It was close to midnight by the time they returned to the cabin. They left Israel and Rose with the Bradleys. Katie-Grace was half asleep, so even though she was nearly fourteen years old, Daniel carried her inside. He laid her down on the sick bed that they kept just outside their own bedroom rather than trying to get her upstairs and into the loft. Tucking her in, Daniel said, "What do you think?"
"Katie doesn't do anything fast." Becky said looking up at him. "It took her nearly six months before she spoke at all, remember? Let's give her some time."
He nodded thinking of her then small and helpless. "I wish we'd known sooner. He's wounded her something fierce. I will harm him when next I see him." He said.
"I'm not arguing with you, Daniel. I might beat you to it. Not that it will solve anything." She sighed and sat down at the chair near the bed. "I'm gonna sit with her a spell. You don't mind do ya?"
He disappeared and returned with a second chair that he set alongside hers. "Nope. Hope you don't mind company." He smiled and she rested her head against his shoulder.
***DB***
The late afternoon sun came slanting through the curtains. Katie-Grace could hear voices. She sat up and saw Rose poke her head around the curtain.
"I knew you were awake!" She came in and sat on the bed. "Well, we don't have to go to school no more."
"Anymore." Katie corrected her. "Really?"
"Yep. Pa says Ma can teach us. Can you believe it? We shoulda said somethin' sooner! Katie, you shouldn't never have listened to him. He's just mean. He doesn't know a thing about either one of us. Why, he can't even get our names right! I'm not Margaret, and you are not an O'Malley. You are a Boone - everyone knows that - 'cept him, and maybe you."
"Rose, leave Katie be!" Her Ma said. "She just woke up. Didn't I tell you to finish reading that chapter? I've got questions for you when you are finished."
"Yes, Ma'am." Rose said and disappeared.
Rebecca sat down on the bed and studied Katie thoughtfully. "I bet you are hungry. You didn't touch your supper last night and it is after the dinner hour." She reached out and brushed the hair out of Katie's eyes. "You haven't been sleeping well, either, have you?"
Katie shook her head.
"Well, you are one for secrets. I suppose you come by it honest. I've been known to keep my troubles tucked away from time to time. You've put me in an awkward position, though. I'm going to be forced to admit your Pa's right about keeping secrets. And you know how I hate telling him he's right!" Katie nodded and in spite of herself grinned.
"I'm sorry." She said very softly.
"You've got nothing to be sorry for, ah grah. You go on and get dressed. I'll fix you anything you want to eat." She grinned at her.
***DB***
Daniel returned home just before supper with Israel. "Look who I found as I was leaving the fort! I hope you cooked a big supper because I do believe your son has worked up an appetite."
Becky looked up at Israel. It still shocked her to have to look up into his eyes. He was taller than her now, and gaining on his father.
"Well, unless you killed a couple of deer on your way home, I can't imagine I've cooked enough food to fill him up. May God give your wife strength, Israel. I don't know how she'll keep you fed."
"Well, Anna Lee's a clever girl." Daniel said with a wink and Israel turned purple with embarrassment.
"Pa!" Israel said. "I'm going to get washed up!" He said and stormed out the door.
"Daniel! Don't pick on him!" Rebecca shook her head at him and turned back to the fire.
"Well, girls, how was school today? I hear that new teacher of yours can be quite stern." He grinned at them.
"I like her much better than my old teacher!" Rose said. "At least she knows our names!"
He looked over at Katie-Grace who was in the pantry helping with supper. "And what about you? Did you get enough sleep?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
"Well, in my experience, pretty girls are worth the trouble they cause." He said winking at her. "Now, your Ma here, has caused me a bit of discomfort from time to time, but she's so beautiful and such a good cook, I don't mind it one bit."
"Daniel Boone!" Becky said angry. "You keep talking like that and I'll give all your supper to Israel. I know he can eat it!"
"See what I mean?" He winked at Becky.
"Oh, you!" She said and began to put the dishes on the table. They sat down to a quiet dinner. Most everyone was tired and so it wasn't long after the dishes were cleaned that everyone began to turn towards bed. Israel was first.
"I can't believe how tired I am." He said. "Good night!"
