CHAPTER 26 – ANGELS AT THE DOOR
"I sure appreciate you doin' this, Sully," Harv Miller said as he helped Sully hold a board in place on an interior wall of the new bedroom. Sully knew he meant his instruction in the building trades.
Sully had sanded and varnished pine wood planks before installing them atop the dry walled and insulated walls, thereby giving the new room the rustic feel of the rest of the house. Harv had been helping him on and off for weeks.
"Heck, you're helpin' me, Harv. I appreciate what you're doin'," Sully answered as he held a level to the board they were holding, making sure of the straightness of the lines, before removing a nail from his mouth, and hammering it in place.
Harv waited until Sully was finished nailing the board in place before he added, "Well...it's just that...I'm good at different things," he paused, chuckling a bit. "I was real good at blowin' things up. But I always wanted to learn how to do stuff like this – building things. You've got a real knack for this, Sully," he added.
Sully shrugged in characteristic humility. "Aw, I don't know everything about it...but my dad taught me most 'a what I know, and I kind of taught myself a thing or two over the years. Plus," he added with a grin, "I've watched lots of those how-to shows on TV."
"This room here...it's startin' to look like it was original to the house – like your ancestor that built the place built it, too," Harv complimented, running his hand over the finished wall adjacent where they were working.
Sully paused and met the other man's eyes, nodding once in gratitude of the compliment. Harv couldn't have known how much his choice of words blessed his one time nemesis.
"Thanks, man, that's exactly what I'm tryin' to do. I appreciate that, cause Sully...he was one fine craftsman."
"Sully, you are a fine craftsman, as well. Do not sell yourself short," a voice declared from the doorway.
"Mornin' Cloud Dancin'. And thanks," Sully grinned at his brother as the Cheyenne stepped into the room.
"Good morning, Sully. Mr. Miller," Cloud Dancing added as he greeted the other man.
"Aww Cloud Dancing, we've known each other our whole lives. Mr. Miller was my dad and he's dead. Name's Harv," the other man groused playfully. It was his way of trying to 'make up' for all of the times he had insulted Sully's Indian friend.
"Harv," the Cheyenne acknowledged with a smile as he came up next to the man. They stood eye to eye for a moment, and then Cloud Dancing stuck his hand out to the other man, eyebrows raised in invitation. Harv glanced down at it, and then reached to shake hands. Cloud Dancing ignored the manner of contact and moved his arm to clasp with the other man in the traditional Indian way. Harv's eyebrows went up in confusion.
"It is the Cheyenne way to greet a friend," Sully's brother explained, his warm, dark eyes holding a pleasant expression.
"Oh, okay man. Yeah," Harv returned, grasping Cloud Dancing's arm tightly and giving him a jovial smile.
As they turned away, Cloud Dancing caught Sully's eye and they exchanged a look, each thinking, Dang, how things' change.
OOOOOOO
"You are doing so well, Ingrid. You are quite confident in your driving now," Michaela complimented as the teen maneuvered the car past another, switching into the other lane and back.
"Thanks, Dr. Mike," she returned, grinning at her boyfriend's mother's reflection in the rearview mirror. Dr. Mike and Sully had allowed the girl to practice driving quite a few times in their vehicles, and she had managed to obtain her license, but her mother still would not allow her to practice in the family vehicle, claiming it made her too nervous.
"Thanks for letting me drive you guys to the mall today," she confessed, speaking of the Chapel Hills Mall on the far side of Colorado Springs. "It'll be the farthest I've driven at one time...and my first time on I-25. And I love your car, Mrs. Slicker," she added, flashing a smile to the woman in the passenger seat as she complimented her 2010 Ford Taurus.
"Gracias, my dear. Believe me, we appreciate you offering to be our driver for our little excursion," Teresa returned, her sentiment echoed by the two other pregnant ladies in the back seat.
"Yes. Even though our new truck is nice, it has become increasingly difficult for me to fit behind the wheel. Sometimes I think the doctor is wrong and I am really carrying twins!" Snowbird joked, chuckling and giving her round, tight belly a fond caress.
Michaela nodded in agreement. "I truly don't know how I will make it another seven weeks. I'm afraid my stomach is nearly rubbing the Escalade's steering wheel as it is. The baby seems to be growing straight out," she added with a chuckle.
Teresa turned her head and gave her friend in the back seat a knowledgeable glance, her lips pursed in concentration. "I would say the way you are carrying that baby, Dr. Mike, you are having a boy."
Michaela smiled and brought her hands to her belly, giving it a loving pat. "Everyone keeps saying that...in a way I hope it is true," she admitted quietly, picturing a tiny version of Sully, laughing and playing. "But I think Sully really wants a girl...so I'm torn."
