What the Heart Wants, page 5
“Evie...” I whisper, not able to form the words or express what I’m feeling.
“I want you in my life, Kaye. Toko lives way out here. Mom’s gone. Dad is off in Poland doing something with the military that’s all very hush-hush.” She waves a hand in the air. “And you, my best friend in the entire world, are gallivanting your way across the globe. I worry every night I’m going to lose you, too. Find out you’ve died in one of your crazy excursions. Cliff jumping! Jesus, Kaye, if that surfer hadn’t been there, you could have drowned.”
“But I didn’t.”
“And what about when that moped hit you in Italy and you broke your arm?”
“If you remember correctly, I had a very lovely nursemaid named Alfonzo that kissed that arm and made it all better in no time.” I grin.
“And when you slept in a tent in the Swiss Alps for weeks with that forestry guy?”
“Mmm, Elias. He was one of the manliest men I’ve ever met in my life. I watched him fish bare-handed in a river.” I smile, remembering.
Evie’s voice is strained when she says, “You could have died out in the wilderness. Eaten by a bear or a coyote. Heck, you didn’t even know this Elias very well.”
“Uh, I would beg to differ.” I drop my voice, making the innuendo implicit but not exactly tawdry in front of my grandfather. “We got to know one another very well.”
Evie pushes her hands through her hair. “Kaye, I need you. Don’t you understand that? I need you alive. I need you where I can look at your face. See you are healthy and happy.”
I shake my head and reach for her hand. “Ev, I’m fine. I’m healthy and very happy. There’ve been very few times in my life when I’ve been unhappy. Mom always taught us to find happiness in every day. In the little things. I’ve lived my life by that motto. You don’t need to watch over me.”
“No. But I need my sister.” She pounds a hand on her chest. “I need you, Kaye. I’m giving you that money because I know you well enough to know you will do anything to make this store successful in order to make sure you didn’t hurt me by wasting that money. And to me, Kaye, it’s only money. You—” she grabs my hand and squeezes it “—you in my life, that’s what makes me happy.”
Crap. The tears are back as I stand up and yank on my sister’s hand until she stands and wraps her arms around me.
Evie pulls back and cups my face, tears running down her cheeks as she wipes mine away. “I love your face, Kaye. I want to see it. Every day. All the time. If that makes me selfish, then so be it. I’m selfish.”
I smile and rub my cheek into her hand. “No, sissy, it doesn’t make you selfish. It makes you human. I missed you, too, you know. A couple times a year and a weekly phone call was never enough. I always wanted more but...”
She closes her eyes and runs her hands the length of my hair. “I know. You had to do it.”
I nod and wipe her tears away. “But I’m here now.”
She bites into her bottom lip and asks the one thing I don’t know. The one thing I can never give her for fear of hurting her. “Yeah, but for how long?”
“Ev...”
She pulls me to her side where she hooks an arm around my waist. “Whatever it is, I’ll take it.”
Tahsuda watches us with a serenity I don’t feel right now. Then again, the old man is wise well beyond any man I’ve ever met.
“Calm down and eat. Taabe, huutsuu, I am happy you are around my table. I will pray with the elders that both of you find the solace you need. All will be as it should be,” he says as if it’s law. And to him, it probably is.
“Thanks, Toko.” Evie sits and smiles, picking up her spoon to dig into her still-steaming soup.
I grin and take my seat. “When you say pray, does that mean you’re going to smoke your peace pipe, because I could so go for experiencing that.” I plunge my spoon into my bowl and scoop up some meat and veggies.
Evie smacks my arm. “Kaye!” She chuckles.
“Well, I could!” I say around the soup and dunk my fry bread, then take a huge bite. The flavors slide over my taste buds as familiar as buttered toast. Fry bread and soup has always been a staple in Toko’s home. Absolutely delicious!
“You are not old enough,” Toko says flatly, then opens his mouth and takes a spoonful of the meaty veggie goodness.
