Winds of Change Pt 1 (Dar and Kerry Series Book 12) Page 3

  Kerry covered her mouth hastily, muffling a laugh as they were hustled outside by Cynthia’s aides, who kept the crowd back as they walked down the steps and headed past the waiting limos, escaping the line of press who had stopped the Senator at the door to hers and were questioning her.

  “Hon.” Kerry put her hand on Dar’s back. “Better let me drive back. The lights are all out and I know this place better than you do.”

  Dar handed her the keys and they got inside, waiting for the doors to thump closed before being subjected to Ceci’s bursting into speech. “What a son of a bitch that man is,” she said. “Kerry, if that’s the church you grew up in, my hats off to you not turning out to be a wing nut.”

  “Who says I’m not?” Kerry felt her guts relax as she adjusted the seat and started the car up. “But yeah, he’s always been very conservative.” She got the defroster on, and flexed her hands. “I have no idea how they’re going to do the reception without any power. This is a little crazy.”

  “Yeap.” Andrew folded his arms over his chest. “Just a little bit.”

  Ceci made a snorting sound.

  The snow was coming down harder, and there were no lights working. Kerry was grateful that she knew where she was going as she carefully navigated through the storm. “Not all the people in that church were like that,” she said. “I remember when I was graduating from high school, there was a big thing about him, because his wife was caught embezzling money from the church and then she ran away, ended up crashing into a tree and killing herself.”

  Ceci cleared her throat. “I’ll try to refrain from commenting about judgments from God.”

  Kerry turned up the street her childhood home was on and accelerated cautiously. “He certainly doesn’t like me. Never did, matter of fact. Said I was impertinent and that my father should punish me more.” She turned in at the gate and paused, as the security guard came over, shielding his face from the snow as she opened the window. “Hey, John, just us.”

  “Ms. Kerry.” The man waved them through. “What a day, huh?”

  “What a day.”

  IT WAS COLD inside. Dar pondered the possibility of having to wear thermal underwear to the reception as she waited for Kerry to get off her cell phone. They’d left them in the house, and she had two voice mails on hers, but she’d felt no inclination to listen to them.

  It had become hard to remain engaged with work. Dar folded her arms and regarded the window, watching the snow fall in thick, drifting waves. She’d gotten to a place where she wanted to move on, and as hard as she was trying to tie things up, it was even harder to get people to realize she was serious, and wanted out.

  They kept trying to drag her back in.

  “Dar?”

  “Hm?” She turned as Kerry came over, folding her phone shut “What’s up?”

  “Lansing’s on generator. Just wanted to let me know they’re mostly online and just monitoring stuff. Said it was pretty quiet. Some people called but they know the blackout is what it is.”

  “Good.” Dar leaned her arm on Kerry’s shoulder. “What’s the protocol for wearing a bearskin rug to your sister’s shindig?”

  Kerry chuckled. “If this keeps up, we’re going to have to find a way to keep warm tonight. There’s no fireplace in this room.”

  “I’m sure,” Dar tilted her head and gently blew in Kerry’s ear, “we’ll think of something.”

  “Maybe we should start working on ideas right now.” Kerry turned her head and their lips met. “At least this gives me an excuse to change out of my scandalous dress and into something more comfortable.” She rested her head against Dar’s. “Wonder if they figured out what the power problem is yet?”

  “Change.” Dar gave her another kiss. “I’ll call around and see if I can find that out for ya.” She angled around behind her and unzipped the strapless gown, running a finger across the back of Kerry’s neck.

  “Didn’t need more goose-bumps, hon.” Kerry smiled, getting out of her gown while Dar picked up her phone, and opened it, Dar already dressed in a pair of casual pants and a blue knitted sweater. The chill hit her and she hurriedly changed, reluctantly bypassing her jeans for a pair of wool slacks and adding a sweater of her own to them.

  Dar waited for the phone to answer. “Wonder how long the cell sites will be up,” she mused. “Batteries can’t last that long.” She listened. “Yeah, this is Dar Roberts,” she said. “Yeah, happy new year to you too. Listen. There’s a power outage up here in Michigan. Do a search and tell me what the deal is, will ya?”

