He texted Rayanne: on your way back?
She responded: two minutes
He spotted Arnie come through the door. Margie had her cane in one hand and held onto Arnie’s arm with the other. Henry jumped down to say hello. He had to push through the crowd to get to where they were. By the time he got back there, Linda had come in. She helped Lou navigate the room. Pauline and Bernard weren’t far behind.
“I got seats up here I saved for you,” Henry said. He was surprised to see his mom come in after them too.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“You invited me, remember?” Mom said. She gave him the kind of hug proud mothers gave their sons. “Isn’t this your going-away bash? I can’t miss out on that.”
“This event represents many things,” Henry said. “You will be glad you came. Come and sit with the board.” He’d arranged the chairs in a row along the side of the stage so they would be able to see.
Cody and Sam had finished with their set up and everyone was assembled. Everyone except for Rayanne and Ester.
He hoped they were on their way because it was time to get things rolling.
“I guess we walked farther than we thought,” Rayanne said.
Ester hobbled along next to her. “Women wear shoes like this on purpose? How come there’s never a pedicab when you want one?”
“Good question. It’s only three blocks. Why don’t you take your shoes off?”
“If my feet are dying in these godforsaken shoes, how are they going to do barefoot on these barbarian streets?”
“Maybe I can find a stick for you to bite down on,” Rayanne said, trying to urge her along.
“And miss out on my amazing poetry?” Ester sped up her gait, a pained gasp spilling out every few steps. It was painful to walk next to her.
They were a half block away when Rayanne stopped. “Do you hear that?”
“I can’t hear anything over the sound of my feet screaming,” Ester said. She kept shuffling forward.
“I hear music. Do you think they would start without us?” Rayanne rushed ahead, momentarily abandoning Ester. She went back for her. “Jump on my back.”
“You’re joking,” Ester said.
“It’s not that far, I can do it.” Rayanne turned around and bent her knees, one arm reaching back for Ester.
“I will snap you in two,” Ester said.
“Get on my back or I’ll throw you over my shoulder,” Rayanne said, her voice firm and serious. She didn’t know how she could make Ester do anything, but they didn’t have time to argue.
“I would love to see you try to do that, but I’m wearing a short skirt,” Ester said, climbing up and letting Rayanne grab her knees. “I hope I remembered to put on underwear.”
“So do I,” Rayanne said. She couldn’t move fast but they made better time than they did when Ester was on her own.
“This the best you can do?” Ester asked.
“I can drop you and leave you on your own anytime,” Rayanne said.
“I know, I tease you because I love you. You’re one of my favorite people. Now, giddy-up!”
Rayanne loosened her grip on Ester’s knees.
“We’re almost there,” Ester said. “And you’re right, the eagle flew the nest without us.”
They joined a group of people entering the gate. A heavy bass beat drifted out from the club.
“This is a good crowd,” Ester said.
“You aren’t kidding.” Rayanne kept ahold of Ester as she crossed the courtyard. Light from the room spilled outside. When she got through the door, it was too crowded to hold Ester so she let her down. Ester held on to her arm as they worked their way up to the stage.
When she was close enough to see the stage, she was startled to see not only the Beat Braves, but Grandpa and his buddies sitting around a big drum. They’d managed to break out Earl because he was sitting there with them. She recognized him with his big head of gray-white hair and a beaded headband.
They pounded the drum, first singing together, and then Earl singing solo, the voices rising and falling together. This style of singing wasn’t part of her tradition but the music moved through her, familiar and thrilling. Jack was up there, working on his computer and the band joined in, the modern sounds building off the traditional drum group.
Grandpa grinned like he’d won the lottery. He and the others were bent over the drum. The drumsticks rose up and down together and struck in unison.
“This is amazing,” Ester said in her ear.
Rayanne nodded. Henry stood at the side of the stage. The executive board was lined up in chairs, their eyes on the performance. Henry must not have spotted her come in because he kept scanning the room. He left for the back door and returned a minute later and pointed to the front of the stage. The youth dancers came out single file, spinning and dancing, their regalia clacking and jangling as they moved. Their faces were as joyful as the elders. Everybody had a part.
By this time the audience was bouncing around too. Rayanne could see that many people were from the native community, but there were others too. From where she stood, it was hard to see the board members’ faces. This was better than half-assed. Whatever her original vision, this one turned out better. Rayanne was ready to burst with happiness. If this was the last thing she did for the center, at least it was something good.
Everyone performed together for several songs before winding down. The elders sat at attention by the drum as if ready to go another few rounds.
Linda and Arnie went to the front of the stage to the main microphone.
Arnie took it first, like he was going to say something, but he handed it to Linda.
“Thank you, everyone, for sharing our celebration of the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center.” She went on to tell a little bit about the center, skipping over the part about how their future was in jeopardy.