I stop mid-chew and Evie snorts around her bite, trying not to laugh.
“Toko, I’m twenty-eight years old,” I protest.
“Exactly. Not old enough. Come to me when you are older.”
“How old do you have to be to smoke with the elders?”
He smirks. “Old.”
“Great, then I’m never going to smoke with you.”
“Exactly.”
“Some things never change,” I grumble.
Evie reaches out a hand to me and Toko. “You’re right, some things never do change,” she says with the biggest smile on her face.
I shake her off. “Shut up and eat your soup, brat! You’re on his side!”
She shrugs. “Always respect your elders, you know that.”
* * *
The next morning, I’m sitting on my grandfather’s porch taking in one of the most beautiful views. Vast, open land. Trees, hills, the plains. Animals graze to my right in the open flat space. A few houses way off in the distance dot the horizon, close to the community but still maintaining the residents’ privacy. I inhale the scent of the earth, allowing the musky smell of the dirt and the surrounding trees to fill me with comforting nostalgia.
Holding a cup of coffee, Evie bumbles out in a sundress. It’s the most relaxed look I’ve seen on her since I came back. The peach color makes her look soft and welcoming. Being here has given my sister what looks to be a sense of peace. Her shoulders are relaxed and loose, her back isn’t so ramrod straight, and she’s rocking a carefree smile.
I love this Evie.
Seeing Evie at peace is rare. The woman has always had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Helping to take care of me when we stayed with Tahsuda growing up or with Mom when we lived in Pueblo and she got sick. She made sure I got to and from school, packed my lunch, made breakfast every morning and dinner every night. Even after Mom died, Evie went to college and still made sure I had everything I needed for the last six months of school.
Those were the hardest six months of my life, having to finish high school with no mother and living in the small two-bedroom apartment with my nineteen-year-old sister. I could have railed against her, not done what she said, but I wasn’t the only one who was struggling to keep going after Mom died. Yet, like always, Evie held it all together.
Evie sits down next to me and crosses her bare legs. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
I sip my own coffee. “It’s home. Kinda. For me, though, you’re home. Wherever you are is the best place in the world.”
Her blue gaze flits to mine, and there’s a seriousness there I’ve not seen in a long time. “Do you mean that?”
I don’t look away, not for a second. I hold her stare and try to put my intention into my gaze. “Yes. I do.”
“I’m counting on it,” she says cryptically and breaks the contact, her brow furrowing as she looks off into the distance. “Who’s this?”
A huge, shiny black Ford truck rolls up and parks next to Evie’s SUV. A dark-haired figure opens the door and glides out. When he makes his way around the car door, I can see his entire body in its full glory.
“Oh shit. This is about to get interesting.” I grin, holding my cup near my face with both of my hands as my sister sits up straight as a ruler.
“Not a word!” Evie growls under her breath and stands up.
The man stops in front of the two of us. His eyes take me in briefly, so I offer a finger wave around my mug before his gaze goes to Evie.
“Milo, I had no idea you were going to be here. It’s...uh, wow. It’s good to see you.” Evie opens her arms and walks toward the hulking hot guy. And when I say hot, I mean insanely good-looking. He’s tall, at least six foot four. His chest is broad, covered in a red dress shirt. At his neck is a silver bolo necktie with a turquoise right in the center at the dip in his throat. The tie’s long black woven leather strings hang down his chest almost like an arrow pointing to his fine-fitting black dress slacks.
His long black hair is tied back with a series of matching bands down to the middle of his back. But it’s those high cheekbones, that perfect brown toasted skin, and the fire in his gaze as he takes in Evie that makes me grin.
He pulls Evie into his arms and holds her for what to me seems like an overly long time. “Evie, nizhóní, how long has it been?”
Nizhóní, beautiful in Navajo. Very nice. I grin around my cup as Evie pulls back her upper body, her hands remaining on Milo’s sizable biceps.
