Page 29 of Chaos has a Name (An FBI Romance/Thriller #66)

Timothy had been one of a kind. There was no doubt he’d expected one of his grandsons to take over. Wyler would have been the ideal Shaman, had he had any interest.

Now, it fell to them.

To Ethan.

Callen wasn’t even close to Shaman-like. In fact, he was someone completely different. He was Jackson James, the writer. That was his path.

He was the storyteller of the family.

Ethan was the one who could dreamwalk with their ancestors. He had to make that decision.

On.

His.

Own.

“I don’t know, EJ. That’s something that needs to be answered by you. If we’re here, I don’t see why you couldn’t do it. Then again, how long will we be here? At some point, we have to go back to our home in DC.”

That was a good question.

As for the length of time there, Ethan knew it wouldn’t be long. His wife was going to want to get the hell out of here as soon as she talked Wyler into leaving.

He couldn’t stay behind.

Ethan wouldn’t flourish without his family. There was no way he could watch Elizabeth and their kids walk away—even if the rez was calling to him.

The universe would have to line up.

Because that was a sacrifice he didn’t believe he was strong enough to make.

Instead of dwelling, he wanted to see more. He had ninety-nine problems, and becoming the Shaman here for the tribe was not one of them.

He didn’t know if he could even balance work, his family, and being the tribe Shaman.

The bottom line was that Ethan was notoriously bad at multitasking.

“Show me around,” Ethan said, knowing Callen was the one who came here more often.

When there was time, he’d land here when he was flying between DC and California for his other job.

If that was what his brother wanted, Callen would be more than happy to show him. Truth be told, Callen was proud of this place.

His vision for the reservation was almost complete. It had come to fruition exactly how he wanted.

The broken boy was now a man who could make a difference for the place that spawned him.

Still holding his hand, they both headed toward the food pantry. This had been Elizabeth’s baby more than theirs. There was no doubt it was the mother in her.

It broke her heart thinking about little children going hungry at night in their beds.

That was her call to action.

As a Catholic, who went to church on Sundays with Addison and Gene, she tried to do what Jesus would do.

Now, the other days, she did what the FBI wanted her to do.

Going inside, it was being run by a little Native woman, and the second she saw them, she headed their way.

And hugged them.

The smile on her face said it all.

Again, Gryphen tensed, and again, Callen reassured the man that they were safe.

What was she going to do?

Strangle them with her long-ass braid?

Callen was pretty sure that they could take her. The Native woman looked to be about one hundred pounds, soaking wet.

“I thought you’d never come,” she admitted, taking both of their free hands in hers. “I’m Elkie Stormchaser.”

They greeted her the proper way with their language, and she laughed.

It was filled with warmth and made her seem like every other Native auntie on the rez.

“Oh, I remember you two when your grandfather was alive. He raised hellions, but you turned out good. He would be proud of the men you have become. He would be so happy to see you’ve turned back to your heritage.”

That was all they could hope.

Timothy had mattered to them.

It was true that they didn’t shun it anymore. Yes, they worked for the FBI, and that was the antithesis of the Native person, but they made amends by helping as much as they could.

It was a legacy that they earned, and were grateful to be able to do it.

It was clear that Elkie was a lifer here on the Rez. She was most likely the same mindset that Natives stayed on the reservation—like Timothy.

To their knowledge, he only left it once.

“Come see the place. If your wife gets here, please have her come in. I wish to thank her for what she’s done. For the first time, our people have access to things to make our lives easier. For the first time, we have plenty, and don’t want for anything.”

And that was the point.

The basic needs for every human should be met. The children here should have shoes, and clothes that fit. They should have backpacks with fun characters to make them smile.

It was so little, but meant so much. It was something they never had when they were children. Had they both been given the basics, they might not have run so wild.

Angrily.

Elkie refused to let go as she held their hands, and they walked around the food pantry. It was stuffed with so much food, and there was no doubt that no one was going to be hungry again.

To them, it cost so little.

To the reservation, it was worth so much.

In the one aisle, an elderly woman was picking out things to eat.

It made Ethan emotional watching the joy on her face that she didn’t have to live on only frybread and whatever she had in her cupboard. She didn’t have to survive on the kindness of her neighbors hunting and sharing their meat.