His father laughed at him. "Does it make you miss school?"
"No, sir!" Israel said and had disappeared into his room.
"Rose you ought to get to bed too. I know you were up late into the night talking with Elizabeth. Go on now!" Becky said to their youngest.
"Yes, Ma'am." She put her arms around her mother who sat in her rocking chair by the fire knitting. "Ma, thank you for teaching me. I'm so happy not to go to that school anymore." She kissed her cheek. "I love you, Ma!"
"I love you too, Rose Boone. Now go on up to bed." Rose disappeared up the ladder.
"What about you Katie-Grace? Are you sleepy?" Daniel asked her.
"I guess not. I slept half the day. I'm all out of sorts now." She said.
"You feel like talking?" Becky asked setting her knitting aside. Katie sighed and closed the book she'd been reading. She'd been waiting all day for this.
"I suppose I have to." She said.
"I'm half inclined to leave you be, Katie-Grace, but I reckon, talking is the one thing you'll never do, unless we force ya. And your Ma here knows, that sometimes you got to push people into talkin' for their own good."
"Words are hard." She sighed.
"Words are hard for you because you spent too much of your life not using them." Rebecca said quietly. "Maybe the good of this mess, is that you have to tell us now. Tell us the things you've kept inside."
Katie sat silent her chin in her hand. They knew to be patient. Becky was right, Katie did most things slowly - especially when it came to words. Then her face brightened, and she reached in her pocket and pulled out a paper. She handed it to Rebecca.
"You can read it! It is a good start. Then we can talk."
Rebecca took the paper from her and looked at her husband.
"That seems fair, I guess, but you still have to talk." He studied her.
"I understand, Uncle . . ." She caught herself, but not quite in time.
"What did you call me?" He sounded angry. "What did you say?"
"Daniel! You're scaring her." Rebecca turned towards Katie. "He's not angry at you. It just sounds that way. He's thinking of Master Jacobs. Katie, when your Pa thinks someone has hurt you he gets really angry. He sounds harsh because you've been hurt. He's angry that you feel like you do. He's not mad at you."
"I'm not angry at you, your Ma's right." His voice softened. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it to sound like I was. When I think of any of my girls hurt, well, my temper gets the best of me. I didn't mean to speak so harsh. You can call me whatever you want, Uncle Dan, Pa, Old Man Boone, Mr. Tall Person! I don't care a whit. I'm not confused about us. You are my girl, Katie-Grace. You are my daughter. I thought that within weeks of you coming here. Both your Ma and I called you ours without ever thinking on it. Nothing anyone else or even you say could change it." He nodded at her.
"I . . . the things he said made me not trust myself. He made me think maybe I was wrong. It made me feel afraid that you would decided to . . .and I couldn't . . . if you sent me . . ." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Go ahead and read it," She hesitated just for a second, "Ma."
Becky studied her, and leaning forward kissed her cheek saying, "Oh inouin, you are ours." Then she unfolded the paper and began to read:
My Pa
I can remember the first time I ever saw my Pa. Most folks can't but I can. I was hiding in the dirt. My whole family had been killed by the Shawnee. I was the only one left. They told me later that I probably hid for four days, but it seemed like a lifetime. There was screaming and crying and then absolute silence. I was alone and lost, and it was horrible. And then there he was.
My Pa is tall, taller than anyone you'll ever meet. I was only five and small for my age, so when he lifted me up it felt like I was headed straight for the clouds. Then I looked into his eyes. His eyes are green, and I'd call them pretty, but he wouldn't like that one bit. But they are, and they are kind, and that's when I knew I was finally safe.
When I tell people that story they think that I mean safe from the Shawnee, and it is part that, but more than that too.
You could split my life into two pieces: One part with my Mother and Father, and the other with my Ma and Pa. The first part was dark and scary, but the second is filled with sunshine and love. I never, ever had a home 'til I came to Kentucky. My mother tried her best, but it is hard to take care of someone when you are being hurt yourself. My father was mean and the only thing I remember about him is the sound of his voice when he yelled or the feeling of his hand hitting me.
