Chapter 17

Michaela stepped up onto the clinic porch, took a deep breath and unlocked the door. She entered and immediately her eyes were drawn to the desktop. Her jaw clenched and she frowned. There was another one, pale yellow this time. She leant back against the clinic door. It should have been beautiful, and instead it repulsed her. Her heart was hammering. She thought she knew where it came from, although she didn't know how it was put there, since she'd ensured that the door was locked, something she did every day now.

When the first rose had appeared in the small bud vase on her desk a couple of weeks ago she'd been delighted, believing that either Sully had been feeling romantic, or that Andrew had left a gift for Colleen. A few eager questions had disproved those theories. She'd shrugged off the first rose then, thinking it a nice gesture from perhaps Matthew or a patient. Then the next day she was in town the second had appeared, and every day thereafter. It wasn't a nice gesture anymore and she could hardly bear to look at it. Almost as if knowing that red roses held a special significance for her and Sully, the giver had left just about every colour rose, except red, since that first time. They'd appear after she'd been away from the clinic, sometimes to collect the mail from the train station, or to have lunch at Grace's. A couple of days she'd stayed in and of course there'd been no rose. However, she'd decided that hiding herself away was merely playing into the giver's hands and so she'd continued with her routine, despite the fact that returning to the clinic was not nearly as satisfying as it used to be. Alternatively, and almost as a last resort, she'd hidden away the vase, but the rose had still appeared on her desk, laying across her files.

She hadn't told anyone about the roses. What could she say? 'Someone is giving me a rose every day'. Was that something to cause concern? Of course the majority of people would say it was not. She could just imagine Dorothy or Grace's romantic notions! Sully, on the other hand, would almost certainly become jealous, something she wanted to avoid at all costs. She was aware there was only one establishment in Colorado Springs which had a rose garden as extensive as to be able to provide such a variation of rose and colour, but why and how they were appearing on her desk each day was a mystery.

She finally walked across to the desk, gingerly withdrew the offending yellow rose from the vase and wrapped it in paper before dropping it into the wastepaper bin. Even doing that upset her. She'd taken to wrapping the rose so Colleen wouldn't ask questions. Participating in subterfuge made her feel guilty and not a little angry. How dare he! She knew she was a coward. She could confront him, but again, what could she say without making a fool of herself? She could ask him to just stop doing it, but in all honesty she was afraid, afraid of what may ensue, and so she did nothing. She sighed. Why, oh why, had he re-entered her life! She sat herself at the desk and rested her head in her hands silently praying that after all these years, it wasn't happening all over again.

The sound of the doorhandle turning and the door opening, brought Michaela's head flying up and she plastered a welcoming smile on her face. "Hey ma," greeted Colleen, as she entered. "No word from Brian?" she added, her anxiety belied by her wind-blown hair and rosy cheeks from a morning spent in the outdoors.

Michaela shook her head dolefully and then, despite her worries, smiled at her daughter. "I assume you enjoyed your ride?" she asked indulgently.

Colleen nodded happily and then hung her cape up on the hook behind the door. "Its such a beautiful day ma .... the sun's finally got some warmth in it ... an' the trees are breakin' into leaf ...," she exclaimed. "We rode right up into the foothills ..."

"We?" asked Michaela with surprise.

Her daughter blushed. "Ah ... Freddy rode with me ... he saw me at the livery and asked if he could come ...."

"He did hmmm?"

"Uh huh .... He had the morning off ... and the same idea as me ...," Colleen explained, her cheeks reddening.

"And you enjoyed it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "He's good company ... *and* a gentleman."

"I'm glad to hear that," remarked Michaela with a wry smile. "What will Andrew think of you riding alone with a young man?" she asked casually.

Colleen swallowed and then said determinedly, "He won't worry ... he knows me an' Freddy are friends ... since I spent so much time with him when he was sick ..."

"Well ... if you're sure ... but its unusual for a wife to spend time with another man when her husband is working ..."

