Chapter 124: Highs and Lows
Steph’s POV
Ranger’s been quiet the entire drive.
No digging through RangeWorld.
No questions for me.
Just a blank look on his face as I drive to Atlanta.
“Hey.” I can see him looking at me from the corner of my eye. “Everything OK?”
He nods, his lips thinning.
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
I’m starting to read Ranger’s moods. Quiet and thin lipped? Angry or thinking.
Hec’s right. Eyes and lips. If Ranger’s going to give anything about his mood away, it’ll be there.
—oOo—
I think we both spotted the white Crown Vic at the same time. No obvious markings, clean, well-maintained, we both realized it had been following us for a while.
“Ranger?”
“Hmm?”
“What do you think?”
He glances in the sideview. “Not sure yet.”
“Cop?”
He’s quiet. “Let’s see.”
I drop speed and the car sails right by us.
Old man at the wheel. Old lady in the passenger seat half asleep.
“Out for a Sunday drive?”
“Maybe.” I speed up again and we keep cruising.
I’m bored. We agreed on no music. Well, Ranger requested no music. The look on his face suggested that maybe I’d like to give him this one. “What were the Atlanta plans?”
“Stay with Hec, dinner with Danny and wife—”
“Cindy.”
“I knew that.”
“Then why say wife?”
“Trying to get through the schedule.”
“Would saying ‘Cindy’ have taken that much effort?”
Ranger’s quiet for a few minutes. “Stay with Hector at Nikki’s. Dinner with Danny and Cindy. You’re off to do whatever you ladies do. I’m doing some scouting.”
“Scouting?”
“Scouting.”
“Boy Scout?”
“Only if your Boy Scouts carry twelve gauges and have nicknames like ‘Lil Rubes’, ‘Chiques’, and ‘Scorpio’.”
“Why can’t they be more like the Girl Scouts and sell cookies?”
Ranger grins. “Well, they sell something like cookies, if you’re interested.”
“It won’t put weight on me, will it?”
“I guarantee you it won’t, Babe. You might get addicted, though.”
“I have cake. That’s enough.”
We pass into Georgia and Ranger takes the wheel. I immediately turn the heat up. Ranger moves it back to where it was.
“King of the car.”
“At least until the cold air is warm.” I’m shivering. I forgot to put on extra socks. He sighs and turns the heat back to high. After five minutes, I turn it back down.
“We need to talk.”
“No one likes those words, Ranger.”
“I know.”
I get ready for uncomfortable questions. “OK, what do we need to talk about?”
He sets the cruise control and shifts in the seat. “Remember our Sarasota trip? You wanted to discuss Miami; I didn’t want to ruin our weekend?” I nod, my stomach twisting. “The discussion we need to have is like that. I see that it might go south on us and I want us to enjoy this road trip that you blackmailed me into—”
“Did not!”
He smiles but it’s tight. “I know, Babe. Anyway, you asked me not to keep things from you that affected you. I’m not. I’m telling you now that we need to talk. I’m asking you not to ask to discuss it until we reach Miami.”
“We can’t hammer it out in three hours?”
“No.”
“What do we need to talk about, Ranger?”
“The Miami men.”
I consider all the reasons Ranger wouldn’t want to talk about them and sigh. “They got their panties in a bunch again?”
“That’s just the beginning, Babe.”
Well, since he asked. Besides, I don’t really want to discuss the Miami men. If Ranger’s pissed about something they said or did, I’m probably not going to like it at all.
—oOo—
“Angita!”
I grin as Manny runs to me, Nikki close behind. “Manny! No running in the house!”
“Mommy, it’s Angita!” He’s hugging my leg, grinning up at me. “Hi!”
I crouch down and give him a big hug. He smells like Mr. Bubble. “Hi, Manny! Where’s Tío?”
“Work.” He peers around me at Ranger. “Who’s he?”
Nikki gasps. “That’s rude, Manny. Say, I‘m sorry. Who are you?“
“Sorry. Who are you? I’m Manny.”
“Alex,” Ranger answers, throwing a questioning look at Nikki. She nods. “I haven’t seen you since you were a baby.”
Manny’s sucking his hand. “You knew me when I was little?”
Ranger smiles. “You were the most fun to babysit.”
“Manny, Alex is your godfather,” Nikki says, smiling.
Manny eyes Ranger with more interest. “What’s a godfather?”
Ranger’s smile drops and he looks solemn. “Nikki …”
“Oh please. You’ve always been. Or you could be an uncle. You’re tío‘s brother and besides, Manny needs some uncles,” she replies.
“I’ll go with uncle,” Ranger replies. He drops down to Manny’s eyeline. “I babysat you when you were so small I could hold you with one hand. Tío tells me that’s impossible now. You won’t stand still.”
Manny grins and makes a run for the stairs, giggling manically, with Ranger right behind him. Somewhere, deep inside in a place I won’t consider, the sight of Ranger and Manny makes my eggs think Maybe.
I check my watch. I need to take my pill in thirty minutes and offer to babysit someone’s kids. That should stop those thoughts.
Nikki, meanwhile, is beaming. “Steph! It’s great to see you! I told Cindy that you were coming, so she’s primed for us to have fun and she’s hosting dinner tonight. You and Ranger, me and Hec, her and Danny. We’re leaving the kids with Hec, Ranger and Danny and we’re gonna have fun!”
“Great!” I drop my purse and sit down. “I fought with Ranger for more time here.”
“Ooohhhh! That’s wonderful. I loved staying with you this summer at the beach and I really appreciated the break! I’m glad you stopped here. I’ve wanted to pay you back for that for months.”
Watching Nikki is exhausting me. She’s moving around her house like a whirlwind, picking up toys, straightening pillows, handing me hot chocolate (OK, I’m happy about that) and generally moving. “Hec’s looked forward to your arrival all week. Mark’s sorry he missed you and …” She flicks her eyes up. I smile. “We dropped him off at the airport two days ago.”
“Oh. Soooo?” She blushes completely red. “Good?” Nikki collapses into a dreamy heap in the middle of the kitchen and I start laughing. “Oh, that good?” A sigh is my only response. “OK, can I get some actual words?”
Nikki starts telling me everything that happened over Thanksgiving, giving me details I missed. Ranger comes back downstairs just as she’s getting to the showdown between her dad and Mark and, even though I’ve already heard this from Hec, hearing it again hurts me more. Nikki’s gesturing furiously with a Chef’s knife in her hand and Ranger motions for her to put it down.
“Safety first, Nik.”
“I know. It’s just, I honestly could have run my father through at that point! I’d never been so hurt, embarrassed, infuriated, and angry—” The tears run down her face and mine. I’ve never met her dad but I’m ready to hurt him for the way he treated my partner. Nikki sniffs. “The way Mark handled my Dad was beautiful, though.” She sighs. “I think I fell in love with him at that moment.”
I wipe my face and smile. “That’s sweet, Nikki.”
“I mean, Mark and Hector showed up and it was a united front against my family from the beginning. You’d never know that they personally didn’t like each other. Mark and Hec operated like best friends in front of my family.”
“And once your family left?”
Nikki giggles. “There was tension between them, but nothing like Halloween. Hec spent his time with Manny and Mark spent his time with me.” Her cheeks redden and Ranger smiles.
“Lots of chaste kisses and he asked you to wear his letterman’s jacket?”
“Did he let you try on his jumpsuit?” I tease.
Nikki laughs. “More like we wrecked my sheets and —”
“LALALALALALALALALALALA!” I don’t have anything against Mark anymore, but I don’t want to hear that!
Ranger and Nikki laugh at me. “Good one, Ranger. I’ll use that one with Hec. He looks sick every time Mark is mentioned.”
“I’m sure.” Ranger jerks his head up. “Manny’s napping.”
“How did you get him down so fast?” She gasps.
“I pretended to need a nap the moment we hit the room. I laid down, he laid down with me and three minutes later, he was out.”
“Well, I tell him he’s a super good snuggler all the time,” Nikki says.
“Yeah, he is,” Ranger says wistfully. “I missed him. He’s so big …” Ranger shrugs and snags one of the celery sticks Nikki offers us. I scrunch my nose; there has to be real food here! Nikki’s a woman! There’s chocolate in this house somewhere!
