AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"No, come on in. We were just sitting down to supper, come on in and join us." Clay insisted, eyeing them with curiosity.
Out in the country, far from a town, Clay was cautious about people approaching. But he never minded feeding anyone that was hungry.
The man was much older, having a well-lived in face, but a ready smile that Clay seldom saw on a man. Obviously, the old man had taken an Indian wife, she was quite pretty too and a lot younger. Her glance was cast downward, but her long black hair hung to her waist in a braid. She wore a band around her forehead, dressed in deerskins and covered with a long fur, it was hard to tell much about her.
That was strange, how quickly he assessed her.
They came in and Charlie greeted them and introduced himself. "Sit down, dry out and have some supper with us." Charlie encouraged. "I'm Charlie Nelson, and this here is my son, Clay."
The old man smiled stomping his feet at the door to knock the mud off and nodded at the girl.
Clay watched them as he closed the door and came to join them at the table.
The old man was white headed, short and well weathered as his face carried a lot of wrinkles.
The girl was young and rather shy, Clay noticed.
Charlie got out two more plates and poured them both a cup of coffee. But when she took her coat off, Clay saw the baby. That, he hadn't expected. What a strange pair, he thought to himself.
Maybe the man wasn't as old as he looked. A bit shocked he sat down at the table so as not to stare at them.
"Traveling far?" Clay asked.
"Just came from the Apache camp up on the other side of the Red." The man said, casting a glance at the stew.
Clay nodded. "I see. On the reservation?"
"Yeah."
"Help yourself," Clay told them.
The woman said something to the old man, and he nodded, "Can she change him somewhere?"
"Sure," Clay intimated the bedroom.
She went inside.
Clay eyed the old man, "Visiting your wife's people?"
"Actually yes, I was there to get my daughter, Willa?"
"You daughter?" Clay questioned.
Seeing what Clay was thinking the old man chuckled. "Why son, she's not my wife. That's my daughter." He said as though Clay should have known that.
Charlie who'd been quiet perked up, "Your daughter huh?"
"Yeah, I pulled her off that reservation, most of them are starving up there. But they weren't too happy. I sort of kidnapped her. I didn't know she had a kid until we were fixing to leave. She kept him hid under that fur thing she's got on her shoulders. But he's kin I guess, so what could I do?"
"Where's her Ma?" Charlie asked.
"Her Ma's dead, died of the smallpox. That's why I went to get her. She belongs with me, even with that baby. They made her marry the chief's son, to stay with them, and she had the baby later."
"She didn't want to marry him?" Charlie asked.
Clay needled him in the ribs and frowned as though he'd spoken out of turn.
"No, but they were sending them to the reservation, and the chief told her to leave, or she'd have to marry. At that time, her mother was still alive. And she wanted to be with her, so she married the buck. When I heard her Ma died, I came on the run. I wasn't exactly a welcome guest and they sure didn't want me taking her and the baby. The buck fought me, I had to shoot him. But she's not too upset. You see, he's dead now. She never had feelings for him."
