PLAYING WITH FIRE
Chapter Seven
For several days, Sully avoided Hank and had nothing to do with Michaela or
the Shady Oak. Leaving early in the morning to wander away from town, he tried
to make sense of his thoughts and feelings. It wasn't easy, especially when
he himself didn't even understand everything he was feeling. How could he? He
had never before experienced a situation like this. True, he had dealt with
Michaela's standoffish attitude on more than one occasion, but that paled in
comparison to present circumstances.
Finally realizing he had no idea how to continue, he sought the answers to his
questions from the same source he had sought for many years. Gathering together
the necessary items, he constructed a rough sweat lodge, building a fire to
heat the stones and making sure he was near a small creek for the water he would
need to pour over the rocks. With everything ready, he went inside, closed the
flap to prevent any light from entering, and poured the water over the rocks.
The steam surrounded him, filling him with a renewed strength and helping him
focus on the matters at hand.
He prayed to the grandfather spirits, asked them for guidance, and poured out
his heart to them, seeking their wisdom. His mind drifted in an out of a dreamlike
state, seeing visions of different images, some which made no sense at all and
others which helped keep him focused on his purpose here with Michaela. A dark
cloud appeared, and he was completely engulfed by it, not knowing where he was
or what to do; however, he saw a sliver of light at the end, and he knew there
was hope. He had only to make his way through it.
Just as the visions began to cease, he saw an unclear image of Michaela. She
was reaching out to him, and he reached back, but they couldn't touch. However,
she was smiling, and like the light in the black cloud, it gave him hope.
He
didn't know how long he remained there, but he ventured out when he felt he
had seen what he needed to see. He wasn't completely satisfied, but for now,
it would have to be enough. He cleared away any evidence of his presence in
that area and prepared to return to town. Walking out of the field, he spotted
a dandelion seed flower. He thought about the significance of that particular
flower and couldn't resist the temptation to pick it from the ground. He held
it between his fingers for several moments and just looked at it. Finally, he
closed his eyes, made a wish and blew the seeds into the air, watching the seeds
float on the breeze and scatter in the wind. Hopefully, his wish would come
true soon. He sighed and continued his walk back to town.
Belle had been watching for Sully for several days, yearning for a chance to
talk to him. Finally, spotting him returning to town, she smiled. "This is my
chance!" she thought.
"Evenin', Mr...Sully, is it?" she greeted, placing herself directly in front
of his path.
Sully stopped, realizing it would be rude to sidestep the woman and ignore her.
"Just Sully," he replied.
"Name's Isabelle Cole, but most folks call me Belle! Pleased to meet ya, Sully!"
she said, holding out her hand towards him.
Taking her hand in his, Sully returned the greeting with a nod, not wanting
to invite further conversation.
"So, I noticed ya ain't been around the Shady Oak much lately," she began, and
Sully realized he wasn't going to get away from her so easily. "I been watchin'
ya since the first day ya walked in the saloon. You and that other fella, Hank?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"I must say, ya both act like real gentleman, from what I seen, lots better
than most of them men that come in ta drink and lose their money in poker,"
she complimented.
Sully just looked at her and smiled, not wanting to encourage her any more than
necessary, but realizing it probably wouldn't make much difference either way.
"Shame ya spendin' all your time talkin' with Kay, when there's other ladies
there who'd love ta give ya some company while ya drink," she teased, seductively.
"I ain't much of a drinkin' man," Sully refuted.
"Well, that's alright, ya ain't always gotta drink when ya come there. Maybe
ya just need some time ta sit and get away from life. That's what we're there
for, ta give ya someplace ta go when ya don't know what ta do."
Sully started at her comments. There was no way she could have known he was
at a crossroads in his decisions regarding Michaela. Little did she know that
the Shady Oak was the last place he needed to be when he needed to think or
get away from his problems. His problems were *at* the Shady Oak. Still, even
if she had spoken to Michaela...Kay, he mentally corrected...she wouldn't know
what was going on in his mind. Nevertheless, it was interesting she would choose
those exact words to try to try to entice him to return.
He finally took the time to look directly at her, even though he had only given
her a polite glance when she introduced herself. Seeing the smile she gave him,
attempting to be friendly, he had to admit she was an attractive woman. Her
brown hair was piled on top of her head, a few loose tendrils escaping to frame
her face, and although she had a lot more color on her face than he was used
to seeing, it didn't detract from her pleasing appearance. Nothing, of course,
like Michaela, but she was pretty all the same. And with the way he had been
feeling lately, it was nice to see someone willing to be civil towards him,
to pay him some encouraging. Thinking of the best way to excuse himself, he
shifted his stance.
"Miss Cole..."
"Belle," she corrected.
"Belle. I don't wanna have ya thinkin' I don't appreciate your invitation, but
I ain't exactly in the talkin' mood right now. If ya don't mind, I just wanna
spend some time alone. Maybe I'll stop back in later on, but not right now."
Disappointment clearly evident on her face, Belle moved aside, as if to allow
him to pass, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I understand you're
wantin' ta be by yaself ta think, but I'm hopin' you'll be comin' back to the
Shady Oak soon. Just ain't the same without ya," she said in parting, lightly
squeezing his arm and trying very hard to appeal to his physical awareness.
Not wanting to completely dismiss her, Sully returned her smile. "I just might
do that."
Belle released his arm and watched him walk to the hotel, a satisfied look on
her face. He noticed her, that was for certain! She had seen the way he looked
at her for that brief moment before telling her he wanted to be left alone,
and if she was any good judge of men, he was interested, even if just a little
bit. Still, a little was better than nothing. At least it was a start. Now,
how was she going to convince him to take it a little further?
