CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Once the proposal was out of the way and the wedding date tentatively set for sometime in May, Sully found himself a very busy man.
Since it was already early November, he went ahead and broke ground on the second bathroom, hiring a plumber to tie into existing lines and the septic system and complete the rough-in. Then in a matter of weeks, Sully had the framing, roofing, and outer walls finished and could cut the door to the main house and begin work on the inside. Robert E. came to help each chance he got and Matthew helped out each evening after school, drinking in Sully's patient instruction.
They did take one evening off, however, to celebrate Hannah's birthday on November 15, holding the party at Grace's café with family and several friends from school. Gifts included Michaela's contribution of Hannah Montana's latest CD, Colleen gave her a new HM t-shirt, Brian and Matthew contributed a package of HM hair accessories, and Loren and Dorothy gave a new set of Hannah Montana sheets and comforter. Hannah was thrilled with the gifts she received from each person – but the gift that truly stole her heart came from her beloved daddy. Sully's "big girl" gift of a beautiful Topaz birthstone ring brought gasps and tears from the little girl, who rounded the table and threw herself into her father's arms.
Sully, eyes closed in sweet enjoyment of his precious daughter's hug, opened them to search out and meet Michaela's, each fighting tears. His expression of thanks for her help in the selection was immediately understood and she managed to answer with a nod.
Sully whispered something to his daughter and she pulled back and grinned at him, turning and wrapping her arms around Michaela. "Thank you for helping my daddy pick out my ring, Dr. Mike...mama," she whispered, thoroughly melting Michaela's heart. She managed to whisper, "You're welcome, sweetheart," as she hugged her back.
After this, Thanksgiving came and was enjoyed by all, everyone agreeing they should hold Thanksgiving dinner in Michaela's living area due to construction confusion at the homestead.
When December came, Sully spent each day working hard on improvements to the homestead and following up on the adoption proceedings, each progressing nicely, to his great relief and satisfaction. On December 9, Michaela was able to spring a surprise party for Sully with all of their friends attending and managing to give him gifts he could use, somehow finding out a tool he was in need of, with several presenting him with gift cards to Lowe's, knowing he could use the help with so many projects in the works.
Then Christmas approached. The children were very excited this year – Matthew, Colleen and Brian for all of the blessings in their lives since the last Christmas, including a soon-to-be new father whom they all already adored and a very happy and peaceful home life – and Hannah for much the same reasons, although she had always had a happy home, now she was about to get prayers answered and dreams realized – a mother to love her and brothers and a sister with whom she could share life and have fun.
When school let out for Christmas break, the children immediately set about making plans to give gifts to the two favorite people in their lives – Michaela and Sully. They had all been saving their allowances, plus Loren and several others offered to let them do odd jobs to earn a little money to be able to purchase something for their parents on their own.
Cloud Dancing and Snowbird arrived for their visit a week before Christmas, much to everyone's delight. The day after they arrived, Colorado was blanketed with snow and everyone looked forward to snowmen and fun. The adults and children alike hurriedly dressed in their coats, hats and gloves and made their way outside. Michaela and the children sloughed their way down the drive to Sully's pristine meadow behind the barn where the other four were already hard at work on the makings of a fine snowman.
"Hey, may we join you?" Michaela called as she helped Brian over the rail fence.
"Where ya been? Thought you'd never get here!" Sully answered as he jogged through the snow to her, lifting her down from her perch atop the fence and swinging her around to her delighted giggles as the kids ran over to join in the fun with the others.
"We couldn't find where we had stored our snow gear," she explained as he lowered her slowly to her feet, their faces stopping nose to nose.
"I missed you," he whispered as he leaned in for a soft kiss, pulling back and gazing at her, his eyes the same blue as the sky behind his head as she peered up at him, her eyes sparkling and so vividly green and brown they took his breath away.
"I missed you too...even though it's only been eight hours since we were in each other's arms," she whispered back with a cheeky grin.
"Eight hours of torture," he murmured in her ear as he leaned in and held her close. When he pressed his cold nose to her the warm skin of her neck, she squealed, trying to wriggle away. "Your nose is like ice!" she laughed as she backed up, he coming after her with mischief in his eyes.
"Sully...don't you dare..."
"Don't dare what?" he asked innocently, steadily stalking her, waiting for a chance to pounce.
