Hurricane Watch - DK2 (45 page)

”Sure.” Kerry got off her mare in a more conventional manner, getting her boots on the ground and easing her knees straight. ”Oh brother.” She rubbed her thigh. ”I’m going to feel this, that’s for sure.”

Dar took the mare’s reins. ”Come over here. I’ll get the lunch and try to work the kinks out of you, okay?” She felt a little guilty about dragging Kerry out on a ride this long. ”You could have said you wanted to do something shorter.”

”No, no. I’m fine.” Kerry tensed and relaxed her quadriceps.

”Really.” She walked gingerly after her lover, feeling the cramping ease as she kept moving. ”It was great. It was definitely worth it, Dar.”

”Uh huh.” Dar tied the horses under a tree, where there was a patch of mostly dried but still edible grass. She removed the lunch pack, carrying it with her as she guided Kerry up to a sunny spot near the spring. She set the pack down and dropped to the ground next to it, patting the earth. ”Siddown.”

Kerry did so, cautiously stretching her legs out in front of her and leaning back on her hands. ”I feel bowlegged. That horse is a lot bigger than the ones I rode.” She studied her mare. ”A lot chunkier, too.”

Dar chuckled, and eased down with one knee between her lover’s calves. ”Okay just relax.” She began to work on the tense muscles under the snug denim.

”Ungh.” Kerry closed her eyes in pleasure and exhaled. ”You are sooo good at that.” She relaxed as the long fingers worked their magic, easing the tight cramping.

”Better?” Dar finished, patting her leg lightly.

”Uh huh,” Kerry agreed, gazing at her through half closed eyes.

”Do I get a repeat when we get back?”

Dar settled on the ground cross legged, tucking her boots under her knees and pulling the pack over. ”Sure,” she answered with a chuckle.

”That hot Jacuzzi sounds good, doesn’t it?”

”Mmmmm.” Kerry sat up and gingerly crossed her legs. ”You bet.

Whacha got?”

Dar pulled out packages containing sandwiches. ”Chicken sandwiches,” she told her companion innocently, handing Kerry hers.

”Just like you asked for.”

Kerry peeked under the wrapping and burst into laughter. ”Dar, you are just a...a...” She slapped the taller woman on the leg. ”You’re so bad.” She smoothed the paper out and sighed. ”Smells good, though,”

she admitted, as the scent of the crispy fried chicken sandwich rose to
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her. ”What else?”

Dar pulled out two padded cases and handed one to Kerry.

”Newest gadget, keeps things warm for over three hours.” She opened up a large napkin onto the ground and set her case on it, then pulled out small dispensers of salt, pepper, and three small jars.

”What in th...” Kerry unzipped the container, and was surprised when steam escaped, bathing her face in a gentle, familiar scent. ”You brought Mr. Potato Head on a wilderness picnic?”

Dar peered inside. ”Yep.” She indicated her own container. ”I have salt, butter, pepper, chives, sour cream, and bacon bits for them, too,”

she announced in a satisfied tone, as she speared a mini carrot with a toothpick and stuck it in Kerry’s potato. ”There. I even brought you a carrot.” She pointed. ”Look, Mr. Potato Head has a nose.”

Kerry removed it and stuck it in her mouth.” Not anymore,” she disagreed, munching the carrot.

”What about an ear?” Dar next poked a bit of cold broccoli in place, and then evaded Kerry’s hands and added a slice of melon as a mouth.

”There.”

”Stop it.” Kerry slapped her. ”Stop playing with my food, Dar, or I’ll turn Mr. Potato Head into Mashed Potatoes ala Dar’s shirt.”

Dar took the hint and chuckled, then broke open her own potato and applied everything to it she could get her hands on. ”Steven sort of reminded me of a Mr. Potato Head.” She commented wryly. ”Must have been those ears.”

Kerry laughed, as she neatly sliced up her lunch and ate it. ”Yeah, maybe. I’ll have to get you one of those to keep in your office.”

A dark brow cocked. ”So when I say 'off with his head' I can demonstrate?” she inquired wryly. ”No thanks. It sends a very mixed message.” She finished up her sandwich and scooted back a little, leaning against a sun warmed rock and stretching her legs out. Kerry tucked her wrappers away as well and crawled over to her, snuggling up against her chest and relaxing as Dar wound an arm around her waist and she leaned back.

Dar felt the warmth of the rock at her back, and the warmth of her lover against her, and decided it was about the most pleasant feeling she’d ever had. She gazed over Kerry’s shoulder, watching the running spring with a peaceful sense of contentment.

