Deadly Christmas (6 page)

“Is this the last one?” James asked, smirking when Mandy nodded. “I see you had a lot of sex on your mind while I was gone.”

“I thought about it every day,” Mandy admitted. “I was starting to get desperate. My electric toothbrush was calling to me.”

James barked out a laugh. “I know this is going to make you think less of me as a man, but knowing you missed me that much and bought this … it makes me feel warm all over, baby.”

“It does?” Mandy arched an eyebrow, surprised. “How come?”

“You and I are the type of people who love with our whole hearts,” James answered. “This shows that your whole heart was fixated on me while I was gone – the same way my heart was fixated on you. There were times at night where I had to put pillows on top of my chest to sleep – and let me tell you something, baby, it wasn’t the same thing as being with you.”

“I slept on the floor because I couldn’t be in our bed without you,” Mandy admitted.

James pushed his bottom lip out. “Are you kidding?”

Mandy shook her head. “My back is killing me.”

“Well, I think I can fix that,” James said. “We’re going to strip. We’re going to decorate. We’re going to play some very fun whipped cream games. When we’re done, we’re going to pop in
A Christmas Story
and I’m going to massage you for the whole flick.”

“That’s my favorite Christmas movie.”

“I remember,” James said, smiling softly. “How does that sound?”

“That sounds like the best Christmas present I could ever ask for,” Mandy admitted. “The only thing that would make it better is if there were sharks in the movie.”

“I’ll pretend to be a shark while I rub you,” James offered. “Now, come on, wife. Strip. Let the tree trimming officially begin.”

“You look extremely relaxed,” Ally said, looking Mandy up and down as they walked through the busy mall the next afternoon. “How did the tree decorating go?”

“It was … fun,” Mandy said, unable to hide the wide grin from her face. “We had a really good time. When we were done, your brother gave me a massage while watching
A Christmas Story
.”

“That sounds like your type of night,” Ally said, laughing. “Did you find out what Jake got me?”

Mandy was conflicted. She hated lying to her friend. Of course, this wasn’t a big lie. “No. He distracted me with flavored whipped cream and I honestly forgot to ask him again after that. I’m sorry.”

“I understand,” Ally said, sighing. “Do you think James will tell you?”

“I don’t think I want to ask, Ally,” Mandy replied. “Can’t you just let Jake surprise you?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I know it goes against your very nature to do the unthinkable and relax, but I really wish you would try,” Mandy urged. “Think how great your Christmas morning is going to be.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” Ally shot back. “You spent two weeks searching through your house trying to find whatever it is James is hiding from you.”

“I … that’s different.”

“How?”

“Because it’s me,” Mandy said, wrinkling her nose. “Whatever it is has to be big, though. I’ve heard him on the phone whispering about something. Sophie knows what it is, but you can’t wear her down and make her tell you things.”

Ally snorted. “Sophie was raised by a mobster. Even if we threatened to fit her with cement shoes and dump her in the Detroit River she wouldn’t tell us.”

“This is true,” Mandy said, scanning the crowd. “Where do you want to go first?”

“We need to stop at that leather goods store,” Ally said. “The jacket I ordered for Jake is in.”

“Is it the same place I bought James’ jacket?”

Ally nodded. “He still likes that jacket, right?”

“He does,” Mandy said. “More importantly, I like the way it looks on him. It gets me all hot and bothered.”

“All he has to do is smile at you and you get hot and bothered.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Mandy said.

“I didn’t say it was bad,” Ally laughed. “I just meant that you don’t need the coat.”

“He doesn’t need the garters either and yet he still loves them,” Mandy said. “We placed a big order last night after you left. He was surprisingly happy shopping for lingerie in the safety of our own home.”

“That sounds just like him,” Ally said. “Come on. I need to stop at a few others places, too.”

“Like where?”

“I need to go to a jewelry store. I’m thinking of getting Jake a watch for Christmas.”

Mandy fixed Ally with a hard look. “Are you going to drown Jake with gifts because you don’t know what he’s getting you and you want to make sure that you have enough to cover whatever he surprises you with?”

“Of course not.”

Mandy crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

“I just want to make sure he has a good Christmas,” Ally sniffed. “I … this is our first Christmas together. I want it to be special.”

