A Father's Name(9)

“I want it to. That’s why I’m doing this. I want my name to mean something. I want Jace to know his father made a mistake—it might have been for all the right reasons, but it was still wrong. I need him to know that I was willing to own up to it and pay the consequences.” The blond guy turned and walked around the corner of building, out of Tucker’s line of sight.

“Jason,” Tyler called and followed him.

What was that all about? Tucker wandered into the garage at the same time Tyler slammed the door and strode over to a workbench.

“What’s going on?” she asked Lou, jerking her head in Tyler’s direction.

The old man shrugged. “Some guy came by, asked for Tyler and they went outside. Whatever they were talking about, it obviously didn’t go well.”

Part of Tucker wanted to see if Tyler was okay, but she suspected he wouldn’t appreciate her concern.

Even from across the shop, she could see the tension practically radiating from him in the way he held himself—stiff and unapproachable. “Right. Holler if you need anything.”

Lou nodded and went back to a car on the lift. Tucker went back to payroll, anxious to finish so she could get back to the paintroom and determined not to think about the garage’s newest employee. He did his work well, and that’s all that should concern her.

She wondered why it wasn’t.



TWO DAYS LATER AFTER Jason’s visit to the garage, Tyler’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

In his old life, his phone rang nonstop. These days it was mostly silent. Old friends avoided him like the plague, as if doing a stint in County was contagious. As if they were afraid they’d develop a sudden yearning to wear orange jumpsuits. As if they’d never been his friend at all.

Well, that was fine with Tyler. He didn’t need them. He knew who his friends were—strike that—who his friend, singular, was. One was more than enough.

Jason was more than a friend, he was like a brother. Tyler knew he’d do anything for him, and vice versa.

His phone buzzed again, and since he was in the middle of eating lunch, he pulled it out and checked to see who it was.

Jason.

“Jason, what’s up?”

“Mr. Martinez?” a woman’s voice said.



“Yes?”

“This is Jessica Ahearn at St. Vincent’s. There’s been an accident…” The woman explained she was a nurse, that Jason was in an accident and Tyler’s number was under ICE in his cellphone.

“Ice?” Tyler asked, because it was easier to ask a question than to have the nurse tell him things he didn’t want to hear.

“In case of emergency—ICE. Mr. Matthews’s car hit an embankment. He’s in surgery now.”

Tyler had barely processed the thought of Jason being in an accident when he remembered the baby. “Jace?”

“He’s in surgery,” she repeated.

“No, Jace. His son. A baby. Was he in the car?”

“Only Mr. Matthews was transported here, sir.”

“I need the names of the guys in the ambulance, or the police, or…” Jace’s sitter. He knew her name. He couldn’t think of it. He knew her name.

“Pam.”

“Pam?” the woman repeated.

“That’s the babysitter’s name. I’m going to call her. Could you check with the ambulance crew and call me back. I’m on my way.”

“Sure, I’ll do that, Mr. Martinez.”

“I’m in Whedon. I’ll be at the hospital in under a half hour.” Tyler had always thought the half hour distance between Erie and Whedon wasn’t bad, but suddenly it was too far. He needed to be there now.



“Mr. Martinez, he’ll be in surgery for hours. If I find out anything about the baby, I’ll call right away.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ahearn.”

Tyler hurried over to his coworker. “Lou, I need to leave early. It’s a family emergency. I’ll make up the hours, or you can dock my pay, or hell, fire me if you have to. I’ve got to go.”

The old guy had been decent to Tyler, so had everyone else at the garage, so it came as no surprise when he said, “Don’t talk crazy, kid. You go do what you have to. Can I do anything to help?”

“No. I’ll handle it. But I’m not sure when I’ll be back in.”

“Go do what you have to,” Lou repeated. “We’ll manage.”