My Sweetheart (7 page)

             
Jane finally stopped and glared at Tate as he disappeared into the house, no doubt to flush her cupcake down the toilet.
He. Was. Dead
.

             
“Hey Cupcake. What are you doing chasing Tate around the yard? You’re supposed to be chasing me,” came a smooth low voice behind her.

             
Jane groaned and turned around to see Kam smiling teasingly down at her. He’d obviously showered and changed and was now wearing a lava-lava. It looked like a skirt to be honest, but it looked anything but feminine on Kam’s powerful body.

             
“Tate snagged a special cupcake I made just for you. It was your favorite. Banana with cream cheese,” she said, gleefully watching as Kam’s eyes turned cold and dangerous as he glanced toward the house in the direction Tate had disappeared.

             
“Oh he did, did he? Well, he’ll have to pay for that. Did you bring anymore?” he asked, slinging his arm around her shoulders and walking back toward the tables with her.

             
Jane cleared her throat and gestured toward the cupcakes still left. None of which had been sabotaged unfortunately. She saw Meredith standing proudly by her cake and she grinned.

             
“Kam, look at that gorgeous cake Meredith made. Did you know she can cook?” she asked, slipping out from Kam’s arm and moving to stand next to her friend.

             
Meredith blushed bright red and stepped away from the cake so Kam could see it. “It’s red velvet Kam. Would you like to try a piece?” she asked hopefully.

             
Kam stared at the cake and then glanced longingly at the multi-colored cupcakes looking gorgeous in their setting.

             
Jane took the decision out of his hand and took a knife, cutting a large piece for him and placing it on a paper plate. Meredith handed him a plastic fork, smiling at him hopefully.

             
Kam smiled kindly down at Meredith and took a big bite. He blinked in surprise and then took another bite before speaking. “Mer, did you really make this?
Or did Jane make it?
” he asked, looking back and forth between the women suspiciously.

             
Meredith glared at him and put her hands on her hips. “I made that cake myself last night. I did everything. How does it taste?” she asked, biting her lip nervously.

             
Kam grinned and looked at her in surprise. “It’s delicious. I had no idea you knew how to cook. What else can you cook?” he asked, taking another bite and looking at her appraisingly.

              Meredith blushed and Jane turned and disappeared into the crowd, letting them talk in private. Hopefully they would make a connection.

             
Tate materialized at her side, grinning and looking very pleased with himself. Jane pushed him in the arm, making him laugh. “You little thief. I worked hard on that cupcake,” she said, glaring at him hotly.

             
Tate smiled and pulled her behind a large horse chestnut tree. “Yeah, you worked hard to make it disgusting. I tasted it Jane. You’re lucky Kam didn’t take a bite. He could have died of salt poisoning.”

             
Jane blushed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I don’t think it would have killed him. But he definitely wouldn’t be obsessed with my baking anymore.”

             
Tate leaned in close and grabbed her hand. “Well, I tasted it and I’m still obsessed,” he said softly, leaning in as if he was going to kiss her again.

             
Jane stared up into his dark brown eyes and found herself leaning toward him. She reached out and put a hand on his arm as his head dipped toward her.

             
“
Tate?”

             
They jerked apart and Jane looked over Tate’s shoulder to see a tall gorgeous Samoan girl. It was the same girl she’d seen at the game the other night. The one who had been so rude. Her hair was long, black and wavy and reached her hips. She was wearing a simple pair of white shorts and a bright blue t-shirt but she looked as if she had just stepped off the pages of a magazine. She was the most beautiful girl Jane had ever seen. Her heart plummeted as Tate stiffened and stepped away from her.

             
“Hey Alea. You look pretty today,” he said politely.

             
Alea ignored Tate and looked at her suspiciously. “Your uncle is looking for you,” she said, her dark eyes looking hot and angry.

             
Tate looked back over his shoulder at her and shrugged. “Gotta go. See ya around Jane,” he said and disappeared with Alea, her arm firmly wrapped around his bicep.

             
Jane watched him go and felt sick for some reason. The girl had looked at Tate possessively as if he were hers.

             
“Tate’s been trying to stay clear of Alea for years now, but the noose is getting tighter and tighter.”

             
Jane turned around quickly and saw Tristan sitting in the shade with his leg propped up on a lounge chair. Her face turned bright red in embarrassment, knowing he had heard and seen everything.

             
“Sit down and talk to me for a moment. Meredith was supposed to bring me a plate of food but I think she’s forgotten all about me,” he said with a smile.

             
Jane smiled and pulled a white plastic chair over toward him and sat down. Tristan and Meredith didn’t look much alike even though they were brother and sister. Their personalities were opposites too. Meredith was all sass and fire and Tristan was easy going and mild.

             
“So tell me about Tate. What’s going on with him and that girl?” she asked, leaning close to him.

             
Tristan laughed lightly and looked toward the tables laden with food where Kam was standing still talking to Meredith. “Does Kam know you’re hung up on Tate? I think he’s determined to make you his island princess.”

             
Jane rolled her eyes and gestured toward Meredith who was sliding another piece of cake on Kam’s plate. “I think Meredith would rather have that honor. She made a cake just for him last night.”

             
Tristan blinked in surprise and stared at his sister, his face lighting up and a grin splitting his face. “Oh wow. That would be awesome. Did you help her?”

             
Jane nodded and grinned as she watched her friend do her best to charm the large man. “She did everything herself, but I’ve been trying to teach her. She’s a pretty fast learner too. You should taste that cake she made. It’s yummy.”

