Deadly Christmas (2 page)

“Yes, and I want you to retire now.”

Mandy made a face that James would’ve found comical under different circumstances. “My dad always raised me with a strong work ethic,” she said, pressing her lips together. “I want to work. I feel like it’s necessary to make my own money. I know you don’t understand it, but it’s important to me.”

James internally sighed. “I shouldn’t have brought this up now. I definitely do not want to fight when we’re so far apart.”

“I don’t like it either,” Mandy said. “It makes me sad.”

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” James said. “I just don’t want to make up over the computer instead of in person. It’s not nearly as much fun to have cybersex as it is to do the real thing.”

Mandy grinned. She couldn’t help herself. “I love you, James. I … hurry home.”

“Mandy, I love you more than anything in this world,” James said sincerely. “I’m not joking about not being separated again, though. If I have to hire someone to handle all of the out-of-state jobs, then I’ll do it. My heart literally cannot take being away from you. It hurts too much.”

“It’s only one more day,” Mandy said. “I promise to be waiting for you tomorrow night. I’ll have dinner for you. I might even be naked.”

James smiled, love overwhelming him. “Screw the dinner, baby,” he said. “I just you need you. I don’t care if you’re naked either. If you start out that way it might make things convenient, but you’re going to end up that way regardless.”

“You’re such a smooth talker,” Mandy said dryly.

“I love you, wife,” James said. “I can’t wait to be with you again. I’m going to lock the doors and we’re not seeing anyone for at least twenty-four hours. You’d better prepare yourself.”

“I already took a personal day Friday,” Mandy replied, a cute grin splitting her features. “I’ll make sure I do enough grocery shopping to get us through the weekend before you get home.”

“Now you’re thinking, baby,” James said. “I’ll see you soon, wife.” He blew her a kiss and she returned the gesture. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“That’s not possible, my baby,” James said. “No one could ever love anything more than I love you.”

James hit the ground running the next morning. He only had a handful of tasks to complete before catching his flight later in the afternoon, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

“You’re here early, James. Is hotel life not treating you well?”

Art Carmichael, the owner of Carmichael’s Fine Jewelers, studied him from behind the glass counter. James was so lost in thought – pictures of his reunion with Mandy dancing through his head – he didn’t initially see the businessman.

“Life at the hotel is fine,” James replied, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. “I have a flight to catch this afternoon and I want to make sure everything is taken care of before then.”

“Oh, I thought you were here another night,” Art said, every snowy hair on top of his head perfectly placed. “I was hoping you would come to a Christmas party we’re hosting at our house this evening.”

James recognized what Art was doing. He was trying to force his hand. That wasn’t going to work. Not today. “No offense, Art, but there’s nothing on this Earth that could keep me from going home today,” he said.

“If it’s last minute Christmas shopping on your mind, I’m sure we have some pieces here that will fit whatever you’re looking for,” Art said, gesturing toward the display case. “I can give it to you for cost.”

“That’s very generous,” James said. “I’m actually going to buy my wife, mother and sister something here. I’ve found something for everyone and put the items on hold. I’m paying full price, though.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It is necessary,” James countered. “You’re paying me to do a job. I don’t need other perks on the side.”

“If it’s not Christmas shopping on your mind, why can’t you stay another night?” Art pressed.

“Because I can’t be away from my wife for another night,” James replied, guileless. He didn’t care if he sounded schmaltzy. “I miss her so much it hurts.”

Art’s reaction wasn’t what James was expecting. “Well, that’s the best answer I’ve ever heard,” he said. “It’s nice that you and your wife are so close.”

“She’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” James said, nodding. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, to be honest. I want to take more out-of-state jobs, but I can’t take long stretches away from her. Quite frankly, one night is too long to be away from her.”

“Why don’t you bring her with you?” Art asked, furrowing his brow. “I know I wouldn’t have a problem if you had her in the same hotel room. It’s the same cost to me. I’m sure most other people wouldn’t care either … as long as her presence didn’t get in the way of your work.”

“It’s not me that’s the problem,” James replied, moving to the security monitor and booting up the new system. It officially went online in two hours. Then he had to monitor it for the rest of the afternoon to make sure there were no kinks. After that he was officially free to return to his blonde. “My wife has a job and she’s serious about doing it.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s a clerk at the county courthouse,” James answered. “I’m not particularly fond of it, but she won’t leave until … well, until she feels she can. It’s all very convoluted and annoying.”

