Bonds of Love (cont'd)
by Tiffany Miller
Veronica watched Sully, Dr. Mike and Katie go over to Grace's Cafe from beside the mercantile. She wondered how Sully would react at supper tonight when she arrived. Well, she didn't have to wait too long to find out, just a few more hours. In the meantime, she was going to see what she could do about renting a horse and buggy. Walking was just too much, especially in this dry, mountain air.
When Michaela had finished her lunch, and Grace had filled her cup with coffee, she turned to Sully.
"Sully, are you going to be around for supper tonight?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, I invited Veronica over to join us, and I wanted to make sure you were there."
Sully almost choked on the bite of food he had just taken. "I thought you said she made you uncomfortable. Now, you've invited her for supper?" What was he gonna do now? He knew he had to find Veronica before tonight, or supper would not be a pleasant experience.
"Well, she said she wanted to meet you and the children, so before I could stop myself, I invited her to supper. Is there a problem?"
"No, why should there be?"
"I'm not saying there should be, but you have been acting strange ever since we saw her at the train station. But, when I ask you about it, you tell me there's nothing wrong. I just want to know the truth."
"Michaela, I'm just not ready to talk about it, yet. I promise you that it's really nothin'." He finished the last bite of food and drank the last of his coffee, then stood up. "I really need to be goin'. I'll see you tonight." He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then headed in the direction of the livery. Michaela took Katie and headed back for the clinic. She really wanted to trust Sully, but he wasn't making it very easy.
As Sully rounded the corner, he saw Veronica talking to Robert E. He decided that now was the time to talk to her, so he walked over the livery and nodded to Robert E.
"Afternoon, Sully. Can I do something for you?"
"This lady was here first."
"No, that's okay. I am just asking about renting a horse and buggy. You go ahead," Veronica put in.
"Well, actually, Robert E., my axe needs sharpenin', so if you don't mind, I'd like ya to fix it for me."
"Sure, Sully." Robert E. knew that Sully could sharpen his axe on his own, but he knew better than to question him. "If you don't mind, while I fix your axe, could you show Miss DuBois here the buggies and let her pick one?"
"Sure." Sully walked with Veronica over to the wagons. When he knew that he was safe enough out of Robert E.'s hearing, he turned to her. But, before he could say anything, she spoke.
"It's nice to see you again, Sully. You are looking handsome as ever."
"What are you doing here, Veronica?" Sully asked with a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Now, is that any way to talk to a lady? You don't seem to happy to see me. Aren't you even going to pay me a compliment?"
"Veronica, I ain't lookin' for sweet talk. I want to know why you're here in Colorado Springs." He was getting more angry with each passing minute, but he kept it under control. It would do no good to lose his temper right now.
"I came to see you, of course. Why else?" she added coyly.
"I wasn't interested in Nevada, and I sure ain't interested now. So, whatever you're up to, why don't you stop the game and tell me the truth."
"I told you. I came to Colorado Springs to see you. I haven't stopped thinking about you since you left two years ago. I had to come."
"What about Daniel? Isn't he still there? Or don't you like men who are interested in you?" Sully had seen through her from the moment he met her. He knew she was no good and the less time he spent with her the better. That was one of the reasons he avoided her. When he returned to Colorado Springs, he was glad that he never had to see her again. Now, she was here and it didn't look as if she was going to be discouraged any time soon.
Veronica ignored the accusing remark. "Oh, he's just fine. He's been working most of the time, so I haven't seen him much. Besides, I was bored, so I thought I would come out here and see what is keeping you busy." She paused for effect. "Now, I know."
"Michaela told me you paid her a visit this morning."
"Yes, and despite the fact that she's your wife, she's a very good doctor. But, I think I would be a lot better for you."
Sully's voice raised a little. "Michaela is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want you interferin' with anything."
Robert E. heard the anger in Sully's voice and came over to see what was happening. When he saw Veronica and Sully talking, he decided that it would be rude to just interrupt, so he cleared his throat.
"I believe I have selected a horse and buggy, Robert E. If you don't mind hitching it up for me, I'll pay you what I owe."
"Sure thing, Miss DuBois." As Robert E. turned towards the wagon to which Veronica had pointed he noticed that she leaned close to Sully and whispered something, but he couldn't hear what it was.
