“I’ve been putting off telling you that there’s no time for me to take you home. If I do I won’t make my meeting with the Yup’ik,” he said, waiting for an explosion.
“So, you’re taking me with you?”
“I don’t think I have any choice. I could drop you off at my cabin, but you’d have to stay there alone for a least a week,” he offered, hoping she wouldn’t take him up on the offer. An extra week with her might just be long enough to get what he wanted.
“Oh, um… That’s okay. I’ll go with you as long as it’s not going to be a problem for me to show up uninvited,” she said, not sure what scared her more: staying at his cabin alone or meeting a group of what she imagined were very unhappy people. If she’d been one of them and Seth’s family had treated her the way they’d treated the Yup’ik, she wouldn’t be very kind to him.
“It’ll be fine. I’ve had my problems with the Yup’ik, but since I’ve lived around them for so long I’ve made a few friends who understand what I’m trying to do,” Seth said with more conviction than he felt. It was a risk to take Lauren with him, but he couldn’t see any other way out.
After three days of traveling over mud-filled trails, Lauren began to see signs of people, small tightly built houses, most with barns in the backyards and stacks of firewood already piled up for winter. She saw smoke houses, their little puffs of smoke perfuming the air with the scent of smoked salmon, gardens practically bursting with produce, and chickens scratching in the yards.
When they passed a trail leading to the west, Seth said, “My cabin is up that trail about ten miles and we’re only about three miles from the village.”
The closer they got, the more nervous she became. Meeting new people had never been a problem for her, but she’d never been in a situation quite like this one. It didn’t help that Seth was becoming tenser with each mile they traveled, his body language changing the closer they got. By the time they reached the village, a small cluster of homes surrounding a large building in the center, his face had changed, almost as if he’d put on a mask to cover up how tense and nervous he was.
They pulled up in front of the large building and shut off the four-wheelers. Seth gave Lauren a tight smile, got off his four-wheeler, and offered her his hand, something he’d never done before. Although a simple gesture, it spoke volumes to Lauren, so she took the hand he’d offered, trying to ignore the spark of desire just touching him ignited inside her. When he didn’t let go, she left her hand in his, unable to pull it away.
The front doors of the lodge opened and a man about Seth’s age stepped out. He waved to Seth, who let out a sigh of relief when he saw the man and pulled her up onto the porch. The man’s eyes widened when he saw her, but he quickly covered his surprise.
“Seth, it’s good to see you and early too. Grandfather will like that,” the man said, shaking Seth’s hand.
“Hi, Thomas. It’s good to see you too. I’d like to introduce you to Lauren Anderson, she’s the new district supervisor for the EPA,” Seth said, pulling Lauren forward. “Is your grandfather here?”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lauren,” Thomas said, shaking her hand. Then he turned back to Seth. “Grandfather went home a little while ago, I don’t expect him back until morning.”
“Good, that will give us time to talk,” Seth said, following Thomas into the lodge.
“I’m sure a lot has happened in the last few months,” Thomas said, nodding to Lauren.
“Yeah, I guess you didn’t hear that Neil Parker vanished about two months ago,” Seth said, shrugging his shoulders, not sure if it was going to help his cause that the man had disappeared or not.
“Grandfather will find that interesting,” Thomas said, leading them back to the big fireplace at one end of the room. “Come and sit down, I’ll get us something to drink.”
Lauren sat down in a big chair and sighed, suddenly realizing just how tired she was. When Thomas handed her a cup of something hot, she took it gratefully and murmured a quiet thank you. Seth asked about Thomas’s family and they chatted about things that didn’t concern her for a while, but soon the conversation turned serious.
“Have Sam and Julie gotten here yet?” Seth asked, to open the discussion.
“They got here a few hours ago. Seem like nice people, and their daughter is adorable,” Thomas said, clearly a man with a soft spot for children.
“They brought her with them?” Seth asked, shocked that they’d taken the baby on the trail with them.
