”Probably,” Dar agreed, mildly.
They munched in silence for a moment. ”What’s going to happen Monday?” Kerry finally asked, quietly.
”Don’t worry about it,” Her lover replied.
”He’s going to make a lot of trouble.” Kerry indicated the front rows of the bus. ”They all are.”
”I know. Don’t worry about it,” Dar repeated. ”Let me handle things.” She caught an errant drip of ice cream with an agile tongue.
”What’s the worst that can happen? They fire me?”
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Kerry absorbed that. ”Dar, I...I’d rather just resign, than see you go through all that,” she uttered, very softly.
”I don’t want you to do that,” Dar objected instantly. ”Just let me work things out, Kerry. You said you trusted me.”
”W...well yeah, I do. I just...” Kerry sighed. ”I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
A faint smile edged Dar’s lips. ”I’ll be fine. Let’s just forget about it until Monday, all right?”
Kerry exhaled. ”All right,” she agreed reluctantly. “I’ll just be glad to get back home.”
“HEY COL.” KERRY watched the traffic carefully as she steered the Lexus down the Rickenbacker causeway. ”We’re back.”
”Good grief, girl. What happened?” Colleen burbled from the phone’s receiver. ”You weren’t due back until tomorrow afternoon.”
”I know.” Kerry glanced at Dar, who was leaning against the door with half closed eyes. ”We had a little trouble.” Dar had wanted to drive, but Kerry had insisted and now she was very glad. The trip home had been uneventful, with most of them snoozing through the drive and dispersing rapidly as they got to the parking lot of the office.
”Oh boy,” the redhead clucked. ”Well, things are fine here. Your puppy’s been an angel, and I’ve just been lounging around watching football on this lovely television,” she told her. ”Did you guys get to eat?””Well, not really,” Kerry responded. ”Hang out. We’ll get something when we get there, or at least I will,” she added. ”Dar’s not really feeling well.”
”I’m fine,” Dar mumbled. ”I just have a headache.”
”Oh? Okay, I’ll turn on the lights in her room, then.” Colleen’s voice faded a bit as she walked. ”And turn the comforter down. You want me to put up some coffee or something?”
”That sounds great,” Kerry agreed. ”We’re about to get on the ferry. See you in fifteen minutes.” She hung up the phone and tucked it away, then steered the car onto the boat and parked it, reaching over and covering Dar’s hand with her own. ”Almost home.”
”Kerry, I’m fine.” Blue eyes turned her way. ”Honestly.”
”Dar, look, we both know you hate people making a fuss over you, but you’re limping and I know you’re hurting. Would you please save the ‘I’m so tough I could chew circuit boards’ attitude for everyone else?” Kerry scolded her. ”It’s okay not to feel well, for Christ’s sake.”
Dar slumped against the seat, poking her lower lip out a little.
”That’s a very adorable pout, but it doesn’t fool me.” Kerry felt a grin tugging at her lips anyway. ”I think it’d be a good idea for you to change, and lie down. Is that too much to ask?”
Dar sighed. ”No. No, you’re right.” She rubbed her temples. ”I 100
Melissa Good
need some aspirin, and an ice pack for this damn knee, and...” She scowled a little “More ice cream.”
Kerry started up the Lexus as the ferry docked and drove up the ramp, turning at the first turn and heading towards the condo. ”I think we have some mocha chip in the freezer,” she commented wryly.
”Though you might want to think about at least having a grilled cheese sandwich or something with that.”
”Ugh.” Dar winced. ”No. I...my stomach’s just not in the mood for that. I just want some ice cream.”
Kerry parked the car and got out, popping the trunk and grabbing both of their bags. “Okay. I hear you.”
Dar eyed her. “I’m being an idiot,” she acknowledged. “Humor me.”“I am. C’mon.” Kerry waited for Dar to join her at the steps and just kept herself from grabbing Dar’s arm as she limped up them. ”Got a little stiff, huh?” she commented offhandedly.
”Yeah,” Dar admitted, reluctantly. “Hurts like hell.”
“Uh huh.”
They both paused at the landing before going up the last set of steps, and looked at each other. Kerry wasn’t sure later which one of them moved first, but somehow she’d gotten her arm around Dar’s back, and Dar had put her longer arm across Kerry’s shoulders, in a quiet surrender that surprised both of them.
”Thanks,” Dar said.
”Anytime,” Kerry replied as she helped her up the stairs. The door opened as they got to it, and Colleen’s friendly greeting cut off in a spate of outraged Irish tainted expletives when she saw her friend’s condition.
”Good Mary and Joseph, Kerry. What in the hell did you two do to yourselves?” Colleen held on to the wriggling Chino and backed up to let them in. ”What happened to your hand? And you’re limping, Dar?”
”It’s a long story,” Kerry sighed as she helped Dar into her room.
”Let me get things settled, and I’ll tell you the sordid tale.”
Dar leaned against the wall and let her head thump back, shifting her weight onto her good leg and working at her belt buckle.
Kerry gently brushed her hands away and took care of that, freeing the belt then unbuttoning the soft, faded jeans. ”That coffee smells good,” she murmured, sliding the fabric down over Dar’s hips and letting it fall, then tangling her fingers in the soft cotton shirt and leaning forward to nuzzle Dar's chest. ”But you smell better.”
A soft chuckle. ”Good thing we showered before we left,” Dar remarked wryly as she nibbled an ear. ”Or you certainly wouldn’t have said that.”
Kerry smiled, kissing her lightly on the lips before she turned her attention to the injured woman’s leg. ”Oh, shit, Dar.”
Dar exhaled. ”Yeah, swelled up a little, I guess.” She regarded her Hurricane Watch
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knee in irritation. The skin was swollen and tight over the injury and colored a lurid collection of reds, blues, and purples. She pulled her shirt off over her head and draped it over the chair nearby. ”Can you hand me my shorts?”
Kerry retrieved her pajamas and handed them over, then knelt and gently touched her lover’s knee, which was slightly flexed as Dar kept her weight off of it. ”Dar, this looks really bad.” She glanced up, irreverantly enjoying the view. ”I think you should get it checked out.”
”Nah,” Dar disagreed. ”It'll be okay tomorrow, just needs a little rest.” She winced as she bent her leg enough to get her shorts on over the bad leg, then almost went down as she put her weight on it to get the other shorts leg on.
”Dar—” Kerry stood quickly and grabbed her, supporting her until she could manage to stand upright. ”Now you look here,” she snapped, reaching down and pulling her lover’s shorts up, then snapping the waistband to get her attention. ”That is not going to be okay.
Tomorrow, you’re going to call Dr. Steve.”
”C’mon, Kerry, it’s not—” Dar stopped, as a white hot bolt of pain ran through her and her jaw clenched. She waited a moment for the stars to stop spinning around her head and sighed. ”Okay, maybe it is.”
A gentle hand patted her belly. ”Good girl.”
”I’m not going to the hospital,” Dar warned. ”I hate them.”
”I know.” Kerry quirked a grin. ”Let’s see what Dr. Steve says.
Maybe he can take you first thing Monday morning at his office, hm?”