Part II: The Game

Monday June 20, 1870

Since the children were on break from school, and it was a beautiful morning, Brian and Colleen had ridden into town with Matthew earlier that morning. They were going to go fishing later, so they were picking up some new fishing line from Mr. Bray.

Michaela had woken before Sully and was downstairs taking stock of all of the food they had. She definitely needed to pick up some supplies in town, and she hoped Sully would wake soon so they could get to Loren's before noon.

She finished filling out the list of supplies she needed to pick up, and she looked outside. The sun was shining, and she felt like it would be a perfect day for a stroll. She and Sully hadn't done much strolling throughout their courtship, and they hadn't had much time since they came home from their honeymoon. She smiled, thinking about how everything was changing at home. The children were adjusting to having a father around, and everyone was getting used to not having Matthew living at the house. But, everyone seemed to be feeling comfortable with the situation, so that was always a positive thing!

She looked at the clock on the mantle and decided that it was about time to wake Sully up. They'd been up late the night before, but he had gotten more than eight hours of sleep.

As she was getting ready to turn from the window, she felt Sully's arms grab her from behind and wrap around her waist. She jumped at first, but relaxed and settled against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder and craning her neck to look up at him.

"You slept in," Michaela pointed out as Sully's hands moved up her arms and pulled the hair away from her neck. He began to kiss her softly, and she closed her eyes.

"Know what today is?" Her eyes fluttered open, and a smile spread across her lips.

"Of course I do. I'm surprised you remembered!" she teased.

"Ya think I'd forget our anniversary?" he wondered. Michaela spun around in his arms.

"I can't believe it's only been a month," she said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "It seems like it's been a lifetime." Sully cocked an eyebrow.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Michaela laughed and pressed her lips against her husband's, taking in the feel of his soft kiss.

"A very good thing," she said. "I feel like we've been together forever, and we're still learning new things about one another. I wouldn't change it for the world, Sully."

"Me neither," he replied. His lips claimed hers again, and Michaela felt her backside pressing against the counter. She laughed and tilted her head back as Sully's mouth moved to her neck.

"Sully!" she giggled.

"What?" he asked, never taking his mouth away from the task at hand. Michaela's hands moved to his strong back.

"I have to . . ." she felt her kneels grow weak as his hands moved up her sides and along the sides of her breasts before moving down to rest on her waist. "I . . ."

"Hmm?" His hands moved to start unfastening the back of her skirt. "Ain't everyday we get the house to ourselves in the mornin'."

"But the store . . ." she murmured, trying to get across to her husband that she had shopping to do. Sully chuckled and kissed the sensitive spot on the back of his wife's neck. Michaela grinned and placed her hands on the counter, leaning back as Sully pressed into her and lifted her up a little. She laughed as her bottom nearly fell into the sink, and she felt Sully pull back a little. "Alright," she whispered. "You've convinced me." She bit her bottom lip as Sully pulled her closer and worked at getting her skirt pulled loose. She stood in her under pantaloons, and Sully's fingers found the waistband and slid them off of her hips and down her slender legs. His eyes locked into hers as she struggled out of her shoes and kicked them to the side. Sully pulled a couple of pins out of her hair that had pulled a bit of hair out of her face, and the locks cascaded down her cheeks.

"That's better," he whispered, leaning in again. Lips and tongues met as Michaela helped Sully pull his shirt from his buckskins. Her fingertips brushed against his firm abdomen, and he sucked in a deep breath. Michaela smiled, her cheeks blushing as Sully's fingers unbuttoned her blouse.

By the time it slid to the floor on top of her skirt, she stood naked before him while he was still fully dressed. Sully stepped closer, and his hands moved to cup her breasts. Her nipples began to harden against his palms, and she shuddered with anticipation. He took his hands off of her and let his eyes admire her features. Michaela looked away, and Sully's fingers tilted her chin up so she could look into his eyes.

"I know you're shy," he whispered, "but ya don't got nothin' to be embarrassed about. You're beautiful." She suddenly felt very self-conscious and looked over her shoulder.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she said softly, her cheeks glowing a shy crimson. Sully pulled her close, gently crushing her body against his.

"Sure we should."

