”Mm.” Kerry had her head pillowed in Dar’s lap, and was stretching her legs out in lazy bliss. ”At least we get to sit down this afternoon. Are you up for some sailing?”

”Sure,” Dar agreed readily. ”I’ve never been on one of those small boats. The big ones you just keep out of the way of the crew. I’m looking forward to it.” She tickled Kerry’s ear. ”C’mon, let’s get going.”

They stood and gathered their things, with Dar packing everything neatly back inside the lunch pack while Kerry wandered over to the spring and tasted its water. ”Hey that’s not bad.” She grinned at Dar.

”It’s sweet.”

Dar glanced over. ”Yeah, watch it. Looks like there’s a beehive over there. Be careful.”

Kerry blinked. ”Oh, thanks.” She carefully skirted the spot and Hurricane Watch

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walked over to where her mare was, untying her and gathering up the reins. ”Okay, girl. What’s your name again? Cookie?”

”Brownie,” Dar supplied wryly. ”But you were close.” She got up into her saddle and settled her knees, tucking her reins in one hand as she half turned the stallion towards Kerry's horse.

”Yeah, yeah, what’s his name, Silver?” Kerry put a foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up, feeling the mare shift under her. ”Ah ah, none of that.”

”Smokey,” Dar replied amiably. ”Careful.”

Kerry slid forward a little in the saddle and tried to find a comfortable place for her knees to grip. They were still a little sore and she shifted, then half turned. ”Do yo...whoa!”

The mare had stepped sideways, and one hoof caught on a root.

With a snort, the horse crab hopped sideways, bucking a little and almost throwing Kerry off. ”Whoa!” The blonde woman hung on, though, and pulled the mare’s head around, grabbing tight as she jumped up out of the little hollow she’d moved into and bolted towards the stream for a few steps.

Enough to bring her right up against the bush with the beehive, her hindquarters brushing its outer leaves, and disturbing the sluggish insects.

”Kerry, uh.” Dar’s eyes widened a little. ” Be careful there. I...”

”I am being careful,” Kerry complained, trying to get the mare straightened out. ”C’mon, you... a...holy— Whoa,whoa! Shit!”

The mare snorted as several bees settled and stung her, then she squealed and bolted, jerking the reins out of Kerry’s hands as she headed out and down the long, sloping path. ”Hey! Hey! Slow down!”

”Son of —” Dar slapped her stallion on the side, kicking him into a run as she gave chase. ”Kerry!”

I’M IN TROUBLE. Kerry hung on to the front of the saddle, watching the reins fly uselessly near the ground. Shit. ”Hey, c’mon, c’mon slow down!” She called to the mare, who was snorting. Both back heels kicked up, almost tossing Kerry over the horse's head, and she gripped the saddle frantically. ”Okay, okay.”

The mare whinnied, and bucked, then chose a cedared path down the hillside, shaking her head as the reins irritated her. Kerry heard hoof beats catching up, and she half turned to see the gray stallion bearing down on her, Dar’s body pressed to his back, one hand free, the other clenching leather reins.

Cursing, she turned around, and leaned forward, trying to grab one of the flapping pieces of leather, which flicked annoyingly just out of her reach.

”Hang on, Kerry,” Dar yelled as she closed in, her horse snorting as his nose neared the mare’s flying tail.


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Unfortunately, this only scared the already terrified mare, who redoubled her pace, slipping a little in the cedar chips. ”Whoa, whoa!”

Kerry yelled, her eyes widening as she saw a bend coming up. ”Whoa, take it easy, wh—” The horse spun, and kicked, and she lost her grip, her body going the opposite direction and flying through the air.

The mare got around the bend and took off running, as her former rider slammed unceremoniously against a tree trunk, then dropped to the ground with a leaf scattering thump.

Oh my god. Kerry just lay there for a long moment trying to get air back into her lungs, almost not hearing the rapidly slowing hoof beats, and the thump as something large hit the ground running, scattering cedar chips all over her as the steps came skidding to a halt at her side.

