Grace brings Jake his meatoaf. "Thank you Grace." He replies, trying to be respectable, since Thersa is sitting right next to him.
"You're Welcome, Jake. Woud you like some more coffee, Thersa." Grace says.
"No Thank You." Theresa answers, seeming aloof. Grace walks back to her stove. She sighs wondering where Robert E. had gone off to.
Micheala picks Katie into her arms. "You want to go see Miss Dorothy?" she asks the toddler.
"Yes, but I walk." Katie says struggling to get down.
"You're right Katie. You can walk." Mike sets Katie down takes her hand and they walk over to The Gazette office.
Adam pulls out a letter from his pocket. It is fifteen years old and is in a boyish seven year old's writing. Adam wonders if the writer of this ltter, his nephew Matthew, has grown to be just like Ethan. He hopes not.
Adam watched the townsfolk carefully, ensuring that no one paid a lot of attention to him. He didn't want anyone wondering who he was. He patted his face with his hand, he was a free man now, no need to worry that people are looking at him any more. He went to the livery for a horse. No one was there, he sat and waited, again watching everyone, making sure no one was watching him.
"Thanks Horace, remember don't go tellin' no one about this," Robert E touched the hat.
"Don't worry Robert E, I took an oath," Horace said proudly.
"Yeah, I know ya did," Robert E said softly as he turned and left the depot. As he approached the livery, he saw a man waiting, "Can I help ya?" he asked the stranger.
"Yes, I'm in need of a horse, or a buckboard and horse," he looked around. "Whatever you have available."
"You lookin' to buy, or rent?", Robert E knew he'd never seen him before.
"Well.....that may depend on the price," Adam smirked.
"Here.....," Robert E lead the way to the corral, "Take Ollie here, he needs to get out of the pen for a bit. You'll be here a few days?"
"Yeah, at least a few days."
"Then come back in 3 days, if you still gonna be here, we'll make us a deal," Robert E watched the man's reaction.
"That's a fair deal mister. I appreciate that," he pulled a few bills from his pocket, "Here's my good faith on that deal sir."
"All right then," Robert E said, as he put the money in his pocket and went for a saddle and tacking.
Adam turned and saw the Doctor ride by with what he supposed was her family. The boy, he looked about the right age for his nephew. He decided he'd go to the school tomorrow, see if they needed care taking and he could see if any of the children were Ethan's.
"Papa," Katie squealed as she pulled the fringe on her father's jacket.
"Katie," he said, "you're awful playful today."
"She gets that from her papa," Michaela said teasingly as she bit her lip and looked lovingly at her husband.
Sully smiled at her, "Her Ma's pretty playful too, in fact I think they're playing tonight!" he laughed.
"Sully," she whispered sternly, "Brian will--"
"Ma?" said Brian. "I gotta do a book report."
Michaela cleared her throat, "What about Brian?"
"Any book will do, Mrs. Slicker didn't say any special book, but we gotta talk about the plot, the characters and describe any message we got from the story."
"Oh I see," Michaela replied, not really listening.
"What message?" Sully asked, realizing Michaela was daydreaming. "Honey? Are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, fine, I guess I'm thinking about ... something else," she smiled.
"Oh," replied Sully, trying not to laugh.
"Is that okay?" asked Brian.
"What? Is what okay?" asked Michaela.
"If I go to the library after school tomorrow, then you don't have to get me. I'll just come to the clinic," said Brian.
"Fine Brian, that's fine," Michaela said.
Sully stopped the wagon in front of the homestead, jumped down and walked around to help his wife and daughter. "Brian, take care of the wagon and the horse would ya?"
"Sure Pa," replied Brian.
"Come on," Sully gently pulled his wife's arm up the steps.
"Sully, what's your hurry?"
"I gotta talk to you," he said closing the door behind them.
Michaela put Katie on the floor and turned to her husband, "What is it Sully?"
Brian came in, "What's for supper?"
"Brian.......ah," Sully walked to the kitchen and opened the small icebox. "Here you go, can you cook up these potatoes and carrots?"
"Sure....I guess so," Brian reluctantly walked to the stove.
"Thanks, I gotta talk to your Ma," Sully whispered into the boy's ear.
Brian looked up at Sully, "Are you going away again?"
Sully merely tapped Brian's shoulders and then walked to his wife. "Come on," he lead the way upstairs. In their bedroom, he closed the door.
"Sully, I don't know what you're thinking, but..."
She was silenced by Sully's grasp and his lips forcibly kissing her lips.
