by Jae
Laurie's gaze flitted up to meet Kade's. She searched her face, clearly hesitant to believe her.
"Laurie, if Evan hurt you, I want her to pay for it. But if she didn't, you have to tell me or Evan could go to prison for something she didn't do."
"Prison?" Laurie's blue eyes grew almost comically wide.
Kade nodded gravely, a little surprised by her niece's naivety. "If she touched you without your consent, it's a very serious crime."
Laurie whispered something. It sounded like "She didn't," but Kade wasn't sure.
"What?" she asked, but Laurie didn't repeat it. "Laurie, it's okay if you've... been with her because you wanted to. It's okay to like her... to like girls, you know?" She had never thought it possible that her niece might be gay, but if she was, Kade wanted to be as supportive as she could.
Laurie snorted. "Yeah, right! That's so not okay in this family! A Matheson has to be perfect. Like you."
Kade couldn't breathe for a moment. Is that how she sees me? Perfect Aunt Kade? She took a deep breath. It was time to be supportive Aunt Kade. "It's okay to be a lesbian or bisexual or even not to be sure yet if you like girls or boys," she insisted once again. "Even for a Matheson."
"Being gay is a deadly sin in Grandmother Sophie's book," Laurie objected bitterly. "Oh, yeah, it might be okay for her interior decorator to be gay but not for her only granddaughter!"
Kade sighed. "Your grandmother is a little old-fashioned in that regard. She was born in another time. I'm not sure how she'll react, but you should know that there are a few members of this family who will love you and support you no matter what."
"You?" Laurie asked with a hint of skepticism.
Kade nodded seriously. "Yes. I'll support you whether you're straight, gay, or bisexual. It doesn't matter," she promised.
Laurie didn't answer, but it was easy to see what she was thinking, even for Kade. Her words were just empty promises from the "perfect Aunt Kade" for Laurie.
Sighing, Kade pinched the bridge of her nose. Telling Laurie she was supporting gay rights and that she had a few gay friends wouldn't mean anything to Laurie. Other lesbians didn't have to deal with the Matheson family and their high-flown expectations. Kade knew she had to make a decision right now: keep up her image of perfection or help her niece. How hard it was for her to make this decision was a good indication for how hard this whole situation had to be for Laurie. "I know I haven't been a big part of your life until now, but that could change if we both want it," Kade said. "We might discover that we have a lot of things in common."
Laurie looked even more skeptical now. "You're confident, beautiful, and successful, and I'm just a shy, awkward kid. What could we possibly have in common, huh?"
Kade hesitated. Her thoughts raced as she desperately searched for some last-minute inspiration. In court, a sudden, brilliant idea had often saved her neck, but this time, there was no artful trick to pull off the impossible. There was only one way to support Laurie in this situation. It's now or never. Kade lifted her head and looked Laurie right in the eyes. "Well, for one thing, it's possible we might have a similar taste in romantic interests."
Laurie blinked, then stared at her. "What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.
Kade realized she had to be frank even if saying it out loud went against every instinct she had. I'm not ready for this, but here we go. "You are not the only Matheson woman who might be interested in women."
"No way! You mean... you? You are... a lesbian?" Laurie laughed giddily, overjoyed with that revelation.
Kade hesitated, but then nodded. She knew that pointing out she was technically still straight or bisexual at best would not help her niece. There was no doing this halfway.
A still laughing Laurie almost bowled her over with an exuberant hug. "Do you have a girlfriend? It's not..." Laurie lowered her voice. "...Detective Carlisle, is it?"
"What? No, no, she's not my girlfriend." Kade threw her hands up in exasperation. Why does everybody always think that there's something between Aiden and me?
"Oh." Laurie looked half-relieved, half-disappointed to hear that. Her cheeks were flushed.
Oh my God! Kade didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. I think my niece has a crush on Aiden! She rubbed the bridge of her nose. God, this is getting complicated!
"Then it's the tall Latina outside?" Grinning, Laurie pointed to the door leading to the living room, where Del was still waiting.
So she did pay attention to what is going on in the rest of the house. "No. I don't have a girlfriend," Kade quickly ended the discussion. "Laurie, we can talk about me later. For now, please tell me what happened with Evan Whitfield."
Laurie blushed and ducked her head. "We made love," she said with a dreamy smile. "At least we would have, but Mom interrupted."
Made love? Kade had seen the tough-looking Evan Whitfield being led away by two police officers. She doubted Evan was one for love or steady relationships. "Are you sure she didn't take advantage of you in any way?"
"She would never do that," Laurie said fervently. "But of course Mom had to assume the worst as soon as she saw us. She would rather believe that Evan raped me than that I was gay and in love." She began to cry again. "What do I do now? I can't tell them!"
Kade reached out and stroked Laurie's blond head. "You have to, Laurie. This whole misunderstanding has gone on for too long. You have to clear it up. Evan has been dragged out of here in handcuffs; she spent the night in jail, and she's probably in a lot of trouble with her foster parents."