* * * * *
Unlike Sully, Hank had not been avoiding the Shady Oak. In fact, he was there,
sitting at his usual table each and every night. With Sully making himself scarce,
that left Hank to enjoy watching Michaela at work. Sometimes, she would come
over and talk with him, but he realized something had changed. Did it have anything
to do with their talk the other night, when Sully interrupted? Did she think
he wasn't available anymore? As much as he knew he should leave it at that,
he just couldn't bring himself to stay away from her. It was just too tempting.
Catching her eye from across the room, he signaled to her to join him. In only
a few moments, she was standing directly in front of him. Taking her tray from
her hands, he kicked out the chair opposite him with his boot. "Why dontcha
sit for a while, take a load off. Ya must be tired, standin' all day like ya
do!"
"Thank you very much, Hank, but I can't. I have work to do."
"Don't tell me ya don't get no breaks! What kinda slavemaster ya got fer a boss?"
"Brady is not a slave master, and he does allow us time off. I'm just not tired
enough to take a break right now," she lied.
Hank could see she was lying. It was clear in her eyes how tired she was. More
than once, he had seen her smile wanly at one or more of her customers, not
the usual vibrant woman she usually was. Something was bothering her, that was
obvious.
"Well, I can see you're tired, and you're gonna take a break if I gotta hold
ya in my lap to make ya sit!" he threatened with a slight smile, realizing with
shock how much he wouldn't mind actually following through with the threat.
Kay knew he would do just that, and not wanting to cause a scene, she took a
seat in the proferred chair, relaxing the moment her weight was off her feet.
It really did feel good to sit down. She hadn't realized how much she needed
a break until she took it. Now that she was sitting, would she be able to get
back up to finish her work?
"Ya gonna tell me what's been botherin' ya?" Hank interrupted her thoughts.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she hedged.
"Well, ya look like ya ain't slept in days, and ya been avoidin' me every night,"
he continued to press.
"I have not been avoiding you. I have come over and served your customary whiskey,
and I have also exchanged words with you on several occasions," she argued,
a little too defensively.
"Yeah, but ya ain't come within five feet of me since that night Sully interrupted
our little chat. Gonna tell me why?"
"You told me nothing could happen between us. You said you couldn't let anything
happen, so I took that to mean you weren't interested any longer," she turned
it back on him.
"I said we couldn't go gettin' involved, didn't mean we couldn't still be friends."
"Is that all you want us to be? Friends?"
Hank had trouble facing her, seeing the open and questioning look in her eyes.
Damn, but she was direct! At least that hadn't changed. She was still Michaela,
even though she didn't know it. Still, he had to be real careful about what
he said. How was he going to get out of this one?
Deciding to avoid her question, he turned his attention to his empty glass.
"Get me another whiskey will ya, and stop ya pesterin'!" he growled.
Kay took the glass from his hand, smiling. She had hit a nerve, that much was
clear. So, he didn't want her to completely leave him alone? That was an easy
enough problem to solve. She would be more than happy to oblige him in that
area. Truth was, she had wanted to spend more time with him, but she was a little
unsure how to proceed. She didn't want to completely ruin her chances, but she
didn't know how far he'd let her go. That didn't mean she couldn't try! He was
still interested, and she was going to make sure it stayed that way!
* * * * *
The next night, Sully decided to return to the saloon. He had spent enough time
thinking about what he would do, now it was time to do something. Spotting Hank
sitting at the same table where they sat the first two nights, he decided to
join him. Hank looked up when he saw Sully approach, a questioning look in his
eyes.
"Thought ya were gonna hide away in that room of yours for good!" Hank greeted.
"Had some thinkin' ta do!" Sully replied.
"Yeah, I can see why," Hank nodded in understanding. "It ain't been easy, has
it?"
"Course it ain't! You think it's easy seein' my wife carryin' on that way with
other men, while I sit here feelin' like old news?!" he moaned, fighting hard
to keep his voice down, so no one else would overhear their discussion.
"Andrew said ya'd have a hard time of it, but I told ya what I think you should
do. Ya tried your way, and look where that got ya!" Hank couldn't resist a little
teasing.
Sully knew Hank was right, but he didn't like admitting it. This was very unfamiliar
territory, but he knew Hank had more experience in it, so grudgingly, he knew
he had to at least attempt Hank's suggestion.
"Ya know, I had a thought the other night," Hank interrupted Sully's thoughts,
causing Sully to look directly at him. Keeping his voice low and forcing Sully
to lean in towards him, he began. "What if ya startin' payin' attention to some
other woman around here?" he began, stopping when he saw the spark immediately
flash in Sully's eyes. "Now, before ya go gettin' all worked up, hear me out.
It's clear Michaela ain't interested in payin' attention to ya with the way
you're goin', so why not pay attention to another one of the barmaids, maybe
make her jealous a little?"
"What good's that gonna do?" Sully asked, angrily. "She's made it clear she
wants nothin' ta do with me!" Sully caught Michaela out of the corner of his
eye. Their eyes met for one brief moment before she turned her attentions towards
the man sitting at the table nearest her. Seeing her teasing and playing with
the other men in the saloon, obviously enjoying herself, Sully got even more
frustrated. Anger boiling inside of him, he continued. "Look how she's actin',
now! She ain't even come over here once, since we been here! Why would payin'
attention to another barmaid change her mind?"
"Cuz, even though she tries ta hide it, she's interested," Hank assured him.
"She might play a good game, but trust me, she's interested."
"What makes ya so sure? She sure ain't actin' like it!"
"Cuz I know women!" Hank replied, a smug look on his face. "I make it my business
to know ‘em, and trust me, Michaela ain't gonna just ignore ya if ya start
payin' attention to some other woman."
Sully considered Hank's advice, though not sure he agreed. Still, what other
option did he have? He had tried it his way, and that had backfired. What did
he have to lose?
