Southern Stars

by Melissa Good

  Southern Stars

  Copyright © 2017 by Melissa Good

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Other Titles from Melissa Good

  About the Author

  Visit Us On Line

  ALSO BY MELISSA GOOD

  Dar and Kerry Series

  Tropical Storm

  Hurricane Watch

  Eye of the Storm

  Red Sky At Morning

  Thicker Than Water

  Terrors of the High Seas

  Tropical Convergence

  Stormy Waters

  Moving Target

  Storm Surge: Book One Storm

  Surge: Book Two

  Winds of Change: Book One

  Winds of Change: Book Two

  Southern Stars

  Partners Series

  Partners: Book One

  Partners: Book Two

  Of Sea and Stars

  Southern Stars

  by

  Melissa Good

  Yellow Rose Books

  by Regal Crest

  Copyright © 2017 by Melissa Good

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters, incidents and dialogue herein are fictional and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Print ISBN 978-1-61929-348-9

  eBook ISBN 978-1-61929-349-6

  First Printing 2017

  9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Cover design by Acorn Graphics

  Published by:

  Regal Crest Enterprises

  Maryville, TN 37804

  Find us on the World Wide Web at http://www.regalcrest.biz

  Published in the United States of America

  Chapter One

  THE LONG TWO lane road was sprinkled with rocks and bits of debris, all a faint crunching under the wheels of the RV making its steady way along it. The RV was light and dark blue in swirls, and on the back of the roof was perched a satellite dish dome near a skylight that could open fully.

  It crested the last bit of elevation and then went along levelly toward a set of stone and wood buildings, surrounded by smaller cabins, and alongside a large parking lot that already had a few similar RVs parked in it.

  The RV pulled into the lot, and into a spot near one end.

  “Here we are.” Kerry turned off the engine of the vehicle, leaning forward to peer out the front windshield. “Cute,” she said, taking in the cozy cuddle of rustic looking cabins that bordered a lodge shaped building lit in the late afternoon sun. “Nice place to spend a few days before we start off on our great river adventure.”

  Behind her, a tall, dark haired figure levered itself up off a plush leather couch and came forward through the small kitchen area of the RV to the front to join the shorter, fair haired driver.

  “Whatcha think?” Kerry leaned back in the captain’s chair.

  Dar removed her sunglasses and inspected their destination. “I think I see a hot tub.” She pointed past the lodge. “Wanna go check in and look around? See what trouble we can get into?”

  “Aaabsolutely.” Kerry opened the driver’s side door, letting in a rush of cool, dry air. “This is going to be fun.” She hopped out. “Too bad we couldn’t take the kids with us down the river.”

  Dar opened the passenger door of the RV and followed. “They’re fine in their puppy palace. I think they had a hot tub too.” She paused to look around. “And a spa.”

  “Did you book them pedicures?” Kerry stretched and bounced a little on the balls of her feet. “I bet Chi would love painted toenails.”

  Dar chortled. “Bet she wouldn’t. But I booked them both for baths and swimming in the pool, and the platinum toy package.” She looked around at their surroundings, and the canyon walls they could see past the line of trees beyond. “It’s pretty here. Whole drive’s been amazing.”

  The lodge was perched on the edge of a canyon wall, and Kerry drew in a contented breath as they walked across the sandy ground, taking in the endless array of reds and ochres, and the vivid blue of the sky. She could smell a wood fire on the breeze, and there were two couples crossing from the lodge to the cabins, carrying bags.

  Dar whistled softly under her breath, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. She put her sunglasses back on as they walked across the parking lot and onto a rock lined path. “Hey. Look there.” She pointed behind the lodge. “Horses.”

  “Hey, look there.” Kerry pointed in a second direction. “ATVs. Vroom vroom.”

  Dar chuckled.

  “We can do both.” Kerry hooked her elbow through Dar’s. “It’s just nice being on vacation, even if we had to work like idiots up to the last minute.”

  “Yup.”

  “It really has been a nice drive too,” Kerry said. “Especially since we crossed into New Mexico.”

  “Your camera got a workout,” Dar said, “and the dogs liked the campgrounds.”

  “I liked campground we brought with us,” Kerry said, “a small, air conditioned apartment with a kitchen; that also has a shower and Internet access.”

  “Microsoft Rustic,” Dar said. “All the pretty sights and none of the bugs and sand.”

  They mounted the steps to the lodge and Dar opened the door, standing back for Kerry to enter. The front of the lodge was decorated with what she thought of as typical southwestern, a cow skull on the wall and a long front box full of nicely tended cactus.

  A lot of striped carpeting, a lot of what appeared to be Indian inspired patterns. She followed Kerry inside, nodding at the huge, natural rock fireplace and the preponderance of weathered wood furniture. “Nice.” She observed the rocking chairs near the fireplace, and the presence of a cat on a pillow nearby.

  Kerry went to the front desk. “We have a reservation, name is Roberts.” She told the young woman behind the counter. “We’re doing the river trip on Sunday.”

