"What's that?"
Silvey lifted her chin. "My mom is big on pithy sayings such as 'actions speak louder than words', but in your case I'm going to have to judge you by your words and not by your actions."
He gave her a quick look. "Why is that?"
"Because you don't seem to know what you want."
"You're wrong, Silvey," he said on a soft note of scorn. "I know exactly what I want, but you're not the type of woman to give it to me-at least not yet."
Her head whipped around in the darkness as she tried to read his expression. "Do you mean an affair?"
"That's right, and it's not going to happen," he said ruthlessly. "It's best if we stay out of each other's way."
Silvey couldn't have said why that hurt. After all, he was right. She wasn't the kind of woman who indulged in affairs. She would have to be in love with a man before she slept with him, and how could she love a man who didn't love her back? Who didn't even trust such an emotion as love? Even though she felt as battered as an old soccer ball, she manufactured a proud tone in her voice. "You're right.
You're giving me a loan. I'll pay it back. There's nothing but business between us."
Dan's hands curled slowly around the steering wheel. "Silvey, you're fooling yourself. There's far more between us than business, but we both need time to decide what that is. As I said, we need to stay out of each other's way-for a while at -least." He paused, seeming to expect an answer from her, but she couldn't formulate words.
Finally, he said, "I'll take you home now."
She nodded, silent with misery, unable to answer for fear that the sound of her breaking heart would echo in her voice.
Silvey didn't see Dan again for a week. The night he'd brought her home from the Vargas' party, he'd walked her to her door, said a polite good night, and strolled away. The next day, his attorney called to say that the papers for the loan from Dan were ready. As soon as she signed, the money would be hers.
Expecting to see Dan at the attorney's office, she'd dressed carefully in a pale yellow summer suit and made the journey to downtown Tucson, only to find that a secretary handled all the details. Silvey had driven away with a large check and a heavy heart, telling herself that she wasn't in love with him so her disappointment at not seeing him shouldn't have been so fierce, but she couldn't help recalling what he'd said about messy emotional situations that were solved with a chequebook. She knew he hadn't been talking about this loan, but still, she felt as if she'd been bought off.
After depositing the check, she made the arrangements with the owner and in no time, The Yogurt Gallery was hers. She closed the shop for a couple of days, and with promises of substantial bonuses, induced her employees to help her paint and wallpaper the place, and arrange the consigned artwork in eye-catching displays near the door.
While all this was going on, the activist group that Leila had left in her charge was growing increasingly restless. As much as she loved her grandmother, Silvey wished she could have found someone else to take over this group. She regretted agreeing to lead them, but she knew Leila was depending on her.
Dutifully, she called a meeting and the group that called themselves Leila's Warriors met at her house one afternoon to sit around her kitchen table, drink lemonade, eat cookies, and discuss strategy.
As soon as they sat down, Frank and Lupe Beltran, a feisty elderly couple, announced that they had finally persuaded an inspector to make an un-announced visit to the rest home whose conditions they found so distasteful.
Silvey eyed them warily as they snickered. "Oh?
How did you do that?"
"By camping in front of his office door until he agreed," Lupe said with a smug smile.
"I don't think he liked having two people with a cooler of soft drinks, a dozen sandwiches, and two sleeping bags cluttering up his office,"
Frank said.
"How narrow-minded of him." Silvey grinned, imagining the scene.
"Now let's just hope he makes that place clean up its act." She looked around at the group. "So? What's next?"
"The Branaman Mountain excavation," Reed Madison answered with obvious relish. He was the oldest and the most vocal of the group-verging on militant. "We've all heard the rumors that Sonora College is interested in digging there. I tried to contact the head of their archaeology department, but he just retired due to ill health.
Someone he dug up probably put a curse on him." The old man cackled. "No one else there would talk to me."
Including Dr. Daniel Wisdom, no doubt, Silvey thought. She could suggest that they try to meet with him, but right now he was only a professor. If he succeeded in excavating Branaman Mountain, he would be made department head. Yet, if he did excavate, he would be going against everything she believed. And he had told her to stay out of his way where the mountain was concerned-and where he was concerned.
Silvey's heart sank when she thought about him. He had certainly carried through on his promise to give her the loan she needed. She doubted that he would ask for the money back if she interfered with his excavation. But he had also kissed her in a way that was sweet enough to melt her heart while saying he didn't want any woman to have a hold over him.
When the group stopped chortling, Reed went on. "I contacted the tribal councils of several state tribes. They agreed to send letters of protest to the state about the planned excavation."
"But they can't really speak for the Morenos. They're not part of that tribe," Silvey said.
"Exactly what does the law say about excavating burial sites?" Frank wanted to know.
"That burial grounds must remain undisturbed unless the tribe wants them moved or they're threatened by a building project. In this case, a road up to the telescope site is supposed to go in there eventually."
"That's the project we really need to stop," Reed said hotly. "Can't the road be put somewhere else?"
"Maybe," Silvey answered. "It might be possible to block that if we can stop the burial site excavation."
"I think we need to do something more," Lupe chimed in.
"Like what?" Silvey asked, although she had a feeling she knew what was coming.
