Tropical Storm

Chapter Twenty-nine

“DAR?”

MARIA’s VOICE penetrated her thoughts, and she looked up, a little startled. “Yes?” She stopped turning the pencil over in her hands and exhaled.

“Here are your tickets for tomorrow.” The secretary bustled across the carpet and put the folder down near her hand. “Did Kerry go all right?”

“Yeah, I dropped her off before I came in,” Dar replied. “Her flight was at eight AM.” She checked her watch. “She should be there in a little while.”

“So nice.” Maria smiled, then her expression changed a little. “No?”

Dar looked up from where her attention had been drawn to her new fish.

“Oh, yes, I’m sure it’s fine. I was just thinking of something else, sorry about that.” Her body was, actually busy remembering the fierce hug Kerry had given her before she’d gone off to her gate, and the quiet, whispered “I’ll miss you.”

With a sigh, she pushed the thought aside and smiled at Maria. “So, how do you like Bert and Ernie here?” She’d just brought them in that morning, having given the two fractious fish a few days to settle in at Kerry’s apartment before she introduced them into the office.

Maria studied the fish. “They are very pretty,” she admitted. “I was thinking to get a goldfish for me, but I’m always to dropping things around my desk. I would be spending too much time in fishing them out.” She knelt to examine the tank. “This is nice.”

Dar propped her chin up on one hand. “I thought so,” she agreed.

“Um…I’ve got an executive committee meeting after lunch today, is there anything pending I need to look at before then?”

“Si.” Maria handed her the other folder she had been carrying. “The new building plans,” she told her. “You have first meeting next week.”

Dar flipped open the folder and studied the cover sheet. “Right, the lease is up on this building next year, and José thinks he found us a new location.

Hmm.” She studied the document. “Well, I don’t…ah.” Her lips twisted sardonically. “Now I see the picture, his brother-in-law owns it.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Dios mío, does it always have to be games?”

The executive sighed and shook her head. “And I hate the location. Looks like another battle royale in the making.” She glanced at the fish wryly.

“Maybe I should have called them Dar and José. What do you think?”

“Si.” Maria smiled. “I am going out to the bank during lunch, Dar. You want I should bring you something back? It is turkey in the cafeteria, I think you will have enough of that this weekend.”

376 Melissa Good The dark-haired woman leaned back and made a face. “No, thanks. My stomach is kind of upset today. Something I had last night maybe,” she advised her secretary. The truth was she hadn’t been able to swallow so much as a cup of coffee since the morning, and even thinking about it made her stomach churn. She swallowed hard against the sensation and sighed.

It had been a tough week, all the more so because she hadn’t seen much of Kerry, who had been busy packing for her trip. Monday night she’d been tied up in meetings until past eleven, and last night she’d had to force herself to be present at a business dinner to work on a new client of José’s.

So she’d shown up a little early that morning to pick Kerry up. Well, okay, a lot early, and had been treated to the sight of sleepy green eyes that brightened perceptibly when they recognized her. Kerry had dragged her back into the bedroom and they’d spent an hour snuggling before the rising sun nudged them awake again in time to go to the airport.

Dar sighed, then glanced up at Maria. “Maybe I’ll take a walk downstairs and get some club soda or something.” She stood and stretched, then settled her jacket over her shoulders and headed for the door. At the elevator she bumped into Duks, who was also headed down. “Morning,” she commented, leaning back against the elevator wall. “Ready for the meeting this afternoon?”

“Don’t ask me that.” Duks rubbed his eyes. “I’ve been going over financials for the last two days. I have such a headache, I can’t tell you,” he complained grumpily. “What about you? They’re going to hit you with those facilities additions, you know.” He studied Dar’s face, noticing that the tense lines and faint shadows that used to characterize it had faded, replaced by a noticeably more relaxed expression. “Let me guess, you have all the answers already.”

Dar shrugged. “I have some of them…and enough evasions to get by with on the others.” She held the door open as they reached the bottom floor. “You headed for the cafeteria?” she inquired. “I’ll buy you a cup of coffee, how’s that?”

“I never turn down that kind of offer.” Duks laughed as he followed her through the line, glancing at her choice. “None for you?”

Dar waved him off. “Must have picked up a bug or something, my stomach’s bothering me.” She set the bottle of club soda down, then nodded at Duk’s steaming cup and handed the cashier a bill. They took their drinks and went to a corner table, away from the early lunch crowd. Dar noted the eyes following her and saw the veiled interest. Idly she wondered what list of rumors was currently making the rounds. “So.” She leaned on her elbows, and twisted the top off the bottle, taking a small sip and grimacing as it hit her empty stomach. “What do you think José will try?”

Duks took a swallow of coffee and pondered the question. “He’s been quiet, too quiet,” he mused. “You’d better watch your back, my friend. I think whatever he’s up to, it’s got you in the center of it.”

“Probably,” she agreed.

“You don’t look worried,” her friend remarked. “My assistant overheard Eleanor’s two poodle girls talking about Kerry. Seems Eleanor is convinced she can turn her.”

Tropical Storm 377

“Well.” Dar had to smile. “She’s welcome to try, but, um…” She waggled her hand. “I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on her loyalties.”

Duks smiled back. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

The dark head tilted in question. “What, having one up on Eleanor?”

Steady eyes regarded her, as a slight grin quirked Duk’s lips.

“Oh.” Dar felt a faint blush creeping up her neck, and she studied her bottle, turning it over and over in her hands. Finally she looked up. “Yes. Yes it does.”

He leaned forward, dropping his voice. “Dar, please believe me when I say that I am so, so, happy for you.” He watched her eyes flick around the room in obvious discomfort. “I really like her. I think you picked a good one, this time.” Pale blue orbs fastened on him intently. “A blue chip.” He winked.

Dar covered her embarrassment by taking a long swallow of fizzy liquid.

She appreciated the sentiment, and Lou had been a good friend for many years, but still. She cleared her throat. “Glad you approve.” She managed to keep her tone droll, but she knew her lips were twitching into a helpless grin and she felt awkwardly exposed. Her cell phone’s beeping was a welcome interruption. “Excuse me.” She pulled the instrument out and flipped it open.

“Yeah?”

“Hi.” There was a world of tension in the voice.

“Hey,” Dar responded, instinctively gentling her own. “Flight okay?”

“Right up until it pulled up to the gate,” Kerry replied with a sigh. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, take it easy,” Dar replied quietly.

“I’ll try,” came the answer, then a momentary pause. “I love you.”

Dar closed her eyes, and consciously blocked out her surroundings. “I love you too.” She spoke the words clearly and intently. “If you need anything, you call me, okay?”

She could hear the smile right through the phone. “I will. Bye.”

Dar folded the phone closed, and opened her eyes. She was grateful that Duks had found something desperately interesting in his coffee cup, and he gave her a moment to compose herself before he looked up. They looked at each other in awkward silence for a moment, then the financial officer smiled reflectively. “You know, Dar, times like this, times when I see something in us so beyond the animal, are when I come closest to giving in and believing in the grace of something higher than myself.” And he stood, putting a hand on her shoulder for a gentle squeeze before walking off into a rising hum of lunchtime chatter.

“IS THAT ONE yours, Kerry?” Her mother’s voice echoed in her ears, and she turned.

“Yes, I’ve got it.” Kerry reached over and grabbed the handle, hoisting it clear of the belt and setting it down next to her feet. “That’s it, just this and the carry-on.” She attached the strap to the rings on the duffle bag and slung it over her shoulder. It seemed curiously lighter than it usually did, but she put that down to her own nervousness. “Let’s go.”

“Do you have that? Let me get a sky cap, dear.” Her mother eyed her.

378 Melissa Good

“Goodness, you’ve put on weight, haven’t you?”

Kerry let the memory of Dar’s voice wrap around her like a comfortable jacket. “Yes I have, thanks, I feel great,” she replied. “Are we ready?”

