Deadly Christmas
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
Deadly Christmas
Hardy Brothers Security
Book Fourteen
Lily Harper Hart
Text copyright © 2015 Lily Harper Hart
“Ouch!”
Mandy Avery-Hardy yanked her finger back from the package she was wrapping, making a face as she surveyed the paper cut on her finger.
“You should have paid extra for the gift-wrapping,” her sister-in-law and best friend Ally Hardy said, glancing up from her own wrapping project in the middle of Mandy’s bedroom floor. Her finished product looked professionally done, while the one Mandy sat next to on the plush carpet looked like a two-year-old made the attempt. “You could have saved yourself some time and energy.”
Mandy wrinkled her nose, pushing her blond hair away from her face as she regarded her. “Do you think now is the best time to make fun of me?”
“I’m just getting in the Christmas spirit early,” Ally teased, raising her eyebrows dubiously as she glanced at Mandy’s gift-wrapping attempt again. “Do you want me to fix that?”
Did she? Mandy wasn’t sure. She knew it looked horrible. Still, this was something Ally would never let her forget. “Yes, please,” Mandy said finally, sighing as she pushed the present toward Ally. “I don’t know why I’m so horrible at this.”
“I think you’re agitated,” Ally replied, taking the package and carefully removing the purple wrapping paper so she could use it again. “No offense, but you seem edgy these days.”
“I’m not edgy,” Mandy clarified. “I’m … .” Mandy broke off.
What am I?
Only one word popped into her head. Since she never lied to Ally unless it was for her own good, Mandy knew now wasn’t the time to start. “I’m lonely.”
Ally clucked sympathetically. “It’s been a long two weeks for you, hasn’t it?”
Mandy nodded, focusing on the pile of gifts at her side as she tried to hold off unbidden tears. She hated crying, and she wasn’t about to start now. “James will be home soon.”
James Hardy, Mandy’s husband and Ally’s oldest brother, was currently in California on a security job. Even though they’d been married for six months and Mandy was aware James had plans to take his security business – Hardy Brothers Security – national, the reality of being separated from her husband for two weeks was something Mandy wasn’t prepared for.
“I’m sure he misses you as much as you miss him,” Ally said, patting Mandy’s hand. Usually she would make a joke to get her friend out of the doldrums. Ally had a feeling it wouldn’t work this time. “In fact, if I know my brother, he’s crying himself to sleep without you every night.”
Mandy forced a smile for Ally’s benefit. “He’s busy setting up a computer system for that jewelry company,” she said. “He didn’t want to take the job – especially so close to Christmas – but you can’t turn down huge accounts if you want to expand. I know that. I’m just … being a baby.”
Ally smirked as she pushed her flyaway brown hair away from her face and fixed her somber brown eyes on Mandy’s blue orbs. “It’s okay to miss him. This is the first time you two have been apart in … well … forever.”
“Forever?”
“Since you got together, the most time you two have spent apart is a night here and there,” Ally replied. “Most of those came because of fights. James can’t sleep without you and you don’t look as if you’ve been sleeping well without him. No offense.”
“You just told me I look like crap,” Mandy countered. “Why would I take offense at that?”
“I didn’t say you looked like crap,” Ally protested. “I said you looked tired. There’s a difference.”
“I do miss him,” Mandy admitted, blowing out a weary sigh. “It’s only one more night, though. I think I can manage that.”
“You could always surprise him with something sexy and filthy when he comes home tomorrow night,” Ally suggested. “He likes it when you plan dirty things for him.”
“I’ve already got his homecoming planned,” Mandy said. “I don’t need your help planning something for my husband. In fact, if he thought you helped me plan anything for him, he would be totally grossed out.”
“Yeah, he’s got a weird thing about sexual boundaries where I’m concerned,” Ally agreed. “He can brag to the high heavens when Grady, Finn, and Jake are around, but when it comes to me, he clams right up.”
“Grady and Finn are his brothers and, well, Jake might as well be,” Mandy pointed out.
