Deadly Ever After (Hardy Brothers Security Book 6) (17 page)

“Oh, I know that,” Rose said. “I just figured some time alone would do us good.”

“If you’re going to try and convince me to be celibate until the wedding, don’t bother. That ain’t gonna happen.”

“Oh, no,” Rose said, getting to her feet and gathering the empty dishes from the table. “I’m over that. I want to talk about whatever is going on that caused you to pull a gun on me this morning.”

James rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead. “I knew you weren’t just going to forget that.”

“Nothing is going on, Mom,” James said, leaning over the counter at the flower shop so he could peer into the refrigerated case.

“Don’t you lie to me,” Rose said, standing on her tiptoes so she could look at the lilies on the top shelf. “These are gorgeous.”

“The arch is made up of lilies,” James said. “I want something else.”

“What?”

“Blue roses,” James said, pointing to the brightly colored blooms. “I want those.”

A young woman walked into the lobby from the back of the store, pulling up short when her gaze landed on James. “Hey, I remember you.”

James smiled at the clerk. He wouldn’t have been able to pick the woman out of a police lineup, but he had a vague recollection of buying a solitary blue rose from the establishment months ago as a peace offering. That night hadn’t ended well. In fact, it had ended with Mandy almost dying. James planned on making the blue-rose presentation a better memory this time. “You remember me?”

“You were buying a rose because your girlfriend was mad at you,” the clerk said. “You bought a blue one, even though I told you to buy a red one. Can I assume that you’re here because that didn’t work out?”

James shook his head. “Nope. I’m here because I want you to create a centerpiece out of the blue roses.”

“For the same girl?”

“Yup.”

“What kind of centerpiece?”

“It’s for the altar at our wedding,” James said.

The clerk’s smile faltered. “You’re getting married?”

“In three days.”

“Well, that’s disappointing.”

Rose smirked at her son. “You always were a heartbreaker.”

James made a face. “I want something pretty, but not too big.”

“And you’re sure you want the blue roses?”

“Yes.”

“Red still means love.”

“Blue means forever,” James shot back.

“Blue doesn’t mean anything,” the clerk replied.

“I told her that it means forever,” James said. “She likes the blue roses. I want the blue roses.”

“You’re the customer,” the clerk said, her tone blithe.

“I am.” James handed over his credit card. “I’ll pick it up Saturday morning. Make sure it’s pretty and not garish. I don’t like garish.”

Once they left the shop, James pointed at the small diner on the corner. “Do you want to get some lunch?”

“You just ate two hours ago.”

“I know,” James said. “I want to give Mandy some time with her mom before we go back.”

“You’re very sensitive where she’s concerned,” Rose said, patting his arm. “I’ve never seen you like this before. I love watching you with her.”

“I’ve never felt like this before,” James admitted. “She’s my whole heart.”

“I’m glad you found each other,” Rose said. “You’re going to be happy forever.”

“I hope so.”

“So, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” Rose asked.

“Mom.” James ran his hand through his hair in exasperation.

“You need a haircut.”

“I know.”

“Tell me what’s going on.”

James swallowed his upper lip with his lower one. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Oh, I already know that.”

James sighed, motioning to the small metal bench a few feet away. “You’d better sit down. It’s going to take a while.”

“I have all day.”

“Great.”

“SO,
let me see the dress,” Mary Madison said, shifting on the couch excitedly. She’d arrived at the apartment twenty minutes before, and she hadn’t stopped talking since. Unfortunately, most of the discussion had been about herself.

“It’s all zipped up in the bag, Mom,” Mandy replied. “You can see it at the wedding.”

“Why don’t you want to show me the dress?” Mary was suspicious by nature. Mandy should have known better than thinking she would get away with hiding the dress.

Mandy walked into the bedroom, resigned, returning a few moments later with the garment bag. “It’s very simple.”

“I like simple.”

“No, you don’t,” Mandy said, unzipping the bag and pulling the dress out.

Mary looked the dress up and down, her face unreadable. “I see.”

Mandy felt her heart plummet. “You don’t like it, do you?”

“It’s fine,” Mary said. “It’s just … .”

“Simple,” Mandy supplied.

“I was going to say boring,” Mary said. “It’s your wedding, though. You should have the dress you want.”

“This is the dress I want.”

“Well then, you should be happy.”

“But you’re not,” Mandy interjected.

“I just always pictured you in a big dress,” Mary admitted. “I thought you would wear something to show off your shoulders – you have beautiful shoulders – and I wanted a full skirt. This dress is nice, though.”

“You hate the dress.”

“Hate is a strong word.”

“What word would you use?”

Mary screwed up her face. “Charming.”

Mandy smirked. “Nice save, Mom.”

Mary beamed. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.”

“Speaking of happy, where is James?”

“He had to run an errand with his mother,” Mandy said. “They were going to the florist.”

“You didn’t pick out the flowers?”

“I picked out the flowers for the arch and my bouquet,” Mandy said. “He has something special he’s putting together.”

“What?”

“That’s his thing,” Mandy said, refusing to tell her mother about the blue roses. The mere thought of them would send the woman careening over the edge.

“You’re not worried?”

“I’m not worried.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Would you like me to talk to him about the flowers?”

Mary had always been the type of person who wanted to solve every problem – to her liking. She didn’t care what other people thought, or how they wanted to solve their own problems.

