Warning: This chapter contains a graphic sexual encounter between two unmarried adults.

Chapter 76

February 1871 – Boston

Michaela finished putting her dress back on, shivering at the coldness of the room. She was even more nervous, because the man she called a friend and even once believed had loved her had just examined her. He now knew that she was pregnant, and that was a very delicate, controversial knowledge considering the circumstances.

"You say that Dr. Bernard ordered you to rest and to…avoid excitement?" Michaela blushed heavily as she finished up the laces on her dress.

"Yes," she said quickly. "But he said to consult another opinion after arriving in Boston. So…" She found herself shaking nervously. The comfort of knowing that a trusted friend had her in his care was one thing, but having just been examined by him was another. She knew he was very professional, but considering the past, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward.

"Everything seems fine, Michaela," he pointed out. "So I don't want you to worry about that. However, I would advise against any long trips for the next few weeks…perhaps a month. If you could possibly hold off on returning home so I could keep a close eye on the pregnancy for a little while, all other activities should be acceptable to…return to." Michaela swallowed hard.

"I should stay a few more weeks?" she asked, not certain if she enjoyed the sound of that.

"Well, from what you've told me, you've been rather busy back in Colorado Springs. With the entire town knowing of your situation, you've been under a lot of scrutiny. Your secret is safe with me, so if you'd like to take a few weeks off to relax here, I think it would do you and your child a lot of good." Michaela nodded and stepped back into sight.

"Everything's fine?" she asked again. "You're positive?"

"Yes. I'd say you and your child are in perfect health, but a little rest and relaxation never hurt anybody. As your doctor and as your friend, I'm urging you to spend a few more weeks here. Rest and relax. It'll do wonders for you, I assure you." Michaela smiled, stepping forward nervously.

"Thank you, Landon. I appreciate…everything."

"Don't mention it," he said with a smile. "That's what friends are for. I know I can count on you, so you just have to remember you can count on me." He stepped forward and took Michaela's hand in his, knowing she was slightly nervous. He gave it a gentle squeeze before helping her with her coat. "Now go be with your family. And tell Sully he has nothing to worry about right now. I'm certain he'll be happy to hear that." Michaela flushed again, but she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter at the mere thought of being able to be intimate with Sully again.

She knew she shouldn't be thinking of such things right after her mother had died, but Sully was her haven. He was her peace. He was her comfort. Being with him and being happy for just a little while would probably do a lot of good, and she certainly didn't want to wait any longer.

She settled down in the soft grass, placing her mother's journal in front of her. Her legs were tired from traveling all over the cemetery, but now she knew. Now she knew. Robert Q. was the name on the tombstone, but she knew it was her brother.

"A brother," she whispered softly. "I never would have known if it wasn't for this book." She smiled a little and traced her fingers over the letters that had been engraved upon the headstone. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother, but I had my hands full with four sisters. Maybe we would have been friends, Robert. Maybe…" She took a deep breath. "It's hard to imagine Rebecca having a twin. I wonder if you would have looked anything like her. Perhaps you would have been as sweet and caring as her. Perhaps you wouldn't have been a fool."

A few raindrops began to sprinkle down upon the earth, and Marjorie heaved a heavy sigh, and with it, a few tears spilled forth, trickling down her cheeks and into the grass.

"I don't understand why she kept it a secret for so long. But Mother had her own ideas about the world. She did. She loved all of her children, even if it seemed she loved some of us more than others." She frowned. "Maybe it was because she lost you, and she spent her entire life trying to make up for losing you, even though she knew she couldn't." She shook her head. "I don't know your father, Robert, but Mother obviously loved him enough to marry him and create you and Rebecca." She shook her head. "I wonder what Rebecca would think if she knew…she wasn't a real Quinn. Maybe that's why Mother fawned over her so. Because she was the only thing left of the first man she'd ever loved."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Marjorie gasped, when lightning flashed across the sky.

