by Melissa Good
They emerged on the road and went to the nearest crossing, waiting for the traffic to clear before trotting across. On the other side was another path, and this one led east toward the ocean and the picnic area just beyond the first fringe of trees.
They had just barely entered the area when yells started going up. Dar looked ahead of them to find people running and waving. “Here we go.”
Mocha stopped in the path and barked at the oncoming crowd. “Yap! Yap! Yap!”
“C’mon, little man.” Kerry patted her leg. “Let’s go meet people.”
“Growf.” Chino chimed in, her tail wagging gently back and forth, as the crowd swirled around them and they moved forward into it.
“GLAD YOU STOPPED by, Dar.” Alastair was sitting on a piece of the seawall, dressed in khaki shorts and a golf shirt. “Nice shindig.”
Dar was sitting next to him, with Chino curled in a ball at her feet, damp and exhausted. “It is nice,” she said. “We should have done this more.”
“Yes, we should have,” Alastair agreed. “So how’s it going?” He glanced sideways at her. “Hear you’ve got the new office space up and going.”
She folded her bare arms over her chest, her skin absorbing the sunlight and drying the seawater from her bathing suit. “Full speed ahead,” she said. “Aside from Gerry and the government, I’ve had some nibbles for some new projects from six or seven potential clients.”
Alastair chuckled. “I figured you would after that piece ran. Board’s a little uncomfortable with the idea that reporter put forward about innovation.”
“There are plenty of innovative people left there, Alastair. I only took myself, my wife, and four people with me. And that’s all. I gave my word on it.”
He scratched his nose. “I think it’s you they’re uncomfortable about. As in, was that guy right, and were you the driver behind a percentage of the success we’ve had in the last decade?”
Dar rolled her eyes.
Mari approached them and took a seat next to Dar, giving her a pat on the leg. “Had a lot of people come up and tell me they were really glad you came,” she said. “Not that it should be a surprise to you, or to Kerry.”
They both looked over at a nearby cluster of picnic tables, where Kerry was surrounded by her former staffers, a smile on her face. She had a t-shirt on over her suit, and some board shorts on against the chill, and she was more than a little windblown.
“It’s a nice party,” Dar said. “I was just telling Alastair we should have done this more often.”
She nodded. “Hard to get budget for it but you’re probably right.”
“How much could this cost, Mari?” Dar asked. “It’s all burgers and dogs, and condiments from the local warehouse store. You don’t rent the space, do you?”
“No, I know,” she said. “You just get tired of fighting when you want to do employee recognition stuff. No offense, Alastair, but I kind of had it up to here listening to you all in budget meetings telling us we had to tighten up when we know the whole board had golf memberships and tickets to ball parks.”
Alastair regarded her soberly. “Executive perks,” he said. “But that comes with hiring executive talent.”
Mari looked at him, then looked at Dar, then got up and walked off, shaking her head.
“Now what did I say?” He sighed. “Can’t make anyone happy down here it seems.”
“I think her point was, you never offered me any of the perks,” Dar said, hiking a knee up and resting her elbow on it. “I was never one of the good old boys.”
“You never wanted any of that,” he said. “Don’t tell me now you did.”
“No, I didn’t. But the discrimination was pretty evident. If you have a VP of HR, that matters to them, and Mari and I go back a ways.
Maybe she thinks one less golf membership should be translated to a couple more beach parties for the rank and file.”
“You came from the rank and file,” Alastair said
“And I would way rather have had beach parties. Maybe I should have initiated that,” Dar said. “I realized lately that my support in the company always came from the ranks. Not you all.”
“And that’s why the board wants to make sure your replacement is one of them, not one of the gang,” Alastair said. “Tried to talk them down off that ledge, but they weren’t having any of it. So they’re bringing in some guy who worked as CIO for one of our competitors for three or four years. I hear he’s a hard ass.”
“Brook Higgs?”
He nodded.
“Alastair, he’s an idiot,” she said, bluntly. “He got the job with those other guys because his daughter was screwing around with the CEO’s son.”
Alastair regarded her in surprise. “Didn’t know you followed gossip, Dar.”
“I don’t. He told everyone in that think tank high level tech exec meeting last August,” she said. “The one you made me go and speak at.”
“He said that in a panel?”
“He said that at dinner, with eight of us at the table,” Dar said. “Too much free booze in play. But he must have put in a decent team because they’re not doing all that bad.”
Alastair sighed. “Well, he starts in two weeks. The board likes him, he’s on the membership committee of two of the big clubs in Houston. Think they’re going to base him there, not here.”
“Uh huh.”
“He’s got a hot young guy he’s bringing in to take Kerry’s place,” Alastair went on, after a moment. “He’ll be in Miami. No one’s really looking forward to it. Except for me, since I told the board I’d hang around here until the new guys were in, and then I’m back to my ranch.”
