Nothing Bad Ever Happens: Kyler Family Series, #1

By Karen Gibson

Meet the Kyler Family…

From the outside, the Kyler family appears charmed. David and Rita, happily married, have four beautiful, athletic, intelligent children. The quintessential mama bear, Rita's greatest fear is facing a rapidly approaching empty nest, so she wants this summer to be packed with family time.  

Although the season begins with great promise, the family faces one dilemma after another. As her carefully laid plans unravel, Rita begins to doubt her own parenting, leaving the door open for memories of her troubled past to creep in unexpectedly.

When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, Rita is forced to acknowledge that no matter how fierce her mama bear instincts, she is powerless to stop bad things from happening.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karen Gibson
• Release date: Apr 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224789580

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Rita blinked and shaded her eyes from the sudden glare, startled at being so unexpectedly pulled from the deep, dark place she had fallen into. The flip of the switch, however, yanked her back to the present and up from the depths into which she’d allowed herself to descend.

David’s frame filled the doorway, his eyes also adjusting to the light and reflecting the same sadness as his wife’s. While he wasn’t surprised to see Rita sitting alone in the dark kitchen, he was taken aback at the toll the past days had taken on his beautiful wife. Her skin had a grayish hue in the shadows cast by the harsh overhead light he’d just turned on, and he immediately went to her, slipping his arms around her slumped shoulders. Drawing back to look at her, he searched her deep blue eyes for the vibrancy he knew and loved. They were dull, as if their color had been washed away by the tears that hadn’t stopped falling since the call. He shut off the too-bright light, opting instead for the softer undercabinet glow.

I woke up and you weren’t there. David rubbed his wife’s arm, leaning into her even as she pressed into him. The cup of tea she’d made herself sat untouched before her. Do you want a fresh cup? Or I can get you something else?

She shook her head, grateful for his presence. Through twenty-nine years of marriage, they knew what it meant to be each other’s rock, although they hadn’t been tested to this extreme before.

I don’t know what to do for her. I hate knowing there’s nothing we can do to help her. Her eyes locked with his for a moment and then she put her hands over her face and sobbed, the sorrow so deep he could hear it in each jagged breath she tried to draw. David opened his mouth, about to speak, but like his wife, he was at a complete loss about how to proceed, and only his need to be strong for her kept him from breaking down right alongside her.

Maybe she needs to talk to someone. You know, a professional. David scooted a stool closer before sitting next to her, pulling a napkin from the seashell-shaped holder on the middle of the island to hand her. She blew her nose quietly, the sound mixing with an occasional sniffle that it took him a moment to realize was coming from him.

If she won’t talk to us, I can’t believe she’d want to talk to a complete stranger.

She had a point. The Kyler kids could share anything at all with their parents without judgment, and as far as he and Rita knew, they did. He rubbed both hands against his cheeks, feeling the stubble he would shave away in a matter of hours from now and then grabbed a napkin for himself, far less gentle in blowing his nose. She’s strong. This isn’t going to break her. He said it with far more confidence than he felt. They had been through a lot in the past months, but that was mere child’s play in comparison to this. How many days ago had it happened? He was losing all sense of time.

You know what I was just thinking about? She crumpled the napkin, gently rolling it in the palm of her hand. The game we played with the kids on long car rides. ‘I remember that one day…’

They had been married long enough they didn’t have to use words, the shared memory playing out in their minds simultaneously.

At five, Jordan was feeling suddenly mature because as a kindergartner he was experiencing what he had to sit on the sidelines and watch his sisters do for years—go to school. With his new-found air of maturity came an interesting quirk. At the dinner table, where each family member was supposed to recount a positive experience from the day, Jordan gave it a different twist. Perhaps not fully grasping the concept, or perhaps finding himself in the far loftier position of being a school-aged human being, Jordan started each of his stories with I remember that one day when I was four… They all laughed at his comical renderings of adventures from his past, and eventually they turned it into a game on family road trips, taking turns sharing a memory that had to start with I remember that one day…

Despite his sorrow, David smiled, but it disappeared quickly. Happiness seemed too out of place right now. They loved that one.

