CHAPTER 21 – Thank Goodness for Valentines
Valentine's Day had dawned bright, clear, and brisk, but to the inhabitants of Sully's Junction, it might as well have been raining.
Over the course of the week, things seemed to wax worse and worse for everyone, like an argumentative attitude had settled over the area.
Jake and Teresa had words, with Jake ending up sleeping on the couch for several nights, the Slicker home rife with tension.
Loren and Dorothy spoke sharply to one another and were not even speaking – and this after he gave such wonderful 'romance' advice to his grandson.
Horace and Myra had disagreed over something silly and were nursing hurt feelings.
The Reverend and Anna found themselves in a quandary, with Sarah seeming to have set her mind totally against her mother and the 'preacher' getting together for any reason, leaving the two adults – who were now totally in love – scrambling for a solution.
Colleen continued to refuse to even speak to Hannah, which made for several uncomfortable family dinners, although Michaela was, for the most part, too preoccupied to intervene or help, beyond a perfunctory, "Eat your dinner, girls."
Indeed, the dreaded thoughts Michaela had resolutely swept away seemed determined to return and take root...namely that her gorgeous, virile husband had become tired of, or worse, turned-off by, his ever-broadening wife.
The fact that he seemed to be making himself scarce encouraged the very fertile garden of Michaela's imagination to suffer a growth surge of wild weeds.
OOOOOOOOO
Ingrid continued to give Matthew the silent treatment, refusing to even sit with him on the bus. To make matters worse, the other kids had begun a constant barrage of teasing.
Two days after Ingrid's humiliation, Matthew tried to talk to her at her locker, but when several kids snickered and whispered as they walked past, Ingrid slammed the door shut and hurried away from him, nearly in tears.
Matthew stood gazing after her, totally confused. Just then, he noticed Brian and Anthony standing with a group of younger kids who were whispering and pointing his way. Matthew quickly moved over and pulled his brother away from the others, demanding, "Brian, what's goin' on?"
Brian glanced around uncomfortably, kicking at the floor with the toe of one shoe.
"Spill it, little brother," Matthew insisted, albeit gently.
Brian looked up at him, over at the kids, and back at his brother. "They're talkin' about you and Ingrid."
The young man glanced over and glared at the group, causing them to break up and move on down the hall. He turned his attention back to his brother. "What're they sayin'?"
"They're sayin' Ingrid's a 'smut.' What's that mean?"
Matthew blanched at the awful word, scrambling for a way to tell his young brother the slang word's meaning.
"They said she's your 'umfriend' now...that you and her do things. What'd you and her do?" asked the innocent little boy, gazing upward at his older brother.
Matthew was reeling from this piece of information. My 'umfriend'! My God! Everybody thinks we've done the deed! No wonder she won't talk ta me! Looking around miserably, feeling like everyone in the hall was staring at him, Matthew mumbled, "We didn't do nothin' Brian," and hurried away to find his girlfriend before class began – hoping she would talk to him.
Brian stood staring after him for several moments, before shrugging and turning to make his way to his classroom.
OOOOOOOO
After a frustrating and worry-laced day, Michaela entered their bedroom to dress for the church's Valentine party that evening, pushing the door shut with a sigh. Truth be told, going to a party was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, but she felt obligated to go, since she had been on the committee that organized the affair.
She grimaced as she pictured Ellen Miller working with her and Grace, gushing about the romantic plans Harv had made for them to enjoy that night, after the party. Shaking her head, she would have chuckled at the fact that she now found herself jealous of the woman, if not for the distressing truth - Sully now seemed to have very nearly changed places with Harv Miller.
No, that's ridiculous, she scolded herself, turning and immediately spotting a garment box lying on the bed, a card on top.
Curious, she crossed to it, opening the card with nervous anticipation. It was a small, plain valentine with a one-line verse, under which Sully had merely signed his name. No sentiment, no romantic declarations, just...Sully.
Slightly disheartened, Michaela reached down to open the box. Moving the tissue paper aside, she viewed a lovely red polyester v-necked maternity top sporting an empire waistline trimmed with rows of sequins, and slanted, elbow length sleeves.
Picking up the charming top, she held it against her chest, wandering to the mirror over her vanity and critically eying her reflection. Why did he do this? Because he felt...obligated to give me something? She wondered, as the incident from that morning came rushing back into her mind.
Thinking her husband had made breakfast for her, she had quietly descended the stairs, hoping to catch a glimpse of him before he noticed her. She had stopped near the bottom when she had overheard her husband's hushed voice, apparently talking on the phone with someone.
"Yeah. Right. Oh I know...same here. Who, my wife? Nah, she ain't got a clue...but if she finds out, I know how to handle her, no sweat."
I know how to handle her... handle her...handle her... the words echoed in Michaela's mind. She closed her eyes as she remembered slinking back up the stairs and making her way to the bedroom, closing the door and sinking onto the bed, shocked tears filling her eyes.
