Page 31 of Wagon Train Dreams
“Very well. Because Pa was white not Ma.”
A protest rose, but he didn’t let her voice it.
“And because Pa was dark. Like Gabe, only more.”
“Gabe has black hair and dark eyes. But no one would mistake him for a Native. But they could your pa?”
“No, but it helped.”
She didn’t want to waste their precious hours trying to reason with him. “So, they married, and you were born.”
“And I was born. I attended school, and we all went to church at the mission where Ma had been raised.”
“I can’t tell from your tone if that was good or not.”
Petey wandered up to Joe and handed him a piece of wood.
“What is it, Little Warrior?”
But Petey took the wood back and plopped down to dig with it.
A man must do what a man must do.
Hazel smiled at the sweet memory.
“Was it good or otherwise?” she asked again.
“Mostly good. Other children lived there. Orphans. So, I had playmates. But then Pa died.”
She didn’t need to ask how he felt about that. His voice had deepened. Besides, she knew the pain of losing one’s father. “Why didn’t you stay with your mother?”
The leaves beside him attracted his attention. He plucked one, turned it over and over in his hands, then tossed it aside.
“I wanted to.”
Hearing the tightness in his words, she caught his hands between hers. “Joe, what happened?”
“With Pa gone, we no longer could live in the quarters for the agent. We needed to take care of ourselves. The missionaries said Ma might live in the orphanage. She could help with the work. You know, cleaning, tending babies.”
Her breath stalled as his words edged out, one at a time, as if it took a great deal of effort.
“People whispered about me. A young man at the mission. A Native young man. A child might be acceptable, but not a grown man. My mother would have to leave if I didn’t.” His one-shouldered shrug did nothing to make her think it had been an easy decision. His gaze went past her to the distance.
“Oh, Joe. What did you do? Did you have to leave the fort?”
His eyes slowly focused on her. “Another half-breed was stocking up his supplies for a trip west with some trappers. I asked if I could join them. He allowed it.”
From his flat tone, it must not have been a happy experience. “What happened?”
“He wasn’t a kind man. I parted company with him within a month. So did two of the trappers, and they invited me along.” A smile flickered through his eyes.
“They were good men.” She’d seen the proof in his expression.
“Yes. I learned a lot, though Pa had already taught me much. From there, I went on to guide travelers.”
Petey had been crawling across the grass. He wailed as he fell face down.
Joe scooped him up, then held out a hand to her. “Let’s see what’s on the other side of these trees.”