Colleen met her mother's intense, questioning gaze. "I'll be careful ma .... You know how I feel about Andrew ..."

"I thought I did ..."

The young woman reddened. "I love him ma ... but that don' mean I can't spend some time out riding with someone who actually likes it ... you know how Andrew feels about bein' on a horse ..."

"Yes," replied Michaela guardedly. "But don't take for granted what you assume his reaction to Freddy will be ..."

Colleen abruptly strode across the clinic to where she'd begun some checking of inventory the day before. "He won't mind ma ..."

"So you're going to tell him?"

Colleen spun around to face her. "Course .... course I am," she said a little less surely. "Tonight at supper." She turned back to the laden shelves.

Michaela eyed her speculatively. She'd always wondered if Colleen had married too young, but desperately hoped that wasn't the case.

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Michaela hauled on the reins as the new homestead came into view. As the wagon drew to a halt she surveyed a scene which was at once familiar and yet strange. This had been the site of her first home in Colorado Springs, Sully's home, which he'd rented to her until they were married. Now the old homestead was gone, burnt to the ground by dog soldiers, and in its place stood the beginnings of a newer, more modern, and yet traditional home. The stone foundations were laid, the frame all but finished, the roof begun. She hadn't been out here since Matthew and Sully first laid out the plan and the progress they'd made both pleased and unnerved her. In the coming summer Matthew would marry Kathleen and this would be the young couple's new home. There was so much to be done beforehand and then another major change would occur in the life of her family. She recalled telling Sully soon after William was born that she wished time would stand still. He'd assured her that there was too much to look forward to, to want everything to stop. At the moment she'd give anything for time to just take a vacation, slow down a little, to give her the opportunity to savour this time with her family, as they were now. She sighed. She could certainly attest to the adage that the only constant in life was change. She flicked the reins and continued on to where Matthew and Sully were working.

Sully glanced up as soon as he heard the rumble of the wagon and frowned when he saw it was Michaela. He hurried towards her. "Ya got word?" he asked hopefully. She shook her head dejectedly and prepared to step down. He reached for her and lifted her down easily. "Ya left a note .... in case he turns up an' ya not there?" he asked.

"Yes .... on the table where he'll see it when he comes in ...," she replied. She looked up into his eyes. "I couldn't stand sitting around the homestead again, just waiting .... Kathleen was going into town ... and taking Katie ... I almost thought of going into the clinic, although its not my day ...." She trailed off and her eyes took on a faraway look, then she shook herself and continued, "But instead ... I hope you don't mind, but I brought us a picnic ... I need some company ..."

"Course I don' mind ... long as Brian knows where we are if he gits home ...," he replied, lifting first his baby son and then the picnic basket from the wagon.

Matthew strolled over, wiping his hands down the sides of his work trousers. "Hey Dr Mike," he said with a smile and an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

"You've made wonderful progress Matthew," rejoined Michaela with pride, as she glanced around at the new dwelling up close.

He shrugged his shoulders self-consciously. "Like ta see more of it done ... but we're gettin' there ..." He too surveyed their handiwork. "We're startin' on the walls the next coupla days ... then you'll notice a difference ..." When Michaela nodded, he asked, "Did I hear ya say Kathleen was goin' inta town?"

"I dropped her there and then came on here," replied Michaela.

Matthew turned back to gaze at the building site and frowned. Sully smiled. "Why don' we take the afternoon off huh?" he suggested. "We can start a little earlier tomorrow ..."

Matthew looked torn. "I dunno ....," he mused.

"Look .... you wanna go inta town ta spend time with Kathleen .... an' I'd kinda like ta spend some time with my wife an' son ... aint no harm in havin' a break ...," Sully added persuasively.

Again Matthew's brow furrowed and then suddenly, as he came to a decision, he smiled. "I'd kinda like that too," he agreed. He began to bustle around collecting up his tools, then placed the heavy wooden box in the back of his wagon and set off for town. He turned to call, "I'll bring Kathleen an' Katie home later ... don' you worry about 'em ..."

