CHAPTER 4

Michaela wearily brought a hand up to smooth her hair back from her face as she descended the interior clinic steps. She had spent most of the night tending to Teresa and Maria Slicker after they were injured when their horse bolted in the storm and caused their buggy to crash.

It had been Jake who had raced to the homestead to fetch her, who had pounded on the door screaming her name and interrupting the scene in the master bedroom.

Everything after that was a blur in Michaela's memory. She had shut her eyes for a few moments to try and calm herself before going to answer the door. When she opened them, Brandon was gone. Then she was running down the stairs, buttoning her blouse and straightening her hair, moving the chair to open the door, listening to Jake's impassioned plea for help, grabbing her coat and leaving with him out into the storm – all the while wondering where HE went.

She walked tiredly to her desk and thankfully sank down in the chair. Her patients were doing fine. Teresa had suffered a broken arm and a slight concussion in the crash. Little Maria had a broken leg and multiple cuts and bruises, but otherwise she was well. They were both sleeping comfortably in one of the upper recovery rooms, being watched over by a very concerned Jake.

Michaela finally had a chance to think about the scene in the bedroom the night before. What was wrong with her? Why had she let her imagination run away with her like that? It was SULLY. Her husband. They should have been enjoying a little fun and excitement together. They should have laughed together later about his mysterious "twin". Now, hours later, she wondered why she got so frightened, believing he really was "Brandon."

Oh what must he be thinking now? And where IS he? Why did he have to be so darn convincing!

Michaela yawned and stretched her arms, trying to summon the energy to get up and make her way home, knowing Katie would be dropped off in a few hours from her overnight stay with her friend.

Just then, a knock sounded at the clinic door.

"Come in," Michaela called.

The door opened and Horace stepped inside.

"Mornin' Dr. Mike. Got a telegram for ya. It came in last night right before I shut my key down for the night, but with the storm and all I waited till this morning to deliver it. Didn't think it was an emergency," he explained as he handed her the folded piece of paper.

"Thank you, Horace," Michaela smiled tiredly as she took the paper from him.

"You're welcome, Dr. Mike," Horace answered cheerfully, backing out the door and shutting it behind him.

Michaela rubbed her eyes tiredly and unfolded the paper to read. Her mouth dropped open as she read the words.

TO: MICHAELA QUINN-SULLY, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

SENDER LOCATION: MANITOU, COLORADO.

DATE: JUNE 21, 1880 TIME: 9:00 PM

MICHAELA,

COULDN'T FIND PERSON I WAS TO MEET WITH, WILL HAVE TO STAY LONGER

THAN I FIRST THOUGHT. BE HOME AS SOON AS I CAN. DON'T WORRY. GIVE KATIE A

HUG FOR ME. SEE YOU SOON.

LOVE, SULLY.

Shock washed over her. She swallowed hard. Sully sent her a telegram – from Manitou – at 9:00 last night?

But...

NO! That is impossible! He was with her at 9... wasn't he? Realization landed on her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh no. It IS true!" she whispered, her mouth dry, heart pounding as she remembered what happened last night – and what almost happened.

OOOOOO

He sat on the porch watching the road. Thinking back over the events of the night before, he allowed himself a small chuckle. Almost. Dang it, why'd that knock have to come just then?

After she had screamed that word and he had heard the pounding on the door, he felt a crazy panic hit him. He had jumped up from the bed and ran down the hall to one of the other bedrooms, shutting the door so he could get himself under control. He'd heard her make her way downstairs, heard the muffled voices, and heard her leave the house. Must have been some kind of medical emergency.

He had gone back to the bedroom and took off his damp clothes, laying them on a chair to dry. Walking over and lighting a fire in the fireplace, he then waited all night for her to return, finally falling asleep near daybreak. He'd gotten himself up a little bit ago and went downstairs to find something to eat, spying the chair propped against the back door. So that's why I couldn't get the dang door open! The little vixen! But she couldn't keep me out, ha! After munching on some day old bread and preserves he found in a cupboard, he went out to the porch to wait for her return. Where was she? What was she thinking? Is she thinking about me?

Man! She sure is one passionate woman. The lovely and cultured lady doctor from Boston. Who would have ever thought? Byron, you sure got yourself one heck of a woman, he complimented with a grin. Mmm mmm, one heck of a woman. I love how she responds to my kisses. He grinned again when he remembered she'd had nothing on under that skirt and she hadn't rebuttoned her blouse after she saw him in the room. Mmmm hmm. She was ready for it; she wanted it, but then she fought like a wild thing. Dang that was fun.