Sully telling some unknown person that he could 'handle' her? She sat there for a long time, striving valiantly to tell herself she was imagining things that simply were not true, finally praying to God for strength to handle it if, God forbid, it were true. Then, when she finally felt confident enough to face him, she had gone back downstairs, only to find him gone, but he had left a short note on the table: Didn't want to wake you. Got lots to do. See you later. Sully.
Suddenly, not having heard the door open, she was startled out of her reverie by Colleen's voice. "Pretty top."
The girl crossed the room and took the garment from Michaela's numb fingers, holding it up to the light. "Dad give you this?" she asked innocently, having noticed the open box.
"Yes," Michaela whispered, swallowing dryly.
"It'll look real pretty on you, with your hair and all," Colleen complimented, glancing at her mother's face. Unable to read her expression, she asked, "Somethin' wrong?"
Pressing her lips together tightly and gritting her teeth to keep tears at bay, Michaela shook her head with an attempt at a smile. "No. Nothing's wrong. Just a little tired, that's all."
"Oh. Well, maybe the party'll make you feel better. Just wish I didn't have to go," she added, almost under her breath.
Michaela turned her focus on her daughter, realizing that something was definitely not right. Reaching out a hand, she smoothed a lock of blond hair back from her face and peered closer, asking, "Don't you feel well, sweetheart?"
Colleen shrugged, not sure she wanted to go into the details of the major rift between her and Hannah. "I'm ok."
"Are you sure?" Michaela pressed, ashamedly realizing she had been woefully remiss in her motherly duties lately. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"Well...I...uh..." the girl began, glancing toward the door to make sure she had closed it. "I got my period the other day," she finally admitted.
"Oh Colleen!" Michaela smiled, drawing her daughter into her arms. "My little girl is a woman, now," she added, tilting her head back and closing her eyes as she gently pressed Colleen's face against her chest.
Pulling back, she moved over to the bed, gently tugging Colleen's hand. As they sat, Michaela asked, "Do you...have any questions? I mean...I know we've discussed this in the past...and they teach about it in school...but..."
A little embarrassed, Colleen lowered her face some, shaking her head.
"Nah...Hannah...helped me. It happened at school," she added softly, memories of the day both sweet and bitterly sour.
Her mind now firmly in family mode, Michaela observed her daughter, noticing the look in her brown eyes when she said Hannah's name. "Is everything alright between you and your sister?"
Colleen glanced up at her, and then dropped her gaze again, staring at her fingers twisting together in her lap. "Not really...but...I don't wanna talk about it...okay?"
Feeling decidedly ashamed that she had not been there for her children, Michaela nodded, reaching for one of Colleen's hands. "As you wish. But... I'm here...if you change your mind."
Colleen smiled and leaned to give her mother a kiss on the cheek and threw her arms around her neck as Michaela hugged her tightly. "I know, Mom. Love you."
"I love you, too," she returned. "Now, I suppose we should be getting dressed to go to the party." Standing, she hesitated, and then glanced at her daughter. "Have you...seen your father today?"
"Nope, Matthew said he was doin' some work for somebody."
Drawing in a large breath, Michaela managed a smile. "Well, you run along, then."
After the door closed behind the girl, Michaela stood with her hands on her hips, truly feeling as if her world had suffered a major shift, like the San Andreas Fault, and she was helpless to stop it. Sighing resolutely, she turned to begin her preparations.
Several minutes later, she stood critically observing her image in the mirror. The red top flowed freely, complimenting her increasingly circular shape quite becomingly, she thought, turning sideways to observe her rounded profile. Still...even with lovely clothing...I'm not by any stretch of the imagination 'alluring'.
Grumbling decidedly insulting remarks to her image in the mirror, she finally shrugged with a sigh, quickly pulled her hair back into two barrettes, freshened her makeup, and made her way downstairs.
Striving to contain her impatience with her AWOL husband, she picked up the phone and called his cell, waiting several rings before he answered.
"Sully? Where are you? It's time to leave for the party..."
"I'm workin' on somethin'...you guys go on, and I'll meet up with ya in a little while."
"But..." she began, only to realize that either the call had been dropped, or he had ended the connection.
Sighing with resignation, she turned to the children. Viewing their long faces, she shrugged fatalistically and murmured, "Well...come children. Let's just get this over."
OOOOOOO
No one seemed inclined toward the church's Valentine's party, including the Reverend himself, and if he could have gotten away with canceling it, he would have. One by one, however, the disgruntled couples found reasons to force themselves to go.
As the attendees entered the church's decorated hall and began to mingle, however, a comfortable camaraderie slowly began to permeate the building, and little by little, smiles began to be seen and laughter heard as the friends began to relax.
The committee had really outdone themselves this year, partly due to the ideas of its newest member, Ellen Miller.
Candlelit tables artfully arranged with red, pink, and white cloths, and festooned with pink and red roses, and bowls with chocolate treats, transformed the sanctuary into an elegant dining hall. Banners with romantic words and phrases adorned the walls.
Food for the adult half of the party was being catered, with soft music playing, while the children and teens were to gather in the basement recreation hall to feast on pizza and enjoy fun games.
