Hope Burning

Chapter Ten:

         By the time Mark got to her house at 10 the next morning she was ready to go and waiting on her front porch.
         
         When she saw him pull up to the house and hop out of his jeep she was surprised to find herself giving him a wide dazzling smile. She was amazed at how genuinely happy she was to see Mark.

         “Hey there chief!” She called out in good humor.
         
         “Hey there beautiful. Looks like your ready to go.” he glanced around at her few small bags. “I like a woman who knows how to travel light! Come on lets go. There is a place I want to stop at for lunch on the way. You’ll love it.” He was finished stowing her bags by the time he had finished speaking and turned back to Jessica. The wide grin on is face was so full of fun and eagerness that she laughed.

         “Well what are we waiting for?” she hopped in the passenger side and rolled her eyes as if in impatience while still smiling.
         
         As they drove through town they were chatting excitedly smiling and laughing, enjoying each others company. Neither noticed the small group of men smoking outside the pharmacy staring at the jeep and its occupants with an inordinate amount of interest.

         The trip was several hours long. They talked about many things but they also had long comfortable silences where they just enjoyed being with each other and watching the scenery. It seemed so natural for them to be together. It was effortless in a way neither had experienced before.

         “Man how do you find these places? Is there a guide book I haven’t heard of about hidden out of the way dining treasures?” she asked as they continued their journey after having lunch at a small 50’s style dinner located off the highway in what appeared to be an uninhabited stretch of road. The façade and décor of the restaurant was not something that in any way indicated the quality of food to be found there. Jessica would not have stopped to eat there if she had been on her own. She wondered how a place serving such amazing food could go unknown for any time at all regardless of appearance.

         Laughing lightly Mark said, “Jessica, this area is full of small little places like that. Washington is a little different than Texas.”

         “I had noticed that it is amazingly difficult to find good Mexican food so that was definitely an indication that I wasn’t in Texas anymore.” she rolled her eyes dramatically at him again. “But that was really good.”

         “Well, I am glad to finally have someone, a friend, to share it with.” His words were light but there was a weightiness in his voice that hadn’t been there before and made Jessica slightly nervous. She didn’t want things to go down that path with Mark. She was really enjoying having him as a friend and didn’t want to lose that.

         “Yeah. I know what you mean. This is really the first time I have gotten out away from town since moving here. I haven’t seen anything of Washington really.” looking out her window she could see in the reflection he was looking at her again with that penetrating look that she could not really decipher.

         “So, Chief, what’s your Indian name anyway? Dances with burgers?” her attempt to lighten the slightly tense mood seemed to work. Mark shed his intense expression and laughed again.

         “No actually it’s Niyol. That means ‘wind’ in Navajo.” he glanced playfully at her and said. “but your right about the chief thing. How did you know? I do try to keep the royalty thing hush hush. I cant be having supplicants harassing me all the time you know.”

         “Oh well your secret is safe with me ‘your highness’.” her voice dripped with sarcasm and she playfully punched him in the arm.