Santa in a Stetson Read Online Free PDF

across the hall to make the most important phone call of the night. It was quarter to twelve. If Allie’s father suspected nothing and still thought his daughter was at her best friend’s house enjoying a sleepover, then he was in for a huge shock.
    But if he’d discovered she was missing and was frantically looking for her, then it was past time to end his anguish.
    Allie had painted a picture of a loving family. Like Kathryn, Allie had put her father on a pedestal no other man could hold a candle to. She was an exceptional girl. It meant she had an exceptional father. There’d been no mention of a mother.
    Kathryn reached for her note pad where she’d written down the phone number Allie had given her and punched in the digits.
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    W HILE C OLT WAITED for the detective in Salt Lake to call him back, he went up to Allie’s bedroom. He’d already given the police a description of what she was wearing when she’d left for school, including her backpack. Colt hoped that a thorough search of her room might reveal a clue to help him out. Anything…
    She always stashed her money from odd jobs and babysitting in a drawstring purse hanging in the closet. None was there. Naturally she’d used it to buy her bus ticket. To his dismay, he found her cell phone in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She’d turned it off, killing that one glimmer of hope she might call him.
    His daughter had been planning this for a long time. The pit in his stomach yawned wide.
    Expecting to hear from the detective, he was ready to answer when his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and clicked on. “Detective Martinez?”
    â€œNo,” sounded a female voice. “Are you Mr. Brenner?”
    He blinked. “Who’s this?” Colt knew he sounded terse, but couldn’t help it.
    â€œI’m Katy McFarland.” Katy was the nickname she used with young people. “The first thing you need to know is that your daughter Allie is fine, but she’s asleep right now. She gave me your phone number so I could call you.”
    Adrenaline gushed through his veins. “Where is she?” he cried out. “Who are you?”
    â€œI’m a medical caseworker for North Avenues Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was called in when your daughter was brought here around four-thirty this afternoon. She became dizzy after getting off the Greyhound bus. A passerby saw her on the ground and called 911. There was no ID on her. An ambulance picked her up and brought her to the E.R. Your daughter has the H1N1 virus, but it’s not a serious case.”
    Colt staggered to the bed and sank down.
    â€œShe’s really all right?”
    â€œI wouldn’t lie to you, but I have to tell you her biggest fear is that you won’t be able to forgive her for what she did. In case you didn’t know it, she worships the ground you walk on, so that makes a girl nervous to disappoint the most wonderful father in the whole world.”
    She’d imitated Allie’s way of speaking to perfection, charming Colt, who was close to speechless at this point. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
    â€œYou just did, so don’t think about it anymore. We’ve got her on an IV to treat her flu symptoms. If she continues to improve, she can probably be released tomorrow provided she gets nursing care at home for another day.”
    Colt jumped to his feet. “My son was the one who figured out she’d taken the bus somewhere. The police are attempting to locate her in Salt Lake right now. Matt and I will fly to Salt Lake on the earliest flight out of Bozeman in the morning. We want to be with her until she’s out of the woods.”
    â€œYou don’t need to do that. To be frank, your daughter didn’t want to stay here tonight. She has begged me tolet her go home tomorrow. In the event that she’s well enough, I’ve made arrangements through the