A Texas Christmas Wish

Four weeks. Surely he could manage four weeks without yelling at his dad or getting tangled with the new hired help. He knew right away that Karly was not the kind for a casual relationship, and that was the only kind he had managed to have the past ten years. He lowered his gaze to the worn leather handle of his bag.

Definitely not looking at the exotic tilt of her dark eyes with hints of gold, or the silky ponytail that swung when she talked. No, none of that caught his attention. She’s a mother, Tyler. That alone should make her invisible.

Chapter Two

For most of the ten miles to the ranch, Karly sat forward, her tight muscles sore from strain. She wasn’t sure what made her the most nervous, the storm or Tyler Childress.

The gossips adored talking about all the trouble Tyler got into while in high school. People loved to gossip—the more scandalous the better. She tried not to pay attention, but now that he was next to her she had to wonder how much was true.

Pulling through the stone pillars, she glanced up to the wrought iron archway where the letters spelling Childress boldly stood, surrounded by silhouettes of horses in motion. If things worked out, this would be their new home for the next year. Enough time to get Bryce’s physical therapy done, some of the medical bills paid off and a bit of breathing room to figure out where to go to next.

Living out of her car was getting old. She needed a plan and Bryce needed to be in school. This was the perfect job for her—that was, if the younger Childress didn’t kick them out.

He had spent the whole trip staring out the window. She’d glanced at him. He didn’t seem to want to be here. Maybe he would be leaving soon. “So how long do you plan on staying?”

He shrugged. “I’ve taken the next month off. I need to speak with the doctors tomorrow, figure out what Dad needs and when he can come home.”

Oh, no. He hadn’t been told. “Pastor John is bringing him home this evening.”

With his elbows resting on his knees, Tyler pressed the palm of his hands into his eyes. “John’s bringing him home today? I thought he had at least another week in the hospital.”

“The nurses can’t keep him in bed, and he tries to leave every few hours. He tells everyone he’s walking home.”

She drove around a cluster of twisted live oak trees. At the end of the narrow asphalt drive, the redbrick ranch house sprawled long and low behind a shaded yard of lush, green carpet grass. She slowed down and took a moment to find her breath.

A home. A real home that Bryce was going to get to live in, hopefully, for the next year. She blinked a couple of times to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Tyler would think she was crazy if she started crying. Thank You, God.

“Are you okay?”

She didn’t dare look at him. “Yes. I’m just not sure where to go. I haven’t been to the house before now.”

He pointed to the right. “Go to the back. We’ll pull into the garage and unload from there.” Facing her again, his blue eyes intense. “I don’t get it. Dad doesn’t have a way to leave. He can’t drive, and from what I understand he can’t walk that well, either. So why is John bringing him home?”

“He told the pastor that if someone didn’t drive him home he’d start walking. Your father seems very determined to get back to the ranch. So Pastor John’s giving him a ride. They should be here within the next couple of hours.” She skimmed the area around them, avoiding eye contact. “He’s leaving AMA.”

He threw his head back against the seat. “Seriously? A man with brain damage and a broken arm is allowed to leave against medical advice and no one calls me? That’s what AMA means, right? Against medical advice.”

“I believe that’s what it means.” She didn’t know what to say.

“Great. And no one thought to hire a real nurse?” His voice low as he stared back out the window.

“Horses! Momma, look. Horses!”

The drive forked. To the left, a couple of large barns, two outbuildings and several pens made what looked like a small resort for horses. A sharp right put them in front of a giant wooden garage door that belonged on a fortress. Rich wood and large wrought iron hinges brought to mind another time and place.

“Can we go see the horses? Please, Momma.”

“Bryce, it’s raining, and we need to get set up. Besides, the horses are off-limits. You cannot go to the barn area without me. Do you understand?”

“But, Momma...”

“Bryce.” She lowered her chin and looked at him through the rearview mirror.

“Hey, we need to help your mom unpack the car. Well, maybe repack first, then unpack and find out which room is yours.”

“Oh, I can take care of—”

“I’ll be in a different room? Is it far from yours, Momma?” Worry filled his young eyes. He had seen too much in his short life, and it was her fault.

