They stood in silence for bit. “Miss yer family?” Dar’s father finally asked.

Kerry had to think about that. “I miss my sister…and my brother. We were close.” She paused. “My aunts and uncles…we used to have big gatherings. They’d all be there, with all my cousins. We’d get pretty rowdy sometimes.”

Andrew merely listened and watched, a natural state with him.

“I don’t miss checking myself in the mirror six times before leaving my room.” A distant look entered the green eyes. “Or never being quite good enough.” Her head cocked to one side thoughtfully. “Being here on my own was such a change. I’d go back there for holidays and wonder how I ever lived like that for so long.”


Eye of the Storm 101

The outer gate clanked, audible even through the closed windows, and they peered out to see Dar entering with Chino bouncing around near her knees. A smile crossed Kerry’s face in unconscious reaction at the sight, as the crimson rays turned her lover’s tanned skin a burnished golden hue. She wore a very brief, cut off sleeveless sweatshirt and a pair of ragged denim shorts and there certainly was a lot showing to admire.

“Good Lord,” Andrew complained. “Think she’s living in the streets with them clothes.” He shook his head and stomped to the door, flung it open, and put his hands on his hips. “Whatcha think ye’re doing out there half naked young lady?”

Dar’s dark head jerked up from where she brushed off the sand from her knees and she blinked. “Dad?”

“J’think it’s the mail man talkin’ t’you like that?”

His daughter straightened up and mimicked him, putting her hands on her hips, then glanced down her long frame. “Half naked? This isn’t half naked.” She paused, then grinned and pulled off the sweatshirt, leaving nothing but her sports bra and muscle tone. “This...is half naked.” She spread her arms cheerfully. “See?”

“Lord have mercy.” Andrew clapped a hand over his eyes. “Git in here.” He pointed off to his right. “And you stop laughing.”

Kerry was leaning over the sink, trying to catch her breath from giggling. “Oh god. I can’t.”

Dar trotted up the steps with Chino scrambling next to her and entered. “C’mon, Dad. It’s not like you’ve never seen my in my underwear.”

One blue eye appeared. “There was a lot less of you t’see when you were six and running round without yer clothes on, I’ll tell ya that,”

Andrew groused. “Or when you were a tot and pulled yer diapers off all the time.”

“Dad.” Dar rolled her eyes.

Kerry felt a new set of giggles coming on.

“Damn good aim you had,” her father went on, irrepressibly. “Used them things like a slingshot.”

“Dad!” his daughter got out an outraged squawk.

“Heh. Teach you to sass me, won’t it?” But the blue eyes twinkled gently. “Didn’t figure back then, though, such a scrappy little thing’d grow up so damn pretty.”

It caught Dar off guard. She produced the most tongue tied, bashful look Kerry had ever seen on an adult human being and she sorely wished she had the digital camera to capture it forever. “I’m not surprised.” She distracted Andrew from his blushing offspring. “Look who she takes after.” She winked at him, then laughed. “Oh. Neat. Now I can say I made a sailor blush.”

“Sonofabiscuit,” Andrew muttered.

“I’m going to go get some email sorted.” Kerry slipped past them and diplomatically left the two alone. “Come get me when you feel like dinner.”


102 Melissa Good Dar watched her go wistfully, then took a breath and ducked into the laundry room, retrieved a white cotton T-shirt and pulled it on. “Better?”

She gave her father a wry look.

He grunted, but his mouth twitched into a grin.

“Thirsty?” Dar went to the refrigerator and retrieved a pitcher of grape juice. She could feel the unspoken emotion between them and it was making her a little nervous. “Wasn’t expecting you to be by. You in the neighborhood?”

He took the glass she offered and held it. “Not really. Kerry done gave me a call. Had a few things to say.”

Dar was a little surprised, but she nodded. “Want to go inside?” She led the way into the living room and staked out a corner of the couch, watching him settle into the corner of the loveseat at right angles to her.

They were both, she realized, a little uncomfortable. “What’s the Band-Aid about?”

He reached a hand up and touched it. “Just some stuff they’re doing to make it hurt a little less.”

“Mmm.”

They were silent for a bit.

“Tough up there, huh?” Andrew asked, after several sips of juice.

“Wasn’t the most pleasant experience I’ve ever had, no.” Dar squared her shoulders and faced him. “But I’m glad I went.”

He nodded slowly.

“Family’s the same.”

His lips twitched.

Dar studied the tile, tracing the grout lines intently. “Mom’s doing all right. I guess. I…um...” She shook her head, “I wish you’d call her.”

She had to force the words out, in a quiet mutter. “It was hard as hell to see her and not say anything.” She exhaled unhappily, then glanced up.

Andrew shifted uncomfortably. “Been so damn long. I don’t know…can’t just call…”

It would be a shock, true. “You could write,” Dar suggested softly.

“Never was much good at that.” He sighed, and stared at the bit of paper. “You…really think it’ll be… She won’t just tell me to go t’hell or something?”

Dar considered the question very seriously. The fear she understood only too well. “I think she’s in a lot of pain.” She almost felt her father flinch at that. “And I think you’re the only fix for that, Daddy.” Now, she looked up, putting all the sincerity she could into her voice and eyes.

“That’s what I honestly believe.”

He was very still, only the pale eyes flicked around the room as he thought. Finally, he let out a tired little sigh. “I miss her.” He paused.

“Damn, I do.”

Dar had to clamp her jaw down hard. “I know,” she said, after a moment for the lump to go down.

“The whole damn thing with the family though… I don’t know if I can fight that fight again, Dar.” Andrew closed his eyes. “Can’t ask her to Eye of the Storm 103

give that up again. You know they won’t put up with me.”

