“Who on earth was that?” Kerry whispered. “From your face, I thought it was my father.”

“Worse,” Dar answered, with a sigh. “It was my mother.”

Kerry looked up at her. “Whoa. That was unexpected.”

“Yeah.” The blue eyes focused on something Kerry wasn’t sure she wanted to be able to see.


Chapter

Six

KERRY FINISHED PACKING a small towel in the gym bag Dar habitually carried, then zipped the bag closed and walked to the double doors, regarding the tall, silent figure leaning against the railing.

Dar was upset and shocked. Kerry could tell. Hearing from her mother was difficult, but finding out it was due to the passing of her grandmother was even worse. After not hearing from that side of her family for such a long time, getting news like that was tough and knowing she’d have to go and face being with those people next week was eating at her.

Kerry pushed the door open and walked outside into the warm sea breeze. “You ready, champ?”

Dar turned her head and adjusted her sunglasses, pulling them down a little to regard Kerry’s face. “I think my focus is off,” she told her regretfully. “I wasn’t expecting that. Even though I haven’t seen Gran in…” Dar thought a moment. “Damn. Has it been ten years?” She exhaled. “She was a…a very tough woman.”

“Mmm.” Kerry put an arm around her. “I’m sorry, Dar. I don’t remember my grandparents. They died when I was very young.” She considered that. “I wish I had. My uncles tell some really great stories about them.”

Dar leaned against her. “I never knew my father’s parents. When he and my mother got married, they disowned him, sort of. The only one who spoke to him at all was Aunt May.” She exhaled. “Then there was Gran and Grandpa. He and my father argued all the time, but I think they liked each other. He died in a car accident, and Gran wasn’t the same after that.”

Kerry pursed her lips, then forged on. “Dar. You know, um, maybe your mother…maybe she’s using this as a sort of excuse to get back in touch with you.”

Her lover went quite still for a few heartbeats, then straightened and pushed her sunglasses back. “I think it’s too late for that,” she answered briskly. “C’mon. I got myself into this contest. Let’s go watch me make a fool of myself.”

Kerry took the hint and dropped the subject. “I bet you don’t.” She followed Dar inside. “Remember, you promised me a trophy.”


Eye of the Storm 49

“Aw, Kerry.”

“You promised.”

I PROMISED. DAR leaned against her locker, surprised at just how nervous she was. What in the hell was I thinking? I’ll be lucky to last the first damn round. She scrubbed her face with both hands, then dropped them, shaking her arms to loosen the tight muscles brought on by the sudden stress.

Okay.

Dar closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she forced calm on herself. Too many outside distractions were hitting her, and she knew if she didn’t just push them out of the way, she wasn’t going to be able to go out there, or worse, she would and get hurt because she lost focus.

So, okay. Forget about your mother. Forget about the asshole board member.

Forget about Kerry’s testifying.

Forget about Gran.

Damn. Dar’s eyes opened and she gazed at the wooden surface. Wish I’d said goodbye to her.

“You need to find a nice boy and settle down, honey.” Gran’s eyes had twinkled at her, as she stood uncomfortably in Gran’s small house. “Come here and sit down and tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Dar settled her long frame awkwardly on the frilly chair next to the old woman and tried to come up with something she’d find interesting to hear.

Programming? Gran had a radio, and a TV she never turned on, preferring to use it as a shelf to hold a beautiful creeping ivy. School? Gran had been self schooled. Personal stuff? Dar had just figured out she preferred girls to boys, and doubted Gran would appreciate hearing that. “Same as usual, Gran. Just stuff.”

“Oh, come on now. You telling me a nice looking young girl like you just sits around all day? What do you do with yourself, Paladar?”

“Um, work with my computer, do my gym stuff. You know,” Dar answered. “I go to school, I go to work. Not much to tell, really.”

Gran looked at her. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.” That, at least, she could answer.

Her grandmother leaned much closer and lowered her voice. “Do you have a girlfriend?” she whispered with a wink.

Dar almost swallowed her tongue. “Uhh...no.” Her voice rose to almost a squeak. “I um...”

“Ha. Didn’t think old grumps like me know what’s what, eh?” Gran poked her in the knee. “Figured you out years ago. Had a best friend when I was a girl went the same way.”

She turned brick red, and endured the old woman’s chuckles until she finally cleared her throat and muttered something banal.

“What’d the folks say?” Gran asked conspiratorially.


50 Melissa Good

“They don’t know,” Dar managed to answer. “Yet.”

That made Gran laugh even more. “Figures. My daughter never could see the darn forest for the trees.” She patted Dar on the arm. “Don’t you worry, honey. I won’t say anything. You just be careful now, here? Chicken fights can be a lot nastier than cock fights, let me tell you. They’ll peck your eyes right out, and you’ve got really pretty ones.”

Dar blushed again. “Thanks, Gran,” she muttered.

“Here. Stop putting your head down.” Gran picked her chin up and looked at her. “You got nothing to be ashamed of, Paladar, so you keep those baby blues up just like that.” She paused. “Oh. You’re going to break some hearts, you are.”

Dar managed a smile. “Think so?”

A wrinkled hand patted her cheek. “Keep smiling like that and I guarantee it.”

Dar found herself smiling again in reflex memory and she wished briefly that her mother hadn’t gone to live with Gran. That, more than anything, had kept her from calling and certainly from visiting.

And that hadn’t really been fair to either of them.