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Sully. I look forward to spending the evening with your family tonight." With that she left, leaving Sully and Robert E. staring after her.
* * * * *
After Veronica left the blacksmith's shop, Sully and Robert E. turned to look at each other.
"What was that all about?" asked the blacksmith.
"Michaela invited Miss Dubois over for supper tonight since she is staying at the hotel," Sully replied.
"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it, Sully."
Sully paused, wondering how much he should tell his friend. Robert E. had always stood by him in any situation. In fact, next to Cloud Dancing, Robert E. was his next best friend. He decided to confide in him.
"Miss Dubois is from Nevada, well New York, originally, but she came here from Nevada."
"Didn't you go to Nevada to help that friend of yours, Daniel, something-or-other?"
"Yeah, and that's where I met Veronica. Daniel introduced us, and from the moment we met, I could tell she was up to no good. She was always tryin' to get me ta talk to her, but I wasn't interested. When I finished helpin' Daniel and headed back here to Colorado Springs, I thought I would never have to see her again. But, obviously, she found out where I was and came lookin' for me."
"It sounds like she means business. I'd watch out for women like her. They'll stop at nothing to get what they want. Be careful with her," Robert E. warned.
"Thanks, Robert E. There's only one other problem: Michaela. She's been askin' me all sorts a questions about Veronica but so far she ain't happy with the answers I'm givin' her."
"Now, that's one area I'd advise you work out soon. You of all people know how Dr. Mike is. Brian even told me what you told him once, that saying nothing is worse than telling her the truth."
"Yeah, I know. I just don't want nothin' upsettin' her."
"Well, you're bound to upset her if you DON'T tell her."
"You're right. I'll head over there immediately. Thanks again, Robert E," and with that, Sully left the stables and headed for the clinic. But when he got there, Michaela was nowhere to be found. "It's only four in the afternoon. Where could she have gone," he wondered to himself. He left to go see if he could find her.
Michaela was sitting at her desk, thinking about supper tonight and what it would be like with Veronica there. Maybe she'll finally learn who this woman was. She knew Sully wasn't being honest with her, but she couldn't understand why. Suddenly, the door burst open and Jake came running in.
"Dr. Mike, you gotta come quick!!! There's been an accident at the train station. A boy was playing around the tracks and fell. He hit his head on the back of the train."
Michaela grabbed her medical bag and followed Jake out the door. When they arrived at the station, Jake led her to where the boy lay.
"Mrs. Jenkins, did you see what happened?" she asked the woman next to the boy.
"No, all I heard was Tommy yell when he tripped. Then, someone hollered for a doctor and I saw Tommy laying on the tracks with his eyes closed," she cried. "You can help him, can't you Dr. Quinn?"
"I'll do everything I can. I need to get him to my clinic, but it's best not to move him until I can do a quick examination to make sure that it's safe. His head isn't bleeding, so we don't have to worry about that." Dr. Mike did as good of an examination as possible, considering the location, and confirmed that he was safe to be moved.
"Jake, could you help me get him to my clinic? Thank you." She followed Jake to the clinic, with Mrs. Jenkins at her heels.
When they arrived at the clinic, Dr. Mike turned to Mrs. Jenkins.
"I think it's best if you wait outside here while I examine him. I'll let you know when I am finished." Mrs. Jenkins sat on the bench outside the door, and Dr. Mike went inside.
"Jake, I'm going to need your assistance. Now, he's unconscious, but I'm going to pass some smelling salts under his nose which will hopefully cause him to awaken. If he does, I need you to make sure that he doesn't move a lot. Just stand next to the table, and hold him down if necessary. But, be careful."
When Dr. Mike passed the bottle of smelling salts under Tommy's nose, his eyes started to flutter, then open. He looked around.
"Where am I?"
"You're at the clinic. You had a little accident at the train station. Do you remember?" Dr. Mike asked.
"Yeah. I was running across the train tracks when I tripped and fell. Then, I hit my head on something. I don't remember anything more." He paused for a moment and then looked at Dr. Mike, "Am I gonna be alright, Doctor?"
