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Lauralee’s eyes widened in disbelief when Paul brought the horse to her uncle, who in turn, placed the reins in Dancing Cloud’s hands.
“He’s yours, Dancing Cloud,” Abner said, his eyes wavering over at Lauralee. He then looked at Dancing Cloud. “Damn it, Dancing Cloud, you deserve the horse. And there’ll be nobody questioning your ownership. He’s bought and paid for. I paid for him.”
Lauralee’s head was spinning. “Uncle Abner, I don’t understand any of this,” she said, watching how proudly Dancing Cloud stroked the stallion’s sleek mane. “Does this mean that you found the true criminal?”
“Sure as hell did,” Abner said in a low, tight growl. “The very man who owned him is the guilty party.”
“Kevin Banks?” Lauralee gasped. “How? Why?”
“To make it look had for Dancing Cloud,” Abner said. He took Lauralee’s hands and drew her into his embrace. “Honey, Kevin hid the horse. He said that Dancing Cloud stole it. He made up the lie about the Pratt boy having seen Dancing Cloud snooping around the corral that night, near the stallion. Kevin hoped that Dancing Cloud would hang for the crime.”
Lauralee’s eyes searched Abner’s. “But why would he do such a thing?” she said, her voice soft and drawn.
“You know the answer already. Dancing Cloud is an Indian and he fought against the North, and . . .” Abner said, pausing to glance over at Dancing Cloud.
Then he turned back to Lauralee. “And because Kevin did not see it fit for a white woman to be cavorting with an Indian.”
Lauralee blushed and quickly lowered her eyes.
Then she just as quickly and stubbornly gazed up at Abner again. “Kevin Banks is an evil, vile man,” she said, jerking her hands from her uncle’s. She clenched them into fists at her sides. “I hope that he’s behind bars now.”
“Yes,” Abner said, sighing. “He’s incarcerated. Thanks to my snooping around, he’s behind bars, Lauralee. I just couldn’t rest easy with Dancing Cloud being accused of stealing that horse. It came to me that night of the fire. I awakened with a start that Kevin might be lying. By damn, Lauralee, I found the stallion locked up in a shed on property only a few feet away from The Stables.”
Lauralee’s eyes wavered as she smiled wanly up at her uncle. “The fire,” she murmured. “Did it totally destroy your building?”
Now beginning to relax with the whole situation, Abner laughed loosely. “Yes, by damn, to the ground,” he said, nodding. “And arson is suspected. But I tell you, honey, if I ever caught up with the son of a gun that set fire to that shack, I’d not place him behind bars. I’d offer him a handshake for having gotten rid of the place for me.”
Lauralee started to blurt out that she had done it, then decided not to. If the sheriff had a mind to, he could arrest her for aiding and abetting in the release of a prisoner; stealing from her aunt; and setting fire to her uncle’s building. One thing had led to another until she had a string of crimes lined up behind her.
“During the commotion of the fire you helped Dancing Cloud escape?” Abner said, frowning down at her, as though he had just read her thoughts. “Didn’t you know the dangers, Lauralee, of setting a man free from jail?”
“I’d do it all over again if Dancing Cloud was arrested a second time,” Lauralee said with a lifted chin. Then her eyes softened into her uncle’s. “He is free now to go on to his village, isn’t he? You don’t plan to arrest me, do you, for my criminal act tonight?”
“You’re both free to go,” Abner said, stepping around Lauralee. He placed a hand on Dancing Cloud’s shoulder. “Son, I know I’d be wasting my time asking Lauralee to return to Mattoon with me. Any woman who’d put her life on the line for a man like she did proves just how much she loves the man. She’ll be going on with you to your mountain home. Take care of her. Guard her with your life. She’s precious, Dancing Cloud. Precious.”
Tears flowed from Lauralee’s eyes. She flung herself into her uncle’s arms. “Thank you,” she murmured. “Thank you so much.”
She looked over her shoulder at Paul Brown. They exchanged warm smiles.
Chapter 25
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompence.
—ANNE BRADSTREET
Stunned at how things had turned out, Lauralee leaned against Dancing Cloud as they watched the posse ride away.
When Abner turned and gave Lauralee a final wave of goodbye, she choked on a sob and returned the wave. With him went what she had always prayed for when she was a child.
A chance to be a family again, with a mother and father.
If she could have looked into the future all of those long years ago and had seen herself turning her back on this opportunity, she would have never thought it possible.
“Are you certain you do not wish to go with him?” Dancing Cloud asked, drawing Lauralee’s eyes suddenly to his.
“You always seem to be able to read my thoughts,” she stammered.