"I cannot believe you still refuse to find out. The not-knowing would be driving me loco!" Teresa returned.
Michaela laughed as the others agreed rather vocally. "I know, I know. And there have been quite a few times that I almost relented. But..."
"Yes, we know, you want to pretend you are the pioneer Michaela Quinn in this one thing," Snowbird interjected knowingly.
"It does seem silly, doesn't it," the doctor stated with a wry grin.
"So, what are you two having?" Ingrid asked as she negotiated a turn, glancing in the rear view at Snowbird and then over at the car's owner.
Eager to talk about the subject always foremost on their minds, the ladies launched into it full force.
Michaela smiled, and listened to her friends' lively chatter, glancing out the window at the mountains visible in the distance, feeling totally content with her world.
OOOOOOOO
"Now, the main thing is, don't be scared," Matthew instructed his latest horse riding pupil, Jared Miller. After having completed the Saturday chores in the barn together, seeing the ladies' off on their impromptu outing, but bowing out of working on the bedroom, Matthew had talked his friend into taking his first riding lesson.
"Ha, that's easy for you to say!" the teen returned with a snort.
"Jare, you've been around the horses for months now - you ought to be used to 'em," Matthew intoned, reaching to give Flash a loving rub and scratch on her face.
"Well, I am...kinda. But they're so...big," the boy admitted, reddening a little.
"Yeah, they are," Matthew agreed with a snort. "But that don't matter once you get to know 'em. Sometimes they're like big two-year-olds, they like to tease and play. Watch this," he added, deliberately turning his back to Flash and folding his arms, ignoring her.
Flash had been enjoying Matthew's attention and when he stopped, her large brown eyes regarded his back for a few moments, waiting, and then she lowered her head and gave him a playful shove, as if to remind him she was still there.
Both boys laughed at her antics as Matthew turned back around and resumed his attentions.
"Yeah, well, just as long as you don't want me to ride Prince," Jared remarked, glancing at the big black stallion as the magnificent horse snorted in response to hearing his name.
Matthew chuckled. "I won't. Mostly he's Dad's horse anyway, but I've ridden him a few times. Even he's not so scary when he gets to know ya."
"I don't know about this, Matt," the other boy admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets as he regarded the large equine animals.
"It'll be okay. You'll see – once you get used to it, you'll love it. There's nothin' that equals gallopin' on a horse. It feels so...I don't know...free. It ain't near as scary as rollin' backward on an ATV probably was," he added with a smirk.
"Hey, don't remind me!" Jared laughed, rubbing a hand over his now healed ribs - very glad the incident hadn't been worse – and glad that no hard feelings remained between he and the Sully family.
Matthew laughed again and drew a beautiful golden horse from his stall.
"C'mere," he motioned to Jared, his one-time enemy, now friend.
When the young man reluctantly stepped up next to him, Matthew reached up to affectionately rub the white patch on the stallion's face, saying softly, "This is Vekay. That's short for Véhonema'kaata, which means 'gold' in Cheyenne. He's Cloud Dancing's horse, but we board him here. He rides him when he stays with us, plus he lets us use him in the riding business. He's a golden palomino stallion. Ain't he awesome?"
"Yeah..." Jared admitted, his eyes traveling over the large horse's caramel colored head and body, noticing the white blond mane and tail, the latter reaching nearly to his hooves.
"Okay...now, when you first try to get to know a horse you wanna ride, you should always look him in the eye and thank him for the gift he's about to give you," Matthew instructed softly.
"Thank 'im?" Jared asked, confused.
"Yep. See animals, especially horses, respond to respect. If you respect them, they'll respect you. Once a horse knows you, they'll be loyal and serve you – even give his life for ya if it came down to it."
Jared nodded, cautiously raising a hand next to Matthew's on the horse's face and giving him a soft rub.
"Remember the big hail storm?" Matthew asked, glancing at his soon to be riding partner.
"Yeah..."
"Dad, Brian, and Colleen jumped off the horses, and tried to take shelter. Molly there," he motioned with his shoulder to indicate their most skittish mare, "Hightailed it back home, but Prince stayed with Dad, in spite of the fact that he was gettin' pelted with hailstones. But, he loves Dad, so he pushed through his own fear to protect the human he loves."
Jared nodded again, never having thought about animals actually 'respecting' people, nor the need for showing respect to living creatures, other than people. In truth, just a year before, the boy wouldn't have cared about it for one moment...but the young man that Jared had become under the Sullys' patient tutelage had grown much over the months.
