“True love?” Ann was beside herself. “True love? There is no such thing as true love for these … jerks. You two aren’t in love. James just decided he was ready to settle down, and Mandy happened to be the first person he saw once he made the decision. That could’ve just as easily been me. I was like … what … two days late?”
“Oh, get over yourself, Ann,” James said, rolling his eyes. “I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last woman on Earth and we were the only hope for keeping the human race alive.”
Marian snickered.
“You’re only saying that because you don’t want to upset your precious wife,” Ann shot back. “You and I were in love in high school. We were torn apart by circumstances beyond our control. We were destined to find our way back to each other. Everyone knows it. She ruined it for us.”
“Get off the soap opera train,” James said. “I hate to burst your really delusional bubble, but I never loved you. I dated you in high school because … well … it was a really small school and word on the street was that you put out.”
Mandy stiffened on his lap, and James shifted so he could snuggle her in tighter against his chest. He was in protective mode, and there was no way he was going to let Ann make his wife feel insecure.
“That’s a horrible thing to say,” Ann said. “I don’t care how much you want to protect your wife’s feelings, lying to her isn’t going to do you any good over the long haul.”
“I’m not lying,” James said, refusing to back down. He figured Ann needed a hard dose of truth. “I wanted to break up with you long before I left for basic training. I didn’t because I thought it was mean to ruin your prom, and it just seemed easier to leave things as they were. I knew I was enlisting six months before I left. There’s a reason I didn’t tell you.”
Ann’s lower lip quivered. “Take that back.”
“No,” James said. “You were horrible back then. I knew it. You went after Mandy when she was fourteen years old. You tortured her. I know very well you tortured her after I left, too. Why? It was just so you could build yourself up. It’s disgusting.”
“James,” Mandy warned, her voice low.
“No, baby, I’m sorry,” James said. “I’m not going to sit here and listen to her attack what we’ve built. I’m happy. I’m not apologizing for it. You’re all I’ve ever wanted. Period.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Ann,” he continued. “Well, actually I’m not. You go out of your way to hurt people every chance you get. You feed off the misery of others. I think it makes you feel better.
“I know your life didn’t turn out like you thought it would,” he said. “You married a guy who had money and you thought he was going to give you everything you ever wanted. You popped out a couple of kids because you thought that was what you were supposed to do and then he took off and left you with the kids and took the money.
“That’s rough,” James said. “It is. No one deserves that. You might ask yourself how you got in that situation, though. I can answer that question for you: You married for money and it backfired.”
“I only married him because I couldn’t have you,” Ann said. “You broke my heart when you left me. You didn’t even have the courage to break up with me in person. You sent me a letter. You were gone for two days before I even knew we weren’t a couple any longer. Two days!” She glanced at the assembled women. “Can you believe that?”
Marian shrugged. “He was eighteen. It’s not like you were soul mates.”
“We are soul mates!”
“Um, no offense, but I think that he’s snuggling on the couch with his soul mate,” one of the girls said. “Duh.”
Ann jumped to her feet. “You tell all of these … idiots … that you’re just saying that because Mandy is insecure and you don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“No.”
“I hate you,” Ann hissed, turning on her heel and stalking away.
James rolled his eyes until they landed on Mandy. He was expecting accolades for defending their love, but her face was murderous. “What?”
“You embarrassed her.”
“So?”
“James, you just did to her what she did to me when I was younger,” Mandy pointed out.
“She’s a horrible person.”
“I know,” Mandy said, moving to climb off of his lap. “That doesn’t mean she deserves to be cut down in front of other people.”
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to her,” Mandy said.
“Are you messing with me?”
“No. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Just … try not to flex. I’m afraid you’ll be jumped while I’m gone.” Mandy flashed James a weak smile. “I’ll be right back.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” James grumbled. He lifted his eyes to find the two girls staring at him like he was a piece of meat and the grill was about to be turned on. He clutched the blanket closer to his chest. “I knew this cooking class was an absolutely terrible idea the second she suggested it. This is just … crap.”
Thirteen
“You’re not really going after her, are you?”
Mandy was surprised to find Marian following her instead of remaining behind to gawk at James in all of his shirtless wonder. “I feel like I should.”
“Why? She’s been nothing but mean to you.”
“I know,” Mandy said. “I just … I know how it feels to be crushed in front of people. Ann did it to me quite a few times back in the day. She was mean and nasty then, and James was mean and nasty now. It hurts.”
“I think she had it coming,” Marian said. “It sounds like she was awful to you.”
“She was. I think she was awful to herself, though, too,” Mandy said. “I think only a truly unhappy person would act the way Ann does.”
“You’re a good person,” Marian said.
“I just … I want to make sure she’s okay.”
“You’re a better person than I am,” Marian said. “I guess that’s why you have the hunky husband and I’m … still dreaming of happily ever after.”
Mandy pursed her lips. “Is that why you took the class? Did you want to learn how to cook so you could … find a hunky husband?”
