Speak to the Wind

by Mary Tate Engels

  She hurriedly returned to the empty office. Still nothing. She checked her watch. It had been an hour. Dammit, what was taking so long!

  Then the door opened, and Joe stood on the threshold.

  Chapter Fourteen

  "What took so long?”

  “Some discussions."

  "Wh-what did they say?" Maria looked at him, searched his face for an expression that would tell her something.

  His swarthy countenance was impassive. Joe closed the door and walked slowly into his office. "They said, 'How many rooms does this cabin have?' I said, 'It has a large living-dining room combination, a kitchen, a bath and two bedrooms. We can add bunk beds if we need to sleep more.'"

  She took a shaky breath. "And..."

  "I told them the fireplace was hand built from native rocks and so sturdy it might last forever."

  She swallowed hard. "Joe—"

  He walked slowly toward her. “They said, 'What is this self-esteem she wants to teach our children?' I said, 'She will teach our children to be proud Apache and to lift their heads high. And how to speak in public with confidence.'"

  Maria nodded, feeling somewhat frantic. "Yes..."

  "And they said, 'How does she know about the Apache and what will make them proud?' I said, 'She knows about people, all people.'"

  "Oh, Joe..." She wrung her hands.

  He stopped a few inches from her. “They said, 'Can she teach us to make a speech so that everyone will listen as we listened to her?' And I said, ‘Yes, each and every one of you. This woman knows her stuff.'"

  "Joe, you're driving me crazy! What did they say about saving the cabin?"

  He paused and smiled slightly. "They said yes."

  "Oh, Joe! Thank you!" She bubbled with joy and in her exuberance threw her arms around Joe's shoulders and hugged him with all her might.

  Joe's strong arms curled around her back and held her to him, relishing the sensuous pressure of her body against his for the first time in months. He held her tightly, even after she'd begun to let go.

  When Maria realized that she'd flung herself into his arms, her body went rigid and her hands rested on his shoulders. "Joe, sorry..."

  "Maria, don't let go. I can't..."

  She turned her face up, and his ebony eyes drank in the sight of her alluring blond hair, brown eyes gleaming with tears, creamy-smooth cheeks, slightly smiling strawberry lips. Impulsively he kissed her, long and hard.

  His lips molded to hers, forcing them to part, revealing his pent-up passion and the frustration he'd felt during the past months. Joe forgot that he was in his office and the council members were milling around after adjournment and might pop in at any minute. He forgot everything but Maria in his arms, Maria's lips pressed to his, Maria responding.

  Something happened to Maria when Joe kissed her. Something quite beyond her control. In the tense moments before they kissed, she had no intention of ending up in his arms. But her joy at saving the cabin coupled with an indistinct knowledge that Joe had been responsible for making that happen erupted into a giddiness, a seeking of the man whom she loved, whom she knew still cared for her. Maybe loved. . .

  When he kissed her, she melted inside, melted against him, sought the security of his strong body, held onto the strength of his shoulders. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she opened her mouth to receive the sweet probing of his tongue.

  With no thought to control, she writhed against him, pressing her breasts to his chest. He moved his hands down her back, adjusted her hips to meld with his, spread his fingers wide over the curve of her buttocks, then slid them to her back again. He couldn't touch her enough.

  Vaguely they heard the door open behind them.

  Joe tore his lips from Maria's and turned his head, still embracing her.

  "Excuse me, sir," an embarrassed Rona mumbled, and started to close the door again.

  Joe smiled and continued to hold Maria. "That's okay, Rona."

  "I, er, just wanted to say good night, sir. Everyone's gone and, uh, would you lock up?"

  "Be glad to." Joe smiled down at Maria.

  Rona quietly closed his office door.

  "Right. We need to go." Maria tried to push away from Joe, but he kept his arm around her shoulder. "This is no place for. . . this. . . emotional stuff."

  "Where is such a place?"

  "We could go to my, er, the cabin. I understand it's reserved for VIPs. like the chairman of the Apache."