"Sully!," she pushed his chest, "The children are downstairs!"
"So? They live here," he said calmly as he ran his hand down her arm. "Please, you got me thinking in the wagon...," he smiled at her.
She put her arms around his waist, "Byron Sully, I know you too well.....where are you going this time?"
"Michaela........"
"My name is Sarah Copper. Do you remember me now Matthew Cooper?" The young girl asks him.
"Sarah Copper! Why I haven't seen you since you were 7 and had pigtails in Topeka." Matthew exclaims.
"Well, you weren't much better." Sarah replies.
"You're probably right." Matthew says with a wicked grin.
Adam spots a young couple. They look as if they are reliving old times. He notices the young girl is Sarah, she had been one of Matthew--his nephew's--friends in Topeka. Then he realizes that is Matthew. There is no mistaking the appearance of Charlotte and Ethan in him. He walks up to them.
"Hello." He says tipping his hat. Matthew turns around and reconizes him instantly. "Uncle Paul. Pa let you out?"
"I'm going by Adam again. No I have no idea where our Pa is and I don't care. I heard just recently your Ma died." Adam tells him.
"Yes, but that was six years ago. We were all given to Dr. Mike at Ma's Death. We didn't like her at first but now we've gotten use to her." Matthew tells him.
"Your mother is dead. Oh what a terrible lost she was such a great lady." Sarah says.
"Yes I know." Matthew says softly. "So what's been going on in your life since I last saw you?" Adam asks jokingly. "We have sixteen years to cover maybe we should go somewhere wher we can sit and have coffee and talk." Matthew says.
"Is there someplace like that here." Sarah asks.
"Come on." Matthew says leading them to Grace's cafe.
"Who are those people with Matthew?" Grace asked Robert E, who grabbing a quick cup of coffee and visiting his wife.
"The man rented a horse, said he'd be here a few days, that's all I know. Don't know who the girl is." Robert E shrugged.
Grace suddenly put the pot back down on the stove. "She looks like...."
"Who?" Robert E asked.
Grace smiled, shook her head, "Never mind, no one. More coffee?" She smiled at her husband.
"No, gotta lot of work to do." He kissed her cheek and left.
Grace glanced over at Matthew's guests. What was it about the girl that seemed familiar?
"Michaela, why do you always think I'm going somewhere when ...."
"Because I know you. You've been actually strange since yesterday and I just have that feeling like you're going off somewhere," Michaela stated.
"Well, you're right, I gotta go to Denver, but just a few days." He kissed her nose. "I promise."
She giggled, "That's fine.......as long as you miss me," she whispered.
Sully's lips turned up at the corners, "Um, I think I can do that," he whispered back as he lowered his head to kiss her neck. He raised his hands to the buttons on her blouse. She put her hands on his.
"Dinner? Remember?"
"That's not exactly what my appetite is wantin' right now, but I can wait 'til later." He pulled her hands up to his lips.
"I think I'll have to turn in early," she said seductively. They both smiled and gave each other a nice hug.
"Grace?" Matthew waved his hand to get Grace's attention. Grace walked to their table.
"Did you need something Matthew?" she asked.
"More coffee please. Do you remember my Uncle?" He motioned.
"Uncle? Why hello.........." She nodded to the gentleman. "Ethan's relation?"
"Yes, I'm Ethan's brother. Nice to meet you, ma'am."
"And this is a friend from Kansas. Sarah Copper," Matthew said. Grace stared at the girl, "Hello......Copper? Your family's from Kansas?" The girl nodded. "Oh, well, welcome to Colorado," Grace smiled and turned and left the trio. She muttered under her breath, "Copper huh? Wonder if they're relations..." She shook her head and picked up the coffee pot.
Sarah laughs hearing Grace's remark. "She thinks we might be related." Sarah whispers to Adam and Matthew.
Adam and Matthew laugh at this because it had been an on going joke in Topeka. Especially when Charlotte and Katrina, Sarah's mom, had been best friends. "So how is your family?" Matthew asks Sarah, not wanting to have to tell what he's been up to for sixteen years first. Sarah laughs. "Sean is doing very well. You know we still joke sometimes about you. Like when we were the pack."
Matthew and Adam laugh. "I remember the pack, Matthew Copper, Sarah Copper, Sean Copper, and Timothy Longings. The four rowdiest,kids in Topeka." Adam says.
"We weren't that rowdy. Especially after Matthew moved away." Sarah comments.
To Be Continued!
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