Colleen and Freddy walked into the church together behind Michaela. Some
people were already dancing, others were simply standing around chatting.
Colleen searched around for Andrew without making it seem too obvious.
Suddenly she saw him. He was talking with Becky. Suddenly they both started
laughing. Colleen looked down.
Oh stop it, she told herself, you're the one who agreed to come with Freddy.
Suddenly she looked up to see Andrew looking at her. Their eyes locked.
Andrew had stopped laughing but there was still a slight smile on his face.
"Look! There's...Becky!" Colleen said hesitantly as Freddy took her coat.
But it was as if he had not heard her. "Come, let's dance, shall we?" he
asked. He pulled her out to the dance floor without waiting for an answer.
They chatted for a little while.
He's a friend, thought Colleen, just a friend. She heaved a sigh of relief
when she realized the truth. Suddenly, someone tapped on Freddy's shoulder.
"May I cut in?" asked Andrew, a hint of satisfaction on his face.
Freddy's warm smile turned icy cold as he said, "Of course." He went off to the side, not
taking his eyes off the couple. Meanwhile, Colleen's face got pink and her
heart skipped a beat as Andrew put his arms around her and they began
dancing. They also began to chat and Colleen began to tell him a funny story
about a girl at college. They began laughing and Colleen realized that, yes,
Andrew was a friend, but he was also something more. Freddy looked at them
laughing and began to make his way over to them quickly. But Becky
intercepted him.
"Oh Freddy, won't you ask me to dance? Can I call you Freddy?" she slipped
into his arms without waiting for an answer. This was very hard for the
usually quiet, and shy Becky to do.
You're doin' this for Colleen, she thought...but she better pay me back big
time. The song ended and Becky quickly got away from Freddy.
Then they announced, "Ladies choice! Ladies choice!" Becky groaned.
Colleen would feel responsible for Freddy. She'd probably ask him to dance..
unless...Becky took a deep breath and walked up to Freddy.
He spun around and smiled, but his smile vanished when he realized it was
Becky. "You again?!" he said rudely.
I'm goin' to ring his neck, thought Becky. But she forced a smile and said,
"Ladies choice...and I choose you!"
"Ah...but...I," he stuttered.
Becky caught him looking at Colleen and said, "Nope! No buts!" She pulled
him out onto the dance floor and prayed the song was a quick one. On the
other side of the room, Colleen was about to leave and Andrew had a small
regretful smile on his face.
"Wait! Look! Becky asked Freddy to dance!" Colleen couldn't keep the smile
off her face.
Thank you Becky, thought Andrew.
Colleen turned to Andrew, suddenly self conscious, "Dr.Cook, would you care
to-"
"I most certainly would Colleen," Andrew said. Their eyes locked, reinforcing the
connection they had together. Again, on the other side of the room, Michaela
was speaking with Becky and Freddy. Suddenly Horace, who had not come to
the party, burst in.
"Dr.Mike! An important message is comin' for you!" Michaela and Becky ran
out with Horace to the telegraph office.
Here it comes!" They waited as the message came through.
"It's from Mrs.Quinn! It says Freddy isn't-" Suddenly there was a loud
crackling noise and the telegraph office went silent. They hurried outside.
Horace looked around. "There!" he exclaimed, pointing to a cut wire.
"Who could've done that?" asked Becky.
"I don't know..." said Michaela.
*
"It was a lovely party," said Andrew. He was walking with Colleen to the
wagon where everyone was waiting for her.
"Uh...Colleen, would you like to come over to the hotel for some lunch
tomorrow?" Andrew asked.
"Well, I really don't know...I mean I gotta help Ma and all..." Colleen
caught the look of disappointment on Andrew's face.
"Well I suppose so," Colleen said.
"Well...well that's wonderful. I'll...I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!" he
tipped his hat and then he was gone. Colleen just stood and smiled to
herself.
"Colleen! Come on! Let's go!" yelled Brian from the wagon. Colleen grinned,
and climbed inside.
*
The next day Colleen woke up early to go into town. She could hardly wait
'till lunch. She never got to spend much time with him. But now...lunch! And
possibly even the rest of the day! She took care in picking a dress she
thought Andrew would like, and she pinned up her hair. She looked in the
mirror. A whole day with Andrew, she thought again. She could hardly keep
the excitement and happiness from her face when she went down to breakfast.
"Mornin' Ma! Mornin' everyone!" she sang, the smile never leaving her face.
She sat down to breakfast and began eating.
"Colleen! I was wondering if you would accompany me to Grace's Cafe for lunch
today?" asked Freddy.
