Page 62 of Deadly Forever

18

Eighteen

“What a marvelous dinner.”

Peter Marconi pushed his plate across the outdoor table and leaned back in his chair. The sun was still high in the sky – Michigan summers boasted daylight until almost ten every night – but the humidity wasn’t oppressive and the temperature was comfortable rather than sweaty.

“Thank you,” Mandy said, beaming.

Peter returned the smile even as James rolled his eyes.

“You are one of the finest hostesses I’ve had the extreme pleasure of knowing,” Peter said. He had a soft spot for the gregarious blonde. It had been that way since he met her. Since Sophie was more of an introvert, Peter recognized Mandy’s strong influence on his adopted daughter and was thankful she was part of the family Sophie would join. He was also thankful the Hardys adopted him by proxy, because he absolutely adored spending time with the family – no matter how loud and obnoxious they got at times.

“Oh, what a load of crap,” James snorted, shaking his head. “I did the cooking.”

Mandy narrowed her eyes as she regarded him. “I put out the salads.”

“Which we bought,” James reminded her. “Baby, you have many delightful qualities. Cooking is not one of them. I’m the cook in this family. I deserve the accolades.”

Grady barked out a laugh when he saw Mandy’s murderous expression. “You’re going to be sleeping alone tonight if you’re not careful.”

“I’m never sleeping alone again,” James countered. “We made a deal. I don’t care how angry she gets, we’re sleeping in the same bed. Isn’t that right, wife?”

Mandy pursed her lips. She considered arguing with her husband but ultimately opted against it. He’d been nothing but supportive earlier, which made her feel lucky to have him, and there was no reason to let a fake fight turn into the real thing. “He’s definitely not sleeping alone tonight,” she said after a beat. “Despite his insistence on maligning my cooking, I still love him.”

James smiled indulgently as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Speaking of your delightful qualities, why don’t you tell everyone what you plan on doing next, huh?”

For a brief moment, Mandy’s eyes clouded over and James wondered if he made a mistake. She looked like a deer caught in the high beams on a lonely two-track. She recovered quickly, though.

“I thought we would save that for when everyone returns from their honeymoons,” Mandy said. “We can talk about it then.”

James was surprised by her reaction. “But … .”

“Let’s talk about the wedding,” Mandy said, shifting the conversation to something more comfortable. “Is everything set?”

“Everything is set,” Ally confirmed, bobbing her head. “I’ve talked to the minister and he’ll be at the country club thirty minutes before the ceremony. I also talked to the photographer and he wants to take photos before and after so I think we’ll be able to work that out relatively quickly.

“It’s supposed to be a beautiful day – sunny and warm, but there’s air-conditioning inside so that will be fine,” she continued. “People will have a great view of the lake from the balcony and I’ve confirmed with the wedding planner and she’s taking care of all of the decorations and table settings.”

“I, for one, can’t wait for the wedding,” Peter said, his eyes contemplative as they bounced between Mandy and Sophie. He understood something odd was happening with Mandy and James, but he figured focusing on it was probably a mistake. “I can’t wait to walk my daughter down the aisle. I’ve been looking forward to it since the day I adopted her.”

“And then you’ll give her to me once you reach the end of the aisle,” Grady teased, his grin lazy.

“I’m not giving her to you,” Peter countered. “I would never give her away. Forget for a second that I find the practice of transferring ownership of a woman to be abhorrent, but she will always be my daughter. Sophie becoming your wife doesn’t change that fact.”

“He was just messing with you,” Ally supplied. “He likes to poke people. It’s what he does.”

“I know.” Peter was strangely amiable despite Grady’s attitude. “I like poking people, too. That’s what Grady and I have in common.”

“Speaking of poking people,” Grady said, licking his lips as he turned to Mandy. “What’s your big idea?”

James scowled as he grunted out an annoyed sigh. “You just couldn’t let it go, could you?”

“Nope,” Grady replied, not missing a beat. “I saw how Mandy reacted and how it surprised you. Now I’m dying to know what’s going on in that busy brain of hers.”

“It’s nothing,” Mandy said hurriedly. “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about and James and I were talking about it earlier. It can wait until you come back from your honeymoons. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a very big deal,” James countered. “I think it’s a great idea. Frankly, I can’t believe you’re not taking over the conversation and getting everyone involved with the planning. That seems completely unlike you, wife.”