"Tell Vekay you'd like to be his friend, and that you're asking for permission to ride him. You know, just because a horse is big and strong don't mean they don't feel us up there on their backs. It's work. Just like if you were to carry Brian on your back for an hour. Horses get tired, same as people. Just takes a lot longer," he added with a half grin.
Clearing his throat, Jared rubbed a hand over the short, warm fur on the stallion's face, looking seriously into one large golden-brown eye as he stood at the horse's side.
"Hey Vekay. That's a real nice name. My name's Jared," he began.
Matthew stood by silently, allowing Jared to take his time and do this on his own.
"I want to be your friend, Vekay. Would it be okay if I rode ya a little? I'd really appreciate it," he added quickly, feeling slightly foolish for 'talking' to a horse.
The horse stared back at the young man, as if sizing him up and searching out his character. Then, almost in answer, he let out a gentle snort, and rocked his head slightly up and down, as if saying yes.
"Ha! He answered me!" Jared laughed, affectionately rubbing the big horse's face, reaching up to scratch his ears.
Matthew laughed in response, patting Vekay's mane. "Yeah, he sure did. Horses understand a lot more than people give 'em credit for," he added with a shake of his head.
For the next little while, Matthew patiently showed Jared the particulars of readying and applying the bridle and saddle, working his way up to the moment Jared would actually climb aboard the large stallion.
OOOOOOOO
The ladies giggled happily as they exited Auntie Annie's Pretzel Shop on the main floor of the mall. Juggling parcels from various shoe, toy, and apparel stores, they held their still warm treats up to take bites as they waddled their way toward nearby benches.
"What kind did you get?" Snowbird asked Teresa after she swallowed a large bite of her raison pretzel.
"Sour Cream and Onion," their friend answered, managing to wipe her mouth on a napkin. "It is delicious," she added, her dark eyes twinkling merrily.
"Mmm, so is mine," Snowbird hummed, biting off another large chunk.
Michaela practically moaned with satisfaction as she swallowed a large bite of her choice, a large warm pretzel topped with toasted almond toffee crunch. She couldn't wait to be able to sit down on the bench so that she could dunk it in the accompanying warm caramel dip.
"My cinnamon and sugar pretzel is outta this world," Ingrid supplied, licking the topping from her mouth as she reached for a napkin.
Nodding, the ladies continued enjoying their treats for the next few minutes, idly watching mall goers walking to and fro.
Suddenly, Michaela chuckled softly, casting a wry grin at her best friend.
"I can hear it now. Sully will ask me how many dill pickles I had with my pretzel."
"And Jacob will ask if I had mine before or after a taco," Teresa interjected, shaking her head in mock frustration. "Men! They can be so aggravating at times. They just do not understand."
"They most assuredly do not," Snowbird agreed, finishing her treat, and wiping her hands.
"What food do you crave the most, Snowbird?" Michaela asked interestedly, using a piece of pretzel to scrape the rest of the caramel from the container.
Snowbird glanced at her friend, and pressed her lips together, leaning close to murmur conspiratorially, "It sounds strange, but I crave banana and pepperoni sandwiches...with cranberry sauce and mayonnaise. Cloud Dancing thinks I have lost my mind," she finished with a snicker.
The other two pregnant females chuckled, nodding in total understanding. Ingrid, however, grimaced and shook her head, her silky blond hair swishing around her shoulders.
"Eww! That sounds disgusting!" she gasped, trying to get the unappetizing concoction out of her mind.
Teresa laughed and patted the young woman's arm. "Just you wait, young one. Someday we will be asking you what is the craving that makes your husband think you are loco."
Ingrid grinned in response, blushing a little at the thought of someday possibly being married to Matthew...and pregnant with his child.
A few minutes later, Michaela commented. "This has been such a lovely adventure, in spite of the fact that my feet are killing me," she added with a chuckle. "I do believe I am ready to get back home and put them up for a rest. How about the rest of you?"
"I agree." "Amen."
Ingrid smiled and stood, reaching to help the ladies up as she returned, "Whatever you guys want, I'm your chauffeur for the day."
With a round of chuckles, the ladies began gathering their parcels and bags, and stood to begin making their way to the parking lot.
Several minutes later, climbing inside with their paraphernalia, Michaela continued the ongoing conversation.
"Oh my yes, Beiber fever has hit the Sully household. Yesterday, Hannah and Colleen came home from school raving about 'Justin Beiber's new song'. I believe they have found their replacement for Hannah Montana."
"He is a cute guy...but he's kind of short," Ingrid contributed as she started the engine, grinning as she remembered Matthew's low opinion of the high-voiced singer.
