Chapter 116: Brown has lost his fucking mind
Bobby‘s POV
Occasionally, I have a really good, and really scary, thought.
I had one last night. It was so good I got out of bed to do some research. After two hours of searching, one hour of plotting, and ten minutes thinking of a co-conspirator, I’m ready.
“Candace?”
I move swiftly to catch her cup of coffee. Hal appears and I wave him off.
She smiles. “Sir. Sorry. Good morning.”
Extra glow. Good job, Hal.
“I need your help.” I wait until she opens her office and gets comfortable. I’m in no hurry and I tell her to take her time. Once she’s ready, I detail the plan to her and sit back. She’s smiling.
“You guys really like to meddle in other people’s lives, don’t you?”
I shrug. “No. But will we help our brother when we see he needs it? Yes.”
She laughs. “At least you’re honest about it.” She looks at her notes. “I think it’s a good plan. Manipulative, of course,”—I wince—”but effective.”
“Can you think of anything I’ve left out?”
She smiles. “If I can, sir, I’m staying out of it. Steph is one of the few friends I have here in Trenton. I’m not sticking my nose into this.”
Women. You all pretend ignorance, then get together later and talk shit about the poor unfortunate man your friend just suffered from. And her, for not following your never-uttered advice.
And you wonder why you turn over friends so rapidly and regularly.
Men. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And occasionally give him unasked for advice.
I have friends dating back to middle school that I still talk to. As long as I don’t bang their wives, we’ll always be cool. When I give my brothers advice, on those rare and special occasions, it’s followed because Man Law clearly states: ‘A man giving advice is uncomfortable doing it. Listen carefully. There’s wisdom to be had in a neutral observation’.
I’m prepared to be scalped. This time, though, they’ll both know they’re being manipulated.
—oOo—
Steph‘s POV
Hours earlier
RINGGGGG
“Yo.” Ranger rolls over and rubs his face. “What?” Silence. “Fine.” Click.
Three words. Ranger was positively chatty. He turns. “Babe.”
“No.”
He pulls the covers off me and slaps my butt. “Babe.”
“No.” I reach blindly for the covers and find something more interesting.
Naked Ranger. Forty-five minutes later, I have the covers back and I’ve done my cardio for the day.
“Babe.”
I’m panting. “Words.”
“Babe is a word.”
Fine. “Ranger.” I slide my blank face into place and watch him smile.
“Nice job, Babe.”
I flip him off. “What’s up?”
“Bobby wants to meet with us. This morning.”
“OK.” I dash for the toilet and Ranger joins me in the shower. When we get out, fifteen minutes later, Ella’s already dropped breakfast off.
“Yum.” Chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. My mood’s improving already. I look over. Ranger has oatmeal, the new kind that looks chewy. Ella can’t get me to eat that, no matter what she says. We chow down and just as I’m stacking the dishes, Bobby arrives.
He’s smiling.
Ranger has a faintly alarmed look on his face. I’m sure my face matches.
Bobby smiling in response to a joke? Normal.
Bobby smiling because it’s a clear day outside? Unusual for Trenton, normal for Bobby.
Bobby smiling early in the morning? Rare, but it’s known to happen.
Bobby smiling with a hint of mischief early in the morning on a cloudy day in Trenton?
Trouble.
“Wassup?”
The guys wait for me to sit before sitting. Bobby turns to me. “You still plan to leave after Thanksgiving?”
“Yeah?” I’m looking for the trap.
“Friday?”
“Maybe Saturday.”
Bobby nods. “How are you planning to do it?”
I sit back. I haven’t thought about it, but step one is not staying at RangeMan. “Well, I need to hunt for an apartment.” I hold up my hand just as Ranger opens his mouth. “Nope, not staying at RangeMan. Rule one. I need some normality in my life. When I’m surrounded by RangeMan all day and night, I feel stir crazy.”
“Right.” Ranger looks thoughtful. “I was going to suggest the house.”
I stare. “I have tracking devices.”
He nods. “I know. I’ll reveal the location.”
“But . . . I love that house! I don’t want it to be public if it means you’ll get rid of it! I don’t want you to get rid of it.”
“I want you to be safe.” He shrugs. “I’m OK with Hec and the guys knowing about it if it gives you a place to stay, that you love, that isn’t on-site.”
Bobby gets up and lays his hand on Ranger’s forehead. “Feels normal.”
“Asshole.”
He grins. “Touching.” He looks at me. “Your choice.”
I consider this. I want time with Ranger. I love his Miami home and if he’s OK with Hec knowing where it is, then it’s perfect.
“Can Hector stay sometimes?”
He nods.
“What about the rest of us?” Bobby mock-pouts.
“Do you have to?” Ranger asks, rolling his eyes.
“I’ll tell Tank he’s not welcome at your house.”
“Tank has an assload of property squirreled away that I know I know nothing about. And so do you, as a matter of fact. How much of the Atlanta suburbs do you own? You know, through shell companies?” Ranger raises an eyebrow.
“Fuck! How—” Bobby rolls his eyes. “That nosy little shit.”
“You’d be surprised at the extent of his holdings. Hec pleads poverty, but he’s invested well. A few pieces you couldn’t get last year?” Bobby nods, looking amused. “Owned by him.”
“I’m going to choke him,” Bobby mutters.
