Thicker Than Water

Chapter

Six

DAR FOUND THE cafeteria and lost Kerry’s relatives with equal success. She’d spotted Al and Edgar near a bank of pay phones, busily speaking in low, angry tones. Avoiding them meant dodging into the stairwell, but that was okay too, since it was much, much cooler in there, and she appreciated the chill as she went downstairs.

She was worried about Kerry, though, and as she exited the stairs and spotted the cafeteria, she set her mind to figuring out a way to get her lover through what was turning into Hell’s own sideshow.

Dar studied the contents of the cooler case, then smiled and retrieved two cartons of chocolate milk. She knew the sweet bev-erage would serve two purposes—give Kerry something to wash the Advil down with and provide an almost food-like substance to keep her metabolism on an even keel. With the emotional overload Kerry was currently experiencing, Dar didn’t want to take any chances.

She paid for the milk, a banana, and two cookies, then opted for the stairs to regain access to the CCU floor. Halfway up, her cell phone rang.

“Shit.” Dar stopped on the stairs. She tucked the banana under an arm, dug out her phone, and opened it. “Hello?”

“Dar.” Alastair’s voice was very serious. “I have a real problem.”

Dar glanced up at the stairwell ceiling, dully lit with bland incandescence. “Yeah?”

“They’ve called me to the Pentagon,” Alastair said. “It’s no joke, Dar. Easton wants that data and he wants it today, or we’re looking at sanctions and God only knows what else. Every contract we have with them is at stake.”

Dar leaned against the railing. “Is he nuts?”

“He’s a very angry man. You need to come here and talk to 76 Melissa Good him,” Alastair said. “I had Bea book you a flight.”

“Alastair—”

“No excuses, Dar,” Alastair said. “I need you here; I need you now. This is critical.”

Dar blinked at the wall opposite her, tracing the bricks with her eyes as her mind worked. “I can’t. I’m not in Miami.”

“What do you mean yo…Not in Miami? Where are you?”

Alastair demanded. “You didn’t say you were going out of town.”

“I’m in Michigan,” Dar said.

“What? What problem do we have there?”

Dar felt the press of the cold metal against her back. “We don’t.” She exhaled slowly. “It’s personal.”

There was a momentary silence. “Dar, what in the hell’s going on? Have you lost your mind? I told you I need you here or there’ll be hell to pay!”

“I can’t,” Dar repeated.

“The hell you can’t!” Alastair spluttered. “What the hell’s going on that you can’t get on a damn plane?”

A pause kept Alastair waiting for his answer for just a few seconds. “Kerry’s father’s dying. I’m not leaving her here to face that alone.” The funny thing was, she realized much, much later, it had actually been one of the easier decisions she’d ever had to make. “General Easton is going to have to wait.”

Alastair seemed to be at a loss. “I can’t tell him that. Jesus, Dar—”

“The answer’s no, Alastair,” Dar said.

Alastair sighed. “Dar.” The phone crackled, as he apparently shifted position. “Now you listen to me, all right? You’ve scared the crap out of this man, and he’s ready to do something stupid.

He’s going to do that stupid thing if you aren’t here to talk about it, and a lot of people could get hurt.”

Dar felt unusually calm. “I know, but I’m not leaving here.”

“Dar.” Now Alastair sounded a touch desperate. “He’s not going to let me postpone this. He needs an answer, and he needs it this afternoon. Either you deal with him, or…” He left the thought unfinished.

Dar could hear her own heartbeat, and she closed her eyes.

“All right.” She paused, then surrendered. “What does he want?”

“What does he want?” Alastair’s voice rose. “Nothing much.

He wants that data, and your guarantee every part of it’s going to be destroyed, Dar. You need to talk to him, work something out.”

“All right,” Dar said. “He can have the data. I’ll sign a release.”

“You will?” The shock was evident in Alastair’s voice.

She drew in a long, long breath. “I’ll give him what he Thicker Than Water 77

wants.”

KERRY LOOKED UP as she felt a light touch on her wrist.

Her mother leaned closer and said softly, “We’ll wait for your brother to get here.” She paused, as though debating whether or not to continue. “I want you all together.”

Kerry nodded in understanding. “Okay.”

“In a way,” Cynthia went on softly, “it’s easier to come back today and think of these things. The shock, you know, it’s over.”

She drew in a breath and released it. “But it was very difficult last night.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” Kerry murmured.

“Angela said you were sick?”

Kerry glanced up at her. “I got a migraine.” She watched her mother wince slightly, knowing she was prone to the debilitating headaches herself. “It was…” She faltered. “Anyway, I’m sorry I didn’t come to the house to be with all of you.”

“Kerrison,” her mother put a hand on her arm, “this anger between us must cease. It has done far too much damage to us all, and I will not have it any longer.”

What answer can I have to that? Kerry wondered. That it wasn’t my anger to begin with? Or that it was, but they’d caused it? This is no time to start that up, she reminded herself. “All right.”

Cynthia was about to continue when a stir at the door made them both look up. Dar entered, her tall body filling the doorway with its vibrant presence. Her pale eyes flicked around the room then settled on Kerry’s face, a faint smile twitching at her lips as their gazes met.

Kerry smiled back and heard her mother sigh. Angie moved over, and Dar dropped into the seat next to Kerry, and offered up a brown and white carton and a banana.

“Thanks.” Kerry stuck the banana between her knees, opened her milk, and took a sip. It was thick and sweet, and she took a few mouthfuls before she swallowed the tablets Dar handed her.

