Santa in a Stetson (9 page)

“But if you stayed until tomorrow, you could go skiing with us this afternoon.”

“Matt! You heard Ms. McFarland. I'll be driving her to the airport shortly. There'll be no skiing for us today. We're staying in with Allie, and you have some homework to get busy on before school tomorrow.”

“Can I at least go with you to take her to the airport?”

Kathryn heard Colt's hesitation before the answer came. “I don't see why not. Noreen will be here to keep an eye on Allie.”

“I don't need her to watch me.” His daughter's predictable response settled things for Kathryn.

Not wanting to get in the middle of a talk with his disgruntled children, she got up from the table. “Those scones were fabulous. Excuse me for a minute while I go in the kitchen and thank Noreen. Then I'll watch your video.”

Colt wanted to see the back of Kathryn. She was doing her best to oblige him. Only another hour before he drove her to the airport and out of their lives.

The snow had been heavier on the mountain, but last night's storm hadn't developed into anything ferocious. By the time Colt turned his car onto the highway, the plows had already been out to clear it for the rest of the drive into Bozeman. The clouds had opened up, allowing the sun to shine through.

Under normal circumstances, it was his favorite kind of winter day, but today had a different feel about it. An intangible gloom had descended over his household and none of his efforts could shake it. He'd left Allie seated in front of the fire to work on the puzzle with Ed. Between her red-rimmed eyes and his broken arm, they made quite a pair.

When Matt had brought Ms. McFarland's suitcase down to the Xterra, she'd moved ahead of him and had climbed in the backseat. His son got in front with him. So far Colt hadn't looked in the rearview mirror. He didn't want to meet a pair of blue eyes and be electrified by them again. It had happened with every chance glance since yesterday.

Matt turned his head toward her. “Katy? Are you going to the Utah-BYU football game on Saturday?”

“It's possible, especially because they'll be playing at the U, which is five minutes away from me. But I might have to work.”

“Rich and I are going skiing, so I'm going to record it and then watch it after. Maybe I'll see you on TV.”

She chuckled. “I'll probably end up having to tape it, too. I'm hoping we win. Last year we lost in overtime and it about killed everybody.”

Colt listened while they talked about the flaws and virtues of both teams' quarterbacks. Once they passed the airport security check, he obtained permission to drive on through to the area where the white Cessna was parked on the tarmac.

“There's my ride. Have to run so I don't hold them up.” She opened the back door and got out so fast with her suitcase, neither he nor Matt had time to assist her.

She eyed them without really looking at them, then smiled. “It's been a pleasure meeting Allie's family. Thank you for your hospitality. I won't forget.” She extended her gloved hand, which they both shook. “Tell her to stay well, now.”

Colt nodded, finally allowing himself to take in the sight of her shapely figure clad in the white parka. “I hope you know how indebted I am to you.”

“I
do
know.”

Yes, she did. The found Kathryn McFarland knew it better than most anyone else in the world.

“If I get sick, will you come and nurse me?”

Gentle laughter escaped her throat. “You've got a whole wonderful family to help you, Matt. Just take
care you don't break a leg skiing on Saturday or you'll let your wrestling coach down.”

He grinned. “You don't have to worry about me.”

Still clutching her suitcase, she turned and started toward the open door of the plane. Colt watched her disappear inside. Disturbed by the odd sensation that swept through him, he wheeled around and strode back to his car. The second Matt got in, Colt started the motor and they took off.

On the way out of the airport he saw the Cessna gaining altitude. As it changed to a speck before vanishing from sight, he could suddenly put words to what was going on inside him.

Hell, hell and hell…

“Dad? Are you okay?”

Trust Matt's radar to detect the slightest irregularity. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

He hunched his shoulders. “I don't know. You've been acting kind of weird since Katy brought Allie home.”

Colt drew in his breath. “That's because your sister has a lot of explaining to do. Now that Katy's gone, I'm going to get to the bottom of Allie's disappearing act.”

