A Father's Name(61)

“So where are you and Tyler going?”

Tucker shrugged. “No idea. Eli and Laura said this was a good choice for a no-idea-where-I’m-going-on-a-date outfit.” She glanced down at the crisp, dark blue jeans and the pink strappy top which Eli declared was cute and feminine, without going overboard.

“Well, you look nice…for a mom,” Bart said again.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Tucker hurried and let Tyler and Jace in. “Uck,” Jace cried and threw himself from Tyler’s arms into Tucker’s, relying on her to catch him.

He hugged her for a moment, then spotted Bart coming into the entryway and squirmed to get down.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I told Bart he could have Cessy Keller over while he babysits. They’re flirting with the idea of something more than friends, but I don’t think that will get in the way of him caring for Jace.”



Tyler smiled. “If you’re okay with it, then I’m okay.”

“Thanks. I figure spending a night with an active baby slash toddler is a good way to remind kids to slow down and be careful.”

“A life lesson?” She must have looked puzzled because he clarified, “Bart told me of your penchant for sharing your wisdom.” That last word was punctuated by a smothered laugh.

“I’ll have you know I’m wise. I’m very wise. Right, Bart?” she called.

“Right what?” he asked as he wrestled with Jace on the floor.

“I’m wise,” she repeated.

“Wise ass maybe?” He laughed, then assured her, “You’re very wise, Mom. And I’m smart enough to listen to your wisdom.”

“Thank you. Now, you call if you have any trouble, okay?”

“I’ll call. And Pops is at his place, too. But Jace and I are old buddies. We’ll be fine.”

“Don’t forget what I said about Cessy,” she added for good measure.

He sighed his teenaged my-mom’s-going-to-lecture-me-to-death sigh. “I won’t.”

“Good.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead, lost in the knowledge that in a matter of weeks, she’d be driving him to Pittsburgh and moving him into his dorm. She kissed Jace as well and couldn’t help but remember when Bart was his size.



“Penny for your thoughts,” Tyler used what was quickly becoming their phrase as they drove north on I-90.

“They’re worth more than a penny,” she assured him, but she didn’t elaborate on what she was thinking. She was thinking that she hadn’t been this excited about a first date in—well, ever. She was thinking about Bart, Cessy and new relationships. And she was thinking or rather wondering if he’d noticed she’d gone through another torturous round of Eli assisting her dress for him. She glanced across the car at him, and immediately thought that she wished they were back at his place and she could kiss him. More than kiss him, she wished she could strip him naked and have her way with him.

Yeah, all those thoughts were definitely worth more than a penny.

Tyler didn’t seem to notice how many thoughts were chasing each other around and around in her head. “For our first official date I thought maybe we’d go into Erie for dinner then a walk on the beach at sunset?”

“That sounds lovely, Tyler.” Not as lovely as he’d be naked in bed, but still, lovely.

“We would have had this date a couple years back if you’d accepted any one of my many invitations. I told you I’d wear you down eventually, but when I said it, I didn’t know it would take this long.”

Tucker knew that she could have had a couple extra years of friends-with-benefitting Tyler Martinez and felt a spurt of regret. “But who knows what would have happened then,” she said more for her own sake than his. “I mean, we’ve both grown and changed over the last few years. I love the man you are now, but it’s impossible to know if I’d have loved the man you were then.”

She realized what a stupid choice of phrase she’d used. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”



TYLER SMOTHERED HIS quick spurt of disappointment. Of course, he didn’t want Angelina to feel about him the way he knew he felt about her. He felt like a broken record thinking it, but it was the truth—she deserved more.

This date was a mistake. He’d known it all day, and he’d been telling himself as much, but like so many things regarding Angelina Tucker, he hadn’t been able to resist.