Dar leaned back and draped an arm over Kerry’s shoulders, letting her other arm rest against her stomach. She could tell she’d walked in on some kind of discussion; the furtive glances and general air of discomfort were boringly familiar to her, usually duplicated whenever she entered the restroom at the office when it was already occupied.

Though, that hasn’t happened that much lately, Dar admitted.

Apparently, settling down and gaining a steady partner had elim-inated her from most of the racier personal gossip, and everyone still seemed a little embarrassed over the last false rumor about 78 Melissa Good Kerry and Andrew. She didn’t think she’d be getting any invita-tions to Tupperware parties any time soon, though.

That is, if Alastair forgives me for this one, Dar reflected quietly.

For putting my personal life before the company’s well being for the first time. He’d been very angry; even through the slightly raspy connection and the distance between them, Dar recognized that.

Angry and disappointed and more than a little frustrated.

But what choice did she have, really, between her honor and Kerry’s well being?

Well, I’m here. Dar firmly put work and the conversation with Alastair out of her mind as something she could no longer do anything about and concentrated on the situation at hand. She shifted her hand a little and gently rubbed the back of Kerry’s neck, which had a knot in it the size of a plum.

“Mmm,” Kerry murmured appreciatively, rocking her head forward to loosen the muscles Dar was working on. The warmth of her touch was almost as effective as the strong massage, and the tension eased out of her body after a few minutes. It was an odd sensation, because part of her knew that doing what she was doing, where she was doing it, was making everyone else uncomfortable.

Is it selfish? Kerry lifted her head and stretched, then eased back as Dar’s long arm curled around her shoulders. Her mother was staring off into the distance, and her aunts were pointedly looking elsewhere. Only Angie seemed unaffected, and as she met her sister’s eyes, Angie gave her a tiny, rueful shake of her head and the barest of winks.

Yes, Kerry decided. It is selfish of me. Everyone was hurting.

She was making it worse. She’d always been taught to deny herself for the comfort of others, and this was a prime example of the opportunity to do just that. Right. Now she just had to clue in her other half.

Kerry glanced at Dar, who was gazing down at the chocolate milk in her other hand. Dar’s profile was tense, and she could see the shift of the muscles along Dar’s jawline as she clenched and relaxed it. Dar was as uncomfortable as her family was, being there in a place where almost everyone hated her, and involved in a highly emotional situation she had little experience and less skill in dealing with.

Hm. My lifelong flowchart, Kerry realized, has gained a branch.

Sacrificing my comfort for others is fine—unless it hurts Dar. The solicitous attention was Dar’s way of dealing with the situation, focusing her concentration on something she could do something about and gaining some measure of balance from that.

Push Dar away, and it would please her family. Kerry swal-Thicker Than Water 79

lowed as Dar looked up and their eyes met. She saw the tiny fur-row form over the bridge of Dar’s nose, and in pure reflex she reached out and smoothed it away.

Dar relaxed and sat back, holding up her milk with a wry grin. “Open this for me?”

“Sure.” Kerry glanced casually around as she pulled the carton’s top open, then handed it back. Then she peeled her banana, took a bite, and chewed it thoughtfully.

MICHAEL AND BRIAN arrived just after noon. Kerry stood near the window in the waiting room, and she turned as she heard the footsteps. She met her brother’s eyes as he entered, followed by her old friend.

Mike went to her, and she pulled him into a hug. She gave Brian a pensive smile over her brother’s shoulder. “Hey, Mikey.”

“Hey.” Michael sighed, releasing her. “Sucky day.”

“Yeah. Big time.” She gave him a final squeeze, then ducked past him and found herself being hugged by Brian. Michael joined Angie and her mother on the other side of the room. “Hey, Bri,”

she greeted her onetime boyfriend.

“Hi, Kerry,” Brian replied shyly. “Sorry about all this.”

“Me, too.”

They parted. Kerry tipped her head back and they regarded each other for a moment. If things had been different, she realized, they’d have been married by now. She tried to imagine that, and found she really just couldn’t—it was too remote from who she was now. Though she felt an echo of warm affection when she looked at Brian, she knew she’d never loved him enough to spend her life with him. She wondered if he felt the same way.

“How are you?” She took his hands. “Angie said you got promoted?”

A brief smile flickered over his face. “They made me a junior partner, yeah. Not too bad for less than a year, but nothing like your career’s been.”

“Mm.” Kerry smiled back. “Thanks for coming down here. I know it’s a zoo downstairs.” She exhaled, glancing behind him to see her uncles reenter the room. “Not that it’s been much better here.”

“Yeah, Mike was telling me.” Brian gently rubbed her hands.

“It’s good to see you, though. You look great.” His eyes twinkled slightly. “I’ll have to come down to Miami sometime to see where you get that tan from.”

“Anytime,” Kerry said. “Plenty of sun to go around, I promise you.”

80 Melissa Good

“Kerrison.”

Kerry glanced at where her mother was now standing, with Angie and Mike next to her. Kerry gave Brian’s hands one last squeeze, then released them and straightened her shoulders before she started towards her family. Her eyes flicked to the far corner of the room where Dar was leaning against the window and gazing out at the snow. After a brief instant, Dar turned and met her gaze, her lips tensing in sympathy. Kerry returned the look, then walked to her mother. “I’m here.”

“Let us go into that area there.” Cynthia indicated a small office tucked inconspicuously in a corner. The doctor was standing there, obviously waiting for them. “It’s time.”

They filed into the room and closed the door behind them, leaving the rest of the assembled family and friends in a somber, chilly silence.

