Disclaimer: See Part 1
Feedback: Email TT

Realigning Destiny
By TT

Sometimes chance intervenes in our lives and causes destiny jumps the tracks. When this happens, fate steps in and realigns destiny’s course to bring us to where we need to be. But, as with the course of true love, the road of realignment doesn’t always run smooth.

Part 29: Haunted

Stephanie peered into Charlie's room and was satisfied when she saw he was sleeping peacefully.

Pulling his door closed, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. She could tell Ranger was already there waiting for her by the smell of coffee permeating the house.

As she arrived on the lower floor, she found herself frozen in place at the kitchen doorway, her breath taken away by the sight of Ranger in her kitchen.

His back was to her as he stood before the coffee maker, waiting for it to finish brewing. He was wearing a pair of cargoes that hung loosely from his hips. His shirt was carelessly tossed on the counter, leaving a broad expanse of mocha-latte skin open to her sight. His still damp hair curled slightly at the ends adding a hint of boyishness to his very manly appearance.

Seeing Ranger in such a domestic setting, here in her kitchen with her son sleeping upstairs, caused her heart to clench long enough for yearning to pierce both her still heart and her soul. In her mind's eyes images of the future flashed rapidly, overlaying each other. They were all images of the family she had secretly dreamed of so many times – her, Charlie and Ranger, aging, growing older, growing together.

Stephanie had never been a domestic person, never thought of herself as a wife and mother type of person, but right then there was nothing she wanted more than to have the family her imagination had conjured.

“You just going to stare at me all morning, Babe?” Ranger asked, looking over his shoulder at her and grinning.

All thoughts of family left her mind as an entirely different sort of yearning filled her. There was absolutely no denying it. Even tired, Ricardo Carlos Manoso was one sexy man.

Unconsciously, Stephanie licked her lips. A shiver raced down her spine as she saw his eyes darken and a look of desire spread across Ranger's face. “Seems like a plan,” she replied, her voice slightly husky, her eyes locked with his.

The moment was interrupted when Tigger let out an unearthly yowl.

Jumping at the sudden noise, Ranger flashed a smile as Stephanie let out a nervous laugh. She bent down as Tigger brushed against her legs and lifted the cat up to her face. “You need to be quiet,” she admonished. “Charlie's still asleep.”

Tigger's response was an idle bat at her nose.

Sighing, she placed Tigger back on the floor and watched as the feline set off on a morning patrol of the house.

Once the cat was out of view, Stephanie knew she had no other option but to turn her attention to Ranger. As she looked over at him, she failed to immediately meet his gaze as her eyes were caught by the front view that was now facing her.

At some point, Ranger had turned around to face her and was now leaning against the counter, his arms crossed loosely and a half-smile on his face as he waited for Stephanie to find his eyes.

When they finally did, the two stood in silence for several seconds. There was an almost magnetic pull between the two of them as they stepped toward each other, neither consciously aware of moving.

Meeting halfway, Ranger tipped his head downward as Stephanie tipped hers upward. Their lips met in a gentle kiss as Stephanie's eyes fluttered closed.

The delicious feel of Ranger's lips on hers, however, wasn't enough to completely block the image that flashed before her – the image from her nightmare. Gasping in horror and fear, she quickly stepped back, only to be stopped by Ranger's arms around her.

His own eyes flying open at the sudden loss of his lips' mates, Ranger looked down into Stephanie's haunted eyes. Drawing her closer, he commanded, “Tell me about your dream.”

Stephanie took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Why don't you pour coffee?” she asked. “I need to grab something from the mud room.”

“Alright,” Ranger agreed, reluctant to let go.

As she headed to the mudroom, she tried to calm her nerves. The face she was about to show Ranger, the names she was about to reveal had haunted her for four years. The thought that she might be responsible for the death of a loved one had tormented her, taunted her every day. Sometimes she could deny it for a while, but the nightmare, the memory, the threat was always there.

Grabbing the manila folder filled with pictures, she turned and headed back into the kitchen.

Ranger had poured two cups of coffee and set them at the kitchen table.

Stephanie took a seat and was oddly comforted when Ranger sat in the chair next to her and took her hand in his own. She looked up and met his eyes. Normally she struggled to read him, but right then, she could see his love and support in them. She could also see his exhaustion, his pain and his need to know this.

Taking a deep breath, she offered as much of a reassuring smile as she could and withdrew her hand.

It was only after she had taken a drink of coffee that she fingered the edge of the folder and began talking.

“I told you about that last day in Trenton. What I didn't tell you was the names of the people,” Stephanie said. “In the story I called the one 'Mr. Smith' wasn't Mr. Smith.” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, hoping for the courage to share the name, trying to overcome the years-ingrained fear that speaking the names, acknowledging the people, would lead to the death of a loved one.

Stephanie's eyes flicked open when she felt Ranger's hand cover hers.

Locking eyes, she drew strength from him.

She twined the fingers of one hand with his and then opened the manila folder she had retrieved.

With a deep breath, she drew out the top picture.

“Mr. Smith was someone I went to elementary school with,” she explained, looking up and locking eyes with Ranger. “I hadn't seen him in years, but I remembered him.” Drawing the picture to them, she looked down at it. “James Campbell,” she said softly, her eyes flicking back to Ranger's face to take in his reaction.

She saw his face freeze and his eyes go dark. As his jaw clenched and tension became etched in ever line of his body.

“Not a nice guy, Babe,” he said, his voice flat.

“No, he's not,” she agreed. “Murderer. Terrorist. And I found out a lot more once I started working here. But there were two of them there that day, and he wasn't the scary one. It wasn't until much later that I discovered his identity and that I was right to be scared of him.”

If possible, Ranger tensed further.

Reaching into the folder, she drew out the second picture, her hand was shaking slightly.

With a deep breath, she moved the picture over the top of the one showing Campbell.

The curse that escaped Ranger was violent, vicious and summed up the powerful emotions the man in the picture evoked succinctly.

“Babe, that's Johann DiMarco,” Ranger informed through gritted teeth.

“I know,” she said, her voice soft and small as she met his eyes.

Ranger tugged her hand and she allowed him to pull her into his lap.

She rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat as he held her tightly to his chest. This was where she wanted to be. This is what she had needed all those years ago. This was what she never wanted to give up.

After a few minutes of drawing comfort from each other, Stephanie pulled back and placed a kiss on his jaw before moving back to her own chair.

Settling in, she picked up both pictures and set them back in the folder.

“I understand, now,” Ranger assured. “I didn't fully understand before, but I do now.”

“Thank you,” Stephanie replied. Distracting herself by taking a sip of her coffee.

Silence rested heavily in the kitchen as they absorbed the enormity of what had happened in the past, the forces that had separated them, and the huge complications this new knowledge prevented.

The moment shattered with the sound of small footsteps on the stairs.

Rising from his seat, Ranger leaned over and placed a kiss on Stephanie's temple before grabbing the file folder. “I'll take these with me today,” he said, setting them out of the way on the counter.

“I better start breakfast,” Stephanie said, rising from her chair. She didn't realize how close Ranger was still standing to her chair. When she turned she found herself standing chest to chest with him.

His arms wrapped around her waist and he drew her close. “I won't let you go,” he assured. Then, tipping her head up, he kissed her.

Giving herself over to the kiss, Stephanie leaned more fully against Ranger.

The kiss was short and broke soon after beginning when Charlie offered his opinion. “Eww!”

To Be Continued in Part 30: Closer

To TT's 100_Prompts Table
To TT's Story Index
Email TT