# Learning to Trust

### By Jules Matthews

Part 6

Chapter 11

Later never arrived for the two women. The beginning of the week at work for Taryn had been extremely busy advising students on what classes to sign up for. Whenever she’d visited Jace’s office the woman had never been there. Jane had been quite evasive as to Jace’s whereabouts, and by the time Thanksgiving vacation rolled around, Taryn had become increasingly frustrated. Her disposition hadn’t been helped by the impending visit to her former home. In preparation, she had filled JJ and Cory in on her relationship with Patrick, and warned them ahead of time that he might not be receptive to their visit. She had even offered her roommates an opportunity to skip the meal, but both women had been determined to support Taryn.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Taryn." Cory muttered as she headed for the kitchen. "You’re up early. How long have you been awake?"

The blonde ruffled her own sleep tussled hair. "A few hours. I couldn’t sleep." She piled her books neatly, clearing a space in case Cory wanted to sit down. "At least some chapters in my textbooks got read. You’d have thought one of those would have cured my sleeping problem."

Cory switched the kettle on, "Fancy a cuppa? Tea is the solution to any problem."

"Thanks. Are you sure about today? I know I keep asking, but it might not be a pleasant day. I don’t want to ruin your Thanksgiving."

Cory walked over to Taryn and put her arm around the obviously upset woman. "Taryn, I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving, so what’s to spoil? I also know JJ was honored to be asked. Her father’s never been one for celebrating the holidays and they usually just end up at her aunt’s house. She’s excited to meet your little cousins." Cory moved away from Taryn, unsure of whether to proceed with her thoughts. "I’m thinking that if Patrick sees your friends and family supporting you, he’ll at least realize he’s outnumbered and shut up, or if he does have a go at you, then I’m sure you’ll be able to stand up to him. My granddad used to recite the old saying to me: ‘sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you’. I don’t care what Patrick says about my relationship with JJ, or what he thinks of me, I’m going to be there for you, and I admire the fact that you’re willing to face your past."

Taryn wiped an errant tear. She hated crying. Cory’s words had touched her so much. "Thanks, Cory. I hope JJ realizes how lucky she is."

Cory kissed the side of Taryn’s face. "She does. Now go and get in the shower before we’re late and he really will have something to moan about. I’m going to see if I can drag my beautiful girl’s ass out of bed."

**

Jace basted the turkey for the umpteenth time that morning. She had insisted on cooking this year. It was her contribution to the family holiday. She wanted to show Jane how thankful she was for their friendship. The appetizers were all prepared and cooling in the fridge. She had settled on several choices: sautéed shrimp, asparagus, and an artichoke, each with its own dip. She set about peeling the mass of potatoes that Jane had selected. Her mind wandered back to the previous weekend, and her admission to Taryn. They hadn’t managed to talk about it all week. She had seen Taryn once in a staff meeting, and had hoped to talk to her at the end of it. But as the meeting had closed, Jace had been cornered by Patty, and then subjected to an additional hour discussing the special procedures needed for special education students who were required to take final exams. When she’d finally gotten out of that encounter, Taryn had already left for class. The previous day, meetings had monopolized all of her time. Jace had finally managed to get some time in the Center, and had been desperate to talk to Taryn before the family meal, but classes had already been dismissed at noon for the two-day break, and Jace had missed seeing Taryn as she had left early. She didn’t even know why she was worrying so much. It wasn’t like Taryn was going to be prejudice against her; in fact she hoped it would make them closer. There was just something niggling in Jace’s mind that she couldn’t settle.

Taylor running into the kitchen interrupted her concentration. "Is Taryn here, Auntie Jace?"

"No, buddy. She’s due soon though, I promise. Did you finishing setting the table?"

"Yeah. Mom says she’s very proud of me. Do you think Taryn will be proud of me?"

Jace smiled at the young boy, his hero worship of Taryn evident in his beseeching expression.

"I’m sure she will. Where are Josie and your mother?"

"They’re dressing Tom. Mom says we have to put our dress clothes on. Josie’s wearing a pretty dress. Do you like my new pants? Dad helped me buy them yesterday. You look pretty, Auntie Jace, but don’t girls have to wear dresses?"

Jace was flattered by Taylor’s observation. She had been especially careful when deciding what to wear. Maybe it was because she was more conscious that Taryn might be looking at her differently. She wanted to appear attractive to her. The black pants hugged her butt, and were cut to hang straight down. To protect her clothing from grease, Jace had worn one of Jane’s kitchen aprons. Underneath the apron, a deep blue woolen sweatshirt, embroidered with the small Ralph Lauren teddy bear, hugged her body helping to accent her slight bosom. The final touch were her mother’s sapphire earrings that sparkled in the kitchen light. Jace hoped she still looked as good after all the cooking was done. She returned her thoughts to Taylor’s question. "Girls don’t have to wear dresses, Taylor. Josie likes wearing dresses, I don’t. Hey, do you want to help me peel these potatoes?"

"Sure." The young boy said and climbed up onto a counter stool. "I hope Taryn’s feeling better today. She was in a real bad mood on Monday. Mom said I just had to be nice to her because it was that time of month." He fiddled with one of the potatoes and then looked up at the woman that always told him the truth. "Auntie Jace, what did she mean?"

Jace couldn’t help but express amusement at the innocent question. She also wanted to wring Jane’s neck. These questions were not supposed to be answered by someone that had no parenting experience. "Err…well, have you talked in school about the differences between boys and girls?"

Taylor’s eyes widened. "Kind of…oh Auntie Jace is this going to be a yucky, mushy talk?"

"I’ll try not to make it that bad." She smiled at the boy’s innocence. "It’s just when a girl grows up she has more natural chemicals moving around her body. These are called hormones, Taylor. These hormones can increase at a certain time of month and cause a woman to be a little grumpy." Jace grabbed her soda can and took a sip. When there were no questions asked, Jace assumed that Taylor’s curiosity had been satisfied and they went back to peacefully peeling and chopping potatoes.

Jane was ecstatic, when she finally managed to get into the kitchen, seeing Taylor helping Jace with the meal. "Good boy, Taylor. Your dad will be so proud of you. Did you have fun?"

The young boy nodded. "Auntie Jace gave me a cookie for helping and she told me about the time of month thing."

Jane stifled a laugh and looked at her best friend. "She did, huh? Well, how about you go and watch TV with Josie and Tom, and I’ll help Auntie Jace with the cooking. Taryn should be arriving any minute, you could watch for her from the living room window. Just be careful not to knock any of the plants over." Jane waited for her son to leave the kitchen. "You told him about that time of month?"

Jace shrugged. "He mentioned Taryn’s mood on Monday. You had told him it was probably that time of month and he was curious. It was no big deal. I didn’t go too deeply into it. Just do me a favor and warn me next time."

Jane laughed wickedly, "Oh, I would have paid to hear that little explanation." Seeing the scowl on Jace’s face, she tried unsuccessfully to act serious. "So, what did you tell him?"

"Hormones. I explained that women had chemicals called hormones in their bodies and that’s why they get moody. Not very technical, but he’s only seven. Was Taryn really in a bad mood because of her period?" Jace asked.

Jane peeked a look into the oven. The turkey was covered in aluminum foil. "I don’t know. She just wasn’t very talkative even by Taryn’s standards. I was afraid she was going to back out of today. Did she talk to you?"

Jace humorously budged Jane away from the oven and attended to the potatoes that were boiling in the pot. "I’m not sure what everyone likes, so I’m making mashed, roasted and boiled. Is that okay?"

"Sure. Can I do anything?"

"You can pour me a glass of wine, it’s midday so I think it’s an acceptable time to have alcohol. I’m all sorted and everything is prepared. As for Taryn I haven’t spoken to her properly since Saturday."