Michaela and Sully stood and watched the wagon disappear around a bend and then turned back to the new house.

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"You aint eatin' much," remarked Sully with concern as he observed Michaela staring off into space, a barely touched sandwich in her hand. They were sitting on a blanket not far from the new homestead, their lunch spread out before them.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not very hungry," she rejoined dismissively.

He smiled wryly. "It was you suggested the picnic .... Don' want Brian comin' home to a ma who's skin an' bones ..."

She swallowed and then turned her head to regard him, her expression pained. "Its been well over two weeks now Sully," she murmured soulfully.

He frowned. "I know it," he returned. "But ya can't think the worst ... maybe it took 'em longer ta git up there than they thought .... or somethin' was happenin' up there that kept 'em more 'an a coupla days ..."

"Or maybe they met up with the army ...," she muttered under her breath.

He swallowed. How do you reassure someone when you're just as worried as they? "We can only keep hopin' .... Someone'd git word to us if somethin' happened .... I'm sure of it ..." He took a deep breath when he encountered Michaela's answering shimmering eyes. He reached across and removed the sandwich from her hand, placed it down and then tenderly drew her into his embrace, her back against his chest. "We aint gonna lose him Michaela," he murmured against her ear, as he rocked her comfortingly. He felt her silently sob as she grasped his arms and leant back into him. Gradually he felt her relax. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well the past few nights, and her work at the clinic seemed to be exhausting her. She'd come home tired and dispirited and it would be some time before she'd brighten up. He'd been worried all along that returning to work so soon after having William might not be the best for her or the baby, but she was so stubborn, it was useless trying to dissuade her. And to add to her woes, William seemed to sense that his mother was troubled and had become restless, often waking and crying during the night.

He wondered now whether she'd perhaps fallen asleep. Her full weight was leaning back onto him and she was so quiet. A gentle caress of his arm told him she was not asleep, but lost in thought.

Finally she said softly. "Sitting here like this brings back so many memories ..."

In an effort to keep the conversation light, he squeezed her lovingly and murmured, "Good ones I hope ..."

She nodded and drew his arms closer around herself. "This is where I grew to love you," she admitted softly.

"Same with me ...," he replied. "You were so independent ... willin' ta try anythin' ... I know it was hard for you ..."

"It became less hard .."

"It did?"

"Mmm ... when you started coming around more often ... At first it could be weeks or months before I saw you again ... you seemed to disappear into your own world and then reappear at the most unlikely moments ... like Christmas .."

"I liked comin' here ... but I wasn' used to it ... I mean ya made the homestead nice ... an' warm ... an' ya never questioned where I'd bin or what I'd bin doin' ... ya just accepted me for who I was," he mused quietly, kissing the top of her head.

"It took us a long time to admit how we felt," she whispered.

"Uh huh ... we'd both bin burnt ... both a little shy of relyin' on someone else ...," he granted.

"I suppose ... Sometimes I envy Matthew and Kathleen .."

"You do? Why?"

"They're so young ... and not afraid to make a commitment to each other ... despite what Matthew's been through ..."

"We aint exactly old Michaela!"

She chuckled. "I know ... but ....," she replied teasingly.

"Besides ...," he added. "We knew each other so well before we got married ... didn' take us long ta settle in ..."

Michaela tilted her head to smile up at him. "There were some things we had to learn about each other," she said, her eyes finally sparkling.

"Yeah ... you're right ... but we'd bin learnin' about each other for a long time ... remember we usedta sit out on the porch after the kids went ta bed ... an' we'd talk ..."

"Or you'd read me poetry ... my introduction to Walt Whitman ..."

Sully chuckled. "That took some persuadin' ..." Again he lovingly kissed the top of her head. "All those times I wanted ta hold ya just like this ..."

She lowered her head. "And I wouldn't let you," she completed abashedly.

"I wouldn' let myself," he assured her.

