Deadly Storm (2 page)

“I’m taking a class,” Mandy said. “It’s twice a week. I think it will be good for us.”

“We’re already good,” James said.

“I’m taking the class.” Mandy was firm.

James sighed, resigned. “Fine.” He reached for his jeans, which he’d tossed on the couch when they came in, and dug around for his wallet. He found a credit card and handed it to her. “You’re going to have to cook naked if you want to make up for us having less time to spend together over the next six weeks.”

Mandy pushed the credit card back in James’ direction. “I’ll pay. It’s not your responsibility.”

“Baby, what’s mine is literally yours,” James said. “My money is your money. What is this really about?”

“I just want to be able to cook for you,” Mandy said, scowling. “Why do you have to make a thing about it?”

James didn’t think he was the one making a “thing” about anything, but he decided to let it slide. “I can’t wait until your first gourmet meal.”

Mandy visibly relaxed. “This is going to be good.”

James just hoped this wouldn’t end with her handing him a slice of jerky and telling him to pretend it was a steak. “It’s going to be great, baby. Now, eat. I wasn’t joking about spending the rest of the night in the hot tub. You’re going to need your energy.”

“Okay,” Mandy said, sighing. “I … wait … you got McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches without me? You know they’re my favorite.”

“It’s a good thing I’m already a goner where you’re concerned, wife, because you are a lot of work,” James said, cupping the back of her head and drawing her close. “I love you. Do what you want. Whatever happens, though, you are cooking for me naked. Now I can’t get it out of my mind.”

“I’m sure we can work something out.”

“What’s up, Buttercup?”

James scowled as his brother Grady entered his office at Hardy Brothers Security the next morning. James started the Southeastern Michigan business after a stint in the military, and when his brothers finished their own tours, they joined the business. While James loved and admired his brothers, they also knew exactly how to annoy him. “Do you have to call me that?”

“I thought princess was too formal,” Grady deadpanned. “What’s your deal? Why are you in such a bad mood?”

“Mandy,” James grumbled.

“What’s wrong with Mandy? Has she been shopping for a life-sized Martin Brody statue for the guesthouse again?”

James smirked. Mandy’s love of shark movies was notorious. He would gladly accept Martin Brody in his house if it meant Mandy would dump the cooking class idea and spend more time with him. That didn’t look like it was in the cards, though. “She’s taking a cooking class.”

Grady barked out a laugh. “What is she really doing?”

James arched an eyebrow.

“Oh, seriously? Why?” Grady sat down in one of the chairs across from James’ desk. “Why does she suddenly want to cook?”

“I have no idea,” James said, rubbing the back of his neck wearily. “We were having a perfectly nice afternoon of … well, you know … and then she ran off on a tangent.”

“First off, you two are animals,” Grady said. “I keep thinking the honeymoon is going to end and you’re going to stop ... doing that … twenty-four hours a day.”

“The honeymoon is never going to be over,” James said. “Don’t jinx us.”

Grady rolled his eyes. “Back to the cooking, what did you do to push her to the point where she feels she needs to learn how to cook? I thought you were happy with takeout.”

“I am happy with takeout,” James said. “I love takeout. I love not having to make a mess to cook anything, and I love not having to clean anything up. I love leftovers. I like choices. Takeout is the best thing ever invented.”

“I thought you said that about Mandy’s garter belts?”

“Whoever invented those was a genius,” James conceded.

“I’m still waiting for you to explain how this happened,” Grady said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

“I made some crack about knowing she didn’t cook dinner and she took it and ran with it,” James said. “I think I should just start walking around with a gag on.”

“She does have a way of working things up in her mind,” Grady conceded. “Ally is worse, though.”

Ally Hardy, the youngest Hardy sibling, was currently embroiled in romantic euphoria since her boyfriend – and Hardy Brothers Security employee – Jake Harrison moved in several weeks before. Her brothers had barely seen her since she started cohabitating with Jake. The only reason James knew Ally was still alive was because she was in constant contact with her best friend, who just happened to be James’ wife.

