Page 22 of Deadly Waves

8

Eight

After confirmingwith the medical staff that no one came in with a bleeding wound over the past twelve hours, Grady and James separated from Finn and Jake. They decided to quietly question a few of the guests to make sure no one had gone missing – or come up with an injury that seemed out of place – before joining their co-workers in the beginning stages of a walkthrough.

James led the way, making sure to seek out the women from afar as he passed. Grady didn’t miss the way he watched Mandy and he decided now was as good a time as any to bring up a tough subject.

“How are things between the two of you?”

James jolted at the question. “I … we’re fine. Why do you ask?”

“Because you were clearly upset with whatever stupid question she asked you last night,” Grady replied, not missing a beat. “You once told me those questions make your manhood shrivel up and want to die.”

“It never wants to die,” James corrected. “It simply wants to hide at times.”

Grady snickered. “Let me guess, she asked if you would ever consider marrying someone else if something happened to her.”

“No, she asked me if I let her go when she was missing,” James corrected. “Like my heart somehow ceded defeat after only thirty-six hours apart. That led into the discussion of me marrying someone else should she die.”

“Ah.” Grady rubbed his cheek as he tilted his head. “I’m guessing that suggestion went over like a lead balloon.”

“That suggestion is ludicrous and I don’t ever want to hear it again,” James said. “She’s it for me. I’m done.”

“She wasn’t doing it to be a pain,” Grady pointed out. “She was doing it because your happiness is the most important thing in the world to her.”

“There is no happiness without her,” James said. “I’m not going to lie about something like that just to avoid a fight. Quite frankly, if she pushes me too far, I’m ready to throw down.”

“I think that might be a good thing.”

James stilled, surprised. “I thought you guys already talked about this,” he said, his mind busy as he ran over their shared conversation after studying the blood. Almost as an afterthought they sent the security team to collect a sample before the janitorial staff cleaned the location in question and tainted the evidence. If something terrible did happen, James figured they might want a DNA sample on file. “That’s what you said.”

“That’s what she said,” Grady clarified. “She didn’t want to cause a scene.”

“Okay, what were you really talking about?”

“How clingy you two are.” Grady refused to lie to his brother. “I’m worried.”

“I know you are.” James wasn’t angered by the admission. “We’re doing the best we can.”

“And I don’t want to push you,” Grady said. “You’re my brother. Heck, you’re my best friend. The last thing I want to do is upset you. You’ve got to give her a little bit of breathing room, though.”

“She wants to be close to me as much as I want to be close to her.”

“I see that,” Grady said. “I also see that she’s ready to take two or three steps without you shadowing her every move. I’m not saying that you should change what you’re doing all at once. Just ease up on the reins a little bit. You might be surprised because it will probably be a relief to both of you.”

“I’ll consider it,” James said, averting his gaze. “Let’s talk to the teenagers with Tabitha. We won’t look out of place if we’re talking to them since we met her last night.”

Grady opted against pushing further given James’ expression. He didn’t want to risk shoving James over the edge and earning a big argument for his efforts. “That sounds like a plan.”

“THERE ARE so many hot guys here I would be in Heaven if I wasn’t already engaged,” Ally mused, nursing her fruity drink as she reclined on a chair next to Mandy. “Of course, Jake is so perfect that I’m in Heaven every night.”

“Oh, and you think I’m schmaltzy,” Mandy said, rolling her eyes. “You’re the schmaltzy one today, missy.”

“You’re both schmaltzy,” Sophie lamented from beneath the umbrella she shared with Emma. “Why does it have to be competition when you’ve both already lost?”

“Someone is in a mood,” Ally teased, her eyes lighting up as she lowered her sunglasses and focused on the feisty reporter. “What’s your problem? Did Grady steal too much time in front of the mirror this morning? Those bathrooms are small when you have to share it with a vain person.”

“Then I pity Jake.”