Guess I was. “Mm.” Kerry smiled. “So, see, you never know.”

“Yeah.”

Lena disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Kerry to a moment of silent reflection. Shaking her head, she headed back downstairs to the sounds of brewing coffee and Dar.

“SO.” DAR FLEXED her bare toes against the floor tile. “Now what?”

Kerry trudged across the kitchen and ended up next to her partner. “She’s got a friend she can stay with. I’ll ride her over after she gets cleaned up.”

Dar poured her a cup of coffee and mixed some sugar and cream into it before she handed it to Kerry. “I can go with you. It’s late.”

Kerry kissed her on one shoulder. “You should rest your arm.

I can handle this.” She took a swallow of the coffee. “Dar, I feel so bad for her.”

“I know.” Dar took a sip of her own coffee. “So do I.”

“As bad as my father is, it’s not like that.”

“No.” Dar leaned against her. “Your father’s a bastard and he’s just thinking of himself, but sick as it is, I really do think he thought he was helping you.”

Kerry sighed. “I keep wondering if I should try giving him a call. Maybe for Christmas. What do you think?”

Dar’s nose wrinkled a bit. “Well, it’s worth a try. Look at me and my mother.”

“Mm.” Kerry took another sip of coffee. “C’mon, let’s go sit inside. Isn’t the croc man on now?” She gently guided Dar 34 Melissa Good towards the living room and its soft leather couches. “You know what I think I’m going to do, Dar?”

“Get her a job with us?” Dar suggested wryly.

“Did you read my mind?”

“No, your heart.”

Despite how tired she was, Kerry had to smile at that. “You’re such a sweetie.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Munchkin.”

HOURS LATER, THE phone pulled Kerry out of a deep sleep, which caused her to stare at the ringing object for several long seconds before she got her brain in gear and grabbed it. It was still dark, and a glance at the clock showed barely six a.m. Dar stirred against her as she got the receiver to her ear. “Hello?”

“Kerry?” The voice was familiar, if strained. “It’s Angie.”

A surge of adrenaline cleared Kerry’s mind as she put together her sister’s voice and the time. “Ang? What’s wrong?”

She hadn’t spoken to her family in over a month and a pang of guilt made her grimace.

A sigh filtered through the receiver. “It’s dad. He’s had a stroke.”

Kerry drew in a shocked breath. “Oh my God.” She felt the pressure of Dar’s arm around her and she turned to see the dim outside light reflecting off her lover’s pale eyes. “My father’s had a stroke,” she told Dar. “How is he?” She directed that to her sister.

“Not good,” Angie replied quietly. “If you…” She hesitated.

“Maybe you should think about coming up.”

Very bad, then. Kerry’s thoughts were whirling and scattered.

“How’s mom?”

Angie was silent for a moment, then she sighed. “She’s not dealing with things really well. No one is. It’s kind of a real mess right now.” A pause followed as Angie collected herself. “It happened last night. He was at a meeting with some other people, over some bill or something, and he got mad, like he does, and the next thing we knew, they were all yelling, and calling out and…”

She stopped. “Anyway, it’s been a really long night.”

The speech gave Kerry time to sort out her thoughts. “Yeah, for us, too. I just got to bed two hours ago. All right. Let me get my wits together and I’ll book a flight up.” She paused. “Did you say you were calling me?”

“I told mom, yeah,” Angie said. “I’m not sure she understood what I meant, but I think it’s okay.”


Thicker Than Water 35

Great. Kerry scrubbed her face with her free hand. “Okay, thanks for calling me, Ang. I’ll see you soon.” She listened to Angie’s quiet goodbye, then set the receiver in the cradle. Then she turned around and faced Dar.

“Bad?” Dar’s voice was burred and husky from sleep.

“Sounds like it,” Kerry replied. “Not good timing, I know.”

“No way to help it.” Dar shrugged. “I’d offer to go with you, but I’m thinking my presence wouldn’t do a thing for his condition, or make it any easier with your family.”

“No,” Kerry had to regretfully agree. “But I wish that wasn’t true, Dar.”

Dar’s smile was barely visible in the gloom. “I know.” She drew in a breath and rubbed her neck to ease the headache brought on by her sudden awakening. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”

“Hey, sweetie.” Kerry gently pushed her back down onto the pillows. “There’s absolutely no sense in you getting up just because I have to. Let me go book my flight and you go back to sleep, okay?”

Dar gazed at her. “Too late.” She smiled wryly. “Phone calls at six a.m. tend to wake me up pretty thoroughly.” She tugged on Kerry’s Tweety Bird T-shirt. “How about you go start coffee and I’ll book your flight?”

Kerry sighed. “Sorry about that. All right. Feel like anything for breakfast?”

Dar considered. “Steak,” she replied as Kerry rolled out of bed, paused in mid motion, and looked back over a shoulder at her. She shrugged sheepishly. “You asked.”

“Really?” Kerry asked, getting a nod in response. Dar generally was a very light eater for breakfast, usually contenting herself with her coffee, and either a bowl of cereal or a banana. Kerry herself preferred a simple muffin, but had learned recently to supple-ment that with a protein shake to fuel her early morning exercise.

“Guess I’ll call the beach club. I don’t think we have any sirloins lying around.”

DAR POKED HER head into Kerry’s upstairs bedroom, where her lover was busy packing a small overnight bag. “You’re set.”

She entered the room and went to the bed. “You’ve got a plane change in Detroit.”

“Always. I think we even change planes in Detroit going from Saugatuck to Grand Rapids,” Kerry murmured, neatly tucking a sweatshirt into the bag. “Thanks for taking care of that for me.

What time is the flight?”