“Yes, but Jake is having sex with me and James still talks to him,” Ally reminded her friend. “He only has a problem talking about sex to me.”
“That’s because you’re his baby sister and as far as he’s concerned you’re still carrying around dolls and wearing pigtails,” Mandy said. “He never wanted to talk to Jake about … any of that stuff … until recently. I would take that as a good sign if I were you. That means he’s ready to accept you and Jake getting married.”
“Jake and I aren’t getting married anytime soon,” Ally balked. “I … we haven’t even talked about anything like that.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not coming,” Mandy said, enjoying Ally’s discomfort. It was rare she got the upper hand where her friend was concerned. “You know Jake is going to propose, right?”
“I … .” Ally turned her attention back to the gift.
“Ally, look at me,” Mandy cajoled.
Ally forced her eyes back to Mandy’s face. “I’m scared he’s never going to propose,” Ally admitted. “I love him so much. What if … ?”
“He’s going to propose, Ally,” Mandy said. “You guys just admitted you loved each other a few months ago. Don’t push it.”
“Even if Jake never proposes, he’s all I’m ever going to want,” Ally said, her voice small.
“He’s going to propose,” Mandy reassured her friend. “Don’t get your hopes up for it to happen this Christmas, though. I happen to know what he got you. While you’re going to love it, I can promise it’s not a ring.”
Ally’s face turned from pitiable to intrigued. “You know what my Christmas gift is going to be?”
“Oh, crap,” Mandy muttered. “Your brother says I have a huge mouth and he’s absolutely right. Why don’t I think before I speak?”
“What did he get me?” Ally was practically salivating.
“I … don’t remember.”
“You’re such a liar,” Ally snapped. “What did he get me?”
Mandy was caught. She knew it. Unfortunately, Ally knew it, too. Mandy was about to pick a huge fight and kick Ally out of the house rather than ruin Jake’s surprise when the sound of her laptop buzzing in the other room caught her attention. “I have to get that.”
Ally reached over and grabbed Mandy’s wrist. “Not until you tell me what Jake is getting me for Christmas,” she warned.
“It’s James,” Mandy said, yanking her wrist away. “You can torture me again in a few minutes. I … need to talk to him.”
Ally was torn, but she released her friend’s arm. “I’m only letting this go because I know it will kill you not to talk to James,” she said. “This isn’t over.”
“Thank you.” Mandy bolted out of the room and raced to her office, her heart pounding at the thought of seeing James’ face. He needed to come home. She couldn’t wait much longer. This had been the longest two weeks of her life.
JAMES
smiled when Mandy’s beautiful face popped up on his computer screen. It had taken her longer than usual to answer. Over the past week, for example, she usually picked up on the first ring. He had the sneaking suspicion she sat around waiting for his daily video chats. Part of him was thrilled with the idea she missed him so much. The other part hated himself for being away from her – especially at this time of year.
He was ready to go home.
“Hey, baby,” James said, relief washing over him when she answered. “I was starting to think you weren’t home. I didn’t want to miss you, but … I figured maybe you were out with Ally.”
“Ally is here,” Mandy replied, sitting in her desk chair and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “We were wrapping Christmas presents in the other room.”
“You didn’t need to stop that on my account,” James said. “I could have called again later.”
“I wanted to see you,” Mandy said, instinctively reaching out and touching his face on her computer screen. “You’re still coming home tomorrow, right?”
James chuckled. “Nothing could keep me away from you for one second longer, wife,” he said. “I miss you, baby.”
Instead of smiling, Mandy pursed her lips and James realized she was holding off tears.
“Oh, baby, don’t cry,” James instructed, surprised to find a lump lodged in his throat. “I … I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken this job.”
“You want to take Hardy Brothers Security national,” Mandy reminded him, collecting herself. “You had to take the job. It paid too well to ignore.”
“I could have sent Grady or Jake to deal with this,” James countered.
“You didn’t want to steal either of them away with Christmas so close,” Mandy said. “I understand. You’re the boss. It’s just … this is our first Christmas and I wanted us to be able to do things together.”