Jane’s interest was piqued about the elusive Saturday night outing. "How did that go?" She asked as she passed a glass of wine to the chef, and went back to sit on the seat her son had vacated for her. "I didn’t get a chance to ask Taryn. It’s been so busy at work. I think I only saw her twice. On Monday evening, she was in and out of here, as fast as lightning, no chat or anything. Do you think she misses Marti?"

Jace was trying to process all the questions Jane had asked. "She seemed okay on Saturday. In fact, we got on very well. She talked about Marti and I don’t doubt she misses her company, but it sounded very final to me. Oh…and I told her I was gay."

Jane choked back her wine; surprised at the casual way her friend dropped the topic into the conversation. "You did? Wow…that’s great! I’m sure Taryn will be able to give you some really useful advice and aid you in this new experience. What did she say?"

Jace chortled. "Spoken like a true counselor. She didn’t say anything. We were alone for a while and got into a little heart-to-heart, but at the worst moment possible, the others rejoined us, and the conversation ended. She said we’d talk later, but the way this week has been we never got an opportunity. I probably wouldn’t have said anything at work anyway; you know how thin the walls are at our place. I was hoping to talk a little more with her tonight if we got the chance. It’s hard to see her out of work without making some sort of excuse. Even though I told her the other day to consider me a friend out of work, I still have to remember that she is an employee and a student. I know I shouldn’t be encouraging the friendship, but I can’t stop myself."

"Jace, just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve obviously bonded with Taryn and she has with you. I can tell by her body language she’s definitely more relaxed around you. Soon you’ll feel as comfortable inviting Taryn out as you do me. Try not to focus on the other stuff. I mean, so what if she’s an employee. Technically so am I, but you vacation with me and spend all your time here. As for being a student, I’m pretty sure the rule is more for faculty staff and if the student was an undergraduate. Taryn is a full-grown woman, as I know you are well aware. Just concentrate on the friendship, and I’m sure the rest will come." Her soliloquy was interrupted by a simultaneous knock at the door, and squeal of joy from her middle child. Jane squeezed Jace’s arm and left the tall bewildered woman to her own thoughts.

Jane wandered down the hallway and smiled in delight as she saw her children greet the guests. "Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for coming."

"Jane, your house is beautiful!" Cory exclaimed as she took in the expanse of the house. "It’s as big on the inside as it is on the out. My mother would love this old style wooden house."

Jane accepted the compliments. "Here, hand me your jackets and I’ll give you a tour." She took the coats and gently pulled her daughter and son off their cousin. "Kids, let Taryn get in the door." She kissed her niece lovingly on the cheek.

Taryn hugged Jane to her. "Happy Thanksgiving. The house looks awesome. It never changes."

Jane could see Taryn was nervous. Her eyes kept searching the rooms off to the side of the hall. "Relax. He’s not here. Bill took him to the Pool Club. We figured it was better to supervise Patrick’s drinking than leave him to get plastered on his own. They’re due back in about an hour. I’m going to give these two ladies a tour, you can go and keep Jace company in the kitchen, unless you want to sit with the kids and watch Toy Story again."

Taryn watched as her aunt led her friends away. She peeked into the living room and caught Tom’s gaze as he sat quietly on the sofa, his brother and sister on either side. "Hey, little guy. Do you want to go and see Auntie Jace?" She watched with delight as the little boy clambered off the couch.

"Dantie Dace. Kitchen." He ran toward Taryn and jumped into her open arms.

Taryn felt a little safer. She was nervous meeting Jace. Holding Tom made her feel stronger and she walked confidently to the kitchen. She leaned against the doorpost, and watched the tall woman as she placed potatoes around the pale looking turkey. The woman looked so out of character wearing an apron that asked people to ‘kiss the cook’. She watched as Jace stepped away from the oven, and whispered conspiratorially in Tom’s ear. They crept quietly into the kitchen and as they got within range of the oblivious raven haired woman, Taryn nodded at Tom. They both lunged at the tall woman and kissed Jace on the cheek.

"Shit!" Jace dropped the egg she was carrying, and wiped the slobber off her cheek. "You scared me." She turned gleaming, wide eyes on the toddler. "Tom, you never heard me mutter that word. Your mother will kill me if she knows I’m teaching you bad language." Then she turned an ice-cool gaze on the young woman who held the laughing boy in her arms. "As for you, Murphy, revenge will be oh so sweet. You won’t know when, and you won’t know how, but one day I will get you back." She winked to show she was just joking. In fact, she was very relieved that Taryn had broken the ice between them.

Taryn’s sides ached from laughing. "I’m sorry…we didn’t mean to scare you. It was all Tom’s idea. He read the apron and decided to follow the directive. He talked me into it!" She was inherently pleased that Jace wasn’t mad at her practical joke.

Jace continued to wipe her cheek. She wished she’d realized who was kissing her; she would have memorized the moment. "Well, I just hope you kiss better than your cousin. He’s a real drooler! Come here, you little buster." She grabbed for Tom and tickled his sides, eliciting more giggles out of the happy boy. "You look very handsome. Would you like a cookie?"

"Pease." Tom’s eyes lit up as he heard one of his favorite words, "hungwy."

Taryn smiled as her cousin grabbed the cookie out of Jace’s hands. "I’m hungry too, Auntie Jace. Do I get a cookie?"

Jace put her hand back in the cookie jar and selected a chocolate chip one for Taryn. "If you say the magic word. Tom, can you tell Taryn the magic word?" Jace dangled the cookie in front of Taryn, holding the toddler on her left hip.

"Pease. Say pease, Wyn." The youngster implored. "Cookie for me?"

"What do you say?"

"Pease."

"Good boy, you have better manners than your cousin." Jace tweaked Tom’s nose and gave him the cookie she had gotten out for Taryn.

"No fair. That was my cookie." Taryn pretended to pout. She was enjoying this playful side of Jace, and knew she’d made the right choice in bringing Thomas into the kitchen with her. "Please, Auntie Jace, may I have a cookie?" She simpered in her best Girl Scout voice.

"Good girl." She grabbed a second cookie and passed it to Taryn. "Don’t go spoiling your appetite. I’ve been slaving in this kitchen for hours!"

Taryn surveyed the kitchen. The aroma coming from the oven was delectable and the sight of all the different types of cookies and cakes made her mouth water. She hadn’t realized Jace would be their chef for the day. In fact, she had never really considered Jace’s culinary skills. "I didn’t know you could cook!" She watched Jace trying to balance Tom against her side, while draining the squash at the same time.

Jace turned around obviously having problems multi-tasking. "There are a lot of things you don’t know about me. We found that out on Saturday…" She winked at Taryn. "Here, take this little man back. I don’t know how mothers do this juggling act."

Taryn reclaimed Tom and settled onto a chair. She wasn’t sure if the quip about Saturday had been a jibe or a serious comment. She decided to take it as Jace’s attempt to bring up the subject subtly. "Is Saturday’s conversation still to be continued?"

Jace continued to drain the vegetables. She was purposefully taking her time, in order to avoid Taryn’s eyes. She knew she had to answer the question, but even though she’d told Jane she wanted to talk more to Taryn, it was a very different feeling having Taryn ask. After another few moments of hesitation, Jace had made a decision. "Sure it is, within reason."

Within reason! Taryn was immediately interested in Jace’s choice of words. Sensing that it was not the best time to begin a deep conversation, and knowing that she only had just under an hour to enjoy everyone’s company before Patrick arrived home, Taryn decided to just comply with Jace’s wishes. "I’m looking forward to it. Look, I’m going to get this little guy out of the kitchen while you’re pouring hot liquids. If you need any help, just yell."

Taryn swung Tom in the air as she walked back to the living room. Cory and JJ were just coming through from the dining room, and she grinned at their open mouths. "Big house, huh?"

"Huge!" Cory mouthed. "My whole family could live here."

