The longing he saw pressed his heart. All the things he took for granted were fairy-tale fantasies to her.
“I’m sorry, Tyler. I—”
“Don’t apologize. Bryce is right. It’s time to trim up the lot. It’s been too long since a tree was brought down the hill.” For a moment he could hear his sister’s laughter as they darted around the trees. “Even as grown-ups Carol and I would argue about which tree was the best. My mom would give us a fifteen-minute warning, then bribe us with hot cocoa and cookies. While we were distracted, Dad cut down the tree he wanted.” He laughed. That stopped him cold. Since his sister’s death, memories of them just made him angry, not laugh.
Karly reached out and touched his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just remembering the good times.”
“You should bring your nieces up here and share those memories with them. Do they pick a tree out?”
“I don’t think so. After Mom died, most of our traditions slipped away. At the time I was finishing school in Florida, and Carol lived in Houston. It was just easier to forget.”
“I want this tree!” Bryce was circling Lancelot from tree to tree.
“Bryce, these belong to the Childress family. They’re not our trees. You can’t just—”
“I like that one, too, Cowboy. You think we should get Rachel and Celeste to help us? They can get one for their house, and we can get one for ours.”
“Ours?” A faint whisper from behind him caused him to twist in the saddle and look over at her. She wiped at her face and gave him a forced smile. When had he started thinking of the ranch house as “ours”? That surprised him. For the first time since he’d left at eighteen, the idea of living on the ranch entered his head. He could almost see himself living here with Karly and Bryce.
Oh, no. No. No. No.
He cleared his throat and turned back to Bryce. “What do you say, Bryce? Should we bring the girls up here? We can do it the weekend after Thanksgiving. I can make hot cocoa like my mom’s and we can get your...uh...” He thought of Karly’s last attempt at cookies. “Maybe we can get Maggie to make us some cookies.” Hopefully she didn’t notice his slip. Last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings.
Bryce raised his hand to the sky and shouted. He looked as if he had so much energy his small body could not contain it all. Tyler remembered those days. It had been a long time but the feelings were coming back.
“I have one more place to show you before we head home.”
Lena took the lead again and brought them to the highest point on the other side of the tree line.
He stopped once the panoramic view of the valley and hill, with miles of uninhabited Hill Country, came into view. The bend of the river looked like a thin ribbon from this high up. He heard a gasp as Karly joined him. For a moment the only sound to be heard was the conversation of nature. Birds, water, wind moving through the trees. Tyler lost his own breath.
How could he have forgotten the magnitude of this land? He loved flying over the hills, but to sit here on horseback was a whole other perspective. He was part of the soil and trees. His great-great-grandparents had stood on this land and sacrificed in order to build a future for their family.
“Wow.” Bryce stood in his stirrups. “Is this all yours?”
Tyler chuckled. “Granddad used to say it was God’s country and we were blessed with the responsibility to take care of the land.” He leaned closer to Bryce and pointed to the river. “Our property runs about a quarter of a mile along the river, then goes up the hillside there.” He moved his finger to the opposite side. “To there. This is the far north end of the ranch. We used to own everything all the way to that hill over there, but I had a great-uncle who sold his share. That didn’t make the family happy.”
“This is truly amazing, Tyler. I knew the ranch was big, but this is beyond anything I could imagine. How could you not want to live here?”
He shrugged. So many others had asked him the same question. “I don’t know. Since my mom and sister died, it just isn’t the same.” He paused. “I think the horses are ready to go home.”
“Sure. Thank you so much, Tyler. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this by far exceeded it all.”
“I love the Christmas-tree spot!” Joy radiated from Bryce’s voice. “I hope it snows for Christmas, just like the stories you read to me, Momma. Snow on the trees!”
Tyler laughed. “Sorry, Cowboy, but it never snows in the Hill Country before January. Most of the time not even then.”
That bit of news didn’t dim the young face. “It could. Momma says, ‘You never know’ all the time.” He made his young voice go higher as he imitated her.
Karly’s laughter sounded as sweet and pure as the crisp fall air. “That is true, Tyler. You just never know.”
There was no way to stay immune to their happiness. “Where does all that optimism come from?”
She laughed. “One thing life has taught me—if you keep getting up, you might actually get where you want to go, and of course with God there is always hope. So for this special Christmas I’m asking for snow.”
“Yay. And a horse. I want a horse, too, Momma.”
Now it was Tyler’s turn to laugh at the expression of horror on her face.
He couldn’t resist. Pulling up his horse, he leaned closer to her and whispered, “You never know. You just never know.”
For the first time in a long time, he smiled at the thought of reaching the barns and going home. Karly was not his usual type, but maybe his father was right. He needed a new type.
* * *
From atop her new best friend, Karly saw the ranch house drawing closer. Dub and Pastor John waved from the porch. A bright red cardinal flew from the dark leaves of the giant oak tree in front of the barn door.
“Momma! Did you see that red bird?” Bruce turned in his saddle to watch the bird land on another tree. “She’s so pretty.”
