Eight-year-old Sally arrived immediately behind her sister, looking worried. However, Bret felt a strong sense of unease when three-year-old Travis came in clutching his familiar stuffed giraffe by its long neck, his eyes red from crying and his face pale. Bret knelt down on one knee and Travis ran into his arms, burying his face in Bret’s neck.
Bret fought a surge of panic. The three younger children were obviously all right. It had to be…
“What happened? Is Chris—”
Brenda rushed into speech. “Chris and Roy had to take Freda to the hospital a while ago. She fell and Roy’s afraid maybe she broke her leg or her hip or something. Oh, Dad! It was awful! She was in the kitchen and Roy thinks she must have stepped on some tree needles or something that dropped on the floor when they brought the tree inside and she didn’t see it. Roy checked her as best as he could, then he called the doctor and the doctor said for him to get her to the hospital.” She finally had to pause for a breath.
Bret stood, still holding Travis in his arms. In a quiet voice, which effectively disguised his growing sense of panic, he asked, “How long ago did this happen?”
Sally was the one who answered. “Almost two hours ago. We promised Freda we’d keep Travis entertained until you got back home and we did, but now he’s saying he’s hungry and we weren’t sure what we should do.”
Brenda responded. “Of course we knew what to do, Dad. It isn’t like I don’t know how to cook or anything. But you told us not to have any fire going when an adult wasn’t here, so I’ve been waiting, thinking you’d be home soon.”
Bret stroked her head with his hand. “Thanks, honey. I’m glad you remembered.”
“We could have sandwiches, couldn’t we?” Sally asked, glaring at her sister.
“That’s a good idea,” Bret said. “Why don’t you make some while I call the hospital and see what I can find out about Freda?” He gave Travis a quick hug, then set him in his high chair. With quick strides Bret headed down the hallway to his office, where he could talk in private.
The closest hospital was almost fifty miles away. Although the facility was small, several doctors drove from the surrounding large cities—Austin and San Antonio—to provide additional services to the sparsely populated hill country. He knew that Freda would receive excellent care there. What he was concerned about at the moment was the seriousness of her injuries.
As soon as he got through to the hospital Bret had Roy paged. He drummed his fingers on the desk, waiting what seemed like hours before Roy finally came on the line.
“How is she?”
Roy laughed, which eased Bret’s tension considerably. “That woman’s too feisty for her own good, boss. She’s insisting she’s got to get back home tonight, that she’s got too much to do and that the children shouldn’t be left alone. You know what she’s like.”
“Can you tell me what happened? The girls were a little excited and I’m not sure I understood.”
“She stepped on something slippery and her foot went out from under her. Me and Chris had been trailing back and forth through there, bringing in the tree and all, and it’s my guess we tracked something inside the house and she didn’t see it in time to avoid it. It wouldn’t have been so bad but she fell wrong—all awkwardlike. From the pain she was in I pretty much figured she’d broke a bone.”
“Is that what the doctors say?”
“Yep, her leg’s definitely broken. They’re ordering further tests, including more X rays, to look for anything else that might have been injured. I called Freda’s sister in Austin to let her know about it, so she’s on her way over here to sit with her.”
“Did the doctor say how long she would need to stay in the hospital?”
“He wants to keep her for several days, which has got Freda all upset, let me tell you.”
“You tell Freda that I want her to stop worrying about me and the kids. We’ll do just fine. I want her to rest and recuperate. Tell her to lie back and enjoy being waited on for a change…to pretend she’s on vacation.”
“Some vacation,” Roy muttered.
“I know. I take it that Chris is still there with you?”
“You bet he is. I don’t know what I would have done without that boy this afternoon. He was right there helping me with Freda as calm as you please just like he was a growed up man and knew exactly what to do. I was downright impressed by the way he kept his head and all. That son of yours is growing up real fast.”
“I know.”
“I never realized it until we was helpin’ to get Freda in my truck, but that dang kid is almost as tall as I am,” Roy said, his amazement plain. “When did that happen?”
“I noticed the same thing a day or so ago, Roy. I guess that’s what happens when you keep feedin’ ’em.”
“I keep threat’ning to put a brick on his head, but it don’t seem to do much good.”
Bret looked at his watch. “How much longer do you intend to stay at the hospital?”
“Until the doctor tells me what these last X-rays show. Then I’ll take the kid out and buy him something to eat before we head home.”
Bret massaged his forehead, absently noting a headache he hadn’t been aware of until now. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”
“At least we managed to get that tree set in its stand before Freda fell. Maybe you and the girls can get the thing decorated and help keep ’em entertained that way. They were real upset over Freda, you know.”
“Yes, I know. But they handled everything very well. Brenda’s feeding them now.” He sighed, resigned to the inevitable. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I’ll get up in the attic and find those decorations.”
“Fine. Then we’ll be seeing you after a while.”
“Tell Freda I’m really sorry about the accident. Tell her I’ll be up to see her in the morning once I get the kids off to school.”
Bret hung up and stared at the phone. A broken leg, at least. Maybe something even more serious. Why did something like this have to happen? It didn’t make any sense. None of it. Now Freda was in the hospital, suffering, and he was here at home trying to figure out what to do next.
The three older ones were in school during the day, at least until Christmas break. He would just have to take Travis around the ranch with him, or postpone his work until he could find someone to come in and look after the boy.
Who could he find, especially at this time of year? Everybody was busy with their own families.
He dropped his head into his hand and sat there at the desk, trying not to feel his weariness. He still had to get upstairs and find those blasted decorations, help the kids decorate the tree, give Travis his bath and make sure the girls got to bed at a decent hour.
“Oh, Patti,” he whispered. “I need you so much.”
As though aware of Bret’s feelings, Rex padded into the office and rested his head on Bret’s knee.
Bret straightened and looked down at the dog. “Did you come in here to comfort me?”
The dog thumped his tail.
“Freda’s the one who needs some comforting, poor thing. The rest of us are doing just fine.”
He wasn’t at all sure Rex looked convinced, which wasn’t surprising, since Bret didn’t know exactly what he was going to do without a housekeeper.
He would just have to take it a day at a time rather than worry about a future over which he had no control. He pushed himself out of