* * * * *
Kay went about her work,
occasionally looking over to the corner table and smiling at Hank, who returned
her smile. She noticed immediately when Sully walked through the swinging
doors, even though she tried not to care. She watched as he approached Hank
and joined him, the two of them immediately leaning in close to have a discussion.
From the looks of it, it involved some heated words, but nothing got out of
hand, and their voice levels never raised enough for anyone to notice. Had
she not been keeping her eyes on them, she wouldn't have noticed anything
amiss, either.
Walking around during one of her rounds, she saw Sully look up at her, and their
eyes met for a moment. There was still something about him that both intrigued
her and infuriated her at the same time. What was it about him?! Thinking about
his interferences the other night, she considered ignoring him, but then decided
to maybe anger him further by having a little more fun than normal with the
male customers. Turning on all of her charms, she entertained the fortunate
man who happened to be closest to her at that moment. Out of the corner of her
eye, she noticed Sully watch her for a moment, gesture angrily to Hank, then
turn away. She smiled, realizing her plan had worked, but why had she done it?
Kay was so involved in thought, she didn't notice Belle appear at her side,
until she gestured for Kay to join her near the door to the kitchen. When Belle
was sure no one would interfere, she began. "Kay, I'd been meanin' ta talk to
ya ‘bout that man over there, Sully?"
"Yes?"
"Well, I been thinkin'. Whattya think ‘bout getting the four of us together,
maybe goin' on a picnic, or somethin'? I thought about havin' supper at the
restaurant, but I'd wanna get outta town for a bit. I see how interested ya
are in Hank, so it's the perfect plan! We'd have so much fun!" Belle smiled,
her desire for Kay's agreement very obvious.
"Why do Hank and I need to accompany you? Why can't you just invite Sully on
a picnic?"
"Cuz I don't think he'd be willin' ta do it alone. I tried talkin' to ‘im
yesterday, and he was real nice an' all, but he wasn't too fond of spendin'
time alone with me, kept wantin' to get back to the hotel. If Hank and you were
to go along, maybe he'd be more likely to agree."
Kay nodded at the sense Belle's suggestion made, and her enthusiasm was certainly
contagious. She'd love to spend a day with Hank, and a picnic sounded very appealing.
"I think you've suggested a perfectly delightful outing!" Kay agreed. "We can
go on Saturday, since we both have the day off."
"Sounds good ta me!" Belle exclaimed, then paused. "Now, who's gonna go askin'
the fellas?"
"Leave them to me!" Kay assured her friend. "They won't be able to say no!"
Belle smiled at Kay's assurance. "They won't know hat hit ‘em!" she rejoined,
laughing as she went back to work.
* * * * *
Belle was right. Kay had turned on the charm later that same night and Sully
and Hank were unable to resist agreeing. Now, walking along with the two ladies,
both men were wondering what exactly they had done! It had seemed like a very
good idea at the time, especially when Kay had put her arms around each of them,
talking low and seductively about what a nice time they would have. Hank and
Sully both enjoyed her attentions, despite Sully's initial shock, but today,
it was clear Belle and Kay had other things in mind than just a friendly picnic.
Hank looked across at Belle, who was trying very hard, and for the most part
unsuccessfully, to get Sully's attention. She had situated herself as close
to Sully as he would allow without moving away, and she was now caressing his
arm. Sully's attention, however, was focused on Michaela, who was sitting directly
across from him and very close to Hank. It was almost as if Sully didn't even
see Belle. He was more concerned with what Michaela was doing with Hank and
how Hank was responding.
The arrangement was ironic in a way, since it was obvious Sully had no desire
to spend any more time than necessary with Belle, and Hank was realizing just
what an attractive woman Belle was. Very soon, it became clear the women weren't
succeeding in their efforts, so Kay decided to try another tactic.
"I've been wondering something ever since the two of you arrived at the beginning
of the week," she began, waiting until she had both men's attentions before
continuing. "What is it that brings you to this area? Neither one of you look
like you're involved with the railroad in any way, and you certainly aren't
businessmen, so why make the stop in our little town?"
That was the last question either Hank or Sully expected Kay to ask, and then
tensed for a moment, glancing at each other.
"Unless of course ya heard about the fun ya both could have and the beautiful
women ya'd find," Belle added, playfully squeezing the taut flesh right above
Sully's knee. She smiled when she saw him tense, slightly, and knew she was
at least having some affect on the man. It was certainly about time! No man
had ever taken this long to respond! To Belle, however, that made it all the
more enticing.
Hank and Sully exchanged glances, wondering what they were going to say to answer
Kay's question. Neither one of them knew how to respond, and since Sully didn't
want to betray his feelings or thoughts, it was left up to Hank. "We, uh, were
out lookin' around for some talent, and heard somethin' bout the Shady Oak,
so thought it'd be a good idea ta check it out. Sully, here, stayed back while
I came alone at first, then when I thought he'd be interested in what he'd find,
I went back and got ‘im." Hank told them both, not exactly lying, but merely
disguising the truth.
"Talent, huh? What kinda talent?" Belle was very intrigued.
"Ya know, women who're good at entertainin'," Hank replied, giving Belle one
of his winning grins. She responded with a smile of her own, happy that at least
one of the men was showing her some attention. Still, something about Sully
kept her trying to get through to him, and she was determined to succeed.
Kay leaned against Hank, placing her hands around his right shoulder. "Are we
to assume you found what you were seeking?" she teased.
"Yea, I guess ya could say that," Hank agreed, doing his best to quell the feelings
her nearness was arousing in him. "Leastwise, we ain't gonna be searchin' much
more. Course we ain't exactly seen the other talent at the saloon, since you
two ladies've been takin' up most of our time," he teased.
