Kerry held one of them—in a flame red, green, and bright yellow pattern—up against Dar. “Oh yeah.” She grinned impishly.
“I want to see you in this, for sure.”
Dar plucked wryly at the garish garment. “Only for you would I do this,” she informed her lover. “I hope you realize that.”
“I do.” Suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of emotion, Kerry threw her arms around Dar in an unexpected hug. She squeezed Dar hard, scarcely able to breathe for a moment.
“Hey,” Dar murmured, returning the hug despite her confusion.
“Dear Lord,” Kerry was surprised to feel the sting of tears,
“how did I get so lucky to have found you?”
“Um.” Dar was caught flat-footed. “You got hired by a company ILS took over?” she offered hesitantly. “Besides, I thought I was the lucky one.”
Kerry shook her head mutely, burying her face against Dar’s bare shoulder.
Dar rubbed her back gently through the robe, simply holding Kerry until she felt her relax. “Sweetheart,” she murmured, “I’m glad you feel that way.”
Kerry sniffled and just squeezed her harder. After a few more minutes, however, she exhaled and tipped her head to one side, glancing up at Dar. “I’m not going crazy.”
Dar stroked her hair back and removed the remnants of her tears with the edge of her thumb. “I never thought you were,” she said. “We’ve just been through a hell of a lot together this year.
You’re entitled to a few freak-out moments.”
They were, it seemed, exactly the right words. Kerry’s face relaxed into a broad smile, and she gave Dar an affectionate pat on the side. “Thanks, Dr. Dar.”
Dar Roberts, relationship expert and amateur psychologist.
Dar felt a mental, slightly hysterical giggle coming on. She kissed Kerry’s 100
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damp head instead. “Anytime, sweetheart. I’ll always be here for you.”
Kerry felt a quiet resonance as she heard those words. They touched something deep inside her, and she felt her spirit calm in response to them as a smile appeared on her face. “I know you will,” she replied. “And I’ll always be here for you.” Her head lifted and she met Dar’s eyes. “Thanks for understanding.”
Dar felt like she’d been visited with a miracle, because in a very deep way, she did understand. Or, at least, she understood that Kerry was hurting, and that she had the ability to stop the hurt and heal some of the pain. That was a pretty damn nice feeling.
Kerry squared her shoulders and released Dar, holding her briefly by her shoulders before she picked up the shifts again. “Well then, let’s get our garish duds on and go have some fun.”
Relieved, Dar returned the smile. “All right, let’s go.” She leaned over and touched the floral basket. “You’re not gonna make me wear one of these in my hair, are you?”
Kerry glanced at the flowers, then at Dar. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, but she demurred. “No, you get to escape that.”
“Uh oh.” Dar put her hands on her towel-clad hips. “I’m in trouble.”
“Heh…but not too much.” Kerry grinned, her spirits restored.
“C’mon. Let’s go.”
The sun continued to dip lazily to the horizon, painting the sea in gold.
THE RESTAURANT WAS charming; the sunset was gorgeous; the food was interesting and very tasty; and she was sitting across from what was definitely the best looking woman in the place.
Kerry lifted her glass of wine and raised it in Dar’s direction, then took a sip of it, savoring the slightly spicy, sweet taste.
There is
really no more one could ask for, is there?
“Great choice.”
Dar lifted her own glass, touched its rim to Kerry’s, and smiled.
“Nice place, but it’s the company that counts.”
Kerry accepted the compliment with a smile, then rested her wrists on the table and looked around. According to the menu, the building had once been a sugar mill overlooking the water. Parts of the structure still remained, and they’d cleverly fashioned the restaurant into it. The food was a mixture of Caribbean and American, and Kerry had just finished a bowl of extremely spicy shrimp gumbo. Dar had elected to try a Caribbean fruit mixture rather than soup, and they’d split a bottle of Chardonnay while they waited for the main course.
Kerry leaned back, enjoying the breeze as it brushed across her bare shoulders. There was a gently fluttering candle on the table, and she could smell the warm scent of the wax as it melted, which added to the atmosphere. A steel drum band was perched on a patio nearby, playing softly, and all around her a mixture of lilting accents wove in and out of the music.
She noticed that the guests were mostly just couples. There were very few families, and those that were there had older children. Most of the couples were traditional, but Kerry spotted at least two other sets of women and three other sets of men seated together, and she felt comfortable in the place. Even with the fact that Dar kept tweaking her toes under the table.