That was true. Every single one of them readily generated stories with that tag line. Rita never played a game like that with her sister. The thought caught her by surprise, rising out of nowhere, and she pushed it back down where it rightfully belonged. Having her family around the dinner table each evening when the kids were young was critical to her because she didn’t come from a family that believed in being together—ever.

Are you okay? This time they both startled, the voice so unexpected in their quiet commiserating. I mean…I know you’re not but are you… Jordan stood in the doorway, not sure how to finish the sentence. Hair tousled, wearing a t-shirt and the old track sweatpants he wore to bed each night, he looked from one to the other, feeling like an intruder in their private misery. I heard someone moving around down here so... Again, words failed him.

David nodded, using his palms to scrub the remnants of tears from his eyes. We’re fine. You should go back to bed. We’ll be doing the same in a couple minutes.

Rita smiled sadly at her son—this much older version of the boy they had been talking about moments before. Guilt stabbed her very being as she realized how little attention she had given to him lately. In fact, this whole summer was a blur of his comings and goings as she’d tackled so many other matters—all of them feeling so insignificant right now. He would be a man soon, and fresh tears started. Time with her youngest—her baby—was slipping away.

Jordan finally pulled himself out of the doorway, walking to the fridge. He took out a container of orange juice, turning to the cupboard for a glass. Want some? He looked from one to the other.

David deliberated and then nodded. Sure. Thanks.

Jordan poured two glasses of juice and reached across the island to hand one to his dad. He stood awkwardly holding his, still not sure if he was intruding on his parents, but at the same time desperate for their company.

Rita patted the stool next to her and Jordan came around to sit on it, putting the glass in front of him. She absently rubbed his back, staring straight ahead. Jordan rolled the glass in his hands, still not drinking it, and not sure he was thirsty for it after all.

Dad and I were supposed to leave for the lake today.

Rita tilted her head slightly, trying to picture an imaginary calendar, and then nodded slowly. You’re right. It’s Saturday. They had been looking forward to their week at the lake all summer. Now it was a day marked only as three days after it happened.

They sat in quiet contemplation for several minutes, the ticking of the clock the only sound in the room. When the ice maker whirred, they all jumped, breaking the spell they were momentarily under. Rita turned to Jordan.

We were just talking about you. Remember when we’d tell stories that had to start with ‘I remember that one day…’?

Jordan was surprised to feel a bit of joy amid their current despair. I don’t know if all the stories were true, but they were always funny. They may have been based in some truth, but they grew in hilarity with each retelling. Remember that one day Carissa wanted to get away from everyone, so she sat in the rowboat to read her book and it came untied and drifted into the middle of the lake? Remember that one day Aubry saw a spider in the shower, and it fell on dad’s head when he tried to kill it and he screamed like a girl? Remember that one day mom was late picking us up from school because she had to wait for a turtle to cross the road? He swirled the juice, looking into its pulpy depths as he drew on his own memories of that time.

And one day you asked me… She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. You asked me why all the ‘remember stories’ were about happy times and things that made us laugh. Tears welled anew in Rita’s eyes as she put her arm around her son, easily picturing him as the adorable little boy earnestly asking that simple question. And I told you— The sob caught in her throat, cutting off her words, but she forced herself to continue. I told you they were all happy because nothing bad ever happened to us.

They sat in silence, wishing desperately for those days. This was supposed to be a summer to remember for all the right reasons. It would likely be the last one that every Kyler family member would be together at the cabin for a full week. But the promise of a special summer started to disappear even before it had a chance to get started. In fact, it hadn’t taken long for everything to start falling apart.

We should try to get some sleep. David said it as if sleep might somehow make everything better. It wouldn’t, and they knew it.

