Tropical Storm

Melissa Good

Yellow Rose Books

Nederland, Texas

ALSO BY MELISSA GOOD

Dar and Kerry Series

Tropical Storm

Hurricane Watch

Eye of the Storm

Red Sky At Morning

Thicker Than Water

Terrors of the High Seas

Copyright © 1999 by Melissa Good

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, trans-

mitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters, inci-

dents and dialogue herein are fictional and any resemblance to actual

events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

ISBN 978-1-932300-60-4

Third Edition

"author's cut" edition, revised, and expanded

First Printing 2006

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cover design by Donna Pawlowski

Published by:

Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC

4700 Highway 365, Suite A

PMB 210

Port Arthur, Texas 77642

Find us on the World Wide Web at

http://www.regalcrest.biz

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter

One

THE ALARM BURRED softly, nudging the somnolent figure sprawled

over the waterbed toward wakefulness. One long arm reached over and

slapped the snooze bar, then moved back to its resting place, even though the

pre-dawn gloom reflected off pale eyes that were already open, and gazing at

the dull white of the ceiling.

Tiny clicks and hisses of the ice machine in the kitchen and the soft hum

of the central air cycling were the only sounds that stirred the darkness, save

for the soft breathing of the occupant of the bed. Finally, that breathing

expanded into a sigh, and the waveless mattress rustled as the tall figure

rolled up out of bed, and padded across polished teak wood floors into a pale

salmon, marble-floored bathroom. The light flicked on, causing an audible

groan, then the water ran in the marble sink, splashing loudly as it hit warm skin.

The reluctant riser finished wiping off the excess water with a soft towel, then

faced its reflection. “Morning.” Pale blue eyes set in an angular, high-

cheekboned face looked back, framed in dark, shoulder-length hair that just

now was lying in disordered layers above a high, strong forehead. The voice

was a warm contralto, slightly hoarse from sleep, and the lips that formed the

word quirked into an ironic smile as they got no answer.

The light from the bathroom streamed across the wooden floor, guiding

the tall woman’s way as she moved through the bedroom and into the living

room beyond. She stepped barefoot across the soft Berber rugs scattered over

the warm ceramic tiles and ended up in the kitchen.

Another flick and the recessed lighting came on, bringing the rich blue

and white room to life, gleaming dully off the royal blue tile countertops and

the rippled surface of the white appliances. Only the refrigerator was out of

scheme—it was stainless steel, as befitted its commercial origins.

On the countertop, next to a sleek coffee machine and a well-used

blender, was a computer terminal, dark except for a blinking box in the lower

right corner. “On,” she told it. “Mail.”

“Mail,” it obediently responded. “Dar Roberts, six messages, two

urgent.”

“Read.” She yawned, and moved to the coffee machine, punching the On

button and watching as the slow stream of water impacted the grounds she’d

prepared the night before. In the background, the computer patiently read her

messages.

2 Melissa Good

Urgent

Sent by: John Dierhdoh

Subject: Associated Synergenics

Time: 4:32 AM.

Hey, Dar, the Associated Synergenics deal went

through. They passed diligence late last night, so we

need to get a pirate squad in there. Lucky for me it’s in

your neck of the woods. Let me know how the raping and

pillaging goes, all right?

John D.

“Mmm.” Dar turned around, and leaned back against the counter,

crossing her arms over her chest. “Not bad...not bad. Next.”

Urgent

Sent by: Lou Draefus

Subject: Preliminary Budgets

Time: 2:53 AM.

Dar—

The preliminary budgets are in. We’re counting on

your talents to make them fit. Call me when you get in the

office.

Duks.

“Damn.” Dar sighed. “Dukky, you know I hate budgets. Just give me a

damn number, and I’ll fit it in. Don’t make me argue all morning over how

many pencils to allocate to the damn SBU.”

“Do you wish to send reply?” the computer inquired, having caught her

preprogrammed keyword “Dukky.”

Dar checked the transcript of what it had just recorded. “Send.”

“Thank you,” the computer replied. “Next message…” It continued,

going over more ordinary matters while she grabbed a bowl and poured

cereal into it, then opened the refrigerator and held the bowl under a milk

dispenser, listening to the pleasant crackle as the liquid infiltrated between

the dry flakes. She applied a spoon to her breakfast and leaned back against

the counter again as the messages finished playing. “Only six. Not bad.”

The computer chimed. “Incoming meeting request: Video, Alastair M.”

Dar silently cursed under her breath, then sighed. “Go.” A light popped

on the small egg-shaped camera on the top of the monitor, and a picture

window opened up on the screen, displaying a cherubic, round-faced man in

his mid-fifties, dressed immaculately in gray pinstripe with a dark blue tie

perfectly knotted around his thick neck. His hands were folded on the

mahogany desk in front of him. When his eyes shifted to his own screen and

saw her, a smile edged onto his fatherly features.

“Now that’s the way I like to start my morning. Dar Roberts in her

underwear,” the Chairman of the Board chortled.

Dar continued to eat, merely giving him a look. “You just broke EEOC,

Alastair. We’re gonna have to do something about you someday.” It was a

Tropical Storm 3

joke and they both knew it. EEOC was strictly adhered to in the company, up

to a certain level. Once employees got beyond that, they became “one of the

boys” and were expected to develop a thick skin along with it. Dar, as a

corporate vice president, was beyond that level, and so had to put up with

remarks about her looks from the upper echelon all the time. Fortunately, she

considered, at least they’re compliments. She’d heard the cruel remarks directed

towards a few of the other senior women execs, especially Ellen Evans in

Finance, who was battling a weight problem among other things.

Alastair chuckled. “You can do anything you like to me, sweetheart,

anytime. Just call Bea and have her schedule you up here, all right?”

The tall, dark-haired woman crossed her legs. “Careful, Alastair. At your

age, you gotta watch your heart. I don’t think you could handle me.” This

kind of verbal sparring was something she frequently enjoyed with the CEO,

and she suspected he did as well.

The chairman grinned. “Don’t you worry, I’ll have a Viagra milkshake

beforehand.” Then he cleared his throat. “All right, enough fun, though I’m

enjoying both the view and the conversation. That Associated deal.” Now his

hazel eyes went serious, almost predatory. “I need it in at fifty percent, Dar.”

Dar stopped chewing for a minute, and stared at him. “Fifty? Do you

want to also continue to do business, or just scrap them?”

The company acquired accounts by offering to outsource their business at

a lesser cost. When they took over, it was up to Dar, and other execs at her

level, to scour the resources they took over and find a way to meet that cost,

the usual method being to cut staff, which was always the biggest expense in

the IT field. Ten to twenty percent was their average cost reduction, though

Dar was famous for pushing the line, and had achieved thirty-five percent in

her last two accounts. “If it’s scrap, I’ll just turn it over to Duk’s folks, and

forget about it,” she said, “ I’m not going to waste my time counting pennies

out there.”

Alastair shook his gray head. “I need it, Dar. We’ve got the stockholders

meeting coming up in two months, and I have to post third quarter before

that. With the budget the way it is, and that fiasco with United Telecom, either

you give me Associated at fifty percent, or we’re not going to show double-

digit growth, and you know what that means.” He gave her a smile. “C’mon, I

know you can do it. And when you do, I’ve got a little surprise for you.”

Dar sighed. “No more surprises, Alastair, huh? The last time you almost

killed me when you made me drive that damn Lincoln down here.”

“Tch tch...grumpy this morning, aren’t we?” The CEO laughed. “No. It’s

better than that, I promise.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Dar promised grudgingly.

“Atta girl. You know, Dar, you set such a good example for everyone

else.” Alastair leaned back and regarded her. “What a poster child you are—

beautiful, healthy, crunching on your granola there.”

Dar glanced up at the blue cereal box, with the lurid tiger waving a spoon

at her, and smiled. “Oh yeah.”

“You have to come out to Houston one of these days and teach my wife

some of your tricks.”

“I hate Houston, Alastair,” Dar commented, finishing up her bowl and

4 Melissa Good

setting it into the stainless steel sink, then turning and grabbing a cup for her

coffee.

The CEO grinned. “I’ll forgive you for saying that, just for that nice view,

Dar,” he teased, “One of the perks of my job, I tell ya.”

Dar lifted her cup and gave him a wry look. “Nice seeing you too,

Alastair.”

“Fifty percent, Dar,” the older man stated with a wave. “See ya.” The

screen went dark.

“End meeting.” She sighed and watched the computer close the session

down. “Happy Monday,” she muttered, as she took her cup and opened the

sliding glass door that led out to her second-story balcony. The wind was

coming in from the east, blowing back her hair and pressing her T-shirt

against her body. She set her cup down on the small stone table and went to

the railing, leaning on it and looking out over the rock-filled jetty to the

endless expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

The air was full of salt and thick with moisture, and she breathed it in,

letting the familiarity soothe her as she listened to the rhythmic sound of the

surf against the coral rocks that made up the base of the island on which she

lived. In the east, the horizon displayed a gray, cloud-studded line over the

still darkened sea, and it was so quiet she could hear the soft clanging of boat

tie downs from the nearby marina. A gull swooped overhead, its feathers

whipping the thick air as it soared along the coral, searching for food.

Dar reached behind her and picked up her mug, curling her hands

around the ceramic surface and taking a sip of the flavored, pungent beverage.

She enjoyed the peace of early morning, and if she didn’t turn her head to see

the long Miami Beach skyline rising to her left, she could imagine she was out

in the Caribbean somewhere, viewing the sunrise.

Her condominium was a split-level townhouse, sharing a cluster with

four other residents here on the outer eastern shore of the small island. The

outer walls were reinforced steel and concrete, neatly designed and

landscaped to simulate quaint adobe, but meeting current hurricane codes as

was mandatory in Dade County.

That meant low, sloping roofs and all-concrete block construction, and a

challenge for high-class architects to make buildings look less like bunkers,

but Dar had spent one Category Five hurricane in the place, and she was glad

to skip on the glamour in trade for having the walls stay put around her.

Fisher Island was an exclusive community, offering large oceanfront

residences for those who could afford to pay unbelievable prices for them. Dar

was thankful that she had inherited hers. She had seen the price tags for them,

and found it hard to believe someone would spend five million dollars for

what amounted to an apartment. Even a really, really nice apartment, with

five bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a gorgeous kitchen, which she

seldom used.

She could afford it. Being the VP Ops of the largest computer services

company in the world garnered her a very healthy paycheck, but it was the

principle of the thing.

“Thanks, Aunt May.” She toasted her departed, much-beloved aunt with

her coffee. May Roberts had been something of a sensation in the family,

Tropical Storm 5

marrying four men and burying them all, all the while adding to her

considerable bank balance. She’d bought the condo as an investment and

occasionally rented it out, but had willed it to her niece on her death, correctly

figuring it was better for Dar to live here than in “that horrible Grove.”

The little place among the jasmine and ficus was far more Dar’s style: a

studio, with a hot plate and huge bay windows, and worn real wood floors

that had fifty years of dogs’ nail marks in them. She’d been able to walk to the

waterside and wander through the area’s sometimes oddball residents and not

feel out of place in her hiking sandals and cutoffs.

No one had to know she was a corporate big shot. She liked it that way.

Dar studied the horizon. She could have rented this place out when May died,

and kept living where she was, but it had occurred vaguely to her that she

might want to have a party someday and the condo had a lot more space for

that.

Plus the view from the porch of the Atlantic to the horizon was priceless.

After several years of residing in the middle of the eclectic artists’

community to the south, the change had taken some getting used to, but Dar

had finally decided she liked the island. It was accessible only by car ferry.

She could get away from the city there and spend some time in quiet solitude

without fights, and crime, or even noisy neighbors. Five million dollar

apartments had thick walls.

The maintenance fees were outrageous, and accounted for all the island’s

amenities, but they were less than the rent she’d been paying in the Grove, so

it had worked out for her in the end. She found herself enjoying a lifestyle

she’d never considered attempting, and even had fun watching the upper

crust socialites who populated the island at their strange social rituals.

The sun turned the horizon coral pink, and before her eyes, the sea slowly

moved from inky black, to fluttered dark gray, to a deep, rich green. The

offshore current was lightly choppy, breaking the surface up into ripples, and

she took a breath of the sea air with a sense of pleasure.

Its ever-changing, elemental nature had always appealed to her, and she

often spent her early mornings in the peace of its uneven rhythm before she

went on with her problem-filled, hectic days.

“Well, time to get moving.” She finished her coffee, then slipped inside

the glass doors, moving from the warm humidity to chill air conditioning with

a tiny shiver. The tile floor was cool against her bare feet, and she went

quickly to the walk-in closet, shedding her T-shirt and exchanging it for her

workout gear, which consisted of a pair of running shorts and a snug sports

top.

She pulled her hair back and put a band around it, then sat down to put

on her shoes, tugging the laces and tying them with efficient fingers. “I don’t

think your wife would like my fitness secrets, Alastair,” she remarked to

herself wryly. “They involve sweat, and lots of it.”

With a sigh, she stood and walked over to the small closet just inside the

alcove where the stairs came up. She ducked inside to pull out a set of wrist

and ankle weights, which she fastened into place carefully. Then she slipped

down the stairs and unlocked the front door, locking it behind her as she

emerged onto the small porch outside the condo. A dozen stairs led down to

6 Melissa Good

the underground parking. She dodged underneath, ending up on the path that

meandered down towards the water.

The island was about a mile across and roughly round in shape. She

made it her habit to circle it four times, rain or shine, even in the wicked

downpours subtropical Miami sometimes provided. With a sigh, she began to

jog and headed off around the path.

It paralleled the Atlantic, at first, going on in front of clusters of condos

much like the one her own was in. The architecture was mellow

Mediterranean, with barrel tile roofs and adobe-style walls, and the buildings

seemed to blend in to the surroundings. The landscaping, rich with salt-

tolerant bushes, was neatly kept and perfectly trimmed, and she could see

where beds of winter flowers were being planted to give a bit of variety to the

scene.

Artificial variety. Winter had little meaning here, the one or two months

of relief from the tropical heat and constant thunderstorms rarely providing

more than a day or two of mild sweater weather. Seasons didn’t truly exist.

Once past the condos, she was moving in front of the beach club, with its

rustic-style restaurant, and the small, if pristine, white sand beach that

bordered it. Chaise lounges were already set up, the beach boys sweeping

sand off their surfaces; the workers waved a familiar hello to her as she

passed.

Then up onto the coral deck and past the old mansion, once owned by the

Vanderbilts, which housed the main restaurant and club bar, its coral-surfaced

saltwater pool glinting in the dawn light. Peacocks wandered over the pool

deck and ruffled at her as she passed, letting out an occasional startled cry

which split the air at odd intervals.

More condos next, then the triple-slipped marina, at this time of year

crowded with boats bobbing gently on the waves. Some were sailboats, their

sails furled under cover, and some were large motor yachts, ships really,

which had multiple decks edged out in polished mahogany.

The back side of the island wasn’t so glamorous, since it faced the long

series of piers that made up the Port of Miami, where trade from all over the

Caribbean and South America docked long barges and cargo ships, and the

towering rows of unloaders clanked gently in the breeze, as yet inactive.

That led around to the side, which faced Government Cut, the main

shipping channel into the Port, where the car ferries had to cross to get to the

terminal on McArthur Causeway. It was also the main entrance for all the

cruise ships, and as Dar rounded the corner, she found herself passing

Sovereign of the Seas on its way into port, its green glass windows reflecting

the dawn light back at her. A few early risers on deck waved at her, but she

kept her eyes forward and didn’t acknowledge them.

It was all familiar, all part of her routine. By the time she hit her fourth

lap, the sun was peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in peaches and

cream as the clouds hung over the ocean, and the humidity was rising as well,

drenching her in sweat.

Dar slowed as she ended up where she started, and as she halted and

paced slowly around to cool off, a boy with curly blond hair skimmed up in a

golf cart, the words Beach Club blazoned on its fiberglass front. “Morning,

Tropical Storm 7

Carlos,” she said between breaths.

“Morning, Ms. Roberts.” The boy hopped out, straightening his white

linen short-sleeved shirt neatly, and lifting a gently steaming cup from a tray

on the front seat. “Here you go.”

Dar gave him a half grin and took the cup of café con leche. “How do you

manage to time this just right?”

The boy smiled. “Not me, ma’am, it’s you. Like clockwork—six-forty-

five, here you are.” He paused. “Unless it’s raining, of course, and then it’s six

fifty-five.”

She laughed and took a sip of the beverage. “Mm...lots of sugar and

cream. Just how I like it,” she complimented the server, who sketched a quick

bow in response. “Thanks.” Dar started up the stairs as he turned and scooted

back into his cart. Turning the vehicle deftly, he zipped back up the path.

Carlos was a pre-med student, working his way through one of the local

colleges by waiting at the Beach Club during the early hours and going to

afternoon classes. He was a friendly kid, local, as most of the day servers

were, and Dar liked him a lot. He took extra effort to find out things his

regular customers—and Dar certainly was that—liked and gave it to them, no

questions asked.

She finished the coffee as she padded around the condo, pulling out

clothes and starting the shower running. Fifteen minutes later, she was drying

her hair and pulling on the tailored gray skirt suit and black blouse she’d

chosen to wear, buttoning the cuffs and laying the top button open to expose

the thin golden chain holding up a tiny teddy bear, her only jewelry save the

diamond studs perched inconspicuously in her ears. Company dress code: no

danglies.

Dar gave her reflection a once-over, running her fingers through her

neatly cut and feathered hair to settle it, then adding the barest touch of

makeup. Her skin was already sun-darkened, a legacy of a lifetime in the

subtropics, and she hated the mess of putting on and taking off the stuff, so it

was a bit of gloss, a hint of eye shadow, and that was that. No one ever notices

anyway, she wryly admitted.

Not these days, anyway. Dar could look back with not quite fondness

over a time when she’d played that game in the office and gotten stung by it,

but now she took pains to keep everyone at a distance, more fitting in any case

to her executive status.

Look, but don’t think about touching. Dar met her own gaze and

acknowledged the sardonic expression with a wry twist of her lips.

Her most striking features were her pale blue eyes although most people

expected hazel or brown to match her coloring. Some people suspected she

used colored contacts, others openly speculated about her having Irish or

Danish somewhere in a Hispanic ancestry.

Dar wished they’d find something more interesting to speculate on, but

everything was fair game in office gossip. She sighed and picked up her

briefcase, slung it over her shoulder, then headed for her car.

She waited until they’d loaded the Lexus LX470 onto the ferry before she

dialed the office, leaning back in the leather seat and waiting for her secretary

to answer.

8 Melissa Good

“Dar Roberts’ office, how may I help you?” Maria’s precise, Castilian-

accented voice issued from the cellular speakerphone mounted in the dash.

“Morning, Maria,” Dar responded, watching the waves of Government

Cut splash over the low deck of the ferry.

“Ay! Good morning, good morning,” the middle-aged woman replied.

“Dios mío, Dar, half of the earth is here looking for you already. Did something

happen this weekend?”

“Associated Synergenics happened,” the tall woman explained. “The

boys in Houston have their rocks in an uproar.”

“Tch… ay, no wonder.” Maria rustled some papers. “I have three folders

with tons of things in them, and a stack of phone messages for you.”

“Great.” Dar sighed. “Schedule me out this afternoon to Synergenics, and

call a staff meeting of the prelim account team for ten AM, all right?” That

would toss her schedule out the fourteenth floor window her office was on.

“This is a hot one; Alastair is sitting on it.”

“Ayeyiyi!” Maria made some quick notes. “You had a doctor’s

appointment this afternoon.” Her voice held a gently chiding tone.

“Cancel it,” Dar replied, getting the expected silence in return. “Can’t

help it, Maria. A checkup can wait a few days, this can’t.” The headaches that

had prompted the appointment had tapered off during the weekend anyway,

and with any luck, it would stay that way for a while. “Don’t worry, I took it

easy this weekend. I feel great.”

“I’ll call that secretarita of your doctor’s and get another appointment,”

Maria replied stubbornly.

Dar relented. “All right, gotta go. I need to call Mark.”

“Oy.” Even through the phone, Dar could sense her assistant’s rolled

eyeballs. “You tell him, okay for me, Dar—no more little pink rabbits on my

screen, all right?”

The tall executive stifled a chuckle. “All right. Talk to you in a bit.” She

disconnected and dialed another number, watching idly as the ferry nestled

into its dock. The phone rang twice, then a gruff voice answered. “Yeah?”

“Good morning, Mark.”

“Who in… Oh, uh, yeah. Right…Monday morning. Who else would be

calling me at seven thirty? Hi, Dar.”

“I need Synergenics, Mark.” Dar released her parking brake and eased

the Lexus up the metal gangplank, as the dockers washed the car down with

fresh water to remove the salt spray from the ocean. “Now.”

“Aw…for chrissake, Dar, it was closed last friggin’ night!”

“I have a meeting there this afternoon, and I need the info, Mark. Get in

there and get it, no whining,” she crisply told the manager of Information

Services. “They have a bullshit system; it shouldn’t take you more than fifteen

minutes to get in, if your reputation is up to it.”

Mark Polenti had been, in his younger years, both a hacker and a cracker.

That is, he raided computer systems and cracked security codes in devices

such as long distance boxes. Now, he served as part of Dar’s advance team,

which went in and got information on an acquisition, information that the

new account usually didn’t want Dar to have. Things like personnel reports,

workman’s compensation claims, insurance statistics…things she needed to

Tropical Storm 9

base her slice-and-dice decisions on.

Only good, low-maintenance people would be candidates for

transitioning, and that kind of information was usually kept back. For good

reason. But Dar’s job was to incorporate the new account into the

infrastructure as economically as possible, thereby making the account as

profitable as possible. It was a simple formula, and relied on her ability to

shift work from the new company to existing agencies within the corporation,

thereby rendering the newcomers superfluous. They never saw it that way,

though. They viewed her swooping in as a shark circling defenseless fish, and

tried to hide in any nook and cranny they could to escape her teeth.

They never did.

She had the ability to strip resources to the bone and trim down an

operation with a lightning speed that had gained her a justifiable reputation

for savage, precise decisions. It was what had landed her the VP position, and

what kept her as Alastair’s favorite girl, the one he handed the tough ones to.

She’d never let him down, and had no intention of starting with this one,

especially since Synergenics was local. Their offices were right off Kendall

Drive, and she could get to them without having to send the team on ahead by

air. “Get going, Mark. I need the prelims by the time I hit the office.”

“Where are you?” The MIS chief queried, a rapid-fire clicking

transmitting through along with his voice.

“McArthur, about to pass Star Island.”

A definite smug tone floated through the airwaves. “Tch tch tch…you’re

slowing down, Dar. I’m in. I got the database. Which printer you want it at?”

Dar chuckled. “Mark the Shark…you are something else. AdminP2 will

be fine.”

“Okay, sending. Man, this security is bullshit. No wonder these losers got

inhaled.” The mutter was interspersed with clicking. “Oh well, no

wonder…Novell. Oh, man, and unsecured gateways. Jesus, Dar, they don’t

even have a frigging firewall!”

“Pathetic,” Dar agreed. “Who’s responsible for this mess?”

More ticking and then Mark said, “A…well, I’m assuming here, ’cause

you never know, but a lady by the name of Kerry Stuart,” He continued,

“Hmm…hmm, hmm. …Hmm. …Ah. …Yep, bingo assumption. Ooo…hmm.

Hey, Dar, she’s cute.”

Dar rolled her eyes and sighed. “Can it, Mark.”

“Mmm-mmm, nice. Blonde hair, pretty green eyes. Jesus, she’s just a

friggin’ kid. Twenty-six, not married, nothing on her medical side. Oh wait,

heh…she had a pregnancy test just after Christmas last year. Negative.”

“Mark…”

“All right, all right. IT degree from Michigan State. She’s from

somewhere up there in the boonies. Last job was for Edutech as their regional

co-ord up in that neck of the woods. Oh hey, her father’s Senator Stuart.”

“Hmm…yeah?” Dar inquired, as she turned onto Brickell Avenue and

headed south towards the high rise that housed the company. “He’s been

courting the Troy office for some contribs. I remember hearing Lou

complaining about it.” She directed the Lexus into the parking lot and up to

the security gate, nodding to the guard as he opened it for her. “All right, can

10 Melissa Good

you give me a folder on her, too?”

A chuckle sounded from the phone. “Do seagulls crap on your

windshield? I’ll be nice and add a color picture to it.”

“Not necessary, Mark,” the executive warned. “That’s more your line.”

“Who said I was doing it for you?” The MIS chief chortled. “Bye.”

Dar chuckled softly as she turned into a spot and shut the car off,

grabbing her briefcase, then taking a quick look in the rearview mirror before

she got out and locked the car. “Another day, another gutting,” she

commented to a passing cat, who gave her a look and dashed off.

“THEY’RE GONNA FIRE all of us,” Charles stated, for the sixth time in

five minutes. “My cousin worked for Allied when they took over, so forget it.

We’re toast.” He was sitting on the small desk in his cubicle, his headset

dangling around his neck and a Styrofoam cup in his hand.

“You don’t know that,” Elaine protested, glancing at her phone pad,

which showed several lights blinking. “Who knows, maybe it’ll be better.

Maybe we can get pencils now,” she jiggled a small barrel on her desk, full of

writing implements, “instead of having to go steal them from banks.”

The large room was more than usually noisy, most of the staff being

occupied in talking about the merger, which was being referred to as a hostile

takeover. Associated Synergenics was a company of about two hundred

employees, dedicated to providing software and hardware solutions to the

hospitality industry.

They had a core of programmers and engineers who designed systems for

restaurants and hotels to manage their points of sale, their accounting, and

other areas where computers were used for record keeping and analysis. Of

course, they also had a group of support staff to answer questions, and a small

department of hardware technicians, who installed the equipment and went

out to provide service on it.

They were local, in the tri-county area of Dade, Broward, and Palm

Beach, which provided enough customers to result in a slowly growing

business. Everyone had been very optimistic about this year, especially after

they’d landed a huge contract with Publix supermarkets, the major grocery

retailer in the state of Florida. Now this.

Everyone was upset. It was like all their hard work was going to be

swallowed up by this monolithic company who didn’t care about them, and

certainly didn’t care about the customers they’d been so careful to attract and

retain. It didn’t seem fair, really.

Charles sucked down the contents of his cup, then sat down with a grunt

and put on his headset. “Guess I’d better at least pretend to work. Where the

hell is everyone, anyway?”

Lana, a tall, thin brunette who sat on the other side of his cube, looked up.

“Big meeting. The brass called all of them up there about an hour ago. I guess

to give them the bad news.” Her eyes focused on something. “Uh oh, here

they come.”

They all turned as the doors to the front of the support center opened,

and a group of managers filed in, ranging from the support manager, Ray, to

Tropical Storm 11

the lead programmer, Susan. All of them looked grim. The last one in was

Kerry Stuart, who leaned back against the closed door for a minute before she

straightened her shoulders and nodded for everyone to move on ahead of her.

At twenty-six, Kerry looked hardly old enough to be a junior manager.

She was about average height and had a slender build, with lightly tanned

skin that contrasted with her blonde hair and green eyes. Her face held a

stamp of youthful innocence that belied a certain intensity in her eyes, and she

often surprised people both with her insightful knowledge of the business and

her skill at handling conflict.

Right now she carefully got up onto the printer table at the end of the

huge room and held up a hand. Since everyone there was looking at her

anyway, it achieved its intended effect, and calls went on hold immediately.

“Okay, folks, listen up.” She had a clear voice, but she was shaking a little, and

they could all see it.

Silence fell, she paused as one of the programmers loped up to her and

handed her a small microphone. “Does this w—oh, I guess it does.” Kerry

cleared her throat, her voice suddenly magnified. Heads of other curious

employees popped out of the offices surrounding the large central area.

“Okay, I’m sure you all know by now that as of last night, we were officially

bought out.” She paused and took a breath. “Some of the people who belong

to the company that bought us are going to be around here starting this

afternoon, and I think we all know that we’re going to see some changes.”

A low murmur rose, and Kerry put a hand up to still it. “I don’t know

what kind of changes, or what they’re going to do, or what this really means

for any of us; we’ll just have to wait and see. What I’m going to ask you to do

is just go on and do your jobs; take care of our customers. Let’s not overreact

until we know what’s really going on.”

“Get your résumé ready,” a voice uttered in a disgusted tone.

“Bet they find some way not to give us benefits for six months,” came

another. “If they bother to keep anyone.”

“All right, come on, people, let’s just wait to see what happens,” Kerry

stated again. “That’s all I have. If someone from them comes in here, be nice,

answer what they ask, and just keep it cool.” She handed the microphone to

the programmer and gingerly got off the table, smiling at Ray, who held her

elbow to prevent her from falling off. “Thanks.”

She moved on towards the end of the big room, passing through the small

labyrinth of offices until she reached her own, buried in the back corner. Most

of the managers trailed her there, obviously wanting a private word with her,

but she put up a hand as she entered her sanctum. “Give me a few minutes,

guys, okay? Go get some coffee, or check your e-mail or something.”

“Call my headhunter.” Susan snorted, shaking her silvered chestnut

head. The short, stocky programmer stalked over to her tiny office, piled to

the ceiling with printouts.

Kerry watched them disperse before she entered her own office and

circled the desk, sitting down in her chair and putting her head in her hands.

“Jesus.” What a mess. And it had all been going so good, too. With a sigh, she

leaned back, letting her hands fall on her denim-covered thighs, the fabric

reminding her of yet one more change they’d have to face—dress codes, as

12 Melissa Good

Robert Mayabera had warned her when he’d met with her that morning.

“I didn’t think we’d done that badly,” she’d said in shock when Robert told her

the news. “I thought it was just rumors.”

The company founder, a short, pugnacious Cuban immigrant, had laid his

immaculate hands on his desk. “Chica, you did nothing wrong, okay?” His brown

eyes had been a little sad. “It came down to money, that’s all. They made me an offer,

like you say in the movies, I cannot refuse it.” He’d lifted a hand. “I’ve got six kids, all getting to the age where I have to now do quinces, and cars, and college. I love the company, but the buyout, my friend, the buyout makes me able to do right by my

family.”

“No, Robert, I don’t…” Kerry had sighed. “I don’t blame you. I just…we were

like a family ourselves, here.”

“Chica, I know.” Robert had gotten up and crossed around his desk, hitching up

his trousers to perch on the arm of her chair, and put a hand on her shoulder. “I tell

them how great you are, every chance. You did a fantastic job with everything, really

turned it around here the last year, all that. I give them an opportunity to see that.”

“I don’t care about me,” the young director had stated quietly. “Robert, these

people work really hard. I don’t think those guys are going to care about that. I think

they’re just going to come in here and tear us apart.”

“Hey, come on now, let’s wait for the boat to sink before we start thinking of

drowning, okay?” He patted her cheek. “Let me see that tough Michigan State warrior

thing. What is it, a Trojan?”

Kerry smiled a little at that. “A Spartan.”

“What kind of a mascot is that for a college? It’s ridiculous.” He was trying to

cheer her up with an old argument.

“Better than an alligator,” she replied dutifully, his alma mater having been

University of Florida, in Gainesville. Then she sighed and stood. “Okay. I’d better go

tell the staff. I’m sure they heard already, though.”

And, they had, Kerry thought, as she played with a cup on her desk,

glancing around her little office. It wasn’t much—a few file cabinets, one

plant in each corner which she took obsessive care over, a picture of Michigan

in winter on one wall, and her wraparound desk with its recessed computer

well.It was hers, though, earned by dogged determination and her own skills,

not bought by her father or given to her as a favor. She was proud of that, and

proud of being in charge of this diverse group of people, even if they were

sometimes infuriating, and the programmers could never meet their

deadlines, and she had to keep nagging the supervisors to keep their answer

times down.

She’d felt like she was accomplishing something, especially when they’d

won the new contract and the reps from Publix had told Robert it was mostly

because they felt so comfortable dealing with her.

Wow. That had felt great. She’d gone out with a few friends that night and

celebrated, for the first time in a few months, at Dave and Busters, and had

ended up winning enough tickets to get herself a huge stuffed panda bear.

Now, she was just one of the hundred thousand employees in the new

Tropical Storm 13

company. Nothing special. In fact, they’d probably laugh at her credentials, or

find something in her performance they didn’t like and take her out of her

position. And then what? Daddy was only letting her stay down here because

she could show him her growing career, pointing to her steadily increasing

responsibilities. A slip in that, and he’d call her home.

She took a breath and rubbed her eyes. “Come on now, think positive,”

she reminded herself. “Isn’t that what you just told everyone out there?”

The phone rang, and she pushed the speakerphone button. “Kerry here.”

“Ker, it’s Alex.” That was Alejandro Cruz, their MIS chief. “I’ve got some

puta on the phone demanding I give access.”

Kerry closed her eyes. “Don’t tell me what that meant, okay?” she

pleaded. “If it’s someone from them, just give them access; they probably can

get it anyway. We don’t want to start off being obstructionists.”

“Jefa, okay, I give them mail server transfer, and got a postbox dial in-

going, and I set up an admin account for them. What else?”

“That should keep them busy for a while.” Kerry sighed. “I’ll try to get

some ground rules set when whoever it is that’s coming here after lunch

arrives. Maybe they’ll be reasonable.”

“Mierda.” Alex snorted.

“Don’t tell me what that is either, okay?” The director exhaled. “But in

Michigan we’d say, ‘this sucks.’ ”

She spent the next few hours putting things in order, studying the latest

statistics their reporting system had generated, and clearing her inbox. She

had her head bent over the last performance review when a light knock came

at the door. She looked up, to see Ray Rameriez standing there, holding up a

Coke in one hand. “Oh, hi.”

“Lunch?” The tall, lanky technical supervisor raised a dark, inquiring

eyebrow. “I hear they have picadillo in the café.”

Kerry made a face. “Ew.” She put her task down and stretched, working a

kink out of her back. “Two years, and you’d think I’d be used to that stuff by

now, but every time I eat it, I go right to sleep under my desk.” She fiddled

with a pencil. “Besides, I’m not really hungry.”

“C’mon, c’mon, don’t let them get you down, Kerrisita. Come, I’ll get you

some flan, I know you like that,” Ray coaxed, waggling his brows invitingly.

She smiled, but shook her head. “No thanks. Maybe tomorrow, okay?”

She opened her drawer and pulled out a bag of miniature carrots. “Besides, I

brought.”

“You’ll grow floppy ears one of these fine days.” Ray laughed. “You and

your little carrotas.” He sighed. “You sure?”

She nodded. “Yes. Go on; get out of here for a while. I’ll probably need

you when those guys show up.”

He lifted a hand, then let it drop in surrender. “I’ll be back soon,” he

promised, then ducked out the door.

Kerry gazed pensively at the door, then sighed, and tossed her pencil

down, bending her eyes towards her evaluation again and propping her head

up on one hand. What’s the use anyway? The evaluations won’t be worth anything

to the newcomers.

A soft knock interrupted her again. “Look, Ray, I told you…” She glanced

14 Melissa Good

up, slightly annoyed, then stopped.

There was a stranger in her doorway. A tall, golden-skinned woman with

midnight dark hair looked back at her, the lean body arranged against her

doorway in a posture of confident arrogance. Kerry blinked, looked again, and

was captured by the bluest, clearest eyes she’d ever seen. They drilled right

through her with a blast of cool intensity, and a strange, almost haunting

glimpse of something familiar. “Um…sorry. I thought you were someone

else,” she managed weakly, getting to her feet.

The woman pushed off the doorframe and entered, putting a thick leather

briefcase down on her visitor’s chair and extending a hand. “Dar Roberts.”

The voice was low, pleasant, and seemed to rumble in her ears. As she

moved to take the woman’s hand, a soft scent of musky perfume mixed with

leather reached her. “Kerry Stuart.” She took the taller woman’s hand and

gripped it, feeling the strength in it as the woman returned the squeeze. “Are

you, um…” She hesitated. “I mean, you’re from the new headquarters, right?

I’m sorry. I must seem kind of daft to you. I wasn’t expecting anyone until

after lunch.”

Dar studied her quietly for a moment. “Yes, I am. I suppose my lunch

doesn’t quite match yours,” she answered coolly. “Sorry.”

“Oh, right,” Kerry answered awkwardly. “Well, that’s okay, because I-I

finished lunch already myself…but my staff is still out. What…I mean, can I

get you some coffee, or something?”

“No thanks, I’m on a tight schedule,” the tall woman answered briskly.

“Let’s just get started; it won’t take long.” She motioned to the desk. “Sit

down.” Dar watched the younger woman step back around her desk and seat

herself, laying her forearms on the surface and looking back at her with a

mixture of trepidation and curiosity.

She’d briefly studied the picture Mark had so kindly provided, but the

static personnel print gave no hint of the gentle presence the woman

projected, or the clear steadiness of her eyes, whose color uncannily matched

the ocean Dar saw out her window every sunny morning. There was also

something familiar about her that Dar couldn’t quite put her finger on. No

time for that, though. She sat down in the visitor’s chair. “You know why I’m

here, right?”

Kerry’s fingers twisted a piece of binding tie. “I know you people are taking

over. They really didn’t tell us much about what was going to happen, no.”

Dar cursed silently, making a mental note to send a mail ripping a new

butt hole for whomever was on the account team for this cluster. “They were

supp—” She put a hand out. “I’m not going to play games or beat around the

bush. Bottom line is, what we purchased was your business.”

The blonde woman took a breath. “Okay…but what does that mean. We

report to different people, or you want things done differently? I have

reports…”

A hand silenced her. “It means we’re interested in the services you’re

providing, not in how you provide them, or who does it,” she replied firmly.

“There’s nothing you do here we can’t do better, and cheaper, which is the

whole point.”

Kerry stared at her. “What are you saying?” she asked softly. “You’re

Tropical Storm 15

saying you don’t need us, is that it?”

Cool, blue eyes met hers. “Yes.”

“You can’t just come in here and fire everyone! We’ve been doing this for

years; you can’t replace us just like that,” the director protested.

“Yes, I can,” Dar replied. “It’s what we do.” She gestured towards the

door. “I have a programming group in Huntingdon, a support group just west

of the airport that can take your calls, and a hardware installers division—all

who already work for me.” She stood, and walked around the back of her

chair, leaning against it. “Your people are inefficient: they take two sick days

apiece every three weeks; half of them are late every day; your programmers

haven’t met a deadline in two years; and you’ve had eighteen workman’s

comp claims in the last four months.”

Kerry just looked at the surface of her desk and concentrated on

breathing. Her chest hurt from the sudden, unexpected attack, and she

realized she had no answer for the charges. She knew they were true, but it

was a good staff. They were good people, just a little lazy sometimes, like

everyone was. Her eyes traveled up to the hawk-like profile watching her, and

she felt a quiet despair. Not everyone, not anymore. “I guess John was right,”

she finally said in quiet defeat.

Dar eyed her, slightly disconcerted. The usual reaction to her speech was

anger, indignant protests, not…this. “Right about what?”

Those sea-toned eyes lifted. “You are here just to rape us.”

The executive flinched visibly. “That’s not an appropriate way to refer to

it.” Kerry shrugged. “What are you going to do, fire me?” She took a breath.

“Is there something else I can do for you, Ms. Roberts? You seem to have all

the information you need,” she studied the clip in her hands, “and…I’ve got a

lot of paperwork I need to get started on, I guess.” She tried, but couldn’t keep

the hint of hoarseness from entering her voice. Though she could feel Dar

hovering, she refused to look up, unwilling to give the older woman the

satisfaction of seeing the depth of her pain.

Dar felt a sudden twinge of shame. She could see the anguished tension

in the slim shoulders across from her, and she bowed her head for a moment,

feeling a sense of confusion very alien to her. She’d done this a dozen times

already this year alone. “Look…”

“They’re not really that awful,” Kerry said softly. “Our customers like us.

We do a good job. I don’t…see why we need to be thrown away like garbage.”

She still kept her gaze on her hands. “What kind of people are you?”

“Look.” Dar found herself uncharacteristically at a loss for words. “It’s a

business. There’s nothing personal, understand?” The blonde head moved in a

nod, then the manager looked up, her face closed, and wary, green eyes

darkened with a quiet anger. “You have a week. I need a list of your senior

people, so we can arrange sessions with them to start going over exactly what

you do, and when and how you do it.”

Kerry swallowed. “You’re saying you want us to train the people who are

going to take our jobs away.”

Dar looked quietly at her. “Yes.”

The anger dissolved into something else, and Kerry clenched her jaw.

16 Melissa Good

“All right,” she got out, her fingers clenching on the pencil that had been

sitting on her desk. “I’ll see what I can arrange.” Arrange to get every damn one

of them out of here before they can tell anyone anything, that is.

“You want to tell me to go to hell.” Dar remarked. “Don’t you?”

Kerry licked her lower lip. “No, ma’am, I don’t. I wasn’t raised that way.”

Dar sat down in the chair again and leaned forward, tilting her head to

gaze into Kerry’s lowered face. “Sure you do,” she disagreed. “I did…when

we were assimilated.” Green eyes slowly rose to meet hers.

“These are people, whose livelihoods you’re about to take away from

them. It’s not funny.”

“And any one of them would gladly wave you goodbye, if the guy down

the street offered a buck more an hour,” Dar replied. “This is a business, Ms.

Stuart. It’s not a charity.”

Kerry’s chin lifted. “Your people won’t be able to do half the job mine

do,” she stated flatly. “So when you lose all these accounts, I’ll be there

laughing, Ms…Roberts. Because you know what? Your people probably aren’t

any better workers than mine are unless you employ robots just like you.”

Well, now. Dar leaned back, studying her. She hadn’t had this kind of

challenge in a long, long time. Most of her accounts were fresh-faced MIS

majors who scurried around and tried to get on her good side, just long

enough to realize she didn’t have one. One of her side tasks, besides stripping

companies, was finding new talent for the corporation. Sometimes, she

reflected, I find potential in the weirdest places. “That’s not a way to win friends and influence people, Ms. Stuart.”

Kerry gazed steadily at her. “Good thing for me I don’t need to do either

in this case, I guess,” she said. “I noticed you didn’t deny my statement. Does

that mean you agree with me?”

Well, well, well. Dar let the silence lengthen, watching the faint flare of

Kerry’s nostrils as she too waited. “All right,” she said, “tell you what.” Her

eyes caught the shift in Kerry’s expression, a wariness reshaping the slim

planes of her face. “I can do this for half the budget you’re currently doing it

with. Come up with a plan to do it for that, in a week, and I’ll look at it.”

Kerry’s jaw dropped. “Fifty percent? That’s impossible!”

Dar shrugged. “Your choice. See, we can leverage out the costs because

we use less overhead per account. If we’ve got someone who needs support,

for instance, we just add them to the current load over at the MTC, and we

don’t have to pay for rent, a phone switch, the consoles, desks, all that crap

again.” She smiled. “You can’t do that.” Will she take the bait? Dar watched the

muscles bunch in her jaw, not sure which way she wanted Kerry to jump.

“No, but that means…” Kerry stopped and exhaled. People would have

to go. It was the biggest cost factor, she knew. Looking at the closed, chill face

across from her, she knew this damn iceberg woman knew it too. But maybe

she could save some of them. It was worth a try. “All right. You’ll be hearing

from me,” she said, her voice quietly icy.

Well, she hates me. Dar sighed. One among many. “Fine. You can send it

over in e-mail; you should be added to our post office by now.” She lifted her

cell phone and dialed a single code, holding it to her ear until she heard a

gruff voice on the other end. “Mark, you all done?”

Tropical Storm 17

A short laugh came through the phone. “Lock, stock, barrels, monkeys,

hair dryers, and their accountant’s latest lunch list,” he advised her. “Mail’s

up, servers locked down. Anything else I can do for you today?”

“Thanks.” Dar folded the phone up. “You’re up on mail. Tell your people

not to make any administrative changes to your servers, and you can expect a

team here tomorrow to start going over procedures.”

Kerry folded her hands over her desk. “How did you know all that about

our personnel statistics?”

Pale blue eyes lanced into her. “We broke into your server database this

morning and extracted it.” Dar smiled. “Your security sucks. You might want

to start your review there.” She felt a sense of quiet triumph, which faded as

Kerry returned her look with one of stony dislike. “Nothing personal.”

“No.” The blonde stated quietly. “I can see that.” She stood. “Would you

like to look around?”

The last thing Dar needed was the nickel tour. She reminded herself she

had six or seven conference calls to take care of back at the office, so she was

very surprised when she heard her voice answering “Sure.”

Kerry just nodded and stepped around the desk, running a hand through

her pale hair and pushing it back off her face. She was wearing a pair of fairly

snug jeans and a short-sleeved white lace shirt that displayed an outdoor tan,

which tightened against her body as she took a deep breath. “All right, follow

me.”

She circled the desk and brushed by Dar as she headed for the door to the

office. The dark-haired woman caught a hint of clean soap and the faintest

hint of apricot as she belatedly stood and headed after Kerry. Well, well, well,

indeed.

IT HAD, DAR later mused, been a very hostile afternoon. She’d gotten

the feeling that word had spread quickly, since they’d only made it to the

programmers’ nests before she was starting to get those dagger-in-the-eye

looks from the inmates. She half expected her car to be keyed by the time they

finished up, but apparently no one had figured out which one it was. Not

surprising, since an LX470 sport utility truck was hardly what they expected a

VP Ops to be driving.

The head programmer had possibilities, she conceded, if you could dig

her out of her shell long enough to talk code with her, which Dar had. The

support and IS managers were useless, and listening to the calls as she passed

through, seemingly oblivious, had allowed her to catch at least two

individuals telling customers complete lies, and two others using the

opportunity to make social arrangements. Stuart had heard that last one, Dar

realized, as she’d seen the look of dismay in the woman’s startlingly open

face. Kerry Stuart. Dar leaned back against the leather and allowed herself the

luxury of a few minutes of quiet thought. The kid isn’t stupid, and she’s

gutsy…but damn, is she an innocent. She really wasn’t ready for this, but all in all,

handled the shock pretty well, considering.

What Dar couldn’t get out of her mind was that nagging sense of

18 Melissa Good

familiarity. Do we shop in the same place or something? Not likely. Kerry lived in

Kendall, just past the Turnpike in one of the mazes of suburban rental clusters

frequented by white-collar workers in the area. Maybe she comes down to the

beach a lot? Not that Dar spent a whole lot of time on South Beach, but she did

get down there from time to time, and would stroll along the boardwalk.

She gave up, knowing it would come to her eventually. Her watch

meeped softly, and she glanced down, surprised to see how late it was. She

drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, then tapped her console-mounted

cell phone. A moment later it was answered by Maria’s singsong voice.

“Hello, Maria.”

“Dar, where are you?” her secretary answered in a lowered voice.

“In my car, on the way back from Associated. Why?” the executive

replied, a touch puzzled. “You knew where I was.”

“Stay away. Stay far, far away. ¡ Dios mío! A man, he backed a truck into

the facilities room downstairs, and took out all the controls for the air

conditioning,” Maria replied with a groan. “It must be like an oven in here,

Dar. My head is roasting.”

The executive winced. “Oh boy.” She considered. “Did they down the

servers, at least?” she asked, then she slapped herself on the head. “What am I

thinking? Maria, get out of there before you pass out.”

“Ay, I have my little fan, but it is like I am cooking…turning crispy,” the

secretary told her. “Thank you very much. I will pack up my things and be on

my way.”

“Any ETA for restore?” Dar asked with a sigh, as she got off onto State

Road 836, which would take her cross-town to the office. “You should have

called me.”

“No, no. They’re arguing who is to blame; that is first.” Maria sounded

disgusted, unusual for the Spanish woman.

“All right. Call in first tomorrow, Maria. I don’t want you coming in if it’s

still out, it’ll only get worse,” Dar decided as she rubbed her temples. “Get out

of there.”

“I don’t care what anyone says, Dar, you are an angel,” Maria replied

warmly. “They can all kiss my…how you call them? Grits.”

That got a smile from the executive. “Thanks, Maria. Nice to hear that

after getting out of Associated. They don’t much like me right now.” Her mind

conjured up the parting look she’d gotten from Kerry, which had been as full

of disgust as any she’d had the misfortune of getting in a while. Normally, she

could have cared less, but that kid… “Anyway, good night, Maria.”

“Good night, Dar. Drive carefully, please,” the secretary reminded her.

“There are crazies out there.”

Dar smiled quietly. It was nice, sometimes, to have someone be

concerned about you, even if they were doing it as part of their job. “I will.”

She disconnected, and settled back to negotiate the traffic, putting on a New

Age CD and rubbing her neck to try and relieve the nagging soreness that had

developed during her drive.

That kid… Dar rested her head against the back of the seat. Ah well. She

exhaled. The blonde would probably have a better offer by tomorrow, and

leave as big as mess as she could for Dar to clean up.

Tropical Storm 19

Happened every time.

AFTER WATCHING HER unwelcome guest leave, Kerry walked back

into her office and closed the door. She stood silently in the middle of the

floor for a minute, then looked around. Pale blue carpet, light gray walls,

wood grain desk—it wasn’t elegant, given what she’d grown up with, but...

Damn it!

“I worked so hard for this,” she whispered, sitting down in her visitor’s

chair. “Damn it! This isn’t fair.” She let her head sink into her hands, bracing

her elbows on the chair arms.

There was a soft sound as the door opened behind her. “Ker?”

“Yeah,” she replied, not bothering to move.

An arm slipped around her shoulders, and she looked up to see Ray’s

concerned face. “Jefa, don’t let it get to you like that. Blow her off, the big

bitch.” He clucked at her, rubbing her neck. “What a scary person. I think

she’s related to Cruella DeWhatever from that doggy movie.”

A tiny laugh escaped from Kerry. “Ray, John was right. They want to get

rid of all of us.” She looked up at him. “She’s giving me a chance to come up

with a plan. If I can cut the budget in half, she’ll consider it, and maybe some

folks will get to keep their jobs.“ A faint shake of her head signaled her

discouragement. “There’s just no way.”

Ray put his hands on his hips. “She’s giving you a chance to do that?” he

repeated, his voice surprised. “That’s like…unheard of, from what I

understand. How did you manage to get her to do that?” He lowered his tone.

“Kerry, from what I was just hearing that big bitch just comes in and,” he

snapped his fingers, “we all go bye-bye.”

Kerry paused and thought. “Is it?” Her brow creased. “I don’t know. I

just…I guess I wasn’t very nice to her. You’d think that would make her mad,

but it didn’t. Matter of fact, I think she kind of liked it.” She made a wry face

at him.

He snorted. “Oh yes. She seems that type,” he remarked snidely. “I see

the leather and the whip cracking around that one, you bet.”

The director sighed. “I don’t know if I can come up with anything,” she

admitted. “But I’ll give it a try, Ray. Try to save as many people as I can.” She

gave him a tight smile. “But I think you better give Mona at Alternative

Resources a call. Tell her we might have some prospects for her staff pool.”

“Mañana.” Ray patted her on the shoulder. “Come on. We’re going down

to Fat Tuesdays and doing the happy hour. Come with us.”

A knock sounded on her door. “Ms. Stuart?”

They looked up. “Come on in, Anita.” Kerry watched the short, slim

accounting clerk bustle over, her arms filled with fanfold printouts. “That the

stuff?”

“The budget, yes, and payroll, accounts payable and receivables,” the

woman replied, setting them on her desk. “Anything else you need right

now?” She pushed her horn-rimmed glasses up and sniffed. “I have to reload

the line printer if you do.”

“No. Thanks, that’ll keep me busy for a while.” Kerry smiled at her

20 Melissa Good

wearily. “Go on, Ray. Let me get started on this stuff.”

The tall man blinked at her. “You can’t do this all night. Why don’t you

just get a fresh thing going in the morning?”

“Go on, get out of here,” Kerry repeated, rising and going to her desk,

where she started pulling the various reports apart. It was going to be a long,

long night, she could see that. “Wait. Ray, can you get me a paper box?” No

sense in sitting here and doing the initial review. “Might as well make myself

miserable in my own apartment.”

“Kerry…”

“Shoo,” the blonde woman said. “Sooner I get started, sooner we know

how bad it’s going to be.”

THE CAR FERRY was very quiet as Dar sat on it in solitary splendor, her

car placed neatly in the center of the deck as the vehicle bobbed over the

waves towards the island. The wind was blowing into her face, so the sound

of the engines was muted, and she rested her pounding head against the door

as the black waters slipped under the keel.

She was hot and exhausted, and more than a little fed up, having spent

the preceding ten hours in a high-rise building with no air conditioning, doing

what she could to get things fixed. Which was considerable, granted, and

when she’d finally browbeaten a contractor into obtaining a replacement

panel and installing it at midnight, the few people left in the building had

cheered and clapped for her.

All three of them: two cleaners and the security guard, their uniforms

sticking to them and drenched with sweat. Just like she was. She’d sent the

rest of the staff home, and stayed there, propping the fourteenth floor

emergency doors open to get a hint of a humid breeze in the place. Calls to the

building managers, to her own facilities department, to infrastructure because

the security panel links had been blown…all yielded no results, so she’d

finally called the building contractors, and gotten the owner on the phone at

ten PM.

Thank god they only had a five-year contract, and it was up for renewal.

That had been enough threat leverage to get him off his ass and get a part out,

along with five grumbling technicians. Her glare behind them had done the

rest, and by one AM, a low shudder passed through the building as the huge

roof units hummed to life.

Now it was two AM, and she was finally going home. Business would go

on as usual tomorrow, with no interruptions, and that was the important

thing, since they couldn’t run the huge server cascades unless the air was on.

She’d left a note on her desk to find out about a backup air unit for the

computer room, for the next time.

She also started coming up with answers as to why there was a this time.

Infrastructure was her responsibility and she’d dropped the ball on this one.

Damn it.

She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the air conditioning in the Lexus

hit her full blast. Another problem solved, and she was fairly sure not one

person would thank her for it tomorrow. Save maybe the cleaning ladies, who

Tropical Storm 21

had timidly appeared at her office door while she was hollering at the

contractor, bearing a pitcher of cold, home-brewed ice tea and a plastic cup. It

was the only thing that had made her smile all night.

With a gentle clank, the ferry docked, and she waited for the deck hands

to remove the chocks around her wheels before she shifted the car into drive

and carefully eased it up the sloping ramp and onto the island. A few minutes

later she was tucking the Lexus into its spot under the condo, then pulling

herself up the stairs and through the door, her fingers tapping in the code all

by themselves, the beeps sounding startlingly loud in the quiet of the early

morning.

It was just as quiet inside. Dar dropped her briefcase in her office and

trudged into her bedroom, the cool blue of the walls blissfully soothing to her

tired eyes. She put her jacket back onto its hanger and kicked off her shoes,

then unzipped her skirt and stepped out of the garment. As she unbuttoned

and removed her shirt, she could feel the tension of the day between her

shoulder blades, and she took a moment to lean against the wall and let the

cool surface leech some of the residual warmth from her skin.

Hell of a day. Dar pushed away from the wall and went into the bathroom,

reaching in to start the water running in the large, circular glass shower. The

scent of the chlorinated water was comfortingly familiar, and she slipped out

of her underwear and under the warm spray with a heartfelt sigh.

A kaleidoscope of images flickered through her mind’s eye as she stood

under the shower, turning up the heat a little as the stiff muscles in her neck

grudgingly began to relax under the pounding. She could taste the faint hint

of tea on the back of her tongue, and a remembered scent of apricot tickled her

senses as she thought about her long night and the unexpected challenges of

the day.

After her shower, she was exhausted but not sleepy, so she threw on a

pair of old cotton shorts and a T-shirt, and trudged into the kitchen. Its

counters were bare, but she ignored them and retrieved a large mug from the

cabinet, filling it with milk and adding a spoonful of honey before she put it in

the microwave to heat. The machine hummed, and she sat down on the stool

nearby to wait, hooking her feet into the rungs and propping her head up on

her hand as she leaned against the counter.

The air conditioning cycled on, loud in the otherwise silent condo. Then a

soft chime sounded. Dar gave the computer on the counter a glance, and her

brow furrowed as she saw the blinking box in the corner. “Thought I cleaned

my inbox out before I left the office. Mail?”

“Mail, Dar Roberts, one,” the terminal answered, connected via its ISDN

link directly to the office.

“Read.” Dar crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, waiting for

the microwave bell to ring.

Sent by: Kerry Stuart, Time: 1:20 AM

“Well, well.” Dar muttered softly to herself. “What do you know?” She

saw the length. “Don’t read.”

The bell went off, but Dar remained near the screen, reading the long,

detailed message with interest. It started off with “I need some details

22 Melissa Good

clarified.” And ended with “Please forward this information as soon as

possible due to the deadline you imposed.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Instead of being upset, Dar smiled. The questions

were literate, and though a touch on the naïve side, intelligent and thoughtful.

Just like that kid is, I guess. She pulled her stool up next to the computer,

retrieving her warm milk and sipping on it as she composed a detailed reply.

“That’ll have to do her…at least for now,” the tall woman commented, as

she paused with her mouse over the Send button. She studied the message,

then added a single line to the bottom, and her initials. A click, and it was

gone. She took her milk and wandered into the living room, dropping down

onto the soft leather couch that faced the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Her

view was of the Atlantic at night, black waters bisected by a silver lance of

moonlight, and the tiny, colored lights of the sea buoys. On the horizon, a

cruise ship was gliding silently past, a patch of sparkle against the darkness,

and briefly, Dar wished she was on it.

KERRY STIFLED A yawn as she checked her front door lock, a habit

before going to bed. Her apartment looked like a paper mill had attacked her.

Stacks of white sheets lay everywhere, but she was moderately satisfied with

her first night’s work. Not that she’d gotten anywhere, but at least she knew

what questions to start asking. To prove it, she’d shot off a list of ten of them

to Cruella, her pet name for the overbearing and obnoxious Dar Roberts.

“Nice surprise for her in the morning, huh?” she commented to the

panda, who was sitting with his arms outstretched on the second of two

stuffed chairs in the small living room. The rest of the space was taken up by a

cloth couch, a small table that seated four people, two large bookcases

overflowing with books, and a small desk that held her computer. The room

was bright and cheerful. Pastel fabrics and Indian-style throw rugs brought in

a touch of color, and the walls were hung with scenes of her subtropical

surroundings. Her favorite, a sunset over Key West, was above the TV stand,

and was flanked by two small embroideries: a dolphin her aunt had made her

and a teddy bear from an old friend of her mother’s.

“Oh…heck.” She sighed, remembering she’d forgotten to send mail to the

staff regarding the visits by procedures people the next day. She walked over

and flipped on her PC again, flopping down in her desk chair and pulling one

leg up under her as she waited for it to boot. After her desktop was presented,

she went into mail, composed a quick note to the staff, telling them to cooperate

nicely with the people coming in, and told the system to send the mail.

It dialed up and connected to their office mail server, and she watched as

the message transferred, then blinked in surprise as the system indicated it

was downloading a message. “What idiot is up at this time of the morning,

sending mail?” she wondered. The message finished downloading, and

popped into her inbox.

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: re: Your Questions

Time: 2:55 AM

Tropical Storm 23

“Oh. That idiot,” she muttered, hesitating before she clicked on the

message, surprised at the nervousness she felt. “Well, that explains things. It’s

obvious she’s an alien who never sleeps, and who has a port in her head she

plugs things into,” she decided, then took a breath and opened the mail. She

read through the sections, noting that the executive hadn’t bothered

responding to the admittedly snarky comments in her note. “Well, okay. I

think she’s wrong there, but…” She found another item. “Oh! I hadn’t thought

of that.”

Dar’s writing was strong and to the point; she could almost hear the

words coming from the older woman, and surprisingly, they were lacking the

condescension she’d half expected. Her final point answered, she let her eyes

drop to the sign-off and blinked. “What?” She read it again.

Corporate policy states that all personnel achieve a

reasonable amount of sleep in every twenty-four hour

period. Please adhere to the regulations from now on.

DR

“What’s that supposed to mean? What is she, some kind of lunatic? She

gives me a crazy deadline of one stupid week to do something in, then says to

make sure I sleep?” Kerry let out a vexed sigh, then set up a reply and cut

most of the message out, except the header and the last line. “Okay, Ms. Wise

Guy Alien from Mars, take that.” She highlighted the time on Dar’s header

and made it boldface, then dropped down below the executive’s last line and

typed in a comment. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

With a smirk, she sent the message, then turned off her monitor and

trudged over to the lamp, shutting it off and heading into her bedroom. It

featured a neatly made double-sized bed covered with a striped comforter in

southwestern colors against one wall under the small window, a five-drawer

dresser against one wall, and a long, three-drawer dresser with a half-height

mirror, all in white wood. The carpet was a pale blue pile, and she wriggled

her toes into its softness with a contented sigh as she crossed the floor, then

climbed into bed and got under the covers.

She could see the stars from there, and she watched them twinkle, trying

to dispel the awful feeling of doom that had sat on her chest since Dar’s visit.

For her people, sure, she felt horrible, and hoped she could help them. But for

herself… She glanced around the neat bedroom and swallowed, remembering

how good she’d felt when she finally got things just how she wanted them,

and how proud she was of how nice everything looked. She liked it here. Her

neighbors were nice and the complex was friendly; there was a mall close by

for shopping; and she even had a little grill on the porch for when a few

friends came over and barbecued.

It was so nice to be out on her own. No one questioned if she stayed up

late or stayed out. No one questioned how she dressed, or who she talked to.

She was…very happy here.

Now this.

Part of her hated the corporation. Part of her also wanted to hate Dar

Roberts, who applied the corporation’s polices with such obvious relish. They

felt large, impersonal, and scornful of anything she might try to do. And yet…

24 Melissa Good

Kerry sighed. It was obvious Dar was smart; she had an air about her that

made Kerry believe she didn’t get crossed much, and when she did, the results

were unpredictable. But on the tour, she’d asked some very sharp questions,

and those incredible blue eyes hadn’t missed much.

Whoa. Incredible? What am I thinking here? Kerry firmly closed her own

eyes, and pulled the blanket up around her chin. The only thing incredible about

Dar Roberts is her incredible arrogance. So there.

Chapter

Two

“MORNING.” DAR NODDED at her companions on the elevator as the

doors slid shut and it started on its way up. She got polite murmurs back from

the mostly junior staff who came in at this time of the morning. Eight AM was

the start time for most of the data entry clerks and the administrative staff,

and they all were somewhat in awe of her and not inclined to chatter in her

presence.

She left them at lower levels and proceeded up to the fourteenth floor in

solitude, waiting for the doors to open, then stepping out onto the executive

level. Her office was on one corner, the windows wrapping around to give her

a view of both the ocean and the skyline, and she pushed her way through the

door to the outer office with a sigh. “Morning, Maria.”

Her secretary turned and smiled. “Good morning, Dar. It is much nicer in

here today, let me tell you. I don’t know what miracle from Our Lady

happened last night, but it is good.” She finished sprinkling a little water on

the plant near her desk, then went to the small counter nearby. “I’ll get you

some coffee. I’m glad you weren’t here yesterday.”

Dar smiled quietly and went into her inner office, setting her briefcase

down and powering up her desk system. After three hours of sleep, coffee is

definitely a good idea, she decided, sitting down with a sigh and running her

fingers through her hair. The machine beeped, then requested her logon,

which she provided impatiently, pressing the keys with a smooth motion. Her

mail came up, and she scrolled through the morning’s messages, stopping

when she saw a response from a name that was almost familiar by now.

She read it, then smiled. “Short but sweet.” And the kid has a sense of humor

too, she noted, seeing the boldface. She was still smiling when Maria walked

in, carrying a small tray and putting it down on Dar’s desk. “Ooo…what do

we have here?” She arched an eyebrow at the secretary.

Maria looked at her with a severe frown. “Carisita is telling me Gerardo

in the cleaning staff is getting these for you special, because you stay here all

last night to fix everything. Is that true, Dar?”

Dar deftly snagged one of the brown, layered pastries on the tray and bit

into it. “Mmm.” She loved pastelitos, the Cuban specialties that could contain

almost anything, but usually featured flaky layers stuffed with cheese, or

meat, or minced ham. These were the latter, but Dar had also spotted some

guava and cheese, which were her second favorites.

“Dar?” Maria tapped her neatly manicured and painted a startling shade

of red fingernails on the desktop.

26 Melissa Good

“Someone had to, Maria.” The executive shrugged, finishing one treat

and selecting another. “Besides, these made it worth it. Where does he get

them? They’re great.”

The Spanish woman sighed. “You are too much, I think.” She pushed the

tray over. “Here, I have to type up those letters about the service changes.”

She bustled towards the door, closing it behind her and leaving her boss in

private with her treats.

Dar read the rest of her mail while finishing the pastries and draining the

large coffee Maria had brought with them. She muttered as she answered

most of it, sending back terse replies, and one instance of just a single word,

“Bullshit.”

The phone buzzed. “Dar, I have Alastair on numero uno for you.” There

was a slight pause, “Oh. Numero dos.”

The tall woman rolled her eyes. “All right.” She punched the button.

“How’s things in Houston, Alastair?”

“I have no idea,” the cheerful voice answered. “I’m in Troy. I hope

they’re sweating their asses off down there. How’s it going with Associated?”

“Not bad. I broke the news to them yesterday, and I’m waiting for the

fallout,” Dar replied. “I figure a quarter of them will just take off voluntarily

and solve half my problem for me.”

A low chuckle emerged from the phone. “That’s my Dar.” He coughed

slightly. “I hear we had a problem down there?”

“Minor.” Dar shrugged it off. “Some idiot backed a fork loader into the

switchroom back entrance and took out six punch-down panels, along with

the hardware for controlling the air conditioning.” She leaned back, crossing

her arms. “I had to raise a little hell.”

“I heard,” Alastair replied. “I had the president of the building

association on my line this morning. He’s an old classmate of mine.”

Connections. Dar sighed. They never ended. Whatever you did, you

eventually had to hear about it somewhere down the line. “And?” She waited

for the reprimand.

“And I told him he was lucky you didn’t personally come and get him

and kick his ass,” the CEO told her cheerfully. “You did the right thing, Dar,

good work.”

Dar absorbed the compliment with a quiet smile. “Thanks.” It didn’t

happen often. In fact, she could remember hearing those words exactly six

times in as many years from this man. Alastair was a pain in the ass, but he’d

stuck by her all these years, and she felt more than a little quiet affection for

him. “I had to do it,” she added. “Damn com center doesn’t have an AC

backup, and it’s my budget that wouldn’t let that squeak through this year.”

“Ah.” Alastair grunted. “Well, you’ve got those diesels on steroids down

there, Dar. Reasonable to think that’s all you’d need.”

“Don’t make excuses for me,” Dar said. “I fire people for smaller goofs

than that.”

“Sorry, Dar. Not going to fire you today. I’ve got enough problems on my

plate already,” her boss replied. “Go buy yourself a chiller. Put it on my

discretionary account, and tell Bea I said so. Okay?”

“Mmm.” Dar leaned back in her chair and regarded the phone with a

Tropical Storm 27

faint smile. “All right.”

“Now, I got a little problem.” Alastair’s voice dropped a little. “I need

you to go to the DC office, shake them up a little. Peter Weyhousen is botching

the contract talks with the Pentagon. Can you take them up for him?”

Damn. “I thought you wanted me to concentrate on Associated?” she

objected. “Can’t do that from DC.”

“Sure you can. You’ve got the most testosterone-laden laptop in the entire

corporation, Dar,” Alastair chided her. “National’s a great place to get work

done while you’re waiting…I should know.” He shifted the phone, causing it

to crackle. “He’s going to lose that account, Dar, and we need it. A few days

away will give Associated a chance to settle down, anyway.”

True. “I’ve got someone working on a budget plan for them. Might be

good to give them a few days to work things out,” she conceded. “When are

the talks?”

“Can you fly out tonight? They’re scheduled for tomorrow early. I’ll mail

over the pertinent account facts and where I think Weyhousen is screwing up.

He doesn’t know you’re coming, by the way.”

Great. “All right.” A bag was already packed and kept in the Lexus for

just this purpose. Peter Weyhousen was no friend of hers. It would be a wild

meeting, that was for sure. “You owe me one for this, Alastair.”

The CEO chuckled. “Honey, see me at bonus time, all right?” He sighed.

“Gotta go. I’m speaking at the engineers’ conference in five minutes.”

“Good luck,” Dar told him.

“You too,” came the reply, before a click indicated the CEO had hung up.

Dar put her arms on the desk and blew out a breath. She pressed the

intercom button. “Maria, I need a flight to DC late afternoon today, coming

back open.”

“Dios mío,” the secretary replied. “He doesn’t let you live.” A rustle of

paper. “I will take care of things, Dar.”

“Thanks.” Dar released the intercom and sat back, nibbling a fingernail.

Then she pulled her keyboard over and typed in a request to the database

lying open on her desktop. A moment later it came back with a reply, and she

picked up the phone again, dialing a number.

“Kerry Stuart.”

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded harassed and upset.

“Well. Good morning, Ms. Stuart. It was nice exchanging mail with you,” Dar

replied evenly.

“Oh.” After a momentary pause, Kerry cleared her throat. “Hello. I,

um…thank you for answering; the information was very helpful.” Her tone

was guarded and borderline hostile.

Dar’s brow furrowed. “No problem. What I called for was to tell you I’m

going out of town for a few days. If you have any more questions, you can go

ahead and mail them, but it might be a few hours before I pick them up and

address anything.”

There was a long silence and then an explosion. “Why don’t you address

the bastard you sent over here?” The frustration evident in the woman’s voice

spilled over into anger. “You know, I don’t know who you people think you are,

treating human beings as some kind of dirt you can rub under your heels.”

28 Melissa Good

“Whoa.” Dar’s tone was stronger than she’d intended. “Hold on.” A

ragged breath whispered through the receiver, and Dar could almost feel the

emotion. “What’s going on?”

There was another silence. “What’s going on? What do you think is going

on? Your goons are going through here ripping the place apart and disrupting

everything. If you wanted to just trash the company, why didn’t you just do

it?”

“Ms. Stuart…”

“Opening people’s personal possessions, locking my network people out

of their offices…”

“Ms. Stuart…”

“Telling me I can’t have access to my own payroll records?”

“Kerry.” Dar spoke forcefully, almost a bark.

There was a breathless pause before Kerry snapped, “Only my friends

call me that. And you are definitely not one of them.”

It was, Dar realized, ridiculous. She was the vice president of operations

for a worldwide major corporation, and here was this two-bit manager of a

half-rate single-city service provider telling her off.

What was really surprising, though, she admitted, was how much it hurt.

“Let me talk to Brady Evens.”

The phone was thrown down on the desk, and she had to wait, counting

to a hundred under her breath before she heard two sets of footsteps coming

back, and the receiver was picked up. “Here,” she heard Kerry’s voice snap,

then the phone rustled.

“Brady?”

“Yeah.”

“Velvet glove.”

“Aw shit! You’re kidding my ass.”

The growly voice of her security team leader tickled her eardrums.

“Nope. I mean it,” she stated flatly. “Stuart gets VIP.”

“Dar, you don’t know what…there’s holes in here as big as my butt, and

Mark’s already put a link in, for god’s sake.”

“I. Don’t. Care.” Dar barked. Her voice dropped to a deep snarl. “Just do

it!”

“All…all right, okay,” Brady answered in a chastened voice. “Okay.

Sorry. I didn’t know. My papers said a regular sweep.”

“Change the papers,” Dar replied, her voice still furious.

“Yes, ma’am,” the team leader quietly replied. “Hold on.” Through the

speaker of the phone, Dar heard as he clicked something. “Team lead to

crew.” A splurt of static answered, along with a soft, muffled clamor of voices.

“Stop what you’re doing. We need to go to gold mode, over.”

A soft cacophony of protest could be heard in the background. “Orders

from the top,” Brady overrode them. “Just do it.” Then he exhaled and spoke

into the phone again. “Done.”

“Thank you,” Dar growled.

The phone rustled softly. “Ms. Stuart, I apologize.” Brady’s voice had

modulated from rough to cultured. “We’ll try to stay out of your way.” His

footsteps receded and the phone jostled, a soft breathing becoming audible.

Tropical Storm 29

Dar waited, slowly letting out a breath of air. She still felt the warm rush

against her skin from the anger, and she closed her eyes, letting it seep out of

her. Her mouth felt dry, and her fingers were twitching faintly on the desk’s

surface.

Her temper was legendary, and Brady knew it, knew he could push only

so far before she’d snap, and he’d be in more trouble than he was capable of

dealing with. A story still circulated about a board meeting where a senior VP

had challenged her, pushing every one of her buttons at the end of a very long

day, and found himself pressed up against the wall, pinned by Dar’s weight

while she yelled at the top of her lungs.

It was the reason she spent most evenings at the Island’s well-stocked

gym, working with the resident martial artist, Teddy, and perfecting several

different flavors of black belts. Anger management, the VP of Personnel had

called it. Dar sighed. “Hello?”

“Um…” Kerry’s voice came on, hesitantly. “Thank you.”

Dar took a breath. “Some places, when we come in, you have a lot of

people trying to either destroy or make off with proprietary information,” she

explained quietly. “I know it’s hard to think of your co-workers that way, but

we do this from experience, not because we just decided to be hardasses.”

“I-I understand that,” Kerry replied. “It’s…it’s just so humiliating.”

Dar paused, disconcerted. She’d never thought of it that way. “I guess it

is. I’m…sorry.” She remembered Kerry’s eyes, at first willing to trust, then so

quickly disillusioned. “But it’s…”

“Nothing personal, I know,” Kerry replied flatly.

They were both silent for a moment. “Fifteen people gave notice today,”

Kerry finally said, not really sure why. “The rest said they were going to stick

around and see what happens.”

Dar stared out her window, hardly seeing the clouds drifting by. “That’s

pretty good,” she murmured. “You’ve got a loyal staff, there.”

“They’re depending on me,” Kerry said, “to keep you from screwing us

all over.”

Aw, kid… The tall, dark-haired woman slowly shook her head at the sky.

Don’t put that on your shoulders. “All right,” she murmured. “Well…”

“I’m not going to let them down.” The voice was very steady. “No matter

what you do or say.”

Dar sighed. “Ms. Stuart, I’m not your enemy.”

“You’re not my friend,” came the flat reply.

“No.” She paused. “I guess I’m not.”

Now it was Kerry’s turn to be silent. “Well, thank you for telling him to

stop, I really appreciate that a lot.” She exhaled. “And, um…I’ll send any more

questions.”

“All right.” Dar hesitated. “Listen, write this number down.” She waited

until she got a soft “Go on” from the phone. “305-975-6647.”

“I have it,” Kerry said.

“If you have any problems with him, just call that number.”

“All right.” Kerry paused. “Have a…um, have a safe trip.” Wishing the

corporate VP crashed would be politically incorrect, she supposed, and

besides, she had just done Kerry a big favor. No sense in alienating a woman who

30 Melissa Good

could make a six-and-a-half-foot-tall, three-hundred-pound man turn white as

Casper’s Ghost and practically piddle on the carpet, right? Right.

Dar’s voice dropped a pitch as she replied, “Thanks.”

It was a warmer tone, that forced an unexpected smile to the younger

woman’s face. “You’re welcome.” Kerry answered softly. “Goodbye.” She

hung up the phone and remained there for a long moment, staring at the

instrument and wondering what on earth was going on with her. Then she

sighed and seated herself behind her desk again, rubbing her face wearily. She

looked up as a knock on the doorframe alerted her to a new presence. “Come

in, Ray.”

The support manager glided across the carpet and slipped into her

visitor’s chair. “What happened?”

“What happened?” Kerry stared at him. “We got taken over by the Merry

Mongols Megolithic marching band, remember?”

“Ay, chica, no. With the gorillas.” Ray looked around, then back at her.

“Who put on their leashes? They are being so nice now, it’s alarming.”

“Oh.” Kerry folded her hands. “Well, I kind of complained to, um…”

“To the Cruella?” Ray inquired.

“Yeah.” Kerry nodded. “So she talked to that head goon, and he told

them to take it easy. I think it will be better now.”

“Our hero.” He grinned. “You go, girl.”

She looked down at her hands and smiled. “Yeah, that was pretty good. I

don’t know what she said to him, but he looked like a puppy that had just

been spanked.”

“Tch…he would probably like that.” Ray laughed. “Maybe she’s

his…how you call them…his mistress. You know, with the whips and chains

thing. She probably puts on him a collar, with a bell.”

Kerry covered her face with one hand and stifled a giggle. She was so

tired from her late-night tasks, the picture of the burly, gruff Brady in a belled

collar was almost too much for her. “God, Ray, don’t do that to me. What a

picture.”

He stood up. “Teresita is going to Laurenzo’s. You want her to bring you

back a colada?”

The woman blinked. She tended to view Cuban coffee with a wary eye, a

cross between black goo and rocket fuel, but the way she felt today, maybe it

was worth a try. “Okay, sure. That might be a good idea; I’m pretty tired.” She

picked up the piece of paper with the phone number, and looked at it

curiously, then folded it and tucked it away in her shirt pocket.

She turned back to her computer, rereading the dozen or so questions and

clarifications she’d come up with for Cr…for Dar Roberts. “All right, you

asked for them.” She sat back, reflecting on what had just happened, tapping

her pencil on her lower lip. Dar had called, apparently to let her know she

could keep sending things, and she’d ended up going off all over the

executive. No way around it, that was exactly what she had done. And instead

of telling her off, or firing her, which Dar certainly was capable of doing, the

corporate VP had fixed her problem.

Weird. Very weird. She certainly hadn’t given Dar any reason to be nice to

her; in fact, she’d been rude to the point of insubordinate twice now, and the

Tropical Storm 31

older woman had simply ignored her comments as though she hadn’t made

them.

No, that wasn’t true. That last time she’d said Dar wasn’t a friend of hers,

she had answered, agreeing with that. It has almost been… Kerry drew her

denim-covered knee up and circled it with one arm, and sighed. She didn’t

know what it had almost been, but now she was feeling a little bad about

being so rude. She wasn’t usually like that, and she had no idea what about

Dar Roberts brought it out in her.

She turned to her screen, where a dozen or so more questions and

clarifications were typed, and reviewed them. She’d left out the snide

comments this time, since she’d gotten such reasonable answers the last time.

Now she hesitantly typed a final line on the bottom, then hit the Send key,

doing so quickly before she could change her mind.

There. Not much of an apology, but… After all, she was the one being

screwed over here, her and the rest of her staff. Dar Roberts could just like it

or not, she really didn’t care one way or the other. Right?

Chapter

Three

“RIGHT THIS WAY, Ms. Roberts.” The concierge gave her a sketchy half

bow and indicated that she follow him. They entered the elevator, and he

pressed the button for the top floor, where the hotel maintained business

suites for traveling executives. “Have you come far?” he inquired politely.

Dar tore her attention from the steadily creeping floor numbers. “Miami.”

She shifted her shoulders inside her brown leather jacket. “It’s a little cooler

here.”

The man chuckled and held the door open as they reached the correct

floor. “That it is.”

Dar suffered his inane comments for a few more minutes as he put down

her small bag, then she gave him a tip and kicked him out. As the door closed

behind him, she glanced around and exhaled. Not bad, really. The suite

contained a bedroom with a large king-sized bed, a sitting room with a

decent-sized TV, a cluster of chairs for guests, and a fully equipped desk with

pens, pencils, a dataline hookup, and an electrical outlet conveniently at waist

level. She wandered over to the desk and set down her laptop case, then flipped

curiously through the room service menu. The Hyatt usually featured fairly

decent food, and this one had a Mexican-themed restaurant downstairs, along

with the usual coffee shop and bar. “So far, so good,” Dar commented to the

empty room as she paged through the rest of the hotel directory. Ah. She

tapped the plastic with one finger. Health club, pool, movie, dinner.

That decided, she pulled open her bag and took out a pair of shorts,

sneakers, and a cut-off sweatshirt, then flipped on the TV, checking out the

movie selections. She chuckled. “Oh ho, The Rock. This is definitely looking

up.”

A few minutes later, she’d changed and was back by the desk, lifting the

phone and dialing room service. She scanned the menu as she waited for an

answer. “Combination appetizer, steak fajitas, flan, and a coffee milkshake,

please.”

“Yes ma’am,” the voice answered, after a period of scribbling noises.

“Can I have that at nine thirty, please?” Dar requested, glancing at her

watch. An hour and a half should be enough to get through a decent workout

and a quick swim. It would also allow her to shrug off her traveling fatigue

and probably put her in a better frame of mind than when she’d left Miami.

Anything would be an improvement over that. The rest of the morning and all

of the afternoon until her flight left had been taken up with staff meetings,

Tropical Storm 33

both with her own department and with her peers. It had not been a pleasant

experience, and by the time she’d fought her way through Miami

International Airport and onto her flight, she’d been about at the edge of her

temper.

Fortunately, the flight had been quiet, a commuter with no children and

quick service. Dar had relaxed in her first class seat and accepted a single glass

of white wine, sipping it slowly as she watched the sun slide below the

horizon. The first stars were just coming out as she landed at Washington

National, and she’d felt herself unwind a little, knowing she had at least a

whole evening before she had to rain on Peter’s parade.

An evening she didn’t intend to waste. Dar found the gym with little

trouble, pushing the door open and getting the expected silence from within.

Hotels provided the workout space as an amenity, but she knew from long

experience that most business travelers preferred to relax in other ways, most

having to do with consuming alcohol and watching sports in the bar.

Dar preferred the solitude of the machines, and she attacked the small,

but fairly well-equipped circuit with stolid purpose, setting the weights and

performing the reps according to a long-established routine. It was a good

workout, and she even surprised herself with a twenty-pound advance on her

arm curls which left her shoulders burning. After an hour, she returned the

last machine to its resting position and stood, wiping her face off with the

small towel she’d tucked into he waistband.

Satisfied, she wandered over to the scale and stepped on it, pushing the

weights over with a curious finger. “Mmm,” she mused, considering a

surprising five-pound drop. “Maybe I’ll have two coffee milkshakes.” A

rakish grin faced her in the mirror as she stepped off the scale, remembering

the office Christmas party last year when a drunken contest had started to

guess her weight.

No one came close to the actual hundred and sixty pounds. Most guessed

twenty or so less, though she wasn’t sure if it was the fact that most of it was

muscle, and therefore was denser than they thought, or if they were just trying

not to piss her off by guessing too high.

“B, with an egg roll,” she informed her reflection, then she grabbed her

towel and headed for the pool. Thirty minutes later, she was padding back to

her room, the towel draped over her shoulders and her workout clothes

tucked under one arm. She’d figured the hotel was mostly empty, and her

one-piece bathing suit was not exactly an attention-getter; it seemed a

reasonable conclusion until she got to the elevator.

Already waiting for the elevator were four guys who looked like

lumberjacks. Dar sighed inwardly, as she bore the appreciative stares. They

were medium height, Midwestern types, wearing buffalo plaid shirts and

Dockers, most of them clean-shaven, but obviously a little drunk. They stared.

Dar stared back, leaning against the wall with an air of total nonchalance.

“Hey baby, wanna come party in our room?” the redhead finally asked,

with a smirk.

“No,” the tall executive replied as she slipped past them into the elevator.

She knew it was a mistake moments later when they followed her,

standing between her and the door, which slid closed with a thump. Her heart

34 Melissa Good

rate increased and she watched them carefully, shifting her balance so it was

over the balls of her feet, putting on her most no-nonsense look.

The tallest of them, a bearded man about six feet tall, moved in. “Y’know,

ya shouldn’t tease people like that.” He leered at her. “Pretty thing like you.

And then you go and tell us off. That’s not nice.”

Dar let the anger build and waited. “I was just using the amenities of the

hotel. That’s not against the law,” she warned him, softly. She felt the jerk as

the elevator stopped, and realized the man furthest from her had stopped it

between floors. She dropped her clothing quietly onto the floor and let her

hands curl into fists. “Don’t be stupid, boys.”

A hand reached for her neck, and the first man closed in, his alcoholic

breath blasting her as he pushed her back against the wall.

She grabbed his hand and twisted, then nailed him in the nose with an

elbow that caused blood to spurt all over both of them. A savage side kick

slammed the second man against the opposite wall, and then she was by the

door, ducking under the arm of the third and shoving him headfirst against

the railing that lined the elevator car.

The fourth man was eye to eye with her and she snarled at him, grabbing

the front of his shirt and lifting as she pushed backwards, throwing him back

and away from her. Her hand slammed down on the elevator control, and the

car lurched into action. They all stared at her, confused and hurting.

She arched her neck and stared back at them, then grabbed the nearest

one and plucked his hotel room key from his pocket, folding her fingers

around it. “I want to make sure I know who I’m going to report to the police.”

“W-we…” the tall man wiped his nose, staring at the blood in

bewilderment, “didn’t mean nothing.”

“You meant to take out your horny fantasies on some poor, helpless

woman,” Dar spat. “You picked a bad choice of victims this time.”

The elevator stopped on her floor, and she crossed briefly to the other

side of the car, watching the men scramble away from her. She snorted as she

picked up her workout clothes, then exited into the carpeted hallway, letting

the door slide shut behind her.

Then she slowly let out a shaky breath and lifted a trembling hand to her

eyes. She waited a minute to make sure her legs weren’t going to collapse,

then headed toward her room, getting the door open and slipping inside with

a sense of utter relief. She sat down in the nearest chair and let her head rest

against the back of it, staring up at the white popcorn ceiling until her heart

rate began to resemble something more normal. “Bastards.”

She got up and ran her fingers through her dark hair, then walked to the

desk and pulled out her laptop, plugging it into power and the phone line as

she picked up the regular phone and dialed with her free hand. A moment

later the front desk clerk picked up. “This is Dar Roberts in 1430. I was just

attacked on the elevator by four drunken idiots from room…” She paused and

glanced at the key in her hand. “Room 209. I want their names.”

There was dead silence for a moment, then, “My god! I’ll call the police.”

The girl’s voice was clearly shaken.

“No,” Dar spoke slowly and clearly, “I don’t want you to do that; I want

you to give me their names, and the company they work for.”

Tropical Storm 35

It took about twenty minutes and two front desk managers, but she got

what she wanted. In the middle of it, dinner showed up. She motioned for the

tall, slim blonde who delivered it to put the tray down on the table near the

bed, and waved the girl over for her signature. A brief glance at the bill, then

she scribbled her name, with the appropriate tip on the bottom. “Thanks.”

The girl’s eyes wandered over her appreciatively. “Anytime.” She smiled,

then turned to leave.

Dar’s brow lifted, and a speculative smile crossed her lips, then she

sighed as the night manager got back on the phone. First things first. “Thank

you.” She took down the men’s names and the corporation who was paying

for them to stay there. It caused another smile to appear, this one not pleasant.

“But ma’am, are you sure you don’t want us to call the police?” the man

protested. “I mean, surely they should be thrown out of here, at least.

“No, no,” Dar objected. “I’ll take care of it. You just leave them alone.”

“Ms. Roberts, are you sure?” The manager sounded worried.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” came the quietly confident reply. “Thank you.” Dar

hung up, then noticed the room service waitress was still at the door.

“Sorry to eavesdrop.” The girl didn’t look sorry at all. “But are you

talking about those creeps on the second floor?” She leaned against the door

and regarded Dar. “The four guys who look like overaged football players?”

Dar nodded. “Probably, why?”

A shake of her blonde head. “No one’ll go up there except for the older

guys from the kitchen. They keep grabbing anything that’s capable of wearing

a skirt.”

The executive smiled quietly. “Oh really?” She had booted her laptop and

watched it connect to the system in Miami. She started a terminal session and

logged into the corporate database, sending a rapid query and drumming her

fingers until it came back. She nodded, then picked up the phone and dialed,

aware of the hazel eyes watching her with interest. On the fourth ring, it was

picked up. “Gary Sanrichon?”

“That’s me. Who is this?” The voice sounded puzzled.

“Dar Roberts.” No introduction, no company name. She suspected it

wouldn’t be needed.

“Oh! Uh…” Sanrichon sounded startled. “My god, it’s… What can I do

for you, Ms. Roberts?”

She read off the names of her attackers. “They yours?”

“Salesmen, yes,” Sanrichon replied warily. “Why?”

“They’re drunk and attacking women here in the Hyatt in DC,” Dar

replied. “You could do me a favor and make them gone. Now.” She paused

and waited, hearing mostly breathing on the other end of the phone. Her

peripheral vision caught the room service attendant listening avidly, and she

stifled a smile.

After an obviously shocked silence, he said, “I’ll take care of it.”

Sanrichon’s words were hard and clipped. “Don’t you worry, Ms. Roberts. I’ll

take care of that right now for you.”

“Thanks.” The executive smiled contentedly. “ ’Night.” She hung up the

phone and glanced at the girl, who was watching her with wide eyes. “Too

bad for them they work for a subsidiary of ours, huh?” Dar commented, as she

36 Melissa Good

watched the laptop download mail, then wandered over to the tray and

picked up her milkshake, sucking at it with a satisfied slurp. She lifted her

eyes and looked up under dark lashes at the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Sherry,” the blonde replied softly. “What’s going to happen to those

guys?”

Dar shrugged. “Don’t worry about them. They’ll be out of your hair by

the morning; I can guarantee that.” She peeked under the domed lid of one of

the dishes and captured a jalapeno popper, biting into it and chewing with

pleasure. “Maybe they’ll learn a lesson.”

“Maybe.” The girl replied. “I’ll…be back to get that tray later on.” She

motioned toward it.

Dar lifted ice blue eyes to hers and smiled. “Sounds good to me.” She

watched the girl swallow hard, then slip out, not without a backward glance

at her; Dar chuckled wryly as the door closed. “Oh Dar, you seducer of

children. That was awful.” She sighed, then got out of her still-damp bathing

suit, hanging the thin black fabric over the shower bar in the bathroom to dry.

Her cotton T-shirt felt good after the dampness, and she sprawled out

onto the bed, pulling the tray closer and examining its contents, then flicking

on the TV and setting it for the movie. She was about to start it when her

laptop chimed; she scowled at it. “I know I have mail. I always have mail. I

even had mail after the goddamn servers were downed for eight hours, and it

was three AM.” The laptop chimed again, and she sighed, then slid off the bed

and padded over to it, grabbing the machine and taking it back with her to the

bed after disconnecting the phone line.

She settled back down on the dark blue comforter, and peered at the mail

list. “BS, BS, BS, corporate newsletter. Oh, like I need to read that. BS, Dukky,

BS... Ah.” She clicked on the seventh message down, from fairly early that

morning.

Sent by: Kerry Stuart

Subject: Clarification

Time: 10:32 AM

Ms. Roberts—

There are some additional items that I need

clarification on. Firstly, regarding the support issue.

If you were to take over the support of these products,

you would need to add several skill sets to your existing

support center.

These would include hardware support for the POSIX

backends, the thermal slip printers, and the touch

screens, none of which duplicates existing support

environments you currently have. The training on these

items is extensive and ongoing. Your cost center would

have to include budget for this training, where we

already possess the skill sets.

Likewise, your programming group is concentrated in

TPF, and our code is written in C, with a good number of

assembler modules custom designed for the service sector.

You do not have programmers qualified in this, and would

Tropical Storm 37

have to acquire ours or provide extensive training to

bring your own staff up to speed. Our clients require

frequent patches and updates as their environments

change, and they are dependent on us to be able to

rapidly react to the changing food service world.

Therefore, I believe it is in your best interests to

retain the services of the existing groups employed by

Associated. My proposal regarding your budgetary demands

will be directed accordingly.

Please indicate if you feel this reasoning is

incorrect.

K. Stuart

I apologize for my tone and manner this morning—but

you can imagine how disturbing the actions of your

procedure team was.

Dar munched another popper and took a sip of her milkshake, a smile

tugging at her lips . Kerry had obviously put her access to their corporate

systems to good use, and she had made some very valid points. “Good girl,

Kerry.” She paused, remembering the woman’s hostile response at having her

first name used and some of her good mood evaporated.

Why the hell should I care? The logical answer was, of course, that she

shouldn’t, but for some reason she found herself intrigued by Kerry Stuart’s

potential, and her intelligence, and she really didn’t want to be the damn

woman’s enemy.

She sighed. Trouble was, Kerry didn’t seem to have a mutual admiration

for her. In fact, Dar was hard pressed to recall being spoken to with that much

venom by someone she’d just met in quite a while.

Hmm. Dar drummed her fingers on the laptop keyboard. Their first

meeting had been a disaster. Maybe…well, that last line indicates she was at least

willing to listen. Perhaps I could mend fences just a little. She stuffed a laden nacho into her mouth, then started a reply.

KERRY ABSENTLY MUNCHED on a slice of lukewarm pizza as she

paged through yet another spreadsheet. She’d been at it for hours, since she’d

gotten home, and she realized she was about ready for a break when the

screen started to go fuzzy on her.

Coincidentally, a knock rapped on her door at the same time. She stood,

hissing as her back protested its tenure in the same position, and limped to the

door, peeking through the security hole before pulling it open. “Hey,

Colleen.” She smiled at the short redhead who bounded inside. Colleen

McPherson was the first neighbor she’d met after she moved into the complex,

and they’d remained close friends ever since.

“Hey, Kerry, whatcha up to?” Colleen wrinkled her snub nose and looked

around. “Whoa. Hold on. Don’t tell me you are eating pizza? No, no. Must be a

pod. I’m calling the FBI.”

Kerry laughed a little sheepishly. “I had no choice. I’m doing this project,

and I didn’t have time to cook. I was starving.” She closed the door and

38 Melissa Good

walked back over to her desk. “You want some?”

Colleen peered at the box. “Ohmigod. You actually ate half of it. I’m going

to pass out,” she teased her friend. “It’s not even a veggie pizza.”

Kerry sat down, letting her arms rest on her thighs. “I’m not a vegetarian,

Col. You know that,” she objected. “I just like to eat healthy. Is that a crime?”

The redhead took a slice and chewed it. “What is a crime is that you

hardly eat enough to sustain a rabbit, much less a human being.” She plucked

at Kerry’s shirt, which hung on her. “Now that is not healthy.”

Kerry shrugged a little. “I’m fine, I just…” She hesitated. “I get a lot of

grief at home if I put on weight. It’s just easier not to.” She shrugged. “You

know how it is.”

Grief was a mild way of putting it. The first year she’d been down here,

things had been hectic, work was very involving, and she really didn’t have

time to do much other than go to the office, come home, try to get the

apartment settled, and study for her networking certifications. It led to a lot of

late nights and take-out food, and an extra twenty pounds that had gotten her

nothing but nagging and complaints when she’d gone home for Christmas.

Which was a lousy time for that and had caused her to end up spending most

of the holiday avoiding people, her father especially. She’d vowed she’d never

have to go through that again. So she stuck to carrots, and lots of walking and

bike riding, which got things pretty much under control. In fact, Colleen was

her walking and Rollerblading buddy, since the short redhead was constantly

battling her own tendency to roundness.

Kerry sighed, because she was an admitted chowhound. She loved to eat,

and it was so hard to constantly say no to that. But she did, because hearing

her father’s censorious voice was even worse, and her mother never failed to

ask her about it on their weekly phone calls.

Then of course, there was Brian. Her nominal fiancé. His daddy had done

a big favor for her daddy, so when he asked to marry her…Daddy had said

yes. Kerry didn’t dislike Brian. He was a tall, very good-looking young man

with impeccable manners, intelligence, and good work ethics, who was just

about to graduate law school. By all accounts, a great match, and he was crazy

about her. And to be fair, she liked him. They’d been friends for years, and

she’d had a lot of fun doing things together.

In fact, they seemed like a natural pair. He’d taken her to their senior

prom, and one of her mother’s favorite pictures was the two of them posing in

front of her parents’ house, dressed in formal wear and very serious

expressions for that very occasion.

Natural. Hmm… Yeah. Kerry exhaled, then put a smile on. “So, like I said,

it’s just easier. My folks give me such a hard time; you know how that is.”

Colleen rolled her eyes. “Do I ever.” She put her hands on her hips.

“Colleen Katherine McPherson, if you don’t start doing something with

yourself, you’ll be big as the Queen Mary one of these fine days.” Her voice

went high and singsong, to imitate her irrepressible Irish mother.

Kerry laughed. “Oh god, that’s so like her.” Colleen’s family lived

nearby, and Kerry had been invited over several times for dinner. She liked

the feisty redhead and was glad to have someone to just hang out with

sometimes. Colleen worked for Barnett Bank as their chief teller and was a few

Tropical Storm 39

years older than Kerry. She was funny and very outgoing, the legacy of

growing up in a large, boisterous family.

“So, what’s the project?” Colleen looked around her apartment. “Jesus

Mary, Ker, did a paper fairy poop all over here or what?”

The blonde woman leaned back in her desk chair and took another slice

of pizza. “No.” She sighed. “We got bought out.”

“Ew. I heard.” The shorter girl made a face. “Are you guys in trouble?”

“Yeah,” Kerry admitted. “They’d really like to just get rid of us all and

keep the customers, but I’m trying to pitch them a plan where at least some of

us keep our jobs.” Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t think they’re going to buy

it, though.” She spared her computer a glance as her mail indicator lit. “Here’s

the confirmation, probably.” She reached over and clicked on the envelope,

bringing the new message to the foreground. “Yep,” she confirmed, seeing the

name of the sender.

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: re: Clarification

Time: 10:45 PM

Ms. Stuart,

You bring interesting points to the table. While I

have the utmost confidence in the ability of our support

teams to assume responsibility for your product line,

your personnel do bring a certain level of knowledge that

it might be costly for us to duplicate. Please continue

with your proposal.

“Oh. Wow.” Kerry breathed, as her eyes dropped below to the somewhat

longer paragraph underneath.

I know that this is a very difficult process you are

attempting, and I appreciate the effort you are putting

into it. I think you are talented and intelligent, and I

really don’t want this to be such an adversarial

situation. I realize our initial meeting got started off

in the wrong direction, and that I should have assured

that our project team had briefed your upper management

on what to expect before we began the process. For that,

I apologize.

DR

Oddly, Kerry felt lighter all of a sudden. A tiny smile edged her lips, and

she sat back with a heartfelt sigh. “What do you know? She bought it. Sort of.”

Colleen had been unashamedly reading over her shoulder. “Hey.” She

poked Kerry in the shoulder. “That’s not the Dar Roberts, is it?” She whistled

under her breath. “They do our ACHTAPE processing. There was a foul-up

one day and a whole tape spool got screwed. Our managers were raising hell

all over the place, blaming them to high heaven, then this Roberts woman

shows up, spends ten minutes in the vault, and finds the problem on our end.”

She rolled her eyes. “God, we didn’t hear the end of that for weeks.”

40 Melissa Good

“Well,” Kerry shook her head, “I can’t imagine there being more than one

of her at that company, so I guess it is. Tall, tanned, dark hair?” She paused.

“Really blue eyes?”

Colleen gave her a rakish grin. “That’d be her. Rumor says she’s a real

bitch on wheels.” She peered at the e-mail. “Hmm. Looks like she likes you,

though.” She looked at Kerry, impressed. “Wow, she thinks you’re talented

and intelligent. I guess she has a few brain cells after all.”

Kerry blushed. “Stop it.” She re-read the mail, and try as she would to

remind herself of just how angry she’d been at Dar, the typed words made her

feel pretty good anyway. Maybe because it was so unexpected. Yeah, that was

it. She hadn’t figured on getting a positive response from the woman, or even

a response at all, so getting this was just…so surprising. “She’s probably just

patting me on the head.” Kerry finally said offhandedly. “You know—don’t

get the natives restless until you steal all their diamonds, that kind of thing.”

“Probably,” Colleen agreed cheerfully. “Hey, take a break, and let’s go

for a walk down to the bakery.”

Kerry hesitated. “Um…okay, sure. I could use a break. Listen, why don’t

you get your bike, and I’ll meet you out on the street?” She smiled as Colleen

quickly agreed, and watched as the redhead trotted out, closing the door

behind her. Then she turned her attention to the screen and tapped her fingers

on her keyboard, trying to decide what to reply. Be nice, be snippy, be formal?

What the hell. The worst old Cruella could do is fire her.

Sent by: Kerry Stuart

Subject: re: Clarification

Hello….

Thank you for saying what you did. You’re right—this

is a tough situation, and I wish I wasn’t in it. But I

am, and I have to make the best of it, so I’m going to

keep on trying.

I know we’re just one small piece of a cog in your

giant machine, and that you really don’t care one way or

the other about any of us—and I understand that I’m one

more in a series of problems you have to deal with. I

guess it must get monotonous for you after a while, but

for me, this is a situation I never wanted or dreamed I’d

be in. I don’t like having my world, and that of everyone

around me, torn apart. But I guess you’re used to that.

I know you’re just doing your job, and I’m glad it’s

yours and not mine. We did get started off pretty badly,

and I think that’s partly my fault too, because I took my

frustration at what was happening out on you, and maybe I

shouldn’t have been so quick to do that. I realized

afterward you could have just fired me right there, so it

probably wasn’t the smartest thing I ever did.

She stared at the screen for a long moment before she continued, debating

with herself. Finally she completed the message, then hit Send. “So much for

that.” She nodded briskly, then dusted her hands off and went to the closet,

Tropical Storm 41

retrieving her dark purple mountain bike and checking the tires. She glanced

at her helmet, on the high shelf above, and decided the short ride down

Kendall Drive didn’t need it.

Chapter

Four

DAR STOOD QUIETLY, her hands behind her back, gazing out the

window. She was doing her best to ignore the frustrated ranting and raving of

the man behind her, who was pacing up and down and throwing his hands

around.

“Look, Peter, just shut up,” the tall woman finally said, turning around.

“Let me go in there and do my job. We’ll argue about it afterward, okay?” She

gave the man a look. “I didn’t ask to get sent here, I didn’t ask to have to break

up your little party, and I certainly didn’t ask to have you blowing hot air at

me for forty-five minutes.”

“Everything is under control,” the man stated, through clenched teeth.

“I’ll be damned if you’re going to walk in there and take the credit for

something I’ve broken my ass for.”

Dar walked over and looked him right in the eye. “You don’t have a

choice.”

“Like hell I don’t!” Peter shouted. “I’ll call Alastair!”

A brilliant smile slapped him in the face. “Who do you think sent me?”

His breathing was suddenly loud in the silence. “You’re lying, you frozen

ass bitch.”

Ignoring the insult, Dar picked up the nearest phone receiver and held it

out to him, her eyebrows raised and a mocking smile on her face. “Come on,

call him.”

The tall man’s nostrils flared, and his lips writhed into a snarl, but he

made no move to take the phone.

The receiver dropped back into the cradle with a click. “Now get out of

my way and just keep your mouth shut.” Dar brushed by him as the door

opened; two tall military men stepped into the room. “Hello, General.” Her

voice dropped a pitch and took on a seductive tone as she stepped up next to

the older of the two.

The man’s eyes focused on her, and his eyes lit up. “Ms. Roberts. It’s

always, always a pleasure.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it with a

courtly bow, then spread his arm towards the door. “Come on in, let’s talk.”

His eyes drifted to Weyhousen. “Thanks. We’ll see you later.”

Dar, her face hidden by her position, bit her lip to keep a laugh in, then

cleared her throat as the door shut behind them. “That wasn’t nice, Gerald.”

The elderly general chuckled. “He’s an ass, Dar.”

She shrugged a little, then took the proffered seat in front of his desk and

leaned back, as the military man settled in his thickly stuffed chair. “He’s not

Tropical Storm 43

that bad. He just hasn’t been around the big stuff like I have,” she explained

wryly. “You soldier boys freak him out.”

Gerald Easton smiled at her. “Dar, you look good,” he mused, studying

the tall woman across from him.

She inclined her head. “So do you. How’s the Pentagon treating you?”

“Eh.” He made a hand gesture. “Biggest pile of horse droppings east of

the Potomac. And now they want us to repaint everything. Did you hear that?

Some idiot kid came in and did a study, told some damn politician that the

camouflage we’ve been using since nineteen aught eight doesn’t work. We

gotta paint everything shades of pink and beige.”

Dar made a face. “Ugh.”

“Yeah, ugh is right.” The general turned to his aide, who had been

standing quietly watching them. “Eileen, can you get Ms. Roberts and me a

pitcher of something cold, please?” The aide nodded briskly and disappeared.

They looked at each other in comfortable silence for a moment. “Dar, you

look more and more like your daddy every time I see you.” The older man

sighed, a gentler expression in his eyes. “Same nose, same chin… Damn, girl.”

He paused. “I miss him.”

Dar’s eyes dropped to his desk, and she exhaled softly. “So do I.”

“He’d be proud of you, that’s for sure.” A gentle twinkle entered the

general’s eyes. “Imagine him seeing you practically running that joint. I can

just imagine his face.”

Blue eyes drifted. “I don’t know about that, Gerry.” Dar shook her head.

“I don’t think he’d see it as very honorable. You know what we are.” She

paused. “He was always looking out for the little guy. We make a corporate

policy of eating them alive.” She gave him a wry look. “But here I am…so

what’s the score?”

Old eyes studied her for a long moment, then the general pulled a file

folder out from his desk drawer and tossed it over to her. “All yours, rugrat.”

He chuckled fondly at the look on her face. “Naw, it’s not charity. You were

pretty close in the bidding, and…let’s just say I just felt more comfortable

awarding a defense contract this large to someone I trust.”

Dar drew the folder over and looked through the contents. Her brows

rose.

“Yeah, I threw in a couple others, and that damn IRS website support

contract. Please, Dar, get them off my back, will ya? They can’t keep that thing

running to save their lives.”

“I’ll do my best,” Dar replied, with a shake of her head. Peter was going

to go completely insane when he saw this. She hid a smirk. Arrogant ass. “I’ll

make sure you get taken care of.”

“I know it,” the general said, then hesitated. “Hear from your mother?”

A faint flinch tugged at Dar’s face. “No,” she replied quietly, with a faint

shrug. “Not since the funeral. I don’t think I ever will.”

“Bitch,” Gerry muttered under his breath. “Like it was your fault he

decided to put his hand in the field one last time.”

Dar stared at the carpet, a sturdy maroon tweed. “They were inseparable,

Gerry. I remind her of him too much, I guess.” Her voice was quiet and even.

“He was her whole world.” And all Dar had left, really, was pictures—eight or

44 Melissa Good

ten treasured photos of her tall, dark-haired father, mostly in fatigues, one

with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, the two of them looking more

like brother and sister than father and daughter.

She remembered the solidness of him, the sturdy, powerful body whose

shoulder she’d dampened with tears on more than one occasion. She tried not

to remember that last goodbye, not often. Not unless she was alone with the

stars, or the endless stretch of the water.

The general exhaled, then he got up and moved around the desk, holding

his hand out to her. “Come here, rugrat.” He tugged on the hand she extended

to him and pulled her up into a hug. “Your daddy was one of my best friends.

You know that, right?”

Dar allowed herself the luxury of accepting the embrace, feeling the

scratchy wool of his uniform against her cheek. The smell, a mixture of dry

cleaning and leather, brass and starch, was very familiar. “I know that.” She

gave him a pat on the back as he released her. “He was a good man.”

The general leaned back against the desk, studying her. “He was a very

good soldier,” he acknowledged. “I always half expected you to follow in his

footsteps.” His hand patted her arm. “You’ve got his strength, you know.”

Dar let a tiny smile shape her lips. “I save my battles for the boardroom,

Gerry.” She held up the folder. “It can be just as dangerous, but lacks the

bullets.”

The aide returned, and handed them each a glass of frosty ice tea, already

sweetened. Then at a hand signal from the general, she discreetly left. They

silently toasted each other, and Dar felt herself relaxing a little as the cold

beverage slid down her throat. It was always hard, seeing Gerald Easton, but

it was getting easier with time, and she knew one day she’d see the old

general and not think of her father first. “Well, I’d better get going. I need to

be on the noon flight back into Miami.”

Easton set his glass down and folded his arms across his chest. “Why not

spend the night over, Dar? Mary would love to see you, and Jack’s in town.”

His eyes twinkled again. “You know he’s madly in love with you.”

Dar gave him a rueful grin. Gerald’s husky, blond son certainly did flatter

her with gentle, almost hesitant attentions when they were together, and she

really didn’t mind doing things with him. They’d spent a great time last year

touring the Civil War battlefields in the area, and the thought of just relaxing

in Jack’s peaceful presence was tempting. “Gerry, I have to admit to you, if I

was going to marry anyone, it’d be Jack. He’s the sweetest guy I know.”

Easton beamed. “Welcoming you into my family would be one of the

bright points in my life, Dar. You know that.” He shook a finger at her. “Don’t

be so fast to wave off marriage. I know you’re tied up with your career, but

you should give it a chance sometime.” He put a hand on her arm. “Give

yourself a chance. C’mon, stay over.”

Dar sighed. “Honestly, I wish I could, but I’m right in the middle of a

mess down there. I can’t afford the time.” She gave him an honestly regretful

look. “I’ll take a near-future rain check, though.”

“Hmm.” He glanced at her shrewdly, tactician’s mind working. “Hey,

why don’t you come up for Christmas?” He cocked his grizzled head at her.

“Have a real holiday…tree, maybe some snow, the works, huh?”

Tropical Storm 45

The tall woman was caught off-guard. “Maybe I will,” she murmured

softly. “Thanks for the invitation, Gerry.”

His gray eyebrows waggled, and a smile of mild military triumph crossed

his face. “Anytime, rugrat. Now g’wan and get outta here, before your pinch-

butted Norwegian out there throws a shoe.”

“He’s Dutch,” Dar corrected wryly.

“Dutch, Norwegian…I’m a soldier. What in blazes do I know about all

those neutral countries?” he countered, with a grin. “I can tell a German from

a Frenchman and an Italian from a Jap.”

Dar, who could distinguish between Miami’s several dozen ethnic Latin

groups without difficulty, just smiled back. “Nice seeing you, Gerry. Give my

best to Mary and Jack, all right?”

“I sure will,” the general promised. “Have a good flight, and take care of

yourself, hear?”

“I will.” Dar picked up her folder and glided out the door, straightening

her shoulders as she spotted Weyhousen approaching from the window

where he’d been pacing. Without a word, she handed him the folder, which he

almost dropped.

“What is…” His eyes scanned the contents, and his jaw tightened. “That

son of a bitch.”

Dar exhaled. “Post them. I’m taking off.”

The man looked at her bitterly. “What did it take to get this? You do him

on top of his desk?” he asked sarcastically. “Easy for you—just go in and show

him a little ass, is that it?”

For a frozen moment, Dar struggled with the urge to strike him. It

showed in her pale eyes, she knew, because Weyhousen backed off a step, and

she concentrated on her breathing, holding down the fury which threatened to

overwhelm her. Finally, she took a breath. “You know, Peter, for someone

who has to take twice-weekly impotence drugs, you sure are hung up on sex.”

Dar had concluded long ago that medical files and ex-hackers were useful

things. “Maybe you should get some pointers from the old boy?” Without

waiting for an answer from him, she turned and simply left.

Chapter

Five

“DAR, WHEN ARE you leaving?” Maria stood in the doorway, her bag

slung over her shoulder. It was Friday night, at the end of one of the worst

weeks the secretary could remember. She watched her boss with concern. The

dark-haired woman was seated behind the large wooden desk with the fading

sun behind her. “Dar?”

“Hmm?” The executive glanced up from her monitor, giving the woman

a wry look. “I’ve got to finish up this damn financial report, Maria. It’ll be a

few more hours yet.” Her desk was scattered with fanfold reports, most of

them custom, most of them with her login displayed prominently on their top

sheets, indicating she’d run them herself. “It’s called burying the bodies,

Maria. I’ve got to hide two rank disasters, and still make the numbers come

out right. I think I’ve got one covered, but if Travel and Transportation

doesn’t come up with their numbers in about an hour, I’m going to have to

drive down there and beat them out of them with a baseball bat.”

She sat back and reviewed the spreadsheets for the dozenth time. It was

like building a puzzle that had too many pieces. You had to pick which one

you used, and the pickings were getting ugly tonight.

Of course. Dar glanced at the folder containing the Associated files. It

would be easier just to claim the entire account as new business in the

applicable areas, and de-structure the cost side by disbanding the company.

Easier, and it would make the numbers work on top of it, allowing her to go

home after almost thirty-six straight hours of working on the project.

She wouldn’t need to hide anything else, and T and T’s numbers

wouldn’t matter.

In fact, twice she’d done just that, her fingers hovering over the Submit

keys, and then she’d backed off, for reasons she really didn’t quite have a

handle on. Maybe it was the persistent optimism of Kerry’s notes, as the

young manager worked and reworked her numbers, getting closer and closer

to the goal Dar had set. A goal which was probably irrelevant by now, unless a

miracle happened.

She knew she should just call the damn woman, and tell her to give it

up…go home, and just reconcile herself to the unpleasant reality of the

situation, but every time she punched the Dial button, her eyes fell on the

latest of Kerry’s plans, and she stopped, and went back to searching her

spreadsheets yet again.

The phone buzzed, and she slapped it. “Yeah?”

Duks voice came through the line. “T and T’s numbers just processed.”

Tropical Storm 47

He shuffled some papers. “They suck.”

Dar closed her eyes as she hit the Refresh on her page, and did not open

them until she heard her hard drive stop churning. The bottom line blinked at

her, and she felt an overwhelming weariness settle on her shoulders. “We

need to fire someone over there,” she commented tiredly.

“Mmm,” Duks agreed, his voice sounding equally tired. “Too late for this

quarter, though. I’ll make you a list of my favorite candidates for the Burger

King line.” The VP Finance, one of Dar’s closest allies, was a pragmatist if

anyone was.

“Thanks, Dukky,” the tall woman replied. “All right. Is Mariana still

there?” Mariana Sartis was the VP Personnel, who worked hand in fist with

Dukky, and, some said, was sleeping with him. Dar didn’t care and thought

they made a cute couple, but company rules were company rules.

“She’s right here.”

“I’m going to have to cut all of Associated loose, Mari,” Dar said quietly.

“You might as well start setting up the packets. Queue the work lists to me.”

“All right, Dar,” the lightly accented voice answered. “They never really

transitioned, so it’s just a matter of W4 notification.”

“I know, bastards won’t even get two weeks.” Dar exhaled. “Let me go

finalize this. You’ll get an update in a little while.”

She hung up the phone and stared at the screen, pulling her alternate

plan to the foreground and processing it. The bottom line flickered, then

resolved, and she gave it a little nod. “Sorry, kid.” She took a deep breath, and

picked up the phone, dialing a number and waiting. Anyone who thinks it’s all

glamour never had to do this, she mused, then straightened as the phone was

answered, and she heard Kerry’s soft voice.

“Associated Synergenics, Kerry Stuart.”

“Ms. Stuart.” Dar paused to gathered her thoughts.

“Oh, hello.” Kerry cleared her throat. “Listen, I know you’re getting close

to your deadline, but I think I’ve got it. It took forever but I finally found some

slack in the facilities budget.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Stuart. It’s just not going to fit in with our plans,” Dar

said quietly. “It was a good try, and you were on the right track, but it’s not

going to be possible.”

Dead silence stretched out for a moment. “You son of a bitch.” Kerry’s

voice was strangled, with either rage or tears, Dar couldn’t tell. “I hope you go

straight to hell, because that’s exactly where you belong.” The phone slammed

down, and the line went dead.

Dar quietly replaced her receiver and let her hands fall to her thighs. It

certainly wasn’t the first time she’d been told that, and probably wouldn’t be

the last, but after thirty-six hours with no sleep, her emotional defenses were

in tatters, and it hurt. It got past her carefully cultivated and hardened

attitude, and she let her head rest against the high-backed chair with her eyes

closed tight as the silence of the mostly empty building settled over her.

Finally, she got up and opened her top drawer, taking her keys out and

throwing her jacket over her shoulders. She had till midnight to close the

books. Right now, all she wanted to do was find some empty space, and salt

air.

48 Melissa Good

KERRY SLAMMED HER chair back and stood, pacing over to the wall

and staring at it. She let her anger build until it was at the breaking point, then

she let it loose, slamming her fist against the drywall surface with a crunch.

The painful shock raced up her arm, and she pulled her hand back to see a

baseball-sized dent in the wall that did little to release her fury.

“Lowdown piece of godforsaken—I can’t believe she did that,” she

fumed, letting her head come to rest against the abused wall. “A whole week

of killing myself, for nothing. For nothing!” She knew she didn’t have to worry

about anyone hearing her, as she was alone in the building. She’d sent the rest

of the staff home early, hinting that she might have good news for them on

Monday.

It had been going so well. Her last two drafts had gotten cautious praise

from Dar, and she’d allowed herself to hope that she’d actually be able to pull

this off. Everyone had left in a good mood, and she’d heard several groups

planning get-togethers out in the Grove or at Bayside, which was one of her

own favorite spots.

She sat down on the edge of her desk and felt like crying. Then she

decided she was just too tired and too mad to do even that. “Might as well get

out of here.” She picked up her things and left her desk the way it was,

covered with draft proposals and stacks of reports, not even looking back as

she shut the door.

For a while, she just drove around aimlessly, taking I 95 down past the

city center to see the lights come on as dusk dropped over the city. The sun

setting in the west sent a wash of tropical orange light across the tall

buildings, reflecting off the glass-mirrored surface. The sky was layered with

clouds, and each layer took on a different pastel shade—from burnished

orange, to pink, to lavender—as they spread across the horizon.

Kerry pulled off to the side near the interchange ramp, ignoring the

bustling traffic and opening the top of her Mustang convertible as the warm,

damp breeze blew in. The sunset painted its hues as she watched, the dusk in

the east causing the lights to emerge while the last rays put stripes across the

highway. It smelled like rain, and the breeze cooled, brushing humid tendrils

across her arm where it rested on the windowsill. It was beautiful, and now

the tears came, and she let them, rolling down her face as a snatch of music

blew by, rich with a Caribbean beat.

She sat there until the sky darkened and the orange phosphor lights

kicked on, bathing the highway in a surreal light and dimming the stars

overhead. Then she reluctantly started her engine and pulled out into traffic,

debating a moment, then choosing an exit a few minutes later and turning

east.

The lights dimmed as she headed out over Rickenbacker Causeway,

crossing Virginia Key and passing the old Dinner Key auditorium. She’d

attended a dawn Easter mass here last year, and it held fond memories for her

as the rising sun and the fresh spring air had brought new meaning to the

holiday.

Kerry traveled across the second long bridge out to Key Biscayne, the first

in the long chain of barrier islands which guarded the Florida coastline and

extended down to the last one, Key West, which was the southernmost point

Tropical Storm 49

in the United States. Out here, even the ecology was different, and Kerry had

taken a liking to the beachfront Crandon Park, which she now pulled into and

got out of her car.

The sand was soft and crunched gently under her shoes as she trudged

toward the water, passing a jungle of sea grapes which rustled in the evening

air. The ocean made a soft hissing as it ran up onto the shore, the onshore

breeze bringing a heavy salt tang to her nose as she found a weathered bench

and dropped onto it.

It was so different here. She sighed and took in a deep breath of the thick

air. She could see the soft white of the breakers over the sandbar just offshore

and the blinking lights of ships coming into the port. A green and red path

lined the navigation channel to her north, and right now a cruise ship was

making its stately way in, riding across the waves like a well-lit castle. Here

there were so many different kinds of people, and attitudes. You don’t like the

culture? Wait five minutes, was a local saying. It was a mixture of Caribbean

and South American, native and immigrant, exotic and bedrock Old South.

She could, in a drive of an hour, visit a western rodeo, an Indian reservation,

Little Havana, Little Haiti, Old Florida, or the glittery vista of Miami Beach.

So different, so much more open and accepting than the closed world

she’d grown up in.

Her fingers played idly with the rough wood, rubbing large grains of

sand between them as the salt air left a perceptibly dry feel on her skin. She

stared between her feet, leaning over and picking up a brown and white

speckled shell, perfectly shaped, which sat in the palm of her hand, its gently

ridged surface rippling under her fingertips.

Maybe she could find another job. If she did it quickly, she could say it

was intentional, and by the time her parents figured out what had happened,

it would be over with, and she’d be settled into a new position. Who knew?

Maybe she’d find something even better than what she had. Robert would

give her an excellent recommendation, and Susan had mentioned a recruiter,

one she really liked.

But first she had to get through Monday, and she held no illusions that

little Ms. Cruella de Bitch would help them out in any way. They’d probably

find the goon squad there again in the morning, making sure they didn’t steal

the pencils on their way out.

Remembering her friends’ optimistic voices was a very lonely feeling. She

hoped they’d forgive her for raising their hopes and not being able to deliver

what she’d promised herself she would. That final plan would have worked too.

Yes, there were cuts, fifty-one people in fact. But one hundred and seventy

two would have been kept, and been productive. She’d made sacrifices

everywhere, including training, office furniture, benefits and prospective

raises, the new phone switch they’d been planning, and the subsidizing of the

snack machines. It would have been tight, and not as comfortable as it had been,

but…

But.

Kerry threw the shell into the wind, watching as it dropped into the thick,

cream-colored sand. All for nothing. She walked to the water’s edge, letting the

lapping tide darken the toes of her shoes and stared out at the uncaring

50 Melissa Good

Atlantic until a large, fat raindrop struck her arm. With a sigh, she turned and

made her way back to the car, the scent of rain hitting the sun-warmed

pavement rising around her as she reached it.

She was all the way across the causeway and had picked up the highway

before she glanced down and spotted her gas gauge. A soft curse emerged as

the red light winked at her implacably, and she looked around for the nearest

exit. “Damn.”

Northeast 2nd Street was the closest choice, and she headed down the

ramp, turning left as she got to the light and moving down the quiet, back

streets on the verge of the city. She had to stop at the next light, and the engine

sputtered. She glanced around, then headed through the light as it turned

green, but it sputtered again, then died, and she wrestled the car over to the

side of the road as she lost power steering.

“Just my day.” She sighed and let her head rest against the wheel,

listening to the rain drum down on the convertible roof. Outside, dark forms

ran to take cover in the overhung doorways of the silent buildings, their

occupants gone home for the day. To her right loomed the highway, and she

could hear cars rushing by, leaving the city proper to its transient nighttime

denizens.

She considered where she was, and realized there were no gas stations

within several miles of her. Even those closest would mean a walk through the

rain across the tracks, or through downtown, not the best of choices for a

young woman alone at night.

Another thought hit her. She’d left the office without her briefcase, which

meant she didn’t have her wallet, any identification, or her credit and ATM

cards. She dug through her change tray and discovered she had exactly three

dollars and sixteen cents, sufficient for enough gas to get her back to the

office, but not enough for a cab to get to the gas, and her Filofax with numbers

for everything, including AAA, was sitting on her desk.

She let out a breath, then dug out her cell phone. A quick try to Colleen’s

house went unanswered, and the two or three she knew from memory of her

work colleagues did the same. Of course. It was Friday night. They were all

out.

She looked at the phone in disgust, then realized a piece of paper was

stuck to the clip in the back. She pulled it out and stared at the number written

on it, then let it fall to the seat beside her. She drummed her fingers on the

console, then leaned forward and peered through the rain, to where several of

the dark figures were standing, seemingly watching her.

Her eyes went to the piece of paper again, and she picked it up. “Well,

that bitch owes me a phone call to the auto club, at least,” she muttered, then

dialed the number. “I’ll call her stooge and have him send over a couple of

gallons of gas.”

It rang four times, and she almost hung up before the ringing stopped,

and a crackle indicated an open line.

“Hello.” The quiet voice was almost unrecognizable.

Kerry hesitated, startled, and then cleared her throat. Oh damn. Doesn’t it

just figure this is her blasted number? “Hi…um, never mind.” Unable to go

through with asking for help from a woman she’d just told off an hour and a

Tropical Storm 51

half ago, she hung up.

The rain drummed harder, and she almost missed the soft sound of her

phone ringing. Surprised, she glanced down at it, then pressed the talk key.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Stuart?” Dar’s voice was more familiar now, and held a cool,

questioning tone. “Is there something you wanted?”

Well, Kerry sighed, a t least she’s not telling me off. “This is kind of stupid, and I…well, I didn’t know this was your phone, really. I was just looking for

someone to make a call for me. I’m…I don’t have my phone book with me.” It

felt very awkward.

Momentary silence from the other end. “So, what’s the number?”

Kerry hesitated. “Well, I don’t…I don’t know, is the problem. I’m kind of

stuck, and I need the auto club.” She bit the bullet and went on. “Look, I ran

out of gas, and I just need them to bring me a few gallons so I can get back to

the office.”

“Oh.” Dar seemed to consider this. “Where are you?” Kerry told her.

“That’s not a good area,” the executive commented.

“I know,” Kerry answered. “It’s pretty creepy right now.” She paused.

“Thank you for not hanging up on me.”

Another long silence. “Until I process my work list on Monday, you’re

still an employee of mine. You used my company cell phone. Something

happens to you now, and you’ve got grounds for a pretty big lawsuit.”

Kerry was at a loss for words. “Wh-why would you assume I’d do that?”

“You assume the worst of me, I figure I should return the compliment,”

Dar replied. “Hold on, I’m getting the number.” The sound of a second phone

was barely audible in the background.

Kerry was too tired to be angry. “All right. Well, thank you for making

the call for me,” she answered softly. A motion caught her eye, and she

glanced out of the windshield, which was fogging a little from her breath.

“Um.” The group of shadowy forms had switched doorways, and were now

just opposite her. “Maybe you better call the police instead.”

“Why?” Dar’s voice sharpened.

“Oh…my god!” Kerry ducked as the bat hit the glass of the passenger-

side window, scattering shards over her body. Hands reached and grabbed

her, and the cell phone was torn from her grasp. She twisted, hearing Hispanic

curses, and gasped as fingers gripped her upper arm, dragging her toward the

shattered window. Her shirt ripped, and she felt rain against the bare skin of

her chest, then cruel fingers grabbed her bra strap and yanked it.

A hand entangled itself in her hair and pulled sharply, and she was

forced to let go of the steering wheel she’d had a death grip on. Water was

now pelting in the open window and she could smell dirt, and alcohol, and

old, stale garlic.

The roar of the rain grew louder, and she fought against the hands, her

body scraping over broken glass as flashes of lightning suddenly lit up the

scene. She heard a crunch, then a scream, and one grip loosened. She twisted

hard against the other, and heard an odd cracking noise, then the hands were

gone, and she was panting in terror, curling up in a ball in the front seat and

covering her head with her arms.

52 Melissa Good

A light hit her closed eyes, and she heard the lock work on her passenger

side door. A gust of wind and rain blew in as it opened, and she huddled

down further in the seat, biting her lip hard and tasting blood inside her

mouth. Then there was a hand on her arm. Gentle, not grasping.

“Hey.”

Kerry felt a shock course through her, and she lifted her head, opening

her eyes to see pale blue ones gazing back at her, outlined in the light of a powerful hand lamp. “Oh. It’s you.”

Dar blinked, and removed her hand. “Yes, it is.”

“Where…” Kerry glanced around fearfully, searching for her attackers.

“Where did they…”

“They’re gone,” Dar replied quietly. “Maybe they didn’t like getting

wet.” Kerry let out a shuddering breath. “Oh my god.” She slowly uncurled

and picked up a piece of the shattered glass, then let it drop. “Perfect end to a

perfect day,” she murmured softly, exhausted. “But thank you…for coming

along and scaring them off.”

Dar flexed a hand out of Kerry’s line of sight, wincing at the soreness.

“No problem.” She glanced up at the weather, then at the slumped form

across from her. There was glass everywhere, and she could see a lot of

scraped skin where Kerry’s shirt was ripped open. “You all right?”

Kerry looked up from her shaking hands and their eyes met briefly.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “That was just an amazingly sucky thing to have

happened.”

Dar’s lips pressed thinly together. “All right, come on over and get in my

car. I’ll call the cops.” She waited for Kerry to open her mouth to protest, and

put a hand up when she did. “Look, I’ll just wait for them to get here, then I’ll

be out of your sight. I know I’m not your favorite person right now.”

“Don’t.” Kerry put a hand on her arm. “Please don’t call the police.” She

raked shaking fingers through her damp hair. “I have a friend who can fix

this. I don’t want reports and all that.”

Dar studied the pale fingers curled around her wrist, then lifted her eyes

to Kerry’s face in mild puzzlement. “All right.” She gazed at the smaller

woman. “You need to get those cuts taken care of, though.”

Kerry gazed down at her arms tiredly. “I’ll take care of them.” She self-

consciously tugged the shreds of her shirt around her, and looked up at Dar.

“I guess I just need those couple of gallons of gas.”

The tall, dark-haired woman stared pensively at her for a moment, then

gave her head a little negative shake. “No. I have a better plan,” she

announced. “I’ll get your car towed wherever you want it, and I’ll drive you

home.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” the blonde replied softly. “But thank you for

offering.”

“You’re not asking, and I’m not offering,” Dar answered. “You need it

done, and I’m insisting.” She pulled a cell phone from her back pocket and

flipped it on, dialing a number from memory. “John?” she queried, when a

voice answered. “It’s Dar. I need a pickup and tow.” After a long pause, she

said, “No, not me this time. Northeast 2nd and Flagler. A forest green

Tropical Storm 53

Mustang ragtop.” She listened to the query from the other end of the line.

“Hang on.” She glanced at Kerry. “Where do you want it?”

Kerry debated, then surrendered and gave her address, which Dar

repeated into the phone carefully. “Tarp the passenger-side window, it’s

cracked,” she added, then hung up. “Okay, let’s go.”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?” Kerry said with a

sigh.

“I usually don’t, so no,” Dar told her crisply. “Come on.” She eased out of

the passenger side and waited for Kerry to gingerly emerge from the driver’s

side door into a thick blanket of warm rain.

Kerry shielded her eyes from the downpour, wincing as she put weight

on her left leg. “Ow.” She grabbed hold of the doorjamb and gingerly flexed

her leg. “Damn.”

Dar circled the car. “What?” She reached out, then let her hands drop in

some confusion.

“Banged my kneecap on the steering wheel.” Kerry grimaced. “Must

have twisted something.” She cautiously put weight on the leg again, then

threw her arms out in reflex as it threatened to collapse under her. “Son of

a—” Dar grabbed her, holding her steady until she caught her balance again.

“Watch it.”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Kerry muttered in an embarrassed tone. “I’m fine.”

Dar sighed and walked her over to the Lexus, which was parked

haphazardly facing the Mustang, its lights illuminating the scene. She opened

the door and guided Kerry inside, then shut it carefully behind her and

walked around to the other side. As she got in, she glanced over at her

unwilling passenger. Kerry was huddled against the door, her arms wrapped

around her, a shell-shocked look on her pale face. She plucked aimlessly at the

torn pieces of her shirt with faintly shaking fingers.

“Here.” Dar reached behind her and pulled out a dark blue sweatshirt,

which she handed to the younger woman. “Put that on. The air gets a little

chilly in here.”

Kerry stared at the shirt. “No, it’s okay.” She moved back a little. “I’m

fine.”

“Look, pretend you don’t hate my guts for about another forty-five

minutes, and this’ll be over, all right?” Dar snapped, her temper frayed at the

edges. “Just put the damn thing on.”

Pale green eyes gazed back at her. “I don’t.”

“What?” Now that the adrenaline had drained out of her, Dar was

wishing for a few sweatshirts herself, along with a mug of hot milk and a

couple of other creature comforts she hadn’t had a in a long time.

“Hate you.” Kerry reached out and took the clothing from her. “I’m sorry.

I’m just a little out of my mind right now.” She turned the shirt right way

around and pulled it over her head. “Thanks.” She looked down at the shirt. It

had the word Navy embroidered across it in gold, and was lightly scented

with Dar’s perfume.

It was strangely comforting. She wrapped her arms around herself,

exhaling as the dry cotton warmed her skin, and closed her eyes, wishing it all

54 Melissa Good

was just a nightmare she’d eventually wake up from.

Maybe she was in shock. Certainly, her thoughts were going every which

way, as the shaking slowly subsided and she tried to reconcile herself to what

had just happened. Jesus, they could have… Her mind swerved away from the

thought, and she glanced over at the car’s other occupant, outlined in the

luridly orange light of the streetlamp, deep in thought herself.

The profile was strong, and yet there was a surprising vulnerability to it

that vanished as Dar felt the attention and straightened up. Kerry reached out

instinctively and put a hand on Dar’s wrist, waiting for those pale eyes to

focus on her. “Thanks,” she said again. “Even if you rescued me for legal

reasons, I appreciate it.”

Dar studied her briefly, her expression unfathomable. Then she blinked,

and her gazed shifted a little. “That was really my personal cell phone,” she

remarked. “But you’re welcome.”

Kerry stared at her in puzzlement, and after a brief moment, they both

sort of half shrugged. Dar started the car in silence and pulled away from the

curb.

STILL IN A DAZE, Kerry slowly walked into her office. As they pulled

onto the highway, she’d remembered that all her things were still there, so

Dar had nodded and driven her there without comment.

Now, Dar entered behind her, and Kerry noticed for the first time that she

certainly wasn’t in one of her power suits. Water-stained jeans and hightop

sneakers, along with a hooded sweatshirt minus its sleeves, painted a very

different picture than the one her mind remembered from their previous

encounter.

She looks a lot younger, for one thing. Kerry suddenly realized the executive

wasn’t much older than she was. Her tanned skin seemed to absorb the light,

and the pitiless fluorescents revealed nicely toned muscles in her arms and

shoulders which rippled softly as she moved around the office.

Dar’s eyes stopped as she reached the desk, and she studied the piles of

paperwork strewn forlornly across it. A look of regret crossed her face, and

she lifted her gaze to meet Kerry’s. “I know you did a lot of work on this.”

Kerry perched on the edge of her desk, and thumbed through a printout.

“I almost wish I hadn’t. I felt like I was coming so close…” She let the papers

fall and looked up. “Why did you let me do that?”

“You were close.” Dar sat down on the chair next to Kerry’s and let her

forearms rest on her thighs. “It’s complicated,” she replied quietly. “A lot of

things just wouldn’t fall into place, and I needed numbers.” She shifted. “It

was the last thing I threw out.” She reached over and nudged the report. “One

last set of reports came in, and I just couldn’t do it.”

Kerry circled her desk and sat in her chair, pushing the overlong sleeves

back on the sweatshirt. “So, we just become numbers,” she commented softly.

“I don’t think I understand that very well.”

A shrug. “It’s what we all are.”

“Mmm,” Kerry murmured. “Even you?”

Dar nodded wearily. “If it’s any consolation, I’m very sorry.”

Tropical Storm 55

Kerry looked at her pensively. Dar had changed in her eyes. She no

longer appeared to be the icy cold, practical executive. This was a person. One

who under other circumstances she might have liked. “Me too,” she replied.

“I’ll probably end up going home to Michigan. I’ll miss a lot of things here.”

Dar looked up. “There are other jobs out there. We might even have

something you might…”

Kerry shook her head. “No.” She took in Dar’s puzzled expression. “It’s

complicated.” She played with a pencil on her desk, turning it over and over.

“You know, it’s really too bad, Ms. Roberts, because in another place…another

time, I think you and I might have been friends.” She glanced up regretfully,

and was captured in blue eyes that unexpectedly swallowed her whole.

But it only lasted an instant, and then Dar was sighing and standing up.

“Maybe.” She ran a hand through her dark hair. “But right now, we should

get you home,” the executive stated. “I have to run back by my office and

finalize things.”

Kerry played with her pencil, biting on the eraser for a moment before

looking up. “Can I come look at your numbers?” Her eyes fastened on Dar’s

face, knowing she’d caught Dar by surprise. “I’m sorry.” She managed a half

grin. “I don’t give up easily.”

Dar inhaled sharply at the sudden and unexpected challenge. She was

exhausted, they were both drenched, Kerry was injured. It was late. It was

insanity to even consider, insanity even for Kerry to have asked, or more like,

presumed. She found those intense green eyes watching her intently and saw

those lips twitch into a friendlier shape and… What the hell.

“Sure.” Dar wasn’t sure that voice was even hers. What the hell am I doing?

Then she thought about it. Well, what could it hurt? The kid’s sharp, and maybe a

fresh set of eyes… “I’ve got some first aid stuff there for those cuts.”

The hint of a smile turned into a full one, if only for a brief moment, and it

transformed Kerry’s face. “You wouldn’t happen to have some coffee there

too, would you?”

Dar relaxed a little. “We do.” She indicated the door. “I think it may even

stop raining.” She paused, as thunder rolled overhead. “Okay, maybe not.”

Kerry flipped off the lights as they left, and she limped after Dar with her

briefcase slung over her shoulder. “How much wetter and more miserable can

I possibly get?”

Dar almost chuckled as she shook her head. “Guess we’ll find out.”

Chapter

Six

KERRY SETTLED BACK into the leather seat, refusing to think about

what she was doing. That left her mind free to watch the rain lash against the

windshield during the drive cross-town, as she listened to the soft music Dar

had chosen. Her cuts hurt, but they weren’t that bad, and her knee seemed

only to be twisted. It wasn’t giving her much trouble while she was sitting,

though she suspected she’d be limping for a few days. Things could definitely

have been a lot worse.

Dar shifted her grip on the wheel, glancing right as she changed lanes,

and Kerry noticed an ugly bruise that covered her knuckles. One was even

scraped, and a stain of dried blood was visible in the low light from the

dashboard. “What happened to your hand?”

Dar glanced down, then returned her eyes to the road. “I banged it into

something,” she answered absently.

Kerry looked down at her own hand, bruised from her earlier impact

with the wall and raised an eyebrow at the similar markings. Hmm. She

pondered that a moment, then shifted her attention to the weather again.

Waves of rain were rippling across the street, moving in and out of the lights

and reminding her vaguely of snowstorms back home.

She was running on pure adrenaline, though, and she knew it, and she

hoped she was home in her own bed when everything came crashing down on

top of her. Because she’d been working on the report, she’d only slept a few

hours the previous night, and the long hours were beginning to wear on her.

Another look at Dar’s profile made her wonder if Dar wasn’t having the same

problem. There were shadows under her eyes that the dim light revealed, and

she was blinking a lot, which was something Kerry did when she was very

tired. “Guess you’ve been working pretty hard on this thing too, huh?”

Blue eyes flicked to her face. “It’s been a long week, yes.” Dar guided the

Lexus into the parking lot of the corporate headquarters and parked under the

entrance overhang, ignoring the No Parking signs. She got out and waved at

the security guard as he emerged. “Just me, Jack.” The man waved back and

tucked himself back into his guard station, out of the rain. Dar waited for

Kerry to join her, then led the way into the building, swiping her security card

at the entrance in a smooth, graceful motion.

Kerry tipped her head back as they entered the lobby, looking up through

the atrium which rose the entire length of the building. “Whoa.” She hugged

the sweatshirt to her, glad of its warmth as the cold air flowed around them.

“This is, um…” She tried to find a politically correct term. “Um, it’s…”

Tropical Storm 57

“Pretentious,” Dar commented wryly, as she keyed the elevator. “It’s

supposed to be.” She held the door for her smaller companion, then let it close

and punched the fourteenth floor, slipping her keycard in when the elevator

beeped a complaint. “Lesser mortals are supposed to stand in awe in the

lobby.”

Kerry leaned against the wall and stifled a yawn. “Be careful, Ms.

Roberts,” she warned. “If you keep that up, I might get the idea you have a

sense of humor.”

Dar looked at her, then, slowly, the faintest hint of a grin twitched her

lips. “Sorry, they make you leave that as a deposit when you get issued your

keycard.” She held up the item, then gestured for Kerry to precede her out of

the elevator as it reached its destination.

Dar’s office was dimly lit by her twenty-one-inch monitor, and the small

desk lamp she usually worked by at night. Her screensaver was on, jungle

animals prowling across the dark surface accompanied by soft sounds. As

they approached the desk, a macaw cried softly, and Dar reached over and

gave her trackball a spin, bringing up the worksheet she’d been looking at

before she’d left earlier. “Take a look,” she offered. “I’ll get some Band-Aids.

You mentioned coffee?”

Kerry perched on the edge of Dar’s very comfortable leather desk chair

and looked around. “So, this is how the other half lives, huh?” she murmured,

then turned her attention to the executive. “Um…where are you going to get

coffee at this hour?”

Dar looked at her. “The kitchen. Yes or no?”

A blonde brow lifted. “You have a kitchen in here? Let me guess, it comes

with a microprocessor that cooks things for you, right?” She saw Dar’s lips

twitch again and smiled herself. “Okay, okay. Sure. I’d love some coffee.”

“Cream and sugar?”

Kerry sighed. “If I’m being good, I should say no and no, but I hate the

taste of coffee, so yes and yes.”

Dar snorted softly and disappeared.

The blonde turned her attention to the monitor, but not before she looked

around, taking in the huge office with wondering eyes. The desk was smooth

wood, its surface covered with reports as her own had been. The carpet was a

thick burgundy, and there was a long, low-slung couch to the right. The entire

back wall was glass, and looked out over the bay to the ocean, right now

showing the brilliant flashes of lightning and the thick swaths of rain that

lashed against the clear surface.

It smelled of wood polish and wool from the carpet, with a faint hint of

the perfume she’d noticed that Dar wore. That the shirt wrapped around her

body also bore. She decided she liked it.

Dar came back a moment later, bearing two steaming cups and a small kit

tucked under her arm. She put one of the cups down in front of Kerry and

perched on the edge of her desk, tucking one leg up under her and leaning

forward to point at the monitor. “That’s the problem right there.” She traced a

column. “Watch what happens when I plug in your scenario.” She did so, and

the numbers changed. “I can’t have…” a fingertip pointed at the last field,

“…that.”

58 Melissa Good

Kerry took a sip of the coffee, then peered at it. “What is this?” She licked

her lips. “Mmm.”

“Café con leche,” Dar answered absently. “Cuban coffee with milk and

sugar.”

“Hell.” Kerry laughed. “If they’d served it to me like this, I’d have drunk

it more often.”

They spent an hour going over the various approaches, and Kerry got a

much better understanding of what it was Dar was trying to do. “Oh, god, you

have to show this all as an expense?” She pointed at her section. “But you

can’t show any of this as a profit, because it’s past date?”

