Shadow of Time - Book 1: (Paranormal Romance) by Jen Minkman

“ 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?”
    Josh nodded. “I’ m one of the two hataalii of Naabi’aani. Sani is the oldest medicine man of the village, and I am the youngest.”
    Hannah gaped at him. Emily had mentioned Josh being close to Sani, but she’d left out that he was a medicine man himself. “Where on earth do you get the time to become so good at everything you do?”
    He looked back at her. “Well, time...” he started out, his voice trailing off. “Let’s just say I’m a quick study.”
    A woman walking around with bowls of corn porridge on a tray tapped his shoulder. Josh declined, but nudged Hannah. “ Sha’di ? You want another bowl?”
    Hannah gulped down a sudden lump, looking at Josh tongue-tied. Okay, that was clear. Crystal. Not shilah to address her as a female friend. He’d just called her sha’di , like before. His big sister. So nothing had changed after all. She swallowed back sudden tears.
    Still in a daze, Hannah turned around when she heard Josh’s mother call out to them from a distance. She was walking toward them, addressing her son. “ Shiyáázh ?”
    Josh turned around and smiled up at her . “Hey, shimá . Is it time already?”
    “Yes, they expect you