She leaned against Chaska’s chest. “Will you visit me?”
It was a five- or six-hour drive to Pine Ridge, something he could only pull off on weekends when he didn’t have extra work. “As often as I can.”
It wouldn’t be often enough, not nearly often enough.
You were led to her.
The thought was no comfort as they took turns in the shower and went down to breakfast. He had a week left with her at most. After that, who knew where life would lead her?
They joined the others downstairs for a big Saturday breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon with lots of coffee. Doug was delighted by Naomi’s decision, his happiness making Chaska feel selfish. The man had lost twenty-seven years of his daughter’s life and wanted to make that up to her. Naomi had a family she’d never met, a heritage she had yet to discover.
How could Chaska stand in the way of that?
While he sat there, drinking his coffee and trying to pretend that he didn’t have a hole in his heart, the two of them started making real plans. They decided Doug would fly back next Friday night and that they would leave Saturday morning, Doug driving Naomi’s Honda to Rapid City. They’d stay overnight there, pack up some of her things, and then head out on the land in the morning.
“We’d like to have a big reunion, bring thetiospayetogether to meet her, and we would love it if the three of you could be there, too. You are the reason Naomi is alive. You’re the reason I found her.”
Naomi looked hopefully over at him.
He took her hand. “Of course, we’ll be there.”
Old Man got to his feet. “Chaska, come take an old man for a walk.”
Chaska knew this was his grandfather’s way of saying he wanted time alone to talk before he left for the drive home. He tossed back the rest of his coffee. “Let me get my shoes.”
The sun was high above the horizon as they made their way out the front door, down the steps, and out to the sidewalk, turning right and going downhill.
Old Man spoke first. “It’s a good thing you’ve done—saving this woman’s life, helping her to find her father. I see goodness in her. You love her.”
There was no denying that. “With everything I am.”
“It will be hard for you to be away from her.”
“I want to tell her what happened, how I was led to her. I want to tell her I love her. But I don’t want to interfere with her life. It is right for her to go home, to meet her family, to meet her people.”
“You must come up and visit her—and me.”
“I will.”
“What about your own father?”
Aiii.
Chaska ought to have known there was a trap in here somewhere.
“You know how I feel about him.”
“He dishonored the Sun Dance. I agreed with you. I agree with you still. But for you not to see him and not to speak with him—is what he did so terrible that you would treat him as if he no longer exists?”
Chaska had no answer for this.
“One never knows how many journeys around the sun anyone will get. My son isn’t as young as he once was. He knows what he did was wrong. He misses you.”
“Is he still drinking and smoking weed at Sun Dance?”
“I do not know, but if you were to dance next month, you could find out.”
“Next month?” Chaska laughed. “I don’t think I can get a month off right now, even if I wanted to be part of his Sun Dance.”