She didn't respond, she didn't need to. For a while, he lovingly held her against himself, running his hands up and down her arms in gentle caresses. As a thought suddenly struck Michaela she spun around in his arms and looked up into his eyes. "I .. I ... never thought .... Does it upset you to be out here? Where the old homestead used to be?"

He momentarily frowned. "To be honest ... I got mixed feelin's about it," he admitted. "Ta see somethin' I built destroyed is painful enough ... but for it ta happen without reason makes it harder." He stopped and took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the new construction. "I usedta know every inch o' this land ... every tree ... every blade o' grass ... but then I see it like this ... with Matthew's house bein' built ... an' it aint mine no more ... its his ... an' I'm happy ta help him build it ... *Our* homestead ... yours an' mine ... that's home now ... always will be as long as we live there as a family ...." He tilted his head to seal his vow with a loving kiss.

She sighed softly, contentedly, at his pronouncement and again settled into his arms. After a moment, she said softly, "Speaking of home ... you have the rest of the afternoon free ...."

"We could go home ...," he completed her thought. "In case Brian gits back ..."

She nodded, then turned her head to look up at him again. "Alright?" she asked.

His response was to kiss her lightly and then to begin clearing up the remains of their picnic. "Alright with me," he agreed. "Let's go home."

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"You go on in .... I'll unhitch the wagon," offered Sully, as they drew to a halt in front of the homestead. He jumped down, circled to lift Michaela down and then handed her William, who, lulled by the movement of the wagon, was sound asleep. She nodded, her spirits again low at the thought of waiting and wondering about their adolescent son.

She gathered up her skirts and ascended the steps to the porch, turning back momentarily to watch her husband as he led the horse and wagon towards the barn. She knew he was worried too. She also knew he always tried to be strong for her. Sometimes she felt guilty when she couldn't hide her worry about something or someone. That was one of the reasons why she hadn't told him about the roses. Perhaps she was exaggerating the whole situation in her mind. Perhaps she in fact had it all wrong. She'd never known for sure all those years ago in Philadelphia that Adrian had been the cause. She'd only presumed, based on the circumstantial evidence, as Matthew would say. She sighed. As long as the situation stayed at a daily rose, she could cope and no-one would ever need to know.

She turned back to the front door, turned the brass handle and entered. All was disappointingly quiet, and the note she'd written for Brian still sat on the dining-room table. Her jaw clenched. She'd been hoping and praying. She gazed down at her tiny son and whispered, "Well your big brother's not here little one ...We'll put you in your cradle ... though I have a feeling you won't sleep too much longer ..." She kissed his forehead and then turned towards the living-room, only to nearly trip over something on the floor. Her heard leapt when she spied what that something was - leather saddlebags, dusty but intact. She quickly flung the door open again and called out, her tone somewhat shrill, "Sully .... He's back ... his things are here ..." She eagerly glanced around the living-room and then scurried across the room to the stairs.

Sully took the steps to the front porch in two leaps and entered the house. Downstairs all was quiet, but he could hear Michaela's footsteps on the stairs. He hurried across and took the stairs two at a time, arriving on the landing only shortly after her. She'd pushed Brian's bedroom door open and was standing in the opening, gazing lovingly in. She turned to face him, her eyes shimmering with tears of joy, and beckoned to him. He hurried across and he too gazed into the room.

Brian was laying on his stomach on the bed, his arms flung out, sound asleep. He was still fully clothed, right down to his dusty boots. His face, turned towards the doorway, was grubby, and his hands and fingernails looked as if they hadn't been washed in a week. His breathing was deep and even.

"Oh Sully," whispered Michaela, a silent tear rolling down her cheek. "He's alright ..."

"He sure is," was Sully's hushed return, as he pulled his wife into his arms.

She looked up at him and then back to their son. "He doesn't look so much like a man now ... does he Sully ... just a tired little boy ..."

"A boy who's bin on a man's journey Michaela," rejoined Sully, his eyes fixed on Brian. "Somethin' he'll never forget ... no matter what happened to 'em on the way ..."

