A Texas Christmas Wish

John took a deep sigh, but his voice was firm. “Dub, I don’t have much time. I told the girls I would pick them up from 4-H. If you fall, think how embarrassed that will make you feel.” He glanced up to Tyler. “The doctor said falling might be the biggest danger to his recovery.” He cut his gaze back to Dub. “Remember, we had a deal. If I brought you home early, you’d let Karly help you. That’s why she’s here. If you don’t let her help, she won’t have a job.”

She came up behind them. “Is there anything else I need to do? All the equipment that was ordered has been placed in his room. I made the bed. Pastor John said you’d be ready to rest and build up your strength.”

John held Dub’s arm and eased him into the black seat. Tyler just stood there, useless. Once Dub was settled, his son-in-law went back into the vehicle. “Here are some premade dinners Maggie packed for y’all. With moving and getting everyone settled, she was worried you wouldn’t have time for cooking. Here, Dub.” He placed the bags on Dub’s lap. “You can drop this off as you go through the kitchen.”

“Tell her thanks.” Karly smiled at John before leaning forward. “Ready, Mr. Childress?”

“Karly, Tyler, the occupational therapist is scheduled to be out here for the first home visit Thursday. That was the earliest they could get out here on short notice. I have a folder with all the instructions and tips. Things to look for.”

Karly nodded, then smiled at his dad. Bending low, she whispered close to his ear. He mumbled something and she laughed. “I’ll take him in to check out his room.”

Tyler couldn’t form a word. He knew he had words, lots of them, but they had all left.

John spoke again. “Thanks, Karly. Behave, Dub.”

“Tyler, the doctor said—” John started, but he couldn’t let him finish. How had his dad convinced them to bring him home without a medical professional?

“He can’t stay here. He’s too weak. We have to get him in assisted living.”

“Really?” John’s eyebrow shot up. “I wish you well with that move. I couldn’t even get him to live with me in the house he grew up in, right here on his ranch.” John reached inside the SUV and pulled out a red folder. “Here’s all the information the hospital gave us. The contact numbers for the speech therapist, physical therapist and the occupational therapist. You’ll need to set up times for the PT and speech. The speech therapist can also help with any eating problems he has.”

“We need a professional nurse. Karly can’t handle all this medical stuff, and I gotta leave in a few weeks.”

“Karly will be fine. Besides, we tried to talk your dad into a home health nurse, but he didn’t want a stranger in his house. He agreed to Karly, and I trust her. She also needs this opportunity to get her life on track. It’s a win-win for everyone, Tyler.” John reached over and gripped Tyler’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard seeing your dad like this, but you need to rely on your faith. God’s in control, Tyler. There’s a plan.”

Head against the wall, Tyler stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t look at John, the pastor his sister had married. His sister’s husband, who would soon be married to someone else, to their old neighbor, Lorrie Ann Ortega. “What if I don’t like the plan?” Too many of his plans had been ripped apart. “You can’t just blindly fumble through life waiting for God to answer prayers. Dad needs more medical care than Karly can provide. When I talked to Maggie, she said it wasn’t that bad.”

“For a stroke, he’s fortunate, but it’s still a stroke. The doctors said there is no reason he won’t have a full recovery, but they won’t be sure for some time as to permanent damage. If he does fully recover, it could take up to two years. And there’s also the broken bones. They just need rest and time to heal.”

“Two years? I don’t have that kind of time.” He pressed his back against the garage wall, sliding down to the floor. He buried his fingers in his damp hair. His grip tightened, wanting to pull all the strands out of his scalp. “Sorry, that was completely selfish. I just want my dad back. What about the horses? The ranch? What am I going to do?”

John sat next to him. “For now we have to take it one day at a time. With work and focus, the doctors believe you can have your dad fully back. The fear of losing him, any part of him, was hard to deal with today. Seeing him was a shock.” John put his hand back on Tyler’s shoulder. “That stubbornness of his can help him get better. It’s also that pride that can get in the way of his recovery. He’s not going to change his mind about where he lives or who lives with him. In Isaiah, we’re reminded, ‘For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”’ You’re never alone, Tyler. God is here. I’m close by if you need anything.” He patted his should a couple of times and stood. “The girls want their uncle over for dinner soon. They miss you.” With that, he left.

Tyler’s throat was dry. He needed something to drink. How did John manage to stay so positive? His sister’s husband had more reasons to doubt the promise of a happy ending than anyone else.

