Matt caught the speculative looks from other people as they walked back to their seats. Some curious, some approving and some angry. His glimpses into some of the ignorance Tate had to deal with were maddening.

Admittedly, it was a relief that he also saw friendly faces too. Friends who saw them and waved, people who were nice to Tate, genuinely accepting of her. He felt the steel of her spine relax a bit as they neared the row where their seats were.

The rest of the game passed relatively without incident but on the way to the parking lot, he noticed Tate protectively watch over her siblings and felt like a heel for manipulating her into coming. Fierce protectiveness burst through him as he watched her say good night to her brother and sisters. She was his and damn it, he’d make sure no one harmed her or made her feel wanting.

“I tried to hold her back but she caught sight of something going on and shoved past me. She’s really fast, like one of those little dogs.” Shane laughed as he kept his eye on Cassie and Maggie with Tate and her siblings. “I would have had to arrest you for assault you know, if Ron hadn’t denied you hit him.”

“Would have been worth it. Asshole. Called her a whore and a cow. He’s lucky I only hit him twice.”

“He said what? I’d have hit him too. Hell, I want to go find him and hit him right now. Why is everyone so hostile to her? She’s so damned nice. Sweet even with that sharp sense of humor she’s got. She goes to the damned old folks’ home and cuts their hair for criminey’s sake.” Shane sighed.

“Some people get nervous and defensive when everything they know gets threatened. It’s easy not to think about class stuff when you come up where we do. Most of us, most of the people in this town don’t care but there are people like Melanie who are only happy when they feel better than others. The stuff about her parents is a symptom. Essentially here’s this outsider who came in and stole the last Chase brother. That’s how they see it.” Kyle joined them.

Matt shook his head. “It’s like some stupid movie from the fifties or something. Honestly, it’s totally unreal. She’s been trying to tell me and I’ve been thinking she was oversensitive because of how she grew up.” He paused. “She’s trying to act like it didn’t bother her but I know her. She’s very sensitive, no matter how tough she tries to act.”

“We’ll make sure the picnic goes smoother. There’s gonna be a lot of us. Put her near Momma. No one will mess with her then. Oh and Maggie too. We’ll be on the outside. No one’s gonna hurt her, Matt. We’ll keep her safe. One thing we all need to keep doing is let this town and the people like Melanie know Tate is one of ours and we believe in her.”

Matt didn’t know what else to say. Family did what family needed to do. Still felt good though.

He caught up with Tate. “You still up to dinner at my parents’ house?”

She sighed. “There’s no choice. She’s bound to have gotten at least five calls by now and she’ll just hunt us down at home if we don’t go over there and tell her the story firsthand. And speaking of hands, yours looks like hell. I want to clean it up better and I’m quite sure your mother has first aid supplies.”

He grinned. “Come on then.” He waved at everyone else. “See y’all in a few.”

Polly met them at the front door, anxious. But instead of cooing over Matt’s hand, she pulled Tate into a hug and it made her want to cry. She towed Tate down the hall and into Edward’s study, closing the door behind her and leaving Matt in the foyer.

“Let it go now, honey. Give the tears up to me and be done with them,” Polly crooned as she rubbed Tate’s back.

As soon as Polly gave her permission, it was like her body just let it go and a sob so deep wrenched from her body that it buckled her knees. But Polly just went to her knees with her and continued to rock her and rub her back while she wept.

“It was wrong, Tate. What he said was wrong. What they’ve done to you is wrong. They’re wrong. You’re a good person. You love my son and he loves you. You’re worthy of this wonderful gift you and Matt have. Don’t you let them take the certainty of who you are from you. You’re strong. You survived worse than those idiots in town who can’t stand to see anyone else happy. You hear me? You give me those tears you’ve been holding back for so long and let them go. You’re safe here.”

So Tate let it go. Cried and cried and cried until there was nothing left and long minutes later, totally spent, she let Polly help her to the couch.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall apart like that. I don’t even know where it all came from.” She accepted a box of tissues and a glass of water from Polly who sat across from her and clucked. Her voice was rusty and every few seconds she hiccupped.

“It came from inside you. Where you’ve pent it up to be strong for everyone else. Tate, I know you, girl. You take everyone else’s burdens for them. But you can only take on so much before it breaks your back. Sometimes you need to let it out. Tonight must have been very ugly.”

“He called me a whore. A whore.” Tate shook her head, still shocked. “I didn’t hear it firsthand. That was the first time Matt punched him apparently. But I heard Matt telling Shane everything Ron said. Men. They must think we can’t hear them at three feet away.”

“They don’t know we multi-task as well as we do.” Polly nodded. “You’re not a whore. He’s wrong. You know that.”