“I would think you make enough money for both of you,” Art said. “Why not force her to quit?”

James snorted. “Yeah, trying to force my wife to do something she doesn’t want to do is like trying to make a cat like water,” he said. “She’s going to do what she wants to do regardless of what I think.”

“You’re the man, though.”

James stilled. Art was older, in his early sixties if James had to guess. He had an antiquated way of looking at things. His wife, Ava, was thirty-five years his junior. James never said it out loud, but he had a feeling the rich businessman was paying for the privilege of his much younger wife. That wasn’t a life James was interested in living, and the ideals associated with it were distasteful.

“I like my wife to have a mind of her own,” James said, wondering briefly if he was sticking his foot in his mouth. “I fell in love with her because she was outspoken.”

“She sounds like a pain in the ass,” Art said.

James ran his tongue over his teeth, tugging on his limited patience as he regarded the man who would be signing a huge check over to Hardy Brothers Security in a few hours. “She is definitely a pain in the ass,” he said finally. “I still love her with my whole heart. I wouldn’t change a single thing about her.”

“That’s not how I like my women,” Art said. “That’s why Ava is so great. She does what she’s told and she doesn’t complain when I tell her to sit there and look pretty.”

James swallowed the mad urge to laugh as he pictured Mandy’s response to the same instructions. “My wife is the best person I know,” he said. “I wouldn’t want her to be any different than she already is. I like her mouthy.”

“Well, if that gets your motor running … ,” Art said, although James could tell he was still dubious. “You’ll probably change your mind by the time you move on to the second one. My first wife was mouthy, too. When I was picking out my third one, I knew better what to look for.”

James tamped down his irritation. “I’m only going to have one wife,” he said. “She’s all I need.”

“It’s easy to say that when you’re young,” Art said. “Priorities shift when you get older.”

James didn’t argue further. He didn’t feel it necessary when he already had one foot on a plane back to his wife. He knew without a doubt, though, that his first marriage was built to last. There would never be anyone else for him, and for that he would be eternally grateful.

“WHERE
is Art?”

James glanced up from his computer screen a few hours later, his gaze falling on the platinum blonde goddess Art hitched his third marriage attempt on. Ava Carmichael was … hard to describe.

She was young and lithe, her body honed from hours in the gym and constant diets. Her hair color obviously came out of a bottle, and her fingers were topped off with acrylic monstrosities that looked as if they could claw a man’s eyes out if she was so inclined.

She was dressed in an expensive suit – one James had no doubt cost more than every item in Mandy’s closet combined – and her six-inch pumps showed off her legs to perfection.

James couldn’t stand her. She was overtly sexual and expected men to fall at her feet. She flirted with him nonstop – as long as her husband wasn’t in the room, that is – and she made it very clear she would be willing to stop into his hotel room if he so desired. James was glad this would be the last time he had to see her.

“He went out to pick up lunch,” James replied, keeping his focus on the computer monitor. There hadn’t been so much as a blip on the new system since installation. In exactly one hour he would be able to collect the gifts he’d purchased for Mandy, Ally and his mother – and then put California in his rearview mirror. He couldn’t wait.

“Oh,” Ava said, wrinkling her nose. Since everything else about the woman screamed “fake” – including her pumped-up cleavage – James figured her perfectly sculptured nose was also on the list of enhancements Art’s money paid for. “I thought he would be here. I need the black credit card. I want to buy a boat.”

“He should be back in a few minutes.”

“I guess that gives us time to hang out,” Ava said, moving toward James with slinky purpose. “Are you coming to our Christmas party tonight?”

James fought to hide his revulsion to Ava’s proximity. She made his skin crawl. “I’m hopping on a plane as soon as I’m done here,” he said. “I’ve already checked out of the hotel and all of my bags are in my rental. Sorry. I couldn’t stay even if I wanted to.”
Which I don’t,
he silently added.

“We’re having it catered by the finest restaurant in the area,” Ava said.

“I … .” James had no idea if that was meant to entice him. “I’m going home. I’m actually looking forward to it. California is a nice place to visit, but I’m anxious to get back to Michigan.”

Ava made a face. “Isn’t there snow in Michigan right now? Art mentioned wanting to check on our store out there. I can’t go out there if there’s snow.”

