Chapter 126: How Do I Love Thee?
Steph’s POV
“Babe.”
“Yes?”
He closes his eyes, a half smile on his face. “Torture.”
“Worse than dinner at my parents’?”
We’re both smiling. “Much worse.”
The masseur smiles. “This conversation is deja vu. You two have been here before, haven’t you?” he asks me.
Ranger’s fingers lace with mine. “Yeah. We have.”
—oOo—
When we left Atlanta last night, Ranger was in a much better mood. I think we both were.
I had half a pineapple upside down cake.
Was it better than my mother’s? Nope.
Did I make it all by myself? Yeah, with some help from Hec, who refused to be cut out of the fun and stuck with the cleaning.
Was it ooey, gooey, buttery, and sweet? Oh yeah!
We all had a slice. Ranger ate two bites and shrugged. “Not bad.”
I rolled my eyes. Nikki, Manny, and I had no problems finishing his slice off. Hec piled his high with whipped cream. “I wonder how I’d have to modify my bread pudding for this.”
My head snapped up. Hec’s bread pudding recipe?
Forget the goulash! This thing could become my new dessert cooker!
Nikki and I discussed how to improve the recipe (namely, using a different cake mix and/or adding a stick of butter), but I was sold! Hec had to tug me out of the house to go to RM-Atlanta. When I returned to the townhouse, Ranger presented me with a receipt for a Crock-Pot. Well, a confirmation for one he bought off the Internet.
“Romantic.”
Hec snickered and walked off. Ranger kissed me. “Where would we put a Crock-Pot in your car?”
“Oh.” Good point. Ranger’d spent a few minutes last night trying to figure out where to put the heels I snagged from Cindy. He finally gave up and said he’d ship them to the Miami house.
“I bought it. We just have to pick it up when we reach Miami.”
I smiled. “I take it back. So romantic.”
“That’s right, Babe. Admire the manly physique.”
“How many muscles did you use to hunt down a Crock-Pot?”
“It required more skill than you think.”
“I’d believe him if I were you,” Nikki yelled from the kitchen, where she was loading the dishwasher. “Those things are popular Christmas gifts.”
I believe her. If I can make goulash in it, I’m getting another. Dinner and dessert?
Sold!
—oOo—
“What do you want to do?”
We’re laid back on the bed ‘thinking’. The moment we crossed the Florida line, the weather completely changed. It’s 83 degrees here but the breezes from the ocean are keeping everything cool. I love Florida.
Somehow Ranger managed to get the same room, the same masseur, everything the same except the champagne. He got better champagne this time. So far, we’ve had breakfast at a local restaurant, checked into the hotel and had our massages. It’s not even noon yet and we’re going to Yoder’s for dinner tonight. It’s been another perfect trip.
Ranger’s lack of response encourages me to look up at him. He looks half asleep. “Carlos?”
That always gets a response. I get a smile. “Hmmm?”
“What do you want to do?”
“No clue, Babe. Want to go back to the botanical garden?”
“No. Last time we came here, we went where I wanted to go and you planned a birthday surprise for me. This time, let’s do what you want to do.”
His face is completely unreadable. Bad idea? “Kayaking?”
“Kayaking?”
“We’re both paddling our own boats.”
I choke back the ‘Ew’ I’m thinking and smile. “OK.”
He snorts. “Babe. You have zero interest in that.”
Hmm … time to start practicing blank face again. “More like, I’m wondering how long it would take for me to tip my boat over.”
“You won’t tip it over, Babe.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
I get all of Ranger’s attention for a few seconds. “Yes.”
I roll over and grab my iPad. “Then let’s rent kayaks.” I start looking for a rental place and finally find one. I glance over, to ask Ranger to hand me my phone, and he has a small smile on his face. “What?”
I get a soft kiss to the temple and he hands me my phone. “Thanks.”
—oOo—
No, I won’t tip the kayak over, but I see why Ranger chose this.
It’s definitely exercise. I feel like I’m wheelchair racing again. My ass is going nowhere, but my arms and core?
Burning.
“Is this punishment for the cake and the stew, Alex?”
We’re drifting for the moment, listening to the prerecorded tour guide in our ears talk about the wonders of the ‘Myakka River ecosystem’. Whatever. Ranger’s not even sweating. I’m drenched. I hate Florida. This humidity is ridiculous. I should have worn my sports bra instead of my Victoria’s Secret push-up.
Thank you, Hector, for the Florida makeup. At least my mascara isn’t running.
“Nope.” He points back toward the bank. “Alligators.”
