by Lauren Dane
Hell had a name and it was the Homecoming game. Well, no probably the game was purgatory and the picnic would be hell. She could hardly wait to see.
“You look like you sucked on a lemon.” Shane seated himself next to Tate and Cassie grinned around him, waving her hello.
“Do I? Because I was only thinking happy thoughts. Do you think I’ll be able to fly?” Tate asked in a sing-song voice.
Cassie snickered and Shane allowed an upturn of one corner of his mouth.
Matt squeezed her against him. “You know how sexy I find it when you get all snarky, don’t you?” he murmured into her ear and she laughed.
“It’s hard to take a grown man who still wears his high school colors to a game seriously.” She arched a brow at him and the green and white he wore.
Shane laughed aloud at that. He squeezed her from the other side, kissing the top of her head. “It’s not that bad, darlin.”
“Hmpf.”
But they’d surrounded her, blocking all routes of escape. Chases and Murphys all around her. Well, Tim and William had begged off, the traitors. They had wives and kids so they got to stay home. She’d get even for that. There were two drum sets with her niece and nephew’s name on them for Christmas. She prayed Liv would hurry up and go into labor so they could leave.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like football. She did in fact. She enjoyed the game a lot. It was the atmosphere at the game she hated. Her kind had never been welcome at Homecoming events, that had been spelled out, bolded and underlined as she grew up.
She’d shielded the others the best she could, taking the brunt of the abuse but her memories of all the tears they’d shed over it still lay inside. Beth had told her it didn’t matter now, that she’d made it all right and they’d be there for each other but judging by the hostile looks she was getting just then, it wasn’t going to be an easy night.
“Walk with me to get some sodas and stuff?” Matt kissed her nose and winked.
Feeling claustrophobic and hemmed in by the wall of Shane Chase to her left, she agreed. He led her out and down the bleachers toward the concession stands.
Matt loved the way Tate looked that evening. Her hair hung loose, a wide, shiny red band holding it away from her face. Her sweater matched the band and the skirt was long and flowing, just to the ankles of the seriously sexy high-heeled boots she had on.
“Venus, have I told you how sexy you look tonight?” He stood behind her in the line, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her to him.
“It never hurts to hear it again.” She tipped her head back and looked up at him.
“Thank you for coming tonight. I know you’re not thrilled about it.”
“Yes well, I’ve thought of escaping but you’ve got my routes blocked. It’s my only hope that Liv goes into labor tonight.”
He laughed. “So charming. If I didn’t know better I’d think you were avoiding my company.”
“Order your stuff, goober.” She indicated the window and he held her, one arm around her waist while he procured enough sugar, hot chocolate and food to keep the group happy.
They took the stuff back, arms full of food and passed it down the row before sitting down. Matt realized he needed to hit the men’s room and excused himself. Kyle came along.
“Don’t try and run for it, Venus,” he called out, laughing as she gave him a subtle scratch to her nose with her middle finger.
Kyle laughed all the way to the head. “Your woman fits in just fine.”
“She does and I think she’s finally seeing that too.”
“Matt!”
Matt turned to see Ron Moore approach with a few of their other friends. He narrowed his eyes and Kyle tensed too.
“Just the man I was looking for.” Ron had the audacity to smile at him.
“Yeah? Why’s that? So you could talk shit to me instead of harassing my barely five foot tall girlfriend in a public library like a pussy?”
“I see she ran right to you. I figured she would. Make herself look better. She’s working you, Matt. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Whoa!” Justin Fields, another friend stepped up and put a hand on Ron’s shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong with you? What is Matt talking about?”
“This chick is working him for cash like a two dollar wh—”
That’s all he got out of his mouth before Matt’s fist landed square in his mouth.
Kyle waited until the punch landed before stepping in and pulling Matt back. “Okay, it’s done. Let it go,” he murmured in Matt’s ear.