"Stage a protest," she announced, looking around for approval, which the other members gave readily.
Silvey shook her head. "That's fenced government land. We can't go up there without a permit."
"Seems pretty funny to me that citizens of the United States have to have permission to go on property they own," Lupe sniffed.
"You know it's to keep vandals, squatters, and illegal hunters off."
Silvey looked around at the little group. She agreed with their sentiments, but had often taken issue with their methods.
"It wouldn't do us any good to go there, anyway," Frank said. "We wouldn't get any media coverage." He cocked his head to one side, deep in thought. "It needs to be something more visible."
As they considered, Silvey recalled yet again that although Dan had told her to stay out of his way, her own belief was that she should do so. She also remembered her grandfather's pride in his Moreno heritage; the few stories he had told her of tribal lore, the sacredness of the final resting place. She took a deep breath.
"Sonora College has already asked permission to excavate up there." She immediately had the attention of the others, who looked concerned. "If we got the rest of the group together and picketed the college itself, I'll bet we could get a television news crew out."
Reed was almost licking his chops. "Yeah," he breathed. "That's a great idea."
"We're doing it legally this time, though," Silvey warned, shaking her finger at them. "We'll get a permit to assemble at the edge of the college's property. No trouble this time."
Her cohorts gave her looks of perfect innocence. "Of course, Silvey. Whatever you say." Considering their history, she didn't feel reassured.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SONORA College was at the east end of town in an area just developing into residential and industrial parks. Tucson's
building boom of the eighties had slowed in this particular area so civilization wasn't rushing in on the campus quite yet. It stood on a large tract only a mile from a major interstate highway. There was room for them to build a museum and, with easy access from the highway as well as from town, it wouldn't lack for visitors.
When Silvey arrived, few of Leila's Warriors were there so she parked across the road, rolled down her windows to let in the gritty breeze and popped the lid of a lemon-lime soda. As she sipped the cold drink, she considered the afternoon's plans.
The group would march calmly with placards denouncing the planned excavation of the Moreno burial site. When television news teams arrived, Reed Madison would read a prepared statement, then the group would disperse peacefully. Reading the statement was an honor that usually fell to Leila, but Silvey had insisted Reed do it in exchange for his promise not to make up any militaristic marching slogans for the group to shout.
Silvey took another sip of soda and surveyed the site. At least there wouldn't be any difficulty in keeping the group off the college's property since they were separated from the campus by a wide boulevard.
She still wished she didn't have charge of the group, but at least it wouldn't be for long. Grandma and Lawrence would be home in a few weeks and Silvey didn't think her grandmother was going to be very interested in continuing her activities with the group.
Last night she had received a giddy phone call from Leila, who was agog at her temporary home at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She couldn't say enough ecstatic things about Lawrence, who had already gone to work on the miniseries, leaving Leila to explore Hollywood when she was alone during the day. She insisted everything was just perfect and that Dan had even called and talked to his father for a long time.
Leila said she had been tempted to eavesdrop, worrying over Dan's plans for Branaman Mountain and that Silvey should withdraw her protest to the excavation. Silvey had tried to soothe her, but in truth, she was worried, too, but not about the same thing.
She was inclined to think their conversation had concerned Lawrence and Leila's coming marriage, even though she believed Dan when he said he wouldn't actively try to break them up.
Thoughts of Dan stitched a frown between Silvey's eyebrows. She had a pretty good idea what she was going to say when he found out what she was up to. He had made it clear that he would withhold the loan if she got in the way of his excavation. Now that she had the loan, she felt that she was being dishonest by going ahead with the protest, and yet, she couldn't back down. This was important, and besides, there was no telling what Leila's Warriors might do if she wasn't around to watch over them.
Silvey gulped the rest of her soda, and glanced around to see that the members of her group had all arrived. The news team was due in fifteen minutes, which would work out fine. She didn't want the Warriors, most of whom were elderly, to be in the sun too long.
She set down her empty soda can and reached around to pull her placard from the small space behind the seat. As she did so, a flash of color caught her eye and she turned to see Dan Wisdom's car pulling up behind hers.
Silvey froze with her eyes wide and her fingers wrapped around the wooden handle of her sign. She hadn't seen him since the night he had told her he didn't want to get involved, then kissed her senseless. Remembering how she had felt in his arms, Silvey decided she could be forgiven for the way her heart leaped up and began pounding in her throat.
He jumped out of his car and strode toward her. Today he was dressed in snug jeans and a blue T-shirt and didn't look the least bit professorial. In fact, he made her mouth water. She swallowed quickly and turned around when he stopped at the passenger side of her car and stuck his head in the open window.
"What are you doing here, Silvey?" he asked as his gaze fell to her sign. "'Let The Moreno Indians Rest In Peace,"' he quoted, then looked back at her,, his eyes like blue ice chips. "Not very original."
"Actually, that's one of our milder slogans," she said, and cursed herself for the faintness in her voice.
"Our?"
She climbed out of the car and pointed to the assembled group.
They waved to her cheerily as they began walking in circles, placards held proudly aloft.
Dan stared, then looked at her in amazement.
