Melissa Good - Tropical Storm

“Two,” Jack answered, giving Dar a sideways look. “Adjoining.”

She didn’t protest. They got their keys and trudged upstairs, to rooms smelling of must and damp brick. Dar automatically flipped on the air conditioner, then she went for the bed—the long days catching up with her.

She let herself down on her back and felt her muscles go limp in reaction.

“Damn.” She hadn’t really been counting on the fight with Kyle. His sudden appearance had shocked her senses, and triggered a surge of adrenaline that had carried her through the battle, but now… “I’m getting too old for this stuff,” she muttered.

Jack had disappeared into his room, and Kerry finished up the soda she’d gotten from the vending machine, then shut the light off. She crawled into bed next to Dar and settled on her side. Her eyes searched the sharp profile so close to her. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet.” Dar rolled her head to one side and peered wearily at her. “It’s an odd feeling, you know,” Kerry let her chin rest on her forearm, “having your own knight in shining armor and all.”

A soft snort. “I am not any such thing,” Dar objected. “And we both know that.”

Kerry shook her head. “You may know that, but I don’t,” she replied in quiet reflection. “Oh, maybe I could write off the arriving by supersonic jet part. Hey, it was opportunistic, right?”

Dar rolled over and faced her, only inches separating them. “Right.”

“Mmm. But not the standing up to my father, and not the ass kicking you gave Kyle. I heard what you said to him, by the way,” Kerry continued. “So, thank you, Dar. I’ve lived my life under the belief that people act for Tropical Storm 441

themselves and their own interests, now I know that’s not the case.”

A dark brow edged up. “Who said it wasn’t in my own interests?” she inquired softly. “It was very much in my best interests to make damn sure you were safe and whole.” She reached over and brushed her knuckles against Kerry’s cheek. “I very selfishly wanted you back.” Kerry blushed a little and ducked her head. “I mean it. That was just pure self-interest, not a noble thing about it.” Dar shook her head firmly. “Besides, you have any idea how long it would take me to find another assistant half as good as you?”

“Dar, I was trying to be serious,” the blonde woman protested gently.

Soft fingertips caressed her jaw. “Whatever the effort, it was worth it, Kerry. Believe me,” Dar answered, just as seriously.

The blonde cocked her head in question. “I know you said you knew where I was because they submitted the charges to my benefits card, but how did you find out, Dar?”

“Mmm.” Dar rolled over onto her back and stretched, feeling a wave of exhaustion roll over her. “I had a…I don’t know, a nightmare, I guess. I woke up in a sweat, that’s for sure, at about twelve thirty.” She let her eyes close, remembering.

“Twelve thirty?” Kerry murmured. “That’s about when…yeah, that’s when they knocked me out. I remember looking at my watch right before I went into the study.”

“Well, I knew I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I dialed up the office. And when I connected, a bot I had running popped up and displayed the fact that you’re card had been used, and I…”

“Whoa. You had a bot checking for that?” Kerry asked, puzzled. “Did you suspect something was going to happen?”

“Uh.” Dar peeked at her from the corner of one eye. “Not exactly.”

Kerry crawled closer and put her chin on Dar’s shoulder. “Not exactly?”

“No, well, since you had that close encounter with the milk truck, I, um…” Dar was embarrassed, and she felt her skin heat with a blush. “I set it up just in case anything… Well, I mean, it’s not like you have a contact card on you. I mean, whatever… If something happened to you, I’d, um…”

“Dar, that’s very sweet.” Kerry gazed at her.

“Practical,” the executive argued. “A simple need for information.”

They looked at each other, and Kerry gently kissed the shoulder she was leaning on. “Thank you for caring, Dar,” she said very softly. “You don’t know how much that means to me right now.”

The taller woman gently pulled her closer and slid both arms around her.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with your folks, Kerry.” She tucked the blonde head down against her and kissed it.

Kerry allowed herself to sink into the comforting warmth at last, breathing in Dar’s distinctive scent, and settling her head down on her lover’s broad shoulder. “Me too.” She sighed. “I guess I have no family now,” she added sadly.

“Sure you do,” Dar murmured, her eyes closed.

Kerry tilted her head and regarded her in silence, then she smiled to herself and put her head back down, at last allowing sleep to wash over her.

