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

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