Jane laughed. "That was the original idea behind the house. Of course, back in my great grandfather’s day they tended to have more children. The kids love it as they all have their own bedrooms and a play area."

JJ glanced at Taryn, unsure whether to proceed with her comments. "I like your old bedroom, Taryn. It must be cool to have a double shower and Jacuzzi bath."

Taryn bristled at the mention of her old room. She had shared the bathroom with her mother and remembered the days when she was a lot younger, and had bathed with her mother. "Mom enjoyed it. It helped her to relax. Jace has done a great job in the kitchen. Tom and I were very impressed. We’re going to watch the end of the movie."

JJ watched Taryn go into the television room, and then looked at Cory and shrugged her apologies. She knew by the look on Taryn’s face and the hint of sadness in her voice that she had made the wrong choice in mentioning the room. Deciding not to dwell on the subject, she turned to Jane and thanked her for the tour. "We’ll just go and keep out of mischief with your kids."

"That sounds good. I’ll bring some drinks in." Jane walked down the hall shaking her head. She had seen Taryn’s reaction to JJ’s innocent comment. She just hoped the rest of the day proved successful. She checked her watch. Bill had promised to get Patrick home by one. That left thirty minutes to help Jace in the kitchen.

Jace smiled as she saw Jane enter the kitchen. "Just in time to help me get the turkey out. I think it’s done, the popper shot up anyways. If we wrap it in some more foil it should continue to cook." Together the two women lifted the turkey out of the tray, and placed it on the carving tray. Jace left Jane to wrap the succulent bird up, and placed the cooking tray back in the oven, turning the oven up a little higher to crisp the roast potatoes a little more. She had already mashed some of the potatoes and the squash. The rest of the vegetables were steaming slowly on the stovetop and it was time to get the appetizers out of the fridge. "Jane, do you want the appetizers on the table or in the living room?"

"I’ll put them in the living room. The others can snack while we wait for the guys. They shouldn’t be much longer. Did you see Taryn?"

"Yes. She popped in with Tom. He looks very cute in his suit. I wonder how long that will last!" The shutting of the front door and male voices made her look toward the door. "I guess they came home early."

Jane’s face paled. When she had first told Patrick about Taryn coming to dinner, Patrick hadn’t said anything. Jane had taken this as a good sign, but earlier that morning when Jane had reminded him, Patrick had just sworn at her and accused her of meddling. Then he had grabbed a glass and his bottle of Jack Daniels, and stormed out of the kitchen. It had been then that Bill had promised to watch Patrick. Jane looked at Jace for reassurance. When she saw her friend smile encouragement, Jane sucked in a deep breath and went out to the hallway. She caught her husband’s wink and hugged him to her. "Where’s Patrick?"

Bill pulled his wife closer to his body. "He went upstairs to change."

Jane nodded. "I can see why, you smell of smoke. What mood is he in?"

Bill released Jane and hung his jacket on the regular hook. "Hard to tell. He made some comments about letting queers into the house and influencing the little ones. But he also joked about work and met some friends. He did cut back on his drinking, but more because his funds were running low. I agreed to pay for his breakfast but not his beer."

"Thank you for going with him. Jace has been wonderful in the kitchen. You’ve got twenty minutes to clean up." She kissed Bill passionately on the lips. "I love you, honey. Now scoot upstairs. I’ll thank you properly later."

**

Jace carried the turkey into the dining room, followed by Jane who held two vegetable dishes in her hands, and a bottle of red wine under her arm. Taryn was behind her with three bowls of potatoes balanced in her hands. Cory brought in the cranberry sauce, gravy, and a bottle of white wine. JJ followed the other women with the remaining bowls of corn and squash. After Jane and Jace had arranged the food on the large family table, the younger women went back into the living room, and each woman collected a child. Taylor had already decided who was sitting by whom. He had helped Josie make name cards. Jace smiled when she saw that he had given her a seat on the other side of Taryn, with Tom on her left. Bill was placed at the head of the table, and Patrick at the opposite end. Jace let out a silent sigh when she saw Taryn and Patrick were nowhere near each other. JJ sat opposite Jace and the slightly shorter woman grinned back at her.

"You cook up a great looking turkey, Jace. I’m salivating just looking at it." JJ looked to her right and saw an average sized man standing in the doorway. He had wet, slightly thinning, and to some extent curly blonde hair, JJ knew who he was by the wide brown eyes. She looked unconsciously at Taryn.

Bill came up behind his brother-in-law, "Come on, Patrick. I’m starving. Good afternoon, ladies. It’s very nice to meet you finally."

"Some ladies." Patrick mumbled, as he walked to his seat, forcing a smile onto his face.

Jace hadn’t seen this side to Patrick. Whenever she’d been around, he had always been quite charming, except for the one drunken evening, but now she could see the deep furrows on his forehead and the sullen stare. She noticed that he had yet to make eye contact with Taryn. Now that they were both in the same room, Jace could see the similarities between Patrick and Taryn. The hair coloring, the eyes, and Taryn had Patrick’s lips. There was no denying that the pair was related. Jace could feel the tension rising in the room and most of it was emanating from her right side. She scanned her eyes casually over the other members of the table. Josie was busy chatting to Cory about the pilgrims, and what she had learned at school. JJ hadn’t stopped glaring at Patrick. It was obvious the dark haired woman had heard the mumble from Patrick, as he’d entered the room. Jane was trying to communicate non-verbally to her husband about cutting the turkey. Jace couldn’t see Taylor through Taryn’s body, but she could hear him telling Taryn about how well he had set the table. Jace checked to make sure Tom was sitting securely in his chair that was attached to the tabletop, and then she subtly dropped her hand to Taryn’s leg and gave it a quick squeeze.

Taryn felt the reassuring touch and looked briefly to her left. She caught Jace’s concerned gaze and tried to muster up all her strength to smile. "Thanks." She whispered. She summoned all her inner strength and turned to face her uncle. "Uncle Bill, I’d like you meet my new roommates." She waved her hand toward Cory. "This is Cory, who works with Jane, Jace and I. And the person who is the spitting image of Jace is her partner JJ." Taryn heard Patrick’s coughing as soon as she mentioned the word partner. For the first time since Patrick had walked into the room, Taryn made eye contact with him. The antagonistic glare she received curdled her blood. She took a deep breath, and continued with her introductions. "JJ and Cory, this is my…this is Patrick Walton."

Cory could sense the hostility in the room, and she gulped down her nervousness. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Walton." When she received no response she turned to Jane, "Thank you for inviting us today, Jane. I’m quite excited to be spending my first Thanksgiving in America."

Deciding that things could only get worse if they were delayed any longer, Bill stood up and took his oldest son’s hand and on his other side, one of his daughter’s. "Let’s hold hands and give thanks for this gracious meal."

Jace took Taryn’s hand in hers. She closed her fingers around Taryn’s and gently stoked the fingers, trying to coax the tension out of the other woman. On the other side of her, she held Tom’s wet hand and was pleased to see that Patrick had joined in the blessing. After the grace was spoken, Jace found that she didn’t want to release Taryn’s hand. She liked the soft texture and found herself tracing one of the veins on the top of it. When her fingertips reached the edge of Taryn’s fingers, Jace let go of them, and gave Taryn a meek smile. "I hope the food is okay. It’s the first time I’ve cooked for this many people."

"It looks great, Jace." JJ commented.

"Yes, you’ve done an excellent job." Jane threw in. "Now dig in everybody, don’t be shy!"

Taryn was relieved when everyone managed to get through the main course without any comments from Patrick. She had felt his piercing stare throughout most of the meal, but had refused to look his way. She had concentrated her conversation on Taylor, and had been pleased that the young child had plenty of chatter to keep her attention off her scowling father.