They knew something else. Bad things did happen to them. The evidence was right there—a monster, crouching in the shadows, ready to strike unexpectedly. They would have to face this tragedy head on. The close-knit Kyler family would circle its wagons, putting their loving, protective arms around one another. But no matter how hard they tried to pretend otherwise, they could not escape the truth. Bad things happened to them.

CHAPTER 2

THREE MONTHS EARLIER…

David smiled as he glanced at the file of Martha Thomas, his 4:00 appointment, but the smile faded as he realized he had to treat her and send her on her way. There could be no dilly-dallying today, as his mother would say.

Normally he was grateful Martha was the last patient of the day with her endearing but annoying ability to talk his ear off and put him completely behind schedule if she was given any other appointment during the day. His receptionist, Liz, was well-trained in these matters, knowing the woman’s propensity for chit-chat meant scheduling her strategically. Today, however, her late afternoon appointment still caused a problem.

Hello, Martha. He breezed into the exam room, file in hand. How are you today?

Martha’s cheeks pinked the way they always did when she was in the presence of her handsome chiropractor. If only she were 20 years younger, and if only he weren’t happily married to that pretty wife of his… Sorry Henry, she thought, momentarily directing her eyes to the heavens above. Her husband had been gone for almost ten years, but she still felt a tad guilty for her silly desires. Silly or not, it didn’t stop her from looking up at her doctor appreciatively.

Good afternoon, Dr. Kyler. I’ll be better once you work your magic. She wiggled her fingers in the air and wriggled her eyebrows, making him laugh. She’d been coming to see him for a weekly adjustment for the past three months, and for the past three months she’d said the exact same thing.

Let’s get started then so I can earn that coveted Dr. Magic title. He motioned her to the drop-table where he would treat her lower back, left in disrepair after a car accident on a slick Wisconsin roadway after a heavy January snow. While she awkwardly maneuvered onto her stomach, he discreetly turned his back to enter data into the laptop set on the examination room counter, giving her a moment to position herself. David pretended he didn’t notice the grunting accompanying her every movement.

Having her face squashed into the opening in the treatment table didn’t stop her from chatting away, her voice muffled by the protective layer of paper pressing against her mouth. She turned her head slightly sideways to avoid the paper while talking to him. This weekend is a big one for you.

David chuckled, attuned to the fact she not only did a lot of talking, she was good at listening, too. It is. Some people refer to it as commencement. I like to think of it as a tuition-freedom celebration. His big laugh filled the room. Two down, and only two more to go.

The noise of the specially designed table as he completed the quick thrust to manipulate her back momentarily stopped their conversation. Once she knew he could hear her, she continued.

You have such a beautiful family. Will everyone be able to celebrate with her? He was concentrating on the manipulation, so she waited patiently through another two jerking motions of the table and the series of noises it generated, and then his instructions for her to go ahead and sit up. His hand under her elbow guided her to a sitting position. She adjusted her top, a bit askew from his work on her. I love graduation ceremonies. All that pomp and circumstance. She started to hum Pomp and Circumstance, as if he needed further verification of her feelings about commencements.

He patted her shoulder and nodded, finally answering her question. Everyone will be there. She’d just given him the perfect opening to move her along now that he was finished with her treatment and he took advantage of it. As a matter of fact, Martha, as soon as I’m done here, I’m picking Aubry up from the airport. She’ll be home for almost two weeks, and Hannah finished her classes last week, so we moved her home for the summer already. So yes, we will all be at Carissa’s graduation Saturday.

Oh, how wonderful! You are one lucky dad.

David moved from her side to continue his work at the counter, updating information on her electronic chart regarding the day’s procedure and writing out a treatment recommendation form for her to take to the receptionist’s desk. He turned back to her, rolling the stool over so he could sit directly in front of her. He’d learned early in his practice that it was best to sit when speaking to his female patients instead of towering above them with his imposing six-foot-four frame. I have great news for you, Martha. You are making such good progress that I can reduce your visits. I’ll see you in a month for your next adjustment.