I’m staring at the two of them. This entire conversation is over my head but I think the gist of it is that the guys are not hurting for cash. The guys look over at me and I shrug. “OK, I’ll stay at the house.”
Ranger smiles. “OK, now moving. I’m thinking we just rent a service, anonymously, to move everything.”
“Why?”
“We need to move your car”—oh, forgot about that—”your clothes and stuff, and I need to prep for this mission.”
“True.”
“Which brings me to my question,” Bobby says. The smile is back. Ranger raises an eyebrow. “Let me preface by saying that I’ve given this some thought and I’ve done my research. You two need to spend time together but you also need some practice making joint decisions, right?”
“We’re good at that already, Bobby,” Ranger growls.
Bobby looks at me. I’m looking at Ranger. No, we’re not. We fight about everything unless one of us has a clear winner of an idea or we just don’t care.
“Decisions bigger than what to have for dinner, Ric,” Bobby says patiently. He looks at me. “Even this move to Miami, which will happen in”—he looks at his watch—”roughly five days, hasn’t really been discussed. Ric expects to throw money at it and make it happen.” Ranger flips him off. Bobby flips him back. “Steph, have you really thought about the logistics of getting to Miami?”
No. I’m sure my face is red. Bobby’s grin gets bigger.
“Well, that’s why I’m here. You two need a challenge, a test to see if you really can communicate and negotiate with each other.”
“The past four years haven’t been enough?” I ask.
“You were both solo operators. Relationships require give and take.” Bobby’s looking almost giddy. I wish he’d just tell us what he’s up to.
“So?”
“So, I was thinking that you’d take today, plan this move out, and really discuss it. The part I want to help you with?” He leans forward. “I have a challenge.”
“This smells like manipulation, Bobby.”
“If you choose to think of it that way.”
I roll my eyes. He’s learned nothing. “Fine. What is it?”
“Road trip.”
—oOo—
Bobby‘s POV
I’m watching Ranger. He has to sign on to this plan. Steph? I think Steph will like it.
Ranger won’t.
The rules are simple.
1. They drive the Miata to Miami. Steph will need her car, it’s got the RangeMan protections on it, and she’ll feel more independent in her car.
Plus, since it’s her car, she’ll get to drive, which leads me to number two.
2. They both have to drive each day. It’s her car and she’s been taught offensive and defensive driving. No reason why she can’t drive.
3. They cannot drive more than four hours a day total. This is the part that will stump them both. No more than four hours?
If left to his own devices, Ranger will complete the trip in one day. Military mindset. Goal? Miami. Conveyance? Automobile. Two drivers, 18 hours, entirely possible.
Steph’s not military. The mindset is different. She’ll want to make stops to stretch her legs, look around, and eat something more filling than an energy bar.
4. Because of Ranger‘s current ‘situation’, they cannot stay where they might attract notice.
Ranger will know what I mean. Will Steph? Will Steph be able to accept the restrictions?
Road trips are the ultimate test of any relationship. We’ve road tripped enough as a group to know how to make it without killing each other. If all four of us are together, we go in Tank’s Escalade or my Tahoe. I drive the first leg, then Les, Ranger and Tank. Ranger and Tank always drive the overnight shift, if any. I pack the snacks, Les gets the movies and the portable DVD players, Ranger maps the route, and Tank ensures the truck is in tiptop condition. I could keep going, but the point is that there’s a division of labor. Everyone knows what he needs to do to make the trip a success.
And no one tries to determine who passed gas. It’s gonna happen. No making a big deal out of it.
On our very first road trip, we managed to drive from DC to Carencro in sixteen hours, stopping only for gas, the bathroom, and meals. We managed not to kill each other. I learned that, when bored, Les won’t shut up and he’s not above childhood games, like the license plate game, to keep himself occupied.
Tank started playing with him. It was the first crack in the wall Les had up against him, until Tank spotted more states than Les did. Ric and I spent the night smirking over how childish Les was acting, pouting and calling Tank’s call of Hawaii impossible.
He had to stop when I verified the Hawaii license plate.
When irritated, Ranger swears like a drill sergeant and you have to watch for payback. Tank will leave your ass if you’re not ready to go when he says it’s time to go. I hope you know how to jump in the car while it’s still moving (I do. It’s harder than the movies make it out to be.). And the guys learned I have no patience for whining. If you left your watch in a roadside diner 100 miles ago, oh fucking well.
We’ve never road-tripped with Hec. I wonder what we’ll learn with him in the truck.
We haven’t road tripped in a while. Not since we moved to San Antonio. The annual trip to New Orleans to help after Hurricane Katrina was our guaranteed annual road trip and I miss it.
I see myself as giving Ranger and Steph an opportunity to see if they can come together as a team or if they’ll break apart. Can they communicate and compromise? Will Ranger get frustrated with Steph’s plans (or lack of)? Will Steph be able to communicate with Ranger and vice versa? Will they call on their strengths to make it or will they start nit-picking and fighting?
And that’s just to get into the car! Thirteen hundred miles down I-95? If they don’t make any detours? By themselves? Will they drive each other insane? Or will they pass the time talking and romancing each other? Will they take that time to learn more about each other? Or will they sit in silence?
I’ve known Ranger for thirteen years. I’ve known Steph for the past four. Neither one actually knows how to date. The stuff that people do while dating? They don’t have a clue.