IT WAS GRAY outside. Dar could feel the chill through the thick glass of the window, and she watched in idle bemusement as the snow fell harder onto the parking lot below.

The weather seemed appropriate to the situation, though. Dar glanced down at the television news trucks gathered near the back entrance to the hospital, their lights glowing dimly in the winter gloom. It also matched the atmosphere inside the room, she acknowledged wryly as she glanced up to catch the reflection in the window of what was behind her.

Center of attention, Dar resisted the urge to straighten. She could see Kerry’s aunts and uncles glaring at her back, and the half furtive, half curious looks she was getting from the tall, blond Brian. Her…rival? Dar almost smiled. Kerry had called Brian a good friend, but she hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to him at their first meeting, a brief few minutes at Angie’s bedside after the birth of her infant son.

Brian’s son as well, in fact. Dar wondered if Angela had ever told anyone else about that. Even having only exchanged a nod with Brian, Dar thought he’d be a better match for Angie than her husband Richard. She looked at her own reflection, seeing the pale light glint off her eyes. Would that change now?

For Kerry’s sake, Dar felt badly about the whole reason they were there. She was honest enough with herself, however, to admit she wasn’t sorry to see the end of Senator Stuart. The man was a bastard who’d made his kids miserable most of their lives, in Dar’s view. And while she wasn’t glad, exactly, that he’d been stricken the way he had been, she also didn’t feel any reason to pity him.

Thicker Than Water 81

Dar sighed and watched the snow covering the cars. She was surprised at just how depressing it appeared.

“Excuse me.”

Dar’s eyes jerked up at the sound and she turned to find Brian standing right behind her. He met her surprised gaze warily, then pursed his lips and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Yeah?”

“I…um.” Brian peered at her from under sandy eyebrows.

“We really didn’t get a chance to meet last time.” He stuck a hand out. “I’m Brian Evans.”

“I know.” Dar allowed a half smile as she took his hand and gripped it firmly. “Dar Roberts.”

“Yeah, I know,” Brian replied, returning his hand to his pocket. “Well, I just wanted to say hello.” He seemed at a loss for further conversation.

Dar leaned back against the glass and crossed one ankle over the other. He was fairly good looking, she decided, with an angular face and a gentle demeanor that reminded her just a little of Kerry’s. “I’m glad you came.”

He peered at her. “You are?”

Dar nodded. “Kerry needs all the friends she can get.” She glanced pointedly around him at the rest of her lover’s family, who were glaring at her with venomous intent.

“Ah.” Brian followed her eyes, then exhaled. “Yeah, it’s been tough, or so Angie told me. I guess it’s more important for some people to nurture their hatred.”

“Yeah.” Dar exhaled. “More I see of it, the more I appreciate my parents.” She shook her head a tiny bit. “What a waste of energy.”

Brian gave her a wry smile, then a motion at the door caught his eye and he turned. “Ah.”

Dar looked over his shoulder. In the doorway, stood a tall, very distinguished man with steel gray hair and a clean-shaven face. She glanced at Brian. “Someone you know?”

Brian exhaled. “Charles Durham.” He kept his voice low as the rest of the occupants of the room went to greet the newcomer.

“He’s been a friend of the family for many years.”

“Lawyer?” Dar asked.

“Worse.” Brian hesitated, then apparently made his decision, moved closer to Dar, and folded his arms. “Their very, very conservative pastor.”

“Oh.” Dar sighed, wishing she and Kerry and the unexpectedly nice Brian were three hundred miles away. “Great.”

THE INNER DOOR opened and the family filed out, followed 82 Melissa Good by the doctor, who clasped Cynthia’s shoulders before he walked towards the ICU.

As Dar watched in concern, Kerry straightened her shoulders with an obvious effort, then turned to meet her eyes. The look in them was quiet but resigned as Kerry held out a hand in obvious invitation.

“Excuse me,” Dar murmured as she left her spot by the window and crossed the tile floor to Kerry’s side. She took her hand and clasped it. “You all right?” she whispered.

Kerry nodded, swallowing audibly. “I didn’t think it would be that hard to let him go,” she murmured. “Damn it hurts. Even after everything he did.”

Dar briefly rested her cheek against Kerry’s hair, trading trite words for the comfort of touch. They waited for the rest of the family to join them, everyone blessedly silent for a change, before they proceeded to the ICU.

The pastor joined Cynthia and they spoke quietly, heads bent together. His eyes flicked to Kerry, but Cynthia quickly raised a hand, in an almost impatient gesture. The pastor nodded and patted her shoulder, but couldn’t resist a slight shake of his head.

Kerry didn’t miss any of it, but she remained silent, firmly squeezing Dar’s hand as they stood waiting. Memories of stern lectures from their pastor rang within her, but she hoped with all her heart the old man would focus his energies on her father and leave her alone.

Dar squeezed her hand in return and took a step closer, bringing a welcome sense of security totally at odds with the chill, dis-approving atmosphere in the room, and managing to carry off an air of somber, yet potent intimidation.

Just when the tension was almost unbearable, Cynthia sighed and turned towards the door. “Please, let’s all go now.”

The hallway was quiet, save for the scuffs and squeaks of their shoes as they walked towards the critical care unit. As they entered, a nurse looked up and pressed her lips together in sympathy before she intercepted them.

“We’ve just taken him off the machines. You can stay as long as you want to,” she told them with professional gentleness, and waited for them to move past her before she pulled the privacy curtain around them and left.