I jump in the kayak and it wobbles. Ranger uses his paddle to steady my boat. There are at least ten fat alligators on the shore, looking at us like we’re lunch.
“Alligators in the wild are naturally fearful of humans, so they’ll keep their distance as long as we keep ours.”
“This seems like a perfect moment for my luck to strike,” I mutter.
“Not a chance, Babe. I won’t let you drift close to ’em.” I smile at that. “Did you get some pictures of the birds we passed?”
If this were an old film camera, I would have gotten at least three rolls of the birds. He kept saying ‘heron’ a lot, so I’m sure that I got plenty of pictures of them.
“Yeah.”
We’re still drifting along when we pass the most gorgeous bird I’ve ever seen. It’s a pure pink, with skinny legs and a flat beak. It’s not a flamingo, but I don’t know what it is and I can’t grab my camera fast enough.
“You know what that is?”
“Nope. Pretty though.”
The bird flies away, having had enough of my flash bulb, and we settle back into our kayaks.
“Alex?”
“Had enough?”
Yes! I’m sweaty and I need a shower. I refuse to call time on this, though. Ranger gave me everything I wanted on our last trip. I’m determined to stick it out. I put my camera back into my pack and decide to drift the remaining time. “Nope. Lovin’ this, Batman.”
He laughs. “Be honest, Babe.”
I push my sweaty bangs off my forehead and stare at him. “I’m here. I’m paddling. I’m trying to ignore the fact that we’re being followed by three alligators, who are supposed to be fearful of humans. I’m ignoring the sweat waterfall I have going down my back. I’m reminding myself that Yoder’s is at the end of this. I’m reminding myself that this rental is 2.5 hours and we’ve had them for two hours.”
“Anything else?”
“I’m wondering how it is you don’t sweat.”
“I’m sweating, Babe.” Where, Ranger? “OK, let’s paddle back to the start. Time to turn these in.”
Ranger’s off in a shot and I’m following him close behind, laughing. Cheat! He stops to let me catch up and pass him then he takes the lead again. He looks back, to laugh at me, I’m sure, when his blank face drops into place.
“Babe.”
“I need to paddle faster?”
“And don’t stop.”
I’m not looking back. I’m not looking back. I paddle as fast as I can and Ranger drops behind me, giving me directions back to our landing spot. I hear sounds behind me and stop paddling.
“Keep going, Babe!” he yells, but I turn my boat around to look.
Ranger’s surrounded. He’s zigzaging around all over the place and there are at least five alligators keeping up with him. One gator realizes I’m not hauling ass anymore and breaks away for me.
I’m frozen. I know I need to help Ranger but I don’t know what to do!
“What should I do?”
“Paddle, Babe! I got this! Just go!” He sounds pissed but I start paddling to him. He’s surrounded. He needs help.
I’m not fast enough. The gator bumps the back of my boat and I feel as if I’m being launched into the water.
“STEPH!” Ranger sounds terrified.
I hear a splash.
I’m in the water. I’m in the water! I’m in the fucking water!
Since I’m belted into this kayak, I’m going nowhere fast. I feel something slide by me and I take my paddle and start beating at anything near me. I’m not going to be a gator dinner! I refuse!
Thunk!
This isn’t the way I wanted to die! I wanted to go out in my bed, asleep, like normal people! I don’t want to make the evening news (again)!
Ranger, I love you! I love you! I’m sorry I didn’t say it more! I’m sorry!
I’m trying not to panic, trying to make my air last and I’m hoping that whoever owns Stiva’s now can get all of the mud out of my hair. I wonder how Ranger will explain this one. Crap! I forgot the rules! Ranger rescues me, not the other way around! I suck at rescue! I feel woozy and topsy-turvy and this sucks as an ending.
I’ll go to Mass! I promise!
“Steph!” I love you, Ranger! “I love you too! Open your eyes! Take a breath, Babe!”
I open my eyes and inhale, nearly choking on the air. My mascara-clogged eyes are having trouble opening and the sting is making it hard to focus on Ranger’s face. He’s looking panicked and scared. “OK?” I nod. “Can’t stop now. We’re still surrounded. Here.” He tosses me a rope then uses his paddle to hit the snout of a gator. It sinks under the water. Ranger ties the rope around my waist quickly. I hit another gator that tries to sneak up on him and look around. We’re still surrounded and drifting. “Don’t paddle until you get your breath back. You want to help?” I nod, still woozy. “Beat the shit out of any gator you see getting close.”