Both women sat upright, obviously offended at Hank's implication that there
were better women than them who might hold the men's interest. Hank had to laugh
and Sully smiled at the indignation on their faces. "Ain't that right, Sully?"
Hank inquired, trying to break Sully from his brooding thoughts.
Sully looked over at Hank, and seeing the silent encouragement to participate
more in the conversation, he realized how much he had been acting like a recluse
the entire day. He decided he'd better think fast, or they would realize something
was wrong with him, and he couldn't let them start thinking that, lest they
begin questioning him. "Hank's sorta right. We just ain't interested in spendin'
time with the other ladies, since we know we got the best!" he sent a meaningful
smile across to Kay, who blushed at his direct look, then forced himself to
turn his attention towards Belle. She had been trying hard to get his attention,
and the least he owed her was some return on her attempts.
Belle warmed, immediately, upon seeing Sully show some interest in her. Giving
him her most becoming smile, she impulsively leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Go on! Ya just sayin' that cuz we're sittin' here with yas."
Sully started at her impetuosity, but smiled, nonetheless. He reached for her
hand, then raised it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. She
placed her hand on her chest, obviously surprised at his gesture, but pleased
as well.
Not to be outdone, Kay pressed herself against Hank and leaned her head on his
shoulder, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm. She didn't know why it was
so important to her to want to make Sully upset with her, but he just got under
her skin, and she wasn't happy with him paying attention to Belle, even though
she had already told Belle she was more than welcome to him. Still, she knew
there were times when Sully couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and she rather
liked that feeling, knowing he was watching her, even though she wouldn't pass
the time of day with him. He was certainly a very complex man, and he didn't
really talk much, at least not openly. She had seen him talking with Hank several
times, but today was the most she'd heard him talk to anyone other than Hank.
It angered her to know it was Belle who had succeeded in getting him to open
up more, and since Hank was watching Belle, too, she decided they needed a little
diversion.
"I think we need to get up and walk off our delicious lunch. I don't know about
all of you, but I know the fried chicken was delicious, and I need to walk for
a little while, or I will regret it later," she said, placing her hands on her
slender hips.
Both men turned and cast an appreciative look at Kay's figure. She smiled when
she noticed their shift of attention, pleased her tactic had worked, but surprised
when Sully was the one to comment. "I don't think ya got anythin' ta worry about,"
he assured her, looking in her eyes, rather than focusing on her figure. "You're
a very beautiful woman," he added, then forced himself to turn to Belle. "Ya
both are!"
Belle wrapped her arms around his and held on to his elbow. "I was wrong about
ya, Sully. I thought ya just weren't interested in us, but now I see ya just
needed time ta warm up a mite bit. An' I gotta say, I much prefer ya talkin'
than all the silence ya been givin' me, lately."
Sully smiled at her and turned to look at Hank, who barely nodded. It was a
good thing he had decided to come out of his brooding state. They just couldn't
afford to have anyone suspicious of either of them, or their entire purpose,
here, would be ruined.
"I agree with Kay, though," Belle continued. "I think a walk'll do us good.
We got the whole day off, so why not make use of it?"
"I'm game!" Hank replied. "Sully?"
"Sure!"
Both men stood to their feet and assisted the ladies in standing. They decided
to quickly pack up the leftover picnic items and take them with them, lest an
animal come by and intrude on their outing.
* * * * *
They had been walking for over an hour when they came to a small creek running
along the edge of the woods. Deciding to stop for some refreshment, the two
women knelt along the creek's edge, scooping the fresh mountain water into their
hands to take a drink. Sully and Hank also drank from the creek's clear, cold
water. They turned their attention away from the women for just a moment, but
realized their mistake when a spray of water doused them both.
Shocked, at first, by the audacity of Kay and Belle, Hank and Sully decided
to join them in their playfulness. It didn't take long for an all-out water
fight to ensue, Kay and Belle running from Hank and Sully, and vice versa, until
all four of them were sufficiently wet. They ran all up and down the edge of
the creek, trying to dodge the water being sprayed in their direction.
Kay kept her eyes on Hank, since he had doused her good the last time, and she
wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. She was so intent on avoiding him,
she wasn't watching where she was going. All of a sudden, her movement came
to an abrupt halt, and she felt two strong arms wrap lightly around her to ensure
she didn't fall. She turned around and found herself standing very close to
Sully, their faces mere inches apart. She placed her hands on his chest, as
if trying to maintain some distance between them, and froze as they both gazed
into each other's eyes, neither one of them moving for fear they'd break the
spell.
Sully,
overcome by the feelings which washed over him at having Michaela in his arms
again, raised one hand to her face and tenderly smoothed back a wet tendril
of hair which had come loose from its clasp. Kay closed her eyes at the tenderness
in his touch, wondering why she had a strange feeling of deja vù at that
moment, and opened them when his hand came to rest on her shoulder. She, in
turn, reached up to push back a lock of his hair which had fallen across his
forehead, and slowly ran her hand down the side of his face, enjoying the feel
of the stubble on his cheek.
As if pulled by some unknown force, Kay moved her face closer to Sully's as
his face moved towards hers. She felt a powerful attraction to him, although
not completely understanding why, and although she tried to fight her traitorous
body, she was rapidly losing the battle.
"There ya two are!" Belle interrupted them, and they quickly broke apart, both
startled beyond words at the intrusion and what had almost happened. "I wondered
where ya both got off to! Hank and me got worried somethin' happened."
Sully immediately looked to Hank, who shrugged his shoulders in apology. With
that small gesture, he let Sully know he had distracted Belle on purpose, and
Sully nodded his thanks.
"We're sorry to cause you worry," Kay was the first to recover enough to speak.
"I merely stumbled and Sully helped make sure I wasn't hurt."