“I would take Ally’s particular brand of overreacting to … this … right now,” James admitted. “I don’t like it when she gets this way.”

“I think you don’t like that she’s going to be busy at class when she could be getting busy with you,” Grady countered.

James growled. “It’s not just that … .”

“You two are joined at the groin,” Grady said. “It’s okay. You’re not doing anything wrong. You love your wife. It’s kind of sweet.”

“I don’t know why she has to do stuff like this,” James said. “She already has the art class. This one is only six weeks, but it’s twice a week. That means she’s going to be busy three nights a week. I don’t care if she ever cooks. I just want her … with me.”

“Aw, big brother is sad.” Grady made an exaggerated pouty face.

“Big brother
is
sad,” James agreed.

“Why doesn’t she just quit her job at the courthouse?” Grady suggested. “You don’t like her being there because of all the criminals, and that would free up her days to take whatever classes she wants and still have her nights free to do … well, you.”

James scorched Grady with a glare. “We’re not animals.”

“If that’s your story … .”

“I’ve suggested she quit her job at the courthouse so many times I’ve lost count,” James said. “I would definitely feel better if she wasn’t there – especially since trouble keeps finding her in that … hole. She won’t stand for it. She says she won’t quit until she’s making enough money with her art to replace her salary at the courthouse.”

“How long do you think that will be?”

“I love Mandy,” James said, glancing at the door to make sure someone wasn’t eavesdropping. “I love her more than anything.”

“I know you do,” Grady said. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t think she can paint,” James admitted. “I … it all looks like blobs to me. She says nothing is finished, but it doesn’t look like art to me.”

Grady pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. “Don’t ever tell her that.”

“Of course not,” James said. “I would buy every painting myself if I thought that would make her happy. She’s just … weird about money.”

“Is this the shopping thing again?”

James nodded. “I made a stupid joke about her shopping, and then she felt guilty because she doesn’t feel like she brings enough money home,” he said. “I don’t care how much money she spends. She’s insisting on paying for the cooking class herself. I just know this is going to turn into a nightmare.”

“Don’t let it,” Grady said. “Act like you’re okay with it. If she wants you to taste stuff, then do it. Tell her it’s wonderful, even if you want to puke. She’ll get it out of her system in a few weeks. You could use a diet anyway.”

“I’m going to kill you,” James warned.

“You would be sad without me,” Grady said, sticking his tongue out. He turned sober. “She’ll be back to normal in two weeks, mark my words. We both know she doesn’t want to cook. In two weeks you’ll be laughing about this and she’ll move on to the next thing she’s obsessed with doing.”

James could only hope he was right.

“THANK YOU
so much,” Mandy said, smiling brightly at the woman in the registrar’s office and shoving her wallet into her purse.

She was officially registered for Professor Ben Barnes’ cooking class, and if the brochure was to be believed, he was a world-class chef. Since it was community college, Mandy wasn’t so sure his reputation wasn’t exaggerated, but anything was better than her current skill level. She was determined to make James a romantic dinner with her own two hands.

“Are you a transfer?”

Mandy lifted her head, smiling at the man who was standing a few feet away watching her. “I’m just taking a cooking class. I’m not a full-time student.”

“That’s too bad. You would definitely brighten the campus up.”

While Mandy didn’t consider herself a knockout – especially when there was an actual model in the family – she was used to men hitting on her. Since she’d started wearing a wedding ring, a lot of the attention had dwindled, but a ring didn’t dissuade everyone. “Thank you.”

Mandy kept her smile in place as she moved to shuffle out of the office. She was surprised to find the man following her a few moments later. She took the opportunity to study him. He was in his twenties – a few years younger than her, if she had to guess – and he was attractive. His hair was dark, like his eyes, but his smile was ready and friendly. “Did you need something?”

“No,” the man said. “I just … you’re really pretty.”

