CHAPTER FOUR
She was laughing! Laughing so hard tears were coming down her face!
Of all the reactions Sully had prepared for – hysterical laughter wasn't one of them. He stood there totally dumbfounded, watching her trying to control herself.
Finally, she wiped her face with the back of her hand and managed to gasp, "Oh Sully, I'm almost afraid to tell you this..."
"Tell me what?" Sully asked, thinking maybe all this had pushed her over the edge of sanity.
"Sully...I'M MIRANDA."
Everything stopped.
Trying to sort this out and put the pieces together like a puzzle dropped on the floor, Sully slowly repeated, "You're... Miranda..."
"Yes."
"Then...last night...I didn't...she was..."
"SHE was ME, Sully."
Realization dawning, he felt anger beginning to rise as he thought of the suffering he had endured the past 24 hours.
"Michaela! Why the h... Why would ya DO that to me???"
"Sully! I thought you KNEW it was me the whole time! I was playing our game! Brandon, remember?"
Sully stumbled to the bed and weakly sank down, resting his aching head in his hands, elbows on his knees. "Do you know how miserable I been – all day – because 'a this? I been sick with guilt. I believed I betrayed ya, Michaela!"
She swiftly came to him and knelt between his knees, putting her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.
Resting her head against his hands still cradling his head, she said, "I'm sorry, Sully. Surely you know I would never try to trick you or want you to suffer. I truly thought you knew it was me...that you were just pretending to resist me for the game. Right before Jackson opened the door, I was even trying to say our word to let you know I was tired of the pretense. I just wanted you to make love to me." She finished softly.
Belatedly, Sully remembered the woman saying, "Ba.." but at the time it hadn't registered as their word - baseball.
He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Why were ya playin' that game anyway? I thought we said we wouldn't ever do that again?"
Michaela dropped her eyes in embarrassment. "I thought you were...getting bored with me..."
"What?" Sully whispered in shock.
"For two weeks, you've been moping around, brooding, unhappy...I couldn't think of any reason for it or anything else to do, except the game you mentioned before."
"Oh Michaela, I wasn't broodin', I was worried."
"What did you mean about Cloud Dancing predicting something?"
Sully gazed into her eyes, so glad to finally be able to tell her everything.
"Ya 'member two weeks ago at their place? Well, right before we came in ta the cabin, he told me the spirits wanted him to warn me that a woman was gonna try ta cause trouble between you and me."
"Dorothy and I heard you yell something about not knowing 'she' was going to do 'that'. Who were you talking about? I kept wondering...if it was me."
Sully looked down for a second and murmured, "Catherine."
"Catherine?"
"Yeah, Cloud Dancin' made a comment about her that kinda made me mad."
Michaela wisely chose to leave that one alone.
"So you were so consumed with the fear of a woman trying something, that it blinded you to the fact that it was me with you in the cabin?"
Sully chuckled at the ridiculous absurdity of it all, "Yeah, seems so."
"My, what a pair we are," Michaela chuckled with him.
Sully put his arms around her then, drawing her into the circle of his legs for a much-needed kiss. Pulling back, he gazed deep into her eyes, seeing love, adoration, and passion, sparkling there in simultaneous beauty. How could he stay angry?
"So tell me," Sully began, calming down now that the guilt and the reason for it had been miraculously lifted from him, finally able to relax for the first time in two weeks, "how did ya pull all this off, anyway?"
Michaela grinned impishly and rose to seat herself on the bed facing him.
"It was rather fun, actually," she began, her eyes animated with mischief. Sully gazed at her, his blue eyes sparkling, thinking how much in love he was with this special woman and marveling at the extent she would go to ensure he wasn't 'bored' with her.
"It all started when I treated Lottie Henderson for the fractured ribs she suffered when she fell from a horse." Sully nodded for her to continue. "As I was checking her over the next day she saw that I was preoccupied. She's very persuasive and friendly and... before I knew it, I was telling her about my fears over you and our relationship."
"Ya told a stranger about us?" Sully asked, mildly surprised knowing Michaela's penchant for privacy.
"Well...yes. She and I seemed to hit it off right away, somewhat like I did with Sam all those years ago. I told her a little about my worries and when she asked if I knew of something I could do that you might enjoy...I told her a little about 'Brandon'."
