17
RANGER
It had been two weeks since Maisie’s meeting with investors and when we got married. Three weeks since our first date. It felt so much longer than that. Maisie and I were compatible in a way I’d never been with another person. We certainly didn’t agree on everything, but we were both willing to compromise.
It was something I remembered my father had said to Jimmy the night before he got married. “Pick your battles, son. Always be willing to compromise, and you will have a happy marriage.”
I knew there was a lot more to it. While I hadn’t seen my mother and father argue very often, there had been times I could tell they were mad at each other.
We hadn’t had our first argument yet, but we also weren’t tiptoeing around each other. Maisie made me smile, warmed my heart, and kept me on the edge of desire all day, every day. Night too.
We’d gone downhill skiing at the local ski area and Nordic skiing on Lake Placid’s cross-country trails, plus lots of tobogganing. She was naturally athletic like I was and always up for an adventure.
We spent three more days in the northern part of the park before heading to another lake farther south, where we spent two days.
We’d agreed to stay two more nights in Lake George, then spend the final two nights of our honeymoon in Saratoga Springs, which I considered to be the place where our relationship officially began.
Instead, I received a message earlier from Onyx, asking me to return to Canada Lake as soon as possible. Doc and Merrigan from our parent company—as he’d started referring to K19 Security Solutions—were on their way and had requested a team meeting.
“It’s okay,” Maisie said when I apologized. “We’ve been gone longer than we anticipated.”
“And we got married.” I winked and pulled her into my arms. “Ready to tell the world?”
When she bit her bottom lip, I had my answer.
“We don’t have to just because we’re going back to the lake. We can wait as long as you’d like.”
“It won’t bother you?”
I walked over to the end of the bed and pulled her onto my lap. “Our marriage is between you and me. While our extended families are important to me, you and I are now the nucleus of our own family.”
“I like that.”
“I like you.” I nuzzled her neck. “Actually, I love you.” Now that I’d started saying it, I wondered if maybe I did too often.
“Can I stay with you?”
I’d already given the logistics of where we’d live some thought. “Stay with me? No. Live together? Yes. We just have to talk about Jimmy. Would you be comfortable if he stayed there until he figured his life out?”
“I was going to ask if he’d be comfortable with me there.”
I shook my head. “You’re my wife, Maisie. I know I keep bringing it up, but it’s the truth. You and I are going to be living in the camp on Canada Lake; Jimmy is staying there.”
Before she could respond, my phone chimed with a call from Diesel. Since he hadn’t messaged first, I knew it was a call I needed to take. “Sorry, I have to get this.”
Maisie nodded, got off my lap, and went into the bathroom.
“Hey, man.”
“Ranger, I’ve got some news. Maxim Edwards was found dead in his apartment this morning. Buster was on stakeout and was there when NYPD arrived on the scene. Evidently, one of the neighbors heard a gunshot.”
“Self-inflicted?”
“I don’t know yet. We’re waiting for the preliminary report.”
“Keep me posted. You got the message about us heading back today, right?”
“Yes, sir. We’ll be ready at eleven hundred hours.”
I shook my head at my best friend’s formality. “Copy that.”
I knocked on the bathroom door to let Maisie know I was finished with my call.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Let’s sit.”
“Just tell me.”
“Apparently, Maxim was found dead this morning. We don’t have any details yet.”
Maisie put her hand in front of her mouth. “Oh my God. I didn’t wish for this.”
“Of course you didn’t.”
“I didn’t think very highly of him, though.”
“My opinion was worse.”
Maisie walked over and looked out the window, shaking her head. “I can’t believe he’s dead.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction, which meant I wasn’t sure what to say.
“When do we need to leave?”
I looked at my watch. “About an hour.”
“I know the timing is really terrible, but I need to feel close to you, Ranger.”
I led her into the bedroom and held her in my arms. I could feel the dampness from her tears on my shirt and stroked her back until it was time to go.
When we arrived at the lake, Jimmy and Onyx were sitting on the front porch of the camp next door to ours. I’d already taken Maisie’s and my bags upstairs, and she was unpacking her stuff.
“Got a minute?” I said to my brother.
“Of course.”
When I led him into the boathouse, he turned on the radio.
“What’s up?”
“Maisie is going to be moving in here.”
“That’s great news, bro. I’m happy for you both.”
“Thanks.”
Jimmy’s expression changed, maybe realizing why I was talking to him on our own. “Do you want me to move out?”
“No. Absolutely not. I just wanted you to know.”
“I can look for a place.”
“That isn’t necessary right now.”
“So, are the two of you serious?”
I had to respect Maisie’s feelings about not telling anyone we’d gotten married yet, and that included my brother. “Yeah, we’re serious.”
Another car was parked in the driveway, but closer to Blanca’s camp, when we came out of the boathouse. I looked over and saw her and Onyx out on the porch, sitting on the low country swing he and my brother had built for her.
“Looks like I need to make myself scarce from there too.”
I rubbed his shoulder. “You’re always welcome at the camp.”
“I really thought things would eventually work out between Melanie and me, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”
“I’m sorry, Jimmy.”
He walked down to the dock and looked out over the lake. I figured he needed time on his own, so I went inside.
“How did it go?” Maisie asked. “I can always go—”
I crowded her into a corner. “Wherever you go, I go too. For the rest of our lives, beautiful.”
We had a quiet evening on our own. I had no idea where Jimmy went, but I knew it wasn’t next door since Blanca was there. That he’d left made me feel like shit, but he was a grown man capable of making his own decisions. Who knew, maybe he went out and got lucky?
“Doc and Merrigan should be here soon, and our meeting will start shortly thereafter,” I said the next morning. We’d already discussed Maisie hanging out next door with Blanca and my brother, if he made it back. “There he is,” I said under my breath when he pulled in seconds later.