“Yes, and why not? I know you don’t like children, but some of us kind of do,” Thomas said, laughing.
Seth waved his hand at his friend. “Don’t you start on me, I like my quiet life.”
“Hmm, it’s not so quiet now,” Thomas said, then became serious. “Are you ready to meet with Grandfather and the council? They’re going to be hard on you, I’ve heard their discussions. You better be prepared to defend yourself to them.”
“I’m ready. I think I’ve got everything in place,” Seth said, looking to Lauren.
Lauren knew that now was the time she could either help or hurt Seth, what she had to say would make a difference to the council who Seth had explained wanted as little interference from the government as possible. They’d had a long talk one night around the fire about how the Yup’ik felt about the government. He explained that from the time gold was discovered in Alaska, the government, whether state or federal had taken advantage of the native peoples. It was a long history of distrust that had yet to be broken, and Lauren had secretly hoped that maybe she could be the one to change that.
“He’s got a plan that just might work, and from what I can see he’s offered your people a good deal,” Lauren said, then smiled when Seth nodded a thank you to her.
“That’s good. Are your cousins ready?” Thomas asked.
“I haven’t seen them since they got here, but if I know them they’ll be ready. They know how important this is.” Seth hoped that his words were true.
“Okay then, in the morning I’ll let my grandfather know you’re here. He’ll want to meet with Sam and Julie first I think. In the meantime, I bet you two would love to get cleaned up and have something to eat,” Thomas said, wrinkling his nose at them.
Lauren blushed, embarrassed, she’d forgotten just how dirty they must be. “I’m sorry, I’ve gotten so used to being dirty, I’d forgotten that we’re filthy. A shower would be wonderful,” she said, thinking that being clean had suddenly become a luxury.
Thomas laughed. “There’s nothing like being on the trail for a few weeks to make you appreciate hot water.”
Chapter 7
Thomas led them to a big house behind the lodge. Once inside, a woman who must have been his wife came out of the kitchen to greet them. “Seth, it’s nice to see you again, I hope everything is good with you,” she said, giving him a big hug.
“Marci, this is Lauren Anderson. I’m sorry to spring another guest on you like this, but we were out inspecting the cleanup sites and the weather held us up. I had to bring her with me or I might have been late getting here,” Seth said, pushing Lauren forward again.
“Oh, it’s no problem, you know I’m always ready for company. Welcome Lauren, I bet you’d like to get cleaned up, dinner will be ready in about an hour,” Marci said, taking Lauren by the arm and leading her to the back of the house. “I’ll have Seth bring your things in but for now there’s some clothes in the closet that should fit you. Take your time, there’s soap and shampoo in the cabinet,” Marci said, although she gave Lauren a strange look. “Seth’s never brought anyone here with him before,” she mumbled under her breath, but Lauren heard her. She was tempted to explain but was just too tired.
“Thank you for your hospitality, a shower sounds wonderful right now,” Lauren said, hoping the woman would leave her alone so she could get cleaned up.
“Your welcome. I’ll leave you to it. When you’re finished we’ll be in the kitchen, that’s where you’ll always find us. This g
reat big house, and everyone has to hang out in my kitchen,” Marci said, shaking her head as she shut the door.
Lauren wanted to fall onto the bed, it looked so soft and warm, but she knew that she had to wash off two weeks of grime before she could even consider getting in the bed. After she’d taken what was probably the best shower of her life, she found the kitchen, which wasn’t hard; all she had to do was follow the sound of raised voices.
When she walked into the room, it was full of people, kids, adults, and even a few elderly men and women cozied up to the huge fireplace at the end of the room. It caught her off guard for a moment because she was sure that none of them had been there before, but Seth saw her and crossed the room to stand beside her.
There was total silence in the room as everyone held their breath. Lauren got the distinct feeling that they were all a bit shocked to see her. “I’d like everyone to meet Lauren Anderson,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. The silence grew until Seth added, “She’s from the EPA, but she’s on our side.”
