“I do want you upstairs,” Emma said. “Finn thought you would be more comfortable down here. It’s a storage room with a couch, though.”
“This is more than I’ve had in five years, Emma,” Jeff said. “This is … great. Don’t worry about me being comfortable. I’m out of prison. Everything from here on out is comfortable.”
“Just because you had to suffer through prison, that doesn’t mean this room is suitable for my brother,” Emma said. “You can come upstairs with us. We would love it if you did.”
“Emma, this storage room is more than we grew up with,” Jeff reminded her. “I know you’re desperate to make me comfortable, but I’m fine here.”
“Finn thought you would prefer it down here because you would be able to have some privacy and not be woken up when the baby cries in the middle of the night,” Emma said, chewing on her lip. “Maybe I can get you earphones or something. There’s a store about two miles away. I could leave right now and be back in a half hour.”
Jeff grabbed Emma’s hand and squeezed it, refusing to let her rush out on an unnecessary errand. “Emma, Finn is right about the privacy,” he said. “I just need a little room to breathe. This room might not seem like much, but it’s positively heavenly to me.
“The baby crying wouldn’t bother me,” he continued. “You guys need your privacy, though, too. This is the best thing for everyone. Finn says he has a line on a place for me that will probably be ready in about a week. This is great.”
“But … I want you close to me,” Emma said, her voice cracking. “I haven’t been able to touch you in five years. Having you so far away feels like torture.”
Jeff chuckled, the sound catching Emma off guard. “You always had a dramatic streak,” he said. “We’re going to see a lot of each other. I’m going to be working for the Hardys and I will be around. I promise you’ll be tired of me before you even realize what’s happening.”
“I’ll never be tired of you,” Emma said, resting her head on Jeff’s shoulder. “I love Finn and his brothers and sister, but watching them cavort as a family made me miss you even more. I love the way James tortures Ally – and vice versa – but I’ve been missing you since long before they entered my life.”
“They seem like good people, Emma. I think you hit the jackpot when you found Finn.”
“I did hit the jackpot,” Emma agreed. “I technically knew Mandy before him, though. She’s the reason I risked opening my heart and trusting Finn. After what happened … after what he did … .” Emma cleared her throat and forced the tears from her eyes. “Mandy made me wish for something more. She made me look beyond what our father did to us.”
“How did you know Mandy?” Jeff asked, genuinely curious.
“She was the clerk at Dad’s trial. She was the one I told you about, the one who always gave me food for lunch because she was worried I wasn’t eating enough.”
Jeff was surprised. “That was her?”
Emma nodded. “She’s always looked out for me it seems.”
“Finn told me what happened,” Jeff said, choosing his words carefully. “I know you don’t want to talk about it … .”
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it,” Emma argued. “I just don’t know what to say. Dad was my problem and yet he haunts Mandy’s dreams now because of me. I don’t know how to make up for that.”
“I saw her tonight,” Jeff said. “She doesn’t appear to be holding a grudge.”
“She’s not the type to hold a grudge,” Emma said. “Still, after killing Dad, she wouldn’t hold Avery for weeks. It hurt my feelings and I didn’t understand it. I was kind of a baby myself and James exploded. He said that Mandy wouldn’t hold Avery because every time she looked at her own hands she saw nothing but Dad’s blood on them.”
“It sounds as if she was a real hero that night,” Jeff said, brushing a stray tear from Emma’s cheek. “She saved two families.”
“She also avenged us,” Emma said. “She did what you and I could never do.”
Jeff swallowed the lump in his throat as he slipped his arm around his sister’s slight shoulders. “I want to thank her, but I’m not sure I should bring it up.”
“I wouldn’t just yet,” Emma cautioned. “She’s so much better than she was, but every once in awhile she jumps at a noise and I see the fear on her face. James sees it, too. It kills him every time.”
“They love each other. They’ll make it.”