Her mother looked like she wanted to say more but instead simply nodded. “Yes, I wanted to stop at the store on the way. Is that a new coat you have there?” She examined the garment. “I don’t recall it.”

Kerry shifted her shoulders a little. “Yes, it comes with this zip-in liner.”

She opened a flap as she walked, knowing it would distract her mother. “We do get the occasional cold day down there.” The softly textured, chocolate-colored leather smelled wonderful, and if she concentrated, she could get a whiff of a familiar scent. Dar had looked at her in puzzled question when she’d asked her to put the thing on—the sleeves only coming halfway down Dar’s long arms, and the fabric tight over her broader shoulders. But Dar had as she was asked and had handed it back, watching in bemusement as Kerry then buried her nose into it and broke into a smile.

And she did again, watching the dull brown brick walls of the airport go by and taking a breath of cold air as they exited from the terminal into a cloudy November day. A thin drizzle was falling, dusting them with moisture as Kerry glanced around, taking in the gray and brown landscape, where trees had already shed their leaves and the grass its color. It struck Kerry’s eyes as strange, almost alien, so used to the vivid colors of the subtropics as she was now.

She followed her mother to the car, where a driver was waiting, pulling open the door as they approached. He took Kerry’s bags from her, and she slid in after her mother, leaning back in the soft seat and folding her arms over her chest after she put her laptop case between herself and the car door. Her mother spoke to the driver, and she let her thoughts drift back to that morning, before she and Dar had left the apartment . She’d found the taller woman gazing at the sunset lithograph in her living room as she’d come out of the bedroom and crossed to her.

“Dar…I…” She’d held something in her hand. “After that break in, I…would you hold on to something for me?”

Startled blue eyes had turned to her. “Sure.”

She’d held out her hand, and by reflex Dar had lifted hers to meet it. She put a small, round object in its palm. “It’s been in my family forever. My great-aunt gave it to me.”

The ring was ancient and delicate, a traced filigree with a barely visible round inset. It was a very simple design, a bird’s head in profile on a darker background, but she’d always loved it. “Just hang on to it till I get back, all right?” she’d asked Dar.

Long fingers had closed gently over it. “All right.” Had Dar understood what Kerry was trying to tell her, by giving her something to keep that was so important to her? She hoped so.

“Kerry?”

She turned and gazed at her mother. “I’m sorry? I was just thinking.”

Cynthia Stuart was a thin, aristocratic woman with pinched features and wavy, silvered brown hair. Her eyes were the same green as Kerry’s, but that’s Tropical Storm 379

where the resemblance stopped, and she stood several inches taller than her eldest daughter. “Now, listen to me, dear, I want you to promise me you’ll hold your tongue on this nonsense of your staying in Miami. Your father has some definite plans, and I don’t want him upset over the holiday.”

Kerry simply stared at her. “Mother, I have no problem with not saying anything…as long as you understand I have no intention of moving back here.”

Her mother sighed. “Kerry, I don’t understand what’s gotten into you.”

“Maybe I’ve just grown up, Mother,” Kerry replied in a gentler tone. “I’m twenty-seven, I think I’ve got a right to a say in my own life.”

“It’s all a question of what’s best for you, Kerry. Why can’t you see that?”

her mother’s voice became upset. “You’re down there in that dangerous place, with no family around you. What if something were to happen to you?”

Kerry looked away. “I have a lot of friends there,” she said. “Some I’m very close with.”

“Friends are not family, Kerrison, you know that. And, what about Brian?” Her mother changed the subject.

“What about him?” She looked at her mother.

“Honey, you’re getting married to him in the spring. Or have you forgotten that?” Her mother was getting more upset.

Bite the bullet time. “Mother, I like Brian very much, and he’s always been one of my best friends, but we haven’t spoken since August. I just don’t think we have much in common anymore.”

Her mother stared at her in shock. “Don’t you dare say that,” she snapped. “Don’t you dare. Do you know how long we’ve been planning this?”

She fussed with her purse, slamming it open and shut. “You had just better not say that to your father.”

Kerry leaned back and closed her eyes. “Fine.”

“Give me one good reason why the two of you can’t be married,” her mother went on. “It’s ridiculous.”

I could answer her honestly. Kerry mused. She glanced at her mother’s face and decided giving her a heart attack was probably not the best idea at the moment. “Mother, let’s talk about this later. All right?”

The older woman’s hands were shaking. “You make me very upset.”

Kerry sighed and gazed out the window at the rows of winter-grayed trees. It was going to be a very, very long weekend.

IT WAS, DAR decided, too quiet. She closed the door to her condo behind her, and moved into the living room, setting her gym bag down on the couch and letting out a long breath. She was tired, having just spent the last three hours at the gym, teaching the beginner’s class as she’d promised. She then took two hours to spar with Ken, giving her body a workout that was probably a little more than it really was in any condition to handle at the moment. But she hadn’t been as rusty as she’d been afraid of, which was a pleasant surprise. She had even managed to deliver a combination kick at the very end of the session that had amazed her and knocked poor Ken flat on his butt on the mat.

380 Melissa Good That had felt pretty damn good, given that the man was five years younger than she was and in better shape on top of that. A faint smile curved her lips. She’d almost forgotten how much she liked that feeling. How much she liked the physical competition, and the satisfying release of a pent-up aggression that left her feeling a lot more relaxed.

But not totally. There was still that knot of worry in her gut that had Kerry’s name written all over it. As she had all day, she found herself wondering how Kerry was faring. With a sigh, she trudged into the kitchen, stretching out the stiffness that had settled in her shoulders during the drive home and reaching into the cabinet for a mug as she glanced at her terminal.

Mail. Of course. “Mail. Read.” She poured milk into the mug and added chocolate to it.

“Mail, sixteen items, three urgent.”

“It’s the day before Thanksgiving, what in the hell could be urgent?” Dar queried wryly as she stuck her mug in the microwave and turned it on.

“Display.”

The list came up, and she scanned it. “Read six.”

Sent by: Stuart, Kerry

Subject: Hell

Time: 6:00 PM

Hi.

They were wrong, Dar... Hell isn’t a fiery pit. It’s a two story ranch home in Michigan. I’ve been here six hours, and I want to kill everyone already. My sister’s due here any minute, then we get to have the first of the family dinners. Lucky for me, I don’t get to see Brian until tomorrow.

So far we haven’t talked about the situation, but

I’ve gotten criticized for just about everything else.

One more round of that, and I just may lose it.

I miss you. Gee, that sounds goofy, doesn’t it? Well, I’m going to go change...I may put on that Navy

sweatshirt you gave me just to annoy my parents. Might as well take my fun where I can find it, right? Wish me luck.

K

“Reply,” Dar said softly.

“Hey, glad you dropped me a note. I’ve been thinking about you all day and wondering how things were going.”

Dar paused as the microwave beeped, and she removed the mug.

“I just got home. I taught that class tonight, missed having you in it.”

She took a sip.

Tropical Storm 381

“Then I worked out with Ken for two hours, and boy, am I feeling it. I’m going to take my hot chocolate and go sit in the whirlpool for a while.”

She smiled at the screen.

“Wish you were joining me.” She paused.

“Send.” Dar watched the message process, then she sighed and reviewed the rest of the list. “Read ten.”

Urgent

Sent by: Alastair McLean

Subject: no subject

Time: 9:56 PM

Dar—

What the hell is this?:

<>

Mr. McLean,

In the interests of promoting and maintaining

excellent relations between our two companies, I find myself forced to bring a matter to your attention, in hopes that you will address it in the proper manner.

While at our facility this month, one of your

officers was observed in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, and we feel that this is not a good indication of how your company deals with discipline and presentation.

Please review the attached at your discretion, and take whatever action you deem appropriate.

