Deadly Adventure (Hardy Brothers Security Book 19) (11 page)

“
I
should go home
.”

James hadn’t even sat in the booth Jesse gestured toward yet when he changed his mind about the outing.

“Oh, stop being a pain,” Jesse said, making a face. “She said it was fine. Heck, she said she wanted us to hang out because it made you happy.”

“No, Mandy and I need to spend some time together,” James said, shaking his head. “I’m going to walk back to the house.”

“Don’t do that,” Grady said, grabbing his brother’s arm. “Emma, Sophie, and Ally are all over there with her. I can guarantee there’s a massive bitchfest going on. You do not want to interrupt that.”

“I’m sure you’re already the star,” Jake added, sliding into the booth first so James could settle next to him. “Let them rant and rave and get it out of their systems. Mandy will probably feel better once she has people to commiserate with her.”

“Yes, I can see Sophie and Ally now,” Grady said. “They’re going to head straight for the farm store to buy pitchforks.”

“You’re a funny guy,” James muttered, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. “I totally fouled this up.”

“You did,” Grady agreed. “Give Mandy time to cool down. As annoying as our sister is, she also knows how to make Mandy feel better … and she enjoys doing it. We’ll have two drinks and by the time we head back to the house everything will be calmer.”

“Then you can swoop in and beg,” Finn said. “Between the roses and your crying, she’ll give in. She always does.”

“I hope so,” James said, his mind busy. “She’s really upset even though she won’t admit it. I can’t quite figure out why either. Something is … off.”

“Oh, come on,” Jesse intoned, wrinkling his nose. “How can you sit there worrying about a woman who spent an entire day pouting because you slept on the couch?”

“You don’t understand,” James said. “We don’t … sleep apart. We always sleep together unless something is wrong.”

“Or you’ve thrown a chair against a wall,” Grady added.

“Thank you, Grady,” James snapped. “I love being reminded of that.”

Grady held his hands up in a placating manner. “I didn’t mean to trigger your temper, man,” he said. “Mandy will be okay if you let her cool down. She’s rational … most of the time.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Jesse asked, dumbfounded. “You’re worried about a pouting woman. How does that even happen?”

“Love changes you,” Grady replied simply. “Overnight you realize someone else’s feelings mean more than your own. You understand that your happiness is tied to another person’s smile. It’s a good thing.”

“It really is,” Finn agreed, bobbing his head up and down. “I didn’t know what true happiness was until I met Emma.”

“I really should go home,” James said, glancing longingly at the door. “I need to talk to her.”

“Have two drinks,” Grady suggested. “Give Mandy time to unwind and complain to the women. When she’s done, she’ll feel better and you won’t be half the spaz you are now.”

“You make me tired, Grady,” James gritted out.

“Right back at you.”

“
D
O
YOU
want to tell me what’s going on?” Ally stared at her best friend, a worried expression on her pretty face.

Mandy sat in the living room chair she often shared with James when they wanted to curl up and watch a movie, her eyes trained on her untouched glass of wine. “Nothing is going on.”

“Oh, now, don’t do that,” Sophie chided. “We all can see something is going on. You barely talked to James at dinner, and you avoided eye contact even though he kept trying to prompt you to look at him.”

“That investigative reporter thing you do while reading people is annoying,” Mandy said.

“I know,” Sophie replied, not missing a beat. “Just … spill.”

“I don’t think I should,” Mandy said. “Somehow I think it makes me look petty and insecure.”

“And pouting into your wine is more attractive?” Ally challenged.

Mandy blew out a frustrated sigh and rubbed her forehead. “James didn’t come to bed last night. There. Are you happy? I’m being ridiculous.”

“Why didn’t he go to bed?” Sophie asked, genuinely curious.

“Jesse came over and they drank in the guesthouse until long after I fell asleep,” Mandy answered. “He passed out on the couch … with Jesse.”

Ally snickered. “Are you worried he’s falling for Jesse? If so, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“No, it’s just … we never sleep apart and he couldn’t be bothered to climb one flight of stairs to be with me,” Mandy said. “He went out drinking with Jesse the night before, too. I was fine with that. I thought it was good for him because they could catch up without having to worry about entertaining me.”

“So what was different about last night?” Emma asked, rocking Avery in an attempt to get him to drift off. “Was it because it happened inside your house?”

“It was because … we were supposed to have dinner together,” Mandy said, skirting the real issue. “We had plans the previous night and I was happy to postpone them so he could go out with Jesse. He didn’t seem to care about canceling them a second night, though.”