“Oh, I don’t worry about that,” Emma said, shaking herself out of her doldrums. “Everyone in this family loves each other. We’re all survivors.”
“That’s good to hear,” Jeff said, kicking his shoes off. “I think I’m going to need a little of the Hardy luck going forward. I want to be a survivor, too.”
“You’ll get the luck,” Emma said, tugging on his arm. “Now, get up. We need to make this at least look like a proper bed or I’ll never sleep tonight.”
“Yes, sis,” Jeff said, blowing out an exaggerated sigh. “I don’t know how I made it five years without my mother hen.”
Emma pinched his cheek and gave it a good jiggle. “You’ll never have to worry about that again.”
5
Five
“We’re going to start you slow, so you have nothing to worry about,” James said the next morning as he gave Jeff the official tour of the security building. “We want you to get comfortable and we know there’s going to be a learning curve, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I’m kind of curious what I’m going to be doing,” Jeff admitted. “You guys are a security firm. As a felon, I’m not supposed to be involved with anything that involves weapons or anything. I have to meet with my parole officer to sort the rest of that out, too. He might have additional rules.”
James chuckled. “I’m not sure what you’re picturing, but ninety percent of security work is safe and mundane,” he explained. “It’s not like the movies … or those romance novels my wife stuffs in her closet and thinks I don’t know about.”
“I didn’t have a lot of time to read romance novels in prison.”
“Probably not,” James said, scratching his chin as he studied Jeff’s profile. “Listen, about how that all went down last night … .”
“How what went down?” Jeff was legitimately confused.
“I warned Ally and Mandy not to bring up your time in prison because I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” James replied. “All I did was make them walk on eggshells, which made everyone uncomfortable, and then ultimately my sister asked you about picking up soap in a communal shower.”
Jeff barked out a laugh, delighted. “I thought she was funny,” he said. “Truth be told, her exuberance and refusal to curb her questions is what relaxed me the most. I don’t know if you realize this, but Emma has told me a lot of stories about you guys. You’re kind of larger than life.”
“I tell my wife that every night, but she doesn’t believe me,” James said. “It took me hours to worm my way back into her good graces after the drooling comment.”
“And yet I think you probably knew that when you said it,” Jeff mused. “Emma says that you and Mandy like to fight just so you can make up. That’s an interesting concept because my parents used to fight and then threaten to kill each other.”
“Your parents were both assholes,” James said, refusing to mince words. “I have no idea how you and Emma turned out so well given your role models.”
“Well, Emma turned out well.”
“You did, too,” James said. “No one blames you for what happened, Jeff. You were a desperate kid who had no idea how to take care of your sister. You did everything in your power to protect her and keep her safe. You made a bad decision, but the system failed you.
“You’ve taken responsibility for what you did and that’s the first step,” he continued. “You’re not going to be alone when you take the rest of your steps. It’s going to be okay.”
“Thank you for
all of this,” Jeff said. “I don’t know what I would do if you didn’t offer me a job. Employment is part of my parole and no one wants to hire a robber, especially one who also happens to be Lance Pritchard’s kid.”
“Your father was a menace, but I also think he was sick,” James said. “There was something not wired correctly in his head. In some ways I think your mother was worse. She admitted she knew what was going on under her own roof and she didn’t do a thing about it. Then she abandoned you and Emma to fend for yourselves when the going got tough. She’s even more despicable in my book.”
“I forgot that you met my mother,” Jeff said. “Emma told me about all of that … although she didn’t go into a lot of detail. I heard that Mom tried to take Emma, maybe even hurt the baby.”
“Your mother believes that power and money trumps everything,” James said. “I feel sorry for her because she doesn’t understand love. She had two great kids and threw them away. She’s exactly where she belongs.”
“And what about Mandy?”
Jeff’s question caught James off guard. “What do you mean?”
