Free Santa in a Stetson by Rebecca Winters Page A

holiday.”
    â€œYou’re wrong about that, Dad.”
    It looked as if they were going to talk about their guest whether he wanted to or not. “In what way?”
    â€œShe doesn’t have another patient to take care of on Thanksgiving.”
    â€œIn other words, she’s willing to make herself at home here and at your aunt’s, even though she thinks you’ll be well enough to be up and around by tomorrow?”
    His daughter studied him with a speculative expression. “You don’t trust her, do you?” She removed her hand.
    Her question jolted him. “We both owe her a debt of gratitude. Why can’t you let it go at that?”
    Allie didn’t look away. “You act like she’s taking advantage of us or something.”
    He breathed in deeply. “Let’s put it this way. Even if the patient advocacy program provides this service, she’s done something unprecedented by bringing you home. It’s possible that now she’s had a good look around, Ms. McFarland is a shrewd enough woman to play on your emotions hoping to extend her stay and see where it all leads.”
    Her eyes never left his. “I knew that was why you didn’t like her, but Katy’s not looking for a rich husband,” she assured him.
    He eyed her with incredulity. “Why would you say something like that?”
    â€œI happened to overhear Michelle’s mom on the phone to one of her friends. She said that with your looks and money, you would always be a woman magnet and that’s probably why you haven’t remarried yet.”
    Somehow when Colt wasn’t watching, Allie had become an adult. His precocious fifteen-year-old daughter had thrown the gloves away. He didn’t know her like this. “Allie—”
    â€œI’ll prove that you’re wrong about Katy.”
    To his surprise she slid out the other side of the bed and walked to her closet. He saw her pull something out of her parka pocket. She scuttled back under the coversand handed him a brochure, of all things. “Here, Dad. Read this.”
    Colt had no idea what he thought he was going to see when he looked down at it. The picture staring back at him resembled the woman downstairs. He read the words beneath it.
    Kathryn McFarland, lost for twenty-six years, has been FOUND!
    McFarland… Suddenly it all came rushing back to him. The famous Utah kidnapping case involving the Copper King’s family, whose wealth rivaled that of the Vanderbilts and the Carnegies.
    He jumped to his feet.
    Four years earlier there’d been breaking news on every television and radio station in America about the baby daughter stolen from four-time U.S. Senator Reed McFarland and his wife. After twenty-six years, she’d been found and was now back with her family.
    Some newscasters had said the case was bigger, yet gruesomely similar to the Lindbergh kidnapping back in 1932 when the baby was stolen out of their home, but the McFarlands’ story had a happy ending. Katy was that Kathryn?
    He stared at the picture again.
    â€œThat’s the photo the FBI first released to the press. It was taken while she was still living at Skwars Farm.”
    Colt thought she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Four years had wrought changes. She had a longer hairstyle now and a polish lacking in the photograph, but the facial features and beautiful bone structure couldn’t be denied. When he tore his eyes from her picture, he read the information from front to back.
    â€œThat brochure only tells you about the foundation, Dad. Besides running it, you ought to hear all the other things she and her family do to help people.”
    For the next few minutes, he listened while Allie proceeded to enlighten him on the extraordinary way she’d carried on with her life since being reunited with her family. Each new revelation made him more shameful of his cynicism.
    The McFarlands had lived through