’ve discussed.

“Frank, what was with the Italian at dinner tonight?”

“Testing a theory. I had the feeling Ranger understood Italian from all the times he’s looked amused when I’ve muttered under my breath, but he’s trained not to give anything away. Tonight I was able to determine that both he and Tank understand Italian. There were times when I saw their lips move as if they were amused and when Angelo said something particularly funny they would look at each other.”

“Do you know Angelo? Did you know Angelo before tonight?”

“No, I didn’t, but I know his family. They’re Mob on his father’s side.” At that Helen turns to me with wide eyes. I shrug. Hell, half of the Italians in this part of Jersey are related to the mob. I am, so I can’t hold it against anyone. “He doesn’t have anything to do with them, so I’m not worried.”

We climb into bed and get comfortable. I know she has more questions. This has been my job for 36 years, to answer the questions as best I can. It’s more guesswork than anything, but I’m good at it. It keeps my mind sharp.

“What do you really think of all this, Frank? It sounds too good to be true to me, but I want to believe it is good for Stephanie.”

“Honestly, Helen, I don’t know how this will play out in the end, because this is our daughter we’re talking about. What I do know is this: Ranger has come through for her yet again. He’s given her a job. He’s providing her with training. Since neither he nor his top men in charge will be around for the next year, he’s moved her into his building so that she has a secure home staffed by armed security men to see to her protection. He’s gotten your mother out of our house so for the next year you and I can have our home to ourselves.”

Personally I think this is Ranger’s greatest feat and I can’t help but smile at the thought. My bathroom is finally free and the old bat will be hanging around a lot less. Yes, I’m prepared to accept Ranger for this alone.

“He’ll be gone for a year so neither of us has to listen to alley stories. And Joseph Morelli has disappeared into thin air. I don’t think Ranger has anything to do with it, that’s not his style, but at the moment our daughter is alone in Trenton. Your job, my dear, is not to push any matrimonial candidates at her. Helen, let’s be clear between us.”

I sit up and turn on the light. She turns over and looks at me. “You barely know our daughter. I barely know our daughter. This isn’t the same girl you railroaded into a marriage with Dickie Orr.”

With that, Helen makes a face. I can’t say Dickie’s name without wanting to reach for my pistol.

“This Stephanie is older and. . .well, maybe not wiser, but she’s different. The men you push at her are never going to be her choice and Joe has begged you not to interfere in their relationship anymore. I’ve never gotten involved in your plans for him and Pumpkin, but Helen, I heard that man’s hurt when he called here. He has his pride. He loves her and needs to know that she loves him just as much. He wants to know in his heart that Pumpkin loves him with her whole heart and that she’s with him because she can’t be without him, not because she can’t have Ranger or for some other reason.”

Any man listening to Morelli on the phone that day would feel pain and sympathy for him. I haven’t always liked Joseph Morelli (I would’ve run him over if Pumpkin hadn’t beat me to it) but as a man, I understood and respected his request. “So let’s try to take this next year to get to know Stephanie as an adult. Pumpkin is 32. She’s an adult. We should have an adult relationship with her just like you have with Valerie. Valerie would never think to lie to you, but Pumpkin does it in a heartbeat because we never accept her choices and we question all her decisions. We may not like her decisions, hell, most of the time we don’t, but like I said a few weeks ago, they’re her decisions to make. So we need to try to accept that and work to make things better between us. I want to know that when I ask my daughter a question, I don’t have to watch her for a ‘tell’ that she’s lying. Agreed?”

Helen screws her lips up and frowns again. She doesn’t want to accept not pushing suitors at Pumpkin. Helen wants her married and having babies as soon as possible. I want grandchildren too (well, grandsons. Valerie’s done an excellent job providing me with more than enough granddaughters) but I want my daughter to be happy more than anything else. “You’re right, Frank. Agreed.” I’m kicked in the shins under the covers, and Helen gives me an innocent look. I smile and accept my punishment.

I think I’ll catch the early Mass tomorrow. I have a few things to pray about.