Read Online A Certain Kind of Hero by Kathleen Eagle - Free Book Online Page B

said to the man’s heels. “Glad you’ve got no hard feelings over that deer.”
    Marvin plunked his plates on a bleacher seat, turned and watched the threesome wander from the chow wagon to the pop stand before he took exception to Gideon’s assumption under his breath.
    â€œWhat’re you mutterin’ about, nephew? Complainin’ about the judging?” Arlen Skinner gave a dry laugh as he hiked his arthritic bones up to the plank seating and pulled a cigarette from his shirt pocket. “Your boy did real good.”
    â€œWe’ve been working on his costume. Can you use some chow?”
    The old man shook his head. “Could use a match, ninininqwanis. ”
    Marvin fished in his jeans pocket for a match for the man who called him his nephew. With his free hand he waved his son down. “Got something over here for you to eat.”
    He offered Arlen a light, but his attention strayed back to the motley trio at the pop stand. Motley from his perspective, anyway. “What do you think of how Defender’s doing as chairman?”
    â€œI don’t pay much attention to politics.” Arlen blew a stream of smoke and turned a cursory glance toward the man who held Marvin’s interest. He registered his reaction with a grunt. “Looks like he’s got himself a pretty white girlfriend.”
    â€œThat’s his brother’s wife,” Marvin informed him. “His brother Jared. The one that moved to the city and died of a heart attack.”
    â€œYou mean the lawyer? That’s his wife?” Arlen pulled the cigarette from his mouth and took another look. “She don’t look Indian.”
    â€œNope.” Marvin wagged his head. “The boy sure takes after his dad.”
    â€œHis dad?” Arlen squinted, staring harder now in a manner that would have been rude, had it not been necessary. “You’re talking about the lawyer? The lawyer was that boy’s dad?”
    â€œHardly looks like a half-breed.”
    â€œIf that’s Jared Defender’s boy, and if that’s his only son, then he’s no half-breed. He’s my grandson.” Arlen took another drag on his cigarette, squinting through the smoke for a last look before he finally turned away, muttering, “The one my daughter gave away.”

Chapter 4
    G ideon had promised to bring his canoe over to the lodge the following morning, and they planned to launch their outing from there. Raina had popped down to the little grocery store early and put together a picnic lunch, but she was beginning to think she would have to make a second trip if Gideon didn’t show up soon. Peter had already eaten half the fruit she’d bought. He was working on a banana when Gideon called to say he would be a few minutes late. What he’d planned as a quick stop at his office was turning into a little more than that, he explained. Raina graciously refrained from mentioning that he’d long since passed a few minutes. Instead, she told him not to worry about it.
    â€œHe says he really wants to go, and we’ll be doing him a favor if we hang in and wait,” Raina reported as she hung up the phone.
    â€œJeez, Mom, he’s like the president of the tribe. He’s probably got a lot of stuff going on all the time.” Peter droppedthe banana peel into the wastebasket, propped his feet up on the chair opposite the one he occupied and checked the grocery bag for another selection. “I wonder what Mark and Eric would say if I told them my uncle was a tribal chief.”
    â€œI’m surprised you haven’t told them,” she said absently as she turned for a backward inspection of her outfit in the mirror. She wasn’t sure she liked the way the blue looked tucked into the white. “Can you see my shirt through these shorts?”
    â€œKinda.” Peter was more interested in slurping every drop of juice dripping from the plum he’d just