Michelle Graver

<>

<><><> Dar exhaled. Bitch. “Reply.”

“Hi, Alastair.”

She paused a moment, considering.

“What the hell is this? Michelle Graver wanted me to sleep with her, and I wouldn’t.”

She drummed her fingers on the counter.

“We already have those pictures, they’re in this

month’s division newsletter. And anyway, you wanted to see a picture of my new assistant. Is there a problem?”

382 Melissa Good She reviewed the files.

“I like the middle one best.”

“Send.” She stewed in anger for a moment, then smiled. “Compose.”

“Ready.”

Dar dictated furiously before stopping to re-read the display: First off, a happy Thanksgiving to you and your

family. I had the pleasure of being in the Orlando property during a business meeting not long ago, and I want to compliment you on the quality of your product, and tell you how much I enjoyed my visit there.

One thing which did concern me is the photo-imaging system you seem to be using for your surveillance

cameras. As you can see by the attached examples, the graininess is really quite pronounced, and the auto-focusing seems to be off by several degrees. Since we produce a system for driving and controlling these cameras, I’d like a chance to put in a proposal to acquire and replace the system on your behalf.

Thanks for your time, and be sure to drop a word of thanks to your excellent manager down there, Michelle Graver, who was nice enough to forward these pictures for my attention.

Best Regards,

Dar Roberts

She added her sig at the end. “Send,” she ordered, after typing in an address.

Fuck with me, will you? Kiss my ass, Michelle. Dar snarled silently. She checked the two other urgent messages, from Duks and Mariana, both on the same subject seeing as how Mariana had been copied on the original message.

“Compose, to Lou Draefus.” Dar chuckled.

“Duks, relax. Tell Mari to relax. It’s handled. Don’t worry about it. Happy Thanksgiving.”

She shook her head. “Send.” She wondered briefly why they hadn’t just paged or called her cell phone, then realized it was because she’d turned the damn thing off at the gym. “What in the hell’s gotten into me the last few days?”

“Incoming Netmeeting request, Alastair M,” the computer chirped.

Shit. “On.” Dar leaned against the counter.

Alastair was in his study, a bright orange sweater almost making her flinch and adjust the contrast. “Evening, Alastair.”

He propped his clean-shaven chin up on one hand. “She wanted to sleep with you?”

Tropical Storm 383

Dar chuckled. “That was her plan, yes. First there, then when she visited here the other day.”

“Is she ugly?” Alastair inquired.

“No, she’s pretty good-looking, why?” the dark-haired woman asked.

Alastair blinked at her. “I’ve never known you to have scruples about that. What’s up?” He leaned forward. “She could be trouble, when it comes to renewal.”

Dar stared back at him. “I’m not your corporate whore, Alastair,” she snapped. “So you can take your assumptions and shove them up your ass.”

A hand. “Whoa, whoa. Take it easy, tiger,” Alastair protested. “You’re the one who always brags about that, lady. Don’t take it out on me if I remember that.”

Dar fell silent, knowing it for the truth. “Maybe I’m getting too old for that crap.” She let a conciliatory note enter her voice. “Or maybe I’m just smarter now.”

Alastair smiled wryly. “I’d vote for two, there. You’ve gotten pretty smart the last few years. And, frankly, Dar, if the woman isn’t smart enough to outfox you without getting you in bed, then the hell with her. She’s not going to be able to get around you in the boardroom either.”

Dar relaxed a little. “Sorry, it’s been a long day. I just got home and got hit with that.”

“Mmm.” Alastair folded his hands on his desk. “Well, I just wanted you to know not to worry about the whole thing. I sent an answer back, wanting to know why pictures of two tourists would be of a concern, and that you’d been under my orders to take time off there, so what was her problem?” He paused.

“Only in a little nicer language.”

“Thanks,” Dar replied quietly.

“No problem. Dar, you’re a valuable employee. And though I don’t say it a lot, I do appreciate all you do for me. You know that, right?”

Dar nodded. “I know.”

“Cute kid.”

Dark brows contracted. “What?”

“Your assistant.”

“Oh. Oh, right. Kerry. Yeah.” Dar waved him off. “She’s all right. A little too nice sometimes, but…she’s new.”

Alastair nodded. “You’ll change that.” He winked. “Well, happy Thanksgiving, Dar. You staying in town?”

I’ll change that? No, she’s changed me, Dar wryly admitted. “No, I’m heading out tomorrow morning. I’ll be back on Sunday.”

“See ya.” Alastair waved an amiable hand and the connection cut off.

Dar shook her head, and picked up her mug, taking it with her into the living room. She set it down. She then went into the bathroom, changing into her bathing suit and throwing a towel around her neck. Moments later she was submerged up to her neck in swirling, soothing warm water, and regarding the canopy of stars overhead.

384 Melissa Good KERRY WATCHED THE mail send, then she closed down her laptop and turned to the bed, where her bag was resting. She sat down next to it with a sigh, then unzipped the top, and pulled out the sweatshirt, which she’d packed last. As she pulled it out something came with it, and she grabbed at the item in puzzlement. It was a small, blue-green stuffed animal, and she peered at it in half recognition. “Where have I seen you before?” she mused to the tiny salamander. “Oh, I remember. You were at the Rainforest, but how did you get here?” She glanced at the suitcase and remembered who had slipped it into the back of the car for the ride to the airport. “Oh, did you follow Auntie Dar home?”

The salamander winked at her. Kerry gave him a kiss on the nose and detected Dar’s familiar scent on the fabric. She was setting him back into the suitcase when a soft knock came at the door, and she looked up. “C’mon in.”

It opened, and she was relieved to see her sister’s face. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” Angela slipped in and crossed over to her. Kerry stood and held her arms out, smiling when her sister threw her arms around her and hugged her. “Bet you’re glad to see a friendly face.”

“Oh, you know it.” Kerry sighed, releasing her.

“Let me see you.” Her sister held her at arms distance and studied her.

“Mom went on and on about how much weight you’d put on, but Jesus Christ, Kerry, you look fantastic.”

Kerry’s eyes flickered in surprise, not expecting that. “Think so?”

“My god, yes.” Angela smiled. “I thought she meant… You’re working out, aren’t you? And would you look at that tan?”

Kerry smiled. “Yeah, I spent all day Sunday out on the water. I’m still a little sunburned,” she admitted. “And I’ve been doing a lot more stuff outside and at the gym. I’ve been really busy.”

“I bet. So, tell me about the new job?” Angela sat down on the bed as Kerry untucked her short-sleeved shirt from her jeans and started to unbutton it. “I heard Dad say your boss was actually at your apartment the other day?”

“Well…” Kerry folded her shirt and put it away, then slipped the dark blue sweatshirt over her head. “I really like it. I’m learning so much, and there’s so much opportunity. I’ve got this big office with a window, and great benefits, it’s fantastic.” She turned and sat down next to Angela. “And I really like my new boss. She, um… She got me interested in doing a lot of stuff.”

“Really? From what Dad was saying, I’d have thought she was tough to work for,” her sister commented. “I’m glad you like her, though.” She leaned closer and dropped her voice. “So, you found someone, didn’t you?”

Kerry glanced at her. “What makes you say that?” she countered warily.

“Mmm, let’s just say, I’m your sister, okay?” Angela smiled. “C’mon, spill it. Did you bring pictures?”

Kerry folded her hands together and studied them. Of all her family, her sister was the only one she was at least willing to try to tell. Paradoxically, Angela was the one ally she had, and chances were, this would ruin that. No good choices. “Ang, you don’t want to hear this.”

Her sister was silent. “What do you mean?” she asked in a puzzled tone.

“Of course I do. I could hardly wait for you to get here.”

“It’s…not what you think,” Kerry started, very carefully. “It’s not what Tropical Storm 385

you expect.”

