Terrors of the High Seas (Melissa Good) читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги (ч. 29)

Chapter

Twenty-eight

THE BOAT ROCKED gently under Kerry as she jumped on board the Dixie. Dar was still on the dock, examining the mild damage the hull had taken, and Kerry dropped into one of the chairs on the stern to wait for her. The sun was out and the air was clearing of its moisture, the light breeze idly lifting strands of her hair. She leaned back and looked around the marina, wincing at the small boats tossed up onto the seawall and the debris floating in the water.

The marina itself had taken little damage; its concrete docks had weathered the storm quite nicely, and provided protection to most of the boats sheltered inside it. Many of the boat owners were there checking out their crafts, and around the shore, crews were removing downed limbs and other debris.

Kerry felt oddly itchy. She’d realized on the walk down to the boat that she wanted, more than anything, to be gone from the island and away from the chaos their vacation had become.

“Um, hello?”

Kerry looked up, to find Bob’s unwelcome form standing on the dock. “Oh. Hello, there.”

Bob stuck his hands in his pockets. “I…um…” He cleared his throat. “Can we talk?”

“Do we have to?” Kerry refused to budge from her deck chair, forcing him to crane his neck to address her. “I think you said pretty much everything you needed to last night.”

He edged around closer to her. “Listen, I was just way out of my league, you know?”

“We weren’t?” Kerry rolled her head around to look at him.

“Getting involved with you almost got us and our friends killed.”

Bob shrugged uncomfortably. “I didn’t think it was that serious. I didn’t think he’d go…nuts like that.” He leaned on a pylon. “I’m sorry.”

Kerry got up and went to the side rail, facing him. “What really sucked was you wanting that paper back…before we got Bud.”

Bob looked down at the dock. “You don’t understand,” he 346 Melissa Good muttered. “It’s like a hatchet he holds over all of them…especially Tanya. I was only thinking about her.”

“A hatchet?”

“The money.” Bob looked up. “But like I said,” he gestured at the Dixie, “you don’t get it. “

Kerry leaned on the railing, studying him with an enigmatic expression. “I understand that better than you’d ever imagine,” she replied. “But people are more important than money, no matter how much of it you have…or don’t have.”

Bob shook his head. “Easy for you to say,” he said. “Tanya’s coming down here. Now that we know for sure the old man wasn’t nuts, we’ll find a way to get what we want. Without anyone else’s help.” He turned and walked away quickly, almost colliding with one of the other boat owners. The man shoved him off, and cursed, shaking his head as Bob just kept on going.

Kerry sighed. “What a jerk.”

Just then, Dar appeared on the dock and circled the stern, hopped on board and stepped down onto the deck. “Yep. That he is,” she agreed, joining Kerry on the side. “Hope we don’t need him as a witness.”

“Witness?” Kerry turned to her. “You think we will?”

Dar shrugged.

Kerry exhaled. “Any damage?” she asked, glancing over the side of the boat. “Didn’t look like much.”

“Not too bad,” Dar confirmed. “Just a few scrapes.”

“Good. Do we have a plan?” Kerry held out a hand.

Dar stepped closer and took it, walking around behind Kerry’s the chair and letting her other hand rest on Kerry’s shoulder. “A plan.” Dar yawned, her jaw cracking softly. “I’m still too wiped to have a plan.” She eased into the chair next to Kerry’s and slung one long leg over its arm. “I guess we’ll go talk to the cops first.” She rested her head on one hand. “What do you want to do after that?”

Leave. Kerry bit back the answer, knowing her sense of responsibility would berate her for it. “Well, if that all turns out okay...”

“You think it won’t?” Dar interrupted softly. “He asked us to lunch, not down to the station.” She studied her knuckles.

“Wonder how much we should tell him.” Her eyes lifted and gazed across the water. “We could be in trouble, Ker.”

“I know,” Kerry agreed. “So I’d rather not take anything for granted. Now, if that turns out okay, we could go see Bud and make sure he and Charlie are okay.”

“Mm, yeah,” Dar grunted.

“We could take Dad out for dinner before his flight.”

That got a much more interested response. “Okay, that sounds good,” Dar agreed. “Where did he run off to, anyway?”

Terrors of the High Seas 347

Kerry shook her head. “He didn’t say. Just that he’d be back.”

She glanced at the deck pensively. “I think I pissed him off earlier.

The chair creaked as Dar leaned toward her. “You?” Her voice expressed disbelief. “How?”

“I asked him about him and Bud and Charlie,” Kerry admitted.

“I don’t think he likes people knowing about all that. I guess it’s embarrassing for him.” She paused thoughtfully. “Or something.”

She turned her head and gazed at Dar. “I’m sorry I mentioned anything.”

Dar reached over and gave Kerry a scratch on the back of the neck. “Sweetheart, it’s not what you think,” she said. “Yeah, the whole damn thing embarrasses the hell out of him, that’s true.”

“Having them think he was gay, you mean?” Kerry asked. “In that world, it’s kinda understandable.”

Dar chuckled. “No. He didn’t really care about that. But let me start at the beginning.” She cleared her throat. “It was really all my fault.”

“Your fault?” Kerry asked in much the same tone Dar had used moments earlier. “How?”

“I’d just come out to him and Mom,” Dar related. “It was tough for my folks, being part of the military world, and seeing as I was such a pain in the ass child anyway…”

Kerry smiled but kept quiet.

“So, my dad went out and read a whole boatload of stuff about homosexuality at the library,” Dar went on. “He even checked out a few books, and apparently took one of them with him on a maneuver with a couple of squads off the base.”

“Uh oh.”

“Yeah.” Dar nodded. “So then he got assigned to sea duty for four months. The captain of the boat he was on was a real tight assed conservative, and one day he went off about gays in front of the guys.” She paused to reflect, then sighed. “My dad, being my dad, took him into a torpedo room and nearly removed a couple of teeth from his mouth.”

“Yikes.”

“Word got around about it, and everyone put two and two together and got six.” The dark-haired woman stretched out her legs. “After that, Charlie figured Dad was fair game.”

“Oh.” Kerry frowned. “But… I mean, Dar, he was married and had a child. Didn’t they get a clue?”

Dar looked at her, one eyebrow lifting in wry sarcasm.

“Yes, I know that’s not necessarily an indication of heterosexuality, but Jesus! Your father drips it,” Kerry protested.

“True. But that’s not really what he’s pissed off about,” Dar explained. “It wasn’t that they thought he was gay. Since I am, that wasn’t something he found offensive.”

348 Melissa Good Kerry cocked her head. “O…kay…” Her brows contracted.

“But…”

“He was furious that they thought he was the kind of man who would cheat on his wife,” Dar said simply. “He never forgave them for that.” She pushed herself out of the chair. “Want a drink?”

