A Texas Ranger's Family

“I knew you’d be in your hiding place, you little coward! You didn’t do anything to help Mama. Daddy finally killed her!”

Erin blinked, expecting her eyes and imagination were deceiving her addled brain. But the proof stood a few feet away and bore no resemblance to Daniel. From what Erin could make out, hair color was the only physical trait she’d passed on to her daughter. The rest of the girl was the mirror image of Erin’s older sister.

Alison.

“How soon can I get out of here?” Erin asked J.D. the moment Daniel and Dana left the room to give her some privacy with her boss.

Her Pillsbury Doughboy of a bureau chief was all smiles to see her sitting upright, her eyes unfettered by the bandages. But she was far from enjoying the blurry images around her. The very thought of being so needy and at the mercy of others, even in a hospital, made her insides shiver. Living with troops in Iraq was a whole lot easier than letting someone else call the shots or take control of her life.

“Take it easy, Wonder Woman. You’re still looking at another week here, then once they’re satisfied with your vitals and blood work, they’ll release you to a rehab facility.”

Rehab facility. The term conjured up dingy images of an institution filled with those who needed caregivers.

“Not if I can help it,” she murmured.

“There’s always the option of going to Texas with Daniel and Dana. They’re sincere about this, you know. It’s all that girl has talked about for days.”

Erin closed her eyes against the thought, reflecting instead on all the injuries she had to overcome.

“Let me make sure I got it all straight.” She began to recite her list of traumas. “My right arm was half blown off but thankfully reattached and though I’m going to survive my fingers may not. My pelvis is bruised, but not broken so that’s reason to be thankful. My corneas are healing but who knows whether or not I’ll be able to focus a camera lens again. The concussion from the IED generally produces long-term memory issues so I’m lucky I know my own name.” She paused to consider her circumstances, grateful to be alive but beginning to feel the anger of having lost control of her destiny.

“Oh, and the only viable option to my apartment is a nursing home.”

“It’s called a rehab facility,” J.D. countered.

“That’s code for smelly, depressing nursing home and we both know it.” Though it was shameful it felt amazingly good to gripe a little now that her voice was back.

“Erin, your frustration is understandable. Anyone in your condition would need to vent.” He squeezed her hand again. J.D. oozed calm and patience, traits he’d never displayed in the ten years she’d covered assignments for World View. His kindness didn’t make her feel any better. In fact, it made the few hair follicles that weren’t taped to her skin prickle with worry.

“Sooooo,” she dragged out the syllable. “Am I out of a job?” It might not be the question most people in her situation would ask, but work was her life. It was her world.

“Would you please stop imagining the worst?” J.D. sighed loud enough for Erin to hear. The bedside manner he’d worn for her sake was wearing thin. “You have months of sick time and excellent medical insurance. And don’t insult either of us with the insinuation that I’d let you get away from World View. You’ve shown more guts for living embedded with our troops and compassion for victims of war than the UN and the Red Cross rolled together.”

When she didn’t respond he patted her hand, accepting her silence.

“Kid, I’m sorry to leave already, but the nurse on the other side of the window is waving me out.” He pushed his chair away and stood. “I’ll be back tomorrow so you can make some decisions. There are nice places in Washington but I thought you might want to get back up to the city so I have a list of New York rehab hospitals to tell you about, too.”

“Can it wait a few days?” The idea of being relegated to an institution, no matter how well the reputation, made her empty stomach churn. “I know you want to get home to Mary Ellen and the boys but I’m going to need some time to ingest all this stuff.”

“Sure thing, no rush. And while you’re laid up, I’ve got some great reading to keep you occupied.”

“Not again, J.D.”

He regularly mentioned that there was a box of letters for her in the mail room but she always declined to have it forwarded. She wasn’t exactly Annie Leibovitz so what could possibly be in the postal tub besides credit card applications and Publishers Clearing House offers?

He smacked a loud kiss on her cheek and left Erin alone with her thoughts in the quiet room.

Even if only briefly, her situation was hopelessly out of her hands. But life had taught Erin to be a realist. Going home to her third floor walk-up was definitely not doable. She accepted the fact; her only choice was between a stinky nursing home in D.C. and a stinky nursing home in New York. Too bad a sweaty military Quonset hut wasn’t on the list. That would make it a no-brainer.