36 Melissa Good

“Nine thirty.” Dar slipped the folded piece of paper with the details into the side pocket of the carry on. She was dressed in a pair of worn cutoffs and a sweatshirt, with her hair pulled back into a neat tail. “I’ll drop you off at the airport, then just go in to work.”

Kerry looked at Dar. “Like that? Damn. No fair. I don’t want to miss José’s expression.”

Dar chuckled softly. “I’ll bring a change of clothes. I don’t want to scandalize the entire building by walking in looking like a beach bum.”

“A very cute beach bum, but I see your point. Nothing would get done all day.” Kerry sighed and pulled the zipper closed on her bag. “That’s that.” She had packed enough clothing for a couple days and her traveling kit. And her black suit. Just in case.

Dar sensed her change in mood. “Got everything you need?”

Kerry nodded somberly. “I guess I’d better—”

“I booked you into the Marriott.”

A faint smile appeared. “Thanks. This is going to be tough enough without sharing space.” Kerry took a deep breath. “Hopefully it won’t be for long.”

Dar put her hands on Kerry’s shoulders, turned her around, and faced her with a serious expression. “Take as long as you need. Don’t worry about what’s going on here.”

Kerry kept her eyes locked on Dar’s shirt. “Thanks. But to be honest, I’d rather that you tell me you desperately need me here and not to take a minute more than necessary.” She felt shaky and knew her voice showed it. She wished she knew why.

Dar tipped her chin up and gazed into her eyes. “I need you desperately. Every minute you’re gone is going to seem like a lifetime to me.” The look on Kerry’s face brought a smile to Dar’s.

“And we’ll miss you at work, too.”

It didn’t untwist her guts, but it did make her feel a lot better.

Kerry put her arms around Dar and hugged her. “Please take care of yourself while I’m gone.”

“You mean I can’t start that skydiving class I’d planned?” Dar teased gently. “Or the I-95 rugby league?” She kissed the top of Kerry’s head. “You be careful, too, okay? I want you back in one piece, safe and sound.”

“I will be,” Kerry promised.

“I hope your father’s okay,” Dar said, in a very quiet voice.

“For what it’s worth.”

Kerry didn’t answer, not sure of how she felt about that herself.


Chapter

Four

DAR GOT TO work before eight and figured she was safe enough to enter the building dressed as she was, with her change of clothes tucked into the gym bag she was carrying. “Morning.”

She met the door guard’s eyes, daring him to look down as she strode past.

“M…ah, morning, Ms. Roberts,” the guard stammered.

Dar stopped and looked back over one shoulder at him.

“Problem?”

He shook his head vigorously.

“Good.” Dar resumed her progress to the elevator. She entered the car and let the doors close, then turned and regarded her reflection in the mirrored surface. Hm. She crossed her legs at the ankles, and watched the powerful muscles in them tense and move under her tanned skin. Maybe wearing shorts this short isn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, even this early in the morning.

The elevator perversely slowed to a halt on the 10th floor and the doors opened.

Crap. Dar exhaled silently. She would pick today to come in early. “Morning, Eleanor.” She was glad she was wearing sunglasses, which hid what she was sure was a mildly sheepish expression.

Eleanor entered the elevator and chose a spot on the side wall to lean against. “Good morning, Dar.” She smiled. “You’re a little casual today, aren’t you?”

Dar shrugged. “Had some things to do before work.” She kept her voice neutral. “What brings you here this early?” The elevator floors seemed to crawl by, taunting her as she resisted the urge to fidget under Eleanor’s appraising eyes.

“Marketing meeting, what else?” the Marketing VP

responded drolly. “You want to come? Those shorts’ll wake everyone the hell up, at least.”

Dar rolled her eyes and shrugged.


38 Melissa Good

“Hey, I’m not the one wearing them,” Eleanor said.

Dar straightened as the doors opened on fourteen. Finally.

“Well, good luck on it.” She escaped from the elevator, only to pull up as she almost crashed into Mark and three other MIS

techs. “Morning.”

And Maria. “Buenos Dias, Dar.” Her secretary managed to mask a smile. “I was going to get café. May I get you some, as well?”

“Love some,” Dar replied. “You blocking my hallway for some reason, Mark?”

Eyes up, face front. “Uh, no, actually, boss, I was just taking the guys down to pick up that new box for you. We’ll just get going now.” Mark gave the nearest tech a shove towards the elevator. “Be right back.”

Dar eyed them as they marched purposefully away. She couldn’t quite avoid hearing their hissed conversation, though.

“Holy shit, did you see those legs?”

“Shhh!”

Dar sighed. “Okay, so I’ve made my bad management decision for the morning. What’s next?” She exchanged a wry look with Maria.

“I think you look very cute, jefe.” Maria laughed. “What is the occasion?”

A sober look appeared on Dar’s face and she removed her sunglasses. “Kerry got some bad news this morning.” She opened the outer door and allowed Maria to precede her. “Her father’s had a stroke.”

“Dios Mio.” Maria’s eyes widened and she stopped in shock.

“I am so sorry to hear that, Dar.”

“Me, too.” Dar nodded. “I dropped her at the airport before I headed here.”

Her secretary frowned. “Should you not have gone with her?

That is terrible, to have someone so sick.”

Dar glanced at her. “Her family’s not fond of me.” She felt herself blushing a little at discussing something so personal.

“They’re already stressed—I don’t think my being there would help matters.”

“Ah.” Maria folded her hands. “Si, that is right. I remember now.” She seemed at a loss for words. “I feel for Kerrisita, though.

She has always felt such trouble with her family. Is there something we can do? Send something to them?”

Dar paused in the doorway to her office, considering the question. “For them? No.” She gave Maria a direct look. “But call the Marriott in Saugatuck and make sure Kerry gets treated to the best service they have there. I booked her a suite, but upgrade her Thicker Than Water 39