Angela glanced towards the door again, then reached out and folded her hands over her older sister’s. “Ker, whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m your sister, remember?” She paused and waited, watching Kerry’s face remain closed and silent. “Did you finally figure out you liked girls and not guys?”

Green eyes widened in utter shock as Kerry turned to look at her. She couldn’t speak for a moment. “You knew?”

“Duh.” Angela had to laugh at her expression. “Close your mouth, sis, you’ll attract gnats.” She squeezed Kerry’s hands. “Listen, I should have talked to you about it before. I was just…I don’t know, maybe it’s all that indoctrination we got growing up.”

Kerry lifted a hand and rubbed her temple, feeling a mixture of relief and shock. “I…”

“Hey, take it easy.” Angela put an arm around her shoulders. “Just because I live a stereotype, doesn’t mean I don’t have a brain, sis.”

“I know, I…” Kerry laughed weakly. “I was just expecting a different reaction.”

Angela sighed. “I know, but Richard got this computer last year. And you know he’s never home? Well, I took it upon myself to wander out onto the Web. It’s really changed a lot of the things I used to think.”

Her sister smiled wryly. “The wonders of modern technology.”

“So, did you bring pictures?” Angela’s dark eyebrow lifted up.

Kerry studied her for a moment, then she got up and went to her laptop bag, unzipping the document pocket and removing a folder. She handed it to her sister and gave her a tense smile. “That’s her.”

Angela willingly took the folder and flipped it open, peering at the pictures inside. After a moment, she looked up at her sister. “Jesus, she’s gorgeous.”

Kerry felt a big grin stretching her lips. She resumed her seat on the bed and peered over Angela’s shoulder. “Yeah, she is, isn’t she? I like that one.” It was a nice shot of Dar on the boat, leaning against the cabin front on the bow, one knee raised, the sunlight glittering off the droplets of seawater that beaded on her skin. The bathing suit left very little to the imagination. And once you stopped looking at that, you looked up at her face and were caught by those startlingly pale blue eyes.

“Oh wow.” Angela turned it over and caught the next one, a picture of the view from the condo. “Where is this?”

Kerry cleared her throat. “Her place. The boat’s her’s, too.” She gave her sister a very wry look. “It’s a private island off the tip of South Beach.”

Angela blew a soft whistle. “Wow! Where’d you meet her?”

There was an awkward pause. “Um…she’s my boss.”

Angela looked up in utter shock. “That’s Dar?”

Kerry nodded. “Yeah, I know it seems weird, but we just hit it off from almost the first. I mean, it was a great opportunity and all, becoming her assistant, and at first I…I thought it was just me. You know, just a silly crush.”

Angela shook her head. “You know, sis, corporate VP, boat, pricey condo…

Except for one small detail, Dad would cream his shorts to get you involved with someone like that.” She peered at her sister. “How serious is this?”

386 Melissa Good Kerry picked up the picture she was looking at, one where she’d actually gotten Dar to smile at the camera. She smiled back in reflex. “It’s serious.”

“You know Dad’s going to flip out,” Angela stated quietly. “I don’t know if you should say anything—maybe just put them off for a while, and get the heck out of here.”

Before Kerry could answer, they heard their mother’s voice. “Girls! Come on now, dinner’s being served.”

The two sisters glanced at each other. “Thanks for understanding,” Kerry told the younger woman softly. “You don’t know how much it means to me.”

She stood up. “C’mon, let’s go and get this over with.”

Angela stood and hugged her. “Ker, whatever you do, I’m with you.

Okay?”

Kerry hugged her back. “Likewise. I hear I’m going to be an aunt again.”

Her sister sucked in a breath and gazed at her. “Yes, but the baby isn’t Richard’s.”

Kerry’s jaw dropped. “Oh boy,” she muttered.

“Girls!” Their mother’s voice had a hint of impatience in it.

Angela smiled tightly. “We’ll talk later.”

They stepped into the dining room side by side, Kerry pushing up the sleeves on her sweatshirt, and Angela running her fingers through her curly brown hair. Richard was already there, sitting next to her father, and Kerry had a chance to look at them before they saw her. Her father was a stocky man of middling height, with silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard and moustache—he gave the impression of sophisticated power. Seated next to him was her brother-in-law Richard, who was half his age, but taller, with thinning brown hair and a rugged, but slightly off-centered face. His nose had been broken several times during his football-playing days, and they’d never really gotten it just right. Her father looked up and saw them, fixing his eyes on her as he leaned back.

Kerry called up the image she held in her mind of Dar entering that hostile room in Orlando, and she lifted her chin a little as she crossed the parquet floor and took one of the remaining seats at the table. “Hello, Richard,” she said quietly as her sister took the chair next to her. “Dad.”

“Good to see you, Ker.” Richard gave her a friendly smile. “Nice shirt.”

“Didn’t know they had a base down there,” her father commented.

“You’re looking…healthy…Kerrison.”

Kerry smiled precisely at him. “Thanks, and no, there’s no base. A friend of mine gave it to me.” She took the napkin at her place setting and opened it, settling it on her lap neatly. “How are things going for you?”

“Pretty good, you know how it is in stocks.” Richard laughed a bit.

“You’re up, you’re down. Right now, we’re trying to hang on while the international stuff dies down.” He peered at her. “We all don’t get to sit out in the sun all day like you guys down in Miami.”

Kerry pushed her hair behind her ear and accepted the jibe. “It definitely has its advantages,” she cheerfully agreed. “This past Sunday I was swimming in the ocean—it was beautiful weather.”

“Thought that job would be keeping you too busy.” Her father snorted.

“It does,” his daughter replied. “I’m at the office before eight AM, and I Tropical Storm 387

usually don’t leave until after seven. After that, I usually go to the gym or out Rollerblading by my complex.”

“I heard you work on Saturdays.” Roger Stuart gazed across at his daughter.

“Occasionally,” Kerry responded. “Depends on what projects I’m working on.” She glanced up as her mother came in and seated herself. “My system at home will connect up to the office if I need it to.”

Her father grunted. “I hear your boss pays you visits.”

Nothing like getting right to the point, and before the soup’s served, eh? Kerry sighed inwardly. “Sure. We work very closely together on stuff. And you know, despite all the stories I heard about her, I really like Dar.” Her sister hid a smile.

Senator Stuart glanced up as his soup plate was put down, then he picked up his spoon and pointed it at her. “That’s a dangerous woman. You’d best steer clear of her.” He took a spoonful of soup and tasted it. “More pepper, damn it.”

Angela silently passed him the salt and pepper dishes.

“She can be, that’s true,” Kerry answered his comment. “But I consider myself lucky to have gotten the position under her. And that’s the main reason it just wouldn’t make good sense for me to just up and leave.” She tried to keep her voice calm and reasonable. “The potential to learn, and to advance… I can’t find that here.”

“Why do you need that?” her mother objected. “When you’re married and settled down, what difference is it going to make?”

“C’mon, Mother, it’s a great opportunity,” Angela disagreed. “Once Kerry spends a little time in the position, she can move anywhere and get the same kind of work at the same level. Of course she wants to spend some time doing that. I bet she got a pay raise.” She turned to Kerry and asked, “Didn’t you?”

Kerry gave her sister a smile. “Boy, did I.” She laughed. “I was surprised.

I thought they’d keep me at my previous salary while they tried me out, but no, it was a fifty percent increase.” Even her father looked impressed.

“But you don’t have to worry about that,” her mother persistently objected. “Brian’s going to make you a very good living, dear.”

“He’s just out of school, Mother.” Angela dove back into the fray. “It’s going to take a while. And besides, you can never have enough money, right, Dad?”

Roger Stuart grunted.

An awkward silence fell.

“So, how about those Lions?” Richard asked with forced cheerfulness.

“That was some game the other day, huh?”

Kerry dove into her soup, glad the conversation had been directed away.