There’s always the option of going to Texas with Daniel and Dana. She recalled J.D.’s comment.

Is that truly an option, Lord? she whispered. After all my years of wandering the world in search of images that will honor You, have You brought me back to make things up to my child? To honor my family?

Chapter Two

The 767 eased to a stop at Houston’s Intercontinental Airport. Daniel slid his laptop into a worn leather case and stepped into the crowded, narrow aisle. He dipped the crown of his Ranger Stetson to avoid the low doorway of the aircraft and was immediately assaulted by a warm burst of muggy air. He merged with the mass of summer travelers, knowing his daughter’s flying experience would be a far cry from mundane.

He’d opted to use the other half of his commercial ticket after J.D.’s assurance that Dana would be secure on the pricey chartered Maverick. Neither female had objected, worn out as they all were from debating where Erin should recuperate. She’d been adamant that she wasn’t going to a recovery hospital, and determined to pay for professional home care. It had taken her boss to dissuade Erin from such a phenomenal out-of-pocket expense when her family was so willing to help.

Daniel had sought the Word for guidance, afraid he was a loser whichever way Erin decided. Maybe Dana’s dream of a family could be fulfilled, even if his had long ago dimmed. She was desperate for this time with a mother reluctant to go into a setting where she would constantly be put on the spot for information. They’d finally agreed between the three of them that Dana would stifle the endless stream of questions and Erin would share when she felt the time was right.

The cards were definitely stacked in Erin’s favor but he and Dana agreed privately that a tight-lipped Erin was better than no Erin at all. And frankly, Daniel was looking forward to being the parent willing to talk while Erin accepted the blame for the gaps in Dana’s family tree.

Leaving Walter Reed for the trip to Houston this morning had given Daniel time apart from the two women to figure out whether or not to come clean with the rest of the story. So far, no revelation had presented itself and he was okay with that. Daniel had been alone with his secret for so many years that breaking his silence would be like betraying a partner. He’d never even considered it because there would be a high price to pay with his daughter.

And now, with Erin.

For the past week he and Dana had trained for the care of Erin’s injuries. Anything less than around-the-clock attention for the immediate present, followed by intense physical therapy could cost the use of her right arm. It was mostly an academic effort on his part since Dana insisted on being the one to do everything for Erin in spite of their near-disastrous first encounter.

Erin was quick to recover from her initial reaction to seeing Dana for the first time, but the damage was done.

“She thinks I’m ugly.” Dana cried during their ride back to the hotel. He comforted his daughter by joking that they hadn’t prepared Erin for an eyebrow ring, pointy purple hair and black lipstick. That was enough to make anybody gasp. They laughed it off and let it go, but he knew Dana was hurt.

Still, she wanted to take care of her mama and was of the unshakable opinion that she could fill the role of Erin’s caregiver just fine on her own. So, Dana wasn’t gonna like it even one little bit that Daniel had arranged for backup. He had imported the only person he could trust to run his house, help out with Erin’s needs and keep an eye on his daughter if he had an overnight investigation. But most importantly, this particular backup would prevent the neighbor’s tongues from wagging right out of their heads when his mysterious ex-wife moved in.

His not-so-secret weapon was LaVerne Stabler, a one-woman force of nature. She was a home-cookin’ and house-cleanin’ machine. A whirlwind of efficiency that meant business and wouldn’t stand for anything even close to ungodliness. Given the choice, any cowhand or cousin on their West Texas ranch would sooner stomp on a prairie rattler than cross his mama.

Ironically, even though he exposed his daughter to her grandma on a regular basis, Dana still hadn’t figured out what everybody else in the Stabler clan knew; life was just easier in general when LaVerne had things her way.

Daniel slung his carry-on bag into the passenger’s seat of his oversized SUV, grateful for the diesel guzzler that would allow him to transport the medical equipment that came along with their guest. It was going be an unpredictable time, and Daniel prayed to maintain his peace when he thought about being trapped under the same roof with three women who held the power to rock his world.

“What’s she doing here?” Dana hissed.