Kerry snuck a glance at her tablemate, who was studying the driftwood salt and pepper shakers, curiously turning them in her fingers. Dar wore her hair loose, and her brightly colored cotton shift clung to her body, very nicely outlining its muscular grace.
The shift was pretty, but God, Kerry had to admit, it was so not 102
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Dar. It was like putting a racehorse in a tutu.
Dar chose that moment to look up, and their eyes met. Dar’s face creased into a grin as she put the shaker down. “Something wrong?”
“Not a damn thing.” Kerry rested her chin on her fist. “That sunset is indescribable,” she added dreamily. “You think it’s this nice in Hawaii?”
“Hmm.” Dar regarded the spectacle. “I don’t know. I’ve never actually been there except on a layover on the way out to Micronesia. We’ll have to go find out,” she said. “I want to see a volcano up close.”
“You’re on,” Kerry said. “How about mid-February?”
“Valentine’s Day on Maui?” Dar chuckled. “Sure.”
Kerry made a mental note to nose around for some reservations when they got home. Their waitress appeared at that moment and set down a tray with wisps of steam rising from it. She watched as a plate was set in front of her, containing a sizzling piece of broiled fish propped up with prawns half the size of their puppy Chino and drizzled with a tangy, citrusy sauce. “Ooh. Thanks.”
The waitress set down a side plate of vegetables. “You’re very welcome.” She smiled at Kerry, then took Dar’s plate from the serving tray and set it in front of her. “Anything else for you ladies?”
Dar inspected her surf and turf—a filet mignon nestled next to a lobster tail. “Nope. Not right now,” she said. “Thanks.” She picked up her fork and knife, separated the two items around the island of whipped yams, and started to cut the filet into pieces.
“This looks great.”
“Smells great, too.” Kerry craned her neck to see. “What is that sauce?”
“Pineapple and coconut rum.” Dar dipped a square of meat into it and then offered it to Kerry, who neatly took it off the end of her fork.
“Mm,” Kerry mumbled approvingly. “I’ll try that next time.”
She offered a taste of her fish in return, which Dar accepted.
“Tastes like Mandarin oranges,” Dar commented. “Nice.”
Kerry had taken one bite of her fish when her attention was captured by a couple who was just entering the restaurant. “Yrch.”
She caught Dar’s eye and indicated the door. Christen and Juan Carlos had just stepped in, and were being greeted by the host.
“There goes the neighborhood.” Dar nibbled a bit of her filet.
“Wonder if she paid for that dress by the inch.”
Christen was wearing an outfit of gold chain, which barely covered her tanned and very fit body from mid-thigh to chest. The outfit had gaps in the sides, and a jeweled belt hung below her navel. Juan complemented her in a gold silk shirt, a matte black silk
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jacket, and leather pants.
“Someone forget to tell them they weren’t visiting New York?”
Kerry leaned over and murmured, “Last time I saw clothes like that was out on South Beach at that TV chef’s opening night.”
The newcomers were led to a prime table near the edge of the open air seating. As Christen sat down, she spotted Dar and Kerry across the room. She put a hand on Juan Carlos’ arm, then made her way over.
“Yip, yip yippee yahooey.” Dar rolled her eyes, then assumed a cordially neutral expression as the woman neared. “Evening.”
“Why, hello! Imagine bumping into you two here,” Christen greeted them. “Visiting, or…staying here?”
“We’re staying here,” Kerry answered smoothly. “Did you just get in?”
“Last night,” Christen replied with a smile. “Isn’t it great?
What a beautiful spot.” She leaned on the balustrade next to them, the gold chains in her outfit clinking gently. “I’m glad we bumped into you again; I was afraid we’d lost you when you disappeared from the docks. You didn’t get caught out in the weather, did you?”
Dar answered that one. “Just went on a cruise. We got back late.”
“Really?” Christen was watching Dar closely. “Listen, some friends of ours ran into trouble out west of that little island. You didn’t happen to see them out there, did you?”
Dar’s ice blue eyes chilled and shaded. “Friends of yours?” she asked softly. “No. We didn’t see anyone in trouble last night.”
Recognizing the change in Dar’s demeanor, Kerry kept quiet.
