Chapter Ten

 

The problem with the reservation, Summer decided, was it was in the middle of nowhere. She knew that, of course—she’d already been lost on it once. But driving an hour to get to the community college, then driving almost another two and a half hours to get to a grocery store in Rapid City and driving back to Tim’s place to put the groceries away was basically her day. Why was a convenience store the only place to get groceries on this whole reservation? For Pete’s sake. What did the people who couldn’t drive to Wall or Rapid City do for food?

But the good news was the community college was delighted to have a certified teacher pick up a few GED classes and tutor students who needed help with English. Not for a lot of money—minimum wage. But still, it was some money and her hours would be flexible. The kind of flexible where she could pretty much show up and leave whenever she wanted.

Plus she could bring Georgey with her whenever she wanted. So as soon as Tim got done making him fulfill his community service, such as it was, she could spend the rest of the summer working with Georgey on his reading. A GED might be out of reach right now, but if she could at least get him tested into a high-school level when they got back to Minneapolis…

It was strange how not-exciting the thought of going back felt.

There was one staff member at the college who had worked with dyslexic students before, but Summer was essentially on her own here. She’d logged into the college’s wifi and done some research. Her instincts had been mostly correct—audio books, lectures instead of assigned readings, that sort of thing.

But something else she’d found on a website mentioned using magazines and graphic novels—lots of pictures, smaller groups of words—to work on reading. Even comic strips could be useful. The smaller texts were less overwhelming, apparently. While she had a functioning connection, she’d downloaded some audio books to her phone—the entire Harry Potter series and the Percy Jackson series for starters. Boys in her classes read those—plus, Percy Jackson had dyslexia. Perfect.

Thus armed with knowledge and something that felt like a plan, Summer promised she’d be back the next day. She’d then driven to Rapid City to shop at a Supermart.

Tim did not have an abundance of food—certainly not enough for three people, especially when one of those three was an underfed teenaged boy. Last night’s dinner had been scraping the very bottom of his pantry. She knew Tim didn't expect her to cook and do the shopping, but she felt like it was the least she could do, considering how far out of his way he’d gone to take in Georgey and make room for her.

The odd thing was, it had almost nothing to do with him kissing her.

Almost.

He’d left before she really woken up this morning. She was pretty sure she’d kissed him and coffee had been involved, but beyond that?

She had all that time in the car today to think over what he’d said last night.

Who, back in Minneapolis, was missing her right now? And when she went back to that life, would it be enough?

A part of her was 100% certain it was. She was Summer Collins. She was a teacher. She had friends and a life. Sure, she was still establishing herself. She had a small—no, scratch that—cozy apartment. And no, she didn’t have a big social circle. But she wasn’t the kind of person who needed one. She got all her peopling done at school and was perfectly happy to go home and enjoy the peace and quiet. So no, Tim didn't know her at all.

Except…

She didn’t need a bunch of people to miss her. But one or two might be nice.

Which was why, before she did her shopping, she found herself in the parking lot of Supermart, doing the very last thing she wanted to do.

She called her mother.

“Where are you?” her mother snapped before Summer could even say hi. Which was not the best start to the conversation.

“Rapid City. South Dakota,” she added, although she didn’t know why. Her mother was many things, but clueless about basic geography wasn’t one of them.

There was a tense pause. “I can’t help but realize that’s on the far side of the state. Not closer to Minnesota.” It sounded like her mother was grinding her teeth.

Summer grimaced and ignored the guilt trip. “There’s no reception on the reservation, Mom. I came into town to get some groceries and wanted to check in with you. How are you? Is everything okay?”

“You’re not coming home?” Each word was an accusation.

“Of course I’m coming home,” she protested, trying to figure out how to get out of this call and knowing full well it was her own damned fault she was having this conversation in the first place. Of course, if she hadn’t checked in, her mother would be furious too. Basically there was no way Summer could win, so she might as well take her lumps now. “But I’m going to be out here for a few more weeks. I got a part-time job,” she offered weakly.

