Chapter 21

Michaela looked down at the dirty dishes before her, knowing that the evening was almost over. They wouldn't see each other for a few weeks and she allowed herself to not be the determined doctor everyone knew but just a woman in love tonight. Sully was outside bringing more logs in for the fire. Matthew and Brian were with him. Charlotte glanced at her young friend as she motioned with her hand towards Colleen. "Let's get these dishes cleared."

Obediently Colleen began to gather the silverware, the look in her mother's eye telling her to leave the two women alone. Once her daughter was busy at her task, Charlotte laid her hand over Michaela's. "I'll help," Michaela said quickly, startled out of her reverie.

"No," Charlotte said softly, "Colleen and I can finish up here. I know Sully would like to walk ya home." There was a knowing look in the older lady's face and it made Michaela blush. "I know it was only politeness that made you accept this invitation anyway. Lord knows child, it ain't been so long ago that I don't know what it's like to be in love." Now Michaela's cheeks did turn bright red as she dropped her eyes to her plate.

"I sometimes feel silly," Michaela whispered gripping her napkin tightly in her hand.

"Silly? About what?"

Michaela shrugged her shoulders, remaining quiet for the moment. Charlotte was the one confidant she had in Colorado Springs besides Sully but it was hard to tell her the intimate thoughts. Finally she lifted her head a little, letting it lilt towards the side. "I'm having a hard time thinking of Sully being gone." The words were spoken as if they pained her but Michaela found nothing but sympathy from the older woman.

"It's natural for ya to feel that way. I know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder but it don't make absence any easier." Michaela smiled a little and nodded in agreement. Charlotte leaned in close to the lady doctor now with a wide grin as she covered her hand once again. "Look, ya need anything while Sully's gone… a listening ear, supper... I mean anything at all, I want ya to come on over here. Alright?"

"Thank you, Charlotte," Michaela said with gratitude in her voice. "You are a very good friend to me."

Charlotte waved her hand in the air as if she was pushing away the compliment. "Just being who I am. 'Sides I know what it's like to have people whisper and talk about ya. I've been through that myself."

Michaela was curious about Charlotte's words but she didn't have a chance to ask any questions as the door opened and Sully stumbled inside with the wood, the children on his heels.

"Thank ya, Sully." Charlotte stood as she spoke and began to gather the serving bowls. "Matthew can stoke the fire. Know y'all gettin' an early start tomorrow, I'm sure y'all wanna be goin'." She raised her left eyebrow as she spoke and it made Sully smile.

"Thanks for dinner, Charlotte."

"You're welcome," the midwife replied as she looked fondly between the pair of them.

Sully walked over to Michaela and put his hand on her shoulder. "Ya ready to go?" Michaela nodded as she pushed her chair back slightly and stood. Taking her hand in his Sully smiled into her beautiful mismatched eyes. With her heart starting to pound faster, Michaela felt that impending sense of loneliness engulf her but she fought against the feeling, reminding herself that the cattle drive wasn't forever.

"Thanks again, Charlotte," she whispered her eyes never leaving Sully's as they walked to the door. There were hugs and goodbyes from the children before they could leave but soon enough they both stood in front of the clinic. Neither spoke as Sully took both of her hands in his. Michaela wanted him to take her in his arms but her eyes wandered over to the porch of the saloon knowing there were always eyes watching. "Let's step inside for a minute," she whispered.

Sully nodded and followed her through the door, stopping just inside. "I'm gonna miss ya," he said quietly. Michaela bowed her head not wanting him to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'll miss you too," she replied in a low tone that betrayed her sadness. Sully dropped one of her hands and moved it under her chin, pushing it up so that he could look into her eyes. The tears there touched him deeply. "I know it's silly," she said quickly trying to cover her awkwardness.

"It's not. It's…." He swallowed hard feeling his emotion get the best of him. Quickly he recovered though and tried to stop Michaela's tears as well. "It's too short of a trip for ya to be gettin' al upset." Michaela nodded and sniffed loudly, trying hard to stop the flood that was welling up in her eyelids. "And 'sides there's gonna be a weddin' at the end of it."

Michaela's eyes widened, questions instantly flooding her mind. Should she telegram her family – did he really mean right away? Yet something held the questions back. Boston upbringing repressed her desire to know more. It wasn't polite for a woman to directly ask a man's intentions, she told herself. It was enough to know that there would be a wedding. As these thoughts weighed on her mind, Sully had other things on his.

Relaxing against her, Sully pulled her into his embrace, burying his face against the side of her head and drinking in the smell of her hair. "Ya smell good," he whispered tickling her ear with his warm breath.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly.

Sully's hands began to move up and down her back as if warming her on a cold night but Michaela wasn't cold in the least. In fact she found the warmth radiating from the inside out. Pulling back so that she could see him, she found a new look in his eyes. It spoke of a hunger she couldn't name though instinctively knew she felt it as well. She tried hard to hide the feelings in herself but standing here tonight with Sully so close, it proved impossible. She knew that she should turn away but she didn't.

One of Sully's hands was still on her back, the other tangled in her hair. Pressing his lips against hers gently, he gave her one light kiss and moved back so as not to scare her. Control he repeated to himself over and over, fighting against the overwhelming desire inside. Michaela followed him though as he moved back a little, lightly brushing her lips against his again. Their eyes met and then closed quickly as once again their lips found one another. Unaware of anything but the sensation of his lips opening over hers, Michaela felt lost in the moment. Suddenly, her bottom lip was between his and their bodies were pressing together. The heated exchange continued for another minute or two, neither wanting to pull away but both knowing this could not continue.

