Sweetheart Braves

by Pamela Sanderson

  The tension eased out of her shoulders and she relaxed in spite of herself, enjoying the easy camaraderie of this group, trading jokes and teasing back and forth. Even Tommy, who struck her as the type who had mastered the art of avoiding attention, was at ease in the mix, elaborating on the comments of his co-workers. They'd created a caring rez family away from the rez.

  The event gradually wound down. Another over-achieving professional dude in a suit came by to say goodnight, his body language stiff and overly formal.

  "Have you met my Aunt Dotty?" Linda asked.

  He adjusted his tie before he leaned over to shake Granny's hand. "You're related to Dorothy Scott? How come I didn't know about this?"

  "And my cousin, Elizabeth," Linda said.

  "You must be an activist, too," Arnie said. It sounded like a command.

  "I always support Granny." Elizabeth leaned back and whispered to Tommy, "See what it's like being related to a famous activist?" She feigned a tired sigh.

  "Better than not being related to a famous activist," he said.

  Elizabeth laughed.

  "You all need to get busy," Granny said. "I'm not going to live forever."

  "Don't say that," Elizabeth said.

  "We're working on it, Auntie," Arnie said. He asked her a couple of boring questions about timber resources but somehow managed to make it sound like flirting. Elizabeth did her best to suppress a yawn.

  Everyone was clearing out. A native guy built like a barn door came in and searched the room. Ester waved, and when his eyes landed on her, he broke into a smile. They hugged like people reunited at the airport after being apart for ages.

  "Who is that?" she asked Tommy.

  "Ester's boyfriend," he said. "They're really good together." The guy was a head taller than Ester, with ridiculous muscles.

  "I'd want him on my side in a bar fight," she said.

  "He would be if you hang out with us," Tommy said.

  Ester brought him over and introduced him as Theo. He bestowed just the right amount of attention on Granny before chatting with the group. He was in school and Arnie had helped him. They were like one big weird family.

  With the event wrapping up she hoped she could sneak off with Tommy and have a drink after he dropped them off. She was about to ask him when Linda said, "We gotta get out of here. I need to get some sleep. I'll take you guys." She hugged Tommy. "Thanks for bringing them over. See you tomorrow."

  "Oh, okay," Tommy said. He held Elizabeth's eye. "See you."

  "Tomorrow," she said.

  9

  There were plenty of clouds in the sky, but the sun poked through, slanting beams glimmering off the river below. The road that led to the lookout was one of Tommy's favorite places to drive when he needed to de-stress, either stopping here to gaze at the view or to continue the scenic drive along the river.

  Granny had one hand on the railing and the other gripped her cane. The wind whipped up again, hard enough to make her wobble, but her face was pure delight. "Never thought I'd see this again," she said.

  Elizabeth wore a long-sleeved pink dress that showed off a significant segment of bronze leg with every gust of wind, and a pink sweater. She wore ankle-high black boots with a heel that brought her almost eye-to-eye with him. Her hair tangled around her face.

  "This is like where we live, only gigantic," she said. "It's so pretty, it's like a painting. If I lived here, this would be my favorite place."

  Tommy stood next to her, resting his arm alongside hers on the railing. "It's my favorite place," he agreed.

  Elizabeth had stayed at the front of his mind all night. When Tommy heard that sexy voice was Linda's cousin, he envisioned a junior version of Linda, serious, reserved, someone who enjoyed problem-solving and meant it when she made comments like, 'completed paperwork relaxes me.' The cousin was smoky-eyed and full-lipped, all curves and raw intensity.

  "A couple of weeks ago I had that bus filled with elders and I took them to the first salmon ceremony at the longhouse upriver. It rained and there was a misunderstanding about where the elder table was located. You know how a group of elders gets when they think they're being wronged?"

  Granny did a funny fist-pump and said, "You bet."

  The wind whipped up again. Elizabeth inched closer, her arm aligned next to his, her hip bumping against him. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, the deep V of her neckline, the curve of her neck, her hands gesturing when she spoke.