And familiarity. Her brow creased. No, she and Kerry had never done this before, that she was pretty sure of, and yet...

She gave Kerry a little squeeze, and Kerry reciprocated by pressing a hand against hers, and laying her other hand on Dar’s leg, stroking it gently.

Dar could smell the clean scent of shampoo, where Kerry’s head was resting just under her chin. Dar let her cheek drop a little, to rest against it, feeling a sudden wash of strong familiarity that brought a faint, pained smile to her face.

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It was her dream, one of them. One of those strange ones, where she clearly remembered resting in a quiet glade not too different from this one, with the soft sound of water and the smell of the forest around them. She’d been leaning on a rock, her arm wrapped around a warm, somnolent body, whose fingers had gently traced across her thigh just...

Exactly...

As they were now.

Dar shivered in pure reflex, her eyes opening, as a silver hued image of the dream flashed through her mind.

”Hey?” Kerry turned to look up at her. ”What’s wrong?”

A soft exhale. ”Just a bit of, I don’t know, déjà vu, I guess.” She forced a laugh. ”Or something from a dream I—”

Kerry's eyebrows knit. ”You know, I get that a lot around you,” she commented casually. ”Or, I have these weird dreams where you and I are doing really strange stuff.”

Dar gazed at her. ”Me too,” she admitted softly. ”Like just now.”

Her eyes shifted. ”I think I had a dream a lot like this, trees, water, you and I lying like this. I was holding onto you.” She paused, considering.

”Weird.”

Kerry shrugged. ”It happens. I used to have dreams like that when I was in school, about stuff going on there. It’s just your brain cleaning house.”

”Yeah,” Dar agreed, feeling a sense of relief. ”You’re right. Hey.”

She picked up a flat stone and flipped it towards the spring. ”Can you do that?”

”Oh god, I’ve always wanted to, figures you can.” Kerry dug into the ground next to them and came up with a couple more relatively flat stones. ”Here, teach me.”

With a tender smile, Dar reached and arm around her and guided her arm, feeling a sweet echo in her words. ”Okay, like this, sideways.”

They spent a very pleasant hour just tossing rocks and snuggling in the sun, as the horses contentedly cropped grass, and the sun rose over head. Finally Dar patted her leg.” You ready to head back?”

”Mm.” Kerry had her head pillowed in Dar’s lap, and was stretching her legs out in lazy bliss. ”At least we get to sit down this afternoon. Are you up for some sailing?”

”Sure,” Dar agreed readily. ”I’ve never been on one of those small boats. The big ones you just keep out of the way of the crew. I’m looking forward to it.” She tickled Kerry’s ear. ”C’mon, let’s get going.”

They stood and gathered their things, with Dar packing everything neatly back inside the lunch pack while Kerry wandered over to the spring and tasted its water. ”Hey that’s not bad.” She grinned at Dar.

”It’s sweet.”

Dar glanced over. ”Yeah, watch it. Looks like there’s a beehive over there. Be careful.”

Kerry blinked. ”Oh, thanks.” She carefully skirted the spot and
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walked over to where her mare was, untying her and gathering up the reins. ”Okay, girl. What’s your name again? Cookie?”

”Brownie,” Dar supplied wryly. ”But you were close.” She got up into her saddle and settled her knees, tucking her reins in one hand as she half turned the stallion towards Kerry's horse.

”Yeah, yeah, what’s his name, Silver?” Kerry put a foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up, feeling the mare shift under her. ”Ah ah, none of that.”

”Smokey,” Dar replied amiably. ”Careful.”

Kerry slid forward a little in the saddle and tried to find a comfortable place for her knees to grip. They were still a little sore and she shifted, then half turned. ”Do yo...whoa!”

The mare had stepped sideways, and one hoof caught on a root.

With a snort, the horse crab hopped sideways, bucking a little and almost throwing Kerry off. ”Whoa!” The blonde woman hung on, though, and pulled the mare’s head around, grabbing tight as she jumped up out of the little hollow she’d moved into and bolted towards the stream for a few steps.

Enough to bring her right up against the bush with the beehive, her hindquarters brushing its outer leaves, and disturbing the sluggish insects.

”Kerry, uh.” Dar’s eyes widened a little. ” Be careful there. I...”

”I am being careful,” Kerry complained, trying to get the mare straightened out. ”C’mon, you... a...holy— Whoa,whoa! Shit!”

The mare snorted as several bees settled and stung her, then she squealed and bolted, jerking the reins out of Kerry’s hands as she headed out and down the long, sloping path. ”Hey! Hey! Slow down!”

