FINAL CHAPTER

Nothing is mine, and I'm making no money. No infringement intended.

Author's Note – I discovered FanFic in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic last year, while the local libraries were closed in my state and I'd already read and re-read all the books in my house. I found a goldmine of Babe HEAs and was immediately sucked into the vortex and spent most of my free time in the summer and fall reading all the incredible stories posted. Throughout the holiday season, I had an annoying niggle in the back of my mind of a story that wouldn't go away, based on Ranger's line from JE's actual book: "I could make you forget about Morelli, if I put my mind to it." Every time I read it, my mind was screaming: "PUT YOUR MIND TO IT DAMMIT!" I ignored the niggle for weeks, until one day my husband said: "Stop talking to me about this story and just write it!" (For reasons that are slightly unclear, he doesn't share my crush on Ranger.) I was hoping – maybe – that ten people would read this story. You guys have blown me away! I excitedly read each and every review you leave, and they are like honey to my soul. Now that I'm wrapping up this adventure with Ranger and Steph, I'm actually playing with the idea of a follow up story. We'll see – no promises. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Thanks for letting me share a little piece of my creativity with you. I appreciate you more than words can express. -K-

Chapter 29

I looked at Ranger who smiled at me. He pressed his hand into the small of my back, urging me onto the boat.

"Come on," he said, leading me to a padded bench at the back of the boat. He was still wearing his blank face as we sat down, and he pulled me in close. "The Captain is inside, you'll meet him later," he said as we slowly motored out of the slip and through the no-wake zone and toward the open ocean.

The water was a gorgeous turquoise, and I happily settled into his chest as we picked up speed.

We drove for a while, and I just enjoyed the feeling of the salty air on my face, Ranger at my back, arms wrapped tight around me, and the wind in my hair. We were in the middle of the ocean now, and we could no longer see the shore or other boats in sight. The sound of the motor cut and we were drifting, both of us lost in our thoughts. It was truly the most relaxed I had been since Ranger got back. No worries, no interruptions, just us. Together. Pure bliss.

After a few minutes of silence, I felt Ranger shift behind me. I turned and saw the blank face was long gone. He was looking intently at me, and I could read love, trust, honesty, admiration, excitement, and a tad bit of uncertainty. Huh? Ranger was never uncertain.

"Steph, Babe. I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of loving another person. You are the other half of me, and if you'll let me, I'm going to spend the rest of my life putting my mind to making you the happiest woman in the world."

He slid off the bench, going down onto one knee and reached into his pocket, drawing out a small black velvet box. My hair was blowing slightly in the sea breeze and I was in absolute shock, my eyes locked on his in wonder.

"Stephanie," he said, in a strong, sure voice. He smiled, his eyes never leaving mine. "Will you marry me, Babe?" he asked, opening the box. The sunlight glinted off the biggest damn diamond I'd ever seen outside of a jewelry case.

When I'd gotten engaged the first time, I didn't even speak, I'd just bobbed my head in a nod at Dickie holding out a diamond solitaire on his knee at an upscale steakhouse where everyone was staring at us expectantly. Joe had proposed multiple times during the years with our on-and-off relationship, though it almost always happened while I was naked in bed. Or over the phone when he'd say something like: "We should be married." And we'd spend the next few weeks classifying our relationship as "pre-engaged" while I tried to get rid of the hives that always popped up on my skin. I wracked my brain for a time I'd ever actually said "yes" but couldn't come up with one. But this, this scene was something else entirely.

Ranger had taken us to my favorite place – the ocean. He'd shown me his feelings on his face, and he had used the most incredible words to reassure me. And my answer came as effortlessly as falling in love with him had been.

"Carlos. Yes!" I said, threading my hands into his hair and pulling his lips to mine in a scorching kiss.

I would have kept on kissing him, but we were interrupted by claps and cheers coming from the deck above us. I looked up and saw Tank, Hector, Cal, Hal, Bobby, and Lester all standing at the rail going crazy. I turned back to Ranger and he gave me all 1000-watts of his smile. He raised his eyebrow and I held out my left hand. He slid the ring on, and since it was Ranger, I wasn't even surprised that it was a perfect fit. It was gorgeous, and I took a moment to admire it, realizing I LOVED seeing it on my finger. Woah.

