Sea Legs Read online

  Copyright(c) 2009 by KG MacGregor

  Bella Books, Inc. P.O. Box 10543 Tallahassee, FL 32302

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper First Edition

  Editor: Katherine V. Forrest Cover Designer: Stephanie Solomon-Lopez

  ISBN 10: 1-59493-158-5 ISBN 13:978-1-59493-158-1

  To Jo Atkinson, with thanks.

  Acknowledgment

  I set out to write this novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), November 2008. My goal was to get 70,000 words on paper in just thirty days, which translated to roughly 2,500 a day. Piece of cake.

  Except that I hit the wall at 48,000 around November 20th and spent the next six weeks rewriting those words so I could comfortably proceed. That left me barely a month before deadline—here’s where I have to pause and thank Karen, Ann and Steph for allowing me to rudely ignore them on my visit to the Pacific Northwest so I could write—and in a state of mild panic. When the due date came, I wasn’t quite ready to let it go, but I figured I could stew on it a bit more while it was in the editor’s hands for the first pass and make my tweaks later. That’s when I learned that Katherine V. Forrest was slated to edit the book. One does not turn in a book that needs tweaks to the esteemed Ms. Forrest. So this one was a bit late.

  It’s impossible to overstate what Katherine brings to the editing process. She approaches each manuscript as both the reader’s advocate and the writer’s champion. You have her to thank for the visuals and for the crisp delineation of what might otherwise have been a confusing ensemble.

  Thanks also to Jenny for her technical help, to Karen for her meticulous proofread, and to all the folks at Bella for their commitment to putting out great books.

  About the Author

  KG MacGregor was born in 1955 into a military family in Wilmington, North Carolina.

  Following her graduation from Appalachian State University, she worked briefly in elementary education, but returned to earn a doctoral degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her love of both writing and math led to a second career in market research, where she consulted with clients in the publishing, television and travel industries.

  The discovery of lesbian fan fiction prompted her to try her own hand at romantic storytelling in 2002 with a story called Shaken. In 2005, MacGregor signed with Bella Books, which published Goldie Award finalist Just This Once. Her sixth Bella novel, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Women’s Romance, and the 2008 Goldie Award in Lesbian Romance. In 2008, she proudly announced the return of the Shaken Series with its first installment, Without Warning.

  To KG, there is no better praise for her work than hearing she has created characters her readers want to know and have as friends. Please visit her at www.kgmacgregor.com.

  Chapter 1

  One look and Kelly Ridenour was in love.

  At over a thousand feet long and thirteen stories high, the Emerald Duchess was the largest ship in the Emerald Cruise Line’s fleet. It gleamed against the sparkling Biscayne Bay, a waft of silver smoke streaming from its towering stacks and dissipating into the bright Miami sky.

  Yvonne Mooney snapped a photo from the taxi as it crested the bridge leading to the cruise terminal. “There she is—our home away from home for the next twelve days.”

  A finger in the air, Kelly counted the rows of windows to the ninth deck, which was one of three decks lined with balconies. Her stateroom was in that row, somewhere aft, three levels from the top. “You might have to drag me off that ship when we get back. January in Rochester sucks.”

  “That’s why this was the perfect Christmas present for Steph and me to give each other.”

  “And me to give myself.”

  Yvonne crouched to keep the ship in her viewfinder, snapping off another photo as the taxi circled the port. “Now I just have to get Steph off her Blackberry for a few hours, and we’ll actually have a vacation.”

  Kelly chuckled at the image. “You probably should have kidnapped her and made her come down early to go diving with us.” The last time she had gotten together with Yvonne and her partner was over dinner at a local Irish pub. Steph, a real estate agent, had spent most of the evening texting a title company to finalize plans for a closing.

  “Probably not a good idea. Steph’s not into all the water stuff. I bet she spends the whole twelve days on this cruise with her nose in a book.”

  Kelly marveled at how Yvonne and Steph had endured for eighteen years despite having so little in common. They even looked like total opposites—Yvonne tall and athletic with short spiked hair, and Steph petite with long tight curls that seemed to have a life of their own.

  “At least we’ll all be warm for a while,” Yvonne added. “Steph reminds me every winter that it hardly ever snowed where she grew up in Memphis.”

  “It’s amazing you got her to move to Rochester.”

  “That’s nothing. Natalie moved all the way from Mississippi just to be near us. All she cared about was getting out of Pascagoula.”

  Natalie Chatham, whom Kelly hadn’t yet met, was Steph and Yvonne’s longtime friend from college. She had decided at the last minute to come along on the cruise, and accepted Kelly’s offer to share a cabin. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Just don’t expect her to get in the water. She’s a bigger princess than Steph.”

  “I’m telling your girlfriend you called her a princess.”

  “She won’t care. Both of them would consider it a compliment. And when it comes to being prissy, neither of them holds a candle to Didi or Pamela. You aren’t going to believe those two.”

  Kelly snickered to herself as the cab entered the line to the luggage drop-off. She happened to like prissy ladies. She just didn’t want to be one. “What time are the others getting here?”

  “Their plane is supposed to land at two fifteen, but who knows if they’ll be on time? Steph called while you were in the shower this morning and said Rochester got five inches of snow last night.”