“It sounds a little rude but not crazy mean or anything. I’m not sure what the issue is,” Sophie said. “Do you dislike Jesse?”

“I don’t care either way.”

“That’s not true,” Ally said, her dark eyes scanning Mandy’s face. “You don’t like him. It’s okay to admit it. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he’s not spending all of his time with my husband so I have a different perspective than you do. You know him better.”

“I don’t dislike him,” Mandy clarified. “It’s just … his attitude stinks. I get that he doesn’t want to get married. I get that when he knew James that was the last thing on either of their minds. James is married, though.”

“And James is happily married,” Ally said. “James loves you more than anything. You don’t doubt that, do you?”

“No,” Mandy said, immediately shaking her head. “I know he loves me. It’s just … part of me wonders if he’s been missing something. Maybe that’s why he’s spending so much time with Jesse.”

“Mandy, Jesse has been in town for three days,” Sophie said, her tone pragmatic. “James is the only person he really knows. Things will settle down.”

“I hope so.” Mandy sipped her wine and leaned back in her chair. “I have some other news.”

Ally leaned forward, suspicious. “Are you pregnant?”

Mandy rolled her eyes and gestured at the wine glass with a “well, duh” expression on her face. “No.”

“Well, you should get pregnant so I have another niece or nephew to dote on,” Ally sniffed. “What’s your news?”

“Judge MacIntosh came into my office yesterday,” Mandy replied. “He told me he knew I planned on leaving in September and to stop making such a big deal about it. He said I wasn’t going to hurt his feelings by leaving and I would always be a part of his family.”

“That has to be a relief,” Sophie said. “You were really worried about that.”

“It
is
a relief,” Mandy confirmed. “That’s not my news, though. When he was done telling me to stop worrying about disappointing him, he also told me he had a surprise for me.”

“It wasn’t in his pants, was it?” Ally asked, narrowing her eyes. “I’ve always liked him, but if he’s some closet pervert, I’ll totally kick him in the balls. I don’t care if he is a judge.”

“You’re cut off,” Sophie said, grabbing Ally’s drink from her. “There’s no way Judge MacIntosh is a pervert.”

“He’s not a pervert,” Mandy agreed. “He does know a guy in Grosse Pointe, though.”

“Is this guy a pervert?” Ally asked.

“You’re definitely cut off,” Mandy said, scorching her best friend with a murderous look. “His name is Maxim St. Laurent. Does anyone know who that is?”

Emma and Ally’s faces remained blank, but Sophie straightened her shoulders.

“I know who he is,” Sophie said. “He’s a painter. He’s famous in local circles. Peter owns two of his works. They’re in his arboretum. St. Laurent also owns that ritzy gallery in Grosse Pointe.”

“That’s him,” Mandy confirmed. “He has a showing tomorrow and one of his artists dropped out at the last minute so there’s an open wall. Judge MacIntosh talked to him and he offered the wall to me.”

“Holy crap,” Sophie said, her mouth dropping open. “That’s … .”

“Amazing,” Ally squealed, rolling to her knees and throwing her arms around Mandy’s neck. “You’re getting your first gallery showing, Mandy. I’m so proud.”

Mandy patted Ally’s back, amused at her friend’s emotional outpouring. She knew half of it was because of the booze, but having someone as excited as she was about the showing filled her with joy. “Thank you.”

“What did James say?” Emma asked, excited as she shifted Avery in her arms. “We’re all going, right?”

“I hope so,” Mandy said, ignoring the first question. “I know it’s last minute, but it’s not very far away and you only have to stay a few minutes. I know you’re busy with Avery, so if you can’t go I will totally understand.”

“Nonsense,” Emma said, shaking her head. “We’ll be there for the entire thing. I’ll have to find a babysitter.”

“Peter will take him,” Sophie said. “He loves babies and his house is right around the corner from the gallery. Although, I’m going to bet Peter will want to see Mandy’s showing, too. We’ll make Sven and Rodrigo babysit. They know what they’re doing.”

Emma balked. “I can’t leave Avery with … mobsters.”

Sophie’s foster father Peter Marconi was a reputed figure in the Detroit mafia scene. All of the Hardys liked and enjoyed his company, but they never forgot what he did for a living.

“It will be fine,” Sophie said, waving off Emma’s concern. “Trust me. Avery will be safe from everything short of a zombie apocalypse there. I promise.”

“How did James react?” Ally asked. “He must be so proud. I’ll bet he’s giddy. It’s the day before your anniversary, too. It’s a double celebration.”