This is forced dating.
Those two will argue about music and the route if they don’t plan. Ranger will drive the entire time and Steph will get antsy. He’ll want to leave at 0600 to arrive by midnight. No way in hell Steph’s getting up that early, but if she decides, they won’t leave until noon and Ranger will flip.
I foresee lots of communication and negotiation necessary to make this move.
Steph needs to learn to appreciate the virtues of planning and advance prep because Ranger will always want a plan. He’ll pull up maps, determine the route, and schedule stops. Their discussion earlier was a perfect example. Ranger immediately began planning once he realized she intended to move. Steph was embarrassed that she hadn’t even thought about how she was going to do it. I’ll bet she just expected to stuff her things into the Miata, which isn’t big enough by a long shot.
Ranger needs to learn to appreciate the journey. This is his new life partner, so they both say. Ranger has an advantage here. Les and his ability to adapt a plan on the fly means Ranger will be able to adjust to Steph and her ability to toss his life a curveball a lot easier. But Les always deferred to Ranger’s decisions. Ranger was the leader. Steph’s his equal and she won’t just accept his decisions blindly. He’ll have to sell her on his ideas. They’ll have to compromise. He won’t always get his way.
Time to start learning what that means for him.
And they need to learn to communicate. Ranger gives orders. Steph leaves everyone in the dark to avoid having her plans scrutinized and criticized. That won’t work. Again, the discussion earlier was a perfect example. Steph planned to move but gave no one any indication of timing so we could prepare. We would have been running around at the last minute trying to help her move successfully.
The moment Ranger realized she planned to move, he started planning and issuing orders to accomplish it. If I had not broken in, Ranger would have had the entire move planned and ready. Steph would’ve been left boxing up her clothes and glaring at Ranger because she would not have had any input in the plan.
I was mentally laughing my ass off watching them. Ranger gave orders, Steph said nothing. They both reverted to type.
They’ll have to discuss moving her stuff. She and Ranger need to arrive before her stuff does, so she can let the movers in the house and tell them where to put everything.
I left a loophole, but they won’t figure that out if they don’t communicate with each other.
I’m watching Ranger.
He’s watching me.
He’s ready to kill me.
He was the one who left his watch.
I’d picked it up when I realized he was going to leave it. I gave it back to him a year later.
—oOo—
Ranger‘s POV
I’m going to kill Bobby.
Me and Steph trying to negotiate a move? My way of handling this was better. Hire a moving company, we fly down at our leisure and our stuff appears.
Where’s the ‘Easy’ button?
I see what Bobby’s up to now. This smells of Les.
“Was Les involved?”
Bobby rolls his eyes. “Nope. I do occasionally come up with bright ideas on my own.”
I know. Bobby’s plans are straightforward and uncomplicated.
They also don’t have any holes. Shit.
“OK, what’s the plan?”
Bobby details it. Having our stuff moved to Miami via moving service is still in his plans. He thinks that’s a good idea.
Hole in plan neatly tied. Fuck.
The only difference is how Steph and I get there.
“Trenton to Miami is 18 hours down I-95. I propose both of you driving, no more than four hours a day max, and using this time to stop and accomplish some goals. Sightsee. Romance each other. Focus on being together.” He shrugs. “Time is short. January is coming fast.”
Steph looks at me. It’s clear that the reminder that I’m leaving in January just popped her happy mood.
I grab my laptop and check online. “It takes four hours to fly. You want us to spend five times as much time on the road? In a car? Putting 1300 miles on Steph’s Miata?”
I’m not in favor of this plan. I look at Steph, expecting to see that same disbelief, and I’m surprised to see she looks thoughtful.
“I like the idea.”
WHAT!
She turns to me. “I could drop in on Mando and Mariela in Charlotte on the way there. And I could see Nikki and Hector. And I’d like to see Cindy and Danny again.”
I close my eyes. Fuck! She made friends with XOs and their wives. I should have known.
“Babe, I’m supposed to be in hiding.”
“And I’d like to point out that you need to arrive before your clothes do,” Bobby says, hiding a smile.
Steph deflates. I sigh inwardly. I could see she was gearing up to spend weeks on the road visiting everyone.
“The XOs know you’re here. Maybe you could have dinner with each one? Spend some time with them?” She smiles. “We could go over to NYC before we leave and say hello to Javi.”
I’m staring at her. She looks calm and cool. She’s thought about this fast. I glance at Bobby. His blank face is in place.
“I was joining everyone for the NYC review.”
“Full LC?” Bobby asks. I nod. “Sweet! Les’ll be thrilled.”
Fucker. You are so not forgiven. Couldn’t you just remind us to move? Why this challenge? I look back over at Steph. She looks hopeful so I sigh mentally.
“OK.” She beams and I decide that 20 hours in a car is worth it to make her smile like that. I pull up a map service and add in her proposed stops.
“Babe, we’re looking at six full days on the road and 1600 miles on your car.” My ass is already putting up a protest.
“OK.”
What! “Babe, I’m OK with this plan but not six days on the road.”
“OK then, what’s your idea?”
“Six hours of driving each day. Four days on the road.”
Bobby stands. “I think my work here is done. Final rule? Both of you have to drive each day.” He looks at me. “It’s her car.” He smirks and waves goodbye.
Leave, Bobby. Before I forget myself and order you to the mats.
