Everything Pales in Comparision

by Rebecca Swartz

  Tamara was looking back at her with a wolfish grin, obviously inordinately pleased with herself.

  “No comment,” Daina said dispassionately.

  The reporter raised an eyebrow, and without missing a beat, smoothly ventured, “It’s also been rumored that you’ve fired your manager. Does this mean that your personal relationship with her has been terminated as well?”

  Daina favored her with a measured look. “And that’s pertinent how?” she asked, somewhat testily. The question irked her. The woman had obviously been doing her homework and while she may not have spoken to Kendra personally, she’d certainly spoken to somebody in the know.

  The thought of Kendra effectively severed the thin tether she was keeping on her patience. “All right, people, that’s it, playtime is over. You can see yourselves off the property, I’m sure.”

  She raked the bunch of them with a meaningful look to ensure there were no misunderstandings. As one, the group began to disperse, Tamara Blake and her photographer among them. Though Daina bore her no animosity, the woman was tenacious and rather unpleasant to be around. She was relieved to have her depart so readily.

  She ensured that everyone was truly on their way, and then made a sudden decision. With a quick, hang-on-a-second gesture to her parents, she went back to the Explorer. She opened the door.

  Emma sat in a relaxed pose, left hand resting on her left thigh, her right draped casually at the wrist over the steering wheel. She wore a coolly expectant look.

  Daina felt a brief flutter in her belly at the sight of her. “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey, yourself. How did it go?”

  “Fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  A flicker of movement in the direction of the house caught Daina’s eye and her glance strayed momentarily. Her parents, she saw, had just stepped outside, obviously having discerned that the coast was clear. “I was wondering if you might like to meet my parents?” she asked evenly.

  “I’d like that very much.”

  Daina felt herself relax and was surprised. Obviously, the meeting she had just proposed mattered more to her than she’d realized. And she felt, for the first time in her life, that somehow, in some way, her future was inextricably entwined with another person’s. It was a diaphanous concept. She reached for Emma’s hand. “All right then,” she said simply.

  Emma abandoned her relaxed pose, extricating her lean frame from behind the steering wheel to join Daina on the asphalt drive. Fingers interlocked, they stepped back from the Explorer, pivoting slightly so Emma could close the door.

  And there, at the rear bumper of the vehicle, stood Tamara Blake.

  “Well, I guess this answers my last question, wouldn’t you say?” She looked positively gleeful as she glanced between the two of them.

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake, I thought you’d left,” Daina grumbled, not even trying to hide her annoyance. Wondering where the photographer had gotten to, she took a moment to lean back and flash another hang-on gesture toward her parents on the front step.

  “What, and miss this?” Tamara was saying. “I’m glad I didn’t.” She then directed her attention at Emma. “Hello, Constable,” she greeted her in a sardonic tone.

  “Tamara,” Emma returned, icily polite.

  Daina blinked at this little exchange. Clearly the two of them knew each other, but it didn’t seem to be a very friendly association.

  “Actually,” the reporter said, once again addressing Daina, “I stayed behind because I had another question for you. Completely off the record.”

  Daina gave her a dubious look. “‘Off the record,’ huh?”

  “Yes. I was going to ask if you’d seen any more of Constable Kirby here since the night she saved your life. Judging by your coziness, I’m guessing the answer to that is a resounding yes.”

  Daina eyed the reporter with contempt.

  “Anyway, as I said, that’s completely off the record.” Tamara glanced between the two of them once more, holding her hands out as if to set them at ease. “But I’m glad my curiosity has been satisfied.” And then she added with an obvious smirk, “You make a cute couple, by the way. For what it’s worth.”

  She made as if to turn away, then turned back, saying, “Oh, and Emma? If you ever want to hook up again, look me up. I really enjoyed that first time.”

  Daina narrowed her eyes.

