Daddy's Christmas Miracle: Santa in a Stetson

She laughed quietly. A husky kind of laugh that resonated inside him. “There’s nothing more terrifying than not knowing where your child is. Until you can hug her and kiss her, I know you won’t quite believe you have her back.”

Whoever this woman was, she could read minds. It gave him goose flesh. “Ms. McFarland?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Brenner. We’ll talk in the morning. Good night.”

She hung up first, leaving him dazed.

When he gathered his wits, he left the room and walked down the hall past the guest bedroom to Matt’s room. His son had fallen asleep, but after what they’d been through, he decided to wake him up.

“Matt?” he called softly to him.

He made a sound and turned toward him. “Is it time to go?”

Colt sat down on the side of the bed. “We don’t have to go anywhere. Your sister’s been found.” In the next few minutes, he told him about the phone call.

Matt reached over and hugged him. “Do you think I’ll catch it?”

He hadn’t seen that question coming. “I don’t know. Let’s not worry about that now. Go back to sleep.”

“They’re really going to fly her home?”

“That’s what the nurse said.”

“Whoa. Well, good night, Dad.” Matt laid back down and punched his pillow to get it in the right position.

Colt eyed his son for a moment. The biggest care on Matt’s mind now was whether he would come down with the virus. Would that the flu was all that plagued Colt. Unfortunately for him, this new knowledge was only the tip of an enormous iceberg.

After leaving Matt’s bedroom, he headed for his study again. He called both detectives and left messages that Allie had been found. Following that, he e-mailed the Wagners to tell them the good news. There was no one else to inform.

Wired and restless, he went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Caffeine was the last thing he needed, but it was the only drink he wanted.

His premonition that something was wrong with Allie had borne fruit. Two times he’d experienced this. Both times there’d been bad news. He dreaded the thought of it ever happening again. His heart might not be able to take it a third time.

Noreen was going to be surprised when another woman besides herself would be waiting on Allie. Colt had gotten the surprise of his life when a Ms. McFarland, rather than the detective, had phoned to let him know his daughter was in hospital. Sick, but safe.

The woman had sent an essence through the phone line he couldn’t describe. He had to confess that his curiosity had been aroused. For several reasons, he knew it would be a long time before tomorrow afternoon rolled around.

Colt wasn’t sure he could wait. If he talked to Allie in the morning and didn’t hear improvement, then he’d fly to Salt Lake with Matt as planned.

KATHRYN HAD SET her watch alarm for six-thirty. After she got up from the cot, she checked her patient’s vital signs. Everything looked good. Her temperature was down to ninety-nine. While Allie still slept, she stepped outside to use the restroom and freshen up. She ordered breakfast trays for both of them, then put on a new surgical mask.

As she reached the room, the E.R. doctor was just coming out. “She’s doing fine. Keep her on the IV until you’re ready to transport her.”

“I’ve arranged it for this afternoon.”

He nodded his approval before walking away.

Kathryn went back in the room. “Good morning.”

Allie looked happy to see her. “Hi.”

“The doctor said you’re coming right along. Let’s get you up to the bathroom, then you’ll feel even better.”

“I’ve never had to go so badly.”

“That’s what an IV does to you.” She raised the head of her bed, then helped her get up and walk to the bathroom while she rolled the IV stand. “Do you feel dizzy?”

“Not really.”

“Good, but I’m still going to stay right outside the door. If you start to feel funny, just tell me.”

“Okay.”

When Allie came out again, she said, “I feel ten pounds lighter.”

Kathryn laughed. “You probably are. Need help getting back to bed?”

“I don’t think so.”

To her relief, Allie made it without support. “Do you feel any nausea this morning?”

“No. I’m hungry.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She helped ease her back on the bed. “Our breakfast should be here in a minute. While we wait, why don’t you call your father. I promised him you would.”

“I’m afraid to.”

Kathryn made a face. “Afraid? Of the most wonderful father in the whole world?”

“By now I’m sure he knows I asked Jen to lie for me. I think Dad hates lies more than anything else.”

