Thicker Than Water

Chapter

Eight

THE WEATHER, HOWEVER, intervened. The snow came down harder, almost a blizzard, and Dar found herself in the infamous “green room” staring out the window at a white fog so strange looking she found it hard to comprehend. Rain she was used to—Miami’s thundershowers were legendary for both their volume of water and speed of descent—but this white facsimile that made no sound was almost…spooky.

Dar turned as Kerry entered and closed the door behind her, then smiled as Kerry joined her at the window. “Hi.”

Kerry didn’t answer. She just wound her arms around Dar’s body and snuggled close, putting her head on Dar’s shoulder with a contented little grunt. “Can we sit down for a minute, because I’d really like to talk to you. I’ve got something I want to say, and I don’t want to wait.”

Dar blinked in mild alarm. “Sure.” She glanced around and pointed at a padded bench. “How about over there?” Kerry led her to it and they sat down. “What’s up?”

Kerry, staring very seriously into Dar’s eyes, cupped Dar’s cheek with her hand. The blue orbs widened slightly in reaction.

“I expected the worst today,” Kerry said very softly.

“I kind of thought so.” Dar stayed still, only the flexing of one hand against the bench betrayed her unease. “I’m glad it turned out better. I know how much your family means to you, Kerry.”

Her eyes dropped a little. “And I know how it feels not to have one.”

Kerry tilted Dar’s chin up with her other hand, so their eyes met again. “Do you know what the most wonderful part of today was?”

“Me singing the praises of your butt?”

“No.” Kerry did smile, though. “It was watching you lay yourself open to my family because you knew it would make me happy.”

Dar blushed a little. “Ah. You caught on. I thought I was Thicker Than Water 119

being subtle.”

“Mm hm.” Kerry kissed her. “Like your usual freight-train-at-full-speed, bad self.” She exhaled. “God, I love you.”

Dar relaxed, the tension running out of her shoulders and torso, and she tilted her head to return the kiss. Kerry’s hand slipped off her cheek and curled around her neck, pulling her closer for a long, sensual moment. Then they separated slightly and gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I thought maybe you’d be a little upset with me, teasing you like that,” Dar said. “I kind of crossed the line a few times.” She touched noses with Kerry, and watched her struggle to focus on her and not cross her eyes. “Though those pictures were adorable.”

“Thanks.” Kerry gave up and closed one eye, then just closed the other one and decided to kiss Dar instead. That didn’t require vision. “I personally think I was a goofy, chubby little kid, but if you want to think that’s cute,” she explored further with her lips,

“who am I to argue?”

“You were gorgeous then,” Dar brushed a bit of loose hair off Kerry’s forehead and traced an eyebrow, “and you certainly are now.”

Kerry smiled, obviously charmed, then chuckled softly. “I’m sorry, I’m finding this so ironic.”

“What?” Dar traced Kerry’s other eyebrow and outlined her eye.

“Where I am, why I’m here, who I’m with.” Kerry captured Dar’s finger in her teeth and explored the faintly ridged surface with a sensitive tongue. “Hey.” She released the digit and gazed at Dar. “How’s your arm?”

Dar flexed her shoulder very carefully. “Stiff. Aches a little.”

It was actually killing her. Even the drugs weren’t helping much, and Dar was beginning to worry that she’d actually done some serious additional damage to herself.

“From the weather, probably.” Kerry stood and held out a hand. “We’re snowed in right now. C’mon and lie down, and I’ll put some of that analgesic cream the doctor gave you on it.” A faint warning bell went off when Dar acquiesced without argument, and she led her lover to the bed and gently pushed her down onto it.

It was a nice bed, all things considered—a four poster with a stately canopy, fitting the room’s vaulted ceiling and wide expanse of mint green carpet to good proportion. The drapes on the window were also green, a slightly darker shade, and the furniture was whitewashed oak, providing a feeling of pleasant lightness to the room.

Kerry went to the divan where their bags were and rooted 120 Melissa Good around in Dar’s until she found the cream. “That’s pretty heavy snow out there, huh?” she commented, more to break the silence than anything.

“Yeah,” Dar said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.” She paused. “How long does it go on?”

