Chapter Seven
Kate and Garrett were just pulling into the driveway when Tanya and Jesse returned to the living room. Carmen and Eleazar had also appeared, and the four of them arranged themselves to welcome home the newlyweds. Tanya was nervous. How would Kate react? Tanya had run away less than a year ago, due to her extreme jealousy and difficulty accepting Kate's relationship. Of course, Tanya hadn't realized, hadn't understood, how Kate had felt. How could she have?
Carmen gave Tanya and Jesse both a reassuring smile, and Eleazar squeezed Tanya's hand just as Kate and Garrett walked in the door. They stopped just inside the door, the conversation they had been having over how the hunting had differed in the mountains from the south was forgotten as they both took in the new vampire that stood in their living room. Kate raised a brow, and Garrett gave him the once over in a sort of big brotherly type fashion.
Jesse, taking the initiative, stepped forward with a smile, and offered his hand to Garrett first. "Hello. You must be Garrett, Tanya's brother in law. I'm Jesse."
Garrett glanced quickly to Tanya, Carmen and Eleazar before looking to his wife then back to Jesse. Kate's eyes widened infinitesimally as she heard his name. Garrett shook Jesse's hand. "A... shock to meet you Jesse," he said with a bit of a chuckle.
Jesse had the grace to look slightly ashamed as he turned to Kate. "And you must be Kate. You are nearly as beautiful as your sister," he said, offering her his hand.
Kate had taken his hand, and before anyone could react, she had shocked him, sending him crumpling to the floor. She stood over him, and Jesse had the sense to remain on the floor, though he rolled to his back, so his eyes met Kate's. Her pale hair hung over her shoulder as she stared at him. "That was for being a complete and utter jerk to my sister on the day of my wedding."
Jesse met her gaze solemnly and folded his hands over his chest, his feet flat on the floor, his knees bent. "I have regretted that moment since she hung up on me."
Kate took in his face, noting he seemed serious. She nodded once, stepping back, looking at Tanya. "I take it, he's actually a decent guy after all since you invited him here?"
Tanya laughed. "It seems that there is some decency in him, but with you around, he'll be the most angelic vampire that ever lived I think."
Everyone laughed at that, and Garrett reached down, helping Jesse up.
Jesse grasped Garrett's forearm with his hand and let the other man heave him upright. He gave Kate a small smile. "Remind me not to tangle with you."
Kate laughed. "Yeah I get that a lot. Only Garrett here puts up with it, and I've shocked him more than once." She turned a loving gaze to her husband and he just laughed.
"I could make the obligatory bad joke here Katie but I think I'll spare us all," he said.
"Thank god for small favors," Kate said.
They all moved toward the living room finally, settling into the couches and chairs. "How was your honeymoon you two?" Carmen asked.
"Garrett wasn't too sure on the whole beach thing, but once I got him there, I had a hell of a time moving him from it," Kate said while reaching over to take his hand. "He found that even though adventure is great, relaxation can be good too."
Garrett rolled his eyes. "Only with you. No self respecting man goes to a private beach alone just to relax. If a man goes to the beach, they go to pick up women. Therefore, I only liked it because you were there, since I obviously don't need to pick up a woman."
They all laughed at the vehemence in his voice. "Hey, it's okay to like relaxing and the beach Garrett! Carmen got me hooked on that years ago. We go several times a year." Eleazar said.
"Well I had to give Kate credit, I dragged her through the mountains and forests all over western Canada, and she put up with it, and kept up."
Kate grinned, and they continued their tales. They told how they had hiked the Saint Elias Mountains in the Yukon, as well as in the Canadian Rockies. They had then gone and rented a private island in the south Pacific. They had decided that they would alternate anniversaries at each destination, and Kate was trying to talk Garrett into following Carmen and Eleazar's footsteps in hitting the beach more than once every other year. She had a feeling it would only be a matter of time before he caved. A mischievous grin lit her face at that thought.
Finally Kate, who had been covertly watching her sister and Jesse, had to ask. "Why did you come here Jesse?"
Jesse looked at Tanya. He had noted that all of the other vampires in the room, save himself, had the golden color eyes of an animal hunting vampire. "I realized I was a complete jerk to Tanya and I decided to make an apology in person."
Kate raised a brow. "You drove across the country to apologize to Tanya? And yet you're still here."
"Kate. Come on now, don't be like that. If Tanya is happy, let it go," Garrett said quietly.
She glanced at Garrett then back to Tanya. "After everything you put me through. All that talk of Irina's death, and how dare I share Sasha's story with Garrett, and suddenly this guy shows up, to 'apologize,'" she made air quotes with her fingers, "and suddenly, you're on cloud nine? Don't bother denying anything Tanya I can see it. You were miserable without him, even before you came home, I knew it the day of the wedding when you told me about him."
Tanya sat motionless, except her hands, which had twisted with Jesse's, while Kate went on her tirade.
Garrett was about to say something, but he was cut off by Kate. "No, Garrett, don't you see what a hypocrite she is?" Her flashing gaze was back on her sister. "You, who was so jealous you had to leave, just out of the blue takes up with the first guy you meet that's a vampire. Nice, Tanya, really nice."
Besides Tanya and Jesse, the other three all sat, open mouthed at Kate's outburst. Eleazar was the first one to recover himself. "Kate, don't you think you are being unfair to Tanya? She didn't understand what you had with Garrett, and perhaps now she does. You owe it to her, and to yourself, to speak with her. In private."
Kate looked like she was about to start chewing out Eleazar when Carmen spoke up, presumably in defense of her mate. "Eleazar is right Kate," she said quietly. "This is between you and Tanya, not the rest of us, including Jesse. It's time to take this up with her alone."
Closing her eyes, Kate felt Garrett's hand squeeze reassuringly on her shoulder before she nodded. "You're right of course. I am terribly sorry for putting all of you on the spot like that. This is between my sister and I alone," she whispered. Opening her eyes she offered a tremulous smile to Carmen, Eleazar and Jesse, turned and kissed Garrett quickly on the lips and stood. Her gaze caught Tanya's for a brief moment before Kate strode out of the room, toward the back door.
Tanya sighed, and squeezed Jesse's hand, almost unconsciously, and stood as well. She smiled to them all and turned to follow her sister.