“But he loves you more than anything else, Allie. Once you tell him the reason behind this incident and let him know you’re sorry for not being honest with him, he’ll understand and love you all the more.” She pulled out the phone and pressed his number. “Here. It’s ringing.”

With reluctance Allie took the phone from her. Almost immediately she said, “Hi, Dad. It’s me.” Whatever he answered in response caused the tears to roll down her cheeks. “I miss you, too. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

Kathryn slipped out in the hall to give them privacy. The trays eventually arrived. She took them in the room and put them on the table that slid over the bed. Propping herself on the stool, Kathryn reached for hers and devoured her toast and eggs. In a few minutes, she heard Allie saying goodbye.

“I love you, too. Here she is.” She extended the phone to Kathryn. “Dad wants to talk to you.”

She took it from her and put her empty tray on the side table. “Good morning, Mr. Brenner.”

“It is now.” His voice sounded deeper.

“Are you grounded yet?” she teased.

He chuckled. “Almost. Like you said, it will take hugging her to convince me completely.”

“The doctor says she can go home. If all goes well, we should be in Bozeman by two.”

“That’s even earlier than I’d hoped.”

The man couldn’t wait to get his daughter back. “She can’t get home fast enough either. We’ll be coming in on a Cessna CJ2.”

“All the comforts of home for my daughter. I’m very grateful.”

“I’m thrilled she’s doing this well. Before we hang up, there is one thing. Allie stowed her backpack in one of the lockers at the bus depot, but the receipt with the access code for the computer was stolen along with her purse. I’m afraid you’re the only person who can authorize someone to open it.”

“I’ll take care of it right now and ask them to ship it back to us.”

“Hopefully by the time she’s ready to return to school, it will have arrived. See you in about six hours.”

“I’m counting down the time.”

The comment made her smile. She hung up.

“Katy?”

Bemused by his comment, she was slow to flick her gaze to Allie. “What is it?”

“I’m glad you’re going to be taking care of me.”

“You are?”

She nodded. “People die from the H1N1 virus.”

The poor thing had been so frightened to tell her father what she’d done, she was only now realizing the state of her health.

“Well, it’s not going to happen on my watch. While you graze the TV channels, I’m going to go home and pack a few things. Then I’ll be back. I expect your breakfast to be gone.”

“I want to eat.”

“Good. You know the button to press if you need a nurse to help you to the bathroom again. Can I get you anything else before I go?”

“No. Just hurry.”

“I promise.”

Nancy had gone off shift when Kathryn approached the desk. Sue was on duty. Kathryn caught her up to speed on the Brenner case, then she left the hospital for home.

It was cold and cloudy, but no storm was pending yet. For Allie’s sake she hoped there’d be little turbulence on the flight to Montana.

Once she’d reached her condo, she packed a suitcase, then took a shower and washed her hair. After she’d blow-dried it, she slipped on fresh underwear and walked over to the closet.

She gave a few outfits consideration, then made her choice of a pair of camel-colored wool pants and matching cashmere sweater with a crew neck. She toned it with a dark brown suede blazer she’d picked up with her family in Rio. The suede boots in the same tone were comfortable, yet dressy. Her topaz studs added the right touch.

The clothes she’d worn at the farm had been nothing like the outfits Maggie wore. Her sister, with her long legs and slim figure, looked like a fashion model without even trying. With her sense of dress, she’d helped put a wardrobe together that suited Kathryn. Their family’s local and national prominence dictated that they be ready for the camera whenever they went out in public.

Both sisters were blonde and five foot eight, but Kathryn’s figure was a little fuller. Sometimes from farther off, people thought the two of them were twins. But once they got up close, the differences in their facial features became evident.

Kathryn had a wider smile and naturally dark-fringed eyes. Since becoming a mother, Maggie wore her hair shorter, the way Kathryn had done at the farm. Now they’d reversed things.

She rummaged through her accessories drawer and pulled out a chiffon scarf in a geometric design of leopard-skin colors. Once she’d caught her shoulder-length blond hair at the nape with it, she applied a pink frost lipstick, sprayed herself with her favorite wild-flower scent and was ready.

Before she left the condo, she phoned her parents. Her mother answered. “I’m so glad you called, darling. Come on over and have lunch with us.”