“Right next to mine.” Sleeping together had become their norm since the night Officer Torres had arrested Billy Havender, her last life blunder. No more mistakes. “Bryce, it’ll be okay. Pastor John told me our rooms are connected through a bathroom.”

“You’re in my sister’s room?” His Florida Key blues narrowed. How did someone have eyes that blue without contacts? She didn’t think he wore them. She hadn’t thought about whose room she would be living in. The offer of a salary, plus room and board, had been all she’d needed to hear.

“Pull up. I’ll run inside and open the door.” His voice was gruff as he looked away again.

“Oh, Pastor John gave me the remote.” Digging it out of the console, she hit the button. The left door slid to the other side instead of overhead. As she pulled into the large space, the feeling of crossing the threshold into a special world washed over her. What if she couldn’t do the job that was needed? What if they didn’t let her stay? She stopped herself. No self-doubt allowed.

The concrete space was large enough to hold three cars along with a workshop. Currently only a large silver Suburban with the ranch’s logo sat in the opposite end of the garage. Color-coordinated boxes lined the organized shelves, sorted by shape and size. She skimmed over her car, filled with a hodgepodge of boxes she had saved from the drugstore Dumpster.

Nothing organized or coordinated about her. Maybe she had made a mistake. Taking a deep breath, she studied the most precious thing in her life, the reason she’d taken this opportunity. Bryce.

“Are you ready for our new adventure, Bryce?”

“Can I go pet the horses?” He blinked. “Please?”

Tyler opened Bryce’s door in time to hear the word horses. “How about we help your mom get your stuff in the house? Then I can take you to the barns and introduce you to the stars of the Childress family.”

“Oh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. He’s never been around large animals.” She didn’t want to come across as the No Patrol, but Tyler was making all sorts of promises and probably didn’t realize how serious a five-year-old took his every word.

Bryce started struggling with his seat belt. Another roll of thunder shook the walls.

“Hold on, baby. I’ll come help.” She made her way to the other side of the car.

Her son glared at her. She paused. He had never glared at her before today. They had always been a team.

“I’m not a baby. I can get out of the car on my own, and Tyler said we could see the horses.”

She realized she’d embarrassed her son in front of his new hero. Karly glanced at Tyler. He shrugged his shoulders, the wet T-shirt plastered to his skin. He mouthed “sorry” from behind Bryce’s back. She put her attention back on her son.

“First, you call him Mr. Childress. Second, I know you can get out of the car. I just needed to get my bag so you won’t step on it. Third, the horses will have to wait.”

Tyler crossed to the other side and started pulling out trash bags full of their clothes. She bit the inside of her cheek.

Do not apologize for your lack of luggage. You have nothing to be ashamed of, Karly Kalakona. “I’m sure this is the most unique baggage you’ve seen as a pilot.” Her laugh sounded stiff to her own ears. She kept one eye on Bryce as he climbed out of the car, his legs still not at 100 percent.

“You’d be surprised.” Tyler’s voice brought her back to him. “This looks like the luggage I used when I moved to college. Aunt Cora gave me a matching set, but I took it back to the department store for the cash and used dependable Hefty bags. My mom got so mad. The best part is when you’re done you can use them for cleanup and they don’t take up any space.”

But she was a mom, not a kid moving away from home the first time. Growing up, she’d gone from feast to famine. During a con, her stepfather, Anthony, had always insisted they travel with only the best. He would spend thousands of dollars, then take everything to a pawnshop when they ran out of money.

Things were different now. She paid her own way. And she didn’t need to waste time thinking about her stepfather. That was the past. “I can get our stuff if you could point me to the right room.”

“No need, I’m here and I know the way.” He pulled out one of her free book bags full of makeup and hair supplies. “Here you go, big guy, can you carry this for me? That’s pretty heavy. Do you think you can handle two?”

“The doctor said I’m strong now. I can carry three.”

Tyler winked at her. “Oh, I don’t know, three is a lot. What do you think, Mom?” Tyler handed Bryce a lightweight grocery bag before picking up a small plastic container with a sealed lid.

“I can do it. Mom, watch!” With the straps across his shoulders, he tucked the box under his arm.

