“I’ll get you for this, Mr. Hand.”
“I’m going to have quite a collection of your unmentionables pretty soon.”
Stormy ground her teeth together. She knew he was teasing, but her heart hoped he was telling the truth. She’d gladly give him her whole lingerie drawer if they could keep their relationship going.
* * *
The meeting with the Portermans went poorly. Jeff was totally on his game and Stormy knew she was seriously outclassed. To top it off, Ella Porterman realized that Stormy was at a disadvantage and made snide remarks throughout.
Fortunately, Jeff was kind during the dreadful interview and although he made his points, he didn’t point out her feeble attempts to represent the Portermans’ side. If she won this case, it would be a miracle. But, seeing the look in Jeff’s eyes, the sympathy and affection present helped her deal with her inadequacies better. The case was important, however, and no amount of sympathy was going to make Jeff take a loss on purpose. She wanted to comport herself professionally and do her best. Losing wasn’t an option she could explore further.
Ella Porterman harped on the moral implications of having the bourbon distillery upstream from them and so close to Fire Gorge and the reservation. It was exactly the tack Stormy didn’t want to take, but she was at a loss over how to still the woman. Russell Porterman was visibly uncomfortable, squirming in his chair, and though he tried to make light of Ella’s insistence that the water rights were less important than the danger to the community, the situation deteriorated steadily.
Finally, Jeff took mercy on her. “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Porterman, I think I understand your opinions on the matter. I’ll have to take them up with my clients and see how they want to proceed. I can safely say that they’re not going to discard their plans for the distillery based upon a dubious moral argument.”
“There’s still the water issue, Mr. Hand,” Stormy said, trying to get things back on track.
“The environmental impact study indicated that there would be no harm to the water, Miss Stillwater.”
He was right. The impact study had hit her desk the week before and she’d studied it carefully. There was nothing in it that gave her leverage. She didn’t want the conversation to turn on that report. She’d been hoping to bluff her way through the water matter. Obviously, Jeff was not going to let that happen.
Ella Porterman spoke up again. “I want to talk to the Randolphs about this. They’ve been avoiding me at church. I think they’re ashamed.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion, ma’am,” Jeff pointed out. “I’m sorry they were unable to make this negotiation session. We’ll reschedule, of course. It would be best for all if we can find a solution to this matter out of court.”
Ella did not back down. “I think it ought to be decided by a jury. I’m sure they’d realize exactly how inappropriate it would be to have a distillery in our community.”
“That’s a very expensive way to go about things,” Jeff said reasonably. “And if you lose, you may have to pay my legal fees as well as those of Ms. Stillwater.”
“Ella,” Russell said, “we ought to give this another try. Let’s not give up without trying.”
“Whatever. But I will never agree to this threat to Fire Gorge. Never.”
Stormy cleared her throat. “I think we’re done here.”
“Yes,” Jeff said. “I’ll see you out.”
Jeff patted Stormy on the shoulder as she walked behind her clients. The idea that they’d have to go over this territory again made her quail, but she tried not to give up. If the Portermans could be convinced that the distillery would bring jobs and money to the community, maybe they’d give up this debacle. Of course, that sentiment put her firmly on Jeff’s side of the argument.
He gave her some hope for something good as they parted. “I’ll call you regarding rescheduling, Miss Stillwater. We can arrange something.”
A thrill ran through her. His eyes said that there would be more to the conversation than business.
Chapter 6
Stormy put her hair up in a loose ponytail and eyed her reflection in her bedroom mirror. Was there something wrong with her? Some personality fault that was too big to overcome, maybe? Maybe she’d totally misinterpreted Jeff’s parting words. It had been nearly three days since they’d parted at his office, and he hadn’t called. She’d considered calling him maybe twenty times during those hours, but she always held back, feeling uncertain. If he didn’t want her, she wasn’t going to be the needy one. No one wanted to be rejected like that. Still, maybe a call would be a good idea. She needed the closure of a final personal conversation. They still had business matters to resolve, but that was different.