  Tamara made a face and snapped her fingers, as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh, no, wait, that’s right. I forgot. You never fuck the same woman twice, isn’t that what you told me? Jeez, I’m sorry, what was I thinking?” And that wolfish grin reappeared.

  Daina shot a quick glance at Emma. Her jaw was set, her profile stony, her eyes fixed on the now-departing figure of Tamara Blake.

  “Anyway, you two have fun, take care. Oh, and Daina? Good luck. With everything.” With a final smirk and a wave, she turned and headed for her car.

  Surprised, appalled, and amused all at once, Daina cast another look at Emma. “You slept with her?”

  Her eyes cold flint, Emma said, “That is none of your business. Don’t even go there.”

  The rebuke stung, and Daina immediately flushed hotly. She jerked her eyes away, dropping her chin. With a slow nod, she acknowledged, “You’re right.” Looking up, she added quietly, “But just for the record? I don’t care.”

  Her lips pressed into a thin line, her own color heightened, Emma favored her with a wary, scrutinizing look.

  “Really. I don’t.”

  The tension slowly left Emma’s body. Her expression, her eyes, lost their intensity. She nodded. “Okay,” she said finally.

  She gently squeezed Emma’s hand. “Will you come with me now? Or do you want to do this some other time?”

  Emma took a deep breath, seeming to gather herself together. “No, it’s fine,” she said. “I’m fine.”

  Daina, searching the depths of those brown eyes, suddenly felt there was one more thing that needed to be said, something she hadn’t planned on, but maybe that was best. “Hey,” she said, keeping her voice close to an undertone. Simply and quietly, she stated, “I love you.”

  Emma blinked. Her pupils briefly dilated, her eyes widened and her expression slackened. Her lips parted slightly as her mouth opened in mute surprise.

  Wanting her words to stand on their own, and her feelings as well, Daina gave a tug on Emma’s hand. She took a step back. “Now, come on,” she coaxed gently. “Before my parents think I fell into a black hole or something.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Feeling a little unwound after Daina’s unexpected revelation, Emma was completely unprepared for her charming and disarming parents.

  She briefly observed their emotional reunion before discreetly turning her head to look off in the direction of the street. Her gaze wandered over the few cars parked several yards apart beneath the elms that lined the crescent. The sun and light breeze that riffled through the leaves created a shifting dappled effect on everything below. When her eyes caught what seemed like a flicker of movement from the interior of one of the cars, her attention was immediately drawn back. Her gaze sharpened, focused on the windshield of a green Sunfire where she thought she’d seen the motion. But the changing light pattern made it impossible to clearly distinguish anything from this distance. A moment later Daina called out to her.

  “Mom, Dad,” Daina said, as Emma came to a stop before them, “I’d like you to meet Emma Kirby.” To Emma, she said, “Emma, my parents, Marlene and Steve.”

  “Constable Emma Kirby?” Marlene Buchanan asked.

  Emma gave a slight nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Marlene’s smile broadened. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you,” she said, and stepping forward, unhesitatingly put her arms around Emma in a hug. “You’re as beautiful as I thought you’d be.”

  The warm greeting was more than she expected and she was thrown a little off balance, both physically and emotionally. S
till, she recovered her wits and equilibrium sufficiently enough to return the embrace, though a bit awkwardly. “Thank you,” she managed to reply, and as they parted, added, “It’s wonderful to meet you, as well.”

  Steve Buchanan stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Constable Kirby, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Emma grasped his hand, shook it firmly. “Mine as well. But please, call me Emma.”

  “Emma, then.” He smiled, then sobered. “Let me just say that you are more than welcome in our home and in our hearts.”

  Deeply touched, Emma murmured, “Thank you.” She glanced over in Daina’s direction, to find her looking at her. As their eyes met, Daina gave her one of those little grins of hers, but for once it wasn’t that which caused her breath to falter. If she’d had any doubt about Daina’s feelings for her, it was banished by the look in her eyes, so clear and shining it was breathtaking. Emma had never been subjected to such a look, had never really expected to be the recipient of such a look. “Maybe we should get your things out of the car,” she suggested, attempting to find more solid footing in the banal.

