Dar chuckled softly. ”Oh yeah, that comes in handy after a day of horseback riding, especially if you’re not used to it. Trust me.” She put their bags down on the bed, and looked around. Hadn’t changed, she mused, walking over to the window and peering out at the silent, gently murmuring lake.

”Ah...” Kerry was exploring the counter against the back wall. ”I see we have the essentials, coffee, cookies, and hot chocolate. ” She investigated the supplies. ”Cups and, let’s see, tea bags, oh, and little muffins. This is really cute, Dar.”

The dark haired woman tossed a stuffed bag down next to her.

”Well, we can add our little stash here.” She grinned, her good humor restored. ”Never thought we’d fit all that chocolate in there.”

Kerry snorted, and lifted the bag up. ”I can’t believe we brought it all. We’re going to get sick on it.” She sniffed at the bag. ”Mm. On the other hand...” The rich scent was alluring, and she sighed. ”Later.

Dinner first?”

”Sounds good to me,” Dar agreed. ”Those pizzas were tiny.”

”What pizzas, oh, those. Right.” Kerry slipped out of her sweatshirt and pulled a heavier sweater over her head, settling the edge over her jeans. ”Yeah, good thing I didn’t order smalls. We could have used them as drink coasters.”

”Could have used them as that anyway,” Dar complained, changing into a thick sweater of her own, and rubbing her hands. ”It’s cold here, Kerry.”

The blonde woman turned, putting down the brush she’d been pulling through her hair. She walked over, took Dar’s hands into hers and pressed them against her body. ”Aw, my poor little hothouse flower.” She giggled at the blue eyes widened in outrage. ”You Southerners. Talk about thin blooded. We’ll have to get you some mittens.” She gently kissed Dar’s fingers. ”Thank you for inviting me up here, by the way.”

Dar smiled at her, obviously charmed. ”I’m glad you like it.”

”Here, bend down.” Kerry released one hand and recaptured her brush, running it through Dar’s dark locks to bring some order to them.


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Melissa Good

The silky strands crackled with the dry air, and clung to the brush, winding themselves around her hands as well. ”Ack, one nice thing about Miami, you don’t get this much.” She patiently untangled herself, meeting the watching blue eyes with a grin as she fluffed the usually disheveled bangs. ”Your hair would look pretty in braids. Want to try them tomorrow?”

Dar blinked at her, obviously surprised at the question. ”Um, sure.” She straightened as Kerry finished. ”If I can do yours.” She gently tucked the blonde hair back into a tail, studying the effect.

Kerry smiled, loving the feel of Dar’s fingers in her hair, as they brushed against her sensitive scalp. ”You’re on,” she agreed happily.

”It’s a vacation, right? We can do whatever we want.”

”Yep.” Dar put an arm over her shoulder, and nudged her towards the door. ”C’mon, they’ve got some really good roast beef.”

”Oh yeah?” Kerry obligingly slipped an arm around her waist.

”With gravy?”

”Uh huh, and killer mashed potatoes,” Dar promised. ”And homemade ice cream for dessert.”

Kerry let out a little moan. ”Uh oh. I’m in trouble,” she lamented.

”I’m a sucker for homemade ice cream.”

”Yeah, me too,” Dar agreed sheepishly. ”But it’s vacation, remember?”

”Mm, good point. How much trouble can we get into in two days, anyway?”

“DAR?” KERRY’S VOICE floated out of the darkness, as they made their way back after dinner. It had gotten colder, and the sky seemed razor sharp, the inky blackness drenched in pinpoints of light so numerous you could hardly see the constellations.

”Yeah?” The taller woman ambled along contentedly, sucking on a mint.”If I explode, is that covered under worker’s comp?” Kerry asked idly. ”God, that was good. That chef is positively dangerous.”

”Don’t explode,” Dar objected. ”Do you have any idea the amount of paperwork I’d have to fill out if I had an employee explode on a business trip? I’d have to spend hours and hours in CAS.” She paused, and moved her mint from one side of her mouth to the other. ”Not to mention having to explain to Mari how I, a responsible corporate officer, allowed such a thing to happen.”

”Allowed?” Kerry snorted. ”You were feeding me maraschino cherries, you fink. You aided and abetted.”

A soft chuckle. ”Hmm, that’s true. Maybe I could claim I was performing research and development.” She slipped an arm around Kerry and ducked her head, kissing her gently. ”So, we’ve got a couple of choices. We can take a run up the mountain for some skiing, or hike, Hurricane Watch

221

or go out on the lake, or do a little riding. What’s your poison?”