But that ended a long time ago. It took me awhile to realize I was home. I keep waiting for angry voices, and pushing. I kept waiting for hatred and crying, but it never came. I waited and watched for a long time. My Ma says I do most things slow - except for chores. I always try my best to do what I'm told because I want my family to know that I'm happy to be with them. But the way I feel and think, takes me a long time. I guess I been sorting it out for awhile.
But this is supposed to be about my Pa, not me. So now, I will tell you what I know about him:
First, he loves my Ma the way a bird loves the sky. That's probably the most important thing about him because it is the biggest thing about him. My father never loved mother so I'd never seen that before. I love to see it. I love to watch all the tiny things he does all the time that show it. He'll reach for her hand when she's sad, or reach out and push her hair from her eyes sometimes. I remember once he walked an extra mile out of his way because he'd heard there was a field full of violet birdfoot. He brought her a giant bundle and said, "I found these on the trail." He brings her books from Salem because she loves to read, he makes sure there is enough firewood for her, and he watches her even when she doesn't know it, and you can tell just from the way his eyes light on her, that he thinks she is beautiful. Once when we were at the fort a stranger turned towards Ma and said something harsh to her. My Pa stepped in front of her, and reached for her hand all in one quick move. It was beautiful and even more so because he did it without thinking; as though loving her and protecting her was as natural as breathing.
He loves to see new things. Exploring is in his blood, I guess. He is always looking ahead of the trail to see what comes next. His eyes are always looking off o something in the distance. He is curious to see what's around the next bend. I think if it weren't for my Ma, he would go looking over each hill until he made his way back around the globe again.
He loves to be outside. The trees, the grass and the open sky strengthen him somehow. Ma always says he'd rather sleep under a tree than anywhere else. I guess she's right, but I would add that he would rather sleep under a tree if she were there with him.
He loves his children - all of them. He loves Jemima, Israel and Rose. He loves James, and William, and Elizabeth and Patrick, who died long ago, but he loves them still. There's nothing he wouldn't do for them. He works hard to make sure his children are safe. I've seen him give the last bit of food to Rose, even though he's hungry.
I guess the last thing I could say about my Pa, is that he loves me too. Even though, I'm just his niece and he's not even really related to me, except by marrying my aunt, he still loves me. If you ask him right now how many children he has, he'll tell you "Four here on this earth with me." I remember the first time I heard him say that and I understood he was claiming me as his own. I wanted to sit down and cry right there. I wanted to throw my arms around him and say thank you a hundred times, but talking is hard for me. So I just swallowed down my tears and tucked it away.
I guess most folks wouldn't think the fact that your Pa loves you is a surprise, but it is to me. He would never hit me or yell at me. He only wants me safe and happy. And I feel grateful every single day that he and my Ma claim me as theirs. It took me awhile to understand that I was home. But that's the truth of it: I am finally home now.
My name is Kathleen-Grace Siobhan Boone, and Daniel Boone is my Pa. I am his daughter.
Rebecca sat back and handed the paper to Daniel. He looked at it and folded it up and tucked it into his shirt pocket. "Katie-Grace, you come here." He opened his arms to her. She sighed and bit her lower lip and crossed to him. He pulled her into his arms. Finally, she began to cry.
"That's alright now, Katie girl." He said. He looked over at Rebecca who, crying herself, crossed to them. She sat down beside them and put her arms around them both. "Say it out loud, Katie." He told her pushing her away from him so they could see her eyes.
She looked from Rebecca's face to his, resting in their arms. "You are my Ma and Pa." She said at last and smiling she repeated it, "You are my Ma and Pa. It was always you and no one else."
They held her tightly to them and her Ma reached out and touched her cheek gently and said, "Go deo; forever."
***DB***
Katie smiled watching her brother inhale the food she'd brought him.
"Don't you ever get full?" She asked him.
"Not too often." He looked up at her. "So, it is better then?"
"Yes. I just was frightened, I guess. He made me think maybe they would send me away. I couldn't survive that. It would be the end of me." She always found talking to Israel easier.
"He'd better stay away from Pa, or me for that matter." He sighed. "So you showed them your essay, and then what?"
"We talked for a long time. I told them the truth about my parents. Turns out Ma knew already. My mother had written her letters. She showed them to me. It is silly now, when I think about it. Getting so upset over the things he said."
