James’ mouth dropped open. “Do you think I don’t like Heidi?”
“You seem to think she’s not good enough for Clint,” Mandy countered. “I’ll have you know that whatever man snags Heidi, well, he is going to be a very lucky man.”
“Thanks for the news flash,” James said, his tone dry. “I like Heidi.”
“So, this is all about Clint?”
“Can you explain to me why we’re fighting about this?” James was on edge, and he was fighting for control of his temper. He knew that if he exploded now, things would only go downhill – and fast. He desperately wanted to refrain from alienating his wife.
“Heidi said something to me at lunch today,” Mandy admitted.
“What?”
“She said … she said she can never find happily ever after because she needs to lose weight and people don’t like her personality,” she replied. “I just need her to know that’s not true. She has a great personality, and she isn’t fat. I hate that she thinks she’s fat.”
James sighed, giving in. “Of course she’s not fat. She’s buxom. Just tell her that she’s buxom.”
“She’s not going to believe me,” Mandy said. “She needs to feel something. She’s got to find someone looking for the same thing she is.”
“And you think that’s Clint?”
“I do.” Mandy crossed her arms over her chest, the obstinate tilt of her chin melting James’ heart.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go on a double-date with Heidi and Clint. Wow, those are words I never thought I’d say.”
Mandy reached over, gripping James’ arm desperately. “I’m going to give you the night of your life tonight if you’re nice and help him. I’m going to be focused on Heidi, so I need you to do what you can to help Clint.”
“You don’t think he can help himself?”
“Of course not,” Mandy scoffed. “You’ve met him. He’s completely hopeless.”
James smiled, the panic on his wife’s face making him melt. She cared so much about others sometimes he couldn’t help but be touched. “I’ll help Clint. You obviously don’t think this is going to go well, though.”
“Oh, it’s going to be a complete and total clusterfuck,” Mandy admitted. “They’re both going to be thrown when they realize I’ve set them up with each other.”
James stilled. “Wait a second … .”
“Let’s eat,” Mandy said, reaching for the door handle.
James grabbed her hand, snatching it back and pressing it to his chest. “They don’t know they’re dating each other?”
“Have I ever told you how great the Crawfish Creole is here?”
James shook his head, pursing his lips. “You’re going to be my sex slave for a week,” he said. “A whole week of whatever I want. I’m going to make you wear a dog collar, I swear.”
Mandy’s face was contorted with worry. “Just … please help me.”
James couldn’t resist her. He never could. “Get your ass in the restaurant,” he griped. “I’m putting the dog collar on you the minute we get home.”
“SO, this is great,” Clint said, glancing between Mandy and Heidi with an unreadable expression on his face. “We’re all here … the four of us … in a restaurant … with food … and it’s great.”
“It’s great,” James agreed, swigging from his beer as he slung his arm around Mandy’s shoulders. “The food here is good. I’ve brought Mandy here a few times.”
Heidi’s face was buried in her menu. She hadn’t made eye contact with anyone at the table for almost five minutes – a fact that wasn’t lost on an increasingly uncomfortable Clint.
“So, James, how is your work these days?”
Despite his arguments to the contrary earlier, James was sympathetic to Clint’s plight. “It’s good,” James said. “We’re constantly busy. When you’re in this line of work, you never have the same day. I like how it’s never predictable.”
“Did you have to get a private investigator’s license?”
James shook his head. “We’re not technically private investigators. We’re security specialists.”
For her part, Mandy was desperate for Heidi to make eye contact. “So, what are you going to get? The Crawfish Creole is amazing.”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Heidi replied, her voice firm and cold.
James felt the panic rippling through Mandy’s body and squeezed her shoulder to anchor her. “So, Heidi, how is life?”
Finally, for the first time since she’d approached the table and realized whom her date was going to be, Heidi acknowledged someone’s existence. “Confusing.”
“Life is a roller-coaster,” he agreed. “That’s what makes it fun. You have to take the ups and the downs.”
“And how is life for you?” Heidi asked. “A lot of downs lately? Your wife is a trip.”
Mandy tensed, causing James’ hand to move from her shoulder to her neck so he could try and massage the tension away. “My wife is a gift.”
“Do you ever wish you could return her for store credit?” Heidi’s dig was pointed.
“Not really,” James said, refusing to be ruffled. “I love everything about her, even when she drives me nuts.”
“You’re lucky,” Heidi sneered.
“I am,” James agreed. “I look at my wife and realize she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. I see that everything she does – even the things that drive me crazy – she does because she means the very best and she wants everyone to be happy.
“Now, is she always successful? No,” James continued. “She still doesn’t do things to hurt people.”
Heidi’s expression softened. “She’s not very bright, is she?”
James fought hard to contain his laughter. “She’s very bright,” he countered. “She just gets tunnel vision sometimes.”
Heidi rolled her eyes, but the stiff slouch of her frame relaxed. “I guess.”
“She always means well,” James repeated.
“She does.”