Watching his beautiful, feisty wife across the room talking with friends, Jake suddenly realized just how much he missed being in her good graces, and swallowed his pride, approached her and took her gently over to one side. After he delivered a few well spoken and heartfelt sentences, his fiery tempered spouse broke into a large grin and leaned up to give him a decidedly firm kiss of forgiveness.
Loren, too, felt the sting of cooled romance and approached the love of his life, hemming and hawing, and 'awwwwwing', until he managed to say the words she had been waiting to hear that cleared the air between them. Dorothy, her blue eyes twinkling, leaned to give him a sweet kiss on the cheek to let him know all was truly forgiven. In true Loren fashion, he grumbled self-deprecatingly, "I guess I outta take my own advice on romance," causing his beautifully dressed, red haired date to chuckle happily and slip her hand into the crook of his arm as they commenced to make their rounds.
As Horace observed his friends, he knew he had been very much at fault regarding the rift between his wonderful girlfriend and himself, and making up his mind to swallow his pride, he turned toward the refreshment table to get her a glass of punch, nearly bumping into her as she appeared at his side. Smiling her sweet, sincere smile, she offered her extremely tall boyfriend a cup of the refreshing libation. Horace took the proffered drink, stammered an apology, leaned over to give her a somewhat sloppy kiss, and led her over to several chairs to await the festivities.
A few moments later, Michaela and her family made their way through the door.
"Dr. Mike," Grace greeted, causing Michaela to turn from hanging her jacket on the rack next to the entrance.
"Good evening, Grace," Michaela replied, gazing around at the beautifully appointed room. "Everything looks wonderful."
"It sure does. Seems like Ellen's really got a flare for decoratin'," the other woman agreed, inclining her head toward a large pot filled with natural tree branches just inside the door, beautifully decorated with glittering hearts, tissue paper roses, and lacy sachets filled with fragrant potpourri.
Michaela nodded, her eyes sweeping the room as she watched her friends mingling happily.
Grace watched her for a moment, noticing her pensive expression. "You look mighty pretty tonight, Dr. Mike. That new?"
Michaela glanced down and brought a hand to her stomach, smoothing the soft, red material with a somewhat sad smile. "Yes...Sully got it for me."
Grace nodded, her brow furrowing when Michaela looked up and met her eyes. "Where IS Sully? Parkin' the car?"
Glancing around and striving to tamp down her aggravation and answer her friend in a civil tone, she murmured, "I don't know. He said he had something to take care of and he would meet us here. Though I can't imagine what it could be," she added under he breath.
"Well...I'm sure he'll finish what ever is keepin' him, real soon," her friend offered sympathetically.
Drawing in a steadying breath, Michaela dutifully whispered, "Yes, I'm sure he will."
Several minutes later, Hannah sidled up to her mother as she was trying to enjoy a cup of punch with Grace.
Michaela smiled and reached out to smooth a lock of her daughter's honey hair from her forehead. "Hello sweetheart. Are you enjoying the party downstairs?" she asked lovingly.
Hannah shrugged as if that was of no consequence, because in truth, she would rather be anywhere but there.
"Dad called my cell phone. He said to ask you to come to the clinic, he needs to show you something."
"Show me something? Did he say what?" Michaela responded, her brow furrowed in total perplexity. What in the world couldn't wait until after the party – or even until tomorrow?
"Nope," the young girl shrugged. "Just said give you the message."
"But..." Michaela sputtered, glancing at her friend.
"Go ahead, Dr. Mike," Grace offered quickly, reaching to take Michaela's cup helpfully and touch a hand to her back, encouraging her to move towards the door and her jacket. "The kids'll be fine."
OOOOOOOO
Swallowing her aggravation, Michaela took a deep breath as she pulled into the parking space behind the clinic, her brow furrowing as she spotted what looked like a note taped to the back door. Now what? If he went somewhere else, this would be the last straw!
Extricating herself from the Escalade's driver's seat, she approached the door, reaching to take down the note, a curious expression on her face as she read, "Mé'oo'o," written on the envelope in Sully's distinctive, masculine hand. She gasped softly as she read the brief note inside. "Michaela, my beautiful wife – through this door, magic awaits!"
Her heart beginning to pound, she swallowed dryly and turned the knob, stepping inside. Gasping softly in surprise, she gazed around the living quarters of the clinic. Dozens of candles, from the very large to tiny, adorned the open living area, some of the scented variety and emitting an absolutely divine aroma. Their faint, flickering light giving the room such a romantic ambiance, the aggravation, suspicion, and doubt that had held her heart and mind prisoner immediately began to disintegrate. Raising a hand to her mouth, eyes watering, she unconsciously held her breath as her eyes scanned her surroundings.
The table, covered by a red tablecloth, held two elegant place settings. Michaela recognized her good china, along with the crystal goblets she had received at her bridal shower. Wrapped gifts sat in one chair, and upon second glance, she realized one of them was the gift she had wrapped and hidden for Sully! A very large gift leaned against the wall.
