Daddy's Christmas Miracle: Santa in a Stetson

“I thought so.”

Matt opened the door for Kathryn while their father picked up his daughter and carried her around the end of the house. Kathryn alighted from the car with her purse. “Thanks, Matt.”

“Sure.” He opened the trunk to get her parka and suitcase. “Follow me.”

The two-story ranch house had been constructed of dark wood and local stone. At the back, there was a large covered veranda with picture windows facing an eastern exposure.

Matt showed her through the door into a room to wash hands and stow boots and parkas. He hung hers on a peg, then walked her down a hall that opened into a vaulted great room dominated by the rock fireplace. On either side were huge, tall picture windows looking out on the mountains. This had to be the heart of their home.

“I’ll take your suitcase upstairs and be right back, Katy.”

“Thanks, Matt.”

The comfortable brown leather couches and chairs with colorful woven throws invited her to curl up. Framed family pictures covered one wall. Her eyes wandered over the floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with books, games and an entertainment center. Dark honey-colored hardwood floors not covered by oriental rugs gleamed in the firelight.

She gravitated to the fire’s warmth, eager to look at every photo and examine the titles.

“Welcome to the Circle B, Ms. McFarland. I’m Noreen Walters.”

Kathryn swung around. The older brunette woman was probably in her fifties. Hearty-looking. Attractive. “How do you do.” She shook hands with her. “From what I hear, nobody could get along without you and your husband.”

“That’s nice to know. How’s my girl?” “She’s going to be fine, but needs bed rest and liquids with her medication. I’m really superfluous, except for checking her vitals. The one thing we don’t want is to find she’s getting respiratory problems or see her temperature elevate. It’s been hovering between ninety-nine and a hundred since last night. I’m anticipating it will get back to normal by tomorrow.”

“That little monkey fought her father about her cold.”

“Isn’t that why they call it the terrible teens?” Noreen chuckled. “Do you have children?” “No. I’m not married. What about you?” A shadow marred her expression. “I had three miscarriages before we came to work for Colton.”

Kathryn felt her pain. “Now you have two remarkable children.”

The shadow disappeared. “Yes.” “I fear there are times when she thinks she has a stubborn third one.” Her host’s deep voice prompted Kathryn to turn around.

“You mean four,” Noreen quipped. “You forgot Ed.” He smiled, then said, “I think we’ll plan to eat dinner around six. That should give Allie time for a good nap.”

Noreen nodded. “If you’re hungry now, Ms. McFarland, I’ll send Matt up with a tray for you.”

“Thank you, but I ate before we flew here. And please … call me Katy.”

“I will,” she said before leaving the room.

“While we’re on the subject of names, mine is Colt.”

It suited him down to the last irreverent tendril curling against his neck.

Kathryn had discovered that without the Stetson, he had a head of shocking black hair whose ends wanted to wave. The arrangement of hard-boned features made him a striking man. Brows of the same black shade framed his eyes. They were the color of spring grass and looked translucent in the fire’s glow.

His eyes took swift inventory of her. She could hardly breathe.

Without conscious thought her gaze drifted over the rest of him. He wore a long-sleeved, plaid flannel shirt in blues and greens. The hem was tucked into jeans that molded powerful thighs. His hard-muscled physique revealed a man who kept fit in the outdoors.

There was an aura about him, a mental toughness and discipline she’d sensed beneath the male veneer. You didn’t trifle with a man like him.

Allie knew it. She’d been raised by him.

Kathryn no longer questioned why his daughter had been afraid to call him from the hospital. Yet her reason for disappointing him had to have been so compelling that she’d been willing to risk it.

Though the subject hadn’t been brought up by the twins or their 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.”