  "I'd like to bypass this emotional stuff and get right to the passionate part."

  She smiled. “Still Joe. . . ”

  He held her close for another minute. "I love you, Maria. Still. I love you more than anything or anyone could. More than reason. I can't stand to be apart from you any longer. Can't stand to let you go. You know I wanted all along to help you avoid this problem with the cabin. Please believe that."

  "I believe you," she admitted softly. "I was just so hurt for a while that I was blind to everything but my own reason. I realize how you were caught and how much you did for me to make tonight possible." She smiled up at him, tears of genuine happiness shining in her eyes. “I love you, too, Joe. And I don't want to lose you. Ever."

  "I'd say we were communicating pretty well for a change. And according to my instructor, that's important. Now I'd like to show you my love." He kissed her again.

  "I'd like that, too, Joe. Would you like to share my bed in the VIP suite? I believe it's one of the best on the reservation."

  "The very best, just like you." He smiled and caressed her hair lovingly. "I've got to hand it to you, honey. You were wonderful before the council. You really know how to practice what you preach."

  "I was so nervous."

  "You looked cool, and that's what counts."

  "Now I know how much easier it is to tell someone how to make an impressive presentation than it is to do it. Especially when so much is at stake."

  "You were great."

  "I felt your support, Joe."

  "Could you also feel my love across the room?"

  "Yes." She returned his kiss, then whispered her avowal of love.

  He helped her gather her purse and computer. They left the Tribal Building arm in arm. Their night together, the first in so long, was glorious. They embraced in a rapid heat of feverish hands, touching and caressing, and murmured words of love.

  "Never leave me, Maria. I couldn't stand it again."

  "Do you know what you're saying, Joe?"

  "That I love you. And I want you with me, always."

  "There might be problems with that. Our jobs, for starters."

  "Well work them out. Together."

  "I love you so much."

  They clung together throughout the night, their passion fulfilling unsatisfied longings, their love gentle and healing. And they both knew this was right, the way it should be.

  The early morning solitude was pierced by the wild cry of the great bald eagle as it swept down from the high pines and swooped over the lake on wide wings. The silvery surface of the lake reflected the rising sun and a single boat with a single fisherman.

  "That's Uncle Will," Joe said quietly. "I want you to meet him and Aunt Minnie, Maria. Today."

  “I’m ready. But do you think they're ready for me?"

  Joe tightened his hold on her hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked along the trail that circled the lake. "They'll love you, Maria. Just as I do."

  "I mean, are they ready for us to talk of marriage?"

  "Like any other family, they'll want to know if our love is real. Do you really and truly love me? And are my feelings the same toward you?"

  "Will there be a problem with me living here?"

  "As my wife, you'll be accepted. But you'll also be accepted as one who has demonstrated respect for our people and our culture. As a non-Indian, you may be restricted from attending some ceremonies, but I don't think that will be a problem."

  “I’ll still have to travel for my work.”

&n
bsp; "You’d do that anyway. Wouldn’t you rather live here? Besides we’ll make a branch office for you in the new house."

  She gave a little skip of excitement. "Where are you building?"

  He pointed to a hill overlooking the lake. "Up there. We’ll drive to it later in the Jeep. It's rugged land but really beautiful. I'm clearing the site as little as possible and having the house built in the middle of the trees. I want to keep it as natural as I can. You’ll love it, Maria."

  "I'm sure I will. I love you, Joe."

  "The place will be ours, Maria. Forever. We’ll design it and build it. We'll haul the rocks for the fireplace. We'll make it ours. And maybe it'll help replace your father's cabin in your heart." His voice was low and sincere, and she knew he still regretted her losing the cabin.

  "You know, Joe, I'm very happy with the future plans for our cabin. Of course, I'm thrilled that it won't be destroyed. But I think its use for boarding kids and visiting dignitaries is something my father would be proud of. In a way, it continues what he endorsed years ago, and that is a sharing and blending of all people."

