A Father's Name(80)
“Oh, Tyler, I’m sorry.” She prayed that whoever her father was sending over was late.
Tyler nodded. “Jason, Mellie and I were friends. Jason’s family took me in. I lived with them my senior year. They’re the ones who saw to it I went to college. We were all in college together. I was best man at their wedding. Jace’s godfather…”
The story tumbled out. Mellie’s illness, Jason’s embezzling money from the firm to pay for her treatment.
“He thought he could pay it back before they found out. He was going to sell everything and…”
Suddenly it all made sense to Tucker. She’d been right, Tyler hadn’t done what they’d said he’d done. “Before Jason could pay it back, they discovered what he’d done,” she supplied.
“I was part of the team that found the discrepancies. And I was the one who figured out it was him. I went to him and when he confessed—”
“That’s when you punched him.” Everything. All the bits and pieces she’d learned about Tyler fell into place finally.
“I would have sold everything to pay for Mellie’s treatment. If he’d come to me, we could have figured out an option that wasn’t illegal.”
“But he didn’t, so…” She waited for Tyler to tell her what she already knew.
“I went to my boss that night and told them they should stop the investigation. It was gratifying that he didn’t believe I did it. Not at first. He asked me point blank if I’d done it. I told him to call the cops. I told him I couldn’t confess until the prosecution came up with a deal. But I assured him that I was willing to pay restitution.”
“Couldn’t. I’m sure you phrased it that way,” Tucker said. “Couldn’t confess, not wouldn’t.” Tyler nodded.
“But your boss, he didn’t catch it.”
“No. He didn’t catch it. And when the police came, I wouldn’t talk to them, but I instructed my attorney to make a deal. I wouldn’t contest charges, that I’d willingly pay all the money back and serve whatever time they thought fair with only one condition, that they proceed immediately. I wanted the case expedited. I wanted my conviction established.”
“So they wouldn’t look too closely at the evidence and realize what happened,” Tucker continued.
“Mellie was dying.” Even after all this time, Tyler tripped over the word. “She was the bravest woman I ever knew—willing to put off her own treatment for the baby’s sake. She deserved to have her husband at her side. The baby deserved a father he could be proud of.”
“And you? What did you deserve, Tyler?”
“No one expected me to make anything of myself. I was Deacon Martinez’s kid. My fall from grace wasn’t news to anyone…it was inevitable.”
“So why are you telling me all this now?” Tucker asked.
“Mr. Matthews, the judge in my case, and the ADA are clearing my name. They think there’s a chance I could have my old life back. My job—”
“The money and the cars?” It would all be his. He’d be back in his designer suits, living in some swank apartment. He’d leave Tucker’s Garage in a New York minute, there was no doubt in Tucker’s mind.
He’d leave the garage, and he’d leave her. Tucker didn’t know what to say, so she simply said, “Congratulations, Tyler. You’ve been great here at the garage, but we both know you belong somewhere else.”
“Where I belong, now that’s a question,” he said slowly. “It’s why I’m here, talking to you.”
“Sure it is.” She wanted to scream. She felt so frustrated. Part of her wished she’d made her case to him first. Part of her was thankful that she hadn’t made a fool of herself. “You know we wish you all the best. You don’t have to worry about giving notice.”
“I wasn’t worried about giving you notice. You see, I have a proposition for you.”
Tucker went from feeling devastated at the thought of losing Tyler to insulted in the space of a heartbeat. “Wait a minute, you think that if you get your old life back, I’d be interested in dating you? You told me I deserve better, and now that you’ll have things the way they once were, you think that makes you better?”
“No.” He reached across the couch and took her hand. “Although figuring out that I don’t want it all back does.”