Jace had also been observing Patrick. He had steadfastly refused to talk to JJ and Cory. Neither woman had seemed concerned about this fact. JJ had been quite content in talking to Jane about her new computer, and Cory seemed to have bonded well with Josie and Bill. Jace had spent most of the meal eating with one hand, and helping Tom with his. The toddler had eaten a little turkey and some mashed potato, but he had refused to take any of the squash. Jace had been watching how much alcohol Patrick had been drinking. He seemed to be treating the table wine like water. Her attention was drawn back to Tom when she heard him squeal with glee. Her heart sank when she saw what the tot was doing with his leftover squash. "Tom! No!" She was too late, and all she could do was watch the squash sail through the air, and land with a splatter on Patrick’s white shirt.

Instinctively, Patrick stumbled to his feet. "You little shit!" The drunken man growled, as he stared down at the orange stain.

Jace glared at Patrick, the words she was about to speak cut off when she heard Taryn’s voice. "Don’t swear at him like that. He’s just a kid."

Patrick met Taryn’s glare. "Who gave you permission to tell me what to do? I don’t take orders from perverts like you! I never have and I never will!" He spat the words in Taryn’s direction.

Bill stood up. "Patrick, either shut up, or leave this table before I do something I’ll regret." Bill had risen to his feet. "Jane, I think the kids can eat their dessert in the kitchen."

Patrick was incensed. Not only had his sister invited these deviants to sit at his table, but he was now being told what to do in his own home. "Bill, I’ll do what the fuck I like in my own home. If you kept more control over your own wife and kids this would never have happened."

Jane followed her husband’s request, and with Cory’s help she managed to get the children into the kitchen. "Cory, I hate to ask you, but would you mind staying in here and giving the kids some ice cream?"

"No problem, Jane. I’m sure Josie can help me. She seems such a grown up girl." Her comment was met by a big grin from Josie.

Taylor’s eyes had become teary. The young boy was obviously distressed about the argument. "Why is Uncle Patrick shouting at Taryn? It wasn’t her fault Tom threw his food."

Jane kissed her sensitive son, "I know, honey. I’m going to go back in and make sure everyone’s okay. Will you be a big boy for me and help Cory look after Tom?" She kissed all three of her kids and rubbed a hand over Cory’s back. Then she left the children and Cory in the kitchen, and returned to the dining room. As far as she could tell, nothing else had been said or done since her departure. Everyone looked to be at a stand off. She reclaimed her seat, and addressed JJ. "Cory is going to stay in the kitchen with the kids." Deciding that she couldn’t hold her tongue anymore, she turned her anger on Patrick. "I warned you not to use that kind of language around my children. I’m sorry for what Tom did to you, but was your outburst really necessary?"

Patrick retaliated and turned his own temper on Jane. "I warned you not to let her back in this house. She’s bad news…always has been and always will be! Things were fine until she walked back through the door. She should have stayed away like her whore of a mother."

Taryn shot out of her seat before Jace could react, and raced toward Patrick, murder on her mind. "You, bastard. You can’t even leave my poor mother out of it even when she’s dead!" She swung a fist at Patrick, but her arm was caught before she connected with his jaw. She turned and saw Jace standing behind her. "Let me go, Jace! He’s had this coming! All those fucking years he made my life and my mother’s miserable! I just want to wipe that smug smile off his face." She turned angry eyes back to Patrick and leaned in as close as she dared. "I know what you really are! She told me what you did to her!" Taryn took in a lungful of air, and then spat in Patrick’s face. "You’re an evil sonofabitch…" The words were barely in the air, when she felt the fist connect to her cheek. She fell to the floor, a black fog swirling in front of her eyes.

All eyes glared at Patrick. "You bastard!" Jace grabbed at Patrick and was relieved to see JJ on her feet and standing next to Patrick, holding him back. "She’d better be okay, otherwise I will come after you, and I swear I’ll make you pay!" Jace’s blood was boiling, and she found it hard to control her rage. She looked at Jane as she knelt beside her niece. Sobs racking her usually composed features.

"Ryn? Ryn, wake up? Come on, honey, for me."

Jace looked at blue ice chips glinting in JJ’s eyes, and could tell JJ was reflecting her own feelings. Summoning up all her control, she turned to Jane’s husband who seemed to be unsure of what to do. "Bill. I suggest you kick this drunken excuse for a human being out of the house before JJ and I do something we’ll regret."

Patrick hadn’t said a word. He had been too shocked at seeing his fist connect with Taryn’s face. He had meant to hurt her, but not knock her out. "You people disgust me! I warned Jane about letting her back in!" He swung around and tried to pull his arm out of JJ’s vice like grip. "Get your fucking queer hands off me, you pervert. You’re all the same! Unnatural! No one throws me out of my own damn home!" The strength that came through the tall woman’s hand scared him. He hadn’t felt a woman that strong. No one had ever resisted him.

JJ clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth. "You can either leave, or I will call 911. As I see it, there are four witnesses here who saw you hit her. As you said when you walked in the room, I’m no lady and I’m pretty sure I could wipe the floor with your little drunken piss-ant body!" Her hand squeezed even further around the forearm of the intoxicated man. She could see fear begin to cloud his eyes.

"She started it!" Patrick mumbled.

"And I am finishing it. The choice is yours!" She flicked her spare hand to her waistband and pulled her cell phone off her belt. "I’m pretty sure the local police will be pissed to have their Thanksgiving dinner interrupted because you couldn’t control your drinking or your temper."

Jace looked on amazed at the confidence and strength radiating from the hockey player. She backed away from Patrick, when she saw the man head toward the door with Bill and JJ in tow. Only then did Jace kneel down beside Taryn. She could see the blonde’s cheek swelling where his fist had connected with the soft skin. Taryn’s chest rose and dropped regularly, confirming that she was still breathing. Jane was holding Taryn’s left hand and whispering in her ear. "Jane, we need to get some ice on the swelling. If she doesn’t come around we’ll need to get the paramedics here."

"No…"

Jace looked at the injured woman’s face and was relieved to see Taryn’s eyes flutter open. "Hey there. You scared us!"

Taryn could feel a pounding like drums continually beating in her head. "What happened?" She tried to move and then winced when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her muddled brain."

Jane continued to stroke Taryn’s hair. "You got hit, honey. I’m going to get an ice pack. Stay still until I return."

Jace took one of Taryn’s hands and squeezed it reassuringly. "What are we going to do with you, huh? Always getting yourself into trouble!" She wiped Taryn’s short bangs away from her face and rested her hand against Taryn’s clammy forehead.

"Where is everyone?" Taryn croaked. Her eyes were beginning to focus more on her surroundings. She could see the room was empty and her attention returned to Jace’s blue eyes. She could see how concerned Jace was. "I’m fine…just a splitting headache. Am I bleeding?"

Jace shook her head. Now that the atmosphere had calmed down, she realized how scared she had been for Taryn, and how close she had come to violence herself. "No…you’re too hard-headed to bleed!" She smiled trying to relieve the tension. " Do you think you can sit up?"

Taryn tried, but her limbs felt like jelly. "If you help me, I should be okay." She felt one of Jace’s hands under her neck, and the other around her waist. They worked together and Taryn was soon sitting on the dining room floor.

"How’s your head?" Jace was concerned that Taryn still wasn’t fully alert to her surroundings.

"Hurts a little. I think I banged the back of it on the floor. I can’t believe I let that bastard hit me again!" Not realizing she had let slip a secret only she knew.

Jace heard the words, but decided not to question Taryn. She was too worried about the here and now. She looked up as Jane entered the room.

"Here put this on her cheek." Jane was pleased to see Taryn sitting up. "Should we take her to the ER?"

"I’m okay, Jane. I promise. Nothing a few headache pills and a little rest won’t cure. Where are the kids?" Taryn hoped the children hadn’t witnessed the scene.

"They’re still in the kitchen with Cory. Josie’s been helping Taylor make weird creations with cookies, cake, and ice cream." She placed the cold compression gently against Taryn’s cheek as she spoke.