“Sure.” Kerry quietly absorbed the information. “Wow. That makes sense.” She shook her head. “It was hard for me to think Dad would have been that embarrassed about someone thinking he was what we are,” she admitted. “But I can understand now.”

“Mm,” Dar agreed. “He told me about it when he came back that time. He said he couldn’t tell Mom, but he wanted to share it with me so I knew what really happened, in case I heard anything on the base.”

“Did you?” Kerry asked in a soft voice. “Hear anything?”

A half smile twitched at Dar’s lips. “Not directly,” she said.

“By that time, I…um…had quite the reputation for a temper, and most of the other kids on the base knew if they ribbed me about my father, it meant a fight.”

Kerry tipped her head back and regarded Dar with a slight grin. “Two of a kind.” She reached up and touched the insignia now threaded through the silver chain around Dar’s neck. It nestled against Dar’s joining ring and collected just the faintest hint of reflection off its dully burnished surface.

Dar stuck her hands into her pockets and looked down at the item, unable to hide the unabashedly proud grin. “Yeah.” Her eyes twinkled. “That we are.” Her attention returned to Kerry’s face.

“Don’t worry, Ker. Dad would never be mad at anyone just for asking a question. Especially you.” She stroked Kerry’s hair. “He loves you.”

The green eyes looking up at Dar filled with unshed tears.

Kerry remained silent, just watching Dar’s expression.

“We’ve got a while before lunch,” Dar said in a gentle tone.

“Let’s go inside and relax. Okay?” She held out a hand. When it was taken, she guided both of them through the cabin door and out of the sun.

Inside, Kerry tugged her to a halt. She moved close and put her arms around Dar and hugged her fiercely.

Dar returned the hug, rubbing Kerry’s back as she did so.

“Urgh,” Kerry exhaled. “Can we just go out and get lost somewhere tomorrow, Dar?” she asked. “Find another of those blue holes and just leave our minds out to dry?”

“Hmm. That’s an appealing thought.” Dar inclined her head and nipped Kerry on the jawbone. “As a matter of fact, I could see spending a couple days lost somewhere with you.” She felt Kerry’s body press against hers. “I think I know some nice, deserted islands out there where it’ll just be you, me, and if they’re very lucky, a Terrors of the High Seas 349

couple of dancing lobsters.”

“Dancing into my nice big pot?” Kerry burrowed into Dar’s chest, greedily breathing in her scent. “I have a bottle of champagne in here that would love to meet them.”

“Oh yeah,” Dar assured her. “We’ll spend the whole day just being sea bums.” She squeezed her partner, feeling her shoulders shift and relax. “Hey, I’ve got an idea.”

“M’sure it’s a good one,” Kerry mumbled into the skin of her neck.

“I know we were going to go up to the condo for New Year’s.

How about we spend it down at the cabin?”

“Mmm.”

“Kind of get a couple of days of vacation back?”

“Kerry made a low, pleased humming noise. “Even if we don’t have furniture, I think I’d really, really like that.”

Dar rested her cheek against Kerry’s hair, pleased with the reaction to her plan. While she knew the interruptions had really been neither of their faults, she still felt bad about the net effect of it robbing them of their needed time off.

It was funny, but despite the fantastic nature of the events of the preceding day, she already found them fading into memory.

She’d always had a philosophy of setting things aside once they were over and done with, but she found it strange that she could look back on what she’d done the night before and not have it seem terrifying to her. It had been a bad situation; she had dealt with it as best as she’d been able to; and in the end, things had turned out all right. What more, really, could she have asked?

It was over. Most often when traumatic things happened, she examined them for lessons to hopefully avoid the problem the next time around, but usually that was in a business context. Dar sincerely hoped she would not have to put her experience in escaping wacko salvagers or pirates to use any time soon in the ILS

boardroom. Her blue eyes twinkled suddenly. Well…

“What are you doing?” Kerry asked.

“Just thinking,” Dar replied. “Why?”

“I can feel you smiling.”

Dar chuckled. “I was just imagining Alastair dressed as Captain Blood.”

Kerry’s body convulsed in abrupt laughter. “I can barely imagine Alastair dressed as Captain Kangaroo.”

“Heh.”

The blonde woman sighed and circled Dar’s neck with her arms, swaying against her as the boat rocked. “Well, there’s one thing to be said for all the stuff that’s happened.”

“Hm?”

“Made me totally forget my family,” Kerry murmured.

350 Melissa Good Dar lifted her head and looked down at Kerry’s profile. “Is that a good thing?”

Kerry nodded. “Maybe it helped some to see other people with crummier relatives than me,” she stated. “I was thinking about that this morning after I talked to Dad down in the hotel lobby. My parents were pedantic and clueless, Dar, but you know something?”

“Mm?”

“I think you were right. I think at some level, somewhere they both did love all of us.” Kerry blinked. “Even my father. Even me.

Because as bad as he was, somewhere in all that twistedness he thought he was doing the right thing.”

Dar blinked, surprised at the speech.

“I think I’ve seen enough true hatred the past few days to tell the difference.”

“Ah.”

“He hated what I was doing. He hated us. He hated my being gay, he hated me squealing on him,” Kerry went on. “But I don’t think he ever hated me.”

Dar nodded silently.

“I can live with that,” the blonde woman said. “Because it gives us something in common, because I never hated him either. Even after everything he did.”

And then, Dar considered, I’ve always lived by the theory that things happen for a reason. She cupped Kerry’s face in her hands and smiled at her. Their eyes met, and she could see a note of tired peace in Kerry’s expression for the first time since they’d gotten back from Michigan. She leaned forward and rubbed noses with her. Kerry pulled Dar towards her and traded a nose rub for a kiss.

Then they hugged each other again. “Okay.” Kerry released a long, heartfelt sigh. “Let’s get back to the serious business of having fun.”

Dar kissed the back of Kerry’s neck, moving the pale hair aside as she was rewarded with a sudden intake of breath at the action.

“I’ve had about enough…” she growled into Kerry’s ear, “of real life intruding on my hedonistic vacation. How about you?”

“You bet.” Kerry felt a nudge. “Hey!”

Dar nudged her again.

“I think I’m being bumped.”

“You are.” She followed the admission with another gentle shove.

“Looks like it’s toward the bedroom.”

“Good sense of direction,” Dar said.

“Heh.”

Terrors of the High Seas 351

KERRY LAY ON her back, her body half tangled in sheets and Dar’s head pillowed on her stomach. With one hand, she idly stroked the dark hair fanned across her belly, twirling a few strands of it around her fingers. After a moment, she lifted her arm and examined her palm, flexing it a little and turning it into the light.