So far, so good, but looking at her father’s closed face, she suspected he had another plan already in place. At least, she sighed, Kyle isn’t here. Facing his smug arrogance over the table would have made the dinner even more aggravating.

The door slowly opened, and the family cook, Elena, poked her head in.

“Everything all right here, ma’am?”

388 Melissa Good Cynthia Stuart glanced up. “The soup’s a bit on the bland side, Elena, the senator likes more pepper in it.”

Kerry caught the cook’s eye and smiled at her. “I think it’s great. I’ve missed your cooking, Elena.”

The elderly woman smiled back at her. “Glad to hear you say so, Miss Kerrison.” She pulled her head back and the door closed behind her.

Kerry took a roll from the napkin-covered bread basket and split it open, enjoying the rich, warm smell, and ignoring her mother’s scandalized look as she cheerfully covered it with butter. “Did you know my old account is supporting the IRS computers, Dad?”

Senator Stuart glanced at her. “What?”

Kerry took a bite of her roll and chewed it. “Mmm-hmm, that big website they use so people can get forms and information.”

“What, you mean they do their own taxes?” Richard laughed. “I haven’t been able to do that since I left college.”

Figures. Kerry refrained from rolling her eyes. “I file mine electronically.

Just go to the transmitter’s website, fill in a few fields, and click. It’s gone.”

She took another bite of her roll and a spoonful of the potato soup. “And my refund gets deposited automatically.”

“Ah, the simplicity of an unencumbered life.” Richard smiled at her.

“Wait until you start investing.”

Kerry smiled right back. “I let my 401K do that for me, thanks. We have a company that handles that, and the stock options, and the retirement fund.”

She chewed her roll and swallowed. “I just do my job, they take care of the rest.”

“Wow, that’s a great benefit package,” Angela commented, sipping a spoonful of the soup. “That’s better than the one you had at the other place.”

Kerry nodded. “Much, but then, it’s a much bigger company. It’s a nice building, too. I have pictures if you want to see them later.” She finished off her soup. “Including a shot from my office window. Wait until you see the view.”

“Easy come, easy go,” her father commented. “From what I hear of your boss, she could just cut you loose anytime.” He picked up a roll and took a bite out of it. “I don’t like her way of doing business, and I’m going to get them out of our state contracts if it’s the last thing I do.”

Kerry bit her tongue to keep from leaping to Dar’s defense. “Does the account not do what it’s supposed to do?”

Senator Stuart looked at his daughter. “How in the hell should I know?

All that mixed-up mumbo jumbo you people spout like garbage. All I know is we asked for some simple things, and got told it wasn’t going to happen, and nobody tells me that.” He slapped a hand on the table. “Especially not some goddamned smart-mouthed woman.”

Another awkward silence fell, as Kerry refused to rise to his baiting.

Finally her mother cleared her throat. “Tell us about the church bazaar you ran the other week, Angela.”

After they finished dinner, Richard gamely took on the senator in a debate about offshore fishing rights, which the older man was reviewing as part of his work. Mary and Elizabeth, the two house maids, silently cleared off Tropical Storm 389

the table. Kerry sat back and folded her arms across her stomach, wishing for an excuse to leave. Considering, she turned as Angela put her napkin down.

“Wow, that was great, wasn’t it. You up for a walk?”

Angela pursed her lips in amusement, then nodded. “Yeah, we can head up towards the lake, I think they’re starting to string up the Christmas lights.”

She stood up. “We’re going to go for a walk to the lake, Richard, are you all right here with Daddy?”

Her husband looked up blankly. “Huh? Oh, oh sure, honey. You go on.

Have fun.” He patted her knee condescendingly. “I know all this business talk must be boring you.”

Kerry got up and retrieved her jacket from the closet, patting its pocket to make sure her cell phone was inside. Then she lifted her sister’s jacket from its hook and handed it to her as Angela met her at the door. “Thanks,” she whispered.

“No problem, that crap does bore me,” her sister replied softly. “Oh, not that I don’t think offshore rights aren’t important, I do, but I’ve heard this same argument six times already. Richard’s got some money in fishing futures, and he thinks he can influence Daddy into voting the measure in.”

They walked through the hall and out the front door, closing it carefully behind them and exiting into a cold, clear night. Kerry tugged her jacket shut, watching her breath appear before her eyes, and chuckled softly. “Not used to this anymore.”

Angela glanced at her. “Already?” she teased gently. “That old blood thins fast, huh?” She reached up and pushed her curly brown hair out of her face.

“You got that right,” her sister admitted. “I like being able to go out to pick up the paper on Christmas morning in a T-shirt, thanks.” She kicked a rock out ahead of her as they moved away from the house and onto the path that would take them up towards the lake. “Dar was telling me the funniest stories of the first time she had to drive in snow and ice. She ended up almost getting stuck in a washout gully.”

Angela laughed. “I can imagine. Heck, I almost did that when I first started driving. And if I recall, you did some pretty horrible things yourself.”

She prodded Kerry’s shoulder. “Remember the time you hit that cow?”

Kerry covered her eyes. “Oh, god, don’t remind me of that. Those pathetic brown eyes. It took half the debating team to get the car out of that field and lift her up.” She sighed and rocked her head from side to side to loosen the muscles of her neck. “I needed a walk, I’m stuffed.”

Her sister chuckled. “Did you do that just to piss Mom off?” she queried.

“I thought she was going to have a coronary—watching you chow down like that.”

That surprised a laugh out of Kerry. “No, I didn’t really. I was just hungry. We didn’t get anything on the plane except for peanuts, and I was too nervous to eat this morning.” Actually, she reflected, she’d traded breakfast time with snuggling time and hadn’t regretted it. “I should have thought about that, about Mom, I mean, but…” She sighed. “I’ve guess I’ve gotten out of the habit of denying myself in the past month.” It was always tiny portions at her mother’s table, she remembered belatedly. No seconds, and tiny bites.

390 Melissa Good Oh well. “One more nail in my coffin, right?”

Angela laughed. “I thought it was great, I haven’t seen you eat like that since we were kids. And to be honest, sis, I thought the last time I saw you, on the Fourth, that you were really too thin.”

“Mmm, that’s what Dar said,” Kerry acknowledged soberly. “And, that’s what all my friends were telling me. I think I knew that, deep down, but…I kept hearing that harping. I didn’t think it was worth fighting about,” she admitted with a sigh.

“I told Mom that. She’s got that weird Spartan mentality, though,”

Angela commented wryly. “So, how did Dar manage to convince you?”

Kerry smiled. “Convince me? She subverted me.” She laughed. “After I started working up in her building, I would find these cookies and god only knows what else on my desk all the time. I finally cornered her on it, saying, like, what is up with this, Dar?” She reached down and picked up a rock, then tossed it to one side. “Then she told me she was worried I’d blow out the window if they opened the storm doors upstairs. I mean, she was really kind of cute about it, all embarrassed and everything. So…” Kerry shrugged. “I kind of chilled out about it,” she reflected. “It was…harder than I thought at first, I kept wanting to do stupid things…like come back after we’d had dinner and make myself throw up…but my brain took over, and I didn’t. And then we went to Disney World, where I couldn’t have gotten away with that if I tried, since Dar was with me every single minute practically, and after that…”

She chuckled softly. “And besides, I had so much more energy. I mean, before, I would go to work, come home, maybe one night or two I’d go out skating with Colleen, but mostly I’d just crash, because I was so tired. Now it’s different, I either go to the gym, or go ’Blading, or I’m out with Dar…or…I’m hardly ever tired.”

“In case I hadn’t said this before, by the way…” Angela glanced at her.

“…you really do look fantastic, Sis.” She watched Kerry hop from rock to rock down the path. “It’s like you’re a different person. Or maybe one I remember from a long time ago.”