Sully chuckled at this, guessing what happened then.
"She told me I should do the same thing and well...one thing led to another. She leant me the clothes and the wig..."
"So THAT was why they smelled like cigarettes and cheap cologne?"
Michaela chuckled, "Yes, I'm afraid Lottie smokes quite a bit. Then we discussed ideas regarding whom I would play and details that would make it convincing. We spent hours planning it, even over breakfasts and lunches in the café, and she gave me pointers on how to act like a...hussy," she finished with a slight blush.
Sully realized this was the 'blond' with whom Robert E. saw her sharing secrets. "It was convincin' alright! Woman, do ya realize what ya did ta me??" he playfully scolded. "Heck, I didn't know I was married ta such a good actress!"
Michaela blushed further, "But it didn't feel like acting really, because I thought you knew it was me and were only pretending to be shocked."
Sully nodded, wanting more of the details. "So, why tie me up? And, why didn't I wake up when you were doin' that?"
"Oh, that's easy. I tied you up because in reality 'Miranda' couldn't have held you there in the cabin if you really didn't want to stay, you would have just walked right out the door and left her standing." Sully nodded at this assessment, especially regarding the state of mind he was in! "And as to why you didn't wake up...remember the apple pie I baked for you? Well..." she chuckled, "it had an extra ingredient that made you go to sleep quickly. I added a little bit of ground Mandrake. Then while we were tying you up, I kept you under with...chloroform."
Realizing the Mandrake must have been the aftertaste he noticed, and grinning at the ingenuity of his amazing wife, Sully continued, "Makes sense. Wait a minute...we?" He raised his eyebrows in question.
"Well...yes. You see, I knew where the cabin was so I didn't have to follow closely behind you. Lottie and several of the troupe took me there in one of their wagons and stopped about a ½ mile from the cabin. Lottie dressed me up – and really doused me with that awful cologne – and we waited until we thought you would be asleep. We snuck up to the window and looked in and there you were, asleep at the table! Several of the men went in with us and helped tie you up and position your chair so you couldn't easily work yourself free."
The thought of all of this going on while he was dead to the world was a little disconcerting to Sully, not to mention embarrassing. Michaela knew what he was thinking and quickly assured him, "Oh don't worry, the men thought you quite the lucky man that your woman would go to all that trouble to surprise you and play a 'private' game with you!"
Sully shook his head, clearing his throat a little awkwardly.
"Okay, now what was that stuff ya put in the tea? It sure did a number on me!"
Michaela laughed naughtily, "Oh, that was a special concoction Cloud Dancing once told me about and I've...well...had to recommend it for older male patients who find they are now having difficulty...um..." she blushed at the knowing expression in his eyes.
Sully chuckled at her embarrassment, "Yeah, I get the picture."
"Yes, well...it's a combination of pumpkin seed, saw palmetto & ginseng and I must say, it is quite effective. I think, however, that when used on you since you, well...obviously aren't in need of that kind of assistance..." she blushingly cleared her throat, "it may have been what gave you a headache this morning," she finished sheepishly.
"But, if ya thought I knew it was you...why did ya think ya needed ta give me that?"
At this she looked away shyly, but Sully put his finger under her chin and made her look at him, raising his eyebrows in question.
"It was because...I thought you were getting tired of me..."
"TIRED OF YA!" Sully couldn't believe his ears! "After that night of passion we had two weeks ago??"
"Yes, but that was two weeks ago, Sully!"
They stared at each other as they both realized how she sounded, as if it was two years ago, and broke down in giggles at the absurdity of it all.
"Oh my, how the mind can play tricks!" Michaela gasped.
"I'll say!" Sully chuckled, shaking his head.
"So I guess you had planned on spendin' the night and McLeary kinda ruined that, huh?"
"Oh, Sully! What a fiasco! I was so embarrassed that he saw me dressed like that, or rather - undressed. Did he know it was me?"
Sully shook his head laughing, "Nope, he thought I was steppin' out on ya!"
"Oh dear, I don't know if that is good or not – what if that got around?"
"I told him he better not say anythin'. I don't think he will. He saw how upset I was."
