“I thought you were against that.”
“I am … er, well, kind of,” Mandy conceded. “I also know that it could be important so I’m willing to compromise. I’m going to ask him to look in the file and tell us if he thinks it’s important. We’ll go from there. Can you live with that?”
James nodded, love momentarily overwhelming him as he tightened his arms around Mandy’s waist. “I love you so much. Thank you.”
Mandy blinked rapidly to quell the tears threatening to spill over. “Thank you for being my husband.”
“I don’t even care about getting food poisoning now,” James said, kissing the tip of her nose. “That’s how much I love you.”
The joking words were enough to break the spell and Mandy shook her head as she stepped away. “You’re a terrible man.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” James said, instantly contrite. “I’m sure the odds of you giving me food poisoning are only … seventy-five percent or so.”
Mandy scowled. “I ordered the pasta from Olive Garden and only kept it warm in the oven,” she snapped. “I have breadsticks and salad, too.”
James brightened considerably. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he enthused. “You’re the best wife ever.”
Mandy made a face. “I could be an excellent cook if I wanted to be,” she sniffed. “I simply think my time is better served in other places.”
“I agree,” James said solemnly, grabbing the front of her shirt. “One of those places is going to be our bed in exactly an hour, so you’d better eat up, wife. I’m going to cook something special for you before the night is out.”
Mandy didn’t want to encourage his attitude, but she couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds like a plan.”
“It does indeed, wife. It sounds like the best plan.”
8
Eight
“Good morning, baby.”
James kept Mandy snug against his chest the next morning, their bare flesh pressed together as he enjoyed the groaning sounds she made as she woke.
“Morning,” Mandy muttered, her head heavy as she stretched. “Did you sleep okay?”
“I slept like a rock.”
Mandy forced up her chin and studied James’ profile for signs he was exaggerating. He looked well rested despite his emotionally unsteady afternoon the previous day. She couldn’t help but be relieved. He didn’t do well when running on limited rest.
“I did, too,” Mandy admitted, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I had a really funny dream, though.”
“Oh, yeah? What was it about?” James was in no hurry to cut short their morning routine. His favorite part of the day was waking up with his wife because she was warm, cuddly, and a tad slow on the uptake. He found the entire picture charming and wonderful.
“We were getting married because somehow we forgot to do it the first time,” Mandy explained. “I picked out a beautiful dress, but you wanted me to get married naked. I kept explaining that was a bad idea, but you wouldn’t listen to me so I finally got married naked.”
James barked out a laugh, delighted. “I’ll bet you were the prettiest bride ever.”
“I don’t know about that, but I didn’t seem to care that we were eating cake while naked,” Mandy said. “Somehow you ended up naked, too. It must be all of the wedding talk. That’s been our lives for weeks now.”
James was quiet for a beat as he stroked the back of her head and then something occurred to him. “Do you want to get married?”
Mandy knit her eyebrows together, confused. “We’re already married.”
“I know that,” James said. “I just meant … if you want … we could renew our vows when everyone else is getting married. I’ve already paid for the entire shindig and I doubt anyone would have a problem with it.”
Instead of reacting with an earnest smile or romantic kiss, Mandy immediately started shaking her head. “No.”
James stilled. “No?”
“No.”
James wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction. “Are you saying you don’t want to marry me?”
“I’m saying I already married you,” Mandy replied. “We don’t need to do it again.”
“But … I thought it would be romantic,” James said. “Don’t you want to reaffirm your love for me?” For some reason he couldn’t explain, he felt hurt by her refusal to even consider it. He knew it was a ridiculous reaction, especially when she was generally muddled in the morning, but he couldn’t help himself.
“I would hope you feel that I reaffirm my love for you every day we’re together,” Mandy said. “We don’t need a wedding for that.”
“Baby, I’m confused,” James said, choosing his words carefully. “The day we got married was the happiest day of my life. You’re acting as if you don’t care about it, though.”
“No, I’m acting the exact opposite,” Mandy said, refusing to back down. “We’ve already had the perfect wedding, James. I want to focus on the perfect marriage. Now, granted, a marriage can’t be perfect. We’re going to fight and struggle as much as the next couple, but when I look at you all I see is perfection.”
“So let’s get married again,” James said. “We can write new vows. It might be fun. Heck, everyone else is doing it.”
“No,” Mandy said, resting her hand on James’ chest when he moved to shuffle out from beneath her. “Don’t you dare walk away and freeze me out.”
James paused beneath her, licking his lips as he regarded the woman who infiltrated every corner of his being. “Tell me why.”
“Because a wedding doesn’t make a marriage and we already had a wedding,” Mandy explained. “Do you feel differently about me now?”
“Of course not,” James protested. “Don’t turn this around on me.”
“We already had the wedding of my dreams, James,” Mandy said. “I love the memory of that wedding. I don’t want to do it again. I’m afraid it will somehow tarnish that first memory, which may be ridiculous, but that’s how I feel. However, if you want to write up some new vows that we can exchange when it’s just the two of us, I think that might be a fun idea.”
