Unable to avoid conversation, Jeff Ainsbright cleared his throat.
“Yes, we did.” He managed to get out, ignoring the quick, almost startled look from his wife. “Yes, we did.”
“That must have been fun,” Ceci remarked. “Let me guess, on base?” She gave Kerry an amused look. “Was it meatloaf or open-faced turkey sandwiches?”
Andrew snorted softly.
“Meatloaf,” Dar acknowledged quietly. “Still tastes the same.”
“Oh. Yum.” Her mother made a face. The table fell silent. Ceci drummed fingers on the table and tried again. “Okay, folks, listen up.”
She put her hands flat on the wood surface. “Either we agree to have a nice time here, or I’m going to have to start talking about Greenpeace.
Which is it going to be?”
The Ainsbrights stared at her. Finally, Sue Ainsbright sighed and pushed a curl of gray hair out of one eye. “Ceci, you always did have the tact of a dead swordfish, didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry, get over it,” the smaller woman shot back. “Broaden your horizons, adjust your thinking, swallow an Ex-Lax, whatever it takes, but drag yourselves into the twenty-first century and get over the
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fact that my kid’s gay, okay?”
Kerry bit the inside of her lip so hard it almost bled. The looks on the Ainsbrights’ faces were so priceless, she wished she had a camera, though one look at Dar’s wide eyes told her that her beloved partner wasn’t sharing the mirth.
“Well,” Andrew drawled, “guess I can show ’em my rainbow keychain now, huh?”
Jeff Ainsbright took a breath, released it, then just lifted a hand and let it fall. “Haven’t changed a lick, have you, Ceci?” He managed a faint smile. “You always took the gut punch if you could.”
Ceci shrugged.
Andrew took her hand in his. “Straight talk never killed no one, Jeff,” he advised his old friend. “I’ve been in places that coulda used more of that.” Their eyes met, and something passed between them.
The commander nodded. “You’re right, Andrew. Dar, I apologize.
I...it was just a shock, that’s all.” He cleared his throat. “Ms. Stuart, my apologies as well.”
“For what?” Kerry asked mildly. “Dar and I are used to getting mixed reactions to our being partners. Some people just can’t handle it.”
“It’s not that,” Sue Ainsbright interjected. “We’re very progressive people. It’s just that we’ve known—or, well, we thought we knew Dar, and it’s just...strange, that’s all.” She reddened. “That you’re so...um...”
“Out?” Dar remarked conversationally.
The commander shot her a look, then glanced away.
“It’s not contagious,” Dar said.
“It’s disgusting,” Chuckie interrupted.
His mother looked horrified. “Charles!”
“You can sit here and pretend, but I won’t,” Chuck said. “It’s disgusting, and you’re perverts.” He got up and slammed his chair back, then stalked out of the restaurant as startled patrons watched him go. The commander and his wife had the grace to look intensely embarrassed. “He doesn’t mean that,” Jeff finally said quietly. “He’s just...” His eyes lifted and finally met Dar’s. “He never really did let go of you, and he was hoping...”
Dar let out a long breath. “I know,” she said. “He’s a good man, Uncle Jeff.” She felt the awkwardness in the name. “I’m sorry.” She felt a little guilty that she’d never thought of Chuckie, not for the longest time since she’d left the base. Not until he’d popped back up into her life as part of this damned investigation.
Now he was lost to her again. She didn’t know whether to feel sorry or relieved.
At least he won’t be bugging me to go out anymore.
Dar looked up to find Kerry gazing across the table at her with a look of quiet compassion, and she managed a smile in return. Suddenly, she wished they were done with this. Wished they were away from this unneeded stress, homeward bound and headed for a quiet night and a 190
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warm hot tub together.
Getting cowardly in your old age, Paladar?
she mocked herself. “Let me go talk to him.” Dar stood and pushed her chair in before they could protest, then turned and walked away from the table, toward the outside door through which Chuckie had left.
The commander and Andrew exchanged glances. “Sorry, Andy,”
Jeff Ainsbright muttered. “Hell of a reunion.”
“Could have been worse.” Ceci motioned over the hovering waiter.
“I could have invited my brother and sister.” She held up a finger. “Do you have beer?”
“Of course, ma’am,” the waiter spluttered.
“Bring the largest container of it you have, and seven glasses,” Ceci told him. “And what are those, peanuts? Put them down.” She handed a peanut to Kerry. “I could have been a social director, don’t you think?”
