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  “This is a nice place, Chris,” Janice said as she looked around, noting the pictures and artifacts hanging on the walls.

  “I think it’s nice too,” Chris replied.

  The waitress came to the table and smiled at them. “Hi, my name is Bethany, and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  Janice looked at the menu and said, “I’d like an ice tea please.”

  “Okay.” The waitress looked at Chris. “And you, sir?”

  “Bring me a scotch and water.”

  She nodded. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

  Janice looked at Chris and asked, “Have you ever eaten at the Shuler in Colstrip?”

  “Yes, I’ve been there.”

  “What do you think of it?” she asked as he looked over the menu.

  “It’s okay. A bit overpriced I think. I rarely eat there.”

  “I wondered if it was an expensive restaurant.”

  “They pride themselves on being a high-end restaurant, and I guess to an extent they are. But I think you can have a high-class, five-star restaurant and still keep the prices reasonable,” he said, smiling.

  The waitress returned with their drinks and asked for their orders.

  Janice ordered the baked lemon chicken and a salad, and Chris opted for steak and salad.

  When the waitress left, Janice said, “So, tell me about your tribe and your childhood.”

  “Do you know anything about the Sioux?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t. Whatever I may have learned in history classes I’m afraid I don’t remember.”

  “The name Sioux means ‘little snake.’ Back in the 1800s the Sioux moved from place to place, following the buffalo because they provided them with food and clothing. When they learned to ride horses, that became their main transportation. There were chiefs for various aspects of their life. There were the war chiefs, the civil rules chiefs, medicine men chiefs, and so on. During the 1860s, they fought the white man to keep their land until eventually the US government signed a treaty with them, allowing them to keep portions of it. Then rumors started floating around that there was gold located on the Sioux land.

  “The Sioux had another battle with the white man, and the Cheyenne tribe joined them in the fight. This was led by the legendary Sitting Bull. They moved the people to the Dakotas as they continued to battle. I’m sure you’ve heard of Custer’s Last Stand. The Sioux and the Cheyenne were eventually defeated at the Battle of Wounded Knee, and they lost a lot of people in the fight.”

  “Is there a Sioux reservation nearby?” Janice asked.

  “Yes, today most of the tribe lives in South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, and Canada.”

  The waitress brought their food to the table. “Is there anything else I can get for you? Would you like another drink?”

  “No, I’m fine,” Chris said.

  Janice shook her head no.

  When the waitress walked away, they started on their meals and Chris went on with his story. “My childhood wasn’t very good. We were dirt poor. My mother died when I was very young, and my father was an alcoholic. Robin and I lived most of our lives with our grandmother.”

  “Was she good to you and Robin?” Janice asked.

  “Yes, she was. There just wasn’t any money. She was a potter, and made ceramic Native American pots to sell at trading posts. Her work was quite beautiful, but she let them go at cheap prices so she could get money to feed us. When I was fifteen, I fell in love with Cherie, who was fourteen. Two years later we got married and left South Dakota, coming to Montana and settling here in Colstrip. I met Howie shortly after we got here, and he kind of took me under his wing and showed me how to be a mechanic. He even paid to send me to school to become a mechanic. He died a few years after Cherie did, and left me the shop.”

  “What happened to Cherie?” Janice asked quietly.

  Chris looked into Janice’s eyes for a few minutes, and then let out a sigh. “She died shortly after giving birth to Sandra.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It happened eighteen years ago.”

  “Was it in the hospital or at home?” Janice asked.

  “Oh, it was at the hospital,” Chris said with an angry smirk. “They neglected her because the doctor that was on call and was supposed to be taking care of her said he didn’t want to treat her because she was one of ‘those’ people who had no insurance and couldn’t pay for their own medical care. Yeah, if I could have gotten ahold of him back then, I’d have put my hands around his scrawny little neck and choked the life right out of him for that remark. He finally did treat her, but by then it was too late. It was his fault she died.”

  “You seem to have some really good kids.”

  “Yes, they are good kids, all of them. I give a lot of credit to my sister Robin for helping me out as she did. Aaron is my oldest, and he’s engaged to Cathy. He chose to stay home and pay me rent rather than move into his own place. Alexis couldn’t wait to get a job and get out on his own. But he’s so deep in debt now that he moved back home and has started to sell some of his toys to pay off the debts. He does like to drink though, and that concerns me. Cheryl is the sweetheart of the group. She has a heart bigger than the state of Texas. She’s studying to be a nurse and is putting herself through college by working at Kellie’s. She did take out a student loan before she started to work at the diner, but I paid that off for her.

  “Sandra is probably the most troublesome of the four. She tends to flirt heavily with the boys. I’m concerned that she’ll get herself hurt. She’s taking all the basic courses required in college, but hasn’t yet decided what she wants to do. Unfortunately, she’s not eligible for financial aid because I earn too much money with the business, but I told her that if she stayed home, kept her nose clean, and didn’t get knocked up or married, I’d pay her tuition. I think that’s provided a challenge for her. She’s like Alexis in a way. Wants to party and have a good time and have lots of toys. She has actually talked me into getting her an e-reader and a laptop.”

