Page 46 of Deadly Waves

James lifted his eyebrows, surprised. “You don’t go for subtle sometimes, do you, wife?”

Mandy shrugged. “Sophie is going to melt down if it doesn’t happen soon. She’s kind of on the edge.”

“She’s the one who made Grady put on the brakes,” James reminded her. “She has to bear the burden of being patient now. This is her doing.”

“I get that, but it doesn’t seem entirely fair,” Mandy argued. “Sophie didn’t ask Grady to slow down forever. She just wanted a week or so to wrap her mind around all of those childhood items Grady found in the storage unit.

“She put all of that stuff out of her mind for a really long time and it was hard when the memories came back,” she continued. “She’s over it now. She’s ready to get married. Her feelings are a little hurt that Jake proposed before Grady got his courage in gear.”

“How does that work?” James asked. “Shouldn’t she be jealous of Emma because Finn proposed way earlier than the rest of them?”

“No, because Finn and Emma moved forward quickly because of the baby,” Mandy answered. “Plus, well, Emma has the most to be insecure about out of everyone. No one would ever begrudge her the right to feel safe and loved.”

James expression softened as he regarded the woman who stole his heart with one smile. “You are unbelievably sweet when you want to be.”

“I’m going to be unbelievably naughty later,” Mandy said. “Come on. I want to look at those pottery things over there before dinner.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Oh, husband, we’re going to play that game later,” Mandy said. “And when we play, we’re both getting our wishes fulfilled.”

“That sounds like the perfect night, my baby.”

“HOW WAS your day?” Ally was so laden down with purchases when she reunited with the group Jake was convinced he was going to throw his back out carrying them back to the boat. Emma and Sophie were much more reserved, carrying one bag each, but Ally didn’t seem to mind the odd looks from her fiancé and brothers. Instead, she was obsessed with hearing about Mandy’s trip of a lifetime. “Was it as cool as you always thought it would be?”

“It was better,” Mandy admitted, snuggling closer to James in the rounded booth. The group opted for a restaurant that specialized in prime rib and seafood so they could make everyone happy. They even had vegetarian options for Emma. “You should’ve seen it, Ally. They were right there on the other side of the bars.”

“Did they try to bite you?”

“No. They kept circling us, though,” Mandy replied. “It was kind of like they were curious.”

“Oh, they were definitely curious,” Grady said. “They were curious if we were edible or not.”

“They were not,” Mandy said, snorting. “They were … magical. They looked like creatures from a long forgotten world. It was like being in the presence of dinosaurs.”

James’ eyes twinkled at how corny she sounded. “Technically, they are kind of like dinosaurs, baby,” he pointed out. “Sharks were around at the same time dinosaurs walked the planet.”

“Oh, so you were paying attention during Shark Week,” Mandy intoned. She was positively giddy. “I’m so proud.”

“I always pay attention during Shark Week,” James said. “That’s like your version of Christmas. I get lucky every single night … several times.”

“You get lucky whenever you want,” Mandy protested. “Don’t make it sound like I withhold affection from you. People will think I’m a terrible wife.”

“We can’t have that,” James mocked, wrapping his arm around her neck and tugging her closer. “You’re the best wife in the world. You deserve a crown. I think I’m going to have one made up of sharks so we can play a new game. You can be the Mother of Sharks or something.”

Grady snorted as he rolled his head back. “You’re a sick man, James. I can’t believe you actually said that out loud. It would be one thing if you thought it to yourself, but to spread it around like that … so gross.”

“Oh, stuff it,” James said, kissing Mandy’s cheek before releasing her. He was feeling extremely lovey-dovey where his wife was concerned and the second they were done with dinner he had every intention of dragging her back to the boat for a vigorous evening of … shark watching. “I didn’t hear you complaining when you got to climb in a shark cage today thanks to how gross I am.”

“Yes, well, that benefited me,” Grady said. “You being filthy in a restaurant does absolutely nothing for me.”

“Good to know.”

The family lapsed into comfortable camaraderie, a few people making a big show of drooling over Ally’s shopping items even though the shark watching was of more interest to almost everybody. They were so caught up in their little world they didn’t notice a familiar figure entering the restaurant until he was right in front of them at the bar.

“Isn’t that Jon Peterson?” Emma asked, leaning against Finn as he rubbed the back of her neck. He was clearly feeling amorous, too. “I almost didn’t recognize him in that shirt.”

Grady followed her gaze, scowling when he caught sight of the man. “I don’t like him.”