“She’s a vegetarian,” Finn reminded James.
“I can pick around it,” Emma said hurriedly. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Son of a … I forgot about that,” James muttered. “You need to start eating steak like the rest of us, Emma.”
“I’ll call Ally and have her pick up some of that ghallaba from the Middle Eastern place on the corner right by her house,” Mandy interjected. “Emma loves it and it will be an easy fix.”
“No,” Emma said, shaking her head. “You’ve already done so much for us. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“It’s not a bother,” Mandy scoffed. “You’re going to be a Hardy soon. You need to be louder if you want to be heard.”
Emma smirked. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you,” James said. “Every man has a dirty nurse fantasy and now you’re going to make my brother’s come true. You’re a hero.”
Emma closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as Finn chuckled. “It’s going to be a long couple of days, isn’t it?”
“You have no idea,” Finn said, wrapping an arm around her so he could give her a hug. “It will be an adventure, though.”
“I’LL BE there in ten minutes, sugar,” Grady said, grabbing his keys off James’ desk and glancing around the empty office as he held his cell phone to his ear. He’d almost forgotten he was late for dinner until Sophie called to remind him. “I heard you. James got Red Lobster and Mandy is going to eat all of it if I don’t hurry up.”
“She says if you’re not here in five minutes she’s starting without you,” Sophie warned.
“I just have to grab Jeff and we’re on our way,” Grady said. “I promise I won’t be long. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Grady disconnected, the idea of lobster tails and crab legs swimming through his head as he scanned the office one more time and then went looking for Jeff. The man had been quiet most of the day, asking a few questions about Finn and then toiling away in the back room for the bulk of the afternoon. He got so much work done – and without complaint – Grady felt somewhat guilty. Grady wouldn’t have gotten half the work done in the same amount of time. And forget about complaining, because that was another thing Grady loved to do.
Grady walked into the storeroom, opening his mouth to call out for Jeff. He snapped it shut when he heard low voices. The storeroom had two access points, one from the lobby and one to the side parking lot. When Grady rounded one of the big storage shelves he saw Jeff talking to someone – a nondescript man in jeans and a T-shirt – in front of the back door. They looked deep in conversation, and try as he might, Grady couldn’t hear what they were saying. They were so intent on one another he felt odd interrupting.
As if sensing Grady standing there, Jeff said goodbye to the man and turned to meet his gaze, offering a half-hearted smile and small wave. “Sorry. Are we ready to go?”
“Is something going on?” Grady asked. “Did he need help with something?”
“Just directions,” Jeff replied. “I’m not all that familiar with the area, but he was looking for a hair salon. I remembered seeing one about a block down that way.” Jeff gestured for emphasis. “I wasn’t sure if it was the right one, but he seemed thankful for the information.”
“That’s good,” Grady said, smiling. “Are you ready to head over to the house for dinner? James bought out Red Lobster, so I hope you like seafood.”
“Dude, I’ve been in prison for five years,” Jeff said. “I like anything that doesn’t come on a plastic tray.”
“Then you’re going to love this,” Grady said, locking the storage room door. “We just have to get there before Mandy shoves it all in her mouth.”
“She’s a tiny woman. How much could she eat?”
“You’d be surprised. She’s a regular glutton when she wants to be.”
13
Thirteen
“There’d better still be some lobster tails or I’m going to throw the mouth from the south in the pool,” Grady announced, letting himself into his brother’s home and shooting Mandy a challenging look as she doled food out on platters behind the kitchen counter. “I’m here to eat you under the table, woman.”
James arched an eyebrow as he cast a sidelong look at his wife. If anyone else challenged her in that manner he would be prone to stepping in and fighting the battle for her. He knew she could hold her own against Grady any day of the week, though, so he left her to her own devices.
“Bring it on, long hair,” Mandy shot back. “I will meet you at the table in five minutes.”
Jeff hovered behind Grady, obviously nervous.
