Christmas Stalking. Margaret Daley

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СКАЧАТЬ owner of Glamour Sensations and creator of both women’s and men’s fragrances. Not to mention her latest development—a line of antiaging products rumored to revolutionize the cosmetic industry. This had been a dream of Winnie and his granddad for fifteen years. Although his grandfather was dead, Winnie was close to completing their vision with the development of a cream that faded scars and lines as though they had never been there in the first place.

      Clean-shaven, Colt came into the kitchen to find his grandmother and her new assistant sitting at the table drinking mugs of coffee. “I thought you would be gone for your power walk by now, leaving me with the whole pot of coffee.”

      His grandmother glanced at the clock on the wall. “As usual, ten minutes late. Did I not tell you we would have to wait on him, Ellie?”

      The pretty assistant, dressed in a navy blue jogging suit with her long curly blond hair tamed into a ponytail, gave him a sugary sweet smile, a sparkle in her brown eyes. “I tried to talk her into leaving without you, but she insisted on waiting.”

      He made his way to his grandmother, kissed her cheek then headed for the pot to pour some coffee.

      “You won’t have time for that. I have a meeting with Harold at eight-thirty, and I’m sure he would want me to shower and change before we meet in the lab.” Winnie rose and took a last swallow from her mug before setting it on the table. “You can have some later.”

      “What if I walk off the side of the mountain because I fell asleep?” He put his empty cup on the counter.

      “Dear, if you manage to fall asleep while power walking with me, I’ll be surprised. Besides, we’re walking inside the fence. It would stop your fall.”

      “Your power walking is grueling.” Taking up the rear, he followed the two women out onto the wooden deck along the back of the redwood and glass house that sat in a meadow with a high fence around the premises.

      As though expecting Winnie at that time of the day, the three German shepherds sat near the door, their tails wagging. Rocket, the white one, barked his greeting.

      His grandmother stooped over and patted each one, saying, “I’ve got a treat for you later today. A juicy bone. I know how much you like that.”

      Lady, the only female, nudged his grandmother’s hand for more scratches behind the ear. Winnie laughed. “You always demand more attention than the boys here. They may be larger, but I have a feeling they do whatever you want.”

      Standing next to Ellie and watching the exchange between his grandmother and the guard dogs, Colt said, “My grandfather bought Rocket and Gabe to be company and guard the place seven years ago. He was very attached to them. Winnie went out and purchased Lady from the same trainer. She wanted female representation. They love staying outside, but whenever the weather gets bad, she brings them inside, even though they have a top-of-the-line dog structure.”

      “I’ve seen it. It isn’t your ordinary doghouse. I thought it might be a storage shed until I saw them going in and out.”

      “That’s because nothing is too good for her dogs. When Granddad died, Winnie took over all three dogs’ care with her caretaker’s help.”

      When she finished greeting each pet, Winnie went through some stretches. “Colt, I don’t want to hear any complaining on my walk. You’re in perfectly good shape.”

      “I don’t complain. I tease.”

      “I have a feeling you swim every day you have a chance on the job. Ellie, he can swim ten miles without tiring. Not to mention he can hold his breath underwater for two minutes. I think that’s from growing up here in the mountains. Great lung capacity.”

      His grandmother’s remark to her assistant slid his attention to the tall woman who lunged to the left then right. “So you’re into power walking, too?”

      Ellie brought her feet together, raised one leg behind her and clasped her ankle. “When I can get the chance, I usually jog, but I’ve been enjoying our early morning jaunts.”

      “Who did you work for before this?”

      Pausing, she stretched her other leg. “A small company,” she said finally.

      Winnie didn’t seem to notice the slight hesitation in Ellie’s reply, but he did. Was something going on? When he got back from his power walk, he would catch Harold before he talked with Winnie. He didn’t want to upset his grandmother unless there was a good reason, but who exactly was Ellie St. James? A woman who carried a gun and, based on last night, wasn’t afraid to use it.

      * * *

      “I’m glad I caught you before you talked with Winnie.” Ellie shut the library door after the lawyer entered.

      “Ah, I see you’ve made good progress with Winnie,” Harold Jefferson said. “She doesn’t usually have someone call her Winnie unless she likes you.”

      “I think that’s because she appreciated my attempt to protect her last night.”

      His eyebrows shot up. “Someone got in the house? Why didn’t you call me?”

      “Because it turned out to be her grandson.”

      His forehead wrinkled. “Colt’s here?”

      “Yes, for a few days. I thought he was an intruder and I pulled my gun on him in the upstairs hallway. Without her knowing why I’m here, she doesn’t understand why I would have a gun. It’s now sitting in her safe in her office. That ties my hands protecting her. She needs to be told.”

      “She will stress and shut down. She’s under a tight deadline with this new product she’s coming up with. That’s why I’m here to talk to her about the publicity campaign now that her former assistant, Christy, has agreed to be the new face for the company.”

      “The Winnie I’ve seen this past week is tough when she needs to be.”

      “It’s all a show. I’ve been through a lot with her. Years ago her company nearly fell apart because of her son’s death. Then she had a heart attack ten years ago, and we went through another rough patch. That was followed by her husband passing away five Christmases ago. Finally she’s close to going public with Glamour Sensations and offering stock as she brings out her new line, Endless Youth. She’s been working toward this for years. She feels she needs to fulfill her late husband’s vision for the business.”

      Ellie placed her hand on her waist, trying to control her frustration and impatience. “If she is dead, she won’t be able to fulfill his vision.”

      “That’s why you’re here. To keep her alive. The fewer people who know someone has sent her threats the better. She is the company. The brains and creative force behind it. We need the infusion of money to make a successful campaign for the new products in the spring that will lead up to the unveiling of the signature cream next Christmas.”

      “If the company is going public, don’t you have to disclose the threats?”

      “Yes. When we reach that part of the process, we’ll have to disclose the threats to the investment banker and lawyers. Fortunately, we have until right after Christmas to take care of the problem.”

      “I can’t protect СКАЧАТЬ