"Well, glad we found ya!" Belle, then randomly spoke to the group. "Looks like
our little water fight's over, so whattya say we head on back to town?"
"Yes, it's going to be dark soon, and we don't want to be caught out here in
it," Kay agreed, shaking off another strange feeling at the words she just spoke.
The four of them paired off again, and Kay risked one brief glance over at Sully
to find him watching her as well, before she focused her attention on the path
ahead of them and Hank at her side. After all, Hank was a lot safer territory
at the moment. With Sully, it went frighteningly deeper.
Things had changed a lot since that shared moment by the creek two days ago.
Kay found herself strangely shy around Sully, but also more easily angered at
him, especially when he paid more and more attention to Belle. She tried to
keep her mind off of him and spend more time talking with Hank, but it just
wasn't the same anymore. For some reason, she felt drawn to Sully, and not knowing
why only served to frustrate her more.
So, she threw herself into her work, anything to keep her from thinking about
him. On more than one occasion, Brady had tried to corner her, but she just
wasn't in the mood to face him, not with her emotions all in whirl, the way
they were. He obligingly allowed her space, and she knew she must appear to
him as if she was living in a void, not really aware of her surroundings or
the discussions in which she became involved, but she really didn't care. She
still made sure to talk with Hank and Sully and serve them each night they came
into the saloon, and with Belle also spending time with them, she realized the
four of them were seen as two couples, and that frightened her at how permanent
it seemed.
By the end of the week, she was more miserable than she'd ever been, and nothing
seemed to be going right. She realized she had been neglecting several of her
friends, lately, so she made it a point to stop in at the mercantile and see
Julia. She had missed their little chats, and she hoped Julia might be able
to help shed some light on the feelings she was having.
"Kay!" Julia greeted. "It's so nice to see you! I was beginning to wonder if
something had happened, since I hadn't seen you around lately."
"Good morning, Julia. Something has happened, and I was hoping you and I could
talk for a little while?" she inquired, hopefully.
"Of course!" she agreed. "Just let me get Thomas to cover the store, and you
and I can go upstairs for a little chat."
Sitting on the edge of the settee in Julia's upstairs living room, Kay wondered
how to begin. She still didn't understand what was happening, herself, how was
she going to explain it to Julia? Julia saved her the trouble.
"Lemme guess. Your troubles have somethin' to do with the two men who've been
in town since last week?" Kay started. Was she was really that transparent?
"Don't worry, it ain't that obvious to everyone," Julia was quick to assure
her, "but let's just say I got a knack for understandin' people's problems.
Chalk it up to bein' a nosy busybody around town, always listenin' to folks
conversations and such and hearin' what's goin' on," she confessed and put up
a hand to stop Kay's protests. "Now, don't you go sayin' different. I know what
I am, and I ain't afraid to admit it!" She smiled, warmly, and took Kay's hands
in her own. "Now, suppose ya just start at the beginnin' and tell me all about
it," she invited.
Twenty minutes later, with only a few interjections from Julia, Kay had finished
telling her story, pouring out her feelings and thoughts and confusions about
the entire situation, but she left out the details of the picnic which included
that final moment with Sully. When she was finished, she felt as if a heavy
load had been lifted from her shoulders, but there was still some nagging confusion
that wouldn't let go.
"So, lemme get this right. Ya found yaself enjoyin' your time with this fella,
Hank, and even went so far as ta fancy yourself interested in him as more than
a friend, when he up and leaves after ya shared a kiss, only returnin' to bring
his friend back with him. Now, even though you were put off by this friend at
first, you're findin' yourself strangely attracted to him? Have I got everythin'
right?"
"Yes," Kay sighed, her confused emotions and state of mind making that one word
say enough to fill several minutes of monologue.
"Well, seems like there's only one thing to do!" Julia announced after a momentary
thoughtful silence. Kay looked up at her, a questioning look in her eyes. "Ya
just gotta spend time with ‘em both, see which one ya like more, or which
one returns you're feelin's more. Now, this Hank, has he said anythin' to ya
‘bout how he feels?"
"He hasn't been very direct, but he has told me he's attracted and can't allow
anything to happen between us, although he won't tell me why," Kay confessed.
"So ya think maybe he's playin' hard to get? Ya think maybe ya might persuade
him to continue his interest in you?" Julia smiled when Kay blushed. "How about
this other fella, what's his name?"
"Sully," Kay supplied.
"Sully. What about him? Has he said anythin' to ya?"
"No, but that's just it. He's hardly said two words to me that weren't spoken
in anger, and I certainly haven't been very cordial towards him....until last
Saturday," she finished.
"An' what happened that day?"
"The four of us, Belle came along, went on a picnic together. At first, we were
content with eating and talking about nothing in particular. Belle is attracted
to Sully, and she's been trying to get him to pay attention to her, while I
have been trying to get Hank to change his mind about our relationship, such
that it is. Sully wasn't very responsive, until we had finished eating, and
then he seemed to open right up to all of us. He was full of flattering words
for both myself and Belle, and he even seemed to be responding to Belle's attempts
to attract him.
"We talked for little while longer, and then I suggested a walk. We ended up
near the creek, and Belle and I decided to get a little mischievous, so we started
a water fight. I was trying to avoid Hank and wasn't watching where I was going,
and the next thing I know, I find myself wrapped in Sully's arms, standing only
inches away from him. Julia, it was very odd, the feelings I was having, like
I had experienced them before with him, although that's entirely impossible."
"An' that's it? The two of ya just stood there and looked at each other?" Julia
gently prodded.
Kay looked down at her folded hands in her lap. "No," she whispered. "I can't
explain it, but I felt drawn to him, and I know we would have kissed, had Belle
and Hank not interrupted us. We both broke apart, and that's the end of it."