Ranger sounds pissed. I nod. I can do that. It’s personal now.
Ranger starts paddling again and the rope is biting into my waist, but I can take it. I start taking my anger out on the gators. We’re surrounded by at least eight now and we’re not just lunch to them. It’s personal for them too.
It’s slow going at first. I can see Ranger’s muscles straining, trying to get us out of there, and I’m trying to get my breath back. I’m playing whack-a-mole with the gators and wheezing. The first moment I can paddle, I do, and the rope goes slack. Ranger looks back, concerned, but I’m paddling as hard as I can and hitting any gator I see get close to us.
“Babe?”
“Fifty-fifty, Batman! I got this.” OK, it’s more 75-25, but I’m doing my part!
He turns back around and paddles furiously. I’m trying to keep up and we can see someone on the banks yelling.
“Here! Come in here!”
Ranger changes course and the closer we get, I recognize the man as the one we rented the kayaks from.
“Babe?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you loosen that knot?”
I stop paddling to try. “No.”
“OK. The moment we hit shore, I need you to keep up with me. Grab your pack, leave the kayak. Got it?”
“Got it.”
The kayaks hit shore, Ranger and I jump out, I grab my pack and Ranger picks me up and hauls ass to the truck. We jump in and the owner locks us in. There are two more men with him and they grab the kayaks and run to their trucks.
The gators are running at the trucks and they’re fast. The owner starts the truck and hits the road, gravel flying and tires squealing. Ranger works the knot loose and rubs at the red and angry spot on my stomach before grabbing me tight and nearly squeezing the life out of me.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he murmurs against my hair.
“You were surrounded,” I reply weakly. I think I drank half of the river. “What was I supposed to do? Leave you to die?”
“I had it. I wasn’t going to die.”
“You needed help.”
“I didn’t need the heart attack you gave me.” Ranger’s heart is beating a thousand times a minute. I’m pretty sure mine is.
The guy in the front chuckles. “I can tell you two aren’t married yet.”
Ranger stiffens. I peek out. “What?”
He looks in the rear view. “Your woman came back to rescue you, son. Doesn’t matter how right or wrong she was, she was gonna do it. The correct response is, ‘Yes, dear.'”
I smile and look up at Ranger. He looks annoyed for half a second then looks down at me. “Yes, dear.” I laugh silently. He sounds amused. His breath slowly evens out and he smiles. “I need a workout.”
I smile, remembering what he said. I work out to deal with the stress you bring me.
“I need a doughnut.” And the other half of my cake. I’m eating my cake tonight. All of it.
“Peanut butter cream pie.”
I perk up. “We’re still going?”
“You need it and I might eat a carb tonight.”
—oOo—
“So, how did you know to find us?”
Since he told Ranger to shut up, James, the kayak rental guy, has done a great job of ignoring us upping our level of mushy in the back of his truck. He smiles at me in the rearview. It’s a tight smile.
“We got a report that there was a nest of crocs in the area.”
Ranger curses. I look over in surprise. “Alex?”
“Crocs aren’t supposed to be in this area,” he says.
“Exactly,” James replies. “The moment we heard, we started tracking our kayaks. You were the only couple still left in the water. We were headed up closer to where you were when my guys said that you suddenly turned back and were moving like bats outta hell, so we assumed you’d probably come up on ’em.”
“We did.” Ranger looks at me. “Crocs are aggressive, unlike gators. I couldn’t understand why the gators were still following us. That makes sense.”
“And it’s mating season,” James adds. Ranger groans. I’m sure I still look confused. “Crocs are common in south Florida, ma’am.” I cringe but James doesn’t notice. “Not here in central Florida. Miami, Everglades area, but it’s warm here and not as crowded. Less competition for mates. A nest of potentially aggressive crocs means we need to get everyone out of the water. A croc gliding along in the water sees a kayak and thinks ‘possible competition for mates or food’. He doesn’t see ‘fiberglass boat with a human’ and honestly, if he can get you, you’re food.”
“The moment you went under, I think I aged ten years,” Ranger murmurs. “If one had caught you in a death roll, I would have had to try to shoot, which would put you in greater danger.”
I feel my stomach drop to my knees. “I told you my luck would put me in the water.”
He sighs. “We lived. That’s what matters.”
“Right.” We finally arrive at the parking lot and collapse into my Miata. Ranger gets us back to the hotel and we squeak through the lobby with as much dignity as possible. I take an extra-long shower, Ranger hopping out halfway through, and when I get out Ranger has a warm piece of cake waiting on me.
