The lips moved into a gentle smile. ”Yes, I am.” Dar seated herself Hurricane Watch

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on the edge of the couch. ”How are you feeling?” She scratched the puppy behind the ears.

Kerry glanced at the window, which was darkening into twilight.

”Um...better...thanks. I was...I was watching TV, and I guess I dozed off.

How long have you been here?” She peered up at her lover. ”You look beat.”

Dar sighed. ”I am. I had a tough day,” she admitted softly. ”I’ve got a headache you wouldn’t believe, and I gotta tell you, it’s just nice to see a friendly face.”

”Aww...” Kerry tugged her down and pulled her into a hug, feeling the long breath Dar released as she did so. She rubbed her lover’s back, feeling the warm skin beneath the silk shirt. ”I missed you. What happened?”

Dar allowed herself a few more seconds of bliss, before she reluctantly straightened, and tucked the quilt back around Kerry’s tshirt covered body. She’d been debating with herself since she’d left the office as to whether or not to tell Kerry. Then she figured that Kerry was probably going to hear sooner or later, so it would be best to come from her.

”Nasty stuff. I had to terminate a contract today because the company we contracted with felt they couldn’t do business with us.”

She pushed Kerry’s very disheveled hair out of her eyes, and reflected on how cute she was when she just woke up. ”They didn’t like our diversity.”

Kerry cocked her head to one side. ”Diversity. I don’t... What do you mean?”

No way to soften it. ”They heard about you and me, and spent some time in the lunchroom and heard the different languages. They didn’t like that.”

Kerry stared at her. One blonde brow rose up to her hairline. ”What jerks. Tell them to go contract with the KKK.”

Dar felt a smile coming on. She should have known better than to worry about Kerry’s reaction. ”It was a pretty ugly scene, and then I had to explain to everyone, and that got pretty ugly too. Duks kept me from firing José outright.”

”Wow,” Kerry murmured. ”What did he do?”

Dar bit her lip. ”He said something about you I didn’t like.”

”Oh.” Kerry considered that. ”I’m glad you didn’t fire him for that.” She stroked Dar’s face. ”Sticks and stones, and all that stuff.”

She felt bad, but not as bad as if Dar had fired him. ”I’m sure you handled it in a very professional manner.”

Blue eyes glinted in the soft twilight at her. ”Um...actually...I told him if he ever said anything like that again, I’d take him outside and beat him silly in front of everyone.”

Kerry clapped a hand over her mouth. ”Oh.” She muffled a laugh.

”Jesus, Dar. To a Cuban man that was worse than firing him.”


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”Mm,” Dar agreed softly. ”On the bright side, we got invited to Maria’s daughter’s quinces.”

”We did?” Kerry was surprised. ”I mean...we, as in you and I, did?”Dar nodded. ”We—definitely we—got invited,” she confirmed.

”Maria said some really nice things to me after everything happened.

She’s really a sweetheart.” She tugged on Kerry’s t-shirt. ”We’ll have to go shopping for some really snazzy gowns.”

”Uerrg. I haven’t worn a gown since my prom, Dar.” Kerry made a face. ”And you don’t want to know what I looked like for that.”

”Sure I would.” Dar objected, with a grin. ”You haven’t shown me all your embarrassing pictures yet. Tell you what. How about we get dinner sent over, and we can trade photos. I was a really dorky looking kid.””Eek.” Kerry rested a cheek on her shoulder, and bit her lip. ”Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh. I tried to perm my hair for the occasion.”

”I promise.” Dar crossed a finger over her heart. ”But you can’t ever admit to seeing the ones from my grade school play.”

Mischief filled the green eyes. ”Ooo...you got a deal,” Kerry agreed, curling her fingers around Dar’s. ”Go get into your jammies. I’ll call the beach club.”

Dar smiled. ”Okay.” She stood up and walked towards the bedroom, then glanced over her shoulder. ”Could you have them send—”

”A chocolate milkshake?” Kerry supplied, dialing the phone.

”Sure.”

Dar’s eyes twinkled, as she disappeared. Once she was in the bedroom, she could hear Kerry’s low voice, and looked down to see Chino tugging on her shoe, and it made her smile.

Home had such a different meaning now. Dar tossed her jacket over the chair near the mirror, then quickly changed out of her suit, feeling a sense of relief as the soft cotton of her favorite sleep shirt draped over her shoulders. She sat down for a minute on the edge of the waterbed, and picked Chino up to play with her. ”Hey there girl. Whatcha up to?”

The puppy nibbled at her chin, then licked her face. Her brown eyes gazed adoringly up at Dar as her paws scrabbled for a good hold on her neck. Dar glanced around, then hugged the puppy to her, feeling a silly grin take over her face. Then she stood, and tucked Chino under her arm, as she made her way back out into the living room.

Kerry was standing by the coffee table, having just lit two sturdy, scented candles and dimmed the lights. Her blonde lashes caught the candlelight, which threw interesting shadows up her body as she turned towards Dar and smiled. ”Dinner’s on its way.”

Dar gazed at her, imagining what it would have been like, to come home from a day like today, and not have Kerry or Chino there. A sigh Hurricane Watch

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trickled out of her, and she put the puppy down, then went over and enfolded Kerry in a hug that came right from her heart.

”Urk.” Kerry was surprised, but obligingly slid her arms around her lover and hugged her back, loving the feel of the strong body pressed hard against her own. ”Mm. What was that for?”

”I’m just glad you’re a part of my life,” Dar answered, with a sigh.

”Really?” Kerry murmured.

”Of course.” Dar released her, and leaned back a little.

”Funny you should say that.” Kerry sat down on the love seat, and pulled her down as well. ”I’ve...um...I’ve got something to ask you, and before I do, I want you to know it’s okay for you to say no.”

