“I won’t break his heart,” Joss said from the door and Miri gasped. “And I don’t want his money. I just want him.”
“Miri, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Joss Erickson,” Buck said and the women shook hands warily.
“I’m sorry, Joss, he’s never blindsided me before. You’re even prettier up close,” Miri said and Joss smiled down at her. “And really tall.” Miri was a very small woman, and aside from the difference in height it was clear that Buck and she were related.
“I don’t know what to say to reassure you, I could sign a pre-nuptial agreement if you’d like. Really only time will tell, but I do love him, and we’ve been tested already, and I still love him,” she looked at Buck and he chuckled.
“She’s saying that despite my having been an asshole to her, out of necessity, I might add, she still loves me,” he said and put his arm around her waist and breathing in her skin.
“Okay, I’m convinced. I’m familiar with your asshole mode,” Miri said smiling at them. “I’ll let you eat breakfast, you can tell me everything tonight; I have to go in three minutes.”
“Miri, I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you everything. We met on assignment, I can only tell you some things,” Buck said. Miri and Joss both looked at Buck.
“Are you FBI, too?” She asked Joss.
“No, I’m an art historian,” Joss said and Miri laughed.
“Mild mannered art historian meets Federal Agent, gets in deep with guns and bombs and the world is saved, something like that?”
“Something like that. I’ve resigned from the Bureau, Joss and I are done with saving the world.”
“Good, maybe now you’ll be safe,” Miri said.
“Not likely, Joss is magnetic north for assholes,” Buck said.
Miri gave her brother a long look. “Clearly.” Joss laughed and Buck smiled at her.
“My sister thought I was gay, Duchess,” he said looking for sympathy.
“Because you’re so beautiful?” He rolled his eyes at her.
“Et tu?”
“When’s the wedding?”
“Saturday,” he said watching his sister.
“Saturday? Do I get to help plan?”
“I was hoping you would say that,” Joss said.
***
“Pull into the Circle K, I didn’t get any coffee, the blonde knocked me for a loop,” Eddie told his brother as they were driving by. Clint thought it was a good idea, and pulled in.
While they filled their coffee cups Eddie shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “I can’t stop thinking about her, man.” He said to his brother. “She’s gorgeous.”
“Duke’ll skin you alive if you touch his woman, Eddie,” Clint said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman like that before. She must be six feet tall,” Eddie said.
“Forget her, Eddie,” Clint said in a warning tone.
“I wonder if she’s a real blonde,” he mused.
“Eddie, Duke is not someone to test, he can be a nasty piece of work; I’ve seen him fight. He’s as mean as a snake when he wants to be. He eliminates problems quickly and efficiently,” Clint paid the cashier and turned to look his brother in the eye. “There’s even a video on YouTube. Don’t piss the man off by making a play for his woman.”
“I thought you said he was gay.”
“Miri was just playing with him, he’s not,” Clint said laying a finger on his brother’s chest.
“I hear you, Clint; I’m just fantasizing a little. Why does she call him Buck?”
“That’s his name, John Buckingham, everybody calls him Duke but her.”
“She could call me whatever she wanted, too. Where’d he meet her? I want to go.”
“I don’t know, he was here last Christmas, he loaded up his horse and his Harley when he left. He didn’t say where he was headed.”
They walked out of the Circle K and to Clint’s truck. A man with a pronounced limp walked to the window to watch them drive away. “Natani Construction” was written on the side of the truck. He smiled malevolently, limped out of the store and got on his motorcycle.
***
“This is where you grew up, isn’t it?” Joss asked him as they drove through the Rez to his grandfather’s house.
“Yes,” he said. Joss noticed he had gotten very quiet as soon as they drove onto the Reservation. She wished he’d open up, but he would give her what he could when he could, she would wait. He smiled at her.
“Tell me about your grandfather,” she said leaning back in the Jeep and looking at him. The corners of his mouth went up and he turned briefly to look at her.