"Uh, no, sorry. I've uh gotta help Ma at the clinic, right Ma?" Colleen said
quickly. Michaela looked at her daughter quizzically. Yesterday she had told
Colleen she didn't have to work in the afternoon.
Then she thought better of it and said, "Um, yes Colleen!"
No one caught the strange look of thanks between mother and daughter...no
one but Freddy.
That morning, at the clinic, Colleen could barely stay focused on her work.
She kept on thinking of Andrew, and that blue box she had seen in Andrew's
medical case. Suddenly her thoughts shifted to Freddy, and all sorts of
fancy things from Boston. Stop that, she thought, Freddy was a nice person,
but he was nothing compared to Andrew, at least in Colleen's eyes. She could
hardly believe it when noon came. She took her horse and dashed out of town
to the hotel. Once she got there she became nervous. She patted her hair and
smoothed her skirt before knocking on Andrew's door. There was a muffled
voice from inside the room. Thinking it was Andrew telling her to come in,
she opened the door. Andrew was there...but so was...Becky. Colleen looked
at them in question.
"Becky came by to uh, drop something off..." Andrew trailed off.
"That's right! Uh...bye, I better get goin' now," Becky said dashing out the
door. After she left, there was silence. Then they both began speaking at
once.
"You first," insisted Andrew.
"Well, I just wanted to say that, well I trust you Andrew. So you don't
gotta explain why Becky was here," Colleen choose her words carefully. She
didn't want to let Andrew know just how much he meant to her, in case the
feeling wasn't mutual. Andrew was the same way.
"Thank you Colleen. You have no-you have no idea how much that means to me."
Their eyes locked, and, for a moment, they each thought the other felt the
same way as them. Then, in an instant, they both looked down, sure that
they'd just been imagining.
"Well, shall we get something to eat?" Andrew asked.
"No! Lets go for a ride!" she exclaimed.
"Colleen!" Andrew groaned, "You know I'm still no good on a horse!"
"Oh, it'll be fun!" Colleen said, taking his hand, and heading for the door.
Suddenly she stopped and looked at their hands.
"Oh I'm sorry!" blushed and removed her hand.
Andrew, feeling that this was finally safe ground said, "No, it's alright."
He took her hand and Colleen smiled. They walked out the door together to
their horses. The afternoon was truly glorious. They quietly walked their
horses together and even raced a little. Then they came to a beautiful
meadow.
"Let's stop and take a walk," Andrew said suddenly. They joined hands again
and began walking. Colleen was sure now that she had been right about
Andrew's feelings all along. Andrew stopped. He took both her hands in his.
"Colleen, I don't know for sure if you feel he same way, but I have to tell
you. Colleen, I feel very deeply for you, I'd even go so far as to say-to
say I love you." Colleen looked up at him, her eyes filled with adoration.
She had been waiting for this moment for the longest time. Andrew looked in
her eyes.
Oh Colleen, he thought, you have no idea what I'm about to tell you.
"And it's because I care for you that I must tell you...about Freddy,"
Andrew said. Colleen was confused.
"About Freddy?" she asked.
"Yes," Andrew said uncomfortably, "Becky and I don't think he is who he
makes himself out to be."
Colleen shook her head, "I don't understand."
"Well first of all, he doesn't ever seem to want to leave you alone-"
"He's just bein' my friend! He doesn't know anyone else in town!" Colleen
objected.
Andrew continued, "Becky thinks he may have cut the telegraph wires-"
"Becky?" Colleen said in disbelief.
"And," Andrew took a deep breath, "And I think he may have stolen something
from me." Anger quickly filled Colleen.
"Andrew!" she said, withdrawing her hands from his. She was clearly upset.
"How could you!? I thought-I thought I loved you," she said quietly, "But
now, I don't even know who you are!" She got on her horse and rode off
quickly so Andrew wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. She waned to leave.
She never wanted to see Andrew or Becky again. When she got home. Freddy was
in the living room, almost as if he was waiting for her.
"Oh hi Freddy," she said through her tears.
"Colleen! You're upset! Is there anything I can do?" Freddy asked.
"Not unless you can get me away from Colorado Springs," joked Colleen, who
was now rather embarrassed.
"What would you say if I told you I could make that happen?" Freddy asked.
Colleen looked at him in interest.
*
Again, Colleen was on a train, and again, Freddy was next to her. But
instead of coming, they were going. It was Christmas Eve. A day she should
have spent with her family. But instead she was going to Boston with Freddy.
As they sat, waiting for the train to leave, Colleen started to doubt her
decision. Was she crazy? How could she leave on Christmas? Even for a
weekend.
"You know," she said, "I never did tell you why I waned to leave."
