Free Deadly Vacation (Hardy Brothers Security Book 10) by Lily Harper Hart Page A

loved. I’ll bet this new one is just par for the course.”
    “You’re probably right,” Mandy conceded. “I just wish he’d tell me.”
    “That would ruin the surprise,” Sophie said. “Has he told you what his expansion plan for the house is yet?”
    Mandy scowled. “No. He’s being extremely tight-lipped.” She searched Sophie’s face for a moment. “You know, don’t you?”
    “Of course not.”
    “You know!”
    “I might have an idea,” Sophie said. “And, no, I won’t tell you. If it’s what I think it is, you’re going to be thrilled beyond belief. Just … let him have this. He loves you. He loves seeing your face when he surprises you. Why can’t you just let him surprise you?”
    “I have no idea,” Mandy admitted. “I love him, and I want him to be happy, but not knowing drives me crazy. You should understand that. You’re a reporter.”
    “I do understand it,” Sophie said. “This is something that is going to give both of you joy, though. Trust me.”
    “Fine,” Mandy said. “I’ll just wait until I get home and get it out of Ally.”
    “Oh, Ally doesn’t know,” Sophie said, laughing. “As far as I can tell, I’m the only one who knows – and that’s because I was with him when he came up with the idea.”
    Mandy racked her brain. When had Sophie and James been alone together?
    “Oh, you’re never going to figure it out,” Sophie said. “Just give it up. Come on. Let’s look around the cemetery. I think, when we’re done here, we’re supposed to get lunch. Then we’re going to another cemetery.”
    “Another cemetery?” Emma didn’t look thrilled with the prospect.
    “I thought you wanted to see the cemeteries,” Mandy pressed.
    “I did. We’ve seen one. I’m sure the next one will look exactly the same.”
    “Well, let’s get lunch and figure it out from there,” Mandy said. “If you don’t want to see another cemetery, we’re going to have to find another way to get back to the hotel.”
    “That is not going to put James in a good mood,” Sophie pointed out.
    “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Emma said, biting the inside of her cheek. “We should stay on the tour.”
    “Don’t worry about James,” Mandy said, brushing off their concerns. “I can handle my husband.”
    “Are you sure about that?” Sophie was dubious.
    “Of course I am,” Mandy said. “I know exactly how to distract him.”
    “Nudity?”
    “I have whipped cream and massage oil now, too.”
     
    “EITHER I’m acclimating to the spices or the baby is developing a taste for New Orleans food,” Emma said, pushing her empty plate to the middle of the table and leaning back to stretch.
    Sophie raised her eyebrows appreciatively. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you clean your plate.”
    Emma wrinkled her nose. “Do you want to know the truth?”
    “Always.”
    “I’ve had to watch what I eat for so long, it’s hard to get out of that mentality,” Emma said. “Now that I’m almost done having to be so … rigid … things are looking up for me.”
    “I think things started looking up for you the day you met Finn,” Mandy said. “You guys are a good match. You get him, and he gets you.”
    “He does,” Emma said. “I never thought I’d find anyone who could look past what happened to me and … .”
    Emma’s father was a notorious child molester, and he hadn’t spared his own children from his abuse. Emma had been scarred when she came into their lives. She was still timid, and often worried, but she’d grown so much over the past year she was almost unrecognizable.
    “Finn loves you because you’re you,” Mandy said. “Don’t ever doubt that. I know the baby kind of brought up old fears, but Finn doesn’t want anyone but you.”
    “He doesn’t,” Sophie agreed, not looking up from the map she was studying. “So, we’re too far away from Bourbon Street to walk back, especially in this heat, but do you know what we are close