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...
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