Ah. Good question. Kerry sat down next to Dar’s reclining form. “Well, I heard the staff saying it should stop before dinner, so that’s good.” She unbuttoned Dar’s shirt, continued down, and tugged its ends out of her corduroys.

“Didn’t think the bruises went down that far,” Dar commented.

“They don’t,” Kerry replied seriously as she peeled back the fabric. “I just like looking at you with your clothes off.” She watched the muscles just under Dar’s skin contract as she laughed in silence. “Hey, I’m not lying.” She jumped a little when Dar’s cell phone went off, but then unclipped it from her waistband and handed it to her. “Here.”

Dar answered it. “Yeah?”

“Ms. Roberts? It’s central ops,” the voice answered.

Uh oh. “Yeah?” Dar repeated, mouthing the word “ops” to Kerry, who winced in reflex, then looked around for her own cell phone.

“I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am, but we have a big problem and we can’t reach Ms. Stuart.”

Dar glanced at Kerry, who had found her cell and opened it, a puzzled look on her face. Then she rolled her eyes, slapped her forehead in eloquent mime, and keyed the switch that turned it on. The device immediately beeped as stored messages sounded alerts.

Dar suppressed a smile, then put a crisp note into her voice.

“She’s taking care of some emergency family business. I told her to turn off her pager. What’s the problem?”

“Oh, sorry,” the operator said. “There’s a huge storm system going over the Midwest.”

Dar peered at the window. “Really?”

“Yes, ma’am. They’re having massive power outages in Chicago.”

“Again?” Dar murmured. “Hm. So how does that affect us?”

A thought occurred to her. “Oh, Jesus, don’t tell me the processing center’s down again.”

A sigh preceded the admission, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Shit,” Dar said. “Get me a contact list.”

Kerry had eased down next to Dar and was gently spreading some of the cream across her shoulder, while listening to the conversation. The Midway Center had been a bone of contention for Thicker Than Water 121

them for some months because, as Dar pointed out, it had no back up facilities and the giant UPS systems in the building had previously failed twice.

This close to Christmas, having a major center that cleared credit card purchases down was a bad, bad thing. “Power’s down again?” she asked softly, smoothing the thick ointment over the point of Dar’s shoulder and massaging the muscles just under the skin.

“Yeah,” Dar said. “Stupid bastards. I’m going to have that damn Dick Stark’s nuts for lunch.”

“Ew.” Kerry made a face, then held it for a different reason.

“Dar, this is really bruised.” She very gently touched the soft skin just above Dar’s left breast.

“I know. It hurts like hell,” Dar said. “Yeah, okay, you got a pen?” She spoke into the phone, focusing her attention away from the very concerned green eyes studying her. “All right. Have you started getting screaming phone calls from the banks yet?”

Kerry pulled Dar’s shirt back over her and covered her injured arm, then she stood and walked to the small desk, picking up her laptop case along the way. She could, she knew, legitimately take the phone from Dar and do what Dar was doing—it was her job, after all, and if she hadn’t been so dumb as to turn off her phone, she’d have gotten the call, not her boss. But she also knew that this one was going to come down to a screamfest, because if the weather in Chicago was half as bad as it was here, getting a repair crew out to fix the UPS wasn’t going to take her kind of finesse. It was going to take raw, brute, sheer bitch, and when it came to that, Kerry would be the first to admit she was a rank amateur compared to her lover. She’d let Dar get things rolling, and spend her time getting hooked up to the system to see what she could do about shifting processing remotely.

“Don’t give me that.” Dar’s voice rose into a familiar bark.

“Get his ass on the phone right now or he’ll be paying penalties on this for the next twenty years!”

Hm. Kerry regarded the figure in the bed. Then she went around the other side of the four poster with her laptop, squirmed into place next to Dar, and let her machine rest on her knees. A soft knock on the door made her look up. “Yes?”

The door opened and Angie poked her head in. “Hey.”

Kerry motioned with her head. “C’mon in.”

Angie walked quietly across the floor and took a seat next to the bed. “What are you guys doing?” she whispered as Dar’s voice lifted again.

“Tell that son of a bitch I’m going to send FedEx to pick up his testicles if he doesn’t get on this phone!”

