Chapter 3

If Michaela was wondering how their spending the night together would affect their relationship, Sully soon made it clear to her. They had continued having breakfast in comfortable silence, just smiling at each other now and then. Yet once Sully had swallowed his last bite and licked his fingers, he resumed their conversation.

"Ya know," he began, looking at Michaela expectantly, "when I planned this house, I initially contemplated makin' downstairs just one single, large room. I still like the idea. What'ya think?"

Not quite sure what he was getting at, Michaela slowly replied with the first thing that came to her mind, "Wouldn't it be difficult to get such a big room warm?"

Taking her thinking about such a practical question already as an agreement for him to make the changes, Sully explained eagerly, "Nope, no problem at all for we have the two fireplaces in addition to the oil heating."

Surprised, Michaela put down her mug. "Two?" She was puzzled. "I've never seen a second one."

"Oh," Sully grinned, "I guess then I did a good job with hidin' it. It's behind these wooden panels." He pointed at the wall which separated his kitchen from Michaela's living room.

Turning around, Michaela scanned the area but still wasn't able to detect a fireplace. Yet her mind was already working on imagining the wall being gone.

"The room would be spacious but still comfortable, I'm sure," she said as she nodded and shifted, facing Sully again.

"So ya won't mind?" Seeing her bewildered expression, he clarified, "My puttin' down the wall between the rooms?"

"Oh." Confused why he would ask for her permission she reminded him, "It's your house."

"Yeah," Sully nodded, keeping his eyes on her, "but you are livin' here, too."

Only now did Michaela comprehend. He saw this place as their home, and he wanted to change it for them. Her first impulse was to tell him that things were moving much too fast for her liking, but she swallowed the words. Not just because she didn't want to wipe the joy from Sully's face but because she realized that's that what they'd been heading for all the time: living together. And she understood something else: if she wouldn't have known that, if even only unconsciously, last night would never have happened.

Reading her expression, Sully recognized that she liked his idea. "Good," he said, leaning back against the back of his chair smiling widely, "that's settled then."

xxx

It was unusually warm for this time of the year, and more people than normally visited the Garden of Gods Park. There were even demands for the daily nature walks not only at 2 p.m. but in the morning as well. That was why Sully had been called in for an extra shift, and he had no choice but go although it was Michaela's day off. For the first time he went to the park grudgingly, and not even Wolf's eagerness to accompany him was able to cheer him up. Yet as always, being outside worked its magic on him, and guiding people who were honestly interested in learning about history and geology of the Red Rocks made him forget that he hadn't wanted to come at all.

However, as soon as the job was done for the day, all his thoughts focused on Michaela again. He knew he had to take it easy, especially since she was still new to the physical part of a relationship. However, being positive that they would share their lives from now on, he had to figure out how to earn more money so they wouldn't need to relate on hers. Maybe he could combine business with pleasure and extend his job at the park. His boss had asked him a few times whether he was willing to guide not only groups but people with special wishes as well. The tip given by such folks was often generous, especially when they booked him repeatedly. He would just have to be good enough so they wanted him again.

Anyway, when he returned to the homestead, Sully found Michaela resting on a sunlounger that she had put onto the porch. Although she must have heard his truck, she didn't budge to greet them. Even when Wolf appeared at her side, nuzzling her face, she didn't open her eyes but only reached out for him, lazily patting his back, smiling. Sully liked this sight; it painted the picture of family life he dared to dream having again.

When Sully had left shortly after breakfast, Michaela had felt foolish for she missed him already the moment he drove from the yard. She wasted some minutes to scolding herself for acting like a teenage girl rather than a grown woman, yet then she gave up on that. Why should she taint her happiness? She was in love, and that was nothing she had to be ashamed of. She enjoyed knowing that Sully and she agreed in so many things. She, too, liked large rooms with an open kitchen at one end, and now she would soon have one. For the first time she allowed herself to embrace the thought that she had met a man who loved her the way she was, and that this house might become her home for good.