“You're staying out there?” Each word was a dagger tipped with the most dangerous poison known to womankind—guilt. “Out there with…them?”

“Mom…”

“Don’t you ‘Mom’ me, young lady. This is completely unacceptable. I’ve spent years shielding you from the poor choices your father made—years, I tell you.”

“Poor choices? Mom, he didn’t choose to be Lakota.”

Linda Collins physically hissed at the word, as if Summer had said fuck off instead of the proper name of her tribe. “Those people are nothing but drunks.”

She thought of Tim, of Georgey and Jack and Clarence and Tammy and even Nobody, that shadowy guy. Not a drunk among them.

In fact, if it weren’t been for the small matter of the gang war, Summer hadn’t seen anything unusual, except more poverty than she was comfortable with. “They’re just people, Mom. Like you and me.”

Her mother gasped in true horror.

Why had Summer said that? Why was she pushing the issue? All she’d needed to do was call and check in and let her mother lecture her a little bit, then get on with her day. She had a huge shopping list and a long drive home and…

Except it wasn’t home, not hers. It was Tim’s home. She was just a guest.

“This is unacceptable, Summer. Just completely unacceptable. I raised you better than this.”

Something in her mind snapped. “And how was that? White? You cut me off from half my culture!”

A stunned silence gripped both of them. What the hell had she just said? Summer mentally replayed the accusation—that was the only thing she could call it—but it’d just appeared out of nowhere.

It was also the unfortunate truth. Her mother had cut her father out of her life, and with him, everything that made her a Lakota. Including her brother.

And Summer had just…let her. Tim had been right. She was missing something and she’d found it on a windswept prairie.

“You are not one of them,” her mother said in a dangerously low voice. “And I can’t believe you would throw away everything I’ve done to protect you…”

“Well, it’s been nice chatting,” Summer heard herself say, as if she were very far away from herself. “But I’ve got errands to run. I’ll let you know when I’m back in Minneapolis, okay? Take care. Love you, Mom.”

Before her mother could say anything else, Summer hung up. She sat there for long minutes, staring at her phone. She half thought her mom might call her back, but she didn’t and Summer didn’t hit redial, either.

Is that what her mother told herself? That she was protecting Summer from—from what? From some harsh reality, where Linda Collins had married Leonard Two Elks, then changed her mind? From knowing half her own family? From…

From having someone who would miss her when she was gone?

Well, one thing was for certain.

She was done being shielded.

***

By the time Tim pulled up in front of this house, it was past six and he was pretty sure he hadn’t fed Georgey lunch. Nothing today had gone like it was supposed to. What should have been a quiet day at the station, getting caught up on paperwork while Georgey scrubbed the whole place, had turned into an all-day affair of tracking down people and making plans and back-up plans and trying to find Levi and failing.

For better or worse, Tim had given Georgey a true ride-along. In addition to trying to get Shorty taking care of, Tim had also gone out on three other calls. Some idiot had tried to stick up the Kum N’ Go gas station on the north edge of the rez, but the clerk held a shotgun on the would-be robber until Tim rolled in and arrested the guy—some white guy from off the rez, which meant more paperwork and more headaches.

There’d been a domestic battery call, with a wife who insisted she didn’t want to press charges—or be taken to the Clinic to have her black eyes checked out. And there had been a report of drag racing—although no one had been at the site of the race by the time Tim and Georgey got there.

All in all, it had been one hell of a busy day. Tim was hungry, he was tired and he hurt. That was normal. He could deal with it if that was all. But it wasn’t.

“… go with you tomorrow?” Georgey was saying excitedly as he put his shoulder to the door.

“We’ll see,” Tim said, then the smell of something wonderful hit him—fried chicken.

He absolutely did not expect Summer Collins to cook for him. And he was equally sure he didn’t have any chicken. But God, after the day he had? Almost twelve solid hours of hauling Georgey around and trying to keep the peace on this rez? And to know when he came home, not only would she be here, but she’d do something simply wonderful, like making dinner?

Summer Collins was too good to be true. It was heaven.

