Chapter 21: Return from the Reservation

"Mrs. Quinn…" a young man in a black coat and hat said, sticking his torn-gloved hand out. "I think you might find this very helpful."

"You got it?"

"I got in when she took the baby out for a walk. Dug through some of the drawers…found these and copied down what they said. This one's postmarked yesterday. I think it might be important."

"You put everything back as it was?"

"I always do." Elizabeth looked warily at the man she'd hired. She had felt so dirty hiring someone to break into the Lewis' house, but when it came right down to it, she needed to put her daughter and grandchildren first for once. She would do whatever it took.

"As promised, your payment," she said, handing him a thick envelope. "Two hundred dollars."

"Appreciate it, Mrs. Quinn. Let me know if we can do business again."

"I don't think that will be necessary." He shrugged, and Elizabeth quickly closed the door, hurrying inside. She quickly took the paper out of the envelope. It was a telegram sent yesterday. She stared down at the squiggly handwriting of her paid hand.

"HEADING TO COLORADO SPRINGS. I'LL BE HOME SOON. J." Elizabeth's heart fell.

"Oh God no! He's found her!" She had no idea of knowing if that's where Michaela was, but something pulled at her, telling her he was closing in. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed her shawl and rushed out for the carriage. She had to get to the telegraph office as soon as possible.

He took a deep breath, sitting in the stagecoach that would lead him to his final destination. After having caught wind of the trail and headed to Denver, he'd looked for days, coming up with nothing. But thanks to talk around town of a woman doctor being in Colorado Springs, he felt confident that he was going to find her. He wanted to bring her home with all of his might, but if he couldn't do that, he would at least bring his children back to Boston and live a life with the woman who gave him baby Anna.

"What time will we be arriving, my good man?" James asked the stage driver.

"Sorry to tell ya, sir, but it's gonna be another hour's wait. One of the horses needs new shoes."

"Can't you get a replacement?"

"Fraid not." Sighing, James stepped down from the stagecoach.

"I'll be at the café. Do find me when it's time to leave." The man tipped his hat and watched James walk off. Scuffing his boots on the hard ground, James dug his hands into his pocket, bringing out a picture of his beautiful wife. He ran his thumb across the faded photograph. "I'll see you soon, my love. Very soon."

Days and nights had blurred together, and Michaela wasn't certain how long she, the children, and Sully had been on the reservation. Sully was healing well, and Michaela, feeling guilty about eating what the Cheyenne brought her when they already had so little, made sure to help bring water to the village and even summoned a bit of confidence in her medical skills to treat a few ill Cheyenne children who had common ailments that were easily treated. Sadly, she wasn't certain she could ever be the doctor she once was, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

"Let me go with you into town," Sully said quietly, stroking the soft skin on the back of Michaela's hand.

"You won't be in any condition to travel for a couple more days," she explained. "I can get back to town on my own."

"I don't want ya to get hurt."

"Don't worry," she replied, her hand closing over his. "I'm just going to send a telegram to Mother. I need her to know we're alright."

"I thought ya said ya weren't gonna send anymore telegrams?"

"I know I did," she said softly, looking away. "I need her to know we're alright."

"You're sure it's safe?"

"I feel safer than I've felt in a long time, Sully. I don't know if it's being here…or if it's being here with you…" She smiled a little. "I'll be back…"

"Have Cloud Dancin' go with ya? He'll take ya as far as the tree line, and he'll wait for ya to escort ya back to the reservation."

"He wouldn't mind?"

"Just ask him," Sully replied. Michaela smiled a little.

"Are you in any pain? I can leave something…"

"I feel fine," he said quietly. "Just hurry back…" She smiled. He was worried about her, and she appreciated that.

"I will," she whispered. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead, and he reached for her, holding her close for a moment. Their gazes held for a moment, before their lips met in a tender kiss. "I'll be back." With that, she hurried out of the teepee to find Cloud Dancing.

Cloud Dancing waited behind, as Michaela made her way up the path toward town. She felt good, but she knew there would be questions. She was a stranger in town, and she knew everyone would be curious about where she and disappeared to for the past week.

"Well look what the cat dragged in. And wearin' the same clothes she was wearin' last time we saw her," Jake Slicker said, drinking a shot of whiskey as he peered out of the saloon doors. He paid Hank and set out across the street, where Loren and Dorothy were talking. "Look." He motioned toward Michaela, who was entering the telegraph office.

"Where's she been?" Loren asked.

"She doesn't look hurt or anything," Dorothy said quizzically. "Maybe she's just been out at the homestead…"

"Robert E. rode out there to ask if she'd seen Sully just a couple days ago. Don't look like nothin's been touched. Her stuff's still at the boardin' house. They ain't come back for it."