She hadn't ventured into the barn for a closer look yet, although Sully had told her a long time ago that he not only wouldn't mind but encouraged her to do so. To be precise, it had been on the day she moved in. Thus she had finally done it right after Sully's departure this morning. When she'd found the two sunloungers in a far corner, she remembered that he had once explained to her that the porch was positioned so that the sun could shine on it as long as possible. It would have been a shame not to make use of this fact on a day as beautiful as this one. So it came that Michaela spent almost all afternoon lying outside. She'd read and daydreamed and slept, and felt as relaxed as she hadn't in ages when Sully finally returned home.

"Hey." Hearing his voice right next to her ear made her jump up yet his large hands gently pushed her back into the lying position. Before she was able to breathe her 'hello', his warm lips captured hers, making their greeting special.

"Just stay here, I'll be right next to you," he ordered in a husky voice once he came up for air again, pulling the second sunlounger, which Michaela had already dragged here, closer.

He didn't lie down though but sat on its edge so he could watch her face.

"I've been thinkin'… " he began, trying to sound casually. This was already enough for Michaela to straighten as well for she just knew he would say something she wouldn't like. "… it don't feel right to me still takin' rent from you," Sully finished his line.

"Why's that?" Michaela prompted, too surprised to instantly protest.

"'Course ya don't have an enclosed apartment anymore and it just wouldn't be fair." Sully was proud that he'd found an argument she wouldn't be able to counter, and he grinned somewhat triumphantly.

Yet Michaela, having regained her composure, raised one eyebrow as she retorted, "Well, I see it the other way around. I will have more room at my disposal which means I should pay even more."

Sully sighed; he should have known it. "I ain't acceptin' more money," he refused to even think about it.

"Fine," Michaela shrugged, "Then we just stick to the old price."

As Sully took in a deep breath so as to come up with another argument, she smiled at him sweetly, "I won't give in. I'm kind of stubborn. Didn't you notice yet?"

Slowly letting out the breath again, Sully eyed her, contemplating to take another approach. Her eyes, however, laughed at him and he knew that he was beaten. At least for now. Acknowledging his defeat, he changed the subject. "I brought Chinese food. Ya hungry?"

xxx

As the afternoon turned into the evening, Michaela grew nervous. Not that she was showing it, yet Sully sensed it nevertheless. Of course he knew what she was worrying about but decided not to broach the subject as long as she didn't. Since she avoided the theme, he showed her in his own way that he would never force her into doing anything that she didn't want. Thus he just kept their evening routine the way it has been all the nights before. As Michaela announced that she would take a shower but return for her goodnight tea, he told her that he would do the same.

Upstairs, twenty minutes later, as she put on her pajama trousers and pulled the loose t-shirt over her head, Michaela wondered if she would wear these clothes all night. Although alone in her room, she blushed furiously as she realized she wouldn't mind if Sully helped her out of them again. She only hoped he couldn't read it on her face. Her anxiety didn't hinder her though, in the contrary to her habits, from abandoning her robe on her bed before she at last joined Sully in the kitchen again.

Of course Sully noticed right away. Struggling to keep his face straight for his heart began to hammer against his ribs, he tried to act as casually as possible. He didn't want to startle her with his exuberance; it was up to Michaela to make the choice about how the evening would go on. It wouldn't hurt though to help her a bit with that and thus he suggested, once the tea was drunk up, "How 'bout I tuck ya in?"

Michaela was unable to voice her reply because she suddenly had to concentrate on keeping her hands steady. The rush of anticipation that shot through her body only allowed her to nod when she rose from her chair. She wasn't aware that Sully deliberately made her precede him, she just hoped he wouldn't notice that her legs had turned to jelly. Never had she thought the way to her room so short; and once they reached the door she was still contemplating whether she should just do what she was yearning for or rather contain her desire.

Wolf, however, took a bit of the tension away when he made his wishes clear. Once his humans halted before the room he had spent already more than a hundred nights in, curled up at the feet of the person who had saved his life, he sat down on the threshold and stared expectantly at Michaela. Yet she only turned her attention to him when he started to whine softly as if to tell her that this night should belong to him.

It was Sully though who bent down to pat their furry friend's head. He couldn't help but chuckle when he remarked, "Looks as if I've got some competition."

