He forced his jaw to relax. The muscles burned from the tension. Pulling a duffel bag from the back, he glanced over at the plane hed learned to fly in as a kid. Things had been so much easier back then. He hoped his dad was okay. He had to be.
Tyler stepped out on the concrete, stomping some of the mud off his boots. He checked a few damaged areas on the right wing before heading to the car.
In the gray Volvo parked behind him, Karly smiled. She was saying something to her son. He had to admit she was a dark-haired beauty. Not his usual type. There was sweetness mixed with a spine of steel. Like his mom and sister. He froze in midstride.
His dad wouldnt dare. One of their long-standing fights the past few years was about Tylers love life. Every time Dub called, he told Tyler he needed to settle down with a solid family kind of girl. His father hated every woman he brought to the ranch. They all spent more time estimating the value of the ranch than appreciating the raw beauty of the land.
A knot formed in his gut. He wouldnt put it past the manipulative old man to use his health crisis as a means to play matchmaker. One more attempt to get Tyler to do what his father thought was best for the Childress name.
Karly opened her car door and stood. She was taller than he expected.
I called the ranch and told Adrian that I picked you up and were heading that way now.
Adrian?
De La Cruz, one of the trainers. She looked at him as if he didnt have a brain. He has a little girl about ten. I was told you went to school with him.
Adrian works for my dad? When did that happen? Surprise made his words sharper than he intended.
Um...I dont know? Her stunning eyes went wider, and her fingers tightened on the door frame.
Way to go, Childress, scare the girl. Why was he barking at her? Sorry. Ive been gone too long, and its been a long day. He made his way to the passenger side of her car and folded into the tight space. She smelled like his mothers kitchen during the holidays. Now she was making him think of Christmas cookies before Thanksgiving.
Four weeks. Surely he could manage four weeks without yelling at his dad or getting tangled with the new hired help. He knew right away that Karly was not the kind for a casual relationship, and that was the only kind he had managed to have the past ten years. He lowered his gaze to the worn leather handle of his bag.
Definitely not looking at the exotic tilt of her dark eyes with hints of gold, or the silky ponytail that swung when she talked. No, none of that caught his attention. Shes a mother, Tyler. That alone should make her invisible.
Chapter Two
For most of the ten miles to the ranch, Karly sat forward, her tight muscles sore from strain. She wasnt sure what made her the most nervous, the storm or Tyler Childress.
The gossips adored talking about all the trouble Tyler got into while in high school. People loved to gossipthe more scandalous the better. She tried not to pay attention, but now that he was next to her she had to wonder how much was true.
Pulling through the stone pillars, she glanced up to the wrought iron archway where the letters spelling Childress boldly stood, surrounded by silhouettes of horses in motion. If things worked out, this would be their new home for the next year. Enough time to get Bryces physical therapy done, some of the medical bills paid off and a bit of breathing room to figure out where to go to next.
Living out of her car was getting old. She needed a plan and Bryce needed to be in school. This was the perfect job for herthat was, if the younger Childress didnt kick them out.
He had spent the whole trip staring out the window. Shed glanced at him. He didnt seem to want to be here. Maybe he would be leaving soon. So how long do you plan on staying?
He shrugged. Ive taken the next month off. I need to speak with the doctors tomorrow, figure out what Dad needs and when he can come home.
Oh, no. He hadnt been told. Pastor John is bringing him home this evening.
With his elbows resting on his knees, Tyler pressed the palm of his hands into his eyes. Johns bringing him home today? I thought he had at least another
week in the hospital.
The nurses cant keep him in bed, and he tries to leave every few hours. He tells everyone hes walking home.
She drove around a cluster of twisted live oak trees. At the end of the narrow asphalt drive, the redbrick ranch house sprawled long and low behind a shaded yard of lush, green carpet grass. She slowed down and took a moment to find her breath.
A home. A real home that Bryce was going to get to live in, hopefully, for the next year. She blinked a couple of times to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Tyler would think she was crazy if she started crying. Thank You, God.
Are you okay?
She didnt dare look at him. Yes. Im just not sure where to go. I havent been to the house before now.
He pointed to the right. Go to the back. Well pull into the garage and unload from there. Facing her again, his blue eyes intense. I dont get it. Dad doesnt have a way to leave. He cant drive, and from what I understand he cant walk that well, either. So why is John bringing him home?