Nevertheless, she gave the woman her spiel and kept her chin up, not willing to admit defeat.
Surprisingly, the woman calmly told her she knew who she was, and instead of insinuating that her clientele didn’t care for mixed race teachers, she sat on the front corner of her desk and peered down at Laurie. “I’ll be honest with you because it doesn’t seem anyone else in this town has the balls to speak straight.”
“I think I get the picture. No one is willing to hire me because my skin isn’t red enough.” Ironically, she was sure her face was a hundred shades of red at the moment.
“Unfortunately that’s true. But it’s more than that. Rumor has it you’re living with two men.”
Laurie swallowed heavily. Dammit.
The woman nodded when she saw her answer on Laurie’s face. If she’d been a shifter, she wouldn’t have found the idea so appalling. Neither would any of the other women she’d spoken to that morning. But the reality was that not every Native American living on the reservation was a shifter. There was only the one tribe on the west side of the rez. The rest of the county was filled with Native Americans who had no idea of the existence of shifters.
And those people were appalled. The Native Americans weren’t simply concerned with the purity of her blood line. They were also worried about her sleeping with two men. And how could she blame them? It was awkward to say the least.
But this was her life now. Right? There wasn’t a damn thing she could do to change it.
“I’ll warn you,” the woman continued, “people around here are shocked. Like wildfire, word is spreading you aren’t the only one living this lifestyle. Rumor has it there’s a group of you. A colony.”
Now Laurie gasped. “That’s crazy. And besides, it’s no one’s business.”
“It is if you want to find a job.” She blew out a breath. “I’m so sorry. I’m just telling you the truth. If I hired you, families would pull their kids out of my school before the end of the week.” She truly did seem regretful, but that didn’t dampen the sting of her words and the reality of their truth.
Shit. Laurie stood. This was a lost cause. She straightened her skirt, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles, and stepped toward the door. “Thanks for your time.” With that she left.
She fought back tears until she got to the car. And then she let them slide down her face.
Corbin was in her head in an instant.
“Babe, what happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Like hell, nothing. Talk to me.”
“Later. I’m heading to Melinda’s shop now. Can we discuss this later?”
She wasn’t in the mood to hash this stumbling block with Corbin telepathically. Not to mention it would be much easier to tell the story one time.
Tonight. Over dinner. With both men.
They were meeting at Corbin’s place that night. Since Laurie was already in Sojourn and neither she nor Zach had been to his place yet, they’d opted for reconvening there after everyone got off work.
Luckily, Corbin let it go for the time being.
“Okay, but please let me know if you need me. I’ll be around Sojourn most of the day.”
“I will.”
»»•««
Jazmine’s hand shook as she held her cell phone to her ear and waited for Mary to pick up. “Come on. Come on…” she muttered. She’d met Mary almost six months ago at a preschool forum, and the two of them had become close friends.
“Hey, Jaz. How’s it going?”
Jazmine blew out a breath. “That woman you mentioned was just here looking for a job.”
Mary inhaled deeply. “I figured that would happen. What did you do?”
“I told her the truth—that people around here don’t want to have anything to do with her lifestyle. Someone had to tell her. Sucks that it had to be me. She seemed perfectly nice, and she’s more than qualified. I could use her. But the reality is my patrons would flip a lid if they found out she lived with two men. Hell, many of their heads would spin simply because she isn’t full Native American. It’s the same for me as it is for you. If I hired her, I’d lose clients. My stomach roiled the entire time I spoke to her. I felt like such a hypocrite.”
“I’m sorry, Jaz. But you’re right. And I hate it.”
“Before Laurie Hamilton showed up at my preschool, two people had already called to warn me she would probably be coming. Word spread fast. What’s the matter with people?”
“I don’t know, but at the Church on the Hill, the members are blowing a gasket over Laurie’s mixed race. Since they realize that won’t stick, they’re easily willing to use the polygamist card as well. She’s doomed in both communities.”
“How can you stand to continue to go to that church? It’s totally over the top, Mary. It’s one thing to cave under society’s pressure to preserve our business. But how can you sit week after week in a pew next to those bigots?” Jazmine asked.
