by JoAnn Durgin
Walking into the dining hall, Angelina’s stomach growled. Embarrassing. She darted a glance at Felipe, hoping he hadn’t heard. “It smells great in here, doesn’t it? I’m starving. The ladies of the church have been cooking all afternoon.”
“Me, too,” Felipe said, rubbing his hand in circles over his stomach. “This dinner is a great idea. I’m ready to eat.”
Sam and Lexa talked with Pastor Chevy and his wife, Lila, over by the long tables of food. The TeamWork kids and the children from the One Nation Church—about twenty or so from what Angelina could tell—circled each other. They were cute together and she had no doubt they’d all make friends very soon.
“I hope Hannah doesn’t ask if any of the little girls are named Tiger Lily,” she said to Felipe. “And Luke probably thinks they all wear moccasins and hide in pine trees.”
Felipe cocked his head. “Peter Pan, right?”
“Yep.” Angelina suppressed a grin when she caught a whiff of his cologne. She watched as Gracie approached one of the little girls. “Would you look at that?”
“What am I looking at?” Felipe whispered back.
She nodded to Gracie. “Gracie’s playing nice. That’s sweet.”
“Don’t act so surprised. Gracie’s a cool kid. Now Chloe? I swear that one’s gonna grow up to be a lawyer like her dad. Did you hear her argue for more mashed potatoes with Mrs. Grant the other night? How old is she, anyway?”
“She’s seven and the oldest of the TeamWork kids.”
“Well, that little girl is scary smart. Chloe sure convinced me,” Felipe said. “I’d have given her the whole bowl of potatoes. And all the gravy.”
“The little boy over there”—Angelina pointed to where Joe talked with a group of boys who looked to be about his same age—“just gave Joe a miniature bow and arrow set. Looks like he’s giving it to him as a gift.”
“Look out. The ladies will probably be all over that. I had a fake gun as a kid and look how I turned out. I’m sure the TeamWork mothers don’t want to raise any juvenile delinquents.”
“Mama’s very good with a bow and arrow. She was on an archery team and won trophies.”
Felipe stared at her. “Your itty bitty mom?”
“Yes.” Angelina laughed.
“Your dad must have been tall, huh?”
“Yeah, pretty tall.” She didn’t want to talk about Papa; it might spoil her good mood before dinner. “This mission is good for all the kids,” Angelina said. “Sam and Lexa will probably take their kids on mission trips around the world before they’re much older.”
“Yeah, unless Mrs. Lewis keeps popping out babies.” Felipe frowned when she swatted his arm. “Easy on the arm, will you? I’d like to keep it for a while longer. I see some kids about our age.” He bowed before her. “Shall we go and make their acquaintance, Lovey?”
Angelina played along. “Yes, let’s do.” She hooked her arm through his and they headed across the room. In spite of getting after him, she liked the way Felipe had referred to Winnie and Lexa by their married titles. That showed respect, and she was proud of him. From the corner of her eye, she caught Mama watching them. Again. She loved her mother more than anyone, but she was beginning to believe Felipe was right with the watchdog description. Mama was the worst of all. Dean wasn’t as tough with Felipe. Maybe Dean would keep Mama distracted.
Angelina introduced herself to one of the girls and then motioned to Felipe. “This is my friend, Felipe Hernandez.”
“I’m Amitola. Are you engaged or married?” Amitola was taller than most of the other teenage girls, and her dark, thick braided hair hung nearly to her waist.
Angelina gaped. “Um, no. Definitely not. No. Not even a couple.” She tossed a glance at Felipe. “No.”
“Don’t let Angel fool you,” Felipe said. “She’s hoping to get a kiss from me before this mission is over, but I’m holding out on her. Right, Sweetums?”
Angelina ignored Felipe’s wink and Amitola appeared amused. “We’re both from San Antonio and met right before this mission, so we’ve only known each other a few days. Are you”—a quick glance at Amitola’s hand revealed a ring with a pretty blue stone—“engaged?”
“Yes.” She held out her hand for Angelina to see. “My ring is a sapphire. I chose it instead of a diamond.”
“When are you getting married?”
Amitola smiled. “In June this coming summer.”
