A Family for Tyler

Emily’s heart sank. Dianne was right. Earl had never listened to anyone and Drew seemed much the same. He was after something and wouldn’t give up until he got it, or was satisfied with the results. Thinking of the pathetic balance of their parents’ combined lives, she realized he’d never be satisfied.

Slowly, Emily peeled herself away from the wall to dial the all-too-familiar number, and spoke with the administrator. She explained the bare minimum. Being a judge, she didn’t have to elaborate and she took advantage of that. She was afraid that if she said too much, she’d lose it.

Finally, with the administrator’s empty promises that Drew wouldn’t be allowed to see her mother without her permission, Emily sank into the nearest chair.

Why couldn’t things have been different? Why had her father died? Why had her mother had to meet Earl? If only...

With a determined shake of her head, Emily once again prepared to leave.

The look on Dianne’s face, however, told Emily there was more than the appointment on her clerk’s mind. She knew Dianne wouldn’t volunteer.

“Okay, what’s up?” she prodded.

Dianne tried to pretend surprise. “Why? Nothing.”

“I can see the wheels turning in your head.”

“Oh, fine.” Dianne paused. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

“With Drew? No.”

“No. With this court case.”

“Of course I do.” Emily grabbed her purse and the briefcase she’d stuffed with the case files she thought she might need, plus files to read at home tonight.

“Mmm-hmm.” Dianne looked over those infernal glasses. “The caseworker has done most of the required work. Just because it’s not in the final form doesn’t mean you have to double-check it.” That look—over the glasses—said there was no escaping her questioning.

“Look.” Emily leaned against Dianne’s desk. “I’ll feel better seeing things for myself.” She really did appreciate Dianne’s concern. “Besides, you’re always after me to get out of the office.”

“I meant to do something fun. Not more work.”

“Hey, maybe this will be fun.” Emily smiled and hustled out the door before Dianne’s words could totally catch up to her.

“Someday you’re going to have to learn to trust someone.” Dianne’s words slipped through the door right behind Emily and kept bouncing around in Emily’s mind as she drove through the desert.

Warm midday sunshine poured in the sunroof and landed squarely on Emily’s shoulders. The car’s air-conditioning made the West Texas heat bearable—but she still felt the damp sweat drench her body.

She was nervous doing something she really shouldn’t, something totally out of her routine. Out of her element.

But as she’d told Dianne, she needed to do this. It couldn’t hurt, and if the little boy was at risk, as Emily feared, she’d save herself and the system a great deal of pain—not to mention Tyler.

And so she drove through the backcountry, through places that reminded her of so much hurt, risking her impartiality in a case simply to give herself peace of mind for a while.

Emily hadn’t driven out here in ages. The grasslands and desert of Southwestern Texas was a place she barely acknowledged, much less thought about. She stayed in town, lived her life, ignored where she’d come from.

The two-lane highway wound through the hills, dissecting the desert along with dozens of dirt roads and driveways that led deep into the ranches. Ten miles to the north her grandfather’s ranch sat, abandoned, its pastures rented out to another rancher up the road. The plot of land her mother had recently left sat another ten miles beyond that.

The Hawkins ranch was closer to town than Emily had ever lived. She’d looked at it on the county map. He might live modestly, but he was land rich, with a large spread that ran along one of the large rivers that bisected the area.

Her hands sweaty around the steering wheel, she tried to focus on the pavement reaching out in front of her, staring at the yellow stripes. All she had to do was get there, take a look around and head back to town.

Breathing in deep, she swallowed the panic rising in her throat. Maybe she should just turn her car around and trust in the system she’d always believed in. She slowed again, this time her eyes on the road ahead instead of the potholes in her past.

A movement at the edge of the road ahead startled her. She hadn’t passed anyone in nearly a quarter of an hour. Surely no one was out walking in this heat. It must be the shimmering illusion on the horizon.

Whatever or whoever it was ahead kept moving. She braked to slow down even more. It was someone walking. A child. She pushed the brake again.

Tyler.

Her heart sank. What had happened? Why had his uncle let him come out here alone? She envisioned the tall, handsome man who’d been in her office yesterday. He’d been very clear that he wasn’t the type to abandon anyone, but the evidence was right before her. Then another thought came to mind. What if something had happened to Wyatt?

She slammed on the brakes this time, pulling off the two-lane road and onto the soft dirt at the shoulder. Dust settled around the tires as she opened the door. Hot air slammed into her, and she wanted more than anything to crawl back into the air-conditioned interior.

But the sight of the little boy trudging along beside the road stopped her. “Tyler?” she called, not wanting to scare him.

He stilled then looked up at her. His eyes widened and rather than stopping, he broke into a run. The backpack he’d been carrying tumbled to the ground and he dragged it through the dust. The scrape of the cheap plastic on the rough rocks was loud.