The alarm sounds and we look over. Hector walks in looking happy.
“Sup, hermano! Sup partner!”
I slide off my stool and run to Hec. He grins and twirls me around. “I’ve had enough of Ranger! Save me! Get me out of here!”
Hec laughs and Ranger rolls his eyes. “Bye.”
Nikki and I wave goodbye and head out to her car. “I had a hundred things planned for us, but I just realized that you and Ranger have been on the road for days,” Nikki says, nudging her Hyundai onto the highway. “So tell me, what do you really want to do on this part of your trip?”
“Relax. I just want to relax.”
—oOo—
Danny and Cindy’s house looks great. Really different without the ghoulish decorations. Nikki pulls into Cindy’s driveway and honks.
“Hey, girl!” Cindy waves frantically for us to come in and we run for her door. The moment I hit the basement, my mouth waters.
“Oh my god, what is that?” It smells familiar …
“Oh, just a little something I’m making for dinner tonight,” she replies. Cindy is another Nikki, taking our coats, handing us hot chocolate and directing us to the fireplace. She’s pulled her dark blonde hair back into a ponytail and is wearing yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I feel better about my sweatpants and tank top already.
“By the way, thank you, thank you, thank you for a reason to break out the good china! I don’t think I get to pull it out more than two or three times a year!”
“Why?” I tug my boots off and follow her upstairs to the kitchen. It’s … clean. Like, spotless. Where is that scent coming from?
“I pull it out when Bobby pops in and when we have holiday dinners but otherwise?” She shrugs. “That’s the fancy stuff that you register for at your wedding. That’s not everyday china.”
“I’ve never understood that,” Nikki says. “In my family, you use what you have.”
Cindy smiles. “Southern for at least ten generations, hun. We have ‘company’ silverware and ‘company’ dishes. It’s a southern thing.”
That I understand, but I’m investigating this kitchen for the food. I know I smell something wonderful but where is it? I don’t see anything except, “A Crock-Pot? I haven’t seen one of these in years.”
I’m looking through the lid, trying to figure out what’s inside, when I realize no one’s said anything. I look around and both Cindy and Nikki are staring at me, jaws on the ground.
“Please tell me you’re kidding,” Cindy says. I shake my head. “You’re serious? No one around you uses a Crock-Pot?”
I think about it. “No. My mom didn’t like that you couldn’t sear meat in it.” I shrug. “She muttered something about building flavor, so she never used hers. Plus, you can’t put beans in it?”
They glance at each other. “Well, honey, if searing meat is that important to your mom, fine, but I can’t live without mine.”
“It’s the smart yet lazy way of cooking a delicious dinner with nearly zero effort,” Nikki says.
Smart and lazy? I can get with that and my nose agrees. I stare at it. “So what do you do?”
—oOo—
By the time Cindy’s sons arrive home, I’m convinced of the Crock-Pot’s importance in my future kitchen. Cindy handed me a cookbook, really a three-ring binder, of her favorite recipes and I’ve been flipping through. I haven’t seen a meal I wouldn’t eat yet.
“I want to get one of these and try it,” I tell Nikki.
“Sure! You know what? Let’s break out mine at home tomorrow and you can see what it’s like. I mean, think about it. Put some food in it before you go to work and you can come home to a delicious meal! It literally saves my life! I don’t have time to make some huge dinner for me and Manny when we get home and I refuse to feed him fast food. I’m tired, he’s tired, I want to get him washed up, fed, and in bed. The Crock-Pot helps me do that, especially in winter.”
“I know that’s right,” Cindy says. “I’d never cook if I couldn’t use mine.” She points at the collection of soggy hats, mittens, and scarves and her boys run to pick them up. “My mother was the kind of woman who worked a full day then came home and made meat and two veg.”
I snort. “That’s my mom, except she’s always been a stay at home mom. Dinner on the table at six, meat and two veg.”
Cindy shakes her head. “I don’t have that kind of time. Yeah, I work from home, but I work. That Crock-Pot saves my life. It cooks and I have time for Danny and the boys.” She sighs. “I’m trying to convince Danny to buy a—”
“Roomba?” Nikki laughs. “Please say a Roomba! It’s as close to Rosie the maid as I’ll ever get!”
“You know they have a version that mops now?”
“No! Really?”
They start laughing and I’m confused. “I’ve seen Roombas in infomercials. People really buy them?” I equated Roombas with the home rotisserie machines. Impractical and overpriced.
Nikki surfs to the page online and I’m stunned. When did this housework revolution take over the world? “Danny says it’s too expensive, our house has three floors, and we gave birth to two Roombas,” Cindy laughs. “We’ve started giving the boys chores to earn their allowance and I see his point, but I’m tired of nagging them to do their chores.”
“I haven’t started on chores with Manny yet, but the clean-up game is being played more often.”
Devon comes downstairs in search of a snack and he and Cindy start arguing over his homework. It’s giving me a slight headache but that’s something new to think about.
Crock-Pot? Roomba?
Do they have something that washes windows too?
—oOo—
Outside, the weather is turning nasty. The wind is howling through the trees and Cindy and Nikki talk about the possibility of snow or ice overnight. Cindy finally decides to check and ensure their pipes are well covered, just in case it freezes overnight. She runs back in the house shivering, muttering that she should have left that job for Danny. Nikki texts Hec to check at their home.
Inside, the kids are arguing with Cindy about their homework and cleaning up their rooms, Nikki is cracking open another bottle of wine, and smell of dinner is slowly driving me insane. We’re upstairs in Cindy’s closet and I’m drooling over her shoe collection, but I still smell dinner. My nose just can’t ignore it. Cindy won’t tell us what she’s making and my nose is telling me that I should recognize it.
“How do you do it?” I ask Cindy, examining my feet in a pair of ultra-high Antonio Melanis. Cindy has a Carrie Bradshaw-style closet. It’s the stuff of dreams. Ranger has to see this. I thought my closet at the Miami house was amazing, but Danny went all out for Cindy. Nikki is taking pictures. We’re both jealous.
“Do what?”
“Ignore that smell! I’d go mad if I had to smell that for hours and couldn’t eat it.”
She laughs. “I kinda learned to ignore it.” She pulls one of her purses and examines it critically. We’re up here because Cindy was in the middle of her annual clear out for charity, trying to determine what she intended to donate before the end of the year to make room (and get the tax deduction).
I’m considering labeling myself a charity and snagging all her heels.
“You have to,” Nikki says, refilling my glass. “That’s why Crock-Pots are so great. Set it in the morning, come home to that smell.”
They’re selling me on this the longer I sniff.
“Right. Now, do you want to hit a mall tomorrow, Steph?” Cindy asks. “All of them are slammed, but—”
“What would you normally do?” These heels make my ass look amazing. I’m snatching these. “What’s your thing?”
“Thing?”
“Yeah. Like, I spent an afternoon with Mari in a museum.” Nikki and Cindy laugh. “OK, so she drags everyone?”
“You bet.” Cindy smirks. “But I see what you mean. My thing? Hmm …” She sits back. “Honestly, I love taking the boys to play paintball, but …” She glances at me. “I get the feeling ‘Alex’ might want to participate in that one and Danny said he’s ‘officially’ in hiding?” I nod. “You have no idea how many promises my husband made me swear before he told me ‘Alex’ was here. I think his feelings were hurt when I told him that Mari had already told me and that we were having dinner guests.” We laugh.
“Well, I know this,” Nikki says. “What we’re doing right now, hanging out with a bottle of wine and raiding Cindy’s closet? Girl time? I don’t get to do this enough.” Cindy nods. “I’m always running, running, running, after Manny, doing work, at RangeMan in training—”
“You’re in training?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah. Wives training,” she clarifies. I smirk and Cindy laughs. “No! Not because of Mark!”
“Uh huh,” Cindy teases. I make kissy noises. Nikki is blushing bright red.
“No! I’m in training because of Hec.”
I put the Coach bag into my pile before Nikki can snatch it. “Why Hec?”
“Because Hec’s life is dangerous. I’ve always known that,” she says, refilling her glass. Cindy leaves and returns with lightweight blankets for all of us.
“The boys know that when Mommy is in here, if she has to come out, life will get very hard for them,” she says, tossing us a blanket to snuggle under. “Go on, Nikki.”