James was mildly agitated, but that didn’t stop him from rubbing his thumb over Mandy’s cheek. “But why don’t you want to have a wedding?”
“Because I’ve already been the bride,” Mandy replied. “Now it’s Sophie, Emma, and Ally’s turn. If we make ourselves part of that equation, the focus will be on me. That’s not what I want.”
“You don’t want to steal Ally’s thunder,” James surmised, rolling his neck until it cracked. “We could set up our own day and do it again if that makes you feel more comfortable.”
“I don’t want to make a big deal about it,” Mandy said. “We’ve already made a big deal about it. I want to be your wife, not your bride.”
“You’ll always be my wife,” James said, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Tell me about this vow thing. That sounds mildly interesting since you don’t want to marry me again.”
“Oh, don’t make this a thing,” Mandy warned. “I want to be married to you more than anything. I just don’t want to make a big deal about it. I would love to add to my vows, though. I know more now than when we got married. Maybe we could make it a tradition and add to our vows every year.”
“Like what?” James prodded. “I vow to worship you forever?” His grin was light and pleasing.
“I was thinking more like … I vow not to ask you more than one serious question a day,” Mandy said. “You could vow to massage me every day, too.”
“Ah, I see where this is going,” James said, grinning. Despite her reticence to exchange vows in front of a crowd, he liked the idea of exchanging vows in private. It would mean more to both of them that way. “I like how your mind works. You could also vow to let me watch you shave your legs.”
“Don’t push me,” Mandy warned, shaking a finger. “I think the vow to limit my questions is a much better use of time.”
James considere
d the suggestion and then shook his head. “No.”
Mandy’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. “You don’t want to add new vows? I thought for sure you would be gung-ho on the idea.”
“I love the idea,” James clarified. “I don’t like the idea of you limiting your questions.”
“But you hate my questions.”
“I only hate some of your questions,” James corrected. “Even when I hate them, though, I love you. The questions are part of who you are. I don’t want to limit them.”
“So what do you want me to vow?” Mandy was legitimately curious.
“If you could vow to believe that I’ll love you forever and let go of that small part of you that still wonders if I’m going to somehow disappear when you’re not looking, that would be great,” James said. “That might also be a vow for next year … or the year after … or the year after.”
“That wasn’t really an answer, though,” Mandy pointed out. “What do you want me to vow?”
“That’s for you to decide,” James said. “Personally, I’m going to put together a list of my new vows.”
“A list? You don’t do lists.”
“This is an important thing, so I want to do it right.”
Mandy giggled when she felt James’ hands move over her bare bottom. “Okay. I’ll make a list, too. In fact … yeah … I vow to have sex with you before we get out of this bed.”
James made an exaggerated face. “You’re not supposed to tell me yet.”
“Yeah, but that wasn’t really a vow,” Mandy said. “It was more of a promise … a preview, if you will.” She slid up his body and positioned her legs on either side of his waist as she sat up, letting the blanket fall back and reveal her nudity. “What say you? Do you want to have sex with me?”
She was so serious James couldn’t help but fall in love with her all over again. “Just for the record, baby, you never need to ask that.”
“I was trying to be polite.”
“I’ll show you polite!” Mandy squealed as James wrestled her to the mattress, their lips meeting and hearts joining as they basked in their love. No, James realized as he made love to the only woman he would ever want. They didn’t need a new wedding. They just needed to be able to spend forever with one another. He would accept nothing less.
“IT’S SO weird being here.”
Mandy linked her fingers with James’ as they walked up the steps to the courthouse a few hours later. Mandy spent years making the same trek when she worked for Judge MacIntosh. Now, even though she’d only been away from the place for a few weeks, she felt far removed from the woman who used to think of herself as a clerk instead of an artist.
“Is it too much?” James asked, serious. “If you don’t want to be here … .” He couldn’t help but glance at the part of the courtyard where Mandy watched one of her best friends die weeks before. He didn’t want her to catch him staring, but he couldn’t help himself.
“It’s not too much,” Mandy said, squeezing his hand. “It’s just … different. It’s weird. I don’t even feel as if I belong here now that Heidi is gone. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“You belong with me,” James said. He refused to pretend that he wasn’t thrilled with her decision to leave the courthouse. He never felt she was safe there thanks to the never-ending stream of prisoners and lecherous lawyers crossing her path. “You’re too good for this place.”
“I think you’re just saying that because you kind of like me,” Mandy teased.
“I’m saying that because it’s true,” James countered, leading Mandy up the steps and glaring at one of the lawyers as he not-so-subtly stared in their direction. What happened to Mandy at the hands of the former security guard who worked there wasn’t a secret. That didn’t mean James wanted people staring and making his beloved wife uncomfortable. “And, for the record, I don’t kind of like you. I totally love you.”
“Oh, so cute,” Mandy said. “Does that mean you want to go back to bed with me once we’re done here?”
James grinned. “Always.”
They rode the elevator to Mandy’s old floor, James opting to remain quiet and let Mandy soak everything in rather than push her to define what she was feeling. If she needed him, he would be there. He refused to be overbearing, though.
