Page 15 of Barron

“Your parents lost custody of the four that were still living at home when Willow came up missing. Thanks to Thomas, they figured out that it was only a matter of time before they were lost, too. They, too, sadly are dead, not by any nefarious means but because of some DNA illness that didn’t allow them to be healthy in their lives. The others, as you said, four of them, have grown to be adults. The oldest is in his late seventies and in poor health. He knows nothing about his family, not even the one that he was raised as their own. He has dementia. Now that I’ve been able to locate him, thanks to the Cross Foundation, he’s in a better nursing home and getting excellent care for the rest of his life. His name is David Bing. There was a set of twins born not too long after David was born. They were separated by the State when they were infants and haven’t known of each other until recently. They’re going to meet each other at the end of this month. I think that I would get in touch with their attorney before then and see if you can all get together. And, of course, the foundation will help with the arrangements for that, too.”

“And the last child? Do you know who or where they are?” Amelia nodded and stood up. “She’s here, isn’t she? I have another sister.”

“You have another brother. His name is Nathaniel Waynes. Mr. Waynes is someone that this family knows very well. He is on the board of the National Park Service and has been, in his spare time, looking for Willow since he’d found out her story. He is here. Waiting to see if you’ll accept him as willingly as you have the rest of the family.” She stood up when the door to the library opened. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Nate Waynes, the last family member that has been found for the rest of you.”

Hugs were given all around again. Nate was in a wheelchair and blind. Again, the DNA from their parents had plagued him with bad health, but he had parents who had enough money to find him only the best doctors when he’d been sick. Willow sat down in front of the elderly man and smiled at him. He put his hand out, and she put it on her cheek as she spoke to him.

“I met you long ago, do you remember?” He said that he did now that he knew where she’d been living. “You were giving a lecture on what dangers were in the park and that they needed to hire good people to be there for any family member who needed help. You didn’t point me out, not then, but you found me later to tell me that you were still looking for my family. I hadn’t any idea that my family was standing right in front of me.”

“Chief John told me that he’d found you wandering around one afternoon and that he’d thought that the parents had done it. It wasn’t until years later that I’d heard the stories of what my parents had done to their children before I remembered you. I’ve been searching for you since. My goodness, you were such a brave little thing back then. I’ve no doubt that you are still like that little girl.”

“Yes, sir. She’s the most beautiful creature ever created if you ask me.” She introduced him to Barron, and the two of them talked about their dealings with the forest and being park rangers. Willow made her way out of the house and to the back deck. It was overwhelming, just a little how close she’d been to her brother while living in the park. The door opened and closed behind her, and she smiled at Father when he asked if he could join her.

“I never thought once that you’d not have plenty of people to love you, child. The old saying is true that when one door closes, something else will open so that you can get on with your life as it needs to be.” She knew that he wasn’t close to having it right, but she agreed with him. “My sons and wife are gone now, and I have a daughter that will be taken away from me soon.”

“You have another daughter that I don’t know about? Because if you think you’re losing me, old man, you’re sadly mistaken. I plan to have plenty of children and raise them the same way that you and the tribe did me. I don’t see either of us leaving this mountain anytime too soon. And if you play your cards right, I might just name my first son after you. How does John Tennessee Roanhorse Cross sound? Or John Alamo Cross? I have to be careful not to use too many parts of your name, or I’ll run out before I stop having babies. Even a little girl or two might come along with your name.”

He cried and held her in his arms. His heart, forever betting so strongly, felt good pounding in her ears. Father told her that he loved her. Both in English and in his own language. She asked him what his wife’s name was. She didn’t think that she’d ever heard it. His laughter made her smile. It was such a strong sound that she knew whatever he had to tell her was going to make her laugh hard, too.

“Her name was Willow Buffalo Highwater. Don’t you dare name any of your daughters Buffalo. They will never have a moment of peace. My goodness, I haven’t thought of that in decades. She hated her name, but it was given to her by her grandmother, who was a spiteful old woman, and she’s hated it since.” They both laughed and decided it was time for them to join the others. She was amazed that they were all getting along so well, and when they were invited, all of them went to dinner, and the big limos that the family had made a huge impression on her father. He, more than anything in the world, was all the family that she needed. But it was wonderful to have so much family, too.

Dinner was a big success. Her brother Nate said that he had a great many pictures that he had been saving for his children, but sadly, he’d never had anyone other than his wife. She died not long ago, and Nate lived alone in DC, where he could keep an ear out for found children. He told her how he’d set up a foundation that would be used to help children be relocated with their parents, if that was the way to go. They were all leaving, with the exception of her father, at around midnight. He took Barron and the other Cross brothers aside to speak to them once more before leaving.

The sun was coming up when Barron joined her in bed. His body was chilled, but he soon warmed up when he snuggled up to her. He told her bits and pieces of the conversation that he’d had with her father and about the tribe that he had. Exhaustion hit him hard. As soon as his head hit the pillow, she didn’t think that he moved for the rest of the night. It had been a very long week this week, and she, in a way, didn’t want it to end. That meant that, to her, the family that she’d married into and only just found would be doing their own things in life, and she wouldn’t be able to spend all day with them.