“Right.” Dar sighed, biting on the edge of her cup.

Kerry sat back, stunned. “But that’s not fair!” she protested.

Dar closed her eyes momentarily and rubbed them. “I know,” she agreed

wearily. “But it’s the law.”

“What happens if you don’t make that number?” Kerry pointed at the last

field.

Dar peered at the screen, blinking. “Well, we don’t show consistent

growth, and the stockholders go ballistic. That means we have to show

austerity measures, and that…usually means a minimum level layoff.”

Kerry thought about that. “How many people is that?”

“Between five to seven thousand,” the executive replied quietly.

Green eyes lifted to hers. “Just like that?” Dar nodded. Kerry absorbed

that. “So I guess my piddly little two hundred and thirty people are kind of a

minor thing,” she commented softly, as she looked up at Dar. “Nothing

personal, right?”

Dar’s lips tensed, and she looked down. “Usually, yes,” she admitted.

“You don’t like to waste resources, but,” one bare shoulder lifted in a shrug,

“sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.”

Kerry studied the screen, flipping through the twelve different scenarios

Dar had been working with. All save one included her solution. She let her

hand rest on Dar’s knee, searching her face intently. “I didn’t understand,”

she stated quietly. “And I still don’t, not really, but thanks for trying.”

Dar glanced at her watch. “Eleven thirty. I’ve got to update this before

midnight.” She stared at the screen. “Damn, I just wish I could…” She traced a

column with one finger. “Some way to put a plus there.”

“Mmmm.” Kerry examined the fields. “Like you can with that Miami

group—because they take on outside stuff, so you can offset their expenses.”

Dar froze, only her pale blue eyes darting across the wide screen.

“Mierda,” she whispered. “Can your people do internet support? TCP/IP?”

“Uh…um, what? Yeah, of course.” Kerry stared at her. “The entire

support group runs on an intranet. We’ve got three resident webmasters. But

what…” She yelped, and hurriedly got out of the way as Dar dove into her

seat, her fingers racing across the keyboard in a rattle of keys.

“Son of a bitch. Son of a bitch…” the executive cursed softly. “Where are

you… Ah!” She requested a screen and scanned its contents. “Gotcha.” One

hand reached over and punched a series of numbers into the phone pad. It

rang three times, then a voice answered. “Hello, Peter.”

Frozen silence preceded, “What the hell do you want?”

Tropical Storm 59

“I’m taking those two extra contracts,” Dar informed him. “Don’t bother

protesting. Goodnight.” She hung up and hummed under her breath as she

recoded the projects, giving them a new classification. A few clicks, then she

drummed her fingers, waiting for the mainframe to redraw the columns.

“Ahhh…” One hand snaked out, cutting a range out and clicking over to her

spreadsheet, then pasting. She recalced the document, then sat back and

smiled in triumph.

Kerry just watched her, confused.

Dar pointed at the last field. “I got my number.”

The blonde woman studied the sheet. “But that’s got our stuff in it.”

“Uh hum,” Dar agreed. “It sure does.”

“How did you do that?” Kerry asked, entranced by the smile that now

transformed the executive’s face, the smile which now grew broader.

“I made fifty percent of your staff a profit center and awarded them two

major government support contracts.” Dar folded her arms over her chest in

visible satisfaction.

“Really?” Kerry blinked in surprise. “Can you do that?”

A dark brow edged up. “I just did it.” Dar grinned, then she sobered.

“You’ll still have to make those cuts.” She made several rapid-fire keystrokes,

then hit the Transmit key. “It’s done.”

Kerry blinked. “But everyone else gets to stay?”

Dar nodded. “I got your list of people to transition. I think it’s here…”

“I’m not on it.” Kerry said very quietly.

Dar froze, then stared at her. “What?”

Kerry exhaled. “One of me…was worth two of them. I couldn’t take two

slots.” She looked up at Dar.

“One of you is worth a lot more than two of them,” Dar blurted

indignantly, then almost knocked the phone off the desk when it rang. She

punched the button in irritation. “Yeah?”

Kerry slowly sat down on the edge of the desk, watching Dar’s profile

with an unfathomable expression.

“Just got the update, Dar. Spectacular.” Alastair’s cheerful voice grated on

her like beach sand. “Great job. What do I owe you for this one? You going to

finally take me up on using the chalet and taking a damn vacation for once?”

Dar stared at the phone in frustrated silence. “What do you owe me?” she

finally asked. “I’ll tell you what, I want fifty-one six-and-sixes, and a head.”

Alastair was stunned. She could hear him coughing a little.

“Wh…”

“You heard me,” the tall woman stated. “Come on, Alastair. That double

digit’s going to add twenty percent value to the stock. You can afford it.”

“Well, sure, Dar. I’ll put in the six-and-sixes…but what do you need a

head for?” Alastair finally replied, collecting himself. “Whose orgid?”

“Mine,” Dar replied quietly. “I’ve been forty-eight hours without sleep

on this one, Alastair. I can’t keep doing this. It’s killing me. I need an

assistant.”

The man’s attitude changed immediately. “Well, why didn’t you just say

so, you old pirate? I’ve been trying to get you to take on an assistant for years

now.” The sound of a keyboard being accessed came through clearly. “For

60 Melissa Good

more than a day, that is. You had me worried there for a minute. Hang

on…hang on. What are you, a 54010?”

“Uh huh.” Dar replied, playing with pen. “Thanks.”

“Done.” Alastair chuckled. “On your work list, baby. Now I’m gonna go

have a glass of champagne. You should too.”

Dar closed her eyes wearily. “Sure, Alastair.” She sighed. “ ’Night.”

Silence settled over the office. Dar kept her eyes closed.

“Forty-eight hours?” Kerry finally said in disbelief. The dark-haired

woman nodded. “That’s insane. That isn’t a job, that’s involuntary servitude,”

Kerry spluttered. Dar nodded again. “You must have the world’s best job

security, you know that? Nobody in their right mind would want your job.”

A third nod. “Very true.” Dar opened her eyes and gazed at Kerry

regretfully. “You ready to go home, Ms. Stuart?” she asked quietly. “We can

negotiate your headcount on Monday. I’m sure I can squeeze you back in

there.” She paused. “If you want to stay, that is.”

Kerry was perched on the edge of the desk, deep in thought. “I don’t

know,” she replied honestly. “I have to think about it.”

“I understand,” Dar said, as she pushed herself to her feet.

“Ms. Roberts?”

“Mmm?”

“What is a six-and-six?” Kerry asked curiously.

“Oh.” Dar stretched a kink out of her neck. “Severance packages for your

people.” She sighed. “Six months’ salary and six months’ extension on your

health benefits.” Her eyes searched Kerry’s shocked face. “Should make

Monday a little easier for you.” She stepped around the desk and started out

the door. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Kerry was in a daze as she followed Dar out. Six months’ salary? If she

decided not to stay, it would give her half a year to find something…and six

months’ health benefits would cover her until she did. Her parents would

never have to know, until she was all settled in a new place.

Her eyes studied the cloth-covered back of the woman walking before

her. She wondered how she had gone from how she’d felt about Dar Roberts

before the sunset, to how she felt now. It felt like the night had lasted half a

lifetime, to allow her to experience so much in such a short span. She’d gone

from despair, to anger, to terror; from a frustrated hatred to a grudging

admiration, all in one evening.

Did she want to remain in charge of Associated Synergenics? She’d been

doing it for two years, and was just starting to get comfortable. The routine

was becoming regular, almost…boring. She suspected life would never be

boring around Dar Roberts. And suddenly, she knew that’s exactly where she

wanted to be. She didn’t even stop to wonder why.

“So,” she trotted after the tall executive, catching up to her as they

reached the door, “what exactly are these other contracts?”

“Oh.” Dar pushed the door open. “You’ll be supporting the IRS.”

Kerry stopped dead. “You’re joking.”

Pale blue eyes regarded her. “Can’t be. I don’t have a sense of humor,

remember?” Dar replied, deadpan. “Goodnight, Jack.” She waved at the

security guard. She held the door to the Lexus open. “Ms. Stuart?”

Tropical Storm 61

The blonde woman stepped next to her and peered up. “Could you please

call me Kerry?” she asked with a wry smile. “You sound like the librarian at

my college when you call me by my last name.”

Dar’s expression softened momentarily, and a quick smile transformed

her face. “I thought only your friends called you that,” she demurred.

Kerry rubbed her jaw. “Well, friends and people who save my life—you

know.” She felt herself blushing a little. “I have to make an exception for that

sort of thing.”

“All right,” the executive agreed softly. “But only if you call me Dar.”

Kerry smiled. “Deal.” She shook her head a little. “You know, you’re not

really as awful as I thought you were.”

“Oh really?” Dar found herself too tired to be aggravated by the words.

“I’m losing my touch then. Maybe I should go find some puppies to kick.”

“It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?”

Dar had a feeling it was far too late for a lot of things. “Probably.” She

indicated the car. “Let’s get out of here while we’ve got a break in the

weather.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Kerry climbed up into the comfort of the

leather seat, and waited for Dar to join her on the driver’s side. “So,” she

folded her hands in her lap, “what does your assistant do?”

As she shifted and started to pull out into the rain, Dar shot her a quick

look. “I don’t know. I never had one before that lasted more than a week.” She

paused. “It’ll probably be a tough, unpleasant, thankless, wild ride.”

Kerry sniffed reflectively, then buckled the safety belt securely around

herself and settled back, folding her arms over her chest and glancing

sideways. She found Dar looking back at her. They drove on into the night.

Chapter

Seven

THE ALARM WAS buzzing, an annoying sound in any event, and more

so because it was a Saturday morning and she’d forgotten to turn it off. In the

dim light, one blue eye appeared, glared at the device, then a hand shot out

from the covers and clobbered the clock, sending it flying from the bedside

table and unplugging it.

“Yeow.” Dar cursed and grabbed her hand, rolling up onto her other

elbow and wincing as she examined her knuckles. The entire back of her hand

was swollen and discolored, and she dropped back down onto the pillows as

she recalled how it got that way. “Forgot about that,” she mumbled, closing

her eyes again.

She’d forgotten how hard the human skull was, and how much it hurt if a

fist without any protection hit it head on. Not, she reflected, that I would have chosen any differently even if I had remembered. She didn’t regret the damage

she’d done to that one of Kerry’s attackers, or the rest of them, for that matter.

She’d used kicks for the rest, though. Infinitely easier on the body. But for

now she could barely close her fist, and she knew it was going to be a couple

of days before that improved. “Hey, look, Dad,” she whispered to the ceiling,

holding her hand up. “I’m a half-assed hero again. Imagine that.”

It was damn lucky for Kerry that she’d been so close. She’d driven out to

Haulover Park to the north and spent a half hour just roaming aimlessly up

and down the boardwalk, watching the young kids in their puppy loves go

past. She’d actually been getting off on the 2nd street exit when Kerry had

called, intent on stopping at Bayside for some ice cream before she headed

back to the office to finish up. Instead of ice cream she’d gotten trouble, a sore

hand, a last-minute financial brainstorm, and… Her mind conjured up a

picture of Kerry’s slim form, swaddled in a too-large sweatshirt, standing at

her car window as she dropped the younger woman off. She’d put a hand on

Dar’s arm, and squeezed it.

“I’ll bring the shirt back to you on Monday, thanks for letting me borrow

it.”

Dar had waved her off, a little embarrassed. “Keep it. I’ve got dozens and

dozens of them…believe me.” She’d glanced around, seeing the Mustang

parked nearby, its window neatly taped. “You going to be all right with that?”

The green eyes had followed hers, and Kerry had sighed. “Yeah, one of

the guys here works in an auto body shop. He’s a pretty good friend of mine.”

Then she’d looked up and taken a breath. “Thanks for coming to my rescue,

and I’m glad the whole thing worked out okay.”

Tropical Storm 63

Dar had smiled. “Me too.” She’d patted Kerry’s arm. “Get some rest, I’ll

talk to you on Monday.”

And that had been that. She’d driven away, checking her rear view

mirror a few times just to make sure Kerry had gotten inside okay, and put

herself on auto-pilot for the long, rainy drive home .

Now she listened, and heard the patter of rain outside still, and tucked

her arm under her pillow with a satisfied grunt . No running today. Today was

just time to snuggle into the warmth of the waterbed, pull the covers up, and

catch up on some much-needed sleep. She was just drifting off again when the

phone rang again.

Dar sighed. “No one’s home.” It continued ringing, and she finally

reached over, and hit the speakerphone button. “Yeah?”

“Good morning, Dar.” The voice sounded complacently pleased.

“What do you want at six AM Dukky?” Dar muttered. “I sent the updates

last night.”

“Oh, I know.” The smile was audible. “I just wanted to compliment you

on some really brilliant financial footwork there.”

“At six AM?” Dar sighed. “You could have sent me an e-mail.”

“Actually, that’s why I’m calling. The word’s out you’ve asked for an

assistant for yourself.” Duks said. “Mariana has gotten four inquiries already.

When you do, um, wake up, would you please send her over exactly what

you’re looking for before the poor lady gets swamped?”

Dar let her eyes open sleepily. “Duks, it’s only been posted for six

goddamn hours,” she protested. “I didn’t think I was that popular.”

The VP chuckled wryly. “I hate to break this to you, my friend, but you’re

not. Everyone’s convinced this means you’re vacating that corner office, and

they want a shot at it.” He cleared his throat. “Especially since the posting

came from Alastair’s personal logon.”

“That’s not what it means, for crying…” Dar groaned. “Jesus, Duks, I just

asked for a little help, that’s all. I wanted an assistant, not a replacement.”

A small silence. “You don’t do that often,” Duks replied slowly. “You

have anyone in particular in mind, Dar?”

Now it was Dar’s turn to be silent. “I don’t know,” she finally said.

“Maybe.”

“Mmm.” The accountant acknowledged the unspoken information. “Be

careful, Dar, that could be a dangerous position for you. Pick someone who’s

not going to immediately stab you in the back.” He cleared his throat. “It

doesn’t pay to let people get on the inside, you know?”

Dar gazed at the dresser, shadowy in the pre-dawn gloom. “I know,” she

replied softly. “Thanks for the warning, Dukky.” There was a click as he hung

up. She rolled over and regarded the ceiling soberly. Complications already.

She’d used her momentary leverage to get the position approved, not really

thinking about the consequences, or how it would look.

She hadn’t really even considered it. No, that was a lie. She’d been

thinking exactly of Kerry when she’d asked for it, and it had seemed like such

an ingenious solution at the time. The woman had talent and potential, she

was sharp—she’d be a good addition to the team.

But what about Kerry? She’s been hurt by the entire situation with her

64 Melissa Good

company. Do I want to expose her to the many times more vicious environment inside

the upper levels of the corporation? Is that fair to the kid? Was she even really

interested? She seemed like she was last night, but…that could have been

overtiredness, and a reaction to the day.

The morning surely would bring a more sensible attitude, and Dar

quietly hoped the young woman would at least reconsider, and remain with

the Associated account. She didn’t like to see talent leave the company. Right?

Dar pulled the covers up over her head and sighed. Oh Dar, lie to everyone but

yourself, remember? You like the little imp.

There was something about Kerry she found very appealing. Maybe some

of the friendly innocence she could remember in herself, a very long time ago.

No. She’d never been that innocent. Dar closed her eyes, picturing

Kerry’s face.

Now look. Is that what you want for her, too? Leave her where she is, or let her

go and find something else—a small place where she doesn’t have to be exposed to the

way you have to do business. Last thing she needs is to move into a nest of vipers.

Inhabited by the queen asp.

Dar swallowed the slight lump in her throat, as the blue walls faded to a

somber gray in tune with her mood. It was a quiet depression that she’d been

experiencing more and more often lately, making her question what the point

was in doing what she did, in going the places she went. A feeling of

hopelessness that made her want to just curl up in a ball here in the dark and

never leave.

Her solution so far was to throw herself into yet more work, which

usually distracted her enough to make the feeling go away.

With a sigh, she pulled the covers back and slid out of bed, trudging

across to the bathroom and flipping on the light. She used the facilities, then

splashed a few handfuls of water over her face, stopping to regard her

reflection wearily. Bloodshot blue eyes looked back at her, accented by dark

shadows which added years to her age.

Hell with it. Might as well get some work done.

She turned and flipped off the light, moving out into the living room to

where her briefcase rested on the coffee table. She unzipped it and pulled her

laptop out, plugging in the custom cord built specifically for that purpose, and

booting it up. Then she went into the kitchen and looked at the coffee

machine, bypassing it and going to the refrigerator instead.

She poured a glass of milk from the dispenser, then added three squirts of

chocolate syrup and mixed it. She sipped at the beverage as she seated herself

on the long, leather couch and punched the buttons that would start a

connection to the office.

A flick of the control turned on the large screen TV while she was

waiting, and she surfed through the cable channels, bypassing CNN and

MSNBC and settling on the Cartoon Network, which was showing Space Ghost

Coast to Coast.

“Better commentary than Dan Rather,” she muttered, as she glanced

down, watching her e-mail download. She leaned back against the cushions,

then decided to lie down full length and balance the laptop on her stomach.

She let her eyes scan down the listings, and her eyes brightened a little when

Tropical Storm 65

she saw Kerry’s name listed.

“Probably wants to say no thanks,” Dar murmured after a moment’s

reflection. “After she slept on it.” For a moment, her mouse hovered over the

entry, then finally she clicked on the mail, feeling an odd dryness in her

mouth as she waited for the contents to appear in her preview pane.

Sent by: Kerry Stuart

Subject: Assistant’s Job

Time: 1:01 AM

Hi.

I know you’re thinking “what is this crazy woman

doing, sending mail at one AM after a day like today?”

Well, I didn’t start out to do that. I took a shower, and

got changed, and fluffed up my pillows, and answered the

two frantic messages on my machine because people saw my

car towed back here, and then I was laying there figuring

this sleep thing wasn’t going to be a problem.

But I kind of got to thinking, that there was

something I hadn’t done, and it kept bugging me and

bugging me until I just gave up and figured out what it

was.

It was deciding what I wanted to do, as in, with my

life at this point, and I know you’re probably sitting

there reading this thinking I’ve flipped my lid, but…I

haven’t.

I decided if you were serious about that assistant

job of yours, then I was going to apply for it. I know

there are probably ten thousand other people more

qualified, but I have this crazy idea that maybe I can

find better ways for people to do things, so that it’s

not so brutal, and it doesn’t hurt people inside just to

do business.

That’s pretty naïve sounding. I sound like some

Midwestern rube just out of certification school, don’t

I? Yikes.

So anyway, what I did was logon, and I found that

posting of yours, and I submitted a formal request for

consideration. I also attached my résumé, like it said.

Though figuring out where to click in that CAS

application is a real pain in the neck, you know? I feel

better now, and I think I’ll be able to sleep.

I know I don’t have much of a chance at it. It’s so

weird to think that I was cursing your name before dinner

time, and hoping I get to work for you at midnight.

If you can squeeze me back into my old job, though,

that would be fantastic. Monday is going to be really

crazy, and there’s one thing I forgot to thank you for—

and that was the severance packages. It changes firing

someone from a hateful sentence, to what I can present as

a good chance for change, so that these people can find

something else, without having the pressure of bills

66 Melissa Good

hanging over their heads. You don’t know now much that

means, especially since four of the people have school

age children who were covered under the insurance.

Thank you, Dar. I really mean that.

Have a great weekend.

Kerry

Dar felt a grin coming on, and she let it, as she read the mail twice over.

Then she very deliberately logged into her CAS session and reviewed her

work list. An eyebrow went up when she saw the thirty or so responses, and

she scanned the names. All qualified, pretty much. Most junior, but a few

senior account managers, with lots of experience in what she did. Several

candidates, in fact, were already assistants to other VPs. Good, solid

employees, with stable backgrounds and excellent references.

She clicked on Kerry’s submission and reviewed it. Absolutely no

experience in any facet of what she did. Absolutely no experience in multiple

markets, no experience overseas, no experience in corporate takeovers. She

had absolutely nothing in her favor, in fact, except for guts, and brains, and a

beautiful smile.

A reckless, piratical gleam entered Dar’s blue eyes. It was so easy. Two

clicks and an F3 submit key. “Oh look.” Dar did it before she could stop and

think better of anything. “I just hired an assistant.” She took a deep breath.

“Isn’t technology wonderful?”

She almost felt lightheaded. Making decisions was second nature to her,

but she knew this one was different. Mariana was going to kill her. Company

regulations stipulated that she had to interview and evaluate each candidate,

and produce written documentation to back up her choice. Hell with it. She

clicked over to mail.

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: New Assistant

Mari—

Just hired Kerry Stuart from the Associated

Synergenics account as my assistant. Please process her

paperwork. I figured it would be easier on you since

she’s technically an outside candidate—you can hire and

transition her all at once.

Bring her in as a 10, standard package, the works.

I’ll send her over to fill out forms some time next week.

I know everyone will bitch. Just tell them manager’s

discretion, and they can see me personally if they have a

problem.

Dar

A loophole. Dar loved loopholes. Bringing in Kerry as an outside posting

would circumvent most of the hysteria, and she could just ignore the rest.

Mariana was used to that anyway, manager’s discretion was a watchword in

the company. A lot of the rules were left deliberately vague, and you had to

take responsibility for what you decided.

Tropical Storm 67

Dar always had. Even when the decisions had turned out wrong, she still

refused to hide behind anyone, and took the brunt of the blame on her own

shoulders. It was the one thing that kept everyone at bay, even those people

who hated her…and there were a lot of those. She’d made a lot of enemies

and few friends in her years at the company, but it was the one thing that

everyone respected her for. When Dar Roberts made a decision, she stood

behind it, one hundred percent.

With a grin, she rubbed her hands together, then took a long drink of her

chocolate milk before she started typing.

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: re: Assistant’s Job

Kerry,

Got your note.

Attached to this e-mail you’ll find corporate

policies and procedures, including the dress code. You

might want to take a look at that. Jeans are not allowed

during normal business hours.

I estimate it should take about a week to get the

paperwork completed, and that will give you a chance to

settle your current assignment. Call me if you have any

questions.

Dar

With a sense of inevitability, she hit Send. She still had some doubts, still

had some questions as to whether she was doing the right thing for Kerry, but

it was done. Time would tell if this was a good decision, or one of the ones she

lived to regret.

With a sigh, she wriggled into a more comfortable position and allowed

her attention to be distracted by Space Ghost strangling something with

tentacles on the screen. “I love a good violent cartoon,” she commented to the

empty condo.

The words echoed off the walls, and she turned the sound up a little, a

faint grin twitching at her lips as her thoughts drifted, the fingers of her right

hand flexing slowly against the couch’s soft leather.

“SO, WHAT HAPPENED?” the tall, dark-skinned man asked, his eyes on

the broken window.

“Um, a rock,” Kerry muttered. “Must have…fallen off the highway

overpass, or something.”

Brown eyes gave her a disbelieving stare. “C’mon, honey, you got to give

me something better than that.” Jerry wagged a finger at her. “You have a new

boyfriend, maybe? You get in a, how you call, a fight?”

Kerry laughed softly. “Uh, no. No, no new boyfriend. I…” She glanced

around. “Jerry, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some guys just

decided to take a crack at the car. I got away.” She made a face. “I don’t want

to make a big deal about it. I didn’t see them, so…”

“Ah hah.” Jerry waggled his fingers at her. “I got you. No problem.” He

68 Melissa Good

studied the car. “Sixty dollars.”

“Great.” Kerry smiled and handed over the keys. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Cherry, I hope.” The man laughed. “My favorite flavor.” He patted her

on the shoulder. “Hey, did you get cut?” He lifted her hand and studied it.

“Looks like you hit something.”

“Um…” Kerry ran her fingers through her hair. “An accident.”

Jerry looked at her, serious now. He tipped her chin up so she had to look

him in the eye. “Girlfriend, are you in trouble?”

“No.” She shook her head positively. “I almost was, last night…but

someone showed up, and chased the guys off, and I was fine, really. They

even gave me a ride back here.”

“Mmm-hmm…was he nice? Was he a gentleman?” Jerry inquired.

Kerry bit off a grin. “He was a she.” Her eyes twinkled a little. “And

she…was wonderful.”

“Ahhh…okay.” The mechanic chuckled. “I’ll finish this probably tonight,

maybe tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded. “Great.”

Colleen came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, girl.”

Kerry turned and smiled. “Hey, listen, thanks for calling to check on me

last night. Sorry I gave you a scare yesterday.” She motioned towards the door

to her apartment. “Come on inside, it’s wet out here.”

The redhead followed her, closing the door behind them, and moving

quickly across to where Kerry was stacking printouts she no longer needed on

her desk. “So, now tell me everything.” Her voice was eager. “I could have

killed you last night. Five words and you’re gone.”

Kerry finished her task, then grinned and pulled her friend over to the

couch. “Sit, it’s a long story.” She waited for Colleen to sit down, then she

tucked her legs up under her and leaned an arm on the back of the couch.

“Well, where do I start?” She told Colleen the whole story, watching Colleen’s

jaw drop in amazement.

“Whoa. Whoa, whoa... Hold on just a Jesus, Mary and Joseph minute.”

She held up her hand. “Let me get this tale straight: you found out you all

were gonna be fired; so you drove out to the Key; then you run out of gas on

the way back; get stuck near the tracks in downtown; get carjacked; then you

get rescued, like a full-blown-caped-crusader-flying-to-the-rescue kind of

thing, by Dar Roberts. Am I clear on this so far?” Her voice was incredulous.

“The same Dar Roberts that just fired you? That one?”

“Um…essentially, yes.” Kerry grinned. “Only she made like it was

nothing—like she just sort of happened by, and the guys ran off or something.

But I know she had to have done something to them, because her hands were

all banged up, and I heard at least one of the guys scream.”

“Wow.” Colleen squealed. “Is she, like, into karate or something?”

“Mmm.” Kerry thought about that. “I don’t know, but I think she’s into

something. She’s got all these muscles all up and down her arms…like here.”

She patted her shoulders. “And when she walks, she kinda…well, you can tell

she doesn’t just sit around her office all day.”

“Ooo…” Colleen giggled. “So, what was she doing, wandering the streets

looking for damsels in distress to save?”

Tropical Storm 69

“Tch.” Kerry slapped her leg. “No, actually. I, um…I called her. No, don’t

look at me like that, okay? I had this number she told me to use if I had any

problems with her goon squad. I figured it was some flunky of hers, so I called

it. I thought I could get him to call Triple A for me or something.”

“But it wasn’t, huh?” Colleen looked fascinated. “This is more and more

intriguing.”

“No. No, it was her,” Kerry admitted. “So I hung up, but she called back.

And she asked me where I was. I felt like such an idiot telling her I ran out of

gas, but…” She sighed. “Anyway, these guys came at me, and I told her to call

the police. Then they hit the car, and it got really scary. Then the next thing I

knew, they were gone, and she was there.” The blonde woman chuckled a

little. “Boy, for someone I was hating a half hour before, I sure was glad to see

her.”“So…you’re fired, though?” Colleen said, concerned. “What are you

going to do?”

“Well, I’m not, actually. See, we went back to her office after the whole

thing, and she went over the numbers again, and she finally had a brainstorm

or something…and she worked it out so we were okay.” Kerry took a breath.

“It was pretty amazing. She told some big boss of hers she’d been working on

whatever this thing was for forty-eight hours without sleep.”

“Jesus!” The redhead snorted. “So, you’re not fired.”

“No,” her friend agreed.

“And your guys are okay?”

Kerry lifted a hand and let it drop to her knee. “As okay as I could work

out,” she admitted. “Some of them are going to be let go.”

“Figures.” Colleen now looked skeptical. “That leopard isn’t changing its

spots any time soon, I think.”

“No. No, it’s…” Kerry shook her head. “She made it okay, Col. She’s

letting me give them six months’ severance.”

The redhead’s jaw dropped wide open, and she goggled at Kerry. “Six?”

“And six months’ benefits,” Kerry concluded. “I couldn’t believe it.

That’s the part that was so hard, Col. I knew even if I worked it out, I’d still

have to face those people.”

“Six?” Colleen repeated, seemingly in a daze. “Kerry, nobody does that.”

“She did.” The blonde woman leaned back. “What a weight off my

shoulders. I could have ki…” She fell silent. “Anyway, it’ll be a little tough,

but we’re in.”

“Unbelievable,” her friend said. “But can you trust her? You sound like

you’re thinking she’s not so bad after all.”

“No.” Kerry shook her head and smiled. “She’s really not. I mean, she’s

all business, right? And I think she’d fire someone like most other people

would just blow their nose or whatever. But towards the end of the night, she

was kind of just okay. And, I got the feeling we could actually…sort of get

along, if we really wanted to.”

Colleen whistled. “My boss wouldn’t believe it. You should hear how he

talks about her. You’d think she was the daughter of the devil himself.”

Kerry looked up as her PC chimed. “Whoops.” She got up and checked

the screen. “Mail, on Saturday?” But a thrill of anticipation ran up her back as

70 Melissa Good

she opened the program, scanning the inbox and letting out a soft breath as

she saw the first name on the list. “Well, speaking of Dar Roberts.” She clicked

on the message, and read it, then read it again. “What in…”

Colleen had stepped up behind her, and peered over her shoulder. “What

does that mean?” She puzzled at it. “Why do you need to worry about their

dress code? You don’t work in that building.”

“Uh.” Kerry closed the message, then opened a terminal session and

thumbed through her notes as she requested a logon to the mainframe. “Okay,

I press this, then go here…login, password… Oh, hell! Okay, try it again. Ah.”

She accessed her own employee files, then stared at the main screen in

disbelief. “Oh…sugarbaker.”

“What?” Colleen peered at the screen. “What’s an ORGID?” she asked. “It

sounds disgusting.”

“She did it.” Kerry breathed, her fingertip tracing the change in her

department, location, and her supervisor.

Roberts, D

“She did what?” The redhead poked her. “C’mon, Ker, spill it. What’s

going on here?”

“She hired me,” Kerry mumbled.

“I thought you were already hired?” came the puzzled response. “Did I

miss something here?”

“Well, yeah, but she had this…I mean, she hired me to work for her,”

Kerry responded, dazed. “She was looking for an assistant.”

“Jesus Mary mother of God.” Colleen squeaked. “You are going to be Dar

Roberts’ assistant?” She pounded on Kerry’s back. “You? Oh my god!”

“Ow!” Kerry ducked out of the way. “Cut that out! I’ve got scratches

from that stupid glass.” But she felt exhilarated. “And…yeah. I guess I’m

going to work for her. I didn’t expect her to make a decision so fast, but now

that I think about it, it doesn’t surprise me. I don’t think she likes to dawdle

around stuff.” Whoo-ooo! Inside, she was jumping up and down. “Wow.”

“Okay, girl, tonight we party,” Colleen decided. “You need to go out and

celebrate. Because let me tell you, from what I hear? You won’t get a chance to

breathe once you start working for her.” She tugged Kerry’s sleeve. “Let’s do

Cocowalk, and hit the Improv, then have a late dinner at Monte’s. I’ll get Pete

and Reggie, and a few other people around here, okay?”

Kerry grinned. “Sure, that sounds fun. I can do that,” she agreed.

“Tomorrow… Ye gods! I’ll have to go clothes shopping. I don’t have anything

good enough for that mausoleum, it’s humongous.”

“Ooo…ooo…ooo…” Colleen waved her hands. “I’ll go shopping too, I’d

love to see you in some fancy power suits for a change. This is gonna be

great.” She stood up. “I’ll be back. You stay right here, Ms. High and Mighty

corporate executive.”

Kerry rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ve got to find out what the rest of this mail

is, anyway. It’s after two, you want to meet in front of here at five?”

“You betcha,” Colleen agreed, then bustled off. “Hey, I’ll invite Gary. He

really likes you.”

The blonde woman waved a hand at her. “Fine, fine. Just tell him not to

talk about his job all the time, okay?”

Tropical Storm 71

“Kerry, he can’t help working at the Water and Sewer plant,” the redhead

chided her. “He’s very excited about it.” Green eyes peered over the monitor

at her. “Okay, okay. I’m outta here.” Colleen laughed. “I’ll tell him.”

As the door closed, Kerry sat back and re-read her mail for the third time.

“Man, oh man, I can’t believe it.” She eyed the phone. “Guess I’d better let the

folks in on this.” She picked up the receiver and dialed a number, waiting

until she heard a voice answer. “Hi, Mom.”

“Oh, hello, Kerrison,” her mother’s flat, even tone replied. “I wasn’t

expecting you until tonight. Is there a problem?”

“No, no. I got some good news. I thought I’d pass it along,” Kerry

answered quietly. “I was promoted.”

“That’s nice, dear. I thought perhaps you were going to say you’d given

up that strange city and were coming home. What kind of promotion was it?”

“Well, we were bought out. I think I told you that was happening last

week.”

“Oh? Oh yes, you mentioned it,” Cynthia Stuart recalled. “Your father

was saying he’s had dealings with that new company.”

“Mmm, yes, they’re pretty big. There was an opening there, on the

operations team. I applied for it, and they took me,” Kerry told her carefully.

“I’m…well, I’ve got to go shopping for some new clothes tomorrow.”

A note of concern entered her mother’s voice. “You haven’t been putting

on weight again, have you, dear?”

“Oh, no. No,” Kerry reassured her. “No, in fact, I lost a few pounds over

the last few days. Um…no, it’s…well, I’m going to be the assistant to one of

their Vice Presidents, so I have to dress up.”

“Oh?” Now her mother sounded more interested. “Really? That sounds

more…well, you have to make sure you make a good impression. You have a

Macy’s down there, isn’t that right?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Excellent. Take my card, dear, and you go pick out some nice new

outfits. Something in green, I think, would look good with your hair. Has it

gotten lighter? It did last summer. And make sure you get nice shoes, not

those awful pumps you usually wear.” There was a pause. “Roger? Roger, is

that you? It’s Kerry on the phone. Dear, she’s going to be working for one of

their Vice Presidents. Isn’t that wonderful?”

A rustle, then her father’s deep voice rumbled down the line. “Kerrison?”

“Yes, Father,” Kerry answered quietly. “It’s true, I got promoted.”

“Well, well, that’s nice. Glad to see they recognize quality when they see

it, not like that little pissant company you worked for. This is good news. “ He

cleared his throat. “Who will you be working for? I know a bunch of their

upper echelon people, naturally, since we do bidding for the state, and they’re

a major contractor.”

“Dar Roberts.” Kerry tasted the name, rolling it around in her mouth with

a kind of pleasure.

A moments’ silence and then her father barked, “Jesus. That’s not just one

of their VPs, Kerrison, that’s… Well, my god, we’ve been trying to get a bead

on her for…” His voice trailed off. “Well, well, never mind that. This could be

of great value to me, though. Good work, Kerrison, very good. I’m very proud

72 Melissa Good

of you.”

Kerry felt a tense smile edge her lips. “Thank you.” She heard her

mother’s voice in the background.

“I’ve told her to take my Macy’s card, Roger, and get herself dressed to

impress these people.”

“Good idea, honey,” her father’s voice returned. “You listen to your

mother, you hear? You go out to the store, and you buy stuff that’s gonna

knock their socks off, all right?”

“I’ll…do my best, Father,” Kerry replied.

“I want you to send pictures, all right?” came the gruff demand. “I want

to make sure you’re giving the right impression. This could be very valuable

to me.” He paused. “I was going to bring you home. We were thinking of

having the wedding in the spring, but this…this could be worth the wait.”

“I’ll send pictures, I promise.” Kerry silently blessed Dar, who had

provided her, all unknowing, a reprieve from almost unrelenting parental

pressure. “I’m really excited. I think I’m really going to like this new job.”

“Good. Here, talk to your mother.”

“Your father is very excited too, dear.” Her mother’s voice sounded

smug. “I haven’t seen him this enthusiastic since that Tripp woman surfaced.”

She drew a breath. “Your sister’s pregnant again, bye the bye. Be sure to

congratulate her when you talk to her later.”

“I will, thanks. When did she find out?”

“Last week, but we suspected for a while now,” her mother responded.

“Of course, Richard has such an ugly face. I’m waiting for you and Brian to

give me beautiful grandchildren.” A rustle. “Well, I have to go, dear. You run

along to the store and have a good time.”

“Thanks, mother. I’ll try.” Kerry sighed as she hung up, and stared at the

receiver in mild disgust. “Glad that’s over.” She turned her attention back to

her mail and sat down, cracking her knuckles as she started a reply to Dar’s

message.

Sent by: Kerry Stuart

Subject: re: Assistant’s Job

Dar,

“Wow!” She thought, “I like that name. I wonder what it’s short for?”

You move really fast, did anyone ever tell you that?

You nearly gave me a heart attack when I checked my

status in CAS.

Okay—I got the attachment. I’m kind of lost, though.

Can you give me some tips on what is appropriate to wear

at the office? I guess a trip to Macy’s is in order, but

I’d love it if you’d give me a hint, since I know you have

no problem in that area.

Well, it’s been quite a week, my friends are all

taking me out tonight to the Improv, and then Monte’s,

because they tell me I won’t have a chance to breathe

once I start working for you.

Tropical Storm 73

I hope that’s true. I’m really excited. I hope I

don’t disappoint anyone.

Kerry

She hesitated, struck by the informality of the language. Just when did I get

so comfortable with this woman? I told her to go to hell yesterday, didn’t I? She sat back and pondered the thought. And now I’m working for her. Is this weird, or

what?

Across the room, the panda smiled at her. Kerry looked down at her

bruised knuckles and the cuts on her palms, and acknowledged that life was

shifting around her, changes happening almost faster than she knew how to

adjust to them.

“Dar,” she murmured, tasting the name. “Yeah, I like that.” She clicked

Send on the mail and sat back, feeling a sense of rare, reckless happiness.

“This is going to be amazing. I just know it.”

Chapter

Eight

DAR PULLED INTO the mall parking lot and swung into a spot in the

rear of the north end, where not many people parked. She didn’t mind the

walk, though, and it was worth it to her not to have to struggle with the

crowds nearer to the stores. She locked the Lexus, then tucked her keys away

into the small pouch she had slung over her shoulder and headed towards the

cluster of buildings.

It was weird. She hated shopping. She had no real idea why she’d

answered Kerry’s mail yesterday with an offer to meet her here and help her

pick new clothes. What in hell was I thinking? Especially up here at Aventura, home of batty socialites, condo commandos, and the snowbird flock from Hell.

She sighed as she dodged a Lincoln Town Car longer than her office, and

watched as its elderly driver simply chose to park the yacht right in front of

the store.

Oh well, it won’t kill me. Besides, the kid sounded so unsure... She wanted to

make a good impression, and that, at least, Dar agreed with. It would be

sensational enough that she picked an assistant less than twenty-four hours

after posting for one—Kerry would be under some close scrutiny the first few

weeks. Might as well make sure the kid felt confident in what she was

wearing.

Dar opened the rear entrance to Sears and slipped inside, padding

through the hardware section and out through the entrance into the main

mall. A cacophony of mall music, the sounds of a fashion show, birds, and a

dozen languages surrounded her and she glanced around, getting her

bearings before she headed for the escalator to the second floor.

Macy’s was in the dead center of the mall, near the busy food court, but

Dar had no problem finding her target. Kerry was leaning against the railing,

peering down at the fashion show that was going on below, and Dar, as she

approached, took the time to study the younger woman.

She’d chosen khaki shorts and a crisp white shirt, and had her blonde

hair pulled back in a loose braid, one part of which was hanging over her

shoulder as she watched. She leaned forward on her elbows to get a better

view, and the overhead light cascaded gently around her, highlighting the

smooth lines of her face. They shifted as she turned, perhaps sensing eyes on

her, and her gaze met Dar’s.

Unconsciously, Dar was sure, a smile formed, that extended to her sea

green eyes and wrinkled the skin around her nose and mouth. No, she then

realized. That smile’s for me. Well, better than the wary, suspicious look I got before, Tropical Storm 75

I suppose. “Hi.”

Kerry moved back from the railing, and straightened her shirt with an

automatic gesture. “Hi. Listen, thank you for offering to help me do this. I

can’t believe you took the time out.”

Dar shrugged. “Normally, I couldn’t. But since we posted quarterly

reports yesterday, there’s nothing scheduled this weekend.” She gestured.

“Shall we?”

“Well, thanks.” Kerry seemed a bit nervous. “Um…do you shop here a

lot? I’ve been up here a few times. I like some of the little stores. Did you

know there was a Warner Brother’s shop here? I like Tweety Bird.”

Dar chuckled. “No, actually I haven’t been up here since they built the

addition on. I’ll have to go take a look.” She paused. “I, um…I’ve been to the

Disney Store, though.”

They entered Macy’s and moved quickly past the fragrance counter,

which tended to be overwhelming. Dar took the lead and slipped between

several aisles, arriving in the section that featured understated, classic

business clothing.

“Mmm.” Kerry fingered a silk blouse. “That’s nice.”

Dar took a breath and took charge. “Okay, let’s see.” She wandered the

racks and rifled through their offerings, then picked out a skirt and jacket set

in a rich blue green. “Something like this would be fine.” She paused and her

brows creased. “Oh…here, with this kind of shirt.” She pulled a cream-

colored silk blouse over. “Get the idea?”

Kerry touched the label, then checked the size. She gave Dar a perplexed

look. “Did you pick this by chance, or did you guess what size I am?”

The older woman allowed a grin to surface briefly. “Let’s just say I have a

good three-dimensional spatial sense.”

“Ah.” Kerry’s brow creased. “Is it contagious?”

Dar chuckled. “I know what size I am and calculated down.” She

relented.

Kerry glanced at the outfit. “Well, let me try this on just to check the size.

You can never tell with these designers.” She accepted a tag from the fitting

room guardian and slipped inside a closet, hanging the outfit up and gazing at

it. “Not bad, actually,” she mused, liking the color.

It took a moment to pull her clothes off and slip into the skirt, zipping it

up and adjusting the waistline a little. It hugged her hips and maintained a

fairly straight line, which she preferred to pleats. Then she put on the silk

blouse, smiling as the cool fabric warmed against her skin, and tucked it into

the skirt, putting on the jacket over both of them. She settled the clothes, then

surveyed the results in the mirror.

Hmm. Don’t I look stuffy. She made a face at herself in the mirror . But then

that building is pretentious, so… With a sigh, she poked her head out the door

and spotted Dar lounging against the wall, watching the people go by. The

executive looked anything but, in her faded jeans and salmon-colored shirt,

which was tucked into the braided leather belt clasped around her waist. Her

dark hair was loose and uncomplicated, flowing free around her shoulders,

and she had on a minimum of make-up, which suited her tanned skin. “Hey,”

Kerry called softly.

76 Melissa Good

Dar’s eyes shifted from the crowd to her, the pale blue startling as

always. A dark brow lifted, and a look of approval crossed her face. “Yep,

that’s the ticket.” The executive nodded. “What do you think?”

Kerry walked forward, twitching at the fabric. “Well, I think I feel like a

librarian, but…”

Suddenly, startlingly, Dar smiled, showing even, white teeth and the

faintest of twinkles in her pale eyes. “Dade County should be that lucky,” she

remarked wryly. “Literacy would go up, that’s for sure.”

Kerry smiled back, a little confused. Am I being complimented? It’s hard to

tell. “Okay. Well, I get the idea here. A few more and, um…if you have other

things to do, don’t bother hanging around. I really appreciate you coming all

the way up here, though, Dar.”

Dar glanced around, then folded her arms. “Tell you the truth, I had to

come up here anyway. There are a few things in Lord and Taylor’s I needed to

pick up, and I should get one or two new blazers myself.” She considered for a

moment. “We should probably chat for a few minutes before tomorrow

anyway. How about we finish up here, then grab a sandwich over in the new

wing, so we can sit down and talk?”

Kerry blinked. “Um…” Well, sure. She’s my new boss, it makes perfect sense.

“Sure, that sounds fine. I’ve got some questions and things I should ask, and

that kind of thing.”

“Good.” Dar nodded briskly. “Come on then, let’s get the rest of your

stuff picked out.”

KERRY LOOKED AT the menu, then glanced across the table at Dar who

was peering up at the ceiling, observing a large stuffed cheetah perched over

their heads. A rumble of thunder rolled around them, and she thought it was

real, then realized it was part of the ambiance of the restaurant.

The Rainforest Café was definitely different. Small trickles of water were

everywhere, and a gentle mist rose from the planter behind her. Off to one

side, a trio of colorful birds were being coaxed through tricks by a red-shirted

attendant, and they were surrounded by cave-like walls and thick jungle

foliage.

Dar reached up and touched the cheetah’s tail, and, as if by cue, the

animal let out a mechanical roar, causing the executive to jerk her hand back

in startlement. She scowled, then looked across at Kerry, who was biting her

lip to keep from smiling. “You think it’s funny, huh?”

Kerry cleared her throat. “Um. No, no. I make it a point never to laugh at

my boss.” She kept her eyes on the menu, which was interestingly eclectic and

tempted her with a long list of tasty treats she seldom allowed herself to

indulge in.

Dar had no such compunctions. She glanced up and folded her hands on

the table as a perky young waitress came over. “Do you like iced tea?” she

inquired.

Kerry nodded. “Sure.”

“Bring a pitcher of iced tea and an appetizer combo to start,” the

executive instructed the waitress. “Then come back in a few minutes.” She

Tropical Storm 77

waited for the girl to leave. “I figured that was pretty safe. I’ve never eaten

here, but I’ve heard good things about the food.”

Kerry gave in, and decided to just make it up with an extra hour of riding

tomorrow. “Yeah, it all looks good.” She settled happily on a spicy pasta dish

and closed the menu, glancing across at Dar with a fading sense of

trepidation. It was hard to believe she’d ever been intimidated by the taller

woman, not sitting here across from her here in a fake jungle with soft lights

that framed Dar’s angular profile nicely.

Her face is very interesting, Kerry thought. It was almost always moving,

little muscles shifting under her skin like she was watching things. Her hands

moved a lot too, playing with the menu, with the silverware, and with the tiny

drink-table tents that announced specials. Kerry wondered if Dar wasn’t a

little nervous or uncomfortable, because she certainly was, but it was hard to

tell. Maybe the woman just naturally fidgeted. She seemed the restless type.

In addition to the swelling and bruising across her right knuckles, her

hands had a few little scars on them, and she wasn’t wearing any rings. They

were fairly good-sized, with long fingers and short, unpolished nails. As

someone else who used a keyboard all day, Kerry could appreciate that, and

in fact, unless she was going out, she kept hers the same way.

Dar’s wrists were thicker in proportion to her own, though, and as the

executive moved, even in the low light she could see the shift of muscles just

under her skin. It was an impression of strength that intrigued the younger

woman, as it was so at odds with the corporate mentality she’d been

expecting. Vice presidents were pasty white men who sat in plush offices all

day and smoked cigars. They weren’t…well, they weren’t Dar Roberts.

“Excuse me?” Kerry looked up, realizing Dar had spoken to her. “I’m sorry. I

missed that?”

Dar cocked her head and regarded her. “What I said was, you can expect

a few weeks where you’ll need to settle in and get used to things.”

Kerry nodded. “All right, I kind of thought that was the case. Besides, I

need a week to put someone in my position. I know I was thinking of Ray, but

this all happened so fast, I didn’t have a chance to talk to him about

anything.”

Dar nodded. “Good. Spend a day or two there clearing things up while I

get paperwork and a place for you to sit straightened out at the office. Maria is

going to kill me for dumping a new hire on her plate first thing on a Monday

morning.”

Kerry wasn’t sure what response was required for this information, so

she just pursed her lips into a hesitant smile.

“Maria is my secretary,” Dar explained, seeing the expression.

“Oh.” The green eyes examined the table, which was covered in a tropical

shower-curtain material. “She’s going to be upset, huh?”

“Just for a minute,” the dark-haired woman replied. “Listen, are you sure

you want to do this?”

The question had come out of the blue, and caused Kerry to jerk her head

up and meet Dar’s eyes. “I…” She fell silent. “I’m sure,” she said after a

moment. “I really am.”

Dar exhaled. “This isn’t an easy job. You have to put up with a lot of

78 Melissa Good

stress and a lot of bullshit. I’m not an easy person to be around, or get along

with. I want you to know that up front.” Her voice was serious. “You’re a nice

kid, and I don’t want you to come back at me two weeks from now saying it’s

too much for you.”

Kerry straightened and looked her in the eye, feeling herself wanting to

rise to the challenge apparent in Dar’s words. “How nice can I be if I called

you a son of a bitch?” she inquired, seeing that sudden, impish glint appear

across from her and as quickly disappear. “And I’m not a kid, thanks. I’m

twenty-seven.”

Dar studied her openly. “You hated what happened to your company.

Why do you want to become a part of that?” she asked. “You know what I do,

Kerry. You saw the raw side of it.”

Kerry studied her back. “I like you.”

Both of Dar’s dark brows rose. “Excuse me?” Her voice rose in some

surprise.

Kerry shrugged. “I like you. I think you’re smart, and I think I can learn a

lot from you.” She paused. “Where I was, that was as high as I was going. I

stopped learning things. It was more like my job was maintaining the status

quo. There were new accounts, sure, but I didn’t get to direct that, only

provide the support and solutions. This is something a lot different.”

Dar propped her chin up on a fist and regarded her. “I see.”

“My turn.” Kerry took a sip of the iced tea their server put down and

blinked at the tray of appetizers. “Mmm.” She picked up a piece of coconut

chicken and nibbled it before she continued. “Why me?”

“Hmm?” Dar had taken a stuffed egg roll and was chewing it. Now she

looked up and into Kerry’s eyes with slightly raised eyebrows.

A shrug. “A hundred and ten thousand people to choose from, why me?”

Dar stopped eating and flashed her a smile. “I like you.” A hint of humor

appeared. “Not one of the other hundred and ten thousand would have had

the guts to call me a son of a bitch or tell me to go to hell.”

“Oh.” Kerry blushed. “So that was a plus?”

“I think you’ve got potential, and you aren’t dragging around a lot of

baggage I have to get rid of before you’ll be useful,” Dar continued, in a

reflective tone. “Besides, you’re probably good with people, which is

something I’m lousy at.” She bit into the egg roll and munched it.

“Mmm. Not always,” Kerry replied quietly.

Dar glanced up. “You’re not good with people?” Her voice was

surprised.

“You’re not always bad with them,” the blonde corrected, smiling a little

at the momentary break in her new boss’s composure. “But I know what you

mean. I do get along with people most of the time. I like working out

problems, finding different solutions without going head to head, that kind of

thing.”

Dar chuckled. “I’d rather break the heads and have done with it.”

Kerry gently touched the bruised hand laying on the table. “So I see.” She

removed her fingers when she saw Dar’s flinch at the touch. “Sorry, is it

sore?”

“A little.” Dar flexed her hand a bit. “Must have banged it on the car.”

Tropical Storm 79

Kerry just looked at her, a hint of a smile playing around her lips. “I had

to pay extra for the screaming Mustang model, too. It makes a great car

alarm,” she drawled. “I especially like the option that makes it holler ‘Jesus

Christ’ in Spanish.”

Dar held her blank look for a moment more, then surrendered, relaxing

into a smile that took five years off her age. “Ah. So my cover is blown, is that

it?” She gave her hand a sheepish glance. “I was trying to figure out what

horse’s-ass tale I was going to tell the office tomorrow.”

Kerry laughed. “To be honest, I didn’t even realize what was going on

until I thought about it last night. I was too shook up before that.” She took a

chicken wing and dipped it into a small dish of blue cheese dressing. “It was

kind of like living the movie of the week, you know? Here I am, trapped in the

bowels of Miami, getting attacked by street punks, when along comes this

hero, beating them all up and chasing them away like dogs with their tails

caught betw…” She’d looked up and found pale blue eyes staring at her from

a very serious face as a hand covered hers with startling warmth. “What?”

Dar leaned forward. “Don’t call me that. I’ve known far too many people

who really were.” Her voice went a touch deeper. “They just didn’t want any

witnesses, so they took off.”

Kerry gazed at her. “Well, you might know many heroes, but I only know

one.” Her chin lifted a trifle. “But I won’t mention it if it bothers you.” The

dim lighting made it hard to tell, but the blonde woman thought it was

possible her new boss was blushing, just a little.

The waitress arrived, much to both of their relief. “Um, the spicy pasta.”

Kerry didn’t try to pronounce the actual name of it.

Dar cleared her throat. “I’ll have the salmon steak.”

The waitress scribbled. “Vegetables or garlic mashed potatoes?”

“Potatoes, please,” Dar replied. “And some more tea.”

They were both silent after she left, and Kerry took the opportunity to

sample some of the rest of the appetizers. She waited until her companion did

the same, then finally looked up. “So, tell me about those contracts. I’d at least

like to give the TCP/IP group a heads up. I know you said it was the IRS,

but…”

Dar seemed relieved at the change in subject. “Oh, right. Well, it’s their

master website. They set up a consumer site to provide tax help and all the

forms support. It gets about forty thousand hits a day. The concerns involve

mostly bandwidth issues and doc server glitches.”

“Mmm.” Kerry absorbed this.

“The contract specifies hardware and software. You’ll have resources in

the local area to dispatch for the hardware. I think we contract out to NCR in

that area.”

“Sounds good.” The blonde woman looked intrigued. “What about the

other one?”

“Um…” Dar’s brow creased. “Oh yeah. The ATM contract for

transmission services for the Navy.” She paused. “And the network support

for that and for their ship-to-shore microwave network transmissions.”

Kerry blinked. “Wow. The WAN guys are going to freak out.” She

laughed a little. “They were telling me only last month they were getting

80 Melissa Good

bored.” She relaxed a little and so did Dar. “That’ll mean some extra training.”

Dar nodded. “I’ll give you the number of the training division in

Houston. Give them a call and set up what you need. Depending on how

many people you have, either they’ll go out there, or Houston will send a

trainer down here.” They continued discussing details until dinner arrived,

then talk slowed down as they paid attention to their food.

Kerry enjoyed her pasta and watched curiously as her companion

methodically decimated the large salmon steak into neat squares, pairing each

square with a forkful of mashed potatoes as she ate it. “That smells great.”

“It is,” Dar replied, after swallowing. “It’s honey and brown sugar

glazed.” She hesitated, then casually dropped a square on Kerry’s plate.

“Here.”

Kerry obligingly tried it. “Wow, that is good.” She nudged a bit of the

chicken from her pasta over on to her companion’s dish. “Fair is fair.”

She chewed the offering. “Wow.” Dar chuckled. “ You like stuff spicy,

huh?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Kerry agreed. “It’s what I like best about living here.

Everything tastes different, it’s not all the same.” She took a sip of tea. “Do

you like Thai food?”

“Anything with peanuts,” the executive replied with a grin. “There’s a

good Thai restaurant right off US 1 near Dadeland. They make really good

chicken curry.”

Kerry’s eyes lit up. “Really? And I never found it? W—” The “we” almost

escaped, but she clamped her jaw shut on it. We should go there? What the heck

was I thinking? This is my new boss, who certainly had better things to do than roam

around Miami finding new Thai restaurants for me. “Thanks for telling me about

it.”

“Sure.” Dar smiled at her. “How’d it go with your window?”

“Oh, fine. Fine. It’s done already,” Kerry assured her, then she dug in a

pocket. “Oh yeah. Jerry found this when he was cleaning the glass up. Is it

yours?” She held up a woodgrain-cased pen.

Dar blinked. “Didn’t even realize I lost that.” She reached over and

claimed it. “Thanks.” She looked up as the waitress returned. “We’re done,

yes. I’d like a large cappuccino, and, um…” Her eyes went to Kerry’s face,

watching the blonde woman’s brows lift as a dessert tray went by. “Hey, share

a cheesecake with me?”

Kerry’s eyes widened, then she sighed, and patted her stomach. “I

shouldn’t.”

Dar just waited, sure of her quarry. She was beginning to gather an

understanding about her new associate. It was a habit of hers, to try and figure

out all the angles, and predict what people would do, and so far, Kerry Stuart

was proving quite a challenge.

But not on this subject. Dar enjoyed indulging herself, and she suspected

Kerry leaned in that direction as well, however unwilling she appeared on the

face of it. “C’mon.”

“Oh well, okay.” She capitulated, giving Dar a little wry shrug. “Guess

I’ll just put in extra time on the Rollerblades.” And how had the mildly

unnerving Dar Roberts known she liked cheesecake? She decided to try

Tropical Storm 81

another slightly more personal question, though she noticed Dar stiffened up

when she’d done so before. “Have you ever tried that?”

“Cheesecake or Rollerblades?” Dar chuckled softly. “Both. I like one, and

I’m not too fond of the other. I made close acquaintance with a tree last time I

used them.” She glanced towards the fake waterfall, which was expelling

another cloud of mist. “I stick to running.” She noticed Kerry’s eyes on the

bare, subtly muscular arms emerging from her shirt. “And a little working

out.” The sea green orbs lifted to hers, and Dar felt uncharacteristically off-

balance. Something about the intensity, maybe? “So, you’re all ready for

tomorrow? Did personnel forward you an electronic packet of forms for all the

people you’ll be converting?”

Kerry watched as the server put down an enormous piece of cheesecake

covered with chocolate, which was flanked by two bananas, equally doused.

She sucked in a breath. “Ooo.” Then she realized Dar had asked her a

question. “Uh, yes. I got a ton of mail from them, including a three-page

instruction list from someone named Mariana, who said something really

funny like I was the new duckling?” She waited for Dar to pick up one of the

two forks the server offered, then picked up her own and tried a bite. “Wow. I

could get to like that way too much.”

“Duckling, huh?” Dar murmured as she worked a chunk off and nibbled

it. “Mariana is our Director of Personnel. She’ll help you get everything

straightened out.” She took another bite, enjoying the smooth, rich taste. “She

has a unique sense of humor.”

Is that a company requirement? Kerry wondered, but didn’t reply.

They finished up and sauntered through the shop in the front of the

restaurant, filled with rainforest-inspired merchandise ranging from T-shirts

to tiny rubber geckos to Beanie Babies in the shape of toucans and monkeys.

Kerry fingered a tiny Beanie salamander in an interesting shade of greenish

blue, then put it down with a sigh. “I have enough stuff on my desk.”

Dar, who had been examining the large cockatoo overhead, turned but

didn’t say anything. They walked out and through the mostly closed mall, the

stores shut up tight and only a thin strain of music playing. “Where are you

parked?”

“Around by the food court,” Kerry answered as she pushed the door

open and held it. The thick, moist air hit her, carrying a heavy scent of rain.

“Well, thank you, Dar. I really appreciate you coming up here.”

The darkness outside hid most of the taller woman’s expression. “My

car’s back here; I’ll give you a ride around to the front,” she stated. “And don’t

worry about it. I was glad to get a chance to pick up this stuff.” She hefted her

bag.

Kerry followed her out into the dark lot, stretching her legs a little to keep

up. The breeze off the nearby ocean was warm and sultry and she sighed. “It’s

hard to get used to the heat sometimes.”

A soft chuckle answered her. “That’s why we all stay inside,” Dar

replied. “C’mon, it’s over here, under that ledge.”

Moving shadows surrounded them—cleaners, and workmen, and other,

darker, figures. The parking lot was large and mostly empty, and she could

see several small groups of what looked like teenagers, lit cigarettes and low

82 Melissa Good

laughter coming from them.

Eyes watched as they crossed the gray surface, and unconsciously, Kerry

moved a little closer to her tall companion. “Kinda creepy out here.”

Dar glanced down. “Just act like you own the place. I guarantee, none of

these kids’ll come near you,” she advised.

Kerry watched as the group they were approaching eyed Dar, then

nudged over a little out of her way. “I’ll try to keep that in mind,” she

murmured, feeling quite, quite safe.

The air was thick with humidity, but she took a deep breath of it, tasting a

hint of the sea on the edges from the nearby Intercoastal Waterway. She

walked alongside Dar in silence, but it wasn’t really the uncomfortable kind.

“How’s your hand doing?” Kerry asked, as they crossed the expanse of mostly

empty tarmac.

“It’s all right,” Dar said. “Wonder what those guys were really after? You

didn’t have a purse on the seat.”

Kerry was silent for a few steps. “No, I don’t usually carry one.” She

glanced up and caught Dar watching her, the faintly raised eyebrow visible

even in the shadows. “Just one of those things,” she added, with a half shrug.

“Mmm.” Dar’s eyebrows twitched a little. “Me either,” she said in a

casual tone. “Interesting coincidence.”

Kerry absorbed that as the night became friendlier around her, surprised

when she idly wished she’d found a parking spot a lot further out.

Interesting coincidence.

“WHERE HAVE YOU been?” Colleen’s voice came from the doorway, as

Kerry finished carrying in her packages. “Ooo, I see bags from Macy’s.” She

ducked inside and helped the blonde woman put the bundles down. “How’d

it go?”

Kerry sat down on her desk chair and folded her arms across her chest.

“It was interesting. I got lots of stuff, as you can see, and…um, it was

interesting.”

Colleen folded her own arms. “Interesting? Your new boss offers to come

over and help you shop for clothes, and you call this interesting? I call it

mysteriously intriguing.” The redhead chuckled. “So, what’s she like when

she’s not firing people or restructuring companies?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain.” Kerry exhaled. “I mean, she’s really…” She

described a box with her hands. “She’s very closed, kind of remote, but then

once in a while she just kinda opens up just a little bit, enough for you to tell

there’s a human being in there and not a microprocessor.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Colleen digested this. “So you two spent all this time

shopping?”

A quirk of Kerry’s lips. “No, not exactly. We had dinner at the

Rainforest.” She avoided Colleen’s widening eyes. “She wanted to go over

next week and what to expect, things like that.”

“Did you have fun?”

Kerry thought about that. “It was…Col, it was really, really weird,

because half of the time it was very strained, because we don’t know each

Tropical Storm 83

other, and she’s my boss, and it’s just weird, but the other half of the time, it

was…” She struggled to get a grasp on her thoughts. “It was just strange.”

Colleen tilted her head to on side and eyed her. “Strangely familiar?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Kerry admitted. “I’ve never had that happen to me before,

but I think we’re going to be okay.”

“You like her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah, I do,” Kerry said, after a moment’s thought. “Even after the whole

firing thing. I was really mad at her that night, but after she showed me what

she did, how she tried…” She fell silent again. “Yeah, I do like her,” she

repeated in a more positive tone.

“Incredible.” Colleen shook her head. “I saw Reynaldo over at Publix, we

were getting deli together, and I was telling him about you going to work for

her. He was in total shock.” She shook her head. “He’s the IS manager at the

bank. He got chewed, and chewed, and chewed until he had only one quarter

of his butt left over that tape disaster. He says she’s just the nastiest person

he’d ever met.”

Kerry lifted her shoulders. “I think she can be. I can see she’s got a pretty

dark streak in there. Remember I told you about that goon, and how he

practically dissolved when she yelled at him? And I remember how she was

when we first met in my office. There wasn’t much to like. She was pretty

mean.”

Colleen rubbed her head. “But you like her anyhow?”

It does sound strange, Kerry realized. “I don’t know…yeah. I mean, she

could have fired my butt several times, right? I was pretty nasty. I told her to

go to hell and all of that, and she could have just axed me right then and there,

locked me out, had security take me out of the building, but she didn’t. In fact,

tonight, I kind of got the feeling that she respected me for it.”

“Oh, that’s twisted, me bucko,” her friend warned. “You watch out for

her, hear? She can turn on you quick as a whistle.” She sighed. “I don’t know,

Ker, these are pretty uncharted waters you’re sailing into here. I hope you

know what you’re doing.”

I hope I do, too. Kerry sighed inwardly. “I can’t really explain it. Maybe if

I’d taken time to really think about what was happening, I would have chosen

to stay where I was, but maybe not. I just thought this would be such a unique

opportunity, you know?”

“Unique.” Colleen slung an arm across her shoulders. “Me dearie, that’s

an understatement. But if you have a problem, I talked with Jacob at my office,

and he says he’d take you on in an instant, okay?”

Kerry smiled, and leaned against her affectionately. “Thanks, Col, I really

appreciate that.” She exhaled. “Hey, wanna see what I got?”

“You betcha.”

They opened the various packages, and Kerry hung the items off the

curtain rod in the living room.

“Ooo, I like this one.” The redhead pointed at the blue-green outfit. “Nice

pin.” She touched the front of the jacket.

Kerry stepped closer and laid a finger on it. “Good grief, my mind must

have been all over the place.” She laughed in gentle delight. “I didn’t even

notice that was on there. Yeah, it is nice.” The pin was a pair of silver dolphins

84 Melissa Good

frolicking on a gold background, with the waves in the forefront tinged in

pink and blue. “Perfect for the color. It does kinda look like the ocean, doesn’t

it?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Colleen agreed readily. “Bet it looks nice on you; it just

about matches your eyes.” She looked at the row of clothing. “I like all of

them, but I like this one the best, though that purple one is nice too.”

“Yeah, I like the braid on that. Listen, if I put some of this stuff on, would

you take a picture? My parents want to see what I look like dressed up.”

“Surely.” Her friend laughed. “Though, being fair, you look nice in just

about everything, you rat. “ She poked Kerry in the ribs. “Even those torn-off

old denim rags you wear sometimes.”

“Hey, they’re my favorite pair of jeans,” Kerry protested as she pulled the

blue-green outfit down. “Be right back.”

THE SKY HAD finally cleared, exposing a thick wash of stars which

twinkled down over the quiet coral deck. The pool’s warm waters rippled

around the lone figure floating gently on the surface, head resting on crossed

arms and legs propped on a thick Styrofoam raft.

Dar let the peace surround her, concentrating on the gentle sounds of the

surf not far away and the rustle of a light breeze which moved the trees

around the pool. She was alone, which was not surprising considering the

hour, and she was spending a little time just reflecting quietly on her day.

At least it had been more productive than the previous day. After she’d

sent out her e-mail, she’d somehow managed to fall asleep again on the couch,

with her laptop up and running, the soft leather gathering in her tired body

and refusing to give it up until almost dinner time, when she’d groggily

woken to see Power Rangers dancing on the screen and 3D pipes patiently

creating a plumbing layout on her laptop display.

That was when she’d picked up Kerry’s mail, and answered it in a sleepy

daze, telling the younger woman she’d join her at the mall. It wasn’t until ten

minutes or so after she hit the Send key that she blinked and realized what

she’d done, and by then, it was too late.

But she hadn’t regretted it, not at all. The outing had been…well, sort of

fun, in a way. She didn’t get many opportunities to just relax and hang around

with other people, and Kerry was shaping up to be an interesting person to

spend time with. Which was good, because as her assistant, that’s exactly

what she’d be doing with her.

The dinner had been somewhat of a test. Dar knew if she could stand

spending an hour eating dinner with someone without wanting to kill them, it

was a good sign. Kerry had passed. In fact—Dar gazed up at the stars in mild

surprise—Kerry had more than passed. She’d actually enjoyed herself, to the

point where she wished the evening had gone on a little longer, and when was

the last time that had happened?

It was nice to just talk to someone who was bright, had a sense of humor,

and wasn’t intimidated by her. Dar grinned, remembering the crack about the

screaming Mustang. Then she flexed her hand, remembering the gentle touch

there. So, she’d figured out that old Dar hadn’t just shooed the bad guys away,

Tropical Storm 85

had she? Clever kid.

She sighed, and shifted in the water, tilting her head back and blinking as

the moon edged out from behind a cloud and lit her in a simple, silver glow. It

made the coral around her seem almost white, and if she raised her head, she

could see a broad, flickering path that led from where she lay straight to the

horizon.

She rolled over and ducked her head under the warm water, kept heated

year-round despite the usually hot temperatures in the area. After a few laps

more just to loosen up her shoulders, she eased out of the pool, grabbing her

towel and drying herself off as she padded quietly back down the stairs and

across the waterfront paths to her condo.

The cold air in the hallway chilled her skin, and she quickly ducked in the

laundry room, shedding her bathing suit and trading it for a cotton baseball

shirt and soft flannel boxers. She headed into the kitchen and claimed a mug,

which she filled with milk and chocolate syrup, then popped in the

microwave. Two minutes later she pulled it out, observing the New Mail icon

on the kitchen terminal. “Mail, read.”

“Dar Roberts, seven messages, none urgent.”

She scanned the headers. “Read All.” The warm cocoa slid down her

throat as she waited.

Sent by: McLean, Alastair

Subject: New Assistant

Time: 8:43 PM

Dar—

Next time you want to just transition one of your

little finds direct to corporate, just tell me, will you?

I really didn’t need thirty whining regional directors

complaining to me that you’re not following procedure.

Her stats don’t show much, but if she’s good enough

for you to pick as your right hand, I guess I’ll have to

live with it. I hope she’s cute, at least.

Alastair

“Reply,” Dar muttered, and waited for a new message to appear.

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: re: New Assistant

Alastair—

Sorry, yes you will, and I really hadn’t noticed one

way or the other.

Dar

“Send.” Dar sipped her chocolate, with a smirk. “Next.”

Sent by: Mariana Sartis

Subject: re: New Assistant

Time: 9:01PM

86 Melissa Good

DR

You stirred up a hornet’s nest, my friend. Watch out—

I think at least some of them are going upstairs.

I sent, I processed, I e-mailed. Your new body should

have all the paperwork she needs to get things rolling at

Synergenics. And by the way, that was a nice piece of

power shuffleboard with Peter to get the numbers in. He

filed a formal complaint against you, BTW. Alastair’s

response (he bcc’d me) was “Do you want me to review this

before or after I review the bonus schedule for this

quarter, which depends on your making your numbers?”

You know, Dar, you’re really lucky you’re as good as

you are. No one else would get away with the crap that you

do. Be careful, my friend. Be very, very careful.

Since I was at the office on Saturday, I processed

everything for Ms. Stuart. She’s on your payroll starting

Monday, so make sure she knows how to turn in things and

all that. I have her file from Synergenics. I have to

tell you, Dar, until I saw it, I was having some very evil

thoughts about you, but in reviewing it, I realized you

picked a very qualified candidate. I don’t even have to

fake things on her profile. I’m attaching the details so

you have record of them. Did you know she was the

Michigan debating champion one year?

Anyway, see you at the office on Monday. I’ll try to

soothe some ruffled feathers, but keep low for a while,

will you? Just for me?

Mari

Dar bit off a delighted grin. “Debating champion, huh? Damn, I’m in

trouble. I shoulda guessed that.” She sat on the tall stool. “Reply.”

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: re: New Assistant

Mari—

Thanks for the warning. Alastair already mailed me

about the dissenters—he’s going to handle it.

I’m shocked you would think I would pick any

candidate based on frivolous reasons. Of course, I knew

how qualified Ms. Stuart is for this position. Why do you

think I asked for it? The company’s best interests come

first, this wasn’t some knee-jerk reaction based on

personality. In point of fact, the lady in question told

me to go to hell, so her transfer certainly wasn’t done

for friendly reasons. I’m sure she’ll be an asset to the

company, and maybe she’ll take some of my people issues,

so you get less complaints.

Dar

She chuckled softly. “Send.” Then she clicked on the attached file, and

read the few short paragraphs with interest. “Hmm, gymnastics, double major

Tropical Storm 87

in computers and…no, that can’t be right. English? What a mix.” Kerry’s work

history showed a steady, even progression from entry level to management,

with increasing responsibility and experience moving from job to job, with no

job lasting less than two years. Stability, good work ethics, no gaps… No wonder

Mariana had been impressed.

She checked the personal side. No workman’s comp claims, no

judgments, good credit, spotless record, not even a speeding ticket. Dar’s

brows rose. “It’s almost too good to be true.” The thought caused a frown to

edge her features. “New message.”

Mark—

I need a class one security inquiry on a new hire:

Kerry Stuart, the Associated employee we talked about

last week. She’s coming on staff in my department, and I

want to know everything. Don’t cut corners, don’t gloss,

the works.

Dar

“Send.” Dar drummed her fingers on the counter, feeling a trifle guilty

about checking so thoroughly, but if Kerry was going to be privy to all her

little tricks, it was better to be sure about who and what she really was. It

wouldn’t be the first time a rival had tried to slip someone into the inside.

It’s a logical precaution, her mind insisted. But something inside her felt

uneasy, as though it bothered her to think she couldn’t trust Kerry. She

thought about that for a bit. Her gut instinct was solidly in the kid’s favor. It

hadn’t been wrong yet. But it never hurt to be sure.

Dar sighed and turned back to the screen. She went through the next

three messages, which were acknowledgments of items she’d taken care of the

previous week, then she clicked on the seventh with a odd feeling of

anticipation.

Sent by: Stuart, Kerry

Subject: re: Assistant’s Job

Time: 12:32 AM

Hi.

Why does everyone think I’m crazy because I want to

work for you? I got four mails from people I barely, or

don’t even know, warning me that I didn’t know what I was

getting into. I decided they’re just jealous. I sent a

list—you can tell me if they’re people who applied for

the job. If they are, then I feel a lot better.

I wrote them all back thanking them for their concern

and hoping I’d get a chance to work with them sometime. I

hope that was okay.

Anyway, hope you have a good week, and thanks again

for helping me shop.

Kerry

“Reply.” Dar leaned on the counter and propped her head on her hand.

88 Melissa Good

Sent by: Dar Roberts

Subject: re: Assistant’s Job

Kerry

Everyone thinks you’re crazy because everyone knows

I’m a heartless, cruel bitch who drives people to drink

and an early grave, and who has no sympathy for anyone or

anything. I tried to warn you about that. It’s not too

late to back out if you want to.

Your list is, as you suspected, disappointed

candidates. The reply was appropriate.

I don’t get much chance just to go out and be semi-

social, so today was very pleasant for me. It also was an

indication that we might just be able to work together.

My previous attempts at an assistant have lasted one,

three, four, and two days respectively. One I threw out,

one decided to go back to the job they came from, and the

other two ran screaming into the night never to be heard

from again.

Please bear all this in mind.

Dar

“Send.” Dar stifled a yawn and finished off her cocoa, then rinsed the

mug out and put it upside-down on the drain board. She turned off the lights

as she went through the condo, leaving the space in total darkness. Once in

the bedroom, she crawled into the welcoming warmth and shifting motion of

the waterbed. One arm curled around her pillow, and the other rested lightly

on the surface as she let her eyes close and slipped into sleep.

Chapter

Nine

IT WAS A long week, a very hectic week, in which Kerry tied up loose

ends she didn’t even realize were there, and eased Ray into her position. The

first day was a shock, when she’d had good news, and bad news, and

important news, all combined, to tell everyone. Letting fifty people go was

hard, but when she’d told them about the severance package…

So that turned out okay. The support groups were still reeling over the

new contracts, and both support managers spent the week brushing up on

every piece of TCP/IP literature they could get their hands on. They were

determined to make a good impression, and not let her down.

All of them were. It was so odd. The week before, they’d been cursing the

corporation’s name, and now…now, they were finding ways to change, and

adjust—most of them simply glad to still be employed.

The reaction to her new position was total chaos. It had ranged from,

“You are absolutely crazy” to “Jesus, you impressed her that much?” and a lot

in between. Many people were sorry to see her go, but encouraged because

she was going to be “up there” and maybe could influence “her” if things got

to be trouble.

Friday, the last day of her employment at Associated, Ray called her in

and sat her down. His face was serious, and he asked her straight out if she

knew what she was doing with this “shark in a dress suit.”

Kerry just kept smiling and telling everyone she viewed this as a great

learning experience, no matter what happened. She traded e-mail with Dar

most of the week, keeping her updated on the transition progress. As the week

went on, the executive’s writing style had relaxed a little, not much, but just a

little, and Kerry found herself looking forward to seeing Dar again.

SO NOW IT was a week later, and it was Monday morning. It was time

for her to start this great new learning experience. Kerry glanced at her

reflection in the rearview mirror for the sixth time, then took a deep breath

and turned off the engine. “Okay, I’m ready,” she told her reflection, then

shouldered her briefcase and slipped out of the Mustang, careful to pull her

skirt straight, odd after not having to wear one for quite some time. She locked

the door and squared her shoulders, then headed for the building’s main

entrance.

She gave her name at the security desk and waited while the agent there

looked on a list, then smiled at her. “Ms. Stuart, can you please come with me?

90 Melissa Good

We need to badge you.”

“Okay,” Kerry said amiably as she followed the short, husky man around

the corner and into a small suite of rooms. There were banks of monitors along

one wall, with a slim, blonde-haired girl watching them. The girl turned as

they entered and gave Kerry a polite smile, which she returned.

She got her picture and fingerprints taken, then stood while the agent

assembled a security badge much like she’d seen Dar carry the night they’d

come back here. The man attached an electronic scan card to the badge, then

handed it over to her. “Thank you.” She examined the surface. “Wow, you

even take nice pictures.” She gave him a grin.

He grinned right back. “Depends entirely on the subject, ma’am.”

Kerry blushed. “Thanks, may I go up now?”

“It’s the fourteenth floor, Ms. Stuart—up that first bank of elevators, then

when you get off, turn left, and it’s the second door on your right.”

Remembering from her previous visit, Kerry nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

She slipped out of the security offices and headed towards the elevator,

glancing up through the atrium and smiling. It was even more impressive in

the daylight, with the sun pouring down through it and catching on the

various crystal sculptures which lined the steep walls. It was also busier now,

of course, and she dodged several hurrying people as she got into the elevator

and punched the button for the fourteenth floor.

That got a side glance from two of the other occupants, and Kerry noticed

them looking over, trying to inconspicuously read her name badge. She stuck

out her hand instead. “Hi. I’m Kerry Stuart. Nice to meet you.”

The first woman shook her hand, then the second. “Enid Perspects,” the

taller of the two said, hesitantly. “I work in Purchasing.”

“Sally Cruz,” the second, a shorter, darker woman, added. “In Marketing.

Are you Dar Roberts’ new assistant?”

“That’s me,” Kerry replied with a grin.

They looked at her as though she had two heads. “Well, good luck,” Enid

mumbled, as the door opened, and she and her friend escaped. “You’re gonna

need it.”

That was under her breath, but Kerry heard it anyway. The door slid

shut, leaving her with a stocky, dark-haired man of middling height, about

her own age. He studied her for a moment, then held out his hand. “So, you’re

the infamous Kerry Stuart.”

Kerry sighed and shook his hand. “Infamous? I hope not. I just got here.”

She gave him a wary look. “And you are?”

He laughed. “Relax. I’m Mark Polenti, head of MIS and security.” He

paused. “I’m a friend of Dar’s.”

Kerry gave him a friendlier look. “Really? To hear people talk, she

doesn’t have any of those.”

“Nah, she does. Not many, that’s true, but the right ones, in the right

places, if you know what I mean.” The stocky man smiled. “As long as you

know your shit, you’re all right with Dar. If you don’t, you’re toast.” His eyes

met hers. “You must know yours.”

“Guess we’ll find out.” Kerry relaxed a little, then turned as the doors

opened onto the floor she’d requested. She and Mark exited, then both headed

Tropical Storm 91

down the same corridor. Kerry could hear raised voices as she reached the

double doors which lead into Dar’s office, and she glanced sideways at Mark.

“Sounds like a fight.”

“Sounds like a Monday.” He sighed, and held the door for her. “C’mon,

might as well get used to it.”

The inside of Dar’s outer office was very different in the daytime. Several

people were waiting, facing a desk behind which sat a short, round, gray-

haired woman, who was pressing the phone against her ear with one hand

and covering her other ear with the second. Two of the people waiting were

arguing, one waving a set of printouts.

“There is no way we can complete that account, Larry. It’s not going to

work, so go find another way to do it!” the shorter of the two men shouted.

“We’ve got no choice, Scott. The account team promised a full support

center, and now they’re holding us to it!” the other man replied, throwing up

his hands. “I hope to hell Dar can figure out how to pull us out of this mess.

I’m going to beat the crap out of Sue Kingston on the account team for pulling

this crap again!”

Two other women, carrying reams of paper, were trying to get the

secretary’s attention. She was on the phone with two lines blinking and

talking on a third. Barely audible, a buzzer sounded. The secretary put her

caller on hold and punched it. “Yes, Dar.”

“I’ve got half the goddamn domestic network down, three mainframes

whose loads were screwed by mids last night, and ILIPC won’t answer their

phones. Get me someone in Illinois who doesn’t have their heads up their

asses, right now!”

“Ay, I’m trying, believe me,” the harried secretary replied.

“I can’t have trying, Maria, I need those people!”

Dar’s voice was rough with frustration, and Kerry moved towards it

compulsively, easing around and between the throng and ignoring the

startled looks. She found herself at the secretary’s desk, and gave her a wry

smile as the woman looked up. “Hi,” she said softly. “Looks like a busy

morning, huh?”

The older woman interrupted her boss’s further ranting. “Dar?”

“What?” the executive growled.

“Ms. Stuart is here.” Maria gazed at the slim blonde appraisingly.

Silence for a moment. “Oh, good. Send her in.” Dar’s voice had dropped

an octave and sounded almost cheerful. “Hello, Kerry. Welcome to Hell.”

For a moment, everyone fell silent, watching her. The only sound was the

buzzing of Maria’s phone. “Thanks,” Kerry managed to get out weakly. “I

think.”

Dar chuckled. Kerry gave the rest of the people in the room a brief smile

as she backed away from the desk. “Hello, excuse me.” She darted for the

door and slipped through it, aware of the avidly watching eyes following her.

“C’mon in.”

The door closed behind her, and Kerry was surprised at the silence

inside. “Whew.” The noise from outside was gone, and she let out a breath as

she moved across the carpeted floor towards Dar’s desk. The executive was

sitting on top of it with her phone, with its blinking lights near the edge, and

92 Melissa Good

her arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing a gray silk skirt and jacket,

with a forest green shirt and looked casually elegant.

Of course. The look was somewhat offset by the random disorder of her

hair, which looked like she’d been running her hands through it. Kerry

mentally paused, wondering what that would feel like. She rubbed her

fingertips together and dismissed the thought as she continued forward.

“Busy morning?”

“They all are,” her new boss acknowledged. “Glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” Kerry could see the frustration in the lines of her body, but Dar

managed a smile for her. “So, this is Hell, huh?” Kerry made a show of

looking around. “Nice décor.”

Dar sighed and lifted a hand to rub one temple. “It’s been quite a

morning.” She ran her fingers through her hair, confirming Kerry’s guess,

and then let her arm drop. “Not sure where I start explaining.”

“So I see,” Kerry replied, feeling a little awkward. “Is there…um, stupid

question, but is there something I can do to help?”

Dar visibly tried to relax a little. “Lots of things. But first, I think I need to

get you settled in a place to sit and all that.” She stood. “So, c’mon.” She got

up off the desk and paused to strip off her jacket, laying it over the back of her

chair. “Gonna be one of those days.”

Kerry caught the scent of silk and spice as Dar moved past her, rolling up

her sleeves as she walked. “Are there a lot of those days?”

Dar snorted, laughing and shaking her head as she motioned Kerry to

follow her. “C’mon.”

Curious, Kerry followed her toward a small, nondescript door she hadn’t

even noticed the other night and watched as Dar opened it, then gestured her

to go forward. “Go on—believe me, it’s faster this way. If I go out in that

hallway, it’ll take me eight hours to get from this office to the one I picked out

for you.”

Picked out for me? Kerry entered, finding herself in a narrow, bare hallway

with unmarked doors on one side and blank walls on the other. She moved

down it uncertainly, until she felt a warm hand on her back. Dar guided her

forward about fifty feet, until she came to another unmarked door, which the

executive motioned her to open. She pushed the handle down and emerged

into a second office.

It was roughly square, with a worktable surrounded by chairs on one side

and a wide, woodgrain desk on the other. The carpet and wall coverings were

in burgundy, and behind the desk, was a floor to ceiling window sporting the

same view as Dar’s.

Wow. Kerry took a moment to drink in the seascape, the light winds

outside blowing the waves with frosting-like whitecaps. Reluctantly, she

turned to view the rest of the room.

On the desk was a computer, a phone, and nothing else, and the office

was bare of adornment, so much so that it was apparent that it had never been

used. “It’s, um…”

Dar leaned back against the door and gave Kerry an apologetic look.

“Kinda empty, I know, but it’s got the essentials.”

Kerry blinked at the desk and at the furniture. “It’s great.” She turned

Tropical Storm 93

and looked at the window. “With this view, you could have given me a

cardboard box and a tin can on a string, and I’d be happy.” She put her

briefcase down on the desk. “Look, I know you’re up to your neck in problems

in there. I’ll get settled and logged in, and see if I can find my way around,

okay?”

Dar smiled and glanced down at her watch. “Actually, give me about an

hour to clear this all up, then I’ll be back to show you around, and we can

talk.” She cleared her throat. “If I’m not back in an hour, assume the rest of the

network blew up and c’mon over and find me.”

Kerry faced her and smiled. “You bet I will.”

The dark-haired woman smiled back, then ducked back down the

hallway, closing the door behind her and leaving Kerry in her new workplace

home.

“Whoo.” Kerry sat down in the very comfortable leather desk chair and

looked around. “She apologizes. I can’t believe this. I could hold an aerobics

class in here, and she apologizes because it’s a little empty. Good grief.” She

examined the desk, which was well made, and opened the drawers. Inside

were pens and paper, clips and a stapler, the usual. The large drawer held

hanging files, which were, of course, empty.

She flipped on the computer, impressed with the large screen which

matched the one Dar used. Kerry wondered if it was standard, but was glad,

because her eyes tended to hurt after a full day of staring at a smaller screen.

The computer booted to a network login, and she entered her ID and

password, a little startled when her usual menu didn’t appear, replaced by

one with approximately four times as many options. “Uh oh.” She made a face

at it.” What is all this stuff?” ILIPC, PLIPC, NCS…it was an alphabet soup of

choices along with the more familiar ones which gave her access to the payroll

and personnel sections, and the customer database. Experimentally she chose

one. “ILIPC, that was what Dar was having problems with. Let’s see what that

is.”

It connected and she peered at the results. “Oh, Netview. Okay, I know

what this is.” She logged into the IBM mainframe application and tried a

display all command. “Uh oh. Good grief, how huge. Wow, that’s really

huge.”

The internal network was displayed, with lots of items marked as

inactive. “Bet that’s what Dar’s fighting with, huh?” she commented, flicking

the screen with a fingertip. “Well, back at home in Michigan, at the university,

we used to do an ACT ALL.” She typed it in, then hesitated. “Ah…probably

not a good idea. Oh, what the heck, it can’t hurt.” She hit Enter.

“That’ll take forever, so…” She minimized the application and clicked on

mail, startled when it opened and she had a mailbox full. “I guess that’ll keep

me busy for while. Good grief, what are all these things?” A lot of forwarding

from Dar, stuff she was involved in apparently that she wanted Kerry to

review. “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here.” She started reading. “Jesus,

designing Olympic racing bicycles and doing financial transfers for the Bank

of New Zealand. Do you think this company can get any more diversified?”

There were all kinds of problems. All kinds of operational issues, like

which processors could be assigned to which projects, and whose project took

94 Melissa Good

precedence. Kerry found herself becoming fascinated by the patchwork of

interrelationships; she suspected she certainly wasn’t going to be bored.

She got up and pulled out her few personal items from her briefcase,

arranging her desk the way she liked it and prowling around the office to

discover all the nooks and crannies. She opened the front door and peeked

out, letting a tiny grin edge her lips when she spotted a neat kitchen just down

the hall. “I bet there’s coffee there,” she decided, retrieving a cobalt-blue mug

from her briefcase and ambling over.

She glanced around the kitchen and bit off a chuckle. “Wow, This is better

equipped than the one in my apartment.” There was a refrigerator, of course,

with a sign on it. “Don’t leave food for more than a week unlabeled or it will

be glorped.” Kerry shook her head. “I’m not gonna ask.” The countertop held

not only a regular coffee machine, but an espresso machine as well, and there

were containers with various types of milk and cream, and real and fake

sugar. As she selected artificial sweetener and poured a cup of coffee, a young

girl entered behind her and said a cheerful hello.

“Hi.” Kerry turned and leaned against the counter, stirring her coffee.

The girl removed a small packet from the freezer and popped it in one of the

three large, commercial microwaves in the rack near the door. “Breakfast?”

The girl turned and smiled. “Snackies.” She chuckled. “I work for Eduard

Castillo. He gets grumpy around this time if I don’t feed him.” She held out a

hand. “Mary Evers.”

Kerry took it. “Kerry Stuart.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Omigosh. You’re Dar Roberts’ new assistant!”

The blonde woman forced a laugh. “Okay, are you going to tell me I’m

brave, or stupid?”

A smile snuck onto the girl’s face, and she leaned closer. “I was going to

say lucky.” She winked at Kerry, then removed the gently steaming packet

from the microwave and set it on a small plate she’d brought with her. “Not

everyone thinks Dar’s a bad thing, you know.”

Kerry was pleasantly surprised. “That’s nice to hear, because I happen to

like her.” She relaxed into a grin. “And it’s been murder having everyone look

at me like I was out of my mind.”

“You do, huh?” Mary bit her lower lip and chuckled softly. “That’s

interesting. I thought you came from Associated. They were almost axed, you

know.”

Sea green eyes studied her. “Oh yeah, I know,” Kerry replied quietly. “I

talked her out of it.”

The woman stopped in mid motion and stared at her. “You did?”

Kerry took a sip of her coffee, which she found to be common, garden-

variety office bland. “Well, we debated the issue, and Dar found enough merit

in my arguments to find a way around it, let’s put it that way.”

Mary blinked at her several times. “Holy shit,” she blurted.

Kerry shrugged and smiled. “I’m really looking forward to working with

her more. It’s been a great experience so far.”

“Uh, yeah. I can see that.” Mary tucked a napkin under the plate hastily

and started to back away. “That’s, uh…good to hear. Nice to meet you, Kerry.

I’ve got to get this tamale back to the boss before he breaks all his pencils.”

Tropical Storm 95

Kerry regarded the packet, which was wrapped in what looked like

cornhusks. “Nice to meet you too. See you later.” She paused. “Oh, what does

your boss do?”

Mary turned as she was leaving. “Marketing for the Caribbean. Be seeing

you.”

She disappeared down the hall, and Kerry regarded the wall thoughtfully

before she took her coffee back into her office. Her office. She grinned, as she

just stood with her back against the wall and looked out the window. “Ah

well. Back to work.” She set down her cup and resumed her reading. She was

so absorbed in it, she didn’t hear the back door open or someone approach

until a hand touched her arm, and she jumped. “Whoa!”

Dar seated herself on the edge of the desk and gazed at her with an

enigmatic expression. “Hi.”

“Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn’t hear you coming. I was…” A little flustered, Kerry

gestured at the screen. “Trying to catch up on all this stuff you forwarded to

me. I kind of sorted them into info and action…” She noticed Dar was smiling

at her. “What? That wasn’t the right thing to do?”

“You know, Kerry, they say it’s your first impression that sticks with you

in this company.” Dar said. “Mine? Well, I told Alastair McLean he could kiss

my ass, and that’s kind of followed me up all these years.”

“Really?” Kerry was intrigued. “Why did you do that?”

“Why did you tell me to go to hell?” Dar asked in a wry voice. “I

remember enjoying it at the time. But anyway…”

“Sorry. You were saying…first impressions?” Kerry knew she was

blushing, and hoped Dar didn’t notice.

“Mmm-hmm. So, do you know what your first impression’s going to be

here?” Dar inquired, her blue eyes pinning Kerry down into her seat.

“Uh…no,” Kerry replied nervously. “But you’re going to tell me, right?”

“Oh, yeah. You’re going to be known as the new kid who walked in on

her first day, sat down, logged in, and brought an entire crashed network up.”

Kerry froze and stared at her. “Uh…I didn’t do that.”

Dar pursed her lips and nodded soberly. “You are KSTUART01, aren’t

you?”

“Um, yes,” she replied hesitantly. “Oh, Christ! That Netview command?

Oh, Dar, don’t tell me no one else thought of that,” Kerry protested. “It’s

ridiculous. That’s basic!”

A gentle sparkle entered Dar’s very blue eyes. “Uh huh. Problem with us

nerds is, sometimes when things go wrong, we forget to look for the simple

things first. We go for the complex, involved crap instead.” She grinned at

Kerry. “They did a master load last night, and forgot that puts the system in

console mode. It inactivates all the logical units so the new programs can get

into place without being used.”

“You’re not a nerd,” Kerry objected, aware that she was really blushing

badly now. “Are you?”

“Sure I am, and so are you,” Dar cheerfully informed her. “Good work,

Kerry, you single-handedly validated my choice of assistants, started your

own little legend in the making, and I didn’t even have to do a thing.”

Kerry basked in the warm approval, soaking it in with a shy pleasure.

96 Melissa Good

“Thanks, but I didn’t mean to.” Her face scrunched up in a wry grin. “What a

way to start off, huh?”

Dar rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled. “There are worse ways.

Listen, it’s almost noon. Let’s go down and get some lunch, then I’ll give you

the tour.” She peered at Kerry’s cup. “I see you found the kitchen all right.”

Kerry nodded. “Yeah, nice setup. I like the microwaves because I usually

bring in little frozen tray things for lunch.”

A dark brow rose. “We have a cafeteria,” Dar remarked dryly. “But if you

prefer cardboard food, sure, go right ahead. They do ask that you don’t

overcook fish sticks, though, it takes us weeks to get the smell out of here.”

“Do… Is the cafeteria your eating place of choice?” Kerry inquired. “I

mean, god, that sounded funny, what I mean is, it is any good? A lot of them

aren’t.” She grimaced. “When I think of cafeterias, I think of the one in college.

Ugh.”

“Mine too.” Dar admitted. “I ended up eating mostly ice cream and

cheeseburgers for four years.”

Kerry chuckled ruefully as she stood up. “Pizza and sub sandwiches. I

still smell textbooks whenever I get delivery pizza.” She followed Dar out of

the office and over to the elevator. “Guess that’s different now, huh?” she

commented as the doors slid open and they entered, having the elevator to

themselves.

“Nope,” Dar confessed a touch sheepishly. “Cheeseburger, fries, and a

milkshake is still one of my regular favorites.”

Kerry eyed her trim figure and blinked. “You sure don’t look it. You must

work out like crazy.”

Exhaling softly, Dar said, “Takes up a good bit of my spare time, yes. It’s

a way to work off the frustration, too.” She waited for the doors to open,

stepped through them onto the second floor, then led Kerry to an open set of

double doors from which enticing smells emanated.

Dar attracted attention, Kerry noticed immediately. The minute her new

boss cleared the door and entered the line, eyes shifted to her and nudges

started. Puzzled, she looked at the taller woman, trying to figure out if there

was something odd to cause the stir, but aside from Dar having her jacket off

and her sleeves still rolled up, exposing tanned arms, she looked… Well, not

like everyone else. Kerry picked up a tray and joined the line behind her,

setting the puzzle aside for the moment. “Whoa, lot of choices,” she

commented in some surprise.

“I don’t put up with mystery meat,” Dar said, reviewing the selection.

“And I pick the café vendor.”

“Ah.” Kerry watched in bemusement as her new boss quietly requested

the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, then added a large glass of milk to her

tray, along with a piece of cake. She sighed and selected a chef’s salad and a

glass of grapefruit juice, and followed Dar over to a corner table. “I feel like

everyone’s watching me,” she murmured, as they unwrapped silverware.

“They are,” Dar replied blithely. “You’re the new kid. Something this

exciting hasn’t happened here since a Lufthansa 747 flying over dropped a

wheel-bay door on top of us and it crashed through the atrium.”

“Tch…Dar!” Kerry protested, as she nibbled a bit of ham. “I’m serious.”

Tropical Storm 97

Blue eyes glanced up at her over a forkful of potatoes. “So am I,” she

replied honestly. “I’m high profile, everyone knows who I am, so when I take

on an assistant, which has never successfully happened before, it’s big news.”

She looked at her assistant. “I did warn you about that, right?”

Kerry sighed. “Yes, you did.” She glanced around furtively, catching

more than one set of eyes watching them. “But this is like having lunch in the

San Diego Zoo if you’re the panda.”

Dar chuckled wryly. “Hate to say get used to it, but…” She straightened,

deliberately swinging her head around and staring at each table. The attention

shifted away and the sound around them rose conspicuously. Satisfied, Dar

turned her attention back to her table companion. “So.” She forked a bit of

meatloaf. “What’s new in eucalyptus futures?”

Kerry bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud. “Good Lord, you’d think

they’d never seen you eat lunch before.”

Dar bit down on her fork, thinking. “Well.” She glanced up at Kerry. “I

don’t often. Maria usually brings something up for me.”

“Oh.” Kerry gave Dar an apologetic look. “Sorry, didn’t mean to take

your time up.”

“Don’t be.” Dar took a sip of her milk. “I usually don’t have anyone to sit

with. Anyway, how are you settling in? I see you got to some of the mail. I

have a short list of projects I want you to take over.”

“Short list?” Kerry sat back and sipped at her grapefruit juice. “That was

two pages of mail!”

Dar tipped her glass of milk towards her. “This isn’t a research think

tank. I think I did tell you.”

Kerry reached over and touched her hand. “You warned me.” She sat

back again. “The diversity of the accounts here is amazing. What I got from

the mails was how much you need to juggle resources to cover everything.”

“Exactly.” Dar nodded. “Ten pounds of gimmes in a three-pound

inventory.” She met Kerry’s gaze squarely. “And I don’t have time to babysit

you. You find something that needs a decision? Make it.”

For a moment, Kerry felt a little overwhelmed, and she slowly chewed a

mouthful of her salad to gain some space to think in. At Associated, she’d

made her share of decisions, but this was an entirely different animal.

“Scared?” Dar asked, one brow edging up. “Second thoughts?”

Kerry washed her mouthful down with a sip of juice. “No.” She lifted her

head and returned Dar’s gaze. “I like a challenge.”

“Fair enough.” Her boss seemed pleased. “So do I, matter of fact.” She

wiped her lips. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out fast enough. Everyone’ll figure

out you’re a lot nicer than I am and come running to you first anyway.” She

leaned back in her seat and rested an elbow on the table, casually glancing

around as Kerry finished up her juice. She noticed the way Kerry sat while she

ate, upright and with exquisite manners. One hand rested in her lap as the

other manipulated her fork, and she quietly chewed small bits of her salad

and swallowed without speaking. “That any good?”

Kerry looked up with a slightly startled expression. “What?” She glanced

down. “This?”

Dar nodded.

98 Melissa Good

Kerry reviewed the remnants of her lunch. “Yeah, it was fine. Why?”

“Just curious.” Dar nibbled on her cake, content to relax as Kerry

finished up. The crowd had thinned out a little, and the noise had died down,

but she knew they were still the center of attention. She lifted a hand and

waved as Duks entered, and the Finance VP swerved and moved in their

direction. “Afternoon.”

“That it is.” Duks nodded, cocking his head towards Kerry. “Is this your

new acquisition, my friend?”

Kerry’s eyebrows hiked.

“Kerry, this is Lou Draefus,” Dar said. “Everyone’s an acquisition or a

depreciation to him.”

Kerry extended her hand out. “Nice to meet you, sir.” She found her

fingers grasped by a strong hold and released. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“And the same here,” he responded. “I would like to wish you good luck,

Ms. Stuart. Don’t let this creature scare you off too quickly, eh?”

Dar rolled her eyes.

“I’ll try not to,” Kerry replied politely, as he raised his hand and retreated

back to the food line, where he was joined by Mariana from Personnel. “He’s

funny.”

Dar drained her milk. “More than he realizes sometimes.” Her expression

was enigmatic. “If you’re done, let’s get your projects sorted out and throw

you into the deep end.”

“That could get kind of scary,” Kerry murmured as they picked up their

trays and deposited them in the washing area. “Better brush up on my dog-

paddling, I guess.”

A tall man half turned and watched them as they passed, and Kerry

couldn’t help but notice the animosity in his eyes when he looked at Dar. She

waited for the elevator doors to close before she asked, though. “Who was that

tall, kind of balding guy?”

“Peter Weyhousen.” Dar replied. “He’s the government contracts account

manager.”

“I don’t think he likes you,” Kerry observed with regret.

“Actually, he hates me,” Dar corrected her. “Those two contracts I gave to

Associated came from his area.”

“I hate to think it’s my fault if he got in trouble,” Kerry muttered.

Dar surprised her by laughing. “Don’t worry about that. Those two

contracts were a gift to me, personally, from General Easton. He wouldn’t

have had them anyway.”

She has a nice laugh, Kerry decided. It was low, and more a kind of chuckle

deep in her chest than anything else, but it pushed a tiny wicked look into her

eyes, and that was interesting to see.

Dar gave her the promised tour, introducing her to various department

managers, all of whom produced that nice, sickly sweet, “Hello, it’s lovely to

meet you” kind of smile that you knew would disappear as soon as you

turned your back. That was all right, because Dar provided cutting

commentary on each of them after they moved on.

A more thorough tour of the fourteenth floor followed. It was a roughly

square floor, with large offices like Dar’s on each corner. Dar’s office was on

Tropical Storm 99

the northeast corner, and the other three were parceled out to executives of the

same level. On the southeast corner was Lou Draefus’s office, the VP of

Finance Kerry had met at lunch, whom Dar called Duks, then on the

southwest corner sat John Dierhdohl, who was the Vice President for new

accounts. The northwest corner held the showy space of Eleanor Anastasia,

who was head of Marketing and Business Solutions.

Since Dar was in charge of operations, her little wing included the MIS

group, where Mark Polenti made a home, the security group, the network

support and analysis division, and the small army of infrastructure personnel

who worked on providing resources both inside and outside the company.

Dar was in charge of everything ranging from setting up new circuits for the

building, to the maintenance of the facilities (including the air conditioning, it

seemed), to overseeing the huge private intranetwork which provided all their

customers with connectivity and computing power. If new sales sold an

account and promised them seventeen T1 lines with instant fallback, Dar’s

group handled the purchasing and designing of the circuits and the

installation and maintenance of them. If the contract also provided a half

dozen AS400 computers, Dar’s group purchased, programmed, installed, and

maintained those as well.

It was, Kerry realized very quickly, the heart of the company, and now

she had a good idea why Dar sat in the privileged position she did. Nobody

wanted to piss her off, because everyone depended on her to get their job

done. She told Dar that as they ended up back in the executive’s office, and got

a wry smile of acknowledgment in return.

“I knew I made the right decision,” Dar said quietly. “There are people

who’ve been working here for years and haven’t yet figured that out.”

Kerry felt rather proud of herself, on her first day. She thought Dar was

pleased with her also, if the smile she’d given Kerry was any indication, and

from a shaky beginning, she was feeling pretty good about her new job. She

realized something else. What Dar’s title was and what she did were two

different things. She was in charge of Operations, yes, but what she really

functioned as was the company’s top troubleshooter. If there was a fire, Dar

got sent, because on the bottom line, she simply knew what to do, and just did

it, without regards to anyone’s feelings, or protocol, or anything else.

No wonder everyone hated her. If you had Dar Roberts descend into your

territory, it meant you had really screwed up, and she was there to bail you

out. Not a nice feeling, Kerry realized, as she sat at her desk, reviewing the

rest of her new projects. It also meant Dar was impossibly overworked, and

Kerry suspected that was part of the cause of her reputation too—she simply

didn’t have time to be nice. She had to get in, make a decision, and get out so

she could move on to the next crisis.

Dar had said she’d given Kerry about ten percent of the current projects

she, herself, was working on. There were twenty-two projects on Kerry’s work

list now. Ten percent. How in the hell does that woman even have time to sleep? I

guess I’ll find out.

DAR WATCHED THE stars come out over the ocean through her

100 Melissa Good

window and leaned back, glad of a few moments peace at the end of a very

long and very aggravating day. Which would have been longer and more

aggravating if Kerry hadn’t worked her magic that morning and resolved

Dar’s biggest problem, rendering everything else just bad and not disastrous.

Her purse slung over her shoulder, Maria came in to bid her good night.

“You’re late, Maria,” Dar said quietly.

“Ay, and what should I say for you?” the secretary answered, walking

over and standing on the other side of her boss’s desk. “The secretaritas at your

doctor’s office had only one slot open, that’s Thursday at two PM. I made that

time, okay?”

Dar ignored the pounding in her head and smiled. “That’s fine. I think I

have a meeting in the morning on Thursday, then a lunch with John D. and his

team, so that leaves the afternoon free.” She could see the fatigue in Maria’s

face. “Pretty bad day, huh?”

Maria perched on a corner of the desk. “That poor little new chiquita. She

seems very nice, Dar.” Her face looked troubled. “I worry these people will

eat her up.”

“Nah.” The dark-haired woman behind the desk shook her head. “She’s

tough. Did you see Jack’s face when he barged in here and said the network

mysteriously came back up? I had to check the logs to see what happened.

Telling him my brand-new, wet-behind-the-ears, inexperienced assistant

solved the problem his techs had been working on for twelve hours…god.”

Dar laughed. “That made my day.”

Maria gazed at her, the lined face creasing into a faint, puzzled smile.

“You like her, this little chiquita?”

“I think she’s got a lot of talent and potential, yes,” Dar answered.

“Sure.”

“Ah ah ah.” Maria wagged a finger. “No, no…you like her.”

A moment of silence fell as the light outside faded and left Dar mostly in

shadows. The executive seemed to be asking herself that very question. “On a

personal level…” She hesitated. “Yes, yes, I do like her. Why?”

The older woman sighed. “I been working for you five years, and I’ve

never seen anyone else who makes you smile so much.” She added, “Is good.”

Dar was mildly stunned by the observation, more so when she realized it

was true. “I…I guess it’s just nice to have someone who’s bright enough to

figure things out. Not like the last bunch I tried in that position.”

“Ay, right,” Maria agreed quietly, still watching her. “Is good. I hope she

works out.” She waved. “Good night, Dar.”

The executive nodded absently. “Good night, Maria. I’ll see you in the

morning.” She waited for the click as the door shut, then she turned around in

her chair and leaned back, steepling her fingers and regarding the rising

moon. It was huge and hung over the horizon like a summer lantern, sending

a rippling river of light across the almost calm ocean. “I hope so, too, Maria…I

really do.”

Chapter

Ten

“I THINK THAT will work, but can we use that processor for something

else in slack hours?” Kerry asked as she played with a pencil, pushing it

against the surface of her desk and turning it over. “I know the banking group

is looking for extra timeslices during their mids. Can we use it there?” She

listened to the answer, then smiled and made a note on her pad. “Good, then

I’m going to call them and let them know they can count on you for that.” She

paused a moment and then continued, “Sure, the chargeback will go towards

your budget.” A pleased sound came from the phone. “Nice working with

you, too … Yes, that’s right, Stuart, from Operations … Well, thanks. I do

try … Good bye.”

Kerry sat back as she cut the phone off. “Well, there’s another one off the

list.” She picked up her cup, strawberry-scented steam wafting from it, and

took a sip. “Making a dent.”

A soft knock came at her door, and she turned as Dar entered, giving her

a wry grin as she came over to perch on a corner of Kerry’s desk. She does that,

Kerry thought, because it puts us more at a level. Dar was so tall, she towered

over Kerry anyway, and when she was sitting down, it just made it all the

worse. It’s a nice touch, she thought. “Hi. How’s it going over there?”

Dar half shrugged. “Like it usually is.” She rested her hands on her knee.

“Let’s talk about Denver.”

Kerry felt a little nervous. “Okay.”

“Two DS3s?” Dar’s brows lifted.

God, I hate butterflies in my stomach. Kerry collected herself. “They just

signed the banking account up there.”

“And?”

She hated her palms sweating even more than the butterflies, but she kept

herself from wiping them. “They’re central. If we have dual pipes up there, we

can use that as a third leg for the backbone in case of primary failure.” Dar

studied her in silence. “And I heard a rumor they’re close to re-signing the big

retail contract and they’re going international,” Kerry finished. “I didn’t want

us to get cut short.”

Finally, Dar smiled. “Three out of three,” she said. “Good decision, Kerry.

What you didn’t know is that they’ve been hiding a capacity problem up there

from me for two months and that just solved it.” She winked. “Nice work.”

Kerry exhaled slowly, trying to hide the relief making her knees shiver.

“Thanks, I was a little nervous after that screw-up I did in Phoenix.”

Dar leaned on the desk. “It’s all right. At least you screwed up on the

102 Melissa Good

conservative side. Much as I hate to pay for bandwidth we don’t use, not

having enough is a much bigger bitch for me to deal with.”

Whew. Kerry hesitated, then looked up at Dar. “I just don’t want to

disappoint you, that’s all.”

Dar’s expression gentled. “No chance.” She cleared her throat. “Listen,

I’ve got an appointment this afternoon, so I’m taking off. “

“Anything you need me to cover for you on?”

Dar exhaled and reached up to rub the back of her neck. “The Asia office

might call. I’ve been arguing with them all week about getting new

mainframes in there. See if you can reason with them.”

She looks tired, Kerry realized. “Okay. Oh, listen…um, who can I talk to

here about a bank transfer problem?” she asked. “It’s mine. I mean, I think my

EFT got messed up.”

Dar stood up. “Why? Didn’t it show up?” Her brow creased in concern as

she regarded Kerry. “That’s not very damn funny if it’s true.”

“N-no. It did, last night, but it was…I think maybe because I transitioned,

it got sent twice. Is that possible?”

Dar’s expression turned impish, just for an instant. “It’s possible,” she

agreed. “But it’s far more likely you actually got paid what you were worth

this time.” She headed for the door, pausing as she opened it and turned. “The

position,” she indicated Kerry’s office, “came with a raise. Sorry I forgot to

mention it.”

Kerry stared at the door until it closed. “Son of a gun!” she finally

sputtered after a moment’s silence. “Dar, you…” She exhaled, feeling a surge

of relief and surprise and something she wasn’t quite sure she could identify

flood through her. “You’re something else.” Something else.

She clicked on her menu and went into the personnel program, typing in

her codes and bringing up her own records. She propped her chin on her fist

as she looked at the screen, not quite knowing whether to be proud or

apprehensive at the amount showing.

Am I worth it? “Dar seems to think so.” She closed the program and

leaned back. “I think I’m going nerd-shopping tonight. I’m tired of that old

desktop.” With a slight laugh that lengthened into a more joyous one, she

turned back to her project list and called up the next one, smiling all the while.

DAR HAD LONG ago decided that everyone just naturally hated going

to the doctor’s office. She knew she wasn’t alone in that, and she suspected it

had more to do with the loss of personal dignity than anything else. She closed

her eyes and tried to call up some patience, while she sat in the examining

room in a gown half the size of a cocktail napkin.

The door pushed open and Dr. Steve came in. He was an older man in his

sixties, with a kindly, sweet face. “Well, well. Look who we have here.”

Dar sighed. “Hi, Dr. Steve.” She managed to keep a wry grin off her face.

The older man had been her family doctor for years and still treated her as

though she were a gawky adolescent.

He assumed his stethoscope and laid it on her back, then moved around

to her chest, listening with that annoyingly omniscient manner developed by

Tropical Storm 103

most doctors. “Breathe.”

She obediently did so, flexing her arm a little against the pain from three

bouts of blood-drawing.

“Okay, lie down.” Dr. Steve proceeded to gently examine her, his fingers

steady and professional as they poked and prodded. “You’ve got a bruise

here.”

“Just from the gym,” Dar said, untruthfully.

“This too?” He picked up her right hand and examined the faded bruises

along the knuckles. “You’re not going back to your scary younger days are

you, chipmunk?”

Dar chuckled wryly. “I’m long past that, and you know it.”

“Mmm.” The older man felt up along her neck carefully, rolling her head

to one side and then to the other. “Pretty stiff.”

“Part of the problem, I think,” Dar acknowledged ruefully. “That’s where

the pain usually starts.”

“Uh huh. How’ve you been sleeping?”

A shrug. “All right. About the same as always.”

“So still doing the four or five a night, huh?” Dr. Steve remarked dryly.

“You’d do yourself a favor if you’d sneak in an extra hour or two.”

Dar exhaled. “I tried. I just can’t fall asleep. And if I do, I wake up early.”

The older man leaned on his hands and studied her. “No, you never

could. Your daddy was the same way.” He sighed. “How are you feeling

otherwise?” He put his stethoscope against her chest and listened. “Any

flutters? You feeling out of breath anytime?”

Dar thought about that. “Not that I noticed,” she replied slowly. “When

the pain’s really bad, I’m more conscious of my heartbeat, feels like it’s

causing the throbbing.”

“That’s natural,” Dr. Steve told her. “Sit up.”

She did so, reaching up and running a hand through her hair. “So, what’s

the story? Am I dying?” The comment about her heart made her a touch

nervous, and it showed. Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed

uncomfortably as she waited for him to answer.

The doctor rolled his eyes. “If you are, you’re the healthiest dying person

I’ve ever examined.” He leaned back against the wall in the small room. “Your

blood work’s a mess, Dar. Your white cell count is down, every stress

indicator we know of is up, and I’m a little worried about some of the things I

see with your pressure. I scheduled you over to Miami Heart for a stress test.

No, don’t argue with me, all right? Humor me, I’m an old man, Dar. I really

think you need it.”

Dar let her head drop and exhaled. “I don’t have time for that.”

He gently reached over and tipped her chin up to face him. “You don’t

have time not to do it, sweetheart. Come on, they’re not busy today. It’ll take

an hour, and then you can tell me you told me so, okay?”

“An hour, huh?” She hesitated, then surrendered. “All right, but I think

you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Uh huh, and you got your medical degree where?” the older man

inquired pointedly. “Of course, we could dispense with all this if you’d just

take my advice and take a week off, go bum around in the Keys or out on the

104 Melissa Good

boat somewhere.”

A crafty look entered the pale blue eyes. “Oh, so all I have to do is agree

to go on vacation, and I don’t have to go over to the Institute?”

Dr. Steve wagged a finger at her. “Oh no, you tricky little girl you. I know

you, you’ll agree, then you won’t go for two years.” His voice gentled. “Dar,

please. I hate to see you doing this to yourself.” He cocked his head. “It’s not

going to get better, honey. It’s just going to get worse, unless you start taking

it easier.”

Dar was silent for a bit, then she finally nodded. “All right, I get the

message. I’ll arrange, somehow, to take a few days off.” She paused.

“Meantime, can you give me something for the damn headaches? I’ve been

taking over the counter, but…”

The older man nodded. “You go to the Institute, I’ll give you a scrip for a

combination painkiller and muscle relaxant. That should help. Deal?”

Dar hesitated, then capitulated. “Deal. Look, I know I feel lousy. Hey, I

even got myself an assistant. How do you like that?”

“Did you?” Dr. Steve glanced up with a surprised smile. “You found

someone who could put up with you? Virgin Mary, it’s a miracle.” He laughed

at the look on her face. “He must be a saint.”

A dark brow lifted. “She.” Dar felt her face creasing into an unexpected

smile.

His own grizzled eyebrow edged up. “Ah. I see.” He patted her knee

gently. “You’ll have to introduce me to this modern day Job-ette sometime.”

Dar snorted. “C’mon, I’m not that bad. Kerry deals with me just fine.

She’s a nice kid.” Another smile.

Dr. Steve leaned back and regarded her wisely. “If she makes you smile

like that, she must be nice,” he teased, watching a faint blush color her skin.

“Now I really want to meet her.”

“I’d better get dressed and get outta here if I have to go across town. “

Dar ignored the prodding. “I’ve still got stuff to do back at the office.” She

hopped off the table, grabbed her clothes and the prescription the doctor held

out. “Thanks, Dr. Steve.”

He stood and patted her arm. “Good seeing you, my friend. I’ll call you

when I get the results of the stress test, okay?”

“Right.” Dar sighed resignedly. “On my way.”

“HELLO, MARIA.” KERRY slipped in the door and gave the older

woman a smile.

The secretary looked up from her task. “Ay, chica, come in here.” She

waved Kerry in and patted the chair next to her desk. “What have you been

doing? I heard two people in the lunchroom saying very lovely things about

you.”

Kerry obligingly dropped into the chair. It had taken a day or two of

them gingerly feeling each other out, but she felt that Maria and she had

decided to like each other. Apparently Maria had felt Dar needed some help

for quite some time, but she resented the usual parade of applicants, who

tended to treat the secretary as...well, like a secretary. Kerry had taken her cue

Tropical Storm 105

from Dar and accorded Maria a high degree of respect, deferring to her

whenever possible. “Oh, this and that. Trying to get some of my work list

done, you know.” She smiled. “Anything hot you need taking care of with the

boss out of the office?”

Maria rolled her eyes. “When is there never hot things? You might could

take a look at this.” She handed Kerry a folder. “Customer Service sent over

and put it right on my desk.”

“Okay.” Kerry took it, then she glanced around. “Is Dar coming back

today?”

Maria looked around as well, though they were both quite alone. “Si,

she’s supposed to, but she’s at the doctor’s.”

Green eyes widened. “Just a check-up, or…”

The secretary hesitated, torn between her knowledge of Dar’s intensely

private nature and her need to share her concerns. “It’s the headaches. She

gets them so bad, she went to have them check her out,” she finally said. “But,

shhh, she doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Yeah, I noticed she takes a lot of aspirin, but her job’s enough to give a

rock a headache.”

“Ay.” Maria sighed. “Is good you help her out. It’s terrible the way they

expect so much of her.”

They both jumped a little as the door opened and Dar slid inside, giving

them both a look of mild surprise. “Afternoon,” she muttered as she walked

through the outer office and pushed her own door open. “Anything going

on?” Kerry and Maria exchanged apprehensive glances. Dar’s demeanor was

quiet and grim, and her blue eyes lacked their customary sparkle. Kerry stood

up and held up the file. “Just some stuff from customer service. I was going to

take care of it.”

Dar regarded her for a moment, wrestling with her conscience, then gave

her assistant a nod. “Good.” She turned and went into her office, putting her

briefcase down and dropping into her chair. Instead of glancing at her

monitor, though, she turned her seat and gazed out of the window, watching

the slow drift of clouds across horizon in the east.

A soft knock made her look around. “Yeah?” The door edged open, and

Kerry poked her blonde head in. Dar exhaled and lifted a hand, motioning her

in. No sense in taking out my nerves on the kid, right? “C’mere.”

Kerry obeyed, moving across the carpet and settling in the chair across

from Dar’s desk, the folder clasped in both hands. She looked

uncharacteristically nervous. She took a breath. “Everything okay?”

Dar spared her a wry smile. “Does everyone in the building know where

I went?”

“No, just us, I guess.” Kerry obviously meant herself and Maria. “Don’t

be mad at Maria for telling me, she’s just worried about you.”

Caught between annoyance and embarrassment, Dar compromised by

rolling her eyes.

“Please forget I asked,” Kerry stated hastily. “Next topic. I think the

whole Tucson thing is going to work out. Infrastructure was able to complete

the T3 circuit on time, now they’re just waiting for the installers to get there.”

106 Melissa Good

“That’s good. I was afraid they’d screwed that one up past redemption.

Did you sit on them until they finished it?”

“Well, not exactly. I just kind of talked to the client and got some

concessions from his building management to make it easier for them to

finish,” Kerry explained quietly.

“Good work.” Dar hesitated. “Kerry?” Green eyes lifted and met hers.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

Kerry blinked. “I know you don’t like people getting into your personal

business,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to intrude or anything. I’m glad

everything’s all right.”

Dar felt a quiet regret at the woman’s apology. “I…I don’t mind, not if it’s

Maria, or if it’s you. I just don’t like the entire company involved.” She gave

Kerry a brief smile. “You’d be surprised at what passes for juicy gossip

around here.”

“That’s not something to gossip about.” Kerry frowned. “That’s rotten.”

That got her another brief grin. “I can’t say I don’t agree, and I’m not one

for idle chatter myself, but it’s a fact of life here.” Dar leaned back in her

chair.

Kerry pressed her lips together and nodded. “I understand.” She looked

up, studying Dar’s half shadowed face. “Anyway, I’m glad things are okay.”

There was the faintest hint of a question in her tone.

Dar leaned forward and rested her arms on her desk. “Mostly,” she

admitted, “I basically got told I should take a vacation and not work so hard.”

She shrugged. “Like always. I got some drugs for the headaches, and that was

it.”

Kerry absorbed the revelation. “So, when was the last time you took a

vacation?” She asked curiously. “I know mine was a while ago, so much stuff

was going on. I went over to Marco Island for a few days.” It had been a fun

excursion; she and a few of the folks from Associated had rented a small cabin

on the west coast of Florida, and spent some time looking for shells, and

bumming around on the beach.

Dar concentrated. “Um, I think mine was…skiing in Colorado,” she

recalled. “About a week. I ended up meeting most of the trees in Aspen up

close and personal.” She chuckled softly. “I finally got the hang of it on the

last day, but I haven’t been back since.”

“That sounds like fun. I’ve been skiing a bunch of times. I’m not that

good at it, though,” Kerry confessed with a smile. “I ran into a rabbit my last

time, and went head over heels. Ended up with a broken wrist.”

“Ouch.” Dar laughed.

“So, are you going to take the doctor’s advice? Take a vacation, I mean?”

Dar looked up. “You trying to get rid of me?” Her tone was light, but

wary.

“No,” Kerry answered very seriously. “I’m trying to figure out how I’m

going to get a machine gun mounted on my desk in time.” She held up her

hands. “Rattataataa.”

Dar couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter again, leaning back and feeling

her whole body relax from the day’s tension. “And here I thought you were the

peaceful sort,” she teased as she rested her elbows on her chair arms, then

Tropical Storm 107

leaned her chin against her interlaced fingers. “Machine Gun Stuart, huh?”

Kerry grinned at her. “I was trap shooting champion during high school,”

she admitted. “Loved nailing those clay ducks.”

Surprised once again by the many facets she was discovering in Kerry,

Dar asked, “Really?”

“Yeah.” Her assistant nodded. “Trap and debating. Bad mix, really.”

Dar chuckled at the image. An idea burst into her mind, and she started

talking before she really thought about what she was doing. “Listen, I’ve got

to go to the South Miami office for a quick meeting. I think you should come

along, so I can introduce you to the guys down there.”

“Okay,” Kerry agreed amiably, somewhat tickled at being able to make

Dar laugh. “Sounds good to me, and it’s on my way home, practically,

anyway.”

“Hey, we could try that Thai restaurant after the meeting. It’s right by

there. I didn’t get any lunch, so…” Dar felt a little awkward but relaxed when

she saw Kerry’s eyes light up. “Haven’t had that in a long time.”

“Sure,” The younger woman agreed enthusiastically. “I’ve been waiting

for a chance to try it. None of my friends like Thai, so it was wait around for

someone who does, or go by myself.” She made a face. “I hate doing that.”

Dar glanced at her hands. “I’ve gotten used to it over the years,” she

commented lightly. “But I know what you mean.” She stood up. “Well, then,

let’s get going. That meeting’s set for five o’clock.”

“I’ll get my things and meet you at the elevator,” Kerry agreed, and

trotted out.

The room seems so much more empty without her in it, Dar mused. She hardly

knew why she’d brought up the restaurant, other than the fact that she was

hungry now, and… And.

Dar chewed her lip. “And you like spending time with the kid,” she told

herself wryly. “Come on, just admit it. She’s got a fresh perspective, a whole

lot different from yours, and for some crazy reason, she likes you.” A soft

sigh. “Damned if I know why, either.” She sat pondering that for a moment

more, then gathered her things and headed out.

“SO, HER SECRETARY goes in and gets the cup, then washes it out with

vinegar!” Kerry picked up a stuffed shrimp, and took a bite. “Wow, that’s

great... Where was I? Oh, I’m standing there, getting coffee, and I just looked

at her.”

“Mmm.” Dar nibbled on her own shrimp and listened, getting a kick out

of the stories of things she certainly never saw. “Vinegar, huh? That explains a

lot about Vi.”

“Shhh. Right, so I see she doesn’t even rinse the cup, then she pours decaf

into it. My curiosity finally got the better of me. I asked her what she was

doing, and she just kinda laughed.” Kerry cautiously took a sip of the amber

fluid in the wine glass that had just been set before her. “Oh…that is good.”

“I don’t drink much, but I can take a glass or two of this,” Dar admitted.

“I keep a bottle of it around the house. Nice to sip out on the balcony

sometimes.”

108 Melissa Good

“I try not to go over my limit very often,” Kerry sighed. “They get me out

at a club once in a while though, and I usually regret it in the morning.” She

took another sip of the plum wine. “Anyway, so I ask her, and she tells me

that she and a few of the other secreta—excuse me, administrative

assistants...” They exchanged rolled eyes. “A few of them really want this

other coffee vendor to do the building or at least the floor. But this one is the

building manager’s cousin, or brother-in-law, or whatever. So, they won’t

change even though they think the coffee’s lousy.”

Dar bit through another appetizer, which was shrimp stuffed with

crabmeat and deep-fried until it was crunchy. It had an orange/honey/ginger

dipping sauce she particularly liked. “Well, it’s not the best, but it’s not the

worst either,” she commented of the coffee.

“That’s what I thought, too. I mean, it’s office coffee, not Starbucks, for

Christ’s sake.” Kerry shook her head. “But they’ve got this scheme. They put

the vinegar in her boss’s coffee because they know she’s got a big mouth, and

she’ll complain all the time. Then if she does that long enough, they’ll

change.”

Dar laughed. “Oh, hell. Vi does complain about that constantly, too. I’m

in trouble now! Next time we have an executive committee meeting, and she

starts going on about the coffee, I’m going to lose it.” She relaxed in her chair.

“Why don’t they just buy whatever damn coffee they like, and bring it in?”

Kerry eyed the large plate of white rice and the container of chicken curry

that had just been set down in front of her. “Uh oh. Looks like I’ll have lunch

tomorrow out of this.”

“Bet you don’t.” A quick grin edged Dar’s face. “It’s got a way of

disappearing.”

“Yeah, into me.” Kerry patted her stomach wryly. “Oh, about the coffee.

Well, that’s what I suggested to her, I mean, they’ve been doing this for three

months, Dar. In that time, they could have hired Juan Valdez as consultant,

you know?” Dar snickered. “They looked at me like I was a three-headed

dog.” She lifted her hands in a shrug. “They made a snarky comment about

how not everyone worked for you and got paid megabucks.”

A dark brow lifted. “You’re not my secretary,” Dar stated flatly. “I pay

people what they’re worth.”

Kerry blushed slightly and fiddled with her plate, mixing her rice with

the fragrant curried chicken. “I just told them I guess I picked the right boss,

then.” She lifted her eyes shyly and met Dar’s. “And I think that’s true,

regardless of what I was getting paid.”

Dar was silent for a moment, absorbing the unexpected compliment. “So,

does that mean I haven’t scared you off yet?” Her tone was joking, but there

was a serious undercurrent to it.

“I guess that’s what it means,” Kerry replied. “I really like what I’m

doing. I’m learning so much.” She exhaled and gave Dar a smile.

“That’s a relief,” her boss answered quietly. “As of tonight, you’ve

officially lasted the longest ever of my assistants. Congratulations.” Dar lifted

her glass and held it up, letting a quiet, almost wistful smile touch twist her

lips as Kerry touched her glass to it. “Wasn’t quite what you expected two

weeks ago, hmm?”

Tropical Storm 109

A small laugh. “No, it sure wasn’t, but I’ve learned that sometimes things

happen for a reason. I think this is one of those things.” Kerry reflected that

toasting her new boss with plum wine over very good chicken curry wasn’t

what she expected either, but she’d take that, too. “No complaints.”

Dar was contented. She’d made the right choice and events were proving

that out to the point where even Duks had made a comment, nudging her in

the ribs and complimenting her on Kerry’s handling of some account or other .

“Thought you were picking for looks there, my friend. Guess I was wrong.”

She’d smirked in response. “You’re so superficial, Dukky. You gotta learn to

look beneath the surface.” She’d gotten a good employee, and a smart

manager, and … And.

Their eyes met casually, and Dar felt a gentle warmth in her gut . Good

god, I might have even found a friend, scary as that thought is. At least someone she could have dinner with once in a while without worrying about being bored.

“Glad to hear it.”

Kerry sighed happily and chewed her curry. “So…” She swallowed. “In

this ‘us and them’ thing, who, exactly, is us, Dar?” She wiped her lips.

“Because you need so many score cards in that office, I’m considering putting

it in an Access database.”

Dar almost inhaled a bit of rice. “Don’t make me laugh like that. I’ll

choke,” she protested. “Okay. Well, who is us… That’s a hard question,

because everyone has their own agenda. You realize that, right?”

Kerry nodded, but didn’t speak as she munched.

“Duks—that’s Lou Draefus—and Mariana and I usually team up in senior

level meetings. That frustrates Sales and Marketing, because between Finance,

Personnel, and Ops... Well, they call us Cerberus behind our backs, speaking

of the three-headed dog,” Dar explained between bites. “Duks and I go way

back. He was an account-level comptroller when I started, and we found out

we worked well together, so they teamed us up on a lot of things. It worked

for both of us.”

“Why do you call him Duks?” Kerry asked curiously.

A smirk edged Dar’s face. “It’s a long, embarrassing story involving a

gym bag, the artificial lake outside, a duck, and me having to have the carpets

on the tenth floor dry cleaned. I won’t go into it.”

“Please don’t,” Kerry spluttered, holding her napkin to her mouth. “I

don’t think I could take it. My head may explode.” She cleared her throat.

“Okay, so, Lou, Mariana, and you are a clique.”

Dar considered that. “I guess.” She shrugged. “We know we can depend

on each other—at least in the context of running our divisions.” She

swallowed. “S and M are natural adversaries. They try to push the boundaries

and sell things that sometimes overreach our capacity. It’s my job to not let

them do that.” She took a sip of wine, draining her glass, then motioned for

the waiter to refill it. “Duks’ number-crunchers have to approve all the

contracts. So between us, we have a pretty big stick.”

“Mmm.” Kerry mulled this over, smiling and nodding as the waiter

offered to fill her glass. “You have the most clout though, don’t you?”

Dar put a bit of chicken in her mouth and bit down, slicing through it

neatly. “I make things happen,” she stated bluntly. “Or not. So I guess I do.”

110 Melissa Good

She considered. “It’s a double-edged sword though, because I have to deliver

one hundred percent of the time.”

“That’s a lot of pressure,” Kerry acknowledged. “They say Lou and

Mariana are lovers. Is that true?”

Silence fell as Dar considered how to answer that. “I’ve never been

invited into their bedrooms.”

Kerry flushed. “Sorry, that was an inappropriate question,” she

murmured. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry, Dar.”

“No, gossip is a fact of life in a place that size,” Dar sighed. “Any time

you have two people who spend a lot of time together, you get that kind of

thing spreading around. I’ve heard the rumors, and they are very good

friends, but beyond that, who knows?”

“People spend a lot of time wondering.” Kerry shrugged. “Seems kind of

counterproductive to me.”

Dar chuckled. “You’d be surprised what’s fair game for speculation. For

instance, I heard yesterday that there was something going on between Maria

and the night security chief.”

“What?” Kerry’s head jerked up. “Maria’s married!”

A faint smirk. “And your point is?” Dar archly inquired. “Seems she was

seen talking to him in one of the supply rooms in a very low voice.”

Kerry snorted. “Bullshit, I was there!” she protested. “She was telling him

one of the junior clerks was taking reams of paper out of the building.”

“See?” Dar chuckled. “It’s insidious.”

Kerry’s face sobered. “Maria would be very hurt to find out people were

talking about her that way,” she stated quietly. “She’s a very devout woman,

and the way she talks about her husband, I think she really loves him.”

Dar smiled. “I think you’re right, which is why I told the person telling

me that if I heard it ever again, I was going to root out who was saying it and

fire them on the spot.”

“Can you really do that?”

A quietly impish grin transformed Dar’s usually sober face. “No, but

everyone thinks I can, and they know I’ve got the guts to.”

The green eyes across from her gentled into something very like awe. “I

guess that’s why I don’t hear much gossip about you, huh?” she murmured.

Dar’s face went still for a moment, then she tilted her head to one side

slightly. “I’ve had my share,” she commented. “Just not lately.” She watched

Kerry from the corner of her eye, catching the blush visible near her neckline.

“I’d like to keep it that way.”

Kerry studied her. “My father’s a senator,” she said. “I grew up knowing

how not to tell anyone anything.” Her lips tensed into a tiny smile. “Besides, I

think you scare people too much.”

Dar blushed a little under her gaze and dropped her eyes, fiddling with

her fork. “The reputation comes in handy sometimes, yes. And, um…I tend to

be very protective of my staff, those that stay on, anyway. Most people know

that.”

Kerry laughed softly. “Well, I certainly feel safe.” She looked up and met

pale blue eyes gazing back at her, and a faint, not unpleasant shiver went

down her back. “But I’ll try not to do anything that gets me talked about.”

Tropical Storm 111

“Fair enough,” Dar replied quietly, glancing up as the waiter removed

their plates and set down a warm platter with tiny Thai doughnuts and sweet

dipping sauce in the center of the table. “We didn’t…”

“No, is come with your dinner,” the man hastened to explain with a little

bow.

They exchanged wry glances and Dar shrugged. “Thanks.” She chuckled

and picked one up, dipping it in the sauce and tasting it. “Mmm, these are

good.”

Watching her enjoyment, Kerry sighed, “I was afraid you were going to

say that.” She sampled one. “The one downside to working for you—it’s

dangerous for my waistline. You and all your cookies and things.”

Dar stopped and licked her fingers. “I want to make sure you’re not

going to blow away if they open the doors up there,” she said, with a little

chuckle. “A justifiable concern, I think…if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Kerry stared at her, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Suddenly realizing she’d just stepped into dangerous waters, Dar almost

slapped herself. “Um. Just…ah, never mind.” She waved a hand. “Sorry. Loss

of brain moment.”

Blonde brows furrowed. “I don’t ‘never mind’ well,” she said

apologetically. “Now you’ve got me curious.” She leaned forward a little.

“What?”

Dar mentally cursed herself out. “Um…” She took a breath. “It’s just my

opinion, and doesn’t count, but I think you should maybe consider not

starving yourself quite so much.” She reached over and took Kerry’s hand,

turning it over and putting a thumb against the prominent bones in her wrist.

“It’s probably why you’re so cold all the time.”

It took Kerry several seconds before she could sort through the little

speech, mostly because she was focusing on the incredible warmth of the

fingers curled around her arm. She studied the tanned skin intently, before

she looked up and met Dar’s pale eyes. “Your opinion counts.” She sighed a

little, “And you’re probably right. I just get a lot of flak from my folks

otherwise, and it’s easier not to have to put up with that.”

Dar released her. “Well, just a thought.” She smiled to ease the tension

that had formed. “Maybe I can come up with some healthier snacks upstairs—

broccoli brownies or something.”

Kerry let out a surprised chuckle. “I bet you hate broccoli.” Her eyes

twinkled.

A hint of a mischievous look danced across Dar’s face. “Someone once

told me it stunted your growth.” She indicated herself. “I never touched the

stuff.”

The blonde woman relaxed. “How tall are you, anyway? The other day,

when we were in the elevator together with all those mirrors, was the first

time I realized just how much taller you are than I am.”

“A little over six feet,” Dar acknowledged with a rueful grin. “Without

heels,” she added. “Hey, thanks for indulging in my whim to come and eat

here. This place is pretty good.”

Kerry sat back with her wine glass and thoughtfully finished off the

contents. “Yeah, it really is. I think I can mark it down as a new favorite,” she

112 Melissa Good

said. “Nice to have a friend who likes Thai, too.”

“Definitely.” Dar considered a moment, then interlaced her fingers and

rested her chin on them. “Anytime you want to indulge, just give me a call.”

A quiet smile crossed Kerry’s face. “That’s a deal.”

KERRY MUSED QUIETLY about her evening as she changed out of her

work clothes and into a T-shirt and shorts. She glanced up as a soft knock

sounded and sighed. “C’mon in.”

Colleen bounded in and put her hands on her hips. “And where have you

been, young lady? Don’t tell me the Gorgon has you working late already. I’m

telling you, Ker, you can’t let her rope you into those kinda hours.”

“Not exactly.” Kerry chuckled, pulling out her Rollerblades. “I mean, yes,

we had a late meeting, but it was down here, and we…I found someone to go

eat Thai with me, so I tried out that new restaurant I was telling you about.”

“They sauté cats, y’know,” Colleen advised her, plopping down on the

couch and removing her own skates from around her neck. They’d planned to

go out skating, and she’d been watching for Kerry’s car. “Not that you can tell

what the hell’s in there in any case.”

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. “It was chicken, Col. Just chicken,

rice, some stuffed shrimp, and these really nice little doughnuts for dessert.”

She pulled on a skate and tightened the laces. “And it’s Vietnamese that uses

cats, not Thai.”

“Mmm-hmm. So, should I be jealous? You’ve got a new friend at work,

eh? What’s his name?” Colleen coaxed mischievously. “How’d you con him

into dubious restaurants so fast?”

Kerry stopped lacing and rested her hands on her knee before looking up.

“Um. It’s a her, and it’s Dar, and she didn’t need any conning. She likes Thai.”

Colleen’s jaw dropped. “No shit? You were out having dinner with your

boss, again?” She clucked under her breath. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d be

thinking you were doing some first class butt kissing here.”

“Tch. You’re just pissed because I finally found someone who’ll eat that

stuff with me.” She gave a soft laugh. “Besides, she’s kinda fun.”

The redhead slapped her hand to her temple. “I didn’t hear that.” She

plugged both ears. “I’m not listening to you tell me that fire-breathing dragon

is ‘fun.’ Kerry, this is the bitch who was going to fire you and everyone at

Associated two weeks ago, remember?”

Kerry bristled unexpectedly. “Don’t call her that. She was just doing her

job.”

“That’s what the Nazis said,” Colleen replied unrepentantly. “I can’t

believe you’re sitting here defending her.”

Kerry finished tying her laces, then stood, balancing easily. “It’s different

now, Colleen. I understand a lot more about what was going on behind all the

decisions she was making. She’s not a bad person.”

“So, it’s okay for her to just fire everyone now?” The redhead stared at

her. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“No. Understanding is not the same as agreeing with. It’s just that I can

take what she does separate from who she is.”

Tropical Storm 113

Colleen grabbed her head with both hands. “You’re confusing the

daylights out of me.”

“Well, put on your skates and let’s get going.” Kerry sighed. “Look, it’s

simple—I didn’t like what she did. It’s why I decided to try and join her

department, so maybe I could change her mind on things. But I do like who

she is, I like her, as a person—regardless of what she does at work. You

understand?”

Her friend finished tying off her skates and stood, wobbling a little. “I

understand she’s charmed the hell out of you, that’s for sure.” She shook her

head. “Just…Kerry, be careful, okay? I don’t want to see you throw yourself

into this job, only to have it backfire on you, and have her screw you over.”

She wouldn’t do that. The words came naturally to her lips, without

thought, but Kerry clamped her jaw shut on them, realizing it wasn’t

something she could easily explain knowing. “I’ll be careful. I know

sometimes things can get ugly, especially at the level she’s at. Thanks for

being concerned about me.”

“Mmph,” Colleen grumbled. “Someone’s got to be.” She followed Kerry

out the door and down the sidewalk. “So, how’s she treating you up there

anyway?”

Kerry swung into an easy rhythm, heading down the paved street.

“Pretty good, really. She keeps sabotaging me with cookies. She thinks I don’t

weigh enough.” She gave Colleen a wry look. “We share a lot of the same

tastes in goodies.”

“Ah.” Her friend nodded. “Okay, she gets a point then.” She paused.

“But only one, mind you.” She tugged at Kerry’s shirt. “I’ve been telling you

that for months.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kerry rolled her eyes. “Come on, I’ll race you to the

corner.”

Chapter

Eleven

KERRY ENTERED THE conference room and gave a smiling nod to the

assembled group as she slipped into a chair halfway down the table. It was the

first meeting she was going to attend without Dar’s comforting presence by

her side, and she was a little nervous. She put her PDA down on the table and

glanced around, folding her hands together.

The meeting was to coordinate a project to replace the current technology

they were using for their huge intranetwork with a more advanced type, and

that affected virtually everyone in the company. Dar had meant to attend, but

she was in the middle of straightening out a huge problem affecting the entire

West Coast and had told Kerry to just go on, take notes, and not to agree to

anything.

Easy enough. She was a little worried about Dar, though. The morning had

started out fine, but after she’d taken care of the day’s urgent morning e-mail,

she’d stopped by to check on something and found her boss standing by her

window, staring out at the water with a grim expression. Something was

bothering her. Even after only two weeks, Kerry could see it plainly. Dar had

given her brief answers, a dismissive attitude that had surprisingly hurt. But

there was this meeting, and they had work to do, so there was no time for her

to ask any more questions.

So she sat here, instead, worrying about someone she barely knew and

sitting in a meeting she was barely prepared for. Kerry sighed. Good thing it’s

Friday. She glanced up as a tall, bearded man stepped to the head of the table

and sat down, shuffling some papers in front of him, then looking at her with

an unpleasant frown.

“Do I understand we’re not deemed important enough for Ms. Roberts to

be here?”

Kerry bit her tongue for a minute, then cleared her throat. “Actually,

she’s cleaning up a mess out in the western region. She asked me to sit in for

her.”

The younger man sitting next to him winced. “Ouch. The Pacific deal?”

Kerry nodded. “She forced Unisys to ship those mainframes a week early,

and she was pushing some of the folks out there to get a team out for install.”

The bearded man didn’t look any happier, but he grunted and focused

his attention on his papers. “Well, all right, let’s get started with this.” He

glanced at his neighbor. “You have a technology presentation?”

Kerry settled in, opening her PDA and scribbling a few notes as the lights

dimmed and a circuit diagram flashed on the screen.

Tropical Storm 115

DAR TOOK A sip of the water on her desk and focused her attention on

the woman sitting in front of her desk. The Marketing VP was busy outlining a

new scheme and wanted Dar’s input on whether or not their current

infrastructure would be able to handle it. She took a breath and swallowed,

forcing down the nausea that had added itself to her daily headache, today’s

being worse than usual, so bad that she suspected what she was suffering was

actually a migraine.