“How old are you?” Felipe said.
Angelina shot a be good glance in his direction. “I apologize for Felipe’s rude behavior. He can’t seem to help himself. He has a little”—she circled her finger on the side of her head—“mental incapacity.”
Felipe snorted and Amitola giggled. “My fiancé, Avonaco, is right over there.” She pointed to a good looking guy who appeared to be a few years older, maybe in his early twenties. When Amitola turned, Angelina glimpsed pretty flowers interwoven in her hair that she hadn’t noticed before.
“He’s talking with his father and some of the men from TeamWork. In answer to your question, Avonaco is 20, and I’m 18.”
Mama had married Papa at a young age, but Angelina couldn’t imagine getting married until she was in her late twenties, if even then.
“Avonaco’s an awesome name,” Felipe said. “What’s it mean?”
“It’s Cheyenne, and means lean bear.”
Angelina smiled at the other girl. “Your name’s very pretty. What does Amitola mean?”
“In Navajo, it means rainbow, but it’s usually a boy’s name. According to tradition, rainbows are miracles. Because they appear as if from nowhere and then slip away into the sky, there are some who believe rainbows have magical properties and that it’s a spirit. The scientific explanation is that a rainbow is sunlight that’s bent and reflected by raindrops.”
“Didn’t know that.” Felipe grinned. “I think Amitola translated means smart one.” At least he redeemed himself a little with that comment.
“Thank you.” Amitola smiled. “My personal belief is that rainbows are the jewels of God’s creation and they’re created by God to remind us of His majesty. Rainbows give us hope and optimism.”
“That’s beautiful.” Angelina warmed to Amitola even more. She had a lot more poise and maturity than most girls her age.
“Well, boy’s name or not, Amitola sounds pretty girly to me,” Felipe said. “I like it for you. Now Avonaco? That’s a strong name. Masculine.” He darted a glance at Avonaco. “Seems fitting.”
“Do the members of the One Nation Church come from different tribal nations?” Angelina said.
“With a few exceptions, most are Navajo,” Amitola told them. “The Navajo are the largest recognized Native American tribe in the country, and their reservations are spread through the four corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.”
Thrusting his hands in the pockets of his shorts, Felipe surveyed the tables laden with food dishes of all kinds. “Looks like there’s some good grub. Rainbow, do you and Lean Bear want to sit with me and Baby Cakes? Is that allowed?”
“Of course.” Amitola smiled. “If you want to find a table for us, I’ll be there with Avonaco shortly.”
Angelina watched as the other girl walked in her fiancé’s direction. Her movements were controlled and graceful. By comparison, she felt like such an immature, gawky little kid.
Sam welcomed Pastor Chevy, Lila, and the members of the One Nation Church. Pastor Chevy greeted them and prayed for their meal. Lila and Lexa then directed everyone to be served table-by-table. Angelina smiled to see how the kids were all interacting well together, about twenty in all, including the TeamWork kids.
“Whoa. This is like Thanksgiving. No reason to go home hungry tonight.” A couple of minutes later, Felipe handed Angelina a plate and they began to make their way around the various dishes on the tables. She found his comment intriguing but now wasn’t the time to ask him about it.
The ladies of the One Nation Church had prepared Americ
an as well as Native American foods: turkey, cornbread, cranberries, blueberries, mush, corn, many types of beans, tomatoes, and peppers, posole—a hominy stew with chile—as well as a variety of meats and seasonal fruits. Another smaller table held an assortment of desserts.
After filling her plate with food, Angelina waved to Amitola, gesturing for her and Avonaco to join her at a nearby table. Next, Angelina poured a cup of half-lemonade, half-iced tea at the drink station. Then, on second thought and deciding to be nice, she poured a cup of milk for Felipe. She figured that’s what he’d choose since he guzzled it at every meal except breakfast.
“What do you think, Sweet Cheeks?” Felipe sat down next to Angelina and surveyed the heaping mounds of food on his plate. Picking up his fork, he attacked his food with gusto.