             
Tristan stared at her with a faint smile and shook his head. “Okay, for that alone, I’ll fill you in. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my sister smile like that. I didn’t even know she liked Kam.”

             
Jane nodded her head and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. “I don’t think she even knew she liked him until he started paying me attention. I saw something the other night at the game that made me think she was a little jealous so I thought maybe I should step in and do a little match making. What do you think? Wouldn’t they be a cute couple?”

             
Tristan grinned and shook his head happily. “Ah man, we’d love it. She’s been so unhappy since Dane died. You Jane are an angel. So here’s the deal with Tate. Look over there. Do you see Kam’s dad Toa? He saved Tate. Literally. And Tate would do anything for his aunt and uncle.
Anything
. I don’t know how much you know, but Tate’s dad was a pretty wild guy. He got tangled up with a violent gang and ended up spending time in jail. He was killed in a gang fight when Tate was pretty young.”

             
Jane felt her heart ache for Tate. There were always stories in the news about gangs and drive by shootings. It was strange to her that one of the most violent gangs around was Samoan when all of the Polynesian people she knew were so fun and kind and easy going.

             
“Ah, poor Tate,” she said softly, her eyes going to him. “But he had the rest of his family right? He was okay?” she prodded.

              Tristan grimaced and shook his head. “No, not really. Tate’s mom isn’t Samoan and she wasn’t a very nice girl it turns out. She kept him away from his Samoan family because they didn’t approve of her. Tate had it rough growing up. His mom would get busted for drugs and he’d be in and out of foster care. He started to get involved in a gang when he was about fourteen and that’s when his uncle stepped in. Toa and Pika pulled him out of foster care and got custody of him. His aunt and uncle made sure he went to school and church. And they loved him. They turned his whole life around. I think that’s why Tate decided to be a cop. You know, to make up for his earlier days.”

             
Jane closed her eyes as she tried to imagine what life must have been like for him.
Hard
. Just like he’d told her. “So this girl Alea? You said the noose was tightening around him. Is he um . . . is he expected to marry her or something?” she asked, watching the beautiful girl look up into Tate’s face, smiling at something he said.

             
Tristan sighed and ran his hand through his light brown hair as he studied his friend. “It’s a little complicated. His aunt Pika wants him to marry a good Samoan girl and she sort of picked Alea out for him. She thinks being married will keep him on the straight and narrow, but it’ll also give him more family. Kam and Feke and all those guys, they have so many brothers and sisters they lose count. Tate has his cousins and his aunt and uncle, but I know he feels different and left out sometimes. ”

             
Jane felt her heart break for Tate and she looked down at her hands, gripped tightly in her lap. “But what if he fell in love with a different girl? Would his aunt and uncle be okay with that?”

             
Tristan shrugged and massaged his leg absently as he stared at Tate and Alea talking to his aunt and uncle. “You mean, what if he fell in love with
you
, right? I don’t know to be honest. I do know that he feels like he owes it to them for all they’ve done for him. It’s about honor to him.”

             
Jane sighed tiredly and rubbed her temples. She finally understood why Tate couldn’t be with her. He felt like he needed to marry a Samoan girl and no matter how hard she tried, she’d never fit that criteria.

             
“Thanks for telling me Tristan. I’ll go get a plate of food for you. Need another drink?”

             
Tristan nodded with a smile but reached out and grabbed her hand. “If you ask me though, the best thing for Tate would be for him to fall in love. He hasn’t had much of that. He deserves it,” he said gently.

             
Jane nodded her head as Tristan’s hand fell away. “It doesn’t matter. He’s made up his mind.”               She walked away and felt all happiness and sunshine drip away. She smiled and chatted as she prepared a plate for Tristan. She was surprised to see Meredith was still talking to Kam, so she hurried back to Tristan and handed him a plate and a fresh cup of lemonade. He invited her to sit down and share it with him but she shook her head.

             
She walked slowly back to the table and knew she couldn’t stay. She had to leave. Her heart was breaking and if she had to watch Tate stand there with Alea’s hand on his arm any longer, she’d start throwing cupcakes. She transferred her cupcakes to paper plates and put her cupcake stand away in the box and fit it inside the cooler. She smiled sunnily as she headed out of the backyard and toward her car. No one would notice she was even gone. Kam and Meredith might, but they were too busy talking. By the time they noticed, she’d be home soaking in a bubble bath of depression.

             
She unlocked her car and opened the trunk, putting her cooler in the back. As she slammed the trunk down, she jumped in surprise as she saw Tate leaning on her car, staring at her moodily.

             
“You’re leaving.
Why?
” he demanded softly.

             
Jane shrugged and looked away from him. “I’ve got a headache. I’m going to head home,” she said, jingling the keys in her hand impatiently.

             
Tate moved toward her and she moved back a step, making him frown at her. “What did Tristan say to you? What’s going on Jane? You’re upset, I can tell.”

             
Jane shrugged jerkily, clenching her eyes shut. “I can’t do this right now Tate.
Please
. . . I’ve gotta go.”

             
Tate’s face gentled and he stepped closer, taking her upper arms in his hands. “Jane, I don’t know what Tristan said, but there’s no reason to look so sad.”

             
Jane forced herself to open her eyes and look up into Tate’s face. She turned her lips up into what was supposed to be a smile. “I’m fine Tate. Really, there’s no reason for you to worry about me. Will you, uh, tell Kam and Meredith I had to go?”