“You always do.”
“And I always will.”
23
Twenty-Three
The last night on the King Theodore was surreal. After docking in the Florida Keys early in the afternoon, authorities took Archibald, Peterson, and Tabitha into custody. Will Davenport went with his daughter. He was already on the phone with a lawyer when he left and didn’t bother saying anything to the Hardys as he disembarked. His mind was elsewhere, and no one begrudged him his worry.
Davenport’s company arranged for a new captain to finish the trip, and instead of leaving – which was legitimately considered – the Hardys opted for a relaxing night of romance on the ocean before heading home.
Despite throwing up for the bulk of the night, Mandy was in good spirits as she helped James decorate the private area at the front of the ship. They’d arranged to keep the other passengers away and were busy lighting candles before sunset. They didn’t have a lot of time, but they were almost done.
“What do you think will happen?” Mandy asked.
James shrugged. “I’m not sure, baby,” he said. “Tabitha is still a minor, but she proved herself fairly bloodthirsty. She might end up in a hospital for the rest of her life. I’m not sure that’s better than prison, though.”
“It will be if she gets some help,” Mandy countered. “I think that’s the most important thing.”
“Maybe,” James said. “I talked to Jeff. He’s been handling phone calls from various municipalities. They’ve discovered the teacher’s body and police have taken the girl in Montana in for questioning. She’s refusing to cooperate, but given the circumstances, the court will probably compel her to agree to a DNA test.”
“And Archibald and Peterson?”
“They’ll go away for a long time,” James answered. “I promise they’re not going to see the light of day for decades. Given his age, Archibald will most likely die behind bars.”
“I can’t say that upsets me. I hope they both rot in prison.”
“That makes two of us,” James said, dusting off his hands after lighting the last candle and glancing around. “You realize we’ve done this twice in the past few months, right? How is it that we’ve become the designated proposal people? No one helped me when I proposed to you.”
“No, but you didn’t need help,” Mandy said, moving closer so she could kiss his chin. “Your proposal was already perfect.”
“That was a stellar answer, baby,” James said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her senseless before he released her. “How do you feel?”
“Better since I took the medication,” Mandy said. “I’m sorry about last night. I ate a truckload of seafood for dinner and it didn’t particularly look nice coming back up.”
James snickered. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m kind of used to it by now.”
“How sad for you.”
“Not sad, wife,” James corrected. “Everything with you is happy.”
“I hope everything with Grady and Sophie is happy, too,” Mandy said, glancing around. “I think we’re done.”
“Then let’s get going,” James said. “I promised Grady we would be gone so he doesn’t have an audience for his big moment. I think he’s a little bit nervous.”
“He’ll be okay,” Mandy said. “As for an audience … well … I thought maybe we could hide behind that storage thing over there and watch. He would never have to know.”
“No way,” James shot back, wagging a finger. “I let you talk me into watching Ally’s proposal and I almost saw my sister naked. I have no interest in seeing Grady naked.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“Pretty please?” Mandy stuck out her lower lip.
James sighed as he tugged a restless hand through his hair. “Fine,” he said, giving in. “It will be easier to do what you want than fight. You’re going to talk me into it no matter what.”
“I do have a way about me,” Mandy agreed, giggling as she followed James to the storage bin and crouched behind it. “It shouldn’t take long. After that, we can do whatever you want. This is our last night on the ship. I think you should get to choose tonight.”
James pursed his lips as he regarded her. “I want to get a few drinks, steal some food from the dining room, and look through the marine window all night.”
Mandy’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. “You do?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what you want to do and I want to make you happy.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” Mandy hedged. “You should get something out of this equation.”
“I already got something out of this equation,” James said. “I got your smile … and love … and heart. What more could I possibly want?”
“Wild sex?”
“Oh, baby, don’t sell yourself short,” James teased. “We both know you’re going to give me wild sex in front of the marine window. You won’t be able to help yourself.”
“Deal.” Mandy grabbed the front of James’ shirt and hauled him in for a hot kiss, only releasing him when she heard the nearby door open. She shifted excitedly, her gaze falling on Grady as he led Sophie by the hand to his special spot.
Due to the waves and the distance, Mandy couldn’t hear what he said. In the end, it didn’t matter, though. Sophie was crying the moment he dropped to one knee and she was sobbing by the time he slipped the ring on her finger.
They hugged, contentedly swaying to a beat only they could hear as the sun made its inevitable descent into the horizon.
Mandy watched another thirty seconds before turning back to James. “That was sweet.”
“It was.”
“I’ll race you back to the room,” she offered. “The first one who is naked gets an hour-long massage.”
James snorted. “Why do I feel like you’re going to be the first one naked?”
Mandy shrugged. “Because you know me so well?”
“You can say that again,” James said, prodding her forward. “Run, wife. I’m going to romance the crap out of you.”
“What a perfect end to a great vacation.”
“No, what a perfect new day in an unbelievable life,” James corrected. “Now … go. I’m ready to romance you.”
Mandy didn’t need to be prodded twice.
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Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Books by Lily Harper Hart
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
; Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
Deadly Payback
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns
Grave Discovery
Grave Decisions
Grave Seasons
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times
Wicked Places
Wicked Warning
Wicked Fog
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues
Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Deadly Waves (Hardy Brothers Security Book 23) Page 20