Jace had yet to let go of Taryn. She didn’t want to. After getting Taryn to a sitting position, Jace had moved behind the injured woman to support her back. Her arms were wrapped around Taryn’s waist and she had pulled the smaller woman into her body until Taryn had her head resting on Jace’s chest. "Where’s…Patrick?"

Jane looked up. "JJ and Bill are upstairs with him. He’s not staying here tonight. Bill’s packing him a bag."

Taryn stared incredulously at her aunt. "JJ’s upstairs with him?"

Feeling the body tense in her arms, Jace bent down and whispered reassurance in Taryn’s ear. "She’ll be okay. JJ was the one who took Patrick on. I think she scared him, because she sure scared me. I thought I was the ice queen, but JJ takes that crown. Now I know why students look like they’re about to pee their pants when I’m angry! Her eyes took on this amazing white color and her body strength was phenomenal."

Jane laughed, breaking the tense atmosphere. "You were pretty intimidating yourself. I tell you, Taryn, you had two tall, dark and deadly warriors in this room protecting you. How does your head feel now?"

Taryn tried moving her head. It hurt a little less. She carefully put her fingers to the back of her head and felt around, a little embarrassed when her hand brushed against the swell of Jace’s breast. "I think I’ll live. There’s a bump the size of an egg on the back, but nothing I haven’t had before."

Jace tried not to wriggle as she felt the innocent fingers against her body. Her body tingled as Taryn rubbed against her breast. She felt the skin under her sweater tighten and respond. Desperately needing to get away from the innocent teasing fingers, Jace moved slightly backward, relieved when her body and breathing returned to normal. The pulsating she had been feeling in-between her legs lessened. "I think we should get you into the living room and onto the sofa. Do you think you’re up to walking?"

Taryn was oblivious to the effect her wandering hand had had on Jace. She had felt Jace move away, but had just assumed the tall woman was uncomfortable sitting for so long on the floor. "I can manage it. Jane, just help me to my feet." She pulled against Jane’s hand, and together they got her to a standing position. Taryn stood still, waiting for the dizziness to stop. She felt Jace come up behind her and put arms under her own. She experienced a sense of safety, and she leaned into the tall woman, as they walked toward the living room.

**

Cory pulled JJ into a fierce hug. "I heard what you did. Thank you for protecting Taryn."

JJ snuggled into Cory’s neck and drank in the smell of her lover. "I was scared shitless, but something just exploded inside of me. If it hadn’t been me, I’m sure Jace would have ripped the guy’s head off. How’s Taryn?"

"Resting on the couch. Taylor hasn’t left her side. What happened to Patrick?"

JJ released Cory and ran her fingers through her long mane of black hair, the events of the horrid afternoon replaying in her head. "We drove him to a small motel and checked him in. Bill warned him not to step foot back in the house until Saturday. The guy was wasted. I would have just kicked the drunk onto the street, but Bill wouldn’t let me. He didn’t want Jane to have to deal with bailing her brother out of jail, and the subsequent court case."

Cory shook her head. "I’m sorry, J. I didn’t realize the magnitude of hatred between Taryn and her father."

JJ pulled her girlfriend back into her arms. "Hey, this is not your fault. Taryn warned us that things could turn nasty. I thought she meant name calling, but things just escalated. How are you doing?"

Cory wiped an errant tear. "I’m a little shocked. I didn’t realize he’d hit Taryn until Jane came in for an ice pack. We heard the raised voices, but I was trying to keep the kids’ attention off of it. We pretended we were an ice cream vender and made up our own desserts. Speaking of which, Josie made you one. It’s in the freezer." The blonde kissed her girlfriend on the lips. "I’m proud of you, J. Do you think we should stay?"

JJ went to the freezer and opened the door. She took out the dish that held various different ice creams and cookies. She set the dish on the counter top and looked over at Cory. "Do you want to go home?"

Cory shook her head. "Not really. I think the rest of the day can be rescued. Taryn could do with her friends and family around her. I just wanted to see what you thought."

JJ grabbed a spoon, and began tapping the frozen dessert. "I think you’re right. Taryn needs to see that we support her. If we leave now, she’ll be too embarrassed to face us at home. Let’s go and see the wounded soldier."

Chapter 12

Taryn felt herself surface from her dream. She could hear whispered words, but couldn’t make any sense of it all. The words just didn’t fit into her own schema and understanding of the English language. Geez, I must have taken more than a small hit to the head, she thought. Curious to find out more, she opened one bleary eye and scanned the living room. Her eye settled on Jace, who was cuddling Tom in the rocking chair. Nobody else was in the room and Taryn closed her eye, not wanting to interrupt the intimate moment Jace was sharing with her godson. She lay there and listened for a while; Jace’s calm voice was helping to sooth the mild headache that was pounding a staccato in her head. She tried to focus on the soft words Jace was murmuring to her cousin.

"Come on, little guy, it’s time for bed. Settle down, we don’t want to wake up Ryn. She’s sleeping." Jace gazed into dark brown eyes that fought the realms of Morpheus. She swayed and hummed a little more, studying the young boy’s expressions. "That’s it, copy Ryn." Jace rocked the chair slightly watching as Tom’s eyes rolled in his head. He had been fighting his tiredness all afternoon, and had thrown a temper tantrum when Jane had tried to feed him his evening snack. Jace had volunteered to sit and watch over Taryn while she slept, and she had suggested to Jane that Tom might benefit from the lack of distractions. He had dropped off to sleep a few times, but always woke up when she stopped singing. She looked over at Taryn, noting that the younger woman had not moved. Rubbing Tom’s tummy, Jace began her favorite childhood lullaby. "Aíde, aíde, kimísou, kórí mou, K'eghó k'eghó ná soú kharíso tín, Alexandra zákhari, Ké to ké tó Misí ri rí zi, Ke tín, Konstantantinoúpoli, Trís khrónous ná tín rízis."

Taryn peeked through half open eyes and watched her boss cradle the child so maternally to her chest. The obvious love Jace had for Tom was displayed in her body language, and the tone of her voice. Taryn listened closely to the words and realized they weren’t English. She opened her eyes wider, wincing as the bright light intensified her nagging headache. "Ow!" She said aloud before realizing it.

Jace looked over at Taryn, and saw the painful grimace on her face. "I guess I don’t need to ask how you’re doing, huh?" she whispered, desperate not to wake the tot.

Taryn reopened her eyes a lot slower this time and the pain subsided slightly. "I guess I fell asleep. How long have I been out?"

Jace nodded in response, she was pleased to see that Taryn was a lot more alert. "You’ve been sleeping for about four hours."

"Four hours?" Taryn squeaked in disbelief.

Jace stood up slowly, and carried Tom over to the other sofa. She lay the sleeping boy down and covered him with the sofa blanket. After she was certain that he was sound asleep, she walked over, and sat beside Taryn on the couch. Her hand traced the lurid bruise on Taryn’s cheek. "We didn’t want to let you sleep because of the threat of concussion, but you kept dozing off in the middle of the film." Jace smiled reassuringly at Taryn as she felt a shiver of anxiety in Taryn’s cheek muscles. "Cory mentioned that you haven’t been sleeping much this week, so we all took turns to watch over you. Every hour we shook you awake, and gave you some water." Jace lifted the glass of water for Taryn to see and moved it toward Taryn’s mouth.

Taryn took a sip of water, grateful that Jace had helped to support her neck. "I don’t remember any of you waking me. I have to admit that I sleep like a log. I…didn’t snore, did I?"

Jace grinned. "No, you didn’t snore. It was so peaceful in here that I was tempted to catch forty winks, too. Rocking Tom was very relaxing and I was worried I’d fall asleep before him!"

