“What is this place?” she asked.
“It’s a Navajo restaurant.” He laughed when he saw her jerk her head back. “Yeah, I know. It looks like a house. It actually is, but the owners live in the back. The front part is the restaurant. It only seats about twenty people, but the food is fucking good. I thought you’d like to try it since you work on the rez.”
“I love it. This is a great idea.” Her eyes sparkled and he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her ear. Then he pulled back and opened the door for her.
Inside, a few tables were set up in the dining area. A woman in her fifties smiled widely when she saw Steel. White threads weaved through her black hair that was pulled back in a single braid hanging down her back. She wore a bright orange peasant blouse and a long yellow skirt. A chunky turquoise and silver necklace around her neck glimmered under the lights.
“Steel.Yá’át’ééh.” She came over and hugged him.
“Aoo’ yá’át’ééh,” he replied. He reached behind him and grasped Breanna’s hand, tugging her in front of him. “I want you to meet Breanna.”
The woman looked her up and down before extending her hand. “Welcome. I’m Haseya.” Steel noticed her gaze lingered on Breanna’s hair.
Breanna shook her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Haseya nodded. “How’s your mother?” she asked Steel.
“Better. How’s business?”
“Very good. I’m so glad you and your… friend came in. Please, sit anywhere you like.”
Steel put his hand on the small of Breanna’s back and led her to a small table by the window. They sat down and Haseya brought over a beer, setting it in front of Steel. “What would you like?” she asked Breanna. She ordered an iced tea and the woman scurried off.
“This is so charming,” Breanna said as she looked around. “Were you speaking Navajo with her when you came in?”
“Yeah. My mom taught it to us, and Mika and I have taught it to Chenoa. It’s important to keep your heritage and traditions.”
“I agree. I’m not sure what I’m comprised of. My parents didn’t tell us too much about our background. I’ve heard Navajo spoken on the rez. It sounds like it’d be a hard language to learn. What did you say to each other?”
“Just ‘hello’ and ‘how are you.’ I guess Navajo would be hard to learn. A lot of the older people speak it, but the young ones, not so much. The food is really good. They usually have two dishes on the menu. The lamb stew is the staple dish, and it’s fucking amazing. Lamb and mutton are a staple for Navajo food, along with corn and squash.”
“I’ve only had fry bread, and I loved it.”
“That’s ’cause it’s fucking good.” He smiled and brought his beer bottle to his lips. He wanted to share his heritage with her. He was pleased that she liked where he’d chosen for dinner.
As they dined on lamb stew and fry bread, he told her about life on the reservation when he was a kid, and how being in the Night Rebels changed his life for the better. She shared how she wished her siblings would stop fucking up and own up to their lives, and how rewarding and heartbreaking it was being a social worker.
After their meal, Heseya put a plate of orange and pineapple slices in front of them. “I remember how much you like these,” she said as set down two small plates. “Enjoy.”
“Ahéhee’,” he said as he speared a slice of pineapple and placed it on Breanna’s plate. She bit into it, the juices running down her chin. He leaned over and wiped them away and then put his finger in his mouth and licked it. Her lips curled up into a small smile before she took another bite.
Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms as he watched her eat. He cleared his throat. “I’ve wanted to tell you that I didn’t mean to hurt you when I left that morning. It had nothing to do with you. It’s just that I didn’t know what the fuck to make of it.” He uncrossed his arms and ran his hand through his hair. “You’re different from any other woman I’ve ever known.”
Taking her napkin, she wiped her mouth then pushed her dish away. “After you left that morning, I was confused, and I suppose hurt too. I figured you were a typical asshole biker. It brought up memories of my dad, and they weren’t the good ones.” Pausing, she stared out the window then looked back at him. “Sometimes it seems like you’re a real jerk, but then I see you with Chenoa and it blows me away. The fact that you brought it up is huge.” She reached over and placed her hand on top of his.
Moving his hand slightly, he clasped hers in his and squeezed it while his gaze captured hers. He wanted to tell her that she twisted him up inside, and he didn’t want to care for her like he did. But he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t a man used to talking about his feelings, so he just held her gaze for a long time, relishing in how comfortable he felt with her.
After they were finished, they said goodbye to Heseya and left the restaurant. As they walked to his motorcycle, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”
He stopped and looked at her. “For what?”
“For tonight. For sharing a part of your heritage and life with me.”
He smiled. “Being Navajo is my heritage, but my life is the Night Rebels. The brotherhood will always be the first blood that runs through my veins.”
“Then share that with me tonight.”
