Destiny's Choices

Tiana Slickpoo bent down and lifted another box from the storage room floor. When she opened it, she discovered a small collection of pots from a Hopi artist in Arizona. Fortunately, the woman had packed the items carefully in bubble wrap and peanuts; nothing was broken. The hand-fired pots were black and a few had polished stones embedded in the clay, a nice added touch to the asymmetrical Pueblo designs. Tiana was sure she could sell them quickly and for a good price. Both she and her friend would make a good profit.

The door opened, and the cool spring air picked up the bells fastened to the front door. On the breeze, she smelled something else: men's cologne, and one she recognized. She had only known one man who wore the expensive cologne the son of a Tribal Chairman, James Waters.

Tiana refused to turn around and look at him. Instead, she stayed in her crouched position, holding one of the pots. Even though her legs were cramping, she knew she would not move, would not look at him. It was bad enough she had to smell the scent of his cologne and remember what loving him was like.

"No kind words for a weary traveler come home to the rez?" He leaned up against the counter and looked down at her bent head.

"James," she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes?"

She looked up at him then, her black eyes shooting sparks. "Get lost."

He sighed. "I can't, Tiana. I'm here to help investigate the thefts, both the ones from the tribal museum and your art gallery. Are you going to help me or not?"

Tiana wondered how he could have heard about the thefts with all the traveling he did. The last she had heard, he had been in Australia investigating the loss of some Aboriginal lands. She did not think the Indian grapevine was that good, but what did she know. There was no way she could handle him being in her space, no way at all.

"No," she whispered.

"What?"

She still refused to look at him as she got up from her crouched position. Tiana headed for the back room for the pictures she had taken of the items. Returning to the showroom, she handed them to him. "Here, these are the items that were stolen. We don't have to see each other again. Just let me know when you've caught the culprit." She handed him her business card, then opened the door. "Goodbye."

"So that's it, just here's the photographs and get lost?" James asked as he took hold of her arm.

"That about covers it." Tiana knew she was being rude but did not care. Too much time had passed. He took a deep breath as she jerked her arm free.

"Right, I'll call you when I know something more."

"Yeah, you do that." She turned her back on him and resumed unpacking the day's shipment.

The bells on the door rang again and a cold wind, a sadness for what could have been, moved through her. Breathing deeply through her nose, she did what she had always done; she hardened her heart to him. There was no way he was going to get past her guard again. She had let him close once, and he had betrayed her trust by not answering her letters, by being unwilling to live near to the reservation so they could maintain their relationship. Tiana shook her head in anger. She should have seen it coming at the time.

Tiana's breath caught in her throat with the memories of their time together. She would not think about him anymore. What was done was done. Tiana's stomach churned. Why does he have to come back now, just when I was starting to get a handle on my life?

* * * *

In the six years he had been gone, she had not changed at all. She still had the same slender build and the same long, black hair. God, he thought, she was even wearing the same beaded barrettes with the white background and red roses that she was wearing the last time I saw her. He settled into the driver's seat and rested his forehead on the steering wheel for a moment. The thefts were not the only reason he had returned to the reservation; they merely provided the opening he had been looking for. This is going to be much harder than I originally thought.

Lifting his head, he turned the key in the ignition, fired the engine up, and then eased his way into traffic. James knew that Tiana might not be willing to allow him back into her life again. He should not have pushed her in the studio; clearly, she was holding a grudge. I wanted a reaction, any sort of reaction, that might tell me where I stand and if Tiana still feels anything for me, and boy, did I get it, he thought ruefully.

When he had left the reservation, he had known in some small part of his spirit that it was a mistake. Six years out in the world of the soyaps had made the point even clearer to him. He knew he still loved Tiana, and wanted her for his wife. However, based on her reaction to him just now, he was going to have to be very patient and go slow, if he wanted to earn her trust and love again.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into a parking slot in front of the tribal museum and turned off the truck. His mind was made up; he would do whatever was necessary to win her back.

© 2007 by Regina Paul. All Rights Reserved.

Tiana ended up spending forty-five minutes in her truck waiting for Starla. The rain and wind became fierce, and she had no desire to be soaked by the thunder beings.

Tiana heard an engine climbing the steep incline to her family cabin. Thinking it was Starla, she turned and looked out the back window. When she noticed the driver was none other than James, she groaned inwardly. Just who I wanted to see!

The rain stopped as James stepped out of a purple 4x4. Tiana rolled her eyes and muttered, "Gee thanks you guys!" At least she knew whose side they were on. Maybe the Spirits were trying to tell her something, that she should talk to James. She thought about it for about two seconds, and shook her head said, "Nah," and got out of her truck.

