Part 59 (1/2)

”Yikes.”

”Word got around about it, and everyone put two and two together and got six.” The dark-haired woman stretched out her legs. ”After that, Charlie figured Dad was fair game.”

”Oh.” Kerry frowned. ”But... I mean, Dar, he was married and had a child. Didn't they get a clue?”

Dar looked at her, one eyebrow lifting in wry sarcasm.

”Yes, I know that's not necessarily an indication of heteros.e.xuality, but Jesus! Your father drips it,” Kerry protested.

”True. But that's not really what he's p.i.s.sed off about,” Dar explained. ”It wasn't that they thought he was gay. Since I am, that wasn't something he found offensive.”

348*

Kerry c.o.c.ked her head. ”O...kay...” Her brows contracted.

”But...”

”He was furious that they thought he was the kind of man who would cheat on his wife,” Dar said simply. ”He never forgave them for that.” She pushed herself out of the chair. ”Want a drink?”

”Sure.” Kerry quietly absorbed the information. ”Wow. That makes sense.” She shook her head. ”It was hard for me to think Dad would have been that embarra.s.sed about someone thinking he was what we are,” she admitted. ”But I can understand now.”

”Mm,” Dar agreed. ”He told me about it when he came back that time. He said he couldn't tell Mom, but he wanted to share it with me so I knew what really happened, in case I heard anything on the base.”

”Did you?” Kerry asked in a soft voice. ”Hear anything?”

A half smile twitched at Dar's lips. ”Not directly,” she said.

”By that time, I...um...had quite the reputation for a temper, and most of the other kids on the base knew if they ribbed me about my father, it meant a fight.”

Kerry tipped her head back and regarded Dar with a slight grin. ”Two of a kind.” She reached up and touched the insignia now threaded through the silver chain around Dar's neck. It nestled against Dar's joining ring and collected just the faintest hint of reflection off its dully burnished surface.

Dar stuck her hands into her pockets and looked down at the item, unable to hide the unabashedly proud grin. ”Yeah.” Her eyes twinkled. ”That we are.” Her attention returned to Kerry's face.

”Don't worry, Ker. Dad would never be mad at anyone just for asking a question. Especially you.” She stroked Kerry's hair. ”He loves you.”

The green eyes looking up at Dar filled with unshed tears.

Kerry remained silent, just watching Dar's expression.

”We've got a while before lunch,” Dar said in a gentle tone.

”Let's go inside and relax. Okay?” She held out a hand. When it was taken, she guided both of them through the cabin door and out of the sun.

Inside, Kerry tugged her to a halt. She moved close and put her arms around Dar and hugged her fiercely.

Dar returned the hug, rubbing Kerry's back as she did so.

”Urgh,” Kerry exhaled. ”Can we just go out and get lost somewhere tomorrow, Dar?” she asked. ”Find another of those blue holes and just leave our minds out to dry?”

”Hmm. That's an appealing thought.” Dar inclined her head and nipped Kerry on the jawbone. ”As a matter of fact, I could see spending a couple days lost somewhere with you.” She felt Kerry's body press against hers. ”I think I know some nice, deserted islands out there where it'll just be you, me, and if they're very lucky, a*349 couple of dancing lobsters.”

”Dancing into my nice big pot?” Kerry burrowed into Dar's chest, greedily breathing in her scent. ”I have a bottle of champagne in here that would love to meet them.”

”Oh yeah,” Dar a.s.sured her. ”We'll spend the whole day just being sea b.u.ms.” She squeezed her partner, feeling her shoulders s.h.i.+ft and relax. ”Hey, I've got an idea.”

”M'sure it's a good one,” Kerry mumbled into the skin of her neck.

”I know we were going to go up to the condo for New Year's.

How about we spend it down at the cabin?”

”Mmm.”

”Kind of get a couple of days of vacation back?”

”Kerry made a low, pleased humming noise. ”Even if we don't have furniture, I think I'd really, really like that.”

Dar rested her cheek against Kerry's hair, pleased with the reaction to her plan. While she knew the interruptions had really been neither of their faults, she still felt bad about the net effect of it robbing them of their needed time off.

It was funny, but despite the fantastic nature of the events of the preceding day, she already found them fading into memory.

She'd always had a philosophy of setting things aside once they were over and done with, but she found it strange that she could look back on what she'd done the night before and not have it seem terrifying to her. It had been a bad situation; she had dealt with it as best as she'd been able to; and in the end, things had turned out all right. What more, really, could she have asked?

It was over. Most often when traumatic things happened, she examined them for lessons to hopefully avoid the problem the next time around, but usually that was in a business context. Dar sincerely hoped she would not have to put her experience in escaping wacko salvagers or pirates to use any time soon in the ILS boardroom. Her blue eyes twinkled suddenly. Well...

”What are you doing?” Kerry asked.

”Just thinking,” Dar replied. ”Why?”

”I can feel you smiling.”

Dar chuckled. ”I was just imagining Alastair dressed as Captain Blood.”

Kerry's body convulsed in abrupt laughter. ”I can barely imagine Alastair dressed as Captain Kangaroo.”

”Heh.”

The blonde woman sighed and circled Dar's neck with her arms, swaying against her as the boat rocked. ”Well, there's one thing to be said for all the stuff that's happened.”

”Hm?”

”Made me totally forget my family,” Kerry murmured.

350*

Dar lifted her head and looked down at Kerry's profile. ”Is that a good thing?”

Kerry nodded. ”Maybe it helped some to see other people with crummier relatives than me,” she stated. ”I was thinking about that this morning after I talked to Dad down in the hotel lobby. My parents were pedantic and clueless, Dar, but you know something?”

”Mm?”