Ninja Soccer Moms Read Online Free PDF Page A

quirked up. “Yeah?”
    â€œStop that,” I whispered, knowing full well that Blaine sat four feet away listening to every word. “I can’t believe you dropped your mother on me like that!”
    â€œI thought you’d want to meet her.” He arched a single eyebrow. I’d only seen him use that look on me. It usually meant, What the hell are you talking about? Or, what the hell have you done now?
    â€œRight. Every woman wants to meet her boyfriend’s mother looking like a biker chick.”
    A lazy grin rolled over his face.
    â€œGo away. Just go away.” I could not believe he didn’t get it.
    He reached out, cupping his large hands around my bare shoulders. “Why don’t we change the subject and you tell me what that phone call in your office was about?”
    Every once in a while, I underestimated Gabe Pulizzi. He’d been a street cop in Los Angeles until a couple of bank robbers decided to start shooting citizens and Gabe caught a bullet in his knee. He’d retired and moved out to Lake Elsinore, opening Pulizzi’s Security and Investigating Services. Gabe moved in a dangerous world with the ease of James Bond.
    I sort of tumbled into trouble going grocery shopping.
    I should have known that Gabe caught every word I said to Chad on the phone in my office. His radar told him something was going on. “That was Chad Tuggle. His ex-wife asked me to check into something so I went to his office today. He apparently got the wrong idea.”
    â€œThat happens to you a lot.”
    Blaine snorted.
    I turned to glare at my assistant, but he busied himself rearranging the clipboard interview sheets we used for new clients. Looking back at Gabe, I gave in and told him the whole story.
    His gaze riveted on me while one hand rubbed a bare shoulder. “You want to do this, babe?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAll right. But you report to me, got it? If this guy really is embezzling, he could be dangerous. You be careful.”
    That easy? It took my breath away how much Gabe believed in me. “Okay. But Gabe, I’ve known Chad for years. He’s not dangerous.”
    â€œYou weren’t looking for anything that might threaten him then, Sam. Now you are.”
    Touché. “I see your point. Okay, I’ll be careful.”
    His mouth curved, and he lifted a hand off my shoulder to touch my hair. “So that’s whipped cream in your hair, huh? Only you could make it look sexy.” He leaned down and kissed me. “Later.”
    I stood there watching him walk out of Heart Mates and to his truck where his mother waited. Did his mother know that I was five years older than Gabe, and had two sons? What would she think of that? And worse, what the heck was a thirty-something professional woman doing worrying about what her boyfriend’s mother thinks?
    â€œBoss, you have a client waiting.”
    I turned and looked at Blaine. “Right. I just have to make a quick call.” I ran into my office and picked up the phone. While dialing Janie’s phone number, I searched the top of my desk and found Roxy’s file.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œJanie, it’s good you’re home. I went to Chad’s office and got the disk. When would be a good time to take a look at it?”
    â€œYou did it? Okay, well, I have to run back to work now, but how about after school? I’ll get Mark and Kelly to their practices, then come by your house at four-thirty. How’s that?”
    â€œFour-thirty at my house is fine. See you then.” I hung up and rushed back out to the reception room.
    Blaine held out two filled coffee cups and a couple of packages of fake sweetener for Roxy. “What are you going to do about Roxanne?”
    I took a sip of one of the coffees and pulled my thoughts together. Roxy was a full-sized beauty. A couple of years ago she got tired of the whole diet thing. She made herself over with regular workouts,