Speak to the Wind (27 page)

"No, it grew from a variety of ideas and people. You knew we were working on something as a counter
offer. Josh and I hacked several ideas around until this one started taking shape. We had other contributors whose opinions I value. Aunt Minnie and her friend Rose, as well as a group of Apache leaders worked on it. This doesn't belong to
just
one. It belongs to many
, for many
."

"Damn you, Joe Quintero. I set you up and this is how you repay me! I... I can't believe it!"

"Maria, I.
.
.
"

"No! I don't want to hear any more. I can't stand the sight of you right now. You make love to me, then detonate this bombshell!"

"Please try to understand—"

"Don't do that! Just get out! Get out of my sight!" She felt slightly hysterical and could
feel sobs welling up inside her,
uncontrollably. She had to get control, had to think this through. But first she had to get away from Joe. "Please leave." Her voice quavered. "The way I feel right now, I don't thi
nk I ever want to see you again.
" She disappeared into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Joe didn't stay. There was n
o use. He left the cabin know
ing that he couldn't possibly have made a bigger mess of things, couldn't have told her more rudely, couldn't have hurt her worse.

He didn't return the next day. Actually, Maria was glad. She didn't want to see him. She was too upset. The radio was full of the upcoming elect
ion news. Joe's name and his op
ponent
s were sprinkled among the Apache words she didn't understand. She walked by the lake, but there was no peace
, o
nly constant reminders that someday
soon
she would have to leave all this.

The next morning she closed the cabin and headed for Phoenix. It was impossible to relax with the knowledge she had about the future. She knew that Joe Quintero was out of her life forever. She wished
she'd never met him, wished fer
vently that she didn't love him
. .
.
still.

On the Apache election day,
Maria chose to be especially busy
in Phoenix
. She worked late at the of
fice and listened to the FM sta
tion on the way home, hoping to avoid the news. She told herself she didn't care, that Joe Quintero didn't matter
any
more. But deep inside she knew she was lying.

She was hurt, though. And still couldn't believe he would do anything to destroy what she loved. Not if he loved her. She kept expecting to hear from him that the council had dropped the idea or had moved the complex to a more likely spot.

As she turned into her
parking spot, a brief news sum
mary came on the air. Before she could flip the dial, she heard that Joseph Quintero had d
efeated the incumbent, Ben Car
taro. Joe was the new High Meadow Apache chairman.

Maria switched the radio off quickly. So what's the big deal? It wasn't much of a race. Cartaro had served his limit. She knew all along that Joe was the chosen one.

Maria felt sick; her sto
mach churned. Now Joe could pro
mote whatever future plans he had for the Apache's welfare. He could remove the cabins and build the complex. He could forget her. She placed her hands at the top of the steering wheel and laid her forehead on them. And she sobbed.

Josh popped
the champagne cork and poured a little bit of bubbly into every glass extended toward him. He went around the room, laughing and exchanging congratulatory remarks. When he reached his brother, the newly elected Apache leader, he paused. "I notice a particular blond beauty missing from this happy celebration."

"Yep." Joe
held his glass in front of his chest, feeling both jubilant and crushed
. "Don't expect her, either."

"Oh? Too bad. She's missing a grand celebration and the finest hour for the Quintero family."
He lifted his glass to the group, then to Joe. “Congratulations to my brother, Joe and the whole Apache family. Here’s to your best and shining hour.”

Everyone joined in with congratulations and cheers.

Later, Josh spoke quietly to Joe. “You don’t think Maria will slip in later with her own special celebrations?”

Joe shook his head.
“I’
m sure she doesn't care to celebrate this
particular
occasion."

"Look, bro, I don't mean to pry, but I like the lady.
She’s smart and a real beauty.
I know you took a shine to her."

"It's over between us," Joe said tightly.

"Does it have to do with our brilliant concept?"

"That's right. She lives too close to the lake. And she doesn't understand."

"Did you expect her to?"

"Yeah. Is that too unreasonable?"

"Maybe."

Joe turned and walked awa
y, trying to mask his inner sad
ness with a smile. After all, h
e'd just won an election. He ac
cepted another congratulatory handshake.

Chapter Twelve

Maria
thought
about it for a long time before she decided to send Joe a congratulatory telegram. She just couldn't let his winning the election pass unnoticed, after all they'd been to each other. And as she suspected—feared—he called her upon receiving it. Their conversation was stilted and clumsy, with both of them fumbling around the real issue. Finally she asked if t
here had been a change of plans, and held her breath while he answered.

"No, things are moving forward. We'll be taking our proposal to the council next week. I'll let you know."

"Don't bother."

"Maria, please. Listen to me. Can't we—"

"No, Joe. We can't." She hung up, still gripping the phone with white
knuckled fingers. Dammit, Joe! How can you do this? How?

Another two weeks passed until she heard from him. This time it wasn't personal. His message came in a polite but clearly stated form letter. Maria sat at her desk, staring at the sheet. She didn't know whether to cry or scream obscenities. Or both. She made a couple of phone calls, one to her mother
, the other to her corporate lawyer
. But she received no satisfaction.

