I'll Cover You

by A. C. Grey

  “Okay, Kate. You count to 100. I’m going to hide.” With that, Gabby scampered from the room.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” Emmy said, rubbing a hand along Kate’s arm.

  “You need to stop saying that. I want to do that. I want to participate. I want to be a part of your life, your family. Stop walking on eggshells around me.”

  Emmy offered a small smile and wrapped her arms around Kate’s waist. “Thank you. And I’m sorry. I just keep feeling like this whole thing is too good to be true. I never thought I’d get this lucky.”

  “Well, get used to it.” Kate smirked and kissed Emmy gently on the nose. “Now I think it’s been about 100 seconds. I’d better go find that adorable niece of yours.” Kate strode from the room. “Hey, Gabby . . . ready or not, here I come!”

  As soon as Kate had left, Rachel pounced. “Okay sis, spill. I want all the dirt.”

  Emmy shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Not much to tell. She’s awesome, I’m happy, end of story.”

  “Come on, Emmy. You’re dating the President. There’s got to be some good gossip.”

  Emmy looked pleadingly at her mother, hoping for some backup, but her mom simply busied herself with the cooking. “I don’t know what to say, Rachel. Truly. I don’t want to bore you with the details. I’m beyond happy. She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. And it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s the President. We just click. But nothing sordid. Nothing scandalous. Sorry.”

  “You’re killing me here. No dirty Air Force One stories? Nothing in the Oval Office? Dating the President has to have some perks?”

  Emmy blushed at the mention of places where she and Kate had, in fact, been very dirty. She hoped Rachel hadn’t noticed, but judging by the shrewd, examining look on her sister’s face, she thought that unlikely. However, just at that moment, her father entered.

  “Emmaline, care to help me with the grill?” Emmy had never been so relieved for an interruption. She did not feel like being grilled, literally, by her sister at the moment. However, if she wasn’t mistaken, her father wasn’t interested in her cooking skills at the moment either. He obviously wanted to have a private chat.

  As Emmy followed her father outside, she couldn’t help but smile as she watched Kate pretend to chase Gabby across the lawn. She looked so natural, so at home with the child. It wasn’t hard to imagine Kate doing the same thing with a child of their own a few years down the road. With Kate, she could see a future. A happy future. One she’d begun to think she’d never achieve. It made her heart swell. Kate glanced up and locked eyes with Emmy, a private intimate moment shared between the two before Kate returned her attention to Gabby.

  Stephen Harris stood beside his daughter, watching the scene before them. Out of nowhere, one of Kate’s aides, who had been stationed in the car out front, strode across the lawn. Emmy’s heart sunk. Obviously something had come up.

  But Kate shook her head and waived him off. “John. Unless it’s an emergency, and I mean a real emergency, it can wait. This is family time and family is important.” The man nodded and left.

  Emmy turned to her father. “So I assume you’re going to try and talk me out of this relationship again.”

  Her father shook his head. “I’ll admit it, Emmaline. I had my reservations. But I’ve just seen all I need to see. She clearly values you, values family above all else. You are right. Your young woman is very special. You keep her around.”

  “I plan on it, Daddy,” Emmy said as she smiled down at the love of her life. “For as long as she’ll have me.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Emmy and Kate spent the next few months in a pretty pink bubble of bliss. Other than a few minor blips on the radar, a small protest here, a rant from a conservative pundit there, things had been near perfect. Emmy couldn’t help but wonder when that bubble was going to burst. She had never been happier, but she’d been burned far too often to truly believe that there wasn’t still some complication coming down the road. The fact that none of her prior relationships had worked out, the fact that they’d all been one complication after another, had left her a little battle-scarred. She wanted so much to believe that this relationship, that Kate Stewart, was her happily ever after.

  As far as Emmy could tell, Kate didn’t seem to have the same hesitations or worries. She’d seemingly embraced her new role as the face of the gay rights movement, making appearances, speeches, with Emmy at her side. Emmy envied Kate’s apparent ability to just be in the moment, to just enjoy being together. Emmy believed in love above everything else but all the same, she couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop. The sudden spotlight on her and on their relationship had also begun to take its toll on her. Emmy truly believed in what Kate’s efforts to get equal rights for all. Even so, the constant scrutiny and constant public appearances were wearing her out. She loved Kate more than she’d ever thought it possible to love, but she sometimes wished for the days when their relationship had been secret. Emmy did her best to shove these thoughts aside. She knew that things might be tough for a while, but in the long run, it was for the best. They couldn’t live their lives in hiding. It wasn’t healthy. So she just had to toughen up. Everything would be fine as long as she had Kate.

  Kate could see the stress painted across Emmy’s face at times. Clearly the pressure was getting to her girlfriend. She did what she could to minimize the public scrutiny, scaling back the appearances for Emmy. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to broach the subject directly. Things were going too well. Kate knew deep down that they should talk about things and that their communication wasn’t always what it should be. But she was enjoying their happy times too much. She wasn’t quite ready to pull them out of their little cocoon of happiness. So she selfishly avoided it and looked the other way when opportunities to talk presented themselves.

