Page 56 of Deadly Conflicts

“I think he just wants Mandy home so he can keep her safe,” Clint supplied. “She seems to attract trouble, and a lot of that trouble stems from here. Personally, though, I was sad to hear she was leaving.”

“Yes, we’re all sad,” MacIntosh said, resting his hand on Mandy’s shoulder to bolster her. “I’m happy as well, though.”

“You are?”

MacIntosh nodded. “I knew Mandy wasn’t built for the long haul in this profession years ago,” he said. “She takes things to heart and it hurts her to see the terrible cases that cross her desk. Her heart is in art, and she found a man who not only bolsters her spirit but also allows her to follow her dreams.”

“As long as I’m still in her dreams, I’m happy,” James said. “I would actually be happier if she’d quit right now, but she refuses to leave you in the lurch.”

MacIntosh’s expression was thoughtful as he regarded Mandy. “If you want to leave now it will be okay. Things will work out the way they’re meant to.”

“You can’t leave yet,” Clint said, taking everyone by surprise with his vehemence. “That’s not the plan you told me the other day.”

“It’s okay, honey,” Heidi said, laughing as she patted Clint’s arm. “It’s not like we won’t see her. Mandy promised we’ll get together for lunch all of the time even after she leaves.”

“That’s right,” Mandy confirmed. “I won’t be in my studio eight hours straight. I’ll be down here for lunch all of the time.”

“So … you’re leaving early?” Clint almost looked more disappointed than Heidi did the day Mandy admitted to her friend that she wasn’t long for the courthouse world.

“No,” Mandy answered, shaking her head. “I’m staying until September. That was our deal.” She cast James a pointed look. “You agreed to it.”

“And I still agree,” James said. “I’m not going to stop trying to get you to quit, though. The idea of sleeping in with you every morning holds a lot of appeal.”

“You will still have a job,” Mandy reminded him.

“Yes, but I’m the boss,” James said. “As the boss I can order others to work while I play with my wife.”

Mandy’s cheeks colored as the double meaning of his words hung heavy in the room.

“Er, that might’ve come out wrong,” James said.

“I think we all know what you meant,” MacIntosh said. “And now, as much as I don’t want to admit it, I think everyone needs to return to work. We have a very busy docket today.”

“Spoilsport,” Heidi teased, but she added a little extra bounce to her walk as she headed toward the hallway. “You’ll come to the wedding, right?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” MacIntosh replied, pausing in the doorway to stare at James and Mandy. “You aren’t going to … force my employee to be late for court, are you?”

It was a tactful way of asking a personal question. Mandy and James’ office exploits were notorious throughout the courthouse.

“Sadly, I’m not here to romance my wife,” James said. “I honestly just need two minutes to talk to her and then I’ll be out of here.”

“Okay,” MacIntosh said. “It was nice seeing you.”

“You, too.”

James remained rooted to his spot until he was sure the judge was gone and then he moved to shut the door.

“Don’t even think about it,” Mandy warned, extending a finger. “The last thing I need is people talking … especially after the squealing.”

“I thought the squealing was cute,” James said, leaving the door propped open before moving closer to Mandy’s desk. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Mandy released a long-suffering sigh. “What do you want?”

“I’m wounded, wife.”

“James, I’m honestly swamped with work.” She gestured toward the heaping pile of files for emphasis. “Tell me what you want or get out.”

“Fine,” James said, resigned. “I need you to run a background search for me. I could do it myself but I don’t have a lot of time and I thought you could do it between cases this morning and really help your overworked-and-yet-still-sexy husband out a little bit.”