"I wanted to stay longer. I wanted to say so many things to you that I can't say to anyone else." With that, the rain began to pound harder upon the ground, Marjorie stood up, taking the journal back into her hands. The ominous clouds began to roll in, and Marjorie took one last look at her brother's headstone before turning and rushing back to her carriage, hoping to get home as soon as possible.

"Everything ok?" Sully asked, as Michaela joined him out in the waiting room. Michaela nodded, and she took Sully's hand.

"Everything's fine," she replied with a smile. "Landon's given both me and the baby a clean bill of health, and he says that the only thing I shouldn't be doing in the near future is traveling." Sully frowned worriedly.

"For how long?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Just a few weeks," she replied. "Maybe a month. He wants to keep a close eye on my condition for the next few weeks, but he doesn't see any reason why…" Her cheeks blushed red.

"What?" Michaela shifted nervously.

"He…said we can resume our normal activities," she replied, her eyes glancing up into his with the pent up feelings she'd been carrying around for so long, and she turned from him slowly, wondering what he must think of her for suggesting such a thing at a time like this. And when a discreet smile turned up at the corners of Sully's mouth, she bit nervously on her bottom lip.

"It's been a while," he said quietly. "It's…well, we don't gotta do anything if you ain't feelin' up to it." Michaela nodded her head.

"I know, Sully," she replied. She heard thunder rattle the windows, and she took a deep breath. "We should be getting back." Sully nodded, and he tucked his arm around her. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss that left Michaela's lips tingling and wanting more. Her heart fluttered, and her breath quickened, and the only thought left on her mind was getting home as quickly as possible.

February 1871 – On a Train to Boston

Timothy sat peering out of the window of the train car, as the mountains began to fade into the distance. He was finally on his way to Boston, and his heart was pounding nervously. There was so much in Boston that he needed to take care of, but at the same time, there was so much that he wasn't sure he could ever resolve.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat. Rebecca. God, he hadn't stopped thinking of her since the day she'd gotten on that train and left to go back to Boston. What was going to happen if she decided not to come back? What if she never wanted to see him again?

Honestly, he couldn't blame her. What he'd said to her had been what he'd felt, but he hadn't chosen his words. He'd said the things that hurt Rebecca and made her even angrier with him. He couldn't help but react that way. He'd grown up all of his life believing that marriage was the sacred bond that led to procreation. But even in the bible, children were born out of wedlock.

Closing his eyes, he shook his head, trying to get rid of his headache, as he rubbed his temples. Nothing seemed to work, and he knew it was because he was missing her. What could he do to gain her forgiveness?

He turned his attention to a young couple sitting together. The young woman held an infant in her arms, and both were staring down at it, intently watching it sleep. They looked happy. They looked like a loving family.

Sully and Michaela were loving. Their love for one another had seemed pure, but why had they tainted it with an out of wedlock pregnancy? They were certainly adults, but at the same time, they hadn't acted as such. Now the town doctor was in the midst of a scandal by carrying a child and choosing not to get married right away. He knew the only thing to do to gain Rebecca's forgiveness would be to forgive them and ask for their forgiveness for the judgments he'd placed upon them. But was it that simple? Sometimes the simplest tasks were harder than the difficult ones. He only hoped he could find the strength and knowledge to do what was right.

February 1871 – Boston

As lightening lit up the dreary afternoon sky, Michaela and Sully rushed into the foyer before Harrison could even get to the door. They were drenched from head to toe, but they were laughing, as they shut the door and closed out the storm.

"Oh goodness!" Martha exclaimed, rushing in to see them. "Let me get you some tea…"

"No, that's quite alright," Michaela replied quietly, feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks, as she and Sully pulled off their drenched coats, revealing their drenched clothes underneath. "Where are Rebecca and the children?"

"Miss Rebecca is out running errands, and the children tired themselves out. They went down for a nap just a few minutes ago. I presume they'll sleep the rest of the afternoon." Michaela and Sully eyed one another for only a moment, but that one look held a thousand words.

