Inching closer to the door, Jason glanced inside and around the study. He heard Fritz on the phone: “Yes, but I’m serious. If they can’t up my advance, I’ll go with another house.” Jason’s gaze slid to the man’s desk. And stopped. On top of a stack of papers was a dog magazine. A familiar dog magazine. The one that had the article and photographs of Sue. He knew because he had his own copy.
His attention shifted to a framed photograph on the desk. In the image, Fritz stood with his arm around Sue. The photograph appeared to have been taken at one of Sue’s signings. There wasn’t anything intimate in the pose, but the fact that the man had it on his desk said a lot.
“Sorry.” Fritz hung up. “Sue said you’d be by.”
She had? Jason managed to hide his surprise. He’d never told her not to tell her critique group, but he’d expected her to know better.
“So, you’re aware I’m speaking to anyone around here who has read that manuscript.” Jason’s gaze fell back to Fritz’s desk.
The writer picked up a few papers and dropped them on top of the dog magazine. He said, “Yes, but she also said you thought someone tapped into her computer. Probably did some TCP/IP tapping.”
Jason recognized the lingo Bob had tossed at him. “You’re familiar with computer tampering?” he asked.
“It’s part of my business. I’ve warned Sue she should put up firewalls.”
The phone rang again. Fritz grimaced. “Jimmy, can you grab that and take a message?”
As he heard the boy scamper to the phone, Jason nodded. “I’m getting Sue’s computer taken care of.”
“Really? That’s funny. She just called me and asked me to load a firewall when the computer is returned.”
“That won’t be necessary.” In relaying the information, Jason accidentally let his cop tone slip.
“Dad?” Fritz’s son called. “It’s Mom. She sounds upset.”
Fritz frowned. “Tell her I’ll call her back.” Then he leaned back in his leather loafers and gave Jason a curious look very similar to the one Jason had given him when he’d opened the door.
Jason crossed his arms over his chest. What kind of guy wore leather loafers? The writer kind. The kind Sue would relate to. Jason’s mood darkened even more.
“Maybe you should worry more about your wife and less about Sue,” he suggested.
Fritz got a cocky smirk on his face. “I’m picking up a vibe. I could be wrong, but I think you’re here about my interest in Sue and not because you suspect me of being a stalker.”
“It’s your interest in her that makes you more of a suspect.” Jason didn’t hide his frown.
“Then I must be high on your suspect list, Detective. Because I’m very interested in Sue Finley.”
This was on Jason’s favorites list?
She was on Jason’s favorites list?
Sue pressed a thumbnail between her teeth and gave it a nip as she stared at her website. Designed by Melissa, the opening page had a picture of Sue with small images of the covers of all four—no, five—of Sue’s books. Melissa had already downloaded the image of the newest cover.
Sue gave the new book cover a quick glance, then went back to Jason’s list of favorites and clicked on the dog magazine in which she’d been featured. The link that Jason had saved took her directly to her story. And when Sue checked out the rest of his favorites, all but three of the twelve were about her. There was a link to a small Dallas newspaper that had written a feature about her, a link to the website of the cooking show where she’d appeared, and several on-line sites with either interviews or posted reviews.
Why had he gone to all these sites? Before that kiss, he hadn’t even done a double take. He’d been nice at Lacy’s get-togethers, but when she’d tried to catch his eye he’d seemed to purposely avoid her. And he’d always had a girl—some big-breasted model-type—attached to his arm. Which had led Sue to assume he wasn’t interested.
Then he’d shown up at one of Chase’s barbeque parties without a date. They had all been drinking beers and laughing. It had been late. She’d stepped out on the patio to get the shoes she’d left outside, and he’d followed. They’d started talking about the stars. She was trying to point out the Big Dipper when he’d…dipped down. The kiss had been seriously amazing. Her first kiss in two years.
True, she had tried to stop him and had started talking, but he’d swept his tongue around her mouth again and she’d lost all interest in what ever she was saying. When the kiss ended, he’d seemed as blown away as she. He’d asked for her number. She hadn’t even played it cool but grabbed her purse and handed him her card, smiling like an idiot. He’d tucked it in his wallet, run his finger down her cheek and promised to call.