Erin noted the angry slash of scarlet that blazed across Dana’s cheeks as she pointed toward the white Cadillac marred by whiskers of red grime on the fenders. Daniel pulled his behemoth SUV into his driveway and came to a stop.

“You invited that old busybody, didn’t you?” Dana spoke to her father through clenched teeth.

In the backseat of the SUV, Erin flinched at the accusation. So much of the teen reminded her of Alison. Each time Dana had hovered over the gurney during the flight from Washington to Houston, Erin had battled a gut-deep urge to recoil. She’d feigned sleep most of the way to dissuade any conversation. She’s not Alison became a silent mantra whenever Erin looked into the girl’s eyes.

Daniel released his seat belt and turned to his daughter. “I’m gonna let that slide because you’ve been through a lot in the last few weeks. And because I had a feelin’ you wouldn’t think this was a pleasant surprise. But that old busybody is my mama and if you ever talk ugly about her in my presence again, I will make you go back to your natural hair and nail color and take out all your earrings. Got that, Morticia?”

“Yes, sir,” Dana muttered, faking repentance.

From Erin’s position wedged among many pillows, she observed a brief father-daughter discussion on guest protocol and house rules. The teen negotiated like a United Nations delegate. It was evident she was an only child, always respected as if she were an adult. In the few minutes it took them to reach agreeable terms, the narcotics wore off and Erin’s right forearm began pulsing pain. With the bulk of the bandages removed, she had regained control of her head and left torso. But her lower back and hips were still locked down and dependent for movement, especially during the killer hours of torture, aka physical therapy.

“Here comes the other third of your care team,” Daniel announced.

“Serenity now,” Dana grumbled as she spotted the figure headed their way.

A woman of indefinable years and weight lumbered toward the SUV. She had a Humpty Dumpty figure, bigger on the bottom than on the top. Her bleached updo was complemented by scarlet lipstick and a When-I-am-an-old-woman-I-shall-wear-purple caftan. On her feet were matching sparkly flip-flops.

“Dad, Grandma looks like she’s going on a cruise.”

“Will you let the lady enjoy being away from the ranch for a change? If she wants to treat this like a vacation, so be it.”

“Well, howdy! If you aren’t a sight for sore eyes.” There was no mistaking the natural Texas drawl.

The woman grabbed the door handle and grunted as she pulled herself up onto the driver’s running board. She poked her head through the open window to plant a loud smack on Daniel’s left cheek.

“I thought my sweet boy would never get home.”

She blew an air kiss toward her grandchild and waved a greeting to the backseat. “My word, look at all that stuff.” She counted the boxes and bags by pointing a long nail that matched her lip color.

“Grandma Verne, what have you done to your hands?”

“They’re called press-on nails. I found them in the sale aisle at the drug store and I think they look kinda nice.”

While LaVerne turned her right hand palm outward to admire her faux manicure, Dana glanced into the backseat and rolled her eyes upward beneath kohl-smudged lids. Erin pressed her lips together but let her eyes squint agreeably. She had to admit Dana was amusing and the constant self-chatter had made the last week in the hospital pass quickly.

“Let’s get everybody inside before the neighbors take an interest,” Daniel instructed.

“Too late for that.” LaVerne backed away from the SUV while Daniel stepped out. “As soon as I got here on Thursday evening, that pretty young woman across the street came right over to see if you were home.”

Erin noted his quick glance up the block and failure to acknowledge the comment. A girlfriend? The throbbing in her arm increased. She was beginning to feel nauseous.

“Excuse me,” Erin called. “I hate to break up the reunion but it’s time for my meds.”

The father-and-daughter team launched into precision drill activity. Car doors slammed, different doors opened, metal creaked and clanked as cases were removed and a wheelchair was snapped into shape. In another moment Daniel was beside her, solid and clean-smelling as he lifted her out of the vehicle. He gently positioned her into the waiting chair and then stepped away from any further contact.

Dana pushed and he walked alongside reintroducing the two women.

“Erin, I’m sure you remember my mama, LaVerne Stabler. And Mama, it’s been a lot of years but you know Erin. She won a Pulitzer prize for the pictures she took in Darfur last year.”

“Yes, I heard, son. Who woulda guessed that she’d parlay running off into a celebrity career?”

“Mama.” Daniel’s censuring tone made only the one word necessary.

