had to admit that Tyler’s nonreaction automatically bumped him up in her opinion no matter what everyone said about him. Bryce’s dad had taken one look at their son and walked out of the hospital and never came back. Of course, he had been a seventeen-year-old boy already scared of being a father.
Tyler might be a late coming home, but she didn’t know his story and it wasn’t her place to judge. She’d been hired to do a job. Keeping a safe distance from this good-looking adventurer would be best for them all.
She placed her hands over her son’s short active legs. “I’m sorry about the small space—we might be able to move the seat back a little bit.” There wasn’t much room available with all the stuff she had wedged between the seat and Bryce.
“No worries.” He chuckled and winked at her. His clear blue eyes matched his father’s perfectly. “I’ve been in tighter places. Besides, we aren’t going far.”
She put the car in Reverse and hit the gas, but all that happened was the whirling sound of a spinning tire. She gripped the steering wheel and tried again, pressing harder on the gas pedal.
“Whoa. You’re just digging in deeper. Go forward.”
She gritted her teeth against his short demand and reached up to shift gears. His hand stopped her. The touch startled her, and she jerked back.
He didn’t even seem to notice her reaction. “Hold on. Let me put one of those branches in front of the tire.” Without waiting for her to agree, he sprang out of the car. Running hunched over, he gathered some of the larger limbs that covered the ground on the edge of the cedar break. Climbing back into the car, he nodded. “Now go forward. Keep the pressure on the pedal nice and steady.”
Holding her breath and sending a quick prayer, she followed his instructions. After a few bounces, they were back on the road. She couldn’t help giving him a big grin. “Thank you.”
“Well, it was my fault you ended up in the ditch.”
With a slow U-turn on the highway, she headed back toward his plane.
“Are you going to be able to drive the plane to the airport?”
“Yeah. I think a wing is damaged, but it can move across the ground without a problem. The Kirkpatricks aren’t going to be happy. I think I ran through their fence a couple of times back in high school.” With one hand on the door, he turned to face her. “You don’t mind following me to the hangar, do you? I’ll need a ride to town.”
“Town? You’re not going to the ranch?”
“You don’t need to drive all the way out there.” He glanced over her stacked and labeled boxes. “You look busy. Do you need help?”
He didn’t know she had been hired to stay with his dad? She made herself stop chewing on the inside of her cheek. She hadn’t even introduced herself.
“I’m Karly Kalakona. I was hired as the new housekeeper and to care for your dad after he had the stroke. I’m heading to the ranch anyway, so it’s not a problem. I’ve never been to the ranch, so it would be great if you could show me where to go. I mean I know where the ranch is, but once on the ranch I have no clue.” Stop rambling, idiot. No, she reminded herself, no more name-calling. Be kind to yourself.
She held her expression neutral as his eyes narrowed. The space in her old Volvo seemed to get smaller and warmer. The heavy raindrops hitting the roof was the only sound for what seemed like hours. Taking his hand off the door, he turned and looked straight at her. Karly pushed her dark hair back.
“You’re moving into my dad’s house?” His friendly tone had been replaced by a sharp edge. “Who hired you?”
“Uh...Pastor John Levi. He was married to your sister, Carol, right? He told me he still helps your dad with the ranch.” Silence. Tyler stared out the windshield. She was getting the feeling he was not happy. “Is there a problem?”
He shook his head. “I just thought...” Instead of finishing the sentence, he sighed and looked back at her. “How do you know John?”
“A little less than a year ago I started attending his church, and a few months later they helped me get out of a bad situation. When your father had his stroke, Pastor John asked if I would be a live-in assistant. Your father had always been a great support to me so I really wanted to repay all the help I found here in Clear Water.”
“You look really young for a nurse.”
“I’m not a nurse.”
“Do you have nursing exper—?” Flashes of lightning flooded the car with white light, followed by a rolling boom of thunder. Bryce cried out, covering his ears. She reached for him again.
“It’s okay, baby. We’re safe.”
“Hey, big guy, have you ever gone bowling?”
Bryce looked up at Tyler and shook his head. Karly couldn’t keep from raising her eyebrows. Bowling? What did that have to do with anything?
“Well, I’ll have to take you so you know that’s what it sounds like. A giant marble ball hitting a bunch of wooden pins. Sounds scary, but it’s actually loads of fun.”
“Really? I wanna go, Momma. I wanna go bowling.” He looked at his new hero. “When are we going?”
“Now, Bryce, I don’t know. We have a lot of things to do and you just got your braces off.” She cut a glance to Tyler. “Between the surgeries and physical therapy, we have to be careful of the activities we pick.” She didn’t want Bryce disappointed in the things he couldn’t do. She wanted him to focus on what he could safely accomplish. “We have to get moved into our new home and get you back in school.”
“Yes, ma’am.” His narrow shoulders slumped. Well, at least he wasn’t crying.
“Sorry, big guy. Your mom’s right. We gotta get you all settled in. Then we can make plans. Right now, I’ve got to get my plane to the hangar.”
Her son perked back up. “Can I ride in your airplane?”
Tyler considered her. His eyebrows rose.
Great, he was going to make her be the bad guy again. “Sorry, sweetheart, you would have to get out in the rain. I need you to stay with me in the car.”
Tyler reached across the back of his seat and tugged at Bryce’s foot. “Hey, we’ll do it another day. I promise.” He grabbed the door handle, jumped out of the safety of her car and darted through the rainstorm to his plane.
She had a feeling she might be headed down a road she had not planned. With a sigh, she watched her son focus on every move Tyler made. Karly saw a joy on his small face that she hadn’t seen in a good while.
Her son should know by now that a pretty package wrapped in easy smiles and good manners could be masking a monster.
Unfortunately, Tyler Childress would not be the first man to break his promise to them.
* * *
Blinded by heavy rain, Tyler pushed the Piper back from the tangled fence. Hopefully,