“And ruin the surprise? No way, Duchess.” She sighed. “He’s going to love you, Joss, don’t worry.”
“I just don’t want to fuck anything up,” she said and he looked at her in surprise.
“Just smile at him, he’ll be putty in your hands. You’re not really concerned, are you?”
“With your other grandfather I wasn’t concerned because I was too damn mad at him. Your relationship is complicated with him, but there is affection there even if you both deny it. And I think my anger delighted him, anyway. Winston is someone you have great affection and respect for, and if he disapproves, I’m screwed. And, well, I’m so white.” Buck came to a sudden halt in the middle of the deserted road. Dust followed and enveloped the Jeep. He looked at Joss’s surprised face for a moment trying to decide what he could possibly say.
“Joss, what I’m about to say is very important, and I want you to listen. I want you to hear it in your brain and in your heart, and I want you to memorize the words,” he said looking deeply into her eyes. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
“I love you,” he said simply. She looked relieved. “Ultimately, I don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks; you’re not joining yourself to them, but to me.”
“I know, it will just be easier for you if they like me,” she said.
“Since when have we taken the easy route? Anyway, believe it or not, you and Winston have more in common than you might think. I’ve never known you to be nervous about meeting anyone before.”
“I’ve never been nervous about meeting anyone before, this is a first. No one has meant enough to me to warrant being nervous. And your sister wasn’t exactly pleased to see me.”
“I handled that wrong; I should have told her I was bringing you; that was entirely my fault. Anyway, you won her over in no time.”
“No I didn’t, she is still having reservations about me.” Buck smiled.
“Is that an Indian joke?” He asked and she smiled back.
“Just not a very good one. Are we surprising your grandfather, too?” She asked and he laughed.
“Not likely, news travels fast in these parts, right now he’s wondering why we’re stopped in the middle of the road.” He reached for her hand and she gave it. After giving it a reassuring squeeze he put it on the stick shift and placed his hand on top of it shifting the car into gear.
“Thank you, Buck,” she said and he winked at her. A few minutes later they pulled up in front of a small house with a round building in front of it, and horses in a paddock. “I’ve seen a lot of those, what is it?” He continued holding her hand, sitting in the car seemingly not in a hurry.
“That is a Hogan, the people used to live in them, in fact, many still do. This particular one is used mostly for ceremonial purposes and slumber parties. Miri’s, not mine. You’re getting married in that, you know?”
“I am? How lovely.” She smiled at him and the door to the house opened and a man stepped out.
“The moment of truth, Duchess. Be brave,” he kissed the hand he held and got out of the Jeep and came around to her side. She climbed down and Buck took her hand again.
“Hello Granddad,” Buck called up to him, and his grandfather smiled and gave the universal wave to come in. They walked up the stairs to the porch and into the house. “Granddad, I’d like you t
o meet my bride to be, Joss Erickson. Joss, this is Winston Dohi, my grandfather.”
Winston put out a hand to her and they shook. He smiled at her warmly. He stood with Buck’s erect posture, and moved with his grace, she noticed, but the height gene was definitely from the Buckingham side of the family. Winston had lines etched in his handsome face, but his hair was still jet black, darker than Buck’s.
“It is a privilege to meet the woman strong enough and brave enough to take on my grandson. I am delighted to meet you, granddaughter. Please sit, I’ve made tea.” He walked out of the room and Joss looked at Buck.
“Well, that was easy,” she said and he inclined his head to her not saying “I told you.” On their way to the couch she saw photos on the wall and she moved to look at them. The first one she saw was a couple with an infant. It was a photo of Buck’s parents looking very pleased with themselves about their baby. Joss’s heart lurched in her chest. They were beautiful, and so clearly happy, and so painfully young. She looked at Buck, he was watching her response and his face was once again unreadable. In the picture his father was leaning down looking at his mother adoringly. He was exceedingly handsome. Buck’s mother was the image of Miri, a delicately chiseled beauty.
“You should have a copy of this picture. They are so happy.”
