Portersville, J.W. Osborn [free ereaders txt] 📗

had to be true. Scrub Pot never lied to her and Jerrod was honest to a fault, maybe even too much so. Her father was said to have died in the massacre many years ago and that was all she knew. If he was truly Joe Dodge, then why didn’t he have any memory of her or her mother? She understood that amnesia robs a person’s memory, but to what extent? So many questions, so much pain and she bit back her tears when she slid off Trouble’s broad back and turned him loose in her grandfather’s paddock next to the cabin. Bear Claw was home to her, it was where she grew up and where she lived until her family moved to Fort Dodge with the Cavalry.
“It is where my father died defending his family against outlaws,” she said to herself as she walked through the dusting of snow to the front door of the cabin. She had not expected to find Dakota Joe sitting there at the table with Esparanza. Surprised to see Sam, the woman rose to her feet. “Good morning, Sam.,” she said “I wasn’t expecting to see you until this afternoon,” she said. She saw the look of confusion on Sam’s face. “Is something wrong at the ranch? Is your grandfather all right?”
“He is fine, Esparanza,” she said quietly , then looked at Joe. “I need to talk to Dakota,” she said tensely.
Joe looked up at her and smiled. “Come sit with me Missus,” he said . His voice sounded so much like her grandfather’s did. Part of Sam wanted to believe what Scrub Pot had told her, but another wanted to vent her anger and betrayal. All her life Sam had believed this man to be dead, and now here were her husband and her grandfather telling her that he was not. Sam pulled out a chair and sat down across from Dakota Joe.
Feeling that this should be private and between the two of them, Esparanza rose. “I almost forgot,” she said “I must go out and feed the chickens.”
“No,” Sam stated firmly “Stay. I want you to hear what I have to say.” Worried, the old woman sat back down in her chair. Sam looked carefully at Joe. Yes, he did look like a younger version of Scrub Pot, and his voice sounded like his. She felt safe when she was with him and confident in the decisions he had helped her make. In her dreams he was the father she had lost and never known, but this was not a dream and she had come to hear the truth. “Are you my father?” There was a cackling silence between them as Joe Dodge stared back into the dark eyes of his daughter. She was such a beautiful young woman and a father would be proud to claim her as his child. But the darkness in his mind became thicker and harder to pierce, the pain in his head started , causing his vision to blur. He was all to familiar with it, but this time he refused to give in. “I can not give you the answer you are looking for,” he said “I only know what Scrub Pot has told me.”
“Do you remember my mother?” she asked, her voice quavering with emotion. “My brother, Brian? My prayers as a child were that you were out there somewhere and you would come back for us after Mama died. She could not stop the tears, “But you never did.”
Joe reached out and took her hand. “I am sorry, Missus,” he said quietly “I wish I could say that I was out there trying to find my way back, but I can not lie about it. I wish I could remember you, and your mother, but.. I....” his voice trailed off into silence and the pain exploded inside his head, and he lost all control. As he was taken by the seizure he thought he remembered hearing a gun shot behind him. Sam was quick to respond as he hit the floor. Grabbing a wooden spoon from the kitchen she shoved it into his mouth so he could not swallow his tongue. Esparanza was paralyzed with fear, not understanding what was happening. Sam looked up at her. “He is having one of those attacks, Go get Brian and hurry!”

++++++++++++++++++++++


He fell into blackness, blind and unable to see. He could hear voices, and felt a sensation as though he was being dragged along the ground. His hands touched rocks and then water. He felt someone touching his face, but he was almost afraid to try and open his eyes. “Sarah?”
Shocked, Sam looked over at her brother as she wiped the beads of sweat from Joe’s forehead. “He’s coming around,” Brian said ,”Dakota? Can you hear me?”
Sam was still in shock at hearing him speak her mother’s name when she felt her grandfather’s hand on her shoulder. “He is going to be all right,” he said. “These seizures come once and while. The last one he had was when you and Jerrod were in California. “
”Dakota?”, Brian prompted. Joe opened his eyes and looked up into the face of his son., then at the faces of the others who stood around the bed he was lying on and a feeling of belonging came over him. Something he had not felt in a very long time. He looked at Sam as the tears flowed down her cheeks. He raised his hand and touched her face.. Then she sat down next to him on the bed. “It is true,” she sobbed.”You ARE my father.” He reached out for her, closing his arm around her and drew her close. Sam lay down next to him and cuddled close to his side, as she lay with her head on his shoulder.
Gently he smoothed her hair. “Samantha Ann.,” he said in a whisper “My little warrior.”
It was more than Scrub Pot could take in as he turned away. His prayers had been answered and grateful tears streamed from his eyes. For the first time since Joe Dodge has come back to Texas, he had begun to remember his wife and now had called his daughter by her proper name. “Praise God,” he breathed “He has recalled something of his past.”
Brian touched him on the shoulder. “Let’s give them a moment alone,” he suggested as they left the small room.
“I want to call him Pa.” Brian said as he and his grandfather stood in front of the fire place. “But he is not ready to hear that yet.”
“He will be one day, Grandson,” Scrub Pot replied.


++++++++++++++++++


Two days passed that Joe Dodge did not come to work at the ranch. On the third he arrived at the barn, as he usually did, feeding the horses at seven in the morning and then turning the mares out, but he kept Catus Nell and her colt safe in the large straw filled birthing stall he had prepared for them when he knew her just before she foaled. Joe did not show any ill effects from the seizure he’d had a few days ago. Actually he decided he felt pretty good, even free of the headaches that always seemed to signal that he was going to have another episode. Years ago he had stopped hoping that they would go away. They never did, they had only gotten worse. He was about to start work cleaning the stalls when Brian walked through the open door of the barn. Joe paused and waited for him in the isle.
“Mornin’, Dakota,” he said “Glad to see you back in action. I was hoping I’d find you in here this morning. I have something to ask you and some news.”
Joe cocked a dark eyebrow , wondering what his son might have in mind. “What news?”, he asked as he watched Brian’s face. The young man’s hazel eyes reminded him of someone, something in a different place in time, but Joe could not pull the pieces of the puzzle together.
“I am going to be a father,” Brian stated with pride. “Essie’s having a baby.”
Joe Dodge grinned broadly. “That must be your news.,’ he said. “Congratulations to you both.”
“That makes you a grandfather for the first time, unless Sam and Jerrod are hiding something,” he said, hoping that his remark would not make Dakota Joe uncomfortable.
“I think I would like that,” he said quietly “I think I would like that very much, Brian.”
“I was hoping you would be happy about it. We sure are. ” Brian replied.”And you will be able to call yourself “Grandfather” in about 7 months.”
“I am happy for you and your wife,” Joe replied , sensing that Brian had more on is mind that just the news that he and Essie were having a baby.
“Dakota.,” Brian said “There is a doctor I know in Saint Louis. He is a man who knows far more about amnesia than I do and he has excelled in helping people who have had severe injuries to the head and brain related troubles. His name is Doctor Frank Evans. I think he might