He would rather have been in a burning building than here in this kitchen trying to figure out what to say to his miserable stepsister. He took a deep breath. "You're right. I can't give you a money-back guarantee. But you know what, there are no guarantees. Meanwhile, he's getting the best care possible." Now Kendra's baby blues were turning into a sea of tears. Oh, no. "Hey, now, don't cry," Zach pleaded.

Too late. She burst into sobs. "Poor Daddy."

Zach found himself kneeling in front of that same kitchen chair once more, trying to make things right. He was trained to put out fires, not to offer grief counseling, and he felt his inadequacies like a boulder on his shoulders.

Half an hour later Natalie joined them and there were more tears. "It's all my fault," she wailed.

"Hey, now," Zach said sternly, "don't go saying stuff like that."

"But it is," Nat insisted.

Well, yeah, in a way. People got careless, especially at the holidays. But, he pointed out, "You're not an arsonist. It's not like you set out to start a fire. s.h.i.t happens, Nat."

"Our house is ruined," she sobbed. "And so is Christmas."

"No, it's not." Zach held her at arm's length and gave her his sternest big-brother look. "Everyone's alive and we're together and that's what matters. And it's still Christmas, so after breakfast we're going to go get a tree."

"We don't have any ornaments," said Natalie. "I burned them all up." With that she burst into fresh tears.

"I've got ornaments," said Zach.

Kendra looked dubious. "You do?"

He frowned at her. "What do I look like, the Grinch?"

"Your house looks like his headquarters," she retorted, softening the slam with a teasing smile.

"Well, we're going to change that." He marched to the kitchen cupboard and grabbed a box of pancake mix. Then he pulled out a big metal bowl. "We're going to fuel up with a good breakfast and then we're going out and getting a tree."

He put his sisters to work setting the table while he made pancakes. Of course, that turned out to be a waste. He set out a huge stack but neither girl ate more than one. In fact, Natalie only managed one bite, then spent the next ten minutes pushing what was left around her plate.

"Have another," he said to her, nudging the platter in her direction.

She just shook her head.

Like another pancake would make her feel better? What a dope he was.

What would Merilee of the perfect family do? And why on earth was he thinking about her at a time like this? Maybe it was because she seemed to have her act together. In fact, it sounded like her whole family did. How did people manage that, anyway? He didn't know but he hoped he'd learn.

"Okay, then," he tried, "let's go get us a tree."

Ten minutes later he had the girls bundled up in a couple of his cast-off jackets and gloves that swallowed their hands and they were in his Land Rover, all the necessary tree-toting ingredients in the back-ax, gloves, rope, tarp-and headed for Grandma's Christmas Tree Farm two miles outside of town, serenaded by Christmas songs on the radio. A few stray snowflakes drifted lazily toward the ground, framing gaily decorated houses with a touch of winter. Both the Steps were normally big talkers, but this morning they remained unnervingly quiet. Zach stole a look at them. Kendra was lost in dark thoughts and Natalie was surrept.i.tiously wiping tears from her eyes as she looked out the window.

"Hey now, you two, everything's going to be okay." It would be. Somewhere down the road, it would be. They could rebuild the house. And while they were at it, maybe they could build a family.

Kendra reached out and took her sister's gloved hand and squeezed it. "He's right. We're alive and we're together."

"I know. But Daddy..." Natalie's voice broke.

"Will be okay," Zach a.s.sured her. "Who knows? They may even let him come home today."

"I doubt it," said Kendra, making Natalie's tears flow again.

Thank you, Kendra. He frowned at her.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Well, he'll be home soon," Zach insisted. "So let's get the biggest kick-a.s.s Christmas tree we can find to give him a good welcome. Okay?"

Both girls nodded and he breathed a little easier. Things were looking up.

Until they got to Grandma's Christmas Tree Farm and saw the gate across the road with the big CLOSED sign on it. Grandma was obviously too busy cooking Christmas dinner to bother with customers on Christmas day. Hardly surprising. People already had their trees.

Kendra c.o.c.ked a mocking eyebrow at Zach as if it was somehow his fault that Grandma took the day off. "Now what?"

Failure was not acceptable. He couldn't change what had happened, but by d.a.m.n he could at least get a tree. "We go get a bargain," he said and backed up the Land Rover.

They returned to town to the corner housing a now spa.r.s.ely populated lot of live trees, circled with colored lights. The hand-painted sign at one end read UNCLE WALLY'S TREES. It seemed that everyone in the tree business was your long-lost family member.

Uncle Wally was right on hand to greet them as they approached. He looked like the kind of person you invited to your family Christmas dinner because you had to. He had a big belly, barely contained by a plaid flannel shirt and a parka, and was wearing baggy jeans and army boots. On the top of his head he sported a hunter's cap, on the bottom a couple of extra chins.

"h.e.l.lo there, folks," he sang. "Got some great bargains for you today."

Zach looked around at what was left. Ten-foot giants and spindly messes losing their needles. Bargains. Right. "I can see," he said.

"You caught me just in time," said Uncle Wally. He nodded in the direction of a small trailer at the end of the lot. "Me and the missus are just about to have our turkey dinner."