  The woman nodded. “Yes, we have it right here. You have an RV?”

  Dar caught up. “Yep. Parked it over there with the rest of em.”

  “It’s a full-service campground. All the hookups you need,” the woman said. “But you know, we’ve got some really nice cabins if you’re interested in upgrading,” she fished delicately, watching them with faint anticipation.

  Kerry smiled at her and leaned on the counter. “Talk me into it. We’re staying two days after we get back.”

  “And you’ve booked the premier package.” The woman smiled back at her. “Want to look at our Silver Rim suite? I can walk you over.”

  Dar reasonably assumed she was going to end somewhere other than the RV. “I’m gonna get a drink.” She patted Kerry on the back. “Let me know when you want me to move the baggage, hon.”

  Kerry looked at the brochure the girl handed her. “This looks really nice. Let’s go.” She watched her guide pick up a heavy, old-fashioned key and twirl it around her finger as she stepped around the counter and started for the door.

  “Have you done any white-water rafting?” The woman asked, as they walked out a side entrance and headed across the dusty ground. “I’m Tamara, by the way.”

  “Kerry, and no, this is a first.”

  “Oh, you’re g
oing to love it. Glad you started off with us.” Tamara led the way between two lines of smaller cabins, to a large one on the very edge of the canyon. “A lot of the ops here are bare bones. They get a lot more customers, but we like to think we’re giving a select experience.”

  “That’s why we booked with you.” Kerry eyed the tidy building they were climbing the steps up to. “We don’t go on vacation much, so we want the ones we go on to be good.”

  Tamara opened the door and pushed it open. Inside was a space Kerry had to admit was charming. They walked forward into a bedroom area that had a huge king size bed, a rock lined Jacuzzi bubbling gently in the corner, and a wraparound window that showed Grand Canyon to the horizon.

  “It’s so close to the edge, we know no one can see in the window, so it’s private, but you get a fantastic view from the bed,” Tamara said, in a practical tone. “The sunset is spectacular.”

  “Sold,” Kerry responded. She walked to the window and looked out and down into the canyon, whose walls in all shades of yellow and orange and red collected and spread the light. Below she could see the river. “Is that where we go in?”

  Tamara came over. “Yep, that’s our launch. We carry you all down in our helicopter.” She pointed. “Landing pad there, and at the other end you get a ride back here on our plane from a ranch that has a strip. You’ll get lunch at the ranch before you come back, and then we usually have the group have a big dinner here if enough of the crowd is staying over.”

  “Awesome,” Kerry said. “Sounds like a plan.” She turned. “Let’s get signed up.” She followed Tamara out the door and they started across the grounds again. “I think we’re going to really enjoy this.”

  “For sure,” Tamara said. “Almost everyone does. I mean,” She glanced sideways at Kerry, “there’s always one or two people who book and don’t realize what a white-water rafting trip is with the boat, and the water and getting wet and all.”

  “Not a problem,” Kerry assured her. “We like water. Generally, it’s salt water, though. We live in Miami.” She followed Tamara back into the main lodge, and they approached the desk again, where another agent was speaking to a man and woman who were apparently also checking in.

  “Nice.” Tamara eyed her. “Are you....um...”

  “Family?” Kerry suppressed a smile. “Partners? More than friends?”

  Tamara smiled back. “Something like that, yeah.” She went behind the desk and tapped something into her computer. “Okay, here we go.”

  “Is that a problem?” Kerry asked after a pause.

  “Not for me,” Tamara responded cheerfully. “We just like to let the river guys know so they don’t say something silly, you know what I mean? Just trying to be funny?”

  “Absolutely I do.” Kerry removed her credit card from her wallet and slid it across the desk. “Like, are you sisters?” She leaned on the counter. “Or, hey, you want to go out?”

  “Exactly.” Tamara swiped her card and handed it back. “Okay, I see the trip is prepaid, so it’s just for the cabin and incidentals, that all right?”

  “Yup.” Kerry put her card away. “Now let me go find Dar and whatever drink it is she’s gotten me.” She took the key Tamara handed her. “Let’s get this party started.”

  Tamara grinned and waved, then turned to greet another customer.

  Kerry went around toward the fireplace and paused to give the cat a scratch behind the ears before she proceeded farther into the lodge.

  DAR GLANCED AT the lodge restaurant menu, before she set down the two cups in her hands on a small table on the porch. She took a seat and extended her legs out along the terra cotta tile.

  Nice. She took a sip of her beverage, and licked her lips. There was a group of people around her age at a nearby table, laughing, and a couple in the corner, studying some brochures.

  To one side of the porch she could see the barn with the horses, and smell them a little. Across the way a rabbit scooted across the ground. The air had a dry, clean taste, and there were high, white contrails across the solid blue sky. She made a mental note to retrieve the lip balm they’d gotten going through New Mexico.

