Tiffany dropped Parker off at school and then somehow managed to drag herself into the garage. She had spent the night in her bed crying into her pillow. She was foolish to think that Lance really loved her, especially since he had gone behind her back to question Parker's paternity, but her heart just kept holding onto those words.

'I love you Tiffany. I've loved you since I was nineteen'. Erin had tried to tell her that she thought Lance was telling the truth about his manager and Tiffany wanted to believe it too but what if he was lying and had made up the manager story just to cover himself?

It really didn't sound like something Lance would do. He had always been honest and straightforward and he truly did seem to love Parker. He and Parker had a bond that anyone could see and Tiffany's mind just couldn't make her heart believe that Lance would go behind her back and question whether or not he was Parker's father.

She yanked her coveralls on and then rubbed her hands roughly over her face as she let out a frustrated growl. She prayed to God then that He would show her the truth and guide her down the right path. Should she follow her heart and believe Lance, or follow her mind and tell him to get lost? She just didn't know.

She walked out of the bathroom and grabbed her toolbox, slamming it on the ground in front of the car she was supposed to change the oil in. Steve came out from under the van next to her and looked at her questioningly.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing." she said quickly as she pulled out the tools she would need.

"Don't lie to us." Gary said walking out of his office. "It's obvious that something is wrong with you."

"It's nothing that you two need to worry about." Tiffany replied. Gary shook his head at her stubbornness.

"You never know my baby girl. Maybe we can help." Tiffany let out a long breath and nodded. After all, hadn't she just prayed to God for guidance? Maybe her dad and brother could guide her in the right direction.

She told them the story about Lance's actions with her and Parker since coming to town, then about the phone call from the hospital and Lance's reaction when she had confronted him. When she got to the end she realized that telling Steve had probably been a mistake. He was rolling up the sleeves of his coveralls and muttering angrily under his breath.

"What are you doing?" Tiffany asked him as he started for the door with a large wrench in his hand.

"I'm going to kill him. I vowed I'd kill the man if he hurt my sister again." he replied. Gary shook his head and grabbed the wrench from Steve. "You're not going to kill anybody." he said to his oldest child and then he turned his attention to Tiffany. "Baby girl, I know it's easy for you to doubt Lance since you never thought he would come back and it all seems surreal to you but I think I'm on his side with this one. I don't think he called that hospital behind your back. If he says it was his manager then I'm inclined to believe him." Tiffany nodded and leaned against the car.

"Thank you, daddy. I am too. I was just so angry and hurt yesterday that I wasn't willing to listen. I guess I owe him an apology." she said. Steve snorted.

"Apology! Dammit, I say we owe him a punch and I'll be more than happy to deliver it!" he grumbled as he walked back over to the van. Tiffany grabbed his arm and then surprised him when she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"I love you, Steve. You always try to look out for me, even though sometimes your methods aren't quite right… or legal." she added. Steve patted her back.

"You're my little sister. When someone messes with you they have to answer to me." he replied. Tiffany kissed his greasy, stubble covered cheek and then pulled away.

"Well let's get back to work." she said. She wanted to talk to Lance but she would wait until later. He was supposed to come pick her up today to go sign the birth certificate. If he showed up, she would apologize then.

888

Thomas Blaine stood outside the garage and shook his head. He had asked around town about this Tiffany Fields and was told that she worked here with her father and brother. He had known she would be some poor woman looking for a meal ticket… But he wasn't about to let her use his friend to get it. He smoothed out his suit jacket over his large belly and walked inside.

"Can I help you?" A man in blue coveralls asked. Thomas looked at the man. He was probably around thirty with sandy blond hair and green eyes. He was covered in about a weeks worth of dirt and grease.

"I am looking for Tiffany Fields." Thomas replied and then he noticed an older man standing in a doorway to his right.

"What do you want with my sister?" The first man asked and Thomas saw his jaw tense and his fists clench. Thomas swallowed hard and shook his head, making his double chins quiver.

"I need to speak to her." he replied keeping his voice even. He would not let this grease monkey hick scare him away from what needed to be done.

"Steve, leave him alone." a feminine voice came from underneath the car in front of Thomas and then suddenly a long slender body slid out from beneath it. She stood up and wiped her greasy hands on her coveralls as she looked at him.

Thomas saw why Lance was so taken with the woman. She was very pretty despite the grease marks on her cheek. She had her long blond hair pulled back, big green eyes and light freckles along her tiny nose and cheekbones. Though she was wearing dirty blue coveralls, he could tell she had a very womanly build. The kind of body that many men could be tricked into loving.

"Tiffany?" he asked. Tiffany forced a friendly smile onto her face as she looked at the man. He didn't look to be quite six feet tall and he was one of the biggest men she had ever seen. His belly was pressing against the straining buttons of his suit jacket. His gray hair was thinning and combed over on top and his face was a deep shade of red and Tiffany wondered if he was angry or just had high blood pressure.

