Chapter Six #3
“I didn’t bring Tina here to ask for the marriage blessing.
I’ve told you about her before, and you know that she has been, and still is, one of my best friends.
She’s been that before either of us could take a step on our own,” Walker answered.
“You’ll have to ask Grandmother why she took a liking to her.
I’m as surprised as you are—but then, she loved my mother.
Who knows how or why she takes to one person and not another. ”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Chico said. “Ally can be a bitter pill to swallow if she doesn’t like someone. But then”—he grinned—“she wants you settled down so badly that she’ll be nice to anyone you bring to see her.”
“You could be right,” Walker agreed.
Chico gave him a curt nod. “Are you going to stir up the bread, or am I?”
“You know that my bread is always better,” Walker replied, glad to be talking about something other than his relationship with Tina. “You work it too much and it’s tough.”
“Story of my life,” Chico said with a sigh. “I try too hard and want instant gratification.”
“What does that mean?” Walker asked.
“I love my nieces and nephews, but I’m ready to settle down and have a family of my own.”
Walker patted out enough dough to make a round and gently laid it in a cast-iron skillet filled with hot grease. “What’s the holdup?”
“I want Grandmother’s blessing,” Chico said. “It’s important to me. I’m sure it will be for you, too. I could have sworn that you and the redhead—”
Walker didn’t give his friend time to finish and butted in. “Her name is Tina, not ‘the redhead.’”
Chico’s laughter rang out across the grounds. “Just friends don’t get so defensive.”
A woman with long black hair and a sculpted face came through the door. “Your grandmother sent me to help—it’s time for you to come over to her booth, Walker. There’s a long line of customers.”
“Hey, Quinn.” Walker used a wet towel to clean his hands. “You any good at making fry bread?”
“I bet I’m better than your new woman,” she replied, and washed her hands before she started whipping out rounds much faster than Walker.
Chico nudged her with his shoulder. “That woman is just his friend, or so he says.”
“If that’s true, then I have blue eyes.” Quinn looked up at Walker with her dark brown gaze and blinked several times. “It doesn’t take a genius to see how she looks at you.”
“Or the way he keeps his eyes on her, either,” Chico added.
“Whatever y’all have been smoking has affected your minds,” Walker said over his shoulder as he left the booth.
Several people nodded hello to him. A few more spoke, and any other time, he might have stopped and visited with them. But he could see people crowding around the window of his grandmother’s booth, so he hurried on over to help Tina out with the sales.
At noon, Quinn brought over three paper baskets with an Indian taco—one piece of flat bread that was thicker than a tortilla and covered with seasoned meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese—in each one, along with a container of homemade salsa.
Walker, Tina, and Ally ate in shifts and waited on customers between bites.
During a short-lived lull, Walker opened a cooler and brought out three bottles of sweet tea. “It’s getting warm out here. That fan isn’t keeping us very cool.”
“It’s not meant to do that, and ever since you were a little boy, you’ve always used too much of that hot salsa.
That’s what is making you too warm,” Ally told him.
“The fan is only here to stir whatever air there is. You are spoiled to be working in air-conditioning. Be careful, my grandson. You will get soft.”
He handed each of them a bottle and then rolled the icy-cold one left in his hand across his forehead before he turned to the next customer. “Good afternoon. Can I help you with something?”
The man pointed to a ring. “I would like that one. My wife and I are celebrating our tenth anniversary this week, and I want to surprise her with it. I sent her over to the taco place to get us some food so that I could buy it and surprise her with it tonight.”
Walker picked it up out of the tray, looked at the price, and told Tina how much to charge. Then he looked over the man’s shoulder and frowned. “Hello, Faith. Where are your sidekicks today?”
“Sabrina is parking her car.” Faith moved to the left of the man and glared at Tina. “We came over to look at the turquoise jewelry. She’s decided to do her wedding in that color. What are you doing here?”
“Working,” she answered with only one word.
Ally left what she was doing, stood up, and stood beside Tina. “Hello. Faith, is it? You’ve been here several times, but I’m surprised to see you on a Sunday. Isn’t your husband a preacher?”
“Yes . . . but . . .” Faith stammered.
“Spit it out. Is he or is he not?” Ally asked.
Faith’s expression testified that she was flustered. “He is, but he is preparing for the evening sermon.”
“I see.” Ally smiled.
“Well, well, well.” Sabrina pushed her way up to the counter. “Is this jewelry handmade, or is it imported? I want all original designs and none of that stuff that’s stamped out by the dozens.”
Ally dropped her chin slightly and narrowed her eyes.
“You ask that question every time you come here, and I tell you that I made every piece that you see, and I have the burn scars on my fingers to prove it. Each piece is signed with my initials. Now, which ones are you interested in? We have customers waiting behind you, and it’s impolite to cut in line. ”
“I would like Tina’s opinion on at least four of the necklaces,” Sabrina said with a smirk.
Tina started to take a step forward, but Ally shook her head. “You can deal with me or go on to the next booth. Tina is busy right now, and so is Walker.”
“That is a big mistake.” Sabrina folded her arms over her chest and stormed away with Faith following behind her like a little lost puppy dog.
“Bá’??h ájí?’íní yázhí,” Ally said under her breath.
“Grandmother!” Walker scolded.
“The truth is the truth,” she fumed. “No one grows in stature by stepping on another person. They only make themselves smaller. If she comes back, I want you to knock her out, Tina O’Grady. No one treats my grandson or his friend like they are servants.”
“Gladly,” Tina said. “But who is going to bail me out of jail if I do that?”
“We’ve made plenty of money today to take care of you,” Ally answered. “The way she looked down on you and Walker is a disgrace to her parents. Let’s wait on the last of these customers and close up shop. I’m ready to go home and heat up the soup.”
“That would mean we are running from that bá’??h ájí?’íní yázhí.” Walker was surprised that his grandmother had let those two rattle her enough to close up shop early, especially when she’d never allowed them to get under her skin before.
He checked the time on his phone. “If we leave, Tina might not get a chance to give Sabrina a dose of her Irish temper.”
Ally chuckled and sat back down in her chair. “Then we’ll stay. If push comes to shove, I’m betting that Tina can make her eat dirt.”