HER PAGER WENT off at nine, and Dar had to force her eyes open, as her body complained heartily about leaving the warm, somnolent nest she was snuggled into. The thin curtain in the room was blocking most of the daylight, and it was nice and dark inside.

“Ugh,” she groaned softly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes and peering down at the still sleeping Kerry. The blonde woman was sprawled half across her, and Dar could see the strain and exhaustion that still marked her friend’s face.

Poor kid. Dar absently stroked the soft golden hair lying across her chest. I can’t believe they did that to her. She didn’t deserve that. Kerry had been very withdrawn since they’d left her parents’ house, and Dar knew she was probably still in shock. Dar took a moment to reflect on the last twenty-four hours, scarcely able to believe what they’d both been through. “Damn.” She muttered softly to herself. “I’ll be glad to get home.”

“Am home,” Kerry mumbled, letting out a sigh and tightening her grip, still mostly asleep.

The taller woman smiled, then rubbed her lover’s back. “Ker?” she called softly.

Pale green eyes very slowly fluttered open and focused on her. “Uh?”

“We’ve got a plane to catch,” Dar told her, half apologetically, smoothing the fair hair back from her forehead.

“Oh, right.” With an obvious effort, Kerry pushed herself up on her elbows, then let her head drop and rest on Dar’s arm. “Oh god, I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.” She moaned.

Dar yawned. “Me too, must have been all the excitement.” She rolled over and paused, catching her breath as the bruises she’d collected a few hours previous made themselves known. “Ah…whoa.”

Kerry slid over and took her arm. “What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously,

“Are you okay?”

Her taller companion slowly straightened. “Just a few aches, I’m all right.” She stood up and cautiously stretched out her body, then trudged over to the bathroom and flipped on the light, running water into the sink. “Jack offered to buy us breakfast. We can do that, then head for the gate and get out of here.” She splashed water on her face and exhaled. “We unfortunately have to change planes in Detroit.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Kerry murmured. “The sooner the better.” She sighed. “Detroit, huh? Well, I can get a Lions sweatshirt. I always liked them.”

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Jack poked his head in the door between their two rooms. “Did I hear my name?” The Navy pilot inquired brightly. “And something about a Lion?”

They washed and headed off to breakfast.

THE FLIGHT WAS uneventful. Kerry was happy to sleep through most of it, curled up in her first class seat near the window, with Dar’s comforting presence on the other side of her. The slanting sun woke her, and she peered out the window to see an endless sea of grass spreading out beneath the plane’s wings, the patchwork of green interspersed with the odd ripple of dark blue and forest green. She turned her head and gazed at Dar, who was staring off into the distance, her eyes half closed. “Dar?” She reached over and touched the taller woman’s arm.

The blue eyes turned to meet hers. “Hmm? Almost home.”

Kerry nodded. “We’re over the ’glades. What’s the weather like?”

A smile. “Lower eighties, sunny, chance of showers tonight.”

“Oh, an odd day.” Kerry smiled back, letting her fingers move lightly over Dar’s tanned skin. “You look really wiped.”

“I am,” Dar admitted. “I couldn’t sleep night before last, then I had that early flight. We ran around playing football and all that yesterday, then last night…” She exhaled. “I’m running on nothing but cussedness right now.”

Kerry leaned over and rested her cheek against Dar’s arm. “Lend me some cussedness for a while, then, okay?”

The plane continued its descent, and the greens of the Everglades slowly morphed into cinderblock buildings, then the paved lots of the outer-rim warehouses. Then the heavy industrial section flowed under the wings, storage buildings directly in the flight path of the airport. Lower and lower, and finally Kerry saw the distinctive arch of the 826 freeway pass under them.

She settled back against the leather seat as the plane dropped to the ground and landed with a soft hop on the long, sun-bleached runway. Green trees surrounded them, and Kerry felt a sense of relief as the plane taxied up to the terminal, nudging into place at a gate.

They got their luggage, and Dar handed her claim ticket to the valet service. “Easier than parking myself,” she commented to Kerry, who had been very quiet. “You want me to drop you at your place, or…?” She was a little uncertain, knowing what she wanted Kerry to do, but not wanting to push her lover if Kerry felt like some time alone to think about things.