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“Of course! You’d think they were dipped in the fountain of youth or something with the way the sales rep went on and on about them. Let me know how you like them.” Prim reached inside her coat pocket and withdrew a handful of sample-sized packets of vitamins. “Where do you want them?”
“Follow me.” Aiyanna led them down a short hallway, past the cash register and kitchen. The scent of chili filled the air, making Shep’s stomach growl.
They entered her office. “Toss ‘em on my desk and have a seat at the conference table.” She gave them a tight smile. “Please. There’s something I’d like to run past Shep. You’re more than welcome to listen in, Prim.”
Instead of taking a seat, Shep hiked a hip on the corner of her desk and watched Prim take a seat at the conference table. Folding his arms, he faced Aiyanna. “Let me guess. This is about the grading and plowing taking place next door?”
“It is.” She took a seat behind her desk, blinking back the sudden sheen of moisture over her eyes. Leaning the fussing infant back in her arms, she popped a baby bottle in his mouth. He greedily slurped on it, making such loud smacking noises that Prim giggled.
“Hungry little man.” There was a wistful note to her voice that wasn’t lost on him. It was clear that Prim loved kids.
“Thank you.” Aiyanna’s expression softened as she bent to press a kiss to her son’s forehead. Then her lips tightened. “Shep, I know what’s happening next door probably has nothing to do with what my brother is asking you to look into. I just want some assurance that we’re not going to have to raise our children with N95 masks over their faces.”
“I feel safe in saying it won’t come to that.” He wasn’t sure why she was running her concerns past him instead of her husband or brother, but he didn’t mind weighing in. “How long have the Paddocks been kicking up dirt over there?”
“Two days,” she sighed. “Rumor has it they’re clearing it for off-roading.”
He nodded grimly, not sure there was anything anyone could do about that. It was the Paddocks’ land. If they wanted to ride ATVs across it, they could.
“And they keep slapping those ugly pole barn garages up right and left,” she seethed. “I can’t believe the tribal council is letting him park so many vehicles on his property. With all the parts and stuff they leave lying around, it’s like living next to a junkyard. We may as well kiss our property value goodbye!”
It was a gray area for sure. However, Shep was unaware of any tribal regulations preventing the Paddocks from collecting cars. They owned a few dozen acres of tribal land, so they had plenty of room to park and store them.
“What does Marco have to say about it?” Though Aiyanna’s husband currently served as a deputy on the rez, he was a former FBI agent. He was well versed about regulations involving federal property.
She made a face at him. “He said he and Adriel are looking into it.”
“Then they are.”
Her expression told him she wasn’t satisfied with his answer. “I don’t think he’s as worried about it as I am. He views Levi Paddock like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He thinks the problem will go away on its own if we don’t make too big a deal out of it. But what if it doesn’t?” Her pleading gaze clashed with his. “They’ve turned our parking lot brown. I’m breathing and eating dust. Do the Paddocks truly have the right to bury our home and restaurant beneath clods of dirt every single day?”
“No.” He held her gaze. “Since this is an eating establishment, I would imagine the tribal council could sanction the Paddocks for violating the Clean Air Act or something.”
“They could, but will they?” Her distress was nearly palpable. “They’ve been so divided lately that they can barely keep the utilities paid on the council building. I know Chief Lighthorse is doing everything he can to unify them, but it’s a constant battle, especially after he went around them to get the Saturday market up and running. They’ve been stonewalling him ever since.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.” Apparently, things were worse on the rez than Adriel and Marco had let on. Since Shep lived on the outskirts of Heart Lake, he didn’t have as good a barometer on the situation. Not that he’d ever tried. He and his Uncle Caleb had always stayed out of tribal politics.
“What would you do if this were happening in Heart Lake, Shep?” Aiyanna narrowed her dark gaze at him.
Whoa!That was direct. He mentally ran through a list of possibilities. “Guess I’d get the city council involved, maybe file a complaint with the EPA. It’s different on the rez, though. They have the authority to manage their own air quality programs.”
“So we’re back to square one,” she said sadly. “Do nothing and hope the problem resolves itself.”
Shep wished he had something better to tell her. “If you don’t take away anything else from our conversation, you can rest assured that your husband isn’t sitting on his hands.”
Sheriff Adriel Montana’s sudden interest in starting a volunteer search and rescue program on the rez was beginning to make a lot more sense. He and his two deputies, Marco and Paco, could only do so much on their own. They needed more manpower. They knew it, and everyone else knew it, too. And by asking Shep to head up their K-9 efforts, they were essentially adding one more deputy to their ranks. In a volunteer status, but still.
Aiyanna blew out a long, gusty sigh. “Okay. Well, thanks for letting me vent.”
“You can vent to us anytime, my friend.” He was happy to include Prim in that statement. She nodded in agreement.
Aiyanna’s gaze swept between the two of them again. “Be careful what you offer.”
“I meant what I said. Not taking it back.” Hanging around her and her restaurant gave him yet another excuse to be on the rez. And in order to determine what the Paddocks were up to, he had to be present.
“Good, because I actually wasn’t done venting.” She angled her head toward the dining room. “There’s dust on every table out there. My staff has to wipe them down several times a day. It’s a fine brown silt that’s creeping into the kitchen and ductwork. At the rate we’re going, we might not pass our next inspection.”
Prim leaned forward on the conference table. “How about you seat us at one of the tables closest to the door? I’ll take some pictures on my cell phone and start documenting the ill effects the digging next door is having on the restaurant.”
