by Melissa Good
“I like this.”
“It’s like wearing tissue paper,” Dar remarked dryly. “Or nothing.”
“Mmhm. That’s why I like it,” Kerry agreed with an impish grin. “It only leaves a tiny bit to the imagination.”
Terrors of the High Seas 353
Dar looked down at herself then up at Kerry, as a faint chuckle of surprise escaped her. She reached out and tickled Kerry’s still bare navel. “I think you’re outgrowing your upbringing.”
Kerry chuckled a little herself and donned her underwear. She looked up to find Dar holding her bra, and obligingly put her arms through and turned to allow her partner to fasten it. She felt Dar’s knuckles warm against the skin of her back, then a much more intense warmth sent goosebumps over her as Dar nibbled at her neck. “Mm.”
Dar released her and picked up Kerry’s cotton shirt, holding it for her to don. She adjusted the collar and returned to her nibbling as Kerry attempted to button it, then reached around to help her when the holes seemed to elude her fingers.
“Dar?”
“Mm?”
“If you keep that up, this is a pointless exercise.”
“What’s pointless?”
“Dressing.”
Dar relented and just finished her buttoning, giving Kerry a pat on the behind as she released her again. She put on her shorts and buckled the belt, then pulled a polo shirt over her head and tucked it in.
Kerry regarded her, then plucked at the rich, royal blue polo.
“Black and blue. Are you sending a message, honey?”
Dar ran her fingers through her hair and settled her wraparound sunglasses on her nose. “Do I look mysterious and intimidating?”
“Until I look down at your Dilbert socks, sure,” Kerry snickered. “Nerd.”
Dar stuck out her tongue and went in search of her sneakers.
Kerry finished buttoning her denim shorts and followed, shaking her head.
THEY FOUND THE captain waiting for them at the front entrance to the hotel. As he spotted them, he smiled and inclined his head, then indicated the outside garden area. “Our power is still off, and the inside is quite stuffy.”
“I can imagine.” Kerry glanced up at the sun, out in its full glory. Despite the breeze, she could feel a little sweat gathering under her clothing, and she was unapologetically looking forward to taking them off again. She followed the captain into the garden, and they took a seat at one of the only two open tables, the wooden chairs warm from the sun.
Dar settled next to her, watching the captain warily from behind her sunglasses. “So,” she said, “what can we do for you?”
354 Melissa Good The policeman motioned over a harried looking waiter. “Some iced tea, if you please.”
The man gave him an apologetic look. “We have no ice, sir.”
“How about some lukewarm tea?” Kerry suggested. “And a couple of whatever sandwiches you probably have available.”
The waiter glanced at the policeman.
“As the lady says.” The captain smiled. “Since we have little choice, I gather.”
“Yes, sir.” The waiter scribbled, then ducked away.
The captain sat back and clasped his hands around one khaki-covered knee. He regarded them both in silence for a moment, then spoke. “Many things have occurred over the past several days.”
Now, that was a true mouthful. Kerry propped her chin up on her fist. “Sure have.”
“We were not able to locate the intruder into your rooms,” he stated. “And it appears as if the reputed employer of that person has also left the islands.” His eyes studied them intently. “We found that quite curious, since the marina tells us he had prepaid his engagement for some time”
“Really?” Kerry murmured. “Hm.”
“We heard that he left the marina last night and was going to meet someone. Would you know anything about that?” The policeman’s sharp eyes watched them intently. “He seemed so very interested in you.”
“Ah.”
“And then, I also hear that his boat was having some trouble in our storm last night,” the captain went on. “Not so surprising, yes?
It was a terrible storm.”
Dar studied him, aware of Kerry’s now tense form next to her.
“It was pretty bad,” she agreed. “We got caught out in it too.”
“So I understand,” the policeman said. “Do you, perhaps, have any information on any…mishap that may have befallen this gentleman? Out on the sea?”
Dar evaluated her options. She pulled down her glasses and met his eyes squarely. “If we knew why he wasn’t here, would you want us to tell you?” She heard Kerry’s indrawn breath, and considered the possibility that she’d just gone too far. “Captain?”