Turkey dinner. Uh-oh. Zach hadn't even thought about dinner. Would the girls want turkey? Or would the sight of a holiday feast only make them wish they were back in their own house? It was a moot question. He knew enough about cooking to know there would be no thawing a turkey in time for dinner today. Heck, things weren't even looking good in the tree department.

"This is nice," said Kendra, drifting over to a small tree.

Natalie hung back but Zach joined her. He took the tree and gave it a shake. A million needles. .h.i.t the ground. A nice, dry tree-that was what they needed.

"Hey," protested Uncle Wally. "Careful of the merchandise."

"This no longer qualifies as merchandise. It's kindling," Zach retorted. "Come on, girls, these trees are a fire hazard."

"Well, whaddya expect when you wait till the last minute?" Uncle Wally called after them as they trooped out of the lot. "It's Christmas Day, for crying out loud."

"Duh," said Kendra under her breath.

Zach ground his teeth.

She laid a hand on his arm. "It's okay. We don't need a tree."

"Yes, we do," he insisted.

"I think we're sort of out of options," said Kendra.

"No, we're not."

"Okaaaay," she said, humoring him. "So what now?"

"Now we do the manly man thing," he said. "We're going into the woods."

"The woods?" echoed Natalie, sounding anything but thrilled.

He turned and frowned at her. "What?"

She held up a foot shod in a black ballerina slipper. "No boots."

Oh, yeah. That. The girls didn't have a winter wardrobe anymore. The girls didn't have a wardrobe, period. "Well, then, you guys can wait in the car while I get the tree."

"By ourselves?" squeaked Natalie.

"I vote we go back to Uncle Wally," said Kendra.

Zach shook his head. "No. No fire hazard trees."

"Agreed," said Natalie fervently.

"Maybe Grandma will open up for us if we explain about the fire," Kendra suggested.

"That's a good idea," seconded Natalie.

Zach thought going into the woods was a better idea, but it was best to humor the Steps. "Okay. Back to Grandma's."

Over the river and through the woods to Grandma's place they went. And then it was over the fence for Zach and past the CLOSED sign and up the gravel road snugged in by rows and rows of cheery Christmas trees. He rounded a bend in the road and came on a clearing. There, in all its glory, sat a decrepit mobile home with an equally decrepit, rusted truck parked in front of it. An angry bark drew his attention to a pit bull chained to a scraggly fir tree.

This was Grandma's house?

FIFTEEN.

A moment later, a thin sixty-something man in jeans and a sweatshirt appeared on the front porch. His hair was gray and thinning, and his chin was covered with gray stubble. A cigarette dangled from his mouth and he held a shotgun by his side. Grandpa.

"Can I help you?" he called in a tone of voice that added, Off my property.

Zach wasn't sure which looked more helpful, the pit bull or the shotgun. "I need a tree."

The man's lips turned down. "Are you blind? Didn't you see the sign? We're closed."

"I know, but I'm desperate," Zach called back. "This is for my family. Their house burned down last night and they're staying with me. And I don't have a tree," he added. Not having a tree hadn't bothered him before. Now he found himself embarra.s.sed to have to confess it, even to old Father Christmas here.

The man shook his head in disgust and waved Zach away. "Well, then. Get one."

"How much?" Zach called.

"Just take one and get out of here," the guy said and then turned his back on Zach.

You didn't have to tell Zach twice. He trotted off down the road, the dog wishing him a Merry Christmas and good riddance.

"Can we get one?" asked Natalie when he returned.

"Absolutely."

"They were closed. How'd you do that?" Kendra asked, impressed.

"I've got connections," Zach joked. He went around to the back of the Land Rover and grabbed his ax. "Let's go."

"Uh, Zach, we're not exactly dressed for this, remember?" Kendra informed him.

"The ground's pretty much frozen." Zach stamped the gravel drive with his boot to prove it. "You should be okay for a few minutes. Come on. Help me pick one."

Kendra nodded and got out. Natalie remained in the backseat.

Kendra opened the door. "Come on, Nat."

Natalie shrugged. "You guys go on. I'll wait."

She looked like she was going to cry again.

"Come on, sis," Zach urged. "You're the one with the creative eye. Help us out here."

Natalie didn't smile but she did get out of the car. That was something. He gave her a hug and then led the way through the rows of manicured trees.

Natalie roused herself enough to help with the process but, once inside the car, her lips retreated from smile territory and she clammed up. Kendra and Zach exchanged glances. "It'll be okay," Zach repeated, both to himself and Kendra.

Back home they set up the tree and Zach hauled his ornaments out of the attic. Tom sat on the back of the couch, supervising, his tail switching back and forth as they worked. However, when Queenie made her appearance, the little guy lost all interest in the tree and hopped off the couch to sniff noses and give her sooty fur a lick.

Kendra stepped back to admire their handiwork. "Not bad," she said with an approving smile.

Natalie managed a nod. "How do you think Daddy's doing?" she asked in a small voice.

Probably better than she is, thought Zach. "Let's find out," he said. He opened the coat closet and tossed coats to the girls. "Come on. We'll go sing him some Christmas carols."

Christmas in the hospital wasn't what anyone had planned, but it sure beat sitting around looking at his half-decked tree. And right now the best present he could give Natalie would be to take her to see her dad.

Correction. Their dad.