Westward Dreams (23 page)

              “I don’t believe you,” Owl said and took a step closer to her.

              “What do you mean?”

              “If you really didn’t want anything to do with me, you wouldn’t be here right now,” Owl said.

              “You’re wrong.  This is the last warning I’m going to give you.  If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll talk to Mitch.  I mean it,” Hannah said.  “I’m done being the victim.”

              Owl frowned at her last remark.  “Victim?  I’m not trying to harm you.  Just the opposite.  I love you.  I would never—‘”

              “But you did!  You did hurt me!  I never thought you’d leave me like that, Owl,” she said and crossed her arms over her chest in a protective gesture.  “The one person I thought I could always count on to love me and be there for me left without one damn word.  You didn’t give me a choice in whether you left or not.  I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

              Owl said, “I know and I’ll always regret what I did to you and everyone else.  But I’m here now, Hannah, and I’ll never leave again.  I promise.”

              Hannah tried to harden her heart.  “I don’t believe you.  You destroyed my trust in you the same way Clive did.”

              Her comparison of him to Clive cut him deeply, but Owl could see how she might see it that way.

              Hannah’s eyes brightened with tears.  “You said you’d always be honest with me, but you weren’t.  You lied by omission when you left and didn’t tell me you were going.”

              “I was trying to protect you.  Don’t you see?  I thought that if I left, they’d leave you alone,” Owl said.

              “Well, they didn’t!  They still hounded me.  At least if you’d been here you could have protected me,” Hannah said.

              Owl closed his eyes and said, “No, I couldn’t and it killed me.  If I’d have made one wrong move against any of them, I’d be dead now, Hannah.”

              That made Hannah stop and think.  It was true.  After the trial and the ill-will that was still aimed at Owl, if he would have hurt anyone else, there would have been no second chance for him.

              Hannah said, “So what’s different now?  Why come back then?  They still might come after you.”

              “I made restitution to his family and I bought his friends a couple of drinks and apologized to them,” Owl said.

              She said, “You did?  How did you make restitution?”

              “I gave Reggie my three finest horses and asked that he and his friends leave you alone.  We came to an understanding about it all,” Owl said.

              Hannah thought back to a few days ago when she’d been shopping and thought how nice it was that no one dogged her steps.  “That was you?”

              “I guess it worked.  I’ve been showing them that I’m not a bad guy.  I let Morris and Vince beat me at poker one night and that seems to have gone a long way towards getting on their good side,” Owl said.

              “I don’t believe it.”  Hannah couldn’t help but smile at him.  “You played poker with some of the same people who wanted to hang you.”

              He laughed.  “Yeah.  It’s pretty, um, ironic.”

              She shook her head.  “Thank you for making them leave me alone, but it doesn’t change the way I feel.  Please leave me alone.  I can’t go through something like that again.  I’m getting my life back on track.  I don’t want anything to do with you.”

              “Hannah, please try to see that I’ve changed,” Owl said.  He tried to touch her arm, but she move away.

              “Don’t touch me, Owl.”

              Owl said, “I know that you still want me, Hannah.  I can tell.  If I’m wrong, tell me.”

              Hannah looked down.  She couldn’t meet his eyes because he would see that he was right.  She felt his hands on her shoulders and then he cupped her face and made her look at him.  The hungry fire in his eyes held her captive just like always and she became immobile.  His mouth brushed against hers and she closed her eyes as he deepened the kiss.  Owl took her in his arms when she didn’t resist.  He felt her start to respond just as someone knocked on his door.  Hannah tore out of his grasp and slapped him.

              “Don’t touch me again.  Don’t come near me!” she cried and flung the door open.

              Luke stood on the other side.  She rushed past him and Luke turned back to Owl.  He noticed a red mark on Owl’s cheek.  He looked back at Hannah who had mounted her horse and was cantering down the lane.

              “What?” Owl demanded angrily.  “What do you want?”

              “Um, we’re ready to start branding,” Luke said.  “I’m sorry I interrupted.”

              Owl sighed.  “Don’t worry about it.  It’s not your fault.  I’ll be right there.”

              “Ok,” Luke said and left.

              After taking a few moments to get his bearings, Owl went to join Luke and Seth.  As he worked, though, all he could think about was how unbelievably good it had been to kiss Hannah again.  If only Luke hadn’t come along when he had, Owl thought.  He pushed his thoughts aside for the moment since his task required his full attention.

              Hannah rode hard for town.  Tears were caught on the wind and her face dried as she sped along.  How could she give in like that?  She chided herself for being so weak.  When she made it to the clinic, she was in a flustered state and couldn’t concentrate properly.  Marcus was concerned about her and when lunch time came, he drew her into his office and shut the door.

              “What’s going on?  I’ve never seen you like this,” Marcus said.

              Hannah felt like she was going to hyperventilate.  “I don’t know.  I’m so confused.  I hate him and I love him and I don’t want to see him and I do want to see him.  He bought me rugs and gave me flowers and stopped Reggie’s harassment and he’s living at your ranch and he opened a bank account and I don’t know what it all means.  Then he has to tell me that he loves me and he kissed me.  He kissed me.  Can you believe that?”