”Son of —” Dar slapped her stallion on the side, kicking him into a run as she gave chase. ”Kerry!”

I’M IN TROUBLE.
Kerry hung on to the front of the saddle, watching the reins fly uselessly near the ground.
Shit.
”Hey, c’mon, c’mon slow down!” She called to the mare, who was snorting. Both back heels kicked up, almost tossing Kerry over the horse's head, and she gripped the saddle frantically. ”Okay, okay.”

The mare whinnied, and bucked, then chose a cedared path down the hillside, shaking her head as the reins irritated her. Kerry heard hoof beats catching up, and she half turned to see the gray stallion bearing down on her, Dar’s body pressed to his back, one hand free, the other clenching leather reins.

Cursing, she turned around, and leaned forward, trying to grab one of the flapping pieces of leather, which flicked annoyingly just out of her reach.

”Hang on, Kerry,” Dar yelled as she closed in, her horse snorting as his nose neared the mare’s flying tail.

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Unfortunately, this only scared the already terrified mare, who redoubled her pace, slipping a little in the cedar chips. ”Whoa, whoa!”

Kerry yelled, her eyes widening as she saw a bend coming up. ”Whoa, take it easy, wh—” The horse spun, and kicked, and she lost her grip, her body going the opposite direction and flying through the air.

The mare got around the bend and took off running, as her former rider slammed unceremoniously against a tree trunk, then dropped to the ground with a leaf scattering thump.

Oh my god.
Kerry just lay there for a long moment trying to get air back into her lungs, almost not hearing the rapidly slowing hoof beats, and the thump as something large hit the ground running, scattering cedar chips all over her as the steps came skidding to a halt at her side.

Hands touched her, and then Dar’s urgent voice reached her ears.

”Don’t move.”

”Couldn’t if I wanted to,” she murmured, counting the stars circling her head. ”Ow. Damn that hurt.”

”Where did you hit?” the low voice asked. ”You got any shooting pain anywhere? How about your neck?”

Kerry had to think about it. ”My shoulder.” She flexed her hands a little. ”Fortunately it was my butt that hit the ground. I’m sure I didn’t take any damage there.” The numbness was wearing off, replaced by aching. ”Whoo.”

”Can you feel everything?” Dar asked nervously. ”Your hands, feet, no numbness?”

Fingers, toes, eyelashes.” Yeah, ” Kerry sighed, moving her head a little. ”It’s all there. It just hurts. I think I just got the wind knocked out of me,” she told her companion. ”We weren’t going that fast.”

Dar sat down heavily next to her. ”Jesus.” She gently eased Kerry back from her curled up position, examining her carefully. Her sweater and heavy jeans had protected her from the tree bark and she appeared relatively unharmed. ”You scared the hell out of me.”

Kerry managed a grin. ”Me too. What on earth happened?” She moved her arms and legs, shifting her feet to a more comfortable position, and took a deep breath. ”Did that horse go nuts, or what?”

”I think she got stung,” Dar explained, slipping an arm over Kerry’s shoulders and supporting her solicitously. ”You sure you’re okay?”

Kerry leaned her head against the convenient shoulder and sighed.

”I’m shaking like a leaf, but yeah.” She glanced off down the path.

”Looks like I’m walking home, though.” She exhaled as the throbbing receded.

”You most certainly are not,” Dar snapped, her adrenaline still surging, making her hands shake almost uncontrollably. She took a few deep breaths, willing her heart to calm.

Surprised green eyes glanced at her, reading the ghosts of recent terror there. ”Hey, it’s okay,” she added gently. ”I’m all right. I’m not
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the first person who ever fell off a horse.” She laid a hand on Dar’s chest in comfort, then inhaled, as she felt the racing heartbeat under her fingers. ”Take it easy there, tiger.”

”I’m fine,” Dar replied, a little shortly. ”You can ride my horse. I’ll lead him.”

Kerry put a hand on her lover’s knee. ”No, you forgot to wear your brace, Dar. You’re not going to walk five miles back to the cabin. Now, just relax. I’m fine. I just got shook up a little.”

Stubborn blue eyes glared at her. ”We’ll both ride then. He’s a big horse,” she replied. ”We’ll take it real slow.”

Kerry considered arguing, then saw the set jaw, and the tensed muscles, and decided to let this one go. ”Okay,” she agreed. ”Poor horsie. You better get him some apples when we get back.”

”He’ll survive.” Dar relaxed a little. ”We’re still under the weight limit,” she added, letting a slight grin cross her lips now that the crisis was over.