"There are some people who really want to congratulate you," he said in my ear. I kissed him again and reluctantly pulled away to walk with him to the upper deck where I was passed from man to man getting hugs and kisses on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're all here," I said honestly, as Lester popped a bottle of champaign and filled glasses. Over the past year and a half, these men had truly become my brothers – my family. When everyone had a glass, Tank held his up in toast.

"To Ranger and Steph," Tank said. "the future Mr. & Mrs. Manoso."

"Mr. & Mrs. Manoso!" the guys all chorused as we clinked glasses. We drank and laughed, and I asked everyone how long they'd known, shocked to hear that some of them had known before the Arizona trip. After several minutes, Cal excused himself and I heard the motor start up. I looked at Ranger, confused.

"Cal's a licensed Captain," Ranger explained. Ah, of course. Rangeman are all multi-talented.

"I'll show you just how multitalented I am later, Babe," Ranger growled into my ear and I got a shiver down my spine while I simultaneously realized I'd spoken aloud.

Ranger led me to the front of the boat where we slipped off our sandals and sat on the tight mesh above the water. The wind was faster now, and my hair was whipping everywhere. It was going to be a riotous mess by the time we made it back to the marina, but I didn't care. I wasn't sure if I could come up with a way to make this day more perfect. I noticed then that we were approaching a shoreline, with only one long wooden dock, leading to a long wooden staircase that went up the side of the hill. Cal expertly pulled the boat up to the dock and Ranger grabbed my hand, tugging me along.

"Where are we?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.

We were walking up the dock and I was aware that the rest of the men had stayed on the boat. We reached the steps and Ranger eased his arm around me, resting his hand in the small of my back as we began ascending the stairs.

"You'd probably refer to it as the Bat Cave," Ranger said finally, carefully searching my face with his eyes.

"Seriously? It exists?" I almost couldn't believe it.

"This place is the closest thing I consider to be my house," Ranger said.

"So, I'm finally getting into your home?" I asked, teasing, trying to lighten what obviously felt like a very serious moment.

"My home is wherever you are," Ranger said solemnly. "But this is my favorite house, and aside from the 6 men on the boat, you're the only other person who knows the location. And you're the first person who's going to be inside it with me."

"You've never let the men come in?"

"No, this is my house. For a long time only Tank knew the location, for security purposes, but when we expanded the Core Team, we felt they deserved to know the location, too."

"But they're not allowed in?"

"This is my retreat. You're the only person I've ever wanted to be here. After you've seen it, you can bring them in, if you want. What's mine is yours," he said, pulling me in for a kiss.

We made our way past a 10-foot-tall stone wall and though a secure metal door at the corner. Beyond the wall was the most gorgeous yard I'd ever seen with a gorgeous pool set into a natural rock-like setting. There was a waterfall cascading over the side and a small hot tub on a raised platform. Beyond the pool was a 2-story stone house. There were oversized French Doors on one side and what appeared to be a garage door on the other side. He led me to the French doors, and we entered into an immaculate kitchen full of top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and all sort of gadgets that I had no idea how to use. He gave me a tour of the main living areas, master bedroom, and guest rooms. My mouth fell open when I realized half the closet was filled with women's clothes and shoes – in my size. And duplicates of all my hair and makeup supplies in the bathroom. Holy shit. Ranger led me to the couches behind the kitchen, overlooking the backyard and ocean.

"I need to tell you some things, Babe." I immediately tensed, and Ranger pulled me in for a kiss. "You're going to be my wife. And I know it won't matter to you, but I need to explain some things."

"Are you secretly married?" I asked, trying to swallow some of the panic rising in my throat. Ranger was being uncharacteristically open.

"No, not since my divorce from Rachel," he said. "But I am sure that you do not know the extent of some of the details of my life. I know I kept you out on purpose before I went away on the last mission, and since I've been back, I hope you've seen that I've been trying to not shut you out on the day to day."