  "I'm a little worried about Granny blowing away," she said for his ears only.

  "I can catch her," he said. He could feel the heat of her, even with the wind.

  There were a thousand reasons why this was a terrible idea. She was Linda's family, only in town for a short time, and he had nothing to offer. She was precisely the kind of out-of-his-league woman that he’d chased after when he was drinking. They found him interesting at first because he wasn't threatening and he was a good listener, but as time went on it became clear that he would never be more than a friend.

  But as long as Elizabeth was around, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he checked the ID. Angie.

  "I need to grab this," he said, reluctantly stepping away from Elizabeth.

  "Everything okay?" he said when he answered.

  A half-sob on the other end. "Not really. Can you come?"

  His eyes flicked to Elizabeth. She pulled her flimsy sweater more tightly around her. She leaned over to say something to Granny.

  "I'm working," he said.

  "Can you get away?"

  Elizabeth's dress flapped up again, and he got a glimpse of pink panties before she yanked it back down, the skirt fisted in her hand. He could only see her in profile, but her smile was sneaky.

  He cleared his throat. "You did good yesterday. Can't you find a meeting on your own?"

  "I'm having a hard time." Angie made a dramatic sniffle.

  "I'm in the middle of an errand. I can't get away this minute. What have you done to take care of yourself?"

  He could picture Angie wandering around the house, still in pajamas, ignoring the coffee-making supplies he'd left out.

  "Angie?"

  "There's nothing here."

  "You need to take initiative. Take a shower. Get dressed. There's a twenty-dollar bill in the recovery book in the kitchen. Go get coffee and a sandwich. Read the book while you're eating."

  "Then you'll come?"

  Elizabeth turned around and gave him a radiant smile. He'd waited his entire life for someone to give him a smile like that. She held up her phone and pointed to the bus and helped Granny away from the rail.

  "If I can," he said.

  Angie sniffled again.

  "I'll stop by," he said. "It will have to be quick. Do you want me to bring you anything?" He braced himself because she always managed to come up with some inconvenient errand for him.

  "No. I don't want to be a bother." She disconnected the call.

  Almost immediately his phone went off again. At least Angie was talking to him. But when he checked, it was Cody.

  Elizabeth and Granny were on the bus, smoothing their wind-tossed hair and laughing about something. Their easy rapport made his chest tight. He got Elizabeth's attention and pointed at his phone and held up one finger before he took the call.

  He needed good news, something, anything to keep from falling into a hole. Whenever he needed car repairs, he told himself it would cost eight hundred dollars. That way, if it was expensive, at least he was prepared, and anything less meant he'd gotten away with something.

  "How bad is it?" Tommy asked.

  "The Crunch isn't worth saving," Cody said.

  And like that, he was back on the precipice and teetering at the edge. The wind gusted again with the damp scent of coming rain. Out on the water, a tugboat pushed an empty barge upriver.

  "Sounds like my life," Tommy muttered.

  "Something going on?" Cody asked. Tommy r
ealized what his words sounded like to Cody.

  "The usual. What do I owe you?"

  "How about I take whatever I get from the junkman and call it even."

  Tommy should have been relieved, but even this small kindness, this one additional problem off his plate, created a heavy futile feeling in his belly.

  "I'll get over there and clean it out. There are basketballs in the back."

  "No worries. We'll find something you can drive," Cody said. "An old junker that has a few miles left in it."

  Tommy didn't want to talk about money, so he left it at that. Now he had no car.

  He returned to the bus. "You both good?"

  Granny ran a hand over her hair. "Wild out there. Do I still look pretty?"

  Tommy couldn't help chuckling. "You look great. Should I stop for coffee or take you to the historical people?"

  "I'm okay," Granny said.

  "I'm good too," Elizabeth said with a smile of pure joy that lifted his mood from the depths.

  Elizabeth didn't miss the shift. The good-natured guy showing them the pretty view had gone gloomy. He'd started the morning loose-limbed and easy confidence and now his shoulders rolled in and his chin dipped down.

