Deadly Addition (Hardy Brothers Security Book 9) (3 page)

“I didn’t think this would make you happy,” Mandy said.

James swallowed hard. “I … no, it’s okay. It’s fine. I love you. You’re my everything. A baby will … be an adventure.”

Mandy couldn’t take his discomfort. “I’m not pregnant.”

James rolled his eyes. “I see the test. I’m not stupid. It’s a plus sign. I know what that means.”

Mandy sighed. “That doesn’t mean it’s mine.”

James stilled. “It doesn’t?”

“No,” Mandy said. “I can guarantee you, I’m not pregnant. Breathe, James. Breathe!”

James exhaled heavily. “This isn’t yours?”

“No.”

James’ shoulders slumped. “Thank God.”

Mandy finally let a smile wash across her face. “Throw that back in the garbage.”

“What? Why?”

“Because someone else peed on it,” Mandy replied.

James made a face and disappeared back into the bathroom. Mandy rolled her eyes when she heard the faucet engage. Two minutes later, James walked back into the room. “You’re sure you’re not pregnant, right?”

“I am,” Mandy said. “I’m very diligent.”

James moved toward the bed. “Not that it wouldn’t be okay,” he said. “We’d deal with it.”

“I’m not pregnant, James,” Mandy said. “Chill. I haven’t changed my mind. I still don’t want kids.”

James breathed heavily through his nose, dropping down next to his wife as he fell onto the bed. “I’m … relieved.”

“I noticed.”

“I … just didn’t want you to think I would be upset,” he admitted.

“Duly noted,” Mandy said, brushing his brown hair away from his forehead. “I’m very careful.”

James wrapped his arms around his naked wife, resting his head on her abdomen. “Thank you for being careful.”

Mandy swallowed her upper lip. “Are you okay?”

“I’m great now,” James said.

“Good,” Mandy replied. “Breathe.”

“I’m breathing.”

“Is now the perfect time to plan a vacation to New Orleans?” Mandy had always wanted to visit the city, and she wasn’t above playing James to get what she’d always envisioned.

“I’ll buy a house there,” James said, pressing his lips to her belly.

Mandy ran her hands through his hair. “It’s okay.”

“I know,” James said. “It would have been okay either way.”

“I admire the way you stepped up to the plate,” Mandy said. “I especially liked how you kept saying everything was fine.”

James shifted, his brown eyes meeting the clear blue seas reflecting from his wife’s face. “It would have been okay. I love you. I’d love anything that came from you.”

“I know,” Mandy said, keeping her voice level. “I actually really appreciate it. I loved you before, but I love you even more now.”

James sighed, rolling to his side and pulling his wife onto his chest. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

James pressed his lips to his Mandy’s forehead. “Thank you for not being pregnant.”

“Thank you to being there for me no matter what,” Mandy replied.

“I … I’m there for you no matter what,” James said. “Nothing will ever change that.”

“I know.”

James tightened his arms around Mandy’s lithe frame. “So, wait, who’s pregnant?”

“What are you doing, sweetheart?”

Emma glanced up from the laptop. She’d been researching baby sites, excitement and worry warring in her brain. She minimized the Internet window and focused on Finn. “I was just checking my email.”

Finn fixed Emma with a questioning look. She’d been an emotional mess for weeks. He loved the woman. He basked in her warmth. For some reason, he was unsure. “You’re okay, right?”

Emma pasted a bright smile on her face. She was a model. She did this for a living. She could put on a show, even if her heart wasn’t truly in it. “I’m fine,” Emma said. “Why do you ask that?”

Finn gripped his hands together, unsure. “I’ve been a little scared, sweetheart.”

“Why?”

Finn ran his tongue over his bottom teeth, considering. He’d never lied to her. He didn’t want to start now. “You’ve been kind of distant lately.”

The statement floored Emma. “I have?”

Finn immediately regretted his admission. “No,” he said. “Well, I’ve been worried.”

“About what?”

“Honestly?”

Emma nodded.

“I’ve been worried you’ve been losing interest in me,” Finn admitted.

Emma’s face drained of color. “What? Why?”

“You’ve just been off,” Finn said, reaching for her hand. “It’s like … it’s like you don’t want to be around me.”

“Finn, that is just … don’t be ridiculous,” Emma said, fighting to control her breathing. “I … I’m so happy with you.”

“You are?” Finn’s face was so earnest, it punched a hole in Emma’s heart.

“I am,” Emma said. “I … I’m so sorry you’ve been worried.”

Finn leaned down, kissing the only woman who had ever managed to chisel away at the wall around his heart. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Emma replied, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him close. “I’ve never been this happy.”

Finn kissed her. “It’s nice to hear.”

