A Texas Christmas Wish

Up close, Tyler noticed the scars on his forehead wrinkled with concentration. He totally understood John and his dad wanting to help these two, but they weren’t even from the area. At least, he’d never seen her before. And he’d remember her.

What did anyone really know about Karly? He doubted anyone had thought to run a background check on her. Or vetted her skills. Tyler needed to know that when he went back to Colorado, his father would be in good hands with a professional.

Bryce slumped over, his head landing on the soft rug next to the bed. In a panic, Tyler swept him up and moved as fast as he could to his father’s room. “Karly?” He made sure to keep his voice calm and quiet.

“I’m right here.” She stepped out of the master bathroom. Her eyes went a bit wider when she saw Bryce in his arms.

Rushing to her, he met her in the middle of the room. “He was playing. Then, without any warning, he just fell over.”

Long, graceful fingers gently pushed the fine wisp of hair that had fallen across her son’s forehead. The smile and soft chuckle from Karly eased his pounding heart. It couldn’t be anything dangerous if she was happy. When she raised her warm eyes to look at him, his breath stopped somewhere around his heart.

He had seen more beautiful women than he could count, but something about Karly Kalakona made the world stand still. Not good. His world needed to keep moving.

He swallowed and looked down at the tiny being in his arms. He had been around a great deal of children, many of them sick, some even dying, but he’d never actually held them so close. “He’s okay?”

“Yeah, he does this when he doesn’t get his nap.” She shrugged, then leaned in to kiss the small forehead. “With the packing, driving in the storm, the excitement of the plane and meeting you, then a new house and a room of his own, he just crashed once he sat still for a minute.” Her hand went to his lower arm. “I should’ve thought of it before he passed out. Do you want me to take him?”

“No, I’ve got him. I’ll take him back to his room.” Making his way down the hall, he sensed Karly close behind him.

“Are you sure it’s all right for us to be in these rooms?”

He nodded to the bed. “Like I said earlier, I haven’t slept in here for years. Turn down the quilt, and we can tuck him in.”

After laying Bryce down, Tyler took a step back, allowing Karly to settle her little man in a bed that looked too big for him.

Turning away from the mother/son moment, he left.

He had to shut off the memories of his sister climbing into his bed while their mother read to them, and sometimes their dad would join them. Every night ended with prayers. He shook his head, clearing out his thoughts. He was such a loser, going down that road. It was a dead end.

“Tyler? Karly?” John’s voice called out from the laundry room.

Tyler moved to the kitchen area. “We’re here. Putting Bryce to bed.” His father was home. Remember, Tyler Childress, nothing is worth upsetting the old man over. He might need God’s help with this one, not that he expected any break from that quarter. Some habits were just hard to kill.

He took a breath and looked behind John. “Where’s Dad?”

John ran his fingers through his hair. His usual open expression was closed and clouded with something Tyler couldn’t read.

“Tyler, this is not going to be easy, but I need you to stay calm and not start any fights.”

Stepping into the garage, he saw a frail man struggling to get out of the SUV and leaning heavily on the door. That could not be his tall, robust father.

“Dub, I asked you to wait until I got help.” John’s easygoing voice sounded exasperated.

“I. Am. Not a...kid.”

Tyler heard some other words mumbled, but he couldn’t make them out.

“Dad?” That man could not be his father.

He had been on an international flight when Maggie, their neighbor, had called him with the news. She’d told him it was only a small stroke. When his father had gotten on the phone, he hadn’t even wanted Tyler to come home. He had sounded almost normal during that conversation. “Is everything okay? Has something else happened?”

Dub grunted and John sighed. “When he gets tired, it’s harder for him to speak or move.” John gave Dub a pointed look. “It’s been a long day, and arguing about everything doesn’t help. Rest, Dub, you need to rest.”

Turning away from Dub, John pointed to the back of the ranch vehicle. “Tyler, there’s a wheelchair in the back. Can you get it out?”

“Sure.” He moved without much thought, the cold concrete on his bare feet keeping him in the present. This weak man could not be his strong, hearty, stubborn father. Was he worse than he had been led to believe? Was he going to die sooner rather than later? He had been told his mom had a year. A year that turned into three months.