"I have heard of this singer, but I do not know anything about him..." Snowbird offered, glancing into the front seat as Teresa turned her head and nodded agreement.
"I am afraid we are now of the 'older' generation, my friend," the olive skinned hairdresser quipped.
As Ingrid drove the car down North Academy Boulevard, heading toward I-25, Michaela reached for her purse, removing her cell phone as she said to no one in particular, "Mmm, I forgot, Sully wanted me to check in with him..."
"That is a good idea. I think I will see what Jacob is doing," Teresa nodded.
Snowbird nodded and reached for her phone as well.
OOOOOOOO
"Looks great, Dad," Matthew complimented as he stood in the doorway of the new room, admiring the rustic planking on the walls. The interior was coming together nicely.
"Thanks, son," Sully replied, rising from his crouched position in one corner and removing his bandanna from his pocket, wiping his face and neck. "These two have been great help today," Sully complimented the other two men, both of whom smiled in reply as they lowered themselves to sawhorses and boxes to take a break.
"How's the ridin' lesson comin'?" he asked, glancing between the two teens.
Matthew grinned over at his friend, who gave a tiny smile and a shrug. "It was a little rough at first, but after a few minutes, he took to it real good."
"Which horse you ridin'?" Sully queried, turning to perch on top of a three-foot stepladder.
"Vekay," Jared supplied, meeting eyes with Cloud Dancing, who raised his eyebrows, impressed.
"Matthew, you chose Vekay for his first ride?" the Indian queried softly. Not that he thought his stallion would buck the young man off, but one of the mares would usually be better for a first ride.
"Yeah, well, I took him out of his stall and introduced him to Jared, and they hit it off, so I knew it would be okay," he explained, satisfying the two protective and careful horsemen. They both nodded in satisfaction.
"V-K?" Harv questioned, unsure of the significance of the particular horse on which his son was taking his first riding lesson.
"V-e-k-a-y. It's short for Véhonema'kaata. That means 'gold' in Cheyenne," Sully explained. "He's Cloud Dancin's golden palomino stallion."
Just then, Sully's cell phone rang, and he reached to take it off his belt, grinning in pleasure when he saw it was Michaela.
"Hey sweetheart," he answered, missing the teasing grin Harv Miller threw his way.
Cloud Dancing's phone then rang, and he answered it, walking out of the room and into the living room out of courtesy.
Sully listened to his wife for a few moments, grinning and offering little comments as she told him about her outing with her friends. Just as she predicted, he did ask how many dill pickles she had with her pretzel, chuckling at her witty reply.
OOOOOOOO
The ladies had been driving on I-25 for several miles, carrying on a lively conversation about funny baby names.
In the back seat, Michaela and Snowbird sat with their heads together as Michaela showed her best friend her bracelet with the new charm Sully had given her for her birthday. The Cheyenne woman had a good chuckle that it was a teepee.
"I am still thrilled that my idea of putting up the old teepee reaped such wonderful rewards," she quipped with a twinkle in her snappy brown eyes.
"Oh Snowbird...it was a magical week, staying in the teepee, living a little like your ancestors...well, magical with the exception of one evening, of course," she returned softly. Snowbird clasped her hand and their eyes met, each one remembering the traumatic night – but each also grateful at how everything turned out in the end. Michaela smiled at her friend in silent connection.
Glancing out the front window, Michaela noticed the cars in the unusually busy Saturday afternoon traffic were beginning to slow, brake lights coming on. Ingrid applied the brakes, but suddenly the car directly in front of theirs slammed its brakes on, skidding to almost a standstill. Michaela immediately realized they were seconds away from a collision, and braced a hand on the back of the driver's seat.
"Steer into the median!" she yelled in fear, remembering the instructions Sully had once given her that if she were ever in a situation like this, try to steer clear of the vehicle unexpectedly stopping in front of you.
Ingrid immediately complied and jerked the wheel, steering around the other car with millimeters to spare, and continuing on into the grass between the lanes of the north/south highway, which had been soaked by a recent rain. The tires found no traction, however, and the car began to spin sideways out of control.
Squealing in fear, Ingrid slammed on the brakes, her inexperience behind the wheel a large deterrent to the safety of her three very pregnant and very frightened passengers.
"Oh my God!" "¡Dios Mío!" "Jesus, help us!" the ladies screamed simultaneously as the car slid helplessly down the grass between the two sides of the interstate, Ingrid joining in with another scream of primal fear. For Teresa, it brought back all of the fear she had experienced in the pile up.