122 Melissa Good Angie’s eyes widened.

“Easy, DR,” Kerry said in a soothing voice. She achieved her cellular connection and logged into the network. Alerts popped up on her screen like rabid weasels. “All right, all right, I get the picture; shut up already.” She slapped a few keys and looked up at Angie. “We’re running the world.”

Angie’s brow creased. “Right here, from the green bedroom?”

She watched Kerry type, her eyes flicking over the screen with a startling intensity. This was new. She’d never really seen Kerry do whatever it was that she did, and she listened in shocked consternation as Dar said things to people in terms Angie hadn’t even heard in gangster movies. It was sort of interesting, even though she hadn’t any idea what either of them was talking about.

“Look…” Dar shifted in aggravation, sat up, and reached over to move the phone from one ear to the other. It was a bad mistake, and she froze in mid-motion, stifling a yelp and biting her tongue as something that felt like a hot coal pressed against the nerves in her shoulder.

“Dar!” Kerry shoved the laptop off her legs, swiveled, and grabbed Dar and eased her back down onto the pillows. Dar’s face had gone pale, and she watched the blue eyes blink rapidly, faint twitches of pain making their way across her face. “Easy.”

Kerry grabbed the cell phone out of her hand and put it to her ear. “Hello? Who is this?” She waited for an answer. “That’s nice.

Listen to me. My name is Kerrison Stuart. I know more people in Congress than you have brain cells. If you don’t want six government agencies coming down on your doorstep on Monday morning, you’ll do whatever it is Ms. Roberts was asking you to do and not say one word.” She paused. “Do you understand me?” The sound of panic came through clearly. “Good. If you need me to get the snow removal people to clear your path, just say so.” She paused for his reply. “No? Good. We’ll be waiting for that repair-man. Good bye.” She slammed the phone shut and threw it across the room, where it bounced off the wall. “Jesus!”

She turned to see Angie staring at her, both hands covering her mouth. “What?” Then she shifted her eyes to where Dar was lying peacefully, her hands folded over her stomach, regarding her with a look of mixed amusement and pride. “What?” Her frustration surfaced. “You need a doctor!”

“Kerry,” Dar laid a hand on her thigh, “would you take it easy?”

“No.” Kerry scowled. “Dar, I’m really worried about your arm, and I…” She winced and rubbed her temples. “Shit.” The pounding at her temples increased and made her stomach churn.

She sucked in her breath at a wave of lightheadedness and was Thicker Than Water 123

aware of Dar’s sudden grip on her. “Damn it.”

Angie leaned forward. “Ker, are you okay?”

Kerry exhaled, trying to release the anger that had boiled up unexpectedly. She took a few deep breaths and the dizziness faded, along with the tension along her brow line. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat a little. “I’m fine...just aggravated.”

Dar rubbed the inside of her wrist. “You sure?”

Kerry looked at her, seeing the honest concern in her eyes.

“Yeah. I’m just worried about you, and frustrated.” She considered for a moment. “And overreacting, I think.” She gave Dar a wry look. “Sorry.”

“S’kay.” Dar gently squeezed her leg. “You’ve got a point, I do need to get this looked at. But we’re not going anywhere in this weather, and unless an orthopedic surgeon is on your guest list, it’s going to have to wait until we get home.”

Kerry frowned.

Angie cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly happened?”

Dar and Kerry exchanged glances. “It’s complicated,” Kerry finally replied, as the tension that had gripped her slowly ebbed.

She pulled her laptop back onto her lap and stared at it. “What was I doing?”

“Finding alernative routes for the western and southern datastreams,” Dar replied. “Try Atlanta and Kansas City. They should be able to handle the additional traffic. I think I put in big enough pipes there.”

“Yeah,” Kerry murmured, taking a deep breath and releasing it.

“Er…I meant to Dar’s arm,” Angie said delicately. “Not that what you’re doing isn’t interesting, but I’m seriously clueless when it comes to computers.”

Dar watched Kerry work for a moment. “I…um…” Explaining the entire Naval base issue was just too much for her at the moment. “I got hit in the shoulder with a baseball bat.”

“Oh,” Angie murmured. “Wow, that must have hurt.”

“Yeah, it did.”