"Excuse me, Maria." Letty entered with a steaming cup of coffee and set it on the corner of the desk. She'd been around long enough to know when her boss was upset. "Um, you okay?"

Maria pressed her lips together. She would not cry. But she might vent some steam. "Close the door, please, Letty."

The older woman, who had
been a friend as well as a sec
retary for three and a half
years, crossed the room and qui
etly shut the door. Then she sat in the chair where she usually took dictation or exchanged information about a client. "Can I help with anything, Maria?"

“
Probably not," Maria mutter
ed cryptically. "But since you asked, you can listen."

Letty smiled gently. “I’
m good at listening."

"Read this." Maria flipp
ed Letty the page
with the impressive High Meadow Apache logo across the top.

Letty read the paper quietly, then let it drop to
the desk
. "This means your cabin, doesn't it?"

Maria nodded. "My family's cabin, the one my father built. The place I've loved for years, where I've al
ways va
cationed—escaped to
.
How can they do this to us? Why, there are several
hundred cabins around that lake
.
"

"They can't displace everyone, can they?"

"Oh, yes. I wasn't the only one to receive this letter. I've already talked to
a couple of our neighbors
. They received the same letter and have been in touch with the president of our neighborhood association of leaseholders to see if there's something we can do."

"Well, what are your rights?"

"I don't really know. I've read the original contract that Dad signed so many years ago
, and it's full of legalese gib
berish. The only things I understand are the terms of the lease. That is, the amount we pay and the services they provide. It's pretty straightforward."

"Hasn't the original contract been renegotiated?"

"Not the entire original. Amendments changed the fees with each renewal, which the leaseholders have always agreed to and paid with no hassle." Maria's voice grew
harsher. "And now that the Apache have their so-called 'new blood' in as chairman with all his fancy new ideas, they hit us up with this
.
"

"I have a feeling that's what's bothering you the most, Maria," Letty said gently. "The fact that Joe's the 'new blood,' and that he's behind this whole thing.
Think about it from his view, a business view.
"

"Look, it's my cabin, and I don't want to
lose it
.
It's as sim
ple as that, Letty. Why, I have so many wonderful memories connected with that place that it would be like losing a part of the family. I'd be furious no matter who—"

"But you and I know that without Joe's influence, the Apache probably wouldn't be doing this right now. Joe is their leader, and he's in charge of this project."

"All right. Hell, yes, I'm angry about it!" Maria pushed herself to her feet and paced beside the double windows. "I'm damned angry that Joe would do such a thing... to me. And I'm... hurt." She rubbed her hand over her face as if to wipe her hurt feelings away. But it didn't work. "I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless."

"Have you talked to Joe?"

"A little. It's useless. He's convinced this is best for his people. He won't even listen to my side anymore."

"Well, it's probably a lousy suggestion, considering your, uh, relationship with Joe, but..." Letty paused and looked up at Maria.

"What?" Maria whirled around. Her anger had crowded out logic and love, and right now all she wanted to do was lash out. "There is no rela
tionship, Letty. This has under
mined everything. I haven't seen him in weeks. So what were you going to say?"

Letty weighed her thoughts, then proceeded slowly. "The only thing I can think for you to do is to fight, especially if you think you've been wronged, Maria."

"Fight? You mean legal action." She sighed. She hadn't really wanted to fight
that
hard.
“I’ve talked to our corporate lawyer. He said he’d look into it, but doesn’t see any way out.”

“
Talk to
someone else
. How about David Ingram, the one who
’s on TV?”

Maria shook her head in disgust. “He’d probably take it for the publicity alone.”

“So?
Maybe you can file a class action suit, one that will include the other cabin owners."

A gleam lit Maria's dark eyes as she felt a renewal of spirit. "
Hey, that might work, after all,
Letty.
”

“At least, it would be an embarrassment to the tribe when this gets out.”

“You know,
I threatened to sue but didn't follow up on it. Now, why not? They'
v
e push
ed
me to the limit. A class action suit might be the best way to go. Get David on the phone and set up an appointment. Also the president of our neighborhood association. She's
listed
under, uh..."

"I know." Letty headed for the door. "High Meadow Lake."

Maria rubbed her hands together. "This will show them they can't push us around. Won't Joe be surprised when the whole tribe is hit with a lawsuit from every cabin owner
!
"

Two days later,
Maria sat across from David Ingram's desk, her arms folded, her mouth set. "So what's the angle, David. Do we have the grounds to sue?"

David leafed through the
file of papers Maria had deliv
ered previously for his analysis. "In a word, Maria, no."

"What?" She sat upright, her brown eyes snapping. "Then I'll get someone e
lse to do this.
Someone with enough guts to go against the Indians."

"Go ahead, but you'll run into the same problem. Unless someone takes you for a legal ride."

“What about the potential publicity? Wouldn’t you like that?”

He glared at her. “No. Not in this case.”