"Shall I prepare a fire?" Harrison asked.

"No thanks," Sully said quietly. "I can do it myself." He nodded to the butler, and Harrison nodded back.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Miss?" Martha asked helpfully. Michaela swallowed hard and shook her head.

"No thank you, Martha. That will be all." She started up the stairs, and Sully lingered behind a few moments longer before following her and trying not to look too eager about it.

"Dinner will be ready in a few hours!" she called up behind them, but her words fell on deaf ears. She and Harrison simply looked at one another and proceeded to hang the wet coats to dry.

Michaela could hear him behind her, and her face flushed the entire way up the stairs. She couldn't help but feel anxious. For once, she didn't have to be sad or hold back. She didn't have to worry about anything but the moment. She was tired of crying and tired of worrying. She wanted to let go of everything and simply feel loved.

Sully watched her step off of the stairs and start down the hall to her room. He wanted to follow, and from the look she'd given him downstairs, that had been the go ahead for him to do so. It had been a while, and he didn't want to hurt her. He just wanted to love her, and he knew that's what she wanted. She'd had so much to deal with for so long now, and it was time for them both to stop thinking for just a few minutes. They needed one another now.

Her hand touched the doorknob, and she turned it slowly, feeling his body nearing hers. She slowly turned, her gaze meeting his and her cheeks blushing, as he closed the gap between them. Letting out a soft breath of relief, Michaela closed her eyes, awaiting his kiss, but when she felt his lips on her shoulder, as his arms surrounded her, she let out a gasp and felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

She fumbled with the doorknob and opened it, as they stumbled inside, closing the door behind them before claiming one another in another powerful embrace. Sully's hand found the lock, turning it, as he pressed her against the door, claiming her mouth with his own, as a low moan escaped from the back of her throat.

His hands began to round her shoulders, and she almost giggled at his eagerness. But her own eagerness was getting the better of her, as her fingers worked at his belt, trying to loosen it enough for it to clatter to the floor. Surely enough, with one swift tug, the belt came sliding off, and Sully pulled Michaela closer, walking her backwards across the room.

She moaned again, as his fingers worked with the pins in her hair, pulling them out one by one and leaving a trail as they made it toward the bed. Michaela gasped, as she nearly tripped over the edge of a chair, but Sully caught her quickly before she could begin to fall. He pulled her even closer, and she sighed against his lips, opening herself further to him, tasting his sweet kisses and inhaling his scent. Her desire began to heighten.

Her mind was so full of things that she wanted to say to him, but right now, actions spoke louder. There would be time for talk later. Right now, they were caught in the moment, and Michaela was determined not to let anything else get in the way. She just focused on what Sully had told her long ago.

"Michaela, anytime ya want me…anytime ya need me here, ya don't have to ask. Just come find me. Just kiss me, and I'll know."

He felt her begin to shiver, and he pulled back, feeling her hands rubbing along his back. He looked down into her eyes, and she smiled, running her hands up his neck and into his hair, pulling him toward her for another kiss, while his hands began to work with the buttons of her dress.

Sully couldn't suppress a moan that escaped, as Michaela's hands moved down to his chest and began to un-tuck his shirt from his pants, letting her fingers delicately graze the flesh of his finely sculpted stomach. Her touch was like lightning to his rain-soaked skin, and he gasped, as her touch sent shockwaves from her fingertips to his toes.

Their gazes locked, and she knew what she was doing to him. God, she could almost hear his heart pounding. He could see the fire in her eyes, and he couldn't tear himself away. He had to feel her soft lips against his skin. He had to feel every inch of her gorgeous body pressed against his.

She could tell he was growing restless, and as his hands resumed their work on the buttons of her dress, she went to work on his buttoned buckskins, feeling eager to join with him again, but her task was quickly delayed, as his kisses became deeper.

For a moment, she was terrified of herself. To him, she was amazing. One moment, she was a blushing, proper doctor. The next, she was so consumed by the need to feel his skin against hers; feel his touch caressing her.

