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I hurried to the door. How could he go out again when he’d been out all day, skiing and doing who knew what else. He must be exhausted. I had a sudden, horrible vision of him falling down in the snow on the way to the lodge, his hand to his chest, trying to breathe…

“Watson, stop!” I shrieked. I leaped off the porch and down the path in two giant steps.

Watson turned, looking very surprised.

“Stop,” I panted. “You have to stop doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“This! Too much! The doctor told you not to exert yourself. He said you were supposed to take it easy. And all you do is … is …”

“Kristy,” said Watson, putting his arm around me and pulling me into a hug. “Is that what this is all about – helping me with the luggage, jumping up to fetch things for me, always bringing me slippers and sweaters?”

I nodded.

“Oh, Kristy.” Watson held me at arm’s length. “I’m not doing too much. I had a check-up before we came here. Everything is going perfectly. In fact, I’m supposed to start exercising seriously on a regular basis. I’m even thinking of taking up jogging.”

“The doctor said you could?” I asked.

“The doctor said I should. And there’s a doctor on staff at the lodge. She lives here in Shadow Lake. So even if something did go wrong, which I very much doubt, a doctor would be on hand.”

I sighed. I felt a little silly. Watson was taking care of himself. I just hadn’t trusted him.

You know what? I didn’t want Watson disappearing the way my father had. I wanted Watson around for a long, long time. Like forever.

I gave Watson a quick hug. “Okay,” I said. “I’m freezing.”

“Go in the house,” said Watson, giving me a quick hug back.

I dashed up the stairs. When I reached the top Watson said, “Kristy?”

I turned. Watson smiled at me. A family, fatherly smile. “Thanks,” he said.

“What’s wrong?” Claire asked. She looked as if she were about to cry.

I grabbed her hand. “Nothing is wrong. Mary is going to have a baby,” I said. “And Mary Anne is going to go for help.”

“Dad has a cell phone,” reported Mary Anne. “They work even if the electricity is out, don’t they?”