"I'm just glad he's home ... Should we wake him?"

Sully shook his head. "Nah ... let him sleep for a bit ... we'll wake him for supper ... then he can tell us all about it ...," he recommended with a smile.

Michaela nodded and with Sully, backed from the room. Both couldn't resist another peek, before pulling the door shut and very quietly returning downstairs.

Chapter 18

"An' ma ... Little Wolf got sick ... but me an' Cloud Dancin' gave him willow bark an' he improved ... rode a lot o' the way on Taffy with me," explained Brian, who had been talking incessantly of his trip for the past hour, ever since supper in fact. "An' we were worried Snow Cloud was gonna have her baby before we got there ... but she didn' ... she was still expectin' when we left ...," he continued.

Sully sat back and listened to his son with both pride and a touch of envy, not that he would ever let anyone know that. Brian had accomplished something he longed to do once more, that is, to travel with the Cheyenne and then to experience them living free. Of course the word 'free' was debatable because they were still confined to certain tracts of land, but those tracts were, to now, vast and largely untouched. He was pleased his son seemed so in tune with the ways and thoughts of the Cheyenne. If he never accomplished another thing in his life, the passing on of Cheyenne traditions through Brian's memory and writings was assured. He had no doubt about that, and he could almost burst with pride.

"It was still real cold up there pa ... you wouldn' believe it was spring ... the folks who stayed an' stuck it out through the winter were hit pretty hard .... Cloud Dancin' said a lot of 'em died ... not just from the freeze ... but because there weren't no food ..," he continued.

"So things are better up there now?" asked Sully worriedly.

"Yeah ... the deer are comin' back ... an' there are plenty o' rabbits an' squirrels now," he replied reassuringly. "Ground's real hard though ... be a while before they can plant anythin'."

Michaela shook her head in wonder. "I still can't believe you managed to avoid the army," she said quietly. "I'm very relieved mind you ..."

Brian suddenly looked a little sheepish. "Well ma ..."

Her eyes narrowed. "Brian?" she said sternly.

He frowned and then explained, "I said we didn't have any trouble with the army ... but we came across 'em once ..."

"You did?" asked Michaela, swallowing.

"Uh huh ... we were camped in a kind o' grove ... but there were lookouts posted ... One came back ta say there were soldiers headin' our way."

Sully sat forward in his chair. "And?" he prompted.

"Well ... the grove o' trees was pretty thick ... an' there was no smoke from fires ..." He paused as if trying to decide how much to say. Finally he admitted, "They kept on headin' straight for us ... course, they didn' have a clue there were indians in the area ..."

"Brian!" demanded Michaela.

He took a deep breath and continued, "Miss Dorothy was worried a kid'd cry or somethin' an' they'd hear us ... so she told me ta git on Taffy an' she got on her horse an' we rode out ta meet 'em." Michaela paled, but Brian suddenly smiled. "She was so good ma," he boasted. "Told 'em her an' her son ...that's me ... were searchin' out a newspaper story about an old goldmine ... an' a hermit ... but we'd sorta lost our way ... she had 'em laughin' right along with her in no time ..." Michaela shook her head ruefully and he went on, "We rode along with the soldiers ... right past our camp ... talkin' an' laughin' ... so close I could almost see lotsa eyes watchin' us through the trees," he added dramatically. "Course the only problem was the soldiers insisted on ridin' with us all the way inta the next town ... We stayed the night there .... waited for 'em ta move on ... an' then backtracked to the camp the next day ....Cloud Dancin' was so relieved ta see us I thought he was gonna explode ..."

"Glad he didn' ride after ya," remarked Sully dryly.

"I wondered about that too pa ... but I reckon maybe they'd talked about it sometime earlier on ... the two of 'em ... cos he was waitin' for us when we got back ... like he knew we'd be back as soon as we could ... or at least hoped it ..."