—oOo—
Steph‘s POV
I see what Bobby’s up to. This was a good idea. We hadn’t discussed this at all and he’s right. Ranger expected to just hire someone and pay to get this done.
I expected to pile my stuff into my car at the last minute and move. I don’t want to stay at RangeMan Miami, but I hadn’t looked for an apartment either.
Yikes.
I pull out my phone and look. “I need three days, minimum, to do the NYC review. Right now that’s scheduled for December 15-17. Plus, I promised Mack that I would meet up with him and his boys when I took Angie and MA to NYC to see the Rockettes and the Christmas tree.”
I look at Ranger. He has a look of disbelief.
“So, by the time we get to Miami and get settled in, you’re flying back to NYC, in what has historically been bad weather, to escort your nieces to see some dancing and to ice skate?”
I’m stung. “I promised, Ranger! I’m not backing out of my promise just because the timing’s bad.” I hop off the couch and head into the bathroom, annoyed. “Plus, Javi says Mack’s boys are really looking forward to it. I promised and they’re having a hard time right now.”
“Why?” He’s leaning against the door frame, staring at me.
“Mack’s ex-wife was picked up on possession charges. Enough to get federal time.” Ranger whistles. “Exactly. So this trip into Manhattan is the biggest thing going on for them right now. I want to give them that. They’re having a rough time and so is Jorge’s daughter. Jorge’s ex is trying to make him out to be a sexual predator.”
His eyes widen. “Really?”
I nod. “Les is furious and keeping a close eye on the situation, calling out the lawyers and every resource he can think of to help both of them, but still, those kids need a break. Their dads need a break.”
Ranger’s lips twitch. “I never really thought of you spending time with kids voluntarily, Babe.”
I squeeze toothpaste on my toothbrush. “Well, I’m learning that older kids are OK. I mean, they can walk, talk, and tell me what they want. I think of them as small adults instead of big babies.” I start brushing, wondering who I heard that from. Nikki? Yeah, I think it was Nikki. Ranger disappears and returns with his phone.
“What’s up?”
“Texting Les for a SitRep on Jorge and Mack.” The phone dings and Ranger reads, frowning.
I turn back to the mirror and gargle. I wipe my mouth and look at him. He’s still frowning at the phone, which is beeping every 30 seconds or so. Finally, he looks up and I shrug. “Jorge and Mack are two of the best strategists in the company and they’re really the brains behind NYC’s rebuild. They’ve worked their asses off. I want to give them something good to say thank you.”
Ranger exhales. “Babe, that’s so thoughtful I don’t know what to say to it.” He walks up behind me and kisses my neck. “I wanted to spend this time with you. Now I’m getting bits of time here and there.”
I put my toothbrush down and turn around. Ranger smiles at me. “Well, I never expected you to be home for Christmas. I expected you to be in hiding somewhere, unable to be with me, so I made plans to keep busy. Plus, for the first time in years, I have the money to do some fun things with Angie and MA. I want to do that for them.” I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. “I got bits and pieces of you for eight months, Ranger. I made plans. I did things. Life went on while you were gone.”
Ranger’s face looks stricken. He slams his blank face into place and walks off.
“Ranger? Ranger!” I catch him headed out the door and grab his arm. He glances down as if he can’t believe I’m holding his arm. He raises a brow at me and closes the door.
“What . . . What’s wrong?” He opens his mouth and I cut him off. “And don’t say nothing. Clearly something is wrong.”
Ranger is quiet. I let go of his arm and walk back into the living room to wait. He stares at me then walks over and sits next to me. I turn on the TV while waiting and, thirty minutes later, the blank face is mostly gone. I mute the TV.
“What’s wrong?”
He stares at me. “What you said, about life going on, I knew that but . . .” He takes a deep breath. “We got out of the Rangers because we didn’t want to be stuck in that lifestyle. Always living on the edge. Always deployed.”
He clenches his jaw then loosens it. We sit in silence for a few minutes and I contemplate turning the volume back up until I look in his eyes. Turning the volume up right now would be a very bad idea.
He takes another deep breath. “What’s worse is when you meet men who are legends in the field,” he says quietly. “Been Rangers for ten, fifteen years and you find out they’re married with kids and you wonder how that works. I asked.” He smiles, faintly. “Life went on without them.”
He looks at me and I’m surprised to see, for the very first time, a hint of fear and confusion in his eyes.
“They go home and their wives and kids don’t stop their lives to say hey. Saying hello meant having to say goodbye at some point, so they adapted. They learned how to get along without their Ranger husband or Ranger dad in the house and now that Ranger goes home and he feels useless. Like a stranger. So he goes back out in the field.”
He shrugs and is quiet again. I turn the TV off. I can barely breathe right now. Life went on . . .
“He isn’t needed at home. He’s unnecessary. A few years later, he goes home and his wife presents him with divorce papers. His wife has lived by herself for so long she’s sick of it. She stopped being a wife years ago. She’s a roommate who gets sex sometimes and while he’s gone, she’s trying to hold the fort. She didn’t sign up for this. She wants a husband, not a Ranger.” He smiles, just barely. “And those are the lucky Rangers. Those are the ones who live through their assignments.”
My jaw drops. Oh . . . Ranger. My heart breaks a little. My life doesn‘t lend itself to relationships. Is this what he meant?
