“Make me?” James didn’t like the way Mandy phrased that. “No one can make another person love them. It just happens.”
“I know that,” Mandy said. “That kind of came out wrong. It was more that she was all sparkly and excited. She was convinced we were destined to be together that first day.”
“And what about you?” James asked. “What did you think that first day?”
“I thought you were weird.”
James snorted. “How so?”
“I thought you didn’t like me because you acted so odd in my bedroom,” Mandy explained. “You really worked overtime to keep distance between us and I thought it was because I made you uncomfortable.”
“No, it was because I couldn’t get the picture of you naked and on top of me out of my head when we were so close to the bed.”
“I know. You told me after the fact.”
“I remember.” James gripped her hand. “Heidi was a good friend. She was always my biggest champion.”
“She thought you walked on water,” Mandy admitted. “She thought I was the luckiest person in the world to snag you. She was right.
“Even when I kept trying to temper my enthusiasm by reminding myself that you probably wouldn’t stay once you found whoever was stalking me, she refused to listen,” she continued. “She didn’t feed my insecurity. She bolstered my ego. That’s the mark of a true friend.”
“Well, I guess I can’t blame you for believing that I was going to run after I snuck out on you that first night,” James said, annoyed he had to bring up the one thing that embarrassed him more than any other. “I acted like an ass that night. I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t bring up Heidi to rehash that,” Mandy said. “I know you’re sorry. We don’t ever have to talk about that again. I understand why you did it. You were afraid.”
“I was afraid,” James agreed. “I felt so … connected … to you that I thought it was going to overwhelm me. Back then, I thought that was a bad thing. Now I know it was the best thing ever.”
“I always thought that I would see Heidi once I left the courthouse,” Mandy said, licking her lips. “I had these stupid fantasies about going to lunch every few weeks. I thought she would keep me updated on all of the gossip.
“I expected long years of hearing about her life with Clint,” she continued. “She didn’t even get one wedding anniversary. Heck, she didn’t get a wedding.”
“Baby … .” James wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. He knew this was his moment to eradicate the final obstacle that stood between them and reclaiming their old life, but he didn’t want to give Heidi short shrift in death. He often worried he did exactly that in life because he never bothered to pay much attention to her.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Mandy said, her eyes filling with tears. “You’re going to tell me that Heidi’s death isn’t my fault.”
“It’s not.”
“But it is,” Mandy said. “I’ve come to grips with that. You can argue all you want, but the fact remains that Clint was obsessed with me. Heidi only dated Clint because I suggested it. Clint only dated Heidi because he thought it was a game.
“She died because he wanted to win the game,” she continued. “That is on me and I can never change it. I’ve decided to let it go, however.”
James stilled as he studied her profile. She looked tortured. “I want you to let it go, but I can’t stand the fact that you blame yourself. Clint was sick and twisted. You didn’t do anything to encourage him.”
“I know that,” Mandy said. “I’ve thought about it. A lot. I don’t think he was legitimately crazy. I do think that he was deliberately manipulative, though. He only saw what he wanted to see.”
“That’s very true.”
“I’m ready to let this go, James,” Mandy said, her shiny eyes locking with his somber orbs. “I need you to do the same.”
James balked. “I … I’m not holding onto it.”
“You’re not holding onto Heidi’s death like I am,” Mandy clarified. “You are holding on to the guilt, though. You need to let it go. Clint didn’t take me because you failed. Clint took me because he was a freak.”
“Baby, I … .” James wet his lips. “I did fail you. I promised to love and protect you and Clint took you anyway. That’s on me.”
“No, it’s not,” Mandy said. “You can’t protect me from everything. You have the best heart of anyone I know, but the guilt will eat you alive if you don’t let it go. That’s what I need from you. That’s the gift I truly want.”
James opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. She was right. He inherently knew it. Instead of putting up a token fight, he opened his arms and tugged her onto his lap.
“I’m going to let it go, baby,” James said after a beat. “You’re going to let it go. I’m going to let it go. We’re going to move forward together. I think you’re right. That’s the only thing we can do.”
“Good.” Mandy tightened her grip on his neck and clung to him.
James knew they had a lot of work in front of them, but he was more than happy to hold his wife and let the weight of the world lift off his shoulders as their hearts sank into the same rhythm and beat as one. They both needed it.
“Twenty minutes, wife,” James whispered, kissing her cheek. “We have to go back to work after that.”
“Deal. I’m going to want another gift to motivate me, though.”
And there it was, the final piece of the puzzle to dislodge the cloud Clint left hanging over their lives. She always knew how to find the bright spot in life.
“You’re a tough negotiator, baby, but I think we can come to terms.”
“Now that’s what I want to hear.”
19
Nineteen
“Come here.”
James’ voice was soft when he caught Mandy hovering in the doorway between the bathroom and their bedroom shortly before dinner. She was dressed in a simple blue dress – the exact color of her eyes – but the back plunged low and showed off her tan.
