Santa In Montana (Calder Saga 11)

“That has to be an interesting career,” Sloan stated.

“It’s like most jobs that sound very glamorous—but the reality is usually something else.”

“Are you stationed here in the States now?” Cat wondered.

After a slight hesitation, he replied, “In a manner of speaking. You see, I resigned from the State Department a few years back. Now I work as a private consultant, usually for companies with overseas business interests.”

“So what brings you to Montana?” Laredo eyed him curiously while he dipped his knife into the butter for his roll.

“I had some business in the general area, and since I had a couple free days on my calendar, I decided to trade on my father’s friendship with Chase and wrangle myself an invite. After hearing so many stories about the Triple C, the thought of being so close and not seeing it for myself—well, I just didn’t want to pass up the chance,” he concluded.

“We’re glad you didn’t,” Cat said with a wide smile.

“So am I,” Wade replied, returning her smile and holding her glance long enough that Jessy noted it. She shot a look at Cat, and caught that tell-tale glow about her face. She gave Laredo a little nudge and tipped her head in Cat’s direction. Like her, he observed the very personal interest she was taking in their guest. And his reaction was to make a closer study of Wade Rogers.

“So where do you live now?” Cat asked, with seemingly polite curiosity.

“In one of the D.C. suburbs, on the Maryland side.”

“Maybe you should ask him next whether he’s married, Cat,” Chase suggested, his head cocked in her direction.

“Dad—” She uttered his name in a breathless protest and shot a self-conscious and embarrassed glance at Wade. He avoided eye contact, directing his attention to the food on his plate. Yet Jessy was almost sure he was fighting back a smile.

“Well, the way you’ve been bombarding him with questions,” Chase began in defense of his comment, “I thought you might be checking him to see if he was good husband material.”

“Dad.” Cat glared at him to shut up.

Before Chase could respond, Wade spoke. “As it happens, I’m a widower. I lost my wife to cancer a few years back.” Nothing in his expression or tone of voice revealed any awareness that this topic might be awkward.

Unnoticed, Jake slipped off his chair and trotted around to Chase’s side, laying a hand on his arm to claim his attention. “Greypa, is he the guy you’re going to get Aunt Cat to be her new husband? You know, for Christmas.”

At the same moment that Chase tapped a silencing finger against Jake’s mouth as if to remind him it was their secret, Sloan blurted an embarrassed, “Jake, you shouldn’t ask questions like that. You get back here on this chair right now,” she insisted and threw an apologetic glance at Cat.

Cat was too furious to speak, certain she had never been so totally humiliated in her life. In her youth, she would have thrown her napkin on the table and stormed from the room. Now she sat in stiff silence and poked at her food, seething inwardly.

“I don’t know what you must think of this family, Mr. Rogers,” Sloan began, speaking to cover Cat’s silence. “My son—”

Chase interrupted, smiling at Wade, a knowing gleam in his eyes. “What she’s trying to explain is it’s one of those private family wars I’m having with my daughter. And young Jake here is a good needler.” He patted the boy’s shoulder and nudged him toward his chair.

“Obviously it’s an inside joke that’s best ignored.” Wade directed his reply to Chase, but made a point to include Cat by way of a reassuring side glance.

Only slightly mollified, Cat murmured, “You’re understanding is appreciated.” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the stiffness out of her voice—or shrug the whole thing off as easily as he seemed to be doing.

“Say, Jake,” Chase inserted as the boy climbed on his chair, “you never did tell me about that snow fort you built.”

“It’s a good ’un, Greypa,” Jake declared and immediately launched into a full description of it, who worked on it, and what each one did.

When others joined in with comments and questions, Cat was never so glad to have such a nonsensical topic dominate the conversation. Along the way, she did her part to keep it going, determined to have it carry them through the rest of the meal, if possible.

“Sounds like quite a fort,” Wade remarked.

“Want’a see it?” Jake sat forward, all eagerness. “I’ll show it to you after we’re through eating.”

“Maybe another time,” Wade replied, then let his glance encompass all at the table. “I know it’s not polite to eat and run, but I’ll have to be leaving right after lunch if I plan on making my flight.”

“But it won’t take long,” Jake began in protest.

Sloan placed a silencing hand on his arm. “I think you forgot that you’re going sledding with Luke and Dan this afternoon.”