“I do, it’s in DC,” he said.
“You have a house in DC?”
“A townhouse near headquarters; I’m not terribly attached to it. But it has a really great bed,” he winked at her. She grinned. There were thirty five years she needed to learn about, and they had the rest of their lives to do it.
Joss stepped in front of the next picture. It was of a young, maybe eight year old, shirtless Buck. He was thin enough she saw every rib and he had long black hair with what looked like a rattle snake coiled around his arm, the snake’s head firmly in his grasp. She inhaled a little and looked at Buck again, he was looking shyly proud of the picture of his younger self.
“You caught him with your bare hands?”
“That was the easy part, Duchess,” he had an “aw shucks” look on his face, she’d never seen it before and she really wanted to kiss him and she opened her mouth to say just that.
“That picture was taken about thirty seconds before the snake bit him,” Winston said right behind her. She laughed. Buck pulled up his sleeve and showed her the two white puncture marks on his wrist.
“I tossed him away before I had fully unwrapped him from my arm, he didn’t go anywhere. I won’t make that mistake again,” Buck said.
“No, I’m sure you won’t,” she said. “Did it hurt?”
“Nah,” he said and his grandfather laughed.
“He didn’t say a word, but it hurt.”
“Yeah, it hurt, it hurt worse than getting shot, but mostly I felt stupid, that hurt worse,” he said.
“You were so skinny,” she said. Winston laughed and Buck smiled at him.
“Not for lack of eating, Duchess. My grandmother referred to me as ‘the black hole,’ among other things.”
“Drink, and tell me about yourself, Joss,” Winston said. They moved to the low blue couch and Winston poured. “How do you take it, Joss?”
“Milk, no sugar,” she said and watched him pour. When he handed her the cup she sat back on the couch warming her hands with the cup.
“I grew up in southern Montana on a cattle ranch, that’s where I met Buck, or rather Duke, sorry,” she said, but Winston waved his hand.
“What were you doing in southern Montana?” Winston asked Buck.
“Falling in love with the ranch owner’s daughter,” Buck said looking at Joss. “Didn’t take more than a few hours.”
“Mmm,” Winston said. There was a silence, and Joss figured this was just what they did, they were both so still, birds would land on them. They drank their tea.
“Will you live there, once you are married?”
“I don’t know, we haven’t discussed it yet,” Joss said with a quick look at Buck. “I work in Denver, but I could give DC a try.” She looked at Buck who had a look on his face she recognized from the first time they clapped eyes on each other. He was picturing her in his great bed, she had no doubt.
“What do you do in Denver?”
“I throw together the exhibits at a museum there, my field is Art History,” she said and Winston grinned at his grandson. He stood up and left the room. Joss looked at Buck and he shrugged.
“He’s going to find some embarrassing relic of mine, no doubt,” he said.
“Your room, you lived here, do you still have a room?” His mouth corners were trying not to curl, but he couldn’t help it.
“I’m afraid so,” he said and she stood putting her cup down.
“Show me,” she said taking his hand and pulling at it. He stood and kissed her.
“Prepare yourself, Duchess, this will blow your mind.” They walked back to his room. One wall was painted black with Picasso’s Guernica on it. Joss gaped and sat on the bed, staring at it.
“Teenage angst?” She murmured. Buck sat next to her and she leaned into him, he put his lips on her hair and his arms around her.
“Something like that. I couldn’t believe it when I went into your room that day and saw yours. I thought some huge practical joke was being played on me,” he pulled her close. “I was tired, in pain, confused, and so hot for you, and I stepped into your room and I was a little kid again, standing in my own room, hurt and angry. God, I was always so angry. You walked in and it was like the sun came out from behind a cloud.” She turned and kissed him. “My own personal Soma.”
“Would we have been friends when we were kids?” She asked.
“You heard Miri, I didn’t have any friends. I was ruthless in my protection of her, and I was outcast because of my being a half breed.” Her mouth fell open. “Don’t worry, Duchess, things are different these days, in both societies. Our kids will be fine.” She laughed.