"Sully," she whispered, as his mouth found the sensitive spot on her neck, just above her shoulder blade. She moaned, her knees weakening, as his hand gently brushed over her breast, caressing it through the layers of fabric that kept them from one another.

"Hmm?" he asked, as his tongue darted out to sear her flesh, causing her to begin to melt, her entire body quaking in warning.

"I've never…" she began, unable to form the words in her head. He smiled a little, torturing that sweet spot for just a little longer, before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"Never what?" he mumbled, swiftly picking her up into his arms, surprising her and making her moan softly at the same time.

"Never felt like…like this," she whispered. He pulled back a little.

"Never?" She shook her head, her eyes bold and determined with passion, as she stared up at him.

"Not even when…" She smiled a little, and she gently touched his stubble-covered chin before placing her fingers over his kiss-swollen lips.

"Just kiss me," she grinned. And he obeyed. She gasped as he let her back down on her feet, and she watched him curiously as he pulled away. Her eyes followed him about the room, watching the way his body moved, as he walked with that familiar strut. He opened up the closet and pulled out a large quilt and brought it back over. She smiled and helped him spread it out over the floor. Next, he struck a match, and moments later, hot flames sparked and grew in the cold hearth. He took her hands in his.

They moved to the floor, their eyes never leaving each other's, and as they rested on their knees, they used their hands to begin shedding one another of the heavy, wet clothes that quickly began to make a pile nearby.

The warmth of the fire began to dry Michaela's soaking wet hair, and Sully smiled, running his hands through it and watching her eyes sparkle like never before. She smiled brightly, letting her hands roam over his broad shoulders before tugging at the sides of his shirt.

"Lift your arms," she whispered. Her voice was low, but he got the message. He began to respond to her every look and caress. And as she lifted the thin fabric from his body, she saw his chest rise and fall quickly with each sharp breath he took.

His flesh tingled, as her fingers grazed a path from his sternum to his belly button, and she boldly pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder, where a scar from past struggles lay almost hidden upon his bronzed skin.

"Does it ever hurt?" she asked quietly, as her finger traced along the light spot. Sully looked down at his scar and then up into her eyes again.

"It's just a scar." Michaela shook her head.

"Sometimes we feel the wounds of our past, even if all we carry are the scars." Sully smiled a little, and he cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Ya sound like Cloud Dancin'," he pointed out.

"He's a wise man," she replied, her hand finding his and linking their fingers together. Sully leaned in, kissing her softly again, sliding the top of the dress off of her shoulders, but the task became too difficult, so Michaela stood, her eyes never leaving Sully's, as she slipped out of the dress and kicked off her shoes. Sully's hands immediately moved to her stocking-clad legs and peeled the material away from her soft skin, kissing his way down her thigh as he worked, leaving a damp trail from her inner thigh to her calf. He repeated his ministrations on her other leg, leaving her knees trembling again, and before she knew it, she was being pulled back onto the floor, and his fingers were unlacing her chemise. He loosened it enough so that it finally pooled around her, revealing her silky smooth flesh and causing her to blush as he admired her.

Pulling her into another kiss, Sully tortured her lips slowly, begging for entrance but pulling back at the last moment, driving her wild and making her want more at the same time. But he pulled back, standing and slipping out of his buckskins and shoes, tossing them to the side as Michaela reached out of him.

"You didn't answer my question," she grinned, as he knelt down on the quilt with her again, pulling her into his lap, as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, letting his arms encircle her in turn, pulling her closer. Sully chuckled, and he shook his head.

"They don't hurt. Not when you're here," he whispered, kissing a path from her shoulder to her neck, feeling her pulse race against his lips. She sighed, arching her neck and feeling his desire for her growing. It had been so long, and being with him now took all of her pain, sadness, and fears away.

His kisses trailed down her throat and toward her breasts, and a moment later, she was falling back onto the quilt, as Sully cradled her body against his. Her legs spread, as he lay between them, placing kisses against her belly, taking his time as he felt her shuddering beneath him with desire.