Dar exhaled. “Well, sorry about that.” She looked over as the crowd around Kerry burst into laughter. “Uh oh. That’s probably an embarrassing story about me getting told.”
Two of the building security guards came over, waiting hesitantly until Dar noticed them and waved them forward. “Hello, Ms. Roberts,” the taller of the two said. “We just wanted to come over and tell you how much we missed you.”
Dar smiled at them. “Given that the best thing about me you could say is I know your names, why?”
“Because you know our names,” the man said immediately. “Hardly anyone else does.” He glanced at Alastair. “Excuse us, sir.”
“No problem, people,” Alastair said. “I never had any illusion as to who exactly ran the company up until last month. I’m glad Dar got the personal respect she did, and that so many of you spoke up about that to me. Loudly.”
The two guards returned the smile. “Ms. Roberts, I know you said you can’t take a lot people with you, but if you ever need security people at that new place of yours, please let us know,” he said, firmly. “Because I’d leave ILS in a heartbeat.”
“Me too,” the woman with him agreed. “I still remember the night we had that guy in the lobby yelling at us in some language, and everyone we called just told us to call the police.” She looked at Alastair. “Then Maria called you and you came down and took care of him and it turned out all he wanted was to get hold of his wife because his daughter was giving birth before her time.”
Dar blinked. “That was a long time ago,” she said.
The woman nodded. “It was my first week at work,” she explained. “And I was so scared because he was so upset, but then people told me, no matter what the problem was, you would solve it.”
“Poor guy,” Dar said. “He had just moved here, he and his wife relocated from Europe. He had no idea what to do and neither did his wife.” She glanced at Alastair. “I ended up driving them to Jackson and interpreting for them. No one in the emergency room spoke German.”
“When was this?” Alastair asked.
“Ninety-five or ninety-six,” Dar guessed. “I remember telling the desk not to tell anyone I’d done it.”
The woman nodded. “That’s right.”
“Why?” Alastair asked, in a curious tone.
“Wasn’t what you pa
id me for?” Dar felt more than a little embarrassed, and she was pretty sure she was blushing. “But anyway, you two, you’re right. I can’t ask you to come work for us. But if you happened to find yourselves unemployed, come see me. Can’t guarantee there’s a place, but we can always talk about it.”
The man grinned. “Thank you,” he said. “And thanks for coming over today. We all...” He looked vaguely behind him and gestured with one arm. “We wanted to get to say goodbye.”
Unexpectedly, Dar felt a lump rise in her throat, and she paused a minute for it to ease. “Me too. Sorry it went down like that. Wasn’t really fair to anyone.”
“No, ma’am, it wasn’t,” he said. “But we’re glad you’re doing okay.”
They waved, and turned to leave, scuffing through the sand heading back over to where an ever larger crowed was gathering around the picnic tables.
“Y’know, Dar? You’re right. Wasn’t really fair to anyone,” Alastair said, after a long pause. “Wish I had a chance to go back and do it all over again.”
Dar paused thoughtfully, then shook her head. “Water under the bridge.” She stood up. “C’mon, let’s go get some of those marshmallows and enjoy the party.” She towed Alastair over to the crowd, with Chino trotting behind them. “Let’s have fun.”
About the Author
Melissa Good is an IT professional and network engineer who works and lives in South Florida with a skillion lizards and Mocha the dog.
Other Melissa Good Books
Tropical Storm
From bestselling author Melissa Good comes a tale of heartache, longing, family strife, lust for love, and redemption. Tropical Storm took the lesbian reading world by storm when it was first writ-ten...now read this exciting revised “author’s cut” edition.
Dar Roberts, corporate raider for a multi-national tech company is cold, practical, and merciless. She does her job with a razor-sharp accuracy. Friends are a luxury she cannot allow herself, and love is something she knows she’ll never attain.
Kerry Stuart left Michigan for Florida in an attempt to get away from her domineering politician father and the constraints of the overly conservative life her family forced upon her. After college she worked her way into supervision at a small tech company, only to have it taken over by Dar Roberts’ organization. Her association with Dar begins in disbelief, hatred, and disappointment, but when Dar unexpectedly hires Kerry as her work assistant, the dynamics of their relationship change. Over time, a bond begins to form.
But can Dar overcome years of habit and conditioning to open herself up to the uncertainty of love? And will Kerry escape from the clutches of her powerful father in order to live a better life?
ISBN 978-1-932300-60-4
eISBN 978-1-935053-75-0
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Hurricane Watch
In this sequel to Tropical Storm, Dar and Kerry are back and making their relationship permanent. But an ambitious new colleague threatens to divide them—and out them. He wants Dar’s head and her job, and he’s willing to use Kerry to do it. Can their home life survive the office power play?
