Let’s act like it.”

Clearly, the chief had been caught by surprise. She hesitated for a long beat, then lifted both hands a little and let them fall. “What the hell. All right, Ms. Roberts. You’re giving me a pain the size of an aircraft carrier, so I might as well get a meal out of it. Lead on.”

They found a table in the back of the mess and sat down with trays of open-faced turkey sandwiches. Dar opened her carton of milk and drank directly from it, watching her reluctant lunch partner mess with a pile of lettuce and tomatoes.

“So.” Chief Daniel neatly sliced her salad into manageable chunks.

“You’re Big Andy’s kid.”

Dar cocked her head to one side. “Yes, I am.”

The Chief looked up, meeting her eyes. “You could have said that right off.”

“Why?” Dar shot back. “Shouldn’t make a damn bit of a difference.”

Daniel snorted and shook her head. “Can the bullshit, lady. It matters, and you know it does. Did you think you’d have an advantage 112 Melissa Good by acting like a clueless outsider?” She picked up her glass of iced tea and took a sip. “Here I think I’ve got some dumb civ making my life miserable, and it turns out I’ve been hauling around some damn smartass Navy brat.”

“Oh. You mean I could have skipped the howitzer-up-the-ass attitude if I’d told you up front I grew up here?” Dar inquired. “Maybe you should have done your homework, Chief. I have a file on you an inch thick.”

The chief stopped eating and put her silverware down, staring at Dar with a look completely devoid of humor. “What in the hell do you mean by that?”

Dar merely watched her, sucking idly on her milk. She waited for the veins to start emerging on the ginger-haired woman’s temples, then she finally replied. “Relax. There’s nothing outstandingly scary in it.”

She actually didn’t have that much, but the reaction she’d gotten from the comment made her itch to have Mark search further.

Daniel sat there, breathing hard for a moment. “You’re a real son of a bitch, aren’t you?”

A charming smile appeared on Dar’s face. “I can be.” She paused.

“If I’m forced into it.” One finger pointed at the sailor. “So be smart, and don’t.” She set the milk down and picked up her fork, spearing a bit of mashed potatoes and tasting them.

“Sure you weren’t adopted?” the chief shot back.

The corner of Dar’s lips quirked. “I’ve looked in a mirror enough times to know I wasn’t.” She took a bite of turkey. “But feel free to ask my dad if you want.”

Hazel eyes narrowed, and the chief bit down on her fork with a vicious scrape of teeth on metal. Then her face relaxed, and she snorted softly. “No, thanks. I don’t want my fingers pulled off if he hears I laid one of them on his precious offspring.” Her eyes searched the angular, intense features across the table, strange and familiar at the same time.

She felt like kicking herself for not realizing who this bitch was before, then she felt like kicking the damn commander for not telling her.

Bastard. She bet he and Perkins were laughing their asses off at her.

And what was in that file? The chief was uncomfortably aware of the sharp intelligence behind those blue-tinted ice chips that were watching her. Evaluating her. Daniel swallowed and reviewed her options. She knew Andrew Roberts and had a healthy respect for him, but she now realized his often spoken of only child was a danger of a much higher degree.

What the hell was she going to do?

The loudspeaker’s crackle almost made her jump, and she looked up at the speaker just as Dar did, the younger woman’s head tilting to one side as she listened.

“Attention, attention all personnel. We have just received notification that flooding has closed both Card Sound Road and US 1.


Red Sky At Morning 113

Be advised that all deliveries to and from the mainland have been canceled until further notice. If you were scheduled to be transported north today, please see your unit commander immediately.”

Groans rose around them. Daniel snorted and recovered a bit of her balance at the perceptible annoyance in Dar’s expression. “Guess you’re stuck here. Just our luck.” Possibilities, though, started occurring to her.

Dar sighed, ignoring her sarcasm. “I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning.” She removed her cell phone from its clip and dialed a number, holding the phone to her ear and turning away slightly.

Yeah, Chief Daniel mused. Maybe you should have.


Chapter

Seven

“UGH.” KERRY DROPPED into her chair and leaned back, releasing a huge sigh and closing her eyes briefly. Very briefly, since her intercom buzzed a second later. “Yes?”

“Ms. Kerry, my mother says to tell you that they have closed the roads that are going to the Keys.” Mayte’s voice held a hint of anxiety.

