Henry Naranjo was a third or fourth cousin. Ben forgot the specific details, not that it mattered. Everyone was related distantly or otherwise in the pueblo. Henry’s studio was in the back section of the plaza, a dim, yellow light on over the door. He drank like a fish, smoked foul-smelling cigars, drove a souped-up BMW, and had had his license suspended twice for speeding. He’d been married twice with two kids and had remained on decent terms with both women. He was as American as they come, serving in the marines for two tours, but he wasn’t beyond doing the Indian thing if it meant showing customers that he was authentic. He wore a beaded headband and his black hair was braided and fell down his back. He was seated at his worktable, shoulders hunched over, squinting in the electric lighting, working on a red clay bowl. Henry, like a lot of Indian potters, worked freehand, considering it cheating to use a wheel. Music was blasting as loud as the volume button would allow. Ben turned it down and Henry looked up.
“Someone has to take care of your eardrums.”
“Sit down, Vicks.” Henry tossed him a glob of adobe clay. “Do something with those hands instead of jerking off.”
The blob was wet and sticky, oozing red all over his hands. “I have no talent for this kind of thing.”
“It’s practice.”
“You say that every time, and every time, I suck. It’d be like me giving you a problem in topology.”
“Just go with your heart, Vicks. Squeeze it, shape it, mold it . . . feel the energy.” A pause. “Have you gotten laid yet?”
“Grace wants to know if you’re coming tonight.”
“Of course.” Henry took a peek at Ben’s work-in-progress. “Looks like a turd.”
Ben rolled his eyes, threw the glob at him, and washed his hands. He checked his cell. Plenty of bars for reception but no calls. “How’ve you been?”
“Got a few commissions from Indian Market.”
“That’s good.”
“I’m not complaining,” Henry said. “Who’s calling you? Or not calling you. You keep checking your phone.”
“No one important.” Ben stowed the phone in his pocket.
“You still bugging that poor detective?”
“Always.”
“How’s the college search coming?”
He was taken aback. “What?”
“George Tafoya says you should make something of yourself.”
“Of course I’m going to make something of myself. I’m going to college.”
“Where?”
“Henry, why do you give a shit?”
“I told George I’d talk to you. He thinks you should go to Caltech or MIT. You should listen to him. Get out of here, Vicks.”
“Who’d watch over you if I did?” Ben turned to him. “So you talked to me. Now you can shut up.”
“Don’t get pissed. River Remez is a small town in a small state. People think you’re destined for bigger things. It’s a compliment, idiot.” When Ben didn’t answer, Henry said, “So you’re scared?”
“I’m not scar—stop talking, okay. You’re pissing me off.”
“Maybe.” He pointed a red-clay-covered finger at Ben. “But I am telling you the truth here.”
“You never left here for the big city.”
“I make pots, Vicks. I live here because this is the capital of pottery making. I don’t do nuclear physics.” A pause. “Is it because of Haley? You overprotect that girl. She doesn’t need your help.”
“I know that. I’m not staying for Haley. I’m staying for myself. I like it here.”
“You’re looking at your phone again.”
Ben hadn’t realized he had taken it from his pocket. He put it away again. “I’m gonna go see if Grace needs help. She says you can come if you behave yourself.”
Henry smiled. “I’ll behave myself. I’d do anything for her pozole.”
As the car pulled up to the curb, the porch light went on. Ro came out a moment later, bounding down the walkway to the car. She opened the door for Griffen. She put her arm around her brother. “Was it fun?”
“Super, superneat. Lilly’s grandfather showed me all his costumes. Some were like a hundred years old.”
“Wow. Are you hungry?”
“Are you kidding? I’m stuffed. They make a lot of stuff with beans. I’m gonna be dangerous tonight.”
In the backseat, the two little girls cracked up.
Ro stuck her head inside the car. “Anyone want to come in?”
Ben declined for the trio. “I’m a little tired. Besides, I promised Lilly’s mother I’d take her directly home. How’d practice go?”
“It went well. I just got home twenty minutes ago.”
“Well, I’ll see if your hard work paid off at the kickoff game.”
“You’re still coming?”
“I told you I would. I keep my promises.”
She said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it tonight. I was disappointed actually.”
“It was really nice.” Ben tried to act casual, but the melancholia was obvious.
Ro said to the girls, “He told me that he’d take the two of you to the game. Make sure he doesn’t renege.”
“We’ll be there, Ro. Good night.”
“Good night.” Ro rubbed her arms, but didn’t shut the door. “See you in class, Vicks?”
Ben leaned over and took the door handle. “Sure.” He waited until she stepped back before he shut the door. He wasn’t mad or even disappointed. It was just the way of the world.
Sometimes you lose and sometimes you lose.
Chapter 6
It was foggy and wet, but under JD’s guidance, Remez was smearing the competition 28–0 at the end of the third quarter. Ben sat off to the side, away and alone, wondering why he came where he neither fit in nor wanted to fit in. People kept telling him he was allowed to have fun. Trouble was he’d forgotten what fun was. He used to like skating and snowboarding, but after Ellen died, that all went to hell.
The crowd began to roar again. JD had just made a brilliant pass to Mark Salinez, who timed it perfectly. Ballet for jocks, but it was pretty impressive. Ben looked away from the field and saw that Lilly was coming toward him, her stick legs climbing each tier until she got to the top. Impending womanhood was years off with her. Haley already had a few feminine curves, and he wondered if it was a sore spot between them. Lilly had chosen to don school colors in a show of solidarity: a red T-shirt, gold scarf, and jeans. High-tops on her feet. “I brought you a hot dog and a Coke.”
“Thanks.” Ben took a bite. “I’m actually hungry.”
“Mind if I sit down or are you solving the world’s energy crises in your head?”
“Have a seat. How are you?”
“Good. It’s a good game. Thanks for taking me, even though you had no choice. Where Haley goes, so do I. And now it’s also Griffen.”
“Yeah, I’ve taken to calling you yin, yang, and yang.”
“More like yin, yang, dot, dot, dot, and yang.”
“Ah . . .”
“It’s cool,” Lilly said.
But clearly it wasn’t. Ben said, “Lilly, boys come and boys go, but a best friend is forever.”
Her eyes were far away. “I don’t begrudge either of them, you know. I think they’re perfect for each other.”
“They’re fourteen.”
“You can fall in love at any age.”