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 the 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.
Thinking of love made her wonder just what he was feeling. Was she just a convenient distraction, easily forgotten now that he had what he wanted? Had she just made a fool of herself? After all, she wasn’t exactly a perfect ten. Why would a man as handsome as Seth be interested in her, with her less than perfect body and the extra pounds nothing seemed to get rid of no matter how hard she tried. He should be with a more glamorous woman, a woman he could show off to the world.
By the time she’d reached Marci’s, Lauren had talked herself into believing that the attraction between them was all in her imagination, so she was relieved when Marci put her right to work preparing food for the feast. Hours later, she got into the shower, sweaty from cooking in the summer heat and more than ready to have some fun.
When she got out of the shower and walked back into the bedroom, there was a dress lying on the bed. She picked it up, unable to resist rubbing the soft leather against her cheek. The dress was beautiful, the bead work clearly done by hand, and Lauren knew that it was old. As tempted as she was to put it on, she couldn’t believe that it was for her, so she carefully laid it back down on the bed.
But before she could get dressed, Marci called through the door. “Did you find the dress?”
Lauren opened the door and let her in. “I can’t wear that, Marci. It’s beautiful but…”
“Of course you can wear it. I’ve had it in the closet just waiting for the right woman to come along,” Marci said, picking up the dress and handing it to Lauren. “You’ll look incredible in it. Seth won’t be able to keep his eyes off you,” Marci said, hoping for just the reaction she got.
Lauren blushed a deep shade of red and shifted nervously, trying to suppress a smile. “Seth and I are just friends.”
She was going to say more, but Marci held up her hand, she’d seen and heard enough to know that she was doing the right thing. “Just put the dress on and come downstairs,” she said, then slipped out of the room before Lauren could protest any further.
Lauren slipped into the dress, the soft leather smooth against her skin, only to realize that it would be impossible to wear anything underneath. Then she looked in the mirror and the discomfort disappeared, the dress was cut perfectly to hug her generous curves. The bead work, done in the deepest shades of purple, created an intricate pattern down the front of the dress, drawing the eye to her generous chest.
Another deep blush stained her cheeks, and the reserved part of her rejected the idea of wearing the dress anywhere in public. But the part of Lauren that remembered those wild rides on the back roads of Atlanta, ran a brush though her hair, considered makeup for only a second, then walked out of the bedroom, feeling every bit the beautiful woman she was.
When Marci saw her, she whistled and said, “That dress was made just for you.” Then she grabbed Lauren by the arm and pulled her out of the house, afraid she’d change her mind when she saw that Marci was wearing only a simple dress, made of the same soft leather, but with far less beading than Lauren’s.
Seth was already seated at the fire, dressed in a shirt and pants made of the same soft leather as Lauren’s dress. The beading on the shirt emphasized his powerful build and more than a few of the women in the gathering had commented on it. When Marci and Lauren walked into the firelight, the gathering quieted, the implication of her dress clear to all but the one who wore it.
When he saw Lauren, Seth rose to his feet and crossed the distance separating them with several long strides. His eyes devouring every inch of her until they came to rest on her face, and the smile she couldn’t suppress at the sight of him dressed equally fine. Their eyes met and a powerful wave of desire swept through Lauren, making her knees go weak and she stumbled into Seth’s arms. Embarrassed, she tried to pull away, but Seth held onto her firmly, his arm around her shoulders.
He guided them back to where he’d been sitting next to Grandfather, and the conversation in the room began again. Lauren was relieved to no longer be the center of attention, but dismayed to find that most of the women were dressed more like Marci, few had any bead work on their dresses at all. But she soon forgot as platter after platter of food was passed from hand to hand, each succulent morsel an equal to what she and Marci had made that afternoon.
When a cup of something hot was pressed into her hands, she took a deep drink expecting tea, but it wasn’t tea and it burned the whole way down to her stomach. Gasping and coughing, she looked into the cup and the smell of alcohol whiffed up her nose. Seth patted her on the back until she could breathe again, then downed his entire cup, without hesitation.
When she could finally speak, she said, “I thought that was tea.”
“It definitely wasn’t tea,” Seth said, laughing.
Lauren giggled, then covered her mouth. “What was that? I’m not much of a drinker,” she said from behind her hand, the silly smile on her face impossible to remove.
“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely not tea,” Seth said again with a silly grin to match hers.
Hours later, Lauren and Seth had both consumed more food than they’d ever thought possible as well as two cups of the fiery hot beverage. Lauren was past the point of tipsy, but didn’t care. Sitting next to Seth, surrounded by people having a good time had relaxed her as much as the alcohol had. Seth had taken her hand at some point and never let go, his thumb tracing little patterns on her palm, sending shooting flashes of pleasure through her.
When Grandfather signaled that it was time for the lease to be signed, Seth got to his feet and presented him with the ceremonial quill as he’d been instructed to do. Marci, who had been sitting next to Lauren through dinner, handed Lauren a small pot of ink and gestured to Grandfather. Honored to be included, she got carefully to her feet and stood in front of Grandfather, who dipped the quill in the ink and signed the lease.
She started to return to her seat, but Grandfather began to speak. “We are on the boundary of a new frontier and we have our new friends to thank for that. Together they’ve forged a lasting bond that will carry them to the end of their days.”
Lauren tried to listen to Grandfather’s words, but she was so distracted by Seth standing next to her that they faded. She could smell Seth’s alluring scent, wood smoke, mixed with something very male that she couldn’t quite name. Her mind drifted to the times he’s kissed her and held her in his arms, the possibility of more so alluring she let her mind wander farther than it should have in her tipsy state.
The next thing she knew, the quill was in her hand and Marci was gesturing for her to sign her name. She watched while Seth signed the document, wondering what she’d missed when she’d drifted off, knowing that this infatuation with Seth was becoming a problem she couldn’t avoid dealing with any longer. She’d been thinking about him when she should have been doing her job. Now she’d have to ask Marci what Grandfather had said.
Marci watched Seth and Lauren sign their marriage document feeling proud of herself; the wedding had gone off without a hitch. Unless you counted the fact that the bride and groom were unaware that they’d just gotten married. Now all she had to do was put the last part of her plan into action and the rest would take care of itself. Smiling at the couple, she pulled them over to the door.
“I’m sorry, you guys, but I need your help,” she said, trying to look serious.
“Of course, Marci. Anything you need,” Seth said, thinking that something bad had happened.
“Well, I seem to have more people in my house than beds. I can put the kids on the floor but…. Oh, I’ll just say it, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind moving to one of the other cabins,” she said, wringing her hands as if she was really upset. “I feel terrible, but I don’t know what else to do.”