"What did you do, raid an old folks' home?" Silvey took a deep breath and plunged in. "This is the group Grandma was talking about when we left her and Lawrence at the airport." "This is her group of activists?" "Leila's Warriors."
Dan burst out laughing. "Oh, they look like a real threat."
She didn't like his tone. "I'll have you know, Dr. Wisdom, that they're very effective."
Dan placed his hands on his hips and looked at her in humored perplexity. "How many times per protest do you have to get out the oxygen to revive them?"
"They may be elderly, but they get the job done."
"And what job's that? Getting heatstroke? Embarrassing me? Making sure your loan is cancelled?"
"You wouldn't dare." She said it, but she didn't quite believe it. Still, she lifted her chin defiantly.
Dan scowled at her. "Oh, I get it. The minute your loan went through, you thought you could ignore what I asked you to do."
Silvey's hands twisted on the wooden handle. "You didn't exactly ask," she hedged.
"You know what I mean." He glanced once again at the Warriors.
"How did you get involved with this bunch, anyway?"
"Mostly, I just look out for them."
"Are you sure they need it?"
No, she thought, but she answered, "I promised my grandmother."
Dan placed his hands on his hips and rocked back on his heels. "You mean you keep your promises to some people, but not to others? I thought we had an agreement."
"No. You gave orders and I chose not to go along with them. This is important," she insisted. "What you want to do up on that mountain is wrong."
"How the hell would you know? You don't know what it is I want to do." Frustrated, he paused and paced a few steps away from her, then turned and came back. He ran a hand through his hair and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "How long do your people plan to be out here?"
She shrugged innocently. "Only until the television news crew shows up."
His eyes widened. "News ...? Oh, Lord," he muttered. He watched her for a few seconds, then said, "Look, why don't you come up on the mountain with me and see what I have in mind? Maybe you can drop your complaints then."
She shaded her face with the placard and stared at him. "Come with you? To Branaman Mountain?" She couldn't keep the trace of
excitement from her voice. An opportunity to visit the site before it was disturbed was more than she'd ever hoped for.
"That's right. I figure it's the only way you'll drop the protest, if you see what we really intend to do."
She glanced down so he wouldn't see the avid interest in her eyes.
"Well, I guess it would be okay."
"Better take this offer. It's the only one you're going to get," he said sardonically, then made an exasperated noise. "I keep telling myself it's a mistake to have anything to do with you. I remind myself that it's pure folly, but somehow I don't listen."
Silvey tucked her tongue into her cheek. "So you told me the other night. Believe me, I haven't forgotten it."
He gave her a black look.
"Dan, are you saying I'm irresistible, or just plain irritating?"
"Flip a coin," he sighed. "It can go either way."
Her lips pressed together, Silvey gave him a disgruntled look. "Well, since you've asked me so nicely and everything, I'll be happy to go."
"Fine." He turned away. "Saturday morning. I'll pick you up at nine o'clock. Do you have any hiking boots?"
'Yes„"
"Wear them and sunscreen. It'll be a long day."
No kidding. And even longer if he was this prickly and standoffish the whole time.
"I'll bring food, too," she shouted after him. "Just
in case you have any ideas about starving me into submission."
"If I thought that would work, I would have tried it before now," he grumbled.
She watched him duck into his car and zip across the road to the college parking lot, then get out and stride rapidly into his office building.
This would be so much easier if she wasn't so enthralled with him, if she didn't spend so much time thinking about him. True, they had a relationship, that of creditor and debtor, but it was hardly the type she wanted.
Lowering her head in thought, she turned and scuffed rocks away with her sandals as she walked back to join the group.
She recalled what he'd told her while they'd been sitting in his car after they'd left the Vargas' barbecue. No wonder he was such an enigma, given all the upheaval he'd experienced in his young life.
He felt he had to keep his emotions under control. He'd let that control slip and she wished it would happen again.
She wanted to spend time alone with him and the trip to Branaman Mountain would be the perfect opportunity. After all, he hadn't mentioned a word about anyone else coming along.
Silvey lifted her head and grinned suddenly. This trip didn't have to be exactly what he expected. It could be fun. She had already told him she would bring food. She would make it into a real picnic.
Heaven knew, Dan Wisdom could use a little more fun in his life and she was just the person to provide it. True, he found her irritating, but he'd also said she was irresistible, and she knew from the way he'd kissed her that he had some feelings for her. That was something to build on.
Satisfied with that idea, she stepped lightly as she joined the group and waited for the news crew.
Saturday morning was hot and clear with no rain forecast. Silvey dressed in a yellow cotton shirt and shorts. She thought the clunky hiking boots ruined the look, but she was being careful to follow Dan's orders to the letter. By eight o'clock, she was in the kitchen, assembling the food she had prepared the night before. She had made chicken sandwiches, then sliced up carrot and celery sticks and placed them in sealed plastic bags. She'd made chocolate brownies with chocolate chips and nuts. Pinching off a bite, she let it melt in her mouth. If it was true that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, Dan Wisdom didn't stand a chance. Placing the food in a picnic hamper, she set it by the front door, tossed a folded blanket and tablecloth over it, then hurried back to the kitchen for the cooler of bottled water and soft drinks.
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