Shadow of Time (a YA Paranormal Romance novel)

Chapter 8

Ouch.

She never knew she could be this jealous. Hannah desperately tried to calm herself. Josh was allowed to stand hand in hand with a girl. It didn't have to mean anything. Right?

In the meantime, Josh had spotted her too. He started to cross the makeshift dance floor, still holding the girl's hand. Hannah's jaw clenched as she tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Josh stopped in front of her and looked down with a broad smile. "Welcome! Ya'at'eeh. You just got here?"

"Yeah." She made a halfhearted attempt at smiling back. "We were on our way to Emily."

He nodded, his eyes scanning her face curiously. "You all right? You look a bit pale."

Oh, she couldn't be better. Suffering from nightmares, chased by aura-less lumberjacks, and stalked by coyotes. And meanwhile, he'd managed to hook up with Miss Navajo Nation.

"Of course I'm all right," she snapped irritably. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Josh almost imperceptibly raised an eyebrow. "Never mind. By the way, have you met my cousin yet?"

His cousin? She blinked owlishly. "No, uhm, I don't think so."

"This is Linibah." Josh pointed at the pretty girl next to him. "She's visiting from Chinle with her husband and kids."

Hannah smiled widely, hoping the relief wasn't too apparent on her face. "Oh! it's very nice to meet you." She shook hands with Josh's cousin. "I'm Hannah."

Ben appeared next to her. "Are you coming or what?" he asked. "Or do you want to drag that sack of flour around all day long?"

Both guys snickered, and Hannah sheepishly joined in.

Josh smiled at her. "Blue Bird flour? That's very thoughtful of you." His eyes drifted to the turquoise necklace she was wearing, and his smile intensified. He didn't say anything about it, just gave her a happily surprised look. "So, let's go and say hi to Hosteen's family. Emily's already inside."

He led the way toward an octagonal hoghan. When their group entered, the father, mother and two sons of the Hosteen household stood up from the buck skin on the floor they'd been sitting on.

Hannah blinked her eyes when they suddenly bowed in reverence for Josh, who emerged from behind Hannah and started to speak to his clansmen. Everyone else in their group fell silent.

Now Hannah finally understood what Emily had tried to explain to her about the people of Naabi'aani – Josh's tribesmen were in inexplicable awe of the seventeen-year-old guy she'd known all her life. He was the focus of everyone's attention, and it felt natural. She could see the respect and admiration in their eyes when he talked to them in Diné Bizaad, their own language.

When Josh was done speaking, Ben came forward with his container of pasta. Hannah shuffled after him to shake hands with the Hosteen family.

One by one, the presents were handed over. Afterwards Josh led them out of the hoghan to sit down in the grass on the left side of the house. People were sitting around cross-legged, chatting and eating the food that the Hosteens had prepared for the occasion.

"Don't you want anything to eat?" Hannah asked Josh, when he plonked down next to her only holding a can of Coke.

"No, I'm doing the opening ceremony for the rodeo. I'd rather do that on an empty stomach."

"Oh? What kind of performance?"

"Singing. And hand drumming."

"So you're going to sing a traditional song?"