He glanced over the backseat as he pulled out the wheelchair. What if his dad didn’t get better? Thunder rumbled in the distance, the storm passing on to the east.

“What’s...all the...mud?”

“Sorry, Dad. I’ll clean it up. Karly’s car got stuck. I helped her out. I took off my boots before I went in, so I didn’t track mud in the house. I’ll get her car washed and the floor cleaned.” He wasn’t a twelve-year-old anymore, so why did he start acting like one around his father?

“Karly is... She’s...she’s a good girl.” Dub made some growling noises. “Be...be nice.”

The subject of the conversation appeared in the doorway. Miss Sunshine herself.

“Welcome home, Mr. Childress.” She glanced around the garage, appearing nervous.

This wasn’t going to work out—they needed a professional nurse if they were going to get his father healthy again.

Tyler unfolded the chair next to the passenger’s door. His father shook his head and pointed, his fingers shaking. “I...ain’t sitting...in...that.”

John took a deep sigh, but his voice was firm. “Dub, I don’t have much time. I told the girls I would pick them up from 4-H. If you fall, think how embarrassed that will make you feel.” He glanced up to Tyler. “The doctor said falling might be the biggest danger to his recovery.” He cut his gaze back to Dub. “Remember, we had a deal. If I brought you home early, you’d let Karly help you. That’s why she’s here. If you don’t let her help, she won’t have a job.”

She came up behind them. “Is there anything else I need to do? All the equipment that was ordered has been placed in his room. I made the bed. Pastor John said you’d be ready to rest and build up your strength.”

John held Dub’s arm and eased him into the black seat. Tyler just stood there, useless. Once Dub was settled, his son-in-law went back into the vehicle. “Here are some premade dinners Maggie packed for y’all. With moving and getting everyone settled, she was worried you wouldn’t have time for cooking. Here, Dub.” He placed the bags on Dub’s lap. “You can drop this off as you go through the kitchen.”

“Tell her thanks.” Karly smiled at John before leaning forward. “Ready, Mr. Childress?”

“Karly, Tyler, the occupational therapist is scheduled to be out here for the first home visit Thursday. That was the earliest they could get out here on short notice. I have a folder with all the instructions and tips. Things to look for.”

Karly nodded, then smiled at his dad. Bending low, she whispered close to his ear. He mumbled something and she laughed. “I’ll take him in to check out his room.”

Tyler couldn’t form a word. He knew he had words, lots of them, but they had all left.

John spoke again. “Thanks, Karly. Behave, Dub.”

“Tyler, the doctor said—” John started, but he couldn’t let him finish. How had his dad convinced them to bring him home without a medical professional?

“He can’t stay here. He’s too weak. We have to get him in assisted living.”

“Really?” John’s eyebrow shot up. “I wish you well with that move. I couldn’t even get him to live with me in the house he grew up in, right here on his ranch.” John reached inside the SUV and pulled out a red folder. “Here’s all the information the hospital gave us. The contact numbers for the speech therapist, physical therapist and the occupational therapist. You’ll need to set up times for the PT and speech. The speech therapist can also help with any eating problems he has.”

“We need a professional nurse. Karly can’t handle all this medical stuff, and I gotta leave in a few weeks.”

“Karly will be fine. Besides, we tried to talk your dad into a home health nurse, but he didn’t want a stranger in his house. He agreed to Karly, and I trust her. She also needs this opportunity to get her life on track. It’s a win-win for everyone, Tyler.” John reached over and gripped Tyler’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard seeing your dad like this, but you need to rely on your faith. God’s in control, Tyler. There’s a plan.”

Head against the wall, Tyler stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t look at John, the pastor his sister had married. His sister’s husband, who would soon be married to someone else, to their old neighbor, Lorrie Ann Ortega. “What if I don’t like the plan?” Too many of his plans had been ripped apart. “You can’t just blindly fumble through life waiting for God to answer prayers. Dad needs more medical care than Karly can provide. When I talked to Maggie, she said it wasn’t that bad.”