He sighs and rubs his chin. “When you said that, that life goes on, it hit me that that’s where I am. I’m not necessary to the company. You’re doing my job and doing such a good job the guys want to keep you. I have six weeks until my next deployment and I only want to spend time with you, not the entire world.” He pulls me into his lap. “I only want to spend time with you, but you have other engagements, other promises to keep,” he whispers. “You have your own life. I have to adapt.” He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the couch cushions.
“Ranger . . .” I whisper breathlessly, covering my mouth, trying not to cry. Oh wow. Emo Ranger? “But . . . but before when you’d leave . . .”
He shrugs, eyes still closed. “Before, as long as I saw you once or twice, I was happy.” He opens his eyes. “That was enough, to know that you were still alive, still safe and happy. Now I just want to spend time with you before I leave. Without fighting. Without arguing or either of us getting upset. I want to leave in January like I did in March, with the image of you in my bed waiting for me to come home.”
He’s quiet for a few minutes. “You said I had your heart. That means something to me, Steph. I don’t want to be the Rangers I’ve seen, the ones I know. I don’t want to be unnecessary to you. I don’t want you not to need me,” he whispers, kissing my neck.
“I do need you,” I whisper. “When you left, nothing ever felt right. I went through the motions for a week or two, hoping you were OK, hoping you would come home safe and sound and you always did. I was always happy when you came home, Carlos. I … I …” Crap! Does this ever get any easier? “I love you, Carlos.”
I kiss him gently, amazed he’d tell me that, amazed he’d share his feelings with me like that. I never thought he’d open up to me like that. Ever. Oh man, what a life, to know that to be the best of the best in your field means to watch your personal life fall apart . . . no wonder . . . I deepen the kiss, trying to tell him wordlessly that I love him, that I won’t leave, that I’ll always be here. I lean back and gaze in his dark eyes and realize there’s a draft in the room. I look down.
Or perhaps I’m just missing my shirt and bra.
“How did you do that?” Ranger’s lips nip at my areola and I shudder. “Nevermind. Just don’t stop.”
Last words for a while.
—oOo—
“Thank you.”
“Hmm?”
“For telling me.” I roll over and gaze at Ranger. He lifts a brow. “My life does not lend itself to relationships?”
He barks a laugh. “Do you have all my words memorized, Babe?”
“Close. It’s not like there’s a lot of them.”
His face quirks as if to say ‘True.’
“Is that what you meant when you said it?”
“Yes.” He sighs. “I know I’m not active duty anymore, but between what I’ve seen and working my contracts under RangeMan . . .” He shrugs.
“Right.” I roll on top of him and sit up. He lifts his hips quickly and I grind back. He flashes me a grin and reaches for another condom. “Not now. Anyway, you’re my Ranger and you’re not active duty. You’ve benched yourself for a while and after this you’re not taking long assignments.”
“I could still get killed on a short assignment, Babe. I could get killed on this assignment.”
I stick my fingers in my ears. “Fa-la-la-la-laaaa”—he grins—”I don’t want to hear that. You’ll outlive everyone, I’m sure. You said you wanted someone who was independent and could make her own moves—”
“You really do have my words memorized,” he says, looking at me in amazement.
“Again, so few of them. Do you see me leaving you anytime soon?”
“I’m sure those Rangers never thought they’d be alone either.”
“Probably not, but I know how to keep myself occupied.” I smile. “I’ll be here when you come back.”
“Good to know.”
I roll out of bed and grab Ranger’s t-shirt, throwing it on. I watch the way his eyes linger on the parts of me still visible until the shirt covers them. I look around for the thong I was wearing earlier but I can’t find it, so I grab a pair of bikinis and wave for him to follow me, putting them on as I leave the bedroom.
“Look, I think that’s why Bobby’s plan is a good one. Going from Trenton to Miami, it’s just us. No one else.” I start gathering pens and legal pads. “You want to do it in four days. I think we should take our time. No reason why we have to rush, right? Other than beating my clothes there?”
He nods, buttoning his cargos, and walks into the living room. He sits on the couch and grabs his laptop, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table. I look for our phones and take them into the dining room.
“I’d like to be there by Christmas to spend time with Julie.”
He smiles as I set everything down and return to him. I try to pull him off the couch but Ranger’s solid and heavy. He barely moves.
“And you know you want to scope out Charlotte.” He nods thoughtfully and tugs. I end up right in his lap again, so I punch his arm and get the 1000W smile. “You’d like to see how Javi’s doing and get a look at the new Newark branch office. You know it. Did you know we have a South Boston office now?”
“No. Really?” He looks intrigued. “I left orders with Tank that they needed a new building before I left. They finished that off?”
I nod. “Les and Tank worked with Mark.” I feel Ranger laughing silently. “What’s so funny?”
“Les and Tank?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah.”
“Mark must’ve shitted through both visits.” I try to raise an eyebrow and only succeed in looking silly. “Mark fears Les then Tank.”
Interesting. “Not Bobby?”
“Bobby doesn’t have much to do with Boston or Mark.”
“Bobby’s not connected to a lot of the management stuff, is he?”
“He’s the one that knows the most about each man in the company. As Chief Medical Officer, he’s in each branch twice a year looking over the men.”
“That doesn’t translate to him knowing the men.”