“And then she made it worse by picking me up the other night,” Kerry muttered, her eyes focused on her laptop screen. “So there’s a certain amount of personal guilt going on here.” She smacked a few more keys. “God damn it.”

Angie exchanged glances with Dar. “Know what I think?”

“What?” Kerry asked testily.

“I think you need a nap.” Angie got up and tossed a pillow at her sister. “And you need to chill out.” She left the room and closed the green hued door behind her.

124 Melissa Good DAR’S EYES CLOSED as she lay quietly waiting for a call back on her cell phone. It was dim and silent in the room, the snow was still falling outside, and Kerry was curled up on her side with her head pillowed on Dar’s stomach, fast asleep.

Dar curled her fingers around a lock of Kerry’s hair, and wondered if Kerry was half as worried about her as she was about Kerry. She could almost sense the fractures in Kerry’s usually sturdy psyche and she only hoped the growing and renewed warmth with her nuclear family helped to heal them. Or else she’d take Kerry home and surround her with as much love and support as it took to do the job.

They’d gotten some of the problem resolved, as much as they could without fixing the broken equipment, and Dar had finally coaxed Kerry into taking one of the pills she carried around for stress headaches. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the dos-age that merely relaxed Dar had knocked her shorter, lighter partner out like a light.

Dar’s cell vibrated softly, and she lifted it up. “Yeah? “ she murmured into the receiver.

“Dar, it’s Mark.” The MIS manager sounded upset. “Listen, we’ve got a real problem.”

One of Dar’s eyebrows lifted wryly. “Another one?”

“Some guy from the government’s here. He’s got a court order or something that says I have to give him the core dump you took from the Navy base.”

Dar’s other eyebrow lifted. “Really? Let me talk to him.”

She could almost see the smug look on the man’s face, and the carefully not smug look on Mark’s when he handed the phone over. “Who is this?” she drawled softly.

"My name is John Bradley,” a voice answered. “I represent the Military Appropriations Committee, Ms. Roberts. I assure you, this is all in order. Please have your staff here give me the information I require.”

“They don’t have it,” Dar told him, enjoying the moment of stunned silence.

“Ms. Roberts, this is not a joke. I have a court order.”

“It’s not even remotely funny. But the fact is, it’s not there, Mr. Bradley,” Dar replied. “Mind telling me who you work for?”

There was a brief silence before he blustered, “We can search.”

“Go ahead.” Dar laughed softly. “But be ready for the law-suit. You can drop a copy of that court order off at our legal department while you’re at it.”

“This request comes from some very important people, Ms.

Roberts,” Bradley warned. “You don’t really want it getting out Thicker Than Water 125

that this information is floating around out there, now do you? If you force me to take this public, I will.”

Ouch. “You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Dar said.

“Am I? We’ll see.” There was a click.

Dar sighed. “This so sucks,” she murmured in the direction of the canopy. For a few minutes, she just lay there, listening to Kerry’s slow, even breathing, then she picked up her phone and scrolled through her address book, selected a number, and pressed it.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up. “Joint Chiefs,” the young, female voice answered.

“I need to speak with General Easton, please,” Dar said very quietly. “This is Dar Roberts.”

She waited patiently, one hand tangling itself in Kerry’s hair while canned Christmas music played in her ear. Finally, after a few minutes, the line clicked and she heard the faint sound of someone clearing their throat before speaking. “Gerry?”

The voice stilled, and she could hear the exhale. “Well, hello there, Dar.” Easton’s tone sounded wary, but also slightly surprised and hopeful.

Dar had used his first name for a reason. “Alastair told me we had a deal.”

Easton cleared his throat again. “Why, yes, we do… Listen, Dar,” he sighed, “I know what a bloody bastard this is, and I know it put your shorts in square knots.”

A faint smile crossed Dar’s face. “And I know how you feel about the service.”

Another sigh was audible. “It’s so damn hard, Dar. You know how fond I am of you.”

“We’ve known each other a long time,” Dar said. “I didn’t want to find what I did.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Easton said. “Damn it all, Dar.”

Dar was silent for a moment. “If we have a deal, then why did I get a visit from the goon squad today? I didn’t think you mis-trusted me that badly.”