“Good job, Bryce.” At the look of pride on Bryce’s face, a piece of her heart twisted. She popped open the tailgate and stuffed clothes and toys back into the boxes. Tyler was by the door, slipping off his muddy boots. The wet jeans had mud on them, too. It couldn’t be comfortable. “Tyler, the large tub stays in the car. If you would just show me the way, I can get the rest of our stuff. I’m sure you want out of the wet clothes.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m a river rat. I love the rain.”

Bryce giggled. “I want to be a river rat.”

Great, now she had to worry about him going to find the river on his own. She followed Tyler and Bryce through a huge washroom. When he led them through a large open kitchen, she paused. It was bigger than any apartment she had ever lived in during her entire life.

It was unreal, the kind of home she had only seen in a Country Living magazine. The smoothness of the long gray-and-black granite counters begged to be touched. A beautiful pine table with eight chairs sat opposite an island. Four stools hugged the counter.

The kitchen had two sinks. Everything was clean and fresh, from the white cabinet doors to the dark wood floors.

Well, except for the two bananas in a ceramic bowl. They were covered in black dots. She should throw them out.

“Mom! Come on.”

He didn’t even know they had just stepped into another world, a world where they didn’t belong. Thank You, God, for giving me such a resilient child.

She looked at the desk with a shelf full of cookbooks above it. She would need those books.

Ramen noodles cooked to perfection were the extent of her skills in the kitchen. She had a feeling this family wasn’t the cheap noodle crowd.

Tyler stepped back into the kitchen. “Sorry, I guess I should have given you a tour first.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I was thinking I should throw away the bananas before Mr. Childress arrives.”

Bryce came up to the table and wrinkled his nose. “Gross.”

He chuckled. “Oh, yeah, I didn’t even see them. Dad has one every morning with his breakfast. Always made me eat one, too.” He put the bags down and took the overripe fruit to the other side of the room. With a tap of his foot, a trash bin rolled out from under the counter.

“Cool.” Bryce went over the hidden trash container and opened it with the same motion Tyler had used, staring wide-eyed, as if he had discovered a treasure.

“Don’t let me forget to take that out. We don’t want to compact rotten bananas.”

Bryce nodded as if he understood what Tyler said. “Okay.”

In a few long strides, Tyler had the bags of their clothes back in hand, with Bryce right behind him. As he moved under a large archway, he looked back at her. “This is the family room. The dining room and living room are on the other side.”

There was so much to see. Two cream-colored sectionals anchored the spacious room. A million shades of blue pillows invited her to sit and get lost in all the comforts. There were pictures on every surface. Pictures of people, horses and airplanes. An ornate pool table sat in the far corner next to a wall of glass doors. This house invited you to stay and enjoy living. Three double doors led outside.

She hurried to catch up with Tyler and Bryce, who had disappeared down a dark hallway. She glanced at the wall. More pictures. Many of a young girl and boy riding horses or playing sports. She had never seen so many award plaques in one place. They stretched down the long hall, covering the wall along the way.

Tyler’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Sorry about the overkill. Carol always called it Mom’s Hall of Mortification.”

“Is this it?” Bryce stood in front of a door. Tyler nodded, but didn’t make a move to open it. Bryce looked up at the man beside him and adjusted the straps on his shoulder. He glanced at her, then back to Tyler. “Can we go in?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Tyler nodded, still staring at the door. Oh, this is his sister’s room. “Hey, you know what? We can put everything in the family room and figure this out later. Maybe there is another room I’m supposed to move into.”

“No, it makes sense you staying here. You and Bryce are next to each other, and my dad’s room is close.” He turned to point to the opposite wall at the end of the hall. “That’s his door.”

He still didn’t seem all that sure about it. Of course, he also wanted a trained medical professional, not an uneducated single mom.

“Go ahead. Open the door, Bryce. You do the honors. It’s your mom’s room for now.”

Her little man switched the box to his shorter arm and turned the knob. For some reason she held her breath. When was the last time anyone was in this bedroom?

“It’s locked.” Bryce glanced up at Tyler.