“I wish I could, but I’m on a case and won’t be home for a few days.” Her mom understood what that meant. Any lost child took top priority. Thanks to her psychiatrist’s suggestion, Kathryn found that if she took the time to explain things to her mother, she didn’t get so upset if Kathryn couldn’t be with them.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m taking a teenager home to her family in Bozeman. Her name is Allie Brenner. She came down with the H1N1 virus, but it’s a light case. Maggie’s going to fly us there in a little while.”

“Was she a kidnap victim?”

“No. She came to Salt Lake for a reason, but didn’t tell her father where she was going. He thought she was at school.”

“Oh, dear.”

“When she got off the Greyhound bus she became dizzy. Someone called the police and she was taken to the hospital without any ID or money. She wouldn’t tell anyone anything. That’s why I was called in.”

“The poor child.”

“My feeling exactly. Something’s going on with her, Mom. I have no idea why she came here, but she finally trusted me enough to let me contact her father.”

“He must have been out of his mind with grief.”

Kathryn would never forget the way he’d answered the phone. Talk about a terrified parent. “He was … and so grateful for the call.”

“Of course. No one knows better than I what that phone call was like when Maggie told us she’d found you!” Her mother broke down weeping.

Afraid it would get her started, Kathryn said, “Allie’s frightened, too, and for some reason is clinging to me. Since she needs watching, I decided to see her back safely.”

“Well—” her mother sniffed “—you and Maggie take care. Call us when you get there.”

“I promise. Love you, Mom.”

Chapter Three

The gleaming white-and-blue Cessna with gold striping stood out from the overcast sky as it descended and made seamless contact with the runway. Colt had been given permission to drive his Xterra as close as the rules allowed to pick up his daughter.

Matt whistled. “Sweet. How would it be to own one of those?”

Colt agreed, but right now he’d focused his gaze on the door, waiting for it to open. The second there was movement, he started forward.

“Allie!” he cried when he saw her in the aperture wearing her parka.

“Hi, Dad!”

He took the last steps to reach her and pulled her into his arms. She gave him a squeeze that almost knocked his hat off. “Do you have any idea how happy I am to see you?” Without letting her go, he carried her the small distance to the car. Matt opened the rear door so Colt could help her into the seat. He kissed her forehead. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, but I’m glad to be home.”

“Amen to that.” In a second he had her strapped in. “I’ll be right back.”

When he started for the plane again, his breath caught at the sight of the stunning blonde woman who’d just stepped out on the tarmac. Impressions of caramel swirls among vanilla cream flew at him like reflections off a glacier sparkling in the sun.

She was the epitome of feminine elegance, the kind of trait a few women were born with that had nothing to do with what they wore. Although what she was wearing was perfect down to the shape of her slim waist shown off in a suede jacket. It drew his attention to her womanly hips and long legs. A white parka lay over one arm. She held a small suitcase in her other hand.

“Whoa,” his son murmured behind him. Matt was old enough to appreciate the sight of a truly gorgeous woman.

His comment said it all, jerking Colt back to his senses. He reached for her suitcase. “Welcome to Montana, Ms. McFarland. I’m Colton Brenner. This is Allie’s brother, Matt.”

Her startling blue eyes shifted to his son. “How are you, Matt?” She shook his hand. “Did anyone ever tell you that you and Allie look a lot alike? Except you’re the handsome one.”

While Colt chuckled, a warm blush spread over Matt’s face. “Call me Katy.”

For some reason she didn’t look like a Katy to him. “Matt? If you’ll help her in the front seat, I’ll stow this in the back. Let me have your parka.”

“Thank you.” As she handed it to him, their arms brushed. He could smell her fragrance. All of it was unexpected, increasing an unbidden awareness of her. Colt didn’t like it. He’d never experienced such a strong reaction to a woman before, not even when—A grimace marred his features. Just don’t think, Brenner.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her climb in the backseat next to Allie. She had a mind of her own. It was just as well. Now she wouldn’t be seated next to him to provide a distraction he didn’t need while he took them home.