“He works with the housekeepers and in-house medic also.” My mouth opens in a silent ‘Oh!’ “So between talking to each man, just to get an idea of his mental status, talking to the housekeepers, and doing the physicals, Bobby knows the most about each man as an individual.” He smiles. “Bobby can tell you about their kids, wives, girlfriends, pets, habits, hobbies, etc.”
“Is that how you know?” He smirks and I roll my eyes. “Hector thinks you just know.”
He chuckles. “We learned quickly to leverage our abilities. Tank can size a man up in ten seconds or less. He has all their vital stats info memorized, but Bobby is the one who knows them. I’d say Bobby and I are the closest to the men.”
Ah. “Tank?”
“Tank and Les plan to switch some duties. Les will take on more management stuff and Bobby will take on more people-centered stuff. Work with HR and each XO more to ensure every man is taken care of. Tank is looking at processes again, making sure we have the right men in the right places.”
Wow. The guys did do a lot of talking about their roles.
“How’s Les going to enjoy doing paperwork?” I don’t see that happening. Les hates being inside as much as I do.
Ranger’s lips twitch. “He’ll moan and groan and grumble about it, but one of the positions we considered was an Assistant Chief Strategist.”
I think. “Manny?” I know Les was cooking up something at the beach. I wonder if this is it.
Ranger nods. “Yeah. Giving Manny that post means Manny will take charge of domestic strategy while Les works on some other projects.”
“Meaning Manny gets the paperwork?” I grin.
“Babe.”
I laugh then swallow hard. “Anyway, this road trip is for me and you. It can be good or bad. Let’s make it good.”
Ranger stares at me. Finally, he pulls me closer and kisses me softly. Ranger kisses. My head is swimming again.
“Fine. Grab your calendar. Let’s pencil in all your promises then look at our schedule.”
We sit at the dining room table. I grab my phone, Ranger pulls up the maps and another calendar and we look. All of a sudden, Ranger grins. “Bobby left a hole in his plan.”
“He did?”
“Yeah.” Ranger’s quiet, clearly thinking but smiling. “Yeah, he left a hole.” He turns to me. “He said we had to road trip down and we had to arrive before your clothes. He never said the clothes had to arrive on this trip.”
“Huh?”
He turns to me. “Let’s plan the trip the way we want. The stops you want to make, a few I want to make, and take our time getting to Miami. It should take us a week to make it.” I nod. “Then we have a week at home before we both fly back for the NYC review. The entire Core Team will be there for it. I’ll fly back to Miami, spend my time with Julie, and get some company stuff done. You have a good time in NYC with your nieces and when it’s over you head to Trenton and pack your stuff. Put it on the truck and catch a plane back to Miami. I’ll pick you up at the airport and we’ll both be there when your clothes arrive.”
“So this is my plan and your plan?”
“Yes.”
I’m thrilled. “Deal! That’s perfect.”
Ranger smirks. “I can’t wait to tell Bobby he left a hole in the plan.” He picks up the laptop. “OK, the NYC review is from the 15th to the 17th?”
I nod. “OK.”
“So we’ll leave Trenton and head up to Boston and see Mark and the South Boston office. From there we’ll come back down the coast and head to Charlotte—”
“When do you leave?”
“I report on the 8th.”
“Return?”
“My pickup is scheduled for March 9th.”
I frown. “That’s more than two months.”
“No, it’s not. Count again.”
I look. “Oh.”
“Right. So we have two weeks to get there, but we’ll travel one and spend time together in Miami during the other, one week in NYC, then another 10 days before I leave.”
My shoulders slump. “It seemed like more time when it was ‘six weeks’.”
“I know.”
We both stare at the calendars again. Eventually, I shrug. “Well, no point in wasting time moping. Let’s plan.”
—oOo—
Ranger‘s POV
It’s the start of WWIII, although we didn’t know.
“Ranger! I want to spend more than two days in Atlanta! I want to see Cindy and Nikki.”
We’re stuck on Atlanta. Charlotte was easy, but between Nikki, Hector Manuel, Cindy and Danny, Steph has plenty of reasons not to want to leave Atlanta fast.
I grit my teeth. “I want to see Nikki and Hector Manuel too, but I have to remember that I’m not supposed to be here.”
“Then why are you only giving us two days there?”
“One day for Danny and Cindy—”
“Fine.”
“One for Nikki and Hector Manuel and I’d planned to ask Hec to ask Nikki if she minded having visitors.”
“Oh.” Steph smiles. “You’d rather stay there?”
I nod. “It’s a secure location, Hec will be there, and I like Nikki. She’s a sweet girl. And Hector Manuel is my honorary godson. I haven’t spent time with him in a while.”
“Really? He’s your godson?” Steph looks mystified, pulling her legs up onto the couch.
“Yes.” I smile. “I was the first person Hec told when he was born. I spent plenty of time babysitting him when he was a newborn.”
“I can’t imagine you babysitting.”
I snort. “Well, it’s easy to babysit a two-month old who’s fast asleep in his little carrier.” I see the question on her face. “Nikki would sleep and Hec was being questioned by the cops. I babysat to give them both a break. We all babysat. Les loved playing patty-cake and making faces. Hec was furious that Les got Manny’s first true smile.”
I’m smiling remembering that. After a lifetime of hellish situations, none of us ever believed a baby could give us so much joy. It made me regret missing out on that time in Julie’s life.