Taken aback, Martha tried to return his bright smile, but she was unable to keep the note of disappointment from her voice. Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to regress... Her voice tapered off as the look on his face showed he expected her to be overjoyed about this announcement, so she forced a smile, not wanting to hurt his feelings. I guess that’s good news, isn’t it?

He stood, gently taking her arm to help her down from the table and then steering her toward the door, aware that if he didn’t keep moving in that direction, she might still settle in for a lengthy conversation despite his best efforts. He reached for her purse hanging on the hook where she’d left it on her way into the room, holding it out to her. It’s definitely great news, Martha. You’ve come a long way since your accident. With a laugh, he added, And if you miss us that much, you can stop by and visit between your scheduled appointments. Even as the words came out, he realized she might very well take him up on that.

They reached the lobby where he handed her off to his long-time receptionist. Liz will get you all set up for a June appointment. Directing his attention to Liz, he added, She can be put on a monthly schedule now, please. He raised his hand in the air in a celebratory fist pump, ignoring the sadness in his patient’s eyes.

Turning, he left her at the desk as he retraced his steps, this time passing the exam rooms and continuing to his office at the rear of the clinic. He had time to send his wife a quick message since he’d promised to let her know when he was ready to get on the road.

Hey Mama Bear, I’m off to the airport to wrangle our stray. I’ll get her home ASAP. Love you!

He was on a tight schedule for the drive to Milwaukee to pick up their oldest daughter who he hadn’t seen in almost six months. He had never been away from one of his kids for that long, and the anticipation of seeing her was sky high. Of course, Rita had been unable to make it six months so while he had last seen Aubry at Christmas, Rita was able to squeeze in a trip to Miami for a long weekend back in February.

He would see her soon. According to his calculations, the drive to the airport would take him just under two hours at this time of day. He made sure he had his wallet and phone, turned out the light and made his way back up to the front, amused to see Martha was still chatting with Liz.

He leaned forward, tapping his hand on the counter to draw his receptionist’s attention to him momentarily even as he kept walking, not daring to waste a single second more or get sucked into the Martha vortex. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Liz.

Sounds good. Have a lovely evening.

Martha chimed in. Have a wonderful graduation weekend, Dr. Kyler. She mimicked the act of moving an imaginary tassel to the side of an imaginary mortar board, then gave him a little wave, trying her hardest to mask the sadness of only being able to see him once each month. And if she kept improving, she would be told no more appointments would be needed. She almost shuddered at the thought, but then brightened, realizing that at almost 74 years old, there was always the possibility of another body-damaging incident that would lead to a need for further chiropractic care. At her age, potential abounded, and a smile played across her face as she waved more vigorously.

He waved as he headed through the double set of doors. Both women followed him with their eyes and then their heads until he was completely out of sight, an embarrassed little giggle passing between them as they realized they had caught each other staring. He was an exceptionally good-looking man.

The fresh air and warm temperatures of the late-May afternoon brought a desire to be carefree, put the top down on a convertible or jump on a cycle. David laughed at these strange thoughts, having never owned either. But the warmth did make him yearn for a long run, or a friendly (but still highly competitive) game of driveway basketball with Jordan. There was no time these days for any of that, but he made a mental note to find time. As evidenced by his oldest already out of college and living out of state, the years fly by too quickly. He caught himself smiling. Although busy, he would take on this added to-do item in his already full schedule because it meant getting his eldest child home.

He fondly remembered those long-ago days when they sat at the table to eat dinner as a family. It was short-lived as evenings and weekends eventually filled with sporting events and lessons of every kind imaginable as the kids grew. David wondered how he and Rita had managed when the kids were pulling them in what felt like dozens of different directions at the same time. Then again, it didn’t seem a whole lot easier now that all of their kids were nearly grownups.

