Hawk's Haven by Kat Attalla Read Free Book Online

class schedule, from ten a.m. through two p.m. seemed to be poor planning but Gillian kept her opinion to herself. As her students filed out of the room she saw Martha standing by the exit.
    The older woman bowed her head in admiration. "I don't know what you were so afraid of. You're a natural teacher."
    "You're just being kind.” She dismissed the compliment with a bashful wave.
    "Not me," Martha denied. "Anyone around here will tell you I haven't got time to coddle and patronize."
    Gillian smiled. "I do enjoy myself. Perhaps when I finish here I'll find a new career path."
    "Or, perhaps, you already knew the path but were afraid to travel down the road."
    Gillian would swear that Martha possessed a mystical insight into the human psyche. She’d considered teaching when she first thought about college but her father wouldn't hear of it. Girls from her social background majored in Art History with the goal of finding a suitable husband from a fine, upstanding family like her own.
    "May I speak with you about something?"
    Martha's face froze into a mask. Although she wasn't as obvious as Hawk, she too seemed to be waiting for a defection. "Is there a problem?"
    "Well, it seems a waste to have rented all this equipment and not get more use out of it. I thought I would like to try teaching some of the children."
    "But the software for the children would cost..."
    "I already have it," Gillian said. She’d prepared an answer for any argument. Four hours of work a day left her with too many lonely hours to fill.
    Martha gave the matter a moment's thought, but her frown didn't look promising. "I'm going to need you for the full two hundred hours to complete the course. If you finish the community service early what will we do for a teacher then?"
    "I'll volunteer the time. Not attached to the community service. Oh, please, Martha. I'll go out of my mind if I don't have something more to do. If they're against me using the computers for the children, I'll teach something else."
    "Like what?"
    "Anything. Tap dance or even judo. I have a black belt.”  Growing up in the privileged class, she’d acquired a number of useless hobbies in her father's endeavors to find ways to keep her occupied.
    "I'll speak to the chief about it, but I don't imagine there will be a problem."
    Gillian let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
    "You know, you're not at all what I expected."
    "I can imagine," Gillian said dryly. "Hawk and I didn't get off to a very good start."
    "Well, that's understandable."
    Of course. To anyone who only got one side of the story. "I don't want to be here anymore than he wants me...” Gillian cut off her thoughtless words too late. "That didn't come out the way I meant it."
    "Are you so unhappy here?" Martha asked sadly.
    "I love it here but I really need to get a job that pays.” Her plan had been to find work and contribute to Elena’s college fund. Her cousin deserved the same opportunities that she'd had.
    Martha hooked her arm though Gillian's and guided her out the door. "If you'd like to change the schedule, talk to Thomas. It's not our intention to make you a prisoner."
    Hawk Carter was the last person she would confide in. "I'll take care of my own problems."
    "You said Thomas had the wrong impression of you, Gillian but I think you might be underestimating him too. Forget the outward appearance. He still cares very deeply for his people and he does whatever is necessary to see to their best interests even if that means dealing with people like your father."
    "My father?" she squeaked out. "What does he have to do with the people here? I thought reservation land had sovereignty."
    "It does, unless we choose to build a casino on the reservation. Then we have to negotiate a compact with the state and barring satisfaction there, the federal government."
    "A casino?" Gillian repeated. "Why would they want to put a casino on the reservation? All that crime, corruption..."
    "And revenue,” Martha reminded her.