by Melissa Good
“Bud hated him, and it took me a long time to figure out why.” She Terrors of the High Seas 45
glanced at Kerry. “The last time I was here, he told me that he was glad Dad was gone.”
Kerry stopped dead in mid-motion. She put her mug down and looked around the place. “What the hell are we doing here, then?”
she asked with a sputter. “That guy’s lucky he’s not around. I’d kick his ass. For that matter, why didn’t you?”
Dar grinned wryly. “He was drunk, I was halfway there, and he ended up apologizing for being a jackass,” she said. “He told me then that he’d always been convinced that Dad was after Charlie.”
“Wait.” Kerry covered her eyes. “Wait…wait…wait. He thought your father…” She peeked between her fingers. “Your father, Andrew Roberts, the sailor man, the most hetero male I think I’ve ever known, was chasing his partner?”
Dar nodded. “Yeah.”
A clue waddled inside the door and pecked Kerry on the foot.
“So you’re nervous about telling them he’s alive.”
Dar nodded again. “Yeah.” She exhaled, scrubbing her face with one hand. “Isn’t that pathetic? I can tell the president of Exxon to tap-dance on his boardroom table, but I get nerves doing this.”
“Relax.” Kerry felt a sense of relief at unknotting Dar’s mood.
“We’ll get through it… after we get through this really great smelling soup and this awesome beer.” She patted Dar’s knee under the table. “I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
“Yeah.” Dar visibly unwound, taking a spoonful of the chowder. She chewed it, swallowed, then reached over and brushed her knuckles against Kerry’s cheek. “Thanks. I know I’m acting a little off tonight.”
“You’re never off,” Kerry reassured her, then sampled some of the chowder. “Oh, wow! This is awesome.” Spicy, it was full of seafood, from shrimp to scallops to its namesake conch. “You better eat yours, before I do.”
Dar stifled a grin, resting her chin against her fist as she consumed her soup.
IT WAS FULL dark out before Charlie finished taking care of the five other groups of patrons who came in. He dusted his hands on his shirt and limped over to their table, settling down in a chair across from Dar. “Well, Dar, how’ve you been?” he asked.
“All right,” Dar drawled softly. “You?”
The grizzled man nodded. “Life’s been good,” he said. “Quiet out here, but the place has a good rep; we make out all right.” His eyes flicked around the room. “Bud’s doin’ okay. He’s putting on some weight, but he’s finally chilled out and decided he likes the life out here.”
“Glad to hear that.” Dar could feel a light buzz from the beer, 46 Melissa Good and the meal—a large plate of fresh fish after the chowder with a whole loaf of fragrant herb bread—was making her sleepy.
Kerry was finishing off her tankard, the light from the oil lamp casting her light green eyes in shades of amber. She was watching them quietly, her weight shifting slightly to bring her knee into contact with Dar’s as she listened to the conversation.
“What about you?” Charlie asked. “Aside from the obvious.”
He turned a grin on Kerry. “Tell me about your chosen one here.”
“What would you like to know?” Kerry asked with a charming smile. “I work in the same business as Dar does...I’m from Michigan…I love your cooking and your beer…”
Charlie chuckled delightedly. “Can’t ask for better than that,”
he said. “So you do that computer stuff, huh? That where you two met?”
“More or less, yes,” Kerry agreed. “We’ve been together over a year.”
“I knew you’d find a good one.” He turned his eyes to Dar. “I said you would, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Dar admitted. “Though,” she waggled her hand,
“I’m not sure which one of us found the other.” She took a deep breath and decided to just get it over with. It was late, and she was tired. “A lot of things changed for me this last year.”
“Yeah?” Charlie leaned on his elbows, watching her.
Dar nodded, then lifted her head and met his gaze squarely.
“My father’s alive,” she stated softly. “He came home.” She felt warmth close around her knee as Kerry’s fingers tightened comfortingly.
Charlie simply stared blankly at them for the longest time, then he slowly let out a breath and looked away. “Well, damn,” he whispered. “Ain’t that something.” His hands were shaking visibly as he picked up the glass he’d brought with him.
