Holiday Affair Read Online Free Page B

watch. He’d hoped things would go differently today. On the other hand, he usually hoped things would go differently…and was generally disappointed. As though in blatant proof of that trend, his charges continued to lay bets on their odds of surviving the flash-flood waters, in direct defiance of Reid’s instructions.
    “So long, suckers!” Topher yelled gleefully. He took off his pack, held it over his head, then waded in. Wearing a smug smile, he turned to face them all. “See? Water’s fine.”
    Oh hell. The overconfident ones were always the worst—the loudest, the lamest, and the biggest pains in Reid’s ass. Swearing, he plucked at the Velcro straps encasing his leg cast. Just to be on the safe side. If worse came to worst—and it probably would—the unwieldy thing would only slow him down.
    “Oh no, you didn’t!” Binky shouted. He waded in too.
    Oh boy. The stupidity was contagious. Even as Reid doubled his efforts to free himself of his leg cast, the crunch of footsteps on rocks alerted him that someone was approaching.
    Reid glanced up. A little girl stopped a short distance from him. Her brow furrowed as she examined the flood.
    Then she shrugged and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Dad, would you please tell Alexis to give me back my stuffed dingo puppy? She hid it, and she won’t tell me where it is.”
    “Nicole, honey, I’m a little busy right now.”
    “I know, Dad. But you’re the only one who can help, ’cause you’re the smartest and the strongest. And Alexis—”
    “Nuh-uh! Don’t listen to her, Dad!” His other daughter—one year older than Nicole’s ten—scrambled over the ridge. Down the slope behind her stood an official Evans Adventure Travel Jeep, parked crookedly in the dirt. “Whatever she said, I didn’t do it!” Alexis shouted. “I swear. I hate her stupid dingo.”
    “It’s not stupid!” Nicole shrieked, lips trembling.
    “Is too.” Alexis crossed her arms. “Stupid like you.”
    “No name-calling.” Reid scowled at his daughters. Then, with that parental edict automatically delivered, he jabbed his chin toward his group of foundering travelers. “As soon as I’m done with this bunch, I’ll help you look for your dingo, Nicole. And Lex…Don’t tell me you drove the Jeep again?”
    Casually, his daughter quirked one skinny shoulder. “It’s not my fault the garage here doesn’t have better security.”
    “They have an alarm, infrared sensors, keyless entry—”
    “Like I said.” Clearly relishing the fact that she’d defeated all those high-tech measures, Alexis grinned. “They need better security. Besides, I’m old enough to drive.”
    “No, you’re not,” Nicole disagreed. “You only look like you’re old enough to drive if you’re wearing enough eye shadow.”
    Eye shadow? On his little girl? His multilingual, tomboyish, sweet little girl? Reid must have heard wrong.
    “So? You’re just mad because you can’t reach the pedals.”
    Nicole’s cheeks pinkened—a dead giveaway that she’d tried. And failed. And hadn’t wanted her dad to know about it.
    “The two of you should quit stealing Jeeps.” Reid issued the statement distractedly, the way he performed most parental duties that involved rules and restrictions and pointless niceties. As far as he was concerned, kids should be kids—not tiny, obedient adults. “I draw the line at breaking the law.”
    “Since when?” Alexis asked. “That one time in Istanbul—”
    “Seriously. Later. ” Reid worked more diligently at his leg cast coverings. Near the creek, Booster and Asshat struggled just as mightily with their backpack straps. They both waded in.
    Nicole noticed. “Um, Dad? Those guys don’t look so smart.”
    “Yeah.” Alexis made a face. “They’re about as sure-footed as that guide we had in the Himalayas last year. The drunk one.”
    Reid remembered him. He’d had to haul up their “sherpa” from the edges of snowy drop-offs more than once. That