Willow got up at her usual time, leaving Barron to rest a bit more. After getting her shower and getting dressed, she was on the way to the barn to work with the ponies when she doubled over in pain. Going to her knees, her heart and body feeling ripped from her chest, she knew that her father, the only one that she’d ever known, had let out his last breath. That he had joined his son in the heavens of the big tribe in the sky.

She was still on her knees when Maddy found her sometime later in the morning. Telling her about her father, Maddy sat with her until the children came to find them. As she was telling them that her father had died, that he was no more, they sat on her lap, each of them hugging her tightly.

“Your father was a great man. I know you know that but when people tell me that my father is a great man, even though I know it, it sure does feel good.” Willow hugged Maria tightly and thanked her for that. “The tribe has had a lot of things happen this week. So have you, Aunt Willow.”

“Yes, but this will not be met with sorrow, not for long anyway, but happiness. He had a good, long life, and he is going to be with his sons and wife in the sky.” Thad asked her if she knew which stars made up the tribe in the sky. “I do. And tonight, I’ll point it out to you. It’s a long arrow that has lots of stars for its feathers. Tonight and every night for a month, those stars will shine the brightest because they will be welcoming a wonderful person into their arms, and they’ll want every other star to know it.”

They sat there until Barron came out of the house. He only kissed her on the forehead for her to know that he’d figured it out as well. Soon all the Cross brothers were there and were headed to the tribe to help with the big celebration. Every tribe in the mountains would be represented tonight to pay homage to a great leader like her father was. She was telling them how she would be wearing her own happiness costume so that people would understand that she was the last of the Chief’s children. Maria asked if it mattered that she wasn’t like them, an Indian.

“No. I was adopted into their tribe, and I was never treated differently than a child born of the tribe. I will have to find someone to be the chief as women aren’t to run the tribe, but I think that was what the men were talking about last night.” She looked at Barron. “Did he ask you to take over his place in the tribe?”

“Yes. It’s an honor for me to do so. With you at my side, we’ll do the best we can. I just didn’t think he would pass on so soon. I’m going to miss the old man.” She laughed with Barron, and she told him stories of growing up with the other children. She was going to miss him forever, but having Barron with her, she knew that things would be just right.

Chapter 8

The last few days had been hectic. If she wasn’t running to the tribe to settle some kind of fight, she was at the house she and Barron were building to settle on the carpet color or what shade of blue they wanted the roofing. Stopping in her tracks, she decided if she didn’t take five minutes for herself, she was going to scream. Going past the house that looked nearly finished to her, Willow made her way to the fast-moving water of the mountain waterfall.

The water would be cold, it didn’t mean how deep into summer they were. She was going to dive into the waters and plunge herself into the deepest part of the water and not come up for at least a full minute. She figured that would be just long enough for her to scream out her frustrations and feel better about her day. But looking down over the falls, she knew that she’d be a fool to leap right now. The spring thaw was still coming from the mountain, and she didn’t want to kill herself while getting relaxed, too. She decided to find herself a smallish pond of water and swim for a bit. Hearing something deep in the woods, she saw a man off in the distance and knew that it was Barron.

Willow nearly turned around and left the tiny wooded bath area when she saw what he was doing. But found she couldn’t. He was gloriously naked and standing in the only bit of sunlight shining down through the trees. Watching as he wrapped his hand around his cock and moved it up and down. She couldn’t help the moan that spilled over her suddenly dry lips.

When he turned toward her, taking the needed steps that would bring them together, she wanted to reach out and stop him from gripping his cock. Willow wanted to do it, to help him release out here in the land where they both had been from.

“If you continue to stand there watching me masturbate, I’m going to come all over you.” She looked up at his face when he spoke. Tearing her eyes away from his thick full cock was the hardest thing she’d ever done. “Come here, Willow. Help me come.”

She moved toward him, reaching out her hand to touch him as he took her hand and rubbed it against his shaft. Wrapping her fingers around him as he’d done and squeezed him, the grith of him was always such a pleasure to feel, especially inside of her. He jumped in her hand. When his free hand moved behind her neck and brought her close, she moaned again when she felt his mouth nip at her neck.

“Strip. Take your clothes off and let me taste you. Don’t slow down, Willow. I’m so close now that I can barely contain myself. Christ, I want to fuck you with my tongue.” His hands were everywhere, and her clothes were torn from her even as she felt his mouth on her breasts. The tree behind her was rough feeling. But only for a few seconds. It felt amazing to have him treat her so wonderfully and fuck her so hard. “Feed me, Willow. Feed me your nipples while I fuck your hand.”

When her breast was free, she lifted it up to his mouth, and his teeth sank deep into her nipple, making her cry out. When he turned her around and leaned over onto the log that just happened to be at the correct height, she whimpered when he freed his cock from her hand. But his fingers sliding into her pussy made her forget everything but what he was doing to her. And Christ, the things he was doing to her made her weep tears of amazing feelings.

“I’m going to eat you, suck your pussy until you come in my mouth. Then I’m going to lap every bit of your cum in my mouth, making you come and come again.” She cried out, wanting it now, not to wait on him. Pressing back, having him take her harder, she threw back her head and held onto the log tightly, digging her nails deeply into the hardwood.

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