wouldn’t mind that she was ‘damaged goods.’ Then once they were married, his true colors started to show—the gambling, the drinking, the rages, and the beatings. But I guess Maggie doesn’t think she has any other choices. He’ll go along for a while promising that he is cleaning up his act, but then it’s always right back to the same old shit.” Lozen sighed. “Joe doesn’t want to let Maggie go, because then he’d lose tribal benefits.”
“Lose benefits? Why?”
“He wasn’t born on the rez, and he can’t really prove his family lineage. Joe probably has a little sliver of Apache, and maybe a little Navaho, but the rest is just Heinz 57 mutt. Maggie is his meal ticket. No Maggie, no free money.”
“And when he has a kid, there will be more benefits, right?” Randi was starting to see how Joe operated.
“Exactly.” The hot oil sputtered as Lozen threw in some dough. “That son of a bitch probably poked holes in his condoms, or put sugar pills in her birth control dispenser. I don’t think Maggie would have gotten pregnant on purpose.”
“Joe said the weirdest thing to me, though, he said he wasn’t sure that it was his baby.”
“I sure don’t know who else’s it would be,” Lozen said with a shrug.
“Can I speak to you confidentially, woman to woman? Because I really need a girlfriend, right now.”
Lozen looked up from the stove to Randi, “Yes, of course.”
The front door opened and closed with a whack, and Lozen’s husband came into the kitchen with a broad smile. He was average height, solid looking with an open, weathered face. His black hair was parted on the side and he pushed his bangs back with one hand, “Smells good in here!” He turned to Randi, “So you must be Dr. Bitch!” he teased.
“Yep, that’s me!” Randi smiled.
Lozen shook her cooking tongs at her husband with a mock scowl, “Be nice! Randi, this joker is my husband,.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Randi said.
“I’m pleased to meet anyone who can put up with my wife,” he winked at Randi.
“How was work today, dear?” Lozen said, batting her eyelashes playfully. She looked at Randi and joked, “See? I can be a good wife.” They all laughed, and Randi liked that they felt comfortable enough with her to be cutting up. Lozen gestured with her tongs, “Jack is head of grounds and maintenance over at the resort.”
“How do you put up with all those golfers?” Randi rolled her eyes.
Jack tore off a piece of hot fry bread and popped it his mouth, “You know, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I’ve got a good long game, but my putting sucks.”
A short while later, Randi was sitting down with the family at the dinner table. She had to admit that she was enjoying the atmosphere, the company, and the distraction, but she did want to talk to Lozen about Lee and Elan. But for the moment, there was nothing to do but enjoy the feast in front of her. In addition to the fry bread and the rabbit, Lozen had made a succotash of fresh corn and beans, and there were sliced, garden tomatoes. Randi realized it was the first time in days she had an appetite.
“Oh my god, this is so good,” Randi said, as she swallowed another bite. “My mom taught me this French recipe for rabbit…in mustard sauce. I’d love to make it for you all some time, except I’d need a rabbit!”
“We’ve got a few in the freezer,” Jack
“Lose benefits? Why?”
“He wasn’t born on the rez, and he can’t really prove his family lineage. Joe probably has a little sliver of Apache, and maybe a little Navaho, but the rest is just Heinz 57 mutt. Maggie is his meal ticket. No Maggie, no free money.”
“And when he has a kid, there will be more benefits, right?” Randi was starting to see how Joe operated.
“Exactly.” The hot oil sputtered as Lozen threw in some dough. “That son of a bitch probably poked holes in his condoms, or put sugar pills in her birth control dispenser. I don’t think Maggie would have gotten pregnant on purpose.”
“Joe said the weirdest thing to me, though, he said he wasn’t sure that it was his baby.”
“I sure don’t know who else’s it would be,” Lozen said with a shrug.
“Can I speak to you confidentially, woman to woman? Because I really need a girlfriend, right now.”
Lozen looked up from the stove to Randi, “Yes, of course.”
The front door opened and closed with a whack, and Lozen’s husband came into the kitchen with a broad smile. He was average height, solid looking with an open, weathered face. His black hair was parted on the side and he pushed his bangs back with one hand, “Smells good in here!” He turned to Randi, “So you must be Dr. Bitch!” he teased.
“Yep, that’s me!” Randi smiled.
Lozen shook her cooking tongs at her husband with a mock scowl, “Be nice! Randi, this joker is my husband,.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Randi said.
“I’m pleased to meet anyone who can put up with my wife,” he winked at Randi.
“How was work today, dear?” Lozen said, batting her eyelashes playfully. She looked at Randi and joked, “See? I can be a good wife.” They all laughed, and Randi liked that they felt comfortable enough with her to be cutting up. Lozen gestured with her tongs, “Jack is head of grounds and maintenance over at the resort.”
“How do you put up with all those golfers?” Randi rolled her eyes.
Jack tore off a piece of hot fry bread and popped it his mouth, “You know, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I’ve got a good long game, but my putting sucks.”
A short while later, Randi was sitting down with the family at the dinner table. She had to admit that she was enjoying the atmosphere, the company, and the distraction, but she did want to talk to Lozen about Lee and Elan. But for the moment, there was nothing to do but enjoy the feast in front of her. In addition to the fry bread and the rabbit, Lozen had made a succotash of fresh corn and beans, and there were sliced, garden tomatoes. Randi realized it was the first time in days she had an appetite.
“Oh my god, this is so good,” Randi said, as she swallowed another bite. “My mom taught me this French recipe for rabbit…in mustard sauce. I’d love to make it for you all some time, except I’d need a rabbit!”
“We’ve got a few in the freezer,” Jack
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