Part 15 (2/2)
”That does sound really good.”
Dar wandered over to a row of old wooden basins nailed onto the walls with rusted iron spikes. The mill had made sugar for sale, and for the rum and mola.s.ses that had been the impetus for the island's colonization. Slaves had worked there under increasingly brutal conditions until they'd eventually risen up and conquered their masters, driving the plantation owners out and leaving the island to peacefully stagnate until modern times and modern tourism.
”Must have been brutal working here,” Dar mused, touching grooves worn in the wooden sinks from countless wrists resting on them as they washed the cane.
”Mm,” Kerry agreed, imagining the sweltering summer heat.
”Maybe we should bring the staff over here when they start complaining about the vending machine selection.”
Dar chuckled. ”Just take lots of pictures,” she advised. ”Wow, 96*
did you see that?”
Kerry examined the huge wheels curiously. ”What is it?”
”Grinding stone,” Dar explained. ”They put the cane between that and ground it up to get out the sugar syrup.”
Kerry leaned over and sniffed the stone. ”Just smells like mildew now,” she said. ”It's hard to believe that a place like this, as full of misery as it must have been, produced something so many people regard as a treat.”
”Yeah,” Dar agreed. ”Speaking of which, want to stop and have our sandwiches?”
After Dar spent a moment making sure they weren't about to sit on any snakes or scorpions, they picked a spot on the edge of the coral foundation. Kerry opened the pack Dar had been carrying and removed a Thermos bottle and two neatly wrapped packages.
She set down the Thermos and unwrapped the sandwiches, crusty French bread wrapped around spicy shrimp salad.
”Wow.” Kerry handed Dar hers. ”This looks great. All this hiking has made me hungry.”
”Mmph.” Dar had already taken a bite. She uncapped the Thermos and poured out a capful of its contents, took a sip, and pa.s.sed it over to Kerry. ”Coconut and pa.s.sion fruit. Interesting.”
Kerry washed down her mouthful and took another. ”Very.”
She kicked her heels against the foundation and looked around, enjoying the food, the view, and the utter freedom of being in an unknown place with the person she loved best in the world.
”They've got horseback trails,” Dar commented hopefully.
”Interested?”
Kerry glanced at her knowingly. ”Make a deal with you,” she bargained adroitly. ”Horseback riding one day, windsailing the next?” She didn't quite have the enthusiasm for horses that Dar did, but then Dar didn't quite share her love of wild water sports.
However, compromise was good. It was a learning process, like everything else, and slowly they'd worked out a way to balance their differences. Mostly, Kerry acknowledged wryly. There were still some things they were working on. ”Deal?”
”Okay.” Dar wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. She leaned back against the ruined wall and relaxed while Kerry finished up her lunch, the blonde woman resting an elbow on Dar's knee. ”A lot of people come out here and camp in the park.”
Kerry watched an ant the size of a Jeep walk by. ”Good for them,” she said. ”I admire their courage and fort.i.tude.”
Dar watched the ant, almost jumping when the tiny animal was suddenly attacked by an almost invisible lizard, whose tongue whipped out and tethered the ant before the insect could even twitch an antenna. The lizard sucked the ant in and casually chewed it, rotating an eye to peer up at Dar with benign disinterest.*97 ”Ah.” Kerry blinked. ”Mother Nature in all her gory glory.”
She held a hand out toward the lizard, and it reciprocated by opening its jaws wide, displaying bits of dismembered ant as well as a double ridge of tiny razor teeth. ”Yikes,” she exclaimed.
”Makes you feel really insignificant, doesn't it?”
Dar reached over lazily and, with a quick motion, captured the lizard. It struggled wildly as she brought it back over to her face.
”Listen, buddy,” she growled at it, ”don't threaten my girl or I'll make lizard burgers out of you, got me?”
Kerry had to laugh at the bug-eyed look on the lizard's face.
”I don't care how many rhino-sized ants you suck up, you don't scare me,” Dar warned, as the lizard stuck its tongue out at her. ”So, beat it.” She opened her hand and released the animal. It leaped off her hand and onto her s.h.i.+rt, then scampered up over her shoulder and onto the nearest bit of wall.
Kerry leaned against Dar's knee and gazed adoringly at her.
Dar smirked and managed a self-deprecating chuckle.
”Hey, Dar?”
”Yeah?” Dar let her head rest against the wall.
”Anyone ever tell you you're a lot of fun?”
Dar considered. ”No, no one's ever said that,” she replied matter-of-factly. ”I have been told I'm like being in a phone booth with a dozen porcupines in heat, though.”
Kerry kissed Dar's knee, then laid her cheek against it. ”My question to whoever said that would be, of course, 'how do you know?'”
”It was Eleanor.”
”Ah. That explains a lot.” Kerry grinned and gave Dar's leg a squeeze. ”Well, you are a lot of fun, and I'm so totally enjoying this vacation.”
Dar grinned back at her wholeheartedly. ”Me, too,” she agreed.
”Even with the pirates.” She leaned over and kissed Kerry gently.
”I'm glad you're having as much fun as I am.”
They rested a few minutes longer in the old cane mill, then resumed their hike. Dar shouldered the pack and cinched down the straps, and they started off up a path that was now getting noticeably steeper. ”Hey,” Dar observed, ”it's a hill.”
”Sure you can handle it, Dixiecup?” Kerry teased.
”Wanna find out?” Dar grinned. ”Let's race.” She broke into a jog.
”Pooters.” Kerry sighed. ”Someday I'll learn.” She shook her head and chased after Dar, hoping it wouldn't be a really, really big hill.
98*
”URGH.” KERRY STEPPED under the pounding shower and scrubbed her body with a piece of natural sponge. She'd finished up their hike sweaty, covered in dirt, and with leaves stuffed down her s.h.i.+rt, courtesy of her lover, and the water felt heavenly as it washed away the grime. Kerry washed a smear of green off her shoulder and thought of how it had gotten there. They'd had so much fun.
After she'd chased Dar up the hill, they'd rolled down the other side, across a short swath of rich green undergrowth, and into a muddy embankment over a small creek. With a thumbful of mud, she'd painted tiger stripes across Dar's cheekbones, and they'd ended up going headfirst into the creek as they wrestled playfully.
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