Protesting his newest nickname for her would only spur him on. Pretending to ignore it might work. “About what?” Angelina stared at her plate and silently debated where to start. This might be a case where her eyes were definitely bigger than her stomach. No way could she eat all this food without ending up with a major stomach ache later on that night. Better to just sample a little bit of everything and be safe about it.
“This marriage business,” Felipe replied. He tilted his head to where Amitola and Avonaco stood in the food line. “I could go for some of that myself.” He gave her a lazy grin. Did they teach boys that grin in school?
“You’re nuts. Absolutely crazy.” Boys could be so obsessed with the dumbest things. “If you ask me, they’re way too young. There’s too much to see of the world, too much to do, too many other people to meet.”
Felipe slowed his chewing. “So, what are you saying? You’re not going to get married until you’re too old to enjoy it? That’s right, though. Women hit their peak later than guys.”
“You’re on dangerous ground,” Angelina warned, avoiding his gaze and stabbing a bite of food. “Very shaky. Don’t spoil it. You’ve been doing better.”
He grunted. “Yeah, sorry. How old are we talking here?”
She pushed his milk closer. “Here. I got you a drink.”
“Thanks. You’re too kind.” He took a quick sip. “Dare me to spike it?”
Angelina put down her fork. “Please don’t tell me you’re serious.” Not to mention in milk? That sounded all kinds of gross.
“I brought a bottle of vodka. It’s over in the dorm, and I could run and get it. Come on. Live dangerously for once in your life. Or are you going to run and tell Sam Lewis on me?” That sounded a little like he was mocking her.
She lowered her voice. “You seriously smuggled booze onboard an airplane?”
“Yeah, why? Is that illegal or something? They sell it in on airplanes, don’t they? Relax. I put it in Dean’s suitcase. When we got here, I pulled it out before he could find it. No sweat. I’ve got it under my bunk. It’s not like I brought a whole suitcase full of liquor.”
Angelina leveled her gaze on him. “We’ll talk about this later.” Frustrated beyond belief, she shook her head. “You’d better be good or so help me. . .”
Felipe shrugged. “You’ve got your dirty book. I’ve got my own temptation. To each his own, right?” His eyes bore into her.
“I thought we were over that.”
“Apparently not. Do you still have that book?”
She heaved a sigh. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll destroy the book if you get rid of the vodka.”
“Kiss on it?”
“You’re a pig.”
He scoffed. “I’m a growing boy. I need my sustenance.”
“Not that kind of pig.”
Felipe threw back his head and laughed.
I’m a failure, Lord. What now? She’d tried to be a good influence on him, but Felipe hadn’t been receptive. Beating him over the head hadn’t worked. Backing off apparently wasn’t working well either.
“By the way, I like your hair that way, Dumpling.”
Self-conscious, Angelina touched the loose ends of her hair. Instead of braiding it or putting it back in a ponytail, she’d left it down for dinner. “Thanks. What’s with all the nicknames tonight?”
He shrugged and took a long drink. “Something to liven up our relationship.”
What relationship? “Just don’t say dumpling. That makes me sound…fat and, well, doughy.”
“Would you rather I call you Centerfold Girl? Pudding Pop?”
Good grief. “Dumpling’s fine.” She turned her attention to her food since Amitola and Avonaco were headed their way.
Please behave, Felipe.
Angelina was pleased when Felipe interacted well with their guests. He asked polite questions and talked about his classes in school enough to indicate he paid attention and might be a halfway decent student. She still wasn’t sure whether to trust him for the entire meal and prayed under her breath that he wouldn’t say or do anything to offend Amitola and Avonaco.
“Angel tells me she doesn’t want to get married for a long time. How come you two are getting hitched so young?” Felipe held up a hand. “I’m not judging. That just means you get to do stuff and it’s all good and legal.” Chewing his food, he shot Angelina a grin. She wished she could sink through the bench onto the floor and disappear.
Amitola lowered her gaze and Avonaco answered. “Our parents had an informal agreement when we were younger. For business and financial reasons, they’ve always wanted us to marry.”
Angelina couldn’t believe it. “What? You mean like an arranged marriage? That’s not fair. You can’t let them do this! You should be allowed to make your own decisions about who you marry.” Crossing her arms, she stared from one to the other. “How can you be so calm?”