She picked up her cell phone and her finger was poised over it, ready to dial, when it began to ring. Gasping with surprise, she bobbled the phone in her hands for a moment, and then brought it to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hi, babe, it’s Jeff.”
“Oh! Jeff.”
He laughed. “That almost sounded like, ‘Jeff who?’“
She gave him a polite and shaky chuckle. “Oh, I know who you are.”
“I hope so! Listen, I’m sorry I haven’t called. I had to fly to Reno for a few days on business. I wanted to get together but I certainly couldn’t do it from there.”
“Oh.”
“Hmm. Someone is unhappy with me.”
Should she confess her disappointment? Wouldn’t that put her at a disadvantage? Oh heck, this wasn’t a contest. Honesty was the best way to protect herself because he’d either accept her the way she was or it would end here and now. “I, um, thought you’d call sooner. I was going to call you, but…I didn’t want to intrude.”
Jeff sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t consider about how you might think I’d lost interest. We’d left things pretty tight and together. It won’t happen again. I’ll call you daily.”
That was reassuring, but she didn’t want to be demanding. She hated that in women she knew, expecting their boyfriends to kowtow to their every wish. “It’s okay, it was silly of me.”
“No, it’s not okay.” He paused. “I was hoping we could get together tonight. I can come out toward Fire Gorge so that you don’t have to make the trip to Vegas again.”
She’d been helping her mother cook dinner a few minutes before his call. It would be rude to drop everything and go out on a date. “I can’t.”
“Oh. I wish you’d let me make it up to you, baby. I really am sorry.”
Stormy wanted to reassure him that she wasn’t being churlish, and she needed to get off the phone. Her mother was calling her from the kitchen. “Okay, you can come to my mama’s house.” She gave him the address. “I have to go.”
“I’ll see you soon, Stormy.”
After they hung up, Stormy slapped her forehead. They hadn’t set a time! Who knows when he’d arrive! And, how would she get away from her mother and little sister. She wasn’t ready to introduce them to Jeff. Jeff was her secret indulgence. Maybe she should call him back and cancel. Her mother yelled for her again.
Stormy deliberated for a few seconds, put her phone down and quickly went to the kitchen.
“Sorry, Mama.”
“I need you to make the tortilla dough. I have to get the chicken ready for the oven.”
“Okay.” She started working with the masa harina. “Um, Mama, I have a date tonight. I can’t stick around after dinner.”
“Oh! You should have told me earlier. I’d have made a dinner that didn’t take so long to cook.”
“I just made the date.” The flour and water were gluey together. She added more masa.
“Did you invite him for dinner? We’ll have plenty.”
“No. I kind of forgot.”
“Stormy… Is something wrong?”
Her mother was too perceptive. Stormy quickly pasted a smile on her face, “of course not.”
“Go call him. Invite him to dinner. I want to meet this man wh
o has my daughter all flustered.” Her mother salted the bird and put it in the roasting pan, her plump brown hands working efficiently. It was pleasant working with her mother, side by side again. She’d missed the softness of the older woman, the warm hugs, and the shared laughter. It had been hard being so far from home through college and law school. At the same time, Stormy had gotten used to having her own apartment, a life separate from family and family obligations. It had only been four months since she’d moved back home, but she needed a place in Fire Gorge or a rental house on the reservation. She was twenty eight and it was wrong for her to live at her mother’s house, even though her mother welcomed her with open arms.
But should she take Mama’s advice and call Jeff? It was akin to a commitment to invite him to meet her family. Of course, he’d already met them briefly at the wedding. That hadn’t been as personal as a family meal. And her little sister, Alberta, would tease her about it for weeks afterward.
“Go,” Juanita told her. It was the woman’s “obey your mother” voice. “Call him.”
Stormy put down the ball of tortilla dough and wiped her hands. “Okay.”
Jeff answered on the second ring. “Hey babe, what’s up?”
