A Texas Christmas Wish

* * *

Karly stopped herself from pulling on her earrings. She needed to trust God, not fret over Tyler and his motives. “Sure.” She made an effort to smile at him as she picked up her notebook and tucked her pen into the spiral.

There was more to Tyler Childress than the local gossip talked about. Details missing that would make him a whole person. The way he reacted to Bryce told her he had some experience with kids—kids with differences. But she had a bad habit of seeing the good in the worst guys. Tyler was pulling on all those old heartstrings. The ones she should not trust.

Walking back through the hall, she smiled at the name. The Hall of Mortification, Carol had called it. She couldn’t imagine growing up in a town that knew your grandparents, a town where you belonged, even if they remembered all your mistakes.

Plaques lined the walls. She tried to picture the life that collected these awards: homecoming court, rodeo queen, football captain, basketball tournament MVP, valedictorian, even honors for choir and grass judging.

Who knew you could win a state championship by knowing grasses? The wall carried on in an endless line of best of this and that. Carol’s name seemed to be on most of them, accomplishments that surpassed her own childhood fantasies. These were the kind of growing-up years she wanted for Bryce. He might not be able to play sports, but once he recovered from the surgeries for his foot, he could have a school and friends and be involved in so many things.

The awards pointed to a bright future that had been cut short. Tyler had lost his mom and sister, but he seemed to forget he still had a dad and a home where he belonged.

Passing through the kitchen, she walked into the front living room. It screamed Texas ranch. The leather sofa and chairs were just the beginning. Everything else was made from wrought iron and antlers, including the huge square coffee table and all the lamps. Area rugs of assorted cowhide warmed the stone floor.

Tyler stood in front of the biggest stone fireplace she had ever seen. Over the rough wood mantel hung a painted portrait. Six people, three generations, all wearing white shirts and jeans, stood in front of the cypress trees that lined the Frio River.

She recognized Dub Childress, younger but with the same stubborn jaw. Next to his older sister, Carol, Tyler looked to be about ten with a roguish grin. The older couple had to be Dub’s parents, Tyler’s grandparents. All the men in the family had the same look, although Tyler’s frame tended to the leaner side.

Tyler’s mother, however, surprised her.

In the photo, her lips were pressed closed as if she was fighting laughing out loud, and her eyes gleamed with the same glint Karly had initially seen in Tyler’s gaze. Tyler’s mother had one hand on her son’s shoulder, anchoring him in place. Her other arm was entwined with her husband’s, keeping them linked.

It was a portrait that showed a happy family—and what was gone.

All of a sudden the collection of achievements lost their shine. Now Tyler stood alone. She knew how that felt, but was it worse or better to have it all, only to lose it?

Tyler continued to look up at the oil painting. “She was always laughing.” He glanced at Karly for the first time since she walked into the room. “Dad would get so mad and ask if she took anything seriously. She would just laugh and tell him life was short and he was too solemn. She would tease him until we were all laughing.” He turned back to his family.

Silence lingered.

Karly pulled on the colored beads that hung from her right ear. “So you’re a good mix of your parents?”

He turned to her. Surprise stamped on his face. “Why would you say that? We just met.”

“True, and most of that time you have been very serious, but I’ve also seen you make light of situations that could have been tough, like you not fitting in my car or when I got stuck in the mud. Plus the way you work with Bryce—you made a game out of him being scared and gave him your old basketball jersey.” One thing life had taught her was to watch the way men reacted to difficult situations. It told a great deal about their character.

He had turned his back to her and continued to stare at the portrait. Maybe that was why God had put her here—not for the job and home for Bryce, but to help Tyler see how much he still had here on the ranch in his life if he wanted it.

She gave herself a mental shake. She could not fall into her fix-him mode. Bryce and their future needed to be her focus.

She sighed. Silence always made her nervous. “By the way, you were great with Bryce. Thank you for not making a big deal of his arm. Most people get uncomfortable and don’t know how to act. You made his day when you gave him jobs to do instead of ignoring him. You seem to have experience with kids like him.” Okay, she needed to stop talking.

Silence. Again she fought the urge to fill it. Finally he moved to the sofa and nodded to her. She guessed it was an invitation to sit down. Tucking her long skirt under her, she sat. Perched on the edge of the giant leather sofa, she waited for him to talk. Pen in hand, she posed to take notes.

And waited.

His gaze scanned the room before coming back to her. “I have a friend that works in the burn unit at a hospital in Houston. The kids like it when I stop by in my pilot uniform and talk about flying. We’ve done a few Make-A-Wish trips with the airplanes, too. Many of the kids are missing limbs. Bryce’s looks more like a birth defect than an injury.”

