Free The Blonde Before Christmas: a Barb Jackson Mysteries holiday short story by Anna Snow Page B

enjoys more than spending time with her family and friends. She loves archery, reading, kitties, spending time outdoors, and did I mention kitties? *Big grin* Anna also loves to hear from her fans and answers all correspondence she receives.
     
    To learn more about Anna Snow, visit her online at: http://www.annasnow.info
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BOOKS BY ANNA SNOW
     
    Barb Jackson Mysteries :
    Blondes' Night Out (short story in the Killer Beach Reads collection)
    The Blonde Before Christmas (holiday short story)
    Bubblegum Blonde
     
    Other works:
    Torque
    All the Glittering Bones
    Haunted Haven
    My Sinful Valentine
    Sinfully Delicious
    Killer Kisses
    Reluctant Angel
    Guarding Eden
    The Stranger Next Door
    Tumbleweeds
     
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SNEAK PEEK
     
    If you enjoyed this Barb Jackson Mysteries short story, check out this sneak peek of the first full-length Barb Jackson Mystery
     
    BUBBLEGUM BLONDE
     
    by
     
    ANNA SNOW
     
    CHAPTER ONE
     
    It's entirely possible to have both boobs and a brain.
    It's not like I'm walking, talking, sex-on-a-stick or anything, because really, I'm not. I'm just your typical, barely five-feet tall, a-little-too-curvy (due to my love of caramel macchiatos and pizza) girl next door. But for some reason, a blonde woman with a little extra in the chest area tends to throw off the opposite sex, especially when I mention that I'm a private investigator.
    When I opened Jackson Investigations I never imagined how judgmental some people could be.
    My PI firm wasn't a big affair like some of the other firms in town. I'd just finished my training and dumped a cheating ex when I opened the office. Financially, I was still a guppy in a tank full of sharks. But my company was slowly growing.
    As far as employees went, my besties, Kelly and Mandy, were it. Mandy acted as receptionist and assistant, while Kelly worked cases with me. She'd often go undercover to bust a cheating spouse without a second thought.
    We'd been hard at work trying to make a name for the company for close to three years now, but so far the only cases we'd been trusted with were your run-of-the-mill cheaters. Still, I couldn't complain. These clients might not be high profile or bring in bank, but they paid the bills…barely.
    Despite only making just enough to pay the light bill, I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world. I loved what I did, even if it meant eating ramen noodles a few nights a week.
    A knock sounded. Then my office door opened a few inches.
    "Barb, there's someone here to see you."
    I glanced up from the screen I'd been staring at for what felt like a century and spotted Kelly closing the office door behind her. Kelly was loud, sarcastic, and wonderful. She was a great girl and my all-time best friend. We'd met when I first opened the business three years ago and over the years had become so close an industrial-sized crowbar couldn't pry us apart. She was brilliant, witty, and didn't take crap from anyone.
    I wanted to be Kelly when I grew up.
    Kelly was tall and thin, sported a number of tattoos, loved the color black, and was amazingly pretty with her own set of full lips, high cheekbones, and short black hair.
    She had men falling at her feet, while I stared at my feet when confronted by a handsome man. She was the polar opposite of my petite, slightly round, blonde self. But the physical differences never mattered to us.
    We were sistahs from anotha mistah .
    Her words, not mine.
    "Who is it?" I blinked my eyes in an attempt to bring the room around me back into focus. Watching a surveillance camera did a number on a sleep-deprived person's eyes. At the moment I wondered if I'd ever get my vision back to normal.
    I blinked and then rubbed my palms against my closed eyes.
    "How should I know? I'm not Miss Cleo." Kelly shrugged with one palm pointed toward the sky.
    Did I happen to mention that Kelly took sarcasm to a whole new level?
    I slowly opened my eyes and cocked a brow at her.
    "He said his name is Jason