Kerry stopped and faced her. “I’m pretty sure that’s not all chocolate chip cookies,” she commented wryly as she hopped off the last rock and trotted over to Angela. “For the last few weeks, I’ve felt better than I have in my entire life.” She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath of the cold air, then let it out in a satisfied puff, watching the cloud gather around her head.

Angela shook her head a little. “I always knew when you finally fell in love, it’d be a doozy.” She gazed at her sister. “That’s what it is, isn’t it?”

Kerry spread her arms wide and threw her head back, drinking in the stars hungrily. “Yes.” She breathed. “And it’s wonderful.” She let her arms drop and cocked her head at her sister. “It was like I was waiting for this to happen all my life. And it was so strange, because the minute I saw her, I could feel it.” She had to laugh. “And it was the most horrible of circumstances, too. But…oh my god, Angela, I had no idea it was possible to feel this strongly about anything or anyone, but I do.”

Her sister put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m really glad to hear that, it makes what I have to tell you a lot easier.”

Kerry slid an arm around her waist and cocked her head. “What’s that?”

Tropical Storm 391

A wry, half-embarrassed smile crossed her younger sister’s face. “The baby’s father…” She rested a hand on her still-flat stomach. “It’s Brian.”

Kerry’s jaw dropped, and she stared at her in amazement. “Holy cow!” It was a moment of shock, a moment of almost betrayal, and then she laughed.

“No wonder he hasn’t called me since August.”

Angela peeked at her. “You’re not mad?”

Her sister sighed. “How could I be? You know how I feel about Brian.

He’s sweet, he’s one of my best friends, I love him like a brother.” A pause.

“Period.”

“He was so scared you weren’t ever going to talk to him again,” her sister told her. “That’s why he’s not over here tonight. We made it up so that I would kinda, um…”

“Break the news?” Kerry hazarded.

“Eyah, something like that.” Angela nodded. “And if it looked like you were going to go ballistic, he was going to find some way to be recalled to college for the week.”

“Chicken.” Her sister laughed. “Not that I blame him, talk about awkward situations.” She paused and glanced at the path they were still walking on. “What are you going to do?”

Angela steered them towards a bench overlooking the somber lake, and they sat down side by side. A light wind rustled the dead leaves around them and whispered through the bare branches overhead. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “You know I never wanted to marry Richard.”

Kerry nodded. “I know. Dad bullied you into it, just like he was doing with me and Brian. But I got lucky.”

Hazel eyes turned and regarded her. “It’s not luck. You’re smart, Kerry, really sharp, and you had a chance to go places. I never did.” Angela’s college degree was in Literature. “Oh, I could teach, you know, but still.” She sighed.

“There wasn’t any reason for me to go anywhere, and it wasn’t so bad. I mean Richard’s not a bad guy, you know?”

“I know.” Kerry gazed at her in quiet compassion. “And there’s Sally.”

Her two-year-old niece.

“Yeah, she really loves her daddy.” Angela sighed. “I sure wish I did.”

She turned her eyes to Kerry. “Brian makes me feel so special. He listens to me, and it’s like…” She stopped and blinked. “He really likes you, Ker. He doesn’t want to lose you as a friend.”

Kerry smiled. “How could he?” She rubbed her sister’s back in gentle compassion. “He’s just saved me from a task I’ve been really, really dreading.”

Angela looked up. “Telling him?”

Kerry nodded. “I didn’t want to hurt him, I’m glad it’s not going to be an issue.” She paused. “Did you tell him about me?”

Angela hesitated. “I told him…that I thought you’d gotten involved with someone down there,” she answered cautiously. “I didn’t get into specifics, because I didn’t have any, right?”

“Mmm.” Kerry nibbled her fingernail. “You think he’d freak out?” she asked. “We’ve been friends for a long time, but that’s…I don’t know, for someone who’s been brought up like he was, that’s a tough thing to adjust to.”

392 Melissa Good Angela considered. “I don’t know, we never talked about it,” she answered honestly. “I’d like to say he’d be fine with it. But I don’t know, he is pretty conservative.”

“Mmm.” Kerry sighed. “Well, I’ll have to feel him out. What I don’t want is Kyle finding out about it.” She leaned back and gazed up at the clear sky.

“Pretty night,” she reflected, glancing at her watch, then pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and dialing a number. It rang twice, then picked up.

“Hi, there,” she drawled into the receiver.

“Hi, there, yourself,” Dar’s voice rumbled back, a warm, velvety sound.

“How’s it going?”

“Mmm. Better than I expected, actually. “ She glanced at her sister, who was listening with interest. “There are some, um, complications that I wasn’t expecting. Apparently my sister here has taken Brian away from me and is having his child.”

She heard a startled squawk and splash. “What?” Dar’s voice came back, incredulous.

“Where are you?” Kerry inquired curiously.

“In the hot tub. What did you say?” Dar replied. “I thought your sister was married.”

“She is,” the blonde answered solemnly. “Why are you in the hot tub? It’s ten thirty at night, Dar.”

A sigh answered her. “Because I went and drilled with Ken for two hours after teaching that class, and I’m regretting it,” Dar replied. “That is a complication. What’s she going to do?” More splashing. “Did you tell her?”

“Uh huh.” Kerry replied, giving her now giggling sister a push. “She wasn’t…um, surprised.”

“Really? Points for her.” Dar laughed. “Hey, I’m glad to hear it. Sounds like things are going pretty good up there.”

“Yeah, yeah, not bad.” Kerry sighed. “I’ll survive, I guess. Hey, you better get out of there before you turn into a raisin.”

“Dried grape.”

Kerry stared at the phone, a strange tingle going up and down her spine.

“What did you say?”

Splashing sounds, then the soft hiss of the sliding door opening and closing. “My mother always used to have that argument with my father, he used to say, ‘damned dried apples is dried apples, dried peaches is dried peaches, I ain’t calling no pansy assed dried grape a raisin.’ ”

“Oh.” Kerry laughed. “Sorry, it sounded so weird.” She paused, just listening to the comforting sounds of Dar moving around—going in the kitchen and pulling out, Kerry was sure, a glass for some milk. “Well, I should let you go towel off. Just wanted you to know things are going all right.” She heard the refrigerator open and the soft hiss of the milk dispenser, and she smiled. “Enjoy your milk.”

A chuckle. “You can hear that?” Dar asked, amused. “I’m glad you called, I was just looking up at the stars and wondering what you were up to.”

“Funny, I was just doing the same thing,” Kerry admitted. “It’s cold up here, I’m glad I got that new jacket. I’ve got your sweatshirt on underneath it,”

she related. “Oh, and I found this little lizard in my bag. Any idea where it Tropical Storm 393

came from?” her voice turned teasing.

“Lizard?” Utter innocence in Dar’s voice. “What lizard?” Then she chuckled. “Been hanging on to that for a while. Listen, Michelle struck again today, she sent copies of those pictures up to Alastair.”

“What?” Kerry’s eyes widened. “What did you do?”

“I forwarded them to her boss and offered to put in a bid to replace his camera resolution software,” Dar replied dryly. “Don’t worry, I talked to Alastair. It’s okay,” she added. “You might want to pick up mail if you get a chance. Some idiot put me in charge of arranging entertainment for the Christmas party at work, and I need some advice.”

Kerry muffled a giggle with one hand. “Oh, okay. I will,” she promised.

“Listen, have a good flight tomorrow, okay? Be careful.”

“I will. You be careful, too,” the soft response came back. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Count on it. ’Night, Dar.” Kerry smiled. “I love you.”

A soft chuckle. “I love you too, and you nearly got me into some hot water with that today. You know where I was when you called?”

“Um, no.” Kerry bit her lip.

“In the cafeteria, having coffee with Duks,” Dar replied. “I think it warmed the cockles of his atheistic little heart.”

“Eep. Sorry,” Kerry squeaked, not really sorry at all.