“Thanks.” I take a bite. “Did you get anything for yourself?” He lifts a glass of bright orange something. “Carrot juice?” He nods.
I flop back on the bed, naked, with cake and Aroused Carlos looking at me.
This is the life.
—oOo—
“No paragliding.” We’re at Siesta Key. I have three peanut butter cream pies waiting for me back at the hotel and my stomach is full of cabbage rolls.
Yoder’s serves cabbage rolls. I’m stuffed. Ranger had a very boring looking chicken breast and salad.
Ranger smiles. “How about watching the sun go down while sitting on the beach?”
I shudder. “No crocs this time.”
He kisses my wrist. “No crocs.”
We sit on the beach and watch the sun go down. Again, I’m in a Ranger cocoon and I’m warm and feeling comfortable.
“So … you were gonna sacrifice yourself to the crocs?”
I don’t get an answer at first. I look up. Ranger’s looking at me. “No.”
“Then what was the plan?”
“They weren’t paying attention to you, Babe. You had a chance to get away.”
“And you?”
“If needed, head to shore and run like hell.”
“Your plan sucked.”
He smiles. “I can’t take a gator or a croc in the water. Best bet is to hit land and try to climb a tree.”
“They can’t climb trees?”
I feel him laughing. “Yeah, they can.”
“This plan sucks.”
“I’d just begun to wonder if I was dealing with crocs, Babe, and trying to remember what I know about them. What I know isn’t good. Basically, we were croc food unless one of us got slick. If you got away, you could call for help. I was basically going to run in circles until I either hit a road or outran ’em. Worse comes to worse, call Hec for my coordinates.”
“Shooting?”
“Couldn’t remember state law on shooting gators and crocs. Didn’t want to do something that might call ‘official’ attention to us. If I could brazen it out, I would.”
I’m staring at him. “You really have to communicate.”
He laughs. “I was hoping your finely tuned self-preservation instinct would kick in there like it did in Baltimore.”
“It did,” I mutter. “But my ‘Not after he finally admitted he loves me!’ pissed-off mode did too.”
Ranger flops back in the sand and laughs and, after thinking about it, so do I.
—oOo—
The moon over Sarasota Bay is beautiful. I’m taking pictures of the water and the beach. Ranger’s curled up on the bed naked, so I take a few shots of that too.
Yum.
“Babe. No nudies.”
You should see your butt from this view, Carlos. Yum. You don’t appear to have tan lines either. How do you manage that?
I put the camera away and slide back into bed.
“Feeling up to answering a question?”
He cracks an eye open. “One of our agreed on questions?” I nod. “Sure.”
I pull out a piece of paper and mark the one I’ve really wanted an answer to for a while. “When did you realize you really loved me?”
Ranger’s head rises sharply. “Babe?”
“Just curious.”
“Will I get an answer?”
I swallow hard. “Yes.”
He’s still staring at me. I finally feel his gaze shift as he rolls over and puts his hands behind his head. When he finally speaks, his voice is quiet, barely above a whisper.
“I hadn’t been in Miami six hours, but I knew I was in the wrong place. I felt jumpy all day, like I needed to be somewhere else, but I couldn’t figure out where that feeling was coming from. I called Julie, confirmed she was safe and sound, and tried to concentrate on work again. I even turned my phone off. I was trying to review the mid-year reports but my mind wouldn’t focus.” He takes a deep breath. “That’s when I stopped fighting the feeling.
As a Ranger, you learn to trust your gut. I’d been fighting mine all day. I called Mando to take me to the airport and got on the first flight back to Trenton. The moment I walked out of the terminal and saw Tank’s face, I knew something horrible had happened.”
I wonder which of my disasters this was.
“The look on Tank’s face said he was thrilled and scared I was here. That’s what scared me. Tank? Scared? It had to be a disaster and before he opened his mouth, I said, ‘She disappeared?'”
Stiva. I swallow hard. Ranger’s staring straight ahead, perfectly still. I take his hand and squeeze and he gives me a tight smile. I curl up on his chest and his arms come down around me, pressing me tight against him.
“We got in the truck and he ran down everything the men had already done. I went to your apartment to search for clues and ran across that newspaper article you dug up. By then it was nearing 2300 but I was running off adrenaline and fear. I don’t know how my brain came up with the idea to search the probate records. It just did. My brain was putting the pieces together faster than my mind could keep up and I just followed the feeling.”
He squeezes my hands tight. I wipe my face and smile.