  “You should put a t-shirt on, Dar.”

  Dar looked down at herself, then at Kerry, one brow lifting. “What?” She covered the phone with one hand. “It’s cold!”

  “Under the sweater.” Kerry fished a cotton shirt from Dar’s bag and handed it to her. “Layers, right?”

  “Oh.” Dar juggled the phone and the shirt, pulling off her sweater and laying it on the dresser as she donned the shirt, then put the heavier garment on over it. “Yeah, I’m here.” She listened to the phone. “Ah. Okay. Thanks. Bye.” She closed the phone. “Iced over high tension power lines snapped.”

  “Ah,” Kerry brushed her hair. “Well, that’s fixable at least.”

  “Not before we have to make heat I hope.” Dar put her arms around Kerry from behind and leaned against her, watching their dual reflections in the mirror. “Maybe everyone’ll decide to go to bed early.”

  “Mm...maybe we’ll inaugurate the green room.” Kerry snickered. “We can put our initials on the wall.”

  Dar looked at her in puzzlement. “Didn’t you say this is where they put the married people in your family?” She watched Kerry nod, eyes twinkling. “And married people don’t have sex in the Stuart clan?”

  Kerry regarded her. “We’ve had this whole parents and sex conversation, Dar.”

  “Ah...that’s right. Kerry Cabbage Patch Stuart. I forgot.”

  They both chuckled. “Let’s go downstairs,” Kerry said. “See if they have any crackers and cheese at least. I’m starving.” She patted her companion on the side and they sat down to put their shoes on. With the dim gray light outside, it was almost twilight in the room, and without any electricity they heard the pops and creaks of the house around them.

  “Hope Mom has candles around.” Kerry stood up. “If this lasts all night it could end up getting creepy.”

  They left the room and walked along the hallway toward the stairs, coming face-to-face with Aunt Mildred. “Hi, there.” Kerry mustered up a smile. “Crazy weather, huh?”

  The older woman merely stared at her, then turned and started down the steps, leaving them behind.

  Dar and Kerry sighed in unison, then followed her. “At least Mom didn’t invite my uncles,” Kerry said under her breath. “Next time, please tie me up.”

  The main entry of the Stuart family house was filling with guests, but even with all the people the chill was evident. Someone had put candles in glass jars around the space, and there were two servants putting more out between taking heavy overcoats from their owners.

  There was no press around this time. Dar saw a line of them outside, but they weren’t getting much for their efforts and she put her hand on Kerry’s back as they reached the bottom of the stairs and paused. “There’s your brother.” She indicated the far corner of the space. “Should all the black sheep gather together?”

  “Baa.” Kerry led the way through the crowd, ignoring the veiled and not so veiled stares as they were recognized. Then she had to stop as a woman got directly in her path. “Excuse me.”

  “Don’t you have any shame?” the woman asked her.

  Kerry stared thoughtfully at her, one hand going back to put a halt on Dar’s forward motion, as she sensed her beloved partner about to take severe offense. “No, actually I don’t,” she answered in a mild tone. “Please get out of my way, Aunt April. This isn’t the place to make a scene. My mother wouldn’t appreciate it.”

  The woman shook
her head. “Your father would be so ashamed.”

  Kerry squeezed Dar’s hand. “He had a lot of reasons to be ashamed. Now please excuse us.” She pushed past the woman, keeping tight hold of her growling spouse. “It’s going to be one of those days isn’t it?”

  “I vote we go back to bed.”

  “Soon, hon, soon.”

  Chapter Two

  “IT WAS A complete screw up,” the stocky man told Dar, as they both held drinks and watched the candle lit crowd in the grand hall. “They knew those towers needed repair, but all that warm weather we had made them push it off.”

  “A mess,” Dar commiserated. “They know how long it’ll take to fix it?”

  The Governor shook his head mournfully. “I was hoping it was some systemic mistake because I knew I’d be seeing you today and maybe I could ask you to fix it.” He winked at her. “But no, they’ve got to take the grid offline, repair the cables, and power it all back up. Maybe late tonight. Probably tomorrow. I’m getting lambasted in the news.”