  Back home, there were no surprises from the native guys she knew. They'd seen each other at every rez event, every school dance, and every weekend at the beach their entire lives.

  Tommy was a mystery, quiet but a lot going on beneath the surface.

  Today he wore black pants and a rain shell. No matter how heavy the rain fell, he never pulled up the hood. He acted like a man who had no idea how hot he was. He steered the bus back through town with calm authority.

  She wanted to know everything about him, but he divulged information in aggravating tiny bits.

  "Bad news?" she asked.

  "If I didn't get bad news I wouldn't get any news at all," he said, unsuccessfully playing it for a joke. He didn't say much for the rest of the drive, letting her feed him the directions from the phone.

  Once they arrived, Tommy helped Granny out. "I've got to take care of something. I'll be back to pick you up."

  "You're leaving us here?" Elizabeth said.

  Granny set off, fast like she could be if she wanted. She gestured that they should come along.

  Tommy touched Elizabeth's elbow. "I promise I'll be right back. I have to do this. Put me in your cellphone."

  Elizabeth tapped the number into her phone. "Our appointment won't take long. We can help you with your errand after." She'd seen the name Angie on his phone, the tortured look in his eyes. She wanted to know more. "Don't you want to see Granny's ceremonial dress?"

  Granny cruised onward, passing a prominent sign that warned visitors they'd have to check in. Tommy stared at the sign; she imagined she could see the thoughts turning in his head. She struggled for a good reason other than she wanted to hang out with him.

  "Sure, I guess," he said. "Let me park that thing and I'll meet you in there."

  The historical research center was a located in a two-story gray brick building with small windows. The reception area had creaky wood floors and a couple of glass display cases. A young man sorted sleeves of yellowed newspaper clippings at a small desk, the only other furniture. He told them someone would be out in a minute.

  There was no place to sit so they checked out the displays. One case contained antique dishes and utensils, a child's shoe, and a moldy book opened to a page with an indecipherable scribble of black ink. A display on the wall had a tribal hand drum and several woven baskets.

  Tommy stayed glued to Elizabeth's side.

  "Granny has tons of baskets at home," Elizabeth told him.

  "Different tradition," Granny said, her tone suggesting that she wasn't impressed with this collection. "Ours is prettier."

  A hand-drawn map of the area covered one wall, every swell of land and body of water with a name carefully lettered over it.

  Granny made a dismissive sound. "White men like to name everything after themselves."

  Tommy traced a path along the river to the viewpoint they'd visited earlier and then rested his finger on a spot farther up river. "That's the longhouse," he said. He had working hands, stained in the creases as if he worked on cars, the knuckles scraped. She wanted to know those hands.

  "Too bad we don't have more time," he said.

  "Me too," she said. They would be on their way home soon, and she would leave Mr. Sweet Eyes behind.

  "Mrs. Scott?" An older lady with ruddy cheeks and a mop of frizzy gray hair came out to greet them, breathless, as if she'd run from some other corner of the building. "What a terrific surprise. I'm Dr. Murray. Welcome."

  "Kora—someone from our tribe—did she call to tell you why we were coming?" Elizabeth said.

  "Yes. We're thrilled," Dr. Murray said. "You came from the reservation when? How was the trip? You must be tired, we can make this quick." The woman fired off one cheerful question or comment after the other, without waiting for a response.

  She took them back to a bright room filled with work tables and rows of tall shelves. The shelves sagged with books and organizer boxes stuffed with documents. Some of the tables were stacked with storage boxes and plastic bins of various sizes. The room smelled pleasantly dusty like old books and dried grass. A trio of students worked with plant samples and a giant book of illustrations.

  "This okay? We don't have a lot of time," Dr. Murray said. "Sorry everything is such a mess. We've got a lot going on right now." She waved at the students. "Can one of you go grab us a chair?" No one moved until Dr. Murray nudged one of them and he disappeared from the room.