Erin expected much worse and deserved anything she got. Judging from the way the Stabler jaws clenched, a lot was going unspoken. For now, anyway.

The move-in passed into a welcome haze after Daniel efficiently administered a dose of pain meds into the still-present IV. Antibiotics dripped day and night to finish off the killer staph while wounds healed and bones mended. The constant jostling of the past twenty-four hours had Erin’s muscles stinging and her stomach cringing. It was sleep or barf, so she slipped into numb unconsciousness.

Daniel tilted the lamp shade toward the wall so the low light it cast wouldn’t disturb Erin’s nap. Thick crew socks muffled his steps toward the metal bed frame. He was pleased LaVerne had thought to set up the hospital rental on the spacious sun porch he’d built last fall.

He gave in to the urge to study her face, attributing his curiosity to years of surveillance work that made it second nature. Her skin was clear, but too tanned and weathered for only thirty-four. Her short auburn hair was sleek and seasoned with occasional flecks of silver. Thick lashes fringed her closed eyes and a handful of freckles were her only adornment apart from an application of Dana’s tinted lip balm.

From the few photos of Erin he’d found on the Internet, it seemed she still didn’t wear much makeup or dress in a manner that would draw attention. Too early in life she’d mastered the ability to blend into the background so she wouldn’t be noticed. He figured that served her well as she waited, still as a fence post, for the right moment to take her photographs. From what he’d witnessed of her career over the years, she was bold to the point of being foolhardy, getting shots others couldn’t manage or wouldn’t attempt.

It was no surprise to Daniel that she’d won so many awards. In a way he was actually proud Erin had made a life for herself, but that made it doubly difficult to deny Dana’s growing need to know something, anything about her mama.

As Erin’s reputation grew, he was almost glad for the terms of the letter she’d left behind in their one-bedroom Austin apartment. She admitted she’d made a terrible mistake in believing she could have a normal life and didn’t dare stay another night. Anonymity was all she asked and in exchange she gave up what he wanted more than his own life.

Their child.

At the time, Daniel had no choice but to live with the deal. He’d known Erin was emotionally damaged, but thought he could love her back to health. He’d been wrong. She’d signed and returned the legal papers giving him full custody. Then she’d changed her last name, and for the past sixteen years Erin had been what her daughter could never be. Invisible.

Daniel almost convinced himself that they wouldn’t have made it as a family, anyway. Erin had been deeply wounded too early in life. Over the years he’d uncovered what she’d hidden about her past and often felt he knew too much.

If all the secrets, his included, ever spilled out of his tight grip, what a devastating mess it might be. He was playing Russian roulette by allowing her into the life he’d painstakingly built for himself and Dana. But what choice did he have?

“Daddy, what are you doing in here?” Dana whispered as she crept up behind him.

“Checking to see that everything’s okay.” He adjusted Erin’s IV pole a quarter inch to the right.

“She’s pretty, isn’t she?” Dana asked.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and looked down into eyes that expected confirmation but needed reassurance.

“Just like you, baby girl.”

“What are y’all up to?” LaVerne hissed from the doorway.

Dana waved her grandmother over and allowed herself to be sandwiched as they stood arm in arm voluntarily for the first time in their lives.

Daniel offered a silent plea. Lord, I sure hope You know what You’re doing here.

The three people Erin saw standing beside her bed were linked in a typical Christmas card pose. Artificial and forced. Family in its “natural” state. She sent up a prayer.

Lord, I put this all behind me years ago. What is Your purpose in dragging me back? I lost consciousness in one battle zone and regained it in another. I hope You know what You’re doing here.

“Hey, you’re awake.” Dana was the first to notice.

“And hungry,” Erin replied. She hated dropping such an obvious hint but the flow of conditioned air from the kitchen, positioned next to the solarium, was pulling a mouthwatering aroma right beneath her nose.

“Well, it’s probably not as exotic as what you’re used to, but it’s one of Daniel’s favorite meals. Round steak, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy.” There was pride in LaVerne’s voice. The woman was crazy about her son.

“If by exotic you mean an MRE, I’ll stand in your chow line any day.”

“MRE?”

