Instead, he just smiled and assured her, “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“I’m sure you will,” Shani said with a laugh. “Being tall, dark and handsome won’t hurt either.”
He glanced at her with a grin. She was regarding him with a critical gaze, her head slightly tilted, a half-smile on her face. “You have the rugged features and coloring of a Native American, except for those green eyes. That’ll make my mom happy, since she’ll already have us engaged in her mind.”
Adam shrugged, smiling. “I actually took one of those DNA tests when I was younger, in case I had some half-sibling out there somewhere I didn’t know about. I always hated being an only child.”
Shani laughed. “The grass is always greener. I used to dream of being an only child, with my own room and no one borrowing and ruining my stuff.”
“Yeah, I know. There were some perks, but I was a pretty lonely kid. My parents had me late in life. A ‘happy accident’ my mom always claimed, though I don’t think they wanted kids. Anyway, the DNA test told me I’m mostly Irish and English, with a mishmash of other stuff thrown in, including some indigenous American. So, yeah, I guess I could claim at least a smidgen of Native American blood.”
“That’s cool. And did you find a secret love child from your parents’ past?” Shani asked with a smile.
“Nah, unfortunately not,” Adam replied. “Or fortunately, I guess, depending on your perspective. I’ve read stories about DNA tests revealing all kinds of stuff, like your dad is not your actual dad, or he has a whole other family you never knew about. But my parents are about as straitlaced as they get. They have no idea of my involvement in BDSM or what I do for a living. They think I make whips and saddles for horses.”
“Well, I have enough siblings to share. More than enough. Like I said, I used to dream of being an only child. We grew up very modestly, and I never had my own room. I didn’t even get my own bed until I was fourteen.”
“That sounds tough. And I remember you saying your dad died when you were little.”
“Yeah. My baby sister was only a few months old. She never knew him. He flew a crop duster plane, and it apparently had a defective engine. He was killed on impact. He was only thirty-four. My mom never remarried.”
“Wow. That’s two years younger than I am,” Adam said with a shake of his head. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you all, especially your mom with five little girls to raise.”
Shani shrugged. “We managed okay. My mom is a nurse, and she made a decent enough living. We all had jobs from the time we were fourteen, so we could help out. We never felt poor. Our situation was no different from most of the families on the res and a lot better than some.”
Adam fished in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Want to give your mom a call? Let her know you’re here?”
“Thanks. Yes.” Shani took the phone and punched in a number. After a moment, she said, “Hi, Mama. It’s me, Shani. I have a surprise for you. I’m in Portland for a couple of days at a conference.”
Adam could hear an excited female voice emanating from the phone.
“Yes, Mama,” Shani began, before the voice twittered again through the receiver, interrupting her with excited chatter. “No, Mama.” Shani laughed. “I’ll tell you all about it, I promise.”
Adam glanced from the road to Shani. She was animated, her face flushed with pleasure, her eyes bright with tears. “I know. I know. I miss you, too, Mama. Yes, it’s been too long. See if you can get all the girls to come, too.” Shani paused, listening to another torrent of words. “Yes, I love you, too, Mama. So, so much. Oh! And Mama, there’s a guy—a—a friend of mine.” Adam could feel Shani’s eyes on him now, but he kept his focus on the road. “I want to bring him, too. Is that okay? What? Oh, yes, yes, Mama. He’s wonderful. No, nothing at all like—yes, Mama. I’m sure he’ll love your cooking. Okay. Yes, okay. See you tomorrow. Bye, Mama.”
She handed back the phone, her eyes shining. “I can’t wait to see them all again.” Shani looked so happy and animated as she chattered on. “Kaiah and Yareli are married with kids of their own. The boys—Jacy and George, my brothers-in-law, will take the kids to McDonald’s, their absolute favorite because they have a ball room, and they’ll join us after the meal.” She gave a small laugh, adding, “Thank you, Adam. Thank you for bringing me home again.”
Adam smiled, reaching for her hand. “Thank you for including me.”