Someone squeezed Rayanne’s shoulder. It was Henry. She put her arms around his waist.
“You did this?”
“You did this,” he said. “I embellished.
“We did it together.” Standing there in the crowded room, filled with the people that meant so much to her, and with Henry’s warm body at her side, the feelings of happiness and pride were bursting inside of her.
Henry tilted her face up to his. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said losing herself in his gaze. “I just…uh…I have very strong feelings for you.”
Henry smiled. “Very strong feelings? Sounds serious. Do these feelings have a name?”
“They might,” she said, smiling back.
He kissed her. “I have very strong feelings for you, too.”
“Good,” she said, squeezing him tight.
“I look forward to talking more about this,” Henry said, “but you need to get your adorable hiney up there to do your elder-honoring.”
“Tonight?”
“Why not?” Henry took her to the stage where Linda was introducing the board. Then she introduced Rayanne.
The room looked cozier from the stage. The faces in the audience were friendly and curious. Now that she had an opportunity to speak, she wished she’d had more time to plan. She took a deep breath and concentrated on the most important message she wanted to get across.
“In our culture we honor our elders because they are our teachers. I’ve had so many wonderful people who helped me so I could do the things I do now. But I’m still learning. It hurts my heart when I see elders who are neglected or lonely. They don’t know we need them unless we let them be needed. I’ve always wanted to do an elder-honoring like tonight.”
One by one she introduced Grandpa and his drum circle. Then Margie and Lou were honored. There were some elders among the audience and she brought them up and honored them too. Too quickly, it was finished, and Linda was thanking her and thanking everyone who had come.
“We’re going to end the program and let the band play so you can dance,” Linda said.
Jack took the microphone back and thanked everyone while they got the stage cleared and the kids took off. Rayanne helped pack the elders up and said goodbye to Grandpa.
The tone in the room shifted as the band kicked into gear. Rayanne danced with Ester until Henry reappeared.
“I took Margie home,” he told her.
He grabbed her arm and spun her around with a lustful gleam in his eye. And when it was their time to go home, he loved every inch of her body until she was thoroughly sated and dropped off to sleep, her limbs tangled with his.
44
They said goodbye when Rayanne left for work. They’d already gone through so many emotions, it was hard to know how to feel when he finally left. A quiet sob escaped when he handed her the key.
“That was a guest key,” he reminded her. “When we’re ready for real, you can give it back to me. Or we’ll find a place together.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice scratchy with tears.
Back at the office, she could barely hold it together. She was supposed to be researching places to move to but she didn’t see the point until they knew what the future held.
“Remember when Arnie put him on the job, you thought he was a turd,” Ester said.
“Are you asking me or telling me?” Rayanne said, unable to shake the bleak cloud that floated over her head. Henry had said she might see him sooner than she thought but at best she’d have to wait for the weekend. She already mourned sleeping alone and she hadn’t even had to do it yet. She was going to have to do meal delivery by herself too.
Ester and Tommy stood by her desk, their own moving chores on hold while they waited to see what the board was going to decide. Linda had been in there with them for over an hour. At one point there were raised voices but at the moment it was suspiciously quiet.
“Should I listen at the door?” Tommy asked. “I mean, as a courtesy, to make sure they haven’t murdered each other. What if they’re heaped together in a pool of blood?”
“Remember what it took to get the carpet right after the flood? And that was just water,” Ester said.
“Can you imagine what they would do to us if they caught us listening at the door?” Rayanne said.
“I should learn how to plant bugs,” Ester said. “Isn’t there a spy store on the Internet? I wonder how much spy stuff costs.”
“They aren’t going to work through lunch, are they?” Tommy asked.
Linda opened the door and they all hopped to their feet. She shook her head. “Can you order sandwiches and chips, please?”
She shut the door before they could find out what kind.
“What’s the weirdest kind of sandwich we could get?” Rayanne said. “And if either of you says anything about puppy, I will kill you with my bare hands.”
“Ew,” Tommy said. “What is wrong with you? I heard there’s a food truck that sells macaroni-and-cheese sandwiches.”
“Not bad,” Ester said. “I would eat one of those.”
Linda opened the door again and waved Rayanne over. She handed her a piece of paper and whisked the door shut again.
“One salami, one roast beef and four roast turkey. Double U must mean wheat. No M. No mustard, or no mayo? C. Cheddar?” Rayanne took her best guess and entered the order into the website. She found petty cash and sent Ester and Tommy to pick up the food.
While they were gone, she scrolled through job announcements. No harm in seeing what was out there. The festival night was such a success she was sure they would give them another year, but then why was it taking so long for them to decide? She could imagine the lengths Linda must be going through to convince them. But they should have decided by now.
She heard the front door open and figured it was Tommy and Ester, but when she didn’t hear their voices she looked up.
“Henry!” She bounded across the room in three steps and threw herself into his arms, relief and happiness washing over her.
