by P J Gordon
Manda laughed. “In that case, I hope they have enough food. The only person I’ve ever seen who can out-eat you is Josh! How you two can eat like you do and still stay so disconcertingly fit is beyond me!”
“So, you think I’m disconcerting?” Richard fished, appearing extremely pleased by the comment. “The truth now!”
Manda could feel the blood flooding into her cheeks and sighed. This man had a gift for making her blush. She dropped her eyes and examined the palms of her hands. “Yes. In every way that it is possible for you to be disconcerting, you are.”
“Name three,” he pressed with a charming grin. The car had pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant and Mark opened his door and got out.
“Richard!” she protested, embarrassed.
“Please!” he pleaded with eyes so wide and appealing that Manda melted.
“Cheater,” she grumbled, accusingly. “Fine. But not right now. Mark...”
The opening of the car door stilled her tongue. Grinning in anticipation, Richard escorted her into the restaurant, where the hostess quickly seated them in a secluded booth in a corner. He waited until they had ordered and were sipping iced tea before prompting her to continue.
“Well? What are three ways that I’m disconcerting?” he asked, leaning toward her across the table.
“Oh, you’re incorrigible!” Manda huffed.
Richard chuckled. “I’m going to assume that’s not one of the three.”
“Fine. If you must know, for one thing, you’re the most charming and considerate person I’ve ever met. Second, you’re tall and gorgeous, and third, you have the most incredible blue eyes.”
“And blue is your favorite color,” Richard concluded, smiling.
“Did David tell you that, too?”
“No. That was just my own observation,” he replied. “Thank you, Manda. It’s nice to know the attraction is mutual. Now, what is there to do around here? We have a whole week ahead of us. How shall we fill it?”
The rest of dinner was spent discussing the endless possibilities for filling their days. They lingered at their table long after countless other diners came and went, but neither wanted the evening to end. Richard finally declared it time to leave when he caught Manda trying to hide a yawn.
“I’ve kept you too long. I’d better get you home,” Richard said reluctantly. He called for the car and paid the check, and in less than an hour he was walking her up her front steps.
He took Manda’s key from her and unlocked the door. “I know I’ve already had more than my fair share today, since it’s really only our first date, but would a goodnight kiss be okay?” He pulled Manda close as he spoke.
“I think that would be acceptable,” Manda breathed, tipping her face up toward his. The kiss that followed left her legs weak, and when it was over she clung to Richard, trying to gather her wits again. “Shall I come and pick you up tomorrow?”
“If you’d like. Today was amazing, Manda. I can hardly wait until tomorrow to see you again.”
“Then why don’t you have breakfast with me?” she suggested in a voice that was still husky and breathless from his kiss. The sooner she saw him again the next day, the happier she’d be.
Richard stiffened and frowned uncomfortably. “Manda, please don’t take this personally, but, as tempting as that is, I don’t...well...I’m very attracted to you, and very flattered, but...”
Manda was disappointed when she realized he was refusing her invitation, and confused and a little hurt by his reaction. His body language was disapproving, as if she’d crossed a line—as if her request had been inappropriate. What could be wrong with having breakfast together?
Manda’s eyes widened in alarm and her disappointment turned to mortification. “No! That’s not what I meant at all!” she gasped, realizing that Richard had misconstrued her invitation to breakfast as euphemism for spending the night with her. She hid her face in her hands, wishing she could disappear. “I really did just mean breakfast.”
Richard exhaled in relief and apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, Manda. I should have known better, but you caught me off guard. It’s just that I’ve been invited for ‘breakfast’ before, and they weren’t referring to food. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. Please forgive me and forget I said that. I would love to have breakfast with you if the invitation still stands.”
“Is eight o’clock okay?” she asked, peeking at him through her fingers, still embarrassed.
“Eight o’clock will be perfect. I can’t wait. I’ll go now and let you get some rest. Sweet dreams.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and opened the door for her.
He waited until she’d shut and locked the door before he left, and Manda watched through the window as the car disappeared from view before she climbed the stairs, cleaned up, and collapsed into bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Chapter 16
Mikey tapped lightly on the door to the brothers’ suite and yawned. He took another sip of his too-hot coffee, trying to wake himself up. Being on tour with Josh and Richard had gotten him used to late nights and late mornings and he still hadn’t adjusted to these early hours. Josh had gotten back to the hotel a while ago though, and Mikey wanted to hear his report before Richard left with Manda. You could never be too careful, after all.
Josh answered the door and motioned Mikey in with a cream cheese-smeared bagel. Mikey went right to the table and sat in his usual chair. He helped himself to a piece of toast, then waited for Josh to sit back down before prompting the younger man to begin. “Anything new?”
“Naw,” Josh said dismissively. “Nothing new. Very dull.”
“Dull is good,” Mikey reminded him once more. “Just don’t let it make you complacent.” Mikey didn’t think there was any immediate chance of that. Not after the report they’d received about the killings in Manda’s neighborhood. Josh had been very casual about the situation before that, but since then he’d been very, very vigilant.
