“I haven’t forgotten,” he said, then took a sip of his coffee. “My grandmother raised me after my parents were killed in a car accident. She was mother and father to me, my rock in a world that was turned upside down, and I’ll forever be grateful that she’s a part of my life.”
“I can tell that she loves you a lot,” she said, smiling at him. “You’re lucky to have her. I was raised by a nanny most of the time; my parents were too busy working to take care of me themselves.”
“Oh, Stephanie, I’m sorry,” he said. “That must have been hard.”
“I learned to deal with it,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “But you didn’t explain why your grandmother might be able to tell us about the mural.”
Cooper hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath. “My grandmother is a full-blooded Iroquois Indian,” he said. “She left the reservation when she married my grandfather, but she never left her people behind. She knows all the stories, all the legends.”
Stephanie studied Cooper for a second. “I guess the red hair didn’t come from her side of the family,” she finally said. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
He looked over at her and smiled, “I’m sure she’s going to love you,” he said. “She’s an amazing woman with a lot of knowledge. I keep asking her to write it all down, but I haven’t talked her into it yet.”
“Well, maybe I can convince her,” she said. “After all, history is what I do, I’m an expert after all.”
Cooper laughed, “I guess you are,” he said. “Maybe she’ll listen to you; she sure doesn’t listen to me.”
CHAPTER 13
***COOPER***
The snow, which had started with just a few flakes falling harmlessly on the windshield when they turned off the main highway onto the two-lane road, was coming down in earnest when Cooper turned onto the dirt road that led to his grandmother’s house. The ground was soon covered in a blanket of white, and the wind had begun to blow, sending the almost weightless flakes swirling back into the air, making it difficult to see the road at times.
Stephanie was staring wide-eyed out the front window, her hands gripping the armrests tightly, her body braced against the seat. “I’ve driven this road thousands of times. I know every curve, bend, and dip, and this is nothing compared to some of the storms I’ve driven in,” he said, stealing a quick glance over at her. “I won’t crash, I promise. I’ll kick the truck into four-wheel drive and we’ll take it slow, we’ll get there safe and sound, you’ll see.”
She looked over and studied him for a second before nodding her head and letting out a shaky breath. “Don’t take it personally. I’m terrified of heights and the storm is making it worse,” she said, glancing out the side window then quicklylooking away. “I keep imagining us sliding off the side of the mountain. I know it’s stupid, but I just can’t stop myself.”
“Well, then let’s talk about something to distract you,” he said. “Why don’t you tell me about growing up in Egypt? That must have been quite an experience.”
“It was normal to me, the way everyone lived over here seemed strange to me when we’d visit,” she said. “It’s all about perspective.”
“I guess that’s true. Some people think the way my grandmother lives up here so far from civilization is strange, but it was a great place to grow up, and we never lacked for company when we wanted it,” he said. “Personally, I couldn’t imagine living in a city where you’re packed in with so many people, but for many it’s the perfect way of life. It’s how funny humans can be so alike yet so different.”
“That hasn’t changed over the centuries,” Stephan said, beginning to relax for the first time since they’d started up the mountain. “In fact, that was the topic of my dissertation. I won’t bore you with all the details though.”
“You won’t bore me; besides, it will help pass the time,” he said, giving her a quick smile. “Educate away, I’m always willing to learn something new.”
Stephanie hesitated for a second. “Okay, but if I start to bore you, tell me,” she said. “I don’t want you falling asleep while you’re driving.”
For the rest of the trip up the mountain, Stephanie talked about her dissertation, giving him the bare details, and he did his best to keep up, hoping that she wouldn’t test him when she was done. When they pulled into his grandmother’s driveway, he saw the look of surprise on her face and couldn’t help but laugh.
“We’re here,” he announced, grinning at her. “And we didn’t slide off the mountain.”
“And you didn’t fall asleep,” she said, grinning back at him. “Thanks for distracting me, it really helped.”
It was snowing even harder, completely covering the windshield in seconds, when he shut the truck off. He knew they were going to get soaked on the way to the front door. “Let’s make a run for it,” he said, then looked over at Stephanie, who was staring at the house through the side window. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? My grandfather built it for my grandmother when they got married. It’s been added onto several times, but the original house is what you’re seeing now.”
“It’s like we stepped into a fairy tale,” she said. “I can’t wait to see inside. I bet there will be gingerbread.”
He laughed. “I don’t know about that, but the place is magical,” he said, then opened his door, letting in a burst of cold air and snow. “Come on, we can’t sit out here all day.”
His grandmother met them at the door. “You made it,” she said, giving him a big hug, then turned to Stephanie. “And you must be Stephanie. I’m Gilda, it’s so nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said, accepting the older woman’s hug. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you, now let’s get you two inside and in front of the fire, you’re both soaked,” his grandmother said. “I’ve got hot chocolate and some fresh cookies all ready. I figured you’d need a snack after that drive. It looks terrible out there.”
“It’s been worse,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Stephanie was a bit nervous at first, but she handled it like a champ.”