“It was,” Dar agreed. “He…just contacted me one day…and, um…” She shook her head. “He’d been hurt pretty badly, but they patched him up, and there he was.”
Charlie nodded faintly. “He okay?”
Kerry’s ears picked up.
“Yeah.” Dar smiled. “He retired from the service. He and my mother got a boat, if you can believe that, and they’re living on it.
Having the time of their lives.” She sipped at the remainder of her beer. “He was planning a trip out here in a couple months, but I told him I was swinging by, so I’d let you know.”
Charlie absorbed all that, a shuffle of emotions flickering across his face. “Damn, Dar,” he finally said, “what a kickass thing to happen. That’s great.” A smile appeared, trembling only at the edges. “You must have been some kind of stoked.”
Dar’s face relaxed into a rare, broad grin. “Stoked.” She Terrors of the High Seas 47
laughed softly. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” Charlie collected himself. “I hardly know what to say.”
His eyes went to Kerry. “Dar’s dad is a heck of a guy.”
Kerry draped an arm over Dar’s shoulders. “I know. He adopted me,” she said. “I love both of my parents-in-law very much.”
The kitchen doors creaked open. Charlie turned as Rufus poked his head shyly inside. “Hey, Rufie, c’mon over here.”
The boy obeyed, coming over and resting his hands on the table. Charlie put his arm around him. “We adopted Rufie here,” he said. “He’s learning how to run the kitchen, right, Rufie?”
“Yep.” Rufus grinned. “Dar’s gonna gimme a ride on her boat, dada.”
“Is she now?” Charlie asked. “Think she’d give me one, too?”
He glanced at Dar. “You in a rush out of here?”
“Nah,” Dar replied easily. “We’re just planning on bumming around, doing some diving. Kerry and I needed some time off.”
“Great.” Charlie seemed to have recovered his spirits completely. “Bud’s due back tomorrow; I know he’d love to see you,” he said. “You need a bunk for the night?”
Dar shook her head. “We’re fine on the boat. You’ll have to let me know what dock power costs. No BS, Charlie. I can afford it.”
He chuckled. “So you said the last time.” He stood up. “Great.
We’ll see ya tomorrow, then. I gotta get this place cleaned up, and get this little pup to bed.”
“Bye.” Rufus waved at Kerry. “Nice t’meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Rufus,” Kerry replied. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Dar.”
“Night, Rufus,” Dar said, watching as the two disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her and Kerry alone in the room. With a sigh, Dar leaned her head against Kerry’s. “I’m trashed.”
“Me too,” Kerry murmured. She decided to put off discussing the odd evening until after a good night’s sleep. “You interested in a nice, soft bed?”
“That means I have to get up and walk, huh?”
“I could try carrying you.”
Dar stood and pulled Kerry up with her. They left the tiny restaurant and walked down the path, now lit only by the moonlight that poured up from the beach. It was incredibly quiet, only the surf sounds breaking the night, and the faint whispers of the leaves around them rustling in the breeze.
Kerry put her arm around Dar’s waist and leaned her head
against her shoulder as they walked. She tried to think about what she’d heard, but the two tankards of very good beer thwarted her best efforts, and she finally had to be content to simply concentrate 48 Melissa Good on getting back to the boat. “Urmph.” She stifled a yawn as they stepped off the dock and onto their deck.
Dar opened the door to the cabin and they went inside. Kerry was already shucking her overalls as she trudged into the bedroom.
She pulled off her cutoff sweatshirt and stood for a moment, swaying gently. Dar took her by the shoulders, guided her to the bed, and pulled down the light blankets. Kerry crawled gratefully into its soft confines and waited until Dar slid in behind her, the warmth of her bare skin brushing against Kerry’s in a very pleasant way.
Thoughts buzzed like bees through her mind, but she shooed them away as she tangled her arms and legs with Dar’s and snuggled close to her, leaving the problems for another day.
Chapter
Six
DAR LET HER eyes drift open as the sunlight poked its way inside the hatch, dusting the bed with a square of buttery warmth.
She remained still for a while, watching Kerry sleep curled up against her, the blonde woman's arm wrapped around Dar's waist.
