He closed his eyes for a second. “What if they say my mother just didn’t want me?”
“Don’t think like that,” she soothed. “In my heart, I believe your mother did what she thought was best for you. I can’t even imagine how difficult it must be for a mother to give her child to someone else.”
“According to you and Phalen, she didn’t leave me at the police station. My grandfathers did it.”
“We’ll have to wait to find out why,” she said. “Just know that I’ll stand beside you no matter what.”
“Thank god.” Dragging her closer, he loved the way Grace held him until his nervousness faded. It was still there, but with his woman at his side, he’d be fine.
Dallas finished putting his coat on, grabbed Grace’s purse to drape it over her shoulder. Then he got his wallet and stuck it in his back pocket. He didn’t bring his hat with him. He’d have liked to have the familiar weight of his favorite hat on his head, but he had something far more important. Grace Daniels.
Tucking her against his side, he escorted her out of the hotel room to dining room for a breakfast buffet. They found Phalen in the dining room, pacing like a caged animal. After a second, he stopped, smiled and whispered something to Grace before walking off.
Grace flushed redder than her sweater. Dallas would find out what that was about later. He poured a cup of coffee and fixed a plate of fruit, toast and scrambled eggs for her, then went back to make a plate for himself. Phalen had enough food on his dish to feed a small army. The man ate it with gusto, although twice he checked his cell phone.
After breakfast, they headed to Phalen’s rental all-wheel-drive crossover, set the GPS and headed to Deadwood. It would take awhile to get there, but at least it wasn’t snowing. They probably could have driven the distance between Sioux Falls and Deadwood late last night and stayed at a place closer. But everyone was so tired of being on airplanes that they’d decided to make the drive after a good night’s sleep.
Phalen fiddled with the satellite radio to find some decent music. While the other man drove, Dallas and Grace sat in the backseat. She soon took it upon herself to entertain them with travel games. At one point, Phalen and Dallas switched driving duty and it was lunchtime when they reached Deadwood.
The town lived up to its Wild West image. Dallas barely noticed. Phalen gave him driving directions to Ransom Smith’s tourist shop located outside the town limits. The shop was much larger than he’d thought it would be. Looking much like a gambling hall from Deadwood’s infamous past, there were three outbuildings that spread behind the main building. Dallas parked, looked back at Grace, who’d already put away the netbook, and she smiled at him. Phalen put his hand on Dallas’ shoulder.
“It’ll be okay, D,” he said. “I wouldn’t bring you here if I thought your grandparents were going to hurt you.”
“Thanks for that,” Dallas replied and looked at Grace. “All set back there?”
“You bet.” She was already shuffling to climb out of the backseat before he or Phalen could help her.
Dallas got out as she was closing the door and went around the car to put his arm around her. Phalen joined them. There were a couple of cars in the lot. Judging from the amount of frost crusted on the windshields, he guessed they’d been parked all night. Despite it being noon, it was cold to the bone.
Grace shivered from the chill and Dallas tucked her beneath his coat. She’d chosen to wear a skirt. He should have had her wear jeans. She’d be warmer.
Phalen went before them, politely opening the door to the main building. It smelled like sawdust, leather goods and tobacco. Peace pipes hung on a wall to their left. War bonnets were displayed on the right. The further they went into the shop, the more knickknacks and tourist supplies there were. What struck Dallas as interesting was the mix of authentic Lakota clothing, shoes and artwork, as well as the Wild West influence on the town of Deadwood. There were cowboy hats, boots, jeans, belts, chaps, antiques and bookshelves featuring dime novels about the life and adventures of Wild Bill Hickok.
As they passed by a glass jewelry cabinet, the glint of gold caught Dallas’ eye. Curious, he turned and looked. The display housed Black Hills gold jewelry. Everything from necklaces with crosses and pendants featuring the unique green, yellow and pink mineral deposits, to bracelets and rings were presented in the case.
