Weak For You

by Shanade White

  He snorted, but said, “Thank you, Lauren.”

  Lauren was flooded with pleasure when he said her name, his deep voice purring out the word, and the kiss they’d shared surfaced in her memory. More than anything she would have loved to lean over and kiss him just then, but that would be wildly inappropriate and send the wrong signal. Instead, she found his hand under the table and squeezed it, then knew that even that had been too much when a current of desire raced through her.

  The hunting party had been gone for three days and everyone was getting nervous; it was a long time for the men to have been gone and with so much hanging in the balance people were getting restless. Lauren had paced around restless that first morning after they’d left, then offered to help Marci, who never turned down an offer of help and quickly put her to work.

  Much to both their surprise, she seemed to enjoy Marci’s everyday chores and was even now in the garden picking the beans they’d can and put away for the winter in the huge cellar under the house, food that they could count on if things got bad. Marci had grown to like the woman, even think of her as a friend, and wondered just what had made Seth bring her with him. She felt something between them, but wasn’t sure yet if it was real.

  She was so lost in her thoughts about Seth and Lauren that she didn’t hear Grandfather quietly sit down beside her. “Penny for your thoughts, Granddaughter,” he said, startling her.

  “Oh, just daydreaming,” she said evasively. Grandfather was not a fan of her matchmaking, although even he couldn’t deny that she was always right. It was the tactics she used that bothered him, and he’d counseled her many times not to interfere in what fate had planned.

  “Hmmp. I know that look,” he said, then sat silently while she snapped beans into the big bowl at her feet.

  Marci knew why he’d come to see her and waited patiently for him to speak. “The hunting party has been gone for a long time. In my day, they would haven’t even been gone overnight.”

  “Yes, game is getting scarce,” she said, knowing there was more coming.

  “I hear that Seth Montgomery has a plan to change that,” he said, and was then silent, indicating that she could speak her mind.

  “Yes, he does and it’s a good plan. It’s our best hope for saving our home. You and I both know that if something doesn’t change we’ll have to leave, there’s just not enough food here anymore.” Marci repeated what she’d been saying for several months.

  “And you think we can trust him?” The question was blunt, but that was Grandfather’s way.

  “I think we can, he doesn’t have to be doing all this, he could just walk away, but he feels responsible. Grandfather, he’s lived up here for fifteen years, and in that time, he’s been nothing but a good neighbor and friend. Don’t let his father’s sins color your view of him, listen to him and give him a chance.” Marci had been practicing that speech, knowing that this day would come, and was pleased that she’d gotten it all out so smoothly.

  Grandfather nodded, then pointed to Lauren. “How does she fit into all of this?”

  “She’s from the EPA, but I think she’s not like the other people from the government,” Marci said, then added, “She’s still young, she hasn’t been corrupted, and she’s very smart.”

  Grandfather opened his mouth to reply, but just then there was a whooping from the forest and the hunting party came triumphantly into the village, three large deer in tow. A cheer went up from everyone in the village; now the real fun could begin, they could suspend their regular lives if only for a few days, forget their problems, and cut loose. Marci looked to where Lauren was crouched in the garden, amused to see a giant smile on her face when she saw Seth.

  Lauren was on her feet instantly and flying across the garden to meet Seth, whose smile was just as big as hers when he saw her. Marci was sure that Lauren was going to throw herself into his arms, but she stopped short right at the last minute and simply stared up at him. She saw the disappointment cross Seth’s face and knew in that instant that Seth Montgomery had finally fallen for a woman. He might not know it yet, but he had.

  He quickly covered his disappointment with another smile, and pulled Lauren over to where the women were butchering the deer. Lauren only hesitated a second before she took the knife from him and let him show her what to do. Marci’s mind began to race with all the possibilities, pleased to finally see Seth interested in something besides his cabin, and determined to help those possibilities along.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, Marci, be very careful. The man might need a wife, but remember he thinks he doesn’t,” Grandfather said, getting up from the chair and heading to the butchering table.

  After the meat had been butchered, the people scattered to their homes, only to return minutes later with so much food Lauren couldn’t imagine that they’d eat it all. “What’s going on?” she asked Seth.

  “The people are gathering to hear the story of the hunt, it’s tradition,” he answered, guiding her over to the fire pit in front of the lodge, where the food was being set up and a huge fire lit. “I want you to sit with me.”

  After everyone had consumed more food than Lauren had thought possible, Grandfather nodded to Seth, who got to his feet. She knew that he was nervous, he’d admitted as much to her while they’d been eating, but after a short pause, he launched into the story of how they’d found the deer.

  At first his voice was uneven, but as he talked, giving the other hunters all the credit as was tradition, his voice grew stronger. Before long he had everyone spellbound with the story, including Lauren who couldn’t look away from Seth, and not only because he was an incredible storyteller. In the firelight, his face had softened, the lines disappearing as he wove a tale of bravery and triumph, suddenly looking like the boy from the picture she’d seen in his file.