  Sensing that Emmy needed a break, and knowing that she could use one as well, Kate had arranged for them to spend a few days over Christmas at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Their families would be joining them for part of the time as well. Judging by the exuberant smile and warm hug she received from Emmy upon revealing her plans, Kate knew she’d made the right decision. Some time away was just what the doctor ordered.

  * * * * *

  Emmy couldn’t help but smile at the thought of spending a whole week away at Camp David with Kate. She was practically dancing around the house as she packed her suitcase, smirking to herself as she picked out some particularly skimpy attire for their private time together. Their families were joining them for Christmas, but she and Kate would be spending a few days alone before being invaded by a slew of Harris and Stewart family members. She loved her family, but was definitely looking forward to some quiet alone time with her gorgeous girlfriend. The ringing of her doorbell brought her out of her joyful reverie. Confused, Emmy headed to the door. She hadn’t been expecting any visitors.

  As Emmy opened the door, she saw a gorgeous brunette with green eyes and a slightly wicked-looking smile. “Uh . . . hi. Can I help you?” Emmy asked warily.

  “So tell me how it really is . . . dating the Kate Stewart?” the woman asked.

  “Look, if you’re press, I’m not interested in giving any interviews,” Emmy said, the question immediately putting her on guard.

  “I’m not press, sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Christine Chase. Pleased to meet you,” the woman offered Emmy her hand, which Emmy gingerly shook.

  “And who exactly are you?” Emmy asked, still unsure of what to make of the woman before her.

  “I told you, I’m Christine,” the woman said, almost as if she expected that to mean something to Emmy.

  “I got that part. Look. Now isn’t really a good time,” Emmy said, her patience wearing thin. There was clearly something off about this whole situation. She still wasn’t entirely sure that the woman wasn’t a reporter.

  “I’m Kate’s ex,” Christine said matter-of-factly, cutting Emmy off.
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  Emmy nodded – Kate certainly had a type. She and Christine could have been sisters. “Okay. But why are you here?” She asked, struggling to fight the insecurities already bubbling up inside her.

  Christine offered her a wry smile. “Can’t a girl be curious about the woman who finally stole the practically perfect Kate Stewart’s heart?” Emmy noted a hint of something, perhaps envy or maybe sadness in the woman’s voice.

  “Uh, sure. I suppose. But showing up on my doorstep unannounced is a bit, well, odd, to be honest,” Emmy said. “I can’t help but wonder if there was another reason.” She was really beginning to wonder if this woman wasn’t completely nuts.

  “Okay. I’ll cut to the chase. I came to warn you,” Christine said.

  Emmy gave her a questioning look. “Warn me about what?”

  “Kate. Be careful.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean, but Kate is anything but dangerous,” Emmy said, wondering what on earth the woman was talking about.

  “She’ll use you and when she’s done, she’ll throw you aside, just like all of the other women she’s dated,” Christine said. “Women like me.”

  “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but Kate has been nothing but kind and generous and supportive,” Emmy began, her anger starting to flare.

  “That’s what she does, when she wants you around. But trust me, that woman doesn’t have a heart. She and I dated for over a year. I was in love. I thought she felt the same. I suggested that we take our relationship public. I told her I was tired of hiding who I am and that she should feel the same. She resisted, saying it would hurt her career. When I wouldn’t let it drop, she grew distant and eventually she broke it off with me. Clearly she valued her career above all else. When I became a nuisance and a hindrance to her political aspirations, she dumped me.”

  “And what does that have to do with me?” Emmy asked, getting frustrated. “In case you haven’t heard, Kate came out. We’ve gone public with our relationship. I love Kate and she loves me. We’ve told the whole world as much. I don’t know why Kate didn’t feel right doing that when you were together, but I’m certain there was a good reason. Clearly something is different with us. I’ve got nothing to worry about.”

  “You’ve got plenty to worry about,” Christine said. “How do you know this isn’t just her latest political ploy? Kate has many talents, but chief among them is knowing exactly what to do in order to further her political goals. And it doesn’t matter whom she steps on in the process. Be careful, Emmy. Don’t give her your heart. The next person she steps on could be you.”

  Emmy shook her head and waved Christine off. Her rage finally boiled over. “Listen. Obviously you haven’t taken your break up with Kate well, but I don’t know whom this Kate is you’re referring to. She doesn’t sound one bit like the kind, intelligent, caring, generous and exceptional woman that I know. This leads me to just one conclusion. That you’re jealous or angry that things didn’t work out between you two. So you choose to insert yourself where you’re not wanted – into my relationship with the woman I love. So please excuse me if I ask you to mind your own business and butt out.” Emmy slammed the door in the woman’s face and stormed from the room. She continued packing, though in a somewhat more subdued manner than she had before.

