Holiday in Stone Creek Read Online Free PDF Page A

the shelter is being built, and he thinks I'm certifiable!"
    Ginger didn't answer.
    Half an hour later, the X-rays were done and the blood had been drawn. Rodney was good to go.

    T ANNER STOOD IN THE middle of the barnyard, staring after that wreck of a Suburban and wondering what the hell had just hit him. It felt like a freight train.
    His cell phone rang, breaking the spell.
    He pulled it from his jacket pocket and squinted at the caller ID panel. Ms. Wiggins, the executive principal at Briarwood. She'd certainly taken her time returning his call--he'd left her a message at sunrise.
    "Tanner Quinn," he said automatically.
    "Hello, Mr. Quinn," Ms. Wiggins said. A former CIA agent, Janet Wiggins was attractive, if you liked the armed-and-dangerous type. Tanner didn't, particularly, but the woman had a spotless service record, and a good resume. "I'm sorry I couldn't call sooner--meetings, you know."
    "I'm worried about Sophie," he said. A cold wind blew down off the mountain looming above Stone Creek, biting into his ears, but he didn't head for the house. He just stood there in the barnyard, letting the chill go right through him.
    "I gathered that from your message, Mr. Quinn," Ms. Wiggins said smoothly. She was used to dealing with fretful parents, especially the guilt-plagued ones. "The fact is, Sophie is not the only student remaining at Briarwood over the holiday season. There are several others. We're taking all the stay-behinds to New York by train to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and dine at the Four Seasons. You would know that if you read our weekly newsletters. We send them by email every Friday afternoon."
    I just met a woman who talks to animals--and thinks they talk back.
    Tanner kept his tone even. "I read your newsletters faithfully, Ms. Wiggins," he said. "And I'm not sure I like having my daughter referred to as a 'stay-behind.'"
    Ms. Wiggins trilled out a very un-CIA-like giggle."Oh, we don't use that term in front of the pupils, Mr. Quinn," she assured him. "Sophie is fine. She just tends to be a little overdramatic, that's all. In fact, I'm encouraging her to sign up for our thespian program, beginning next term--"
    "You're sure she's all right?" Tanner broke in.
    "She's one of our most emotionally stable students. It's just that, well, kids get a little sentimental around the holidays."
    Don't we all? Tanner thought. He always skipped Thanksgiving and Christmas both, if he couldn't spend them with Sophie. Up until now it had been easy enough, given that he'd been out of the country last year, and the year before that. Sophie had stayed with Tessa, and he'd ordered all her gifts online.
    Remembering that gave him a hollow feeling in the middle of his gut.
    "I know Sophie is stable," he said patiently. "That doesn't mean she's completely okay."
    Ms. Wiggins paused eloquently before answering. "Well, if you would like Sophie to come home for Thanksgiving, we'd certainly be glad to make the arrangements."
    Tanner wanted to say yes. Instantly. Book a plane. Put her on board. I don't care what it costs. But it would only lead to another tearful parting when it came time for Sophie to return to school, and Tanner couldn't bear another one of those. Not just yet, anyway.
    "It's best if Sophie stays there," he said.
    "I quite agree," Ms. Wiggins replied. "Last-minute trips home can be very disruptive to a child."
    "You'll let me know if there are any problems?"
    "Of course I will," Ms. Wiggins assured him. If therewas just a hint of condescension in her tone, he supposed he deserved it. "We at Briarwood pride ourselves on monitoring our students' mental health as well as their academic achievement. I promise you, Sophie is not traumatized."
    Tanner wished he could be half as sure of that as Ms. Wiggins sounded. A few holiday platitudes were exchanged, and the call ended. Tanner snapped his phone shut and dropped it into his coat pocket.
    Then he turned back toward the barn.
    Could a horse get