"So, here we are again," James commented once she reached his side.

Tiana put her hands on her hips and faced him with fire in her eyes. "Yes, again. Why don't you just go back to Australia and play your little detective games there. We can handle ourselves just fine without you."

"That's not fair, Tiana, and you know it."

"Life's not fair, so what of it? Look, you decided to go to Oregon for college, then to work for the FBI. I mean, damn, don't we have enough problems with government agencies butting into our business every time there's a murder on the rez? But no, you've got to go and join one of the worst of them! Now you have your own little," Tiana held up two hands her fingers mimicking quotes, "investigation agency. You couldn't wait to get off the reservation, to leave me behind. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm here because I was hired by the tribe to investigate the thefts. Since items have been taken from your gallery, and now your cabin has been ransacked, that means I have to work with you to help find out who is doing this." He reached out to touch her arm, and Tiana's eyes widened before she backed away out of his reach. His hand dropped back to his side.

"Look, I know we split on bad terms, but we need to work together on this if we're going to solve these thefts. Will you help me or not?"

Tiana frowned. She did not want him touching her. She did not want him around at all. She looked up at the sky and was astonished to see a golden eagle circling above them. The powers that be had other ideas.

James looked up and saw the eagle.

"It's meant to be Tiana, help me," he said urgently.

It infuriated her that he would use the sighting of the eagle to sway her. She had always been more traditional than he, paying close attention to nature and the messages she thought it was giving her. He is willing to use anything to get close to me, she thought.

"All right. But it's just business, that's all. And when this is over that's it," Tiana said.

"Understood. But, Tiana, I warn you, you may change your mind about that before this is over. Now let's go inside and you can tell me what's missing if anything."

When Tiana saw his certainty in his smug smile, screwed up her face and muttered, "No chance," before she followed him. She was not going to change her mind. Men-who needed them anyway?

© 2007 by Regina Paul. All Rights Reserved.

"I really burned her, didn't I?" James said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, but that wasn't the whole reason, James. I told her she needed to tell you why she wouldn't leave the rez six years ago if the thieves weren't quickly caught. Let me know if she doesn't, because there is definitely more to it than your leaving." Starla smiled with what appeared to be genuine caring. Appeared to be that is. James was not fooled though; he had seen the look in her eyes when she had glanced at Tiana.

"I'd rather she told me herself because she wants to, Starla. It isn't going to mean much coming from you if she doesn't want me to know."

James watched Starla. "Why are you in such a hurry to tell me Tiana's secret anyway? You're Tiana's best friend. You should be the one she can count on to keep her secrets."

Starla shrugged. "Maybe I just don't agree with her not telling you the secret six years ago. Maybe I think it's about time you knew what the secret was, and if she isn't going to tell you, then I think someone should." Starla stepped close to James, nearly rubbing up against him. "How about I make dinner for us some night soon and you come over? That way we can discuss the case." Starla paused. "Maybe I'll tell you the secret then too."

James stared at Starla. "I might be able to arrange for the time to do that." He said finally, a feeling of uneasiness sweeping over him.

"Great! Well, call me if you decide you want to," Starla said, smiling like the Cheshire cat as she walked out the door.

Why was she trying so hard with him? Could she be involved with the thefts? Could Tiana and those around her be in danger? he wondered.

Feeling some discomfort at the thought that Tiana might be in danger, he climbed into his truck and headed down the mountain, following Tiana to Levina's. At one time he would have been welcomed in Levina's home, and he wondered if would it still be true.

There were deep ruts in the road where Tiana had hit the gas and spewed mud and gravel. There were never any half-measures with her-it was all or nothing. Now that he had been out in the real world, he saw that in this fundamental way she had the right of it six years ago. He should never have let her go. If she had been given care of a sacred object or any other type of ceremonial item about then as he now suspected, they could have worked something out. God! He had been so ignorant of human emotions at twenty-three. Looking back on it now, James knew he had made some incredible mistakes.

He sighed. The important thing now was that he was back and he knew he wanted her in his life again. The problem was convincing Tiana she wanted him back in her life. The palms of his hands slipped a bit on the steering wheel. He was nervous. It was not going to be easy, and given her reaction so far, he doubted it was going to get any easier.

© 2007 by Regina Paul. All Rights Reserved.

"Okay, sure, just let me finish this." She waggled the cigarette a bit with her fingers, taking another long pull and then pursing her lips in what looked like a kiss before blowing the smoke toward James.