Laurie stared at her in shock. "I didn't want that," she said meekly.
"I know you didn't," Kade said. "But every minute you wait and don't tell your parents what happened only makes things worse for Evan. I know it's not easy to face your parents, but I promise to come with you and support you." Let's hope she won't parade "perfect Aunt Kade" around as a prime example of the successful lesbian in front of the whole family. At the thought, her stomach did a nervous flip she hadn't experienced in years. For a few seconds, Kade thought about asking Laurie not to mention what she had just told her. If Laurie mentioned Kade's sexual orientation to anyone else in the family, things could get complicated, and she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with it. Still, Kade knew making the request would only send the message that homosexuality was something you had to hide. She decided against asking Laurie to keep it to herself even though she knew the consequences it might have for herself. God, I'm really in for it now.
Laurie sniffled. "Can I come live with you if they throw me out?" she asked in all seriousness.
Only years of practice in keeping a neutral expression kept Kade from staring at her in shocked horror. She was determined to play a more active role in her niece's life in the future, but she wasn't ready to raise her. "They won't throw you out," she said, hoping she was right.
* * *
"You didn't have to drive me home," Kade said for the third time. "It's just a few blocks to my apartment."
A few blocks too many for Del's liking. After the scare on Friday night, she didn't want to tempt fate a second time. She stopped her car in front of Kade's building. "I told you it's not a problem."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure witnessing the Matheson family drama was exactly how you wanted to spend your Sunday," Kade replied sarcastically.
To tell the truth, Del could have done without all the yelling and crying, but the way Kade had stood up for her niece had been pretty impressive. If nothing else, it had proven that Kade, though from a very traditional family, was a fierce and well-informed defender of gay rights and in no way narrow-minded. "Well, for a second I thought I might have to restrain your brother, but all in all, they took it well. Compared to my parents' reaction when I came out to them, they were downright giddy about Laurie's confession."
"If you think that was giddy..." Kade shook her head. "What did your parents do? Tar and feather you?"
"My mother cried and prayed for a cure, and my father tried to 'beat it out of me.' Neither ha
d a lot of success," Del said with a chuckle.
Kade didn't laugh. "That's awful! Was there no one to stand up for you?"
"Nope. There was no brave Aunt Kade in my family," Del said, smiling. She didn't want to scare Kade with her coming out story, knowing that Kade was having enough trouble coming to terms with the possibility of being attracted to a woman as it was. She didn't need to be reminded of the consequences. "It's okay, Kade. I have a new family now even though we're not related by blood."
Kade just nodded, deeply in thought.
"You really made a difference for your niece today," Del said, trying to cheer up Kade, who had been strangely silent, worrying about something, since they left the house. "It took a lot of courage for her to face her parents and tell them she's gay. After she didn't give us a single sentence of explanation since Friday night, I didn't think she ever would. How did you get her to admit the truth?"
Kade turned her head, her blue-eyed gaze meeting Del's. "I told her she's not the only Matheson woman who is interested in women."
Del was glad that she had already stopped the car. Kade's statement was a surprise, as was the calm she projected. Del was convinced it was just an act. She couldn't believe Kade would be so cavalier about coming out to a member of her conservative family. "You're not talking about some distant cousin or something, are you? You really came out as bisexual to your niece?" Del asked, just to make sure.
"It was the only way to get her to tell the truth and to make her feel better about being a Matheson and gay," Kade said.
Del knew she was right, but still, she hadn't thought Kade would admit to even the remote possibility of finding another woman attractive. Maybe to herself or to Del, but not in front of her family. Hearing that Kade had taken that step was a pleasant surprise, but at the same time, it made her worry about Kade. "Are you ready to deal with the consequences?" she asked softly.
"No, I'm not," Kade admitted, her jaw a hard line as she gritted her teeth. "But it doesn't matter. Helping Laurie is all that mattered. I'm old enough to deal with whatever happens next, but she isn't. Not on her own." She reached out to open the passenger side door. "Thanks for driving me."
"Kade! Wait a minute, will you? There's something I want you to have." She had to laugh at Kade's almost scared expression. "Don't worry. It's not jewelry or another romantic gesture." Del leaned toward Kade and opened the glove compartment. "Here."
Kade stared down at the gun Del laid into her hands. "A gun?"
"It's the smallest and lightest nine millimeter ever made," Del explained. "It only weighs twenty-one ounces and has a ten-round magazine."
"Nice," Kade said and moved to hand it back.
Del refused to take it. "This is not an attempt to charm you with my weapons collection. I want you to keep it."
Kade studied it with a frown. "I'm a lawyer, Del, not a cop."
"A lawyer who is being stalked. If things escalate, I want you to have the means to defend yourself." After Friday night, Del was determined to do everything necessary to keep Kade safe.
