A Father's Name(53)
She pushed her sketch pad away with a bit more force than was necessary.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, looking mystified.
“Men,” she assured him. “I’ve spent my entire adult life working with men, but I still can’t fathom how you all survive because the entire male species is clueless.”
“Gender, not species,” he corrected, grinning as if he thought he could jolly her out of her funk. He couldn’t. She simply stared at him. Well, it was more than a stare and more of a glare. “Seriously, Angelina, have I done something?”
“It’s more what you didn’t do than something you did do.” He still looked clueless so she spelled it out. “You told the Matthews all about me, and about how I’ve helped out with Jace, but I’m betting you didn’t mention you were sleeping with me or that we had more than an employer-employee relationship.”
“Of course I didn’t. I mean, it’s not like you’ve announced our…” He stumbled, as if searching for the appropriate word to describe what they had between them.
“Relationship, Tyler. It can be a relationship even if it’s only friends with benefits. A relationship doesn’t have to mean love and long-term commitments.”
“What is wrong with you?” he repeated.
“Nothing. Not a darned thing.”
He glanced down at her T-shirt. It was black, which matched her mood, and had a picture of a tire tread mark from one shoulder to the opposite hip with a motorcycle with teeth rather than a headlight and read, Tread Lightly, I Bite.
“Prophetic, or did you go change into it?” he asked, nodding at her chest.
“You’re not funny, Martinez.”
“So talk to me about what’s wrong,” Tyler said. “This mood isn’t simply about what I did or didn’t share with the Matthews. Tell me, Angel.”
“Oh, I should talk to you? Fine. Let’s trade stories. You tell me what was in that letter and I’ll reveal why I’m in a less than pleasant mood.” That shut him up, as she knew it would. She wasn’t sure why that stupid, crumpled up letter weighed on her, but it did. She told him she’d be patient and wait for him to be ready to tell her, but she lied. She wasn’t feeling patient about anything in regards to Tyler Martinez.
His silence stretched an uncomfortably long time. She finally said, “I guess we both have our secrets.”
“So, about the Matthews?” he asked, obviously giving up on the idea of trading secrets.
“Given my current mood, do you think inviting me over to meet the parents is a good idea?”
“They’re not my parents.” His response was quick. Too quick.
And because she was in a mood, she didn’t let the subject drop. She pushed. “They’re as close as you’ve got.”
“They’re Jason’s parents.”
“And they love you as if you were a son, too. You met the Kellers. They taught me that blood doesn’t make a family—love does. And I don’t even have to spend another minute with Jace’s grandparents to know they love you.”
“How can you know that?” he asked.
It was official—Tyler Martinez was the dumbest male in the history of men. And that was saying something. “Ty, it’s clear they love you because they’ve left Jace with you, haven’t they?”
“They didn’t have a choice.”
“You’re wrong, but then you’re wrong about an awful lot of things.” She sighed. “So when do they want to meet?”
“After work? We can cook out at my place.”
“All right. Do you need me to bring anything?”
“Simply yourself. I’m asking the guys, and Bart and your father, too. The Matthews appreciate how much you all have done and they’d like to tell you in person.”
“I don’t mind meeting with them, and I’ll even accept their appreciation gracefully, but know they’re not the reason any of us is helping with Jace. You are.”
“Yeah, I’m family, I know.” Rather than sound pleased at the notion, he sounded as testy as she felt.
“Yeah, you are, and the Matthews are family, too. If I know you, you’re freaked out about that as well.”
He leaned forward so he was eye-to-eye with her. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.”