              Marcus sat her down and made her take some deep breaths.  “I don’t want you passing out on me.  Let’s back up a little.  Ok, so he opened a bank account and he’s living out at the ranch.  Why would he do that?”

              “I don’t know.  Is this a quiz?” Hannah snapped and instantly regretted it.

              Marcus said, “No.  What did you do when you moved here and got a job?”

              “I opened a bank account and then I bought my house,” Hannah said.

              “Why?”

              “Because I was staying,” Hannah said.  “Oh.  I see.”

              “I’m not taking sides, Hannah.  I’m trying to offer you some insight into how Owl does things.  He’s not a big talker about his feelings like I am.  But he shows his feelings by doing things.  What he doesn’t realize is that sometimes what’s clear to him isn’t to other people.  I’m trying to translate in a way, I guess,” Marcus said and continued.   “Uh, the rugs.  Why would he get new rugs for you?  What happened to the old ones?”

              “They were burned that night when they threw the bottles through the windows,” Hannah said.  “He feels that they did that because of him so he felt that he should replace them?”

              “Now you’re getting it.  The flowers?”             

              “He knows which ones are my favorites and wanted to do something nice for me,” Hannah said.

              “You say that he got Reggie to stop bugging you, right?  How did he do that?” Marcus asked.

              “He gave him his three best horses,” Hannah said.  She remembered Owl once telling her that horses were the most prized possession of the Lakota people.  “He gave up something valuable because my safety is more important than the horses.”

              Marcus smiled.  “I don’t have to explain why he would kiss you, do I?”

              Hannah laughed.  “No, you don’t.  You really are smart.  How do you remember all the things you do?  You speak English, Lakota, and Owl.”

             
“Don’t forget Latin, French and Claire,” Marcus said.

              “Bragging doesn’t become you, doctor,” Hannah said.  “You have to translate Claire?”

              “Yep.  She says one thing, but there’s a hidden meaning under her words sometimes.  Especially when she’s angry,” Marcus said.  “So what are you going to do?”

              “I don’t know, but this conversation never took place,” Hannah said and got up.

              “Agreed,” Marcus said.

              Owl decided that push had come to shove and that he couldn’t be patient any longer.  He knew what he had to do, but had to decide how to go about it.  He spent a whole night alternating between pacing and lying in bed while he mulled the options over.  Then it came to him as morning came and he went to talk to Dean.

              Several days after her encounter with Owl, Dean surprised Hannah by showing up in the clinic waiting room.  It was about the time they would close up.

              “Hi, Dean.  Marcus is in his office if you want to go back,” she said.

              “Nope.  I’m here because I need to show you something,” Dean said.

              “What do you mean?” Hannah asked.

              “Are you ready to leave?” Dean asked.

              “Yes.  Why?” Hannah said.

              Dean laughed.  “Because I want to show you something.”

              “Ok.  I’m ready,” Hannah said a little apprehensively.

              As they walked, Hannah kept looking at Dean.  “Where are we going?”

              “You’ll see,” Dean said.  “It’s important that I show you this.”

              Hannah could see that she wasn’t going to get more out of him about it.  “So how was your day?” she asked.

              “Fine.  The twins were driving me crazy today.  We’re trying to get some more cattle branded and they kept running in the pasture getting in the way.  Jamie had her hands full with them.  Mikey was at the camp, so he wasn’t there to help.  Tessa is trying to get the final draft of her book done to send off,” Dean informed her.

              “Sounds like a busy day,” Hannah said.

              “It always is,” he replied.  “Here we go.  Stand here.  See ya later.”

              “What?  Where are you going?” she called after him.

              Dean just waved and smiled and went on his way.  Hannah looked up at the sign that said “Jacobs’ Finery”.  Then she looked down at the street and remembered the rainy April day when the streets were so muddy and slippery and she’d first met Owl.  She remembered her shock at meeting her first Indian and how handsome she’d found him as she’d lain on top of him.  Hannah thought about how funny it had been to see his impression in the mud after he’d gotten up.

              She jumped when she felt a hand settle on her shoulder.  Hannah knew that touch and looked up into Owl’s eyes and then did a double take.

              “Oh, my Lord!  What are you wearing?” Hannah asked as she felt her breath leave her body.

              “It’s called a suit,” Owl said.

              Hannah stared openmouthed as she took in how delicious he looked in the formal attire.  She didn’t think she’d ever seen a man look so good in a suit.  He’d pulled his long hair back in a loose ponytail and the effect was masculine and exotic.  He smiled and gently closed her mouth before holding out his hand to her.

              Hannah took it without thinking and followed him into the store.  The displays were pushed back and a beautifully set table sat in the center of the store.  Hannah felt underdressed in her nurse uniform.  As if he’d read her thoughts, Owl said, “There’s something for you in the changing room, I’m told.”

              Hannah said, “What is it?”

              His eyes held a mischievous light as he said, “You’ll have to go see.”