"Yes. Do I know you?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I am a friend of Lance Asher's and I've come to tell you to end this little charade and leave the man alone." Tiffany's eyes widened with surprise and she saw Steve stiffen out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." she replied.

"My name is Thomas Blaine. I'm Lance's manager. He called me the other day and told me that he has a son…. Just like that." Thomas added with a snap. "Right out of the blue the man has a son. A six year old son that he never knew about. This isn't my first rodeo darling. I know what woman like you are after and I can assure you that you won't get a single dime of his money unless you let that boy have a paternity test. There is only one reason to cancel it the way you did and that is because you know the boy is not Lance's."

"Mr. Blaine, I can assure you that Parker is Lance's son. I did not cancel the appointment, Lance did. I can also promise you that I am not after Lance's money. I don't need his money I have my own." Tiffany replied and while she was angry with this man for coming in here and saying these things she was also thanking God for letting the truth be known.

"Yes I can tell you must be a wealthy woman, covered in grease and working as a regular old grease monkey. Leave Lance alone. He is a good man and doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of by a gold digging little slut like you." Thomas knew his anger was not completely justified but he couldn't help it. He would not let this woman hurt Lance. Tiffany gasped with shock at his words. She saw both Steve and her father start toward the man with their violent intentions clear on both of their faces but they stopped when Lance's angry voice filled the garage.

"Thomas!" he yelled. Thomas swallowed hard and turned to face Lance who was standing behind him and seething with rage.

"I'm just looking out for you, Lance…" Whatever else Thomas was going to say was lost when Lance's fist connected squarely with his jaw and the big man went down hard on the oil stained concrete of the garage floor.

"Lance, what did you do?" Tiffany demanded with shock as she stared at him. He had always seemed so calm and patient. Right now he looked pissed and angry.

"He did what I was about to do." Steve said cracking his knuckles. Tiffany rolled her eyes at the amount of testosterone in the garage and walked over to Lance.

"Why did you do that? You could go to jail if he wakes up and presses charges."

"He's not going to press charges. He knows he deserved it… Or at least he will when he regains consciousness." Lance replied and Tiffany couldn't stop the laugh that came out of her and she heard Steve and her father laugh as well.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you yesterday." Tiffany said laying her hand on his arm. Lance looked at Steve as if judging whether or not it was safe and then he pressed a kiss to her blond hair.

"I wouldn't have listened to me either." he said and it dawned on Tiffany that he suddenly seemed the picture of calm and patience again. She realized for the first time that he was only that calm, patient and understanding with her and Parker and not with everyone else.

"You amaze me sometimes." Tiffany said honestly. "You forgive me for things that I have trouble forgiving myself for." Before Lance could reply Steve spoke up.

"That's because he knows what an incredible woman you are." he said. "And not to interrupt y'alls touching moment but I think the fat guy is waking up." Lance looked down at Thomas and saw that he was indeed coming too.

"I'll be right back." Lance said to Tiffany as he drug a groaning Thomas to his feet and pulled him out into the sunlight outside.

"You hit me." Thomas said with disbelief as he raised his hand to his mouth and checked for blood.

"Yes I did. You called Tiffany a gold digging slut. Now Thomas I told you to keep your nose out of this. You called that hospital and pretended to be me and you caused an awful lot of trouble between me and my family."

"Family! Are you telling me that you want to have a family with that woman and her son?" Thomas demanded. Lance growled under his breath and struggled for patience.

"Yes. I want to have a family with Tiffany and our son. I love her, Thomas, so you need to back off. I believe that Parker is mine and that's all that matters. I even did an interview with Country US magazine and it will be out next week."

"You did what?" Thomas demanded and for a moment Lance feared he'd have a heart attack.

"You heard me, Tom. Now you need to back off." Lance replied.

"I was just trying to look out for you, Lance." Thomas said realizing now that nothing he said was going to make Lance realize the foolishness in taking Tiffany's word and not seeking proof. "Would it really hurt to have proof that he's yours?"

"I feel it right here that he's mine." Lance said putting his hand on his chest. "That's all the proof I need."

"Alright… Alright kid, I'll back off. I was just trying to help."

"When I want your help, Thomas, I'll ask for it. If you overstep your boundaries again, I will fire you." Lance said and his tone of voice left no room for argument.

"Fine. I'll be going." Thomas said and he walked away. Lance watched him until he rounded a corner and walked out of sight. He made a mental note to leave a message with Peggy that he no longer needed a manger. The asshole might have been trying to help but Lance didn't need people in his life that were going to go behind his back and cause trouble.

When Lance walked back in the garage he found Tiffany standing there in her jeans and a sweatshirt. She had scrubbed the grease from her face and hands and had her purse over her shoulder.

"Come on beautiful." Lance said holding out his arm for her. "Let's go make all this father/son stuff official."

"I'll be damned." Steve said after Lance and Tiffany had left. "I guess I was wrong about him." Gary nodded and patted his son on the back before walking back toward his office.

"You oughta be used to that by now." he said with a chuckle. Steve nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck and turned to the van he was working on.

"Yeah, I'm getting pretty damn used to it."