The captain’s face twitched a bit and his head cocked to one side. “I have heard some interesting things about this man, and about yourself, Ms. Roberts,” he commented. “If I investigate your statement, perhaps I will learn more interesting things.”
“You might,” Dar agreed.
“However, I might also learn some things that would require me to work very, very hard.” The captain gave her a charming smile. “And it is too beautiful a day to be working so hard. So, Ms.
Roberts, I will regretfully decline your so generous offer of Terrors of the High Seas 355
information.”
Dar gave him a mental point and removed a moral one. “Good choice,” she said. “Because, frankly, Captain, nice as your island is, we’re looking forward to seeing it behind us.”
“That is excellent to hear, Ms. Roberts.” The man turned as the waiter put down a plate of sandwiches and a flask of tea. “May I assume, then, that you have no interest in pursuing your complaint concerning the break-in here in the hotel?” he asked. “Or the disagreeable encounter you had at sea?”
Dar leaned forward. “I’ve settled with DeSalliers, and no, your friends the pirates are safe.” She enunciated the words carefully, but lowered her voice. “I’ve had enough trouble the last few days to last me the entire next year, thanks.”
“My friends?” the policeman replied. “Ah, but you have such friends as well, do you not?”
Dar inclined her head in affirmation. She picked up a half sandwich and inspected it, then grinned. “Oh, I bet this is popular with the rest of the tourists.” She showed Kerry the contents.
“Peanut butter.”
“It does not spoil so quickly.” The policeman graciously accepted the change of subject and selected his own square of white bread. “Other than these unfortunate incidents, you have enjoyed our hospitality, I hope?”
Kerry paused in the act of pouring some tea. “The islands are beautiful,” she said. “I can guarantee we won’t forget our visit any time soon.”
The captain took a bite of his peanut butter sandwich, set the remainder back on the table, and smiled. “Excellent.” He got up, giving them a sketchy salute with his free hand. “Do have a good day, won’t you?”
They watched him leave, his slim, uniformed figure gliding through the crowd with ease. Kerry waited until he disappeared, then she sighed and leaned back. “Wow.”
“Mm.” Dar took a sip of her lukewarm tea. “So, that’s that, I guess.”
Kerry nudged her sandwich with one finger. “Does that mean…he’s just going to ignore the fact that a whole boat and its crew has disappeared?”
Dar bit the edge of the glass as she looked at Kerry through it.
“I guess he figures it’s just one more boat gone missing in a long list of them,” she said. “I don’t know.”
“Wow. So much for the law.” Kerry frowned.
Dar folded her hands around one knee. “Yeah,” she said. “Well, maybe it’s for the best.”
“What?” Kerry said. “After what happened to Bud? And the map? And DeSalliers’ goons and his gun and—”
356 Melissa Good Dar looked at her. “And me choking him as we went overboard?” she interrupted in a low tone. “A
nd what happened with that guy spotting the raft with the searchlight, and Dad shooting holes in the boat?” She leaned over nearer to Kerry.
“They were trying to kill us!” Kerry hissed, in a mere whisper.
“What were we supposed to do, let them? Call the police?” she added with a touch of sarcasm. “Call CNN?”
Dar touched her fingertips to Kerry’s lips. “All I’m saying is, it’s over.”
Kerry stared at her for a long moment, then she let out a breath.
“What about the pirates?” She took another tack. “We can’t just leave that alone. Even if Bud and Charlie are involved, damn it, Dar.”
“No,” Dar conceded. “But we’re not going to get any help from the cops here.” She glanced around, but the tables near them were quite empty. “On the other hand, nothing’s stopping us from contacting those insurance companies when we get back to Miami.
Kerry relaxed a little. “That’s true,” she agreed. “If we take away their gains, maybe it’ll stop.”
“Exactly.”
“Think they’ll believe us?” the blonde woman asked wryly. “It all sounds so melodramatic.” She rubbed her temples. “How do we get ourselves into this stuff, anyway?”
