Westward Dreams (5 page)

              He knew that he had Marcus to thank for the acceptance most people extended towards him.  Marcus’ Lakota heritage was well known now, but he was a respected member of the community and well liked.  So with him vouching for Owl, there’d been very little trouble for him.  Owl ignored the rude stares and walked with his head held high as he went over to the candy counter.  Elliot Bradbury, the son of the owner, stood behind it.  “Hey, Owl.  How goes it?”

              “Fine.  You?” Owl asked with a smile. 

              “Good.  Are you back for more candy?” Elliot asked.

              Owl said, “Yes.  Same as last time, please.”

              Elliot laughed.  “That’s some sweet tooth you have, Owl.”

              “It is your fault.  You gave me peppermint candy and now have to have it,” Owl said.

              “Sure.  Blame the white guy,” Elliot said.  He and Owl laughed together.  It was a standard joke between them.

              Owl said.  “I will be back.”

              “Ok,” Elliot replied.

              Owl liked to look up and down the shelves.  There were things for sale that confused him and then others that he liked.  Going past the section for ladies, something caught his eye.  He backed up and saw a pair of barrettes on a shelf.  They had a butterfly design etched into them and Owl thought they would look nice on Hannah. He smiled and took them with him back to the counter.

              He paid for his purchases and turned around to see Clive staring at him.  Now that he knew how badly Clive had wronged Hannah, Owl couldn’t stand the sight of the man.  He walked right up to Clive and said, “Leave Hannah be or there be big trouble.”  Owl didn’t wait for a reply.  He walked out the door with a smile on his face.

              Tessa watched as Owl played with Mikey, Aiyana, and the twins out on the lawn.  She sat on the front porch swing enjoying the mild weather.  Owl’s method of playing reminded her of Marcus and she missed her brother-in-law very much.  She was so happy that Marcus’ dream of becoming a doctor was finally coming true.  He deserved it after all the work he’d put into it over the years.

              Owl scooped up Katie and swung her around while she let out shrieks of laughter.  Like Marcus, Owl was wonderful with children and she thought that it was too bad that Owl didn’t have any of his own.  Sometimes she didn’t like it that he interfered when they were disciplining the kids, but she tried to remember that it was ingrained in Owl to side with the children.

              She smiled as she thought about how Owl had wheedled permission out of Dean for him to give Mikey one of his Indian ponies when his family came back to camp.  Dean had complained about it the day he’d discussed it with Owl.  He had gotten cranky when she’d laughed about Dean giving in.  Owl seemed to have made it his personal mission to annoy Dean and he never wasted an opportunity to bait the rancher.  It was amusing to everyone except Dean.

              Owl had continued to teach the children to speak Lakota after Marcus had left and when he was with them, made them speak only the ancient language.  Conversely, Tessa and Claire had insisted that he not only learn English better, but to also read and write English.  They told him that since he was going to be around for the winter, it would be good for him to know more English.

              He had reluctantly agreed and Mikey helped him a lot.  Sometimes the two of them did more goofing off than actual work, but eventually they completed their studies.  Owl hated it when Claire gave him back something to be corrected.  He’d grumble in Lakota and go off to fix whatever it was.  At those moments, it was amazing how much his mannerisms were like Marcus’. 

              Owl left the children and came running up to the porch.  He smiled at Tessa and asked, “What time is it?”

              Tessa looked at her watch.  “Four o’clock.”

              “I thought so,” he said with a glance at the sky. 

              “Are you going somewhere?” Tessa asked.

              “Yes, nosey,” he teased.

              “Stop it,” she said with a laugh.  She and Seth were made fun of for their intense curiosity about everything and everyone.

              Owl waited.  He could tell Tessa wanted to ask where he was going.

              “So you aren’t eating supper at home?” she asked. 

              Owl said, “No.”

              “Will you be back later on?”

              “Yes.”  He enjoyed baiting her as much as he did everyone else. 

              Tessa tried to not ask any other questions.  “Tonight?”

              Owl shrugged even though he certainly planned on being home that night.

              “Where are you going?” Tessa finally blurted.

              “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he asked and ran off.

              “You’re awful!” she shouted after him.

              His laughter floated back to her on the breeze.

              Sammi left the sheriff’s office and started walking home.  Owl startled her when he suddenly appeared beside her.  She whacked him in the stomach.

              “I keep telling you to not sneak up on me,” she said when he grunted in response to the blow.

              “You are lucky I do not strike back,” he teased her.  He grabbed her head roughly and kissed her cheek.  He would never treat any another woman quite the way he did her, but Sammi didn’t mind horse play.

              She pushed him away with a laugh.  “Get off me!  What do you want?”

              “I need clothes,” he said.

              Sammi looked at him.  “What kind of clothes?”

              “Lady clothes,” Owl said.

              Sammi stopped walking.  “I don’t understand, Owl.”

              He grinned at her. “I need pants for lady like yours,” he said as he snagged a belt loop on her jeans and tugged on it.

              “What on earth for?” Sammi said.

              “Can I borrow some or not?” he asked.  “And a shirt.  Socks and boots, too.”

              “Listen, Owl, I’m not going to give you an answer until you give me one,” Sammi said.