“Ally, it’s going to be special because you’re spending it together,” Mandy argued. “I don’t think you have to go out of your way to get him thirty gifts. That’s going to embarrass him.”

“How is that going to embarrass him?”

“Jake is a mellow guy,” Mandy replied. “He’s going to feel like an idiot if the whole tree is filled with gifts for him. Why not get him five really nice gifts and call it a day?”

Ally worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I was kind of worried about that.”

“Tell me what you’ve bought so far.”

“Well, I already paid for the jacket,” Ally said.

“That’s a nice gift and Jake is going to look great in leather,” Mandy said. “You can make Fonzie jokes. I do it with James all the time. He loves them.”

“I don’t think James loves those jokes,” Ally argued. “I think he doesn’t want to fight so he lets them go.”

“James loves to fight over little things,” Mandy said. “Then we can make up. It’s the big things he doesn’t like to fight over. That’s why he’s backing off about me quitting my job.”

Ally arched an eyebrow as they climbed on the escalator. “Did he bring that up again?”

“I think the two weeks apart traumatized us both,” Mandy replied. “I … do you think we’re co-dependent?”

Ally snorted, answering almost immediately. “Yes.”

“Tell me how you really feel,” Mandy grumbled.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Mandy,” Ally said. “You two are extremely co-dependent. You love each other so much that you’re constantly threatening to drown the other one with your feelings. I didn’t say it was a bad thing.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“I think that you and James are soul mates,” Ally said. “I didn’t believe in soul mates until I saw the two of you together. You gave me hope. If something ever happens to one of you, though, the other is never going to recover. You have to know that.”

Mandy pursed her lips. “I guess,” she said finally. “I guess we’ll just have to make sure something never happens to either of us.”

“That would probably be wise,” Ally agreed. “James isn’t the only one who would miss you.”

“I would miss you, too, Ally.”

“Of course you would,” Ally said. “Come on. There’s the coat shop. I want to see if you like the jacket. Then we need to go to the jewelry store.”

Mandy sighed, resigned. Ally was a woman on a mission and that mission was to make sure Jake had the best Christmas ever. “You’re going to get him a watch, aren’t you?”

“Don’t worry,” Ally chided. “I’ll rein it in. I was going to get him a new motorcycle. I think I’ve thought better on that one.”

“Oh, Ally … .”

“What? He loves his motorcycle.”

“And he loves you,” Mandy pointed out. “A new motorcycle isn’t going to make him love you more. I don’t think that’s possible.”

“What if I just pose naked on his motorcycle and give him the photo?”

Mandy considered the suggestion. “Now you’re talking.”

“DO WE
have absolutely everything we’re going to need?” Ally asked, glancing between the bags she was carrying and the ones clutched in Mandy’s hands. She couldn’t be sure, but it felt as if they’d bought out the entire mall.

“We’d better,” Mandy said. “I am not coming back to this mall. It’s crazy in here. Why do people always wait until the last minute?”

Ally arched a challenging eyebrow.

“We didn’t wait until the last minute,” Mandy countered. “We … knew what we wanted and just didn’t have time to pick it up.”

“Did you learn all of that double-speak from the lawyers at the courthouse?”

Mandy scowled. “You know, I wouldn’t miss the lawyers if I left the courthouse,” she said. “I really would only miss Judge MacIntosh and Heidi.”

“So why not leave?”

“I can’t until I can cover the money I make at the courthouse with my paintings,” Mandy replied, her eyes stormy. “You know that.”

“I’m about to tell you something you don’t want to hear,” Ally replied. “I want you to understand that I’m saying it to you with love and not out of a place of malice.”

Mandy wanted to cross her arms over her chest, but the bags were too heavy. Instead she narrowed her eyes to dangerous blue slits and waited for Ally to open her big, fat mouth.

“You make forty-five thousand dollars a year at the courthouse,” Ally continued, undeterred by the look on her friend’s face. “James makes three times that a month. Don’t you want to travel with him? You guys don’t need the money you make at the courthouse.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Mandy wanted to be offended, but she knew Ally was right. “If I don’t work, though, that means I’m living off James. How is that fair?”

“You’re not living off of him,” Ally challenged. “He’s your husband. You’re a team. Do you think he begrudges paying for the house … or paying so we can shop … or even sending us to the spa?”