Just as he was starting to wonder why she screamed 'baseball' at that moment, and unexpectedly felt a little pang of guilt about his own actions, he looked up as he heard a horse approaching.

OOOOOO

After reading the telegram Horace brought her, and after she recovered from the shock, Michaela had borrowed a horse from Robert E. to ride home, but was delayed by a small emergency. She knew Robert E. could see something was bothering her, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about it. She was so ashamed and upset, she couldn't think straight. Finally an hour later, she was on her way.

What will Sully think? Will he be angry? He was so angry when he THOUGHT something was going on between Daniel and me. Oh, what a mess! When is he coming home?

She wondered where Brandon went after Jake pounded on the door. Fear shot through her as she realized he very well could still be at the homestead. She swallowed the lump of dread in her throat and rode on. If she saw evidence that he was still there, she would ride all the way to Manitou herself and find Sully. But under no circumstances would she let herself be alone with Brandon again. No way.

As she rounded the last turn, she slowed the horse and maneuvered him to a clump of trees by the road so she could observe the homestead without being seen. Everything was calm, just a little disheveled because of the storm. She sat there trying to decide what to do. Then the barn door opened and a man walked out. She strained her eyes to make out who it was, then she saw the buckskins and realized his hair was down....Sully! Oh thank God! She nudged her horse into a fast gallop and headed straight for him.

He saw her coming and smiled, walking to meet her and help her down. She slid into his arms in tears, clutching him tightly. "Oh Sully, thank God!"

"Whoa, what's wrong?" He asked, trying to disengage her arms so he could get a look at her face, but she buried her face in his neck, begging, "Just hold me. Please hold me!"

"Sure. Hey where were ya? Was there some emergency in town?" he asked, rocking her gently back and forth, his arms tight around her. "Did somethin' bad happen to make ya upset?"

She finally drew back, wiping tears and looking up at him in shame, "Oh Sully, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" He asked, confused. "Sorry for what, Michaela?"

"Your twin brother, Brandon. I thought it was you, I thought you were playing that game we talked about..."

"Michaela," Sully interrupted, shaking his head, "I ain't got no twin brother..."

Michaela shook her head, charging right on, "He explained all that. I know you disowned him and that's why you never told me about him. And after meeting him, I don't blame you! But, oh Sully, please forgive me, I thought it was you, though I kept getting waves of fear and doubt that I kept ignoring, but I .... I let him kiss me, and, touch me in private places, and...almost let him...but Jake got here, thank God, and pounded on the door wanting me to come and tend to Teresa and Maria. Oh! If he hadn't gotten here...one more minute and I would have..."

"Michaela! Stop. I'm tellin' ya. There AINT no twin brother. It was ME."

Michaela's eyes widened. "But...I don't understand...Sully...I got your telegram. The one you sent last night – at 9:00. I was with HIM at 9:00! How could you be in two places at once?"

"I don't know what telegram ya got, but I didn't send it. It was me with ya up there in our room during the storm," he asserted emphatically. He searched her face to see her reaction.

"It was you?...I thought it was at first, but he...you...were so convincing..."

Sully hugged her to him again, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I truly thought ya knew it was me the whole time. I didn't know ya were fallin' for the whoppers I was makin' up as I went along." He took his finger and raised her chin that she had lowered in shame, making her meet his eyes. "I'm sorry I scared ya. Am I that good of an actor?" he grinned playfully.

"I know it seems silly now, in the light of day, but last night...the details of the story were so convincing...but mostly...Sully, you've never spoken to me like that...mocking me regarding something so private...or kissed me like that, or treated me like that...you've never physically hurt me before, but last night...you hurt my wrists," she finished in a whimper.

"Oh Michaela, I'm sorry!" he immediately reacted, bringing her wrists to his mouth and kissing them thoroughly. Feeling wracked with guilt that he had actually hurt his precious wife, he exclaimed, "I didn't mean to hurt ya! I tried hard not to, I guess I just got carried away in the stupid game. I got so worked up..." He raised a hand to her face and tenderly caressed her cheek, whispering, "I'm sorry sweetheart...will you forgive me?"