Sully nodded. "Seems they'd come up with a contingency plan all their own .... Ya should be proud o' yourself Brian ... for carryin' that off ..."

"Weren't me pa," protested Brian good-naturedly. "Was Miss Dorothy ... I hardly hadta open my mouth ... she had those soldiers believin' everythin' she said ..."

Sully reached across and ruffled his son's now clean hair. "Ya helped Brian ... by backin' her up ... an' ya maybe saved Flyin' Hawk's people while you were doin' it ..."

The young man reddened and shrugged his shoulders. "I had the *best* time pa ... goin' back ta school's gonna be hard after this .." He eyed his mother warily and she smiled.

"Well .... whether you like it or not young man ... there's school tomorrow ... I only hope you're not asked too many questions about where you've been ...," she remarked with a frown.

"I figure if I stick ta the story about travellin' with Miss Dorothy I can't go too far wrong ma ...," he rejoined, then suddenly yawned.

The family seated around him at the table smiled indulgently. Michaela reached out and laid her hand over his. "You go on up to bed sweetheart," she said lovingly. She squeezed his hand. "Its so good to have you home safe and sound ..."

He turned his hand in hers. "Its good ta be home ma ... I had a great time ... thanks for lettin' me go ..." She nodded and he stood, said goodnight and headed wearily up the stairs.

*******************
Michaela sat dejectedly at her desk, yet another rose, a coral pink one this time, in her hand. It was perfectly formed and yet in her eyes ugly. Today she was beginning to wonder whether perhaps she should talk to him after all. Her work at the clinic, *her* clinic, had always been a joy to her and it rankled that something as simple as a flower could spoil that feeling. She unconsciously spun the stem around in her fingers and a petal fluttered soundlessly to the desktop. She sighed. Most aspects of her life were as settled and happy as they'd ever been, and yet something as simple as Adrian's unwanted attention could disrupt the harmony. She reached across, grasped a piece of paper and laid the flower across it. Again she sighed as she turned the edge of the paper up over the rose.

A sharp rap and then the clinic door swinging open startled her and she hastily folded the paper over the rose and looked up to her visitor. When she saw who it was she sprang up from her desk and rushed across to embrace her warmly. "Dorothy!" she exclaimed. "I was hoping to see you this morning .... How are you?" she enthused. "I looked in at the Gazette office before I came in here, but it was so quiet I thought you were probably still sleeping."

Dorothy chuckled. "You got that right Michaela ... I don't think I've ever slept so soundly ...," she returned.

"It was the same with Brian ... I had to wake him this morning so he'd be at school on time," chuckled Michaela. "Come ... sit down ... tell me all about the trip ..."

Dorothy shrugged her shoulders. "Brian's probably already told ya everythin' Michaela." She paused and smiled secretively. "Well nearly everythin' anyways."

"If you're referring to your little subterfuge with the soldiers ... yes he did," responded Michaela. "You did very well ... I was unaware you were such a good actress ..." She grasped her friend's hand. "Thank-you for looking after Brian ... and the others like that." She gulped. "If the soldiers had found them ..."

"They didn't Michaela .... that's all that matters ... They got there safely ... When we left ta come home they were settlin' in ... gittin' back to a normal life ..."

"What was it like up there Dorothy?" asked Michaela, her eyes questioning.

"Cold!" was her friend's immediate reply. "I can't imagine what it was like in the winter Michaela," she continued. "You could see a lot of 'em were effected ... kids way too thin ... old folk with coughs .... But even though we thought it was real cold .. they were lookin' forward ... tellin' us they'd bin through the worst .. an' that things were gonna improve from now on in ..."

"What do you think?"

"I think they've got a long ways ta go ... down here we can feel some warmth in the sun now ... up there it was still so cold ya could almost see your words freeze in the air when you were speakin' ... There's some game comin' back ... but food's still scarce ..."

"How did Cloud Dancing react?"