Katy had taken his daughter's secret with her. Though he admired her integrity, he wished he hadn't been such a bad parent, that Allie didn't feel comfortable approaching him rather than turning to a stranger. Colt accepted total responsibility for this impasse. By a strange twist of circumstance, Ms. McFarland's unexpected intervention during Allie's crisis had underlined his need to deal with this problem head-on before the day was out.

“Are you mad?”

He made a gruff sound in his throat. What a question! Yes, he was mad, but not for the reasons his son was no doubt entertaining. “Let's just say she gave us both a scare I never want to live through again.”

“Me, neither. What she did was
crazy.
”

“Not to her.” Not
to her.

“Katy was totally cool.”

High praise, coming from his son. “I agree.” To say anything more would encourage him. He didn't want to talk about her.

Colt turned at the entrance to the ranch where his tire tracks were still noticeable in the snow. They began the climb to the house.

“As soon as we get back, is it okay if I take Blackie on a short run? I want to see how his leg is doing now.”

“Go ahead.” Nothing like a ride to put life back into perspective.

Colt walked into the house expecting to find Allie in the living room, but Noreen told him she was in her bedroom on the phone. If he didn't miss his guess, she'd called Jen. “She's pretty broken up about Katy leaving.”

Tell me something else I don't know, Noreen.
“As long as I'm free for the moment, I might as well tackle the disposal.” Anything to get his mind off the woman he'd thought of as Kathryn from the moment he'd read her full name on the brochure. He knew he hadn't liked the shortened version. It didn't suit her.

“Then I'll leave you to it. If you need me, I'll be at the other house.”

“Thanks for all you do, Noreen.”

Half an hour later, he'd finished the job and was
washing his hands when his cell phone rang. It was the bus depot telling him Allie's backpack had just been brought in on the bus from Salt Lake. He thanked them and let them know he'd be by for it later.

In case Allie was thirsty for something besides water, he grabbed a couple of colas out of the fridge and headed up to her room. He knocked on the door. “It's your dad.”

“Come in,” she answered in a flat voice.

He opened the door and found her sprawled on her stomach across the top of her bed with her shoes off and the phone in hand. She peered up at him with a crestfallen expression. “Is Katy gone?”

“Yes. By now she's been back in Salt Lake for a while.” He moved a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down. “I brought you a drink.”

“Thanks.” She sat up cross-legged and took it from him. They both opened the tabs and drank. Colt liked the way Kathryn had done her hair with the neck scarf. “I apologized to Jen and her parents,” she volunteered.

“That's good.” After finishing off half the can, he put it on the floor. When he looked up, her eyes were swimming in tears.

“I'm sorry for what I did, Dad. I mean…about everything.”

“Honey.” He took her can from her and put it on the floor next to his. “I've the gut feeling this has to do with your mother, so before this talk goes any further, I want you to know I take full blame for what happened. This
is
about your mother, right?”

She nodded before burying her face in her hands.

“Dad?” Matt's voice sounded from the hallway.

“In your sister's room!” he called back. “Come on in.”

Matt stood in the doorway staring at the two of them. “What's going on?”

“As I just told Allie, it's my fault she went to Salt Lake without telling anyone. It's time the three of us had the conversation I should have had with you years ago. Pull up the other chair.”

He saw his twins exchange a private glance before Matt did his bidding.

“I've already told you my parents froze to death during a blizzard when I was four and your aunt Sherry was six. They didn't marry until their mid-thirties, so we came along late in their lives.

“What's interesting is that my grandfather didn't meet my grandmother until they were in their thirties. My father was their only child and he wasn't born until my grandmother was forty. I'm telling you all this because I was the dark horse in the Brenner family. I got married at twenty and had you two right off the bat.” They both laughed.

“My grandparents loved you like you were their own children. They helped me raise you. I wish you could remember them, but you were too little when they passed away within a year of each other. I can tell you this much.” Emotion almost closed his throat. “They were saints.”

He eyed them with an ache in his heart because he was about to break his silence. When they heard the unvarnished truth, it would shatter them. His grandmother had warned him to tell them everything when they were old enough to understand, but for fear of hurting his
children, he'd waited years too long. Now all three of them were going to be in a new kind of pain.