“For a stroke, he’s fortunate, but it’s still a stroke. The doctors said there is no reason he won’t have a full recovery, but they won’t be sure for some time as to permanent damage. If he does fully recover, it could take up to two years. And there’s also the broken bones. They just need rest and time to heal.”

“Two years? I don’t have that kind of time.” He pressed his back against the garage wall, sliding down to the floor. He buried his fingers in his damp hair. His grip tightened, wanting to pull all the strands out of his scalp. “Sorry, that was completely selfish. I just want my dad back. What about the horses? The ranch? What am I going to do?”

John sat next to him. “For now we have to take it one day at a time. With work and focus, the doctors believe you can have your dad fully back. The fear of losing him, any part of him, was hard to deal with today. Seeing him was a shock.” John put his hand back on Tyler’s shoulder. “That stubbornness of his can help him get better. It’s also that pride that can get in the way of his recovery. He’s not going to change his mind about where he lives or who lives with him. In Isaiah, we’re reminded, ‘For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”’ You’re never alone, Tyler. God is here. I’m close by if you need anything.” He patted his should a couple of times and stood. “The girls want their uncle over for dinner soon. They miss you.” With that, he left.

Tyler’s throat was dry. He needed something to drink. How did John manage to stay so positive? His sister’s husband had more reasons to doubt the promise of a happy ending than anyone else.

Making his way to the master bedroom, a fog filled his head. In his parents’ room, the huge oak four-poster had been replaced with a hospital bed. Karly was tucking the edges around Dub, just like she did for her son. From the soft snores, it appeared his dad had fallen asleep as fast as Bryce.

“Karly?”

She turned with a yelp; her hands went to her chest. “You startled me.”

“Sorry.” He nodded to his dad. “He’s asleep?”

Karly looked at his father with a soft smile. “Yeah, as soon as I got him still he was out.”

“We need to talk.” He knew he sounded short and he would be better off at least trying to use some of his charm, but right now he was too raw to care.

“Okay.” She nodded, her big eyes begging him for something he didn’t know if he could deliver.

“I’m going to take a shower first. I’ll meet you in the front living room in about fifteen minutes.”

She just nodded again.

He steeled himself against any weakness she brought out in him. His father’s needs came first.

Chapter Four

After checking on Bryce, Karly went back into her new room. Unpacking again, she hoped this time they would get to stay for longer than a few months. With one hand she gently opened the top dresser drawer to start putting her few belongings away. Pens, hair clips, rings and other random items cluttered the space.

Oh, my. She took a deep breath. Carol’s belongings were still in the dressers. She reached down to the bottom drawer and pulled on the handles. The clothes smelled musty. Shutting the drawer, she sighed.

Putting her back to the dresser, she scanned the room. The closet was probably filled with Carol’s things, also. She didn’t feel right moving anything. When Pastor John had told her to take this room, he must not have known his late wife’s teenage life was still here.

“Wow.” Tyler stood at the open door. “It looks as if she could walk in any minute.” His triceps flexed as he crossed his arms, the loose T-shirt and jeans in contrast to the tension in his stance. Dark blond hair still damp from his shower curled at the base of his neck.

She had no clue what to say. “I’m sorry. I can move my things into your room.”

“You mean Bryce’s room. No. When Carol left for college, Mom wanted to clean out the room for sewing and crafts, but my dad wouldn’t let her. He said it was Carol’s room and would always be Carol’s room. Then Mom got sick.” He walked over to the dresser and picked up a trophy with a horse on the top. “I think it’s time to clean it out. Man, this was from seventeen years ago.”

He put it down and picked up another relic from his sister’s childhood. Silence lingered as he went from one dust-covered item to the next.

She understood loss, but she didn’t have a house full of memories. She’d always wanted something of her mom’s to hold. Tyler had a whole house of memories of the people he loved. It didn’t seem to make it better. “So you lost your mom before Carol’s accident?”

His back to her, Tyler nodded and set down a picture frame. “Yeah, eighteen months.”

No one had talked about all his losses when they talked about Tyler Childress. They loved to recap all his wildness and scandals. “I’m sorry. Were you still in school?”