“Don’t you ever, ever talk about Tate like that. You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve been my friend since third grade and you harass a woman you haven’t bothered to get to know. Does it make you feel like a big man to terrorize women?” Matt stood over Ron as Justin helped him up.
“Tate’s good people, Ron. What are you talking about? You’re harassing her?” Justin turned to their friend.
“Melanie told me she was working you for money.”
“Melanie is a jealous, bitter, angry psycho. I live with Tate, she won’t let me pay half the mortgage. She’s never asked me for money although she’s made dinner for my entire family on dozens of occasions. She usually makes me go dutch on dates. Melanie has issues, Ron. She’s taking them out on Tate.”
“You don’t know what she gets up to, Matt.”
“Ron, you don’t know her at all. What do you think she gets up to? She owns a small house, an old car and works sixty hours a week in her own business. When does she have time to work out of town businessmen for their wallets? Why don’t you share with us just what you think Tate gets up to?”
“She’s a gold digger. She’s reeling you in for your money.”
“You’ve said that and I’ve told you she hasn’t asked for a cent in all the time we’ve been together.”
“You’re the fatted calf, which sort of makes sense since she’s a cow. Shit!”
Matt hit him again.
“You said to tell you!” Ron yelled from the ground. Justin didn’t bother trying to help him up and a crowd had gathered.
“I told you to explain your accusations, not insult my woman.”
“Holy fuck.”
“Tate! Get back here,” Shane ground out and Matt closed his eyes for a brief moment as he heard Tate approach.
“Just what the hell is going on here?” Tate demanded as she shoved her way into the group knotted around them. She looked at Matt and then Ron’s face. “Did you hit this asshole?”
Matt couldn’t help it, he started to laugh. “Why yes I did, Venus. Twice in fact.”
She took his hand and kissed the knuckles. “He’s not worth a hurt hand.” Shaking her head she looked up at him. “What? Did you think I’d be mad because you punched him?”
Still laughing, he hugged her. “Of course not, Venus.”
“Tate,” Justin said, “I want you to know I don’t think the same way Ron does. I think you’re good people and I’ve never seen Matt so happy.”
Matt lifted his chin at his friend in thanks.
“You’ve ended a friendship by believing someone who isn’t trustworthy, Ron. If you so much as look in Tate’s direction without an apology on your lips there’s more where those two came from.”
Shane finally pushed his way through the crowd. “What’s going on here?”
People mumbled and began to wander off.
“Anyone see anything? Matt, you want to tell me why Ron is covered in dust and has a bloody nose?” Shane asked, stifling a smile.
“I think he fell,” a passerby said.
“Yeah,” someone else echoed.
“I fell.” Ron brushed himself off. “Not a problem. Don’t come crying on my shoulder, Matt.”
“I’d get a rabies shot if you’re planning to hang out with Melanie much more.” Tate turned her back on Ron and Matt kissed the top of her head.
Matt caught the speculative looks from other people as they
walked back to their seats. Some curious, some approving and some angry. His glimpses into some of the ignorance Tate had to deal with were maddening.
Admittedly, it was a relief that he also saw friendly faces too. Friends who saw them and waved, people who were nice to Tate, genuinely accepting of her. He felt the steel of her spine relax a bit as they neared the row where their seats were.
The rest of the game passed relatively without incident but on the way to the parking lot, he noticed Tate protectively watch over her siblings and felt like a heel for manipulating her into coming. Fierce protectiveness burst through him as he watched her say good night to her brother and sisters. She was his and damn it, he’d make sure no one harmed her or made her feel wanting.
“I tried to hold her back but she caught sight of something going on and shoved past me. She’s really fast, like one of those little dogs.” Shane laughed as he kept his eye on Cassie and Maggie with Tate and her siblings. “I would have had to arrest you for assault you know, if Ron hadn’t denied you hit him.”
“Would have been worth it. Asshole. Called her a whore and a cow. He’s lucky I only hit him twice.”