“I can’t. Not anymore. But I feel like I should fake for a while, anyway. They’re like a mob now. What if they plan to injure someone? It seems I’m stuck. I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt over something like race or who they sleep with. That’s crazy.”
“I agree. My hands are tied. People would pull their kids out of my school if I didn’t turn Ms. Hamilton away. I heard parents grumbling this morning about quote ‘the half-breed who waltzed into town like she’s all Native American and runs the place.’”
“Jesus, the woman barely got here a week ago. Why is she so popular?” Mary asked.
“No idea, but they act like their entire way of life is threatened. I’m not sure if anyone is really concerned with her mixed race or lifestyle choice, or if it has more to do with her specific choice in men. One of the guys is a Native American who works as a deputy here on the rez. I can’t believe that will go over well at the sheriff’s office, but most of the deputies are from the western tribe—the Yobuka. It’s the most populated tribe of Natives on the reservation, and the sheriff’s office is located in the more populated area. Who knows?”
“Well, the other man—the Caucasian—is a member of the wealthiest family in Cambridge, the Masters. It’s frightening to think people from both sides of the lake are up in arms over this. I’m worried,” Mary added.
“Maybe there are more polygamist groups than we know about closer to the lake. Of all the murmuring I’ve heard, none of it has been from the Yobuka. They seem inordinately tolerant of the threesomes. I know they’ve had disagreements about race in the past, but I haven’t heard any of them pissing and moaning about polygamy. Perhaps it’s accepted among them.”
“Is there a shortage of women among the Yobuka?”
“Not that I know of.” Jazmine thought about that.
“You think maybe they’re trying to preserve not just the Native American way of life, but within their own tribe?”
“Could be. I’ll look into the idea of them lacking women. Seems ludicrous. I mean what woman would willingly marry two men just because there aren’t enough?”
Mary laughed. “Lots of them, probably. Not me, of course, but most women would jump at the idea of being taken care of by two men, right?”
Jazmine smiled. “True. Besides, that angle doesn’t jive because these three ménages we know about are not within the Yobuka. They’re all mixed combos of white and Native. So, that doesn’t explain anything.”
Mary sighed. “Shit. You’re right.”
Jazmine sighed. Surely this would all blow over eventually. Right? “You still okay with tonight?”
“Of course. Looking forward to it.”
Jazmine relaxed her shoulders. “’Kay, see you then.”
»»•««
It was late afternoon when Laurie entered Melinda’s shop in Sojourn, Dreamcatchers. The place was amazing, lifting her mood, which was quite a feat after the morning she’d had.
It was bright and inviting, filled with all sorts of Native American apparel, jewelry, and knickknacks.
Melinda stepped from behind the register as Laurie entered. “Hey.” She smiled hugely for about a second, and then her face fell. “Uh oh. I don’t like the look on your face.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t sense my mood from a mile away.” Laurie leaned into Melinda’s outstretched arms and hugged her. It felt good. Home. Right. Like they knew each other well and hadn’t spent the first twenty-five years of Laurie’s life separated with no knowledge of the other one.
Melinda released her and held her at arm’s length. “We have a strange connection, but I’m also blocked from you at times. It’s weird, especially considering I doubt you know how to control it.”
“That’s for sure. I’m still trying to understand even the most basic parts of this craziness.”
Another woman came in from the back room and smiled. She held out a hand. “You must be Laurie. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Sherri.”
“Nice to meet you.” Laurie shook her hand and liked her instantly. Just touching Sherri gave her insight into the woman’s character. She was kind and friendly and warm. How the hell could Laurie surmise all that so quickly?
She shook off the weird feeling of getting into Sherri’s head and followed Melinda toward the front door.
Melinda turned to Sherri. “We’re going to get coffee. You okay here?”
“Of course.” She waved them off. “Go. Enjoy. See you later.”
Ten minutes later, Laurie sat across from Melinda in the cutest coffee shop she’d ever seen. It wasn’t a chain store. It was a family-owned one-of-a-kind. She took a sip of her latte and blew out a long breath. “I feel as though all sorts of weird things are happening to me at once. It’s unnerving.”
