by Kara Joy Deree

It was a crisp Autumn afternoon in Colorado Springs and the town was bustling with activity. Busy people filled the streets, all heading in different directions, dressed in layers to keep out the chill. There was a group of cheerful women gossiping in front of Grace's cafe, their eyes darting to individual people as the subject changed from one town member to another. Several children played jacks on the front steps of the general store while their mothers shopped. They were bundled rather snugly for that time of year. A cold spell had come on suddenly, reminding them all that Winter wasn't very far away.

The mercantile owner, Loren Bray, stepped out of his store carrying a large crate of bright red apples which he dumped into one of the fruit bins. After rearranging them he stretched and scowled as a pain shot through his back.

"What's the matter, Loren? Gettin' too old to bend over?" teased Hank good-naturedly as he sauntered out of the saloon. Annoying Mr. Bray was one of his favorite past times, but it was all in jest for he really enjoyed the old man's company.

"Oh now, Hank, you just wait. Someday you'll be an old man, too. Then we'll see how easy it is for you to get about!" Loren sneered.

"Ain't never gonna happen to me. I ain't plannin' on gettin' old. 'Sides, I got my girls to keep me young and strong, if ya know what I mean." There was a sly look on Hank's face as he said this. He smiled cunningly, just the hint of a wink in his eye.

"Oh, go on Hank, get outta here. Can't ya see I got work to do?" Loren pretended to be annoyed, but he really enjoyed the younger man's sarcastic nature.

Just then the town's barber, Jake, joined the two men. He had a razor blade in one hand which he was wiping on his pant leg.

"Afternoon Jake." Loren said. "You finished up with Mr. Wildes?"

"Yup, I sure am. And it's a good thing 'cause I nearly cut him open three times. That man can't stay still for two seconds." Jake answered.

"If ya ask me" Hank joined in, "Mr. Wildes could use a little relaxation. He oughta visit the saloon...buy a drink or two, get to know one of my girls a little better..."

Jake snickered at hearing this. He turned around to scan the main street and noticed the town's school teacher, Teresa Moralis, walking toward the group of men. Her pretty face was unmistakable even from where he stood. A sudden change came over Jake when he spotted her. He straightened himself out, shoved the blade into one of his pockets, and dusted his shirt off. Hank and Loren exchanged knowing glances, but did nothing to ease Jake's anxiety.

"Good Afternoon Mayor Slicker." she said in a distinct Mexican accent. She smiled pleasantly and met his gaze. Jake was speechless for a moment, overcome with his attraction to her.

"Mrs. Moralis. It's good to see you." He managed to stutter.

"And you." she said softly. A short silence followed as Jake and the young woman continued to glance timidly at one another. Loren picked up a broom and began to sweep the small area in front of the store, trying to give them some privacy, but making sure he didn't stay too far away. Hank smirked at the two of them, seemingly oblivious to how inconsiderate his behavior was. Finally Loren muttered, "Awww Hank, ain't you got somethin' better to do than stand around in front of my store? Ya know it ain't good for business."

Hank grinned, but finally sauntered away, tossing his long, wild hair over his shoulders and making a great deal of shuffling his feet on the wooden floor.

"You have not forgotten our plans for lunch, have you Mayor Slicker?" Mrs. Moralis asked, an inkling of doubt seeping into her voice.

"No no, of course not." Jake muttered nervously. Their plans certainly hadn't slipped his mind. He'd been eagerly anticipating their lunch date since yesterday, but he had a feeling that his lack of confidence made it seem otherwise. Suddenly determined to make a good impression on the school teacher, Jake cleared his throat and took her by the arm.

"How could I have forgotten? I'm the town's mayor, remember? A mayor's gotta be responsible, dependable."

"Of course." she smiled warmly, recognizing Jake's eagerness to please and impress her. They took off down the dirt street, arm-in-arm, heading in the direction of the cafe where many other town members were already gathering for lunch.

Loren finished up sweeping and was about to head back into the mercantile when he heard shouting from across the road.

"Mr. Bray!" Brian called the store keeper's name as he ran excitedly towards him. His eyes still lit up when he saw the old man. To Brian Mr. Bray would always be someone he looked up to. He was the closest thing the boy had to a grandfather.

"Oh, hey, Brian. What can I do for ya?"

"Colleen's comin' in on the train today. I'm on my way to pick her up now. It's her birthday tommorow. We're havin' a surprise party for her down at the homestead." Brian said enthusiastically.

"I s'pose you'll be needin' some supplies then, huh?"

"We got everythin' decorated already. Ma just wanted me to pick up some candles. We used the last of 'em up at Katie's birthday party."

"Well come on inside then." Loren said, placing a hand on Brian's shoulder and leading him into the store. "I'm sure I can find some for ya."