"Maybe you ought to talk to her," Jake said to Dorothy. "You're a woman. You might get somewhere with her."

"I don't know. I don't know her…none of us do."

"You was the one said we oughta give her a chance," Loren said. "Go on. Go talk to her."

"But we shouldn't be pryin', Loren!" Dorothy protested.

"Know what I think?" Jake asked.

"I'm sure you'll tell us," Dorothy replied.

"I think she was out there at that reservation with them injuns. Bet she's been there the whole time. Looks like Sully's found his perfect match…and injun lover just like him."

"Aww, now we don't know that, Jake. Maybe she found a patient…"

"And never came back to town for her things? For them kids' things? If ya ask me, she shouldn't be spendin' time out there with them savages...I bet her and Sully slept in the same teepee."

"Jake!" Dorothy exclaimed!

"If her husband's dead…she ain't waited long. That boy of hers ain't that old."

"You're just makin' up rumors!" Dorothy exclaimed.

"Then why don't ya go talk to her? Find out what she's been up to?" Loren asked. "You better go do that if ya don't want them rumors spreadin'." Dorothy sighed heavily, and she shook her head. Curling her shawl around her shoulders, she started off toward the telegraph office to talk to Michaela.

She paused at the door, as Michaela was speaking to Horace.

"I'd like to send a telegram, if you aren't busy."

"'Course," Horace said with a pleasant smile. "Where you been? Folks've been awful curious."

"I had a patient…I couldn't leave him."

"He ok?"

"He's out of the woods," Michaela said with a smile.

"So you'll be takin' your things out to the Sully homestead?"

"Ah, yes," Michaela replied. "Sometime later today, perhaps." She pecked her fingers nervously on the countertop. "Horace?"

"Hmm?"

"The telegram?"

"Oh! Oh, right. Umm…hold on, one's comin' in." The machine began to click, and Michaela waited patiently. Horace furrowed his brow and began to scratch words down on his pad.

"This is for you, Dr. Quinn."

"Me?" Who would know she was there? Then, her stomach dropped.

"From Elizabeth Quinn…"

"Oh God," she whispered under her breath. This didn't go unnoticed by Dorothy. Michaela felt suddenly faint, and she gripped the counter to steady herself. "Says, he knows where ya are…that's all it says." He scratched his head.

"That make any sense to you?"

"Thank you, Horace," Michaela said quietly, both confused at how her mother had found out her whereabouts, and floored by the news she'd received in a few short little words. He was alive. God, no.

"You still want me to send that telegram?"

"No," she said, her face pale. "Good day, Horace." She turned to leave the office, and she ran right into Dorothy. "Oh!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Quinn. I…are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I…I need to get back to my patient."

"Where's your patient at? I'd like to ride with you."

"No, that's alright. That's…that's fine. I can manage."

"You seem upset…is there anything I can do?"

"Yes…could you arrange to have my belongings taken to the Sully homestead? It'll be late before I return."

"Sure thing…but if there's anything wrong…I know we're strangers, but I'd like to be friends." Michaela nodded, unable to focus on anything right now. As she hurried down the street and out of sight, Jake and Loren came rushing back over.

"What'd ya find out?" Loren asked.

"I don't know…nothing much. She got a telegram, and then she got all nervous and hurried off."

"What'd the telegram say?" Jake asked, putting his hands in his pockets to fumble with the coins inside.

"I…" Dorothy looked away.

"Come on, Dorothy…what was it?"

"I heard Horace tell her…all it said was 'he knows where you are.'" Loren and Jake looked at each other. "It was from Elizabeth Quinn…I'm guessin' that's her ma. Maybe a sister."

"Did she ever say her husband was dead?"

"Well, she's…I don't recall, no," Dorothy said softly. "She seemed real nervous when she talked about that. Got onto a different topic right away, as I remember it."

"Yeah," Loren said quietly.

"Sounds to me like her husband ain't dead at all…maybe she ran off, took them kids with her…maybe she decided she'd rather live in sin with that injun lover."

"Jake," Dorothy warned. "We don't know that. Maybe they're divorced…"

"If they were, she'd have said it."

"Maybe she's just ashamed…"

"Who else would be comin' for her? Looks to me like that woman's got a whole mess of trouble goin' on in her life."

"And it ain't our business," Dorothy replied. "You two had better not breathe a word of this to anybody. It ain't our concern. If she's here and not with her husband, then I'm sure there's a reason. Loren, you don't want me to get into her business, so you better not get into hers, or you'll be sleeping at Jake's barbershop for the next month." She turned on her heels and started off for the mercantile, leaving Jake and Loren to talk quietly with one another.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the long delay in posting another chapter! I finally have free time, and thanks to Lynn's chapter summaries and my own going back over the past few chapters, I've picked the story back up! Ch. 22 should be along soon!