“I think I died when I saw you stuffed in the cabinet. I didn’t know how you could be alive and had Tank and Hal not been there, I might have screamed. The moment I saw your chest move, and your eyes open, I knew.” He looks at me. “That’s the moment I knew.”
I sniff. “We’re idiots.”
“It was complicated.”
Thanks, Ranger.
“You?”
I nod, my smile tremulous. “When I opened my eyes, and you were there, I’ve never known relief like I knew right then. I knew you would find me.” Ranger wipes my face and smiles. “Those were the last words I said to Stiva when he locked me in and I didn’t doubt it. Everyone else might give up, everyone else would forget me, but I loved you and I knew you’d find me.”
Our first kiss is a balm, gentle, almost worshipful. We hold each other close, our breaths almost matching, our bodies cooled by the breeze coming from the balcony. Ranger slips the thin spaghetti straps of my nightie off my shoulders and gently tugs it down my body until I’m bare in front of him. I roll over, pulling him on top of me, and we stare at each other.
“Algún día?”
“Siempre,” I whisper.
I get the 1,000,000 watt smile again.
—oOo—
I roll over and stretch, sore in places that shouldn’t be sore. How Ranger does that, gives me an orgasm when I can’t reciprocate fully, I don’t understand and—
What the hell!
I stare at my finger. Right ring, not left.
That’s a ring.
I know it.
I see it.
I feel it.
It’s heavy.
And boy does it sparkle!
I got a ring!
I got a ring from Ranger.
What does this ring mean? Is this my engagement ring? No, it’s on the wrong finger and I didn’t get a proposal, so is this … what the hell is this?
“I can hear you overthinking it,” Ranger mutters, eyes still closed.
“Scientific fact: it’s impossible to overthink a ring that suddenly shows up on your hand unannounced.” I poke him. “Well, help me out! What is this?”
“It’s the ring I bought you after the Stiva incident.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you buy me a ring?!” I’m sitting up in the bed now, confused. “I was still with Morelli! I was—”
“The moment you opened your eyes, your relationship with him was dead.” I stare at him. “You just didn’t realize it yet.”
“And you did?”
“Babe.”
“No, seriously!”
He sighs. “Babe, we nearly made love when I was hiding at your place when Julie was kidnapped. You were over him. You just hadn’t let go.” I stare at him. “If you’d truly loved him, no matter what moves I put on you, you wouldn’t have responded to it.”
I stare at the ring. “So you bought me a ring?”
“It gave me hope.”
“How?!”
“You were on the tail end of a bad addiction. It would be over soon. I was waiting it out.” He sits up and grabs the room service menu. “The ring?” I nod. “It’s an ‘I love you’ ring. I was hoping to give it to you at some point in this trip. Last night seemed to be the right moment.” He glances down the menu. “You want anything in particular?”
Men. I’m looking at a sparkler; he’s looking at the room service menu.
“Pancakes.”
“Health check.”
I groan. “Fruit instead of syrup.” I head to the bathroom, his laugh following me.
A ring! Platinum (I know Ranger. I doubt he skimped on this ring anywhere.), with an infinity symbol set with diamonds on top. It’s beautiful. I slip it off to wash my face and notice the engraving.
Siempre.
—oOo—
It’s hard to ignore this ring. I have to wear shades to look at it. It catches the sun everywhere!
I feel as if everyone sees it.
The woman checking us out smiled at me after looking at it.
The porter smiled at me.
The concierge smiled at me.
“Babe?”
We’re standing in front of my car and the valet is smiling at me. “Huh?”
Ranger grins and stands close. “You’re good for my rep.” Huh? “You have the biggest smile on your face,” he whispers before kissing my cheek gently.
I have a ring, Ranger. I have you and a ring and my ring says Siempre and I know what Siempre means. Did I ever mention how much I love Sarasota? Not the Myakka River though. I hate that. Let’s stay on the coast from now on. Good things are close to the coast. This hotel, this ring, Yoder’s, the beach …
“Babe?”
“Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted to drive home.”
“Oh.” I glance at the ring. “No. You drive.”
Ranger takes the keys, we get in and he hits the road. “Babe?”
“Hmm?” I love this ring.
“Should I get the necklace that matches that?”
I consider it. “No.”
“Need time to get used to the ring?”
Yes. I stare at his finger. “You don’t wear rings, do you?”
“Nope.”
“Wedding ring?”
“No.”
I deflate. He smiles and raises his left wrist. I hadn’t paid attention to his watch. “You bought me my bling already and it’s waterproof to—”
“It’s pretty.”