The bruises were already fading. It felt a little stiff, both her hands did, but more like she’d had a tough workout on the bag at the gym than anything else.

With a pensive sigh, she went back to playing with Dar’s hair, her eyes tracing her lover’s face and watching the faint twitches of a dream flicker under the closed eyelids. Dar had gotten a little bruised herself, Kerry noticed, as she smoothed a fingertip over a discolored patch of tan skin across one high cheekbone. She leaned closer. More of a burn, really, than a bruise. Kerry frowned, thinking back over the fight and wondering where it could have come from. She remembered hearing Dar curse as she’d been tossed head over tail to safety, and then the sound of a gun going off and… Kerry’s eyes widened. Had it come that close? Horrified, she stared at the mark, imagining if it had been just a fraction of a hair different in its path.

It had come that close. She had come that close to losing Dar.

Kerry tipped her head back and looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes closed and she whispered a few words of heartfelt thanks to the God that surely, surely had been watching over both of them. She had no doubt now that she was blessed, that Dar was blessed, and that the love between them was as sanctified as any that had ever been. It would have been so easy to punish her, otherwise. Kerry looked back down at Dar’s face. Just a fraction of an inch and like a wisp of smoke, it all would have been gone.

She felt Dar’s breath warm the skin on her bare belly. She’d still been tired, even after their night’s rest, and lying there sleeping she looked as peaceful as a child. Kerry absorbed the sight of her, newly aware of just how fragile, how precious life was.

With a soft murmur, Dar stirred, stretching out her body and curling it up again. Her eyes drifted open and she regarded Kerry with sleepy affection. “Mm… W’time is it?”

Kerry stroked her cheek. “Nearly one,” she said.

Dar sighed, a reluctant expression appearing on her face. “I guess we should go find out what our lunch date’s all about, hm?”

she drawled. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

“Literally.” Kerry smiled. “You were tired.”

Dar nodded. “I tossed around a while last night. Too much noise, I think.”

“Too much excitement,” Kerry suggested. Her index finger traced the mark on Dar’s face. “I didn’t notice this until now.”

“Hm?” Dar’s brow contracted in puzzlement. “Didn’t notice what?”

352 Melissa Good

“The burn on your face.”

“Burn?” Dar lifted a hand and touched the spot, then her expression cleared. “Oh.” She nodded. “Yeah, stupid bastard nearly blew my damn head off.”

Kerry rubbed the spot with a trembling hand. “Yeah, so I see.”

Dar’s expression gentled. “No chance I was going to let him get away with that, though.” She settled back down atop Kerry. “I’m not nearly done living this life with you yet.” Her fingers clasped Kerry’s and she pulled her hand close and kissed it, nibbling the skin with frank sensuality.

Kerry could only smile at that. “Dar, did you ever get the weird feeling that the place we knew each other from before we met during the buy-out wasn’t in this particular lifetime?”

Both of Dar’s dark, finely shaped brows hiked upward. She gazed at Kerry in silence for a few moments, muscles in her face moving slightly as she thought. “I never really considered the question,” she finally answered, with a barely visible shrug.

“Hm.” Kerry felt slightly silly for mentioning it. “Well, never mind. Just something that crossed my mind, I guess.”

“Interesting idea,” Dar mused. “I think I’d accept the notion of reincarnation if I knew it’d be with you.” Her face creased into a pleased grin. “That’d be very cool.”

Kerry grinned back. “Yes, it would, wouldn’t it?” She released her residual morbid thoughts and gave Dar a light scratch on her bare back, rubbing in little circles with her fingertips. Dar responded by purring, and arching her body at the touch. “You’re very playful today.”

Dar rolled over and changed position, sliding her arms and legs over Kerry’s and blowing a gentle puff of air into her ear. “Just glad it’s today and not yesterday.” She rested her chin on Kerry’s shoulder and gazed at her. “C’mon. The sooner we get all this over with, the sooner I can steal you and take you off to my deserted island.”

“Ooh.” Kerry found it very hard to resist the mischievous grin being directed at her. She tilted her head and kissed Dar gently.

Then they both rolled out of bed, still tangled together, giggling as they attempted to prevent themselves from crashing headlong into the bulkhead.

They separated and Kerry handed Dar her clothing, which was draped haphazardly across the dresser. She watched Dar slide into her swimsuit, then reached out and touched the soft, silken fabric.

“I like this.”

“It’s like wearing tissue paper,” Dar remarked dryly. “Or nothing.”

“Mmhm. That’s why I like it,” Kerry agreed with an impish grin. “It only leaves a tiny bit to the imagination.”

Terrors of the High Seas 353

Dar looked down at herself then up at Kerry, as a faint chuckle of surprise escaped her. She reached out and tickled Kerry’s still bare navel. “I think you’re outgrowing your upbringing.”

Kerry chuckled a little herself and donned her underwear. She looked up to find Dar holding her bra, and obligingly put her arms through and turned to allow her partner to fasten it. She felt Dar’s knuckles warm against the skin of her back, then a much more intense warmth sent goosebumps over her as Dar nibbled at her neck. “Mm.”

Dar released her and picked up Kerry’s cotton shirt, holding it for her to don. She adjusted the collar and returned to her nibbling as Kerry attempted to button it, then reached around to help her when the holes seemed to elude her fingers.

“Dar?”

“Mm?”

“If you keep that up, this is a pointless exercise.”

“What’s pointless?”

“Dressing.”

Dar relented and just finished her buttoning, giving Kerry a pat on the behind as she released her again. She put on her shorts and buckled the belt, then pulled a polo shirt over her head and tucked it in.

Kerry regarded her, then plucked at the rich, royal blue polo.

“Black and blue. Are you sending a message, honey?”

Dar ran her fingers through her hair and settled her wraparound sunglasses on her nose. “Do I look mysterious and intimidating?”

“Until I look down at your Dilbert socks, sure,” Kerry snickered. “Nerd.”

Dar stuck out her tongue and went in search of her sneakers.

Kerry finished buttoning her denim shorts and followed, shaking her head.

THEY FOUND THE captain waiting for them at the front entrance to the hotel. As he spotted them, he smiled and inclined his head, then indicated the outside garden area. “Our power is still off, and the inside is quite stuffy.”

“I can imagine.” Kerry glanced up at the sun, out in its full glory. Despite the breeze, she could feel a little sweat gathering under her clothing, and she was unapologetically looking forward to taking them off again. She followed the captain into the garden, and they took a seat at one of the only two open tables, the wooden chairs warm from the sun.

Dar settled next to her, watching the captain warily from behind her sunglasses. “So,” she said, “what can we do for you?”