She began to tell Freddy about all the things Andrew said he had done.
"Crazy huh?" she said with a feeble laugh.
"Colleen!" exclaimed Freddy, "I cant' do this anymore! They were right! And
I'm not Freddy...at least not the Freddy you think I am. My name is Freddy
Dubua-I'm Freddy Harson's cousin. I was going to tell you in Boston. You see,
my father, he won't let me run his business until I'm married. So I thought
I'd come out here for Michaela...when I saw how old...and married she was I
thought about you." Colleen was furious. She stormed off the train without
another word. Once she got on the platform, she stopped unsure of what to
do. Suddenly someone tapped o her shoulder. It was Freddy.
"Leave me alone!" she cried.
"Wait! Have this!" Freddy thrust a blue box in her hands.
"I don't want anything from you!" she said.
"No! I took it from Andrew. I was going to give it to you sometime but I
can't. I was made for something between you and Andrew, not you and me!"
Freddy got back on the train.
Colleen slowly opened the box. Inside was a golden locket. On it the words:
To Colleen, my friendship, and my love. Colleen could feel the tears
streaming down her cheeks. She ran to the clinic and burst inside. Michaela
was running around.
"Colleen! I thought you were on the train!" Michaela stopped.
"Oh Ma! I've got to see Andrew! Right away!" Colleen was smiling.
Michaela looked down.
"What is it Ma?" Colleen's smile vanished.
"Oh Colleen! There was a fire at the hotel. I'm going out there now. They-
they couldn't stop it until it was too late. Some are dead, but most are
just injured." Colleen's face turned white.
"Let's go. Now!" she said. She helped Michaela with supplies. Then they
quickly rode out in the wagon. When they saw the hotel, Colleen gasped.
Half was completely burned. That was where Andrew's clinic was.
She jumped off the wagon and ran to the hotel.
"Andrew!" she cried. She searched around. Suddenly she saw his coat-on the
small pile of dead people. Her body trembling, she ran over. It wasn't
Andrew! she looked up expecting to see him-but he wasn't there. She searched
even more. Suddenly she saw him. He was helping people when clearly he
himself was hurt. She went over to him, slowly at first, then faster, until
she was almost running.
Michaela was holding Katie and looking around for Colleen. It was very
smokey and she was worried for Colleen's safety. She knew Colleen was
practically a grown woman, but Michaela didn't know what Colleen would do if
she found Andrew...dead. Suddenly she spotted a figure. Suddenly another
figure came into view, running. Michaela sigh and pulled Katie close. "I
hope you turn out as well as your sister," she said. Colleen stopped as she
came close to Andrew. He was such a good doctor. Kind, caring compassionate..
she needed him and he needed her. Then Andrew turned around. Shock and
disbelief filled his face.
"Colleen?" Andrew said, his voice filled with hope...almost not believing.
Colleen nodded and her eyes filled with tears. Andrew slowly, hesitantly put
his hand to her cheek to wipe away the tears. He looked at her face, still
unsure. Then she smiled through her tears. Andrew smiled back. Slowly they
embraced. Colleen let her head rest on his shoulder, savoring this sense of
love and security. Then slowly she raised her head, and their lips met. This
time Colleen's heart didn't skip a beat, nor did she blush; Colleen felt
complete. When the kiss ended, Andrew held her back a minute.
"Someone told me you were going to Boston," Andrew said.
"Oh well, you can't always believe what you hear, plans change!" said
Colleen, still smiling.
"What made you come back?" asked Andrew.
"Well it's Christmas Eve, and I don't want to leave my family-" Colleen saw
Andrew's face fall a bit. It only made her smile bigger, "Oh yeah, and
there's this." She held up the little blue box.
"Did you, uh, open it?" asked Andrew. Colleen nodded. There was silence as
Andrew waited for her to say something.
"You were right, I was wrong," Colleen said quietly. Andrew looked away,
clearly embarrassed.
"Well? Are you going to put it on me?!" she asked, her smile returning.
Andrew grinned and did so. Afterward, Colleen faced him again and sigh.
"What's the matter?" asked Andrew.
"Well, I don't really have a Christmas present for you. I mean I had a tie,
but now..." Colleen trailed off, upset with herself.
Andrew laughed, "Colleen! Don't you know that you gave me the best Christmas
present I'll ever have?" Colleen was puzzled. She thought back on anything
she had given Andrew and came up blank.
"What?" she asked.
"Oh Colleen, you gave me your love and trust," said Andrew.
Their lips met again, the smoke beginning to clear around them. Although the
fire had injured many and killed some, anyone who knew Colleen and Andrew
knew that it had not been a total loss that day.
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