“Hey, Jeff,” James said, offering him a wan smile. “I’m so sorry about you getting stuck with inventory. This wasn’t exactly how I envisioned introducing you into the workforce. I know working for Grady is torture, but we had some unexpected stuff come up.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Jeff said, cracking a smile as Avery screeched and reached for him. Ally, who cradled the baby close to her chest, gave the boy a disgusted look. “Finn was shot. I’m pretty sure no one had a contingency plan in place for that. I like doing inventory. It’s quiet. Peaceful even.”
“Yes, that’s good to know,” Grady said. “I hate inventory. You can do it whenever you want.”
Jeff chuckled. “I’m fine with that. Given what I had to do in prison, it’s a cakewalk.”
Grady frowned. “I hate that you can say things like that because it makes me look spoiled and petty.”
“Don’t worry, you’re not the only spoiled one,” Mandy said. “Peter and James had an entire conversation today about how spoiled I am.”
“It wasn’t an entire conversation,” James clarified. “It came up when we were discussing something else. It was a small part of a much larger conversation that – believe it or not – didn’t revolve around you, wife.”
“Was my drooling mentioned?”
James made a comical face. “I can’t recall.”
“You’re in big trouble later,” Mandy intoned, wagging her finger. “Just you wait until we’re alone tonight. I’m going to punish you.”
“Just a tip, Mandy, but stripping naked and climbing on top of him isn’t a punishment,” Grady said. “He might’ve told you that, but he’s just messing with your mind.”
“You’re in big trouble, too,” Mandy said, shaking her head as she reached for the containers of lemon butter. “I was thinking we could just dump this in two big bowls and let everyone dunk as they like. That will save on the dishes cleanup.”
“You’re nothing if not lazy, wife,” James teased, kissing her cheek before glancing at Jeff again. “I really am sorry. I wanted to be around to show you the ropes but … it’s a mess.”
“Please, don’t worry about it,” Jeff said, smiling as Avery squawked and reached for him again. Ally was having none of it as she tried to distract the baby and get him to focus on her. “I appreciate everything you guys have done. You have no idea. I know it probably seems unlikely to you, but I’ve actually enjoyed the past two days – Finn getting shot notwithstanding, of course.”
“Yeah, we got lucky,” James said.
Avery squawked again, struggling against Ally’s iron grip as he desperately tried to escape her clutches.
“Good grief, Ally! Give that baby to Jeff,” Grady ordered. “He’s going to pass out from the effort to get away from you if you’re not careful.”
“But … I’m supposed to be his favorite,” Ally argued.
“Well, you’re obviously not his favorite,” Grady said, grabbing Avery and handing him to Jeff. For his part, Jeff took the baby and smiled at him as Avery happily gurgled and rested his head against Jeff’s shoulder.
“Well, this just bites,” Ally said. “He’s named after Mandy and James and now Jeff is his favorite. The world hates me.”
“The world doesn’t hate you, angel,” Jake said, shaking his head as he helped James un-box crab legs. “And ev
en if it did I love you enough to make up for it.”
“Oh, you’re such a sap,” James muttered.
“Says the guy who believes his wife can walk on water,” Jake shot back.
“She can. I’ve seen her do it.”
“Was she naked and were you drunk when this miracle happened?” Grady asked.
“She was a lot naked and I might’ve been a little drunk,” James admitted. “It was still glorious.”
“Whatever,” Mandy said, shaking her head. “I think we’ve got everything together but Finn. Someone needs to help him into the dining room.”
“Do you think Emma the Hun is going to let him off his mattress to join the real world?” Grady asked.
“She’s going to have to,” Mandy said. “He’s part of the family and if she tries forcing him to rest against his will he’s going to have a heart attack or something.”
“I’ll get him,” James said. “Wish me luck. If I’m not back in five minutes you need to rescue me, wife. I’m not sure I can take Emma. She’s much bossier since she became a mother.”
“You’re on your own,” Mandy said. “I have to watch my food so Grady doesn’t steal it.”