They moved down the hallway that led to the judge’s private chambers and Mandy couldn’t stop herself from glancing into her old office. She pulled up short when she saw the woman inside. She was young … and blonde … and wearing the same kind of pencil skirt Mandy favored when she worked in the building. It was almost like Mandy was looking at a vision of herself from six years before.
“That is definitely weird,” Mandy muttered.
“What’s weird?” James asked, legitimately curious. “Why are you staring at that woman? Is it because she’s in your old office? Do you think we can get her to leave so we can get naked in there one last time?”
“Don’t you see what I see?” Mandy asked, dumbfounded.
“What?”
“She looks just like me,” Mandy whispered. “She has the same hair and skirt. It’s freaky.”
James chuckled, amused. “She doesn’t look anything like you, baby,” he said. “There’s only one you. Granted, the skirt is similar. I miss the skirts. You promised to dress up like a dirty secretary for me, but you haven’t done it yet.
“As for the hair, your hair is longer and prettier,” he continued. “You have a cuter nose. You’re thinner. You have a better smile. That woman is also wearing enough makeup to make a clown jealous. You don’t need makeup.”
Mandy didn’t want to take joy in the words, but she couldn’t help herself. “Really?”
“Really,” James confirmed. “You’re the prettiest woman in the world. That woman in there isn’t even close.”
“Thank you.”
Mandy relaxed as they resumed their trek. She was relieved when she found Judge MacIntosh’s door open and he lifted his head when he sensed someone standing in the doorway. His mouth split with a wide grin when he realized who stood there.
“Mandy!”
Mandy released James’ hand and hurried into the room, throwing her arms around her former boss’s neck. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“And I you,” MacIntosh said, exchanging a warm handshake with James before gesturing toward the chairs across from his desk. “Sit. I’m so happy to see you.”
“We’re not interrupting, are we?” Mandy asked, glancing around. “We can come back.”
“I am not in the regular rotation these days,” MacIntosh reminded her. “I’ll be retiring at the first of the year and right now I’m simply filling in for the other judges as I finish out my term.”
“Do you like that?” James asked.
MacIntosh shrugged. “It’s something of a relief,” he replied. “I find I don’t have the energy or will to preside over a lengthy court battle these days. I’m much happier to prepare myself for the next phase.”
“That’s good,” James said. “You’ve earned it.”
“Speaking of earning it, how are you?” MacIntosh asked, focusing on Mandy. “Are you enjoying your days as a full-time artist?”
“I haven’t had time to paint since we’re planning a triple wedding, but I expect that I will once everyone leaves on their honeymoon,” Mandy answered. “It’s been a busy few weeks.”
“And we’ve had a spot of trouble … again,” James added, smirking when the judge widened his eyes. “The girls were at the mall the other day.” James didn’t have to explain further. He knew the judge understood what he was getting at.
“I see,” MacIntosh said, shaking his head. “That’s a tragic situation all around.”
“It definitely is,” James agreed. “I shot one of the teenagers. He had a gun pointed at Mandy and … well … I didn’t know he was a teenager at the time. He was wearing a mask. That wouldn’t have stopped me, mind you, but I’m interested in finding motives.”
&n
bsp; “I understand that,” MacIntosh said, bobbing his head. “Am I right in assuming that’s why you’re here?”
Mandy balked. “I missed you.”
“I miss you, too,” MacIntosh said, chuckling. “I can still tell you have a purpose, my dear. It’s quite all right. Tell me what’s going on.”
“One of the kids who attacked the mall has a sealed file we haven’t been able to access,” James explained, taking over for his uncomfortable wife. “Dakota Landers. We don’t know that it has anything to do with what happened, but his father came to visit yesterday and I asked him about the file. He claimed no knowledge of it.”
“That would be highly unlikely,” MacIntosh said. “If the boy got in enough trouble to warrant a sealed file … and he was a minor … his parents would have to know about the situation.”
“That’s exactly what I think, too,” James admitted, bobbing his head. “The father was being purposely evasive. I’m sure of it. What do you think?”
“Are you asking me to open it?”
Mandy immediately started shaking her head. “Not if you’re uncomfortable with it. We can look in other places if you don’t want to do it. We totally understand and promise there will be no hard feelings no matter what you decide.”
MacIntosh steepled his fingers as he studied the couple in front of him. He thought of Mandy as something of a daughter, and he’d grown incredibly fond of her husband. He couldn’t tell them no. “I won’t be a judge for much longer anyway,” he said, tapping on his keyboard. “We might as well look and see what we can find. It’s not as if this will somehow leak out and ruin my reelection chances.”
“Thank you,” James said. “I just want to know why they did it.”
“I don’t blame you,” MacIntosh said. “Heck, for all we know, the sealed file might be nothing more than public intoxication or shoplifting.”
“I understand that,” James said. “We just need to know if it’s something that can be used for a clue.”
“Oh, well … .” MacIntosh made a face as he stared at his screen. “It’s definitely something that can be used for a clue.”
“What is it?”
Deadly Forever (Hardy Brothers Security Book 24) Page 7