Kade politely but energetically shook her head. "I appreciate your concern, but –"
I don't want your appreciation or your politeness. I want you to take the goddamn gun! "Kade, forget your pride for a moment," Del demanded. "Your pride won't protect you if push comes to shove. This gun will."
"I don't even have a permit to carry a concealed weapon," Kade said, still not picking up the gun that rested on her palm.
"I'll take care of that for you," Del promised.
"That's exactly what I don't want!" Kade exploded. "That's why I didn't want the police to know about this secret-admirer situation. I don't want anyone to think that I'm taking advantage of my position in the DA's office. I'm not above bending the rules to win a case, but I'm not willing to do it for private reasons."
Del felt anger bubble up in her too. Usually, she found Kade's stubbornness adorable, but right now, it was threatening her life. "You want this strictly by the book?" she asked, her voice barely controlled.
"Yes!" Kade's voice was sharp and definite, like a judge's gavel coming down for the final ruling.
"You want to take a firearms safety and training course, fill out a long and complicated form, submit it to the Sheriff's Office along with all the other paperwork they require, then you'll have your fingerprints and photo taken, and after that you'll wait for up to forty-five days for them to make a decision?" Del's fist hit the steering wheel in frustration. "It takes time to do this by the book – time you might not have!"
Kade tilted her head and looked down at the weapon in her hand. "You could get in trouble over this," she said quietly.
Del didn't hesitate. "That's why I only want you to use it if you have no other choice. If it can save your life, I'll gladly get in trouble for it."
They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Kade reluctantly curled her slender fingers around the gun's grip. "I've never fired a gun," she admitted.
Del breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Kade seemed to be giving in. "That's not a problem. I'll show you," she promised.
"When?" Kade asked.
"Right now?" Del was in no hurry to leave Kade. Not only did she enjoy spending time with Kade, but she also knew she'd only end up sitting in her car, watching the apartment, if they said good-bye now.
Kade raised an eyebrow at her. "Now?"
Del shrugged. "No time like the present, right?"
Finally, Kade nodded. "All right. I'll just have to make a quick call to Aiden."
She calls Carlisle on a Sunday? Del couldn't help it. Even knowing Aiden was in a committed relationship and Kade was nowhere near ready to act on her attraction to women, she felt a little jealous.
Kade flipped open her cell phone. "Aiden? Sorry to call you at home, but I have important news. I just talked to my niece." Kade listened for a few seconds, then frowned. "Call Ray? Why can't I tell you?" Again she listened, and her frown deepened. "What? That's just what I wanted to tell you. No, listen for a second, there is no case. It turns out all it was is two teenagers getting caught making out. Laurie was just too scared to tell her parents."
Kade explained a few details, then closed her cell phone. "That was weird," she murmured, more to herself than to Del.
"What?" Del asked as she started the car.
"Aiden didn't want to talk about the case. She told me to call Ray instead of her."
Del shrugged. "Maybe she just wants to spend a quiet, work-free Sunday with Dawn." Good for her. She better treat Dawn right and not neglect her. She had promised herself to keep an eye on Carlisle and make sure she made Dawn happy.
Kade shook her head, still frowning. "No, that's not it. She said she had taken herself off the case. I've never known her to do something like that, and God knows we've had our fair share of tough cases."
That's odd, Del silently agreed. If Carlisle was anything like Del, she would never willingly hand over one of her cases – and definitely not this case. "She didn't tell you why?"
"No, but she seemed very relieved to hear that the case is closed and all charges dismissed," Kade said, deep in thought.
"Well, with her caseload, one less case is a good thing, right? Especially since it means your niece isn't the victim of a horrible crime. Of course Carlisle would be glad about that. That woman cares about you, Kade." Sometimes maybe a bit too much for my liking.
That comment clearly made Kade uncomfortable, and she quickly changed the topic. "So where are you taking me?"
"Our first stop is the shooting range," Del said even as she stopped the car in front of the building.
Kade didn't get out of the car. "First stop?" she repeated.
"Well, after your first shooting lesson, I'm gonna take you out to lunch." Del had been with Kade all day and knew she hadn't eaten a single bite. She didn't like what she had seen of Kade's eating habits so far. Kade never took the time to eat. Del would bet her paycheck on the fact that Kade's breakfasts consisted of a hastil
y gulped-down coffee while she went over her notes for the day's trial. Midday recesses were probably used for preparing witnesses for their testimony, and her working lunches with other lawyers were ninety-nine percent work and only one percent lunch.
Kade indignantly stared at her over the rim of her glasses. "You're gonna take me out to lunch? Excuse me, but don't I get a say in the matter?"
Don't give her the feeling of being driven into a corner, idiot! "Of course you do. You get to choose where we go. That's only fair since you're going to pick up the check as a thank-you for your shooting lesson," Del said with a charming grin. There was no way Kade could refuse now without appearing impolite and ungrateful. And if Del had learned one thing about the Matheson family today, it was that they taught their children to uphold appearances.