Colleen rested her head against the cold glass of the window and closed her eyes, wondering if the train would ever reach Colorado Springs. It seemed like forever since she'd boarded in Denver earlier that day. Since then the number of trees had grown steadily and every minute the landscape looked more like home. Still, the train wasn't going fast enough for her!

Outside her window the world was dressed in gowns of glowing gold and crimson, proclaiming the season to everyone. Colleen loved this time of year - the shivery feel of the wind, the smell of dry, musty leaves and sweet grass on the air, the coming together of families and friends. There was nothing that made her happier than the thought of being with the ones she loved.

She tried to imagine what everyone at home would be doing right about now. Dr. Mike would surely be enjoying her day away from the clinic with Sully. She had probably just finished putting Katie down for her afternoon nap. Brian would be through with the usual Saturday chores and might be sitting down to write or taking a walk with Wolf. Matthew would be busy working on the remains of the old homestead. She saw all the town's-folk in her mind, everyone going about their usual things despite her absence. It was still hard to accept the fact that she wasn't so much a part of life in Colorado Springs anymore.

Colleen sighed as a fresh wave of homesickness washed over her. Then suddenly a thought hit her. "What about Andrew?" she wondered to herself. "What would he be doing right about now?" She felt her heart jump into her throat thinking of him and it wasn't for the first time. Andrew seemed to have made such things an all too familiar part of her life. Colleen was blushing now - the thought of him never failed to evoke such a response. There seemed little she could do to stop it, but she realized that she didn't want those warm, pleasant feelings to go away.

The anticipation of seeing Andrew again after what seemed like forever made her smile to herself and then look around self-consciously to see if anyone had seen her. There was so much to talk about, so much catching up to do. She realized how much she had missed him these past weeks, in so many ways. There were few people that she could speak so freely with...who understood how she felt, who loved what she loved, who shared her passions to such an extent. College was thrilling, but somehow nothing she learned lately seemed complete. There was always a part of her longing to share things with him. In a way it was a vulnerable feeling, but she couldn't help but give herself into it.

Abruptly, the train hit an unusually rough spot on the track and it startled her from her daydream. She glanced outside and was surprised to make out a few buildings in the distance. Without her realizing it, the train had approached Colorado Springs and was now beginning to slow down. Colleen's eyes scanned the train depot, searching for Dr. Mike, Sully, and the rest of her family.

Brian looked excitedly towards the oncoming train, clutching the tiny package of birthday candles that Mr. Bray had given him. He pushed them into one of his back pockets, suddenly remembering that Colleen couldn't be allowed to see them. The party they were throwing for her was going to be a surprise and it was his job not to give it away. He knew how hard Colleen had been working lately and it had been his idea to have a special day for her. He only hoped he could keep the secret for a little bit longer!

As the train pulled in and slowed to a halt, Wolf began to wag his tail incessantly as if he knew that Colleen was aboard and would be joining them. He barked excitedly when a few people stepped down from the train and rushed to greet their loved ones.

"It's okay, Wolf." Brian reassured him in an affectionate voice. "Colleen'll be gettin' off any second."

Colleen was the last person to step off the train and the station was nearly empty as she ran over to Brian, her hands full of luggage. They embraced warmly, enormous smiles appearing on both their faces.

"Where is everyone?" Colleen asked as soon as she had separated herself from her brother. She looked around anxiously. It soon became clear that only Brian had come to meet her this time. She immediately felt a sense of confusion and disappointment. It wasn't like Dr. Mike not to pick her up at the station when she came home for a visit. A sudden feeling of panic struck her. Maybe something had happened?

"Everything's alright, isn't it?" she asked with concern.

"Oh, sure. Everyone else was busy, is all." Brian said, trying very hard to conceal his secret. "Here, let me take those bags for ya."

He reached over to take Colleen's luggage and began to head over to the wagon, avoiding eye contact with her. He knew his explanation was a poor one, but he was afraid of accidently giving something away.

Now that she didn't have to worry about someone being sick or hurt, Colleen's curiosity got the better of her. "Busy? Well, what are they all doin'? I thought Ma was home today..." She questioned as they passed a group of men clustered together in the street. They reached the wagon and Brian threw Colleen's bags in the back. He climbed up onto the seat and then reached his hand out to help her.

"Thanks." she smiled, still waiting for an answer. Brian grabbed the reins and eased the horse out onto the dusty street, trying to come up with a convincing answer.

"Um, well...she was home. But then we got word of a fight over at the reservation. Sully had to go and they figured they'd need a doctor, so Ma went along, too. Cloud Dancin's alright, though."

"Oh, that's good." Colleen mumbled, a frown appearing at the corners of her mouth. She was finding it hard to mask her disappointment. "What about Katie? Ma didn't take her to the reservation with her, did she?"

"Oh, no. Becky has her for the day." He answered her, just a little bit too quickly.

"Oh, I see. How is Becky?"