Dar got up and went to her study. She returned a moment later holding an envelope and sat down again. “To hell with them,” she stated softly, holding one hand out to him. “C’mere.”

Hesitantly, he leaned forward. “What?” He watched as she put the envelope into one hand and curled his fingers over it. “What is that, honey?”

“Your pension.”

Andrew’s brows, almost obscured against his scarred skin, drew together. “What?” Puzzled, he opened the envelope and took the papers out, unfolding them, and running his eyes over their contents.

Then he stopped.

And his face went totally blank in utter shock.

“Paladar Katherine Roberts, what in the name of God is this?” he asked in a strangled whisper.

It was a very sweet moment. Dar absorbed it and tucked it away down deep. “May’s trust fund came due,” she answered calmly. “I signed it over to you and had Richard put it in your name.”

“M…” He simply stared at her.

“I think May would have liked that.” Dar smiled wistfully. “I know I did.” She looked up. “You gave me so much. It felt great to give something back.” A tear escaped and she wiped it away impatiently. “Don’t say you won’t take it, because it’s too late for that.”

He folded the papers up and leaned his forehead against them, too overcome to say anything at all.

“I knew if I asked you it’d be no.” Dar ticked a finger off. “If I offered, you’d refuse. If I gave you a chance to turn it down, you would.”

Her jaw jutted out. “So I didn’t.”

He gazed at her.

Dar smiled and glanced up to see a pair of green eyes peeking at her from the stairwell. “Kerry, could you get Dad more juice? I think he’s about to cough up a kidney on the floor here.”

“Sure.” The blonde woman ambled down the stairs and ducked into the kitchen, then reappeared with the pitcher, pouring some in Andrew’s empty glass. “You okay?” She put a hand on the silent man’s shoulder.

“No, I am not okay,” he managed to rasp. “Did you know about this?”

“Sure.” Kerry sat down next to him on the loveseat and put an arm around him. “I thought it was the most incredibly great idea I’d ever heard.”

“Did you?” Andrew seemed to still be in shock.

“Yes, I did.” Kerry didn’t feel any resistance to her touch, so she scratched his back between the shoulder blades, where his daughter always liked it.

He fingered the papers. “Can’t think of a damn thing to say,” he muttered at last.

Dar smiled and regarded her now empty, clasped hands.


104 Melissa Good That meant he wouldn’t say no.

May would have definitely approved. And as for the rest of the family... Dar’s eyes glinted in the dusky light.

They can most certainly kiss my ass.


Chapter

Twelve

OF COURSE, IT rained the next day. Kerry stood for a moment, yawning and peering out the double glass sliding doors that opened to the ocean, watching the sheets of thick raindrops almost obscure the surf.

Well, she considered, that was okay too. It was a great morning for sleeping in—and they had—and here it was almost noon and she was just crawling out to put up some coffee. She continued on into the kitchen and flipped the light on, since the weather outside made it gloomy, and measured off the coffee before hitting the start switch.

It made a friendly, percolating sound as the water emerged, and she stepped back, stretching her arms overhead and considering what to rummage up for breakfast.

Okay, brunch.

Kerry glanced at the clock. Lunch, if they followed their usual schedule. She ran her hands through her hair and yawned again, smiling as Chino trotted into the kitchen and sat down in front of her biscuit jar, looking up at Kerry expectantly.

“Oh.” She put one fist on her hip. “So. You think you’ve got me trained, huh?”

“Woof,” Chino barked, then looked up at the jar.

“I don’t think so, madam.”

“Woof!”

Dar peeked inside, then slid her long body around the doorjamb and padded barefoot across the tile, going right to the jar and taking a biscuit out for the puppy, which Chino crunched contentedly.

“Dar!”

The taller woman paused, blinked, then removed a second biscuit and handed it to Kerry. “Sorry. Didn’t know you liked them,” she drawled. “Try some peanut butter on it.”

“Hah, hah.” She tossed the cookie back, as Dar caught it one handed.

“You spoil her so much.”

“Mmm,” Dar acknowledged, a trifle sheepishly. “Seems to be a habit of mine lately.” She slid an arm around Kerry, who had sidled closer, and welcomed the warmth of her body against the kitchen’s air conditioned chill. “Maybe I’m coming down with a virus.”

Kerry snorted into the cotton of her shirt. “You’d be more likely to 106 Melissa Good write a virus than catch one. You’re disgustingly healthy, Dar. Did you know that? I’ve had two colds and a stomach flu since I’ve known you and you haven’t caught anything.”

Dar chuckled. “My body knows how much I hate being sick and it hates putting up with me so much, if I do catch something, it pretends not to notice.” She considered. “I can’t even remember the last time…oh, wait, yes I can.” Her eyes rolled. “I caught food poisoning from the cafeteria at some account I was…consolidating.”

“Ew.” Kerry winced. “I’ve never had it but Mike did once, and the colors he turned would have done Van Gogh proud.”

“Yeah. I was so sick I didn’t stop throwing up for…God, it seemed like forever,” Dar acknowledged. “I finally ended up just staying in the bathroom. I was too weak to get up.” She pensively paused. “Long couple of days.”

Kerry’s brow creased. “Why didn’t you call someone to help you?

God, Dar.”

The blue eyes studied her. “There wasn’t anyone to call,” she replied, very simply. “It was in my old place in the grove. Just me and a few liz-ards.”

It struck her, now, the realization of just how alone Dar had been before they’d met. “Wow,” she touched the dark haired woman comfortingly, “well, if your body happens to forget now rest assured you’ll be taken care of.”

Dar’s lips briefly tensed into a smile. “That might be worth getting sick for,” she allowed, resting her forearms on Kerry’s shoulders. “So,”