Page 10 of Colorado Christmas Carol

All too soon, they were back at the hotel. Mellie wished Essa a good night, hugged her quickly, and went upstairs to the room she shared with her dad to watch a cartoon movie on pay-per-view.

“Nothing rated above PG, or you’ll have trouble,” Duke warned.

She just waved and kept walking.

“Oh, she’s a mess,” Essa said with a grin, watching the child go up the staircase. “You’ve done a great job with her.”

He stuck his hands in his pockets and studied her quietly. “You love kids. But you don’t want to get married and have some of your own?”

She gave him a droll look. “I’m everybody’s big sister,” she told him. “If somebody’s girlfriend dumped him, here’s my shoulder. If his wife is cheating on him, here’s my shoulder. If he can’t get a special girl to date him, here’s my shoulder. That’s me.”

“You can’t be the age you are and not have a single proposal of marriage.”

“Well, I did have one,” she said. She grinned. “But he was six years old, and his mother wouldn’t let him buy me a ring.”

He chuckled.

“Besides, I have these nightmares . . .”

His eyebrows arched.

“I mean really bad, howling nightmares,” she added.

“There was this one about a tiny little boy being beaten by a woman. She was wearing black pj’s, like those martial arts people wear, and kicking him.

He vanished. Then there was an older boy, but he was sturdier.

She was hurting him. He ran away. He was older and he went back.

He found something. He went mad. He had a weapon .

. . his face was a skeleton. But when he turned around, it was .

. . it was me.” She looked up at him to surprise an expression on his face that she couldn’t understand.

“When did you have this dream?” he asked.

“Last night. I almost came down and canceled today because I’ve had hardly any sleep. It was one of those three-dimensional nightmares that you wish you could forget.”

He took her arm and led her to one of the couches and sat her down with him.

“There’s a forensic workshop in Carnesville, about thirty miles south of here,” he said. “Next Saturday. I have reason to believe that your friend who loves forensics will be there. Could you get off and go with Mellie and me?”

She frowned. “Dean?” she asked.

He nodded.

She was all at sea. “You don’t think he’s done something bad, do you?” she wondered. “He’s such a nice man. Very gentle. I don’t think he’d hurt a fly.”

“Neither do I,” he lied. “But I’m working a case, and I have to investigate anything out of the ordinary. He’s not your typical forensic geek.”

“Well, no. He knows too much,” she agreed with a smile. “He’s very intelligent,”

He nodded. “I don’t think he’s involved in anything, but he might be acquainted with someone who is,” he said enigmatically.

“I need to find out. But I don’t want him to get suspicious.

If you and Mellie come along, and you tell him that it was your idea to go to the workshop but your car wouldn’t make it that far and Mellie wanted to go, too—and what a surprise, you didn’t expect to see him there!

” He gave her a long look. “Think you can pull it off?”

She made a face. “I had the lead in my school play in sixth grade.”

“Great. Then can you ask your boss for one more free day? Tell him you’re solving a case with the sheriff’s department. It might help.”

“I don’t need to. He’s just really nice. And one of the relief chefs needs the work,” she added with a sigh. “His wife just left him and is suing for child support for their son. Honestly, doesn’t anybody stay married anymore?”

“Some people don’t and should. Some people do and shouldn’t.”

“Thanks. That gets you the Enigma Award for the year,” she said sardonically.

He chuckled. “I’ll find out exactly when the workshop starts. Thanks.” He got up. “Mellie really likes you,” he added, frowning, as if he couldn’t understand why.

“Yes, strange, isn’t it?” she asked. “I usually only attract drunk men.”

His eyes widened.

“At parties, if I ever go to them,” she explained.

“I don’t drink, so I’m usually sitting in a corner by myself.

If there’s a drunk man within fifty feet, he’ll make a beeline for me.

I did a dumb thing and danced with one once, and he passed out at my feet on a crowded dance floor.

Was that fun!” she drawled, rolling her eyes. “So I stopped going to parties.”

“That’s sad.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “You aren’t exactly a party animal yourself,” she pointed out.

He shrugged. “I don’t have the time.”

She smiled. “She’s the best reason to not have time to party,” she said.

He smiled back, without sarcasm. “I like to think so.” He turned. “See you.”

He was gone before she had a good reply.

* * *

During one free hour, Essa took Mellie outside the hotel for a walk on the grounds. Some of the trees were shedding pollen profusely, despite the cold. Mellie started sneezing her head off and coughing repeatedly.

