A Father's Name(56)

“Bill,” Marge said, her voice stern. “That will be enough.”

“Sorry.” He tried to look contrite, but Tucker could see true anger in his eyes. He was furious at the people who’d let Tyler down. And she got that—so was she.

“It’s no problem,” she assured Marge. “I work with a shop full of men, Mr. Matthews. I doubt you could say anything that would shock me.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Marge warned, her voice light as she very obviously tried to steer the conversation to less weighty matters. “Bill will take it as a personal challenge to try and come up with something to shock you.”

Tucker chuckled and allowed the conversation to flow into calmer waters, but she couldn’t help but wonder what she was missing.

Tyler Martinez was a man of secrets, but she felt some relief that even if he wouldn’t share those secrets with her, he obviously trusted the Matthews with them.

He didn’t think they were family, but now, more than ever, she was sure they were.



TYLER STOOD AT THE KITCHEN window and watched Angelina juggling Jace on one hip while captivating the Matthews.



He had no doubt they’d like her, and not only for what she’d done for Jace. There was something about Angelina that drew people to her, like butterflies circling a flower.

Thinking about butterflies made him remember her pink t-shirt and smile.

“Earth calling Tyler,” Bart called.

“Sorry, I was thinking.” He turned around and looked at Tucker’s son.

“You were thinking about Mom, yeah, I know.” Bart was so like his mother, if not in looks, then in attitude. Brash and to the point.

“I was thinking about other things.”

Bart laughed. “Not buying it. Whenever you think about her, you get that weird expression on your face. But hey, don’t be embarrassed, she gets the same sort of look when she’s thinking about you. And I won’t tell her you were staring out the window at her.”

“I was checking on Jace.” There, that was plausible.

Bart laughed harder. “Sure, you tell yourself whatever you need to, to get you through the day.”

“Are you two bringing those burgers out? Lou is starting to get that hungry look,” George said.

“I was teasing Tyler about Mom, Pops. Sorry.”

“You can tease him while we cook these burgers if you like,” George said amicably. “I’ll even help you.”

“Thanks, Pops.”

Tyler rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah, thanks, but really, Bart doesn’t seem to need any help on that front. He seems to have teasing down to a science.” And Tyler couldn’t decide if he liked it because it made him feel like one of the gang, or if he didn’t because it was another indication of how close he was becoming with the entire Tucker clan.

George obviously didn’t have a problem deciding how he felt about Bart teasing Tyler. He laughed as he took the burgers out toward the grill.

“The Tuckers are a family as adept at teasing as they are at car repair,” Bart said in a way that led Tyler to believe this was a conversation the three Tuckers had been in before. “Yeah, with all these talents, it’s amazing we’re all single isn’t it?”

“Woman troubles?” Tyler asked.

Bart nodded. “You’d think being a friend would make being something easier. It doesn’t.”

Tyler felt like throwing up his hands and joining the chorus on that sentiment, but instead went for a safer, “People who don’t realize what a catch the Tuckers are, miss out.”

“Oh, people realize it about Mom. Guys are always trying to pin her down. Why, that Gary guy called again last night.”

“Who’s this?” Tyler asked, an uncomfortable possessive feeling roiling in his chest. He knew that he had no claims on Angelina. He kept telling her as much, but unfortunately, no one was telling him and every minute he was with her, he fell deeper and deeper.



“Some creep that Mom went out with a couple times. He’s not taking no for an answer very well.” Bart looked fierce. “She’s been telling him no for a couple months now. If he shows up at the house, I’ll be the one telling him no.” Bart grabbed the condiments and followed his grandfather outside. Tyler mulled over this man who wouldn’t take no from Angelina.

He wanted to find this guy and make sure he knew that Angelina was off limits. Not that he’d stand in her way when she was ready to move on to a man who deserved her. It was simply that this Gary guy obviously didn’t deserve her at all.