She smiled, love flooding through her. “I’m fine. I managed without a keeper before Matt came along. I need to call William about the tables and extra chairs anyway. Bring back something you want me to make for dinner. You can stay can’t you?”

He laughed, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “What a question. I’d love to stay. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll have my cell but I’m betting you’ll have another Murphy or two over here before I get back anyway.”

She wanted to tell him about their father but she couldn’t explain how she knew.

When he left she called William and he promised to bring over a few extra banquet size tables and chairs early the next afternoon.

Making up her mind, she called the police station.

“What do you mean they let him go?”

Matt heard Tate’s voice rise and he hurried through her front door to see she was on the phone.

“Yes, yes, well isn’t that nice? Perhaps someone would have seen fit to call me, you know, the person who got a concussion and spent the night in the hospital? No! If someone had called me would I be calling now? Oh f**k me! Listen here, bub, do you think I give a rat’s ass if someone in some other place should have called me? I didn’t get called.”

Matt exhaled sharply. They let her father out of jail? He pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialed Shane.

“Yes, I know, she’s yelling at one of my deputies right now. I’m sorry, Matt, it’s up to the prosecutor’s office to call the victim and we didn’t know she hadn’t been informed,” Shane answered before Matt even said a word.

“They let him go?”

Tate turned and saw him there on the phone, he stepped to her, kissed her briefly and they both went back to their calls.

“The prosecutor isn’t going to prosecute. He said it was an accident and Tate wasn’t that eager to testify. Matt, the mother is backing up his story.”

Matt’s stomach dropped as he looked up at Tate who was apparently hearing the same thing. She mumbled her thanks and hung up the phone.

“Shit. I have to go.” Matt wanted to make it all right for her, damn it.

“I’m sorry, Matt. I know where you are right now. Believe me. Come talk to me when you can, okay?”

Matt agreed and flipped the phone shut.

“They let my father go. They’re not even going to prosecute him.” Tate’s voice as she spoke to him trembled slightly.

He embraced her gently, stroking his hands up and down her arms. “I know, I was just talking to Shane. I’m sorry, Venus.”

“My mother is backing him up. And it was an accident. I don’t think he deliberately tried to hurt me. He was gesturing all around. I yelled at that deputy. I need to apologize. It wasn’t his fault.”

A bubble of hysterical laughter hit Matt and he let it go. Only Tate would be concerned about that right now when the man who’d hurt her was out free.

She called and apologized to the deputy as Matt got them both some tea. He didn’t like how pale she looked. Nathan came in with groceries some minutes later and Beth followed soon after.

Tate perked up as she started to make a chicken salad for dinner. She didn’t even rely on the crutches much by that point as she hobbled around her kitchen. It seemed to him that merely taking care of other people made her feel better.

As they ate, she told him about the combined Chase-Murphy dinner the following night and he grinned. His mother never ceased to amaze him. Then again, neither did Tate. Twenty people was a big chore for a woman who’d just been in the hospital, but if his mother agreed to it, he knew she’d make sure Tate didn’t overdo it.

After dinner, Beth and Matt did dishes while Nathan took out the trash and Tate folded laundry. He realized how normal it felt, being there with her in her little house. How quickly they’d moved to this level surprised him but he wasn’t scared.

“You don’t need to stay over, Nathan. I’ll be here and I have tomorrow off so I’ll help in the morning to make sure she doesn’t overdo it.” Matt looked around the corner where Beth helped Tate put clothes away before telling Nathan about their father and mother.

Nathan slammed a fist down onto the arm of the couch and Tate came rushing out. “Nathan?”

“I’m sorry, honey. Matt just told me about Mom and Dad.”

So much for talking quietly and in private.

Beth’s eyes widened as she demanded an explanation and she began to pace when they gave it to her. “She’s out of her damned mind. Well, that’s it. Tate, no more. Don’t you dare go over there again. She’s made her bed and so has he. You can’t fix them and it’s just going to hurt you. We don’t need them anymore. We’ll figure out what to do with Jill and Jacob. It’s just one more year.”

“Amen. Now, Tate needs rest. We’ll see you both tomorrow afternoon.” Matt ushered them both out and came back to find Tate pouring herself a drink.

“You want one?”

“You sure you do?”

She turned and sipped the amber liquid. “I’m not him. Yes, I grew up with a man who used alcohol as an excuse to be a monster.” She shrugged. “I don’t. It’s not an excuse but it’s not evil either. It’s just a substance.”

Drawing her close he pressed his lips to the top of her head and breathed her in. “You’re a very wise woman, you know that don’t you?”

“Fuck me, Matt. Put your hands all over me. Make me come.”