  “I’ll help with that,” Steve Buchanan offered immediately. “Would you care to join us for a beer afterward, Emma?”

  Daina sputtered laughter. “Dad,” she said, sounding mildly scandalized, “it’s barely noon.”

  Emma merely grinned at the invitation. “Sure,” she accepted. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

  Daina’s father laughed out loud. “I like this girl, Daina. Where did you find her?”

  “I didn’t,” Daina said, with a half-smile. She met Emma’s eyes once more. “She found me.”

  Emma held Daina’s look for a moment, then regretfully tore her gaze away. It would be all too easy to lose herself in those incredible eyes, but now was hardly the time or the place. She looked toward her parents and was a little discomfited to notice they were both beaming at her. It occurred to her that it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out there was something going on between her and Daina.

  “Shall we?” she suggested to Daina’s father.

  “Lead the way,” he said with a nod.

  Gratefully, Emma turned away to retrieve Daina’s belongings from the Explorer.

  ***

  “So, I guess what your mother and I would like to know,” Steve Buchanan broached, speaking to Daina, “is if the danger to you is well and truly past.”

  The four of them were arranged casually around a large wrought- iron patio table with a smooth glass top and pebbled undersurface. They were seated on cushioned chairs, and all four were nursing a Corona with a slice of fresh lime. Emma opted to remain silent; she indicated with a nod that Daina go ahead and answer.

  “From what I’ve been told,” Daina said, “the guy they’ve arrested gave a full confession. The police seem satisfied with that. So yes, I guess that means it’s over.”

  “And what about you? Are you satisfied with that?”

  “Well, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I’m just asking. I want to know that you’re comfortable, that you feel safe.”

  “I feel safe, Dad, I do. The police have got the guy. That’s what matters to me.” Daina took a swallow of beer.

  Steve looked at Emma. “And are you satisfied with that?”

  Emma realized she wasn’t satisfied with the general consensus, but she didn’t want to say so, since she couldn’t really explain, even to herself, why. The Buchanans may have clued in to the fact that she and their daughter were involved in some way, but she wasn’t entirely certain they knew the role she had been playing.

  She said, a little shortly, “You know, I’m actually a little out of the loop myself. Daina knows more about that right now than I do.”

  Steve and Marlene frowned. Emma realized her words had come off sounding very lame, almost like an attempt to palm the whole issue off onto Daina. Instantly, she was ashamed and annoyed, ashamed of her behavior, annoyed that her behavior had put her on the spot. Daina was looking at her a little askance.

  Emma sighed. “Do they know anything of the situation we just left behind?” she asked Daina gently. “Have you told them anything?”

  Daina shook her head.

  “What do we need to know?” Steve asked.

  “Everything.” Emma then launched into a telling of the events that had led to this particular point in time, so they would understand her reluctance and her inability to give them any kind of a solid, objective answer. She left out the interview with the investigative team, deeming it irrelevant, and she left out the little exposé Daina had recently supplied, out of sheer respect. When she was done, she took a sip of her beer, enjoying the tang of the lime.

  “And so why was this guy after you?” Steve asked, point-blank.

  Emma was fast coming to see where Daina had come by her forthrightness. “Well,” she replied with her usual mildness, returning her bottle to the tabletop, “he was after me because I had the audacity to save your daughter’s life. And I guess, after his initial attempt failed, he viewed my further intervention as interference.”

  Emma was able to guess what was coming next and Steve Buchanan did not disappoint.

  “And why was he after you?” he asked Daina.

  Emma once more reached for her beer, shifting her eyes briefly in Daina’s direction to see her sag and drop her chin. Emma sympathized as she took a short pull on the Corona; the answer to that question was not one she would want to have to provide to anyone.