“Thanks.” Nikki sighs and leans back against the wall. “This year, with everything going on, I’ve felt it more. After Manny was kidnapped …” Her voice breaks and she swallows hard. I gulp my wine.
“It’s OK, Nik. Let it out,” Cindy murmurs.
Nikki nods. “After Manny was nearly kidnapped, I realized my child is a target. I’ll never pull him away from Hec and Hec will give his life to protect him, but can I? Can I protect my child?” She shakes her head. “After that, I signed up for training. I never want to be in a position where I can’t protect Manny. I’m Mommy. That’s my job, to protect my baby.”
She drains the last of her wine. “Anyway, this? What we’re doing right now? This is my thing. I don’t have a lot of girlfriends. The ones I used to have are still single and out partying or studying trying to graduate college. I chose to have a baby. I can’t get drunk at the club on Saturday night unless I have someone to watch Manny.”
“You’re old before your time, Nikki,” I reply. “I’m still in the club and I’m—” I cough my age (minus a few years) into my hands and Cindy and Nikki laugh.
“Yeah, but you’re single and childless. How many of your friends with kids are in the club on a Saturday night?”
I consider this. When was the last time ML went clubbing with us? Hell, when’s the last time any of us went clubbing, kids or not? Nikki smirks.
“Exactly. I’m telling you, have a child. Your priorities rearrange themselves fast. All of a sudden, girls’ night in become the world’s most fun activity and ‘I’ll watch the baby’ is the phrase that gets you hot.”
Cindy raises her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
—oOo—
Ranger’s POV
I motion for Hec to follow me upstairs, away from any windows. “Well?”
He frowns. “If Magic is back in the game, that’s bad. He doesn’t really report to an Inca.”
True. White decimated the NY faction. Tomas is now the most powerful Inca in the entire northeast. Both mine and Les’s instincts are screaming that we need to look into the nexus between Mack and Magic. Based on what Les knows right now, we’re both thinking that Mack is tied in much deeper than he knows and that we’re both overlooking something important. Les’s instincts are screaming that Mack has to get out of NYC, and he’s flying into NYC early to scout around. Mine are screaming that I’m missing something. I intend to spend this time in Atlanta sifting through the info from the op.
I boot up my computer. “Tomas knows about Manolo.”
Hec snorts. “No he doesn’t. He’s fishing. ‘Rumor has it’, right?” I nod. “His standard ploy to find out what he wants to know.”
“Les answered that you have a man assuming you’re gay.”
He smiles. “Nice. Vague enough to drive him insane.”
I thought so. Les wants a reason to kill Tomas but Tomas hasn’t given him one yet. Not a business reason to do what he wants. Not yet.
Hec is sitting on the bed, watching my every move. “What’s wrong? You look like Angelita when she has a problem she needs to discuss and doesn’t want to.”
Nice summation, Hec. I hand him the recording of my interview with Rod and he pops in his earbuds. I head back downstairs and check out the security and the layout. Nice. I expected nothing less of Hec. Three ways to exit this house via two levels, multiple weapons hidden in plain sight of all exits, but child friendly.
No gun safe? Well, I think I know what this tío is buying Nikki and Manny for Christmas.
I check on Manny. Still asleep. Drooling. I mentally picture Les with him and have a quiet chuckle.
I grab my laptop and log in. Hec has a ridiculous password on the wifi in this house, so I head back upstairs to ask.
His mouth is hanging and his eyes are wide.
“Hermano?”
“Yeah?”
“You left him alive after this shit?” I nod and walk into the bedroom. This is clearly Hector’s. This man loves purple like no one else. “Why?”
“Every decision I make, good or bad, has an impact down the road. If I cannot bear to hear the results of my actions, then I don’t need to be the man in charge.”
He pauses the recording. “There’s listening to the results of your actions and there’s listening to someone who got into some shit try to whitewash his actions!”
I hop on the bed and feel it slosh underneath me. Waterbed, Hec? I laugh mentally and kick off my shoes. “Did he? He took responsibility for his actions multiple times. He threw himself on my mercy, but Rod’s job is to serve as the Boston mouthpiece. His entire job is to collate the mood in that office onto paper. He failed to do that but why? How much of that would have translated onto paper well?”
Hec’s mouth is hanging. “Hermano, to listen to this, you’d think everything bad was her fault! You’d think all she did was run around trying to throw shit in people’s faces!” He shakes his head violently. “No! He sat there and ripped your woman to shreds and you let him live! How could you—”
“Stop.” My voice is ice cold and Hec freezes. “First, when I’m inside RangeMan, when I’m acting as the CCO, I compartmentalize.” I raise a hand to cut Hec off. “Otherwise, I could never take Tank or Les or Bobby to the mats. I could never take you to the mats.” He purses his lips. “Steph was not my woman at that moment. She was the CO and I was hearing a report on the CO’s actions during the nine months of my absence.
Listen to that without prejudice, Hec. That’s what I do every time I talk to the men. Compartmentalize. Listen and think about these things honestly. Even more, consider this: What does Rod gain from telling me those things?” I wave my hand to cut him off again. “What does Rod gain from telling me that the rumor was that I was the new CO’s ‘boy toy’, for example?” His mouth snaps closed. “Who says that to the CEO of the company? Who says that to me?” I raise a brow. “How many men in this company are brave enough to say some shit like that to my face?”
“Tank, Bobby, and Les,” Hec says, counting on his fingers. I raise a brow and he smirks. “OK, and me, but only if I’m feeling really brave.”
I shake my head, amused. “Please. You’d not only tell me, you’d tell me where you left the body.” He grins at that. “Anyone else in this company telling me that? That’s the quickest way to lose your position, unless there’s some truth to it. Now, consider that in relation to everything you know, everything you assume you might hear from TPD, the source.” I raise a brow. “You think that it’s possible they might have said that?”
Hec growls. I’ll take that to mean Yes, and I intend to find a way to fuck them up for that!
We both lie back on the pillows and stare at the ceiling. Hec occupies a weird spot in our brotherhood. He’s the man we’re all … emotionally honest with, me more than anyone else, I think. I chalk it up to our different positions in Steph’s life. Over this year, Hec’s been my true connection to her and … he knows the drama. And right now, unlike Tank, he’s not pissed and angry with her.
The last thing I want is for Tank’s irritation to settle into a true grudge. I’d like to ask him to get over it, but I can’t. He never said shit to me about the years of annoyance and irritation I nursed about Lula’s actions during the Slayers incident, annoyance I still have. He just accepted that I’d have to get over that in my own time, and finally talking to Lula about it helped. I’ll never forget but … I left that room with greater respect for her. She loves Steph and will do anything for her. So I refuse to be a hypocrite and ask him to snap out of it. Steph disrespected him and I acknowledge that he has a right to his anger and to take however long he needs to get over that.
So staying here for a few nights is a balm. A real home instead of a hotel. One of my brothers (who is not currently pissed with my woman) at my back, my woman at my side, and my favorite ‘honorary’ nephew to play with for a day or two, along with his mother to tease.
I need to talk to Hector about all the purple in this room, though. A purple velvet chair? HAHAHA! “Nikki allowed you to decorate?”
“Nah, she did this.” He smiles. “I was surprised.”
“Why?”
“I have a room in her home. Why? Don’t think you can sleep in all the purple?”
“Steph and I will manage.” I smile. “Waterbeds don’t squeak.”
“Don’t want to hear that, hermano,” he says. If only he knew. “Mijo likes to sleep in here and play with my stuff more than he likes his room.”
“His room is cool. Monkeys everywhere.”
“Yeah, but Tío’s purple room is cooler.” He sighs. “So? What else did he say that you considered?”
“Think about the ‘Bombshell Bounty Hunter series’ and ask yourself: Is it fair to ask the men to question the integrity of the reporter when they do an investigation? Rod had a point. The men had no idea about that feud and I wonder if it is possible to bring an action against the reporter. It needs to be done. He needs to clear her reputation because the public record is full of half-truths that made her look foolish when she’s not.”
I start some toe touches. Difficult because I can’t keep my spine straight. “I contacted the lawyer yesterday and asked him to review the file Rod is having the Boston men send. I called Ram and told him to get a copy of those police reports, notes in the detective’s files, everything TPD has. Let’s see if Steph truly has a case or not.”