“I’m not,” Dar replied quietly. “Go get some rest so you can attack the turkey tomorrow.”

“I will. ’Night,” Kerry answered, folding up the phone as the line disconnected and tucking it into her pocket. Then she leaned back against the bench and gazed up at the stars again, remaining reflectively silent for a moment. “She’s so different from me, and yet, when we’re together, it’s like I’ve known her all my life. I don’t understand it sometimes.”

Angela watched her in silence, then she reached over and covered Kerry’s hand with her own. “I know it’s not really what…” She stopped. “Well, last Sunday in church, the pastor was talking about how everyone out there, somewhere, has someone who completes them. Who are their other halves, their soulmates.” She paused, seeing Kerry’s body stiffen. “Maybe that’s what you are.”

Soulmates. The word echoed through her mind, turning corners and tearing through shuttered doorways of understanding. It finally settled home, draping over her heart like a silk handkerchief, and she closed her eyes as she accepted the truth of it. “You may be right,” she whispered. “I never thought of that. I remember Pastor Robert talking about it when I was in college.”

Angela nodded. “He still does. And when he talks about it, it always makes me wonder if he has found his because his face lights up so.” She rubbed Kerry’s fingers. “Maybe you should go talk to him, Kerry. He’s always been so fond of you. He asks about you all the time.”

Kerry turned toward her, serious. “I don’t think he’d understand, Angie.

He’s a pastor.”

Wise, hazel eyes warmed her. “I think he’d understand a lot better than you think, Sis.” She studied Kerry’s face. “You don’t go to church down there, do you?”

394 Melissa Good A shake of the blonde head. “No, there isn’t one of our denomination around. At least where I live. There are a few up in Broward, but…” She glanced at the ground. “I miss that sometimes; maybe I will go talk to him.”

She stifled a yawn. “Dar’s right, it’s been a long, aggravating day. Are you guys staying over?”

Angela nodded. “Yes, Sally’s with Richard’s mother. Hey, what about I toss Richard over for the night, and we share the room you’re in like we used to. How about it?”

Kerry smiled at her. “You know, I’d really like that.” She stood and held a hand out to her sister. “C’mon, I’ll snitch some hot chocolate out of the kitchen, and you can see the rest of my pictures.”

Angela allowed herself to be tugged upright by her shorter sister, then she wrapped an arm around her and they started back.

DAR GLANCED OUTSIDE at the gray sky as the plane taxied, seeing the lash of rain against the small, squared oval window, and sighed. It had been a long flight, since the weather front had forced their plane to circle for thirty minutes before it finally landed at Dulles, and she felt an intense need to stretch and move around inside the small, cramped cabin. As the plane nudged up to the gate, she released her seatbelt and stood, glad she was, at least, at the front of the plane and near the exit. She opened the overhead and tugged down her jacket, then pulled her laptop case from the bin and settled it over her shoulder.

The door opened, letting in a blast of wet, cold air, and she shivered in reflex, pulling the jacket closer and zipping it before she nodded pleasantly to the steward and exited the craft, heading up the walkway towards the terminal. She’d gotten three steps past the door when she spotted the waiting Jack and had to smile in reflex as his face lit up on seeing her. He is really a sweetie, she admitted, as he trotted over and enveloped her in a hug—his six-foot-plus military frame making her feel a bit dwarfed. She returned the hug, feeling the solidness of him under her hands, and gave him a pat on the back.

“Hey, Jack.”

“Dar.” He gave her a last squeeze and released her. “Damn, it’s good to see ya. I’m so glad you decided to c’mon up for Turkey Day.”

She was glad, too. It had been so quiet and so lonely in the condo last night, she’d almost gone crazy, unable to believe her reaction after living alone so many years. At least a few days up at the Eastons’ would fill in for Kerry’s missing presence, and she admitted privately that she could use the change of scenery. “Glad to see you, too. Got your hair cut again, I see.” She ruffled his short buzz-cut affectionately. “You guys get paid by how short you can cut it?”

He laughed. “Better than how some guys think we pilots get paid—by the length of something else,” he wryly answered. “C’mon, you got a bag checked?”

Dar nodded. “One, yeah. I was going to carry it on, but the flight was so full, they made everyone check everything.” She followed his striding form toward the baggage claim, dodging the crowd headed in all directions.

Tropical Storm 395

“How’s Gerry doing?”

“Dad’s great,” he answered, with a sunny grin. “He can’t wait to see you, either. He was really rocked that you decided to take him up on the invite. So was Mom, she was busy quizzing him on what stuff you liked. He had no idea, so we called your secretary.”

Dar burst out laughing. “Oh god, I’m in trouble. She probably told your mother I like broccoli and spinach greens—she hates the way I eat.”

He grinned. “Exactly. She did, and Mom got kind of suspicious—

remembering you like she does. So she called around some more and somehow got hold of an assistant of yours.”

“She did, huh?” Dar bit back a grin. “Bet that was a different story.”

“Heck, yeah! And, boy, was I glad, ’cause I hate broccoli,” Jack replied.

“Candied sweet potatoes are much more my speed.” He parked himself next to the belt and crossed his muscular arms. “Point it out.”

Dar dutifully did so, allowing him to lift the leather duffel from the moving belt and shoulder it. Chivalry always amused her, and Jack’s was the genuine kind. He took her bag because he knew it was his privilege and right to do so, not because he was showing off, or making a point, or any of the other reasons someone like, say, José would have.

It was a guy thing, and, like opening doors, saying ma’am, doffing his hat, or holding a chair, it came utterly naturally to him. He would be utterly bewildered if she’d accused him of chauvinistic behavior of any kind, or protested that she was capable of handling her own baggage. It was an appealingly sweet innocence, and one of the things Dar most liked about the pilot. The fact that he was ruggedly good-looking and had a charming sense of humor didn’t hurt, either. He had blond hair and interestingly dark blue eyes, and when he was being particularly silly, he’d waggle his ears, which were prominent against his crew cut. “So, what’s been up with you?” Dar asked, as they walked towards the entrance. “I hear you got carrier duty?”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, I sure did. USS Nimitz. I fly out there after Christmas and join her at sea.” He exhaled. “I had to do a nighttime qualification last month, and let me tell you, Dar…that’s the most scared I’ve been since I fell out of that treehouse when I was ten and nearly busted my neck.”

Dar laughed a little. “I can’t even imagine that—landing on that tiny deck at all. But in the dark?”

“In high seas.” Jack shook his head. “I almost lost my lunch through body orifices I didn’t even know I had.” He went out the door and held it open for her, grinning wryly seeing Dar wince at the cold wind that hit her. “Not used to this stuff, huh?”

Dar fastened her jacket and lifted her collar. “You got that right,” she muttered. “I was sitting outside under the stars in my Jacuzzi last night.”

“Well, you’re just a delicate hot-house flower there, ma’am,” Jack drawled, his eyes twinkling. “If you want, I’ve got a heavy overcoat in the car.

That jacket doesn’t cover much.”

Dar tugged her sleeves down and gave him a crooked grin. “Thanks, I’ll live. I think I remembered to pack my gloves in there.” She was glad she’d chosen to wear her heavier jeans and a pair of boots, and made a mental note 396 Melissa Good to add an extra layer of clothes when she changed.

They got into Jack’s car, a maroon Ford Explorer with comfortable leather seats. He hit a switch on the dashboard as he closed Dar’s door, then walked around and got in, settling his big body in the driver’s seat and starting the engine. “Heated seats. “ He indicated the switch, then he winked at her.

Dar felt the warmth begin to seep through her and she relaxed, stretching her long legs out and gazing at the now impotent weather. “They don’t sell those in Miami,” she commented with a sigh. “You looking forward to carrier duty?”

He nodded. “I am. It means not seeing the folks for a while, but it gives me a chance at some action.” He glanced at her. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking to go drop bombs on someone, okay?”

