Hurricane Watch - DK2 (44 page)

Dar had gotten out of bed and came up behind her, putting her hands on Kerry’s shoulders and gently squeezing them. ”That happens,” she said. ”People grow apart.”

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Kerry nodded, stirring sugar into the cups. ”I know. I had a best friend in high school,” she answered. ”Peggy. Her parents and my parents were friends, so we saw each other a lot.” She turned, and handed Dar her cup. ”We had sleepovers, went to movies, shared our crushes, you know.”

Dar studied her. ”Yeah,” she finally nodded.

Kerry took a sip of her tea. ”You don’t know, do you?”

Surprisingly, Dar chuckled. ”Kerry, I was the girl your mother told you to stay away from,” she admitted. ”The one who ran with the guys, got into trouble, picked fights, and raised hell.” She sighed. ”No, there weren’t many sleepovers in my checkered youth. The movies were mostly R and X rated ones we snuck into, and crushes...” A faint shake of her head. ”I didn’t have time for those.” She glanced up. ”You still talk to Peggy?”

A quiet, sad look crossed Kerry’s face. ”No.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. ”In our senior year, she got into trouble. A guy she’d been dating got a little frisky, and she didn’t know enough to say no. She got pregnant.” A quiet pause. ”They sent her away somewhere. I got a letter from her, twice. The second time she told me she’d had her baby, a little girl.”A silence fell. ”And?” Dar gently prodded. ”What happened?”

Kerry looked up. ”I don’t know. I never heard from her again.

When my folks found out about the letters, they were furious. They told me if they caught me with her anymore, I’d be punished.” She exhaled slowly. ”I never got close to anyone again after that. It was just too complicated.”

”You’re friends with Colleen, though,” Dar objected, a little concerned at her lover’s pensive air. ”Kerry, everyone loves you. I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t, unless it was a total asshole who even his own mother would hate.” She spread a hand out. ”You could have hundreds of friends. You know that.”

”Too many people to worry about,” Kerry responded seriously.

”I’ve tried to keep my life simple since then.”

”Until now,” Dar stated quietly.

”Mm,” her companion wryly agreed.

”Kerry?”

”Yeah?”

Dar put a hand on her cheek. ”I think we are best friends.” She leaned over and kissed her forehead. ”C’mon, let’s go get some breakfast.”

Kerry smiled, then raised herself on her toes and claimed a proper kiss. She could taste the blackberry on Dar’s lips, and decided it went well with her peach. ”Okay, you’re on.”

They washed and dressed quickly, but not so quickly that a sponge fight was missed. Then they headed across the dew scattered ground in the brisk early morning air.

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”So.” Kerry linked an arm through her companions' ”You were a hellraiser, huh?”

”Oh yeah,” Dar confirmed. ”First class. I even had a switchblade.”

”Did you really?” Kerry gazed at her, in bemused surprise.

”Yeah, of course, the one time I almost had to use it I opened it backwards and nearly cut my own finger off, but...”

They both started laughing, as their steps scattered the rising mist.

IT WAS A very, tall horse, Kerry reflected, as she collected her reins, and gently nudged her chestnut mare in the ribs with hesitant knees.
Wow, has it ever been a long time.
She sighed, watching Dar enviously as the taller woman vaulted up on just the snazziest looking gray stallion, with neat black hooves, and a beautiful black mane and tail. The horse was restive, but Dar settled into her seat as though she was used to doing this on a daily basis, her calves pressing against the sleek gray sides, and calming the agitated horse down.

It figures she’s good at this too. Kerry sighed. She tried to remember exactly how she was supposed to direct the horse, sorting memories from her early high school days, when her mother had grudgingly allowed her English riding lessons from a local stable.

She’d loved the horses themselves, really, more than riding them.

The feel of the sleek, hard bodies under her hands as she learned how to clean them, and the soft feel of the tiny hairs on their muzzles as they lipped corn from her palm. They were simple, and undemanding, wanting only good grass and clean water, and from her, nothing but corn, and the odd apple if she felt so inclined.

Dominick had been her favorite, a stocky brown hunter, whose back she’d spent hours on learning to balance without holding on. She’d been so excited the first time she’d done the entire circuit without once grabbing for the front of the saddle, or the reins, or Dominick’s clipped mane.

Kerry smiled in memory, and patted her mare’s neck, comforted when the sedate animal craned her head around, and snorted a little at her. ”Hey there, girl. We’re gonna be good friends, right?”