Spying a tall slender vase in the center of the table, containing a single perfect long-stemmed red rose, she noticed a note propped against it. Intrigued, she stepped close and picked it up. Inside it read:
"Lovely lady, your transportation has arrived. Take a ride with me to 'Sully's Paradise' – Valentine style."
Just then, brow furrowed, she realized the air held the scent of...roast beef? Before her mind could comprehend the significance of this, her eye caught movement from the living area and she turned her head to see her husband peeking at her over the back of the couch. When he realized she had seen him, he raised up on his knees, bracing his elbows on the couch back as he gazed at her, his face sporting his full dimpled grin.
"Bout time you got here," he murmured, his voice low and sexy. "Dreams can only satisfy a man so long, you know," he added teasingly.
Michaela let her breath out in a rush as she remembered the moment from their courtship her husband had recreated – when he had returned from his and Hannah's vacation and had fallen asleep on her couch – subsequently dreaming of them together, naked, before they were formally engaged. Having heard him murmur in his sleep, she had teased him cheekily.
Suddenly, it was all too much...the lonely nights, the not knowing, the suspicions, the fears, and the aggravation...
"Oh Sully!" she squeaked, and without warning, broke down in tears.
Alarmed, Sully jumped up, rounded the couch, and ran to his wife, swiftly taking her in his arms.
"Sweetheart! What's wrong?" he murmured, holding her as she wound her arms around him, weak in the knees with relief. "Aw honey...don't cry...this was all supposed to make ya happy," he murmured contritely, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Sshh...hey now," he whispered, gently swaying side to side.
After several minutes, she managed to stem the flow of relieved tears and pull back, gratefully receiving the bandana he offered and delicately wiping her eyes and nose.
Glancing around again and seeing more decorations, candy, flowers, and realizing soft music was playing, she murmured, "I...I can't believe you did all this..."
Smiling lovingly, so anxious to tell her all the details of his surprise, he pulled her gently into his arms again, pressing his lips ever so gently to hers. The smooth, familiar warmth of his lips never failed to move her, and she melted against him.
After a long and very satisfying kiss, Sully pulled back a little, whispering, "This time, nothin's gonna interrupt our time alone together...and we've got all night...our own private party," he added with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"All night?" she questioned, wondering about the children...possible patients, and the dreaded cell phone calls from the dispatcher.
"Yep, got everything arranged. Any emergency calls to the clinic will be transferred to the ER at Penrose. Brian's gonna spend the night at Anthony's, the girls are spendin' the night at Loren's, and Matthew is thrilled to have the house all to himself...and I told the dispatcher I'm takin' the night off."
A thought crossing her mind, Michaela blinked as she gazed up at him, murmuring, "Did Grace know anything about this?"
He grinned, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Yep, she helped me plan every bit of it."
Thinking it made sense now how Grace jumped in to offer to watch the kids, Michaela's eyes began to sparkle with anticipation. "And just what did you have in mind, my husband?"
He chuckled again, that confident timbre that never failed to cause those familiar delicious tingles to zip through her core.
Leaning in for a slow, smooth kiss, he whispered, "You'll see..."
OOOOOOOO
Matthew had been watching the stairs, and he smiled in relief when he saw Ingrid and her sisters make their way down into the recreation hall. Determined to nip their tiff in the bud, he made his way over to them, leaning to give his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek as her sisters giggled.
"Hey," he murmured.
"Hey," she answered back a trifle stiffly, but surprisingly allowed his kiss.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked softly. She answered with a shrug.
Gently, Matthew took her hand and led her away to a somewhat secluded corner.
Turning to face her, he murmured softly, "Ingrid, I'm sorry I got ya in trouble on the bus the other day. I don't know what got into me...I was just in a weird mood I guess...please don't be mad at me any more."
Pressing her lips together in an almost pout, she murmured softly, "Do you know what people are saying about me now? That I'm..."
"But ya ain't," he interrupted. "You and I both know we ain't done nothin' wrong."
"That doesn't matter. My mother always says once a girl gets a reputation..." she whined miserably, cringing as she recalled the screaming sessions with her mother she had endured all week.
Matthew shook his head. "We'll figure somethin' out. It'll all blow over, you'll see. And if I have to bust some heads in the process, so be it," he vowed firmly. "Nobody better say one negative word about you ta me."
As she searched his eyes, touched at his vow of chivalry, he added softly, "I brought your Valentine's present...if ya want it."
Nodding, Ingrid smiled and brought a hand up to smooth a lock of her hair behind one ear as Matthew pulled a small wrapped package from his shirt pocket.
"Here...I made this for ya," he offered with his half grin.
Ingrid eagerly opened the wrapping, revealing a photo frame that read, "I love Ingrid" at the top, and a picture of them smiling and dancing together dressed in period clothing, taken by a photographer at last year's 'Founder's Day' dance.