"Yes," I said. "I have noticed the difference."

"But I'm talking about things that only the men on the Core Team know, and some of the things not even all of them know," Ranger said.

"Like this house?"

"This house, yes. And other things. I own multiple houses, Babe. Not Rangeman properties, I'm specifically talking about my personal properties and assets."

"That's your boat down there, isn't it?" I asked, starting to feel a little faint.

"One of them," he said, somewhat evasively.

"The money that I've earned from the government was significant," Ranger said. "At the beginning, I poured most of it into the startup of Rangeman. But much of the profit also comes back to me. I'm not sure I can count the number of missions I've taken on, but I've been paid well for each of them. If I continue teaching, I'll continue being paid for that as well, though not nearly as handsomely. You've heard of soldiers making more money for combat pay, right?"

"Yes," I said, happy to know the answer to something. "So, you got combat pay?"

He hesitated. "In a manner of speaking. It was exponentially more than standard combat pay."

"What are you trying to say?"

"When they send you on a mission that they don't expect you to return from, they tend to throw a lot of money at you."

"So, you're rich," I was finally starting to pick up on what he was saying.

"Yes."

"And you're afraid I'm going to…"I trailed off, not really sure what his concern actually was.

"I'm not afraid, I just want to be upfront with you. No secrets. Though I believe you're finally going to start understanding why I've always told you no price."

He pulled me close to him and pulled up a program on the MacBook sitting on his lap. He angled it toward me, and my eyes scanned over the document, which seemed to be a high-level summary of Rangeman's worth along with a list of properties, cars, boats, and other assets, and finally at the bottom a summary of investments, and how quickly they could be liquidated. To say I was overwhelmed would be like calling a hurricane a "light rain".

"Ranger. Carlos. I get it. Just with Rangeman, I assumed I would be signing a pre-nup. It isn't a big deal. I'd love you if you didn't have a dollar to your name. I'm still going to work; you're assuming I'm going to be a kept woman or a housewife, that's so not happening." I was starting to get flashbacks of Joe, and was desperately reminding myself that Ranger wasn't Morelli, trying to stay calm.

"Stephanie. Stop. No. I do not want you to change a thing about you. I simply wanted no secrets between us. Of course, there are things I cannot tell you about my past, but as much as it can be, I want my life to be an open book to my life."

"Thank you, Ranger. That means a lot to me. I'm starting to get why you always said your life didn't lend itself to relationships."

He laughed. "It wasn't a lie, but it was kind of a shitty thing to say. I'm glad you didn't let me push you away," he said, as he pulled me into a hug.

"I've been in love with you for a long time," I said honestly.

"And I with you," he said. "But there are a couple more things I need to go over with you."

"Sure," I said, getting up and walking into the kitchen. I found, as I expected I would, a fully stocked fridge. I pulled two bottles of water from the middle shelf and made my way back to the couch. I handed one to Ranger and twisted the top off mine.

"You're wrong about a couple things," he said.

"Not a fun way to start," I said honestly as I took a drink.

"You're not going to be signing anything. No pre-nup." He was using his commander voice, and I'd only heard it a couple times. I had never heard this tone of absolute finality.

"What?! You cannot be serious. This isn't… I mean… It's not… This would affect the Core Team too; I know they all have bought into the business." I finally finished.

"Their portions are theirs; my portion is mine. No conflicts," he said simply. "I meant it when I told you that the Batcave was forever. You're not getting rid of me. Unless you plan to off me yourself."

I was floored. "You have to be the most generous – and delusional – man in the whole world," I finally said. The amount of trust he was showing me with this action was phenomenal, and it told me without a doubt that he was just as trustworthy.

"Babe."

And just like that, I knew it was all as it was meant to be. He was saying everything in just one word, and it was all I needed to hear. He pulled me into a kiss and ran his tongue across my bottom lip. I opened and felt my blood start to heat as our tongues stroked together. I pulled him in, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and letting my fingers dig into the muscles of his back. He pressed me back into the couch and settled on top of me, sliding his hand up my shirt and cupping my breast. I would have gone on kissing him for much longer, but he rolled and shifted and set us back on the couch, sliding back. His eyes were bright with passion, and I got a heady feeling knowing that he wants me as much as I want him.