“She is worried about Ms. Roberts.”

Oh, crap, Kerry cursed to herself. “She said she was trying to get out of there early, Mayte. I’ll call her. I hope she’s almost back here by now.” She reached for her phone and almost dropped it as it rang at the same moment. “Gah—whoops. Hello?”

“Hi.” Dar’s voice sounded resigned. “Guess where I’m stuck.”

Kerry winced in pure reflex. “I just heard about the roads. That totally sucks large rocks, Dar.”

“I know,” Dar said. “I took care of getting you a ride home, though.”

Jesus. I forgot I needed one. Kerry mentally slapped herself. “Honey, you didn’t have to do that. I’m sure I could beg a ride from someone here.” It was, however, a typically Dar thing for her to do, given her partner’s meticulous attention to details. “But thank you.”

“Well,” Dar chuckled softly, “don’t thank me just yet. It’s my dad who’s coming to get you.”

Eeerup. Kerry winced. “Ah. Did you think my life was lacking some excitement today or something?” she replied. “Maybe he’ll let me drive.

You think?”

“You can ask. He generally caves in to whatever you want,” Dar answered. “Just like I do,” she added, with a verbal twinkle in her tone.

“Hey, I think I’m making some progress with the chief. I tried to do what you’d have done.”

Still distracted by the prospect of being picked up by Andrew, Kerry almost didn’t respond. “Uh...oh, did you? What did you do?”

“Took her to lunch.”

Kerry smiled. “Good girl.”

“Then I told her if she didn’t behave, I’d have to really get nasty.”

“Oh.” Kerry covered her eyes and laughed silently. “Gotta work on that part, huh?”


Red Sky At Morning 115

“Eh.” Dar sighed. “Maybe it won’t be so bad down here. A couple of the guys I grew up with just tracked me down. They wanna take me out to the local bar and trade no-shit stories for a while. They found me a bed just in case the roads don’t open back up.”

“You have your kit, right? I know I repacked it after the trip to the Keys.” Kerry drummed her fingers on her desk. “Don’t take a chance, okay? If the weather’s bad, just stick around down there. I’d kinda be worried if I knew you were driving up Card Sound at night.” She paused. “I’ll miss you, though. I was looking forward to a hug tonight.”

A few beats of silence followed, then Dar cleared her throat. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. Okay?”

“Okay,” Kerry agreed. “Call me later and let me know what’s up. I think I’m done with all my meetings today; now I just have a mailbox to wade through.” She glanced at her monitor. “Dar, how did you deal with all this crap everyone sends?”

“Simple. Take everything that isn’t immediate operations and reply with ‘Could you please clarify why you’re asking me this?’” Dar told her. “I guarantee ninety percent of them won’t come back.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Kerry grinned and examined the ceiling over her head. “Thanks, boss. I’ll do that.”

“Any time,” Dar said. “Talk to you later.”

Kerry closed the phone and put it down, indulging in a few moments of daydreaming as she folded her hands over her stomach and swiveled her chair a little. “What a character,” she finally murmured with a helpless chuckle. Her intercom buzzed again, and she regarded it balefully for a moment before she answered. “Yes?”

“Ms. Kerry?”

“I just talked to Dar, Mayte. I’ll call your mom. She’s okay, she’s just stuck down at the base for now,” Kerry responded.

“Sí, gracias, but there is a phone call for you, from the car place.”

Car place? Kerry’s brow furrowed, then cleared. “Oh. Right. I’ll take it. Thanks, Mayte.” She released the intercom and hit the phone line.

“Kerry Stuart speaking.”

“Ms. Stuart? This is Laura Margoles from Beach Lexus. You sent in a vehicle request using the Internet this morning?”

“That’s right,” Kerry confirmed.

“Great.” The woman’s voice was cheerful and friendly. “We had what you wanted right in stock. I’ve got your paperwork done; when would you like to pick up the car?”

“Really? Just like that?” Kerry was surprised. “Leather and everything?”

“Absolutely!” Laura stated. “They’re detailing the car now, in fact.

Shining it up and making sure everything’s in perfect condition for you.”


116 Melissa Good Kerry turned in her chair and reviewed the rain lashing at her window. “They’re washing the car? Have you looked outside?”

“Has to be nice and clean before we turn it over.” Laura’s enthusiasm didn’t miss a beat. “Would you like to stop by after work?