              “Start walking.  You will make me late,” Owl said and pulled her forward again.  “Need stuff now.”

              “Late for what?  Damn it, Owl, let me go!”

              Owl laughed and released her.  He said, “I race you.  I get there first, I do not tell you.  You beat me, I tell you.”  Then he took off.

              “That’s cheatin’!” she hollered and ran after him.  She knew she had no chance of catching Owl, but she as sure as heck going to try.

              When she got to her front porch steps, Owl stood leaning on one of the posts.  “Why you so long?” he teased.

              Sammi picked up a rock and hurled it at him.  He ducked and it hit the front door.  She ran up onto the porch and unlocked the door.  “Get in here and tell me what’s going on.”

              He hesitated as he crossed the threshold.  Owl hated Sammi’s house because it was so big.  There was a lot more to fall on him should it collapse.  He looked at Sammi who was smiling at him.

              “Shut up,” he said.  Sammi teased him about his fear and it irritated him.

              She laughed and then said, “Why do you want my clothes?”

              He shifted his feet a little nervously.  “I have, um, a, um…”  He couldn’t come up with the right word.

              Sammi wasn’t sure how to help him, either.  “Who do you need the clothes for?”

              “Hannah.”

              “Hannah?  Why?” Sammi asked.

              “We are going somewhere,” Owl said.

              Sammi let out a shout of laughter.  “Oh good Lord!  You have a date!”  She jumped up and down a little and continued laughing.

              Owl was annoyed at first but she looked so funny that he had to laugh.  “Yes.  A date.  Can I have clothes?  I not know if she has those,” he said pointing at her jeans.

              “Yeah, you can borrow them.  I’ll be right back,” Sammi said and took the stairs two at a time.

              Owl looked around at the hated house and fidgeted as he waited. 

              Mitch came in the door with Beulah, his bloodhound.

              “Oh, hey, Owl,” Mitch said.  “I take it my wife is home?”

              “Yes,” Owl said as he bent to pet Beulah who wagged her tail in greeting.

              Sammi came running down the stairs with a rucksack in her hand.  “Ok.  Jeans, shirt, socks, boots, and warm jacket.  Where are you taking her?”

              Mitch looked at Owl.  “Taking who?”

              Sammi said, “Owl has a date with Hannah.”

              “A date?  Wow.  You don’t waste any time,” Mitch said.

              Owl shrugged.  “Why should I?”  He kissed Sammi’s cheek and clapped Mitch’s shoulder.  “Thanks, Sammi.  ‘Bye.”

              When the door closed, Mitch asked Sammi, “What kind of dates do Lakota people go on?”

              Sammi said, “I have no idea.”

              Hannah finished cleaning up the second exam room and put her cleaning supplies away.  Doc was coming out of his cramped office.

              “Hannah, what a blessing you are,” he said. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be here until nine o’clock tonight.”

              Hannah smiled.  “I’m glad that it’s working out so well.  I’m enjoying myself.”

              “Good, good.  Well, you have a nice weekend.  See you on Monday unless there’s some sort of emergency.  Let’s hope not,” Doc said.

              “Goodnight, Doc,” Hannah said and put on her cloak. 

              Owl stood outside waiting for her as he’d said he would.  Hannah had wondered if he would come back. 

              “Hi,” he said with a smile.

              “Hi.”

              “It is good see you,” Owl said.

              “You, too,” Hannah said.  She felt shy all of a sudden and hated it.

              Owl held up a sack.  “This for you.”

              “For me?” Hannah said.

              He nodded.  “You need change.”

              “Yes, I suppose I do,” Hannah said looking down at her now rumpled clothing.

              “We go to hotel and you change,” Owl insisted.

              “Ok.  Where are we going?” she asked.

              There was a twinkle in his black eyes in the dimming light.  “It is surprise.  Watch your step,” he said and took her elbow as she stepped down into the street.

              The streets were drying out and there were deep ruts cut into the hardening mud.  Owl frowned as he looked down at the rough ground and then at her shoes.  Before she knew what he was up to, Owl picked up Hannah and ran across the street and deposited her lightly on the other side.  She worried about his shoulder, but he seemed to be all right.

             
Talk about being swept off your feet,
she thought as they started walking to the hotel.  They ascended the stairs and Owl stopped on the porch.  “I wait here.”

              “All right,” Hannah said and took the sack he held out to her.  “I’ll be back shortly.”

              “Ok.”

              Upstairs in her room, Hannah sat the sack on her bed and took out its contents.  She was confused by the clothing, but remembered Owl saying she needed to change.  Apparently this was what he wanted her to wear.  She smiled as she wondered what he was up to.  Hannah had never worn jeans before and wondered how Owl knew what size she would wear.

              As Hannah drew them up over her hips, she hoped that she would look as good in them as Sammi did.  It was strange to pull up a zipper and button pants.  The legs were a little too long so she rolled them up.  The western shirt fit fairly well, though.  It was slightly worn and comfortable.  She quickly donned the socks and boots. 

She checked her appearance in the mirror and thought she didn’t look half bad.  The jeans certainly had a way of emphasizing someone’s figure.  She put on the jacket and then gathered her hair in a ponytail.  Her ensemble complete, she hurried back down the stairs and outside. 

