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

      “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