Marian shrugged. “Not all of us find our dream man when we’re not expecting it,” she said. “Some of us have to work hard for it – and even then it’s not always possible.”
Mandy had never considered that. “I guess,” she said. “You shouldn’t go out of your way to do something for a man, though. You should take a cooking class because you want to take it, not because you think it will make a man happy.”
“Why did you take the class?”
Mandy faltered. “I took it because I wanted to be a better wife,” she admitted. “It turns out James is already happy with the wife I am. Trust me. If I had opted to embrace takeout instead of doing … this … my husband would be a lot happier than he is right now.”
Marian glanced over her shoulder, smiling as she watched James cover himself with the blanket as the two eager co-eds talked to him. “I think you’re the luckiest woman in the world.”
“I think so, too,” Mandy said. “Come on. Let’s find Ann. I can’t trust those two with James for more than five minutes. They’re going to mount him if I’m not careful.”
“I think she went this way,” Marian said, pointing toward the dark hallway. “I doubt she went too far. There’s only so many places with emergency lights on the main floor.”
It took Mandy and Marian less than five minutes to track down Ann, and when they did, Mandy found herself wishing she’d stayed snuggled up on James’ lap instead of trying to be a good person. “Huh.”
“I just … wow,” Marian said, her eyes widening. “I guess her heartbreak didn’t last very long.”
Ann wasn’t alone in the small cafeteria. She was backed against a wall, and Professor Barnes’ tongue was firmly jammed into her mouth as his hands roamed over her body. Since escaping from t
he classroom after the initial storm blast, Mandy realized she hadn’t seen Barnes. He looked like he had more on his mind than cooking right now, though.
“We should probably go,” Mandy muttered.
“I … don’t you think we should stop them?” Marian asked.
“Nope,” Mandy said. “I just realized that even though James embarrassed Ann, it’s not in her to react like a normal person. I keep forgetting who she is. That’s on me.”
“But … .”
“What are you doing?” Ann screeched, her attention drifting from Barnes’ face to the open doorway. “Are you spying on us?”
Mandy held up her hands to ward off Ann’s outrage. “I was just checking to make sure you were okay.”
“Whatever,” Ann snapped. “Why don’t you go back to your perfect husband and let us go back to our perfect … .”
“Hookup?” Mandy supplied.
“You’re just jealous,” Ann seethed. “You’re not happy unless every man in the room is panting after you, are you?”
“That’s not true,” Mandy protested. “I was trying to make sure you weren’t crying or something.”
“I don’t cry.”
“Duly noted.”
Mandy shuffled nervously as Ann stared her down. “So, um … .” Mandy broke off, unsure.
“Get out!”
MANDY found James alone on the couch when she returned. His fan club had seemingly lost interest and moved back to their respective couches, and he was stretched out and waiting for her.
“Are you still mad at me?”
“I was never mad,” Mandy said, gesturing for him to lift the blanket.
He did and she climbed underneath with him, rolling on her side so they could both fit comfortably together and resting her head against his chest. “Are you mad at me?”
“Nope. I’m baffled, but I’m not mad. Did you find her?”
“I found her.”
“Did you apologize for my razor-sharp tongue?”
“I have ideas for that tongue the second we get home,” Mandy teased, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth with a saucy smile.
“I do, too,” James said, kissing his wife softly. “Was she crying? Did she blame you for what I said? Did she say something nasty to you?”
“She did say something nasty to me,” Mandy conceded. “It was after I found her making out with the professor in the cafeteria, though.”
James stilled. “Seriously?”
“It appears she wasn’t quite as upset as I thought she was.”
James grinned and burrowed down on the couch, slipping his arm under Mandy’s waist and tugging her so she was flush against his chest. “I told you she was evil. Here you were feeling bad about her being hurt and she’d already moved on to the next hapless schmuck.”
“I just … she seemed genuinely upset.”
“You can’t be upset if you don’t have a soul.”
“She’s probably just trying to make herself feel better by having meaningless sex with someone because she can’t have what she really wants,” Mandy said. “We’ve all done it.”
James pinched Mandy’s hip. “You haven’t. You were a virgin when we hooked up.”
“Whatever.”
“I’m not joking,” James said. “I like to pretend I’m the only man who has ever plowed your … fields.”
“Fields?”
“Too gross?”
“Too weird,” Mandy said.
“Discovered your treasure?”
“That makes me think of The Goonies,” Mandy said.
“I can live with that,” James said, kissing her forehead. “I really wish we weren’t stuck here. If we were home, I would be digging for treasure right now.”
Mandy giggled as James’ fingers brushed across her ribcage. “Did I mention how thankful I am that you came for me? I can’t imagine being stuck here without you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I needed to be with you. I wasn’t just doing it for you. I was doing it for us.”
“I would’ve been really angry if you died on me,” Mandy said, reaching up and pushing his messy hair away from his forehead.
