Romance on Mountain View Road by Sheila Roberts Page A

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.
    â€œMay 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.”
    â€œThank you,” Vanessa said.
    â€œAnd you have a new book out.”
    â€œYes, I do. A Fire in Winter just hit the stands last week.”
    â€œSo, what can readers expect from this latest Vanessa Valentine novel?” Lissa asked.
    â€œFirst 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?”
    â€œMy readers are predominantly women, but men read my books, too,” Vanessa replied.
    â€œSee?” 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?”
    â€œYes. 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.”
    â€œNow, 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.
    â€œYou make a pretty good case,” Scott said. “I think I may have to come to your book signing.”
    â€œI think so, too,” Vanessa said, still smiling.
    â€œVanessa 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.”
    â€œAnd 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