Page 4 of Deadly Forever

2

Two

“What areyou doing back here?”

Grady Hardy looked up from his brother’s office desk and made a face as James strolled through the door. He tried to minimize the computer window he was working in, but James merely rolled his eyes when he recognized his brother’s actions for what they were.

“I don’t care that you’re playing Candy Crush when you’re supposed to be working,” James said. “As for why I’m back … well … my afternoon plans fell through. I figured I might as well get something done here since there’s nothing interesting to focus on at home.”

Grady snorted, running a hand through his shoulder-length dark hair. “I take that to mean Mandy had other plans so she’s still clothed and you’re bored.”

“Pretty much.”

Grady’s grin was impish as he leaned back in the chair and watched James dejectedly throw himself on the couch and make a pathetic groaning noise. “You’re really at a loss when you don’t have Mandy to entertain you, aren’t you?”

James shrugged. “I had plans … and she ruined them.”

“I knew when you left that you weren’t going to have as much fun as you initially thought,” Finn Hardy said as he joined his brothers. He was the youngest of the trio, which meant he knew how to agitate Grady and James whenever the mood struck. He was also the most easygoing Hardy brother and the little things in life rarely got to him. “They’re wedding shopping.”

“Yes, I heard,” James muttered, shaking his head. “I’m already married so I don’t understand why my wife has to spend every waking hour catering to your hens.”

Grady chuckled, amused. He never thought his brother would settle down. Er, to be fair, he didn’t think James would settle down until he was pushing forty. That all changed the moment Mandy entered his life. His brother was different since falling in love with her, but in a good way. “Our hens are simply looking for the same happiness you found with your hen.”

“Yeah, you should leave them alone,” Finn intoned. “This is a woman thing. They like shopping for dresses … especially if they’re big, white, and go with a wedding march.”

“You can say that again,” Jake Harrison groused as he strode into the room. He was the only non-Hardy on the premises today, which wasn’t unusual, but his world-famous patience appeared to be hanging by a thread. “All I’ve heard for weeks is Ally babbling about this wedding. It’s getting old.”

“Oh, that’s the way to her heart,” Grady deadpanned, enjoying the way Jake’s lips twisted. “There’s nothing a woman loves more than hearing that her wedding plans are getting old. That doesn’t bode well for a happy marriage, does it?”

Jake’s face was unreadable as he shoved James’ legs out of the way so he could sit next to him on the couch. “Oh, we’re going to have a happy marriage,” he said. “We’re going to have a happy wedding and an absolutely glorious honeymoon, too. I just can’t make myself care about what color the napkins are going to be …and what font we’re using to etch our names on the wine glasses.”

James barked out a laugh as he rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Ah, yes. Women are strange creatures if they think men care about that, aren’t they?”

“I liked the pastel colors they picked out,” Finn said, shrugging. “They picked three colors and each couple gets their own color. What’s wrong with that?”

Grady made an incredulous face. “You’re such a woman.”

“Hey, this is my wedding, too,” Finn pointed out. “I want to be in on the decisions because it’s important to Emma. I don’t think it’s too much to ask. She did give birth to my son, after all. I’m sure the pain of picking napkin colors is nothing compared to that.”

The look on Grady’s face was something right out of a sitcom. “You’re definitely a woman,” he said, shaking his head. “Thankfully for me, Sophie thinks more like a dude than a chick. She’s not any happier with the endless dress fittings and color selections than I am.”

“Yes, Sophie is surprisingly uninterested in the entire process,” James agreed, bobbing his head. “Perhaps that has something to do with her groom. Have you ever considered that?”

“Not for a second,” Grady shot back, annoyed. “She’s just not a frilly person. She wanted to go to City Hall and do it. I’m not kidding. That was her plan.”

“What happened?”

“Peter put his foot down and said that wasn’t even to be considered,” Grady replied. “He said he has one child and wants to throw her a proper wedding. When you offered to pay for the wedding, James, I thought he was going to have a meltdown because you stole his thunder.”

“I honestly didn’t mean to step on his toes,” James said ruefully. “That never even occurred to me. I thought I was being nice.”

“Yes, well, he didn’t see it that way,” Grady said. “Thankfully you allowed him to split the cost with you. Otherwise there would’ve been tears … and I’m pretty sure they would’ve been mine.”

James chortled. “Peter is a funny guy,” he said. “When we were planning your honeymoon, he had all of these whacky ideas. He actually thought a cold-weather environment might be nice.

“That’s when I had to explain to him that honeymoons are all about nudity and I was certain he was going to fit me with cement shoes there for a second,” he continued. “He finally came to see things my way, though.”

“Yes, you still haven’t told us where we’re going on our honeymoon,” Finn pointed out. “As thankful as I am that you’re doing all of this for us – including paying for two weeks of bliss away from Michigan – we need to know what to pack.”