“Hi, Jeff, I...where are you?”
“At home, finishing up a few things before I head out.”
“Um…my mother wants you to come to dinner.”
He chuckled. “Oh, she does, hmm? But Stormy doesn’t want me to. I can hear it in your voice.”
“It’s awkward. My mother doesn’t know about you.”
“I’d like to get to know your family better.”
He sounded sincere and Stormy’s heart warmed a bit. It was a signal that he cared about her. She had to put her insecurities aside, though they continued to plague her. Maybe it would be okay. “If you’re sure.”
“Most certainly. I’ll grab a bottle of wine from the wine cooler and head over.”
“Dinner won’t be ready for an hour and a half or so.”
“Plenty of time for me to get there.”
Stormy sighed. The evening was going to be a fiasco. Her mother would ask a million questions, her sister would stare at the gorgeous man who sat across the table. At nineteen, Alberta knew a great guy when she met one.
“It’s going to be okay, Stormy,” Jeff said into the silence.
“Of course, drive safely.”
She hung up and hurried back into the kitchen before she could agonize over it anymore.
* * *
Fortunately, Jeff had only been home from work for a few minutes before Stormy’s invitation to dinner. He was still dressed in his suit, though he’d discarded his tie. He didn’t want to be too formal for a family dinner, so he left it off, smoothed his unruly hair and went to his wine cooler to pick out some wine. White or red? He’d neglected to ask what was being served. Deciding on prudence, he grabbed one of each and hurried out the door. It was about an hour to Stormy’s house and he didn’t want to be late. It might take him a while to find the place.
Vegas was a congested nightmare but he made it to the reservation in reasonable time. As expected, it took him a few extra minutes to locate her house. Even with GPS the reservation had quite a serpentine layout and Stormy’s house was among a wide section of tract homes.
Jeff was nervous, which was quite unusual for him. He usually had a handle on things, but this was different. He’d met Stormy’s mother before, but it had been a brief handshake and little more. Although the round little woman had seemed kind, Jeff knew it was a different situation when a date came to call. Hopefully, he’d make a good impression. It occurred to him that he didn’t know who was going to be at the dinner. Stormy had three brothers and a sister. All the brothers had homes of their own, if he remembered correctly, but Stormy’s sister was a teenager, so maybe she’d be there. Of course, teenagers liked to be with their friends most of the time, so maybe she wouldn’t. Whatever, he was going to be on his best behavior. This was important, a milestone. Stormy meant a great deal to him and he didn’t want to botch this.
The days were growing shorter as fall progressed, so the porch light was already on. He rang the doorbell, and waited.
A minute later, Alberta answered the door. “Hey,” she said.
“Hey yourself,” he replied with a smile.
She stood there, light spilling out around her from the house, creating a bright halo around her dark head. After a few moments, Jeff wondered if she was going to invite him in.
“Is he here?” came an older woman’s voice. Jeff realized it was Stormy’s mother.
“Oh!” Alberta, a bit flustered, opened the door wider. “I’m sorry. Come in.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped aside and Jeff entered the warm and colorful room. Mexican and Paiute woven tapestries covered the cushy furniture and decorated the walls and matching rugs were scattered on the wood floor. There was a modest TV in the living room, overflowing bookshelves, and Jeff glimpsed a dining room toward the back. It was a friendly room, one of comfort and family values.
Juanita Stillwater was waiting for him, a smile on her face. Her apron was tidy, and her floral dress was attractive. Stormy looked like her in some respects, but Juanita’s hair had gray streaks and she was quite plump. They had the same dark chocolate brown eyes and easy smile.
“Welcome,” she said.
Stormy rushed out of the kitchen. She wore a subtle, black, white and red dress that set off her long black hair perfectly, but her feet were bare, with bright red toenails. She practically skidded to a stop near her mother. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He smiled and she seemed to relax a tiny bit, though her eyes were unsure.
