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“See, now that’s what I’m talking about!” Jack smiled wide at Nizhoni and nodded his thanks to Mato.
Then he turned to Magaskawee with a devilish grin. “You ever been on a Harley before, Maggie?”
Magaskawee wrapped her arms around Jack and held on for dear life. The sudden roar of the engine sent vibrations running up and down her legs. Then, with little warning, the Harley shot forward with so much power that she felt her lungs hit her spine. The quick acceleration and wind velocity made Maggie feel as if she had been catapulted into the air. She laughed out loud with the sheer exhilaration of it all.
The next few hours were the most magical and exciting ones that Magaskawee had ever experienced. With the sun on her back, the wind in her hair, and her arms tight around the handsome Jack Winston, she flew through the winding roads as if on wings. Her senses were ambushed by a cacophony of sound, while her eyes fought to register the quickly changing landscape. Magaskawee’s natural grace made her a perfect passenger. Intuitively, she leaned in hard and held on tight as Jack navigated expertly through the ribbons of winding road. Maggie was having the time of her life and she wished the ride would go on and on and never end.
It was just past sunset when Jack finally slowed down and pulled off the road and into a large commercial campground. He eased up on the throttle as he rode past the RVs, the recreation hall, and the two swimming pools to the designated tent area. He made his way down the smaller of the two roads to a clearing where several dozen chromed-out Harleys were parked alongside a few older pick-up trucks and a gray utility van. Further on towards the tree line sat a bunch of tents in various colors, sizes, and shapes staked-out and staggered from one another. Throngs of men and women dressed in Harley gear, worn denim, and road leathers milled around wooden tables filled with picnic food. There were large grills that sizzled with a wide variety of meats, and a half-dozen kegs sat nestled in big buckets of ice. A huge bonfire blazed in the middle of the area while music and laughter filled the air.
Jack parked the bike and helped Magaskawee off. Then he grabbed her by the hand and began to lead her to the party. She pulled back on his hand and looked at the crowd with more than a little hesitation.
“What’s the matter?” He frowned.
“I … uh … don’t really think I’ll know anyone here,” she mumbled inanely.
Jack just stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. When he did, those blue eyes danced at her and those gorgeous dimples leapt out from his cheeks. “Of course, you won’t. Ain’t that the whole point of introducing you?” Then without another word, Jack wrapped his arm around Maggie’s waist, tucked her in close to him, and pulled her along.
“Maggie, this is everybody.” Jack swept a hand around the firelight. “And everybody—this is Maggie.” The assembled group looked at her curiously. Their bodies cast long shadows against the light of the blazing fire. The campsite was both weirdly ominous and welcoming at the same time.
Against the glow of brightly dancing flames, a lone figure emerged. His form was different from the others. His silhouette was denser, his presence more commanding. He was the man who had stood in her way at Scully’s and had blocked her from going into the alleyway last night. Seeing him again now gave her the strangest feeling. His life light seemed to be filled with all that was right … and wrong … with this world. She felt a fleeting sense of great joy and infinite sadness when she looked into his eyes.
At once, Magaskawee was overcome with a distinct and overwhelming sense of destiny. It was as if all her cosmic lives—past, present, and future were bound together in a flash of synchronicity and brought her to this moment. It was a profound and disturbing experience that stopped her in her tracks.
She was very happy to see him again.
Until he spoke.
He looked at Maggie from head to toe, then turned to Jack and gave him a look of disdain. “Seriously?”
“What?” Jack asked.
“You know what.” Prosper all but snarled at him.
Jack gave him a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just a party, brother. Besides, Maggie and I had a great day.” Jack draped his arm around Magaskawee’s shoulder, “Tell Mr. Buzzkill here what a great day you’ve had on the back of my bike.”
Magaskawee met Prosper’s smoldering look of disapproval with a small smile. “It was wonderful.”
“See? She had a great time.” Prosper remained silent, but his expression said it all.
“Seriously, man. Lighten up.” Jack shook his head at his friend. Then he put a hand down on Prosper’s shoulder and said, “Do me a favor and just talk to her for a minute, will ya? I’m gonna go get us a couple of beers.”
Jack gave Magaskawee a grin, meant to be reassuring and said, “His bark is way worse than his bite. I’ll be right back.”
Prosper and Magaskawee stood staring at each other. Since the moment was becoming incredibly awkward, and one of them had to say something, Magaskawee began the conversation.
“I … uh … did have a lot of fun today. I … um … don’t get to do this kind of thing a lot.”
“What kind of thing?” he shot out with a scowl.
“A day away from the reservation. I don’t usually go this far out from the highway …” Then because that sounded pathetic even to her own ears, she added in a little white lie. “It’s not that I don’t get the chance, of course there are plenty of opportunities. It’s just that, you know, everything there is really convenient for the tribe …” Her voice trailed off because she had begun to sound like an idiot. Convenient for the tribe? Totally ridiculous statement. Magaskawee really,reallywished he would say something. He just stood there and continued to stare at her. So she added with exuberance, “And I loved riding on the motorcycle! Sometimes it was a little scary with those deep dips on the road curves, but that made it even more fun!”
Now his eyes softened just a little. “How old are you, Maggie?”
“I’m eighteen,” she blurted out quickly.
“Eighteen, huh?” He looked unconvinced.
“Well, I will be eighteen at midnight.” Then she added shyly, “Tomorrow is my birthday.”