"Not here. Someone could walk in." Sully understood now, and he picked his wife up into his arms. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sully kicked off his moccasins before making his way to the staircase. Michaela's body was still trembling, but as they made it into the bedroom, she relaxed. Sully closed the door, shutting the rest of the house out from their private quarters.

Sully placed Michaela down so she could stand before him, and he lifted his shirt above his head. Michaela's hands moved to his warm flesh, and her fingers gently treated his nipples to the same sweet torture he'd given hers earlier.

When he finally stepped out of his buckskins, he noticed Michaela's eyes immediately go to look at him. He loved how she would blush at every move and glance, but he knew how sensual she was and how wonderful their lovemaking was. He knew it was going to take her a while to stop feeling self-conscious. She was always going to be gorgeous, and he couldn't help but notice that she had gotten more beautiful every single day since the day he'd first seen her, and that day she'd been breathtaking even covered in mud.

He noticed how her long hair draped over her breasts and nearly covered the soft patch between her legs. He slowly stepped behind her and pulled her hair back. She leaned her back against his chest as his hand moved to touch her inner thigh. He brushed it up and around to her outer thigh and slowly tickled his fingers up her sides and around to her tummy. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from squealing, and one breast soon filled his palm, and he gave it a single squeeze.

She could feel him hardening behind her, and she resisted the urge to take him into her hand and stroke him; please him with her hands the way he could please her with his. But, she wasn't sure how he would react, so she merely ran her hands along his hips. His hands cupped both of her breasts now as she leaned against him, and she placed her hands upon his and closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of him pressed against her so tightly.

He let her go a moment later and she turned to face him before scooting herself onto the bed. He stepped toward her as she lay back, giving him the perfect view. His desire began to grow, and she could see that with her own two eyes.

He settled down onto the bed and lay beside her. She lay on her back and he on his side, and his hand moved to stroke her belly. Her skin jumped, and the muscles in her abdomen involuntarily clenched. Sully smiled as goose bumps appeared on her skin, and her nipples grew darker and stiffer, aching to be relieved from the pressure they felt. He rolled closer to her and took a breast into his mouth, lightly teasing her nipple with the edges of his teeth. She closed her eyes and arched her back as his other hand moved below to stroke her softly, parting her folds and slipping inside to ready her for the next level.

"Sully!" she cried out as she clenched around his fingers. He smiled as she called his name, and he moved to give her other breast the treatment that its twin had received, while his fingers moved inside of her, and his thumb circled and teased her throbbing core.

Feeling breathless, Michaela's hands gripped the bed sheets as her hips bucked off of the mattress. Sully's fingers finally pulled out of her, and she felt her body aching for more.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear as air finally came back to her lungs, and she let out a satisfied sigh. But, she still needed more. She needed to be completely one with him.

"I love you," she whispered as he crawled on top of her, pressing into her slowly. She looked up into his eyes and waited for him to fill her with himself.

She arched her back as he joined her, and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, and her ankles locked together to keep him deep within her. She gasped, adjusting around his size. She found it amazing how every time felt better than the last! She definitely hadn't learned how wonderful it could be while she was growing up in Boston. Thank God she'd found a man who was willing to share everything with her and make her feel more alive than she had ever felt before!

"Michaela," he moaned as her legs tightened around him, and her breasts heaved against his chest, sending sensations to every part of both of their bodies.

For a moment, neither of them moved, and they stared into each other's eyes. A smile escaped from both of them, and they rested their foreheads together. Slowly, kisses were shared and then tongues danced together as hips met in equal thrusts. They kept pulling one another closer and feeling like one body with two heartbeats. But their hearts began to beat in time, and it was as if they truly were one and all time had stopped.

Michaela's toes curled as Sully brought her over the edge once, twice and a third time. Finally, Sully released himself inside of her, and they collapsed together in a heap of sweaty limbs and tangled bed sheets.

Michaela looked at Sully and rolled onto her side, snuggling her naked body against his. The warmth that emanated from him comforted her, and when she felt his arms snake around her, she felt peaceful. Sully smiled at his bride and softly rubbed her back as her head rested against his chest, and her hair spilled down her shoulders and over his chest. She looked so beautiful and natural like this, and he wished they could be so at peace every moment of the day.

Michaela never figured that a day that had started out to be so stimulating and relaxing could end up changing within a matter of an hour.