“I guess it’s good that didn’t happen then.”
“I guess.”
The always-steady beat of James’ heart met Mandy’s ear as she pressed it to his strong chest. “Do you think we’re going to be stuck here all night?”
“I’m hoping it’s just for a few hours, but I’m not holding my breath,” James said. “I’m not risking your safety on the roads. I think we’re safer just sleeping here. That will give the emergency crews time to clear the roads. We’re supposed to get more storms, too.”
“I like storms in general. I love watching horror movies during a storm. Some of my favorite nights involve the two of us, my Friday the 13th movie set, and no clothes.”
“I know. That’s one of the reasons I married you.”
“What are the others?”
“Oh, we’re going to play that game, are we?” James rested his forehead against Mandy’s. “I married you because you make me laugh … and you’re smoking hot … and you make me want to be a better man.”
“Good answer.”
“I also married you because you’re always randy and ready to go when I need a good tumble,” James teased.
“You’re such a man.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m your man then.”
“Definitely.”
They cuddled together in silence after that, the sound of another storm ramping up outside causing Mandy to burrow as close as she could manage. James would’ve preferred her bare skin pressed against his, but this wasn’t the place for that kind of snuggling.
“So, this is the husband you told me about.”
Mandy shifted in James’ arms, frowning when she caught sight of Steven. He was sitting in a nearby chair watching them. “This is him.”
“Who is this?” James asked, narrowing his eyes as he regarded Steven.
“Steven Balish.” He introduced himself, extending his hand in James’ direction. When James ignored it, he finally dropped it. “I met your wife the day she registered for her cooking class.”
Mandy frowned. “Did I tell you I was registering for a cooking class?”
Steve faltered. “I … um … you told me tonight.”
Mandy couldn’t remember if that was true. “Okay.”
“I asked her out for coffee,” Steven said, smiling amiably. “Don’t worry, though. She shot me down.”
“Do I look worried?” James asked, nonplussed.
“You look pretty comfortable given our current situation,” Steven said. “I guess that’s what happens when you have a hot wife and you drive through a storm to get to her.”
“That’s what happens when you’re with the person you love,” James replied nonchalantly.
“Oh, come on,” Steven prodded. “Acting like a hero has its perks. Admit it.”
“I wasn’t acting like anything,” James countered, dislike for the man growing by the moment. “I wanted to be with my wife so I made it happen.”
“He’s a good husband,” Mandy murmured.
“I didn’t say he wasn’t,” Steven said. “When you said you were happily married, I was kind of hoping you were making it up.”
“Why?” James asked.
“Well … look at her.”
“I look at her every chance I get,” James said, shifting slightly so he could press Mandy tighter against his chest – sending a clear message to Steven: Stay away. “I like to look at her.”
“I don’t blame you.”
James glanced down at Mandy, his mind working. “Have you been paying a lot of attention to my wife?”
Mandy immediately started shaking her head. “I haven’t seen him since I registered for the class,” she said. “Other than tonight, I mean. He was out in the lobby when we finally managed to find our way out of the classroom.”
“That reminds me, I’m putting o
ne of those little flashlights on your key ring. You should always have a flashlight handy,” James said.
“You pick weird things to focus on,” Mandy said.
“I’m always focused on you,” James countered. “I don’t think it’s weird.”
“If she was my wife, I know I would always be focused on her,” Steven said.
Mandy was starting to get creeped out. “Um … we’re kind of spending time together … alone,” she said. “I don’t mean to be rude but … do you mind?”
“Do I mind what?” Either Steven was oblivious or he was being purposely obtuse. Mandy had a feeling it was the latter.
“Leaving us alone,” James answered. “We were in the middle of something.”
“What?”
“Each other,” James snapped. “Seriously, what is your deal?”
“Nothing,” Steven said, holding his hands up. “I’m sorry. I was just trying for a little friendly conversation. I didn’t mean to ruin your night … in the lobby of a community college classroom … with a bunch of other people hanging around.”
James scowled. “Listen … .”
Mandy pressed her hand to his chest to still him. “Steven, I’m sure you’re a perfectly nice guy,” she said. “You seem … eager … to make friends. The thing is, we just want to be alone right now.”
“So you can have sex?”
James growled as Mandy frowned.
“Actually, we just want to talk right now,” Mandy said, choosing her words carefully. “We don’t particularly want an audience.”
“You should probably pick a different spot to have your conversation then,” Steven said.
“Don’t make me get up,” James warned.
“Why would you get up?”
“Because you’re seriously starting to bug me.”
Steven pushed himself up from the chair. “There’s no reason to go all … crazy, man,” he said. “I was just playing around. I’m sorry I ruined your romantic evening.”
James watched him go, his eyes dark slits. “I don’t like him.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell.”
“Don’t be cute,” James said. “I’m at the end of my rope here. I don’t like not being able to … do what I want to do when I want to do it – and that includes you, baby.”
Deadly Storm Page 10