For a long instant, there was dead silence on the other end of the line. “What?” Easton finally spluttered. “Visit from who?”

“Some guy named Bradley from the Military Appropriations Committee was in my office with a court order, getting that data dump you asked them to retrieve,” Dar replied calmly. “Why, Gerry?”

“Errr…” Easton almost sneezed. “I didn’t send a damn blessed soul anywhere near Miami today!” A chair scraped against wood. “What the devil are you talking about?”

126 Melissa Good Dar stared blankly at the phone, a dozen thoughts running through her head. “You didn’t?”

“Certainly not,” Easton replied.

“I talked to him myself,” Dar murmured. “He said he had a court order.” Her mind flicked over the conversation. “He wanted the core…Wait a minute. How in the hell did he know I had that?”

Easton paused. “Gave it to him, did you?”

“No,” Dar replied. “It’s not there. Gerry, are you sure you didn’t ask them to do this? Don’t…” Dar felt her heart rate pick up. “Forget the company; I need to know.”

“Paladar, I swear to you I didn’t,” Easton said seriously. “No point to it, you see? Not with that bargain you drove. Sticky thing that was to push through, I will say.”

“Then where did he…” Dar paused. “Huh.” Could someone have found what her father had hidden? Anything was possible, though she knew her father well enough to know how careful he was. Oh well. A simple phone call could verify that.

“I say, Dar...do you mean to say someone knows about this whole thing outside us?” Easton suddenly asked, sharply. “John Bradley, was it?”

“I’ll call you later.” Dar hung up and immediately dialed her parents’ cell phone number. It rang four times, then went to the voice mail. “Damn.” She waited for the message to end, then left her name and cell number. As she closed the phone, she considered her next course of action.

“Dar?” Kerry’s voice burred sleepily. “What’s wrong?”

Dar gazed down at the half open green eyes peering up at her.

“Hm?” She made a questioning noise, to buy herself some time.

“How’s your head?”

“Woozy.” Kerry remained where she was, one hand stroking idly across Dar’s belly. “That stuff’s strong. You shoulda warned me.” Her eyes closed for a moment, then reopened. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Should I? Dar didn’t want to add to the stress already piled on her lover’s shoulders, but she was reluctant to lie to her. “Someone from the government, or so they claim, came looking for that information at the office. I thought he was from Gerry’s office, but…”

Kerry absorbed that. “Damn. I thought you took the core dump out of the building.”

“I did,” Dar said. “Dad has it.”

Kerry shrugged. “Then it’s okay, right?”

Dar met her eyes with a troubled look. “Except that now Gerry knows someone else is looking for it, because I was stupid enough to tell him.”

Thicker Than Water 127

“Oh.” Kerry looked apprehensive now. “What does that mean?’

“I don’t know.”

“Could someone else have found out about it?” Kerry asked.

“Or…did this come from my father?” She hesitated. “What does Dad say? Anyone been asking him?”

“I don’t know,” Dar said. “The folks are not answering the phone. Maybe they took the boat out.” She opened the phone and dialed. “Hello? Yes, this is Dar Roberts; can I talk to the dock mas-ter please?” She waited. “Slip 1452, is it berthed?” There was a short wait before the man came back on the line. “Yes? Thanks.”

She hung up. “Boat’s in the dock.”

Kerry was now more or less awake. “Want me to call Colleen and have her run down there? I think she’s the closest.”

Dar nodded silently and handed her the phone. She listened to Kerry dial and watched as she pushed the disheveled hair back off her forehead and leaned on one elbow.

“Hey, Col,” Kerry said softly. “Yeah. No, thanks. Thanks. I loved the basket.” She listened. “No, what I…What? Where are you? Our place?” She looked at Dar. “Mom and Dad asked Col to puppy sit. Said they were going out of town for a few days.”

Dar blinked. “When was this?”

Kerry asked. “About two hours ago,” she relayed to Dar. “Did they say where they were going? No? I don’t get it.”

Out of town? “They didn’t mention anything about going out of town,” Dar said, in a puzzled tone. “Did they?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Kerry just sat there thinking for a minute. “I don’t get it.” She yawned and leaned against Dar.

“Why would anyone be trying to get that information from you?

