He caught that shy scrutiny. It made him feel taller than he was to have such a pretty woman look at him that way. He was glad hed let his mother talk him into changing his staid bachelor image, and he was especially glad about the improvement when he was with Christy.
How are you enjoying your stint in the sun? he asked.
Its harder work than I expected, she admitted. Im stiff and sore from sitting in one place and using muscles I didnt know I had. Its rather boring in a way. But to sit and hold something a thousand years old in my hand, she said with faint awe, thats worth all the discomfort.
He smiled. I find the Hohokam equally fascinating, he said then. Did you know that the Tohono Oodham are probably descended from the Hohokam? And that their basket weaving is so exacting and precise that their baskets can actually hold water?
No, I didnt! Ill bet they cost the earth.
Some of them do, and theyre worth every penny. I know an old woman who still practices the craft, out on the Papago Reservation. Ill take you out to see her while youre here.
Oh, would you?! she exclaimed, all eyes.
Shell be glad to find someone more interested in her craft than in the price of it. He pulled out onto the paved highway and shot the Jeep smoothly into high gear.
She gave up trying to hold her hat on her head and took it off, clutching it in her lap.
Not nervous are you? he taunted gently. Id have thought a grammar school teacher would have nerves of steel.
I need them from time to time, she agreed. She twisted her hat in her hands, enjoying the wind in her hair and the sweet smell of clean air. It was different from the smell of the Atlantic, and not as moist, but it was equally pleasant.
I suppose you miss the sea, he said, and she started.
Wella little, she admitted. But the desert is fascinating.
Im glad you think so. He turned the Jeep on the road that led directly into Tucson. How do you like Tucson?
My first sight of it was staggering, she told him. I never realized how big and sprawling it was.
We like a lot of space, he said with a quick smile. I cant stand to go back East for long. I feel cramped.
Too many trees, I expect, she replied with a wicked glance.
Thats about it. He sped past fast-food restaurants, modern shopping malls, motels and empty lots. Did anyone tell you about the coyotes?
In the mountains, you mean? she asked as she looked toward them.
No. Here in the city. You can hear them howling early in the morning. The tourists get a big kick out of it.
I wouldnt, she said, shivering.
Sure you would. You can hear them out at the ranch, cant you?
I thought the howling was wolves.
Coyotes, he corrected. The Indians used to call them song dogs. There are all sorts of legends about them. One says that they would sometimes stay with a wounded man and
guard him until he healed.
You know a lot about this country, dont you? she asked.
He smiled. I was born here. I love it. He turned down a side street and into a parking lot.
Before she could ask where they were, hed cut off the engine and extricated her from the Jeep.
She almost had to run to keep up with his long strides. In the process of getting into the store, she managed to run into the door and overturn a barrel of hoes and shovels.
With her eyes closed, she didnt have to see the expression she knew would be on Nathanial Langs face. If shed had the courage, shed have stuck her fingers in her ears to keep from hearing him. But no sound came, except a clang and a thud here and there, and hesitantly, she opened one eye.
No problem, Nathanial murmured dryly. Hed replaced the barrel and its contents and he had her by the arm, an expression on his face that she couldnt decipher.
Im so sorry she said, flustered.
Stand over here and look pretty, he told her, leaving her against the fishing tackle counter. Ill pick up my tags and be back before you miss me.
He did and he was, giving Christy time to gather her shredded nerves and manage some semblance of dignity. Of all the times to do something clumsy, she moaned inwardly, and shed been doing so good.
Dont look so worried, Nathanial chided as he came back with a large box over one shoulder. He took her by the arm. Lets go. How about lunch?
I had a soft drink, she began as he hustled her out the door and back into the Jeep.
No substitute for a good meal, he returned. How about some chimichangas and a taco salad?
A chimi-what?
Chimichanga. Its a Oh, hell, Ill buy you one and you can see for yourself. Theyre good.
They were. He took her to a nice restaurant near one of the biggest new malls in town, and she had food shed never heard of back in northern Florida.
The chimichanga was spicy and delicious, beef and beans and cheese and peppers in a soft shell that melted in her mouth. Shed had great fun studying the menu before they ordered.
Whats this? she asked, pointing to the breakfast entrées.
Huevos rancheros, he translated, or ranch eggs. Its a little misleading, he said with a smile. Scrambled eggs and refried beans with salsa. If you eat it, you dont want to sit upwind of any potential victims. Its harsh on the digestive system if you arent used to it.