  * * * * *

  It was a cold and snowy evening and Kate didn’t see how things could be more perfect. She was huddled in front of a warm fire, wrapped in the arms of the woman she loved. They sat quietly, both staring off into space, only the crackling of the burning wood breaking the silence. Despite the picture perfect evening, Kate sensed that something was bothering Emmy. Kate was tempted to leave it be and to remain blissfully ignorant. However, perhaps the bottle of wine they’d shared at dinner had loosened her inhibitions and she could no longer sit in the tense silence. “Something’s on your mind. Please tell me?”

  Emmy attempted to shrug it off. “No. Nothing’s up. I’m fine. Let’s just enjoy our evening.”

  Kate was so tempted to take the out that Emmy had given her, but she steeled herself and pressed onward. She turned in Emmy’s arms, her blue eyes gazing into Emmy’s. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her girlfriend’s face. “Emmaline. I can tell something is bothering you. Please don’t hide it from me.”

  Emmy took a deep breath and nodded. “So I had a visitor today.”

  “Who?” Kate asked.

  “Christine.”

  Kate didn’t know whom she’d expected Emmy to say, but it certainly wasn’t her ex. “Oh.”

  Kate paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “What did she want?”

  “She came to warn me.”

  Kate gave Emmy a questioning look. “Warn you?”

  Emmy nodded and took a breath before explaining. “She said that you used her. That when she wanted to go public, you chose your career over her, and that you’d probably do the same with me. So I should be careful not to get too attached.”

  Kate was instantaneously furious. “What? Why on earth . . .” She was momentarily rendered speechless by this revelation. “The nerve of . . . I just . . .”

  Emmy ran her hands over Kate’s arms, attempting to calm her. “It’s okay. I don’t believe her. You went public with me, remember?”

  Kate nodded. “Still. I just can’t believe she’d do that. I thought we’d ended things amicably. Yes, she couldn’t take keeping our relationship under wraps, but we had so many other problems too. We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. I certainly wasn’t using her. We’d already grown apart by the time she started pressing me to come out publicly, so I resisted. It wasn’t the right time and it wasn’t the right relationship. No offense to Christine, but she wasn’t worth the risk. You, Emmaline Harris, were . . . and still are.” Kate cupped Emmy cheek and gazed into her eyes. “You believe me. Right?”

  Emmy smiled and nodded. “Of course. And you are worth the risk too. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.” Kate said before capturing Emmy’s lips in a soul-searing kiss.

  After a long and passionate embrace, they pulled back. Kate rested her head against Emmy’s shoulder. Neither was in any hurry to take things further. Instead, they just enjoyed the quiet, comfortable silence and the glow of the fire.

  That silence was not to last, however, as an aide timidly entered a few minutes later. He handed Kate a sheet of paper. “We just received this and all our intelligence sources say that the threat is credible.”

  Kate took the paper and began to read. Emmy read over Kate’s shoulder and her blood turned cold.

  Dear President Stewart,

  You are a disgrace. You are living a life that is not only an abomination, but also downright disgusting. Two women should not lie together as a man would lie with his wife. What kind of example are you setting for the children of our nation? You are showing them that it is okay to ignore God’s will, that it is okay to be immoral, that it is okay to be a fucking dyke.

  If you do not immediately end your relationship with that Harris dyke and resign from the Presidency, we will be forced to take action. I’m sure you wouldn’t want something to happen to that precious niece of Ms. Harris, now would you? Don’t believe that we’re serious? Here’s the proof.

  Sincerely,

  Citizens for the Moral Family

  Attached to the letter was a photograph of Gabby’s bedroom. One that could have only been taken by someone who was inside the home.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Emmy saw the gamut of emotions play across Kate's face - from shock to guilt to anger to determination.

  Kate turned to Emmy, cupped her cheek reassuringly and looked her straight in the eye. “We will get these people. Trust me on that. Nothing will happen to your family. You have my word.”

  Emmy swallowed hard and nodded. She knew Kate was right. Kate had the best and brightest federal agents at her disposal. If anyone was capable of protecting her family, it was Kate Stewart. All the
same, guilt and worry flooded her mind. It was her fault. If she hadn't gotten involved with a high profile person like Kate, if she hadn't decided, in a moment of happiness and pride to out herself as Kate's girlfriend, if she'd stayed married, if . . .

  Kate's words brought Emmy out her thoughts. "Emmaline, I can see what you're doing. I can read you like a book. This isn't your fault, so stop blaming yourself. The only person or people to blame are those bigoted idiots who sent the letter.

  "They don't seem like idiots." Emmy corrected. "They did get into Rachel's house after all, into Gabby's room. Clearly this isn't just some empty threat by some loser living in his mom's basement."

  Kate waved her hand dismissively. "That may be so, but they won't outsmart the Secret Service and the FBI. You of all people ought to know that. Now I've got some work to do. Figure out protective duties, how this affects the gay rights agenda, do we publicize the threat, and so on. I'm sure my staff is on top of getting protection for your family, but I'll double check to make sure everything's being done before I even think of turning to other work. I promise." With that, Kate gave Emmy's hand a reassuring squeeze and stood to leave.