"What ever it is lurking behind that gleam in your eye!"
"What gleam?" he asked, then as she turned her head to get her bearings, he charged, scooping her up and depositing her in a large drift, much to her chagrin. "Sully!" she squealed as he laughed in delight.
"Get her daddy!" Hannah yelled over to her father. "Put snow down her pants!"
"Hannah Elizabeth! Don't encourage him!" Michaela argued, trying her best to roll out of his reach as the others laughed and called encouragement to Sully.
Sully chuckled mischievously, grabbing a handful of snow and reaching for the waistband of her snow pants at the same time. Michaela, unable to stop giggling, tried to sound stern. "Byron Frederick Sully! You put that down!"
"Oh ho ho, you've done it now," he chastised, shaking his head in mock retribution. "I only told you my middle name two days ago – with strict orders not to use it – and what'dya do the first chance you get?"
"I'm sorry, I forgot!" she squealed through her giggles, twisting away from his hand and the big wad of snow.
He pursed his lips and shook his head, "No excuse. Nothin' for it but ta punish ya."
"No, please! Don't! I'll...I'll do anything you say!" she begged through her laughter as he overcame her strength and put a hand to the edge of her jacket in preparation of stuffing the snowball inside. He paused and wiggled his eyebrows. "Anything?"
Michaela was now lying on her back in a snow bank, Sully straddling her body in victory with the wad of snow at the ready, the others laughing and watching their antics from thirty feet away still working on their snowman.
"You shouldn't have said that, Dr. Mike. Who knows what he'll come up with!" Snowbird yelled, then squeaked as her husband swooshed two handfuls of snow on her head.
"Get her Sully! Make her holler 'uncle'!" Matthew called, ducking when Colleen threw snow at him in defense of the female side.
The engaged couple was staring into each other's eyes, panting from exertion and fun. Sully gazed down at the incredibly beautiful woman lying under him. Her hair peeking out from her fur edged hood, her eyes filled with love and mischief. Oh how he wished they didn't have an audience! Leaning down to her face so that only she could hear, he whispered seductively, "How about one of those make out sessions like we had the first time we read the journal together?"
Michaela's eyes twinkled and she raised an eyebrow at him. "We can hardly do that here, Mr. Sully."
He grinned back at her and chuckled. "True. But...how about we make some excuse to go get something later...and rendezvous at your house?"
"Sounds like a plan," she whispered as he leaned down to seal the deal with a kiss that warmed her from her head to her toes.
Cloud Dancing and Snowbird had been casting glances their way and when the kissing commenced, they exchanged happy grins, thrilled beyond words that their friend and brother and found such true love and happiness.
The children were equally thrilled, the girls giggling, the boys rolling their eyes, but truthfully all four couldn't wait until they were officially a family. They immediately commenced bombarding each other with snowballs, Brian hiding behind Cloud Dancing's legs. The whole bunch was soon giggling madly, gasping and blinking through snow crystals.
Sully ended the kiss and helped Michaela to her feet, making a show of dropping the huge ball of snow and wiping his gloved hand on his pant leg as Michaela giggled in relief. The two then joined the others in building the large snowman, with Sully later dashing inside the house for a hat, scarf, belt and other accessories, to the absolute delight of the children.
After about ninety minutes out in the cold, wet snow, the happy troupe was very ready for relaxing in front of the fire and drinking hot chocolate. On the way to the house, however, Sully and Michaela couldn't stop stealing glances at each other and Sully couldn't keep his hands from the woman that consumed his every waking thought. The Indian couple, walking behind them, exchanged knowing glances. As they reached the porch, Michaela suddenly remembered that she hadn't forwarded the clinic's calls to Sully's phone and also needed to retrieve something from the house. Sully, ever the gentleman, offered to accompany her.
Turning to their friends to ask a favor, Cloud Dancing put up a hand before Sully could say a word. "Go on, we will hold down the fort...take your time," he added meaningfully, exchanging a wink with his brother.
"Thanks," Sully chuckled and Michaela blushed as they set off down the drive. In truth, the two were starved for each other's touch, having been constantly busy and inundated with interruptions since their full day alone after their engagement. All they had managed in the interim were short but heated kisses in doorways and next to vehicles, once even closing the door on the new unfinished bathroom on the pretext of taking measurements for accessories.
