“She did once before…when there was some trouble. They didn't do anything. I guess they talked to some people, but nothing came of it.”
“I want you to stay out of this, Mattie. I don't want you hurt.”
She stopped and whirled around to face Luke. “Stay out of it? She's my friend! How can you ask me to do such a thing?”
“I…I didn't mean—”
“Never mind. Just forget it.” She strode ahead.
Luke followed, knowing his chances of building something more than a friendship with Mattie were dwindling. At this rate, by the time he left town she might not even be speaking to him.
They stepped into the coffee shop, and a bell hanging from the door announced their arrival. “Booth?” Mattie asked.
“Sure.” Luke followed her to a booth and they sat across from each other. Silence lodged itself between them. Luke picked up a salt shaker, loosened the lid, then tightened it, then loosened it again. His mind was blank.
It was Mattie who finally brought up their relationship, but not in the way Luke had hoped.
She reached out and captured his hand and the salt shaker. “Could you put that down, please?”
Securing the lid for the umpteenth time, he set it on the table.
“Luke, I'm glad you stopped by this morning. I value your friendship, but please don't bring up anything about us being a couple. OK?”
Luke's enthusiasm and hopes for the day evaporated. “It's just that…well, I can't help how I feel.”
“It's friends or nothing,” Mattie said. “That's all I want. It's all I can manage right now.”
Luke had no choice. “All right. Friends.” He held out his hand, and they shook.
He ordered coffee and donuts, and gradually the tension between them fell away. They reminisced about their days in the valley—how they'd met and how Luke, an eager teenager, had dragged Mattie and Alex home to meet his family. Mattie admitted to being intimidated by the encounter. She hadn't known how the outsiders would feel about having Indians in their home.
“When I think about it now, it seems silly. Your family's so nice.” Mattie pinched off a small bite of a sugar donut and popped it in her mouth. “That Brian, he was so curious, especially about my being native.” She chuckled. “I think I fell in love with him right off the bat.”
Luke couldn't resist. “How about me?”
Mattie winced. “I thought we agreed.”
“I know. I know.” He gave her a boyish smile and ran his hand through his short-cropped hair. “You can't blame me for trying.”
“It must be hard on Brian...on all your family to have you gone. Especially with the war on.” Her voice had turned somber. “What's it like? Being on a ship...and knowing you could be attacked at any moment?”
“Before the bombing we didn't figure on an attack. Now...I can't wait to face off with 'em. They're gonna pay for what they did.”
Mattie was taken aback at Luke's vehement tone.
“I'm gonna kill as many as I can,” he said, then rolled back tightened shoulders. “Let's talk about something else. Seems all anyone talks about these days is the war.”
“All right,” Mattie agreed.
They sat talking and laughing until after one o'clock in the afternoon. Before saying good-bye, Luke convinced Mattie to see him the following day, and they planned a trip to Woodland Park.
The next morning, driving rain hurled itself upon the city. By the time Luke arrived at Mattie's apartment, he was soaked. He stood in the hallway, a puddle forming at his feet.
Answering his knock, Mattie opened the door. “Come in. You poor thing.”
“Doesn't look like a good day for a trip to the park.”
“We can have an inside day then. How about a game of cards?” Mattie stripped off his soaking coat and hung it in the bathroom.
“Sounds like fun.” Luke glanced about. “Uh, where's Meryl?”
“She had to work.”
Luke nearly said good, then decided against it. He didn't want to take a chance of getting Mattie angry.
“I'll make popcorn,” she said, hurrying into the kitchenette.
Luke followed. “Anything I can do to help?”
“You can clear the table.”
He moved a cup and saucer to the sink. “So, how's your friend Jasmine?”
“I guess she's going to be all right.” Mattie shook her head. “If I were her...well, I don't know what I'd do, but I'd do something.”
Luke nodded. “There's probably not much to be done if what you say is true. It's a shame, though.” He pulled off a tablecloth covering the table and folded it.