Tyler chuckled. “That’s a he. The females are gray.” Pulling up his horse next to Bryce, he leaned down and pointed to a nearby tree. “See over there. Close to the trunk, on the bottom branch.”
Bryce squinted. Karly also looked closer, scanning other trees before finding the gray bird. She was almost the same color as the tree bark.
A gasp came from her son. “I see her! Why does she have the boring color?”
Tyler sat up and patted Bryce’s back. “His job is to attract her attention, and once he has it she blends in with the trees and their nest while he keeps the predators away. If anything dangerous comes near their family, he’ll draw then away. Her color helps hide the nest from predators.”
Was he like the red bird, all flashy and beautiful but loyal and protective of his family? Or was he like all the other men in Karly’s life, making promises they didn’t keep?
Stopping his horse outside the big barn, Tyler twisted in his saddle. “Well, guys, are y’all ready to go get some lunch at the house?” He swung his right leg over the saddle and dismounted. With a grimace, he moaned as the saddle creaked. “These legs aren’t used to sitting in the saddle for so long.” He patted Lena’s neck and ran his hands down her front legs.
Grabbing the saddle horn, Karly tried to copy his action. Her leg cramped and got stuck midmotion on the back of the saddle. She gripped the horn tighter, not sure whether she should go back or forward. “Ow, ow, ow!”
“Karly, let me help you.” Tyler’s hands were on her waist. “Go on and bring your leg down. Karly?” His deep voice was too close.
She tried to beat down the giggles. She really did try, but they took control, bursting out of her. “This is ridiculous.”
“Momma. Are you okay?”
A giggle bubbled up. She couldn’t believe she was stuck on a horse with Prince Charming helping her get off. “Yes, it just looked so easy and now I’
m stuck and...can’t stop...giggling.” She felt the warmth of Tyler’s hand on her shin and calf through her blue jeans. He gently brought her leg over the back of the saddle.
“Now, easy does it to the ground.” His voice had an edge, sounding as if he was working hard to not laugh at her as she tried to put weight on her leg but couldn’t.
“Ow.” She hopped on one leg. “It’s cramping.”
He bent down and kneaded her calf. “Point your toes up. That’ll help stretch the muscles.”
She tried to remain stoically silent. She looked down at him. “It’s better.”
Yeah, he was laughing at her.
He stood and stepped back, and they both started laughing.
“That wasn’t how I pictured my dismount. I thought it would have been more—I don’t know—graceful.”
“Oh, it was graceful, all right. Are you good?”
She nodded.
“Then, let’s get these horses rubbed down and turned out to pasture.”
Bryce had no problem getting off his horse. He seemed to be flying. “Can I go tell Pastor John and Mr. Childress about the Christmas trees?”
“Bryce! Slow down or you will get hurt. I’d rather not end the day in another visit to the hospital.”
Tyler caught him in midflight. “First, we need to get the saddles off. How about you bring me a caddy with the brushes? Then you can go tell them all about it.” He took the helmet off Bryce and led Lancelot to the cross ties. “And remember, you always walk around horses. No running. You don’t want to spook them.”
“Yes, sir.”
She watched as he started taking saddles and blankets off the horses. “What can I do to help?”
He pointed at Bryce’s smaller saddle. “Take this one. I’ll grab the other two.”
In his hands the saddles looked light, but it took both of her arms to hold the smallest one. The smell of leather and horse was strong. He tossed the blankets on top of the saddles. She started coughing. They smelled like sweating horse. Ugh, not as nice.
He laughed again. “You got it?”
She nodded, not willing to admit she wasn’t so sure. He took the time to show her and Bryce how to brush the horses down. In no time they had the horses groomed and the tack put away.
“Can I go tell them now?” Bryce bounced with energy.
Karly nodded and put the oversize cowboy hat back on her son’s head. He ran all the way to the house.
“Are you sure you aren’t the one who should talk to them about the trees?”
He gave her that lopsided grin. “I think it’s better coming from your little guy than me. I’m sure it would turn into some power struggle between my dad and me.”
“I don’t get why you fight so much. He brags about you all the time.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, feet planted wide. With one eyebrow raised, he stared at her. He acted as if she was making it up. He didn’t say a thing, just stared at her.
“He does. You can tell by all the pictures and stuff all over the house that he loves you.”
He shook his head and moved to her Appaloosa. Not that the horse was hers. She had a problem of getting attached too fast and needed to stop it.
“Why would I lie about your father loving you?”
“I don’t know. To get on my good side?” He handed the lead rope to her. “Take Tank and I’ll get Lancelot. We’ll turn them out.”
With the rope in hand, she followed Tyler. She loved the sound of the hooves on the concrete. Tank nudged her with his muzzle, the long whiskers tickling. “What, big guy? Thanks for the ride, it was fun.” They came to a stop.
Tyler opened a gate and slipped the halter off the white gelding. The horse lunged forward into the pasture, his mane flying. He stepped back and motioned her through the gate. “Can you take his halter off, or do you need help?”
“I’ve got it.” Tank lowered his head and waited for her. She gave him one last pat on the neck before turning him loose. Slower, he followed Lancelot. Together they started running.
