"Thank you for helping so much the last month, Bianca. I know you've had a lot on your mind with planning this wedding but I don't know what I'd have done without your help with Sophia." Catherine said as she helped her sister into her lacy white wedding dress.

"Nonsense. You are my sister and Sophia is my niece and I would do anything for both of you. Besides I let Gretchen handle most of the details. She was more than happy to help out." Bianca looked at herself in the mirror of the small hotel in town. She and Edward were getting married down at the small church and she was using this room to get herself ready.

"Can you imagine all the jokes Emmett would have cracked over me wearing a white wedding dress?" Bianca asked. Catherine laughed.

"He would have had plenty to say I'm sure. You were always the one person that could get him riled up." she replied Bianca sighed and smiled a sad smile.

"I miss that." she said. Catherine felt tears in her eyes but quickly blinked them away and shook her head.

"We're not going to be sad today." she said matter-of-factly. "This is a day to be happy! My little sister has finally found a man who wants to put up with her forever!"

"How do I look?" Bianca asked. Catherine looked at the lacy dress that showed off Bianca's slim figure. She had all her dark curls pulled up on her head and a tiny lacy white veil. Catherine smiled and handed her the bouquet of pink roses from Catherine's own gardens.

"Beautiful." she replied. "You look like a woman getting ready to marry the love of her life." Bianca smiled. She knew her sister was in a lot of pain today watching her get married but she knew that Catherine was determined to hide her pain for Bianca's sake.

"You look pretty too, Catherine." Bianca said. Catherine had pulled out her green satin dress that she had made when they lived back east. She had her own hair pulled up as well and her locket around her neck. Just then a knock came on the door and Gretchen walked in.

"Are you ladies about ready?" she asked. "Your groom looks like he's about to drop dead from nerves." she added looking at Bianca. Bianca let out a long breath and practically bounced up and down in her excitement.

"Let's go get married!" she said. Catherine scooped Sophia up off the bed and followed Bianca out of the hotel and down to the church. Catherine and Gretchen walked in and sat down in the pews. Catherine looked over at Richard who was sitting next to her and he gave her a happy smile.

"You look lovely." he said. "I don't think I've ever seen you so dressed up."

"Emmett loved this dress." she said and then she frowned when she saw the look of sadness in his eyes at Emmett's name. "I'm sorry." she said. He shook his head.

"Don't apologize, Catherine. Emmett was lucky to have a woman who loved him so much." Before Catherine could reply the old organ in the front of the church came to life and everyone stood to watch Bianca enter the church. Catherine looked at Edward instead and saw the love in his eyes as he looked at her sister. She was so happy for Bianca and the happiness that both she and Edward had found.

The ceremony was short and sweet and once it was over everyone gathered in the large community center for a reception with food and music. Catherine kissed her sister goodbye, said she had to be getting Sophia home and then walked down to the stable where she had her horse hitched.

She was just climbing up onto the mare when a throat cleared behind her. She looked over and smiled a guilty smile when she saw Richard standing there with his arms crossed over his chest looking at her.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked. She finished settling herself up in the saddle and adjusted the papoose she had Sophia secured in.

"Sophia and I are going home." she replied. Richard sighed and held up his hand.

"You wait right here." he said and then he walked over to the jail and got his horse. He jumped into the saddle and then joined Catherine. As they started out of town he looked over at her.

"What have I told you about trying to ride around out here alone?" he asked. He looked at the darkening sky. "Especially at night." he added. Catherine bit her lip and smiled guiltily.

"Wasn't it something about a bandit hiding behind every cactus?" she asked. He forgot his irritation and smiled.

"Exactly. So I will make sure you and miss Sophia get home safely. Did you have a good time at the wedding?" he asked. "You ran off as soon as the groom kissed the bride and I didn't see you again."

"It was just hard for me." she answered honestly. "Don't get me wrong I am happy for Bianca and Edward I just…."

"You wish that it could have been you and Emmett." he finished for her. Catherine looked over at him sadly.

"I'm sorry, Richard." she said. He shook his head.

"You have no reason to be sorry, Catherine. You have told me from day one that your heart belongs to Emmett. I just stuck around because I like having you for a friend." They rode in a strained silence the rest of the way to the house. Catherine wanted to be able to fall in love with Richard. He was such a good man. He cared about her and he was good with Sophia. However it was impossible for her to make her heart feel something that it didn't feel.

Richard walked up onto the porch with Catherine once they arrived at her home.