This time he turned away from the dresser and walked over to the faded purple-covered bed. “When Mom died I was in Florida, at flight school.” He looked around the room. “We could put the old clothes in your bags and donate them. All the other stuff can go in the boxes.” He pulled the bedcover up at the corner and folded it over, starting to strip the mattress. “I think the room is ready for a new comforter, also. There are plenty of newer ones in the hall closet.”

“Oh, no... Everything can stay.”

He raised one eyebrow and grinned at her. “So you like the purple-people-eater theme.” He walked to the other side of the bed. “Really, it should have been done years ago. Carol would do it herself if she was here.”

“What about her girls? They might want some of their mom’s things.” Habit stopped her from saying more. She always made a point not to dwell in the past, and she never talked about it. He folded over the stuffed comforter, shoulders slumped as if a heavy weight pushed them down. Biting hard on the inside of her cheek, Karly resisted the urge to put her arms around him. She couldn’t go there, but maybe she could ease his pain in another way. At this rate she would be eating the flesh inside her mouth. “Right after my sixth birthday, I lost my mom. The same age Rachel was when her mom died. I dreamed of having something, anything of hers. I don’t know anything about her other than she was from Hawaii.”

“So your parents are from Hawaii.” He placed the purple comforter in the window seat. “That explains your last name.” He walked back across the room without looking at her.

“It’s my mom’s name. A lot of people think I’m Hispanic.”

“What about your grandparents, your father? They didn’t share anything with you?”

He picked up her bag of clothes and dumped them on the bed. He didn’t have much sense of personal space. Another reason to not get emotionally involved.

She rushed to the bed and started gathering the articles he had scattered on the bed. “I can get my clothes.”

“I’m using the bags to clean out the old clothes.” He paused.

“You could have asked.”

He moved to the dresser, pulling open the one with all the trinkets first and closed it just as quick. Reaching for the next drawer, he looked at her. “We need to make room for your clothes.” Without looking, Tyler pulled out the next drawer and dumped the contents into the black plastic bag. He did the same with the three long drawers, his jaw locked and his posture tense.

He nodded to the bed. “Go ahead and put your clothes in here and I’ll get the ones hanging in the closet.”

“Tyler, we don’t have to do this now.”

He shook his head as he opened the closet door. “It should have been done a long time ago.” His face took on a hard look as he pulled clothes off the hangers and crammed them into the now-stuffed trash bag. “My dad goes on as if they’re coming back. He won’t change anything.”

“If you really love someone, I would think it’s hard to get rid of their things.”

He stopped and looked at her. “You said you didn’t have anything of your mother’s. How did that happen? How did you lose her?”

She shouldn’t have brought it up. He wouldn’t understand all the holes in her life. “She just died. One morning Anthony took her to the hospital. I never saw her again. The next day, my stepfather put me in his car and we left town.” And from that day forward traveling became the cornerstone of her life. Anything given to her got pawned.

What if her mother had lived? Would they have left Anthony? She couldn’t change the past, only her future. This was why she never let herself think about it. She took her eyes off her list and peeked at Tyler from under her lashes.

Tyler looked at her as if she was crazy. “You left town with your stepfather? What about your father, grandparents?”

“No, there was only my stepfather. I don’t even know my bio dad’s name and my mother didn’t have any family.”

With sharp motions, he stuffed the clothes into the plastic bag and tied off the top. “I can’t imagine not having any family.” After grabbing a box off the top shelf, he turned back to her. “There’s still some stuff in there, but you can hang your clothes for now.” Tyler left the room.

He confused her. She went ahead and put a few of her things in the dresser. The long skirts she loved wearing were wrinkled from being jam-packed. Shaking them out, she took them to the closet and hung them on the faded pink silk hangers.

Tyler returned, this time with a stack of blankets and sheets and a smile. “Here you go. I’ll take the purple monster to the laundry room.”

Karly went to one of her boxes and dug out a spiral notebook and her green pen.

Lists—she liked making lists, organizing the things she had to do, learn and schedule.

She also needed to make a plan in case the worst happened and she lost this job. She’d been afraid of that earlier, when Tyler said they’d needed to talk. Pray for the best but prepare for the worst. So far the worst seemed to follow her around, but it was time for a change.

Eyes closed, she took a deep breath and centered herself with God. He put her here. He would give her the tools she needed to make this work.

