A Father's Name(38)

She’d had Bart while she was still in her teens under less than optimal circumstances. She’d doubted many things about her parenting abilities, but she’d never doubted for one instant how much she loved being a mother.

She knew she wasn’t Jace’s mom, but every time he reached for her or called her Uck, she melted. She didn’t mind not being married, or in a serious relationship, but she was wishing she’d had more children. She was beginning to wonder about adopting a baby. The Kellers had adopted their whole clan, and look how well that had turned out.

Eli’s voice was sharp and pulled Tucker from her baby-adopting daydream. “So, Tyler expects you to limp along like this until fall?”

Tucker eyed her friend. Eli had always been the most easygoing of women, until now. “What on earth is up with you?”

Eli looked primed for a fight. “Tyler’s using you. I don’t like it.”

Laura was a new friend, and it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable with the turn this conversation was taking. She sat quietly in the booth and practiced looking invisible.

Tucker focused on Eli as if she’d grown horns. “Tyler’s not using me. You know me better than that. He never asked, I offered. And truth be told, it wasn’t so much an offer as an order.”

“You’ve told us over and over again how busy you’ve been at the shop. More and more people want you to paint their cars and bikes.”

“So?” Tucker challenged.

“So,” Eli said slowly, “now your dad’s retired and you’re in charge of everything, you’re adding a lot to your plate even without the babysitting.”

“Tyler’s helping with the accounting duties. He’s finding ways to streamline the paperwork process.” Tucker felt it made for an even exchange. She’d much rather cuddle a squirmy toddler than balance a ledger.

“Yeah, because that makes a ton of sense,” Eli scoffed. “Give an embezzler a shot with your books.”

Laura broke her invisibility by murmuring, “Seth will go crazy if he finds out.”

“So, he doesn’t have to find out. It’s no one’s business how I run the garage.” Tucker was ticked off. It wasn’t up to her friends to judge how she handled her business. “I’ve never seen you two like this.”

“We care about you,” Eli said.

Tucker’s annoyance over their attitude warred with the warmth over their concern that prompted it.

“I guess you’re going to have to trust me and trust my judgement. Tyler’s not what you think.”

“So, convince us,” Laura said.

“I—” Eli began, but Laura sent a be-quiet-and-listen look in her direction and she snapped her lips shut.



“Tyler’s…” Tucker hesitated, not sure how to describe him in a way that would change Eli and Laura’s opinion of him.

Her silence seemed to be all the invitation Eli needed to unsnap her lips. “I remember a couple years ago when he was asking you out. I was angsting over the age difference between me and Zac, and you were telling me about a guy who kept wanting a date. You felt you were too different and wouldn’t give him the time of day. What’s changed?”

Tucker started to say Tyler’d changed, but she wasn’t sure that was the truth. Oh, the clothes he wore and the car he drove had changed, but the essence of who Tyler Martinez was hadn’t. “Maybe I’ve simply had an opportunity to figure out who he is, who he was, beneath the fancy clothes and car. He’s kind and caring. You should see him with Jace. Assisting me with the shop’s books wasn’t some nefarious plan on his part. He even told me I’m a fool to let an embezzler anywhere near them.”

“But—” Eli started.

Tucker cut her friend off. “And as for me watching Jace, like I said, I offered. I listen to you two when we go out, and I miss Bart being that age. I’m not really interested in relationships, not to mention there’s a whole other host of things I don’t excel at. But I’m great in a garage, with a paintbrush in my hand. And I’m equally good with kids. I’m enjoying myself. Sure, it’s hard work juggling Jace’s care, but it’s worth it. He calls me Uck.”



“Uck?” Some of the tension eased noticeably in her friends and they both grinned.

“I wasn’t sure he was talking about me the first time he said it, but you can’t miss it now.”