It had started with a spell of tunnel vision, the edges of her sight

becoming a whirling, sparkling blurriness. The pain had started at the base of

her skull and was working upward, the throbbing so bad it was making her

stomach upset. The Marketing VP’s voice wasn’t helping. Eleanor had an

unfortunate nasal voice, and Dar felt herself losing her concentration, wanting

nothing more than to curl up in a dark place and tune the world out.

But she couldn’t. There was too much to do, so she grimly sucked down

more water, calculating whether she could risk downing another four or five

ibuprofen. “Looks good, Eleanor. We can work out the bandwidth, but I’d

write in the overhead for additional T3s into those contracts.”

The woman scribbled a note, nodding. “Yes, we can do that.”

The phone rang, and Dar punched the speakerphone button. “Yes?”

“Dar, we’ve got a problem.” Mark’s voice was irritated. “T and T

requested Internet access for some of their senior techs, and they’ve got an

open TCP/IP stack on their boxes. I can proxy them, but there’s a chance

someone can get into them from that damn intranet they support and hit us

from the inside.”

“Fine. No,” Dar uttered, resting her head on her hand. “Tell T and T

nothing doing.”

“I did,” Mark replied. “But Alai’s complaining up and down the place

and chewing my ass.”

Dar took a breath and released it. “Tell him I said no,” she answered

evenly. “Tell him if he has a problem with that, he can call me directly and I’ll

tell his little, punky, unintelligible ass no.”

Momentary silence. “Okay,” Mark answered slowly, drawing out the

word.

“And you can tell him from me, if he’s so stupid he can’t understand a

simple concept like network security, we can find him a new position painting

stripes outside in the parking lot of the Bank of New Zealand,” Dar continued,

her voice deepening into a growl.

Longer silence. “I think I’ll let you tell him that,” the MIS chief finally

replied with a hesitant chuckle. “I don’t want to deprive you of the pleasure.”

The throbbing got worse, and Dar suspected she was near throwing up,

the very thought of which made her head hurt even more. “Thanks.” She hung

up, then looked at Eleanor “Are we done?”

The woman blinked at her. “You all right, Dar?” she politely inquired.

“Not that you usually aren’t in a foul mood, but this seems a bit much, even

for you.”

Blue eyes pinned her mercilessly. “Are we done?” Dar repeated testily.

The woman stood and shook her head. “Yes. Have a nice…weekend,

Dar.” She paused. “Or whatever.” She walked out, closing the door behind her

116 Melissa Good

with an unnecessary force and gave Maria a look. “She’s got a bug up her ass

today, doesn’t she?” Her eyes fell on Kerry, who had just entered the office

and was now standing near the secretary’s desk. “Oh, sorry, honey, you’re

still kinda new, aren’t you? Haven’t gotten sick of her yet? My god, you’ve

lasted six times as long as the others. You must be some kind of saint.”

Kerry gazed at her. “I like my job, and my boss,” she replied mildly. As

the woman just shook her head and walked out, Kerry turned her attention

back to Maria. “She has been pretty upset all day; is something up?”

Maria shrugged. “I tell you…something is wrong, but she won’t say.”

The secretary lowered her voice. “I worry. She got a call from the doctor

today, early this morning. She’s been so quiet since.” She nudged Kerry. “You

better go in, she was asking where you were.”

“Okay.” Kerry sighed, then picked up her offering of coffee and gently

tapped on the door, pushing it open as she heard the low response. She

entered to find Dar seated behind her desk, her arms resting on its surface.

“Hey, you looking for me?” As she moved closer, she noticed the pale tinge to

her boss’s normally tanned skin and she set the coffee down, peering at the

taller woman in concern.

“Yeah. “ Dar exhaled. “Um…those contracts, the ones Duks wanted

reviewed. Did you take them? I can’t seem to find them.” She rested her head

on one hand, her eyes closing briefly. “Thought I had them in the bin there.”

“Dar?” Kerry circled behind the desk and knelt at her side, putting a

hand on her arm. “Hey, are you okay?”

Dar’s brows creased. “Yeah, I’ve just got a lousy headache,” she

admitted. “It’s driving me nuts.”

“You look terrible.” Kerry leaned closer. “Why don’t you lie down on the

couch?”

“Just…” The older woman drew herself up, taking a long breath. “I’m all

right. I need to find those contracts, I told Duks I’d get them back to him this

afternoon.”

Kerry studied her for a moment. “I was reviewing them, but I thought I

brought them back. Let me check my office. I’ll see if I can find them.”

Dar nodded and let her head rest on one hand again. “Good enough.”

Kerry walked toward the small door which led to the back corridor

between their offices, then stopped and turned, taking her courage in both

hands and returning to the desk. “Dar?”

Blue eyes glanced up at her in minor annoyance. “What?”

Kerry perched on the edge of the polished wood. “Um…listen, why don’t

you go home?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kerry,” Dar said testily. “There’s noth…” She

clamped her jaw down tight, as her stomach threatened to rebel and closed

her eyes. “Damn it.”

“Dar?” Kerry’s voice took on a cajoling softness. “Come on, let me take

you home, okay? You can lie down. I know you’ll feel better.”

“I can’t.” Dar protested wearily. “There’s too much to do.”

“I’ll do it. Come on, I’ll drop you off, then I’ll come back here and finish

stuff up,” Kerry coaxed. “Hey, it’s Friday afternoon. You can get out of here a

few hours early, can’t you?”

Tropical Storm 117

Dar stared at her. The sea green eyes warmed and gentled as the blonde

woman regarded her, and suddenly Dar just wanted to give in. “Well…”

“C’mon, you’re white as a sheet.” Kerry gave her a worried frown. “Dar,

please, I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’d have to run screaming

from the building if it did.”

That, at least, made her smile just a little. “All right.” She surrendered,

leaning back in her chair and letting her head rest against the cool leather. She

kept her eyes closed, listening to Kerry shutting down her computer, and the

faint jingle as she captured Dar’s car keys from the top drawer. “Teach me to

hire a debating champion, huh?”

“Come on,” Kerry urged quietly. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Yeah, all right.” Dar pushed herself to her feet, then shouldered her

laptop and followed as Kerry lead the way across the room and opened the

door. She gave Maria a look as the secretary glanced up, startled. “Maria, I’m,

um…”

Kerry held up the car keys behind Dar’s back and exchanged worried

looks with Maria.

“You’re…offsite at a meeting,” Maria said quietly. “Emergency calls only,

ay?” Dar nodded. “That’ll do.”

Their exit was quiet. Kerry was amazed they managed to escape the

building without Dar being stopped a half dozen times, but it seemed they

picked the right time—everyone else was either in afternoon meetings or still

at lunch. She walked with Dar across the lot, wincing herself at the lurid,

bright sunlight that seemed all the odder in contrast to the thunderheads

building above them. “Looks like it’s going to rain.”

Dar glanced briefly up, then shielded her eyes against the sun. “Oh, that

was a bad idea.”

“Sorry.” Kerry put her hand on Dar’s back as they approached the Lexus.

“You should get in before I do something else that dumb.”

“Eh, I’d survive it. How dumb could it be if it’s you?” Dar muttered.

Kerry had to smile at the compliment. She got the executive settled in the

passenger seat, then walked around and prudently adjusted the driver’s side

to accommodate her lesser inches. “Where do you live, anyway?” she inquired

hesitantly.

Dar smiled wearily. “Get on McArthur Causeway and go east. It’s the last

light before you go over the final bridge over to the beach.”

Kerry stared at her in confusion. “Dar, that’s the Coast Guard terminal.”

A faint chuckle. “Not quite. It’s a ferry base just to the west of that.” She

exhaled. “Place called Fisher Island. You gotta take a boat to go there.”

Kerry slowly put the Lexus into gear and eased out of the parking lot,

turning right and heading for the causeway. “Oh,” she mused. “I’ve heard of

that.” She shot her companion a worried look. “Do you have something you

can take for your headache? I mean, you look like it hurts pretty bad.”

“The island pharmacy is filling a prescription I got yesterday,” Dar

answered quietly. “I think this is a migraine. I’ve never had one before, but it’s

really lousy.”

“Ouch.” Kerry turned onto the causeway and proceeded east. “I’ve had

118 Melissa Good

those a few times. Did it start off with your vision going weird?” A faint nod

confirmed her guess. “Stomach ache?” Kerry inquired sympathetically.

Another nod acknowledged that as well. “It’s a migraine.” The blonde made a

face. “I usually find a dark place somewhere to sleep it off.”

There was silence for a bit. “How’d the meeting go?” Dar finally asked, as

Kerry was turning right into the ferry terminal and proceeding cautiously

through the cone-marked lanes. The ferry was just pulling up, so Kerry put

the car in Park and considered the question.

“All right, I guess. The guy who chaired it, Michael something, he was

really nasty. He had a bad attitude, but the presenter for technology was

good.”

“Michael Districa.” Dar nodded. “Hates my guts.” She opened an eye and

waved at the security guard, who lifted a hand in response. “Just drive onto

the ferry. They’ll tell you when to stop.”

Kerry obeyed, edging the Lexus onto the ramp, then into its assigned

lane, where a white-shirted deckhand motioned her. She braked when he held

up a hand, then she watched as he carefully chocked the wheels. Once all the

cars were loaded, the ramp was raised and the ferry chugged away from the

dock. Now she had some time to shift her eyes to the right and study her

companion. “How’d Pacific go?”

Dar kept her eyes closed and leaned her head against the doorframe,

which was cool from the air conditioning. “Done.” She murmured. “I had to

threaten to close a division, but the bastards finally made it out there.”

“Chalk another one up for DR, then.” Kerry smiled, watching as the ferry

closed with the island terminal. “They were really worried about that one. I

heard Mr. Draefus talking about it on the elevator with that person from

Marketing.”

“Mmm.” Dar winced and swallowed hard as her stomach twisted. She

was pathetically grateful for Kerry’s driving her home. The way she felt, she’d

probably have ended up in Biscayne Bay. “Thanks for making me see reason,

by the way.”

Green eyes regarded her warmly as Kerry just barely kept herself from

reaching out and squeezing her boss’s arm. “You looked so miserable, I

couldn’t stand it.”

A pale blue orb appeared and regarded her curiously. “You couldn’t

stand it?”

Kerry took a breath, then released it, unsure of how exactly to explain her

comment. She was saved the trouble by the ferry docking, which required her

to concentrate on what she was doing. She pulled the Lexus up the ramp, into

a welcoming spray of water which rinsed the salt off the car. Then she

proceeded down the only road she could see, coming to a T intersection and

looking at Dar in question. “Right or left?”

“Right,” Dar replied. “Go to the second inset left turn; the sign says

‘Seaside.’ Drive in, then go into the bay on the end.”

Kerry glanced around curiously. The island featured a small golf course

in its center, and the apartments surrounded the perimeter. There wasn’t

much car traffic, but she spotted several golf carts whirring along the road,

and the trees which surrounded the course isolated the apartments from it.

Tropical Storm 119

She turned where Dar indicated and pulled into a condo complex, which held

several clusters of homes, each set at right angles to each other. “Down there?”

She indicated the underground parking.

Dar nodded. “Yeah, first or second spot on the left. Doesn’t matter which

one you pick.”

“All right.” Kerry pulled the car into a spot, then set the parking break.

“Here we are.”

“So it seems,” Dar replied wryly. “We didn’t think this out really well,

Kerry. If you give me a chance to swallow a few pills, and let this die down,

I’ll take you back for your car.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can take a cab, thanks. You’re here because you

don’t feel well, remember?” She opened the door and hopped out, literally.

“Damn, this is a high car. Listen, I’ll just get you settled, then get out of here

and out of your way.”

Dar dragged herself upright and got out, leaning against the car as she

closed the door and breathed in the fresh ocean breeze with a sense of mild

relief. She led the way up to her door, plucking the package hanging from her

mailbox off and glancing at it. “Ah, the drugs. Good.”

“They deliver it here?” Kerry was looking around, her fingers trailing

against the thick stonework. She followed at Dar’s back as the taller woman

unlocked the door and pushed it open, a waft of cleanly scented air hitting her

in the face.

She walked into a spacious room with a vaulted ceiling. The immediate

impression she got was of cool, clean openness, with eggshell-colored walls,

two dark leather sofas, and marble floors. Her attention was immediately

captured by the huge framed print over the couch, a planetscape in dark,

vivid, vibrant colors which seemed to jump out a her in the low light. “Wow.”

Dar turned with a puzzled expression, then managed a smile. “You really

didn’t expect wooden crate furniture, did you? I thought I gave a better

impression than that.”

Kerry walked over to the picture and stared at it. “That’s amazing.”

Dar continued toward the kitchen. “Thanks. There’s an artist who does

those. He makes that spidery tracework with live electricity.”

“What?” Kerry caught up with her as she reached the doorway and

entered the huge kitchen. “Whoa!” she yelped, turning in a circle and taking

in the square room, with its neatly kept appliances. “You could fit my car in

here.” She laughed. “I thought my mother’s kitchen was big.”

Dar took a glass from the cabinet and opened the refrigerator door,

pouring milk into it from the dispenser, then ripping open her medication bag

impatiently. “If you wait for this stuff to work, I’ll give you the nickel tour.”

She got the bottle open and checked the dosage, taking two pills out and

popping them in her mouth, followed by a swallow of milk. “Hope I can keep

those down.” She grimaced, leaning against the counter as a wave of pain

tightened around her skull.

Kerry gently took hold of her companion’s elbow. “Come on. Which way

is your bedroom?”

Dar took a steadying breath and straightened up. “I can make it, thanks.”

The warmth around her arm disappeared, and she pulled her jacket off as she

120 Melissa Good

made her way into the bedroom.

It hurt to even take her clothes off. She left them draped over the chair

and pulled an old T-shirt over her head, leaning against the wall as the

pounding made blood red flashes behind her closed eyes. “Ugh.” She started

to go to the door, then paused and grabbed a pair of shorts. “Think. Think,

think, damn it.” It had been a long time since she’d had anyone else in the

condo who’d care what she was wearing, hadn’t it?

“Hey,” she called out to Kerry, who poked her head in the room. “Listen,

I…I think I’d better lie down until this stuff kicks in.” She leaned against the

jamb, watching Kerry’s face. “There’s a terminal in the study, if you wanted to

finish up that stuff.”

Kerry studied the perceptibly swaying woman and sighed. She stepped

forward again and put a hand on her arm. “Come on, don’t worry about me.

Let’s get you settled.”

Dar didn’t resist the touch this time. She let herself be guided over to the

waterbed and sank down into it. “Oh, man.” She curled onto her side,

clamping her jaw down on another wave of nausea. The pain tightened again

and she wrapped an arm over her head, finding it hard to breathe, it hurt so

much.

“Here. Roll over.” The voice was quiet and familiar and she obeyed,

feeling hands gently probing at the ache in her neck. The warmth of the touch

was startling, and she inhaled sharply as the strong fingers worked at the tight

muscles across her back. It was an intrusion she had no interest in protesting,

and she wasn’t sure at all where it was all going except that it had been so

very long since she’d known this kind of compassion, and it felt wonderful.

“Easy…wow, that’s really tight. Hold on.” Kerry worked at the tense

shoulders, feeling uncertain and very awkward. Dar’s skin felt nice and warm

through the soft cotton of her shirt, and she was uncomfortably aware of just

how inappropriate this all was. She was also uncomfortably aware of how

much she was enjoying it. But Dar wasn’t protesting. In fact, she buried her

face into the crook of her arm and exhaled, groaning a little under her breath.

Definitely not protesting.

It took a while before she could feel the knots release under her fingers,

and by that time, Dar was edging towards sleep. Kerry stopped her massaging

and removed one hand, but kept the other there, making gentle circles with

just her fingertips, which only stopped when she realized Dar was deeply

asleep, her breathing steady and even.

She withdrew her touch, then stood and backed out of the room quietly,

not stopping until she was in the center of the living room, where she let out a

long-held breath. “Whew.” She ran a slightly shaking hand through her hair.

“Okay, okay, just settle down, Kerry. It’s over now, she’s all right. Just relax.”

Jesus. She folded her arms across her chest and tried to sort out the

churning emotions she felt inside. “Okay,” she finally murmured to herself,

“you did the woman a favor, so just chill.” Just a favor, like anyone would do.

For a friend. Kerry tipped her head back and studied the plaster-swirled

vaulted ceiling, breathing deep and slow, as she’d once taught herself to do

before a big debate, to steady down her nerves.

It worked. Curious now, she looked around, taking in the apartment with

Tropical Storm 121

an appreciative eye. “So this is where you live, huh?” She wandered around

the large room, examining the soft leather of the couch. “Ooo, bet that’s

comfortable to sit on.” She stepped up into the dining room and went to the

windows, which were covered with slatted blinds. She lifted a blind up to

expose the ocean view and sighed. “Man, that’s nice.”

From there, she wandered into the kitchen, peering at the appliances,

which showed little use, and the center food prep island, which showed even

less. “You don’t spend much time in here, do you?” She peeked inside the

refrigerator and shook her head. “Good grief, Dar. Do you expect me to

believe you live on milk, chocolate chip cookies, and, ” she opened the freezer,

“frozen pizza?” She slapped her head in disbelief. “I’m not seeing this.” She

looked again. “Oh, excuse me…and ice cream.”

She left the sadly ill-stocked kitchen and made another circuit around the

living room. A door led off to the right, and she poked her head in, seeing a

large desk complete with computer. “Ah, the study.” She glanced up the stairs

curiously, then trotted up the carpeted steps, finding three rooms and two

bathrooms there, one bedroom apparently meant to be the master bedroom

from its size, and a wraparound balcony open to the sea. She wondered why

Dar chose to sleep downstairs, then figured it was probably just easier for her

to deal with one level, since she...

Kerry looked around again, then went downstairs and took in the quiet

living room. Since she lived here alone. Her eyes flicked to the entertainment

center, then to the living room table, and she realized that other than the large

picture above the couch, there was nothing personal in the room. No pictures.

No clothes scattered around. No diplomas or quirky, knick-knack items.

Nothing. It was as though the enigmatic woman who lived here was just

visiting, afraid to put a personal stamp on the place.

Kerry thought about that as she wandered into the study and sat down at

the large, polished desk. And found at last, a small, framed photograph,

which she picked up and brought closer. In it was a younger Dar, dressed in a

white karate outfit, one hand resting on a tall trophy, the other arm wrapped

around an older man who was grinning proudly at the camera and pointing to

her. His bearded face was strongly reminiscent of Dar’s, and his eyes were the

same pale blue. She turned the picture over and read the words penciled on

the back. “Two of a kind. 1990.”

“Hmm.” Kerry carefully put the photo back down, then considered what

to do. She could just leave—Dar was sleeping, there was no longer a need for

her to hang around here. The phone was there, she could call a cab. On the

other hand, Dar had sort of said it was okay for her to stay, by telling her

where the desk was, and kind of assuming she’d do something with it. On a

third hand, the prescription had said to take one pill, and Dar had taken two,

and wasn’t it dangerous to leave someone sleeping like that?

Two hands to one. Kerry gave a brisk nod, and flipped on the computer.

“I can finish up everything from here. In fact…” Her eyes found the HP

Laserjet 4Si tucked against one side of the desk. “Heck, I can even reprint

those dumb reports.”

Satisfied, she waited for the machine to boot, then logged in with her own

logon. The system hesitated for quite a while, then obediently gave up her

122 Melissa Good

personal menu. She signed into a terminal session, then got to work.

IT HAD TO be a dream, Dar fuzzily realized. She was in a large, open

field, with the buzz of crickets all around her, and only the hiss of the wind

beyond that. No traffic sounds, no airplanes—just this awesome, beautiful

silence that filled her soul with peace. She was lying down with her eyes

closed, absorbing the sunlight, and enjoying the soft, cool breeze that stirred

the stalks of grass around her. She was naked, but that didn’t bother her, and

she could feel the solid, warm weight of another human being draped over

her, softly breathing against the skin of her neck. It was peaceful. She was

happy and contented. It was perfect.

And, as dreams do, it slowly faded, allowing the real world to nudge at

her, and she reluctantly obeyed, dragging her consciousness back to the

present, which forced her to open her eyes and see the soft light of her bedside

clock, which told her it was eight o’clock and very dark.

Dark, she realized, as her ears caught a howl of wind and the patter of

rain against the window, and stormy. She rolled slowly over, gingerly moving

her head, relieved at the lack of pain. Her mouth felt dry, and she blinked at

the ceiling, then stiffened as her subliminal senses made her aware that she

was not alone in the apartment.

Then she remembered. “Ah.” A faint, worried frown edged her face, and

she blearily remembered Kerry’s gentle touch on her as she went to sleep. For

some reason, that called up the memory of her dream, and she shoved it back

in irritation. Aw, chill out, Dar. The kid was just trying to help. She was probably

uncomfortable as hell doing that, so remember to thank her.

For a moment she paused in thought, acknowledging the fact that she

was glad Kerry was still there. Then she sighed and smiled a little ruefully.

“Ah, Dar, what have you done this time, hmm?”

She rolled out of bed with a yawn and trudged to the bathroom, blinking

at her disheveled look with a scowl. She raked her fingers through her hair to

order it a little, then gave up and walked quietly into the living room, where

she stopped suddenly. A faint smile touched her lips as she surveyed Kerry’s

sleeping form, tucked into the corner of one of the couches, her hand resting

on a pile of papers. Her head was resting on the soft, padded arm, and she’d

thrown her jacket over her shoulders for warmth. Asleep, her face was open

and innocent as a child’s, and Dar felt an irresistible affection brewing in her

for the young woman. Silently, she padded back into the bedroom and pulled

a soft blanket from the closet, returning to settle it gently over Kerry before

she continued into the kitchen.

The weather was lashing against the seaside windows, and Dar glanced

out, surprised to see whitecaps traveling up and down the usually calm

coastline. The barely visible buoys were bobbing right and left, their red and

green signals waving wildly over the sea’s surface. “Huh.” She reached

behind her and turned on the small, cabinet-mounted television, flipping

through the channels rapidly. “Let’s see. Sensational local news, must be

Channel Seven.” Seeing a weather map and a concerned-looking badly

toupée’d weatherman, she gave the changer a rest. “Uh oh.” She turned up the

Tropical Storm 123

sound a little.

“Rising suddenly in the straits of Florida, the low

that had settled just north of Cuba has intensified, and

a hurricane hunter plane from NOAA confirms a center of

circulation and tropical storm force winds.”

“Goddamnpieceofcrapstupid— It’s November, damn it!”

“The National Weather Service in Miami has issued

tropical storm warnings for the entire southern coast of

Florida, from Cape Sable all the way around up to West

Palm Beach. Interests in the area should be making

preparations for tropical storm conditions within the

next twelve to twenty four hours.”

“Aw, nuts.” Dar sighed in exasperation. “I thought we were over this for

this year.” A soft sound behind her made her turn to see Kerry entering the

kitchen, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and a puzzled, somewhat

concerned look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

Dar gestured to the television. “Tropical storm.” She exhaled. “Out of

nowhere!”

Kerry peered at the screen, then up at her. “What does that mean?”

A dark brow cocked. “Well, for one thing, it means you’re stuck here.”

She picked up the phone and dialed, waiting with drumming fingers until

someone picked up. “Hello, Rocky, this is Dar Roberts. What’s going on?” She

listened. “I figured. Thanks.” She hung up. “Yep, the ferries are locked down

for the duration. Only emergency runs are being made with the boats if people

have to get off or on.”

Kerry considered the unexpected development. “Hmm. Sorry. I guess I

should have left when I had the chance. I just wanted to get those reports

done, then I…I guess I was tired, so I just lay down for a minute…” She gave

Dar an apologetic look. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, my head didn’t explode,” Dar said. “And I can move around

without wanting to puke, so I guess I’m better.” Her brow creased. “I’d better

get candles and flashlights out. No telling how long we might lose power for.”

She stepped to the edge of the window, and pressed a hidden switch. “Better

get the shutters down now.”

With a mechanical hum, protective aluminum shutters slid down over the

huge, ocean-view windows, clanking down with a rattle and whining to a

halt. Dar did the same to the kitchen window, then showed Kerry where the

switches were for the other rooms. She left the blonde woman to do that, while

she entered the laundry room and pulled out a covered basket, returning to

the kitchen and putting it on the island. She opened it and peered down.

Inside were neatly packed flashlights, candles, sterno cans, and other

supplies. “Hmph.”

“Okay, all done.” Kerry reported, as she came back into the kitchen.

“What else can I do?”

124 Melissa Good

Dar gazed at her, then ducked back into the laundry room and came out,

tossing her a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. “They’ll be big on you, but a whole

lot more comfortable than what you’re wearing if the lights go out,” she

explained wryly. “It gets pretty warm in here without air conditioning.”

Kerry had caught the garments and glanced at them, then she gave Dar a

wry grin. “Makes sense.” She took the clothing with her into the small half

bathroom near the study and quickly changed, stifling a giggle at the ungainly

size that made her feel like a child. “Good grief.” She removed the belt from

her skirt and belted the long T-shirt, then folded her clothing up and returned

to the kitchen in her bare feet. The marble tile felt cold and the terra cotta of

the living room wasn’t much better.

Dar was still in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and studying the

basket. She looked up as Kerry entered, and half grinned at her outfit.

“Definitely big on you.”

Kerry looked down at herself and returned the grin, shrugging her

shoulders. “Beats the monkey suit anyway. Thanks.” She went over to the

basket. “So, is this a hurricane party?”

The dark-haired woman turned her head and regarded her. “More or

less,” she said. “I…there’s canned stuff in the closet for storms. I don’t have

much around here otherwise.” She indicated the refrigerator. “I mostly order

in from the island restaurants.”

Kerry leaned back on her elbows. “What kind of canned stuff?”

Dar indicated the closet. “I have no idea. I had someone bring an

assortment in. I was too busy to do it myself.”

“Uh huh.” Kerry pushed off from the counter and explored the closet.

“Well, I think I can make something interesting out of this.” She looked over

her shoulder. “You don’t cook much, do you?”

Dar shook her head. “Not at all. I have cereal for breakfast, and I can

make coffee. That’s about it,” she admitted. “Why?”

Kerry sighed, selecting some items and putting them on the counter.

“Well, I’ve gotten myself stuck here in your face, so I might as well make

myself useful. “ She went to the refrigerator and studied the contents. “Hmm,

I like challenges. Ah…” She pawed in the freezer and retrieved several frosty

boxes, which she also set on the counter. “Do you have anything, um, like a

pot?”

Silently, Dar pointed to the cupboard. “What are you doing?”

Sea green eyes regarded her in mild amusement. “I’m cooking. I can do

that, you know.” She grinned at Dar’s expression. Then she turned to the

cabinet. “Let’s see, you said you had cereal.” She opened the door, then

turned, and put her hands on her hips. “Dar Roberts, I am not seeing Tony the

Tiger in your closet, am I?”

Dar hung her head, then looked up at Kerry through dark lashes with a

sheepish grin. “Corn and sugar are two of the food groups, right?” she

inquired hopefully. “Let me guess, you do Grape Nuts.”

Kerry glanced around, then tiptoed over to her, and whispered. “Cocoa

Krispies, but don’t you tell anyone.”

They shared a conspiratorial grin. Then, unexpectedly, Dar reached out

and put a hand on Kerry’s shoulder. “Thanks for helping me out, Kerry. Sorry

Tropical Storm 125

it got you stuck here.”

Kerry cocked her head a little, and a gentle smile appeared. “If I helped,

then I’m not sorry,” she replied. “Besides, I’d rather be stuck here with you

than by myself in this. I hate storms.”

“Fair enough,” Dar answered. “Besides, I learned something new about

you.” Kerry’s brows lifted. “You give killer massages.” Dar grinned, catching

her by surprise. “Wasn’t on your résumé.”

Unable to suppress a grin of her own, Kerry said, “Glad my skills got put

to good use.” They looked at each other in a lengthening silence until Kerry

glanced at her culinary selections and cleared her throat. “Right. Well, let me

get to it. You must be hungry, I know I am.”

“All right, I’m going to log in and make sure they’re prepping the

building,” Dar replied, still gazing at her. “I’ll be in the study if you need

anything.”

Green eyes lifted and met hers for a long, searching moment, then

dropped away. “Okay. I finished up a bunch of stuff, and I reprinted those

reports you were looking for.”

Dar nodded and slipped out of the kitchen, leaving her to her thoughts

and the seldom-used range.

THE PAGE ON the screen was surely an important e-mail. Dar ran her

eyes over it for the sixth time and still didn’t read it, her thoughts drifting off

into some other realm with disgusting ease. Enticing scents from the kitchen

kept distracting her, and she tried to remember the last time someone actually

cooked something specifically for her, without her paying for it one way or

the other.

It had been her father—cooking eggs and bacon, his one and only specialty, on

the morning she’d come home to find him saucily sitting in the living room, his

freshly pressed fatigues almost blending into her furniture. “Just stopping through,”

he’d said, “on my way out.”

Out to Saudi Arabia, he meant. Out of life was what it had been. Dar

glanced at the picture, and felt a hand clench her heart. It wasn’t that they’d

even spent that much time with each other over the last several years. It was

that he, alone among all the people she’d ever known, had understood her.

Understood the competitiveness, and the fierce will, and the desire to

conquer she’d inherited from him—and she had understood him, in all his

complexity. His had been the only approval she’d ever needed. When that

picture had been taken— her eyes flicked to the frame —he’d strode up after she’d won the tournament, and put his arm around her, and told anyone who cared to listen

that “this is my kid.” It had filled her with a sense of belonging that nothing,

and no one, had ever equaled. Then he was gone. And she’d sworn at his

graveside she would never let anyone touch her heart like that again. Never.

But now, softly, gently, someone was scratching at the door. Someone

who was as different from her as anyone she’d ever met. Her mind told her

she was crazy to let it happen. Her heart knew she was helpless to prevent it.

The wind rattled against the shutters, sounding like dried bones clattering

together. Dar nodded quietly to herself, and this time, read the e-mail.

126 Melissa Good

KERRY TOOK A last taste, then gave her creation a satisfied look. She’d

managed to find some frozen chicken strips, frozen shrimp, and two packages

of frozen snow peas, all of which she stir-fried, adding spices whose seals she

had to break. Then she made a sauce with peanut butter, milk, a little sugar,

more spices, and some ginger. She’d steamed a pot of rice from the bag in the

cupboard and found Dar’s stash of plum wine. “All right…” She took out two

plates and washed the dust off them, then went to the study door and peered

in.

Dar was studying the screen, the light from it washing her tanned

complexion and sparkling off her pale eyes. After a moment, those eyes

turned and met hers, and a dark brow edged up in question.

“Dinner’s ready,” Kerry stated.

She got a genuine smile back. “Smells interesting.” Dar stood and

stretched, then moved around the desk and followed Kerry into the kitchen

like a curious puppy dog. She peered over Kerry’s shoulder at the pot and

sniffed appreciatively. “Mmm.”

They carried their plates into the living room and rather than use the big

table, settled on the couch in front of the television. Just for the hell of it, Dar

had lit a candle and put it in the center of the coffee table, and they ate by the

flickering light in addition to the TV screen, which Dar flicked on. Quickdraw

McGraw was just winning another battle, and she blushed. “Um…”

Kerry chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I like Space Ghost.” She watched as

Dar moved through to the Weather Channel, and left it there as warnings and

other information scrolled across the screen. She watched it for a moment,

making a mental note to call Colleen and make sure her apartment door was

closed tight. “Wow.”

“They make it sound worse than it is.” Dar commented, watching the

screen. “See that guy? Idiot. Showing us what the storm’s like. Hope it blows

his damn toupee off.” She accepted the plate Kerry handed her, piled with a

nice mound of rice covered in stir-fry. “Thanks.”

“Hope you really like spicy.” Kerry bit into a piece.

Dar took a bite and chewed, amazed at the result of what appeared to her

to be magic from the ingredients Kerry had found. “Wow.” She eyed her

companion. “Anything you can’t do?”

Kerry’s blush was readily visible against her fair hair and lashes. “I really

suck at bowling,” she finally said, with a chuckle. “Glad you like it.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes. “Migraines really are the worst,”

Kerry commented, after taking a sip of wine to clear her mouth. “Last time I

had one, I was in college and it was right before finals. I thought I was going

to blow an entire semester.”

“Well.” Dar frowned briefly. “I can live the rest of my life without having

another one, that’s for sure.”

“Do you know what triggered it?” Kerry asked. “Mine were usually some

food or drink—smoked ham once, in fact.”

Dar didn’t answer, her expression growing thoughtful and a little grim.

“I don’t think it was that,” she remarked finally. “I g…” She hesitated. “I don’t

know what it was.”

Kerry watched her from the corner of her eye, a little surprised at the

Tropical Storm 127

sudden change of mood. Okay, so we’re stuck here with each other, for I don’t know

how long. Something’s bugging her, and she’s a very private person. I should keep my

nose out of her business. Right? Right. She ate a few more bites, then eyed Dar’s

silent profile. And bowed to the inevitable. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Startled, Dar paused in mid chew and looked up at her. “Talk about

what?”

“About whatever it is that’s bothering you,” Kerry replied softly. “Look, I

know it’s none of my business, but here we are, and I’m a pretty good

listener.” She paused, then went on. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone

you don’t know that well.”

Dar chewed slowly and swallowed, considering the offer. Then she took a

breath and released it. “It actually is your business,” she said evenly.

“I...won’t be at work on Tuesday. You’ll need to attend the staff meeting for

me at ten.” She ate another piece of chicken. Thinking about it for a moment,

she finally admitted, “I have to check in to the Miami Heart Institute, they’re

running a bunch of tests on me.”

Kerry was at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected this at all.

“Well…they’re just tests. Maybe they won’t find anything, you know?”

“I know what they’re going to find,” Dar replied quietly. “They’re going

to find that I have a…malfunctioning valve.” She kept her eyes on her hands,

which rested together. “My father had it.” She picked up her fork and took

another bite, outwardly very composed.

Kerry took her cue from that. “They can do something about that, right? I

know I heard about some stuff they’ve been doing lately; it’s incredible.”

Dar pressed her lips together and nodded an acknowledgment.

“Probably.”

Kerry looked at her. “How can you be so calm? I’d be a nervous wreck.”

A slight shrug. “Nothing I can do about it. I’m going to drive down there

early on Tuesday, probably have to stay overnight.”

Good grief! Kerry felt like the world had just upended itself into her lap.

She hardly knew Dar, and yet she was suddenly as concerned for her as she

would have been for her own family. Maybe even more so. “Dar?”

“Mmm?”

“I don’t want to go to that staff meeting,” Kerry said. “I’d rather take the

day off and go down there with you.”

Dar stared at her in honest surprise. “Why?”

“No one should have to go through that alone,” the blonde replied. “Was

that what you found out this morning? You looked like you’d gotten bad

news. I thought I screwed something up again.”

With a sputter, the lights went out. They were left staring at each other in

the low, golden light of the candle, which painted them in tones of ochre and

black. Dar finally dropped her gaze to her plate. “All right,” she agreed softly.

“It’s a long day of mostly waiting. I’d appreciate someone intelligent to talk

to.”

Kerry felt a sense of relief. “Sounds like a plan,” she began, then her eyes

widened as a gust of wind shook the condo. “Whoa! Dar, are we safe in here?”

“Huh? Oh, sure. I went through Andrew in this place.” Dar waved her

fork, her mood improving markedly. “This is just a little tropical storm.”

128 Melissa Good

Something slammed against the shutters, and Kerry jumped. “Yow!”

Dar chuckled softly. “Here, come over on this side of me, okay?” They

switched places, putting Dar closer to the window. “Better?”

Another bang, and Kerry jumped again, this time right up against her

taller companion. “Sorry,” she muttered, drawing away. “I hate storms. We

were snowed in for two weeks, once, and I…” She hesitated. “I just don’t like

them,” she finished awkwardly.

Dar leaned over and nudged the smaller woman with an elbow. “Don’t

worry about it.”

Kerry eyed her and timidly nudged her back. “Easy for you to say.”

They smiled at each other and returned to their plates. Dar was right,

Kerry realized. The condo certainly did seem to be getting pretty warm, pretty

quickly now that the air conditioning was off. At least she was starting to feel

really warm. Maybe it was the chicken.

After they finished, Dar suggested they go into the study, where she’d

left the shutters off the north-facing window, a small one, and could open it to

get some air in the place. She put a large, faintly cinnamon-scented candle on

the desk and sat behind it, while Kerry settled on the small couch against the

wall. Dar opened the window and a cool, humid breeze blew in, ruffling her

dark hair and stirring the papers on the desk.

It was very quiet, only the wind’s howling and the rattle of the shutters

coming through over the ceaseless pounding of the surf outside.

“I guess it was a lot worse during Andrew, huh?” Kerry asked quietly,

tucking her legs up under her and leaning on the arm of the couch.

Dar nodded. “Oh yeah. They evacuated the island, but a few of us stayed,

along with a few security people. They’d always told us how sturdy these

places were, so we stupidly believed them. Surprisingly, it was true. We had

very little damage—mostly surf damage to the seawalls, and some boats that

got slammed up against the dock because their owners were either too stupid

or too lazy to secure them.”

“Mmm.” Kerry put her chin down on her arm. “Do you have a boat

here?”

“Yeah. It was my aunt’s; it kind of came with this place.” Dar leaned back

in her chair and put her bare feet up on the desk. “Every once in a long while I

take it out, just cruise around the artificial reefs a little, do some shallow

diving, that kind of thing.”

Kerry nodded slowly. “I like boating. We used to take sailboats, the really

big ones, out on Lake Michigan in the summer. I learned to run one of the

racing kind. That was a lot of fun.” She considered. “You don’t do much

swimming, though, it’s kinda cold up there.” She looked up. “Do you enjoy

the diving and stuff?”

“I do. Very much so, in fact.” Dar fiddled with a pencil that had been on

the desktop. “It’s not smart to go out by yourself, though, and I…” She

hesitated. “I don’t have much time nowadays.”

Kerry soaked it all in, the spoken words and the unspoken ones. “I’ve

always wanted to see what that was like. I used to watch the Jacques Cousteau

specials all the time and wonder.”

A quick smile chased itself on and off Dar’s face. “We can probably

Tropical Storm 129

arrange that,” she commented offhandedly. “It’s beautiful out there, on a nice,

sunny day. When it’s calm, the sun filters down through the water, and you

can see all kinds of fish, in every color.” She leaned down and pulled open a

desk drawer, tugging out a folder and leafing through its contents, then

handing it over to Kerry. “Here, see for yourself.”

Kerry got up and perched on the desk, tilting the folder towards the

candle to get the light. She poured slowly through the pictures, examining

them in fascination. Most were of fantastically shaped coral formations, with

clouds of fish over them. Kerry wished it was daylight, so she could see the

colors better, but one picture was a huge, flat, striped fish that seemed to be

staring right into the camera lens. “Oh, wow!” She looked up at the quietly

watching Dar. “Did you take these?”

“Mmm-hmm. Most of them at John Pennekamp Park down in the Keys,

but this one…and these two were off Bermuda.” Dar put a fingertip on the

striped fish. “He didn’t like me taking his picture. Right after I snapped this,

he got right in my face and whacked me with his tail.”

Leaning closer to the light, Kerry peered at the fish. “Mmm. I bet that

hurt.”

A hand lifted and gently pushed the blonde hair back. “Careful, don’t

want you catching on fire. You can’t imagine the paperwork I’d have to fill

out.” “Yikes, you’re right.” Kerry put the endangered locks back behind her ear

and smiled. She turned to the next picture, this one of Dar, in a sleek black

one-piece swimsuit, a scuba tank propping up one elbow and a huge lobster in

her other hand. “Good grief, how much did that thing weigh?”

Dar peered over her arm. “Me or the lobster?” She chuckled. “Ten

pounds. It was huge. The damn thing dragged me half across the reef before

he tired out and I could bag him.”

“Mmm.” Kerry studied the picture, a faint, curious smile twitching her

lips. “Did you have him for dinner?”

“Nah,” Dar cheerfully told her. “That big…well, after four pounds or so,

the taste starts to go down. No, I took the picture, then let him go.”

“Oh, I did that too when we went fishing,” Kerry admitted. “It got

everyone so mad at me. I’d catch these nice big fish, and the guys would fight

them for an hour, finally drag them onboard, and I’d let them go.” She

lingered over the photo for a moment more, then went on to the next.

“You have a big family?” Dar asked gently.

Kerry kept her focus on the pictures. “Oh well, not really. My mother and

father, of course, and I have a younger brother, Michael, he’s in law school,

and a younger sister Angela, who’s married and has one child and another on

the way.”

“What’s it like having siblings?”

Kerry felt her chest tighten. “It’s…all right, I guess. There’s always some

competition.” She glanced aside. “You don’t have any?”

“No, I always wondered what it would be like. Thought it would be nice

to have a sister, or something.” She paused. “Is it?”

Kerry pondered the question. “I can’t really remember not having any,”

she confessed, “so it’s hard to say. We fought like kids do, but I love my

130 Melissa Good

brother and sister.” She frowned. “I miss seeing them.”

Dar studied her profile. “Your father’s a senator, huh?”

The blonde head inclined once. “Yes.” Kerry’s jaw almost clicked shut

audibly.

Hmm. Dar’s curiosity was sparked. “That must be a little strange.

Everything’s kind of public record, huh?”

Kerry’s eyes fastened on her hands, clenched lightly around the folder.

“More or less, yeah.”

A silence fell, lasting until Dar cleared her throat. “You…want to talk

about it?”

Green eyes jerked up and met hers, startled, and a little afraid. The

flickering candlelight threw her shadow against the far wall with menacing

size, and she studied Dar’s face for an endless moment, before letting her gaze

drop to the desk. “Not really, no.”

A little stung, Dar shrugged quietly. “All right.”

Kerry dragged her eyes back up at the words, her jaw working a little. “I,

um, I guess that sounds harsh, coming from someone who was asking you to

do the same thing just a little while ago, huh?”

“It’s your life,” Dar replied evenly. “You have the right to keep it to

yourself.”

The silence settled again, and went on longer. Kerry closed her eyes, and

listened to the wind whipping the surf outside, and the trees which slapped

against the outer wall. “My parents are very…they have very high

expectations of us.” She slipped off the desk and went back to the couch,

curling up into a ball against one end of it “They want a certain life for me.”

Dar remained silent, keeping her opinion of both the policy and Kerry’s

father to herself. ILS had run headlong into the senator more than once, and

he was currently trying to oust them from several government contracts in

favor of his own choice, a competitor who was, in all likelihood, paying him

off. “That’s a tough thing to deal with,” she said very quietly. “But surely he

shouldn’t have any complaint about you.”

A short, bitter laugh. “I’m not married and barefoot in the kitchen with

two kids.” Kerry stared at the wall. “I had to pretend to be majoring in

something…‘fit for me’ in college. They didn’t want to hear the word ‘career’

at all.”

A realization clicked. “So that explains the English double major,” Dar

commented softly.

Kerry glanced at her, surprised, then she rubbed her temples. “I forgot

you had my résumé.” She managed a thin smile. “Yes, by the time I

graduated, it was too late for them to protest, and I had my degree.” She took

a breath. “I took an entry level job with Sperry. God, how they hated that. It

was a fight just about every day. The only thing that saved me was that Brian

was still going to school.”

Knowing that Kerry had spent some years in the IS field, Dar was

puzzled. “What happened?”

A wry, cynical smile crossed the younger woman’s face. “Bill Clinton

happened. Or, more specifically, Al Gore happened.” She lifted her chin. “All

of a sudden, it was a ‘prudent precaution’ to have someone in the family who

Tropical Storm 131

‘knew how those people thought’ and was into the technology end.”

“Ah.” Dar digested that. “But they still give you a hard time,” she

hazarded.

“Yeah.” Kerry sighed, resting her chin on her arm.

“Who’s Brian?”

Green eyes lifted to hers. “My theoretical fiancé.”

Both of Dar’s dark brows shot up to her hairline, giving the taller woman

almost a comical air of astonishment. After a moment, she schooled her face

into a more casual expression. “I…um…huh?”

Kerry sighed. “We grew up together. We’ve been friends forever, since

we were in strollers, practically. He’s a really sweet guy, nice looking, just

graduating from law school. He likes me…”

“But?”

“But when I look at him, he’s just a friend,” Kerry replied ruefully.

“Ah, no skipping of the heart?” Dar joked gently. “No getting swallowed

up in his eyes. That kind of thing?”

Kerry stared at her in silence for a few heartbeats. “N-no,” she finally

stammered. “Not… It’s not like that with him…at…at all.” She paused. “What

do you mean, skipping of the heart?”

Dar examined her interlaced fingers. “I wouldn’t know personally,” she

glanced up with a wry grin, “but I’m told that when you meet your true love,

something like that happens.” She chuckled. “You know, um, all that romantic

stuff.”

“Mmm. Oh, yeah, right. I’ve heard of that.” Kerry pushed her hair back

behind an ear. “God, you were right. It is getting pretty warm in here, isn’t

it?” She glanced up to find hooded blue eyes watching her and a slight, almost

puzzled little smile on Dar’s face. “So, that’s my story I guess. My folks give

me a hard time over living down here. They think it’s decadent and

licentious.” She sighed. “When I go home for Christmas, all I hear is plans for

the wedding, and where I’ll live, and…”

Dar got up and circled the desk, then crouched down next to her, her

features almost wholly in shadow as she blocked the light from the candle.

“You don’t have to do what they want, you know that, right?”

Kerry’s eyes held a quiet, shuttered sorrow. “It’s easy for you to say that.”

She laid her cheek against her forearm. “It’s a lot harder for me to live it.” She

blinked a few times. “I feel like I have a responsibility to them.”

Dar sat down and leaned back against the couch, facing away from her

younger companion. “I used to believe that, too,” she murmured. “After my

father died, I thought my responsibility was taking care of my mother. I was

going to give up this job, move to Richmond…”

Kerry gazed at the dark, sleek head inches from her face. Almost

hypnotized, she watched her fingers reach out and tangle themselves in an

errant lock. “Why didn’t you?” she asked softly.

“She told me she didn’t want anything to do with me.” Dar’s voice was

quiet but matter-of-fact. “I reminded her too much of what she’d lost.” Feeling

a slight tug on her hair, she turned her head and glanced at Kerry. “That’s

when I figured out the only person I was ever going to be responsible for was

myself.” She held the younger woman’s eyes. “Follow your heart, Kerry, don’t

132 Melissa Good

live for someone else’s dreams.”

It was the closest they’d ever been to each other, mere inches separating

them, so close they were breathing the same air. So close Kerry could see the

faint, almost invisible scar just above Dar’s right eye, and the crystal clarity—

even in the low light—of her pale blue irises. She became aware of a sound

that she only later realized was her own heartbeat, hammering in her ears in

irregular rhythm. “I-I’ll try to…to keep that in mind,” she stuttered.

Dar turned her eyes towards the door and broke the tension. “Can I

interest you in more of that peanut stuff?”

Kerry swallowed a few times. “Um, sure. They were small plates.”

They exchanged wry glances then laughed in thinly veiled relief.

DAR LEANED HER head out of the window, studying the worsening

weather. The trees outside were almost obscured by rain, and the wind was

pulling branches from them, slapping the leaves against the building and

leaving dark green streaks against the wall’s surface.

A wet, cool breeze blew her hair back, and she turned her face into it for

some relief. She’d opened a window on the opposite side of the apartment to

get a cross-breeze, but it was still very stuffy inside, and scarfing down the

spicy stir fry hadn’t helped matters. Dar glanced behind her to where Kerry

was lying on the floor, her hands folded over her slim waist and her eyes

closed. Even from where she was, in the flickering light Dar could see the

sheen of sweat on the younger woman’s face, and she felt a twinge of

sympathy as a droplet trickled down from her own temple.

It was well past midnight, but sleeping was almost impossible, at least for

Dar, who was used to the air-conditioned peace of her water bed-equipped

room. She enjoyed her comforts and didn’t mind admitting that—roughing it

in the outdoors with bugs and snakes was not her idea of a good time. With a

sigh, she rested her chin on the windowsill, and put up with the soft mist of

water which drenched her skin.

Still, she was glad Kerry was there. She was getting to feel comfortable

with her, too—a slow, insidious relaxation of her usually very stiff and very

prickly outer shell, that she was only half-heartedly trying to stop.

“Anything interesting out there?” Kerry’s voice floated up softly.

“Rain and wind,” Dar replied in a mumble. “It’s just a little cooler,

though.” She felt a warmth at her back, and instinctively moved over to make

room as Kerry sidled up next to her, poking her nose out into the darkness.

“See?”

Kerry hitched herself up and leaned out, shaking her blonde head as rain

dripped on it. “God, you can’t see a thing…not even lights from the city.” She

tipped further forward and felt a sudden, warm pressure against her back as

Dar stuck a hand out to make sure she didn’t fall over. Despite her overheated

state, it felt good, a comfortingly safe sensation that made her bold enough to

lean out a little further, to see what she could see.

“Hey, careful,” Dar warned, moving a little closer just in case she was

needed. Kerry now had her entire head out in the rain, and she was peering

around with interest. The wind was blowing her dampened hair back and she

Tropical Storm 133

looked, for a moment, very much like a cocker spaniel enjoying a drive.

“Wow, look at those palm trees, Dar!” Kerry lifted one hand and pointed,

then grabbed the sill again. “They’re almost going sideways!”

“You’re almost going sideways,” Dar protested, tucking her arm securely

around Kerry’s waist and leaning out on one elbow. “Oh yeah, I see them.

Hey, watch it!” She pulled herself backwards, dragging Kerry with her as a

coconut slammed against the windowsill, leaving a brown scuff. She could

feel laughter under her tensed arm, and she released her companion with a

belated start. “You could have gotten beaned in the head, Kerry!”

“What a great story that would have made.” Kerry giggled. “Can you

imagine? I come in Monday with a bandage on my head, and have to tell

everyone I got smacked by a flying coconut whizzing by your window.”

Dar chuckled in reaction. “That would be a little hard to explain,” she

admitted. “This freak storm’s going to be hard enough to recover from—Mark

had to spend six hours just doing unplanned backups, not to mention

transferring operations up to Charlotte.”

Kerry shook herself rapidly, scattering droplets of water all over Dar and

the carpet. “Oh.” She lifted a hand to her mouth in embarrassment. “Sorry,

Dar.”

The older woman started laughing. “You’re more fun than a puppy, you

know that?” She shook her head and went to a closet just outside the study,

coming back with a fluffy, pale blue towel and handing it to her. “Here.”

The towel was soft, and smelled freshly laundered. Kerry buried her face

in it, then dried herself off with quiet contentment. She looked up at Dar from

under damp eyelashes and even damper bangs. “More fun than a puppy,

huh?” There was, she was alert enough to recognize, definitely some

chemistry going on between them. A dynamic, shifting feeling that was half

playfulness and half something deeper, more serious.

Dar was her boss. She knew she couldn’t forget that. But she also knew

the tall, dark-haired woman was becoming a friend, and she had no intention

of putting a stop to that either. Dar was too interesting, too complex a

challenge for her to pass up. She wanted to know more about her, to know

why she did what she did. So many people were shallow, so easy for Kerry to

read that they were almost boring. Dar…fascinated her. Just being around the

woman, she felt a thrill of adventure.

Kerry liked that. Just like she adored roller coasters, and fast racing boats,

and steep downhill skiing. She glanced up at Dar through her bangs and

grinned. Then she barked like a dog.

Dar just put a hand over her eyes and laughed. “I think this weather’s

bringing out an unexpected side to you.” She picked up the candle and

motioned Kerry towards the door. “C’mon, no sense in letting a perfectly

good half gallon of ice cream melt.”

“Ice cream?” Kerry finished toweling herself off and let the terrycloth

drape around her neck as she followed Dar into the dark living room. “Let me

guess…another of your food groups?” Following the candle, she padded into

the kitchen and stopped just short of crashing into her companion. Dar had

opened the still, quiet freezer and pulled something out, bringing a wave of

icy cold air with it. “Ooo, can we just climb in there?”

134 Melissa Good

“No.” Dar closed the door and felt around in a nearby drawer, retrieving

two spoons. “Here, hold this.” She handed Kerry the candle and gave her a

nudge back towards the study. “Espresso chip, it’s great.”

They put the container on the floor and sat down on the carpet facing

each other, armed with their spoons. Dar took the first spoonful and sucked

on it happily.

Kerry put a bit on her spoon and tasted it, then grinned. “Ooo.” They

shared in silence for a few moments, then Kerry shifted a little, resting her

elbows on her knees. “So, um, the picture up there. Is that a karate kind of

thing you were doing?”

“Tae kwan do,” Dar replied offhandedly. “Yeah.”

Green eyes studied her curiously. “You still do it?”

Dar took another spoonful before she answered. “Yes, among other

things. I tried out a few different disciplines. I mostly keep to that, with a little

judo and jujitsu mixed in.” She chuckled. “They’re old-fashioned and not the

trendy stuff, but I like the traditions.”

“Must take a lot of practice. My brother was involved in that for a few

years. He got up to a…” Kerry thought, “…a brown belt, but he stopped doing

it for a year, then tried to go back, didn’t work.”

“Most every night, I meet a trainer over at the island gym. We work for

about two hours, depends on what’s been going on that day.” A faint smile

chased Dar’s lips. “Sometimes I’m more in the mood for the rough stuff.”

“Oh, I get it—stress relief.” Kerry scooped up a spoonful of creamy treat.

“That sounds like a good idea,” she said.

Dar nodded. “Yeah, it is. I get my frustrations out and it’s not so tempting

to go over the table at someone in one of those damn meetings.” She studied

Kerry quietly. “It helps clear your mind, too, and it comes in handy in places

like Miami.” Her eyes twinkled gravely. “You might want to think about

picking up a class around your neck of the woods.”

Kerry licked her spoon. “I wanted to, when I was younger. When Mike

was taking classes. I begged and begged, but no way, no how would they let

me.” She considered that long-ago refusal. “I think I would have been better

than he was, too. He’s shorter than I am, and he’s really clumsy.” Her eyes

lifted to Dar’s. “It’s a little late for me to be starting that kind of thing. I walk a

lot, Rollerblade, that sort of stuff. I used to do aerobics, but I got really bored

with it.”

“Not challenging enough?” Dar inquired innocently.

“Eyah, something like that. Actually, I just couldn’t take the instructors. I

just wanted to give them wedgies all the time.”

Dar laughed. Horses, water… Ah. “Well, you probably haven’t had a

chance to look through the global discounts page yet, but we just got

membership benefits at the new gym right across from the office. They’ve got

a nice indoor climbing wall and a good selection of classes. I was thinking

about switching to that one.”

“Yeah?” Kerry sucked on her spoon, then removed it and looked at it.

“Maybe a gym’s a good idea,” she remarked. “If I took up boxing, maybe I

could get away with having a pint of this every day.”

“If you want, I could take you through some of the basics, just to see if

Tropical Storm 135

you’re interested in continuing,” Dar commented casually, then she stopped

and gazed, unseeing, at the candle. “Once I find out what’s going on Tuesday,

I mean.”

Kerry caught the change in mood and she went with her instincts, putting

her spoon down and reaching over to curl her fingers over Dar’s hand.

“Everything’s going to be okay; I really believe that, Dar. And I’d love to learn

from you.”

Dar nodded. “All right. We’ll start on Wednesday then, okay?” How

much difference would it make if she confirmed her fears anyway? She’d lived

with the possibility for years, and she’d already made the decision that

whatever the results, it wouldn’t change the way she lived her life. That was

what her father had chosen. It had, in the end, killed him, but it had been on

his terms.

He’d just forgotten how damn hard it would be on everyone else. Well, I

don’t have to worry about that. No one depends on me; I’m not responsible for anyone

but myself. “C’mon, this is melting.”

Kerry helped finish off the ice cream, then helped Dar drag a couple of

blankets in to lay on the floor, where it was the coolest, and they settled in to

try and sleep. The fat candle, in its dish in a safe place, shed golden flickering

light over them, and long after Dar had dropped off to an uneasy sleep, Kerry

sat quietly awake thinking. Watching a profile no longer strange to her

outlined in firelight.

Chapter

Twelve

IT WAS A cool, leafy forest in which she found herself. Conscious of the tickle of

grass against her bare thighs, she gazed out over a beautiful lake, its surface marred

with gentle ripples. It was mid-afternoon, judging by the sun slanting toward the

west as it peeked through the leaves, throwing a pattern of light and shadow over her

extended legs.

She felt lazy and relaxed and sublimely conscious of the warm body against

which she was leaning, whose arm was wrapped securely around her. She let her head

rest back and picked up a pebble, tossing it into the lake and hearing a gentle, low

chuckle that rumbled right through her body.

She sucked in a breath of air filled with the tangy scent of moss, and the lake, and

the earth around them, and closed her eyes in perfect contentment. Aware of being

happy, and relaxed, and surrounded by love.

Kerry jerked awake, her breath catching in her throat as she was thrown

out of her dream and into the present, her head pounding as the dim light

filtered into the room and revealed Dar’s still sleeping form an arm’s length

from her. With a soft gasp, she let herself back down onto the pillow, curling

her arm around it and squeezing it as if that could take her back into that

dreamscape even if only for a moment.

So real. She could almost smell the moss again. She rolled over onto her

back and rubbed her eyes, trying to get that wonderful feeling of peace out of

her mind. It was raining outside, but the howling wind had stopped, or at

least subsided, though the power was still off. Kerry felt clammy and shaken,

and she took a few breaths to settle herself down. Then she rolled her head to

one side, and froze, as she met pale blue eyes looking back at her. “Yah!”

The blue eyes widened and Dar struggled to hide a grin. “S’matter? I

grow a horn overnight or something?”

Kerry exhaled. “No, no. Um…” She held up a hand. “I was…I had this

dream, and I kind of jumped out of it, and I wasn’t… Bah, my brain’s not

working yet.” She put her arm over her eyes and closed them.

Dar yawned, then stretched her body out, wincing at the stiffness from

sleeping on the floor. “People who say sleeping on the floor is good for you

are nuts,” she commented, getting to her feet and rubbing her eyes. She

wandered through the dark living room and into the kitchen, switching on the

battery-powered radio to get the latest information.

The storm is dissipating, its remnants moving out

over the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, South Florida wakes

Tropical Storm 137

up to a half million people without power, and downed

trees everywhere.

“Yippee,” Dar commented dryly. She grabbed the manual crank from

under the sink and unlocked the patio door, poking her head out into the fitful

weather with a sniff. The rain was tapering off, and the seas, though choppy,

lacked the whitecaps that had stirred them the day before. Dar set the crank

into its catch, and rolled up the shutters, allowing light into the apartment.

Then she went back inside, and opened the latched, hardwood-lined glass

doors, letting in the fresh sea breeze. “Ah. That’s better.” She walked out onto

the porch and put her hands on the balcony, taking in a deep breath of the

clean air, tasting salt on the back of her tongue. She was surprised at how

good she felt, given the uncomfortable night, and she stretched again, feeling

the pleasant pull of the muscles across her back as she extended her arms and

flexed her fists.

A hand touched her elbow and Kerry ducked under her arm, peering

curiously out at the sea, her disheveled blonde hair whipping back in the

breeze. “Mmm. That feels good.”

Dar settled her elbows on the railing and leaned on them. “Sure does.”

She glanced around. “Power’s still down in a lot of places.”

Kerry sighed. “I’d better call my place, see what’s happening.” She

ducked inside and picked up one of two analog phones Dar had plugged in

the night before, dialing Colleen’s number from memory. She’d spoken briefly

to her friend last night, reassuring herself that the complex was safe. Colleen

had scoffed at the storm, having been through Andrew, and was in the middle

of planning a hurricane party when Kerry called. The information about her

whereabouts were received with a knowing silence that sent prickles up and

down her back, but she hadn’t really had time to think about that much. The

phone picked up on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Col. How is everything?”

“Ah, the mysteriously missing Ms. Stuart,” Colleen answered smugly.

“How are things on your side of the tracks there, eh?”

Kerry rolled her eyes. “Colleen, for heaven’s sake.”

The redhead laughed. “Everything’s fine and dandy here, my friend.

Trees are down, and a few power lines. We don’t have power, and it’s

uncomfortable as hell, but we’re all staying outside, and we’ve got a little grill

set up. It’s not so bad. We can go into our cars if we’re in danger of

overheating.” She paused. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, well, about the same,” Kerry told her. “Power’s out here. We’ve got

the doors and windows open. It was pretty bad last night, but doesn’t look

like there’s much damage, except for a few branches down, and…” She

shaded her eyes to peer outside. “I think a boat’s stuck on the eastern tip of the

island.”

“Mmm-hmm, must have been…hot and sticky and uncomfortable last

night, huh?” Colleen’s voice held a hint of playfulness.

Kerry chose to ignore the innuendo, and answered the question at face

value. “It was, but we opened a window on the protected side of the

apartment. And we had ice cream, so,” she laughed softly, “it worked out

138 Melissa Good

okay. I just woke up.” She glanced up as the sun made a pale appearance,

dusting Dar’s shoulders with wan light. “Sun’s coming out.”

“Is it shining on anything interesting?” Colleen asked impishly.

Kerry peered at the receiver, her brows knitting. “Are you all right?” She

glanced outside. “It’s shining on the ocean, and a few boats that I can see, and

the patio. Why?”

The redhead laughed softly. “Never mind, Kerry. You going to spend

some time there yet?”

“Um, probably. I think they need the electricity to run the ramps to get on

and off the ferry.”

“Oh, right,” Colleen agreed amiably. “Well, your place survived quite

nicely. We didn’t get flooded or anything like that, so we’ll all be here when

you saunter home.”

Kerry smiled. “That’s great to hear, I’m glad everything was okay.” She

watched as Dar turned and leaned on one arm, peering back at her from

outside. “I, um…I’ll talk to you a little later, okay?” She hung up and went to

the door, peering out and blinking. “Well, everything’s okay at my place.” She

was still carrying the phone and held it out to Dar when the older woman

motioned for it.

“Might as well find out what the prognosis is for getting power back.”

Dar dialed quickly. “Then I guess I’d better make sure everything’s on track at

the office.”

Kerry nodded. “Um.” She bit her lip on a grin. “Want me to get you some

frosted flakes?” Her eyes twinkled. “I think that would be better than ice

cream for breakfast, though,” she cleared her throat, “not by much.”

Dar gave her a look as she listened to something on the phone, then hung

it up. “Power’ll probably be back up after lunchtime, and they’ve got a

generator running down at the beach club, so I think we’ll take a ride down

there so I don’t have to get flack for my choice of breakfast cereals.” She

paused and drummed her fingers on the phone, then turned and gazed out at

the calming seas. “Matter of fact…you in the mood to take a ride?”

“A ride?” Kerry followed her gaze. “Oh, you mean on the boat?” She let

out a sigh. “I’d love to, but I’m not exactly dressed for it.”

“Oh, we can fix that.” Dar grinned.

“We can? Well, okay. Sure. I’d like that…since we’re kinda stuck here,

and it’ll be cooler out there, I guess.”

Half an hour later, they were in, of all things, a golf cart with Dar’s

apartment number on it, dodging downed branches on the road which circled

the island. Other carts were out and about, with sightseers and island staff, the

former driving slowly and pointing, the latter dragging debris out of the way.

Kerry sat back and enjoyed the ride, as they went past clusters of

apartments and drove around past a large structure, then circled the marina

and ended up in a cluster of shops where the rumble of a generator was

evident. She hopped out and followed her taller companion, who pointed at

the doors as they went by.

“Video shop, bookstore, health food store, Island Market. Ah, here we

go.” Dar pushed open the door of a small store which held various items of

casual and beach apparel. “Think you can find something in here?”

Tropical Storm 139

Kerry made a beeline for a rack which held one-piece Speedos in rich,

bold colors. “Oh yeah.” She grinned, checking the sizes and selecting a purple

one, then choosing a pair of shorts and a tank top to go with it. She handed a

credit card to the clerk, surprised when he merely stamped it on her charge

ticket, then handed it back to her, along with a pen for her signature. She

smiled up at him, receiving a shy smile in return. “Thank you.” She took her

package and followed Dar out, catching up with her as she headed for the

door to the market. “Dar, he didn’t check my credit card.”

“No.” Dar glanced sideways at her. “Not… Well, let me put it to you this

way, Kerry—on this island, if you’re running a scam, it’s in the multibillions.

You don’t bother with little bitty stuff like bathing suits.” She held the door to

the small grocery store open. “Besides, the only way you could get on the

island is with a resident, which he knows I am. He figures if anything comes

up bad, I’ll take care of it.” She paused. “Which, of course, I would.”

Kerry stopped short. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Mild blue eyes regarded her. “I wasn’t,” Dar replied quietly. “Let’s pick

up a couple of things to take on the boat with us. Might as well make an

afternoon of it.”

They walked out with a cute little basket, which held, Dar discovered, a

set of plates and silverware and was large enough for sandwich fixings and

savory side orders. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed, getting Mark

Polenti’s cell phone in two rings. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Mark replied over the faint sound of a rattling keyboard.

“Everything survived, no problems, just no power. It’s going to be mildewy as

hell in there on Monday.”

“Good,” Dar murmured.

“You like mildew?” Mark answered confused.

“No, no. I mean, good that everything survived,” Dar explained. “All the

processing get shifted up in time?”

“Yeah, everything except Bank of New Zealand. I went in and kicked

their processors onto the generator and got them going,” the MIS chief

muttered. “I’m dialed in now, remotely administering them. They had a

payroll transfer due yesterday and according to them, you don’t pay those

guys, they get real ugly.”

Dar smiled. “Good work, Mark. Thanks for taking care of that for me.”

“Mmph.” Mark cleared his throat. “Heard you weren’t feeling great. You

okay?”

A faint smile crossed Dar’s face. “Yeah, I’m fine, just had one hell of a

headache. The weather probably brought it on.” She paused. “Poor old Kerry

here volunteered to give me a ride home, then got stuck when the weather

hit.”

“Um, that explains her logging on from your terminal, I guess, “ Mark

commented after a brief pause. “And why her car’s still in the parking lot. We

moved it under the covered area in the back, along with about a half dozen

others.”

“Thanks, I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear it.” Dar chuckled. “Well, I gotta

go. I’ll have the cell phone on if you need me.” She hung up and steered the

cart along the marina. “How about I drop you and this stuff off here, then go

140 Melissa Good

grab some muffins or something for breakfast?” She suggested. “They took

care of your car at work, by the way.”

Kerry nodded. “I know, I spoke to Andreas in security last night. That

was really nice of them.” She hopped out as Dar slowed the cart to a halt at a

particular slip, which had a nicely proportioned boat docked in it. “This it?”

“Yep, here.” She handed Kerry a set of keys. “The cabin should be

stocked with towels and all that, and I had it filled with gas last week.”

“Great.” She smiled gently. “Thanks for trying to keep me amused, Dar.

You know you don’t have to. I don’t blame you for getting me stuck here.”

Blue eyes regarded her enigmatically. “I know, but we’ve got nothing

better to do, so…” She waved, and started off down the dock, leaving Kerry to

make her way carefully onto the gently rolling deck of the boat.

“STOCKED, SHE SAYS.” Kerry muffled a giggle as she explored the

neatly made cabin of the cruiser. It had a small bathroom complete with an

equally small shower and a tiny bedroom with a bed just large enough,

maybe, for two people. So long as they really liked each other. She suspected

Dar would have trouble with the length, though. The interior was warm

polished wood, with blues and greens in the curtains that covered the

portholes and the bedding on the bed. It felt warm and cozy, and welcoming.

She brushed her fingers against the fabric.

She liked it. It felt comfortable here, and she moved with the boat’s

motion from long experience. “Well, onto the next area: the kitchen.” She put

her bag down and ducked into the small galley, which had a compact

refrigerator. She opened it, surprised to feel a residual coolness, then realized

the boat must have been hooked up to dock power. She put the lunch fixings

inside and closed the door, confident it would keep them cool enough until

Dar started the engines up.

To one side was a microwave, range, and a sink with taps for both salt

water and a limited tank of fresh water. A cupboard held nesting pots and two

pans and unbreakable cups which were clipped in place and dangled softly as

the boat moved. “This is pretty darn cool,” she commented to herself, turning

around and surveying the area.

Outside the galley was a compact sitting space, with a wooden table

surrounded by two built-in benches catty-corner to each other. A soft,

comfortable-looking chair was bolted along the open end of the table, and

both a television and a stereo were in closed, watertight cabinets overhead.

Kerry grinned, then ducked into the bedroom and changed into her new

suit, checking her reflection in the mirror and scowling at it a little. She threw

her shorts and tank top over it and tucked her borrowed T-shirt and shorts

into a drawer, then she trotted up the stairs and onto the deck.

It was in two levels, one which held the bridge and controls, and the

lower level which had thick cushioned seats on the long sides and across the

back of the stern. Kerry lifted up the cushions, and in a storage compartment

under the first one, she found safety gear, floatation devices, flares, and safety

rings. Under the other were two full sets of scuba gear, including two tanks

nestled into clips on the bottom. “And you never use this,” she chastised her

Tropical Storm 141

absent boss. “Dar, what are we going to do with you?” She sat down for a

moment and just shook her head. “Boy, if I had a place like this, and a boat, I’d

be…” She imagined her friends over, and what great parties they could have.

Then she stopped and considered Dar’s words the previous evening. “You

shouldn’t do this alone, and I…don’t have time, anymore.”

Don’t have time? Or was it that all these nice things were pretty useless if

you didn’t have anyone to share them with? “C’mon, Dar, with your looks?

Don’t tell me you can’t get and keep a boyfriend,” she muttered. “They’d have

to be out of their cotton-picking minds not to want to spend time with you.”

She swung her feet a little, thumping her heels against the fiberglass, thinking.

The soft whine of the cart approaching broke her reverie, and she turned

to see Dar parking the vehicle in the small spot that seemed to be designed for

it near the bow of the boat. She was carrying a pair of bags and hopped onto

the deck with negligent grace, dropping down into the lower area with a

chuckle. “They’re doing one hell of a brisk business.” She set the bags down.

“Everything all right?”

“Looks great.” Kerry noted that her companion had stopped back at the

apartment to change into a bathing suit, which she was wearing under a long

T-shirt. “This is like a regular floating hotel room.”

Dar snorted softly. “Yeah, Aunt May had rich tastes. Took me a while to

get used to it. I was more inclined to a fifteen-foot dive boat with a single back

deck and one chair as an amenity.”

Kerry grinned. “But you did get used to it, eventually.”

The taller woman chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Eyah, as I got older, I

developed a disgusting craving for creature comforts.” She walked around the

perimeter of the boat, casting off the lines. “Hang on, now.”

Chuckling, Kerry said, “I learned how to hang on crewing a racing yacht

going thirty knots, thanks.” She leaned back on her hands and soaked in the

sun. “You get tossed from one of those, you remember it.”

Dar seated herself at the controls and started the engines, adjusting the

throttles until she heard an even tone. Then, she skillfully backed the boat out,

swinging around and nudging the motors into a speed just past idling to get

them out of the marina. As soon as they cleared the outer buoy, the breeze

picked up, and Dar swung the bow towards the southeast, arcing smoothly

over the still choppy waves towards a hazy horizon. Kerry perched next to

her, enjoying the salt air and the sunshine, and the cool spray that jutted up

from the boat when they hit the waves.

“Wow, it’s nice out here,” she murmured.

Dar closed her eyes briefly and took in a lungful of the air, letting

memories wash over her for a long, aching moment. Swallowing a lump in her

throat, she finally said quietly, “Yeah, it is.”

They anchored off one of the small islands that dotted the coastline and

felt the boat settle down into a quiet bobbing. With the engines shut off, the

rhythmic wash of the waves became audible, along with the gentle clank of

the boat’s rigging. The sun was fully out, and only high, wispy clouds

disturbed the perfect blue of the sky.

“I’m going in for a swim.” Dar stood and stripped off her T-shirt and

tucked it neatly on the console. “You interested?”

142 Melissa Good

Kerry strolled to the railing and peered over. The water was a rich blue-

green and smelled of salt and mystery. “Depends, are there sharks down

there?” She peered over her shoulder at the taller woman, who was leaning

casually against the curve of the cabin door. Dar, she decided, looks really good in a bathing suit. She had one of those long, swimmer’s builds, with just

enough softness covering her muscles so that she didn’t look like a body

builder or anything. Just…strong and solid. “The lake we raced on didn’t have

sharks,” she explained apologetically.

Dar chuckled. “Well, there might be a few, but I’ve been in these waters

since I was four years old, and I haven’t been nibbled yet.” She walked to the

rail and hopped up onto it, then dove into the water cleanly, surfacing several

yards away from the boat.

Kerry watched her for a moment as she dove down again, then popped

up and began to stroke lazily around the boat. “I suppose it’s a little early for

shark lunch, so…” She shrugged, then tugged off her shirt and shorts and left

them folded on the cushion, moving to a more prudent spot in the stern before

stepping up onto the fiberglass railing and jumping in.

She surfaced with a splutter. “Oh. It’s warm.” She ducked her head under

water and opened her eyes, blinking against the painful salt. The sun

penetrated the green for quite a ways down, outlining waves of golden

particles that disappeared into the depths. She could only do it for a moment,

though, before it stung her eyes too badly, and she surfaced. “Whoa.”

Treading water, her wet, dark hair slicked back, Dar held out a mask with

a mild grin. “Here, this works better.”

“Thanks.” Kerry adjusted the mask, having a bit of difficulty treading

water at the same time, then put her face back down, peering into the depths

with interest. A school of tiny fish swam by under her, looking for all the

world like a flock of birds, even to their splitting and rejoining to some

mysterious pattern. Kerry lifted her head up. “Wow, it must be so interesting

down there.”

Dar grinned from her spot where she hung onto the anchor line. “We’re

pretty shallow right now, only about thirty feet,” she explained. “There’s a

coral ridge that goes up and down the coastline here. So, if we were down

there, we’d be seeing all kinds of fish.”

With efficient strokes, Kerry swam over to her and grabbed the line as

well. “You’re making me jealous. Now I know I have to get certified. I tried

coaxing some of the guys at Associated into doing it, but they were all scared.

I bet I can get at least one or two people at the office join in, though.”

Dar studied her in silence for a long moment, then gave a slight nod.

“Wait here.” She reached up and grabbed the gunwale, pulling herself upright

out of the water and pressing her body up and over the railing.

Kerry blinked. “Wow, I couldn’t do that even when I was doing

gymnastics six times a week,” she murmured, impressed. “Heck, I don’t think

the guys who did rings could do that.”

Dar came back and unhitched a section of the railing, pulling it back and

seating herself on it. “Okay, we can do a really quick, really easy short dive

with just the stuff I have here.” She handed Kerry a vest-like garment. “Put

that on.”

Tropical Storm 143

Kerry did, buckling it around her chest and tightening the straps so it fit

snugly. “Okay.” She felt a thrill of excitement. “What’s next?”

Dar handed her a pair of booties. “Now these.” She waited. “Okay, now

slip these on over the booties and tighten them around your heels.” She gave

Kerry a pair of swim fins.

“That’s a little…oh, okay, I got it.” Kerry bit her lip a little as she

concentrated. The vest provided some buoyancy, fortunately, and after a

moment she looked up. “Okay.” She waved her feet, feeling the powerful

surge against the water, and grinned. “Oh, that feels neat.”

Dar handed her down a snorkel. “Put that through the loop in the mask.

Yeah, that’s right. Now turn around, and hold onto that anchor line.”

Kerry did so, facing out towards the horizon. She felt the splash as Dar

entered the water behind her, then experienced a moment of jostling as

something was attached to her back. She felt the weight difference

immediately. “Oh, is that the tank?”

“Yep.” Dar’s hand suddenly appeared beside her ear, holding a round

object with a mouthpiece. “Okay, this is how this works.”

Her voice was right up next to Kerry’s ear, and it took a moment for the

words to register. “Um. Okay, that’s a regulator,” she repeated.

“Right,” Dar agreed. “See this button?” She pointed to a round spot on

top of the piece of gear. “That’s a forced expel.” She put the mouthpiece under

water. “Water can’t get in, but if you press this…” She did so, and a stream of

bubbles erupted. “Got it? You put that in your mouth, and just breath in

normally.”

Kerry fit the mouthpiece between her teeth and sucked in, mildly

surprised when air happened. “Fowfh.”

Dar patted her. “Okay, I’m not going to go into the dive computer or

anything, because we’re just going down a few feet today. Hang on while I get

my gear.”

“Owflk.” Kerry nodded, looking around and getting used to having the

regulator in her mouth. What seemed like moments later, Dar was back with

similar equipment. She put her flippers on, then swam closer, and Kerry felt a

touch at her waist as Dar’s arms circled her.

She stopped breathing. “Uf…”

“Weight belt,” Dar said matter-of-factly. “You need it to compensate for

the air in here.” She patted the vest and smiled.

“Owf.” Kerry nodded in understanding as her lungs started working

again.

Dar put her own belt on, adjusting it a little and scowling, then she set her

mask in place. “Okay, just do what I do. You’re going to let go, and let

yourself sink. Just breath normally.”

It was the oddest sensation, Kerry decided, as she obeyed and let herself

start to fall through the water. The regulator’s bubbles kept a steady stream of

sound around her, but she looked around as she went deeper, seeing the sun’s

rays bend and lose their color.

Not far, as Dar had said, and in fact, if she looked up, Kerry could see the

solid bottom of the boat just above her. But down here… She leveled out and

floated just above the bottom, which was covered with a thick coral formation.

144 Melissa Good

Her eyes widened as a school of small, brightly painted yellow and blue fish

went right past her, their fins brushing her skin lightly, like butterflies. Past

them swam larger, more solitary fish, their bodies undulating back and forth

as they surveyed the reef in regal splendor. A tiny, darting red fish zigzagged

past her and fled, followed by a larger, flat, black fish with an eye on each side

of its body. She glanced down and pointed. A lobster was making its way

across the bottom, its spiny shell flexing as it moved.

Just watching her, Dar nodded. The older woman was floating, her arms

folded over her stomach and her legs half bent. She lifted one hand and made

an okay sign with her fingers, then raised an eyebrow in question. Kerry

nodded vigorously, almost unseating her regulator. Dar nodded back, then

moved off very slowly, motioning her to follow.

They stayed down for about twenty minutes, while Dar gave her a little

tour and pointed out things not to touch. The reef, for one; every touch on the

coral was a death sentence to it. Fire coral for another, which could sting

human skin badly. Puffer fish, which had spikes; eels, which she wouldn’t

have come within a hundred yards of anyway; and other various creatures.

Then Dar gently led her up to the surface, swimming up the anchor line until

they both broke through the waves, and removed their regulators.

“Oh my god, that was amazing!” Kerry blurted immediately. “Did you

see those silver fish? They were making faces at me!” She pulled her mask off,

and pushed her wet hair back. “And those purple things. What were those

purple things? There were these little translucent squiddy things, too. What

were they?”

Laughing, Dar held up a hand. “Whoa, take it easy. Let’s get back on the

boat and we can talk about it, okay?” She had Kerry hand her the gear, and

she put it onto the deck, then lifted herself up and extended hand to the

smaller woman. “Here, grab on.”

Kerry felt herself being pulled up and she grabbed the railing, getting

onto the deck far more easily than she had anticipated. “Wow.” She smiled at

Dar in delight. “Thank you! I really, really mean that.”

Dar smiled back. “Always like to see another convert.” She chuckled,

ducking into the cabin and coming back out with two towels. “ Let’s get dried

off, and I bet you’re hungry.”

Kerry felt her stomach growl. “Okay, I give. How did you know that?”

Dar’s tanned fingers waved dismissively. “Diving does it. I am too.”

They sat in the sun, drying off and sharing lunch as Kerry peppered her

companion with questions about sea life. Dar stretched out on one of the

cushioned benches, putting her hands behind her head and closing her eyes as

she answered. Kerry eventually ran out of queries and took the other bench,

relaxing against its slightly rough surface with a contented sigh. “Ill wind

blows nobody whatever, huh?” she commented wryly.

“Mmm.” Dar turned her head slightly and regarded the younger woman.

“You could say that.” She studied the slim frame, sleek in its purple fabric,

then her eyes closed again as the sun bathed them in rich golden light. “Glad

we remembered sunscreen.”

“Uh huh,” the fair-skinned woman agreed. “Otherwise, I’d turn the color

of a lobster,” A silence fell, and Kerry mused thoughtfully to herself for a bit,

Tropical Storm 145

then she turned to ask Dar a question. She bit it back when she saw that Dar

was peacefully asleep. With a contented smile, she shifted to get a little more

comfortable, then let her own eyes close as well.

A SEAGULL, ARCHING overhead and complaining, nudged Dar awake,

and she reluctantly opened her eyes, slightly startled by the low arc of the sun .

Oh damn. She yawned and stretched, rubbing her face with one hand as she sat

up. The boat was bobbing gently, and she glanced around, not seeing her

companion until she half stood and spotted her on the very front of the bow,

her knees tucked up against her chest as she gazed out at the horizon. The sun

was hitting her from the back and brought out gentle red highlights in her

otherwise blonde hair, and Dar felt a smile on her lips she really had little

control over.

“Hey.” She climbed up onto the bow and settled down at Kerry’s side.

“You shouldn’t have let me sleep so long.”

Eyes the color of the sea around them peered at her from under sun-

lightened brows. “I just woke up myself. And you looked so peaceful, I didn’t

have the heart to wake you up.” Kerry smiled. “I know last night wasn’t very

comfortable, so…” She shrugged. “It was kinda like catching up.”

Dar leaned back against the cabin wall and nodded. “That’s true. Guess

we’d better get going on in, though. Power should be back on and I can get

you home.”

“Yeah,” Kerry murmured, resting her chin on her knee.

Silence settled, save the soft rippling of the waves. Dar finally cleared her

throat a little. “Listen, I, um…I wanted to apologize.”

Kerry’s brows knitted and she turned her head. “For what? Dar, it’s not

your fault a storm came up.”

Dar held up a hand. “No. For what happened with Associated.”

“Mmph.” There was a brief pause. “Well, it’s all right, I mean, it worked

out.”

“But it wouldn’t have,” Dar admitted with a sigh. “If you hadn’t stood

up to me and made me take a second look at what I was doing, it wouldn’t

have.” She fell silent for a moment. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I

never stopped to think about how the people I was doing it to felt.”

“Oh.” Kerry absorbed this. “It was hard,” she acknowledged. “I felt like it

was so hopeless sometimes, and then when you called. Boy.” She looked out

at the water and shook her head. “It hurt.” She glanced sideways and watched

Dar’s eyes narrow, her sight firmly focused on the horizon. “But you were

doing your job.”

“Yes,” Dar murmured. “I know. That’s why it puzzled me when, after all

that, you wanted to come help me do it to other people.”

“Maybe the next time something like that comes up, I can get you to think

twice again,” Kerry answered simply.

Blue eyes looked directly into hers. “What if you can’t?”

Kerry thought about that. “I’ll just keep trying,” she answered quietly. “I

have a lot of patience.”

Dar ducked her head and chuckled. “Fair enough.” She pushed herself to

146 Melissa Good

her feet and made her way back to the console. “Hang on, I’m bringing up the

anchor.”

Kerry scrambled off the bow and settled herself onto the cushioned

bench, leaning against the railing and extending her legs into the lowering

sunlight. The city was backlit in molten gold. Wishing she had a camera to

capture the sight, she swung around and kept it in her view as Dar turned the

boat and headed for shore.

Chapter

Thirteen

“MORNING, MARIA.” DAR settled back in her seat as the ferry made its

way toward the causeway.

“Dios mío, Dar. You cannot believe the smells in here this morning. It is

like a thousand cats pee-peed on the rug,” the secretary informed her. “I have

an orange stuck into my nose.”

“Did maintenance arrange for a carpet cleaning service?” Dar inquired,

wincing at the thought of the stench. “Never mind, just put me through to Jack

Eierdall.” She waited a moment, then a gruff voice answered. “Jack? Dar

Roberts.” She listened. “We need a steam cleaner in there today, Jack, not two

days from now … That’s not acceptable.” Another wait and protesting tones.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about your cousin. I’ll get a commercial crew in and

bill you back for it at cost plus if you don’t get ’em in there today.”

Dar inspected a nail, then flexed her hand where the skin was just a little

tight from the sunburn she’d gotten on Saturday. “Look, cut the crap. Bottom

line, I see the truck by the time I get there, or I call in Stanley Steamer

Corporate. G’bye, Jack.” She hung up the line, then dialed again. “Maria?”

“Si.” The secretary sneezed. “Oye, excuse me, Dar.” She shuffled some

papers. “You have a meeting at eight thirty, remember—the executive

committee, and you have three client briefings after that.”

Dar sighed. “I know. Listen, block out my morning tomorrow, until at

least lunchtime, and Kerry’s too.” She paused. “She’s, um…she has to drive

me to an appointment I have to go to.”

After a period of shocked silence, Maria said slowly, “All right, I will do

that. Is it…a business meeting? I…”

“No,” the executive said quietly, “I’m having some tests done. It’s all

right, nothing major. I just don’t know what kind of medication they’re going

to give me and didn’t want to risk driving myself.”

“Dios mío. All right, I’ll put that down. I’ll have to cancel your account

meeting with Travel and Transport, Dar.”

“Aw, shucks,” Dar drawled. “Reschedule it for sometime extremely

inconvenient to them, will you?”

“Tch, Dar.” Maria laughed shortly. “You are so bad.” She hesitated. “I

have my rosary here. What kind of tests for you, so I’ll know how to pray?”

Dar blinked at the phone, too stunned to answer for a moment, then she

exhaled. “It’s nothing, I … They’re not sure, really, Maria, just maybe a leaky

valve or something. It’s really not anything to worry about, but thanks for

offering.”

148 Melissa Good

“Mi madre.” The older woman sighed. “Ay, good morning.” She held the

phone away from her mouth. “Excuse me, what?” Dar heard a muffled

exchange, then Maria came back. “Dar, they lost some big thing in New York.”

“Oh, hellinahandbasket.” Dar covered her eyes. “New York down on a

Monday morning. What did I do to deserve this?” She angled the Lexus up the

ramp and turned left onto the causeway. “Look, I’m about five or ten minutes

out. Have whoever is on duty in the MDF call Netops and find out exactly

what’s down, and warn Northeast region, especially service recovery, that

we’ve got a problem.”

“Okay, okay. Ah, good morning. Thank you, thank you, chiquita.”

Maria’s voice warmed, and Dar could hear another voice in the

background, which brought a smile to her face.

“Dar, Kerry is here, she says she’ll take care of it.”

“Good morning, Kerry.” Dar chuckled. “Thanks, how was the rest of your

weekend?”

“Eh.” Kerry’s voice was noncommittal. “Let’s not talk about that. Does

the term sewer backup mean anything to you?”

“Ouch.” Dar winced, as she turned left onto Brickell.

“Yeah, it’s almost as bad as it is in here,” Kerry told her. “Well, I’m going

to go call Netops. I’ll try to have a status for you by the time you get here.”

Maria’s voice came back on the line and the muffled sound of a door

closing could be heard in the background. “She is such a nice girl, Dar,” the

secretary told her approvingly. “That was so sweet of her to take you home on

Friday.”

“Yes, it was.” Dar swung into the parking lot, noting a wildly careening

truck just behind her. The truck pulled right up to the service entrance, and

four men got out, pulling out carpet-cleaning equipment. She grinned

mercilessly. “Be right up.” She hung up the line and got out of the car,

grabbing her briefcase before heading for the doors.

KERRY CARRIED A handful of papers with her as she slipped down the

back hallway and tapped on the door to Dar’s office, hearing the older

woman’s voice raised in a growling yell. “Oh boy.” She pushed the door open

and slipped inside.

Pacing back and forth behind her desk, Dar looked for all the world like a

well-dressed panther. She was yelling at some hapless person in the network

operations center, her staccato barks tossing aside his attempts to explain.

“Don’t give me that crap, I don’t want to know about how Sprint had a fiber

cut under Newark Airport. I want that circuit rerouted.”

Kerry stopped before she reached the desk and held the top sheet out,

then handed it over as Dar held her hand up. “It’s a big problem, Dar. They

had an airport transport vehicle go off the ramp and crash down through the

communications center. It took out their entire fiber center, including all the

internal com at the airport.”

“Jesus.” Dar’s eyes widened. “Are they shut down?”

“Yeah, they’re rerouting traffic through La Guardia, but it’s a mess.”

Fingers drumming on her desk, eyes shifting rapidly, Dar sat down and

Tropical Storm 149

requested information from their database, and drummed her fingers again.

“All right, all right. Listen up, Netops…”

“We’re here,” the tired-sounding voice came back. “We’ve been on this

since two AM.”

“You’ve got thirty-seven T1 lines that come down into Newark for T-and-

T’s rescom that you handle for the Hub site agreement.” Dar traced a

spiderwork of connections on her screen, motioning Kerry over. The blonde

woman put a hand on the back of her chair and peered at the screen.

“Yeah, but that’s carrying terminal res traffic.” The phone crackled.

“If you shift the endpoint routers at backbone six and seven to one and

two, you can send airport com down those, and get the airport back up. Shunt

the res functions to dial backup,” Dar said rapidly. “That’ll bring the net back

up there, and pass traffic through for the banking centers in New York, who

are down right now and breathing fire on my ass.” There was dead silence

from the phone. “Did you hear me?” Dar barked, glancing back as Kerry

patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Hello?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, okay. We heard you. Hang on, this is going to… Damn

it, John, get that Tiger frad configured so we can shift res to backup. Someone

call the MTC and tell them we’re doing this so they don’t freak out when the

lines go down.”

“I’m waiting,” Dar called out impatiently.

“We’re working on it,” the voice responded hurriedly.

“Work faster,” Dar warned. “It’s 8:52. If those banks aren’t up for

transactions by 9:00 AM, the shit is going to hit the fan in so many directions

you won’t know where to duck.”

“Okay! Okay!”

Dar pulled up a Netview screen and displayed the down sites. She

repeated the command, then again, nervously refreshing the screen.

“I was going to suggest I get you some coffee,” Kerry murmured, “but

maybe not.”

The dark head turned, and blue eyes regarded her as Dar’s lips

twitchingly held back a grin. Then she turned her attention back to the screen.

“Three minutes left. Where are my circuits!”

“Hang on, hang on. Switch that. No. No!”

“Two minutes!” Dar yelled. “I need that circuit!”

“Okay, we need the secondary tables loaded in that backbone. Serial 1…

Okay, okay. Try it now!”

Dar refreshed the screen and smiled. “Thank you,” she purred. “Nice

doing business with you guys.” She hit the release button. “Not!” She barked

at the phone, then punched a button and shook her head.

“Elaine Aberman, Service recovery,” a nervous, anxious voice answered.

“Good morning, Elaine,” Dar said, soothingly.

“No! It’s not!” the woman wailed. “It’s horrible! It’s tragic! We’re dying!”

“You’re up,” the executive stated calmly.

“You can’t believe what kind of a mess it is in here. We’ve got service

reps on standby ready to get up to New York, and… Excuse me?”

“You’re up. We rerouted traffic a bit. Might be a touch slow, but it’s all

there,” Dar informed her.

150 Melissa Good

“Oh!” The woman squealed. “Guys, guys, we’re up! We’re up! Glory be

to god, we’re up!”

Kerry put her hand over her mouth and choked back a laugh.

“G’bye, Elaine.” Dar hung up and let herself relax back into her chair

with a sigh. “Nice way to start a Monday.” She rolled her head and looked up

at the still-snickering blonde. “Sewer backup, huh?”

Kerry let a hand drop to Dar’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Oh my god,

yes. It was awful. I finally just had to leave, take a ride down to the little park

near my place and wait for them to finish pumping the sewers out.”

“Mmm. Sounds great.” Dar pushed herself to her feet. “I’m supposed to

be at an exec meeting. Keep an eye on this for me, will you? Call my cell if it

gets ugly again.” She patted Kerry on the back as she pushed her chair in. “See

you later.”

Kerry watched her leave, then she collected her papers and made her way

back to her own office.

DAR COULD HEAR the loud arguments before she even pushed open

the door, and she quite deliberately let it slam behind her as she moved across

to the large executive conference table. Everyone jumped, then turned and

started yelling at her. She blocked out the sound, pulling her chair forward

and seating herself in it, then meticulously arranging her papers in front of her

and folding long hands together across them. The din continued, and she

swept the room, pinning each yelling manager with her pale blue eyes until he

or she shut up, then moving on to the next one. Finally, only José Montarosa

was left, the head of Sales, whose face was beet red, veins sticking out on a

neck a size too big for his white long-sleeved shirt.

“Goddamn it, Dar, I have three contracts in jeopardy in New Jersey.

We’re supposed to be demoing this morning. If you can’t get this shit

working, I’m going to take it out of your goddamn paycheck!”

Dar glanced down at her hands, then back up at him, and cocked an

eyebrow. “Try it,” she purred, with a smile. An uneasy silence fell, and she

continued, “Besides, if your admin was worth two percent of the salary you

pay her for those… assets…you hired her for, she’d have paged you ten

minutes ago and told you we were up.” Dar poured herself a glass of water

and sipped it. “Now sit down and shut up, and let’s get on with this. I have

things I have to take care of.”

Montarosa glared at her, his lips twitching, then he lifted the conference

room phone and dialed a number. “Maria, what’s the status?” A pause. “Why

the hell didn’t you let me know?” Another pause. “Don’t give me that crap,

my pager’s…” He paused and glanced at his belt. “Puta.” He flung the phone

down and just assumed his seat with a glower.

Duks leaned back, biting a pencil to keep from laughing. “Dar, I heard it

was a fiber cut. What happened?”

The tall woman also leaned back, crossing her legs at the ankles under the

table. “Truck cut the cable. We rerouted through the regular airport T1s and

shunted that traffic to a backup.”

“Oh.” Duks nodded as though he had any clue as to what she was talking

Tropical Storm 151

about. “Can I have an egg roll with that?”

A nervous laugh went around the table, breaking the tension. “All right,

all right, I’m the chair this week. Let’s see what’s on the agenda.” Mariana

chuckled from her place next to Duks as she pulled out the previous meeting’s

minutes. “Now that we have the morning crisis out of the way, thanks to Dar,

we can go over more insignificant things.” She cleared her throat. “Global

Volunteer day—it’s next Saturday, up in North Miami at the proposed

Alternative School there. We need people to go down and clean the place up,

do some painting, that kind of thing.”

“How many volunteers do we have from the field?” Evan Maitsen asked.

His department was in charge of most of the data entry, and traditionally

provided a lot of volunteers for charity work.

“Um, as of today, two hundred and six,” Mariana reported. “Quite a

group from Associated is coming over. Guess they want to impress the

corporate types.” A laugh went around the table.

“Whose turn is it from us this year?” José asked, propping his chin up on

a big fist. “I did it last year, remember?”

Dar considered a moment. “Mine, I think.” She was recalling having

heard Kerry talk about her recruitment efforts earlier for the clean-up. They all

looked at her in mild disbelief. She shrugged. “I haven’t done it, so it must be

my turn.”

Mariana stared hard at her for a long moment, then shook her head and

scribbled Dar’s name down on her sheet. “All right.” She cleared her throat,

and went on to the next subject. “Remember this Friday is Boss’s Day.” She

glanced around the table. “I know most you know the drill, but once again,

please be careful—some people do take this opportunity to offer

inappropriate gifts.”

A chuckle lifted into the air. “Yeah, I remember when someone sent Dar a

set of freeze-dried bull’s cojones.” José snickered, giving Dar a sweet smile.

“What did you do with them, eh?”

Dar, who had been doodling, looked up. “Co-mailed them to Alastair,”

she replied in a deadpan voice.

Duks almost fell off his chair laughing, and the others joined in, save José

and a few of his cronies. “

“Well, not all of us have to worry about our employees sending pipe

bombs,” he insinuated. “Some of ours actually like us.”

Mariana glanced at him. “Fortunately for us, Dar pays people to do a job,

not be her buddy,” she responded mildly. “Or we’d all be in big trouble.” She

shuffled a page. “Speaking of which, let’s get onto performance reviews, shall

we?”

Dar went back to her sketching, listening with half an ear to the Personnel

executive’s carefully drawn-out plans. She’d spent the previous day catching

up on e-mail and relaxing, sprawled out across the couch in the blessedly

restored air conditioning, surprised at how unwound she’d gotten after just

one day on the water. She glanced up as Duks leaned close.

“You’re in a good mood today,” he murmured in a low voice.

“Am I?” Dar inquired. “I guess I am. I had a fairly laid-back weekend.”

Duks eyed her pad, which had small pictures of fish all over it. “Did you

152 Melissa Good

go fishing?”

She chuckled. “Not really. Did a little diving, though, after the storm

cleared.”

He clucked at her. “Dar, you should know better than to go diving solo. I

don’t want to be processing your life insurance claim, thanks.”

Blue eyes lifted mildly to his. “I wasn’t alone.”

He blinked at her in surprise, then laughed softly and shook a finger at

her. “I should have guessed. No wonder you look so relaxed.”

Dar’s brow lifted. “It’s not…” She hesitated. “Not what you’re thinking.”

He just smiled at her and tapped her arm with his pencil. “Say no more.”

Silly Duks. He thinks everything has to do with people sleeping together, doesn’t

he? Dar smiled to herself. It would never occur to him that two virtual

strangers could get stuck together by circumstance and end up becoming

friends.

That was a very satisfying thought, and Dar reflected on it a moment as a

faint smile touched her face. It had been a very long time since she’d added

one of those to her life. Beyond Duks, of course, and Mariana, with whom she

would sometimes do occasional things—dinner, lunches, and whatnot. She’d

known them for years, and they’d been out to the island a few times, but…

She sighed. An ill wind blew nobody good.

“Dar?”

By the tone, it was not the first time her name was being called, and she

glanced up with a start. “Sorry, what?” All eyes were on her, curious and

doubtful. “Sorry, I was going over something in my head.” She folded her

arms across her chest. “What?”

“Right, well…” Mariana glanced back down at her agenda. “Now that

we’ve closed the third quarter and are starting into fourth, we’ve got a couple

of weeks to decide what to do with Christmas.”

“I think we should give it up and become Hindus,” Duks stated with a

sniff. “Much easier. We can give everyone white rice for presents.” He

waggled his pencil. “Seventeen cents a pound, remember.”

José threw a wadded-up piece of paper at him. “Godless heathen.” He

snorted. Duks was well-known for his atheist leanings. “Remind me not to

ever vote to put you in charge of holiday arrangements.”

“Do we have a budget this year or are we going to have to go out and sell

embroidered toilet paper for funds again?” Dar drawled, sketching a lobster.

“It’s fourth quarter, what do you think?” Duks laughed. “Ah, I suppose I

can squeeze some cash out of somewhere. What is it—a tree, some stuffed pigs

or something, and yucca? Is that it?”

Mariana sighed. “Never mind, I’ll take care of planning it. Maybe we’ll

get something other than picadillo and ropa vieja this time.” She shot a glance at José, who shrugged and lifted his hands. “Don’t worry, I’ll get at least one

stuffed pig for you.”

They finished the meeting and Duks walked Dar to the door. “You open

for lunch, DR?”

Dar took a breath. “Probably not, Dukky, I’ve got meetings. I don’t know

when they’ll be done.” She gave him a smile. “Raincheck.” She folded her pad

under her arm and headed for the stairwell, a faster way down to the tenth

Tropical Storm 153

floor, where the operations center was.

“SO I FOUND three people who’ll go through certification.” Kerry took a

bite of her chicken salad sandwich and chewed it. “They all live near me, so

we called this place in Kendall and got a deal for four Saturdays with

classroom sessions, two pool sessions, four open water dives, and one night

dive.” She took a sip of ice tea. “Does that sound good?”

Dar nodded, busy with her own plate. Lunch had been much later than

usual, and she was squeezing it in between meetings. “Yeah. They include

equipment rental?”

“Yes, though, I was thinking of getting a piece or two of my own,” Kerry

replied hesitantly. “The regulator, at least.”

“Good idea.” The executive nodded in agreement. “Mine’s a Dacor. You

can get them with or without dive computers, like mine has, and with or

without an octopus.”

Green eyes blinked at her in confusion. “I’m sorry? They give you

octopus with your scuba gear? Uck. That’s disgusting.” She took another bite

of the croissant, vainly trying to catch the flakes as they fell.

Dar laughed. “No, no. The extra mouthpiece you saw on my gear, it’s

called an octopus.” She scooped up a forkful of potato salad and chewed it.

“It’s for buddy breathing.”

“Oh.” Kerry blushed a little. “Buddy breathing, right.” She pulled out a

magazine. “I got one of these yesterday. I read it while I was waiting for the

sewers to clear.”

“Pro Diver, that’s a pretty good one.” Dar smiled at her enthusiasm,

remembering her own certification. It seemed like it had been forever, she

mused, then she glanced at her watch. “Did you get held up on something?”

Green eyes lifted to hers a touch sheepishly. “Um… Well, no. I was

working on those projects, and then I took care of some e-mail, and, um, I

don’t know, I guess I forgot about lunch until you showed up and poked your

head in the door.”

Dar studied her curiously. “Uh huh.” She spotted the gentle blush

creeping up her assistant’s neck and bit down on her fork. “Well, good timing,

then.” Kerry had, she realized, waited for her to go to lunch, and she

wondered if the younger woman wasn’t feeling a little intimidated by her

surroundings. After all, the only person she really knew here was Dar, and she

probably was uncomfortable just barging in on the usual lunch cliques. She

made a mental note to get Maria to introduce her to some of her buddies, who

were usually the kinder, gentler variety. “Nice to have someone to talk to

during lunch. I usually just grab something by myself.”

Kerry nibbled her sandwich. “I did that too, a lot, at Associated. I…it’s

weird, I liked the people there, but when I would go out with them, I always

had a funny feeling that they were putting on an act for me.”

“Mmm.” Dar nodded in understanding. “I get that a lot, too.” But not

with Kerry, she realized with a sense of relief. The woman was just as

straightforward as you could get.

“Oh, and I checked on that discounts page you told me about. That’s a

154 Melissa Good

really good plan for that gym. I signed up,” Kerry said, getting the words out

somewhat more quickly than was her habit. “I figured, even if…I mean, I’d be

crazy not to, right? They’ve got some really good classes there.”

“I did too, this morning,” Dar stated nonchalantly. “We have a deal set

up on Wednesday, remember?”

Now Kerry smiled. “I remember.” She relaxed a little. “What time do you

have your appointment tomorrow?”

Dar had been trying to avoid thinking about it. “Eight,” she answered

quietly.

“Do…do you want me to pick you up at the terminal? No sense in driving

all the way here, just to… I mean, it’s on the beach, right? Just off Alton

Road?”

“That sounds fine,” Dar replied. “Yeah, it’s just off Alton, near Mount

Sinai. Are you sure you want to come? I, um, I don’t know how long it’s going

to take.”

Kerry gave her a gently sympathetic look. “I’ll bring a trashy novel, but I

bet it doesn’t take long at all, and everything checks out okay.”

Dar exhaled softly. “You keep thinking those good thoughts, Kerry.” She

lifted her head and gazed into the sea green eyes. “I could use every one of

them.” Their gazes held for a moment, then Dar pushed herself to her feet.

“More meetings, we’ve got some clients coming in I have to sit in for…I

probably won’t be back to the office until real late.”

“All right, I’ll keep working on that stuff you gave me. If anything blows

up, I’ll page you,” Kerry promised. With a pat on her shoulder as a parting

gesture, Dar moved off, and Kerry returned her attention to finishing up her

own lunch. It was amazing, she mused, just how warm that felt even through

the fabric of her jacket. She glanced up as a shadow fell over her and smiled.

“Hello.”

A short, blonde woman was standing there, smiling. “Hi. Mind if I sit

down?”

Kerry shook her head. “No, I’m about done. Would…did you want this

table?” She could see several similar ones empty around her, but assumed

perhaps the woman liked this particular one.

“No, that’s okay. I just wanted to introduce myself.” She held a beringed

hand out. “I’m Eleanor Anastasia, from the Sales and Marketing Group. I hear

you’re Dar’s new girl.” The woman seated herself primly and smoothed her

hand over the tablecloth as she studied Kerry’s face. “I didn’t think Dar went

in for such youngsters, but I’ve heard good things about you.”

“It’s very nice of you to tell me that, thank you,” Kerry replied guardedly,

prudently ignoring Eleanor’s snarkier comments. “It’s only been a few days.

I’m still getting used to a lot of things.”

Eleanor smiled toothily. “We always like to see fresh talent here,

especially in such an area as important as Operations. I hope we can develop a

pleasant working relationship.” She paused. “Sometimes we have such…oh, I

suppose you can call them communications problems. I’m sure you’ll go a

long way towards ironing them out.”

“Well, I’ll certainly try my best. I try to get along with everyone, if I can,”

Kerry answered with a thin smile. “We have so many things going on at once,

Tropical Storm 155

it’s hard to not rush through the social niceties.”

“Honey, your biggest communication problem is right down the hall. We

all love dear Dar, but she can be a bit difficult at times.” Eleanor positively

oozed fake affection for her fellow executive. “Don’t you agree?”

Kerry cocked her head slightly. “Actually, no. I’ve found her to be

extremely easy to work with,” she replied politely. “So I’m not sure what

you’re talking about.”

“Really?” Eleanor gave her a pitying stare. “Well, give it a few more days,

sweetie.” She patted Kerry’s arm condescendingly. “We’ll be talking.” She

patted Dar’s new assistant again, then stood up and straightened her tight,

bright red skirt suit. “It’s nice to have someone with manners over there for a

change.” She gave Kerry a smile, then walked off across the room to where a

table was set to one side, four other business-suited figures seated at it.

Kerry shuddered and resisted the urge to wipe her sleeve with her napkin

where the woman had touched her. “Ugh.” She picked up her tray and carried

it to the washing room, setting it down and dusting her hands off. “I gotta do

something about her reputation.” Deep in thought, she started walking back

to the elevator.

Chapter

Fourteen

KERRY PUT HER magazine down and peered around the waiting room.

Then she checked her watch and sighed. Two hours. The room was pleasant

enough, with decently padded chairs set around in a double figure-eight and

low tables with an assortment of surprisingly current magazines. She’d

already gone through PC World, Windows, Infoweek and Time, and had been flipping through People when she decided to give it a rest.

She wasn’t really interested in reading about the fifty most intriguing

people of 1998 anyway. She leaned back and crossed her ankles, wondering

what Dar was doing. Or to be more precise, what was being done to her. She’d

picked up her boss at seven thirty, and they’d made the short drive over to the

beach in relative silence. Dar kept her emotions hidden very well, but Kerry

had seen the motion as she kept swallowing, and the tense pursing of her lips.

Poor Dar. She felt so bad for the taller woman. Being that nervous was bad

enough, but having to pretend you weren’t was worse. Kerry had almost just

told her it was okay to be scared, but she didn’t think Dar would appreciate

the attack on her defenses at the time.

With a sigh, she stood up, wandering out of the empty room and down

the hall to the small vending room nearby. The walls were covered with pale

blue vinyl, and the floors were polished until they shone, but the most curious

thing about the place was the plaques.

Plaques were everywhere. There were memorial rooms, memorial wings,

memorial staircases, a memorial elevator shaft, and, as she glanced up while

she was walking, a memorial water fountain. All in honor of people who gave

money to the Heart Institute. Kerry was intrigued and wondered why

someone would bother contributing just to put a plaque on a bathroom door.

Personally, she would rather just give the money and let them do more

productive things with it, like design hospital gowns that didn’t expose your

butt. Surely some research dollars could be shaken free for that, right?

Kerry ducked into the vending room and ambled over to the coffee

machine, popping her quarters in and selecting a cappuccino. She retrieved

her frothy drink from the dispenser and headed back to the waiting room.

DAR KEPT HER eyes closed, trying to ignore the tiny pinches and

strangeness of the gear attached to her body. Leads were over her heart, under

her arm, and one was on her back, and they’d just finished setting up a

machine off to the side of the bed. It had a small wand-like device, which the

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head nurse had told her sweetly was like what they used to observe babies in

the womb; it would emit sound and map the return waves as a picture. Oh.

Dar chewed the inside of her lip to prevent herself from snapping at the nurse.

Like I’ve never heard of an echocardiogram. You wanna know how to take those

pictures, convert them to light waves, and reassemble them, little girl? How about if I

reroute that current in there so it zaps the hell out of your hand when you pick it up?

Condescending little…

But no, she was being good, so she just closed her eyes, and waited.

Finally a male voice rumbled close by, and she opened them to see a tall man

with a shock of gray-shot dark hair standing over her. “Hi.”

“Hello, Ms. Roberts.” The man stuck a hand out within her reach. “My

name is Richard Berger, and I’m going to be taking a listen inside you to see if

your plumbing needs work.”

“All right.” Dar liked his frankness. “Lay off the pipe wrenches, though,

huh?”

He smiled, then slipped his stethoscope into his ears, and warmed the

end of it between his fingers before he laid it on her chest.

Dar liked that touch. A physician had once cheerfully told her it would

only chill for a minute She’d answered by taking a metal bedpan and sticking

it between his legs, right up against his testicles. It only chilled for a minute,

she recalled, before the doctor had gone flying in the other direction.

She watched Dr. Berger’s face as he listened intently, his head turned—a

natural human reaction to listening, even though the stethoscope was

bringing the sound to his ears evenly. “Hmm,” he muttered, then picked up

the wand and spread a gel-like substance on it, then on her chest. He pressed

the instrument down, moving it in tiny circles as he glanced up at a monitor

overhead. After a moment, he frowned down at her. “No offense, Ms. Roberts,

but you have damn low blood pressure.”

Dar cocked an eyebrow at him. “Not my fault.”

“No, but it’s making it real hard for me to see anything. Can you, um,

think of something that would get your heart pounding a little?”

“I don’t…well, I’ll try,” Dar closed her eyes in concentration. A thought

came to her mind with surprising quickness and she let the image go, feeling

her breathing increase and the blood start pumping faster, warming her skin

in a soft blush. “How’s that?”

“Much better,” the doctor complimented, patting her shoulder. “Okay,

just hold that thought. I want a few more pictures. Got it. Okay.” He half

turned. “Did you get that on the EKG? Good.” He gave her a professional little

smile. “All right, Ms. Connors here will get this stuff off of you, and you can

get dressed.”

Dar gave him a puzzled look. “That’s it?”

He nodded. “That’s all I needed to see. I’m going to go review the tape,

then talk with your doctor, okay? Get dressed, then we’ll chat in the

consultation room.”

Her mind racing with possibilities, she swallowed hard. “Okay.”

He patted her on the shoulder again and walked out, carrying a cartridge

he’d ejected from the machine.

The nurse closed in and reached for her. “Honey, let’s get you sitting up

158 Melissa Good

here a minute so I can get this little old patch off your back, okay?” Dar

ignored the outstretched hands and sat up, feeling the pull against her

abdominal muscles as she leaned forward.

“My goodness.” The nurse, a tall, heavyset cherubic-looking blonde,

laughed. “You must work out, right?” She plucked the lead off Dar’s back and

touched her shoulder. “Okay, back down now.”

Dar laid back down, trying to empty her mind of tension as she waited

for the idiotic woman to finish pulling off the electronic attachments. She

suddenly had an unreasoning desire for a teddy bear to hug. She wished she

could just leave, not go into that consultation room, and not listen to what the

very nice and thoroughly terrifying Dr. Berger was going to tell her. She

didn’t want to be sick. She hated being sick.

Dar swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, taking the clothes

the nurse handed her with a brief nod. “Thanks.” She slowly slipped back into

the familiar wool, tucking in her cream-colored shirt and zipping up the skirt,

then hanging the jacket over her shoulder as she made her way out in the

waiting room. Anxious green eyes met hers, and she felt a quiet warmth ease

the fear a little. Kerry jumped up and trotted over, her gaze searching Dar’s

face intently. “Well, it’s over,” Dar told her. “Now I have to go in and find out

the bad news.”

Kerry hesitated, her lips tensing. “You think it’s bad news?”

Dar just nodded, a tiny bit. “Yeah, I think so.”

The younger woman reached out and circled her arm with warm fingers,

rubbing her thumb against the soft hairs on Dar’s skin. “You…do you,

um…want some moral support in there?”

The executive hesitated, drawing breath in, then letting it go. “Sure.” It

felt good to have someone with her, and she gave a resigned little sigh before

she motioned Kerry towards the small room to one side of the waiting area.

“Let’s get this over with.”

It was very small, in fact, almost claustrophobic—two chairs, a small desk

for the doctor to sit at, and a print of three apples, two oranges and a banana

above the desk. Dar sat down in one chair and folded her arms over her chest

as Kerry took the other seat, tucking her feet under it and leaning forward a

little.

Dr. Berger joined them, sat down and put a large envelope on the desk,

and folded his hands over it. He gave Kerry a curious look but didn’t ask who

she was. Instead, he focused his attention on Dar. “Well, Ms. Roberts, you are

a very interesting case.”

Dar wasn’t sure how to take that, so she raised an eyebrow.

“You have a congenital valve malformation,” the doctor went on, fiddling

with the envelope.

Though her face remained fairly impassive, Dar’s heart sank and she

mostly felt like throwing up.

“However…” Dr. Berger glanced up. “Somehow, your body compensated

for that, and developed a… Well, here, I’ll show you.” He pulled out a photo

and pointed with his pen to an area. “Here. It’s almost like your body

compensated by developing this muscle part here…and here.” He shook his

head. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

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Dar looked at the picture, then at him. She was aware of Kerry’s nearby

presence, also peering at the shadowy gray and black image. The iron grip

that had seized her chest started to loosen a little. “What exactly are you

saying? Is there something wrong with me, or not?”

A quick smile flicked over his handsome face. “There sure ought to be.”

He flicked his pen toward her. “But with all the tests I’ve done, there’s no

impairment of the cardiac function in this little arrangement, so I don’t know

what to tell you.” He glanced up at her. “I think the fact that you obviously

live a pretty healthy lifestyle has a big part in it. You’re in very good shape,

you take care of your health, and you have very low levels of triglycerides and

cholesterol as well as low blood pressure.”

Dar and Kerry glanced at each other. “What am I supposed to do?” Dar

finally asked.

He shrugged. “Live. Try to keep your stress levels down. I could put you

in for an artificial valve replacement, if you really want me to, but your

plumbing, though strange as hell, is working fine.”

There was a stunned little silence, then Dar slowly let out a long held

breath. “All right,” she said slowly. “I’ll try to follow that advice.”

Berger held out his hand. “Mind if I write you up for the Journal of the

AMA? This’ll make a test case they’ll be arguing over for months.”

Dar stood up and took his hand, shaking it briefly. “Be my guest. Hope

you get a good paper out of it.” She gave him a brief smile, then followed

Kerry out, neither of them speaking until they were in the elevator and the

doors closed.

“Sonofagoddamnbitch,” Dar cursed softly.

Kerry smiled and impulsively put her arms around the taller woman and

hugged her gently. “I’m so glad for you Dar.”

Dar went stock-still for a moment, then tentatively reached around and

hugged her back, a little awkwardly. “Oh well, that was the nicest thing that

happened to me all day,” she joked weakly as they parted, noting Kerry’s

blush. “Thanks. Boy, what an unexpected end to that situation.”

“No kidding.” Kerry wiped her brow. “I thought I was going to have to

call and place an order for that machine gun there for a minute. I’ve never

been so relieved in my life.”

“Yeah.” Dar grinned then, in pure reflex. “Wow.” She felt a wave of

feeling good wash through her, taking away the nagging anxiety of the past

few days, and as the doors slid open, she turned to Kerry. “We’re supposed to

be offsite until the afternoon at least. How about we do lunch?”

Kerry smiled at the high spirits that were echoing across her boss’s face,

despite her attempts to quell them. “Sure, where’d you have in mind?”

“You like seafood, right?” Dar asked, a rakish grin twisting her lips.

“C’mon, it’s not far. We can have stone crabs.” She tugged Kerry’s sleeve.

“And a nice ocean view.”

The blonde woman grinned back. “That sounds great to me. Let’s go.”

KERRY HAD HER chair turned around so she could look out over the

water, her body slouched into her chair and a sleepy, contented look on her

160 Melissa Good

face. Lunch had been fantastic, but somewhat overfilling, and she’d topped it

off with a glass of champagne that Dar had offered, which made matters

worse. She felt like curling up in a ball and falling asleep, especially since she

was watching the hypnotic shift and dance of the waves.

It had felt so good to see Dar happy. Though she was trying really, really

hard to keep the lid on, she’d almost bubbled over with it. Not that Kerry

blamed her; she knew the worry had been really eating at her boss, and she

thought Dar had truly believed she was going to hear really bad news this

morning.

Of course, even the good news had its not so good side, she reminded

Dar. She really did need to relax a little more, and that half joking, half

scolding comment had somehow turned into a conversation which had

resulted in an invitation to go out on the boat again not next weekend but the

following one. With an added dangling enticement of more diving. Like I’d say

no to that.

“Ha ha ha ha,” Kerry chortled softly. “I don’t think so.” She glanced up as

a tap came on the door, and she spun around, straightening up before she

called out. “C’mon in.”

Maria slipped in and tip-toed across the floor, looking around like she

expected spies to be hanging from Kerry’s mostly bare walls. “Chiquita, you

know what Friday is?”

Kerry obediently clicked on her calendar. “Um, the Sixth?” she hazarded.

“Ay, ay, it’s Boss’s Day.” Maria waved a hand at her. “I was going to get

her some little squishy balls, you know, or one of those crazy masks you put in

the icebox, then on your face, but since she says everything turned out okay, I

think maybe…I don’t know.”

“Well,” Kerry put some thought to the matter, “actually, they did say she

had to keep her stress down, so those balls aren’t a bad idea but…hmm.”

Boss’s Day… She’d forgotten completely about it, or, to be more precise, hadn’t

actually known it existed. A day for bosses? It didn’t make much sense, but,

since she had one she liked, she might as well take advantage of the fact. She

looked up. “Oh, I know what I’m going to go look for.”

“Oye? What?” Maria leaned on Kerry’s desk.

The woman grinned. “Toys,” she confided. “I know some great ones—

Nerf dart boards, that kind of thing.” She crumpled up a piece of paper, then

tossed it at her garbage can, missing by several feet.

“Dios mío.” Maria covered her eyes. “Do not tell me.” She hurried out,

closing the door gently behind her.

Kerry chuckled softly and turned her attention back to her computer,

where her project list was waiting. “Add project.” She clicked twice. “Find

some way to get Dar to relax.” She clicked again. “Priority, Urgent.”

“DAR, MR. HEAD of T-and-T on linea numero uno.” Maria’s voice broke

into the executive’s thoughts as she looked unseeing out the window. The

sunlight was reflecting on the sea, and she’d been counting sailboats crossing

the bay while a report she’d been running completed itself on her computer.

“Okay, I’ll take it.” She punched the specified button. “Afternoon,

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Uthai.” A completely unintelligible mutter traveled through the phone.

“That’s nice, what can I do for you today?” Dar leaned back and studied her

pencil, balancing it on the tip of her finger contentedly. Another, longer spate

of gibberish. Dar glanced up as Maria entered, then propped her head up on

her fist. “Sure, Uthai, just queue it to my work list.” A shorter burst. “Couple

days, I guess.”

Dar exhaled quietly, stifling a yawn. The long lunch had definitely put

her in a lazy mood, and it had been very difficult to drag herself back to the

office, despite the heavy slate of projects she was working on. She really

wanted to just take the rest of the day off, after the stress of the morning, and

get the relief out of her system so she could get back to her normal business

attitude. Instead, Dar listened to the gibberish. She was responsible for this

place. “You’re welcome. Have a nice day, Uthai.” Cheerful, if puzzled-

sounding, nonsense came back, then the line went dead.

“Dar, it is wonderful how you understand that man. I cannot see a word

he says,” Maria confessed, shaking her head at the phone.

Her boss grinned briefly. “I don’t either,” she admitted. “I’ll look at my

work list later and see what I promised him.” She looked up as the line buzzed

again and waved at Maria to stop as she picked it up herself. “Dar Roberts.”

“Well, well. Hello, Dar.” Alastair’s voice was extremely cheerful, which

usually meant nothing but trouble. “How’s the weather down there?”

“Partly cloudy, chance of afternoon showers. Why?” Dar responded.

“Can’t I just be asking?” the chairman inquired. “No, of course not. I just

thought you’d like a little change of scenery.”

The executive rolled her eyes. “How little?”

“Orlando,” Alastair responded. “We’re bidding Disney.”

Dar’s eyes widened in honest surprise. “They’re taking bids? I thought

they were so goddamn proud of doing their own stuff, they’d rather have

Mickey admit to cheating on Minnie before they’d outsource.”

A rich chuckle. “Not since they had that management changeover. They

finally figured out it’s better to farm the stuff out. All the majors are in there,

but I want it.” Alastair cleared his throat. “We’ve got a good team bidding, but

it needs… Well, John Byers, the account lead, is getting beat up pretty bad by

IBM. He needs us to show some weight behind him, and you know the IBM

rep, Jerry Andrews.”

“Ah. Jerry.” Dar let out an unpleasant laugh. “He won’t be glad to see my

face, let me tell you that, Alastair. Last time I saw him he threw a desk chair at

me.”“Exactly,” Alastair agreed jovially. “Just what John needs to throw off

Jerry’s focus.” He shuffled some papers. “The meetings are tomorrow and

Thursday, but I’d like you to get up there tonight.”

Dar considered. “I can take a puddle jumper up. All right, I’ll take care of

it, Alastair.”

“Great.” The CEO sighed. “You’re in a good mood today. What’s up?”

“Nothing much. Just had a good morning, that’s all,” Dar replied

dismissively. “Let me get started on pulling up the files for Disney, Alastair.

Talk to you later.”

“Give ’em hell, Dar. Bye.” Alastair hung up.

162 Melissa Good

Maria sighed. “Travel again? My goodness.”

Dar worked seriously at her keyboard for a moment, then looked up. “I’ll

need a flight out tonight, Maria. Book me for tonight and tomorrow night at

someplace relatively close to the admin center up there, and get me the

usual…” She paused, considering. Alastair wanted to put on a show, okay,

and she wanted to break in her new assistant, maybe she could knock off two

birds… “Actually, I think this is a good opportunity for Kerry to get a look at

what an account battle looks like. Book two seats, and two rooms, and clear

both of our schedules until Friday,” she decided crisply, then dialed the

phone. “Kerry?”

“Right here,” Kerry answered softly, over a flutter of keystrokes. “Just

working on some e-mail.”

“We need to go up to Orlando for a few days; we’re bidding an account

up there. Is that a problem?” Dar was busy calling up records.

“Uh, um…sure. No, no problem. I can do that. How long?” Kerry’s voice

sounded surprised.

“Two days. We’ll fly up tonight and come back on Thursday night,

probably,” Dar replied. “I’d like you to see the process first-hand.”

“Sure, no problem. I’ll get going on these projects and try to get them out

the door before tonight.”

“Good.” Dar hung up. “Okay, let me just print these. Maria, I’m going to

have to run home and pick up a bag since I didn’t drive today. Schedule the

flight for seven or so, the last one out.” She felt her energy picking up as the

challenge pricked at her competitive nature. If I could bring home Disney, ooo…

Her nostrils flared in anticipation.

“Si, I will.” Maria was making rapid notes on her pad. “You want two

rooms together?”

“Yeah, sure.” Dar nodded absently, absorbing the information. “That’s

fine,” she muttered to herself as Maria left, sending sheet after sheet to the

printer.

“Ay, Dios mío.” Maria sat down and pulled out her contact book, checking

for a number and then starting to dial. She paused, however, when the outer

door opened and Kerry slipped in. “Oye, chiquita, you go on your first trip,

hmm? Not so far.”

Kerry perched on the corner of her desk. “Am I reading this right? Are we

going to Disney World?”

Maria smiled. “Si, is business, though. No Mickey Mouse at the

meetings.”

A twinkle of mischief showed in the sea green eyes. “Hmm. So, where are

we staying?”

Maria pulled up a trip planner and reviewed her choices. “The Village

area is close, it has access to the administrative offices. Is nice…the Hyatt, I think.”

Kerry drummed her fingers on the desk. “I kinda thought it would be

something like that. What if it’s full?”

“Ay, well, there are seven, eight hotels in that area. Is not holiday season

yet,” Maria stated, giving her a curious look.

“Well, what if it…what if they were all full?” the blond woman persisted.

Tropical Storm 163

“What if…” She pulled the monitor over and scrolled down the choices.

“What if we had to stay…here?”

Maria studied the screen. “Chiquita, that’s right inside the park.”

“I know,” Kerry assured her.

“What little plans are going through your mind?” the secretary

demanded. “Dar will go crazy if I book her in there.” She checked the profile

nonetheless. The Floridian was one of the nicest hotels on the Disney

property, and the picture showed a huge, filigreed white Victorian structure.

“Is nice.”

“Mmm.” Kerry agreed. “Listen, her doctor keeps bugging her to take a

vacation, and I know this is a business trip, but those meetings can’t last all

day. Maybe I can get her to just cut loose, and relax for a while, you know?”

“Ahhh…” Maria smiled and patted her hand. “Chiquita, you are so

sweet…and very tricky. That is a good thing.” She picked up the phone. “I

will do it. If she gets mad, she gets mad.”

Kerry smiled. “If it works, it’ll be worth it.” She got up when she heard

movement inside Dar’s office. “Whoops, gotta go. Listen, I’ll bring you back a

stuffed Pluto or something.” She slipped out of the office and back down the

hall. Maria shook her head. “Pluto. Ay, chica, make sure she doesn’t stuff you.”

Chapter

Fifteen

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT had started out as a small airport,

with one terminal. As Miami grew, so did the airport, adding more terminals

and more concourses as more airlines wanted to fly out of it. Now, being the

gateway to South America and the Caribbean, it moved an unimaginable

number of people twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Unfortunately,

it wasn’t so much designed as grown, and the concourses were long, endless

corridors with no moving sidewalks that seemed to go on forever. The airport

was always full of people, with a dozen languages to be heard and overhead

announcements in Spanish as well as English.

An overnight bag slung over her shoulder, Dar strode through the crowd

while she examined the travel documents Maria had handed her, couriered

over by their corporate travel agency. “Where in—Jesus! She booked us inside

the damn park.”

“Really?” Kerry was working to keep up, and she peered over her boss’s

elbow curiously. “Oh, wow! That’s supposed to be a nice place, I’ve seen

pictures.”

Dar gave her a look. “We won’t get much of a chance to see it,” she

warned, then hesitated, seeing the veiled look of disappointment in those

interesting green eyes. “Well, maybe a little,” she relented. “We can have

breakfast with Mickey, anyway.”

Kerry smiled. “I’ve never been to Disney World. I always wanted to go,

and we were planning a trip sometime at Associated, just a bunch of us going

up one weekend, but we never got the details ironed out.” She dodged a

hurrying skycap as they arrived at the security checkpoint. They both put

their laptop cases on the moving belt, and Dar dropped her cell phone and

pager into the small bowl the agent held out. Then they passed through and

picked up their things at the end of the X-ray belt. “You know, I have less

trouble getting through security here in Miami than when I board a plane in

just about any other place,” Dar commented as they started the long walk

down the concourse. “I had my entire case searched in Iowa. They even made

me turn the laptop on and dial a number on the cell phone.”

Kerry chuckled as she pushed herself to keep up, making a little skip now

and then to compensate for Dar’s much longer stride. “Guess they’ve got more

time on their hands than these guys.” She was glad they’d gotten to change

and were flying in casual clothes, since they’d have until tomorrow before

meeting the prospective clients. She felt a lot better in her baby-soft green

flannel shirt tucked into stone-washed denims and her short-topped hiking

Tropical Storm 165

boots. She eyed her companion; Dar looked casually elegant as usual in a

crisply pressed beige shirt and embroidered black vest over button-fly jeans

and comfortable-looking sneakers.

Just roll your suit up and put it in the overnight bag, Dar had told her

wryly. Even if you carry it in a garment bag, it’ll still need pressing, so you

might as well save yourself the trouble of carrying the damn thing.

That works, Kerry had agreed, and also packed her bathing suit and some

shorts, just in case.

Just in case. She grinned to herself. I bet I can get her to go to MGM, at

least…

By the time they got to the gate, the flight was boarding. They handed the

gate agent their boarding passes, then walked down the carpeted boarding

ramp and into the 727. They took their places in first class, put their bags

overhead and settled down in the wide, comfortable seats. “Well,” Kerry said,

as she buckled her seat belt, “this is traveling in style.”

Dar settled back and extended her long legs, crossing them at the ankles.

They were in the front set of seats, with extra legroom before them.

“Intercompany courtesy.” She gave a little shrug. “We do all of their hardware

and software support, so we get pass riding privileges, and if there’s space, we

go up front.” She gave the steward a smile as he sidled over.

“Hello, welcome aboard. Can I get you something to drink before we

start?” His crisply efficient manner was reserved, but friendly.

Dar exhaled. “Do you have any chocolate milk?” she asked innocently.

Kerry gave Dar a little nudge and rolled her eyes. “You’re awful.” She

looked up at the waiting steward. “Orange juice for me, please.” He nodded

and moved off to fill their requests.

One dark brow lifted, and Dar pointed at her own chest. “Me? Milk is

very healthy for ya, Kerry.” She flexed an arm, the muscles moving smoothly

under the soft cotton fabric of the casual khaki shirt she was wearing. “Makes

you nice and strong.”

“It’s squeezed out of a cow,” Kerry reminded her.

“And that’s so different than squeezing something out of an orange? At

least the cow survives the process,” Dar retorted. She glanced up as the

steward returned with crystal glasses filled with the requested beverages then

turned back to Kerry. “Citrus killer.”

Kerry studied her glass for a moment. “God, I hope this doesn’t have

pulp in it.” Dar snickered.

Kerry put her glass down and crossed her ankles. “You really like milk?”

“I swear by the stuff,” Dar insisted, taking a swallow. “Mmm…” She

licked her lips. “Mmmmiillllk.”

Kerry caught the playfulness in her voice and went along with it. “You

must own a cow, then. Where do you keep her?”

Dar laughed and raised her glass, clinking it against Kerry’s. They both

took a sip and their eyes met for a moment before Dar’s dropped to the

travel documents she’d left lying on her thigh. “The Floridian, eh? Well, it’ll

be a drive in the morning, but at least I know we’ll have hot water.” She

reconciled herself to her fate. “And they have great banana-stuffed French

toast for breakfast.”

166 Melissa Good

Kerry leaned on her armrest and lifted a brow. “Banana-stuffed French

toast?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Dar nodded, with a quirky grin.

“I love bananas.” Kerry covered her eyes. “I’m in trouble.”

Dar chuckled, and leaned back, sighing as she relaxed into the leather of

the seat. Maybe it won’t be so bad. There‘s a little water park near the hotel. Maybe

we can take an hour off between meetings and take a quick splash, it might be fun.

Yeah. Dar let her head rest against the soft surface. It will be fun, bid or no bid.

“THANK YOU.” KERRY smiled at the guide who had led them to their

rooms as he bowed out and let the door close after him. She looked around

curiously, giving the room an approving nod as she took in the light, airy

décor and the crisply clean linen. The room had one large bed in it, a dresser

flanked by a tall console that contained a television, and a small refrigerator.

One wall was glass, covered by drapes which were drawn halfway, exposing a

view that sparkled with color. Kerry put her bag down on the bed and walked

over, to draw back the fabric and peer out. “Ooo.”

A dark lake stretched in front of the hotel, the lights of the building

winking fuzzily on its surface. Boats, likewise covered in lights, were crossing

the small body of water, and across the way, the glowing, light bulb-chased

pattern of Main Street. Beyond that the silvery spires of Cinderella’s castle

reached skyward. Kerry pressed her nose against the glass, watching the

cheerful sparkle of light. Across the water to the other side she could see a

glimmer of torchlight on an island in the center of the water, and she could see

other torches lining the far shore.

She was so busy looking, she didn’t hear the connecting door between her

room and the next open, and was startled when a warm presence materialized

at her back. Kerry looked up and saw pale blue eyes watching her in the

reflection of the glass, and she smiled, meeting them. “Oh, hi. You spooked

me.”

“Mmm.” Dar turned her gaze to the outside. “Well, well, the old castle’s

looking pretty good.”

Kerry exhaled. “I have to plan a trip up here, it looks like so much fun.”

She paused. “Hey, we’ve got a couple of hours. You want to go over there?”

“Oh no.” Dar chuckled, shaking her head. “I’ve got reports to study.”

Oh well, good try. “I guess I should do that too.” Kerry smiled. “It’s

probably crowded and noisy, and we’ve got an early start tomorrow, right?”

Dar nodded. “Exactly.”

Hmm, let’s just try one more tack. “Besides, you’re supposed to be taking it

easy. Better if you just hang out here and relax,” Kerry told her innocently.

“You don’t want to overstrain yourself.”

A dark brow edged up. Kerry moved back into the room and opened her

bag. “I’m going to call the valet for this suit. Want me to have them get yours,

too?” Dar folded her arms and gazed out at the glowing spires. “You know, on

second thought, it might be better to take a look around.”

Twinkling green eyes regarded her back. “No, it’s late, Dar, and you’ve

Tropical Storm 167

had a really long day.”

The taller woman swung around and eyed her. “Late?” She snorted

softly. “It’s barely prime time, Kerry. I think it would be a good idea to at least

check the park out. But if you’re not up to it, you can stay here.”

Somehow, Kerry was able to keep a grin off her face. “No, I can

manage…if you think it’s important.”

Dar gave her a nod and headed back towards her room. “I do. Besides,

it’s nice weather out there for a change, might as well take advantage of it.”

She disappeared into her own room with a decisive closing of the door.

Kerry polished her nails on her shirt, then chuckled. “Watch out, Pluto,

here I come.”

THE HOTEL CONCIERGE cheerfully provided two tickets, and they

ambled through the lobby, passing throngs of people laughing and relaxing.

The lobby held several bars and casual restaurants, and Kerry suddenly

remembered that she’d forgotten to eat dinner. Well, I’m sure there’ll at least be

popcorn over there. She sighed and followed Dar’s tall form across the carpet,

and up to the monorail station.

It was crowded with people heading to and from different parts of

Disney World, and the murmur of voices rose to a din. “Whoa.” Kerry edged

back against a low railing, peering down the track and looking for the train.

“It is crowded.” She glanced at the people around them, and sighed.

Dar glanced around from her more comfortable six-foot-plus height, then

put a hand on Kerry’s shoulder as she stepped past the barrier and leaned

close to the neatly dressed and smiling attendant. “Excuse me.”

The man turned. “Yes, ma’am?” His smile grew a bit wider as he looked

at Dar. “What can I do for you?”

“Pilot car?” Dar returned the smile. “My friend here’s never been.”

The man stood on his tiptoes and peered past them. “Sure.” He stepped

back and motioned them forward. “Always glad to help a first-timer.” He

grinned at Kerry as they walked past into a small, enclosed area near the

control booth. “There you go, ladies. Have a great time.”

Kerry looked around at their conspicuous isolation. “Dar?”

“Hmm?” The taller woman looked down, but was saved from further

questioning by the arrival of the monorail. It hissed quietly into the station

with an electronic whine and pulled to a stop with its nose about six feet from

where they were standing.

The attendant popped open the driver’s door and motioned to them, and

Dar put a hand on Kerry’s back, gently shoving her forward. “Go on.”

In mild disbelief, Kerry entered the pilot’s cabin and smiled at the young

man seated there. The roughly triangular space had padded benches along the

Plexiglas front nose, and she slipped into one as Dar relaxed on the other.

“Isn’t this different.” She peered ahead at the track.

“Hi, folks. Welcome to Monorail Purple,” the driver cheerfully greeted

them. “Next stop is the Magic Kingdom.” He looked to one side as the door

slammed shut, then he put the train in motion, pulling out from the hotel

along the tracks. “You folks come far?”

168 Melissa Good

Kerry watched the approaching lights in fascination. “No, we’re from

Miami.”

“Oh, fellow Floridians. That’s great. My family is from West Palm Beach.

We just moved up here last year,” he chattered happily. “Isn’t the weather

great? It’s perfect for walking around the parks.”

“You ever get tired of going around in circles all day?” Dar asked, her

face half in shadow, and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh no.” The boy shook his head. “It’s different every day. Sometimes we

go around one way, sometimes the other, and they also rotate us on the other

line. If you’re qualified on the mono, you can get parking tram runs in the

morning. They’re fun.”

Dar and Kerry exchanged glances. “So, it’s like a ranking, right?” Kerry

asked, as the monorail started to slow, preparing to enter the station at the

Magic Kingdom. “Are the monorail drivers on top?”

He giggled. “Oh no, that would be the lake pilots…who drive the

launches.” He stopped the train and pressed a button, opening the door for

them. “Wow, it’s been great talking to you. Hope you come back soon to

Monorail Purple.”

Dar stood and gave him a brief grin. “Thanks, have a nice, um…” She

rotated her finger in a circle. “…ride.”

Kerry slipped past her and ducked outside the door, waiting for her boss

to follow her and catch up before she laughed softly. “Omigod, what do they

put in the coffee here?”

“They’re all like that,” Dar assured her. “I think it’s corporate policy.

Though your notion of drugs in the water fountains has also occurred to me.”

She followed Kerry down the long sloping ramp, then through the electronic

turnstiles which took their tickets and spat them back out.

“Souvenirs.” Kerry held hers up and tucked it in her pocket. She took a

deep breath and started forward, under the train station and towards the

glimmering lights of Main Street.

Her smile half hidden in the darkness, Dar entered the park behind her

younger companion. In front of them was a town square, with the train station

at the front, two large buildings on either side which had signs indicating they

were the fire station and City Hall, and the long street of shops heading down

on the far side. They crossed the cobblestones, and turned down the main

street, and Dar took in a breath as the castle rose before them, brilliant with

light. On either side of them, old-fashioned store facades heralded shops of all

kinds, and Dar stopped short at one. “Hey.”

“Wh—” Kerry watched her duck into a doorway and she followed. She

was struck in the face with a strong blast of air flavored with taffy and

chocolate. “Oh boy.” She ducked around a scurrying attendant and spotted

her boss, leaning against the glass partition and watching a machine pull long

strings of fragrant taffy out, over and over again. A case of chocolates caught

her eye, though, and she detoured, finding herself in front of a neatly stacked

display of assorted squares. “Fudge.”

Dar’s voice sounded just behind her. “Is that a conclusion or a curse?”

“Yes,” Kerry sighed. “I love fudge.” She smiled at the attendant, who

gave her a perky grin. “Could I get a piece of the chocolate, please?”

Tropical Storm 169

“Only chocolate?” her boss teased. “They have peanut butter there, too.”

“Nope, I’m a purist.” Kerry took her purchase and passed the girl the

payment. “Thanks.”

The girl addressed Dar. “Anything for you, ma’am?”

Dar studied her choices. “A half dozen of those,” she pointed at the peanut

butter cups, “a bag of the chocolate-covered cherries, and some toffee.”

Kerry tried not to follow suit. She folded her arms across her chest and

balled her fists, one hand grasping the bag of fudge. “Boy, you’re a wild thing

in one of these places, huh?”

“Don’t worry.” Dar tucked her packets away. “I’ll share.” She sauntered

toward the door, dodging a few running children along the way.

Kerry sighed. “I was afraid she’d say that,” she murmured, but shook her

head and followed as they returned to the street and walked along it. The air

was filled with the smell of cotton candy and popcorn, mixed with pine and

the warm scent of the tarmac under their feet. “Nice night.”

Dar didn’t answer for a few steps, as she looked around them. “Yeah,”

she said. “You hungry?”

“A little,” Kerry demurred. “I forgot to grab dinner.”

“Me, too.” The taller woman picked up her pace and headed for the tall,

well-lit castle in the center of the park. “C’mon.”

“Okay. Hey,” Kerry pointed, “there’s a hot dog stand over there.”

Dar snorted softly. “No Pluto Pups and no Astro Burgers, okay? Those

are my rules here. C’mon.” She led Kerry across the square at the end of Main

Street and right up into the castle, where she abruptly turned into a small

alcove, almost causing Kerry to crash into her. In front of them was a small

stand, with a perky dressed woman in Medieval garb.

“Hi there, folks. Welcome to Cinderella’s Banqueting Hall. Would you

like to have dinner tonight?” The woman greeted them. “We’ve got a table

available just for you!”

“Two.” Dar informed her, with a smile, as Kerry tugged on her sleeve.

“Hmm?”

“There’s a restaurant here?” the blonde woman whispered.

Dar grinned. “Mmm-hmm. I hope you like prime rib.”

“Prime rib?” Kerry followed her as they made their way to an elevator

and got out at the second floor. “But this is Dis…” She stopped, surprised. The

second floor contained a wide, open dining space surrounded by tall

windows. Sturdy wooden tables with pewter plates and cups were placed on

two different levels, and quite a number of diners were already seated around

the room. “Oh. Cool.”

The hostess led them to a small table near the windows, which was lit by

a candle and already set. “Your waiter will be right with you,” she told them.

“Have a great dinner.”

Kerry took a moment to look around them as she opened her napkin and

laid it neatly across her lap. “This is adorable,” she murmured. “It’s got really

nice, um…”

“Ambiance?” Dar gave her a wry grin.

“Atmosphere,” Kerry asserted. “Have you eaten here before? I guess you

have.”

170 Melissa Good

Dar held off answering as a waiter came over, removing a pad from his

apron and preparing to write.

“Evening, folks. What can I get you?”

Kerry glanced at the menu. “Hmm, wow. Okay, I’ll take the prime rib, I

guess.” She deliberately bypassed the chicken from a sense of occasion. “With

the potatoes, and some punch, please.”