Dorothy frowned in thought. "He seems ta think they'll be alright ... said the spirits would protect 'em until the summer comes ... It was sorta like he was thinkin' he'd seen it all before ... an' worryin' wasn' gonna help ... I suppose he *has* seen it before ... he knows the ways of his people so much better 'an you an' me ... he knows they *will* survive ... but I couldn' help but worry ... Me an' you Michaela ... we wouldn' last more an' a few days in the conditions those folks are bearin' .... I sometimes think its cold here so close to the mountains ... an' I know in some people's eyes its kinda rustic ... but we got so much compared ta others ..." She trailed off.

Michaela squeezed her hand. "I know what you mean. Its all a matter of what you know ... and where you can live happily ... I've learnt a lot over the years ... especially from my mother's attitude to things ... including my living in the wilderness as she calls it ...." She chuckled wryly and then entreated, "Come .... do sit down and tell me more ..."

Dorothy followed her across the room and sat down opposite her friend. "Aint a lot more ta tell," she rejoined, but again there was a secretive smile on her lips.

"Dorothy?" asked Michaela inquisitively, seeing the smile.

"Brian's probably told ya everythin' Michaela," responded Dorothy evasively.

"Are you sure?"

Changing the subject, Dorothy abruptly asked, "You an' Sully doin' anythin' next Tuesday afternoon?"

Michaela frowned in thought. "Ah ... no ... I don't believe so ... Sully will probably be workin' on Matthew's homestead ...." she replied. "Why?"

"Me an' Cloud Dancin' thought we'd like ta visit with ya is all ... maybe here in town ..."

"I'd ... we'd ... love that! We've both missed you two so much ..." exclaimed Michaela. "Where? Grace's?"

Dorothy shrugged. "Not sure yet ... but we'll let ya know before then ..."

"Don't forget I'll be in Denver with Colleen and Kathleen for a couple of days later in the week," Michaela reminded her. "We're going to look at wedding dresses ...." Unaware of Dorothy's sudden flushed skin as a result of her words, she continued, "I don't know why they want me along ... but they both insist ... We're having two days ... just for we ladies ... though of course William will be joining us out of necessity."

Dorothy chuckled. "You should be flattered that your grown up daughter and your soon to be daughter-in-law want you there Michaela ... enjoy it," recommended Dorothy. "It doesn't always happen that way ...and the break in Denver will do you good too ..."

Michaela nodded and then leant forward. "Actually ... I'm quite looking forward to it," she confided. "It'll be fun to look at pretty dresses and discuss wedding arrangements ..." As her elbows slid on the polished desktop, the paper, concealing the soon to be discarded pink rose, lifted and disclosed its contents. Unaware of this, Michaela continued, "We're going to stay overnight in one of the nicest hotels ... though I'll miss the rest of the family back here ..."

Dorothy leant forward and picked up the rose. "What's this doin' here Michaela?" she asked curiously, putting the bloom to her nose and inhaling the sweet scent. "Its so pretty ..." She dropped it into the bud vase from which Michaela had removed it as soon as she returned from the telegraph office.

Michaela blushed and swallowed, unsure as to what to reply. She met Dorothy's questioning eyes only momentarily before dropping them to the desktop. "Michaela?" queried the older woman with concern when she observed the strange reaction. "Is something wrong?"

Michaela's jaw clenched and she rook a deep breath. She raised her eyes and said quietly, "No ... why would there be ... its just a rose ..."

"Yes .... yes ... it is," rejoined Dorothy. "But it looks to me like you aint too keen on it ... Is it from Sully ... are you two fightin' about somethin'?"

"No .. no ... of course not," returned Michaela vehemently. "Its not from Sully ... I only wish it was ..."

Dorothy's eyebrows rose. "It aint huh ...," she mused. She smiled and drawled, "You got a secret admirer Michaela? .... Lucky girl ..."

Michaela abruptly stood, withdrew the rose from the vase and tossed it into the wastepaper bin. "No ... I haven't," she rejoined heatedly. "Its ridiculous ... and I'd prefer it wasn't mentioned again ... alright?"

