Chapter 36

Daniel would have his first tour with tourists the next day which meant today was the last opportunity for him to keep Michaela company. They already agreed the night before to meet for breakfast, and so they were having the first meal of the day together at the Café right now.

Michaela had been very quiet so far yet Daniel didn't push her, knowing she would eventually tell him what was worrying her. He had a pretty good idea what it was about for he had been there when Hannah was tucked in by Mrs. Bray and Catherine the evening before. The little girl had practically begged him to stay until she would sleep. Afterwards he'd had a word with Catherine, demanding to know why Sully's daughter was in such distress. When he learned that she'd wanted to sleep with Michaela at the house but wasn't allowed to, under the pretense of not wanting to disturb the doctor, he understood. He'd wanted to shake Catherine for her thoughtlessness, if not even selfishness but he knew he wouldn't get through to her. She would just say it was Mrs. Bray's decision. Daniel was positive though that Catherine had helped with that. He'd known right from the start that Sully had made a big mistake when he'd invited her to stay with his family. Catherine tended to build castles in the air and live in them until they crashed, bringing her down to earth quite heavily then and others often, too. This time her pie in the sky was her believing that Sully would marry her.

Daniel sighed silently. He'd been so close to convincing her that this hope was in vain, and then Sully had ruined it all.

Michaela interrupted his train of thought when she began to speak. "I've been wondering…" she said, her voice trailing off as she stirred her coffee, watching the teaspoon's circling as if mesmerized by it.

"What about?" Daniel asked gently when she still didn't continue after a few moments.

Laying down the spoon she looked up at him. "I'm worried about Hannah. Taking her for swimming was meant as an exercise, at least in the beginning. The hole in her heart isn't fully closed and she isn't in a good shape yet."

"I saw her last night," Daniel interrupted her, "and I asked what she's done all afternoon. It was practically nothin'. She's been in the water for like a second, and then Catherine thought it too crowded and feared she would lose her. So they just sat around and watched the other people."

He didn't mention that Hannah had been confused because some men had stopped at where they sat and thought Catherine was her mom. All Daniel could do was hope that Sully would return quickly and clear up this mess before Catherine did some serious damage.

"And today it doesn't look like bathing weather in the afternoon," he continued. "I doubt they will leave the house at all." He earned a grateful smile for his reassurance.

"I know I shouldn't be so attached," Michaela said, blushing slightly. They both knew she didn't only talk about the child. "But I can't help it," she murmured before she took a sip of her coffee.

"That's alright," Daniel responded pretending not to get the ambiguity of her statement, "Hannah really is adorable."

The child that was praised this way sat at her small table in her grandparents' kitchen, thinking hard while she banged her heels at the legs of her chair absentmindedly. Her elbows were propped on the top of the table, her head resting in her palms as she wrinkled her brow. Nana and Catherine were out in the garden, picking green beans for dinner tonight. They hadn't taken her with them because she wasn't hungry at breakfast and nana thought she might be coming down with something.

Now Hannah was bored. She had already used every single one of her colored pencils to draw a picture of Wolf lying in the grass. She wanted to do something else but didn't know what. Yet then she had an idea.

Getting up she went to the kitchen cabinet under the wide window, pulling her chair with her. Once she had it in the right position she climbed up on its seat in order to look outside whether she could spot her grandma. Actually, she hoped she wouldn't see her for that gave her permission to go into the store where she would find Auntie Olive and grandpa.

She was lucky; no one was around. Not wasting time to get her chair back to its right place she left the kitchen, scampered through the hallway and opened the door that led to the store. First she saw her grandpa standing behind the counter, talking to a woman. Venturing further into the room Hannah looked out for auntie and found her between two shelves, stocking them up with tins.

The little girl marched towards her and when auntie didn't react to her presence, the child pulled at the string of her white apron.

Startled, Olive almost dropped a tin with peas, yet when she recognized Hannah her expression softened.

"Well, hello," she said, waiting for what Hannah would come up with. She wasn't disappointed.

"I'm sick," the little girl said. Her heart was pounding faster because that wasn't exactly true, and she had never lied before. But then she remembered that Dr. Mike had explained to her that she was sad because she was homesick. Being homesick meant you miss the people you want to be with but you can't, and that was exactly her problem right now.

"Now are ya?" Olive said slowly, considering her grandniece. It wasn't hard to guess what this was about and thus she suggested, "Well, when ya sick ya gotta see the doctor. Ain't that right?"

Instantly the small face lit up, accompanied by an eager nod. Recalling the expression in Dr. Mike's eyes last night when she couldn't meet Hannah, Olive knew the doctor wouldn't mind if she sent the child over to her.

After putting the tin she'd still been holding on the shelf she held out her hand for Hannah. "C'mon," she said, "I'll take ya."

They had almost reached the entrance when Loren's voice stopped them. "Where ya goin'?" he demanded, making no secret of his disapproval that his sister left him alone when customers were in the store.

