FaF-Chapter 2

The next day, Sully found himself in town again. For the longest time he'd maintained a solitary lifestyle, only coming to the general store for basic supplies a few times a month if that. But ever since Dr Mike had come to Colorado Springs, his trips into town had become almost a daily event. And he couldn't convince himself that one had nothing to do with the other.

He hadn't been able to convince Cloud Dancing either. After recounting the voices and the visions, the medicine man merely chuckled and shook his head. "My brother," he'd gently chided, "you know what the spirits are saying to you; I cannot help make it any clearer. Do not listen to the doubts in your mind. Your heart is sure, and it is that which you must follow." Sully had sighed, resigned; he'd expected such an answer. And as much as he hated to admit it, the wise Indian was right. He knew exactly what the spirits were telling him. He just wasn't sure what to do about it.

As usual, Sully's casual stroll around town took him near the clinic, and he was pleased to see that the door was open, which meant that Dr Mike was there and not busy with a patient. But before he could come up with a reason for stopping in to see her, she came out onto the porch, closed the door behind her, and hurried to the telegraph/post office. Automatically he made to follow her, figuring she was picking up another shipment of medicines and might need a hand carrying it. But he stopped short of the doorway when he saw the man inside turn and greet her; his stomach lurched as he recognized the stranger from yesterday.

Observing them silently through the window, Sully bristled when the man took Dr Mike's hand and kissed it fondly. From what he could hear of their conversation, he surmised that she'd treated the fellow for some sort of head injury. He was pleased when Horace interrupted them to hand Dr Mike a large package, which wasn't medicine as he expected but apparently something for the Founders Day social coming up. When she turned to leave, Sully quickly ducked into the alleyway between the telegraph office and the clinic. He didn't want Dr Mike to know he'd been eavesdropping, and he knew she would pass right by him on her way back; he figured he could just casually "run into" her, offer to carry her package, they could talk a little...

He was stunned when she strolled by, the stranger close at her side with her package under his arm. She seemed to be enjoying his attentions; the tone of her voice was light, almost flirtatious. Sully couldn't pinpoint why that bothered him so much, or why he felt such a strong need to protect her from this man. He stepped out of the alley and followed them at a reasonable distance.

After placing her parcel in her wagon, Dr Mike and the stranger meandered to the barbershop where he'd hitched his horse. Several townsfolk, including Jake and Loren, were gathered around admiring the animal. Sully knew next to nothing about horses; he leaned on a post and glared at the well-dressed stranger as he spoke of being "temporarily short of funds" and offering to sell the beast, for the right price of course. The arrogance in his voice was grating on Sully's nerves, as was the way he kept looking at Dr Mike, his pale eyes roving over her body...

"What about you, sir?" The crowd suddenly laughed, and Sully realized the man was addressing him. But before he could respond, Dr Mike spoke up.

"He doesn't need a horse," she stated firmly.

Then Jake chimed in. "He can't ride."

The stranger was incredulous. "Any man's got two legs can ride!"

"Not Sully," Loren sniggered, jabbing a thumb in his direction.

"He's scared." Jake smirked, enjoying Sully's embarrassment. The crowd of townsfolk continued to snicker and poke fun.

Sully hit his breaking point. The laughing he could tolerate, even Jake and Loren's small-minded torments he could brush off. But the sad expression on Dr Mike's face, the pity in her beautiful eyes, was just too much to bear. He couldn't have her feeling sorry for him. And he would not be embarrassed by a complete stranger in front of her! His pride seized control.

Glaring around at the people jeering at him, one by one they fell silent as Sully stepped up to the so-called gentleman and fixed him with a look of contempt. "How much?"

Loren's mouth dropped open. Dr Mike's eyes widened. "Sully-" she started to protest, but at his look she quieted.

The stranger merely chuckled. "You want to buy my horse?"

"How much?" Sully repeated, his voice low and even.

"Thought you couldn't ride," the man sneered.

"Thought you needed money."

The stranger laughed and nodded. "Got me there, I reckon. Alright, Mister—Sully, is it? Let's talk some business." He untied the horse from the hitching post and headed in the direction of the livery. Sully gave the animal a wide berth and was careful to avoid Dr Mike's eyes.

/

It was late and Sully was tired, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep with so much on his mind. Sitting in his lean-to on the hill overlooking the homestead, he hugged his knees to his chest and stared into his small fire, thinking about the events of the day. Thanks to his wounded pride, he now owned a horse, quite possibly the most idiotic purchase he'd ever made. At least Robert E had been there to help negotiate a fair price, and he wasn't charging Sully for stabling the beast while he decided what to do with it. Maybe he'd just sell it, or give it to the Cooper kids as a present...

A wagon rattled up to the homestead and Sully was instantly on the alert. At this hour it could only be someone coming to fetch Dr Mike for an emergency, and that meant he would be keeping an eye on the children—unnoticed, of course. He banked his fire and crept quietly down the hill toward the house, watching the man who'd just climbed down from the wagon and walked up to the front door. There was something unsettlingly familiar about him...

Sully reached the back door of the cabin just as Colleen cried out, "Pa!" He froze, confused, but then the realization crashed into him: the man, the stranger, was their father. Ethan Cooper. Bile rose in his throat. He'd never met the man, but he'd known Charlotte and the kids long enough to see what his abandonment had done to them, and his first instinct was to charge in and break the deadbeat's nose. Now he understood why he'd had such a bad feeling about him from the moment he'd rode into town.

Silently, Sully slipped to the window and peered inside. Ethan was seated at the table like a king holding court, bestowing gifts upon the children. Brian and Colleen seemed quite happy to see him, but Matthew obviously was not; he stood stiffly by the fireplace, arms folded, keeping his distance. Sully reasoned that since he was the oldest, forced at a young age to become the man of the house, he probably had the most reason to resent their cad of a patriarch.

Their voices were muffled, and from his viewpoint he couldn't read anyone's lips clearly, but Sully could tell things were growing tense, especially when he saw Ethan holding what looked like a ship in a bottle. He wasn't sure what the man was trying to explain, but he had to smile when he distinctly heard Dr Mike berating him, asking why he'd come back after so long. Sully was thankful that Ethan's charms were apparently no longer working on her. He watched as she moved to put her arms around all three children in a protective stance, and his heart swelled with admiration and a kind of pride. Those kids were hers, no question, and she would never let a lowlife like Ethan take them from her, father or no. They were a family, and Sully had to admit he felt protective of them, though he knew he probably had no right. But they lived under his roof, so in a way they were his responsibility, and he wasn't about to let anything happen to any of them if he could help it.

Ethan departed shortly afterwards, alone; Sully was relieved that he hadn't talked any of the kids into going with him. He stood in the shadows and watched him leave, waited until he was long gone, before heading back up to his lean-to and resuming his vigil. His instincts, along with the tightening knot in his gut, told him that Ethan Cooper's sudden return to Colorado Springs did not bode well, for anyone.