When Mikey had told him that every dog on Manda’s block had been killed by a “wild animal” of some kind, Josh had started taking the whole thing very seriously—especially after the dog that lived next door to Manda had been killed.
Foxes and coyotes weren’t uncommon in Manda’s neighborhood. A few missing lapdogs weren’t unheard of in such areas. It had gotten their attention, however, when people started finding larger dogs mutilated in their own backyards. The fact that these disappearances and mutilations were centered around Manda’s house had confirmed all of their fears, and when the report came two days ago that the mastiff belonging to Manda’s neighbors had been found dead and mangled, Josh had woken Richard immediately and the following discussion had been intense.
Josh had been right, Mikey admitted to himself. Mikey had supported Richard’s decision, but they had been wrong and Josh had been right. It was too late to avoid the situation by running away. Richard hadn’t accomplished anything by trying to keep his distance from Manda. All it had done was make everyone involved miserable.
Josh wasn’t one to say I-told-you-so, thankfully. He was a good kid. Their only possible course of action now was to meet the problem head-on, and Josh had willingly shouldered more than his share of that responsibility. He didn’t complain about it either. He just did it. Mikey respected that.
Mikey hoped things turned out better this time. It was hard on Richard when they went wrong. It was hard on everyone, but on Richard in particular. That man carried around more guilt than anyone else Mikey had ever met. It would be especially hard on Josh this time as well. He’d become friends with Manda. If things went badly, he’d be stuck in the middle. Mikey wouldn’t envy him that.
Mikey took another drink of his coffee. It had cooled enough to scald his tongue only slightly this time. “And Kastl didn’t think there was any immediate threat?” Mikey verified. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Josh’s judgment; he would just feel better if they had the “all’s well” from the one man besides Ri
chard who most understood the risk.
“He gave a green light when I saw him. Not a trace of any trouble.” Josh wiped cream cheese off of his fingers with a white linen napkin.
Mikey nodded. “Good. Good. Is Richard up and around? What time did he say Manda would be by?”
“He’s in his room getting dressed—probably still worrying over what to wear.”
“I heard that!” Richard called through his closed bedroom door.
Josh winked at Mikey and grinned. “She should be here any time now. I don’t think Richie slept at all. He was already up and around when I got back.”
Mikey frowned slightly. He wasn’t actually sure that was good. He hid his doubts from Josh though. The young man was hoping for the best. Let him enjoy his optimism. Pessimism was Mikey’s job. There was nothing wrong with hoping for the best, he supposed. Hope for the best…prepare for the worst.
When Manda failed to show up on schedule, Mikey began to fear that his pessimism was proving justified. As the morning progressed with no word from any of their sources beyond the fact that the power was out on her entire block and there was no sign of activity in her house, Richard grew more and more agitated. She didn’t answer her phone when Richard tried repeatedly to reach her. By the time Mikey dispatched both men to her house -– Richard by car and Josh by quicker means -– his assurances that Kastl would have known if something had happened were ringing hollow even to himself.
Chapter 17
Relaxed and exhausted, Manda slept soundly for the first time in weeks. She wasn’t sure how long the pounding on her front door lasted before it finally roused her. She sat up, bleary-eyed and disoriented. Bright sunlight peaked around the edges of her bedroom curtains. The urgent knocking on the door continued and Manda wrapped a blanket around herself and hurried down the stairs.
“Manda?” she heard Richard’s muffled voice call through the door, followed by more knocking. Manda quickly unlocked the door and flung it open.
“What? What’s wrong?” she asked, alarmed.
Richard gripped her by her shoulders and examined her anxiously. “Are you all right? Is everything okay?”
“Yes! I’m fine. What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”
“I’ve been calling you all morning. Why didn’t you answer?” he asked, wrapping her in a relieved embrace.
“I didn’t hear the phone,” she answered, confused. “Your knocking just woke me up. What time is it?”
“It’s almost ten o’clock. You were supposed to meet me at eight. I got worried. You’re never late.
“Ten o’clock!” Manda exclaimed. “How could I have overslept that long?”
Richard reached inside the door and flipped the entry light switch up and down to no effect. “You don’t have any power. I think it’s out on the whole block. Are all your phones cordless?”
“Yes,” Manda confirmed, “and I left my cell phone in my purse.” She sighed. “The backup battery in my alarm clock must be dead. But still, how could I have slept for over twelve hours?”
“Can I come in?” Richard asked, fingering a corner of the blanket Manda had wrapped around herself. “You’re not really dressed for the cold.”
“Of course. Come on in.” Manda backed up to give him room to enter. “You scared me to death. I couldn’t imagine who would be beating on my door like that first thing in the morning.”
“Then we’re even. When you were late, I was a little concerned; when you wouldn’t answer the phone I was worried; but when you didn’t answer the door...” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“You were really worried, weren’t you?” she asked in wide-eyed wonder as she gestured toward the living room. “Come in and sit down.” Manda perched on the edge of her favorite over-sized armchair, pulling the blanket tightly around herself. Richard sat across from her on the matching ottoman.
“Of course I was worried. There are much worse things that could happen to you than just having your picture splashed all over the internet.”