  All at once an overwhelming feeling of love swept through Lauren taking her breath away and she knew that she was in terrible trouble. Seth Montgomery was not the kind of man that you were supposed to fall in love with; he didn’t want love, marriage, or even children. Of course, neither did she, she reminded herself, wondering why she’d been thinking of that anyway. Her decision not to become a slave to a man, had been made a long time ago.

  She was brought abruptly back to the story when a cheer went up from the people gathered around the fire. Seth bowed and sat back down next to her, clearly pleased that he’d done so well. She leaned over to him and said, “You should have been an actor or a politician.”

  “Lately I feel like I am,” he said, but the smile never left his face.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, Lauren followed Marci to the big lodge. They sat in the back about as far from the tribal council as it was possible to get. There were only a few other women there, which surprised Lauren since this was such a big decision for the tribe. “There aren’t very many women here,” she finally said, once they gotten settled.

  “Well, in some ways this is still very much a man’s world, this is the men’s lodge and most women don’t come in here,” Marci explained. She laughed when Lauren got a horrified look on her face. “Don’t worry, we women have a voice. I’ve already spoken to Grandfather as I’m sure many other women have. He listens to us as do our husbands, it may not look like it to an outsider, but we make our opinions known.”

  Lauren nodded her head, signaling that she understood, because the men had begun to talk at the front of the room and she didn’t want to miss anything. But as she soon discovered, this was much different than other negotiations she’d been a part of. The men talked around the subject, telling stories to get their point across. For two hours, the council grilled Seth, questioning his motives as well as making him defend his actions as a young man.

  By the end of the morning, Lauren could tell that Seth was exhausted, but she could also tell that the council had been swayed by his honest words, and his reputation among the villagers as a good neighbor and friend. When he walked past her on his way out of t
he lodge at the end of the morning, he flashed her a quick smile showing her just how pleased he was by the morning’s talks.

  That afternoon, Seth began a sad recitation of all the damaged areas, bringing out maps and charts to show the council just how bad the problem was. By the time they all left for the day, it was somber group that went to their homes for dinner. But the next morning, Seth produced the plans for cleaning up the land and Lauren realized that he’d planned it that way. First, he’d scared them, now he was producing an answer; it was brilliant and looked like it was working.

  When he began talking about trees that would leach the poisons from the Earth, and the bacteria that would follow enriching the soil again, bringing vegetation back, there was silence in the lodge, everyone hanging on his every word. The color photographs of the trees and plants he would use to heal the clear-cut areas had everyone oohing and ahhing. When they broke for lunch that day, Seth’s wasn’t the only smiling face.

  That afternoon, he brought in Sam and Julie who talked about how Seth’s plans would bring back the animals; from the smallest mouse to the largest predator, they explained how the ecosystem would return to normal. Using Coldwater Canyon as an example, they explained that it wouldn’t take long for the ecosystem to heal itself with a little help. Their positive words leaving everyone hopeful that their way of life here could be preserved.

  By the morning of the third day, everyone knew that Seth had just about run out of time to convince the council. A decision had to be made by that night and he was allowed only one more meeting with them to plead his case. Everyone gathered in the lodge excitedly. So far, the negotiations had been extremely entertaining. Seth using his storytelling skills had swayed the people to his side, something the council had noticed.

  When he brought out a model of a wind turbine, there was an excited gasp from the crowd. The water turbine created even bigger excitement, especially when Seth explained that they could be built small enough for even the stream that ran though the village. He demonstrated how it worked, pouring water into the little model river and making the turbine spin, when a little light came on everyone gasped, the implications clear to them.

  “This one works the same way, bit with the wind,” Seth said, picking up the wind turbine and blowing on it until it began to spin. Then he turned and pulled a solar panel out of the box with a great deal of flourish. Most everyone knew what it was, but had never seen one. “This little panel will supply enough power to run an electric heater all winter,” he said, setting it down in front of Grandfather.

  Grandfather considered the models Seth had set down in front of him, “And why are you showing us these?” he asked, although he knew the answer.

  “Grandfather, this is a way to pay for the cleanup and provide an income for the people,” Seth said respectfully. It was the first time in three days that he’d asked a question.

  “It was my understanding that your company is responsible for cleanup costs,” the old man said, letting Seth know that he knew exactly what was going on.

  “That is true and that will still happen, but this is an opportunity to do something more. And when the cleanup is finished, the profits from the renewable energy will be split evenly between the people of the village and a trust fund,” Seth explained, handing out copies of the new lease.

  “This trust fund, what is its purpose?” one of the councilmen asked.

  “That has yet to be decided. I wanted your input. I think we should create a council to administer the money. I will gladly take on the responsibility myself, but I think you might know better where it could be most useful,” Seth explained, seeming to satisfy the man as well as Grandfather who was nodding his head.

  After a long silence, Grandfather said, “I believe I have heard all I need to. We will talk among ourselves now.”