“Same.” Dar leaned back and studied her. “Not everyone knows this

place is here. It beats the fast food stuff they mostly sell. There’s also a good

chicken and fish place near Liberty Square, but I was in the mood for beef

tonight.”

“No arguments from me.” Kerry glanced up as a basket of rolls and

butter was set before her. She examined the butter. “Oh, Dar, look. It has little

Mickey Mouses stamped into it.” She picked up the pewter plate and showed

her companion. “Isn’t that cute?”

Dar ruthlessly kidnapped a hapless Mickey and spread it on a roll.

“Adorable,” she agreed, munching on it. “Any place in particular you want to

see, now that you conned me into coming over here?” Her blue eyes glinted

gently.

“Me?” Kerry pointed her own chest. “But, boss, it was your idea!”

However, she grinned impishly at Dar. “Thank you for indulging my

somewhat childish whim.”

The candle on the table flickered in the air movement and threw

interesting shadows across Dar’s planed features. The blue eyes moved

around a lot as the taller woman watched the crowd, and the skin around

them wrinkled and smoothed as she did so. Her dark hair fell gently over her

shoulders and framed her face and Kerry suddenly became conscious of the

fact that she was staring. She found something else to look at, picking up a

wide, two-pronged fork and turning it over.

Dar cleared her throat gently. “So, was there someplace you wanted to

see?” she repeated.

Kerry thought about that. “Why don’t you suggest something? You seem

to know this place well enough. I mean, the roller coasters would be fun.”

“Ah. Space, Thunder, and Splash Mountain. Okay, we can do that in a

couple of hours,” Dar agreed. “Park’s open until midnight. It’ll get quieter

after the parade goes by.”

As if on cue, a brassy march filtered through the windows, and Kerry

pressed her nose against one, peering out through the wavy glass to see a

band going by.

Dar watched her with an indulgent smile, taking the opportunity to study

her companion’s gentle profile. Kerry had a small, straight nose, and a firm,

even chin, with rounded cheekbones and soft, fair lashes. Right now, those

lashes were fluttering as she studied the parade, catching the odd glint from

the candle, which also caught the faint wrinkles at the corner of her mouth as

she smiled.

It is, Dar acknowledged to herself, nice to just sit across the table from

someone who is cute, and intelligent, and has no ulterior motive in sharing dinner

with me. Whoa. Her breath caught, and she went back over that statement.

Intelligent, yes. Kerry was certainly that. Cute? Where did that come from? She Tropical Storm 171

peeked at the younger woman, who was still engrossed with the sight outside.

Well, she is cute, the executive reasoned. Just all kind of sweet, and nice and, well…cute.

Her eyes traced the curve of Kerry’s ear, and she lowered her gaze to the

plate in front of her, the roll taking on a sudden fascination for her.

C’mon, Dar, quit fooling yourself. You know she’s cute, and more than that, or it

wouldn’t have been an image of her in that bathing suit that you used to pick up the

old heartbeat this morning, hmm? The executive let out a breath wryly, and

dismissed the thought. Well, she’s not your type, so find something else to look at.

Kerry cleared her throat. “Catchy tune.” She indicated the music outside.

“Your bread okay?”

Dar looked up, startled. “Yeah, I was just thinking.” She straightened

sheepishly. “Sorry.” Green eyes suddenly met hers and she noticed the little

golden flecks in them for the first time. They were interesting eyes, reminding

her of sunlight underwater, and she studied them curiously until the raising

eyebrow made her realize she was staring . Okay, enough of that. “Interesting

parade?”

Kerry cocked her head. “Parade?” she asked softly, then she blushed a

little. “Oh, yes, it’s very cute. They just had a float with Mickey and Minnie

dancing on it.” She looked up as the server arrived with their dinner. “Good

grief.” She eyed the plate as it was set down. “My god, that cow must have

been the size of an elephant!”

“It’s actually Dumbo, ma’am,” the waiter stated in a smooth, even voice.

“He stepped on Minnie’s tail, and it was just all over for him.”

Both women stared at him, then burst out laughing. “Jesus, did your

medication wear off?” Dar snorted.

“They don’t give it to us,” the man confided, placing Dar’s portion in

front of her. “We have to handle steak knives and hot plates. It could be

dangerous.” He made a little bow, flicking his long sleeves out of the way, and

backed off. “Enjoy your dinners.”

It was difficult to know what to make small talk about, Kerry thought.

They could talk about work, but somehow she just didn’t feel like doing that

tonight, so she cut a piece of her steak and nibbled it, gathering her courage

before speaking. “Dar?” Those amazing clear blue eyes looked up at her, and

the brow raised, which, Kerry realized, meant Yes? “Can I ask you a personal

question?” she inquired shyly.

The darkness hid her flush, for which Dar was extremely grateful. “Um. I

can’t guarantee I’ll answer it, but yeah, go ahead.” She felt a gentle nervous

flutter hit her stomach.

Kerry leaned forward. “Is your name short for something, or is it just

Dar?”

“Oh.” The dark-haired woman speared a roasted potato and popped it in

her mouth, giving herself a chance to think. She could just say ‘it’s just Dar,’

since legally it was. However… “Well, my mother was—is still, I suppose—an

addict of Spanish romance novelas. She had a favorite character, Paladar. I’m

named for that.” The executive cleared her throat in embarrassment. “I hated

it. I had it legally changed when I turned eighteen.”

Kerry propped her chin on her hand, fascinated. “Paladar…I don’t know,

172 Melissa Good

I kinda like it. It’s got a nice ring to it.” She watched the look of alarm spread

on Dar’s face. “Don’t worry, though, I won’t use it, not if you don’t like it.”

“B…um, well…” Dar fiddled with her fork. “It was just so stupid. I mean,

the character was this insane woman who ran around falling in love at the

drop of a hat and getting into trouble. I just…I didn’t see any likeness, so…”

She shrugged. “And the kids my age knew where it came from. I got teased a

lot.” She speared another cube of rare prime rib and dipped it in the small

boat of gravy. “What about you? Is Kerry short for something?”

A charming smile edged the younger woman’s face as she regarded her

companion. “Kerrison. It’s a family name. Usually it’s given to the eldest boy,

but my father was determined to give it to his firstborn regardless, so, I have

to live with it.”

Dar considered the name. “I like it,” she announced. “Fits you somehow.”

“You think so?” Kerry sounded doubtful. “I never did.” She bit a green

bean in half and chewed it. “I don’t use it much. Even my résumé has Kerry on

it, and all my official work documents.”

“Mmm, I know. That’s why I asked.” Dar glanced up with a grin. “I could

have just logged in and found out otherwise.”

Kerry’s brows knit. “That’s so weird. You know all that stuff about me,

and I…it’s just strange.” She laughed a bit. “I mean, it’s not like I can just log

in and find out about you.”

Dar gazed at her, a tiny smile playing around her lips. “Kerry, you

already know more about me than you’d find in the company computers,” she

answered quietly. “Most of your co-workers would be astonished to know

what my house looks like or that I’m a diver, or what my real name is, for

instance.” She glanced to one side. “Or that I eat Frosted Flakes for breakfast.”

Kerry felt a little out of breath for a moment. “Oh.” She blushed, this time

more noticeably in the low light. “Well, yeah, I guess you don’t…” She fell

silent.

“Socialize.” Dar completed her sentence with a faint smile. “It’s all right,”

she reassured her companion. “I don’t. I’ve just learned along the way the

more you let out about personal stuff, the more it comes back to bite you in the

ass.” She saw Kerry’s eyes jerked up to meet hers, the faintly hurt look swiftly

hidden. “Sometimes.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kerry murmured. “You know, not to bring up a sore

subject, but your real name reminds me of something.” She changed the

subject, a trifle awkwardly.

“Oh?” Dar took her own drink and sipped it. “What’s that, a package of

marshmallows? That was a popular version when I was younger.”

“Oh, like Mallomar?” Kerry laughed softly. “Well, it’s sweet and tasty.”

This time the blush made her fair eyebrows stand out, and she winced in

reaction. “Um, that’s not…I mean, I wasn’t, um…”

Dar chuckled softly. “Yeah, yeah. Relax, I know what you meant.” She

paused. “ What else were you thinking of?”

“Um.” Kerry rubbed her face as though trying to rub away the flush.

“Paladins, actually. The other day I was reading a story that had them, and it,

um…” She glanced at Dar, who looked puzzled. “Oh, right. You probably

don’t read that kind of book. Sure, well, Paladins are knights, but they’re

Tropical Storm 173

especially good kinds of knights. They stood up for people not for reward, but

just because it was the right thing to do. That was what they were—people

who just did things because they were right, not because it was good for them

personally to do it.”

Dar leaned forward. “Kerry, I am not any kind of good guy, trust me,

okay? I eat people for lunch. I fire people at the drop of a hat. I restructure

companies to maximize profit for our company. Everyone hates my guts. So,

try to remember that, huh? Or you’re in for a shock when we go into those

meetings.”

“Not everyone,” Kerry replied quietly.

“Hmm?” Dar looked at her questioningly.

“Not everyone hates you.” The blonde lifted her chin. “I don’t.”

A silence fell between them as Dar stared at her. “You haven’t known me

that…long,” she finally answered. “I don’t want you seeing me as something

I’m not, Kerry. I’m very serious about that.”

They looked at each other for a lengthening moment, until Kerry

shrugged faintly. “All right. I’ll try not to.”

“Okay, just so long as we’ve got that straight,” Dar replied with a nod.

“Right,” Kerry agreed. “As long as you don’t get mad when I say what I

do see.”

Dar sighed. “I’m not any kind of a half-assed good guy.”

Kerry’s eyes held a very grave twinkle in them. “Dar, the one thing for

sure is that you’re not a half-assed anything,” she said. “And you’ll never

convince me otherwise, okay?”

“If you say so.” Dar rolled her eyes and went back to her steak.

“I do.” Kerry ate the last of her prime rib, took a sip of her punch and

wiped her lips. “Boy, that was good.”

Dar popped her last potato into her mouth and nodded, leaning back as

the attentive busboy scooted over to take away their plates. “Beats Pluto Pups,

huh?”

“Oh yeah.” Kerry took a breath to protest as the busboy returned bearing

two plates full of strawberry shortcake. “Oh lord.” She gave a chuckling Dar

her most exasperated look. “I give up. I’m just going to reconcile myself to

looking like Miss Piggy, and have done with it.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll walk it off. This place is really spread out,” Dar

reassured her. “Space Mountain first?”

Kerry started on her dessert. “Sounds good to me. Did someone really

ever get their head cut off on that?”

Dar snorted softly. “It’s an urban legend, but it’s a good one. You always

hear it from someone who has ridden before the victim and saw the head

arrive several cars before the rest of the poor bastard.”

“Ugh, I’ll try not to think about that.” Kerry made a face. “And tighten

my seat belt.”

“Oh, well, you don’t…” Dar stopped, considering. “Well, now that I think

about it…” A thoughtful smile crossed her face. “You’ll be pretty safe.”

Kerry glanced up at her curiously, wondering what she meant.

174 Melissa Good

EVERYONE WAS WATCHING the parade. That meant there was only a

short line, and Kerry grinned as she joined it, putting her hands on the railing

that kept the snaking path of humanity in check. Space Mountain was a tall,

conical structure in the middle of Tomorrowland. It had a white roof and

spire, and conspicuously posted, ominous warnings against riding the roller

coaster for pregnant women, children, short people, people with heart

conditions, and Mormons… No, wait, Kerry reread the notice. “Oh…new

mothers. Right. Like anyone would take a newborn child on this.”

“Don’t laugh,” Dar’s voice came from a point just behind her. “I saw

someone try to take a guinea pig on here once, for a bet.”

Kerry turned right around. “You did not,” she accused, with a laugh.

“Get out of here, Dar.”

“Yes, I did,” her boss insisted. “They had it in a backpack, and they were

in front of me. It stuck its little pink nose out and was wiggling it.”

“What did you do?” Kerry asked curiously as they moved forward.

“Made sure I wasn’t behind them when it puked,” Dar replied dryly. “Go

on, down that way.” The path divided and they headed down a ramp to a

neon-lit boarding area. She studied the cars as they were filled, and realized

each car was split into two seating areas. A rider could go solo in a big one

and just sort of brace herself or ride double and let the person behind her hang

on to her.

Ooo, dilemma. Kerry glanced up at her companion, who was watching the

proceedings with a mildly interested look. “Um.” She didn’t have to pretend

the embarrassment. “Can I ask you a favor?”

Blue eyes turned violet in the neon dropped to her face. “Sure.”

Kerry nodded toward the cars. “Would you mind a whole lot if we went

double? I love roller coasters, but they spook me a little.” Was that a grin that

flicked on and off Dar’s face? It was far too dark to tell, really.

“Sure, no problem,” Dar answered in a normal voice. “You should go to

Busch Gardens—now those are roller coasters.”

“Ah.” Kerry moved forward to where they were loading the next set of

cars. “Been to one out of state and went on the one where you are clamped on

from overhead. Did you know that when you vomit on one of those you can

actually hit your own foot when you’re upside down?”

Dar worked out the physics of that. “Wow. No, I didn’t,” she admitted as

they were ushered into their car. She settled back against the backrest as Kerry

seated herself somewhat gingerly between Dar’s legs. “Did you do that?” she

asked, more to distract them both than anything.

“No. My sister did.” Kerry took an irregular breath as the car moved to

make room for the next set to be loaded. She slid back a little and felt Dar’s

knees press around her, a warm grip that swiftly penetrated the fabric of her

jeans. It felt nice. She tipped back her head and watched as the car started to

move, and they inched forward onto a track, then turned a corner into the

darkness and started up. “Uh…” Kerry realized she wasn’t going to be able to

remain upright without some serious holding on.

“Relax, lean back,” Dar’s voice reassured her, patting her shoulder. “I can

take it.”

The incline increased, and Kerry had little choice. She loosened her hold

Tropical Storm 175

on the sides of the car and settled back against the taller woman’s chest,

feeling Dar take a secure hold around her waist.

“Okay, I got you,” the executive told her cheerfully.

Yeah. Kerry absorbed the sensation. You sure do. She felt her heartbeat

pick up, a subtle thunder in her ears as she fought a feeling of mild panic,

unsure of where it was coming from. “Wow. Guess I’m a little nervous,” she

murmured.

“Relax.” Dar’s voice was inches from her ear. “It’ll be over in a few

minutes. I’m not that bad, am I?”

Bad? Kerry fought to slow her breathing down as the angle got a little

steeper and she felt Dar take a snugger hold of her. Like it was a completely

normal thing to do. Kerry felt a little ashamed of herself and she forced her

body to relax, pushing aside the nervous feeling until she could set aside the

circumstances and look around her again . It’s okay, her conscience reassured

her . It’s no big deal, nothing unusual, it’s…nice. Like we were old friends. She

smiled and relaxed a little more, watching the fake stars overhead as they

inched to the top of the incline. She could feel Dar breathing, a slow, steady

motion, and stopped resisting both the tug of gravity and Dar’s grasp, letting

her head drop back against the dark-haired woman’s collarbone, a line

crossed so easily and almost without her notice.

She closed her eyes and was startled when a flash of her dream from the

storm morning came to her. It had felt…yes, a little like this. Just a little.

They reached the top of the incline, and the car shot forward, starting the

ride. It was dark and twisty, and there wasn’t really much to see so she just

kept her eyes closed and let gravity war with Dar’s powerful grip.

Unsurprisingly, Dar won. She kept hold of Kerry as the car rushed in a

tight circle and over a last series of hills, the bottom dropping out a few times

until they rattled into the end of the ride, and the dark dissolved into a blast of

blue light, and it was over.

It felt a bit too soon, in fact. Kerry exhaled as they shuttled into an ending

platform, and Dar released her. “Wow, that was fun.” She got up and hopped

out of the car, the taller woman following along behind. “It was so dark,

though. Are they all like that?”

Dar shook her head. “Thunder Mountain isn’t. I’ve never been on the

other one, but I don’t think it is. That’s more water than anything.” They

exited out into a starlit night, where the faint strains of the parade music were

still floating in the air.

Kerry smiled at her. “Thanks for keeping me safe.”

“No problem,” Dar replied with a brief grin. “I’d hate to tell you what I’d

have to go through in Personnel if I lost you on a business trip. Mariana would

have my head if I let you lose yours.”

They both chuckled, then Dar motioned to the right. “This way. We can

sneak around back through Frontierland to get to Big Thunder.”

“Oh, is that where that Country Bear Jamboree is?” Kerry suddenly

asked. “I’ve seen that on TV so many times.”

Dar gave her an indulgent look. “Okay, I get the hint. C’mon.” She gave

her a sideways glance. “I’m surprised you didn’t want to see the Haunted

Mansion.”

176 Melissa Good

“Ooo.” Kerry made a face. “I forgot about that. Is it around here?”

Dar just laughed as she changed direction again. “C’mon.”

THEY WERE ON about the last monorail out and happy to settle in a

regular seat as the sleek train pulled out of the park and headed back toward

the hotel. Dar leaned against the window and peered out, half shaking her

head about how she’d spent the night.

Good grief. It better not get back to anyone, or I’ll never hear the end of it. She watched the lights of the boats below go by and exhaled, watching her breath

condense on the glass. Wasn’t so bad though...and it wasn’t like we really had

anything else planned for the evening. I’d already gone over most of the reports before we left Miami, and the other option was just finding some entertainment in the hotel.

This, s he decided, was just as good, and all the walking certainly was healthy.

Somehow they’d managed to hit all the major areas in under two hours and

had walked down Main Street as the park was closing, watching Mickey

Mouse balloons float aimlessly up from the hands of sleeping children.

She glanced to her left, hiding a grin at the bags tucked under her

companion’s arms. From one peeked a stuffed buffalo, its crossed eyes and

tiny pink tongue comically protruding. From the other emerged a happy-

looking Pluto nestling comfortably against Kerry’s shoulder, his floppy ears

showing black against her blonde hair. Dar found herself unexpectedly

charmed by the sight. “It’s a dog’s life, huh?” she addressed the stuffed

animal. “Aren’t you a lucky puppy.”

“What?” Kerry turned and looked at her. “Did you say something?”

“Nope.” Dar sat back and folded her hands together. “Nothing at all.”

Kerry had, to her bemusement, fallen in love with Buff, the animated,

wall-mounted buffalo in the Country Bear Jamboree, and wouldn’t be

satisfied until she’d scoured the Frontierland Trading Post and found one to

take home with her. She’d tried to convince Dar to get a coonskin cap, but the

executive had taken one look at the fuzzy tail hanging over her ear and

plopped it up onto the top of a rack, out of Kerry’s reach.

She’d stuck with just her candy, though a filigreed, hand-blown glass

dolphin on a cresting wave in the glassmaker’s shop had tempted her. She’d

finally decided the figurine would probably only get broken and so she

decided not to buy it. She’d momentarily lost Kerry, only to have her turn up a

few minutes later with Pluto, and a satisfied look on her face. The Emporium,

shop of last resort for frantic souvenir hunters, was always the last place to

close, and they wandered through there on their way out. Dar succumbed to

the overwhelming marketing pressure by purchasing a crisp black polo shirt

with a silver Mickey embroidered on the breast.

“Oh, that’s festive,” Kerry had teased.

Dar chuckled wryly. “Calculated plan of attack. I’ll wear it at the meeting

tomorrow, under my jacket.” Her eyes twinkled wickedly. “Good psychology.

This Disney crowd’s an odd lot. They’re businessmen, but there’s still a strong

element in there of the old, family-centered franchise. They’re very loyal to the

brand name, and they like to see some enthusiasm for their product.”

“Hmm, interesting.” Kerry considered that as they’d walked out. “What

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do they consider their product to be?”

Dar had looked at her. “If you had asked Walt Disney, dreams.”

NOW, SHE SETTLED back in her seat and stretched out her legs, resting

them on the bench facing them. They were almost alone in the car, and the

train had several stops to make before it went the entire circuit and ended

back up at the Floridian. They passed through the Contemporary, a huge

block canyon of a place, and the Hawaiian-style Polynesian, before they

slowed to a stop at the stately white Grand Floridian. “This is our stop.” Dar

stood and stretched, then ducked out the door and entered the lobby.

People were still milling around, mostly near the bars, and the elevators

were fairly crowded as they made their way up to their rooms. Dar slipped

her door open and ambled over to the dresser, depositing her bag of goodies

before she turned and noticed the message light blinking on the phone. “What

the hell is that?” She pulled her cell phone from her belt and checked it. “No, I

thought this was on. Who in the hell would leave me a message here?”

She shook her head as she sat down and started pulling at her sneakers

with one hand while lifting the receiver with the other and dialing the

operator for the message. “Yes, this is Dar Roberts, I have a message?” She

wrote down the name and number on a scratch pad left by the phone and

thanked the operator, then hung up. “Well, John…” She picked up the

receiver and dialed again, listening as it rang. It was picked up on the fourth

ring. “Hello, John, you said to call when I got the message, so…”

“Oh. Oh, Dar. Yes. Thanks.” The man’s voice sounded harried. “I was just

putting the last bit of a new proposal together. Listen, I’m glad you’re here.”

That’s new. “What’s up?”

“They’ve asked us to come in with a bid tomorrow, but they’re bringing

us and the team from IBM in at the same time. Kind of like a face-off.”

“Oh, really.” Dar pulled off her other sneaker and rubbed her toes.

“That’s different. They expected us to arm-wrestle it out or something?”

“I don’t know,” John answered with a sigh. “But I’ve been getting my tail

kicked by their team leader. I understand you know him?”

“Oh yeah.” Dar chuckled. “You could say that. He certainly won’t be glad

to see me, let’s just put it that way.” She unbuttoned her vest and stood up.

“Listen, mail the proposal over to me, and I’ll take a look at it. What time’s the

meeting tomorrow?”

“It’s at ten, at the admin center,” he answered with audible relief.

“Michelle Graver’s in charge of their negotiating group. Dar, she’s vicious.”

He cleared his throat. “In today’s session, she brought up every major failure

we’ve had in the last ten years. Not sure where she got the info from.”

“Probably from Jerry Andrews,” Dar replied as she pulled off the vest,

and then unzipped her briefcase. “So it’s that kind of dirty pool, eh? All right.

I’ll give the office a call and see what reciprocal dirt I can dig up. They’ll be

loaded for bear tomorrow.” She paused. “Do they know I’m here?”

“Not that I know of. Unless they track our corporate bookings in their

central res system,” John replied, sounding a good deal more cheerful.

“Damn, I’m glad you’re here, Dar. Tomorrow it’ll be like walking in with an

178 Melissa Good

Uzi under my arm.”

Dar snorted. “Thanks.” She plugged in the laptop and connected the

modem cord to the spare jack on the side of the phone. “Actually, make sure

there’s room for two more. I have my new assistant with me as an observer.”

“Oh? Great!” John replied. “Even better, we’ll outnumber them, then.”

He hesitated. “And it’ll make a better mix on the team. I’ve only got guys on

this one, I think that’s annoying Michelle.”

“What about them?”

“Are you kidding? At this level bid? All guys, all blue suits, all white

shirts, black ties, black shoes, and IBM tie tacks.” The account rep chuckled.

“At least we’re wearing different colored underwear.”

“Should be fun.” Dar sighed. “Send it over. I’ll be dialed in.” She waited

for him to hang up, then replaced the receiver and instructed her laptop to

complete a connection.

“Problems?” a soft voice asked, and she looked up to see Kerry in the

adjoining doorway, dressed in an overlong T-shirt with a large, obnoxious

Tweety Bird on it and not much else. “I heard that start to connect.” She

pointed at the laptop.

Dar got over her gut-level response at seeing her assistant in her

underwear and shrugged. “Could be. Apparently the IBM team is playing

dirty pool. Not that we wouldn’t if we could, of course, but they’ve given the

people here some inside info about us, and John’s having a rough time of it.”

She glanced at the screen, and then waved Kerry inside the room. “Sit down,

he’s sending me over his new bid to look at.”

Kerry willingly did so, curling up on her side on the bed and handing Dar

a piece of the fudge she’d been nibbling on. “What kind of inside info?”

Dar checked the download indicator. “Damn, I must have a meg of mail.

We’ve only been gone for seven hours, what’s going on down there?” She ate

the fudge, then licked her fingers. “Mmm, that’s pretty good.”

“I don’t know, I left my laptop picking up. I had a bunch too,” Kerry

advised her, as she handed over another piece.

“Hey, that’s yours,” Dar protested, but took the fudge anyway. “The

inside info was screw-ups of ours—times when we promised something we

couldn’t deliver, or had to void out of a contract due to non-performance, that

kind of thing.” She started a terminal session and typed in a request. “C’mon,

c’mon. Goddamn analog piece of shit lines.”

Kerry muffled a grin. Dar had taken off her sneakers and vest and tugged

her shirt out, and it was appealingly rumpled-looking. “What are you going to

do?”

“Get some dirt on them,” Dar replied absently, sending a bot out

searching the huge database Programming had custom written for them. “Fire

with fire, and all that.”

Golden lashes fluttered. “Why not just put in the best bid?” she inquired.

“Or is that an incredibly naïve question?”

Dar’s blue eyes lifted and twinkled. “Well, not naïve, just a little too,

um…optimistic.” She placed the laptop on the bed and stood, stripping out of

her shirt and reaching for her bag. “In an ideal world, we’d all be judged on

our merits. This isn’t an ideal world.” She glanced at Kerry, who was

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studiously looking elsewhere, and managed a wry grin.

“And?” Kerry seemed to find the bedside clock fascinating.

“And I know that.” She got into her baseball shirt and pulled off her

jeans, folding them neatly and tucking them inside the bag. “So you take any

advantage you can find, including knocking down the other guy any way you

can.”

“Hmm.” Kerry gave a small nod. “It sounds very antagonistic.” She

finally looked up and pushed a bit of hair behind one ear.

“It can be,” Dar agreed, relaxing onto her side and extending her legs

across the bed, while she checked the progress of the bot. She thought a

minute, then started another bot, this time searching for information on

Michelle Graver. She’d vaguely heard of the woman in passing. Was it with

Merrill Lynch? But they’d never met, and she knew nothing about her. Not a

good way to go into a bid meeting. “The IBM lead negotiator almost came

over the table at me the last time we met.”

Kerry’s eyes widened. “Really? God, Dar…that’s terrible.”

“No.” Her boss looked up with a devilish grin. “It was hilarious. He

couldn’t do it because when he stood up, he split his pants, and he had to sit

right back down or flash the client with his big white butt.” She chuckled at

the memory. “I almost hurt myself laughing.”

Kerry bit back a laugh. “I would have died. Is he going to be surprised to

see you?”

“Ooo, yes.” Dar chuckled again, not a nice sound. “It also helps the

makeup of the team. John thinks Michelle Graver, the lead rep for Disney, is

ticked off because both we and IBM brought in all male groups.” She glanced

up at Kerry. “She’s been giving John a hard time.”

“You think she’ll give you a hard time?”

Dar studied the results of the second bot. “Hmm. She might.” Her brows

rose. “She’s pretty formidable on paper. She’s got a doctorate in psychology in

addition to a masters in business. She’s been with them for ten years and is

viewed as one of their top talents.” She turned her laptop around for Kerry to

view. “Here, take a look.” She watched Kerry read, her eyes flicking back and

forth rapidly. “See anything interesting?” A little test, one she suspected her

intelligent young friend would pass.

“She’s a skydiver,” Kerry murmured, touching the screen with a

fingertip. “That shows a certain kind of personality, doesn’t it? Someone who

looks for adrenaline highs?” She said, “A risk taker.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Dar gave her an approving smile. “Good catch.”

“So, that means she probably thrives on conflict, which is why she’s

staging the meeting like that tomorrow, right?” She glanced up. “It gives her a

thrill to watch you guys go at each other.”

“Could be,” her boss admitted.

“So, your best bet is to stay cool, right?”

Dar chuckled. “Exactly. She’s depending on one or the other of us to lose

it and give in to our tempers. And that, my friend, is not going to be me.”

My friend. Kerry liked the sound of that. “I just sit quiet and take notes, I

assume?”

“If you’ve got something to say, Kerry, you say it,” Dar answered

180 Melissa Good

seriously. “But think of these people as sharks. They’re looking for tidbits.

And bear in mind, no matter how civilized they seem, that there are no friends

in there.”

She smiled. “Except us.”

Dar looked up from her screen and smiled back. “Yeah.”

Kerry glanced down to the bedspread, then back up. “Thanks for doing

the park with me tonight, Dar. I know this is a business trip, but I had a great

time.”

Dar let her head rest on her hand. “I had a good time too. Tell you what,

if these damn meetings let out at a decent time tomorrow, we’ll do Epcot, and

I’ll treat you to dinner in Mongolia or someplace. How about it?”

A quiet smile edged her lips. “You don’t have to do that, I can always

come up here another time.”

Dar drew a pattern on the fabric, then looked up at her through dark

eyelashes. “I know you can, but I also know that I won’t, so let me have my

little self-delusional excuse for a quasi-vacation, okay?” she replied wryly.

“Oh, oh, sorry. Okay, I get it.” Kerry gave her a sweet smile. “Don’t

worry. I promise I’ll never tell anyone you actually have fun sometimes.”

“Thanks.” Dar chuckled. “And, um, listen, thanks for going with me this

morning. I really appreciated having a friendly face there.”

“No problem, I’m just glad everything turned out okay,” Kerry replied

honestly.

“Me too.” Dar rolled over onto her back, but kept her head turned

towards Kerry. “Feels good not to have to worry about that. I’ve always been

half scared that valve would blow out on me underwater or something.”

Kerry squirmed a bit closer. “Why didn’t you have it checked out before,

then?”

Dar shrugged. “Didn’t want to know, I guess.” She laid a hand on her

stomach, tapping idly with the edge of her thumb. “Stupid.”

“Human,” Kerry disagreed. “No one likes to hear bad news.” She

paused, then sighed. “Well, if tomorrow’s going to be a big battle, I’d better

get some sleep.” She stood up and raised a hand. “ ’Night, Dar.”

Thoughtful blue eyes regarded her. “ ’Night.”

After Kerry left, a silence settled over the room and Dar was conscious of

the soft hum of her disk drive as it accepted the downloads, and the gentle

clicking as the air conditioning cycled on and off. Her brow creased in mild

confusion. The room seemed so empty now with the kid gone. She found

herself wanting Kerry back near her, even if it were only to be studying the

files quietly in the corner, or standing around just talking, or… Or just being

close by.

She thought hard about that. Okay. She took a deep breath and released it.

I’m attracted to Kerry. That wasn’t any big deal. It happened often enough, and

Kerry was as safe as a baby in a crib from any hint of impropriety from her or

anything like that. Company rules were company rules and that was one line

Dar Roberts never, ever crossed. She’d had relationships inside the building,

sure, most of them embarrassing failures, but none in her own space. No way.

No way, not with Kerry. Dar found herself looking at the door between their

rooms.

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And, after all, her new assistant was good looking, smart, had a great

sense of humor, nice eyes, and nice body…who wouldn’t be attracted to her?

So that was normal. No problem. She could deal with that, it would disappear

in time, and Kerry would never know the difference.

Dar thought about that for a long moment. It was true, she’d be able to

dismiss the attraction, but there was something else there going on she wasn’t

sure she could set aside so easily, not and keep working like she’d have to

with Kerry. Something was pulling them together on a much deeper level. She

could feel it, and she suspected Kerry could too. It had nothing to do with

carnal desires, and everything to do with the peaceful, contented feeling she’d

gotten on that very brief ride, with Kerry’s body snuggled against hers as

though it were the most natural thing in the world.

She ached to feel it again. And that…that was scaring her. Physical

attraction she could deal with. This was something else entirely. She just

wished she knew what it was.

Chapter

Sixteen

“I’M SURPRISED A meeting like this doesn’t specify armor as a

requirement,” Kerry mentioned, fiddling with her cuff. “The way you made it

sound.”

Dar was still in her pajamas, her head propped up on one hand, studying

her laptop screen. “Okay, I think I’ve got enough dirt.” She scanned the items

into her memory and nodded, then pushed away from the table and stood up,

lifting her arms overhead and cracking her back audibly.

Kerry winced. “Ow.”

The executive chuckled wryly. “That’s what I get from years over a

keyboard.” She went to the valet bag and removed her suit, tossing it gently

on the bed and glancing at her watch. “At least we had time for a decent

breakfast. That French toast is pretty good, eh?”

“Pretty good?” Kerry laughed “I could eat that every morning.”

“Ah hah, and you tease me about Frosted Flakes.” Dar shook a shoe at her

and grinned.

Kerry grinned back, then shook her head as she ducked back inside her

room to finish dressing. She looked at herself in the mirror as she slipped on

her jacket and adjusted the collar, smoothing down the maroon fabric with

faintly nervous fingers. It matched her slim, knee-length skirt and the

comfortable shoes and contrasted with the pale gray shirt. She dusted on a

little makeup, not too much, as she took her cue from Dar’s usual appearance.

Just a touch of lip gloss, a little color on her cheeks, and a tiny bit of eye

shadow. “All right,” she told the reflection, who was looking expectantly back

at her. “Are we ready for war?”

She poked her lower lip out and had to restrain a giggle. “You know, I’m

just not the warrior type, I don’t think.” She turned her head at a slight cough

and saw Dar in the doorway, dressed in a gunmetal-gray blazer and skirt,

with her black Mickey shirt underneath. Her boss looked sleek and, well,

dangerous in her monochrome, especially since it matched her dark hair. Only

the pale, incredibly blue eyes added even a touch of color to her. “Oh, hi. You

look…nice.”

“No, I don’t,” Dar replied cheerfully. “I look like a corporate shark.

Which is what I am. Shall we?”

It was a short drive to the admin offices, though they had to wait five

minutes for the guard to clear them at the gate. They parked and got out, both

of them shouldering their briefcases. “Okay, this could get tough,” Dar

cautioned, just before they entered the building. “Stay cool. When in doubt, if

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someone asks you something you think is dangerous, or antagonistic, just tell

them. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. Could you explain what

you’re asking?’ ”

Kerry thought about that as she followed her boss inside. “That’s pretty

smart. You make them lay it out.”

Dar winked at her. “I knew I picked a sharp one.” She nodded to a short,

stocky man near the elevator and took a deep breath. “Okay, here we go.

Morning, John.”

He held out a hand. “Hello, Dar. Good to see you.” A brief introduction

to the rest of his team followed. They all looked at Dar with a cross between

fear and fascination, and Kerry almost had to bite her lip to keep from

laughing.

It was a short trip up the elevator, and it opened on a floor that seemed

mostly made of windows. The walls of glass allowed one to see into all the

offices, and there were spears of light coming in everywhere.

Kerry found it distracting, but she put that aside as they turned a corner

and entered a large, glass-enclosed room with a huge conference table. There

were several people, most of them men, seated around it, and two of them

were staring at Dar as though she were the manifestation of Satan here on

Earth.

At the head of the table sat a short, slim woman with fiery red hair cut

into a short, almost severe cut. She was dressed in an expensive-looking beige

suit and emerald-colored shirt. Watching with intense interest, her eyes

flicked everywhere, then fell on Dar.

Not involved in the initial greetings, Kerry got to see the reaction as, for a

split second, the woman looked her boss up and down, then allowed a

fleeting, very satisfied smile to cross her face. Then it was gone. Interesting.

“Hello, Jerry. Long time no see,” Dar purred as she put her briefcase

down and pulled out a chair, but didn’t sit. Her smile oozed charm. “Care to

introduce your friends?”

The man to whom she spoke looked like he was going to burst a blood

vessel, Kerry decided. His neck was as red as a turkey’s, and she could see the

veins stark and blue under his skin. But somehow, he kept his cool and

introduced his colleagues, who stared at Dar uncertainly. Dar reciprocated,

then turned and looked the lady at the end of the table right in the eye. “And

you must be Ms. Graver. Glad to be finally meeting you.”

It was impossible not to react to Dar. She crackled with energy and

confidence, and Kerry noticed that the woman, though very self-confident

herself, didn’t miss that.

“You can’t be anyone other than Dar Roberts, then.” Michelle Graver

stood and held out a hand. “It is a pleasure. I had no idea you were joining the

bid team on this account.”

Dar gripped the offered hand, returning the powerful squeeze with one

of her own, then she smiled and put her fingertips on her briefcase. “All right,

shall we get rolling? It’s a beautiful day out; pity we’re all stuck in here.”

Kerry was, by turns, amazed and impressed. Dar had simply walked in

and just taken over, and was acting as if there wasn’t anything anyone could

do about it. She passed the bid John had given them over to Dar and watched

184 Melissa Good

her drop it casually in front of Michelle, who was still standing.

Dar sat down, giving the Disney executive the advantage. “You had some

concerns about performance?” Her eyes flicked to those of her rival and a faint

grin touched her lips. “I think I can address those.”

Graver flipped through the document, then down at her. “I imagine you

probably can.” She walked back over to her place and put the bid down, then

picked up a sheet of paper and slid it across the table top. “Here.”

Dar took the paper and glanced at it, then let out a little chuckle. “You

want me to start at the top or the bottom? And Jesus, Jerry, is this all you

could come up with after ten thousand negotiated contracts?” Ignoring the

glaring looks she was getting from across the table, she scanned the list. “Oh, I

remember this one.” She smiled. “Non-performance with Aamco. I was the

one who told their CEO we’d pay off the entire contract just so I wouldn’t

have to hear his voice on my phone ever again.” “Really?” Michelle Graver

leaned back and twirled her pencil. “Why?”

Dar exhaled. “They contracted for a manufacturing overhaul, including a

new IS system that would link all their shops with computerized inventory.

Halfway through, they hired a new OPS VP who was convinced if he could

just recycle the 1982 Unix systems with dumb terminals they were using and

hire someone to write a custom database in CPM, they’d be fine.”

“And you told them?” Michelle asked.

“Bite me,” Dar replied frankly. “I’m not in the business of putting

together fourth-rate technology with Band-Aids.” She glanced across the

table. “I hear you bid on that one, Jerry. They ended up with OS/2 and Mod

30s they had to scrap after Microchannel bit the dust, didn’t they?”

The man’s nostrils flared. “They had some choice things to say about you,

that’s for sure,” he replied. “Like the lawsuit said.”

Dar chuckled. “Jerry, everyone has choice things to say about me…and

we won the lawsuit.” She went on down the list. “Oh, now that, that was a true

disaster. Heads rolled for that one.” She shook her head. “Government

accounting office, the implementation of automatic deposit for Social Security

checks. That was just totally mishandled.”

“So you admit that, huh?” Jerry leaned back with a nasty smile.

“Oh sure.” Dar blinked at him. “I fired the entire account team

personally, in fact.” She smiled back. “Day before Christmas, if I recall.”

Kerry darted a look at her, seeing the relaxed grin, and the slight, almost

seductive narrowing of her eyes. Would she do that? She saw the wondering

echoed on faces all around the table from them.

“Lord, yes, I remember that.” John sighed, shaking his head. “Poor

Mariana, she was at her twentieth high school reunion and they paged her to

come in and cut the paperwork.” He glanced over at the faintly shocked-

looking Michelle. “Mariana’s our VP of Personnel. We were in the same class.

I was standing talking to her when her pager went off.” He looked to one side.

“You were not her favorite person that night, that’s for sure.”

Dar lifted both hands and let them fall. “Someone screws with our

reputation that badly, they can expect that from me.” Then she went back to

her list. “Useless jerks. Damn right, I fired them. Should have dumped them in

the Atlantic while I was at it. Let’s see what else we’ve got here.”

Tropical Storm 185

Michelle forestalled her. “I think that’s enough. Jerry, do you have

something for me?”

Reluctantly, he handed over a sheaf of papers. The Disney exec picked

them up, then stood. “Excuse me, I need to review these. I’ll be back in a few

moments.” She caught Dar’s eye and favored her with a tiny smile before she

left, trailing two aides behind her like a brace of sight hounds.

They were left facing each other, in a glass-walled room. People walking

by glanced in curiously at the silent group, but went on their way.

Kerry studied the other team. They were dressed alike, in dark suits and

white shirts, and they were all in their mid-thirties to mid-forties, with short

haircuts. Their own team was a little different. Aside from herself and Dar,

John was dressed in a conventional business suit, but his tie sported cartoon

characters. Small, discreet ones, to be sure, but from where she was sitting,

Kerry recognized Donald Duck poking his head out from between two

buttons. The three other men with John were of varying ages. One was an

older man, foxy looking, with a beard and mustache and clever hazel eyes.

Seated next to him was a very tall man with oversized ears and the general

look of an engineer about him. His pad was covered with doodles Kerry

recognized as circuits. The fourth team member was a young, crew-cutted

man with blue eyes and a friendly smile, which he turned on her when he

caught her looking.

“Well, we must have scared your team shitless for them to send your ass

in here, Roberts,” Jerry finally spat.

Dar folded her hands on the table and shrugged. “Not at all, Jerry. I just

wanted the chance to see you again.” A smile totally devoid of humor flashed

across the table at him. “I had such a good time the last bidding round we did

together.”

He leaned forward. “You don’t have a chance here. This contract is out of

your company’s league, and they know it.” He glanced to the right. “Oh,

unless you’re going to offer your little friend there up to Graver to sweeten the

deal. That might win you a few points.” He looked right at a stunned Kerry.

“Is that what you’re here for, sweetie? Does Daddy know that?”

Green eyes looked into his with disarming friendliness. “Daddy is

Senator Stuart of Michigan, and he’d probably find it a very odd thing for you

to say. I’ll make sure I mention it the next time we speak, thanks.” She added a

charming smile to the end of her response, and almost jumped when a hand

squeezed her knee in appreciation. Dar’s expression hadn’t changed, but a

tiny sparkle of glee was in her eyes as she glanced toward Kerry.

Even Jerry’s colleagues winced. “I meant no disrespect,” he forced out

with a sour grimace.

“Better keep your mouth shut, Jerry.” Dar chuckled. “The room’s full of

static electricity. You keep chewing on your shoes like that, you’re gonna zap

your fillings and give yourself a perm.”

Kerry muffled a laugh, but the rest of their team didn’t bother.

He just gave them a disgusted look and stared pointedly at John. “How

does it feel to have to hide behind a skirt?”

The short account rep folded his hands over his stomach and smiled.

“From where I’m sitting right now? Pretty damn good. Thanks for asking.”

186 Melissa Good

The door opened and Michelle came back in, trailed by her hounds. She

sat down and placed the two bids on the table and then cleared her throat.

“These bids are very competitive.” She toyed with one of them. “But what’s on

paper is not really the important issue for us. Service is the issue. So what I’m

going to ask is this—I’m going to hand over a task to each of you, so we can

evaluate your response.”

Dar was encouraged. That meant the bid was still alive, and they had a

chance. She’d undone some of the damage from the previous days, and now it

remained to see what this sharp, intense woman was going to come up with as

a test.

“Then, I’d like to schedule another meeting tomorrow here, to go over the

results, and we’ll try to announce our decision at that time.” She stood and

handed an envelope to each team lead, then nodded. “That’s all for now.” She

watched them all stand, then she turned to Dar. “Ms. Roberts, a word with

you, please?”

Ah. Dar’s instincts prickled. She excused herself from her little group and

stepped around the table, until she was next to the other woman, putting one

hand on a chair back and leaning against it to keep from intentionally

towering over her. “What can I do for you, Ms. Graver?”

“For starters, please call me Michelle,” the woman said with a smile.

“Only if you call me Dar,” the dark-haired woman replied instantly, with

a return smile.

“Nice shirt.”

Was that a twinkle in Michelle’s dark gray eyes? Dar chuckled. “It went

with the suit, and there’s nothing I like better than carrying Mickey around on

my chest.” She was aware Michelle was sniffing interestedly at her and

decided a little reciprocation wouldn’t hurt. “Since our plane got in early, I got

to indulge in some rampant tourism last night.”

“Mmm. I wish I’d known you were coming in, I would have arranged for

one of our VIP tours—all the behind-the-scenes stuff us geeks love.” She

licked a lower lip and let her eyes wander a trifle. “I hear ‘results oriented’

doesn’t begin to describe you. Is that true?”

Definitely flirting. Dar was a little surprised at the aggressiveness, but not

that Michelle had taken a moment to request a dossier on her during the

break. “It’s true,” she replied quietly. “I make things happen.”

Michelle quirked a grin. “I’d like to hear more about that. Since you’re

stuck here another night, I’d like you to be my guest for dinner. We can

discuss your bid.” A hound tapped her shoulder, and she ducked away for a

moment. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” She moved a pace away, and

dropped her voice to a whisper as she spoke with the man.

Gotcha. Dar could feel the conquest on her fingertips. Michelle was

interested, intrigued, and willing to indulge in a personal interaction that

would, in all probability, bias the vote in her favor. She was aggressive, and

not unattractive, and god only knew, it wouldn’t be the first time Dar had

used her personal magnetism to seal a contract.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kerry’s interested expression, as

the young woman watched the buzzing groups and occasionally flicked her

gaze to Dar. Their looks met, and Dar felt a smile touch her lips, which was

Tropical Storm 187

mirrored from across the room.

What would Kerry think of this? Dar could read the proud look in the kid’s

face as she regarded her . No, Kerry is intelligent. She would understand that this is

business, and sometimes you have to do things to get what you want. It’s all in the

results, like I told Michelle. I make things happen.

She could make this happen; she could feel it. Michelle the thrill-seeker,

who actively courted danger, and who sensed in Dar danger of the most

exciting, most seductive kind. Oh yes, she could make this happen. Kerry

would surely understand. This was a very important deal, and it would be

worth… God, Alastair would have an orgasm on the spot if she made it go

through.

It was worth it. It would be so easy, she could taste it happening. All it

would cost her was a night’s engagement, and what was that, really, given

what she’d done in her life so far? It wouldn’t even be unpleasant. Piece of cake. Dar paused, remembering a lightly made promise, suddenly echoing in

her ears. Mongolia, huh? She glanced at Kerry again, seeing the gentle trust

there as the green eyes met hers, and she slowly turned back to Michelle and

waited for her to finish.

Michelle turned around and stepped back, then gazed up at her in

question. “I believe we were discussing dinner?”

For a moment, all Dar could hear was her heartbeat, then she released a

breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Michelle, I’m so very sorry.” Her

eyes conveyed true regret, but not for what the woman would have assumed.

“I have an engagement tonight I can’t get out of. But I very much

appreciate…” she paused meaningfully, “the offer.”

How in the world something so stupid could feel so good, she had no

clue. She read surprise and disappointment on Michelle’s face, but not anger.

“That’s too bad, Dar.” Michelle pursed her lips and sighed. “I was looking

forward to talking to you. Maybe if you get stuck another night?”

A smile from her. “Absolutely.”

A brisk nod, and then Michelle signaled her dogs and left the room. Dar

took a breath, then turned and headed back toward her group, who were

waiting by the door. The rival team had already left, and she could hear the

buzz of interest dying down as she reached their group. “Okay.”

“Everything all right?” the account lead inquired, glancing after the

departing exec.

Dar straightened her shoulders and nodded. “I think so. What do they

want us to do?”

John handed her the packet, and she scanned it idly. “Oh, these are the

information kiosks they have around the parks—touch screen, maps, that kind

of thing.” She read on. “They want us to design a proposal to take over the

data transmission, improve the speed, deliver the information more

efficiently, and enable online reservations?” John nodded.

Dar sat down at the conference table and took out her pen, writing on the

cover sheet for ten minutes, then re-reading what she’d written. “All right.”

She pulled out her laptop and booted it, then scanned in the document using

the slimline scan attachment that slipped onto the back buss. Then she pulled

out her cell phone and inserted the phone plug from her modem into the data

188 Melissa Good

jack. A click, and they all heard the dialing beeps and the soft hiss of a

connection.

Dar watched the status, then nodded as it completed and disconnected.

“Okay, here you go. Hang onto this, and don’t let anyone see it, all right,

John?”

With the other team members looking over his shoulder, the account lead

read the document. “Dar, this is technogibberish.” He glanced at her. “But I

guess you know what it says, and whoever you sent it to does also. Who did

you send it to, by the way?”

“Mark Polenti,” Dar closed up her laptop case. “Well guys, I gotta go. I’ve

got a theme park to explore. See you tomorrow morning.”

“But…” John lifted the paper at her questioningly.

“Relax.” Dar chuckled. “You’ll have your written proposal tomorrow,

and if I play my cards right, maybe something more.” She picked up her case

and joined Kerry in the doorway, giving them all a smile before she urged her

companion out the door.

It was a quiet walk to the elevator, and they were alone in it as they rode

down. “Wow. That was certainly something,” Kerry remarked, watching the

floors go by. “What di—” She stopped when a pair of fingers covered her lips,

and she looked at Dar in startled question.

Dar removed her fingers, then lifted one to her own lips in a shushing

motion. “I’m glad you had such an educational experience during the

meeting, Kerry,” she stated. “It’s good to understand that not everything you

see and hear is necessarily what’s going on under the surface.”

Kerry got the message. “That’s true. Your methods are very interesting.”

Dar grinned, then shook her head in silence as the doors opened and they

walked out. Once out in the parking lot, she leaned closer. “We know they bug

the place like crazy.”

“What?” Kerry looked shocked. “Why?”

They got in the car and left the parking lot before Dar answered. “To find

out things. They don’t take anyone at face value.”

“Hmm.” Kerry leaned back and crossed her arms. “You think that

conference room was bugged?”

“Without question. “

Kerry whistled. “She got an earful then.”

A soft chuckle greeted that. “Oh yeah. Nice comeback, by the way.” She

gave her companion an approving look. “John’s got a good team there, but

he’s too nice and too ethical for a dog fight like that.”

“Yeah, they were all right,” the blonde mused. “Larry asked me out

tonight.”

Dar blinked and swallowed down a completely inappropriate surge of…

“That was nice of him,” she got out. “Where are you going?”

“Oh, I’m not. I mean…” Kerry blushed a little. “I told him thanks, but I

had a prior offer.”

Blue eyes regarded her quietly. “Funny, I told Michelle Graver the same

thing.” Dar’s words tumbled out unexpectedly. “Weird, huh?”

Kerry’s eyes widened. “Good god, Dar, you should have said yes! I’m

sure you two would have gotten along great and talked about the bid.”

Tropical Storm 189

Dar had stopped at a light, and now she turned and looked at her

assistant. “She wasn’t asking me out to talk about the bid, Kerry,” she said

bluntly.

Sea green eyes studied her face for a long time in silence, before Kerry sat

back. “Oh.”

Feeling a quiet depression settle on her, Dar continued the drive to the

Floridian. That was obviously an alien concept to the kid. Maybe I should have taken

Michelle up after all. Kerry wouldn’t have even realized. I’ve risked the account for

nothing. God in heaven, Dar…get your head on straight. What in the hell do you

think you’re doing? She toyed with the idea of changing her mind, and giving

Michelle a call.

“You mean, she found you attractive, and she was hitting on you?”

Kerry’s voice startled her out of her morose thoughts, and she glanced to

her right in surprise, seeing an unexpectedly thoughtful look on the blonde

woman’s face. Dar was rattled, not expecting that calm, interested evaluation.

“Um, I would imagine…I guess, yeah.”

Kerry crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head

introspectively. “Well, at least she has good taste,” she commented simply.

Huh? Dar almost went through a stop sign. “Sorry about that,” she

muttered as she brought the car to a quick halt, and turned her head to give

Kerry a startled look. “She what?”

Kerry gazed at her as though she were nuts. “Well, yeah, I mean…” She

let out a little laugh. “C’mon, Dar…” She turned the rearview mirror to face

her boss. “I mean, hello?” She watched Dar’s face intently. “Why, did that

bother you, her being interested?”

A clue flew in the window and hit Dar on the head. “Um. No.” She

rubbed her temple, then stifled a relieved laugh. “No, no. I’ve been through

that before. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood to play the game tonight.” Holy

damn it. She glanced back at Kerry. “Did it bother you?”

“Me?” Kerry pointed a thumb at herself. “Dar, no offense, but I’m a

Republican, not a nun. Of course it didn’t bother me.”

Dar concentrated on driving for a few minutes as she navigated their way

from the administrative offices. A jumble of thoughts were tumbling around

inside her head, and finally she paused at a stop sign and looked fully at

Kerry. “You’re a Republican?” Kerry gave her a sideways look. Dar chuckled.

“I’m glad I turned her down.” She shook her head and continued driving.

Kerry nodded. “Well, I’ll try to make it up to you,” she responded with a

grin. Dar felt her throat go dry. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll have fun,” she replied

easily. “After all, I promised you Mongolia, didn’t I?” Her breathing settled,

and she stifled a grin. We’ll have fun. With or without Mongolia.

IT HAD DEFINITELY been an interesting drive, Kerry decided, and an

even more interesting morning. She took her time changing, stripping out of

the wool suit with a feeling of utter relief. She sorted through her clothing,

then decided to wear her bathing suit under a T-shirt and shorts. That way if it

got too hot over in the park, she could take off her shirt. She briefly considered

190 Melissa Good

suggesting the same thing to Dar, then sighed and shook her head. Don’t cross

that line, Stuart, she warned herself. She’s your boss.

Her boss, yes, but someone who was also rapidly becoming a friend.

Kerry sighed, feeling a touch uncertain. She’d very much felt like she was

skirting that line on their drive to the hotel, surprised that the gentle teasing

had hinted at something different. Neither of them had asked, but had they

both told a little too much? Kerry bit the inside of her lip. She hoped she

understood what Dar was pointedly not saying and she was definitely

relieved Dar was at least very open-minded. It helped that the idea wasn’t

likely to freak the older woman out, not after that crack about Michelle.

Kerry slipped into her bathing suit and adjusted the straps, checking her

reflection out of the corner of her eye and giving herself a nod of grudging

approval. Besides, she knew the company rules—spelled out in plain

language in the huge manual she’d been given on her first day. It was a

harmless fantasy, and she suspected Dar enjoyed the flirting banter. Just a

little fun, no one got hurt by it, least of all her, so she decided to just accept it

and move on.

It certainly explained the little roller coaster ride last night, though. Kerry

giggled a little, remembering how really nice that had felt, and how she’d

been halfway hoping Dar would suggest another go around. Ah well, she’d

had her chance, and now that they sort of understood each other, tonight

should be even more fun.

God, she thought I wanted to out with supergeek Larry? Good grief. Kerry

shook her head. And she could have gone out with Michelle. Kerry slipped on her

shorts and leaned on the back of the chair. But she didn’t. Her eyes lifted and

met her reflection with quiet introspection.

Hmm. Maybe she just wasn’t in the mood for something serious. Michelle

would be the kind of person who wanted action. With Kerry, maybe Dar knew

she was safe.

That’s cool. I know I’m safe with her too. She nodded at her mirror image. We

can just go out, and have fun.

“Hey, you daydreaming?” The low voice startled her, and she turned to

see Dar leaning in her doorway, dressed in shorts and a tied-off sleeveless

shirt over a bathing suit. “I called in. Maria is saving the metric ton of crap

we’ll have to catch up on next week. Nothing catastrophic is happening other

than a tornado watch around the office, and our mail server crashed, so you’re

probably going to have to re-download tonight.”

“Okay,” Kerry agreed. “I checked it this morning. Three of the contracts I

was working on have finalized, but nothing else is really critical.” She paused,

remembering that this was, in fact, a business trip. “Would it be better if we

hung out here and got some work done?”

Dar glanced down, then pursed her lips in a smile. “No.” Her eyes

twinkled. “With any luck, I can get this to count as my vacation, and everyone

will leave me alone.”

“Ah, an ulterior motive.” Kerry chuckled. “Okay. I’m ready, let’s go.” She

followed Dar out the door and down the hallway to the elevator.

“God, it’s hot out.” Kerry leaned against the concierge’s counter as Dar

made arrangements to keep their rooms another night. “You want to stop for a

Tropical Storm 191

swim first?”

Dar finished the arrangements and turned, adjusting the small pack she

was wearing around her waist to carry her cell phone and pager, along with

her wallet. “I’ve got a better idea.” She handed Kerry a small square of

laminated plastic. “Here, it’s your passport.” She rolled her eyes. “How about

this instead of the pool?” She handed Kerry a colorful pamphlet she’d picked

up at the desk.

“Blizzard Beach?” The younger woman examined it. It was a water park

complete with a huge, 140-foot-tall water slide. “Oh, wow! This looks

awesome! You’re on.”

“YAAAA!” KERRY HOWLED as she sped toward the ground, slipping

and sliding across the slick, watery surface before dropping into thin air just

prior to hitting the water. Moments later, Dar splashed down next to her,

surfacing and shaking her head to clear her wet, dark hair out of her eyes.

“Whew.” The older woman pulled away from the chutes with powerful,

sure strokes. “That’s some drop.” She ducked her head back into the water,

then, as they neared the concrete shore, she stood up and let the liquid run off

her body.

“Oh yeah,” Kerry agreed, a little out of breath. “But I won, again.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dar splashed her. “You’re smaller than I am, so there.”

“No way, it’s my technique. I know how to catch the curves just right.”

Kerry moved her hand in a squiggling motion.

“Listen to you.” Dar snorted. “I bet if we did it again, I’d beat you.”

“Oh yeah?” Kerry splashed out of the pool, and ran fingers through her

wet hair. “How much?” They’d been at the water fun for several hours, and

the sun was starting to set, but Kerry wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass.

Dar had slowly relaxed and opened up a little, becoming almost playful as

they tried all the slips, and slides, and pools.

“I don’t know, what’s it worth to ya?” Dar paced alongside her, steering

her back towards the entrance of the slides. “Let’s see…” She tugged Kerry to

a halt next to a smiling snowman. “Okay, you’re more than forty-eight inches.

Just wanted to make sure.”

“Tch.” Kerry gave her a mock glare. “I hate short jokes,” she warned.

“Just for that, if I win, you have to sit through the Singing Vegetable exhibit in

the Land tonight.”

“Oh, I’m definitely winning. I’m not getting subjected to dancing

broccoli.” Dar shook her head. “All those hydroponic carrots waving their

roots in the air. No thanks.”

“We’ll see.” Kerry smirked as they entered the line, now much shortened

as people headed for home or out for dinner.

Minutes later, she was cannonballing out of the chute, reaching for the

water, then pushing up through the surface and whipping her head around,

looking for Dar. “Hah!” she chortled, hopping away from the chute entrance,

and glancing up at the other one. Seconds passed, and all was quiet. Kerry

pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and waited. More seconds passed. Now

she edged over, and peered upward in puzzlement. “C’mon, Dar, did you

192 Melissa Good

stop to make a cell phone call?” She moved closer, almost at the edge of the

chute now and put her hand on the slick surface.

A surge of water washed against her, and her legs got taken out from

under her, ducking her head under the water as she squawked in shock and

indignation. Moments later, she was dragged to the surface, dripping and

outraged, to face a smug, smirking Dar. “How did you…wh…”

The executive chuckled, releasing her and swimming away. “I’ll do

anything to avoid singing broccoli. Remember that, my friend.”

“Hey!” Kerry lunged after her, grabbing an ankle. “Hold on there,” She

gave a tug and found herself being pulled through the water. “Oh,

crudpuppies.” she muttered, kicking a stroke and getting a better hold. “I

said, hold on there!”

Dar grinned and kept swimming. She felt Kerry’s hand slip, then reach

up and get a good grip on her suit, her fingers sliding over the older woman’s

skin, leaving a gentle tingle behind them. She stopped, then whirled in place,

pulling the shorter woman closer. For a moment they just looked at each

other, and Dar enjoyed the intense energy she could feel between them, then

she smiled, and dunked her companion with a triumphant chortle.

Kerry got her feet under her and broke the surface, then stood with her

hands on her slim hips, dripping chlorinated water everywhere. “I’ll get you

for that,” she vowed, but her grin belied her threat.

“Promise?” Dar answered, startling herself a little, then shrugging and

returning the grin.

They splashed out and got their towels, drying off and walking back to

the locker area where they’d stowed their clothing. “This was a great idea,

Dar, except I think I got sunburned.” Kerry winced as she touched the back of

her neck. “That’s going to be a little hard to explain at a business meeting.”

Dar put a hand on her shoulder and peered at her skin, reaching out to

lift the damp hair up and then touching the sensitive skin with a fingertip. She

felt Kerry suck in a breath at the touch and bit off a smile. “Tender, huh?”

“Uh…yes.” Kerry was startled at how her body had reacted to the simple

touch. “Sunburned, right?”

“A little,” Dar observed, tracing a second line across the back of her neck.

“Have to get you some cold cream.” She handed Kerry her towel, rented from

the facility, then slipped her shorts and shirt on over her suit. “Good thing

about this stuff, it dries fast.”

Kerry swallowed. “Yeah, I noticed that.” She cleared her throat. “Might

get a little chilly with this sunburn tonight.” She crossed her arms over her

chest. “Maybe I can pick up a sweatshirt.”

“Good idea, not like they don’t have seven thousand varieties,” Dar

answered innocently, as she handed her companion her T-shirt. “C’mon. After

all that, I’m starving.”

Kerry heard a telltale rumble, and put a hand over her stomach after she

slipped her shirt on. “Me too.”

DAR LEANED BACK in her bus seat, propping a knee up against the seat

in front of her and leaning her head against the cool glass of the window. She

Tropical Storm 193

watched the green grass and thick foliage go by, as the vehicle traveled

through the property back roads heading from the water park to the more

centrally located Epcot Center.

She stifled a yawn and tried to think about all the work waiting for her

when she got back. High as that pile would be, it couldn’t make a dent in her

lazy good mood, and she realized this was more fun than she’d had in many

years. Just like some damn kid, Dar. But maybe this is just what you needed.

It certainly seemed to be helping. She felt relaxed and was looking

forward to the evening, and her gentle teasing with Kerry had steadied at a

pleasant, mild stimulation. She felt very comfortable with the younger

woman, who was seated next to her, one warm shoulder pressing up against

Dar’s, and she was really glad she’d chosen to take Kerry with her.

It had been an opportunity too good to pass up, both to get to know her

new assistant and to sneak in a little R-and-R at the same time. Dar was

cautiously pleased with how it was turning out, and if Michelle Graver didn’t

take too much offense to her turning down their dinner date, they had a

chance at the bid, too. That reminded her of something, though, and she took

out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Mark?”

“Hey, boss,” the MIS Chief’s voice responded. “Is it true you slugged

Minnie Mouse?”

“I haven’t slugged anyone.” Dar paused deliberately. “Yet.”

“Uh oh, I sense a tongue lashing.” Mark chuckled. “That was a toughie,

Dar, two of those boxes have pretty high security on them.”

“And?”

“It’s in progress,” Mark stated circumspectly. “You’ve got Provisioning

up in freaking arms, Dar. When I called him, Eldon snapped one of those

mechanical freaking pencils he’s got millions of in half. I heard the sound.”

“But he’s moving on the project?” Dar persisted, watching the trees go

by. “He had to rob two circuits from FPL. You’ll have some fence mending to

do up there, but yeah, he’s moving on it. He’s not happy.”

“Ask him if a formal commendation in his personnel file would make him

happier,” Dar commented. “And tell him not to be so god-damned anal. This

is important.”

“I know that. He knows that. Jesus, Dar, every freaking body in HQ

knows that, including the cleaning staff,” the MIS chief advised her. “John

called in. There are stories of you blowing off the IBM team already

circulating.”

“Great. All right, Mark, I’ll leave my cell on, as usual. Give me a call

when you get things finalized. Is Robert Maccen publishing the response

document?”

“Yep, he sure is. Say, where are you, anyhow?” the man asked curiously.

“Sounds quiet.”

Dar hesitated, tempering her good spirits with natural caution. “Casing

the place, actually,” she stated. “Evaluating the infrastructure.” She ignored

Kerry’s amused look.

Mark clucked his tongue. “Dar, you’re the only goddamn person I know

who would go to freaking Disney World and end up tracing cables. Take a

194 Melissa Good

damn break, will ya? At least go see the fireworks.”

Dar surveyed her disheveled and slightly sunburned body, slumped

easily against both the seat and her companion, and bit off a wry smile. “If I

have a couple of minutes, sure.”

“Dar, don’t make me think of you walking around up in Orlando in one

of those wool suits. Sweating in the control room is a bad thing, okay?”

“I’m, um, not wearing a wool suit, Mark, if it makes you feel any better.”

Dar laid a hand on her bare knee, tracing a tiny scar just above the kneecap.

“And I’ll try to catch a firework or two, if you’ll guarantee me that plan will be

complete by ten AM tomorrow.”

“Dar…” Mark sighed. “Oh well, I don’t need any sleep. All right, I

promise, but you gotta bring me back a souvenir.” He paused. “Tell you what,

to make it fair, you bring me a back a picture of you actually taking it easy for

five minutes. Is that too much to ask?”

“Oh, so if I take my shoes off and kick a stuffed Goofy around in the

grass, that counts, right?” the executive drawled. His sigh could be heard

clearly. “Okay, you’re on, Mark. You come through, you get your picture, I

promise.” Dar chuckled. “Tell you what—you get it done on time, and I’ll

make it a bathing suit picture.” Dead, absolute, not-even-breathing silence

greeted the offer. Dar glanced at the phone, then at her companion, who had a

hand firmly clamped over her mouth and was turning pink from the effort not

to laugh. “Mark?” Silence, then a rustle of sound and another voice picked up.

“Hey, who is this?”

“Jeffrey, it’s Dar Roberts.”

“Oh. Oh, sorry, ma’am. Um…did you do something to Mark? He’s sitting

here with this weird, weird look on his face.”

Dar sighed. “Just tell him I said I’d talk to him later.” She hung up the

line and glanced at Kerry, who was chewing on her knuckle and giggling

softly. “You think that’s funny, huh?” She reached over and tickled Kerry’s

ribs and grinned as the smaller woman jerked and squealed. “Oh, I can see

there’s something your profile didn’t mention, Ms. Stuart.” She tickled her

again, and watched Kerry squirm away from her.

“Gah…stop that.” Kerry grabbed her hand and held on. “Poor Mark! And

are you going to tell me what the plan is, or do I have to guess, too?” She

cautiously released her tormentor’s fingers and was relieved when the attack

wasn’t repeated.

Dar sat back and wrapped her hands around one knee. “Well, I have two

people working on writing up a proposal that answers their request, with

specific resources, that kind of thing. Usually I’d do it myself, but…” She

shrugged. “It’s not that complicated. Anyway, since they have access to all the

information, they’ll prep the document for us and send it over before the

meeting.”

Kerry absorbed that. “And?”

Slowly, pale blue eyes looked over at her. “What do you mean, and?”

A shrewd glance studied her. “That’s what the other guys will be doing,

too. If I read you right, you go over and above. So what’s the rest of the plan?”

Dar smiled, an open, genuine smile. “You’re right, but I don’t want to jinx

it. Let me wait for Mark’s call tonight, then I’ll tell you all about it.”

Tropical Storm 195

As the bus pulled up in front of the park, Kerry chuckled in triumph, and

she stood up, waiting for Dar to join her. “I don’t think they have Mongolian

here, though. How about Italian?”

Dar stretched, feeling a little tightness in her shoulders from all the

swimming. “How about Japanese?”

“Mmm.” Kerry’s brow contracted “Hard choice.”

They ended up in England, mostly because Kerry really wanted to see the

fireworks, and Dar knew a little secret. So they were comfortably settled in an

outside table at the English Pub right up against the lake as the crowds started

to gather to watch the show.

There was a nice, cool night breeze blowing off the water, and Kerry was

glad she’d opted for a sweatshirt, choosing a forest green one with a happy-

looking Winnie the Pooh dancing over her left breast. She sipped her pint of

ale gingerly as she watched Dar do the same, and glanced at the menu. “It’s all

pretty safe, right?”

Dar chuckled. “Well, there are a lot of interesting influences in English

cooking, especially from India, and the other former colonies, but on this

menu—yeah, everything’s safe.” She glanced around, then settled the gray,

beautifully woven sweater she’d purchased in a nearby shop over her

shoulders. “Nice.”

Kerry reached over and fingered the soft as butter fabric. “That feels so

wonderful.” She admired it. “And I have to stop in that tea shop again. I need

to get some of those flavors to bring back to the office. I’m kinda tired of

orange cinnamon and regular.”

“Hmm, that’s right, you do like tea, don’t you?” Dar settled back in her

chair and put her feet up on the one opposite her. They placed their order with

the perky waitress, and Dar nodded yes to refills of their drinks. The ale had

tasted good after their full day of activity, and she was in the mood to relax

just a little. The cool breeze pushed the hair off her forehead, and she let her

head lean back and her eyes close.

Dar certainly is a different person outside of the office, Kerry decided, eyeing

her surreptitiously. She had this…diabolical, mean, evil, nasty, mischievous

streak that Kerry had found out about the hard way. Like when Dar kept her

distracted while a large, bubble-headed green something-or-other had snuck

up behind her and scared the crap out of her. Or being led into the Moroccan

leather place where apparently curing hides wasn’t an acquired skill. Ugh. Or

being given a small tumbler of something sweet and blue to drink, and not

realizing until after she’d swallowed it that it was 200 proof.

To be fair, Dar had gotten taken in by the blue stuff too, which she

admitted after getting Kerry some water to wash it down. And she had given

her the little wax figurine the craftsman had made for her in front of the

Chinese pavilion. Out of wax and sticks, he twirled and shaped the piece until

it was a fanciful dragon shape with swirled wings. “Here.” Dar had shrugged

as she handed it over. “I don’t collect stuff like this.”

No, you don’t. Kerry thought, as she studied the angular profile. She

leaned back, feeling a pleasant buzz from the ale, glad they’d managed to

munch their way around the world at various snack stands before she’d

started drinking. The Mexican stop was good. She could still taste the spices

196 Melissa Good

on her tongue from the tiny tacos, and she’d enjoyed the tidbits of bratwurst

and smoked cheeses in Germany along with the tiny glass of sweet white

wine. “Just our luck to visit during the International Food and Wine expo,

huh?”

“Mmm.” Dar smiled and lazily opened an eye. “That’s a nice idea, have

all the different countries put out samples of their kinds of food and drink.

Different. I liked it.” She took a sip of her fresh glass of ale. “Small enough

portions so you can try a lot of them, and it’s a good chance for the different

cultures to show off.” She took another sip. “Something like the festivals we

have down in Miami—the Art festival, and the heritage festivals—when you

can have a ton of the different nationalities down there put up stalls and have

different stuff, though we tend to be Caribbean and Hispanic heavy. This is

nice, because you get all the continental countries represented too.”

A blonde brow edged up. Drinking makes her more talkative. Write that

down in the PDA, Ker. It could be useful sometime. “I haven’t gotten a chance to

go to one of those. They dragged me to the Scottish festival last year, but I almost got hit in the head with one of those logs and someone tried to get me

to eat haggis.”

Dar laughed. “Nah, try the Cajun thing. It’s more fun, and you get to

scarf down lots of spicy mud bugs.” She glanced up and smiled as the waitress

brought their food, putting her glass down and picking up her silverware.

Kerry thanked the woman and nodded when she looked questioningly at

their glasses. One more couldn’t hurt, and besides, I’m succeeding in my quest to get

Dar to relax. Maria would be proud of me.

“I THINK I’M a little drunk,” Dar admitted as they strolled towards the

exit, past the lighted fountains whose water danced to the background music.

“Not that anyone could tell,” Kerry assured her, observing Dar intently.

“You walk straight, you don’t slur your words, and you haven’t kissed any of

the wandering characters.”

Dar considered that. “That’s true.” She jumped a little when her cell

phone rang, then let out a short laugh and reached for it. “Yes?”

“You owe me a picture, Big D.” Mark’s voice sounded very, very

satisfied. “Did you get to see a firework or two?”

Dar turned around and walked backwards, watching the lasers bounce

off the huge geosphere. “Yeah, I got to see one or two.” She straightened back

up. “Good work. Can you set up the link for tomorrow morning? I’ll need to

dial in via the cell.”

“Already done. Where’s my picture?” Mark nudged. “You don’t know

what an inspiration that was, I did things tonight the likes of which Babbage

never imagined.”

“All right, all right.” Dar laughed helplessly. “I’ll have Kerry take one,

okay? Tomorrow.”

“She there? Put her on,” Mark requested. “Hey, Kerry?”

“Right here.” She covered her other ear with one hand.

“Did you actually manage to get her out of the damn hotel for an hour?”

the MIS chief whispered.

Tropical Storm 197

Kerry glanced over to where Dar had climbed over a railing and was

inspecting a bush cut in the shape of Figment the Imagination dragon. “Oh

yeah. In fact, I got her to go to one of the parks tonight.”

“You rock!” he praised. “Damn woman hasn’t had a vacation in ten

years.” He sighed. “You having fun?”

“It’s been…” Kerry smiled to herself, “…very educational. I’ve learned a

lot, and I hope things work out for the bid. This is a very interesting account.”

“Ain’t what I asked,” Mark chided.

“Yes, we’re having fun. Thanks for asking.” She looked up to find Dar

watching her, the dark-haired woman’s body relaxed against the railing.

“Whoops, gotta go. Talk to you later, Mark.”

They walked off toward the shuttle stop, amiably bumping shoulders as

they maneuvered through the thinning crowds.

SHE WAS YAWNING by the time they got back to the hotel, their

monorail depositing them neatly in the lobby. Like a puppy, Kerry followed

Dar to the elevator, resisting the impulse to latch onto the back of her shirt to

keep up, and she had to take a minute to blink her eyes clear before she could

open her room door. It was quiet and mostly dark inside, and she really

wanted nothing more than to curl up in her already turned-down bed, dressed

as she was, and just conk out. Instead, she changed into her nightshirt,

wincing where the pink skin around her bathing suit marks stung, then she

turned and noticed her message light flashing. Perplexed, she lifted the

receiver and dialed the front desk. “Hello? Yes, I have a message?”

“Oh, yes, Ms. Stuart,” the voice on the phone answered promptly. “It’s

from a Colleen. She said it was urgent, and could you please call her.”

Urgent? “Okay, thanks very much.” Kerry depressed the receiver,

wondering what could possibly have gone wrong back in Miami. Another flood

in the complex? She hoped it wasn’t the plumbing again, at any rate.

She dialed her friend’s number, and waited until the sleepy voice on the

other end answered. “Col?”

Colleen woke up instantly. “Jesus son of Mary, Kerry, where in the Hell

are you? Your parents are going insane. They’ve called here three times!”

My parents? “Um.” Kerry rubbed her head at the unexpected source of

the panic. “I’m in Orlando, as you should know. What’s the big deal?”

Silence from the other end of the line preceded a deep breath. “You

haven’t heard?”

“Haven’t heard what? No, I’ve been in meetings all day, and then… What

is it?” Kerry asked. “Someone shoot the president or something?”

“Jesus Christ, Kerry, the plane you were supposed to be on tonight

crashed in the Everglades. Pretty much everyone on it died, they think,”

Colleen answered. “The only reason I didn’t go nuts is the hotel said you

hadn’t checked out and I know you’re not a skip.”

Kerry sat down on the bed, her legs suddenly unable to hold her up. “Oh

my God.” She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth. “I’d better call my parents.”

“Then call me back, okay?” Colleen said softly.

“Okay, I will.” Kerry hung up, then rested her hand on the receiver for a

198 Melissa Good

long moment before she picked it up again and dialed. “Mom?” Her mother’s

voice practically jumped out of the phone at her. “No, no, I’m fine. I’m fine.

I’m still in Orlando. The meeting went on longer than we thought, so we’re

staying over another night … No, no, not at all. The office knew I wasn’t on

the flight.” A pause. “You could have called the … hello, Father.”

Roger Stuart’s voice thundered down the line. “That’s it. No daughter of

mine is living down where terrorists can just bomb an airplane. That place has

too few Americans in it, God damn it. You’re coming home.”

“Are you sure it was a terrorist? I didn’t hear any details. I don’t…” Kerry

felt a sudden jolt in her guts at the thought of leaving Miami and Dar.

“Nothing happened, we weren’t on the flight!”

Her father cut off further objections. “No ifs, ands, or buts, Kerrison.

That’s final. Could you imagine the press if you’d been on that plane? My

God! Make the arrangements.”

The line went dead. Kerry slowly put it back down on the cradle and

stared at it. “Glad I wasn’t on the plane too, thanks for asking.” A noise made

her look up to see Dar standing in the adjoining doorway, a quietly grim look

on her face. “I guess you heard.”

Dar nodded, then entered, crossing the room and sitting down next to her

on the bed. A remote control was clasped loosely in the executive’s hands. “I

have the news on in there.” She looked at Kerry intently. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yeah,” Kerry answered bitterly. “My father was so damned relieved

he wouldn’t have to spin-doctor my death.” She leaned her elbows on her

knees and looked down at the carpet. “They want me to leave Miami and go

home.”

Dar hesitated, then awkwardly put one arm around her companion’s

shoulders. “Because a plane crashed? That makes no sense, Kerry.”

“Because Miami’s full of degenerates, perverts, and foreigners who do

nothing but plot against the US,” Kerry answered with a sigh. “Do they know

what made the plane go down? He said it was a terrorist. Is that true?”

“Didn’t stick around there long enough to find out. C’mon, let’s go into

the other room and watch the news. Maybe they’ll say.” Dar hesitated. “Sorry

about all this.”

Kerry looked up, grateful for the warmth of Dar’s arm around her. “We

would have been on that plane.”

“I know,” the older woman replied calmly. “But we weren’t. C’mon, I

ordered up some hot chocolate. Let’s go see what happened.”

They settled on Dar’s bed, and she turned the volume up on the

television, which was tuned to CNN. The picture was mostly dark, with

flashing blue and red lights everywhere, and the occasional flare of yellow.

The reporter wore a windbreaker, and it was obviously raining and windy

where he was. “As of this moment, the FAA is not commenting or speculating

on what brought down this Boeing 727, only that the pilot reported problems

over West Palm Beach and decided to swing west, away from populated

areas.”

“Doesn’t sound like a bomb,” Dar commented, getting up to answer a

light knock on the door. “Nice service.” She opened it and allowed the room

service waiter in with a tray. “Put it over there.” The waiter left, and she

Tropical Storm 199

poured two steaming cupfuls of the chocolate, adding a tiny mini-

marshmallow to each cup and bringing one over to Kerry. “Here you go, good

for what ails you.”

Kerry took a sip and managed a smile. “Thanks.” She turned her

attention to the television, where searchlights were showing what looked like

hundreds of men in various uniforms up to their thighs in water, moving

debris and other things around. “It looks horrible.”

“Mmm.” Dar exhaled, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“It’s Dar.” She paused, listening. “What’s the story on that plane that went

down?” Another pause. “Well, maybe not, but I was supposed to be on it.”

She sighed. “I don’t think so either, but I’d like to be sure. Thanks, Gerry.” She

hung up. “Let’s see if we can get some real info.”

“Who was that?” Kerry asked, feeling her spirits rebounding a little. “Or

is it one of those—‘if you tell me, you have to kill me’ kind of things?”

“Friend of mine at the Pentagon,” Dar replied. “God, look at that…”

The overhead helicopter shot showed a chaotic mess of fires, lights, and

movement on the screen, then suddenly, people started yelling and raising

their hands up. The reporter paused and listened to his earpiece, then smiled

at the camera. “I’ve just been told they’ve started to find some survivors. It

appears as if the plane broke up upon landing in the Everglades, and some

people, I repeat, some people have survived.”

“Wasn’t a bomb, then,” Dar commented. “That disintegrates in the air

and doesn’t leave much in the way of live humans.” She leaned back against

the headboard and stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles. Kerry

was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the bed, cupping her chocolate in

both hands.

They watched as first a few, then more injured people were brought out,

and helicopters started landing, ready to transport the victims. Kerry finally

slid back until she was leaning against the backboard too, wincing as she

rubbed her neck, stiff from sitting hunched over for so long.

Dar turned out the lights, leaving just the television on as she stretched

her legs out next to Kerry’s. “You doing all right?”

Kerry let her head rest against the padded wood. “I don’t know,” she

answered after a pause. “I didn’t think they were keeping that close a watch

on me. Jesus! I never even told them I was going to Orlando.”

Dar sipped her chocolate thoughtfully. “Remind me to have Maria mask

your travel next time,” she said. “What in the hell do they think they’re doing,

anyway? You’re a grown woman.” She frowned, turning to look at Kerry.

“They think they own you?”

Kerry’s lashes fluttered in the bluish light from the television. “It’s hard

to explain,” she murmured. “I don’t think you’d understand if I…”

“Damn straight I don’t understand,” Dar replied bluntly. “My parents

never agreed with pretty much a damn thing I did, but they never denied me

the right to be whatever I wanted to be,” she said. “And they sure never

followed me around.”

Kerry turned to face her. “Well, that’s why I left.” She felt a bit

embarrassed, and sensed in a way she’d been diminished in Dar’s eyes,

somehow. “I wanted to get away from all that.”

200 Melissa Good

“Seems like they don’t want to let go,” Dar said.

“Seems like,” Kerry admitted. “They are my family.”

Dar looked away, out the window for a few seconds. “In that case, glad I

don’t have one.”

Kerry felt a jumble of emotions stir inside her. Fear, chiefly—rooted in

the knowledge of how fragile her freedom seemed sometimes—and shame

that she could sit here feeling like that next to Dar, who was so proudly

independent. “They, um…” She curled her hands around the cup of hot

chocolate, glad of its warmth on her suddenly chilled skin. “They think

they’re doing what’s best for me. I guess.”

Her companion glanced at her. “You really buy that?”

Do I? “I think they buy it,” Kerry admitted softly. “I’ve got different

plans for my life.”

“Good.” Dar patted her hand, then went back to reviewing the screen.

The low murmur of the television settled between them as they watched

in silence for a while, the images flitting on and off the screen. But Kerry

found herself unable to focus on them, and she blinked a few times as the cool

air in the room stung her eyes. A warmth against her shoulder almost made

her jump, until she realized it was Dar’s arm, as the dark-haired woman

shifted slightly and lifted her cup up to her lips, the motion apparently not a

deliberate one. Kerry appreciated it nonetheless and she relaxed a little bit,

silently acknowledging the long day, the sun, the unexpected crisis, and the

several ales that were playing havoc with her emotions. She exhaled softly.

After another moment’s silence, Dar turned and looked at her, one brow

lifting in question. “Long day,” Kerry said. “I think I should go get some

sleep.”

“Good idea.” Dar set her cup down, then reached over and took Kerry’s

from her. “We’ve got a presentation to do.” She picked up the television

remote and clicked it off, plunging the room into unexpected darkness.

“Oh.” Kerry had been in the process of persuading her body to move

from the comfortable surface. “Hey, give me a chance to find my way out of

here.”

“Bed’s big enough for the entire board of directors.” Dar’s voice floated

over to her. “You can stay where you are.”

Kerry’s vision adjusted, and she could see the dark square that would

lead her into her own room. She was so tired, though, that even the thought of

moving made her eyes close, and she didn’t protest as Dar pulled the covers

up over them both. Oh well. She caught a hint of warm skin and clean cotton,

and sleep took her before she could absorb the tingle the knowledge brought

her.

Dar regarded her companion, who was curled onto her side, her

breathing already evening out into sleep. She let her arm rest on the bed near

her bedmate, and after a few minutes, glanced up at a touch. Fingers were

curled around her forearm. Dar looked at her companion closely, saw the

steady, even breathing, and realized she was deeply asleep. An unconscious

motion, then, Kerry reaching out to her instinctively, desiring the comfort of a

touch she’d never presume while awake.

Dar put her head down on her pillow and looked up at the dimly seen

Tropical Storm 201

ceiling. She felt off-balance and thought maybe all those mugs had been a few

too many after all. What am I thinking, sharing my room, sharing my bed with

Kerry? Sure, we’re becoming friends, and yeah, we had fun, and sure, I tossed off a

client to go spend time with her, but…

A soft rustle attracted her attention, and she turned her head as Kerry

stirred, shifting a little closer and moving her grip, her fingers slipping along

Dar’s skin in a wonderfully warm sensation. It felt really nice. Kerry was

smiling, just a little, in her sleep, and Dar smiled back, gazing at the smaller

woman with quiet affection.

With a faint shrug, she dismissed her misgivings and closed her eyes.

After all, the bed was big enough for a half dozen people, and no one had to

know they’d both slept in it. She tugged the covers up a bit further, bringing a

puff of air up from under them. Aware of Kerry’s warm scent which

imprinted itself into her senses as a compound of clean cotton, sun tan oil and

a hint of apricot. Nice.

Chapter

Seventeen

KERRY BECAME FUZZILY aware of pale sunlight, warm against her

closed eyelids, and a sense of quiet peace that radiated mostly from the

shoulder against which she was snuggled. She took in a breath and recognized

the scent of the wool blanket, and a pleasant, spicy smell her brain amiably

identified as Dar Roberts’ perfume.

Her body was relaxed, and one arm was wrapped around a gently

moving surface that was warm and soft, and she was aware of a feeling of

contentedness that eased through her as she nestled a little closer, soaking in

the wonderful sensation. Another breath, then her sleepy mind put together

Dar, and scent, and the shoulder she was cuddling, and almost spat her heart

out of her ears in her haste to get blood to her brain. Oh

goddamnitalltohellIcan’tbelieveIdid... She held her breath and cracked open an

eyelid, seeing smooth, tanned skin at very close range. Oh my god. It was very

quiet in the room, and she very carefully rotated her eyeball up and peeked at

Dar’s face.

Fast asleep. Phew. Kerry cautiously unwound herself from her unexpected

embrace and eased away, feeling a vague but definite sense of regret. She

lifted her head a little to check the clock, relieved that it was only seven thirty.

She curled an arm around her pillow, and once again, safely on her side of the

bed, she took the opportunity to study her sleeping boss. Damn, I got lucky.

What if she’d woken up? Jesus, Kerry. Remember you work for her, okay? This is

supposed to be business.

But her body ached to go back to her snuggling, craving Dar’s touch with

an intensity that made it hard to breathe. It had felt so good. She sighed and

rolled over. C’mon, get moving. Go do something productive like get breakfast

ordered, and check the mail. Stupid crush.

She got up, and trudged out of the room, going to the phone in her own

room and calling room service. Then she remembered she was supposed to

call Colleen back, and checked her watch. I should catch her. She dialed the

phone and waited. “Col?”

“Ker? Oh damn, I fell asleep last night again. Did you call?”

“It was too late. I had a bad time with the folks, and then we watched the

news…and I fell asleep too,” Kerry told her. “But some of those people lived. I

saw that.”

“About fifty percent of them, yeah.” Colleen yawned. “You coming home

today?”

“I think so, yes. We have a meeting at ten, and they said they would

Tropical Storm 203

announce who won the bid. After that, there’s no reason for us to hang around

here.”

“How is it? Boring?” the redhead asked.

Kerry indulged in a sweet memory of waking, then sighed. “No, it’s not

boring. We had these meetings and a sort of fight between our account team

and the IBM account team, that was kind of wild. Then we had to, um,

evaluate some stuff last night, so…”

“Honey, that sounds as boring as my Aunt Mary’s penances. Did you

even get to pick up that Pluto thing you wanted?”

Kerry smiled wryly. “Well, to be totally honest with you…yes, because I

spent most of the day in Epcot yesterday.”

There was dead silence. “Ooo, you little stinker. All business meetings,

huh?” Colleen laughed. “You sneak away, or did the dragon lady not need

you?”

“Um, no, she was there too,” Kerry told her. “The meetings let out early

yesterday and weren’t going to start up again until today, so there wasn’t

much we could do but a little sightseeing.”

“Ew. You got stuck walking around Epcot Center with the robot woman

from hell?” Colleen made a sympathetic noise. “You poor thing.”

“I survived.” Kerry debated whether or not to protest her

characterization of Dar, then figured she had plenty of time to do that when

she got home. “Anyway, everything’s okay, I got my Pluto, and we’ll be back

tonight.”

“Your folks really bad?” Colleen asked, knowing the answer.

Kerry was quiet for a moment, then she exhaled. “Yeah.”

“Sweet Jesus, Ker. Sorry you had to be there all by yourself. I was

thinking of you.”

“It was all right. Dar kind of figured out what was going on, and patted

me on the head, and all that.” Kerry assured her. “Listen, I gotta go and get

ready for this meeting. Talk to you tonight?”

“Right. See you then, girlie.”

Colleen hung up and Kerry did likewise, but she sat there for a long

moment on her unused bed, deep in thought.

IT WAS THAT stupid dream again. Dar shook herself out of it, waking to

find the sun streaming into the room, and herself alone in the bed. The feeling

of loss and disappointment was almost palpable, and she rolled over, curling

up and hugging her pillow to her until she got a handle on it, and the feeling

faded back.

It had been so damn real this time. Some little cabin somewhere—must

have been up north, because a cool breeze was coming in—and she had been

just curled up in the early dawn, her arms wrapped around another sleeping

form. She remembered a feeling of lazy happiness and a faint tingle of

expectation, as though for some reason she’d been waiting for the day to

begin.

She closed her eyes and let herself feel the ache for a moment, which

ended when a soft, concerned voice stirred the silence.

204 Melissa Good

“Dar?” The carpet muffled Kerry’s bare footsteps as she came over and

perched on the edge of the bed, putting a hand on the older woman’s

shoulder. “Are you okay?”

The ache eased, and Dar nodded, opening her eyes and giving the blonde

woman a wry grin. “A little too much to drink last night.”

“Ah.” Kerry smiled back and waggled her other hand. “I have a bit of a

headache myself. I figured some breakfast would help. I ordered it up, and

I’m downloading stuff. “

“Good.” Dar rubbed her face with one hand and yawned. “What time is…

Ah, okay. We’ve got a little while. In that case, I need to take a nice long

shower.” She rolled over onto her back and stretched, arching her back to

work a kink out. “I’m not used to these damn mattresses.” She gave Kerry a

wry look. “I miss my waterbed.”

Kerry’s fingers itched to set to work on those muscles, dimly visible

through the cotton of Dar’s T-shirt, but she counted to ten and controlled

herself. “Are those really comfortable?” She stood up, moving away from her

boss’s warm body and walking over to stand near the window, gazing out.

“Oh yeah.” Dar sat up and started to get out of bed. She glanced at her

shirt, then stopped in mid-motion and sat back down, staring at her own

shoulder in puzzlement. Reaching up with a curious hand, she removed

several golden strands caught in the nap of the fabric. She stared at them,

rolling the soft hair in her fingertips, then glanced over at Kerry, who was still

peering out the window with great interest. “You sleep okay?” she asked

curiously.

“Yeah…yeah, I did. Um, I haven’t been up that long, just a few minutes,

really. I slept just fine. Um. How about you?” Kerry found the small boats

zipping around the lake fascinating,

“Like a baby.” Dar felt a smile edging her lips. She cast her dice on a

gamble. “You, um, you always snuggle up like that at night?” then held her

breath, waiting for Kerry’s answer. The sudden tightening of the blonde

woman’s jaw, and the stiffening of her back was it’s own answer. Dar swore

she could see the “oh shit” form on Kerry’s lips, before the younger woman

spoke.

“Sorry about that, it’s a stupid habit. I’ve got this big panda thing, and I,

um…” Kerry felt herself babbling, and she could feel herself blushing badly.

“Hey.” Dar broke in on the stumbling words. “Relax. Didn’t bother me a

bit.” She chuckled, brushing it off to ease Kerry’s obvious embarrassment. “I

do it myself. I’ve got two big pillows at home. I’m always wrapping myself

around them. Don’t worry about it.”

Kerry didn’t answer for a minute. Then she took in a breath, seen as a

shifting of her shoulders, and released it before she turned around. “Well, I’m

glad you understand. Um, so you were going to fill me in on this plan of

yours? I mean, if Mark came through, which I guess he did, because he called,

and…”

“Kerry.” Dar’s voice stopped her nervous speech. “C’mere.” She waited

until the smaller woman hesitantly approached, then patted the bed’s surface.

“Sit down.”

“Um…” Kerry settled uneasily on the edge of the mattress and fastened

Tropical Storm 205

her gaze on her knees, horribly embarrassed.

“Listen to me, okay? We’re friends, right?” Dar asked gently.

Shy green eyes lifted to hers. “You’re my boss,” Kerry replied softly, as

though that explained everything.

“Just forget about that for a minute.” Dar’s brows contracted. “I haven’t

known you that long, and you haven’t known me for that long, but I think it’s

fair to say we get along pretty well, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well, that’s good.” Dar fished for words. “Because I really

appreciate having someone around I can think of as a friend, and I’m glad we

have a chance to get to know each other.”

Kerry relaxed a little. “Me too.”

Dar considered her next statement, knowing she was coming close to

crossing a line. “I don’t want you to feel, um…awkward…about the fact that

we’re friends, and that you…I mean, that we like each other.” She stared hard

at the carpet, then looked back up at Kerry. “Do you understand what I’m

saying?”

Kerry considered it. “Yeah.” She finally exhaled. “I do. It’s just strange.”

“Because we work together?” Dar hazarded.

“Because I work for you,” Kerry corrected gently. “I don’t…it just feels

very weird.”

“Mmm,” Dar mused. “Does it bother you?” She queried hesitantly. “I…I

mean…” she lifted a hand and dropped it, “that we’ve gotten so friendly this

fast?”

That finally got a tiny, relieved smile from the younger woman. “No. I

just didn’t want you to think I was trying to get something from you or that I

was, um…”

“Sucking up to the boss?” Dar inquired lightly. “I never considered it for

a moment. You’re not the type. And believe me, I should know.”

A hesitant smile flitted across Kerry’s face. “Your opinion matters to me. I

appreciate you saying that,” Kerry murmured. “I’ve just, I’ve never really

gotten so friendly with someone this fast before. It’s a little strange for me.”

“Me too.” Dar hitched one knee up and rested her hands on it. “But I

guess there’s a first for everything, eh?”

Kerry ran her hand through her hair and chuckled. “I guess.”

Dar’s lips curved. “So you can relax, all right?” She patted Kerry’s knee.

“Besides, you give great hugs. I don’t want to miss out on one just because

you’re worried about what I might think of you.”

Kerry breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Wow, that’s good to hear, because I

have this habit of touching people I like without thinking. I didn’t know if that

was bothering you. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until last night.”

Ah. Clearing the air. “Well…” Dar scratched her jaw. “Funny thing about

that. I absolutely, positively hate people touching me, as a rule, and people

coming into my personal space gets me livid…as a rule.”

“Uh.” Kerry bit her lip.

Dar shrugged. “Every rule has an exception, they tell me, and I guess

you’re it. No, it doesn’t bother me at all, for some reason.” She gave the

younger woman a wry look. “That was kind of a surprise.”

206 Melissa Good

“Oh.” The blonde brows knit. “Good surprise or bad surprise?” Kerry felt

her composure returning, and she realized things were actually going pretty

well. Dar wasn’t upset about…things…at all.

Suddenly serious pale blue eyes captured hers. “A very good surprise,

Kerry. It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt so comfortable with someone. I

don’t make friends easily.”

Kerry felt herself drowning in that intense regard, and she reached out in

pure reflex, curling her fingers around Dar’s as though it were the most

natural thing in the world. “I’m glad,” she replied simply, giving the hand a

squeeze. They gazed into each other’s eyes, and Kerry felt her heart start to

pound a little faster.

A knock on the door broke the tableau, and Dar dropped her eyes, a tiny

smile playing around her lips. “That’d be breakfast, I guess.”

“Yep.” Kerry released her hand, and stood, running her fingers through

her hair as she padded to the door and peeked through the eyehole. “I hope

you’re hungry. I think I over-ordered.”

White teeth flashed in a grin. “Starving.” She got up and checked the

time. Eight thirty. “Let’s eat, then get moving. I’ll fill you in on the plan while

we eat.”

THE GLASS-WALLED conference room seemed warmer to Kerry as she

entered behind Dar’s tall form and closed the door after her. A large LCD

presentation screen had been added to the far wall, and the IBM team looked,

if nothing else, smug. She put her laptop and a folder down next to John, then

seated herself, giving him a reassuring smile. “Hello.”

“Hi.” He leaned closer. “Did you get the proposal?”

She nodded and tapped her folder, watching Dar saunter to the first seat

nearest the front of the room and sit down.

“The IBM group was working all night. They’ve got this whole whiz-

bang presentation to do. I’m a little concerned,” the account team leader

whispered. “What do we have, other than the paper?”

“Shhh.” Kerry nodded to the far door, where Michelle and her retinue

were entering. “Dar has something planned.” She eyed the Disney executive,

surprised when the woman scanned the room and let her gaze rest on Kerry’s

face for a long moment before drifting off . I must be sunburned, she realized

ruefully. Oh well. She took a quick look at Dar’s face, realizing the darker-

skinned woman didn’t show the pink that she did.

“Well.” Michelle put down a leather-covered folder and drummed her

immaculately painted nails on it. “Thank you all for being prompt.” She

looked first at Jerry, then at Dar, who had slipped off her jacket and was

seated casually, her weight resting on her elbows. She had chosen to wear a

sleeveless, low-necked white cotton shirt, and she looked cool and

comfortable, in direct contrast to the men, with their tight ties and buttoned

collars.

“It’s a pity you were tied up last night, Dar, Jerry and I had some

wonderful conversation.” Michelle’s eyes were sharp, and she let a brief, thin

smile edge her lips.

Tropical Storm 207

Dar didn’t even twitch. She just returned the smile with a lazy one of her

own. “Sorry I missed it. Hope you had as good a time as I did.” Suddenly, she

was glad she’d turned down the Disney exec. It was obvious she was enjoying

the liberal fawning of the bidding process, and Dar felt a quiet satisfaction that

she hadn’t stooped to that. Of course, it also might mean she’d dropped the

ball and lost the account. She hated losing. It didn’t happen often, and if she

lost this one, knowing she could have sewn it up was going to hurt, in more

ways than one.

Kerry shifted a little in her seat and cleared her throat.

Or would it? Dar knew herself to be skirting a chasm she’d never

anticipated and she wondered just how much it would take to simply push

her over that edge.

“Well, let’s get started.” Michelle had obviously decided she wasn’t going

to get a rise out of Dar, so she sat down. “I believe we have presentations from

both teams?”

Jerry leaned back and laced his fingers over his stomach. “Ladies first.”

He smiled sweetly at Dar.

She shrugged and gave him an amused look. “Okay, if you insist, you go

right ahead.”

Against her will, Michelle bit the inside of her lip and looked down, then

cleared her throat. “Jerry, go on so we won’t be here all day.”

His face reddened, but he complied, laying out his materials and

launching into his presentation, using the display screen to illustrate how they

would realign networks and put servers in place. It was interesting, and Dar

reflected that he really did know what he was doing. It took forty-five

minutes, though, and she caught Michelle peeking at her watch before he

finished. She nodded quietly to herself. A good, solid presentation, worthy of

the reputation of his company and probably a very competitive bid. Jerry

wanted this; the publicity alone was worth low-balling the price.

Michelle nodded at him as he finished. “Thank you. That was very

comprehensive.” She paused, then turned and looked at Dar, raising a ginger-

colored eyebrow in question.

Dar remained seated and leaned back, resting her weight on the arms of

the chair. “Kerry?” She motioned the younger woman forward with a jerk of

her head. That was a surprise. Even her own people expected her to do the

presentation; certainly Michelle had.

Kerry took a breath, then stood and picked up her laptop, tucking it

under her arm and walking to the front of the room. She efficiently

disconnected the display screen and plugged into her external video port,

then booted up the laptop and requested a cellular connection to their

network. She glanced up as it was connecting. “This was an interesting

scenario to develop a solution for,” she commented. “Because in order for an

interactive system to work, you have to make it easy to use and complex in its

design all at the same time.”

She brought up a network diagram, setting counters and narrowing the

focus. “This is your current data communications network.” She started the

monitors running “You can see, your current utilization runs into bottlenecks

here and here, mostly because of the bandwidth requirements, especially in

208 Melissa Good

the video link.”

Dar watched Michelle’s face as the smaller woman leaned forward,

peering at the live data with interest.

“So, to open the pipeline, we’d bring in trunk circuits here and here.”

Kerry had another screen open, and she typed several rapid-fire commands,

which suddenly made the monitors jump and flutter. “Like that.”

Michelle’s brows creased. “Did you just…do it?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Kerry acknowledged, with a gentle smile. “See how that

smoothes the bottlenecks? You get better through-put.” She brought up

another screen, this one an actual link into the Disney reservations system.

“We analyzed the application you were running as well. It provides a lot of

information, but it’s slow, and it’s very layered, making people go through an

intensive drill before they get where they want to go.” She clicked again. “Our

web design division suggests this as a replacement. You can see it’s a three-

dimensional representation of one of your parks, and to get where you want

to go, the touch screen technology is used, like this…” She tapped with her

mouse key, and the scene shifted, then shifted again to display the castle in the

Magic Kingdom.

“Nice,” Michelle murmured.

“Um, no.” Kerry tapped again, at the graphically drawn doors. “This is

nice.” The doors opened, and she was given a menu of options. “To see the

menus, you go here.” She showed it. “Then if you want to make a reservation,

you go here.” The screen was replaced with an overhead shot of the

restaurant, complete with tables. “You can pick your time, and it will show

what tables are available.” She clicked, and a small screen popped up. “You

type your name in, and there you are.” The table was now labeled Mickey

Mouse.

The entire room was focused on Kerry now, and she glanced past them to

a pair of warm, sparkling blue eyes, one of which winked at her. “But this is a

nice addition,” she went on, accepting the reservation. “It gives you the option

to leave a pager number, here, so you can be reminded of your reservation,

and so the restaurant staff can get hold of you if there’s a change.” She typed

in a number, and clicked Okay, then paused expectantly.

Seconds later, a soft beeping sounded from across the room, and Dar held

up her pager, then reset it.

“That’s…incredible.” Michelle sat back. “But what kind of bandwidth

problems are we talking about? That program must be huge.”

Kerry met her gaze and smiled. “Want to find out?” she inquired. “We

threw this on two of our Alpha servers, and wrote a little stress-testing

program.” She clicked, displaying a network analyzer in one corner, then

started the program with a different session. “See? It’s not that big, really,

since we cache the screens like the seat maps locally, and we cut way down on

the video traffic. You only need to talk to a reservationist if you can’t figure

something out, or if you want to make special arrangements. There’s

parameters you can specify, like a cutoff on party size, so someone won’t put

in for a party of thirty or something.”

She stopped talking and gazed out at them. “Any questions?” Kerry

glanced around the room, then let her eyes settle on Michelle. “We

Tropical Storm 209

downloaded the PDF maps from your website, and cross-referenced them to

the location database that’s up there, then ran it all through a three-D modeler

attached to a back-end datafile that stores all the information.” She paused for

Michelle’s nod of understanding. “Beyond that, it was mostly customizing it

to your business style, which Dar and I had an opportunity to evaluate the

past two days.”

Dar’s brow lifted unobtrusively. That…was impressive and unprompted.

Kerry had somehow clued in to the fact that Michelle was miffed that she’d

spent the night wandering the park instead of at dinner with her, and had

turned a purely personal motive into a compelling business one. Nice. Very

nice. She caught the younger woman’s eyes and smiled appreciatively, noting

the faint blush that colored Kerry’s cheeks.

“No, I…” Michelle turned to Dar, with a little incredulous shake of her

head. “Can I speak to you in private for a moment?”

Gotcha. “Sure,” Dar replied amiably, as she stood up and motioned for

Michelle to precede her. They slipped out the door in the rear, into a small

antechamber with soft ferns and a smoked glass skylight.

The redhead turned to face her. “I didn’t expect that.”

Dar smiled. “I told you I make things happen. Diagrams and grids are

fine, but I thought you wanted to see an end result, not promises.”

A slow nod, and then the woman’s eyes lazily caressed her. “So, did you

have fun last night?”

“More than you did, I bet.” Dar chuckled. “I’ve had dinner with Jerry.”

Michelle tried without much success to wipe a smile off her face. “He

doesn’t have much good to say about you, I’ll tell you that.” She gazed up at

the taller woman. “I spent most of the night hearing about how you’d screw

me over.”

“Not my style,” she disagreed. “We screw up sometimes, just like

everyone else does, but we don’t go out looking for victims.” Now she let her

own eyes wander, letting a little of her admittedly seductive side surface. “But

I don’t think you’re the victim type anyway.”

Michelle blinked, then she stepped back a little, and folded her arms. “I’ll

take that as a compliment. That was a nice presentation. Your little protégée

knows her stuff.” A cynical look entered her eyes. “Here I thought she was

just a bit of fluff you brought with you.”

“Kerry’s not a bit of anything,” Dar replied, more sharply than she’d

intended.

The smaller woman’s lips tensed, then she chuckled softly. “Ah, so you

do have the rare soft spot. Well, no offense meant, Dar. I like the fact that you

stand up for your people.” She sighed. “That’s so rare at our level. I’ve seen

countless situations where a subordinate is mostly used for putting blame on,

but I don’t think you’re that type.”

“No,” Dar replied honestly.

“And I don’t think you’re the kind of person who lies for no reason. So,

were you really casing the joint last night?” Michelle gazed at her, a half smile

on her face.

“I was keeping a promise,” Dar answered quietly. “And no, it wasn’t

business-related.”

210 Melissa Good

The shorter woman leaned back against a sideboard and crossed her

arms. “Interesting, and that was more important to you than locking up this

bid?” she asked. “If that’s the case, I’m not sure we can do business, Ms.

Roberts.”

Dar stepped forward, straightening to her full height and pinning

Michelle with pale blue eyes. “If that’s how you base your business decisions,

then I won’t regret losing the contract,” she said softly. “Are we done?”

Without a word, Michelle gestured back towards the door, and they

reentered the meeting room, where Kerry had disconnected her laptop and

resumed her seat next to John.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Michelle picked up both proposals and left

the room. This time the hounds stayed behind, glancing at everyone with

suspicious eyes.

Dar sat down next to Kerry, putting her elbows on the arms of her chair

and steepling her fingers before her face. She could feel the eyes of the entire

room on her, and it was a struggle to keep her face calm and relaxed. I think I

blew this one, she admitted quietly to herself. If I was going to play her game, I should have played it all the way, not backed off. Damn, I think I need more than a

stupid vacation. I need to get my head back on straight and remember what the hell

my job is. A certain grimness settled over her. Not spend time running around a stupid park, playing games.

The door opened again, and Michelle re-entered, a thoughtful look on her

face. She looked at the two proposals still grasped in her hand for a moment,

then inhaled and tossed one at Jerry. “Thanks for your time.” She tossed the

other at Dar. “I’ll be in touch.” Then she simply left, taking her hounds with

her. Mickey Mouse smiled at them from the clock on the wall, his fingers

pointing out the time, the solid ticking echoing in the shocked stillness of the

room for what seemed like an endless instant. Then Dar collected herself and

stood up, picking up the contract and handing it to John. “Here you go.” She

let her hand fall on Kerry’s shoulder. “C’mon, we’ve got a plane to catch.”

Kerry got up and followed her quickly out of the room, across the

hallway, and into the waiting elevator, which slid closed behind them,

blocking the view of the glassed-in conference room.

Dar leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms, giving Kerry a

cheerfully triumphant grin. In silence, the blonde woman pumped her fist

down and mouthed. “Yes!” Dar poked out the tip of her tongue in response,

then wiped her face of its glee as the doors opened to let them out on the

ground floor. They didn’t relax until they were in the rental car, pulling out of

the lot, and heading towards the airport.

“That was amazing,” Kerry gushed. “Dar, I thought for sure after those

nasty comments…I never thought she’d pick us.”

The executive slowly shook her head. “Me either, to be honest. I thought I

really blew this one.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number from

memory. “Beatrice? He in?”

“You did?” Kerry looked confused. “Wow, I thought you handled it

great,” she objected. “You were by far the coolest and most prepared person in

there. You didn’t even react when she tossed that packet at you, it’s like you

Tropical Storm 211

expected it all along.”

“Hah!” Dar snorted, putting her fingers over the microphone on the cell.

“Good acting job.” She grinned in almost giddy relief, then took a breath.

“Alastair?” A pause. “Done deal.” She held the phone away from her ear as

various whooping and squawking noises issued from it, chuckling as she

waited for the racket to die down. “Yeah, about fifteen minutes ago … No,

I’m on my way to the airport, John has the details.”

“Dar, you are a goddess.” Alastair’s voice crackled through the

connection. “I’m sending you something for this, and you better the hell not

turn it down, or I’m coming down there personally and making sure you

don’t, got me?”

“Wasn’t just me, Alastair,” Dar objected. “The website team, Mark, the

docs people, and especially my assistant Kerry, who gave the proposal, had a

big part in it.” She caught a blush out of the corner of her eye, and gave the

blonde a playful nudge with her elbow.

“You can take care of them, I’m going to take care of you,” the cheerful

voice replied. “Let me go. That’s John on the other line, probably needing his

pants dry cleaned. Bye Dar, God bless you.”

Dar folded the phone and tucked it into its belt holder, then exhaled.

She’d gotten lucky, all right. Big time. Michelle had made her decision based

on business reasons, though Dar suspected it had been a close thing. She also

suspected she hadn’t heard the last from Ms. Graver. But for right now, it was

done, and she was headed home. “Hope he doesn’t send me caviar again,” she

joked wryly.

“I’m glad it all worked out. It was nice of you to say everyone else was

involved,” Kerry commented with a smile.

“You were,” Dar said. “I didn’t do a damn thing other than throw a few

smart-ass comments around and pick the right people to do the right thing for

me.” She pointed at Kerry without taking her eyes off the road. “You did a

sharp as hell demo, my friend. You had them in the palm of your hand.”

Now Kerry did blush, blinking with a mildly bemused look on her face.

“Um, thanks,” she stammered softly. “Glad I did all right. But it was your

plan, Dar. When everything works, it’s easy to show it off, you know?”

Dar grinned. “I know. So we all did good,” she confided, as she drove

past an elaborate water tower. “Hey, there’s MGM.”

“Ooo.” Kerry peeked at it. “Next time, I wanted to do the Tower of

Terror.”

Dar checked her watch, then glanced at the park, then glanced at Kerry’s

nose-pressed-against-the-glass posture and considered. “Well…” She turned

into the left lane, then waited for traffic to slow. “There’s later flights.”

Kerry glanced over her shoulder, startled. “Dar, you don’t….” She saw

the sparkle in those blue eyes and stopped. “Promise me something?”

Dar blinked as she completed her turn into the parking area. “Okay,

sure.”

“Promise you’ll come back here, when we’ve got more time?” Kerry

asked.

After a short pause, Dar said, “All right.” Green eyes met hers. “I promise

we’ll come back here. Now, c’mon, grab your shorts. Let’s change and have a

212 Melissa Good

little fun. We earned it.”

IT WAS DARK, the lights of the airfield being the only illumination as

they finally took off for the short flight back to Miami. Kerry snuggled down

into her leather seat, stifling a yawn as she gingerly eased her shirt away from

the back of her neck. “Jesus, even with the sunblock, I still got burned.” She

stretched out her body, then relaxed. “Ugh.”

“Awww.” Dar had leaned back, folding her hands over her stomach.

“Did I tire you out?” Blue eyes sparkled mischievously. “Maybe you shouldn’t

push yourself so hard.”

Kerry looked at her. “I’m being tweaked, aren’t I?” she asked, biting off a

grin. “Yes, you did, as a matter of fact. I’m exhausted, and I just remembered I

have to go do that global volunteer thing tomorrow.”

Dar closed her eyes. “I’ll bring you some carrot juice.”

A little silence ensued, during which Kerry peered at her. “Are you going

to be there?” she asked curiously. “I didn’t know that. I thought it was just for

regular workers.“

Dar shrugged nonchalantly. “It rotates. One of the senior execs has to do

it every year. Just so happened this was my year.” A blue eye appeared. “Is

that okay?”

“Well, yeah, of course,” Kerry stammered. “In fact, that’s great. A bunch

of the Associated people are going to be there. I’d…” She paused awkwardly.

“Like them to see I’m not as bad as they think?” Dar inquired with a wry

grin.

Kerry blushed a little and ducked her head. “Something like that, yes.”

“Ah, Kerry, it’s too late for my reputation to be salvaged, I’m afraid.” Dar

crossed her arms over her chest. “But I appreciate the thought.”

“Any time,” Kerry murmured, suddenly struck by how much she liked

the sound of her name on Dar’s lips. The older woman put a gentle, almost

imperceptible roll on the R’s that reminded her of a kitten’s purr, and she

found herself wanting to hear it more.

She found herself liking the idea of Dar being at the event tomorrow, too.

Despite her words, she was looking forward to proving to her ex co-workers

that the person they referred to as El Chupacabra wasn’t nearly as horrible as

they thought she was. Susan, her former lead programmer, especially, since

she’d taken the time to call Kerry on more than one occasion, to make sure she

was “still alive” and pass on rumors she’d heard about her new boss.

“You be careful, Ker,” Susan had warned. “I heard she fired someone just

because she didn’t like what they were wearing one day.”

Hmm. “Hey, Dar?”

“Huh?” The dark-haired woman glanced over, sipping at a glass of

chocolate milk she’d wangled out of the stewardess.

“Did you ever fire someone because you didn’t like what they were

wearing?” Kerry inquired curiously.

Dar considered the question. “Once, yes,” she admitted, watching Kerry’s

eyes widen. “A man named Lawrence Matthews. He was an account rep at

Florida Power and Light.”

Tropical Storm 213

“Dar, I can’t believe you’d do that!” she spluttered. “W-what was he

wearing that was so awful?”

The blue eyes flinched almost imperceptibly. “He wasn’t wearing

anything, Kerry. He got angry and stripped naked at a customer site, and

went into the president’s office offering her his private parts.”

Kerry’s jaw dropped. “Oh. Well, Jesus, Dar, that doesn’t count. Of course

you fired him!” She snorted. “I would have, too!”

Dar nodded quietly. “All right. Well, to get them out of the way: no, I’ve

never slept with Alastair; I’ve never fired anyone for not brushing their teeth;

I don’t ask my secretary to solicit escort services for me; and I don’t get drunk

every night.”

Blonde brows knit. “I knew all that,” Kerry stated. “How silly.”

“Yeah, but I have punched a corporate VP; I have dissolved entire

companies to make the numbers; and I have slept with people to win a bid.”

Dar’s voice was quiet and even. “I’m a bastard, and I know it, Kerry.”

Sea green eyes studied her face for a long time, as the drone of the

engines blocked out the noise around them. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve done

nasty things, and I know what I thought of you when I first met you, but I

can’t look at you now and think of you like that.”

Dar exhaled quietly. “That could be very dangerous for you,” she said in

an even tone. “I have a lot of enemies.”

Kerry smiled suddenly, her eyes twinkling. “It could be dangerous for

you, too,” she warned, lifting her chin. “Hanging around with me could be

deadly to your reputation, you know.” She leaned against the arm between

their seats and raised her eyebrows in challenge. Dar leaned on her side of the

arm, until their noses were inches apart. Green eyes and blue gazed into each

other, so close that Kerry could feel Dar’s breathing stir the hair on the side of

her face, and see the tiny muscles on the side of Dar’s face twitch as she held

back a smile.

“Is that so?” Dar drawled softly.

“Oh yeah,” Kerry replied, reveling in the strength of what she could feel

between them. “I’m going to make you into a nice person,” she growled,

squinting her eyes menacingly. “Paladar.”

The grin fought its way to the surface, and Dar laughed, shaking her head

from side to side gently. Then she leaned a little further forward, and touched

her forehead to Kerry’s, so that the smaller woman almost had to cross her

eyes to keep her in focus. “Unrealistic expectations, Kerrison.”

It was so hard not to just… Oh Jesus! Kerry finally dropped her gaze and

pulled back before she could embarrass herself. She was blushing, and she

knew it. She took a moment to compose herself, then glanced back at the quiet,

waiting Dar. Her voice was serious. “Not in my eyes.”

Now Dar’s gaze dropped, and as she looked down, a lock of the dark hair

fell, obscuring her face. Kerry had to catch herself before she pushed it back,

wanting to feel the soft texture against her skin.

A slow exhalation, and then Dar lifted her head and gave Kerry a rakish,

playful grin. “I guess we’ll have to see if you can deliver on that.” She winked,

then relaxed back in her seat and gazed out of the window, watching the dark

land go by underneath the wings of the plane.

214 Melissa Good

Oh god, I’m in trouble. Kerry felt her body trying to deal with the

avalanche of emotions running through her. All right, calm down. Take a deep

breath, Kerry She’s your boss, and she’s just playing with you, okay? She doesn’t

mean any of this. It’s just a little bit of fun for her. She likes flirting, that’s all there is to it. Isn’t it?

Kerry turned her head slightly and watched Dar from the corners of her

eyes. She blinked and realized there was a distinct blush across her boss’s

face, almost invisible against her tanned skin. The taller woman bit her lower

lip, showing a brief flash of white teeth and producing an almost adolescent

expression. Then she glanced over and caught Kerry watching, and the look

vanished, replaced by a quirky grin and one lifted brow. Oh boy.

THE CONDO WAS very quiet as Dar keyed the lock and entered,

flipping on the hallway light. It was cool inside, for which she was grateful,

but she was suddenly struck by the emptiness of the place, something that had

never occurred to her before. Irritated by the thought, she shook her head in

dismissal, then moved through the living room, grabbing the remote, and

turning on the television just to get some background noise in the place. In the

kitchen, her mail was waiting in a little basket, brought in by the cleaning

crew who had been there that morning. Dar retrieved a glass and went to the

refrigerator, pulling it open and getting herself some milk. Glancing around,

she found herself wishing Kerry had come home with her, already missing the

blonde woman’s presence and her ready smile.

“C’mon, Dar. Get a grip.” She grabbed the basket of mail and trudged

into the living room, sinking down onto the leather couch with a sigh. “So you

had some fun with the kid. All right, now we’re back to normal here, so get

that pretty face out of your head and read your damn mail.”

She started to sift through the contents of the basket, then felt something

larger and more bulky beneath the various bills and junk mail. Puzzled, she

pulled out a small box, addressed to her, with a return address in Kissimmee.

What the hell? She put down the basket, and picked up her keys off the table.

Using the small penknife she had on her key chain, she opened the box. Inside,

bubble wrap obscured the contents, until she carefully pulled it loose and

exposed what was inside. Her fingers slowly lifted out the crystal dolphins as

she stared at them in disbelief. Dazed, she looked back into the box and saw

the folded note. Dolphins in one hand, she pulled out the note with the other

and opened it. “Happy Boss’s Day! Hope you had a good one. K.”

“Oh, Kerry.” She exhaled softly, turning the hand-blown glass to the light

and seeing the explosion of color inside it. “You little idiot, you shouldn’t

have done that.”

She hated personal knick-knacks, but she felt her face easing into a smile

of delight at the laughing sea mammals as she admired the fine tints of green

and blue that trickled through the waves they crested on. She set the piece

down on the table and gazed at it, her elbows on her knees, and her chin

resting on her hands. If she accepted the gift, it also meant accepting that she

was allowing herself closer and closer to that line. It meant she was also

allowing Kerry into a place she’d deliberately kept barren for a very long time.

Tropical Storm 215

It was dangerous and probably a mistake.

What line? She knew she’d already crossed it the moment she hired Kerry

as her assistant. Any other thought was a lie, and though she readily lied to

others, she tried not to lie to herself. After she’d awakened that morning,

knowing she’d had Kerry in her arms, and wanting nothing more than to

repeat the experience, she knew she’d come to a choice. Stop, or go. Cut off

their friendship and pull back from Kerry totally, or let things go forward,

knowing what was likely to happen. And stopping… Even the thought hurt,

stabbing her deeply in places she had no defense against. I don’t want to stop.

So, we’ll just see what happens from here.

“Well,” she addressed the crystal figurine. “I hope she likes what’s in her

box.”

Dar curled up on the couch, her head resting against the soft arm where

Kerry had slept the previous week, and watched the changing light from the

screen and the moonlight that came in the window sparkle and play in the

depths of her gift.

KERRY LOCKED THE doors to the Mustang and shouldered her

overnight bag, trudging into her apartment with a not very stifled yawn. She

turned on the lights and went over to her fish tank, dropped in a few flakes,

and waved to the two kissing gouramies and the tiny guppies that blinked up

at her. “Hi, guys.” The gouramie blurped, nibbling at the flakes, and she

smiled at them. “I’m back. Did you miss me?”

She chuckled and put the cover back on the tank, then set her bag down

on the couch and walked over to the small table in the kitchen, where Colleen

had tossed her mail. She leafed through it, pulling out the bills and putting

them in a small green basket to one side, then sorting through the rest in order

of relevance. She lifted up the ubiquitous AOL diskette in its colorful envelope

and sighed. “Friends don’t let friends do AOL.” She tossed the envelope

toward the trashcan, then went to her answering machine, pushing a button to

retrieve the messages.

“Hello, dear, it’s your mother. We’ve started making

arrangements for you to come home, everyone is very excited. I

think we’ll put you in the west cottage until you and Brian decide for

yourselves where you want to settle. He’s thrilled you’re moving

back. By the way, honey. I have several engagements coming up I

want you to attend with us, so we’ll need to do some shopping when

you get home. Those dresses from a few years ago aren’t appropriate

now, so you’ll need something new. Oh yes, and your father says it’s

perfectly all right for you to get a little job with them up here in the

Troy office. He knows several of the managers there, and he’s sure

you won’t have a problem getting something nice, something that

doesn’t require you to do all this dangerous traveling. Let’s see, what

else was there? Oh, well, we’re expecting you for Thanksgiving. The

tickets are already on the way, so plan to fly out Wednesday night,

and we made arrangements for you to return on Monday. I know

216 Melissa Good

you can tell your boss about that and she won’t mind. I have to go,

dear, please call me when you get home, since you know how I

worry.”

Kerry listened with an expressionless face, then hit the Delete key with a

savage stab.

The remaining four messages were: one from Colleen, two from Susan,

and a fourth from Ray, wanting her to go out tonight to the Grove. A knock on

the door interrupted her thoughts, though, and she turned. “C’mon in.”

The door fairly exploded open, and Colleen came bounding in, dressed in

her skating gear and covered with a thin sheen of sweat. “You’re back!”

Kerry held out her arms and looked down at herself. “Looks like it, yep,”

she agreed. “What’s up?”

“Wait, I’ve got a box for you,” Colleen said. “I’ll be right back.”

She bounded out, reminding Kerry vaguely of Tigger. She was left in

quiet for a moment, then the redhead stumbled back in, tugging a large

cardboard box behind her.

“This came today. I happened to be here when the Oops man showed up.

I signed for it. It’s from Orlando.”

“Slow down, Col.” Kerry laughed as she moved forward to help her

friend with the large package. “What on earth is this? I didn’t order…” She fell

silent and opened the top of the box, pulling back the flap and exposing

something plush and golden. “…anything,” she finished, reaching in and

pulling out a huge, smiling stuffed Winnie the Pooh, his arms spread, just

waiting for a hug. “Oh.”

Colleen watched her with a puzzled look. “You didn’t order this? It’s cute

as hell, Ker…and I know you love Pooh. You’ve got all those damn figurines,

and that honey cookie jar in the kitchen.”

Kerry pulled the stuffed bear closer and sniffed, then put it up against her

face and breathed in. A slow, delighted smile crossed her face. “Um. No, I

didn’t order it. I…” She glanced in the box and saw a little card with a mouse

on the front. She picked it up and opened it. “Thanks for a job well done.” It

was unsigned, but it didn’t have to be. “It’s from Dar,” she told Colleen,

handing her the card. “I did a presentation today and it helped us win the

bid.” Colleen’s jaw dropped, and she held the card as though it were a small

thermonuclear device. “Holy shit!” she squeaked, looking at Kerry in

disbelief. “This is from Popsicle Woman?”

Kerry gently smoothed Pooh’s eyebrows down and smiled back into his

smiling face. “Yep.” She picked up the bear and hugged it gently, reveling in

the lingering scent of Dar’s perfume that clung to its soft fur.

Colleen watched her for a minute, then put a hand on her friend’s arm,

her freckled face suddenly serious. “Kerry?”

“Hmm?” The sea green eyes glanced up in question. “Oh, sorry.” Kerry

released the bear, then set him down on the couch. “I love Pooh…and it’s so

soft. Did you feel the fur?”

“What’s going on with you?” her friend asked softly.

“With me? Nothing, why?” Kerry asked, but she averted her eyes. “That

Tropical Storm 217

was nice of Dar. I’ll have to remember to thank her.” She felt Colleen take her

arm and allowed herself to be seated on the couch, next to the bear. “It was an

interesting couple of days. We got to see a few of the parks, and I got to see my

first bidding war.”

“Uh huh.” Colleen still studied her. “You two spend a lot of time

together?”

Kerry knew where this was going, and she sighed inwardly. “Just about

every minute, yes.” She finally looked back up at Colleen. “And I had a really

good time. We actually got kind of friendly.”

A faint smile edged Colleen’s lips. “Kind of?” She put a hand on Kerry’s

arm and rubbed it. “I’m thinking it’s a little more than that, kiddo.”

Kerry felt a deep blush rising and she paused, trying to find words to

refute what Colleen was suggesting. She knew there were none, not really, not

unless she wanted to lie to her friend. So she shrugged a little at her. “We both

had a good time, Colleen. We found out we like…spending time together.

That’s all there is, really. I mean…Jesus, she’s my boss, remember?” She felt a

little defensive. “It was just, I don’t know, things kind of clicked between us.

She’s really a lot of fun when she lets all those prickles down, and…and, damn

it, I like her.”

“Shhh. Okay, okay.” Colleen patted her arm. “I believe you, Ker. Take it

easy. If anything, it shows just how perceptive you have to have been. I

wouldn’t have guessed she had a nice bone in her body.”

“Well, she does.” Kerry’s brow puckered. “You have to dig for it, and she

doesn’t give it up easily, but it’s there.” She glanced up. “Hey, you’re going to

be at the Global Day tomorrow, right?”

Colleen nodded. “Yeppers. About two dozen of us’ll be there. Why?”

Kerry nodded. “Dar’s going to be there from our group. I’ll introduce

you. You’ll see, Colleen, she’s not that bad, honest.” Unconsciously, she

reached out with one hand and stroked the bear.

Colleen gave her a look. “All right, I’ll take your word for it.” She shifted

her gaze to the huge stuffed animal. “I can’t argue with this.” She could sense

Kerry was still uncomfortable discussing her new friend, though, so she

changed the subject. “Did your folks calm down any?”

Kerry was grateful for the shift in focus, even though it was a depressing

one. “God, no. They’re making plans for me to come home. I’ve got to try and

think of a way to get them to back off, before I end up in ruffles attending

some rubber-chicken banquet in Michigan.”

“Mmm. So, what else did you get?” Colleen resolutely pushed her

worries out of her mind. “I see bags.”

The blonde woman smiled. “Oh god, wait. I brought you back some of

the best chocolate. Here.” She dug out her large-handled bag and began

showing off her purchases. “Try this fudge.”

“Mmm.” Colleen nibbled appreciatively as she peered at the brochures

her friend had brought back. She held up the picture of the Grand Floridian.

“Is this where you stayed?” “Wow. Must be niiiicce.”

“Oh yeah.” Kerry grinned. “They had the best banana-stuffed French

toast for breakfast…and a really nice view.”

“French toast, huh?” The redhead chuckled. “So you guys didn’t do the

218 Melissa Good

bread and water thing, that’s good. Did you share a room?” Artfully put, she

thought, with an inward smirk.

“Nope and nope,” Kerry replied cheerfully. “I ate like a pig, I’m ashamed

to admit, and I enjoyed every minute of it. We managed to get to Epcot during

the International Food Festival. It was great.” She patted her stomach. “But

with all the damn walking and everything, I don’t think I did too much

damage—it was worth it, though. I had a really great time, even with

worrying about the bid and all.”

Colleen studied her as she dug into her packages. Smiling and interested,

her sun-tinted skin evident in the lamplight, Kerry looked like she’d just come

back from a vacation, not a business meeting. The redhead smiled to herself.

“Well, you look great. Got some sun, huh?”

Kerry nodded distractedly. “We spent six or seven hours at Blizzard

Beach. I got sunburned like crazy, even though I wore screen, but it was great.

Those slides are fantastic.” She pulled out a bag. “I got you a T-shirt.”

“Ho-ho,” Colleen laughed, holding it up. “I like it. He looks good in a

tartan.” It was a bold Mickey, dressed in green Scottish garb and carrying

bagpipes. “Blizzard Beach huh? So, how’s your boss look in a bathing suit

then, eh?”

“Gorgeous,” Kerry answered without thinking. “She’s got a body to die

f—” She stopped awkwardly, realizing what she was saying, and gave Colleen

a gently accusing look. “Col…”

Her friend smiled and patted her cheek. “Never you worry, lassie, it’s

clear as a bell to me you’re head over heels. And if you’re happy, I’m happy

for you, okay?”

“I am not…” Kerry burst into a protest, “…any such thing.” Her voice

trailed off, and she sighed. “Oh my god, is it that obvious?” Her shoulders

slumped.

“Hey, hey.” Colleen laughed and put an arm around her. “I think it was

the fact that your face lights up every time you say her name that clued me in,

but don’t worry, kiddo. If it’s any consolation to ya, I think you’ve got great

taste. I can’t say I like her methods, but she’s one hot-looking lady.”

Kerry folded her arms across her chest. It felt good to stop dissembling.

“I feel like such an idiot, Col. I thought I was too old for crushes. It’s

embarrassing,” she admitted ruefully. “But, yeah. She smiles and my damn

blood pressure skyrockets…and I start stuttering like some kind of star struck

teenager.” She shook her head with a sigh. “I’ll get over it, but it’s driving me

a little crazy.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Colleen patted her knee. “How does she feel about it?”

Kerry stared at her. “Who, Dar? Oh, Jesus, Colleen, she doesn’t know

anything about it. I mean, she’s my boss, for Christ’s sake. She likes me, sure,

and she thinks I’m a good employee, but that’s it.”

Colleen plucked at the bear’s arm and raised an eyebrow. “You sure

about that?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Kerry insisted. “We just get along well, that’s all.”

The redhead leaned over and sniffed at the bear’s fur. “That her

perfume?” A half teasing, half sultry note had entered her voice.

“Uh…” Kerry exhaled. “Yeah.”

Tropical Storm 219

“Nice,” Colleen complimented it. “Okay, well, I’m really looking forward

to meeting her tomorrow then.” Her eyes twinkled.

Kerry grabbed her arm and a fierce note enter her voice. “You’re not

going to say anything to her. Colleen, I’m warning you…”

A hand lifted. “Not a word, I swear it,” the redhead promised solemnly.

“Well, let me let you get some sleep. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.” She

rose and ruffled Kerry’s hair. “Sweet dreams, my friend.”

Yeah. Kerry watched her leave, then she leaned against Pooh, letting out a

long sigh. She considered a moment, then picked up the cordless phone lying

on the table and dialed a number which was now ingrained in her memory.

An unusual five rings sounded before it was picked up. “Um. Hi. Listen, I

know it’s late, but I…”

“Hey, no, I’m glad you called. I fell asleep on the damn couch.” Dar’s

voice sounded a little blurry. “What’s up?”

“Um. Thanks for Pooh,” Kerry said softly. “You didn’t have to do that.”

A chuckle sounded, sending gentle shivers down her spine.

“I don’t recall signing the card,” Dar replied in playful tone. “But you’re

welcome. I thought you deserved a little memento of the successful bid.”

She paused, and Kerry could hear her clear her throat a little.

“And…um, that was an insane thing to do, but thank you for the

dolphins. I love…them.”

Kerry blushed a deep, brick red. At a loss for words, she stammered

softly. “Y-you’re welcome.” She could almost feel the smile on Dar’s face, as it

faintly changed the tone of her voice when she spoke.

“It was the best Boss’s Day ever, you can be sure of that,” Dar assured

her. “Hey, you there?”

“Uh, yes. Sorry. I’m really glad it was.” Kerry managed to get her tongue

untied. “Well, you must be tired. Um. See you tomorrow?”

“Uh huh,” Dar agreed. “See you tomorrow. ’Night, Kerry.”

“ ’Night,” Kerry said softly as the line went dead. She could feel a deep

welling of emotion going through her, and she put down the phone and

hugged the bear to her, burying her face into its fur with helpless fierceness.

After a long moment, she stood, changed into her nightshirt, then turned out

the lights and went to bed, bringing the happy-looking Pooh right along with

her.

Chapter

Eighteen

KERRY WOKE UP late and didn’t even have time to get coffee before she

ran out of the apartment and bolted north to the school, arriving with just

minutes to spare and signing in with the work coordinator. It was eight AM,

and they were due to start shortly, but the company always felt that it needed

to make sure its volunteers weren’t starving to death beforehand. Kerry

looked around her at the dull concrete building and the crowd of T-shirted

workers milling about, munching on bananas and bagels and drinking orange

juice. She grabbed some juice and a bagel, and took a deep breath of the cool,

crisp morning air, brought on by a mild cold front that had rolled through the

previous evening.

“Hey, Kerry!” Susan trotted up. “Nice sunburn.”

Kerry laughed and tugged on her T-shirt. She had it tucked into a pair of

older jeans and was wearing her hiking boots. “Yeah, I was in Orlando the

past few days. Got a chance to get out into the sun for a while.” She glanced at

Susan. “How are you doing? I hear you’re heading up the new programming

project.”

Susan nodded her head, her silvered chestnut hair dancing in the light.

“Yep, it’s actually pretty cool. I’m really enjoying it, nice programming

environment, and they got me a killer developmental machine—a dual

processor Pentium.”

“Ooo, listen to the geekazoid.” Ray came up on the other side and rubbed

Kerry’s arm. “Vaya, chica. What’s up with the pinky stuff?” He stepped back

and looked at her. “Have you been on vacation already? You look great.”

Kerry rolled her eyes. “No, for the hundredth time already, I was at a

meeting in Orlando the past couple of days. I just got a few hours off, that’s

all.” She put her hands on her hips. “Not like you guys would get your faces

out of your screens long enough to go to the beach yourselves, I noticed.”

“Well, we’re not all snooty executives,” Ray teased. “So how is El

Chupa?”

“Yeah, has she made you eat any raw meat yet?” Susan added with a

grin. “I heard yesterday that she hides small children in her office closet for

afternoon snacks.”

Kerry didn’t smile. “She’s fine. Actually, you’ll get to see for yourselves.

She’s supposed to be here today.”

“What?” Susan snorted in disbelief. “You’re joking, right? El high and

mighty power suit doing grunt work?”

“Nah, she’ll show up and tell everyone what to do, I betcha.” Ray

Tropical Storm 221

laughed. “I can see it, in those spike heels, too.”

Kerry glanced over his shoulder and let a grin edge her lips. “Um, not

quite.” She watched as the Lexus pulled to a quiet halt, and the door opened,

allowing Dar to emerge into the sunlight.

“Huh?” Susan followed her glance and fell silent. So did Ray.

By some weird coincidence, the executive had chosen to wear almost a

carbon copy of what Kerry had on. Her company-issued T-shirt was tucked

neatly into faded blue jeans, and she wore practical work boots not unlike the

ones the blonde woman was sporting. The sleeves on the shirt were rolled up,

exposing her toned arms, and she’d tied her hair back into a loose tail. Her

pale blue eyes stood out against her tanned skin, and she had a watchful,

guarded look on her face. Until her eyes met Kerry’s, and then a quick grin lit

up her visage and just as quickly disappeared. She went to the work

coordinator and quietly gave her name.

“Huh,” Susan muttered, obviously surprised.

“Mamacita. She’s buff!” Ray whispered to Kerry. “And she’s young!”

“Hey, is that the Popsicle Lady?” Colleen had come up on the other side

and poked Kerry. “Certainly looks different than I remember her.”

“Be nice, guys.” Kerry tore her eyes from the dark-haired woman with

some effort. “She’s my boss, remember, okay?” She was aware of Dar’s

moving closer, and she lifted her gaze to greet the older woman with a smile.

“Hey.”

Dar had reached them, and she gave the group a civilized nod before she

let her eyes meet Kerry’s. “Morning.”

Kerry smiled in reflex. “It sure is that. Dar, this is…”

“Susan Barnes, Ray Ramirez, and Colleen McPherson,” Dar interrupted

quietly, giving Susan and Ray a polite nod and inclining her head towards

Colleen. “You’re at Barnett, correct?”

They all blinked and Colleen looked uncharacteristically rattled. “Um,

yeah. I don’t think we’ve met, but I’ve seen you at the bank once or twice.”

“Over the tape stream incident,” Dar replied crisply. “I remember.” She

turned to Susan and Ray who were frankly gawking at her. “I don’t believe

we’ve spoken since you transitioned, but I hear things are settling down

there.”

“Everything’s all right, yes,” Ray answered a little stiffly.

A faint, wry expression crossed Dar’s face and she backed off a step.

“Well, I’ve got some painting to do.” She gave Kerry a nod and a ghost of a

wink before she turned and headed for the small group of people assigned to

help paint the side of the building. “Later, Kerry,” she called over her

shoulder, giving her a casual wave.

“Well, color me plaid,” Colleen blurted, giving Kerry a look. “I surely

didn’t expect her to remember me, that’s a fact.”

Kerry watched the tall figure walking away, her snug jeans and T-shirt

showing off her lithely muscular body to admirably good effect. “She does a

lot of amazing things,” she said. “She’s certainly surprised me these last few

weeks.”

Susan let out a low whistle. “I don’t remember her being that…um, she’s

different than I remember,” the programmer muttered.

222 Melissa Good

“Me, too. She sure looks different in that than she did in a suit,” Colleen

agreed. She looked at Kerry, who was regarding the grass thoughtfully. “Well,

we’re the garbage detail, right?” She handed around bags. “Let’s break up—

you guys want to get that side of the yard, and we’ll get this side?”

“Sure.” Susan shook her bag open. “Let’s see who finishes first.”

Kerry let her body work mechanically as she and Colleen scoured the

schoolyard, picking up cans, bottles, and other, more sinister debris. Her mind

roamed all over, but chiefly settled on the tall figure perched on a ladder, one

leg swung over the top as she neatly covered part of a wall with a color most

kindly called puke green. Quite a few people were painting, but to Kerry’s

eyes, no one could come close to Dar’s casual grace with a paintbrush, and the

easy balance she had on the ladder was obvious.

“Why do they pick such a disgusting color for a school?” she commented

to Colleen.

“Well, it wasn’t that upchuck brown or Pepto Bismol pink, so I guess we

should consider ourselves lucky,” Colleen replied, watching Kerry’s eyes with

a quickly stifled grin. “You stuck on the paint or the painter?” Kerry scowled

at her and went back to her trash picking in silence. “Just kidding, Ker,” her

friend apologized. “If it’s any consolation, you’re not the only one looking.”

Huh? Kerry glanced around furtively, and realized Colleen had a point.

More than one set of eyes were fastened on that tall, lanky figure and she

experienced an odd spurt of relief and resentment so strong it nearly made her

sneeze. She rubbed her nose in irritation. “Jesus. I think I’m coming down

with something.”

Colleen picked up a crushed can and dropped it into Kerry’s bag.

“Nothing a nice tall glass of Florida juice wouldn’t cure, I’m guessing.” She

patted Kerry on the hip and continued searching, leaving her friend to stand

sputtering in the sun.

They worked all morning, finishing up the garbage detail and moving to

work inside the building, peeling old posters off the walls and removing

broken furniture from classrooms that had seen hard use. Many of the desks

had gang slogans carved into them, and Kerry found herself shaking her head

as she traced the many angry statements written in rough letters in the aged

wood. “Jesus.” She exhaled. “What are we teaching these kids here? The worst

thing I remember seeing when I was in school was rhymes about underpants.”

She was working so hard she barely heard the call for lunch until Ray

came trotting in, his hair held back with a bright red bandana to get her. “Hey,

chica, lunch time.”

“Oh, sorry.” Kerry put down her bag and dusted off her hands, pulling

her shirt away from her body as she followed him outside to catch some air. It

was warm, and the newly cut grass over which they were walking smelled

pungent and green in the sun; she was glad she’d remembered to cover her

recent sunburn with lotion.

The other workers were gathering under a spreading tree where tables

had been set up, and pizza was being distributed along with cans of soda. She

tagged along after Ray and joined Colleen and Susan as they picked up their

slices, then glanced around for a cool spot to sit down in. Trees scattered in

isolated oases of shade across the grass, and Kerry spotted a familiar,

Tropical Storm 223

conspicuously lone figure reclining underneath one of them. Everyone was

just as conspicuously avoiding her, so Kerry bowed to her inner desires and

knew where she was going to head. She poked Colleen. “C’mon, I’m going to

go keep my boss company, since no one else here wants to.”

To her credit, Colleen neither rolled her eyes nor chuckled. She merely

nodded agreeably and started towards the tree with Kerry, sipping from her

can of Sprite as she walked. Susan and Ray hesitated, then sighed, and

followed along, giving Dar wary looks as they closed in on the tree.

The executive was chewing her pizza slowly and gave them a moderately

welcoming look in return as they came closer, before letting her attention turn

to Kerry. “How’d the cleanup go?” She let her gaze travel up the blonde

woman’s body until twin blue eyes reached her face and their eyes met.

Her attention thus distracted, Kerry almost tripped on a root. “Um…”

She recovered and took a seat in the grass next to her boss. “Pretty good, I

guess. How’s the painting coming along?”

“Haven’t fallen off the ladder yet,” Dar remarked, leaning on one elbow

and extending her long legs. “I’m sure everyone’s disappointed.”

“Tch.” Kerry frowned. “No one wants to see you fall off a ladder, Dar.

You could break a leg!”

Dar gave her a droll look and took a bite of her pizza. “You obviously

don’t know your co-workers as well as I do.” She cocked an eyebrow at the

Associated folks. “Present company excepted, of course.”

They settled in a circle around her and started eating in silence, until

Susan, giving the others a furtive look, started a technical discussion, getting

into programming concepts with Dar that were beyond the other three.