  “Something tells me that she’s got Daddy wrapped around her finger,” Janice said and laughed.

  “Yes, she does, to an extent,” Chris replied, smiling. “How about your life growing up?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and I have one sister. My dad worked at the plant, and my mom was a homemaker. My sister and I had a good life. Our parents were wonderful to us, and we had an idyllic lifestyle. My dad had made some wise investments that paid off, and they were able to pay for my first four years of college. My sister’s too. She went on to become a registered nurse at a Detroit hospital. I went to California to get my degree in library science. I had obtained my BA in music, but decided I needed something that I could support myself with. Then I got into computers. My parents died a few years ago in an car accident, but I have a very close relationship with my sister.”

  The waitress came back to take their plates and asked if they’d saved room for dessert.

  “No, I didn’t,” Janice replied.

  Chris shook his head ruefully.

  “All righty then, here’s your check. I’ll take that when you’re ready. No hurry.”

  Chris pulled out his wallet.

  “Do you want me to pay for my portion of the meal?” Janice asked.

  “No, I asked you out. I will pay for it,” Chris replied.

  They left the restaurant and on the drive back to Colstrip, Chris asked, “Have you gotten ahold of some contractors to get some estimates for the library basement?”

  “Yes, I have a couple of contractors coming over next week. They’ll give me estimates to submit to the council members for review. Do you think I should get all the estimates together first and submit them, or submit for each job separately?”

  “Well, if, for example, you’ve got three estimates from exterminators for
the rats, I’d go ahead and send that in and we can get it approved and you can get started on it. Otherwise, it may take a while before you can start on things.”

  “I enjoyed dinner with you tonight, Chris, and I wanted to thank you for it.” She was thankful for the Novocain spray that Dr. Merck had given her for her tongue as it allowed her to enjoy the meal without pain.

  “You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too,” he responded quietly.

  Most of the trip back to Colstrip was made in quiet solitude, each of them in their own thoughts. Janice was surprised at how at ease she felt with Chris. Their conversations were light and easy-going. She was glad the conversation hadn’t gone further when she was talking about herself. The waitress had interrupted them at the right moment.

  She felt ashamed and disgusted with herself about her life with David. She didn’t want anyone to know about it. She was so insecure that she felt like she didn’t know how to be around a man, especially a man of Chris’s caliber. She would have to learn just to accept that their relationship would be friendship only. In her mind she knew this, but her heart was telling her something else.

  * * * *

  Chris should have known better than to ask her out. He did so partly because Mark was hanging around and he didn’t like the idea of him and Janice together. If he wasn’t careful, he would dig himself into a hole he couldn’t get out of. He didn’t think they could really have a relationship. He still thought she was high-maintenance, and she was after something. Probably money. She wouldn’t talk about the phase of her life in Colorado. Plus, he just didn’t think biracial relationships could work.

  On the other hand, he did enjoy her company, and he did think she was beautiful, and what man wouldn’t want someone as beautiful as her dangling on his arm? Even if she would just admit to what she was doing in Aspen, it would make things easier for him. He could accept her as she was. He just didn’t like deceit and secrets.

  When they arrived at Janice’s apartment, they got out and she opened the door. “Would you like to come in?” she asked, peeking up at him through her eyelashes.

  “Okay,” Chris responded.

  They walked into her small apartment, and Chris was impressed that she didn’t have expensive furniture. But what she did have looked comfortable.

  “You have a nice little place here,” Chris said.

  “Thanks. Can I offer you something to drink?”

  “No, I’m fine,” he said as he turned around.

  Chris looked into Janice’s eyes, and then at her lips. He knew he shouldn’t do it, but he couldn’t resist the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. As he kissed her, his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips, and he could feel her quiver at the touch. His hands gently stroked her arms while Janice strained toward him. Her breasts were tight against his chest as he moved his lips to her chin and then led a moist trail to her earlobe. He nibbled at her earlobe for a bit then went to that small, delicious spot at the top of her neck and kissed her there. His hands moved up and down her back gently, and then rested a spell at her sides near her breasts. Chris came back up to her lips again, and covered them hungrily. Janice threw her arms around his neck to hold him close to her as he continued to stroke her and kiss her.

  Suddenly, there was a shrill noise. A persistent ringing that wouldn’t let up. Chris reluctantly pulled away from her and pulled his phone out of the case on his belt.

  He looked at the screen and told Janice, “It’s my daughter, Sandra.” He flipped the cellphone open. “Yeah, Sandra.” Chris listened for a few seconds. “You’re what? Where are you exactly?” After a moment’s pause, he said, “All right, I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t get out of the car and don’t talk to strangers.” He snapped the phone shut and said to Janice, “I swear she doesn’t know what the E means on the gas gauge. She’s out of gas again. I’m sorry, Janice.”

  “Oh, don’t be sorry. I know that your family comes first. That’s one of those endearing qualities I like about you.” She smiled and gave him a hug.

  He looked at her thoughtfully, and then gave her a gentle smile and bent down and kissed her lips. He turned and headed to the door. “Lock the door behind me.”

