Jake looked confused.

"Four and a half years isn't a big difference now," James said. "When you're a senior and she's still in middle school, though? Yeah, that's downright criminal."

"Ah, got it."

James glanced back at his phone one more time, hoping the message would disappear. "Okay. Let's pick up some pizza and head home. I'm warning you now, though, if we get back there and Mandy's not at that apartment, I'm going to kill Ally."

"YOU KNOW James is going to be royally p.i.s.sed off, right?"

"Oh, I figured," Ally said, stretching out on the couch. Mandy was in the next room changing out of her work clothes, so they were talking loudly back and forth. "He'll live. He's being Captain Annoying, and it bugs me."

"I don't think he's trying to be Captain Annoying," Mandy said, wandering into the living room. She'd tossed on a pair of knit jogging pants and a simple T-shirt. "He's just worried."

"Well, when he gets worried he gets bossy," Ally said. "And, when he gets bossy, he gets annoying."

Mandy perched on the edge of the couch. "I'm starting to feel guilty."

"Why?"

"Because I promised him I would let him drop me off and pick me up at work," Mandy said. "I broke that promise."

"You're not alone," Ally said. "I picked you up. You were perfectly safe."

"I don't think he's going to see it that way."

Ally rolled over so she could watch her friend. "Where is he anyway?"

"They all went to that tent town thing with Jake today," Mandy said. "I think they were taking supplies."

"That's nice of them," Ally said. "Why do you think Jake hangs out there?"

"I think he's donating his time," Mandy said. "Grady said he served overseas, too."

"Really?"

"Really," Mandy said, patting Ally on the head affectionately. "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

"I don't know him," Ally said. "I can't have a crush on him if I don't know him."

Mandy waited.

"He is hot," Ally said. "Don't you think he's hot?"

"He's nice looking," Mandy agreed. "Something tells me he looks good without his clothes on."

Ally smirked. "Don't tell James," she teased. "He'll have a fit if he thinks you're fantasizing about another man."

"I'm not fantasizing about him," Mandy said. "I already have my fantasy. I want him for you."

Ally made a face. "You want him for me? Why?"

"Because you're the only one without a significant other," Mandy said. "And I think James would be less likely to worry about us hanging out together if you were with someone like Jake."

"He doesn't want me with Jake," Ally said. "You saw the look he gave me last night."

"He just doesn't want to think about you having s.e.x with Jake," Mandy countered. "I think he likes Jake and, after today, he's definitely going to respect him more."

"What makes you say that?"

"I know your brother," Mandy said.

"That you do," Ally agreed. "Although, to be fair, it was just over two weeks ago that you thought he was going to break up with you and that he didn't love you."

Mandy smacked Ally's head lightly. "Don't remind me of that."

"G.o.d, you were so funny," Ally said, giggling and holding her hand to her heart as she mimicked Mandy's voice. "He doesn't love me. He never did. I'll never be whole again." Ally lifted her hand to her head. "Woe is me."

Both women glanced up when they heard noise at the door, finding four curious faces watching them.

"Ladies," James said, striding into the room and dropping a pile of pizza boxes on the dining room table. "What are you doing?"

"I was reenacting Mandy's freak out from last week," Ally said, refusing to show shame.

James ran a hand down the back of Mandy's hair, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. "We've agreed not to bring that up again," James said.

"I haven't," Ally shot back.

"You have now," James said. "You owe me."

"How do I owe you?"

"Because you knew I wanted to pick Mandy up at work, and you purposely did it just to drive me crazy," James said. "Since I'm not going to yell and scream like I normally would, you now owe me."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"You're just lucky that she's here and safe," James said. "Because if she wasn't, you'd be spending the night locked in the trunk of a car."

"You're such a big talker," Ally said, glancing over at Mandy. "See. I told you he was Captain Annoying."

Mandy bit her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud. James scowled at Ally. "Captain Annoying?"

Finn and Grady, both in the kitchen grabbing plates and napkins, started laughing.

"You have to admit, the name kind of fits," Grady teased.

"I wouldn't be so smug Lieutenant Haircut," Ally said. "At least he's the lead. You're just a sidekick."

Grady frowned. "Lieutenant Haircut? That's just ... stupid."

"I think it's awesome," Finn said.

"You would, Private Whinebox."

Mandy couldn't hold in her laughter, and even James was joining in now. He motioned for Jake, who was unsure of himself and loitering by the door, to come closer. "Ignore my sister," he said. "She likes to irritate us. She knows exactly how to drive each one of us crazy."

Jake smiled, clearly a little nervous, but he stripped his jacket off and laid it over the back of one of the dining room chairs. "I have three sisters," he said. "I'm used to it."

"Ugh," Finn said. "You have three sisters? How did you survive that?"

"I was the baby," Jake said. "They doted on me and spoiled me, for the most part."

"That's much nicer than growing up with three older brothers," Ally said.

"They also put makeup on me and put me in dresses when they were bored," Jake said. "Trust me, I developed a thick skin as a child."

Ally laughed gaily, moving closer to Jake so she could talk to him. "My brothers used to dress me up and make me play war games so we had even numbers for teams."

"That sounds like a lot more fun."

Mandy watched Jake and Ally interact, her smile getting wider with each shared life tidbit. While she was watching them, James was watching her. "I know what you're thinking," he whispered.

"I'm not thinking anything," Mandy protested.

"Don't you dare meddle and try to push them together," James warned.

"Why not?"

"He's too old for her."

"He's your age," Mandy reminded him.

"Yeah, he's too old for her."

"She's my age."

"So?"

"So, if she's too young for him, that means I'm too young for you," Mandy said.

James dropped a short, hard kiss on Mandy's mouth. "Maybe I'm a dirty old man."

"I like him," Mandy said. "And, more importantly, Ally likes him."

"Ally doesn't know him," James said.

"Ally doesn't know him yet," Mandy corrected. "It's going to happen."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

James sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Mandy slipped her fingers inside of James' jeans and pulled him closer, causing him to shiver when he felt her fingers brush up against him. Mandy pressed her lips to his jaw, flicking out her tongue, and weakening his resolve.

"I want Ally to be happy," Mandy said. "You do, too."

"You don't know anything about this guy," James said. "You have no idea if he's going to make her happy."

Mandy glanced at them again, bright smiles on their faces, their bodies turned in toward each other. "He's going to make her happy."

James rested his head on top of Mandy's, giving in. "What are you going to do now? You've set everyone in your life up. There's nowhere else to meddle."

"Heidi is still single," Mandy said.

"I'm sure you already have someone in mind for her," James said, chuckling.

"I do. Clint."

James stilled, pulling back so he could gaze into the blue depths of her eyes. "That's actually not a bad idea."

"See," Mandy said. "I told you I'm always right."

James wrinkled his nose, cupping her face with both of his hands. "I've seen the light."

Twenty-One.

Everyone settled into different spots around the living room, with Jake and Ally sitting in adjacent chairs at the table. When James moved to join them, Mandy snagged his belt loop and shook her head.

"Why don't you stay over here with me?"

The look on James' face was a mixture of irritation and resignation. "I can't even sit at my own table?"

Mandy pressed her lips together, her eyes glinting. "Don't you want to be close to me?" She batted her eyelashes coquettishly. "I'll make it worth your while."

"How?"

Mandy leaned in, whispering so only he could hear.

"You have an absolutely filthy mind," he said. "I'm going to hold you to that."