As if in slow motion, the ladies could see the shocked, open-mouthed expressions on the faces of the stopped drivers they were passing as they helplessly slid on the wet ground. There was nothing they could do, but hold on and pray for Divine help – an angel – anything to stop what seemed the inevitable.
As the vehicle continued to its unknown destination, the white-knuckled women gripping the doors, seats, and the dashboard, their ears filled with each other's screams, Michaela's panicked eyes grew huge as she saw a large, metal guardrail on a direct collision course with the car.
Knowing if they hit the object at the speed they were going, it would be a horrendous crash – Michaela saw a flash of white light just as she shut her eyes and drew in a large breath, screaming out once again with every ounce of force she could muster.
She screamed the one word that came to her mind, the name that always gave her comfort and calmed her fears...the name of the man that she wished with all her heart were there with her at that moment, protecting her as he always did – as he had done since the moment of their first meeting.
"SULLYYYYYYYY!"
OOOOOOOO
The teens had grabbed a bite to eat and had been upstairs checking emails, teasing the girls and Brian, and 'hanging out' before going back out to the barn for another short riding lesson, after which Matthew planned to show his friend how to hose off his horse to cool it down. At the moment, they were standing outside the paddock munching on apples, and giving one to each of the horses, as Matthew decided on which trail they would ride next.
The men had gone back to work on the room after their ladies had phoned. A comfortable camaraderie had developed between the three, who at one time had been sworn enemies. Harv, taking a cue from the other men, borrowed the kitchen phone and called his wife just to 'check in' – a recently acquired habit, of which his wife still marveled at each occurrence.
Now hard at work, they were making good time with the interior paneling. Sully was hopeful they would finish that step and be able to move on to trim work, or possibly even some of the electrical fixtures, as he had found several in an antique mall in Colorado Springs, and he was anxious to get them installed.
"Okay, now put the level on it...is it straight?" Sully instructed Harv as he readied the next plank. Harv squatted down and did as he was asked, adjusting the plank a little to the right, assuring it was plumb. Cloud Dancing turned to the pile to pick out the next piece of wood to be installed, as Sully and Harv finished leveling the board.
Readying his hammer to begin nailing, Sully paused for a moment as an odd sensation washed over his body. He felt his heart catch, his breath suddenly squeezed from his chest. Swallowing dryly, he shook his head to try and clear it.
Harv glanced at Sully's face, confusion furrowing his brow as he watched Sully's eyes open wide, staring straight at the wall, while simultaneously dropping the hammer to the floor with a loud clatter.
"Sully? You okay?" he asked in concern, thinking his friend almost appeared to be having a heart attack. Cloud Dancing looked over at his brother as he heard the noise and Harv's question.
Unbeknownst to the other men, Sully had clearly heard the voice of his beloved wife scream his name, so loud it seemed to echo off the walls.
Gasping for breath, he stood unsteadily to his feet, his heart pounding in fear.
"Mm...Michaela!" he gulped, blindly reaching for the wall as her terrified face swam before his eyes.
Cloud Dancing was at his side in a heartbeat, concern etching his features. "What is it, my brother?" he murmured, gripping his friend's arm.
Sully turned panicked blue eyes to his brother, grasping the other man's shoulder. "...Somethin's wrong with Michaela...I...I heard her scream..." he gasped, switching his eyes to the doorway of the room, mentally preparing to dash to her side.
"What's goin' on?" Harv questioned, standing up beside the two men. "I didn't hear nobody scream..."
Cloud Dancing switched his eyes to their friend, explaining simply, "It is their connection."
Before the words left his lips, Sully was already moving, as fast as his feet would take him - toward the door, his truck, and ultimately, his lady. Cloud Dancing fell into step right behind him, now just as anxious about his own wife, frantically sending up prayers that the ladies – all of them – were unharmed. He knew without a shadow of doubt that if Sully heard Michaela scream, it was real, and something was terribly wrong.
"What 'connection'? Where'ya goin'?" Harv managed as he followed, watching as Sully wrenched the front door open. The man hurriedly followed the other two men outside, watching as they practically jumped down the steps and scrambled to Sully's pickup.
Matthew and Jared, in the act of opening the paddock gate, swung around in surprise at the commotion of the front door being wrenched open and two men charging out. Matthew immediately noticed the stricken expression on his father's face.
"Dad! What's wrong?" he yelled, taking a step toward him.
"Your mom's in trouble!" Sully managed as he jerked open the door of his truck.
Instantly realizing that if his mother were in trouble, Ingrid would be also, Matthew's adrenaline kicked into action.
"Oh no...Ingrid!" he murmured, flinging his apple aside, and making a beeline for the truck, managing to dive inside the back door just as Sully put the vehicle in reverse and gunned the motor.