"Oh Matthew! I love it!" she breathed as she traced their images with a finger. Matthew grinned at her reaction, very glad he seemed to have chosen the right gift. He handed her a card. Smiling shyly, she opened it. The front read, "When". Inside were the words: "When I hear your laugh… When we share a secret… When we are in a crowd… When I'm by myself… When you're just being you… When you reach for me… That's when I love you. Happy Valentine's Day, Matthew."
His apology, the gift, and the card having done the trick, Ingrid melted against him, sealing their reconciliation with a kiss. As she pulled back, with a shy grin, she reached in her purse and produced a small wrapped gift. At his look of surprise, she admitted softly, "I...I brought it just in case."
His lips formed his customary half grin again as he received it from her hand and took off the wrapping. Inside the box, Matthew found a handmade, braided rawhide bracelet, adorned with tiger-eye and onyx beads, and in the center, small polished wooden beads with his initials. Matthew was speechless. It was beautifully made, and he instantly adored it.
"Ingrid...did you make this?" he asked softly.
She nodded, "I got the idea after I saw the necklace your ancestor made..."
"It's awesome..." he murmured, leaning in happily and pressing a firm kiss to her lips. Holding the bracelet to his wrist, she helped him tie it on and they both admired how well it looked on his arm. "Thank you," he added, leaning his head against hers, their noses gently touching. "I'm glad we made up...I hated that you were mad at me..."
"Me too...so don't do anything stupid again," she returned with a mischievous grin.
He chuckled and kissed her again. "I won't."
OOOOOOOOO
Sometime later, having turned from watching her brother and Ingrid play foosball with Jared and his girlfriend, Maggie, Hannah spotted her sister talking with Becky near the punch bowl and stood contemplating what to do.
She had steadfastly avoided Richard the rest of the week, although he had tried numerous times to find a way to get her alone, slipping notes to her that he was crazy about her and dreamed of her. As much as Hannah hated that Colleen was hurt, she was also very flattered by Richard's interest. He was the first boy to pay attention to her as a 'woman', rather than just the teasing antics of the boys in her class over the years. She liked that feeling – and Richard was so cute.
Just then, she spotted Richard and his family coming in the door, and her eyes lit up. She hadn't thought they would come to the party, since they had been visitors at church just the week previous. Now, after the Reverend greeted them, Richard looked around for familiar faces and strolled over to a group of kids their age. One was a girl named Alice who never failed to rub Hannah and Colleen the wrong way. As Hannah began to move toward the group, she paused, watching as Richard handed Alice what looked like a Valentine. She opened and read it, her face bursting with a smile, and leaned to kiss his cheek as he grinned happily.
Hannah felt stabbed in the heart and she gasped, turning quickly. It was then that she noticed Becky and Colleen watching the same scene. The three made eye contact. As Hannah turned, grappling with the jealous feelings Alice and Richard's kiss had evoked, Colleen made her decision, and crossed to her sister.
"Hey Hannah."
"Hey Colleen."
"Looks like Richard's moved on."
"Yeah..." Hannah murmured, turning her head toward him and clamping her lips. "He sure didn't lose no time."
"You know, I'm thinking...what's so special about him anyway? He ain't so cute."
"Nah...his teeth are crooked," Hannah fudged, but they both knew she was making that up. It broke the ice, though, and they both giggled.
Suddenly, Hannah waxed serious, reaching for her sister's hand. "Colleen...I never meant to hurt you...I've missed you being my sister."
"I missed you, too," Colleen returned with a small smile.
"I'll never do nothin' like that again," Hannah vowed. Then reaching in a pocket, she drew out a homemade valentine, shyly handing it to her sister. "Here...I made this for you."
"You did?" Colleen asked, grinning, and took the card. The front read: My Sister. Inside were the words: "What you mean to me is more than I can express. I had no sister when I was little to talk to when I was in distress. But God had a plan through all those years. He was making us for each other, to share all our smiles and tears. I never could imagine what a sister's love was about – until I met you and then I found out. Now I'm glad I didn't have a sister in the past. It's made me much more thankful for the sister I have at last. Your forever sister, Hannah."
With tears filling her eyes, Colleen bit her lip and looked up at her sister, now truly ashamed she had allowed such a feud to develop between them.
"I'm glad you're my forever sister," she squeaked softly, reaching to hug her sibling as she clutched the heartfelt card. She knew it would be one of her treasured possessions for the rest of her life.
Pulling back, they linked arms, giggling, and made their way to the refreshment table.
OOOOOOOO
"Oh Sully...do I look as foolish as I feel?" Michaela asked softly, her arms wrapped around her husband, swaying together to the soft music as closely as their child would allow.
"I think you look beautiful when you're jealous," he teased in a whisper, prompting her to drop her eyes in a blush.
"But Michaela...I can't believe you were thinkin' that stuff," he fussed softly. "Mé'oo'o, don't ya know I'm crazy about ya? Don't ya remember what I told ya in Boston on Christmas night? I could never lie to you...and I'd rather die than hurt ya."
"I know...I guess I just...let my imagination run wild," she shrugged as she attempted to articulate her feelings. "When you kept staying out, not telling me where you were, being so mysterious...and not being...well...attentive to me," she added, biting her lip.
