Daddy's Christmas Miracle: Santa in a Stetson. Rebecca Winters

father, Kathryn suspected this situation had everything to do with their mother. No one had talked about her or mentioned her, but it was clear Colt Brenner’s woman—whether she’d been his wife or not, whether she was alive or not—was the elephant in the room.

      “I need to take Allie’s vitals. I’ll just get the things I need out of my suitcase.”

      “The twins’ bedrooms are on the next floor,” Colt said. “The upstairs guest bedroom is between them. I’ll show you.”

      She followed him to the foyer and up the staircase to the next floor. He moved with natural male grace. Aware her thoughts were too concentrated on him, she looked around her. The interior was an amalgamation of refined rustic and contemporary design. “You’ve created the perfect mountain home.”

      “Thank you. We used to live in the original house on the property. Now Noreen and Ed live there.”

      He opened the door to her room, which was decorated in earth tones with hardwood floors. She found her suitcase at the end of the queen-size bed covered with a patchwork quilt. After retrieving the bag inside it, she accompanied him to the bedroom on the left.

      Matt was spread across the end of Allie’s queen talking to his sister. It reminded her of the way Kathryn’s brothers sometimes did that with her.

      “Hi!” they said in unison. Matt stood up.

      The sunny room with accents of blue and white delighted her. She moved to the side of the bed and sat down. “Shall we get this over with? Then you can rest.”

      Kathryn listened to her lungs with her stethoscope. They sounded clear. Her blood pressure was normal. Her pulse was a little fast; that didn’t surprise her. Allie had expended extra energy for the flight.

      She slipped the digital thermometer under her arm. After it beeped she read, “Ninety-nine!” Kathryn flashed her a smile. “You’re going to live.” She could tell her pronouncement relieved Colt.

      Someone had put a pitcher of water and a glass on the side table. She got up and poured a full glass before handing her the pills she needed to take. “Drink all of it.”

      “Okay.”

      After she swallowed them, Kathryn asked, “Have you been to the bathroom?”

      “Dad helped me.” Her brown eyes darted to her father. “Could I call Jen first?”

      He shook his dark head. “She phoned earlier today and I told her you’d get in touch with her tomorrow.” In a surprise move, he reached into her bottom dresser drawer and pulled out a cell phone. “I’ll turn this on in case you need to phone me.” Colt put it on her side table.

      If Kathryn wasn’t mistaken, Allie looked guilty about her phone. She’d obviously hidden it before leaving for Salt Lake. At least the thief hadn’t gotten hold of it when he’d taken her purse. “Is she mad at me?”

      “I think it’s more of a case of her being mad at herself for going along with you.”

      Allie averted her eyes. “I’ll apologize to her.”

      “I think that better include her parents.”

      “I bet they hate me.” Kathryn detected a tremor in her voice.

      “Not their daughter’s best friend,” Colt assured her with a kiss on the cheek. “Sleep tight, honey.”

      Kathryn gathered up her bag and the three of them left the room. Colt turned to her. “There’s an en suite bathroom in your room. After you’ve freshened up, feel free to come downstairs and watch TV or do whatever you’d like. I have work to do, but I’ll ask Noreen to make you coffee or tea, whichever you prefer.”

      “If you have a cola, I’d like that.”

      “I’ll get it for you,” Matt offered.

      “Thanks. I’ll be down in a minute.”

      The second she found herself alone and closed the door, her breath came rushing out. Until just now she hadn’t realized she’d been holding it. There was no one to blame but Colt Brenner for her body’s uncharacteristic reaction.

      Afraid to dwell on thoughts of him, she put her bag down and reached for the phone to call her mother because she’d promised. When her mom didn’t answer, she left a message on her voice mail that she’d arrived safely.

      After she hung up, she saw that she’d received several work messages and one from Maggie. Her pulse raced, fearing something might be wrong. Kathryn phoned her immediately, anxious to hear her sister’s voice.

      “Kathryn?”

      “Maggie? What’s happened?”

      “Why nothing. I’m driving through Federal Heights right now, but couldn’t wait to talk to you.”

      Kathryn frowned. “About what?”

      “You know what. I was the one who opened the plane door. I stood right behind you when Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome reached for his daughter. My jaw must have dropped a foot. It’s a good thing Jake didn’t see my reaction.”

      Heat crept into Kathryn’s cheeks.

      “Cat got your tongue? I thought so. When you find it, call me back.”

      Click.

       Oh, Maggie. If only it were that simple …

      He was spectacular all right, but there was layer after complicated layer to Colt Brenner, the man.

      On the surface she understood the protective father and successful rancher, yet already Kathryn had picked up on negative vibes he sent out.

      Her radar had been fine-tuned in Wisconsin. She was good at reading what was going on in other people’s heads. She’d had to be after having been passed around to different homes month after month, year after year.

      No one had wanted the little girl who’d been dumped on them at the farm, but they did their duty. She’d been tolerated and taken care of, but she’d been the proverbial rolling stone, gathering no moss.

      The same thing was happening to her now, only this time it was Colt Brenner doing his duty. For his daughter’s sake, he was tolerating Kathryn, taking care of her needs, but he didn’t like being dumped on. Allie’s behavior had placed him in an impossible position.

      Allie had put Kathryn in an impossible position, too!

      What Colt didn’t realize was that Kathryn didn’t like it, either, but she didn’t take his hostility personally. Through years of dealing with similar situations on the farm, she’d learned not to do that because she understood those families had no vested interest in her. She was a temporary encumbrance until the end of the month when she was happily shifted to someone else’s household.

      Her only comfort had come from playing with the youngest children, who were more accepting of her presence in their lives. Unlike the adults, they didn’t see her as an intrusion. She knew Matt Brenner didn’t see her that way.

      During the rest of her stay here, she’d befriend him. If he was still downstairs, she’d ask him to help her do one of those puzzles she’d seen on the shelf. Besides hard work and her fantasizing, books and puzzles had helped save her life growing up.

      IT HAD GROWN DARK on the way back from the lower pasture. Colt had driven there to haul more feed, but as it turned out, the trip hadn’t been necessary. His stockmen had taken care of it.

      He’d used the excuse of work to bolt from the house. Sixteen years ago, he’d been a naive twenty-year-old who’d gotten sidetracked by a woman’s magic and didn’t suspect the ugliness of what it masked until it was too late.

      Never again.

      The lights from the ranch house beckoned him. While he’d been gone, the wind had picked up. It brought snow flurries portending the storm that had moved in over the mountains. On nights