He walked around and got in behind the wheel. As he drove away, he could see the Cessna taxiing out in preparation for takeoff. “You people have provided an amazing service for our family. You’ll have to tell me where I can send a contribution.”

“That’s very generous of you, but the patient advocacy program is in place for that very purpose. The only thing of importance is that your daughter is back with you safe and sound.”

And troubled.

He glanced over his shoulder at Allie. “I was worried about your cold, honey. We should have done something about it a few days ago.”

“A lot of my friends have had one. Do you think they’ve had the H1N1, Katy?”

“Probably. We might not have known about you if you hadn’t taken that long bus trip. It exhausted you and caused your temperature to spike.”

Colt turned onto the highway headed toward the ranch. “Next time you’re sick, I’m not waiting to get you in to see the doctor.”

“I’m sorry about everything. Hey, Katy? Do you think Matt will catch it?”

Colt’s eyes met their guest’s amused gaze through the rearview mirror. It was only a moment, but he felt a connection. The same kind of feeling he’d experienced with her over the phone. He gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“Tell you what. If he gets a cold, your father can take him in to be tested.”

“I’m not going to get it,” Matt grumbled.

Time for a change of subject. “Noreen is fixing your favorite dinner. I hope you’ll be able to eat a little of it.”

“Breakfast tasted good, and I ate part of my lunch.”

“Sounds like your appetite has picked up. I don’t think you ate a solid meal all week.”

“That’s because my throat was sore. Do you like enchiladas, Katy?”

“I adore them. In fact, I could live on Mexican food.”

Matt leaned forward. “That’s what you always say, Dad.”

Colt stepped on the gas. The sooner they reached the ranch where they weren’t all trapped together, the better.

“Is it hard learning how to be a nurse?” Allie asked.

“Only if you have trouble with math and chemistry.”

“I guess you didn’t,” Matt said.

“But I’m a klutz at logic. My last boyfriend showed me his LSAT books. I took some of the sample quizzes and failed them.”

“What does LSAT mean?”

“It’s a test to see if you can get in to law school.”

“I didn’t know that. Give us an example.”

“It’s hard to think of one.”

“Try.” To Colt’s astonishment, Matt was being amazingly persistent.

“Okay. Let’s say a person in a cold climate buys a stylish coat, even though it doesn’t keep him warm. You assume this person will sacrifice comfort for appearance, right?”

They both said yes.

“So then you have to read five different situations to see which one the same assumption applies to. But it’s hard and tricky. For example, an acrobat asks the circus to buy him an expensive outfit to impress the audience. Do you think that’s the same thing?”

Silence reigned. Finally Allie said, “I don’t get it.”

“Neither do I. Did you, Dad?”

“Well, let’s think about it. The guy in the cold climate needed some kind of a coat, warm or not. The acrobat didn’t need an expensive outfit. Any kind of outfit would have worked.”

“I still don’t get it.”

“Neither do I,” Katy assured him. “My brain doesn’t work like your father’s or Steve’s. As I said earlier, trying to do his homework was worse than figuring out a Chinese puzzle.”

Both his children laughed and kept on chatting with her.

Steve. Her latest boyfriend out of how many? What was she? Mid-twenties? Her age was hard to tell.

She was a catalyst, stirring up conversations they’d never had, prompting them to ask questions they wouldn’t have thought of. Disturbing the peace and tranquility of his well-ordered life.

KATHRYN NOTICED her host let his children carry the conversation the rest of the way to the ranch. They traveled under a low ceiling of clouds. She was glad they’d beaten the latest storm front.

At the entrance to the Circle B, he turned off the main road and they began the climb through a mountain fairyland flocked with snow. It spoke to her heart of hearts.

She felt it happening again. That spurt of adrenaline racing through her body.

The first time she’d experienced it was at the plane when she’d seen the tall rancher striding toward her wearing well-worn cowboy boots and a black Stetson. Rugged, powerful. She’d immediately thought, here was a man to match his mountains.

Over the years at Skwars Farm, she’d roomed with many families in a rotation. The last family she’d been with had a daughter, Nelly, close to Kathryn’s age. Nelly had a driver’s license and could take the family car into town. She always stopped at the library to bring back more Louis L’Amour books for Kathryn, who’d gotten hooked on High Lonesome years earlier.