She nodded. “The doctor said his arm got tangled up in the umbilical cord, so it didn’t fully develop. It happened below the elbow, so he has most of his arm. He’s also had surgeries on his foot. That’s why he limps now, but he will fully recover from that. Bryce’s needs won’t in any way interfere with my working here.”

“Other than your son, what is your medical training?” His intense gaze locked her in place.

Karly made herself breathe. He had every right to ask her that question. Her first instinct was to lie, to say whatever she needed to say to keep this job, this home. She swallowed and clenched her hands.

Her stepfather had taught her to lie so well it was as natural as breathing, and she always had to fight the impulse to give the expected answer, but she had made a vow to tell the truth no matter the consequences. “I don’t have any. Pastor John is the one that came to me with the idea that I could help out. I know I can keep the house clean and watch over your father, make sure all the appointments are set up and he gets to them. Help him move around and take care of all the little things.”

Leaning forward, Tyler kept his gaze on her. “My dad’s health comes first. Do you have a résumé?”

The taste of blood hit her tongue. She relaxed her jaw, but her lungs would not let up. Unable to talk, she shook her head. A résumé? She had never needed one before. She didn’t have enough education or experience to even fill half a page.

Well, she could fill a page with all her job bouncing, but washing dishes, laundry, serving coffee and cleaning kennels didn’t count in the real world. This was it—less than twelve hours and the best opportunity she had ever been given would slip out of her grasp.

A loud knock caused them both to look toward the kitchen. Tyler stood.

“Tyler? Karly?” It was Adrian De La Cruz.

Karly had met the horse trainer at church when she’d joined a single parent group he led. He seemed to like her and support her working for Mr. Childress. And his appearance was putting a stop to a bad conversation. “We’re in here, Adrian.”

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, she bumped into him. He grabbed her arms to steady her. Adrian was shorter than Tyler, instead eye to eye with her own five-foot-eleven height. He smiled, causing the lines around his golden-brown eyes to deepen. “Whoa, where’re you going in such a hurry?” Stepping back, he chuckled and looked over her shoulder. “I’m not used to women running from Hollywood here.”

“Hollywood?” She glanced at Tyler.

“That was pretty boy’s nickname. No matter what he was doing, he did it in style and loved an audience.” Adrian laughed. “Always had the girls all worked up. The rest of us poor slobs had to wait for the fallout.”

“That’s not how I remember it at all.” Tyler held his hand out to shake, but Adrian pulled Tyler into a hug and slapped him on the back.

“Good to see you back in town. Sorry about your dad, but I know he’ll get through this. Too stubborn to do anything else, que si?” Flashing her his open, friendly smile, Adrian winked at her. She couldn’t help but grin back at her friend. She was already feeling better.

So why didn’t she fall for guys like Adrian? The solid, hardworking and easygoing family man. As a single dad, he loved his daughter above all else. She looked at Tyler from under her lashes. She had some kind of messed-up genes when it came to picking men.

“So you’ve left construction to get back in the horse business? Riding bulls again?” Tyler leaned a hip on the counter and crossed his arms, pulling the cotton shirt tight over his shoulders.

“No bulls for me, but Mia’s ten now so I have a bit more freedom, and the construction jobs took a dive a while back. Your father was looking for a part-time trainer, so it was good timing. Are you going to stick around? There are some big shows coming up and we’re not sure what we should do. Your dad is pretty hands-on and was still riding.”

Tyler sighed. His jaw flexed. “There are a lot of decisions that need to be made, and Dad is in no shape to be running the ranch.”

Karly needed to leave the room. She nodded to the men. “Excuse me.” She moved in between them, making her way to the refrigerator. Maggie had sent a casserole. It just needed to be heated up.

But standing in front of the stainless-steel, professional-looking gas stove, she had no idea how to start it. What if she blew them up?

“Karly, you’re the reason I came over,” Adrian called out to her.

Sweat beaded up on her lip and heat crept up her neck. She couldn’t even heat up a premade dinner. “Me?” Oh, great, what had happened now?

“Yeah, Pastor John called me.” He turned to Tyler. “He said he tried calling you. Anyway. He was going to show Karly around but in the rush to get his girls he forgot. He wanted to make sure you got settled in and that you had the password to the desktop here in the kitchen.” He turned behind him and sat at the desk. “He said the computer was yours to use. I’ll write it down here. He also said there was a binder with all the accounts and important information in the desk.” Opening the cabinet, he pulled out a black binder. “Here it is.”

“All of the accounts? He is handing all of his accounts over to her?” Tyler’s hard voice was back. He took the binder and started looking through it.

She didn’t blame him for the distrust. “I’m sure not all. He said I would be doing the shopping for the house.” Pastor John had also encouraged her to use the computer for online classes. He’d thought it was for college classes, for her dreams of being a PT assistant, but he didn’t know that she first had to get her high school diploma. She’d tried to finish that using the computer at the library, but their hours were limited and she’d had to refresh every forty-five minutes. Now she could actually start and work on it while Bryce slept or was at school. It was another blessing.