Kerry was surprised at how quiet it was. They’d turned off all the alarms and all the pumps—machines stood mutely dark in the corner, save for one single monitor that showed an already irregular heartbeat.

She focused on the still figure in the bed, watching the hesitant breaths with a surreal sense of distance. It was almost like Thicker Than Water 83

this was happening to a stranger. In a way, her mother had been right, she realized. Yesterday she’d said her goodbye, an inner part of her knowing there would be no recovery from this. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the end.

Kerry felt a warm touch on her back and she looked up at Dar, then glanced around the room. Everyone was solemn, leaving their differences outside for a brief time while they gave death its due dignity. Even Dar’s presence was accepted, however grudgingly.

Pastor Charles held Cynthia’s hand, his head bowed in prayer. Kerry pensively studied his profile, remembering long hours spent in Bible study and his uncompromising view of the world and all their places in it.

“Go with God, Roger,” the pastor said softly as he finished his prayer. “Knowing the Lord will watch over your family and keep them safe until you meet again.”

A shiver passed over Kerry, and she grasped the railings of the bed. The reality of the situation came clear as she watched her father’s chest move more slowly, more erratically.

She glanced at the slack face, its half open, glazed eyes staring off into a strange realm none of them could yet see. There was no expression there, no familiarity.

The green line on the monitor rippled, its bumps jerking and hesitating.

Kerry found it hard to breathe herself, and she focused on the railing between her hands, its faintly reflective surface showing a flash of blue green from her sweater. Dar’s hand settled on her shoulder, feeling warm and incredibly real in all that cold silence, and she only just resisted turning and hiding her face against her lover’s chest.

No. She forced her eyes up, forced herself to watch that damn green line as it pulsed, the ridges and valleys becoming more and more indistinct.

If she turned her head, she wondered if she would sense Death’s presence, yet another silent, patient watcher in the room.

It was a creepy feeling, and suddenly Kerry felt afraid. As if sensing that, Dar moved closer, her body a wall of solid warmth behind Kerry, so close she could almost hear Dar’s heartbeat.

Kerry drew in a breath and released it, steadying her nerves.

Then she fixed her eyes on her father, only blinking a few times when the chest jerked, moved, then finally, gently, fell for the last time. It was accompanied by a soft, almost inaudible gasp.

The green line rippled, and went still. There was no alarm, no rush of nurses, just an eerie silence as everyone in the room seemed to hold their breaths.

84 Melissa Good And then it was over. Cynthia drew in a shuddering breath and started to cry.

“MS. STUART?”

Kerry looked up at the voice, surprised to find the doctor standing next to her. She was outside the CCU waiting room, taking a moment to settle herself before she went back inside. “Yes?”

“I’m very sorry.” Dr. Bridges put a hand on her shoulder. “If it’s any comfort to you at all, he had no awareness of what was going on.”

Kerry studied his face. “I know. Thank you. I’m glad. He’d have hated being like that.”

The doctor nodded. “So your mother said.” He paused. “Do you have…ah…plans yet, as to…”

Dar returned from her walk down to the water fountain at that moment and joined them. She glanced questioningly at the doctor, then at Kerry, who reached a hand out for her in reflex.

“There’s something being planned, yes,” Kerry said. “The family counsel is arranging things and taking care of the press.”

“Good.” Dr. Bridges exhaled. “Well, you take care, Ms. Stuart. I’m sorry I couldn’t have done more.”

“Thank you,” Kerry replied and watched him walk away. She turned and looked at Dar, feeling suddenly exhausted. “Ugh.”

Dar put an arm around her and pulled her into hug.

“C’mere.”

Kerry went willingly and abandoned herself into a dark, warm haven that smelled of wool and Dar and blocked out the reality of the coldly lit hospital corridor. She suspected she was still in shock, because it hadn’t even occurred to her to cry or feel sad, a mixture of regret and relief filled her instead. “You know something?”

“Mm?” Dar murmured very close to her ear.

“Now the hard part starts.”

Dar sighed. “Yeah.” She glanced into the waiting room, where she could see the pastor with his arm around a distraught Mrs. Stuart, next to Angie and Michael. Dealing with all the family now that the immediate crisis was over was shaping up to be a tough ride. “Sorry.”

Kerry exhaled, warming Dar’s skin right through her pullover. “Thank God you’re here,” she whispered. “But I’m sorry I’m putting you through this.”

Dar rested her cheek against Kerry’s hair. “I’m not sorry at all. So don’t you be either, Kerrison.”

Kerry tipped her head back and gazed up at Dar. “Do you Thicker Than Water 85

know, you’re the only person who has ever said that name in a way that makes me want to hear it more often?”

A tiny smirk appeared as Dar gracefully inclined her head.

“You do the same to me with mine. But don’t tell anyone, all right? It’ll wreck a lifetime of conditioning people not to use it.”

“No problem, Paladar.” Kerry found reason to smile, which felt strange after the past two days. “We’re going to have to go back to my parents’ house, you realize.”

Dar nodded. “I know.”

Kerry sighed and put her head back down on Dar’s shoulder.

“I don’t even know what to feel, Dar. Should I be crying?”

Dar was silent for a moment. “When they came and told us that Dad had died,” her voice was soft and reflective, “I didn’t cry at all.”

Kerry’s brows contracted. “Really?”

“Yes. Not for days. Then, I was at work and I was at my desk and…” A flash of that memory surfaced, twisting Dar’s guts. “It just hit me.” She paused. “That I was never going to see him again. And I lost it.”

“Mm.”