Michaela stood gazing up into her precious husband's beautiful blue eyes, so thankful to have him back. "Yes, of course I forgive you," she whispered as he gently wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

"You were right, this was a bad idea," he declared. "We ain't ever doin' that again, I promise. We don't need no games between us anyway. What we got is already perfect – ya can't improve on perfection, right?" He grinned, kissing her cheek softly and nuzzling her ear with his lips.

"No, most certainly not," Michaela agreed.

"Oh! I just remembered. Horace rode out right before you got here, lookin' for ya to deliver a telegram. I was gonna read it when I heard Flash knock somethin' over in her stall and went in to check on her. Was comin' back out when you rode up," Sully explained, taking the telegram out of his pocket.

They both read the telegram together, bursting out laughing as the mystery was solved.

TO: MICHAELA QUINN-SULLY, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

SENDER LOCATION: MANITOU, COLORADO

DATE: JUNE 22, 1880 TIME: 8:00 AM

MRS. QUINN-SULLY,

PLEASE IGNORE TELEGRAM SENT FROM THIS KEY LAST NIGHT AT 9 PM.

MISTAKE HAPPENED WHEN PILE OF NEW TELEGRAMS GOT MIXED UP

WITH PILE OF OLD ONES DURING CLEANING OF THE OFFICE. THE OLD

TELEGRAMS WERE SENT AS NEW. HOPE THIS DID NOT CAUSE YOU UNDUE

CONCERN.

SINCERELY,

MANITOU TELEGRAM OPERATOR.

"Well, that explains that!" Michaela laughed.

"But tell me how and where you got your disguise."

Sully chuckled and explained, "Well, I borrowed the clothes from Hank. He had kept 'em around after a customer lit out without payin' one night for, ehem, you know. I told him I needed 'em for somebody else," he grinned.

"So that's why they smelled like cigarette smoke."

"Yep. I borrowed the gun from Matthew. Nice touch, heh?"

"That was one of the most convincing items – you detest guns!"

"Yeah, but I just got caught up in makin' it believable, so I used everythin' I could think of that was the opposite of me. Let's see, I borrowed the horse from Robert E. Oh and on my way outta the saloon I grabbed a bottle of whiskey when Hank wadn't lookin' and took a swig, just for good measure."

"Ah, yes, that was a detail I went over many times in my mind. And your manner of speaking..."

He chuckled. "I can talk right when I need to...just too lazy most of the time I guess."

She gazed up at him and softly shook her head in wonder, her heart full of love for this amazing man. He grinned and leaned in for a much welcome kiss. She sighed in pure pleasure of having Sully's gentle, sensuous nature back again.

Pulling back he revealed, "I can't believe ya didn't see me. I did all this while you were in the clinic. Then when I was comin' outta the saloon I saw ya leavin' in the wagon and had to ride like the dickens ta get ta that spot in the road before ya. Thought I wadn't gonna make it!" he laughed.

"Well, all I can say to this is – the next time Dorothy wants to put on a play, you'd better not say you don't want to be in it because you 'can't act'. You should get the lead!"

At this, they both laughed again, remembering the 'acting' from the day before.

"Yeah, but one thing that wadn't fake – you really got me goin' and then shut me down, woman!" he playfully scolded. "Ya tryin' ta disable me?"

"Brandon, yes. You, never." Michaela sweetly replied.

"Well...good thing he's gone then, huh?"

"Indeed!"

At this, they turned and began walking with their arms around each other toward the house, both ready to consummate their reconciliation and practice their "perfection."

EPILOGUE

That night as they were getting ready for bed, Michaela went to shut the window and almost stepped on "Brandon's" holster lying forgotten on the floor. Picking it up and tossing a saucy look at her husband, she quipped, "Mmmm, Brandon forgot his gun when he left. Maybe next time you go out of town, he'll come back and get it."

"Thought you didn't like Brandon?" Sully scowled playfully, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it on the chair.

"Oh, I don't know. Now that I think about it, he was a much better kisser than you. More masterful, more in charge. Mmmm, made me feel like a new woman," she teased unmercifully. "Yes, I think he was right. Brandon Sully could make me forget Byron Sully ever existed!"

He sauntered over to her and slipped the gunbelt from her hands, wrapping it up and placing it on the vanity.

Turning back to her, his lips curling into a sexy smile, he leaned in for a long, gentle, sensuous kiss that absolutely took her breath away.

"Michaela," he murmured as he pulled back.

"Yes, Byron?"

"Baseball," he whispered as he took her lips with his once again.

THE END