“Like what?” Manda muttered ironically, eliciting an exasperated sigh from Richard.
“You’re a beautiful young woman living alone. I can imagine enough worse things to keep me awake for a year...without even trying! I should get you a dog—a big dog! If you still want to go out and grab something to eat, why don’t you go get ready while I let Josh know you’re okay.”
Manda agreed readily. “What are we going to do today? What should I wear?”
“Would you enjoy a drive in the mountains?” he suggested. “We could go exploring. You could show me some of your favorite places.”
“Definitely. I’ll only be a minute.” Manda hopped up from the chair and hurried upstairs, the blanket trailing on the floor behind her. Within fifteen minutes she was ready to go, dressed in jeans and a thick, soft, sapphire colored sweater, with her hair pulled back in a loose French braid. As she emerged from her closet with her favorite pair of worn leather hiking boots, she noticed the alarm clock on her nightstand flashing twelve o’clock. She skipped down the stairs in her socks with her boots in hand.
“The power’s back on!” She beamed at Richard, who was sitting in her favorite chair.
“I saw a power company truck down the street.” He looked her over and smiled appreciatively. “That was quick, and you look amazing. Of course, you looked amazing right out of bed and wrapped in a blanket, too.”
“Thank you! I’m ready to go as soon as I get my shoes on. We’ll need to stop and fill my car up with gas. I don’t think there’s much in there.” Manda sat down on the edge of the sofa and quickly donned her boots.
“Actually, I was hoping we could take my new car,” Richard stated nonchalantly.
“You bought a new car? Since last night?” Manda asked incredulously.
“It’s a lease and Josh picked it out. That’s what he and Mikey did yesterday—got us all cars, since we’re going to be here for a while.”
“What is it?” Manda asked eagerly, standing and retrieving her coat from the closet. So, they were planning on staying for a while. She could almost sing with happiness—except that she couldn’t carry a tune.
“A Porsche,” he sighed. “Josh has a weakness for flashy cars. I have more traditional tastes.”
Manda stopped in her tracks. “Maybe we should take mine then. It’s been snowing in the mountains and I’ve got four-wheel drive.”
“Oh, I think we’ll be okay,” Richard assured her with a playful glint in his eyes. “Come on. You’ll see.” He helped her with her coat, and then followed her out the door, locking it behind them.
The car at the curb was not at all what Manda had expected. Instead of a sleek, low-slung sports car, there stood a sleek, midnight blue SUV.
“That’s a Porsche?” Manda asked dubiously. Richard led her around to the front of the car and pointed to the distinctive Porsche emblem. Manda laughed. “I didn’t even know Porsche made a four-wheel drive.”
“Well, it seems they do, and when I asked Josh to get me something that would be good in the snow, this is what he came home with. What do you think?”
“Well, I love the color,” Manda hedged. The car seemed perfectly nice, but she was sure the finer points were wasted on her. Cars just weren’t something she was that interested in.
Richard laughed loudly as he walked Manda around the car and opened the passenger door for her. “I’ll tell Josh you like the blue. He picked it out especially for you. He said it would go well with your eyes!”
“He did not! You’re making that up!” Manda challenged.
“No, I’m not. That’s what he said. Scout’s honor!” He closed her door and quickly circled the car to slide into the driver’s seat. He leaned across and kissed her slowly before settling back into his seat with a contented sigh. “Where to, my lady? Where shall we dine?”
Manda sat dazed for a few breathless and giddy moments before she could answer. It was, she decided, going to be a very go
od day.
Chapter 18
The week that followed felt like a dream to Manda. Richard seemed determined to make up for the time he’d lost while he’d been away, and they were practically inseparable. He devoted himself to her entertainment and amusement. For the first time Manda was able to fully appreciate the meaning of the expression “swept her off her feet,” because he quite thoroughly did just that. They went to movies, museums, concerts, and restaurants. Richard refused to let her cook at all, and they ate out most of the time. Sometimes they had take-out, and a few times they ordered in and watched movies, curled up on Manda’s sofa. Even then, he refused to let her lift a finger to make popcorn, sending her back to the sofa with an accusing look and then doing it himself. That’s not to say, however, that her kitchen went unused. On Friday night he declared that he was going to make dinner. He invaded her kitchen enthusiastically and turned out to be an excellent cook. Manda’s poorly disguised surprise amused him.
“I was taking care of myself long before I got dragged into this life of hotels and room service, you know,” he informed her.
They existed in their own private world, and Manda didn’t see her family or her other friends all week. She tried to work up a shred of guilt for neglecting everyone so thoroughly, but the attempt was frail and fleeting. She didn’t know when she would awake from this dream, and she couldn’t make herself regret a minute of it while it lasted.
When she returned to work on the following Monday, Manda was relaxed, rested, happy…and looking forward to the upcoming long Thanksgiving weekend.
“Back for three days and then a four-day weekend? You’re really turning into a slacker, M,” David had complained, but his welcoming smile had belied his criticism. A short time later, when Richard and Josh arrived, she overheard his comment to the former. “Your company obviously agrees with our little Manni.”