“It is,” Mandy said, biting the inside of her cheek as she nodded. “I didn’t tell him about the showing, though.”

Ally’s face fell. “What?”

“I raced home yesterday,” Mandy explained. “I was so excited to tell him I could barely contain myself. Jesse was here, though, and they decided to have a pool tournament. I didn’t want to tell James in front of Jesse because … well … I knew he would make fun of me. I didn’t want him to ruin it. It’s silly, but … I thought I would be able to tell James later.”

“And then he stayed in the guesthouse all night and got hammered,” Ally supplied. “He slept on the couch and you left this morning without telling him. We know you didn’t tell him tonight.”

“And he took off again,” Mandy said. “I wanted to share it with him, but I never got the chance.”

“It’s not too late,” Sophie argued. “Call and ask him to come home. We’ll pack up our stuff and pick up Jake, Grady, and Finn at the bar. You’ll have the house to yourself by the time James gets back.”

“Do you think?” Mandy hated feeling insecure when it came to her marriage, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

“I definitely think that’s the way to go,” Ally said, hugging Mandy again. “I’ve never been prouder of you, and James is going to feel the same way.”

Mandy returned the hug. “Thank you.”

J
AMES
was
at the bar getting a beer refill when his phone rang. Jesse sat at the table alone and smirked when he saw the word “baby” appear on the screen. It had to be Mandy.

“Hello.”

Silence greeted Jesse as he waited.

“Mandy?”

“Jesse,” Mandy said, her voice cool. “Um … is James there? I need to talk to him.”

“You’re not calling to ask him to come home, are you?” Jesse asked. “He’s having a good time. Don’t ruin it by nagging him until he gives in.”

“Can you please put him on the phone?” Mandy pressed. “I just need to talk to him for two minutes.”

“He’s not here right now,” Jesse said. “He’s up at the bar picking up a hot chick. We have a bet to see who can get her to go home with him first.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying,” Jesse said. “The woman has huge boobs and they’re hanging out of her dress. James can’t stop staring. I don’t blame him.”

“I don’t believe you,” Mandy said. “It doesn’t matter, though. I’m sure this is one of your little games. Will you ask him to call me when he gets back to the table?”

“Sure,” Jesse said. “I don’t expect that to happen for at least an hour or so, but I’ll tell him.”

“Great.” Mandy disconnected, causing Jesse to grin as he put James’ phone back on the table.

“Who was that?” James asked, returning with a pitcher of beer.

“I was checking the weather on your app,” Jesse replied, not missing a beat. “It’s going to be a nice night.”

“That’s cool,” James said. “Where did everyone else go?”

“Their women came to collect them,” Jesse answered. “I think they’re on some short leashes.”

“It’s not like that,” James said. “If they’re gone, though, that means Mandy is home alone. I should get going.”

“You just got the pitcher,” Jesse argued. “Let’s finish it up and then you can go home.”

James didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know.”

“Come on, man,” Jesse said. “I have a feeling that after tonight your wife is going to put a moratorium on evenings out. We should enjoy this one. You can’t leave me alone.”

“I’m just finishing this pitcher,” James cautioned. “After that I need to spend some time with Mandy.”

“Of course,” Jesse said, winking. “We’ll finish this off and call it an early night. Trust me.”

G
rady found
James asleep on the couch when he let himself into his brother’s home. He considered shaking him awake, but ultimately settled on dumping a glass of water on him instead.

“What the … ?” James sputtered as he bolted to a sitting position. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Grady challenged. “It’s almost one. Why are you sleeping?”

“I took some aspirin because I had a headache and I must’ve dozed off,” James replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry I didn’t come into work today, but you didn’t need me for anything. I left you a message.”

“I got it.”

“So why are you here?”

Grady was incredulous. “You have got to be kidding me,” he hissed. “What is the matter with you?”

“I have a headache and I’m wet,” James spat. “Now I’m going to have to shower again. I plan on picking up Mandy from work and taking her to dinner. I think she’s upset.”

“Oh, she’s upset,” Grady confirmed. “She’s beyond upset.”

“Oh, well, great,” James intoned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Did she call Sophie complaining because I was late coming home last night?”

“Nope.”

“Then how do you know she’s upset?”

“Because I just left her,” Grady said. “She was in a car accident and needed someone to pick her up. She called me.”

James stilled, his stomach rolling at the words. “No … .”

Grady nodded. “Yes.”

“Is she okay?” James asked, moving to get off the couch. “How did it happen?”