”Well.” Kerry steered her up the steps to their cabin. ”I think we’d better give your knee a rest from skiing.” She patted the body part in question. ”And that kinda goes for hiking too. So maybe we can ride in the morning, and go out on the lake in the afternoon?”

That would work. Dar opened the door and exhaled. ”Sounds good to me.” She’d always mostly gone on solitary hikes up here to small caves just up range for some pensive solitude. It would be strange to have Kerry along.

They went inside and Dar spent a few minutes in the bathroom before coming out to find Kerry efficiently stacking wood in the fireplace. ”Whatcha doing?”

On one knee, Kerry turned and regarded her. ”Making a fire.” She put another log in place, then tucked some tinder inside it. ”I know that’s an alien concept for you, Dar, but it can be very cozy.”

”It’s not alien,” Dar protested. ”I’ve been outside Miami, remember?” She studied what Kerry was doing. ”I’ve just never had to actually, um...” She waved her hands a bit descriptively. ”Make one.”

She knelt. ”What’s that?”

”Moss.” Kerry packed it between the logs. ”It makes the logs burn.”

She looked around. ”Do you see any matches?”

”Um, no, but I think you use this.” Dar took down a flint and striker from over the mantel, and offered it to her. ”Right?”

Kerry giggled. ”Not in this century, Dar.” She stood, and put her hands on her hips. ”I think I’ve got some, hey!”

Dar had studied the items, then cocked her head, and positioned the striker, smacking the flint against it with devastating efficiency, and sending a shower of sparks down onto the neatly packed tinder. It obligingly caught fire, and started to burn, little tendrils of smoke wafting up. Dar spread her hands out, and looked insufferably pleased with herself. ”Like that?”

”Son of a bitch.” Kerry marveled. ”I’ve never seen a twentieth century human being actually do that before.” She regarded her boss.

”What other hidden skills do you have?”

Dar chuckled, returning the tools to their place, and getting out of the way as Kerry gently blew on the flames, and shepherded them into a crackling blaze. It was nice, she decided, regarding the flickering light and holding her hands out to the warmth as it grew. Behind her there was a low couch, covered in colorful throws, and she settled into one corner. She wriggled into a comfortable spot and looked up as Kerry joined her, the blonde woman tucking one leg under her as she seated herself.

They both watched the fire grow, in a friendly silence that was broken when Kerry shifted, taking a breath and studying her hands, before she looked up at Dar. ”I think we’re going to have fun this weekend,” she started, tentatively, planning her words with care.


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Melissa Good

A smile pulled Dar’s lips. ”I hope so. It’s been a long week, huh?”

”Yes, yes it has,” her lover agreed quietly. ”A lot’s happened.”

”Mm,” a very soft murmur.

”I want to have a fun weekend. I think we both need it.” Kerry felt the words getting out of her control a little. ”I mean, well. I’ve got something I wanted to talk to you about before we... I...” She stopped, sensing something, and looked up, seeing an unguarded look of quickly veiled fear in Dar’s eyes. Her train of thought derailed in reflex. ”Why do you do that?” she asked, instead.

”Do what?” Dar replied, with forced nonchalance.

”Expect the worst all the time?” Kerry asked.

A quick head shake. ”I don’t. What do you mean?”

”You do. I saw it in your face just then. You don’t know what I’m going to tell you, but you think it’s something bad. Why, Dar?” Kerry asked, very gently. ”Have I done something that makes you worry about that?”

Dar looked trapped. She turned her head and knitted her fingers, long digits twisting around each other in upset. She hadn’t expected Kerry to ask. Not like this, not...

Not so soon. ”I...you didn’t do anything, Kerry,” she finally muttered. ”It’s my hang-up. It has nothing to do with you.”

”Of course it does.” Kerry felt her way gingerly, putting a casual hand on Dar’s knee. ”If it’s part of you, it has everything to do with me.” She could sense Dar withdrawing and the dark haired woman exhaled unhappily, and folded her arms, tucking her hands against her sides. ”Please talk to me,” she asked, simply. ”I want to understand. I don’t want to hurt you.”

It took a long

moment, as Dar stared into the flames, their flickering light outlining her sharply planed features in exotic detail.

Then she apparently made a decision, as she nodded slightly. Her head turned, and the ambered blue eyes regarded Kerry seriously. ”There’s no really simple answer to that, I guess.” She sighed. ”I’m not very good at discussing myself. I try not to think about why I do what I do most of the time, it just gets too strange.”