She couldn't control herself anymore, and she reached for him, realizing that she'd missed him even more than she'd thought. The mere memory of him making love to her made her desire for him grow all the more.

As he finally crawled over her, his eyes staring into hers, as her tongue darted out to wet her lips, he felt her legs lock around him, holding him there and daring him to make a move to leave. And as he sought her lips again, they closed their eyes, letting the rhythm of their bodies join them as one.

Moaning into his mouth, Michaela let her body relax, as her hands moved over his back, feeling each muscle, as he began to move inside of her. A groan escaped his mouth, as Michaela pressed a kiss to his sweat-covered chest.

"Oh," she breathed, as his hands framed her face, and he showered kisses there, making her strain for more of him. Their bodies began to move in synch with one another, and Michaela opened her eyes, staring deep into his enchanting gaze and seeing his love for her shining through.

Searching for any sign of discomfort in her eyes, he only saw pure pleasure. His heart swelled, and his desire continued to surge through him, as he felt more power between them than ever before.

She let out a whimper, as his mouth found a breast and teased her, making her cry out for more of him. When he finally treated her other breast to the same sweet torture, her body was pressing up, asking for more of him. He smiled, kissing his way back up her body and finding her lips to stifle her moans, as she grew closer to the edge of ecstasy.

Michaela arched her back, bringing him closer.

"Sully!" she cried out into his chest, as wave after wave of pleasure shattered through her body, making her gasp for breath and clench her fists so tightly she thought her fingers would break.

As they were both pushed over the edge—pulling one another and holding on for their lives— they came crashing down into the unknown, holding one another as if they would never let go.

Sully slowly pulled away from her, collapsing beside her on the quilt, as she pulled the edges up around her to cover her perspiring body. She tried to control her breathing, but when she rolled to her side, placing her hand against his chest, she smiled, and he placed his hand on top of hers. Their eyes met, and the fire continued to burn between them. Perhaps it had never stopped. Right now they were certain it never would.

Thunder and the ticking of the mantle clock invaded their descent from rapture, and Sully pulled Michaela onto him, hearing her giggle, as his hands roamed over her bare back, feeling the soft, smooth skin under his calloused hands.

"I missed us," he said gently, nuzzling her neck and placing a warm kiss there, causing her to moan gently and run her hands over his chest, feeling his heart pound just beneath her touch.

"So have I, Sully. More than anything." She kissed his forehead, his nose, and finally his lips, and when she pulled back, she smiled down at him.

"I was right," he pointed out.

"What about?" she asked, as his hand brushed her hair back so he could see her sparkling eyes.

"I told ya once that after a while, everything just feels more natural," he pointed out. Michaela blushed. She shook her head a little.

"I'm still not certain, Sully. I'm not certain if I'm…there yet." Sully nodded.

"I think ya are."

"I'm still…"

"Nervous?" Michaela nodded.

"I know. But I love that about you. You have this fire inside ya, Michaela. It don't take much to get it burning brighter…hotter." He leaned up to kiss her. "Don't ever doubt yourself, Michaela. I love everything about you, and if it's possible, each time I'm with ya…I wanna be with ya even more." Michaela sighed softly and leaned her head against his chest, gently running her hand down his chest and stomach before letting it rest there.

Minutes passed without either one of them speaking. They knew they'd have to get up and get dressed soon enough, but neither one of them were ready to let go. They wanted to enjoy this happiness for just a little while longer, because they knew what the near future held, and it was anything but happy.

"What if he's changed his mind?"

"He hasn't."

"You don't know that!"

"Yes I do. Please, calm down. You're only getting yourself worked up over nothing."

"Nothing? It isn't over nothing. Perhaps it's all too much."

"You know he loves you. He loves you more than anything!"

"Yes…but…"

"There are no 'buts.' He loves you. Trust in that. When you walk down that aisle today, he's going to be there, smiling only at you."