"Do you know where they are?" Matthew yelled as he slammed the back door. Sully swung the pickup around and rammed it into drive, barreling down the gravel driveway, sending rocks and mud flying in all directions, his only clear thought was he had to get to Michaela.
"They're somewhere on I-25," Sully called over his shoulder, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his heart feeling as if it would beat out of his chest. What is happening, Michaela? he agonized, still able to feel her fear. Cold dread threatened to choke him as his mind conjured up scenarios of what he would see when he found her – the recent pileup on the same stretch of the highway too fresh in his memory.
As the truck reached the gate and then the head of the drive, he didn't even slow down, but quickly looked both ways as he barreled toward the right, speeding down Hanover as he headed the pickup toward the on-ramp to the expressway.
"Hurry Sully!" Cloud Dancing needlessly urged, unconsciously sitting forward with a hand on the dashboard of the pickup as if he could push it faster.
"Try to get 'em on the phone!" he instructed to the two occupants, the men complying, quickly pressing speed dial buttons – and each waiting anxiously for their beloveds to answer, becoming even more alarmed when both of their ladies' phones went to voice mail.
Harv and Jared, their mouths open as they watched the truck peel out of the driveway and speed down the road, turned and looked at each other, both shrugging, not quite knowing what to make of the other men's actions.
OOOOOOO
The car had stopped.
Mercifully, its tires had suddenly begun plowing up the soft grass and dirt until enough had accumulated to slow and then arrest its momentum.
The women sat in stunned shock, frozen in their respective 'crash ready' positions.
Having been sure of impending collision, they now fought to slow their breathing, quivering with overwrought nerves as they tried to regain some measure of calm.
Placing both hands to her face for a moment, trying to breathe in deeply, Michaela glanced around at the other passengers. "Is everyone all right?" she asked shakily, reaching a quivering hand to Ingrid's shoulder.
"Yes..." "Yes...I think so..." came soft responses.
Beside her, Snowbird drew in a shaky breath, turning to meet Michaela's eyes.
"Oh Michaela...I...I was sure we were going to die..." she whispered, tears erupting from her dark liquid brown eyes, and making their way down her smooth caramel cheeks.
Michaela reached for her friend, as far as their seat belts would allow, wrapping her arms around her and drawing Snowbird's head against her neck, rocking her gently, and smoothing her silky black hair.
"I know...I thought so, too," she whispered, one tear slowly descending down her face.
"I...I saw my whole life with Cloud Dancing...all our years...and I saw his face, twisted in agony..." her friend confided softly. "My heart was breaking that we would never hold our child. I kept thinking...what will Cloud Dancing do without me...?"
Michaela nodded in total understanding, for she had experienced some of the same. She wondered fleetingly if Sully had felt her fear. She hoped so...she hoped fervently that he was on his way to her at that moment, as she desperately needed to feel his arms around her. Perhaps I should call him...
Just then, two cell phones began to ring, but they were muffled. Ingrid's had slid off the seat and disappeared somewhere in the interior. Snowbird's had fallen out of her purse, along with many other items, and also disappeared under the seat. Ingrid began searching and reaching, but couldn't put her hand on either one.
Beginning to come out of her nearly catatonic state, and glancing around at their surroundings, the sound of the phones ringing clearing her head a little, Teresa mumbled, "I...I must call Jake..." as she numbly reached into her purse for her phone.
The women now began to cast their gazes around, realizing that they had become the reason for a major backup – both directions – on the interstate. The northbound lanes had slowed to a crawl as 'rubberneckers' tried to see if anyone was injured in the white car now splattered in mud near the overpass. Several Good Samaritans had pulled off onto the shoulder of the southbound lanes, the drivers making their way toward the stricken vehicle.
A man reached the car, peering inside, relieved to see that no one seemed injured – especially since the car contained three very pregnant women. He rapped on Teresa's window and she slowly turned to acknowledge him as she waited for Jake to answer his phone, moving to roll the window down.
"You ladies okay? I saw the whole thing, and I was sure you were goners," he added, not realizing the effect his words would have as each woman felt a shiver run through her body.
"Yes, we're unharmed," Michaela answered from the back seat.
"Si, gracias señor," Teresa murmured.
"That was some good maneuvering, little lady," he added as he glanced toward Ingrid.
"It was?" she asked, emitting a shaky laugh, since she had merely panicked and shut her eyes.
"Yep. Even though it was going sideways, you kept it from flipping. I'd say that was some pretty fancy driving," he added with an encouraging smile.
Several other drivers reached the vehicle then, converging on both sides to see if they could be of help. The two that rounded to the driver's side reacted visually, their expressions revealing shock and amazement.
