Kerry stopped at her rental car and opened the doors. She waited for Dar to slip inside, then joined her and closed the door on the icy air. “And you decided you weren’t?”

Dar smiled at the bleak scene outside the car. “No. That was very much a part of why I did it.” She gave Kerry an honest, open look. “But the other part of it was that people are getting hurt by this, and it has to stop.” Her jaw tensed. “And it will stop, one way or the other, no matter what that takes.”

Sometimes, Kerry mused, as she started the car and let the engine warm up, sometimes life’s lessons come at you from the strang-est directions, and at the weirdest times. “Does your father know about this?”

Dar nodded silently.

Kerry didn’t have to ask how Andrew felt about it. She knew, simply by the set of Dar’s shoulders and the almost unconsciously proud lift of her chin. It definitely gave her something to think about. “Well. I don’t think my father had time to do anything with Thicker Than Water 67

it.”

“Mm.” Dar leaned back in her seat.

Kerry exhaled and put the car into gear. She backed out of the parking spot and headed towards the main road. The landscape was bleak and gray, trees dressed in winter brown with their coat-ing of snow and ice.

It made Kerry feel cold, despite the heater in the car. This had once been home. She’d grown up here, played in some of the fields they were passing, skated on those frozen lakes. They drove past a group of young people walking along the sidewalk, laughing and joking with each other, obviously headed for the church youth center not far away.

Kerry remembered being one of them, pampered and privi-leged, wanting for absolutely nothing. Sure of her place in the world and secure in her family’s solid circle. Lacking only the one thing that Dar, raised without any of her advantages, had been given freely.

Life is so strange, sometimes.

Kerry felt almost lightheaded. She pulled over to the side of the road, stopped, and leaned on the steering wheel as she stared out at the trees.

“Ker?” Dar asked, hesitantly.

“It…um…” Kerry started, then paused. “I think part of the reason why I leaked that dirt on my father was because I was so angry at him.” Her voice was shaking a little, and she appreciated the sudden warmth as Dar laid a hand on her thigh. “I don’t think it had anything to do with wanting to do the right thing. Knowing that, and seeing him in that bed…it’s killing me.”

“Hey.” Dar leaned over the shift console and put an arm across Kerry’s shoulders. “It’s not your fault, Kerry.”

She gazed at Dar. “Isn’t it?”

“Don’t be an idiot.” Dar’s voice was warm, taking the sting out of the words. “Yeah, that was stressful, but your father spent his whole life in politics, Kerry. You think that was the only stress in his life? C’mon, you know better.”

Kerry remained silent.

“Don’t do that to yourself,” Dar said. “He made the choice to do what he did, knowing it might get out. You think keeping that secret wasn’t tough?” One dark brow lifted. “In the long run, lying is harder than truth.” She stroked Kerry’s cheek. “We found that out, didn’t we?”

A memory of the tense months early in their relationship surfaced, when even bringing Dar lunch was looked at with suspicion. “Yeah,” Kerry had to admit. “It was a lot easier once we came out. But this isn’t the same thing, Dar.”


68 Melissa Good

“Isn’t it?” Dar echoed her earlier statement. “Think about it.”

Kerry exhaled. “Maybe. Guess we’d better get moving.”

Dar rubbed her neck a little. “Want me to drive? That should keep you distracted until we get there.”

Kerry unexpectedly smiled as she put the car back into gear.

“I’m okay.” She put the turn indicator on and watched for passing cars. “But I’ll keep the offer in mind.”

THEY MET ANGIE and her husband on the way into the hospital. Some of the press interest had waned, it seemed, or maybe the weather had deterred them. Snow was falling, and Kerry shivered a little as she joined her sister on the walk to the back entrance. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Angie rubbed her arm. “Hi, Dar. Thanks for coming up.”

Kerry didn’t have to look behind her to see the raised eyebrow. She gave Angie a heartfelt smile and a hug. “Sorry about last night.”

“Richard, this is Dar Roberts, Kerry’s partner,” Angie went on in a determined Midwestern twang. “Dar, this is my husband, Richard.”

Dar mentally gave Angie several more points as she extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.” She met Richard’s wary eyes, on a level with her own, as they shook hands. “Sorry it has to be on this kind of occasion.”

“Ms. Roberts,” Richard said quietly as he released her hand.

“Good to finally meet someone I’ve heard so much about.”

