He felt sick and saw Maggie watching Melanie with narrowed eyes. Cassie leaned in and spoke to Beth, appearing to hold her back. Anne had a look on her face that scared the hell out of him but luckily she stayed seated. Liv whispered in Maggie’s ear and he worried all hell would break loose any moment. Not that Melanie deserved to be spared the wrath of every angry person at the table, but he didn’t want Tate to feel any worse than she already did.

“What just happened?” Beth demanded and Tate shook her head. Nathan told them and gasps sounded around the table.

“I can’t believe that bitch!” Maggie hissed.

“Oh I’m gonna smack a bitch down,” Anne growled but Tate reached out and touched her sister’s arm.

“Please don’t do this. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.” Matt hated that she sounded so resigned to the treatment she’d just received.

“Tate, when I first came here with Kyle you should have seen the way some of them reacted. I know how it feels. We’re on your side. People like her aren’t the majority and even if they were, they don’t count.” Maggie shook her head vehemently as she spoke.

“Tate I’m sorry you had to be subjected to that kind of thing. Melanie is—” But Tate interrupted Matt before he could finish.

“Just saying what half the women in here are thinking. I really don’t feel well and I’d like to go. I can catch a ride with Beth if you want to stay here.” Tate wouldn’t meet his eyes.

He took her shoulders gently. “Don’t you go away on me. I don’t give a crap what anyone else thinks but my family and you. You got me? You don’t let these small-minded idiots chase you off. Please, stay here with me. Let’s dance.”

“Tate, don’t let the Melanies of the world ruin this. Matt is here with you. She’s jealous. Show her you’re better than she is,” Beth said softly.

“Listen to your sister, sweetness.” Matt kissed her.

Tate sighed. “Okay, okay. Let’s get dancing then.”

Relieved, he stood and helped her up before leading her to the dance floor.

She was graceful and sexy as she moved. He’d never seen a more natural dancer than Tate Murphy. He loved the way she lost herself in the music.

After another couple of hours he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Sweetness, I’m dead on my feet. Do I still have that in? Because I have condoms and after a cup of coffee, I’ll be ready for you.”

She threw back her head and laughed and that simple thing filled him with joy.

“Let’s go then. I have condoms too.”

They said their goodnights and headed out into the evening. He didn’t fail to notice the sneers and outright hostility some of the people showed toward Tate as they left.

“If we go to your place do you think I could squeeze breakfast out of you in the morning? You’re a damn fine cook as well as being mighty lovely to look at.”

“I’ve never met a man more full of it.” Tate shook her head but could only barely stifle a smile.

“Does that mean yes?”

“I suppose so. You don’t have to sleep over you know. I wouldn’t be insulted if you wanted to go.”

“Tate, you don’t know me all that well so I’ll excuse you this one last time. I’m gonna repeat, I don’t say things I don’t mean. I wouldn’t have angled for breakfast if I hadn’t wanted to stay over.”

She drew a breath and nodded. “All right.”

“That’s my girl.” He pulled into her driveway and escorted her to the door. She bustled around, kicking off her shoes before padding into her kitchen.

“I’m starting a pot of coffee,” she called out and he wandered in, smiling at her.

“You look good with your shoes off. I like it. I like being here. Your house is nice, comfortable.”

She smiled. “Thank you. I wanted to build a home. I…” She trailed off, turning quickly to open the cabinet and pull down two mugs.

“You what?”

“Do you take sugar?”

He put his hand out to stop her movement. “You what? Tell me. Share with me.”

“I didn’t grow up in a home. I grew up in a place where I slept. Sometimes. A lot of the time I didn’t sleep because I wanted to be sure my brothers and sisters were okay. I saw this place and I knew I wanted it. I knew I could make it into a place where I could sleep safely. Where my siblings could come and feel safe too. God, Matt, you should go. We are so different it’s not funny.”

His stomach clenched. “Tate, why would I leave? We aren’t that different. Not really. We both think family is important. We’re close to the people we love. We’re so much alike.”

“Tell me, what’s your memory of your eighth birthday?”

He smiled. “My dad took me and my brothers out to the lake. We went camping and I caught this piddly little catfish. He skinned it and cooked it up like it was the biggest fish ever caught. He tells people about it to this day. You’ll like my dad, he’s a good man.”

“I bet he is. You know what my eighth birthday was like?”

He shook his head warily.

“My mother left the night before my birthday. Beth was a year old, so tiny. But I was already more of a mother to her than ours was. My father went on a bender after he beat the hell out of Tim for protecting me from the intended beating. I had to stay home from school on and off for two weeks to take care of Beth, Nathan and William, none of them were in school yet. Tim and I traded off going to school back and forth to keep the welfare workers away.”