Emma smiled. “I’m really happy.”

Finn kissed her again. “I’m happy, too.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Finn said, wrapping his hand around Emma’s neck. “Really happy. I’m really happy, Emma.”

Emma bit her lip. She knew she needed to tell him. If there was ever a time … .

“You’ve just seemed distant lately,” Finn said, cutting Emma off mid-thought. “Maybe I was imagining it, but it seemed like I was an afterthought. It was kind of like you were trying to figure out a way to break up with me.”

Emma’s heart clenched. “Don’t ever think that. I’m so sorry.”

Finn sighed, relieved. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Emma said. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“I CAN’T
tell you,” Mandy said, averting her gaze.

James wasn’t falling for that. “There’s a positive pregnancy test in the garbage.”

“No, there’s not.”

“Oh, don’t bother lying, wife,” James said, shifting so he could prop himself up on his elbow. “Someone is pregnant. I’m not stupid.”

“I didn’t say you were stupid,” Mandy said.

“You’re acting like I’m stupid.”

“I’m doing no such thing.”

“Four women were in this room,” James said. “There’s one positive pregnancy test. That means there are four options.”

“You’re very good at math.”

James ignored her. “You claim it’s not you.”

“It’s not me,” Mandy said. “I promise. I’m not lying.”

“And I’m grateful,” James said. “That leaves three options.”

Mandy sighed. “Fine, someone is pregnant.”

“Who?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Why?”

“Because I made a promise,” Mandy said.

James ran a hand through his hair, never moving his gaze from his wife’s conflicted eyes. “Okay.”

“You’re just going to let it go?”

“I am,” James said. “My wife isn’t pregnant. That’s where my interest ends.”

Mandy smiled. “Do you want to place you interests elsewhere?”

James smirked, rolling on top of her naked body. “What did you have in mind?”

“DON’T
  be sorry, Emma,” Finn said, brushing his lips against her forehead. “I’m just being … ridiculous.”

“You’re never ridiculous,” Emma said, rubbing the back of Finn’s head as it pressed against her shoulder. “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met.”

“You’re the sweetest woman I’ve ever met,” Finn countered, kissing Emma’s jaw. “God, I feel so stupid. I’ve been convincing myself for the past week that you were going to break up with me.”

Emma was flabbergasted. “Finn, I would never break up with you.”

“Then, what’s going on?” Finn asked.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re sad, sweetie,” Finn said. “I saw you crying when I came home the other day.”

Emma faltered. “When?”

“I don’t know,” Finn said, rubbing his chin. “I think it was Wednesday. I came home, and you’d been crying.”

“You saw that?” Emma was mortified.

“Yeah.”

“I’d been watching the Hallmark channel,” Emma admitted.

“So?”

“They run old episodes of
Little House on the Prairie
,” Emma said.

Finn was confused. “So? That’s the show with the family that lived on a farm, right?”

“The Ingalls,” Emma corrected. “They’re a beautiful family.”

“That show was on the air before you were born,” Finn pointed out.

“So?”

“So, it’s weird that it makes you cry.”

“It’s still beautifully done,” Emma said.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Finn said, straightening. “I’ve never seen it. What made you cry?”

“Laura thought her bad thoughts killed her brother,” Emma said, her breath hitching. “When the baby died, she ran away and tried to find God to switch herself for the baby.”

Finn was confused. “Okay.”

“God found her on the mountain,” Emma said. “He said his name was Jonathan. He kept her safe until her father could find her.”

Now Finn was flabbergasted. “He found her, right?”

“He did,” Emma said. “There would be no series without her, and that was the first season.”

“Well, I’m relieved.” Finn was lost in the conversation. “I still don’t understand why you were crying.”

“Because her father was looking for her,” Emma said. “She was going to run again. Her father found her, and she ran to him.”

Finn nodded.

“The music was very moving,” Emma said, brushing a tear from her eye. “Mr. Edwards was watching. It was very emotional.”

“Okay,” Finn said, conflicted. “So, you weren’t crying because of me?”

“Of course not,” Emma said. “I wanted Laura with her pa.”

“Her pa?”

“That’s what people called their fathers back in the old … west.”

“Ah,” Finn said. “She found her … pa … right?”

“She did.”

“Okay,” Finn said, rubbing the back of Emma’s head. “Everything turned out all right.”

“Well, her sister still went blind, and her husband was still paralyzed, and she lost a baby to crib death,” Emma interjected.

“This sounds like a horrible television show.”

“It has a happy ending,” Emma said. “Like everything should.”

“Everything?”

“Everything,” Emma confirmed, searching his face. “As a matter of fact … .”

“TELL
me,” James prodded.