Which he hadn’t.
And she’d waited.
She’d waited and waited, and fumed, and then she’d taken him off her mailing list. In spite of being upset, she’d accepted that she just wasn’t his type. But a person didn’t Google, bookmark, and practically research someone on the computer if he wasn’t interested. Right? So, what…what did all this mean?
An hour later, painting her toenails, Sue heard her doorbell ring. Was it Jason? Would he ring the bell?
The fact that she’d missed him so much stung, but not enough to keep her from darting into the living room. Danny had his gun out and was making his way to the door.
“It’s not Jason?” Sue asked.
“No. He just called. Stay back,” the policeman warned.
Sue frowned, not wanting another incident like what had happened with Kathy. “Shouldn’t you see who it is before you hold them at gunpoint?”
“That’s what I was going to do,” he said, clearly insulted.
“Sorry.”
He peered through the side window. “Older woman, blonde, wearing bright green clothing, with nice, uh…”
“Cleavage,” Sue finished with a grimace. Her mom. She recalled the woman telling her grandfather about the threat. She remembered the woman was sleeping with fruit-mongering Elvis. “Go ahead and shoot.”
Danny’s brow rose.
“I’m joking. It’s my mom.”
He blushed. “Oh, uh, sorry.”
“Me, too.” Sue glanced out the side window and confirmed what she’d suspected. Glancing back at Danny, she probably offered him the best tip he’d gotten in days. “Watch your crotch.”
“Oh, Susie!” Her mom stumbled as the door opened and Goliath trampled past. The dog lumbered into the middle of the room, his big head darting left, darting right, looking for Hitchcock. He let out a soul-felt doggy whine, then immediately perked up when he saw something else of interest: Danny’s unguarded crotch.
Five minutes after rescuing Danny, Sue and her mom went into her office. “We need to talk,” her mom snapped.
Sue plopped down on the floor by the kittens. Her mom sat at the desk.
“So…?” her mom asked, as if Sue knew what she wanted to discuss. She didn’t. However, she had several questions bouncing around her head that might be up for discussion. Why had her mom told Grandpa about the rat? Why did her mom have to dress in only fruity colors? Why all of a sudden had her mom decided that showing her boobs to the world was a good thing? Why did her mom not worry at all about her alcohol consumption? Why was her mom cheating on her dad?
The minute the last question flipped around Sue’s brain, she knew she was being unfair. Her mom wasn’t cheating. You couldn’t cheat on a dead man twenty years in the ground.
“Susie Veronica Finley,” her mom said.
Susie Veronica Finley, who would have killed anyone else using her full name, stared down at the kittens. “That’s my name.”
Her mom went straight for the clearing of the throat, which Sue could never ignore. “What is it, Mom?”
“What is it?” Her mom threw the question back. “You’ve got a madman after you, sending you dead rats and trying to break into your house. You’ve got one man living with you, and now I find this…this new guy here
? He’s cute too, but that’s not the point. Let’s not forget that your ex, the married foot doctor, has been shot. And I learn most of this info secondhand and not from my own daughter!”
Sue almost snarled. Her mom’s new best friend, Lacy’s mother, had such a big mouth.
She drew her knees up to her chest, bouncing her heels against the floor. “I didn’t want you to worry, that’s why I didn’t tell you about Paul. I didn’t tell you I was dating a married man because he’d neglected to tell me himself. And I’m not living with anyone.” She took a deep breath. “Lacy insisted I let Jason stay here until she got back in town, and Danny is a friend and co worker of Jason’s. Basically, you don’t need to worry.” She wrapped her arms around her knees. “Any other issues you’d like me to clear up?”
“I’m your mother. Worrying is my right.”
“Maybe,” Sue said. “But Grandpa is too old to worry. Why did you tell him about the rat?”
Her mom blinked, and Sue saw a flicker of guilt touch her eyes. “Well, I accidentally let it slip. But I told him I was mixed up about something.”