One ring in particular caught his eye and he made a decision that would alter his relationship with Grace from here on out. A woman came out of a side door and approached the jewelry case. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall. She wore a brown leather skirt, a darker brown sweater and a Lakota choker around her throat. Her long, dark hair was streaked with gray. Her naturally burnished tan skin had age lines. He’d guess she was almost fifty. She was pretty.
Dallas knew who she was in an instant. Tightening his arm around Grace, he tried to tell her. Grace knew. She’d gasped and clutched him a little closer.
“Hihanni waste, Matoskah,” the woman whispered, her voice shaking. Hell, her whole, little body was shaking. “I’ve been anxious to meet you.”
“Ina?” he asked, pronouncing the word for mother as ee-nah.
“Yes, you are my cinsi.” He didn’t need her to confirm it. He knew. Hell, he didn’t expect it to scare him so much to meet her. This petite woman could crush him if she sent him away. “It is good to see you that you’ve grown into such a fine man.”
“It is good to see you. What is your name?” he asked, curious and nervous at the same time.
“Chumani Akecheta. My married name was Swift. I’m sorry to say I’m a widow now and have chosen to use my father’s Lakota name again.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your husband,” Dallas said. “Were you happy with him?”
His mother smiled, genuine love shining in her sad eyes. “Oh yes, I loved him very much. You’ve a half brother and sister, Marcus and Nia. They are staying with their grandparents.”
“May I meet them soon?” he asked, though he didn’t want to insinuate himself into her life if she wasn’t ready for it.
“You may. They’ll want to meet you.”
Grace tightened her arm around him. Dallas looked down at his woman and smiled. “This is Grace. She’s the most important person in my life. I’m hoping soon she’ll be my wife.”
“It is lovely to meet you, Grace.” His mother was gentle and not at all what Dallas expected. The longer they talked, the more confident he became. “I’m told by my father that you and the strapping fellow who went off to look at the headdresses helped bring Matoskah back into my life.”
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Grace said. “I was glad to help.”
Dallas didn’t have any answers as to why she hadn’t been able to rear him. All that mattered to him right then was that his mother was there. She looked at him with motherly love and at Grace with approval.
Chumani’s eyes returned to him. “Would you come have a seat with me? There’s much you should know.” She clutched her fingers together in tight, little fists. He was willing to bet she’d been more nervous than he was.
Dallas stepped toward her, still confused, but no longer afraid of rejection.
“I’ll wait here if you need me to,” Grace said.
“There’s nothing Chumani says to me that you can’t know, Gracie,” he stated. “I can’t join her without you.”
Grace nodded. “I’m with you.”
“This way,” Chumani invited, gesturing to the door she’d come through.
Dallas kept Grace at his side, escorting her to the room beyond the sales floor. The tread of their feet echoed on old worn wooden floors as they walked. His mother wore soft leather shoes, hardly making a sound. She led them to a back room where three others waited.
A man who appeared to be in his early seventies was very tall with short, impeccably styled gray hair. He wore khaki pants, a blue long-sleeved shirt and black loafers. Dallas thought he must be Dr. Joseph Mathews, who’d changed his name
and went to Minnesota. Despite his age, he looked robust enough to continue working as a doctor.
The other man was his mother’s father. Though his face was craggy with age, Dallas recognized Ransom Smith’s distinct Lakota features. His grandfather stood by Chumani, towering over her. He was lean with sculpted muscles, giving Dallas a glimpse of what he might look like when he was in his seventies.
From the shadows, another man moved toward him. He had clean cut looks and short, light brown hair. Dallas saw the shape of his jaw and his own brown eyes in the other man. “You’re my father,” he said, afraid to take his eyes off the man.
“Yes, I’m Justin Mathews,” his father answered, crossing the room to stand toe to toe with Dallas. They were the same height.
Dallas didn’t expect to be tongue-tied when he met his father. It took him a moment to think straight. “Dallas McKay,” he introduced himself, offering his hand.
Justin accepted the handshake. A hand touched on his arm. Grace wrapped him closer, causing him to look down. Chumani stood there, waiting. Dallas didn’t know what happened next other than a dam of emotions swarmed him all at once, causing him to lose his balance and nearly topple them all over as he took his parents and Grace into his arms.