354 Melissa Good The policeman motioned over a harried looking waiter. “Some iced tea, if you please.”

The man gave him an apologetic look. “We have no ice, sir.”

“How about some lukewarm tea?” Kerry suggested. “And a couple of whatever sandwiches you probably have available.”

The waiter glanced at the policeman.

“As the lady says.” The captain smiled. “Since we have little choice, I gather.”

“Yes, sir.” The waiter scribbled, then ducked away.

The captain sat back and clasped his hands around one khaki-covered knee. He regarded them both in silence for a moment, then spoke. “Many things have occurred over the past several days.”

Now, that was a true mouthful. Kerry propped her chin up on her fist. “Sure have.”

“We were not able to locate the intruder into your rooms,” he stated. “And it appears as if the reputed employer of that person has also left the islands.” His eyes studied them intently. “We found that quite curious, since the marina tells us he had prepaid his engagement for some time”

“Really?” Kerry murmured. “Hm.”

“We heard that he left the marina last night and was going to meet someone. Would you know anything about that?” The policeman’s sharp eyes watched them intently. “He seemed so very interested in you.”

“Ah.”

“And then, I also hear that his boat was having some trouble in our storm last night,” the captain went on. “Not so surprising, yes?

It was a terrible storm.”

Dar studied him, aware of Kerry’s now tense form next to her.

“It was pretty bad,” she agreed. “We got caught out in it too.”

“So I understand,” the policeman said. “Do you, perhaps, have any information on any…mishap that may have befallen this gentleman? Out on the sea?”

Dar evaluated her options. She pulled down her glasses and met his eyes squarely. “If we knew why he wasn’t here, would you want us to tell you?” She heard Kerry’s indrawn breath, and considered the possibility that she’d just gone too far. “Captain?”

The captain’s face twitched a bit and his head cocked to one side. “I have heard some interesting things about this man, and about yourself, Ms. Roberts,” he commented. “If I investigate your statement, perhaps I will learn more interesting things.”

“You might,” Dar agreed.

“However, I might also learn some things that would require me to work very, very hard.” The captain gave her a charming smile. “And it is too beautiful a day to be working so hard. So, Ms.

Roberts, I will regretfully decline your so generous offer of Terrors of the High Seas 355

information.”

Dar gave him a mental point and removed a moral one. “Good choice,” she said. “Because, frankly, Captain, nice as your island is, we’re looking forward to seeing it behind us.”

“That is excellent to hear, Ms. Roberts.” The man turned as the waiter put down a plate of sandwiches and a flask of tea. “May I assume, then, that you have no interest in pursuing your complaint concerning the break-in here in the hotel?” he asked. “Or the disagreeable encounter you had at sea?”

Dar leaned forward. “I’ve settled with DeSalliers, and no, your friends the pirates are safe.” She enunciated the words carefully, but lowered her voice. “I’ve had enough trouble the last few days to last me the entire next year, thanks.”

“My friends?” the policeman replied. “Ah, but you have such friends as well, do you not?”

Dar inclined her head in affirmation. She picked up a half sandwich and inspected it, then grinned. “Oh, I bet this is popular with the rest of the tourists.” She showed Kerry the contents.

“Peanut butter.”

“It does not spoil so quickly.” The policeman graciously accepted the change of subject and selected his own square of white bread. “Other than these unfortunate incidents, you have enjoyed our hospitality, I hope?”

Kerry paused in the act of pouring some tea. “The islands are beautiful,” she said. “I can guarantee we won’t forget our visit any time soon.”

The captain took a bite of his peanut butter sandwich, set the remainder back on the table, and smiled. “Excellent.” He got up, giving them a sketchy salute with his free hand. “Do have a good day, won’t you?”

They watched him leave, his slim, uniformed figure gliding through the crowd with ease. Kerry waited until he disappeared, then she sighed and leaned back. “Wow.”

“Mm.” Dar took a sip of her lukewarm tea. “So, that’s that, I guess.”

Kerry nudged her sandwich with one finger. “Does that mean…he’s just going to ignore the fact that a whole boat and its crew has disappeared?”

Dar bit the edge of the glass as she looked at Kerry through it.

“I guess he figures it’s just one more boat gone missing in a long list of them,” she said. “I don’t know.”

“Wow. So much for the law.” Kerry frowned.

Dar folded her hands around one knee. “Yeah,” she said. “Well, maybe it’s for the best.”

“What?” Kerry said. “After what happened to Bud? And the map? And DeSalliers’ goons and his gun and—”

356 Melissa Good Dar looked at her. “And me choking him as we went overboard?” she interrupted in a low tone. “And what happened with that guy spotting the raft with the searchlight, and Dad shooting holes in the boat?” She leaned over nearer to Kerry.

“They were trying to kill us!” Kerry hissed, in a mere whisper.

“What were we supposed to do, let them? Call the police?” she added with a touch of sarcasm. “Call CNN?”

Dar touched her fingertips to Kerry’s lips. “All I’m saying is, it’s over.”

Kerry stared at her for a long moment, then she let out a breath.

“What about the pirates?” She took another tack. “We can’t just leave that alone. Even if Bud and Charlie are involved, damn it, Dar.”

“No,” Dar conceded. “But we’re not going to get any help from the cops here.” She glanced around, but the tables near them were quite empty. “On the other hand, nothing’s stopping us from contacting those insurance companies when we get back to Miami.

Kerry relaxed a little. “That’s true,” she agreed. “If we take away their gains, maybe it’ll stop.”

“Exactly.”

“Think they’ll believe us?” the blonde woman asked wryly. “It all sounds so melodramatic.” She rubbed her temples. “How do we get ourselves into this stuff, anyway?”

“Natural talent.” Dar stood and offered Kerry a hand up. “Let’s go. I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.”

Kerry joined her, and they started off back toward the Dixie.

“This place’s overstayed my need to be here,” she muttered, dodging a flock of pigeons. “Next time, we hike Yosemite.”

“We’ll end up being chased by a bear.”

“That’s Yellowstone.”

“Whatever.”

“ARE YOU SURE this is a good idea?” Kerry whispered, as they relieved the grateful grocers of some of their perishables. “I don’t think those guys get along, Dar.”

Dar reviewed the choices in the rapidly melting ice. “They’ll be fine.” She pointed at a fish. “Get that one. Dad likes them.”

Kerry motioned to the man behind the counter. A call to the hospital had revealed that Bud was refusing to remain in its care, and he and Charlie were more than ready to leave the place behind.

Dar had immediately offered them a ride back to their island, and casually invited them to join her, Kerry, and Andrew for dinner on board their boat.

