Westward Dreams (4 page)

              “Hey, Uncle Owl,” he said in Lakota.

              “Hi, Jack.  How are you?” Owl asked.

              “I’m good.  What’s going on?” Jack asked.

              “Hannah is going to rub my shoulder, I guess.  I’m not sure if it’ll help, but I’ll give it a try,” Owl said.

              Jack laughed.  “This I have to see.”

              Owl said, “Sammi said the same thing.”  He switched back to English.  “Ok, what do I do?”

              Hannah pulled out a chair and said, “Take off your shirt and sit here.”

              Owl grinned.  “People always tell me keep my shirt on, not take off.”  He pulled the garment over his head and tossed it to Jack.

              “What do I look like, a coat rack?” Jack asked.

              Owl ignored him and sat down in the chair.  Hannah tried to keep seeing Owl as just a patient but couldn’t ignore how muscular the Lakota man was.  Then she forced such thoughts from her mind and gathered Owl’s hair in her hands.  It was incredibly soft.  She twisted it a little and put it over Owl’s right shoulder so it hung out of the way.

              Hannah shook her head when she saw the scar from the knife wound.  She could only imagine how much it must have hurt to have such a severe injury.  She traced it with a fingertip and found that it was almost completely smooth.  It was an excellent suturing job.  Hannah removed her cloak and rubbed her hands together vigorously to warm them up.  Then she prodded Owl’s muscles around the scar feeling for the problem areas. 

              There seemed to be a bad knot near the shoulder blade and Hannah decided to start there.  Owl was patient.  He was curious to see what she was going to do.  Her fingers started moving in gentle circles and then she stopped.  Owl was surprised when he felt her hands on either side of his neck.  She shook him a little.

              “Relax.  Make your shoulders loose,” she said.

              Owl did as she asked and she went back to the knot in his shoulder and began working on it in earnest.  Two minutes into the massage, Owl let out a deep animal growl as he felt something release inside his back.  Sammi and Jack looked at each other but kept from laughing.  They’d never heard Owl make such a sound. 

              Hannah smiled and kept working.  Those kinds of noises told her what she was doing was working.  As she moved down his spine, more growls followed.  Owl had never had any kind of experience like it.  Every area she massaged eventually loosened up and eased more and more discomfort.  Hannah got caught up in what she was doing.  She moved Owl’s hair to the other shoulder and worked on the right shoulder and back.

              Mitch came in the office and Sammi held a finger in front of her lips to tell him to be quiet.  Mitch came around to stand by Sammi just as another growl issued from Owl’s throat.  The three officers smiled at each other.  Owl’s mind wandered as Hannah worked.  He was completely conscious of her hands on his body, but a powerful peace stole over him as each muscle was relaxed and soothed.  It had a spiritual effect on him. 

Hannah moved up to his neck and pressed the pads of her thumbs into his firm flesh.  Owl’s mouth curved in a relaxed smile and he said, “I think your Lakota name should be Magic Hands.”

              The office erupted in laughter, including Hannah.

              She said, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”  She finished the massage and straightened Owl’s hair.

              When Hannah moved to stand in front of him, Owl’s eyes were slightly glazed as he said, “Thank you.  Feels much better.”  He was so relaxed that he hated to move.

              “Good.  That means I did my job,” Hannah said.  She tried not to think about how his body had felt under her hands, but it was difficult

The office door opened and Joe poked his head inside.  Seeing that the sheriff and his wife were not engaged in a kiss or anything, he entered.

“Hey, ya’ll.  Why’s Owl got his shirt off?” Joe said.

Owl looked at Joe and smiled.

Joe’s eyes got big.  He looked at Hannah.  “I’d recognize that look anywhere.  Are you giving massages?  I’m next,” he said and started taking off his suit jacket.

Hannah was rather startled.  “I, um, I wasn’t planning on it and I’m—‘”

Joe pulled a twenty dollar bill out of the interior pocket of his jacket and held it up.  “Not even for this much?” 

She was shocked at the amount of money he was offering her.  It was more than a week’s wages. 

Seeing that Hannah was still reluctant, Joe said, “Ok, how about I hire you to come to the house every week.  My wife would appreciate it, too.  Probably some of my grooms, too.”  He released Hannah and said, “Do you know what kind of money you could make doing that?”

Hannah began to calculate numbers as she saw his point.  “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Joe smiled and said, “My place every Tuesday?”

“All right,” she agreed.

Joe said, “Fantastic,” and pressed the money into Hannah’s hand.  “Consider that a down payment.  See ya’ll later.”