As she felt the little hand in hers clutching her tighter, Olive gave it a reassuring squeeze while she replied to her brother, "Well, this little one here feels sick; that means she's gotta go to Dr. Mike."

She stared at him challenging, daring him to contradict, but the opposite happened because Loren had come to the conclusion that he didn't like Catherine, and he didn't care that this woman was Sully's friend. He also didn't bother to think about the reasons why he felt this way; that's just how it was.

Thus he was relaxing again but still kept his tone gruff when he retorted, "Alright. But remember that I need ya here."

He couldn't fool his sister though for she knew him well enough to detect a twinkle in his eyes when he gestured with his head towards the door for them to leave.

Chuckling to herself she left the store, still holding Hannah's hands securely when she saw Cloud Dancing crossing the parking lot. "Look," she said to Hannah, pointing at the tall figure.

"Coud Dancin'!" Hannah squealed, and the Cheyenne stopped in his tracks, turning around. When he saw Sully's daughter he instantly changed his direction, approaching her. As soon as he reached her he scooped her into his arms. "Good morning Miss Davis, hello, Hannah," he greeted them with a broad smile. "I take it that you are heading to Dr. Mike," he stated and was affirmed by Olive's nod.

"Hannah is," the older woman clarified. "Would ya mind takin' her?"

Of course Cloud Dancing didn't. He didn't ask either why the child was going to see the doctor on her own, concluding that this was rather a private visit.

The medicine man knew Hannah missed her father but he also knew that Sully needed to do what he thought was right. The Cheyenne had the distinct feeling though that Dr. Mike had already brightened his friend's life so he might not feel the urge to leave home so often in the future. Cloud Dancing was very grateful that the Spirits had pointed her out to him in Boston.

However, on the way to the doctor's practice he chatted with the little girl in the easy way they always did. He, too, was confronted with the question about the ants and he calmly replied as he always did. "The Great Creator made them this way," he said.

"Why?" the child asked, not satisfied with this answer.

"So they can easily carry their body," the medicine man explained, and for the moment that was enough for Hannah.

When they entered the reception room of Michaela's practice, they saw Charlotte and Emily going through the filing cabinets. Hearing the door, both women looked there, expecting to see a new patient.

After greeting the medicine man Charlotte said, "Look who is here," and tickled the little girl's side.

Although she had to giggle Hannah instantly announced, "I'm sick."

The three adults exchanged a knowing look but still played along. "That's a pity," Charlotte said, "'cause Brian is over at the Café with Anthony. And I've heard Robert E. had a delivery of a new pile of sand in the early morning."

Hannah's eyes grew wide. "Weally?" she asked, too excited to speak the word correctly.

Charlotte nodded. "And I guess they don't mind to have some company."

Being in a hurry now, Hannah gave Cloud Dancing a wet peck on his cheek, saying thank you for taking her but then wriggled out of his arms. She loved to play with her friends and Grace always had something delicious to eat. First, she had something else to do though. "I'm still sick," she said, looking at Emily expectantly.

The young woman laughed out loud. "I'll look if Dr. Mike is still with a patient," she promised and left the room while Cloud Dancing said good bye and Charlotte picked up the phone in order to call Maude and tell her that Hannah would spend the day with the boys.

xxx

Sully wasn't quite sure how he felt.

He had been able to catch an earlier flight when he left Colorado Springs on Sunday morning, but it hadn't done him any good. Arriving in New York sooner than planned didn't help the fact that Maude had gotten the phone message she'd passed to him wrong: he hadn't been asked to come for a last meeting before they would go overseas but this was already the start of the actual trip. If he'd had his head free he would of course have known that. Nowadays arrangements for any kind of trip were made by emails or telephone calls, not by talking to each other face to face.

That he was on his way to Bray's mercantile right now rather than on a plane to the UK from where the Sea Shepherd would start wasn't because he hadn't taken any luggage to New York. You didn't need much stuff on a ship, and he could have easily bought the few things.

Although upset about it, he'd had no choice but ask to cancel his contract for there was no way he could leave Hannah for a long time without telling her good bye properly. The damage his sudden disappearance would have caused wouldn't be repairable. He might have thought differently if he hadn't met Michaela in the meantime, learning how close the relationship between father and daughter could be. He wanted something like this with Hannah and he wouldn't endanger this process. Apart from that he had to consider Catherine, too. He'd invited her to the Bray's household for a few days, not for several weeks.

And now he didn't know whether he was angry that he missed the opportunity for a last long sailing trip or if he was rather relieved that he wouldn't have to do that to his daughter. When he drove the SUV into the yard behind the mercantile he decided it didn't matter how he felt. What's done that's done. He grinned when the small voice in his head, which he'd ignored while contemplating his situation, grew louder, telling him that there was another big plus he hadn't mentioned yet: He could start getting closer to Michaela.

It wasn't she though who hugged him tightly once he'd left the car and locked it.

It was Catherine.