Undercover Fiance. Sheryl Lynn

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СКАЧАТЬ Creek postmark. After that the postmarks came from small towns like Woodland Park, Midland and Florrisant—all within easy driving distance of Elk River. None of the letters in June or beyond bore a Colorado Springs postmark. By September half the envelopes lacked a postmark. In December, only two letters bore a postmark. None in January had one.

      J.T. grunted. “Hand delivering mail. That’s not good.”

      “According to the maps, the lands surrounding the resort are either Bureau of Land Management or national forest. I’m betting this joker lives at Elk River.” Daniel hadn’t read all the letters, but what he had read told him Pinky considered Janine his personal property and he was getting frustrated with a one-sided relationship. “Why is she so insistent about keeping it hush-hush?”

      “I couldn’t tell you.” J.T. made a musing noise. “Except she’s the independent type. Frankie calls her Wonder Woman.” He picked up a pink envelope. “This has been going on for a year?”

      “Yep. I’m putting an end to it, if she’ll let me. What’s her soft spot?”

      “What do you have in mind?”

      At the man’s suspicious tone, Daniel’s grin widened. J.T. was as staunchly loyal as a Buckingham Palace guard, but Janine was his cousin-in-law and he’d die to protect his family. “Not what you’re thinking, my man. My intentions are pure.” Sort of. “Her situation calls for some serious intervention, but I get the impression she isn’t enamored about the way I do business.”

      J.T. took his time answering. “Soft spots and Janine don’t mesh.”

      Daniel scanned the paragraph that threatened her father. “How close is she to her old man?”

      “The colonel?” J.T. blew a long breath. “As far as she’s concerned, he can do no wrong. From what I’ve seen, the feeling is mutual.”

      Interesting.

      Daniel tossed out ideas about how to handle Pinky. J.T.’s background in personal security and experience as a bodyguard made his suggestions sound.

      As J.T. was leaving, Daniel asked, “So, Janine is available?”

      The big man turned his head to look over his shoulder. “If you mean, is she single, then yes. But available, probably not.”

      “Meaning?”

      “Meaning, she doesn’t take crap off anybody.” A slow grin brightened his face. “And you, my friend, are full of crap.”

      

      BY THE NEXT EVENING, when Daniel parked at the Alpine restaurant in Woodland Park, he knew without a doubt that Janine Duke desperately needed his help. He stepped out of his Tahoe. He inhaled deeply the crisp mountain air. Patches of snow marked the edges of the parking lot. He eyeballed the distance between his vehicle and the car next to it. He’d picked up the Tahoe from the dealer a few days ago, and wanted no dings or scratches on its pristine paint job.

      At the restaurant door he glimpsed his reflection in the glass. He stroked a hand over the side of his hair and adjusted his tie. One real benefit of winning the Lotto had been discovering how great he looked in an Armani suit.

      Inside, he spotted Janine. Seated at a window table, she stared at the traffic on Highway 24, or perhaps at the mountains beyond.

      Janine spotted Daniel’s reflection in the window glass. Her breath caught. In a dark gray, double-breasted suit cut to emphasize his broad shoulders and narrow waist, he was even better looking than she remembered, and a fluttery sensation rose in her chest.

      A mistake, she thought. She shouldn’t be asking for help from a stranger. Pinky hadn’t sent a letter today. What was the big deal about letters, anyway? For the most part the letters, cards and gifts were innocuous. As disconcerting as it was to have a secret admirer, she could live with it.

      Daniel met her gaze in the window glass. She tried to ignore the fluttering that now touched her belly. “You’re late,” she said.

      “I’m right on time. You’re early.” He sat and picked up a menu.

      Subdued purples and blues in his tie complemented his bronze-on-bronze hair and skin. The sculpted lines of his jaw and neck hinted at a physique in its prime. She raised a menu, blocking the view. Pinky’s untoward pursuit of her or her untoward awareness of Daniel Tucker—she couldn’t decide which was worse. “Where are my letters?”

      “I left the bag in the truck.”

      An ivory-colored turtleneck sweater set off her rich coloring. Her hair glimmered by candlelight with golds, reds and copper. No way was he going to give in to the natural urge to tell her how gorgeous she looked. Her situation was far too serious.

      “Have you ordered yet?” he asked. “Would you care for a drink? They have a nice wine list.”

      “No, thank you. What did you think of the letters and tapes?”

      “Are you aware that Pinky is one of your employees? Or else he’s living in the air ducts at the lodge.”

      She closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her forehead. “I knew you were going to say that.”

      A server interrupted them. She recited the evening specials and asked if they’d like an appetizer. Daniel ordered calamari, consulted briefly with Janine, then ordered the venison scallopini special for them both.

      He cocked his head. “You didn’t mention the possibility of Pinky living at the resort. Testing me?”

      “Certainly not.” Her genuinely troubled expression made him contrite. “I had hoped I was wrong.”

      “You have no idea who he is? No suspicions whatsoever?”

      She shook her head. “It must be somebody I hired this year, but that’s more than twenty people. I check references though. I haven’t hired any criminals.”

      “Pinky might not be a criminal—yet. But he is unbalanced, and he has a serious grudge against your father.” He plucked a bread stick out of a basket and used it to emphasize his point. “Pinky has decided your father is the reason the two of you can’t be together. The anniversary party is throwing fuel on the fire.”

      “I won’t cancel the party. It’s too important.”

      “I’ve come up with a plan to distract him from obsessing about your father and maybe flush him out into the open.”

      She sipped from a water goblet. Violets, he thought. Her eyes were the exact shade of blue as African violets. Incredible.

      “Do you have a significant other?” he asked. He hoped not.

      “I have a gentleman friend. Elliot Damsen.”

      He arched an eyebrow. “Gentleman friend?” He was confused. Nothing in Pinky’s correspondence indicated he felt threatened by Janine’s romantic liaisons. “How friendly?”

      “We meet in Colorado Springs whenever our schedules coincide. We share season tickets to the symphony.”

      “Is СКАЧАТЬ