Westward Dreams (22 page)

              Owl nodded.  “I want to marry her.”

              “Then you better do things right, Owl.  Make sure before you ask her.  Are you going to be able to live in a house most of the time?  Can you be happy with the way your life has changed?” Dean said.

              “If Silver Ghost can do it, so can I.  As you said, I’m not the same Owl who’s only Lakota.  I seem to be able to walk in both worlds, too,” Owl said.

              “What about the people who are going to harass you?  Are you gonna let them run you off again?”

              Owl thought about that for a few moments.  Then a smiled spread across his face and he said, “No.  I have a plan for them.”

              “What plan is that?” Dean asked.

              “You’ll see,” Owl said cryptically.

              Dean laughed.  “Fine.  Keep your secrets.  All right.  Let’s find some shade.  I need some shuteye.”

              The night sky lit up with lightning and thunder growled as Hannah sat out on her front porch.  The weather matched her mood.  She was angry with the man who’d left her with a broken heart.  She’d given him everything; her heart, her soul, her body.  Hannah had never surrendered so much to anyone before and he’d simply taken what he’d wanted and then disappeared.

              As the first raindrops began to fall, so did Hannah’s tears.  It was getting a tiny fraction better each day.  She was able to look at Marcus now without feeling like weeping.  Laughing came easier again.  Marcus was such a clown that she couldn’t help laughing.  He flirted with the elderly ladies that came in and played with the children, which put them at ease.  If one was crying for one reason or another, Marcus whistled a happy tune and it distracted them from whatever was causing their distress.

              But tonight, sadness was her companion and she let the tears come.  The only way she was going to get through this and get on with her life was to go through the pain and come out on the other side of it.  Hannah knew that she would never fall in love again.  There could never be anyone else that she would ever give herself to the way she had Owl.

              She closed her eyes as the wind kicked up and more lightning flashed.  The air rushing past her felt good.  It had been very hot and the storm was welcomed.  When she opened her eyes, Hannah was startled to see a man standing on her porch.  Her heart stopped and then started racing.  She didn’t need any light to know who it was.  She’d seen his outline in the dark many times and would recognize him anywhere.  She couldn’t speak as he came close and looked down at her.

              Owl wanted to take Hannah in his arms and kiss her.  He wanted to assure her that he would never leave again and show her how much he needed her.  He knew that wasn’t possible so he said, “Hannah, I’m so sorry that I hurt you like that.”

              Hannah found her voice.  “How could you do that to me?  I gave you everything.  I guess it wasn’t enough to keep you here.  Go away, Owl.  I don’t want to see you.  You’re not the man I thought you were.”

              Her rejection stung, but Owl didn’t let it deter him.  “I know, Hannah.  I let a lot of people down, but you most of all.  I’m going to show you that I’m still the man you fell in love with, even if it takes the rest of my life.  I love you and I’m willing to do whatever it takes for you to forgive me.”

              He melted away into the night and Hannah clamped down on the joy seeing him brought to her.  She admonished her foolish heart and kept a firm grip on her emotions.

              Marcus answered the door and blinked as Owl looked at him.  Emotions began bouncing around inside Marcus’ chest as he looked back at his brother.  “What are you doing here?  I thought you were going to join the others who left?”

              “Our brother tracked me down and made me see how wrong I’d been,” Owl said.

              Marcus frowned.  “You mean he was actually successful?”

              “I’m here aren’t I?” Owl said.

              Marcus pushed Owl back and came out onto the porch and closed the door behind him.  “Yeah, but for how long?  What about the next time someone says something you don’t like?  Are you gonna run away again?”

              Owl shook his head.  “No.  No more running. I’m ready to fight.  I’m going to win her back, Silver Ghost.”

              Marcus pushed Owl roughly.  “Don’t call me that.  You don’t get to call me that.  Only my brothers call me that and I don’t see one of them here.  You’re just the coward who took off when things got rough.  You left without a word to me.  If you hadn’t come back with Dean, I would have never seen you again!  For the rest of my life!  Don’t you get that?”

              “Yes, I do and I’m so sorry.  I know how deeply I hurt you and I’m going to earn back your trust.  I’m going to earn back everyone’s trust,” Owl said.  “I’m so sorry.”  He sat down in one of the rocking chairs and put his head in his hands.  Silent tears coursed down his face.  Then he wiped them away and stood up.

              Marcus couldn’t stand to see anyone cry.  “Aw, hell,” he said and hugged his brother.  “Don’t you ever do anything stupid like that again.  Promise me!”

              Owl hugged Marcus back and said, “I promise.”

              Marcus released him and smiled.  “So sit down and tell me all about what happened when Dean caught up with you.”

              The next morning Owl began putting his plan into action.  He didn’t go by the clinic because he didn’t want to push his luck with Hannah.  He did go to the sheriff’s office, though.  Sammi was just pouring some coffee into a cup when he came in.  She stopped and stared so long that she overflowed the cup. 

              “Damn it!” she said and plunked the coffee pot back on the stove. 

              Owl knew better than to smile.  He was pretty sure she was going to punch him and it would be even worse if he made her any madder than she was already. 

              “Hi, Sammi,” he said.

              Her ice-blue eyes narrowed.  “Hi, Sammi?  That’s all you’ve got to say for yourself?”

              “I was just getting started,” he said.  “I’m so sorry.”

              “Yes, you are,” she said.  “I’m so pissed at you!  And so glad to see you!”

              She surprised him by giving him a long, hard hug instead of hitting him.  He hugged her back and laughed.

              “Don’t you ever do that again or I’ll track you down and shoot you!” Sammi said as she released him and smiled at him.

              “I won’t,” Owl said.  “Jack will be here soon, right?”

              “Yeah, why?” she asked.