“I’m sure.” Melinda wrapped her hands around her mug and blew on the contents before she took a sip. “Take it one day at a time. I’ll help you as much as I can. Mimi will too.”
“It’s like Destiny has a hand in this. She meant for me to be in this place at this time with you.”
“Yes.”
“And She is also trying to get me to go back where I came from. The juxtaposition of feelings is overwhelming.”
Melinda furrowed her brow. “How so? What makes you think you aren’t meant to be here?”
“Well, I can’t get a job for starters. Not in Cambridge or Sojourn. And I love what I do with kids. It will devastate me if I have to stop working.”
“What do you mean? It’s only been a few days. Something will come up.”
Laurie shook her head and chuckled sardonically. “No. It won’t. Word has spread that I’m a half-breed who’s shacking up with two men. No one in either town wants a polygamist teaching their kids—not to mention someone of mixed race.”
Melinda gasped. “Did someone say that to you?”
Laurie nodded. “Verbatim. I started looking for work in Cambridge, and when I got shunned, I switched to Sojourn. By the time I got to the third preschool this morning, the woman had already been called and warned of my impending arrival.”
“No way?” Melinda sat up straighter, rigid.
Laurie nodded. “Way. And the lady had no problem telling me how unhappy the town is with my arrival.”
“Shit. That’s whacked. How come no one has ever approached me?”
“Seems like they weren’t so sure about you and your love life. Nor were they sure about Rebecca. Or maybe they turned a blind eye since you own your business and Rebecca’s a nurse they can ill afford to lose in the area. In any case, they don’t want some half-red polygamist working with their impressionable young children.” She giggled at her unintended pun. “And when I say ‘red’, I guess that goes for both sides—my redheaded Caucasian side and my red-blooded Native side.”
Melinda slumped in her seat. “Lord. We need to do something.”
“Like what? Change the laws?” Laurie chuckled. “I hardly see how there’s any way out of this problem.” She slouched in the chair and lowered her face. “Corbin’s going to take flack at work soon, and Zach’s entire family could suffer a financial devastation from this hit on their character.”
“Don’t get carried away now. I’m sure Carlie and Adam can take the heat. And Corbin’s boss is a shifter. So is Trace’s at the precinct in Cambridge. That helps tremendously.”
Laurie took a drink of her coffee and tried to imagine how this was possibly going to work out. She couldn’t stand the idea of people harassing her or her mates for the rest of their lives.
At no point in her twenty-five years had she ever been subjected to racism or any other
ism
. And it felt awful.
She changed the subject. “So what do you think about the spirit appearances? I’m late to this party.”
“There haven’t been any I’ve been aware of since the casino site shut down. And before that there was the year gap after the earthquake. So, it seems the spirits make their presence known each time there’s another mating among us. And by us, I mean our two families.”
“That’s so weird. Do you think it’s possible the forces that be are opposed to our matings?”
Melinda shook her head. “Not a chance. In fact, when I first spotted one of these black smoky shadows, it was clear to me it was aggravated by how long I was taking to complete the mating. The spirits are impatient. I think Fate is bringing us together at precise moments in time for a reason.”
“Fine. If that’s the case, do you believe Cooper and Sawyer are destined to mate with the other two Masters? Logan and Sharon?”
“Perhaps. Seems pretty likely. Don’t you think?”
“Well, Sharon’s convinced. And she wants nothing to do with it.”
“Really?” Melinda giggled. “She’s not alone. Cooper and Sawyer fled Miles’s house like their pants were on fire. I don’t think it matters what they want. When Fate is ready for them to merge, She’ll have her way, with or without their consent.”
“It’s crazy. I know I keep saying that, but it’s true. No wonder people are freaked out about our strange arrangements. Not only are we mating in threes, but someone is bound to realize soon that we’re basically two families merging. That’s the craziest crazy of them all.
“Hell, it probably looks like we’re plotting to take over the world.”
Melinda laughed and leaned in conspiratorially. “Maybe we should.”
»»•««
“We cannot permit this to happen,” someone shouted.
Mary sat near the back of the room and listened as several members of the church continued their rant.
“And we won’t.”