This was getting awkward. “I’ll just take our stuff to the fam—”

“No, no. The key is up here.” He set the bags down and went to the door at the back of the hall. Stretching up, he ran his fingers along the top of the door frame. “Here you go.” He handed the Allen key to Bryce. “I’ll go get more of your boxes.”

“Are you sure?” She ended up talking to his back. “Don’t take out the large green tub. It stays in the car.” She wasn’t sure he had heard. Bryce fumbled a bit with the key, then turned the knob before flashing her one of his I-did-it smiles.

She took a deep breath and smiled back. It was just a door, an ordinary door, so why did she feel so heavy walking through it?

“Wow! Mom, the bed is huge and purple.” He tossed the bags on an overstuffed armchair. “Look how big the windows are, and it has a seat.”

She stepped into a fifteen-year time capsule. Every teenage fantasy of being a normal girl with a family and school friends came to life in the room. Purple and silver ribbons hung from the corner of the curtain rod, the silk mums were coated in a fine layer of dust. The cream-colored walls were covered in poster frames that held collages of a high school girl’s memories. Sports, dances, horses and local and international mission trips were highlighted in each of the five poster frames.

“Who are all these people?” Bryce was studying the pictures.

“This is Carol, Tyler’s sister. All the other people are her friends. She’s also Rachel and Celeste’s mother.” Carol hadn’t been much older than she when she had been killed in a car accident, leaving behind two small daughters, a young husband and a whole town that loved her and still missed her. She looked at the laughing girl who’d thought she had a lifetime in front of her. Somehow she had managed to accomplish more in one short life than Karly dreamed of doing.

“Oh, look at these, Momma.” He picked up a model horse from the purple dresser. “These are cool. I hope my room’s not purple, though.”

“Here’re some more boxes.” She heard Tyler’s voice from the hallway, but by the time she had gotten to the door he was already gone again.

“Momma, what’s that word?”

She went back into Carol’s room. “What word, baby?”

“Momma, I’m not a baby.” Then he pointed to a poster, purple, of course, on the wall. “Go An-gore-as! What’s an Angora?”

She shrugged. “Not sure. We’ll have to ask Tyler.”

“Can I see my room?” He lowered his head and whispered. “Please, anything but purple.” He opened the door to the bathroom that connected the rooms. “If I don’t like it, your bed is big enough for both of us.”

“Yes, it is.” She just wasn’t sure if there was room for them. In this home. This substantial house was big enough for them and Tyler, though.

“Cool, Momma! Look.” He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, slowly turning. Airplanes of all sizes and shapes hung from the clear wires. Two-tone blue, with a touch of red, made the room inviting and all boy. Baseball and football equipment packed the spaces between the books on the shelves. Posters of Texas teams and colleges covered the wall.

The strangest was the leather halter and bridle hanging on the headboard. Bryce started going through the closet, pulling out some sort of sports jersey with a large nineteen on it. “Do you think it’s Tyler’s?”

“Hey, what have you got there?” Tyler stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She took the shirt from Bryce and put it back. They’d intruded into his world; now he found them digging through his closet.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Childress.” Her little boy took a step back, his head down.

Towering over her small son, Tyler reached past him and pulled out the shirt. “You can wear it. It’s my basketball shirt from my seventh-grade year. We got new ones, so coach let us keep them.” He slipped the jersey over Bryce’s head. “In just a few years, you can be a fighting Angora.”

“I can’t play basketball.” He held up his short arm. “I only have one hand.”

“You only need one hand to dribble.” He rubbed Bryce’s dark hair.

Karly crossed her arms and stopped herself from saying anything to Tyler. She wished he would stop telling her son all the things he could do. She was sure he meant well, but he didn’t understand all the complications.

The joy in her son radiated from his grin. “So what’s an Angora?”

This time Tyler laughed out loud. “A goat with long, wavy white hair and curled horns.”

She had to laugh at Bryce’s horrified expression. “A goat?”

“Yeah, a goat, but most people don’t even know they’re goats. They’re different and they’re tough, able to survive through harsh conditions.”

Maybe she had more in common with the school mascot than she thought.

“What kind of conditions?”