Kerry let out a tiny sigh of relief and reminded herself to thank Susan

later. The atmosphere had definitely been getting stilted, and she felt herself

losing patience with both the wary dislike coming from her friends and the icy

reserve of her boss.

Dar had spatters of paint up and down her long frame, and a spot of it

was above her right eyebrow. Kerry found herself having a very rough time

not reaching over to wipe it off. Instead, she sighed and settled herself again,

her back just touching the edges of Dar’s pants legs. She concentrated on her

pizza, picking off the pepperoni and chewing it before she took a bite from the

small part of the slice, then almost choking on it as she felt a gentle nudge

against her back. She stopped chewing, then felt it again, and darted a glance

at the reclining Dar.

“No, that wouldn’t make sense,” Dar’s low voice was saying. “They’d

have to modularize it.” Then for just a second, those blue eyes wandered

casually over and met hers, and a tiny glint appeared.

“I don’t know,” Susan replied. “They want to do it as one huge

executable. I think they’re crazy.”

“We’re going to get more pizza. You want some?” Colleen asked as she

and Ray got up. Her offer went to everyone, and she even shyly glanced at

Dar. The executive gave her a smile. “No thanks, none for me.”

“I’ll go, too.” Susan got up and joined them. “Be right back.”

They trooped off, leaving Dar and Kerry alone under the tree. A soft

224 Melissa Good

breeze came through, blowing the green grass around them and rustling the

leaves overhead. Kerry finally gave in to her desires and reached over,

rubbing the paint off Dar’s eyebrow. “Jesus, you look like a demented

Dalmatian.”

Dar grinned sardonically. “I did it on purpose. I thought it might break

the ice with your buddies. Y’know I’ve been in boardrooms during a hostile

takeover that were friendlier.”

Kerry sighed. “Sorry.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Dar chuckled. “I’m used to it, believe me.”

She picked off a piece of sausage and nibbled it. “Besides, it’s a worthy cause.

This place is a mess.”

Kerry glanced over to where her friends were headed back. “Yeah, I

know. It scares me, how filled with hate these kids are.” She smiled as Ray sat

back down. “I see they’re switching to vegetables now.”

“Uh huh.” he agreed cheerfully as Colleen and Susan also sat down,

giving both Dar and Kerry brief smiles.

Uh oh. Kerry sensed collusion.

“So, we were thinking of going over to the Pelican after this and grabbing

some dinner,” Susan announced. “You guys want to join us?” Her eyes went

to Dar first, then to Kerry, and she made it clear the invitation was to both of

them.

Dar’s dark eyebrow crawled up into her hairline. She took a quick look at

Kerry’s face, the blank startlement there confirming her suspicion that this

was an unplanned event. Tactically, she had no idea what the group was up

to, but she had every intention of spending the evening with Kerry regardless.

“Sure,” she replied casually, getting a quick side glance from the blonde

woman.

“That sounds fun,” Kerry agreed hastily, wondering what in the world

her friends were up to. She looked up as the work supervisor started calling

out their names and realized the short lunch break was over. “Back to work, I

guess.”

Dar got smoothly to her feet and balled up her napkin and cup. “Later.”

She strode off with a jaunty hitch of her jeans, leaving the rest of them to

scramble up and follow her.

Kerry let the others move ahead, and then she was free to grab Colleen

and pull her behind a tree. “What in the hell was that about?”

Colleen gave her a startled look. “What was what? It was a dinner

invitation, Kerry. Jesus, would you relax?” She shook herself free from the

blonde woman’s grasp. “We were just talking, saying how maybe you were

right. Maybe we need to give the woman a chance. So, we decided that asking

her to have dinner with us was at least a step in that direction. What did you

think this was?”

Kerry dropped her gaze, and rubbed her temples. “I-I’m sorry, Col. I…”

“Hey.” The redhead stroked her arm, giving her a concerned look.

“Listen, if this is too much for you, we’ll forget it, okay? I didn’t mean to freak

you out.”

Kerry got ahold of herself. “No, no, it’s okay. I just…I guess I feel so self-

conscious around you guys because all I hear is Popsicle lady this, and

Tropical Storm 225

Chupacabra that, and I just don’t…I just want to scream at you, because god-

damn it, she’s not like that.”

“Whoa. Whoa.” Colleen glanced around, then took Kerry by the

shoulders and gently pushed her back against the tree. “Take it easy. We

didn’t know, okay? All we had to go on is what we hear at work, and what

everyone else says. You obviously know more about her than we do. I’m

sorry, I didn’t know that stuff was getting to you.”

Kerry took a deep breath. “I guess I didn’t know it either,” she admitted.

“I’m not sure what’s with me today. Maybe I’m PMS’ing or something.” She

gave the redhead an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

Colleen dropped her hands, a relieved look on her face. “Okay, so we’re

still on? I think it’ll be fun. At least if you can give me an idea of something to

talk to the damn woman about. Jesus, Kerry, she’s so intense.”

“Yeah.” Kerry started walking towards the school building. “I know.

Um… Well, she likes the ocean, she scuba dives, and she’s been to most of the

reefs and stuff around here. You could ask her about that.”

“She likes you,” Colleen said, unexpectedly. “But I don’t think we’ll be

asking her about that tonight.”

Kerry stopped and glanced around, feeling the blood flush her face.

“C’mon, Col, lay off that, will you? We’re just friends,” she muttered. “She

doesn’t…”

“Kerry.” Colleen put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “I’ve got no

clue if this is a good or a bad thing for you, girl, but don’t sell yourself short in

those blue icicle eyes of hers, okay? There’s something cooking in there.”

Kerry shook her head. “Col, you’re wrong,” she stated decisively. “It’s

not what you think. We just clicked as friends, and that’s it.”

“You really believe that?” Colleen asked with a quizzical expression.

Do I? Kerry was briefly silent, then she just shrugged.

The red-haired woman dropped her hands and smiled, shaking her head.

“Whatever you say, lassie.” She gestured for Kerry to precede her. “After

you.”

Kerry sighed and shook her head as well, heading off over the grass

towards where the work groups were reassembling. She peeked furtively

over at the painting section, spotting Dar back up on her ladder. Her boss was

just sitting there though, and she realized she was being watched as she

walked across the open space.

“Hey, Kerry.”

Kerry turned her head to find the Marketing Admin, Mary Evers,

catching up with her. “Oh, hi.”

“We’ve got a bet on,” the woman said. “Did you talk Dar into showing

up?”

Kerry was aware of Colleen’s cocked ears. “Me?” She didn’t have to

dissemble. “No, why? She said it was her turn this year or something.”

Mary laughed. “Oh, Kerry, you have no clue. Dar’s been in the company

for fifteen years, and she never does this stuff. She told someone last year

she’d have to be drugged senseless to spend time with people she works with

on the weekend,” she said. “So we figured, I’ve got money on it, that you

talked her into it. Tell the truth, did you?”

226 Melissa Good

Kerry looked past the woman’s shoulders and right into Dar’s watching

eyes. She saw the smile form and felt her lips moving in response and her

perceptions shifted subtly as she acknowledged the connection, whatever it

was, between them. “Honestly, I didn’t talk her into this,” she repeated. “Why

don’t you ask her why she’s here?”

Mary lifted both hands. “No thanks!” She backed away. “Oh well,

thought I’d pick up a few easy bucks. Take care, Kerry. See you later.”

Kerry continued walking, keeping her eyes on the ground in front of her

as she kicked thoughtfully at the grass.

THE RUSTY PELICAN sat on an outthrust bit of land, on the seaward

side of one of the small Keys that led out to Key Biscayne. The twilight was

just settling, lighting the western side of the wooden building in shades of

burnished, deep red. The restaurant was a two-level wood building, with

rustic decorations including fishing nets and old oars, and came complete

with creaking floorboards which held a deep scent of the sea locked in their

salt-encrusted pores.

Dar mounted the steps and took a breath of the air, then smiled as she

held the door for Kerry. “They look pretty busy,” she noted. “Glad we

carpooled.” She let her eyes briefly scan the interior, which held scattered

clusters of waiting patrons.

“Me, too.” Kerry stifled a yawn. “Glad we got a chance to use those

school showers, too. Boy, I was grungy.”

“Mmm.” Dar muffled a grin. “Next community project should get them

new shower curtains.”

Kerry frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind.” Dar indicated the interior. “After you?”

“It’s nice out here,” Kerry said softly as she passed in front of the taller

woman. “I like the park on the other island.”

“So do I,” Dar agreed. “Maybe we can stop out there afterward.”

Kerry felt a quiet thrill at the words. “Sure, I’d like that.” She grinned,

then entered the building, spotting her friends immediately. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey.” Colleen and the rest were standing near the seating station,

looking at a tank full of fish. “Ready? I’m hungry enough to eat one of those

little beauties raw.”

The hostess led them to a round table. Colleen, Ray and Susan took seats

beside one another, and that left the two seats on the far side of the table.

Kerry took one, and Dar took the other. “I think I definitely need a beer.” She

glanced at the waitress. “Got something amber on tap?”

“Make it two,” Susan agreed. “Ray?”

“Mojito, por favor.” Ray gave the waitress a charming smile. “Lots of mint,

okay?”

“Vodka and cranberry for me,” Colleen added.

The waitress scribbled, then looked up at Dar with an inquiring

expression.

Dar debated asking for milk, then conceded to the occasion. “Whatever

she’s having.” She indicated Kerry. The woman nodded and disappeared,

Tropical Storm 227

leaving them all looking at each other in a somewhat awkward silence. Susan

peered out the window. Ray played with his napkin. Colleen studied the

menu. Dar sighed, then recalled that she was capable of holding her own in

hostile boardrooms. “Did you all know you’re sitting in the Bermuda

Triangle?” she inquired casually.

That broke the ice, big time. Kerry turned to her. “You’re joking.”

The executive shook her head solemnly. “Nope. This is the western edge.

It hits here and scrapes along Key Biscayne. You are, indeed, at this moment,

inside the Bermuda Triangle.”

“Dios mío!” Ray yelped, looking behind him as though expecting ghostly

aviators to float through the window. “I knew it. I felt…so strange…coming

out here. I knew it.”

“Damn.” Susan laughed. “I know the weather out here is weird; I never

realized it was part of the Triangle, though.”

“It’s a microclimate.” Dar spoke knowledgeably, regarding her interlaced

fingers. “Because of the pressure ridges over the coast, it rains a lot less, and

the humidity content is much different than the mainland. You can see it in

the foliage here, too.”

“You lived here all your life?” Susan asked, her reserve broken as she

rested her chin on her hand, peering at Dar with interest.

“On and off,” Dar replied. “I did a study of the ecology when I was at the

university down here. I spent a lot of time at RSMAS.” She cleared her throat.

“It’s interesting if you go out to the tip of the Key, where the state park was.

You know Andrew wiped that entire Australian pine forest off, and they let it

grow back up as natural vegetation. You can’t recognize it anymore.”

“Wow. Yeah, I know.” Susan leaned forward. “I used to go out there and

picnic. After the hurricane, I went out and almost cried. Then they told me

that entire forest was really parasite trees, imported, and they were going to

burn out the remnants. I was pretty pissed off until someone explained what

the Australian Pine was doing.”

The tension relaxed and the chatting went on, diverging to discussions on

various shellfish which were on the menu. Kerry felt the knot in her stomach

relax and she started to enjoy herself, trading jokes with Colleen and ordering

a lobster in defiance of Susan’s protestations that sea roaches were just

disgusting. Dar, she noticed, had ordered a mixed platter, and the executive

was talking reefs with Susan, who had done a one-day diving workshop when

she’d gone to Bermuda the preceding year.

Okay, this isn’t so bad, she thought happily. I should have known Dar could

handle these guys. Silly me. She leaned forward, her knee pressing against Dar’s,

and held her breath until it became obvious to her that Dar had no intention of

moving away. It felt nice. She smiled, then her eyes widened as their dinner

arrived and she was faced with a large, pugnacious-looking lobster, staring at

her with baleful, beady black eyes. “Oh, gosh.” Everyone laughed, and she

picked up the nutcrackers the waiter handed her, peering at the large animal

uncertainly. “Good grief. Why did I order this again?”

“You saw it under the water?” Dar muffled a smile.

“I’m sure I saw a flounder under the water, too.” Kerry poked the

lobster. “Oh, my god, it’s looking at me.”

228 Melissa Good

“Hah. Told you the sea roach would be too much for you!” Susan crowed,

pointing her fork at Kerry. “You better order something else.”

“No, no, I can do this,” Kerry objected, poking at the shell with the little

bitty fork they’d given her. “Somehow.” She scowled at the red object, who

scowled back. “Why do they leave the shell on?”

“So you can get exercise with your meal.” Dar reached over and covered

Kerry’s hand with her own. “Give me that.” The executive took the nutcracker

out of her hand. “C’mere.” Dar picked up a claw and put the cracker around

it, closing her hand and breaking it efficiently. “See?” She held up the claw,

with the pink lobster meat peeking out of it.

“Ah.” Kerry took it from her, and examined it. “Okay, I gotcha.”

“Good.” Dar handed her the cracker and went back to her own plate.

Kerry nibbled the lobster. “Mmm.” She glanced up at the watching faces,

startled to see quiet, knowing smiles there. “I usually stick to shrimp,” she

explained sheepishly, giving them puzzled looks as they exchanged glances

and started their own dinners. Wonder what that was all about? she mused, then

shrugged, and went to work on her stubborn lobster.

IT WAS LATE by the time they finished dinner and left the others with a

cordial set of good-byes. Kerry was happy. They’d had a good time, and so,

she thought, had Dar. She glanced at her boss as they got into the Lexus, and

she settled into the leather seat with a groan. “Oh god, I think I’m going to

explode.”

“That’s all right, leather cleans up,” Dar blithely replied. After a slightly

awkward pause, she asked, “You, um, still up for a walk on the beach?”

“Moon’s out. Looks pretty nice for it.”

Kerry peeked out the front window and spotted the round, golden orb.

“Wow,” she murmured. “Yeah, that’s pretty. I’d love to go look at it for a

while.” Her eyes shifted to Dar’s waiting profile. “A walk sounds great,

especially after that dessert.”

“All right, then, let’s go.” Dar put the Lexus into gear and pulled forward

through the parking row, turning left out of the lot while the rest of their

group went to the right. “I like that place. Food’s pretty good.”

“Once I figured out how to use the can opener, yeah.” Kerry leaned back.

“Key lime pie, what an odd combination of sweet and sour that is.”

Dar chuckled. “Some people say it’s just a reflection of what South

Florida is—a lot of sour with a little sweet on top just to fool you.”

Kerry thought about that. “I don’t know. It was kind of refreshing. I think

I liked it,” she decided, watching the softly blowing palm fronds go by as Dar

drove over the last causeway and pulled into a familiar parking lot. “This is

ironic,” she commented as they got out and let the cool sea breeze hit them.

“This is where I went that night.”

Dar leaned on the hood of the car, watching her. “The night we ended up

at my office?”

Kerry leaned on the other side. “The night you saved my life,” she

replied, quietly serious, “and then changed it.”

Dar wasn’t really sure what to say to that. She straightened up and

Tropical Storm 229

walked around to the front of the car, sliding her hands into the pockets of her

jeans. “That was quite a night, huh?” she eventually muttered as they walked

together through the lot and towards the soft roar of the sea.

“Sure was.”

The boardwalk was relatively quiet and echoed their footsteps as they left

the lights of the parking lot behind and approached the softly sighing

shoreline. The moon tracked along with them, lighting a rippling pathway

across the water, leading up onto the beach. Kerry felt the onshore wind brush

back her hair, and she welcomed the full moon’s reflection across the endless

length of the water before them. Far out on the horizon, a buoy winked as it

bobbed back and forth, and faintly, on the wind, Kerry could hear music

coming from the hotels down the shore south of them.

It‘s pretty, she thought as they paused and perched on the railing of the

boardwalk, listening to the waves. The moonlight reflected off Dar’s hair, and

made her pale eyes colorless, but Kerry had no trouble conjuring up what they

looked like as she glanced up into Dar’s quiet face.

She could feel the slow beat of her heart, the rhythm picking up as Dar’s

gaze left the horizon and tracked to hers, and the lips curved into a smile.

Dar’s voice broke the stillness in a quiet rumble.

“Nice night.”

“Mmm. It is, yes,” Kerry reveled in the currents she could feel running

between them. “Thanks for taking them up on the invite. That worked out

better than I thought it would.”

Dar slid off the railing and leaned back against it, so that their heads were

almost on a level. “Wasn’t bad.” She grinned. “I got them with the Bermuda

Triangle thing.” She studied Kerry’s profile, outlined in the moonlight.

Kerry smiled back. “You sure did. Is that true?”

“Oh yeah,” Dar assured her, turning around and pointing. “You’re

standing in it right now, in fact.”

The turn had put her shoulder right up against Kerry’s thigh, and it was

too much for Kerry not to let her hand drop to rest against the smooth back,

feeling the warmth through the cotton of Dar’s shirt. Dar didn’t move. She just

continued to look out over the water, but Kerry could see the muscles in her

jaw clench a little, then her throat worked as she swallowed. The blonde

woman’s fingers stirred of their own accord, tracing a gentle pattern casually.

The dark head turned very slowly, until those blue eyes were looking right at

her. Looking right through her, and she felt it in her guts as her knees started

to shake a little. “Dar?”

“Mmm?”

A faint, playful smile was starting, plucking chords in her deeper than

anything in her life ever had. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Kerry knew it was her voice, but she had no idea where the words were

coming from, and she felt her heart start to pound. A shifting of muscle, a

sliding of shadows and light as Dar straightened up, moving closer until

Kerry could feel the warmth of her, then a gentle touch on her face brought

her eyes up as the taller woman tilted her chin and studied her intently. Kerry

felt soft cotton under her hands as she slid them up against Dar’s body,

wanting the contact as Dar ducked her head gracefully and she felt lips brush

230 Melissa Good

hers. Light as a feather, then again, as solid contact, lingering and powerful,

lasting long enough for her soul to recognize something in her very deep.

Then Dar was pulling back, and she had to focus on those eyes again.

“Does that answer your question?” Dar asked, very softly, her breath

warming Kerry’s face.

Breathing had never seemed so difficult before, but Kerry somehow

managed to pull enough air into her lungs to speak an audible “Yes.” She

opened her mouth to say more, but found a finger against her lips.

“Slow.” Dar breathed. “Easy, I wasn’t really expecting this, and I don’t

think you were either.”

Kerry felt like she was drowning. Every inch of her skin was tingling and

she leaned against Dar’s touch, almost deaf from the thunder of her own

heartbeat. She felt like laughing and crying, all at once, and she knew Dar was

right—this was way too powerful. They both needed time to think and react.

But her body was craving something she knew she wasn’t capable of denying

it any longer. “C-ca…can I…” she stammered softly, moving closer, her hands

moving slowly and timidly against the cotton of Dar’s shirt. The taller

woman’s arms closed around her, and as their bodies made contact, a warm,

familiar wave flowed over her.

Kerry let herself settle into place, tucking her head down against Dar’s

shoulder, and burying her face into the taller woman’s shirt, as she felt Dar’s

chin rest on the top of her head. It was an explosion of feeling…a deep, aching

familiarity that brought tears to her eyes so quickly she couldn’t stop them.

“Oh god,” She gasped softly, feeling Dar’s breathing catch under her ear . It’s

been so long.

Dar had no idea what to do with the barrage of emotion hammering her

from every side. She’d had no intention of taking this to where she had, no

intention of shattering these particular barriers and crossing that line they’d

both been balancing on for the past few days. But once Kerry had touched her,

as soon as she’d felt that familiar weight against her back she knew her future

had slipped out of her grasp. And now…

It was her dream realized. She could feel it—the same warmth, the same

feeling the sunlight had shaken her out of the previous morning. Nothing else

mattered. She was lost. Or maybe she was found.

She tightened her hold and tipped her head back, regarding the stars.

Letting the moon’s silver light baptize them as the other half of her soul came

sliding home. At last.

DAR HAD NO idea how long they stood there. It was a long time,

though, long enough for the tears to dry on Kerry’s face, and long enough for

their bodies to become used to each other’s touch. Dar felt a sense of quiet

peace, and she suspected if she stood here long enough, she’d simply fall

asleep in it, standing up and everything.

She thought about what to do next, her hand making idle, gentle circles

on Kerry’s back, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin under the fabric. Finally,

reluctantly, she exhaled and shifted a little, causing Kerry to open her eyes

and look up, with an expression of such perfect trust it was almost

Tropical Storm 231

frightening. They looked at each other for a moment, then Dar smiled. “That

wasn’t planned.”

The blonde smiled back. “No, it certainly wasn’t.”

“Are you all right?”

Kerry considered the question on several levels. “Yes. Are you?”

Dar had to really think about that. “I…yes, I think so,” she murmured in

wonder. “I don’t usually, um…” She found her fingertips tracing the planes of

Kerry’s face. “B-but…” She took her hand away and exhaled. “I don’t know

what came over me.”

Seeing Dar so at a loss was very cute and impossibly endearing. “I don’t

know either, but can we bottle it?” Kerry smiled impishly. She captured Dar’s

hand and felt the fingers curl around hers. “You want to sit down a minute?

There’s a bench near here.”

Dar felt a certain weakness in her knees, and realized it was probably a

good idea. “Sure. Yeah.” She let herself be led over to the bench in question,

and they sat down on it, side by side. “Okay, um…” She laughed a bit,

rubbing her face with one hand. “I guess we know we, um…” Words failed

her again. “Good god, I have no idea what in the hell is wrong with me.”

Kerry leaned her head against the cotton-covered shoulder. “I’m pretty

sure this isn’t covered in the employee handbook.” She patted Dar’s back, and

just left her hand there. “Or maybe it is, and I just haven’t gotten to that

section yet. That thing is huge,” she rambled on a little, hoping it would get

Dar to relax. She paused as a thought occurred to her. The part of the

handbook she had read had covered employee relations, and what was

allowed between employees and their bosses was spelled out very clearly. Or,

more to the point, what wasn’t allowed. “Guess this means I’ve got to start

checking ETIPS, huh?”

“Um…” Dar wrestled with her composure. “Well, technically, yeah, I

guess. But, um, hold it.” She took a deep breath, then released it. “Let’s just…I

finally found a decent assistant. I’m not ready to let you go just yet. Let’s see if

we can keep work, and this…separate.”

“Mmm.” Kerry felt her hand start a gentle circling motion against Dar’s

back. She had no desire to change jobs. Maybe they could just see how things

worked out. Slow, Dar said. Take things slow. “Okay,” she agreed softly. “I

kinda like the boss I have.”

A moment of silence, of waves, of winds stirring the palm leaves. “Your

boss kinda likes you too,” Dar responded softly. “I didn’t expect it to come out

like this.” She hesitated. “I just couldn’t keep it back any more.”

Kerry let out a relieved sigh. “It was getting pretty hard for me, too,” she

admitted shyly. “I thought it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. I

mean—having a crush on your boss; how cliché can you possibly get, right?”

A wry smile answered her, and Dar’s dark brows lifted. “So it wasn’t the

promotion you were after, huh?”

Kerry blushed. “I had no idea what that job was, and I could have cared

less,” she admitted honestly. “Just something about… Oh boy. I couldn’t stop

thinking about you.”

Dar looked down at the wood of the boardwalk. “Likewise.” She looked

back up, and their eyes met. “Thought I was just being, mmm…” She paused

232 Melissa Good

and sighed. “Didn’t think you were my type.”

Kerry covered her face with one hand and chuckled almost soundlessly.

Dar exhaled, unable to prevent a giddy smile from shaping her lips. “Okay.

Well, now that we’ve got that straight, we can proceed accordingly.” She

considered. “Let’s see, we’ve already been trapped in a hurricane, gone

through a carjacking, and slept in the same bed together. I guess we can skip

the obligatory ‘meet in the coffee shop’ date, huh?”

Kerry giggled. “Uh, yeah.” She rubbed her nose. “Let me try this one. Can

I interest you in dinner and a movie tomorrow night?” She glanced down,

then up again. “I’ll cook.”

“As long as it’s not Titanic,” Dar agreed with a smile. “Or anything with

subtitles.”

“Ew.” Kerry winced. “I’m more a Starship Troopers kind of person

myself,” she confessed, a little guiltily.

“Phew.” Dar mock wiped her brow. “That’s a relief.”

They looked at each other quietly. “It felt really good when you hugged

me,” Kerry finally said softly. “I’ve never felt like that before, except maybe in

my dreams.”

Dar gazed at her soberly. “Neither have I.” Hesitantly, she circled Kerry’s

shoulders with her arm, and felt the smaller woman immediately ease against

her. “I like that.” She leaned against the bench’s back and almost stopped

breathing as Kerry laid an arm across her stomach and nestled her head

against Dar’s shoulder. They watched the waves in peace for a while, until

Dar noticed Kerry was struggling to keep her eyes open. “Hey, c’mon. Time to

get you home.”

I am home, a tiny voice insisted as Kerry forced herself to sit up straight,

very reluctantly leaving Dar’s warmth. “Yeah, falling asleep on the beach

sounds nice in stories, but they forget to mention all the sand that gets

everywhere,” she joked as she pushed herself to her feet and held a hand out

to the still-seated Dar.

Sand crunching lightly under their shoes, their hands clasped together,

they walked back up the boardwalk.

Chapter

Nineteen

“MA’AM?” THE VOICE sounded impatient.

Dar’s head jerked up and she blinked at the ferry deckhand, who was

not-so-patiently waiting for her to drive off the ferry. “Sorry.” Dar gave him

an apologetic wave and exited the boat, driving to her condo and parking the

Lexus without really thinking about what she was doing. She got out and

locked the doors, then climbed the steps to the condo and opened the door,

closing it behind her and flicking the lights on with an automatic motion.

Her steps wandered into the kitchen, where she glanced at the terminal,

glad to see there wasn’t any mail waiting, since she had no desire to read any

right now. She mixed herself a large glass of chocolate milk and went into her

bedroom, where she set the glass down while she got out of her jeans and T-

shirt and put on her favorite baseball jersey and flannel shorts.

It felt a little strange, and she glanced down, realizing she’d put them on

backwards. With a soft curse, she pulled them off and pulled them back on the

right way. “Oh boy.” She picked up her glass and wandered back into the

living room, turning on the television and sinking down into the couch,

looking at the screen without really seeing it as she pondered the evening’s

unexpected ending.

Jesus Christ, what in the world just happened to me? It wasn’t supposed to

escalate like this. I was just...she was just…we were… Dar took a long swallow of

milk, comforted by the soothing, familiar taste.

Okay. Okay, okay. Let’s take stock of the situation. We are attracted to each

other. That’s not a surprise. I knew that before. Okay? Okay, she’s attractive, she

thinks I’m attractive, we have similar tastes…she’s smart. It’s really not that

surprising, Dar, so get a grip.

She felt better. A little. But all that rationalization didn’t explain just how

good it had felt to hold Kerry in her arms and how much her body was

craving more of that, so much so that if Kerry had been there, Dar knew she

couldn’t have kept her hands from touching that soft skin, or playing with her

hair or…

Dar slowly lowered her head onto the back of the couch, feeling the cool

surface of the leather become warm against her skin. This was a new feeling

for her. Intense, and somewhat out of control, but warm and sweet and very,

very distracting. She knew she had to get a handle on that, but right now, she

was content to sit and sip her milk, and indulge herself in this emotional

whirlpool.

She was surprised when the phone rang, and she stared at it for a

234 Melissa Good

moment before she hoisted herself to her feet and went to the table, glancing

at the clock as she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Ms. Roberts, this is Mids Ops,” the vaguely nervous voice said. “Um,

you’re on my notify list if we lose anything.”

“Oh yeah? What’d we lose?” Dar asked, curiously.

“Um. Netops,” the voice answered. “They had a fire in the building, and

they had to evac. The fire department won’t let them switch to UPS, so…”

“We’re down,” Dar supplied.

“Um, yes.”

“Completely down,” Dar added. “Everything—the network and the

mainframes.”

“Yes.”

“Guess you can go home then, huh?” the executive commented casually.

“Uh…”

“No sense in your being there if there aren’t any mainframes to

administer. The internal network is on an automatic backup schedule,” Dar

reasoned, “so…go on home.”

“Uh…okay, Ms. Roberts, if you say so.”

“Sure,” Dar reassured him. “Bye.” The line went dead, and she put the

phone down, padding back over to the couch and sitting down, taking a sip of

her milk, letting her mind wander again, daydreaming about sea green eyes

and lightly sun-tinged skin, her imagination hearing the roar of the waves and

the sound of seashells tinkling in their wake.

Then her eyes popped open and she spat milk out over half the table.

“Holy shit!” she barked, jumping back up and grabbing for the phone again.

“Sonofabitch!” She dialed frantically, then waited. “Yeah, on second thought

stick around there. … No, no, it’s my fault. … No. Who else have you

notified? Keep going.” She hung up, then slapped herself on the side of the

head a few times. “Jesus!”

She dove into her briefcase for her contact book and opened it, bringing it

and the phone back to the couch. She dialed a number. “Who is this? Okay,

this is Dar Roberts. … Yes, I know. Who won’t let you cut over to backup?

What’s his name? … Okay, what division is he with? … County or city?

Thanks. What damage did the building take?” She listened for a long moment.

“Did the extinguishers go off?” Another long pause. “Christ! Do we have

backup 3270s?”

As she listened, she booted her laptop and plugged in the network cord

that would connect the machine to the dedicated line dropped into the condo.

“Well, someone better get on the line to Infrastructure in Houston and see if

they have a couple mothballed somewhere.” She hung up, then studied her

screen. System indicators showed red blinking lights everywhere on the top-

level view of the network. “Hell, everything’s down.” People would be

calling; she was surprised they hadn’t already.

How long has this been going on? Did the system forget to page me? Dar

scrabbled for her pager, then realized she wasn’t wearing it. “What in th—”

She paused, eyes unfocused, then cursed softly. “Son of a stupid bitch.” With

her free hand, she dialed the phone, listening for a familiar voice. “Hey.”

“Hey, what’s up?” Kerry sounded a little surprised, but not disappointed

Tropical Storm 235

to hear her voice.

“We’re not. Netops had a fire, and the entire network is down,” Dar told

her with a sigh. “Some idiot in the fire department won’t let them go on

backup.”

“Yikes! You need some help there?”

Dar hesitated. “I’m just going to be yelling at people,” she temporized.

“I can make you hot tea,” Kerry responded readily. “Besides, I don’t

think I can sleep.”

Dar drummed her fingers against her leg. “Um. You know, we’re going to

have to reroute a lot of stuff if I can’t get the fire department to cooperate. I

could use some help in research and identifying available assets.”

Kerry’s voice perked up. “Really?”

Dar gave in and gave up. “Yeah, you can dump into the second ISDN line

here. If you want to, that is.”

“I’ll be right there,” came the immediate assurance.

A smile edged Dar’s lips against her will. “See you soon, then. Bye.” She

took a moment out to call security, then she went back to her searching. She

found the name she was looking for, then glanced up at the TV screen, which

was tuned to, of all things, the Disney channel. “Oh… Beauty and the Beast. I

love those candlesticks.” She pointed cheerfully at it as she dialed the phone.

“Hello, I need to speak with Walter Blakelock. … No, this is business.” A

pause. “I don’t give a goddamn if he’s humping with the mayor’s wife, I need

to talk to him.” Another pause. “Either get him on the phone, or I’ll be calling

his boss out of bed, too. … Thanks, I’ll wait.”

KERRY DIMMED HER lights as she pulled into the underground

parking, slid into place next to Dar’s Lexus, and turned off the Mustang’s

engine. She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror and gave herself a

little lecture. “This is business, Kerrison. You are here because the company is

in crisis, and it’s part of your job,” she told her reflection sternly. “No doe-

eyed looks, no batting of the eyelashes, and no backrubs, got it?”

She exhaled, then cleared her throat and got out of the car, bringing her

laptop case with her. She trotted up the stairs and rang the bell, listening for

and hearing Dar’s low voice in response. “It’s business, it’s business, it’s

business,” she repeated silently, as she pushed open the door and ducked

inside.

Dar was sprawled on the couch in her pajamas, one long, bare, muscular

leg slung over the end of the furniture and her shirt half unbuttoned. Oh well.

So much for that, Kerry sighed, as every single solitary hormone in her entire

body stood up and said, “Hi there!” She managed to give Dar a crisp nod as

she put her case down and got her laptop out. “Hey. Long time no see.”

Dar glanced up and over the back of the couch at her, eyes flicking over

her as a brief grin appeared. “Hope you brought something more comfortable

to change into. It’s gonna be a long night.”

Kerry just managed not to smirk. “Yeah, I feel a little overdressed,” she

agreed as her eyes lingered on Dar's bare legs. “I’ll go fix that.” She took

herself off to the nearby washroom, leaving Dar to her phone call.

236 Melissa Good

Dar’s eyes briefly followed Kerry toward the washroom, and then she

returned her attention to her phone call. “Look, Jim, I don’t care what it’s

going to take, I need the building back online.” She leaned forward and

cradled her head in her hand. “They can’t go on backup power because the

fire department won’t certify the electrical substructure as safe. That means I

need an electrical engineer in there, and I need them now, not tomorrow or

Monday. Got me?”

Kerry got her system going, then she stood up. “Bet you could use some

coffee,” she guessed, getting a pathetically grateful look from her boss.

“Thought so. I’ll go make some.” Okay, I can do this. We’re functioning. Kerry

felt a little relieved, her initial nervousness fading as she rattled around the

kitchen, setting up the coffee maker and starting it going. She returned to the

doorway and leaned against it, watching Dar as she persistently threatened,

cajoled, and harangued a series of people, finally resulting in a string of curses

in two languages that caused Kerry’s eyebrows to lift as the executive

slammed down the handset.

Dar glowered at the phone, then looked up, to meet warm, green eyes

looking back at her. “Idiots.”

Kerry disappeared, then reappeared a minute later with a cup of

steaming coffee, which she handed over before taking a seat next to Dar on the

couch. “No luck, huh?”

Dar sighed and leaned back. “I have an electrical engineer headed there

from South Carolina, and two backup machines being prepped in Houston,

but…it’s not enough.” She took a sip of the coffee, then gave Kerry a look.

“You remembered how I like it.”

Kerry laughed. “Dar, c’mon. You add enough cream and sugar so that it

stops tasting like coffee, and there you are.” She patted her companion’s leg,

feeling the subtle shift of muscle under her hand as Dar stretched a little.

“Eh, that’s true,” Dar admitted, giving her an affectionate look. “God,

what’s next?”

Kerry was searching the database. “Jesus, that board looks like a frigging

Christmas tree.” She pulled her laptop back onto her lap as she settled deeper

into the soft leather and sat cross-legged next to Dar. She glanced up. “Hey,

Beauty and the Beast, I love those candlesticks.” She grinned and shook her

head, not seeing the startled look in Dar’s blue eyes. “Yeesh, Dar, this is

terrible. We really don’t have a backup if we lose that facility.” She looked up

at her boss, who nodded slowly. “Wow.”

“I know. Three years ago in executive committee, we made a decision not

to duplicate that center. I fought it like crazy, but no one wanted to allocate

the budget for it. I wanted to split the processing, but they just wouldn’t go for

it.” Dar sighed. “This is one of those times when I wish I wasn’t being proven

right.”

Kerry shook her head. “Well, we can shift critical stuff here and here, but

they’ve got all the routers up there, Dar. We don’t have enough alternate

routes to get around that.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’ve been putting my efforts into getting the building

back up,” Dar acknowledged glumly. The phone rang, and she picked it up.

“Yeah?”

Tropical Storm 237

“Dar, it’s José.” Montarosa’s voice was excited. “Do you know what’s

going on?”

“Yeah. We’re down,” Dar replied tersely. “Now get off my goddamn

phone so I can do something about it.”

Kerry glanced at her, then disengaged a hand from her keyboard and

rubbed the taller woman’s back in gentle circles. She could feel the tension in

the tight muscles, and she let her fingers probe the knots she found in her

neck.

There was a slight pause before Dar’s voice resumed. “I’m sorry, José.

What was that you asked?” Her tone had relaxed a little. “No, there was a fire

in the building. The mainframes are fine, but we don’t have power because the

fire department won’t let us put juice in from the generator.” Dar closed her

eyes as strong, sensitive fingers probed muscles sore from painting. “What?

Oh, yeah. No, we don’t have a backup location. You know that, you voted it

down, remember?”

Kerry put down her laptop and crawled up onto the back of the couch,

going to work with both hands.

“Uh, I don’t…I’ve got an electrician coming down to certify the building,

so yeah, probably. But I’m going to keep pushing on the fire department

anyway. Maybe they’ll get tired of hearing my voice and give up. … No. …

Okay, I’ll let you know. Bye.” Dar let her hand drop with the phone in it and

groaned. “You are very good at that.”

“Thanks,” Kerry murmured. “You’re really tense.” As the dark-haired

woman leaned forward, she worked her way down Dar’s back, then started

back up. “There. Better?”

Blue eyes gazed back at her as Dar half turned. “Much.”

Kerry grinned and slipped back down onto the couch. “So, what’s next?”

Dar draped an arm across her shoulders. “Just stay here and keep me

company while I yell at people, okay?”

Okay? Kerry squirmed closer, settling against Dar’s warm body with a

little sigh of contentment. “Sure.” She let her legs join the taller woman’s,

propped up on the coffee table, her green socks an odd contrast to Dar’s bare

feet, then pulled her laptop over, resuming her search for resources. “We

could shift these routers and get some of the bank traffic up, or…wait…here,

and get Interline back.”

Dar peered over her shoulder. “Mmm. Do it. I’d rather have NOTAMS

and the weather service back for the airlines. It’s the weekend, the banks can

wait.”

Kerry almost didn’t hear the last part of that, since Dar’s breath was

tickling her ear very distractingly. “Uh, okay…erf…uck, I forgot I can’t use…

Oh, wait, I can route the request through the Houston backbones. Hang on.”

“You’re very good at that, too.”

Dar’s voice almost made her accidentally reconfigure a master router.

“Dar?”

The executive peered at the screen. “Hmm?”

“Unless you want me to reroute the NBC satellite feeds to Iran, could you

just be quiet for a minute?”

Pale blue eyes winked at her mischievously. “Sorry.”

238 Melissa Good

“No problem.” Kerry tried not to think about how close those nice,

inviting lips were. “What was I doing? Oh yeah…” She worked at the

keyboard for a minute. “Okay. Yeesh, that’s awkward.”

The phone rang, and Dar picked it up. “Yes? … Oh, right. Okay, good.

… Let me know.” She hung up, then stretched. “The electrician just got there.

Hey, want some ice cream?”

Kerry didn’t think twice. “Sure.” She continued her browsing. “Oh, I can

get ATMs back up in the Northeast. Hang on.”

Dar got up and ambled into the kitchen, musing on how much more fun a

disaster was with Kerry around. She thought about that as she dished out the

frozen treat. How much more fun everything was with Kerry around. She

carried the dishes back and handed Kerry hers, then settled back in her spot

and picked up the phone again.

It was almost five AM before the electrician finished his inspection, and

Dar had to argue with him for fifteen minutes before he agreed to issue his

report then and there. “Look, I didn’t have you get out of your god-damn bed

at one AM so you could write a report tomorrow. Just do it!” she snarled. “Put

Gregory on the phone.”

The deep, rumbling voice of the Netops chief came on. “Yeah, Dar?”

“Get that report. I’ve got that damn fire chief on his way to you now.

Give it to him, and tell him to take it and shove it.” She stopped abruptly as

Kerry stuck a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. “Mfufh…” She swallowed.

“Sorry, I mean, tell him to please open the seals, and let you in the control

room to get the power cut over.”

“Sure. Hang on, here he comes now.” Gregory chuckled. “You wanna talk

to him?”

“No.” Dar sighed. “He doesn’t want to hear my voice again, I can tell ya

that.”

“Okay, he’s doing it. We’re in.” Gregory’s voice faded, and several clanks

and sharp pops came clearly through the phone. “Hold on… Yow, it’s dusty in

here. Thank god we test this thing once a week. Okay, hold your ears.” The

overwhelming rumble of the generator was easily heard. “Stabilizing…

Coming up to voltage… Okay…”She could hear the muffled voice of Gregory

on another phone. “Yaz! Hit the switches, eh?” He came back. “Power’s up,

Dar. I’m going to give it ten minutes to peak and spike, then kick the dogs in

the ass and get them back online.”

“Whoops, here come the routers,” Kerry informed her, watching the top-

level map. “Do they autoboot?”

Dar nodded “Routers just came back, Greg.” She watched as the red

lights slowly mapped to green. “Backbones are up.” She felt a tired smile twist

her lips.

“Packets are passing,” Kerry reported, with a grin. “The overseas link just

came up.” She pointed at the multiline gateways that passed data over the

Atlantic.

Dar ruffled her hair, then draped an arm over her shoulders as they

watched. “Okay, looks good, Greg.”

“Uh huh. Thanks, Dar. Couldn’t have done it without you, that’s for

damn sure.” Gregory cheerfully told her. “Later. Go get some sleep, eh?”

Tropical Storm 239

“ ’Night, Greg.” Dar replied, and cut off the line. “Damn, that was a

bitch.”

Kerry nodded, then turned her head to regard Dar. “You’ve got ice cream

on your lips,” she observed, peering at the offending spot.

Dar eyed her quietly. “I do?”

Kerry leaned over and gently, deliberately, removed it, tasting the surface

with a tentative tongue. She felt the soft intake of breath, then a steadying

touch against the back of her neck sent tingles down her spine as Dar returned

the favor, taking a leisurely bit of time doing so. Kerry could feel the warm

closeness of her body, and breathed in the pleasant scent of her as she let

herself respond, enjoying the simple, undemanding pleasure of it.

They were both too tired to go further, she knew, but it felt very good to

spend a few minutes in this gentle exploration, giving them both a chance to

get used to each other. She drew in a breath as Dar pulled back a little and

rubbed noses with her. It brought a smile to her face, and she let her head fall

back against the couch, with a sigh. “That felt nice.”

Dar nodded, brushing back her hair with idle fingers. “Mmm-hmm.

C’mon, you can find out first hand what a waterbed feels like.”

Kerry must have looked a little startled, because Dar laughed a little, and

put a hand up, patting her cheek. “Easy, easy. Just to sleep in. We’re taking

this nice and slow, remember?”

Kerry returned the smile. “It’s just all a little new to me,” she explained.

“But a bed of any kind sounds really good to me right now.”

Dar nodded in quiet understanding. “Is this your first time, Kerry?” She

knew the answer, but waited.

The green eyes dropped, and a soft flush colored Kerry’s neck. “Um.

Not…with a woman, yes.” she finally got out, glancing up. “I, um…”

“Shhh, it’s okay. I kind of guessed that.” Dar gave her a reassuring pat on

the arm. “Take it easy—no rush, no pressure.” Stifling a yawn, Dar got up and

then held out a hand in invitation. “C’mon, time for bed. I’m really bushed.”

It’s… Kerry put down her laptop and stood up, having changed into her

pajamas earlier. It was scary, and at the same time, exhilarating . She took

Dar’s hand and followed her into the cool, blue-walled bedroom, feeling the

calmness of the place with a sense of anticipation. She glanced at the bed.

“You ever get seasick?”

The executive chuckled. “No.” She pulled back the covers and got in,

moving over to the center of the bed. “See? Big enough for six.”

Kerry laughed and accepted the invitation, surprised at the gently

moving surface. “Oh, I thought it would move more.”

“It’s semi-waveless,” Dar explained. “There are these little foam baffles

inside, and the water gets trapped in there, so it doesn’t move around much.”

She patted the surface. “See?”

Kerry settled down. “Mmm. Wow, this is comfortable.” She had plenty of

space around her and a nice soft pillow. Her anxiety eased and she relaxed,

watching as Dar reached up and turned off the overhead lamp.

“You okay?” The low, vibrant voice cut through the darkness.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kerry answered sleepily. “G’night.”

Dar put her hands behind her head and gazed up at the unseen ceiling.

240 Melissa Good

“G’night.” A peaceful silence fell, and Dar waited for sleep to claim her, tired,

but very conscious of the warm body nearby. What a day. She shook her head

in mild disbelief. Her life was changing, shifting so fast she hardly knew what

to do about it. In the space of a single day, of a single night, really, she’d

suddenly acquired a facet in her life she never would have expected, but now

that she had it, she was wondering how she’d ever lived without it.

The bed shifted gently; she felt Kerry’s warmth move closer, and a grin

appeared. It took another ten minutes, then she felt a touch against her and

she sidled over, closing her arm around the sleeping woman, who nestled

closer immediately, tucking an arm around her waist, and relaxing with a sigh

as she nuzzled Dar’s shoulder.

It felt wonderful. Dar’s eyes closed, and this time, she welcomed the

dreams.

THEY WERE OUTSIDE a waterfall this time. She was looking out over a small

ledge thick with moss, above a deep pool that caught the falling water with a dull roar.

It was mid-afternoon, and the weather was perfect—nice and cool, but sunny. Other

than the water, the only sounds she could hear were birds, and a few small rustles that

might have been squirrels around them. Otherwise it was quiet enough to hear the

leaves growing.

Warmth stirred against her, and she glanced down to see a blonde head tucked

against her shoulder and one tanned hand resting on her stomach, a surface a good

deal more toned than she could recall herself being since she’d stopped competing in

tournaments a few years back.

It was Kerry...and yet, it wasn’t. The hair, though disheveled, was styled

differently, and the hand resting on her bore a small scar in the half moon between

forefinger and thumb that wasn’t familiar. The body resting against her was darker,

and more muscular as well. She could feel the solid weight of it and the rippled curves

under the arm she had wrapped around the smaller woman.

Strange. And not. A roughly woven blanket covered them from the hips down,

and despite the uneven surface, she felt very comfortable and totally relaxed.

She watched a butterfly flutter down, its yellow and black wings in a stark

contrast to the green around them. It lighted on a flower, pale pink and salmon, that

swayed gently under the weight of the insect. Its wings were spread for balance, and

she watched them almost hypnotically as they opened and closed, seeing the odd, dark

eyes on each one.

She looked straight up and saw a hawk, coursing through the upper canopy and

arching its body to land. A feather floated down, wisps of brown and tan, and landed

on the blanket over her thigh.

Then the sound of the water lulled her back into sleep.

Dar slowly became aware of her surroundings, a mixture of the familiar

and the unfamiliar, as the well-known comfort of her waterbed combined with

the wonderful sensation of someone hugging her. She let her eyes drift open,

and saw the muted reflection of sunlight coming through the drawn blinds,

sending tiny stripes across her body as well as Kerry’s.

The blonde was in the same position in which she’d fallen asleep last

Tropical Storm 241

night, or, to be more precise, earlier that morning, curled up tightly against

her left side with one arm thrown across Dar’s middle. Just like the dream, she

mused. Except they were in a bed, in an apartment in Miami, fully dressed, of

course, not naked somewhere in the forest outside a damn waterfall.

What a strange dream. Dar shook her head faintly, then craned her neck to

examine Kerry’s hand, where she’d seen the scar in the dream. Nothing but

smooth skin met her eyes, and her brows creased in puzzlement. What was that

all about? Why would she imagine something like that? Weird. Very weird.

She dismissed the images and turned her attention to the present. Where

their bodies met, she could feel Kerry’s living warmth, and she almost

stopped breathing when the younger woman’s hand moved, lightly stroking

her stomach through the fabric that separated them. She closed her eyes,

savoring the touch and trying not to think about how long it had been since

she’d allowed herself to want what she wanted with Kerry.

Not sex. Well… Her lips twisted a little. Not sex, but closeness, that trust

between two people she’d only known twice in her lifetime, and twice…twice

she’d learned a hard lesson. Everyone has their own agenda, Dar. Nobody gives for

giving’s sake, just to get something back. Something they want. Something from her. After that, she’d stopped trusting. You wanted sex? Sure, she could do

that. It didn’t mean a goddamn thing one way or the other. But nobody got

inside, nobody got to where it would hurt if they turned out to be scum, or if

they walked away, or if they told her thanks, but they’d gotten what they

wanted and now she meant nothing. No. Twice was enough. And yet here she

was, after all those years, thinking about trusting again. About letting Kerry

inside, letting her get hold of the little bits and pieces of vulnerability that

were left in there, and trusting her not to scrape them raw again.

She hardly even knew Kerry. What am I thinking of? Hell, she didn’t even

know if she was capable of it anymore, never mind if it was a good idea. She

sighed, and looked at the clock. Eleven. Well, I got a few hours of sleep, anyway.

Better get up and see what’s going on at the office, and…

Kerry nestled closer, making a soft sound of contentment, her breath

warming Dar’s skin through the cotton. It felt so good—the touch of her skin,

the smell of her. It was like drowning. She tightened her arm around Kerry

and exhaled softly. Unexpectedly, she found her eyes drifting shut as her

body relaxed against Kerry’s, the younger woman’s peaceful somnolence

coaxing her back into sleep. No sense in forcing the kid to wake up. She worked

hard last night, right? A few more minutes won’t hurt.

Kerry realized where she was before she opened her eyes this time. She

caught her breath, but resisted panic when she felt the secure hold wrapped

around her and realized Dar knew she was there, and hadn’t minded. So she

relaxed and enjoyed the sensation, her head pillowed on a very nice shoulder

and her ear pressed against Dar’s chest, letting her senses absorb the

closeness, and the distinctive scent of her—faint traces of perfume, of soap,

the clean cotton smell of her pajamas. Each one was ordinary, but in

combination they painted a unique portrait of her new friend. Kerry decided

she liked it.

She could hear the heartbeat, slow and steady, and feel the movement as

242 Melissa Good

Dar breathed, and decided it was a really comforting sound to wake up to. She

opened her eyes and shifted a little, peering up at the angular face above her

to see Dar completely relaxed in sleep.

Jesus…she looks so young like that, Kerry mused in faint surprise. Without

the wary intelligence that so characterized Dar’s face, and the tensions life had

put there, she appeared no older than Kerry herself, and the blonde woman

found herself wondering just how true that was. Surely someone who was in a

position like hers had to be older, had to be more experienced. Right? And yet,

there was no hint of silver in that dark head, and the creases along her eyes

were those Kerry had seen in even the youngest adults in Miami, from the

constant squinting into the brilliant sunlight. It would be easy enough to find

out, of course. Just send a query for her graduation date from public school

into the Dade County archives.

Her more practical side tapped her on the shoulder. Or you could just ask. I

mean, Jesus, Kerry, you’re practically sleeping on top of her. I don’t think she’d mind

you asking how old she is. She put her head back down with a wry smile . I’m not sure this is how it’s supposed to work, though. Aren’t you supposed to go through

stages like meeting, dating, having drinks, going to parties in large groups, before you end up sleeping together?

She let her fingers flex gently against the soft surface. She could feel the

bumps that were Dar’s ribs moving under her hand and found her thumb

rubbing the skin that sloped down towards her navel. It didn’t feel strange to

be touching her like this. In fact, it seemed so normal to her it was sort of

scary.

How had the barriers that existed between any two people broken down

so quickly between them? Kerry was a touch-sensitive person in any case. She

spoke with her hands, and she tended to reach out and make contact with

whoever she was dealing with, but this… It was almost like they’d known

each other for a long time, it was that kind of comfortableness. Weird.

She absently traced a line down Dar’s belly. Oh well, I always was a fast

learner. I hope I can learn fast enough, though. I have absolutely no idea in the world

what to do with her beyond kissing. I wonder if there are books, she mused,

considering the thought. She let Dar’s warm scent enter her lungs. I bet I can

find something on the Internet. Let’s see… Yahoo, Search, keyword: Sex and women

but not kinky. Response: We have found six zillion seven hundred million references,

please refine your search parameters. Kerry giggled softly to herself.

“What’s so funny?”

The low, vibrant voice rumbled through the surface on which her head

was resting. Kerry managed not to jump, but she glanced up to see sleepy blue

eyes regarding her in amusement. “Um…” She muffled another giggle.

“Didn’t mean to wake you up. It was nothing, really. I was…just, um, thinking

of cartoons.”

Both dark brows lifted. “Cartoons?” Dar’s voice replied in disbelief.

“Yeah, you know, like Space Ghost.” Kerry thought fast. “Did you know

he interviewed Emeril Lagasse the other night?” She started to back away. “I

have no idea why we always end up like this. I don’t, um…”

“Hey.” Dar patted her back. “It’s okay, you just do it in your sleep. It

doesn’t bother me.” She released the smaller woman, though, sensing her

Tropical Storm 243

discomfort. They had time, and Kerry was going to need it, to get used to the

physical dimension they were developing. That was all right. It was going to

take Dar some getting used to also.

Kerry rolled over onto her back and stretched. “You’re right though—it is

comfortable.” She smiled at Dar. “I’ll have to think about getting one of

these.” Then she sighed. “After I figure out what I’m going to do about my

parents.”

Dar rolled onto her side, and cocked her head. “Your parents? What do

they have to do with a waterbed?” she inquired curiously.

Kerry remained silent for a moment, then she looked up. “They’re

putting a lot of pressure on me to come home.” She paused in thought. “And

I’m not going to go. It’s just that I have to find a way to tell them without

causing a family nuclear holocaust.”

Dar scratched her nose. “They still want you to marry that guy?” Her

blue eyes watched Kerry’s face intently.

The blonde woman nodded grimly. “Oh yeah. Brian is graduating from

law school this semester. He’ll be done by the holidays, and that…was what

they were waiting for.”

“I take it they don’t know you, um…” Dar gestured between the two of

them.

“Uh, no.” Kerry winced. “That’s a relatively new development.” A pause.

“I, um, I mean, I always just did what everyone else does—the prom, the

whole deal—but I never really…I mean, I couldn’t figure out what the big deal

was, you know?”

Dar muffled a grin. “I know.” She gave Kerry an understanding look.

“Been there, done that.”

Kerry smiled at her. “Yeah, I guess you have. So…when I moved down

here, everything was just so different. And one Saturday a bunch of my new

friends took me to South Beach.”

“Oh.” Dar clapped a hand over her mouth. “I guess that was a

revelation.”

“For someone from Saugatuck? Uh huh.” Kerry started to laugh and then

exhaled. “Most outlandish thing I’d seen until then was the Saugatuck Duck

Festival. Let’s just say my horizons were considerably broadened that

weekend.”

“C’mon, Kerry, even in Saugatuck I’m sure there were gay people.” Dar

chuckled.

“Well, sure. In fact, when I think back, and I know now what I was

seeing, I can remember that. But no one talked about it. It was kept, like the

cliché, in the closet,” Kerry explained. “Certainly, in my family, it wasn’t

discussed.” She exhaled. “But then I…well, it took me a while, but I eventually

figured out what I was feeling, and why I was having such a hard time dealing

with the thought of settling down with Brian and having a couple of kids.”

“That must have been rough for you,” Dar sympathized. “My father

guessed, and he took me aside one day and talked to me about it. I had

already figured it out, so it was kind of a relief.”

Kerry looked at her. “He didn’t mind?”

A shake of the dark head. “No. That surprised me. I’d been scared to tell

244 Melissa Good

him, because he was military, and you know that doesn’t really breed liberal

thinking. But when I think about it now, knowing what he was…I shouldn’t

have been surprised.”

Kerry got off track. “What was he?” she asked softly.

“Navy Seal.” Dar smiled at her wide-eyed reaction.

“Wow. I can’t imagine what that would be like.” Kerry breathed. “It

would be…very different for me. They wouldn’t understand that.”

“Ah.” Dar nodded. “That’s tough.” She thought a moment. “Certainly

your career is more likely to advance here than in Michigan. The Troy office

really doesn’t do what you’re good at.”

Kerry sat up and crossed her legs, pushing her hair behind her ears.

“They don’t care about that. My mother left this message on my machine last

night that said I could get some secretarial position in the Troy office, so I

could keep my little hands busy while I waited to get pregnant.”

“What?” Dar leaned forward. “Kerry, did anyone tell them this is the

1990s, going on the year 2000?”

“Not in my family,” she responded quietly. “I think they’re firmly

entrenched in the 1940s.” Kerry nibbled her lip. “I could just tell them, I

guess.”

“Maybe you should start slow…like telling them you’re staying in Miami

first,” Dar replied, reasonably. “Before you spring the ‘I’m not marrying

what’s-his-face’ and ‘oh yeah, by the way, I’m dating my boss’ on them.” she

added with a wry smile. “Before you add, the ‘and she’s a woman.’ ”

“Mmm, you’re probably right,” Kerry acknowledged. “Though I’d get a

point for dating my boss, for all of the twenty seconds or so it would take him

before he remembered who that was.” It‘s a tempting thought, though.

“You…aren’t close with your father, I take it?” Dar asked gently.

Kerry stared at the wall, holding down the wave of sick reaction. “You

could say that,” she finally muttered.

Dar leaned forward and took her hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll think of

something,” she promised. “Hell, worst comes to worst, I’ll route his IRS

records to MSNBC.”

Kerry rolled her eyes. “That would be hilarious, but useless. He’s a pillar

of moral rectitude. I doubt he even claimed us as dependents until we were a

year old, just to prove we were viable.” She sighed. “But thanks, Dar. It helps

just to talk to someone about it.” She gave her boss a smile, and squeezed the

fingers holding hers. “And I’ll keep your threat in reserve.”

Dar laughed, then rolled over and stretched, arching her back and

extending both arms out. “Okay. Well, now that it’s afternoon…” She shook

her head at the ceiling. “I guess I’d better check on the office. I’m sure there’s

going to be a half dozen emergency staff meetings tomorrow to discuss why

our fallback procedures—which don’t exist—don’t work.”

Kerry considered that, and considered all the undone things she had to

do at home, and sighed. She’d rather spend the day here with Dar. “Listen,

why don’t we get together next weekend sometime?” she suggested

regretfully. “Since I wasn’t home the last few days, I have a ton of laundry and

everything else to do.”

Dar felt a jolt of disappointment, but knew Kerry was right. They both

Tropical Storm 245

had things to do, and a new week of work to prepare for. “Sounds like a good

idea,” she admitted. “Much as I hate to admit it. Are you still interested in the

gym? That class starts on Wednesday.”

Kerry had almost forgotten about that. “Oh, right! Absolutely. God, yes!

If I keep hanging around with you, I’m going to need it desperately.” She gave

Dar a grin. “Thanks for reminding me.”

The executive rolled out of bed and stood up. “Well, let’s get going then. I

think I have some extra Frosted Flakes if you’re interested.”

“See what I mean?” Kerry shook her head and laughed as she joined the

taller woman.

Chapter

Twenty

THE ALARM WENT off in the pre-dawn darkness, startling Dar out of

sleep. She stared at it in confusion for a moment, then rubbed her face and

slapped at it, turning off the loud buzzer. It was very quiet in the condo, and

she rested her chin on her pillow for a moment, wistfully thinking of how

much nicer it had been to wake up the day before.

Funny. Dar sighed and rolled out of bed, mechanically trudging to the

bathroom. She had never considered herself to be lonely before. Her life had

been busy, true, but now she wondered how many of her activities had just

been a way to fill up the time. It had been unexpectedly nice just to have

someone to talk to over their very impromptu brunch yesterday, and she

couldn’t even begin to remember what it was that they’d talked about.

Puppies? Politics?

Dar splashed water on her face, and shook her head as she exchanged her

pajamas for her running clothes and sat down in the silent living room to put

on her sneakers. Whatever it had been, she’d spent most of the time laughing,

something she didn’t remember doing a lot of in the past few years. She sat

thinking about that for a minute, then prodded herself to her feet. “C’mon,

Dar, get moving. Two extra laps around the island this morning, remember?”

To make up for missing out the last couple of days, she’d decided, waking up

an extra hour early for it.

It was very quiet as she closed the door behind her and exited into the

cool air, crisp with the wetness of dew and the breeze from the sea. Her

sneakers sounded loud on the gravel as she turned off onto the small path,

then she took a deep breath and broke into a slow jog to give her muscles a

chance to wake up and stretch before she pushed them.

The water sloshed against the seawall as she turned into the onshore

wind, which was bringing the scent of brine and salt to her lungs. There was

no other sound, save the far-off clanking of the port and a soft hoot of a

tugboat chugging by in the channel. She could see the running lights of the

boat and left it behind her as she headed off into the south.

On the sixth ring around, she could feel the strain start to shorten her

breathing, and it pissed her off. Instead of stopping, she pushed herself on,

speeding up her pace and forcing herself to complete eight rings, by which

time the sun was pouring over the horizon, and she was sweating freely.

She slowed as she came around the northern edge of the island for the

eighth time, dropping down into a jog and letting her heartbeat begin to slow.

She ended up on the seawall, staring out into the dawn light and letting the

Tropical Storm 247

sea breeze blow her damp hair back off her forehead. Slowly, she sat down on

the concrete wall and let her legs dangle over into the light spray from the

waves.

For so long, she’d believed she didn’t need anyone to complete her life.

Maybe because she hadn’t had a choice. It had been easy to confuse sterile

isolation for happiness, since she hadn’t really known the difference. She’d

dealt with loneliness by ignoring it and convincing herself that keeping busy

was the key to a satisfying life. Now… Dar exhaled into the mist. Kerry’s

innocently held-out hand of friendship had shaken loose that belief and forced

her to look at herself objectively for the first time in a long while.

The past week had shown her just how much of a lie her complacency

really was. Going forward with Kerry would add a complicated, difficult,

troublesome facet to her life, and the potential for pain and personal problems

was likely to disrupt her ordered existence beyond repair.

The intelligent and rational view told her to put a halt to their budding

relationship. It could only bring trouble to both her and Kerry, and might

result in a professional disaster for both of them. It would be better, smarter,

for her to sit Kerry down, and just…tell her no. Back off. Push their

relationship back to a strictly professional level.

Dar was startled by the sudden sting of tears and the wave of misery that

accompanied the thought. Confused, she rubbed her face and clamped an arm

over her suddenly aching chest. Just the thought of giving up that smile… Dar

imagined the hurt, and then the pain in the green eyes as she turned her away,

and knew she couldn’t stand it. I can’t do that to Kerry. Hell, I can’t do that to

myself.

With a shaking hand, she wiped the tears from her face and ran her

fingers through her damp hair. Somehow, she’d find a way to make it work.

Her heartbeat settled, and she took a few deep breaths, letting the salt spray

cool her down. Okay. It’s just another challenge, Dar. Remember what Dad always

told you. Break your challenges up into tiny bites, and by the time you’ve finished,

you’ve eaten a buffalo, tail and all.

That brought a wry, shaky smile to her face, and she got to her feet,

stretching out her legs and straightening her shoulders. Time to start the day.

MARIA LIKED THE early morning. She made it a point to enter the

building at seven AM, before even the most virtuous of the other

administrative assistants, and she used the time to catch up on the piles of

correspondence Dar’s position generated, along with the volume of electronic

mail, requests of all sorts, papers to review, and other matters that fell under

her jurisdiction. It gave her nearly an hour, sometimes a little more, before her

mercurial boss appeared, bringing with her a whirlwind of activity, and she

enjoyed the quiet time, thinking it was a good way to start the day out.

Especially on a Monday, which was never a good day, and most especially

since Dar had been gone most of the previous week and items had been

stacking up, awaiting her attention.

She heard the elevator open, and the soft sound of footsteps traveling

down the tiled hallway and continuing on past her door. A smile crossed her

248 Melissa Good

face as she recognized them as being more than likely Kerry’s, who came in

early for much the same reason she did. The young woman was still getting

used to her new position and was anxious to make a good impression.

Maria approved of that. She liked Kerry, and was glad her supervisor had

found someone she felt she could work with, and who seemed to be willing to

put in the same kind of effort that Dar herself did. And as an added bonus,

Kerry seemed to also like the sometimes difficult, often impatient and

aggressive vice president, which was quite a surprise to the secretary, given

where Kerry had come from.

She wondered if Kerry knew just how close she’d come to being fired?

With a sigh, Maria turned her attention to a stack of reports, sorting them and

notating the ones Dar would want to see first thing. She noticed the lengthy

report regarding the massive outage on Saturday and put that one on top.

After a few minutes, the door opened, and Kerry poked her fair head in.

“Good morning, Maria.”

“Buenos días, Kerrisita,” the secretary replied with a smile. “Dios mío, did

you spend the weekend at the beach?” The younger woman’s face was a rosy

pink, and her arms held a tinge of the same color.

Kerry entered the outer office and walked over, carrying a steaming mug.

“Not exactly.” She gave Maria a conspiratorial smile. “I got the boss to take a

few hours off in Orlando.”

“Did you now? Bueno, bueno.” Maria laughed. “I hear things went good

there.” She applauded. “Did you get to see the Mickey Mouse?”

The blonde woman perched on the corner of the desk and sipped her tea.

“Let’s see…I got to see Mickey Mouse, I got to the water park, and we got to

see Epcot.” She grinned at Maria’s open-mouthed stare. “Oh yeah, and MGM

on the way out of town.”

The secretary picked up the phone and started punching numbers. “Ay! I

am calling the Vatican, it’s a miracle,” she announced. “I will tell the Pope.”

Kerry grinned. “It wasn’t that hard, really. We had a lot of extra time

between meetings, and there really wasn’t much to do other than that,” she

explained. “Besides, it was just what the doctor ordered. I’m glad Dar got a

chance to relax a little.”

Maria studied Kerry’s sunburned features, which made her blonde

eyebrows stand out and enhanced the vivid green of her eyes. “You look like

you had a good time, eh?”

“I did,” the younger woman admitted. “It was a very interesting bid

meeting, I didn’t really realize it was as cutthroat as it is. But Dar really

handled them. I mean, Jesus, Maria, she just walked in there and took over.”

Kerry shook her head. “She blew the clients away. I was just sitting there in

awe the whole time.”

“Si, si, she does that.” Maria nodded. “Comes and boom, boom…it’s all

over,” she explained. “Is why so many people, they don’t like her.”

“She intimidates people, yeah, I know.” Kerry smiled wistfully. “It’s kind

of hard to get past that.” She stood up. “Well, I’ve got stuff to do.”

“Si. Oh, Kerry, did you get something for her for Boss’s Day?” Maria

asked, remembering. “I got her a little basket of chocolates. I know she likes

them.”

Tropical Storm 249

Kerry glanced down at her tea, then back up. “Um, yeah, I did. At the

park, as a matter of fact.”

“Bueno.” Maria sighed. “That is two things, then.” She fiddled with her

pen. “She makes like she does not care, but I think, Kerrisita, I think she does.”

“I think so too, Maria,” Kerry told her. “And it’s really a shame, because

she does such great work, you’d think people would appreciate that.” She

shook her head and turned to go. “See you later.”

“Ay.” The secretary watched her leave. With a slight smile, she spoke to

the closed door, “Chica, if she had to get some help, better that it was help like

you.” Then she went back to her letters.

MARK GREETED DAR cheerfully as she joined him on the elevator.

“Morning, Dar.” “Where’s my…oh, thanks.” He grinned as she handed him a

manila envelope. “I hear my efforts were worth it?”

“Yep.” Dar leaned back against the elevator wall, and produced a faint

grin. “We got it. Blew their socks off, in fact,” she added. “Everyone kicked

butt on this one. When I get to my office I’m gonna go process some bonuses.”

“Got mine.” Mark waved the envelope.

Dar rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Mark, get a grip, will you? It’s not that great a

picture.” But she chuckled.

Unable to resist that temptation, the MIS chief opened the envelope and

peeked. Then he raised his eyes to Dar and made an appreciative face. “That

camera liked you. I don’t know what you consider not great, but…ooo-la-la!”

“Mark, shut up.” Dar gave him a look. “I did it because I promised I

would. I don’t want to hear about it for the next six months, okay?”

Prudently, he tucked the envelope away under an arm for later study.

“Gotcha, boss,” he replied crisply. “Speaking of which, wanna join us for

lunch today? We missed you on Friday.”

Dar relaxed a little. “Sure. If they don’t keep me in meetings all day long

over the Netops fiasco on Saturday.”

Mark grunted. “Shit, yeah. What a mess that was.” He glanced at her.

“You get some sun? You look a little burnt.”

“A little,” Dar replied as the doors opened on the fourteenth floor. “I did

the Volunteer Day Saturday.” She headed towards her office. “And got to

walk around in the parks a bit.”

Mark moved off down the side corridor that held the MIS offices. “Didja

have fun?” he called back as she was about to enter her outer office.

Dar stopped and turned, regarding him with an expressionless look as

she put one hand on the doorknob. Then she winked and let a brief grin shape

her lips, before she continued on into the room.

“Hmm,” Mark hummed, as he punched in the security code that would

open the door to his own office. He waved a hello to the four or five engineers

and analysts who made the place home and ducked inside his own, mostly

darkened office. He dropped into his padded leather seat and looked up as his

assistant wandered in. “Hey, Bill.”

“Hey.” The tall, lanky man wandered over. “Whatcha got?”

Mark rubbed his fingertips before he gently removed the picture from the

250 Melissa Good

envelope and set it on his desk. “My bonus.” He viewed the item approvingly.

Dar was looking right at the camera, a faintly self-deprecating look on her face

as she leaned against a wooden pylon with one shoulder, crossing her long

legs at the ankles in a casual, relaxed pose. The sleek black fabric of her

swimsuit contrasted with her tanned skin, and the firm, just visible muscles

dipped and curved, especially noticeable across her shoulders and in her

thighs. “Boy, that’s nice.”

Bill obligingly walked around the desk to see the picture right side up,

then almost choked. “Son of a bitch. Where in the hell did you get that?” he

squeaked.

“Heh. Pays to do good work, okay?” Mark smirked. “She’s got nice legs,

huh?”

Bill leaned closer. “Nice everything. Man, my gonads just crawled up

inside my tonsils to get a better look.”

Mark chuckled. “Sure beats working for José. Can you imagine him in a

swimsuit?”

Bill made a gagging sound and mock-upchucked into the MIS chief’s

garbage can. “Hey, we’ve got that new 64-bit color scanner that just came in.”

He gave Mark a hopeful puppy look.

His supervisor sighed. “Much as I’d love to put that on my desktop, she’d

kill me.” He looked at the photo regretfully. “I’d love to have been the one

who took the picture, though.”

DAR SMILED AS she entered the office. “Morning, Maria.”

The secretary looked up. “Buenos diás, Dar.” She noted the hint of sun in

her boss’s face and the relaxed expression. “And how are you today?”

After a moment’s thought, Dar said, “Great. Things went well up in

Orlando, but you probably heard about that already.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, Mr. Montarosa was dancing in the

hallways. You would think his wife had finally given him a son.”

Dar burst out laughing. “I’m glad I wasn’t here to see that, ” she remarked

with a grin. “But yeah…it was good; definitely a worthwhile trip.”

The secretary hid her surprise at her boss’s good spirits. Dar, laughing on a

Monday? “Kerrisita tells me you even got a minute to see the Mickey Mouse,”

she informed Dar, not missing the way a little sparkle came into the aqua of

her eyes at the mention of her assistant’s name.

“Yeah, we had some extra time,” Dar replied offhandedly, then she

paused and thought. “God, you know, I haven’t been in one of those damn

parks for so many years…it was nice to visit again.” She leaned against the

door to her inner office. “It felt good to relax a little.”

Maria almost held her breath, watching the gentle, introspective look

cross Dar’s face. Dios mío…something has changed in her. “Is good. You needed a

vacation,” she told her firmly.

Dar smiled and pushed away from the doorframe, then entered her office.

Closing the door behind her, she crossed to her desk. She put down her

briefcase and seated herself, flipping on her desktop computer and leaning

back in the chair. Then she opened the case and pulled out something

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wrapped in terrycloth, and uncovered it, holding the glass dolphins up to the

sunlight coming in her window. With a smile, she put the piece down on the

front of her desk and centered it, pleased at the sparkles of rainbow-colored

light it scattered everywhere. There. She watched it for a moment longer, then

turned her attention to the small, colorful basket sitting in the center of her

desk. Mmm. She sniffed appreciatively. Chocolates. A grin appeared, and she munched on the treats as she brought up a disgustingly long list of things to

do.

It was almost lunchtime before she looked up after wading through most

of the really urgent matters. She’d just gotten off of a conference call about the

network failure and was sipping on her second cup of coffee when a soft

knock came on her inside door. “C’mon in.”

The door eased open, and a blonde head poked itself inside. “Good

morning.”

Dar felt a smile creasing her face unbidden. “Good morning.” She leaned

back and motioned the younger woman forward, watching green eyes drift to

the dolphins and then back. “Hell of a day, huh?”

Kerry came over to the desk and perched on the corner of it. “It’s been

busy, yes. I didn’t realize how things could get backed up when you’re not

around for a few days.” She gave Dar a rueful grin. “I just now got my inbox

cleared.”

“Me too.” The dark-haired woman propped her head on her hand. She’d

been resisting the urge to wander over to Kerry’s office all morning, knowing

the blonde woman had as much work to do as she did. “I’ve got staff meetings

all afternoon, and José scheduled a new business meeting tomorrow at nine.”

“Marketing wants me to attend some kind of service review panel later

on today, and I have a whole bunch of reports on my desk that I think have

something to do with network response time.” She pushed back her hair. “I’m

not sure where they came from.”

Dar snorted softly. “I can guess. I told them I wasn’t going to touch the

response-time issue until exec funded more bandwidth. Looks like they’re

trying an end-around. They figure you’re easier to approach than I am. So

Marketing’s looking to snare you in.”

Kerry’s brow creased. “Do you want me to send them back?”

Long fingers drummed on the desktop. “No, go ahead.” Dar mused.

“Let’s see what they’re up to.” She reached out and tapped Kerry on the knee.

“Be careful, though, that’s not a nice bunch.”

Dar’s eyes took in the trim figure seated on her desk. “You look nice.”

Kerry smiled impishly at her. “So do you. I like that blue suit.” Her eyes

met Dar’s. “I was wondering if it would be strange here today.” She paused,

appearing to gather her courage, then went on. “Listen, Dar, I was thinking

about this a lot last night.”

“So was I.”

Kerry hesitated. “If… If this is going to be hard for you, if… I-I’d rather

we don’t go forward…with this…if it’s going to cause you problems.” Her

voice was awkward, and stumbling. “So, if you’re reconsidering, it’s okay,

and I understand.”

Dar stared at her dumbly. How arrogant… She’d never considered that

252 Melissa Good

maybe it would be Kerry who wanted out of this. She felt her jaw clench hard,

and a lump form in her throat. Another lesson. How stupid of me. She shifted her

gaze out the window for a long moment, then back. She struggled to keep her

voice even and calm. “Second thoughts, huh?”

“No,” Kerry answered very softly. “Not on my part, I just don’t want to

see you get hurt.” She stared at her hands, folded in her lap. “I remembered

how people talk around here, and I know how much this all means to you.”

Dar stared out at a sailboat making its way against the wind.

“I know what the rules are,” Kerry went on. “I read them again this

morning just to make sure I couldn’t find a loophole in them.”

At last, Dar turned back toward her, watching Kerry’s painfully tense

body posture shift a little. “Did you want to find one?”

“Yes,” she replied simply.

Dar could see that she was shaking. That was all right. The sense of relief

that flowed through her was making her tremble just as much. She reached up

and clasped the blonde woman’s hands in hers. “Kerry.” She had to stop a

minute. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I used to think that was the best way

for me, because I had some very bad experiences when I was younger.” Sea

green eyes peered at her uncertainly. “This past week, you made me realize

how wrong I was,” Dar said quietly. “What would hurt me is to turn away

from this, just because of the risk.” She felt Kerry’s fingers tighten around

hers. “I’m not afraid of a little talk.”

Kerry let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. “Okay, I just…wanted to give

you one last chance to say stop,” she managed to get out. “Okay?”

They regarded each other in silence for bit. “You just scared the crap out

of me. You know that, right?” Dar finally said, in an attempt at humor.

“You?” Kerry wiped at her eyes in irritation. “I don’t know what I would

have done if you had taken me up on it.” She exhaled. “You don’t know how

hard that was.”

Dar studied her quietly. “I know that you’re a braver person than I am for

doing it.” She stood up and gently folded her arms around Kerry, hugging

her. “Listen, I have to meet Mark and a few other guys for lunch. Why don’t

you join us?”

Kerry returned the squeeze, then sat back. “Sure, that sounds good.”

Unconsciously her hand found itself stroking Dar’s arm. She became aware of

it and tucked her hands under her arms, giving the taller woman a wry look.

“We’d better not sit next to each other, though.”

Dar chuckled, and patted her cheek, a motion that slowed and became a

caress as she felt the soft skin under her fingertips. Kerry leaned into the

touch, hoping no one decided it was time to barge into Dar’s office.

“I see what you mean,” the taller woman murmured with a wistful smile.

The phone buzzed, and she had to make a conscious effort to tear her eyes

from Kerry’s and punch the button. “Yeah?”

“Dar, we’ve got a problem in Singapore.” The voice came through. “They

can’t get the circuit agreement complete down there, and we need a

conference call.”

“Now?” Dar asked.

“Yeah. Unfortunately, I’ve got six people already hanging on. I was going

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to bring you in and two people from Infrastructure.”

She came very close to telling them to work out their own problems, but a

pair of hands descended on her shoulders and squeezed them.

“I’ll bring you up some lunch,” Kerry whispered. “I think they have

meatloaf today.”

Dar smiled. “All right.” She directed her voice to the phone, but her eyes

went to Kerry’s face. “Thanks,” she mouthed. Kerry winked, and patted her

back, then headed for the door. “Psst!” Dar hissed softly, then when her

assistant turned, tossed her a wrapped chocolate.

Kerry caught it and returned a smile, as she slipped out the door.

“Sorry, Dar, did you say something?” the voice queried.

“Me? Nope, just here waiting,” the executive replied blithely.

“WELL, I DON’T think there’s much doubt that we really dropped the

ball here.” José Montarosa was hammering on the table. “What if that building

had been severely damaged? How long would it have taken us to route

around it?” He looked right at Dar. “Well?”

Dar glanced up from her doodling. “We couldn’t.” She went back to the

paper, drawing a sailboat.

An awkward silence fell. “Excuse me?” José asked.

“We could not,” Dar repeated. “What part of that don’t you understand?

We don’t have the secondary resources to replace that facility.”

“A single point of failure—is that what we’re talking about?” another

supervisor asked, incredulous.

Dar’s blue eyes opened in mock surprise. “I guess it is.” She added

another sail.

Eyes shifted around the table. Mariana leaned forward, glancing at her in

a little discomfort. “Dar, this isn’t a joke.”

The Operations VP let her eyes go around the table. “You’re damn right

it’s not. But I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be either shocked or

surprised, when I told you people this was a possible consequence when you

voted to set it up this way.” She shrugged and sketched in a seagull.

There was another awkward silence as everyone digested her pointed

reminder. “All right, so…what are we going to do about it?” Montarosa asked,

sitting back.

“You’re going to give me the budget to run a duplicate location,” Dar

replied, not looking up. “Or we’re going to have more pointless meetings like

this one for a few months, until you realize there is no other option and give

me the money anyway.” She started on a different sketch, this one of a pony.

“You just let me know, okay?”

“Dar,” Duks leaned close to her, “you feeling all right?”

Dar stared at him, puzzled. “I feel great,” she replied, then looked around

at the table. “Other than the fact that I had to spend six hours Saturday night,

until five AM Sunday morning, yelling at people until I got the building back

up, that is.” She paused. “Frankly, I coulda done without that.”

They all looked at each other. “Well.” José cleared his throat. “Do you

have an estimate on how much we’re talking about, for a duplicate facility?”

254 Melissa Good

Dar finished her pony’s tail. “I sent the full document to everyone here

this morning.” She glanced up. “Along with a recap of the Disney deal, and

the Singapore mess.” Her eyes flicked to the startled faces. “Mail server acting

up? You all didn’t get that?”

“Um, no, I saw it,” Mariana said hastily. “I think we can table this until

everyone’s had a chance to look it over. Agreed?”

José nodded. “Yeah, sounds good. Lemme take a look.” He cleared his

throat. “Disney was good news, Dar.”

The pale blue eyes flicked to him. “I hear you were dancing in the

hallway.” She smiled. “Anyone take pictures?” A low round of laughter

followed as everyone relaxed a little.

“Must have had good weather, you got a sunburn,” José retorted. “Let me

guess, you were doing research on the property?”

Dar chuckled. “Something like that, yeah,” she admitted. “It was worth it.

I think it was the presentation that really pulled them in. We modeled it on

their actual running system and used one of their restaurants as the demo

set.” Her voice took on a touch of enthusiasm. “Knocked their socks off.”

José snorted. “Dar, you could present garbage bags and sell them.” He

brushed her off with a backhanded compliment. “Nobody knows what the

hell you’re saying anyway.”

Mariana gave her a brief smile. “You always do knock socks off, Dar.”

“I didn’t do the presentation,” the executive replied mildly. “My assistant

did.” She finished off her pony’s head and added eyelashes.

“Wait, you left it to some green kid?” The sales executive leaned forward

in disbelief. “What kind of irresponsible shit is that?”

Eyes shifted back to Dar, expecting a fierce outburst, but Dar only

shrugged. “I had confidence in the package, and I trusted Kerry to present it.”

She sketched in an ear. “Which was more than your entire goddamn team

could do in four months, José, so I wouldn’t knock it, if I were you,” she said.

“Besides, we won.”

“Well,” Eleanor crossed her legs and straightened her skirt a little, “she

seems capable…and a nice person. I was surprised, Dar.” She gave the dark-

haired woman a sweet smile. “I was expecting a sour geek or a beautiful

airhead. You managed to mix and match quite nicely.”

Mariana saw the dangerous glint appear in Dar’s eyes.

The VP Op’s sketching stopped dead. “Eleanor, I think I said it well

enough last time when I pointed out Dar doesn’t hire people to be friends or

look pretty,” Mariana told the woman forcefully. “She makes my job easy.

And Ms. Stuart is extremely well qualified for the position.”

Dar put down her pencil. “Are we done here? I’ve got two more meetings

to go to.”

“Yeah, I guess we are.” José threw down his pen and stood up. “C’mon,

Eleanor, let’s go get a cafecito.” The Sales and Marketing executives left,

leaving Mariana, Dar and Duks still sitting there. “So, what’s up with you,

chica?” Mariana asked, leaning on the table and peering at her friend.

Dar looked at her. “With me? Nothing. What is it with you all today?”

She tossed the pencil onto the table. “Jesus Christ, what’s the problem, did I

grow horns or something?”

Tropical Storm 255

Duks patted her arm. “Hey. Hey, relax. You’re just really laid back, and

we’re not used to that, my friend. Is this what Mickey Mouse does to you?”

Dar lifted her hands and let them fall onto the arms of the chair. “What,

because I’m not screaming and yelling like a maniac, there’s something

wrong?” She looked at the table. “All right, I’ll start bitching at someone. Will

that make everyone feel better?”

“Dar.” Mariana gazed at her steadily. “C’mon now, can’t we just ask how

you are?”

“I’m fine,” Dar responded. “Can’t I be in a good mood for once?” She

spread her hands out to either side in question. “What in the hell’s wrong with

you people?”

“Dar.” Mariana patted the table. “There’s nothing wrong with you being

in a good mood. It just happens so infrequently. We were afraid we’d missed

something, like your birthday.”

“Or your company anniversary,” Duks chimed in solemnly. “Which if we

passed it by, you would be happy, no?” He picked up Dar’s pad and studied

it. “You have good talent at this.”

Dar took the pad back from him. “You didn’t miss anything,” she said. “I

just took a couple hours in Orlando and chilled out.” Her fingers curled

around the pencil. “I needed some time out.”

The HR VP got up and circled the table, taking the seat next to Dar. “Hey,

I’m glad to hear that,” she said in a sincere tone. “I know it’s been a rough

year, my friend, and I worry about you sometimes.” She ignored Dar’s rolling

eyes. “And especially since I heard you were under the weather the other day.

You finally go see someone about those headaches?”

Dar frowned. “You know, Mariana, I’d really hate to think someone’s

reading into my medical files.”

“Uh uh.” The personnel director held up a hand. “Not me, my friend. Just

gossip. But now that you confirmed it, is everything okay?” She leaned

forward. “Dar, I’m asking as a friend, not because I need to know for the

company.”

Dar glowered at her, then sighed. “Everything is perfectly fine, as a

matter of fact. Dr. Steve thought he saw something in my EKG during my last

physical, but it turned out to be nothing.” She paused, seeing the honest

concern in her friend’s eyes. “But the stress is getting to me a little, I guess.

That’s what the headaches were all about.”

“Ah.” Mariana nodded.

“So, I took the opportunity to just relax a little while I was up there, and

over the weekend, and I decided to try and not let this stuff get to me too

much,” Dar said. “Last thing I want is to have to start taking drugs at my age.

This damn job’s not worth it.”

Duks grunted. “That is the truth,” he agreed. “It is good you feel that

way, Dar. I, too, have been concerned about you.”

Had they? Dar suddenly wondered if she’d been crabbier than usual, or

what. She didn’t think she had, but in retrospect, who knew? “Been a tough

year.” She half shrugged.

“It has,” Mari murmured. “Well, look, maybe after Kerry settles in, you

can take some time off. She seems pretty sharp. I’ve heard good things about

256 Melissa Good

her from a lot of people,” she complimented the absent woman. “Did she

really steal that bid from those guys?”

Dar found herself smiling. “She’s damn good,” she agreed. “They didn’t

know what hit them, stupid bastards. She nailed it.”

“Good to hear.” Mariana smiled at her. “She’s a sweet person, and you

know something? She’s in your corner, Dar. Talks about you like you were the

greatest thing since sliced white bread.” She sat back and gazed at the taller

woman, noting the blush visible even under Dar’s tan. “You look good. You

got some sun there, eh?”

Dar gave her a slight smile and nodded. “Are we done analyzing me

now?” She stood up and dusted herself off. “Gotta go.”

Duks and Mariana watched her leave, then eyed each other. “You know,

Dukky, if I didn’t know better, I’d say our good friend there found something

other than Pluto and Goofy up in Orlando.”

Lou Dreyfus let a faintly sardonic smile twist his lips. “You could be

right, Mari.” He slapped the table. “Well, let’s get going.”

KERRY FINALLY GOT back to her office after a very interesting meeting

with the marketing people. It was obvious they didn’t like Dar. It was obvious

that they wanted to be Kerry’s friend. It was obvious that they wanted her to

give them dirt on her boss. Her phone rang and she picked it up. “Yes?”

“Oh, Ms. Stuart, glad I caught you in,” Eleanor Anastasia’s voice oozed

through the receiver. “We were hoping you’d be able to attend a conference

call tomorrow. It’s with the regional marketing people, and they just have

some general questions regarding some of the new operations policies.”

“Um… Sure.” Kerry pulled out her PDA, and flipped it open. “When?”

“One o’clock, but we’re gathering for lunch downstairs beforehand, if

you’d like to join us.”

I’d rather handle electric eels barehanded. “I’m sorry, I can make the meeting,

but I have things I have to do just before that.” Like make sure my boss has lunch,

for instance. She’d gotten a peculiar pleasure out of selecting items for Dar, and

an even bigger kick from the smile she’d gotten when she delivered the tray.

“Well, that’s too bad, because we’re all dying to just let our hair down

with you, but perhaps next time.” Eleanor sighed. “Tomorrow at one, then.”

“I’ll be there.” Kerry hung up the phone and made a face at it, then she

turned her chair around and gazed out over the water. She felt a lot more

relaxed than she had this morning, now that the “issue” was out of the way

with Dar. “Mmm. I don’t know if I’m going to last until Wednesday, though,”

she commented to the window. Last night’s surfing on the internet had turned

up lots of…interesting…things. Most had made her blush. She’d been

honestly surprised at the range, though—from women’s health sites to pages

and pages of amateur fiction.

That had certainly been a revelation. She’d had no idea there was so much

creativity out there. She’d ended up reading some of it until way too late, but

it had certainly given her ideas. Maybe that’s why she wanted to make sure

Dar was sure before… Well, one thing at a time. She heard a gentle knock on her

inside door, and she felt a flutter deep inside her. “C’mon in.”

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The door opened, and Dar slipped inside, her jacket off and her

shirtsleeves rolled up. “Hey, there.” She sauntered over and collapsed into

Kerry’s visitor chair, letting her hands drop onto the arm and crossing her legs

at the ankles. “How’d it go?”

Kerry inched her chair forward and propped her chin up on both hands.

“Dar, do you know what a limpet is?”

“Sure.” The executive nodded. “It’s a mollusk that attaches itself to a flat

surface and lives off of it.” She paused. “Why?”

“I’m a flat surface.” Kerry gave her a wry look. “They want to suck me

dry of information, chiefly about you.” She sighed. “They paint you in shades

of black, black, dark brown, and black.”

“How’d I rate the dark brown?” Dar smiled sardonically.

Kerry gazed at her disheveled boss. “Hey, listen, are you still open for

that dinner and a movie?” she inquired. “Tonight, I mean?” She felt her throat

go dry, and she swallowed, waiting for Dar to answer.

A soft, low chuckle reassured her. “I was just coming over here to see if

you were interested in doing something,” Dar admitted. “I, um…” She shook

her head and crossed her arms. “Sure, you wanna see Soldier?”

“Ooo.” Kerry’s brows rose. “Yeah, I like Kurt Russell. I really liked Escape

from New York.”

Dar laughed. “Ssssnake,” she hissed, causing Kerry to giggle. “Yeah, me

too.”

“Great. If you want to, we can stop by my place. I’ll put something

together, then we can go to the movie from there.” Kerry went through her

food inventory, and decided that no matter what she had, it was better than

Frosted Flakes and chocolate milk. “Okay?”

Pale blue eyes peeked back at her from under long, dark lashes. “Sounds

good to me.” Dar hauled herself out of the chair and patted Kerry’s desk.

“Pack it up. I’ve had about enough of this place today.” She walked through

the door that led to the back corridor and let it close behind her.

Kerry waited, then she twirled herself around in her chair, accepting the

half excited and half nervous churning in her guts as the price she’d have to

pay for her bold invitation. “Well,” she straightened the stack in her inbox,

“maybe we’ll end up talking about movies all night.” Sure. She licked her lips

as she thought about what it felt like to have Dar kiss her. “Or, maybe not.”

She shut down her PC and stood, glad the day was over. Glad the night was

starting. Just… Kerry exhaled, glad.

Chapter

Twenty-one

KERRY LET THE door close behind her, her mind already buzzing with

prospective dinner possibilities. Dar had followed along after her, saying she

had to make a quick stop. Kerry suspected her boss was just being polite, and

giving her a chance to get her act together. But that was okay, she needed it,

and it was okay that she had a minute to settle her thoughts. Except they

weren’t getting very settled. They bounced back and forth between blue eyes

and that lazy smile Dar had given her before they left the office, and she knew

her hormones were busy dancing the mamba in her bloodstream which was

making it very, very hard to think straight.

“Okay, Kerrison, let’s just calm your butt down now.” She put down her

briefcase and took a deep breath. “First things first, change out of this monkey

suit.”

Glad she’d had the chance to straighten up the place the day before, she

went into her bedroom. She chose a pair of black jeans and a lavender polo

shirt, slipping into them and tucking in the shirt and buckling the thin, leather

belt. Her reflection looked back at her, and she smoothed her fingers over the

dark denim surface and watched as her breathing pulled the soft cotton of her

shirt taut against her body. “Well, these aren’t as baggy as they used to be,

that’s for sure, but I guess it looks okay.” The jeans fit snugly around her

body, attesting to her past few weeks of culinary indulgence, but the effect

wasn’t as bad-looking as she’d feared.

As a matter of fact… Kerry blinked at her reflection. Maybe Colleen was

right, I’d taken things a little too far. Both Susan and Ray had told her she looked a lot healthier and more relaxed since she’d started working for Dar, and she

supposed that was true…if she looked at herself objectively, that is. She was

sure her parents wouldn’t agree, though. She straightened her shoulders and

ran her brush through her hair. To hell with them, she suddenly decided, as she

opened the collar of her shirt a little, exposing her thin golden chain which

held a tiny teddy bear charm. “Let’s see. A touch of perfume?” Yeah…

She pulled open her top drawer and removed a small bottle, taking off

the top and sniffing it. “Mmm.” She put a bit on her fingertip and touched it

behind her ears, then put a playful dab down her cleavage. “God, I feel like a

damn teenager on her first date.” She giggled at herself and put the bottle

away, then met the steady green eyes looking back at her from the mirror. “I

guess it is, in a way, though, because this is the first person I…” She stopped

and took a breath. “The first person I’ve ever really cared about.” She gave

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herself a little nod of acknowledgment. “There, I said it.” She turned. “Right,

Pooh?”

The stuffed, smiling bear held out his arms invitingly. “Not now, maybe

later.” She shook a finger at him, then she went back out into the living room

and glanced around, making sure she’d remembered not to leave out her

laundry or anything like that. “Looks okay,” she told the fish, then she went

into the kitchen and stood for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest and

thinking. She likes Oriental. Let’s see…I could do fried rice, and… Oh, right, I’ve got

that skirt steak. I can stir-fry that with vegetables. Okay.

She was busily chopping things up when a soft knock came at the door

and she felt a teasing jolt in her gut. “C’mon in, it’s open,” she called out. The

knob turned and she heard someone enter. “I’m in the kitchen.”

Soft footfalls crossed the carpet, and then Dar was just there, in the

doorway, filling it. The dark-haired woman had traded her suit for a pair of

white denims and a blue tailored shirt, which sported a small bumblebee

embroidered on the left breast. She was also carrying an amber bottle, which

she held up. “Picked up a little addition,” she advised, her eyes going over

Kerry’s slim form. “You look cute,” Dar complimented her a smile.

To hell with them. Kerry smiled back. “Thanks. You look pretty nice

yourself. I like the bee.” She peered at the bottle. “Oh, that was a great idea. If

you want to let it cool down a little…” She motioned with her head towards

the refrigerator.

Dar put the bottle on a shelf and peered inside, half turning and giving

Kerry a mischievous look. “You sure have a lot more in here than I have in

mine,” she remarked as she closed the door and wandered closer, peering

over Kerry’s shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Sauce.” Kerry added a bit of flaked red pepper. “It’s going to be

Szechwan beef when I finish.”

“That sounds tasty,” Dar responded, her breath tickling Kerry’s ear.

Oh boy. “Dar? Has anyone ever told you, you’re a really distracting

person?”

“Me?” Her boss’s blue eyes widened in surprised innocence. “Um, well,

no, actually. I’ve been called a lot of things, most of them nasty, but

distracting has never been one of them.”

Kerry blushed and laughed a little. “Well, you are,” she said. “You make

it very hard to concentrate.”

Dar looked puzzled but not displeased. “Okay. Well, I don’t want you to

cut yourself. I’ll just sit quietly over there.” She ambled over to the small table

in the kitchen and slid into a seat, resting her elbows on the surface. Kerry’s

reaction to her was just so…different , Dar reflected as she watched Kerry

return to her task. She’d always been used to people coming on to her, and she

wasn’t shy in doing the same in return, but the combination of sweet affection

and barely veiled desire she saw in Kerry’s eyes was something she’d never

experienced before.

It was warm, and nice, and she found herself tumbling helplessly under

its spell. Distracting? Oh yes. She was finding it very hard to keep her thoughts

focused for any length of time, and even when she did concentrate, she found

herself taking little side trips into wondering what Kerry was thinking, or

260 Melissa Good

what she was doing, or… Dar sighed. Like right now, for instance. She found

herself perfectly happy to just be sitting here in Kerry’s presence, watching

her prepare dinner. It was such a strange feeling. She watched Kerry’s

shoulder blades moving under the soft cotton of her polo shirt, and she let her

eyes wander down the slim form, appreciating the curves.

“Nickel for your thoughts.” Kerry spoke, not turning around.

Dar burst into helpless laughter. “Uh, let’s skip that, huh?” She felt

herself slightly tongue-tied, and she realized Kerry was having the same effect

on her that she was having on the younger woman. It was getting out of

control. “So, where’d you learn to cook?”

Kerry heard the hesitant confusion in Dar’s voice, and smiled quietly to

herself . Glad it’s not just me. “Well, it’s expected in my family. My mother

doesn’t work, she’s always stayed home to take care of us,” she explained. “I

had Home Ec and all that in school, but I kind of developed an interest in it

when I was in college.” She added some chopped vegetables to her fried rice

and stirred it. “We’d have get-togethers. A bunch of us would rotate who

cooked.” She glanced behind her and smiled. “When you have a group of

critics like that, you learn fast.”

“Ah.” Dar nodded, then rested her chin on her fist. “My mother was an

all-right cook, I guess,” she mused. “I never learned, though. I was…probably

overly involved with sports and things of that sort when I was growing up.

We spent a lot of time on military bases, too.” She shrugged. “I like hot dogs

and French fries.”

“I never actually had a hot dog before college.” Kerry heated up her wok

and poured a little oil in it. “Did you ever want to be in the military?”

After a long silence, Dar finally answered in a reflective voice.

“Unfortunately, my father raised me to believe there wasn’t anything I

couldn’t do. In the military, there are qualifiers to that.” Another long pause,

and then she said, “I wanted to do what he did.”

Kerry nodded. “They wouldn’t let you?”

“I’m a girl,” Dar answered, with a faintly sarcastic emphasis. “Hell.” She

sighed. “I know they have a point. I know they can’t put mixed groups out in

the field, at least not yet, but…” She shrugged. “Water under the bridge. At

any rate, to answer your question, yes, I thought about it. I took the ASVAB

when I was a junior in high school, and I got a lot of offers.” She peered at the

saltshaker on the table, lost in thought. “I just didn’t think I had the self

discipline to commit to that and do what everyone told me I had to do, rather

than what I thought I should do.” Her brows quirked. “And I was probably

right.”

“Mmm.” Kerry expertly stirred the thinly sliced beef into the wok. “Were

your parents upset?”

The blue eyes took on a far-off look. “My father was disappointed,” she

stated quietly. “I think my mother was relieved.” She shook her head. “She

was an artist. She never wanted me to go into the service.”

“An artist?” Kerry tossed in the sauce and stirred it. “Ah, now I know

where you get that doodling style from.” She laughed. “I loved that one

picture you made of that dog.”

“I don’t….” Dar stopped and thought about it. “Well, yeah, I guess I do,”

Tropical Storm 261

she admitted, a little sheepishly. “I never thought about that.”

Kerry set down the bowl of fragrant fried rice and put another of the stir-

fried beef next to it, then handed Dar two plates. “Here.” She turned and

retrieved the plum wine and a couple of glasses and brought them back to the

table with her. “Well, the only talent in my family seems to be politics.” She

handed Dar a serving spoon. “And law. Neither of which really sparked my

imagination when I was growing up.”

The taller woman piled two plates with steaming rice and beef and

handed Kerry one. “What did spark your imagination?”

Kerry ate a few mouthfuls before she answered. “Books, mostly.” She

exhaled. “I did the usual things growing up. My mother enrolled me in piano

lessons, and in gymnastics—the one to give me culture, the other to give me

what she called ‘grace.’ ” Kerry’s lips twisted wryly. “I don’t think either did

much. I never took to the piano, and I was, at best, a mediocre gymnast.” She

chewed thoughtfully. “I can play ‘Chopsticks.’ ”

Dar chuckled. “So can I if I use both hands and both feet, and you don’t

listen too closely.” She smiled “This is great, by the way.” She held up a

forkful, then she paused to pour them both a glass of wine. “What kind of

books do you like?”

Kerry took a sip of the wine. “You’ll laugh, but mostly science

fiction…and some historical novels.”

Dar gave her a puzzled look. “Why would I laugh? That’s what most

geeks like to read, myself included,” she said in a mild voice. “Not that I have

time anymore,” she added with a sigh. “So what led you into computers?”

“I didn’t want to end up as an English teacher,” Kerry replied wryly.

“And I…well, I always had a liking for machinery. I used to take apart

things—you know, like phones and stuff.” She laughed a bit. “When I got to

college, I realized there was a computer science track that was pretty close to

the general English track I was already on, so I double-majored.” She paused

and took another sip of wine. “What about you?” It was, she suddenly

realized, the first time they’d just sat down and talked about really personal

stuff, and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt.

Dar bit a piece of beef in half and chewed it. “What about me? Well, I was

always interested in programming—that’s what I studied in school. But

somewhere along the way, I decided all those lines of code just couldn’t hold

my interest.” She reflected a moment. “Wasn’t enough of a challenge, so I

went into system analysis and design and from there, into engineering and

operations.”

“Luckily for us.” Kerry smiled.

“Opinions on that vary,” Dar replied dryly. She drained her glass and

poured a second. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.” She toyed with the

glass. “I spend a lot of time ignoring the cuts and digs, but it gets old.”

Kerry got up and took their empty plates, setting them in the sink, then

returning to put her hands on Dar’s shoulders. “I kind of got that feeling….”

She tried, but couldn’t keep herself from leaning forward, and only barely

kept herself from gently kissing Dar’s sleek head. “So, if you start getting

complaints that your assistant is whacking people for saying nasty things

about you, don’t be surprised.”

262 Melissa Good

Dar was touched, and she eased back, pressing her body against Kerry’s

and gazing up at her with a slight smile. “That’s sweet of you, Kerry, but I

don’t think it’ll do much good.” She lifted a hand and covered the one on her

right shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Not that I don’t appreciate the thought,

though.”

Kerry drank in her closeness. “It’ll make me feel better,” she objected

softly. “Really.” She looked down into the pale blue eyes and saw a softening

there, making her give in to her craving and bend her head, finding Dar’s

waiting lips with unerring accuracy. A touch traveled up her arm, softly

stroking, and Kerry felt her body respond to it, as she closed her eyes and let

the gentle probing and tasting continue. It feels so good… She could feel Dar’s

fingers slipping up past her elbow and brushing against her side, making her

breathing catch. She felt short of breath and her heart started to pound as she

eased her own hands lower, touching bare skin.

Everything shifted then as Dar unexpectedly slid an arm around her

waist and tugged her down. Kerry found herself in the dark-haired woman’s

lap, with those strong arms wrapping around her and every inch of her body

tingling in pure reaction. Her own arms slid up around Dar’s neck, then one

started traveling down, moving across the slope of her neck muscles, and

down her shoulder.

Dar knew she should slow down and take it easy, but her body wouldn’t

relinquish its gentle contact. Her hands moved of their own accord, stroking

and exploring the warm curves of the body tucked into her arms with

insatiable curiosity. She could feel Kerry’s breathing deepen and go ragged

and her own wasn’t doing much better. Easy…easy. Not yet. She lightened up

on the intensity and felt Kerry do the same, until they broke off, and Kerry

buried her face against Dar’s shoulder. “Whoa.” She wrapped her arms

around Kerry’s body and held her, rubbing her back gently. “Easy there.”

“Whew,” Kerry muttered, feeling her heartbeat start to slow. “That was

intense.” She decided being embarrassed at this point would be kind of

ridiculous, so she lifted her head and just looked at Dar. “This is not going

according to plan.”

Both dark eyebrows lifted teasingly. “It’s not?” Dar protested mildly. “I

thought it was working out pretty well.” She still had her arms around Kerry,

but now she loosened her grasp and backed off a little.

“No…um…that’s not what I…uh.” She gave up. “We were supposed to

go to the movie first,” she explained wryly, reaching up and pushing back a

bit of Dar’s dark hair.

“Oh. Oh, right.” Dar nodded in understanding. “But other than that?”

“Mmm.” Kerry exhaled slowly. “You know, I did a lot of reading. They

didn’t mention the fireworks going off in any of it.” Her fingers trailed down

Dar’s cheek. “It’s kind of scary.” Her breath caught as Dar captured her hand

and nibbled her palm. “But nice.”

“Okay.” Dar considered. “Is this making you uncomfortable?”

A shy smile. “No.” Kerry shook her head. “But I bet it’s making you

uncomfortable. I must be squishing you.”

Dar squeezed her, then patted her hip. “Hadn’t noticed,” she confessed.

“Don’t worry about squashing me, I’m a big girl, I can take it.” She let her

Tropical Storm 263

hand move down Kerry’s thigh. “You want to go see the movie?”

It was scary. Kerry was nervous, but she appreciated the fact that Dar

was willing to let her go at her pace, and wasn’t pushing, wasn’t…forcing. A

grim memory filled her mind, and she had to take a moment to force it out

before she could consider it any further. “Well…I, um, I have Escape from New

York and some microwave popcorn here. We could improvise.”

Dar grinned, a smile that lit up her very blue eyes and made the skin next

to them crinkle “Oh, I like that idea,” she agreed. “And dinner was great.

Thank you, by the way.”

“Mmm.” Kerry gazed at her. “Glad you liked it,” she responded, not

taking her eyes from Dar’s. They sat quietly like that for a moment, then Kerry

cleared her throat. “I guess I have to get up to get that movie, huh.” She

regretfully untangled herself from Dar’s grip and stood, taking a deep breath

as she moved away from the seductive warmth. Dar followed her into the

living room, and she gave her a little tour, mostly to settle her own nerves.

“This is Scully and Mulder and their little friends the Lone Gunmen.” Kerry

sprinkled a little food in the tank.

“Let me guess—Mulder and Scully are the gouramies.” Dar laughed.

“Kissing gouramies, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Uh huh.” Kerry grinned and watched their antics. “What can I tell you,

I’m a sucker for a good romance.” The blonde woman shrugged. “Silly, I

guess.”

Dar rubbed her back. “Nah, I think they’re cute. Though I thought they

copped out in that movie.” She chuckled. “And I gotta tell you, the entire

movie theatre I was in cracked up laughing when they said FEMA was behind

the great government conspiracy.”

Kerry’s brows creased in puzzlement. “That wasn’t a funny part.”

“It was if you went through Hurricane Andrew down here and had to

watch them work,” Dar informed her. “Trust me, if they were in charge of the

conspiracy, those damn aliens would have gone home in disgust waiting for

fresh water to be delivered.”

Kerry laughed and bumped her with an elbow. “I have that movie too, if

you’re interested.” She got out the other videotape and turned on the

television, then tossed Dar the remote. “I’ll go get some popcorn.”

Dar was momentarily left alone, and she took the time to study the

apartment. It was bright, and very unlike hers. There were personal knick-

knacks everywhere, including several stuffed animals, and a set of diplomas

on the wall. One was from college and the other her certification affidavit. A

small trophy attested to Kerry’s debating skill, and there was a bookshelf

against the wall which held an assortment of paperback and hard-back books,

a mixture of fiction and computer manuals.

It was a cheerful place; the comfortable couch was in a nice shade of light

salmon, and the rug was a pale cream, lending a sense of lightness to the

interior that Dar found very soothing. A door to the left obviously led to the

bedroom, and there was a small bathroom on the other side of the kitchen.

There was a sense of cleanliness and order that Dar found very characteristic

of Kerry, and she decided she felt comfortable being here. The scent of freshly

popped popcorn attracted her attention and she turned as Kerry reentered the

264 Melissa Good

room, carrying a large bowl and a pitcher. She set both down on the coffee

table and got two glasses.

“Okay, I think we’re set.” She glanced at Dar, who was seated

comfortably on the couch, and hesitated.

With a quiet smile, Dar patted the cushion next to her and waited for

Kerry to settle herself before she reached over and turned down the lights a

little and started the movie.

Kerry held out for all of the time it took for the opening credits before she

snuggled closer to Dar, leaning against her body as the taller woman put an

arm around her shoulders. With a sigh of contentment, she pulled the popcorn

over and set it half on her lap, half on Dar’s, as they shared the contents.

Much nicer than the theatre, she decided, popping a kernel into her mouth,

then snagging another, and glancing up. Dar chose that moment to look down,

and Kerry smiled, then held the popcorn up to her lips, stifling a giggle when

Dar snapped her teeth down on it and caught her fingers as well. “Hey!”

Dar slowly released her hold, then chewed the popcorn with a little

waggle of her eyebrows. That got her another piece, which she held between

her teeth as she looked questioningly at Kerry.

Oh. A game. Kerry pulled herself up and took half the piece, letting their

lips brush. That tasted so good she decided to try it, and Dar obliged by

reciprocating.

They went back and forth a few times, until Kerry forgot to take a piece

and just went for Dar’s lips instead. She was curled up on her own couch, in

her own apartment, and she felt very safe. Safe enough to forget the movie

and concentrate on the sleek body under her fingertips instead as she allowed

her hands to slip down Dar’s neck while the taller woman’s free hand curled

around her side.

This time she wasn’t afraid or embarrassed. It was like diving into

something new and exciting, and she found herself more intrigued than

anxious. Dar was a good kisser, she decided as they gently explored each

other. A hand stroked her side, and she shifted a little as the touch shifted and

brushed gently against her breasts. That was an interesting sensation. Her

body liked that. She felt a slow building of sensation and her skin became very

sensitive, and when Dar’s fingertips touched the bare flesh at the neck of her

shirt, a soft sound of encouragement escaped her.

Dar’s lips nibbled hers then moved away a little. “You doing all right?”

she murmured in Kerry’s ear, brushing the soft lobe with her tongue.

“Great,” she managed to respond.

“You want to keep going?” Dar inquired, running a finger down her

cleavage.

A moment of fear, of uncertainty. “I…I don’t know if I…know what to

do,” Kerry replied softly, as she found herself drawn to the smooth skin of

Dar’s neck, and she nibbled it softly.

“You’re doing pretty good so far,” Dar confessed. “It’s all right, I’ll show

you.”

Kerry felt her way down Dar’s body, smoothing her fingers across the

curve of her breasts. “Show me,” the shorter woman breathed, surrendering as

she felt a pull against her. Kerry soon found herself stretched out on her side

Tropical Storm 265

on the couch with Dar gently supporting her. The dark-haired woman settled

next to her and captured her lips again, letting one hand travel down her body

and tug her shirt free of her belt. Kerry felt the sudden electric thrill as the

warm fingers touched her skin and traced a teasing line up her midsection,

from her belly button up to the bottom of her bra. Her muscles contracted in

sheer reaction, and she found herself plucking at the buttons on Dar’s shirt,

getting two of them undone, which gave her access to smooth flesh that she

wanted nothing more than to touch, and stroke and…

She felt a trickle of cool air as her shirt was raised, then heat replaced it as

Dar’s lips found their way down her throat and her body arched under the

touch, a need building in her stronger than anything she’d ever felt before.

The pressure of her clothing seemed unbearable, and she almost cried out

when she felt Dar loosen her belt. She felt chilled for an instant after she

slipped the denim off, then a rapid heat consumed her as her legs were

tangled with the taller woman’s and long fingers stroked up the inside of her

bare thigh.

It was like an explosion inside her. She lost track of where she was, she

only knew that a pressure was building, a pressure that centered itself around

Dar’s touch, and the movement of her lips and the steady, knowing coaxing

movement that brought her closer and closer, and finally sent her crashing

over the top in a shudder of sensation so powerful that every muscle in her

body clenched and shuddered. She could hardly breathe, her body convulsed

again and again until it slowly relaxed, drawn on by Dar’s gentle, easy

motions. Kerry was shaking, and her hands clutched feebly at Dar, who

wrapped long arms and legs around her, and was whispering quiet

reassurances.

“Shhh. Easy.” Dar stroked her hair, a little startled at Kerry’s

responsiveness. “Easy, I’ve got you.” Dar knew that a physical relationship

was often awkward for a while, until people got used to each other. But Kerry

had… Damn, it was like I just knew all the right spots to… Wow. She watched the

blonde head slowly nestle against her shoulder and she wrapped her arms a

little tighter, bringing their mostly bare bodies closer together. “You all

right?”

Sea green eyes drifted open and gazed half lidded at her as Kerry nodded

faintly. Her hand absently moved up and down Dar’s side, sending tingles up

and down her spine. “Fulfill your expectations?” the executive inquired,

moving the disordered hair out of her companion’s face.

Kerry moved her touch lower, tracing a series of circles across Dar’s

abdomen and shook her head a little. “I had no…I didn’t know what to expect,

but…um, you know, Dar, I really, really liked that.” She ducked her head and

nipped at the soft skin on Dar’s breast, watching her body react to it. “Now, I

wonder…” She slid a little closer, wanting the contact and feeling the taller

woman’s breathing catch. “Let’s see if I can…” She nibbled across the surface

of Dar’s breast, then let her hands roam, exploring the shape and curves of her

and letting her imagination take over.

Dar was so much taller than she was, it was hard to get everywhere. But

she managed, pulling out a tortured groan when she used her teeth to good

effect, tasting Dar’s skin in place after place, starting with touches at first

266 Melissa Good

tentative, then more confident, until she felt Dar’s body convulse and the

dark-haired woman grabbed hold of her with an almost painful strength.

She could hear Dar’s heartbeat thundering against her ear, and she gently

stroked her as they snuggled into each other’s arms and just rested. It was

peaceful. It was familiar, in a way that Kerry really didn’t understand. But she

knew that right here, safe in Dar’s arms, she’d found something very special.

Well. Kerry felt a delighted surprise. Yahoo, you didn’t really have a clue.

She took a deep breath of Dar’s scent and exhaled in deep contentment. She

glanced up, smiling in reflex at the half smile on the taller woman’s face as she

gazed back at her peacefully.

Something was nibbling at the back of her tongue, wanting to be said,

and she just couldn’t nudge it forward. It was something she felt when she

looked at Dar, something that came from deep within her, a truth of the heart

her mind just wasn’t ready to look at yet. Oh well. It would come to her.

“Thanks. That was pretty awesome.”

Dar gazed at her, a small half puzzled, half incredulous smile on her face.

“Likewise,” she murmured . Boy, did she ever have my number. When was the last

time that ever happened? Luck? She examined Kerry’s dreamy expression,

almost getting lost in it. Whatever… She kissed the blonde woman’s forehead

and sighed contentedly.

Guess I did okay, Kerry mused giddily . Wow. It felt wonderful. She glanced

up at the angular face and saw interested blue eyes blinking back at her. A

warm feeling re-ignited in her guts. “Hey.” She nuzzled a bit of soft, tanned

skin. “That bathroom over there has a whirlpool in it. You interested?” One

finger idly traced a rib, then moved upward.

Dar chuckled, low and deep in her chest, capturing the roving finger with

white teeth and sucking the tip of it. She had a feeling it was going to be long

night.

IT’S NOT A dream. Dar heard the faint beep of her pager alarm, and she

reached over, pressing the button that would turn the thing off, then she

returned her arm to its place around Kerry and let out a tiny sigh. It’s not a

dream, not this time.

This time it was real. No strange forest view, or unknown cabin—just

herself, and Kerry, and a feeling of quiet pleasure that touched something

down inside her soul. It felt so nice to wake up with someone. She’d forgotten

what that was like, almost. No. She had forgotten. Deliberately.

It was dark out, and Dar knew she didn’t have a lot of time left before she

had to leave and drive home to change before she was expected at the office.

She stifled a yawn and let her eyes drift closed for a few minutes, reveling in

the solid, sleeping warmth of her companion, their limbs tangled together as

they snuggled together in the middle of Kerry’s bed.

The late-night bath had turned into another long session of intimate

exploration, and when they relaxed at last, tired but satisfied, Kerry had

simply wrapped herself around Dar’s taller body and turned off the light.

Dar could think of a handful of reasons she should have left, but none of

them could override the reason she had stayed. Because Kerry wanted her to.

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So she’d pulled the covers up over them and, surrounded by the clean, sweet

scent of the fresh linens, allowed herself to slip into a deep sleep. Which was

great, except here she was now, not wanting to budge out of the warm spot

she was in and get moving.

Dar sighed, then she opened her eyes and started to straighten her body,

hearing a soft murmur of protest from her blonde companion. Kerry took a

tighter hold on her. “Hey…” Dar whispered softly in the pink ear near her

chin. “Time to get up, kiddo.”

“Uhrm,” Kerry protested incoherently.

Dar rubbed her back gently. “Kerrrrrrryy.”

A sleepy green eye peered up at her. The lashes blinked, then the other

eye appeared as Kerry realized where she was. “Oh. Hi, sorry. “ A charming

smile gleamed in the faint light coming into the window from the streetlamp

outside. “Guess I should let you go, huh?” she said softly.

Dar hugged her, then released her hold. “Take me a while to get across to

the island, then back…and I have a meeting with José and Eleanor at nine.”

“Mmm.” Kerry gave her a squeeze, then reluctantly moved away, curling

up on sheets suddenly cold against her naked body. “I’m supposed to visit the

MTC today. They’re having town halls.”

“Have fun.” Dar reached out and stroked her face gently. “You feeling

okay?”

Kerry captured her hand, and nibbled it. “I feel great, thanks. How about

you?”

Dar smiled. “Never felt better.” She glanced at the clock. “I better get

going. If I stick around here much longer, we’ll both be late.“ She paused,

then rolled over, and slipped her hand around the back of Kerry’s neck,

kissing her slowly but thoroughly.

They parted reluctantly, and Kerry closed her eyes, nuzzling the hand she

still clasped in her own. “Oh sure, now just leave me here,” she teased.

Dar yawned, then rubbed her face. “Believe me, if I had a choice, I

wouldn’t,” she responded offhandedly. “But I think someone would notice if

both of us didn’t show up for work.”

Kerry snorted softly. “Someone? Jesus…” She fell silent. “We have to be

careful, don’t we?”

Dar remained silent, thinking for a bit. “Careful, but not too careful.” She

propped her head up on one hand. “I have to admit I’ve never had to…” She

thought about their options. “Okay, I think we need to just act normally.”

Kerry nibbled at Dar’s fingertips. “Really?”

Her boss muffled a chuckle. “I don’t think we should hide the fact that

we’re friends, I mean. Or that we do the occasional thing after work with each

other. If we try to convince everyone we hardly know each other, it’s not

gonna work.”

“Probably not,” Kerry acknowledged.

“No matter what, there’s going to be talk.” Dar exhaled. “Does that

bother you?”

The green eyes unfocused a little as Kerry considered. “It’s a little

intimidating. I know how nasty those people can be. I’m not sure how I’m

going to react to that if I get it in the face,” she admitted quietly.

268 Melissa Good

“Mmm.” Dar paused. “Well, I always found it’s best not to deny

anything,” she commented. “When people insinuate things, I just smile at

them.”

“Smile?” Kerry’s brows knit. Dar demonstrated, producing a sexy,

knowing grin. “Oh.” The blonde muffled a laugh.

“Yeah, they’re never really sure what to do with that,” Dar replied with a

smirk. “The more you tell people something isn’t happening, the more they

think it is. If you just laugh at them, they’re not expecting that.”

“Hmm.” Kerry nodded. “That makes a lot of sense. Is that your trick—all

that self-confidence?”

A slow nod of agreement. “If I believe in myself, everyone else tends to,”

she answered. “No one will say anything outright, but they’ll insinuate.” She

chewed her lip. “You could also try the old standard of asking them exactly

what they mean, that you don’t understand what they’re asking.”

“Okay, I think I can do that,” Kerry replied hesitantly.

Dar studied her with a sense of quiet regret. “Kerry, if it’s going to be too

much, we’ll think of something else,” she told the younger woman softly.

“I…I don’t want this to be tough on you.”

Kerry shook her head vigorously. “No. No, it’s all right. It just takes a

little getting used to. I’m not really good at hiding things.” She chewed her lip.

“But I’ll be okay. I never thought I’d…” She paused, thinking hard. “Dar, I

really like you.”

“Well, I kinda hoped so.” Dar gave her a wistful little smile. “I kinda

hoped it wasn’t just that you thought it would be good for your career.” She

maintained a half joking air, but there was pain behind the statement.

Kerry heard it and gently touched her cheek. “You didn’t really think

that, did you?”

Dar dropped her gaze to the sheets and traced a little design there. She

shrugged. “It’s happened before.” she acknowledged quietly.

God, if I could find the person who did that, I’d take a cocktail fork and poke them

so full of holes… Kerry exhaled. “That’s not what I’m about,” she said. “That’s

not…” Dar wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’d rather you fire me right now than

have you think that.” She paused. “In fact, I’m not going to give you the

option, I’m resigning.”

Startled blue eyes lifted. “Kerry, wait! That’s not what I…”

“I mean it,” Kerry stated quietly. “I can easily get a job working for

Colleen’s bank.” She started to scramble out of bed, visibly upset. “I am not

going to have you thinking the only reason I…”

“Kerry…”

“No!” Kerry replied sharply. “Is that really what…Jesus Christ.” She

headed for the door, anger in the set of her body.

Dar somehow managed to intercept her, catching her gently by the

shoulders and turning her around. “Hey.” Kerry was shaking, and she could

see the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “Wait a minute.” A pause. “Please.”

The blonde stilled and just looked at her. “That’s not what I thought about

you. If it was, I never would have gone this far again.” It was a stark, blunt

statement. “Believe me.” She felt the tension relax in Kerry’s shoulders. “I

don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to quit. I finally found someone I can

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trust, who can take some of this job off my shoulders. If I lose that now, I…”

Dar sighed. “It won’t be good.”

Kerry blew out a breath and put out a tentative hand, stroking the soft

skin on the taller woman’s belly. “This complicates everything.” She fell silent

for a long moment while Dar merely waited. “I’d rather lose my job than…”

she paused awkwardly, “…than lose you.” Kerry focused her gaze on Dar’s

collarbone. “Jesus, you must think that sounds so damn naïve.”

Dar gently put her arms around her and pulled her close. “No,” Her voice

was very quiet. “Not at all.” It was, she knew, a big risk. But Dar had always

followed her instincts, and her instincts were telling her Kerry could be

trusted, despite what had happened before, despite the odds against it. “We’ll

work things out. It’ll be okay, Kerry. I promise. It’ll be okay.”

Kerry let her forehead fall forward to rest against Dar’s shoulder. She

really didn’t want to leave the company. She really didn’t want to leave Dar,

sensing that the executive truly wanted her to stay. “Okay.” She looked up in

the dim light, seeing Dar’s features barely outlined as lines of gold and silver,

and the splash of crystal that were her eyes. “I’ll try.”

She tilted her head as Dar bent her neck and kissed her, welcoming the

soft brush of her lips and the tingle as their bodies moved together. It was so

incredible. She’d never expected it to feel like this, not the deep and wild

hunger that robbed her of breath and dignity and made her want to rub up

against Dar like a cat in heat. The taller woman’s hands slowly moved down

her sides and around her back, and she uttered a soft moan against Dar’s lips.

Echoed by its twin, as the dark-haired woman stepped back a little, and

stroked the side of her face.

Dar sighed regretfully. “We keep this up, and I’m not gonna make it into

work.”

Kerry patted her arm and gave her a wry look. “Uh, yeah. I think I could

use a shower myself.” She grimaced. “A cold shower,” she muttered as an

afterthought.

Dar chuckled and gave her a light kiss on the top of her head. “Go on, I’ll

let myself out. See you in the office?”

“You bet.” Kerry nodded. “I’ll bring pastelitos.” She grinned at the way

Dar’s eyes lit up, then the executive winked and padded out of the room, the

light from the street lamp sliding in shadows over her naked form. Kerry

turned the shower on and let it run. Even over the sound of the water, she

heard Dar slip her clothes on, then the soft click as the front door closed.

“Whoa.” Kerry leaned against the washbasin and gazed soberly at her

reflection. Surely it was the same person who had looked back at her the

previous morning—the same almost babyish, slightly rounded face, the same

green eyes. Then why did she feel so different?

Well, okay, so it was the first time she’d ever made love to a woman. And

if she had to pick a first, Dar certainly was a good one. She was experienced,

but gentle, passionate yet playful. So it was a great experience. Then why are

my knees shaking? Why does it feel like butterflies are clustered inside my stomach?

She thought of Dar and felt a fierce blast of emotion grab her, making her lean

forward in surprise. What in the hell is going on with me?

“C’mon, Kerrison, get your act together and take a shower. You’ve got

270 Melissa Good

work to do.” She sighed, trudging toward the gently steaming water, shocked

to find herself seriously considering not getting in it to avoid washing away

Dar’s lingering scent. “Good grief.” She sighed and forced herself forward. “I

think I’m losing my mind.”

Chapter

Twenty-two

DAR LEANED BACK in her seat and closed her eyes as the warm

sunlight poured in her window. She was showered and dressed, and on the

ferry heading over to the mainland, only a few minutes later than she usually

was. Not bad. “Morning, Maria.”

“Buenos días, Dar,” her secretary’s voice answered. “I have a note here

from Mr. Draefus. Is there a report you were supposed to send to him last

night?”

Oh shit. Dar almost slapped her forehead in dismay. “I have it here,

I’m…still reviewing it, Maria.” She unzipped her laptop case and booted the

machine. “I had some problems with some of the…uh, he has some…” Her

eyes flicked over the report as the ferry made the long, slow turn into the

dock. “Yeah, he has some addendums here that don’t make sense. “

“I’ll tell him that you’re not done with it yet,” Maria told her. “Okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll send it over when I get in and dock.” Dar skimmed the rest of

the report. “Uh, I have a set of statistics I need copied for my nine o’clock.

They’re in my outbox. Can you take care of that?”

“Surely,” her secretary assured her.

“Okay, thanks. I’ve gotta get off the ferry here,” Dar mumbled, as she

shifted gears and started the car forward. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,

Maria.”

“Drive carefully, Dar,” Maria said as usual. “There are crazy people out

there.”

Uh huh. Dar maneuvered the Lexus off the ferry and out onto the street,

turning left onto the causeway, silently berating herself for forgetting Duk’s

report. “C’mon, Dar, snap out of it. You’ve got a division to run here.” She

shook her head.

The short drive gave her time to focus her thoughts, and by the time she

pulled into the parking lot, she’d managed to put her mind to the problems of

the day, and set aside the distracting wonder of the night before. Almost.

She ran her fingers through her dark hair as she entered the offices,

crossing to the elevators in time to join Duks as he held the door for her.

“Morning, Duks.” She gave him a quick look. “I’ve got some issues with that

report. I’ll copy you on them when I get in.”

“Fair enough.” Duks leaned back against the elevator wall. “Be careful in

that meeting this morning. I hear José has some tricks up his sleeve. He’s

trying to push those government accounts to lower the margin on them.”

Dar snorted softly. “Someday he’ll learn quantity doesn’t do crap for you

272 Melissa Good

if you don’t make money on it.” She shifted her laptop. “He didn’t learn from

that Olympics fiasco?”

Duks sighed and shook his head. “Not hardly. Hey, listen, Mariana

thought she’d get together a few folks for an evening out at Monty’s this

Friday. You interested?”

Dar glanced at him, slightly puzzled. Usually Mariana did her own group

announcements. “Um, I don’t think I have plans. Sure, tell her to drop me a

note when she finalizes.”

“Okay,” Duks agreed amiably. “She thought she’d ask Mark Polenti,

Barbara and… Hey, she did mention… You think Kerry would be interested?”

Ah. Dar managed to restrict her reaction to a faint shrug. “How would I

know? Ask her. She never claimed a seafood allergy or a fear of the ocean,

so…”“Will do,” the Finance VP assured her. “Mariana says she’s a nice kid.

After all, she tolerates you, so she’d probably make a fun addition to the

group.”

Dar chuckled dryly. “I’m sure she’ll be flattered to be asked.” She held

the door open for Duks to go out before her.

“Well, Mariana wanted to be sure…that you wouldn’t mind first. After

all, you have to work with her. You might not want to spend off hours with

the kid.”

She almost—almost—burst into helpless laughter. “Ah, what’s one

night?” she managed to get out, biting off a grin. “Nah, she’s fine. She’s got

some good ideas, and speaks her mind. Nice change.”

“Good to hear.” Duks gave her a nod. “See you for lunch?”

Dar gave a half shrug. “Depends on how long-winded José is.” She gave

her friend a little wave as she exited the elevator. “I’ll call you when I get out.”

When she reached her suite, she opened the outer door and slipped inside.

“Hello, Maria.”

The short woman glanced up from the phone call she was on and waved,

then held out a sheaf of papers in silence. Dar walked over and took them,

then continued into her office. She closed the door behind her and moved

across the carpet, stopping as she glanced at her desk. Centered on the top of

it was a small plate containing several pastries, neatly arranged, along with a

covered cup. Dar felt a smile shape her lips as she continued on around the

desk and sat down, flipped on her desktop and put down her laptop case. She

selected a pastry and bit into it with pleasure. It was still warm, and she

enjoyed the taste, along with the sweet coffee in the cup. As soon as her

computer finished coming up, she clicked on the corporate instant messaging

software she hardly ever used, and keyed in Kerry’s network address.

Thanks for the pastries. How’d you know which ones I like? She

typed in, and hit enter. After a few more bites, the response came back.

Easy. I picked the unhealthiest ones I could find .

Dar chuckled wryly.

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Good guess , she sent back. They’re great.

She clicked on her mail, then sent Duks back a copy of his report with a

few notes. After a few minutes of review, and the rest of the pastries, she got

another message.

I’m heading out to the MTC. Anything you need taken

care of first?

Nope. Good luck and have fun, Dar sent back. If

you’re back around lunch, drop by.

She set down the papers Maria had given to her and started reviewing

them, circling things in a bright purple pen that the sales managers had

learned to detest with a deep and abiding passion. The phone buzzed. “Yes?”

“Dar, General Easton on numero dos.”

She glanced at the phone, then punched the button. “Hello, Gerry.”

“Hellloooooo, Dar.” The general’s robust voice came through the phone.

“Just wanted you to know, that flight was pure negligence. A pity, but nothing

to do with you, my friend.”

Dar nodded quietly to herself. “Wanted to make sure it was all right, Ger.

Senator Stuart’s daughter was on the flight as well, and he had some concerns

in that regard.”

A low whistle. “Wow. Intelligence didn’t pick that up at all.

Howinthehell did you know about it?”

“It wasn’t that hard, she’s my assistant,” Dar told him dryly. She circled

another discrepancy with her pen and chuckled to herself. It was going to be

an enjoyable meeting.

Easton laughed. “And here you had me marveling at your damn

comprehensive detail orientation. That’s rich, you hired that bastard’s kid?

Politically nice, Dar, very nice.” His voice was approving. “Never hurts to

have a friend up on Mount Olympus.”

Oh yes, he’d looovvvvee me. Dar bit her lip to keep from smiling. Hello,

Senator Conservative-as-grass-grows-up from Michigan. I’m dating your daughter.

Nice ta meet ya. Whoops, watch that ground there as you fall over, it’s a little hard.

“Yeah, well, that wasn’t a consideration, but I do have to keep it in mind.”

Easton chuckled. “Whatever you say. Listen, you up for a visit over

Turkey Day? I’ve got an extra spot at the table with your name on it.”

Dar hesitated, playing with her pen. Kerry would, she knew, be home in

Michigan over that whole weekend. The thought of staying alone in her condo

was suddenly very unappealing. “Gerry, I’d like that,” she replied quietly.

“Thanks.”

His smile could be heard through the phone. “Fantastic! I’ll tell the wife.

She’ll be thrilled.” He paused. “And so will my kid. See you Wednesday

night?”

“Sure,” Dar agreed. “I’ll make the arrangements. Thanks again, Gerry.”

He hung up, and she sat back, considering. Kerry’s family was going to

put a lot of pressure on her when she was home, Dar reasoned, though the

younger woman had been very reluctant to discuss her family with Dar. Well,

274 Melissa Good

Washington is a lot closer to Michigan than Miami is. Just in case. She pushed the

intercom. “Maria?”

“Si?”

“I need a plane ticket to Washington National the Wednesday before

Thanksgiving, coming back that Sunday.”

“Ay, it’s late for that, Dar. One ticket?”

Dark brows drew together. What an odd question. “Yes, one ticket. General

Easton invited me out there for the holidays. I know it’s going to be pricey.

Just do the best you can.”

“I’ll take care of it, Dar.” Maria clicked the intercom and she went back to

her report, finding a flagrant lie and pouncing on it with a chuckle of glee.

“Ah! José, I have your cojones in my right hand, can’t you feel me squeezing?”

KERRY PARKED HER car in the parking lot and stepped out, locking the

doors and putting on her jacket, straightening it with an automatic gesture.

The building was an unassuming one, situated just behind the Miami airport,

a single-story structure set on a long, narrow strip of land. The company logo

was prominent on the outside, and Kerry gave it a look as she walked to the

door and pulled it open as the guard inside unlocked it. “Good morning.” She

gave the man a smile. “I’m looking for…”

A woman came around the corner by the desk. “Ms. Stuart?”

Kerry turned. “Yes. Hello.”

A hand poked out at her. “Lisa Andrews, from the account team. Thanks

for coming over. It’s always nice when people from HQ come out and see

what we do.” The woman was about Kerry’s height, with ash-blonde hair and

a frank, friendly smile. Her pale gray eyes studied Kerry briefly, then she

gestured toward the hallway. “I’ll give you the tour, we’ve got about twenty

minutes before we start.”

Obligingly, Kerry followed her to the corridor intersection, where the

woman turned left. The building was one very long hallway, with rooms on

either side. “Down there is the mail room,” Lisa explained, “and the facilities

room for the contract. We run some servers down there for them.”

Kerry nodded, having reviewed the account before leaving the office.

“Their web server and two applications servers.”

Lisa paused and blinked at her in surprise. “Right,” she agreed.

“Installation Services are in that suite, and we have an executive area where

the account execs have offices and a conference room.” She started down the

hallway. “Down this side, we have the training area, then at the end, the

network center.”

“Can we go in there?” Kerry asked. “I’d love to see how that works.” She

followed the woman down the hall and paused as she scanned her card and

opened the door. It gave them access to a large, more or less square room that

filled the entire end of the building. Stretched across the floor were rows of

cubicles, reminding Kerry of her old offices at Associated. Each cubicle had a

PC, and most had technicians inside them, busy speaking to customers. It all

looked very professional and very businesslike.

A voice suddenly sounded from the taller walled cubicles just to Kerry’s

Tropical Storm 275

right-hand side. “Incoming!” A projectile flew over the wall, and she barely

caught it, grabbing it out of the air with a startled look. Lisa’s eyes popped out

as Kerry examined the item.

It was a soft foam dart. She blinked at it, then looked up as a head

appeared over the six-foot wall, peering down at her. “Hi.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Oh… Christ, sorry. It got away.” He leaned

over the wall and held out a hand. “Did it hit you?”

Kerry tapped the dart on her shoulder, then she walked around the end

of the cubicle section and peered down the center. There was an aisle between

the cubes, with entrances on either side. These were larger than the cubes on

the floor, with taller walls and overhead bins. Senior techs, Kerry decided, as

she paced down the row and glanced into one cubicle, where the tall man was

still standing on the desk. As she appeared, he hopped down and put his

hands in his pockets. “What did this come from?” Kerry asked, glancing

around. The tops of the cabinets were full of toys and small figurines. Beside

her, Lisa looked mortified.

The man cleared his throat and pulled a large colorful gun out from

behind a set of books and handed it to her.

“Mmm.” Kerry took the item and examined it, pulling back the

mechanism and putting the dart in place. She raised it and released the

trigger. The missile went flying, smacking into the door at the end of the aisle.

Heads popped out of the cubes and looked at her. The denizen of the end

cube reached out and plucked the dart off the door, where it had stuck and

glanced back down the row. “What in the hell is going on here?” the woman

asked, pulling off her headset and hanging it down around her neck. “David,

are you shooting people again?”

“Not me.” The tall man smiled brightly. He pointed at Kerry. “She did

it.”

Kerry sauntered down the row until she was at the end cube and plucked

the dart from the woman’s fingers. “You guys support these?” she inquired,

holding up the gun.

The woman’s eyebrow rose. “Stress relief,” she explained. “For when you

deal with the customers who can’t find the on/off switch.” She leaned out.

“You’re not supposed to shoot visiting suits with them,” she accused the tall

man, who smiled charmingly.

“Are the customers really like that?” Kerry asked, aware of Lisa’s

hovering form. “Doesn’t sound like the proper respect for them.”

The woman paused. “Want to listen to one?” There was a challenge in the

invitation.

“Sure.” Kerry smiled, put the gun down and pulled up a chair from the

next cube over. She was handed a spare headset, which she put on, and she

moved a little closer as the technician resumed her seat.

“Don’t talk unless you want the customer to hear you,” she was

instructed. “That mic is live.”

Kerry nodded, glancing around. The cube was filled with technical

manuals and a few personal items, including several small stuffed animals

sitting on the monitor. Various lists of phone numbers were tacked on the

wall, along with a sheaf of certification affidavits and circuit diagrams. The

276 Melissa Good

technician called up a screen and punched a button on the phone. “Here we

go.”

A soft ding sounded, then a voice came on the line. The technician

smoothly answered, identifying the support group. “How can I help you?”

“Hello?” a hesitant voice answered. “Um, is this the computer people?”

“Yes, ma’am, it is. What seems to be the problem?” The technician’s voice

was calm and soothing.

“My machine won’t work,” the woman answered, a little more certainly.

“Okay. Is there anything on the screen?” the tech asked.

“No.”

“Okay, Are there any lights on the front of the screen?”

“No.”

“Okay. The screen is attached to a computer. Are there any lights on

that?” The technician called up the customer account and checked their

inventory.

“I don’t have a computer, I just have a screen,” the woman objected.

Kerry covered the mic. “She has to have one, doesn’t she?”

The tech nodded. “Okay, in the back of the screen there are some cables.

One of them goes to the wall, the other one goes to something else.

“Okay.” The woman’s voice was doubtful. “Okay, yes, I see it.”

“Where does the other one go to?”

“The foot warmer.” Now the woman sounded more confident again. “But

it’s hot today, so I had to turn it off.”

“Okay, can we turn it on for a minute?” the tech requested patiently.

“But my feet aren’t cold,” the customer insisted.

“I know, but I’d like to try something. Can you just put it on for a

minute?”

“Okay.” A sigh. “Oh, the screen just came on. Look at that.”

Kerry covered her eyes, silently mouthing, “I can’t believe it.”

The dark-haired woman chuckled noiselessly and shrugged. “Okay,

what’s on the screen?” the tech asked, rapidly typing information into the

screen.

“Some letters.”

“Okay, tell me when the green screen comes up.”

“Okay.” A little silence fell. “Okay, it’s up.”

“Can you login for me?” the technician added notes to the trouble ticket

on the screen.

“What’s that?” The customer asked. “I never have this screen. My boss

always puts it in the blue screen for me.”

“Okay, type in the word res for me.”

“Okay.”

“Now type it in again, but you won’t see it on the screen,” the tech

patiently instructed.

“Okay, I…oh! There’s my blue screen!” The woman sounded delighted.

“You’re a genius!”

“Glad it’s working. Okay, now listen—you have to leave the foot warmer

on, all right?” the technician told her, closing out the ticket.

“Oh. Well, okay, I guess I can just take my shoes off if my feet start

Tropical Storm 277

getting hot,” the woman decided. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Have a nice day.” The tech hit the Release

button, then turned her head and raised an eyebrow at Kerry.

Kerry simply patted her on the shoulder and stood up. “Where did you

get this dart gun?”

“Toys R Us,” the tall man supplied helpfully. “They’ve got super-soakers

there too, if you want to have some real fun.”

“Mmm.” Kerry turned back to the woman who had answered the call.

“Are they all like that?”

The tech chuckled. “No. You get a range, just like in everything else. But

we get a fair share of that.” She turned as the phone rang and put her headset

back on. “Yes?” A pause. “Can you ping them?” Another pause. “Shit. Okay,

what’s the address?”

Kerry turned away, but not before noting the name on the identification

tag next to the cubicle. “Okay. Well, that was informative,” she told Lisa.

“Shall we?”

There was an awkward little silence as they left the busy room. “Sorry

about that, I should have…”

Kerry up put a hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s better to release stress

like that than on each other. Or the customers.” She paused. “Is there a Toys R

Us near here?”

She sat through the town halls, listening to the thoughts and concerns of

the employees, not unlike the ones with which she was familiar: job stress,

training, advancement, pay raises. They were caught in a paradox. Provide the

techs the training they were asking for, and chances were they’d leave and go

elsewhere, at higher pay. Don’t provide it, and you erode your skill sets and

make the account less valuable. Kerry sighed. There really was no good

answer. You tried to balance the training with the need and give enough other

amenities so that people stayed because they were comfortable with the

environment. Their benefits package was a good one, but…

She put the thought away for the moment and checked her watch as she

stepped out of the building into the warm sunlight. It felt good after the chilly

air conditioning, and she rubbed her arms, then glanced around as Lisa

Andrews joined her. “Well, thanks for inviting me down. That was very

interesting,” she told the account executive. “I appreciated seeing

everything.”

“Anytime.” Lisa folded her arms. “You interested in lunch?”

“Well, I actually have to get back to the office, I’m a little late for a

meeting.” Kerry glanced around. “Is there any place around here where I can

just pick something up?”

“I TOLD YOU before, José, you can’t margin those circuits,” Dar stated

flatly, leaning forward and pinning him with her pale eyes. “I’m not going to

approve that.”

The stocky sales executive stood up and threw out his hands. “Then you

give me a goddamn way to get twenty percent new sales this year.”

“That’s not my job.”

278 Melissa Good

“It is your damn job, because you won’t let me do mine,” José retorted.

“He’s right, Dar. You’re strangling our marketing efforts,” Eleanor

interjected smoothly. “How can we compete if we can’t project capability?”

“You mean, how can you get contracts if you can’t lie?” Dar snapped.

“You’re not projecting capability—you know perfectly well what the growth

curve is for infrastructure—you just want to promise clients services we can’t

fulfill.” She stood up and faced them, putting her fingertips on the table and

leaning over it. “I’m not buying it.”

“Then you’d better start pushing infrastructure, because otherwise, that’s

who’s going to have this crap laid on their doorstep. They’re not keeping up

with our needs,” José stated triumphantly.

“They’re not budging, José. You know better,” Dar growled. “You need to

get more creative and stop relying on your old fishing buddies in order to get

new contracts.”

“Dar, that’s not fair,” Eleanor interrupted, putting up a meticulously

manicured finger. “You’re failing to provide us the tools we need to properly

sell this company.”