Making his way to the master bedroom, a fog filled his head. In his parents’ room, the huge oak four-poster had been replaced with a hospital bed. Karly was tucking the edges around Dub, just like she did for her son. From the soft snores, it appeared his dad had fallen asleep as fast as Bryce.

“Karly?”

She turned with a yelp; her hands went to her chest. “You startled me.”

“Sorry.” He nodded to his dad. “He’s asleep?”

Karly looked at his father with a soft smile. “Yeah, as soon as I got him still he was out.”

“We need to talk.” He knew he sounded short and he would be better off at least trying to use some of his charm, but right now he was too raw to care.

“Okay.” She nodded, her big eyes begging him for something he didn’t know if he could deliver.

“I’m going to take a shower first. I’ll meet you in the front living room in about fifteen minutes.”

She just nodded again.

He steeled himself against any weakness she brought out in him. His father’s needs came first.

Chapter Four (#ulink_64c9199a-2e65-5496-aab3-7a5c1efe1fba)

After checking on Bryce, Karly went back into her new room. Unpacking again, she hoped this time they would get to stay for longer than a few months. With one hand she gently opened the top dresser drawer to start putting her few belongings away. Pens, hair clips, rings and other random items cluttered the space.

Oh, my. She took a deep breath. Carol’s belongings were still in the dressers. She reached down to the bottom drawer and pulled on the handles. The clothes smelled musty. Shutting the drawer, she sighed.

Putting her back to the dresser, she scanned the room. The closet was probably filled with Carol’s things, also. She didn’t feel right moving anything. When Pastor John had told her to take this room, he must not have known his late wife’s teenage life was still here.

“Wow.” Tyler stood at the open door. “It looks as if she could walk in any minute.” His triceps flexed as he crossed his arms, the loose T-shirt and jeans in contrast to the tension in his stance. Dark blond hair still damp from his shower curled at the base of his neck.

She had no clue what to say. “I’m sorry. I can move my things into your room.”

“You mean Bryce’s room. No. When Carol left for college, Mom wanted to clean out the room for sewing and crafts, but my dad wouldn’t let her. He said it was Carol’s room and would always be Carol’s room. Then Mom got sick.” He walked over to the dresser and picked up a trophy with a horse on the top. “I think it’s time to clean it out. Man, this was from seventeen years ago.”

He put it down and picked up another relic from his sister’s childhood. Silence lingered as he went from one dust-covered item to the next.

She understood loss, but she didn’t have a house full of memories. She’d always wanted something of her mom’s to hold. Tyler had a whole house of memories of the people he loved. It didn’t seem to make it better. “So you lost your mom before Carol’s accident?”

His back to her, Tyler nodded and set down a picture frame. “Yeah, eighteen months.”

No one had talked about all his losses when they talked about Tyler Childress. They loved to recap all his wildness and scandals. “I’m sorry. Were you still in school?”

This time he turned away from the dresser and walked over to the faded purple-covered bed. “When Mom died I was in Florida, at flight school.” He looked around the room. “We could put the old clothes in your bags and donate them. All the other stuff can go in the boxes.” He pulled the bedcover up at the corner and folded it over, starting to strip the mattress. “I think the room is ready for a new comforter, also. There are plenty of newer ones in the hall closet.”

“Oh, no... Everything can stay.”

He raised one eyebrow and grinned at her. “So you like the purple-people-eater theme.” He walked to the other side of the bed. “Really, it should have been done years ago. Carol would do it herself if she was here.”

“What about her girls? They might want some of their mom’s things.” Habit stopped her from saying more. She always made a point not to dwell in the past, and she never talked about it. He folded over the stuffed comforter, shoulders slumped as if a heavy weight pushed them down. Biting hard on the inside of her cheek, Karly resisted the urge to put her arms around him. She couldn’t go there, but maybe she could ease his pain in another way. At this rate she would be eating the flesh inside her mouth. “Right after my sixth birthday, I lost my mom. The same age Rachel was when her mom died. I dreamed of having something, anything of hers. I don’t know anything about her other than she was from Hawaii.”

“So your parents are from Hawaii.” He placed the purple comforter in the window seat. “That explains your last name.” He walked back across the room without looking at her.

“It’s my mom’s name. A lot of people think I’m Hispanic.”

“What about your grandparents, your father? They didn’t share anything with you?”

He picked up her bag of clothes and dumped them on the bed. He didn’t have much sense of personal space. Another reason to not get emotionally involved.

She rushed to the bed and started gathering the articles he had scattered on the bed. “I can get my clothes.”

“I’m using the bags to clean out the old clothes.” He paused.

“You could have asked.”