“Tyler, wait!” She jogged after him. She was wearing a suit with a knee-length skirt and matching pumps. Definitely not running clothes.

But Tyler’s eight-year-old legs were short and the backpack was obviously heavy. She was out of breath and soaked with sweat when she finally caught up to him. He yelped and tried to kick her as she grabbed him.

“No,” he squealed.

“Tyler. Stop that.” Guilt almost made her let him go. Common sense told her he’d perish out here in the heat. She trudged back to the car, struggling to hold on to him. She’d have dozens of bruises, but at least he’d be alive.

The backpack scraped loudly beside them. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she tried to reassure him.

“I know that,” he yelled back, and she realized he was angry, not scared. The little rat. Her guilt faded a little.

Finally getting him to the car, she pulled open the passenger door and felt the last of the cooled air wash over them. She grabbed her water bottle and after plopping him on the seat, she handed it to him. “Here.”

He let go of the backpack, and she grabbed it and tossed it into the backseat. She pulled on the seat belt and awkwardly buckled him in. If she ran around the car, she might get in before he was loose. Maybe.

With a wary eye, she closed the door and hustled around the front of the car. He had his belt unbuckled but hadn’t gotten the door unlocked or open before she was inside. She wrestled him for the belt and finally got it back in place.

“Sit,” she commanded, and it was enough to take the steam out of the boy. She thought for an instant that he was going to cry. But he didn’t. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his bottom lip out in a huge pout.

“Thank you.” She leaned back against the seat. “What are you doing out here?”

At first she wasn’t sure he’d answer. “Goin’ back to town.”

Emily’s heart sank. What had happened? All her fears leaped out of the hot desert. She’d been right to come out here.

The click of the seat belt brought her out of her thoughts. “Hold it.” She clicked the buckle back in place again. “Start talking.” She leaned back in the seat and cranked the ignition. After a second, cool air blasted from the vents. She aimed two of them at the boy. Tyler’s face was flushed but he nearly emptied the water bottle, so she thought he’d be okay.

“You can’t take me back.”

“Why not? Tell me why. I promise I’ll listen. Is your uncle so bad?”

“N-no. He’s okay. Even lets me ride horses.” The sound of longing was thick in his voice. “And pet a baby cow.”

“You like baby cows...er...calves?” He didn’t say anything, but the way his eyes lit up told her he did. “Then—did he hurt you?”

“No!” He glared at her. “He’s not bad.”

“Then what’s wrong?” Only the blow of the air conditioner broke the heavy silence.

“Mama won’t be able to find me out here,” he finally whispered.

Emily’s chest tightened. She wanted to pull him close and ease the uncertainty cloaking those words, but she knew he’d never allow that. His mother wasn’t coming back for him, but Emily didn’t have any desire to tell him that right now.

Instead, she put the car into gear and pulled back onto the road, heading to the ranch. She heard him sniff and forced herself to ignore it. She was a judge. An officer of the court, sworn to protect children, not put them at further risk. Even if her heart hurt as she made the decision.

Emily’s eyes darted back and forth from the road to the boy. Tyler slouched in the seat beside her, his legs in constant motion.

“Sit still, Tyler.”

“Why?” Tyler increased the rhythm of his legs.

“I just need to concentrate, okay?” Emily muttered.

They didn’t have far to go, but it seemed to take forever. Finally, she saw the turn-in to Wyatt’s land. The metal reflectors at each side of the drive winked at her as she slowed and steered in between them.

She’d read the initial caseworker’s notes, but the neatly kept house with its yard and large trees was a bit of a surprise. It was homier than any place she herself had ever lived. The wraparound porch stole her heart.

She didn’t look over at Tyler, but saw out of the corner of her eye that his eyes were large and damp.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” She knew her promise was empty but she had to say something.

She was surprised at what she saw once she faced the big ranch house. It had to be a hundred years old, judging by the style, but it was immaculate. Old-fashioned metal fencing stretched between posts to surround the big white house with a lush green lawn. She pulled up to the fence, just a few yards from the gate.

A gate that stood wide-open and for some reason, Emily knew that Tyler had left it that way. She hoped Wyatt didn’t have a dog or other pet that could now be loose in the wilderness. She laughed. Wilderness. Ranch land was not wilderness, not really.

A woman came out of the door, the wooden screen slapping loud against the frame. “Tyler?” The woman’s blond hair fell in long ringlets. Was this a friend—a girlfriend of Wyatt’s? Emily frowned. Had he been distracted by the woman, thereby allowing the boy to run away?

Tyler reached for the door handle and turned to climb out of the car. Before he could move, though, Emily clamped her hand around his thin little wrist. “Hold on.”

He frowned but slowly turned his head to look at her through the mop of hair hanging in his face. “What?”