Taryn smiled timidly at Jace, "I heard you singing to him. I thought I was going crazy when I first woke up. None of the words made sense, and when I closed my eyes I thought I’d dreamt it, but you started again. Was that a Greek song?" Taryn slowly rearranged her body on the sofa to allow Jace to get more comfortable, and so she could see Jace’s face more clearly.

"It was a Greek lullaby my mother used to sing to me. I think translated the title of it would be Now, Then, Sleep, Sleep, My Child. My mother used to sing it to us when we were children. I remember her rocking Nikos in her arms, with me on her lap, and I would watch as he slept."

Taryn could see the melancholy look on Jace’s face. She could tell Jace was remembering one of the good times of her childhood. "The lullaby sounded really calming. Can you translate it for me?"

Jace looked down at her hands, and then closed her eyes, picturing the Greek symbols in her mind. She kept her eyes closed as she tried to recreate the lullaby in English. "Now then sleep, sleep my child. Sleep and dream my lovely child. I'll give you the city of Alexandria in sugar, all of Cairo in rice, and rich Constantinople. And there you shall reign for three years." She opened her eyes and gazed into Taryn’s dreamy brown eyes. "That’s the best I can do, my Greek is a little rusty." Jace was becoming lost in the moment. She had been so worried about Taryn. When the younger woman had remained asleep after two hours, she had nearly piled her into the Jeep and driven to the ER. JJ had stopped her by recounting various hockey injuries that had caused her a little concussion, and they had all concluded that Taryn was probably suffering more from shock. Today’s events certainly capped off what had already been an immensely stressful week for the young grad student. Jace moved off the sofa, she couldn’t be this close to Taryn and not show the young woman how she felt. "I should go and tell your fans that you’re awake."

"No!" Taryn tried to sit up quickly, but had to stop as a wave of nausea swept over her. "Wait." When she saw Jace’s eyes fall on Tom, Taryn realized she had shouted. "I’m sorry. Please, can I just have a few minutes to regain my composure and get my head around what happened today?"

Jace nodded, "Would you like me to leave? I can take Tom upstairs and put him in his bed."

Taryn shook her head slightly, "No. I’d like you to stay. I need to talk through what happened.

Jace looked at the space beside Taryn. She desperately wanted to go back and hold the troubled woman, but instead of sitting back down next to Taryn, she pulled the rocking chair closer. "Sure. So, how are you really feeling?"

Taryn searched her feelings. She felt so many emotions. She had known the day was going to be hard, and had predicted that Patrick would be cantankerous and verbal. She hadn’t considered the possibility that he would be violent. He hadn’t hit her since she stopped calling him daddy so many years before. "I’m feeling very embarrassed."

Jace rocked back and forth in the chair, desperate to say that Taryn was wrong. But Jace also wanted Taryn to express her feelings more. "Why?"

Taryn hung her head. "For so many reasons. I’m embarrassed that Patrick is related to me, even more humiliated that he’s my fucking father. Mostly I’m disgusted because I lost my temper and goaded him into hitting me. I knew what he was like and I still opened my mouth…" For the first time that day, Taryn cried. The tears flowed freely, and the blonde wiped furiously at them, even more embarrassed that Jace was watching this breakdown.

Jace jumped up from the rocker and went to Taryn’s side. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around the sobbing woman. "Shush…you’re okay. It wasn’t your fault, Taryn. No one blames you…all your friends are still here. We all care for you too much to leave you alone." Jace spoke from her heart as she pulled the woman she adored close to her. "Come on…cry it out. Anybody with a heart would have reacted when he called your mother that name. I know I would have."

Taryn listened to the soothing words, her mind paying more attention to them than her heart, which was still bleeding from the hurt: from the years of paternal rejection pouring through the wounds in the emotionally wrecked muscle. "You wouldn’t have…you’re always in control." Taryn wiped her face, her tears mixing with the clear liquid running from her nose.

Jace leaned over, grabbed a Kleenex, and passed it to Taryn. "Here, wipe your face and blow your nose." She saw the red blush tinge Taryn’s face. "You should see my face when I’ve been crying. I look a real mess." When she saw a smile grace Taryn’s face, Jace relaxed a little more and decided it was time to tell the other woman a little of her life. "Taryn, I’m not always in such good control of my emotions…" Especially when I’m around you, she added internally. "Trust me when I say I would have done the same thing…in fact I have."

This simple declaration gained Taryn’s full attention, but she had no real idea what Jace was hinting at. "When?"

Jace took a little breath and rearranged her body, so she was sitting on the floor rather than kneeling. "Years ago, on my last visit to Agistri."

Taryn lowered herself to the floor next to Jace, and settled her back against the front of the sofa. "Was that when you went back for your mother’s funeral?"

Jace nodded solemnly. "I hadn’t been back to the island in years…I wasn’t welcome by my father or brothers."

"How come?" Taryn asked, turning to look directly at Jace. "I just assumed you got on well with your brothers. You mentioned Nikos with such love in your voice."

Jace shrugged nonchalantly, "Time changes things. But I do understand how you feel about Patrick, at least to a certain extent." She saw the hurt register in Taryn’s eyes.

"You couldn’t know or understand."

Jace continued to meet Taryn’s gaze, her hands trembling as she considered what she was about to do. "I would bet my life that you feel rejection everyday of your life…and as much as you detest Patrick, it hurts when he doesn’t admit he’s your father."

Initially, Taryn had been desperate to tell Jace she was wrong, but the more she listened, the more she realized that Jace understood her plight, understood her demons. "Tell me about it." She implored in a desperate whisper.

Jace dropped her eyes to her lap when she heard Taryn’s plea. "I will…but not now." She saw the disappointment in Taryn’s eyes. "Not because I don’t want to…I just think the others should be allowed to spend some time with you…and it’s not a story I want to repeat should we get interrupted." Jace admitted. "I’m sleeping here tonight…would you consider staying here too?"

Taryn considered her options. Patrick wasn’t going to be allowed home until the weekend. Bill had assured her of that. She would be in the company of her family and friends. "Sure, if Jane says it’s okay. I’m sure JJ and Cory could do with the privacy."

Jace nodded, "I’ll go and tell the others you’re awake…err…Taryn, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Jane that we’re going to talk later. I don’t want her to think that I don’t trust her…you understand, don’t you?"

Taryn nodded. "Later, then?"

"Later. I promise." Jace smiled as she remembered the last time they’d said those very words.

**

Taryn giggled as she watched the antics of her family. Six bodies were tangled together on the plastic mat. She spun the arrow, "Put your left leg on a yellow spot." Her giggle turned into a huge belly laugh when she saw the frantic scrambling of all the players for the few remaining yellow spots. "JJ, you’re never going to get your leg under Jace’s body. Give it up!" She watched as JJ tried to move her left leg under Jace’s nearly prone body. The taller women had an advantage of height over the others, but not the nimbleness of Taylor or Josie. Cory had her whole body arched over the top of Jace, while Bill and Jane fought their own battle at the other end of the mat.

"I can maaakke it…if I justtttt stretch a little more." JJ gasped, stretching a little too far and knocking Cory off balance.

"J!" Cory wobbled too far to her right and collapsed on top of Jace, who buckled under the additional weight, knocking into poor Taylor. JJ couldn’t control her laughter and fell to the ground, feeling Josie fall into her lap. Soon the pile of tangled limbs joined with Taryn in laughter, and the anger and torment of the lunchtime engagement was soon forgotten.

"I think Bill and Jane won that game." Taryn wiped the tears from her eyes. "I wish we had a camcorder that would have made an excellent submission to America’s Most Funniest Videos."

Jace straightened up and checked that she hadn’t hurt Taylor. "How are you doing, buddy?"

"That was cool! Can we play again, Mom?" Taylor begged.

