Stranded With Santa. Janet Tronstad

Jenny was accustomed to watching Andy. He was the one who got into trouble and scrapes. She never had to worry about Lisa.

      “We got a bet going,” Andy explained without a trace of worry. “Lisa’s gonna go see all about Santa and let me know.”

      Jenny’s heart stopped. “You mean she went off alone!”

      “The Lightning man’s with her,” Andy said calmly. “He’ll take care of her until they get to Santa’s workshop.”

      “But Mr. Lucas is going to Las Vegas!”

      “Not until he takes my letter to the North Pole. He promised.”

      Jenny was speechless. Her daughter had run off with some cowboy on his way to Vegas, and she was only eight years old.

      “He’ll bring her right back,” Jenny promised herself aloud. The man had to bring her back. “When he sees her in the truck, he’ll bring her right back.”

      But what if he didn’t see her? Lisa was obviously hidden or she’d be back already unless he was—Jenny stopped herself. No, she wouldn’t even think that. She was sure he wasn’t that kind of a person.

      Jenny looked out the window. The tracks left by the postal truck had been filled in with new snow.

      He’s not going to see Lisa in time to bring her back, Jenny thought to herself in despair. Oh, she supposed he would leave her with Dr. Norris—when Jenny thought about it she had no worries that the man would actually want to take Lisa to Las Vegas with him—but still, Lisa would miss Christmas. Lisa had never been away from home at Christmas before.

      Jenny looked around. She wished now that she had swallowed her pride and asked someone to bring them a Christmas tree from town. She had told herself it would be okay for this Christmas to be plain. Her children would understand and share her gratefulness that they had a new home. They’d hang their stockings and read the Christmas story and that would be enough.

      But she was wrong. Lisa wouldn’t have come up with a ridiculous bet like this for Andy if they had both been busy decorating a tree or putting gumdrops on cookies. Her children needed Christmas and she had failed to give it to them.

      Zach swore under his breath. The snow blew thicker every minute. And enough of it covered the road so that he couldn’t make out the ruts. He was lucky to keep this tin can of a postal truck on the gravel road.