Even now, Dar felt the tears all over again. “I went into the Xerox room and locked the door and went to pieces for hours.”

Kerry thought about that. “Knowing how you feel about him, I’m not surprised. I don’t think that’s going to happen to me, though.”

Dar hugged her. “Maybe not. But give yourself a little time, okay?”

“Okay.” Kerry closed her eyes and wished it was over. “Dar?”

“Let me guess.” Dar gently scratched the back of Kerry’s neck and got a contented murmur. “You love me, right?”

“No,” Kerry said. “I love that you love me.” She gave Dar a big hug, then slipped an arm around her waist. “Let’s go get this started.”

“WAIT, MS. STUART! Can we get a statement!”

“Hold, on—look, that’s the brother, there. Go on!”

“Ms. Stuart, look this way!”

Kerry just kept her head down and kept walking, almost slipping as her boots stepped off the swept sidewalk and onto the snow covered parking lot. “Jesus.” She kept her hands in her pockets, aware of her uncles herding everyone along and her mother huddled between her and Michael. “Fucking ghouls.”

Cynthia Stuart’s head jerked up. “Kerrison!” she whispered, shocked.

86 Melissa Good

“Well, they are,” Kerry replied, as they dodged between two parked television news trucks and escaped the glare of spotlights.

Behind them, she could hear a spokesman yelling in vain for attention, and she was glad when the noise faded back, leaving them to the labored sounds of their own breathing and the crunch of snow underfoot.

The family limo and its driver were waiting for them, and doors opened quickly, allowing a gust of leather and wax-tinged warm air out. Kerry helped her mother inside, then stepped back.

“We’ll follow you.”

“Kerry, there’s room,” Angie protested. “Come on.”

“You go.” Kerry gave her a gentle shove and took a backwards stride almost into Dar’s arms. “We’ll be right behind you, I promise.” She closed the door behind Angie, then turned and let out a huge sigh, until she saw two reporters running their way, one with a camera balanced on his shoulder. “Oh, pud.”

Dar turned, saw them coming, and made one of the instanta-neous decisions that marked her long career. She stooped and grabbed a double handful of snow, then wadded it, let it go side-arm, and nailed the man with the camera right in the face. He stumbled, fell sideways on the ice, and knocked his companion right over.

“Let’s go.” Dar grabbed Kerry’s arm and plowed towards the rental car. “I’ll drive.”

“Oh no.” Kerry wrestled for the keys as they half walked, half slid together. “Now c’mon. Dar.”

“Let me,” Dar said. “For crying out loud, Kerry, I have an engineering degree. I can figure out how to drive on snow.” With a stern glare, she keyed the door lock and pulled the passenger side door open. “In.”

Kerry was about to argue, but spotted more reporters heading their way and decided she could always wrest control of the car from Dar after they got clear of the parking lot. She slid inside, closed the door, and leaned over to open the opposite one. Dar dropped in next to her and slammed the door, sending a tiny puff of snow cascading down the front windshield.

Dar cranked the ignition and turned the lights on to combat the fast gathering twilight. Then she paused, looking at the frosted windows. She pointed. “What the hell are you supposed to do with that?”

An exhausted Kerry stared at the window. “With what?”

“That.” Dar pointed at the ice. “Wipers won’t take that off.”

Kerry stared at her. “You use the defroster, Dar.” She leaned over and turned the device on. “What on earth did you think it was there for?”

Thicker Than Water 87

Dar frowned. “Clearing out the humidity when it rains.” She peered through the clearing glass, glad to see the reporters were now chasing the limo as it made its stately way out of the drive. It was cold out and she was shivering, unused to the damp chill which ate through her sweater and made her already aching shoulder throb. Add the fact that she’d left her medication at the hotel room and they’d missed lunch, and it made for a truckload of misery.

And now they were headed for more of it. Dar cautiously put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking space, following the tail lights of the limo. She tested the brakes and felt the lack of control in the car, her muscles automatically compensating for that. All right, Dar decided. I can do this.

She didn’t see Kerry half turned sideways in her seat, watching her with gentle, tired eyes, the faintest of smiles on her face.

“They going to want you to stay overnight?” Dar asked.

“Probably,” Kerry said.

“We don’t have a change of clothes.”

“We can sleep naked,” came the reasonable answer. “We usually do.”

Dar fought the desire to turn her head and stare at Kerry.

“Not in your family’s house, we don’t.”

“Mm.” Kerry exhaled. “That’s true.” She blinked slowly. “I have clothes left there, but I bet none of them fit.” The thought seemed to please her. “Maybe some old sweatshirts, if they didn’t get tossed, but definitely nothing that’d fit you.” She watched their progress along the street and grudgingly admitted that Dar was doing pretty well with the ice. “Maybe we should detour past the hotel.”

“Just what I was thinking,” Dar said. She pulled carefully to a halt at a red light, as the limo ahead of them went on. “You doing okay?” She glanced at Kerry, whose drawn face was painfully evident even in the low light. Before Kerry could answer, Dar’s cell phone rang, startling both of them.

“That’s been quiet,” Kerry murmured.

Dar took it out and opened it. “Yeah?”

“Dar.”

Alastair’s voice sounded much, much calmer than it had earlier. That served to make Dar’s stomach tie up in knots, and she wondered if she was on the verge of being fired. She decided she really didn’t care. “Evening, Alastair,” she said, putting the car into motion as the light turned green. “Right, up ahead?” Kerry nodded. “What’s up?” she asked Alastair.

“Just saw the news,” Alastair said. “Tell Kerry I’m sorry; that’s a tough thing.”