  * * * *

  Janice closed the door and locked it. She heard Chris start his truck and drive off. His kiss still lingered on her lips, and she had never felt anything like that before in her life. His kisses sent spirals of ecstasy through her body, and she dreamed of being crushed within his embrace.

  She got ready for bed, and that night was the first night in a long time that she actually fell asleep and had no nightmares.

  The next morning, it was back to work as usual, and Janice felt pretty good since she actually got a whole night’s rest. She excitedly tackled getting the exterminators’ estimates so she could get it over in time for the council members’ weekly meeting.

  She had a couple of questions about terminology that she didn’t understand in the estimates and used that as an excuse to walk over to Chris’s garage and ask him.

  He didn’t seem to mind her coming over and he took her to his office to talk. After he explained a couple of things to her, they talked about other things. When she got ready to leave, he leaned over and kissed her gently on her lips.

  She had several people scheduled for interviews that afternoon for the new library assistant position. A human resource specialist, Ray Holsen, would be with her as she conducted the interviews.

  The first interview was with a young college student named Dana Tyson. Janice liked her immediately. She was technology-savvy, understood database operations, and was good with numbers and web design. She was very personable and reminded Janice of herself.

  After interviewing four more people that afternoon, Janice told Ray, “I’d like to hire Dana Tyson.”

  “Okay, I thought you’d go with her. She seems to be the most qualified. Let me do the background check on her and check her references, and I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.”

  “Sounds good. Thanks, Ray.”

  Chapter 10

  At eight-fifteen Thursday morning, Robin knocked at Janice’s back door. Janice opened the door and greeted her. “Come on in. I’ll be ready in a minute.”

  “Okay.” Robin stepped into the kitchen . “This is a nice apartment. I never been inside this apartment complex before.”

  “Oh, thank you. The furniture and stuff isn’t mine, they came with the apartment.”

  Robin looked at her jewelry artwork on the kitchen table. “So this is how you wear such exquisite jewelry.”

  Janice grabbed her purse from the living room. “Yes, I make all my own jewelry.”

  “Wow, you sure are talented. I love some of the pieces you’ve worn to the library.”

  “Thanks. It’s a great stress reliever and gives me something to do in the evenings when I’m not working.”

  “What type of beads do you use?”

  “I like to use crystals and gemstones mostly.”

  “So pretty,” Robin said.

  “Are you ready?” Janice asked.

  “Yes, let’s go.”

  As they got settled in Robin’s SUV and turned out on the highway to Forsyth, Janice asked Robin, “Do you make any kind of Native American artwork? Like pottery or jewelry?”

  “No, unfortunately, I’m not gifted in that way. I spent a lot of my time cooking and cleaning for Chris as his kids grew up, then we had Ruthanne, and I had never worked outside the home until this job at the library. My ‘gift’, I think, is cooking. If I could ever afford it, I’d go to culinary school. I spent a lot of years fixing good and delicious meals for Chris and his family and Glen.”

  “I imagine with having a lot of children underfoot you’d have to learn to cook meals they’ll eat as well as being nutritious.”

  “Yes, four kids, and four different plates.”

  “It must have been really hard for Chris when his wife died.”

  “Yeah, it was. It was hard on al
l of us, but Chris managed to keep food on the table for us all. He had Glen come into the business with him and made him a partner. It took a long time to get the business to flourish.” They rode in silence for a few minutes then Robin asked, “How was your dinner date with Chris?”

  “Oh, it was fine. I really enjoyed it. We went to Steve’s Roadhouse in Lame Deer.”

  “That’s a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of nice restaurants like that here in Colstrip.”

  “True, but you know, going out of town for dinner like that is kind of nice.”

  They arrived at Rosebud Community Hospital and walked in. After Janice checked in and filled out the paperwork, she and Robin were led into an area where she had to undress and put on a hospital gown. Robin stood outside while Janice undressed. Janice looked at herself in the mirror to be sure the scars didn’t show on her arms, and she was glad that she had to put two gowns on, one opened in the front and the other opened in the back.

  They were led to the hospital bed, and shortly after Janice got settled, Dr. Bedford and another man came into the area.

  “Janice, this is Dr. King. He’ll be giving you the anesthesia.”

  “Hello, Janice,” Dr. King said and came over to shake her hand.

  “Hello, Dr. King.”

  “I’m going to be giving you some Novocain to numb your mouth, and then we’ll hook you up with an IV to administer the drugs that will put you under. Do you have any questions for me?”

  “How long will I be out?”

  “The procedure takes about forty-five minutes to an hour, and as soon as Dr. Bedford is done, we’ll stop the anesthesia.”

  “Okay,” Janice said nervously.

  * * * *

  Janice woke up in the hospital bed in the surgical recovery area, hearing voices, beeps, and other types of machines buzzing. She looked over and saw Robin sitting next to her.

  “Hey, girlfriend, how are you doing?” Robin asked when she saw that Janice was awake.

  “Okay, I think.” Janice looked around.

  “The nurse said the doctor will be here shortly. Apparently they’re looking at the biopsy.”