The first man, his attention caught by a commotion some ways up the northbound lanes, squinted his eyes, muttering, "What's that fool doing?"
Michaela turned her head, squinting through the mud-splattered window, and recognized her husband's pickup barreling down the emergency lane, headed toward them.
"It's Sully," she whispered, shaking in reaction as she watched her husband quickly maneuver his truck off the road and over to their stopped vehicle.
"Michaela!" he yelled as he opened his door, barely taking time to slam the gears into park. Cloud Dancing and Matthew disembarked also, all three men heading toward the ladies' car, each one glad that, at least, it didn't appear to be wrecked.
Sully eyes reacted with shock as he passed the driver's side, heading toward the more accessible passenger doors. Wrenching open Snowbird's door, he stepped aside a bit to allow his brother to carefully help his own wife out of the vehicle, Sully striving to curb his impatience as he waited to be able to touch his beloved.
Their eyes met as he stooped down to gaze worriedly inside. Michaela gave him a tremulous smile, longing for his reassuring touch.
"Šehe, mé'oo'o, háama'tov?" the concerned Cheyenne asked his wife as she stood on her feet and went into his arms. [tr: Snowbird, sweetheart, are you hurt?]
"Hová'âháne, naéhame, oóxésta," she replied softly as she cuddled against his neck, closing her eyes and drinking in the comfort of being safe in her husband's arms. [tr: No, my husband, I am fine]
As Matthew anxiously circled around to Ingrid's driver door, his eyes widening in horror when he glanced to the right, Sully had the presence of mind to switch his eyes to Teresa and lay a hand on her arm. Smiling up at him and nodding in reassurance that she was unharmed, he edged past Snowbird and climbed over to his still-belted wife.
The other men who had stopped to help glanced at each other. "You guys need us to help with anything?" they asked Cloud Dancing and Matthew. They declined the offer with thanks and the men nodded, turning to go back to their own cars, satisfied that the women were now in good hands.
"Oh my God, Michaela...I was so scared," Sully whispered as he folded her in his arms, cradling her head against his neck, one hand gently caressing her hair, the other arm wrapped tightly around her back.
"So was I," she managed, finally beginning to relax a little now that she was safely ensconced in her husband's loving arms.
"Are you alright?" he whispered, eyes shut tight as he allowed himself to calm, now that his Heartsong was in his arms again.
"Yes...we are all fine, thank God," she murmured, breathing in her husband's familiar scent with a sigh.
"What happened?" he asked softly, though not changing position, still needing to maintain their contact.
"The...the traffic began stopping...Ingrid veered into the median to avoid rear-ending the car in front of us...but we immediately spun out of control..."
Turning his head, he looked out the open car door, from which he could see the yards long path gouged in the soft earth. "Dang, you were lucky it didn't flip!"
"Yes...oh Sully...I know all four of us were sure we were about to die. I was so frightened...and I...I screamed your name..."
At that, he pulled back a bit so that he could see into her eyes. His, so vividly blue, stared into the dappled browns and greens of hers as he whispered softly, "I know...I heard you – just as plain as if you were in the room with me."
Fresh tears sprang to her eyes then, and she leaned in to brush his lips with hers, whispering, "Oh Sully...I love you so much."
He returned the soft kiss, tilting his head until their foreheads were touching. "I felt your fear, and I knew something terrible had to be happenin'. I thought I'd lose my mind tryin' to get to ya..."
"We were so relieved when the car stopped..."
"Relieved. That's puttin' it mildly."
She pulled back a little and gazed at him questioningly. At her look, he murmured, "Didn't you look out your window?"
She shook her head and he raised his eyebrows. "C'mere," he said, climbing out and assisting her to shinny her way to the edge of the seat and stand up.
Wrapping his arm around her, he walked her to the other side of the car. She took one look and her knees went weak at the sight that met her eyes. There, a mere inch from touching her door was the jagged, rusted, mangled end of a large steel guardrail that had apparently been the victim of a previous crash, and not yet replaced. One look told them both it had the capability to slice through her door like melted butter – and in the process, would have sliced through her and the baby, and maybe even Snowbird, as well.
"Ya must have had an angel lookin' out for ya," Sully murmured gently.
Michaela turned from the horrific sight and buried her face in the side of Sully's neck again; quite ready to depart the scene and get back home where she and the baby would be safe.
"Take me home, Sully...please," she murmured softly.
He nodded affirmatively, turning to the others to begin making arrangements as he continued to hold her in his arms, just as the assembled group saw Jake come driving up quickly in the couple's other car.