  After a few moments of silence, Daina finally just murmured, “Because I…had an affair…with his wife.”

  “Oh, Daina,” her mother said softly, sadly.

  Emma suddenly felt very uncomfortable, very out of place. She gave Daina a pointed look. “You know, I should really call the sergeant back.”

  Daina looked hugely grateful for the interruption, even though it had been for Emma’s benefit, not hers. “Did you want to use the house phone?”

  “Uh, sure, if that’s all right.”

  Daina nodded and pushed her chair back. “I’ll show you where it is.”

  Emma knew this was completely unnecessary, but she understood Daina’s desire to remove herself, even if only for a short time.

  In the kitchen, Daina indicated the phone on the counter. “You can use that one.”

  “Thanks.”

  Daina started to turn away, but Emma stopped her, saying, “By the way, I think I owe you an apology.”

  “For what?”

  “I was very short with you earlier. That was uncalled for.”

  “What? No, Emma, you had every right; that was none of my business.”

  “Well,” Emma shrugged. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Regardless, I didn’t have to react that way and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

  Daina eyed her keenly. “Okay, I accept your apology, if that’s what you need me to do. But I want to repeat what I said earlier: I don’t care. Your past is your business; it’s got nothing to do with me. I don’t know why you would think that I care, or why this is an issue for you. And I can see that it is, so don’t tell me it’s not. But I’m telling you, it’s not important to me. You are important to me, not who you’ve slept with, when, where, why or how many times. I don’t care. Okay?”

  After a momentary pause, Emma said, “Yes, okay.”

  “Good.” Daina smiled. “Make your phone call. I’ll be outside.” And she turned and left.

  Emma called the sergeant’s number; after two rings, his voice mail informed her he was away from his desk. She left a message and replaced the phone in its charger, wondering why he’d wanted to speak to her in the first place. If it was just to recap what he’d told Daina, it couldn’t be that pressing. She pulled her cell out of her pocket to ensure it was on, made a mental note that the battery was low, slipped it back and headed outside once more.

  At the sound of the screen door closing behind her, all three Buchanans looked her way. Grouped together as they were, the
family resemblance was so clear it was almost startling. She settled her eyes on Daina, who watched her approach. I could do a hell of a lot worse than have her to love me, but I certainly could not do any better.

  “How did it go?” Daina asked.

  “He wasn’t there. I left a message.” She slipped into her seat, reached for her beer. The bottle was sweating in the afternoon heat; as she brought it to her lips, the condensation dripped to splash darkly on her jeans. She wished she’d worn shorts. But she was carrying her weapon, and the ankle holster was more comfortable than wearing the gun at her back.

  “Is he gone for the day or—?”

  Emma swallowed, shook her head. “No, just away from his desk. We’ll connect.”

  “Lucky you.”

  She smiled good-naturedly.

  “Do you work weekends, Emma?” Marlene asked.

  “I do, yes. You can’t get away from it. That and shift work, you just…accept it. I don’t mind, most of the time. I like my job.”

  “Your parents must be very proud of you,” Marlene stated innocuously.

  Emma froze. Marlene’s words caught her completely off guard. A moment later, she was astonished when, calmly and without rancor, she heard herself saying, “My family disowned me when I was nineteen.”

  The shock on the faces of the three of them struck her an almost physical blow.

  “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry.” Marlene’s voice was almost a whisper.

  Daina only stared at her silently.

  Steve Buchanan said, “It’s none of my business, I know, but why, for God’s sake?”

  Emma considered a moment, then said, with a slight shrug, “I came out to them.” She added, “I’m not going to say I made the mistake of coming out to them, because I don’t feel that it was a mistake, regardless of what happened. But my father couldn’t abide it. He was the one who ordered me out of the house. The others, my mother and sisters, just…went along.” She shrugged again, a tiny shift of her shoulder. “I haven’t contacted them since. Or vice versa.”