Jane looked up at the wall clock. "It’s way past your bedtime." She watched the young boy scowl and heard a groan from her daughter. "Come on, no moans. We said we’d play until nine. It’s past that and we have a busy day tomorrow. Say goodnight to JJ and Cory, and then go upstairs. If you’re nice and quiet, and you don’t wake Tom, I’m sure Jace and Taryn will read to you." Jane sent a silent plea to Taryn, knowing the young boy would willingly walk to the ends of the earth if it meant he could spend time with Taryn. The words were barely out of her lips, when Taylor was happily hugging and kissing the guests.

Taryn watched the children scramble for the stairs. "That bribery isn’t going to work all the time, Jane. What are you going to do when he hits puberty? I doubt he’ll want his older cousin hanging around then." She laughed as she saw Jane’s eyes widen in fright.

"Ryn, you’ll learn soon enough that as a parent I live day-to-day! Don’t scare me! Josie’s already beginning to act like a teenager and she doesn’t hit double digits until the new year." Jane looked around the room. Despite the games strewn on the floor; there wasn’t a lot of mess. "Do you mind reading to the kids?"

Taryn looked at Jace, who was helping JJ wrap up the Twister mat. "Of course not. It’s not often I get to sleep over. I’m quite excited. Cory, are you sure you guys won’t stay?"

Cory looked over at her friend. She looked a lot better than she had in the early hours of the evening. "No, we’re going to head home in a minute. We promised JJ’s father we’d have lunch with him tomorrow, and I would love a lie in. I’m knackered. If we go home we can sleep in and still make it to Marshfield for lunch."

The family all hugged and kissed the two women, giving them a hearty goodbye. Bill thanked JJ for the millionth time for all her help with Patrick. Taryn couldn’t express her gratitude enough, and group hugged her roommates until Cory complained about needing to breath. After JJ and Cory left the house, Jane and Bill went into the kitchen to do the cleaning, while Jace and Taryn looked to the stairs. "I guess we should go and do our duties. I’m sleeping in Josie’s room again, so how about I come down later, make two cups of hot chocolate, and meet you in your room? I think I owe you a few to-be-continued chats."

Taryn looked up at Jace. The woman had been a tower of strength for her. She wished there was a way she could express her thanks. "I’ll go and say goodnight to Jane and Bill now. See you later?"

Jace grinned as she watched Taryn saunter down the hallway; the woman just had a special knack of taking her breath away.

**

Taryn blew the froth on top of her hot chocolate, added a couple of marshmallows, and then waited patiently for the white fluffy candy to melt. Jace had arrived a few minutes earlier; in her hands she carried a tray that held two mugs of hot chocolate, marshmallows, grated flakes of chocolate, and a few cookies. Taryn had done a double take when she’d realized that Jace had changed into her pajamas. The navy lounging pants hung off her hips. The snaps at the bottom were slightly opened and gave Taryn a small view of bronzed skin. The top part of the pajamas was the reason Taryn was staring. The tall woman wore a long-sleeved tight top that clung to Jace’s pert breasts. It was the first time Taryn had truly assessed her boss’s body, and mild arousal stirred in her. Jace seemed oblivious to Taryn’s attraction, and had been unaware of Taryn’s very obvious admiration of her feminine body. She had just handed Taryn her mug and sat down on the bed.

Jace’s mind hadn’t settled since she’d entered the room. For some reason, she felt like a teenager sneaking around the house trying to spend some time with a date. She knew Jane would be disappointed if she knew they were having their own little chat, and she hadn’t been invited. So Jace had waited until Bill and Jane had said they were going to bed, before she made the drinks. She had quickly changed into her sleep clothes, so she could creep quietly into Josie’s room when she was done and not disturb the sleeping child. She looked over at Taryn, trying to work out what to say to get rid of the tense atmosphere that was developing. "Do you have any clothes here?"

Taryn looked over to the tall dresser. "I’m sure there’s an old t-shirt lying around in the drawers over there. I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess I can’t sleep in my jeans and sweater." She placed her mug on the bedside table and went to investigate. It felt strange being back in her childhood bedroom. She half expected her mother to come through the adjoining doors like she had so many times over the years. She glanced at the connecting door. "Why don’t you sleep next door, Jace? I’m sure you’d be more comfortable."

Jace looked at the door. Jane had offered her the same room; however, Jace had already promised Josie, and she also knew she wouldn’t sleep if she was only a door away from Taryn. The woman haunted her dreams as it was. She didn’t need the real thing within touching distance and not be able to touch her. "I’m okay. I made a promise. And it’s not so bad once I jam my body into the bed. Remind me I said that when I can hardly move tomorrow!" Jace grinned as she remembered the last time she’d slept in the small, child-size bed. "Did you find a shirt?"

Taryn rummaged around and pulled out a loose button-up cotton shirt. "This will do. Do you mind if I change?"

Jace shook her head, "No, be my guest. I’ll just make myself comfortable…and then we can talk."

**

Taryn settled her pillows against the headboard, in much the same manner as Jace had. She climbed under the covers to ward off the slight chill of the winter’s night. Jace had dimmed the main bedroom light, and if the circumstances were different, Taryn would have described the room as romantic. She glanced to her side and caught the slight tremble as Jace’s hands held the still warm mug of chocolate. "This is a little surreal when you think about it?"

Jace smiled nervously, "How so?"

"Well, it’s not everyday that a girl has her boss sitting on her bed wearing pajamas. In fact, the whole day seems like a scene from a bad film." Taryn had hoped her comment would relax the tall, brooding woman, but it seemed to be doing the complete opposite. "Are you okay?"

Jace shook her head, "I’m just a little nervous."

Taryn turned so she could get a better look at Jace. "It’s not like you to be nervous. What’s wrong?"

"Well, it’s not everyday a boss gets to sit on an employee’s bed!" She tried to laugh off her nervousness, but it didn’t work. "I’m not used to telling people about me. I don’t know what it is about you, Taryn, but I find myself wanting to tell you; maybe, even needing to tell you. This is a new thing for me."

Taryn understood where Jace was coming from. She found expressing her emotions a difficult task too. "If it helps, I’m honored."

"It’s not even a huge nasty secret. I just don’t like talking about times in my past when I’ve felt weak. I guess…that’s why I come across as a cold, controlling person when I’m at work. I don’t want people to see I have an Achilles' heel that they can exploit. Does that make sense?"

"Totally. I think that explains some of my reluctance. I got so used to being rejected as a child that I didn’t want to tell people things that might cause them to reject me. If I don’t tell them about my past, they can’t use it against me. I suppose we’re very similar people. It took me a long time to tell my family I was gay. I had already been abandoned by my father…I didn’t want to be rejected by those I loved. Is that how you felt?"

Jace gulped. The conversation had been reflected back to her, and the one subject she knew she couldn’t avoid anymore. "I never had to tell my family…it was never an issue. I haven’t talked to anyone in my family for years…since my mother died. I’m not welcome on the island."

"Can I ask why?"

"Sure…it’s why we’re sitting here. I promised to tell you."

Taryn looked at Jace sympathetically, "You don’t have to tell me because you promised me. I’d rather you talked to me because you want to tell me."

"I do…I’m just trying to work out how to start. Like I said, it’s no big dirty secret, so don’t get your hopes up that I’m going to dazzle you with a life of drugs and crime," she chuckled nervously. "Okay…what’s the first thing you notice when you look at me?"

Taryn swallowed slightly. What a question! What do I see? At the moment I see a gorgeous, fit body; pert breasts with such tight nipples; a beautiful smile; amazing blue eyes…shit! I can’t tell her that! Taryn wiped those thoughts from her mind, and looked seriously at Jace, "Err…I’d say your eyes and height were what caught my attention the first time I saw you."