Everyone let out a collective sigh and then questions started flying at them.
“What’s she doing here?”
“Has she met Grandfather?”
“Does she know where that awful man went?”
“Did you see all our complaints?”
Seth held up his hand. “Give her a second, everyone. Let me explain,” he said, but Lauren knew that this was her story to tell, so she held up her hand.
“I’ve got this,” she said, then moved farther into the room.
Marci stepped in then. “Move over and let her sit down. I’ll get you something to drink,” she said, ushering Lauren over to the table.
Suddenly the center of attention, Lauren had to decide how she was going to handle the situation. Instinctively she knew that the way she handled herself right now would dictate what kind of relationship she’d have with these people. Looking around the room, she knew that anything less than the truth would be disrespectful, these people were the innocents in all this. They deserved to know what was happening, what she planned to do. She also knew that she’d have to tell her story, all of it, if what she had to say was going to make a difference.
Making a decision that would change her life, she took the cup of coffee that Marci handed her, and began to tell her story. She started with the day she walked into her new office to find boxes and boxes of old records, making the group laugh with her imitation of the director and her description of her outfit that first day.
By the time she’d finished the story, the group was smiling, knowing that they’d found an ally in Lauren, and a person who wasn’t afraid to laugh at herself. “So, the government screwed you too,” one of the old men by the fire said, making the entire group burst into laughter.
“I guess you could say that. But I think that Seth’s plan really does have a chance of working,” she said, although she wasn’t as sure as she sounded.
“Now all we have to do is convince grandfather and the rest of the council,” Thomas said, eliciting a groan from the room.
When Lauren came out of her room the next morning, her gear was piled up outside the door. Relieved to have her own clothes, she spent the morning doing laundry and repacking her gear. At lunch, she found Marci in the kitchen alone and took the opportunity to try and get to know the woman better. Something told her that they could be good friends.
“You’re here all by yourself,” Lauren said when she walked in the door.
“Oh, it happens occasionally,” Marci said, laughing. “ReayReady for some lunch?”
“That would be great,” Lauren said, her stomach growling loud enough for both to hear. “I’m starving.
Marci laughed. “Nothing fancy, just sandwiches and chips,” she said, pulling bread and lunch meat out of the refrigerator.
They talked about their lives while they ate, Lauren amazed at how much work it was to live out here like they did. “I don’t know if I’d be able to live out here, it’s a lot of work,” she said, when Marci explained how they spent the summer and winter.
“It used to be a lot easier, but game is getting harder and harder to find,” Marci said, shaking her head.
Lauren was quiet for a second, thinking of what she seen. “I’ve seen it, it’s bad.”
“Do you really think that Seth can pull this off? If things don’t get better these villages like ours are going to die off, the young people want lives that aren’t so hard.” Marci’s concern was clearly not new.
“I think that it’s got a chance of working. He’s got some very talented, intelligent people working with him and the money to at least make a good start. I haven’t met Sam and Julie, but he seems to think that they’ll be able to help him bring back the ecosystem,” Lauren answered honestly.
“I met them yesterday and they were already talking about migrations routes, and birth rates, and a bunch of other stuff I didn’t completely understand,” Marci said.
“Honestly, I haven’t had time to go over Seth’s plan entirely, but from what I’ve seen he’s done his homework. I think the tribal council will be impressed with what he’s put together,” Lauren said, sure that the big black notebook would impress the man.
“You mean the notebook?” Marci asked, then when Lauren nodded her head, she said, “Oh, they’ve seen it and while it’s impressive, it’s just a notebook filled with a bunch of stuff none of us really understand. The council will want more than that.”
When Lauren looked confused, she continued, “Things are done a little differently out here. The council will look at Seth’s book, but it’s going to be his words that will make the difference. He’s going to have to convince them that he’s not like the rest of his family, he’s got to get them to trust him.”
