Santa In Montana (Calder Saga 11)

“I’d make something up,” he said confidently.

“That’s not how it works—hey! Come back here!”

But he’d pried his hand loose and gone running in the direction of his great-grandfather’s study. “I just remembered something I

have to tell Greypa!”

“Jake—” Sloan stopped, her hands on her hips, looking after him with exasperation as he tugged open a door to the den and plunged inside. Hearing male voices from inside the room, she suddenly remembered the unfamiliar car outside and realized Chase had a visitor. On the heels of that, Sloan recalled Cat mentioning Wade Rogers intended to come back this week. Doubting that Jake’s intrusion was all that welcome, she walked to the den to collect her wayward son. Sloan poked her head inside the room. A quick glance failed to spot him. “Anyone seen Jake?”

“He’s right here,” Chase answered.

Her son popped up from the far side of the desk like a jack-in-the-box. “I was hiding,” he said mischievously.

“Now that you’ve been found, let’s go practice your lines.” Sloan motioned for him to join her.

“But—” he began in protest.

“That’s enough of that. Run along like your mother said,” Chase told Jake.

The little boy stood where he was on the other side of his great-grandfather’s desk, playing with a pen he took from it. “Do I have to?”

“Yes. And you’re interrupting,” Chase said firmly. “That’s not allowed.” His glare was enough to take the steam out of Jake, who didn’t argue as he handed back the pen and walked, crestfallen, to his waiting mother.

Sloan took his hand and turned around, reproving Jake in a low voice as they moved into the hall. He tripped over his untied sneaker lace. Halting, she knelt down and retied it, making sure it was double-knotted. “Shh. Greypa has work to do.”

For a wonder, the little boy was completely quiet.

When she rose, a movement within the den caught her eye. Chase was handing Wade a piece of paper; it appeared to be the same size and shape as a bank check. Unwilling to give the appearance of prying, Sloan led Jake away from the den doors. Again he jerked his hand from her grasp and darted back to the den.

Sloan swore under her breath, took two steps at a time and reached the open door just in time to hear Chase say, “So you’re set. There’s more when you need it, of course. But this should smooth the way for you initially.”

Jake was trying to hide behind the door where no one could see him. She uncurled his fingers from the doorknob and began to close it, saying in an almost inaudible voice that was more like a hiss, “You heard me. I said your great-grandpa is busy!”

“Who’s there?” Chase called.

Sloan realized that both she and her son were outside his peripheral vision. “Sorry, Chase. Jake is being obstinate.”

She moved into the doorway so the old man could both see and hear her well.

“Jake, obey your mother,” his great-grandfather said. “No harm done,” he added in an aside to Sloan. “We’ve just wrapped things up.”

“That means the meeting is over,” Jake said knowledgeably, as if he attended them all the time. “I can go in.”

Sloan shook her head. “You’re going to your room. And I’m going with you. And you are going to study your lines until you have them memorized perfectly.”

Chase smiled but his visitor tried not to. “Never argue with a woman when she’s right, Jake. Now, quick march.”

Jake scowled but he seemed resigned to his fate.

After the pair left, Wade turned to Chase. “I’d better be going. If you don’t mind, I’ll stop in the kitchen and tell Cat good-bye.”

“Not at all. Keep in touch. And good luck.”

“Thanks.” Wade exited the den and started toward the rear of the house. As he crossed the living room, Cat emerged from the kitchen and saw him. She paused in mild surprise. “Are you two finished already?”

“We are. I was on my way to tell you good-bye before I left.”

“Oh.” Glowing, Cat seized the unexpected chance to have a private moment with him. “I’ll walk you to your car.”