  “As if you could do something about it.”

  “Not only that, instead of sitting in my office being a martyr to public opinion I’m here, having a glass of the late Roger’s good scotch and wondering how Cynthia’s going to pull off hot canapés.” The Governor chuckled wryly. “Ah, the life of a public servant.”

  “You can have it.” Dar was happy enough to be holding up her bit of wall, the presence of the state’s magnate keeping off any of Kerry’s bolder relatives. “I’m looking forward to retiring.”

  The Governor eyed her alertly. “Do tell?” he said. “Aren’t you a little young for that?”

  Dar smiled, lifting her glass of white wine in acknowledgment. “Been fifteen years. I want to see the world a little without worrying about my cell phone ringing because someone’s mainframe crashed.” She spotted Kerry returning, carrying a plate. “I gave them six months notice. They’re working a package for me.”

  “Wow,” he said. “After everything that just happened? I heard you were neck deep in the recovery effort. Someone told me they were looking to suck you into the public sector.”

  “After everything that just happened,” Dar restated the words, “Life’s too short.”

  “Going to go out on your own?” he asked, with a shrewd glance at her. “Be your own boss?”

  “Eventually. I’ll have to stay out of the business for a while. Then probably get back in, do some consulting,” Dar replied. “Or who knows? Maybe I’ll open a dive shop down in the Keys where our cabin is. Leave tech alone.”

  “More power to you, lady.” He tipped his glass back at her. “Don’t tell my wife, she’ll be jealous.”

  Kerry arrived, offering up her small china platter. “Jealous of what?”

  “Are those sliders?” Dar started laughing.

  “My sister picked the menu,” Kerry said with a smile. “They’re brisket sliders, matter of fact. With horseradish sauce.”

  “Nice.” The Governor took one. “I was just telling Dar here my wife would be jealous of her retiring.”

  “Ah.” Kerry waited for Dar to serve herself, then took a sandwich and put the platter down on a nearby table. “I’m looking forward to that myself. I’ve got such a bucket list to get through.” She took a bite of the slider. “Mm.”

  “You too?” The Governor exclaimed.

  “Oh, yeah.” Dar licked a bit of the horseradish sauce off her fingertips. “I think we’re going to start with a visit to the Grand Canyon, then a cruise somewhere.”

  “White water rafting,” Kerry clarified, with a grin. “I figure I should get the camping stuff out of the way first because I know Dar doesn’t like it much.” She wiped her lips with a small napkin. “I think we’re going to fly into Vegas, then rent an RV and do the tour.”

  He chuckled. “Well, I can’t say I don’t envy you ladies.” He munched on his own sandwich. “Wish I could look forward to the same, but I’ve got four kids, and three of them are in college at the moment. I’m lucky I can manage Pizza Hut on Fridays.”

  “One of the bright points of only having a dog.” Kerry leaned against the wall next to Dar. “Besides, after all the world saving Dar’s done, she’s due.”

  “You haven’t done bad for a newbie.” Dar’s eyes twinkled a little.

  One of Cynthia’s aides approached them, catching Kerry’s eye. “Excuse me?”

  “Yes?” Kerry responded. “Did you need something?”

  “The Senator asked me to come find you. She’d like to speak to you for a moment,” the man said. “Could you come with me?”

  Dar and Kerry exchanged looks. “Excuse us,” Dar said, putting her glass down. “Probably needs some help with logistics.” She put her hand on Kerry’s back. “Lead on.” She met the aide’s eyes, daring him to exclude her.

  He looked like he wanted to. But Kerry motioned him on and he ducked his head, turning to lead the way across the room toward a cluster of people on the far side from where they’d been. The room was lit barely from the gray light of outside and the candles around the edges. As they approached where Kerry’s mother was, several servants appeared with more candles in their hands.

  Cynthia had a cluster of family around her, and Dar saw from where she was the dour faces and glaring eyes as they were spotted heading their way.

  What the hell was wrong with those people anyway? Couldn’t they take a damn day out to enjoy a wedding and leave off all the moralistic bull crap? Dar sighed, and felt an itch between her shoulder blades.