“I know what she did,” Jeff said, choosing his words carefully. “I talked to Finn last night. Emma never really told me what happened the night my father died. I read a few news reports, but they never gave Mandy’s name. I had no idea she was the one who killed my father until Finn told me.”
James ran his tongue over his teeth as he shifted from one foot to the other. He hated being reminded of Mandy’s ordeal – about the way he almost failed her – but he understood Jeff’s curiosity. “My wife is the strongest person I know,” he said finally. “She is so brave … and so intelligent … and so amazing … she takes my breath away.
“What happened with your father was my fault,” he continued. “I shouldn’t have left the house that day. We were so sure we had your father cornered that I missed an important piece of the puzzle and I left Emma and Mandy exposed when it happened.”
“My sister would be dead if it wasn’t for her,” Jeff said. “Avery would be gone … going through God knows what.”
“I understand that,” James said. “My wife is a hero. Heck, Emma is a hero for holding it together while giving birth on the floor of our guesthouse. It never should’ve happened, though. I should’ve protected them better than I did.”
“I think you’re being too hard on yourself,” Jeff said. “You’re not omnipotent. I know you don’t like the way it all went down, but Mandy and Emma are alive. Avery is here and thriving. I don’t know how to be unhappy about that. I don’t think I can be.”
“I will be forever thankful that my wife is alive, but she still wakes up from nightmares occasionally and I would do almost anything to eradicate them.”
“Finn suggested that maybe I could talk to her about what happened with my father,” Jeff said, broaching the difficult subject as tactfully as possible. “I understand if you don’t want me to do it. Just tell me and there’s no hard feelings.”
“I’ve learned the hard way not to make decisions for Mandy,” James said. “It backfires on me every time, so I’m going to leave it to your discretion. I honestly don’t know how she’ll react. She surprises me every day, though, so it might do her good.”
“I’ll see if I get an opening one day and go from there,” Jeff said, forcing a smile. “I’m not sure if I really want to know what happened.”
“I know,” James said. “I wish I didn’t, but I know every thought and feeling my wife had as she fought for her life. It might help you to know that your father died hard and was a monster until the end.”
“That does help,” Jeff said. “I have no love for the man, but knowing he never changed is somehow a burden off my back. I can’t explain it.”
“You don’t have to,” James said, resting a hand on Jeff’s shoulder. “Okay, let’s start with the computer. I want to show you how to access files before Grady comes in and starts playing Candy Crush. We’ll lose the laptop for the afternoon if that happens.”
“Lead the way.”
“I’M JUST saying that calling Candy Crush a game is insulting,” Grady argued several hours later, digging into the hamburger Emma delivered after her afternoon walk with Avery. “Candy Crush is a lifestyle, not a game.”
“It’s a lifestyle for losers,” James corrected, thanking Emma when she delivered his burger. “I don’t know, Jeff, I think I’m going to like having you around. Emma doesn’t usually insist on picking up lunch for us. I could get used to this.”
Emma scowled as she playfully cuffed James. “I deliver food all of the time.”
“Cookies,” Grady corrected. “You like baking and you deliver cookies. This is man food.”
“Yeah, burger good,” Jake intoned, causing everyone to laugh.
“Eat,” Emma prodded, resting her hand on Jeff’s shoulder as he stared at his lunch. “I got all of your favorites. I … do you want something else? Do you dislike hamburgers now?”
“Emma, you need to stop hovering,” Jeff chided, although he flashed her a warm smile. “I’m going to eat … and I will always love hamburgers. I’m still digesting the eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast, and Pop Tarts you made me for breakfast.”
Finn lifted his head, intrigued. “Pop Tarts? How come he got Pop Tarts? I can’t have Pop Tarts because of all the refined sugar in them.”
“Did you just spend five years away from me?” Emma challenged.
“No.”
“When that happens you can have Pop Tarts.” Emma realized what she said when it was too late to take it back. “Wait, that might’ve come out wrong.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “I would never trade time with you for Pop Tarts. I don’t suppose there are any left, though, are there?”