Blue eyes flicked to his face, and Dar let a tiny, understanding smile cross her lips. “I know.”

“But you train, and train. It would be sort of nice to be able to use that, you know? It’s like if all you could do is run a test-pattern all day, that’d be kinda boring.”

“That’s true,” Dar acknowledged quietly. “I guess it’s just that we all hope all that training won’t be put to use. Even though it’s looking more and more likely that we’ll just end up being the world police force.”

Jack looked at her before returning his attention to the road. “You don’t like that idea?” he asked curiously. “I never thought you had a problem with the use of force, Dar.”

She thought about the question. “You know, I never thought I did either.

God knows I was anxious enough to go into the special forces. I know I wouldn’t have been behind a desk there.”

“You’d have been a rocking SEAL, Dar.” Jack grinned. “Kicked their stuffed-up blue butts, I bet.” He glanced at her. “No offense to your daddy.”

“Maybe.” Dar smiled quietly. “It’s an attractive thought, to have that kind of power—might makes right, all that kind of thing. I think I could have done it.” She remembered wanting to…remembered the taste of blood on her tongue when she’d fairly bitten through it, when her father’s last effort at getting her into the program had failed. She’d been so close. So close to being allowed to join that fraternity. She knew most of the guys, she knew she’d even have had a chance to break down the walls of that male-only thing, because they knew her, they knew her father, they knew her capabilities. They knew she could stick it out when the hard stuff came down, and put a knife where it needed to go.

Instead, stunned and angry, she’d turned her back on the service, and gone a different route. A path no less dangerous, with enemies just as sneaky, but with one major difference. There, she would have been a killer. Here, she was not. She had no idea why, all of a sudden, that mattered.

Jack pulled into the driveway of the Easton family home a few minutes later, the tires crunching on dead branches that lined the pavement. He got out and retrieved Dar’s duffel, then joined her on the walk up to the front door. “We’ve got a surprise inside,” he murmured, his blue eyes lighting up.

“I think you’ll like it.”

Dar eyed him suspiciously. “Jack, I hate surprises. You know that.”

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He grinned, and opened the door. “G’wan.”

Warily, Dar entered, getting an overwhelming draft of warm cinnamon and baking bread that made her remember she hadn’t eaten all day. The inside of the Easton home was large and spacious, a huge entryway leading off into a sunken living room, and directly ahead, the kitchen, where all the nice smells were coming from. Mary Easton poked her head out as she heard the door open. “Dar! Lookit you! C’mere!” She hurried out, sticking a stirring spoon in her apron pocket and smiling. She was a short, round woman with a friendly, open face.

“Hello, mamma Mary.” Dar had to smile back, getting her arms open in time to receive a fragrant hug.

“My gosh, did you get taller?” the tiny woman demanded, looking up at her. “Honey, you look wonderful. You been out on vacation or something?”

“Nope.” Dar chuckled pushing her hair back a trifle self-consciously.

“Just had some time out in the sun recently. We have that down there, you know.”

“Jack, set that bag up in the guest room, then c’mon down and show Dar your new friends.” Mary’s eyes twinkled. “I got some fresh apple bread, you want a slice?”

“Sure, it smells great,” the taller woman replied, setting her laptop down on the low table near the couch and unfastening her jacket. “It’s great to see you.”

“C’mon with me.” Mary latched onto her arm and tugged her towards the kitchen. “I’ve got a dozen things going. I am so glad you let Gerry talk you into coming up here.” She bustled into the large open room, mostly white with blue checkerboards around the edges, and went to the cooling rack near the stove. “Here, put your teeth in this, I know you like it.”

Dar chuckled. “Ah, yes. I hear my staff’s been snitching on me.” She settled on one of the stools and glanced around, appreciating the workmanlike efficiency of the space.

“Now, don’t you be mad at them.” Mary laughed as she handed a slice of the warm, spicy bread to Dar after spreading a bit of butter on the top. “And, honey, I have to just tell you something. That assistant of yours down in Miami is just the sweetest person I’ve ever talked to in my life.”

Dar smiled around her mouthful of bread and chewed a moment, swallowing before she answered. “Kerry?”

Mary nodded. “Yes, what a nice woman. And you know, I mean, I realize it’s a business, and you people don’t probably even talk to each other outside the building, not like we do here in the service, but I think she really likes you.”

“Oh really?” Dar’s eyes twinkled. “What makes you say that?”

Mary beamed at her. “Just her voice…when she said your name, you could tell she was smiling all the time.”

Dar grinned a little. “Well, yes. Kerry is a very, very nice person, and in fact, we’re pretty close friends outside work, too.” Little fink, she didn’t even mention Mary had called. I’ll have to think up something suitably sneaky to do to her in revenge. “Glad you liked her.”

Jack came back in and tugged Dar’s jacket. “Hey, let me take that for you, 398 Melissa Good and c’mon with me.”

The surprise. Dar amiably stood and shrugged out of her jacket, letting Jack fold it over his arm, then followed him out the back door to the kitchen and down two steps to a utility room. “You ready?” he whispered mischievously.

Dar could hear some small, muffled noises behind the door she was in front of, but she couldn’t quite make out what they were. “Um, sure,” she replied uncertainly, stepping a pace back as he opened the door and moved aside.

A living tide of fur engulfed her legs, and her eyes widened. “Good grief!”

Nine squirming, stumbling, squeaking puppies were clustered around her boots, tugging at them and sniffing her with wildly wagging taillets.

“Go on, say hello.” Jack grinned. “They’re Alabaster’s.”

Dar looked up before she allowed herself the indulgence of dropping to one knee and sorting among the puppies. Alabaster was Gerald’s staid, dignified Labrador Retriever, an animal so pale she was almost white, hence the name. “They’re gorgeous.” The puppies scrambled up her leg, crying, and she slid down into a seated position, letting them climb all over her. “Damn, they’re so cute.” She picked one up, a tiny boy who wriggled frantically as she brought him close, then nibbled on her ear. “Yow.”

Jack set her jacket aside and sat down next to her, attracting his own mini-herd. “Aren’t they?” He scratched a large female behind the ears.

“They’re five weeks old. We’ve got homes for some of them.” He paused, watching the puppy snuggle down in Dar’s arms and gaze up at her adoringly. “Which one do you want?”

Dar looked up from where she was playing with a puppy paw. “No, sorry, I…” She fell silent for a moment, thinking. “Are you serious?”

Jack cocked his head at her. “Sure. Dad and I talked about it. He worries about you, y’know. He thinks a Lab would be perfect for you.” He scratched a puppy’s chest. “They’re loyal, friendly…obedient. You could take them on walks. It would be good for ya.”

Dar didn’t answer for a minute. She gazed down at the small head now nuzzling her chest, its tiny black nose sniffing interestedly at her hair.

Innocent brown eyes blinked up at her, and the small muzzle opened, to reveal a soft, U-shaped pink tongue. First fish, now a puppy? What in the hell’s happening to you, Dar? “Let me think about it,” she finally said, looking up with a wry smile. “I…really appreciate the offer.”

Jack grinned, then turned as Alabaster entered, sniffing after her puppies with a worried Labrador frown. She spotted Dar and whuffed in amazement, then plowed her way through the herd and proceeded to lick Dar’s face in a thorough, professional manner.

“Easy.” Dar laughed, patting her side. “Yeah, I’m glad to see you too, girl.” She leaned back against the washing machine and sighed, letting puppies run all over her legs. Well, if she couldn’t be with Kerry, this wasn’t a bad second choice. Outside, the wind was howling, and branches thumped against the roof, but she just grinned over at Jack and inclined her head towards the living room. “You up for a fire?”

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He grinned back and reached a hand over to help her up. “Can you still split a log like you used to?”

“Guess we’ll find out,” Dar replied as she headed up the steps, carefully shedding puppies as she went.