But he didn’t. He felt guilty for wanting to. After all, his best friend was dead. How could he be thinking about women when Jace was gone? It said something about him, he admitted as they agreed to switch vehicles and fished his truck key out of his pocket for Tucker. “I’ll call later on.”
“Okay.” She stood in front of him for a minute, as if weighing something in her head, then moved swiftly and kissed his cheek.
Before he could do or say something that would totally unman himself, Tyler got in Angelina’s black Pilot and headed back into Erie, where Jason’s parents were waiting.
He glanced at the baby in the rearview mirror. Jace was chortling a string of noncoherent syllables to himself, happy and content. Tyler caught the word Da, and felt choked up. He remembered the day Jason had called him to tell him Mellie was pregnant. The baby didn’t know he’d lost everything.
But Tyler did and his heart ached for him. For Jason’s parents.
And, though it made him feel small to think it, for himself.
Jason Matthews stood up for Tyler and stood by Tyler. Jason had given him the closest thing to a family that he was ever going to have.
And now he was gone.
Tyler felt totally alone, but then he remembered Angelina’s simple assurance that they were there for him.
The thought warmed him and helped him feel as if he was able to get through these next few days. He had to bury his friend, then he had to say goodbye to his godson when the Matthews took the baby back to Florida with them.
But he wasn’t totally alone.
And Tyler Martinez was a man who recognized how much that was worth.
It was worth everything.
TUCKER WALKED INTO THE Kloecker Funeral Home along with her father, Lou, Joe and North. The place was filled with people who’d grouped together sharing tears and stories of the deceased. She spotted a man and woman who had to be Jason’s parents. The woman held a cane in one hand, and Jace in the other. They were surrounded by people offering their sympathies. Tyler was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the crowds and finally spotted him in a corner, standing by himself. His expression unreadable. His posture was ramrod stiff, and his fists were clenched at his side as he stared out the window.
Rather than get in the line of people waiting to pay their respects with her father and the guys, she walked over to Tyler. “How’re you doing?” She heard the words come out of her mouth and wished she could suck them back in. “Sorry. Dumb question.”
Tyler offered her a weak smile. “I’m as okay as I can be.”
“Why are you hiding back here?” She noticed that people kept glancing at them, and cut Tyler a wide berth, as if he had something contagious.
“Not hiding, simply staying out of the way.” His voice was tight, contained. Too controlled.
“Come with me.” She took his hand and pulled him toward the door. People parted as they approached. She saw her dad send her a questioning look, but she shook her head and trusted he knew that she meant she had it under control. She continued leading Tyler until they were far enough outside the funeral home, at the far end of the parking lot. No one could overhear.
“Spill.”
“I’m fine,” Tyler repeated.
“Ty, we both work on cars and we know that systems need to be vented, or else the pressure builds until it blows up. Your pressure’s building. Vent.” He still didn’t say anything, so she pressed. “Jason was a friend. I never saw you two together, but it’s obvious you were a good friend to him. So why is everyone in there treating you like you have leprosy?”
Tyler sighed. “Those people are former colleagues. And it seems that they don’t take kindly to ex-cons who went away for embezzling from their firm.”
“Did you do it?” She wasn’t sure why she’d asked, but once the words were out of her mouth, she very much wanted to hear Tyler’s answer.
Rather than answer, he simply said, “What?”
“Did you do it? You said you went to prison for it, but you didn’t say you did it. There’s a difference. I caught it.”
“You’re the first person to ask me that question.”
“So, did you do it?” She wasn’t sure why she was so sure, but she was. There was more to the story than Tyler simply embezzling money from his firm. He’d had money. At least enough money for high-end cars and suits and such. So why?
His jaws clenched. “I’m not going to talk about it.”
“Fine. Then talk about Jason. How long did you know him?”
“We grew up together. Not in the same neighborhood, but we went to the same school. I was in high school and the first day our freshman year, our science teacher partnered us. Jason was lost when it came to science, so I helped him. I was behind in English, so he helped me. We were both horrible at French, but we met this girl, Mellie DeDioniso and she got us both through four years of that. All I remember about French is how to ask if you have a friend in French class, and truly that’s not the most useful phrase.” He smiled at the thought of some long forgotten memory.
Tucker saw his stance ease and his clenched fists ease into a more natural position.
“The three of us were friends. But our junior year, Mellie and Jason started dating. But them becoming a couple didn’t cut me out. It was always the three of us. And when things got rougher my senior year, I moved in with the Matthews. Jason shared his parents with me. You don’t know…” His voice cracked and he paused.
“I don’t know, but I’m here, willing to listen when you’re ready to tell me about Mellie and Jason, or about how you went to jail. I’m here.” She took his hand. “And as for those butt-munches in there, you’re better than all of them.”
“I can’t talk anymore.”
“Yeah, I get that, too. So, come on, we’re going back in. You’ve got friends. You’re not alone.”
“Angel, you don’t understand.”
“But I will someday. It doesn’t have to be today. Unless you want to tell me more?”
He shook his head.
“Then I’ll wait. For now. Come on.”
As they started back into the funeral home, Bart came across the parking lot. “Sorry, Tyler. I’d’ve been here sooner, but my ride from school had detention and I had to scramble to find someone else who’d drive me into Erie.”
Tucker put her arm around her son. “Come on, let’s get Tyler back into his family. They’re going to need him.”
She led him back into the funeral home, and glared at all the people who parted for them. She glanced at her father and the guys from the shop and she knew if something happened to her, they’d be the first ones there to support her. If she was accused of a crime, they wouldn’t believe it. And if she told them she’d done it, they’d be the first ones trying to defend her.
She walked past her dad and friends, past the line of people to the front where Jason’s mother and father stood. Jace spotted her and squirmed to get down, then toddled his way like a drunken sailor in her direction. “Hey, munchkin,” she murmured, scooping him up.
“Tyler. There you are,” Mrs. Matthews said. “Come stand with us. You know most of Jason’s friends. We don’t.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, I’m Tucker. A friend of Tyler’s. I never had a chance to meet your son, but knowing who he chose to spend his time with, well, I have no doubt that not knowing him is my loss. I’m