She would not cry. No crying in front of the men. They wouldn’t understand.

“Were you going to heat up some dinner?” Tyler asked before turning to Adrian. “You want to stay and eat?”

“No. Thanks. I’m heading home. Anything else you need from me before I leave?”

She forced a laugh before asking what she hoped sounded kind of like a joke. “Are there instructions on turning on the oven? I’ve never used one like this.” Should she admit she really didn’t even know how to cook in general?

Without hesitation Adrian moved next to her and turned a few knobs. A pop indicated the burners were lit and ready.

“Gas can be scary if you’re used to electric.” He reassured her with a friendly smile. “Oh, I almost forgot. The other reason I came over is to make sure you were still coming with me to Uvalde this Sunday.”

Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Y’all are dating?”

Karly gave a quick “No.”

Adrian laughed. “I wish. She has turned me down every time I’ve asked. We have a teen-parent meeting every other Sunday.”

“Teen-parent meeting?” Tyler raised his eyebrow. “Aren’t you a decade past being a teen parent?”

“Feels more like three, sometimes. But we’re mentors to the teens. You know, the been-there-done-that sort of thing. It’s one of the outreach programs the churches do as a community program. Karly just started and she’s already making an impact.”

“I’m more like the example of what not to do.” She tried to laugh, but there was too much truth to be really funny. She looked at Tyler, not sure if she should take a day off right after starting. She hesitated.

Adrian shook his head. “That’s not true.” He shrugged. “Anyway, they don’t want perfect people. Just someone that understands. Do you want me to pick you up?”

She glanced at her new boss. “Do you need me to stay?”

“No, I’ll be here. You kids go off and have fun.” Tyler gave a tight smile, arms crossed over his chest.

“So are we on?” Adrian held his arms out.

She nodded and smiled at him. She enjoyed working with the young parents.

“Good.” Looking at Tyler, he started backing out of the kitchen. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Tyler, and we’ll talk about the upcoming shows. Night.”

The back door shut and she was alone with Tyler again.

* * *

Tyler watched Adrian leave. Karly said they weren’t dating, but Adrian seemed a bit territorial. They were both single parents, so it made sense they would be interested in each other. Adrian was a good guy. He had given up his rodeo career in high school to be a parent to his daughter. So why did the thought of them being together bother him?

“We never actually talked about your experience or skills.” His voiced sounded grumpy even to his own ears.

She stopped messing with the foil on the casserole pan and looked at him. Her multicolored eyes causing him to think about things he shouldn’t be thinking about, like how soft her lips would be against his fingertips if he reached out and touched them.

“Tyler, I’m sure you figured out I don’t have the education or experience you expect, but I’m a hard worker. I care very much for your father, and I’ll do whatever needs to be done to help in his recovery.”

“What were you doing before this job came up?”

“Serving coffee and lunch at the drugstore. And just so you know, I have had a string of odd jobs like waitressing, cleaning and working at car washes.”

“You worked at a car wash? I’ve never met anyone that actually washed cars for a living.” He leaned against the counter opposite of her. “How did you end up in Clear Water? Not exactly a hub for jobs.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, then turned and put the pan in the oven. With her back to him she continued, “I moved here with Billy Havender.”

“The youngest Havender?” He tried not to sound disgusted, but a Havender? “Is he Bryce’s father?”

“No.” Now she sounded disgusted. Taking a deep breath she faced him and gripped the edge of the counter. “No.” She blinked. “I take it you know the Havenders?”

“Yeah, I went to school with the older ones. I didn’t really know Billy. He’s the only one that ever left town.”

A few strands of long dark hair had slipped out of the ponytail, and she twisted it around her finger before tucking it behind her ear. “He seemed to be the answer to my prayers. He asked me to marry him. I thought it would be good for Bryce...and he promised that I could go back to school and that I would love Clear Water. He had big plans to make money with his brothers.”

“They run a delivery business, right?”

She nodded. “That was about a year ago. They sold the trucks. They were going to do guided tours and hunts. But things didn’t work out like Billy had wanted. His brothers, well, they...”

“Were lazy drunks who beat each other up more than they worked?”

Her hand covered her mouth. He smiled at her. He hoped it was a gentle kind of smile. Laughing was so much better than watching her trying not to cry.

“It got bad and I tried to leave. Without money, family or friends you can feel trapped. And Bryce had just had surgery on his foot. One night Billy lost it—yelling and throwing things. He had taken my car keys. I didn’t know what else to do so I called 9-1-1 on Billy’s phone.” She picked up a rag from the sink and started wiping the counter.

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