And, as dreams do, it slowly faded, allowing the real world to nudge at her, and she reluctantly obeyed, dragging her consciousness back to the present, which forced her to open her eyes and see the soft light of her bedside clock, which told her it was eight o’clock and very dark.

Dark, she realized, as her ears caught a howl of wind and the patter of rain against the window, and stormy. She rolled slowly over, gingerly moving her head, relieved at the lack of pain. Her mouth felt dry, and she blinked at the ceiling, then stiffened as her subliminal senses made her aware that she was not alone in the apartment.

Then she remembered. “Ah.” A faint, worried frown edged her face, and she blearily remembered Kerry’s gentle touch on her as she went to sleep. For some reason, that called up the memory of her dream, and she shoved it back in irritation. Aw, chill out, Dar. The kid was just trying to help. She was probably uncomfortable as hell doing that, so remember to thank her.

For a moment she paused in thought, acknowledging the fact that she was glad Kerry was still there. Then she sighed and smiled a little ruefully.

“Ah, Dar, what have you done this time, hmm?”

She rolled out of bed with a yawn and trudged to the bathroom, blinking at her disheveled look with a scowl. She raked her fingers through her hair to order it a little, then gave up and walked quietly into the living room, where she stopped suddenly. A faint smile touched her lips as she surveyed Kerry’s sleeping form, tucked into the corner of one of the couches, her hand resting on a pile of papers. Her head was resting on the soft, padded arm, and she’d thrown her jacket over her shoulders for warmth. Asleep, her face was open and innocent as a child’s, and Dar felt an irresistible affection brewing in her for the young woman. Silently, she padded back into the bedroom and pulled a soft blanket from the closet, returning to settle it gently over Kerry before she continued into the kitchen.

The weather was lashing against the seaside windows, and Dar glanced out, surprised to see whitecaps traveling up and down the usually calm coastline. The barely visible buoys were bobbing right and left, their red and green signals waving wildly over the sea’s surface. “Huh.” She reached behind her and turned on the small, cabinet-mounted television, flipping through the channels rapidly. “Let’s see. Sensational local news, must be Channel Seven.” Seeing a weather map and a concerned-looking badly toupée’d weatherman, she gave the changer a rest. “Uh oh.” She turned up the Tropical Storm 123

sound a little.

“Rising suddenly in the straits of Florida, the low that had settled just north of Cuba has intensified, and a hurricane hunter plane from NOAA confirms a center of circulation and tropical storm force winds.”

“Goddamnpieceofcrapstupid— It’s November, damn it!”


“The National Weather Service in Miami has issued tropical storm warnings for the entire southern coast of Florida, from Cape Sable all the way around up to West Palm Beach. Interests in the area should be making preparations for tropical storm conditions within the next twelve to twenty four hours.”

“Aw, nuts.” Dar sighed in exasperation. “I thought we were over this for this year.” A soft sound behind her made her turn to see Kerry entering the kitchen, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and a puzzled, somewhat concerned look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

Dar gestured to the television. “Tropical storm.” She exhaled. “Out of nowhere!”

Kerry peered at the screen, then up at her. “What does that mean?”

A dark brow cocked. “Well, for one thing, it means you’re stuck here.”

She picked up the phone and dialed, waiting with drumming fingers until someone picked up. “Hello, Rocky, this is Dar Roberts. What’s going on?” She listened. “I figured. Thanks.” She hung up. “Yep, the ferries are locked down for the duration. Only emergency runs are being made with the boats if people have to get off or on.”

Kerry considered the unexpected development. “Hmm. Sorry. I guess I should have left when I had the chance. I just wanted to get those reports done, then I…I guess I was tired, so I just lay down for a minute…” She gave Dar an apologetic look. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, my head didn’t explode,” Dar said. “And I can move around without wanting to puke, so I guess I’m better.” Her brow creased. “I’d better get candles and flashlights out. No telling how long we might lose power for.”

She stepped to the edge of the window, and pressed a hidden switch. “Better get the shutters down now.”

With a mechanical hum, protective aluminum shutters slid down over the huge, ocean-view windows, clanking down with a rattle and whining to a halt. Dar did the same to the kitchen window, then showed Kerry where the switches were for the other rooms. She left the blonde woman to do that, while she entered the laundry room and pulled out a covered basket, returning to the kitchen and putting it on the island. She opened it and peered down.

