Rebecca Winters - Daddy's Christmas Miracle

“Kathryn? Don’t hang up!” Colt’s deep, live voice arced through her, quickening her body.

“You sound out of breath.” Would that he was in that condition because of her, but she knew it wasn’t the case.

“I was riding in on Lightning when my phone rang, but when I pulled it out of my pocket, it slipped from my hands and fell down a snowy embankment. I had to hunt for it.”

The image his words conjured made her smile. He’d made fast work to recover it before she’d clicked off. Colt wasn’t a champion bull rider for nothing. “I’m glad it wasn’t lost. You might have had to wait until next spring.”

He made a low sound in his throat. “My last phone drowned when Matt’s lemonade spilled into the cubbyhole of my dashboard.”

“Uh-oh.” It was her turn to chuckle. “Last summer I was leaning over a castle wall and mine fell into a moat. It’s lying somewhere on the bottom, rusting out with all the swords.”

A definite laugh rumbled out of him. “Neither of us seems to have had much luck.”

Kathryn was having too much fun. End it now. “In case yours should short out, I’ll make this fast. Maggie said it’s good flying weather so we’ll be there at eight-thirty, but just to let you know, Jake has arranged for a rental car. He likes to be independent.” Like you.

“I can relate.”

Yup. “We should be to the ranch by nine at the latest.”

“Kathryn?”

“Yes?” she answered too breathlessly and could have kicked herself.

“I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Since Maggie and Jake literally found me, I tell them that all the time. It’s a habit I can’t break.”

“I’m talking about you and what you did for Allie—what you and your family are prepared to do now to help find her mother.”

If ever a person was thankful, it was this man, but Kathryn feared she’d never wring anything but gratitude from him.

“This is what we like to do, so enough said. Good night. See you in the morning.”

“WHAT’S THIS?” Colt walked in the dining room and discovered Matt already seated at the table. That was a first on a school morning. There were only three places set. “Where are Noreen and Ed?”

“Since she’s fixing a special birthday dinner for you tonight, we gave them the morning off to sleep in. I set the table and Allie’s fixing your breakfast. We’re going to do presents tonight.”

On cue his daughter came through the door carrying two plates. “French toast and sausage coming up!” After she put his food in front of him, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Happy thirty-sixth, Dad.”

A frown marred his features. “Did you have to remind me?” Then Colt grabbed her and gave her a bear hug. She laughed before coming through a second time, bringing her own plate and a mug of coffee for him. They settled down to eat.

Matt’s brown eyes studied him. “You look nice, Dad.”

“Meaning I usually don’t?” he teased.

“Stop fishing for compliments,” Allie scolded him. “You’ve got on a new shirt.”

“It’s the one your aunt Sherry gave me last Christmas.”

“You look like a dude.”

“Thanks, Matt. If I’d known I’d get a reaction like this, I’d have worn it before now.”

“Black’s your best color,” his daughter informed him.

“Is that so?” He ate the last piece of toast.

“It makes your eyes look greener. They’re really green this morning, like you’re excited or something.”

Nothing got past Allie. He downed the rest of his coffee. “That’s because it’s my birthday.”

Matt scowled. “You’ve always said you wished we’d skip yours.”

“Did I say that?”

“Yes!” they both answered in unison, exchanging a private glance Colt couldn’t help but notice.

“Well, I take it all back. I’ve loved my surprise breakfast. It was delicious. Thank you both.”

“You’re welcome,” Allie muttered, still staring at him with a puzzled expression.

His son nodded. “There’ll be more surprises tonight.”

Colt averted his eyes. His children didn’t know the half of it. “Much as I hate to break this up, it’s time to get you two down to the bus.”

“I have to do the dishes first,” Matt announced. He jumped up and started clearing the table.

“You stay put, Dad,” Allie cautioned before helping her brother.

Together they made short work of it. In a few minutes they joined him in the truck. Colt headed down to the ranch entrance, relieved Kathryn wouldn’t be arriving in a snowstorm.

After he pulled to a stop, he got out to give them both an extra hug. “Thanks for breakfast. Love you guys.”

“Love you, too. Don’t forget. We’re coming straight home after school.”

Allie nodded. “And don’t go out on the range today because we’re having your birthday dinner early!”

There was no fear of that. For once something else would be consuming Colt’s time right here at home. “I can’t wait.”

He watched them get on the bus. Since he’d promised the twins he’d look into finding someone who could try to locate Natalie, he was confident his daughter wouldn’t be pulling another disappearance act.

After waving to the bus driver, he checked his watch. Seven-forty-five. Kathryn would be in the air by now. Colt started back. By the time he and Ed had nailed down today’s work schedule for the hands, his guests would be arriving. Until then, the idea was to stay busy.

That wasn’t a problem in the physical sense. At any given moment, there were tasks needing to be done on the ranch. It was his thoughts that made him restless, the same restlessness he used to get before trying out a new bull shipped up from Mexico.

No matter how prepared he was, some of its moves weren’t what he’d anticipated. Kathryn had already knocked the wind out of him several times. The trick was to go the full eight seconds and avoid it administering him the coup de grâce.

“WHAT BEAUTIFUL country!” Maggie exclaimed from the front seat of the rental car. Jake had just turned onto the curving road leading up to the ranch. “Look at these walls of pines. They’re breathtaking!”

Maggie echoed Kathryn’s thoughts, but the feeling of homecoming was so intense she gripped the armrest tighter, unable to say a word.

Jake looked over his shoulder at her. “Are you all right, Kathryn? You’re so quiet.”

“I’m just remembering the first time I came here. The clouds hung heavy and hid the trees farther up the mountain. With the sun out this morning, you can see everything.”

They eventually reached the vale where the ranch became visible. “Incredible,” Jake murmured.

“It looks like a Christmas card,” Maggie cried softly.

With all of the above, Kathryn concurred. Only this was one card you could drive into and find the ruler of this isolated kingdom at home. Her heart thudded too hard to be natural or healthy.

“Jake? Pull up around the side of the ranch house next to Colt’s truck. We’ll go in the back door. And one more thing. Leave the trunk popped. I’ll take my suitcase in now. Later, when he’s not looking, I’ll come out to get the presents I brought.”

He grinned. “Your wish is my command.”

Kathryn let out a guilty sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound bossy.”

“Not bossy. Nervous,” Maggie said, sending her a secret smile.

Nervous didn’t begin to cover what Kathryn was feeling. Every now and then she thought about her life back in Wisconsin and shuddered to think that if Maggie and Jake hadn’t found her, she would never have met Colton Brenner. She scrambled out the backseat of the car and hurried to retrieve her bag from the trunk.