"I'll see to your horse, Catherine. You and Sophia go on in and get some rest." he said. Catherine wanted to hug him goodnight but was afraid of sending him the wrong signal… She just craved the feel of a mans arms around her. She took a step away from him and opened the door.

"Goodnight Richard." she said. Richard could see the sadness in her eyes. He knew how hard watching her sister get married had been for Catherine even though she thought she was hiding her pain from him pretty well.

"I'll be back out first thing in the morning to check on you." he said. Catherine shook her head.

"You don't have to." she said. He nodded.

"I know I don't." he said. "But I want to. And besides I have to pass through to go out to El Paso. I'll be gone a few days and I want to see you before I leave." Catherine nodded knowing that he was going to come no matter what she said.

"Ok then. I'll see you in the morning." he said and then turned and walked away. She saw him take her mare by the reins and lead her to the barn and then she closed the door and took Sophia up to her room.

888

Hours later Sophia woke up screaming. Catherine fed the baby and stood pacing the room with her. No matter how gently she spoke or how gentle of a lullaby she sang. No matter how much she paced or rocked the tiny infant. she could not calm her tears.

"Oh Emmett darling I need you here." she said aloud to the empty room. Suddenly her door opened and Bianca walked in followed by Edward.

"Are you okay, Catherine?" Bianca asked softly. Catherine broke down in tears and shook her head.

"I cannot make her stop." she said. "I have fed her, rocked her and exhausted my knowledge of lullabies." Bianca reached out to take the crying infant. Catherine shook her head and dried her face with her free hand.

"Bianca, it is your wedding night. You don't need to be taking care of Sophia." Bianca waved her hand impatiently.

"Don't' worry about that." she said. "Edward and I will have plenty of other nights for just the two of us."

"Hey either way tonight is going to be a good night for me because I'm not sleeping in the bunkhouse." Edward added. Catherine was too tired to argue any more. She let Bianca take Sophia from her arms.

"You rest, Catherine. You have not had a single full night of sleep in the month since she's been born. You said you just fed her so you have a good four hours to rest before she needs to eat again. It will be light out by then and maybe you'll feel a little better." Bianca said matter-of-factly.

"Are you sure?" Catherine asked. Edward nodded.

"We're sure." he said. He wrapped his arm around his wife and led her out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Catherine laid down in the bed. She curled up to her pillow and cried big silent tears into it as she thought about her Emmett and how badly she wished she could feels his arms around her again. She didn't know how long she lay there and cried before sleep finally claimed her.

888

Emmett took his horse into the barn and wiped him down and gave him some fresh hay. His heart was heavy in his chest. He was scared to death to go inside and face Catherine. His decision to stay away from her had seemed justifiable at the time he had made it but now he worried that she would not accept him back.

He was filthy from the last two weeks he'd spent on his horse. He was covered in dust and dirt and he knew he didn't smell his best. He should have went to the hotel in town and cleaned up and come out here in the morning. But he could not have stayed away from Catherine a second longer.

His every thought since he'd woken up from his two month sleep, six months ago had been about Catherine. He needed her touch and he needed to touch her. He needed to smell her rose scented hair and skin and taste her kiss. He gave the stallion a final pat on the rump and then walked back out of the barn.

The sky was turning purple and pink with the approaching dawn and Emmett limped up to the house. His right leg still ached and sometimes he found it hard to make it move when he wanted it to but he was finally able to walk without the use of a cane.

He tested the door and found that it was unlocked.. After he had begged Catherine's forgiveness he would scold her and Bianca about leaving doors unlocked. He walked into the silent house and up the stairs. He stopped at the top and looked to the left toward the door to the room he and Catherine were to share as husband and wife.

He could not explain why but he knew she was not in there. He knew Catherine and knowing her as well as he did he knew she would have wanted to change rooms with her sister after his "death". He turned right instead and stopped with his hand on the doorknob. He did not know what her reaction to seeing him would be after all this time. Nine long months he had been gone.

888

Catherine sat up quickly when she heard the door opening. She looked through the darkness and felt her heart speed up at the sight of that tall silhouette. The moonlight shone through her window and when the man took a step forward it hit his face and Catherine nearly cried out.

"Emmett, my love." she whispered. She knew this was a dream. She had had many dreams of Emmett over the last nine months. She held her arms out for him and he was too her in three long strides.

"Catherine, I'm so sorry I stayed gone for so long." Emmett said as he fell to his knees at her bedside. Catherine gave him a questioning look. In her dreams before, he had never spoken. She let his deep voice wash over her like the sunshine after a long rain but wondered why he would say something like that. She was not about to question him aloud however because she did not want to do anything that would cause her to wake up.