              “There’s somewhere I want you to go with me.  I need a witness and I can’t think anyone better than a deputy,” Owl said.

              “What are you up to?” Sammi said.

              “You’ll see.”

              After a happy reunion with his nephew, Owl and Sammi went outside.  Sammi saw Swift and three other Indian horses tied by her horse.

              “What are you doing with them?” Sammi asked.

              “I’m going to make restitution to Clive’s family,” Owl said.

              “You’re what?”

              “You heard me,” Owl said as he mounted and waited for Sammi.

              Once at Clive’s brother’s house, Owl knocked on the door and waited.  Reggie answered it.

              “What the hell do you want?  I thought you left town,” he said upon seeing Owl.

              “I did, but I’m back.  In my culture, when we’ve offended someone, we give them gifts of restitution,” Owl said.  He stepped back from the door and motioned towards the three Indian horses.  “These three horses are for you.  They’re very fine horses and are yours to do with as you please.”

              Reggie’s eyes round with surprise as he looked at the horses and then at Owl.  He came outside and went over to the horses and looked them over.  Reggie saw that Owl spoke the truth about their good confirmations.  He looked at Owl.

              “Why are you doing this?”

              Owl said, “I know nothing will ever make up for Clive’s death, but I hope this gesture will create some good will between us.  I would have never hurt Clive if Hannah’s life hadn’t been in danger.  I’m not a blood thirsty savage.  I’m very sorry.”

              He held out a hand to Reggie, who eyed the hand.  Owl thought he wasn’t going to shake it.  Reggie looked at Owl and saw that the Lakota man’s eyes were filled with regret.  That and the gift of the horses moved Reggie.  It was a standup thing to do.  Reggie reached out and took Owl’s hand.

              “I don’t know that I’ll ever forgive you, but I believe that you’re really sorry and that’s a help,” Reggie said.

              “I appreciate it,” Owl said.  “Can you please call off your watch dogs?  They’ve really been scaring Hannah and she doesn’t deserve that.”

              “Yeah.  I’ll see what I can do about that,” Reggie said.

              “Thank you,” Owl said and mounted his horse again. 

              Sammi rode along beside him and said, “I’ll be damned.  Where’d you get that idea from?”

              “Something Marcus once told me about killing someone with kindness.  I guess it really does work,” Owl said.

              “I’ll say,” Sammi said.

              As Hannah did some shopping a couple of days later, she kept wondering if she’d run into Owl.  She hoped not.  She didn’t want to have a public confrontation and it would hurt her too much to see him.  Though Hannah did not see Owl, she also didn’t have anyone giving her trouble anymore.  She was able to walk about freely again and it was a huge relief. 

              That night she arrived home to find a note wedged between her kitchen door and the door jam.  There was also a small bouquet of wildflowers propped against the door.  Hannah took the note and opened it.

Dear Hannah,

              I just wanted you to know that if you need me for anything, you can always find me at Dean’s place since I live there now.

Owl

              Hannah wasn’t sure what to make of that.  He was living at the Samuels ranch now?  Why?  Turning aside her curiosity, Hannah tossed his flowers across her little yard and went into her house.  She crumpled the note in her hand and put it in the trash. 

              When she arrived at work the next morning, another bouquet of flowers awaited her along with another note from Owl.  This one told her that he had opened a bank account since he was working full-time for Dean and needed one.  She confronted Marcus in his office.

              “Did you bring these here for him?” she asked angrily.

              Marcus looked at the flowers and shook his head.  “No.  He must have snuck in here.  I never heard him, but then again I’m not surprised.”

              Hannah could tell Marcus wasn’t lying.  “Ok,” she said and dumped the flowers in the trash and tossed the note in with them. 

Only when she left his office did Marcus smile.  His brother had apparently begun his campaign to win back Hannah’s heart and Marcus knew Owl could be very persistent.  However, Marcus hoped that Hannah was going to make Owl work for it.

Hannah became angry with herself when she was disappointed that there was no note or bouquet waiting for her at home that night.  She stomped inside and fixed something to eat, but let it lay because her stomach was in too much turmoil.

However, when she opened her front door the next morning, she found two new woven rugs lying on the porch with another note.

Hannah,

              These are to replace the ones that got burned.  I hope you like them.

Owl

              Hannah pulled them inside but left them rolled up.  She hurriedly saddled her horse and rode to the clinic.  Marcus was just going in the door.  Hannah caught up to him and said, “Hey!  Can you handle things for a little while?”

              Marcus arched an eyebrow at her forceful tone.  “Uh, sure.  Why?”

              “I’m going to go give your brother a piece of my mind!” Hannah said.  “He gave me new rugs!”

              Marcus had a hard time keeping his laughter in check until she’d ridden away.  Then he went inside and let it out.

              Marcus wasn’t the only one she was forceful with. 

              “Where is he?” she asked Dean.

              “He who?” Dean said.

              Hannah put her hands on her hips.  “You know who I mean.  Don’t play dumb.”

              “Oh, him.  I’d check either his bunkhouse or the cookhouse.  He’s usually one of the two places at this time of day,” Dean said.

              “Thanks,” Hannah said as she spun around and walked away.

              Under his breath, Dean said, “Give ‘em hell, Hannah.”

              Someone rapped on Owl’s door and he opened it just as they knocked again.  Hannah found her fist hitting Owl’s stomach instead of the door.

              “Hi,” he said with a smile.  He was so happy to see her, to be near her, but by the look in her eyes, she wasn’t so happy to see him.  “C’mon in.”

              She did and slammed the door shut.  Owl backed up a little.

              “I want you to stop leaving me flowers and notes and rugs,” Hannah said.  “I don’t want anything from you.”

              She could smell horses and sweet feed on him and Hannah was flooded with desire for him.   “I want nothing to do with you, so please leave me alone.”