“Don’t you even think of saying a word to him about those flowers,” Mandy warned, wagging her index finger in her mother’s face. “He’s excited about the flowers. Let him pick the flowers he wants.”

Mary brushed her blonde hair out of her face, fixing her daughter with a pouty look. “There’s no need to be mean.”

“I’m not being mean.”

“You sound mean.”

“I’m just tired,” Mandy said. “We had an early wakeup call this morning.”

“Oh, what was that?”

Mandy considered telling her. She figured the look on her mother’s face would be worth it. Of course, the aneurism that might follow wouldn’t be. “It was nothing,” Mandy said. “Rose just arrived early to cook us breakfast.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Mary said. “What did she make?”

“Blueberry pancakes and bacon.”

“You don’t like pancakes,” Mary pointed out.

“I like pancakes. They’re just not my favorite.”

“You always wanted eggs as a kid,” Mary reminded her.

Mandy pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering briefly if anyone would notice if she locked her mom in the closet for the next seventy-two hours. “The pancakes are James’ favorite.”

“What about your favorites?”

Mandy rolled her eyes, pretending she didn’t hear the question. “So, where is Richard?”

“He’s at the hotel,” Mary said. “He needed a nap after the long drive.”

“The drive was only three hours,” Mandy pointed out.

Mary leaned forward. “I know, I’ll come tomorrow morning and make your favorite breakfast.”

“I’m fairly sure James is going to be barricading the door tonight,” Mandy replied dryly.

“Why would he do that?”

Mandy scanned the room helplessly. “James should be home soon. I know he’s looking forward to seeing you.”

“Good,” Mary said. “I need to talk to him about breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“I CAN’T
believe you kept this from me!”

James glanced around, forcing a terse smile on his face as two women walking down the sidewalk stared at him. “Mom, keep your voice down.”

“You were shot!”

“I was barely shot,” James said.

“Mandy was shot at!”

James gritted his teeth. “Don’t remind me.”

“A man accosted my daughter outside of a bridal boutique,” Rose said. “Who goes after four women outside of a bridal boutique?”

“Trust me, he got a lot more than he bargained for,” James said. “He probably has a concussion from the beating, and Ally bit him.”

Rose stilled. “Ally bit him?”

“She’s vicious when she’s provoked.”

Rose sighed, wringing her hands together. “James, this is not good.”

“I know.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to keep the woman I love safe, and I’m going to find Tony,” James said.

“The wedding is in three days.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“James Hardy, there is a madman out there trying to kill you,” Rose said.

“Way to understate the obvious, Mom.”

“You have to postpone the wedding.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“James, what are you thinking?” Rose was incensed.

James got to his feet, frustrated. “I’m thinking that I’ve never loved anything in this world like I love Mandy,” he hissed. “I’m thinking that, in the past year, she’s been stalked … and blown up … and shot at. I’m thinking that I want her to have a perfect day, and I want her to have a perfect honeymoon, and I’m not going to let anything get in the way of that.”

Rose adjusted her tone. “When I first heard that you and Mandy were together, I was … surprised. All of my children are different, James. I love you all equally, but you’re all different. I’ve never worried about Finn and Ally finding love. They’re built for it. You and Grady are another story.

James opened his mouth to say something, but Rose silenced him with a look.

“I knew Mandy had a crush on you when she was younger,” Rose continued. “She was so entranced with you, it was a little sad. She worried me as a child. She was an introvert. She was different. Different doesn’t thrive in a community as small as Barker Creek.

“Somewhere along the way, she found herself,” Rose said. “I saw some of it happen after you were gone. What she did for herself when she left Barker Creek, though? That is nothing short of amazing. When she got the room to grow, the woman she grew into is something to behold.

“She became the kind of woman that men everywhere long to be with,” Rose said. “She became the kind of woman that knocks men on their asses. You should know, she did it to you. She’s also the type of woman who understands when something bad happens. She adjusts her needs accordingly. Mandy will agree to postpone the wedding because it’s the right thing to do.”

James tilted his head back, staring at the sky. “The first time I saw Mandy after all those years apart, I didn’t recognize her. I saw a beautiful woman who was sure of herself. She was in control. Sure, she was in trouble and worried, but she knew who she was and she wasn’t afraid to be that person.

“I wasn’t around her for twenty-four hours when I knew I couldn’t stay away from her,” James continued. “I fought it. I fought it so hard I hurt myself, and I hurt her. I fought it because I didn’t know what else to do. Do you know what happened when I stopped fighting it?”

Rose shook her head.

“I found my forever,” James said. “I found it in her eyes, and I found it in her smile, and I found it in her heart. The happiest place on Earth for me is in her arms. I used to want to go out four times a week. I used to want to sleep with a different woman on each one of those nights. Now? The idea of ever touching another woman fills me with disgust. The idea of falling asleep without her in my arms fills me with dread. The idea of going through life without her terrifies me.

“I am not calling off this wedding,” James said. “I won’t do that to her, and I won’t do that to me. I have no idea how I’m going to do it, but I am going to solve this before Sunday. I am going to give her the wedding of her dreams. I am going to give her forever. There is nothing – nothing – in this world that will stand in the way of that. Nothing!”

Rose sighed. “Well, if that’s your decision … .”

“It is.”

“Then, let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“You need a haircut.”