What you should have told him was that you were drinking.“Guess he didn’t believe you.”
Her mom stared. Concern added a soulful quality to her voice as she asked, “What else is wrong with you?”
Sue shook her head. “That’s not enough?”
Her mom leaned forward. “It’s Bill, isn’t it?”
Sue hugged her knees tighter and lied. “Who’s Bill?”
“He’s my boyfriend, and you know it.” Her mom hesitated. “You don’t like him, do you?”
“I don’t know anything about him.” Other than he’s an Elvis freak and you’re bumping uglies with him.
“You think I’m too old to date?”
Sue looked up. “I think you’re too old for…” Sue lost her nerve and simply stared at her mom’s cleavage.
Wide-eyed, her mom glanced down at her breasts and gave them a two-handed lift. “You think I’m showing too much?” she asked.
“Maybe a little. Don’t get me wrong. They look great. But you’re not young enough to show the merchandise.”
Her mom continued to stare at her boobs. “That’s the problem. I feel young. I know I’m not.” She blinked and considered her next words. “But for the first time in years, I feel as if I actually have a life. I feel sexy, and…” She lowered her voice. “Did you know it’s possible for a woman to come twice?”
Sue’s mouth dropped open. “Stop. Stop right there, Mom. I’m sorry, but I just can’t talk to you about multiple orgasms.”
“Why not?” her mom asked.
“Because…”
Her mom’s eyes tightened. “Do you think I’m being disloyal to your dad?”
Sue couldn’t lie. “I shouldn’t feel that way, but yeah, it sort of feels like that.”
“I loved him, Susie,” her mom said. “But, he’s gone. Been gone for years.”
Yeah, people could just come and go in your life. People you trusted to always be there. Her father. Collin. And then there were the people you couldn’t even trust. People like Jason. People who may or may not call you.
Sue held up her hand. “You don’t have to explain. I said I know I shouldn’t feel that way. But I still don’t want to hear about it or talk about sex with you.”
“Why?”
Sue rolled her eyes. “It’s gross!”
A smile widened her mom’s mouth. “Sex is gross any way you look at it. It involves bodily fluids, and anything involving bodily fluids is gross. Take blowing your nose—”
“Stop! Do not compare blowing your nose to having sex. Anyway, I’m not even supposed to know you do it.”
“Everyone does it,” her mom said.
“Not everyone,” she wanted to say. She didn’t.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll bet it’s in some ancient rule book. Oh heck, I’ll bet it was the eleventh commandment and just got chipped off. Thou shalt not tell your children you have sex.”
Her mom’s brow pinched. “You’re not getting any, are you?”
Sue gritted her teeth. “The twelfth commandment that also got chipped off is, Children, thou shalt not tell your parents when you have sex.”
“Fine.” Her mom sighed. “We won’t talk about sex. But we do have to talk.” She cupped her hands together. “You got any Merlot?”
Sue sat up straighter. “You can’t drink. I can’t drive you home and—”
“It’s not for me.” A frown appeared on her mother’s face. “I promised Bill that I ‘d cut back on the wine. It’s for you.”
“For me?” Sue asked.
“You might need it after hearing my news.”
“Which size?” the salesclerk asked.
Jason leaned against the counter. “Large or extra large.” Jason had heard that, if given a choice, some women would choose chocolate over sex, so why men bought them chocolate had always been a mystery. He’d never given a woman chocolate before. Frankly, he hadn’t had to sweeten the pot. He usually got what he wanted on charm alone.
Until now. Sue seemed immune to his charm. But she liked chocolate, and he had thrown away the ones Fritz had bought her, so…
The clerk pointed to several boxes. “Large, extra large…”
“Extra large.” Jason dropped two twenties on the counter. Inhaling, he found the scent of chocolate teased his empty stomach. He hoped Sue was ready to go grab a bite to eat when he got home. He’d barely eaten all day.
The clerk pointed to the biggest box and raised an eyebrow.
“That’s fine.”
Jason looked at his watch. Almost six. He’d only planned to be away a few hours but had been gone all day. He’d called Danny five or six—okay, ten—times, but he hadn’t spoken to Sue.