Kerry has always been that way, Dar reflected idly. Even when they'd barely known each other, she'd noticed Kerry's almost unconscious instinct for close contact—a hand on the back or the shoulder, making a connection with her that seemed as natural to her as breathing.
Dar had at first been bemused at that. She never could stand anyone putting their paws on her. Then she'd suddenly realized one day, after Kerry had put both hands on her shoulders as she'd stepped around behind her in a meeting, that far from objecting to it, her body was craving the touch.
Dar gazed wryly at the roof of the cabin. Shoulda been your first clue, bucket head.
Kerry shifted, rolling onto her other side and releasing Dar for the moment. Since she was awake anyway, Dar decided to get up and shake out the cobwebs, and maybe surprise her lover with breakfast. She carefully slid out of bed and tucked the covers in around the blonde's sleeping body, then ambled into the corridor and down to the head.
A quick scrub of her face with cold water and an experiment with Kerry’s new sparkly toothpaste later, Dar emerged from the bathroom in her swimsuit, pulling her hair back and fastening it with a bit of elastic as she walked.
The boat was moving gently and she rocked with it, making her way out onto the back deck and into the sun. It was very quiet on the dock, and they were still the only boat there. The beach was empty of everything except for a few gulls, and the water around her was still, with only a few ripples and pops to indicate the presence of the marine life below the surface.
Beautiful morning. Dar hitched herself up on the stern railing and hooked her feet under the bottom rung. She leaned back and 50 Melissa Good stretched her body out over the water, holding the position until she felt her spine pop gently into place. Then she extended her arms out and did a few slow rotations, giving her entire body a good warm up.
Satisfied, she pulled herself upright, then just for fun did a couple of sets of sit ups before she unhooked her legs and hopped off the railing. Cautiously, she extended her arms and checked her range of motion, pleased when her injured shoulder responded with only a mild grumpiness, allowing her to swing her arm in almost a complete circle.
Ah. Dar chuckled happily to herself. The diving and relaxing seemed to be doing the trick. With a contented grunt, she checked the boat’s lines and rigging, then went back inside and made her way to the galley. She filled the water pot and put it on the burner, then examined her choices for breakfast. Ah. She plucked a box from the cabinet and set it down, then turned to get a bowl.
Halfway around, she stopped, feeling a sudden prickle up her spine. A hoarse cry sent her bolting for the bedroom. She shouldered the door open to find Kerry thrashing, apparently caught in a nightmare, her hands clenching into fists in the sheets.
“Ker!” Dar quickly caught hold of her and shook her gently.
“Kerry!”
“N…no! No! No!” Kerry woke up abruptly with a gasp, her eyes snapping open wide. She looked around wildly, stopping when her eyes met Dar’s. “Oh,” she exhaled, still breathing hard. “Dar.”
Dar rubbed her shoulder. “Easy.”
Kerry lifted a shaking hand to her head. “Shit.”
“You okay?” Dar asked quietly.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” Kerry replied, trying to collect herself. “I’m okay.”
Kerry was, Dar had long ago decided, really good at a lot of things. Lying wasn’t one of them. She slid under the covers and folded Kerry into her arms, pulling her close in an attempt to comfort her. For a moment, she thought the effort was going to fail, then Kerry’s body relaxed and slumped against hers as Kerry buried her face in Dar’s shoulder. “Shh.” Dar stroked her disordered hair. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
“I hate nightmares,” Kerry whispered.
“I don’t think anyone likes them, sweetheart,” Dar said. “I know I don’t.” She rocked Kerry a little, unsettled by the spate of bad dreams her partner had suffered from ever since they’d gotten back from Michigan. The worst of the recurrent nightmares was of Kerry watching her father die in the hospital, and Dar found herself wondering how long it would take for that horror to fade. “Was it the same dream?”
“Yeah.” Kerry lifted her head and rested her cheek against Terrors of the High Seas 51
Dar’s arm. “Bah.” Her voice had lost its hoarseness, though, and seemed more normal in tone. “What a way to wake up.”