“Natural talent.” Dar stood and offered Kerry a hand up. “Let’s go. I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.”
Kerry joined her, and they started off back toward the Dixie.
“This place’s overstayed my need to be here,” she muttered, dodging a flock of pigeons. “Next time, we hike Yosemite.”
“We’ll end up being chased by a bear.”
“That’s Yellowstone.”
“Whatever.”
“ARE YOU SURE this is a good idea?” Kerry whispered, as they relieved the grateful grocers of some of their perishables. “I don’t think those guys get along, Dar.”
Dar reviewed the choices in the rapidly melting ice. “They’ll be fine.” She pointed at a fish. “Get that one. Dad likes them.”
Kerry motioned to the man behind the counter. A call to the hospital had revealed that Bud was refusing to remain in its care, and he and Charlie were more than ready to leave the place behind.
Dar had immediately offered them a ride back to their island, and casually invited them to join her, Kerry, and Andrew for dinner on board their boat.
There was, everyone had realized, no real way for them to refuse, given the circumstances, and now Kerry was gathering Terrors of the High Seas 357
enough food to feed them, while hoping the evening didn’t turn out to be a disaster. “I don’t know, sweetie,” she sighed. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Dar added several loaves of local bread to Kerry’s basket, and sent the grocer into raptures by taking some endangered ice cream off his hands. “Dad agreed to it, so don’t worry.” She tossed in a jar of hot fudge. “Time to put all that crap behind them. Besides, whatever you make’s gonna be a lot better than anything we’d find out here tonight.”
Kerry accepted the compliment with a grin. “Only because we’ve got power,” she reminded Dar. “We’re going to have to run the engines to charge the batteries if you want anything more than half cooked.”
“No problem,” Dar murmured. “They’ve got hand pressured pumps. I was able to get them to fill the tanks this morning.” She eyed the rather pitiful looking vegetables. “Those look nasty.”
Kerry snorted. “Dar, if they were perfect examples of their species, presented in the best refrigerated case Publix could offer, you’d still think they were nasty.”
“Mm.”
“However, I’ll need some of them, so close your eyes or go look at the cupcakes.”
Dar chuckled. “I’ll go get something for us to drink,” she said.
“Meet you at the register.”
KERRY WAS JUST finishing the folds on the aluminum foil she’d wrapped around the filets when she felt the boat rock and looked up to see Andrew poking his head inside the cabin. “Hi, Dad.”
“’Lo there, kumquat.” Andrew entered and wandered over to where she was working, observing her creation curiously. “Making us some fancy dinner?”
“It’s not fancy.” Kerry dusted the fish with some finely chopped herbs, then poured a capful of cider over it before she sealed the packets. “It just a different way of cooking it.”
Andy leaned on the counter. “Seems a lot of trouble for a bunch of old sea dogs.”
Kerry turned her head and smiled at him. “Nah.” She put the packet with the others on top of the steamer grill insert in the big pot on the stove, and then set a layer of vegetables on top of it.
Another pot held water for pasta, and she put a lid on it before she wiped her hands on a towel and leaned back. “Okay, we’re ready,”
she said. “Coffee just finished. Want some?”
“Surely,” Andrew replied, taking hold of her sleeve. “Go sit yourself down and relax. Ah’ll grab it.” He tugged. “G’wan.”
358 Melissa Good Kerry decided to humor him. She eased out from the galley and walked over to one of the chairs, dropping into it and leaning back.
She watched her father-in-law setting the cups on the counter and fixing the coffee, his motions measured and precise as always. She saw Dar in that. Her partner had the same unconsciously methodical way of doing things. “Hey, Dad?”
Andrew glanced at her and raised one grizzled eyebrow.
“Are you okay with our dinner plans, or are you just humoring your daughter?”
A twinkle appeared in his blue eyes. “Waal…” He picked up the coffee cups and walked over, setting Kerry’s down and folding his big hands around his own as he took a seat next to her. “One thing Ah done learned about my kid—she does something, it’s got a reason,” he said. “She ain’t the frivolous type.”