Julia nodded. "So up until that day, Sully had been interferin' in your life
and you had been less than welcoming to him?"
"Yes, and now...."
"Now, you're strangely shy and hesitant to spend time with ‘im?"
"Yes," Kay replied, surprised Julia could read the situation so well.
"I still say ya gotta spend time with both of ‘em. I know it ain't easy,
especially with matters of the heart, but ya ain't gonna find out any other
way."
Resuming the confident yet playful nature sge often displayed, Kay smiled. "No,
it won't be easy, but it won't be a terrible ordeal, either!"
Julia smiled. "There now! That's more like the Kay I know! Go have yourself
a little fun! But, be careful. Ya don't wanna keep both of ‘em hangin'
on your every word, an' with ‘em bein' friends, ya don't wanna break that
up, either."
"I know, and I promise to be careful," Kay assured her friend. Impulsively,
she reached out and embraced Julia, who returned the hug. "Thank you!"
"Anytime, dear, anytime. Ya need to talk, ya know where ta find me!"
* * * * *
Kay and Julia had spent the remainder of the morning talking about everything
else that had been happening with the store and the town and in both of their
lives. Kay left in time to get to work, and although she wasn't entirely certain
of what to do, she knew she couldn't avoid the issue. When Hank came in that
night, she tried not to seem too disappointed that Sully wasn't with him. Still,
this gave her a chance to talk with Hank alone, not an unpleasant prospect.
"Would you like the usual?"
"Yeah, and make it a double, will ya?"
"Certainly, is everything all right, Hank?" Kay asked, with concern.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Hank replied, gruffly.
"I was just asking. There's no need to get short with me!"
"Well, it ain't you, so don't go worryin' your pretty head about it," he lied,
watching her walk back to the bar to fill his order. In truth, it was Kay who
was causing his problems. For weeks, he'd been thinking about her and what had
happened between them before he left, only to return with Sully. He knew he
was starting to see the wisdom in shifting his attention to Belle, but Kay was
still in his thoughts. No, Michaela was still in his thoughts. He had to keep
that uppermost in his mind. Kay was Michaela, even though she wasn't acting
like it. Still, no matter what he did, her image was always there, especially
when he looked at her mouth and remembered the feeling of her lips on his.
Pounding a fist on the table, he groaned. "Why does this hafta be so difficult?!
Why can't I just forget about her?! She belongs to Sully, I ain't got no right
to be messin' with her!" He was so lost in his thoughts and frustrations, he
didn't see her return until he heard the clink of the glass on the table in
front of him.
"I have a few minutes, would you like to talk about it?" Kay invited.
Hank looked at her, wondering if he could hide his feelings and still confess
his problems. He had always been great at putting on a show of not caring, acting
like nothing ever got to him! Why would this be any different? "Nah, it really
ain't nothin'," he answered, instead.
Kay stepped closer towards Hank and moved a little behind him. She placed her
arms loosely around his shoulders and leaned slightly against him. "Are you
sure you just don't want a little company?" she lowered her voice, seductively.
Regardless of his abilities to hide his feelings, he wasn't dead. "Now that
ya mention it, a little company ain't such a bad idea!" he agreed, patting his
right leg and inviting her to take a seat.
Kay
hesitated for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders and sat down, but didn't
lean her entire weight on his leg. Her back was to the wall, and her left knee
touched the knee of Hank's other leg. She had a clear view of the entire saloon,
and her gaze met that of Harv's. She didn't like the look he was sending her
way, so she turned to look at Hank and realized their faces weren't too far
apart. Not wanting to invite much more in public, she draped her left arm over
his right shoulder and ran the fingers of her right hand through his honey-blonde
locks.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"I'm gettin' there!" he smirked, not quite making direct eye contact with her.
He didn't even want to think about what would happen should he do that! Come
to think of it, with her sitting so close to him, he wasn't so sure this was
such a good idea. He was going to get himself into a lot of trouble if he didn't
put some distance between them, and soon!
"Alright! Up ya go!" he announced, suddenly. "Break's over!"
"But...."
"Ain't no buts about it, Kay," he interrupted her, then seeing the disappointed
look on her face, quickly continued. "A man can only take so much!" he added
his meaning quite clear as to the affect she was having on him.
Kay smiled and rose and prepared to leave, but impulsively, she kissed his cheek.
He started at the action, but reached out and swatted her backside before she
walked out of reach. She smiled as she went back work. So, there was still some
interest there! Now, what was she going to do about it? And what about Sully?
* * * * *
Closing time came sooner than Kay expected, and she found herself slightly disappointed
that she hadn't seen Sully all day. She had politely inquired about him of Hank,
and Hank told her Sully sometimes went off by himself to think, sometimes he
just walked around, trying to clear his head. With her duties at the saloon
completed, Kay decided to take a little walk, herself. Maybe a little fresh,
night air would help clear her mind as well.
What exactly was she feeling towards Hank? Was it romantic feelings worth pursuing,
or were they just feelings of interest, like she felt for all of the other men
who frequented the saloon? No! It was much more than her feelings for those
men. She had never really had any decent conversation with any of them. She
just made sure they were happy, even going so far as to have a little fun with
them to get a smile on their faces. No, it was nothing like what she and Hank
had. That was something too difficult to put into words. It wasn't exactly an
interest of the heart, although she found his company very satisfying and entertaining,
and he really was kind, deep down, even though he liked to make everyone else
think he wasn't.
Then, there was Sully. She could remember her first impressions of him, thinking
back to the first time she saw him, as well as the first time he interfered
in her business. He had seemed so withdrawn, so distant, so intent on making
sure no other man touched her. Why? What was his problem? It wasn't like he
had any claim on her. After all, she had just met him. Nevertheless, she couldn't
deny the tension she felt whenever they were close, especially that very confusing
day last week, at the end of the picnic. Why had she reacted the way she did?
