by Jae
Evan rolled her eyes as she realized the doc's niece had followed Laurie. Speaking of pain in the ass. She quickly put out her cigarette and threw it away.
"Hey, Jamie. We're under the tree." Laurie stepped out from their hiding place and waved the girl over.
Great. There goes my peace and quiet. Evan watched in resignation as the ten-year-old sidled up to them. "Why don't you go back inside?" she asked, and when she realized it sounded a little harsh, she added more friendly, "I hear there's cake."
"But it's so boring inside with all the adults," the girl complained.
Yeah, welcome to the club. Evan smirked.
"You can keep us company," Laurie offered.
Evan groaned. How did I end up babysitting with Miss Goody Two-shoes? Next time, I'll go for a bad girl.
"Can you help me get my Frisbee down from the tree?" Jamie asked, pointing up into the tangle of branches and twigs.
Evan had no intention of getting her leather jacket all scratched up. She looked down, about to tell the girl no.
"Auntie Aiden said she would help me, but now she's walking with my great-grandmother and said I have to wait," Jamie reported with a sad pout.
"We don't need the great Auntie Aiden to get the Frisbee down from this stupid tree," Evan impulsively decided.
Jamie looked up at her in awe. "Are you going to get it down for me?"
Evan straightened. "Of course. No problem."
"Oh, thank you!" Jamie hugged her around the waist.
Evan felt her cheeks burn, and she stepped back with a growl. "Don't get overexcited, kid. It's not down yet." Still, the fact that the kid never doubted even for a second that she could get the Frisbee down felt strangely good.
Now I only have to get the damn thing down. Evan looked up into the tree. A small, pink piece of something peeked out from between two branches higher up in the tree. Getting to that point looked impossible, though, because the branches only began higher up. The tree trunk down here was smooth, without branches or other handholds.
"I could help you," Laurie said.
Evan wanted to decline. She wanted to do this on her own, and she didn't want Laurie to get hurt, but she realized it would be impossible to get the Frisbee down on her own.
"Do you think you could lift me up?" Laurie asked.
In comparison to her, Laurie was small and slender. "Sure," Evan said with more confidence than she felt. "If you're not afraid of heights."
"Oh, no, don't worry," Laurie said quickly. "I'm a cheerleader. I've climbed on people before."
Evan grinned and wiggled her eyebrows, enjoying Laurie's blush. When Laurie had recovered, Evan shrugged out of her leather jacket and handed it to Laurie. "Here. Put it on," she said with a sigh. The tree's twigs and foliage were very dense, and she didn't want Laurie to get all scratched up. She grimaced when she thought about the damage the twigs might do to her jacket. Better the jacket than Laurie's skin. At least the jacket doesn't have an aunt who could sue me for bodily harm.
She held back a grin as she saw the smaller girl in her heavy leather jacket.
"You're letting me wear your jacket – does that mean we're going steady?" Laurie asked with a grin that reminded Evan of Laurie's more confident, but equally sexy aunt.
"It means I don't want to get in trouble again because you got hurt," Evan grumbled. She leaned against the back of the tree and folded her hands, forming a makeshift step for Laurie. She heaved Laurie up and suppressed a groan as her muscles protested. She grimaced when Laurie climbed onto her shoulders, leaving earthy footprints behind on her shirt. Laurie's weight was heavier than expected, and just when she thought she couldn't hold on any longer, the Frisbee dropped down into the grass next to her.
Laurie slid down Evan's body, landing in the circle of her arms.
Evan had promised herself she would stay away from Laurie Matheson and her family. She had told herself Laurie wasn't worth getting into trouble again. But now the cute blonde was looking up at her from mere inches away. Evan suddenly leaned forward and captured Laurie's lips with her own.
Only Jamie's happy dance around the recovered Frisbee made her remember they were not alone. Shit! The kid! She's going to freak out and run inside to tell her parents. She gently disentangled herself from a breathless Laurie and stared down at Jamie.
The ten-year-old didn't appear freaked out at all. She was grinning and triumphantly waving the Frisbee. "Thank you!" she said again, hugging both Laurie and Evan.
That's right. She's the doc's niece. She must be used to seeing her and Aiden kiss. Evan shook herself at the thought of watching her half sister and her former therapist kiss.
"Jamie?" A tall brunette stepped outside the house.
"Mama, look! Evan and Laurie got my Frisbee down from the tree!" Jamie held out the Frisbee for her mother to see.
The brunette stepped under the tree. If she smelled the smoke on Evan's clothes, she didn't comment. "That was nice of you. Thank you."
Evan didn't want to like the doc's and Aiden's family, but she had to admit that all of them had treated her with respect, not as if she was only Aiden's dumb kid sister. "It's okay," she answered gruffly.
"Jamie, you have to come inside and say good-bye now. We have to go," the brunette told her daughter.
"But I want to wait until Auntie Aiden comes back!" Jamie whined.