Felipe patted her on the arm, as if to calm her down, which irritated her even more. “Are your parents members of the One Nation Church?” he said.
“No, and they’re not happy with us for joining the church.” A shadow crossed Amitola’s face. “We didn’t mean to upset you, Angelina.”
“Please understand that arranged marriages are a thing of the past,” Avonaco said. “We appreciate your concern, but we’re not allowing our families to push us into anything. We’re free to marry whomever we want. And we have freely chosen one another.” When Amitola gave him a loving smile, he covered her hand with his on the tabletop.
“Well, I think it’s great!” Felipe raised his cup in a toast. “Here’s to the two of you. To our new friends, Rainbow and Lean Bear. Wishing you many happy years together, happiness, good health, prosperity, children. All that good stuff.” All four of them raised their cups and joined in the toast.
Next, Felipe held up a piece of bread. “Does this bread have a special name?”
“Fry bread,” Amitola said. “In our family, it’s tradition to eat it with every meal.”
“Well, it sure is tasty.”
Angelina shook her head. “You must really like your bread.”
“Yep.” Felipe grinned at her around a mouthful of the fry bread. “Why do you think I work out so much? Have to keep my figure.”
Feeling her cheeks grow warmer, Angelina lowered her gaze to the food on her plate. Why did he say things like that? To embarrass her or to get attention? “There’s so much, it’s hard to know what to choose next.”
“One thing at a time, Sugarplum. Here. Try this.” Before she could stop him, Felipe tore off a large piece of the fry bread and stuffed it in her mouth.
Laughing, Angelina pushed it into her mouth as she chewed. “You’re right. That’s really good.” She bit into it again, pulling it out of Felipe’s hand with her teeth. His eyes lit with surprise.
“Did you see all the fresh produce?” she said to him a minute later. “Sam’s going to love the peaches. His idea of Heaven probably has roads lined with rows and rows of peach trees.”
Felipe eyed her closely. “You really believe in Heaven?”
Her eyes widened and she paused in her chewing. “Sure. Don’t you?”
“No, and I don’t believe
in the alternative, either.”
She wondered if there was any wiggle room in there somewhere. Here we go again. “Why not?”
“Believing in that stuff is for sissies. When you die, your flesh rots, and your bones turn to dust.” He snapped his fingers. “Then poof! You’re gone.”
“What a lovely image.” Angelina frowned.
“The idea of Heaven gives us hope,” Avonaco said, and Amitola nodded in agreement.
“Exactly. Even if our body is gone, we believe that our soul still lives on. If it doesn’t, why bother? What about your soul, Felipe?” For whatever reason, Angelina couldn’t let it go. “Your eternal destiny?”
“Why do you care?” Felipe shook his head as though in disbelief. “We’re all out for number one, Lamb Chop.”
Avonaco rose from the bench and helped Amitola to her feet. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to get more to drink. Would you like anything?”
“Milk, please. Much obliged.” Felipe handed his cup to them, but Angelina declined. She hoped Felipe hadn’t made them feel uncomfortable to the point where they’d avoid them the rest of the mission. She’d already started to look forward to sitting with them at the church service on Sunday.
As soon as the sweet young couple walked out of range, Felipe started in again. “Come on, Angel. All that destiny talk sounds like Romeo and Juliet. Fate and all that.” He nudged her shoulder. “Those two kissed. Plus they did lots of other stuff, and she was younger than you are.”
Angelina gritted her teeth. “Felipe?”
“Yes, Angel?”
“Do yourself a favor and shut up. Enjoy this wonderful feast and please don’t feel obligated to say anything else.”
Stabbing another forkful of his food, Felipe smiled. “As you wish.”
She was thankful he didn’t call her another nickname. If he had, she might have followed Gracie’s lead and punched Felipe in the arm. Unlike Joe Lewis, he’d definitely deserve it.
Chapter 20
~~♥~~
Pastor Chevy’s wife, Lila, sat across from Lexa. They’d finished their dinner and talked quietly while their husbands were engaged in conversation. A quick glance at the kids confirmed they were occupied and having fun with their new friends from the One Nation Church. Gayle had offered to sit with them and everything was under control. Life was good.
