“I did give them time,” Grady said. “I didn’t say a thing when he took off the entire week after her return. I knew they needed that time together and I would never begrudge them that. It’s been three weeks, though. He’s spent a total of twenty hours in the office since he got her back.”
“You’ve been keeping track?” Jake’s annoyance bubbled up. “Maybe you should worry about yourself a little more and leave Mandy and James alone. As far as I’m concerned, they’ve earned the right to do whatever they want.”
Grady was taken aback by Jake’s tone. “I’m not judging them.”
“That’s exactly what you’re doing,” Ally said. “Grady, I love them, too. I haven’t been thrilled with the fact that Mandy and I haven’t had a girls’ night in a month … or gone shopping before the few hours we spent at the mall before this trip … or even just hung around the pool without men close to eavesdrop. I see how they’re struggling, though.
“Mandy had to face her mortality in a big way that day, and now she’s still trying to rationalize how Clint fooled her,” she continued, her voice cracking. “We weren’t there to see Heidi … die. We aren’t sharing her bad dreams. Leave them alone.”
Grady opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut when he realized Jake, Ally, and Sophie all disagreed with him.
“We know you have their best interests at heart,” Sophie said, resting her hand on his wrist. “It’s not time to panic yet, though. They’ll come out of this when they’re ready. They’re obviously not ready.”
“Okay.” Grady held up his hands in mock surrender. “I give up. If he keeps at it like this, though, I’m going to demand a raise.”
“Now that seems fair,” Jake said, smirking when Ally slipped under his arm and rested her head against his chest.
The couples lapsed into amiable silence for a few moments, their peaceful respite only shifting when Will sauntered over and joined them. He had a big smile on his face.
“How are things?”
“They’re good,” Grady replied, tugging a restless hand through his hair before straightening. “We’ve been having a good time.”
“I can see that,” Will said, shifting his eyes to the spot in the shade where Mandy and James slept. He widened his eyes when he realized what he was looking at. “There are plenty of chairs if they want to spread out. There’s no reason for them to be crammed together like that.”
Grady followed his gaze. “They like being crammed together. They chose to sleep like that.”
“They do it every night,” Ally added. “That’s just the way they are.”
“Ah, to be young and in love,” Will said, making a clucking sound with his tongue as he smiled. “They must be newlyweds. James didn’t really mention that when we talked.”
“That depends on what you consider newlyweds,” Jake said. “They’ve been married over a year now.”
“And together for another year before that,” Ally said. “They’re just very … clingy.”
“I guess so,” Will said. “You know, when he mentioned his wife going crazy over one of those suites, I thought he was exaggerating the way he felt about her. I had trouble imagining anyone being that … besotted … with a woman.”
“Yeah, well, they bring co-dependence up to a whole new level,” Grady said. “I’m sorry if they’re bothering any of the guests.”
Ally scorched him with a dark look. “Who would they be bothering? They’re sleeping by themselves under an umbrella. They’re both covered, so I don’t see what the problem is.”
“There is no problem,” Will said, resting his hand on Ally’s shoulder. “Calm down, tiger.” His eyes twinkled as he pursed his lips. “I seriously love how loyal your family is. It proves to me I made the right decision when choosing Hardy Brothers Security. Only honest people would fight this much.”
“Yes, well, we’re definitely loyal,” Grady said. “We also have no filter. If you want, I can wake up James and Mandy and have them move to their room.”
“Why would I care about that?” Will challenged. “As your sister pointed out, they’re not doing anything wrong. In fact, look.” He inclined his chin in the direction of the teenagers. “That’s my daughter and her friends. I would prefer they stare at people who are dedicated to each other than do something stupid and annoying to bother the other guests. Perhaps they will learn something about being good adults from seeing wonderful role models.”
“The only thing they’re going to learn from Mandy and James is how to control their upchuck factor because those two are so sickeningly sweet sometimes it makes me want to hurl,” Grady said. “As for the rest, well, thank you for inviting us here. I promise we won’t let you down.”
“I’m counting on that.”
6
Six
“Are you storing up for hibernation?”
James studied Mandy’s heaping plate as they moved through the dinner line and grinned when he saw the huge mound of seafood. After Heidi’s shooting, she didn’t eat because she felt sick to her stomach. Once Clint kidnapped her, she wouldn’t touch food because she believed it could be poisoned. It was hard for her after that because too much food in one sitting made her queasy. He was happy that seemed to have passed.
Mandy rolled her eyes as she grabbed three lobster tails and added them to her pile. “I will have you know that seafood is hidden behind shells that are like three times bigger than the meat,” she replied. “I’m really only eating a third of this.”
James snorted. “I love the way you look at things, baby,” he said. “Eat whatever you want, though. That’s the whole point of a cruise. Good food and drinks are everywhere, so don’t skimp.”
“I thought the point of a cruise was so we could take moonlit strolls on the deck and see sharks?” Mandy challenged.
“That, too,” James conceded. “We’ll do that once we’re stuffed full of seafood. I figure the walk will help us digest things before we hit the room and I romance you until dawn.”