She's totally crazy about Aiden. And so is Laurie. What's so special about her? Evan wondered. All she had seen was a strict cop and a woman who tried to assuage her guilty conscience by acting like a caring sister.
"She's already back inside," Jamie's mom said. "Now come and say good-bye."
Evan watched them go. She didn't want to turn and look at Laurie.
"I'm sorry," Laurie said suddenly. Evan could hear her sniffle. "I'm so sorry about getting you in trouble. I should have told you sooner, and I came out here to tell you –"
Evan finally turned around. "Stop crying," she ordered. Tears didn't change what had happened.
"I was so stupid," Laurie said, still crying. "I really thought my parents would just calm down and tell the police it was all a misunderstanding. I thought it would all just go away."
Evan just looked at her, stunned by that naivety. Laurie's naïve optimism had been one of the first things she had noticed about her – and for some reason, it had been one of the things she liked about her. Maybe because it meant Laurie never assumed bad things about anyone, not even Evan.
"I didn't know you had to spend the night in jail or that the arrest would appear on your record, even after they finally believed you were innocent." Laurie wiped red-rimmed eyes. "I could talk to my aunt. Maybe she can get your arrest record expunged."
"Don't bother," Evan told her, trying not to feel sorry for the sniffling girl. "It's not the only arrest on my record, so what's one more?"
Laurie finally stopped crying and stared at her. "B-but... don't you care that your employers will be able to find out you were suspected of... rape when you try to get a job? My aunt says that this is what could happen."
"Of course I care!" Evan suddenly found herself yelling. "Do you think I want people to think I'm a rapist?"
Startled, Laurie began to cry again. "I didn't want that to happen."
Evan sighed. "Would you just stop crying? It's done, and tears won't change it."
"But maybe I can help to make it right. I could talk to your foster parents and tell them what really happened and that you're not to blame for anything," Laurie offered.
That was a courageous offer from the girl who had been so afraid to tell her own parents. "You don't have to do that," Evan told her. "The doc and Aiden already talked to them. They're not too pleased about me being a lesbian on top of everything else, but at least they didn't kick me out."
Laurie's hand shyly slipped into her own. "I'm sorry," she said again.
Evan sighed but didn't ward off the contact. She didn't like girls that were the clinging sort and thought one night was a pro
mise of forever, but she also didn't want to see Laurie cry again. For now, she would tolerate Laurie's displays of affection.
They were both silent for a while.
"Will you come inside with me?" Laurie asked, her voice almost a whisper. "Del said there'd be dancing later."
Del, huh? Seems like Laurie is already a part of the family. "I don't dance. At least not to what they call music." She didn't know how to dance, but Laurie didn't need to know that. Evan didn't want to appear stupid in front of Laurie.
"Then come inside with me anyway. The food is good," Laurie tried again.
Evan sighed. She knew she couldn't hide out here all night. At some point, the doc would come looking for her – or worse, she would send Aiden. "All right. But only for the free food."
* * *
Kade leaned back and took a sip of wine. She had nursed the same glass for the last hour. She often felt a little out of control around Del, and she didn't want to add to that feeling by drinking too much.
She watched Aiden and Dawn slowly move across the improvised dance floor, their arms around each other and their bodies softly touching all along their lengths.
Dawn was not a good dancer. Her slightly awkward movements wouldn't have held up to the polished Matheson standards, and Kade had seen Aiden dance much more spectacularly with other dance partners at the annual police ball. Despite that, Aiden and Dawn looked perfect together.
Even Dawn's elderly grandmother, who had been shocked to see her granddaughter in the arms of a woman at first, had commented on how good they looked together. Kade could only wish her own family were so open-minded.
The thought made her gaze wander over to Del, who was twirling Grace around on the dance floor. Grace wasn't a better dancer than her daughter, but together they made as nice a couple as Dawn and Aiden did.
Finally, a breathless Grace escaped back to the table, and Del wandered over to Kade. She bowed with a grin and held out her hand. "May I have this dance, please?"
Kade hesitated. She had danced with women before, but they had been her cousins or female friends when there weren't any male dance partners around, nothing that could compare to this situation.
"Come on." Del nudged her. "I'll even let you lead."
Now that's a helpful comment! Instead of encouraging Kade, it only reminded her that she would be dancing with a woman. With Del.
"As my guest, it's your solemn duty to fulfill my birthday wish," Del told her. "And this," she pointed at Kade, then at the dance floor, "is what I wished for when I blew out the candles."
"You're not supposed to say your wish out loud, or it won't come true," Kade objected.
Del just smiled. "If I didn't say it out loud, how would you know what to do to make my wish come true?"
Kade had to admit it was a sound argument. Reluctantly, she laid her hand in Del's and let herself be led to the dance floor. They struggled for a few awkward moments about who would lead, but then Del relinquished control and followed Kade's steps across the dance floor.
