Clandestine Christmas. Elle James
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Название: Clandestine Christmas
Автор: Elle James
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Зарубежные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474005593
isbn:
“That’s good to know. If you hadn’t come along when you did, no telling what the driver of that SUV might have done next.” He held out his hand. “Anyway. Thank you for saving Sadie. She’s a good friend.”
When Kate clasped the man’s hand an electrical charge zipped up her arms and into her chest. “I’m just glad I decided to push on, rather than stopping back in Albuquerque.”
“Where are you headed?”
She nodded toward the Lucky Lady Saloon, stomping her feet to keep warm. “I’m hoping to find a room at the Lucky Lady tonight. I have a reservation for tomorrow night, but, like I said, I decided to drive through instead of stopping.”
The man’s brows dipped. “Are you here on vacation?”
She glanced around at the Christmas lights and decorations on the buildings and streetlamps. “Though it’s a pretty little town, from what I can see in the dark, I’m here on business.”
“Meeting anyone I might know?”
She shrugged, not sure she wanted to share information with him. Kate figured she’d better jump into her role, the sooner the better. “I’m auditioning for a singing position on the stage at the Lucky Lady Saloon.” Her hand still warmly clasped in his could feel the instant tightening of his fingers.
“Auditioning for who?”
Never having sung on stage in her life, she figured, performers had to be personable and outgoing to attract a crowd. She forced a friendly smile when she’d rather be on her way to her room, a warm blanket and a recharging night of sleep. “I’m meeting with the owner, a Mr. Marsden. Do you know him?”
“I do.” The man’s hand squeezed hers once and he let go, his face grim, his lips pressed tightly together. “What’s your name?”
“Kate Rivers,” she answered.
“Is your talent agent Hank Derringer?”
She nodded, her brows furrowing. How many people in Fool’s Fortune knew she was coming and that Hank Derringer had sent her? Immediately on guard, she sized up the man in front of her. He was tall, darkly handsome, with a face that could have been on the silver screen. “As a matter of fact, Hank is my agent.” Or rather, she was Hank’s secret agent. “Your name is Chase. It wouldn’t be—”
“Chase Marsden.” The man’s lip curled upward on one side, his blue eyes dancing with the reflection of the streetlights. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rivers.”
“Oh, dear.” Her heart fluttered and butterfly wings beat against the insides of her belly. She glanced around as the sheriff’s deputy jotted notes on an electronic pad. Kate lowered her voice. “I guess you needed...a singer more than I realized.”
“I wasn’t the one I was hiring you for. I wanted you to provide backup to Sadie. She’s the star.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Sadie, the woman on her way to the hospital as we speak?”
He nodded.
“I take it the situation has gotten a lot more dangerous than you’d originally let on.” She glanced around. “Looks as though I’m a day late.”
Chase had asked for Hank’s help in finding a woman who could blend in with Sadie’s everyday life.
The brown-haired, green-eyed woman standing in front of him was not what he had in mind for blending in with Sadie’s world. Her hair was pulled back in a low, no-nonsense ponytail at the nape of her neck and she wore little, if any, makeup around her brilliant green eyes fringed by thick, naturally dark lashes.
This woman intrigued him. What woman was gutsy enough to take on the job of bodyguard? Especially one who looked as if she could chew nails with her teeth and still have enough warmth in her heart to help a wounded animal. Kate was attractive in a girl-next-door way, not the typical female type Chase usually went for. But then, he’d never dated a woman longer than a month and usually was the one to break it off, finding them boring with only enough ambition to find the next great fashion statement to wear.
Chase tore his gaze away and asked, “Can you even sing?”
Her spine stiffened and she drew herself up to her full five feet eight inches. “I sing in the shower all the time.”
Chase glanced at the saloon and thought better of it. He wanted to get back to the ranch and check on Jake. “Skip the saloon. I know of a place you can stay and not put up with the noise of the bar.” He hooked her arm and started back across the street, sure to look for any oncoming, insane drivers before he took one stop off the sidewalk.
Kate dug her heels into the ground. “If it’s all the same to you, I don’t know you. You say you’re Chase Marsden, but for all I know, you’re someone else.”
Chase dug his wallet out of his back pocket, wincing at the sting of road burn on his palms. He flipped open the bifold and held up his driver’s license.
Kate leaned closer to read the printed name. “Okay, so you are Chase Marsden, the man Hank sent me to meet.”
“I’d take you back into the saloon and fill you in on everything that’s happened, but I really need to get back to the ranch and check on Jake.”
“Jake? That’s the name Sadie called out several times.”
“Jake is Sadie’s grandson. He’s with my housekeeper right now and I want to make sure whoever hit Sadie doesn’t head out to the ranch for Jake.”
“You think someone is targeting Sadie and the child?” Kate asked.
“I moved Sadie and Jake to Fool’s Fortune a couple weeks ago after their house burned down. They narrowly escaped.”
“Accident?”
Chase shook his head. “The fire chief of Leadville said it was arson. They didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I brought them to Fool’s Fortune.”
“Why would someone target Sadie and her grandson?”
“I wish I knew. Then I might have a clue as to who was doing it.”
“All right, we’ll have to do some digging to find out who might be targeting them. In the meantime, let’s get out to the ranch and check on the boy,” Kate said. “We can go in my truck, since it’s right here and you look a little worse for the wear, having been run over by a speeding SUV.”
Chase glanced at the big black truck. “That’s your truck?”
Kate shrugged. “Comes with the job when you go to work for Hank.”
“I don’t mind letting you drive.” He rubbed a hand through his hair and winced. “I must have hit my head harder than I thought.”
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