The general already has it, and my father already had it.”

“Beats me. Guy said he was from the military appropriations committee.” Dar shrugged.

Kerry took hold of her wrist. “My father was on that,” she said. “Could he have told them?”

Oh boy. “I don’t know,” Dar murmured. “But if he did, we’ve got a problem.”

They heard the distinct slamming of a door somewhere nearby. They looked at each other, then at the door, as footsteps—

heavy and determined—headed in their direction. “I think that problem’s going to have to wait.” Kerry rolled off the bed.

Dar got out after her and followed her across the carpet, but stopped when Kerry paused and put her hand out, touching Dar’s chest. “What?”

“They’re my family.” Kerry intently searched Dar’s face.

“Please. Let me take a stab at handling them. Stay back for now.”

128 Melissa Good Dar frowned.

“Please?” Kerry brushed Dar’s lips with her own. “I have to face them sometime, Dar. You can’t beat them all up for me.”

“Why not?”

“Dar.”

Dar sighed. “Okay.” She opened the door for Kerry. “Go get

’em.” She gave her a pat on the butt, and watched until she disappeared around the edge of the corridor leading to the stairs. She waited an additional moment, then slipped out, padded to the landing, and cocked her head to listen.

CYNTHIA STUART SAW the broad back go past her, and she hurried after it. “Edgar?”

Edgar stopped, then turned and looked at her. “Cyndi, I heard you had that whore under this roof.” He stared accusingly at her. “We had a bargain.”

“Edgar,” Cynthia frowned, “this really is none of your business. If I choose to—”

“Cynthia, it is my business,” Edgar said flatly. “Roger was my brother, and you know how he felt about that woman and the godforsaken way she chooses to live.”

“Yes.” Cynthia sighed. “I am well aware of how he felt.”

“Then how could you?” Edgar asked. “How could you invite her in here, push her in all our faces, when we all know how he felt, how that ate at him. Good Lord, Cynthia, what the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Edgar, listen to me.” Cynthia was upset. “I know you have strong feelings, but—”

“Strong?” Edgar’s voice rose. “No, you don’t understand. I hate her. I hate her and everything she stands for, and I hate what she did to this family and to my brother.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cynthia snapped back. “You don’t nearly know the truth of that.” She stepped closer. “Do you think Kerrison simply decided to turn against Roger for no reason?”

“There is no reason that can explain what she did.”

“Yes, there is.” A quiet voice interrupted them. Both turned to see Kerry standing there, watching them with wary green eyes.

“But you know what? I don’t owe you any explanations.”

“Kerrison,” Cynthia put up a pacifying hand, “please, let me handle this. I’m sure—”

“Mother, this has to stop somewhere.” Kerry looked her uncle in the eye. “What is it you want from me, Uncle Edgar?”

Edgar stared at her, his nostrils flaring. “I want you to go to Hell,” he said softly and bitterly.

Thicker Than Water 129

“Edgar!”

“It’s all right, mother,” Kerry replied softly. “Uncle, tell me something. Do you want me to burn in Hell for exposing my father’s illegal activities to the press, or because I’m gay?” She held his eyes, her body shaking inside and her guts churning. Part of her regretted asking Dar to stay behind, but she knew she had to face this, one way or the other.

A flicker of indecision crossed his face, then his jaw firmed.

“You’re a disgrace to this family and an abomination in the eyes of God!” he yelled, then turned, walked down the stairs, crossed the foyer, and exited into the study.

Kerry released the breath she’d been holding, and relaxed her shoulders.

“Kerrison...” Cynthia lifted a hand, then let it fall.

“There’s nothing you can say,” Kerry said. “I’m sure there’ll be a lot more people here tonight that feel that way.” She looked at her mother. “But you know what? I don’t care.” She drew in a breath. “I can’t change what I did, and I can’t change who I am.”

Cynthia hesitated, then twitched Kerry’s sleeve straight.

“This is so difficult. I wish I had a simple answer to this quite horrible situation, Kerrison. But I will tell you that despite how hard it has been, I’m very glad you decided to come here.” Her eyes intently searched Kerry’s face.