When she had arrived in town, folks were squabbling about a hundred dollars that the railroad was giving to the town. Rational Michaela had suggested at the council meeting to put it to good use by starting to pave the streets. But, of course, the men had to speak up and talk about doubling the money. By the end of the meeting, the town had decided to wire for Otis James and his All Star baseball team to play for money. Michaela knew fully well that this was an idea that was sure to go right downhill, but she was willing to work with the town and hopefully bring the folks closer together through teamwork.

"Ya really think this is gonna make people closer, Ma?" Brian asked on the way toward the homestead after the town council meeting. Sully looked skeptical but decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

"Well, baseball is a sport that takes teamwork to play. Now, I believe that if we can all work together, we can win." Sully and Colleen exchanged glances, but both remained quiet.

As soon as the family made it home, Brian and Colleen rushed into the barn to look for something they could use as a bat so they could start practicing their skills. Sully and Michaela sat in the wagon for a few minutes, watching the children as they filtered through the objects in the barn.

"Brian's very excited about this," Michaela said with a smile.

"Who do ya think is gonna be playin' in this game?" Michaela looked at her husband.

"Well, I suppose a team will be chosen after tryouts."

"And who do ya suppose will be tryin' out?"

"Everyone," Michaela said confidently. Sully looked at her for a moment and smiled. He knew the folks in town wouldn't want women playing on the team, but he loved how she wanted to give it a try anyway. He had never seen Michaela hit a ball in her life, so he was looking forward to seeing her in action.

He helped her out of the wagon and they made it into the house. Michaela looked around, trying to decide what she wanted for dinner. She felt Sully's eyes on her, and she couldn't help but blush as she put on the kettle, remembering the way he had been that very morning before they'd gone into town.

He walked up behind her and placed soft, feather-like kisses on her neck. She squirmed in a playful sort of way in his arms and bit her lip to stop from giggling.

"Sully! The children," she reminded him. She heard footsteps coming up the porch steps, and she turned toward the door. Sully remained behind her, however, resting his chin on her shoulder, tucking his arms under hers and wrapping his arms lovingly around her waist.

Brian and Colleen rushed inside to see their parents standing so comfortably together. Well, Sully looked comfortable. Though Michaela was leaning her back into his chest, her face was a few shades redder than usual, and her hands were fidgeting with the washcloth in her hands.

"We're gonna go into town and practice with the other kids," Colleen said matter-of-factly. "If it's okay."

"Please?" Brian begged, his eyes pleading with his parents. Michaela was about to remind them that they'd be late to dinner, but when she let herself feel how wonderful it was to be held by Sully, she realized that the children probably wouldn't be the only ones late to dinner.

"You may go," she finally allowed with a nod.

"We'll be back before sunset," Colleen promised as Brian practically dragged her out the door. As soon as the door shut firmly, Michaela let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Sully chuckled against her hair and brushed his fingers against her cheek.

"You're beautiful when you're nervous." Michaela knew her cheeks were still glowing a bright crimson.

"Well, Mr. Sully, it seems that I've been beautiful a lot lately," she joked.

"You're always beautiful," he reminded her. "Ya don't need to be nervous 'round the kids."

"I know," Michaela said with a smile. "But, you know that I'm still getting . . ."

"Used to all this," he finished for her. He knew her so well! She sighed, pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side. "Right?"

"Again," she said with a smile. "I love that you know me so well." Sully smiled suggestively.
"Well, since the kids are out practicin' right now, what do ya say we go have a little practice of our own?" Sully suggested, nodding toward the staircase. That was enough to send Michaela's heart fluttering a million beats a minute.

"Well, I . . . that sounds . . ." Before she could finish her sentence, Sully's lips captured hers, and all other thoughts were lost.

Saturday June 25, 1870

Michaela sat on the sidelines of the makeshift baseball field. She watched as Otis James practiced with the All-Stars, and she continued to glimpse down into a book he'd graciously given her. She found the game to be fascinating, but from what she saw from the professionals, the town was going to be in quite a predicament if they didn't learn what they were doing and soon!