Catherine reached out a shaking hand and laid it on his stubble covered cheek. She wondered why he was so dirty but was not going to question that either. All that mattered was that in this dream she could actually feel the texture of his face beneath her palm and she was going to enjoy it.

"I have waited for you my love." she said. Emmett could not believe how quickly she was accepting him. He had expected tears, anger, fighting. He had not expected her gentle hand on his cheek or the look of pure love and desire in her eyes.

"You are not upset with me?" he asked with disbelief. Catherine laughed lightly and Emmett found it to be the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

"I could never be upset with you Emmett, my love." she replied. "You are the other half of my very soul. I have been so lost since you left me." Emmett looked up into her green eyes and felt guilt rip at his heart.

"I am sorry, Cat. I was a broken man. I could not come back to you a broken man." Catherine looked at him and again wondered what he was talking about. Why would he be saying such things in her dream? Maybe because she had wanted him to come back to her for so long and tell her that he had never died in that train robbery.

She was not going to question him. This dream felt more real than any other dream she had ever had and she was not going to waste it.

"I love you, Emmett." she said feeling a tear roll down her cheek. He wiped it away with his rough thumb.

"I love you too, my beautiful Cat." he replied. Catherine could not wait another moment. She grabbed his face in her hands and pulled his mouth to hers. Their lips met and all thought and reason disappeared. It was lightning and it was thunder. It was wind and it was rain.

Catherine thanked God for this dream that felt more like reality. She could taste him as he parted her lips with his tongue and explored her mouth hungrily. Emmett kissed her like a desperate man who had thought he would never again taste something so delicious.

He stood up pulling her up with him so they could keep their lips locked together as long as possible. Catherine looked at his dark eyes as he pulled away. She could see his hunger and his desire in his eyes and again she realized that this was not like the other dreams she had had. Never before in a dream had they made love and she had no doubt that as long as she stayed asleep they were going to make love in this dream.

Emmett felt his hands shaking as she raised her arms above her head and he pulled off her sleeping gown. He ran his hands over her soft body and smiled when he felt her tremble beneath him. He kissed her lips, her cheeks, her neck. He gently traced her collarbone with his hungry lips. Catherine had to grab onto his shoulders to keep from falling as her knees weakened beneath her.

She moaned his name as he pulled away and quickly pulled off his clothes. Catherine looked at his hard glorious body and cursed the darkness. She could not see him nearly as well as she wanted to. He pulled her back into his arms and both of them could feel the sparks and heat where skin touched skin.

"Make love to me, Emmett. Quickly before I wake up." she begged in little more than a whisper. Emmett did not have time to think of what her words meant. His body was on fire and he had to have her now. He laid her down gently on the bed and made love to her as slowly and passionately as his starved body would allow him too.

Emmett collapsed against the pillows thoroughly spent. Catherine laid her head on his damp chest and ran her fingers through the dark hair that covered it. She could feel sleepiness settling into her and she quickly tried to push it aside. If she fell asleep in her dream then the dream would end. She would wake up in the morning and he would be gone. There would be nothing more than a pillow beneath her head.

"I am so happy you came to me, Emmett." she said. She felt him smile as he kissed her head.

"I always wanted to come back to you, Cat, just as soon as I knew I could be a real man for you." he replied. His words confused Catherine but she did not want to question him. If she questioned him he might get angry and cause her to wake up.

"You'll never believe what happened today." she said instead. Emmett ran his hands down her smooth back and pulled the covers tighter around both of them.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Bianca and Edward got married." she replied. Emmett's eyes widened and she raised her head to look in his eyes. She laughed at his disbelief.

"They really did." she assured him. He shook his head.

"Never would have seen that one coming." he said.

"Bianca looked beautiful in her white dress." Catherine said with a grin.

"I hope you just stood outside the church and watched through the door." Emmett said matter-of-factly.

"Why is that?" Catherine asked.

"Didn't the good Lord above send down a bolt of lightning and blow the place sky high when Bianca walked in in white?" Catherine laughed and Emmett found himself chuckling with her. He never dreamed she would accept him back so quickly. Not after being gone for so long. True he could not have sent her word that he was alive the two months after he'd disappeared but the last six he could have but had not.

"Bianca wondered what you would have to say about the dress being white." she said. She laid her head back down on his chest and yawned.

"Turn that overactive mind off my Cat and get some rest." he said kissing her head. She did not want to sleep… Because then she would wake up and he would be gone.

But as his hands slowly massaged her back and she listened to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear she could not keep her eyes open and she drifted off to sleep.