Dar and Kerry are redefining themselves and their priorities to build a life and a family together. But with the scheming colleagues and old flames trying to drive them apart and bring them down, the two women must overcome fear, prejudice, and their own pasts to protect the company and each other. Does their relationship have enough trust to survive the storm?
ISBN 978-1-935053-00
eISBN 978-1-935053-76-7
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Eye of the Storm
Eye of the Storm picks up the story of Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart a few months after Hurricane Watch ends. At first it looks like they are settling into their lives together but, as readers of this series have learned, life is never simple around Dar and Kerry. Surrounded by endless corporate intrigue, Dar experiences personal discoveries that force her to deal with issues that she had buried long ago and Kerry finally faces the consequences of her own actions. As always, they help each other through these personal challenges that, in the end, strengthen them as individuals and as a couple.
ISBN 978-1-932300-13-0
eISBN 978-1-935053-77-4
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Red Sky at Morning
A connection others don’t understand... A love that won’t be denied... Danger they can sense but cannot see...
Dar Roberts was always ruthless and single-minded...until she met Kerry Stuart.
Kerry was oppressed by her family’s wealth and politics. But Dar saved her from that.
Now new dangers confront them from all sides. While traveling to Chicago, Kerry’s plane is struck by lightning. Dar, in New York for a stockholders’ meeting, senses Kerry is in trouble. They simultaneously experience feelings that are new, sensations that both are reluctant to admit when they are finally back together. Back in Miami, a cover-up of the worst kind, problems with the military, and unexpected betrayals will cause more danger. Can Kerry help as Dar has to examine her life and loyalties and call into question all she’s believed in since childhood? Will their relationship deepen through it all? Or will it be destroyed?
ISBN 978-1-932300-80-2
eISBN 978-1-935053-71-2
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Thicker Than Water
This fifth entry in the continuing saga of Dar Roberts and Kerry Stuart starts off with Kerry involved in mentoring a church group of girls. Kerry is forced to acknowledge her own feelings toward and experiences with her parents as she and Dar assist a teenager from the group who gets jailed because her parents tossed her out onto the streets when they found out she is gay. While trying to help the teenagers adjust to real world situations, Kerry gets a call concerning her father’s health. Kerry flies to her family’s side as her father dies, putting the family in crisis. Caught up in an international problem, Dar abandons the issue to go to Michigan, determined to support Kerry in the face of grief and hatred. Dar and Kerry face down Kerry’s extended family with a little help from their own, and return home, where they decide to leave work and the world behind for a while for some time to themselves.
ISBN 978-1-932300-24-6
eISBN 978-1-935053-72-9
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Terrors of the High Seas
After the stress of a long Navy project and Kerry’s father’s death, Dar and Kerry decide to take their first long vacation together. A cruise in the eastern Caribbean is just the nice, peaceful time they need—until they get involved in a family feud, an old murder, and come face to face with pirates as their vacation turns into a race to find the key to a decades old puzzle.
ISBN 978-1-932300-45-1
eISBN 978-1-935053-73-6
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Tropical Convergence
There’s trouble on the horizon for ILS when a rival challenges them head on, and their best weapons, Dar and Kerry, are distracted by life instead of focusing on the business. Add to that an old flame, and an aggressive entrepreneur throwing down the gauntlet and Dar at least is ready to throw in the towel. Is Kerry ready to follow suit, or will she decide to step out from behind Dar's shadow and step up to the challenges they both face?
ISBN 978-1-935053-18-7
eISBN 978-1-935053-74-3
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Stormy Waters
As Kerry begins work on the cruise ship project, Dar is attempting to produce a program to stop the hackers she has been chasing through cyberspace. When it appears that one of their cruise ship project rivals is behind the attempts to gain access to their system, things get more stressful than ever. Add in an unrelenting reporter who stalks them for her own agenda, an employee who is being paid to steal data for a competitor, and Army intelligence becoming involved and Dar and Kerry feel more off balance than ever. As the situation heats up, they consider again whether they want to stay with ILS or strike out on their own, but they know they must first finish the ship project.
ISBN 978-1-61929-082-2
eISBN 978-1-61929-083-9
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Moving Target
Dar and Kerry both feel the cruise ship project seems off somehow, but they can’t quite grasp what is wrong with the whole scenario. Things continue to go wrong and their competitors still look to be the culprits behind the problems. Then new information leads them to discover a plot that everyone finds difficult to believe. Out of her comfort zone yet again, Dar refuses to lose and launches a new plan that will be a win-win, only to find another major twist thrown in her path. With everyone believing Dar can somehow win the day, can Dar and Kerry pull off another miracle finish? Do they want to?