“Bobby gave him his shots for six months and helped Nikki and Hec with strategies to combat colic. He has three nieces and two nephews so he’s a pro at swaddling. Tank?” I grin. “Tank with kittens is nothing compared to a baby.” Steph laughs. “I could barely get little Manny away from him sometimes. He’d prop the baby carrier up on his desk and talk to Manny about the political situation in the Middle East and Manny would just stare at him. He and Les got into it one day and woke Manny up. Hec had a fit. His son needed his sleep.”
I’m grinning, remembering Hec, all of 5’9″, tearing Tank (6’6″) and Les (6′) new assholes because the baby woke up. That’s when we realized Hec had absolutely no fear of us. Fuck the military reputations or the fact that we were his bosses. He was going to treat us like any other assholes who woke his precious son up.
We never woke Manny up out of his nap again.
“Wow,” she breathes. “I never considered you guys with a baby.” She grins. “Four men and a little baby.”
I make a face as she laughs. That’s what made Hector part of the brotherhood. He reminded us that there was more to life than death. There was life and a baby was a perfect symbol of that. Hector Manuel’s innocent little face cheered us all up, even when he had dirty diapers and spit up on his face. He was tiny and helpless and he needed us. His only payment was a smile and another dirty diaper and we loved it. We loved him.
Until he started crying. Colic is a beast. We all stocked up on condoms after listening to him cry. I thought seriously about a vasectomy.
Caring for him was fun. Trying to determine how the baby had a more corrosive fart than any grown man kept Bobby busy for weeks (“Are you feeding this kid bean burritos? Cow’s milk? I need an answer here!”). Tank was intrigued by Manny’s ability to shit up his back even while sitting (apparently, Chenae had never managed that) and Les and Manny shared many many naptimes. I still have the pics of both of them waking up out of a nap, faces drool-crusted and rubbing their eyes.
I laugh mentally. Fuck! Mi primo is a big kid sometimes.
I usually had mealtimes. I’d check reports while balancing Manny against my chest. I was amazed at his ability to knock back two ounces in a few minutes, his chubby cheeks sucking that bottle like a pro as his light brown eyes took in everything around him. My face, the tree outside the window, the computer screen, the walls … whatever was within eyesight. Hector would walk in, curse Trenton PD in Spanish (my vocabulary expanded listening to Hec. Hec cursed like no one I’d ever known and Tomas was a frequent target.) and take him from me. The moment Manny was in his arms, he’d calm down and smile.
Watching Hector care for Manny made me regret not being there for Julie. Hector loved being a father. Nothing about caring for Manny was too disgusting for him to enjoy. I started wondering if I’d ever stop regretting my decision to give up my rights. It might have been the right thing for Julie, and I took solace in that, but the years without any information on her hurt.
I might not have been able to be the father to my daughter that I wanted to be, but I never stopped loving her. Never.
I look at Steph, who is staring at me. “The memories must be good.”
“You had to be there. Anyway, I haven’t seen him in a while. I doubt he remembers me. Besides, I thought you were his favorite lap,” I tease. “I think he’d want to see Angita.”
She laughs. “Fine. What’s our time?”
“Twenty one hours.”
“Geez.” She shakes her head. “OK.”
We take three hours to hammer out a plan. We’ll leave Trenton Saturday after Thanksgiving. Steph’s spending the day with her family. I’m sleeping in. We’re spending the next day together, packing and leaving instructions for Tank. We’ll leave and head directly to Boston. We’ll spend Sunday in Boston, checking out the office, looking at the new south Boston office and meeting with Mark.
“Wait! Mark is going to Atlanta! He won’t be there,” Steph says.
“You have your keyfob?” She nods. “Good. We can get in all the buildings. The Boston men know I’m stateside. Who’s in charge?”
“Mike.”
“Fine. We’ll meet with Mike.”
Steph calms. “Good idea. He’s in the training program to be an XO. He should be in charge.”
Good. After that, we’re on the road to Charlotte, with a stop outside DC because that hits the six hour time limit. I start thinking of places to stay that will keep me hidden. We’ll get back on the road immediately and head to Charlotte, arriving Tuesday. I’ll scout around in Charlotte and meet with Armando while Steph checks in with Mariela. From there we’ll head to Atlanta and stay two days with Nikki and Hector. We’ll leave Atlanta for Miami.
“What do you think of a night in Sarasota, Babe?”
She smiles. “I’d love that, Ranger.”
I smile and alter the plans for Sarasota. “OK. We’ll cheat and go there. It’s seven hours there, but we either stop there or Tampa or Orlando and neither of those is safe for me.”
“Right. Disney,” she says, looking worried.
“Exactly. I’m willing to fudge the time to take you back to Sarasota.”
“Wonderful.”
I slot in a night in Sarasota and write a note to make reservations at the Ritz again, including another massage package. After that, we’ll leave for Miami. Sarasota to Miami is roughly four hours.
I sit back. We leave Saturday and we’ll reach the house Saturday. Not bad. We’ve accommodated both of our plans at once.
Fucker. He might have had a point, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to get away with this. I’m still in a car for a full fucking week.
Steph is smiling, looking at our plans. “This is perfect, Ranger. Just us for a while.”
I nod. “Yes. However, our favorite medic needs to be shown the error of his ways.”