That forced a chuckle out of Kerry. “Uh, no. That’s very true.”
“So, if she wants us to mix up, Ah figure we’ll all survive it,”
Andrew said. “Don’t you worry, Kerry. Ah know you had a tough time the past few days. Nobody’s gonna make this a bad night for you if Ah can help it.”
“Thanks.” Kerry smiled at him with quiet affection. “But I think it’s been tough for all of us. Bud didn’t have any picnic out there.”
“No,” Andrew said. “That’s true enough. He done all right though. Coulda been a lot worse. Them fellas on that there boat were mean folks.”
Kerry sipped her coffee. “Mean people really suck.”
“Yeap.” Andrew put his cup on the small table and leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees. “Hell of a thing to go on during your R and R,” he said. “You two should go find some quiet spot for a bit now.”
“We are,” Kerry said. “We’re going to spend a few days at the cabin. We figure we can’t get into too much trouble there.”
Andy snorted softly.
“Yeah, I know. I suggested Niagara Falls, and Dar said it’d probably stop flowing while we were there and we’d get blamed.”
Kerry sighed. “I think we’re fated for that sort of thing.”
“Waal,” he reached out and patted her knee, “least you know if you get into trouble, you got family to call on to help you out.”
Kerry blinked at him, then exhaled. “That’s true.” She nodded.
“That’s kind of new for me.”
Andrew nodded back, his expression serious. “Ah know that, Kerry, ’cause it’s the same thing Ah had with my own folks,” he said. “When Ceci and Ah ran off, they scratched me off the front page of the Bible, so Ah know what it feels like to have your own kin turn their backs on you.”
“It sucks.”
Terrors of the High Seas 359
“Yeap,” Andy agreed. “It does that. Took me a long time to get past it.”
“But you did.”
“Yeap,” he said again. “Ah come to realize you can’t figure nobody else’s attitudes. All you got control over is your own, so Ah got mine and just put them all out there
.” His eyes met hers. “Ah ain’t talked to my folks in thirty-some years.”
Kerry leaned forward until they were almost knee-to-knee. “Do you ever feel guilty about that?”
“Some,” Andy admitted. “Ah was close with my ma,” he said.
“But Ah knew the hating wasn’t on my side, and living mah life with Ceci made it worth all the trouble.”
Kerry took his hand and squeezed it. “Thanks.” He winked at her. She grinned, then found herself pulled to her feet as Andrew stood and offered her a hug, which she accepted willingly. “You rock.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, kumquat.” Andy patted her on the back and released her. “Don’t you worry about me and the boys.
’Bout time we flushed that old mess down the bilge anyhow.”
“Okay.” Kerry smiled. “Now all I have to worry about is whether or not everyone likes fish.”
“Kerry,” Andrew put a hand on her shoulder, “you spend the time putting what we did down the hatch, you like damn near anything that ain’t crawling or made of sandpaper.”
“Ew.”
“Wanna hear about what live crickets taste like?”
“No.”
“How ’bout worms?”
“No!”
DAR WALKED TOWARD the docks, having settled their bill with the hotel and picked up a few last minute things for their outbound trip. The hotel, she was sure, was more than glad to be rid of them, especially since they’d comped their room and only charged them for a few incidentals. Dar found herself just as glad to be vacating it, and had graciously left a decent tip in the room.
As she turned the corner that led to the waterfront, the sound of loud engines made her pause, and she stopped as she saw the big red and white Coast Guard cutter idling into a slip. Dar leaned a hand on the wall and looked at it thoughtfully. She could just walk on past it and get on the Dixie, but her sense of curiosity was getting the better of her and instead she angled her steps toward the boarding ramp the crew was muscling into place.
A tall, blonde officer trotted down the ramp, his steps slowing as he got to the bottom and spotted Dar coming straight for him, 360 Melissa Good making eye contact just to remove any doubt that he was the object of her interest. He stopped at the base of the ramp and waited, twitching his shoulders straighter as Dar closed in. “Ma’am?”