As impossible as it seemed to fathom, Jordan was their last one at home and he was going to be a senior in the fall. His wife had hated seeing each of the older kids go off to college. What would happen when their last one flew from the cozy Kyler nest? Rita was the one who managed to keep their busy lives moving forward like a well-oiled machine, masterfully juggling and streamlining everyone’s schedule without missing a beat. Hopefully she would put all that excess energy into her work as a realtor. Her mama bear skills would have to be stored away until grandchildren started coming along.

The buzz of his phone interrupted his thoughts before he could start his car.

Drive carefully. Can’t wait to see her. Love you!

David smiled, carefully maneuvering his Escalade out of the Kyler Chiropractic parking lot, heading east toward the Highway 41 onramp. The entire family together. That hadn’t happened in a while, and he was looking forward to it. There was nothing he enjoyed more than a big, noisy Kyler celebration. He turned on the radio, singing along to Van Morrison, on his way to get his own brown eyed girl and bring her home.

Rita slid the pan of lasagna into the oven, set the timer, and then made her way to the base of the stairs to shout up to Jordan’s room, hoping to get his attention without taking time to climb the stairs. She shouted again, waited a moment for a response, and then grabbed her phone, composing a quick text.

Can you help me for a minute?

She wondered what David’s mother would think of her communicating with Jordan in this twenty-first century way. Then again, her mother-in-law only had one child—one quarter of the crew Rita had. Her beloved Gigi would certainly forgive her a simple little shortcut like this. Rita loved everything about motherhood and wouldn’t trade a single stretch mark, worrisome night over a feverish child, or any of the other trivial and tiresome things associated with parenting. Although, she certainly wasn’t opposed to occasional shortcuts.

Deep down, she always thought they would have one more after Jordan, but that didn’t happen. Maybe it was for the best. It was difficult enough when the kids outnumbered the parents two-to-one. Another might have been their tipping point. They had already leaned precariously at times.

Foregoing shouting for a quick text worked. He poked his head over the railing, pulling the large, black headphones away from his ears to rest around his neck. What’s up, mom? Jordan chewed at his thumbnail.

I need help with the heavy stuff. Can you get the table leaf from the garage, please? As much as she hated to interrupt his homework, he was the only other human being in the house at the moment, so she quickly added, It should only take a few minutes.

He nodded, then ducked back into his bedroom. She stood for a moment looking into the dining room, the sounds of family dinners past resonating around her, bringing a smile to her face. Once Aubry moved to Miami and both Carissa and Hannah left for school, the large dining table with empty chairs was too depressing for Rita, so the leaf was removed, and three chairs were pulled back to rest against the wall next to the buffet table. It helped a little. At least she didn’t have to look at empty chairs at the table and think about who was missing. Worrying about her brood was a constant, warranted or not.

When Jordan reappeared, the headphones were gone but she noticed he was still in his gym shorts and workout shirt. He had come home from track practice, grabbed two bananas and a yogurt, and buried himself in homework. She felt guilty asking him to help her when he apparently didn’t even have time to change out of his sweaty practice clothes.

You should throw those down the laundry chute, she said, nodding toward his attire.

He draped an arm across her shoulder. What would I do without you?

Wear stinky clothes that could stand up on their own?

He laughed, nodding in agreement.

Junior year had been the toughest for all of her kids, so she knew what Jordan was up against as his school year slowly drew to a close. Her baby, although she shouldn’t think of her son as anything other than a young man rapidly approaching adulthood, was a good student. Any fears that Jordan might be more like Hannah than like his two oldest sisters had been assuaged. Jordan excelled in his classes, worked hard at his extra curriculars and was an outstanding athlete. There was even a good chance he would be looking at an athletic scholarship in football, following in his dad’s footsteps.

A scholarship would certainly make David happy, but she knew perfectly well her husband’s grumbling about the high cost of college wasn’t as upsetting to him as he let on. He wanted and expected his kids to get a quality education and then, of course, find a good job. Preferably one that meant they could live comfortably without any support from their parental units. Rita wanted the same for them, but wouldn’t complain if they decided to hang around the house for