"I'm sure you're going to be just fine, Tommy. But, first I have to examine you, so you'll need to be still and tell me if anything hurts. Okay?"
"Okay."
Dr. Mike picked up his arms, first his left, then his right and turned them this way and that. When she didn't hear any response from Tommy, she moved to his legs. She pressed gently on the ankle, the calf, the knee and then the thigh of his right leg, then moved to his left. She pressed again on the ankle. At this, Tommy moaned slightly. She turned it slightly, and Tommy moaned again.
"That hurts when you move it," he told her.
"I'm sorry, Tommy. It looks like you may have sprained your ankle. Let me check to make sure that nothing else is hurt." She pressed on his abdomen and then his chest. She checked for any broken ribs. When she had confirmed that nothing else was broken, she decided to check his head.
"Tommy, can you tell me where you hit your head?"
"Right here, where it hurts," Tommy replied and pointed at the right side of his head above and behind his ear. Dr. Mike felt around the area and only noticed that a small lump had formed. She then took out her instruments and examined his eyes and reflexes.
"Everything appears to be normal, Tommy. Just let me bandage up that ankle, and you'll be all set to go." Jake went to the back table and gathered up some bandages for Tommy's ankle while Michaela took off his shoe and stocking and rolled up his pant leg. She took the bandages from Jake and wrapped Tommy's ankle securely, so as to allow only minimal movement. When she was finished, she looked at Tommy.
"I'm going outside to get your mother. You sit right there until I return," she commanded. Then, she went outside to talk to Mrs. Jenkins. Jake followed behind her and moved past her to leave.
"Thank you Jake for coming to get me and for helping me get Tommy to the clinic."
"It was nothin'," Jake replied and headed for his barber shop. Dr. Mike turned to Mrs. Jenkins.
"Mrs. Jenkins, your son was very lucky. He has no other injuries except for a sprained ankle. You're going to need to keep him off of it as much as possible. I have a crutch for him if he needs it. He should be back up and running in a few days."
"Thank you so much, Dr. Quinn." Mrs. Jenkins handed her the money that was owed and went in to get her son.
Michaela looked at her watch and realised that it was almost time to go home. "Veronica should be here any minute," she thought. She cleaned up everything in the room and prepared to go home. Just as she was putting away the last of her instruments, there was a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," she called.
Veronica opened the door and stepped in. Michaela put on the most cheerful smile she could muster.
"I'm almost ready to go. Just give me a minute." She closed up her medical bag and straightened up her desk, then turned towards Veronica. "My wagon is out back."
"If you don't mind," Veronica interjected, "I have a buggy of my own, so I'd like to follow you to your home."
"That's fine. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes."
Dr. Mike picked up her medical bag and followed Veronica out the door, closing the door behind her.
* * * * *
Sully never found Michaela anywhere in town, so at 5:00, he just headed home to get supper ready to cook. He picked up Brian from Dorothy's Gazette office and Katie from Grace's Cafe, where Grace had been watching her for the past two hours. Together, they all headed for home.
When they arrived, Brian took Katie inside and put her in the high chair and then got out the pots for cooking. Sully unhitched the wagon and took the horses into the barn. He fed them and then went to gather the vegetables for supper and headed into the homestead.
"Brian, can you set the table while I get supper started?"
"Sure, Pa," Brian replied. When he was finished, Katie started crying to be let out of her chair, so he took her out and set her on the floor and kept her occupied while they waited for their Ma to get home.
When supper was almost finished, Brian went into the kitchen.
"How much longer is Ma going to be?"
"I don't know, Brian. I never saw her this afternoon. She wasn't at the clinic when I stopped in, and I couldn't find her when I went lookin' for her. I hope she gets here soon. Supper's gonna get cold."
Just as he said that, the sound of a buggy and horses could be heard outside. Brian ran to the window and looked out.
"It's Ma! And she has some woman with her. Who is it?"
"That's Miss DuBois. She's gonna have supper with us. Did you set an extra place at the table?"
"No, but I'll do it right now. Where did Ma meet her?" he asked as he set out the plate, cup and utensils.
"She stopped inta the clinic to see your Ma and she invited her to join us for supper. She's stayin' at Preston's hotel and didn't have nowhere to go."