Coughing a bit when he breathed in some of the foul smoke, James waved one hand in front of his face several times, trying to send the smoke in another direction. Strangely, instead of moving away from him, the smoke tendrils wrapped around his wrist and clung to his skin for a few seconds before drifting away. When he looked up, Starla was giving him a flirtatious look from beneath lowered lashes.

"I'm going to go and say hi to Ken." James got as far as the doorway when Starla's voice stopped him.

"All done!" she said in a bright voice.

James stiffened when instead of allowing him to finish getting through the doorway, Starla pushed in next to him and then stood there with her body pressed against his.

"We seem to be stuck," she murmured in a throaty tone.

James's mind raced. Is Starla actually coming on to me? He looked down into deep brown eyes that appeared flat and dull, knowing he could not let his disgust show.

"I can easily fix that," he said, taking hold of her upper arms and pushing her through the doorway and into the pit, where the officers had their desks.

"You're no fun," Starla pouted, before turning and with an overly exaggerated hip swing began walking towards a desk on the far side of the pit. When James did not immediately follow she turned, and gave him a come-hither look. "Aren't you coming?"

James began to wonder if he had ever even seen that pout seconds before. He nodded and followed her to her desk. He watched her in amazement as she proceeded to go as slowly as possible. She spent long minutes pretending to find the form she needed on her computer, and even a few more looking up Levina's address, which James knew she had to know by heart being such a close friend of Tiana. Ten minutes later, she turned to him and smiled, her eyes vacuous as though she had not just come onto him moments before.

"Now, why don't you tell me everything you know from the time you arrived until you came here."

James spent another half hour giving Starla the details as he knew them, all the while trying to figure out exactly why Starla had stepped up her flirtatious behavior to the next level from words to physical actions. As she typed in what he hoped was the last of the information, a picture of Levina's bruised body flashed into his mind. Who would harm her, and was it because of what she and Tiana might have?

"All done. You want to go and get a coffee or something since you haven't made up your mind about dinner?"

James did not respond for a few seconds. Then just when he started to, she said in a rush, "To discuss the case of course."

"What is there to discuss?" he asked. They had already spoken of the fact that he and his men would keep an eye on Tiana's gallery and the tribal museum, and he had mentally added Levina's home and Tiana's house to that already, even if he had not asked to do so.

"I need to know more about how you're planning on keeping an eye on things. You know which of your men will be there and where they'll be so we can keep the locals from getting nervous." The vapid look of moments before was gone and replaced by calculation.

"Well now, I haven't really worked out the logistics yet, but I'll be sure and give you a call when I do." James stood up to leave. Like Hell! I work for the tribe, honey, I'm not your personal agent.
James flashed her an impersonal smile before leaving. As he went through the doorway Starla had tried her little seduction in, he caught something out of his peripheral vision. In each corner of the doorway were small black tendrils shaped in the form of a spider web. It had been years since he had seen anything like that. On top of everything else, someone was dabbling in the dark arts. Great! Just great!

He imagined white light around his body and left the station quickly. The webs were probably meant for me, but who put them there? Starla? Someone else? He called Ken as soon as he drove away and asked him to burn some sage in the doorway. The smoke would clear the webs away. When Ken wanted to know why, he told him what he had seen. Whether Ken was in on the thefts or not, he had to do as James asked or appear to be guilty. There was more going on here than met the eye.

© 2007 by Regina Paul. All Rights Reserved

Rating: 5 Champagne Flutes

Tiana owns an art gallery. Some thefts have taken place, and a man she'd rather not see again, James, has arrived to investigate. Tiana is less than pleased, and her abrupt way of greeting him made me giggle. She says it how it is. How I long to be like her!

Tiana and James knew each other six years ago, but he chose to attend an out of state college. Unable to go with him, Tiana was also unable to tell James why. They haven't seen one another in all that time. He loved her then and loves her now. Her attitude towards him when he meets her again leaves him believing there is no chance of reconciliation.

Tiana has been holding a tribal object for the past six years. Someone found out she had it and trashed her cabin. Only a select few know who she is and why she would have the object. Somehow, her identity has leaked out. How will she tell James who she really is: a carrier of sacred objects? Will he understand why she couldn't go with him out of state, or will he hold it against her?

Find out in Destiny's Choices, a tale of two people brought back together by fate. Sometimes a man and a woman are just meant to be together! I must also say that the blurb doesn't do this tale justice. It doesn't even begin to touch on the excitement factor-and I'm not being derogatory by saying that, but urging readers to give it a read.