Lauren understood, she’d felt the same way. “I understand that, I was the same way, but he’s convinced me. Where is he anyway? I haven’t see him all day.” Then she realized that she missed him; it was an alarming discovery and it must have shown on her face, because Marci gave her a knowing smile.
Lauren didn’t see her little smile, her attention was drawn to a truck pulling up in front of the house. Some men got out but Seth wasn’t one of them. “He’s probably at the lodge talking to the council,” Marci said, then added, “But he’ll be here for dinner.”
Dinner was a wild affair again that night. People she hadn’t met seemed to pour through the door as the hour got later, but there was still no sign of Seth and she was getting annoyed. When she agreed to come here with him, she hadn’t thought that he would just abandon her, but then she had to stop herself when she remembered that she wasn’t even supposed to be here.
When he finally walked through the door, she couldn’t suppress the smile of happiness, nor the wave of desire that followed. Seth smiled too when he caught her eye from across the room, his look of happiness mirroring Lauren’s. He tried to cross the room to get to her, but there were just too many people clamoring for his attention.
Marci, who was watching them carefully, saw that brief exchange and immediately began rearranging people around the huge table until there was a place next to Lauren at the table. When he sat down next to her, he flashed her a big smile, and gave her a questioning look. She shrugged her shoulders and looked around the big table.
“How was your day?” he asked, wondering how she’d kept herself busy all day.
“It was fine. I did my laundry and repacked my gear, then I helped Marci cook dinner,” Lauren said, thinking that it had been the most relaxing day she’d had in a long time.
“I hope you weren’t too bored,” he said, thinking that she looked anything but bored; she looked rested and refreshed.
“No, it was fine. I like Marci, tomorrow we’re making bread,” she said, surprised at how much she was looking forward to the next day.
“That will be for the tribal dinner, if I can manage to find some fresh meat,” Seth said, digging into his dinner.
“Tribal dinner?”
she asked, wondering why Marci hadn’t told her about it that day.
“Marci didn’t tell you?” he asked. Then when she shook her head negatively, he began to explain, “There’s a lot of ceremony attached to events like this. It may take several days before I even get to see the entire tribal council together, and several days of talks after that. When we’re done, signed lease or not, there’ll be a huge feast.”
“And you’re responsible for the main course.” She was just beginning to understand what a lengthy process this was going to be, she’d have to find some way to keep herself busy or she’d lose her mind.
“I’ll leave early tomorrow morning with a hunting party and we won’t come back until we have enough fresh meat to feed the entire village, and right now that’s a lot of people. Nothing like this has happened for a hundred years, it’s a big deal to them, and I want to respect that.”
Lauren hadn’t thought about it from the that point of view. The decision the tribal council made over the next few days would affect everyone in the village and surrounding areas for a long time to come. It was their future that Seth was holding in his hands. Suddenly, the enormity of what Seth had been dealing with for months became real to her. Since this whole mess had been thrown in her lap, she’d been so busy trying to figure out how to come out on top, she’d forgotten that a people’s way of life was in jeopardy.
Feeling guilty for her selfish behavior, she looked up at Seth, realizing for the first time that although his family fortune was in jeopardy, that wasn’t why he was doing this. His motivation was unselfish, it was rooted in a love for the land and the people who lived on it, and to see both flourish. She said the first thing that came to her mind; it couldn’t begin to express what she was really feeling, but she had to say something.
“You’re a good man, Seth Montgomery.”
Seth’s heart expanded, a feeling of warmth flooding him when he heard her words. It shouldn’t have mattered that much to him, but for some reason hearing Lauren say them made him feel good. For months he’d been feeling guilty because when he should have stayed and fought his father, he’d run away and hidden. It had been a cowardly thing to do, one he regretted more and more every day, but he was here now and that would have to do.
Weak For You: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 15) Page 7