"She looks real pretty. I can't wait to meet her."
Just then, Michaela came in with Veronica and she hung up her shawl. Then, she went over to Katie and picked her up.
"Hello, Katie. Did you have fun at Miss Grace's today? I missed you. And I have someone here for you to meet." She walked over to Veronica.
"Veronica, this is Katie, my daughter."
"Oh, she is just precious. May I hold her?"
"Sure. It may be difficult with your arm in that sling, but you can try," Michaela replied.
From the moment Katie was placed in Veronica's arms, she started squirming. "Mama, Papa, Mama, Papa!!!" she cried.
Michaela took Katie back. "I don't know why she did that. She normally takes to new faces very well. Maybe she's just tired and misses me."
"That's quite alright, Dr. Quinn. I don't spend much time around children anyway. She's just not used to me." She turned towards Brian. "Now, who is this handsome gentleman?"
"I'm Brian. Brian Cooper." He put out his hand to shake hers and she returned the handshake.
"Cooper, huh? Isn't your Ma's name Quinn?"
"Well, yeah, but after my real Ma died, she adopted us, Matthew, Colleen and me. Then, after Ma and Sully got married, Katie was born, so now there's six of us, 'cept Matthew lives by himself and Colleen's away at college."
Just then, Sully came out of the kitchen and set the food on the table. "Brian, I don't think Miss DuBois wants to hear all of the details of our lives. I'm sure she's tired and would like to eat."
"On the contrary, Mr. Sully. I enjoy hearing about your family. You have a most interesting arrangement here."
Sully shifted uncomfortably under Veronica's gaze, so he walked over to Michaela and Katie. "Evenin', Michaela," he said in low tones as he kissed her. Then, he leaned down to kiss Katie. He looked up at Michaela with a pleading look in his eyes. She took the cue.
"Shall we eat?" she invited, and everyone took their seats at the table.
"Brian, would you ask the blessing?" Sully asked, and Michaela looked up at him with a question in her eyes.
"God, we thank you for the food and for our guest. I pray that we have a fun evening. Amen."
"Amen," everyone echoed.
"So, what are we having?" Michaela asked.
"Beef stew. Pa made it," Brian answered.
"It smells wonderful, Mr. Sully. You must be quite the chef," Veronica admirably noted.
"Michaela does most of the cookin'. I only cook when I have to."
"Well, from the delicious fragrance, I would say that you are quite good at it."
After everyone was served and they began to eat, Veronica again turned to Sully. "This 'is' delicious, Mr. Sully. You'll have to get me the recipe," she demanded.
"Haven't you ever had beef stew before?" Brian asked.
"Actually, I haven't. My tastes run a little more towards the French dishes. I don't usually like beef," Veronica replied. "But, I'm sure I could learn to love it very quickly," she put in.
Sully and Michaela traded glances, then Michaela looked away to feed Katie some of the stew. All of a sudden, it became very quiet around the table. Veronica noticed the tense atmosphere and smiled to herself. She knew she was making Sully uncomfortable, and she hoped that Michaela picked up on her husband's feelings. That should make for a very interesting conversation between them after she is gone.
Brian noticed that it had gotten quiet, so he decided that he would have to keep up the conversation. "Miss DuBois, where are you from? Your clothes are so pretty."
"Thank you, Brian. They came, imported, from Paris. I was born in New York and lived there for most of my life, but I came out here with a friend from college and settled in Nevada."
"Sully's been to Nevada," Brian interjected.
"Has he? Well, that's sure interesting. What brought you out there?"
"I had business with a friend," was Sully's terse reply.
Veronica realised that that was all she was going to get out of him, so she decided to change the topic. "Dr. Quinn, how long have you been here in Colorado Springs?"
"I came out here in ' 67, so that would make six years."
"And you mentioned earlier that you lived in Boston before here, right?"
"Yes, I was born there."
"Do you have any other family?"
"Yes, there were five of us, four older sisters. Three of them are married and Marjorie passed away here, last year, during an epidemic."
"I'm sorry. That must have been difficult for you."
"Yes, I still grieve for her, but it no longer causes me the pain it did a year ago."