“It’s not our first Christmas, baby,” James reminded her. “We were together last Christmas.”
“We weren’t married then, though,” Mandy said. “It’s okay. You’ll be home tomorrow night. We can still do some stuff.”
“What kind of stuff do you want to do?”
“I … you’ll think it’s stupid,” Mandy said, wrinkling her nose. “I’m not telling you just so you can laugh at me.”
“Baby, I miss you so much I wouldn’t dare laugh at you,” James said. “Tell me what you want to do. I’ll make it all happen.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mandy replied. “I just had these daydreams about cuddling in front of the fire … and doing other stuff in front of the fire.”
“Oh, we’re doing stuff in front of the fire,” James promised. “We’re also doing it under the tree … and on top of the gifts … and in the hot tub.”
“We have snow,” Mandy reminded him. “Not a lot, but we do have a little. It’s Michigan. You’re going to get snow in Michigan around Christmas.”
“That’s why I had it winterized,” James said. “I promise we’ll have fun in it. I have a few daydreams to fulfill myself, and one of them involves light snowflakes, a bottle of wine and you and me naked in that hot tub.”
“I miss you.” Mandy’s voice cracked, tugging on James’ heart. He rubbed her cheek on his computer screen, wishing he could pull her through it and hold her.
“I promise we won’t be apart this long again,” James said, making up his mind on the spot. “I can’t take it. I need you. I can’t sleep without you. I don’t want to eat without you. I … I miss you.”
“You can’t promise that we won’t be apart again,” Mandy said, her pragmatic side taking over. “You’re going to get more out-of-state jobs. You can’t send Grady and Jake on all of them, and once the baby comes you would never be mean enough to separate Finn and Emma.”
James’ youngest brother, Finn, was gearing up for the birth of the first Hardy grandchild with his fiancée, Emma. The birth was still three months away, but the whole family was prepared to spoil the newcomer. James knew Mandy was right. He wouldn’t force Finn away from Emma and the baby. That didn’t mean there weren’t other options.
“I’m hoping you’ll be joining me on future trips,” James said, watching Mandy’s heart-shaped face carefully. “We both talked about traveling, baby. We could do it together.”
Mandy snorted. “And what about my job?”
“I want you to quit your job,” James said, opting for honesty. “We’ve talked about that, too. You don’t need to keep working at the courthouse. I … I know you want to make your own money, although I’m not entirely sure why. There are other options than staying at the courthouse.”
Mandy tilted her head to the side, considering. “We have talked about this,” she agreed. “I … James, I don’t want you always giving me your hard-earned money. That doesn’t seem fair.”
“You’re my wife,” James shot back. “It’s our money. I don’t want to be separated from you. If you insist on working, you know darned well I could give you a job for the company.”
“Doing what?” Mandy scoffed. “If you try to pay me for sex, we’re getting divorced.”
James made a face. “Don’t ever joke about getting divorced,” he said. “I don’t like it.”
“I wasn’t … .”
James cut her off. “I know you weren’t serious,” he said. “I still don’t like it. You’re stuck with me for the rest of our lives, wife. You’d might as well get used to that.”
“I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anyone else,” Mandy said, her face softening. “You know what I mean, though. I don’t want to quit my job at the courthouse until I can bring enough money in to replace my salary. You know that.”
“I do know that,” James said, rolling his neck until it cracked. “You know you technically still have money, right? You have your inheritance from your dad – even though you insisted on giving me a big chunk of it to pay for half the house.”
“That still bugs you, doesn’t it?”
“It’s doesn’t bug me,” James replied. “I just didn’t think it was necessary. I bought the house as a wedding gift.”
“Well, I did think it was necessary,” Mandy countered. “I wanted to be able to say that we bought the house together.”
“Fine,” James said, holding his hands palms-up. “You still have like half a million left after taxes.”
“I invested that money,” Mandy reminded him. “I only kept a hundred grand out in case we needed emergency funds and I can’t touch the rest early without incurring fines. That’s for our retirement.”