There was, everyone had realized, no real way for them to refuse, given the circumstances, and now Kerry was gathering Terrors of the High Seas 357

enough food to feed them, while hoping the evening didn’t turn out to be a disaster. “I don’t know, sweetie,” she sighed. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Dar added several loaves of local bread to Kerry’s basket, and sent the grocer into raptures by taking some endangered ice cream off his hands. “Dad agreed to it, so don’t worry.” She tossed in a jar of hot fudge. “Time to put all that crap behind them. Besides, whatever you make’s gonna be a lot better than anything we’d find out here tonight.”

Kerry accepted the compliment with a grin. “Only because we’ve got power,” she reminded Dar. “We’re going to have to run the engines to charge the batteries if you want anything more than half cooked.”

“No problem,” Dar murmured. “They’ve got hand pressured pumps. I was able to get them to fill the tanks this morning.” She eyed the rather pitiful looking vegetables. “Those look nasty.”

Kerry snorted. “Dar, if they were perfect examples of their species, presented in the best refrigerated case Publix could offer, you’d still think they were nasty.”

“Mm.”

“However, I’ll need some of them, so close your eyes or go look at the cupcakes.”

Dar chuckled. “I’ll go get something for us to drink,” she said.

“Meet you at the register.”

KERRY WAS JUST finishing the folds on the aluminum foil she’d wrapped around the filets when she felt the boat rock and looked up to see Andrew poking his head inside the cabin. “Hi, Dad.”

“’Lo there, kumquat.” Andrew entered and wandered over to where she was working, observing her creation curiously. “Making us some fancy dinner?”

“It’s not fancy.” Kerry dusted the fish with some finely chopped herbs, then poured a capful of cider over it before she sealed the packets. “It just a different way of cooking it.”

Andy leaned on the counter. “Seems a lot of trouble for a bunch of old sea dogs.”

Kerry turned her head and smiled at him. “Nah.” She put the packet with the others on top of the steamer grill insert in the big pot on the stove, and then set a layer of vegetables on top of it.

Another pot held water for pasta, and she put a lid on it before she wiped her hands on a towel and leaned back. “Okay, we’re ready,”

she said. “Coffee just finished. Want some?”

“Surely,” Andrew replied, taking hold of her sleeve. “Go sit yourself down and relax. Ah’ll grab it.” He tugged. “G’wan.”

358 Melissa Good Kerry decided to humor him. She eased out from the galley and walked over to one of the chairs, dropping into it and leaning back.

She watched her father-in-law setting the cups on the counter and fixing the coffee, his motions measured and precise as always. She saw Dar in that. Her partner had the same unconsciously methodical way of doing things. “Hey, Dad?”

Andrew glanced at her and raised one grizzled eyebrow.

“Are you okay with our dinner plans, or are you just humoring your daughter?”

A twinkle appeared in his blue eyes. “Waal…” He picked up the coffee cups and walked over, setting Kerry’s down and folding his big hands around his own as he took a seat next to her. “One thing Ah done learned about my kid—she does something, it’s got a reason,” he said. “She ain’t the frivolous type.”

That forced a chuckle out of Kerry. “Uh, no. That’s very true.”

“So, if she wants us to mix up, Ah figure we’ll all survive it,”

Andrew said. “Don’t you worry, Kerry. Ah know you had a tough time the past few days. Nobody’s gonna make this a bad night for you if Ah can help it.”

“Thanks.” Kerry smiled at him with quiet affection. “But I think it’s been tough for all of us. Bud didn’t have any picnic out there.”

“No,” Andrew said. “That’s true enough. He done all right though. Coulda been a lot worse. Them fellas on that there boat were mean folks.”

Kerry sipped her coffee. “Mean people really suck.”

“Yeap.” Andrew put his cup on the small table and leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees. “Hell of a thing to go on during your R and R,” he said. “You two should go find some quiet spot for a bit now.”

“We are,” Kerry said. “We’re going to spend a few days at the cabin. We figure we can’t get into too much trouble there.”

Andy snorted softly.

“Yeah, I know. I suggested Niagara Falls, and Dar said it’d probably stop flowing while we were there and we’d get blamed.”

Kerry sighed. “I think we’re fated for that sort of thing.”

“Waal,” he reached out and patted her knee, “least you know if you get into trouble, you got family to call on to help you out.”

Kerry blinked at him, then exhaled. “That’s true.” She nodded.

“That’s kind of new for me.”

Andrew nodded back, his expression serious. “Ah know that, Kerry, ’cause it’s the same thing Ah had with my own folks,” he said. “When Ceci and Ah ran off, they scratched me off the front page of the Bible, so Ah know what it feels like to have your own kin turn their backs on you.”

“It sucks.”

Terrors of the High Seas 359

“Yeap,” Andy agreed. “It does that. Took me a long time to get past it.”

“But you did.”

“Yeap,” he said again. “Ah come to realize you can’t figure nobody else’s attitudes. All you got control over is your own, so Ah got mine and just put them all out there.” His eyes met hers. “Ah ain’t talked to my folks in thirty-some years.”

Kerry leaned forward until they were almost knee-to-knee. “Do you ever feel guilty about that?”

“Some,” Andy admitted. “Ah was close with my ma,” he said.

“But Ah knew the hating wasn’t on my side, and living mah life with Ceci made it worth all the trouble.”

Kerry took his hand and squeezed it. “Thanks.” He winked at her. She grinned, then found herself pulled to her feet as Andrew stood and offered her a hug, which she accepted willingly. “You rock.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, kumquat.” Andy patted her on the back and released her. “Don’t you worry about me and the boys.

’Bout time we flushed that old mess down the bilge anyhow.”

“Okay.” Kerry smiled. “Now all I have to worry about is whether or not everyone likes fish.”

“Kerry,” Andrew put a hand on her shoulder, “you spend the time putting what we did down the hatch, you like damn near anything that ain’t crawling or made of sandpaper.”

“Ew.”

“Wanna hear about what live crickets taste like?”

“No.”

“How ’bout worms?”

“No!”

DAR WALKED TOWARD the docks, having settled their bill with the hotel and picked up a few last minute things for their outbound trip. The hotel, she was sure, was more than glad to be rid of them, especially since they’d comped their room and only charged them for a few incidentals. Dar found herself just as glad to be vacating it, and had graciously left a decent tip in the room.

As she turned the corner that led to the waterfront, the sound of loud engines made her pause, and she stopped as she saw the big red and white Coast Guard cutter idling into a slip. Dar leaned a hand on the wall and looked at it thoughtfully. She could just walk on past it and get on the Dixie, but her sense of curiosity was getting the better of her and instead she angled her steps toward the boarding ramp the crew was muscling into place.

A tall, blonde officer trotted down the ramp, his steps slowing as he got to the bottom and spotted Dar coming straight for him, 360 Melissa Good making eye contact just to remove any doubt that he was the object of her interest. He stopped at the base of the ramp and waited, twitching his shoulders straighter as Dar closed in. “Ma’am?”