He shook his head, truly astounded that his beautiful wife had entertained even one minute of suspicion or doubt about his love and faithfulness. "I've just been flat tired, I guess. I'm sorry I worried ya."
Swaying to the gentle music, he smoothed her hair back, softly nuzzling her cheek. "I was kinda stayin' away a little, I guess...cause I knew if you asked me straight out what I was doin', I wouldn't be able to lie to ya," he admitted softly.
Smiling, she pulled back enough to see him, and brought a hand around to caress his smooth face. "Will you tell me now what you've been doing?"
With a grin, he turned his head and kissed her fingers, "I been workin' durin' the day for Robert E., and doin' some carpentry work for the guy that put in our furnace, plus doin' extra runs with the rollback," he admitted softly.
"But Sully! Why? You must be absolutely exhausted," she murmured, gazing at him with the practiced eye of a physician.
He grinned again. "Cause I wanted to be able to buy you a bunch of stuff for Valentine's Day."
Her mouth dropped open at his admission. "Oh Sully, you know you don't have to buy..." she paused as he touched two fingers to her lips.
"Sshh. I wanted to. Wanted to show ya how special ya are to me...and when I started lookin' around for what to give ya, I kept comin' up with more and more things...so..." he trailed off, shrugging shyly.
Truly speechless, she could only shake her head in amazement at her wonderful husband. Glancing down, she smiled and lovingly caressed the material of her top covering her rounded belly, smiling again as she felt the baby within move a little in response to her touch.
"I love your gift..."
Smiling with satisfaction, he murmured, "I heard you say you didn't have a red top to wear to the party...so I went to the mall, that little shop you like, and the lady there helped me pick it out. Ya look beautiful in it, by the way."
"Thank you," she murmured with a soft smile. Glancing around at their surroundings, she remarked, "Did you do all of this yourself?"
Grinning, he shook his head. "Grace helped me. We been sneakin' around all week, sendin' each other text messages with ideas," he added with a chuckle. "And today, you kept lookin' out the window of the homestead, and I was so scared you'd see us goin' in and out bringin' stuff in here."
She shook her head with a loving smile, "Not once."
"Good," he chuckled again with a very satisfied smile.
Gazing at him, Michaela waxed serious again. "I...I was afraid you were...becoming tired of my misshapenness..."
"'Chaela..." he whispered in amazement. Searching her eyes, his shifting back and forth between hers in that way that always made her breath catch, he vowed with total sincerity, "I know I've teased you about it, but...no matter how big you might get with the baby, you'll always be a sensuous... beautiful woman. My woman," he declared just above a whisper, adding with a tiny, helpless shrug, "I'll always find you as beautiful as I did the first day I saw you." Having slowed their dance to a stop, he held her gaze, his eyes beseeching her to see into the open book of his heart.
With a soft smile, she met his gaze, allowing his declaration to wash away every remaining particle of doubt from her mind.
"What made you think such a thing?" he murmured, gazing down at her lovingly, desiring to understand every nuance in the mind of the woman he loved.
Glancing down and thinking back over the week, she raised her eyes to his again. "For one thing...the letter I found in your pocket. Sully...it was perfumed," she murmured, searching his eyes.
Smiling knowingly, he brought one of her hands up, kissing her fingers as he murmured, "That's a funny story. That wasn't a letter...it was my pay envelope from that carpentry job. Mr. Virgil's wife wrote my name on it, and their little girl picked up a bottle of cologne and sprayed it, saying she wanted it to smell nice for the nice man," he added with a chuckle. "Oh, and if you'da opened that, you woulda had no more questions."
At her look, he added, "Mrs. Virgil wrote me a note, tellin' me she was giving me cash money so I could go straight to the store and buy my beautiful wife all those things I told her about, and wished us a very happy Valentine's Day."
"Oh my," she responded, biting her lip and shaking her head at her foolishness. "I tried to seek solace in the journal, but it backfired on me," she confessed.
At his look, she added, "I read of the Valentine's Day during their engagement period, but Sully left to spend three days away at an Indian Affairs conference – totally not caring about spending it with Michaela. I'm afraid learning that only made me feel even more hopeless. I was convinced that Sully men all have an aversion to the holiday."
"Did you read the whole account of that?" Sully asked curiously.
Her brow furrowed, she admitted, "No...that was enough...I stopped reading then."
Chuckling, he shook his head. "You should have read on just a bit. I read about that Valentine's Day too – and Sully came back one day early, with a surprise. Seems he had bought her an engagement ring months before and waited till Valentine's Day to give it to her, to make it more special. It was what got me thinking about what I could do for our special day..."
"Oh dear," she lamented. "It seems I did nothing but sabotage myself this week!"
"Mmm hmm," he agreed with a grin. Leaning in, Sully kissed her again, long and deep, reveling in the feel of his wife in his arms again – it had been a long week for him, also.