“Back inside, right now,” Essa said, herding her into the hotel lobby.

But the coughing didn’t stop. Her face was turning red, and she seemed to have trouble breathing.

“Give me your phone,” Essa said quickly.

Mellie dug it out. She was still fighting for breath.

Her dad’s number was on speed dial. Essa punched it, but there was no answer. She called 911 instead, but the ambulance would take too long to get to the hotel, so she told them she was bringing Mellie right to the emergency room.

She told one of her staff on the way out what had happened and where she was going. She had the woman stay with Mellie in the lobby while she brought her car around. Then they got Mellie into the front seat and Essa burned rubber getting her to the ER.

She explained the situation to a clerk, who got Mellie right into a treatment room. Luckily, there were very few people who needed to be seen.

The young doctor examined Mellie, called in a nurse, and gave instructions.

“Your daughter will be fine,” he told Essa, assuming she was responsible for the girl, “but she needs to see an allergist. This is an asthma attack, and I’m betting it’s not the first one.” He smiled. “People don’t realize it, but pollen can be a problem year-round, not just in the warm months.”

“But she was only coughing,” Essa replied, not correcting his assumption about her relationship with her little friend.

“It sometimes presents that way, which is why people don’t see allergists. It’s not uncommon. She’ll be fine. We’re giving her breathing treatments, and I’ll prescribe an inhaler. You got her here in good time. Don’t worry.”

“Thanks,” Essa choked. She was really upset. The child could have died.

“All in a day’s work,” he said.

“I’ll be okay,” Mellie said as she did the breathing treatments. “Really, Essa.”

Essa hugged her. “I’m so sorry! I never should have taken you out when pollen was in the air . . . !”

“Yes, but we didn’t know I had asthma, did we?” the child asked gently. “Really. I’m fine.”

Essa swiped at her eyes. “Okay.”

Mellie’s phone rang. Essa plucked it out of her pocket and answered it.

“Where the hell is my daughter?” came a familiar voice.

“We’re in the ER,” she said. “She’s okay,” she added quickly. “She has asthma.”

“She has . . . what?” he asked curtly.

“Asthma. She started coughing while we were walking under some trees, and it wouldn’t stop. I was so scared . . . I rushed her to the ER. They’re giving her breathing treatments . . . Here, she can manage a few words . . .”

She handed the phone to Mellie.

“I’m okay, Daddy,” Mellie said in a rasping tone. “Essa took great care of me. Yes. Yes. I will. Okay. Bye.”

She handed the phone back. “He’s on his way here,” Mellie managed.

“Okay.” She smiled at the little girl, mentally hoping somebody, a doctor, a nurse, an orderly, somebody, would come to save her when he walked in the door. He was certainly going to blame her for the attack. And she blamed herself.

* * *

Duke walked right into the treatment room. Mellie, still doing the breathing treatment, gave him a smile and a thumbs-up from her perch on the examination table.

Essa, standing beside it with her arms crossed over her chest, looked devastated.

Duke hugged his daughter. Then, to her surprise, he pulled Essa into his arms and hugged her close.

“Thanks,” he said huskily.

She felt funny. He smelled of spicy cologne and soap, and he was as solid as a wall. All muscle. He was much taller than she was, but they fit together perfectly. She never wanted him to let go. She sighed and smiled and nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He lifted his head and looked down into her eyes with affection. “What for?”

“Not being mad at me,” she replied solemnly. “I didn’t know she had allergies,” she said miserably. “She could have died, and it would have been my fault!”

“Or she could have had an attack when she was all alone, with nobody to help her. How about that?” he added gently.

She took a deep breath. “Thanks,” she said. “That makes it a little better.” She glanced at Mellie and smiled. “She’s a trouper,” she added. “I went all to pieces, but she was just so calm!”

“I taught her never to panic but to assess the situation,” he replied, smiling at his daughter. “She’s sharp.”

“She’s also asthmatic,” the doctor added, coming in behind them. “I gather that symptoms haven’t presented before this?” he asked as they shook hands.

“Never,” Duke said, letting go of Essa. “Of course, we’ve rarely been out of cities until now.”

The doctor nodded. “I’ve called in a prescription for a rescue inhaler, a nebulizer, and meds to use if she has an attack this bad again. I’d recommend allergy shots as well. You’ll need to get her to an allergist as soon as possible.”

“Is there one in town?” he asked, surprisingly.