Free Unbearable: Russet Falls Series by W.H. Vega Page A

honestly, I want to do nothing more than forget that
it ever happened.”
    Her mother looked like she wanted to say more, but Gabby
seized the opportunity of her mother seeming more together than she had in
weeks.
    “Mom, I need to ask you something.”
    Her mother looked like she was still trying to wrap her head
around the fact that a bear had nearly attacked Gabby. Gabby herded her mother
into the living room.
    The room was filthy and Gabby wanted to gag. “I need to ask
you something about Dad.”
    Her mother sank down on the couch and reached for a bottle
of vodka on the coffee table.
    “Wait,” Gabby ordered.
    Her mother gave her a dirty look, but put the bottle down.
    “Was Dad’s family Native American? I found some pictures and
it looked like Dad’s mother was part Native American, and then I saw pictures
of his grandmother and great-grandmother, and she and her family definitely
looked Native American.”
    Her mother narrowed her eyes. “Where were these pictures?”
    Gabby blinked. “In a photo album that I have. It’s all of
dad’s family.”
    Her mother’s mouth set in a hard line. “Your father didn’t
like to talk about it, but yes, he had Native blood.” She looked so angry.
    “Is there something wrong with that?” Gabby asked slowly. “I
just never realized that we had that heritage.”
    Her mother scoffed. “You have hardly any of that blood in
you. Your father was barely a quarter Native American, and he never spoke of
it. He was ashamed.” Now her mother’s eyes were wild, and Gabby wondered if she
had been drinking that morning after all.
    “Ashamed?” Gabby asked dumbly.
    “Your father wanted nothing to do with dirty Indians!”
    “Dirty Indians?” Gabby asked incredulously. “Are you
serious?”
    “Of course I’m serious. And you’d be smart not to go poking
your nose around.”
    “But—but I don’t understand,” Gabby argued.
    “Let it go, Gabby. I’ve told you what I know. All I know is
that it was a part of your father’s past that he hated. He never spoke of it.
Yes, you have a bit of that blood in you. It doesn’t mean anything and it was a
part of your father that he wasn’t proud of.” She folded her arms across her
chest. “That’s all I know.”
    Gabby nodded, standing up. It was more information than she
had expected, so she had no right to be angry with her mother. “Thank you,” she
said stiffly.
    “Yeah, well, thanks for the food,” her mother said, standing
up and staring at the floor.
    “Right.”
    Gabby went in the kitchen just as Lucy was putting away the
last of the groceries.
    “I’m heading out, Luce. I’ll see you later.”
     “Thanks for going shopping,” she whispered.
    Gabby nodded. “Yep. Stay out of trouble tomorrow, got it?”
Tomorrow was Friday, and it would give Gabby peace of mind to know that Lucy
could make it to the weekend.
    Lucy rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
    Gabby headed out the door, glad to be leaving her mother’s
house, but still not feeling satisfied by the information her mother had given
her.

Chapter Ten

     
     
    Gabby found herself at work the next day and couldn’t help
but ask Paul about Native Americans.
    “Paul, do you know much about Native Americans?” she asked
after she directed a couple to one of the better restaurants in town.
    Paul cocked his head. “Whadda ya mean? Like Native
Americans, in general?”
    “No, no. I mean Native Americans around this area.”
    Paul frowned. “I’m sure there are some in the area. I just
don’t know too much. I know a lot of Native Americans from Washington moved
down this way. And there was a big stigma attached.”
    That caught Gabby’s attention. “What do you mean by stigma?”
    Paul shrugged. “I know that a lot of people at the time
thought that the Native Americans were evil and up to no good. That kind of
thing.”
    Gabby frowned, none of it made sense. “But why?”
    Paul shrugged. “No clue. Just the way people reacted