“You’re throwing me over for crab legs?” James feigned offense. “Where is the love, baby?”
“You’re going to get so much love after I eat my dinner that you won’t be able to walk tomorrow,” Mandy promised. “Now get your brother. I’m starving.”
“THIS smells great,” Finn enthused, settling between Emma and Grady and reaching for a lobster tail. “Yum.”
“I’ve got that,” Emma said, slapping his hand and causing him to scowl. “You’re not supposed to reach for things with your back like that.”
Finn blew out a sigh as he focused on James, his frustration evident.
“Don’t look at me,” James said. “When I got shot Mandy slept on the floor because she was afraid of waking me up. She had dried tears on her face and I couldn’t keep my eyes open because of the medication so I had to order her to sleep on top of me before I passed out. Women are wacky when their man gets hurt. Deal with it.”
On a normal night Mandy would’ve been agitated with James’ comment. Since she was too busy competing with Grady for crab legs she barely heard it.
“Right, baby?” James prodded, smirking when he saw her crack a crab leg and suck the meat out of the end. “You’re so classy. I want to marry you all over again.”
“Whatever you say,” Mandy said, grabbing a cheese biscuit. “I’m going to do whatever you want because you bought me cheese biscuits.”
James barked out a laugh that was so raucous Jeff jumped. Avery, who still sat on his lap, bellowed out his own laugh to mimic James.
“He’s getting so animated,” Grady said, chuckling. “He holds his own head up. He rolls a little bit. He reaches for his favorite uncle.” Ally scowled. “He’s like a little person.”
“He is a little person,” Emma said, fondly smiling at her son. “He looks like his father.”
“Is that a good thing?” Finn asked, reaching for a cluster of crab legs and arching an eyebrow when Emma opened her mouth to chide him. “Think carefully, sweetie. Are you going to yell at me for eating crab or tell me it’s a good thing the baby looks like me?”
“It’s a very good thing,” Emma conceded, sighing. “He has a brave and wonderful father. I want him to be just like you.”
Finn’s heart rolled at her earnest expression. “Well, I want him to be like you,” he said. “I could do without the bossiness, but you’re the strongest and bravest person I know. I would think you were perfect if you let me eat my dinner in peace.”
Emma didn’t want to smile, but she couldn’t stop herself. “If you promise to go back in the den and rest after dinner without complaining, I will let you eat what you want – and how you want – without badgering you.”
“That’s a deal I can make,” Finn said.
The family lapsed into happy conversation as Mandy and Grady inhaled as much food as they could and Jeff asked pointed questions about how everyone got together. He seemed keen to understand the family dynamics.
“Mandy generally likes to tell our story, but her mouth is full and her mind is busy with grand plans, so I’ll tell it,” James said, winking at his wife as she popped a large scallop into her mouth. “Breathe, wife. I bought more than enough for everyone and if you get sick that means we’re both sleeping on the bathroom floor … and no one wants that.”
Mandy ignored him as she reached for another lobster tail.
“You’re going to get sick,” James muttered. “I just know it.”
“You were going to tell me your story,” Jeff prodded.
“Oh, right,” James said. “She was having trouble with a stalker and she ran into Ally. They hadn’t seen each other in a few years because of college and everything, but they reconnected and Ally sent her to me. I hadn’t seen her since she was fourteen, but … there was something about her calling to me the moment I saw her.”
“You didn’t recognize me, though,” Mandy pointed out, finally taking a breath.
“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t already infatuated with you,” James said.
“That’s true,” Grady said, smiling at the memory. “Finn and I knew something was off about how he was reacting to her, but we couldn’t figure out what. Just to mess with him we volunteered to go and check out her apartment for her and he almost had a heart attack.”
“Yeah, he was all like ‘I’m the boss and she’s an old family friend so I should do it,’” Finn said, his impression of James causing everyone to giggle. “I knew he was a goner pretty quickly after that.”