* * *

In the laundry room, Tyler started the washing machine and stuffed the old comforter into the hot water. He rubbed the palms of his hands deep into his eye sockets. How did someone not have any family? There had been days when he thought life would be easier without one. But if he truly thought about it, he wouldn’t know who he was without his parents and sister.

He hoped taking Carol’s things out of her room wouldn’t upset his dad. Why did he want to act as if she would be coming back? The muscles around his chest tightened.

Running both of his hands through his hair, he filled his lungs and let the air out with a harsh sigh. He walked back through his mother’s kitchen to his sister’s room.

His dad was so stubborn. The whole house looked exactly the same as the day his mom died. Dub Childress was a stubborn fool, but he always got what he wanted. He always won.

Well, Dad, you can’t beat death. Mom and Carol are gone and they aren’t coming back.

He walked right past Carol’s room, his old room, and straight to his dad’s. Stepping through the door, he leaned his weight against the door frame. The hard, breathing bump in the hospital bed was his dad. They had a chance to get this right. Tyler wasn’t going anywhere until he knew his dad would be walking, talking and laughing again.

His family had been hit hard; first they’d lost his mom, then Carol. When was the last time he’d heard his dad’s laugh?

The ranch was too much for him alone. He had to convince the old man to retire, maybe even sell the place. First, he had to make sure his dad had the care he needed.

He walked over to the edge of the practical steel-framed bed and noticed his father had kicked one foot out from under the covers. He had always hated being completely covered, insisting he needed air.

Tyler shook his head. The edge of the bed gave under his weight as he sat next to his dad. He thought of all the nights his dad had tucked him in after saying their nightly prayers. With his left hand he reached for his father’s shoulder. He didn’t remember the last time he even tried to talk to God. “God, Dub has been a faithful servant to You. He did the best he could with a son that wouldn’t listen. Give me a chance to make this right. Amen.” He leaned over and kissed the side of his father’s forehead. “I’m here, Dad. Together we will get through this and you’ll be as good as old.”

With a nod to his sleeping father, he turned and made his way to the other problem he had to figure out. Karly and Bryce.

Chapter Five

Stopping at his sister’s door, Tyler took in the small changes in the room. Karly sat in the window seat, just like Carol. But the similarity stopped there. Where his sister had charged into the world with a fearless walk, Karly’s movement reminded him of a cat his mom had once rescued, slow and cautious, wary of strangers.

With long, graceful fingers she tucked a lose strand behind her ear and wrote in a notebook. He moved to the walls cluttered with Carol’s memories and dreams and started taking down a framed collage of photos.

He knew it was irrational, but a drive to get the stuff of his sister’s life off the walls and put away had taken hold of him. Why had his dad left this room untouched for so long? It was just another reminder of the conversations that would never happen.

Karly left the window seat. “What are you doing? I thought you said we needed to talk.”

“We do, but you don’t want to look at pictures of someone else’s memories. I was going to put them in the garage for now.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t mind.”

He doubted that, and raised one eyebrow.

“Really.” Stepping closer, Karly ran her fingertips over a group of pictures from pep rallies and school dances. “Growing up, I moved a great deal. I love your sister’s pictures. Maybe I could put them in an album for her daughters. Have they seen the pictures?”

“I’m sure Rachel did when she was smaller, but I don’t think Celeste has ever been in here.” He scanned the room. “We should at least pack the mums away.”

Her full lips turned up at the corners. He saw a gleam in her dark eyes. “Leave them for now. I really find them fascinating. Where did the idea of a huge flower and tons of ribbon and glitter come from anyway? While we were in Dallas, we went to a homecoming game. The flowers were so pretty with all the bells and glitter. I imagined getting one from a secret admirer. Of course, I never did.”

He was getting the feeling her childhood was in stark contrast to his sister’s experiences. Or she was just sharing those anecdotes to get his sympathy. Wouldn’t be the first time, so why did it seem to be working tonight? “If you don’t want to take anything else down, let’s go to the living room. We can discuss what you will be doing and what my father needs.” With one last look at Carol’s celebrations he walked out, not checking to see if his dad’s new project followed.