"She's good."

"And Matthew? What's he doin' today?"

"Umm...uh, he had to ride out to the Hartfield place. Said somethin' about a burglary and that Daniel needed his help." Brian felt sure Colleen was onto something now. He decided to change the subject.

"I saw Andrew this mornin'." he said, knowing it would be of interest to her. It was a relief to be able to talk truthfully for a change.

"Oh. Did you?" Colleen asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Uh-huh. I told him you'd be comin' home for a few days. Said he would come see you as soon as he could get away from the hotel. He seemed real happy." Brian knew he had her mind on something new, now.

"He did?" she asked, her face brightening. It was too hard to conceal her excitement.

"Yup." Brian smiled as he looked over at his sister, whose cheeks were now a brilliant shade of pink. They both laughed, happy to be in one another's company. It was always easy for them to pick up right where they had left off. As the wagon traveled along they talked and teased good-naturedly.

They were long past the town now and into the forest. Although it was only a little after three o'clock the sky was dim and beneath the canopy of trees it felt almost like nighttime. Colleen shivered and pulled her thin coat tightly against her body.

"I can't believe how cold it's gettin'." she said.

"Yeah, the weather turned this mornin'. Pa said it hasn't been this cold so early on in the season for years. I wonder if we'll get snow tonight."

"Gosh, I hope not." Colleen proclaimed, worry rising in her voice. "Not with Ma, Sully, and Matthew out there somewhere."

The horse whinnied softly as he approached an opening in the trees. Pushing a few slender branches aside with his velvet nose, he stepped into it, leading the wagon through a clump of shrubs. The homestead spread out before them and they inhaled the rich smell of wood smoke rising from the chimney. Candles glowed softly in the windows to guide people when they returned home, but as far as Colleen could see, the house was empty, just as her brother had predicted. She sighed softly, but then resolved to make the best of things. She was home and that would have to be enough for now. If all went well, she would surely see the rest of her family by nightfall.

Brian pulled the wagon up alongside the barn, jumped down, and then quickly unhitched the horse, eager to get Colleen inside. He wanted to be there when she was surprised.

"It feels so good to be back here." Colleen said as she stepped down from the wagon, breathing in the crisp Colorado air. "As much as I love Denver, when I come back home, it feels so right. I just wish everyone else was here."

Brian grinned, knowing it was only a matter of moments before he could stop pretending. They ascended the stairs, Colleen walking too slowly for him. She was taking everything in, creating a mental picture of her home - the place she loved and missed so much. It was as if she knew she would be deprived of it again soon and wanted to gather as much of it in as possible.

Brian pulled the door open wide and held it for her.

"Go on. You've been gone long enough, you should go first." he said.

"Thanks Brian." she smiled fondly and stepped inside. For a moment the emptiness of the house seemed to envelope her in it's lonely grasp, but then she was suddenly surrounded by many smiling faces, all watching her.

"Surprise!" quite a few voices said in unison. Colleen was too shocked to speak. Her jaw dropped and her heart seemed to come to a stand still. Dr. Mike stepped out of the shadows with baby Katie in her arms. Sully was there and Matthew, too, a big smile on his face. Anthony ran over to see Brian as soon as he walked in. Miss Dorothy was on one side of Dr. Mike and Grace was on the other, both beaming. She saw Becky standing by the table a little awkwardly, a shy smile on her face. Even Robert E. was there, one hand pressed softly against his wife Grace's back.

"Oh my gosh." Colleen murmured in little more than a whisper. She was barely over her astonishment when Dr. Mike wrapped an arm around her.

"Happy Birthday, Colleen. It's good to have you home." she said very softly and Colleen could see the moisture in her eyes. Katie squirmed between them, feeling a little squashed. They laughed softly and pulled apart.

"Say hi to your sister, Katie." Dr. Mike said, bouncing the toddler on her hip. Katie noticed for the first time who it was that her mother had just embraced and her eyes seemed to light up in recognition. She squealed softly and clapped her hands together, a silly smile on her tiny face.

"Oh, Katie. I've missed you so much." Colleen said as she reached for her baby sister, tears now forming in her own eyes. Katie went readily into her arms.

Sully and Matthew came over and hugged Colleen as well.

"Hey, now. Don't get all teary-eyed on us, okay?" Matthew teased. Colleen smiled and wiped the dampness from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I can't believe this." she said, looking around at the small party of people gathered around her. "Thank you all so much."

"There's no need to thank us, Colleen." Dorothy said. She placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's right." Grace added. "It's your birthday. We all just wanted to make it a happy day for you."

"It is!" she said sincerely, the joy shining through on her pretty face.

"Come on and sit down. You must be tired from the train ride." Dr. Mike said as she led her daughter to the table. Colleen handed Katie back to her mother and sat down obediently, even though she wasn't tired. She was much too excited now.