“Dar?”
Her head snapped to one side, and it took a few seconds for her rational mind to recognize the voice and register the sudden, completely unexpected appearance of her mother at her side. Her glare melted as she took a breath and blinked. “Mom? What are you doing here?”
“Well…” Cecilia eased closer, now that the impending erup-tion seemed to be under control. “Up ’til now I’d have said we were here just to piss everyone off and give you two some friendly faces.” She studied her child with concern. “But after that little scene, I’m not so sure that moral support is the only kind you need. Who the hell was that?”
Dar’s eyes darted over the crowd. “Dad’s here?”
“Yes,” Ceci said. “He was heading over to thump Kerry’s relatives a moment ago. Why?” She put a hand on Dar’s arm. “Dar, are you all right?”
Dar closed her eyes and took firm control of herself. “Yes.
Thanks.” Now that she knew they were safe, one worry was done away with. And she had another to take its place. She finally turned and regarded her mother. “I’m glad you’re here.” She drew a deep breath before addressing the question. “And that was Kyle Evans. He’s…he was Stuart’s chief bastard and whitewasher.” Her lips twitched. “His personal assistant.”
“Uh huh.” Ceci relaxed a little. “Tight-assed looking creature.
Sorry about the surprise. We saw you two on television last night and you looked like you could use a little support.”
“I tried to call you earlier.” Dar felt her pulse slow. “Colleen said you’d gone out of town, but she didn’t know where.” She scanned the crowd again and immediately found her father’s tall form as he slid into place beside the unsuspecting Kerry, just as 140 Melissa Good Kyle approached from the other side of her.
An unexpected smile crossed Dar’s face, which vanished just as quickly. “It’s been a rough couple of days. Most of her relatives are giving her hell.”
“So I gathered,” Ceci murmured. “Shall we go rescue her?”
Dar glanced around the room. It was full of dignitaries, most of whom were watching the cluster of people around Kerry with thinly disguised interest. She watched a camera flash and saw the reporter angle for a better shot of Kerry’s face as she stood holding her ground against her various aunts and uncles. She was tense; Dar could see that in the way she held her body and in the careful, controlled hand motions as she fought to remain civil.
“Yeah,” Dar said. “Let’s go do that.”
KERRY RETURNED THE thin smile from her youngest aunt.
Viciously polite. That was the term she was looking for. So far, though, she’d done all right. Even her uncles, aware of the cameras and the outsiders’ stares, were behaving themselves. “Sorry, what was the question?”
“What’s the social life down there like for you?” Marcia repeated. “I’m sure you participate, don’t you?”
“Not really,” Kerry replied quietly. “I do on a corporate level, naturally, but we have other interests besides parties.”
“Oh, really?” Her aunt was a slim, hawk faced woman with silvered dark hair. “Like what, cooking?” she asked with a touch of sweet sarcasm.
Keep cool, Kerry, she reminded herself. “I dabble in it, sure.
But mostly outdoor sports, really. Diving, underwater photography, that kind of thing.” She smiled. “And a little distance running and martial arts.”
“Funny,” Aunt Marcia sniped. “You were never interested in those things before.”
“Well, you know, there’s a limited amount of scuba diving available in Lake Michigan,” Kerry replied. “Miami’s a little more climactically friendly to outdoor sports. It’s been great for me. I’m having the time of my life.”
“Well you certainly look different,” her aunt said. “You definitely…filled out.”
Kerry refused to view that as the insult her aunt undoubtedly intended it to be. “Thanks. You look good yourself.”
“Yes, she certainly has changed.” A voice came from Kerry’s left, sending a chill down her back. She turned to find her worst nightmare looking back at her through cold, gray eyes.
“Hello, Kyle.” Her stomach lurched as she remembered the Thicker Than Water 141
last time they’d met. She felt someone brush lightly against her on the right side, but she remained in place, warily watching her old adversary. She honestly hadn’t expected this confrontation. Her mother had told her Kyle had been sent overseas months ago, and she’d figured… Damn.
“Yes, didn’t expect me, did you?” Kyle laughed. “I’ve just arrived. I’m so glad to see you.”
Kerry felt like throwing up. “Feeling’s not mutual.” She resisted the urge to look around for the comfort of Dar’s presence.
A thousand childhood fears reared their heads, a hundred memories of that smiling face echoed in places she’d thought well cleared. “Excuse me.”
“Oh, but we’ve only started to talk.” Kyle moved closer, very aware of the watching eyes. “Do tell me what you’ve been up to, Kerrison. I want to hear every detail.”
Feeling trapped, Kerry studied him to give herself a moment to think. “Nothing you’d be interested in, Kyle. I don’t think there’s much for us to discuss.”
Kyle put a proprietary hand on her shoulder. “Come now, is that any way to talk? Let’s—”
A hand covered his and removed it from Kerry’s arm with a power evident even in that brief contact. “Ah do believe this here young lady has other things she’d be liking to do.”
Kerry whirled in startled, disbelieving shock. She tipped her head back to take in the tall, grizzle haired man in a Naval uniform right behind her, his scarred face set in watchful stillness.
“Ya’ll might want to just let her get on with them,” Andrew drawled.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me, but I don’t think this is quite your affair…ah,” he glanced at Andrew’s chest, “Commander, is it?” Then he looked again. “Roberts. Ah.”
Andy put a long arm around Kerry’s shoulders. “Ah’d say you were wrong. This here young lady is very much mah business.”
Kerry exhaled her tension, and threw her arms around him in a hug. Kyle had truly rattled her, and to have Andrew show up at just the right moment… “Wow,” she whispered, squeezing him hard before she released him and turned back around. Kyle was watching Andrew with wary dislike, and the rest of her relatives were frankly staring at him. “Sorry. This was kind of unexpected.
This is my father-in-law, Andrew Roberts.” She almost enjoyed the flinches. “A very welcome surprise.”
“I’m sure,” Kyle murmured. “For you, at least.”
Andrew eyed him steadily for a moment, then looked around at the gathered relatives. “Hi there.” His Southern accent dripped 142 Melissa Good out like molasses. “Good t’meet y’all. This here’s mah wife, Ceci,”
he added, as Cecilia joined him.
“Hello.” Ceci smiled with charming frigidity at the crowd.
“Moments like this make even a rationalist like me seriously doubt Darwin.”
“Hi.” Kerry was hard pressed to restrain her glee at seeing Ceci, someone who could meet her relatives on equal footing and boot them in the rear with exquisite courtesy. It was seriously like having the cavalry riding over the hill. “When did you guys get here? Did you see… Ah.” She felt Dar’s presence at her elbow, and a warm hand touched her back. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Dar said. “Now the puppy-sitting makes sense.”