you’re up for company?”
“I would appreciate the distraction. Just ignore the soft whimpers.”
“Would ice cream help?”
She sighed. “Actually, it would help a lot.”
“I’m on my way.”
RENEE SPENT THE time between the phone call and Jasper’s arrival alternating between wanting to see him and wishing she’d told him tonight wasn’t going to work for her. She just plain didn’t feel good and she wasn’t sure trying to make polite conversation was going to go well. Only the second she opened her front door and saw him standing outside her apartment, she had the strongest urge to throw herself into his arms and be held in a strong, powerful, I’m here for you hug.
What was up with that? she wondered as she stepped back to let him in. Her hormones must be more out of whack than she’d realized.
“Hi,” Jasper said, holding up a small white bag. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I brought three different flavors.”
“That’s very thoughtful. Thank you.”
He stepped inside and shut the door. She peeked in the bag and saw there where three containers of different flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
“Cherry Garcia is my favorite,” she said, pulling out the pint. “What would you like?”
“The cookie dough one.”
She got out bowls and served them each a generous portion, then led the way to the sofa. She curled up in the corner by where she’d plugged in her heating pad. It wasn’t glamorous, but when the cramps got bad, the heat helped. Right now she was only dealing with a low ache, but that could change at any moment.
He sat at the opposite end and angled toward her. “You really up to this?” he asked. “I could just eat my ice cream and leave.”
She grinned. “I notice you’re not willing to abandon your ice cream.”
“I can if that would make you feel better.”
“Sweet, but not necessary. So you watched the movies. What did you think?”
He took his time answering, as if considering his words. He was so large, so masculine, that he seemed out of place. She’d never thought of her apartment as girly, but with him sitting on her gray sofa, with all the throw pillows, and the pale mauve walls, she had to admit, the space had a decidedly feminine air.
Funny how last time she’d been so intent on getting him into her bed, and into her, that she hadn’t noticed the absence of maleness.
“I liked nearly all the movies I watched,” he said. “Juno was great. I never thought about what it must be like for a girl in high school to have to deal with a pregnancy. It’s not easy.”
He put down his ice cream and gazed at her intently. “Steel Magnolias was unexpected. Not what happened with Shelby but how the characters impacted the story. The guys were in the background while the women carried the plot.”
She smiled. “Now you know how we feel a lot of the time.”
“I can see that. I watched Gilmore Girls.”
“The series?”
“I started with the one that covers a year in their life and then went back and watched a couple of seasons.”
He was determined to figure out his female character, she thought, impressed by the time he was willing to put into his project.
“What did you think?”
He picked up his ice cream again. “I was confused. What happened to Rory? In the original series, she was strong and driven. In the later one, she had no direction. She was a character who always overprepared so to show up at that interview with nothing didn’t make sense. That’s not who her character was. And the ending.” He shook his head. “If I did something like that, my readers would hunt me down. Actually they wouldn’t have to. My editor would have already killed me.”
He sounded passionate and engaged in the characters. “Did you like it or not?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I was unsatisfied but I can’t stop thinking about it. So there’s a lesson in that. Plus, I liked how strong the women were in the movies. It’s like in my books. The stronger the villain, the stronger the hero has to be to defeat him.”
“Or her.”
He sighed. “Yes, or her. Although statistically, there are very few serial killers who are women.”
“That’s because they don’t get caught.”
He flashed her a grin. “Touché.”
“Thank you. So you’re thinking a strong woman for Vidar?”
“I think that would work best with him. Not a cop. If she was on the force, he would have met her already. And a transfer seems too convenient. Not that it matters—I don’t like the idea of a work relationship. He wouldn’t do that.”
“What about someone he meets locally? He goes to that coffee shop by his apartment,” she said, trying to think of who else Vidar ran into regularly in the books. “She could work there, or have just moved to the neighborhood. They could accidentally grab each other’s to-go cups.”
Jasper looked surprised. “You’ve read my books?”
She laughed. “Of course I’ve read your books. You’re a local author and the only writer I’ve ever met. Why wouldn’t I read your books?”
“I didn’t know.”
He sounded both sheepish and pleased, which oddly enough made her feel a little teary, which was craziness on a stick. Hormones, she thought again. They were powerful little creatures.
He cleared his throat. “I like the idea of someone local. She works in an office, she’s a dog walker.”
“I don’t see Vidar as a real dog kind of guy. He’s too focused on what he does. I’m not sure he’d be a good pet parent.”
“He could do it. He just hasn’t had a chance.”
Her lips twitched. “You’re defending someone who doesn’t exist?”
“Yes. He’s my guy.”
“Fine. He could love dogs.” She held in a smile. “Or cats. What if he meets a crazy cat lady?”
“No. Definitely no.”
“What about just one cat? I’ve always wanted a cat. They’re so beautiful.”
“No on the cat.”
She