An exciting tale which propelled me to the edge of my seat at times, Destiny's Choices is a keeper for this reader. Nice work, Ms. Paul! Also, Ms. Paul? I loved Tiana's surname. Slickpoo. I mean, that is just so funny and so darn refreshing! Beats Jones or Brown any day!

Black Orchid, Cocktail Reviews

Rating: 5 Kisses

Tiana Slickpoo, a native Nez Perce, owns an art gallery-which does not sell objects sacred to the tribe-and is in training as a healer, taught by her grandmother. A sudden rash of burglaries, at the museum and her store, puzzle the Bureau of Indian Affairs police and result in the FBI's inclusion into the investigation. Next her family's cabin is trashed, and her grandmother tortured and brutally beaten, putting her into a coma. In the meantime, private investigator and former FBI agent James Waters reappears on the scene.

Six years ago, James and Tiana had been in love, and had been lovers, twice only. But James wanted to see the bigger world, and went off to college and later the FBI. Tiana closed her heart against him, without telling him why she couldn't leave the reservation: Tiana, by her matriarchal lineage, is a chosen carrier of a Nez Perce sacred object. Now that James has returned, wiser, he wants to marry Tiana; but will she listen to the guidance of the Spirit Guides or cling to belief in what she considered his betrayal?

Destiny's Choices is a well-written and compelling look into both sacred Native American Spirituality, and the heart-linkage between a woman and a man when both follow a calling they consider higher than love and lust. Surprising plot twists will have the reader on the edge of the seat, as Regina Paul spins a magically supsenseful and intriguing tale.

Frost, Two Lips Reviews

Rating: 4 Stars

Tiana Slickpoo of the Nez Perce has a secret, which can only be shared with the ones that need to know, she is the carrier of sacred objects. When tribal items begin to go missing, including from her gallery, Tiana knows that she needs help to recover them, she just didn't expect it to be in the form of James Waters, her ex-boyfriend. James left the reservation six years before leaving Tiana behind and she has never forgiven or forgotten him. Together they must work to uncover the truth, as fate has decreed.

An amazing book of spiritual and ancestral ties, Destiny's Choices is a great book to read with characters that touch the heart and soul. I loved the way this book was written, really touching and at the same time intriguing. Ms Paul's characters are spellbinding; they had me believing that I was actually there experiencing everything with them. I also loved the concept that Ms Paul uses in her book, of being a carrier of ancestral artifacts. It was a mystical journey through the unknown that also happened to be suspenseful. I can't wait to read more of Ms Paul's books and if you love reading about the American Indian culture or love the romantic suspense genre then this is one book you must get.

Sheryl, eCataromance Sensual Reviews

Rating: 4 Cups

Tiana Slickpoo owns an art gallery and lives on the Indian reservation. She is also guarding a sacred object that her grandmother gave her and someone is determined to have the item. Six years earlier, when her boyfriend James chose to leave her for college, Tiana was heart broken. She has guarded her heart since then and is cold toward James when he returns to investigate the theft of some tribal objects.

James Waters, the son of the Tribal Chairman, was once Tiana's boyfriend. He has returned to his home after a long absence to investigate thefts of tribal objects from the reservation museum and Tiana's art gallery. He wants Tiana back, but it is going to be a hard journey for him considering how Tiana has put up a wall between them.

Thefts of tribal objects have brought James back to the reservation and to Tiana, the woman he loves. Six years of hurt and pain lie between them. James plans to do everything he can to bridge the gap, but he soon learns that Tiana has kept a secret from him all these years. Things really heat up when Tiana's grandmother is attacked because of a sacred object. When the identity of the attacker and of who is behind the thefts is revealed, everyone is shocked. However, the time James and Tiana have spent together solving the mystery has allowed them to renew their relationship.

What an intense story. It is chock full of suspense and intrigue. Ms. Paul does a wonderful job leading her readers on an adventurous journey through this story. Watching James and Tiana unravel their complicated relationship brings an extra touch to the book. This story is vastly entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Candy Cay, Coffee Time Romance Reviews

Rating: 4.5 Red Roses

Tiana was unpacking some special pots when James Waters came into her shop. She could smell his cologne and didn't want to turn round, because he had hurt her once before. James has come because he is investigating some thefts from her shop and the Tribal museum, but Tiana has hardened her heart. There is no way she is going to let him in again! He made his choice when he left the reservation six years earlier.

However, Tiana is the keeper of a sacred object and, when her grandmother is attacked, James realises that she could be in terrible danger. Can he protect her and solve the mystery.

This is an enjoyable, very readable love story.

Morna, Red Roses for Authors