Native Affairs
Authors: Doreen Owens Malek
NATIVE AFFAIRS
FOUR CONTEMPORARY
AMERICAN INDIAN ROMANCES
Doreen Owens Malek
–
Published by
Gypsy Autumn Publications LLC
P.O. Box 383 • Yardley, PA 19067
–
Copyright ©1983, 1986, 1992, 1995 and 2012
By Doreen Owens Malek
www.doreenowensmalek.com
The author asserts the moral right to
be identified as the author of this work
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the publisher.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
Table of Contents
New Releases by Doreen Owens Malek
Other Works by Doreen Owens Malek
Foreword
The common denominator in the four romances I selected for
Native Affairs
is the Native American hero in each story.
I chose to write about this Northern hemisphere icon because for me he exemplifies the strength and purpose and stoic masculinity always found in male romantic leads. From the physical trials his ancestors endured to reach tribal manhood, to the indefatigable courage they displayed in fighting the overwhelming numbers of European settlers, American Indians are unique in history. The modern counterpart’s ability to survive in society while retaining the mysticism and respect for nature and its processes that characterize his culture makes him a compelling figure. In my books this tenacity and toughness is translated into a contemporary setting and a relationship with a woman who challenges his background and beliefs. This contrast and conflict is what makes a good story and I’ve exploited that basic difference to tell tales that bring out the best in both characters who come together as a couple.
In
Blackfoot Affair
the main characters are on opposite sides of a legal battle, and in
An Indian Affair
the hero is a renegade bounty hunter who meets a teacher he simply can’t resist. In
Medicine Man’s Affair
the hero is an athlete who has to defy his own prejudices to pursue a woman he doesn’t want to desire, and in
Marriage in Name Only
a troubled teenager becomes a conflicted millionaire who can’t forget his first love. All four men are a bit difficult, a little dangerous, and a lot sexy. I hope you enjoy reading about this quartet of heartbreakers as much as I enjoyed writing about them. Some details are provided below.
An Indian Affair
is a conflict of cultures tale about two people who have nothing in common but can’t stay away from each other. Cindy is both frightened by and attracted to Drew Fox. Even though every instinct she has tells her to put distance between herself and the wild man she is drawn to so fiercely, she listens to her heart rather than her head. How these two achieve a balance between their conflicting natures is detailed in a compelling love story.
Blackfoot Affair
is a tale that begins with intense antagonism between professional combatants, Marisa Hancock and Jackson Bluewolf. Their constant conflict produces a tension that flares into a desire that complicates their lives until they give in to it. Once they acknowledge
their need for one another they make progress toward happiness. Then an accusation of betrayal drives the couple apart until it is resolved in dramatic fashion, bringing them together in a satisfying conclusion.
Medicine Man’s Affair
is a story that shows that prejudices can poison a relationship on either side, but love can bring down these barriers and unite people of diverse backgrounds. Jennifer Gardiner meets Lee Youngson, a professional athlete who wants to be a doctor but believes his dream is impossible. Jennifer helps him to realize his ambitions and see that he doesn’t have to compromise his principles in order to love the woman he truly wants.
Marriage in Name Only
is a reunion story disguised as a revenge tale. After rich girl meets poor boy and then they are separated, Heath Bodine tells himself he is determined to punish his childhood sweetheart. But he is really still in love with the girl he thinks abandoned him years earlier. It is an intense, highly emotional story of youthful passion which translates into an enduring attachment once issues of honestly and loyalty are addressed. When Heath finally learns to trust Jessica, a mature and enduring is created between the two lovers.
– Doreen Owens Malek
AN INDIAN AFFAIR
Doreen Owens Malek
–
Published by
Gypsy Autumn Publications
PO Box 383 • Yardley, PA 19067
–
Copyright 1986 and 2012
by Doreen Owens Malek
–
Originally Published
as
DESPERADO
(1986)
–
The Author asserts the moral right to be
identified as author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, scanning or any information storage retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from the Author or Publisher.
First USA printing: 1986
All of the characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
DEDICATION
For my godchildren,
Keith Francis Malek
and
Stephen Baldwin Freiberger
Chapter 1
The Florida sun was losing strength, but still brilliant, as Cindy and Paula emerged from the restaurant in late afternoon. Cindy shielded her eyes, and then dropped her hand when they turned to walk down the street.
“How far is it to your apartment?” Cindy asked, watching as her friend pulled a pair of sunglasses from her purse and put them on.
“A couple of miles,” Paula replied. “The complex is right outside of town.”
Cindy nodded. Paula had picked her up at the Clearwater airport a couple of hours before, and they had stopped for a bite in Council Rock before traveling on to Paula’s house.
“When are you going to start the research?” Paula asked, rummaging in her shoulder bag for her car keys.
“Monday, I guess.” Cindy smiled slightly. They’d spent the whole meal catching up on their social lives and had never discussed in detail the reason for Cindy’s visit.
“So you’ve already contacted somebody from the university,” Paula said.
“Yes, the department chairman is going to see me.” Cindy was a graduate assistant in the folklore department of the University of Pennsylvania. The subject of her master’s thesis was the legends of the Seminole Indians, and she’d come to northern Florida to research the topic in the section of the country where the Seminoles had lived for hundreds of years. Paula was a college friend who’d offered to have Cindy stay with her when she heard that Cindy’s work was taking her to the Tampa area.
“What about your supervisor?” Paula inquired, glancing at Cindy.
“I have to mail him my ideas and get approval of my outline, but I don’t think that will be difficult. He’s working in the field himself.”
“Huh,” Paula replied skeptically, snaring her keys and then holding them aloft like a trophy. “Good luck to him. That egghead stuff you write all looks like nonsense to me.”
Cindy was about to reply when a thunderous crash made both women spin around and then jump back. In disbelief, Cindy watched as the picture window of a hardware store fronting the street exploded into sparkling smithereens. Glass fragments flew in all directions as two figures hurtled through the window. Cindy and Paula both threw up their arms to cover their faces. Shards tinkled to the ground as the men who’d shattered the window tumbled to the walkway, almost at Cindy’s feet, rolling over and over, locked in combat.
When the glass finally stopped falling, Cindy peeked through her fingers to see what was happening. One of the men was flat on the ground, face down, with his arms pinned behind him. The other was sitting astride him snapping handcuffs on his wrists.
Cindy looked at Paula, who appeared remarkably undisturbed by the whole episode, observing calmly as the taller man hauled the captive to his feet. Cindy turned her head to watch also. The prisoner stumbled along unwillingly as the victor dragged him to a pickup truck parked at the curb and unceremoniously cuffed him to the rear bumper.
Cindy leaned in to her companion and said in an undertone, “Paula, what is going on here?”
Paula shrugged. “It’s just Drew Fox bringing in another one.”
“Another
what
?” Cindy demanded, bewildered.
Before Paula could reply the front door of the store flew open with a bang. An irate man, obviously the owner, started berating the tall man in a loud voice, to the vast entertainment of the small crowd that had gathered. The object of his tirade patted his shoulder reassuringly, speaking to him in a low, comforting tone. Mollified, the proprietor calmed down, and was even managing a small smile when a patrol car glided silently to a stop in the street, its blue light pulsating. The fettered prisoner looked on grimly, resigned to his fate.