“Am I missing something?” Clint asked.
“No,” James said. “How about you and I go and look at the seafood tank? I’m considering ordering lobster. I just want to see how they look.”
“Oh, sure,” Clint said. “That sounds cool.”
“It does,” James agreed, kissing Mandy’s temple before sliding out of the booth. “It sounds very cool.”
Once the men were gone, Heidi’s rage took form. “I can’t believe you did this to me!”
“I just thought you needed a little push.”
“With Clint?”
“What’s wrong with Clint?”
“He’s obsessed with you,” Heidi spat back. “You want me to date a guy who is obsessed with you.”
“He’s not obsessed with me.”
Heidi made a hateful face.
“He’s not obsessed with me anymore,” Mandy corrected. “He wants to find someone for himself. He wants love. He wants forever. You two are perfect for each other.”
“I … what makes you say that?”
Mandy sensed an opening. “You’re both romantics,” she said. “I’m not saying it will work out. I’m asking you to give it a try.”
“I am giving it a try.”
“Hiding your face in the menu and pouting is not giving it a try,” Mandy countered.
“I … .” Heidi blew out a sigh. “You’re right. I should at least give him a try.”
“You should.”
Heidi glanced over her shoulder, staring as James engaged Clint in conversation. “You don’t think he’s going to become obsessed with James now, do you?”
Mandy furrowed her brow. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because they look like they’re on a man date.”
Mandy scanned the two men again, smiling when she realized what Heidi was referring to. Instead of the previous look of distrust Clint used to reserve for James, he was now watching her husband with awe. Every time James shifted, Clint did the same.
Every time James put his hand on his hip, Clint mimed the action.
“I think Clint is just nervous,” Mandy said. “His date for the evening wouldn’t even make eye contact with him. He has to latch on to someone.”
“I get it,” Heidi said. “I was being obnoxious. Don’t rub it in.”
Mandy held up her hands in mock surrender. “I wasn’t rubbing it in.”
“You were.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
Mandy sighed. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Let’s go together,” Heidi said. “I can collect myself, and we can start all over when we get back.”
“That sounds good,” Mandy said. “Let’s go.”
The two women slid out of the booth. James eyed them curiously as they moved through the restaurant.
“We’re going to the bathroom,” Mandy said, squeezing James’ hand. “Everything is fine. In fact, it’s going to be much better. We’re just going to collect ourselves in the bathroom, and then start the evening over from scratch.”
“Good,” James said. “I think an ego boost is in order.”
“No doubt.”
James leaned down to kiss his wife, frowning when she careened into him. He caught her, saving her from colliding with the lobster tank. The man who had pushed her stopped and swiveled, facing James and Mandy with a derisive look.
It only took James a moment to realize what was going on. The man who had shoved Mandy was pulling a gun, and his target was the blonde James was currently holding in his arms.
“Get down!” James ordered.
Mandy was in the process of moving, the sight of the gun filling her with dread, when Clint stepped in front of her and slammed their assailant in the face with his fist.
Mandy took a step back, surprised.
James, never one to rest on his laurels, pushed his wife behind him and stepped forward.
“Who do you think you are?” Clint asked, punching the man again. The jab hit home, breaking the man’s nose and causing blood to pour out of it. “Who pulls a gun in a restaurant?”
James was on the stranger quickly, wrestling the gun from his hand. The crowd around them panicked, and in the melee, the stranger opted to leave the gun in James’ possession and flee.
James was moving quickly, giving chase. The crowd cut him off, though, and by the time he made it out the door he’d lost sight of him. He had a decision to make, and he opted not to follow the man without an obvious destination. Instead, he returned to Mandy’s side.
“He’s gone.” Mandy’s face was pale and drawn. James pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “You’re okay.”
“I … wait, where’s Heidi?”
Mandy tilted her chin, catching sight of her friend and letting the relief wash over her. Instead of moving to Mandy and James, though, Heidi was fixated on Clint. “That was really brave,” she said.
Clint shrugged, his face flushing with color. “It was nothing.”
“No,” Heidi argued. “That was definitely something.”
“It’s all part of my training,” Clint said.
Heidi smiled, the first real smile she’d allowed to cross her face since she’d arrived at the restaurant. “Wow, Clint,” she said. “You’re a hero.”
“I … well … yeah,” Clint agreed. “That’s what they pay me for.”
Seventeen
“Are you sure you don’t want to leave me for Clint?” James asked, opening Mandy’s door and ushering her out of his Explorer. “He was pretty badass.”
Mandy smirked, the expression only lasting for a moment when she realized James was shielding her with his body as he led her into their house. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” James said, shoving her through the front door before scanning the surrounding area. He caught sight of Peter’s men in the car on the street and raised his hand in a half-hearted wave before he shut and locked the door from the inside. After engaging the security system, he turned to Mandy with a puzzled look on his face. “What were we talking about?”
“Oh, I offered to give you a blowjob every day for the next month but you said no,” Mandy said, her tone sarcastic and dry. “I think you’re giving up a lot, but if you insist.”