  That was the signal that Seth’s time to present his case was over. Everyone filed out of the lodge with much whispering. Lauren waited for Seth outside the lodge, sure that the Yup’ik council would agree to his plan, but when he came out he looked grave. She linked her arm in his and walked next to him, waiting for him to speak, but when he didn’t say anything for a long time, she couldn’t stand the silence.

  “Come sit down, you look exhausted,” she said, realizing that the lines on his face. She pulled him down onto a soft bed of moss under a giant evergreen tree.

  Seth reluctantly let her, thinking that he’d rather go off on his own to brood until the decision was announced, but then he looked at her face, touched by the concern he saw there, he voiced what he was thinking. “I don’t know if I did enough, I’m afraid they’ll turn my offer down,” he said, surprised that he’d confided his worst fear to Lauren.

  “I was there the entire time and you made a great case. The people are behind you, how can the council do anything but respect the people’s wishes. Didn’t you see them?” Lauren could sense that Seth needed a bit of a pep talk, and it warmed her heart to know that this tough man felt comfortable enough with her to show that.

  “Do you really think so?” he asked, looking so vulnerable she wanted to pull him into her arms and tell him that everything would be okay. Instead, she took his hand in hers and leaned back against the tree, prepared to wait with him until the council announced its decision.

  The feel of Lauren’s hand in his made Seth feel better, but he needed more right then, so he put his arm around her and when she snuggled into his arms, he breathed a sigh of relief. An alarm was going off somewhere in the back of his mind, but right then all he could think about was the council’s decision, later he’d think about the fact that it felt right that Lauren was in his arms.

  Marci knew what the council’s decision was going to be, she could read it in all their faces, so she made her way back home, knowing that they’d be having a big feast that evening. She spotted Lauren and Seth sitting under the tree and smiled. His arm was around her and they were leaning into one another, no couple ever looked so right together. It was time to put her plan into action, and Grandfather was key to that plan. She’d made his favorite desert in the hopes that it would make him more cooperative.

  What she had planned stretched the limits of match making to the extreme and he might not be willing to participate. But she knew this was the right thing to do. Seth and Lauren just needed a little push in the right direction. This might be more than a little push, but a woman had to do what a woman had to do to see that love flourished. Marci had long ago realized that this was her gift, to be able to see when great love was possible and to help it along.

  When Grandfather came out of the lodge less than an hour later, Seth and Lauren were still sitting under the tree, never dreaming that the council would make their decision so quickly. But when he announced that they would be signing the lease, a cheer so loud went up in the village that they couldn’t miss it. They jumped to their feet and without thinking, Seth grabbed Lauren and kissed her, then he swung her around in the air, taking her breath away.

  “That cheer can only mean one thing,” he said, when he set her down, a huge smile on his face. “They’re going to sign the lease.” Then he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back into the village and over to the lodge.

  Grandfather was standing on the porch of the lodge, the villagers gathered around him, when he saw Seth he began to speak. “The council has decided that you’ve presented a solid plan that will benefit not only us but the land we love. We will sign your lease and pledge any help we can offer, this will be a new beginning for all of us.”

  Everyone turned to Seth waiting for his reply. He swallowed a couple of times, clearly overcome by emotion, then said, “I thank you for your support, this will be a new beginning for all of us, hopefully one that will lead to wonderful things.”

  Grandfather nodded his head and said, “It’s time to celebrate our new partnership.” Then he walked down the steps to the communal fire pit in the center of the village and lit the bonfire that had been prepared earlier that day.
The people cheered, then scattered to their homes to spread the news and prepare for the feast.

  As Seth and Lauren made their way back to Marci’s, Thomas intercepted them. “Seth, you have to come with me to get ready for the signing ceremony. Marci’s at the house waiting for you, Lauren,” he said, gesturing towards another house where the men of the village had gathered after Grandfather’s announcement.

  Lauren was disappointed that she had to let Seth go so soon but understood that ceremony was important to the Yup’ik. “I’ll see you later,” she said, then turned to walk away, but Seth grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms.

  She tried to push away from him, but that only made him hold her tighter. Finally, she looked up at him, and what she saw took her breath away; for the first time since she’d met him, Seth looked truly happy. “I’ll see you at the ceremony. You’ll sit with me, won’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Lauren said, then stood on her tip toes and kissed him, unable to help herself.

  Thomas chuckled at the display, thinking that he’d never have bet on Seth Montgomery falling in love, but all it took was one look to see that his wife was right. It made what he was about to do that much easier, although he still wasn’t sure that Marci’s plan was the right way to go, after all it looked like Seth and Lauren were doing okay on their own.

  But a promise was a promise and he never broke his promises. He cleared his throat and said, “We better get over there.”

  Seth and Lauren seemed to come back to the real world. Embarrassed, Lauren turned and headed for Marci’s. The impulse to kiss Seth had just been too strong, it was a stupid thing to do, but she wasn’t sorry that she’d done it. Something between them had been put in motion, something that she was powerless to control. It would only end in heartbreak, there was simply no room for love in her life, especially not with a man like Seth. But she sensed that what had been started would have to run its course; heartbreak or not, Seth had a power over her it was impossible to ignore.