Deadly Proposal(67)
“Ally is just a chatty girl,” Rose said. “You can’t blame her for that.”
“Oh, I can blame her for … .”
“Oh, look, your father is home,” Rose interrupted him. “He’ll be so happy to see you. Although, he’s not very happy about the circumstances of your visit, if I’m being truthful. I’ll tell you what, we’re just lucky that our poor Mandy wasn’t hurt too seriously.”
“She was hurt pretty bad, Mom,” Grady said. “If you’d seen her right after, well, it would have made you cry. It’s a miracle she survived in the first place.”
Rose nodded, her eyes glazing over with tears at the mere thought. “We got very lucky. That girl is a part of our family, and we don’t just let people leave this family. You better keep that in mind, Sophie.”
Sophie blushed. “I … um … .”
“She’s nervous, Mom,” Grady chided. “Give her a break.”
“Oh, mind your business, worrywart,” Rose said. “She’s fine.”
When Grady’s father entered the room, Sophie found the familiar brown eyes she’d come to associate with the Hardy family staring out from his handsome face. That’s where the similarities ended, though. Louis Hardy was tall, like his sons, but he was also blonde and fair.
“You must be Sophie,” he said, clapping his son on the back and extending his hand. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally meet you.”
“Mom has been giving her an earful,” Grady said. “I think she’s making Sophie nervous.”
“Don’t let her get to you,” Louis said. “She likes to give all her children and their significant others a hard time. That’s what a mother does.”
“I think she passed on that trait to Ally,” Sophie said, not realizing how it sounded until the words escaped her mouth.
Louis chuckled, sliding into the open chair next to Sophie. “Ally is definitely her mother’s daughter.”
“That’s probably why Ally is your favorite,” Grady teased.
“Probably,” Louis agreed. “How is my girl?”
“She’s fine,” Grady said. “I think she’s almost done with her classes.”
“That’s good,” Louis said. “I worry that she’s so … scattered when it comes to work.”
“We can always give her a job at the office,” Grady said. “James has been talking about adding a secretary, and maybe even another body to do the investigative work.”
“That doesn’t sound like James,” Louis said. “He’s too much of a control freak.”
“Yeah, but he needs his time with Mandy,” Grady said, thanking his mom when she pushed a beer onto the table in front of him. “You know they’re looking for a house, right?”
Rose smiled. “Ally might have mentioned it.”
“I bet,” Grady said, smirking.
“Ah, how is my Mandy?” Louis asked. “I have always had a soft spot for that girl. She was always such a sweet thing, until you got her hackles up, of course. Then she was a total fireball. Knowing she’s the one who finally tamed James makes my old heart happy.”
“She’s better now,” Grady said. “It was rough there for about a week.”
“And how was James during that time?” Rose asked.
“He was a mess at the hospital,” Grady said. “He was in shock, and when she didn’t wake up right away, he was worried she never would. Then, she was kind of hopped up on medication and in a lot of pain for the next week. It was … ugly.”
“You can’t keep that girl down,” Louis said. “She’s tough. They survived the week, and they’ll continue to push forward. She’s strong.”
“She’d have to be to put up with James,” Grady said. “She’s actually really good for him. You should see them together.”
“We’re planning a visit down,” Louis said. “In a few weeks, when things are settled, we’ll head your way. We want to meet Emma as well. I guess we’re going to have to meet this Jake, too.”
“I always had a feeling about James and Mandy,” Rose said, checking her meatballs in the oven.
“You did not,” Grady said.
“I did, too. He always had a way of looking out for her,” Rose said. “He didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her back then. I would have tanned his hide if he did. He was still drawn to her. I don’t think he realized it. And her crush on him was downright adorable.”
“Well, they’re drawn to each other now,” Grady said. “It’s a little sickening sometimes.”