"I know I said you had the rest of the afternoon off, but I'd actually like to bring in the rest of the guys for a quick meeting," Ranger said. "Would that be OK with you?"

"Would that be OK with you?" I asked. "If they've never been in your house? Do you want them here?"

"You were the first person I ever found myself wanting to bring to this house," Ranger said. "I've spent many months here, in solitude after missions or when I needed to refocus. I never expected to bring anyone here, and for quite some time only Tank had the coordinates. Then I met you and found myself wishing I could bring you here to get away. Now that you're here with me, it truly feels like home. We'll have plenty of time here together – alone – very soon. But for now, I'd like to invite the men closest to me to come into our home. But if you'd rather keep it our own private retreat, we can go back to the boat."

I still wasn't used to talkative Ranger, and all I could do is nod. He pulled out his phone and sent a text, then got up and walked to the kitchen to pull out more drinks, which he carried to the large dining room table. He took a seat at the head of the table and called me over.

"Sit here, beside me," he said, gesturing to the chair on his right. The guys came in and Ranger rose to greet them.

"Welcome to our home. I'll give you the tour after our meeting," he said, gesturing them to the table. Each of them took a seat, and I noticed Tank had a stack of files in his large hands. I raised my eyebrow, hoping he would give me a hint what this was all about. He had his blank face on, along with all the rest of the guys – except Lester who I could tell was trying his best to hide a smile.

One by one, Tank handed files to everyone. It took every single ounce of restraint I possessed to let the folder sit on the table in front of me without opening it. But no one else had opened theirs, so I was following their que.

Ranger took his seat at the head of the table and began. "Thanks for assembling for this extra meeting. As you know, at our last meeting, I introduced the item of expanding the Core Team. I submitted the same proposal you have in front of you, the numbers, and the additional background information. There have been no questions or objections raised, but I'll open the floor again now."

The blank faces around me were gone now and replaced with the six men I thought of as my brothers all smiling broadly. One by one, Ranger made eye contact with each of them and no one said anything.

Tank cleared his throat. "I motion we expand the Core Team permanently to include Stephanie Plum as an equal member." My mouth fell open and my eyes flew to Ranger's.

"What…" I started.

Hector squeezed my thigh. "Shh, Estefania. Don't interrupt a motion."

"I second the motion," Lester said.

"Hal?" Tank said, making a note on the file in front of him.

"Agreed."

"Hec?"

"Si."

"Cal?"

"Absolutely, yes."

"Bobby?"

"Hell, yeah!"

"Ranger? You also vote yes?"

"I do," Ranger said. His choice of language was not lost on me, and my skin erupted in goosebumps.

"The motion carries unanimously," Tank said. "Welcome to the Core Team of Rangeman, Little Girl."

"Hold on," I said, interrupting the clapping that was starting around the table. "I know you all bought in to this. I haven't contributed anything financially."

"Babe, it's my engagement present to you. I want you in every part of my life. Partners in every sense of the word. Watching you work in Arizona only solidified it in my mind. We need you. Your mind, your talent, your skills."

"Wow," I said. I had no other words. "Thank you. All of you. I won't let you down."

Lester popped open a bottle of champaign, which I hadn't seen him bring to the table and poured out 8 glasses. Tank gestured to my file and I found a contract inside. I skimmed over it, realizing it was the confirmation of the investment amount, and what I would be entitled to receive if I opted out. Ranger handed me a pen, and I signed with a flourish. We toasted for the second time that day, and I tried to think of a time that I had ever been this content with my life.

"I've honestly never been so happy in all my life, Carlos," I whispered in Ranger's ear, sliding onto his lap.

"And I will put my heart, soul, and mind to keeping you that way. Babe."

He pulled me in for a seriously hot kiss. "For the rest of our lives," he said against my lips.

"For the rest of our lives," I agreed as I gave myself fully to his kiss.

FIN