Taken aback by Michaela's angry response, Dorothy immediately agreed, "Of course ... if ya don' wanna talk about it ... but if there was somethin' wrong ... you'd talk to me ... or Sully ... about it ... wouldn' ya?"

Regretting her outburst, Michaela reddened. "Of course ... I'm sorry I snapped ... I must be getting hungry ... join me at the café for an early lunch?" she asked with a now friendly and open smile.

Dorothy's eyes narrowed for just a moment as she contemplated her friend's obviously agitated state. She also stood and then replied, "Of course I'll join you ... bein' on that trip made me appreciate Grace's wonderful cookin' even more .." She moved towards the door, opened it and stood back to allow her dear friend to precede her out. There was something happening here which was definitely upsetting Michaela. She decided she'd better keep an eye on her from now on. If only her friend could learn to confide in people instead of bottling things up inside. She waited for Michaela to lock the clinic door and then they set off, arm in arm, for the café.

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"You be careful now ... Denver's gittin' ta be a big place ....," murmured Sully, as he stood by his wife's side at the train station. Behind them Matthew stood with his arm around Kathleen's waist and Andrew was saying good-bye to Colleen.

Michaela smiled. "I was born and raised in Boston if you remember," she rejoined. "Denver is small in comparison."

"That may be .... but there are still the same kinda folk ... I want ta see ya come back here safe 'an sound ..."

Michaela nodded and squeezed her husband's hand. "I'll be careful," she promised.

"An' look out for the two girls ..."

She nodded again. "Colleen knows much more about Denver than I do ... she'll probably be looking out for *me* ...," she replied teasingly. As William grew heavy in her arm she changed him to the other.

"I'm gonna miss the little fella," Sully muttered, his eyes fixed on his tiny baby son.

"Its only two days ..."

"That's long enough," he rejoined. He reached out to run the back of his finger down William's rosy cheek, then returned his gaze to his wife. "Ya look real pretty in that," he observed of her forest green travelling gown.

"Well thank-you," she rejoined, flattered by the compliment.

"Ya seem real happy today ... your eyes are shinin' an' your cheeks are pink ... ya must be lookin' forward ta the time away," he added, a twinkle in his eye.

"It is going to be fun," she admitted with a shy smile, then paused, not able to give voice to the real reason she was feeling so happy this afternoon. She'd worked in the clinic this morning, been across to the mercantile and down to the telegraph office, and yet, for the first time in three weeks, no rose had appeared on her desk while she was away. She was dearly hoping that Adrian, having received no response to his daily gift, had decided to discontinue the practice. She'd be able to relax then.

A blast of the train whistle had all eyes flying down the tracks to where the Denver Rio Grande train was rounding a bend and coming into view.

"Mama," implored Katie, returning to her parents' side as the train pulled up in a cloud of steam and smoke.

Michaela handed William to Sully and bent down to pick up her daughter who buried her face in her mother's neck. Michaela gently rubbed her back and said softly, "Are you going to be a good girl for papa and Brian and Matthew?"

Katie pulled back a little and nodded her head, her lip quivering. "I wanna go too," she whispered.

"Its only a couple of days sweetheart," rejoined Michaela reassuringly.

"Weeyum goin'," protested the little girl.

"He has to be with mama right now," explained Michaela. "He's still so little .... but you're a big girl now ..."

"I's a wittle girl," responded Katie, a whine in her voice.

"But you're mama's big girl ..." Michaela tilted her head to whisper in her youngest daughter's ear. "I need you to look after papa ..."

Katie's eyes widened. "Ya do?" she asked in wonder.

"Uh huh ... he might be lonely ... so you'll have to look after him for me ...," cajoled Michaela.

The little girl appeared to give her mother's suggestion considerable thought, and then finally she nodded her head. "I look after papa," she conceded. "But you be home soon?" she added anxiously.

Michaela nodded and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Very soon my darling," she said softly. "I love you."