“Captain.” Dar inclined her head. “Mind if I ask you a question?”

“No, ma’am, go ahead,” the officer responded. “What can I do for you?”

Dar collected her thoughts a moment. “We were out in the storm last night,” she began.

“And it was a rough one,” the captain commented. “We were out there ourselves. I trust you got in safely?”

Dar nodded. “Yes. But we radioed in a distress call for a boat we saw out there. I was wondering if you were the ones we talked to, and what happened.”

The man cocked his head to one side. “We had quite a few calls,” he said with an apologetic grin. “What time was it?”

“Late. Eleven, maybe. Out to the southeast of here.” Dar’s eyes flicked to the man’s nametag, then back to his face.

“Ah,” the captain murmured. “Yes, I remember the call. Tell you what, let’s go check the logs.” He turned and led the way back up the ramp with Dar at his heels. “I don’t want to give you the wrong information.”

As she followed the captain on board, Dar gave a friendly nod to the scattering of Coasties busily working. They entered the bridge, and the captain ducked inside the communications room and picked up a book. He brought it out and thumbed through it as she stood there watching.

“Ah.” He leaned on the book. “Yeah, here it is. 11:32 local. Are you the Dixieland Yankee?”

Dar chucked. “Well, I own her,” she drawled. “She’s a little bigger than I am.”

The captain glanced at her and grinned. “Sorry.” He glanced back down. “SOS reported in with latitude and longitude. We went to those coordinates, Ms…?”

“Roberts.”

“Roberts. But unfortunately, I have to tell you we didn’t find any boat there to rescue,” Captain Culver told her with an apologetic look.

Dar was momentarily stunned. “Ah,” she murmured. “You didn’t find anything?”

“Well,” the captain lifted his hand, “to be honest with you, we didn’t spend a lot of time looking. The storm was about on us and we were pitching like nobody’s business. We didn’t see any boat and our spotlight didn’t pick up any debris, if that’s what you mean.”

“Mm.” Dar inhaled. “Well, I understand, since we were being Terrors of the High Seas 361

tossed around last night, too. We were glad to see the marina.”

“Good job to get in safely,” the captain complimented. “Were they friends of yours?”

Dar shook her head. “No. Just a fellow boater in trouble.”

“After we finish here, we’ll take a run out there and see if we see anything,” the Coast Guardsman told her. “And if you’re in the area I’ll…ah…”

Dar glanced at him as he hesitated. “Yes?”

He blinked. “Oh, sorry.” He rubbed the back of his crewcut in mild embarrassment. “Your necklace caught my eye. I’ve never seen a woman with one of those before.”

With what? Dar’s brow contracted, then she looked down at herself. “Oh,” she murmured. “It’s my father’s,” she told him with a faint smile. “No, they haven’t let women into the program.”

The captain grinned. “Gotcha. We’ll let you know if we find anything. Will you be in port for long?” He closed the book and folded his arms across his chest, watching her.

“We’re leaving tonight,” Dar replied. “But we’ll be around.

Give us a holler.”

“Absolutely.” Captain Culver held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Roberts. Have a safe trip.”

Dar clasped his hand, then allowed him to guide her out of the bridge and down the ramp. She left the cutter behind and walked on down the dockside, deep in thought. Had they all drowned? She was hard pressed to admit anything but relief if that’s what had happened. It put a closure on the incident, didn’t it?

Or did it? Wouldn’t DeSalliers’ friends, his family, want to know what happened? Wouldn’t they come searching, trying to find out? Wouldn’t there always be questions, following them?

Dar sighed as she paused to watch the waters of the marina ripple past. Then she shrugged, and started walking again. If questions came, then they did. She had questions of her own, and after all—they’d been in the right through the whole mess, hadn’t they? So, if someone wanted to investigate, well… she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. Right now, she had other things to do and places to be, and that was that.

“HEY, KERRY?” CHARLIE spoke up as Kerry was pouring another round of wine. “You interested in changing professions? I got a job for you if you are. This is some first rate chow.”

Kerry seated herself, giving Charlie a smile as she acknowledged the compliment. “Thanks, but no. I’m happy with the job I have.”

“You sure? Hospitality business’s got great benefits,” Charlie persisted.

362 Melissa Good Kerry sucked on her fork. “Well.” She pretended to mull the idea over. “Let’s see: in my current position, I can walk into my boss’s office, shut the door, and get a kiss that sends my stockings flying out the window. Can you beat that?” she enquired with a completely serious expression.

A tiny squawking noise from her right made her look in time to see Dar caught in mid-chew, her blue eyes widening in startlement as everyone turned to stare at her. “Ooh,” Kerry murmured. “I’ve never seen you blush like that before.”

Dar swallowed and shook her spoon at her partner. “I’m gonna make you blush in a minute, Kerrison,” she warned. “I’ll tell them what you like to do with i..fmpf.”

“Dar!” Kerry covered her partner’s mouth. “Bad girl! Not in front of your father!”

Andrew started laughing, his low rumbling breaking the moment.

Dar nipped Kerry’s fingers, making her yelp and remove her hand.

“Lord.” Andrew chuckled. “If you two ain’t something.”

“Yeah?” Dar turned her head. “Remind me to tell you sometime about Kerry’s views on parental sex.”

Kerry covered her eyes. “Jesus, Dar, I’m going to kill you,” she uttered in a hoarse squeak.

Bud, who had been silently eating his dinner since his arrival, chortled softly at that. He was still obviously stiff and sore, but he’d remained peaceable during the meal, his usual acerbic comments absent

Cautiously, Kerry peeked out from behind her hand, trying to ignore the twin pair of twinkling blue eyes. Dar poked the very tip of her tongue out at her, and Kerry made a grab for it, snatching her partner’s nose instead and tweaking it. “Troublemaker.”

Dar pointed at herself in feigned innocence, then at Kerry.

“You started it.”

“Kerry, I gotta admit it I can’t beat that benny pack.” Charlie shook his head, his bearded face crinkling into a grin. “And I wouldn’t wanna try.”

Kerry leaned her flushed cheek against her fist. “I know. I asked for that.” She poked Dar’s shoulder. “But thanks for the compliment. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, and I especially like doing it for people who appreciate the results.”

“Hey, I appreciate it,” Dar interjected.

Kerry smiled. “I know, honey. That’s why I always do it for you.”

Everyone chuckled and Kerry relaxed, relieved that the evening hadn’t been nearly as uncomfortable as she’d imagined it would be. They were all clustered around the small table, enjoying Terrors of the High Seas 363

her fish and vegetables as the boat rocked gently, the windows open to catch the cool evening breeze. She’d lit candles to save the drain on the Dixie’s batteries, and in the background Dar had a light, peaceful, New Age CD playing.

