Read Online Looking Through Darkness by Aimée Thurlo - Free Book Online

someone else driving to the Rez. There was only one major highway heading west out of the city. After another quarter mile, the car turned onto a residential street and she gave it no further thought.

 
    â€” FOUR —
    It was noon on Sunday and although the trading post was closed for business, Jo and Samantha Allison, Sam for short, were there, configuring and tweaking the computer software.
    â€œAre you sure working on Sundays isn’t going to create a big problem between you and Esther?” Jo asked, finishing the sandwich she’d taken from the deli bar.
    â€œGrandmother hates it when I work on what she calls the Lord’s day,” the half-Navajo girl answered, sipping an oversized cola, “but I’m not a practicing Christian. I’m more into math, science, and technology,” she said, focusing on the monitor for Jo’s desktop computer. The blue upload progress bar was moving, but slowly.
    At twenty-one, Samantha was the quintessential computer geek, hoping to gain real-world business experience by working at The Outpost. Jo had hired her to adapt and configure some new software. The Outpost had unique, individualized contracts with local artists—sculptors, potters, jewelry makers, and more. Sam’s tweaks had made it possible for Jo to keep a continual tally on all merchandise under consignment as well as the specifics of each agreement. A database stored all the information Jo needed to reorder or commission new stock. What made it almost perfect was that Sam had set things up so that the pertinent data was automatically transferred to the store’s tax accounting software.
    â€œYour car’s not outside,” Jo said, casually glancing out. “Is it still at the shop?”
    â€œYeah, I’ll get it back tomorrow. It needed transmission work. Jack Colburn dropped me off earlier. Which reminds me, Jack wanted me to ask you if he could deliver the bales of bedding straw later this afternoon instead of on Monday. If you’re okay with that, he said he would stack it himself. I should be through by then though, so I can help him.”
    â€œThat’s fine,” Jo said. She wasn’t planning to stay long at The Outpost; in fact if she hadn’t felt it necessary to get this computer work finished, she wouldn’t have come in at all. As soon as she could get away, she wanted to check on Rudy. He’d spent the night at the hospital, and if the doctor released him today as planned she wanted to be on hand to offer him and Victoria a ride home.
    â€œOh—and can he put up a notice on our bulletin board?”
    Jo glanced back at Sam, realizing that she had tuned out the young woman’s last few sentences. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
    â€œThe bulletin board. Jack wants to expand the number of free riding and grooming classes he offers to children of military veterans. His Saturday classes are jammed, so he’s going to start teaching Sunday afternoons, too. He wanted to place a notice on our bulletin board to help get the word out.”
    â€œNo problem at all. He’s really doing a great job. I’ve heard some of the moms and dads bragging about how much their kids have learned from Jack.”
    â€œJack’s a natural, being the son of a big rodeo cowboy. Since he’s also half Navajo and remembers all the traditional stories his mom taught him, the kids think he’s really cool. Of course they’re a little surprised at first by his prosthetic arm, but after a while, they don’t even notice it.”
    Hearing the way Sam’s tone of voice changed when she spoke of Jack, Jo smiled. “You got a thing for him?”
    Sam smiled. “Yeah. Not that he’d ever notice.”
    â€œSo you two aren’t dating?”
    â€œNah, I help him with the horses and the kids when I can, but that’s about it.” She shrugged. “That’s okay. I don’t plan to stick