Everyone had finished their supper and Sully stood up to clear the dishes away. "Excuse me," he said as he went into the kitchen. Brian followed him and helped. Michaela took Katie over to the rug in front of the fireplace and set her down. Veronica followed her and sat on the sofa, while Michaela took one of the wingback chairs. Brian joined them a moment later, but Sully stayed in the kitchen cleaning up supper. Actually, he found anything to do to stay away from Veronica. He could still hear the conversation by the fireplace, so he stayed where he was. He knew that Michaela wouldn't like it, but he also knew that she would talk to him after Veronica left, so he decided not to join her.
The conversation continued on the thread of Michaela's past, and when Katie started to fuss, Michaela looked at the clock above the fireplace.
"Oh my. I didn't realise it was so late. Katie needs to go to bed."
"I need to get back to the hotel. Thank you for an enjoyable evening. Supper was delicious. I had a wonderful time." She moved for the door, and Sully came out of the kitchen.
"I'll walk you out to make sure you get off okay."
"Thank you, Mr. Sully." She walked out the door followed by Sully. Before he closed the door, he caught Michaela's suspicious look and sent an apologetic look back in response. Yes, he would definitely have to talk to her tonight.
At the bottom of the steps, Veronica turned towards Sully and threw her arms around his neck. "I knew you couldn't wait to come out here with me."
Michaela had moved past the window and caught that embrace out of the corner of her eye. An angry tear rolled down her cheek, and she brushed it away as she moved to put the children to bed. She would confront Sully tonight, and she WOULD get the truth!!
* * * * *
Sully removed her arms from his neck and pushed her away. "Veronica, you are wrong. I am happily married, and like I said at the livery, I don't want you interferin' or stirrin' up trouble."
"But, I have no intention of causing trouble, Sully. I know you care for me. You're just afraid to show it."
"That's where you're wrong, Veronica. I love Michaela very much. She is the only woman I love and I will love her till the day I die. You need to accept that."
Veronica turned away from Sully and stared off into the night sky. She fought the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Not now," she thought. She had tried so hard not to let anyone see how miserable she was, but with Sully being so nice about her behaviour, it wasn't easy. She came to Colorado Springs to get away from Daniel, but seeing Sully was only bringing thoughts of him back. Ever since he returned from his time in Colorado Springs as sheriff, he had been different. She had never considered him a serious suitor, but he was almost as determined as she to get what he wanted. She had to get away, so she came to the only place that came to mind. She wanted to find out what made him change so much. Maybe he had talked to Sully as well. He was making her see that he was devoted to Michaela and his family more than any man she knew. Maybe Daniel saw that and decided that he wanted the same thing. She didn't know. All she did know, was that she had to get away and think about his proposition.
Sully noticed how quiet Veronica had become. "Veronica?" he called, softly.
That did it. The tone in his voice was the key to the floodgate of her tears. She couldn't stop them. When Sully noticed she was crying, he walked over to her and turned her towards him. He lifted her face with his finger and forced her to look him in the eyes.
"Veronica, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted..." but he didn't get the chance to finish.
"Sully, I know how much you love your wife and your children. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice." She looked away, "I... I... only wish I had a man... who cared for me... like you do your wife," she sobbed.
Sully knew that wasn't the real problem here. "Veronica, do you wanna tell me the real reason you came to Colorado Springs? Is it because of Daniel?"
* * * * *
At the mention of his name, her eyes went right back to his. "How did...?" She stopped, afraid that she would reveal something she didn't want to reveal.
"Daniel sent me a telegram about a week ago telling me that you had left without a word. He was very worried about you."
"Sully, he asked me to marry him. I got scared. I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I went to the only place that came to mind, where you lived and where he had lived for a year - Colorado Springs. I thought that if I came here and got you interested in me, I would feel better. But, I only feel worse. I really didn't want to cause any problems, but I was so miserable that I wanted to make everyone else miserable, too. Daniel is not the same man he was before he came here. He came back so different, I had to find out why."
"Did you ever ask him?"
"No. Why?"
"I think you'd better ask him that question yourself."
"Sully, why are you being so kind to me? I have treated you and your family horribly. I deserve to be sent away and chastised. Why aren't you angry?"
