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...
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.
Up close, Tyler noticed the scars on his forehead wrinkled with concentration. He totally understood John and his dad wanting to help these two, but they weren’t even from the area. At least, he’d never seen her before. And he’d remember her.
What did anyone really know about Karly? He doubted anyone had thought to run a background check on her. Or vetted her skills. Tyler needed to know that when he went back to Colorado, his father would be in good hands with a professional.
Bryce slumped over, his head landing on the soft rug next to the bed. In a panic, Tyler swept him up and moved as fast as he could to his father’s room. “Karly?” He made sure to keep his voice calm and quiet.
“I’m right here.” She stepped out of the master bathroom. Her eyes went a bit wider when she saw Bryce in his arms.
Rushing to her, he met her in the middle of the room. “He was playing. Then, without any warning, he just fell over.”
Long, graceful fingers gently pushed the fine wisp of hair that had fallen across her son’s forehead. The smile and soft chuckle from Karly eased his pounding heart. It couldn’t be anything dangerous if she was happy. When she raised her warm eyes to look at him, his breath stopped somewhere around his heart.
He had seen more beautiful women than he could count, but something about Karly Kalakona made the world stand still. Not good. His world needed to keep moving.
He swallowed and looked down at the tiny being in his arms. He had been around a great deal of children, many of them sick, some even dying, but he’d never actually held them so close. “He’s okay?”
“Yeah, he does this when he doesn’t get his nap.” She shrugged, then leaned in to kiss the small forehead. “With the packing, driving in the storm, the excitement of the plane and meeting you, then a new house and a room of his own, he just crashed once he sat still for a minute.” Her hand went to his lower arm. “I should’ve thought of it before he passed out. Do you want me to take him?”
“No, I’ve got him. I’ll take him back to his room.” Making his way down the hall, he sensed Karly close behind him.
“Are you sure it’s all right for us to be in these rooms?”
He nodded to the bed. “Like I said earlier, I haven’t slept in here for years. Turn down the quilt, and we can tuck him in.”
After laying Bryce down, Tyler took a step back, allowing Karly to settle her little man in a bed that looked too big for him.
Turning away from the mother/son moment, he left.
He had to shut off the memories of his sister climbing into his bed while their mother read to them, and sometimes their dad would join them. Every night ended with prayers. He shook his head, clearing out his thoughts. He was such a loser, going down that road. It was a dead end.
“Tyler? Karly?” John’s voice called out from the laundry room.
Tyler moved to the kitchen area. “We’re here. Putting Bryce to bed.” His father was home. Remember, Tyler Childress, nothing is worth upsetting the old man over. He might need God’s help with this one, not that he expected any break from that quarter. Some habits were just hard to kill.
He took a breath and looked behind John. “Where’s Dad?”
John ran his fingers through his hair. His usual open expression was closed and clouded with something Tyler couldn’t read.
“Tyler, this is not going to be easy, but I need you to stay calm and not start any fights.”
Stepping into the garage, he saw a frail man struggling to get out of the SUV and leaning heavily on the door. That could not be his tall, robust father.
“Dub, I asked you to wait until I got help.” John’s easygoing voice sounded exasperated.
“I. Am. Not a...kid.”
Tyler heard some other words mumbled, but he couldn’t make them out.
“Dad?” That man could not be his father.
He had been on an international flight when Maggie, their neighbor, had called him with the news. She’d told him it was only a small stroke. When his father had gotten on the phone, he hadn’t even wanted Tyler to come home. He had sounded almost normal during that conversation. “Is everything okay? Has something else happened?”
Dub grunted and John sighed. “When he gets tired, it’s harder for him to speak or move.” John gave Dub a pointed look. “It’s been a long day, and arguing about everything doesn’t help. Rest, Dub, you need to rest.”
Turning away from Dub, John pointed to the back of the ranch vehicle. “Tyler, there’s a wheelchair in the back. Can you get it out?”
“Sure.” He moved without much thought, the cold concrete