              Too curious to object, Hannah left him to go to the dressing room.  She found a beautiful Lakota dress hanging there.  She reached out to touch the ornate beadwork and felt the supple material.  It was a very light shade of beige and Hannah wondered how they got it that color.  As she slipped the dress over her head and let it slide down her body, Hannah was amazed at how soft it felt.  It fell to just above her knees and left most of her arms bare.

              She smiled as she looked in the mirror.  Hannah liked what she saw and hoped Owl would, too.  That thought stopped her.  What was she doing?  She was confused and then she remembered what Marcus had told her about Owl showing people what he was feeling or thinking.  Hannah decided to see what Owl had up his sleeve.  On impulse, Hannah took her hair down and then braided it and put it over one shoulder.

              Looking down, she thought that her shoes did not go with the beautiful dress and decided to just go barefoot.  Feeling a little giddy, Hannah went back out to the main room and found Owl sitting in one of the chairs.  He looked relaxed and had been waiting patiently.  It was one of the things she loved about him.  He never made her feel rushed no matter what was going on.

              He saw her and rose from the chair.  Owl thought she’d never looked more beautiful than at that moment.  Her hair shone in the soft candle light and the dress fit her womanly figure perfectly.  He smiled when he saw her pretty bare feet.

              Hannah stopped in front of him and allowed him to help seat her.  She wondered where he'd learned such things.  No sooner was Owl seated when Jack and Jamie entered the room dressed in servant uniforms carrying silver serving trays.  Though both of them smiled, neither spoke as they sat the trays down and lifted the lids.  Joe followed with a very fine bottle of wine.

              He didn’t speak either as he poured the red liquid into their glasses and then sat the bottle down.  Then he bowed and left them.

              “What is all this?” Hannah asked.

              Owl smiled.  “This is a date.”

              Hannah wasn’t sure what to say to that.  “A date?”

              “Yes.  Do you like it so far?” Owl asked in Lakota.

              She smiled and switched also.  “It’s funny to hear you speak Lakota while you’re in that beautiful suit.”

              “And it’s funny to hear you speak English in a Lakota maiden’s dress.  I wanted to hear you speak Lakota while you were wearing it,” Owl confessed.

              “You’re tricky, Owl,” Hannah said. 

              “I’ve been told that,” Owl said.

              Hannah looked at the food and recognized the same dishes they’d eaten on their first date when he’d taken her to the empty campsite.  “Did you cook these?”

              “Yes.”

              “In the ground?”
              “Yes,” Owl said.  “In Sammi and Mitch’s backyard so they would stay hot.”

              Hannah cut into the meat and put a bite in her mouth.  The savory flavor she remembered flooded her taste buds and she smiled.  Owl got enjoyment simply from watching her enjoy the meal so much.  He didn’t make conversation.  He just let her eat her food and drink her wine.  She didn’t seem to mind the silence.

              When they put their silverware down, Tessa came in carrying a peach cobbler, which she sat on the table.  She smiled at them and walked from the room.  Hannah looked at Owl in amusement.  “I can’t believe you did all this.”

              “I have my moments,” he said with a smile.

              Hannah’s pulse quickened at the sight of that smile.  She thought again what a beautiful man he was. 

              He served the cobbler and they once again ate in comfortable silence.  Hannah thought she was hearing things when violin music began to play.  Owl stood and held out his hand.  “May I have this dance?” he asked.

              Hannah put her hand in his. 
I must be dreaming.  If I am, I don’t want to wake up
, she thought.  She recognized the waltz being played as Owl took her in his arms and began to move with her.  His steps were smooth and graceful and she looked into his eyes with wonderment.  Owl moved confidently and never stepped on her bare feet as they danced. 

Hannah’s mother had taught her how to waltz but she hadn’t done it in so long that she was a little rusty.  It came back to her and she enjoyed moving with Owl.  Owl delighted in having her back in his arms again and could have danced with her forever.  The violins slowly stopped playing and Owl halted their dancing.

“Come with me, please,” Owl said and led Hannah outside the store.  He guided her to where he wanted her to stand and said, “Right on this spot is where we first met and my life changed forever.  We lay there in the mud and when you looked at me, I felt something between us.  Call it crazy, but I did.  Ever since then, I’ve been happier than I ever thought I would be again.  After Blue Star and Wild Horse died, I closed my heart to the possibility of this kind of happiness, but you came along and opened it up again.”

“I know that I hurt you when I left and I hate myself for that.  But, I promise that if you let me back into your life, I’ll never leave you again.  You will come first and I’ll spend every day making you happy and showing you how much I love you.”

He shocked her by kneeling and taking out a ring box from his suit pocket.  Owl became nervous as he opened the box and said, “Hannah, will you marry me?” he couldn’t get more than that out and held his breath as he waited for her answer.

All of her love for him bubbled to the surface as she knew that this was the ultimate way for him to show that he meant what he said and was making the most serious commitment to her.  Softly she said, “Yes, Owl.  I’ll marry you.”

He put the ring on her finger and stood up again.  They kissed in the street.  Suddenly there was a lot of clapping around them.  Owl released her reluctantly and they were congratulated by their family and friends.

Hannah saw Dean and shook her finger at him.  He just laughed and said, “I told you I had something to show you.”