A Father's Name(28)

“That hadn’t occurred to me, but I’m encouraged that it occurred to you,” her friend said with a grin. “I simply thought as an unexpected new parent he might like to hang around with some old pros. And goodness knows the Kellers are all pros.”

Tucker felt stupid. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”



Eli grinned so broadly, Tucker feared her face would crack. “Wipe that smile off your face.”

Tucker watched as Eli tried. Valiantly. But without success.

“Sorry,” she finally said, grin firmly in place. “You’re kind of cute like this.”

“Like what?” Tucker asked.

“Flustered by a man.”

“I am not.” When Eli kept grinning, Tucker stated even more firmly, “I am not flustered by Tyler Martinez. I’m his friend. Only a friend. That’s it. That’s all she wrote, folks. I’m helping him out like I’d help out any of the guys that work here. I’m not looking for anything more than friendship. I’m looking forward to this next chapter of my life. Bart will go to school and for the first time in my entire adult life, the only person I’m responsible for is me. I’ll be exploring what independence is really like.”

Eli nodded, looking totally unbelieving. She gave Tucker the party info and said, “See you there,” as she hurried out of the office.

Tucker stared at the closed door.

She meant what she’d said. She was looking forward to figuring out who she was going to be in this new phase of her life.

Solo.

She’d never used that word about herself before.

It felt odd.

And secretly she acknowledged, a little lonely.





CHAPTER FIVE



TYLER GLANCED ACROSS the car at Tucker, her words from last week played over again in his head. He’d been about to knock on her partially opened door when he’d heard her say, “for the first time in my entire adult life, the only person I’m responsible for is me. I’ll be exploring what independence is really like.” Who could blame her?

He’d wanted to say no to her invitation to the Keller picnic, but he’d found her argument that the Kellers were baby experts compelling. He could use all the help with Jace he could get. He knew he was ill-prepared for raising a child.

The baby was in the back, and Bart and his grandfather were coming a bit later. They’d decided to bring two cars in case Jace acted up and he needed to leave.

“Angelina, while I have you to myself,” he started, and realized that hadn’t come out the way he wanted it to. “I’m trading in my truck and buying a truck with a backseat, so I can return your car soon.”



“Okay. It hasn’t been a problem though.”

He shrugged. “I don’t like asking for favors.”

“You didn’t ask,” she pointed out.

“I know. You offered. Like you offered to watch Jace. His old babysitter is back in town, and she said she’d be happy to watch him until I can arrange for someone closer.”

“In Erie?” Angelina asked slowly, as if thinking about it.

He nodded.

“I don’t know that I think driving into Erie and back for work, then doing it in reverse after work is the best use of your time. Jace is fine with us until you find someone closer.”

When he told her that she didn’t need to look after a baby any more, he expected a sigh of relief on her part, not an argument. “Angel, I’m taking advantage of you, and—”

She snorted. No dainty ladylike laugh, or some quiet attempt to dissuade him. A snort. “Yeah, because I’m wrapped so tightly around your finger, you can make me do anything—even what I don’t want to do. I’m just a weak-willed woman who can be forced into things by a big strong man like you.”

He knew he needed to say something, but he wasn’t sure what in the face of her sarcasm. “I’m sorry. I—”

“No, I’m sorry. Sometimes my mouth slips into gear before my brain can catch up with it. It’s nice that you’re worried about taking advantage, but you’re not,” she told him. “I don’t think I had Jace more than an hour or so a day. I have at least that much to do in the office for that long. Did you know I have to file all kinds of tax stuff quarterly? And let’s not even talk about payroll. Checking time cards, calculating overtime. And ordering. The invoices never stop rolling in, and I think they should be paid immediately because as a small business owner, I know they all rely on their money coming in regularly, like we do. And I don’t even want to think about the end of year extras.”