Free Deadly Storm by Lily Harper Hart Page B

Julie. Mandy is right, though. The odds of her death having anything to do with that class are probably low.”
    “That would be a nice change of pace,” James said. “Now get out of my house. You have exactly twenty seconds.” His hands were already on the waist of his boxer shorts.
    “You two really are sick.”

Nine
    “They just issued a tornado watch,” Jake said, walking into James’ office Wednesday afternoon. “We should keep the police scanner on.”
    “Thanks for the weather update,” James replied dryly. “I think you missed your calling. You should’ve been one of those little weather bunnies on the evening news.”
    “You’re in a mood,” Jake said.
    “I’m really not.”
    “What’s wrong?” Jake asked, rolling his eyes. “Are you and Mandy fighting again? I thought things were back to being all blue roses and rampant sex.”
    “They are,” Grady said, breezing into the office. “They’re officially disgusting again.”
    “You’re really on my last nerve this week,” James said.
    “I do have a way about me,” Grady agreed. “What were you guys talking about?”
    “James is edgy,” Jake said. “I have no idea why. Oh, and they also issued a tornado watch.”
    Grady pulled up short. “They did?”
    “Oh, good, here we go,” James said.
    “What did I do?” Jake asked.
    James pointed at Grady. “He’s obsessed with tornadoes. He’s convinced one is going to touch down and pick up the house he’s in one day.”
    “Like The Wizard of Oz ?”
    “Only he’s the witch in his story,” James said.
    “I don’t like tornadoes,” Grady admitted. “They make me nervous.”
    “I can’t say I’m in the mood for one either,” James said. “Mandy has that stupid class tonight. I don’t want her out on the roads.”
    “Tell her not to go,” Jake said.
    “I can’t do that.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because they came to a compromise when they made up,” Grady said, grinning. “James agreed to not complain about the class and Mandy agreed she was going to finish it without going manic.”
    “Is that true?” Jake cocked an eyebrow.
    “Pretty much,” James said. “She wants to finish the class. It’s completely unnecessary, and totally annoying, but she’s still going to do it.”
    “You’re obviously handling it well,” Jake said.
    “Hey, you’re in that blissed out phase couples live in right after you admit you love each other,” James said. “Talk to me again in two months when Ally has PMS and thinks her ankles are too fat and accuses you of coveting thin ankles all over town.”
    Jake made a face. “She would never do that.”
    Grady snorted. “Tell that to Jordan Stradinger.”
    “Who is Jordan Stradinger?”
    “He was Ally’s boyfriend for two months in high school,” Grady replied. “He didn’t last any longer because he didn’t understand that Ally’s ankle bloating really was a life or death situation.”
    Jake couldn’t help but smile. “I wish I would’ve known her then.”
    “No, you don’t,” Grady said. “She and Mandy were animals.”
    “Don’t talk about my baby that way,” James said.
    “You weren’t even around when Ally and Mandy were going through their wild dating and partying years,” Grady said. “You can’t comment.”
    James tilted his head to the side, considering. “Part of me is sad I didn’t get to see some of the fun they were having,” he said. “The other part of me is glad because I don’t have to think of her … doing stuff … with those idiots we grew up with.”
    “Yeah, that would probably make you flex your muscles and rip your shirt off like you were the Hulk,” Grady agreed.
    “Hey, in my house that would turn my wife on,” James said.
    “You two really are sick,” Grady said.
    James ignored the dig. “What do you have on Julie Nichols?”
    “Are we really investigating that?” Jake asked. “It’s not our case.”
    “I just want to make sure that Mandy’s cooking class doesn’t