She smiled to herself as she thought of the surprise she had for Dar, something she’d held in the back of the small freezer and earlier had put in the refrigerator to thaw. “Ready for dessert?”

Kerry inquired.

“Does it involve chocolate?” Dar asked immediately.

“Heh.” Kerry got up and went into the galley. She put an already brewed pot of coffee on the counter, along with cream and sugar.

“So, Andy, Dar said you’re living out on a boat now?” Charlie asked, breaking the brief silence.

“Yeap,” Andrew agreed solemnly. “’Bout pulled my shorts out when Ceci up and figgered she wanted to live on one, after all them years kicking me to get off ’em.”

“Hard to believe,” Bud contributed in a low mutter.

“She still doing her painting?” Charlie said.

“Definitely,” Dar answered. “She’s got a workshop set up in the living space, right around there.” She indicated the similar area in their boat. “Only it’s bigger.”

Charlie put his fork down. “ You got one of these things?” he asked Andrew in surprise. “What the hell’d they pension you off with, excess Sandinista funds?”

Andy chuckled, refusing to take offense. “Naw.” He reached over and tugged a lock of Dar’s hair. “Mah kid took care of it.”

Charlie and Bud both looked at Dar, and she shrugged modestly. “Not really. My Aunt May left me a trust fund when she died; I signed it over to them.” She glanced at her father. “It was their choice how to use it,” she said. “I never felt like anything was owed me anyway, especially after she left me the condo and this thing. “

Charlie whistled under his breath. He looked at Andrew. “Bet you’re glad she didn’t end up a swabbie, ain’t you?”

Andy snorted. “Hell, Ah’da been happy in a Quonset hut.” He leaned back. “But that there boat’s a hoot and a half, no question.

Ceci’s having her a good old time with it.”

Bud eyed him. “You guys lucked out,” he remarked, but his tone was mild, not grudging.

“Hell yes.” Andy hitched a knee up and circled it with both big hands. “Spent all them years in hell, now we got some good times.

Life’s evened out for a change.” He glanced at both men. “Ah done paid my dues.”

“That’s for sure,” Charlie murmured. “Glad things came out all right for you, Andy.”

364 Melissa Good

“Mm,” Bud grunted in accord.

A short silence fell over the group. Kerry picked up the tray and returned, setting it on the table. “This is a favorite of Dar’s,”

she explained, pointing to the round, fudgy looking creation in the center. “So if you don’t like chocolate, blame her.”

Dar exhaled as the tension around her dissipated. She cast an appreciative glance at the tray, recognizing the chocolate on chocolate on chocolate mousse cake Kerry had created for her for her last birthday. “Mm…where did that come from?” she asked.

“Don’t tell me you made it while I was out this afternoon.”

Kerry passed around fresh plates for the dessert and collected the used ones. Surprisingly, Bud got up and took the dinner plates from her, carrying them to the galley and setting them in the sink.

“Not quite. I made it before we left home. It’s been in the freezer.”

Dar observed the carving of her portion with a jealous eye.

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“Because I wanted it to last the trip,” her partner dryly commented. “And I wanted to get at least a small piece.”

“Wow.” Charlie had tasted the cake. “Mind if I get this recipe from you, Kerry? I’d sell a million pieces of this in the shop.”

Kerry sat down and picked up her fork. “Not at all.” She rested her free hand on her knee and found it immediately captured and squeezed under the table. “I’m just really glad everything turned out okay.”

Everyone murmured agreement. Bud cleared his throat and reluctantly met Andrew’s eyes. “Thanks,” he muttered.

“Welcome,” Andy replied.

“Any word on the jerk and his crew?” Charlie asked suddenly.

There was another awkward silence. “The Coast Guard didn’t find them,” Dar stated matter-of-factly. “There wasn’t anything at the coordinates we gave.”

Andrew snorted. “Serves them bastards’ right if they sank.”

“Damned if we don’t finally agree on something,” Bud said.

“Assholes.”

Charlie nodded. “Yep. Hope the fish had a damn good dinner.”

“Hey.” Bud spoke up. “You and Ceci ever ride out this way?”

Andrew finished his cake. “Thinking about it,” he replied.

“Ceci’s done into painting them ocean things again. Looking for new stuff.”

“Stop by and have dinner.”

Even Charlie looked surprised.

“Surely,” Andy drawled. “Thanks for the invite.”

Bud grunted and went back to eating, apparently having exhausted his sociability for the moment.

Dar and Kerry exchanged looks. Kerry felt the clasp on her hand tighten and she squared her shoulders, digging her fork into Terrors of the High Seas 365

her dessert and taking a bite with determined enjoyment. After all, they’d done what they could, more than most would have, given the circumstances.

Dar was right, Kerry thought. At some point you had to accept responsibility for the things you did. She had, and whatever fate DeSalliers had come to, he would have to do the same. What you cast out onto the waters came back to you in the end. Sometimes it took a while, and sometimes you had to go through hell before it did, like for Andrew. Sometimes you got off scott free for a lifetime and had it all your way, like her father had. But eventually the circle would close.

Kerry smiled, and looked up to find Dar smiling back at her.

Sometimes, you didn’t even have to wait a lifetime.

Epilogue

KERRY SWUNG GENTLY in the hammock, doing nothing more strenuous than watching the seagulls. She lifted a hand and took a swig from a longneck bottle of beer, finding an interesting patch of clouds wandering its way across the clear blue sky. “Hey, Dar?”

The other occupant on the hammock grunted in her ear incoherently.

“Y’think I should check my blood pressure right now?”

“Does that mean I gotta get up?” Dar mumbled. “I think your pressure’s fine. I can hear your heartbeat. It’s whistling Dixie.”

“Mmm,” Kerry agreed. “I feel very, very relaxed.” She lifted her other hand, linked with Dar’s, and kissed her partner’s fingers.

“Coming back here was a really good idea.”

“Uh huh.”

“I could stay here for weeks.”

“Uh huh.”

“There’s a rabbit on your hip.”

“Cool.”

Kerry turned her head and indulgently watched Dar’s mostly asleep profile. There was a dusting of beach sand on her cheek, and the dark hair, slightly overgrown, was hiding almost all of one eye.

“Would you like to take the bike out and ride naked down US 1

with me?”

“Sure.”

“I think that idea sounds better than it really is.” Kerry blew a lock of Dar’s hair back. “It’s gnat season.”

One blue eye opened. “Ew.”

“Mm.” Kerry pushed against the porch railing, swinging them both gently. “I was joking about the nude riding, but we could go down the road a bit and watch fireworks tonight.”