“He said what? I’d have hit him too. Hell, I want to go find him and hit him right now. Why is everyone so hostile to her? She’s so damned nice. Sweet even with that sharp sense of humor she’s got. She goes to the damned old folks’ home and cuts their hair for criminey’s sake.” Shane sighed.
“Some people get nervous and defensive when everything they know gets threatened. It’s easy not to think about class stuff when you come up where we do. Most of us, most of the people in this town don’t care but there are people like Melanie who are only happy when they feel better than others. The stuff about her parents is a symptom. Essentially here’s this outsider who came in and stole the last Chase brother. That’s how they see it.” Kyle joined them.
Matt shook his head. “It’s like some stupid movie from the fifties or something. Honestly, it’s totally unreal. She’s been trying to tell me and I’ve been thinking she was oversensitive because of how she grew up.” He paused. “She’s trying to act like it didn’t bother her but I know her. She’s very sensitive, no matter how tough she tries to act.”
“We’ll make sure the picnic goes smoother. There’s gonna be a lot of us. Put her near Momma. No one will mess with her then. Oh and Maggie too. We’ll be on the outside. No one’s gonna hurt her, Matt. We’ll keep her safe. One thing we all need to keep doing is let this town and the people like Melanie know Tate is one of ours and we believe in her.”
Matt didn’t know what else to say. Family did what family needed to do. Still felt good though.
He caught up with Tate. “You still up to dinner at my parents’ house?”
She sighed. “There’s no choice. She’s bound to have gotten at least five calls by now and she’ll just hunt us down at home if we don’t go over there and tell her the story firsthand. And speaking of hands, yours looks like hell. I want to clean it up better and I’m quite sure your mother has first aid supplies.”
He grinned. “Come on then.” He waved at everyone else. “See y’all in a few.”
Polly met them at the front door, anxious. But instead of cooing over Matt’s hand, she pulled Tate into a hug and it made her want to cry. She towed Tate down the hall and into Edward’s study, closing the door behind her and leaving Matt in the foyer.
“Let it go now, honey. Give the tears up to me and be done with them,” Polly crooned as she rubbed Tate’s back.
As soon as Polly gave her permission, it was like her body just let it go and a sob so deep wrenched from her body that it buckled her knees. But Polly just went to her knees with her and continued to rock her and rub her back while she wept.
“It was wrong, Tate. What he said was wrong. What they’ve done to you is wrong. They’re wrong. You’re a good person. You love my son and he loves you. You’re worthy of this wonderful gift you and Matt have. Don’t you let them take the certainty of who you are from you. You’re strong. You survived worse than those idiots in town who can’t stand to see anyone else happy. You hear me? You give me those tears you’ve been holding back for so long and let them go. You’re safe here.”
So Tate let it go. Cried and cried and cried until there was nothing left and long minutes later, totally spent, she let Polly help her to the couch.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall apart like that. I don’t even know where it all came from.” She accepted a box of tissues and a glass of water from Polly who sat across from her and clucked. Her voice was rusty and every few seconds she hiccupped.
“It came from inside you. Where you’ve pent it up to be strong for everyone else. Tate, I know you, girl. You take everyone else’s burdens for them. But you can only take on so much before it breaks your back. Sometimes you need to let it out. Tonight must have been very ugly.”
“He called me a whore. A whore.” Tate shook her head, still shocked. “I didn’t hear it firsthand. That was the first time Matt punched him apparently. But I heard Matt telling Shane everything Ron said. Men. They must think we can’t hear them at three feet away.”
“They don’t know we multi-task as well as we do.” Polly nodded. “You’re not a whore. He’s wrong. You know that.”
“I do. But it hurts anyway. He accused me of being a gold digger. Polly, I’d never use Matt for his money. Not ever. I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve achieved in my life. I love Matt, I’d never hurt him like that. Ever.”
