The Ashtons: Walker, Ford & Mercedes: Betrayed Birthright / Mistaken for a Mistress / Condition of Marriage

Tamra took a moment to gather her thoughts, to compose her senses. “Maybe you should ask her about this.”

“I’m asking you.” He leaned back. “It’s easier for me to talk to you. You’re—” the cynical smile returned “—not as vulnerable.”

He had no idea, she thought. He didn’t have a clue. But how could he? She hadn’t told him that she’d lost a child. That she understood his mother’s pain. “Mary bought the mobile home we’re living in. It was used, so it wasn’t very expensive.”

“So there was money left over?”

“Yes. And she invested that.”

“Really?” He seemed surprised. “Were they sound investments?”

“Sound enough. There was enough to help me go to college.”

“Damn.” He dragged a hand through his sexually appealing hair, messing it up a little. “My mom sent her non-Hunka kid to college. Doesn’t that beat all?”

“Beat all what?” Struggling to keep her cool, she blew an exasperated sigh. “I worked hard on my education. I earned a scholarship, too.”

“To a tribal college?”

“To San Francisco State University.”

He practically gaped at her. “You went to SFSU? You lived in California? Where I live?”

“That’s right.” She’d spent her entire childhood dreaming of bigger and better things. “And I brought Mary with me.”

“Why San Francisco? Why did you choose a university there?”

“Because I knew Spencer had taken you and Charlotte to Northern California. And I wanted Mary to feel like she had a connection to her children, even if she was never going to see them.” Tamra finished her soda and cursed her pounding heart. “So we rented a little apartment and tried to make a go of things. I got a part-time job and earned a degree in marketing, and Mary got a full-time job, working at a hospital. Later she became a certified nurse’s aid.”

He sat on the edge of the bed. “A marketing degree. And you came back to Pine Ridge?”

“Yes, we did.”

“Why?”

“Why not? This is our home.”

“Fine. Don’t tell me the whole story. I don’t care anyway.”

But he did, she thought. Or he wouldn’t be so hurt about Mary letting him go. “Have you called your sister yet? Did you tell Charlotte that you found your mom?”

“Yes.” He made a face at the phone, cursing the object as if it were his enemy. “But she’s not coming back to the States. Not for a little while. Can you believe it? She thinks I need to spend some time with Mary first. To get to know her.”

“Sounds logical to me.”

“Because you’re a woman. Your kind stick together.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I think I’m going to like your sister.”

“I’m sure you will.” He quit snarling at the phone and noticed her smile. “Don’t patronize me. I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” But she laughed in spite of herself. “You’re just so agitated all the time, Walker. Everything upsets you.”

“And you think that’s funny?” He grabbed a pillow off the bed and threw it at her.

She caught it and tossed it back at him. Then they both fell silent.

“Want to get a pizza with me?” he asked suddenly.

Was he inviting her on a date? No, she thought, not after his spiel about their warped attraction. He was probably just bored, looking for something to do. “Sure, I guess. But on the rez. Not here. And I have to stop by a friend’s house first.”

“I noticed the pizza place at Pine Ridge. But I haven’t eaten there.”

“Don’t worry. It won’t make you sick.”

He shrugged off her sarcasm. “It’s a franchise I’m familiar with.”

She came to her feet. “I’ll drive. And on the way I’ll teach you about Lakota protocol.” She dug through her purse, snagged her keys. “Indian 101.”

“I can hear it now. Don’t point, Walker. And don’t get drunk on the rez.” He followed her out to her truck. “All those winos I saw must have missed your class.”

Wiseguy, she thought. “Just listen and learn.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He climbed in the passenger seat, and she gunned the engine, wondering what she’d just gotten herself into.

Three

Walker studied Tamra’s profile. He had so many questions about her, about his mother. He was even curious about Lakota protocol. Although he wasn’t sure why.

“Who told you I was looking for my mom?” he asked.

“I heard it through the moccasin telegraph. Someone who knew someone who knew someone else.” She turned onto the highway. “You’re lucky that Mary works at the PHS. That people are familiar with her. It’s not easy to locate someone on the rez.”

“No, I suppose not.” Which was what he had been counting on. “Everything is so spread out.”

She continued driving. By Walker’s standard, her pickup was old, an early-eighties model with plenty of mileage. But it seemed reliable enough. At least, he hoped so. He knew there were places in Indian Country where neither cell phones or CB radios worked. But for now they were still in Nebraska.

“Did you forget about my lesson?” he asked.

“No. I’m just deciding where to start.”

He examined her profile again, thinking how striking she was. Her prominent cheekbones, the slight imperfection of her nose, the way her hair framed her face. Her eyes fascinated him, too. Whenever she looked at him, heat surged through his veins.

A sexual response, he thought. Lust in the first degree.

“We’ll start with respectful eye contact,” she said, making him blink, making him realize how closely he was watching her. “In the old way, you’re supposed to avoid eye contact with your elders. And children were taught not to stare. When you stare at someone, you’re challenging them.”