The mare tossed her head, then looked up suspiciously as the gray stallion closed in, picking up his feet meticulously. ”Hey, you ready to move out?” Dar asked, reaching around to adjust the pack she carried behind her, which was full of a neatly wrapped picnic lunch. ”We can go up a nice trail just north of here. It ends up on a small plateau overlooking a little spring. It’s a nice place, and about a two hour ride.”

”Sounds great to me,” Kerry agreed, tipping her head back and drinking in the sunlight. The weather had cleared nicely, and it was cold with a light breeze. She was wearing a thick sweater and her
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heaviest jeans, complimented by a pair of boots Dar had insisted on buying for her, saying she couldn’t ride all that way in sneakers.

Sure I could,
Kerry reasoned, glancing down at the soft, creamy tan leather that snugly covered her calves.
Just glad I don’t have to.

She settled her heels contentedly and glanced over at Dar, who was resplendent in the very cheerful, heavy red sweater Kerry had insisted on reciprocating with. It contrasted nicely with her dark hair and tanned skin. Kerry decided she very much liked Dar in that color.

Her own hair was also neatly braided, and tucked into a knot at the back of her neck. She enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her skin and the cool touch of the wind which unexpectedly brushed across the bared back of her neck. She nudged her horse into a walk, following Dar’s stallion towards the start of a half hidden path going upward.

It was a wonderful day for a ride, and she nudged her horse a little faster, until she was side by side with Dar as they ambled up the path together. The trees, pines mostly, rustled over head, and she became aware of the small sounds of the forest around her.

Dead leaves rattling softly down.

The wind moving branches.

The soft, rhythmic footfalls of the horses.

Her breathing and the rustle of wool as Dar turned, and glanced at her. ”It’s beautiful,” she murmured, glancing back. ”God, it’s been so long since I’ve done this.”

Dar adjusted her hold on the reins, settling into her saddle with a feeling of quiet contentment. She’d managed to keep up her riding skills mostly due to a friend in the Redlands, who had a stable full of retired racers and half broken mustangs he’d let her rope and ride on during the odd weekend she could escape from the city.

It had been a while for her, though. The last time she’d gotten down there had been in early October, and she suspected her legs were going to remind her of that when the day was over. She watched Kerry out of the corner of her eye, and speculated they might be spending the evening giving each other massages.

A grin took over Dar’s face. ”Good boy.” She patted her stallion’s neck enthusiastically, finding nothing wrong with that prospective thought. ”Yeah, it is nice up here. I’ve been up here when the leaves are changing colors. That’s a sight,” she commented to Kerry.

”I know.” Kerry laughed. ”I’ve seen them. That was one of the weirdest things to get used to about living down there in Miami, no seasons.”

”Tch, there are too seasons.” Dar gave her a mock scowl.

”Summer’s different than winter.”

”Oh, right, eighty-eight degrees and one hundred percent humidity, versus eighty-eight degrees and seventy percent humidity.”

Kerry grinned at her. ”I forgot.” She straightened a little, then relaxed 240

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into her mare’s walk. ”This type of saddle’s more comfortable than the one I learned on.”

”English?” Dar inquired, receiving a nod in response. ”I learned bareback.”

”Figures.” Kerry laughed. ”I bet you open cans with your teeth, too.”Dar laughed with her. ”Not these pearly whites, thanks,” she disagreed cheerfully, then she pressed her knees into her mount’s sides, and urged him into a faster pace. ”C’mon, let's see if these guys can move.”

”Oh, um, er.” Kerry frantically tried to remember how to balance as her mare followed the now cantering stallion. ”I think I, oh—” She leaned forward a little and caught her balance over the horse’s stride.

”Okay, that’s better.” The mare was apparently encouraged, and she sped up, matching her stable mate’s pace. ”Good girl, yeah, that’s it.”

She gripped hard with her knees and leaned forward, as the mare caught up to Dar’s horse and she came even with her lover, who was grinning happily. ”Very nice Dar, very nice. I like this,” she shouted.

”You do?” The blue eyes twinkled merrily. ”Great!” With that, she leaned forward and gave the stallion a nudge, pushing him from a canter into a full gallop, as the path opened up into a long, narrow grassy area. ”C’mon!”

