True Summer Love

Chapter Three

Lance put his truck in park outside the garage that Gary Fields owned and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. He had worked at this garage every day for almost three months seven years ago. He had fallen in love in this garage and he had busted a lot of knuckles and learned about hard work in this garage.

He didn't know if Tiffany would be here but he had driven out to her parents house and no one had been home. By now she was probably married and moved away but he had to know. She still had his heart and he knew he had to at least see her, speak to her, and know that she was okay before he would ever be able to move on with his life.

His biggest regret in life was walking away from her that September night so many years ago. But he had been a kid… He hadn't realized just what he was giving up. He realized it now. Love, true love, was hard to find and he had simply walked away from it like it had been nothing.

He walked through the open garage door and looked around. It hadn't changed much in the last seven years. There were three lifts and all three had a vehicle on them. He looked at the office door but saw that it was closed.

"Hello." he called out.

"Hang on." a voice called back from underneath a large white van. Lance picked at a string hanging off his t-shirt and then with a whoosh of wheels across concrete the man pushed himself out from under the van. He stood up and grabbed a rag, wiping his hands clean as he walked up to Lance.

"Hello, what can I do for….. What the hell are you doing here?" Steve demanded as he recognized the man standing in the garage. Lance swallowed hard as he too recognized who he was talking to. Steve had never been known for his patience and his protective nature toward his younger sister often bordered on the edge of being dangerous.

"I came to see Tiffany." Lance replied squaring his shoulders. Steve walked over and stood toe to toe with him. At six foot two, and athletically muscular, both men were evenly matched in both height and size.

Lance was expecting Steve to argue with him but what he wasn't expecting was for Steve's fist to fly up and connect squarely with his jaw. Lance staggered backward and grabbed his jaw convinced that it must be broken because it couldn't possibly hurt this bad and be fine.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded as he wiped away some blood from his split lip.

"For breaking my sisters heart, you son of a bitch. Now get your ass out of here and leave her alone. You've caused her enough damn pain!" Steve yelled shaking his hand and Lance was pleased that at least Steve had hurt himself as well.

"What are you talking about? Your sister and I agreed it was over." Lance replied. Steve glared at him and forced himself to remember that Lance had not known about Parker at the time. His stubborn sister had never told her lover that he was also her babies father.

"My sister has cried enough tears over you, Lance Asher. Big time country music star who just couldn't bring himself to make a single sacrifice for the girl that gave him a…"

"Steven!" Gary Fields stern voice cut Steve off just before he was able to spill the beans about Parker. Steve wanted Lance to know just what he had put his sister through. He wanted the selfish bastard to know that she had been raising his son alone.

"What?" Steve demanded looking back at his father. Gary pointed at the van.

"You aren't done with that van yet. Get back to work." he said and the sternness in his tone left no room for argument. Steve pointed one grease covered finger toward Lance.

"If you hurt my sister again, I won't just punch you for it. I'll kill you." he said and then he walked back over to the van and slid himself beneath it. Lance rubbed his jaw one last time and realized that if anything Steve's overprotective nature toward Tiffany had gotten worse. He turned his attention back to Gary.

"Hello sir." he said. "I was hoping to speak with Tiffany." Gary looked Lance up and down and shook his head.

"She's not working today. She's at her house." he replied simply. Lance nodded and realized that Gary had not gotten any easier to read in the last seven years. He was still very reserved and kept his emotions well hidden.

"Could you tell me where she's living at?" Lance asked and then he winced when the sound of a wrench hitting steel with a lot of force came from under the van. He knew that if Steve had his way that wrench would be hitting his head. He didn't understand just why Steve hated him so badly for what had happened seven years ago but then again Steve had always been high on temper and low on common sense.

"No." Gary replied to his question. "If you want to see her then you can come back in here tomorrow. Hopefully she'll be working." Lance wanted to argue. He'd been waiting seven years and he did not want to wait another second but he could tell by the look on Gary's face that he wasn't going to change his mind.

"Thank you, sir." Lance said. "See you later, Steve." he added as he turned and walked back out to his truck. Once he was settled in the drivers seat he ran his finger over the picture on his dash. His heart hurt to know that he had caused her so much pain that her brother still hated him for it. He drove to the hotel and got a room. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough. He had to see her with his own eyes.. He just prayed he still stood a chance with her.

888

"Mommy, my throat hurts." Parker said as he snuggled closer to her on the couch and she wrapped the blanket tighter around them.

"I know it does, my boy. The doctor gave you medicine and he promised you'd be feeling better by this afternoon." After Parker had finished telling her all about first grade plays the night before he had started running a fever. Tiffany had rushed him to the doctor who let her know that her son had strep throat. He had given Parker some antibiotics and had assured them both that after a day of rest, Parker should be feeling back to normal and be able to go back to school.

"Can I got to school tomorrow?" Parker asked her before sticking his popsicle back in his mouth.

"If you're feeling better you can. You haven't had any fevers today." she said kissing his dark hair. Last night had been a long night. She had not been able to keep his fever down very well and she had paced the floors all night chewing her fingernails down to the nubs as he had slept peacefully. It was times like those when being a single parent was the hardest.

She envied those mothers that had a partner to pace and worry with them. She knew she could have called her mother but Tiffany had gotten herself into the position of single parenthood and she didn't want to lean on her parents for help.

"I want to watch sponge bob." Parker said, interrupting her self pity. She grabbed the remote control and turned the channel. She sighed when the big yellow sponge and his fat pink friend came on the screen. She had seen enough of this show in the last few years to last her a lifetime. She laid her head back and closed her eyes deciding that rest sounded like a good idea. As she lay there she couldn't help but wonder what Lance was doing right now and whether or not he had ever had to suffer through thirty minutes of sponge bob.

"What's for dinner, mommy?" Parker asked, jerking her back to consciousness. She sighed as she pulled herself up off the couch and watched him stretch out and snuggle under the covers.

"What would you like?" she asked and even as he answered she mouthed the words,

"Chicken nuggets and French fries." She smiled and tousled his hair. A mothers work was never done but she wasn't going to complain. At least he still had an appetite.