“Good move,” he says quietly.
“Right. I don’t know if she’s ever looked at suing him but I would put money on her having asked Kloughn for legal advice.” Hec makes a face. “Yeah. I want a shark looking at that, a real litigator. If Steph has an action, I want to file suit.” I hold position for a moment. “Rod made an excellent suggestion.”
“Attacking the reporter’s ethics?”
“Yes. They have a group, some kind of journalists’ association. She might want to make a case there too.” I relax and hold position. “The complaints about Edna? Didn’t you negotiate with Edna to convince her to stop pinching the men in Trenton?”
Hec blushes and I smile ruefully. “Exactly. I compartmentalize when I talk to the men. I remember that I can’t take what I hear personally. I back all my leadership, including Steph, but I have to listen to everyone. Every man is entitled to his opinion, his view, and he’s entitled to have his concerns heard. My job is to separate what’s actionable from what’s just a piss and moan, but I have to sit and listen to all of it. A poor leader is the one whose head is so far up his ass he can’t hear an echo.”
“Who said that?”
I frown. “Les, I think.”
Hec looks at me and we both laugh.
“Yeah, silly statement but he’s right. Don’t lead if you can’t listen. Don’t ask men to trust you if you don’t prove yourself trustworthy. And if I punished everyone for following their own mind, you and I would have a talk, on the mats, about locking me out of the system all year.”
He blushes. “Oh. You know why.”
“Yeah. You locked me out of my company all year but I trust you. I accepted what you did, for reasons I didn’t understand at first, but I didn’t overrule it. I put Steph in charge. I’m not overruling her decisions, especially since I wasn’t here and don’t know all the factors that went into making those decisions.”
There’s a loud CRACK! outside. Hector slides off the bed and peers out of the window. “One moment. Let me check the pipes.”
He disappears. I go check on Manny again. He’s shifted and kicked the blanket off. I tuck the blanket around him tighter and head downstairs. Hector reappears chattering. I toss him an extra pair of socks and he puts those on and grabs a blanket from the living room.
“Shit! It’s freezing out there,” he says, blowing into his hands.
I start a pot of water and search for some tea. Earl Grey. I’ll be up half of the night, but this’ll do.
“I put another blanket on Manny. He’s fine.”
“Thanks. So? What are you going to do?”
I’m thinking. “You weren’t a partner yet when we discussed this, but we’ve talked about how we intend to change the company structure in the new year. A lot of the things Steph did over the course of the year were excellent and Tank, Les and Bobby want to keep them and her. Her position is permanent.” He smiles. “Yeah. I’ve made my new position permanent and they handed me my ass about how I’ve managed so far.”
“Really?” Hec looks intrigued by the thought.
“Yeah. Humbling.” I think back to that morning, the morning my brothers told me I wasn’t hearing an echo anymore. “Anyway, each of us is writing an action plan, a template so to speak, about how we intend to change our leadership and reporting going forward. That’s why I’m spot checking each branch on this trip. Our company is too big for the way we were managing it and we intend to make changes. Les said something that struck me hard that day. He said that our company was no longer a battalion.”
Hec accepts the cup and immediately pours sugar into it. My nose wrinkles; Nikki has the good stuff. It doesn’t need sugar! We take our cups into the great room, where Hec types in the wireless password for me and gets me connected to RangeWorld before I’ve even taken my seat.
I take a moment to enjoy how very good this tea is. It was one of the few good things about Afghanistan, the ability to get high-quality tea leaves, but the tendency to overfill tea with sugar (the more sugar, the greater honor you were being given) drove me crazy. The men around me were moaning about missing coffee, but I was having a blast. By the time we left, we were all committed tea drinkers.
Hec finally looks as if he’s thawed and is considering what I’ve said. Mi hermano has a quick trigger temper, but no one, no one, learns faster than Hec. Mentoring him for the past five years has been a challenge, but worthwhile. We’ve all agreed on that. Hec’s loyalty and willingness to accept any and every one is what makes him the man he is. He has the best of all our traits. Hec’s weakness? His loyalty. He’s truly ride or die. Even now, I don’t think he’d ever move against Tomás.
I grab my laptop and sit back. “I never commanded a battalion. Too big, too complex, too many men. I was good with my platoon. Funny thing is, RangeMan is now the size of a battalion and it started off as a platoon. Hell, it’s the size of, and organized like, a battalion. As a Captain, I’m qualified to command a company, but this company has grown so large that I’ve essentially given myself a battlefield promotion.”
“I’m amazed I actually followed that,” Hec mutters. I flip him a finger.
“The point I’m making is that my job has changed but I didn’t change with it. I have to change my thinking to lead a battalion. I have to lead my men, my company, but the essence of leadership does not change. Listen to the men, all of them, wherever they are. Squelch problems ruthlessly and ensure my leaders, the men I’ve picked, have what they need to do the job. Continue to remain agile and responsive, but have all the necessary support personnel I need.
Above all, remain someone the men can believe in and admire, someone they can trust. Right now, my men don’t trust me and I have to regain that. Otherwise, the problem trickles down. Because I didn’t promote Steph in the right way, the XOs didn’t trust her until they could vet her. Since they didn’t trust her, it trickled down—”
“What!” He sits up. “Danny trusted her! Javi trusted her!”
“Did they? Or did they position themselves to be the first to test her? I thought about what Rod said and considered Danny’s actions the day he met her. Is there some truth in that assertion? Possibly. He positioned himself to get the new CO’s attention first. He gave her helpful, ‘Duh’, advice to seem non-threatening and make her like him. Slick move.”
Hec’s mouth is hanging. I grin. “Yeah. Les wanted her to go there first because he knew Danny would be the most supportive, but look at the situation from Danny’s perspective. New CO has a reputation for being an excellent skip tracer and she’s going to be in charge. She’s going to need help. Right now, she has one XO she trusts. She’ll need another and, preferably, not Mark.
Bobby and I considered this. Danny ordered half of his bonds enforcement office to Trenton to meet her. Those men like her and it gives Steph a boost to see someone appreciate her skills, especially since she’s sidelined with a broken leg. Meanwhile, that gives him time to craft a relationship with Hal, the newest XO who has the CO in house. So now he has a sister branch, he’s building a relationship with the XO who is the closest to the CO, he’s leveraging the new CO’s skills to build his office.” I shrug. “Danny made the right moves.”
Hec is still staring at me in disbelief. I’m grinning. “Bobby has been laughing his ass off and reminding Les that under all that Southern hospitality is the mind of a steel-trap. Danny became one of Steph’s trusted advisors by being more honey than lemon. That’s why he wanted Danny as XO instead of Mike. Danny knows the culture and he and Chase were the perfect fit.”
“Unbelievable …” Hector says, exhaling.
“Yeah. Bobby’s not that keen on Mike for Charlotte, not truly. He wants another Southern wheeler and dealer in the spot, so if Mike takes Charlotte, Bobby will want him to spend a lot of time with Danny.”
“Diego?”
I chuckle. “Not a chance. Diego’s too abrasive for Bobby and Charlotte but perfect for Tank and San Antonio. Want me to go into Javi?”
He smirks. “Javi threw himself on Steph’s mercy.”
“Exactly. No way could he hide the state of NYC at that point. He basically offered himself up as a sacrifice and you know Steph’s a champion of the weak and defenseless. She gave him everything he asked for. Was that the right move?” I purse my lips. “Had I done it, I might not have given the locality pay and I definitely would not have given 30% locality pay. The moment there’s a downturn that’s the first thing that will have to be trimmed.”
He frowns and drains his tea. There’s still a little sugar residue in the bottom of his cup. He refills, adds milk, and returns to the couch. Por el amor de cristo, Hec! Should I have made hot chocolate for you? I consider this and head back into the kitchen. Mijo will want hot chocolate at some point. I check the cabinets.
“I wasn’t here,” I state, still searching. “That was her decision and Javi and his men know that in order to keep that perk, they have to remain profitable. So they have incentive. If they don’t make it, the first thing that gets cut is, essentially, their salary.”
He grimaces. “How would you have done it?”
