Page 41 of A Lady's Heart
Chapter Nine
There was no good reason to leave town. Not with Cole out on the hunt and the entire town on alert, so Justin reluctantly hunkered down for the count with Mandy.
Or at least that’s the story he told his boss when Tyler phoned a few days later.
“…so you see, we’re in pretty much the most protected place right here, and we’ve got all the backup we need.”
The bear on the other end of the line was silent for a moment before a soft chuckle carried over the line.
“You’re lucky all of this makes sense,” Tyler told him. “Because I know damn well you’re not suffering, holed up in some godforsaken uncomfortable bug-out house. You’re probably in the lap of luxury, aren’t you?”
Justin let his gaze meander lazily over Mandy who sat in the recliner opposite him wearing nothing but a sheer nightgown as she glanced through a magazine. “It’s pretty rustic,” Justin insisted. “It took nearly three days to get lobsters flown in.”
Tyler made off-key violin noises on the other end of the line before turning more serious. “You know I trust you, and you know I want the best for you. Take your time. I’ve got the goon squad on my back, so I’m nearly as safe as if you were with me.”
It wasn’t Tyler he was worried about. “And Caroline? Because if you need me, I could always bring Mandy along.”
“Now I know you haven’t been getting enough sleep. Number one, what kind of monster do you think I am? I took the patrol off Caroline a day after you assigned them. She’s a one-man-guerrilla-force all on her own, and she was getting in their way.”
Justin laughed. “What’s number two?”
Head honcho of all the northern hemisphere bears offered him a cheeky chuckle. “It’s awfully hard to woo a woman when you’re acting as my bodyguard.”
To which Justin didn’t even answer, because his boss was rightandMandy was right there. He wasn’t going to draw any attention to said wooing.
He got off the phone and deliberately crossed the room. It was the work of a moment to pick her up and resettle, this time with her in his lap.
She smiled patiently at him when he tugged the magazine from her fingers and dropped it to the floor. “Tyler and Caroline doing well, I take it?”
“They are. They’re back in Yellowknife.”
Her expression went guarded. “Oh.”
“You’re too easy to read,” he warned her before caressing a finger down her cheek. “I don’t need to go back to work yet. Not until we figure out what’s going on with your mysterious strangers.”
She nodded slowly. “Tyler is a good boss to be so understanding.”
“He’s a good friend, first and foremost.” Justin dropped a kiss on her nose. “That’s what good friends do—they understand what you need, sometimes before you know it yourself.”
Mandy wiggled into a more comfortable position, one that brought her warmth into direct contact with the entire front of his torso. She draped her hands over his shoulders, stroking her fingers through his hair as she gazed into his face. “I’m glad you have a friend like that.”
She spoke so softly he nearly missed it. The tone of sadness underbrushing her words.
Justin cupped her face in his hands. “You have a friend like that too, you know.”
Her lips curved upward. “I have more friends now than before, yes. Caroline and Amy. And now Nadia—she’s so sweet to me every time we get together.” Mandy frowned. “Do you know why she’s sad?”
“Is Nadia sad?” Justin thought back over the week they’d been hanging out in Chicken. “I never noticed.”
“Hmmm, maybe I’m wrong.” Mandy tugged her fingers through his hair again, still thoughtful.
“Have you heard from your family yet?”
She’d finally told him she’d been waiting to make contact until there was no possible way Todd could interfere in her life.
“Nothing yet, but Internet on the island is pretty caveman-era.” Mandy shook her head. “I’m conflicted about what I want. It’s been so long since I left that I’d barely know my little sisters, or Nana, or the bears of the island, anymore. My parents were gone years before. Maybe I should just leave it alone, and then I feel guilty for not—”
She slammed her lips close.
