Daddy's Christmas Miracle: Santa in a Stetson

The Wagners walked them out to the truck. Colt gave Jen a hug before he drove off with Matt and made the call. He didn’t hang up with the chief detective until they’d reached the ranch.

As he shut off the motor Matt turned to him. “Are they going to look for her?”

Colt nodded. “They’ll make inquiries, but he told me not to be too worried since she bought a round-trip ticket. The Salt Lake police will be at the bus depot in the morning when she shows up, so he told me it would be a waste of my time to fly there.”

“But we’re going to go anyway, right?”

He’d never loved his son more than at this moment. “Right.” They walked around back and entered the house. “We’ll have to leave for the airport at five. That’s not very far away. I’ll wake you in time.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep.”

“Try. We’re going to need all our energy tomorrow.”

Matt paused at the foot of the stairs. “Your birthday’s a week after Thanksgiving. Maybe she went to Salt Lake to get you a special present.”

He rubbed the knot in the back of his neck. “Don’t I wish that were the reason.”

Matt’s expression closed up. “Why do you think she went?”

Since Mr. Padakis had first mentioned Salt Lake, Colt didn’t want to admit—let alone put a voice to—an uncomfortable thought working its way through his psyche. “I don’t know, Matt.”

And because he didn’t know, he wasn’t about to speculate about something that could destroy the world he’d created for his children. He’d always believed he’d raised them in a happy emotional environment.

But if Allie’s disappearance, even for a forty-eight-hour period, had anything to do with what he was thinking, then it meant he’d built his house on sand and it was too late to hold back the dreaded flood.

Matt started up the stairs. Colt watched him go. There’d be no sleep for either of them tonight.

He wandered into the living room, gravitating to a picture of his daughter on her first horse. The image blurred.

Did I fail you, Allie?

Was that what this was about?

“KATHRYN?”

“Hi, Cord. Sorry to phone you this late, but the hospital called me in on a teen runaway case. I’m going to have to cancel our ski plans for tomorrow.”

“I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed. I’d rather ski with you than anybody.”

“I feel the same way about you. But since Kit’s expecting again, she’ll be thrilled to have you all to herself. Give her my love.”

“I will. When you get a chance, I want to hear about your case.”

“Of course, but not tonight. Get a good sleep.”

Kathryn rang off, then made a call to Maggie. The moment she answered Kathryn said, “Forgive me for calling you so late. I’d like to ask a favor of you, but first I need to know your plans for tomorrow afternoon.”

“Jake and I were going to stay home and play with Robbie. Kamila might come over with Jared. Why?”

“I need to take a missing teen back to her family. She’s in the hospital getting over the flu and can probably go home tomorrow. But she lives in Bozeman, Montana, and—”

“You’d like me to fly you there?” she finished for Kathryn. “That’s not a long flight. I’d love to do it. Meet me at the hangar at twelve-thirty. I’ll have you there by two. Robbie will nap while I’m gone.”

“You’re the best, Maggie,” Kathryn said. “I’ll call you in the morning if the doctor decides she should stay in the hospital another day. Otherwise, plan on it.”

“Sounds good. Do you know something?”

“What?”

“You’ve become a workaholic. That’s how I used to be before I met Jake.”

“Yeah, well, we all can’t be as lucky as you.”

“You could have married Steve.”

“I could have, but he only proposed to me because he couldn’t have you.”

After a long silence, Maggie said, “What are you talking about?”

The time for honesty had come. How strange that this was the moment. “Kit’s brother was already clerking for you when I arrived on the scene. It was you he loved. You were the reason he left California. When he asked me to marry him, I told him I was flattered, but I didn’t want to be your substitute. He got all red in the face, but he didn’t deny it.”

“I had no idea.” Her sister sounded shocked.

“Of course not. That’s because you were so in love with Jake, you didn’t know if you were coming or going. I can’t say I blame you. Jake Halsey’s the kind of man who is so attractive he gives every woman a heart attack. Unfortunately, there’s only one of him. If I didn’t love you so much, I’d scratch your eyes out.”

Maggie laughed, then sobered. “Honestly, Kathryn, I love him so much, it scares me.”

“Steve saw it, too. That’s why I told him that until he went back to California to get away from you, he’d never be happy.”

“So that’s the reason he suddenly left.”

“Now you know the whole truth. When I told the family I couldn’t marry him because I loved him like a brother, I meant it.”

She heard Maggie clear her throat. “Your turn’s coming, Kathryn.”

“No. I’ve had plenty of possible turns, but I’ve discovered I’m not the marrying kind. I crave my freedom too much. Maybe being a captive at Skwars Farm for twenty-six years made me claustrophobic over the whole institution. My psychiatrist says we need to explore it, but that’s for another day. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

After she hung up, she left the empty isolation room and crossed the hall to check on Allie. The teen was asleep. Her long bus ride and the flu had left Allie on the verge of exhaustion when she’d left the depot.

Whatever had caused Allie to leave home had worn her out, physically and emotionally, but her vital signs looked good. She could be released tomorrow, but would have to stay in bed at home for another night at least till the flu had left her system.

Without wasting any more time, Kathryn slipped back across the hall to make the most important phone call of the night. It was quarter to twelve. If Allie’s father suspected nothing and still thought his daughter was at her best friend’s house enjoying a sleepover, then he was in for a huge shock.

But if he’d discovered she was missing and was frantically looking for her, then it was past time to end his anguish.

Allie had painted a picture of a loving family. Like Kathryn, Allie had put her father on a pedestal no other man could hold a candle to. She was an exceptional girl. It meant she had an exceptional father. There’d been no mention of a mother.

Kathryn reached for her note pad where she’d written down the phone number Allie had given her and punched in the digits.