Hands touched her, and then Dar’s urgent voice reached her ears.

”Don’t move.”

”Couldn’t if I wanted to,” she murmured, counting the stars circling her head. ”Ow. Damn that hurt.”

”Where did you hit?” the low voice asked. ”You got any shooting pain anywhere? How about your neck?”

Kerry had to think about it. ”My shoulder.” She flexed her hands a little. ”Fortunately it was my butt that hit the ground. I’m sure I didn’t take any damage there.” The numbness was wearing off, replaced by aching. ”Whoo.”

”Can you feel everything?” Dar asked nervously. ”Your hands, feet, no numbness?”

Fingers, toes, eyelashes.” Yeah, ” Kerry sighed, moving her head a little. ”It’s all there. It just hurts. I think I just got the wind knocked out of me,” she told her companion. ”We weren’t going that fast.”

Dar sat down heavily next to her. ”Jesus.” She gently eased Kerry back from her curled up position, examining her carefully. Her sweater and heavy jeans had protected her from the tree bark and she appeared relatively unharmed. ”You scared the hell out of me.”

Kerry managed a grin. ”Me too. What on earth happened?” She moved her arms and legs, shifting her feet to a more comfortable position, and took a deep breath. ”Did that horse go nuts, or what?”

”I think she got stung,” Dar explained, slipping an arm over Kerry’s shoulders and supporting her solicitously. ”You sure you’re okay?”

Kerry leaned her head against the convenient shoulder and sighed.

”I’m shaking like a leaf, but yeah.” She glanced off down the path.

”Looks like I’m walking home, though.” She exhaled as the throbbing receded.

”You most certainly are not,” Dar snapped, her adrenaline still surging, making her hands shake almost uncontrollably. She took a few deep breaths, willing her heart to calm.

Surprised green eyes glanced at her, reading the ghosts of recent terror there. ”Hey, it’s okay,” she added gently. ”I’m all right. I’m not Hurricane Watch

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the first person who ever fell off a horse.” She laid a hand on Dar’s chest in comfort, then inhaled, as she felt the racing heartbeat under her fingers. ”Take it easy there, tiger.”

”I’m fine,” Dar replied, a little shortly. ”You can ride my horse. I’ll lead him.”

Kerry put a hand on her lover’s knee. ”No, you forgot to wear your brace, Dar. You’re not going to walk five miles back to the cabin. Now, just relax. I’m fine. I just got shook up a little.”

Stubborn blue eyes glared at her. ”We’ll both ride then. He’s a big horse,” she replied. ”We’ll take it real slow.”

Kerry considered arguing, then saw the set jaw, and the tensed muscles, and decided to let this one go. ”Okay,” she agreed. ”Poor horsie. You better get him some apples when we get back.”

”He’ll survive.” Dar relaxed a little. ”We’re still under the weight limit,” she added, letting a slight grin cross her lips now that the crisis was over.

Kerry poked her. ”Not by that much,” she teased. ”You still owe him apples.” She allowed Dar to lift her up to her feet, though, and she stood gingerly, testing her body out before she nodded. ”Okay. I’m all right. Let’s go.”

Smokey stood, watching them suspiciously as Dar collected his reins, and studied him. ”I’ll drive,” she decided, putting a foot in the stirrup and pulling herself up, then neatly sidestepping the horse over to where Kerry was standing, and extending an arm down. ”Grab on.

I’ll pull you up.”

Kerry felt herself smiling for no apparent reason, and as she reached up, her hand slid past Dar’s to grip the taller woman’s arm above the elbow, giving her a handle as she also reached for the back of the saddle.

The sensation of being lifted was so familiar, she almost laughed, as she threw her leg over the horse’s hindquarters, and settled in behind Dar in the large saddle. ”I’m going to squish you,” she warned.

”No problem,” Dar advised her, feeling the warm pressure as Kerry’s body melded into hers. ”Just hang on.”

A gentle laugh bubbled its way up through her lips as Kerry wrapped her arms around Dar’s body, squeezing her a little.

