“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.