“We could do that,” Dar agreed sleepily. “How about we bring that bottle of champagne with us and toast the New Year out on the beach?”

“Ooh.” Kerry rubbed the side of her nose, which itched. “You missing not going to the company party?”

Dar just snorted. “Only thing I’m gonna miss is not getting to Terrors of the High Seas 367

dance with you in front of all of them,” she grumbled. “And we can do that here without having to suffer through high heels.”

“Okay.” Kerry rolled onto her side and sprawled over Dar, drawing in a breath full of cocoa butter and apricot body scrub. “I’ll bring my MP3 player with us on the bike.”

“Does it have speakers?’

“I intend for us to share the ear buds.”

“That means Who Let the Dogs Out isn’t on the playlist, right?”

Kerry chuckled happily. “Ah, now this is a vacation, Dar.” She nuzzled her partner’s ear. “Just you and me. No pirates, no land sharks, no snooty but curiously ineffective private eyes.”

“Uh huh. A vacation from our vacation,” Dar said. “From now on, we’ll just take ’em two weeks at a time: one week to get into trouble, one week to recover from it.” She turned her head slightly and kissed the lips that had been nibbling her ear. “Mm. You taste like hot peppers.”

Kerry licked her lips. “Those were very tasty mud bugs.” She held up her beer. “I’ve been trying to cool down my mouth since we had lunch.”

Dar tasted her lips again. “There’s a little redneck steak joint about three miles south of here. Wanna join me there for a very low class New Year’s Eve dinner?”

“Is this the kind of place where you get a side order of butter with your deep fried garlic bread?”

“Uh huh.”

“And they serve brown gravy with the fries?”

“That and cheese sauce.”

“I’m there.” Kerry glanced over her shoulder at the sun. “Let’s go grab a shower and dress down,” she suggested. “We can laugh about poor Mark in his tuxedo.”

Dar took her time getting up, wrapping her hand around the back of Kerry’s neck and giving her a thorough, passionate kissing first. Then they eased out of the hammock and went inside, still attached to each other.

SHOWERED AND DRESSED, Kerry perched on the wicker stool next to the kitchen counter and studied the envelope in front of her. She picked up her black, permanent marker and wrote on the manila face, carefully penning a name and address.

When she was finished, she picked up the battered, much folded piece of laminated plastic and spread it flat, pressing it between two pieces of cardboard. She taped it in place, then slid the entire thing into the envelope.

“Bob, I’d like to believe you’re on the up and up, but you know, you’re pretty skunky,” Kerry said as she sealed the envelope. “And 368 Melissa Good as much as you praised your friend Tanya, I gotta wonder about anyone who would either hang out with you, or hire you to do something.”

She picked up the stamps she’d gotten at the local post office and affixed the proper number of them to the packet. “So, I figure the one person who actually should get this will probably know what the best thing to do with it is.”

Dar came out of the bedroom, tucking a pristine white heavyweight T-shirt into her worn jeans. “Ready?”

“Yep.” Kerry held up the envelope. “I need to call Richard and thank him for agreeing to deliver this to the nursing home for me.”

“He’s a good guy,” Dar agreed, picking up her leather jacket and slinging it over her shoulder. “He’s also agreed to help her out if she needs it. He’s got a criminal guy he works with, if it turns out that way.” She gestured to the door. “There’s a mailbox in town.

We can drop it there.”

Kerry picked up her own jacket and followed Dar out the door.

The bike was already waiting for them, and she shrugged into her jacket as they walked over to it “Hey. I wanna drive.”

Dar paused and eyed her.

“C’mon, c’mon.” Kerry handed her the envelope. “It’s just a few miles, remember?”

“Uh huh.” Dar held the bike steady while Kerry climbed on, then she settled herself behind her partner, her longer legs able to hold the machine up despite her perch. “Y’know, Ker…”

“I know. I know.” Kerry hopped up onto the seat. “Humor me.”

Dar chuckled.

“Watch it, Dixiecup,” Kerry warned. “Or I’ll have them put tiny tires on this so I can reach.”

Dar kissed the back of Kerry’s neck. “You’re so cute.” She handed her partner her helmet. “Here.”

Kerry started the engine and waited for Dar to wind a long arm around her middle before she started off, heading for the road and turning onto it carefully. “Where’s the post box?” she asked, getting used to the difference in balance with both of them on the bike.

Dar’s hand pointed, and she directed the bike toward it, pausing there long enough for her partner to drop in the envelope.

“That’s that,” Kerry called behind her. “Let’s go have some fun!”

She felt Dar’s other arm wrap firmly around her, and she gunned the throttle. “How fast does this go, anyway?”

“I don’t remember,” Dar answered. “Why?”

“Let’s find out!” Kerry opened the bike up. With a roar and a back blast of sand, they headed off toward the sunset.

FORTHCOMING TITLES

published by

Yellow Rose Books

Dark Dreamer

(Heartstopper Series)

by Jennifer Fulton

"Jennifer Fulton has rescued the romance from formulaic complacency by asking universal questions about friendship and love, intimacy and lust."

The Lesbian Review of Books

Best-selling horror author, Rowe Devlin has had two flops in a row and keeps falling in love with straight women. Seeking inspiration and a fresh start, she abandons life in Manhattan for an old Victorian house in Maine. But Dark Harbor Cottage is a far cry from the tranquil writing environment she envisioned. For a start, the place is haunted and the ghost is none too friendly. To make life even more difficult, her neighbors are a huge distraction. The Temple twins, Phoebe and Cara, are identical and profoundly alluring, and Rowe is soon under their spell, unable to decide which of the two she is more in love with.

Just when it seems things can't get any worse, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery more bizarre and frightening than anything she's ever written.

Intrigue, passion and suspense combine in this taut paranormal thriller/romance, the first in Jennifer Fulton's new Heartstoppers series.

OTHER MELISSA GOOD TITLES

published by

Yellow Rose Books

Eye of the Storm - Just when it looks like Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart are settling into their lives together they discover that life is never simple—especially around them. Surrounded by endless corporate and political intrigue, Dar experiences personal discoveries that force her to deal with issues she had buried long ago and Kerry finally faces the consequences of her own actions.

Red Sky At Morning - This fourth chronicle in the Dar and Kerry series continues where Eye of the Storm ended. The lives of Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart seem to get more complex rather than moving toward the simpler lifestyle they both dream of.

Thicker Than Water - The fifth entry in the continuing saga of Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart finds Kerry forced to acknowledge her feelings toward and experience with her folks and Dar determined to support Kerry in the face of grief and hatred. They must face down Kerry's extended family with a little help from their own.

OTHER YELLOW ROSE TITLES