88 Melissa Good Dar exhaled. “I will.”

There was a slight pause. “Easton took the deal. Didn’t think he would, but he did.”

“Good.” Dar felt a sense of relief. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Anytime, Dar.” Now, at last, Alastair’s voice gentled. “Take care, y’hear? Both of you.”

“We will,” Dar replied. “Talk to you tomorrow.” She hung up, folded the phone, and tucked it back into its cradle. “Alastair sends his condolences, and wants you to take it easy.”

Kerry watched her closely. She’d lived with Dar for over a year, and she’d learned through trial and error to be able to read almost every twitch of that very, very expressive face. “And?”

There was a glint of streetlamp off blue eyes as Dar glanced at her. “And?”

Kerry saw Dar’s hands flex and resettle on the steering wheel.

“And, what else is going on?” She waited through the obvious hesitation. “C’mon, Dar, you can bluff an entire roomful of stock analysts, but not me. What’s up?”

Dar inhaled, then squared her shoulders. “Things went south with the Navy.” She pulled into the hotel’s parking lot. “Easton called Alastair on the carpet and demanded he produce the information we found and turn it over, or face some pretty strong consequences.”

“What happened?” Kerry sat up straighter, perversely glad to have something else to focus on. “How’d he get out of it?”

Dar stopped the car in a parking spot and rested her hands on the wheel as she gazed thoughtfully out the window. “I agreed to a deal.” She turned to Kerry. “To turn over the data and not press forward with it.”

Kerry blinked at her with a look of utter shock.

“He had a deadline. I had to be there. I wasn’t going to be.”

Dar shrugged. “So, that’s what’s going on.” She shut off the car and opened the door. “Come on, I need to change into something warmer.” She got out into the still falling snow and closed the door, then trudged around the back of the car and peered in the passenger side window. Kerry was still sitting there with a stunned look on her face. It almost made Dar smile. She opened Kerry’s door and gave her an inquiring look. “Coming?”

Kerry finally turned and reached for the doorframe to pull herself up. “Dar—”

“No.” Dar touched two fingers to Kerry’s lips. “There was no option, I don’t regret it, there was no choice to be made. Got it?”

She stared seriously at Kerry. “Being here for you was that important for me.”

The snow drifted and flakes settled on Kerry’s upturned face.

Thicker Than Water 89

“Was Alastair mad?”

“Livid.” Dar pulled Kerry the rest of the way out of the car and closed the door. “But he understands.” She wrapped an arm around Kerry as they started towards the hotel. “He knows me.”

Kerry thought about that as they walked. “Does he?” The shock of Dar’s revelation was still ringing inside her, evoking an alternating mixture of dismay and awe.

A smile crossed Dar’s face. “Yes, he does.”

THEY HAD A surprise waiting in the hotel room. Dar entered first and switched the light on, then stopped in mid stride causing Kerry to crash into her back. “Whoa.”

“Wh…Dar, why did…Oh.” Kerry peered out from behind Dar’s back and saw the table covered in baskets. “Good grief.”

“Yeah.” Dar walked to the table and examined the items.

There were four in all—two sedate ones that contained subdued flower arrangements, one stocked with a variety of chocolates, and one with other snacks such as crackers and cheese. “Someone worried there weren’t any restaurants all the way up here?” She picked up the cards and read them. “Ah.”

Kerry peeked. The flowers were from Maria and Mariana, the snacks were from Colleen, and the chocolate… “Your folks certainly know you.”

“Me?” Dar glanced at her wryly. “Oh, does that mean you don’t want any?”

Kerry’s nostrils twitched as Dar removed the cellophane wrap from the chocolate basket, releasing a sweet, delicious scent. “I didn’t say that.” She plucked at the snack basket. “But I’m going to have some crackers and cheese, too, or I’ll be bouncing all over the place.”

“Good.” Dar selected a truffle and popped it into her mouth.

“While you do that, I’m going to put on my damn thermal under-wear.”

Kerry picked up the bottle of pills and handed it to Dar. “And take this, right?”

“Mm.” Dar accepted the bottle, but put it down for a moment as she pulled her sweater off over her head. Or tried to, at any rate, when she unthinkingly used her bad arm. “Shit.” She hissed and paused in mid motion.

“Hey!” Kerry dropped her crackers and jumped to her side.

She eased the fabric off over Dar’s head and carefully lowered her arm. “Oh, damn, Dar!” She was shocked at the new mottled bruising that covered Dar’s shoulder joint and spread across the front of her chest. “Sit down.”

90 Melissa Good

“Why? Is that supposed to take strain off my arm?” Dar did as she was told and sat quietly on the bed as Kerry examined her.

“Just a bruise, Ker.”

“It wasn’t like that when I left Florida yesterday,” Kerry said.

“You did this last night.”

“Yeah, so?” Dar shrugged.

Kerry seriously studied her, then she unclipped her cell phone, opened it, and dialed a number. “Hey, Ang.”

“Kerry, where did you disappear to?” Angie asked. “You were behind us, then you vanished. I thought you got lost.”

“In my own hometown? Not likely,” Kerry replied. “We stopped by the hotel for Dar’s medication.”

The phone juggled. “Hang on.” There was a moment of silence, then Angie’s voice came back, clearer and with less noise in the background. “Maybe it’s for the best. This place is a circus, Ker. The press is here, and all of dad’s staff, and it’s a madhouse.”

“Ugh,” Kerry murmured.