  It felt good to see new things. Dar smiled to herself and thought about the past few days of driving; crossing areas she’d never seen and experiencing living in the RV. What had Kerry called it? Condo on wheels? She chuckled under her breath.

  It had been fun, just driving along and stopping wherever they wanted. At pretty areas or just roadside tourist traps and little restaurants. No rush, no stress. Dar let her head rest against the chair back. It was nice to just relax.

  The group at the next table were going down the river and were really excited about it. Dar listened to them talk about their previous white water experience, and found herself looking forward to doing something she’d never done before.

  “There you are.” Kerry walked up behind Dar and put both hands on her shoulders. “We’re all signed up.” She put a kiss on Dar’s head as she moved past, and then sat on the chair next to hers. “And we triggered gaydar, but apparently, that’s okay.”

  Dar pushed a cup over to her. “I see.”

  Kerry took a sip, then started laughing. “What is this?” She looked at the contents. “Is that a piece of cactus?” She fished it out and examined it. “It is.”

  “It’s a Grand Canyon welcome special,” Dar said. “I think it has tequila in it.”

  “It does.” Kerry sat back with her drink and regarded the view. “This is nice.” She took a sip. “We can go to our posh cabin and take a shower, and then have some dinner in the lodge. Sound good?”

  “Whatever you want, hon.” Dar rested her elbows on the chair arms, watching the sun splash across the floor. “I’m not the one who’s been cooking the last few days.”

  “Hey, that built in grill’s pretty nice.”

  “One of the group at the next table stood up. “Let’s go check our gear.” He was a red headed man with freckles and an athletic physique. “We better weigh it. They said no more than twenty for each of us.” He glanced aside at Kerry and Dar and grinned. “You going down the river too?”

  “We are.” Kerry said.

  “Cool! First time?”

  Both Dar and Kerry nodded.

  “River virgins!” The man chortled. “Nah just kidding, you’ll love it. It’s so much fun!” He rocked the chair he’d been sitting in and the rest of the group got up, grumbling a little good naturedly. “I’ve been down five times. This is the earliest in the year for me though, first run.”

  One of his companions looked tolerantly at him. “That’s a good thing, just a small group usually.” He held a hand out to Kerry. “Hi, I’m Dave, and that’s Richard. He’ll settle down once we start, I promise.”

  Kerry took the hand. “No problem. I’m Kerry, and this is Dar.”

  Two of the women from the group came over. “Sally and Trisha. We’re from Montana. You?” Both were tall and spare, with pale blond hair in braids.

  “Miami” Kerry responded.

  “Oh cool!” Sally said. “My grandmother moved down there. She loves it.”

  Kerry grinned. “We do too. Sounds like you’re all veterans of this kind of thing.”

  “We are.” Dave sat down. “Rich has done the most, but this is my third trip. First down the Colorado though.” He grinned. “I can’t wait. I’ve seen the pictures he brought back last time and wow, we jumped on it.”

  Rich beamed.

  “The slot canyons are gorgeous.” Trisha took the seat next to Dar. “And this op seems to have its act together. I went with one that didn’t, and that was a mess.”

  “A mess,” Sally said. “Dumped one of the rafts midway and lost everything. We got real tired of protein bars, let me tell you.”

  “No, these guys are good,” Rich said. “They got good boats and good guides.”

  “And good chow,” Dave reminded him. “Did we make sure they had Sally’s rabbit food?”

  “Absolutely.” Rich sou
nded indignant. “C’mon! Would I do that to Sal?” He looked at the table. “Are you ladies’ vegetarian?”

  “No.” Dar spoke up for the first time.

  “According to the brochure they have a pretty good selection,” Kerry said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

  The group stood up. “We’ll see you all later,” Dave said. “Hey, want to join us for dinner? One of the cool things about these trips is getting to know people, you know?” He smiled in an engaging way at Kerry. “We make friends every single time.”

  Kerry gave Dar a quick glance, and then nodded. “Sure. Here at the lodge? In the restaurant?” She asked. “How about an hour from now?”

  Rich gave her thumbs up. “Right on.” He backed away then, turned and trotted toward the door. The rest of them followed, half turning to wave at Dar and Kerry as they disappeared.

  Dar swirled her drink in her cup and took a sip of it. “Seems like a nice bunch,” she said, after a pause. “I think they said we’d only have a dozen on the trip.”

  “Are you okay with joining them for dinner?” Kerry asked. “I couldn’t really tell with those sunglasses on.”

  Dar chuckled and removed them, turning to look at Kerry. “It’s fine. We can get some intel about the trip. I like to know what I’m in for.” She glanced up as another couple entered, walked over to one of the far tables and took a seat.

  Unlike the group that had just left, these two looked rather glum. They waved off the waitress who came over to see if they wanted anything.

  Kerry extended her hand. “Let’s go get our stuff settled.” She waited for Dar to take hold and then squeezed her fingers. “Want to go over and say hi to the horses?”

  Dar grinned.

  “And I think they have llamas,” Kerry whispered, bending closer. “I want a picture of you with a llama.”