”Oh boy.” Kerry settled down and hung on, as her mare sped up doggedly to match the gray horse, her pace moving into a gallop that whipped the wind past Kerry’s ears and made her eyes tear up. It was very shaky for a moment, then she relaxed a little and began to enjoy it.

”Yeah!” She urged the mare forward. ”Go get ‘em.”

The two horses raced alongside each other, the grass whipping against their legs, and the wind tearing across their laughing riders’

forms.

Dar let the race continue until she knew they were coming to a narrowing in the path. She gently pulled the stallion up, and allowed Kerry to thunder past her. Kerry quickly started to slow when she saw Dar do so. She half stood in her stirrups and pulled back on the reins as the mare reluctantly slowed. They cantered down the narrowing path and up into a steepening slope for the next part of the ride. ”Wow, that was fun.” Kerry grinned. ”Brings back a lot of good memories.” She exhaled and caught her breath.

Dar gazed at her, smiling at the way the activity had brought a ready flush to her face. ”Yeah? For me too.” She slowed her mount to a walk, patting the warm neck with an idle hand. ”Here.” She handed over a water bottle.

”Thanks.” Kerry gratefully accepted it, and sucked down a mouthful, tasting the mineral tang of the local water as she swallowed.

”Oo, do you see that squirrel, Dar?” She pointed with the bottle at a bushy brownish red animal, who was clutching to the far side of a tree
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near the path, peering at them suspiciously.

”Sure do.” Dar slowed her horse and stopped him, then carefully fished a handful of nuts from her pouch, and tossed one at the ground under the squirrel's tree.

Then she waited, sitting in perfect silence, the wind blowing stray tendrils of dark hair about her face.

The squirrel peered at her, then slowly inched down the tree and scampered across the leaves, sniffing at her offering warily.

Kerry watched her lover, the angular face quietly intent, pale blue eyes flicking minutely as she watched the squirrel pick up the nut and nibble it. A smile pulled at Dar’s lips as she tossed another nut down, and the squirrel scampered right over to snatch it, apparently assured of her harmlessness.

Too bad I didn’t bring my camera, Kerry mused.
Dar Roberts
feeding squirrels. No one would believe it. I’d put it on my desktop as a
wallpaper.
”He’s cute,” she commented softly, getting a suspicious glance from their tiny friend. ”Yeah, you,” she told him.

Dar shifted her eyes to Kerry, then she held a nut up at about shoulder level, near the tree the squirrel had been perching on.

Obligingly, the animal scuttled up the bark, edging around until his head was level with hers, and they could see his earnest brown eyes.

”Here you go,” Dar murmured softly, holding it closer.

”D...” Kerry held her breath, watching the creatures sharp teeth get closer to her lover’s hand.

One clawed foot worked itself loose and made a grab for the nut, brushing Dar’s fingers as she released it. The squirrel darted around the back of the tree, and onto a branch, where he sat, nibbling the nut and chittering at her impudently.

One long finger pointed at him. ”Watch it, buddy. There are Fortune 500 CEO’s who’ve gotten less from me with a whole lot more trouble.” She warned the animal, then pressed her knees into her horse’s side and moved away from the tree.

Kerry joined her, glancing back at the squirrel, who was watching her with a vaguely disappointed air. ”That was pretty amazing.”

Dar glanced at her. ”What, that he ate nuts?” She raised an eyebrow. ”No it wasn’t.”

A gentle laugh. ”Okay, if you say so,” Kerry agreed amiably. ”But I know you wouldn’t have caught me getting my hands that close to something with teeth that sharp.”

Dar just laughed, and led the way upward.

It was a pleasant ride, mostly in the shade, mostly passing quiet trees and soft mossy rocks. The scent of the forest was strong around them, and the cold air brushed against their skin. Finally, the climb let out on a small plateau, which sloped to a rock surrounded spring. It was sunny, and Kerry found a smile crossing her face as they pulled the horses to a halt and she leaned back in the saddle. ”Wow. This is nice.”

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”Thanks. Glad you like it.” Dar shook her boots free of her stirrups and swung her leg over her stallion’s neck, dropping down off his back and landing with a little thump. ”Whoo.” She stretched cautiously, moderately pleased at the relative lack of stiffness. ”You up for some lunch?” She laid a hand on the mare’s neck. ”There’s a nice spot over there. I used to come up here and just spend some time, listening to the water and,” she paused, ”mostly just thinking.”