"I know... it’s what everyone notices, especially my father. I think I told you I come from a very small island, in fact the smallest island in the Saronic chain of islands. Let me give you a bit of geography, Agistri is probably a two-hour boat ride from Athens. My family was one of the first to settle there in the 1920s. Before then the island was practically uninhabited." She saw a note of disbelief in Taryn’s face. "Of course, with any small population, come small-minded people and traditions. My father always wanted boys who would carry on the family business of fishing. When Mika was born, my mother said he was the apple of my father’s eye. Mika was the spitting image of my father as a tot, and still is. He had dark brown hair, deep brown eyes, and has my father’s face. My mother told me how obsessed my father was about having more children and his determination to have another boy drove him crazy. Although at the time he was working more and more away from home, only coming back at weekends. It took my mother a few years to conceive, but finally, she got pregnant with me. My father was overjoyed, and began to work more locally. She never told me, but I’m sure the fact that I was a girl upset him immensely. Soon after me, my mother got pregnant with Nikos. My father’s dream of having more sons was becoming a reality. He was always pleasant to me, but we were never close. As I grew up, he became more distant."

Jace took a moment to reflect. She sipped her chocolate and tried to remember when the comments began. "He would say things to my mother. I think I was seven at the time, and growing taller each day. My brothers both looked so much like my father, it was uncanny…but I didn’t look like anyone in my family. No one could understand where the blue eyes came from. My mother has brown, her parents had brown, and it was the same with my father’s family. The taller I grew the more doubt my father placed on my paternity."

"Oh." Taryn had no other words to say, but wanted to let Jace know she was listening.

"It got worse. He became so paranoid that he demanded my mother never leave the house. By the time I was ten, my father refused to accept me as his own, and became violent toward my mother. He would constantly ask her what man she had slept with while he was away working. He never believed her when she said she hadn’t been unfaithful. By that time, my maternal grandparents had died, and her sister had left the island to live in America. She had no one to turn to, and I think she was afraid my father would hurt me, so she sent me away..." Jace could feel the anger stirring inside: anger and resentment of a different life and lack of understanding.

"That’s when you came to America?" Taryn queried.

Jace nodded slowly. "Yes. I was scared, and lonely. My mother tried to explain to me that it was for my own good. On the island I had no hope of a good life. My father treated me like crap and just wanted to get rid of me. If I had stayed I would have ended up marrying one of the locals and probably been tormented the rest of my life by my brothers. Mika was mean to me. He understood what my father called me; I had no idea. My aunt gave me a good life, and as I grew older she would tell me stories about her grandparents and their history. She thinks I just got hit with all the recessive genes of the family. Apparently, before my mother’s side of the family moved to Agistri, they lived in Athens. It was a very metropolitan city, lots of different mixes of races from many ancient times, and wars. Times were hard, and she’s not a hundred percent sure, but she thinks her grandmother took in orphans of war. When they moved to Agistri some of these children came with them. Her father was one of these orphans; no one on the island knew he wasn’t completely related to the family. His origins are sketchy, but she remembers her father thinking he came from Italy, but others think France. It was a time of war and refugees. Anyway, apparently he was a tall man. My aunt and mother both think I get my height from him. As for the eye color, some freak of nature with recessive genes from both my parents."

Taryn looked at Jace, it seemed a feasible explanation. "Didn’t your father understand?"

Jace shook her head again, "No, he had his two sons who were in his image."

"But what about blood tests? I mean that’s what my grandparents did to prove my paternity. It didn’t happen right away, and unfortunately you only have to look at the jerk to see we’re related. Couldn’t you prove this to your father?"

Jace moved her head so it was resting on the headboard, and stretched out her body. Her dark, brooding eyes searched the ceiling, trying to put into context how different her family’s culture was to Taryn’s. "Taryn, when I say a small island, I mean really small. There are three towns, and one road. There is one horse and cart that works like a taxi. Now they have one bus, but it doesn’t run by a schedule. If the driver happens to be going to the other town, he’ll pick up passengers. But locals and tourists have to be careful because he lives at the end of the road and may just be going home. The way of life is simple. There may be about a thousand people on the island, and modern technology is just becoming popular with the increase in tourism. There isn’t really a proper doctor’s office, let alone blood testing opportunities. He should have just listened to my mother and taken her love, trust, and truth as her word."

Taryn was astonished, but not shocked at the demographics and simple way of life Jace had described. She had experienced similar situations in the small villages in Southern Ireland. "I think I’m getting the picture. You forget that not everyone’s as westernized as America. I have seen tourist programs on Greece. It’s a popular destination for European travelers. Wow, it must be so peaceful."

Jace nodded solemnly. "I loved it there, but I don’t regret coming to America and making something of myself. I just hate knowing that I left my mother there."

Taryn could feel the immense pain coming from the woman. It didn’t take a genius to see that telling the story was making Jace relive the memories. Taryn’s heart went out to Jace. They were so alike in many ways. She moved slightly, and took Jace’s hand in her own. She wanted to hear more, but not at the risk of making Jace more upset. "Couldn’t you bring her here?"

Jace closed her eyes, and summoned up a picture of her mother. You were so beautiful, Mitera. She silently whispered to her mother’s angel. Jace swallowed the lump in her throat. She desperately wanted to cry and be held, just like her mother would do for her, when her father would shout and call her names. "When I grew older, I went back to visit. By then, I towered over my father and brothers. This added fuel to his hate campaign. He even managed to turn Nikos against me. He believed my father’s side of the story. To them I was just a freak of nature, and my mother was no more than a whore. I tried to get her to leave and come back to America with me… but she believed that she had done something wrong as a wife, and was being punished. Mika and my father treated her like a house slave; only Nikos stood by her, and showed her some respect. She was still his mother." She wiped a tear away from the edge of her eye. "When I heard Patrick call your mother a similar name today, I thought I was going to lose control. Your actions prevented me from doing something ten times worse, and then JJ’s response kept me sane. If she hadn’t been there I may have taken out my own personal anger on him." Jace’s body shook, with the rage she had stored inside. "I miss her so…much. She deserved so much more, and I never got to say goodbye." It was with those words that the dam of tears burst forth.

Taryn immediately opened her arms to the tall woman, but when Jace refused to move, Taryn crawled closer to the stoic woman and physically pulled Jace into an embrace. "Let it out…Jace, you’ve supported me so many times over the past few months. Please, let me help you." Taryn rocked Jace gently in her arms. She had no words of comfort; there weren’t any to give. She had lived through a similar experience and no words of sympathy could replace a mother’s love. There were no words of consolation that could replace the resentment of a father, and certainly no words of solace that could replace the guilt Jace obviously carried. Taryn did the only thing she knew how to do, and that was just to hold Jace and make her feel safe.

**

Jace woke up disorientated. Her eyes itched and her head ached. She knew she wasn’t at home, but for a brief moment she had no idea where she was. Then she remembered. She recalled Taryn’s strong arms holding her, and the soft touch of fingertips as she had stroked her head. She didn’t remember falling asleep. After rubbing her sore eyes, she looked around and saw Taryn tucked up on the small love seat. Jace felt terrible that Taryn had been reduced to sleeping on the sofa. She wanted to offer Taryn her bed back, although she knew she couldn’t carry her, and she didn’t want to disturb the small woman. Her bladder pleading for relief answered her questions. Rather than using the attached bathroom, Jace climbed off the bed and headed for the door. She stopped just short of the door, and turned around. She couldn’t resist just looking at Taryn’s sleeping form one more time. She walked quietly to the sleeping blonde and knelt down. She had experienced Taryn’s ability to sleep through any noises earlier in the day, and knew that it would take more than her quiet ministrations to wake her. Jace pulled the cover back over Taryn. The room had become chillier during the night and Jace didn’t want Taryn to be cold. She brushed a wisp of hair away from Taryn’s forehead, and then placed a feather light kiss of thanks where her fingers had just been. Satisfied that Taryn was comfortable, Jace tiptoed out of the room, and headed to the bathroom. She had thought about remaining in Taryn’s room, but knew that some member of the Weston family would note her absence from Josie’s room.

part 7

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