presents while you were in California?”
“Oh, here we go,” James said, shifting Mandy so she was facing him but still comfortable on his lap. “Tell me the truth, did you search this house for gifts while I was gone?”
“I … .” Mandy broke off, biting her lip.
“That’s what I thought,” James said, tickling Mandy’s ribs. “Why do you think I changed the combination on the safe while I was gone?”
“Because you don’t trust me.”
“I trust you with my heart but not with Christmas gifts, baby,” James said. “You’re going to have to learn to live with that.”
Mandy sighed. “Where are my gifts now?”
“Where are my gifts?” James pressed.
“I’m not telling you that,” Mandy said, giggling when James dug his fingers in and tickled her harder. “You can’t know what I bought you until Christmas morning.”
“Well, then you can’t know what you’re getting until then either,” James said. “I don’t care how you try to manipulate me.”
“Just tell me … is it bigger than a breadbox?”
James snorted. “I got you more than one thing, baby.” He racked his brain. He was fairly certain he had more than forty gifts for her now. Cripes. Her head was going to implode when she saw all of her loot. “Actually, if you want to let your mind run wild, you’re going to have quite a few gifts to open this year.”
Mandy wrinkled her nose. “Did you go overboard?”
“Maybe.”
“I did, too,” Mandy admitted. “I like buying things for you. I can’t help myself. That being said, you know that I don’t need gifts, right? I just need you for Christmas.”
“Oh, so cute,” James said, grabbing her around the waist and lowering her toward the floor. “We both know you want gifts. Don’t go all martyr on me now, baby.”
Mandy pursed her lips to keep from laughing. “Okay, I might like a few gifts.”
“Something tells me you’re going to be happy, wife,” James said, reaching for the button on her work slacks. “Now, how about we celebrate Christmas early with a present for both of us?”
“I thought you wanted dinner.”
“I’m just switching out my menu choices. Guess what? You’re the appetizer, main course and dessert.”
“WHERE do you think the best spots for the cameras are?” Jake asked the next morning, his eyes busy as they scanned Art’s Michigan store location.
All four members of Hardy Brothers Security were at the store to expedite matters. Since things were slow so close to the holiday, they left Emma in charge to man the phones and converged on the jewelry store to map out a plan. The faster they got it done, the faster they could focus on their women – and all of them would rather be doing that than this.
“I say we hide one in the sign so we catch people approaching the store,” Grady said. He stood in the archway separating the store from the rest of the mall. “It won’t deter anyone, but it might give us a good shot of people approaching and leaving.”
“Good idea,” James said. “We also need at least one in the merchandise room.”
“I think we should put two in there,” Jake said. “That way every corner is covered.”
“Agreed.” James let his gaze bounce around the rest of the store. “I’m thinking we should also put one in that corner and another under the clock on that wall. We’ll have to test them, but I think that’s going to give us full coverage. What do you think, Finn?”
“Hmm?” Finn glanced up from the display case he was studying. “Oh … um … I trust your judgment. Do you think Emma would like a Pandora bracelet? I know you got Mandy all those geeky charms – I especially like the Hulk one – but they have pretty charms, too.”
James frowned. “Are you saying my wife isn’t pretty?”
“Of course not,” Finn scoffed. “She likes weird stuff, though. Emma likes girly things. Mandy wouldn’t be caught dead in a bracelet with little hearts and flowers on it.”
“I had a
“Oh, here we go,” James said, shifting Mandy so she was facing him but still comfortable on his lap. “Tell me the truth, did you search this house for gifts while I was gone?”
“I … .” Mandy broke off, biting her lip.
“That’s what I thought,” James said, tickling Mandy’s ribs. “Why do you think I changed the combination on the safe while I was gone?”
“Because you don’t trust me.”
“I trust you with my heart but not with Christmas gifts, baby,” James said. “You’re going to have to learn to live with that.”
Mandy sighed. “Where are my gifts now?”
“Where are my gifts?” James pressed.
“I’m not telling you that,” Mandy said, giggling when James dug his fingers in and tickled her harder. “You can’t know what I bought you until Christmas morning.”
“Well, then you can’t know what you’re getting until then either,” James said. “I don’t care how you try to manipulate me.”
“Just tell me … is it bigger than a breadbox?”
James snorted. “I got you more than one thing, baby.” He racked his brain. He was fairly certain he had more than forty gifts for her now. Cripes. Her head was going to implode when she saw all of her loot. “Actually, if you want to let your mind run wild, you’re going to have quite a few gifts to open this year.”
Mandy wrinkled her nose. “Did you go overboard?”
“Maybe.”
“I did, too,” Mandy admitted. “I like buying things for you. I can’t help myself. That being said, you know that I don’t need gifts, right? I just need you for Christmas.”
“Oh, so cute,” James said, grabbing her around the waist and lowering her toward the floor. “We both know you want gifts. Don’t go all martyr on me now, baby.”
Mandy pursed her lips to keep from laughing. “Okay, I might like a few gifts.”
“Something tells me you’re going to be happy, wife,” James said, reaching for the button on her work slacks. “Now, how about we celebrate Christmas early with a present for both of us?”
“I thought you wanted dinner.”
“I’m just switching out my menu choices. Guess what? You’re the appetizer, main course and dessert.”
“WHERE do you think the best spots for the cameras are?” Jake asked the next morning, his eyes busy as they scanned Art’s Michigan store location.
All four members of Hardy Brothers Security were at the store to expedite matters. Since things were slow so close to the holiday, they left Emma in charge to man the phones and converged on the jewelry store to map out a plan. The faster they got it done, the faster they could focus on their women – and all of them would rather be doing that than this.
“I say we hide one in the sign so we catch people approaching the store,” Grady said. He stood in the archway separating the store from the rest of the mall. “It won’t deter anyone, but it might give us a good shot of people approaching and leaving.”
“Good idea,” James said. “We also need at least one in the merchandise room.”
“I think we should put two in there,” Jake said. “That way every corner is covered.”
“Agreed.” James let his gaze bounce around the rest of the store. “I’m thinking we should also put one in that corner and another under the clock on that wall. We’ll have to test them, but I think that’s going to give us full coverage. What do you think, Finn?”
“Hmm?” Finn glanced up from the display case he was studying. “Oh … um … I trust your judgment. Do you think Emma would like a Pandora bracelet? I know you got Mandy all those geeky charms – I especially like the Hulk one – but they have pretty charms, too.”
James frowned. “Are you saying my wife isn’t pretty?”
“Of course not,” Finn scoffed. “She likes weird stuff, though. Emma likes girly things. Mandy wouldn’t be caught dead in a bracelet with little hearts and flowers on it.”
“I had a
Similar Books