“Um, in person, several years, I think. Though we’ve kept in touch on social media.” She moves her hands to play with the edges of her sundress that falls mid-thigh.
A pair of dark eyes meet mine. “And Suda Kaye is back. It’s good to see you.”
I smile. “Always good to see you, Milo. Right, Ev?”
My sister turns her head so fast in my direction I worry she might hurt her neck. “Of course. Always good to see someone familiar from when we were kids.”
“I’m here to talk to some of the people here about their finances,” he says. “Thought I’d check in on elder Tahsuda Tahsuda, see if he needed anything tended to while I was here.” He says our grandfather’s name twice, because legally his name is Tahsuda Tahsuda. Back in the day, in order to get a birth certificate, Native Americans had to give first and last names. My grandfather only had one name, like many others. Instead of choosing one of the English settlers’ surnames like Jones or Smith, he rallied against the law and gave them his name twice. So now he’s officially Tahsuda Tahsuda. My grandfather the rebel.
“Wow. That’s so sweet. Caring about our people like that. Isn’t he amazing, Evie?” I layer on the sugar, loving every second of my sister’s discomfort. Milo is the boy she’s been in love with her entire life. The one guy that never looked at my sister as though the sun and moon rose and set with her. Back in school and on the reservation, guys would fall all over themselves to talk to Evie, circle around her, waiting for morsels of her attention. When the only guy Evie ever had eyes for was totally off-limits, a few years older than her, hulking Milo Chavis.
“It is very kind of you to check on our grandfather,” Evie says. “And actually, I was going to email you, so it’s amazing that you’re here. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. I need a favor.”
Milo smiles, looking down at my sister. “Anything for my nizhóní, Evie.” He places a hand on her shoulder and squeezes.
I swear I can visibly see my sister sway toward him at his touch. Damn, these two need to hook up. I wonder if he’s available. Last time Evie mentioned him, she was twenty-four and he was twenty-eight. He was introducing his serious girlfriend to his family. Bringing her home for the holidays. That was the last time I ever heard Evie talk about Milo. Now he’s got to be thirty-four. A lot could have happened in six years.
“Actually, it’s for my sister, Kaye.” She hooks a thumb over her shoulder, and I stand up to get closer to the conversation.
Milo waits for Evie to continue while I make my way to their little huddle.
“Tahsuda told me a few years ago that you were working on a project for one of your clients here on the reservation—” Evie begins.
“I’ll stop you right there. I don’t talk about my clients’ finances with anyone.” His voice is a low, deep rumble of hotness.
She waves her hand in front of his chest. “No, no. What Tahsuda told me was that you were working with a member here and another company that takes on small business projects. Helps finance them, get them up and running in the Pueblo-Colorado Springs-Denver area. Does that sound familiar?”
He nods and crosses his arms over his massive chest. Uh, yummy. My sister gapes at the size of those guns. Okay, good. At least she’s not dead. Evie licks her lips and I watch as Milo catches the move and a heat no one could deny blazes in his eyes.
This just got way more interesting. He’s totally into her.
“Anyway, Kaye is going to open up a boutique in Pueblo,” Evie goes on. “She’s got a solid seventy-five thousand to contribute right out the gate, but what she needs is an investor to go in with another seventy-five to a hundred thousand as well as help her start her business. Teach her the ropes. The reason I remember this situation is because Tahsuda went on and on about how great it was that you were helping a member of our extended family get his business off the ground which, in turn, helps all of the Native American people.”
Milo chuckles, and it sounds deep and full. Yummy again.
Once more, Evie notices, this time, biting her bottom lip and gazing up at Milo in that dreamy way that is not playing it cool even one iota. To help her out, I nudge Evie’s shoulder, breaking her out of her dream sequence that likely included Milo biting her lip.
“That sounds super cool. Does that company still work with new startups?” I ask.
Milo doesn’t respond; his focus is one hundred percent on my sister’s face.
