Page 2 of Deadly Forever

“I would never deny that because it’s totally true,” James said, smiling as he finally managed to snag Mandy around the waist and draw her close. “We haven’t had a lot of time to spend together over the past two weeks, though. I came home early because I thought we could swim naked together.”

Mandy was torn. She would like nothing better than to do exactly that. She had obligations, though, and she would never ruin Ally’s big day. Sophie and Emma would be more than happy to let her skate on the fitting. Ally, on the other hand, would pitch a righteous fit.

“I have to go to the fitting,” Mandy said, running her index finger down his cheek. “I promise to swim with you later, though.”

“Naked?”

Mandy didn’t want to laugh and encourage him, but she couldn’t help herself. “Definitely naked.”

“Good.” James pressed a sweet kiss to Mandy’s lips before separating. He was at a loss for what to do with himself now that Mandy had plans. They’d only been married for a little more than a year, but he’d honestly forgotten what he used to do to entertain himself before exchanging vows with his favorite person in the world. “Maybe I’ll take a nap. For some reason that doesn’t sound nearly as much fun now that I know there’s no chance of you joining me, though.”

Mandy barked out a laugh, delighted. “You need to plan your big bachelor party event,” she reminded him. “That’s coming up and you all need to agree on a venue.”

“We already know what we’re doing,” James said. “We’re drinking and playing cards. We might smoke some cigars, too.”

Mandy was understandably dubious. “Are you going to have strippers?”

James’ grin was impish. “Strippers are people, too, baby.”

“That wasn’t really an answer,” Mandy said as she checked the clock on the wall and realized she was running late. She rolled to the balls of her feet and kissed James’ cheek before separating from him. “You need to make your plans and arrange cabs or a limo to get you home so you don’t have to worry about driving.”

“I’m on it, wife,” James grumbled, tugging a restless hand through his hair. “You don’t need to be so bossy.”

Mandy ignored the dig. “And James? No strippers.”

James’ earnest expression was enough to melt Mandy’s heart … and resolve. “Baby, you’re the only woman I ever want to see naked. You don’t have to worry about strippers. You will, however, have to get naked for me after the party … and maybe even do a little dance.”

“Deal.”

THE WEDDING boutique was located in the nearby mall, and Mandy was the first to climb into her dress and walk onto the main floor to eye herself in the three-way mirror. After numerous disagreements on color schemes, everyone finally agreed a simple black-and-white affair would be best for everyone involved. That meant Mandy could pick out a black dress she would actually wear again, and she went with a simple shift that showed off her sculpted shoulders. It had a flowing skirt with a relatively high slit up the leg – it was almost too risqué for a wedding – but she loved the way she looked in the dress. She knew James would, too.

“You look beautiful.” Sally Jordan, the boutique’s head designer, smiled as she ran her hands over the lines of Mandy’s dress. “It fits perfectly, too. You look … amazing.”

“I was just thinking that my husband is going to love this slit,” Mandy said, pirouetting in front of the mirror. “I love the fabric, too. It’s shiny but not overpowering.”

“I’m happy with how it turned out,” Sally said, shifting her eyes toward the dressing room where Ally Hardy could be heard exclaiming loudly. “I wonder what her issue is now.” It took Sally a moment to realize she uttered the words out loud, and she offered Mandy a watery smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

Mandy took pity on the woman and rested her hand on Sally’s shoulder. “She’s just excited,” Mandy explained. “She’s been dreaming about a wedding for as long as I’ve known her – which is a really long time, mind you – and now she’s finally getting what she wants.”

“Her fiancé must be a saint.”

Mandy chuckled. “He’s got more patience than anyone I’ve ever met,” she confirmed. “He loves her, though. He wouldn’t change anything about her … especially her enthusiasm.”

“Well, at least she’s excited,” Sally said, taking a step back. “The other one in there … Sophie … doesn’t even seem as if she wants to get married.” Sally said the name “Sophie” as if she was trying to swallow something terrible.

“She’s the opposite of Ally,” Mandy explained. “She didn’t even want a wedding. She wanted to go to City Hall and plan for a big honeymoon instead. Her father wouldn’t allow that, though – she’s an only child – and Ally didn’t like the idea either. She doesn’t mean to be petulant. She’s simply not keen on being the center of attention.”

That was putting it mildly. Sophie Lane was a local newspaper reporter and she much preferred chasing stories to being one.

“Oh, she’s not going to be the center of attention,” Sally drawled. “Ally won’t allow that to happen. If anyone even looks at either of the other brides, Ally is going to poke out their eyes and drown them in the champagne fountain.”

Mandy snickered. She enjoyed Sally’s dry sense of humor. It couldn’t be easy dealing with three brides at the same time, and since the brides in question for this wedding were vastly different, it was like trying to walk cats on a leash to get them to do anything in tandem.

“It’s almost time for the big day,” Mandy said. “It will be over soon.”

“That’s the only thing sustaining me,” Sally teased, taking a step back. “As for you, this dress is perfect. You can change out of it and put it in the garment bag. When you go back to change into your street clothes, send out a bride.”

“Do you have a preference for which one?” Mandy asked, her eyes twinkling.