Kitty got up and looked out the window at the jail. No hoof prints. "Oh well." She Knew Matt would not be back until Monday. Another year spending another Valentine's Day alone. She wondered
how the girls were able to talk her into a party. Cowboys don't like hearts and flowers as they are often away from their loved ones on this awful day.
Normally loneliness sells drinks, and she would make a profit on the day. But because of the party ,it was going to cost her. She could stand that, after all giving away a free drink once in a while was good for business.
What bothered her most was she would have to face the room alone again. Everyone would be paired up. Festus was bringing April. Doc was bringing that new lady doctor who was passing through town.
The men in town knew she belongs to the marshal. Only the really brave ones will ask her to dance - only one dance so as not to get any rumors going around. She would end up spending the night dishing out drinks from the punch bowl and watching men make a fuss over the much younger women.
"Oh well", might as well get this over with. She took out the new red dress and wondered why she wasted money having it made for this terrible party. Oh I know, she thought. He said he would be here. He just smiles and she becomes dumber than dirt. How does he do that! She knew he would come up with a reasonable reason not to come. She got dressed, did her hair, put on her face, practiced her smile, and down the stairs she went.
Sam said, "Those came for you," pointing to a table full of flowers and small boxes. She investigated. They were all nice, but mostly from drummers wanting to make a further sale. A few were from customers. None from Matt. She put the things in her office. She would divide them up later, give them to the girls.
The saloon looked nice with all the decorations the girls put up. Sam said she got a telegram. Her heart jumped. Maybe he was thinking of her. No such luck, the telegram was from a supplier delaying delivery. Festus stopped by and brought the mail. Not even a card, now she found herself getting mad. The least he could do was send her a note. She asked Festus if he got any word
as to when he would be getting in. Nope.
Sam opened the door and she took her place welcoming the couples. Everyone was having a good time. As the night grew long, she ended up at the punch table with Louie, the only other person in the room without a date. Finally, the last dance was being played. Louie asked her to dance. She smiled and took his hand. Of course it was a slow dance, the kind where every girl rests her head on her partner's shoulder. Louie smelled a little like bad whiskey and vomit, but he could really dance. They floated across the room. He moved with the ease of a swan on a lake sliding her across the room. He twirled around, swaying back and forth. The others moved off the floor as Louie closed his eyes and pretended he was dancing with his deceased wife. Kitty imagined it was Matt. Too soon the dance ended. They
were surprised when the room erupted in applause. Kitty thanked Louie for the dance and offered him a bottle. "No thank you," he said. "It was my pleasure," he said as he got his hat and left the room.
Kitty heard someone slap a glass up against the bar. Then the strangest thing happened. Matt appeared in the room standing by the bar. He gave her a scornful look that took her off guard.
He took her by the arm and hustled her out into the night.
"What's wrong, are you hurt?" She asked.
Matt took a long time before he spoke. "How long has this been going on?" he asked with fire in his eyes.
Kitty was in shock. "What?"
Matt: "You and Louie!"
Kitty started to laugh. This was a side of Matt she had not seen before.
Matt was still mad. "I rode all night to get here just to find you and Louie."
Kitty was still laughing when she said, "Well what can I say, Louie is a good man. Loyalty, does it for me."
Kitty's laughter made Matt storm off down the street.
Louie came out from under the stairway. "You should not have laughed at him."
Kitty smiled. "I know, I will make it up to him later. I really enjoyed our dance."
Louie looked kind of sad. "Miss Kitty, you are the finest woman I know and I love dancing with you, but my heart belongs to my wife."
Such loyalty. A love that extended beyond the grave, Kitty thought. "Good night Miss Kitty," Louie said as he turned to walk away. Looking back in a shy schoolboy look he asked, "May I impose on you for a small kiss? It has been a long time. I have been so lonely."
"Close your eyes," Kitty said and she kissed him softly square on the lips.
"Good night Louie." Louie danced off down the street, his body full of warmth and his mind dazzled with thoughts of the woman he loved.
Kitty turned and looked at the jail in time to see Matt move away from the window.
She did not want to fight and he did have a point. So she went to her room.
Tomorrow would be soon enough for her to deal with Matt.
She took a bath got on her long nightshirt slipped under the covers.
She awoke to Matt drawing harts on her hand.
Kitty half asleep asked, "You still mad?"
Matt: "No, I think I was just tired because I rode all last night."
Kitty smiled. "You shouldn't do that. You need to be on your guard always."
Matt: "I knew how important this night was to you."
Kitty moved over so he could slip into her bed. "You're important to me."
He laid his head on her ample breast. She rubbed his aching shoulders and back as he told her about killing a father of six because he robbed a bank to feed his kids. "He was no good with a gun. I told him to give up. He shot at me three times before I took the shot." Kitty wanted to yell at him for taking such a chance with his life. Even a bad shot gets lucky sometimes, but she did not say a word.
Matt told her about the man's daughter calling him a killer.
Soon he fell asleep. Kitty rested her head on the bedpost, never stopped rubbing his back and shoulders, keeping the bad dreams from consuming him.
When the sun got high in the sky, Kitty slipped out of bed to bank the morning stove. After shaking the ashes down, she turned to see Matt looking at her.
"You awake?" she said.
Matt smiled. "I had a bad dream."
Kitty felt that she failed him.
Matt: "I dreamed you ran off with Louie."
She climbed back in bed. "Louie needed someone to be nice to him."
Matt: "Not too nice." Then he smiled. "I was not jealous of you and him. I was jealous by how good you looked with him."
Kitty laughed. "tell you what from now on I will hide in my room, wearing only a gunny sack when your out of town"
He laughed. "You would be beautiful in a gunny sack."
"You know," Kitty said sadly, "I was jealous of his wife. Every woman should be loved the way he loved her. In life and beyond the grave."
Matt took her in his arms. "Until the end of time."
The end