Deadly Vacation (Hardy Brothers Security Book 10) by Lily Harper Hart Page A

flipped off the television and stood up. A glance at the couch told him that there was no way he would get any sleep if he tried to settle there. In the eighteen months they’d been together, they’d only spent two nights apart. One was because she was upset. The other was because he was upset. He’d vowed not to spend another night away from her because of his pride.
    James swallowed hard and then pulled himself together. They were going to have this out, and they were going to have it out now.
    James was quiet when he entered the bedroom. Everything was dark, and he couldn’t see her in the bed, but he heard an errant sniffle and it almost broke him. He shed his clothes and climbed in next to her, causing her to jump in surprise. She hadn’t heard him when he walked into the room.
    “I thought … .”
    “I’m not sleeping away from you,” he said. “I can’t do it, so I’m not going to do it. We’re going to have a calm and rational talk, and then this is going to be over with. Do you think you can handle that?”
    She didn’t answer, but James could make out the dim outline of her jaw as she nodded.
    “I know you didn’t think anything bad could possibly happen when you went to the house,” James said. “I know you didn’t mean for anything to happen. The fact of the matter is, though, I asked you to stay with your tour group. I asked you to stay together.”
    “I didn’t mean to get separated,” Mandy said. “I just … I don’t even know how it happened. Sophie and Emma were right behind me.”
    “I know how it happened,” James said. “You got excited. When you get excited, you lose all ability to think. You should have waited for me. I would have taken you to the haunted house.”
    “It was just supposed to be a quick trip,” Mandy said. “We’d been fine all afternoon. Nothing had happened. I thought we were fine.”
    “And if you had to do it all over again, knowing what you know now, would you?”
    “No.”
    James ran his hand through his hair, sighing. “I’m not angry with you because I like to be angry with you,” he said. “I know Grady makes a joke out of it, and I know we like to have minor spats just so we can make up. That’s not what’s going on here, though.
    “I love you,” he continued. “I love you with my mind, my body, and my soul. I love you with every part of me. I need you to be more careful, even if you’re only doing it for me and not yourself.”
    “I was trying to be careful,” Mandy said. “I … I didn’t want to leave the tour. Emma couldn’t take it any longer. She gets tired more easily, and it’s hot out. Even if she says she’s okay, you can always tell when she’s flagging.
    “I’m not going to say I shouldn’t have left the tour under those circumstances,” she said. “What I am going to say is that instead of going on the streetcars – and especially going to the haunted house – I should have called a cab and gotten us out of there right away.”
    “That would have been the smartest course of action,” James agreed, leaning back on the pillows and scooting lower so his body was touching hers. “You’re not the only one to blame, though. I brought you here. I should have waited until I could make this a trip between just you and me. I haven’t had enough time to spend with you.”
    “Don’t apologize for giving me something I’ve always wanted,” Mandy said. “I’m the one to blame.”
    “I’m not going to blame either of us,” James said, his hands moving around her waist so he could pull her to him. “What we’re going to do is go to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day. I’m sure my temper will have fizzled out by the morning. Can we just … I don’t know … call a ceasefire for the rest of the night?”
    Mandy nodded mutely.
    James tugged her on top of him, settling her hips against his and her head on his chest. “Get some sleep, baby. Everything will be okay in the morning.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I’m