”It is?” Dar responded faintly, unsure of what to expect.

”Yes.” Kerry took both her hands and held them. ”I got a call today.” She took a breath. ”It was from Pastor Robert. I told you about him, remember?”

”Yes,” Dar answered.

”He’s in town,” Kerry told her.

”Oh. That's nice...you...um...want to have him here for dinner?”

Dar offered, hesitantly.

”No.

Well, I mean, sure, but that’s not the question.” Kerry squared her shoulders. ”He offered to um...” She stopped, then took a breath. ”He said he’d perform a ceremony for us, if I wanted...I mean, if we wanted him to.”

Dar blinked at her.

”Listen, I know you’re not into that, Dar. I know it’s not been something you had growing up, and I know it doesn’t really mean...oh.”

Kerry shut up as Dar pulled her hands loose, and cupped her cheeks, bringing her closer for a passionate kiss.

They broke apart. ”I’d love that,” Dar stated sincerely. ”I mean, you’re right. I don’t know much about it, and I’ve never been into stuff like that, but I know it’s important to you, and that makes it important to me.”

Kerry smiled gently at her. ”Wow.” It felt wonderful. ”Great. Now you can figure out a place to do it, because I don’t know if I want to have it inside a church down here, even the one on South Beach.”

Dar grinned. ”I know a place.” She cradled Kerry’s face in her hands, stroking her cheeks with gentle thumbs. ”It’s a little short on amenities, but it’s got a killer sunrise.” Kerry’s request had delighted her in ways she’d hardly expected, but she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t been considering the same sort of thing lately. In fact, a dawn run out to that little spot had been on her list of Valentine’s Day things anyway.

”Thank you for asking me.”

Kerry found herself smiling, just because Dar was. ”Sorry you had such a lousy day.”

Dark brows knit. ”Huh?” Dar asked, honestly puzzled. ”What day?

Oh…” She laughed softly at herself. ”Yeah. Right...that...ah...” She 324

Melissa Good

studied Kerry’s face. ”Maria was right.”

Kerry leaned into the touch, simply feeling the love. ”Mm?”

”I have been blessed,” Dar stated softly. ”I’ve found my soul mate.”

Breathe. Kerry heard a voice, remotely resembling her own reminding her. Breathe, Kerry. Her chest moved, and sucked in air, making a soft, almost sob. She was crying, and she had no idea why, except that just that word made her feel so...

Complete.

Kerry smiled. ”Yes, you have.” She reached up and curled her fingers around Dar’s hand, then turned it a little and kissed the palm.

After all this time. The thought echoed gently.

The doorbell rang.

”I’ll get that,” Dar said, softly.

”I’ll get the pictures,” Kerry answered.

”We’ve got a lot of catching up to enjoy,” Dar said, with a smile.

Her soul mate smiled back. ”Yes, we do.”

DAR SLOWLY LET her eyes open, aware of the early morning hour even in the strange place she found herself.

Well, not really strange, it was, after all, her couch, but strange enough to jog her lightly out of her sleep, as Kerry shifted and burrowed closer to her. It was still dark out, and as such, she couldn’t see anything but vague shadows in the living room, where books of pictures and scattered memories surrounded them.

She hadn’t been able to prevent Kerry from kidnapping the one of her dressed as Tigger, and she just knew that was going to come back and bite her in the butt someday. Oh well, could have been worse. She could have been Pooh.

And that was okay, because she’d snatched not one, but two pictures of Kerry—one of her as a wide eyed, beruffled cherub, and another of her taken off guard, as a teenager with her back against a tree trunk, and a book open on her knees.

In the second, there was

something so gentle, and so wistful in her expression, with her hand spread across the page, and her head resting against the bark, it tugged at Dar’s heartstrings irresistibly

Her soul mate. Dar smiled, and stroked the soft pale hair. The word had delighted Kerry, and it really did fit how she felt towards Kerry, as though they really were part of each other Maybe they were. Dar pulled Kerry a little closer. They certainly fit together, like a well made wooden puzzle, despite their different heights. Kerry was nestled up against her left side, with one arm wrapped around Dar’s stomach and her knees between the taller woman’s. Dar could feel Kerry’s warm breath against her collarbone, and Dar smiled. They were breathing in the same rhythm.

It was a nice feeling.


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Loving Kerry was a nice feeling. Dar smiled contentedly, and relaxed, thinking about the weekend. More specifically, early Saturday morning, when they’d go out and greet the sun, and tell each other...

Pale blue eyes popped open in mild alarm. Tell each other what?

Could they use the standard vows?

Uh...no.

Dar's mind started working. What in the hell could they…okay, okay...how about something simple like…I'll love you forever.

She winced. Not that it wasn't true, but…

Hmm…

You are the light of my life? Augh, Dar, you sound like a bad seventies hit parade. You make my life worth living?

Well, that was true too. You came into my world, and turned it upside down? Not so flattering, but…

”Dar?” Kerry’s sleepy voice interrupted her studied musing. She glanced down, where Kerry was still nestled against her.

”Hmm?”

”What are you muttering?”

Dar sighed. ”Sorry. I didn’t realize I was.”

”Mm...so...what was it?” Kerry persisted, curiously.

”Umm...nothing, really.” Dar cleared her throat gently, and snuggled back down. ”G’back to sleep.” She firmly closed her eyes.

”Okay,” Kerry murmured obediently.

Peaceful silence fell.

”Am I really the light of your life?”

Dar made a noise halfway between a groan and a whine.

”I’m not?”

”Of course you are,” Dar spluttered hastily. ”You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

”Oh.” Kerry’s voice seemed disappointed. ”Okay, sorry.”