Feeling that they knew her so well, most of the males in town already made it clear that they didn't want their lady doctor thinking she was going to get to play. They gave several reasons, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of delight at the fact that Sully refused to play when Jake began spouting out who he wanted to play in what position. Most of the men hadn't wanted to play because of one reason or another when Jake named himself captain simply because he was the mayor.

But, a team was in place now, and all that was left to do was to improve and beat the All-Stars. Michaela knew that the team could win if they really put their hearts and souls into it, but with a captain like Jake Slicker and an ego larger than the city of Denver, Michaela knew they were fooling themselves. But, she wasn't going to say a word, and she was going to secretly revel in the fact that her very talented husband, whom she now knew could hit a ball farther than any of the folks in town, was standing by her side and supporting her thoughts of having the entire town participate. After all, she was the one who wanted it to bring the town together, so why have only all of the men play?

She watched as the men bruised and beat each other by this mere game, and she wondered if they would have any energy left for the game that was just a few days away.

"Good day, Michaela," Dorothy said with a smile as she sat down next to her.

"Hello Dorothy," Michaela said with a smile as she glanced down on her page, reading about strikes and fouls.

"How are they doing?"

"Not well," Michaela said sheepishly. Just a few minutes ago, Horace fell head over feet into the cemetery." Dorothy's eyes went wide.

"Is he alright!"

"He seems fine," Michaela said with a shrug. At that moment, the bat smacked hard against the ball, and a loud, agonizing groan came from Loren. Both Michaela and Dorothy looked up in time to see Loren fall to his knees with an odd and painful look upon his face. Some of the men on the field looked a bit ill at the sight of what had just happened to Loren, and both women rushed to help the old man stand.

"Loren! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he grumbled. He looked up at Jake. "I quit!"

"What!" Jake asked. "Ya can't quit!"

"I just did!" Michaela and Dorothy helped Loren hobble over to the sidelines.

"Who the heck is gonna fill in for ya? The game is in two days!" Michaela glimpsed Preston staring from the bleachers. She caught him staring at her and helped Loren to sit. She marched over to Preston, and he stiffened his posture. He swallowed hard and felt his palms grow sweaty by her presence.

"Michaela," he said with a nod and a sly grin.

"What about you? You could play for Loren."

"Me? No thank you."

"Ya never played before, huh?" Jake asked with a smirk, reveling in the fact that he was better at something than the snooty banker was.

"Oh, I assure you, Jake, I know my share about baseball. I played third base on my team at Harvard." Jake and Loren eyed one another before the barber turned his attention back to the banker from Boston.

"Then why not play now?" Dorothy asked.

"I have an aversion to playing the fool. Face it folks, this team is in desperate need of help."

"If you feel that you know so much about baseball, Mr. Lodge, why don't you give this team the desperate help you seem to think it needs?" Preston stared into Michaela's eyes, and she smiled a little. God, could she truly be smiling at him? Or was it a smirk? Either way, he really didn't care, because her attention was focused on him for once and not that savage mountain man.

"On a few conditions." He put his hand on Jake's back and walked away with the captain to have a few words. Michaela looked back down at Loren.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, no, I'm fine," he said, shaking his head. "I think I'll just go over to Grace's for a glass of lemonade to cool off." He scooted off slowly, trying to forget about the pain that was still throbbing in such an embarrassing spot. Preston kept his eyes on Michaela as she walked away with Dorothy. The way she walked put an extra beat in his heart, it seemed. Her hips swayed magnificently with each step, and he wondered if she knew so. He couldn't believe that such a beautiful woman could be married and raising a family. She looked like the kind of woman who couldn't settle down for one moment and could only keep living and learning more. Preston wondered if Michaela felt like she was being held back with a husband and children.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Jake asked, stepping up behind the banker. He followed Preston's gaze just before Preston looked away. "Well, if you're lookin' at Dr. Mike, ya might as well forget it." He patted Preston on the back. "She's married, and even if she weren't, I don't think ya could handle her." As Jake walked away, Preston smiled to himself, considering Jake's last statement.

"I think you're right."

Michaela walked into the homestead to find Sully stoking the fire with a couple of logs. He smiled when he heard her walk in, and he turned to face her.

"How're things in town?"

"Well, Loren quit," she began, "and I believe Mr. Lodge is going to be taking over as the team's captain, or he's going to be co-captain with Jake." Sully sensed a bit of tension in her voice.