Owl stood by the steps and turned when he heard her come out.  He grinned as he took in her slender jeans clad legs and curvy hips.  There was no mistaking her for a man no matter what she was wearing.  He liked what she’d done with her hair, too.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

Hannah laughed.  “You’re just being kind.”

“No.  I mean it,” Owl said.  “Let’s go.”

“All right,” Hannah said.  “What are we going to do?”

Owl said, “Eat supper.”

Hannah’s brow furrowed.  “Where?”

“You will see,” Owl said enigmatically.

He didn’t carry her back across the street since she had boots on, but he did hold her arm in case she tripped.  Seth had let Owl borrow his favorite horse, Hank.  Owl had chosen him because he was big enough to hold two people. 

Hannah stood looking at the horse.  “Am I supposed to ride?”

“Yes,” Owl said.

“I don’t know how,” Hannah told him.

Owl frowned.  “Why?”

Hannah laughed.  It must seem silly to someone like him that not everyone rode horses.  “Owl, I’ve always lived in a city and never had to ride a horse.  I either walked or took a cab.”

“Cab?” Owl repeated.

“Someone you pay to take you places with a buggy,” Hannah explained.

“Ah, I see.”  He shrugged.  “So you learn now.”

“Oh boy.  I don’t know, Owl,” she said.  “There’s no saddle.”

“Don’t need one.  I hate saddles,” Owl said.  “Do you trust me?”

It was strange, but Hannah did trust him even though she barely knew him.  “Yes.”

“Good.  Then you be fine.”  To Hank he said, “Stand.”

Hank became immobile.  He barely moved an ear while Owl made a step with his hands.

“Owl, your shoulder,” she said.

“Hannah,” Owl said in warning.

She sighed and placed her foot in his hands. 

“Hold onto mane and pull.  Throw leg over when high enough,” Owl said.

Hannah did as he told her and soon she was sitting on top of the large gelding.  It was a long way down. 

“Move forward,” Owl said.

Hannah scooted towards Hank’s head.  Owl disappeared for a moment and she turned to see where he’d gone.  He’d backed up behind Hank and took a few running steps before placing his hands on Hank’s rump and vaulting onto the gelding.  He landed behind her and laughed at her surprised expression.  Owl’s form hadn’t been as graceful as normal because of the weakness in his bad shoulder, but he felt that it wasn’t too bad.

“How did you do that?” she asked in wonder.

“Practice since I was a kid,” he said as he reached around her and collected Hank’s reins.  He waited to put Hank into a trot until they were out of town and away from all the dangerous ruts.  Hannah was jiggled up and down and laughed about it. 

Owl smiled at the sound and said, “What’s funny?”

“I’m bouncing around,” she said.

He laughed and looked down at her.  “Yes, you are.”

Without thinking, she smacked his thigh and said, “Knock that off.”

He chuckled in her ear and she shivered a little.  “Where are we going?”

“I told you.  We go have supper.  I cooked,” Owl said.

“You cook?  Wow.  Handsome and he cooks,” Hannah said.  “Can’t get much better than that.”

“This is a good thing?” Owl asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“White people are confusing,” he teased her.

“Why?”

He shrugged behind her.  “I do not know.  Why are you?”

“You know what I mean,” she said with a laugh.

“Some work that Lakota women do, white women don’t.”

“Like what?”

“Cooking.  Lakota women only do cooking.  Men only hunt and protect…camp.”

She tried to turn to look at him.  “That’s all the men do?  Why?”

“It is what we are best at.  Or so I have been learned,” Owl said.

“Taught not learned,” she said.  She was leading by Sammi’s example of gently correcting his mistakes.

“Ok, taught.  White men do women’s work and women do men’s work,” Owl said.  “It is strange to me.”

“I can see how it would be,” Hannah said. 

Soon he turned Hank onto a trail and slowed to a trot.  Hank went willingly enough, but Owl knew that this wasn’t the trail Hank was used to taking to the camp when Seth came.  He felt it was best to take it a little slower.

“Where are we going?” Hannah asked as the foliage closed in around them.

“Home,” Owl said.

“What?”

“To my village.  Empty now, but soon they come back,” Owl said with a smile.

Hannah heard the happiness in his voice and stated, “You miss them very much.”

“Yes,” Owl said and fought the longing for his family.  “Where is your family?”

“My mother passed away and my father doesn’t care about me.  I don’t like him, either,” she said. 

“Both things are too bad,” Owl said.  “I not like my father.  He was not good man.”

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said.

“It is ok.  I had other fathers,” Owl said.

The trail dipped and Owl put his arm around her to keep her from tipping forward.  When it evened out he kept his arm there.  They spent the rest of the ride in silence and neither minded. 

Suddenly they entered a huge clearing and Hannah gaped in wonder.  She couldn’t really tell how big it was in the dark, but it seemed immense.  Owl stopped Hank and slid off the horse.  He helped Hannah down and then led her over to where she could see a circle made of rocks.  In the center, embers burned hot from a fire.  Then she saw a picnic basket off to one side.