“Meals Ready to Eat. ‘Yummy’ freeze-dried military rations,” Erin explained to Dana, glad for a safe subject. “Believe it or not, they’re pretty decent but I prefer a camel kabob when I can get one.”

“Eeeeeuuuuuuuuu!” Dana’s face squinted in disgust. “You’ve eaten camel?”

“Does it taste like chicken?” Daniel asked.

“Not even close,” she answered. “It tastes like…camel. Really tough and gamy unless you can get a cut from the hump where the meat is less sinewy.”

“I don’t know about any camel’s hump but I’ve got supper in the kitchen from a cow’s rump, so let’s eat.” LaVerne headed toward the door. “Dana, I need you to set the table pronto, and no back talk.”

Dana noted her father’s better-do-as-she-says shrug and left the room.

“Would you like a tray in here?” he offered. “It might be too much for you to come to the table tonight, but it’s your call.”

Hmm…Stay in here alone while they talk about me or join them in the dining room while they watch my every move. Either way, I’m a big loser who needs somebody to cut my meat.

As tempting as it sounded to hide out on the lovely glass-enclosed porch, it was time to get started. Erin justified her agreement to join them in Houston as part of her rehab strategy. She’d made up her mind to look at every task as therapy. The sooner she could function on her own, the sooner she could get back to active duty. Behind the camera lens where she could record the lives of others. It was so much safer than engaging in the messy stuff herself.

“I’d like to eat with the rest of you, if it’s all right.”

“Yeah, sure. Just let me get the wheelchair ready.” He started to turn away, too much of a gentleman to answer any differently.

“Daniel.” Erin lowered her voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “Thank you for allowing me into your home. I know this is as difficult for you as it is for me, and I promise as soon as I can physically manage on my own, I’ll get out of your life.”

“It’s Dana’s life I’m worried about, not mine and not yours. I agreed to have you here for her benefit. Stay as long as you need to and don’t leave before you’re ready.” He glanced toward the door, took a step closer and lowered his voice, as well. “But when you’re ready, you’re leaving alone. Understand?”

“Perfectly.”

His narrowed eyes said he meant business. And who could blame him.

“Dad, if we have leftovers, will you make potato pancakes for breakfast before church?” Dana pleaded from the other room where she plunked dishes and flatware on a tabletop.

“Church?”

Dana had talked a lot about their church home. They knew everybody and attending a service would put Erin on display. She was going to have to pass on the very first opportunity to work on mobility.

“Of course,” Daniel answered. He leaned close but waited for her nod to signal permission before sliding supportive arms beneath her knees and the small of her back and lifting without effort. As he settled her into the chair and folded a gosh-awful-looking crocheted thing over her lap, his moss-green eyes locked with hers.

“And don’t even think about beggin’ off. This family worships together. And whether either one of us likes it or not, Erin, for a little while anyway you’re part of this family.”

Chapter Three

Sunday morning in Texas was nothing like Erin remembered and everything she’d once imagined it could be.

The chatter that echoed in the kitchen was contentious but good-natured. The dialogue between grandparent and grandchild was one disagreement after another with Daniel acting as mediator. But the dichotomy in the conversation never once escalated into the bitter shouts or harsh threats that accompanied dissent in her family experiences.

As with the meal the night before, breakfast around the pedestal-style oak table was a learning experience for Erin while it seemed like a social event for the others. Conversation stayed clear of the elephant in the room. She blessed Daniel, yet again, for obviously having reminded LaVerne and Dana against pressing for details that weren’t offered voluntarily.

But Dana deserved to know something, didn’t she? Where to start?

“These potato pancakes are a first for me,” Erin mumbled over a mouthful of the tasty breakfast.

Dana’s fork hovered between her plate and her mouth.

“Nobody ever fixed this at your house?”

Erin busied herself managing a fork in her left fist while she considered how much Dana could handle. There was no doubt the girl had been shortchanged without a mother, but on the other hand, Daniel had provided a pretty sweet deal. Their two-story brick home shaded by hundred-year-old pecan trees was in an affluent Houston neighborhood. Since Daniel had brought Dana up in church, it was Erin’s fair guess that he also ensured a quality after-school environment. If nothing else the teenager’s appearance was evidence she was respected and given free choice in personal areas so critical to one her age.