“Oh. Well,” Christen replied. “I really didn’t get the whole story, but they think someone might have run them aground. But that wouldn’t have been really friendly, now would it?”
“Depends on what they were doing to make someone want to do that.” Dar looked her right in the eye, suddenly projecting an air of surprisingly dark menace all out of character with her gaudy print dress.
They fenced for a moment, then Christen laughed a touch uncomfortably. “Well, who knows? Maybe they were mistaken, or…knowing them, they goofed in the navigation and are just trying to cover it up.” She backed off a step. “Anyway, we’ll see you around. Maybe we can do lunch?”
“Sure.” Dar let the word roll off her tongue, keeping her eyes pinned on the smaller woman. “Anytime.”
Christen beat a hasty retreat. Dar kept up her testy glower for a moment, then relaxed, hiking an eyebrow at the attentively watching Kerry. “Well?”
“You get a ten from the American judge.” Kerry held up her napkin, peeking behind her to see Christen and Juan in close 104
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consultation, complete with uneasy looks in their general direction.
“You know, Dar, for someone who’s dressed like a passion fruit sundae, you really can scare the pooters out of people.”
Dar snickered, then shook her head. “I shouldn’t laugh. That probably wasn’t funny.” She eyed the two newcomers.
“You don’t seriously think those goons’ll try to find us, do you?” Kerry asked. “I mean, for running them aground. They were chasing us, Dar.”
“I don’t know.” Dar sliced off a bit of her filet and ate it. “Let me get back to you after I have a chance to check out what Mark sent.”
“Okay.” Kerry went back to her dinner. She was a little surprised at how unworried she was about this new wrinkle. In fact, she felt more intrigued than frightened. Maybe she was turning into a little bit of a risk taker. She took in a forkful of the fish, enjoying the half-sweet, half-tangy taste, then washed the mouthful down with a long sip of wine. “Dar?”
“Hm?” Dar looked up from her task of decimating her lobster tail.
“You think this is dangerous?”
Dar paused, folded her hands, and rested her chin on them.
“Dangerous?” she asked. “I think we bumped into some folks who are used to getting their own way.”
“Mm.” Kerry nodded.
“They shot flares at us last night,” Dar went on seriously, “not bullets.”
Ah
.
That is very, very true
. “Shot them off the sides, too,” Kerry realized. “So you think they’re overbearing, obnoxious bullies, but only willing to go so far to achieve their goals?”
“Exactly.” Dar went back to her plate with a satisfied look.
“Unfortunately for them,” she looked up from her dinner, “they’re up against an equally overbearing, obnoxious bully who won’t stop until she gets what she wants.” She winked. “And I want a nice, peaceful vacation.”
Kerry cocked her head and thought about that. “I don’t think you’re overbearing and obnoxious, and you’re definitely not a bully,” she finally stated positively. “But I do agree they’ve bitten off more than they can chew with us.” She gave a brisk nod, then bit into a prawn and ruthlessly ripped it from its shell.
Dar merely chuckled and shook her head.
A SURPRISE WAS waiting for them when they got back to their room. Kerry warily eyed the basket of flowers and shot Dar a look.
“You’re the only person I’d welcome getting these from, but I’m guessing they’re not from you.”
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Dar regarded the floral intrusion. “No.” She searched the arrangement for a card. “For one thing, I know what kind of flowers you like,” she said. “Tulips not being among them. Ah.” She plucked a small square of cardboard from amid the greenery and held it to her forehead as she closed her eyes in psychic concentration. “The answer is…Bob.” She handed the card over without looking at it.
Kerry sighed, took the card and peeked at it. “Can we rent you out to the Psychic Hotline?”
Dar shook her head. “Ker, you’re just going to have to tell him straight out to back off, you’re taken,” she advised wryly. “He’s one of those guys who can’t picture two women together and think anything other than ‘lunch.’”
“Yeah, I know.” Kerry laughed helplessly as she removed the basket to the table near the door and plopped down onto the bed. “I figured while we were docking the boat, my referring to you as my partner and saying this was our delayed honeymoon would have clued him in, but I guess not.”
Dar slid down beside her and plucked the card from Kerry’s fingers, tossing it over her shoulder as she found something much more interesting to concentrate on. “Know what I like about these bawdy excuses for cut-up tablecloths?”