Weak chuckles responded to her valiant attempt.
THE AIR OUTSIDE the restaurant was cool, and a little damp, and Dar paused to take a steadying breath of it before she let her eyes search the parking lot. Her mother had surprised her, she admitted privately.
But then, her parents had been surprising her for a while now, hadn’t they?
Dar spotted Chuck standing by a beige Ford Explorer, and she headed in that direction, passing through bars of twilight mixed with the lurid ochre of the security lamps.
He looked up as he heard her footsteps, and his lip curled reflexively. “Get out of here.”
Dar paused several body lengths away. “Listen.”
“Get the fuck out of here, you freak,” Chuck spat back. “Just get away from me.”
“Charles.” Dar put her hands on her hips. “Get a grip. I’m not touching you.” Her stomach twisted in a knot. “Calm down.”
He stared at her. “You make me sick.”
Dar rolled her eyes. “What in the hell do you think you are, a bad commercial for Jesse Helms? Get off the milk crate, Chuck. I’m not the first gay person you’ve ever known.” She took a step closer. “What’s the big deal?”
Chuck’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the big deal?” he asked softly, balling his fists and coming a little closer. “What’s the big deal? You fucking little lying perverted slut.”
“Charles.” Dar’s voice dropped in pitch. “Slow down. I never lied to you.”
“Yeah?” Chuckie exhaled. “I knew you’d follow me out here.” He turned and grabbed something leaning against the Ford and lunged at her. “I knew I’d have a chance to do this!”
Dar barely reacted in time. She saw the bat headed toward her and
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half turned, taking the crunching blow on her shoulder. “Chuck!” She dodged the return blow and backed off. “Stop it!”
He was beyond reasoning. “Fuck you. Making a fool out of me. Bet the guys all knew, didn’t they? Didn’t they, Dar?”
The bat came back at her, catching her on the hip before she could evade it, but Chuck overbalanced and smashed full into her, and they both went to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
Shit.
Dar’s defensive reactions kicked into gear, and she swung an elbow up into his chin, feeling the shock of the impact as his head rocked back. She got a knee between them and pushed up, then to one side, throwing Chuck off her. “Stupid bastard.”
Dar grabbed the bat, which had rolled free from his hands, and flung it from her, hearing it clatter and roll down past the next row of parked cars. She got to her feet just as he did, and her body moved, balancing as she whipped out a roundhouse kick that caught him flat-footed, striking the side of his head with a crunch Dar could feel all the way down her leg.
His body slammed against the car next to where they were fighting, setting off its alarm with a loud, strident sound. They both froze, then stared at each other. “Now what?” Dar asked. “You going to find another bat, or are you going to just get the gun out of the trunk and shoot me, Chuck?”
Very slowly, he lifted a hand to the side of his face and touched it, then looked at his palm. It was stained with the blood still dripping from his ear.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Dar asked in a hoarse voice.
“We haven’t seen each other for ten fucking years, Chuck. Why the hell do you care what my preferences turned out to be?”
He had to swallow a few times before he spoke. “Never could figure out why you just walked out on us.”
Dar sighed inwardly, lifting a shaking hand to rub her temples.
“You know as well as I d—”
“You were just playing with me.”
The throbbing in her head increased. “Chuck, we were kids then.
We went different ways, that’s all.”
“Bullshit.” He started toward her again.
“Stop!” Dar heard the sharp edge of anger in her own voice. “It’s not bullshit. I had no fucking clue what the hell I wanted then.” She held out both hands to ward him off. “Chuck, don’t make me fight you. Please.”
“No wonder you were always trying to beat the guys, you thought you were one,” Chuck sneered. “Why didn’t you get your daddy to buy you a prick? You’d have fit right in.”
Dar winced inwardly. “I never wanted one.”
“Yeah? Bet you use a fake one now with that little slut whore in there, don’cha?” Chuck replied. “I should—”
“You should shut yer mouth ’fore I insert yer leg inside it.” The 192
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low, raspy voice coming from the darkness behind Chuck made them both go still.
Dar blinked. “Dad, I can handle this.”
Andrew Roberts eased out into the orange light soundlessly, sliding between Dar and her adversary in a flickering motion. “Ah do suspect you can, Dardar,” he agreed softly. “’Cept one of the privileges of being a daddy is that ah get to take out the trash, and ah do believe there is some trash here that needs to be taken,” he paused significantly,
“out.”
There was no humor in his voice.
