The Dance 1
I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.
Authors note: I borrowed this idea from a radio episode of Gunsmoke and added a few embellishments. I've never heard the actual broadcast so if I happened to copy any dialog or actions from that particular episode I assure you it was purely unintentional. The setting is some time shortly after Kitty came to Dodge and before she bought into the Long Branch.
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For the first time in a long time, Kitty Russell was actually letting herself get excited. The annual town barn dance was coming up in two days, and Matt had promised to take her.
The town had been quiet, there were no trials scheduled within the next week and Matt had already turned down two requests to ride out of town, deferring said requests to other lawmen close by. Of course, something could always come up, she knew, but so far it looked as though she was actually going to get to go with Matt.
She had never been to the town dance since coming to Dodge, and despite her warnings to herself to not get carried away, she realized she was looking forward to it, even if she at first had not wanted to go. She knew all too well how the so called respectable people in town felt about her.
However Matt had insisted that she accompany him, and seeing that he was making an effort to make sure to be in town she couldn't turn him down.
As she crossed Front Street heading to the dress shop, she ignored a few catcalls from passing cowboys, and the disapproving stares from some of the more 'proper' ladies in town. She was determined nothing was going to ruin her good mood.
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As Kitty entered the dress shop, she failed to notice Matt standing across the street watching her. He was a lucky man he thought. He was almost as excited as she was, only for different reasons. He didn't really care for dances or sociables or the like, but he knew she did. And he did care for her.
He knew he had disappointed her several times since they had known each other, and she had very seldom voiced any objection. She merely nodded, said she understood and let it go. He was determined that this time, he was not going to disappoint her no matter what it took.
"Sure is a pretty sight, ain't it, Mister Dillon?" Chester asked as he appeared beside him.
"She…" he stopped. He almost said "She sure is." Instead he asked "What is, Chester?" hoping Chester hadn't noticed his gaffe.
He hadn't.
"Why the stage, Mister Dillon," Chester said, gesturing to the afternoon stage just coming in. Chester dearly loved to watch the stage come in and depart. It made him feel all tingly inside.
Watching the stage roll to a stop, Matt shrugged. "Well I guess, if you say so, Chester." He answered his mind still on a certain redhead.
"You got somethin' on your mind, Mister Dillon?" Chester asked, looking concerned. Mister Dillon usually caught onto things quicker than this he thought.
Matt looked suspiciously over at Chester, wondering if he maybe had seen Kitty and Matt watching her. "No not really, Chester." He finally responded. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, it just seems like your minds off somewheres else." He answered.
Matt shrugged again. "Well I do have a few things on my mind, Chester, but nothing to be concerned with. Just thinking of some work that needs to be done." He looked over at the expression on Chester's face at that. What he saw was a young man trying to find a hole to climb into. Matt let him off the hook.
"Say, Chester, why don't you go on over to the stage office and see if we had any mail or anything come off the stage?"
Chester brightened. "Alright, Mister Dillon" he agreed readily. "I'll do that right now."
Matt grinned, as he watched the young man limp across the road towards the stage office. Chester could be trying at times, and there were times he swore, the man made it his personal mission to keep him and Kitty from spending too much time together, but basically Chester was a good man and Matt was fond of him.
Doc ambled up beside Matt and paused, when he saw the same thing Chester had; only he was a bit more perceptive as he noted where Matt's gaze rested. "Morning, Matt" Doc haled him "Kitty in the dress shop, is she?"
Matt turned and looked at the grin on the older man's face and it irritated him. "Why are you asking me?" he asked.
"Cause that's where you attention is" Doc answered chuckling. He knew how Matt felt about the girl, and he was glad for it. But he also knew Matt didn't like to advertize the fact.
Matt glared at the physician. "Haven't you got some pills to roll, or patient's to finish off, or cows to operate on or something?" He didn't like being ribbed about Kitty.
Doc chuckled, swiped his mustache and walked on down the street towards his office leaving a red faced US Marshal behind.
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Kitty was in the back of the dress shop, trying on a dress when she heard Matt's name.
"Well I for one don't believe the Marshal's serious about her" a familiar voice said. "I mean how could he? She's nothing but a saloon tramp."
"Yeah" a second voice said. Kitty recognized that one as well but couldn't bring to mind the face to go with it. "She's a saloon girl alright, but Daddy said she was saving money to buy a half interest in the place. Daddy says that would make her more respectable."
"She could own the whole of Dodge" the first voice said "and she'd still never be respectable. Matt Dillon is just using her for one thing, and we both know what that is." She snickered "Believe me, he'll tire of her and when he does I'll be waiting."
It was not in Kitty Russell's nature to turn away from things, or people, no matter how unpleasant, yet instead of going out and confronting the two, she stayed inside the dressing room, and waited until the voices could be heard no more.
Kitty was a realist and she had never held any illusions about herself. She knew what she was, but more importantly she knew who she was. Nothing any one else had ever said, or done, had knocked her image of herself. However when it came to Matt she was a little insecure.
Though she hadn't known him for very long, she knew she loved him. She had never loved a man like she loved Matt, even Cole Yankton couldn't compare.
But as silly as it seemed, a part of her wondered if the words of those women were true ones.
Though Matt had never been unkind or disrespectful to her, he had also never shown her a great deal of affection, at least during the day time.
Night was a completely different matter. Night was when he showed her all the affection a woman could want, and yet even in their most intimate moments, he had never told her he loved her.
He had told her from the beginning that their personal relationship had to be private, and non permanent, and she had accepted it, accepted him. But still she couldn't help but wish that at least in private, he would give her a little more than just his body to hold onto.
It was quite now, and Kitty knew the women had left the shop. Kitty pulled back the curtain from the dressing area, and cautiously peered out. Coast was clear, no one was around. Even the shop clerk was missing from the front of the store. Leaving the dress on the counter, Kitty beat a hasty retreat and headed back to the Long Branch. She didn't much feel like any more shopping.
As she stepped out of the shop, she failed to notice Matt, still leaning against the post across the street, and watching her intently.
TBC