What She Wants. Sheila Roberts

I just...” Don’t want to be a loser. He couldn’t bring himself to say that, so instead he clamped his lips shut and went back inside, Adam and Chica following him.

      “What? I mean, dude, that’s weird.”

      “No, it’s not. I figure I can learn something from these books.” If he could keep them from getting destroyed.

      Adam gave a disdainful snort. “Like what, how to get the prince to take you to the ball?”

      “No. How to figure out what’s important to a woman.” Jonathan set the tycoon on top of the fridge where Chica couldn’t reach him. Then he took his Vanessa Valentine novel out from its hiding place under his magazine. “They’re written by women, and the women who read them like what the heroes do. I’m thinkin’ reading some of these is a good way to get a handle on what makes a woman tick and what she wants in a man.”

      Adam took it from him. “Seriously?”

      “Seriously.”

      Adam turned it over and read the back cover. “Sounds dumb.”

      Jonathan could feel his cheeks heating. Yeah, what did he know? He was just the dork who’d given Adam a place to sleep after his wife kicked him out.

      “So who’s the woman you want?”

      “Never mind.” He went to the kitchen and pulled a box of cereal from the cupboard, keeping his back to Adam, willing the flush of embarrassment from his face.

      “No, seriously. Who is she?”

      “No one you know.” Adam was a relative newcomer to Icicle Falls. He hadn’t known Lissa.

      “So she doesn’t live around here?”

      “Not anymore.”

      “She used to?”

      Jonathan got busy pouring milk on his cereal. “Yeah. We went to school together.”

      Understanding dawned and Adam nodded sagely. “Your high school sweetheart. That’s right. You and Kyle have a reunion this summer. I remember you guys talking about it the other night. So, is your old girlfriend coming back for the reunion?”

      “We never went out. We were just friends.” Jonathan shrugged like it was no big deal.

      “And you want to see if you can start something with her.”

      “Yeah,” Jonathan admitted.

      Now Adam was looking skeptical. “And reading these books is going to help you?”

      “Maybe.”

      “You’re nuts.”

      Guys like Adam thought they knew it all. He’d probably never had trouble sweeping women off their feet. But it looked like sweeping and keeping were two different things. Old Adam wasn’t doing so well himself right now. He was in no position to scoff.

      “You got a better idea?” Jonathan demanded. “How much do you know about women?”

      Adam threw up his hands. “Nothing, nada, zip. Nobody does. Women are another species.”

      “I’d say they’re a species worth studying,” Jonathan said. “Unless you like sleeping on my couch more than you like sleeping in your bed.”

      Adam scowled and rubbed his chin, then dropped the book on the coffee table. “I’ve got to get ready for work.” He pulled some clothes out of his carry-on and disappeared back into the bathroom.

      Denial. The guy was in denial. He was probably hoping to run over to his house later, toss out an “I’m sorry” and watch his wife throw the door wide open. For that to happen Jonathan suspected she’d need to be either brain-dead or under a spell.

      “May as well dig out the blow-up bed,” he said to Chica. “He’s gonna be here for a while.”

      Adam got cleaned up and was out the door in twenty minutes, and Jonathan once again had the house to himself. He and Chica ate breakfast and went for a walk. Then it was time to watch Good Morning, Oregon.

      Today Lissa and her cohost, Scott Lawrence, were interviewing, of all people, Vanessa Valentine, who had a new book out. Vanessa, a brunette who looked to be somewhere in her forties, was the picture of success in a black suit and fancy pearl necklace.

      But it was Lissa who held Jonathan’s attention. Today she wore a red skirt that showed a modest but alluring amount of leg, and a creamy white blouse that looked as silky and touchable as her hair. As always, she was flashing the sweet smile that must have made viewers feel as if they were her best friend.

      And, as always, she was gracious and welcoming. “Vanessa, it’s a real treat to have you with us today.”

      “Thank you,” Vanessa said.

      “And you have a new book out.”

      “Yes, I do. A Fire in Winter just hit the stands last week.”

      “So, what can readers expect from this latest Vanessa Valentine novel?” Lissa asked.

      “First of all, they can expect a good story. I always try to deliver that to my readers because they deserve it. They pay hard-earned money to be entertained and I want to make sure they get their money’s worth.”

      Now Scott broke in. “And your legion of loyal fans keeps growing. But it’s mostly a legion of women, right?”

      “My readers are predominantly women, but men read my books, too,” Vanessa replied.

      “See?” Jonathan said to Chica, who was parked next to him. “I’m not the only guy reading this stuff.”

      Scott’s expression was frankly disbelieving. “So, tell us, Vanessa. Why should men read romance novels?”

      Vanessa looked at her host as if he were a fine specimen of stupidity. Then she smiled and said, “I can think of several reasons. For one, romance novels deal with the things that are most important in life—love, relationship, family, working to conquer obstacles. That’s worth reading about. Secondly, a man can learn about maintaining a relationship from reading romance fiction. He can also learn how women think. And I hear a lot of you complaining that you have trouble figuring us out,” she added with a teasing grin.

      Scott laughed reluctantly. “You’ve got that right. But what about those sex scenes?”

      “Yes. What about them?” she quipped. “Men, if you want to know what turns a woman on, you can get a pretty good idea from reading a romance novel.”

      “Now, if that isn’t proof I’m on the right track, I don’t know what is,” Jonathan said, and Chica agreed with an enthusiastic bark.

      “You make a pretty good case,” Scott said. “I think I may have to come to your book signing.”

      “I think so, too,” Vanessa said, still smiling.

      “Vanessa will be signing her new book, A Fire in Winter, tonight at the Lloyd’s Center Barnes & Noble at 7:00 p.m.,” Lissa said. “So, men, here’s your chance to talk to an expert in romance.”

      “And I guess we’d better start reading romance novels.” Scott smiled. “Thanks for being with us today, Vanessa.” To the viewers he said, “After this, we have Chi Chi Romero, who’s going to show us how to spice things up in the kitchen.”

      And that was the end of the interview with Vanessa. Too bad I didn’t tape it for Adam, Jonathan thought. Maybe it would’ve convinced him he needed to do his homework.

      But then again, maybe not. Guys like Adam, who had everything come easy to them, had trouble grasping the concept of homework—that no matter how smart you were, or thought you were, you still needed to do it. Jonathan suspected this time was going to be different, though. Once a guy got kicked out of his house, there was no quick route back.

      * * *

      Adam