Awesome.
He shakes his head as if clearing his mind. “Uh, yeah. Actually, it’s the little brother of an old friend from college. Bigwig in that area. Has a committee that meets once a month to go over prospective projects to invest in, but I’m sure I could get you a meeting. You’ll need to pull it all together. Profit and loss estimates. Budget and cost centers. Business plan for one, three, and five years. Location. Costs. All of it laid out in black-and-white. No hidden agendas. They are all about full disclosure, and they get in deep with the owner.”
The things he mentions are all things I’ve heard Evie say but a lot of it is foreign to me. I’ve spent the last decade of my life jumping from couch to couch, working when I needed to. Profit and loss estimates and business plans all sound very complicated.
Evie grins. “You just get us the meeting and we’ll be ready. You have my email, right?”
He smiles softly. “I definitely do.”
“Then email me when you find out anything. In the meantime, we’ll be doing our homework, right, Kaye?”
“Absolutely. Thank you, Milo.”
“Ladies.” He dips his chin at the both of us and winks at Evie as he heads into our grandfather’s home.
The moment he’s out of earshot, I squeal and jump up and down. Evie does, too, and wraps her arms around me. We both speak at the same time.
“You’re going to get a meeting!” she says at the same time I say, “He’s totally into you!”
“Wait, what?” we both say over one another.
“Milo, he couldn’t keep his eyes off you,” I say. “I’m telling you, girl, you were a cool drink of water on a hot day, and he was thirsty!”
Evie plants her forehead into her palm. “Kaye, focus. He just told us he’s going to get you a meeting with his friend’s brother. The one that helped a guy open up his own successful business. He’s going to vouch for you!”
I shake my head. “No, he’s going to vouch for me because of you. If you think that one email is going to be the end of Milo Chavis, you’ve got another thing coming! Mark my words. There is one thing I know better than anything and that’s when a man has his eye on a woman. And that man’s eyes were glued to you, dear sister.”
“Whatever you say. I’m just happy he can get us a meeting. Besides, the last time I saw him, he had a serious girlfriend. He’s probably married to her by now.”
“And have you seen him post his status as Married on any of the social platforms you stalk him on? I sure as hell didn’t see a ring on his finger.”
Her gaze narrows. “I do not stalk him.”
I pout. “No, you probably don’t. You’re too damn classy for that. Looks like we have our homework for tonight.”
“Yeah, get started on your business plan,” Evie says at the same time I say, “Look up Milo Chavis online.”
Evie stops where she stands and leans closer. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance in hell.” I hook my elbow with hers so we can go have breakfast with Toko and catch another eyeful of Muscular Milo.
“Lord deliver me.”
I snort. “Right into Milo’s bed.” I elbow her in the side.
“Kill me now,” Evie murmurs woefully while I tip my head back and laugh until my belly aches.
“I love coming home!”
4
“Good morning, Suda Kaye,” says a deep rumbling voice.
I lift my head from where I was scanning my proposal for the hundredth time. “Milo!” I stand up and wrap my arms around his large torso in a tight hug. “Thank God, you’re here. Evie got stuck in traffic in Denver and couldn’t make it. I was freaking out!” I squeeze his strong shoulders.
Milo smiles softly and rubs a hand up and down my arm. “That is why I am here. Your sister called me. I was home in Colorado Springs and able to adjust a few things on my schedule.”
I lean back and grin. “You live in Colorado Springs?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Yes.”
It’s impossible to hide the big smile that automatically takes over my face. “You know Evie lives in C-Springs, too?”
His head tips as if he’s curious. “Really? I thought she lived in Denver.”
I shake my head. “Nope. She travels there a couple times a week for work. You know how it is...the finance world is all abuzz.”
His lips twitch into a smirk. “I’m happy to be here to help.”
“Let’s be real. You’re happy to be here so that my sister owes you a favor.” I prop a hand on my hip and stare him down.