  Joe turned to her and pulled her into his arms. "Do you think your father would approve of us?"

  "Absolutely. We've taken that philosophy to the ultimate. To love beyond any limits." She slid her hands around his back and pressed her slender rib cage to his. Suddenly she was filled with an unrestrained euphoria, and she wanted to shout the story of her love to the wind so that it would be carried to all corners of the land.

  "Maria, I love you... so much."

  Their lips melded, their bodies embraced. Joe had captured her completely, body and soul. And Maria had become his willing captive, his love.

  As they stood beside the lake, bound together by invisible but everlasting bonds of love, the great bald eagle circled the lake and headed back to the safety of his high country nest. Wings flapping, he rose until he reached a wind current, then sailed effortlessly ever higher. He lifted his triumphant cry to the lofty peaks, dwelling of the mountain spirits and home of the wind.

  To Maria and Joe it was a proclamation of their everlasting love.

  THE END

  Maria and Joe enjoyed some of these foods. Recipes from Corazon Contento, Sonoran Recipes and Stories from the Heart, available from Texas Tech University Press and www.Amazon.com

  Pollo en Chile Colorado

  (Chicken in Red Chile)

  8 chicken breasts

  2 cloves garlic

  3 Tblsp. flour

  2 bay leaves

  sprinkle of vinegar

  3 cups red chile sauce

  (canned, frozen, or made from ristra)

  2 tsp. salt or to taste

  Put chicken breasts and garlic in a 2-quart pot on the stove to cook on medium low heat with 2 cups of water for about 20 – 30 minutes. After chicken has cooked, reserve broth. Remove chicken skin, de-bone and cut into cubes. Put cooled chicken cubes into a bag that has flour and salt mixture and toss to coat. Warm your red chile sauce, add chicken along with two bay leaves and chicken broth to give you the consistency you want. Cook on low for about another 30 minute.

  Serve wrapped in large flour tortillas, or on rice with a veggie side dish.

  Salsa Fresca

  1 large red onion, minced

  2 large tomatoes, chopped

  2 limes, juiced

  2 jalapeños, minced

  2 Tblsp. cilantro, chopped

  salt to taste

  You may use a food chopper, but do not put the vegetables in the blender as that will liquefy them. Mix chopped onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, and cilantro. Add lime juice and salt to taste. Salsa’s ready!

  Empañada de Calabaza

  (pumpkin turnovers)

  3 cups cooked fresh pumpkin

  ½ tsp. salt

  ¼ tsp cloves

  ¼ tsp. nutmeg

  ¾ cup brown sugar

  Bring all above items to a boil, then turn heat to lowest setting and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

  Dough:

  2 cups flour

  ½ tsp. salt

  2/3 cup shortening

  6 Tblsp. Water

  1 egg - beaten, for brushing dough

  Sugar Mixture:

  ½ tsp. cinnamon

  ¼ cup sugar

  Cut shortening into salted flour to pea-sized pieces. Add water to make a dough. Divide dough into 10 - 12 small balls. Press the balls to make small, flat circles. Place the filling onto one side of the circle of dough, fold it over and press the edges together with a fork to seal them. Prick the tops of the empañadas with a fork several times and brush them with the egg for a glaze. Bake at 350º for about 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. While they are still warm, dip empañadas in Sugar Mixture and serve warm.

  Mary Tate Engels, author of more than 30 romance novels, soon to be on eBooks at Smashwords, also has two non-fiction southwest history books with Texas Tech University Press: Tales from Wide Ruins, Jean and Bill Cousins, Traders; and Corazon Contento Sonoran Recipes and Stories from the Heart, co-authored with Madeline Gallego Thorpe. She has three sons, two granddaughters, has raised a wolf in her back yard, and has adopted two black cats for good luck.

  Discover other titles by Mary Tate Engels at www.amazon.com

  Loves Dawning-

  A Lasting Love-

  A Rare Breed -

  Rogue Diamond -

  Connect with me online at: www.marytateengels.com