Michaela's blush increased impossibly further, yet Sully was serious when he straightened again. Laying his hands on her shoulders, he locked their gazes when he quietly assured, "Ya don't have to worry that ya do anything wrong. If ya wanna be on your own, just go through this door. Then I'll tuck ya in like I've promised and I'll return to my room downstairs. But even if ya prefer the big bed, nothin' has to happen. I'll just hold ya and you can go straight to sleep. I'll be happy with any choice you make for I want this to work."

Although it was still her decision to make, Michaela's nervousness dissipated. No matter what she wanted, Sully wouldn't be disappointed or think less of her, and that's what she, as she realized only now, had feared all the time.

She was still too shy though to announce her wish directly. Thus she crouched down to Wolf's level, apologizing to him whilst she was scratching him behind his ears, "Sorry, Wolf, but you'll have to spend the night alone again. We'll make it up to you somehow, I promise."

As if trying to change her mind, the dog nuzzled his nose against Michaela's face, resuming his whining so she was actually tempted to ask Sully if Wolf could be allowed into their room later.

Yet at this point, Sully took over. "C'mon, boy," he ordered, his voice firm but soft whilst he strode towards Michaela's bed. Patting the cover he added, "Ya stay here."

Knowing that his master had spoken, Wolf obeyed. He did it, however, willingly for he knew that he would still have his humans close and a very comfortable place for the night.

Michaela had realized a long time agao that it wasn't hard doing something for the very first time because you didn't know yet how you would feel about it. Of course you had heard from other people's telling what to expect but making the experience on your own was completely different. So it needed more courage to do the same thing a second time when you had learned that you might not be able to control the situation. And that's what Michaela had found out the night before. Her body had overruled her mind, and in the end she had just let go of any thoughts. This was so alien to her that it frightened her in a way. Yet once she met Sully's eyes again she forgot her fears. Not even one minute later, she lay in Sully's arms, eagerly welcoming and returning his touches.

xxx

Although their daily life carried on as usual, Michaela and Sully felt as if living in a dream world. This impression was heightened by the fact that late winter had unexpectedly turned into an early spring. Nature was awakening so fast that snowdrops appeared and vanished as if shown on a film that was shot in quick motion. Sometimes, when their shifts allowed it, Michaela and Sully made use of the warm weather by sitting on the porch, sunbathing. They would talk quietly, or simply lay on the sunloungers, holding hands.

One day, as they returned home from a long stroll with Wolf, they were, however, abruptly reminded that more people than the two of them belonged to their private life. Although Sully had known that this day would come, his parents-in-law showing up at the homestead caught him off guard. Last autumn Abigail's mother had asked him whether he would mind if she laid out some vegetable patches behind the house. Back then he had requested some tome to think it over, and obviously the moment to give an answer had come. Not knowing his decision himself yet didn't help matters, and he grew nervous.

As far as Michaela was concerned, she didn't feel very well either. She'd met the Bray's before, yet only as a doctor. Mr. Bray had been her patient three years ago. She had found the right diagnose when her colleagues failed, and since that time Loren trusted her medical skills. When she came to Colorado Springs last summer, he had asked her to look after Maude who was suffering from heart problems. However, now the elderly couple was here to spend their son-in-law a visit, and Michaela instantly felt out of place.

Loren cast his wife a reproachful look as they slowly rose from the bench next to the barn door when the two young people came closer. He liked Dr. Mike and could easily see that she felt unsettled by their presence. He had tried to talk Maude out of her plan of having a garden at this place for he knew that much more than friendship was going on between Sully and the doctor. He had heard it from Hank who didn't hold back with his comments about 'the love birds'. Yet Maude hadn't listened to him. Since the ice had thawed between Sully and them at the Thanksgiving dinner last year, she hoped to gain back a part of their daughter by participating in Sully's life.

Yet as Sully and Dr. Mike strolled towards the homestead, not noticing their visitors yet, they were holding hands. Only as they spotted the two figures at the barn did they loosen their intertwined fingers. What made tings worse for Maude was that it took Sully only the tenth of a second to tighten his grip on Michaela's hand again. Maude had simply counted on him continuing grieving for Abigail as she did. Realizing that she was wrong sent a sudden pain to her heart which made her gasp for air. Seeing Mrs. Bray's ashen complexion, Michaela dropped down from cloud nine, her feet connecting with the ground again.