“Quarterly bonus or a separate salary table for NYC. A COLA is only meant to be applied to individuals living somewhere temporarily, like if we have to ship men in to augment the branch. But again, that was Steph’s decision in order to right the ship. It stopped the bleeding of men from that location and that was the most important thing at the time. I’m not overruling it. I hope to persuade Javi to ask for a restructure. That way it gets done the right way but Steph’s authority isn’t diminished and Javi continues to look like a man trying to fix the structural problems in his branch.” I see Hec write a note. “What’s up?”
“Reminder to see if I can take some management classes. How you do that is beyond me.” He looks up. “You really think they did all that to test her?”
I shrug. “Consciously? No. Subconsciously? Perhaps. I mean, the way I’m describing it right now makes it sound—”
“Scheming,” Hec says, frowning. “Makes it sound as if they … I can’t describe it.”
“As if they had some grand plan in place.” He nods. I finally find the cocoa and put it on the countertop. “Yeah. I doubt it. I expect Javi was more an issue of circumstances, but Danny?” I smile. “You can’t control Atlanta without having a sharp mind and good instincts. Bobby thinks Danny’s moves were half instinct, half planning. His assumption? That Danny moved as fast as he did with Hal and Steph to block Mark from getting a place in Steph’s ear.”
Hec is quiet for a few minutes. “I agree. Before Angelita’s first month was out, Daniel seemed to be the XO she trusted. Hal for people and process stuff, Daniel and Ryan for financials and the ‘RangeMan’ way of doing things.”
Rutgers and the Army drilled me well, hermano. “Anyway, I never wanted to be in charge of some huge company, but I am and it’s time to start treating it like a company. Hell, I’m about to add another division! I gotta get my shit straight to handle that.
So I listen to all the men, openly and honestly, without making judgments. Is there truth in what I’m hearing? What is it and is it actionable? I haven’t been around so I have to find out what happened and until I know, I’m not taking anyone’s side. Just like the whole fuck you incident—”
“Really?” Hec was looking half asleep but at the mention of that, he opens one eye and stares at me.
“Yeah. Bobby told me his side. Tank told me his. Steph told me hers. I heard everyone out equally and I didn’t get involved because I wasn’t present at that meeting. That was an issue for them to resolve. I simply listened to everyone and helped them each make a decision about how they intended to move forward, but I stayed out of it.”
I surf into Atlanta’s RangeWorld site and start looking. Bobby’s name is on everything. He’s keeping a very close eye on his home branch now.
“When was that?”
“Hmm?” I glance over. “Oh. The day of. Tank called me first to tell me what happened and that he intended to reprimand her.” Hec sits up, eyes wide. “Candy convinced him to make it a verbal one.”
He relaxes slightly. “I like her. Best hire Angelita made.”
“I agree.”
“Bobby?”
“Later, about 1700, pissed and angry. He and Les wanted to fire her that day.” Hec pales. “Instead, she apologized and told them she wanted to go to therapy, but he was still steaming. I told him that the decision to help her was his. He didn’t have to do it but if he did, don’t do it for me or because of me.”
“And?”
“She’s still employed and headed to therapy, right?”
He exhales. “Steph?”
“I allowed her to tell me ‘fuck you’.” He smiles. “No, seriously. I told her that if she felt like she’d been manipulated, she needed to tell everyone fuck you. She say it to you?”
“Nope.”
“So everyone manipulated her, but only Tank, Les, and Bobby got cussed out.” I lower my head and stare at him. Hec turns bright red. “So, Rod’s charge that her feelings about management affected the review? Looking a little more likely now?”
“He said that?” Hec looks down at his phone, frowning.
“Yes. I think that’s partially true, mostly piss and moan, but Tank, Les, and Bobby got cussed out and all they did was set it up. ML? You? Hal? Ram? Anyone at Trenton? You guys had the job of training her, actively ‘manipulating’ her every day, but you got away scot-free. I got cussed out only because I goaded her into it.”
“Oh,” he says quietly. I lean back. I doubt Hec ever actually realized that.
“And I told her she needed to curse everyone who manipulated her.”
“So I have that to look forward to?”
“I doubt she ever does it.” He looks relieved.
“Our liaisons? Men who know how to report information accurately and without prejudice. Rod’s a former reporter. Adam’s a former cop. Ram? Sniper. Thomas? Should be a politician, for how slippery he is.” Hec laughs. “Drake? I just remembered him. He and Thomas are pretty similar. Now, think about their boss.”
Hec groans and buries his face in a pillow. “Bobby. Mr. ‘I’ll remove a layer of your ass with my tongue’,” he says, the pillow muffling his voice.
I poke him and he removes the pillow, laughing. “Exactly. Med training taught him to report exactly what he saw and put his assumptions at the bottom of the form, along with a possible diagnosis. He puts them through the paces, teaching them how to report accurately and remove as many of their own prejudices as they can. Rod, Ram, and Bobby are the best at it because it’s the sum of their training. So I know when I get a liaison report that I’m looking at something pretty damn close to absolute truth. Bobby did some extra digging. Rod reported the mood in Miami accurately.”
“Still,” Hec says, frowning, “Angelita did a great job.”
“Yes. She did an excellent job. I cannot dispute that and I won’t allow anyone to say she didn’t. Rod didn’t say she didn’t do a good job as CO. He stated, clearly, that she had. It was some of the interpersonal stuff that he’s angry about and some of what he said is legitimate. Not all, but I have to know how the men feel.”
I place the cup on the coffee table and grab my laptop again. “I’m not done yet. I’ve heard from Rod. I’ve heard bits and pieces about what happened this year from Steph, but I’m staying out of it. Tank is her supervisor. He will have to give her a chance to respond to what Rod said if he feels it’s something worth following up on.
My guess?” He nods. “Tank is going to flip a finger to that and back Steph. They were in contact most of the year about her plans, right?” He nods. “So she had his support for what she did, which is why he’s allowing the removal of the Miami men to be attributed to him. I’ll back him and tell my men that due to the op, I deemed it the wisest course. I needed to contain gossip, especially since their five fired brothers were fired because they ran their mouths in public and word got out I was stateside.”
“Shit. I forgot about that.”
“Exactly. Since I didn’t know who else talked, plus there was a concern about our branch business being impacted by sexism, I backed the move.”
“Did you?”
“I had no fucking clue what was going on, but Tank filled me in yesterday. I’ve had enough time to figure out how to smooth that over. Besides, their complaints about being moved? Rod’s complaint about being moved when his wife needed him?” I roll my eyes. “Piss and moan. Rod can complain all he wants but he better thank Steph. I’m sure Bobby might have broken him into pieces at the time. Steph gave Rod time and space away from his boss. You know Bobby’s temper.”
He laughs quietly. I smile and keeping looking through Atlanta’s info.
Bobby’s temper is legend, which is why he tries so hard to control it. Once unleashed, men end up in traction. Bobby could not have listened to Rod’s explanation yesterday without wanting to break him. All the men who work under Bobby, the medics and the liaisons, usually have the highest satisfaction rates.
They don’t want to piss off their boss. You get one chance with him. If he’s already ripped you a new asshole once, you never want it to happen again.
“My job is to prep her for Miami. I’ve heard from Susan about what happened with the housekeepers, but I still need to discuss that with both Ella and Maria. I could leave that alone and allow Steph to handle it, since Ella reports to Steph now, but since that’s my aunt and I’m partially responsible, I’ll handle that. Anyway, I never take one report alone unless it’s an official company report from Bobby, because he will have done all this for me.”
“Welcome to the big leagues,” Hec mutters, curling up on the couch.
I laugh. “Yeah. Isn’t this fun? I mean, why on earth would we want to stay in the field when we can do this all day!”
Hec laughs, shaking his head. “You’re all insane. You gonna get Bobby to help you with this?”
I shake my head. “Nope. I have to own this. Bobby helped a lot by verifying that Rod was accurate in the factual allegations he made. Now, the interpersonal stuff?” I shrug. “That’s his opinion and I have to take that into account. Can you imagine what might’ve happened if I’d hit the Miami office with her and not been prepared beforehand? If I didn’t have a chance to prepare her beforehand?”
Hec shivers. I’m still numb to it all. I’m trying to figure out how to tell Steph this in a way that won’t leave her feeling hurt, bruised and misused. She’s done great work, outstanding work with the company. Some of these issues are my fault and I need to clean them up ASAP. Others?