“Hey, Dar?”

She turned to find Kerry slipping through the locker room door.

“Sorry. I was just loosening up.”

Kerry came over and slid up against her with a barely held back smile. “Your dad’s here.”

“Urk.” Dar’s nostrils flared. “Like I needed more pressure.”

“Tch.” The blonde woman gave her a much needed hug. “He’s lurking back under the seats. I got him some pop and a candy bar.”

“I think I need a candy bar or maybe some ice cream.”

Green eyes twinkled. “Trade you a trophy for a cone, how about that?”

Dar turned, and put her hands on Kerry’s shoulders, her face taking on a serious expression. “Listen—”

Fingertips touched her lips. “No. I was just kidding. I don’t care if you win anything at all, Dar. Just have fun and don’t worry about it.” She pulled Dar’s head down and kissed her. “Okay?”

“Just have fun?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Dar returned the kiss and let some of the tension roll off her.

“I think I can manage that.” Her nerves settled and she considered the contest. Without question, there’d be some fighters she could beat, and equally, some she couldn’t. That was all right. She’d just do the best she could, that was all.

“C’mon.” She put an arm around Kerry’s shoulders and guided her out of the locker room, into the main area of the gym. A wide open space had been cleared, covered with mats, and some rows of chairs added around it with platforms after a few rows to raise the seats up into viewing areas.


Eye of the Storm 51

People dressed like her were all around, warming up and chatting in small groups, or standing alone in fierce concentration. They ranged in age from teens to middle-aged men and women, and Dar felt a little more comfortable, realizing she wouldn’t be the oldest person in the room by any means.

Her eyes flicked around and into corners and found a dark one, with a shadowy form in it. She kept her gaze pinned there, and smiled, holding it until she saw a flash of motion and a hand wave. She waved back.

“This is sort of fun,” Kerry remarked. “Hey. Did you know they have a novice class tournament too? You think maybe I could take a shot next time?”

Hmm. Dar mulled that over. Good question. “I don’t know. I think you’re too nice,” she confessed. “You’re not supposed to apologize every time you hit someone.”

Kerry grinned ruefully. “Hitting people doesn’t quite come naturally to me, I guess. But I’ve been getting better. I didn’t scream the last time I flipped you.”

Dar rubbed her tailbone in memory. “You grunted. A definite improvement.”

They walked to the warm up area and Dar released her lover as she joined the group of combatants already working there. “Wish me luck.”

Kerry smiled and tugged her belt. “You won’t need it.” She backed off. “I’m going to go sit down over there.” She pointed at the bleachers.

Dar lifted a hand and watched her go, then turned her attention to the task at hand. After about twenty minutes of light warm up, a man walked to the center of the mats and lifted a bullhorn.

“All right ladies and gents. Let’s get rrrrroollling.”

The exercises paused as all eyes turned towards him.

“We’ll do this the easy way. Double elimination, one ring for the pros, one ring for the kiddies, the judges picked the matches out of a hat.

See the nice lady with the pink shirt to get your slots and stay the heck out of the way until it’s your turn. Everybody got it?”

A chorus of yells.

“Good! Let’s kick some ass.”

Kerry found a nice bench and sat down, resting her elbows on her knees. This was definitely different. The closest she’d ever come to this kind of atmosphere was during her high school bowling days.

“Hey there, kumquat.” A low, growly voice made her jump, and she looked down between the bleachers to see Andrew Roberts perched under them, peering out between the seats with interest. “Looks like a damn bathrobe convention, don’t it?”

“It’s…unique,” Kerry agreed, as she watched some of the younger contestants run at each other screaming.

Andrew grunted, his head moving back and forth inside his hood as he observed. “My kid looks damned good, you know that?”

Kerry obligingly turned to the tall, dark haired form running through a few basic warm-up drills while she waited. “Does she? I mean, 52 Melissa Good well, yeah, I think she does anyway, but...”

“Yeap.” Dar’s father nodded. “Lookit that kick. I couldn’t get that high when I was getting paid for it.”

“She’s very flexible,” Kerry agreed.

“Huh.” Andrew chuckled, deep in his throat. “You’d know.”

Kerry stared at him in puzzlement, then blushed. “Oh, god.” She was saved by the bell, literally, and she turned to watch the first set of matches.

She really hoped Dar did well.

After all, she had a bet on with Andrew about that trophy.

DAR’S FIRST MATCH was the third one listed. She spent a moment wishing she were somewhere else just before she had to pad onto the mat and spent another moment hoping she didn’t throw up before she got there.

It was really ludicrous, goddamn it, she was an internationally known corporate CIO, who ate company managers for lunch, and here she stood, worrying about upchucking in front of a boisterous Saturday afternoon crowd at the local gym.

Shit.

Dar glared at her opponent in pure annoyance, a man slightly her junior, with a sturdy, well knit body and intelligent eyes.

Which widened a little as they met hers. Dar could only wonder what her expression looked like, before the whistle blew and they circled each other. He dodged towards her and she blocked him, feeling the nervous energy make her reactions sharp and almost edgy. He tried again, and she evaded the kick, countering with one of her own that, with help from her longer legs, connected and turned him halfway around and almost dumped him.

Okay. Dar flexed her hands, and watched him, feeling her heartbeat settle a little. She tried a little feint of her own, then realized it was going to work and followed through, neatly sweeping her opponent off his feet and taking advantage of that.