Michaela broke the union first, stepping completely out of his embrace. Sully mistook the move, fearing he'd frightened her. "I should go," he whispered apologetically. "I didn't mean…."

With a hint of a smile, Michaela looked up at him. "Yes you should, Mr. Sully," she said with a fair amount of spunk. Lowering her eyelids and then raising them again quickly, she smiled wider.

Sully relaxed. "I'll stop by on my way out of town." Michaela nodded and opened the door for him. Sully's hand lingered over hers on the doorknob as he leaned forward to place one more soft kiss against her lips. "I love you."

Watching him step through the door, Michaela replied, "I love you, too."

There were no other words spoken. Sully walked on into the night as Michaela watched, determined to do so until she could see him no more. At one point, he turned and waved and then disappeared into the blackness. Michaela swallowed hard as she waved back, knowing that she would treasure the kisses they shared tonight the entire time he was gone.

...

If the prairie hadn't been coated with dry grass it would have looked as if naked. No tree, no bush let alone house but only softly curved hills up to the horizon. Dusk was approaching and the heat of the day finally faded. Everything looked perfectly peaceful yet Sully couldn't get rid of the unsettling sense of foreboding. Standing on the crest of a hill, he carefully took in the surroundings. He couldn't detect anything unusual though. At last pivoting so he had the empty landscape behind him, he scanned their camp. They had lit a campfire next to the chuck wagon on the foot of the opposite hill. Somewhat more than two hundred cattle were scattered along the slope, and three of Miss Olive's vaqueros rounded the herd up for the evening.

They hadn't faced any major problems on their way back to Colorado Springs so far. If things continued going well, he would see Michaela in four, maybe even only three days after the long separation of almost three weeks now. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again, feeling her with all his senses. He missed her in a way he couldn't even describe; he just didn't feel whole without her. Although he was more than busy all day and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the bundle he used as a pillow, she was always on his mind. Even now as he looked around one last time to make sure they were safe, he worried how she was doing. He was quite sure that the townsfolk accepted her services again but he wasn't certain if Abby had finally left her alone. However, he couldn't do anything about that right now and thus he dismissed this thought as he walked towards the camp in order to join the others.

The unnerving feeling of somebody watching him was still there though.

Sully wasn't sure what it had been that snapped him awake shortly before it was time to get up: the unusual vibrating of the ground beneath him or a rumbling coming closer, growing louder. However, he was the first one on his feet. As he saw the herd running towards the camp as if it was one huge body, gaining speed, he screamed in a voice that was barely to be heard over the noise of the inexorably ragingly approaching cattle, "Stampede!"

There was no time to save anything but their bare lives. Olive got caught in her bedroll in the attempt to jump out of it and while the men ran to the horses as to get away, all she could do was seek protection under the wagon.

It was as fast over as it had begun. The animals vanished in a huge cloud of dusk, climbing the opposite hill, slowing down in the process. Olive knew they would lose them for sure if they didn't go after them right away. As soon as the returning men were within earshot, she shouted to them, "Go, bring them back!"

While the three other cowboys instantly followed her order, Sully hesitated. Miss Olive's voice was strained with pain and coming closer he saw that her body was partly under the crashed wagon. Not listening as she impatiently reiterated her demand that he should go after the cattle, he jumped from his horse, judging the situation. The rear wheels of the wagon were broken and while his boss' upper body was free, lying in a right angle to the vehicle, one of her legs was stuck under the far end of it.

Looking around he searched for something he could use as a lever. Finding a board from the side of the wagon on the ground he immediately went to work, disregarding Miss Olive's anger because he refused to leave her. She was glad though when she suddenly felt how the weight of the wagon was slowly lifted. Crying out in pain, she pulled her leg out and tried to roll away. She didn't succeed though and only with Sully's help was she finally free.

Both their looks went instantly to the smashed leg and they immediately knew she would need a doctor. But Olive didn't allow them to voice this conclusion yet; first they had to take stock of the damage. "Now go and help the others," she said through gritted teeth.

"But…" Sully tried to object, wanting at least to help clean and bandage the leg.

However, Olive's tone was not to be mistaken when she ordered, "Go, they need you more. And try to find out where my Mexicans are."

Sully nodded slowly, his mind starting to work again. There had been no reason for the cattle to act as frantic as they did. Remembering the feeling that he had been watched a suspicion started forming in his head and he took off, first to get back the herd and then look after the other men.

Three hours later it was clear what had happened. After they had brought the herd back they not only found out that thirty two cattle were missing, it was much worse. The two vaqueros who had been on guard were dead, murdered. Someone had sliced their throats and Sully had found arrows, some of them still sticking in the cows. Obviously Indians had ambushed them in order to steal cattle. However, they were gone now.

Olive knew she had to make a decision. She couldn't afford to give the herd up but she wasn't able to go with the men. If she could have her way, she would sent her men home with the cattle while she waited for help they would send to her.

"No way," Sully contradicted, "We ain't leaving you here on your own. And besides, only four men for still almost two hundred cattle won't work either."

He knew the other men agreed with him when he at last suggested, keeping his eyes locked with Olive, "We send one of us home. Alone on horseback it shouldn't even take much more than one day. He can bring some men from the ranch and Dr. Mike, too."

Olive knew he was right. Actually, secretly she even hoped he wouldn't volunteer for the task. She felt strangely safe when Sully was near. Peter Thomas, who had been Michaela's patient before with a broken leg, relieved her mind, "I'll go," he announced. "I'm the fastest on horseback."

No one protested and half an hour later he was on his way while the others took precautions for being as comfortable and safe as possible under the circumstances.