“Someone deliberately ran into her with enough force they almost tipped her car off that shallow lip on the third floor of the courthouse’s parking garage,” Grady replied. “Her car is totaled, by the way. She’s going to need a new one.”

“She’ll probably just want another Focus,” James said. “After the last one exploded she bought the same car. What do you mean someone deliberately ran into her?”

“That’s what witnesses described to the police,” Grady answered. “She didn’t see the driver. The car had tinted windows. It also didn’t have a license plate. The cops aren’t sure where to look, and I’m not either.”

“Well, shit,” James grumbled. “I’m guessing she refused to leave work, right? I’ll pick her up at the courthouse. I’ll make sure she’s aware she has to call me when stuff like this happens. I don’t care how angry she is.”

Grady bit his bottom lip, internally debating how wise it would be to pick a fight with James given his current mood. In the end, he was too angry to care. “You’re a pompous prick.”

James’ mouth dropped open as stunned disbelief washed over him. “What did you just say to me?”

“I said you’re a jerk,” Grady replied, not missing a beat. “Do you have any idea how upset your wife is?”

“I should’ve come home earlier last night,” James said. “I slept up in our bed, though. I didn’t leave her up there alone.”

“Well, you might want to pay more attention to how much you’re drinking,” Grady shot back. “You’ve gotten drunk three nights in a row and you may have crawled into your bed last night, but your wife wasn’t in it.”

“W-what?”

“She called you at the bar and asked you to come home,” Grady said. “You didn’t and she slept in the guesthouse. She said she thought you would go looking for her, but you didn’t bother. She’s a little hurt.”

“That can’t be right,” James said, shaking his head. “I … would’ve noticed that.”

“Really? How much have you noticed lately, James?” Grady pressed. “Your wife unloaded several days of misery – and a few tears – on me over lunch. You see, I had no idea what a jackass you’ve been. She set me straight.”

“Hey! I’m not a jackass,” James argued. “I’m sorry she’s feeling neglected. I’ll take her to dinner tonight and fix it. We need to talk about that accident, too. If someone is after her … .”

“That’s a problem,” Grady finished. “You have bigger problems, though. You’re ruining your marriage.”

“Don’t ever say anything like that,” James hissed, extending a warning finger. “I may have been … less attentive … than Mandy deserves over the past few days, but my marriage is fine.”

“Oh, is all that drinking making you blind, too?”

“Get out,” James muttered, shaking his head. “I’ll track Mandy down at the courthouse and talk to her.”

“Mandy isn’t at the courthouse.”

James hated the fact that Grady knew more about his wife’s current frame of mind and whereabouts than he did, but he tried not to show it. “I see. Where is she?”

“She called Ally to pick her up because she needed a friendly shoulder to cry on,” Grady replied. “The judge let her out early today … you know, because of her big gallery show and all.”

Grady knew it was petty to feel triumphant given his brother’s muddled mind, but the confusion flitting across James’ face made him happy. He hoped it felt like a punch in the gut.

“Gallery show?” James asked, furrowing his brow. “I … what gallery show?”

Grady blew out a sigh and sank into the chair across from the couch. “James, I have never once doubted your love for Mandy, but you’ve really screwed things up for her this week,” he said. “She has a gallery show at that ritzy place in Grosse Pointe tonight. Judge MacIntosh knows the owner and he had an opening and it was given to Mandy.”

“But … no,” James said, shaking his head. “She would’ve told me.”

“She tried to tell you,” Grady supplied. “She was so excited and nervous she could barely contain herself. She raced home to find you. I believe you were supposed to take her to a nice dinner that night.

“Instead she found you in the guesthouse with Jesse,” he continued. “She didn’t want to ruin your night so she waited up for you. She thought you would take the time to listen to her then, maybe soothe her nerves. You never came to bed, though.”

“But … .” James was convinced his heart would tear in two at any moment. “I don’t understand. She should’ve made a point to tell me.”

“Are you really going to blame this on her?” Grady challenged. “She’s been pretty patient from what I can see. She encouraged you to go out with Jesse the first night. She patiently waited for you the second night even though you broke a promise to take her out to dinner.

“Then last night you went to the bar even though you were in the doghouse,” he continued. “Part of that is my fault. I had no idea how seriously bad things were between you two. Instead of going home when we did, though, you stayed at the bar drinking with Jesse. You got so drunk, in fact, you didn’t even notice your wife wasn’t in your bed before passing out.

“Let me ask you a question, James,” he said. “What if someone took her? What if someone hurt her? She could’ve died in your home and you wouldn’t even have noticed.”