"I'm not sayin' that what you've done is okay. I just realised that runnin' away from you wasn't the way to solve my problem. Then, before supper tonight, when Michaela handed Katie to you and she cried out for us, I saw the hurt in your eyes at being rejected. I knew then that there was something else botherin' you, and now I know. But, it's not just Daniel, is it?" he probed.
"No. I was scared when he proposed because that meant finality to me. I knew that if I accepted his proposal, there was no turning back. I don't know if I'm ready to take that step yet. I know that it has been a long time that we have known each other, but I'm just not sure that I want to get married right now."
"Do you love him?"
"Yes, and I want so much to have a family, but..." she stopped and stared again at the sky.
Sully gave her some time to think to herself. He didn't want to push her into anything she didn't want to say, and she would tell him when she was ready.
Veronica realised that she was daydreaming again, and brought her focus back to Sully. Oh, if only she could open up like this to Daniel.
"Veronica, whatever it is that is causing you to doubt Daniel's love, I can assure you that it's wrong. Daniel does love you. He told me so, and I could see it in his eyes."
"If only you knew..." she faded off again.
"Knew what?" he asked gently.
Veronica took a deep breath and plunged right in. It was the only way she was going to get through this. "Sully, I was... hurt, physically and mentally, when I was fifteen. From that moment on, I swore that I would never love any man. Just the memory at the night was enough to make me run the minute any man declared any serious intentions towards me. That was why I came out West - to escape. I thought that if I could just start over, I would forget everything that happened to me. But, when I met Daniel, and we became good friends, all of the memories came flooding back. I tried to erase them, but it didn't work. I couldn't get the images out of my mind. I blamed Daniel at first for bringing those memories back, but then I realised that it wasn't his fault. I think I was the reason he came to Colorado Springs. I avoided him, so he decided to leave. That year was the most miserable year I have ever spent. I kept thinking of him and wondering if he was ever coming back. When he finally did, I knew that he was different. But, I went on treating things like they were the same between us. Then, about two months ago, he proposed. I never gave him any answer. I just ran. Finally, I ended up here." She paused. "Sully, what am I going to do?"
Sully paused to think before answering. He knew that the best thing for her would be to return to Daniel and mend their relationship. However, he didn't know how he was going to tell her that without it appearing like he wanted her gone. "Veronica, I know that it must have been hard for you to go on living after that night, but you did. Deep down, you were determined that it wasn't going to ruin your life, and it hasn't. But, if you don't go back to Daniel now, it may. You have a man waiting for you that loves you with every fibre in his being. He won't wait forever for you, but he will wait. I know Daniel, and I know that he will love you no matter what your past holds. You need to go back and tell him what you've told me tonight. Trust me, he'll understand."
Veronica didn't know how Sully could understand her so well, but he did. In just one night, he had showed her that there was nothing of which to be scared and that the best thing to do was to face her fears. Running from them would get her nowhere.
"Sully, thank you for your help tonight. I will take the train tomorrow back to Nevada and go home to Daniel. I know, now, that he loved me for me, and won't let anything take his love from me. He will love me and support me through my fears and we will have a wonderful life together." She paused again, then looked directly at Sully. "You are a very special man. Michaela is very lucky to have you." She smiled slightly.
"I am just as lucky to have her," he replied.
"Well, I should go and let you get back in to your family. I have kept you long enough." She turned to get into the buggy. Sully helped her up, then she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, again. You have no idea what you have done for me."
"Send me a telegram when you get settled back in Nevada," he commanded.
"I will," and with that, she left.
Micheala had come back downstairs after putting the children to sleep and walked back by the window. When she saw Sully and Veronica talking, she almost turned away, but something in their faces kept her there. The moonlight shined off of Veronica's face and Michaela caught sight of the tears. She also saw that Sully was not making any move to physically comfort her, but instead was keeping his distance.
As she turned away from the window, she was deep in thought. "Maybe there's more to this than I thought." She sat in one of the wingback chairs and waited for Sully to come back in. She fell asleep staring at the flames in the fireplace.
* * * * *
Sully remained outside long after Veronica's buggy had disappeared over the horizon. He was so shocked at what Veronica had told him. He had no idea that she had such a haunting past. No wonder why she pursued men who showed no interest in her. That way she was safe. There was no danger in placing your affections with someone who doesn't return them.