Her head snaps up. “I agree. You have something in mind?”
“What did you have planned for the week after Thanksgiving?”
She blushes. “Nothing, really.”
I grin, the grin that scares skips. “I had something planned but now I’ll be busy, on the road, romancing my woman.” I sigh dramatically. “I wonder who’s available to take up the slack?” I tap my chin.
She leans forward, an answering grin on her face. “I’m listening.”
—oOo—
Bobby‘s POV
We haven’t seen Steph and Ranger all day.
Meanwhile . . . “That piece of land in Buford I was chasing for three months?”
I cast a sidelong glance at Hec, who immediately puts his blank face in place. “Yes?”
“Asshole.”
“Your shell companies are well protected. I couldn’t find out shit about them.”
Hec sounds disgruntled. I’m gratified. Nice to know that even Hec couldn’t pierce them. “How did Ranger find out?”
“You tell him you were going after that piece?” I nod. “That was the first piece of land I ever bought. Ranger was teaching me how to do it.”
“He’s a dead man.”
Ranger shows at that moment. “You left a hole.”
“I know.” I smirk.“So you two talk the plan through?”
“Yes, you smug bastard. The clothes are going on the second trip.”
I laugh. OK, he found the loophole. He hands me and Hec a piece of paper. I check. An address in Coral Gables. “The house?”
He nods and turns to Hec. “She has the alarm codes and keys. No one knows the house belongs to me, but I’m sure you knew.”
Hec nods. I’m feeling a little stung. “How?”
“We’re chipped. He would’ve known both times I popped up to see Steph.”
I consider this. Crap. We truly have no secrets from the nosiest one of us. Irony. We’re chipped and now Hec knows every fucking thing about us. I’m laughing about that later.
I look at Hec, who looks smug. “Yeah. Nice mansion in Ansley Park. The condo in Buckhead is really impressive.”
“Goddammit!”
Ranger laughs. Les and Tank walk up. “What’s up?”
I pass Les the piece of paper and watch him commit the address to memory. Tank looks up. “Yours?” Ranger nods. “She’s staying there?” He nods again.
“I’m welcome?” Les asks.
“Yeah. Don’t move in.”
Les rolls his eyes. “I have a house in Miami.”
I look at Les. “You bought it?”
I knew he was looking at a place in North Miami Beach. If he bought the place we looked at, it’s a beauty.
“Yup.” He grins. “New and shiny and right on the beach. It’s more likely she’ll want to stay at my place.”
“Your places are too slick,” Hec says. “Too shiny. Too cold.”
Les shrugs. “Modern.”
“Yeah. I like ’em, though.” Hec turns to me. “I’m thinking about an apartment in Atlanta.” He turns to Ranger.“And one in Miami.”
“Why? You stay with Nikki most of the time,” Les says.
“Exactly. We need some space.”
I hide the smirk. “You want the place in Buckhead?” Hec stares. “The house in Ansley Park is twenty minutes away and I like it better. I bought the Buckhead place first but I never go there.”
“I’ll take a look.”
Hec’s blushing. I look at Ranger and I don’t even have to say it.
“So what’s Manolo’s decorating style?” Ranger asks, completely straight faced.
“Early college graduate,” Hec mutters. “If his car is any indication.“
I look at Les, who is barely holding back the laugh. Set it up, RB.
“I’ll look for places with pools,” Les replies, snickering.
Thanks, Les! Who’s up next?
“I’m buying this place for me, not anyone else,” Hec growls.
Oh, let me. I owe him. “Uh huh. Which is why Manny needs a pool.” Ranger smirks. “He has a pool at his Mommy’s, he has a pool at the YMCA, but it’s best to make sure he always has a pool.”
“The Buckhead condo does have a pool,” I state, nodding sagely. “No lifeguard though. Manny’s gonna need a lifeguard.”
And to Tank, to knock it out the park!
“And we wouldn’t want those Navy skills to go to waste,” Tank says, completely straight-faced.
“Assholes,” Hes says, walking off.
Score!
We all grin. Rare that we get a joke in on Hec and his infatuation with the Navy sailor has had us laughing. Manolo’s a good man, though. Tank, Les and I are keeping an eye on him. He’s definitely worthy of Hec.
That was wonderful. Nice to see we all still have it.
I turn to Ranger.
“He handles the teasing a lot better than you do.”
Ranger flips me a finger and walks off to the stairwell. At the last moment, he turns. “Yo.”
“What?”
“I dropped some paperwork on your desk.”
I nod and he leaves. I head to my temporary office and stop.
The pile is at least three feet tall. I check the top sheet. Basic paperwork to start the new division.
I drop into my chair and groan. Vindictive asshole! Ranger’s high level punishment is ‘Stan trips. His low-level, when you’ve merely irritated him? Drowning you in the most annoying (to you) duties he can think of and I’m always an easy target because I hate paperwork. This is not what I went to school for!
I spot a note next to the pile. I scan it and laugh.
Next time you get a bright idea, keep it. After all, this is the paperwork I would have been doing if I weren‘t driving down the East Coast for a week.
You earned this.
R.
PS. All this needs to be filed with DOD by 12/5, so you need to finish before Friday. Enjoy!
A/N: I know you don’t believe this, but you’re getting a GORGE Week. Look for RangeMan Holidays in the Side Stories starting Friday.