"It is when you think about it. You are ours, Katie. You have been forever. I've never questioned whether you were my sister. Ma ran twenty-five miles to save you, and Pa faced a pack of Shawnee to bring you home."
She laughed. "I know, I should've talked to you. You would've set me straight."
"You should always listen to your brother." He grinned. "I better get back to work. Thanks for bringing me dinner. I'll see you at home."
"Tell, Anna Lee, she's the only thing I miss about school." She grinned at him knowing he visited her nearly every day.
***DB***
She crested the hill and found him at the southwest corner working on a broken fence. Well, not working really. He was leaning against the fence, a piece of paper in his hand. She smiled.
"I brought you some dinner." She said.
"I heard ya comin' this time." He grinned at her.
"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. Good reading?" She indicated the letter in his hand.
Seeing his face turn pink surprised her and made her laugh. He handed it to her and took the basket from her. He sat down to eat. She read it again.
He watched her and said, "I'm not gonna let you read it if you're gonna cry every time."
She sat down beside him. "I'm glad I didn't know how closely I was being watched. It would have made me nervous. "
He laughed and leaning over, kissed her cheek. "I am sorry as can be about your sister, Becky. I truly am."
"I know that." She said softly. "I am too. Susannah was headstrong."
"Really?" He smiled at her.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I know. It must be in our blood. But you know, she was headstrong about listening. I told her to leave him; to run away even if she didn't come to us. But she wrote that she never would. Maybe she changed her mind; maybe that's why she was so determined to come even after you told her it wasn't safe." She looked at him. "It is hard to be thankful that she came, seeing what it cost. But how can I not be thankful when I look at Katie-Grace?"
He nodded. "I feel the same. I can't imagine her not here with us, but the only way for her to be here is for your sister to have died. How can I be grateful for something that hurt you so?" He took her hand. "It's a mite complicated."
"It is that. I am glad she finally spoke about it, though. She keeps secrets hard." Becky said looking off into the blue Kentucky sky.
"She takes after her Ma." He said giving her fingers a squeeze.
"You are one to talk! Now, how exactly did you get that scar on your left leg last spring?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"I can't remember." He said avoiding the subject.
"Uh, huh." She grinned at him. "I'm fairly certain you didn't trip along the trail and cut it on a branch."
"I suppose I ought to get back to that fence." He said quickly.
"I suppose you ought." She said smiling at him. He rose and helped her up, turning to go she paused and said, "Dan?"
"I'm not telling ya, so don't ask Becky. No use you get anxious after the fact." He said.
"No, I wasn't going to ask you about it. I was only teasing. I know why you leave out details. I have been married to you long enough to know sometimes less information is better."
"Oh, then what is it?" He asked.
"I just wanted to say that I am grateful." She turned suddenly shy.
"Grateful?"
"Yes. That my being bound didn't matter to you, or my being Irish, or being stubborn, or having a temper. I'm grateful that you don't care if I'm not like other wives and quiet and obedient every single minute of every single day. And I'm grateful that you take me as I am. I am grateful that you love me even if I could only give you four children." He opened his mouth to speak, but she didn't pause. "And that you would take in my niece and love her so. I'm grateful that even though you heart longs to explore, you come home to me." She blushed and looked down.
"My feet long to travel, Becky, not my heart. My heart is with you. There's no one else under all the skies who would do for me." He said pulling her into his arms. "There's only you. I wish I could say pretty words like in those books you read. I like how Katie said it: I love you like a bird loves the sky. And its me that is grateful. I can't believe you still love me, especially after James, and in spite of all the leaving I do. I am always shocked to see you still there waiting for me." He ran his hand along the line of her cheek. "You are so beautiful, and I don't just mean on the outside, although you most certainly are that. I mean beautiful on the inside. You are the most beautiful person I've ever known."
She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beating. "I don't know. You seem to manage pretty words alright." She smiled up at him and leaning in he kissed her. After a bit she slipped out of his arms and said, "Now, go fix my fence, Mr. Boone."
"Yes, Ma'am, Mrs. Boone, right away." But he stood watching her as she disappeared down the hill and walked back to the cabin.