He laughs. “That was perfect, Babe.”
I consider this. I gave him that watch at the end of our Sarasota trip last time.
Yeah, Sarasota is special. Good things happen in Sarasota.
I open Zillow.
I wonder if Ranger would consider a house in Sarasota.
—oOo—
Ranger pulls into the garage and shuts off the car. We both stare at the wall for a moment.
We made it.
Sixteen hundred miles. Seven days. One car. Two seats. Not enough trunk space.
Fights, arguments, music appreciation classes. Discussions about who we are. My marriage. His marriage. Our childhoods. Mistakes we’ve made. Sex in public. Lots of sex in hotel rooms. Two near disasters.
When we both realized we loved each other.
I have a ring. Ranger has a watch.
I look at Ranger. He looks at me. I dial.
“Yo.”
“Bragging rights are ours.”
Bobby laughs. “I don’t hear Ranger, Bomber.”
“I’m here.”
“Still together? Still alive?”
“Yes.”
“Should I be afraid?”
“Yes,” we answer in unison. Click.
The revenge will be sweet, Bobby, but I won’t be too harsh.
I have a ring.
—oOo—
Ranger’s POV
Babe’s been staring at the ring all day.
She looks happy, thrilled, overjoyed … I’m relieved.
I didn’t know how that move was going to go over. I waffled over it all night, wondering if I should wait until she woke up to give it to her, but she fell asleep before I could think of something to say.
I woke up an hour before she did, slipped the ring on her finger, and waited.
Every time she was engaged to Morelli, there was never a ring. Never anything real to make it seem as if they were serious. I wanted her to know I was serious and when she whispered, “Siempre,” I knew I had my moment. There, in Sarasota, in a place with nothing but good memories for both of us. She fell asleep, and I dug the ring out of my ready pack and slipped it on her finger, whispering my love to her.
The other ring is here in Miami.
When she’s ready.
—oOo—
Steph set off for the grocery store with a list, plus her receipt for her Crock-Pot. I start cleaning. It’s clean, as usual, just dusty. I head upstairs and stare at her closet.
The Carrie Bradshaw closet? Hmm … I’d need to knock a wall out to accomplish that. So either the shower becomes smaller (no go), the bedroom becomes smaller (nope), I give up part of my closet (I love Steph, but she’s not the only one with a wardrobe), or we lose a bedroom.
This is a six bedroom house. That might be our winner.
I pull the house plans and take a look. Eh. OK. Somewhere in the very back of my mind, in the smallest recesses of my imagination, in a place I don’t dare consider …
I always thought we’d make that room a nursery.
Not that we have to or want to.
But I like keeping my options open. I finally got a ring on her finger. I didn’t know if I’d ever manage that. I hoped. I didn’t know.
I walk back into the closet and stare. Lots of wasted vertical space. I think a reconfigure might be the winner here.
I throw on my swim trunks and head back downstairs. I put my computer on its dock and make a note to get Steph a dock. I put everything else on their chargers and head back downstairs when I hear the garage door lift.
“Yeah, we’re here and …” Babe stares hungrily at my chest and I bounce my pecs for her. Her period cannot end soon enough. “Yeah … Ranger’s naked in front of me …”
“Angelita!” I can hear Hector and grin. “Do not want to know!”
“Sorry. Distracted.”
“Clearly! Call me when he’s put his clothes back on.” Click.
I laugh. “Get everything?”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “Come closer, Ranger. I wanna taste you,” she whispers.
I hope she never realizes she actually says that out loud. I move closer and get kissed.
“Groceries?”
“We’ll get ’em later.”
As you wish.
—oOo—
The sun is going down and we’re on the back deck, huddled under a cotton blanket. I have a bite of ice cream and watch Steph try not to eat the entire carton. She sighs.
“This is perfect.”
I agree. I kiss her temple and stare out into the water. My boat needs a cleaning.
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
“More of this.”
“And sex?”
I raise a brow. She smiles. Gracias a Dios!
“And sex.”
The ring catches the early moonlight and sparkles brilliantly. My woman. My ring. My home. My life is fucking perfect. Everything finally slotting in place right.
Perhaps I can think about carrying one less knife in future?
I look down. Plum curves. Maybe not. I should probably carry one more.
“RangeMan? Tomorrow?”
I groan mentally. “Babe—”
“Whatever it is, I want to get it over with and handled so we can get back to this.” She looks up at me. “Just like last time. Let’s handle it tomorrow morning and get it over with.”
“Fine.”
Here’s hoping it goes as well as it did last time.
