Deadly Christmas (17 page)

“She was crying.”

“You’re exhausted,” Grady said. “Once we get you guys settled in front of the fireplace, things will be better. I promise.” He glanced at the pavement by his feet as Mandy’s sopping jeans landed next to his boots. “I’m going to hang this stuff up in the saloon.”

James wordlessly nodded as Grady disappeared. By the time Ally was back downstairs, she had two piles of clothes and she was motioning for James to lift Mandy out of the water. “Hand her to me.”

“Where is Jake?”

“Waiting for me to yell to him,” Ally snapped. “Give her to me!”

James pushed Mandy out of the water, internally sighing as she groggily let Ally dry her naked body and then dress her. Ally was quick and efficient, taking James by surprise. “Jake!”

Jake jogged out of the house, stopping long enough to give James a cursory nod before scooping Mandy up and immediately turning back to the house.

“Hurry up,” Ally ordered. “We’ll have her in front of the fireplace with the heater pointed at her head to dry her hair. Don’t take forever.”

James scowled as he watched her go. “She’s a pain in the ass.”

Grady, returning from hanging Mandy’s close over the barstools in the saloon, smirked. “Get naked, bro,” he said. “Hand me your clothes so I can hang them up. I have a feeling you’ll already be in the house by the time I’m done.”

“I need to be with her.”

“Then be with her,” Grady said, accepting the jeans James shoved his direction. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself while you’re doting on her. You both need to be healthy if you want a Merry Christmas.”

“I just want to hold her,” James said. “I … I just want to hold her.”

“So, go hold her.”

Mandy was a sweaty mess when she woke up the next morning.

“Why is it so freaking hot?”

James stirred beneath her, groaning as his back protested a night sleeping on the floor. It took him a moment to get his bearings, and when he did he almost flipped Mandy off of him in his haste to study her.

“How do you feel, baby?” he asked, grabbing her chin and tilting her head to the side.

“I … .” Mandy bit her bottom lip, confused. “Did we have sex on the living room floor?” She shifted so she could look down at their bodies. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s what happened. We wouldn’t have this many clothes on if we had sex.”

“We didn’t have sex, baby,” James said, pushing her wild hair away from her face. Despite his best efforts, sleeping on it wet did her no favors during the night. “What do you remember?”

“I … I didn’t get drunk, did I?”

“No, baby,” James replied. “Try to think. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I … .” Mandy pressed her eyes shut, racking her brain. Her eyes flashed open again, James’ favorite color in the world coming alive in the depths of her eyes a few moments later. “Oh!”

“There you go,” James said, rubbing her back. “What happened after you ran from the guesthouse? I lost sight of you.”

“I saw a car on the road on the other side of the field,” Mandy explained, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I was trying to decide if I could make it across the field or not. The snow was deep and if a car wasn’t coming … .”

“You were worried Ryan would grab you,” James finished. “What made you decide to hide under the tree?”

“I was hoping he would get frustrated and go,” Mandy said. “It was colder than I realized, though. I didn’t have a coat. I … I think I fell asleep.”

James swallowed hard, cupping the back of his wife’s head. “You did. Do you remember me finding you?”

“I … Grady was with you I think,” Mandy said, screwing her face up. “Everything is a blur. I think I remember Ally screaming and being dragged away. That was a probably a dream, though.”

James didn’t respond. He didn’t want to upset her after the rough night she had. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to try and eat something for me, would you?”

Mandy wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure how hungry I am.”

“It’s been almost twenty-four hours since you ate anything,” James said. “We had breakfast yesterday and I was planning on making you earn your lunch before … .”

“I’m okay, James,” Mandy said, kissing his chin. “I guess this is something you can add to your funny little list about the trouble I manage to find.”

“Well, baby, I’m not sure how fair that is,” James said. “It was my fault the trouble chased you this time.”

“Oh, whatever,” Mandy said. “There’s no reason to take this all on yourself. I’m fine. You’re fine. I’m willing to try eating breakfast. I don’t want to dwell on this.”