There was no humor in the ice-blue eyes that pinned the now silent Chuck with deadly intent. “Seems you’re pretty good at taking shots at women. You ready to give an old retired sailor a try?”
Chuck’s gaze held for an instant, then dropped to the ground. “No, sir.”
“G’wan inside,” Andrew said flatly. “Get yer ass cleaned up, and act like a man.”
“Yes, sir,” Chuck muttered. He turned, letting his eyes flick to Dar for a single, long second before he retreated toward the restaurant.
Andrew exhaled. “Suck yer brains out your head when they put the stripes on, I swear t’God.” He turned and studied his daughter anxiously. “You all right?”
Dar sat down on the low wall that separated the parking lot and let her head drop into her hands.
Kerry ducked past an exiting station wagon and broke into a run that brought her up to Dar’s side moments after she sat down. “Jesus.
What the hell is going on?” She hopped over the wall and settled next to her lover, putting an arm around her waist and resting a hand on Dar’s knee. Only an awkward tangle with the waiter had delayed her leaving the table after a stunned moment when she was absolutely sure Dar was in trouble.
Dar rubbed her face. “Shit.” She straightened and took a deep breath. “I didn’t expect that.”
“Expect what?” Kerry looked around Dar at Andrew. “Dad, what happened?”
The ex-SEAL scowled. “Big bagload of no sense hurting.”
Kerry glanced at Dar’s face, searching it anxiously. “Did he hurt you? I’ll get that brand new SUV and run him over, I swear it,” she announced seriously. “You’d hardly feel it with those tires.”
Dar’s lips involuntarily twitched into a half smile. “I think I did more damage than he did,” she admitted softly. “Physically, at least. I don’t know, Kerry; I wasn’t expecting a reaction like that. It’s like he’s taking it all personally.” She glanced over at her father. “Guess we’d better go back inside.”
“You can’t be serious,” Kerry snorted. “And have dinner with that little—”
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“Ker,” Dar interrupted her quietly. “I am not going to let him think he scared me off.”
Kerry stared at her. “Dar, this isn’t an ego contest.”
“It’s not,” Dar replied, just as seriously. “But if we leave now, he wins. You can’t let people like that win and get comfortable, Kerry.”
Andrew patted her on the back. “Want to skip the hot plate and go right for the good stuff? I saw them ice cream plates on that tray back there,” he remarked practically. “Dar’s right, kumquat. Get that boy worse if we stick it out.”
Kerry watched a quiet, sad knowledge settle into Dar’s eyes. She folded her fingers around her partner’s hand and squeezed gently. “Go ahead, Dad. We’ll meet you in there.” Her gaze lifted to meet Andrew’s, very briefly, and they exchanged a look, then the ex-SEAL stood to go.
“Sorry ’bout that, Dardar.” Andrew leaned over, surprisingly, and kissed his daughter on the head. Then he turned and slipped away into the shadows, leaving the two women alone in the cool night air.
Kerry waited a little while, just flexing her fingers around Dar’s as they sat in silence. “Did he hurt you?” she finally asked, seeing the muddy scuffs on Dar’s skin. “You look a little pale.”
Dar drew in a breath, held it momentarily, and then released it in a sigh. “I’m trying to reconcile the friend I used to have with that person who just spewed a gutload of hate at me,” she said. “I don’t understand it, Kerry. I just don’t.”
The blonde woman gazed out at the parking lot unseeingly. “Yeah.
I know. It’s how I felt when my father hit me that night, and then again when I woke up in that hospital,” she said. “I didn’t understand it. I hadn’t changed at all, so why did they?”
“Mm.” Dar nodded. “That’s it exactly. I’m the same person he knew yesterday. Hell, the same one he knew this morning. Why should this matter?” Her voice trailed off. “I just don’t get it.” She looked down at her hands, then flexed the one Kerry was holding. The motion caused a jolt of pain to course up her arm. “Ow.”
Kerry turned a very concerned look on her. “What? Did he hit you?
Where are you hurting, Dar?”
“My shoulder.” Dar winced, easing the sleeve up over her left arm and peering at it.
“Oh.” Kerry sucked in a breath, seeing the mottled red and purple area. “Jesus Christ.”
“Hmm.” Dar moved her arm a little, then realized that wasn’t a good idea. “Hell of a bruise.”
“You need to get that X-rayed,” Kerry decided. She put a hand over Dar’s mouth. “Don’t even bother. No arguments, Paladar.” Slowly, she removed her hand. “Okay?”