“No.” The knives came out. “You just couldn’t market your way out of a

paper bag,” Dar told her. “And you’d better change that, because I’m not

approving any bid that overreaches our capability.” She slammed the papers

down on the table. “Now, if we’re done with this crap, I have productive work

I could be doing.” She gathered up her pad and pens and pushed her chair

back, stalking out of the room and slamming the door behind her. She paused

to listen to the loud voices starting behind her and grinned, then she exited the

flashy offices that housed the Sales department and headed back toward her

own domain. It was lunchtime, but she knew she didn’t really have time to go

downstairs before the one o’clock conference call. With a sigh, she pushed

open her outer office door and gave Maria a smile. “Any disasters I should

know about?”

Maria glanced up. “Mmm. Nothing since you left, Dar. You have three

messages. I left them on your desk, and I was supposed to remind you of the

Government division cocktail party tonight.”

Dar blew out a breath. Damn. I’d forgotten that. “All right, thanks.” She entered her office and closed the door, then crossed the room and seated

herself at her desk. A moment later, a soft knock came on her inner door.

“C’mon in.” She felt a smile coming onto her face even as the wooden panel

opened, and Kerry’s blonde head poked itself inside. “Hey.” God, it feels good

to see her. Kerry was dressed in a dark blue skirt suit and pale blue shirt, and

she looked slightly mussed and, to Dar’s eyes, very sexy. Her annoyance with

José ebbed away. “Hey.”

A flash of white as Kerry returned the smile, then the blonde woman

came in, holding up a bag. “Did you get a chance to have lunch? I brought

something back for you.”

“No, and thank you,” Dar replied, leaning back in her chair. “I just got

out of a really annoying meeting.”

Kerry settled on the edge of the desk and opened the bag, spreading out a

napkin, then setting out a container of Chinese food. “They have a limited

selection around there, and I didn’t think you’d appreciate Taco Bell.”

Tropical Storm 279

Dar peeked inside the container and grinned. “Good choice.” She sniffed

the sweet and spicy chicken appreciatively. “I was in the mood for this today.

How’d you guess?”

“I think I just got lucky.” Kerry chuckled and handed her a pair of

chopsticks. “Oh, and, um…” She overturned her cupped hand and poured a

trickle of silver-wrapped Hershey’s kisses on the desk. “Dessert.”

“Heh.” Dar immediately abandoned the chicken and pounced on the

chocolate. “Listen, be careful in that meeting you’ve got with Eleanor this

afternoon. I just offended her pretty badly.” She happily munched a kiss. “On

top of it, I have to be nice to her at a cocktail party tonight.”

Kerry grimaced. “Thanks for warning me. Tonight’s my skating night

with Colleen. I’ll be ready to let out some frustration by the time I get done

with them, I bet.” She paused, seeming to want to go on, but fell silent.

“We still on for tomorrow night?” Dar asked, watching her face. “If you

want, we can go back to my place afterward. Maybe take a swim in the pool?”

Sea green eyes warmed. “I’d like that.”

Dar silently unwrapped one of the kisses and handed it to her, eyes

twinkling.

The opening door surprised both of them and they jumped a little. Maria

entered, giving them a glance, then smiling. “Ah, Kerrisita, I have mail for you.”

She bustled forward and handed Kerry several pieces of mail. “Dar, I got your

tickets, but Dios mío, it is expensive.” She handed the executive an itinerary.

“And remember, you have your follow-up visit to your doctor tomorrow.”

Dar nodded, taking the sheet and examining it. “Great. Thanks, Maria.”

She thought a minute. “It probably won’t take long tomorrow, I’m his first

visit. He just wants to repeat the bloodwork he did last time.” She glanced at

her watch. “Let me swallow this, and I gotta get going.”

“Me too.” Kerry nodded. “Wish me luck.”

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes. “Good luck. And remember,

she’s probably in a foul mood.” Dar thought a minute. “Especially since she

probably missed lunch.” She grinned evilly and bit a piece of chicken in half.

Kerry groaned. “All right. See you all later.” She got off the desk and left

the office, leaving Maria shuffling papers and Dar chewing.

The door closed. “Ay, she is such a nice person, Dar.” Maria sighed. “So

sweet.”

“Mmm, yeah. It was nice of her to bring me back some lunch. She’s a

good kid,” Dar replied offhandedly. “Glad I found her.”

“Si, is good,” Maria agreed. “And how is your headaches?”

Dar took a breath to answer, then stopped. She blinked. “I…I haven’t had

one since I went home that day,” she murmured, a little disconcerted. “Now

how do you like that?”

“Is good! Maybe seeing Mickey Mouse helped,” Maria suggested.

“Maybe.” Dar took another bite of chicken and smiled in return.

“Or maybe it is Kerrisita being so nice to you, yes?” Maria asked with an

impish expression.

Dar paused in mid-chew and looked at her.

“I will go make copies now. Enjoy your lunch, Jefa.” Her admin bustled

out, closing the door softly behind her and leaving Dar in wide-eyed silence.

280 Melissa Good

KERRY STRAPPED ON the Rollerblades, looking up as a knock came at

the door. “C’mon in, Col,” she called out cheerfully, then grinned as the door

popped open and Colleen came rolling in, waving her hands for balance.

“Hey, watch it!”

The redhead plopped down on the couch, sticking her wheeled feet out in

front of her. “Hey, Ker, what’s up?” Her eyes twinkled mischievously at her

friend. “Was that Dar’s Lexus out there last night?”

Was it only last night? Jesus. “Um…yeah,” Kerry knew she was blushing,

“it was. She came over for dinner.”

Colleen chuckled in triumph. “I knew it. We think you two are soooooo

cute together.”

Kerry’s head came up so fast it made her dizzy. “What? Who is we?”

The redhead noted that her friend didn’t dispute the statement. “Ray and

Susan and me. We hung around talking about you Saturday night.” She

grinned unrepentantly at Kerry’s shocked look. “Okay, okay, so she passed

the grilling. She’s not a gorgon.”

“C’mon, Colleen, it was just dinner.” Kerry tried a weak laugh. “You’re

acting like we’re a couple or something.” After a slight silence, Kerry looked

up and saw her friend gazing at her, a knowing look on her face. They stared

at each other for a long, tense moment before Kerry sighed and dropped her

gaze, looking down at a pair of knotted hands between her knees.

Colleen got up and rolled over, crouching down next to her and putting a

hand on her knee. “Kerry, if it makes you happy, it’s all right.”

“It’s not all right.” Kerry looked up. “She’s my boss, Colleen. It’s against

company rules, and we could both get in a lot of trouble.” She couldn’t keep

the tiny smile from stretching her lips. “We’re trying to keep it a secret. I think

we’re doing a miserable job of it, though, if you guys came to that conclusion

after just having dinner with us.”

“Well…”

“Before we’d even so much as kissed each other,” Kerry finished, resting

her chin on one fist. “Am I wearing a sign or something?”

Colleen sat down on the floor and crossed her legs, careful not to boot her

friend in the shins with the Rollerblades. “Listen, hon, let me ’splain

something to you about something we call chemistry.” She put a fingertip on

Kerry’s knee. “Do you know what I’m talking about?”

Kerry exhaled. “Not really, unless you’re referring to periodic tables or

something bizarre like that.”

“Okay. Well, chemistry is when something clicks between two people.

You can see it on the TV screen sometimes, but not always because those are

people who are playing characters, you know?”

Kerry’s brow creased. “Not exactly.”

Colleen thought. “Okay, have you ever seen a Richard Burton and Liz

Taylor movie?”

“Um, sure, that Roman thing. Yeah, okay.” Kerry nodded. “They’re really

good together, I thought. I really believed they were in love with each other.”

“Well, they were,” Colleen smiled at her, “in real life. And that showed

when they were on the screen together, too. When they looked at each other,

or just how they acted…you could tell.” She exhaled. “That’s chemistry. And a

Tropical Storm 281

lot of times you’ll hear someone say ‘those two had chemistry’ when they’re

talking about people on TV, or in the movies, or even just two people they

see.” She paused. “You understand?”

“Not exactly,” Kerry admitted. “I mean, yes. I know what you mean about

characters. I usually notice when people are supposed to be in love on the

screen, and it’s obvious that they can’t stand each other in real life, so, yeah.”

Colleen rubbed her temples. “I was trying to put this gently, but I can see

it’s a wasted effort.” She laughed softly. “Kerry, when you look at her, your

whole face lights up.” She glanced up at the startled woman. “And when she

looks at you, there’s an electricity that I can almost feel.” She searched Kerry’s

face for a reaction. “You two have chemistry going, big time, and it doesn’t

take a PhD to pick up on it.”

Kerry thought about that. “Oh.” She made a wry face. “I had no idea

we…hmm.” She considered. “I didn’t realize we were that obvious.”

“Obviously.” Colleen patted her on the knee. “And it may not be so

apparent to people who don’t know you that well, but remember, lassie,

we’ve been friends for a few years now.”

“Mmm.” Kerry rested her chin on her fists again. “It makes me feel good

to be with her; I guess it shows.”

The redhead laughed softly. “You could say that. But if you guys are

trying to keep it quiet, you’d better not hang around each other at work a lot.”

“Well, we don’t,” Kerry mused. “I saw her all of once today.” She

exhaled. “We’re both pretty busy. Maybe it was worse that night because we

were kinda…um, I mean…we didn’t…” She stopped and gathered her

thoughts. “Afterward we went out to Crandon and walked on the beach, and,

um, we kinda…I guess we admitted that we were attracted to each other,” she

finished awkwardly. “So now it’s not so, um…”

“Freaky,” Colleen supplied understandingly.

“Yeah, exactly. We both understand what’s going on, and it’s not so

frustrating, so I’m sure it’s not as readily noticeable.”

Colleen grinned knowingly. “Did you guys kiss out there? On the

beach?”

Kerry felt the blush heat her face, but she nodded. “Yeah,” she admitted

shyly. “It was…it wasn’t what I was expecting.” She relived the moment. “We

were just out there, talking about stuff—the Bermuda Triangle and

dinner…and—I don’t know, it was like there was stuff going on underneath it

all. I asked her if I could ask a personal question. I have no idea what I was

going to ask but she kind of just stood up and kissed me, and said ‘does that

answer the question?’ ” She grinned at Colleen’s rapt face. “And it did. It

was…very strange, but really nice.”

“That’s really romantic, Ker.” Colleen sighed. “She seems like a really

deep person.”

The blonde head nodded. “She is, yeah, she is. There’s all kinds of stuff

going on in there. I think that’s what makes her so interesting.” She paused.

“At least to me.”

Colleen nodded a little. “ Did she stay over all night last night?” She

asked delicately, or not so delicately.

Kerry remained silent for a moment. “Yes,” she finally admitted softly.

282 Melissa Good

A small quiet descended. “You all right with that?” the redhead asked

hesitantly. “I know…I mean, we talked about how you felt… Oh, you know

what I mean.”

She knew. “I wasn’t…I mean, I didn’t really know what to expect, Col. I

was a little nervous, I’ll tell you that, and freaked out, and a dozen other

things, but, I…” She stopped to breathe. “It’s okay.”

Colleen’s brow creased in concern. “She’s not pushing you into any of

this, is she? Kerry, listen, don’t feel like you’re being pressured to do

something you’re not comfortable with.”

Kerry blushed a deep red, and scratched at her jaw. “Um, actually, I was

the one who started it,” she muttered sheepishly as she gave Colleen a little

shrug. “I’m all right with it, really.”

The redhead patted her arm. “Good for you.” She smiled. “So, when are

you guys moving in together?”

Kerry’s jaw dropped. “What?” She burst out laughing. “Jesus Christ, Col,

it’s not like that. It’s a physical thing. We’re just…it’s not that serious.” She

paused thoughtfully. “Yet.”

“Uh…huh. Okay.” Colleen bit off a smile and gave her a nod. “When are

you guys seeing each other again, then?”

“Tomorrow night. After the gym,” Kerry explained. “I told you I signed up

for those classes. If I’m going to keep on hanging out with her, Rollerblading

isn’t going to cut it.” She cocked her head. “You guys have a program for that

gym, too. Why don’t you come along?” she inquired. “I signed up for that

beginner self-defense class, it should be fun. I could use some moral support.”

“Okay, I could do that,” Colleen mused. “It’s right down the street from

our office, too. And besides, I’d better if I want to be able to see you other than

waving hello in the mornings,” she teased gently. “Anyway, c’mon, let’s get

rolling. It’s muggier than a hot sauna outside. Sooner we finish, the sooner I

can take a shower.”

“I’ll vote for that.” Kerry looked up and grinned. “Know what I wish this

place had? A hot tub.”

“Hot tub?” Colleen put her hands on her hips. “Well, hoity hoi hoi. Let

me guess—does Dar have a hot tub, by any chance?” Kerry nodded with a

rakish smirk. Her friend laughed. “I guess this is another good reason for you

to tell your parents to kiss your ass when you go home for Turkey Day, huh?”

Kerry finished velcroing herself into the skates and stood up, balancing

expertly. “I had a lot of good reasons before that, but, yeah.” She finally

allowed a frankly happy grin to take over her face. “This kinda puts the nail in

it, so to speak. I just hope I can find a way to do it without getting kicked out

of the family.” Firmly putting aside worries about her parents, she shook her

head and plodded over to the door, pushing it open. “Let’s go.”

DAR WAS GLAD to get out of the damp wind and into the cool, quiet

peace of the condo. The cocktail party had been outdoors at Viscaya, and she

was glad the less than perfect weather had given her a good excuse to get out

of there early and escape the throngs of alternately fawning and sniping sales

managers clustering around.

Tropical Storm 283

Eleanor had been particularly cutting, oozing up to her and telling her

what a lovely young person Kerry was, and how she was going to do her best

to steal her away and save her from having to suffer where she was. “She’s

destined for bigger things than being your peon, Dar.” Then the woman had

smiled at her.

Dar tossed her jacket down on the couch and kicked off her shoes.

“Wonder if you knew how close you were to being thrown into Biscayne Bay,

Eleanor?” she remarked wryly to the air. “Toss, sploosh, whoops. Sorry,

Mariana, I know that creates a mountain of paperwork.”

The cool tile felt good against her tired feet, and she paused a moment,

flexing her toes before she wandered into the bedroom. She slid out of her

skirt, hose, and silk blouse and into her baseball shirt and shorts with a feeling

of utter relief, enjoying the feel of the soft cotton against her skin.

Humming lightly, she wandered into the kitchen and pulled open her

refrigerator, peering at its vast emptiness with a pensive expression. “I’m

gonna get teased tomorrow if I don’t put some stuff in here,” she muttered to

herself, startled when a soft knock sounded at the door.

For a moment, her heart bounded, considering the possibility it might be

Kerry, then she realized there was no way for the blonde woman to get on the

island without them notifying her first. She felt curiously disappointed as she

crossed the floor and peered through the small window in the door. “Evening,

Clemente.” She opened it and allowed the short, round, always perspiring

manager of resident services to enter.

“Good evening, good evening, Ms. Roberts. I’m sorry it’s so late, but I

saw you pull in.” The man wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “The floor

waxing people will be here on the island tomorrow, and you said to let you

know the next time so you can have the tiles done in here.”

“Oh, sure.” Dar glanced around. “That would be fine. And, hey, listen,

Clemente. Can I get your people to do something for me?”

“Surely. What can we do?”

“Shop,” Dar replied, “for groceries.”

Clemente waved his hands in a very Cuban manner. “Of course. Give me

a list and I’ll have Rosalita pick everything up for you and put it away.”

“I don’t have a list,” Dar muttered. “Can she just pick up the normal stuff

people have in their houses?” She glanced at the kitchen. “Just, whatever?”

The man’s brow crumpled like corrugated cardboard. “Ms. Roberts, I

can’t have her shop for something I don’t know what to tell her to shop for.

What is it you need?” He peered at the kitchen. “Bread? Fruitas?”

Dar sighed and motioned for him to follow her. “Look.” She opened the

refrigerator. “I need things other than this.” She lifted her hands and let them

drop. “If I go, I’ll end up with a case of Oreo cookies, six gallons of milk, two

tins of Edy’s ice cream, and a jar of peanut butter.”

Clemente covered his eyes. “Dios mío.” He rubbed his face. “You

want…orange juice? Bananas? Soup?”

Dar thought. “Bananas are good,” she answered cautiously. “Uh,

grapefruit juice. Maybe some English muffins?”

“Si, si.” Clemente pulled a pen from his pocket and scribbled.

“Marmalada?”

284 Melissa Good

“Apricot is okay, or grape.” Dar considered. “Oh, and some tea.”

“Pekoe, China?” Clemente inquired.

“The kind you put in a cup and drink,” Dar replied wryly. “Just some

bags. If they have herbal stuff, that’s good.” She drummed her fingers on the

counter. “They have strawberries?”

“Si, Driscolls.” the man answered, making a note. “They have a nice box

today. The big ones, si? All laid out like roses, very nice.”

She flashed him a grin. “Get me a box of those…and two big bars of milk

chocolate.”

She gave him a few more items, then watched him leave, sighing as the

door closed behind his round figure. “That’s taken care of.” She found herself

grinning in anticipation of seeing Kerry’s face when she actually had

something more than milk to offer her. She got herself a glass, and checked the

terminal, seeing the blinking mail-waiting flag. “Mail.”

“Dar Roberts, seven mail, none urgent,” the terminal replied, displaying

the screen.

She reviewed them. “Read six.” Her face was already creasing into a

smile as her eyes saw the author.

Sent by: Kerry Stuart

Subject: Party

Time: 7:34 PM

Hey…

Just wanted to drop a note to say hi. Hope the party

went well. You were right about Eleanor, she was all over

me like white on rice at the meeting, and if she didn’t

tell me twelve times I was wasted where I was, she didn’t

say it once. I haven’t been buttered up that bad since

some Young Republicans found out who my father was when I

was in high school.

Wonder what she’d do if I told her I’d rather work for

Moammar Kadafi than her? At least with him, you know

where the knife is coming from. And he’s cuter. She

smells like slightly rancid make-up foundation.

Anyway, she made a particularly disgusting joke about

you, and I think she’s testing me to see if I tell you

about it. So I’m not going to. But I did pull the plug out

of her remote control while she was doing the

presentation, so she looked like an idiot for about ten

minutes while she was standing there clicking fruitlessly

and nothing was happening.

I am ashamed to say I enjoyed that a lot.

See you tomorrow.

K

Dar burst into laughter, putting her cup down to keep from spilling it,

and leaning over the counter. “Oh god.” She snickered, imagining the

progressively more frustrated Eleanor pounding the buttons. “Oh god, I’m

sorry I missed that.” She gasped, still chuckling. “Reply,” she told the

Tropical Storm 285

machine. “Audio record,” she added, with a grin.

“Hey, Kerry...it was worth having to suffer through

that damn party just to get home and read this. Whenever

I see her in a meeting from now on, I’ll remember the

image you put in my head of her clicking on that stupid

remote she loves so much and getting frustrated.”

Dar paused.

“Hope you had fun Rollerblading...I’ll, um, see you

tomorrow after my appointment. We’ll see if that little

jaunt up in Orlando made any difference. I think it did,

because I haven’t had a headache since the storm.”

During another pause, she could feel several thoughts struggling to get

out and be voiced, but the words just wouldn’t come to her.

“Anyway, have a good night.”

Dar stared at the screen a moment, then sighed. “Send.”

She chuckled softly as she scanned the other messages, none of which

really required her attention before the morning. She took her milk and

wandered out onto the porch, where the breeze blowing out against the waves

was growing steadily cooler. Dar settled into one of the padded deck chairs

and propped her feet up against the stone railing, leaning back and gazing out

over the water.

The soft sound of the surf crashing against the seawall lulled her, as she

idly watched the stars wink overhead. “Star light, star bright…” she

murmured. “What would you wish for, Dar? Hmm?”

Prudently, the stars remained silent.

The phone buzzed softly inside, and Dar jumped, shaking her head a

little to clear it before she ducked inside and grabbed the wireless receiver.

“Hello?”

“Hey.” Kerry’s voice sounded wry, yet amused.

“Well, hello,” Dar replied, taking the phone with her and resuming her

seat. “Didn’t expect to hear from you tonight. I just answered your mail.”

“I know. That’s how I knew you were home,” came the answer, along

with a slight chuckle. “I, um…just wanted to make sure you didn’t freak out

when I come in looking like a Klingon tomorrow. I had a close encounter with

a truck.”

There was a split second of dead silence, then Dar sat up straight, her

heart pounding. “W-what? Are you all right? What happened? Did you get

the license plate number?”

“Dar! Dar, slow down,” Kerry interrupted quickly. “No, no, it was

parked at the time. Behind the bakery. Colleen and I usually go down there

and reward ourselves with a doughnut after we finish. I was coming around

the corner and didn’t realize a delivery truck was parked right in front of me.”

“Oh.” Dar settled back, still unnerved. “Ow, I bet that hurt.”

286 Melissa Good

“Yeah, my head slammed into the side mirror. I have this huge lump

there.” Kerry sighed. “I have ice on it. Probably will go down before

tomorrow morning, but there’ll still be a bruise.”

“Well…” Dar breathed a sigh of relief. “Damn, sorry to hear that. Did you

get your doughnut, at least?”

A snorting chuckle. “Two of them. Colleen bought them for me. She felt

bad because she was distracting me when it happened.”

Dar had a sudden desire to personally make sure the bump was not

serious, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from telling Kerry she was on

her way over there. “You sure you’re all right?” she finally asked hesitantly.

The warmth in Kerry’s voice was unmistakable. “Yeah, but thanks for

asking.” A pause. “Well, I’d better let you get going. Just wanted to…um,

warn you. “

“Glad you called,” Dar said quietly. “See you in the morning.”

“Good night.”

The line went dead, and Dar tucked the phone against her chin, staring

out over the waves, evaluating her sudden gut-level response.

Okay, she was a goal-oriented, over-controlling alpha bitch who didn’t

trust anyone, and who refused to leave even the slightest details to chance.

Right?

Right.

So naturally, it was her responsibility to make sure her employee, a

valuable company asset, was all right.

Right?

Right. Just part of the job. It was completely professional and normal for

her to want to personally supervise the placing of cold ice packs on Kerry’s

head, preferably while she was tucked into Dar’s waterbed.

Slapping the side of her head, she started laughing. “I’m going out of my

mind,” she concluded, as she pushed herself to her feet. Insanity feels, she

mused, surprisingly good.

KERRY CLOSED HER eyes as she replaced the cold compress on her

head, wishing the throbbing would at least ease a little. In addition to her

head hurting, her chest and arm also ached where they had impacted the

truck, and she’d twisted her ankle as she frantically tried to stop. Ow.

She hated getting hurt, and even more so, she hated being a klutz. She’d

never been truly graceful, even though she’d plodded through a few years of

lessons in posture and her somewhat fondly remembered gymnastics classes,

but she’d worked hard over the years to try and stop tripping over her own

two feet and conquer an admittedly shaky sense of balance.

She’d learned to dance, and through a determined application of exercise

developed enough confidence to be able to walk in a slim-line skirt with

moderately high heels and not worry about going head over bottom into a

punch bowl.

So plowing headlong into a parked truck—a big, dirty, white, parked

truck no less—was just really embarrassing. Kerry winced and shifted the

compress, closing her eyes as the damp fabric covered them and a drip of

Tropical Storm 287

chilled water ran down her face.

Colleen had convinced her to not take anything for the headache, and

also told her she’d probably be best off not falling asleep immediately. So here

she was, listening to the Discovery Channel and trying not to think about how

much her head hurt. Yeesh. Klutz.

“Isn’t she a beaut?” The man’s voice was so full of incredulous

enthusiasm, Kerry just had to look.

“No,” she muttered back, seeing the wide-open jaws of a crocodile

apparently snapping at the narrator’s butt. “It’s a frigging crocodile about to

bite your ass off, you goofball.” Ow. Talking hurts. She let her eyes close again

and refreshed the compress.

A soft knock came at the door. One green eye appeared, its brow lifting in

outrage. “Who in the hell is knocking on my damn door at eleven o’clock at

night?” Another, more hesitant tap, and she groaned. “Hang on.” She got to

her feet and trudged across the apartment, leaning against the door and

putting her eye to the security glass. It was amazing how quickly she could

forget about a headache when she really had to. She pulled back the bolt and

jerked open the door. “Hey.”

Dar was leaning casually against the frame, her hands playing with her

keys. “I, um…had to go check something out at the South Miami office. I

thought I’d stop by and see how you were feeling,” her boss explained.

Kerry felt a smile pulling at her lips. “Wow. Um, c’mon in.” She stepped

back and allowed Dar to enter, closing the door behind her and taking a

breath before she hesitantly moved in for a hug, still timid in their newly

physical relationship. “Oh,” she murmured softly into the leather of Dar’s

jacket as the long arms closed around her. “That feels so good.” Her body

tingled with the contact, and she found herself delighted at Dar’s unexpected

presence. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Let me see.” Dar released her and gently tipped her head back,

examining the discolored lump. “Mmm, that looks nasty. How’s it feel?” She

looked intently at Kerry’s eyes, relieved to see only a bit of bloodshot coloring

them as they gazed into hers.

“Well.” Kerry grinned sheepishly. “Up until about two minutes ago, it

felt lousy.” She blinked up at Dar. “I’m just sore all over. And Col said it

wouldn’t be a good idea to go right to bed in case I had a mild concussion or

something.” Her eyes searched Dar’s face. “I can’t believe you’re here. That

was so nice of you.”

“Shhh.” Dar stroked her cheek. “Don’t you be spreading rumors that I’m

nice, okay?” She smiled. “You’ll ruin my reputation.”

Kerry laughed softly. “Oh, right. I forgot.” She sighed. “Well, I was just

moping around, putting cold washcloths on my head…unless you have a

better idea for this.”

“Mmm.” Dar considered. “I’m no doctor, but let me see what I can do.

You mind a little company?”

“Not yours.” Kerry shook her head. “I mean, if you can stay for a few

minutes…I know you’re on your way home.”

“Don’t worry about it, I hardly sleep anyway,” Dar told her blithely.

“Where are your towels?”

288 Melissa Good

Kerry showed her, then, like a curious puppy, followed the taller woman

as she entered the kitchen and opened the freezer. “I thought about using ice

cubes, but they’re so big, they’re hard to handle, and the cold hurts.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Dar agreed. “You have a Ziploc bag?”

“Uh, sure.” Kerry retrieved a gallon-sized one and handed it to her.

“Here.”

Dar took it, then pulled the blender further out onto the counter and took

the top off, filling it to the brim with ice. She put the top back on and powered

the machine on, watching as it reduced the ice to snowcone status. She pulled

the top off and dumped the contents into the Ziploc bag, which she wrapped

in the towel. “C’mon.” She led Kerry back into the living room and settled in

one corner of the couch, patting the seat next to her.

“Okay.” Kerry sat down, then smiled as Dar leaned back and patted her

chest. She lay back against the taller woman’s body and stretched her legs out

along the couch. Dar slid an arm around her and placed the compress on her

head. It was much colder than the water she’d been using, and she could feel

the tense ache in the bump slowly start to ease.

“How’s that?” Dar’s voice inquired from over her shoulder.

Between the comfortable, warm backrest and the sheer pleasure she felt

just being in Dar’s presence, Kerry felt like she was pretty damn close to

Heaven, in fact. “It’s perfect,” she murmured quietly. “Thanks.”

Dar propped her feet up on the coffee table and relaxed, gazing over

Kerry’s shoulder at the television. “What are we watching?”

“Some bleeping nutcase who loves to kiss crocodiles,” Kerry replied.

“Oh, the Crocodile Hunter,” Dar supplied promptly. “I watched one the

other week where he and some woman were lugging around crocodiles in the

mud.” She paused. “I hope he pays that woman a nice amount.”

Kerry giggled softly. “It’s his wife.”

“Well, that explains why he was hugging her,” Dar mused. “She must be

in love…to do something as crazy as that.”

“You got that right.” Kerry shook her head gently. “Ooo. Did you see

that? She almost fell overboard!”

“He’s freaking out,” Dar noted, watching the screen with interest. “Oh

shit! Is that an anaconda?”

“He’s probably going to kiss it.” Kerry laughed. “Oh, good, he got her

back in the boat, and now they’re both kissing the damn snake.” She sighed.

“Amazing what love will make you do. Look, she’s got mud in places the

good Lord never intended women to have mud.” They both fell silent for a bit

as Dar shifted the compress on Kerry’s head. “Dar?” Kerry finally said, her

voice rising in question.

“Mmm-hmm?” Dar inclined her head. “What?”

“What on earth did you have to check in the South Miami office at ten

PM?”

An awkward pause ensued. “Um…” Dar cleared her throat and spoke

reluctantly. “I didn’t,” she muttered. “I, um, I just wanted to make sure you

were okay.” Sea green eyes looked at her as Kerry turned her head and gazed

up.

“You…mean you just…came out here?”

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A faint nod answered her. “I, um… You can never tell, with knocks on the

head, and I was kind of concerned, so I, uh…yeah,” Dar replied defensively.

“Peace of mind, you know? I just wanted to make sure everything was all

right.”

“Mmm.” Kerry thought about that. “That…makes me feel very special.”

She curled her fingers over Dar’s where they were tucked around her waist.

“Thank you. I was feeling pretty lousy before you got here. I’m really glad you

came.”

Dar smiled contentedly and let her cheek rest against Kerry’s hair. “So am

I,” she murmured, a little surprised at the thought. It really was kind of crazy, if

you thought about it. So she didn’t.

“Know what I think would make me feel even better?” Kerry looked up

at her.

“Ice cream?” Dar suggested ingenuously.

“Close.” Kerry gently reached up and curled one hand around Dar’s

neck; she pulled herself upwards and they kissed. She felt Dar’s arms catch

and support her as their tongues touched and explored, and the next thing she

knew, there was a knowing tug at the waistband of her cotton shorts and the

pain in her head was forgotten.

“Mmm.” Dar licked a drop of water off Kerry’s nose. “Holistic medicine. I

like it.”

“Mmm.” Kerry repeated the sound. “Me, too.”

Chapter

Twenty-three

THE SUN CREPT across the carpet, scattering a few dust motes as it

splashed its way across the couch and its two occupants. Outside, a car door

slammed, and an engine sputtered to life as a weed cutter started up nearby

and buzzed into life.

Kerry half jumped up, startled at the strangeness of her position. She

blinked her eyes open and frowned, taking a moment before she realized

where she was. Still cradled more or less in Dar’s arms, missing most of her

clothing. “Oh, Jesus.” They’d fallen asleep on the couch, with the television

still on, now displaying a lurid infomercial featuring Chuck Norris with the

sound thankfully off. Kerry licked her lips and fuzzily remembered sensual

touches, a subtle craving that grew as she lay there quietly just breathing in

Dar’s scent. Whoa.

She reached up and touched her forehead where the bump had gone

down a lot but was still tender, then slowly unwrapped her fingers where they

were still closed around Dar’s. Kerry turned, glancing up at her companion.

The dawn light peeking in the window slanted over her and painted her

tanned skin, catching the barest hint of chestnut highlights in the dark hair.

The muscles in her face were relaxed, save for the tiniest movement under the

lids of her closed eyes, and Kerry found herself almost holding her breath just

watching the tremors and absorbing the wonderful feeling of the arms still

clasped around her. It was such a gorgeous feeling. With a sigh, Kerry

glanced at the clock, then patted Dar on the arm lightly. “Dar?

Slowly the facial muscles tensed, then the eyelids fluttered, revealing

those amazing blue eyes, which blinked, then focused on her. “Oh, um…” Dar

shook her head a little to clear it. “Morning.”

Kerry smiled wryly. “Uh, yeah.” She glanced at the window. “Looks like

we sorta dropped off there, and I know you’ve got an appointment.”

Dar yawned, then disengaged her arm and rubbed her eyes. “Yeah, I do.”

She let her head fall back again. “Unfortunately.” A pause, then the blue eyes

were studying Kerry intently. “How are you feeling?” She reached up and

brushed her fingertips over Kerry’s forehead. “Looks better.”

“Feels better.” Kerry sat up, flexing arms and legs stiff from being in one

position for hours, and took a deep breath. “Not too bad,” she decided. “Buh.”

She rubbed her face with one hand. “Didn’t expect to end up sleeping on top

of you. Sorry about that.”

“Eh.” The taller woman stretched her body out, arching her back a little

Tropical Storm 291

and stifling another yawn. “I survived,” she replied, sounding a touch

surprised. “Couch is pretty comfortable, really.” She removed the shirt

draped over the back of the furniture and pulled it on over her head. “Glad

your gardeners don’t trim near the windows.”

Kerry glanced down at herself, mildly shocked at not being shocked at

being pretty much naked. She retrieved her own shirt from the floor near the

couch and eased it on over her head. “Eyah, they’re not exactly conservative

here, but I don’t think my landlord would appreciate ungluing the eyeballs

from the glass.” She gazed at Dar, then leaned over and gave her a hug.

Dar hugged her back. “You’re damned nice to wake up to, Kerry.”

Kerry smiled into the fabric over Dar’s shoulder and exhaled, then she

patted her boss on the side. “C’mon, let me get us some breakfast, then you

can take off. You don’t want to be late.”

Yes, I do. Dar suddenly found herself very much wanting to remain right

where she was. But she sighed and released Kerry, waiting for the blonde to

stand up before she joined her, working a kink out of her back with a grimace.

“You don’t need to make breakfast. I can just grab some coffee when I get

there. They have a little café on the bottom floor.”

“Dar.” Kerry poked her. “You come all the way out here, just to pat me

literally and figuratively on the head, and you won’t let me make you toast?

Get real.” She shook her head as she ambled into the kitchen, putting up some

coffee and getting a loaf of raisin bread out of her refrigerator. “Dar, do

you…yow!” The dark-haired woman had silently come up behind her and

was peering over her shoulder. “Jesus. How do you do that?”

“Cinnamon raisin toast?” Dar inquired hopefully, her brows lifting in

interest.

“Well, yeah. You didn’t think I was going to give you white bread, did

you?” Kerry laughed. “I mean, Dar, let’s be honest here—you’re many things,

but white bread isn’t one of them.”

Her boss smiled charmingly at her. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Her

eyes twinkled. “I love raisin toast, especially with cream cheese and jelly.”

Kerry eyed her. “With chocolate sprinkles?” she hazarded.

Dar’s eyes brightened. “Got any?”

“Good grief.” Still sleepy, Kerry put the toast up in her four-slice toaster

then sidled over, tucking herself against Dar’s left side and wrapping an arm

around her waist. “But, you know…” she acknowledged with a stifled yawn,

“I have more in common with you than I do with my sister. Weird.” She

considered the differences. “She hates computers; she hates reading; she hates

shockingly graphic but curiously satisfying violent movies…”

Dar threaded her fingers into Kerry’s disheveled pale hair and tilted her

face up, bending her head down and kissing her gently.

Kerry exhaled softly as they parted. “She’d hate to see that.” Her voice

was tinged with wistful sorrow.

“Does she know?” Dar asked seriously. “Do your parents?”

A single shake of Kerry’s head. “No, they have no idea. They don’t even

suspect.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “How did yours react?”

Dar hesitated as the scent of toasting cinnamon filled the kitchen, along

with that of fresh coffee. “My father knew before I told him. He…” She

292 Melissa Good

laughed softly. “I thought he was going to lose it if I told him. I couldn’t tell

him for the longest time because I thought he…I thought he would be

disappointed.”

The toast popped up, and Kerry reluctantly let go of her companion and

removed it, spreading some butter on each piece and pouring Dar a cup of

coffee. “He wasn’t?” she finally asked, hesitantly.

Dar took a bite, and chewed. “No, it was almost…what he told me

was…” She cleared her throat. “Let me see if I can imitate him. ‘Lookee here,

Dardar, just because the generals yap about that don’t ask don’t tell crap,

don’t mean there ain’t lots of boys that don’t like to share a foxhole, if you

know what I mean?’ ”

Kerry took a sip of her coffee and muffled a chuckle. “Oh, I always

wondered about that. I saw a special about aircraft carriers once, where they

have all those tiny bunks all on top of each other.”

“Eyah. Well, we had a long talk about it, then we went over to Sawgrass

Mills and spent the afternoon comparing our tastes in women.” Dar shook her

head ruefully. “That was really strange.” She studied Kerry’s bowed head

seriously. “Kerry?”

“Hmm?” The blonde woman glanced up. “You’re so lucky. I can’t

imagine sitting down and…Jesus, he’d kill me.” She gave her head a little

shake, then glanced at the window. “Um, it’s getting late, I guess we’d better

get going. I know I have to…” Dar had set her coffee down and put a hand on

either side of Kerry’s face, gazing down at her. “What?”

“If you need to talk, you can,” the dark-haired woman said quietly. “I’ll

listen.”

Kerry felt her breath become short, and she sucked in air nervously,

hunting through Dar’s expression and searching the blue eyes intently. “I

don’t…I don’t know what you mean, Dar.”

A quiet hurt filled the blue eyes. “All right.” Dar dropped her hands.

“Anyway, the offer’s out there.” She picked up her cup and took a swallow,

half turning away. “Guess I’d better get going.” A feather touch on her arm

made her glance over her shoulder to see pained and confused green eyes

peering at her.

“We don’t have time right now,” Kerry got out, as though the words were

dragged from her. “But…I’ll take you up on that offer later.”

Dar put an arm around her neck and pulled her closer, kissing the top of

her head. “That’s a deal.” She felt the blonde woman snuggle closer, almost

huddling against her. Who hurt Kerry? It was obvious to Dar that someone had,

and a dark, bubbling anger erupted in her at the thought. “Lemme go get

poked and prodded. Meet you back at the office, okay? On the way back, I’m

going to stop by my place to change.”

Kerry plucked at the cutoff sweatshirt and faded jeans. “I think you look

just fine.” She broke out of her funk and gave Dar a smile. “Guess the office

would be scandalized, huh?”

“Oh yeah.” Dar snorted. “I’d never hear the end of that.” She caught

Kerry’s lips again, and this time took her time, feeling the smaller woman

collapse against her. She let her hands run down Kerry’s back, touching and

rubbing gently, until she felt the blonde woman’s ribs expand sharply as her

Tropical Storm 293

breathing roughened, and her touch started sliding across Dar’s belly,

searching for a path to her skin. They both broke off, breathing hard, hands

still exploring, until Kerry let her forehead rest against Dar’s collarbone.

“Gonna be a long day.” Dar sighed wryly.

“Oh yeah,” Kerry agreed. “Did you have to do that?”

A soft chuckle. “Don’t forget to set up that staff meeting for Friday. If I

don’t go over all this fourth quarter stuff with everyone, Mariana’s going to

have a cow.” She glanced around, then touched her belt. “Did I…oh, damn.”

Kerry also looked around in some alarm. “What?”

“Forgot my cell phone.” Dar tapped the side of her head. “I’m losing it. I

don’t know where my brains been the past few days. Even Maria said

something about it.” She gave Kerry one last hug. “Oh well. See you in the

office.”

“See you.” Kerry reluctantly let her go and watched her leave in pensive

silence. Then she looked down and plucked at her shirt, realizing she had it

on inside out. And backwards. “Jesus.” She softly tapped the side of her own

head. “That makes two of us.”

DAR WAITED QUIETLY as an efficient and far too cheerful nurse poked

her arm with a needle roughly the size of an Olympic javelin.

“Just a moment, dearie. It won’t hurt a bit.”

“You shouldn’t lie to patients,” Dar growled, feeling the lancing pain as

the needle found its mark. “It’s not nice.”

“Now, now.” The nurse patted her arm. “We don’t want our patients

worrying unless they need to. It’s nothing but a prick.”

“I’ve been saying that about guys for years,” Dar remarked, trying not to

look at the vial filling with the rich, red blood coming out of her arm.

“What?” the nurse queried.

Dar rolled her eyes. “Never mind.”

The door pushed open, and Dr. Steve poked his head in. “Hey,

sweetpea.”

Dar glared daggers at him, receiving a charming smile in return. The

nurse finished, removing the tube, covering the seeping needle hole quickly

with a cotton ball and tightly stretching a Band-Aid over it all. “There you go,

all done.” She bustled out, leaving Dar with her doctor.

“C’mon, c’mon, stop with the sour look, Dar.” Dr. Steve came in and

leaned on the examination table where she was sitting. “I hear you had a

moment of terror at the Heart Institute.”

Blue eyes regarded him dourly. “I got over it.”

“Ooo, aren’t we tough.” Dr. Steve laughed and patted her knee. “You can

play that corporate killing machine with other people, Dar, but I’ve known

you since you weren’t tall enough to lick my knees, so don’t try it with me.”

Dar scowled. “Did she leave any blood in there? She must have taken six

quarts.”

He waved her off. “Psh. Two vials, you big baby. How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” his reluctant patient admitted. “Took a few days off, went up to

Orlando and just played tourist for a couple days.” She paused. “Haven’t had

294 Melissa Good

a headache since the day after I was here last time.”

“Really?” Dr. Steve gave her a skeptical look. “You’re not just saying that

are you, tricky girl? I remember you saying that broken arm didn’t hurt much

either.”

Dar had to smile at the memory, bittersweet though it was. “I’m not,” she

replied. “I’ve really been trying to be good.”

He nodded. “All-rightie, then.” Gentle hands lifted and turned her face to

the light as he peered at her intently. “Hmm, interesting.”

“What?” Dar queried, a touch nervously.

“Nothing, I just love looking at those baby blues,” Dr. Steve answered

mischievously as his patient rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Dar, you do look

more relaxed.” He patted her shoulder. “Glad to hear about the headaches.

We’ll just check your blood, see how you’re doing. I want to look at your

white cell count. That was very low last time.”

Something else occurred to her. “While you’re there…I’ve been running

into some…I don’t know, I guess I’ve been forgetting things lately,” Dar

muttered. “And I’ve been having trouble concentrating. It’s starting to bug me

a little.”

“Mmm?” Now her doctor’s face was serious. “All right, I’ll check to see if

there’s anything strange in your blood work, but it probably won’t show up

there. You having dizzy spells, or problems with your vision?” He put on his

stethoscope and listened to her chest. “Ticker sounds all right.”

“No, well, not dizzy, exactly.” Dar struggled to explain. “Just, I’ll be

doing something, and I’ll just go blank, like my attention gets distracted,” she

said. “I walked out last night and left my cell phone in the condo. Last time I

did that… Hell, I don’t remember the last time I did that.”

“Hmm.” Dr. Steve pressed against her shoulder. “Lie down.”

Dar did, letting her eyes close and feeling the pressure cuff tighten

against her bicep. Her mind drifted, thinking of the coming day. Or to be more

precise, the coming night, and she found herself thinking of Kerry, and those

warm, green eyes, and…

“Dar?”

She opened her eyes, to see the doctor regarding her in puzzled concern.

“Damn, sorry.” She sighed. “See what I mean?”

Dr. Steve leaned against the table, a lock of gray hair dropping down over

his forehead. “I don’t understand. Your pressure is fine; your heart sounds

fine. Maybe I should schedule you for a CT scan,” he suggested warily.

Dar rubbed her eyes. “Maybe,” she muttered.

“You saying that without arguing means your pretty head’s probably

about to pop off.” He shook his head. “Well, let me go run a quick scan on the

blood and see if I see anything. Go wait in my office. I think I have the new PC

World in there.”

“Oh, great,” Dar grumbled. “Just what I need—to read all about the new

bugs.” She hopped off the table, though, and made her way to Dr. Steve’s

comfortable office, slouching in an armchair and picking up the indicated

magazine. “Where’s the cartoon? At least I can laugh at that.”

Tropical Storm 295

“HEY! KERRY!”

KERRY turned, her fingers sliding on the strap of her briefcase as she

spotted Mark Polenti catching up to her. “Hi. Morning.”

Mark’s eyes fastened on Kerry’s face for an instant, then he looked aside

again without comment. “Listen.” He looked around quickly and asked, “You

know where the boss is?” His voice was low and urgent.

Kerry paused in momentary indecision. “Um…”

“They’ve been trying to call her all night, and she’s not picking up,” Mark

said. “We dropped the ball on the payroll transfer last night and we needed

her sign off on a workaround.”

Oh. Damn. “Why didn’t you call me?” Kerry asked. “Maybe her cell’s

down.”

Mark sidestepped the question. “I was kinda worried. I called the

condo.”

Kerry looked him in the eye. “She’s at a doctor’s appointment,” she said.

“So I guess we should go upstairs and clean up the mess before she gets here,

shouldn’t we?”

Two women walked past them, giving them wary looks. Mark waited for

them to pass before he answered. “Uh, yeah, sure.” His uncertainty showed

on his face. “But you talked to her right? She’s okay?”

Kerry was torn between wanting to believe Mark was just honestly

worried about Dar, and the knowledge that loose talk could seriously damage

both of them. “I talked to her this morning,” she finally said. “She’s fine.”

Mark cocked his head a little. “So I guess her cell’s okay.”

Bleeping damn. “She called me,” Kerry replied in an even tone. “I really don’t know where she was calling from, but it doesn’t matter. Let’s go take

care of business.” She started toward the elevator. “You can ask her about it

when she shows up, right?”

“Um. Sure.” Mark caught up to her and they walked together to the

elevator. “Sorry they didn’t call you. I guess we’re not really used to having a

Dar Junior.”

She was about to hit the button, but Kerry stopped and glanced at him as

he looked uneasily back at her. “Flattery will get you nowhere,” she said after

a long pause, swiping the control and walking through the sliding doors as

they opened. She almost wished they would be joined by some of the

anonymous secretarial staff in the lobby, but the elevator closed and they

faced each other for the long ride up.

Mark stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall,

whistling softly under his breath.

Dar Junior. Kerry studied the inlaid tile on the floor of the elevator . Dar

would probably laugh like a nut at that.

“Um.” Mark cleared his throat. “Hey, um…can I ask you something?”

Uh oh. Kerry looked warily up at him. “Am I going to regret saying yes?”

“Maybe. Yeah.”

Kerry sighed. “Can I get some coffee first?”

DAR HAD READ through over half the magazine before she heard

296 Melissa Good

steady footsteps on the carpet and looked up as Dr. Steve ambled in, a folder

under his arm and a peculiar look on his fact. “Finished?” She glanced at her

watch. “I’ve got a million problems waiting for me at the office.”

The stocky, gray-haired man put the folder down and dropped into his

seat, folding his hands over his belly and gazing at her. “Well, my friend, your

stress indicators are down, that’s for sure.”

Dar let a small smile tug at her lips. “That’s good.”

He nodded. “Mmm. Yes, I was glad to see it. I also ran an analysis for

hormones and other anomalies, and I think I might have figured out what

your little forgetfulness problem is. Maybe or maybe not.”

Dar sat up and cocked her head. “Yeah?”

He nodded solemnly. “Yes, I’m afraid you have elevated levels of

endorphins in your bloodstream, my friend, especially oxytocin.”

Dar was taken aback. “Oh.” She paused, a little alarmed. “What is that?

What causes it?”

Dr. Steve rubbed his nose. “Well, it’s a naturally occurring hormone.

Basically, it’s one of the things responsible for making us feel good. Your body

releases it under certain circumstances, and it’s known to produce the

symptoms you’re describing.”

Dar considered that. “What circumstances?”

“Mmm, in some cases, exercise. Especially long-distance running,” Dr.

Steve mentioned. “Do you do that?”

She shrugged. “Six, eight miles in a morning.”

“Did you do that this morning?” Dr. Steve asked.

Dar shook her head. “I…no.” She hesitated. “Not this morning.”

“Not that, then.” The doctor steepled his fingers. “You take any opiates?”

“What?” Dar’s brow contracted sharply. “Dr. Steve, you goddamn well

know better.”

A hand raised. “Okay, okay, just asking.” A tiny grin chased itself around

his lips. “That eliminates two of the three most common causes.”

“What’s the third, eating chocolate?” Dar chuckled.

“Falling in love,” Steve quietly replied. “Oxytocin is the hormone that

stimulates the need for touching.”

Dar simply stared at him, her jaw sagging slightly, and her eyes blinking.

“That’s…ah, no, Steve, I don’t…” She ran a hand through her hair. “That’s

not…”

“Dar, relax.” The doctor leaned forward. “Breathe, okay? I don’t want

you keeling over in my office, it looks bad to the nurses.” He regarded her

with fond affection. “My god, you’d think I just said you were pregnant or

something. There’s nothing wrong with being in love, my friend.” He smiled.

“It’s good for you.”

“But I’m…” Dar tried to force the words out, but they just weren’t

coming. Jesus, this can’t be happening. Her mind flashed back to her own words

to Kerry, what seemed like forever ago. It’s like your body knows. “Are you…is

that all, Dr. Steve?”

“Sure.” He gazed at her in quiet compassion. “Go take a walk, Dar. Get

some air. You’re white as a sheet.”

Nodding absently, she walked out, not really sure where she was going

Tropical Storm 297

until she was outside, where she mechanically found her car and opened the

door, collapsing into the seat and leaning against the steering wheel. “He’s

crazy. He doesn’t know what he’s…I’m not…”

She stared at the instrument panel, thinking about the past few days.

Thinking about how she felt. Thinking about how Kerry made her feel, and

how just the impact of those green eyes on hers sent daggers of emotion

stabbing through her. About how hugging Kerry made her happier than just

about anything else ever had. About how she’d driven out in the middle of the

night just to check on a little bump on the head and jeopardized a major

account to keep from looking bad in front of her—setting aside the slowly

creeping knowledge that for the first time in a long time she’d found

something she cared about more than her job and her settled, predictable life.

Slowly, she leaned back, letting her arms fall to her thighs as the

inescapable realization hit her. Son of a bitch. I am in love. A faint laugh forced its way out of her chest. Then she gripped the steering wheel and stared out

through the tinted windows. Now what do I do?

“OKAY, LOOK, IT’S only a bulletin board,” Kerry said, gazing patiently

at the short, upset woman sitting across from her desk. “I know it’s something

everyone likes, but the drive array went down, and they have to replace it.”

“But you don’t understand…we had important messages on there,” the

woman stated in agitation.

Kerry cocked her head. “It’s a bulletin board. I thought it was for posting

things for sale, company notices, that kind of thing.”

“No, no.” The woman looked frustrated. “It’s this…we’ve got all our

social stuff on there, and Mary puts out these little poems, they really make

everyone’s day. It’s like a community. We’re helpless without it. No one

knows what’s going on!”

Kerry folded her hands together. “Helen, what exactly is it you want me

to do?”

“Can’t it get fixed faster?”

“It’s a server drive array. They have to custom-order it from Hewlett

Packard, and it has to be configured. They’re doing it as fast as they can,

believe me,” Kerry explained. “That’s not the only thing affected. Printing and

faxing services are down, too.” The server crash had been an unexpected, yet

welcome emergency, putting off Mark’s questionable questions until some

undefined later time.

Unfortunately, the workers had complained more about the downed

bulletin board than if the mail servers had crashed. “We’re still trying to find

out why it went down,” Kerry said. “That was a very strange failure.” She got

an immediate guilty look from the woman, who stood hastily.

“Well, I hope they hurry. I have a lot of things on there that I need.” She

gave Kerry a distinctly unfriendly glare. “I’m sure Ms. Roberts would have

resolved it already.” She walked out, leaving a bemused-looking Kerry, who

shook her head in mild disbelief.

“No, she would have told you to get your gardenia-smelling butt out of

her office,” she informed the closed door wryly. Then she sighed and glanced

298 Melissa Good

at the clock. “Speaking of which, where in the hell is she?”

It was close to noon, and there was no sign of her boss. Kerry had set up a

monitor that checked periodically for Dar’s login, and so far, the executive

had been conspicuous by her absence. Kerry drummed her fingers on the

desk, then picked up the phone and dialed. “Hi, Maria.”

“Hello, Kerrisita.”

“Any word from the boss?” Kerry tried to keep the concern out of her

voice and make it only sound vaguely interested. “I have some documents I

need to go over with her.”

Maria sighed. “No, honey. You and everyone else in the world is looking

for her…and nothing. I tried her cell phone, the pager, nothing. I hope she is

all right.”

Kerry felt a deep worry grab her guts. “Yeah, me too. That’s not like her,”

she murmured, as if she were an expert after all of less than a month.

“Si, ay. Wait, I hear her voice coming this way.” Maria sounded relieved.

“Okay, great. Thanks, Maria.” Kerry hung up with a mixed sensation of

relief and anticipation. “No running down the hallway, Kerrison. Let her sit

down first.” She decided to get herself a cup of tea instead, so she opened her

drawer and took out a blackberry teabag, then grabbed her cup and headed

for the door.

The kitchen was relatively quiet, and she smiled at the two other women

inside as she put some Equal into her cup, then added boiling water from the

dispenser over the teabag.

“Hey, Kerry.” One of the women sitting at a small table looked up. “I

hear you signed up for the gym. You going tonight?”

The blonde woman nodded. “Yep. I sure did. I’m really looking forward

to it. I put my name down for some light aerobics and that self defense class.”

She casually walked over, dipping her teabag in and leaning against the wall.

“Are you going?” The woman’s name, she recalled, was Candy, a uniquely

inappropriate tag for the usually snippy administrative assistant.

Candy leaned back with a sigh and nodded. “Yeah.” She patted her

thighs and made a face. “I thought I could get away with just some treadmill

plodding at home, but I don’t do it enough, and it’s showing. I put on ten

pounds in the last two months, and it’s either go to the goddamn gym or

spring for new clothes.” She glanced at Kerry. “Self defense, huh? That’s

pretty funny, coming from Dar Roberts’ assistant. And what the hell

happened to your head?”

Kerry sighed. “Close encounter with a parked truck while I was

Rollerblading last night,” she explained. “Yet another reason to pick the gym

instead. Fewer obstacles,” she added wryly. “And it’s air conditioned, has a

sauna…”

“Oh yeah, and nice looking bodies running around,” Candy added with a

smirk. “My boyfriend refuses to go in there. Says his gut makes him

embarrassed.” The other woman, someone from Marketing, Kerry

remembered, snickered.

“Well, that’s self-defeating,” Kerry protested. “If he’d go in there for a

while, he wouldn’t have to worry about it.” She disposed of her bag and took

a sip of the sweetened tea. “But I know how he feels. I’ve put on a few pounds

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myself since I started working here—all those daily specials downstairs,” she

commented casually.

Candy snorted. “Kerry, you’d have to double yourself before anyone

would notice, let me tell you. But, um…” She glanced around, then up at the

blonde woman. “I hear through the grapevine your boss is joining the gym

gang. True?”

Kerry hesitated, then picked her words carefully. “As a matter of fact, I

think I heard her saying that the other day. So yeah, I guess she is. Why?”

“Interesting, that’s all. First she participates in Global Day, now this. She

trying to change her image or something?” Candy asked slyly.

Sensing dangerous waters, Kerry merely shrugged. “She said it was her

turn to do Global. And as for this, who knows? I sure don’t. She said she

wanted to use some climbing thing or other that they have. Maybe that’s it.”

“Maybe,” Candy purred. “Guess we’ll find out tonight, eh? C’mon,

Drucie, break time’s over, let’s go feed the press.” She glanced at Kerry. “See

ya.” They got up and sauntered out.

“See ya,” Kerry mouthed after her, making a face. She sighed and sipped

her tea, then slipped back out of the kitchen and down the hall, opening the

door to her office and stepping inside. She was several paces into the room

before she realized there was something sitting on her desk. She stopped, one

hand raised with the cup in it and the other at her side, and just looked.

Squarely in the center of her desk rested a small, crystal vase containing

one single crimson rose. Kerry let out a tiny gasp and moved closer, putting

the cup down and circling the furniture, sitting down in her chair and resting

both arms on either side of the vase.

The flower was beautiful, large and full with thick petals that gave off a

wonderful scent, and the vase was slim, and faceted, and glittered in the light

coming in the window. “Oh my god, that’s gorgeous.” Kerry breathed,

touching the flower with a lightly shaking finger. “Did you do this, Dar?” she

whispered.

The unexpected romantic gesture touched her deeply, and she sighed,

resting her chin on her fists and letting a smile appear as she absorbed the

delicate scent. Flowers had never been a particular focus of hers, but who in

their right mind could resist a beautiful rose half the size of your head? In a

crystal vase? Kerry reached out and touched one of the petals, feeling it soft as

silk against her skin.

Finally she sat up and gently put the vase at the front of her desk,

centered neatly, before she stood and ran her hands through her hair. “I think

I need to go say thank you,” she told her computer screen, just before ducking

out the back door and down the utility hallway.

“SO WHAT, EXACTLY, is the problem?” Dar leaned her chin on her fist

and regarded Mark with a tolerant eye. “I thought you ordered a new RAID

array.”

“I did.” Mark sighed, rubbing his eyes. “But HP said they can’t get a

duplicate unit. If we want to replace it, we’ve got to go bigger.”

“Okay. So do it.”

300 Melissa Good

Brown eyes blinked at her. “What?”

“What part of that didn’t you understand?” Dar shot back. “I’m up to my

ears in whining secretaries who can’t get to their love poems, Mark. Get the

goddamn array in here before I start taking pot-shots at them with a pellet

gun.”

“Dar, we’re talking big bucks, here,” Mark protested. “It’s not a critical

server.”

“Maria tells me Kerry spent at least half the morning listening to people

tell her just how critical the damn thing is, and I’m not going to waste her

valuable time in dealing with it!” Dar roared. “Get the damn thing in here. I

don’t care what it costs!”

“Jesus!” Mark jumped out of his chair and backed off. “All right, all right.

But when that bill comes in, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”

“Just do it,” Dar ordered. “And by the way, how in the hell did the damn

thing crash anyway?”

Mark paused in the doorway and pursed his lips, glancing around.

“Um…they ran a… Well, it’s a streaming multimedia clip that got out of

hand.” He cleared his throat. “It chewed up all the resources, then corrupted

the allocation table. When the server went to shut down, it blew the drive

controller card.”

Dar sat there, her hands resting on her desk. “You’re not telling me

something one of these technogorps did crashed an array.”

He nodded. “Um…it was a streaming clip of Leonardo DiCaprio dancing

nude.” Then he was gone, leaving Dar to stare at the door in disbelief.

The phone rang. Dar punched the button. “Yeah?”

“Afternoon, Dar!” Alastair’s cheerful voice filled the room. “Where the

hell have you been?”

Dar eyed the phone. “In Miami. Why?”

“Lady, I’ve been calling you since last night,” her boss said. “Had half the

company after my shorts for the payroll. Didn’tcha know?”

Dar blinked. “What?”

“Jesus Christ, Dar!” The voice took on a hint of frustration. “What in

hell’s going on down there?”

Dar had to admit she was dumbfounded.

“Tell you what, good thing you picked that new little assistant of yours,”

Alastair added. “ She took care of it, but good lord, lady! You had us in a hell

of a twist.”

Dar pulled out her cell phone and stared at it, looking at the blank

display with an almost comical expression. “Sorry, Alastair,” she managed to

cough out. “My cell’s on the blink.” She pressed the power button and

watched the device light up. “Just got it back.”

“Was it?” her boss queried. “Well, that’s a damned thing.”

“Yeah.” Dar watched the message waiting light start up and flash

frantically. “Glad Kerry was here and took care of it.”

Alastair grunted. “Seems like a nice enough kid,” he allowed. “Glad to

find out it was just a phone screw-up, Dar. You had me a little worried there,”

he said. “Not answering the line all that time.”

Jesus. “Yeah, well, sorry about that, Alastair,” Dar said with a sigh. “I was

Tropical Storm 301

at an appointment this morning, just got to the office. I’ll have to get a backup

phone or something, I guess.” She folded the cell up and put it on her desk,

shaken inside and out from the lapse.

Apparently satisfied with the apology, the CEO changed the subject, “Did

you get my present?”

Dar glanced around at her desk and spotted a small comail envelope. She

pulled it over and opened it, peering inside. “It’s a lovely thought, Alastair,

but you know I don’t have time to go on a damn cruise.” She sighed. “I hardly

have time to go swimming in my own damn backyard at night.”

“Dar, I’m ordering it,” the CEO objected.

She frowned, fingering the tickets. “Tell you what, I’ll trade it in for a

long weekend down in the Keys.” She paused. “For two.” A quirky grin

tugged her face. “How about it?”

“For two?” Alastair’s voice oozed with curiosity. “Dar, I didn’t know you

were seeing anyone.”

A soft chuckle. “Did I say that, Alastair? I just said I wanted a weekend

for two. Maybe I just want some company.”

“Ho ho ho…. Wonder who you’ll take.” Alastair chortled. “All right,

you’re on. I’ll tell Beatrice. You just let her know what you want.” A muffled

voice could be heard in the background. “Whoops, gotta go, Dar. Talk to you

later.”

Dar regarded her desktop and smiled, turning the tickets over in her

hands, then glanced up as the inner door opened, and Kerry peeked in.

She didn’t deny the jolt of emotion this time, she just accepted it,

watching as Kerry pushed the door open and walked across the carpet,

enjoying the blonde woman’s intriguing walk. “Hi.”

Kerry knelt down at her side and balanced with a hand on her knee. “Hi.”

Her voice was slightly husky. “Was that surprise from you?”

No excuses. No explanations. Dar nodded. “Uh huh.”

A delicate blush colored Kerry’s face. “I’ve never gotten anything like

that before. It’s amazing.” She exhaled. “Thank you so much.”

Dar gazed at her, reaching out and moving a bit of blonde hair out of her

face. “You’ve never gotten flowers, Kerry? I find that very hard to believe.”

A hesitant shake of her head. “No, it…” She paused to collect herself.

“No, I never did.” Aware of their intimate position, her eyes flicked across to

the door. “I was kind of concerned. You didn’t think the appointment would

take very long. Maria was worried, too.”

“Ah.” Dar gracefully accepted the change of subject. “I had a few things

to take care of, and I left the pager and the cell phone in the car. I should have

called in.” She cleared her throat. “Hell, I should have put the damn phone on.

I hear we had a screwup.”

Kerry made a face. “Let’s say you were really conspicuous by your

absence,” she demurred. “It wasn’t too bad. They knew what do to but they

were too chicken to do it without your say-so.”

Dar snorted. “I didn’t even realize my damn phone was off. Alastair was

trying to call me.” She pushed the phone across the desk. “I just had other

things on my mind.” She leaned back and let her head rest against the leather.

“Everything was fine at the doc’s.”

302 Melissa Good

“Great.” Kerry smiled. “What was on your mind, then?”

“You.”

They looked at each other in silence. Kerry glanced out the window after

a long moment, her cheeks coloring. “Ah. Well. Likewise.” She looked shyly

back at Dar. “Wish I’d gotten you a rose. All I have to offer is a kiss.” She held

up a wrapped item.

She looked up at the blonde woman, one hand idly resting on Kerry’s leg.

Dar smiled. “You had lunch?”

Kerry shook her head. “No, I’ve been too busy listening to everyone

complain about that stupid server and ask tactless questions about where you

were.”

“C’mon.” Dar stood and offered her hand up. “I hear a cheeseburger

calling my name.” She hauled Kerry up and unexpectedly gave her a brief

hug. “Let’s go.”

Chapter

Twenty-four

THE GYM WAS a typical one, smelling of chlorine from the pool, oil from

the several groups of weightlifting machines, and the overwhelming scent of

macho that seemed to settle over everything like a coating of grease.

Dar finished a round of the Nautilus machines, wiping the sweat off her

face and ignoring the sidewise stares from fellow employees who seemed to

be caught between amazement and disbelief at her presence. Her mind wasn’t

really into it, she acknowledged, so she kept it fairly light and easy, letting her

thoughts wander as she went through the various motions. It had taken her a

few hours, that morning, of wandering down the beach and letting the

wavelets wash against her bare feet, before she settled down and tried to

figure out what to do.

First and foremost, she had to figure out how Kerry felt about her.

Coming out and professing a love for the blonde woman if she didn’t share it

would be embarrassing at best, and irreparably destructive at worst. So how to

do that? Dar had decided on a subtle campaign of attentions, of which the rose

had been a part, to see if she could get an indication of what was going on

behind those green eyes. She knew Kerry liked her, but more than that?

Dar sighed, resting her chin on the crossbar of the pull-down machine she

was using. She felt a little nervous and a little uncertain, but twice now, twice,

when the blonde woman didn’t think she was looking, she’d caught Kerry

watching her with a gentle, emotional look that made her hopes emerge

timidly, wondering if this time…

If she were honest with herself, she would admit that it was mostly fear

that made her cautious, fear of exposing her most sensitive vulnerabilities to

someone she’d known for less than a month. Sad prudence dictated caution,

demanded she wait to see if Kerry’s obvious affection for her was something

more or merely the superficial involvement of her tentatively emerging

sexuality.

But…she’d liked the rose. Even Dar realized that.

The self-defense class was meeting in the large open area just in front of

the circuit machines, a group of a dozen or so people—ranging from two

young boys to an older woman with a grizzled, pugnacious jaw. The

instructor was a large bearded man, self-importantly hitching up his black-

belted gi and proclaiming to his audience in tones that were grating on Dar’s

nerves.

Kerry was seated near one end of the semi-circle, her elbows resting on

her crossed legs, her head cocked in intent attention. Dar could see the faint

304 Melissa Good

tension at her brow as she listened, and she suspected the blonde woman was

finding some problem with whatever it was she was being told.

“Well, well. What have we got here?”

Dar almost jumped at the loud, pseudo-friendly voice. She turned her

head and gazed at José.

“Nice headband,” she commented dryly, noting the South Park

characters on it. “Funny, but I always think of Cartman when I see you.”

José stared at her, then touched his head. “Mierda. My kids got me this. I

don’t watch that crap.”

That struck Dar as funny, and she lifted a hand, rubbing her jaw to

disguise a grin. “They’ve got good taste,” she replied, eyeing his outfit. They

must be adopted, her mind continued . José was dressed in tight purple bike shorts and a lurid, orange T-shirt that clashed so badly it made Dar’s eyes hurt

to look at it.

“I’ll tell them that. So what are you doing here?” José asked pointedly.

“Don’t tell me they don’t got a gym on that fantasy island of yours.”

Dar lifted a hand and indicated the machine. “I’m doing what everyone

else is doing here, José. It’s closer to the office, it’s got a much better range of

facilities, and it’s got a climbing wall.” She shrugged him off. “Why the hell do

you care?”

“I don’t. It’s just strange as hell to see you out here. I’ve been coming to

this place for a year now, and all of a sudden, you decide you like it?” he said,

“You’ve been acting loco this past week. You taking drugs?”

“Only antacids.” Dar gave him a brief smile. “José, get out of my face.

We’re not in the office, and I don’t have to be polite to your ugly puss.” She

stood, making the most of the fact that she topped him by at least two inches.

“Let me give you a hint…try running something other than your mouth. It

might help.” She stalked off, leaving him spluttering by the pull-down

machine, and escaped into the free weight area where she knew he wouldn’t

follow.

This was the area for the serious dudes. Dar let her eyes flick to the

earnest, sweating faces, eyes intent on the mirror, watching themselves as they

pumped and flexed. Some paused and gave her a disdainful look, then went

back to their loving self-absorption.

Feeling a mischievous streak rising, she claimed one of the press benches,

and settled a bar on it, checking the locking collars carefully. Then she laid

down and placed her hands precisely, focusing on the weight and preparing

her body for the strain. One deep breath. A second. She wrapped her fingers

around the rough metal of the bar and set her feet down squarely, pressing

down to make sure her back was properly supported. Then she took a final

breath and shoved upward, taking the bar off its supports and extending her

arms, letting the muscles get used to the shock of effort.

Slowly the bar lowered, to brush her chest, then went back up, her

shoulders flexing as she concentrated. At the periphery of her attention, she

was aware of a little silence around her and she grinned before she repeated

the action ten times, then set the bar down in place. A pleasant ache filled her

upper body, and she relaxed, peeking at her neighbors.

Lots of wide, round, furtive eyes found other things to look at and the

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pumping rapidly resumed. Dar grinned impishly at the ceiling, then rubbed

her hands together and went for another set. It was more weight than she

usually used, that was for sure, but she wasn’t above showing off now and

again when the mood struck her. The legacy of years and years of sports and

martial arts had left her with a sturdily functional body, and it felt good to

show that off a little sometimes.

Besides, Dar peeked again, Kerry is watching. Blue eyes twinkled at the

tiles above.

AFTER AN HOUR of lecture from the instructor on movements and the

preparation of the body, they were on break. Kerry had absorbed the lesson

and didn’t feel like she needed it repeated six times, but she was willing to

hold her tongue, since this was, after all, the first lesson. She leaned against a

pile of mats, sipping on a cup of water as she let her eyes roam around,

finding Dar with little difficulty.

Dar had staked out a spot in the weight section and was doing chest

presses. Kerry found herself glued to the sight, wondering how in the world

she could consider sweating sexy. She turned her head as Colleen joined her,

the redhead immediately finding what she was looking at.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm.” Colleen clucked softly. “Aren’t we just the butch.”

“Col.” Kerry rolled her eyes.

“C’mon, Ker. In a minute, she’ll be giving the Small Soldiers over there

pointers. You see tha… Ooo, look, he dropped his dumbbell on his foot.”

Kerry laughed. “Oh, that’s not funny.” She watched the overly muscular

man hop around, then overbalance and go crashing to the floor. She half

expected him to bounce, he had such a rubbery, bulging figure.

Hearing the commotion, Dar had hitched herself up on her elbows and

was just sitting there, watching in amusement.

“We’re going to…pump. You. Up,” Colleen whispered. “God, have you

ever seen anything so self-absorbed?”

“Hmm?” Kerry tore her eyes from Dar’s relaxed body, which was

intriguing her with its gentle ripple of muscle just barely visible under the

skin, so different than her burly neighbors. “Sorry, what did you say?”

The redhead rolled her eyes. “Talk about absorbed…”

“Sorry.” Kerry blushed. “Um, looks like he’s ready to start again.” She

tugged Colleen back over to where the instructor was gathering them, and

forced her attention to the man.

It isn’t hard, she decided. He’d started them with simple, repetitive

motions, which at first felt awkward, but after a few repetitions, seemed to

come more naturally to her. She found her balance and worked through the

movements, more successfully than the rounder Colleen and a good deal more

so than one of the two boys.

He’s growing fast, she realized, and is completely uncoordinated because of it.

He tried, but he just couldn’t get the motions, his arms and oversized feet

getting into his way and frustrating him. Kerry moved over and made gentle

suggestions, receiving a pathetically grateful look in response.

“No, look. He’s gotta do it himself,” the teacher objected, motioning her

306 Melissa Good

away. “C’mon, fat boy, take your head out of your ass and watch where your

feet are going.”

Kerry gave him a dour look. “Insulting people doesn’t help them

concentrate.”

“Look, honey, I didn’t ask for a critique, okay? Just get back over there

with your roly-poly friend, and let’s get through this.” He half turned, then

found himself being hauled around to face icy green eyes and an angry, set

face.

“You listen, you horse’s ass…”

“Look, either get over there and do this, or get out of here and go to

wimpaerobics, all right?” He gave her a shove. Or he tried to, anyway, but he

found his arm held in a grip from behind that made him spin around. “What

in the hell?”

Dar just tightened her grip. “You know, big, ugly bullies with delusions

of competency really piss me off,” she commented calmly. “You’re supposed

to be teaching these people a martial art, not using them as your personal

venting post.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me what to do. Who in the hell do you think you

are?” the bearded man barked in her face. “Let go of me or I’m going to kick

your ass.”

Dar smiled at him and leaned closer. “Jackass, you couldn’t touch me if

your life depended on it.” She suddenly jerked him closer, then whirled him

around and dumped him on the ground by sweeping his legs out from under

him with a powerful kick.

“Bitch.” He scrambled to his feet and came at her, shifting to one side

with moderate skill, then reaching out for a hold. She caught his arm and

ducked under it, sliding past him, then whirling and pulling him over her

shoulder to be dumped on the mat again.

He bounced up and tried a kick. She blocked it, then returned the favor

with a sideways spinning kick that slammed against his chest and knocked

him back. Then they were at it full-out, and she was mixing holds with

powerful blows, dodging his best efforts and ending by nailing him on the jaw

with a thrust of her elbow in close, sending him to the mat in a stupor. She

bounced a little in place, waiting to see if he was going to get up. I shouldn’t

enjoy this as much as I do, Dar reflected ruefully, aware of Kerry’s rapt eyes on

her.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” A short, bandy-legged man pushed his way

through the crowd that had gathered, glancing at the gasping man on the mat,

then up at Dar. “What the hell happened?”

Dar glanced at him. “I took exception to his teaching style,” she

answered, deadpan, her eyes taking in the newcomer’s lithe, graceful

physique. “It tended to the abusive.”

The man cursed in a fluid language. “Frank, get outta here. I’ve had

enough of your damn troublemaking self.” He nudged the man with a toe.

“G’wan, I’ll see what I can do for you later.”

With a venomous look at Dar, the bearded man got up and stalked off,

shoving people out of his way. The short newcomer looked up at Dar, setting

his hands on his hips as he regarded her. “You know what you’re doing.”

Tropical Storm 307

Dar dusted herself off, and shrugged lightly. “Used to dabble in it,” she

admitted, noting the intent and interested look she was getting from him. “I

would guess you do yourself.”

“Could be, could be.” The man sighed, then faced the class, who were

watching in fascinated interest. “Listen, sorry, folks. I’ll try to get you in a

different instructor next week and give you a credit for an extra lesson.”

The crowd broke up, leaving the two of them standing there. Dar met

Kerry’s eyes as she was moving away, and winked, getting a mouthed,

“Wow!” back from her.

She and the newcomer studied each other, and the man held out a hand.

“Ken Yamamura.”

“Mmm, you took the state championship two…no, three years ago.” Dar

took his hand and gripped it. “Last round, took out that bruiser from Orlando

with the red hair.”

He blinked. “Wow. Yeah, I sure did. Um…”

She smiled. “Dar Roberts.”

His jaw dropped and his eyes lit up. “Holy Buddhist Monk in a bottle…I

thought you looked familiar!” He told her with delight. “Son of a… Man, I

was there when you won the National. I never saw anything like that final

bout.”

Dar ducked her head in acknowledgment. “Long time ago,” she said.

“Nice to meet you finally, though.”

“Wow, check this out—just any Wednesday and I have Dar Roberts show

up to beat the crap out of my god-damned useless piece of crap brother-in-

law.” He sighed. “I gotta get someone else now. I know he’s not worth much,

but I thought he’d at least be able to show these newbies some of the basics.”

Dar took a breath, her eyes flicking to where Kerry was waiting, leaning

against a towel rack and watching her. “Listen, if you want, I’ll teach the class.

I was going to make Wednesday my regular night here anyway.”

He stared at her. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’ve just been doing some casual stuff the last few years, I could use

the practice.”

“Whooo, I’m not gonna turn that down. Maybe…I haven’t been keeping

up the last year either. I pulled a knee out after that last fight, never really set

right after that, but if you want, we could work together a little. I could at least

give you more of a challenge than these kids.”

Dar considered. “Yeah, all right, that sounds like a deal to me.” She

nodded. Her sparring mate on the island was a beginner at best, and she had

felt a lot of things slipping lately. Maybe she needed a challenge—knock the

rust off a few skills. “I’d like that. Sign me up.”

“Great.” Ken gave her an enormous grin, transforming his elfin face. “I’ll

put you on the payroll.”

Dar waved him off. “No, thanks, I’m fine. Use it to get some basic

equipment for these folks, okay?”

“Deal.” Ken reached out a hand. “Dar, it’s good to meet you. This’ll be a

story to tell around the campfire.”

The term sent a strange prickle down her back. “Glad to meet you, too,

Ken. See you next week.” She watched him walk off, then exhaled. What in the

308 Melissa Good

hell did I just get myself into? she wondered as Kerry ambled over, offering her

a bottle of water.

“Wow.” The blonde woman smiled at her. “That was pretty impressive.”

“C’mon, Kerry.” Dar snorted, then took a long sip of the water. “José

could have dumped him on his ass, he didn’t know a damn thing.” She

sighed. “What an idiot.”

“Well, but will his replacement be any better?” Kerry queried. “The class

seems a little generic.”

“Um…actually, it’s me,” Dar muttered.

“What?” She leaned closer. “Did I just hear you say what I think I just

heard you say?”

Dar gave her a sheepish look. “I volunteered. I felt bad for those kids, and

if I’m going to be around anyway, what the hell, right?”

“Mmm.” Kerry smiled at her. “Well, then, can I get some private

lessons?” she quipped.

“Sure,” her companion agreed. “You finished here?” She glanced around.

“I think I promised a hot tub, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Ugh.” Kerry stretched out her arms. “After that climbing thing and

those exercises, yeah, I’d love that.” She put her towel over her shoulders,

feeling a welcome tingle of anticipation. “Besides which, I’m starved.”

Dar chuckled, and grabbed her own towel. “I can do something about

that, too,” she teased gently. “C’mon.”

They retrieved their bags from the locker room and exited the gym,

walking out through the well-lit parking area toward where they’d left their

cars. Dar knew she was in trouble as they turned the corner of the building,

and she felt, rather than saw, shadows heading towards her, the wind

bringing a scent of anger and sweat.

“All right, bitch, now we’ll see who’s tough!” The bearded man surged

forward, another, shorter figure behind him.

IT WAS AN instinct bone-deep, and Dar obeyed it, pulling Kerry behind

her and putting her body between the threat and her companion. She was

facing two men, and the darkness kept her from seeing them fully, but her

senses were enough for her to react as the closer one swung a dark object at

her. She dodged the blow, letting it carry her opponent around, then went for

the tough stuff, as her father would have said, and nailed him in the crotch

with a powerful knee. He squealed like a pig and dropped to his knees, then

she took advantage of that by kicking him in the face.

His friend almost got her, though. He was faster and had time to move in

while she was fighting with the other man, and he got in a blow to her kidneys

with a piece of steel pipe. Dar felt half her body go numb for a frightening

moment, then she let loose with a clumsy, but effective right cross which got

past his surprised defenses and bloodied his nose with a crunch.

It gave her enough time to catch her breath and her balance, then she set

her body and whipped up a roundhouse kick that nailed her opponent in the

jaw and sent him sprawling. “Any more, and I call the cops,” Dar managed to

get out. “And I guarantee you’ll be courting girlfriends in the Dade County

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Jail in under a half hour.”

“You got my ass fired, you bitch.” The closer man groaned, holding his

crotch.

“You got your ass fired, buddy,” Dar responded, taking a step back and

feeling Kerry’s hands touch her. “Don’t go blaming it on me.”

The man climbed to his feet and glared at her. “Not just me’s got a

problem with you. Better watch your back, ’cause someone’s gonna put a

knife in it.” He stumbled off, pulling his companion with him.

Dar watched them go, then let her body lean slowly back against the wall,

very aware of concerned green eyes that were studying her in the dim light.

“Morons.”

“Are you okay?” Kerry whispered. “Jesus, Dar, those people are crazy.

Maybe you should have called the police.”

Dar gingerly felt her ribs, then sighed. “No thanks. I’m not in the mood to

be spending a couple of hours doing paperwork, I’ve got better things to do.”

She picked up her towel and bag, then nodded toward their cars. “C’mon, let’s

get out of here.” She glanced around, spotting a shadowy figure watching

them from under a tree nearby. Dar strained her eyes, but she couldn’t make

out the features, and she finally turned away with a grim look.

They quietly parted as they reached the car lot, and Kerry went to her car,

unaware of the pale blue eyes that watched her until she was safely inside.

Only then did Dar open the door and slide into the leather seat of the Lexus

with a stifled groan. The ache in her side throbbed painfully and she sat a

moment, leaning against the steering wheel before she straightened up and

started the car, putting it in gear and following Kerry’s taillights out of the

parking lot.

A grudge? Or something more. The man’s words bothered Dar, and she

briefly wondered if some co-worker had taken the opportunity to get back at

her. Someone like José, for instance. Would he be that stupid? That venal? The

executive sighed. He was that stupid, yes. And hotheaded on top of it. Maybe

the chance had just been too much for him to pass up. A couple of bucks

slipped to an already pissed-off moron and no dirt on his hands. With a sigh,

Dar tried to put it out of her mind and concentrate on something more

pleasant.

Who happened to be driving just in front of her, moving the Mustang

through the relatively light traffic with casual skill. They would use the hot

tub, that’s for sure, then have a light dinner, and her strawberries were

waiting—no way was she going to waste time going to the doctor’s for a few

bruises. Hell, she was tougher than that.

Chapter

Twenty-five

KERRY STRETCHED OUT stiffened muscles as she got out of the car, and

waited for Dar to lock the Lexus before she joined her companion for the short

walk up the stairs. She had her overnight bag with her, and she slung it over

her shoulder, following Dar inside and letting the smell of clean wax and

wood fill her lungs as she stepped inside.

“Watch it, had the floors waxed this morning,” Dar warned her with a

smile. “You up for the hot tub?”

“Ooo, you bet.” Kerry laughed and nodded. “I’ll go put my suit on.” She

hesitated, then eased closer and put an arm around the taller woman, driven

by a nameless need for Dar’s touch. “You sure you’re okay? I thought that

creep hit you pretty hard.”

Dar exhaled softly, closing her arms around Kerry. “Yeah. I’m a little

sore, but I’ve had worse.”

Kerry gave her a gentle hug. “Okay.” She released the taller woman, then

she moved towards the kitchen. “I’m about dying of thirst, can I get you

something?” She waited a beat. “Let me guess—a glass of milk.”

Dar ambled into her bedroom to change. “I think I’m being tweaked,” she

called back.

Kerry grinned, and opened the door to the refrigerator, standing there

and blinking for a long moment at what she saw. “Hey, Dar?”

“Yeah?” The voice floated in.

“Dar, there are things in your refrigerator,” the blonde yelled.

Her companion came in, adjusting a strap on her swimsuit. “There are?”

She peeked. “Oh yeah.” She laughed sheepishly, giving Kerry wry look. “I

didn’t want to get teased. I thought you’d appreciate something other than

peanut butter and ice cream.”

Kerry fell silent for a moment, then she turned, her face serious. “You

know what I do appreciate?” she asked quietly. “I appreciate that what I think

matters to you.”

Blue eyes blinked at her. “Kerry, of course it does,” Dar said, a little taken

aback. “Surely you realized that.”

She smiled slightly. “I…in the office, sure, but…” She shrugged. “It’s just

a different feeling, I guess.”

Dar brushed a thumb across her jaw line and studied her as the chill air of

the refrigerator bathed both of them. “I very much care about what you

think,” she told her companion seriously, then indicated the open appliance.

“I hope I at least guessed partly right.”

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Kerry peeked over her shoulder. “Oh, what cute bananas.” She picked

one up. “It’s a bananalette.”

“Junior Chiquita,” Dar supplied, peering in as well. Clemente’s staff had

added to her list, she noted. “You hungry?”

Kerry peeled the banana and bit off the end. “Mmhmff.” She nodded.

“Okay, I’m going to order something up from the restaurant. We can

nibble while we’re in the tub. Sound okay?”

“Mfff. Unless you order onion soup. That could get messy,” Kerry replied

with a grin.

“Wasn’t what I had in mind,” Dar responded drolly. “You…trust me to

order for you?”

“Implicitly.” The response was affectionate as Kerry wandered out,

collecting her swimsuit while Dar picked up the phone.

She placed an order. “And Carlos, I’ll leave the front door open. We’ll be

on the porch,” she informed the order taker.

“Will do, Ms. Roberts. You want to open the bottle, or shall I?” the

cultured Hispanic voice answered.

“You can do it. Just ice it down,” she decided, then hung up, walking to

the porch door and pushing it open. The damp, salt air hit her. She took a deep

breath of it, then winced as her ribs pulled against the soreness. “Bastard,” she

cursed softly as she tugged the padded top off the hot tub and flipped the

switch that started the water circulating. “Let’s see…boil, steam, poach. Okay,

that’s better.” She dipped a finger in, then paused, turning to look out over the

ocean as the tide was coming in.

It was a pretty night, with only a few high clouds chasing across the stars,

and the moon was at half full, casting a dim, pale line across the ruffled

waves. The air was full of the scent of the sea and was a little less humid than

it had been. Dar drew it in with pleasure, closing her eyes as the breeze

brushed back her hair.

A warm hand touched her skin, and she turned to see Kerry standing

next to her, also gazing out at the water, her skin golden against the dark

fabric of her suit.

Dar let her eyes travel down her companion’s form and smiled. “You look

nice in that suit,” she complimented Kerry quietly.

Kerry glanced up, a touch surprised, and she looked down at herself with

a wry smile, smoothing her hand down over the fabric. “Thanks. I…” She

paused awkwardly. “Thanks.” The taut fabric didn’t hide much, and Dar’s

admiring eyes sent interesting prickles across her body. First a rose, then she has

stuff for me here, now a compliment…must be my lucky day. Kerry sighed happily,

taking Dar’s arm. “Shall we?”

They entered the hot tub, which was nice and warm and swirled around

them in a rush of steam and strong water smell. Kerry settled down next to

Dar and leaned back. “Ooo, this feels great.”

Dar allowed the warmth and the motion to relax her. “Yeah,” she agreed.

“Especially after the gym. I think I overdid it with those weights.” She shifted

her shoulders a little and winced. “Ouch.”

Kerry shifted onto her side and reached over, gently massaging the tense

muscles. “I saw you. The little mini-Arnolds over there were dropping

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barbells on themselves trying to keep an eye on you, y’know.”

Dar chuckled wryly. “They were, huh?”

“Not that I blame them, because I was watching you too,” Kerry admitted

with a smile. “I was really glad to see you when that guy was being such an

asshole, though.” She traced a gentle line down Dar’s upper arm. “I know you

hate when I say this, but…you really are quite the hero when you want to be.”

“C’mon, Kerry, don’t hang that title on me,” Dar protested gently. “All I

did was get in some jerk’s way. That doesn’t take courage, just a bad attitude.”

Kerry quietly gazed at her. “Maybe, but it’s been a long time since I’ve

had someone stand up for me. It felt good.” She lowered her eyes to the water

thoughtfully.

Dar studied her. “You have a really independent mind, you stand up for

yourself pretty well,” she offered, cautiously.

“Survival mechanism.” Kerry smiled faintly and played with the water.

Dar sensed her companion was edging slowly toward opening up to her

and revealing whatever it was that caused the veiled sadness behind those sea

green eyes. And she wanted to know, she wanted to understand what had

hurt Kerry so. And she wanted to beat the living daylights out of whoever had

done it. “Survival’s not a bad trait,” she replied gently. “I guess I have…I

don’t know. My father used to call it my ‘in yer damn face’ instinct.” She

chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I’m pretty sure I got it from him. I go into things

without thinking sometimes. I just react, and then worry about the

consequences later.”

“Mmm.” Kerry nodded. “It was like you saw those people tonight before

they even came at us. One minute I was walking along, the next you had me

all covered up and protected—so fast.”

Dar exhaled, stretching her legs out into the water. “I didn’t really think

about it,” she confessed with a shrug, then turned as the door opened, and a

server in blue slacks and a white starched shirt entered with a laden tray. “Ah,

dinner.” She signed the check and added a tip to it and let the server go after

they set the plates on the small ledge of the hot tub.

“Wow.” Kerry nibbled on a coconut shrimp. “I should have known you’d

order everything I like. Dar, what am I going to do with you?”

“Anything you like,” the dark-haired woman answered absently, as she

poured a glass of cold, sweet wine and set it down beside Kerry’s plate. “Here

you go.”

Kerry took the glass and sipped it slowly, enjoying the tasty chill as it

traveled down her throat. Dar had settled back and was chewing on a mini

shish kebab, her pale eyes hooded as she kept silent for a bit. She searched the

planed, angular face intently, then made up her mind. It would be hard, she

knew that. But she trusted Dar, and…well, she just trusted her, that was all.

Not here, though, and not right this moment. “Thanks.” She snuggled closer to the

taller woman and touched her glass to Dar’s. “It’s so pretty out here. I love the

smell of the water so close.”

The dark head nodded. “It took me a while to get used to it, but now,

god, it’s such a relief to get out here after battling all day. I think it’s all that’s

kept me sane this year,” she admitted, sliding a casual arm around Kerry’s

shoulders and pulled her closer without really thinking about it. “Until you

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got here, that is.”

Kerry smiled back and gladly surrendered to her intense craving as she

settled against Dar, nuzzling her shoulder gently and kissing the soft skin

there, tasting the chemical tang of the water in which they were floating.

“Glad I could contribute to the cause.” She tilted her head up and gazed at

Dar, admiring the clean, smooth planes of her face and feeling a deep surge of

the strong emotion she’d been feeling lately. “Thanks for inviting me out

here.” Dar’s eyes bathed her in a quiet, gentle affection that went straight

through to her heart.

“Kerry, you’re always welcome. I very much enjoy your company, and

l…I really like having you here.” She felt awkward, and she cleared her throat

a little, taking a breath to steady herself.

Dar meant that. Kerry looked up and saw the open look in her eyes, and

knew she’d come to a crossroads she hadn’t expected quite so soon. But then,

their relationship had evolved and morphed so fluidly it had taken her breath

away just thinking about it. “I love being with you,” she answered, softly.

Dar’s eyes brightened visibly. “Listen, I know we’ve just really met each

other, but…”

Kerry reached over and put a finger on her lips. “Let’s get out of the

water,” she requested. “I think we need to talk.”

LEANING AGAINST THE bathroom doorframe, Kerry toweled her hair

dry and watched Dar standing at the kitchen counter getting them both some

hot chocolate. Contrary to her previous good humor, Dar now seemed almost

sullen, and she wondered at the sudden mood change. Had Dar sensed her

own apprehension? Kerry exhaled, as she fought conflicting emotions that

were making her stomach roil.

She really liked Dar. And that was the problem, unfortunately. As long as

she could consider this just a crush, or at worst, a playful experiment, things

were okay. She didn’t have to worry about what her family would say, or

what consequences there were, because, after all, it was just a little fling,

right? Just a dabbling in the strange and interesting waters of her altering

sexuality?

A soft clank of a spoon made her look up; the scent of chocolate floated

across the condo and reached her as the soft whirr of the microwave started

up. Kerry patted her face dry with the towel, her body reacting unexpectedly

when she caught the scent of Dar’s body wash in its nap. “Mmph, that’s more

than a toe,” she uttered, glancing past the towel towards her companion.

It wasn’t just a fling anymore. Dar was getting more serious. She was

getting more serious. This was already way past a crush and had gone further

than an experiment. It was wandering into realms that made her stop and take

stock of where she was, where she wanted to go, and who she wanted to be

with; a sudden change in her perspective she hadn’t expected and didn’t

honestly know how to deal with. She was head over heels in love, and it

scared her. Kerry swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in her

throat, this sudden need clashing with a lifetime of learning that her wants

and her needs just really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Above

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all, she didn’t want Dar getting hurt, and she could sense that both of them

were moving towards a point where it would be easy to do that.

If they weren’t already past that point, that is. Kerry sighed, eyeing her

companion. Dar leaned over the counter waiting for the microwave, and as

Kerry watched, reached a hand up to push her damp hair back behind one ear.

Kerry squinted a little. Her hands were shaking, she realized, and that made

her sling her towel around her shoulders and walk over. “Hey.”

“Hey, almost done.” Dar smiled briefly.

Kerry reached out and touched her arm, feeling the skin chilled under her

fingers. “You’re cold.”

The taller woman nodded as she tucked her hands under her arms and

folded them across her chest. “A little, it’s chilly in here,” she acknowledged,

keeping her eyes on the microwave.

Kerry rubbed her skin gently, sensing the upset in the tall body next to

her. Dar’s jaw muscles were tensed, and her gaze remained elsewhere,

refusing to raise and meet her own. “It is, I guess. G’wan over to the couch.

I’ll wait for this,” Dar’s voice was soft, but the words were clearly enunciated.

Kerry hesitated, then took a breath. “Why don’t you go in and sit down.

I’ll bring these in. Do you want a long-sleeved shirt or something?”

The blue eyes dim and shadowed, Dar looked at her. “No, it’s all right. I’ll

be fine.”

She decided on directness. “Dar, what’s wrong? You got so quiet.” The

microwave beeped, and she forestalled the taller woman opening the door

and removing the cups, an idea occurring to her suddenly. “Is your side

hurting?”

Dar shrugged. “A little,” she confessed, taking her cup. “Let’s go inside.”

Kerry took her own cup and they walked into the living room, taking seats on

the couch together in the quiet living room. Dar cradled her hands around her

cup and studied the surface of the chocolate. “So, what is it we need to talk

about?” she asked. “You sounded pretty serious.”

Kerry heard a note in Dar’s tone she hadn’t expected, and it made her

slow, and think, and choose her words carefully. They were two different

people who communicated in two very different ways, she’d realized. She

could almost feel the tightrope she was walking over as she prepared to pull

back another layer of herself and risk causing the both of them a lot of pain.

She knew it had gone too far already, seeing Dar’s whitened knuckles around

her cup and feeling the tight ache in her own throat as she realized she had no

choice; there was only one way to go with this and still stay honest to her

heart. No way back. “You know…” Dar’s eyes went to her face, and she almost

flinched at the wary look. “It occurred to me that earlier tonight, when those

guys came at us, that, um…you got between them and me.”

Dar shifted a little and cleared her throat. “I guess I did,” she admitted.

“I…um, I didn’t think about it, I just…wanted to make sure you didn’t get

hurt, that’s all.” She sounded a touch perplexed, not really understanding the

direction Kerry had taken. “That was all right, wasn’t it?”

“That’s a nice feeling,” Kerry said, softly. “When you do it, anyway,” she

reflected soberly. “I…when I was a kid, Dar, I had a lot of people who said

they were just looking out for me. You know?” She paused. “Making sure I

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had the right friends, the right clothes… My father had aides, bodyguards,

really, who would go around and report back to him about things they

thought weren’t good for us.”

Pale blue eyes watched her intently. “Mmm,” Dar murmured, still

unsure of where it was all going. “Parents do stuff like that, I guess.”

“Did yours?” Kerry gazed quietly into her eyes. “Did they tell you what

to think, and what to wear, and what to believe in, Dar?”

Dar’s brow creased a little, and her eyes shifted off Kerry’s face for a

moment, before returning there. “No,” she admitted. “I think they were just

glad I could think, and I was wearing something, and I avoided getting

arrested.”

Kerry had to smile. “You have no idea how lucky you are.” She felt the

smile fade as she set the cup down and rested her elbows on her knees. “It

wasn’t like that for me.”

“Uhm-mmm,” Dar made a thoughtful sound.

“When I was in school, before I went to private school, that is, I

had…there were a few kids I really liked, but they weren’t…well, they were

pretty poor, or one was…not our religion, or…and the funny thing was, when

I found one I really liked, but my folks didn’t, after a little while they’d just go

away.” Kerry kept her eyes on her hands. “I’d just go to school one day, and

they’d be gone, moved away, sent to another school, whatever.”

“Happens sometimes.” Dar stated softly.

“I thought that too, until I heard one of their mothers saying they’d been

forced to move,” Kerry replied quietly. “But it was like that with

everything…toys…I had a stuffed rag doll I used to sleep with. They thought

that was a bad thing. So I got home from school one day, and it was gone.”

“Kerry…” Dar’s voice had gentled and deepened.

“I, um…I even had a puppy,” Kerry went on, remotely. “A little golden

cocker spaniel. Her name was Susie.” She took a sip of her chocolate and

managed to swallow it. “I loved her. She was so cute. I played with her all the

time. We would run around outside, sometimes with my sister, sometimes just

us. She knew how to bring a ball back, and I would sit and comb her hair, you

know they have that long, silky hair?”

Dar’s eyes lowered. “Yes, I know.”

“I was playing with her one day, and Kyle…” Kerry’s voice twisted.

“Came to get me, and told me my father wanted me and my sister to pose for

some pictures, some magazine people were there. I told him I didn’t want to,

that I wanted to stay and play with Susie.” She nodded a little. “And the next

day, I came home from school and went to find Susie…but she was gone.” Her

eyes filled with tears, even now. Even all these years later. There was complete

silence from Dar, and she didn’t dare look at her.

“I searched and searched. Until finally, three days later they told me

she’d been taken to the shelter. They wouldn’t take me down there, so I ran…I

ran…but I got there too late.” She felt the misery all over again, of going down

the long, ill lit hall, with the smell of alcohol and hopelessness around her, and

all those sad faces behind the grills. “They told me she’d been sick, and that

they’d put her down that morning.” She paused, and waited, for the lump to

go down. “I think the worst part for me was knowing she’d gone alone—no

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one to pet her.”

How many long hours had she sat there, outside that damned shelter?

Crying until she hadn’t had any tears left, until one of the housekeepers had

come to get her. It was the one bit of compassion she’d found that it hadn’t

been Kyle or one of the other aides but instead this gentle gray-haired woman

she’d known all her life who had given her a hug and told her there’d be other

puppies, some day. Some day. “I got punished when I got home for running

off.” Kerry exhaled at the memory. “Poor Susie.”

She heard a soft, incoherent sound from Dar, but kept her eyes on her

cup. This was the important part. She wanted Dar to understand. “So I

learned, Dar…I learned not to want anything. Not to care for anything,

because as soon as I did that, it would be gone, and the harder I tried to fight

for something, the faster it would be taken away from me.” She took a shaky

breath. “It just got to where it hurt too much, always losing.” She paused and

seemed to gather her thoughts. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot…and

about us…and…Dar?” She glanced up at a strangled choke.

She met eyes so dark with rage, they almost seemed purple in the amber

light. Dar’s entire face was still, and her body tense and motionless, save her

right hand, which was slowly clenching and unclenching. Good god. Kerry put

her hand on the taller woman’s knee. “Dar?” It was like touching a vibrating

engine, the tension fairly sang out of her body. “Are you…” Kerry let her

words trail off, amazed at the pure anger being generated.

“How…” Dar managed to get out in a half growl, half groan, “…could

they do that to you?”

Kerry wiped the moisture from her eyes and shrugged. “They thought

they were doing the right thing, I guess. In their eyes, they were bringing me

up properly,” she said.

“In my eyes, that was criminal child abuse, and they should be shot,” Dar

answered. “And then beaten, and then stabbed, and then dragged behind a

tractor down US 1.”

Kerry was surprised at how strange it felt to hear that. “Dar, they’re my

parents,” she objected softly. “I’m sure they thought they were doing what

was right.”

“I wouldn’t care if they were Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa,” Dar

replied. “Jesus, Kerry.” She reached out and caressed the blonde woman’s

face. “How could they think taking away things you loved was right?”

The touch did something to her. Maybe it was the compassion, or the

honest outrage in Dar’s eyes. Kerry tried to resist it, but she found herself

moving forward and being pulled into a warm hug that threatened to become

her whole world. And she so much wanted to let it.

She wanted to let her fears go, and fall into the strength she found herself

cradled in, and never leave it. It hurt to tear herself away, and move back, and

peer up at blue eyes that ached with misery for her. For me.

“Dar,” Kerry said softly. “I don’t…I thought I could keep this nice and

simple, but I can’t. And the more I want to care for you, the more I think about

what my father would do if he found out about us. Dar, I can’t watch you get

hurt on my behalf. I can’t.” She put a hand out and touched the dark-haired

woman’s arm. “You mean too much to me.” So. Kerry exhaled and felt the

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moment of silence between them. She looked right into Dar’s eyes and saw a

slight narrowing there, a tilt of the head that projected a totally unexpected

response to what she’d said.

“Kerry.” Dar stroked her hair, unintimidated. “It’s all right. He can’t hurt

me.”

Kerry took a shuddering breath, and pulled back again. “He can. He will.

Dar, I’m telling you. He has people who do nothing but hunt around all day,

looking for dirt and finding ways to screw over people.” She felt exhausted.

“It’s like a game to him.”

“He can’t hurt me,” Dar said again.

“Dar.” Kerry let her head drop. “You don’t know who you’re dealing

with in him.”

Dar’s hand touched her chin and lifted it, forcing Kerry to meet the taller

woman’s eyes. “He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with in me,” she returned

the statement in a quiet, serious tone.

Silently, Kerry leaned her head against Dar’s shoulder, releasing a sigh.

“Kerry, there’s only one thing he can do that would hurt me,” Dar said

after a moment, her tone changing again. “And that would be to drive you

away…to take away from me a friend I’ve come to value very much.”

Checkmate. Kerry wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or simply scream

in frustration. There was no way back from this for either of them in one piece.

“Jesus,” she finally whispered. “I don’t want that either.”

“Unless what you’re really saying is that you just…” Dar’s jaw worked a

moment. “That you just aren’t interested, in being…um…in staying in a

relationship, in which case, I understand.” She couldn’t hold Kerry’s eyes any

longer and let her own drop to study the tile floor. “And even then, I…still

don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

Kerry stared at the dark bent head in shocked silence for a long moment,

then she let a small sound of dismay escape her throat. Her hands curled

around Dar’s and she squeezed hard. “Oh god no, that is so not the case. Dar,

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to…no…no, no…no…no, no…”

Blue eyes peeked up at her quietly. “I’ve got a lousy track record in that

regard,” Dar said. “So I wondered.”

“Don’t wonder.” Kerry gave in and accepted the inevitable. “You’re stuck

with me.”

Dar felt lightheaded with relief as she folded the blonde woman into her

arms again, and they both exhaled simultaneously. “I’m so sorry that

happened to you.”

Kerry sighed. It felt so good to tell someone; even Colleen only knew bits and

pieces. “Kyle is the worst part. He’s Father’s bodyguard.” Her mind pictured his

tall, silver-haired sleekness, and her stomach turned. “He does most of the dirty

work. Sometimes I’m not even sure my father knows half of what he does.” She

let her head rest against Dar’s collarbone, and paused a moment. “When I was in

college, I was going out with a guy I’d known for a few years. I really liked him,

and he was a nice guy—good family, very religious. You’d think I’d finally found

something my father would approve of.”

Dar waited, glancing down to see the lost, aching expression in Kerry’s

eyes. “What happened?”

318 Melissa Good

“He…Kyle said they didn’t really think this guy was right for me, but he

said he knew how stubborn I was, so he had to make sure I did…the right

thing.” Kerry’s voice went flat and remote. “So he took me into the back

laundry room and, um…” She went silent, then shook her head. “And he told

me he’d tell John all about it if I ever saw him again.”

Dar exhaled very slowly, feeling the rage start to build again.

“I was stupid. I went to my father and told him what happened, and you

know what he did, Dar?” The blond woman smiled bitterly. “He talked to

Kyle and decided I was lying. He brought him in, and made me apologize to

him. And all the while, Kyle just smiled at me.” She laughed humorlessly.

“And then, of course, my mother got to me, chewing me out for ‘upsetting my

father’ with my ‘shameful tales.’ ” Kerry paused. “I think…that night was the

most alone I’d ever felt.” She spent a moment in quiet memory. “Saying

goodbye to John was hard; he didn’t understand.” Kerry looked up at the

pale, quiet face above her. “I can imagine what you’re thinking.”

“No,” Dar managed to get out. “And you most certainly can not imagine

what I am thinking, which is a damn good thing, too.”

Where had that image of drawing and quartering come from? Kerry just

looked at her, prickles running down her neck at the fierce tone in Dar’s voice.

“I guess it sounds so incredible. I just learned to live with it,” she concluded

softly. “I didn’t even realize life could be different until I came down here.

Being on my own was…” She stopped. “Oh god, I can’t describe it…to make

friends with whoever I wanted, do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it…”

She reached out a hand and touched Dar’s face. “And now you. I’m so scared,

Dar. Whenever I’ve really wanted something, I’ve had to watch it be taken

away, and I…” An awkward pause. “I really want this,” she whispered.

“You.” Another, longer pause. “Us,” she concluded very softly.

“Do you?” Dar whispered back.

“With all my heart,” Kerry replied, resting her head against Dar’s

shoulder. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Dar, but, my god, I don’t want to lose

you either.”

I don’t want to lose you. Dar felt herself calm as she processed the words

and understood her greatest fear was unfounded this time. Kerry wasn’t

walking away from her, and though there was trouble on the horizon, it

wasn’t that kind of trouble. This kind of trouble, she could handle. Her

questions had been answered, and a problem put forth. She set aside both the

rage and the shy joy, and considered the problem first. “Does your father have

any hold on you other than paternal?”

Kerry looked at her, puzzled. “I don’t understand the question.”

“Do you owe him money, does he have legal strings holding you?” Dar

asked, her brows contracting slightly. “Anything like that?”

“No.” Kerry shook her head. “I support myself here, if that’s what you’re

asking. You’ve made that more than comfortably possible, you realize.”

“I just pay people what they’re worth.” A tiny, tiny smile lit Dar’s face.

“So he couldn’t actually force you to come back.”

There was a long period of silence as a succession of emotions crossed

Kerry’s expressive face, the idea something she apparently hadn’t considered

before. At last, she half shrugged. “He’d find some way of getting me fired,”

Tropical Storm 319

Kerry replied darkly. “Find some friend of his high enough up.”

Dar chuckled softly. “Not in this company. It’s up to your supervising

manager, and that’s me. There is nobody that’s going to go head to head with

me over this,” she said, with absolute confidence. “And even if he did, it

wouldn’t matter.”

“Then he’ll go after you,” Kerry stated seriously. “He’ll find someone to

dig and dig…until they uncover something he can use against you. And, Dar,

the most obvious thing that pops to mind is us,” Kerry reminded her. “I know

we said we’d keep it low-profile, but you know people talk. I’m sure at least a

few of them are already.”

Dar didn’t look dismayed. On the contrary, she looked intrigued. “Then

I’ll have to go after him first.” she replied.

“What do you mean?” Kerry asked hesitantly.

“You said he digs things up?” Dar asked.

She nodded. “He has investigators, that kind of thing.”

A slow nod of Dar’s head. “So do I. Only they’re not the kind that wear

twelve-dollar fedoras and smell of cigar smoke, and I don’t have to pay them

overtime.” She gazed at Kerry. “This is the Information Age, Kerry…and the

truth is out there. You just gotta go find it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Dar said. “Trust me, Kerry. I’ve faced down a lot

bigger fish than your father.”

Kerry studied her, with a troubled expression. “Are you sure you know

what you’re getting into?” she asked. “If something happens to you, Dar,

I’ll…” She fell silent.

Dar smiled and took her hand, running her fingers over the skin lightly.

“Just leave it to me,” she told the blonde woman. “And, Kerry?”

“Hmm?” The reddened eyes blinked. “I’m sorry I got like this. I don’t

usually,” she apologized.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad you said it so we could talk about it,” Dar

replied quietly. “Rather than you just…” She shrugged. “…walking out or

whatever.”

Kerry closed her fingers around Dar’s. “Is that what happened to you

before?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Dar stared off into the darkness beyond the

patio doors.

Kerry sighed. “I won’t ever do that to you, Dar, I swear.”

Dar slowly focused her attention on Kerry’s face, searching it for a long

moment. “And I’ll always be there for you, Kerry. No matter what.”

It was a strange moment, Kerry thought. She could feel a faint shiver go

down her back, and as she looked at Dar, some pale, almost translucent

barrier between them seemed to drop. “That’s what friends do, they stand by

each other, right?”

“Right.” Dar smiled. “Friend.”

Kerry slid gladly into the waiting arms and let the warmth wash over her.

We’ll find a way through it. Together.

320 Melissa Good

DAR LEANED BACK against the couch, content to simply sit and hang

on to Kerry, who was peacefully resting in her arms. They’d been sitting like

that for a while, in relative silence, only the soft hiss of the waves audible

through the half open balcony door. “Hey,” Dar finally murmured. “You like

strawberries?”

Kerry seemed to come back from very far away. “What human being

doesn’t like strawberries, Dar?” she inquired reasonably, smoothing her

fingers over the soft cotton of her friend’s shirt. She could feel the gentle

motion of Dar’s breathing, which seemed almost hypnotic to her. “Why?”

Dar felt Kerry’s touch idly roaming her body, and she had to swallow

before she answered, “You want some?”

“Means I have to move,” Kerry complained, finding interesting things to

trace with her fingers. “And I really like where I am,” she concluded softly.

“That’s true,” Dar acknowledged with a smile. “But they’re nice, big,

juicy ones, and I have melted chocolate to dip them in,” she coaxed teasingly.

“Mmm.” Kerry smiled. “Do you always make it a habit of spoiling people

you like rotten?” She peeked up at Dar’s face, which had creased into a smirk.

The expression faded after a moment, though.

“I don’t know, haven’t had much practice,” Dar admitted quietly with a

faint shrug. “I just do what comes naturally.”

Kerry’s brow furrowed. “Dar, do me a favor, okay?”

A nod. “Okay.”

“You haven’t heard what it is yet,” the blonde woman objected. “If we

ever bump into any of these people you were involved with, let me know.”

Dar looked taken aback. “That’s not really likely, but… Why?”

“So I can kick them in the shins,” Kerry told her. “And if you’re really

nice, you’ll tell me ahead of time so I can put on the pair of steel-toed cowboy

boots I bought in Austin last year.” She felt Dar’s body jerk as a laugh was

forced out. “I mean it.”

Dar hugged her. “Thanks. I’d actually enjoy watching that,” she muttered

wryly. Oh yes, especially… Her lips twisted into an ironic grin. Especially Elana, who so enjoyed telling me the only way I’d ever find love was to purchase it.

Kerry was so different from anyone she’d been involved with

before…certainly worlds different than the tall, aristocratic Elana. Maybe I’ve

been barking up the wrong tree all these years, she concluded with a sigh. Even in

the best times with anyone else, it hadn’t felt anywhere near as wonderful as it

did right this moment.

Kerry smiled, and wriggled closer, continuing her idle tracing. A button

worked itself free somehow, and she traded cotton for skin, feeling Dar’s

hands begin a gentle massage on her back. “Ooo. That feels great. I am going

to be soo sore tomorrow,” she commented wryly. “After that climbing wall, I’ll

be limping around all over the place. People are going to think I’m the world’s

biggest klutz.”

Her fingers moved lower, and she felt a temperature change under them,

the skin growing very warm. Puzzled, she probed a little further, and heard

the soft sound as Dar stifled a gasp. “Hey.” Her brows creased, and she

unbuttoned a few more buttons, pulling aside the taller woman’s shirt and

peering at her. “Oh my god, Dar!”

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Guiltily, Dar glanced down. “It looks worse than it is. Really.” A mottled

bruise covered a space the size of a soccer ball just under her ribs. “It’s just a

little sore.”

“Dar, that’s bullshit!” Kerry objected. “You need to get that checked out.

Jesus! You could have ruptured something!”

Dar had to smile at Kerry’s worriedly indignant speech. “I’m sure I’d

have keeled over by now if that was the case,” she reminded her friend. “It’s

really nothing.”

Blonde brows knit. “Oh yeah?” Kerry eyed her. “Sit up.” She paused.

“Without using your hands.”

The taller woman hesitated and saw a triumphant smirk appear. “I said it

was sore,” she grumbled. “Talk about klutzes, I should have gotten out of the

way.”

Kerry exhaled. “Dar, Dar, Dar… Would a cold pack help?” she asked

sympathetically. “You came over and helped me out. I guess it’s my turn.” She

paused, wincing at the bruise. “You sure you don’t want to get that checked

out? This time of night on a weekday, it probably won’t be busy at the

hospital.”

“No! I hate hospitals,” Dar replied stubbornly. “Look, if it still hurts

tomorrow, I’ll stop by Dr. Steve’s on the way in to work and have him look at

it, okay?” She paused and cleared her throat a awkwardly. “But, um…an ice

pack is probably a good idea.”

Kerry patted her shoulder. “You stay here, I’ll get it.” She rose up off the

couch and headed towards the kitchen. “And bring back some of your

strawberries, too.”

Dar settled back with a smile. “If you pull the plastic container on the

bottom shelf out and put it in the microwave for about three minutes, that’ll

about do it.”

As she moved towards the refrigerator, Kerry just shook her head and

retrieved a good amount of ice, which she put into the blender on the counter.

Then she pulled the requested container out and put it in the microwave,

slightly popping up the top to vent it before she turned the machine on. “What

is that?” she wondered briefly as she turned on the blender and watched it

make snow. After a minute or two, she sniffed at the air. “Mmm.”

The blender stopped, and she put the ice in a heavy plastic bag she’d dug

out of the closet. Then she set that aside and peeked in the microwave as a

blast of warm, rich chocolate scent hit her. “Oh my god.” She gingerly pulled

the container out and opened it, revealing a warm pool of the stuff. “Ho, boy.”

She put the dish on a small tray. Then, glancing around, she poked her finger

in it and tasted. “Jesus, that is wonderful.”

Being around Dar, she realized, was an extremely sensual experience,

and her senses seemed to be on hyperdrive lately. She left the tray and went

back to the refrigerator, opening it and kneeling down, blinking when she

spotted the strawberries. “Good grief, Dar!” she yelled into the living room.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Strawberries? Where did you get these, the fields

outside Turkey Point?” She heard the soft laugh as she pulled the box out, a

long plastic container with approximately two dozen of the fruits—laid out

like roses on long stems with the leaves still attached. The berries themselves

322 Melissa Good

were all larger than an average peach, and the scent was almost intoxicating.

With a laugh, she took them out, washing them off before adding them to the

tray, then carrying the entire thing out to where Dar was peacefully waiting.

“Here.” She put the tray down and settled into the leather next to Dar,

feeling the sudden impact of those blue eyes on her. She picked the ice up and

gently put it in place, tucking the edges of the terrycloth towel around the

ends. “How’s that?”

“Nice.” Dar regarded her quietly. “You have very gentle hands.” She

captured one of Kerry’s, and studied it, turning it over and stroking the palm.

It was like getting an adrenaline shot right to the groin. Kerry had to

swallow before she could make an attempt at regaining her composure.

“Thanks,” she whispered, finding herself wanting to continue the contact.

“They seem to get that way around you for some reason.”

Dar gazed at her, then lifted a hand and traced her cheekbone with a

feather light touch. “Yeah,” she murmured, feeling Kerry lean into the

pressure as her eyes fluttered closed, “strange.” The touch circled around the

blonde’s neck, pulling her down willingly as their lips met. Kerry’s hands

found a place on either side of Dar’s head, and they slid together, the ice

forgotten. The berries forgotten. Even the chocolate was forgotten.

Dar leaned back and stretched her legs out as Kerry fit herself into the

space next to the back of the couch, feeling the cool touch of the leather warm

against her skin. She was careful not to jar the taller woman’s side as she

nibbled the soft skin of her neck, inhaling the smell of cotton mixed with the

chlorine that still clung to Dar’s body. A hand touched her side, and she drew

a sharp breath in as she slid a return touch down Dar’s thigh, feeling the

muscles move under her hand as the taller woman shifted, pressing her back

against the leather into a very safe space. Lips found her earlobe, then her

throat, sucking gently at her pulse point which jumped under the attention.

Then she had an idea. She reached over Dar and stuck a finger in the warm

chocolate, then bringing it back and painting a line down Dar’s face. She

nibbled it. “Oh, that’s nice.” She licked it off, then spread a line lower, hearing

a soft chuckle sound deep in Dar’s throat.

“This is gonna get mes-sy,” the taller woman rumbled softly, reaching

over and getting a blob of chocolate, applying it neatly along Kerry’s

collarbone. “Glad the couch is leather.” She pulled the T-shirt down off one of

Kerry’s shoulders and cleaned off her handiwork as she felt a warm stripe

traveling along her breastbone, followed by a tongue and lips.

“Mmm.” Kerry painted a set of circles.

“Good chocolate, huh?” Dar managed to whisper, finding a nice well in

Kerry’s belly button to hide some in.

“What chocolate?” Kerry exhaled, sliding a hand down Dar’s stomach.

“Oh, right. Yeah.” She was careful not to press against the bruise, but she

wanted to touch every other square inch of her—her lips roaming over the soft

skin and tasting and breathing and touching. The pressure was building

again, as Dar’s hands moved, and her dark hair brushed against Kerry’s

sensitized skin. She cried out softly.

“You all right?” Dar’s voice, almost inside of her, vibrating down her

ears.

Tropical Storm 323

“Yeah…just…” Kerry could hardly stand the intensity, and she pulled

Dar closer, letting the sensation build until they both were helpless in its

grasp.

The release left them gasping, bodies intertwined in the soft nest of damp

leather. Kerry managed to stir, shifting up and nestling her head against Dar’s

shoulder as she wrapped her arms around her, hugging her mindlessly.

Dar let her eyes slide shut, feeling her heart begin to slow its hammering

as she gently stroked Kerry’s hair. A sweet peace filled her, and she smiled a

bit. “Feels so good,” she murmured. “Different.”

A faint nod against her chest. “Beautiful.” Kerry sighed, thinking about

being surrounded by a security and a warmth like none she’d ever known.

And something else. She looked up at Dar’s face. “I’ve never felt like this

before,” she admitted quietly.

There was a long silence while Dar gazed into her eyes. “Me either.”

Those blue eyes. Kerry had never known anyone else’s quite like hers.

And yet, they were as familiar to her as her own reflection. She knew the tiny

crinkle at their edges, and the way a smile could creep into them, and how

they narrowed and darkened when deep in thought, as though she’d known

them all her life. And so, now, when they opened and gentled, warm on her

face as a soft hint of sunlight, she had no doubt of the emotion behind them.

“Dar?”

“Mmm?”

“Would you think it was really tacky of me if I told you I’m in love with

you?” She bit her lip and waited, crossing her toes and the fingers of the one

hand she had out of sight.

Dar actually stopped breathing. Her chest stilled as she paused a beat,

before a startled, but delighted, smile shaped her lips. “You are?”

Like a child given a surprise toy on her birthday, Kerry decided, having seen

that on TV once. “Yeah.” She replied softly. “I am.”

“Um…” Dar’s face had an expression that was a cross between

embarrassment and happiness. “At least you had the sense to figure it out

yourself. I had to have the god-damned doctor tell me.”

Kerry gazed at her in cautious hope . “Tell you what?” She means, no she

doesn’t, yes she does oh Jesus…yes…yes… Yes!

Dar gave in to it and let it take her over. “Tell me the reason I’ve been

feeling so damn strange.” She traced Kerry’s eyebrow. “I didn’t have the sense

to know what love was when I fell into it.” She sighed softly. “So, no, I don’t

think it’s tacky. I think it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard.”

Yes! Kerry felt a little giddy. Wheeee! Her eyes lit, and she felt a big grin take over her face. No, I feel a lot giddy. It wasn’t at all like the romance novels said it would be, but I’ll take it. She sighed happily. Wait. “Been feeling?”

Dar smiled sheepishly. “I think I should have realized something was

going on with me after I found myself getting you a pin that time we went

shopping.”

Kerry blinked. “Pin? Oh my god, that dolphin pin?” She stared at Dar in

amazement. “The one on that suit? I…Jesus. I found that after I got home. I

thought I was just going crazy and didn’t see it.” She laughed in delight. “Dar,

that’s so sweet.”

324 Melissa Good

The taller woman tried a scowl, then she finally just laughed. Kerry

laughed too, and they ended up just hugging each other, squeezing tighter

until Dar finally sucked in a breath and gasped.

Kerry released her immediately. “Oh god, sorry.” Her hand went to

cradle Dar’s face, tensed in pain. “Dar, are you all right?”

The pain subsided, and the taller woman sighed softly. “Whoa,” she

muttered. “That stung.”

Kerry hitched herself up on an elbow and scratched her nose, then

prodded Dar’s shoulder with a forefinger. “Remember, you said you were

going to stop by the doctor’s tomorrow if it still hurt?”

Penitent blue eyes glanced warily at her. “Yeaaah, I said that.”

“Well, you’re not getting a choice,” Kerry informed her. “Because I’m

going to take you there.” A dark brow rose. Kerry leaned over and kissed it,

then backed off and waited.

Dar chewed her lip, then let a wry grin take over her face. “All right, you

win.” She sighed.

Yeah. Kerry retrieved the ice pack, now sadly the worse for wear, and

settled it back over Dar’s ribs. We both win. She squirmed back down against

the leather, watching as Dar retrieved a strawberry and scooped up a bit of the

cooled chocolate. She brought it over and offered it. Kerry took a bite and

chewed. “Mmm.”

Dar took her own bite and stretched her legs out a little, feeling Kerry

settle against her with a warm familiarity. Everything was changing. Her life

was now in a wonderful, frightening chaos. It felt absolutely fantastic.

Chapter

Twenty-six

THE WHINE OF the alarm brought Dar out of her dream and into the

waking reality of pre-dawn with a gasp. She reached out and slapped the

clock, hushing it, then laid her head back onto the pillow and let her heart

start to calm. Jesus. She blinked a few times, then glanced down at the blonde

limpet attached snugly to her. It took a moment of getting used to. She’d been

alone for so long, waking up in this warm tangle was a shock, albeit a pleasant

one, she had to admit. She was on her back, and Kerry was tucked up against

her right side, her head pillowed on Dar’s shoulder and a firm grip wound

around her stomach. It seemed to be a favorite position of hers, Dar noted, as

she watched Kerry’s breathing rise and fall with a steady rhythm.

Dar found a smile inching across her face as she softly fingered the bright

hair cascading across her chest, tangling it idly in fascination. She loves me. The thought swirled around her mind, rinsing it clean of the fogginess of sleep. She

actually said it. The others never had. Oh, they’d talked about sex, and

commitment, but never looked right up at her and just told her…

Do you think it’s tacky of me? Dar savored the question with a little sigh.

No, I don’t think it was tacky. What would I have said… How would I have expressed

that, if it had been up to me? She snorted in silent laughter . Like I could have. I was so scared she was gonna walk away from this. Dar cursed her own insecurity

softly. I’m glad she had more guts than I have. And god, what she’s been through.

Now her anger stirred again, thinking of what Kerry had gone through.

Bastards. How could they do that to a kid? She shook her head a tiny bit. And that piece of shit bodyguard. She wondered if he’d just roughed Kerry up or… Her

hands touched the soft skin on the blonde woman’s arm. Had he raped her?

God help him if he did and I ever meet him. Dar shivered a little at the dark pulse of energy that ran through her. It was a wild, violent streak she didn’t often let

herself feel, but she knew it was there, and what her temper would lead her to

if she wasn’t careful.

Looking down at the pale, innocent face nestled against her skin, she

knew being careful wasn’t something she did naturally. Good-natured as her

father had been with her, and with children of all ages—still, that part she

knew she’d gotten from him. This protective instinct for those she cared for

wasn’t something she could ignore.

Kerry chose that moment to stir, mumbling a bit into Dar’s chest before

she lifted her head and peered up in the gloom, her eyes finding Dar’s. “It’s

dark,” she pointed out, stifling a yawn. “Did you realize that?”

“Uh huh,” her bedmate agreed. “It sure is. Best time for running.” Even

326 Melissa Good

in the dim light she could see the pale eyebrows lift in disapproval. “I usually

get up at this time.”

Kerry gave her an incredulous look. “Dar, you’re not seriously

considering running around out there in the dark, are you? You’re hurt,” she

protested.

“No I’m not, I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt a bit this morning.” She took a deep

breath to demonstrate. “See?” It was a little tender, but the night’s sleep had

helped a lot, and she really did feel much better. “I generally run about, um,

ten miles in the morning.”

Kerry propped up her head on her hand and regarded the taller woman

thoughtfully. “That’s disgusting,” she commented, then she slipped a hand

between the buttons on Dar’s shirt and let her fingers run over the smooth

skin. The heat from the previous night had subsided and the bruise didn’t

seem to be causing its victim much pain after all. “Hmm, doesn’t feel as

swollen. I guess you’re right.”

Dar blinked a few times, enjoying the friendly touch of Kerry’s fingers,

now moving in idle circles against her skin. It relaxed her, she realized, and

she found herself stifling a yawn in reaction. “Mmm, stop that. You’re putting

me to sleep,” she complained wryly.

“Oh, really?” Kerry mused with a tiny smirk. “Well, well, well…look at

you. This is better than a hypnotist with a swinging pocket watch.” She made

her circles wider and bit her lip in amusement as the blue eyes dimly visible in

the pre-dawn light slid shut. “C’mon, Dar, let it go. Even if you feel fine, you

took quite a jolt last night,” Kerry told her reasonably.

“Yeah, it’s not every night I get painted in chocolate,” Dar murmured, the

corners of her mouth twitching. “Certainly was a shock to my system all

right.”

“That was not what I meant, and you know it.” Kerry chuckled. “Give

yourself a break, Dar, we’ve got a long day today. That delegation from

Pittsburgh is in at ten,” she coaxed, grinning impishly when there wasn’t an

immediate argument. “Besides, I’m really comfortable.” She eased closer,

feeling the light pressure of Dar’s hand against her back.

“Arrrggg … Only for a little while,” Dar grumbled, surrendering.

“How about daylight, hmm? That sound good?” Kerry countered, not

stopping her petting for a moment.

No answer, and Kerry smiled at the deep, even breathing. She settled

back down contentedly and exhaled. So this is what being in love feels like. She

looked out the window, at the stars still vivid in the southern sky. I like it, she decided as she closed her eyes.

Last night had been a big surprise. She knew she hadn’t had any intention

of bringing up what Colleen referred to as the big “L” word, not last night, not

until she had some clue as to how Dar felt, but… But... she’d gotten an inkling,

even without any words on the taller woman’s part. It hadn’t taken a

telephone psychic to pick up Dar’s nervousness or the intensity of her

feelings. Kerry opened her eyes and gazed up at the taller woman’s face. For

someone so in control, you sure don’t have a handle on the mushy stuff, do you? She let her lids slide shut again, glad she’d told Dar about her family. Her reaction

had been gratifying, to say the least. Kerry let the sleepiness start to take her

Tropical Storm 327

back over, closing her eyes more tightly and sucking in a breath full of clean

linen and her bedmate. Then she opened them again. Jesus, Kerry, you have a

lover. Can you imagine that? Green orbs glanced around the room, then fell on

Dar’s face, peacefully asleep. Nice to know you have better taste than the

President. She stifled a faint laugh. And if I didn’t have a reason to stay here before, I certainly do now.

She thought a moment about what Dar had said the previous night. Had

she really meant what she’d said, about finding things out about her father?

Or was it just bravado talking, Dar’s apparent desire to defuse her worry

about what he might do to her, to them? Was Dar just a talker? Kerry

suddenly remembered Brady’s phone conversation with Dar during the

takeover of Associated and also the night she’d been carjacked, and she had to

admit to herself that there was something real and a little dangerous about her

new lover. Just like there was something real and dangerous about her father.

Kerry slowly let her held breath out, knowing she’d come to a point where

she’d have to put her money on one or the other, and she didn’t truly know

what the odds were in the possible directions her life could take. Ah, well. She

put her head back down and closed her eyes. I’ll find out soon enough.

THE PHONE BUZZED. “Yeah?” Dar punched the speaker button and

kept on typing, her eyes flicking across the spreadsheet intently. “What is it?”

“Dar, security at the desk just called up, someone to see you,” Maria’s

voice informed her. “Is…Michelle Graver?”

Oh crap. Dar mentally reviewed her options. Major client, probably in

town for a short visit, probably wanted to finally corner her into that dinner.

Oh crap. “Sure, have her escorted up.” She sighed aggrievedly. Just what she

needed after a day like today. Two presentation sessions, a half dozen

arguments, one really nasty situation solved by mostly sheer cussedness on

her part… Damn, I was looking forward to leaving. She keyed a popup message.

I’m in trouble, Michelle’s here.

She clicked Send, then went back to her spreadsheet for a moment.

You could take her to Shorty’s for dinner. Bet she’d

look good in ketchup.

Dar chuckled to herself at Kerry’s prompt response. Shorty’s was the

local barbeque hangout, off US 1 near Dadeland. It served great ribs, and she

actually was partial to their food, but “rustic” as a term didn’t quite do it

justice. At least they’d put air conditioning in a few years back and didn’t

depend on only screening to keep the bugs out.

Might as well just take her to McDonalds.

She sent that reply, then glanced up as the door opened to reveal Maria’s

round form. “Oh, thought you were her.”

“No, no.” Maria walked over and handed her a file folder. “Is the contract

328 Melissa Good

for the new utilities account in New York.”

“Thanks.” Dar smiled at her and took the folder, putting it on her desk

and leaning back as she saved the spreadsheet. “Well, that’s done—the first

quarter projections for infrastructure growth. We’re going to get slaughtered

if we don’t buy up more facilities.” She stretched and cracked her neck, then

put her hands behind her head and let out a satisfied sigh.

Maria watched her. “You feel good, no?” she asked, mildly amazed at the

visible difference in her boss.

Dar paused, then finally nodded. “Yeah, must be all this extra rest I’m

getting,” she deadpanned. “Haven’t had a damn headache in weeks.”

“Tcha, is good.” Maria smiled at her as Dar’s eyes rested on the dolphin

sculpture.

“Yeah.” After a moment, Dar looked up again, a mildly bemused

expression on her face. “Sure beats swallowing all those damn pills. Gave me

a stomach ache.” She lightly rocked back in her chair as she heard the elevator

door open. “Here comes trouble, if I’m not mistaken.”

Sharp, staccato heels could be heard on the tile before the security guard

opened the door, and Michelle Graver stepped around him and in. She gazed

around the office appreciatively and finally ended up letting her eyes rest on

Dar, who was still leaning back in her chair, her hands folded in front of her.

“Hello, Dar.”

“Afternoon, Michelle. What brings you to these parts?” Dar inquired

civilly. “Please, sit down.” She motioned to one of the padded seats before her

desk. “What can I do for you?” The red-haired woman was dressed in a neat

silk suit that clung to her frame, leaving little to the imagination—an outfit

just a little too exotic to be strictly business and a little too sexy not to have a

purpose.

“Well, the state tourism board’s meeting is this week. You know we’re a

big part of that,” Michelle said, seating herself gracefully. “I had a few hours

free tonight, I though I’d stop by and see if I could claim that raincheck.” Her

eyes found Dar’s and a faint, fleeting smile crossed her lips. “If you’re

not…busy.”

A faint warning bell sounded in Dar’s head. “I had nothing planned,” she

replied cautiously. “Did you have someplace in mind you wanted to try?”

Idly, she toyed with the idea of telling the woman she had previous plans,

then rejected the idea, deciding it would just postpone the inevitable. Might as

well get the damn woman out of the way.

“Well, this is your end of the pond, Dar. Why don’t you suggest

something?” Michelle crossed her legs and leaned against the arm of the chair,

a predatory smile on her face. “Surely you know all the nice spots around

here.”

The taller woman considered. “Where are you staying?”

The smile widened perceptibly. “The Hyatt, downtown,” she purred.

“Do you like seafood?” Dar asked politely.

“I love it,” Michelle replied.

Pale blue eyes regarded her warily. “All right, Monty’s down in the

Grove is a good spot for that. I could pick you up—say at seven?”

She nodded. “That would be perfect. I can fill you in on the

Tropical Storm 329

implementation plan, and we can…talk a little.” She stood up, having got

what she wanted, and straightened her jacket neatly. “Room 1243.” She let her

eyes linger on Dar’s body, then turned, moving across the carpet and pausing

at the door. “Till then.” She slipped out, and Dar made a face.

“Is that going to ever be a waste of good crabs. On the other hand, maybe

I can get one to bite her.” Dar sighed.

KERRY PUSHED HER door open and ducked inside, putting down the

bags of groceries and kicking the wooden panel shut behind her. A glance at

the clock told her it was well past ten, and she exhaled, having spent the night

doing all the errands she could possibly think of. Or make up, for that matter,

anything to keep her mind off where Dar was, and who she was with.

“Jealousy is not a fun emotion,” she informed her fish. “Don’t let anyone

fool you, Scully. It sucks.” Trudging into the kitchen, she put the bags down,

setting the cold stuff down by the refrigerator. “Not that I’m worried mind

you, I know Dar doesn’t like her.”

Scully and Mulder blew bubbles.

“No, really, she doesn’t. She was making the funniest jokes about her on

the way out, though I think that was mostly to make me feel better.” She gave

the fish a wry look. “I was trying really hard to not come off as a green-eyed

monster, but of course that’s really tough for me, given the fact that I already

have green eyes. You know what I mean?”

Mulder blew a bubble. Scully inched up and smacked him on the lips.

“Ooo, I can think of about seven million Internet fans that would kill for

that sight.”

The Lone Gunmen darted around as she crossed over and sprinkled a

little food in the tank. She leaned against the edge, peering down at them. “It’s

business, guys. Nothing personal.” She sighed. “But I can’t help wanting to

pull her little red eyebrows out and feed them to her with a plunger.” She half

wished Dar had simply turned down the meeting, even though she knew her

boss had a responsibility to maintain good relations with their newest

account. Does it have to be that kind of relations, though? Kerry felt a little sick every time she thought of Michelle, and her fancy hotel, and her exotic figure.

It was a horrible, helpless feeling, and she briefly considered just putting

everything away, and going to sleep. It would be over in the morning. Right?

“Shit, come on, Kerry, get a grip. Dar turned down a dinner with her for a

romp in the park with you just a few weeks ago. She couldn’t avoid this. The

woman pranced into her office and practically forced her into it,” she told

herself. Right?

With a sigh, she went back into the kitchen and put everything away,

including the milk and chocolate syrup she’d found herself getting wholly

without conscious thought. Then she changed, and sat down on the couch,

letting her fingers drift over the fabric and remembering Monday. Was it only

three days ago? It felt longer. The clock ticked in the silence, and she could hear the soft hum of the aquarium’s tank motor. The phone’s ringing startled her,

and she jumped, then got up and went over to it. “Hello?”

“Kerry, I’m glad I caught you,” her mother’s voice sounded from the

330 Melissa Good

receiver. “You’re hardly ever home these days, dear. I’ve been trying you

since Tuesday.”

Mmm-hmm. Better see about call forwarding. Kerry winced. “Sorry. I, um…I

was working late yesterday, then I went to the gym…and we went out after

that.”

“Oh? You joined a gym?” Her mother’s voice sounded wary.

“It’s a special deal through our company,” Kerry told her. “A whole

bunch of us did it. I’m taking some aerobics, and wall climbing, and…a little

self-defense class.” She laughed faintly. “It’s a lot of fun.”

A moment’s silence. “Well, I’m very surprised you got involved in

something like that when you’re leaving, Kerry,” her mother stated

disapprovingly. “That’s not like you.”

Kerry took a deep, deep breath. “Mother, let’s be sensible, all right? I

can’t just give up this job and come home just because of an accident. It’s

silly.” Briefly, she wished Dar was there, needing the taller woman’s

comforting presence. “I’m doing great here, it’s such a good opportunity.”

“Don’t be foolish,” her mother snapped. “Your father told you, you’re

coming home. And let’s not hear any talk about that, Kerrison, it’s all

arranged.”

It was almost as though she could feel warm hands resting on her

shoulders, and a close presence behind her as she stood a little straighter. “No,

I’m not, and if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, Mother. But I have

every intention of staying here,” Kerry told her steadily. “I have friends here,

and a great job. I’m not ready to give that up.”

Kerry could feel the frozen silence emanating through the line. “We’ll see

what your father has to say about that,” the voice replied angrily. “I can’t

believe I’m hearing this from you. Of all the ungrateful things! Living there

has given you horrible ideas, and it’s the best reason I can see for bringing you

home.”

It hurt. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mother. I don’t mean any disrespect

to you, or to Daddy, but you have to understand that…” The line went dead.

Kerry sighed and hung it up, letting it drop on the table with a dull thud.

“Great. Just freaking, one hundred percent, doesn’t-that-bite-the-big-one,

piece of crap, great.” Like her stomach hadn’t hurt enough already. Kerry sat

down and cradled her head in her hands.

THE RESTAURANT WAS about three quarters full, and the soft clink of

silverware warred with low, buzzing conversation as Dar cocked her head,

absorbing the story Michelle was telling her about some problem they’d had

with their mainframes. It was sad; Dar had figured out what the problem was

ten minutes prior, but she saw no percentage in giving Michelle a freebie,

considering her network people had been frustrated over it for a week. “You

could contract us to send an analyst out there,” she offered with a frank smile.

Michelle toyed with her fork and peered at her over lashes dusted lightly

with a faint golden tinge. “You mean you can’t solve it off the top of your

head? Why, Dar, I’m disappointed.”

Dar briefly considered responding with a smart remark about services

Tropical Storm 331

and paying for them, then she merely smiled. “Oh, I can’t solve everyone’s

problems, but I’m sure one of our engineers could fix you right up.” She took

a sip of the champagne Michelle had insisted on, then speared a piece of

salmon and glanced outside. The marina the restaurant bordered was full of

winking lights, boats traveling in and out and docked. There was a party in

full swing on one, with bearded men in denim shorts and women in halter

tops trading beers. She fought the urge to loosen her own buttoned collar, and

sighed inwardly. “I heard from infrastructure, your circuits are in.”

“Well, that’s good news.” Michelle apparently decided to give up on her

prodding. “Took them long enough,” she sniped.

Two weeks for a major T3 circuit wasn’t long, but Dar refused to dispute

that. “Problem was your demarc, actually, the telco people tell me it took them

six days to get access to the switch room.” She gave Michelle a pleasant look.

“Makes it a little tough to complete the circuit if you can’t get into the

facilities.”

“We’re very serious about security,” she responded with a tight-lipped

smile. “Just like you are, we don’t let people wander about our buildings

anonymously.”

Dar laughed. “Come on, Michelle, two Southern Bell technicians in

uniform with their famous truck. How anonymous is that?” She nibbled

another piece of salmon as she gazed innocently at the shorter woman, who

was neatly decimating a plateful of stuffed shrimp.

Graver didn’t answer for a moment as she swallowed. “Anyone can pick

up one of those stupid-looking white helmets and a shirt. We don’t take

chances,” she informed Dar. “So, tell me, Dar, I’m curious; what makes

someone as experienced as you pick a rank novice as an assistant?”

It came from around the corner, and hit unexpectedly. But Dar hadn’t

spent years in the boardroom refining her reactions for nothing. She took a

forkful of baked potato and considered the question seriously. Why, Michelle?

Because she’s a babe, and I fell head over heels in love with her at pretty much first

sight, of course. No, no, Dar, can’t tell the weeble that. “Well, she was part of an account we consolidated not long ago, and I thought she had some good

potential, so I took a chance on her,” she answered evenly. “It paid off. She

sent your intranet people some mail telling them how to do a better job

securing your network, considering she was able to tap right into your master

routers past your firewall.” Another forkful of potatoes followed, and she

chewed innocently as Michelle apparently swallowed something the wrong

way and hastily took a sip of water. “She’s good, and a fast learner. Why?”

“Just asking.” Michelle cleared her throat. “Actually, she was quite

impressive. She’s Roger Stuart’s daughter?”

Dar nodded. “Mmm-hmm.”

Michelle smirked. “That was clever of you. He’s not a friend of your

company’s,” she purred. “I sense an ulterior motive here.”

Sure you do, it’s just not the one you’re thinking of, Michelle. “Not really.

Though that might turn out to be an asset,” Dar answered dismissively.

“I’m sure she has many…assets.” Michelle smiled at her. “But enough

about her. Tell me more about yourself, Dar.”

It feels like the dinner’s lasted three weeks, Dar reflected as they finally left

332 Melissa Good

the restaurant into the cool night air. She took in a breath of it, then stepped

forward as the valet brought the Lexus around. She waited for Michelle to

settle herself, then she slid into the driver’s side, moving the seat back a little

to accommodate her inches.

“Nice.” Michelle ran a finger over the leather surface. “Not quite what I

pictured you driving, but nice.”

Dar bit back an answer and started the car. “Thanks, I like it.” She put the

Lexus in gear and turned right out onto Bayshore Drive, heading back to pick

up the highway and return Michelle to her hotel.

She knew what Michelle was gunning for. That much had been obvious

from the moment she’d picked up the shorter woman, when she’d made a

point of fingering Dar’s jacket and complimenting her perfume. And she

obviously felt that Dar was going to be a willing participant. God knew, she

had before, and with less attractive people than Michelle Graver, who was

good-looking, experienced, very sensual, and certainly more worldly than the

sweetly uncertain Kerry.

Kerry had said, with a warm hand on her arm as they parted in the

parking lot. “Dar, have fun. Don’t hold back if you don’t want to.” She’d even

smiled. So that was all right, right? Kerry understood it was just

business…that she really didn’t like Michelle. It was just…part of the job.

Kerry understood. It wasn’t like it meant anything, and it would be a quick,

relatively enjoyable time. Michelle would leave happy, and no harm would be

done. Dar pulled up in front of the Hyatt and put the Lexus in Park, half

turning towards Michelle as the shorter woman eyed her with warm

speculation. “Here we are.”

A smile started on Michelle’s face. “You coming up?” Her voice was low

and sure. “I’d love to continue our conversation.”

Dar drew breath to answer, then jumped as her cell phone rang. She

pulled it out and flipped it open, giving Michelle an apologetic look. “Yeah?”

“Dar, it’s Mark. We’ve got a big problem,” the MIS chief’s voice burred in

her ear.

It was the perfect excuse. It got her off the hook and didn’t leave the

interestedly watching Michelle feeling rejected. “Hang on, Mark.” She muted

the phone and turned to the shorter woman. “Much as I appreciate the offer,

Michelle, and I do, I’m afraid I have to decline.”

A perfectly shaped red eyebrow curved up. “Problems?” She indicated

the phone.

Dar met her eyes. “No, but I’m involved with someone, and it’s just not

my style.” Damn, that felt good to say. She sighed inwardly as Michelle’s face

stiffened into a hidden fury. “And, frankly, you’re not my type.” The door

slammed behind her, and Dar leaned back, knowing she’d just caused herself

a whole pile of trouble. Amazing how incredibly good that felt. “Okay, Mark,

what do we have?” She put the Lexus in gear and pulled away from the

towering brown building.

