Page 13 of Quinn

Having been given the green light to tell Asagowi he could stay; the only question I asked? “If we keep you here, give you a place to work and live, are you willing to be loyal and work hard?”

The young man had promised he would never betray us or let us down. We’d cared for him until he was in good health, given him somewhere to live, and he’d been faithful to his word. He worked harder than any man I knew, and if we needed him to deal with a matter, he was both willing and able.

Asagowi and I had developed a close friendship and I loved him almost as much as my brothers. When he’d met Alicasa, fallen in love and asked her to marry him, I’d been best man at their wedding. Now I was godfather to their only child, a daughter aged five—Mahiro.

I hadn’t thought much about Asagowi’s past over the years and he’d only offered up bits and pieces here and there. Now, a niggling feeling at the back of my mind insisted the time had come for me to learn the details of what had managed to stay hidden for so long.

Dusk was creeping in by the time I reached the door to his hut. Mouth-watering smells wafted from inside. I knocked at the door and moments later his wife, a heavy set, well-endowed woman who would have made two of Asagowi, swung it open. When she saw it was me, a huge smile graced her pretty face.

“Quinn, come in.” She opened the door wider and stood back.

I was instantly assaulted by a golden skinned, brown-eyed beauty who threw herself into my arms, knowing I’d catch her.

Once in my arms, she placed a hand to each cheek and stared into my eyes. “Uncle Quinn, I missed you.”

The tiny imp was used to seeing me every day, even if only for a short time. Being in Moresby, I hadn’t seen her all day and she’d probably thought I wouldn’t be making an appearance.

“I had to go to work beautiful girl. I told you I was going down to Moresby for a few days but something came up, so I’m back. Have you been good for mama?”

“No!” Alicasa answered while returning to a pot on the stove, which was the source of the aroma, and stirring. “She ran off on her own today and it took us almost half an hour before we found her wading up to her waist down at the waterhole. I’ve never been more frightened.”

Mahiro sighed and rolled her eyes. “It was hot, Uncle Quinn, and adults are always so flaming busy.” I stifled a grin at the precocious child’s choice of word. Since she’d been old enough to speak, we’d been careful to substitute fuck for flaming when little ears were listening.

“Hot or not, you have been told, Mahiro, that you are not to go down there. You know a river runs into the waterhole and we have no idea if pukpuks have come up the river to breed there.”

“I only went to the small waterhole because Mama said it doesn’t join to the big one with the river and it’s where we usually swim.”

“It doesn’t matter, you could have drowned and none of us would have known where you were.”

“I can swim.”

It was my turn to sigh. The child had a fucking answer for everything. I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it and the reality that she could have drowned hit hard. I turned to Alicasa. “I’ll speak to Connor about putting a fence around the area.”

“Thank you.”

“Uncle Quinn, you’re supposed to be on my side, now I won’t be able to go swimming down there at all,” Mahiro protested, her tiny fists jammed on her hips, and this time I couldn’t hold back the laugh.

“I am on your side. How about I come by tomorrow and take you for a swim at the pool in town and we’ll stop in Steamies to see if that doll you wanted has come in yet?”

“Yes!” She turned to her mother. “Mama, can I go?”

“If you tidy your room you can.”

“Put me down! Put me down, Quinn!”

I peppered her face with kisses before setting her back on the floor and watching as she ran off in the direction of her bedroom.

“You spoil her, Quinn,” Alicasa chastised.

I shrugged. “I know, but I love her very much and she is my goddaughter. Where’s Asagowi?"

"Where do you think?”

I chuckled. “I’ll go and find him; I need to speak with him about a few things so don’t go getting mad if he takes a little while to get up here.”

“Now when have you known me to get mad at him?”

Alicasa spoke the truth, she was the gentlest, most understanding woman I knew. Leaning down, I kissed her cheek and said I would call for Mahiro at nine the following morning, it would give me plenty of time with the child before I had to be back to meet with my brothers.