James opened his mouth, an apology for the hurt he caused her on the tip of his tongue. He snapped it shut instead. “I’m not sure we’re alone,” he said, helping Mandy to her feet before joining her on his own set of wobbly legs. “I think I might be too old to sleep on the floor.”

Mandy smirked, the expression lighting up her face. If James didn’t know better, he would think nothing out of the ordinary happened the previous day. Unfortunately for him, he was well aware of what his distraction almost cost them. “Why were we sleeping on the floor?”

“I had to keep you warm,” James replied. “I … .”

“Oh, that explains the heater and the fireplace,” Mandy said. “I guess that’s why I’m wearing three layers of clothes, too, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“We can take a hot shower when breakfast is over with,” Mandy said, shuffling toward the door. “I feel a little sweaty in this outfit.”

“Baby … .”

Mandy didn’t linger, instead moving through the living room doorway and heading toward the kitchen. James followed her, not surprised to find Ally, Jake, and Grady standing behind the counter when they arrived.

“Hey, kid,” Grady said, looking Mandy up and down. “Other than your wild hair, you’re looking fairly decent.”

“Her hair is fine,” Ally snapped. “You try sleeping on wet hair and see how great your precious do looks in the morning.”

Mandy wrinkled her forehead as she tried to force herself to remember the previous evening. “How did my hair get wet?”

Grady and James exchanged a look, and Grady could read the terror on his brother’s face. “What do you want for breakfast, kid?”

“Yes, I’m cooking whatever you want,” Ally said. “I was thinking of making blueberry pancakes for James because he deserves his favorite breakfast after getting tasered. I know pancakes aren’t your favorite, though. Do you want eggs and hash browns or an omelet?”

Mandy swiveled quickly, fixing James with a harsh look. “Tasered? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, baby.”

“Where?”

“I … .”

“Where?”

James sighed and pushed up the arm of his shirt, revealing the angry red spot where the taser made contact. Mandy reached out as if to touch it and then drew her hand back.

“That’s why you called and told me to run,” she said, her mind busy. “I couldn’t figure out why you were calling me, but I didn’t have time to think about it. Why didn’t you tell me you needed help?”

“Because I knew if you came back to help me that Ryan would grab you and I needed you to get away,” James replied, blinking rapidly to hold off his tears. “You wouldn’t have made it back to me. The only way for both of us to make it was for you to run.”

“Oh … .” Mandy rubbed her mouth. “You searched for me in the woods even though you were hurt.”

“You’re my wife,” James said. “I wasn’t coming back in this house without you.”

“Oh, James,” Mandy said, a lone tear slipping down her cheek. She moved over to him, resting her head against his chest and being careful to steer clear of his arm. James hugged her, burying his face in her hair.

“Oh, look, they’re hugging and they’re okay after another fiasco,” Grady said, trying to ease the tension. “I think that deserves a big breakfast, Ally.”

“I think you’re right,” Ally said, grabbing the box of Bisquick off the counter. “Mandy, do you want an omelet or over easy eggs?”

“Over easy eggs,” Mandy answered, her face still buried in James’ chest.

“Sit down at the table,” Ally ordered. “You’re both still recovering. Jake, pour juice for everyone and then sit with them. I’m in charge of breakfast.”

Jake brushed a kiss against her forehead. “You’re in charge this morning, angel,” he said. “I think you’ve earned it.”

“WHAT
do you want us to do?” Grady asked an hour later, finally letting the seriousness of their situation descend. Mandy was upstairs drawing a bath, and James promised to join her there as soon as he showed Ally, Jake, and Grady out of the house.

“Do we have any leads on Ryan?”

“He’s completely fallen off the map,” Grady replied. “I called Art. He was … shocked and appalled. That’s what he kept saying over and over again. I’m not sure if he believed me.”

“I’m not sure I give a rat’s ass if he believed you,” James said before turning to Jake. “What about you?”

“We’re keeping our ear to the ground,” he said.

“Sophie went to Peter’s first thing this morning,” Grady said. “Peter has men parked on the street behind the house and across the road. If Ryan tries to get in this house once we leave … he’s going to have a rude awakening.”