Inside were neatly packed flashlights, candles, sterno cans, and other supplies. “Hmph.”

“Okay, all done.” Kerry reported, as she came back into the kitchen.

“What else can I do?”


124 Melissa Good Dar gazed at her, then ducked back into the laundry room and came out, tossing her a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. “They’ll be big on you, but a whole lot more comfortable than what you’re wearing if the lights go out,” she explained wryly. “It gets pretty warm in here without air conditioning.”

Kerry had caught the garments and glanced at them, then she gave Dar a wry grin. “Makes sense.” She took the clothing with her into the small half bathroom near the study and quickly changed, stifling a giggle at the ungainly size that made her feel like a child. “Good grief.” She removed the belt from her skirt and belted the long T-shirt, then folded her clothing up and returned to the kitchen in her bare feet. The marble tile felt cold and the terra cotta of the living room wasn’t much better.

Dar was still in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and studying the basket. She looked up as Kerry entered, and half grinned at her outfit.

“Definitely big on you.”

Kerry looked down at herself and returned the grin, shrugging her shoulders. “Beats the monkey suit anyway. Thanks.” She went over to the basket. “So, is this a hurricane party?”

The dark-haired woman turned her head and regarded her. “More or less,” she said. “I…there’s canned stuff in the closet for storms. I don’t have much around here otherwise.” She indicated the refrigerator. “I mostly order in from the island restaurants.”

Kerry leaned back on her elbows. “What kind of canned stuff?”

Dar indicated the closet. “I have no idea. I had someone bring an assortment in. I was too busy to do it myself.”

“Uh huh.” Kerry pushed off from the counter and explored the closet.

“Well, I think I can make something interesting out of this.” She looked over her shoulder. “You don’t cook much, do you?”

Dar shook her head. “Not at all. I have cereal for breakfast, and I can make coffee. That’s about it,” she admitted. “Why?”

Kerry sighed, selecting some items and putting them on the counter.

“Well, I’ve gotten myself stuck here in your face, so I might as well make myself useful. “ She went to the refrigerator and studied the contents. “Hmm, I like challenges. Ah…” She pawed in the freezer and retrieved several frosty boxes, which she also set on the counter. “Do you have anything, um, like a pot?”

Silently, Dar pointed to the cupboard. “What are you doing?”

Sea green eyes regarded her in mild amusement. “I’m cooking. I can do that, you know.” She grinned at Dar’s expression. Then she turned to the cabinet. “Let’s see, you said you had cereal.” She opened the door, then turned, and put her hands on her hips. “Dar Roberts, I am not seeing Tony the Tiger in your closet, am I?”

Dar hung her head, then looked up at Kerry through dark lashes with a sheepish grin. “Corn and sugar are two of the food groups, right?” she inquired hopefully. “Let me guess, you do Grape Nuts.”

Kerry glanced around, then tiptoed over to her, and whispered. “Cocoa Krispies, but don’t you tell anyone.”

They shared a conspiratorial grin. Then, unexpectedly, Dar reached out and put a hand on Kerry’s shoulder. “Thanks for helping me out, Kerry. Sorry Tropical Storm 125

it got you stuck here.”

Kerry cocked her head a little, and a gentle smile appeared. “If I helped, then I’m not sorry,” she replied. “Besides, I’d rather be stuck here with you than by myself in this. I hate storms.”

“Fair enough,” Dar answered. “Besides, I learned something new about you.” Kerry’s brows lifted. “You give killer massages.” Dar grinned, catching her by surprise. “Wasn’t on your résumé.”

Unable to suppress a grin of her own, Kerry said, “Glad my skills got put to good use.” They looked at each other in a lengthening silence until Kerry glanced at her culinary selections and cleared her throat. “Right. Well, let me get to it. You must be hungry, I know I am.”

“All right, I’m going to log in and make sure they’re prepping the building,” Dar replied, still gazing at her. “I’ll be in the study if you need anything.”

Green eyes lifted and met hers for a long, searching moment, then dropped away. “Okay. I finished up a bunch of stuff, and I reprinted those reports you were looking for.”

Dar nodded and slipped out of the kitchen, leaving her to her thoughts and the seldom-used range.