“I can’t.”

“You have to,” James argued. “I need to know.”

“Can’t you just make love to me and let it go?” Mandy prodded.

“I’m going to make love to you,” James said. “You’re going to tell me who is pregnant first. I can’t focus if you don’t.”

Mandy reached down and wrapped her hand around her husband’s uninterested length. “Are you sure?”

“Don’t do that,” James said, shifting his hips and moving so she couldn’t touch him. “I’m serious.”

“I’m serious, too,” Mandy said, reaching for him again.

James captured her hand. “No.”

Mandy furrowed her brow. “You don’t find me attractive?”

“Oh, I’m on to you, baby,” James said. “I always find you attractive. You’re trying to distract me now.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say about your wife,” Mandy protested.

“Only if it’s not true,” James said, grabbing Mandy’s hand and pressing it to his lips. “Who’s pregnant?”

“What makes you think anyone is pregnant? I think you’re imagining things.”

James made a face. “Okay, let’s think about this,” he said, grabbing Mandy’s other hand as it drifted to his waist. He flipped her over, pinning her hands to the mattress as he situated himself on top of her. An idea invaded his mind. “Did Jake knock up my sister?”

Mandy stiffened. “James!”

“Oh, I’m going to kill him,” James said, refusing to let Mandy up no matter how hard she thrashed beneath him. “He knocked up my sister.”

“He did not,” Mandy argued, biting her lip when she realized what she said.

James narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“It’s not Ally,” James mused. “That leaves Sophie and Emma.”

“James,” Mandy said. “I didn’t say it wasn’t Ally.”

“You did so,” James argued. “That’s exactly what you said.” He wracked his brain. “Okay, so Sophie was outside of the bathroom with you. Emma was inside. Ally came back and said she had something. I’m guessing that was the pregnancy test. That means it’s either Sophie or Emma.”

“I never said that,” Mandy screeched, trying to buck James off of her.

James settled himself, holding his wife down without effort. “Emma was in the bathroom,” he said. “You said Emma was sick.” Realization dawned. “It’s Emma. She’s pregnant.”

Mandy exhaled, sighing heavily. “You can’t tell Finn.”

James fixed his gaze on his wife. “Emma is pregnant, isn’t she?”

Mandy bit her bottom lip. “No.”

“Mandy,” James warned.

“She is,” Mandy admitted. “You can’t tell Finn, though. We promised.”

“Isn’t Emma going to tell him?” Now James was worried for an entirely different reason.

“She’s scared,” Mandy admitted.

James let go of Mandy’s arms, leaning back and pulling her to a sitting position so he could look her in the eyes without effort. “Why is she scared?”

“They haven’t even said ‘I love you’ yet,” Mandy offered.

James considered the statement. “Maybe Finn will say it if she tells him.”

“If he says it after he finds out she’s pregnant, it won’t be real.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s like she forced the emotion out of him,” Mandy said. “Emma is worried about trapping him.”

James knit his eyebrows together. “But he
does
love her.”

“Of course he does,” Mandy said. “He’s loved her since the beginning.”

“So, why doesn’t it count if he tells her now?” James asked. “I’m deferring to you, because you speak girl.”

Mandy made a face. “If he tells her after he finds out she’s pregnant, it will always be tainted for Emma. She’s always going to think he only said it because of the baby.”

James was conflicted. “But he loves her.”

“I know that, and you know that,” Mandy said, leaning forward so she could kiss her husband. “Emma will never feel that.”

“This is something only girls understand, isn’t it?” James asked.

“Yes.”

“If you had turned up pregnant before I told you, would it have tainted what we have?”

“Tainted is the wrong word,” Mandy said. “Love is a funny thing. Sometimes … even now … I have to convince myself that you love me.”

James’ heart twisted. “Why?”

“Because it seems impossible to me that I could be your happily ever after,” Mandy replied.

“But you are,” James said. “You’re my everything.”

“You’re still the boy I wanted more than anything when I was in middle school,” Mandy pointed out.

“So?”

“That boy had another girlfriend and joined the Marines,” Mandy said.

“So?”

Mandy sighed, shifting her gaze. “You’re still the man who slept with me and then ran.”

James forced Mandy’s face to the side, leveling his gaze on hers. “I thought … I thought we were beyond this.”

“We are,” Mandy said. “I still … I’m still insecure sometimes. I can’t help it. I’m sorry.”

“You’re my whole world, baby,” James said. “I’m so sorry for that. I don’t want anything but you.” James felt helpless.

“I know,” Mandy said. “I do. I know. Still, when I’m all emotional and … confused … I can’t help myself. You told me you loved me right away. That helped things. Finn has never said the words.”