Juanita looked from Jeff to Stormy and back again. “I remember your face from the wedding, but I’m sorry, I don’t recall your name.”
“This is Jeff, Mama. Jeff…uh...Hammond.”
Jeff shot her a look, but she bit her lip and implored him with her eyes not to give her away. He realized that she was covering for the fact that they were involved as adversaries on the same case and her mother was part of the community, a community that would be justifiably dismayed about the association.
“Ah, of course, now I remember,” Juanita said. “I’m glad you were able to join us Jeff. Please come in.”
He offered the wine. “I brought a little vino. I didn’t know which would work best, so I brought both white and red.”
Stormy’s mother smiled and took the wine. “Thank you! I’ll go open it.”
Alberta closed the door with a thud, and Stormy jumped.
“You’re beautiful,” he told her, trying to put her at ease. “Do I get a hug?”
She seemed to come to her senses. “Oh! Yes!”
Her hug was shy and tentative, uncomfortable. “Hey,” he whispered in her ear. “It’ll be okay.”
She groaned softly, squeezed him once, and finally stepped away.
Alberta gaped by the door until her mother called her. She took one more look at Jeff and left them alone.
“Dinner will be another few minutes. Would you like to sit down?”
“Sure.”
Stormy pointed to the couch. “That’s the most comfortable spot.”
He grinned at her. She was being thoughtful, but Jeff was particularly happy about sitting there. It meant Stormy could sit next to him. He’d like her snuggled up against him, her breasts pressing against his arm. Whoa. He put that train of thought out of his head firmly. This was not about falling all over her like a ravening beast. This was about family.
“Mama! Do you need help?” Stormy was still standing behind him.
“No. You stay there and entertain our guest.”
“Heh,” Stormy said.
Jeff patted the space next to him. “Sit. Calm down.”
She squeezed her eyes tight then looked heavenward. A moment later, she took the seat he’d indicated, but kept carefully away from him. Jeff wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’re too n
ervous, baby. Your mom doesn’t seem hostile. Why are you so upset?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s because we’ve been so focused on sex and not much else. I’m not entirely sure what to say to you or what we’ll talk about over dinner. Sometimes, I feel like I hardly know you.”
“Hmm, well, you know I don’t wear boxer-briefs. Isn’t that enough?”
She laughed and it sounded genuine. “Stop.”
“You don’t want to have a sense of humor tonight?”
“You might make me snort my wine.”
It was Jeff’s turn to laugh. “I might at that.”
Their conversation was opened and now all Jeff had to do was draw Stormy out a bit. Soon enough she relaxed. Unfortunately, as Alberta came into the living room to tell them that dinner was on the table, Stormy tightened up again.
“You’ve seen me eat,” he whispered to her. “I promise I won’t pick my nose at the table.”
Stormy giggled and her shoulders relaxed somewhat. “Come on.”
Dinner was delicious. There was roast rosemary chicken, fresh tortillas with butter, salad, and green beans. Jeff ate with gusto. He also made conversation with Stormy’s mother, and drew Stormy into the conversation. Alberta continued to stare and make monosyllabic responses to anything directed toward her. Jeff caught Stormy frowning at her little sister and diffused the situation with a friendly comment that made them all laugh.
As dessert was served, Juanita gave him his piece of pineapple upside-down cake with a flourish.
“That’s Mama’s prize-winning dessert, Jeff. She won a blue ribbon at the church’s Easter festival last year.”
“Wow! How cool is that?” he said, picking up his fork. Truth was, he hated pineapple, but he ate the whole thing without a single hesitation. Stormy’s mother asked him if he’d like another piece, but he patted his stomach and told her he was stuffed.
It was hard work keeping the conversation going and light, but Jeff had a gift for making people comfortable and he kept finding ways to do it through the dinner.
When Juanita stood, Jeff knew the dinner was over. Alberta grabbed some dishes and hurried into the kitchen.
Bourbon & Branch Water Page 8