“I expect it does hurt, being misunderstood and misused. It’s shocking to be faced with so much hatred. I know you love Matt. Matt knows you love Matt. Hell, honey anyone with eyes in their head can see you love my son. They are bad people. Wrong. The people in the world who count know the truth and that’s all that matters. As for the rest of them? Don’t let them see you hurt, Tate. They aren’t worth it and you’re better than they are. You hold your head up because you have every right to.”
Tate nodded, blowing her nose.
“There’s a bathroom right through there, sweetie. Wash your face and come out when you’re ready. I expect Edward is holding Matthew back out there. Can I let him in? I know he wants to help.”
Tate needed that, needed to see Matt, to be held by him. “Yes. Let me get cleaned up and I’ll be out in a minute.”
She went into the bathroom and looked at the ruin of her face. Her eyes were red and swollen as was her nose. Every last trace of eye makeup was gone or dripping down her cheeks. She looked like she had the starring role in a B-horror movie.
Still, after a few minutes of cold water compresses she began to look and feel better and she knew it was time to face the music.
The first gut wrenching sob broke Matt’s heart. His father had simply put his arms around him and held him as they’d listened. Edward had urged him to let her cry it out, to let Polly mother her because she needed it desperately.
Matt wanted to rush in and take over, wanted Tate to open up to him that way but he understood Tate never would have let him bear the pain she held inside. Thank goodness his mother had been there and known just what Tate needed.
For long minutes she’d cried and cried and Matt had wanted to climb the walls. Her siblings arrived and they’d all stood in the hall and listened to her grief leave her body. Maggie held tight to Kyle, Shane to Cassie. The Murphys clutched each other and they’d all held vigil.
Twenty minutes later, his mother had come out and told them all very quietly that Tate needed a few minutes to clean up and to go on and get in the dining room. She sent Matt in to her, knowing they both needed it. Before he closed the door, Anne approached him quietly and said, “Melanie Deeds has a bill coming due.” He couldn’t have agreed more.
The door to the bathroom finally opened and her bottom lip trembled as she stepped into his embrace.
“Oh, Venus, I love you so much. I wish I could protect you from all this.”
She didn’t answer, instead just pushed h
erself closer to him.
After several minutes he kissed her gently. “You okay? Do you need more time or do you want to go and eat dinner?”
“I can’t face anyone. You all must have heard.”
“Heard what, Tate? Heard you being human? Heard you being mothered instead of doing all the mothering for a change? We love you. I’m glad my mother could help and I’m sorry you had to see all that tonight. Come on, everyone is waiting and they want to love you. Let them comfort you for a change.”
“They’ve all got enough to deal with.”
“Tate, don’t be selfish right now. They need to help. I need to know you’ll lean on me from time to time. You take so much on, give us all the gift of being the strong ones every once in a while.”
“You’re going to make me cry again.” The way she clutched his shirt made him want to keep her indoors and shield her forever.
“It’s okay to cry you know. It’s not a weakness.”
She made her little hmpf sound and he knew then she was on her way back to being all right.
They walked out into the dining room and her siblings came to her, pulling her into an embrace. Matt put his arm around his mother and they watched until Liv burst in, pregnant and pissed as hell.
“Where is that Melanie and who’s gonna hold my hair?”
Marc came in after her, grinning. “Liv’s a little excitable after we got a call about what happened tonight. She wanted me to drive her around looking for Melanie but I talked her into coming here instead.”
Cassie laughed and Maggie joined her as the three of them hugged each other and then Tate.
“If you’d just gone into labor early this afternoon none of this would have happened. Truly, Liv, I blame you.” Tate blinked up at Liv, who laughed and hugged her again.
“I’m trying, sweet thang. Orgasms, spicy food, cod liver oil and this baby is blowing me off. Gets it from her father. Oops, did I say her?”
Marc burst out laughing as everyone excitedly discussed Liv’s slip and the gender of the next grandchild.
Matt pushed Tate into a chair and made her a plate. “Eat it.”
She shrugged, obeying him as she began to eat. Others noticed and began to fill plates and eat. His momma beamed at them all, doting over everyone, making Liv sit and get her feet up.