OOOOOOOO
The four men spent many minutes rocking the car free of the mud, all the while being the objects of attention from every vehicle in both directions. Matthew had volunteered to drive the Taurus to Robert E.'s for a checkup to make sure the steering and suspension were all right after the incident, so Sully had followed in order to bring the teens back to the house. Each grateful husband, including Jake, made sure he kept his wife snug at his side for the ride back.
It was an emotionally exhausted group that rode back to the homestead in Sully's pickup. Ninety minutes after Sully heard Michaela scream, he pulled up next to the house and turned off the motor.
Matthew hopped out and opened the back door to help Ingrid from the back seat as Harv and Jared came down the steps, having stayed at the house to help out if need be, depending on the trouble. They had yet to be told what had happened.
"So...everything's alright then?" Jared asked as he met his friends, noticing the glimpses between the two.
"Yes, thank God," Ingrid murmured, casting her eyes down in shame.
Matthew immediately reacted, wrapping an arm around her. "Hey, you didn't do nothin' wrong. Accidents happen every day – especially on the highway – and you kept from plowin' into the car that slammed on their brakes in front of ya," he encouraged, tipping her chin up with a finger to force her to look at him. "Ya did great, Ingrid. I'm proud of ya," he added softly.
"I panicked...I almost got us all killed," she argued, albeit somewhat weakly, as Matthew's heartfelt words were starting to ease her angst. The two couples they had ridden with in the pickup had contributed to that as well.
"But ya didn't," Matthew returned with a gentle smile.
Sully still sat in his seat, one arm around Michaela, each just basking in the fact that they were home again and no one had injuries to deal with – and no sorrow to suffer.
"Ya okay?" he asked after a few moments.
"Yes...just very grateful and relieved," she answered softly, meeting his eyes.
"Seems like we've had one close call after another, practically since we said 'I do'," he quipped, trying to make a little joke and get his beautiful wife to smile.
It had the opposite effect, however, and Michaela swallowed dryly, a shadow seeming to pass over her vision.
Just then, the girls and Brian came charging out of the house and up to the pickup.
"Mom! You okay?" "We heard you had a wreck!" "Is the baby alright?" they asked simultaneously, bombarding their parents with questions.
"C'mon, let's get on in the house and we'll tell ya all about it, it's getting' chilly," Sully responded, opening his door and sprinting around to the other side to help Michaela maneuver across the bench seat.
"Kids, get the bags in the back seat for me, will ya?" he requested as he helped his wife from the truck's front seat. Cloud Dancing and Snowbird had already exited and were climbing the steps to the house.
"So...what the heck happened?" Harv asked – to anyone who would answer. The suspense of not knowing had really gotten under his skin.
Sully grinned and clapped his friend on the back at they climbed the stairs. "C'mon back inside, I wanna get Michaela situated," he offered.
"Sully, I'm fine," she countered, but he was having none of it, dropping the bags at the door before steering her over to the couch and helping her to sit. "You just got over havin' them bad pains, and I ain't takin' no chances," he insisted firmly.
For the next few minutes, the different participants recounted the ordeal from their perspectives, including a tearful narration from Ingrid. When questioned about not answering their cell phones, Ingrid explained how they had gotten misplaced.
Finally, Michaela mentioned that just as she shut her eyes before what she thought would be the impact, she had seen a flash of bright white light.
Large-eyed, Ingrid turned to her, Snowbird also, commenting that they, too, had seen a flash of light.
"Well, ladies, it seems to me that you were well cared for today. I would say you had angels at the car doors, and they protected all of you from harm. Prayers were answered," Cloud Dancing declared quietly.
Every person in the room felt chill bumps for a moment as the realization of that sunk in.
"Well, I'll say one thing – that was the darndest thing I've ever seen when you heard your missus scream like that," Harv commented, causing Sully to glance at his wife, sitting pressed against his side. Smiling softly, he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, brushing her knuckles with a kiss.
"I thought he was havin' a heart attack or somethin' – then the next thing I knew, he flew out the door like a fireman to a three alarm fire," Harv joked as the others in the room chuckled, each of them having witnessed Sully's uncanny ability to sense when his wife was in danger.
"Well, I know one thing...no, several things," Michaela declared, enfolding her husband's hand in hers and gazing around the room.
"I feel very blessed tonight to have a husband, and friends and family, that care about me. I feel very much in awe of God's ability to watch out for me and for those I love. And, I feel very tired and would very much like a nap before dinner," she added with a chuckle.
Sully and the others laughed and he took the hint, rising and helping her to stand and make her way upstairs for a long over due rest, each very happy that rest was all she needed after the events of the day.