Mandy pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows, James’ favorite expression coming out to play. “Don’t you have to start work tomorrow?”
“Yes. What’s your point?”
“You need some sleep.”
“Not tonight I don’t,” James said. “Why do you think we took that three-hour nap on the deck today?”
“Good point.” Mandy scooped a big mound of shrimp onto her plate. “I think I’m done.”
James snorted. “You know you’re allowed to make more than one trip to get food, right?”
“Yes, but I’m lazy and I don’t want to leave your side until I have to.”
“Now that’s a very good answer, my baby,” James said, leaning over so he could kiss her before straightening. “Let’s see if we can eat our own body weight, shall we?”
James and Mandy were in high spirits when they hit their table. Will Davenport opted to eat with them, and James didn’t miss the fact that he’d chosen a chair between Mandy and Ally. He seemed most enamored with the two of them. James didn’t really blame him. They were beautiful women and easy to get along with, both boasting a somewhat gregarious charm. Emma was a former model but naturally shy and Sophie had a standoffish quality that James wished Mandy would utilize more often. Still, he sat next to Mandy and cast the willowy blonde on his other side a curious look.
“Who are you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Will said, using a napkin to clean his hands as he gestured toward the girl. “That is my daughter Tabitha. She goes by Tabby for short. She wanted to meet all of you. I guess you were the talk of the boat this afternoon.”
“We were?” James arched a surprised eyebrow. “Why were we the talk of the boat? Did Grady do something embarrassing while we were sleeping?”
“Ha, ha.” Grady rolled his eyes from his spot on the other side of Tabitha. For her part, the teenager couldn’t seem to get enough of the male eye candy at the table. Her gaze was busy as it bounced from man to man. James
had to wonder if she was the reason Will opted to dine with them – although, in truth, Mandy and Ally could’ve been potential reasons, too.
“It’s nice to meet you,” James said, making sure Mandy was settled with her food before getting comfortable next to her. “Are you having a good time on the boat?”
Instead of answering, Tabitha giggled.
“Did I say something wrong?” James asked.
“Ignore her,” Will said, offering a dismissive wave. “I believe my daughter thinks you’re … hot … or something. That was the conversation between her and her friends when I got back to the room after my rounds anyway. They watched you and Mandy sleep all afternoon and now think you’re the most romantic man in the world.”
Mandy chuckled as she dug into her food, completely missing the wide-eyed look Will gave her when he saw the amount of food on her plate. “Did you hear that, James? You’re hot and romantic.”
“I believe that memo has already been sent, baby,” James said, winking at Tabitha before focusing on his plate. “Believe it or not, Tabitha, yours is not the first teenaged head I’ve turned. I believe this one right here had a thing for me when she was a teenager, too.”
The admission was enough to force Tabitha out of her flirty silence. “You dated when you were teenagers?” The girls’ eyes sparkled. “That’s so … cool. Were you like Bella and Edward?”
“I don’t know who that is,” James admitted. “As for dating as teenagers, we did not. I was too old for her.”
“You don’t look older than her,” Will pointed out.
“In the grand scheme of things now, I’m not,” James said. “When she was fourteen and I was eighteen and getting ready to go off and join the military, that age difference was a little harder to overcome.”
“Ah.” Will bobbed his head. “I understand. That makes sense. You two were good friends even back then, though, right?” His eyes moved from Ally to Mandy. He was clearly harboring a crush of his own if James had to guess.
“We’ve been best friends since we were in elementary school,” Ally replied, narrowing her eyes as she stared at Mandy’s plate. “You’re going to get sick if you eat all of that. Do you want James to have to sleep on the bathroom floor with you again?”
“That shows what you know,” Mandy shot back. “James got me motion sickness medication.”
“You did?” Ally was impressed. “What made you think of that?”
“Because I’ve spent at least four nights sleeping on the floor with her and I’m an old man,” James answered. “I’m not taking any chances.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about,” Will admitted. “Is there something wrong with the beds that would force you to sleep on the floor?”
“Oh, it’s not that,” Mandy said, shaking her head. “James thinks I have a weak stomach. I love seafood and got sick on it once after we started dating. He slept on the bathroom floor with me and I haven’t heard the end of it since.”
“That’s not the only time I’ve slept on the floor with you,” James pointed out. “There was the time you got drunk and kept calling me a ‘butthead.’ There was the time you fell asleep while I was giving you a massage and I didn’t want to wake you up. Oh, and just a few weeks ago I slept in the closet with you.”
The words were out of James’ mouth before he realized what he said and he instantly regretted bringing up the latest incident. Once he reclaimed her from Clint, Mandy was plagued by bad dreams and one night he left her alone in their bedroom so he could have a short meeting with his family. He found her hiding in the closet afterward, afraid to sleep out in the open. Instead of waking her, he curled up behind her so he could be sure she felt safe. The look on her face now told James he’d just chiseled away a bit of that safety blanket.
“Why would you sleep in the closet?” Tabitha asked, horrified. “That’s so weird.”
“I … .” James licked his lips and rested his hand on the back of Mandy’s neck as his mind worked overtime. “We’re adventurous,” he said finally. “We like to try new things.”
