“It’s just that this is all happening so fast.”
“I know. I get it. Believe me, it’s happening fast for us, too. We’re two bachelors set in our ways. You might be ready to kill us in a couple of weeks.” He lightly squeezed her hand. “We’re here for the long haul,” he quietly said. “We aren’t going anywhere. We won’t rush or force you. But if you think we’re going to walk away from you without a fight, think again. You can’t scare us that easily.”
He stroked her hair, playing with it, wrapping it around his fingers. It felt so good to lie there with him, quietly, peacefully.
Like she was meant to be there with him. With both of them.
Downstairs, she heard the front doorbell tinkle. She sat up. “I guess I need to clean myself up and get presentable.”
He cupped her cheeks with his hands and lightly kissed her. “Can I ask a favor?”
She nodded. She’d do anything for him.
“Can you find me something to wear until my clothes are clean so I’m not stuck up here all morning with nothing but a sheet to cover me? Unless you’re okay with the toga look. Then I’m good to go.”
She burst out laughing. “I’ll go find you something out of the pile.”
“Thank you.” He smiled as he brushed his thumbs over her cheekbones. “I know it’s crazy, Mandaline, but I’m in love with you. I promise you, we’ll take care of you. We won’t let you down.”
She nodded. “I know.” She gave him one last, quick peck on the lips before reluctantly climbing out of bed. “I’ll be right back. I don’t know whose clothes are whose.”
“It doesn’t matter for now. We both wear pretty much the same size.”
She ran downstairs, ducking around the corner quickly so she didn’t have to answer any of Sachi’s questions yet. She found a clean pair of shorts and a shirt in one bag, and a clean pair of briefs in another, and ran them upstairs to him.
He met her in the kitchen with a kiss. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She grinned. “You’re welcome, sir.”
Sachi was finishing up with their customer as Mandaline walked behind the counter. She snapped her fingers at Mandaline. “I need petty cash, lady. Chop-chop.”
“What?”
Sachi rolled her eyes. “It’s Monday. Libbie’s closed on Mondays. One of us needs to run out to Publix to pick up our bakery order of goodies for the store, and I’m guessing you’d rather stay here with Tarzan up there.”
“Tarzan?”
“Yeah.” She grinned. “All he needs is to yodel and slap on a loincloth and he’s all set.”
Brad wouldn’t deny he felt better than he had in days, other than the sore throat and lingering headache that was already feeling better. He’d have to wait until he could talk, alone, with Ellis about the loss of time. Make sure there weren’t other apologies he owed.
That bothered him. If it really was nothing more than a severe reaction to the mold, great. Fantastic. It sucked that he couldn’t really do much in the house without a damn hazmat suit until they could get a contractor out there to clean it up and make the repairs.
He was suddenly very interested in getting their master bedroom suite finished.
He took over doing their laundry. He also took it upon himself to completely clean Mandaline’s apartment for her. Not that it was messy or dirty, but he knew with two extra people taking up space, in addition to the horrible week and a half Mandaline had suffered through, it was the least he could do for her.
He also made lunch for all three of them. When Ellis showed up a little after noon, Brad gave him a hug.
“Thanks, man,” Brad said.
“Don’t thank me. Thank Mandaline. She figured it out. You feeling better?”
“I think so. I still can’t believe it was a reaction to the mold.”
She walked upstairs. “And there she is,” Ellis said with a grin.
Her eyes widened as she surveyed the apartment. “Wow. You didn’t have to clean up here, but thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He smiled. “Least I can do. Otherwise, right now I’d be staring at four walls in a room at the VA.”
Sachi opened the door to the stairwell. “Knock-knock, boss,” she called up.
“It’s safe.”
She walked up far enough she could see into the apartment. “Mrs. Mendez is on the phone. Wants to know if she can come in Thursday afternoon for a reading with you.”
“No, I can’t. I’m going out to Croom.”
Sachi and the men all said, “What?”
Brad watched as Mandaline’s face reddened. “I told Sami and Matt I would perform a private ceremony for her husband for them.”
“Like hell you will!” Sachi yelled, storming all the way up the stairs and into the apartment with her blue eyes blazing. “You are not going out there!”
“Yeah,” Brad agreed. “You aren’t going out there.”
“Look, I want to do this for them. I don’t hold what happened against them.”
“I don’t care,” Ellis said. “You are not going out there.”
She jammed her hands on her hips and radiated defiance. “I want to do this for them. Julie would want me to do it for them! I’m going whether you like it or not!”
Brad turned to Ellis, helpless. Ellis ran a hand through his hair. “Fine, but I’m taking you.”
“You better be packing, chief,” Sachi said.
“You’d better believe it,” he agreed.
Mandaline shook her head. “I can’t believe you two. Are guns the answer to everything?”
“Yes!” they both said. Then they looked at each other and high-fived.
“Not everything,” Ellis clarified, “but in this case, absofuckinglutely.”
Brad chuckled. “You’re outvoted, Mandaline.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind and began nibbling on the nape of her neck, hoping it would weaken her defenses. “Go with it. Because I’m not disagreeing with them.”
“Well, shows how much you know. It’s a state park. I bet you’re not allowed to carry a concealed weapon into the park, license or not.”
Ellis shook his head. “Ask me if I give a damn about that. My only concern is your safety. What time are we going?”
“But…I didn’t tell them I’m bringing anyone with me.”
“Do you really think they’ll have a problem with it?”
“Well, no, probably not—”
“Done. Settled. End of subject.”
Brad laughed and nibbled on her ear this time, making her moan a little. “I know that look he’s got on his face, babe. Don’t bother arguing with him. He won’t change his mind.”
Sachi broadly grinned. “I like these guys. You have my full approval, boss. Carry on.” She snapped them a crisp salute before she headed downstairs.
Ellis walked over and took Mandaline’s hands. “I’m not about to risk your life. Maybe everything’s fine, maybe it’s not. If I’m there, I know it’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, well, I’m also going to do a walk-through of the house to make sure there aren’t any negative energies left. I want them to be safe living there. It’s going to take a while.”
Ellis nodded. “I’ll clear my calendar as soon as I get back to the office.”
Brad suspected this was a make-or-break moment for Mandaline and her trust in Ellis.
“It means putting up with my witchy stuff all afternoon,” she said.
Ellis nodded again. “I’m well aware of that. I don’t have a problem with it.”
Brad felt her body relax a little in his arms. “You don’t?”
“I thought I made this clear to you already. I don’t agree with it or believe in it or understand it, but if you do it and it makes you happy, I’m okay with it.”
She threw her arms around Ellis. Now she was sandwiched between them. Brad hoped for a return of the sexy visions, but none were forthcoming.