“What?” Mandy asked, lifting her chin when she got closer. “Do you want to do it again? I’ll definitely be unable to walk if that’s the case.”
“No,” James replied, grinning. He cupped her breasts, taking her by surprise. “I think we can hold off until later. I was just checking to see if you were wearing a bra.”
“You could’ve asked.”
“That’s not nearly as much fun.”
“I’m not wearing a bra,” Mandy confirmed. “The bra is built into the dress. How did you know?”
“Because I know your body better than my own,” James said. “I kind of figured with how low-cut it was in the back, but you carry yourself differently when you’re not wearing a bra.”
Mandy was legitimately confused. “How so?”
“I don’t know,” James answered. “Your shoulders seem squarer or something. Perhaps it’s because you’re proud.” He gave her breasts a squeeze. “You should definitely be proud.”
“You’ve got a one track mind today.” Mandy rolled up to the balls of her feet and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of James’ mouth.
He sank into it, loving the way her body smelled of piña coladas thanks to her body spray. Her hair was pulled back into a simple loose bun and all he wanted to do was yank it free and tangle his hands in the mass of blond waves so he could show her how much he loved her again. Thankfully Grady picked that moment to push the door open and save them all.
“Oh, good grief,” Grady complained, making a face when he realized where James’ hands rested. “You guys have been going at it for hours. Can’t you take a break for five minutes?”
James reluctantly released his hold on his wife and scorched Grady with a dour look. “What did I tell you about knocking?”
“Probably the same thing I told you about grabbing your wife’s knockers in public,” Grady shot back, causing Sophie to giggle as she moved to his side. “Whatever it was, though, I forget.
”
“You didn’t forget,” James said. “You just wanted to see if you could catch us.”
“I am not a pervert,” Grady said.
Sophie snorted as she rolled her eyes. “Really?”
“Fine, I am not a pervert where they’re concerned,” Grady corrected. “I am a total pervert where you’re concerned. That does not change the fact that these two are animals.”
“Sharks,” Mandy said, wiggling her butt. She was wearing her new “Jawesome” panties and she planned to give James a show later when no one was looking. “We’re sharks.”
“You may look sweet and innocent, but you’re a total sex addict,” Grady said, wagging a finger in her face. Up close, he couldn’t help but study her features. The tan did her good after being holed up inside the house with James for so long. That wasn’t the only difference, though. She looked lighter. Heck, James did, too. “What else did you guys do today?”
“We worked,” James answered.
“No, that’s not it.” Grady shook his head and instinctively reached out to touch Mandy’s cheek.
James slapped his hand away. “What are you doing?”
“You’re happy,” Grady said, speaking before he had time to gather his thoughts. “You guys are both happy … and glowing. It’s not just the nonstop sex.”
James blew out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s none of your business, but we had a talk this afternoon,” he said. “I’m only telling you because I’m sick of all the worried looks you keep sharing with Finn and Ally when you think we’re not looking.
“We’ve decided to let it go,” he continued. “Mandy is going to let Heidi’s death go and I’m going to let go of my guilt over not being there when she was taken. We can’t guarantee that simply saying the words will work, but we’re giving it our best shot.”
Grady’s expression softened. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“And I think you’re a douche,” James said, flicking his brother’s ear. “Stop worrying about us so much. We’re fine.”
“We’re Jawesome,” Mandy interjected, giggling as James shot her a heated look.
“I see she got her panties,” Grady said, rolling his eyes. Despite the heavy feeling hanging over the room, he couldn’t help but poke his brother and sister-in-law a bit. “This goes back to that pervert thing, doesn’t it?”
“I’m fine being a pervert,” Mandy said, sitting on the arm of the chair at the edge of the room as James settled on the cushion and pulled out his iPad. “We’re on vacation. Er, well, kind of. If you can’t be a pervert on vacation, when can you?”
“That’s a very good point,” Grady said, sitting at the small table across the way and patting his lap so Sophie could get comfortable. “What did you find? Wait, did you find anything? I have a feeling you two were caught up in each other all day.”
“We were caught up in each other,” James said, bobbing his head. “It was … glorious.”
“Jawesome,” Mandy corrected.
“It was Jawesome,” James said, kissing her cheek before turning serious. “We also worked. I instituted a labor and reward system that worked out quite nicely.”
It took Grady a moment to grasp what James was trying to say. “Ugh. You’re a total pig.”
“And yet it worked,” James said. “I found a number of interesting things. Where do you want to start?”
“I think the obvious place to start is Jon Peterson.”
“Well, I don’t like him either so he was my initial focus,” James said, tapping his screen. “I found plenty of dirt on him, for the record. Sadly, I found dirt on a few other people, too.
“I’m going to start with two people we have not met yet, because I want part of our focus to be on them during dinner and that’s going to mean splitting up a little bit once the food portion of tonight’s festivities ends,” he continued. “The first is Ronald Boyd. He’s the disc jockey who takes over once the live music ends every night.”
“What’s his deal?” Grady asked.