Tabitha wrinkled her nose. “That still sounds like a really weird thing.”
“Yeah, well, we’re weird people,” James said, locking gazes with Mandy. “Eat your huge dinner, baby. I promise to spin you around the dance floor and then take you for a walk on the deck once you’re done.”
Mandy forced a smile that didn’t make it all the way up to her eyes. “That sounds like a plan.”
“OH, HE’S just so … freaking hot.”
Tabitha’s youthful face took on a dreamy quality as she rested her chin on her hands and watched James and Mandy on the dance floor. They were having a good time, James singing the words to a song from Grease as he made Mandy laugh hysterically and circle the wooden floor with him. They were clearly lost in their own world.
“He’s not hot,” Grady said, leaning back in his chair and grabbing a cookie from the dessert plate Jake brought for everyone to share. “I’m hot. Look at me. He’s boring to look at.”
Sophie rolled her eyes but smiled at Grady’s antics. “Yes, look at Grady,” she prodded. “He’s not happy unless everyone is looking at him.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Ally lamented, shooting her brother a challenging look when he dared stick out his tongue in her direction.
“But look at him,” Tabitha pressed. “He acts as if she’s the only woman in the world. He doesn’t even look at anyone else … and that woman next to him has been trying to flash her boobs to get his attention for twenty minutes.”
“To him there is no other woman in the world,” Grady said, pursing his lips. While he wasn’t thrilled with Mandy and James closing themselves off again, he had to admit they looked like they were having a great time as James took on John Travolta’s part in the decades-old movie and mimicked the dance moves to perfection. Mandy could not stop laughing as she tried to keep up. “He doesn’t care about anyone else’s boobs. Trust me.”
“Yes, Grady would know about being a boob,” Ally said.
“They’re very … into one another,” Will said, reclining in his chair as he watched the couple. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple so obsessed with one another. I’m pretty sure that’s why I assumed they were newlyweds.”
“They’re definitely obsessed with each other, don’t get me wrong, but they’re a little more manic than usual these days,” Grady offered. “It’s been a … trying … time for them.”
“Grady.” Ally’s voice was low and threatening when she offered her brother a firm head shake. “Don’t spread around their business.”
“Is something going on?” Will asked, intrigued.
Grady opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut.
“Oh, good job,” Ally hissed, annoyed as she glanced at Will. “We obviously can’t leave it hanging like this now. He’s going to think the worst.”
“I’m sorry,” Grady said, holding up his hands. He genuinely meant it.
“There’s nothing wrong,” Ally said, fixing her attention on Will. “It’s just … .” She wasn’t sure how to explain the situation to him without sounding melodramatic.
“Mandy was taken a few weeks ago,” Jake offered, his pragmatic side taking over. “She was almost killed in front of a local courthouse first. Her friend did die in front of her eyes. While she was mourning, she was drugged and kidnapped from the courthouse and James had no idea what happened to her.”
“It was a rough day and a half,” Finn said. “It was a rough week and a half, to be more precise. Those thirty-six hours where we had no idea who had her or what was being done to her were the longest of my brother’s life, though. Since getting her back, he’s been … clingy.”
“They’re clingy with each other,” Ally clarified. “They don’t want to be apart right now and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I would never suggest there was anything wrong with that,” Will said, his eyes thoughtful as they landed on the
couple.
“I was talking to Grady,” Ally said. “He thinks they’re being too co-dependent.”
“They’re being way too co-dependent,” Grady said. “I’ve given it some thought, though, and I think you guys are right. Forcing them to spend time apart to get over this isn’t going to work. They need to do things at their own pace.”
“That’s good,” Ally said. “You’re seeing reason. Did Sophie smack you around to make you see the light when you were in your room?”
“I didn’t smack him,” Sophie replied. “I just … negotiated with a certain amount of aggression.”
Ally snorted. “That’s a great way of phrasing it.”
“I had no idea about your brother’s troubles,” Will said. “I feel bad for uprooting him for a week when he clearly has other things on his mind. I didn’t mean to add to his burden.”
“You didn’t add to his burden,” Grady said. “He’s good at what he does. You gave him a job where he could bring Mandy along. Trust me. He wouldn’t have left her behind. This worked out well.”
“We’re all here to help, too,” Finn added. “I promise everything will be fine.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” Will said. “I just feel bad for them. They’re so young and in love. Who would want to hurt them?”
“A sick and twisted person,” Ally replied darkly. Jake rubbed the back of her neck to get her to loosen up, and after a moment she shook off her doldrums. “Who wants to get me another drink?”
“THEY’RE always watching us,” Mandy said, resting her head on James’ shoulder as he swept her into his arms as the music changed. Instead of a fast dance beat, she was met with a slow ballad that propelled her to mold herself against James’ body. “They’re worried about all of the time we’ve been spending together.”
“I know that,” James said, following his wife’s gaze to their table. Even though his family looked to be having a good time, he didn’t miss the occasional worried glances that were tossed in their direction. “I can’t live my life to make them comfortable, though.”
Deadly Waves (Hardy Brothers Security Book 23) Page 5