“I wasn’t even thinking about our kids, Buck; I was wishing it had been easier for you,” she said and he touched her cheek.
“I am a product of my beginnings like everyone else. I wouldn’t be who I am if it weren’t for what I endured. I wouldn’t give that up for all the pampering in the world because I am this man you love. I just think we’ve been soul mates for longer than we thought.” He pointed at the wall. They looked at the wall and Buck stood up and helped her off the bed.
“Yours is better than mine, less like the original, but with more of you in it. I’m very impressed, Buck,” she whispered.
“Come,” he said.
They walked back to the living room and Winston was there with a sketch book, drinking his tea.
“He showed you his artwork?” She nodded. “Funny that a ten year old would choose that to paint on his wall.”
“You were ten?” She said.
“Joss painted the same thing on her wall as a kid, Granddad,” he said and Winston’s eyes went wide.
“Curious,” he said and turned to Joss. “Did you lose someone?”
“My little brother,” she said.
“I am sorry. Yawning Lion could have been an artist,” he pointed to the sketch book. “He had talent and passion. I think he is more challenged by his chosen career, however.” Joss picked up the sketch book and looked through it. She was stunned. This sketch book was from an early age to the age of thirteen when he left to be educated in the east. She looked at Buck.
“Why do you speak German?” She asked.
“I lived there for a semester of college, in Nuremberg,” she gasped.
“What else have we got in common, Buck?” She stood up without realizing it and stepped back. Winston’s eyes went wide watching quietly.
“I was there seven years before you were, Duchess, and I was there for politics, not art. But you’re right; there are too many coincidences for it to be coincidence. I went to University of Chicago; you went to the Art Institute of Chicago. We speak the same languages, except for Tha
i and Navajo,” he said.
“I got Rosetta Stone, I’m teaching myself. I have been for the past two months,” she said quickly.
He smiled. “You were marked by a bear,” he looked at his grandfather whose eyes got large again. “So was my grandfather.”
Winston stood and looked at Joss directly in the eye. “Yes, I see.” He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled the tails out of his jeans to show her his chest. The skin was marred over his left breast, the size of a hand span. White scars on an ocher pallet. Joss turned and pulled her shirt up over her head and heard him gasp behind her. “This was a big bear,” he said and the tension died in the room. Joss put her shirt back on and sat down. Buck sat up against her.
“Have I been groomed for you?” She asked softly. He didn’t answer, how could he? “Sir Gerard?”
“He probably thought it was amusing,” Buck said but wondered how long he had been after the Frenchman’s gold. Why then would he tell Buck that Joss had moved on? Because it only made Buck even more determined to get to her. His only mistake was to not realize Buck would quit before he risked their relationship. He was a devious bastard.
“I’m still going to love you until I die, even though we were set up,” she said sounding petulant.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he kissed her. “I’m sorry he’s such a bastard, but I owe him big now.”
“Yes, so do I.”
“Granddad, we promised Emma we’d be there when she got home from school. Will you come to dinner?”
“Tomorrow I will come for dinner, tonight I have other plans.” He winked at Buck and Buck’s mouth fell open. “Joss, there is much to you; I am delighted to welcome you to the family.”
“Thank you.”
“Bye, Granddad,” Buck said and they drove back to Flagstaff.
“Yawning Lion?” She asked him.
“My grandmother called me that. She thought I was quick and dangerous behind an indolent façade. She was ‘spot on’ as Sir Gerard would say,” he said and laughed.
No one was home when they got to Miri’s house and they were naked in an instant. They fell back on the bed together, their lips locked and hungry. The more they had the more they needed, and the more they gave to each other. Buck’s teeth made their inexorable path down her neck to her breast. Joss’s back arched up to meet it and he sucked and licked and bit. She was somehow overwhelmed by him, but she managed to push him onto his back and looked into his surprised and playful eyes.
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