“Great.” It was time he added to the conversation and became part of the solution instead of the problem. “We’ll call the lawyer first thing tomorrow.”
“It’s my case. I’ll call him,” Yvonne replied. “Just because I’m a sub, it doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.”
“I said, ‘we,’” Chris protested. “You can take the lead, but I’m coming, too. I’m the father of this child, after all.”
“Sure, I’m happy to have you there with me. But I don’t think Kate should come. We don’t want to put the lawyer in the position of keeping that part of things secret.” Yvonne gave Kate an apologetic smile. “So, what are we having for dinner tonight?”
They all looked at each other for a moment.
Chris started laughing. “We were all so focused on talking, nobody planned dinner. Would you ladies care to join me at one of the many fine dining establishments in Kansas City or shall we order in?”
Kate and Yvonne looked at Chris before turning to each other and their reaction came in unison, “Order in.”
Kate continued. “The menus are in the top drawer by the fridge, Chris, if you wouldn’t mind getting them.”
Once Chris had returned with the Thai food they had decided on and everyone had had their first serving, Yvonne announced, “My aunt and uncle would like you both to join us for Christmas dinner.”
Kate fiddled with her napkin with her gaze riveted on her plate. Chris swallowed hard, and his shoulders and biceps tensed, straining against his shirt.
“You don’t want to go?”
“Are you sure they want to see us? Accept us?” Chris sounded skeptical.
Say what?Anger grew, and she didn’t know where to direct it. “Yes, they do!” She trained her eyes on Kate. “Tantetold me specifically to bring you both.” She repeated the last word for emphasis.
Chris seemed unconvinced. “If my parents can’t accept us, what will a Wall Street bigshot and an accomplished designer think about me and the relationship with Kate and you?”
Yvonne’s mouth fell open, and she glared at Chris. “What do their jobs have to do with who they are and how they see our relationship?”
Kate cleared her throat; both Yvonne and Chris looked her way. “Are your aunt and uncle aware of the nature of our relationship?”
“Of course.” Yvonne’s stomach clenched. “Mijn oom en tante,excuse me, my uncle and aunt are very happy for me, for us. I told them I’m in love with you both, and we all want to live together, eventually. We’ve discussed me moving out, and I told them about the wedding and the green card, and also about Kate and how important she is.”
Kate arched an eyebrow. “They don’t object?”
Yvonne looked between Kate and Chris. Both had equally dubious facial expressions, and her pulse quickened. “No, theydon’tobject! They know that I love you both, and they arehappyfor me. Why can’t you believe that?” Her voice rose in pitch, and her skin felt like she had been too long in the sun.
“Angel”—Kate let out a sigh that was a mixture of hope and sadness—“most people don’t get kinky lifestyles. You saw the reaction from Chris’s parents. After that, it’s harder to believe your family might be different.”
Yvonne glared at her Mistress. “How about I callTanteright now so she can tell you herself?” She didn’t wait for an answer but went for her phone without looking back at both her lovers.Stubborn lovers!Heroom en tantewere lovely people, and they weren’t the least bit narrow-minded. Most Dutch weren’t, anyhow, andOomCameron only wanted for Wilma and Yvonne to be happy.
“Hoi Yvonne, alles goed?” her aunt answered the call in a typical Dutch greeting. Usual Yvonne met the question ‘All good?’ with a polite affirmative, but this time she replied “Niet echt,” which meant she wasn’t doing great before launching into the explanation.
Wilma listened patiently, and when Yvonne halted her monologue, her aunt’s voice oozed sympathy. “Oh, schatje.” After the endearment she was silent for a few beats. “Let me speak to Kate.”
Yvonne marched back into the room, where Kate and Chris were now sitting on the couch huddled together. Without a word she thrust the phone in Kate’s direction. She couldn’t care less if she was disrespectful.So are Chris and Kate!
Kate accepted the phone with a raised eyebrow, but pressed the device to her ear, and tentatively said, “Hello?” She listened. “Yes, hi Wilma.” Again, Kate stayed silent while Wilma talked. Yvonne couldn’t hear her aunt, butKate’s rigid posture relaxed, and her green eyes sparkled with joy and love when she made eye contact with Yvonne. “Yes, of course.” She started nodding, “All right, I will. See you at dinner, Wilma. Thank you for the invitation.” Kate lowered the phone and looked at Chris. “She wants to talk to you.”
Chris accepted the phone as if the device had teeth and it would bite him if he approached too fast. He cleared his throat. “Hello, Mrs. McGruder, this is Chris.” Chris listened for a moment. “All right, Wilma then. I was raised to be polite to my elders.” He spluttered a bit and listened more. Yvonne watched him like he might disappear if she blinked and was glad she did when a genuine smile graced his face. “Yes, Wilma, thank you. I will, believe me, I will.”
Chris disconnected the call and pulled both Yvonne and Kate in his arms. They didn’t discuss what Wilma had said, but Yvonne’s throat loosened. Everything would be all right. If only Chris’s parents would come around, too.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“I couldn’t believe it when Wilma told me how pleased she was about our relationship. I’m amazed how open-minded she is,” Kate gushed from behind the wheel of her car. Kate had decided the Mustang would have to go when the baby came, but for now it was more convenient than Chris’s truck. Yvonne had mixed feelings about selling the gorgeous car. Yvonne rubbed her belly absentmindedly and leaned forward from the backseat to pat Kate’s shoulder. “I told you she was. Most Dutch are. We’re a pretty tolerant nation, and we value sexual freedom. We were the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage almost twenty years ago, did you know that?”
Kate hummed, but Chris was quiet. Yvonne nudged him. “You never told us what she said to you.”
