1866
Colorado Springs was just coming alive when Sully entered town. As he turned to start down the main street, he saw Jake Slicker step out of his barber shop. Sully chuckled as Jake took a startled step backwards at sight of him, before seeming to realize who he was.
Sully had to admit he looked quite different than he had when he left Colorado Springs a year earlier. Instead of denims, boots, and a flannel shirt, he wore an all buckskin outfit. He had hunted and killed the deer who provided the clothing he currently wore. Snowbird. Cloud Dancing's beautiful wife, had helped him to fashion the hides into a fringed coat, tunic, breeches, and moccasins.
His hair fell in unruly waves past his shoulders and he was currently sporting a fairly scraggly beard. He carried a bow and arrow over one shoulder, along with his canteen and fur bag which held his two changes of clothing, along with some personal items. Around his waist was a beaded belt with an assortment of pouches that carried snare lines, fishing hooks, and medicinal herbs, among other things. A tomahawk was tucked through the belt and on his right hip was his Bowie knife. He looked more like a Cheyenne Warrior than a white man, which was pleasing to him.
Sully gave Jake a curt nod, and took a step forward, only to catch sight of Loren Bray standing on the porch of the mercantile staring at him. He did not call hello to the older man, nor did he look away. After a moment of locking eyes with one another, his father-in-law scowled at him, and then turned away and went back inside the store.
He continued on his way down the street toward Charlotte's boarding house. There was no love lost between him and Loren. The older man had caused Abigail a mound of hurt with his indifference and that was something Sully would never forget, nor forgive.
As he drew closer to the boarding house, he saw Reverend Johnson leaving. The clergyman didn't see him and Sully was oddly relieved. He wasn't ready to face the questions he was sure the reverend would ask him. He waited until the reverend was some distance away, before he stepped onto the boarding house porch, and knocked on the door.
It was opened a few moments later by Charlotte, "Can I help you?"
"Hello Charlotte."
Surprise colored her features for a moment, before recognition, followed swiftly by delight, set in, "Sully? Land's sake it's good to see you!"
Before Sully could speak again, he found himself being half hugged, half tugged into the kitchen of Charlotte's establishment. Sully chuckled as he closed the door behind him, "It's good to see you too."
Charlotte gestured for him to take a seat, and Sully sat down while she spent a few moments at the stove, stirring a large pot of something that smelled delicious. Sully's stomach rumbled and he hoped Charlotte would invite him to stay for breakfast.
She poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Sully, before sitting down in a chair across from him. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments as they sipped their coffee. Then Charlotte set her cup down and placed a hand on Sully's arm.
"How are you?"
Sully set his own cup down and lowered his head. He knew Charlotte would ask him how he was doing, but was still caught a little off guard by it.
"I'm...good," he said at last.
"Really?"
Sully sighed, "Yes. It will never be okay that Abigail and Hannah died. I won't ever forget them, but the pain has become a bit more bearable."
"I think of Abigail often," Charlotte admitted, "I thought and wondered and prayed about you while you were gone. I hoped I would see you again. Are you back for good?"
"For now," Sully told her.
"Sully!" Brian Cooper's happy voice rang out from the doorway of the kitchen leading into the interior rooms of the boarding house.
He rushed across the room and hurled himself at Sully. Sully caught Brian up in his arms and hugged the little boy tight.
"You came back!" Brian cried as he hugged Sully back, "I missed you."
Sully closed his eyes against the swell of emotions that hit him. He had never considered how his leaving would affect Charlotte's children. Their own pa had abandoned them and until this past year, he had been a constant presence in their lives ever since Charlotte and her children had started the boarding house when Brian was only two years old.
"I missed you too, Brian," he told the youngster.
He was setting Brian onto the floor, when Charlotte's two oldest children entered the kitchen. Matthew and Colleen were equally delighted to see him, and Sully found himself feeling almost happy to be back in Colorado Springs, despite his earlier misgivings about returning.