Why hadn't she stepped away the minute she knew she could stand on her own?
If she really faced the truth, she hadn't wanted to move out of his embrace,
and she couldn't deny the strange feelings she felt when he tenderly caressed
her face.
"What am I going to do?" she sighed out loud, talking to no one in particular.
"I'll tell ya what you can do! You can come talk with me!"
The slightly familiar voice startled Kay out of her thoughts, and she turned
to face the man who spoke the words.
"You!" What was Harv doing out here this late at night?
"Were ya expectin' someone else? Maybe a midnight lover for a secret meetin'?"
"Not at all. I was just taking a walk to clear my head. I didn't intend to run
into or meet anyone else, if you must know!" she replied coolly.
"What's this? Ya takin' a cold tone with me, now? Ya sure don't act like that
when ya servin' me drinks in the saloon. In fact," he began, moving slowly towards
her, "ya seem downright pleased to be carryin' on with me, except lately."
Kay didn't like the sound to his voice and backed a little away from him. "It's
part of my job," she replied. "Why are you out here at this time of night?"
she decided to change the subject.
"I followed ya. Left a little before closin', then waited for ya ta come out,"
he answered, honestly.
"How did you know I would be coming out here?" Kay continued to press, not sure
what his intentions were, and not liking how he seemed to be so calculating
in his actions.
"I didn't, really, just figured I'd wait for closin', then maybe see if you
and me could talk."
"Talk? About what?"
"Well, actually, talkin' ain't what I had in mind," he stated, moving closer
to her as she backed away. "Now, there ain't nothin' to be afraid of, I ain't
gonna hurt ya. Besides, I ain't lookin' for nothin' ya ain't been promisin'
me for some time, now!" he gave a sinister laugh.
Kay was starting to get scared, now, and there was nowhere to run. She continued
to inch away as he approached, but she hit a wall and realized she couldn't
go anywhere else. She was trapped, and she didn't like the look she saw in Harv's
eyes.
"So, ya gonna tell me why ya been ignorin' ole Harv?"
"I don't know what you mean," she answered, starting to lose her bravado.
"I mean, why ya been spendin' all your time with them new fellas at that corner
table. Before they came, ya always made sure ta talk to me, and now ya seem
to be lettin' the other girls tend to my needs. Course, they ain't gonna be
able ta give me what I need. That's somethin' only you can do!" he moved even
closer, and Kay could smell the liquor on his breath. She turned her head away,
trying to avoid the foul stench.
Harv grabbed her jaw and turned it back to face him. She tried to move out of
his grasp, but he only grabbed a hold of her waist with his other arm, pinning
her back against the wall. She squirmed and moved, trying to avoid his advances,
but he far outdid her in weight and strength, and there was nothing she could
do. The look in his eyes frightened her like nothing else she remembered, and
she swallowed hard when she saw his face coming closer to her own. She closed
her eyes and clammed her mouth shut the moment his mouth covered hers.
He kissed her hard, bruisingly, and despite her efforts to stop it, he nearly
forced her mouth open with his own. Summoning all of her strength, she was able
to lift her foot and bring it down hard on his own. He howled in pain, and released
her enough to get away from him a little. However, her freedom was short-lived,
since he recovered and grabbed a hold of her arm, yanking her back against him.
"Let me go!"
"Not so fast, sweet thing! Ya ain't gonna get away from me that easily, not
when ya been teasin' me for weeks! I intend to collect on what's due me!" he
threatened.
"I'm not giving you anything! Now, let...me...go!!" she spaced out the words
and raised her voice. When he didn't release his hold, she continued. "HELP!!!"
she yelled, hoping someone would hear her.
Before she could say anything else, Harv was yanked away from her and thrown
against the opposite wall. Kay watched in shock as her rescuer avoided every
attempt of Harv's to land a physical blow against him. The darkness prevented
Kay from seeing the face of the other man, but she was immediately impressed
with his agility and speed in deflecting all of Harv's blows, noticing Harv
never once made contact, but rather suffered from the blows of the other man.
Almost as soon as it started, the fight was over, and Harv weaseled his way
away from his attacker and got out of there as fast as he could. Kay wasn't
sure how to respond to her rescuer, who wasn't much more than a little winded
from the encounter.
"I don't know how to
thank you. I never would have expected Harv to force himself on me the way
he did, and if you hadn't come along, I don't want to think of what wou..."
she stopped, immediately, when her defender leaned back against the wall next
to her and looked up at her. He was the last person she had expected to see,
although she had to wonder if her thoughts had conjured him into appearance.
She also didn't like the myriad of feelings which consumed her being at that
moment, so she resumed her defensive front. "You!"
It wasn't exactly the thankful response he was hoping to receive, and he would
have smiled at the look of shock on her face, had it not been for how serious
she looked. "What exactly were ya doin' out here, then, all by yaself? Dontcha
know it ain't safe for a woman like yaself to be wanderin' ‘round in the
dark?" he admonished.
"Well, I certainly wasn't out here waiting for you to arrive to give me another
one of your lectures, nor did I ask you to come to my rescue! Have you named
yourself my guardian angel, or do you just have nothing better to do than intrude
into my affairs, pushing yourself in where you might not be wanted and making
everyone abide by how you think they should behave?"
"I don't know. I heard ya yell for help, and I just happened ta be near by enough
to answer the call. I coulda ignored ya, and then where would ya be?" he challenged.
"I could have managed him. I was able to get away from him once, I could have
done it again!" she tried to sound assuring. Sully just chuckled, which only
served to increase her anger at him. "It doesn't matter to me whether or not
you believe me, but I don't need your lectures, telling me what is and is not
an intelligent thing for me to do! I've been out walking plenty of times without
having any problems, so why would this night have been any different?" Then,
deciding to turn the tables on him, she re-directed her line of questioning.
