Part 62 (1/2)

Andy snorted. ”h.e.l.l, Ah'da been happy in a Quonset hut.” He leaned back. ”But that there boat's a hoot and a half, no question.

Ceci's having her a good old time with it.”

Bud eyed him. ”You guys lucked out,” he remarked, but his tone was mild, not grudging.

”h.e.l.l yes.” Andy hitched a knee up and circled it with both big hands. ”Spent all them years in h.e.l.l, now we got some good times.

Life's evened out for a change.” He glanced at both men. ”Ah done paid my dues.”

”That's for sure,” Charlie murmured. ”Glad things came out all right for you, Andy.”

364*

”Mm,” Bud grunted in accord.

A short silence fell over the group. Kerry picked up the tray and returned, setting it on the table. ”This is a favorite of Dar's,”

she explained, pointing to the round, fudgy looking creation in the center. ”So if you don't like chocolate, blame her.”

Dar exhaled as the tension around her dissipated. She cast an appreciative glance at the tray, recognizing the chocolate on chocolate on chocolate mousse cake Kerry had created for her for her last birthday. ”Mm...where did that come from?” she asked.

”Don't tell me you made it while I was out this afternoon.”

Kerry pa.s.sed around fresh plates for the dessert and collected the used ones. Surprisingly, Bud got up and took the dinner plates from her, carrying them to the galley and setting them in the sink.

”Not quite. I made it before we left home. It's been in the freezer.”

Dar observed the carving of her portion with a jealous eye.

”You didn't tell me that.”

”Because I wanted it to last the trip,” her partner dryly commented. ”And I wanted to get at least a small piece.”

”Wow.” Charlie had tasted the cake. ”Mind if I get this recipe from you, Kerry? I'd sell a million pieces of this in the shop.”

Kerry sat down and picked up her fork. ”Not at all.” She rested her free hand on her knee and found it immediately captured and squeezed under the table. ”I'm just really glad everything turned out okay.”

Everyone murmured agreement. Bud cleared his throat and reluctantly met Andrew's eyes. ”Thanks,” he muttered.

”Welcome,” Andy replied.

”Any word on the jerk and his crew?” Charlie asked suddenly.

There was another awkward silence. ”The Coast Guard didn't find them,” Dar stated matter-of-factly. ”There wasn't anything at the coordinates we gave.”

Andrew snorted. ”Serves them b.a.s.t.a.r.ds' right if they sank.”

”d.a.m.ned if we don't finally agree on something,” Bud said.

”a.s.sholes.”

Charlie nodded. ”Yep. Hope the fish had a d.a.m.n good dinner.”

”Hey.” Bud spoke up. ”You and Ceci ever ride out this way?”

Andrew finished his cake. ”Thinking about it,” he replied.

”Ceci's done into painting them ocean things again. Looking for new stuff.”

”Stop by and have dinner.”

Even Charlie looked surprised.

”Surely,” Andy drawled. ”Thanks for the invite.”

Bud grunted and went back to eating, apparently having exhausted his sociability for the moment.

Dar and Kerry exchanged looks. Kerry felt the clasp on her hand tighten and she squared her shoulders, digging her fork into*365 her dessert and taking a bite with determined enjoyment. After all, they'd done what they could, more than most would have, given the circ.u.mstances.

Dar was right, Kerry thought. At some point you had to accept responsibility for the things you did. She had, and whatever fate DeSalliers had come to, he would have to do the same. What you cast out onto the waters came back to you in the end. Sometimes it took a while, and sometimes you had to go through h.e.l.l before it did, like for Andrew. Sometimes you got off scott free for a lifetime and had it all your way, like her father had. But eventually the circle would close.

Kerry smiled, and looked up to find Dar smiling back at her.

Sometimes, you didn't even have to wait a lifetime.

Epilogue.

KERRY SWUNG GENTLY in the hammock, doing nothing more strenuous than watching the seagulls. She lifted a hand and took a swig from a longneck bottle of beer, finding an interesting patch of clouds wandering its way across the clear blue sky. ”Hey, Dar?”

The other occupant on the hammock grunted in her ear incoherently.

”Y'think I should check my blood pressure right now?”

”Does that mean I gotta get up?” Dar mumbled. ”I think your pressure's fine. I can hear your heartbeat. It's whistling Dixie.”

”Mmm,” Kerry agreed. ”I feel very, very relaxed.” She lifted her other hand, linked with Dar's, and kissed her partner's fingers.

”Coming back here was a really good idea.”

”Uh huh.”

”I could stay here for weeks.”

”Uh huh.”

”There's a rabbit on your hip.”