“Sorry, he’ll ask you questions all day.” She came up behind her son and pulled him against her. “Bryce can stay with me. This is your room.”

“Hasn’t been my room for years.” He ran fingers through his damp hair and looked around. “The times I came home, I slept in the bunkhouse.”

Bryce’s big eyes went even wider. “Bunkhouse? Like with cowboys?”

“Yep. Speaking of which, since you live on the Childress Ranch now, we need to find you a cowboy hat and boots.” He stepped into the closet and pulled a black hat from the top shelf. “Let’s see if this fits.” The cowboy hat wobbled a little bit on Bryce’s head, but it wasn’t too bad.

“It fits, Momma. Look! I’m a cowboy!” He turned back to his new champion. “Can I stay in the bunkhouse, too?”

“Sorry, partner. Have to be nineteen to live in the bunkhouse. You can stay in my old room and be a cowboy in training.”

Karly’s phone vibrated. Looking at the name, she saw it was the call she had been expecting. “Hi, Pastor John.” She noticed Tyler stiffen, his jaw muscles flexing. “Yes, we’re here. Tyler’s here, too. I picked him up at the airport.” He raised an eyebrow. She was not going to explain the almost head-on collision over the phone. “What do you need me to do? Okay, see you in a while.”

Sliding the new phone back into her pocket, she took a deep breath. “Your father will be here soon. They’re turning off the highway now. Are there any more boxes in the car?”

“Nope, got them all. Left the tub. Why is no one calling me about my father?”

Her stomach knotted. She hated conflict. “I don’t know. Maybe because you’d been out of the country and they weren’t sure when you’d be here.” She shrugged. “I’m going to make sure your dad’s room is ready. Tyler?”

He had started bringing boxes into the room. “Yeah.”

She swallowed. “Pastor John said to tell you he was glad you were here, but...to remind you that your father needs to be in a stress-free environment.”

Anger clouded his blue eyes, making them darker. “What does he think I’m going to do?”

With a shrug, she headed for the door. “I don’t know. Bryce, come on.”

“Momma, please. I want to help Mr. Childress.”

“Hey, partner. Call me Tyler. With my dad coming home, it’ll get confusing if you call us both Mr. Childress. Anyway, I’m really not much older than you. Just ask my dad.”

She still saw a bit of a mischievous look in his eye, ready to cause trouble.

“He can stay and help me. I need those strong muscles.”

Bryce giggled.

“Okay, but be careful. You just got the braces off your legs.” She looked at Tyler, hoping he understood her concern.

He nodded. “We’ll be careful.” He looked back at her. “So why didn’t you tell them I ran you off the road and crashed into a fence?”

She pulled at the end of her ponytail. “It’s not something we need to talk about now or over the phone. You’ll have time to explain it to your dad if you want to tell him.”

With one last glance at her son, she nodded and headed to the master bedroom. She couldn’t even imagine how that room would look in a house that already overwhelmed her.

Her stomach hurt. What was she going to do if this didn’t work out? Tyler was hard to read. One minute she felt he wanted to get rid of her, the next he was being all sweet to Bryce and helping them unpack.

And what had she signed up for? She had no medical experience outside of taking care of Bryce. Not only that, she didn’t even know how to cook real food. God, if this is going to work, I really need You. I feel so unprepared for this job. Not to mention Tyler Childress...

Chapter Three

Tyler set Karly’s last box down next to his old closet. He stared at the door to the bathroom, the door that connected the two rooms. A numb spot started spreading through his chest. Simple, walk through the bathroom and into her room.

Carol’s room.

It was just a room. A room full of memories from a girl that no longer lived in this world. Gone.

At some point his father should have packed away all her old stuff and gotten it out of the house.

He looked down at the small boy now playing with an old box of Lego pieces he’d found forgotten in the closet. What was he going to do about his former brother-in-law’s project? Karly and Bryce obviously needed a safe place to stay. As a single mom with a special needs child, she would be limited in her job opportunities. Especially here in Clear Water.

He crouched down next to the dark-haired boy. “Need some help?”

Bryce tucked a block between his elbow and ribs in order to attach another with his hand. “Nope. I got it.” He dug through the box and picked a yellow brick.