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hospital to fly her to Bozeman by private charter in the afternoon. I’ll accompany her and take care of her for another day until she’s up and around.”
    â€œI can’t let you do that.”
    â€œIt’s my job.”
    â€œNo one has a job like that,” he argued. “No wonder our hospitals are in financial trouble.”
    â€œThe patient advocacy department is funded by a private donor, so it’s not a concern. More importantly, your daughter made a deal with me. She would tell me your name and let me call you if I nursed her till she was better. We shook on it.”
    Good grief.
    Allie, Allie. What was going on inside her? After a certain age, she’d only wanted Noreen around and Colt hadn’t hired another nanny. Yet in her vulnerability today, she’d reached out to a stranger. Why?
    Colt wanted to ask this woman if she knew what had driven Allie to do what she did, but now wasn’t the time. It was enough to know his daughter was safe in a hospital, getting treated for the flu of all things.
    He took a deep breath. “How soon can I talk to her?”
    â€œAs soon as she’s awake. Housekeeping has brought me a cot so I can stay with her tonight. If she should wake up, I’ll let her use my phone to call you. Otherwise, call my number in the morning and I’ll put her on.”
    He pursed his lips. “I may phone you before that to find out if you’re real or if I’m having an out-of-body experience.”
    She laughed quietly. A husky kind of laugh that resonated inside him. “There’s nothing more terrifying than not knowing where your child is. Until you can hug her and kiss her, I know you won’t quite believe you have her back.”
    Whoever this woman was, she could read minds. It gave him goose flesh. “Ms. McFarland?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œThank you,” he whispered.
    â€œYou’re welcome, Mr. Brenner. We’ll talk in the morning. Good night.”
    She hung up first, leaving him dazed.
    When he gathered his wits, he left the room and walked down the hall past the guest bedroom to Matt’s room. His son had fallen asleep, but after what they’d been through, he decided to wake him up.
    â€œMatt?” he called softly to him.
    He made a sound and turned toward him. “Is it time to go?”
    Colt sat down on the side of the bed. “We don’t have to go anywhere. Your sister’s been found.” In the next few minutes, he told him about the phone call.
    Matt reached over and hugged him. “Do you think I’ll catch it?”
    He hadn’t seen that question coming. “I don’t know. Let’s not worry about that now. Go back to sleep.”
    â€œThey’re really going to fly her home?”
    â€œThat’s what the nurse said.”
    â€œWhoa. Well, good night, Dad.” Matt laid back down and punched his pillow to get it in the right position.
    Colt eyed his son for a moment. The biggest care on Matt’s mind now was whether he would come downwith the virus. Would that the flu was all that plagued Colt. Unfortunately for him, this new knowledge was only the tip of an enormous iceberg.
    After leaving Matt’s bedroom, he headed for his study again. He called both detectives and left messages that Allie had been found. Following that, he e-mailed the Wagners to tell them the good news. There was no one else to inform.
    Wired and restless, he went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Caffeine was the last thing he needed, but it was the only drink he wanted.
    His premonition that something was wrong with Allie had borne fruit. Two times he’d experienced this. Both times there’d been bad news. He dreaded the thought of it ever happening again. His heart might not be able to take it a third time.
    Noreen was going to be surprised when another woman besides herself would be waiting on Allie. Colt had gotten the surprise of his life