“Thank you.” Mandy was starting to feel uncomfortable with his studied attention. “I … um … should get going. I need to get home.”

“Wait … would you, I don’t know, like to have coffee with me?”

“Oh, that’s a sweet offer,” Mandy said. “Do you think my husband can come?”

The man’s face fell. “You’re married?”

Mandy held up her hand for confirmation, displaying her wedding ring. “I really do appreciate the offer. I am married, though.”

“Happily?”

Now Mandy was starting to get annoyed. “Very happily.”

The man shrugged. “Hey, you can’t blame a guy for trying. Have a good rest of your day.”

“Thanks,” Mandy said, shoving the man out of her mind before she even left the lobby. “You, too.”

“WAIT,
Mandy is taking a cooking class?” Finn Hardy bent over at the waist and let out a hearty guffaw. “I can’t wait to see how this blows up in her face – and I’m literally worried she’ll blow something up.”

James scowled. “Don’t make fun of my wife.”

“I’m not making fun of her,” Finn said. “I just … trouble seems to find her. Aren’t you worried what will happen when she’s around a gas stove for too long?”

James would never admit it, but he was definitely worried she would accidentally start something on fire. “She’s good at whatever she does.”

“You just said … .” Grady started to talk, but James shushed him with a look. “She’s great at everything she does,” he said, correcting course. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were thinking of saying something that could hurt my wife very much if it ever got back to her,” James snapped.

“I’m sorry,” Grady said, holding up a hand. “You’re right.”

“What are you two talking about?” Finn asked, curious. As the youngest Hardy male, he often felt left out of the loop where his brothers were concerned. James and Grady were best friends as well as brothers. Finn was closer in age with Ally, and their relationship reflected that closeness.

“Nothing,” James said. “It doesn’t matter.”

Finn turned to Grady expectantly.

“No, it’s definitely nothing,” Grady said, feeling momentarily embarrassed. It was one thing to mess with his brother. It was quite another to tell a secret that could devastate a member of his family. “I’m just being … me.”

Finn decided to let it go and turned back to James. “We’re still having a barbecue at your place today, right?”

“We are,” James said. “That reminds me, I need to stop at the store on my way home. Are there any special requests for the pregnant one?”

Finn’s fiancée, Emma, was almost four months into a pregnancy that spent equal time playing with her emotions and making her eat like a fiend. Since she was a vegetarian, her cravings were hard to get ahead of.

“Can you make sure you have pickles … and shrimp … and ice cream?”

James made a face. “She’s not going to eat all of that together, is she?”

“No,” Finn said. “Well … maybe the pickles and shrimp.”

“Is she still eating shrimp? I thought she didn’t want to because it was technically meat,” Grady said.

“She’ll eat shrimp because it doesn’t have a nervous system,” Finn said. “Her doctor says she needs more protein. She really liked the crawfish when we were in New Orleans. She was okay eating that because she convinced herself she was eating bugs. I wish we could find that up here.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” James said. “Although, if we do get it, I have no idea how to cook it.”

“I think you can just wrap them up in tin foil, throw some butter in there, and roast them,” Grady said.

James and Finn shot him twin looks of surprise.

“Hey, Sophie doesn’t cook,” Grady said, referring to his live-in girlfriend. “If I want to eat, I have to cook.”

“Maybe you should go to the cooking class with Mandy,” Finn suggested.

“Or maybe Mandy should just take a page out of Sophie’s book and not try to cook,” Grady suggested. “My girl knows she doesn’t want to cook, and there’s nothing in this world that’s going to make her try.”

“Don’t make a big deal about this cooking class,” James warned, getting to his feet and wagging a finger at his brothers. “She’s worked up enough. If you guys make a big deal out of it, things are going to get worse before they get better.”

“Yes, sir,” Grady said, mock saluting.

“If you do that again I’m going to grill you on the barbecue,” James warned, heading toward the door. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Remember, not one word about the cooking class.”