Hannah looked down at the money and then after Joe as he left.

Jack said, “He’s always like that.  He runs a really successful horse ranch and he’s always throwing money around.  But in a good way.”

“I guess so,” Hannah said.  “Thank you for letting me use your office.  I’ll get out of your hair now.”

Mitch said, “No problem.  It was pretty entertaining to watch and hear.  Owl over there sounded like a bear or something.”

Owl smiled.  “You wait ‘til you have one. See what kind noises you make.  You, too,” he said to Sammi.

“It looks like it makes you feel really good.  I’ll do it,” Sammi said.

Hannah nodded.  “Ok.  You just let me know when you would like me to come.”

“Will do,” Sammi replied.

“Well, thanks again,” Hannah replied.  “Have a good day.” 

Owl watched her go and made a decision.  He caught up to her easily.  Hannah was surprised to see him walking along beside her.  She felt a little thrill run through her body.

“How much to do that like for Joe?” he asked.

“Certainly not as much as he gave me.  It was way too much.  I’m not sure.  Can I think about it and get back to you?” she said.

“Yes.  Fine.  Thank you.  My shoulder feels much better.  Back, too,” Owl said.  “Where you go now?”

“I have to go to the bank to open an account,” she said.  “Why?”

Owl didn’t know why he wanted to know himself.  He just shrugged.  “Where you stay?”

“At the hotel,” she answered.

“Ok.”

As they neared the bank, Clive came out of the building.  Hannah stopped and froze.  Owl’s gaze traveled in the direction Hannah was looking and settled on Clive.  He saw a slightly anxious expression settle on Hannah’s pretty features.

“You do not like him?” Owl asked.

“No, I don’t,” Hannah said.

Owl placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Do not worry.  I will not let him bother you.”

The brave sent Clive a hard look and stood a little closer to Hannah.  Clive looked surprised.  Owl’s stare never wavered as he looked the other man directly in the eye.  Lakota culture taught that a direct stare was a challenge. Clive dropped his eyes first and walked in the other direction.

Hannah hadn’t realized that she was holding her breath until Clive left the area and she let it out.  “Thank you,” she said to Owl.

“No problem,” he said.  He felt it was safe for her to do her errands now.  “Goodbye, Hannah.”

“Goodbye, Owl,” Hannah said.

He smiled and turned back the way he’d come.  Hannah watched the handsome man walk away.  She noticed that he walked a little straighter than he had before she’d given him a massage.  Hannah was happy that she could help him.  That was her life’s mission after all.

              Claire looked up from the papers she was grading and sighed as she looked across the study she and Marcus had added on to their house.  Marcus’ desk sat on the other side of the room.  It was messy.  Piles of books sat haphazardly on one side and assorted papers were scattered around the top of it. 

              She smiled and felt admiration for him that he could be so disorganized and yet know where everything was.  Claire’s eyes misted over as a wave of longing swept over her.  Marcus had been in Chicago since the end of February and she missed him terribly.  She would be so happy to see him when she went to his graduation ceremony in May.

              Claire was very proud of Marcus’ scholastic accomplishments.  She’d always known that he would be an excellent student and he had excelled in every class.  He’d worked hard and it helped that he was able to actually apply what he learned in the medical books to his informal practice.  When Marcus had written and told her how well his clinicals were going, it had only confirmed what she’d known; he would breeze through them and most likely pass with honors.

              Aiyana came in from outside.  “Mama, I miss Pa,” she said.  “I want to play with him.”

              Claire reached out and stroked her daughter’s silky black hair that was so like Marcus’. “I know, honey.  Me, too.  We just have to patient a little longer, sweetie.”

              Aiyana’s gray eyes filled with tears.  “But I want him now.”

              Claire drew the five-year-old onto her lap and cuddled her.  “I want him here now, too.  I tell you what; why don’t we go see Uncle Owl?”

              Aiyana brightened.  “Can we?”  Owl was a close second to Marcus. 

              Claire said, “Yes, we sure can.  Go get your shoes on.”

              “Mama, do I have to?” Aiyana said.

              The girl had inherited Marcus’ dislike of binding clothing and preferred to wear Indian dresses instead of the kinds worn by Claire and her sisters.

              “Yes, you have to,” Claire said.

              Aiyana rolled her eyes and stomped off to her room.

              When Owl had been able to be up and around more, he’d noticed that the men on the ranch did some of the work that was usually done by the women in his Lakota culture.  Jack gathered and chopped wood.  The men took turns hauling water for the women and also caring for the children.  That Jack actually cooked astounded him.  In his culture, women did everything from child care and cooking, to washing clothing and bead work.  The men were only responsible for protecting their camps and hunting.