Oh, how wrong he had been. How he wished he could take back some of the words he had said to her. He knew he had hurt her with his accusing remarks and uncaring attitude. He chastised himself for not being more aware of what lay beneath the surface of her facade. He was so convinced that she was here to get in between himself and Michaela, that he ceased to use his unique sense of perception to see the truth. However, although she was hurt, maybe the words were necessary in order that Veronica come to grips with what was truly wrong.
Then there was Michaela. He knew that she, too, had been hurt by his evasive responses to her questions. Why hadn't he just told her the truth? How was he ever going to fill the chasm that he had placed between them recently? He loved her more than life and would do anything for her, but he hadn't shown that in the past few days. He thought he was saving her by not telling her the truth, when in fact, he had hurt her even more. She had been very distant these past few days. Were things ever going to be the same again?
Then, a thought struck him. Michaela!! He just realised that he had been outside for quite a while and left his family inside. By the looks of the sky, it was very late. He didn't even get the chance to say goodnight to his children. And what of Michaela? What was she doing now? There was only one way to find out.
He quietly walked up the stairs to the porch and opened the front door. Everything was eerily quiet, with the only sound being the crackling of the flames in the fireplace, so he closed the door and prepared to go upstairs to his bedroom. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a soft moan coming from near the fireplace. When he was in front of the two wingback chairs, he saw Michaela sleeping in one of them. He wasn't sure if he should wake her or not, but they needed to talk. So, he kneeled in front of her and kissed her lips. She stirred and opened her eyes. Her eyes were full of love, but when she totally focused on him, a cold and distant look took over. It was as if all of the memories of the past few days had come rushing back to her.
"So, I see you finally decided to come in," she said to him, not trying to hide the disdain in her voice.
Sully heard it, but decided that the best thing to do was to plunge right in and explain, and hope that she would understand. "Michaela, I'm sorry for what I've done to ya. But, please, let me explain." He waited for her to protest, but when she didn't, he continued. "When Veronica came here on Saturday, I was so shocked to see her that I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to worry you none, so I just told ya it was nothin'. I told ya I met her in Nevada when I went to help Daniel a few years ago. She and Daniel were friends, but I could tell that he wanted to be more than that to her. But, she wasn't respondin' to him. Whenever she was around Daniel and me and Daniel would start talkin' to her, she would turn to me and act like he wasn't even there."
"Sounds like a wonderful friendship, if you ask me," Michaela observed.
"That's what I thought. I often wondered why she was treatin' him so bad, but I was tryin' to get done with helpin' Daniel that I didn't give it much thought. When I left, she said goodbye and that she hoped she would see me again. I told Daniel not ta give up. He assured me that he wouldn't, and then I left." He paused to make sure that she was understanding him so far. When she didn't make any comments or ask any questions, he continued.
"I had all but forgotten 'bout her after that. But, then she showed up on that train and immediately I wondered why she was here. I never told ya, but I received a telegram from Daniel not long ago tellin' me that Veronica had run off and didn't tell him where she was goin'. He was real worried 'bout her and asked me if I saw her, to let him know." He paused again to pick up her hands in his and look her directly in the eyes. "Michaela, I thought she was comin' here to try to get back at me for not payin' her no mind in Nevada. I didn't want ya gettin' hurt, so I didn't tell ya the truth. I know I hurt ya by not tellin' ya, and I'm sorry for that. Can you ever forgive me?" he pleaded.
Michaela just looked into his eyes for several moments. When she realized that he was telling her the truth and that he truly was sincere in his apology, she smiled slightly. "Yes, Sully, I forgive you."
"But, there's more. This is why I was outside with her all that time." Again, he paused because he had to think about how to say what he had to say next. He stood up and turned to face the fireplace. Then, he turned back around to face Michaela. "Veronica was... She..." This wasn't going well at all. "Michaela, Daniel proposed to Veronica before she left for here. She got scared and came here to sort things out. Only, she worked out more than just her feelings."
"But why was she scared? Doesn't she love Daniel?" Michaela asked.
"Yes, but the idea of a spending the rest of her life with a man scared her," Sully replied.
"But, why?"
