Deadly Rivalry (Hardy Brothers Security Book 17) Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Hey, little man. I like that Star Wars onesie you’ve got going on there.”
    Avery blinked at Grady but otherwise remained unmoved by the statement.
    “Mandy bought it for Emma,” Finn said. “She won’t dress him in anything Mandy bought because she’s taking the fact that Mandy won’t hold him personally – like Mandy thinks he’s ugly or something. He’s a poop factory, though, and I didn’t want to do laundry so I grabbed the first onesie I saw.”
    “Emma needs to give Mandy a break,” James chided. “She’s working through things. It’s not personal.”
    “It doesn’t help that you won’t hold him,” Finn pointed out.
    “He freaks me out until he can hold his head up,” James replied. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to break him. He still has that new car smell about him. You should be glad I’m refraining in case I accidentally hurt him. I’m sure I’ll be able to hold him soon.”
    Finn sighed. “You’re being dramatic,” he said. “I was afraid to hold him at first, too. He’s warm and snuggly, though.”
    Grady made a face as Avery spit up, but Finn wordlessly cleaned up the mess and didn’t let it distract him from the conversation.
    “Just … can’t you try holding him for Emma the next time we’re all together?” Finn pressed.
    “No,” James said, shaking his head. “When I see the kid holding up his own head and acting a little more … durable … I’ll hold him. I’m never changing him, though, so erase that thought from your head right now. He’s not spending alone time with Uncle James until he craps in a toilet.”
    “Nice,” Finn said, although he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “I heard Madeline is here, by the way.”
    “Crappy news travels fast,” James said, making a disgusted face. “Speaking of that … I’ll give you fifty bucks if you take that kid in the office and let him throw up on Madeline.”
    “If I could get him to do it on command I would,” Finn said. “He has a mind of his own.”
    “That’s because he’s a Hardy,” Grady said. “You know, James, if you hold the baby you could use that as an excuse to get out of meeting with Madeline. We could say you have a babysitting emergency. That’s why we have the kid.”
    “I thought we had him because we love him,” Finn said, glancing down at his son and making an exaggerated face. “I’m trying to get him to smile, but he won’t do it.”
    “Is he supposed to be smiling?”
    “Soon, but not yet,” Finn said. “I just know he’s going to smile at Ally first.”
    “That will make her happy,” James said, glancing at the office. “Don’t worry about Madeline. I’ll handle her. She’s not going to get what she wants, so I have no idea why she would show up here.”
    “How was Mandy after the charity event?” Grady asked. “She seemed a little … put out.”
    “She’s fine,” James said. “We fought about her eating habits and Madeline and then we made up – like ten times. We had naked Sunday and she was cuddly and giggly the entire day. I’m calling it a win.”
    “I’m glad,” Grady said earnestly. “I’ve been worried about her. Has she gone in the guesthouse yet?”
    “Not yet,” James conceded. “When she’s ready she’ll do it. I refuse to push her.”
    “Yes, but I want to see her face when she sees what we did with the saloon,” Grady said. “It’s not really a saloon anymore, is it? What should we call it?”
    “I’ve ordered a sign,” James replied. “I’ll tell you what to call it when I hang it and Mandy finally sees it. Thanks for doing that, by the way. It looks nothing like it did before and that wall you left is a nice touch. She’s going to love painting a mural on that … eventually.”
    “You seem like you’re more relaxed,” Finn said.
    “That’s because they had sex like rabbits all day yesterday,” Grady supplied. “He was humming the theme song to Jaws this morning.”
    Mandy’s love of all things sharks