“Of course, but not tonight. Get a good sleep.”
Kathryn rang off, then made a call to Maggie. The moment she answered Kathryn said, “Forgive me for calling you so late. I’d like to ask a favor of you, but first I need to know your plans for tomorrow afternoon.”
“Jake and I were going to stay home and play with Robbie. Kamila might come over with Jared. Why?”
“I need to take a missing teen back to her family. She’s in the hospital getting over the flu and can probably go home tomorrow. But she lives in Bozeman, Montana, and—”
“You’d like me to fly you there?” she finished for Kathryn. “That’s not a long flight. I’d love to do it. Meet me at the hangar at twelve-thirty. I’ll have you there by two. Robbie will nap while I’m gone.”
“You’re the best, Maggie,” Kathryn said. “I’ll call you in the morning if the doctor decides she should stay in the hospital another day. Otherwise, plan on it.”
“Sounds good. Do you know something?”
“What?”
“You’ve become a workaholic. That’s how I used to be before I met Jake.”
“Yeah, well, we all can’t be as lucky as you.”
“You could have married Steve.”
“I could have, but he only proposed to me because he couldn’t have you.”
After a long silence, Maggie said, “What are you talking about?”
The time for honesty had come. How strange that this was the moment. “Kit’s brother was already clerking for you when I arrived on the scene. It was you he loved. You were the reason he left California. When he asked me to marry him, I told him I was flattered, but I didn’t want to be your substitute. He got all red in the face, but he didn’t deny it.”
“I had no idea.” Her sister sounded shocked.
“Of course not. That’s because you were so in love with Jake, you didn’t know if you were coming or going. I can’t say I blame you. Jake Halsey’s the kind of man who is so attractive he gives every woman a heart attack. Unfortunately, there’s only one of him. If I didn’t love you so much, I’d scratch your eyes out.”
Maggie laughed, then sobered. “Honestly, Kathryn, I love him so much, it scares me.”
“Steve saw it, too. That’s why I told him that until he went back to California to get away from you, he’d never be happy.”
“So that’s the reason he suddenly left.”
“Now you know the whole truth. When I told the family I couldn’t marry him because I loved him like a brother, I meant it.”
She heard Maggie clear her throat. “Your turn’s coming, Kathryn.”
“No. I’ve had plenty of possible turns, but I’ve discovered I’m not the marrying kind. I crave my freedom too much. Maybe being a captive at Skwars Farm for twenty-six years made me claustrophobic over the whole institution. My psychiatrist says we need to explore it, but that’s for another day. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”
After she hung up, she left the empty isolation room and crossed the hall to check on Allie. The teen was asleep. Her long bus ride and the flu had left Allie on the verge of exhaustion when she’d left the depot.
Whatever had caused Allie to leave home had worn her out, physically and emotionally, but her vital signs looked good. She could be released tomorrow, but would have to stay in bed at home for another night at least till the flu had left her system.
Without wasting any more time, Kathryn slipped back 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.
WHILE COLT 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?”
“No,” sounded a female voice. “Are you Mr. Brenner?”
He blinked. “Who’s this?” Colt knew he sounded terse, but couldn’t help it.
“I’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?”
“I’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.
“She’s really all right?”
“I 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.”
“You 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