"But now," he murmured, forcing himself to pull back and prolong their evening. "I think it's time we eat that food Grace made...we're gonna need plenty of strength for later," he added with a wink. Michaela chuckled softly, as they turned, wrapping their arms around each other and strolling over to the dining table.
"So...what exactly do you have planned, Mr. Sully?" Michaela asked as Sully gallantly seated her.
He chuckled, leaning over to press a soft kiss to her lips. "In due time, Mrs. Sully, in due time. Your only job is to enjoy the ride," he added with a tantalizing wink.
Turning, he busied himself removing food from the oven and dishing it into the elegant tableware as she watched him with sparkling eyes.
For the next little while, the lovers sampled Grace's delicious roast beef, leaning near and exchanging flavored kisses, feeding each other tidbits, and holding their glasses entwined as they sipped sparkling ginger ale, totally enamored with the night, the romantic atmosphere Sully had created, and with each other.
OOOOOOOOO
When they had eaten their fill, Michaela sat back, quite satisfied as Sully quickly cleared the dishes away, and then reached for the remaining gifts and cards, placing them onto the table.
Michaela arched an eyebrow at him. "I thought I had that hidden quite well. Do you mind telling me how you knew where it was?"
Her clever husband smiled his dimpled grin at her. "I didn't, but after you left for the party and I was gettin' dressed," he paused, indicating his dress shirt and slacks, "I stumbled on it...and I thought you might want to give me my gift when I give you yours."
"Mmm, all right. But now I know I'll have to find another hiding place."
"You can try," he quipped boyishly.
Reaching for a card, he placed it in front of her. "Here, go on...open it," he encouraged.
She pressed her lips together and wiggled her eyebrows in anticipation, making short work of the job. On the front was the drawing of a house, a couple entwined in one window with the words, "My Love." Inside it read:
"This morning, as the sun came through our window, I looked over at you as you slept. I saw our first conversation, when I realized that my search was over and I was hooked forever. I saw our first kiss, and felt the smile that wouldn't leave my face for hours after. I saw my lover... my lady... my best friend. I saw the greatest blessing of my life. Thank you for being mine. Happy Valentine's Day. All my love. Sully."
Tears pricked her eyes as she read the words of the card he had chosen, remembering that she had awoken that morning in the bright sunshine, only to suffer hours of unnecessary heartache afterward. Raising her eyes to his, she whispered, "Thank you, my love. It's beautiful...and thank you for this evening."
He smiled lovingly at her, leaning for a slow, warm kiss. "You're welcome. But the night ain't over yet."
Then leaning back, he asked with a twinkle, "Can I open mine now?"
Michaela chuckled and nodded as he reached for the small package, wasting no time with being careful with the paper. His breath caught when he opened the box. Inside was a fashionable men's leather bracelet, both subtle and masculine. It had a stainless steel inset, on which was engraved the words, "My husband, my lover, my life - I adore you. Michaela."
Taking it out, he ran a thumb over the words, his eyes seeking hers as a smile lit his face. "I love it. Thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome," she murmured with a pleased grin, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "There's a card, too."
He reached for it like a little boy at Christmas, opening it quickly. The front read: "Love You Now and Forever". Inside it read: "What my heart values most are the moments we share and the times of which only you and I know the beauty. Your love is the sweet fruit of life. Now and forever, I am yours. Happy Valentine's Day. Michaela."
"And I am yours," he whispered, leaning for one more long, lingering kiss.
Pulling back, he murmured, "Now, close your eyes."
Smiling, she dutifully obeyed, and he reached down, bringing up a gift bag. Placing it in front of her, he whispered, "Okay."
Grinning happily, she pushed aside the red tissue paper and brought out a tiny, newborn 'onesie', with the words, "My mommy's beautiful, huh?"
"Ohh," she crooned, raising it to her cheek. "I love it."
He chuckled. "I couldn't resist."
Next, he reached in the bag and pulled out an envelope, laying it in her hands. Arching an eyebrow at him, she opened it, removing a gift certificate for a full package at the finest spa & salon in Colorado Springs. Knowing how expensive it must have been, her eyes met his. "Sully..."
He shrugged with a grin. "I heard ya tell Snowbird that ya dreaded the day when you wouldn't be able to...um...do for yourself, because of the baby," he paused, almost blushing. She grinned, knowing he meant things like clipping her toenails or shaving her legs. "So, this is good for a whole year – and you can even split it up if you want."
"Sully...this is too much..." she murmured, but he put up a hand and shook his head.
"Nothin's too much..." he whispered, "and I ain't done yet."
"Sully! My goodness!"
Grinning, he leaned to grasp the large gift from against the wall.
"What on earth?" she asked as he brought it near, helping her take the wrapping off. Inside was a huge 'pregnancy pillow'.
"You know how many different types of these there are?" he asked, shaking his head. "This is supposed to be the best."
Michaela reached for it, wrapping it around her body experimentally. "I can't wait to try it out."
He nodded. "But the saleslady said if you don't like this one, we can take it back and get another."