Leadership and management is not a job for cowards.
Steph’s leadership in the company was not perfect, but overall it could be summed up by Lao Tzu: A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. That’s what she did. She provided the men with what they needed to do what they needed to do. They don’t truly see her impact because they believe they did it all themselves. They don’t see that she cleared obstacles away to allow them to surge forward.
I mean, only Steph could encourage Lula to become a BEA and allow her to believe she was good at it.
My motto? The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
I picked men I trusted and believed in, put them in their positions, and I try my best not to meddle. I try my best not to interfere because I know myself: if I don’t give myself a limit, I will micromanage. I’ve been told that I micromanage. Tank, Bobby, and Les have each warned me that I have to stop micromanaging. What I’ve learned is that I backed away too much. I need to involve myself more, but not take over.
Easier said than done.
Hec doesn’t understand that because, like me, he micromanages, but IT is small enough for him not to truly realize it. I wonder if he’s noticed yet.
“Do I like what Rod said? Not 75% of it. Do I still need to investigate it? Yes. Do I have to respect him for having the balls to tell me? Yes. I’m not the man who can’t hear truth and I’m not incapable of separating truth from bullshit.” I smirk. “I’m the head of Miami. I know how to separate the truth from the machismo.”
Hec snorts and heads back upstairs.
—oOo—
Hec’s POV
I’m pissed, confused, uncertain and amazed, but one thing I am not?
Forgiving.
It is good that Ranger is in charge. I could not have listened to this without wanting to choke Rod. Unfortunately, if I try very very hard to be neutral, I have to admit he made some very good points. Other things he said made me think. I see what Ranger means by ‘compartmentalize’. I stop the recording and write that down.
New skill to learn.
I see why Ranger’s uncertain. There’s truth in all of this and that sucks. Ranger’s right: Rod took responsibility for not doing his job. Every time Ranger asked, he didn’t run from it. He stated, time and time again, that he’d screwed up. And what I really hear (having heard it so many times) is a very scared man begging for his life. Rod was terrified. Up until the moment Ranger apologizes, you can hear the fear in his voice.
By the time the recording ends, I feel sick. I don’t want Angelita to feel she isn’t appreciated. Mis hermanos have all admitted that they’ve learned things about themselves and their leadership from her. She’s had an impact but … I drag myself off the bed, feeling a thousand pounds heavier.
I don’t want this to become another Fuck you.
I head back downstairs to start a snack for Mijo. He should wake up soon. As soon as I hit the great room, I spot Ranger with Mijo. Both are eating baby carrots and talking. Mijo‘s hair is sticking up on one side. Time to take my son for a haircut. Ranger raises a brow and I shake my head, still in disbelief.
“So, that’s the dilemma.”
“Does Angelita know?”
“No. I told her that I have something to talk about and that it involves Miami, but I don’t want to ruin our trip. It’s gone well so far.” He eats another carrot. “I made plans to take her back to Sarasota.”
Splash! Crunch, crunch, crunch. Is Mijo dipping his carrots in … chocolate milk?
“I don’t want this to hang over the trip. I want us to get back to the …” He sighs. “I don’t know. During the op, when we were in hiding, we were much more romantic. I want to get that playfulness, that fun, back.”
Trying to romance your woman, Ranger? Good. “I agree. Leave it for Miami.”
I join them in eating carrots. Mijo smiles. “Kick ball, Tío?” he asks, a chocolate milk mustache on his tiny face.
I groan. My son will play futból all day if I don’t watch him, and it’s freezing outside! I look at his hopeful face, his excitement, and cave. “OK. I’ll set up your net. Let Tío Alex put your hat and mittens on.”
“Yay!” He goes running from the room and Ranger chuckles.
“All energy.”
“I wish I could bottle it. I’m starting to feel old.”
“My daughter is 14 and in high school.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly. Please shut up.”
I laugh and go grab the ball and net. Ranger helps Mijo dress and he runs out ready to play. Ranger and I stand inside the house, at the French doors since they have reflective tint on them, and watch him. We grin; Mijo‘s bundled up in at least three layers. He looks like a Pikachu right now, but that’s not stopping him from running after that ball.
“Clusterfuck of mythic proportions,” I whisper.
He nods. “Plum Curve strikes again.”
We both chuckle.
“Opinion?”
I shrug. “Everyone’s gotta stop holding the Bombshell Bounty Hunter stories against her. OK, so she wasn’t the best in the field and yes, it was highly likely you could get stabbed/shocked/shot—”
“This isn’t helping.”
I snort. “I know, but that’s the reality. She has to live that down and the only way that’s going to happen is if the men are given a steady diet of reasons to trust her in the field. That video in RangeWorld is a good start.” I sigh and lean back against the wall. “Even I have had to overcome my distrust for her actions in the field and give her a chance. I trust my partner now, but will I always be concerned? Yes. Angelita doesn’t see danger until it’s right in front of her.” I turn to him. “Is that something you can live with?”
He’s silent for a long time. Mijo puts in two goals before I realize Ranger isn’t going to answer that.
I close my eyes in pain. “You need to decide if she’s truly the one for you, hermano. She believes in the best in everyone. She will never see enemies around every corner and problems over the hill. Not until, as you say, they are right in front of her face.”
He snorts, then chuckles, then laughs. “And how are you managing that, oh wise one?” My face heats as Ranger stares at me knowingly. “Forgot you’re in the same bucket with me, huh?” Yeah, I had. “Choose. Mijo or Steph.”
CRAP! Mijo wins, hands down. We’re both quiet, staring out of the window. Mijo’s dribbling his ball at the goal. There’s no winning here. For the both of us to have a real, honest relationship with her, she has to take security seriously. I don’t want to die.
“For me, the difference is that she’s prepared to face the danger,” Ranger says quietly. “Do I trust her with my back? Yes, I do.” I stare at him, surprised. “I don’t know that I truly did before this road trip. I would have hesitated but I realized that she does have my back.”
He has the smile of a man reliving a good memory. “Without us having to discuss it, without a word being said, she ran a distraction that allowed me to get away. She ran the risk of being caught to give me time to set up our getaway.” He shakes his head, smiling. “And in that moment, I knew I had the right woman.
No, she will not see danger around every corner and her shit luck and my past means that there’s always the possibility of someone coming after her or me, but is she prepared to get away? Is she prepared to have my back? Can I trust that she’ll do what has to be done for both of us to live when danger is staring us in the face?” He turns and faces me. “Yes. I no longer have any doubts. She has my back. She will protect my life as I would protect hers.”
I have tears in my eyes hearing this. Ranger’s smile is beautiful, the smile of a man truly in love. I’m happy for him and envious all at once.
Ranger rocks back on his heels. “That conversion will be individual to every man in the company. In the meantime, how do I fix the men’s issues with her?”
We both turn and watch Mijo. It’s silent in the house except for this old, annoying rooster clock Nikki has in the kitchen. It drives me insane and it mocks me.
Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Solve the problem. Solve the problem.
I’ll solve the problem. I’ll remove the battery.
“Your mistake? I had to give Rod credit.” Ranger cuts his eyes at me, a smirk on his face. “Yeah, yeah, he had a point. They needed a reason to believe in her. Every man did. You dumped the Bombshell Bounty Hunter on them. Not Stephanie Plum. They had no idea who Stephanie Plum was, but they have info on the Bombshell Bounty Hunter coming out of their ass, hermano.”
“Hindsight.” Ranger hangs his head. “The speech I gave her parents, the night we went to tell them I was leaving? That’s the speech I should have given the company. That’s the information they needed. I gave it to the Plums, but not my own men.”
He’s right. That speech was perfect. “Yeah. Trenton knew who Stephanie Plum was but again, that was her interaction with every man. They each know her. They’ve each had a chance to learn who she is and why she can be trusted. The rest of the company?” I shrug. “Now as far as Miami?” He nods, looking hopeful. “Zero for you there, muchacho.”
I see my son shiver and I immediately run outside to bring him back in, ignoring his protests, and take him upstairs where Ranger’s run a warm bath for him. He protests the bath, but once he’s in with his toys he plays happily.