KERRY BARELY MADE it in the door as the phone rang for the fourth

time, her skates slipping on the entryway tile and sending her lunging across

Tropical Storm 333

the room. “Jesus!” she yelped as her sweat-drenched body hit the side of the

couch, and she grabbed the ringing instrument. “Yow!” She landed on her

butt and lost the phone, then scrambled after it, capturing it finally. “Hello?”

she growled into it, trying to catch her breath.

A pause. “Hi.” A low, vibrant voice answered her, a touch quizzically.

Every ounce of tension suddenly drained out of Kerry, leaving her limp

as a damp, warm dishrag on the floor. “Hey, sorry.” In the background, she

could hear music faintly playing; other than that, it was very quiet where Dar

was. She glanced at her watch. Eleven. Hmm. Her spirits rose from the

dumpster. Guess things didn’t work out. She felt a smile pull at her lips. What a shame.

“You all right?” Dar inquired gently.

“I’m drenched, exhausted, pissed off, and now I have a sore butt,” Kerry

replied. “Other than that, I’m great. How about you? How did dinner go?”

A soft chuckle. “Lousy. I think I may have blown a very important client

relationship right to hell.” The executive sighed. “Why are you pissed off, not

to mention drenched and exhausted?”

Kerry crossed her weighted down ankles and regarded the white popcorn

ceiling. “Oh…well, I was skating,” she explained. “My mother called. I kind of

broke the news to her that I wasn’t moving back there. She hung up on me.”

“Ah,” Dar murmured. “Sorry.”

“I’m not,” Kerry replied. “But it really pissed me off, and I…” She

hesitated. Was already tied in knots. No, she doesn’t need to know that. “I decided

to work off some energy skating.”

“Mmm, I see. You sound tired,” Dar commented. “I should, um, let you

get some sleep.”

A momentary silence fell. Kerry rolled over and cradled the phone

against her ear. “Where are you?”

A soft clucking noise then Dar let out a chuckle. “Outside in your parking

lot,” she admitted.

“Dar!” Kerry felt a laugh bubble up, and her bad mood vanished. “Get in

here. Jesus, don’t be goofy. You can help me up. I think I broke my butt.”

Through the half open door she heard the solid sound of the car door closing,

then the soft, rhythmic footsteps she recognized as Dar’s. She turned and

watched as the door pushed open, and the dark head poked inquisitively in.

“Hi.” She waggled a skate-covered foot at the taller woman.

Dar put her hands on her hips and gazed down at her, a faint, playful

smile pulling at her lips. “You always go roller skating half naked?” she

inquired, blinking appreciatively at the brief shorts and cutoff shirt. “You

might coax me into trying it in that case.”

“Hah hah hah.” Kerry stuck her tongue out. “No, I don’t, but everything

else is in the laundry. For some reason, I hadn’t gotten around to doing it this

week.” A pause. “Yet.”

Dar tossed her jacket down and joined Kerry on the floor, stretching out

on her side and propping her head up on one hand. She’d traded her suit for a

pair of jeans and a cotton shirt, and she looked relaxed and faintly disheveled.

Just how Kerry liked her. She smiled. “So…is Michelle going to send

Uncle Scrooge after you or something?”

334 Melissa Good

Dar shrugged. “She might, I’ll have to see. I’d better send a note down to

the account team for them and warn them she’s probably going to be a bitch

on wheels to them.” She fell silent and regarded the keys in her hand. “It’s too

bad, but…”

Kerry rolled over and faced her. “But what? Dar, forgive me for saying

this, but she’s a pig.” The blonde woman’s brows knit. “She was chasing after

you like some…some…”

“Horny guy?” Dar inquired with a wry twist of her lips. “Maybe it’s the

short woman syndrome I keep hearing about.”

“Hey!” Kerry gave her a look. “Short people don’t have syndromes!” she

protested. “We’re just always pissed off because we can’t reach kitchen

cabinets.”

Dar laughed easily. “Well, you’re taller than she is.”

Kerry considered. “Yeah, I am, come to think about it. I knew there was

something I liked about her.”

“You’re a lot prettier than she is, too,” the taller woman continued, her

voice gentling. “On the outside and certainly on the inside.”

Her companion blushed and glanced down. “Thanks,” she replied softly.

“I’m glad you think that.”

Dar studied her for a moment. “Your mom was kind of rough, huh?” She

reached out and covered Kerry’s hand with her own. “Sorry you had to go

through that, I know it’s tough.”

Kerry looked at the hand over hers, and let her fingers explore its surface

a bit. “Dar, I wasn’t going to say this but…you know, one of the things that is

so bad between me and my parents is that we never communicate, and I don’t

want to start off that way with you.” She looked up. “I’m really glad you

didn’t go with her tonight. It was really bothering me.”

The blue eyes blinked. “It was?” The words were soft. “I’m glad you told

me that.” Dar lifted their joined hands and brushed her lips against them. “I

was kind of…surprised when you told me to go ahead. It made me feel…” She

stopped and shook her head. “Kind of disappointed,” she admitted.

“Oh.” Kerry thought about that. “Really?”

Dar nodded. “Really.”

“Hmm. I…” Kerry bit her lip. “I didn’t think I should get all…um, like

‘don’t you touch her!’ I mean, we could end up on Jerry Springer or

something.”

A sly grin edged Dar’s lips. “Kerry, lemme tell you something, I would

have paid good, hard cash to see you smack her hands. Next time someone

forces me to go out, you’re coming with me.” Dar paused a beat and then

asked, “So, what happened with your mother?” She met the startled green

eyes. “You hate talking about your family, don’t you?”

Kerry sighed. “Yeah, I do.” She gave Dar a wry look. “I wish I could just

forget I had them sometimes.”

The phone rang, and Kerry almost jumped out of her skin since it was

resting on her stomach. “Jesus.” She picked it up and pressed the answer

button. “Hello?”

“Hi, sis.” Her sister Angela’s voice sounded halfway between nervous

and amused.

Tropical Storm 335

“Oh, hi, Angela.” She mouthed ‘my sister’ at Dar. “Let me guess, I’m the

topic of conversation tonight.”

Dar rolled over and pillowed her head on Kerry’s belly, her eyes on the

smaller woman’s face.

“Oh my god, Ker, what in the name of the Lord did you do to them?

Mom’s about having a litter of kittens in the middle of the kitchen. You’re not

pregnant, are you?”

Dar lifted her head, and poked the surface she was resting on, making

Kerry giggle softly. “Nope,” she whispered.

“No.” Kerry reached down and tickled Dar’s nose. “I’m just happy where

I am and don’t want to come back to Michigan. Is that a crime?” She exhaled.

“Good grief, Angie, I’ve got this great job and all my friends. The stupid

airplane was an accident, for crying out loud.”

A sigh could be heard over the phone. “Ker, it’s not funny, okay. Dad’s

already talking about things. Be careful, okay? You know how he gets.”

Kerry felt a familiar jolt of fear grab her chest. “Yeah, I know,” she

answered softly. “How are things with you? “

“All right,” her sister answered quietly. “Same old, same old. Richard’s

out with his friends. I’m here. You know how it goes.” She paused. “I miss

having you around. But honestly, Ker, I don’t blame you for staying away.”

“Well, I’ll see you next week, I guess,” Kerry replied. “If they don’t lock

me out of the house, that is. Maybe they’ll settle down by then.”

“I doubt it, but I’ll be glad to see you anyway. If they give you a hard

time, you can stay with us,” Angela advised her. “How are things with you?

You find anyone…um, I mean…well, you know.”

Kerry knew. “Yes.” She twined her fingers with Dar’s. “I did find

someone, as a matter of fact.”

“Ah.” Angela sighed. “So this doesn’t really have anything to do with

your job, does it?”

Kerry laughed softly. “In a way, it does,” she admitted. “I’ll tell you

about it when I get there. It’s a long story.”

“Bring pictures,” her sister advised her. “I want to make sure my sister

isn’t running around with some crazy Latin goat-sacrificer.”

Dar’s eyes grew round as she listened, and she lifted her head in outrage.

“Goat-sacrificer?” she mouthed.

“Shhh.” Kerry put a hand on her lips. “No on both counts, Angie,” she

assured her. “Honest.”

An awkward pause. “Are you alone?” Angela asked hesitantly.

Kerry let a breath trickle out of her lungs. “No.”

“Oh.” It came out awkwardly. “Well, I should let you go then. You must

be…busy.”

Blue eyes and green met and dropped. “I just got back from skating,

actually.” Kerry cleared her throat. “We’re just sitting around talking. But

listen, keep an ear on the folks for me, okay? I’d rather know if I’m going to

walk into Hell next week.”

Angela sighed. “Okay, I can do that. You take care of yourself, Kerry,

okay?”

“I will. You too, Angie. See you next week.” Her sister told her. “ ’Night.”

336 Melissa Good

She hung up, and let the phone rest on the floor. “My sister.”

Dar chewed on that. “She seems nice. You sure you two aren’t

foundlings?”

Kerry snorted softly. “It’s crossed my mind, believe me.” She reached

down and ran her fingers through Dar’s dark hair. “Want some chocolate

milk? Some followed me home from the store today.”

“Sure.” The taller woman stood and extended a hand down to her.

“C’mon, I think the Crocodile Lover is on.” She grabbed Kerry’s arm and pulled

her upright, smiling as the skates brought her smaller companion a good two

inches higher than usual. “Mmm, nice positioning.” She leaned forward a

little and kissed the waiting lips, feeling Kerry’s hands slip down and come to

rest against her belt.

“Oh, great…” Kerry enjoyed herself, hooking her fingers in the loops and

pulling herself closer. “I’m destined to be stuck on skates for the rest of my life.” Dar’s arms closed around her, and she gladly let her body relax against

her companions.

“Goat-sacrificer? What kind of stories have you been telling your sister?”

Dar breathed in her ear. “You haven’t been scaring her with that stuff about

Santeria and the Chupacabra, have you?”

Kerry let her head rest against Dar’s shoulder. “No, she’s been watching

reruns of Miami Vice on cable again.” There was a pause while they both

silently absorbed each other. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” she

asked unexpectedly.

“You could invite me home with you,” Dar teased, watching a wistful

look cross Kerry’s face. “I’m invited up to Gerald Easton’s house. He’s been a

good friend, and sort of an uncle to me since I was a kid.”

Kerry patted her gently. “Good, I’m glad. I hated to think of you being all

by yourself. That’s in Washington, right?”

Dar nodded. “Maryland, actually, just over the border. He’s promised me

leaves other than green ones, and the chance of a little snow.”

“Mmm.” Kerry nibbled her jaw. “You’re taking your cell phone, right?”

Dar leaned back and studied her seriously. “If you get into trouble with

your folks, you call me, Kerry. I’ll be there, okay?” She paused. “Cell phone,

oh shit, that reminds me, I need to log in. Mark conveniently interrupted me

as I was dropping Michelle off and told me we had a security breach.”

“Yikes!” Kerry sat down on the couch and started unstrapping her skates.

“Did he catch them?”

“Yeah. But they shot off a packet into the network, he was tracing it when

he talked to me. He was going to route it and find out where it came from.”

“Help yourself.” Kerry motioned towards her desk. “I’ll get some milk

and cookies.” She got up and leaned on Dar’s back, watching her start up

sessions. “And turn on the crocodile dude.” She got a gentle, insistent kiss for

that, and closed her eyes as Dar half turned to continue the pressure . Bite me,

Michelle. I hope you spend the whole night with your pillow and a breadstick. The

night was definitely looking up.

Chapter

Twenty-seven

“LOOK, I DON’T much care what he’s saying, that circuit isn’t going to

be completed in ten days,” Dar pronounced for the sixth time. “Not even if I

drive to Tampa personally and kick the telco crew in the butt, so forget it.”

“But, Dar,” the voice on the other end of the phone protested, “it’s been

two months, they’re screaming!”

Dar exhaled. “It’s not our fault they got hit with a flood and it took out an

entire CO, Brendan. We’re pushing telco as hard as we can, all right?” She

glanced at her watch. Only eleven thirty? Damn, it feels like I’ve been here for eight

hours already. “They had to rebuild from scratch. Listen, tell them it’s a good

thing, they’ll get brand new lines.”

Brendan sighed. “All right, I’ll see if I can snow them with that. But do

me a favor, and push a little harder, huh?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Dar promised, then disconnected and went back

to her mail. “Damn, must be three hundred messages in here.” She went to the

next one, a report from Mark about the mysterious packet the previous night.

“Someone scoping the place out, eh?” She examined the trace. “From an

outside link, huh?” It was a request for information searching on specific

strings, and as she scrolled through the dump, she stiffened.

“Well, well.” Her name and social security number. “Son of a bitch.” She

picked up the phone and dialed Mark’s number, waiting as it rang and gave

her his voice mail. “Mark, it’s Dar. I need to know where this came from.” She

hung up, then put that aside and went to the next message.

The phone buzzed. “Yes?” A touch of impatience entered her voice.

“Dar, it’s Miss Mariana on numero uno,” Maria said over the intercom.

“She says urgent.”

The dark-haired woman felt a twinge in her gut. “Okay, I’ll take it.

Thanks.” She drummed her fingers a moment, then pressed the button. “Hi,

Mariana, what’s up?”

“Dar, I need to speak with you.” The formality of the tone sent warning

bells off in Dar’s head. “Now, please.”

Shit. “Mariana, I’m in the middle of a dozen fires here. What is it?” she

objected warily.

“Please just come down here,” the Personnel VP stated quietly. “I need to

show you something.”

Dar sighed inwardly. “All right, I’ll be right over.” She hung up, then

stood and shrugged into her jacket, running a hand through her hair to order

it. “I can just imagine what this is about,” she muttered softly as she headed

338 Melissa Good

for the door.

Moments later, she was knocking lightly on the frame leading into

Mariana’s spacious office, giving the woman a nod as she looked up. “As you

requested.”

“Close the door,” Mariana said in a quiet, serious tone.

Dar did so, then walked across the carpet and sat down in the visitor’s

chair across from her, pretending a casualness she really didn’t feel. “So,

what’s up?”

“I got these delivered via courier.” The brunette tossed a manila envelope

over to her.

Dar reached across the desk and lifted the envelope, opening the top and

slipping out a stack of 8"x 10" photos. She glanced at the first one and started

laughing. “Well, that was predictable.” She leafed through the others, then

tossed the pile down in front of her friend. “And?”

Mariana leaned forward. “Dar.” She put a finger on the pictures. “What’s

going on?”

Dar also leaned forward. “With what? Ten pictures of two people at

Disney World?” She let a touch of incredulity show in her voice. “Is there a

problem with that?”

“That’s not two people, Dar. That’s you and an employee of yours,”

Mariana stated quietly. “I need to tell you this is a very serious matter.”

The taller woman let out a snort. “ Get a grip, Mari. It’s not against

company policy to have a couple hours off.” Her heart was beating so fast it

was making her lightheaded. “What’s the big deal?”

“Dar.” Mariana stood and leaned on her hands. “What’s going on with

you? Do you understand what these pictures look like?” She pulled the first

one off the top and showed it to her. It was a nice shot, if somewhat fuzzy, of

her and Kerry on Space Mountain. Her arms were wrapped snugly around the

smaller woman’s body and both of them laughing.

“It looks like two people having a good time,” Dar answered calmly.

“Which is what it was. I’m not sure I like what you’re insinuating.” She stood,

letting a little anger show. “Look, I know it’s going to disrupt the entire

corporate structure, but it’s just possible there’s someone in my OrgID who

actually doesn’t hate my guts. It’s odd, but there you have it. What’s the god-

damned problem, Mari?” She realized going on the offensive was her only

chance here.

“You’re telling me there’s nothing going on between you?” Mariana shot

back. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“No.” Dar answered, her tone dropping dangerously. “There is most

certainly something going on. It’s called friendship, Mariana. Or don’t you

think I’m capable of that?” she snapped back. “You think every time I talk to

someone I have to be sleeping with them, is that it?”

Mariana edged back a little, staring at her uncertainly. “Okay, okay, hold

on, Dar.” She put her hands up. “I’m trying to protect you, and more

importantly, protect Kerry. It’s my job, remember?” She looked away from the

ice cold eyes glaring at her. “So…you’re friends, is that what you’re telling

me?”

“Yes,” Dar replied. “I don’t hit it off with many people, Mari. You know

Tropical Storm 339

that. I just got lucky. I can actually spend time with her and not want to

strangle her to death. Is that a crime?” Despite her brave words to Kerry

earlier, she was shaking inside. Dar knew they were both on the edge of

professional disaster, her friendship with the HR VP notwithstanding.

“You spend time together,” the brunette clarified cautiously.

“Sure, been to dinner a few times. We go to the gym together. She’s a nice

kid, and I like her a lot,” Dar responded.

The personnel director relaxed a little. “I’m sorry,” she said simply, her

hazel eyes finding Dar’s and projecting regret. “Dar, you and I are friends, and

I know how isolated you keep yourself. It’s just…” She touched the pictures.

“I got scared for you, okay?” She sighed. “There are people who will take any

chance to go after you, and I don’t want to see that happen.”

Dar now relaxed a little and exhaled. “I know.” She shook her head. “You

know where those came from?”

Mariana blinked at her. “Disney World, I thought…not sure. Was

someone taking pictures of you while you were there?”

“They’re a bit of spiteful malice from Michelle Graver,” Dar responded

with a humorless smile. “I wouldn’t sleep with her, so this is her way of

replying.”

Mariana jerked back and let out a soft gasp. “You’re joking.”

“No,” Dar answered. “I had to practically throw her out of my car last

night,” she said. “She was down for some tourist convention and hooked me

into buying her dinner.” Her eyes watched Mari closely. “Figured it came

with a roll in the sack, but I wasn’t playing her game. She got pissed.”

“What a little…” Mariana picked up the pictures and looked at them.

“Dar, that’s horrible.”

Dar got up and wandered over to the window, leaning her hands against

the glass and peering out. “Yeah, I know.” She snorted softly. “Imagine, I

finally develop a conscience, and what do I get for it?” she asked. “I get

accused of sleeping with my staff.”

Mariana studied her back, then got up and joined her at the window,

putting a hand on her arm. “That wasn’t what I…” She sighed, perplexed at

the situation. “Dar, listen, in a strange way, I was halfway hoping it was true.”

Shocked blue eyes turned and gathered her in. “What?”

“I’ve known you for years, and it’s like I hardly know you, Dar. You only

let us see tiny bits and pieces of who you are. And I’ve been very worried

about you,” the shorter woman said quietly. “They put an enormous amount

of pressure on you, and it bothered me a lot to know you really had no one to

share that with. Beyond this stupid job, okay?”

Warily, Dar regarded her. “What are you saying?” She crossed her arms

and leaned against the glass, the sun slanting in on both of them and bisecting

the quiet office.

“Don’t get mad at me.” Mariana put a hand on her arm. “But I’ve seen a

big difference in you the last month. And to be completely honest, I was

hoping you’d found someone.” She glanced across her office, then met Dar’s

eyes again. “Even if that someone was Kerry Stuart.”

Oh, damn it. I don’t want to lie to her. Mariana has been my friend for years, but this… Dar sighed. She didn’t want the personnel executive to have her own

340 Melissa Good

crisis of conscience, pitting her liking of Dar against her duty to her job. She

thought quickly. “I’d had a lot of things on my mind lately…” She chose her

words carefully, “…not the least of which has been my health.”

It threw Mariana right off the scent, now her eyes widened in real

concern.

“I told you about the headaches. Well, when they checked for that, they

found something irregular in my heartbeat,” Dar told her. “I went in for some

tests. And believe me, Mari, I was damned scared.”

“Oh my god.” Mariana moved a step closer. “What happened?”

Dar shook her head. “It came out all right. Somehow, I’m not really sure

how myself, but it was a cloud that had been over me for a long time. I was

damned relieved to be rid of it.” She glanced at the carpet and nudged a bit of

the pile with her foot. “I guess that’s why I’ve been a little more relaxed lately.

That and being told I’d better take it easy or risk real problems with those

headaches.”

“Dar, you should have told me. I could have…”

“What, arranged for crises to stop happening?” Dar asked mildly. “Those

couple days in Orlando came at the right time. It really irks me that someone

could take pictures of something so normal and make it seem like we were…”

Dar shook her head sadly. “Damn.” Also true. At the park, neither of them

had even really begun to think about a romantic relationship.

Had they? Dar glanced at the top photo and sighed inwardly. How much

was she fooling anyone other than herself?

“Dar, don’t worry about it,” Mariana replied soothingly. “I’ll shred

them.”

Dar considered that, then let a faint smile cross her lips. “No, let me have

them. I have a better idea.” You think you got me, huh, you little weeble? “Look,

Mari, I’m sorry I yelled. You were absolutely right to call me on this. It could

be hell for all of us if it got out of hand.”

Mariana patted her arm. “I could have approached it a little differently. I

guess I was just so shocked. Well, not shocked, just…” She walked over,

picked up the pictures, and leafed through them, then glanced at Dar, who

was gazing out of the window. Her eyes dropped back to the picture on top,

seeing the relaxed and happy look on the tall executive’s face as she hugged

the blonde Kerry to her. “Anyway, to change the subject, I’m looking forward

to dinner tonight. You did remember, right?”

Dar turned and nodded. “I did. And Kerry tells me she accepted your

invitation also. It should be a good time.” She pushed off the glass and crossed

to her friend, holding a hand out. “Gimme, I’m gonna have the damned things

published on the internal web server. Ops monthly newsletter’s about due.”

“What?” Mariana blinked.

“I’ll make sure to e-mail Michelle a copy of the page.” Dar smiled acidly.

“Tch, Dar.” The Personnel VP bit back a grin. “I’ll send her a thank you

note, how about that? On letterhead.”

Dar chuckled. “Hey, that’d be a nice touch.” She lifted a hand. “I’ve got a

pile of emergencies on my desk. I’ll see you tonight, Mari.”

“Mmm, see you tonight, my friend.” She waved as Dar left, then sat,

playing with a pencil in silence for a few minutes. When a soft knock came at

Tropical Storm 341

the door, she called out, “Entrez-vous,” and was unsurprised when Duks

slipped in. He padded over and perched on a corner of her desk.

“Well?” He raised a brow at her in inquiry.

“Well, I almost got my head handed to me, and I got some very plausible

skating of the issue, but you know what, Dukky?”

“What?” He folded his arms across his chest.

They both burst into song. “There’s something there that wasn’t there

before!”

The door swung open, and José put his head in. “Was that singing?”

Two solemn faces looked back at him. “What?” Duks asked, his brows

rising.

“Singing?” Mariana studied him. “José, use your health benefits and get

the ears checked, will you?” She shook her head disapprovingly. “Did you

need something?”

The stocky Sales VP gave them an evil look. “My goddamn new regional

sales manager, in fact. You going to make me wait until next year?” he

complained. “Or do you have to be Dar Roberts to get anything done around

here?”

“NO, PETER.” DAR rested one elbow on her desk and closed her eyes.

“I’m not going to release that. They’ll just have to wait.” She held the phone

away from her ear as a yell of outrage came out of it. “One more like that and

I’m hanging up,” she snapped into the phone. “I don’t have time for this

crap.”

“You’re sabotaging me, goddamn it,” he answered in frustration.

“Don’t be stupid,” Dar replied. “Why would I do that? You do a great job

of it all by yourself.”

“Bitch.” The phone disconnected and Dar exhaled, grinning wryly.

“Asshole,” she muttered, going back to her screen and plowing through

yet another mail. The back door opened, and she glanced up to see Kerry

enter, a brown bag in her hands. “Hey.”

The blonde woman came over, putting the bag down and leaning against

the edge of the desk. “Hi.” She tugged the edge of her burgundy skirt up and

folded her hands.

“What’s that?” Dar nudged the bag with her pen.

“Lunch,” Kerry replied readily. “I had to run out to the bank during

mine, and I figured you’d still be buried in here, so…”

Dar poked at the bag again. “It’s not anything with alfalfa sprouts or

anything, is it?” She glanced slyly at the smaller woman.

“Oh, yeah, right.” Kerry laughed. “As if. No, it’s a cheesesteak sandwich

and spicy fries.” She peered at the screen. “Good grief, I thought I had a lot of

mail. What’s all that?”

Dar was investigating her lunch and pulled out a fry, munching on it

contentedly. “I’ve been letting things slide for a few days. It all caught up with

me today, I guess. Oh yeah.” She pulled the manila folder from her inbox and

handed it over. “Look what Mariana got today, from our friend Michelle.”

Kerry pulled the pictures out and sucked in a breath in surprise. “Holy

342 Melissa Good

Christ!” she blurted in surprise. “Where in the… Oh.” She realized they must

have been spotted by hidden cameras. “What a pig.”

Dar looked, chewing another fry. “No, that’s Donald Duck.” She pointed

at the picture.

Kerry just looked at her. “Who got these?” she asked quietly.

“Mariana.” Dar replied. “I, um, got called on the carpet for them, more or

less.”

“Hmmm. Well, it’s not like they’re anything big, or are they? I mean,

Jesus, Dar…” Her voice trailed off. “Are we in trouble?”

We. Dar curled herself around the word, and remembered what Mari had

said. “I don’t know,” she murmured. “She thinks there’s something going on.

I…I talked around it more than anything.” Her eyes lifted wryly. “We’re

going to have to watch it tonight, though. She’s not easy to fool.”

“Oh.” Kerry considered that in thoughtful silence. “She’s a friend of

yours, right?”

Dar nodded quietly. “Yes, she is.”

The smaller woman’s brow furrowed. “I think you’d feel better if you

told her.” Kerry paused a moment. “Because I think she knows anyway, just

from the way she was talking to me the other day.”

Dar chewed on a fry. “I think she does, too. I just hate putting her, or

Duks, for that matter, into an uncomfortable situation. She’s the director of

personnel, and this is part of her job. I don’t know, Kerry.”

“Mmm.” Kerry stole a fry. “Think about it, okay?” She changed the

subject. “These are nice pictures. Can I keep one?”

Dar smiled and glanced at the pile. “Sure. I was going to give them to

Betty to put in the division newsletter.”

Kerry selected the one of them together on the ride and gave her back the

other ones. “I like this one.” She gazed at it. “I really wanted you to offer to go

on that damn thing again.”

Dar laughed. “I almost did,” she admitted. “Hey, it’s supposed to be nice

weather this weekend. You up for a little time on the water?”

Kerry glanced up at her with a delighted look. “Yes!” she agreed quickly.

“I have my first scuba class on Saturday morning. How about we head out

after lunch?”

“Sounds good.” Dar nodded. “You’ll have all those snowbirds jealous of

your nice tan, that’s for sure.” She put a hand out and gently rubbed Kerry’s

knee. “I think I’m going to call Mariana and ask her to change the location for

dinner…two nights in a row.”

Kerry sucked in a breath. “Jesus, I forgot you took her there. You have

someplace else in mind?”

Dar shook her head, then punched the phone buttons. It rang twice, then

Mariana answered. “Mari, listen, would you mind a change of venue

tonight?”

She heard rustling and a soft mutter in the background that she couldn’t

make out, then Mariana cleared her throat. “No, no. In fact, Dar, I was about

to call you. There’s a new Thai restaurant in North Miami Duks has been

dying to try.”

Green and blue eyes met. Kerry tapped her nose, then made a scrunched

Tropical Storm 343

up face and poked her teeth out, sniffing. “I smell a rat,” she mouthed.

Dar bit back a chuckle. “Sure, but Mari, I didn’t know you liked that

stuff,” she agreed warily, her thumb still absently caressing Kerry’s skin.

“Life’s short, Dar. Always time to try something new. Besides, Duks

swears by the stuff, and he’s promised me the chicken is really just chicken.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Dar relaxed with a pleased expression. “I happen

to like Thai.”

“Oh, I guess I’d better ask Kerry. She might not…” Mari sighed.

“No, she does.” Dar answered without thinking, then slapped her head

and rolled her eyes as Kerry covered her mouth with a hasty hand. “Jesus, she

got me,” she whispered soundlessly. “We were talking about it the other day,”

she added towards the phone.

Kerry bent over in laughter and leaned against the desk.

“Oh. Well, that’s great,” Mariana said smugly. “It’ll just be the four of us.

It’s down near US 1, Dar, just before the tracks.” A pause. “You’ll let Kerry

know, then?”

Dar sighed and covered her eyes, not quite able to believe Mariana had

snagged her quite so easily. “Sure, I’ll let her know,” she agreed wryly, eyeing

the now-composed blonde, whose sparkling green eyes were gazing merrily at

her. “See you.” She disconnected and lifted her hands, letting them drop in

disgust. “God damn it.”

Kerry glanced at the door, then leaned forward and kissed her on the

forehead. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered,” she told her with a smile.

Dar’s brows shot up. “I am not flustered!” she objected, straightening her

cuffs and brushing her sleeve off. “I’m just…um…”

The light tap warned them, and Kerry slipped around to the front of the

desk, hastily settling in one of Dar’s visitor’s chairs. Maria poked her head in

and spotted them.

“Ah, there you are, Kerrisita.” The secretary entered and walked across

the carpet. “Dios mío! Dar, what is that?”

The executive paused in mid-bite, enjoying her sandwich. “Lunch. What

does it look like, José’s new account manager?” she retorted, taking a

mouthful and chewing it.

“Tcha, that is so bad for you,” Maria scolded. “Kerrisita, you set her a

better example, no?”

Kerry rubbed her brow. “Actually, I got it for her,” she admitted

sheepishly. “Miami Subs really doesn’t have much in the way of healthy stuff,

Maria.” She paused. “Only some Greek roll-up things.”

Dar stuck out her tongue, then went back to the screen. “Maria, what is

all this junk in my inbox?”

“Ay, that’s what I’m here talking to you about.” The older woman wrung

her hands. “Is Mark, he started up some…what he called it, mailing list,” she

said. “Let me go get some of the papers.” She hurried out, closing the door

behind her.

Dar clicked with one hand while handling her sandwich with the other.

“Oh, okay, that’s why the damn thing’s subjects range from TCP/IP to a…”

She peered at the screen incredulously. “A recipe for vodka jello eggs.” She

glanced up, then punched the phone.

344 Melissa Good

“Yeah?” Mark’s voice sounded, as always preoccupied.

“Get me the hell off this damn list,” Dar growled. “Or I’m going to

altroute every single message into an infinite loop and dump them in your

voice mail.”

Dead silence. “Uh.” Mark cleared his throat. “Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Dar answered in a silken voice. “I can even make it page you twice

for each damned message.”

“You’re off,” Mark squeaked. “Wasn’t on purpose, I’m just testing this

new listing software that’s part of our web server. Honest.” He cleared his

throat. “Listen, sorry I have to miss out on tonight, but I promised Barbara to

take her on one of those Sea Escape things.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll catch you next time,” Dar told him. “Any luck

on that trace?”

A moment’s silence, and the sound of the keyboard rattling. “Came in via

the intranet through a link with the backbone routers in Chicago. Looks like

someone hooked in via one of the milnet hubs. I’m sending a query out after

it,” the MIS chief muttered. “Did you see the instruction set in that thing? I hex

dumped it for you, that’s your shit in there, Dar!”

“I know,” the executive replied quietly. “I was poking around in it last

night.”

A pause. “Yeah, I saw you logged in,” Mark replied. “Your incoming IP

looked a little strange, it’s not one of the dial-in lines you usually come in on.”

Dar wagged a finger silently at the phone. “The cellular connection was

acting up, I had to use a land line,” she commented. “Listen, can you trace that

packet or not?”

“I’m working on it,” Mark assured her. “Later, Dar.”

Dar slapped the button and frowned at the phone. “I think he’s curious

about us.”

Kerry fiddled with her watch band. “I think he knows, too,” she

admitted. “Or at least, I think he suspects, because he was asking me if I liked

your condo.”

Dar’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, he knows you took me home,” Dar said.

“He’s not supposed to know I’m familiar with your waterbed, and that’s

what he was asking about.”

“Oh.” Dar produced a brief grin. “Yeah, he said something about you

logging in from my machine that next morning,” she admitted. “Guess he saw

me come in from your place last night.” She sighed. “Nerds. Can’t hide

anything from us, can you?”

“Mmm.” Kerry frowned. “Is that a problem?”

Surprisingly, Dar shook her head immediately. “No problem there,” she

responded. “I know all his skeletons. He’s just curious about mine.”

“Ah.”

Maria re-entered the room and walked over to Dar’s desk. “See?” She

handed her boss the papers. “It is jokes, yes? I hope so.”

Dar peered at the sheets. “I took care of it.” She set the papers down.

“Sorry about that, Maria.”

“Hmm.” Kerry stood up and brushed off her skirt. “Well, I’ve got a

conference all in five minutes, I’m going to go grab some tea.” She left, using

Tropical Storm 345

the front door to Dar’s office and closing it behind her.

Dar resumed chewing. “Did we get those contracts?” she asked Maria,

glancing up at her.

“You know, Dar, Kerry is such a lovely person.” Maria smiled at her.

“You were so lucky to have found her.”

Dar’s jaws stopped, and she considered the statement for a moment.

“Well, I think so,” she finally answered cautiously. “I’m glad you like her.”

Maria reached over and patted her hand, then smiled, and made an

impish face before she turned and walked out.

Dar just stared after her in befuddlement. “What in the hell?” she asked

the empty room.

“YOU READY?” DAR waited, leaning against the side of her car as Kerry

brushed her hair. The last fading rays of sun caught her through the glass of

her windshield, and Dar found herself smiling at the image. They were

outside the restaurant, in a small and crowded parking lot that boded well for

the quality of the restaurant.

Kerry glanced into the rearview mirror a final time, flicking her hair into

place, then she got out and brushed her shirt off. “I look okay?” she asked,

giving her boss an inquiring look.

“Very much so,” Dar assured her. Kerry was wearing a pair of very dark,

neatly pressed jeans and an aqua polo shirt under a snugly fitting white

sweatshirt with its sleeves pushed halfway up. “So, you ready?”

Kerry exhaled and studied her companion, who had changed into a pair

of tan Dockers and a red tank top, with her leather jacket thrown over her

shoulders. “Yep. Let’s go run the gauntlet.” She tugged at Dar’s zipper. “You

look nice.”

The taller woman smiled and patted her side. “So do you, c’mon.” She

followed Kerry as they sauntered across the parking lot. “I like that

sweatshirt.” She admired the tiny, embroidered birds that danced across the

front and scampered down the sleeves.

Kerry straightened a little and smiled as they stepped up onto the deck

which held the restaurant. She spotted Mariana and Duks leaning against the

railing and cleared her throat. “Okay, here we go. I hope we can pull this off.”

Dar snorted. “No problem. Just relax, we’ll be fine.”

“Dar?” Kerry murmured softly.

“Hmm?” The dark-haired woman leaned a bit closer.

“You might want to take your hand off my back.”

“Right.” Dar took the disobedient hand and waved at Mariana and Duks

as they came closer. “I was just making sure you didn’t fall off the steps.”

“Well, hello, you two.” Mariana smiled at them. The Personnel VP was

wearing a pair of slacks and a sweater, and Duks had changed into a dark blue

sweatshirt and black chinos. “It smells great out here, let’s go in.”

Dar gave them both a brief nod, then followed them inside, taking in the

typical gold, red and black décor that oriental restaurants seemed to regard as

almost a livery. The room was large, with a few scattered, small tables in the

center, and a raised platform all the way around the walls which featured low

346 Melissa Good

tables and pillows. Lots and lots of pillows. And no chairs.

They were led to a table area in the back by a smiling, bobbing waiter,

who indicated they were to take their shoes off and make themselves

comfortable. The table had padded backrests to sit against, and piles of soft,

silk-covered pillows that lined the pit like enclosure.

“Isn’t this cute?” Mariana mused. “I’ve never eaten in a place like this

before.”

They sat down, one on each side of the table, and settled into the

cushions. Dar found it surprisingly relaxing. She spread her arms out on the

cushions, and gazed back. “So, hell of a day, huh?”

Duks looked up from his menu and cracked a sardonic grin. He had a

powerfully built face, with a square jaw and a thick neck that disappeared into

heavy shoulders that betrayed a youth spent doing something other than

running a calculator. “If I believed in Hell, I’d agree with you.”

Kerry leaned forward, curiously. “Are you an atheist, Mr. Draefus?”

He turned his grin on her. “Duks, please, Kerry. And yes, I am.” He

selected what he wanted, then put the menu down. “I find it makes my life so

much simpler.”

“Simpler? How?” Kerry inquired. “I would think having to find

explanations for everything would make it more complicated. It’s so easy just

to say ‘because God said so.’ ”

“Yes, isn’t it?” Duks agreed softly. “Simpler because I have no

expectations. I have nothing to live up to, nothing to spend my life striving

for, because at the end, it’s just…the end,” he told her. “You stop and feed the

worms. And so life becomes more precious, and you enjoy it more, knowing

it’s the only chance you’ll get.”

Kerry cupped her chin in her hand. “You don’t believe in souls, then,

right?’

A smile. “No. I think what we have in here…” He thumped his chest.

“…is blood and muscles, and nothing more.” A pause. “Do you believe in a

god, Kerry?”

“Yes, I do. In that I believe there’s a higher power who directs things in

our lives, and I think we all have an immortal soul,” Kerry answered

seriously. “And that soul continues from life to life.”

“Ah, not a conventional Christian, I see,” Mariana murmured, fascinated.

“I had an orthodox Catholic upbringing…and it stuck, along with all the

glorious pageantry and mysticism that goes with it. I still shiver during the

Mass.” She glanced at Duks. “We have a long-standing argument over that.

He thinks I’d get over it if I’d just go and see a good opera.” Kerry let out a

surprised laugh.

“What about you, my friend?” Duks turned to the silently watching Dar.

“I don’t think we’ve ever discussed the big R. And I don’t recall you ever

saying you’d been in church, so…”

Pale blue eyes flicked over their faces, then Dar shrugged a little. “My

mother is a pagan.” She smiled wryly at the surprised looks. “My father was

as much of a Southern Baptist as you can get and not be a snake handler.” She

regarded the table for a moment. “We didn’t have anything organized when I

was growing up, I just knew they both believed in something, not necessarily

Tropical Storm 347

the same something, but something.”

“What a mix!” Mariana said in a surprised voice.

“True, I picked up on that. I believe in something, but I never got around

to defining what that something was,” Dar finished. “So I celebrate what I

want, when I want.”

The waiter came back, and they ordered, with Mariana getting conflicting

advice from Dar and Duks. “Shush,” she finally said, then turned to Kerry in

appeal. “Which is it?”

The blonde woman laughed a bit. “The massaman is a sweet curry, with

meat and potatoes in it. Then you have the green curry which is very sharp.

Finally, the red curry is milder and usually has coconut milk in it.”

“Ah, so you’re an expert.” The Personnel VP gave her an approving nod.

Kerry just grinned and watched as they completed the order. Then she

half turned her head to glance at Dar and blinked at the suddenly frozen

expression on her companion’s face. Her eyes flicked to where Dar was

looking, and she spotted a tall, willowy brunette in an impeccably cut suit

entering with two other women. When she looked back at Dar, the dark-

haired woman’s face was carefully controlled, but she could see the faint

bunching of her jaw muscles and she leaned over. “Dar?”

Ice blue eyes pinned her, then gentled. “Remember when I told you it

would be unlikely for you to meet certain people?” the taller woman

commented with forced casualness.

What? Oh, her former lovers. Right. “Yes.” Kerry darted a glance to Duks

and Mariana, who were busy with the waiter.

“I should have kept my mouth shut,” Dar replied softly. “Jinx.”

Kerry’s eyes flicked away, then back. “Oh.” She slid a hand around the

edge of the low table and patted Dar’s ankle. “Let me go get my boots.”

That got a smile from Dar, who leaned her forearms on the table and

considered her options. Given where she was seated, and where Elana was

going to sit, there was no way in Hell the bitch couldn’t just look over and see

her. Sure enough, after glancing at the menu, Elana looked up right at her.

Dar half turned her head as though she was listening to Duks and Mari

bicker, and watched as a slow, malicious smirk made its way across the

aristocratic face. Damn. She reached over and touched Duk’s arm. “We’re

going to have a nasty scene here in a minute,” she advised him in a low tone,

letting her eyes move across the room and back.

Duks glanced up, then bit his lip. “Aw, crap.”

Mari also looked. “Well, well. Think she’s got enough makeup on? She

looks like Tammy Faye Baker.” Her voice was sharp, though, and held little

humor. “You know, there aren’t many people that I can say I totally enjoyed

processing termination papers on, but by god, she’s one of them.”

Elana crossed the floor, zeroing in on them with hazel eyes that kept

steady on Dar’s face. “Look what we have here. Hello, Lou, Mariana.” A pause

and a faint smile. “Dar.” Her eyes went to Kerry. “I’m sorry, I don’t know

you.”

Dar let her wait a moment, then leaned back, circling one knee with both

arms. “Hello, Elana, haven’t seen you in a while. Been out of town?”

“No, I just don’t get outside much.” The slim woman smirked. “We just

348 Melissa Good

took over another two hospitals, neither of them your accounts,

unfortunately.”

“I’d heard you got those. You might want to be careful, though,” Dar

commented. “Word has it they just changed vendors because they’re going

bankrupt, and you’ll give them a 120-day grace on the billing. IBM was about

to cut them off.”

“Don’t bother with that, Dar.” Elana laughed. “Your tricks don’t work

with me, remember?”

Dar shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Her eyes wandered. “So what have you been doing with yourself? Same

old, same old?” She chuckled. “I love telling people about you at cocktail

parties. It makes a great story, by the way.” She smiled sweetly. “And who is

this?” Her eyes went to Kerry.

“Kerry Stuart.” The blonde woman extended a friendly hand. “I work for

Dar.”

“I bet you do, honey.” Elana laughed. “You must be new around here.”

“Oh, I am,” Kerry replied, focusing sharp, green eyes on her. “New to the

area, too. Say, Dar, is that one of those palmetto bugs you keep describing to

me? Oh my god, they’re ugly.” She let her eyes widen and fasten on Elana’s

shoulder.

The woman jumped. “Where?” She caught sight of something out of the

corner of her eye and slapped at it, then screamed. “Oh my god!” She

stumbled backwards, hands flailing at her head in panic. “Oh, help, get it off!”

Kerry jumped to her feet and ran to help, colliding with a rushing waiter

just as she reached the frantic woman. The tray he was carrying launched

itself up into the air and came down, splattering the floor, the tables, and

Elana with a conglomeration of food.

“Oh shit!” Elana slipped in the mess and collapsed, still pawing at her

hair. “Oh god, is it gone?” She glanced around at the avidly watching

restaurant patrons, who were starting to laugh. Her face reddened, and a blob

of curried sauce ran down her cheek.

Kerry stepped forward and crouched, getting to eye level with the

woman and catching her attention. “You’re lucky I didn’t have time to go

change into my boots.” She handed the woman a napkin. “Have a nice day.”

Then she stood up and walked back over to the table, careful not to slip in the

piles of noodles and sauce that dotted the floor.

Dar’s blue eyes captured her as she came closer, and she walked the last

few steps gazing into them, lucky she didn’t end up plowing right into the

table. She settled herself in her place, as the crowd continued its laughter and

picked up her napkin again as she looked up at the faces watching her. “Okay,

so it was her epaulet. It was brown, I’m from Michigan, how was I supposed

to know?”

It broke them all up, and Dar ended up gasping for breath, holding onto

the table for dear life as she reached out and circled Kerry’s wrist, squeezing

it. “That was priceless.”

“Bitch,” Kerry muttered under her breath, her still-angry green eyes

glaring at the sodden mess on the floor, now being helped up by her two

friends. “I’ll give her a cocktail party story all right, I’ll send out a mail to

Tropical Storm 349

Users All so that whenever anyone sees her from now on they’ll do this.” She

waggled her fingers near her head like a pair of antennae. Then she realized

what she was saying, and how it must sound to the watching Duks and Mari,

and she bit her lip, glancing at Dar in apologetic appeal. The taller woman’s

face was an interesting study, a cross between chagrin, amusement, and

embarrassment, with a good strong dose of warm affection thrown in. A wry

smile crossed her face and she let out a tiny chuckle. “I just blew it, didn’t I?”

Kerry murmured.

Dar couldn’t help it, the look of dismay on Kerry’s face was so comical,

she had to laugh. “Yeah, I think you did,” she admitted, exhaling, and looking

over at Mariana to meet expectant, knowing hazel eyes. “Looks like you’ve

got a personnel issue on your hands, Mari.” She kept her voice even and

managed, somehow, not to blush. “Sorry.”

“Are you?” Mari asked with a wry expression. “I’m not. That was

hilarious.”

Kerry sat there, unsure of what to say or do. She watched Dar’s face, the

angular planes shifting with barely veiled emotion. Had they fooled Mariana,

even for a second?

“Sorry I didn’t level with you earlier today,” Dar conceded. “I didn’t

want you to get in the middle of this.”

“I see,” the shorter woman commented quietly. “Fortunately, I’m off the

clock,” she added, with a gentle smile. “I meant what I said today, Dar.” She

met her friend’s eyes squarely. “It really doesn’t matter if it’s an issue for me.”

Kerry cleared her throat gently. “I know it’s not exactly…um…”

Mari leaned over and touched her hand. “Kerry, those rules, they’re there

to protect you. Not so much Dar,” she said. “It’s too easy to use power over

our employees to make them do things…that they wouldn’t otherwise.”

“That is not what happened,” Kerry’s voice sharpened. “Dar didn’t make

me do anything I didn’t want to do.”

“No.” The HR VP smiled. “I understand that.” Her eyes shifted to the

quietly watching Dar. “Despite her somewhat outrageous reputation, that’s

not her style.”

Dar smiled briefly.

“People will talk,” Duks said, twiddling his thumbs. “It could make

things difficult, you know.”

“I know,” Dar spoke up suddenly. “I don’t give a damn. I spend most of

my time saving people’s asses, so they can just kiss mine if they want to talk

about me.”

After that, a little silence fell over the table. Before it could get really

uncomfortable, Kerry turned and looked at Dar. “I don’t think I want people

kissing your ass,” she said in a very serious tone. Both Duks and Mari started

chuckling. “Way not cool.” Dar blinked, then managed an embarrassed grin.

Mari nodded quietly to herself. “Well, officially what happens off-hours

is none of anyone’s business.” She patted Duks’ hand with an impish grin.

“Isn’t that right?”

Duks chuckled and blushed a little. “That is so.” He glanced at Dar and

Kerry. “And, my friend, you did not fool us for a moment, you understand.”

Dar sighed. “I don’t think I fooled Maria either.”

350 Melissa Good

The HR VP snickered. “I do wish I’d gotten pictures of that rampaging

hormone-induced witch on wheels, though.” Mari sighed regretfully.

“Wouldn’t I love to put that shot in the next company newsletter.”

Duks cleared his throat and held up a tiny digital camera, small enough

to fit in the palm of his hand. “And what would you be willing to pay for that,

madam?”

They all laughed, and Mariana let a sigh of relief trickle out of her lungs.

She peered over at Dar, who was studying the tablecloth with a quiet

expression, then she let her eyes flick over to Kerry.

Caught unguarded, Kerry had her attention focused on Dar, a gently

affectionate look on her face as she regarded her companion’s profile. This

was not another Elana, Mari realized with relief. Dar was more vulnerable

than anyone realized, and she was one of the few who knew that, but maybe

this time it would be different. Kerry felt herself being watched and returned

the gaze, her shoulders moving as she took in a deep breath. Mariana let a

reassuring smile cross her face as she returned the look. “Kerry, that really

was absolutely brilliant. Congratulations.” She tacitly changed the subject. “A

palmetto bug? Too funny.”

A shy smile. “It wasn’t planned, it just sort of happened,” she admitted.

“I got so mad it was either that or hit her. And I don’t think that would have

been a good idea.”

“Probably not,” Dar finally said, adjusting herself to the situation. Aw,

Hell. Mariana knew anyway, and her statement that she was off duty means she’s not

going to do anything about it. As long as Kerry and I keep it out of the office. Okay,

fine, I’ve been rehearsing a speech to the personnel director anyway. And besides,

seeing Elana with pickled squid hanging over her ear was worth every single minute

of it.

“Dar, was that true about IBM?” Duks drew attention away from her

gracefully. “About the hospitals?”

Dar nodded. “Yep, it sure was. I was talking to one of their account reps,

who was telling me it was a good thing we did a no-bid on them.” She glanced

up as their appetizers arrived, suddenly finding herself starving. “Sorry about

that accident before,” she told the waiter.

“No problem, no problem, lady always comes in, cause fuss, no tip,” the

waiter confided. “Worth spoiled fish.” He put a plate down before Kerry,

containing a beautiful piece of fried wonton skin shaped into a swan. The

swan’s body held a delicious-smelling mixture of chicken, peanuts and spices.

“Chef make special for you.”

Kerry looked up at him and smiled, a blush coloring her face. “Thank

you.” She tasted it, then grinned. “This is really good.”

Dar sniffed at interestedly. “Looks like it.”

“Uh uh.” Kerry cupped her hand around the swan teasingly. “Mine.”

Dar raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say I wanted any,” she retorted,

returning her attention to her plate.

A moment’s silence, then blue and green eyes looked up at the same time

and met, and they both started laughing.

“This is so cute, it makes me want to sing,” Duks announced, swallowing

a mouthful.

Tropical Storm 351

“Oh god, cut it out, Kerry,” Dar said instantly. “You don’t want him to

start that.”

“No?” Kerry inquired curiously.

“He thinks he’s Placido Domingo.” The dark-haired woman waved her

fork at him. “Wait till he gets a few beers in.”

Another laugh, which Duks cheerfully joined in on as he raised his wine

glass to the table. “To palmetto bugs. Long may they wander.”

THEY PARTED IN the parking lot some time later, under the bright stars

of a cool night. Even from here, Kerry realized she could smell the sea, and she

took a large breath of air as she and Dar strolled back towards where they’d

parked. “Well…” She cleared her throat and glanced at her taller companion.

“That…didn’t quite go as expected.”

Dar laughed. “No, it sure didn’t,” she agreed. “But it’s all right, I was

thinking about what you said. You know, about telling Mari what was going

on, and I’d halfway decided to do it. Maybe it was fate.”

“So, you’re not mad at me?” Kerry asked quietly. “I didn’t… Jesus, Dar,

that wasn’t planned. I don’t know what came over me.”

Dar glanced at her. “Mad at you?” she asked incredulously. “Nah, I’m not

mad at you. I just wish I’d had a movie camera.” She glanced down and shook

her head. “That certainly changes the scene I always picture when I think of

her.”

They reached their cars and turned to face each other. “Thanks,” Dar said

simply.

“You’re welcome,” came the simple response. “After all, that’s what

friends are for, right?”

Dar cupped her cheek and smiled. “You bet.” A soft beep startled both of

them and Dar reached for her cell phone, only to find it silent. “It’s not mine.”

“Mine.” Kerry pulled hers out and opened it. “Hello?” Her face tensed,

then took on a shocked look. “Okay, okay, I’m on my way back there now. Be

about…forty minutes or so. All right. Bye.” She folded the phone closed and

looked up at Dar grimly. “My place was broken into.”

Dar’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s go.”

Kerry kept her hands clenched on the steering wheel the entire way

home, aware of the comforting presence of Dar’s Lexus right behind her. She

pulled into a parking lot full of police cars and spotted Colleen’s agitated

figure near the door to her apartment. “Shit.” She wasn’t sure whether to be

upset, angry, frightened, or all three, but she got out of the car and hadn’t

taken two steps before Dar was right there, with a hand on her shoulder.

Colleen spotted them, and ran over immediately. “Thank god you’re

here. I just got home, and I went to see if you were back yet. When I found

your door wide open, I called the cops.”

Too late to do anything about that now. Kerry sighed inwardly. “Great, just

great.” She shook her head. “Thanks, Col.”

“No problem. They won’t let me in there, but I poked my head in and the

place looks pretty trashed.” She paused for breath. “Hi, Dar.”

“Hi,” the taller woman answered briefly. “Anyone see anything?”

352 Melissa Good

Colleen snorted. “These self-absorbed yuppies? They wouldn’t have seen

anything if Fox Mulder had landed a frigging alien spacecraft in the parking

lot and gotten out to do the hula.”

Dar had to suppress a grim chuckle at this description. “C’mon, let’s see

what the deal is.” She gave Kerry a tiny nudge. “You have renter’s

insurance?”

Kerry had to think through what Dar was asking. “Yes, State Farm,” she

answered absently as they moved through the lot and up to her front door,

peering inside. She was vaguely aware of Dar’s voice muttering into her cell

phone as she tried to make her mind see order where there was only…

Colleen had been right. It was a mess. Things were torn apart and thrown

everywhere. Her eyes flicked to the television, then to the computer, both of

which were still in place. A policeman came towards her. “Ma’am?”

“I live here,” Kerry said quietly. “What happened?”

The officer shook his head. “Beats the hell out of me. Looks like whoever

it is, was looking for something pretty bad. You keep cash in the apartment?”

She shook her head. “No. Well, five or six bucks in change, sure—on the

dresser. That kind of thing.”

He nodded. “Yeah, gotcha. Any jewelry?”

She felt her neck and pulled out her single gold chain. “This, a few pairs

of earrings, and a ring are all I have.” She glanced over. “Nothing seems to be

missing.”

The cop was writing furiously on his pad. “Probably druggies looking for

cash for a buy, Ms.—” His eyes questioned her.

“Stuart,” she answered. “You think so? I guess they went away empty,

then, huh?” She moved into the room and peered around. Cushions were

scattered everywhere from the couch, and she crossed to her bedroom and

pushed the door open. Every drawer was emptied, and the bedding was torn

from the bed. Pooh was thrown against the wall and she picked him up,

hugging him to her in reflex. Kerry walked back into the living room.

“Everything looks like it’s here.” She told the policeman quietly.

He glanced at her, then at Pooh, and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

“Listen, sorry about your fish there. Looks like some chemical can fell in the

tank.”

Kerry’s eyes tracked to the glass enclosure and saw the floating forms.

Dar’s eyes went the same way, then went to her face in quiet compassion. The

blonde woman walked over and stood staring at them, bobbing lifelessly on

top of the water. A half empty container of kitchen cleaner bobbed next to

them. With exaggerated care, she pulled the container out and closed the lid,

aware of Dar’s close presence behind her. “I keep that cleaner in the cupboard

in the kitchen,” she said quietly.

Dar’s hands closed on her shoulders. “Go siddown. I’ll take care of this.”

“Dar, someone killed my fish,” she whispered sadly.

“I know,” came the low, vibrant response. “First, we’re going to get this

place cleaned up, and then we’re going to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning,

I’m going to take you to get more fish.”

Kerry exhaled. “Maybe that’s not a good idea.”

“Yes, it is,” Dar insisted quietly. “Don’t let them win, Kerry.” She

Tropical Storm 353

squeezed her friend’s shoulders. “Go sit down, I’m going to take care of this

and dump the water.”

Kerry stared at the fish. “Look, Dar. I…”

“It’s okay, I’ve got this. Go sit down for a while, okay?”

Kerry felt exhausted, and she complied, mechanically putting the

cushions back into place before she sat down on them. She faced the officer,

who was still getting details. She tried not to watch what Dar was doing, and

concentrated on the questions instead. Colleen came over and sat down next

to her, and she gave the redhead a grateful smile.

Dar scooped the dead fish out of the water, putting them in a small

container. She was carefully controlling her breathing and focusing on

remaining calm when her first and most immediate instincts were to be

yelling her fool head off. The random destruction in the room didn’t bother

her. This pointed, deliberate, vicious cruelty to helpless creatures, on the other

hand, made her so angry it was a wonder her hands weren’t vibrating from

the force of it. Bastard.

She disposed of the dead fish, then dipped out a good portion of the

water before she lifted the tank up and drained out the rest of it, removing the

gravel and decorations and running them under clean tap water. Then she

mixed a saline solution and cleaned the tank out, using the motion to calm

herself. She did a thorough job of it, scrubbing the inside out to get out all the

traces of chemical. Bastard. She rinsed the ferns and then ran water through

the filter . Son of a bitch. Then she carried the tank back and filled it three

quarters full with clean tap water, adding the rinsed gravel to it and putting in

a few drops of water cleaner Kerry had in a bottle near the tank itself. Which

she sniffed first, just in case. When she’d gotten it to her satisfaction, she

turned to see Kerry shaking the officer’s hand and watching him leave, taking

his partner with him, both of them giving Kerry looks of professional

sympathy.

The door closed, and Kerry turned to look at her, the haunted green eyes

beseeching. Dar crossed to her immediately. “C’mere.” She pulled Kerry into a

hug, feeling her whole body jerk with a sob. “Shhh, I’ve got you.” Over the

blonde woman’s shoulder, she met Colleen’s eyes, and the redhead glanced

down, then back up with a faint smile as Kerry buried her face into Dar’s shirt

and clung to her with desperate strength. “Give us a hand getting this place

straightened up?” she asked Colleen.

“You bet your…uh, sorry, I mean…” Colleen blushed.

“I’ve heard the term,” Dar replied dryly. She felt Kerry take a deep, shaky

breath, and released her a little, so she could pull back and look up.

“Sorry.” The blonde woman sniffled a little, disengaging one hand and

rubbing at her eyes. “It’s just late, I guess.”

Dar pulled a handkerchief from her inner jacket pocket and handed it to

Kerry. “Here.” She patted her back and left her arm draped over the blonde’s

shoulders. “All right, let’s start in the kitchen, I guess—that seemed to be the

least messed up—then do in here, then the bedroom.”

They started picking things up, and worked in mostly silence until

Colleen trotted over, picked up all the CDs thrown around on the floor, and

popped one into the changer. The soft strands of the Disney tune “Circle of

354 Melissa Good

Life” drifted across the room. “ I know you like this.” The redhead gave her

friend a smile, which Kerry half-heartedly returned.

It didn’t take as long as she feared, until the apartment began to resemble

its former state, only the quiet waters of the fish tank a glaring testimony to

the invasion. Kerry stood in the center of the room after they finished,

listening to Dar putter around in the kitchen, and folded her arms across her

chest. Colleen entered from the bedroom and went to her, giving her a little

pat on the back.

“All done. Got you some fresh sheets on.” Her eyes twinkled gently at

Kerry, who looked down and blushed. “Ah, c’mon now, Ker. For what it’s

worth, I think you’ve got a real winner in there.”

That got a smile from Kerry, who glanced at the kitchen door, then back

at her. “Think so, huh?”

“Yep. Someone who knows when to give a hug when it’s needed.”

Colleen nodded firmly. “That’s a very good sign.” She was glad to see Dar’s

unquestioning support of her friend, which had surprised her a little, given

the executive’s reputation.

The dark-haired woman interrupted the conversation by reappearing

with three mugs of something hot and handing one to each of them. She then

motioned Kerry and Colleen to sit down. Dar took a seat on the end of the

couch and stretched her legs out, patting the cushion next to her, which got

her a compliant Kerry. The blonde woman tucked her legs up under her, and

she sipped her chocolate with a sigh. “Well, this has been a night.”

Dar dropped a hand to her knee and gently stroked it. “It’s over,” she

said simply, before she took out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Mark?”

A pause. “I know what time it is. Get the light on and put on your glasses,

because I need you to write something down.”

Dar waited, as ideas and plans started clicking into view. “All right, I

need you to run a full profile. I need everything…on a Kyle Lewis. He’s an

employee of Senator Roger Stuart of Michigan.” She waited. “You’ll probably

have to tap Milnet.” Another pause. “Let’s just say I have a feeling about him,

okay? Route the results to my inbox.”

Mark left the phone for a moment, and she sat waiting, drumming her

fingers against her thigh. “You did? Thanks. Oh, one more thing, I need you to

put a scope on the outbound router for Miami Dade, and filter any packets

that contain the following number.” She read it off. “Just discard them…on

the federal transfer.” She waited. “I know. It would be from the Kendall

substation IP if that helps.” Another pause. “Good. Thanks, Mark. I’ll fill you

in tomorrow.” She hung up and glanced at her audience, who was watching

her with interest. She smiled. “Welcome to the information age.”

“Jesus, can you do that?” Colleen blurted. “I mean, why are you… That

was the report number the cops gave us.”

Kerry nodded in understanding. “It will exist locally here, but not be

updated to the federal system. That was really smart, Dar, thank you.”

Dar smiled briefly. “When you move the data, you control it,” she told

Colleen quietly.

“Wow.” Colleen regarded her respectfully. “Remind me not to piss you

off, you do our payroll transfer.”

Tropical Storm 355

That got a chuckle from Dar and a smile from Kerry. “I don’t generally do

that sort of thing, but I think it would be better for Kerry. And it doesn’t hurt

anything, since they didn’t find any fingerprints or MO, and that’s what the

federal database checks.”

Kerry leaned her head against Dar’s shoulder. “My hero.” She dared Dar

to refute her in front of Colleen, and was pleased when all the taller woman

did was reach out and tweak her nose.

“You really think it was that stinker Kyle?” Colleen asked, watching them

with a gentle smile.

Kerry sighed. “The fish…and the door wasn’t forced open. Did you notice

that? Someone keyed in. And when I checked the doorlock, it had my code in

it.”

“Ew, change it,” Colleen advised.

The blonde woman nodded wearily. “I did. But the only people with it

are the building manager, you, and my family.” She paused and glanced up.

“And Dar, but she was with me the whole night, so that knocks her out as a

suspect.”

“Only that?” Dar’s brows lifted teasingly.

“Well, that and a few other things,” Kerry admitted. with a smile. “But…

Well, I told my mother I wasn’t going to move back home last night. The

timing’s just too coincidental.”

“Mmm.” Colleen pulled her lip. “Kerry, that sucks.”

Kerry sighed. “No kidding.” She sipped her chocolate, enjoying the

smooth taste as it warmed her insides. “This is the only thing you can cook,

isn’t it?” she asked Dar, who laughed softly. “I knew it. This, coffee, and what

else?”

“Eggs,” Dar supplied briefly. “And ice cream.”

Kerry smiled. “Dar, ice cream doesn’t require cooking.” She shook her

head in disbelief, then flicked on the television. “Oh, look, the crocodile guy!”

“Good gravy, what is he doing to that fish?” Colleen yelped.

Kerry settled back to watch, feeling a lot better. It was good to have

friends around, she decided as she felt Dar’s arm slip around her waist and

tug her closer. She leaned back and gazed at Dar. “Thanks.” She sighed.

“Thanks for being here, and helping, and cheering me up.”

A wink of a very blue eye. “That’s what friends are for, right?” Dar

replied softly.

“You bet,” Kerry replied, then she hesitated. “Listen, Dar, you don’t have

to get involved in all this. It’s not your business, really.”

“Sure it is,” Dar replied, her voice shielded by the rounded vowels of the

TV character they were watching. “You are my business.”

Kerry felt a gentle chill run down her spine. “Am I?”

“Of course.” Pale blue engulfed her. “I love you,” Dar stated with quiet

sincerity. “That makes you my business.”

Kerry just sat there, breathing for a long moment. “Oh,” she finally said,

faintly.

“Does that bother you?” Dar inquired.

Kerry shook her head. “No.” She studied Dar’s face. “I guess that means

you’re very much my business, too.” She exhaled, then settled into the crook

356 Melissa Good

of Dar’s arm as the crocodile man went through his antics. It had been Kyle,

she knew it. She felt his slimy fingers in the whole thing, and she knew he’d be

back. Her eyes lifted to see the sharp profile above her, and she smiled grimly.

He didn’t know what he was getting into this time, though, and she was glad.

He’ll lose. This time.

Chapter

Twenty-eight

KERRY WOKE UP with a sure, comfortable grip around her, and she kept

her eyes closed as she absorbed the sensation of being naked and tangled in

Dar’s embrace. It was warm, and she could feel the gentle rhythm of the taller

woman’s breathing moving against her where Dar was pressed up against her

back. She thought about her dream. It was strange; she’d had a few of these

weird ones lately, where she seemed to be seeing through someone else’s eyes,

in situations completely unfamiliar to her, but which seemed as comfortable

as the nice well of contentment she found herself in right now. Weird. She

exhaled, feeling Dar’s grip tighten a little, and she lifted a hand to lazily stroke

the powerful thigh tucked in back of her own . It felt nice, the skin all soft and

velvety over the strong muscles that shifted a tiny bit under her touch. She felt

Dar’s skin pressing against hers, the contact increasing and relaxing ever so

gently as her lover breathed in a comforting rhythm she found almost

hypnotic. Nice.

Kerry let her eyes drift open a bit, taking in the morning sunlight that

bathed the room and judging it to be about nine o’clock. She glanced around,

remembering what the room had looked like last night, and managed to retain

a good feeling about how her friends had so carefully returned it to its original

state. Even the clothes pulled out of her drawers had been neatly folded and

put back. Probably more neatly than they were originally, she wryly admitted. She

should feel horrible, she knew that—and her poor fish. Kerry imagined

coming home to all that alone, and she shivered, glad of Dar’s close presence.

It was nice to have someone she could share things with.

A tiny tickle edged around her ear, and she giggled in startlement. That

was followed by a low, almost soundless chuckle that echoed perfectly the one

in her dream. “That tickles,” she accused, enjoying the sensation thoroughly.

“I know,” Dar replied, nibbling further. “How are you feeling?”

Kerry hummed deep in her throat. “Nice,” she replied dreamily. “I like

waking up like this.” She sighed contentedly. “Especially after last night.”

“Glad you postponed your scuba lesson,” Dar commented, moving

further down her neck and smiling a little as the blonde woman’s body arched

against her. “We have fish buying to do.”

Kerry rolled over and snuggled closer, letting her hands roam freely over

Dar’s body, curiously exploring the planes and curves of it. “What’s that

from?” She traced a long, thin scar that started just below the taller woman’s

breast and ended near her hip.

“I was tree climbing,” Dar admitted, glancing down wryly. “I went to

358 Melissa Good

jump for a branch and missed. I scraped up against the trunk. There was an

old nail there and I sliced myself up pretty good.”

“Oh.” Kerry ducked her head and kissed the spot. “Bet that hurt.”

“I was screaming like a banshee, yeah.” Dar chuckled. “I’ve never liked

hospitals—had to go get stitches and a tetanus shot the size of a harpoon.”

“Ouch.” Kerry winced, then continued her exploration. “Can I ask you a

personal question?” She peered up at her companion, who raised an eyebrow

at her. “Well?”

“Sure,” Dar replied with a grin. “How much more personal can we get

here?” She traced a line down Kerry’s throat, tickling her pulse point.

“How old are you?” Kerry rested her cheek on Dar’s belly and blinked at

her.

A sheepish grin covered the dark-haired woman’s face. “I’ll be thirty in

about a month or so.”

“Son of a bitch.” Kerry laughed. “I knew it. You just act like you’ve been

running the world for years.” She paused. “When’s your birthday?” she

coaxed.

“Uh-uh, I never tell anyone what day it is.” Dar shook her head.

“Why?”

“Just because.” The pale blue eyes flickered. “I don’t like fusses.”

“Mmm.” Kerry drew a circle on the soft surface she was resting on.

“Please tell me?” she asked quietly. “It’s no fair, you know mine.”

Life isn’t fair, Dar almost retorted, then she sighed. After all, what did it

matter if Kerry knew? She’d probably actually get a card or something from

her. That would be different. “Christmas Day.”

The blonde blinked in surprise. “Really?”

Dar nodded. “Yep. So you could say I’ve never really had a birthday,

because there’s no point in making anything separate. You know?” She’d

gotten over feeling bad about that years and years ago. Right?

“Hmm.” Kerry drew another circle, then watched her hand move in idle

patterns on the tanned skin. “Would you be really pissed off at me if I made

you a party?”

Dar remained quiet for a bit, then she raked her fingers through Kerry’s

pale hair. “It’d be a pretty damn small party,” she told her friend. “I think I’d

rather celebrate Christmas.”

Kerry held her peace. For now. “Okay. Well, I guess some breakfast is in

order. I think I have some cinnamon toast left.” She rubbed Dar’s skin.

“Mmm. We could be adventurous and let me cook,” Dar replied

playfully. “And you’ll see why I always have corn flakes for breakfast.”

“Those.” Kerry poked her, “aren’t,” another poke, “Corn Flakes. They’re

Frosted Flakes, and they are so unhealthy for you.”

“Yeah, but they taste g-r-reat,” Dar shot back immediately, rolling the R’s

on the great and sounding very much like the commercial. “And besides, I’ve

been eating them since I was a kid, and it certainly didn’t stunt my growth.”

She spread her arms out and indicated her tall frame. “Now, you, on the other

hand…”

“Uh uh, don’t you start!” Kerry warned, with a laugh. “I always got told

drinking alcohol would stunt my growth. I didn’t touch a damn drop until I

Tropical Storm 359

got to college, and look where it got me?”

Dar grinned back, tracing a line down her arm. “I think you’re the perfect

size.”

Kerry snorted. “For what? Shortstop?”

Dar slid her arms around her smaller companion and lifted her up,

rolling over and settling her into place, sprawled on top of her, with Kerry’s

head tucked against her shoulder. “For that.” She closed her eyes and hugged

the blonde woman to her, feeling Kerry’s body go limp and relaxed against

her own. “See? Perfect fit.”

Kerry had the sudden urge to burrow into the taller woman’s soft skin

and never let go. “Yes, but can you breathe?” she murmured softly, knowing

the answer by the steady movement under her.

“No problem,” Dar assured her, rubbing a hand gently up and down

Kerry’s back. She fell silent as peace flooded over her, completely foreign to

anything she’d ever known. She had no desire to do anything but stay right

here with the blonde woman, trading touches and the exploratory kisses

Kerry was planting on her chest. There was no restless urge to move, no desire

to be up and going, just a warmly sensual place she had no intention of

leaving. Her hands moved slowly up Kerry’s sides, tracing the curves.

Kerry sighed in pleasure. I definitely like waking up like this.

“HERE, AT LEAST make me feel better by drinking some orange juice.”

Kerry put a glass of the fragrant orange beverage in front of her.

“I can’t drink that, Kerry,” Dar informed her, munching on her toast. “It’s

un-Floridian, we leave it all for the tourists and the export trade. Why do you

think it costs so damn much here?”

“Dar.” Green eyes gave her an amusedly exasperated look. “Drink the

damn juice.”

That got her a bright grin. “You’re feisty this morning,” the dark-haired

woman commented.

“It’s not morning,” Kerry pointed out wryly. “Not that I’m complaining,

it’s been a while since I’ve slept in.”

Dar sucked on her juice and nodded. “Me too,” she agreed in mild

surprise, feeling very relaxed. “Why don’t you grab a shower, and I’ll log in to

see if there’s anything going on I need to take care of.” She leaned back and

stretched, feeling her shoulders pop into place.

Kerry leaned over her, thoroughly enjoying the taut stretch of the cotton

fabric against Dar’s body. Her lips found the taller woman’s and lingered,

tasting the cinnamon from the toast she’d been chewing, and the tartness of

the orange juice. Before she knew it, Dar’s arms had slipped around her and

tugged her down on her lap, and Kerry’s hands were insistently sliding under

the thin cotton.

They broke off amidst trailing touches and ragged breathing. “Whoa.”

Kerry let her forehead rest against Dar’s. “We’re not really getting very far

today, are we?” She sucked in air as her hands returned to the warm skin she

couldn’t seem to stop touching. “Sorry.”

Dar smiled at her, through lazily half-lidded eyes. “Don’t apologize, it

360 Melissa Good

feels great.” She nuzzled Kerry’s neck, then nipped lightly at the neatly

outlined breasts under the soft fabric, drawing a soft, incoherent sound from

the blonde woman. “Ooo, I like that noise,” she purred, then relented, and

simply hugged her lover. “Okay, okay, we’ve got plenty of time to indulge.

Let’s get our chores finished.”

Kerry was very close to telling her to toss the chores, then she sighed and

hugged Dar back. “Right, okay, I was going to go shower.” Reluctantly, she

unwound herself from Dar’s embrace and stood. “Be out in a minute.” She

started to move off, but found her shirt being tugged from behind. “Hmm?”

“Want some help?” Dar inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

A sigh. “Good thing I don’t pay for hot water, I think.” Kerry held out a

hand with a grin. “C’mon.” Well, she rationalized, at least we’re sort of making progress towards the fish store.

IT WAS A Petsmart. Dar glanced around her approvingly. She liked

Petsmarts because they weren’t puppy mills. They hosted shelter adoption

centers, and they had fifty-two different colors of dog collars. She didn’t know

why that was important, except that she hated to think she was being forced

into something, and that big a variety pretty much insured you could pick

what you wanted. They also let people bring their pets inside, and it was

interesting to note that people generally picked dog breeds that matched

them.

She watched Kerry browse the aquarium aisle as a woman with an Afgan

hound walked by, the dog’s nervously coquettish air matching her owner’s

with uncanny precision. Next came a man with an unlit cigar and no neck

walking a bulldog. Amazing. Then she spotted a woman strolling down the

bulk dog food aisle with a small, golden cocker spaniel. She examined the dog,

then, casting a glance at her companion, she slipped after the woman silently.

Kerry paced back and forth, peering into the tanks trying to decide which

ones to pick. “Do you have any gouramies?” she asked the patiently waiting

boy in the red vest who was holding a small case filled with water and a net.

“Sure, over here.” He pointed to two large tanks to her right. “There are

some big ones in there.”

“Mmm.” Kerry examined the fish. “Okay, okay. That one.” She pointed,

then realized Dar was behind her. “That’s a nice one, isn’t it?”

“Yep,” Dar agreed, putting her hands behind her back. “That’s a nice one,

too.” She pointed at a brightly striped gouramie near the tank’s filter.

“Okay, and that one.” Kerry smiled at her. “Thanks.” She looked into the

next tank. “Do I want guppies again?”

“They’re easy to take care of,” Dar offered. “Goldfish are nice, too.”

Kerry gave her a look, then glanced up. “Oh, hey, Siamese fighting fish.”

She blinked respectfully at the luridly colorful, solitary creatures each in its

own bowl. An idea formed. “Dar, you should get one of these.”

“No.” Dar shook her head. “I don’t have pets.”

“It’s not a pet.” Kerry turned and concentrated on convincing her. “Think

of it as…a, um, a business strategy. You can keep it on your desk.”

“Kerry, I don’t have pets. I especially don’t have pets on my desk,” the

Tropical Storm 361

taller woman replied sternly.

“C’mon.” Kerry spotted a double tank. “Oh, no, this one.” She pulled it

down. It was a clever construct, with intertwining lucite tubes that let its

inhabitants see but not touch each other. “Look, you can get two. I think it

would be good for you, Dar. Something nice and relaxing to look at on your

desk.”

“Kerry,” Dar’s voice dropped ominously.

“Listen, I’ll feed them. They’ll just look so pretty in your office. You can

get a blue one and a red one. Think of how relaxing they’d be to watch.”

The taller woman turned to the watching attendant. “Do they eat human

flesh?”

The boy’s eyes bugged out. “Uh. I…they eat, uh, brine shrimp, ma’am,

but I guess…I mean, if you fed it to them in tiny bites.” He swallowed. “Like if

you ground it up or something.”

Dar wanted to bark a refusal, she really did. She didn’t have time for fish,

or pets, or… The green eyes facing her blinked beseechingly. No, no… Fish had

no place in her life; nothing like that did. Kerry tilted her head a bit, and put a

hopeful smile on her face. Oh shit. “Fine.” She gave up. “Put ’em in a bag or

something.” She gave the mischievously delighted Kerry a dour look. “I’m

warning you, I’ll end up knocking them over. I’ve got the worst luck with

pets.” She winced, imagining the comments she’d get from the rest of the staff.

Then she considered. Siamese fighting fish. Her fingers drummed against her

thigh. Maybe that won’t be so bad after all. She grinned. Here, José, give me your finger. Oops, did I prick you? Sorry, didn’t realize I was holding a needle. Oh, here,

just put your finger in here to wash it off. “Heh heh.”

“What’s so funny?” Kerry was busy picking out two of the biggest,

prettiest fighting fish she could find.

“Oh, nothing.” Dar cupped her chin in her hand. “You up for some lunch

after this? I’m starved.”

Kerry gave her a look, then gathered her choices and proceeded towards

the checkout lane. “Sure. What’d you have in mind?”

“Dunno.” Dar chuckled softly to herself. “How about some burgers?”

“Mmm, okay,” the blonde woman agreed. “Did you get some shrimp for

your fish?”

Dar juggled the box. “Yep. Do you know what these really are?” she

asked teasingly.

Kerry peered at the container. “Yes, brine shrimp.” She got to the counter

and put her stuff down.

“Nope, they’re Sea Monkeys.” Dar took possession of her fish and their

case, and pulled out her credit card, passing it over to the woman. She took

advantage of the fact that Kerry was staring, aghast, at her fish’s food, to make

a circling gesture over Kerry’s fish too and give the clerk a smile.

“Sea Monkeys?” Kerry squeaked. “Those cute little things that have

families and do tricks?” She grabbed the container. “Dar, you can’t feed your

fish Sea Monkeys!”

Dar snatched it back. “Yes, I can.” She gave her companion a piratical

grin. “Just be glad you didn’t talk me in to a python.”

Kerry stared at her. “What do they eat?”

362 Melissa Good

“Bunnies,” Dar told her seriously as she took the slip from the clerk and

signed her name. “Nice fluffy ones.”

“Eeewwww!” her shorter companion let out a squeal. Then she turned to

the clerk. “Do they?”

The clerk nodded sadly at her. “Oh yes, ma’am. And they go down tail

first, the last thing you see is their twitching little noses.”

“That’s it.” Kerry slapped her hand on the counter. “I’m out of here.” She

looked up expectantly. “How much?”

The clerk glanced at her, then up at Dar. “Um…” She cleared her throat.

“I took care of it,” Dar said quietly. “You were too busy squealing.”

Kerry put her hands on her hips and looked first at the clerk, then at Dar.

“I will get you for that,” she warned, then shook her head. “Thank you,” she

added, picking up the bags. “Now, let’s get out of here before you start telling

me they feed the parrots live mice.” She stalked out, leaving Dar to exchange

amused looks with the clerk, and pick up her own purchases. Dar strolled out

after her, feeling quite pleased with herself—for several reasons.

IT WAS CLOUDING over by the time they got back to Kerry’s apartment,

and Dar tipped her dark head back to regard the clouds as they walked

towards the door. “Looks like a front’s coming through.” The wind rose and

whipped their hair around them. “Good thing we’re not out on the water, this

could get nasty.”

“Brr.” Kerry hopped up on the sidewalk. “I must be getting used to the

warmth down here, that wind feels cool.”

Dar only barely kept herself from wrapping a friendly arm around the

smaller woman. Jesus, Dar. she admonished herself. What the hell happened to

the ‘I don’t like to be touched’ person you used to be? All it takes is one five-foot-four-inch blonde with pretty eyes to turn you into a huge, dripping pile of mush? “Yeah,”

she commented simply.

“Well…” Kerry keyed in her new code and opened the door, standing

back to let Dar enter. “I, um…” Suddenly, she didn’t want Dar to go home.

“Hey, I picked up some stuff the other night, to try a new recipe. You game?”

There was so much she had to do at home, Dar reflected. Work lists and

projects she had to take care of. She could see the imperfectly hidden

hopefulness in Kerry’s eyes, though, and she smiled inwardly. “I’d love to,

but I’ve got to log in and take care of some stuff.”

Kerry smiled happily. “Computer’s all yours. I’ll get the fish put away.”

She gestured toward her desk, and moved past it to put the packages down on

the dining room table. “Listen, I picked up a copy of the X-files movie. We

could watch that afterward.”

Dar settled into the comfortable desk chair and flipped the computer on,

cracking her knuckles lightly. It felt good to be part of someone else’s plans for

a change. “Hmm, I’d like that.” She waited for the connection to complete,

then logged in and set her mail to downloading while she started up a session

with the mainframe. “Oh, crap.” She reviewed an Urgent Notify. “Ouch.”

Kerry finished tucking the containers of fish into the tank without

opening them, allowing the temperatures to equalize, then she wandered over

Tropical Storm 363

and peered at the screen. “What’s wrong?”

“Damned airline tried to backup its print servers…and blew one.” Dar

sighed. “All of domestic printing is down for them.”

“What does that mean?” Kerry asked curiously.

“You ever check in at an airline counter?” Dar asked as she flicked

through the report.

“Sure.” Kerry laughed. “A lot of times. Why?”

“You ever need a boarding pass?”

“Yeah.”

“You ever need your bags tagged?”

“Sure.”

“You see all those lists the stews check passengers off on?”

“Um…”

“Ever had to buy a ticket at the counter?”

“I’m getting a clue here, Dar.” Kerry patted her shoulder. “What do they

do if this stuff’s down?”

“Hand write everything.”

Kerry blinked. “Oh my god, I’m glad I’m not at Newark.”

Dar turned her head and gently kissed the hand resting on her shoulder.

“Me too. It’s going to be a lousy night to fly.” Mushball. The hand lifted and

caressed her cheek. “This close to the holidays, too.”

“Can you do anything?” Kerry asked, enjoying the feel of her soft skin.

About what? Dar wondered. Oh, right. The printers. “Well, it’s their server.

We just carry the data.”

“They don’t have a backup?” Kerry asked. “Where are those servers?”

“Charlotte. They maintain them long distance.” Dar leaned back against

her.

“Do we have a backup we can lend them?”

Dar crossed her arms and thought. “Hmm. Damn thing’s a beast box—

quad Pentium II, hundred twenty eight megs of ram. They have a RAID five

array on the thing, and normally they’d just plug the array into the backup

box. But they upgraded the operating system on the primary and hadn’t

gotten around to doing the backup yet. And, they have different controller

cards.”

“Not supported?” Kerry winced.

“Nope. They’d need a duplicate of their existing box.” She closed her eyes

and concentrated. “Let me think.”

Kerry obliged, massaging her neck lightly with a gentle touch. “When we

were doing the Disney project, I thought we had some pretty powerful

resources up there—those Alpha boxes I was plugging into, for instance.”

Dar cocked her head. “I wonder…” She reached over and typed a request

in the database. “No, those are dual processor, but… Wait a minute.” She

drummed her fingers on the desk, then unclipped her cell phone from her belt

and dialed a number. “Brent? Dar Roberts.” She glanced at the screen. “Listen,

you’ve got a backup server we use for the Sprint account, right?”

“Well, yes, ma’am, we do,” the man answered hesitantly. “Haven’t used

it in forever, but it’s still back there.”

“Good. Dust it off and get it over to the server room,” Dar told him.

364 Melissa Good

“Disconnect it from their backup lines, under my authority.”

“Okay.” The man was more than happy to comply.

Dar hung up and dialed again. “Isis? Dar Roberts here. I understand

you’ve got a little problem.”

“A little problem?” The woman’s voice was clearly incredulous. “I don’t

have a single printer working in all of the continental United States. That’s not

a problem, that’s a high-order cluster, Dar.”

“What’s the prognosis?” the tall executive asked, circling the listening

Kerry with one arm.

“Don’t ask. They’re trying to build a duplicate, but it’s going to take HP

about six hours to fly the controller board out there from Washington State.”

The woman sighed.

“What’s a ten-minute uptime worth to you?” Dar drawled.

“If you’re joking, Dar, I’m going to fly to damn Miami and punch you,”

Isis replied. “What’s it worth? My undying gratitude.”

“I have a backup server set up in Charlotte, you’ll just have to plug in

your array. It’s got the same architecture as your old one.”

“God bless you, Dar. Goodbye, Dar.” The woman spoke rapidly and

hung up.

Dar chuckled, then turned to her companion. “Very good idea, Kerry,

thank you.” She gazed fondly at her. “The traveling public thanks you.”

Kerry grinned. “Hey, I do my best.” She gave Dar a quick hug then went

back to the fish, setting up Dar’s tanklet while her boss continued to check her

mail. The fighting fish were swimming in their little bags, watching her

suspiciously. She waved at them as she cleaned out the tank, and filled it with

fresh water. “You think this stuff will make the water okay?” She held up the

container of bacteria they’d gotten.

“Hmm?” Dar turned around and peered at her. “You’re asking me?” She

chuckled softly. “I think it’ll be okay. The guy said they’re pretty sturdy fish.”

She turned back, hesitating before she opened up the file Mark had sent her. It

was a complete, a very complete, outline on Kyle Lewis. “Did you know Kyle

was discharged with prejudice from the Marines?”

Kerry looked up with a start. “Oh, I forgot you did that. Um, yeah, I did.

He really resented that, but I never knew why. He just used to tell people he’d

been set up.” She put the top on Dar’s fish, and smiled at them. “There you

go.”

The two fish explored their new home suspiciously, immediately heading

for the twinned bridge where they could keep an eye on each other. Kerry

wandered over to where Dar was sitting again and perched on the corner of

the desk. “Yeah, that’s him.”

The picture Mark had included was of a handsome, sharply featured man

with silvered hair and direct, intelligent hazel eyes. Dar glanced over his

record, then flicked her eyes to Kerry’s face, which was cool and

expressionless. “He was in charge of a training exercise that went bad—six

men died and three were wounded.”

Kerry nodded a little. “You think he was framed? That’s what he says.”

A shake of her head. “I don’t know. Based on the report, it seems pretty

cut and dried. He told the group to go ahead into an area that had been

Tropical Storm 365

blocked off as off limits due to a live mining exercise,” Dar said softly. “Two

of the three injured had their legs blown off.”

The blonde remained silent, then they both looked up at a tap on the

door. “You expecting someone?” Dar asked quietly.

“Colleen’s out shopping, she thought I wasn’t going to be here today,”

Kerry answered, just as quietly, as she moved across the carpet and peered out

the security hole. Her eyes widened. “It’s Kyle,” she mouthed back to Dar.

Another tap. Dar motioned her back and she came to her side.

“Tell him you’ll be right there,” Dar whispered.

Kerry licked her lips, her heart pounding in reaction to seeing Kyle’s face.

“Coming!” she called out. “Hold on.”

Dar had closed out her sessions, and now she took Kerry by the

shoulders. “All right, just take it easy. I’ll duck behind the door there, and you

just let him in and pretend nothing happened last night.”

Kerry sucked in a breath. “I think I can do that.” She nodded. “He’s

probably here to take notes and report back.”

“Probably. You keep calm. I’ll be right here. Trust me, Kerry, if he

touches you…” Dar left the threat unfinished.

The blonde woman kissed her lightly. “My hero,” she said with quiet

insistence. “Okay, you go hide, let me let the slimeball in.” Dar’s presence

gave her courage, and she watched her companion tuck herself away behind

the bathroom door while she padded over to the front door, taking a deep

breath, then pulling it open.

Hazel eyes immediately fastened on her, running over her as though she

were a racehorse. Kerry stiffened in pure reflex. “Oh, hello, Kyle. I wasn’t

expecting you.”

“I bet.” He smiled at her. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Kerry stepped back and watched him enter, getting a whiff of his

distinctive cologne as he passed. He was dressed in a sport coat and slacks

and was impeccable as usual. “What brings you to Miami?”

“Oh, this and that for your father—as usual.” He turned full circle,

regarding the room with a slightly puzzled air. “I thought I’d stop in and see

how you were doing.” Now his eyes came to rest on her. “You’re looking

good. Put on a little weight, though, haven’t you?” Another smile. “Your

mother will be devastated.”

Kerry perched on the corner of the couch, very aware of the silent

presence at her back. “Actually, I feel better than I have in a long time. I think

I was a little too thin before.” She met his eyes unflinchingly.

“Tch. Not according to your mother.” He shook his head. “You don’t

want to disappoint her, Kerry, you know how important appearances are to

her.”

It was funny, Kerry thought. Not a sound came from Dar, but she could

swear she could hear the taller woman’s teeth grinding together. Hers were.

“Well, she’ll just have to live with it, I guess. I leave on Wednesday.”

“Oh yes, I heard you told her you were thinking of staying.” Kyle looked

around again. “Nice place, can’t say I blame you.” He looked back at her.

“Now, you know that’s not going to happen, right?” His voice was friendly

and sweet. “It’s time you came home and settled down, Kerry. They’ve

366 Melissa Good

planned the wedding for April.”

Kerry looked right at him. “That’s a matter between me and my parents,

Kyle,” she stated softly. “So I guess I’ll be talking to them about it next week.”

Kyle came up to her suddenly and frighteningly fast. “You’re going to be

a good girl, aren’t you?” he asked softly. “You’re not going to get your father

upset now, hmm?”

Kerry swallowed, feeling a lifetime of concession laying on her like a

blanket. “I hope not, but as I said, that’s between them and me.” She

deliberately remained seated, her arms crossed on her chest. His eyes bored

into hers, and Kerry knew if Dar hadn’t been there, she would have been in a

lot of trouble.

A fingertip found her chin. “Be good,” he warned softly. “I don’t like

having to deal with your father when he’s upset. It makes me…anxious.”

Kerry looked past his eyes and up, and found herself staring into a pair of

pale blue chips of ice, framed by a set, furious face so close behind Kyle, it was

a wonder he didn’t hear her breathing. “Kyle, go home,” she said quietly. “I’m

not a kid anymore, and you’re not my keeper.”

He breathed on her for a moment, hesitant. “Now I know you’re going to

have to come home. This place isn’t good for you, Kerry.” He reached out to

grip her jaw in a sudden, savage move.

It never completed, as he found his wrist held by long, powerful fingers.

Slowly, he turned his head and found his eyes captured by incredibly blue

ones in the face of a stranger. “Who the fuck are you?”

Dar smiled, with a total lack of humor. “A friend.” She released his hand,

then moved a step closer to Kerry. “Who doesn’t like to see other friends being

manhandled.”

“Lady, I don’t know who in the hell you are, but you’d do better for

yourself to keep out of my business,” Kyle told her. “Got me?” His voice

dropped in menace.

“You know, my father had a name for people like you,” Dar replied in a

conversational tone. “But you probably don’t want to hear what it was.” She

gave him an amused look, very obviously not intimidated by his threat.

He studied her. “Oh, let me see here, are you Kerry’s… special friend?”

His mouth twisted into a sneer.

“No, I’m far worse than that,” Dar responded with a smile. “I’m her

boss.” She handed him her business card. “Here, make sure you spell the

name right.” She moved a step closer to him. “Now, are you done threatening,

browbeating, and insulting my employee?”

Kyle flicked his gaze at the card, then up at her face. “Be careful, Ms.

Roberts. This is family business, and you’re not welcome in it.”

Ice blue eyes stared back at him unflinchingly. “Be careful, Mr. Lewis.

You’d be surprised at what businesses I choose to take an interest in,” Dar

replied very softly. “Or what happens when I do.”

He chose not to answer that. Instead, he turned to the silent blonde

woman at Dar’s side. “Well, always nice to see you, Kerry.” A forced smile

shaped his lips. “It will be good to have you home on Wednesday. Perhaps we

can continue our discussion then.” He pocketed Dar’s card, then turned and

walked to the door, yanking it open, then exiting and slamming it behind him.

Tropical Storm 367

A momentary silence fell, then Kerry sighed. “Well. That was pleasant.”

She turned and gazed at her companion. “But it could have been a lot worse,

thanks.”

“Obnoxious little son of a puta,” Dar cursed disgustedly. “Piece of…” She

exhaled. “What a horse’s ass.”

Kerry leaned against her. “Yeah.” She sighed. “He certainly is. This

coming weekend’s not going to be pleasant.” Briefly, she contemplated not

going and was startled at how tempting that was. “I’d rather be here, eating

turkey roll on white bread and watching that watchamacallit marathon

they’re doing on cable.”

“Well…” Dar kissed her forehead. “If you decide to cop out, let me know.

I’ll stick around and come share turkey roll with you, okay?”

Kerry circled Dar with her arms. “You don’t know how tempting that is,

but I have to go. I’ve got to get this over with.” She sighed. “And tell them I

won’t be home for Christmas.”

Dar hugged her back. “I’ll be there with you in spirit, you know that,

right?”

Kerry looked up at her. “I know that,” she murmured in wonder.

“It…helps. I never could have answered him like that otherwise.”

The dark-haired woman brushed her bangs back gently. “You did a good

job of it,” she informed Kerry. “He was looking to push your buttons.”

“Mmm.” Kerry let her head rest against Dar’s shoulder. And he did, too. It

was just like there was a warm layer between her and his words, even the

meanest of them. “Always has to get his digs in.”

Dar looked over her shoulder without really seeing anything, her mind

on strategy. “Maybe it’s time someone did a little digging at him,” she

commented. “C’mon, let’s go cause some trouble.” She lead Kerry back to the

desk and sat down. “He have a favorite airline?”

“Delta, but…” Kerry peered at the screen as Dar activated a session.

“Delta, today, from here to DC…his name… Ah.” She typed in a sequence

and pulled up something. “There you go, there’s his flight PNR for his

return.” She looked at Kerry mischievously. “You know what you can do in

here?” A shake of the blonde head. “This.” Dar typed in a four-letter sequence

and the screen disappeared. “Poof. He no longer has airline reservations.” She

smiled at the screen. “Welcome to the Information Age, Mr. Lewis.” Kerry

covered her eyes.

DAR THREW ENERGY into finishing her work list, clearing out several

items in a row and keeping half an ear on Kerry, who was puttering around in

the kitchen. She knew Kyle’s visit had unsettled Kerry, and she impatiently

answered some of the dozen or so urgent mails she had waiting, anxious to

get them out of the way so she could go back to… Go back to what, Dar? Playing

around? Her lips quirked . Yeah. So much more interesting than telling José he had to go back to the drawing board on two accounts and typing in an official

answer to the complaint lodged against her by Peter. Jerk. She sighed and

rubbed her forehead, considering how to phrase the response. “He screwed

up the account, Alastair sent me out there to bail him out, and I did. What’s

368 Melissa Good

the problem?” She drummed her fingers on the keyboard and then

backspaced. “No, she’d kill me if I said that.”

“What’s wrong?” Kerry appeared, resting an arm on her shoulder. Her

hand had a soft cotton mitt covering it, and she was carrying a mixing spoon

which smelled very distracting. Dar immediately licked it and grinned at the

smaller woman’s squawk of surprise. “Dar! Cut that out!”

“Mmm. Whatever that is tastes great,” the dark-haired woman replied.

“This. Peter filed a formal complaint against my conduct and I have to answer

it. I’m trying to find a politically correct way to say ‘bite me’ and not have

Mariana pull her hair out.”

“It’s meatball sauce. I’m trying a new recipe for spaghetti and meatballs,”

Kerry answered absently, peering at the document. “I figured that was pretty

safe.”

Dar’s eyes brightened. “Haven’t had that in a while,” she stated. “I don’t

usually order it in restaurants; the meatballs generally taste like pressed

oatmeal.”

Kerry nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Hey, listen, why don’t you say that

you were asked to evaluate the situation, and the client decided they wanted

to negotiate with you directly.” She glanced at Dar. “That’s what happened,

right?”

“More or less,” Dar acknowledged. “Truthfully, Gerald Easton is an old

friend of my father’s. He’s known me since I was a kid.” She sighed. “He just

really didn’t like Peter’s style, so he called and bitched at Alastair.”

“Hmm.” Kerry exhaled. “Okay, you can say that you had prior

experience with that contract, and the client felt more comfortable dealing

with you.”

A faint smile curved Dar’s lips. “You’re pretty good at this stuff.”

Green eyes twinkled. “Debating, remember? You have to sometimes say

the same thing four different ways in order to get your point across.”

Dar laughed. “I’d love to have seen you up there. Nothing I like better

than a good debate.”

Kerry blushed a little and grinned. “The contest I won was the one thing

my father came to. It was pretty high profile, and he had such a good time

doing the chip off the old block thing in the audience.” She looked a little sad.

“It felt good to win that.”

“You ever think of going into politics yourself?” Dar inquired.

A soft snort. “No way. If I’d wanted to spend my life deceiving people I’d

have gone into marketing, thanks.” She gave Dar a wry look. “You’re not

going to tell me you think public servants do it for the pleasure of serving

their fellow countrymen, are you?”

“No.”

“Whew. I didn’t want to burst that bubble for ya, let me tell you, Dar,”

Kerry informed her. “It’s a disgusting business.”

Dar grunted softly. “Tell you what, why don’t you type up an answer for

me, and I’ll go stir your sauce.” She slipped out of the chair and plucked the

spoon from Kerry’s hand. “Fair trade?”

Kerry sat down, the chair warm from Dar’s body and glanced up. “Try

not to eat it all, okay?” she teased, getting a flash of a smile in return as she

Tropical Storm 369

turned her attention to the screen.

Dar padded into the kitchen, lifting the cover off a cast iron pot on the

stove and releasing a moist cloud of garlic and spices into the air. “Ooo.” She

stirred the sauce gently as she thought about the report that had come back

about Kerry’s father. The usual, mostly. Minor kickbacks, some reported

bribery, nothing concrete. But there were two anonymous bank accounts she

was investigating further, and a very strange series of transactions from what

looked like a private credit line in his name only. No sense, she’d decided, in

letting Kerry see the report until she was finished and had something

concrete.

And then what? Dar exhaled. Despite everything, she suspected Kerry still

loved her parents, and her family. Doing something to hurt her father would

hurt her as well, and as much as Dar wanted to slam the man for what she

considered a disgusting persecution of her friend... Would that really serve a

purpose? Maybe the information would come in handy to her, though, in her

arguments for staying here. And I want to give Kerry all the ammunition for that I

can, right? Of course, there was always the possibility it wouldn’t work. That

Kerry would allow herself to be persuaded to leave. That’s what you’re afraid of,

isn’t it? Dar’s eyes closed as she absently stirred the sauce. You’ve only known her for a month, Dar, the thought of living without her can’t possibly hurt you that

much. But it did.

She felt so comfortable with Kerry. Her usual wariness around people

seemed to evaporate around the blonde woman, and she found herself

basking in the warmth of a true friendship for the first time in a long while.

She hadn’t suspected she missed having that in her life quite as much as she

did, and now something was threatening that. She didn’t respond well to

threats. They made her want to do crazy things like beg Kerry not to go home.

Or go home with her. Oh yeah. She laughed uneasily to herself. That would win

a popularity contest, you just show up at her parents’ house. Let’s see…um… “Hi,

the company is instituting a new program in which supervisors must visit all of their

employees at least once over the holiday, and I’m starting with Kerry. Do you mind?”

Yeah.

She was so involved in her thoughts she didn’t even hear Kerry calling

her name until a warm hand touched her back and she jumped. “Wh— Oh,

sorry.” She stepped away from the stove and handed Kerry back her spoon.

“Here. I was just…um…”

“A million miles away,” Kerry supplied, gazing at her curiously. “You all

right?”

“Yeah. I was just thinking, that’s all.” Dar chuckled. “You finished in

there?” She was a little embarrassed to have been caught daydreaming. “I,

um, I’ll go take care of that other stuff.”

Kerry gave her a worried little frown, but nodded. “Okay, yeah, take a

look at what I wrote. See if you like it.” She patted Dar’s side. “Do you like

garlic bread?” Dar nodded. “Silly question. I guess I’ve got some of those

breadsticks in the freezer. I’ll put them up, too.”

The taller woman chuckled. “You like doing this, don’t you?”

Kerry shrugged. “I guess, I mean…I don’t think I’d bother for myself. In

fact, I know I wouldn’t. I generally just come home from work and grab some

370 Melissa Good

carrots or something, but it’s nice to take trouble for someone who appreciates

it.”

Dar regarded her seriously. “I do appreciate it,” she replied quietly.

“Very much so.”

That got her a big smile “I know. I noticed your kitchen doesn’t get used

much,” she teased gently. “I have nightmares thinking of you there with your

Egg McMuffins and chocolate milk.”

Dar laughed in pure reflex. “Nah, you’ve got me all wrong.” She shook

her head solemnly. “It’s Croissanwichs or nothing.”

A poke. “You should take better care of yourself.” Kerry mock scowled.

“That’s going to catch up with you one day.”

“Play hard…die young,” Dar half joked.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Kerry replied very seriously. “I’d like to have you

around for a long time.” An awkward silence fell, as stunned blue eyes looked

at her. “I’m sorry,” Kerry finally muttered. “That’s an incredibly

presumptuous thing for me to say.” She turned back to the stove and bent

over the pot, only to feel hands grip her shoulders gently.

She went still and didn’t resist as Dar turned her around, and she met the

pale blue eyes now gentled as they studied her face. “You know, when you

came in here, I was wondering what in the hell I was going to do if you did

decide to go home,” she murmured softly. “And I was trying to figure out

how someone I’ve known for less than a month could become so important to

me.”

“Oh,” Kerry replied.

“So, no, it wasn’t presumptuous. It’s nice that you care,” Dar added

shyly. “It feels kind of strange, but I think I like it.”

Kerry let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good.” She reached up and

interlaced her fingers with Dar’s. “Because I can’t help feeling that way, and

I’d hate to be driving you crazy or anything.”

Dar gave in to the insidious craving and hugged her. “Nah.” She released

her and stepped back, then smiled. “Let me go finish.” She turned and left the

kitchen.

Kerry sucked on the end of her spoon in thought as she turned back to

her sauce, and a small, incredulous smile slowly inched its way across her

face. Dar went back to the desk and dropped into the chair, propping her chin

onto her hand and peering at the screen. She let her eyes scan over the words

three times before any of them penetrated. Then she let her eyelids flutter shut

and just took a moment to collect herself, feeling a wealth of conflicting

emotion battering at her. Half of her was scared shitless. The other half, which

was this strange, new, alien-from-outer-space half, wanted to drop to her

knees and pledge lifelong devotion to this poor woman she barely knew. “I’m

a little old for this hormonal crap, aren’t I?” she muttered to herself wryly. “I

haven’t felt like this since I was twelve and had my first crush.”

She rubbed her eyes, then forced herself to concentrate on the screen, this

time actually reading it. “Oh, nice job,” she complimented the absent Kerry.

“Yeah, I like it.” The response was very reasonable and politely worded. “Of

course she’s gonna know I didn’t write it.” Dar chuckled softly. “But that’s

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okay, the mark of a good manager is knowing where to use their resources,

right?” She raised her voice. “Nice work.”

“Thanks,” came floating back, and Dar could all but hear the smile in the

word as she hit the Send key and sent the reply on its way. Then she settled

down and plowed through the next several issues, trying to ignore the

intriguing scents wafting in from the kitchen, only stopping for a moment as

thunder rolled overhead. “Hmm.”

Kerry entered, also listening. “Sounds nasty.” She leaned on the back of

the chair. “You finished? Dinner’s ready.”

“So I smell,” Dar agreed as she straightened. “Yep, I told off six people,

canceled three meetings, and sent two scathing replies to people who should

have known better.” She sighed. “Not a bad day.”

“Did you really?” Kerry gave her a look.

Dar nodded wryly. “Yes, I did.” She stood up and stretched. “But don’t

worry, everyone’s used to it. If I didn’t do that, they’d think something was

wrong with me,” she advised the blonde woman. “You want everything out

here on the table?”

Kerry hesitated, then grinned. “Well, I’ve got this big platter thing. I

thought it might be fun if we just use that and share it. It’s got little legs, we

could bring it over to the couch and watch the movie.”

“Hmm.” Dar’s voice dropped to a low, speculative growl. “I think I like

that idea.” She smiled abruptly. “I wonder if we can do that Lady and the

Tramp thing.”

“The wh…” Puzzled blonde brows knit, then cleared. “Oh…oh, you

mean with the spaghetti?” Kerry’s eyes lit up. “Well, sure, we could try it.”

She laughed. “C’mon.” They went into the kitchen together, laughing.

“IT WAS A cop-out,” Dar mumbled, gazing at the screen “Bee, my ass.”

Kerry giggled. “C’mon, they couldn’t have them kiss. The world would

end, monsters would explode out of everyone’s chest, the Cigarette Smoking

man would quit.” She tilted her head back and accepted a gentle assault on

her lips. “Glad we don’t have the same problem.”

“Me too,” Dar agreed with a chuckle as she leaned back against the

couch, with Kerry’s body cradled against hers as they watched. “God, I’m

stuffed, that was really good.”

Kerry stretched back against her and sighed. “Me too. And thanks, that

recipe really worked out.” She glanced up, then laughed and reached up to

wipe a bit of sauce off her companion’s face. “Except that spaghetti thing was

messy.”

“Mmm. So what was the secret of those meatballs?” Dar inquired. “They

were so light, did you put feathers in them?” She gave the smaller woman a

squeeze, then rewrapped her arms around Kerry’s middle.

A soft snort. “You won’t believe it, but the secret is milk,” Kerry admitted

with a laugh.

“Milk?” Dar protested. “You put milk in meatballs?”

Kerry rested her head back against the soft cushion of Dar’s breast and

smiled. “Yep. You mix a splash of milk into the pound of hamburger, then add

372 Melissa Good

the Italian breadcrumbs to it to soak it all up,” she stated smugly. “And an

egg.” A pause and a glance at Dar. “And, um…a little brown sugar.”

Dar laughed. “Milk, eggs, and brown sugar—sounds about my speed.”

She sighed. “Whatever it was, it was great.” She turned her head as the phone

rang, and they exchanged looks.

Kerry turn the sound down and picked up the cordless phone. “Hello?”

Her mother’s voice echoed in her ear. “Hello, Kerry?”

Like who else would be answering, hmm? “Hello, Mother.” She kept her voice

somewhere between cordiality and wariness. After all, the woman had hung

up on her the last time.

“Dear, I’ve been thinking.”

That’s a first. “Yes, Mother?” She held the phone so Dar could hear, not

hard since the taller woman was practically wrapped around her.

“Perhaps I was hasty the other night. I’ve spoken with your father, and

while he’s very upset, he says he’s sure you’ll calm down and be able to talk

with us about this when you come home.” Her mother’s voice sounded smug.

“I’m sure we can come to an arrangement. We understand you must have

gotten attached to your new friends down in that place.”

Attached? Kerry glanced down to the strong arms cradling her. “Well, yes,

Mother, you could say that. And I am wrapped up in some really interesting

things right now.” Dar snorted in laughter, burying her face into Kerry’s neck

for a moment and tickling her. Kerry bit her lip to keep from giggling.

“Certainly, certainly. We’re all grown up here, and we’re so looking

forward to seeing you. Brian misses you terribly.”

Really? He hasn’t called once since August. “I’m sure he does, Mother,” she

replied.

A momentary silence, then her mother cleared her throat. “You seem

distant, dear. Am I interrupting anything?”

Kerry tilted her head back as a nibble touched a nerve. “No, no. Um, I

was just watching a movie.” She swallowed, then closed her eyes as Dar’s

hands wandered up her belly, exposing her skin to the cool air conditioning.

“Oh. Well, we’re watching War and Peace.” A sigh. “Your father does so

love that one.”

“I’m sure he does,” Kerry managed to answer. “ I’m watching the X-files.”

“Kerry, you know what I think of that show,” her mother’s voice was

disapproving. “Disgusting. So disrespectful of the government. Why, did you

know your father once wrote a letter to that horrible man who puts it on, and

he got a note back telling him to go and take some drugs?”

Mental note, Dar decided, send fan mail to Chris Carter.

“Well, Mother…” Kerry let her head go limp against Dar’s chest as the

gentle nibbling reached around her throat. “It’s, um…just a TV show.” The

roaming fingers traced teasing circles around her breasts, and she let out soft,

incoherent sound.

“What was that, dear?” Her mother’s voice nudged her.

“Um…just something I was watching,” Kerry replied, giving her lover a

beseeching look. “Nothing you’d want to hear about. Oh yeah, did Kyle get

home all right?” She put a twist into her voice. “It was so nice of him to stop

by while he was down here.”

Tropical Storm 373

There was an awkward pause. “Was he there, dear? I didn’t…well, I’m

sure if he was in the area, of course he stopped in to see you. You know how

fond of you he is.” There was a muffled sound. “Roger, did you know Kyle

was in Florida? You did? Oh … Well, no… Kerry was just mentioning it.

What?”

Blue and green eyes exchanged conspiratorial looks.

“Oh, goodness, the poor man.” Kerry’s mother came back to the phone.

“Poor Kyle, there was a mix-up at the airport. His reservations got lost

somehow, and he had to drive to Tampa in order to catch a flight up here.

He’s waiting in Houston right now.”

“Gee. That’s awful,” Kerry intoned sincerely. “Only connecting flights,

huh?”

“Apparently so. Well, I’m glad he had a chance to see you.” Her mother

sighed.

“Oh yes, it was wonderful,” Kerry replied softly. “He even got to meet

my boss.”

“Really?”

“Um-hmm. She was over here working with me on a project. She gave

him her business card. Make sure Daddy gets it, okay?”

“Oh, well, of course.” A pause. “Is that normal, dear? I thought you

worked in an office.”

“I do,” Kerry replied. “But I had this extra thing going, and Dar takes a

very…” She flicked a glance at the tanned face peering over her shoulder,

“…personal interest in things.” The grip around her tightened, and she

winced, covering the receiver. “Not so tight, I’ll lose my dinner,” she

whispered softly, sucking in a breath as the hold loosened. Then Dar’s hands

playfully unbuckled the thin belt she was wearing, and undid the button

holding her jeans closed.

As fingers started a gentle, soothing massage, “Better?” a ghost of a word

reached her ears.

“Mmm.” Kerry relaxed and pressed the phone to her ear. “What was that,

Mother?”

“I said, did you get the tickets?” Now her mother sounded a bit annoyed.

“Yes,” Kerry replied. “I got them the other day.”

“All right, well, I’ve got to go make some coffee for your father. We’ll see

you on Wednesday, dear.”

“G’night, Mother,” Kerry replied politely, then hung up, and put down

the phone as she reached behind her and tangled her fingers in Dar’s hair.

“You’re a troublemaker.”

A low, sexy chuckle made little shivers go up and down her spine. “You

betcha.” She captured a tasty earlobe and bit down on it gently. “Was that an

apology from your mother?”

Kerry shrugged. “I guess, she hates conflict.”

“Hmm.” Dar rested her chin on Kerry’s shoulder. “Hell of a way to spend

Thanksgiving.”

Kerry wrapped her arms around Dar’s and sighed. “I get a stomach ache

just thinking about it,” she admitted. “I wish I could pack you in my suitcase

and take you with me. It’s going to be the longest five days of my life.” She

374 Melissa Good

thought about not going, again, and spending the holiday with Dar instead.

Oh boy. It was like a little puppy inside her started wagging its tail, and she

had to stifle it. “It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion.”

Dar fought off an almost overwhelming desire to protect her lover from

the anger and strife she knew she was walking into. “I wish you could pack

me in there, too,” she quipped wanly. “I’d love to see their faces when I

popped out.”

Kerry started laughing. “Jesus, that’s a mental picture.” She paused. “So,

tell me about this place you’re going to?”

“Well, like I said, Gerry’s an old friend of the family. By the way, he’s the

one who gave me those two contracts that saved Associated,” she said. “He

invited me up for the weekend. He’s got a son I get along with really well. His

family’s sweet, in an old-fashioned, service family kind of way. I don’t know.

“Is his son cute?” Kerry inquired curiously.

“Mmm, yeah, if you like the crew-cutted earnest type. He’s a Navy pilot

who just got assigned carrier duty,” Dar replied. “We more or less grew up

together. I know Gerry would like it if we were closer, but…” She chuckled.

“You know how that goes.”

“Mmm.” Kerry sighed. “I think you’re going to have a much better time

than I am.”

I doubt it, Dar mused silently. I’ll be worried about you the whole time. “Well, next Thanksgiving, we’ll have everyone over at the Island, how’s that?”

Kerry paused in silence for a moment, then she turned her head and

regarded Dar with a shy smile. “All right,” she agreed. “That’ll give me

something to think about while I battle through my parents’ plans.” She half

turned and snuggled into Dar’s chest, playing with the taller woman’s buttons

idly. “Damn, I wish this coming week were over with already. I’d give

anything for it to be next Sunday night…with all that behind me, and…” A

sigh. “I’m so dreading this.”

Dar stroked her hair awkwardly. “I know. Hell, it’s almost even giving

me a stomach ache,” she responded. “But hey, it’ll be over in a week,

then…we can…um…” She cast around for something she knew Kerry would

like. “Plan a Christmas party, okay?”

Kerry slid her eyes up the long, firm neck, and over the bump of Dar’s

jaw, up until she was meeting those pretty blue eyes. “Mmm. How about a

birthday party?”

Trapped. Augh. “Bu…” Dar nibbled a lip. “Ke…” The green orbs gentled

and pleaded with her. “Oh, okay.” She sighed, defeated.

Kerry smiled and patted her chest. “Nothing on earth would make me

miss that.” She hugged Dar close. “To hell with Thanksgiving.”

Dar grinned fiercely to herself. Now that was worth having a birthday for.

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?:

<<Attached message ->>

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

<<End text attachment>>

<<photo1.jpg>><<photo2.jpg>><<photo3.jpg>>

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.”

Tropical Storm 397

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?”

Tropical Storm 399

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.

Chapter

Thirty

KERRY YAWNED AS she woke up, letting her eyes scan the quiet room,

and taking in her sister’s sleeping form with a tiny smile. Dawn was just

breaking outside, and the first tendrils of pinkish gray were barely visible

between the trees in the backyard.

She lay there for a moment, then decided she wasn’t going to get back to

sleep and slipped out from under the covers, padding across the carpeted

floor and kneeling in front of her duffel bag. Her body felt a little antsy, and

she decided a quick run around the lake wouldn’t be a bad idea. So she pulled

on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt over a thick T-shirt, and tugged on

her sneakers. Running hadn’t been a favorite activity of hers, but lately, since

she’d been joining Dar when she stayed over at the island, and Dar had

coaxed her out on nighttime runs at her apartment, she’d developed a taste for

it. Or so she told herself. At any rate, it didn’t require any special equipment,

and it was comfortably neutral in that it was something both men and women

regularly did. “Not a stereotypical gay tip-off,” Dar had said wryly.

She walked quietly down the stairs and to the back door, hearing only the

faint stirrings of someone working in the kitchen. She undid the latch and

slipped out, sucking in a breath as the cold morning air hit her. “Whoa, boy,”

she muttered, stretching quickly, before she broke into a light jog and headed

for the path. “Better warm up fast.” The path was a well-kept gravel one, and

she found it with no problem, her feet settling into a familiar, easy rhythm as

she allowed her body to wake up. The cold air made her blink a little at first,

but she got used to it and took in a lungful as she reached the turn that would

take her around the perimeter of the small lake.

It was quiet. She was the only one out here at this hour, and her footsteps

against the gravel seemed echoingly loud to her. No sounds but the wind

itself reached her, and she realized she’d become so accustomed to Miami’s

verdant fauna that the absence of birds and crickets seemed odd and strange

to her. She thought about Bob the Duck as she let her strides move her down

the lakeside. Bob was an old friend who lived in the drainage canal near her

apartment. On summer nights, she often ended up gazing over the black,

rippling water, and often as not, Bob would come find her.

She’d taken to keeping bread crusts in her pockets for the old white duck,

and on many nights, she’d actually sat down, letting the faint breeze cool her

from the muggy heat for a while, until the familiar, waddling shape headed

her way. Kerry smiled as she thought of him, remembering the suspicious

look he’d given Dar when she’d brought her new friend over to meet her old

Tropical Storm 401

one. It had taken ten minutes or so before Bob had grudgingly come over,

waggling his tail at the taller woman and quacking a protest to her.

Her breath appeared as a steady, visible stream, and she glanced around,

wishing her running companion was with her. She’d had to really push

herself to keep up with Dar, since as much as she kidded the taller woman

about her love of chocolate and other sinful indulgences, Dar really was in

good shape. It showed in the effortlessness of her running, and her ability to

add little interesting additions to her morning workout. Like juggling. She’d

hardly believed it when she’d first seen Dar scoop up three rocks, then, while

they were running around the island, juggle them neatly as she went. She said

it developed balance and coordination, and made your upper body work too,

when running mostly just did things to your legs and lower body.

Juggling. Jesus. Kerry was positive she’d fall right on her face if she even

tried it. She continued on around the lake, going downhill, then rounding the

back end and heading back up hill again. That part, she acknowledged, she

missed in Miami, where the only hills were freeway overpasses. She could feel

the strain in her thighs and calves, but she kept on, pushing through the

tightness like Dar had taught her.

It was a two-mile circuit, and she was glad to see the house at the end of it

when she made it back up to the top of the hill, her breath coming hard and

the sweat standing out against her skin. The sun was up by now, and she

slowed to a walk as she hit the path up towards the kitchen door, pacing

herself and trying to catch her breath. Dar had said stamina would come to

her after a while, and she felt satisfied with the effort as she climbed up the

steps and into the yard.

Stopping short at the tall, casual figure waiting there, silver hair outlined

in the dawn light. Kerry sucked in a breath. “Morning, Kyle,” she said warily.

“Well, well.” Kyle pushed away from the post he’d been leaning on and

walked over to her. “Don’t we look dewy.” He chuckled. “Becoming the

regular little athlete, aren’t you?”

Kerry stared at him evenly. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Kyle inquired lazily, wiping a finger through the sweat

on her cheek. “I don’t know, you join a gym, start taking karate lessons. Now

this, makes me wonder.” His eyes raked her. “Not very ladylike.”

“Ladies can be physically fit,” Kerry commented softly. “And I don’t

think it’s any of your concern, Kyle.”

He studied her. “You’d be surprised at what’s my concern, girl,” he

replied easily. “Especially when it has to do with my future niece. Got me?”

Kerry’s green eyes narrowed. “I think you’re overstepping your bounds,

Kyle.”

“And I think there’s something going on with you that I don’t like, and

that your daddy won’t like. It’s going to be wonderful when I find out what

that is, Cupcake.” He chucked her under the chin. “Go take a shower. You

stink.” He then turned and strolled off, trotting down the stairs and heading

out towards the garage.

“Not nearly as badly as you do, asshole,” Kerry enunciated sharply,

under her breath. She turned and made her way up the stairs and into the back

entrance, where she was spotted by Mary. “Oh. Morning, Mary.”

402 Melissa Good

“Ms. Kerry, g’morning.” The middle-aged black woman nodded at her.

“Were you out running? My goodness, it’s too cold for that, you’re gonna

catch your death if you’re not careful.”

Kerry ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s okay, I got warmed up pretty

fast.” She smiled at the servant, who had been with their household since

Kerry was a child. “Any chance of some muffins?”

Mary looked both ways, then leaned closer. “Well, you know, your

mamma told us not to be giving you stuff like that, on account of her thinking

it’s bad for you. But I gotta say, Ms. Kerry, you’re looking mighty healthy to

me.”

Kerry now looked both ways, then pulled off her sweatshirt and T-shirt,

leaving her in her sports bra. She held out her hands. “Do I look like a

muffin’s gonna hurt me?”

Mary looked her up and down. “Mmm, mmm. No, ma’am, you don’t. I’ll

be getting you that muffin. But, please, put those clothes back on before one of

the gentlemen spots you.”

“Thank you.” Kerry smiled and pulled her shirt back on, waiting

patiently while Mary disappeared, then reappeared with a small basket.

“Here you go, two hot blueberry muffins, and something to put on ’em.

You go and enjoy yourself.” She handed Kerry the basket and shooed her

away.

The blonde woman grinned in triumph and ducked into the hallway,

heading for the stairs and trotting up them as Mary watched her.

Elizabeth walked over and nudged her cohort. “What were you looking

at?”

“Mmm, mmm, that girl sure grew up nice.” Mary clucked her tongue.

“She is the spawn of the devil pulling off her clothes like that in front of me—

that was one pretty little navel.”

“You old whore.” Liz chuckled deep in her throat.

“Woman, please, I’d like to know who finally talked some sense into her.

Damn good job it was, too.” Mary shook her head. “Best thing she ever did

was get out of this house.”

“Hmm. Best for her if she never came back into it,” Liz stated softly as she

reached for the tablecloths to fold.

“DID YOU KNOW we could get this stuff twenty-four of twenty-four a

day?” Gerald Easton pointed at the screen. “They keep telling me they got a

cable channel for everything; now I believe it.” They were watching the

Military Channel, a station which showed earnest programs featuring the

armed services. “Damnedest thing. Look at that, Dar, they’re selling fatigues

like it was the Home Shopping Network.”

Dar stretched her legs out and crossed them, letting her head rest against

the couches soft back. “Makes money. Lots of civs collect and use that stuff.

Jesus, eighty-eight bucks for a pair of reg boots?”

“Hmph.” Easton sucked on his pipe and shook his head. “Modern crap.

What in the hell is someone going to do with a case of MREs? I wouldn’t feed

those things to Alabaster. She’d bite me right in the, ah…”

Tropical Storm 403

“Leg,” Dar supplied with a dry grin. “Well, we’re between games, Gerry.

It beats watching ‘Pilgrims: Reevaluating the Conquest of America’ again.”

“Communists.” The general snorted. “Fashionable nowadays to see

history in the worst light possible.”

Dar muffled a grin and looked up as Jack appeared in the doorway,

hefting a football.

“You up for some catch, Dar?” The tall blond man grinned. “Weather

cleared, figure we could work up an appetite outside.”

“You bet.” Dar pushed herself to her feet and followed him willingly

outside, laughing as Alabaster plowed past them, anxious to escape the tiny

teeth of her nine voracious puppies for a little while. She moved across the

still damp lawn as the sun filtered down, and took a breath of the cold the

wind swept down, pushing aside the little unease in her guts she’d had since

mid-morning. Baby, give it a rest, Dar. Just because Kerry didn’t call you twice

probably means everything’s fine. She’s out with her family, and maybe even having a

good time. “G’wan.”

Jack tossed her the football, which she caught one-handed, then

examined. “Nice one,” she complimented its owner, noting the scuffing of

long use before she wrapped her fingers around the laces and tossed it back.

“So, how’s things with the company?” Jack asked, throwing the ball back

to her. “Still running the world behind the scenes?”

Dar caught it and whipped it back, putting a little more arm into the

throw. “More or less. You win some, you lose some. It’s been a pretty good

year for us this year.”

“Yow.” Jack shook his hand as he caught the football. “Jesus, Dar, you

can still put a sting on that thing, you know?”

“Sorry.” Dar grinned.

“Yeah, right.” Jack winged it back. “You ever regret doing that stuff?” he

asked offhandedly. “I mean, you know, someone with your skills could make

good bucks in the service.”

Dar stopped in mid-throw, and put her hands on her hips, or rather, one

hand and one football. “Are you trying to recruit me?”

He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up through boyish

eyebrows. “Who, me?” He laughed sheepishly. “I don’t know, Dar, you

always fit into the military world. I was just wondering if you didn’t

sometimes think about coming back in.”

Dar juggled the football then threw it back. “Too late for that,” she told

him. “I’m too used to giving orders, I’d never last a minute.” It was, she knew,

an honest admission. “I’d be telling some five-star to get his starched ass out

of the way so I could get to a mainframe and end up scrubbing heads with a

brillo pad.”

Jack caught the ball and threw it back. “Just a thought,” he commented.

“Can’t blame me for trying, can you?”

They played for a while longer, then switched to a new game, where one

of them would take the ball and try to get past the other. “Tag or tackle?” Jack

asked, playfully.

“Me and what bulldozer are going to tackle you?” Dar snorted.

“Chicken.” He grinned.

404 Melissa Good

Dar felt her competitive spirit surge. “All right, but don’t say I didn’t

warn you.” She grabbed the ball and took off running as he yelped and

jumped after her.

“Shit, Dar! Not fair!” He ran faster, skidding past her as she dodged and

jumped over a small hedge in the yard. He jumped the hedge after her, then

there was only an open field in front of them. “Ah. I gotcha now.”

“Think so, huh?” Dar leaned forward and sped up, lengthening her

strides until she was running full out, hearing his determined steps behind

her. “Man, you pilots spend too much time sitting on your butts,” she yelled

back as she powered between two tall trees at the end of the rolling field and

slowed, letting him roar past her and skid to a halt in the wet grass. “Heh, my

score.”

“You…you…” Jack shook a finger at her. “Damn, Dar, for someone who

spends all day behind a desk, you sure got a pair of legs on you.”

She flipped him the ball. “Your turn.”

He considered, then bolted away, tucking the ball under his arm with a

professional air. Dar gave him a few steps grace, then she started after him,

running at a slight angle to his path. She closed on him and waited for him to

dodge away. She then changed her angle again and sped up, correctly

predicting his next turn and hurling her body against his, wrapping her arms

around him and letting her momentum and weight swing them both around.

They landed in the grass with a thump.

“Shit.” Jack sighed.

Dar released him and sat up, dusting the knees of her jeans off as she

broke into a laugh.

Jack scowled, then he laughed too. “I should have remembered not to

challenge you,” he admitted. “You always had a way of coming out on top.”

She was about to answer when the cell phone clipped to her belt chirped.

She retrieved it and opened it up. “Yes?”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Kerry’s voice sounded a touch strained, but

otherwise warm.

“Same to you. How are things?” Dar stretched her legs out before her and

plucked a grass stem, as Jack reclined on the grass, putting his hands behind

his head and gazing up at the clouds.

“Okay.” Kerry sighed. “Mom’s been working on me all morning, trying

to convince me of how much more appropriate it would be for me to come

home now, so she has time to prepare for the wedding.”

“Ah.” Dar exhaled. “So you haven’t broken the news to them yet, huh?”

She kept her tone sympathetic. Alabaster trotted over and nuzzled her, and

she petted the Labrador absently. “Sounds like it’s going to cause a big bang.”

“Yeah,” Kerry muttered into the phone. “What are you doing?”

Dar wiggled her sneakers. “Sitting in the grass, actually. I was just

playing some catch with Jack,” she admitted. “Getting some exercise in before

we go inside and have Mamma Easton stuff us until we explode.”

“Boom!” Jack mouthed, spreading his hands out in pantomime. Alabaster

ambled over and nosed him.

“Wish I was there,” Kerry admitted. “Sounds like a lot more fun than it is

here. I’m going to run into town for a while with Angela, just to get away from

Tropical Storm 405

all the nonsense. I took a look at the mail, by the way, and answered that one

you sent and a few others.”

“Good girl.” Dar smiled. “Getting away sounds like a good idea. Maybe

after today, they’ll settle down a little.”

“Maybe,” Kerry replied, reluctantly. “Well, anyway, let me get going.

Just wanted to say hi, and I hope you enjoy your dinner.”

“You, too,” Dar answered.

“Not likely,” came the uncharacteristically pessimistic retort. “But I’ll

give it the old college try. Talk to you later, Dar.”

Dar closed the phone thoughtfully and clipped it back onto her belt.

Damn, she sounds depressed. “Families can be such hell,” she commented

audibly.

“Hmm?” Jack turned his head. “Oh, yeah, I guess. Was that your office?”

“No, my assistant. She’s home and having a tough time with her folks.”

Slowly, Jack rolled over, and propped his head up on one hand. “Dar,

I…” He fell silent, then plucked a stem of grass, not looking at her. “I need

some advice.”

Dar drew up one knee and circled it with an arm. “Sure.”

He hesitated. “Have you…ever had to tell someone…I mean, someone

you really cared about, something you knew was going to hurt them and

make them feel…disappointed in you?”

Uh oh. Dar considered carefully before she answered. “Yes, I have. Why?”

He looked up, his blue eyes meeting Dar’s. “Was it hard?”

She nodded. “Very.”

He looked back at the ground. “Do you think, sometimes, it’s better not to

tell?” “Well.” Dar sighed. “It depends on what it is, and who the other person

is. An elderly grandmother, for instance, you don’t want to go telling that her

long-dead husband was actually a swindler. It serves no purpose.” He

nodded. “But important things, Jack, they have a way of coming out

anyway.” The hypocrisy of what she was saying hit her, and she winced in

reflex.

“Funny you should put it that way,” he replied softly.

Her eyes fastened on his bent head, an eyebrow edging up. “You wanna

tell me what’s going on? You know I can keep my mouth shut.”

He swallowed and nervously fingered the grass. “Dar, you’ve known me

since I was in short pants.” He exhaled. “We grew up together. Did I ever

seem…not normal to you?”

Dar let out a snort of laughter. “Jack, you’re the most normal person I

know. You’re a stereotype for a Navy brat, and you know it.”

Jack nodded. “That’s what I thought. That’s what I always thought, until

last May.” He fell silent for a long moment. “I got a new back seat.”

It took Dar a minute to realize he was talking about his flying partner,

and not a car part. “Yeah?” she prodded cautiously.

“Robbie, yeah. Robin Hood, we call him.” Jack seemed intently interested

in examining the grass stalks. “We, um…we hit it off real good, you know?

Sometimes you do, and sometimes you don’t. I’ve had some back seats I

couldn’t hardly stand to talk to, and some that are my buddies even now.”

406 Melissa Good

“Uh huh,” Dar murmured. “Nice guy, huh?”

“Yeah.” Jack sighed. “We started hanging around together, and I, um, I…

It’s never happened to me before, but…I kept wanting to…to touch him.”

Dar’s eyes closed briefly, and she shifted, biting her lip. “Yeah, and?” She

kept her voice interested, but unalarmed.

“And, at first, I thought I was just…I thought I was sick, okay? I hadn’t

had a girlfriend in a while, and… Well, you know.” He looked miserable.

“And I-I…I just told myself that I should go into a corner, and…and…”

“I know,” Dar replied softly. “So what happened?”

He ripped a few blades of grass up. “I was coming back from the shower,

and…and he came into my quarters, and he, um, he…” He fell silent again.

“He touched you?” Dar guessed, and got a tiny nod. “And you liked

that.” Another tiny nod. “All right.”

Finally, Jack looked up, fearfully peeking into her blue eyes. “You don’t

think that’s sick?”

Dar reached out and put a hand over his. “That would be incredibly

hypocritical of me.”

Dead silence. Jack blinked at her. “Bu…” His brows knit. “You?”

Blue eyes met his evenly. “Do you think that’s sick?”

“Dar, that’s insane. You could have any guy you wanted. I don’t…I

mean…you’re gorgeous. I…” He spluttered, winding down.

Dar waited. Finally she sighed. “No, I don’t think it’s sick, and you

shouldn’t either.”

He thought about that. “We were both kind of…we were pretty weirded

out.” He sighed. “But after a while, it just seemed okay.” He paused. “Until I

thought about telling my father.”

Dar exhaled. “Yeah.”

“Dar, it would kill him.” Jack looked up at her. “I’m his only son. He

wants grandkids. Jesus, he’s given me everything, done everything in his

power for me. I…” His blond head shook back and forth. “I can’t do that to

him. I love him too much.”

What a problem. Dar felt for both her friend and for Gerald Easton. Who,

certainly, would be devastated at the news. She didn’t really blame Gerald; he

was a prisoner to his generation, his upbringing, and his lifelong devotion to

the service. “Tell you what, just put it aside for a few days. Let me think about

it. Maybe I can come up with an idea,” she told him sympathetically.

He looked up at her pathetically. “If you can find a way out of this for me

with honor, I’ll owe you for the rest of my life, Dar.”

She ruffled his hair gently. “That’s what friends are for, Jack, and I don’t

have many, so I take care of the ones I do have.” She gazed at him. “You

know, I told your father if I was going to marry anyone, it’d be you.” He

blushed a deep, fierce red. “You know…” she kidded him gently. “Worst

comes to worst I’ll bear you a grandkid for your dad.” He turned a color so

dark, his eyebrows stood out in stark whiteness. She ruffled his hair and

chuckled again.

Tropical Storm 407

KERRY CLOSED THE phone and went to find Angela. “You ready?” she

asked her sister, finding her in the living room.

“Mmm-hmm, let me just get my bag. Hang on.” Angela nodded, leaving

the room and returning a moment later. “Let’s go. They’re having a choir

recital at the downtown church, I thought maybe you’d like to hear it.”

Anything. “Sure,” Kerry agreed readily, following her out the door. They

got in Angela’s car and drove onto the parkway, passing endless rows of tall,

thin, bare trees. “This place is depressing, Angie,” Kerry said softly.

Her sister eyed her. “You’re just now noticing that?”

“Guess I never had a contrast before. You have to come visit me

sometimes in Miami,” Kerry responded. “It’s so different. I could take you out

to Bayside, or the Grove, maybe down into the Keys. I think you’d like it.”

Angela sighed. “Maybe if Brian and I end up running away from home,

we’ll end up down by you,” she told her sister wryly. “Is there a market for

earnest lawyers down there?”

Kerry gazed at her a long time. “Have you talked about that, or are you

just razzing me?” she asked. “Of course there’s a market for lawyers, are you

kidding? He could make a living alone just representing one of our politicians

on voter-fraud charges.”

Her sister exhaled. “We talked about it,” she admitted. “A lot had to do

with how you…I mean, you know.”

“Reacted to the news?” Kerry smiled.

“Mmm, more or less, yeah. I don’t know, it’s such a huge step, but if I try

to separate or divorce Richard legally, you know I’ll never get out of here.”

She navigated an interchange. “You know he’ll demand custody, and you

know Father will just go crazy.”

“Yeah,” Kerry acknowledged softly. “I don’t know, that seems really

drastic, Angie. But I won’t lie to you and tell you I wouldn’t be glad to have

you down there.” She smiled at her sister. “In fact, I know a nice apartment in

Kendall that might be available sometime soon.”

Angela darted a look at her. “Oh, really?” She signaled and turned off the

expressway, heading into town. Low, brown brick buildings began to travel

by on either side of the road. “That’s moving kind of fast, isn’t it?”

Kerry leaned back and braced a knee against the dashboard. “It was just

something Dar said, before I left. She said next year we’d have Thanksgiving

on the Island. It surprised me, because she’s someone who really values her

privacy, you know?” She exhaled. “But when we’re together, it’s like there’s

no…personal space, if that makes sense. She doesn’t get on my nerves or make

me uncomfortable to be around, and I don’t make her that way, I don’t think.”

She paused reflectively. “I know that when I woke up this past Sunday, I

realized I wanted to wake up with her next to me for a long time to come.”

Angela slowed to turn into the church. “Well, don’t take things too

quickly. I know you guys really like each other, but that’s a big step, Ker.”

Kerry laughed gently. “I have to wait for her to ask, you know? It could

take months, and I was trying to figure out how she’d do it. Probably really

matter-of-fact… ‘You know, Kerry, it would be more cost efficient to use one

car to go to work, and my place is closer. What about it?’ ”

Angela laughed. “Really?”

408 Melissa Good

“Oh yeah, that’s Dar—no flowery speech or anything. She’s very practical

and straightforward,” Kerry assured her, then paused. “Though I did come

back from lunch to find a rose on my desk once,” she amended thoughtfully.

Angela parked the car and sighed. “Sounds pretty darn romantic to me,

Sis,” she commented wistfully. They got out and walked across the parking

lot, joining several groups of other people heading for the church’s entrance.

It was a tall, brick building with inset stained glass windows and

mahogany pews burnished to a rich glow. Kerry joined Angela in greeting

several long-time neighbors, and took some good-natured kidding about her

suntan before they seated themselves to listen to the choir. The room featured

a huge organ and a triple semi-circle of singers, who delivered a more than

creditable performance of some old and well-known hymns. Kerry felt the

familiar sounds relaxing her, and she was able, for a few minutes, to forget her

surroundings and simply enjoy the music.

“Nice recital,” Kerry murmured as it ended, the last booming tones of the

organ echoing softly against the building’s interior. “I liked that last piece a

lot.”

Her sister smiled. “Me, too. C’mon, let’s go talk to Pastor Robert.” She

edged out of the row and headed back towards the administrative part of the

church, waving a little at several friends who waved back and called out

greetings to both her and Kerry. She led Kerry to a small door and knocked on

it.

“Come in,” a soft, vibrant voice answered.

Angela pushed the door open and poked her head in. “Pastor Robert?”

“Angela. What a nice surprise, come in.” The pastor waved at her.

She opened the door fully and pulled Kerry in with her. “Look who I

brought.”

The pastor stood. “Kerrison!” He smiled at her.

Kerry moved forward, smiling back. Pastor Robert was a huge bear of a

man, easily six and a half feet tall and perhaps two hundred and fifty pounds.

His bearded face took on a look of delight as she came closer. “Hello, Pastor

Robert.”

“Kerrison, goodness, let me look at you.” He took her by the shoulders

and beamed at her. “You look wonderful. I can hardly believe it.”

Kerry smiled. “Thanks, you look great, too.” She patted his arm.

“Um, I’m going to get some recipes Mrs. Van Ardyn owes me. I’ll be right

back, Ker.” Angela was gone before she could even turn around, and she

spared her sister a wry roll of the eyes.

“Sit down, sit down,” the pastor was saying, motioning her to a bench

next to the one he’d been sitting on, arranging sheets of music. “Are you home

then for good?”

“Just for a visit.” Kerry shook her head. “I’m…very happy down in

Miami.”

“Oh.” He seemed surprised. “But I thought your mother…well, never

mind.” He sat down and patted her knee. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine. I got a new job, that I really like, and a whole group of

really good friends. It’s been great,” Kerry answered quietly. “How about

you?”

Tropical Storm 409

He lifted a large hand and let it drop. “As always, the seasons turn, it gets

colder, gets warmer, but it’s my favorite time of the year, so I can’t complain.”

He sighed and leaned back. “Things are good in the congregation—prices are

steady; we’re not at war. All in all, not bad.”

Kerry regarded him. “That’s good to hear.” She hesitated, then searched

his eyes. “Pastor, can I ask you something?”

He nodded. “Yes, of course. Are you having trouble finding a community

down there? Can I help? You know you’ve always been one of my favorite

people, Kerry.”

She settled her elbows on her knees and interlaced her fingers. “I

remember when you used to preach on Sundays, every once in a while you’d

talk about…um, something you called soulmates.” The word rolled around

her tongue in utter familiarity.

“Yes. In fact, I discussed it at pulpit just last week,” he agreed. “The old

fable of each person being born with two heads, and four arms and legs, then

being split in two to roam the world ever after looking for the other half.”

“Mmm, yeah.” Kerry rubbed her thumbs together. “Do you believe in

that story?”

He paused a moment before answering. “Yes, I do. If what you mean is,

do I believe in that special kind of love in which two people seemed to be

destined to be a part of each other, yes. Not that I’m rewriting the creation

history, you understand.”

Kerry smiled wryly. “I understand.” She patted his arm. “But, how do

you know if you’ve been lucky enough to find someone like that?” she asked.

He reached over and tipped her chin up, gazing into her eyes somberly.

“Because when you look at them, you see everything you need in this world to

complete yourself.”

Kerry closed her eyes. “Oh,” she uttered softly.

“Have you found someone like that, Kerrison?” His voice was very

gentle.

She opened her eyes. “Yes, I think I have.” She exhaled. “It’s someone I

met not too long ago, but who I’ve become very close to. And it’s like you

said, when I look at them, it’s like I feel their hands closing very gently over

my heart.” She paused. “Holding it safely.”

“I never knew you for a poet, child.” A slow, sweet smile crossed his face.

“But it’s not my friend Brian, is it?”

“No,” Kerry replied softly. “He’s one of my best friends, and I love him,

but…no.”

Pastor Robert blew a long breath out. “And you haven’t told your

parents, I take it? No, of course you haven’t. Your mother still thinks… Ah,

what a web of tangles we have here.” He pondered. “Well, perhaps you

should consider explaining as you have to me. I’m sure your parents, once

they get to know this person, will be happy for you.”

Kerry shook her head sadly. “No, Pastor Robert, they won’t. They won’t

accept this person.” She looked down again. “Except for my sister, I’m not

close with my family, but this will put something between us I don’t think any

amount of time will heal.”

He sighed. “God has a way of healing even the worst of wounds, my

410 Melissa Good

friend. How bad can this person be, that they would give up a daughter?”

Kerry hesitated, then took a deep breath. “She’s not a bad person at all,”

she stated simply and let the comment fall between them.

He went quite still for a few breaths, then reached up and tugged on his

beard. “Ah.” His voice was quietly reflective. “That’s a toughie.”

Kerry found herself smiling in reaction. “You have any advice? I’m

willing to listen—half of me wants to just get it over with, and the other half is

scared to death to even start.”

“Hmm.” He cocked his head. “Well, it’s the coward’s way out, I suppose,

but what I’d do is wait until you’re ready to leave to go…home.” He smiled at

her. “And just tell them then, just a flat statement, and then leave. Get

someone else to take you to the airport and just go.” He clasped her hand.

“The holidays are a very emotional time; it’s hard for people to cope with

situations while they’re under that kind of stress. Especially on Thanksgiving,

which is so family oriented.”

She considered that. “You know, that’s good advice,” she admitted. “Just

play along until then, it’ll make the weekend a lot more pleasant.”

He nodded. “That’s what I did,” he told her softly, then put a finger up to

his lips.

How had Angela known? Kerry blinked at him in mild shock. “Oh.” She

got a pat on the cheek. “I see.” Her eyes darted around the room.

“But…you…”

“Yes, and if they knew, I’d be out of a job,” Robert said quietly. “So I

know what it is to live with a secret, Kerry, but there are things in life worth

risking that for.” He paused. “A soulmate is one of them.”

Kerry slowly nodded. “It’s worth risking everything for.” She let out a

breath. “Thank you, Pastor Robert.”

He gazed at her fondly. “I wish you all the joy in the world, my friend. I’ll

pray for you, and for your parents’ understanding.” He stood and waited for

her to stand as well, then hugged her. “Be well.”

She smiled and patted his side. “You, too.” A knock at the door made her

look up, and it pushed open to reveal Angela’s face. “C’mon in.”

“Silvia Cessnes wants to know if we want to sit down and have coffee

with them. You up for it?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Kerry agreed. Silvia Cessnes was one of her

favorite high school teachers. “Happy Thanksgiving, Pastor Robert.”

“Same to you, Kerry…and you too, Angela. Thanks for stopping by.” He

led her to the door and waved at them before closing it at Kerry’s back.

“Everything okay?” Angela asked in a whisper.

Kerry smiled. “Everything’s great. Come on, I bet they have fresh Linzer

tortes at the coffee shop.” She tugged on Angela’s sleeve and led her down the

corridor.