“And,” Angie hesitated, “with everything that’s going on, I think the general feeling is it might be better if you didn’t come over here.” She seemed almost embarrassed. “With all the press here, they don’t want any controversy.”

Kerry felt a burn of anger. “You mean, it’d be okay if I came, but not if I brought Dar with me.”

“Something like that, yeah.” Angie sighed. “That’s not from mom, but there’re so many—”

“Fuck them.” Kerry enunciated the words carefully.

Angie was prudently silent.

“But you know what? I’m glad,” Kerry went on. “Because I was just calling to tell you we weren’t coming over anyway. Dar hurt her arm again last night picking my butt up, and I’m going to spend the evening relaxing, eating very good chocolate, and taking care of her.”

Angie still remained silent. Dar’s eyebrows crawled up into her hairline and lodged there.

Kerry smiled mirthlessly. “So, if the press asks, you can tell them that.”

“Lucky stiff,” Angie finally muttered. “Mom wants you to come by in the morning, is that okay?”

“I’ll think about it,” Kerry answered. “Bye.” She closed the phone with a snap. “Sons of bitches.”

Dar circled the back of Kerry’s thigh with one hand and squeezed gently. “Easy.” She could see the anger flaring along the lines of Kerry’s body. “Everyone’s under a lot of pressure.”

“Bullshit,” Kerry snapped back. “Most of those people couldn’t give a damn about my father. They’re just polishing up Thicker Than Water 91

the old image, so their memoirs will…” She paused, visibly upset.

“Can’t have the family disgrace messing that up, can we?”

Dar pulled her a little closer and nuzzled her side in wordless comfort. Kerry leaned forward and laced her fingers through Dar’s hair, then touched her head to Dar’s and exhaled. “Bastards,” she whispered.

Dar nodded. “Uh huh.”

They stayed like that for a few minutes, rocking gently back and forth, then Kerry released a held breath and straightened a little. “On the other hand,” she pushed Dar’s hair out of her eyes,

“I’m tired, I’m hungry, and spending the night alone with you is sounding more superfantastic by the second.”

Dar issued her a rakish smile. “I was hoping you’d arrive at that conclusion. I kinda liked the idea of being pampered and fed chocolate all night.” She took Kerry’s hand and relaxed back onto the pillow, giving her an inviting little tug. “C’mere.”

Kerry crawled over her and laid down at her side, never taking her eyes from Dar’s. She released Dar’s hand and stroked Dar’s soft bare skin with light, curious fingers. “This is that silver lining thing, isn’t it?”

“Mmhm,” Dar agreed, brushing Kerry’s cheek and watching her fair lashes flutter closed at the touch. “Don’t let them get to you, Kerry. When people are hurting or confused, it’s easy for them to lash out at things they don’t understand.”

Kerry lowered her head to Dar’s shoulder and snuggled close, wrapping an arm around her stomach. “I know that. It just makes me so angry that all they think about is themselves.” A sigh warmed Dar’s skin. “It’s so unfair.”

“Life is, sometimes,” Dar replied. “You just do the best you can with it.” She thoughtfully regarded the ceiling. “Like now, for instance. We could be at your family’s house.”

“Mm,” Kerry murmured.

“With one third of the crowd glaring at us, another third of them making veiled but snarky comments, and the remaining third being sweet and sympathetic.”

“Uh.”

“Having,” Dar thought a moment, “pate canapés and white wine?”

Kerry nodded. “Probably.”

“So, instead, we’re here in this nice hotel room, with a lot of chocolate, a big room service menu, and a heart shaped hot tub.”

Kerry had to smile at that. “You’ve got a good point there.”

She relaxed a little, her fingers absently tracing patterns over Dar’s belly. “You gave up a lot today, Dar. Standing by me.”

“Nah,” Dar replied. “Besides, that’s what friends do, isn’t it?

92 Melissa Good Stand by each other?”

Kerry hitched up on an elbow and gazed seriously at her lover. “I mean it, Dar.” Her brow creased. “That meant a lot to me; don’t minimize it.”

Dar met her eyes and a smile tugged on the edges of her lips.

“It felt good.” She twirled a lock of Kerry’s hair between her fingers. “Now, what was that about feeding me chocolate?”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you have a one track mind?”

Kerry gave in with a smile. “All right, you beautiful hedonist. Lie still, and I’ll get the chocolate and a menu.” She leaned over, kissed Dar on the lips, and licked them lightly. “Mm…speaking of chocolate.” She felt Dar’s hands ease her sweater up and slide beneath it. Part of her knew Dar was trying to keep her mind off the terrors of the day, but the larger part of her decided it didn’t care, and that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.

She didn’t really want to think about the hospital. She didn’t really want to think about her family and the raw hatred that had battered her all morning. She didn’t really want to see the slack, blank look on her father’s face, or the lines on the monitor flatten-ing to even.

For right now, she decided, she’d focus hard on the beautiful body poised just under hers, and the touch that was making her guts burn, and the soft, enticing growls chasing the shadows far away.

“HOW’S THAT?” KERRY adjusted the heating pad so that it covered more of Dar’s shoulder, and gave it a solicitous pat.

Dar eyed her arm. “Kerry, you know it’s—”

“Ah ah ah!” Kerry put a fingertip on Dar’s lips. “Do you have that other medicine with you?” She could see Dar debating whether to answer. “Don’t make me go through your bag, Paladar K. Roberts.”

“Heh.” Dar chuckled sheepishly. “Yes, in the right pocket.