Oo. Talk about your loaded statements. Dar returned his brief smile. “Likewise.” She turned to Angie. “How’s Andrew?”

Everyone relaxed just a little as Richard turned to open the door to the hospital.

“Growing like a weed,” Angie said. “He’s made up for having such an exciting birthday by being just the sweetest, calmest child.” She waited for her husband and Kerry to enter the hospital, then she turned and lowered her voice. “Dar, I’m really glad you’re here.”

Dar managed a brief smile. “I know I’m not wanted here, but I couldn’t let her go through this alone.” She held the door open for Angie to pass. “Besides, unfriendly family isn’t exactly foreign to me.”

Angie sighed as she walked inside and Dar followed. “I know. I just wish it wasn’t so damned hard. The whole situation’s so lousy, and then on top of it…Oh, crap.”

Dar glanced ahead of them to where Kerry was standing, Thicker Than Water 69

bracketed by two older men. Her body posture was so defensive it brought an immediate response from Dar, who brushed past two vaguely familiar looking women and bore down on Kerry with determined strides.

“Uncle Albert, you don’t have a right to ask me to leave,”

Kerry said firmly. “This is my father—”

“You sure didn’t think of that when you turned against him, did you?” her uncle snapped, his face flushed. “Look, I’m not going to stand here and argue. I’m not going to put up with my brother being mocked by the likes of you, you little traitor. Get your ass out of this hospital before I throw you out.”

Kerry felt a wild rush of anger that was so unexpected, it almost made her lightheaded. “You just try it.” She balled her fists. “You stupid, useless windbag. I haven’t even seen you since I was twelve. Now you show up here like you own the place, like you matter?”

“Might have figured it was you giving someone bullshit,” Dar said.

Kerry’s uncle turned and stared in utter shock.

A cold smile graced Dar’s face. “Aren’t you going to say hello, Al? Or did you forget what I looked like after I fired your ass for the rankest incompetence in the history of business?”

“You son of a—”

“Oh no.” Dar slipped between him and Kerry, very aware of the watching crowd. “I didn’t have a dick then and I don’t now, but let me tell you, Al, you say one more nasty word to Kerrison and you won’t have one either, because I’ll pull it off and beat you to death with it.”

The elevator doors opened into a frozen silence. Dar put out a long arm and blocked them from closing. “Ladies first.” She motioned Kerry and Angie to go on, then joined them in the car, and let the doors close before anyone else could get on.

The sound of Angie pushing the elevator button was loud as they all took a breath at the same time. “Wow.” Angie wiped her brow. “This isn’t a good way to start the day, is it?”

Kerry turned and looked at Dar. “Uh…”

Dar had been staring at the doors, now she turned and exhaled. “Sorry. Temper got the better of me.”

“It’s okay.” Kerry lifted a slightly shaking hand. “Better yours than mine, Dar. I was about to start swinging at him.” Dar slipped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned gratefully against Dar’s tall form. “Sorry we left Richard down there with them, Ang.”

“He’ll live.” Angie shrugged. “I’m sorry. After the past few days and listening to all the righteous bullshit I’ve had to listen 70 Melissa Good to, with daddy in here helpless, I’m just…damn it to hell…over it.”

Kerry peeked at her. “Angela, that’s the most curse words I’ve ever heard you use.”

“Yeah, well.” Angie drew in a long breath and let it out. “I’ve been spending time on the Internet, what can I tell you?” The doors opened and she exited, followed by Dar and Kerry. They turned to the right and went to the waiting room of the critical care unit.

Cynthia Stuart was already there, alone. She was sitting in one of the chairs, her hands folded in her lap, her body in an attitude of pained patience. She looked up as they entered. “Oh, Angela…Kerrison…I’m...” Her eyes slipped past them and rested on Dar. “Oh.”

Kerry heard the elevator doors opening behind them, and she figured the entire situation was either going to resolve itself or turn into an undignified free for all more suited to the soccer field than a hospital. “Mother—”

Cynthia stood, brushed past her, and stopped in front of Dar with a serious expression. She held out both hands. “I’m so glad you came.”

It was one of the last things Dar had expected to hear. She clasped Cynthia’s hands in sheer reflex, her battle ready mind scrambling to reassess the startling attitude. “I’m sorry,” she managed to get out. “I really am,” she added in a softer tone.

“As am I,” Cynthia replied. “For many things.”