  Cynthia saw them and turned. “Ah, Kerry. Thank you for coming over. Your Aunt Mildred had a question and I thought perhaps you could answer it.”

  “Sure, if I can,” Kerry replied with internal reluctance, regarding the short, dumpy looking woman watching her with a sour look. “What is it, Aunt Mildred?” She was aware of Dar behind her, and as she took a breath waiting for whatever it was, she felt the casual warmth as Dar’s forearm came to rest on her shoulder.

  Backing her up. Kerry had to smile. Just like when she was at work, when present or not, Dar cast a very long shadow everyone was very aware of. She didn’t even have to drop her name anymore, it was just assumed by everyone that Kerry had her in her pocket.

  Aunt Mildred was Uncle Edgar’s wife. Uncle Edgar was explicitly told not to show up for the wedding, and Kerry knew that was for her benefit since their last interaction hadn’t been pleasant. She suspected Aunt Mildred was about to unload her resentment over that, though she was a little surprised her mother had bought into it and called her over.

  “I would like you to explain all this about log cabin Republicans,” Aunt Mildred said, in a firm tone. “Are you a part of them? You must be.”

  Kerry blinked a few times, her eyes flicking back and forth as she prodded her memory. Then she turned and looked at Dar. “Do you know what that is?”

  “I think,” Dar said, after a pause to consider, “it’s people who are gay, who are also Republican.”

  “Yes,” Mildred said. “They’ve been petitioning our firm about something. So you are a part of that?”

  “What does being gay have to do with log cabins?” Kerry wondered.

  “Tell you later,” Dar said, with a wry smile. “Let’s not get into that debate here.”

  “Huh?” Kerry gave her a searching look, then shrugged when Dar merely winked at her. “And no, Aunt Mildred, I may be both gay and a Republican but I don’t belong to any groups of either type, so I’m not sure if I can help you with whatever it is they want from you,” she said. “I stay clear of politics unless it concerns high technology.”

  “They want us to offer benefits to our employees, benefits like we offer to married people. To people like you,” Mildred said. “It’s ridiculous.”

  “Mildred,” Cynthia said, sharply.

  She turned on Kerry’s mother. “Don’t Mildred me. It’s terrible, how you promote this. We all remember how you and Roger felt about her lifestyle. Now you pretend you don’t? At lea
st I’m honest about it.”

  There was, Dar recognized, a bit of truth in that. “I’d like to think there’s no dishonesty, just a learning process,” she said in a mild tone. “As in, she learned we don’t have horns and tails and walk around seducing children. There’s nothing immoral about health benefits. You attract a better employee base if you treat them well.”

  “Of course you’d say that,” Mildred snapped.

  “Of course I’m the CIO of an international Fortune 500 company. So, yes, I have an opinion about that regardless of my sexual orientation,” Dar said, her voice taking on a sharper note. “But Mrs. Stuart also has the right to form her own opinions as well as have them change over time.”

  Cynthia gave her a brief, acknowledging smile. “There is more truth to that then you perhaps believe,” she said. “Mildred, this is not the place for your bias. Kerry has answered your question, now let’s all go sit down for some lunch.”

  “Disgusting,” Mildred said, unrepentant. “I don’t know how she had the gall to enter that church, or you had the temerity to allow it.”

  “Mildred, that’s enough,” Cynthia said. “Either go in to lunch, or leave. I will not have you here speaking this way to my daughter.” She gestured to the aide. “John, please escort my sister-in-law.”

  “Ma’am.” The tall security aide moved closer to Aunt Mildred, who ignored him and moved off in another direction, taking the elbow of another older woman and guiding her aside.

  “Sorry about that, Kerrison.” Cynthia sighed. “I really don’t know what’s gotten into people these days. Goodness knows there have always been feelings like this, but in public you were expected to act polite about it.”

  “Has been getting more blatant,” Dar noted. “Whole country’s gotten more conservative leadership, so they think it’s all right to say stuff like that. We’re the socially acceptable to bash minority people of this age.”

  Cynthia’s face twisted into an expression of distaste. “Surely not.”

  “Surely yes,” Dar replied. “Seen the Westboro jackasses on television?”