Two bottles...but…”

Kerry got up, rummaged in the specified pouch, and came up with the plastic bottles. “Listen, tiger, I know you hate taking this stuff, but you’d make me feel better if you did.”

Dar sighed. “It makes me space out. Just the pain medication’s bad enough, Kerry. I don’t need that other stuff.”

Kerry perched on the bed and pushed a lock of pale hair back behind one ear. She was dressed in her Tweety T-shirt and nothing else. “You sound like such a kid when you talk like that.”

Dar pouted.

“Aw.” Kerry grinned, biting her lower lip a little. “That’s just Thicker Than Water 93

so adorable, I wish I had a digital camera.”

The pout disappeared and an eyebrow lifted. “For what?

Where would you be putting that picture, Ms. Kerrison?”

“On my desktop.” Kerry relaxed onto her side, crossed her ankles, and wiggled her feet. “Right next to the little shot I have of you in your swimsuit.”

Dar blinked. “In my…swim…Oh, you don’t really.”

“Mmhm. I sure do.” Green eyes peered innocently back at her. “The really nice one, that black, semi see-through number.”

She grinned. “The picture I took on vacation.”

Dar just stared at her. “That’s on your desktop?” Her voice cracked on the last word and she blushed. “Kerry, that’s almost—”

“Oh yes, absolutely.” Kerry very much enjoyed Dar’s discom-fiture. “And let me tell you, looking at that when I come back from some of those afternoon marketing meetings…ahhh.” She waggled her eyebrows at her lover, who looked mildly alarmed.

“Dar, c’mon. You’re an incredibly sexy looking woman and you know it, so stop looking at me like I’m nuts.”

“W...it’s not that. I’m just...it’s...” Dar spluttered to a halt.

Kerry held back a smirk. “Do you have any pictures of me on your PC?”

It was amazing how quickly a grown woman could manufacture the impression of a small child caught with its fist in a nice, big cookie jar. “Um…” Dar scratched her ear and tugged on the lobe a bit. “Yeah.”

“Oh yeah? Which ones?” Kerry squirmed a little closer. “The one on the boat?”

“No,” Dar drawled. “Not that one.”

Kerry considered for a moment. “Oh…not that one you took when we were parasailing.”

“Nope.” Dar studied the ceiling, aware of the ridiculous blush that was coloring her skin. “I don’t think you’ve seen these.”

Both of Kerry’s eyebrows lifted. “I haven’t?” She crawled even closer, until she was almost nose to breast with Dar. “Which pictures are they, then?”

Dar evaluated her tactical situation; it wasn’t pretty. At least she’d gotten Kerry’s mind off those damn drugs. “A couple I took out at the island the last time we were out there. After we went diving.”

“Oh.” Kerry frowned, trying to remember the outing. It hadn’t been that long ago, after all, and they’d been diving for hours, then…Her mist green eyes opened wide, and she lifted her head to peer at her lover. “Dar, wait a minute.” Baby blues 94 Melissa Good blinked at her with devastating innocence.

“Hm?” She watched as Kerry blushed, the color making her fair brows stand out vividly. “I got some gorgeous shots.”

Kerry covered her eyes. “You’re not telling me you took pictures when I was sunbathing in the buff, are you?”

Dar ran a finger across Kerry’s scarlet cheek. “All that beautiful orange sunset and you. Incredible.”

“Oh, my God,” Kerry murmured weakly. “Please don’t tell me you have that on your desktop where Maria can see it.”

“Why not? She appreciates fine art when she sees it.” Dar almost burst into laughter when Kerry removed her hand and gazed at her in total shock. “Relax. They’re not on my desktop.”

She gently patted Kerry’s cheek. “I would never do that to you, honey.”

Kerry exhaled, rubbing her face with one hand. “Guess that teaches me to start a teasing war with you, huh?” She gave Dar a rueful look. “Here I thought I was doing so well.” She rolled over and got up, then trudged over to the table and poured herself a glass from the pitcher of iced tea. “Whoo.”

Dar watched her fondly. The thin, almost threadbare cotton of Kerry’s T-shirt clung to her body, outlining it and emphasizing her athletic build. “Wanna see the pictures?”

Kerry almost spat a mouthful of iced tea across the room.

“Pft.” She managed to swallow. “You have them here?”

“Sure.” Dar chuckled softly. “I said I didn’t have them on my desktop.” She pointed. “They’re on the laptop.”

Kerry looked at her, then at the computer, then back at her.

She firmly turned her back on the machine, returned to the bed, then leapt lightly over Dar and curled up at her side. “No thanks, sweetie.” She rolled onto her back, exhaled, and let her body go limp. “The room service we ordered should be here soon. What do you want to do afterwards?”

Dar cupped a hand around one of Kerry’s neatly outlined breasts. “Have dessert.”

Kerry turned her head and met Dar’s eyes. “Dar?”

“Mm?” A lazy smile appeared.

“If you’re trying to distract me,” Kerry took in an unsteady breath, her body already reacting to the sensual touch, “it’s working.”

“Good.” Dar rolled stiffly onto her side and continued her exploration. “My vote is for dinner, dessert, and a nice soak in that tub.” She leaned closer. “’Cause that’s gonna make me feel a lot better than those damn drugs.”

One green eye opened and regarded her suspiciously. “Is this a plot?”

Thicker Than Water 95

Dar eased the thin cotton fabric up. “Oh yeah.”

Kerry half sat up and captured Dar’s jaw, then she kissed her with quiet passion. “If that room service guy knocks in the next few minutes, you’re in so much trouble.”

Dar chuckled deep in her throat.