              Whereas the Lakota women were the ones in charge of things, in white culture it was the men who led the family.  This was strange to Owl because women were highly respected and treated as equals.  They had voting rights and could control whether the men went on raids or not.  Lakota women did not participate in battles, but if they didn’t feel that a raid was prudent, they might refuse to give the men the food rations they needed for the trip. 

              Owl’s wonderment was present as he watched Jack cook breakfast a few days later.  Jack was efficient at his job and it was obvious that he enjoyed it.  He finished loading up a plate for Owl and sat it down in front of his uncle.

              Owl looked down at the plate of eggs and bacon and smiled.  “I am getting too used to white people’s food,” he said in Lakota as he picked up a fork.  It had taken him some time to get used to eating everything with utensils instead of scooping things up with his fingers.  “I’ve gotten fat,” he said.

              Jack laughed.  “If you’re fat, I can’t see it.  You’re fine the way you are.”

              “Thanks,” he said and rolled his shoulders.

              Jack noticed and said, “It’s bothering you again, huh?”

              “Yes.  I’ll find Hannah.  Maybe she will massage it again,” Owl said.

              “I’m sure she will.  She’s very nice.  Lucky for us that she came here.  I just feel bad that she was brought here under false pretenses,” Jack said.

              “What do you mean?” Owl said and took a bite of bacon.

              Jack told him Hannah’s story.

              Owl frowned fiercely.  He hated any kind of deception and to treat a woman in such a way greatly angered him.  “He must be the man we saw near the bank. I was talking to her about doing a massage for me again and she seemed a little frightened when she noticed him.  I made it clear to him that I wasn’t going to let him bother her,” Owl said.

”

              Jack said.  “Yeah, that sounds like him.  His name is Clive.  Sammi said he was bugging her the same day she gave you your massage.  She’s a very nice woman and deserves better than him.”

              Owl nodded.  “Yes.  She’s pretty, too.”

              Jack’s one eyebrow arched.  “You think she’s pretty?”

              “Yes.  She is.  Don’t you think so?” Owl said.

              “Yeah.  She’s attractive, I guess.  I didn’t really think about it.  Of course, I’m not attracted to her, either.  Oh!  Do you like her?” Jack said.

              Owl said, “Yes, I like her.”

              “No,” Jack said.  “Do you like her like a man likes a woman?”

              Owl said, “She’s white.”

              Jack frowned at him as he made a plate and sat down with Owl.  “What’s that got to do with it?  My fiancée is Lakota, so what’s the big deal?”

              “Yes and that is a difficult situation, Jack.  You do realize that?” Owl said.

              “Yeah, I know.  But we’re gonna work it out.  Sometimes when you want something so badly, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.  It’s like that with me and Sparrow,” Jack said.

              Owl thought about that and could see Jack’s point.  “I hope things work out for you.”

              “Thanks.”

              Owl didn’t say any more on the subject but he did think about it.  It had been a long time since his wife and son were killed and there were times when it still pained him.  It was one of the reasons he’d never remarried.  He didn’t want to experience that kind of loss again.  The other reason was that he hadn’t found anyone with whom he could imagine sharing a tipi.  He knew all of the women in camp and none of them really appealed to him.  He could have taken a wife, but he was interested in more than just someone to take care of him. 

              He smiled as he thought about Hannah’s massage.  He’d never had anyone do that before and it had been an extraordinary experience.  Obviously she was skilled at performing the treatment.  Thinking about Clive’s actions towards her made him angry.  He wondered if she’d had any more trouble with him.

Owl made up his mind to go see her.  He finished his food and thanked Jack for the meal.  “I’m going into town.  I’ll be back later,” he told Jack.

“Ok.  See ya.”

Hannah finished helping Doc stitch up a local farmer after an accident with a plow.

When Doc was done suturing, Hannah dressed the wound and sent the farmer on his way.  She walked out to the waiting room to see who was next and was surprised to see Owl standing there.  She felt her pulse rate rise at the sight of him. 

              He smiled at her.  “Hi.”

              “Hi, Owl.  How are you?” she asked. 

              “Good.  You have time for massage?” he asked.

              The waiting room was empty so Hannah said, “Sure.  Come with me.”

              He followed Hannah into an examination room.  She placed a blanket on the table there and said, “Lie down.”

              Owl removed his deerskin shirt and placed it on a chair before stretching out on the table.  Hannah warmed her hands and prepared to do his massage.  As before, she touched his scar and said, “This must have been a deep wound.”

