Disclaimer: I did not invent nor do I own these characters. I derive no profit from them or this story. I just like to make things up.
Author's Note: This takes place early in Matt & Kitty's Relationship
It was a hot July afternoon, and Doc was deep in thought as he drove his buggy slowly down a dusty road. He was in no hurry as he made his way back to Dodge after delivering a baby at the Emerson household. It was the family's fourth child and first boy. Doc was happy for them, and pleased that his work had been made easy. Mrs. Emerson's labor was short, the delivery free of complications, and the mother and baby were doing just fine. His thoughts, however, were not on the Emersons as he plodded along. No his thoughts were on his own loved ones – Kitty and Matt, and his thoughts were troubled, very troubled.
His mind traveled back a few years, to the morning that Kitty had arrived in Dodge. He and Matt had walked into Delmonico's for breakfast. Doc remembered that Matt had been up most of the night dealing with drunken cowboys, and was even more ravenous than usual. As they ate, Doc looked across the room and saw an extraordinarily beautiful, young redhead eating a simple breakfast. He had never seen her before, but couldn't help but notice that there was a lovely sweetness about her that was coupled with a kind of wariness that was unusual in one so young. As he was observing her, it didn't take him long to realize that she was surreptitiously watching Matt. After eating hungrily for a few minutes Matt paused from shoveling food into his mouth, and happened to look up. Doc saw their eyes meet for the briefest of moments. In that moment, Doc knew that he had witnessed love at first sight.
After that first morning, Doc was not surprised to find out that Kitty had decided to stay in Dodge. As time went on he became more and more grateful that she had made that decision, not only for Matt's sake, but also because he soon found his own affection for the beautiful, young woman growing by leaps and bounds. It wasn't long before he thought of her as the daughter he had never had. Yes, Matt and Kitty were his family, and watching their relationship flourish was a source of continuing joy.
As his horse plodded along that hot afternoon, Doc took a swig of water from his canteen as he pictured the little things about the couple that made him smile. Things that he was sure they thought went un-noticed, like the way Matt leaned on the saloon bar so he could look directly into Kitty's eyes, and the way her face lit up when he entered the room.
Doc wasn't sure if they realized that he knew that Matt spent almost every night that he was in town with Kitty, and had been doing so for months now. The couple was discrete and Doc figured most folks didn't know, but he knew and was pleased. The two people he cared so much about were making each other happy. At least that is until a few day ago. Now they both seemed downright miserable.
Matt had been away for 5 days, and the morning after his return the change in couple's behavior was abrupt and apparent. From that point on Matt had become more and more grimly quiet and had started snapping at Chester whenever he had to explain something more than once, as if explaining something to Chester more than once was anything new. On Kitty's part, the sparkle was gone from her eyes as she kept herself busy at the Long Branch, busy with a vengeance. She rushed about making customers feel hurried, wiping down the bar even if it had just been wiped, and polishing glasses that didn't need polishing. Worst of all when Matt walked in as part of his nightly rounds, she quickly hurried into her office as if she had just remembered some crucial business that needed her immediate attention. Not that Matt ever lingered. He'd take one fast look around to make sure there was no trouble, and be gone.
Doc signed heavily - they must have had one hell of a fight. He had tried to talk to them. Matt had responded with a long, silent look before changing the subject. Kitty had given him a forced smile before quickly saying with false cheer, "Everything is fine Doc."
Doc drove along mile after mile, trying to come up with a plan to get the couple back together. He knew that he had to get them in the same room at the same time, but the question was how, since they were avoiding each other like the plague. Maybe a social event - unfortunately there were no sociables, weddings or parties coming up. Even if there were, Doc figured that one or the other would find a way to get out of attending.
Doc had almost reached the stable in Dodge when inspiration struck. He knew that Kitty and Matt cared about him as much as he cared about them. What if he invited them to a special, very special occasion? Yes, an invitation from him to something really special might just do the trick.
Right then and there Doc decided to throw himself a birthday party. The fact that his birthday was six months away didn't matter. No one knew when his birthday was, just like no one knew exactly how old he was. On Sunday evening he'd have a birthday party for himself. Surely neither Matt nor Kitty would turn down that invitation. There was the possibility that Matt would be called out of town, but that was an unavoidable risk Doc figured he'd have to take. Rubbing his hand across his mustache, Doc smiled to himself. He wouldn't be able to pull it off by himself, but he knew of two people who he was positive, would be more than happy to help.
Doc walked back to his office with a glimmer of hope in his heart, and a plan to put into motion.
TBC