“I wasn’t sure until he did the thing we’re not supposed to talk about,” Grady said, shooting an apologetic look in James’ direction. “He called me to watch her and I could see he was miserable. Then when I saw her I realized his misery was nothing compared to her unhappiness. I made a bet with Finn that day … and I won when they got married.”
“I remember that,” Finn said, his eyes lighting up. “You said she was James’ match. I still wasn’t convinced until he told me he was going to ask her to marry him. Then I realized it was really going to happen. That also happened to be the day I met you,” Finn said, poking Emma’s ribs.
“Really?” Emma smiled. “I didn’t realize that.”
“Yup. I watched you in your tiny bikini at the boat show and thought ‘there’s the most beautiful woman in the world’ and all the while James was yammering on about Mandy and how he couldn’t live without her. It didn’t take me long to realize what he was talking about because I fell head-over-heels for you and felt the same way.”
“Oh, so schmaltzy,” Grady said, making a face. “You’ll notice that I’m the manliest one here, Jeff. Finn, Jake, and James are whipped. I am my own man.”
“Oh please,” James scoffed. “You came to the apartment to ask how I knew Mandy was the one like two days after you met Sophie because you already had a bad case of puppy love. Don’t deny it.”
Grady cast a flirty look in Sophie’s direction. “Okay, I admit it. I’m as whipped as the rest of these guys.”
“It sounds great,” Jeff said. “I think you’re all very lucky.”
“You’ll find someone,” Emma said, turning her attention to her brother. “I have faith that you’ll find someone great. It might take a little time because you need to get settled first, but it will probably come when you least expect it.”
“And until then you can date around,” James said. “It’s fun to date around. Life is easier when you don’t have to remember someone’s name and how they like their eggs the next morning.”
Mandy frowned as she chewed on her lobster tail. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, baby,” James said, although his cheeks colored when Mandy focused on him. “That came out a wrong, by the way. I am happy to be able to remember your name.”
Mandy wasn’t convinced. “Uh
-huh.”
“Crud,” James muttered, snagging another lobster tail from the center platter and dropping it on her plate. “I love you very much. My life was sad and lonely before you. I was lying to Jeff just now to make him feel better. He was in prison, for crying out loud. He deserves to feel better.”
Everyone at the table laughed, even Mandy. They were laughing so hard, in fact, they didn’t notice Peter standing next to the counter until he cleared his throat.
“I hate to interrupt a family meal – even if it isn’t really seafood you’re all enjoying so much – but I have some information,” Peter said.
“That’s okay,” James said, wiping his hands on a napkin as he stood. “Mandy and Grady are still stuffing their faces, but I think everyone else is mostly done.”
“That’s good,” Peter said. “I think I have a game changer.”
“Why is that?” Finn asked, narrowing his eyes as he leaned forward. “Do you know who killed Owen Parker?”
“I don’t know who killed Owen Parker, but I have found a very interesting tie to David Barber,” Peter said, opening the file he held in his hand. “I ran Owen’s mother through a few searches and came up blank. She was a good woman and she kept her nose clean. I wanted to know if there was someone in her background who might have the other safety deposit key because I figured whoever did this must know where the other one is he’s so desperate to get his hands on the first, but I didn’t find any likely suspects.
“On a hunch, I ran David, too,” he continued. “I wasn’t really expecting anything. He was pretty forthcoming with us. I’ve kept a file on him over the years, though, and I was trying to remember his life with Owen after his wife died. I wouldn’t say we’re friends, but we’ve never been overtly enemies either. I remember him being a decent father.”
“And?” James prodded. “You made it sound like he was a womanizer before we went to his house, but he seemed like a guy who loved his wife to me.”
“He did love his wife,” Peter confirmed. “He loved her a great deal. He didn’t become a womanizer until after she died. He was determined never to love someone as much as he loved her so he slept around as much as possible. I have photos of his conquests.”
Deadly Reunion (Hardy Brothers Security Book 20) Page 11