"I haven't told anyone, but around here there aren't any secrets, I guess."

"What will your mother say?" he asked.

"I don't care what she says, if she even finds out. I'm not a baby or an invalid and the bunch of you better get that straight or I might do something dramatic, like run away. Again." She stood up. "Really, I'm glad it's out. Wrap your brain around this, Uncle Jack. I like him. I'm not giving him up. Now I have phone calls to make, so I'll see you later."

"Angie, those Riordans..."

She turned back to him.

"They're good guys, don't get me wrong. But they're not pups. They're warriors, every last one of them. Rugged. Not exactly...docile."

"Yeah," she said with a big grin. "I know." And with that, she turned and left.

"You could've warned me," Angie said to Mel.

"Angie, I didn't discuss you with Jack. Not much, anyway. I said it was true I suspected you and Patrick but that we hadn't talked about it and it was none of my business. I also told him that my experience with young women is that the louder the protest against their decisions, the firmer they become." She took a breath. "How'd he do?"

"He's bats.h.i.t crazy. His little kitten is getting boinked by a fighter jock."

Mel couldn't help it, a laugh burst from her. She covered her mouth with a hand. "G.o.d," she whispered.

"Well, there's no one left to be discreet around. We can officially go steady. For three weeks."

"Like summer camp," Mel said. "Only this time in the dead of winter. Listen, while you were with Jack, there was a phone call. Dr. Hernandez?"

"Really?"

"Is he one of yours? Or a plastic surgeon?"

"Plastics. He left a number, I hope."

"On the desk. He'd like you to speak to his PA."

Angie bolted for the phone. In fifteen minutes she was back. "Okay, here's what we've got. The doctor wants to see her for an evaluation. If he can help, he will. His a.s.sistant will help me tally the other costs so I know exactly how much money I have to raise. Monday at 2:00 p.m."

Mel grinned largely. "Where?"

"Davis. I'm crossing my fingers that this is a relatively simple procedure. He must be a good man. He's waiving the office fee."

"Do you want me to take her?"

"No, please let me. But I'll have to go talk to her and her parents."

"I have a suggestion," Mel said. "She's very close to the elementary school teacher, Becca Cutler. And you're close in age. You might want to talk to her, enlist her help, maybe take her with you to the Thicksons'. It could give Megan peace of mind."

Angie waited until the end of the school day to drive over to the elementary school and introduce herself to Becca. When she arrived, she found the day care staff of three still busy with small children in one room and in another she found a pretty young blonde woman on her knees in front of a miniature table, sc.r.a.ping glue and clay off the top. There was a bucket of soapy water beside her.

"Hi," Angie said. "Are you Becca Cutler?"

She sat back on her heels and smiled. "I am."

"I'm Angela LaCroix. Jack Sheridan is my uncle."

"I heard you were coming up for a visit." She stood up, wiping her hand on her jeans. "Nice to meet you."

"So, this is the new school," Angie said, looking around. There were colorful tubs and baskets full of supplies, mats on the floor, little tables and chairs, desks lined up in one corner, a sink, blackboard and a bookshelf.

"K through fifth," Becca said. "The sixth graders go to middle school, then there's the high school in the valley. This was your uncle Jack's idea. Isn't it awesome?"

"He can really surprise me sometimes," Angie said. "I came to talk to you about one of your kids. It was at Mel's suggestion. It's about Megan Thickson-I've been helping Mel with a special project." When she explained what she'd been trying to do and the upcoming doctor's appointment, Becca teared up.

"Oh, G.o.d, could it really happen?"

"I have a long way to go," Angie said. "If the plastic surgeon decides it can be done, the next step is to calculate the cost. Even if he donates his services, there's still the cost of the outpatient surgi-center, lab work, post-op, et cetera. His a.s.sistant will break down the expenses. Then I go hunting for money," she finished with a shrug.

"How expensive could it be?"

"I have no clue," Angie said. "One of my uncles had a rotator cuff repair. He was knocked out for an hour and the surgery cost twenty-seven thousand dollars. Of course he had good insurance-it was covered. But who knows how costly Meg's surgery might be? Mel has called all kinds of organizations and agencies and had no success in getting affordable help for Megan.

"But let's not get all worried about that part yet-I haven't even begun to go looking for money. Right now I have to convince the Thicksons to let me take Megan to Davis for an appointment with the doctor. That's the first step. Would you come with me? We have to find a way to do this without letting her think it's all set-we have to explain this is only a possibility. I just can't break a little girl's heart, so I was hoping you might be able to help her understand."

"Of course I'll go with you. I'd do almost anything for Megan. She's one of the reasons I'm here, teaching, married to Denny."

"Really?" Angie asked, lifting her brows.

"I'll tell you all about it on the way to the Thicksons'. I love that little girl. I think she changed my life. I'll do anything I can to help."

Once Becca had finished organizing her cla.s.sroom, Angie drove them to the Thicksons'. Becca lived right down the street and walked to school in the mornings and her car, a small sedan, wasn't snow and mountain ready. If she had anywhere to go that required all-wheel drive, she took Denny's truck.

"How did you end up here?" Angie asked.

"I came to find Denny. We dated years ago but he broke up with me before leaving for Afghanistan-it was a dark time in his life and that was one of many things he did that made no sense. I hadn't seen him in three years but I really had to know if it was time to move on or if we deserved another chance."

"That's so sweet!" Angie said.

"There were quite a few b.u.mps along the way," Becca admitted with a laugh. "But that's when I met Megan, the sweetest little girl. She's had such a hard road, starting with her father losing his arm in a logging accident, her mother taking a job that made it hard for her to keep up with the family, and Megan's self-esteem was really suffering because her teacher last year didn't give her any encouragement. When Jack came up with the idea of this school, I was helpless. I had to say yes."

"I guess it didn't hurt that Denny was here."

"He'd made a life for himself here, but he was willing to come home with me to San Diego. I never expected to end up here, but in the end it's the best decision I've ever made. Turn left up here, Angie-it's a fairly long road through the trees before we get to the house."

Angie was surprised to see a number of houses tucked into this woody, hilly, snow-covered area.