“It’s important to you,” Parker observed. “So it’s important to me too.”
Clarissa smiled and said nothing.
“So I heard through the grapevine that Ted has the best lawyer in the state representing him.” Parker thought for a moment and then added, “I know he gave a full confession and wants to take responsibility for what he did. But in a way, I hope he doesn’t get the book thrown at him.”
“Same here,” Clarissa agreed. “I want him to pay for what he did…it’s only right. But at the same time, I don’t think he’s a cold-blooded killer. He’s just an everyday guy who made a very, very bad decision. I guess his fate is in the criminal justice system’s hands now, huh?”
“It is,” Parker nodded.
They walked out into the sunlight. It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day – but it was still November in Minnesota. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she spotted a couple of snowflakes in the air, sparkling as they drifted down to earth and melted on the pavement.
She shivered as a cool breeze tousled her hair.
“Are you cold?” Parker asked, immediately noticing. “Want my sweatshirt?”
“No thanks, I’m fine,” Clarissa assured him as she zipped up her jacket.
“We’re lucky it’s so nice out,” Parker observed. “Normally we’d have snow by now.”
“It probably won’t be much longer,” she predicted. “I’m not a big fan of winter, but there’s something so pretty about the first snowfall of the season. It makes everything look clean and fresh and sparkly.”
“Plus it means we can build a snowman.”
“Oh we can, huh?”
He nodded. “My sister and I used to build snowmen as kids. And snow forts, too! I happen to make the best snow forts ever, if I do say so myself. Mark my words: you will be impressed.”
She grinned. “If you say so,” she replied.
“It looks like the clouds are breaking up,” Parker observed as he glanced skyward. “That’s good. When I was driving in from the city this morning it looked like it could rain – or snow. But I guess it was a false alarm.”
“I think it’s warming up, too. Once I get busy working in the yard I’ll probably be too hot!” she predicted as they got into his car.
“Same here,” Parker agreed.
She looked over at him with concern. “You’re okay going up on the roof, right? You know what you’re doing up there? I don’t want you falling and getting hurt.”
“Relax,” he chuckled. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’d better be.”
“Or else what?” he teased.
“Or else I’ll hurt you,” she threatened, glaring at him menacingly.
“That makes perfect sense!” he chortled.
“Shh,” she hushed him. “Your logic has no place in this discussion.”
“Yes ma’am,” he grinned, giving her a mock salute.
As they drove down Main Street, Clarissa spotted Liana’s car. Then she spotted Liana on the sidewalk a few feet away. She was walking purposefully toward the coffee shop with her pink laptop tucked under her arm.
Clarissa pointed Liana out to Parker. He promptly slowed down and honked the horn.
Liana waved and then did a double take. She gave Clarissa a sly, knowing grin when she saw that she was with Parker. Liana had been convinced that the two reporters were perfect for each other right from the beginning.
Even when Clarissa had despised Parker, Liana had been pushing for them to be together.
As annoying as it was to admit, perhaps Liana had been right.
Lately it seemed like all Clarissa could think about – in between solving murders and writing newspaper articles – was Parker Tweed. She would frequently catch herself wondering what he was doing and jealously wondering if he was going out on dates in his spare time.
“You look serious,” Parker observed, sneaking a peek at Clarissa.
“Do I?”
“Yeah…what were you thinking about just now?” he asked curiously.
Clarissa froze, wide-eyed.
There was no way she could tell him what she had actually been thinking without sounding like an obsessive psychopath with a massive crush. She had to come up with a harmless little white lie – and fast!
She racked her brain, and blurted out the first thing that popped into her head.
“My broom,” she told him. “I was thinking about, er…sweeping.”
“Ah. Serious business,” he observed with a straight face.
“You’ve got that right.”
They were quiet for a few minutes as they drove toward the Klassen residence.
Then Parker cleared his throat.
He looked over and caught Clarissa’s eye.
“Do you like movies?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. What kind of a question was that? Didn’t everybody like movies?
“Sure,” she told him. “I like movies.”
“What do you say we treat ourselves to one tonight?” he suggested. “I figure by the time we get done with the chores at Mrs. Klassen’s house, we’ll be exhausted and sore. Zoning out and staring blankly at a screen seems like a good way to spend the evening, no?”
She giggled. “Are you asking me out?” she teased.
He reddened a bit but recovered quickly. “Maybe I am,” he shot back.
“What movie are we going to?” she asked, feeling her cheeks flush a bit.
“Your pick,” he told her. “We’ll go see anything you want.”
“I’m going to pick a sappy chick flick,” she cautioned with a devilish gleam in her eye.
“What if I like sappy chick flicks?” he retorted.
“Do you?”
“Well…no,” he admitted. “But if you’ve got your heart set on one, I can pretend.”
Clarissa was oddly touched by that. “I don’t have my heart set on a chick flick,” she told him, no longer interested in petty banter and idle threats. “I’m sure we can find something we both want to see. Maybe a comedy would be nice?”
He nodded. “I love comedies.”
“Me too,” she smiled. “Me too.”
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A Hint of Magic Page 17