Arriving at her back door, having shared several heated kisses on the way, they practically fell inside while kissing; unzipping and peeling off jackets, gloves, boots, and extra clothing with lightning speed while trying to keep their lips connected as much as possible. Molding themselves into one another's arms as they kissed, hands smoothing back each other's damp hair, they relished the fact that they finally had some time alone.
The playful teasing in the snow had heightened the passion that always hovered just under the surface. It roared quickly to life as they devoured each other's mouths, kissing and caressing faces and necks, the only exposed skin.
"God I wish we were married!" Sully ground out, sweeping her up into his arms and quickly carrying her to one of the couches. Stumbling a little, he turned with her in his arms and landed in a semi-seated position, barely breaking the kiss. "So do I!" Michaela whispered in between kisses, leaning into him, tangling her fingers in his hair, desperate to feel him close to her.
"I need ya so bad, Michaela...I'm goin' outta my mind!" Sully murmured sensuously, breathlessly, as he slanted his mouth across hers again in an all-consuming kiss. Michaela, her passion matching his, could only moan with need as he ravaged her mouth. Suddenly she couldn't wait a moment longer and moved to change positions. Turning her body and putting her hands on his shoulders as they continued to kiss, she straddled his lap as he half sat, half reclined against the cushions.
Her boldness surprised and delighted Sully, since Michaela rarely instigated their moments together. He wrapped his arms tight around her back and hips and moaned as they continued to kiss, their fleece lined sweat pants making it impossible to ignore the evidence of their mutual arousal. She instantly felt his throbbing hardness as she positioned herself strategically in place across his hips and thighs; he instantly felt her warm moist center practically surrounding his manhood. Already halfway to the boiling point, she wasted no time in setting up a rhythm, using her body to stroke him, pleasuring herself at the same time as they continued to devour mouths and tongues.
His hands slipped down of their own accord and gripped her hips tightly as he began to move with her, his hips bucking upward to meet each of her strokes as he felt the pressure building within, knowing an explosion was imminent. Within a very few minutes, each had climbed to that apex of reward where they soared over the side simultaneously, breaking off their kiss and pressing mouths into shoulders to muffle their shouts of ecstasy as they each convulsed into a chain of erotic spasms.
Each was past coherent thought, only aware that the person in their arms fit there so perfectly, their bodies moving together so synchronously, it was almost beyond comprehension. Neither had ever experienced such absolute ecstasy in the arms of their previous spouses and frankly would have disbelieved such a thing was possible without engaging in the full act of intercourse, had they not experienced it themselves.
Several minutes later, coming down from the very edge of infinity, Michaela had collapsed onto Sully, gasping for breath and occasionally trembling with delicious aftershocks. "That was fantastic," she managed to whisper against his neck. Nodding, he moistened his lips, still out of breath. "Yeah...sure was," he whispered haltingly, his head laid back exhaustingly against the cushions as he fought to get his breathing under control. His eyes shut, he weakly he reached up a hand to caress her cheek and smooth damp strands of her hair back from her face, still holding her tight with the other arm.
More minutes went by as their breathing and racing heartbeats slowed, each extremely content to bask in the other's precious nearness and sweet warmth.
Grinning suddenly as a thought crossed his mind, Sully turned his face slightly to press his lips to Michaela's damp forehead. "Hey..." he whispered, "You know what the Cheyenne ask a young man who's just taken a wife?" Michaela shook her head against his neck, her hand seeking out the hair at his nape for a gentle caress. Sully went on in a teasing voice, accentuating his words with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "Does she show enthusiasm?" He pulled back a little to look into her eyes. Kissing the tip of her nose, he whispered, "I appreciate your enthusiasm."
She chuckled, biting her bottom lip, her face slightly pink with embarrassment at her boldness as she remembered how she had brazenly climbed on top of him and orchestrated their encounter. He saw the blush and it warmed his heart as always. Leaning in for a sweet kiss, he whispered, "I'm a lucky man. Don't think I don't know it."
After another leisurely kiss, Sully took a deep breath and reluctantly reminded her, "They're gonna be wonderin' where we are and...ah...I need to take care of somethin'."