Dar stroked her cheek. She could see the sparkling remains of tears caught in Kerry’s lashes, but her expression had relaxed and she appeared much calmer. “And here I thought I’d let you get a little extra sleep. Shoulda woke you up and made you go do calisthenics with me.”
“Mm. Yeah,” Kerry agreed with a wry smile. “Or at least let me watch.” She poked Dar in the belly, a reassuringly playful action.
“I don’t wake up like this when we wake up together.”
No, Dar realized. That’s true. “I’ll keep it in mind next time.”
She gave Kerry a hug. “Interest you in some breakfast?”
A green eyeball peeked up at her. “You cooking?”
“Yep,” Dar said. “Unless you think that might seem like too much of another nightmare.”
Kerry smiled wanly. “As long as it comes with some aspirin.
I’ve got a headache that would knock down an AS400 at a hundred paces.”
Dar slid her hands up to clasp the back of Kerry’s neck, kneading it gently. Kerry slumped against her again and her eyes closed as Dar carefully probed the tense muscles she found under her fingertips. “Hang on.” She eased a knot at the base of her lover’s skull and felt her vertebra shift. “Hm.”
“What’s the verdict, Dr. Dar?” Kerry asked.
Dar kissed her on the head. “Dr. Dar says you get to spend the entire day lazing around with me and relaxing.”
“Ooh.” Kerry exhaled. “That sounds like great medicine.”
Dar gave her a last rub and then got up from the bed. “I’ve got some water on. C’mon.”
Kerry willingly scrambled out from under the covers and followed her like a puppy, one finger hooked in the back of Dar’s swimsuit. She released her partner as they came even with the bathroom. “Let me just put something on, and wash the sleep out of my eyes.”
Dar kept going, ducking behind the counter and reaching for the rattling water pot. “Hush.” She scowled at it as she picked it up and poured the boiling water into the cups she had ready. She left the grounds to steep while she got out two bowls, then filled one from the box she’d gotten down earlier. She then removed some strawberries from the small refrigerator and set to work cutting them into slices, which she let fall on top of the cereal. She had finished several when Kerry appeared, her hair damp and her body clad in a T-shirt.
&nbs
p; Kerry went over and leaned on the counter, resting her cheek against Dar’s upper arm. “Thank you for cooking my Wheaties, honey.”
52 Melissa Good Dar laughed silently.
“You made them just the way I like them.” Kerry plucked a flake from the bowl and put it into her mouth, chewing it. “Just right.”
“You’re welcome,” Dar drawled. “Want to go outside?”
“Sure.” Kerry turned and opened the refrigerator, removing a yogurt and adding it to the tray Dar had sitting on the counter. She put the two cups of coffee and some milk on it as well, then stepped back as Dar finished pouring her own breakfast into a bowl and picked up the tray.
She followed Dar onto the back deck, smiling a bit as the cool sea air blew against her. She waited for Dar to put the tray down on the little table, then she took her usual left hand seat and reached for her coffee. A few sips of the brew seemed to ease her headache, and she leaned back, propping one bare foot up against the footrest and gazing off toward the horizon.
The nightmare had shaken her. Kerry put down her cup and picked up her bowl, pouring some milk over the flakes and patting them down with her spoon. She took a mouthful and chewed, one ear cocked to catch the louder crunching as Dar munched on her favorite Frosted Flakes.
Watching her father die had been bad enough. But in her dream, after she relived that again, and again, and again, her father’s stiffened figure would be replaced with Dar’s, and the feeling of utter helplessness and the shock of loss drove her to wake screaming every time.
Kerry forced herself to swallow past the sudden lump in her throat.
“Ker?”
How does she know? Kerry glanced to her right. “Hm?”
Dar was watching her with an expression of concern. “You okay?”
C’mon, Kerrison, get yourself together and let it go. It’s just a damn dream. “Yeah.” She smiled at Dar, trying to convey her gratitude without saying it.
Apparently receiving the message, Dar’s face relaxed and her eyes gentled.
“So.” Kerry firmly shifted her focus. “Tell me more about Charlie and Bud.” She dug into her cereal again. “And Dad.”