Kerry blinked, then gazed at the railing on which her hand was resting. “It…wasn’t an easy choice.” Her voice was a little husky. “I didn’t really want to face this.” Now she looked up.

“But you’re my family. I can’t change that, either.”

Cynthia pursed her lips and shook her head a little. “We should sit down and talk. I think that’s been sadly lacking in this entire situation.”

The doorbell rang. “Guess that’s the start of it.”

Cynthia sighed. “I suppose it is. I was hoping…” She let the thought die away. “Perhaps after the reception we can speak further.”

“Sure,” Kerry said quietly, knowing it would never happen.

“I’ll go change.” She turned and went back up the stairs, deeply immersed in sober thoughts. She rounded the last bend before the landing and crashed into Dar. “Oh!”

Mild blue eyes regarded her as Dar steadied her with a quick grip.

“Thought I told you to stay behind,” Kerry murmured.

“I did. You just didn’t specify how far behind I had to stay.”

Giving Kerry an unrepentant look, Dar indicated the staircase.

“That jackass was lucky he decided to give up and leave.”

“Dar, don’t you think I can handle my own family?” Kerry 130 Melissa Good asked with a touch of annoyance.

“No,” Dar replied calmly. “I couldn’t handle mine and needed your help.” She laid a finger on the tip of Kerry’s nose.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear you at my grandmother’s funeral, making sure they all knew how their poor ragamuffin relative from down South had made good.”

Kerry smiled faintly at the memory. “That’s true.” She relaxed a bit. “C’mon, we’d better get dressed for this thing. People are starting to show up.”

Dar circled Kerry’s shoulders with one long arm as they went back to the green room. “You were the main reason my father decided to ask me to help him recontact Mom; you know that, right? And if I recall, a certain drawing exhibition…”

“Okay.” Kerry held up a hand. “I get the point, Dar.” She gave her a quiet look. “I guess I’m quite the little meddler, aren’t I?”

“Yep.” Dar pushed the door open and stood aside for Kerry to enter. “So don’t you dare give me a hard time for doing the same thing.” She followed Kerry inside and closed the door. “Speaking of which, let’s talk strategy.”

Kerry paused with her hand on her bag and turned. “Strategy?” She unzipped the bag and removed her dark suit. “For what?”

The room was darkened by the weather outside; only two lamps shed butter colored light across the room, and it splashed over Dar as she walked to Kerry. “What’s your goal here, Kerry?

What outcome do you want this evening to have, when it’s all over? Is this where you tell your family to kiss your ass, or do you want to try to mend fences?”

Kerry blinked at her in total bewilderment. “Dar, what are you talking about?”

“Think,” Dar replied, as she laid a hand on Kerry’s cheek.

“Everyone has their opinion of who you are. Do you want to change that?” There was only silence as Dar watched thoughts chase themselves across Kerry’s expressive face. “Are you proud of who you are?”

Blonde lashes flickered. “I don’t know.” Kerry inhaled. “I should be, shouldn’t I?”

Dar gazed intently into her eyes, allowing her own powerful personality to surge to the surface. “You have to believe in yourself before you can get anyone else to buy into that. And yes, you should be very proud of who you are.” A faint smile curved her lips. “I know I am.”

Kerry’s eyes filled with tears and they spilled down her cheeks as she blinked. For a moment, she felt very alone, as Thicker Than Water 131

though she were standing on a bridge high out over chill waters.

There was no safe place around her, only harsh, buffeting winds, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the swaying. It was frightening. She knew Dar was waiting for her on the other side of the bridge, but this was something she could only do by herself, a decision she had to make alone.

But there really isn’t a choice, is there? Kerry realized. She considered her accomplishments, both personal and professional over the previous year, and felt a sense of wondering satisfaction settle over her. With steady confidence, she traversed the bridge and crossed over it, leaving her childhood behind her to enter a newly burnished realization of her own reality.

Dar watched intently as Kerry’s eyes opened, a misty green still watery with tears that nevertheless met hers with startling clarity.

“What I want is for my family to understand that my life is exactly how I want it to be.” Kerry took Dar’s hand and ran her fingers over the strong bones and tensing muscles within it. “And I am very proud of who we are.”

Dar kissed her, but remained silent, savoring the sweetness of the moment.