Kade was glad her mother had insisted on drilling dance steps into her until she could do it in her sleep. She was too preoccupied with wondering how they appeared to the onlookers to think about what her feet were doing. Del's arms around her, her body so close Kade could feel the heat, and Del's unmistakable and slightly musky scent were distracting to say the least.
"Relax," Del said. "This is supposed to be fun."
Fun. Oh, yeah. Kade bit her lip. "Sorry."
"No need to apologize. You're a great dancer."
Kade was used to smooth compliments like this, but she could see Del meant it. "Still you seemed to have more fun with Grace." Kade couldn't help noticing.
Del studied her. "You're not jealous, are you?" One corner of her mouth curled into a delighted smile.
"Of course not!" Admitting feelings of jealousy would mean admitting she had romantic feelings toward Del, and Kade wasn't ready to face that. But she also couldn't completely forget about it. "It's just... Well, you looked very... comfortable together."
Del nodded. "Of course we're comfortable with each other. Grace is my best friend, Kade. You're comfortable with your best friend too, aren't you?"
Kade thought about it for a moment. She had never danced or joked around with anybody like that. "I don't think I have a best friend." She had never thought her life lacking because of it, but now she did.
"What about Carlisle?" Del asked.
"Why do you always have to call her 'Carlisle'?" Kade asked in exasperation. Aiden wasn't really her best friend, but of all her acquaintances and colleagues, she came closest. Kade wouldn't tolerate Del's strange attitude toward Aiden any longer.
Del shrugged. "It's what we cops do."
It was more than that. "You don't call me Matheson," Kade said.
"It's not the same thing," Del protested.
Kade twirled her around. "Does Aiden call you 'Vasquez'?"
Del thought about it. "Mostly she avoids addressing me directly, so she doesn't call me anything."
"Aiden is Dawn's life partner and a part of your self-proclaimed family, and yet the two of you seem to avoid each other. Why is that?" Kade asked.
"It's not that I don't like her," Del said reluctantly. "I like her better than I ever liked Dawn's ex-girlfriend or her ex-husband. Maybe that's part of the problem." Del looked as if she had just realized it for the first time. "Cal and Maggie never were worthy partners for Dawn. They never took over my role in Dawn's life."
Kade nodded. "But Aiden does."
"It's like a strange role reversal. She's Dawn's protector and confidant now, and I'm the one who's interested in you," Del answered in her usual open, direct way that always left Kade speechless.
"It must be a little awkward for you," Kade agreed after a few moments of breathless silence.
Del gently tightened her hold on Kade's shoulder. "Sometimes I think we're a little too much alike – and I hope you're not just interested in me because I remind you of her."
Kade stopped dancing. She stood staring at Del in the middle of the dance floor. She decided to ignore Del's matter-of-fact assumption that she was interested in her and concentrated on the other aspect of her comment. "You don't remind me of Aiden," she said resolutely.
"Oh, come on, Kade! Two take-charge, tall lesbian cops with dark hair and dark eyes, both more than a little smitten with you – don't tell me you can't see the similarities!" Del's expression held equal parts amusement and exasperation.
"Yes, you and Aiden have some things in common, and I started to trust you because of that," Kade said. "But the better I got to know you, the more I realized how many differences there are, and now I respect you for your own sake."
Del tilted her head and grinned down at her. "So tell me: what are the differences you like about me?"
"You're more... solid," Kade said for lack of a better word.
"Solid?" Del seemed to taste the word in her mouth. "Now that sounds sexy!"
Kade shrugged. "You don't have Aiden's troubled edge. You're more relaxed and self-assured. You always seem to be so at peace, so content with yourself and your life."
"I am content with my life," Del agreed, but then corrected, "Well, I could use someone to share it with. I'm working on that." She smiled at Kade.
Kade quickly began to dance again, interrupting their eye contact. She knew Del would take it as a sign to back off for the moment.
"So, now that we discussed me and Aiden," Del said, emphasizing her use of Aiden's first name, "let's talk about you and Grace."
"There's no problem between me and Grace. I like her," Kade said, and she was telling the truth. It was impossible not to like Dawn's friendly mother. She was warm, genuine, and kind – the exact opposite of Kade's own mother.
Del grinned. "So you're not jealous?"
"No!"
"Good, because you have no reason to be," Del said calmly.
Kade still wasn't fully convinced of that. Del had practically ta
ken over the role of Grace's husband for the last ten years. Grace and Del had shared everything but their beds and their bodies. "Because she's straight?" she asked skeptically. "That's what I told you about me, and it hasn't exactly diminished your interest."
Del chuckled. "Right, it hasn't," she admitted freely. "But only because I'm convinced you're not as straight as you made yourself believe all those years. You know, there are not only perfect zeros and perfect sixes on the Kinsey scale. I'm pretty much a six, and I'd say Grace is a one. You, on the other hand, would fall more toward the middle of the scale if we leave out social and professional implications."
