Chapter Seven #2
“You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “And you probably think I’m a big wuss for feeling sorry for a mouse when I hate them so much.”
“Darlin’, is this really only about a mouse? I kind of think it’s coming from pent-up emotions about leaving your friends and school ending.”
She drew back and swiped her hand across her wet cheeks. “It’s everything, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here with you.”
Dakota massaged her back and continued to string kisses across her face. “Then take as long as you need to get your cry out.”
Gracie took a deep breath to steady herself and wiggled off his lap. “I love you for understanding all my moods.”
“I love you for understanding mine,” he said with a smile.
“Will you show me that picture?”
He picked up his camera and scrolled down to find the raven sitting in the bush. “Here you go,” he said as he handed her the camera.
She heaved a small sigh of relief when she saw that the picture had been taken before the bird grabbed the mouse. “It’s beautiful, almost like a silhouette with what little light is coming from our baby campfire.” She handed the phone back to him and lay back on the blanket.
He stretched out beside her. “I will put a full moon in the painting. The raven is one of several spirit guides for my tribe. It signifies transformation and change. That we have seen it on our first night of the trip is an omen.”
“What are the other spirit guides?” Gracie asked.
“A snake means personal growth and embracing change. It says that you have a resilient spirit,” he told her.
“The turtle shows the importance of patience, protection, and enduring persistence. It teaches the value of staying grounded and moving forward with purpose. And the coyote is associated with mischief and deception, but it also means that a person has the power to adapt to changes and is very smart. As a spirit guide, the coyote encourages individuals to find humor in life’s challenges and to embrace change. ”
“Which one is yours?” she asked.
“None of the above,” Dakota answered. “My guide is an eagle. It means vision, freedom, and courage, encouraging individuals to look at the bigger picture.”
Gracie rolled over toward him and kissed him on the cheek. “I can believe that you would be an eagle for sure.”
His phone and hers rang at the same time.
“We should throw these things away for two weeks,” he chuckled. “I’ll take mine in the trailer.”
She answered when she saw Tina’s name pop up on the screen. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Am I interrupting anything?” Tina asked.
“Not right now. We were watching the stars and Dakota was telling me about spirit guide animals when our phones rang at the same time. He’s taking his call in the trailer, so I figure it’s his parents or siblings calling him. His faith is more earth-grounded than the way I’ve been raised.”
“How does that make you feel?”
“You sound like a therapist,” Gracie giggled. “But the more I learn, the more I like his way of thinking. It’s spiritual, but doesn’t fit into . . .”
“A box?” Tina asked.
“Yes, that’s the word, but more of a feeling than a word. Now, tell me about your day. I told Walker to take you to breakfast. Did he?”
“Oh, yeah, he did,” Tina answered, and told her everything.
“Sabrina and Reesa are the devil’s daughters, and Faith, even though she’s married to a preacher, is their minion,” Gracie said. “I got to admit that I’m jealous, though. Walker has never taken me to meet his grandmother. Are you two hiding something from me?”
“Nope, we are not. But I really liked Ally.”
“Sounds like she likes you, too, especially since she took up for you. I hope that Dakota’s family is as accepting if I ever get to meet them.”
Dakota came back out and raised a dark brow.
“It’s Tina. Is everything all right with your family?”
“That was my boss. They need someone to teach a month-long class starting in two weeks. We’ll only have to cut this trip short by a couple of days, and we’ll have time to get away for a week before fall classes start up,” he said. “Let’s plan on a trip to the beach at that time.”
“It is what it is,” she said and focused on Dakota. “We’ll just make the most of what time we have.”
“You go make the most of every moment,” Tina said. “We’ll talk more soon.”
“Sorry that I left you hanging, but thank you,” Gracie said. “Life is what we make it, and I intend to make it wonderful.”
After she hung up, Dakota gathered her into his arms, tipped up her chin with his fist, and kissed her on the mouth. “What you said was beautiful. And thank you for not being disappointed. I could have turned down the job, but I’m the only one who can teach that class.”
“No problem. I believe that everything happens for a reason.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let’s go inside and . . .”
“Why not right here? We’re miles from anyone or anything.”
“What if a snake interrupted us?”
Dakota scooped her up into his arms without another word and carried her inside the trailer.
Walker crossed his hands behind his head and stared up at the shifting patterns on the ceiling from the clouds scooting across the moon.
His grandmother had never made any bones about how much she wanted to live long enough to rock her grandchildren.
He had called her on Saturday and told her that he was coming over for Trade Days and bringing a friend and hoped that she would like Tina.
That Ally had allowed Tina into her kitchen and booth was an unexpected surprise.
He closed his eyes, but sleep was a long time coming that night.
When it did, he dreamed about Tina. They were in a cabin high up on the side of a mountain.
Snow was more than a foot deep and still falling.
They had just had an argument, and both of them were still angry when his alarm went off and he awoke with a start.
He sat up so fast that the room took a couple of spins.
He remembered the dream in vivid detail, down to Tina’s flashing blue eyes.
“I dreamed that because of what Chico said about his grandmother not accepting any woman that he brought to meet her,” he whispered as he slung his feet out onto the floor and made his bed before he even got dressed.
“They argued about his future wife, and in my dream, Tina and I were disagreeing. Were we married, or just stuck in a snowstorm? Probably the latter.”
He stopped talking when he heard a soft rap on the door and then Tina’s voice. “Are you up and around? Cleo has breakfast ready.”
“Be there in five minutes,” he said and picked up his toiletry kit on the way to the bathroom.
He brushed his teeth, combed back his long, straight hair, and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The dream was still on his mind, and his eyes reflected that worry. “I need to be up front and honest with Tina,” he muttered. “That’s the only way I can ever move on.”