“Don’t make me beat you,” Mandy warned.
“Hey, someone is out there.” One of the girls on the couch rolled to her knees and leaned forward. “It’s a man. He’s heading in this direction.”
“What kind of idiot would be out in this?” Steven asked.
“He’s probably someone coming to rescue us,” Ann said.
“How many times do I have to tell you that we don’t need to be rescued?” Mandy snapped. She jerked her head to the lobby doors as they pushed open, revealing the solid form of a body she would recognize anywhere. She was moving before she realized it. “James?”
James pushed his sopping hair away from his face, relief washing over him when he caught sight of his wife. “Thank, God.”
Mandy threw herself into his arms, ignoring his drenched clothing and instead focusing on the steady beat of his heart through his shirt. “I can’t believe you came for me.”
Despite his anger, James couldn’t stop himself from hugging her back. He tipped her face up, cupping the back of her head as he stared into her eyes. “I told you a long time ago that I would always come for you.”
“I know,” Mandy said, fighting tears. “You could have died, though. You’re such an … idiot.”
James scowled. “I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry,” Mandy said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I just … you’re the most amazing man I know.”
“That’s good,” James said. “Because now that I know you’re safe I’m going to have to kill you.”
“HAND ME your jeans,” Mandy instructed.
They were in the men’s bathroom and James was stripping out of his clothes so she could use the air dryers on them. He’d been mostly silent since his pronouncement, but Mandy was well aware of the anger rolling off of him.
James stripped out of his jeans – after a lot of contorting and shimmying – and wordlessly handed them to her. He watched as she held them under the nozzle and hit the button. They were going to take forever to dry that way, but he didn’t see a lot of choice in the matter.
“Are you going to yell at me?” Mandy asked, shifting her worried blue eyes to his dark orbs.
“Yes.”
Mandy waited.
“Where is my shirt?” James asked, glancing around the bathroom.
“It’s on top of that stall over there,” Mandy said, biting the inside of her cheek.
“It’s still wet,” James said, running his fingers over the shirt.
“It’s going to take some time to dry.”
“I guess it’s good we’re stuck here then.”
“I … please just yell at me now and get it over with,” Mandy said. “I can’t stand walking on eggshells around you.”
“You never have to walk around on eggshells where I’m concerned,” James replied. “You’re my wife. I’m not your father. I’m not going to ground you.”
“It feels like you want to … hurt me.”
James snapped his head up. “I never want to hurt you. Don’t ever say anything like that again.”
Mandy took an involuntary step back. “Okay.” Her voice was so small it tugged at James’ heart. He wasn’t ready to make up, though. They had a few things to talk about first.
“Grady was with me when I left the office.”
“Where is he?” Mandy asked. “Is he here?”
“We found Sophie’s car on M-59. It was tipped on its side and it had been slammed into some trees.”
Mandy’s hand flew to her mouth, and she almost dropped James’ jeans before recovering. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” James said. “She’s sore, and she has some superficial burns on her wrist from the air bag, but she’s okay. Grady stayed with her to wait for the ambulance.”
“She’s going to the hospital?”
“Grady insisted,” James said. “I don’t blame him. If you’d seen that car … .”
“I’m so glad she’s okay.”
James grunted in assent.
“I … what are you mad about?”
James shifted his gaze to his wife, love for her washing over him even as anger settled in the pit of his stomach. “What do you think I’m mad about?”
“That I insisted on staying in this class even though you didn’t want me to.”
“Is that why you really think I’m mad?”
“I don’t know what else it could be,” Mandy said. “If I hadn’t been a stubborn pain I would’ve gone home right after work. You wouldn’t have almost died trying to find me.”
“Dammit, Mandy!” James smacked his hand against the metal door of the stall. “I don’t understand why you insist on staying in this class, but that’s hardly something to be angry about. That’s not why I want to throttle you.”
Mandy’s shoulders slumped at the same time the air dryer flipped off. She hit the button again and lifted the jeans. “I guess it’s good these are hooked up to the emergency generator.”
“I think it’s a sanitation thing,” James said. “They have the air dryers so they can say they’re green and not waste money on paper products. If they want to do that, though, they have to make them available even in times of emergency.”
“You know a lot of things.”
James growled. “Don’t try to distract me.”
Mandy flashed James her best “you love me and you can’t stay mad at me” look. “I would never try to do that.”
James extended his index finger. “You’re the queen of doing that. We have a little something to talk about first.”
“What?”
“Do you honestly not know?”
“I don’t,” Mandy said, shaking her head.
“Did you tell me your class got over an hour later than it really did?”
“Oh,” Mandy said, her heart sinking. “That.”
“Yeah, that.”
“I didn’t want you to sit home and worry,” Mandy explained. “I knew you would tie yourself up in knots. I figured I would be home before you could even get to that point. I wasn’t trying to lie.”
“Well, you did.”
“I know. I … I’m sorry.”
James sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Do you have any idea what I was thinking while I was driving over here? I thought you were buried underneath a pile of rubble. I thought you were calling for me. I thought you needed me.”
“I always need you.”
“If you had told me the truth about what time this class got over with I would’ve been here before the tornado hit,” James said. “I would’ve known you were safe. Hell, I would’ve made Sophie stay here and she would’ve avoided that accident.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I … wait a second.” Mandy narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean you would’ve been here before the tornado hit?”
James shifted uncomfortably. “Nothing.”
Realization dawned on Mandy. “You were going to sit in the parking lot and watch me to make sure I got into my car safely, weren’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Once I was in my car you were going to speed home so you could beat me there and pretend you were all calm and collected the whole time about me being here,” Mandy said. “Admit it.”
James considered lying. Since he was mad about her bending the truth, though, he figured it probably wasn’t a good idea. “Fine. That’s exactly what I was going to do.”
Mandy placed her hands on her hips. “You were going to lie to me?”
James scowled. “I was going to lie to protect you.”
“That’s why I lied.”
“Oh, good grief,” James said, cracking his neck. “We’re going to call this a draw.”
“Only because you got caught,” Mandy grumbled.
“You’re my wife,” James said. “I need to know you’re safe. I’m not going to apologize for wanting you to be okay. I’m not going to apologize for going out of my way to keep you safe.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“Well … now you’re mad,” James said.
Mandy sighed, resigned. “I’m not mad. I’m too … thankful … that you’re here to be mad. I was going to kill myself with worry because I couldn’t get in touch with you.”
Hope moved across James’ handsome features. “Really? You don’t want to fight?”
“I just want you to hold me for a few minutes,” Mandy admitted. “I just want to feel you wrapped around me.”
James opened his arms. “Come to me, baby.”
Mandy stepped into his embrace, burying her face against his chest as he rocked her.
“I really am sorry,” Mandy said.
“It’s over, baby,” James said, kissing her forehead. “We’re together. That’s all I care about right now.”
“Your clothes are drenched.”
“I still have my boxer shorts.”
“Ann is going to try and jump you when she sees you without your shirt on.”
“I guess it’s good I have you to protect me then,” James said.
Mandy lifted her chin. “Thank you for coming for me.”
James kissed her softly, teasing her with his tongue so she knew their emotional storm had passed. “Nothing in this world will ever keep me from getting to you when I need to get to you. Nothing.”
“Not even a tornado can stop you,” Mandy mused.
“I love you that much,” James agreed.
“I love you that much, too.”
“I know,” James said. “I’m still the hero tonight. You need to treat me accordingly.”
Mandy grinned, the first real smile she’d been able to muster since his arrival. “Do you want me to throw rose petals or bow?”
“Right now I just want you to stick close to me,” James said. “I need you near me.”
“You don’t even have to ask me to do that,” Mandy said. “There’s nothing in this world that could drag me away from you right now.”
“I know,” James said. “Your heart is joined to mine forever. I feel the same way, baby.”
Twelve
“I stole this blanket from the display case in the hallway, so remind me to pay someone for it,” Mandy said, handing the fluffy blanket – the college’s logo proudly displayed on it – to James.
He was sitting on one of the couches, still clad in only his boxer shorts, and he was creating quite a stir with the female population in the lobby. The two girls who had been infatuated with their phones only moments before were now sitting in chairs so they could talk to him, and Marian was hovering like he was about to bestow golden tiaras on everyone.
Mandy was trying to keep her temper in check. She knew how nice he was to look at, and she didn’t blame the women, but she was starting to feel territorial.
James, as if reading her mind, snagged her around the waist and pulled her down on his lap. He situated her so she was sideways, her back resting against the arm of the couch and her legs hefted on top of his lap. Then he pulled the blanket over both of them and snuggled her close.
“Are you cold,” Mandy asked, running her hand over his forehead. “I’m worried you’re going to get sick because you were out in the storm.”
“I’m fine, baby,” James said, moving his lips to kiss the palm of her hand.
“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Marian said, pressing her hand to her heart and settling in one of the open chairs. “It’s like you’re the perfect man.”
Mandy made a face that James found quite comical. “Did you hear that, wife? I’m the perfect man. I should be revered as such for the rest of our lives.”
“I think you revere yourself enough for both of us,” Mandy teased, but she cuddled in closer to him to bask in their shared warmth.
“I want to know everything,” Marian said, leaning forward. “I asked Mandy if it was love at first sight when you two got together, but she played coy. She said it was lust at first sight.”
“See, she’s lying,” James said, tickling Mandy’s ribs. “The second she saw me she was head-over-heels in love. There were little hearts dancing around her head. It was like magic.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true,” Ann said, dramatically throwing herself in one of the chairs a few feet away. “She used to follow him around like a little puppy dog when we were in high school. That’s when James and I were together, by the way. He didn’t even know she was alive.”