"Still upset they won't let ya play?"

"Of course," Michaela replied. "I understand that they believe it's a man's game, but this is the town's money. I believe that anyone who can play should be able to play regardless of whether they're a man or a woman." She sighed and placed the baseball guide down on the table. "I don't think either Preston or Jake know what they're doing. Jake has been having all of the wrong people in the wrong places. He's placing the slowest players where the fastest players are needed." She looked at Sully who had raised an eyebrow by now.

"Sounds to me like you ought to be coachin' the team." He saw that gleam in her eyes, but she blinked a moment later, and it was gone.

"I didn't want this, Sully. This money was supposed to be used for good, and even the Reverend is playing in a game that nobody is sure they'll win."

"Sounds like Jake's pretty sure."

"Jake doesn't truly know what he's up against, and the game is this Monday." She swallowed hard. "I suppose it's a good thing that the money is being split both ways." Sully nodded.

"Sure," he replied. He smiled a little. "C'mere." He took her hand and led her to an armchair. She sat down, and he moved to stand behind it. She relaxed once his hands were on her shoulders, and he was massaging her.

"That feels nice," she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch. Sully smiled as Michaela went as limp as a dishrag in his hands. His touch could make her melt, and he knew it. "Are the children home?"

"Nope. Ain't home yet." They must have still been playing ball in town. And she realized it would be nice to take full advantage of having the afternoon off, but she needed to be alert in case of an emergency. Preston would push the men harder and harder, Michaela didn't doubt, and she was worried that she should go back to the clinic just in case.

"Sully?"

"Hmm?" His hands were already moving toward the neckline of her dress. His fingers were teasing the exposed flesh, and Michaela could feel herself reacting to his touch. He smiled as he watched her tilt her head back.

"Mmm, never mind," she replied. Yes, she was completely relaxed. He moved around to kneel in front of the chair. He took her hands in his and gently squeezed them. Michaela slowly opened her eyes, and Sully watched as passion crept into her gaze. A moment later, lips met lips, and the rest of the afternoon was lost in the passion of pure newlywed love.

Monday June 27, 1870

"He's not going to get away with this a second time," Michaela fumed as she paced the clinic floors. Sully watched her and noticed that her hands were busily rolling up clean linens. She had been rather busy that afternoon after the game with Matthew's injured arm, Horace's head injury and the many other scrapes and bruises the team had acquired throughout the game. Colorado Springs had lost, but thanks to young Brian's words, it came to everyone's knowledge that the All-Stars had cheated by batting out of order, and had cheated the folks out of their money without pointing out the fine print from the start, which was too small for the doctor to see clearly. They had lost all of the money that the citizens had used for tickets as well as the money the government had given them. Michaela knew that it served them right for gambling, but the All-Stars were low enough to show their true colors after they had won. Dorothy, but Michaela had managed to convince the All-Stars to stay for a re-match with a winner-takes-all game. Now, the only challenge was getting the team to agree to play one more game against the professionals.

"You're gonna wear the boards out if ya ain't careful," Sully noted as he sat on the edge of Michaela's desk. Michaela sighed heavily and shot her husband a look. "Sorry."

"I'm sorry," Michaela said quietly, shaking her head. "I know they were foolish to gamble away the government's money, but even I was fooled."

"They're tricky and ain't willin' to lose," Sully noted.

"That's exactly why we need to get our town's money back. We can't let people do this to us."

"Remember that this ain't your fault. Ya didn't ask for it to happen."

"Then why do I feel responsible?" Sully smiled and walked over to his wife.

"'Cause you're always lookin' out for everybody else. Ya like seein' people happy, and ya don't like seein' 'em get hurt." Once again, Sully had said just the right thing to make his wife feel better. She thanked him with a kiss.

"Would you like to join me? I'm going to go talk to our team." Sully thought for a moment. The thought of a bunch of middle-aged men soaking their sweaty, bruised bodies in a hole full of hot water didn't appeal to him.

"I think I'll stay here and wait for the kids to come home." Michaela smiled.

"Alright. I'm sure I can convince Dorothy to join me." She gave him one more kiss before retreating toward the door.