 

O
N
S
ATURDAY MORNING,
Kathryn finished checking on one of the children at Renaissance House who needed to see a dentist, then went downstairs to make the appointment. When that was done, she let herself into her brother's office. While she waited for him to get off the phone, she wandered over to the windows overlooking the snow-dusted east gardens of the estate. The grounds became a fairyland of flowers in every season but winter.

It was cold out there this morning. Beneath an overcast sky, everything looked dead. Her thoughts flew to the Cloud Bottom Ranch, as she liked to think of it. Winter clothed the pines in a grandeur of pristine white.

Colt, astride his stallion, would be up on the mountain checking the herds. She could see the lone, tall cowboy in silhouette. He would be dressed in sheepskin and a cowboy hat covering midnight-black hair while he looked over his empire, making sure everything was in working order. His hard-boned feat—

“Yoo-hoo! Kathryn?” When she realized her brother was talking to her, she turned around, flush-faced. “Where were you?” he teased with a smile.

“I was wondering if it's going to snow before the football game this afternoon.”

His blue eyes searched hers. “I don't think that was the only thing on your mind. You've been different since you got back from Montana. Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner noticed it.”

She averted her gaze. “It's because that little girl hasn't been found yet.”

“That and something else.” Cord was psychic. “Whenever you want to talk about it, I'm your man.”

“You think I don't know that?”

“Just checking. Are you going to the game with all of us?”

“That depends on what's happening at the foundation.” She walked over to his closet for her parka and put it on. “I'm heading there now. If more volunteers are needed to continue the search, I'll be manning the phone.”

“I'll save a seat for you in case you come late.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you know you work too hard? All the signs are there.”

She leaned over the desk to peck his cheek without saying anything before leaving the mansion through the south entrance. The plaza was only a block down the street. Except for a few frozen spots, she accomplished her short jaunt on mostly dry pavement.

A group of people surrounded the “Blessed are the Children” sculpture that stood in the courtyard. She hurried past them to enter the doors and immediately heard the recording, “Welcome to the Kathryn McFarland Foundation. Take the time to come in and learn how to help us fight crime so the next kidnapping won't be your child.”

Walking past the lobby screens showing the dates and times of the latest kidnap victims, Kathryn headed for the front desk. She could see several of the staff huddled together.

“What's going on?”

One of the new volunteer recruits named Melanie turned to her. “I was just going to phone you. We heard from a team of rescuers. They came across a little girl's unclothed remains up Millcreek Canyon.”

A moan broke from Kathryn. It could be Whitney, but no one would know until the forensic expert got busy. Whatever the answer, someone's dear little child had been murdered.

“I'm going to my condo and calling home. My parents need to know what we've learned.” They would want to be there for Whitney's family and wait for the news with them. “I'll be back.”

“But I thought this was your day off.”

“I don't always take one.” Kathryn would rather be here. She was too restless. Work kept her from thinking. “See you in a while.”

She walked out to the lobby and headed for the bank of elevators servicing the plaza tower. She took the private lift used exclusively for the penthouse. Only Kathryn and her family knew the code.

As soon as she walked into the living room, she removed her parka and sat down on the couch to phone her parents. As she knew they would, once she'd given them the update, they called off their plans to attend the game. No one could enjoy it right now.

After she hung up, she set the HD/DVR to record it. She'd left the condo without eating breakfast and knew she needed nourishment, but the news about a little girl's remains having been discovered hit her like a body slam. Her appetite was nonexistent.

Those poor parents.

Every time there was a watch-and-wait period, she thought about her own parents' agony of thirty years ago and got sick inside. Kathryn had assumed that after running the foundation since her graduation, she wouldn't react like this, but if anything her response to each new tragedy seemed to be affecting her more adversely than ever.

Her parents were so strong! Kathryn wasn't anything like them and would never be able to measure up. That distressed her so terribly she couldn't stand her own company. She freshened up, eager to get back to work. Working kept the demons at bay.

On her way through the living room for her purse, her cell rang, causing her stomach to clench. Kathryn didn't think it possible the child's body could be identified this quickly, but a comparison of dental records might have already been done.