Wow! Plenty of attitude in that half-hidden glare. But that attitude made something in her shift. Her anger evaporated, drifting around for an instant to land somewhere near her heart.

“Are you sure you’re okay here?” She tried to see Tyler’s face, see what he was thinking. Was he afraid? Was he comfortable here? Was there something here that had caused him to run away?

None of those answers stared back at her.

“She’s waiting for me,” he informed Emily and finally pulled his arm free. He shoved the door open with his tennis shoe and bounded out. “I’m here,” he called just before he slammed the door closed.

Emily took a deep breath, wishing desperately that she’d never decided to do this. She should have kept it all in her courtroom, where she was safe behind her robes, behind the bench, across the room from any of the participants.

Her palms grew damp, and she rubbed them around the warm steering wheel once, twice, then before she could shove the car into Reverse and turn tail and run, she opened the door and climbed out. She refrained from slamming it as Tyler had done, though barely.

The hot Texas sun beat down on her head, but she stood up straighter and shoved her purse over her shoulder. She curled her hands around the strap as if it were a lifeline and stepped forward.

The woman knelt in front of Tyler, her hands on his shoulders. She was speaking, but for some reason, Emily couldn’t hear her words. Maybe it was the roaring in her ears. She took a deep breath, noting the relaxing scents of the fields and heat. She could do this.

She stepped forward, moving through the open gate. She extended her hand just as the woman started to speak to Tyler again.

“He was walking into town,” Emily interrupted.

The blonde’s jaw dropped open. “That’s over ten miles.”

“He didn’t get there.” Anger and a dose of panic rippled through Emily. She should have trusted her gut. She should have sent this boy to social services. She should have—

“Tyler, you scared us half to death.” The woman had none of Emily’s hesitation in grabbing him and hugging him tight.

“Sorry,” he mumbled from inside her tight embrace.

She finally let him go and took his hand in hers. “Let’s go call Wyatt.”

“He’s not here?” Emily felt her brow rise.

“No.” The woman turned back with her own frown. “He’s been out searching for this one. I hope his cell works in the gullies and canyons he’s checking.”

“Oh.” Emily felt silly. Her suspicious nature always made her feel like a shrew. “I’ll... I’ll get his backpack from the car.”

“Oh, thank you. Please. Where are my manners? I’m Addie Hawkins. Wyatt’s my brother. Guessing by the time, you’re Judge Ivers.”

Relief slid through Emily and she forced herself to ignore it. This was his sister...not—she forced her mind to focus on her steps and the task of getting the backpack—not a girlfriend.

The beaten backpack was heavy in Emily’s hand. What had he packed? She pulled it out and walked around the car.

A thundering roar grew in the distance, freezing Emily in place, stealing the words she was about to say. She’d heard that sound before, a long time ago—a lifetime ago. She shook her head, looking up at the sky, hoping to see a building thunderhead somewhere, anywhere. Clear blue skies stared back at her.

Her heart pounded in her chest. The damp that had been in her palms spread throughout her body. Her breath froze.

Emily watched the solitary rider appear on the horizon. Wyatt sat atop a wide-shouldered horse whose mane and tail were silhouetted in the afternoon light. He was riding quickly toward the house, and she nearly expected his hat to fly off like in all those old cowboy movies she’d watched as a kid.

He drew closer, the shadows let go and she could see the details of him. He was dressed the part of a cowboy, unlike the man who had appeared in her courtroom just days ago wearing an expensive tailored suit. No, this cowboy wore a blue shirt that contrasted with his worn Levi’s. Costly but worn Ropers were snug in the stirrups.

She’d just turned her head, catching a glimpse of white, when the great white horse rumbled into the yard, clearing the low fence with ease. He landed with a heavy thud just inches from her.

Wyatt jumped down from the horse’s back, landing with a similar thud.

“Where is he?” Wyatt barked out the words as he swung out of the saddle.

She looked up at him. Sweat glistened on his face and he yanked the Stetson off and swiped his brow with his sleeve.

“In the house.”

Before she could say or ask anything more, he tossed the reins to her and loped across the lawn.

She caught the reins—a habit she’d thought long forgotten. He’d made the assumption, like everyone did, that people who lived in Texas knew horses. She did, of course, but she hated his assumption.

She stood there a long, silent moment.

Big. Huge. Brown eyes stared at her. She could see the horse’s long lashes as it blinked at her. It—she glanced around and amended—he.

The horse tossed his head and whickered before taking a step forward. Emily froze and dropped the reins. The well-trained horse didn’t move, but Emily saw a whole new set of images. Of another horse. One not as big, but whose eyes were just as beautiful and soulful. Whose coat was just as pure white.

“Sugar,” she whispered. But Sugar was gone. Long gone.

The horse’s big chocolate eyes stared at her, slowly batting its big eyelashes. The horse took a step toward her, and Emily crumbled into the darkness.