Mandy opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out.

“Mandy, James has a few personality defects that you don’t regularly acknowledge,” Ally said. “He’s bossy. He’s controlling. He feels the need to tell everyone in the free world what to do – including you. Thankfully you’re just as bossy as him so he doesn’t walk all over you.

“The one thing he’s not crazy about is money,” she continued. “James would rather spend time with you than worry about money. I know he’s made a few cracks about shopping – and trust me, he never will again because he thinks it caused unnecessary problems – but he doesn’t care about the money. Spending time with you is worth so much more to him.”

Mandy rubbed the heel of her hand against her forehead, frustrated. “I know that, Ally. It’s just … I was always raised to believe you have to work to provide for yourself. It never occurred to me that I was going to marry a man who didn’t need or want my help.”

“James needs your love,” Ally said. “I get that it’s hard to turn off your brain when it comes to stuff like this. Just … consider it. If you didn’t give him another thing for every future Christmas you’re going to share, this would be the best gift you could ever give him.”

Mandy ran her tongue over her teeth as she bought time to formulate a response. When she finally opened her mouth again, she was resolved. “I’m not ready yet.”

“Will you ever be ready?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell James that,” Ally prodded. “That’s going to be enough to make him happy right now. I promise you that.”

Mandy nodded. “Come on. Let’s get Jake an outrageous watch.”

Ally’s brightened at the shift in conversation. “I’m actually really excited to pick one out. Do you think he likes diamonds?”

“No.”

“I … ugh … you’re right,” Ally muttered. “I need something cool. Maybe one of those watches hunters and divers use instead.”

“If you’re going to get him a watch you should get that new Apple one,” Mandy suggested. “It has all the bells and whistles men love. It’s geek technology wrapped in a cool package.”

“Holy crap,” Ally said, her eyes widening. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you’ve been too busy worrying about what Jake is going to get you.”

“That’s a great idea,” Ally said, grabbing Mandy’s arm and yanking on it. “I can’t believe what a great idea that is.”

“I have been known to have good ideas in the past,” Mandy said. “You don’t need to act so surprised.”

“I’m not surprised,” Ally countered. “I’m just … .”

They stood in the doorway of the jewelry store, which was largely empty except for three white faces. All of them looked terrified.

“What’s going on?” Mandy asked. “Did you run out of gold right before Christmas?”

“Maybe there was a run on Pandora beads,” Ally suggested.

“Or maybe you two idiots walked in on a robbery and didn’t even notice.”

Mandy swallowed hard at the new voice, frowning when she saw the man in the knit mask standing on the other side of the door. The large burglary scanners hid him on their initial entry and now that they were completely inside of the store there could be no mistake about what they’d walked in on.

“James is going to be really pissed,” Mandy said.

“Jake isn’t going to be any happier.”

“This is not the Christmas gift James was looking forward to.”

“Maybe if the robber had whipped cream,” Ally suggested.

“Shut up!” The man in black moved toward Mandy and Ally, a gun in his hand. “This is a robbery.” He shook the weapon for emphasis. “This is a gun. Do you have any idea what that means?”

Mandy’s face was white and drawn and she nodded solemnly. “I do.”

“Good. Now get over there and stand with those people. I want your jewelry – all of it – including that necklace and your wedding ring.”

Mandy furrowed her brow. The necklace and ring were her favorite pieces of jewelry ever. James gave her both, and there was no way she was going to part with them. “I’m not giving you my necklace and ring.”

“You will if you don’t want to get shot.”

“Go ahead and shoot me,” Mandy challenged. “All that will do is draw attention to yourself and you’ll get caught before you even get out of the store.”

Mandy couldn’t see the robber’s face, but his eyes expressed surprise.

“Are you actually refusing to give me your jewelry?”

“We are,” Ally said, leaning forward. “I do have a little something else to give you, though.”

“Oh, yeah, what’s that?” the man sneered.

“Just this,” Ally said, pulling the taser she’d switched on moments before from inside her purse and pressing it to the man’s arm before he had a chance to realize what was happening. He jerked back, surprised.

The taser wasn’t fully charged, so the robber only got a partial jolt. It was enough to scare him into movement, and that movement had him lurching out of the store in a funny one-sided run as his left side went numb.