”Absolutely no problem there,” she assured her lover. ”Where you go, I go, buddy.”

Dar stopped, and half turned, gazing back at her with one eyebrow lifted. ”Buddy?”

Kerry grinned charmingly at her. ”Aren’t you my buddy?”

A shake of the dark head, then Dar turned back around and nudged her mount down the trail. ”Okay, Smokey, nice and easy. I don’t want any road bumps.”

The silence dropped around them again, and Kerry was able to put her aching shoulder aside, as she leaned against the warm body in front 248

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of her. The smell of sun warmed wool tickled her senses and she let her chin rest against Dar’s shoulder blades, feeling the bones move a little as Dar shifted.

”Mm.” She rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric, then blinked as it reminded her of her dream a while back. ”Hey.”

”What?” Dar whirled, almost unseating her, glancing back anxiously. ”Are you okay? You’re not starting to feel dizzy or anything, right? How’s your shoulder.”

Kerry cleared her throat, and resettled her legs, finding the contact with Dar both familiar and comforting. ”Well, it’d be a lot better if you’d stop jerking around like that,” she admonished her companion.

”Would you relax already? I just wanted to mention that this whole thing reminded me of that dream I had.”

Dar faced forward, feeling a little embarrassed. ”What dream?” she asked gruffly.

”The one with you in the armor,” Kerry placidly answered. ” You remember?”

”Oh yeah,” Dar grunted. ”Me in armor, silliest thing I ever heard.”

Kerry closed her eyes, trying to remember the sensations. ”And no pants.”

The horse stopped stock still. ”What?” Dar looked cautiously around at her.

”Your legs were bare,” Kerry replied, opening her eyes and patting her companion’s thigh. ”So were mine for that matter,” she giggled. ”Half naked horseback riding. I’m quite the wild thing in my dreams, huh?”

Dar started laughing.” Doesn’t say much for me. What kind of idiot would wear armor and no pants?”

”Hmm, there must be something deep and Freudian in that,” Kerry mused.

”Kerry?” Dar hesitated.

”Hmm?”

”Don’t go there.”

”Mm, yeah, okay.”

THEY GOT IN an hour later than they expected to, since Dar insisted on keeping poor Smokey to a pace somewhere between a turtle and a turtle. The stable man ran out to greet them and took Smokey’s reins, while Dar jumped down, then solicitously caught Kerry as she tried to follow, and let her down gently to the ground. ”The mare got bee stung, threw her and took off,” she explained tersely.

”We figured,” the man nodded. ”Had to pull four or five stingers out of her butt. Sorry about that. You all right, ma’am?” His eyes turned anxiously to Kerry.

”I’m just peachy, thanks,” Kerry assured him, as she looked up at Dar. ”You can let me go now, I think.” She straightened her legs with a Hurricane Watch

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wince, but they held.

”Oh. Sorry.” Dar gave her a little pat on the back and cleared her throat. ”Listen, let’s save the sailing for tomorrow, okay?” Her eyes flicked to the stable man’s. ”Anything going on here tonight?”

He considered. ”We’ve got a hay ride scheduled,” he offered. ”Out to the big fire pit after dinner.”

”That sounds wonderful,” Kerry spoke up, with a grin. ”I love hayrides. C’mon, Dar, I bet they’ll have marshmallows.”

”Yes, ma’am, we do. The riders make s’mores, in fact.” The man smiled back at her. ”And we’ve got a couple folks who play guitar, and some that tell stories, too.”

Kerry gave Dar a wishful look, and was rewarded with a tolerantly knowing grin. ”Sure,” Dar agreed. ”C’mon, let’s go change into something that smells less like horses, and relax before dinner.” She put her arm around Kerry’s shoulders and they headed off towards the cabin, pausing as they noticed a large group clustered around the tailgate of a work worn blue pickup truck.

”What’s up?” Dar inquired, as they neared it.

Millie turned, and shook her head. ”Poor people, they’ve had an awful rain out in Arizona, just look at it,” she pointed.