Read Santa in a Stetson for Free Online Page A

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.”
    â€œAll the comforts of home for my daughter. I’m very grateful.”
    â€œI’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.”
    â€œI’ll take care of it right now and ask them to ship it back to us.”
    â€œHopefully by the time she’s ready to return to school, it will have arrived. See you in about six hours.”
    â€œI’m counting down the time.”
    The comment made her smile. She hung up.
    â€œKaty?”
    Bemused by his comment, she was slow to flick her gaze to Allie. “What is it?”
    â€œI’m glad you’re going to be taking care of me.”
    â€œYou 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.
    â€œWell, it’s not going to happen on my watch. Whileyou 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.”
    â€œI want to eat.”
    â€œGood. 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?”
    â€œNo. Just hurry.”
    â€œI 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. Theirfamily’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.”
    â€œI 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