A Father's Name(14)

He wrapped a clean towel around his waist, went into her room and climbed in Angelina Tucker’s bed. The last thing his foggy brain registered is that the bed smelled flowery, too.

It smelled like Angelina.

That thought comforted him as he fell asleep.



TUCKER WAITED A HALF hour, then tiptoed into the bathroom through the hall door and picked up Tyler’s clothes. She planned on washing them while he slept. She couldn’t swear to it, but she was pretty sure the jeans and tight black t-shirt were the same ones he’d had on three days ago when he’d brought her Jace. The door to the bedroom was cracked and she saw Tyler sprawled on her bed.

A towel was still wrapped around his hips, but his chest and legs were bare. She felt something stirring, something that hadn’t stirred for a very long time.

It wasn’t that she was immune to men. It was simply that she didn’t have a lot of opportunity to meet men. She lived her life in a man’s world, but it sometimes felt as if there were no men she could, or would, be interested in. And when she did meet a man, she frequently couldn’t get rid of them quick enough. It wasn’t that some weren’t nice—they were. It was simply that fitting anything more than an occasional date into her busy life didn’t work for her. She wasn’t interested in long-term. She’d have thought that would make her their dream woman. But it seemed to do the opposite. The more she said she wasn’t interested, the more they pursued her.

Instantly, she realized she was ogling a man who’d lost a friend and was obviously devastated. She felt ashamed and rushed from the room, tossed his clothes in the washer and went to see if Jace was awake yet.

She found him sitting in the portable baby crib she’d bought.

“Hi, little man. Let’s go get some breakfast.”

Taking care of the baby was enough of a distraction that she could ignore the fact there was a half-naked man in her bed.

Well, not ignore, but almost ignore.

She was not going to think about the fact that she’d thought Tyler Martinez looked very good in a tight black t-shirt, and now she’d discovered he looked even better out of it.





CHAPTER THREE



TYLER WOKE UP DISORIENTED.

Where was he?

It was the scent that finally triggered his memory. He was in Angelina Tucker’s bed. On the heels of that realization came another—Jason was dead. He needed to get the baby and go check on Jason’s parents.

Tyler found his clothes in a neat pile in the bathroom. They’d obviously been laundered.

He added that to the long list of things Angelina had done for him as he dressed.

He went looking for his benefactor and found her in the living room on the floor stacking blocks with Jace. He stood in the doorway, mesmerized by the sight. She’d stack a small tower and Jace would whack it over, then laugh hysterically as she’d sputter, “Why you…” and rebuild it, only to have it toppled again.

She spotted him and smiled. “You woke up.”

“I did and found some clean clothes. Thank you.”



She seemed flustered by his gratitude and shrugged. “It was self-preservation. They practically walked to the washer and begged to be cleaned.” She grew serious. “I’m sorry about your friend.”

“Thank you. He was more than a friend…” Tyler stopped, not sure how to describe his relationship with Jason and his parents. There was the family he’d been born into, such as they were, and then there were the Matthews, the family he’d chosen…or rather the family who’d chosen him.

“Your friend’s got a great kid. I figured Jace’s parents were pretty special. I’m sorry he’s lost his father.”

“Mellie, his mom, is gone, too. Jace only has his grandparents left.”

“I’m sorry for that, too.” Tucker shook her head. “But you’re wrong. He has you.”

Jace deserved better than him. Lucky for the kid he had Jason’s parents, who were the best. They were two of the most decent people he’d ever known. “His grandparents will take care of him. Speaking of which, I need to take him to them. We’ve got to make the funeral arrangements.” He paused. “About work…?”

“Don’t worry. Dad cleared your absence with your parole officer, and your job is waiting for you after the funeral. Will you call me with the details?”

Her question brought him up short. “Why?”