Ranger sits on the floor with me. He hangs his head backward and Mijo, seeing an irresistible target, dumps a cup of water on his head. Ranger barely moves, even as the water drips down his neck and back.
“Manny?”
“Yes, Tío Alex?”
“Are you going to wash my hair?”
Mijo puts his hands in Ranger’s hair. “Yeah?”
“Can I wash yours?”
“No!” he yells, but he dumps another cup of water on Ranger’s head. I laugh.
“You’re attempting adult logic with a three year old.”
“I see my mistake.” He moves and dries his head with the towel I toss him.
“What did the brotherhood say?”
“Bobby is taking Les to the Bahamas the moment I leave.”
“Putting his head back on straight?”
Ranger nods. “Bobby’s right. Les has done everything he could to support the brotherhood. Time for him to get some support. I told Bobby not to bring him back until I return.”
My jaw drops. “Two months?”
“Yeah. He needs the break. Mi primo‘s mental health comes first.”
I consider this. “OK. I’ll help take up the slack.”
He smiles wryly. “And the moment we come back, you take a vacation.” I frown. “Yeah. You, then it’s Tank and Lula’s wedding. Tank’s taking Lula to Africa for two months.”
My jaw drops again. “Nice.”
“It’s her dream to see Africa and they’ll be back before fall classes begin.”
“You?”
He shrugs. “Depends on how Steph’s doing in therapy.”
I roll my eyes. “Hermano, you need a vacation too, regardless of how she’s doing. You can’t help her until your head’s back on straight. You always take a few weeks in Miami after your ops to get your head back on straight. You haven’t done it so far and you really think you’re going to come back from Syria in the best mental framework?” I raise a brow. “If I take a break, you’re coming with me. Hawaii. Someplace with water and warm breezes. Just until your brain’s on straight and you’re not in combat mode.”
He stares at me. “But Steph—”
“Will understand. She’s marrying a soldier. At the end of every deployment is the reunion stage, right?”
He nods. “Done some research?”
“Yup,” I reply, popping the ‘p’.
“I wonder why.” He smirks.
I flip him a finger. “Because all of my brothers are military.”
He grins. “Uh huh. We’ve been military all the time you’ve known us.”
“You really want to get into the timing of my research right now?”
He laughs and I roll my eyes. I did this research years ago, but I’ve never needed to reference it before now. My brothers have routines they stick to, but I see Ranger is more concerned with Angelita than he is with himself. He’s making mistakes like Mando now, because of love. He needs a sharp kick in the ass to remind him to take care of himself first, then everyone else. That includes Angelita. He has to quit putting her before his own mental health or he’ll end up as burnt out as Mando.
“Now, what I read said that it’s a time to reconnect and enjoy each other, not talk about problems. Rest, relaxation, intimacy. Time and space to decompress. So you’re proposing to come home to a woman in therapy who will want to bonk your brains out then start talking about her issues, possibly before you’re ready?”
“Ugh,” he moans.
“Bonk!” Mijo says, grinning at us. We both look over and down, realizing in that moment that Mijo stopped splashing a while ago. I wonder how much of this conversation my little pitcher overheard. “What’s bonk, Tío?”
He heard more than he needed to.
“Something Tío needs to do more often,” Range mutters. I cut my eyes at him and he smiles and hums something suspiciously close to cock block.
“I’m not the only one,” I reply. He rolls his eyes. “It means to hit something, Mijo.”
“Oh.”
And we’re suddenly boring again. Mijo returns to his bathtub waterfalls (sigh soaking wet again. My son has to learn to bathe without giving the bathroom floor a bath) and I turn to Ranger.
“My opinion? Avoid that. Come back, get your head back on straight, then go enjoy the reconnection and intimacy once you’ve had the time and space. Prepare to support her in therapy. You know that you’ll come back and they’ll want to book time for you on the couch.”
He sinks to his haunches looking sick.
“You just went through that. Your op ended and you went straight from DC to San Antonio. No thought or concern about what you needed mentally because you wanted to be with her. One incredibly loud night of sex”—his lips twitch—”and straight into the drama happening at RMSA. Have you even fully had time to decompress from your op?”
He’s quiet. “No. No, I really haven’t,” he says, scratching his head.
“Exactly. You left your op and immediately put her first instead of getting your head back on right and things just piled up from there. Don’t do that again. You had a routine. Keep it going.”
I pull the stopper and wrap Mijo in a towel, tickling him. He runs for his bedroom and we choose his dinner outfit with care. Corduroy slacks and a warm vest over his dress shirt. I put a little gel in his hair to control those curls and he walks out proudly.
“What’s up?” Ranger asks him as he looks at himself in the full length mirror in the hallway.
“I got stuff in my hair,” Mijo replies. “Like Tío.“
I see Ranger hide a grin. “You do look like Tío now.” Mijo puffs his chest out a little more and I grin. My son. I dare you to take him from me. “You need a little tie. You have ties?” Mijo nods. “Let’s find you a tie.”
Mijo takes his hand. “Do you have stuff, Tío Alex?”
Ranger and I share a grin and mutually decide to laugh about that later. “Yup. I have stuff.”
They walk off and I concentrate on getting ready. I take a quick shower and check my phone. Dinner is at seven and Nikki and Angelita are having a good time with Cindy. I text Daniel. He’s headed straight home from RangeMan Atlanta, unless we want him to swing by for us. I consider this and agree. Nikki’s gone and the Miata is too small for us. No backseat and no car seats. I need to get back to Jersey and get my car but that eleven hour ride …
Mijo is excited to see Daniel again and is bouncing up and down in front of the window looking for him. He has on a little purple tie. I’ve never been to a dinner party before, so I break out one of my purple ties and my most casual suit. Gel in the hair, looking good, smelling right. I’ve never met Cindy, so I’ll cover the teardrops this first time.
No need to scare the hostess, especially since she’s feeding me.
Ranger appears, dressed nicely in black dress slacks, a navy blue dress shirt and a black sports coat, sans tie. Not quite black SWAT so I don’t feel overdressed now. He has the mask on again; Mijo is immediately intrigued by it and stares at Ranger intently. Ranger picks him up and allows him to poke at his face. Mijo is determined to figure out how it goes on and I can see his little fingers feeling Ranger’s face, looking for the edge. I join them to wait for Daniel.
“Now, as far as how to break the Miami situation to her?” He nods. “Gently.”
“Duh.”
“No, I mean it. Start with Edna and work from there.”
—oOo—
Steph’s POV
Ranger and Hector show up looking amazing. Even Manny looks smart. Nikki and I look at each other and, I don’t know about her, but I feel grubby and underdressed almost immediately. Ranger presents Cindy with a bottle of wine and she thanks him and promises to serve it with dinner. Ranger walks over to me and squeezes my hand.
“You look fine,” he murmurs against my hair.
“I didn’t realize I needed to dress up.” Come closer, Ranger. You smell good …
“You don’t. You look beautiful as you are.” He looks down. “Although I’m pretty sure those aren’t the shoes you left in.”
Score one for Ranger not missing a detail. I press a quick kiss to his cheek.
He stares at me.
I think that’s more PDA than either of us is comfortable with. I think we’ll stick with hand holding. That’s our level of mushy.
Danny kissed his wife before saying anything else and they walked off by themselves for a few minutes. They both came back looking happy. Nikki and Hector disappeared into the basement with Manny. Devon and David are setting the table with Cindy’s fine china, moaning to each other about how hungry they are and that their mom is starving them.
People watching at dinner parties is more fun than imagining them naked. I glance at Ranger; well, not everyone. Ranger flashes a grin at me. “Do I have on my pants anymore?” he whispers.
“Nope.” I move away from him before I’m tempted to put on a show. Dinner smells spectacular and the Beast is anxious to try it. I glance inside the Crock-Pot again. I know it’s a stew. The Beast and I agree that it’s some kind of stew.
We head back upstairs and take our seats in the dining room as Cindy and Danny bring in crocks and glasses. “OK, so I went with beef stew. That’s the big surprise. Don’t kill me,” Cindy says, ladling it over buttery mashed potatoes.
“Oh! You had me thinking you’d made some super fancy dish,” Nikki says, relieved. “I love beef stew.”