“Have a seat, please,” Justin suggested, untangling himself to pull a chair over.
Dallas collapsed and grabbed Grace to place her in his lap. Justin found another chair and assisted Chumani into it. He stood behind her, his hands on the back of her chair.
“I can’t…I don’t know what to say to either of you,” Dallas said. “I tried to find you when I was younger, but everything was blocked. I gave up because I didn’t think you’d wanted to be in my life.”
“We are so sorry to hurt you that way,” Justin said. “Your mother and I, we were young and foolish. We’d thought our love would mend two feuding families. It only made things worse.”
Dallas took comfort in Grace’s warmth. She felt so good, her compassion enabling him to listen to Justin’s story. “Are you saying the Mathewses and the Akechetas had a feud?” he asked.
Chumani started to reach out for Dallas. She stopped as if she was afraid he might bite her. “Yes, and we wanted to mend the rift.”
“I see,” Dallas said, shifting Grace so he could reach over and catch his mother’s hand. “You can touch me, ina. I am not going to hurt you.”
His mother smiled softly, giving him a glimpse of the beautiful girl she’d been when he was born. “Thank you, Matoskah, or should I call you Dallas?”
“I mean you no disrespect, I prefer Dallas. It’s who I am. When I went to Houston, I denied my Lakota heritage. Mary McKay, my mom, she constantly reminded me of who I was. I am fortunate to be part of the McKay family. They’ve reared five children, all of us adopted, and made sure we were aware of our heritage. It is my hope that you will like her.”
“She’s your mom. I understand the bond,” Chumani stated. “I will love her forever.”
“Please continue,” Dallas insisted. “You were talking about the feud.”
Justin gently grasped Chumani’s shoulders. “To our way of thinking, the feud was about land. Nothing we did could change their viewpoints.”
“Is that why my grandfathers left me at the police station, as part of a feud?” Dallas questioned, gulping at how difficult that had been to ask.
Ransom and Joseph came forward to crowd around the chairs. Dallas looked up at them. Ransom started to speak. His mother stopped him. “Do not be angry at your grandfathers,” she said. “They did it protect you.”
Dallas looked at his mother, again taken by the fear in her eyes. Even now her concern was very real. “I don’t understand.”
“When your mother and I were together, she was sixteen and I was set to graduate from high school. I’d been granted an athletic scholarship to Penn State and saw it as my ticket out of South Dakota.”
Chumani looked up. “It was a few weeks after he’d left that I discovered why I was getting so sick in the mornings.”
“We convinced Chumani not to tell Justin. Selfishly, I didn’t want my son’s scholarship to be ruined,” Joseph stated. “I convinced Ransom to have her sent to a shelter I knew of in Minnesota. Everyone here thought she went to take care of a sick aunt.”
“Why would you do that?” Dallas demanded.
“Because that’s how things were done back then,” Ransom answered. “My wife and I divorced and she left me to rear Chumani. I thought sending her to a shelter would be best. We had no way of knowing the shelter was helping the agency sell babies, and stealing them if a mother changed her mind about adoption.”
“Oh god, no, that’s terrible,” Grace said close to Dallas’ ear. “How did Chumani find out?”
“I figured it out. When Father finally told me about Chumani’s pregnancy, I took a bus to Minnesota,” Justin said. “I found her in labor and took her to the clinic recommended by the shelter. Despite being a few weeks early, you were healthy, tiny, but healthy. I overheard the doctor calling the agency, demanding part of the money he was owed if he kept you until the sale went through. Not adoption, sale. I knew I had to get you and Chumani to safety.”
“You ran away,” Dallas guessed.
Justin nodded. “It took a few weeks, but we returned to Sioux Falls and Ransom contacted authorities in Minnesota. We were so worried the shelter or agency would send someone to steal you from us. I refused to let that happen.”
