Neil. Heâd managed to get it out of the house undetected and heâd get it back in the same way. Nobody would be the wiser.
âNo eating this one,â he told Chica, showing it to her. âItâs not ours.â
She yawned and settled down next to him on the couch.
This story had a contemporary setting, and it didnât take long for him to get involved in the plot. Although the hero and heroine were hot for each other, something was standing in the way of their loveâthe business. Her family used to own it but now she only ran it. And the tycoon wanted to sell it out from under her.
As Jonathan read, he made notes on his iPad, treating the novel as if it were a college textbook, the same as heâd done with the other book heâd read. This particular hero seemed to have an overabundance of testosterone. He was strong and forceful, and while he and the heroine clashedâa lotâshe seemed to appreciate that forcefulness. So, women wanted a man who was forceful, a take-charge kind of guy.
Jonathan added that attribute to the list heâd started. Forceful, take-charge. He could be forceful. Maybe.
* * *
Adam returned from his Alaskan adventure late Sunday night to make a shocking discovery. His key didnât work in the lock. He wasnât dreaming and he wasnât drunk. This was the right house. His house. But his key didnât work. Even finding the lock had been a pain since his wife hadnât left the porch light on. What the hell?
He rang the doorbell.
No one came.
He rang again.
Still no one.
Chelseaâs car was there. What was going on? âChels,â he called. âChelsea?â
Finally the entry hall light went on and he saw the shadow of a slim body on the other side of the frosted glass panel. She must have fallen asleep.
That in itself was odd. She always waited up for him.
Now she was at the door but it didnât open. And the porch light stayed off, leaving him standing there in the dark.
Her voice drifted out to him, muffled and distant. âGo away, Adam.â
What? âLet me in. My key wonât work.â
âIt wonât work because I had the locks changed,â said the voice.
Maybe he was dreaming, after all. Or she was joking. âOkay, babe, youâve had your laugh. Now open up.â
Instead of opening the door, she turned off the entry light and disappeared. âChels!â He banged on the door. âThis isnât funny anymore. Open up.â
One neighbor was two wooded lots away and whoever had purchased the house next door hadnât moved in yet. Still, he caught himself checking over his shoulder to see if anyone had heard. He felt like a fool standing there, demanding entrance into his own house. Changing the locks, that wasnât even legal. But what was he going to do, call the cops? Heâd wind up sleeping on the couch for the rest of his life.
This was nuts. He took out his cell phone and dialed her.
âWhat?â she answered.
What, indeed? Who was this snappish woman?
âDo you mind telling me whatâs going on?â he asked.
An upstairs light went on and a window opened. Their bedroom. For a moment he saw her face, framed by the bedroom light. Chelsea had long, chestnut hair, big hazel eyes and Angelina Jolie lips. The lips werenât smiling.
She held a box wrapped in white paper and tied with a pink ribbon. He recognized that box. And now she was going to... Oh, no. That was breakable. âDonâtââ he began.
Too late. She dropped it. The box landed with a crunch. So much for the candy dish the clerk at Mountain Treasures had convinced him to buy.
His wife had lost her mind. âWhat are you doing? â
A moment later, something else came fluttering down, like a poorly designed paper airplaneâthe card that went with the box.
âAll right,â he said into the cell phone. âWhat was that all
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