Michaela really blushed then and hid her face from him as she answered, "So do I," then chuckling, they rose to tend to their clothing in preparation of rejoining their family, each feeling completely sated, utterly satisfied, and totally in love.
OOOOOOOOO
The week went by quickly for everyone. The children worked hard on their odd jobs, collecting their money and having frequent secret conversations regarding the all-important decisions of what to give to their parents for Christmas. Michaela and Sully were both aware of the goings on as Loren and the others had cleared it with them before offering the children ways to make money. During several information hunting episodes, each parent pretended not to put two and two together to realize the children were fishing for gift ideas.
As the week progressed, Michaela was able to spend quality time with her friend Snowbird, even driving to the Chapel Hills Mall the second day the couple was there to spend the day strolling, eating junk food, and wandering in the shops as they each completed their shopping lists.
Michaela was particularly excited about her purchases for her handsome fiancé. After reading in the journal that the original Sully had worn mostly buckskin pants and jackets, Michaela had been determined to surprise him with the same. A new store had opened in a booth out in the corridor of the mall offering hand made items, exactly what Michaela had in mind. The jacket she selected was a fringed suede coat with bone beads on the front and leather lacing, with brightly colored hand-sewn beadwork in a unique medicine wheel design on the shoulders. She could see him wearing it in her mind's eye and couldn't wait to see her modern day Mountain Man come to life!
OOOOOOOOO
Finally Christmas morning dawned bright and cold. Michaela sat up on her couch and stretched, anxious to start the day. In truth she was chomping at the bit to see Sully's reaction when he opened her gift. As the children scrambled downstairs a few moments later, they shared some family time as Michaela gave them each the gifts that had been under their small Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. Matthew, Colleen and Brian all gave their mother hugs for their gifts of clothing, CD's, and for Brian, his own DVD of "Santa Buddies." She in turn hugged them for their gifts of hair combs and other small items. The children exchanged conspiratorial glances and grins, knowing their larger gift would come as a complete surprise to their unsuspecting mother and future father.
OOOOOOOOO
Sully woke to the bright morning sun shining through his bedroom window and into his eyes. He stretched and glanced at the clock on his nightstand, grinning as he realized it was Christmas morning. He couldn't wait for Michaela and the kids to come for the day – and to see Michaela's face when she saw his gift.
He got up and dressed, quietly making his way downstairs to put on a pot of coffee, knowing his early rising daughter would soon come bounding down the stairs. He was right, as twenty minutes later she descended, followed closely by Cloud Dancing and Snowbird. They spent the next half hour spending time together, exchanging gifts and enjoying being together. Hannah was thrilled with the brightly colored beaded necklace and moccasins from her uncle and aunt and especially loved the beautiful handcrafted jewelry box, lovingly carved by her father. Its top sported an intricate butterfly perched on a branch with the Cheyenne words; "Só Hevávâhkema" beautifully carved under it. At her questioning look, he grinned. "It's Cheyenne for "Little Butterfly."
"My Cheyenne name! I've never seen it spelled out before," Hannah giggled. "Oh Daddy, I love it!" she squealed, jumping up to give her loving father a hug.
After everyone's gifts had been opened and hugs were exchanged, all four made their way into the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast. Sully kept glancing out the side window toward the clinic watching for signs that his ladylove was awake so he could call her, much to everyone's amusement. When he saw her open the kitchen door and put a bag of garbage in the trashcan, he grabbed the phone and dialed her number.
She answered on the first ring. "Merry Christmas, Tse éhame." Future husband! Sully's heart melted in pleased surprise, this woman never failed to amaze him.
Smiling widely, he murmured, "Mmm, now, I liked that. Your accent is perfect, my Tse'évá [future wife]. Your future husband can't wait to see you, my hësta-noo'ôtse [Heartsong]."
Michaela chuckled in delight, thankful that she had taken the trouble to ask Snowbird how to pronounce several special words in Cheyenne. She stood looking through the storm door glass toward his homestead, seeing him move in the kitchen window. She could feel the heat of his love even from that distance, it seemed to reach through the phone and caress her as if it were a living force of its own. She was anxious to see him and feel his arms around her again.
"We'll be down in a little while. I still have a few things to do first."
"All right, see you then...don't be long," he murmured as he watched her form standing in her kitchen door.
He waited until he heard her phone click before returning his to its cradle.