Night Smoke Read Online Free PDF

reputation for being abrasive, aggressive and annoying.”
    “That’s better.”
    “And for having the nose of a bloodhound, the eyes of a hawk and the tenacity of a pit bull. He keeps digging and digging until he finds the answers. I’ve never had to use him in court, but I asked around. You can’t shake him on the stand. He’s smart. He writes everything down. Everything. And he remembers it. He’s thirty-six, divorced. He’s a team player who prefers to work alone.”
    “I suppose it should make me feel better, knowing I’m in competent hands.” Natalie moved her shoulders restlessly. “But it doesn’t. I appreciate the profile.”
    “No problem,” Deborah began, then broke off when the sound of crying came through the baby monitor beside her. “Sounds like the boss is awake. No, I’ll go,” she said when Gage got to his feet. “She just wants company.”
    “Am I going to get a peek?” Natalie asked.
    “Sure, come on.”
    “I’ll tell Frank to hold dinner until you’re done.” With a frown in his eyes, Gage watched Natalie head upstairs with his wife.
    “You know,” Natalie said as they started up to the nursery, “you look fabulous. I don’t see how you manage it all. A demanding career, a dynamic husband and all the social obligations that go with him, and the adorable Adrianna.”
    “I could tell you it’s all a matter of time management and prioritizing.” With a grin, Deborah opened the door of the nursery. “But what it really comes down to is passion. For the job, for Gage, for our Addy. There’s nothing you can’t have, if you’re passionate about it.”
    The nursery was a symphony of color. Murals on the ceiling told stories of princesses and magichorses. Primary tones brightened the walls and bled into rainbows. With her hands gripped on the rail of her Jenny Lind crib, legs wobbling, ten-month-old Addy pouted, oblivious of the ambiance.
    “Oh, sweetie.” Deborah reached down, picked her up to nuzzle. “Here you are, all wet and lonely.”
    The pout transformed into a beaming, satisfied smile. “Mama.”
    Natalie watched while Deborah laid Addy on the changing table.
    “She’s prettier every time I see her.” Gently she brushed at the dark thatch of hair on the baby’s head. Pleased with the attention, Addy kicked her feet and began to babble.
    “We’re thinking about having another.”
    “Another?” Natalie blinked into Deborah’s glowing face. “Already?”
    “Well, it’s still in the what-if stage. But we’d really like to have three.” She pressed a kiss to the soft curve of Addy’s neck, chuckling when she tugged on her hair. “I just love being a mother.”
    “It shows. Can I?” Once the fresh diaper was in place, Natalie lifted the baby.
    There was envy, she discovered, for this small miracle who curved so perfectly into her arms.
    *  *  *
    Two days later, Natalie was at her desk, a headache drumming behind her eyes. She didn’t mind it. The incessant throbbing pushed her forward.
    “If the mechanic can’t repair the machines, get new ones. I want every seamstress on-line. No, tomorrow afternoon won’t do.” She tapped a pen on the edge of her desk, shifted the phone from ear to ear. “Today. I’ll be in myself by one to check on the new stock. I know it’s a madhouse. Let’s keep it that way.”
    She hung up and looked at her three associates. “Donald?”
    He skimmed a hand over his burnished hair. “The first ad runs in the
Times
on Saturday. Full-page, three-color. The ad, with necessary variations, will be running in the other cities simultaneously.”
    “The changes I wanted?”
    “Implemented. Catalogs shipped today. They look fabulous.”
    “Yes, they do.” Pleased, Natalie glanced down at the glossy catalog on her desk. “Melvin?”
    As was his habit, Melvin Glasky slipped off his rimless glasses, polishing them as he spoke. He was in his midfifties, addicted to bow ties and golf. He was thin of frame and pink of cheek,