“You know, you saw me a little over four hours ago,” Henry said.
“Yeah, but I didn’t know when I would see you again so I’ve been missing you.”
“I brought you lunch. Tortas.” He handed her something wrapped in wax paper.
“You came back to bring me lunch?” She unwrapped a huge sandwich with chunks of meat falling out. She leaned down to take a sniff. “This smells incredible.”
“I haven’t left yet,” Henry said. He pulled a chair over to sit next to her and unwrapped his sandwich too.
“I thought they were expecting you on the rez?” Rayanne said, her elation fading. This only extended the agony. If he wasn’t gone now, he would be soon. Her appetite faded.
“I’m not going,” he said.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m becoming a personal support worker. It was in one of the brochures in your elder research. I’m going to move into Margie’s basement and get paid to help her out. I can take her to appointments and move furniture.”
“That’s what you want to do?”
“That’s what I want to do right now. Margie is going to help me find some classes like the grant-writing thing we talked about. I can learn new stuff while I look for a career job. And I will have a home close to you, and a little bit of money.”
Warmth flooded into her heart. “Whose idea was this?”
“Mine,” he said. “But it took only three seconds to convince Margie. It gives her more time in her house, and she has someone to boss around. Everybody wins.”
Rayanne jumped up and squeezed Henry tight.
“I’m going to make this thing work with you,” he said.
“Me too,” Rayanne said.
“You again.” Ester’s voice came through the front door. “Can’t stay away. Hey, what are those sandwiches?”
Tommy took the bags from the sandwich shop and disappeared into the meeting room. He hurried back out.
“Can you tell us what’s going on?” Rayanne asked.
“Everyone’s tense,” Tommy said.
“That’s not good.”
“Hunger does things to people. Things could turn around after they eat,” Tommy said.
Ester brought a knife from the break room and cut Rayanne’s sandwich in half. “You can’t eat this whole thing.”
“I’ll be lucky if I eat three bites,” Rayanne said. “Too much going on.”
They shared Henry’s news and the four ate at the front desk, keeping a careful eye on the meeting-room door.
“Does Uncle Arnie know about this?” Ester asked.
“Not yet,” Henry said. “Neither does Mom. She will not be pleased that I foiled her plan.”
Linda burst out of the meeting with her face shiny-bright and two thumbs pointing to the sky. Rayanne ran over to hug her with Ester and Tommy joining.
“They’re giving us another year, and that’s it,” Linda said. “It’s not going to be easy but if we stick together and have a good plan, we can do it.”
Rayanne nodded in agreement. “We can do it, but we still need to find a place to move.”
“After lunch,” Linda said.
Arnie came out and spotted Henry. “Shouldn’t you be back home by now?”
Henry put his arm around Rayanne. “I am home.”
Rayanne squeezed him back.
Ester came out with her camera. “The Indians, giddy with victory, plot their next move.”
Crooked Rock Book 2
The future of the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center remains uncertain.
Lovesick Braves
Ester Parker has it under control. She's committed to her work with tribal people, she manages an untrustworthy roommate, and on the side she's developing the skills to go after a new love—filmmaking. If only she had the courage to approach her secret heartthrob.
* * *
Theo Dunn left rez life behind long ago. Now, he juggles jobs and sacrifices sleep, doing whatever it takes to finish college and make his family proud. When the irresistible Ester shows up at not one, but tw
o, of his jobs, Theo finds himself frustratingly—and pleasantly—distracted. But the more he gets to know Ester and the crew at the urban Indian center, the less he sees a place for himself in that world.
* * *
Ester knows Theo is the one, but can she convince him that he needs her, too?
* * *
Read on for an excerpt from Lovesick Braves.
Excerpt: Lovesick Braves
Ester hurried across campus, head down against the bitter wind. She pulled her flimsy coat more tightly around her shoulders as if that might help. In the brief time since she'd left her desk, the cold drizzle picked up and turned into a driving, slushy rain. Any other day and she would have abandoned this mission. Now that the center had moved to campus, she had plenty of opportunities to sneak into the computer lab.
However, today she was ready to talk to the guy. She would throw out a confident smile and make small talk like regular people. She'd open with a comment about the weather followed by a question asking what classes he took. The words would come out naturally, except that was a joke because every time she stood in the same room with him, she got so nervous there was nothing natural about her.
Ester entered the computer lab from the back door and found an open terminal in the corner. From this spot she would be able to keep an eye on him until she was ready to say something. She typed in the login borrowed from Audra and loaded the clips she was working on. Would he be wearing the gray hoodie, or the gray hoodie? She peeked over the monitor.
A long-limbed blonde with don't-mess-with-me eye makeup sat at the front of the room. She caught Ester's eyes and tilted her head to one side, as if to say, Not the lab assistant you're looking for?
Heartbeat Braves Page 24