“Those are Jeff’s Pop Tarts,” Emma said, wagging a finger. “Don’t touch his Pop Tarts.”
“You can come over to our house,” James offered. “We always have Pop Tarts.”
“I thought Mandy liked cooking breakfast,” Finn said. “Isn’t that the only thing she can cook?”
“Don’t say it in a derogatory manner like that,” James warned. “She can cook. You saw her put meat on skewers last night, right? That’s cooking.”
“That’s not cooking,” Grady argued. “That’s feng shui with meat. I know you tell her that’s cooking to make her feel better, but that’s not cooking.”
“It’s close enough,” James said. “I don’t want her wasting her time cooking. We’re takeout people.”
“Is that because you like takeout or hate food poisoning?” Grady pressed. “I’m going to guess it’s the latter, because we all know the only thing Mandy should be doing in the kitchen is calling for pizza.”
“Don’t malign my baby,” James said. “She doesn’t need to cook.”
“That’s right,” Emma said, bobbing her head. “She paints and works at the courthouse. She already does enough.”
“You’re just saying that because she delivered Mr. Poopy Pants,” Grady said. “I could’ve done that if I was the one stuck at the house. If you remember correctly, you ran us all through the labor drill and I passed with flying colors.”
Emma made a hilarious face that caused Finn to choke on his burger and cough into his hand.
“You didn’t pass,” Emma countered. “We ran you through that drill twelve times and you didn’t pass once.”
“You’re remembering it wrong,” Grady said. “Pregnancy fried your brain.”
“Sophie was there, too,” Emma reminded him. “Shall we call her?”
“No!” Grady held up his hands, admitting defeat. “I acknowledge I might’ve withered under the birthing pressure. Don’t bother Sophie. I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“You guys are a trip,” Jeff said, smiling as he dunked a french fry into ketchup. “I love the way you’re always going at each other. It shows you’re comfortable with one another.”
“We may be a little too comfortable w
ith one another,” James said, smacking Grady’s feet when his brother tried to rest them on James’ desk as he leaned back in his chair. “Finn, Grady, and I shared a room for years. Ally had her own because she was the only girl. It was hell.”
“Ally and Mandy spent so much time together it was like they were sisters,” Finn pointed out. “They share all the time without making a fuss.”
“That’s true,” James said. “I … .” He didn’t get a chance to finish the statement because the bell over the front lobby door jangled, signifying a customer entered from the parking lot. “I guess we have to work, huh?”
“I can help,” Jeff said, getting to his feet. “I don’t feel as if I’ve done anything but watch you work on the computer all day.”
“Then you’re already ahead of Grady,” James said, earning a sneer from his brother. “Don’t worry about it. This is your first day and if you don’t eat that burger Emma is going to have a meltdown. No one wants that.”
“Preach it,” Grady intoned, earning another cuff from Emma. “You’re so bossy today. What’s your deal?”
“You’re my deal,” Emma shot back.
James got to his feet, plastering a smile on his face as a well-dressed man in a suit moved toward the door. “Hi, come on in. I’m sorry it’s such a mess, but we were having a company meeting over lunch.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mean to disturb you.” The man’s eyes bounced around the room, ultimately falling on Emma and a slumbering Avery. The baby was in his stroller, his head lolling to the side as Emma slowly rocked the contraption back and forth with her foot. “Do you often call employee meetings with a baby present?”
“He’s my nephew,” James replied smoothly. “He lives upstairs and his mother was ever so nice and picked up our lunch because we were so busy.”
“It’s no problem,” the man said. “I can come back in an hour if that helps.”
“No, you can stay,” James said, wiping his hands off on a napkin before extending one to greet the man. “I’m James Hardy. What can I do for you?”
“My name is Owen Parker. I’m looking for someone to do a driving job for me. Is that something you can facilitate?”
Deadly Reunion (Hardy Brothers Security Book 20) Page 4