              “Yes.  I almost died,” Owl said.

              Hannah suddenly felt tears threaten as she thought about Owl not being alive.  “I’m very glad that you didn’t,” she said and gathered his hair in her hands.  “Your hair is so soft,” she said without thinking.

              Owl just smiled. 

              She moved it to the side and began rubbing his back.  Hannah found the knot by his shoulder blade and began working it out.  Owl tried to contain the growls her ministrations provoked but couldn’t.  Hannah didn’t mind hearing them.  She found that they stirred a womanly part of her that she hadn’t known existed. 

              Once again as each muscle was loosened and pain relieved, Owl felt as if he was growing lighter.  It was similar to when he’d gone on his spirit walk and had experienced a vision.  As she worked, something in his back gave way and the feeling was exquisite.  A huge sigh escaped his lips.

              She rubbed his shoulders and massaged his arms.  When she worked on his right arm and neared his hand, Owl took hers and gave it a squeeze.  Hannah smiled at his action and squeezed back.  He let go and Hannah finished the massage.

              Owl got up from the table feeling very relaxed and in much less pain than before.  “Thank you, Magic Hands,” he said with a grin.

              Hannah laughed, “You’re welcome.  Feel better?”

              “Yes.  Much better.  How much?”

              “I don’t want your money, Owl.  In your case it’s free,” Hannah said.

              Owl frowned.  “Why?”

              “Because you did me a favor the other day when you scared off Clive,” she said.

              His scowl turned very intense at the mention of the man’s name.  “I would, um, like to teach him a lesson. What he did was wrong.”

              Hannah looked down in embarrassment.  “I shouldn’t have answered any of those ads in the paper.”

              “Why not?  It not your fault he lied to you,” Owl said.  He took her hands in his and turned them so her palms faced up.  “If you not come here, you could not help me.”

              His touch was creating havoc in her mind.  She was afraid to look at him in case he could see what she was feeling.  “I’m happy to do it.  I feel awful that you were hurt so badly.”

              “It’s ok.  I feel bad for you, too.  Women to be respected and protected not tricked or talk to harshly,” Owl said.  “You are good woman.”

              Hannah did look at him then and a fluttering sensation filled her stomach.  His beautiful dark eyes held kindness and she couldn’t look away.  “Thank you,” she said a little absently.

              Jack’s question about whether he was attracted to Hannah came back to Owl and he thought about it while he looked at her.  Those pretty eyes of hers met his gaze and her fingers curled around his.  Her lips looked soft and inviting and her womanly figure would feel good in his arms.  He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her.  It wasn’t good to be dishonest with oneself.

              But did she feel the same way?  She certainly didn’t mind touching him even though he was Lakota.  She didn’t object to holding his hands.  There was only one way to find out.  Impulsively, he let go of her hands and ran a thumb over her cheek.  Hannah couldn’t move as he dipped his head and lightly kissed her. 

              Owl considered it a good sign that she didn’t pull away from him.  Her hands made contact with his chest and Owl enjoyed her touch but for a different reason than when she was massaging his back.  She responded to him in kind and Owl was encouraged to deepen the kiss.  Her nurse uniform was crisp under his hands as he took her in his arms. 

Hannah’s heart beat erratically as he pulled her closer.  She’d never felt anything as intoxicating as his kiss and would have happily stayed in his embrace longer. However, footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the room.  Reluctantly Owl released her and though he smiled at her, Hannah saw the heat in his eyes and knew he must see it in hers, too.

Owl quickly put on his shirt and got ready to leave.  He didn’t want her to get in trouble for taking too long with him.  There might be another patient who needed help.  “What time you done work?” he asked.

Hannah had to clear her throat so she could speak.  “Around five.  Why?” 

“I will see you then,” Owl said.  He placed a brief kiss on her mouth and disappeared out the door. 

Hannah sat down in the chair before she fell down.  Why had she allowed that to happen?  Never had she kissed a man so soon after meeting.  She had to get herself together so she could do her job.  No man’s kisses had ever made her weak in the knees before, either.  She began laughing at herself for acting like a schoolgirl, but she’d been helpless to stop the reaction he’d inspired.  Once her pulse rate returned to normal, Hannah left the examination room and went out to the waiting room to get the next patient.

              Owl rode to Bradbury’s General Store.  He still hadn’t remembered to get some candy and was intent on buying some.  He went into the store and saw people look at him.  There were a few he knew and spoke to him.  Others just watched him curiously or sent distrustful stares his way.