"What were *you* doing out here at this time of night?"
"I ain't gotta explain my actions to you, if you don't have to answer my questions,
but I'll tell ya anyways. I was out tryin' ta clear my head. Lucky fer you,
too, since we both know you wouldn't've been able ta fight him off for long,"
Sully said with assurance.
"How dare you!" she accused. "How dare you take on airs and put yourself up
at being there to come to my rescue? Just who do you think you are to praise
yourself for your efforts? Any other man could have done what you did, and you
weren't the only one who would have heard me! So, don't..."
Sully immediately put a stop to her verbal attack by placing one hand over her
mouth and the other at her back, to keep her from backing away. His deep and
penetrating blue eyes bore into hers. "Don't. That's enough!" With those three
words, he had effectively silenced any other barrage of comments she had intended
to hurl at him. When he was sure she wouldn't continue, he removed his hand
from her mouth, but kept his hand at her back, staring her directly in the eyes,
as if daring her to say anything more.
Kay didn't like being controlled by a man, especially not this man! Despite
the slight tingling which had spread through her body at his touch and close
proximity, she wrenched away from his grasp and began walking back to the Shady
Oak. She realized he was following her, but that didn't make her halt her progress.
With the saloon in sight, she fired back a parting word. "Don't feel like you
have to be my personal escort, Mr. Sully," she said, emphasizing the proper
use of his name. "I am perfectly capable of making it back to the saloon on
my own!" She tried to sound confident, despite the quaking all through her.
Sully stopped where he was and watched her, waiting until she entered the saloon
and made her way up the stairs before he turned and went back to the hotel,
where he quickly made his way up the stairs to his room, across the hall from
Hank's. He entered his own room and immediately kicked at the chair in his path,
sending it crashing against the wall. Hank appeared in the doorway within seconds.
"Sully! What's goin' on?"
"I can't believe the nerve of that woman!" Sully exclaimed, barely acknowledging
Hank's presence.
Hank just smiled, knowing Sully must be talking about Michaela. "What's she
done now?"
"I just saved her from a possible attack from one of them men in the saloon,
that guy who's always tryin' ta get her attention, and she went and yelled at
me the moment she found out it was me. She went on and on ‘bout how I shouldn't
be thinkin' I did a good thing, and askin' me why I felt the need ta constantly
interfere in her life! Would she've rather had me ignore her and let her suffer
at the hands of that man?"
Hank chuckled. "Sounds like our Michaela, alright. Never wantin' to admit she's
needin' help!"
Sully turned on him, then. "*Our* Michaela? What exactly does that mean? Ya
know, ya ain't exactly been helpin' me get to the bottom of things, ‘round
here! Ya seem to be havin' your fair share of fun with her, when she comes to
the table or when she's got her hands all over ya!"
Hank grinned. "What man wouldn't?" he said, then immediately regretted the comment
when a dark look came into Sully's eyes. "Look, Sully, I ain't gonna go keepin'
ya from gettin' to Michaela. But, ya heard what Andrew said. We gotta play along.
Sorry ta be in such a tight spot, but whaddya expect me ta do? Just stop respondin'?
She'll know somethin's up, then!"
Sully didn't want to admit Hank was right, but he was. He was just so angry
at everything, and frustrated at not being able to do anything, he had to yell
at someone! "I ain't sayin' ya gotta completely ignore her, but ya could make
it look like ya ain't enjoyin' it so much! It ain't easy for me ta see my wife
actin' like this, no matter how infuriatin' she might be to my face. You're
supposed ta be helpin' me, and if you're not, ya can just leave and go back
home! I don't need ya here!"
"Yeah, I could!" Hank returned, just as heated. "Then, where would ya be? She'd
know somethin' was wrong, and it sure as hell wouldn't help your cause any!"
He paused for a moment then expelled a short breath. "Alright, you win. I'll
try, it's all I can do. But, it ain't gonna be easy. You know how temptin' Michaela
can be!" he teased, trying to appeal to Sully's masculine side and not his protective
and possessive side.
"Yeah, I do, which brings up another question. What if Michaela don't change?
What if she never gets her memory back? What if she stays like this, thinkin'
she's a barmaid and not knowin' about me an' our family and all of us back home?"
Sully confessed his fears.
Hank felt sorry for Sully, a little. He had thought of that possibility, too,
but he didn't want to voice it. "Sully, Michaela's gonna get better, ya just
gotta be patient an' keep tryin'. She'll come around, you'll see!"
"I wish I was as sure as you," Sully replied, dejectedly, turning to face the
window and effectively ending the conversation. Hank slipped from the room without
a sound, leaving Sully to his thoughts.
* * * * *
Kay paced back and forth across her room. The nerve of that man! How dare he!
Why did he always have to interfere? Why did it always have to be him? Why couldn't
Hank be around to save her? Why did she feel the way she did when Sully was
close? What was happening to her? She could barely stand the man when he was
around, but there were moments when she felt something entirely different between
them, something she couldn't put into words. Tonight, just like by the creek
the other day, she had felt pulled to him, like an unknown force she couldn't
name was guiding them towards each other, but she didn't like giving in to those
feelings, so she had chosen to get defensive and attack him.
Would there ever be any answers to her questions? Would she ever understand
everything she was feeling? Why did Sully infuriate her so much, but at the
same time attract her to him? It wasn't easy thinking about all of this at once.
She often had headaches at night when her thoughts ran rampant, and tonight,
she felt it even more strongly. Sighing, she threw herself across her bed and
fell into a fitful sleep, fragmented pieces of events and memories floating
in and out of her dreams.