She had choices.

That joy was contagious, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

And for lots of reasons.

It reminded him of his childhood, and how much poverty had been here. It made him sad to know that no one tried to save them.

Until now.

He always wondered if his mother could have survived had there been healthy food, and medical treatment that didn’t cost too much.

It made him mourn her all over again. That was why he avoided coming here. The ghost of Catherine haunted him. He’d been too young to help her, but he still felt guilty she’d stayed to be his Mom.

When the woman turned, she saw them, and headed their way.

Standing in front of them, she spoke in their Native tongue, and luckily, they’d all learned it. Not as well as their wife, but enough that they could communicate with the people here.

When the older woman kissed them both, it was overwhelming.

“You’re welcome, Auntie,” Ethan said. “If you need anything, find us. We’ll make sure you’re taken care of,” he said, pulling out his FBI card, and giving it to her.

On the back, he’d scrawled his personal number.

She took it and pocketed it.

Beside him, Callen saw the raw emotion coming from Ethan, and he understood it.

Coming back here was difficult, but when a person made peace with it, the emotions helped fuel that emptiness, not drain the tank.

Ethan was working through it, and at some point, he’d stop avoiding it. There was no doubt that he’d dive in to do what needed to be done. His soul would always be called to this place.

They were a people of the land, born and raised here.

They were their ancestors’ children.

For Callen, the memories were forever what cemented him here.

He cried a lot the first time he came back.

They didn’t want to be known as salvation for their people. They were just doing the right thing.

That was the bottom line.

Good people did good things.

Bad people did bad things.

Period.

When she was out of earshot, Ethan had to be honest with his brother.

“It’s amazing in here,” Ethan said, wiping his eyes on a tissue Gryphen gave him.

Callen was aware.

Given the resources to make this happen, Elizabeth didn’t miss a single detail. From the food stocking the shelves, to the counter where they could order clothing that was needed, she made sure to nail it.

Elkie spoke to them.

“You both did good. I almost forgive you for that motorcycle through my garden,” she admitted.

Ethan and Callen both laughed.

“Which garden?” Callen asked. “There were so many, Auntie.”

Yes, yes, there were.

She pointed to another woman.

Over by the one doorway, she was standing with a small child.

“She’s a domestic abuse survivor. Your wife got her out of the situation. I called her one night late, and she answered her phone. She sent resources, and we were able to save her,” she said.

Yeah, that sounded like Elizabeth.

She was a protector to her core.

They watched as she turned around, and both of her eyes were healing. They were blackened from the abuse.

Seeing that, Ethan’s eyes were filled with emotion. It took a lot to make any of them break, but this was it.

Seeing this, it tugged at his heartstrings incredibly hard.

Elkie continued.

“She was going to some fancy thing with your other mate, the white doctor.”

They listened.

“Your doctor-mate took care of her, gave her a checkup, and made sure she and her children were okay. He played with her child so Elizabeth could listen and be there for her. It was incredible to see.”

Oh, they bet.

“She stopped in, and she found me. She gave me more than enough money to help her. She paid for the cabin she now lives in, and left enough money to get her clothing so she could find a job. Her child is in the daycare, and finally, she’s able to be proud of her life. Your wife is a lifesaver.”

Callen laughed.

“We know. She saved us too.”

Elkie lowered her voice.

“She showed up in normal clothes, and she cuddled children. She doesn’t flaunt her wealth, but instead, she shares it. Your grandfather would be proud. She may not be Native, but her spirit is old. Elizabeth told me to say nothing, but you needed to know that you both chose well.”

They didn’t know that she’d come here. Elizabeth never said anything about it.

Oh, they knew what function she’d been going to. Chris had a symposium in California, and she’d gone with him. She’d gotten on the jet in fancy things, and had to have changed out of them.

Chris too.

They’d found mates that understood, and were decent human beings.

Ethan was beyond proud.

He was grateful.

“Elizabeth is special,” Callen stated. “The minute I saw her, I knew. Timothy loved her. He loved her more than anything in the world.”

The Shaman trusted her with all of them.

Elkie patted their arms.

“Good job, boys.”

As she walked with them, Callen kept showing Ethan the things there.

From where they stood, they could see a little child wandering around, checking everything out.