“Dallas,” Chumani said. “While we were on the road, I got a terrible cough and gave it to you. Whooping cough they called it. I felt so guilty that I vowed to have you reared in a proper home if Justin’s father could make you better.”
Joseph knelt down by Chumani’s chair. “I was able to heal you, but agreed adoption was the best option for you. Neither Chumani or Justin had your birth certificate, so I made one to look like I was the attending physician and Ransom took you to the police station.”
“I don’t understand,” Dallas said. “How’s that possible?”
Ransom spoke up. “No one in the area knew Chumani and Justin had come home. No one knew she’d had a baby.”
“Please understand, Dallas,” Chumani implored. “When I think of the horror that could have resulted if Justin hadn’t overheard the doctor in Minnesota, I get ill.”
“That must have been a very scary time,” Dallas said, gently squeezing her small hand. Not once had she let go, nor had he. “You needn’t worry, I’m glad you all told me the truth and don’t hold a grudge.”
“I’m sorry you felt lost in the foster care system,” Chumani said. “You were never lost, my son. My father was looking out for you all along.”
Dallas looked at Ransom Smith. “You left the police force to keep that agency in Minnesota from knowing I was Justin and Chumani’s child. Then you made sure my foster families were decent and fair.” He turned to Joseph. “And you went to the clinic where I was born, changed your name and helped take down the agency and shelter while serving the community there.”
Joseph nodded once. “Dallas, if we could go back and do things differently, we would. We’d only wanted you to be reared in a good home. You were, weren’t you?”
Dallas could barely speak. All he did was nod. Grace hugged him tight to let him know she was with him. It was all so complicated. However, he knew that there were countless cases of children getting lost in adoption schemes or stolen and sold into unspeakable situations. His mother and father had the strength to save him.
He stared at Chumani. “Did you know I was your son all along?”
She smiled. “Not at first. Justin and I separated and we went to live on opposite coasts. When I’d learned you’d gone to Texas, I came back and implored your foster father, Kohana Blackstone, to help you find a family. He’d explained to me about emancipation for children to make it legally possible for them to be adopted. Later I would read stories about you in newspapers and felt in my heart that you were my son. Justin kept tabs on you too. You
have much in common, you know?”
“We do?” Dallas turned his eyes to his father, seeing so much of himself in Justin.
“I went to Penn State on a scholarship for track and field. I’d heard about this talented athlete in Texas who went to play football for the Longhorns. He’d been a track star too. When I saw your face in the papers, I saw mine. I knew.”
“Why didn’t either of you come forward?”
“At the beginning it was to protect you,” Chumani said. “It took ten years for the agency to be brought down. I know it seems improbable. They had a Christian reputation and no one believed they were truly evil. When they were brought to justice, your father and I testified against them. Sadly, we do not know what became of the other children or the mothers living in the shelter with me. It closed shortly after Justin saved us. “
“The fact is we all hid. The guilt of knowing that was tragic. It ended Joseph’s marriage to Justin’s mother,” Ransom confessed. “It’s why I wouldn’t go by Chayton Akecheta anymore. It wasn’t that we were trying to deny you a family, Dallas. That’s all any of us wanted.”
“Please don’t hate me, cinsi,” Chumani whispered, placing her other hand on Dallas’ knee. “As difficult as it had been to give you up, I know in my heart that I did the right thing.”
“I’ve never hated you. You’re my mother.” Dallas lowered his eyes to look at Grace. Her gaze was affectionate, sweet and understanding. “I’d like for you and Justin to meet my mom and dad as soon as it can be arranged.”
“I’d like to shake the hand of the man who reared you,” his father stated.
“Grace was right,” Dallas said.
“I’m guessing the lovely lady on your lap is Grace?” Justin asked.
“Yes sir,” Dallas said. “My Gracie is amazing. She saw the photo of Chumani that I’ve kept in my pocket and knew she’d been scared. In my heart, I knew it too. It took Grace to help open my eyes to do something about it and find out why.”
“Mr. Smith, your shop is incredible,” Grace said to his grandfather. “I’d love to look around at everything.”
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