  “Now aren’t you glad we came down early?” In their three extra days, they had managed a deep sea fishing trip and a dive class at John Pennekamp State Park, where Yvonne had picked up her resort dive certificate. Kelly had gotten her PADI Divemaster certificate thirteen years ago when she was in the navy and stationed at Key West. “At least the two of us will be on that ship when she pulls out.”

  Yvonne stowed her camera in its bag. “We’re not due to leave until five o’clock, but that storm socked the whole northeast. I wouldn’t be surprised if they held us in port for the late arrivals.”

  “I may not care if we sit in port the whole time. That ship’s a beauty.”

  “Except if we sit in port, they won’t open the casinos. We have to be in international waters for that.”

  Kelly’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “Do you mean to tell me you’d rather sit in a dark smoky room with a bunch of machines than out on a sunny deck watching women walk by in bikinis?”

  Yvonne cocked her head to the side. “Now that you put it that way…”

  The taxi came to a stop at the luggage drop, where the ship’s porters hurried to remove their suitcases from the trunk. Yvonne had already tagged her two bags with the color-coded labels from the cruise line so they could be delivered to their stateroom.

  Kelly intercepted her duffel, which didn’t have a tag. “I can carry this one.”

  “You ought to send it up with the baggage handlers,” Yvonne said, gesturing toward the clusters of passengers making their way to the terminal
. “We could be in line for an hour or more.”

  “Mine’s not that heavy. I didn’t pack much.”

  “How can you go on a cruise for twelve days with just one bag? Oh, wait. I know. You didn’t have Steph Sizemore helping you pack and making sure you had three changes of clothes for every day.”

  “Precisely,” Kelly said. “I learned in the navy how to pack light and wash out my own clothes.”

  Yvonne eyed Kelly’s bag and the backpack she had slung over her shoulder. “Didn’t you pack some dress clothes for dinner?”

  “I have a few things. I promise not to embarrass anyone.”

  “Oh, I won’t be embarrassed. But given the size of that bag, if I see you in more than three different outfits I’m going to be impressed.”

  At the entrance to the terminal they showed their passports and boarding documents, and followed the mob up the escalator to check-in. True to Yvonne’s prediction, the line snaked through the terminal, several hundred passengers deep. Most seemed to be couples, tired husbands in khakis and polo shirts, laden with shoulder bags, and wives in the first of their colorful vacation attire. It was no surprise that several children were in tow, as this was their holiday break from school.

  A cheery woman in a tropical skirt and blouse greeted them. “It isn’t as bad as it looks. We have over thirty people working registration. You’ll be on board sipping a rum runner in thirty minutes.”

  Kelly dropped her bag and kicked it gently forward in line. “Tell me again who all these people are. There are six of us, right?”

  “Right. That’s you, me, Steph, Natalie… Steph and Natalie have been best friends since college. They’re like soul mates.”

  “Don’t you ever get jealous?”

  “No way. Natalie does all the things with Steph that would drive me insane. You know those people who shop until they drop?”

  Kelly nodded.

  “Well, I shop only until I feel like killing somebody. But those two could go for days without coming up for air. And they trade recipes and pore over all those interior design magazines.”

  “I like those magazines too.” She shrugged at Yvonne’s incredulous look. “When I worked with my dad, we used to do a lot of remodels. I like to see what other people are doing.”

  “That’ll give you and Natalie lots to talk about. She bought a house last year that needs a lot of work.”

  “She’d better be careful. Once I get started, I go crazy with ideas.” With a sudden burst, they wound around the ropes and moved up another twenty feet.”So it’s you, me, Steph and Natalie. Who are the other two?”

  “Didi Caviness and Pamela somebody…I don’t remember her last name. Didi and Natalie own what most people consider the nicest women’s clothing store in Rochester. Of course, I’m no expert on that. I’m just repeating what Steph said.”

  “And Pamela’s her girlfriend?”

  “Yeah, her new girlfriend. They’ve been together about six months. Before that, Didi and Natalie were together for six years, but they split up a couple of years ago.”

  “I take it they’re still friends as well as business partners, or they wouldn’t be cruising together.”

  “They got along better than ever after they broke up—until Pamela came along. Natalie was hoping she and Didi would get back together, but I’m not so sure that’s because she’s still in love with her. I think it’s because Pamela lives in Manhattan and wants them to move the shop there. Didi’s really hot for that idea, but Natalie isn’t.”

  Kelly groaned. “Dyke drama. Let’s hope everyone behaves for the next twelve days.”

  “They haven’t killed each other yet.”

  “That’s a pretty good sign, I guess.”

  Yvonne chuckled as they moved up in the line again. “It’s a great sign if you ask me. I probably would have killed Didi myself if she hadn’t been Natalie’s girlfriend.”

  “What? Is she bad news?”

  “Not really. Most of the time she’s nice, and she’s fun to have around. But she’s a real clothes horse. I bet she brings twice as much stuff as any of us, and she’ll be immaculate whether she’s at a formal dinner or sitting on a barstool by the pool. She always looks good, and she knows it. Her problem is she can’t turn off her fashion critique and sometimes that gets old.”