Ever since Kathryn had been old enough to fantasize, she’d pretended to be Considine’s woman. Considine was the hard-hitting outlaw whose code of honor in the face of all odds helped him survive on the American frontier.

Talk about an out-of-body experience—just a little while ago he’d come to life in the form of Colton Brenner.

Fantasizing was a tool Kathryn had used to survive during her twenty-six years in captivity. Her psychiatrist couldn’t emphasize often enough that it played the key role in helping her cope during the years she was floundering.

But it had been four years since her family had found her and she still couldn’t shut off the mechanism that caused her to dream beyond the boundaries of reality. Staring at Colton Brenner, imagining he was the hero of her young girl’s dreams, wasn’t healthy.

Already she sensed this twenty-first-century family man had staked out his own territory a long time ago. Only a special few had entrée into his inner circle. Kathryn got the distinct impression she was an unwanted guest here, existing on borrowed time because of an unexpected turn of events involving Allie. If nothing else, his set boundaries guaranteed an end to her flights of fantasy, breaking the dangerous quarter-of-a-century cycle.

The car wound around one more curve in the road lined with walls of dense evergreens covered in snow. Suddenly they came upon a vale nestled between the mountains containing a fabulous western-style ranch house. Smoke curled from the chimney.

She picked out the barn, the bunkhouses and bungalows, another house, outbuildings, pens and corrals. In the far distance, she saw the stream that crossed the property and beyond it a herd of cattle.

“We’re home, Katy.”

“I can see that.” She squeezed the teen’s arm. “I’ve decided the name Circle B doesn’t do this place justice. It should be called something evocative like Cloud Bottom Ranch.”

Everyone in the car laughed, even the children’s father. He said, “Our ancestors started what was then called the Ayrshire Ranch on just six hundred acres and a little bungalow. They hoped to raise Ayrshire dairy cows, but the experiment didn’t last long.

“Each generation of Brenners that followed bought other small parcels of land and grew crops. It got renamed the Circle B after my great-grandfather brought in Angus cattle. No one could pronounce Ayrshire properly anyway. He wanted something simple and straightforward.”

She smiled, remembering the problems people had with names like her kidnapper Antonin Buric and the Skwars families. “Americans do have a way of slaughtering most languages.” Once again, the twins roared with laughter.

Through the rearview mirror, she felt their father’s gaze. “As the ranch began to prosper, the Circle B stuck, but I must admit your fanciful version captures its true essence. Interestingly enough, the Sioux and Shoshone had two names for this area depending on the season. In winter they called it ‘Walkway to the Clouds.’”

Kathryn felt a little shiver race across her skin. “How beautiful.” He nodded. “And summer?”

“Valley of the Flowers.”

Another Albion Basin. Just like home.

More stuff fantasies were made of, but she was through with those. Realizing the car had stopped, she undid her seat belt and leaned across to help Allie. “I bet bed sounds good about now.”

“It does.”

“I thought so.”

Matt opened the door for Kathryn while their father picked up his daughter and carried her around the end of the house. Kathryn alighted from the car with her purse. “Thanks, Matt.”

“Sure.” He opened the trunk to get her parka and suitcase. “Follow me.”

The two-story ranch house had been constructed of dark wood and local stone. At the back, there was a large covered veranda with picture windows facing an eastern exposure.

Matt showed her through the door into a room to wash hands and stow boots and parkas. He hung hers on a peg, then walked her down a hall that opened into a vaulted great room dominated by the rock fireplace. On either side were huge, tall picture windows looking out on the mountains. This had to be the heart of their home.

“I’ll take your suitcase upstairs and be right back, Katy.”

“Thanks, Matt.”

The comfortable brown leather couches and chairs with colorful woven throws invited her to curl up. Framed family pictures covered one wall. Her eyes wandered over the floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with books, games and an entertainment center. Dark honey-colored hardwood floors not covered by oriental rugs gleamed in the firelight.

She gravitated to the fire’s warmth, eager to look at every photo and examine the titles.