Grinning at her adoring husband, Michaela murmured, "Thank you, sweetheart," and reached for him. He leaned in over the pillow and her rounded belly, both chuckling as they could barely reach each other's lips.
Then pulling back, he looked into her eyes, suddenly serious, as it was time for the second part of his surprise to begin. Standing up, he took her hand, tugging her gently to her feet and helping her extract herself from the pillow, then coaxing her across to the stairs.
At the top, he motioned for her to wait, pressing a kiss to her fingertips before slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door. She heard the water begin to run into the tub and could hear Sully moving around the room. Then, the door opened and he reached for her hand with a grin, tugging her gently into the candlelit room, and shutting the door behind them.
Sighing with pleasure, she gazed around at the candlelight flickering against the tile walls, the scented candles filling the small room with a heavenly aroma.
With another grin, Sully stepped back enough for her to see the bathroom's whirlpool tub. Candles lined its edges, their favorite shower gel and washcloths lay ready, an early Beatles love song played softly from a small CD player off to one side, and on a tiny table at one end sat...a plate of chocolate covered strawberries.
Michaela drew in a breath, her eyes tearing a little as images of their honeymoon came to mind and she turned to him, at a loss for words. How was she so lucky as to have found a man like this? So romantic, so loving...
He stepped close to her, lifting a hand to her cheek as she stared, spell bound, up into those vivid blue eyes she adored, unable to do anything but allow her own eyes to drift shut as he gently tilted her head, guiding her mouth to his, his lips warm, smooth...heavenly – and as always, the perfection of his kiss sent her to the brink of paradise.
After a few moments, she felt his hands gently move to the bottom edges of her red top, taking hold of the soft material and gently tugged it upwards, breaking their kiss long enough to draw it over her head, dropping it on the floor at their feet.
Working steadily, each helped the other undress down to their intimate wear. Pulling back a little from her, he gently turned her body in his arms until her back was to his chest and she could see their reflection in the full length mirror on the back of the door.
Pressing his cheek to hers, his chin gently against her shoulder, he whispered reverently, "God, you're beautiful," his hands moving feather light against her skin as he caressed her arms.
She stared at herself and her husband's face hovering next to hers in the soft, flickering light of the candles, watching as he admired her form.
Knowing his wife needed reassurance of his continued ardor, he whispered, "I love your skin," raising one hand and allowing the backs of his fingers to caress the curve of her neck. "So smooth and soft..." Michaela leaned into his touch, fighting to stop herself from purring with pleasure. "I have to force myself to keep my hands off you," he murmured with a sensual rasp as his hands moved down to explore two firm objects of desire that drew him like a magnet.
Removing their covering, baring them to his loving gaze, he caressed them sensually as she drew in a tiny shuddering breath, enjoying his touch.
"And this," he continued, his large, warm hands drifting down to reverently cup and caress the round cocoon which housed the product of their love. "I always want to touch it...feel it...hopin' I'll feel the baby move...amazed at everything you're goin' through to bring our child into the world," he murmured with the utmost sincerity.
Speechless, Michaela's lips parted as she met his eyes in the mirror, hers containing a hint of tears.
Then his hands drifted intimately lower, lightly caressing, as he whispered, "I adore every inch of you, Michaela Ann Quinn Sully," softly nuzzling her ear and neck, breathing in that combination he loved, part subtle perfume, part Michaela.
Barely able to put a lucid thought together, her husband's ministrations having long since rendered her spellbound, Michaela dreamily realized that under Sully's loving scrutiny, she felt not one shred of self-consciousness for her expanding figure.
He turned her in his arms, slowly allowing his lips and open mouth to pay homage to what he considered perfect works of art as her head helplessly fell back, allowing him greater access. Her hands rose to his head as her fingers entwined in his soft, wavy hair.
Reluctantly, Sully stepped back, managing a lopsided a grin as he dialed himself back down. Now was not the time for fulfilling their passion for each other. Michaela couldn't help but glance downward – and smiled with amusement to see he was wearing the tiny garment Jake had given him at his bachelor party. The words, "Michaela's Toy" still able to make her blush.
With a soft chuckle, he moved close again and leaned his head to kiss her, deeply and fully, as they helped each other shed the last barriers to total skin touching skin. Pulling back, Sully smiled into her eyes, his so full of love and adoration they took her breath away, before turning to step into the steaming whirlpool.
Once he was settled, he looked up, inviting her in with an uplifted hand, and she quickly tied up her hair, and then stepped into the deliciously warm water, carefully maneuvering herself between his legs.
Leaning back against her virile husband's chest as his strong arms wound around her middle, Michaela sighed languidly, the heated jets of water and Sully's warm, wet, naked body feeling like heaven on earth.
For the next thirty minutes, the lovers indulged in washing each other, their hands lingering at intimately familiar places, and feeding each other bites of the delicious sweet treats punctuated by wet, flavored kisses.
Sully's actions left no doubt in Michaela's mind that her husband still found her totally alluring and absolutely irresistible, and she knew this Valentine's Day would be one of the most, if not the most, memorable of her life.