Santa in a Stetson by Rebecca Winters Page B

powerful body seeped into hers. She could smell the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower. Her awareness of him was so potent, it unnerved her.
    When the door opened and she stepped into the foyer, she breathed more easily. “If you’ll give me your coat, I’ll hang it in the closet.”
    Colt shrugged out of his jacket, then removed his hat and put it on the hall table.
    She walked him through the elegant living room with its more traditional décor. “I’m sure you’d like to freshen up. Go down that hall. The guest bathroom is the first door on your left. When you want to find me, I’ll be in the kitchen. It’s beyond the dining room you can see from here.”
    â€œThank you. I’ll try not to get lost,” he said in a wry tone.
    Kathryn had cooked for Steve several times, but early on she’d realized her feelings for him tended to be sisterly. She’d never known the kind of excitement Colt engendered simply by being in the same room with him.
    After washing her hands, she got busy frying bacon for the club sandwiches. He’d probably like soup and a salad, too. When he walked in and lounged against the wall looking fantastic in a white polo and jeans, she almost cut her finger while she was slicing the tomatoes.
    â€œWhat can I do to help?”
    She finished tossing the salad. “If you’ll take theplates into the dining room, I’ll bring the coffee.” Kathryn discovered she had an appetite after all.
    â€œThe view’s incredible from up here,” he said once they’d sat down at the table to eat. “Quite a change from Skwars Farm, Wisconsin.” On that note, he devoured three quarters of his sandwich in one go while she ate her soup.
    â€œAllie must have an excellent memory to recall that detail.”
    He eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup. “After being mesmerized by your extraordinary story, she wasn’t bound to forget such an unusual name. The food’s delicious, by the way.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œI remember when you were found.”
    Reminding her of that day changed the tone of their conversation. “Even up on your mountain?”
    Colt finished off the last of his sandwich. “News like that has long legs.”
    â€œI remember that day, too,” she teased in order not to break down. There were two kinds of found. Whitney’s unknown fate haunted her.
    â€œIt was a stunning development, the kind no one could believe. I’ll be honest and tell you that since Allie showed me the brochure, I’ve been incredulous she would have ended up being the recipient of Kathryn McFarland’s exceptional kindness. What are the odds of that happening?”
    â€œProbably as great as the odds of your lovely daughter getting on a bus to come to Salt Lake one dark winter night without your knowledge.”
    His gaze sobered as it wandered over her features.“What prompted you to take the time out from your heavy workload to accompany Allie all the way to Montana? If you performed that kind of service for everyone who needed help, there’d be nothing left of you.”
    Once again, Colt had asked a question that hit at the core of her growing distress. “I could say that your daughter is an exceptional girl and a real charmer. Both descriptions are true. But now that you’ve prompted me to think about it, I have to admit I was driven by an underlying anger.”
    He stopped munching on his salad. “Anger?”
    Without realizing it, she’d crushed the paper napkin in her fist. “I have a lot of it inside me, Colt. When I first saw Allie lying there and went through her clothes looking for clues, I could see she came from a wonderful home. Everything about her screamed excellent health. She was well cared for.”
    Kathryn warmed to her subject. “It was obvious she’d been given every advantage in life. Once she spoke to me, she