  “Sometimes?” Kelly looked down at her attire, a white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, olive green, knee-length baggy shorts and Birkenstocks. “I bet she has a field day with me. I should have worn one of my old navy uniforms. At least my shorts matched my shirt.”

  Yvonne laughed and looked her up and down. “I think you look fine. This is supposed to be a freaking cruise, not a fashion show. Just don’t wear a silver watch with gold earrings like Steph did the last time we all went out together. I thought we’d never hear the end of it.”

  Kelly tugged at her ears, which she had never had pierced. “No danger there. Do you think she’d like to see my tattoo?”

  “You have a tattoo?”

  She tugged her collar back and leaned forward to show a small black and yellow design at the top of her shoulder blade.

  “Aw, man. You’ll have to show that to Steph. I’ve been trying for years to talk her into letting me get one.”

  “This one’s a Sea Bee. Our whole unit got drunk one night in Key West, and we all woke up decorated. Thank God I had the good sense to pick a little one.”

  They finally reached the front of the line, parting briefly as they checked in at separate stations. Kelly strode to the far left counter and came face to face with the reservation clerk, a young woman of Asian descent wearing a form-fitting dark uniform.

  “Welcome to the Emerald Duchess…”

  Kelly noted the familiar hesitation as the clerk—Kim from Taiwan, according to her nametag—waited for her to introduce herself.

  “Hi, I’m Kelly Ridenour…Kelly Ann Ridenour.” Her plain clothing, short hair and lack of makeup or jewelry often kept strangers guessing as to her gender, especially since her voice was deeper than that of most women.

  “Is this your first cruise, Miss Ridenour?”

  “First one with Emerald. I took a couple of short ones back when I was stationed at Key West. I’m looking forward to the eastern islands.” She handed over her documents and waited while the woman completed her check-in.

  “This is our most popular itinerary. And we’ve put in a special request for perfect weather just for you.”

  “That’s great.” So was Kim’s smile, now that Kelly had a chance to study it. “I bet you enjoy sending people off on their dream vacation.”

  “Especially since I’ll be coming along too.” She handed over a business card. “If there’s anything you need on board, don’t hesitate to call me at Guest Services.”

  “Will do,” Kelly answered, wondering if “anything” included dinner companionship. She stepped toward the gangway and waited for Yvonne. “That man who checked you in…did he give you his business card?”

  Yvonne stowed her paperwork and draped her camera bag over her shoulder. “Yeah, and he even said I could call him on board if I needed anything.”

  “Damn! I was hoping my lady was flirting with me.” As they entered the ship’s majestic atrium, still decorated with a towering Christmas tree, Kelly drew a deep, satisfied breath. Kim or no Kim, this was going to be the best vacation of her life.

  Yvonne grabbed her elbow and pointed to the balcony two decks above. “I’m going to drop my stuff off in the room and see if their plane’s in. Then we should meet up there and watch for them to come aboard.”

  Kelly grinned. “I’ll be there, and I’ll have a rum runner in each hand.”

  Natalie pressed her forehead against the window of the plane so she could follow the south Florida coastline directly below.

  She hoped her last-minute agreement to come along on this trip wasn’t a colossal mistake. When Steph and Yvonne had first floated the idea for a twelve-day cruise to the eastern Caribbean, it sound
ed like fun, but the more she thought about it, the more she worried whether she could put up with lovebirds Didi and Pamela for that long. In the end, her decision to buck up and make the trip was more a matter of choosing to be miserable with friends in the tropics instead of miserable alone at home in the snow.

  Not that she didn’t like Pamela Roche just fine. The youthful New York designer knew she was stepping into an awkward situation with an ex-lover when she had started dating Didi, but she had been nothing but sweet and friendly to Natalie during her frequent visits to their shop. That didn’t change the fact that Natalie still had feelings for Didi, feelings that were trampled every time she saw the two of them fawning over each other, as they were doing right now up in the first-class cabin.

  “What are you thinking about?” Steph asked, hooking her arm through Natalie’s. Ever the good sport, she had traded her aisle seat for the center so she and Natalie could sit together.

  Natalie sighed. “I’m starting to wonder if this was a good idea.”

  “Of course it is.Only an idiot would choose snow in Rochester over warm sand in Barbados.” She tightened her grip as though sensing Natalie needed a boost. “Yvonne and I were thrilled when you said you’d come. You and I are going to hit every store in the Caribbean, and who knows? You might just get lucky with someone on the cruise.”

  “You mean if she’s rich and gorgeous and wants to worship the ground I walk on?”

  If seeing Didi and Pamela as a loving couple wasn’t bad enough, there was also the matter of Didi’s near-constant badgering of Natalie to sell her half of the store so Didi could move it to New York. Natalie had always known it was Didi’s dream to hit the big time as a Manhattan fashion maven, and Natalie might have supported it as a life partner, but she wasn’t ready to see Didi walk out of her life for good. Eight years ago when they first became lovers, she had invested her entire savings in Didi’s dream, to say nothing of her sweat equity. Now that it was successful, she wanted to celebrate the triumph with Didi and know their financial future was secure.