"Oh Sully, how could we have been so foolish?" Michaela murmured, gazing up into the blue eyes she adored.
"I dunno, I'm just SO glad it's over!" He replied, leaning in to give her a sweet kiss. She immediately brought her hands up and entwined them in his hair, caressing his face with her palms as she continued the kiss.
"Mmm, I love your touch. It's worth a million dollars," Sully murmured, kissing her cheek and holding her tight against him.
They sat together in comfortable silence for several minutes; just enjoying things being back to normal.
Then suddenly they both heard the familiar sound of a certain nine-year-old's footsteps hurrying up the stairs and Katie's voice yelling, "Mama! Where are ya?"
They chuckled and sat back from each other.
"In here, sweetheart," Michaela called to their daughter.
Running into the room, Katie squealed when she saw Sully and jumped straight into his arms.
"Papa! You're home! Mama said you were going to be away two nights!"
Sully smiled indulgently and met Michaela's eyes over Katie's head, giving her a wink, "Oh, I wanted ta get back ta be with my best girl again."
"Me, Papa?"
"'Course you, you're still my best girl, ain't ya?" Sully asked her softly, pulling back and looking into her big brown eyes and brushing her soft blond hair back from her face.
"Always, Papa. I love you so much."
"I love ya, too, sweet girl."
Michaela looked on lovingly at the beautiful scene of father and daughter together.
"What was all of that noise about a moment ago, young lady? Haven't I told you that proper young ladies don't yell up the stairs like that?" Michaela gently scolded her tomboyish young daughter.
"Yes, ma'am, sorry Mama. But I wanted to ask if I could go to Denver for the weekend with Betsy and her family. Her Mama said it was ok."
"The whole weekend? Oh, I'm not sure about that. You know I don't like for you to be away from home for long periods," Michaela immediately responded, still slightly overprotective since Katie's kidnapping 5 years before.
"But Mama!"
"We've talked about this before young lady."
"Papa, please, may I go?" Katie begged, gazing up at Sully with eyes that reminded him so much of Michaela that he had a hard time resisting her charms.
"Aw Michaela, can't we let her just this once?"
"Sully! She's pitting us against each other, don't you see that? We need to stand together in these decisions!"
"But it's only one weekend!"
Both parents felt anger and frustration rising toward the other.
Then suddenly, Sully burst out laughing.
Stunned, Michaela could do nothing but stare at him.
"Katie, honey, go on downstairs and wait for us. We'll be down in a minute," Sully gently instructed their daughter, softly kissing her cheek and giving her a gentle push toward the door.
"Ok, Papa," she responded, skipping happily out of the room.
After they heard her footsteps make it all the way down the stairs, Sully turned to Michaela with a silly grin on his lips. Michaela didn't appreciate the humor.
"What in the world are you laughing about?"
"The last piece of this puzzle jus' fell inta place." At her perplexed expression, he answered, "Cloud Dancin's prediction. I just 'membered that he actually said, 'A FEMALE would attempt to come between us and for a time it will seem like she succeeds.' I think he was really talkin' 'bout Katie."
They both then burst out laughing.
"And to think of all the worry and trouble that caused!" Michaela shook her head in wonder.
"I guess the Catherine inc'dent really left a scar on my conscience," Sully sheepishly admitted. Taking Michaela's hand in his, he kissed each finger, gazing rapturously up into her eyes. "I kept remembrin' how much I hurt you with Catherine and I got consumed with doin' everythin' I could to avoid another mistake like that. I promise you, I'll never do anythin' like that again. EVER."
Michaela smiled lovingly at him and leaned over to give him a soft kiss, "Neither will I," she whispered, meaning her virulent reaction and how she had pushed him away.
Sully drew her to her feet and into his arms for a soft kiss, which immediately became more intimate as she opened to him and he swept his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. After several moments they drew back tingling from each other's touch.
"Now, what are we going to do about Miss Katie downstairs?" Michaela asked her daughter's papa.
"Well, how 'bout we talk ta Betsy's parents and see what their plans are, then make a decision t'gether?" Sully suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Michaela happily responded.
They left the room holding hands and descended the stairs to their impatiently waiting daughter.
Now on to the epilogue!