Suspicious by Heather Graham

Author:Heather Graham
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781552543429
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2005-11-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Despite the fact that there was a well-maintained dock, Jesse could see that Lorena was more than a bit concerned about where they were going when he helped her out of the airboat.

His house had been built on a hummock and, he thought, combined the best of tradition and the modern world. There were still members of his tribe who made their homes in chickees, but for the most part, beyond the village and the other tourist stops, tribal members lived in normal houses, concrete block and stucco, sturdy structures that offered the same comforts as those enjoyed by everyone else.

He was lucky to own the land, which had been his father’s. And it was a good stretch of hummock, rich with trees and foliage, and high enough to keep it from flooding during hurricanes or the rainy season. As they came in from the rear, winding along the path from the canal, the first sight was a chickee. Chickees had first come into being when various tribes—once grouped together under the term “Seminoles”—had moved deep into the Everglades to escape persecution and the white determination to export every last Native American to the western reservations. High above the ground, the chickee offered protection from snakes and gators. The open sides allowed the breezes to pass through continually, keeping the inhabitants cool year round.

Lorena gave the chickee a nervous glance, and he saw the relief on her face when they rounded a bend and she saw the house.

There was a screened-in patio with a pool, and sliding glass doors that led from it into the house. He owned a fairly typical ranch-style dwelling, with the large rear, “Florida room” extending the width of the back. He had a good entertainment center and comfortable sofas and chairs, which often led to him being the one to host Sunday football get-togethers. His home probably differed from some in that it was filled with Indian artifacts: Miccosukee, Seminole and others, including South American and Inuit. He had totem poles, lances, spears, shields and buffalo skulls, all artistically—at least in his mind—arranged, and he had come to love the feeling that he was surrounded by both past and present, tradition and the need for all Americans to be aware of the modern world. He considered education the most necessary tool for any Native American, and finding the path between prosperity and ethnicity was not an easy one.

“Thank God for bingo,” he murmured aloud.

“What?”

Her eyes were wide; he could tell that she was decidedly uncomfortable, yet apparently relieved at the same time.

“Coffee? Tea? Soda? Beer or wine?” he asked. “Sorry, that’s all I keep around.” He left her standing in the Florida room and walked through the hall, hanging a quick left into the kitchen, where a bypass over the counter opened to allow him to keep an eye on her.

She shook her head uneasily. “I’m fine.”

“Then I’ll have coffee.”

He reached into the cupboards for the paraphernalia he needed, watching her as he did so.

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