“He’s got an arrest record for armed robbery and statutory rape,” James answered. “The armed robbery charges were dropped for lack of evidence, but the witness in the case swears up and down that it was Boyd who broke into the car dealership where she worked and stole as much money as he could get his hands on.”
“What about the statutory rape, though?” Sophie asked, her brow quizzical. “Zoe was an adult. She didn’t look like a child. If that’s his thing, well, I’m not sure she would fit the bill.”
“I agree,” James said. “The girl in question was only seventeen, though, and she bears a striking resemblance to Zoe.” James held up his tablet to display a picture and Grady let loose with a low whistle.
“Yeah, they could almost be twins,” Grady said. “That’s a good lead.”
“The second individual of note is Harry Kelley,” James said. “He’s an engineer and quite close to the captain from what I can tell. He also has a record … for inciting a riot and threatening to blow up a group of senators at a rally in Iowa two years ago.”
“How does that have anything to do with Zoe?”
“It doesn’t,” Mandy replied. “I’m the one who kind of focused on him. His record is all over the place. He seems a bit crazy. That begs the question of why Davenport hired him in the first place.”
“And?”
“And he’s Davenport’s brother-in-law and he has a sealed file from when he was a juvenile,” Mandy said. “We’re trying to open the file, but it’s not as if I have Judge MacIntosh to rely on when it comes to illegally gaining entry into files any longer.”
Sympathy washed over Grady as he forced a smile. “I’m sure he would still help.”
“We went to Peter instead,” James said, referring to Sophie’s foster father. He also happened to be a reputed mobster in the Detroit area. “Kelley has close enough ties to Davenport to warrant continued interest. I’m not convinced it’s him, but I’m not comfortable crossing him off the list either.”
“That makes sense,” Grady said. “What did you get on Peterson?”
“Oh, so eager,” James teased. “Is it because he’s been hitting on your woman?”
“Excuse me?” Sophie was affronted. “I’m not anyone’s property.”
James rolled his eyes until they landed on Mandy. “Mandy isn’t my property, but I refer to her as my baby … and my wife … and my whole heart.”
Mandy beamed as she rubbed her nose against his cheek.
“Don’t make me get a bottle of water and spray you,” Grady warned.
“You two really are gross tonight,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “Go back to Peterson. When I first met him, I thought he was harmless. After talking to him a few times, though, I recognize him for what he is.”
“And what’s that?”
“A small-time player who things he’s going to make it big one day,” Sophie replied, not missing a beat. “Peter always warned me about men like that. If someone is bigger in their own mind than they are on paper, that makes them especially dangerous because they believe they can take whatever they want instead of having it freely given to them.”
“Wow,” Mandy intoned, her eyes widening. “That was almost poetic.”
Sophie smiled. “Was it Jawesome?”
“Not unless you do it while naked and make me beg,” Mandy answered, earning a chuckle from James and glare from Grady. “What? You act like this is something new. We’ve always been like this.”
“Perhaps I merely forgot,” Grady said, snapping his fingers in James’ face. “Peterson, dude. What did you get on him?”
“Oh, right, my impatient little brother,” James said. “Here’s the thing: Peterson doesn’t technically have a record. That doesn’t mean he’s bereft of troubling personality defects.”
“I have no idea what you just said,” Grady said. “Have you ever noticed that your grammar gets more flowery when you and Mandy have a lot of sex? It’s wei
rd. It’s like you somehow earn an English degree from her vagina or something.”
“I haven’t noticed that but now I’ll be on the lookout,” James said. “Okay, here’s the thing about Jon Peterson, he’s never been charged or directly named as a suspect in a crime. He’s been adjacent to quite a few, though.”
“For example?”
“Well, five years ago he was a high school teacher in Miami,” James replied. “One of his students showed up pregnant. She never named Peterson as the father. She named the father of a friend, though, and he was arrested. Before a paternity test, this guy hung himself in jail because his wife left him and ran away with the kids.”
“Okay.” Grady knit his eyebrows together. “What are you getting at?”
“A paternity test was done after the fact and the baby did not belong to the dead guy,” James answered. “The girl never named the real father and she didn’t get a dime from the estate, but two witnesses who gave depositions said there was a rumor about the girl and Peterson.”
“So he had sex with a student, knocked her up, blamed another guy, and then got off without any punishment?” Sophie asked. “That sounds … lovely.”
“There’s more,” James said. “A year later another student turned up pregnant and did name him. He denied it. The school investigated him. The girl went missing before any formal charges could be filed, though. She’s never been heard from since.”
Sophie’s mouth dropped open. “Do you think he killed her?”
“I can’t answer that,” James said. “It seems like quite the fortuitous turn of events for him, though, doesn’t it?”
“Fortuitous?” Mandy asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I heard it that time,” James said. “Grady is right. I could be a poet after you grace me with your love.” He pressed a firm kiss to her mouth before turning back to his brother. He purposely ignored the glare Grady lobbed in his direction. “Where was I?”
Deadly Waves (Hardy Brothers Security Book 23) Page 16