“Summer!” Georgey said, bursting into the house before Tim could string together two coherent thoughts. “It was so cool! I’m gonna be a cop when I grow up!”

Summer turned from where was frying chicken at the stove. “Is that so?” she said in what Tim considered to be a very calm voice.

“Yeah! I rode along with Tim all day today—it was so cool. Shorty got shot in the butt then we tried to find Levi and then we—”

“Zip it, kid.” Tim shot Georgey a look. “Some of that stuff is confidential, remember?” Because that had been the deal.

Georgey had to keep his mouth shut about the plan for Shorty. If anyone else knew where Shorty was going and how he was going to get there, the whole thing would be pointless. So far, the only people who knew were Tim, Shorty, Georgey, Nobody, Clarence and Jack. Tim wanted to keep it that way.

“Right, right.” Georgey started hopping from foot to foot, which made him look all of twelve. Still, it was nice to see him excited about something

“Dinner is almost ready,” Summer said in a gentle voice. Or maybe that was just a normal voice. Maybe she just sounded gentler than anyone else had all day long. “Georgey, go wash up. And after dinner, I have some things for you.”

Georgey looked like he might want to argue with this, but then he said, “Did you buy me…presents?”

Summer winked. Winked! “I might have. Scoot.” She lifted out another piece of fried chicken and put it on a plate. Georgey’s mouth went slack and Tim was pretty sure he was drooling. He felt even worse because he definitely hadn’t made sure the kid ate lunch today.

Once the bathroom door clicked, Tim was able to take a deep breath. “You don’t have to make me dinner.”

She turned the stove off. “I know. Don’t get used to it. I’ll be putting in some hours at the community college. And I’ll be able to take Georgey with me, so you won’t have to babysit him all day.”

“He was fine,” Tim said. He realized Summer was walking toward him and he felt that certainty all over again.

He could love her.

He would miss her when she left—he didn’t want her to go. Right now, he had no idea how to make her stay, either.

“How are you?” She touched her hand to his chest.

“Better.” He pulled her in to him and kissed her, because he wanted to, because it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

He lost track of time—of everything. Everything but the way she sighed into him and the way her body molded to his. He kissed her harder, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue and groaning with satisfaction when she opened for him.

No one on this rez was ever glad to see him. Except for Summer Collins.

“Tim…” she sighed into him. In his ears, it sounded like a plea for something else. Something more.

He cupped her face and stared down at her. Something was different about her. “Are you okay?”

She laughed at that. “Better,” she breathed, leaning up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his again. “I think I’m better.”

Tim groaned as she pulled his hat from his head and sank her fingers into his hair. This had to be a dream. There simply wasn’t any other explanation for the turn his life had taken this week. A beautiful woman waiting for him at the end of a long day? Homemade food? Her body pressing against his, her mouth exploring his?

“Oh, gross.”

Tim winced as Georgey waltzed back into the room. He’d just needed another minute. Or twenty. She’d been right about one thing last night—how were they supposed to do this with an opinionated teenage male in the house?

But instead of another editorial comment, Georgey walked over to the plate of cooling chicken and said, “Summer, are you gonna cook like this all the time when I live with you? Because if so, maybe it won’t be so bad. What’s this?”

The thing was, she hadn’t jerked herself out of Tim’s arms when Georgey came back in to the room. Instead, she leaned her head on his chest and just held him. “Mashed potatoes,” she said, glancing over her shoulder to see Georgey holding up the bowl of spuds. “Haven’t you ever had mashed potatoes before?”

“Well, yeah—but these are yellowish with green things in them.”

“Cheesy mashed potatoes with chives. They’re good, trust me.” She looked up at Tim. “I want to hear all about your day—the parts you can tell me,” she added before she turned back to the table.

All he could do was stand there in stunned silence. Was it wrong to want this? Was it wrong to want her?

No. No, it wasn’t.

He wanted her. It was brilliant in its simplicity.

Now he just had to figure out how to hold onto her, even for a little while.

He needed to call in a favor.