“That actually makes me feel better,” James admitted. “I’m exhausted … and my back is killing me from sleeping on the floor.”

“You’re getting old,” Grady teased.

James wanted to embrace his brother’s levity, but he didn’t have the energy. “I think Mandy and I are going to end up spending the better part of the day in bed – and not for the fun reasons we usually do.”

“You need the rest,” Ally said.

James glanced at her, shame about the way he treated her the previous evening washing over him. “Ally, I … .”

“Don’t bother saying anything,” Ally said, holding her hand up. “I know you’re sorry.”

“I am,” James agreed. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way. It’s just … she was shaking and crying and … .”

“And you’re a mess because you think you caused her pain,” Ally finished. “I get it. The guilt you’re mired in is written on your face every time I look at you.”

“I hurt her.”

“You didn’t hurt her,” Ally said. “I don’t think she remembers anyway.”

“She’s had a few flashes,” James said. “She remembers you yelling and being dragged away. She thinks it was a dream.”

“Let her keep thinking that.”

“I need to tell her. She needs to know I hurt her.”

“Stop staying stupid crap,” Ally said, flicking the spot between James’ eyebrows and causing him to take a step back. “You didn’t hurt her. You would never hurt her. The circumstances hurt her. I made things ten times worse by screaming like a banshee. Stop being a whiny woman, though. Man up.

“Your wife is recovering and needs you,” she continued. “You’re recovering and need her. What you both really need is a whole day of sleep. So, you are to go upstairs and take a bath together – no funny business.

“Then you’re to take a long nap,” Ally said. “When you wake up, there’s soup in the refrigerator for your lunch. Emma made it. It’s good. It will make you feel better. Then you two can move down to the living room and watch shark movies to your heart’s content.

“Under no circumstances are you to do any of this ‘I hurt her’ bullshit in front of Mandy,” Ally ordered. “She’s dealing with enough. You’re dealing with enough. Go and take a bubble bath and shut the hell up.”

James ran his tongue over his teeth as he regarded his sister. “That was fairly impressive,” he said finally.

“I’m always fairly impressive.”

“I think I’m going to take your fairly impressive ass home and put you to bed for a nap, too,” Jake said. “You didn’t sleep at all last night.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you were tossing and turning all night,” Jake replied, unruffled. “I was, too. I think everyone was keyed up.”

“Don’t worry about sleeping,” Grady said. “Set the alarm the second we leave. Peter’s men are out there. I already plugged your cell phone in and it’s on the nightstand on your side of the bed.

“We need you at full strength,” he continued. “Sleep. Sleep as much as you can. I’m going to keep working this all day. Peter is looking for Ryan, too. We will find him. When that happens, expect a call. We’re all going to move in on this jackass together.”

“Thank you,” James said. “I treated you horribly yesterday. I snapped at you and … .”

“It’s fine,” Grady said. “We all have issues when it comes to our women. Mandy is okay, though. She’s actually pretty chipper considering what she went through last night. Go upstairs and hold your wife. Get some sleep. The rest of this will work itself out while you rest.”

“I don’t know how to thank you guys,” James said. “I was a mess and you held everything together.”

“I’m thinking an extra paid week of vacation for everyone should just about do it,” Grady quipped, his eyes flashing.

“I know you’re joking,” James said. “Consider it done, though. You guys have earned it.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Jake said.

“I do have to do that. We all worked together to keep Mandy safe and warm her up last night. You guys kept me on task – especially Hurricane Ally. I owe you guys for keeping my heart intact.”

“You don’t owe us anything but a nap,” Ally said. “Now don’t make me follow you up there and tuck you in.”

James smirked. “I love you, Ally.”

“I love you, too. Now … go.” Ally made small shooing motions with her hands. “Try dreaming of something nice. I know! Think about the other day when you and Mandy got so excited you went for it on the pool table. Twice.”

“Mandy has a big mouth,” James complained.

“You told me about that, too,” Grady reminded him.

“You have a big mouth, too.”

“Just go rest,” Grady ordered. “I’ll call you the second we have a lead. I promise.”