"Michaela, Veronica was... hurt, by a man when she was fifteen years old. She set out west not long after that and met Daniel. They formed a good friendship, but what had happened to her scarred her deep down inside. She couldn't forget it, and she couldn't bring herself to get involved with any man. But Daniel was different. Yes, he grew to love her, but he didn't press her, and she was okay with that. She just went about her life, talkin' to men who didn't have no interest in her. That way, she was sure not to get hurt again. She never counted on fallin' in love with Daniel. When he proposed, all of her memories came flooding back and she did the only thing she knew how to do - run."
"But why did she come here? And why was she acting so strangely about you?"
"This is where I was wrong. I thought she wanted to come between us, and she certainly was acting like that's what she had on her mind, but she really wanted to know what happened to Daniel while he was here last year. Her actions of anger towards you were just her way of hiding what her real intent was. She figured if she put on an act about comin' between us, she could find excused to get close to me and talk. She told me that Daniel came back so different that she didn't think it was the same man who left. I didn't tell her that I had talked to him about settlin' down and raisin' himself a family. That he would be better off goin' back to Nevada to Veronica than stayin' here. Nor did I tell her about his misplaced 'love' for you," at this Michaela looked up at him in surprise, "and that it was really just his way of trying not to focus on the hurt Veronica caused him by rejecting him all of the time. But, I did tell her about the telegram that I received from Daniel; however, I was as confused by that message as she was about Daniel," Sully explained.
Understanding finally dawned on Michaela. "So, Veronica came to where Daniel had lived to find out what had happened to him in just one year. Now that she knows, is she going back to Nevada?" Michaela wanted to know. While she was mad at herself for treating Veronica the way she did, she also knew that the best thing for this woman to do was to go back and face her fears. 'I don't know where I'd be, if I hadn't faced my fears about the West', she thought. 'Probably back in Boston, married to some high-class Bostonian doctor or politician, not here among those I love, a family of wonderful children and a husband who completes me.'
Sully broke into her thoughts. "Yeah, she's takin' the train back tomorrow and tellin' Daniel that she'll marry him. But, first she's gonna tell him 'bout her past and what happened to her. I assured her that he would understand and love her through it. We should be hearin' from them in a few weeks after she returns and they get things settled," he concluded.
Michaela tried to take in everything that Sully had just told her. It all made sense... now. She felt so foolish for doubting him and his love for her. 'I should know better than to not trust him,' she thought.
"Michaela, are you all right?" Sully asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Well, I feel foolish for doubting you and for thinking that you had a relationship with her." There, she said it.
"I feel just as foolish for thinkin' that she wanted to break things up between us," Sully echoed. "Ya wanna know why you should never be worried about us?"
"Why?"
Again, he kneeled in front of her and took her hands in his. "'Cause we are joined together by the bonds of love, and nothin's ever gonna break those bonds. You and me, we are one and the same. You are my heartsong and there will never be another woman for me. You know that," he declared as he kissed her hands.
"Yes, I do, Sully. I suppose sometimes I can't believe that you love me and that you're not attracted to the other women you see and with whom you have contact." She broke eye contact with him and instead looked down at their joined hands, a fitting symbol for their joined hearts.
He took one of his hands from hers and lifted her chin so that she was again looking at him. "I do love you, and I'm not attracted to any other woman but you. But, you know what else I love?" he asked with a teasing grin on his face.
"What's that?" she asked in return, a smile also coming to her face.
Sully stood up then, drawing Michaela up with him. He put his arms around her waist and leaned in close to her so that his mouth was only inches from hers. "I love it when you're jealous," he whispered as his mouth covered hers. She wound her arms around his neck, and before she could protest, he swept her up into his arms.
"Sully! What are you doing?"
"Carrying you upstairs to bed. It's late and we need to get some sleep. It's been a very tiring day," he told her with a teasing look, but she knew that sleep was not what he had in mind.
"I fully agree with you," she affirmed with a teasing look in her eyes as well. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he made his way up the stairs to their room. As he laid her on their bed, she reached over and turned out the lamp, leaving the room completely dark except for the shine of the moon from outside.
That night, all doubts were dissolved and the bonds of love that tied this husband and wife together were made ever stronger.
THE END