Never seeing the tall, dark form that watched her go, then walked off in

the opposite direction.

“WASN’T SHE A trip?” Kerry laughed as she and Angela climbed up the

stairs to the room they’d shared the previous night. “She hasn’t changed a

Tropical Storm 411

bit.” She pushed the door open and walked inside, then stopped. It wasn’t

obviously messy, but someone had been going through her things.

Angela stopped too, seeing the papers strewn around Kerry’s laptop case.

“What’s going on?”

Kerry’s heart hammered in her chest, and she walked over, looking inside

the zippered compartment with shaking fingers. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Her sister peered over her shoulder anxiously.

“The pictures,” she breathed. “How could I have been so stupid?” In pure

reflex, she reached for her cell phone, then stopped. What am I going to call and

tell her, how dumb I was? “Shit.”

Angela blew out a breath. “Man, I can’t believe they came in here and

rifled through your stuff. Kerry, that’s disgusting.”

“I should have remembered. It was standard operating procedure when

we were in high school, remember? Looking for god knows what.” Kerry

pushed her hair back and tried to think. Were the pictures that incriminating?

A few of the island, pretty innocuous. The boat, also could be anywhere. The

two of Dar in her suit… Well… Then she sighed. And the last one, which she’d

had Colleen take of them together in her apartment on the couch. Dar’s arm

was draped over her shoulders and Kerry’s left leg was slung over the taller

woman’s knees. Both of them were smiling, Dar’s eyes on her in unmistakable

affection that even the camera had caught. Oh shit.

“What are you going to do?” Angela murmured. “He’s going to go

insane, you know that.”

“I know,” Kerry murmured. “I guess I’ll just have to be honest. But

Angie, I might need to get out of here.”

“I’ll take you, don’t worry,” her sister replied instantly. “And Brian will

be here in a little while, too.” She rubbed Kerry’s back gently. “I’m sorry, I

didn’t think about them doing this.”

Kerry closed her eyes. “Me, either, and I should have—I know better,

especially after what happened the other day.” She turned around and leaned

on the desk. “My place got broken into, turned upside down and searched,

and someone poisoned my fish.”

Angela stared at her in shock. “You don’t think…”

“Kyle visited, coincidentally, the next day,” Kerry replied shortly. “Dar

was there. She was going to keep out of sight, but he started…pawing at me,

and she…” A pause. “She stopped him.”

Angela digested this. “Kyle can be really scary. Brian thinks he’s half nuts

or something, ever since that military thing.”

“Dar can be scary, too,” Kerry responded. “She’s as tall as he is, and she

doesn’t look like someone you want to mess around with too much.” She

considered. “She probably kicked him right in the ego.”

“He’d try to get back at her for that,” Angela said softly. “He’s really

smart, Ker, and he’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. I bet he’s the one who

went through your stuff.”

Kerry stood there breathing a moment, then she flipped open her cell

phone and punched a button. “Hey,” she said quietly when Dar answered.

“Hey.” Dar sounded surprised. “Didn’t expect to hear from you again so

soon, not that I mind. What’s up?”

412 Melissa Good

“I’m an idiot,” Kerry admitted softly. “I did something very stupid. Dar, I

left those pictures I’d taken in my laptop case, and someone went through my

stuff here and found them.”

“Ah.” The executive’s voice sounded thoughtful. “So the cat’s out, eh?

Well, I hope they like my suit.”

Kerry paused, feeling a calming wave pass over her. “You don’t think I’m

a total fool?”

Dar hesitated. “Why’d you bring the pictures?” she asked quietly.

“Um…” Kerry blushed. “To show you off to my sister.”

A soft chuckle warmed her. “And I’m supposed to think that’s foolish?

Nah, bad luck, but…keep your head together, and if they’ve got questions,

just answer them. Don’t let them rattle you.”

“All right.” Kerry squared her shoulders a little. “Thanks, Dar.”

“Let me know what happens, okay?” her friend urged gently.

“Yeah, I will,” Kerry reassured her. “Bye.” She closed the phone and

tucked in onto her belt. “Dar says, just stay cool and see what happens.”

Angela put an arm around her. “She sounds like a good friend, on top of

everything else.”

Kerry nodded absently. “She is. I know I can count on her.” She carefully

put her things away. “Okay, let’s change and go downstairs. The rest of the

family should be arriving, that should give me a grace period over dinner, at

least.” She unbuttoned the soft flannel green shirt she’d worn to town and

tugged it from her jeans, pulling off the shirt and folding it neatly before she

tucked it inside her bag. “I could just make them explode by wearing jeans to

dinner, I guess.”

Angela removed a beige, pleated skirt and a long-sleeved shirt from her

own bag, along with a pearl-embroidered pink wool sweater. “Kerry.”

She smiled. “Just kidding.” Her jeans followed the shirt into the bag, and

she removed the blue-green skirt and jacket outfit Dar had picked out for her

in Macy’s. The silk blouse followed, and she pulled out her good shoes.

“There, they can’t complain about that.”

“Wow,” Angela commented as she changed into it. “That’s very nice,

Ker.”

Her sister tucked the silk blouse into her skirt neatly and zipped it, then

settled her jacket over her shoulders. “Thanks, it’s one of the new ones I got

for work when I changed jobs. I really like it.”

Angela finished changing and walked over, brushing a speck of dust

from Kerry’s lapel and straightening the sleeves a little. “Nice pin.”

Green eyes glanced down, then back up. “A gift, though I didn’t know it

at the time. Dar picked this one out as a favor—she was along so I’d know

what kind of stuff to wear to the office.” She grabbed her brush and set to

work on her wind-blown hair, arranging it to her satisfaction, then removing a

small bottle from her bag and putting on a touch of perfume.

“Mmm, what is that?” Arlene sniffed.

“Polo,” Kerry answered absently.

“I like it,” her sister approved. “C’mon, let’s go downstairs.”

Kerry gazed at herself in the mirror, the soft lamplight in the room

highlighting her pale hair and making her green eyes glitter. “All right, let’s go.”

Tropical Storm 413

They walked down the stairs together, hearing a low murmur of voices in

the hall, and stepped out onto the landing, heading for the dining room. Eyes

turned as they approached, and Kerry felt her back stiffen as she spotted her

father’s face, set and angry, where he was standing next to Kyle. She lifted her

chin and turned her attention instead to her other relatives, as her aunts and

uncles bore down on her. Across the room, she spotted a very nervous-looking

Brian, and she managed to catch his eye and smile at him, winking lightly. He

visibly relaxed.

“Why, Kerrison, don’t you look lovely.” Her Aunt Agatha tottered over.

“What a charming color on you, my dear. You look so grown up!”

“I’m twenty-seven,” Kerry told her kindly. “I thought it was about time.”

“Oh, aren’t you clever.” The old woman patted her arm. “Eustace, look at

how wonderful our niece looks.” She peered over Kerry’s shoulder. “Honey,

your daughter looks just great.”

Kerry turned to see her mother bearing down on them. She paused and

eyed Kerry, then gave a grudging nod of approval at her daughter’s

appearance. “Well, she knows how to make an appearance, of course,” the

older woman stated loftily. “Dear, your Uncle Milton desperately wants to say

hello to you.”

“Sure,” Kerry replied. “Where is…oh, right. I see him.” Her uncle

towered above the rest of the crowd by a good six inches. “Okay, I’ll go over.”

She started towards him but stopped when her mother pulled her aside a little

and looked her over.

“You do look very nice, Kerrison,” she finally admitted, pulling at a

tendril of Kerry’s pale hair.

Kerry let her smile touch her eyes. “Thanks…Mom, I really like the way I

look, and everyone else does, too. So can you lay off on the criticism?”

Her mother stiffened “I wasn’t…”

“I’m over it,” Kerry said very softly.

Her mother stared at her, totally at a loss. “Well, I never.” She shook her

head and turned, moving away from Kerry with a bewildered look.

“Jesus, I’d have to apply for a credit card just to order her a clue.” Kerry

sighed as she resumed her walk towards her uncle.

She was intercepted by Brian, who approached her tentatively, then more

confidently as she waved him forward. He was a tall man with sandy hair and

a loosely knit way of walking, large, powerful hands, and a handsome, boyish

face. “Hello, Bri.” She pulled him into a hug, hearing him suck in a breath.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Really okay.”

He relaxed and allowed his arms to circle her, giving her back a hug

“Kerriboo, I’m sorry.” His voice was very soft. “I should have called you, I…”

“Shhh.” Kerry patted his back. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it, I’m fine. It

worked out better this way, honest.” They broke apart, arms still loosely

linked about each other. “You’re still one of my best friends, okay?”

He smiled and touched his forehead to hers, while aunts and uncles

cooed around them. “Aren’t they cute?”

Green eyes and gray ones met and rolled together. “C’mon, if I have to

run the gauntlet, you should at least be with me,” Kerry whispered, taking

him by the arm and starting across the floor.

414 Melissa Good

It was a long dinner, around the huge table, in the formal dining room.

Kerry found herself seated between a gaggle of her older relatives, with Brian

down the table somewhat and her sister at the other end. Her father and Kyle,

fortunately, were also at the other end. She kept her table-mates entertained

with stories about Miami and the customs there until the dinner was over, and

they were all standing up, ready to move into the living room for drinks and

conversation.

Maybe she’d get lucky, Kerry mused, and they’d leave it for tomorrow; in

front of all the family would be a bad move. She allowed herself to be dragged

into several conversations, and before she knew it, the clock was ringing the

midnight chimes, and the guests were starting to leave. She stood and got

Angela’s attention, then made her goodnights and headed for the stairs.

“Kerrison.” Her father’s voice.

Kerry exhaled, taking a moment to compose herself before she turned

around. “Yes?”

He was standing in the doorway, face very grim. “I need to see you in my

study, now.”

Oh well, wishful thinking. Kerry ran a hand through her hair and gathered

up her courage. “All right,” she replied, and walked towards the study door.

She opened it and passed through. Kyle was in there, perched on her

father’s broad desk with a smirk on his face. She heard the door close firmly

behind her, and Kerry knew, as a shudder passed through her guts, that she

was in trouble.

Her father walked past her and went behind his desk, then pushed a very

familiar file folder across it towards her. “I’d like you to explain this.”

Kerry remained silent while she pondered her options. Well, conciliation

wasn’t going to do any good, so… “Only if you can explain why you feel it

necessary to search my personal belongings,” she responded quietly, putting

her hands on the back of the chair before the desk and gazing evenly at him.

“Don’t smart-mouth me, girl,” her father warned.

“I’m not, but I am an adult, and I have the right to carry around whatever

things I want to in my briefcase, Dad.” She kept her voice reasonable. “And

not have to worry that people inside my own parents’ house are ransacking

them.” Her temper was building, though. She could feel it.

He thumbed through the pictures, then looked up. “You know what I

think? I think I know the reason you all of a sudden decided you wanted to

stay down in that hell-hole.” Kerry remained silent. “I think it has nothing to

do with your damn little job and everything to do with that bitch you work

for.” He slammed his fist down on the table. “What did she do to you, Kerry?

Minute movements of her eyes as she studied him. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? You call this nothing?” He picked up the folder and threw it at

her, scattering colorful photographs over the carpet. “I’ll have the law on her!

It’s obvious to me what’s going on, Kerry. In fact, I can’t believe you didn’t tell

me!” He paced back and forth. “Didn’t you think I could help you?”

Kerry’s brows knit. “Just what is it…you think she did?” she asked,

honestly puzzled.

“Forced you into that job, of course! Her reputation… Well, I can’t say

that in front of you, but it’s obvious what she’s after…my god, girl!” He threw

Tropical Storm 415

up his hands. “First thing we have to do is get you out of there, then I’ll file a

formal protest. Don’t you worry, girl, she won’t be able to come after you.”

“Whoa!” Kerry held up a hand. “Let me get this straight, you think Dar’s

trying to seduce me?”

Her father reddened. “Watch your language, young lady.” He cleared his

throat. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Kerry exhaled. “No, Dad, she’s not trying to seduce me, and she didn’t

force me into that position, either. It was my choice.”

“Stop trying to protect her!” Senator Stuart barked. “It’s no good, Kerry,

unless you can give me another reasonable explanation of those pictures!”

Long silence. “All right,” Kerry finally said, very quietly. “It’s a lot

simpler than you think. We’re in love with each other.”

She could hear the carpet fibers unraveling in the deathly stillness that

followed her words. The building creaked around them, and she became very

aware of her own breathing. She had not, in the furthest stretches of her

imagination, considered this conversation going in quite this way.

“What?” her father finally said, stepping around his desk and facing her.

Kerry felt curiously calm. “Dar’s a very special person, and we’re in love

with each other,” she repeated. “And she didn’t force me into…”

The impact slammed her against the filing cabinet next to the desk as her

father slapped her hard across the cheek.

“Don’t you dare say that.” His voice was a hiss. “No daughter of mine is

one of those.” Kerry straightened up and put a hand to her cheek, staring at

him. “You are going to resign from that godless company, and I’ll have your

apartment packed up and brought home,” he enunciated softly. “And we’re

not going to hear you say anything like that ever again, are we?”

Kerry could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears as she came to

a personal crossroads. She stared at him for a long moment, breathing hard,

then took a final deeper breath. “Go to hell.” She spat the words in his face.

“I’d rather live homeless than come back here.”

He started forward, but she backed up and put the chair between them,

so intent on his progress that she forgot there was another person in the room.

Until a hand slipped over her neck and something foul and sharp-smelling

was pressed to her nose and mouth. She struggled wildly, but the grip was too

strong, and her body made her breathe through the stink.

A numb feeling came over her, and a growing darkness, and a chilling

cold.

Chapter

Thirty-one

DAR WOKE IN a sweat, half rolling out of bed in total disorientation as

her senses tried to force the unfamiliar surroundings into some semblance of

order. Her heart was pounding, and she was breathing hard, and she gripped

the edge of the bed with shaking fingers. “Jesus.” She looked around in

confusion, seeing only the peaceful moonlight streaming in the double hung

window of the Eastons’ guest room.

“What in the hell was that?” she murmured, running her fingers through

her hair and swallowing against the upset in her stomach. “Too much stuffing,

I think,” she ruefully concluded, realizing it must have been a bad dream

brought on by shameless overindulgence in just about everything that night.

Slowly, she straightened up and let out a breath, now wide awake and

knowing she’d be unlikely to drop back off to sleep anytime soon. “Guess I

could read a book,” she muttered. “Except I don’t have any, and the only thing

I saw downstairs was Jane’s Military Hardware, and I’ve already read that.”

Sighing, she stood and walked to the small antique writing desk that was

settled against the window and sat down, unzipping her briefcase and pulling

out her laptop as she gazed out across the silver and sable landscape. She

booted the machine and sat drumming her fingers until it came up, then she

plugged in the modem line and requested a network connection. “Might as

well check the mail, see if there are any crises going on,” she murmured to

herself, glancing at the time on the laptop. Only just past midnight; she’d only

been sleeping for about a half an hour, since the Eastons held to the early to

bed, early to rise military tradition, and she hadn’t minded since she’d been

up since very early to catch her 6:00 AM flight.

The machine connected and started to download her mail, and she

watched it idly, scanning the headers. Then she noticed the blinking box in the

corner, and her brows creased. One of her running bots? Puzzled, she clicked

on it, and watched the box expand.

Database Access Request—Scan Match—String “Stuart, Kerry”

Medical Benefits Card usage 00:23 112798

Admitted Bryan’s Counseling Center Ident 999823

Dar’s heart started pounding again, and she suddenly felt lightheaded.

With shaking fingers, she did a search for Bryan’s, and found them in the

client database. She pulled up their profile.

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Bryan’s Counseling Center

Account A0022323

A psychiatric research and treatment center designed

to evaluate short and long term mental illnesses and pro-

vide strategies for adjustment of deviant behaviors to

assist patients in rejoining the societal norm.

A counseling center? Dar stared at the screen in puzzlement. Why in the hell

would Kerry have gone there? Was it a mistake? Or could she have been in an

accident, and maybe it was the closest… She reread the description. “Deviant

behaviors,” she mouthed silently to herself. “Oh no.” Her eyes jerked to the

window, and her breathing sped up.

“Oh my god.” Dar breathed. “Those sons of bitches.” Slowly, she put her

hands down on the writing table and closed her eyes, forcing herself to be

calm. “Okay, think.” Brain first, heart second, wasn’t that what she’d always

said?

Bloody hell! Doesn’t count when you’re in love, now does it? “Son of a fucking

bitch!”

First thing, she needed to get to Michigan. With that decided, she shut the

computer down and put it away, then quietly changed into her clothes, and

packed her bag up. Then she went down the hall and into Jack’s room, where

her friend was sprawled across his bed in an orgy of slumber.

“Jack.” She knelt and touched his shoulder, getting an almost instant

fluttering of pale eyelashes. “Wake up.”

“Wh…uh…” Jack rolled onto one side and peered at her. “Dar? What’s

going on?”

“Listen, I have a friend in a lot of trouble. I need to get out to Michigan.

Can you drive me to the airport?”

He blinked at her. “There aren’t any planes this late, Dar.”

“I’ll rent one,” the executive told him in utter seriousness. “But it’s gotta

be quick, speed counts.”

“Wh…” Jack nibbled his lip. “Speed counts, huh?” He rubbed his face.

“How does Mach Two strike you?”

It was Dar’s turn to blink. “What?”

“C’mon. The base is closer than the damn airport, and my cat’s just sitting

there collecting dust. I’ll take you.”

“Jack, you can’t just do that,” Dar said softly. “Not that I don’t appreciate

the offer, but it’s not worth risking your ass, not to mention your career. I’m

not living with you stuck in a Navy brig for twenty years. I just need a ride to

the damn airport!”

He laughed. “Dar, you’re worth risking my ass for, but it’s not in any

danger.” He stood up and tugged his flannel pajama bottoms up. “I’ll just get

Dad to approve it, gimme a minute.” He trotted off down the hall, leaving

slightly stunned eyes following him. “Those stars come in handy, y’know.”

“Got troubles, then, do we?” General Easton’s rumble traveled down the

hall, followed by the General himself. “Problems, Dar?”

“Friend in trouble,” Dar replied quietly. “Someone who means a lot to

me.”

418 Melissa Good

Easton’s eyes studied her intently. “Good enough.” He picked up the

phone in Jack’s room. “Get dressed, son. You can’t be driving that damn plane

in your jammies.” He motioned Dar to turn towards him. “Look this way, Dar,

Mister Prude there is afraid to go to half-staff in front of you.”

If Dar hadn’t been so worried, she would have laughed, but she faced

towards him and heard Jack curse as he got tangled up in his shorts.

“Who’s this? … Right, this is General Easton, from the Joint Chiefs.”

Easton waited a few seconds. “No time for all that nonsense, son, just listen. I

have a pilot coming down to file a flight plan from here to…” He thought a

minute. “No, Wurtsmith is too far, Kent County would probably be your best

bet.”

“That’s civ,” Jack muttered, pulling a shirt over his head.

“It’s after midnight up there, won’t matter,” his father covered the

receiver and whispered back. “Kent County, and I’ll need a liaison up there

with a car for him.” He paused, listening. “That’s right, good man.” He hung

up. “Right, all set.”

Dar regarded him quietly. “I owe you one, Gerry. I owe you both.”

A faint smile crossed the older man’s face. “Consider it payment for a

long-gone debt, my friend.” He shook his head a bit. “Someday we’ll have to

have a beer and I’ll tell you about it.”

Dar nodded. “All right.” She turned to see Jack slipping into his leather

jacket. “Ready?”

He ran a hand through his stubble. “My hair look okay?” His eyes

twinkled gently.

“Like a short carpet.” Dar exhaled. “Let’s go.”

Chapter

Thirty-two

KERRY WAS CHIEFLY aware, first, of a pounding headache. She kept

her eyes closed and let the throbbing, in time with her heartbeat, subside a

little before she let her lids drift up. She was lying down, in a railed hospital

bed, in a stark, forbidding white room. “Oh my god.” She breathed faintly,

letting her eyes roam around. It was small, with one door on the outside wall

and another on the inside, bare concrete walls and polished tile floors. The one

small window to her right had bars on it and was curtained.

The bed she was on was utilitarian, but she noticed a full set of restraint

straps, which were, as yet, unfastened, their mute threat sending a pulse of

fear through her. Slowly, she got up and slid her feet over the edge of the bed,

letting herself down on the cold tile that stung her bare feet. Her clothes had

been taken, and she’d been left in a thin cotton hospital gown, which she

tugged around her as she padded over to the door and tried the handle.

Locked.

She wandered over to the window and peered out, pushing the curtain

aside to see a bleak landscape of dead trees which surrounded the building.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe he did this.”

She had no idea where she was. She had no way of contacting anyone.

Her eyes glanced down and noted they’d taken her watch as well, making her

unable to distinguish what time it was. It could have been minutes she was

lying there, it could have been hours. She walked over and leaned her elbows

on the bed. “You’re in a lot of trouble, Kerry,” she murmured. “You should

have just stayed in Miami and had turkey roll.”

How long would they keep her here? Long enough to make the company

think she’d abandoned her job? Sure. Long enough to where Dar, not hearing

from her, would start to question whether she’d just…changed her mind?

No. Surely Dar would know there was something wrong. Even if she had

changed her mind, she wouldn’t do it without at the very least, telling her

boss in person. Dar knew that.

Didn’t she?

It was Dar’s one weak spot, and she knew it—that one vulnerability only

fleetingly alluded to, but which had struck her hard, and which haunted her

even at their parting, when the taller woman had given her a hug, and said,

“See you Monday, right?”

She would never abandon Dar. She knew that. But she realized that at

some deep level, it was hard for Dar herself to believe it, and that made this

one facet of her lover very, very fragile. “I have to get out of here.” Kerry

420 Melissa Good

drummed her fingers on the bed.

The tiny shutter in the door shot open, and eyes peered through, then the

door opened and admitted what appeared to be a nurse in white scrubs. The

woman carried a clipboard and several small cups. “Well, good, I’m glad

you’re awake.”

Kerry decided on the calm approach. “Where am I?”

The nurse made several marks on the clipboard before she answered.

“You’re in a hospital, dear, but don’t worry, you’re going to be fine.”

She digested this. “Well, I sort of figured, given the wardrobe, but which

hospital is it?”

A slight pause. “Bryan’s.”

Kerry nodded, her heart sinking. “Hmm. That explains the bars.” She

paused. “What time is it?”

“Now, don’t you worry about that, honey. We just have some people in

here sometimes who aren’t very happy, and we have to protect them, that’s

all,” the woman reassured her. “And it’s three thirty AM.”

Three hours. “So, why am I here?” Kerry asked, in a reasonable tone.

“The last time I considered killing myself is when I forgot to tape X-files.”

The nurse looked at her uncertainly, then she laughed. “Oh, I see. Yes,

that’s very funny. Well, your family brought you in because of the problems

you’ve been having, and we’re just going to work with you to make you all

better.”

Kerry leaned on her elbows. “What problems am I supposed to be

having?” she inquired.

“I’m sure you know that better than I do, dear.” The nurse smiled at her.

“But the doctor will be in to see you in the morning. And in the meantime, I’d

like you to take these pills for me, okay?”

“What are they?”

The nurse sighed, obviously getting impatient. “They’re just a little

sedative, to let you rest until the morning.”

“A sedative. Well, you know, I’m really pretty calm here, I don’t think I’ll

be needing that,” Kerry objected. “I usually sleep just fine.”

The nurse walked over and faced her. “Look, I know you think you’re

being very clever, but you just listen to me, all right? Your father gave us some

pretty strict instructions, and we are going to follow them. Now, you can do

what I ask, or I can have to of the orderlies come in her, tie you down, and

give it to you intravenously.” She paused, her eyes cool. “Your choice.”

Kerry gazed at her. “What you’re doing is against the law, you do realize

that, right?” she commented. “I did not agree to this, and there is nothing

wrong with me.”

“Do yourself a favor, honey.” The nurse’s voice was now sharp.

“Cooperate. You don’t know what you’re getting into here.”

Kerry smiled. “Actually, it’s you who doesn’t know what you’re getting

into here.”

The nurse’s eyes narrowed. “I can see what your father’s point was.”

Kerry smiled. “That’s easy. It’s on the top of his head.” She hopped up

into the bed and took the pills from the nurse’s hand, dumping them into her

palm and tossing them into her mouth. Then she took a drink of the water the

Tropical Storm 421

woman held out. “Thank you, Ms.,” she peered at the badge, “Archer.” She

put her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes.

The woman stayed there a moment longer, then stormed toward the

door, keying it open and letting it slam behind her. Kerry listened, hearing the

soft click of the shutter being drawn back and remained still. Then she heard

the solid snick of it closing and opened an eye. “Bitch.” She leaned forward

and spat the two pills out, grimacing. “Ugh. God, what did they coat that

with, lemon pepper?” Disgusted, she got out of bed and retrieved the

capsules, separating them and emptying the powder inside them into the

radiator. It hissed. Then she fit the two ends back together, and put them in

her mouth, swallowing them down with the rest of the water the woman had

left.

Three thirty. That meant she had…probably four and a half hours left

before they’d start working on her in earnest, and if they gave her drugs

through a needle… Kerry chewed her lip. They could keep her drugged up

enough for anything to happen.

Her eyes wandered over the room, stopping on the small stool placed in

the corner, ready for the doctor to warm it with his butt. She glanced at the

stool, then at the door. “I never was a person who advocated violence, but you

know, sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do.” Purposefully, she set

to work, fluffing the covers up and using the pillows to make it appear that

she was curled up in bed. Then she walked over to the door and stood behind

it, satisfied that whoever looked in the grating couldn’t see her. She walked

over and got the stool, bringing it back with her to her post and sitting down

on it.

It was strange, how little fear she was feeling. All of the terror had been

sucked out of her, replaced by a slowly growing, slowly heating anger that

made her look at her recent past and see her walking the fence with utter

disgust.

“What kind of idiot was I?” She leaned her head against the door. “My

family, my family. What the hell was I thinking? That they’d just accept me?

Accept what I am?” She shook her head. “What an idiot. Kerry you don’t

deserve a life partner, you deserve a brain transplant.”

She’d wanted everything. If she failed in her one shot here, she’d get

nothing, and she’d lose. “My god.” Kerry felt tears welling up in her eyes.

“What the hell did I do?”

Silence gathered around her, the soft sounds of the hospital muted by the

late hour.

And she waited. She suspected her friend Ms. Archer would be back to

check up on her, what with her being so important and all, and she’d be alone.

Kerry just hoped she didn’t screw this up, because she had only one chance.

One chance.

She waited. Kerry estimated that fifteen minutes went by, then thirty. At

last, she heard a faint sound of footsteps coming down the hall, pausing

periodically. She guessed the nurse was checking each room. They came

closer, and closer, and at last they were outside her door.

Kerry silently got up and lifted the stool in her hands, hefting it. The

shutter slid back, then closed, and a series of short beeps were sounded as the

422 Melissa Good

woman keyed the door.

She felt her heart pounding, and she licked her lips, getting ready. The

doorknob turned and pushed inward. She waited for the figure to clear the

edge, then slammed the stool down as hard as she could.

THE HANGAR BAY door rolled back, revealing the F14 Tomcat in all its

sinister glory. Dar took a brief moment to study the swept-back wing fighter

before she shook her head and tightened one of the seven zillion straps there

seemed to be on the flight suit Jack had insisted she wear.

What in the hell am I doing?

Three shadowy figures were standing by the plane, and they saluted as

Jack came up, stepping out of his way as he circled the aircraft, checking it

thoroughly. He was all business now, and spoke to the crewmen in quiet, terse

sentences as they finished the fueling and hooked the mounting ladder to its

side. The canopy swung up, and Jack motioned Dar forward. “You first, so I

can stand up there and tell you what not to touch.”

He missed the wry look from his friend as she pulled herself up the

ladder, stepped over the high cockpit side, and settled herself into the

surprisingly comfortable seat. She was surrounded by electronics, and she

was momentarily glad the canopy was glass, which lessened the

claustrophobic feeling a bit. “Okay.”

Jack mounted next, and placed a booted foot on the edge of the canopy,

pointing down. “That’s the weapons array, that’s radar, that’s…”

“The targeting system, threat management, and navigation,” Dar finished

dryly. “And this, this little beauty, is the heads-up generator, which I wrote

the original programming for.”

Jack stared at her. “Oh.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”

Dar glanced up. “It’s all right. I won’t touch anything, I promise,” she

assured him, feeling the tremor as her muscles jerked in agitation. “Let’s just

get going.”

They finished the checklist, then a small vehicle tugged them out into the

open and to the taxiway, where Jack lit off his engines and started under his

own power. The roar was almost subliminal in its intensity, and Dar could feel

it vibrating down along her clenched jaw. She settled the headphones on her

head and listened as Jack talked quietly to the tower at the airfield, filing his

flight plan and confirming that he was heading for a civilian airport. Then the

Tomcat rolled forward, winding down the taxiways before it reached the

runway outlined in dim blues and reds, the oil-marked tarmac clear in the icy

white of his plane’s running lights.

“You ready?” His voice sounded tinny through the earpieces.

“Yep,” Dar responded and tightened her straps. The song “I Would Do

Anything for Love” inescapably began running through her mind, and she

sighed, hoping the afterburners would drown it out. The Tomcat’s engines

powered up, and the plane began to shake against its brakes, then with a

tremendous jerk, they released, and they were flying down the runway.

It seemed mere seconds, rather than the long time it took with a regular

airplane, before they were airborne and headed up at a steep angle. Dar could

Tropical Storm 423

feel the G-pressure slamming against her, and she kept her breathing steady,

closing her eyes and waiting for the plane to eventually level out. Which it

did, cruising along at quite a pace for a little while as Jack navigated out of the

established flight paths and into an isolated one reserved for military aircraft.

“You ready?” he asked again. “It’s one thirty AM, and we’re gonna crack

plates all over Maryland, so hang on.”

“Okay. Go.” Dar briefly wondered what it was like to fly at more than the

speed of sound, then the afterburners kicked in, and she felt like a horse’s

hooves had slammed her in the chest. “Jesus.” The acceleration kept up, and

she watched the mach meter creeping closer and closer until it hit Mach One,

and a rolling wave of thunder cascaded around the plane, shivering through

every part of it and making her ears itch.

Then it was quiet.

They rolled up through Mach Two, then Jack trimmed the engines and

maintained a steady flight speed, whipping over the earth with nonchalant

ease.

It seemed only moments, in which she sat trying not to think of anything

at all, until she felt the pressure in her ears that meant they were descending.

The plane slowed, and the rumble came back, and she could hear Jack’s low,

even conversation with the traffic controllers in the area. Kent County,

apparently, didn’t have anything but a radar officer and one single controller

on watch, just in case. But they had no other planes in the area, and Jack just

told them to turn on the runway lights, and he’d find it okay.

They queried him uncertainly.

“I’m a carrier pilot,” he responded dryly. “I’ve landed on something a lot

smaller than your field.”

Then they were on the ground, and Jack parked his plane in an unused

hangar, shutting it down and turning it over to the watchful eye of an MP sent

for just that purpose. They got in the car he had waiting and started off. It was

an hour’s drive to Saugatuck, which was right on the water. They could feel

the lake breeze hitting the car even before they got there, and Dar peered at

the map, giving terse, nervous directions. At last. A somber, white building

rose before them, with gates in the front and a full complement of security.

Jack looked at her uncertainly. “How are we going to get in there?”

Blue eyes regarded him. “You’re not. You’re staying right here until I get

back. And if I don’t get back, call this number.” She tried to hand him a card,

but he wouldn’t take it.

“No way, Dar. I’m going in there with you.” His jaw jutted stubbornly.

“You had me fly all the way out here, I’m not missing out on the fun.”

“Jack, this could mean trouble for you. I don’t want that on my

conscience,”Dar objected.

“Flying into Iraqi airspace meant trouble for me,” he replied bluntly. “I

went anyway.”

Dar remained silent, then sighed. “All right.” She took her badge from

her briefcase and clipped it on her collar, then peered at him. “Here.” She

clipped the luggage tag on his flight suit. “Take off the insignia, they won’t

know the difference.”

They got out of the car, and Dar stripped off her flight suit, donning

424 Melissa Good

instead the trench coat she’d brought against the chill air. She shouldered her

laptop, and faced him. “We’re here to fix the computers, okay?”

His brows creased as he pulled off his wings and name patch. “What if

they aren’t broken?”

“They are,” Dar assured him. “They have a trouble ticket open with the

local account here.”

“That’s a bit of a coincidence, isn’t it?” he inquired warily.

“Not really,” Dar replied as she started walking towards the guard house.

“It’s a long holiday weekend, they have to transmit their payroll tonight, and

both of their local techs are with their families three hundred miles away. It’s

the worst possible time for a problem, ergo, there is one.” She straightened her

lapel. “Computers are like that.”

Jack thought about that. “Oh.” He zipped up his jacket, hanging his

luggage tag from the outside pocket. “Murphy’s Law?”

“Dar’s Rule of FUBAR.” Dar smiled grimly as they came up to the gate, a

large rectangle of light from the glassed-in window spilling out along the

darkened path. “Much more precise.”

As they approached, a small panel slid aside, revealing a young guard

with thick, curly blond hair and blue eyes. “Can I help you?” he started to ask,

then his eyes fell on her badge. “Oh, thank god! Thank god! Let me get the

gate open.”

Dar winked at Jack. “Now, that’s the kind of reception I like to see the

company get.” Now that she was here and doing something, her nerves had

steadied, and she felt a lot calmer. It was the waiting that killed her.

The gate swung open and the guard hurried out. “You need an escort?”

he asked anxiously.

Dar consulted a paper. “Let’s see…it’s the computer room on the…” She

bent closer.

“Third floor, near the lockdown unit,” he supplied helpfully. “Go up the

elevator, get off at the third floor, turn right, and it’s three doors down on the

left. I’ll have it opened for you.”

“Great, thanks. We’ll try to be quick,” Dar promised.

“Please. If they don’t transmit that tape before the banks update in the

morning, I’m toast,” the man begged. “I promised I’d take my mother-in-law

out to brunch on Sunday, and at this rate, it’s going to be at McDonalds.”

Dar patted his shoulder. “Relax.” The stones crunching under her boots,

she started up the gravel path and exhaled. “First hurdle down.”

Jack moved closer. “Isn’t it bad, raising his hopes like that?”

Blue eyes shot a look at him. “Trust me, they’ve got a lot better chance of

getting those damn systems working with me here than if they’d sent one of

our field techs.” She continued walking, heading up a low series of steps to

the front door of the facility. “I’m not just an administrator, y’know.”

“Bu…uh…well, I know, Dar, but we’re not really here to do that. I

mean… Are you actually going to fix it, then?”

Dar sighed. “Why the hell not? I’m here to break a senator’s daughter out

of a psych ward in the middle of the night after hijacking a government

aircraft.” She paused. “And it’s gonna snow. Might as well fix the damn

computers so I can at least bill them before I get thrown in jail and then fired,

Tropical Storm 425

if I’m really, really lucky.”

Jack looked nervously around. “Oh. Okay.”

They entered the building, quiet at this hour, and nodded at the guard

sitting on the reception desk. He glanced at them, then spotted the badge and

looked profoundly relieved. “Damn, are we glad to see you guys. They said

they didn’t have anyone in the area. I thought we were really screwed.”

“We flew in,” Dar replied honestly as she headed past the desk and

entered the elevator. The doors closed behind them, and she exhaled again.

“Hurdle number two.” It was a silent ride until the doors slid open on the

third floor, exposing a long expanse of mind-numbingly mint green concrete.

“Jesus, I hate that color,” Dar muttered as she turned to her right.

Their shoes squeaked on the polished tile, and the sound made the nurse

at the desk look up in startled attention. She came around the corner and

approached them—a short, slim woman with dark hair and a lightly made up

face. “Can I… Oh.” Her eyes widened on seeing Dar’s badge. “Thank the good

Lord’s mercy.”

Dar smiled and stopped in front of the room the guard had indicated,

nodding at it. “Wanna let me in?”

The nurse hurriedly punched in a code, and the door opened. She pushed

it back, holding it respectfully as they entered. “Oh, you have no idea how

wonderful it is to see you. I can’t believe they found someone at this time of

night. It’s incredible.”

Dar entered the computer room and set her briefcase down, then seated

herself in front of the AS400 terminal and examined it. She pulled her laptop

out of its case and booted it, while Jack watched with interest.

“Can I get you two anything?” the nurse asked anxiously. “Coffee, a

doughnut—we’ve got some turkey and stuffing left.”

Dar glanced over. “Thanks, Ms.,” she squinted a little, “Archer, coffee

would be wonderful.” She paused. “I like mine with everything.”

The nurse nodded, then glanced at Jack.

“Just black for me, thanks.” He smiled at her.

“Right you are. I’ll be right back.” She hurried off.

Dar recalled the company’s profile and drilled down to their operations

section, retrieving their administrative login and password. She typed it in

and was rewarded with full access to their systems.

“How do you guys do this?” Jack whispered. “It’s like you’ve got some

massive set of skeleton keys or something.”

“Well.” Dar entered a query to their patient database and waited for the

screen to come back. Then she recorded Kerry’s location and the lock code to

her room. “It’s like this: We do all the data transfer for most of the credit

unions out there. Most places that are members of the credit unions know that,

because we take care that they do—with joint advertising, that kind of thing.

We sponsor credit union picnics. If they have a fundraiser, we’re involved. So

then we can go in and say, ‘hey, we do this data stuff for the CU, why not let

us handle yours?’ ” Dar made several changes to Kerry’s file, then saved it and

returned to the main menu. “And they usually sit back and realize it does

make sense, because we are professionals, and this is what we do. It’s more

cost-efficient for us to add them to our network than for them to maintain

426 Melissa Good

their own—especially WANS. Those T1 lines are expensive as hell, and you

don’t get redundancy on them.” Dar then dumped out of the menus and went

to the operating system level, starting a diagnostic.

“Okay, that makes sense,” Jack acknowledged.

“So after that, we go in and say, ‘hey, we’re doing the data stuff for the

CU, and we handle your network, why not outsource the rest of your IS to us.

We’ll give you a support package, and you won’t have to worry about

anything.’ ” Dar watched the diagnostic run. “There’s the problem,” she

muttered, stopping it, then standing up and going around to the back of the

computer and kneeling down. “Stupid interface cable’s chewed, they must

have rats.”

“Rats? What?” Jack peered at her. “You figured it out already?”

Blue eyes glanced back at him. “It’s my job, remember?” Dar took a

splicing kit from her briefcase and quickly fixed the cable, then went back to

the console. “They don’t know we’re here; I might as well fix this, then we can

get on with getting Kerry the hell out of here. She’s probably sleeping, might

as well give her a few more minutes.” She typed in a set of commands and

tested the cable. “Ah, better.”

“So, do they usually let you take over their stuff?” Jack asked, fascinated.

“A lot of times, yeah, because maintaining an IS group, especially in a

place like this, whose focus is so narrow, is just a pain in the butt for them. It’s

much easier, and about the same amount of money, or maybe just a bit more,

if they let us do it. And it’s a big problem off their shoulders because we’re big

enough so they know if something does go wrong, we’ll get it fixed.”

“Like now.” Jack smiled.

“Well, we don’t usually send corporate vice presidents to splice cable.”

Dar chuckled ruefully as she started up the data transfer cycle. “They were

bringing a tech up from Chicago, I canceled him.” She watched the counters

roll. “Another day, another dollar.” She stood up and dusted off her hands,

then turned as the nurse came back with the coffee. “Good news.”

The woman handed the coffee over and peered at the screen. “Really?”

“Yep, you’re rolling,” Dar informed her. “It’ll take about twenty minutes

for this to go through; we’ll hang around and make sure it gets finished.”

“Bless you!” the nurse squealed in delight. “Oh my god, I have to go let

everyone know. Thank you, thank you. You’re a genius.” She dashed out,

headed back for her station.

“Okay.” Dar took a sip of her coffee. “You stay here. I’m going to wander

casually down the hallway and see if I can get into Kerry’s room.” She picked

up the piece of paper with the room and code on it and put it into her pocket.

“Then I have to figure a way to get her the hell out of here.”

“Oh, so that part of the plan’s not ready yet?” he asked nervously.

“Plan?” Dar gave him a nervous look right back and grinned faintly.

“What plan?” She slipped out the door and sauntered down the hallway,

gazing around in apparently casual interest. The nurse spotted her and

waved, never stopping her speech on the phone as she did so. Dar waved back

and continued her progress, stopping every so often to peer at the bulletin

boards, which dotted the walls, and read the notices and schedules on them.

Kerry’s room was at the end of the hallway, Dar realized, around a small

Tropical Storm 427

crook in the otherwise straight walls. When she came even with the door and

glanced back over her shoulder, she could no longer see the inside of the

nurse’s station, only the front edge of the desk. “Good,” she muttered, then

eased back the little peephole and peered inside. The harsh white light

displayed a stark, almost bare room, with a bed near the far wall. A figure was

curled up in it, and Dar nodded to herself as she closed the panel, then keyed

in the lock code and gently opened the door.

She felt rather than saw the blow coming and let her body react, twisting

as something hard and cold struck her on the shoulders. She went with the

force of it, diving for the floor and rolling, then coming back up on her feet in

a dazed blur, holding her hands out in a defensive posture. She blinked the

stars from her eyes, and heard a faint choking sound, then her vision focused

finally on Kerry’s stunned face. “Wow,” she managed to joke weakly. “I love

you too, but couldn’t we just kiss each other?”

“Oh my god, I’m…” Kerry unfroze and closed the distance between

them, touching Dar’s neck in horror. “Dar…I’m…I didn’t know it w…I

thought it was… You’re bleeding. Oh Jesus.”

Dar rubbed her head. “Does that mean you’re glad to see me or not?” She

gave the blonde woman a wry smile.

Kerry just looked at her for a long moment, then slowly came forward

and leaned her body against Dar’s taller one, sliding her arms around her

lover’s waist and burying her face in Dar’s chest. “Glad to see you? I’ve never

been so glad to see anyone in my entire life.” She let out a shaky sigh. “Oh

god.”

Dar felt her entire world collapse until it only encompassed the two of

them, as she wrapped her arms around Kerry and gently kissed her head.

“What in the hell’s going on here?”

A sigh warmed her chest, even through the fabric. “I can’t believe he did

this, it was horrible, Dar. At first, he wanted to blame you, he said it was all

your fault. That you…lured me into this.”

Dar exhaled but kept silent.

“And, I couldn’t. I had to tell him that wasn’t true. And he…” Kerry’s

arm unwound and lifted, her hand touching her cheek. “He hit me.”

The dark-haired woman pulled back a little, so she could see her

partner’s cheek. “Bastard.”

Kerry just looked sad. “There was so much hate in him. I don’t

understand, Dar, how can people hate you for something as beautiful as

loving someone?” She put her head back down, her voice shaking.

“It’s part of what makes us human, Kerry,” Dar answered in a tired voice.

“We hate anyone different,” she told her softly. “Come on, we’ve got to get

you out of here.”

Kerry nodded. “I know. They were going to start ‘probing’ me in the

morning. I knew I had to get out of here before then. I was afraid they’d…”

She hesitated. “I didn’t know what kind of drugs they were going to fill me

with, or…I mean, you can say anything under some of that stuff, and…” Her

eyes lifted and met the pale blue ones gazing down at her. “I didn’t want to

take a chance on them forcing me to say something I didn’t mean.”

Dar’s lips tensed into a grim smile. “What were you going to do after you

428 Melissa Good

knocked out Little Miss Sunshine out there?”

“Find a phone,” Kerry admitted, “and scream for help.” She plucked at

her hospital gown. “After stealing some scrubs to wear.” Her brow creased.

“And, how did you know about this, Dar? How did you get here?”

The taller woman snorted. “They found your medical card in your wallet

and figured they might as well bill us for your brainwashing.” She keyed the

door open again and peeked out, seeing a quiet, empty hallway. “Let me go

see if I can find your clothes and let Jack know what’s going on.”

“Jack?” Kerry queried.

“Gerald Easton’s son, he got me here,” Dar answered absently, peering at

doors to try and figure out what was behind them.

“Got you here?” A pause. “I thought you were in Maryland with him, did

you… No, you couldn’t have driven, it’s the middle of the night, there’s no

planes!” Kerry stared at her in confusion.

“He’s a Navy pilot,” Dar replied offhandedly. “It pays to have old friends

in fast places, Kerry. I’ll explain later.” She eased out. “Okay, I’ll be right back.

Just take it easy, okay?” She patted her pockets, then pulled out a slip of

paper. “Just in case.” She handed it to Kerry. “It’s your lock code.”

“A Navy p…” Kerry took the paper mechanically, watching as Dar

carefully closed the door and eased down the hall. She leaned against the wall

again, her knees shaking so badly she could hardly stand. It was too much.

She slid down the wall and rested her head on her arms, wondering if it was

all just another one of those strange dreams she’d soon wake up from.

OUTSIDE, AFTER SHIFTING her jacket so that the cut on her neck was

covered, Dar padded quietly down the hallway and popped around the corner

to see the nurse bending over some paperwork. She looked up as Dar

sauntered closer, then smiled.

“Well, you certainly are the hero of the building.” She put down her

clipboard and sighed. “You don’t know how many people there are here who

can breathe now. For me, tomorrow is my kid’s birthday. It was gonna be a

doughnut with a candle in it until you walked in.”

Dar smiled sincerely at her. “Glad I could help.” She leaned on the

counter, checking her watch. “Not too much longer,” she commented, stifling

a yawn. “Say, are those things really comfortable?”

The nurse looked down. “Oh, the scrubs? Yeah, they sure are. Beats the

heck out of that starched polyester they used to make us wear, let me tell

you.” She looked at Dar speculatively. “Hey, would you like a set to try? I

could get you one, we’ve got thousands.”

This is too easy. “Could you?” Mild blue eyes blinked at her in gratitude.

“I’ve always wanted to try them.”

The nurse patted her hand. “Honey, for you, anything.” She ducked out

from behind the desk and hurried off.

Dar smiled and regarded the nurse’s station, peering under the counter to

see if she could spot any of Kerry’s belongings, without much success. “Hey,

Jack, how’s it going in there?” she called in a normal tone of voice.

Jack’s blond head popped out, and he glanced at her. “Um, the red bar is

Tropical Storm 429

about seventy five percent of the way across, is that what you’re asking?” She

nodded. “Everything okay?” He looked closer. “Christ on a rudder, Dar,

you’re bleeding.” He walked over to her and pulled her jacket collar back.

“What happened?” He asked in a lower voice. “Did you find Kerry?”

“Yes, I got hit with a stool, and yes,” Dar muttered. “Kerry was trying to

make a break for it and thought I was a nurse.”

“God. Feisty thing, isn’t she?” Jack half laughed. “She okay?”

Dar nodded. “She’s fine, they hadn’t had time to do anything to her. That

was scheduled for the morning.” She sighed. “But she’s pretty shook up.”

He digested this. “Why is she in here, Dar? She nuts?”

Dar shook her head. “No. Just gay.”

The shock showed in his face as he stared at her. “You’re not serious.”

She sighed tiredly, rubbing eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and tension.

“Yeah, I’m serious.”

Dar looked up as the nurse returned, holding a package and smiling

cheerfully. “Here you go, hope you enjoy them.” The woman handed it over,

then gave Jack a smile as well. “Hello there. You want a set, too? My husband

loves them.”

“Um, no thanks.” Jack mumbled. “Thanks anyway.”

“Thanks.” Dar took the scrubs and tried to figure out what to do next.

Her mind was slowing down, she realized, as the problems of getting Kerry

out of the hospital safely weighed down on her shoulders.

She hadn’t really gotten past what to do after she got in here, mostly

because she had no idea what the layout was, or the possibilities. Maybe she

could pull the fire alarm…or, was that a water pressure pipe in that other

alcove?

“Excuse me.” The nurse touched her arm. “Listen, can I ask you a big

favor, since you’re stuck here for a little while anyway?”

“Huh?” Dar broke off her planning and turned to the woman. “Sorry,

sure.”

“I’d like to run down and grab a sandwich from the cafeteria, can you just

listen for this phone?” She pointed at it. “If it rings, just answer Third Floor

and take a message.”

“Uh…well, sure, of course, no problem,” Dar assured her, working hard

to keep an incredulous grin off her face. “Go on, we’ll be here another…uh,

thirty minutes at least, that load’s taking longer than I thought.”

Nurse Archer beamed at her. “You’re the best.” She ducked out from

behind the desk again. “Can I bring you back a sandwich? They have turkey

on a croissant today and some tomato soup.”

“No, no, we’re fine. Thanks.” Dar waved at her. “Take your time.”

The doors to the elevator slid closed behind her white butt, and they

looked at each other. “Well.” Dar rubbed her nose. “You stay here and listen

for the phone, and I’ll go get Kerry.” Unable to quite believe her good luck,

Dar trotted down the hallway to her lover’s door and punched in the code,

having the handle practically taken out of her hand by an impatient blonde.

“Hey!”

“I was starting to get nervous,” Kerry whispered. “I thought maybe you

got into trouble.”

430 Melissa Good

Dar leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, letting her touch linger a

bit. “I am trouble,” she purred into the shorter woman’s ear. “Here.” She

handed Kerry the scrubs, which came complete with little booties. “It’s not

chic, but it’ll get you the hell out of here.”

Kerry took the bundle and examined it with interest. “Hmm, I always

wanted a set of these. This wasn’t the way I’d have chosen to get them,

though.” She opened the packages and shook out the white garments,

stripping off her uncomfortable hospital gown and slipping into the

drawstring pants. “Yeesh.” She tugged on the waist strings to make them fit,

and ended up tying a big bow, while Dar knelt and did the same for the

ankles. “That’s better, at least I won’t trip on them,” Kerry muttered as she

pulled on the shirt, settling it around her body. “Well, that’s not too bad.”

Dar smiled, then stood up and pulled a comb out of her pocket and ran it

through Kerry’s disheveled hair. “So, other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was

Thanksgiving?”

That got a weak laugh from the blonde woman. “Oh, lots of relatives, lots

of bullshit. I got to make nice with Brian and see some of my uncles and aunts

I haven’t seen in a while.” She paused. “Now I guess I won’t ever again,” she

concluded softly. “Dar, he’s not going to just let go of this.”

“Leave that to me,” her partner responded in a crisp, no-nonsense voice.

Kerry looked at her. “What does that mean?”

Dar finished her task and turned her lover towards the light. “You’ll do,”

she concluded. “It means that I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I’d like

you to just trust me to handle the situation.”

Warily, Kerry gazed at her. “You’re not going to tell me what’s going

on?”Serious blue eyes studied her face. “Not here, not now…and it’s easier if I

show you. When we get home, I’ll lay it all out for you, I promise.” She

paused. “Will you trust me?”

Kerry looked her right in the eye for a long silent moment. “I trust you,”

she stated quietly. “Just…remember, Dar, whatever else he may be, he is my

father.”

Dar patted her cheek. “I know.” She took a breath. “Come on, let’s get out

of here. I’m going to have you go downstairs with Jack. I’ll wait for the nurse

to get back here, then join you. It would look strange if we left the floor

unwatched, and I don’t want any alarms getting out.”

Kerry nodded. “Then what?”

Dar pondered. “Then I guess we go to your parents’ house to pick up

your things,” she said.

“What? Dar, no, I don’t need that stuff. There is nothing there

irreplaceable. I don’t want to go back there,” Kerry protested vehemently.

“Kerry…” Dar started to speak.

“No!” the green-eyed woman interrupted. “I can’t face them, not after

this. Dar, don’t ask that of me, please.” She turned away, hugging herself.

“Can’t we just get out of here?” she whispered. “I’ll pay for the company

laptop.”

Dar exhaled. “Okay, let’s go.” She walked forward and put an arm

around Kerry’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, I’m so used to being so damn

Tropical Storm 431

confrontational, I forget it’s not always the smartest thing to do.”

Kerry let herself be turned around, and they headed for the door. “What

purpose would it serve anyway?”

“Just lets them know they didn’t beat you,” Dar replied quietly as she

opened the door and gently ushered her lover out into the hall, checking first

to make sure the coast was clear. “But that’s my pride speaking, and it’s kinda

loud sometimes.”

Kerry looked over her shoulder at the frank admission and felt a tiny

smile tugging at her lips. “That ‘in yer face’ gene again, huh?” She glanced

around at the depressing hallway. “Uck, this place is disgusting.”

They came around the corner and spotted Jack’s lonely figure, casually

slumped against the desk as he waited. He saw them and straightened, then

smiled as they came closer. “Hi.” He gave Kerry a tentative smile. “You must

be Kerry.”

She held a hand out. “And you must be Jack. It’s nice to meet you.”

Dar went around behind the desk and started rooting through drawers.

She came to a locked one, then glanced at the counter. “Nice nurse.” She

grabbed the set of keys the woman had left and unlocked the drawer, pawing

through it. “Ah.” A set of hospital badges, all with little Post It notes on them.

“Let’s see…” She studied them. “Terminated, terminated, quit, terminated,

deceased, terminated… Admitted?” She peered at that one. “Hmm. Ah…” She

pulled one out from the stack and handed it to Kerry. “Clip that on, the

picture’s close enough.”

Kerry did so. “Now what?”

Dar relocked the drawer and put the keys back down. “Okay, you two

take the elevator there down and just walk out the front door. Kerry, you

pretend you’re just walking him out, okay?”

The blonde was recovering her composure. “It would be more realistic if I

was hitting on him.” She glanced at the blushing Jack. “He’s cute.”

“Fine.” The executive chuckled wearily. “Once you get out there, just

wait for me, okay?”

They both nodded. “What are you going to do?” Kerry asked predictably.

“Discharge you.” Dar smiled piratically. “I like things neat. Get going.”

She paused. “Jack, take my laptop, okay?”

He nodded. “Gotcha. See you downstairs.” He retrieved the case and left,

guiding Kerry towards the elevator. At the doors, the blonde woman turned

and met Dar’s watching eyes.

“Be careful.”

Dar smiled. “You, too.” She watched the doors close, then she turned her

attention to the task at hand.

THE RIDE DOWN the elevator was quiet, and Kerry restlessly ran her

fingers through her hair, fidgeting until the doors opened at the bottom floor

and they got out. Ahead of them, a single guard was seated at the reception

desk, leaning on his elbows. He glanced up as he saw them, and a big smile

crossed his face.

“Hey, hear you guys saved the day! Way to go, man!”

432 Melissa Good

Jack waved. “Yeah, it was a chewed-up wire, but we got things going

again. I’m just going to put my stuff away.” He hefted the briefcase. “Boss is

upstairs making sure things finish okay for you guys.”

“Great, great. Listen, can we get you a pop or something?” The guard’s

eyes flicked over Kerry and dismissed her.

“Nah, we’re just wanting to get to the motel, and get some sleep. Been a

hell of a long day.” He started to move past the desk. “Glad it all worked out.”

“Which hotel they got you at?” the guard asked in friendly interest. “I

know most of the good happy hours around here.”

Jack was at a loss. “Um…”

“Didn’t you say the Marriott Courtyard? It’s about a half mile from here,”

Kerry interjected casually. “That’s where you said we could get a drink later.”

“Whooo, they put you up at the good places.” The guard laughed. “And

you got an invitation on top if it. Well, g’night. And thanks again.” He glanced

once more at Kerry, then went back to the magazine he’d been reading.

They passed through the front hall and exited the building. “Brr.” Kerry

sighed. “These scrubs are not meant for November in Saugatuck.”

Jack glanced around as they crunched down the gravel path. “Thanks for

saving my butt in there. I’ve got no damn idea what hotels there are around

this place. Hell, I don’t even know where I am. Dar got us here.” He glanced

around. “Once we get past the front gate, I’ll give you my jacket, okay?”

Kerry nodded but kept silent, feeling the cold, hard ground through the

thin surface of her booties. They came even with the front gate, and the guard

inside looked up. Kerry waved at him, and he waved back, then he waved

even harder at Jack.

Jack smiled. “I feel like a goddamned messiah,” he muttered out of the

corner of his mouth. “I haven’t gotten this kind of a greeting since we

liberated Kuwait.” He glanced at the beaming guard. “He doesn’t even realize

he doesn’t know you, does he?” The gate slowly opened in front of them, and

they started to pass through.

Kerry snorted softly. “There’s a lot of Dutch and Germans settled in this

area—blonde, white women are a dime a dozen, trust me. He probably sees

twenty people who look like me every day.” They passed out of the light cone

around the guardhouse, and finally, Kerry felt her guts start to relax a little as

she heard the metal lock close shut behind her.

She was free. She was out of the worst situation she’d ever been in, and

she mostly felt like finding a warm spot and just curling up into it and crying.

It was dark around them now, and Jack stripped off his jacket and set it

around her shoulders. “Thanks.” She nodded gratefully to him. “I know I owe

you a big thank you for helping Dar get here, however that happened.”

He chuckled a little as they came up to the military car, in dark blue, and

he unlocked the door for her. “I’d do just about anything for her. We’ve been

friends since we were kids. She saved my ass once, after we built a treehouse

out in a ficus that overhung a sinkhole.”

He waited for her to slide in, then he closed the door and got in on the

other side. “My dad told me not to, but I was pretty damn stubborn, and I did

anyway. I was putting the final railing on when I lost my step and fell over the

edge, with nothing between me and the bottom of that damn sinkhole except

Tropical Storm 433

Oh-Two.” He exhaled. “My belt caught on a branch nub, and there I was,

hanging like a stuffed pig on Christmas, yelling my head off.”

Kerry muffed a slightly hysterical laugh. “Oh no.”

“Yep. Next thing I know, Dar’s there, and she manages to get a rope tied

off and around her, then she climbs down next to me and helps me get up onto

the next branch. So then we both lose our balance and fall, and she’s hanging

on to me and tied to that rope—so I figure we’re both toast.”

“Oh no!” Kerry’s eyes widened.

“Yep, but she’s stronger than all hell, if you know what I mean, even

then, when we were little. So she manages to get her body twisted round, and

I can grab onto the branch and pull myself up. Then she gets up next to me,

and we were all right.”

“Whew.” Kerry blew out a breath. “Then what happened?”

He gave her a wry glance. “She slugged me for being so damned stupid.”

Kerry burst into laughter, clamping a hand over her mouth quickly. “Oh,

god. I’m sorry, that’s not funny,” she apologized.

“Sure it is.” Jack laughed. “It’s Dar all over.”

The blonde woman sighed. “Yeah, I think I can see that, even though I’ve

only known her for a little while.” Her eyes flicked to Jack’s. “She’s a brave

woman.”

He smiled at her “She’s a brave human,” he corrected her. “She’s the best

friend and the worst enemy you could possibly want to have. She never backs

down, and she’s always there if you need her to be.”

Kerry stared out the windshield, at the faintly glowing lights from the

hospital. “That’s true,” she finally said, softly. “She’ll stand up to anyone.”

She fell silent and leaned her head against the door jamb, her eyes glued on

the path leading down from the hospital.

They waited what seemed like an eternity, but what was actually about

ten minutes, until Kerry’s eyes found what they were looking for. A tall, lean

figure came gliding down the gravel, stopping at the gate and exchanging a

few words with the guard, who laughed and waved. Dar then exited out the

sliding wire barrier into the darkness of the parking lot.

A moment later, and Dar was getting into the back seat with a long,

exhausted sigh. “God damn it all to hell in a wire handbasket, I’m glad that’s

over with,” she muttered, slumping against the cushions. “Damn woman

nearly talked my ear off. Tried to give me a cupcake. Wanted my boss’s name

so she could put in a good word. Jesus!”

Kerry started laughing helplessly. “You should have given it to her.” She

exhaled. “And you like cupcakes.”

Jack glanced at her, then into the rearview mirror. “Where to?”

Dar considered. “There a hotel nearby? I think we all could use some

sleep. I know I could. Then we can pack Jack back off to DC and catch a

commercial flight home.”

“What about that Marriott you mentioned?” Jack asked Kerry.

Kerry remained silent for a moment. “I, um…” She half turned and rested

her chin on the back of the seat, gazing at Dar. “I…think you’re right. I think

we should go pick up my stuff.”

A dark eyebrow lifted. “I thought…”

434 Melissa Good

“I know.” Kerry looked down at the fabric. “But I started this, and I need

to finish it.” She raised her eyes to Dar’s. “I just need a little backup.”

A quiet, proud smile edged Dar’s lips. “You’ve got that. Kerry, I know

this is tough for you, and I know you still love your parents very much. Try to

remember that, all right?” She sighed. “Don’t let what happened take that

away from you, no matter how much they seem to deserve it.”

Jack started the car and pulled out of the lot. Throughout the quiet,

darkness-shrouded drive, Kerry thought about Dar’s advice.

THE HOUSE WAS dark. The front light was on, sending a pool of silver

across the brown grass, but the rest of the building was silent and gray. Jack

pulled up next to the driveway and glanced back at Dar.

“All right.” Dar sucked in a breath and tried to summon up energy.

“Jack…”

The pilot blinked at her. “He’s enough of a scud to nap his own daughter

and have her shipped off to the funny farm. I’m going as your security.” He

reached under the seat of the car and brought out his service-issued

automatic, snapping the adjustable holster into its place under his arm. “And

just so they know I’m registered to carry that…” He put his insignia back on.

Dar put a hand on his arm. “No,” she quietly disagreed. “I don’t think it’s

going to be necessary, and I’ve got a few cards up my sleeve if he does try

anything stupid. Let’s not get the military involved in this, okay? He’s a

senator, and it could only mean big, big trouble, my friend.”

“Dar’s right,” Kerry added softly. “My father has a bug up his ass about

the power of the Pentagon. Don’t give him that kind of ammunition.”

Jack glanced from one to the other. “Okay, but you’ve got thirty minutes.

More than that, and I’m coming in after you.”

“All right,” Dar agreed. “You ready?” she asked Kerry, who nodded.

“Let’s go.”

They eased out of the car and shut the doors gently, then made their way

up the front walk to the entrance. Kerry faced the door and her hands

clenched, then relaxed. She reached up and rang the bell.

Once. Twice. Three times, before they heard footsteps approaching. Dar

put a steadying hand on her lover’s back and straightened her own, gathering

her wits about her. The door opened and swung back, and the senator was

standing there, blinking at them in sleep-fogged disbelief. Kerry walked

forward and mounted the step up to the threshold, then hauled off and

slapped him hard across the face. The sound of the slap ricocheted through

the hallway, making him stumble back, and startling Dar, who’d had no idea

in the world her lover was going to do that.

“What in the…” The senator reached for a light switch and flipped it on,

illuminating the doorway and inner hall. “How dare you?”

“How dare I?” Kerry walked right in and up to him. “How dare I? How

dare you do something like that to me!”

He stared at her, then slowly, his eyes drifted past her to the tall, dark

figure looming behind her. “You.” His voice dripped with revulsion.

Dar walked inside and closed the door behind her. “I don’t think we’ve

Tropical Storm 435

met, have we?” She put a hand on her furious friend’s back. “My name is Dar

Roberts.”

“I know who you are, you whore,” the man roared, “Get out of my

house!” He turned for the phone. “I’ll have the law on you!”

“For…what?” Dar cut off Kerry’s violent protest. “Exactly?”

“Breaking and entering!” he answered, dialing.

“You let us in,” Dar reminded him.

“Of the hospital, you freak!”

“Actually, they’re an account of ours. I signed the visitors’ log like

anyone else,” Dar replied calmly. “And I was requested there due to a

computer problem.”

He stopped dialing. “You broke her out of there,” he accused.

“No, no, the nursing supervisor discharged her.” The executive smiled at

him. “After they found nothing wrong with her.”

“There is something wrong with her.” He put the phone down. “And it’s

your fault. You corrupted her, you bitch, and I’ll have you…”

A long, powerful finger lifted. “You will have me filing a lawsuit against

you for libel, along with one for kidnapping and forcibly detaining an

employee of mine if you don’t shut up.” She slid ahead of Kerry, dangerous as

a panther as she walked up to him, staring him evenly in the eyes. “Now, I

suggest we take this little discussion to whatever you use as an office, so the

rest of your…family…doesn’t have to hear what I have to tell you, okay?”

“You think you’re so damn clever,” the man spat.

“No, the company does. In fact, the company pays me to be clever, and I

like to give them their money’s worth,” Dar replied with a smile. “Now, you

can move, or we can just collect Kerry’s things and be on our way, and I’ll just

run a transmit to the news services when I get back in the car. Your choice.”

Dar’s voice dripped with danger, smooth, slick syllables that rolled off her

tongue and were accented with glints of her eyes. “Senator.”

He moved, turning and heading towards a wooden door visible through

the living room they were standing at the edge of. Dar followed him, and

Kerry, after taking a breath, followed her, stunned by the powerful presence

Dar had manifested. She glanced to one side and found herself looking into

her mother’s eyes, peering out from their bedroom doorway.

The eyes disappeared, and the door closed. Kerry sighed and kept

walking, trailing after Dar’s tall figure as they entered that damn study, and

this time she closed the door behind them. A small reading lamp dimly lit the

senator’s private study. Shadows filled the corners making it hard to see what

hid between the bookshelves and display cases distributed along the walls.

Dar circled the room, her focus on the angry man before her, and ended

up by his desk. She perched on a corner and crossed her arms. Taking a

moment to study him with interested, blue eyes, she stayed quiet.

“What do you want?” he finally asked, after a period of this.

Dar let him wait a bit longer, then she stood and walked around a little,

ending up next to the window. “What do I want?” she repeated. “I want you

to go back twenty-four hours and not have assaulted, kidnapped, and illegally

incarcerated your own daughter there. That’s what I want.”

“I didn’t illegally do anything,” the senator brusquely informed her. “She

436 Melissa Good

was admitted for observation, and it’s my responsibility to make sure my

family gets taken care of.”

“Oh, so when they filled me full of drugs and tried to brainwash me in

the morning, that was for…observational reasons?” Kerry asked from her

position against the wall.

He glanced at her. “I wanted them to talk to you, yes, and get these crazy

ideas out of your head, before you ruin your life.” He glared at Dar. “She’s the

one who brainwashed you.”

“Brainwashed her into what?” Dar snorted. “Into thinking for herself?

No, thanks, she did that all by herself with no help from me.” She paused.

“Oh, you mean brainwashed her into thinking we were in love with each

other. Right?”

“I don’t want to hear that.” The man turned his back on them. “I don’t

accept that any child of mine would be a part of something that disgusting

and depraved.” He turned. “And be damned to Hell on top of it.” His hand

slashed through his hair. “No!” His eyes went to Dar’s shadowed face. “Why

don’t you just get out of here and leave decent people alone? Your kind

doesn’t belong in this country.”

Dar stepped closer, so fast he didn’t even have time to move or to blink

before she was practically on top of him, nose to nose. “My daddy died for

this country, you piece of ignorant trash, so you watch what you say.” Her

voice had dropped to a menacing growl. “And he was worth a thousand of

you.”

Kerry held her breath. She’d never seen Dar like this. Her eyes were

glittering, and her whole body seemed alert with energy. The fiery rage was

almost palpable.

Dead silence. Then, “I’m calling the police.” The senator picked up the

phone. “I’m going to have you arrested on whatever charges I feel like paying

the chief to write up for me, and then I’m going to enjoy seeing your ugly ass

locked up in the men’s side of the prison and watch you get raped until you

scream.”

Surprisingly, Dar smiled. “Ah, your true colors,” she purred charmingly,

her temper put back on a leash. “Before you finish dialing, you might want to

think of the number 99344343.” He stopped dead, his finger on one button,

and slowly, viciously, raised his eyes to hers. Dar chuckled. “Did you know,

Senator, that in this day and age, everything you do goes in a computer?” Dar

stepped around the desk and sat on its edge again. “Every credit card

transaction, every banking transaction, every medical record.” She smiled

again. “Birth certificates, death certificates…everything.”

He just stared at her. Hating.

Dar leaned forward. “You put the phone down. You let me get Kerrison’s

stuff out of here, and then you don’t bother her ever again, or I have one huge-

ass file that’s going out on a mass mailing to every goddamned news agency

in the world, along with the Attorney General’s office.” She paused. “With a

personal note from me to Janet, if you know what I mean.”

“You’re bluffing,” he whispered.

Dar leaned closer. “No, I’m not.” She chuckled. “And believe me, I’d

enjoy every single second of watching you self-destruct on CNN.” She eyed

Tropical Storm 437

him lazily. “I’d even send a condolence card to Pamela.” His eyes bugged out.

Dar slipped off the edge of the desk and stood, waiting.

“All right.” He straightened and appeared to regain his composure.

“What do you really want? What deal are you after?”

“Deal?” Dar inquired softly.

“You must be after something. What is it, money?” He glanced up. “They

can’t pay you that much at that place, is that what you’re after?” He moved

around, drawing her attention and Kerry’s as he paced. “We can work out a

deal, you just name what your price is, and we…”

Dar’s body moved with a savage suddenness that startled even Kerry.

She half turned and sent a sideways kick snapping up, her foot hitting

something hard and sending it flying. Then she whirled and spun kicked

again, this time sending a body flying against the wall with an audible thump.

Kerry ran for the lights as she heard movement, and got to them, flicking them

on just in time to see Kyle go flying again, caught squarely in the ribs by a

flying drop-kick.

“What’s the matter, Kyle, you too used to picking on little girls?” Dar

taunted as she ducked a side swipe of his fist. “Intimidating them and taking

their puppies?” She swiveled and cracked him in the jaw with a roundhouse

kick. “Stinking pig.”

He lunged at her, grabbing her around the waist and taking them both

down. But he didn’t count on Dar’s powerful legs, which wrapped around

him and flipped them both over, landing Dar on top and letting her get in a

good blow to the groin.

“Bitch.” He slugged her in the side, did it again, then wheezed as a knee

slammed him in the gut. He scrambled out of her range, then lunged to his

feet, intent on grabbing her.

Dar rolled up and caught him as he tried to stand up, slamming an elbow

into his jaw, then grabbing an arm and throwing him over her shoulder to

land with a sodden crash on the parquet floor. “Oh yeah, the bitch that just

kicked your ass and loved every minute of it.” Dar felt her breathing steady,

and she felt her temper dropping, the violent need satisfied for the moment.

It was quiet then, until Dar walked over to the far wall and picked up the

automatic pistol she’d kicked out of Kyle’s hand, juggling it in her own. Kerry

watched an unfamiliar expression appear on her father’s face.

Fear.

“Did I forget to mention she was the National Champion in karate one

year?” Kerry murmured. “Guess I did.” Now it was her turn. She stepped

forward until she was standing against her father’s desk. “What you did to me

was wrong.” He just looked at her. “Not just last night. You’ve been trying to

make me into something I’m not since I was a little girl, and you hurt me a

lot,” Kerry told him. “But you’re still my father, and I still love you. I just can’t

live with you.”

“I am not your father.” He turned his back. “Get out of my house, and

take your friend with you.”

Kerry sighed and glanced at Dar, who was unloading the pistol and

pocketing the rounds. “Come on, I don’t have much to get here.”

Dar tossed the automatic on the desk. “Right behind you.”

438 Melissa Good

They left the office and proceeded silently up the stairs. Dar settled her

hands on her lover’s shoulders. “You okay?” she murmured softly into a pink

ear.

Kerry felt like just leaning back and letting Dar’s body envelope hers.

“I’m really hurting inside,” she told the dark-haired woman honestly. “I think

I’m going to need a good, long cuddling real soon now.”

Dar kissed her gently on the head. “Tonight, and every other night for the

rest of your life, if you want,” she promised, realizing what she said after the

words came out.

A momentary, almost shocked silence. “I want,” Kerry finally answered

in a soft voice. “C’mon, let’s get out of here. I have a future to attend to.”

KERRY WALKED INTO her old bedroom and crossed the floor to where

her things were still resting. Someone had tucked everything away, and she

hoped it had been Angela. She quickly checked through the laptop case, then

her bag, and gave Dar a nod. “This is everything.” She pulled out a pair of

jeans and the Navy sweatshirt and quickly changed, tucking her scrubs away

in the bag and sitting down to pull on her sneakers.

Dar walked over and lifted the bag, swinging it to her shoulder. “All

right, let’s go.”

Kerry hesitated and looked around. “I grew up in this room,” she said

quietly. “Angela and me.”

Dar let her eyes flick over the room, then she put her free arm over

Kerry’s shoulders. “You know you won’t lose touch with your sister, right?”

“I know.” The blonde woman sighed.

They both looked up at a sound and saw a disheveled chestnut head poke

in. “Ker?”

“Angie.”

Her sister came in and hurried over, as Kerry stepped forward and

hugged her. “Oh my god, Kerry, what in the hell happened? You disappeared,

and they wouldn’t tell me what was going on, or where you went, and I…”

“Shhh. Yeah, it was pretty bad,” Kerry answered softly. “They knocked

me out and took me to Bryan’s.”

Angela released her and stared at her sister in shock. “Oh my god.” Her

eyes finally drifted to the right as she realized Kerry wasn’t alone, and she

gasped a little at the pale blue orbs catching the low light in the room. “Oh,

I…” She looked closer. “You must be… Dar?”

The taller woman smiled, a glint of white in the gloom. “That’s right.”

She held out a hand courteously. “Nice to meet you, Angela. Wish it was

under better circumstances.”

“Oh…uh, yeah.” Kerry’s sister took her hand gingerly and shook it. “I’ve

heard a lot about you.” She smiled tentatively, then turned back to her sister.

“So, what happened?”

Kerry sighed. “Well…Dar showed up and sprung me.”

“You were doing pretty damn good at that yourself when I got there,”

Dar interrupted.

Green eyes gave her a mild, affectionate look. “Then we came back here,

Tropical Storm 439

and I…sort of had it out with Dad, and now…we’re leaving.” She paused,

gazing at her sister. “For good, it looks like.”

“Oh.” Angela took her hands and squeezed them. “Well, I might be right

behind you, and I’ll keep in touch, okay?”

Kerry smiled and hugged her. “Please. I’ll miss you. Will you let Michael

know what’s going on?”

Angela nodded as they parted. “I’ll call him tomorrow. I’m sort of glad he

got stuck at school and wasn’t here—you know he would have gone ballistic.”

Kerry sighed. “I know. Well, we’ve got to get going. I’ll call you when I

get back to Miami.”

“During the day,” Angela told her softly. “Richard’s given me a lecture

about getting involved.” She made a face. “We had quite a discussion about

that.”

“All right.” The blonde shouldered her laptop. “C’mon, Dar, before Jack

comes busting in here.” She gave her sister one last hug, then moved towards

the door, trailing her tall, dark shadow behind her. They walked down the

stairs and out the front door, passing through the pool of light and onto the

path, towards where an anxious-looking Jack was half in and half out of the

car, one foot on the ground. He got back in as they arrived, and Dar opened

the door, allowing Kerry to slide inside. She started to close the door when the

blonde woman held a hand up, then reached out and tugged her coat, sliding

over further to make room.

Dar tossed the bag in the back seat and closed the door, then got in next

to her lover and exhaled. “Let’s get out of here.”

Jack needed no further instruction. He started the car and backed out,

then turned around and headed down the road. “Nasty?” he asked, after a few

silent moments.

Dar sucked on a sore knuckle and glanced at him. “Disgusting.” She

snuck a peek at the very quiet Kerry, then put a hand on her shoulder. “How

are you doing?”

Kerry tore her eyes from the dark landscape and slowly turned her head,

peering up at Dar’s half shadowed face. “Really sucky,” she answered in a

hoarse voice. “Dar, why can’t I just hate them? It would be so much simpler.”

The dark-haired woman circled her shoulders with a powerful arm and

pulled her closer. “Sorry, I wish I had an answer for you.” She felt Kerry settle

against her, an arm wrapping around her stomach as her lover buried her face

into her shoulder. “I wish I could change their minds.” She felt the catch in

Kerry’s breathing and pulled her closer, rubbing her back soothingly. Jack

looked over and caught her eye, his own full of quiet sympathy.

Dar sighed. “Find a main road, stop at the first place that looks like it

doesn’t have roaches in the sinks.” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket

and dialed a number. “Morning,” she said softly. “This is Dar Roberts,

employee number 4432234.” She paused. “I need two tickets from Grand

Rapids to Miami, first flight out, airline not important.” She listened for a long

few moments. “That’s fine. Use my credit card on record, though, this is

personal.”

Kerry stirred at that, but Dar just patted her back and kept up her

soothing motion. “Okay, that’s great … Excuse me? Oh.” Dar smiled a little.

440 Melissa Good

“Yeah, that’s true, go ahead and apply them. It’s been a real long night and I

think I can use a little extra space.” She listened again. “Thanks, I’ll pick them

up at the airport, I appreciate it.” She hung up and let her head rest against the

back of the seat. “Change in plans, keep going and head for the airport. The

first flight out is at eleven. We might as well get a few hours sleep before we

all get out of here.” She glanced at Jack. “Can you take off from there without

causing havoc?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I won’t be able to do the kind of speed I did on the way

in here, but…” He yawned. “A few hours’ sack time sounds like a great idea. I

can call Dad, and I’ll buy you guys breakfast before your flight, how’s that?”

Dar felt Kerry slump more heavily against her, and she realized the

exhaustion was overtaking her friend. “Sounds great,” Dar admitted. “Oh,

damn, I want a bed. I feel like I was run over by a truck.” She sighed.

Kerry lifted her head and peered up at her. “Well, he did hit you a few

times, everything okay in there?” She patted Dar’s chest.

“Hit you?” Jack’s head snapped up and around. “Who? What?”

Kerry put her head back down. “My father’s bodyguard. He tried to get

the drop on Quick Draw McGraw here; who proceeded to kick his butt all

over the room.”

Jack’s face split into a grin. “Quick Draw, huh?” He laughed softly.

Dar groaned. “Just drive,” she growled.

The hotel at the airport was small, and the desk clerk was rubbing his

eyes when he finally came out and registered them. “One room?” he asked in

a mumble.

“Two,” Jack answered, giving Dar a sideways look. “Adjoining.”

She didn’t protest. They got their keys and trudged upstairs, to rooms

smelling of must and damp brick. Dar automatically flipped on the air

conditioner, then she went for the bed—the long days catching up with her.

She let herself down on her back and felt her muscles go limp in reaction.

“Damn.” She hadn’t really been counting on the fight with Kyle. His sudden

appearance had shocked her senses, and triggered a surge of adrenaline that

had carried her through the battle, but now… “I’m getting too old for this

stuff,” she muttered.

Jack had disappeared into his room, and Kerry finished up the soda she’d

gotten from the vending machine, then shut the light off. She crawled into bed

next to Dar and settled on her side. Her eyes searched the sharp profile so

close to her. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet.” Dar rolled her head to one

side and peered wearily at her. “It’s an odd feeling, you know,” Kerry let her

chin rest on her forearm, “having your own knight in shining armor and all.”

A soft snort. “I am not any such thing,” Dar objected. “And we both know

that.”

Kerry shook her head. “You may know that, but I don’t,” she replied in

quiet reflection. “Oh, maybe I could write off the arriving by supersonic jet

part. Hey, it was opportunistic, right?”

Dar rolled over and faced her, only inches separating them. “Right.”

“Mmm. But not the standing up to my father, and not the ass kicking you

gave Kyle. I heard what you said to him, by the way,” Kerry continued. “So,

thank you, Dar. I’ve lived my life under the belief that people act for

Tropical Storm 441

themselves and their own interests, now I know that’s not the case.”

A dark brow edged up. “Who said it wasn’t in my own interests?” she

inquired softly. “It was very much in my best interests to make damn sure you

were safe and whole.” She reached over and brushed her knuckles against

Kerry’s cheek. “I very selfishly wanted you back.” Kerry blushed a little and

ducked her head. “I mean it. That was just pure self-interest, not a noble thing

about it.” Dar shook her head firmly. “Besides, you have any idea how long it

would take me to find another assistant half as good as you?”

“Dar, I was trying to be serious,” the blonde woman protested gently.

Soft fingertips caressed her jaw. “Whatever the effort, it was worth it,

Kerry. Believe me,” Dar answered, just as seriously.

The blonde cocked her head in question. “I know you said you knew

where I was because they submitted the charges to my benefits card, but how

did you find out, Dar?”

“Mmm.” Dar rolled over onto her back and stretched, feeling a wave of

exhaustion roll over her. “I had a…I don’t know, a nightmare, I guess. I woke

up in a sweat, that’s for sure, at about twelve thirty.” She let her eyes close,

remembering.

“Twelve thirty?” Kerry murmured. “That’s about when…yeah, that’s

when they knocked me out. I remember looking at my watch right before I

went into the study.”

“Well, I knew I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I dialed up the office. And

when I connected, a bot I had running popped up and displayed the fact that

you’re card had been used, and I…”

“Whoa. You had a bot checking for that?” Kerry asked, puzzled. “Did

you suspect something was going to happen?”

“Uh.” Dar peeked at her from the corner of one eye. “Not exactly.”

Kerry crawled closer and put her chin on Dar’s shoulder. “Not exactly?”

“No, well, since you had that close encounter with the milk truck, I,

um…” Dar was embarrassed, and she felt her skin heat with a blush. “I set it

up just in case anything… Well, I mean, it’s not like you have a contact card on

you. I mean, whatever… If something happened to you, I’d, um…”

“Dar, that’s very sweet.” Kerry gazed at her.

“Practical,” the executive argued. “A simple need for information.”

They looked at each other, and Kerry gently kissed the shoulder she was

leaning on. “Thank you for caring, Dar,” she said very softly. “You don’t

know how much that means to me right now.”

The taller woman gently pulled her closer and slid both arms around her.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with your folks, Kerry.” She tucked the

blonde head down against her and kissed it.

Kerry allowed herself to sink into the comforting warmth at last,

breathing in Dar’s distinctive scent, and settling her head down on her lover’s

broad shoulder. “Me too.” She sighed. “I guess I have no family now,” she

added sadly.

“Sure you do,” Dar murmured, her eyes closed.

Kerry tilted her head and regarded her in silence, then she smiled to

herself and put her head back down, at last allowing sleep to wash over her.

Chapter

Thirty-three

HER PAGER WENT off at nine, and Dar had to force her eyes open, as

her body complained heartily about leaving the warm, somnolent nest she

was snuggled into. The thin curtain in the room was blocking most of the

daylight, and it was nice and dark inside.

“Ugh,” she groaned softly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes and peering

down at the still sleeping Kerry. The blonde woman was sprawled half across

her, and Dar could see the strain and exhaustion that still marked her friend’s

face.

Poor kid. Dar absently stroked the soft golden hair lying across her chest. I

can’t believe they did that to her. She didn’t deserve that. Kerry had been very

withdrawn since they’d left her parents’ house, and Dar knew she was

probably still in shock. Dar took a moment to reflect on the last twenty-four

hours, scarcely able to believe what they’d both been through. “Damn.” She

muttered softly to herself. “I’ll be glad to get home.”

“Am home,” Kerry mumbled, letting out a sigh and tightening her grip,

still mostly asleep.

The taller woman smiled, then rubbed her lover’s back. “Ker?” she called

softly.

Pale green eyes very slowly fluttered open and focused on her. “Uh?”

“We’ve got a plane to catch,” Dar told her, half apologetically, smoothing

the fair hair back from her forehead.

“Oh, right.” With an obvious effort, Kerry pushed herself up on her

elbows, then let her head drop and rest on Dar’s arm. “Oh god, I feel like I’ve

been run over by a truck.” She moaned.

Dar yawned. “Me too, must have been all the excitement.” She rolled over

and paused, catching her breath as the bruises she’d collected a few hours

previous made themselves known. “Ah…whoa.”

Kerry slid over and took her arm. “What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously,

“Are you okay?”

Her taller companion slowly straightened. “Just a few aches, I’m all

right.” She stood up and cautiously stretched out her body, then trudged over

to the bathroom and flipped on the light, running water into the sink. “Jack

offered to buy us breakfast. We can do that, then head for the gate and get out

of here.” She splashed water on her face and exhaled. “We unfortunately have

to change planes in Detroit.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Kerry murmured. “The sooner the better.” She

sighed. “Detroit, huh? Well, I can get a Lions sweatshirt. I always liked them.”

Tropical Storm 443

Jack poked his head in the door between their two rooms. “Did I hear my

name?” The Navy pilot inquired brightly. “And something about a Lion?”

They washed and headed off to breakfast.

THE FLIGHT WAS uneventful. Kerry was happy to sleep through most

of it, curled up in her first class seat near the window, with Dar’s comforting

presence on the other side of her. The slanting sun woke her, and she peered

out the window to see an endless sea of grass spreading out beneath the

plane’s wings, the patchwork of green interspersed with the odd ripple of

dark blue and forest green. She turned her head and gazed at Dar, who was

staring off into the distance, her eyes half closed. “Dar?” She reached over and

touched the taller woman’s arm.

The blue eyes turned to meet hers. “Hmm? Almost home.”

Kerry nodded. “We’re over the ’glades. What’s the weather like?”

A smile. “Lower eighties, sunny, chance of showers tonight.”

“Oh, an odd day.” Kerry smiled back, letting her fingers move lightly

over Dar’s tanned skin. “You look really wiped.”

“I am,” Dar admitted. “I couldn’t sleep night before last, then I had that

early flight. We ran around playing football and all that yesterday, then last

night…” She exhaled. “I’m running on nothing but cussedness right now.”

Kerry leaned over and rested her cheek against Dar’s arm. “Lend me

some cussedness for a while, then, okay?”

The plane continued its descent, and the greens of the Everglades slowly

morphed into cinderblock buildings, then the paved lots of the outer-rim

warehouses. Then the heavy industrial section flowed under the wings,

storage buildings directly in the flight path of the airport. Lower and lower,

and finally Kerry saw the distinctive arch of the 826 freeway pass under them.

She settled back against the leather seat as the plane dropped to the ground

and landed with a soft hop on the long, sun-bleached runway. Green trees

surrounded them, and Kerry felt a sense of relief as the plane taxied up to the

terminal, nudging into place at a gate.

They got their luggage, and Dar handed her claim ticket to the valet

service. “Easier than parking myself,” she commented to Kerry, who had been

very quiet. “You want me to drop you at your place, or…?” She was a little

uncertain, knowing what she wanted Kerry to do, but not wanting to push her

lover if Kerry felt like some time alone to think about things.

The blonde woman was silent for a bit, then she looked up as the Lexus

was brought around. “Um, to be honest, Dar, I don’t know if I want to be by

myself right now,” she admitted. “No one’s going to be around my complex,

and…” She let her eyes rest on Dar’s face. “And I think I need a shoulder to

lean on.”

A smile crossed the taller woman’s face. “I know a little island you might

be interested in,” she commented quietly. “I think I even have some turkey

roll.” Kerry nodded. “I’d love that.” She knew the reaction to everything would

hit soon, and the peace of Dar’s condo was very enticing. She certainly didn’t

want to face Colleen or her other friends with explanations yet. They got in the

444 Melissa Good

car and Dar pulled out cautiously.

DAR WENT IN first, holding the door open for Kerry to follow, then

shutting it behind them as the cool peace of the apartment surrounded them

both. “Well.” Dar tossed her bag down on the couch, then took Kerry’s from

her and held it for a moment.

Kerry walked over to the sliding glass doors and peered out, pressing her

fingertips against the glass and absorbing the huge expanse of green

stretching to the horizon. “It’s so pretty out there,” she commented softly.

Dar studied her, then chewed her lip a bit. “Um.” It was horrible timing,

but… “Kerry?” she called, tentatively.

The blonde woman half turned, peering at her. “Yeah?” She peered at her

lover, surprised by a sudden, perceptible awkwardness that was painfully

evident to her. “What’s up?”

“Um, you know, you spend a lot of time here and I…” Dar focused her

eyesight on the tile. “I mean, I hope you spend a lot more time here, but it’s…

I mean it’s kind of senseless to be carrying things back and forth all the time,

so I thought…” She found herself uncharacteristically fumbling for words. “I

thought maybe you’d… Well, I have all those spare rooms upstairs, and I

thought maybe you’d like to sort of keep some…stuff…um, here.”

Hands covered hers where they rested on the bag, and she looked up in

startlement to see Kerry gazing at her from a very short distance. She took the

duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder, then took Dar’s hands in her own.

“That’s incredibly sweet and generous of you, Dar. I know how much you

value your private space.”

Dar searched her face for a minute. “Does that mean yes or no?” She

managed a half smile.

“I…um, I… Yes,” Kerry finally got out. “I’d really like that. Thank you.”

“Good.” The taller woman exhaled in relief. “You can, um, pick out

whichever one you like, though I kinda thought you might like the one on the

end.” She rubbed her neck. “I’m going to get some coffee going; I think we

both could use it.” She rubbed her neck and pretended an offhandedness she

simply didn’t feel.

Kerry nodded. “Good idea, I’ll just go…um…” She patted the bag. “Put

stuff away.” She smiled at Dar. “Be right back. “

Dar watched her disappear up the stairs and allowed her face to crease

into a relaxed, delighted grin as she turned and made her way back into the

kitchen. It wasn’t like… Okay, so it was a tiny step towards Kerry moving in

with her, but she knew they both weren’t ready for that. This seemed a good

first move, though, and it was practical. It would let her test out the idea of

actually living with someone, which she certainly wasn’t used to.

She knew she loved Kerry, there wasn’t any doubt about that, but Dar

was also a realist, and she knew herself pretty well. She’d been living alone for

many years, and adjusting to a roommate, no matter how beloved, would be a

trial. Wouldn’t it?

Dar nibbled on a bit of dried apricot she’d taken from the refrigerator and

put on a pot of coffee, using the newly delivered flavored blend she’d gotten

Tropical Storm 445

before she left. Hazelnut; she sniffed approvingly before peeking in the

refrigerator again, and was relieved at seeing a somewhat meager but

adequate variety of groceries. “Ooo.” She leaned forward and examined a

neatly packaged bunch of ripe green grapes, then checked the crisper for the

small baby finger carrots she’d asked for, knowing Kerry loved to nibble on

them.

“Wonder if she’d like those dipped in chocolate?” Dar mused absently,

selecting one and examining it. “No, that probably defeats the purpose,

right?” She bit the end off the carrot and chewed it. “Hmm.” She rolled the

sweet pulp around in her mouth and swallowed it. “That’s not too bad,” she

admitted, “for a vegetable.”

She checked the rest of the groceries, then wandered into the living room,

considering. “Have to have that second ISDN line dropped in up there, that

second room could be another office.” Dar chewed another piece of apricot

thoughtfully. “This could work.”

KERRY GOT TO the top of the stairs and stopped; she leaned against the

wall and just closed her eyes. It was just all happening too fast, she realized,

her mind was still whirling with the situation regarding her family, and now

this.

“Okay.” She shook the hair out of her eyes and tried to settle herself. “It

was just a really, really nice thing for Dar to do, probably because she knows

how weirded out I am right now.” She found a smile twitching her lips up

anyway, and she moved slowly from room to room, peering into each one

until she reached the last one.

She nudged the door open and peeked inside, remembering the wide,

open space and beautiful view. Yep. Kerry walked all the way inside, feeling

the carpet thick and comfortable under her feet, and looked around. The room

was a pale shade of greenish-blue, with pale wood furniture in it. There was a

tall dresser with six drawers tucked into one corner, and a long set of drawers

across the length of the room, with a neatly framed mirror in the center. A

door in the corner led to a walk-in closet larger than her kitchen, and on the

other wall was a door which led into an eggshell-and-cobalt bathroom,

complete with a corner stall shower and a large whirlpool-equipped bathtub

raised up for easy entrance. “So.” Kerry leaned against the wall and gazed at

the room. “You think I’d like this one, huh, Dar?” She walked over to the tall

dresser, and pulled a drawer out. “You’re right, I do.”

She unpacked her bag and put everything away, then went to the

window and let the ocean’s mellow movement calm her. A nutty scent

distracted her, however, and she turned and made her way to the door,

running her fingers through her hair to order it a little, and almost collided

with Dar. “Whoa.”

The taller woman held out a cup. “Here,” she offered. “Everything okay

in here for you?”

Kerry took a sip of the fragrant beverage and swallowed it. “Mmm.” She

glanced behind her. “Of course it is, and you know it.” She exhaled. “Thanks.”

She looked up and noticed Dar’s bloodshot eyes and weary expression.

446 Melissa Good

“C’mon.” She tucked a hand into the crook of her lover’s elbow. “I need to go

sit down.” They walked downstairs, and Kerry settled in the corner of the

couch, sipping her coffee and letting her head rest against the soft leather

while Dar hunted out the remote and flipped on the large-screen TV.

“How are you doing?” the taller woman asked as she seated herself next

to Kerry on the couch, putting her coffee down and clasping a hand over the

blonde woman’s knee.

Kerry stifled a yawn. “Oh, I’m all right, I guess,” she answered softly. “I

just keep trying not to think about it.” Her father’s angry, disgusted voice

echoed loudly in her ears. “You know, I…I’m not sure what I expected,” she

mused. “Anger, yeah, I thought he’d yell, and scream, but…” A pause. “I

didn’t expect that.”

“How could you have?” Dar asked reasonably.

“Oh, I don’t know, Dar. Surely I should have seen that coming,” Kerry

responded bitterly. “It was pretty naïve of me to think we’d just be able to talk

this out, huh? That he’d listen to reason, or…” Her shoulders slumped. “Or

that I’d matter to him as a person instead of window dressing,” she finished in

a low voice.

“You couldn’t have predicted that,” her lover insisted. “Hell, I didn’t

predict that, and I always expect the worst from people, not the best, like you

do.” Kerry sighed. “I don’t know, maybe you’ve got the right idea.”

Dar tipped her chin up a bit. “Don’t let them take that away from you, my

friend. I’d rather you think the best of people, not the worst. After all, where

would I be if you did?”

The blonde woman rested her head against her hand. “In Washington,

enjoying your holiday,” she muttered. “Instead of here, tired, hurting, and

having to listen to my hard luck story.”

“Kerry.” Dar put a sympathetic hand on her back. “I wouldn’t trade

where I am right now for anything.” Hooded green eyes peeked up at her.

“Honestly,” Dar commented softly, “I know it’s hard for you, and I’m sorry

you had to go through this, but I don’t regret one single second of the past

twenty-four hours, for my part of it.”

A tiny smile. “You’re a good friend, Dar.” Kerry reached out and took her

hand, bringing it up and pressing it against her lips. “You’re the best friend

anyone could ever hope for.” She felt the tears starting to well up, and she

closed her eyes, fighting it. “And they can’t understand why I love you.” A

sob escaped her. “Oh god.”

Dar pulled her close. “Easy, easy. I got you.”

“After everything he’s done,” Kerry whispered, “everything he’s taken

from me, I couldn’t let him take you too.” She felt her composure shatter, and

a wall of emotion swamped her senses. “I need you so much.”

Dar swallowed, feeling Kerry come apart, her words dissolving into

hiccupping sobs that wrenched her body with little shudders. She took a deep

breath and just hung on, murmuring reassurances and rocking Kerry in

whatever comfort she could muster.

Kerry needed that. She needed Dar’s touch and the warmth of her body,

and the comforting scent which surrounded her. “They hate me,” she got out.

Tropical Storm 447

“Dar, I don’t want them to hate me for this.”

Dar’s jaw clenched, and she exhaled slowly. “I know.” She felt Kerry’s

body jerk as she tried to catch her breath, and a soft moan escaped her.

“Shhh.”

“S’not fair,” Kerry whispered.

“No, it’s not,” Dar replied, rubbing her back.

A long pause, and Dar could feel the sobs slowly subsiding. She kept up

her gentle petting until Kerry’s breathing evened out and steadied, and she

could sense a calm returning to her lover.

“Was that stuff you told him true?” Kerry finally whispered in a hoarse

tone.

Dar hesitated, not wanting to hurt her friend further. But lying, at this

stage, would be pointless. “Yes. I was able to isolate those two pieces of

information. I…you can look at it later if you want to.”

Another long pause. “Who’s Pamela?”

“Kerry, you don’t need to talk about this now. Wait a while,” Dar

pleaded. “The information’s not going anywhere. Just rest. It’s been a hell of a

long day, and we’re both exhausted.”

Red-rimmed green eyes peered up at her. “Just answer.” She sniffled,

wiping at her eyes with one hand.

Dar sighed. “A woman your father’s been supporting for twenty years.

She has three kids, two boys and a girl. They’re his.”

Kerry’s jaw dropped.

“Yeah, and he has the balls to say anything about you,” Dar stated

darkly. “That alone would blow his career out of the water.” Her eyes

narrowed. “I hate hypocrites.” She gently dabbed at Kerry’s eyes with her

sleeve.

“Wow,” Kerry breathed softly. “I can’t imagine that, no wonder he

turned white when you said her name.” She felt better all of a sudden. “How

do you know those kids are his?”

A soft snort. “DNA test results entered in the computer.”

“Oh.” The blonde woman closed her eyes. “Can I take a look at all that

stuff later?”

“Sure.” Dar eased back into the corner of the couch and gently pulled

Kerry down with her, tucking the smaller woman in between herself and the

couch back. “Just relax now, you’re safe here.”

Kerry nodded “I know. Dar?”

“Mmm?”

“Do you think I should tell my mother about that?”

Whoa. Loaded question. “Let’s get some sleep before we talk about all this,

okay?” Dar told her. “I’m too tired to think that through right now.”

Kerry looked up and gave her a little, weary smile. “Sorry, my head’s just

spinning. You’re right.” She closed her eyes, and nestled closer. “I love you.”

Dar felt a wall of sleep overwhelming her. “Love you too,” she

murmured, surrendering to her body’s demands.

Sea green eyes regarded her with wistful pride, before they too, closed.

Kerry woke near sunset, opening her eyes to see Dar still fast asleep, her

body tangled around the blonde woman’s. That was all right, it gave her a

448 Melissa Good

while to just sit and think, allowing herself to absorb fully the last twenty-four

hours.

It hurt, she acknowledged, even though she’d resented her parents and

dreaded flying home for those far-too-long holidays. But in a way, it was also

kind of a relief to finally have it out in the open, and not have to pretend, or

put them off constantly. She was free to live her life and do whatever she

wanted to do.

Even if that whatever included this tall, beautiful woman who had pretty

much put herself on the line for Kerry, in more ways than one. She sat

thinking about Dar actually getting into the cockpit of a fighter jet just to come

and find her, and a silly, incredulous smile edged onto her face. It was like a

fairy tale, really. No one ever did that in real life, right? Of course not. And yet, she had, making nothing of it as though it were an everyday occurrence for

her. “My hero,” Kerry whispered softly, curling a dark lock around one finger

as she gazed at her sleeping lover’s face.

Her eyes fell on the neat bandage taped across the cut the stool had made

in Dar’s neck, and she pursed her lips. She’s lucky she moves as fast as she does,

Kerry reflected wryly. I would have clobbered her otherwise, poor thing. She felt

very protective of Dar suddenly and felt a fierce surge of simple affection for

her, beyond their physical relationship.

Idle words formed in her head, and she let them chase themselves around

a little, ordering and reordering them. Finally she smiled wistfully to herself.

“Haven’t done that in a long, long time,” she whispered, winding her fingers

around Dar’s, which were resting on her hip. “Didn’t think I even

remembered how, but there’s something in you that touches something way

down deep inside me, Dar. And it makes me feel things so strongly, it’s like

seeing life in a million colors suddenly, instead of just a few.” The words

floated by again, and she closed her eyes and recited them silently, tasting

their depth.

The winds of life are circling

Over grass and under trees,

Touching my heart and lifting me up to soar.

And as my eyes fall upon you,

an ancient song surrounds me

Binding our souls together with sure hands.

The future lies an uncertain path

Under dark and stormy skies,

But I will walk in sunlight beside you forever.

Kerry smiled in silent wonder, then her eyes flickered open as a fingertip

traced her lips. “Oh.”

“What’s so funny?” Dar inquired curiously, her voice husky from sleep.

“Life,” Kerry answered softly. “You don’t have to get up. Go back to

sleep, Dar. You still look pretty tired.” She smoothed the disordered hair back

out of the taller woman’s eyes. “I’m going to root around and scare us up

some dinner.”

A frank, lazy grin appeared. “Scare is probably the appropriate word. I

Tropical Storm 449

think I’ve got grapes, milk, some frozen pizzas, and a can of fruit cocktail,”

Dar admitted. “Maybe we should order in.”

“Ah ah ah.” Kerry shook her finger playfully. “Where’s the challenge in

that? I like this, Dar. I get a chance to use my imagination. Give me a minute,

okay?”

Blue eyes gentled. “You feeling better?”

Kerry exhaled. “Yeah, now that the shock is kind of over. I just want to

get on with my life, you know?” She played with the edge of Dar’s sleeve. “It’s

weird to realize I don’t have to worry about their opinions anymore.” A

shrug. “And, I think it was also that I was just really tired, my defenses were

sort of shot.”

Dar relaxed back into the soft leather and let her hands wander down the

denim-covered leg resting over her own. She could feel the muscles tensing as

she explored, and she put strong hands to use in a gentle massage. “Maybe in

time they’ll change their minds,” she offered. “Kerry, no matter what, you’re

still their daughter.”

Kerry exhaled slowly. “Do you think your mother will ever change her

mind?” She looked up, right into Dar’s eyes.

Dar’s gaze dropped to the surface of the couch. “That’s different. She’s

angry with me because she thinks I don’t understand how much she loved

him.” Dar spoke quietly. “I told her… We got in a big argument after he died

when I told her he’d gone the way he’d always wanted to, and she should just

let him go.”

“Mmm.” Kerry twined her fingers with Dar’s.

“She told me I didn’t understand, and probably never would.” Dar

remained silent for a moment. “Maybe she was right.”

“She must have loved him a great deal,” Kerry murmured.

“He was everything to her. She’d look at him, and it was like he was some

god or something.” Dar sighed. “She knew, before they came to the house.

She’d been beside herself all day long.”

“Maybe, maybe they were soulmates,” Kerry said hesitantly, the word

tasting sweet but strange on her tongue. “You know that old story—two

halves, that kind of thing.”

A long moment of silence while Dar considered her words. “I…I never

believed in any of that stuff, but…” She shrugged. “Who knows?” Her eyes

studied the blonde woman. “Do you believe in that, in there being such a

thing?”

Kerry kept quiet, thinking about the question. “I didn’t used to,” she

admitted finally. “I never considered myself a romantic person, or someone

who believed in great, mythical love.” A pause. “But, I don’t know, it’s a

really nice kind of possibility, you know?”

“Yeah,” Dar murmured.

“When I was up in Michigan, I got to talk to an old pastor of mine, Pastor

Robert. He used to talk about that all the time, so…” Kerry carefully kept her

eyes on her hands. “And, um, well, he kind of told me about that, and how he

thought you could tell. I mean, if you’ve found yours, that is.”

“Yeah?” Dar cleared her throat. “Just for argument’s sake, what did he

say?” She propped her head up on one hand, and paid close attention to a

450 Melissa Good

seam in the leather.

Kerry lifted her eyes and studied the dark, bowed head. “I, um…he…um,

he said you can tell, because when you look at that person, you see everything

you need to complete yourself.” Faintly startled blue eyes lifted and met hers.

“Which sorta makes sense, I guess,” Kerry added in a low mutter.

Dar simply breathed for a long instant. “In-interesting theory,” she

finally managed to say, clearing her throat when her voice came out a touch

hoarse, her eyes still locked with Kerry’s.

“Isn’t it?” Kerry replied softly.

“It, um,” Dar rubbed the back of her neck and exhaled, “…has a certain

logic to it.” She pursed her lips, then glanced up into Kerry’s eyes again. “Did

you say something about dinner?”

Kerry smiled, feeling a happy little jolt in her chest. “Uh, yeah. Let me go

see what I can find.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips against her

lover’s, enjoying the tingle of heat that stirred up in her guts. “On the other

hand…” she murmured, delighting in the distraction as her body forgot about

dinner and concentrated on something equally as tasty.

Dar’s hand slid slowly off her hip, and she felt a teasing touch exploring

her ribs under her T-shirt. “Mmm,” Kerry murmured softly, unbuttoning

Dar’s cotton polo and tugging it loose from her belt. “By the way, have I told

you how inspiring you are?”

Teeth nibbled her ear teasingly. “Inspiring?” the deep voice inquired

curiously. “How so?”

“You ignite my dreams,” Kerry replied softly, her hands exploring

hungrily. Dar’s skin was amazingly soft, and had a warm, silky texture she

really liked. The muscles felt thick and strong under their light layer of

softness, and the blonde woman traced their contours with sensual delight.

“I do?” Dar sounded a bit surprised. “Imagine that.” She let her hands

slide down Kerry’s waistline, long fingers working loose the top button of her

jeans with a soft pop. “Coincidentally…” Another pop, as the second button

came free. “You…” A third. “Dominate mine.” The last button loosened, and

she slid her hands under the heavy fabric. “I’ve been dreaming about us

together since before that trip.”

Kerry arched her back, feeling the jeans slide slowly down her thighs,

and the cool air of the room brush her bare skin. “So have I,” she whispered as

she unbuckled the belt holding up Dar’s Dockers. “Guess it was just meant to

be.” She ducked her head to allow Dar to pull her T-shirt off as she nudged the

cotton pants off her lover. “Mmm,” Kerry growled softly as they slid together,

and she kissed Dar’s belly button, working her way teasingly up from there.

A slow, teasing touch traveled up her thigh, and Kerry let out a soft groan

as her body shuddered, anxious for her lover’s attentions. Dar had pushed her

gently back and slid a leg between hers, and Kerry leaned into her, reaching

for the soft skin that was so tantalizingly close. Every touch just made her

want more, and she rapidly felt her senses forgetting where she was and

focusing on the touch, taste, and scent of her partner.

Until the knowing nips and nibbles and touches wound her body up to

the breaking point, then released it into a thundering wash of sensation that

left her panting in a helpless shiver. “God.” She pawed weakly at Dar’s chest,

Tropical Storm 451

as the taller woman gathered her in and wrapped her in a loving embrace. Her

heart was pounding, and she clung to Dar, catching her breath.

Dar nuzzled her neck, rubbing her side gently. “You okay?”

“Ungh.” Kerry took a deep breath and released it. “Oh yeah. I’m great.”

She nibbled lightly across Dar’s bare collarbone and then moved lower. “So,

where’s this scar from?” She licked the mark in question, near the taller

woman’s shoulder.

“Mmm.” Dar found it hard to focus as Kerry slid an exploring hand down

her belly. “Fishhook caught…oh…me.”

“Uh huh, and this one?” Kerry moved lower, across the curve of her left

breast.

“Uh…”

Kerry continued her exploration, as her fingers felt muscles jump under

her touch. “Uh? I don’t think I know what an ‘uh’ is,” she teased gently.

“Fell off my bike,” Dar managed to say, faintly.

“Oh yeah?” Kerry chuckled, moving in for a better angle. “Did it hurt?”

Dar had no idea what she was talking about as her body shamelessly

abandoned itself to Kerry’s inquisitive touch. “No, it feels wonderful,” she

finally muttered, finding a smiling pair of lips that captured hers, then slipped

away and continued on their way.

THE SOFT SOUNDS of motion from the kitchen floated to her ears as Dar

lay limply on the couch, about as totally relaxed as a human being could get

and not dissolve into jello. She kept her eyes closed and let her mind drift

from subject to subject, nothing really making an impact on her conscious

mind.

Kerry, though relatively inexperienced, certainly seemed to have her

number down pat. Dar stretched a little and relaxed again. That had never

happened before. Usually it took time, to get to know the other person’s likes

and dislikes, and have hers learned as well. Not this time.

Dar put her hands behind her head and exhaled, glancing down at her

half-clad body. It was almost as though they were just…

“Hey.” Kerry poked her head out and smiled, letting her eyes linger over

the long, bare legs extended on the couch. “You hungry?”

Dar enjoyed the look, indulging her ego guiltily. “Are you?” She lifted a

saucy eyebrow and broke into a laugh as Kerry blushed a deep red. Dar found

the mixture of gentle innocence and barely veiled desire incredibly attractive,

and she rolled up and off the couch, padding over to where her lover was

standing. The green eyes dropped as she approached. “Hey.” She gently laced

her fingers through Kerry’s hair and tipped her head back up. “You’re

beautiful when you blush.”

Kerry gazed at her, lips twitching a little. “I am?” she murmured softly.

Dar traced the flushed skin, watching Kerry’s eyes flutter closed as she

leaned into the touch. “Yes, you are,” she answered honestly, smoothing the

fair hair back. “But I’m sure you’ve heard that before.”

Kerry shook her head. “No, I usually get described as, um, ‘cute.’ ” She let

her eyes open and smiled at her taller companion. She wrinkled her nose.

452 Melissa Good

“Now you, on the other hand…” She reached up and brushed a fingertip over

Dar’s cheekbone. “Wow.”

She was rewarded with a faint blush of her own. “Don’t you tell me

you’ve never heard that,” Kerry chided with a grin.

Dar put her arms around her lover. “Never from someone I really wanted

to hear it from before.” The words slipped out, startling her, and exposing a

rawness she hadn’t really intended.

Kerry just hugged her back, giddily flattered. “C’mon, I’m going to burn

something.” She slipped an arm around Dar’s waist and pulled her into the

kitchen.

“So, what did you conjure up?” Dar asked as she sniffed interestedly at

the pot bubbling away on the stove. “Looks like stew.”

“Ooo.” Kerry patted her. “Right guess, first time. Well, given what I had

to work with, it was all I could really do. It’s got those two packages of the

shish kebab meat you had in the freezer in it, some canned vegetables, and

soup you had back in the hurricane supplies.” She peered at Dar. “Tomorrow,

we’re going to go shopping, okay?” She tapped Dar on the shoulder with her

serving spoon.

“Good idea,” Dar deadpanned, “I’m almost out of Frosted Flakes.” Her

eyes twinkled as she dodged a mock blow. “Hey, I got you those little carrots

and fresh fruit. Don’t I get points?”

Green eyes slid sideways and regarded her as Kerry stirred her creation.

“Actually, yes, you do. That was very thoughtful, Dar,” she commented.

“Makes me feel right at home.”

Hands settled lightly on her shoulders and squeezed. “Good,” Dar

answered with a chuckle. “Can I drain those noodles for you?”

They took their dinner out onto the patio and set it down on the small

stone table that faced the ocean. Dar disappeared inside and returned with a

bottle of wine and two glasses, setting them down and opening the bottle with

a graceful motion. She poured Kerry a glass and then herself one, then she sat

down, propping her bare feet up on the spare chair. “Nice night out.”

Kerry leaned back in her chair and appropriated the fourth one as a

footstool. “Very. Not too hot but not cold, either.” She picked up her bowl of

noodles and stew and started eating, her eyes watching the moonlit horizon.

“Look at those lights. Are those cargo ships?”

Dar leaned over to see where she was gazing. “Mmm. One of them is; the

other two are cruise ships. I think that one’s the Norway.” She shifted a little so

their shoulders were brushing, then settled down with her dish.

“I always wanted to go on a cruise,” Kerry commented, biting a piece of

stew meat in half and chewing it. “I’d love to take you on one, but I guess both

of us disappearing at the same time for a week would be a little conspicuous,

huh?”

Dar chuckled wryly. “Just a little. Pity, because the last bonus Alastair

sent me was two tickets to an Alaskan Passage cruise.” She took a mouthful of

noodles. “This is wonderful, by the way. You’re amazing.”

“Thanks.” Kerry smiled. “Alaskan passage, huh? Wow, I’ve always

wanted to see inside a glacier.” She munched on a string bean. “I’ve seen the

Northern Lights twice, when we had sunspots, and you could just see them at

Tropical Storm 453

night up in Michigan. But I’d like to see them in their proper place, and I’ve

heard you can hear them, too.”

Dar nodded, resting her head against the wall and gazing up at the huge,

full moon. “They hiss, supposedly, kind of like the surf on the beach.” The

thought of spending a week with Kerry exploring Alaska suddenly seemed

very, very attractive, and she sighed quietly to herself. “Yeah, it is too bad.”

“Mmm,” Kerry mused, “do you like hiking?”

A chuckle. “As long as there’s a comfortable lodge at the end of the trail,

sure. I’m not much for rough camping,” Dar replied. “Another reason the

military was probably not a good idea.” She paused. “Maybe we could work a

long weekend in, go up to Colorado and hike around a little. They’ve got good

horseback riding there, too.”

Kerry grinned. “Ooo, I’d like that. I haven’t been riding since forever, I

miss it.” She took a sip of her wine and swallowed. “Wow, that’s nice. Hey,

have you ever been up to the wine country, in California?”

Dar shook her head. “No, can’t say I have, I hear it’s nice up there,

though. Have you?”

“Twice. Maybe that can be another long weekend. You can take a tour of

all the vineyards, and it’s really pretty,” Kerry replied enthusiastically. “I’ve

always wanted to go back there.”

Dar felt a silly smile crossing her face. She masked it by lifting her glass

and drinking a deep swallow. “That sounds fun,” she agreed soberly. “You

interested in some diving tomorrow? Weather’s supposed to be nice.”

A nod. “After we go restock your kitchen.” Kerry pointed her fork at her.

“Even my creativity has its limits. I don’t think there’s much I can do with

grapes, milk, pizza, and peanuts.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand

how you haven’t just keeled over from scurvy or whatever it is people get who

live on ice cream.”

Dar chuckled. “I take vitamins,” she admitted. “We should probably get

you a BC that actually fits and a weight belt. That one you’ve been using is too

heavy. Tell you what, we can go out to the dive shop and stop at the big Publix

off Washington. How’s that?”

Kerry finished off her portion of stew and licked her fork. “Sounds good

to me,” she agreed readily. “Though, I don’t know, give me a few months, and

I think I’ll need that heavier weight belt.” She gave Dar a rueful look as she

patted her stomach. “Not that everyone, with the exception of my mother,

hasn’t told me how good I look,” she conceded.

Dar studied her. “To hell with what everyone says, how do you feel?” she

asked bluntly.

There was a long pause as Kerry gazed out over the ocean. “Great,” she

finally answered in a reflective voice. She let her hand fall to her bare thigh,

flexing it and watching the muscles move under her skin. “Getting a lot more

of these, I think, instead of just more padding,” she admitted. “Feels kinda

good, actually.”

Dar reached over and extended her hand, smiling when Kerry took it,

and curled her fingers around the taller woman’s. “Well, in my opinion, you

look fantastic, and I’m the one who gets to see you naked the most, so…”

Kerry burst into an embarrassed giggle. “Dar!”

454 Melissa Good

“Hey, it’s true,” her partner protested with a smile, then she turned her

attention to the water. “Can I interest you in a little walk in the moonlight?”

A squeeze on her fingers. “Absolutely.”

Dar stood and collected their bowls. “C’mon, I hear a hot fudge sundae

calling me down at the market.”

Kerry latched on to the back of Dar’s shirt, following her inside. “Where

you go, I go,” she assured the taller woman lightly.

They both stopped and looked at each other, twin shivers going down

two spines. “Well,” Dar finally said softly. “I think I like that idea.”

Kerry nibbled her lip, wondering where the words had come from.

“Mmm, yeah, me too.” She smiled. “Guess we’d better put on some shorts

though. Meet you back down here.” She trotted up the stairs, leaving a quietly

reflective Dar behind.

Chapter

Thirty-four

“WHAT ABOUT THIS one?” Kerry picked up the nearest jacket and held

it up. “It’s…colorful.”

Dar glanced up, then chuckled. “Oh yeah, no doubt about it. I’d be able to

find you at 100 fathoms in that.”

The Dacor buoyancy compensator had bright pink and green pockets and

was dazzlingly bright. Kerry slipped it over her shoulders and faced her

friend. “Well?”

The taller woman sauntered over and adjusted the device, buckling it

across Kerry’s chest and stepping back to judge the effect. “Nice.”

Kerry grinned and bounced a little, then unbuckled the catches and

shrugged out of the vest. “Okay, and you said a new weight belt, right?” She

mentally added up the cost and nodded a little. Her bills were paid for the

month, and her raise allowed for little luxuries like this. She picked up a dark

pink web belt, liberally studded with small pink weights. “How’s this?”

Dar studied it, then hefted the weight. “Yeah, that’d be okay,” she

judged. “Here.” She added a pair of snug-fitting neoprene booties. “Oh.” She

went to a rack holding wetsuits and pulled off one with short sleeves and mid-

thigh length legs. “This, too.”

Kerry fingered the thin neoprene. “Ah, to protect against jellyfish?”

Dar stepped closer. “No, I just think you’d look really good in it,” she

muttered softly, her eyes twinkling.

“Tch. Dar.” Kerry’s face wrinkled up into a mildly embarrassed smile.

“Let me pass on this right now. It’s a little over my budget.”

Blue eyes flicked over the supplies, then to her face. “I could, um…”

A hand touched her arm. “No.” Kerry’s voice dropped a little, and she

glanced around. “I appreciate the thought, Dar, but I’m responsible for

myself, okay?”

The dark-haired woman drew breath, then let it trickle out her lips. “All

right, I was just…”

Kerry smiled at her. “I know, and I let you get away with it with my fish

and those plane tickets, but it’s important to me to stand on my own two feet.”

Dar looked almost comically crestfallen. “Um…” She looked around.

“Look, the truth is, between my salary and the bonuses Alastair keeps

dumping on me, I’ve got this huge lump of funds stuck in a couple of accounts

at the credit union, and I’ve…” She paused and exhaled. “I haven’t had

anyone in my life in a while that I really wanted to spend it on.” She shrugged

a little. “I didn’t mean to insult you or anything.”

456 Melissa Good

Kerry was at a loss for words. “Uh.” She frantically searched for some

kind of response, and realized she was just out of luck. So she merely looked

up into Dar’s eyes and tried to express what her heart was feeling silently.

Her companion produced a little smile, and glanced around the store.

“We about done here?”

For a sophisticated, intelligent, aggressive woman, Dar certainly could

present an excellent imitation of a spanked puppy sometimes, Kerry noted

mournfully. Maybe it was the way she stuck her hands in the pockets of her

shorts. “Dar?”

Those pretty blue eyes focused on her. “Yes?”

Kerry gathered up her vest, belt, and booties, then handed her taller

companion the wetsuit and lifted her eyebrows. “Since you think it’ll enhance

the visuals.” A flash of white as Dar smiled and took possession of the suit. A

compromise, Kerry reasoned as she made her way towards the cash register.

“Hey.” She stopped, as her eye caught a bathing suit in crimson with deep

gold slashes in it.

Dar peered over her shoulder. “Not your size,” she commented

regretfully.

Green eyes studied her speculatively. “No, but I bet it’s yours.” Her nose

crinkled up in a mischievous grin. “Fair’s fair.” One dark eyebrow lifted

slowly as Dar gave her a look, then plucked the suit off the rack without

another word and headed up to the counter. “Heh,” Kerry chortled softly as

she followed.

“GOOD THING I brought the truck,” Dar commented, putting the last

bag in the back of the Lexus and giving her companion a slightly amazed,

slightly alarmed look. “You actually use all that stuff?”

Kerry put a hand on her back. “Believe it or not, yes. When you actually

cook real food with real ingredients, it’s not just pulling something out of a

box and nuking it.”

Dar closed the back hatch and put her hands on her hips. “Sure is easier

that way,” she commented teasingly.

“Yes, it is,” Kerry agreed. “But it’s a lot less healthy for you because of all

the junk they put in there to keep the food from crystallizing when they freeze

it. I think that stuff turns your ears blue or something.”

“Oh.” Dar considered this. “I guess that makes sense.” She walked

around and got into the car, waiting for Kerry to do the same. “You up for

some café con leche?”

Speaking of unhealthy. Kerry gave her companion a wry look but didn’t

resist. “Sure,” she agreed readily, acknowledging to herself that she’d become

somewhat addicted to the sweet coffee and the tiny pastries that would go

with them. Her stomach growled, already anticipating the cheese and guava

ones she particularly liked.

Dar navigated the beachfront streets with skill, pulling into the back

parking lot of a small Cuban cafeteria and parking. Kerry took a deep breath

of the morning air contentedly, tasting the strong hint of salt on it. “Nice

morning,” she complimented the weather, being in the lower seventies, and

Tropical Storm 457

much less humid than it had been recently. The sun was warm but not

overbearing, and the breeze fluttered the thin fabric of her T-shirt against her

body.

She felt… It was like having been in school, and now she was out on

summer break, Kerry decided, but with the knowledge that there was no fall

term to go back to. In a way, it was like when she graduated college and

started out on her first real job. Everything changed. Now it was changing

again, as she took slow, tentative steps towards a whole new life, allowing the

reality of a partnership with Dar to sink in. It felt so strange, but in a weird

way, familiar.

She was hurting over her parents, and she knew that. She knew it would

be a long time before she could think about them and not feel the grief of not

being accepted. But on the flip side, it felt so, so good to not have to measure

up to their standards anymore. Now she was free to set her own standards.

The sea breeze blew cleanly across her, and a gull circled overhead as

Kerry smiled up at the fluffy white clouds floating lazily overhead. What’s that

about breaking eggs to make omelets? Her eyes slipped sideways, to the tall form

pacing beside her. What kind of omelet are you, hmm? My favorite kind, I think.

Dar felt a quiet contentment drop over her, and she was surprised at how

easily her lone and sometimes prickly nature accepted Kerry’s close and

constant presence. She’d been skeptical of her own ability to adjust to that, but

her subconscious had apparently been fooling her all along into thinking she

was happier alone.

It wasn’t true, and she knew it now. She’d just had to find the right

person. She wondered briefly if Kerry felt the same way. She hoped so. She

really, really did. Dar found herself very much looking forward to building a

lasting relationship with her blonde companion.

She reached out and opened the door to the cafeteria, releasing the heady

scents of the thick Cuban coffee and pastries into the salty air. They entered,

and she ordered for them in a workmanlike, slightly accented Spanish that

caused Kerry to give her an amazed look.

“What? I had no idea you spoke Spanish,” she sputtered.

Dar shrugged. “Enough to get by, sure.” She sat down on a vacant stool

and motioned her companion to do the same, and they waited for their order.

The cafeteria was mostly full of other patrons, most enjoying various types of

coffee and either the pastelitos or full breakfasts. “Oh, hmm.” She turned and

got the waitress’s attention and pointed at a nearby plate. The woman nodded

and smiled at her.

“What is that?” Kerry peered at her.

“Cuban Egg McMuffin,” Dar replied with a grin. “Eggs, cheese, and

bacon on toasted Cuban bread.” She watched Kerry cover her eyes. “You can

have half.”

“Jesus.” Kerry moaned. “You are so corrupting me.” She sighed and

picked up the warm, flaky pastry the waitress had settled in front of her,

taking a bite and enjoying the combination of sweet and tangy. “I spent most

of Thanksgiving night wondering why everything was so damn tasteless, then

I remembered my mother has them cook everything without salt, butter, or

cream.”

458 Melissa Good

“Yuck.” Dar munched on her sandwich, nudging the other half over to

Kerry’s plate. “What purpose do potatoes serve if you can’t use them as a

delivery vehicle for all three of those things?” she asked reasonably.

Kerry gave her a look, then nibbled a corner of the sandwich. “Mmm, that

certainly is better than an Egg McMuffin,” she admitted.

Dar chuckled. “Relax, look around.” Dar flicked her eyes around the

room. “This is standard Cuban fare. You see all the old folks around here? It

won’t kill you.” She stood up and gathered her bag of pastelitos. “C’mon,

we’d better get that stuff in the refrigerator.” They walked outside and headed

around the corner of the small building, into the lot that was bordered by the

cafeteria on one side and an apartment complex on the other.

It was a very, very quiet drive back. Kerry finally sat back, once they were

safely on the ferry, and rolled her head to one side, regarding Dar’s profile.

“Know something?”

“Hmm?”

She covered Dar’s hand with her own and rested her head against the

taller woman’s shoulder. “You’re the most important person in my life.” She

kept her eyes on the leather seat, not daring to look up to see Dar’s reaction.

Which was a pity, because she missed a round-eyed look of absolute,

quiet wonder bestowed on her by her companion. “You know, I was kind of

hoping you felt like that,” Dar murmured.

The soft clank of the waves against the ferry’s rigging drifted in the open

window of the Lexus. “Why?” Kerry whispered.

Dar rested her head against the smaller woman’s. “Because I feel the

same way.”

“Oh.” Kerry smiled, closing her eyes. “I guess that’s all right, then.”

They stayed like that until the ferry docked, and Kerry steered the car up

the ramp and through the winding roads to the parking spot they’d left a few

hours and a lifetime ago. She helped Dar carry the groceries and their new

diving gear inside, and they put things away in a comfortable silence.

Finally, Kerry dropped into the loveseat and gazed at the ceiling, while

Dar puttered around the kitchen. She could hear the microwave beeping and

predicted smelling the rich, distinctive scent of chocolate next. Dar didn’t

disappoint her, and she smiled as the tall, dark-haired woman padded into the

living room, handing her a gently steaming cup of hot chocolate. She took a

seat next to her companion and propped her bare feet up on the coffee table.

They looked at each other in quiet regard for a long moment. “Been quite

a month,” Dar commented, taking a sip of her chocolate.

“Oh yeah,” Kerry agreed. “It sure has been.” She swallowed a mouthful

of the sweet beverage. “I should start keeping a diary, especially if this is what

life’s going to be like from now on.”

Dar laughed gently. “Jesus, I hope not. It would end up sounding like

some crazy television show.” She laid an arm across the back of the couch and

tangled her fingers in Kerry’s hair. “Listen, I know it’s been a rough

weekend.” She paused, collecting her thoughts, then went on. “And I know

you’re going to need some time to get used to things, But, um…”

Kerry put down her chocolate and edged over, slipping her arms around

Dar’s body and leaning against her. “But, um, what?”

Tropical Storm 459

Dar blinked at her, putting down her own cup and returning her

embrace. “But, um,” her brows knit, “I really think we work well together.”

Kerry sniffed reflectively. “Well, that’s true. We have different

approaches, but we generally get to the same point.” She was fairly sure Dar’s

speech had nothing to do with work, but she was willing to go along with the

charade. “You’re a logical person, and you usually get right to the heart of the

problem and fix it.”

“Uh...right,” Dar agreed hesitantly.

“Usually,” Kerry repeated, tipping her head back and gazing up at her

companion.

“Usually, what?” the dark-haired woman hazarded.

“You usually get right to the point,” Kerry stated patiently.

“Oh, right. Yeah, I do,” Dar muttered. “I know I do, in fact, there’s a point

around here, and I’m going to get to it as soon as I figure out what the hell it

is.”

Kerry buried her face into Dar’s chest and muffled a laugh.

Dar sighed. “You have this knack of making me feel like a lovestruck

teenager, did you know that?”

Green eyes peeked up at her. “Is that good or bad?”

“Well, it certainly blows my image all to hell,” Dar replied with a faint

laugh. “So I guess my asking you if you want to move in here won’t do much

worse.”

Kerry swallowed hard. “Guess you found the point, huh?” she asked

softly.

“Guess I did,” Dar admitted. “Look, I know you can’t just give up your

place. For one thing, changing your address in CAS is going to cause one hell

of a ruckus, but I…” She gathered her courage up again. “I really like having

you around, and I’d like to try making a life with you.”

Kerry felt a deep, honest warmth creeping over her. “Now, that’s more

like it,” she murmured, then fell silent as she considered the request. “Work is

going to be extremely weird,” she finally said. “And you’re right, I really can’t

just give my place up—at least not yet.” Another pause. “And you probably

need time to adjust to the invasion.” Dar didn’t deny any of the statements.

“Tell you what, why don’t we do weekends here, and the rest of the week

I can stay down in Kendall. Then on Wednesdays, you can come over after the

gym.” It seemed a good compromise, giving them both a little space and time

to adjust to each other.

Dar blinked at her. “So, is that a yes?”

Kerry blushed and nodded. “I’d very much like to make a life with you.”

She inclined her head, and they kissed gently. “Dar?”

“Yes?” The dark-haired woman smiled fondly at her.

“Can you show me the stuff you found out about my father?”

The request caught Dar by surprise, and it showed in her swiftly elevated

eyebrows. “Eh, sure.” She stood and extended a hand down to her companion.

“Sorry. I forgot I told you I’d show you all of that.” She led Kerry into her

office and settled behind her desk, keying the computer to life and starting up

her mail program.

“Mmm. I like that ISDN line,” Kerry commented, leaning an arm on Dar’s

460 Melissa Good

shoulder and peering over it.

Dar typed in a request and brought the mail which held the information

up. “You know, that little room in the middle upstairs would make a nice little

office,” she commented innocently. “I could have the other channel dropped

in there.”

“Dar?” Kerry whispered. “You don’t have to bribe me with toys.”

Blue eyes peeked up at her. “Wasn’t a bribe. I have to know where to tell

Bellsouth to put the jack, that’s all.” She straightened and indicated the screen.

“You sure you want to see all this?”

Kerry regarded her quietly. “I’m a big girl, Dar. Yes, I want to read it.”

“All right.” The taller woman stood up and indicated the chair, then she

walked over to the window—the same window they’d opened during the

tropical storm—and leaned on the sill, peering out while Kerry read.

The documents were ugly, even to Dar’s experienced and somewhat

jaded eyes. Years worth of accepting bribes, standard among a percentage of

politicians, but bribes which lead to the stonewalling of legislation that hurt

people, and disregarded the common good. Payoffs for jobs, for bills, for

votes—all depressingly regular.

It was the funding by right-wing extremist groups that made her

nauseous, millions of dollars, socked away in private bank accounts over the

course of a career, to further the interests of people whose chief platform was

hate. That and the hypocrisy of that other family, that woman and her

children, being supported by the senator. She and two of the older children

were in comfortable government jobs and supplied with generous benefits

and stipends. Oh, and the tax fraud. Dar wondered if Kerry realized she and her

sister were still being listed as dependents, and her still on the books at some

school, enrolled? Disgusting. She heard the click of keystrokes and turned to

see Kerry’s eyes flicking over the screen.

“I’m forwarding this to my mailbox,” the blonde woman murmured.

“That was really kind of slimy to read, Dar.”

She settled warm hands on Kerry’s shoulders. “I know, the entries from

United Klan’s of America kind of got to me.”

Kerry logged out then logged in as her own account, the screen popping

up immediately. She accessed her mail and opened the documents again.

“Dar, you know, I’ve been having to spend a lot of time with those marketing

people, and they gave me a tour of their operation the other week.”

Dar blinked in confusion. “Um, yeah. Okay. What does that have to do

with anything?”

Kerry selected the documents, then opened a new mail message and

pasted them in. “Well, one of the things they showed me was their

distribution network; it’s really kind of neat. They can get information out by

using a mailing list. See? Like this.” She addressed the message. “You just

click here.” She hit the Send key. “And it gets sent to sixty different news

outlets.”

Dar’s jaw dropped in utter shock. “Did you just…”

Green eyes looked calmly up at her. “Yes, I did.” A pause. “You said it

would be my decision, didn’t you?”

“W…but…uh, yes, but I…” Dar sat down on the desk, nonplussed.

Tropical Storm 461

“Jesus, Kerry!”

“I wasn’t going to,” the blonde woman stated softly. “But then I thought

about how he just couldn’t let go, he couldn’t just let me leave. I thought about

how before he had to send that bastard down here because he thought I was

bluffing about not moving back.” Now she looked right up at Dar. “You told

me if someone calls your bluff, you have to just go with it. So I did.

“You understand what that will do,” Dar said quietly. “Don’t you?”

“Yes,” Kerry answered steadily. “I do.” She studied the desktop. “I’ll

warn Michael and Angela.” Her eyes lifted to Dar’s still-shocked face. “I

surprised you, huh?”

A faint nod. “Yes, you did.” She hadn’t expected quite that level of

vindictiveness in her friend. “I didn’t think you would do that.”

Kerry sighed and rested her chin in her hands. “If it had just been me, I

probably wouldn’t have, but they came after you.” She rubbed her lip with her

thumb. “That was too much, Dar. I can’t have that. Maybe some of that

ruthlessness I see in him came down to me.” She blinked at the screen. “I feel

pretty ruthless right now.”

Dar slowly exhaled and curled her fingers around Kerry’s wrist, which

was resting on the desk’s surface. “No, what he did, what Kyle did, that was

ruthless. What you did was justice.”

“Maybe,” Kerry murmured.

“I know you care about your family, Kerry, and this wasn’t an easy thing

for you to do.” Dar gave her a sympathetic look. “In a way, we’ve both lost

our families.”

A slow, almost puzzled smile crossed Kerry’s face. “But there are two

kinds of families, Dar. The ones you’re born into, and the ones you make

yourself.” She looked up and met the blue eyes regarding her. “And our

friendship binds us closer than blood ever could.” Memory chimed, clear and

piercing as a bell.

Dar smiled acknowledgment, holding up one hand, palm outstretched,

and watching Kerry’s fingers curl into hers. “You are my family,” she agreed,

then reached into her shirt pocket. “By the way, thought you might want this

back.” She turned Kerry’s palm over and set a golden circle into it. “It’s an

interesting piece.”

Kerry took the ring up between her forefinger and thumb and peered at

it. “I always felt there was something behind it, some story, you know?” She

turned it over. “Probably just an overactive imagination on my part. Though

when my great-aunt gave it to me, it was kind of strange. She hadn’t seen me

since I was a… Jesus, probably three, four years old. I went to visit her after I

got out of college, and when she saw me, she had me stand in the light and

just looked at me for about ten minutes—not saying anything. Then she

laughed and got this out and gave it to me.”

“That is kind of strange,” Dar agreed. “What kind of person was she, did

she do a particular thing, or…”

“Hmm? Oh, she was a writer.” Kerry sighed. “Poetry and these lyric, old-

fashioned stories about the past, and knights, and things like that.” A shake of

her head. “The family mostly thought she was a little crazy. I liked reading her

stuff, though. She even had a story about Paladins.” Her eyes twinkled

462 Melissa Good

teasingly at Dar. Who rolled her eyes and chuckled a little.

Kerry was silent for a moment, then she looked up. “What your father did

was kind of scary, wasn’t it?”

Dar nodded soberly. “Yes, it was.”

“Yeah.” Kerry chewed her lip. “Is that…I mean, what he did, is that

really what you wanted to do?” She looked up and searched Dar’s face.

A sigh. “I thought I did. Yes, for a long time.”

“What about now?”

Dar remained silent, considering the question. “I think you hit a point

where you…I mean, when I was sixteen or so, and taking those tests, I was hot

for it. It seemed like the most exciting, the most incredible life I could imagine.

I wanted it, really bad.” A pause. “But now, I look back and think…Jesus, was

I nuts? “ Dar sighed. “I’m glad, in a lot of ways, it worked out differently.”

“Me, too.” Kerry twined their fingers and looked up into her eyes. “For

one thing, we probably would have never met, and for another, I think that

kind of thing puts a very heavy toll on your conscience. I can’t imagine that.”

“No, I’m glad I don’t have to bear that burden,” Dar acknowledged

softly. “Life’s hard enough, I’m glad I didn’t take that path after all.”

The green eyes gazing at her took on extra depth as Kerry stood, putting a

hand against her cheek tenderly. “So am I, tiger.”

Dar felt a warm fist of emotion squeeze against her heart. “Tiger?” she

murmured. “Haven’t been called that in a long time.” She laced her fingers

around the back of Kerry’s neck and gazed at her, blinking a little as a faint

haze seemed to obscure her vision for just a moment. “Brings back a lot of

memories.”

“Does it?” Kerry whispered, feeling a tremor run through her knees as

their bodies drew closer and joined, and their lips met. An emotion half joy

and half relief coursed through her as they paused, and she leaned back,

meeting eyes both newly met and well known.

“Welcome home.” Dar’s voice burred the words, low and sweet, as they

joined again in the warm light of a tropical winter’s day.

FORTHCOMING TITLES

published by

Yellow Rose Books

BORDERLINE

by Linda Crist

Set on the Texas-Mexico border, against the backdrop of Big

Bend National Park, this story picks up where The Bluest Eyes in

Texas left off.

Longing for a bit of peace and quiet, Kennedy takes Carson

home to meet her family. But you never really completely shake

your childhood, and Kennedy's past collides with the present,

threatening to tear her family apart and placing her life and

Carson’s in the very balance.

Meanwhile, Carson must come to terms with her feelings for

Kennedy. Will she settle for what has become comfortable for her

in a very short time, or is she ready to take things to the next

level, reaching for something infinitely more satisfying?

There are mysteries to solve, and decisions to be made,

while walking the borderline.

SOLACE

by Jennifer Fulton

Rebel Monroe is a Californian yachtswoman sailing solo

around the world. When her yacht— Solace—capsizes in a perfect

storm near the Cook Islands group, she puts to sea in a lifeboat

expecting she is not going to make it. Eventually she washes up

half-dead on the shores of Moon Island, where she is found by

ex-nun Althea Kennedy.

Althea, who entered a Poor Clare order at 20, has recently

turned her back on religious life after a traumatic experience in

Africa. Questioning both her faith and the church, she is on

Moon Island recuperating from malaria and pondering her

options.

Rebel, considered a hero by the island's owners, is invited to

stay a while and she forms an unlikely friendship with Althea.

When this blossoms into something more each woman must

rethink her identity, her demons, and her life choices before she

can find real happiness.

OTHER MELISSA GOOD TITLES

published by

Yellow Rose Books

Eye of the Storm—Just when it looks like Dar Roberts and

Kerry Stuart are settling into their lives together they

discover that life is never simple—especially around them.

Surrounded by endless corporate and political intrigue,

Dar experiences personal discoveries that force her to deal

with issues she had buried long ago and Kerry finally faces

the consequences of her own actions.

Red Sky At Morning—This fourth chronicle in the Dar

and Kerry series continues where Eye of the Storm ended.

The lives of Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart seem to get more

complex rather than moving toward the simpler lifestyle

they both dream of.

Thicker Than Water—The fifth entry in the continuing

saga of Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart finds Kerry forced to

acknowledge her feelings toward and experience with her

folks and Dar determined to support Kerry in the face of

grief and hatred. They must face down Kerry’s extended

family with a little help from their own.

Terrors of the High Seas—After the stress of a long Navy

project and Kerry’s father's death, Dar and Kerry decide to

take their first long vacation together. A cruise in the

eastern Caribbean is just the nice, peaceful time they need -

until they get involved in a family feud, an old murder,

and come face to face with pirates as their vacation turns

into a race to find the key to a decades old puzzle.

OTHER YELLOW ROSE TITLES

You may also enjoy:

HEART TROUBLE

by Jane Vollbrecht

Jackie Frackman is a consultant for a human resources

firm based in Washington, D.C. If it weren’t for her job,

Jackie would have little with which to fill her days.

Beth Novatny, rising managerial star in an office sup-

ply company in Atlanta, Georgia, is drowning in her

deeply unsatisfying relationship with Sharon Chisholm.

When Beth and Jackie meet in a seminar Jackie teaches, the

mutual attraction is undeniable. Jackie and Beth acknowl-

edge their love, but their happy life together is blocked by

Beth’s difficulties in extracting herself from her union with

Sharon. As time goes by, there is one problem after

another, though Jackie does her best to believe in a future

with Beth.

Can Beth break free from Sharon? And can Jackie

maintain the conviction in her heart to wait until Beth is

finally hers alone? Or will they only succeed in generating

the worst trouble of all—Heart Trouble?

ISBN 978-1-932300-58-1

LEARNING TO TRUST

by J. Y. Morgan

Jace Xanthos, the director of a college Achievement

Center, has a new graduate assistant, Taryn Murphy. The

women cannot avoid spending time with each other, as

they are part of an extended family. Both have their secrets

and reasons not to trust, but when they find themselves

opening up to each other, they realize their problems are

very similar. Can a friendship develop between them or

will their pasts haunt them forever?

ISBN 978-1-932300-59-8

OTHER YELLOW ROSE PUBLICATIONS

Georgia Beers

Thy Neighbor’s Wife

1-932300-15-5

Carrie Brennan

Curve

1-932300-41-4

Carrie Carr

Destiny’s Bridge

1-932300-11-2

Carrie Carr

Faith’s Crossing

1-932300-12-0

Carrie Carr

Hope’s Path

1-932300-40-6

Carrie Carr

Love’s Journey

1-930928-67-X

Carrie Carr

Strength of the Heart

1-930928-75-0

Carrie Carr

Something to Be Thankful For

1-932300-04-X

Carrie Carr

Diving Into the Turn

978-1-932300-54-3

Linda Crist

Galveston 1900: Swept Away

1-932300-44-9

Linda Crist

The Bluest Eyes in Texas

978-1-932300-48-2

Jennifer Fulton

Passion Bay

1-932300-25-2

Jennifer Fulton

Saving Grace

1-932300-26-0

Jennifer Fulton

The Sacred Shore

1-932300-35-X

Jennifer Fulton

A Guarded Heart

1-932300-37-6

Jennifer Fulton

Dark Dreamer

1-932300-46-5

Anna Furtado

The Heart’s Desire

1-932300-32-5

Gabrielle Goldsby

The Caretaker’s Daughter

1-932300-18-X

Melissa Good

Eye of the Storm

1-932300-13-9

Melissa Good

Thicker Than Water

1-932300-24-4

Melissa Good

Terrors of the High Seas

1-932300-45-7

Maya Indigal

Until Soon

1-932300-31-7

Lori L. Lake

Different Dress

1-932300-08-2

Lori L. Lake

Ricochet In Time

1-932300-17-1

A. K. Naten

Turning Tides

978-1-932300-47-5

Meghan O’Brien

Infinite Loop

1-932300-42-2

Sharon Smith

Into The Dark

1-932300-38-4

Surtees and Dunne

True Colours

978-1-932300-52-9

Surtees and Dunne

Many Roads to Travel

978-1-932300-55-0

Cate Swannell

Heart’s Passage

1-932300-09-0

Cate Swannell

No Ocean Deep

1-932300-36-8

L. A. Tucker

The Light Fantastic

1-932300-14-7

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