Maybe on some level he’d done it on purpose, thinking the time apart would make him want her less. It hadn’t worked. And his meeting with Mr. GQ Fritz had only made things worse. Still dealing with the fact that Sue had probably slept with the foot doctor, now he had to chew on the fact that another man had set his sights on her. And Benny Fritz had a determined air. Jason felt damn certain that as long as he was around, Fritz couldn’t win Sue’s affections. But whenever they were no longer an item, she’d probably fall for the guy. Fritz and Sue shared the same career, and they helped each other with their writing—something Sue didn’t want Jason to do. Which explained why Jason hoped Benny turned out to be the stalker. Oh yeah, he wanted to keep Fritz away from her permanently.
“Any special type?” The salesclerk motioned to the display case.
“A mixture,” Jason said and wondered why in hell he was thinking about ending things with Sue when he hadn’t even gotten started. So what if he wasn’t Mr. Long-Term Commitment? They could be different. Hell, he could even see himself enjoying Christmas with her, them decorating a tree together, having one of those real relationships that he’d really never had. The kind that lasted more than a year.
“That’ll be a hundred-thirty-six and forty-two cents,” the clerk said.
Jason shook his head. “What?”
She repeated the amount.
“For chocolate?”
The woman’s smile thinned. “It’s Godiva.”
“Do you know how many Snickers I can buy with a hundred and thirty-six bucks?”
She grinned. “Snickers won’t impress a woman.”
Jason pulled out his credit card. “I’d better get laid,” he muttered.
The woman just chuckled.
The idea of Christmas returned to him. The idea of actually putting up stockings, of having someone to share Christmas with had his chest feeling full. Yeah, he still heard the voice of warning—Jason Dodd didn’t do holidays—but he was too tired of listening to warnings to pay it any heed. Still, as he watched her scan his card, Jason decided one thing for sure: If this chocolate wasn’t the best crap he’d ever eaten, Sue was getting Snickers in her stocking.
Jason’s phone vibrated in his
back pocket as the clerk handed him the bag. He flipped it open, one-handed. “Yeah?”
“Dodd, it’s Peters. I don’t have to tell you this, but I thought you might like to know. The foot doctor came to about an hour ago. We know who shot him.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jason stood on Sue’s porch and half expected Danny to jerk open the door. Danny didn’t. Then he heard voices and…laughter.
“Oh,” Sue squealed. “Do it again.”
Danny’s laugh came next. “No, you do it.”
Just freaking fantastic. Instead of watching out for intruders, Danny was…
“Push it in,” Danny said. “Now pull it out.”
Just what the hell was Danny doing? Jason fit his key in the lock and pushed open the door. Danny was…playing the Nintendo Wii. Sue had a remote control in her hand. Danny sat beside her on the floor.
Pulling out the door key, Jason set his bag with the chocolates just inside. He spotted a pizza box on the coffee table, along with a couple of beer bottles.
“Hey,” Danny said, never taking his eyes off Sue.
“So if I ‘d been the stalker, were you going to invite me in for a beer?”
Danny pointed to the window. “I saw your car pull up. I recognized your Mustang.”
Jason recognized something, too. How close Danny sat next to Sue. He also noticed that Sue only gave him a quick glance before she refocused on the television screen. He didn’t know what he expected from her, but hell, after spending over a hundred dollars on chocolate for the woman, he would hope she might be able to look him in the eyes.
His stomach growled at the smell of pizza. He walked over and flipped the lid of the box. Empty. His gaze moved back to Sue, who was wearing jeans that hugged every curve and a red tank top that outlined her breasts and even gave a hint of cleavage.
Danny must have read some of Jason’s mood and stood up. “Well, I ‘d better leave.” He smiled at Sue. “It’s been fun.”
Sue rose, too. “Thanks for babysitting me, and for the advice about that scene.”
Jason inwardly flinched.
Danny started outside, and Jason walked with him. “Any more calls?” he asked, trying to hide his unfamiliar possessive feelings.
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