“That could be a candidate for the lead photo.”
“Good. I know you will do us proud here.”
Holding her hand, he pushed through a few spectators who were also early for the Grand Entry. He watched her set up the tripod and position her camera and decided she was the most spectacular woman he’d ever seen—the complete woman. She was also the complete professional, handling the heavy cameras with ease and total assurance. And he saw something in her he liked in a woman—fearlessness. Yes, she was definitely the entity he felt she was—endearing, yet so together with everything she did.
When the parade kicked off, Justine was already in position, crouched almost in the center of Route 66, capturing the essence of the Comanche dancers, Cheyenne Scalp Dancer representatives and Olla Maidens with their pots. Darrius was awed by her dexterity and determination to get the perfect shot—no matter what it took. And she was strong for a woman. He saw her muscles ripple while aiming the camera. Sometimes she would let the camera rest on the tripod, catching shots of full-length costumes swirling around her. She looked good in that milieu, natural—as if she were a natural part of the Indian heritage. That was her endearing side; the other side was all sexual, and he wanted to experience more than just her ability to take the perfect picture.
While her camera’s eye saw only the dancers, her mind’s eye saw only Darrius Red Sky. She turned her camera on the spectators, and there he was looking perfect in his white polo and tight jeans. Having changed his golf shoes in the truck, he now wore a pair of dusty brown cowboy boots with contrasting brown engravings in the shape of desert cacti. The sunglasses he wore added an aura of mystery to this man she knew so little about. He was looking away from her and was thus unaware of the camera on him. She seized the chance to take a few shots of him—raw and unsuspecting.
4
GOOD VIBRATIONS
The Eagle Café was little more than a hole in the wall, “But the food is superb, the best in Gallup,” Darrius said, handing her the small menu. “They may not offer a lot of dishes here, but take my word for it, the enchiladas will take you to another world.”
“I’ll just have to take your word for it. After all, you’re quite the man to know around these parts, aren’t you?”
“I try.” He delivered that perfect smile for both her benefit and his, loving her sense of humor. “You’re some girl, Ms. Paretti. How did you become so fascinating in only twenty-eight years of living?”
“How did you know I was twenty-eight? Oh, let me guess, the wind told you.”
“It did. Well, I did kind of cheat. Yesterday while you paid for the kachina with your credit card, I took a look at your driver’s license; born September 10, 1980, in San Francisco to Vinchinzo and Bernadette Paretti.”
“What? Come on now. Certainly my driver’s license didn’t tell you all of that.”
“No, it was the trees this time. They told me you were coming.”
“Darrius!”
“I’m so serious. Nights before I met you, I stood outside my store before closing. Something told me of a visitor. The trees were moving funny that night.”
“Do you have visions?”
“I think I do sometimes. All I know is that I’ve always known things for some reason. I knew about you coming. I just didn’t know exactly when, but I knew you would be lovely.”
Her cheeks reddened, and her hunger to kiss him set her ablaze, but she tried to ignore it. “You really are too kind; paying me compliments; giving me bracelets, photo opportunities, breakfast.”
“And now lunch.”
“Right. And to think I accused your poor brother of being the culprit. I went into the store to pay for the bracelet, and I thought he was you. He gave me tea bags and thanked me for complimenting him on being you.”
“No way!”
“Seriously! He holds you in high regard. Maybe he thought the Warrior’s Brew would calm me down, because he gave me a big stack of them.”
Darrius’s brow piqued. “Well, he’s always been good at promoting the business.”
“I was quite insistent that the bracelet hadn’t been paid for. I know he thinks I’m crazy.”
“Not from what I’ve told him. I mentioned meeting the most amazing lady, and that she had been sent here.”
“Yeah, by The San Francisco Examiner.”
“No, it’s deeper than that, Justine. You don’t believe me?”
The waitress arrived, and Justine decided to wait before trying to disprove his claim. “Maybe I’ll try your enchiladas, Darrius, since you’re so big on them.”
“Best in the Southwest. Right, Rita?”
The lanky woman with obviously dyed blonde hair pinched his cheek. “Right again, Red Sky.”
“I’ll have what the lady is having, and a Coke.”
After Rita left, Justine couldn’t resist asking, “What have you been right about with her?”
“I told her that her son would come back alive from Iraq. He came back on a disability two months ago. Other than a leg injury, he’s fine.”
“Handy man to have around to deliver good news, aren’t you?”
“I’d like to be. There’s a lot in Gallup and the surrounding cities I could show a girl from California.”
“You may just get the chance. I still have so much to do, though. There’s the queen contest tonight at five, the arts and crafts exhibit by three. I also need to send some photos over to my editor. I have more good shots, like those at the day parade.”
Rita placed their Cokes on the table, and Justine quickly took a thirsty sip. “Umm, this is so good and cold; a good thing to have on such a hot day.”
“You’re going to be very busy, so take a lot of liquids with you because this heat can be stifling. If you like, just to save you some time, I could always take your film to my darkroom and develop them, bring them to your room later—if you trust me with them.”
“Remember, I have digital cameras.”