James scowled. “What were we really talking about?”
“How do you know we weren’t talking about that?”
“Because I’m not deaf,” James said. “Or stupid.”
“Apparently you are,” Mandy replied, stripping her coat off and throwing it across the back of one of the dining room chairs as she moved through the house. “I can’t tell you how relived I am. I have no idea how my jaw was going to take that much work.”
“I know what you’re doing.”
“Really?” Mandy’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “And I thought I was being so subtle.”
James removed his coat, internally urging himself to take a deep breath and count to ten before responding. Every time he flew off the handle where his blonde was concerned, he lived to regret it. He was not going to push the envelope now. “So, how do you think dinner went after the excitement died down?”
Mandy’s mouth dropped open, surprise flashing in the blue depths of her eyes. “Are you serious?”
“I thought it was fairly interesting,” James said, ignoring the sarcasm. “Once Clint became the hero of the night, Heidi was all over him.”
“I told you they were perfect for each other,” Mandy snapped.
“I don’t know why I ever argue with you.”
“You argue with me because you like it,” Mandy shot back. “You argue with me because it turns you on.”
James glanced down at his crotch. “Huh. You’re not always right, are you?”
Mandy flapped her arms incredulously. “I can’t believe you!”
James was at his limit. “And what can’t you believe? Are you mad because I sat there and made small talk with Clint all night? Are you mad because I tried to help fix the mess you made? Or are you mad because you got lucky tonight?”
Instead of the screaming he expected to hear, James was stunned to see tears forming in her eyes. “Don’t you dare do that! Don’t you dare cry! You know I can’t take it when you cry.”
“You shielded me with your body when we came in,” Mandy choked out. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“So?”
“I don’t want that,” Mandy said, stomping her foot. She glanced down at the heels on her feet and then leaned over, yanking them off and holding them in her hands. “I cannot stand the idea of you dying for me.”
“And I can’t stand the idea of you dying period,” James countered. “I have to do what I have to do. My job is to keep you safe.”
“And what is my job?”
“What?” James was confused.
“If it’s your job to keep your wife safe, what is my job?”
“I … you’re trying to confuse me.”
Mandy ignored the accusation. “I can’t live without you!”
“I can’t live without you either,” James replied. “I can’t fix everything, Mandy. I can’t walk you into this house and leave you vulnerable. I will not let you leave me!”
Mandy took a step back, his vehemence startling her.
James immediately wanted to apologize. He hated it when he scared her, and he was worried he’d done just that. He just knew she was going to burst into tears, and that was something his heart couldn’t take.
Instead, she flung the shoes at him. “I won’t let you leave me either,” she said, fighting hard to keep the tears contained. “I won’t lose you.”
James watched the shoes harmlessly bounced against his chest. “Baby … .”
Mandy shook her head, her battle against the tears faltering. “I need a few minutes.”
“Okay,” James conceded. “Why don’t you go up and take a bath. I’ll stay down here for an hour or so.”
“No.”
“Then … .”
/>
Mandy was already striding out the back door and heading toward the guesthouse before James could finish his sentence.
“Dammit!”
James stalked out of the house after her, refusing to let her out of her sight. Knowing she was in the house and pouting in another room was one thing. Not being able to see her was quite another.
“Get back in this house!”
“You are not the boss of me,” Mandy shot back, throwing open the door to the guesthouse and stepping inside.
“Oh, yes I am.”
Mandy blew an unruly raspberry.
“Nice,” James said. “Very ladylike.”
“Oh, I’m not a lady,” Mandy said. “I’m a child.” She started climbing the steps to her studio, slamming her bare feet on the spiral staircase with every step. “You’re not my husband, you’re my babysitter.”
“Oh, grow up,” James said, following her up the stairs. “You always fly off the handle whenever I have to initiate security measures.”
“Maybe you should stop initiating security measures.”
“Maybe you should stop rolling into trouble every time I turn around.”
“Oh, well, I’ll try to stop random strangers from accosting me at festivals in foreign countries and slipping things in my purse,” Mandy said. “That was clearly my fault.”
“I didn’t say it was your fault,” James said, pulling up short when he reached the top of the steps. “You need to stop walking away from me when I’m talking to you.”
Mandy didn’t respond, her eyes busy as she scanned the room, her tongue tied.
“Can you even hear me?”
When Mandy turned to James, her eyes were glistening with tears again. This time, though, they weren’t angry. “When did you do this?”
“When did I do what?”
Mandy pointed at the room, which had undergone a complete makeover. “You redid everything. You had it painted. You had the carpet yanked out. You bought me an easel and a bunch of canvases. When did you do this?”
“I … I forgot it was finished,” James admitted. “I was going to surprise you.”
Mandy ran her finger under her nose. “I hate surprises.”
“Yeah, you’ve proven that time and again.”
Deadly Honeymoon (Hardy Brothers Security Book 7) Page 13