“Don’t say that,” James ordered, tears stinging the back of his eyes. “I … dammit!”

“Yeah, dammit,” Grady said, keeping his tone even. “Your wife is broken hearted because she couldn’t share a really important milestone with you. You didn’t care.”

“I do care!” James exploded, slapping his hands against his knees. “Part of this is her fault. She should’ve told me.”

“When? She didn’t feel comfortable doing it in front of Jesse,” Grady said. “He’s made his feelings about marriage and what she supposedly means to you abundantly clear.”

“Don’t say ‘supposedly’ like that,” James snapped. “I love my wife more than anything.”

“Well, amongst the other things she dropped on me at lunch today, your wife also mentioned that you haven’t held her in three days,” Grady said. “She almost seemed more upset about that than she was about the fact that you won’t be at her showing tonight.”

“I have held her,” James argued, racking his brain. “I … .” He hadn’t. He knew it. His brother had to point it out to him, but now that he had James was well aware that he’d barely paid any attention to his wife since Jesse’s arrival. “Oh, my baby.”

“You’ve let Jesse mess with your mind,” Grady said. “He’s stuck in the past and you’re trying to build your future. You’ve hurt your wife terribly, and that’s on top of the airbag burns on her arm.”

“Is she okay?”

“She didn’t let me see them and took off after lunch,” Grady replied. “She needed someone to make her feel better, and since she didn’t have you she headed straight for our sister. I would wear a cup next time you see Ally, by the way. She’s not going to take it well.”

“I don’t know how I let this happen,” James muttered, dropping his head in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. “I hurt my wife. I didn’t mean it. I … lost track of things.”

“You got caught in the past and let Jesse cloud your judgment,” Grady supplied. “I didn’t think I would ever see the day when you would put someone ahead of Mandy. I’m sorry I didn’t realize what you were doing until it was too late to stop it.”

“I didn’t put Jesse ahead of Mandy,” James argued. “I just … made a mistake.”

Grady refused to let James off the hook no matter how morose he appeared. “Didn’t you? You promised your wife dinner two nights in a row and she gladly let you out of the first and then you dismissed her the second. You couldn’t be bothered to go to bed with her one night and then didn’t realize she wasn’t there the second.

“Now, what strikes me as funny is that you’re usually the guy who can’t sleep unless his wife is sprawled on top of him,” he continued. “That hasn’t happened in three nights, and I’m pretty sure it’s not happening tonight, and you appear to be sleeping fine. You told me you never wanted to spend another night away from Mandy and now you’ve done it twice in one week.

“Congratulations, you’re a jackass,” Grady said, pushing himself to his feet. “I’ll handle the car and insurance. I want to look at it up close anyway. You’re lucky she’s alive. The entire driver’s side was caved in. She’s going to be unbelievably sore tomorrow.”

“I’ll take care of her.”

“I doubt it,” Grady said. “You need to do some soul-searching, brother, because you’ve crushed Mandy’s spirit on what should be one of the happiest days of her life. You do know what tomorrow is, right?”

James scowled. “Yes. It’s Saturday.”

Grady rolled his eyes. “It’s also your anniversary.”

James stilled, his mind busy as he did the math. “Oh, my … .”

“Yeah, you might want to consider what’s important to you,” Grady said. “I thought it was Mandy, but if it’s not, she deserves better.”

“Of course it’s Mandy,” James countered, his voice cracking. “I just … screwed up. I’ll get it together and do something special for her at the gallery tonight. I’ll fix it.”

“She told me it’s already ruined,” Grady said. “You’re not invited, by the way. She doesn’t want you there.”

“She doesn’t mean that.”

“I think she does,” Grady said. “If you go in there and push her when there’s an audience she’s going to snap. Then she’s going to be embarrassed in front of people she respects and admires. You might want to consider staying away.”

“I can’t stay away,” James said. “This is too big. I’m her husband. I should be there.”

“You should,” Grady agreed. “You’ve already ruined it, though. If you implode the entire night, she’ll never forgive you. You might want to take that into consideration.”

“I’ll take it under advisement,” James said, scowling as Grady moved toward the door. “Are you going?”

“All the people who love Mandy the most are going to be there,” Grady replied. “That’s all of her family, Peter, Judge MacIntosh, and Heidi.”

“I notice you’re leaving me out of that equation.”

“You haven’t loved your wife in three days,” Grady said. “I don’t blame her for cutting you out of this. You deserve it.”

James opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. He
did
deserve it. He was never going to be able to make this up to her.