That was a relief. James forced a smile. “I like seasons,” he said. “Summer is my favorite, although my wife prefers fall.” James brought Mandy up as often as he could. He hoped Ava would catch on and back off. It never seemed to work. “The last month of winter is a pain, but by the time February rolls around, spring is so welcome that you hardly remember how bad the winter was.”

Ava didn’t look convinced. “Why would your wife like fall? Isn’t it cold … and dark … and rainy in the fall? What kind of woman likes the fall?”

James didn’t believe in hitting women. For some reason, though, he wished Ally was in California to do it for him. “She likes horror movies,” James replied. “She likes wearing cute little boots and she loves a good mug of hot chocolate. This year we went to one of those haunted mazes out in the northern communities and she had a great time.”

“That sounds horrible.”

“Well, she likes it,” James said.

“What do you like?” Ava asked, her eyes predatory as they moved up and down James’ strong body. “Do you like hokey haunted mazes?”

“I actually had a great time at the maze,” James said, skirting around Ava so he could check the monitors behind the display case again. He was really looking for a way to put distance between the two of them. “I liked most of the haunted houses we went to, also. I hated the last one, but that was for different reasons.”

“Wouldn’t you rather live in a place like California, where it’s always warm and sunny?” Ava pressed.

“Nope.”

“But the women back in Michigan must be so … pedestrian.” Ava wasn’t giving up. It was almost as if she realized she was running out of time and decided to put all her cards on the table.

“My wife is the most amazing person I know and she’s not pedestrian,” James countered. “You don’t know her. I would appreciate it if you stopped talking about her.”

“I … well … I didn’t mean anything by it,” Ava sniffed.

“We both know that’s not true,” James said, refusing to play Ava’s game. “My wife is magical. When she smiles the whole world gets brighter. I don’t know any woman in California – or the rest of the world, for that matter – who can hold a candle to her.” James meant every word.

“Maybe you haven’t met the right woman yet,” Ava suggested.

“I’m positive that’s not the case.”

“Maybe you have met the right woman and you’re just so … caught up in being a good guy that you can’t see clearly,” Ava said, changing tactics. “No one says you can’t keep your wife and have fun on the side.”

That did it. James was at his wit’s end. “I say that I can’t,” he said. “I don’t know how it works in your marriage, but in mine we don’t cheat on each other. I wouldn’t want to cheat on Mandy even if I could. The thought of it makes me sick.

“In fact, the idea of anyone going after me when they know I’m devoted to my wife makes me sick,” he continued, his message pointed. “The whole endeavor reeks of desperation and if it’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a desperate woman.”

Ava was affronted. “Now you wait just a second … .”

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the bell jangling above the front door. Art moved into the display room, his arms full of food bags. Ava wisely took a step back at the appearance of her husband.

“I got sandwiches from a local deli,” Art said. “Do you like sandwiches, James?”

“I love them,” James replied, exhaling heavily. Art’s appearance meant that Ava couldn’t play more games. This was the last time he would have to see her so he was thrilled with that realization. “I will say you have great sandwiches out here.”

“Doesn’t your wife cook?” Art asked.

James snorted. “My wife can’t cook.”

“That doesn’t sound like a very good wife,” Ava said.

Art’s reaction to Ava’s pronouncement was almost comical. “When have you ever cooked? I hired a chef at the house because you can’t cook.”

“I oversee the chef,” Ava replied primly. “That’s the same as cooking.”

“Not really,” Art said, turning back to James. “Did you know your wife couldn’t cook when you married her?”

“My wife has many talents and gifts, but cooking has never been part of the package,” James replied. “I’m fine with it. We order takeout. We grill. We go out a lot. Personally, I prefer going out and ordering takeout because that allows my wife to focus her other considerable … talents … on me without having to worry about providing meals.”

Art smirked. “I see. It sounds like you and your wife have quite the marriage.”

“I honestly never thought marriage would be like this,” James admitted. “It was something I never planned on doing – at least not for a really long time. Then I saw her and … I knew all those plans were going to fly right out the window.”

“That sounds romantic,” Ava said, her face dreamy.

“It is,” James replied, shaking himself out of his reverie. “She’s my other half. Hell, she’s my better half. I never understood what people meant when they said that. Now I know.”

“And now I know why you’re so desperate to get back to her,” Art said, his smile genuine. “I hope you and your wife have a fantastic Christmas.”