James scowled. He hated having his past mistakes thrown in his face almost as much as he loathed the way Ann looked at Mandy. James knew Ann well enough to know that the woman wouldn’t stop until she hurt his wife, and he had no intention of standing by and watching it happen.
“I knew she was alive,” James said.
“Did you like her even back then?” One of the younger women, a brunette with green eyes, was just as engaged in the conversation as Marian.
“I liked to talk to her,” James said. “She was always over at my house screwing around with my sister. I did not have romantic feelings for her then, though. I will say she was kind of cute. She wore these hoodies that were way too big for her, and she was always in Converse and had her nose buried in a book. She stared at me adoringly with those big, blue eyes and I couldn’t help but melt. I still didn’t have romantic or sexual feelings for her. I hate to ruin the fantasy.”
“That would make the story better,” Marian said.
“Not from where I’m standing,” James said. “It makes me feel a little dirty. She was way too young for me then. The difference between thirty and twenty-six is nothing. The difference between eighteen and fourteen is a big deal.”
“I guess,” Marian said, although she didn’t look convinced.
“It was ridiculous,” Ann said. “Mandy had a little notebook and she doodled James’ name all over it.”
“Did you really do that?”
“I did,” Mandy conceded, her cheeks flushing with color. “I still have it somewhere.”
James stilled. “You do?”
“It’s in a box,” Mandy said. “Ally found it when she was unpacking some of my stuff while we were on our honeymoon. She kept it out for me. It’s in my office closet.”
James traced idle circles on Mandy’s hip under the blanket. “I want it.”
“You want it?” Mandy arched an eyebrow. “What for?”
“I just do,” James said. “I want it. It should be mine.”
“That seems a little weird.”
“You have a whole box of things I’ve given you that other people would consider junk,” James countered.
“You know about that box?” Mandy was surprised. She’d gone out of her way to hide the cadre of schmaltzy items from her husband because she knew he would tease her mercilessly if he saw them.
“Of course I do. I’m an investigator. The second I saw you hide it when you thought I wasn’t looking I knew I had to look inside.”
Mandy groaned. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“What’s in the box?” Marian asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Nothing,” Mandy said hurriedly.
Marian looked to James for answers.
“The first card I ever bought her is in there, as well as one of the first roses I bought for her,” he said. “She’s got a bunch of mementos from our honeymoon, napkins from the wedding, and a matchbook from the first bed and breakfast we stayed at. She’s even got some stuff from our trip to New Orleans in there.”
“You’re such a busybody,” Mandy grumbled.
James kissed her chin. “I find it adorable.”
“How long did it take you to fall in love with her?” Marian asked. She was clearly enraptured with the story.
“I don’t know,” James admitted. “I don’t know if there was an exact moment when it happened. I do know when I realized I loved her.”
“When?”
“When I thought there was a chance I was going to lose her,” James said, pulling Mandy a little closer. “I knew in t
hat moment that I couldn’t live my life without her. I still don’t know how it happened. I think she might be magic.”
“Aww.” Every woman within hearing distance – except for Ann – sighed.
“You’re unbelievable,” Mandy muttered. “You’re just playing to your audience now.”
“What’s your favorite memory of your time together?” Marian asked.
James considered the question. “I don’t know that I have one favorite memory,” he said. “I know that the day she agreed to marry me was the happiest day of my life … until the day we got married. I know that our honeymoon was the best two weeks of my life, and I know that every night I get to climb into bed and fall asleep next to her that I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“I think I might cry,” one of the girls said, wiping a tear. “I want someone to love me that much.”
James winked at Mandy, who wanted to roll her eyes, but her heart was so full of love she couldn’t muster the energy.
“What is your favorite memory?” Marian asked, turning to Mandy expectantly.
“He took me on a shark tour on our honeymoon,” Mandy said, not missing a beat.
“That’s your favorite memory?” Marian wrinkled her nose while Ann snorted derisively.
“It wasn’t about the tour,” Mandy said. “It was just the moment I realized he was always going to go out of his way to make me happy. I don’t think it’s possible to explain how it feels to know that someone gets you – and he doesn’t care if you have weird ideas, or if you’re a geek, or even if you love shark movies. There’s nothing better than someone loving you for who you are.”
Now James was getting choked up. “If I could buy you a shark for the pool I would,” he said.
“You really like sharks?” Marian asked. “I see you’re always wearing that silver necklace with the shark charm.”
“James got me this as a wedding gift,” Mandy said, fingering the charm.
“Oh, well, that’s romantic,” Ann scoffed.
“It is,” Mandy replied, nonplussed. “He had it engraved for me and everything.”
“What does it say?” Marian asked.
“It’s just a promise of our life together,” Mandy said.
“Forever,” James said, kissing Mandy’s cheek.
“I seriously need to get a boyfriend,” one of the girls said. “This is just proof that true love really does exist.”
Deadly Storm Page 9
