Apache Heart by Amy J Miller Page A

too.  You’ll like her brother Bobby too, when you get to know him.”
                  Russell chuckled a little, “Bobby is a little more of a cut-up, but a great kid.  Good dancer—you’ll see him Fourth of July.  Lee too,” he elbowed his nephew.
                  “Fourth of July?  Is there a powwow on the 4 th ?”
                  “It’s the Sunrise Ceremony, coming of age for the girls.  It’s Lynette’s time.  We haven’t had any girl’s from our family in the ceremony since Maggie, so it’s been a long time, what, like twelve years?”  Wynn looked at Lee.
                  “Yeah, something like that.”  Lee said, his voice soft.
                  “How is Maggie?”  Randi asked, aware that Elan had been completely silent during her exchange with the other men.
                  Lee looked at the ground; his shoulders were slumped in a way that Randi had never seen.  He was clearly discouraged. 
                  Russell took his cap off, and scratched at his short, cropped hair.  “That’s…what we’ve been talking about.  Joe showed up with a big bouquet of flowers and a lot of pretty words, and she packed her bag and went home with him.”
                  “Crap…I’m so sorry.”  Randi let out a breath.  “Are you going to press charges against Joe?” 
                  Russell rubbed his jaw, “What happened Sunday was clearly in violation of tribal law, it’s assault and battery, pure and simple, and for once, we have a witness.”
                  “But Joe will find some way to bail himself out, one of his meth cooking buddies or something, and Lee is of the opinion it might put both Maggie and you in harm’s way.”  Wynn added. 
                  Elan couldn’t contain himself any longer, “For god’s sake, Randi hasn’t even been in town a week.  She doesn’t need to get pulled into this any more than she already is…we just need to find a way to keep Maggie…safe.”  Elan’s voice broke, and Randi realized his emotion wasn’t because of her.
                  “Elan, I think you just need to stay out of this.  Randi is her own woman, and you don’t get to speak for Maggie.”  Lee’s eyes narrowed and Randi was hearing subtext all over the place, she just didn’t know what it meant.
                  Russell put a calming hand on Lee’s shoulder, “Look, we didn’t mean to stop you from getting supper, and we certainly don’t intend to put a target on Randi.  We just have to figure out how to reach Maggie—and soon.  She’s due in a month.  We’ll let you know if there’s something you can do to help, Elan.”  He turned back to Randi, “You still have my business card?”
                  “Yeah, right here in my purse.”
                  “Next time somebody threatens you, you call me, you understand?  I’m the one with a gun and a badge.”
                  “Yes sir.”  Randi knew he was absolutely right.  Lee and Elan were both staring at their feet.              
                  “Good to meet you Randi,” Wynn said, “Wish circumstances were different.”
                  “Same here.  Thanks Russell, I’ll—I’ll call you if I need to.” She caught Lee’s eyes, and the energy that hit her felt like a thunderbolt.  Her stomach had the butterflies she’d felt the day they’d gone fishing.  She wanted to lose herself in those eyes, but there was so much about the man behind them that she didn’t understand.  Lynette’s words fluttered through her mind, “Don’t believe what some people say about Lee.”  But she didn’t know what people said.  All she could do was whisper, “Goodnight, as they passed each other.
                  Inside the diner, she and Elan slid into a