“They love the cooler weather, and getting the saddle off makes them frisky.”
“I could watch them all day.” She stepped up on the bottom rail and leaned over the fence. “How could you ever leave this place?”
He gave her a half smile. “There is a big world out there ready to be explored. I felt like a ten-foot tree crammed into an eight-foot room.”
“Well, I’ve seen the world, and it made me feel small and invisible.”
His gaze traveled over her face. “I can’t imagine you ever being invisible.”
Her eyes looked down before going back up to make eye contact. “I love it here in Clear Water. I want to make it our home. Thank you for showing us the ranch today. It was truly a fantasy come to life.” She tried to laugh, to lighten the seriousness of her mood, but it sounded flat to her own ears.
He took a step closer and pushed back a strand of hair playing with the breeze. “You’re welcome. Thank you for reminding me of the places I had forgotten. It was fun seeing it through new eyes.”
He focused on her eyes, then moved down to her lips. The space between them closed. She relished the warmth of his strong hand as his fingers entwined with hers. His thumb traced circular patterns in her palm. Gentle and kind. She savored the feeling. He whispered her name.
He was going to kiss her. She leaned into him. Their lips touched. A soft pressure as his other hand went up her arm. He pulled back and she felt herself follow. Oh, she was in trouble. This was not what she needed.
She closed her eyes and took in his cologne, clean and fresh. His large hands cupped her face, and his kiss went deeper. The hands became a force holding her in place. Suddenly they didn’t belong to Tyler. Another had taken his place. Someone from her past.
Trapped. Her lungs forgot how to work. A cold sweat tightened her skin.
Forcing her mind back to the present, Karly gritted her teeth and moved back. She pushed the palms of her hands against his chest. “Tyler, stop.” She closed her eyes and took in one deep breath, holding to the count of five and letting it out.
“Karly?” His hand went to her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“No.” She pulled back, raising her gaze to meet his, reminding herself it was Tyler. He wasn’t going to hurt her, not physically anyway. “We can’t do this. I...I work for your dad. You’re leaving soon. There are so many reasons why we shouldn’t be kissing.” Her treacherous heart was in battle with her mind and body. It started listing the reasons he was a good person and why they should be kissing. “No.”
He stepped back and put his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t argue with you.”
“I’m sorry, I was actually yelling at myself.” Hearing a cardinal sing, she looked up. The male was gone, leaving the drab-colored female alone.
The horses now grazed in the pasture. She searched for something else to distract her. Anything but Tyler and those eyes that promised more than they could deliver.
“Hey, it was one of the best mornings I’ve had in a really long time. I went a little overboard. Sorry, I know I’m not your type.”
“My type?” She wrapped her arms around herself and looked toward the house. “That’s the problem, Tyler. You are too much my type. Good-looking, charming and always on the move. I have to focus on Bryce’s future. I can’t get distracted and derailed again with a false promise.”
“Did you just lump me in with your past boyfriends? With Billy Havender?” His jaw was working. He slammed the latch down on the gate. “Just for the record, and despite what my father and half of this town think about me, I would never ever abandon a child or hit a woman.”
“Tyler, I didn’t mean it th—” She was making a mess of this conversation.
“I get it. I won’t touch yo
u again.” He started walking back to the barn. “I’ll see you later.”
How had she turned this wonderful day into an argument? No, she needed to stop taking the blame for other people’s moods. She’d said no, and if that upset Tyler, it wasn’t her fault. She had to break the bad habit of trying to keep everyone happy. She leaned against the fence and watched the horses. God, how do I do that while still being a nice person?
* * *
Karly tried calming the conflicting emotions battling it out in her mind. Dub had his granddaughters sitting with him on the porch swing. Pastor John and Bryce sat on the chairs on either side of the small table.
Dub looked so happy. “Bryce was telling us about the find y’all made today.”
She nodded. “I hope it’s okay with you that Tyler offered to cut down Christmas trees for the house.”
Celeste wiggled in her seat. “I want to go see them! Can we go, Daddy?”
Pastor John nodded and smiled at his daughter. “I’ll have to get Tyler to show us where they’re growing. I didn’t even know about them. It sounds fun.”
“There are Christmas decorations stored in the attic. It’s about time we got them down and spruced up this old house for Christmas. It’s good timing, since we’ll be hosting the pageant this year. Oh, look, here comes the prodigal son.” Dub laughed at his own joke.
By the look of his scowl, Karly didn’t think Tyler found it funny.
“Uncle Tyler!” His six-year-old niece, Celeste, ran and jumped off the top step with complete trust that her uncle would catch her.
“Hey, monkey, not everyone wants you climbing on them,” Pastor John told his daughter.
With one arm around her waist, Tyler ruffled her hair with his other hand. “She’s good.” He lifted her a little higher, adjusting his niece on his hip as though it was an everyday occurrence. “What’s this I hear about the annual Christmas pageant being here at the ranch? Are you sure that’s a good idea with Dad needing to recover?”
“What, you don’t think I can handle a little show on my place?” Dub struggled to stand.
Karly moved to his side.
A Texas Christmas Wish Page 11