“So do I,” Ranger says. Cindy looks relieved. “Thank you for dinner, Cynthia, and for agreeing to host. We appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Alex. Welcome to our home and feel free to come back anytime.”
We pass around beer but Ranger and Hec have water. Designated drivers. Cindy opens that bottle of wine and we sip. It’s wonderful, perfect for dinner. Danny waffles before finally picking up his beer. “I’m home. The boys are going to jump on me all night.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything, Daniel,” Ranger says, amused. “Your home and you’re off for the night. Drink what you want.”
Danny relaxes, looking relieved. I guess having Ranger in his house is more of a reason to feel under a microscope. We laugh about Manny going to visit, and scold, the ‘naughty door’, all without mentioning Mark somehow, and Danny and Cindy tell stories about their boys at Manny’s age. Manny’s in the kitchen now, having dinner with Devon and David. He wasn’t happy about not sitting at the table with the grownups, but Nikki told him that his job was to ensure Devon and David didn’t fight. He seemed happy with the responsibility.
Cindy told them their job was to ensure Manny ate his dinner and was kept happy. Learn to entertain their guest. They moaned but agreed.
My first bite of the stew brings back memories of Grandma in the kitchen when I was a kid. Her beef stew was so good even Mom’s doesn’t compete. It was tender and delicious and the perfect comfort food. Sweet, spicy, beefy, this was stick to your ribs in winter food.
The second bite reminds me of how good Mom’s mashed potatoes are. I moan a little and Ranger squeezes my thigh.
“What?” He raises a brow. “It’s good, Ranger. I can’t help it.”
“Moan away, honey,” Cindy says. “I love appreciation of my food.”
“You have mine.” I take another bite. “What’s in this?”
“My secret ingredient?” I nod. “Paprika. Lots of it.” She keeps talking but I’m staring at my bowl.
Paprika?
This is Hungarian goulash. No wonder it’s so familiar. This is home. This meal is home.
I glance at her Crock-Pot.
This meal is something I can make.
—oOo—
“I want a Crock-Pot,” I announce the moment we hit Nikki’s house.
Nikki starts laughing. I have a Tupperware container full of stew and I’m having it for lunch and dinner tomorrow. I stash that in the fridge and turn around to see Ranger smile.
“Babe.”
“No, seriously! You realize what that was?”
“Umm … beef stew?” Hector says, shifting Manny in his arms.
“Yeah, but it was Hungarian beef stew.” I hear two ‘Oh’s’. Nikki looks confused. “Exactly! No one makes that better than Grandma, but Cindy’s? If Grandma’s is 100, Cindy’s was 98.”
Ranger nods. “Then we’ll get a Crock-Pot.”
“You still want to try mine, Steph?” I nod. “OK, what do you want to try?”
Ranger smirks. “Look for a pineapple upside down recipe. If that works, we’ll buy the Crock-Pot.”
I immediately search online and find not one, but at least fifteen recipes. Nikki and I check the ingredients list and head to a grocery store. Within an hour, we’re back and I’m anxious to try this, but Nikki laughs.
“Tomorrow morning. We’ll do it tomorrow morning while Hec makes breakfast and you’ll come back to cake.”
Fine. I leave the ingredients in the fridge, change into my nighties and check on Manny. Out. A tummy full of stew, a car ride home, his day is done. I smooth his hair back from his face and smile.
His curls are back.
A shadow falls across me. Ranger’s in the doorway smiling. “Still no?”
I grin. “Still no. He’s cute, but all I have to do is imagine Lisa and her tendency to throw everything.”
He laughs. “She’ll grow out of it. They all do.”
I stand up and he takes my hand. “Nah. No thank you, Batman.”
We snuggle in bed and grab our iPads. “What’s your plan for tomorrow?”
“I’m headed into the office with Hec for a while.” He raises a brow. “Not long. Just long enough to peek around then I’m coming back to eat my cake. You?”
“Here. Ignoring the cake.”
“You aren’t going to dig into Atlanta?”
“I have something else I need to follow up on.”
I frown. “Being mysterious again, Batman.”
He sighs. “Op related.”
“I thought the op was over.”
“It is, but the debriefs just ended. I want to reread reports.”
“Oh.”
—oOo—
“Babe?”
I’ve been looking at Crock-Pot recipes all night. I feel … I’m not sure.
I’m not Burg. I’ve always known this. But just because I don’t want to be Burg doesn’t mean that I have to ignore everything domestic.
OK, so I can’t cook. Or can I?
Hector’s taught me to cook. He taught me simple meals and I enjoyed them. Ranger enjoyed them. No, I can’t take my mother down in a showdown, but I can sear a steak. I can make a salad. I can make simple meals. I’m not hopeless in a kitchen, no matter what Mom said when I was a kid. I managed to keep myself fed during my week at Bay Head by myself and I didn’t have Mom’s, Pino’s, or Cluck in a Bucket as a crutch.
This Crock-Pot idea? I like it. Set it and forget it. A hot meal waiting on me when I get home. I like that.
I don’t have to depend on my mother for a meal.
I don’t want to be a Burg housewife and Mom was the shining example of how to be ‘Burg’. Her life revolved around me, Val, and Dad. Even ML is more ‘Burg’ than I want to be, but I don’t have to be them. Why do I love Ella so much? Because Ella’s meals were delicious, nutritious, and low in fat, calories, and guilt. No lectures as a side dish. No questions and comments for dessert.
So far, talking to Mari and Cindy, I’ve met stay-at-home moms who are nothing like my mother. Well, that’s not quite true. Family comes first for them, but they’re busy and have jobs and stuff that they do all day and they’re quick to tell me how they manage. Even Nikki, as a single mom, can make meals and feed her son. Cindy showed me her receipts. To make that meal cost her twenty bucks and normally they would eat off that for at least three days.
I spend twenty bucks on a bucket from Cluck in a Bucket and that’s gone in an hour. Less if Lula is with me.
I’ve never really thought about where my money goes. It just goes and I accept that as long as I get what I want, but what if … Cluck in a Bucket, Tasty Pastry, Pino’s … I mean, do I really need to buy a meatball sub? Can I make that? I would have had more money at the end of the month if I knew how to stretch my pennies …
Your livelihood was not important. Not life and death important because it was just you. You just needed to have a place to live and to pay your bills, and if you needed food, you ate at your mother’s. If you needed more money because things were getting tight, you came to RangeMan.
Hec was right. No one depended on me. I could do what I wanted, how I wanted. Nikki, Cindy, and Mari? They know these things because people depend on them. Rex is the only ‘person’ who depends on me but I would have had more money for FMPs (and rent, I guess) if I knew how to stretch my money. I wouldn’t have been so desperate for skips, or work, if I knew how to stretch my money.
I feel as if I’m being let in on all the secrets other people just know. Like, there was a huge convention and everyone finally decided to tell me. I’m not sure how to describe that feeling.
I sigh and look over at Ranger. “I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Then just tell me what you’re thinking.”
I look back at the recipes I’ve been bookmarking. “Ever since we started this trip, I keep thinking I didn‘t know that or Wow, OK. Learned something new there and I keep thinking, Why? Why didn’t I know about Crock-Pots? Why didn’t I know about Roombas?” Ranger snorts. “Why don’t I know about abstract art?” I sit up and face him, angrier now. “Why don’t I know how to make a pineapple upside down cake? You know they have Crock-Pot recipes for that?! Why was I in the Burg, Ranger? Why? I don’t want to be Burg! I don’t want to make meatloaf all my life! I don’t want to spend my life as someone else’s laugh! Why?”
“Because you weren’t ready to leave it yet, Babe,” he says quietly. “Also, Manny?” He raises a brow and I cringe.
“Oh!” I turn to look at the door, half expecting Manny to poke his little head through, but no one comes. I lie back against his chest and think. “I mean, I always knew I never wanted to be Burg, but …” He pulls me closer and wraps his arms and legs around me. I’m in a Ranger cocoon and it’s a wonderful place to be, although he’s already putting off enough heat to make me want to move. I sniff the Bvlgari and close my eyes. “Why?”
And, as I drift off, I finally understand why.
I never knew because a life with Joe would have been ‘Burg’. I would never have needed to know. I just needed to follow in my mother’s, or his mother’s, footsteps.
Life with Ranger?
That’s entirely up to me.
