“Because he’s always wrong and I’m always right,” Mandy said.
“I think you two like being bossy,” Sophie said. “You like to yell.”
“And then they like to make up,” Judge Macintosh said, laughing.
Mandy tried to fight the blush furiously climbing her cheeks. “We do not.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “You two are the king and queen of making up,” Sophie said. “That’s how you got moved in four hours and then no one saw you two for a week.”
Mandy pursed her lips. “You have a big mouth.”
“I guess I fit right in,” Sophie teased. “Don’t you have to have a big mouth to fit in with the Hardys?”
She wasn’t wrong.
Fifteen
James was furious. He knew Mandy returning to work so soon was a bad idea. When he saw the breaking news coverage of a brawl in Judge MacIntosh’s courtroom – one that resulted in eight arrests – he had the sudden urge to handcuff Mandy to the bed for the next month.
James pushed his way into the courthouse, pausing to take in the commotion in the lobby. Most of the upper floors had been cleared when the alarm had sounded, he figured. He had no idea if Mandy was on a lower or upper floor – but he had every intention of finding out.
After scanning the lobby and not finding the face he was looking for, James strode toward the elevator. She wouldn’t leave the building. She’d promised – and he believed her.
One of the assembled security guards stepped in front of the elevator when he saw James approaching, blocking his path. “No one is allowed upstairs, sir.”
“My girlfriend is up there,” James replied, fighting to keep his temper in check. “She was in Judge MacIntosh’s courtroom.”
“You’ll have to wait down here, sir.”
Like hell. “I need to get up to my girlfriend,” James said. “I have to make sure she’s all right.”
“No major injuries were reported,” the security guard said. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“Well, I’d like to see her for myself to be sure,” James said. “I’m funny like that.”
“Sir, if you don’t go and wait with the others, I’m going to have to take you into custody.”
James bit his lower lip. He wanted to get to Mandy, although getting detained by a security guard didn’t seem like a great way to spend the rest of his afternoon. “Can’t you just call up there?”
“No.”
James pressed his lips together. “What if I call up there and get clearance?”
“That’s not an option, sir.”
“So, what are my options?” James asked.
“You can stay down here and behave yourself, or you can sit in the security office in handcuffs,” the guard sneered. “It’s your choice.”
James couldn’t help but wonder if wiping the sneer off the guard’s face with a fist would be worth an arrest. He didn’t get a chance to consider it further, because a familiar face was cutting through the crowd.
“He can go up, Chet,” Clint said, stepping between the two men. “He’s Mandy Avery’s boyfriend.”
Chet looked James up and down dubiously. “This is the guy who shot out the front door?”
“He is,” Clint said. “He’s also the guy who found me in time for the paramedics to get to me before I died.”
Chet’s scowl faded. “Well … .”
“He’s also the guy who was in the parking lot when Mandy almost died,” Clint said. “This is her first day back. She’s had a hard recovery. I think he’s just worried.”
Chet sighed. “He’s not allowed up there. I was told not to let anyone up there unsupervised.”
“Then I’ll go with him,” Clint said. “I’ll be his chaperone.”
James didn’t like the term, but he wasn’t about to argue. If Clint could get him to Mandy, he was willing to let him be whatever he wanted to be.
Chet blew out a sigh. “Fine. If there’s any fallout from this, though, it’s on you.”
“Okay,” Clint said, pressing the elevator button and waiting. “I’ll make sure the judge is aware that I’m the one who made the decision.”
Once James and Clint were in the elevator heading toward the sixth floor, James let his shoulders relax. “Thanks.”
“I know you’re upset,” Clint said. “I would be, too. It’s scary how much trouble she finds herself in.”
James frowned, Clint’s words striking a chord. “She does find trouble.”
“Don’t you ever worry that she’s not worth it?” Clint asked. “I mean, I would always think she was worth it. A guy like you, though, you could have anyone. Don’t you want someone who isn’t so much work?”