  "Identification," Dr. Murray said, her hands waving over the table like she was performing a magic trick. "People, places, things. So much here, it's hard to know where to start." She went to a cabinet with wide, flat drawers and whipped them open and shut, choosing and setting aside items sealed in clear sleeves. She found something she wanted and cleared away a spot on the table. It was a picture identical to the one at the casino.

  "This is what you're here to see," Dr. Murray said, her finger tracing the dance dress. "I didn't know that was you in the photo. I've updated our records. What can you tell me about this? Can you identify the other girls?"

  Granny moved around to take a closer look.

  Elizabeth sidled closer to Tommy. "I'm not convinced that's her," she whispered. "She likes to mess with researchers."

  "She wouldn't be the first," Tommy whispered back. He'd finally taken off his rain jacket. Underneath he wore one of those supposedly wrinkle-free shirts that always look rumpled. She reached up to fix the collar.

  His whole body stiffened, but he leaned to her, to make it easier to reach. When she removed her hands, she said, "Sorry. Too familiar?"

  He kept his eyes on Granny but gave the smallest shake of his head.

  Granny carefully studied the photo, before saying, "I need my glasses." Then she laughed.

  The others laughed, too, but Elizabeth had heard that joke before. Granny dug around her fanny pack and pulled out her glasses and took another look at the photo. She tapped on one of the dancers. "I might know this one. Give me a minute."

  Dr. Murray brought another plastic bin to the table. She pulled on a pair of plastic gloves and took out a carved spoon and set it down.

  Granny leaned against the work table to get a closer look before she picked it up. The students' eyes grew wide, but no one stopped her.

  "Not ours," Granny said, turning it over in her hands.

  "Are you sure?" Dr. Murray asked.

  Granny gave her a stony glare and Dr. Murray picked the object up with both hands and put it away.

  "This always happens," Elizabeth whispered. "Researchers. Academics. They think Granny has nothing better to do than answer their research questions."

  "What happened to that chair?" Tommy said, using the loudest voice she'd heard since she met him.

  "Hang on," Dr. Murray said. The student arrived with a desk cha
ir.

  Granny settled into it with a huff. "I thought you were in a hurry. You got my dress?"

  Dr. Murray's friendly demeanor became apologetic. "I'm sorry for the miscommunication. The ceremonial dress isn't here. I was so pleased to have you, I wanted to show you what we have."

  Elizabeth stared, a mixture of disbelief and frustration stirring in her belly. "Where's the dress?"

  We shipped it to a museum down south for a cataloging project. We're identifying regalia from up and down the coast. It's on loan for a temporary display. It's coming back here. It's our piece."

  Granny snorted at that.

  Dr. Murray tried again. "Sorry. My point was that you could come back here to see it. Meanwhile, we have a couple of other ceremonial dresses if you'd like to see those."

  "Glad you folks are taking care of our dance regalia while it does not fulfill its intended purpose," Elizabeth said, not hiding her annoyance.

  Granny did the tiniest shake of her head: That's enough. Elizabeth couldn't match Granny's heroic patience with interviewers.

  "What if they went to the other museum, could they see it there?" Tommy asked.

  "I don't see why not. I'm heading down there this afternoon. That's why the rush." Dr. Murray wrote something on a card and handed it to Tommy. "Sorry we don't have more time." She rushed them out so she could finish getting ready for her trip.

  Back outside, Granny walked more slowly, her head drooping as they headed back to the bus.

  "Box after box of our stuff. Why don't we take care of it ourselves?" Elizabeth said.

  "You should," Granny said.

  "I'm not smart enough. I barely made it through school as it is. That lady has a doctorate," Elizabeth said.

  "It's your tribe," Tommy said, handing her the card Dr. Murray had given him. "You don't get that in school."

  The museum was in California. There was no way to get there. Back on the bus, Granny groaned as she eased into her seat. A silly road trip had turned into something bigger, and Elizabeth couldn't bear to let her down.