Thursday June 30, 1870

Michaela entered the bedroom with stiff arms and legs. She was sore from practicing with her team. The Colorado Springers were improving remarkably, and she couldn't have been more proud of them. She had the team working together just as she'd hoped they would, and the only thing she had left to worry about was who was striking first and who was the best striker, thought she knew her husband was the best, and she wasn't being biased.

She smiled as she tucked herself underneath the covers. Sully was downstairs turning down the lamps, and the children were nestled in their beds.

She knew Sully was a little stiff and sore as well, but she was thankful that he had come around and decided to join the team. She knew it took a little convincing on her part, but thankfully, she was his wife, and she knew how to convince him.

Michaela pulled her notebook into her lap and began strategizing. The game was in the morning, and she had to figure out who would work best where.

Sully walked into the room and noticed his wife working away busily. He smiled at the look on her face. It was half panic and half excitement. He knew she was very eager about the next day.

"Lamps are all out."

"Great. Thank you," Michaela said absently as she erased a name and placed it somewhere else on her page. Sully removed his shirt, moccasins and buckskins before he added a couple more logs to the fire. Michaela didn't seem to notice her husband's naked form striding across the room, though Sully was sure she was so enthralled in her game plan that she wouldn't notice if he started swinging from the rafters in nothing but his birthday suit.

Secretly, Michaela snuck a peek at her husband in all of his glory, and she tried hard not to blush. She bit her lip and stared down at the words on her pages. Perhaps he could wait just a little bit longer so she could get her game plan perfect. But, it appeared as if he had a game plan of his own.

Sully crawled into the bed, and Michaela bit the inside of her cheek to stop from giggling. Sully's hand moved to her bare shoulder and gently stroked her skin.

"I think I'll bat Jake fifth after Robert E. Or maybe he should lead off. He's been making good contact lately. What do you think?" Sully's lips moved to her shoulder and kissed her softly.

"Mhmm." He began to nibble a little bit, and Michaela felt sparks rushing through her body. She felt herself about to laugh from the tickling sensation she felt from the stubble on Sully's chin, so she reached for the eraser.

"Of course! I'll hit Matthew first and move the Reverend to fourth." She sighed softly as Sully continued to torture her with kisses to her skin. "But then where does that leave Horace? He's been struggling at the plate. He's afraid of striking out." She knew she'd said too much, and Sully grabbed the supplies out of her hands and placed them aside. Michaela looked at him with pretend shock.

"He's not the only one." She sighed a little and couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her lips. Sully's hands moved to cup her face and he pressed his lips against his wife's. Their kisses were soft at first, but soon, they were growing more and more passionate.

Sully's hand moved under the covers to stroke Michaela's bare leg. She shivered from anticipation as his hand moved up her gown. He gently stroked her thigh and moved his hand all the way up to cup a breast in his palm. He felt her nipple harden as soon as his skin made contact with hers.

Michaela sunk down onto the pillows and stared up at Sully. He began to inch the gown up her body, and when she lifted her arms, he slid it off of her and tossed it to the floor. Michaela lay beneath him as naked as he, and she traced her fingers down his chest, relishing the feel of his skin against hers.

Sully's fingers softly rubbed across a bruise on his wife's arm.

"Does it hurt?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"Only a little." Sully bent to kiss the bruise, and his tongue darted out to taste her salty skin. Michaela closed her eyes, loving the feel of his mouth on her and his hot breath hitting her skin and making it tingle.

Her eyes noticed a bruise on his shoulder, and she looked up into his eyes. She leaned up and kissed it softly, and he winced a little.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?
"Nah," he whispered. He kissed her softly, and crawled over her, covering her body with his own. She grinned as his hand found hers and held it up to his lips so he could kiss her knuckles.

His mouth moved to her neck and gently suckled it as her hands explored his body, caressing and kissing him as she moved. Michaela felt Sully's hand moved under her to lift her leg. She arched it over his hip and she felt his arousal pressing into her. She stared into his eyes and held his gaze as he filled her. She smiled as his breathing quickened, and his heart began to race.

Stiff limbs and sore bruises were soon forgotten, and all was forgotten except for the love and desire Michaela and Sully had for one another. Being together as man and wife made them feel stronger than ever, and no matter what, Michaela Quinn and Byron Sully would always be a team.