#6 IN FLAME SERIES: MAN UP
Chapter 1
Frank Reardon
It was early evening when Matt looked up from his paperwork, never expecting to see the face that appeared before him. He couldn't get out of his chair fast enough to meet the man in the doorway.
"Frank Reardon! By golly, what are you doing here?" He grasped the other man's hand like a lifeline, pumping it for all it was worth, "I can't believe it's you!"
Frank still wore that little boy grin that drove women wild. "It's me, Matt, in the flesh. I didn't have time to send you a wire to let you know I was coming."
"Well, sit down. How about a cup of coffee?" Matt retrieved an extra mug.
Frank grabbed a chair and placed it in front of the old wooden desk. He glanced down at the paperwork Matt had been filling out. "Getting to be more secretarial duties than shooting anymore."
Matt handed his friend the steaming cup, then returned to his seat behind the desk. "Sounds like you're familiar with it." The Marshal's brows furrowed, as his blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you wearing a badge again, Frank?"
Frank shook his head, chagrined; then he pulled back his vest to reveal a U.S. Marshal's badge. "Don't give me that look. I was on my way back to Montana to live off the land; and…I still don't know how it happened." Frank's eyes opened wide after taking a drink of coffee. "When did you learn to make coffee like this!?"
Matt leaned back until his chair was braced against the wall on its two rear legs. Laughter preceded his answer. "Thad's fiancée makes it for us. Bethany manages the Prairie Rose, across the street. She comes by every morning, and then again at night, to make us another pot."
Frank took another drink and gave a smile of approval. "So? How are Kitty and the kids?"
"Fine. Kitty's as pretty as always. The kids are getting bigger."
"And the spitfire?"
Again, Matt led with laughter, "Calleigh...is Calleigh. Unpredictable, headstrong..." He bobbed his head with a sheepish grin, "I don't know how Newly does it."
"You've got a nice family. You're a damn lucky man, Matt." Frank's comment was bittersweet, matching the shadow of sadness that quickly passed over his face. "Well, guess I need to tell you why I've shown up out of the blue."
"Yeah, what's it been...three years?"
"Uh, let's see… your little one was about two weeks old. Another little redheaded beauty."
"Hadley." An unconscious smile crossed Matt's face, "Well, she's just now a few months shy of three, so it's been a while."
"Can I have a refill on this?" Matt motioned for his oldest friend to help himself. "I'm after some guys, Matt; real ugly group. Leader is Deke Spangler."
"Matt's brows furrowed, his mouth pursed to one side as he searched his memory for the name." Doesn't sound familiar?"
"Spangler rides with his two brothers, Fane and Troxl. They hooked up with Garren and Torie Stinner. They've also recruited an advance man, or scout, if you will. name of Brayden Willows. They don't just go after banks. They hit anything that gets in their way.
"If they need horses, or food, they have no problem murdering homesteaders. They shoot the menfolk and rape all the women." Frank took a couple of steps to the side of the stove and stared out the window. Instead of Front Street, all his mind could see was the pillage left behind by this gang; images of young girls ravaged and murdered, that he would never be able to erase from his memory, no matter how long he lived. "I believe they are heading this way, Matt."
"All the way from Montana?" Matt eased his chair back down onto all four legs. "Why would they come here?"
"They're actually pretty smart—for crooks. Of course, Deke's the smartest. That's why he's the leader. He knows it's getting too hot up North, but they're not wanted in Kansas." Frank hunched his shoulders and arched his brows. "It's time for a fresh start. That's what I'm doing here; I'm trying to beat him to the punch. If you'll help me, maybe we can catch them before they get the chance to do too much serious damage."
Matt lowered his eyes, a part of him suddenly sorry that Frank had come. The saying, don't shoot-the-messenger, crossed his mind. "Wait. I did hear something about a robbery—at a freight station in Casper—that was pretty brutal. I do seem to recall that the name Spangler was mixed up in it somewhere."
Frank nodded, confirming the story. "They stole a shipment of guns coming from some dealer in Texas. Of course, that wasn't enough for them. Not only did they shoot the agent and the sheriff, but also killed a mother and son, that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Stinner brothers do carry guns, but their weapon of choice...is machete. I don't even want to tell you what they did to that woman, before butchering both her and the little boy." Reardon topped off his coffee, then returned to the empty chair. "I'm telling you, Matt; these guys make those Jayhawkers look like a bunch of choir boys."
"What makes you think they're coming here, to Dodge?"
"I said Deke was smart. Did I also mention arrogant? He's coming for you, Matt. You've got the biggest reputation around these parts." Frank was not surprised at the irritated expression that graced his best friend's face. "Course he'll want to destroy your town too."
"That retirement date can't come soon enough." Matt got up to refill his cup, but the pot was bone dry. He cast a caustic look at Frank, while watching his friend drink the last of the Prairie Rose brew. "You look beat. Been riding all day?"
Frank stood up, arching his back to stretch out the kinks. "Thirty-six hours in that damned saddle; then my horse pulled a tendon. Moss still awake?"
"I still have some work here that I have to get done tonight." His old friend looked beat, so Matt decided to forgive him for taking the last of the coffee. "Tell you what; take Buck, and go on home. I'll take your horse down to Moss when I get done, then I'll borrow one of his to ride home. Kitty is at Calleigh's with the kids, so just go on upstairs and get to bed."
"Are you sure?" Frank really wanted Matt to mean what he was saying, because he was exhausted.
"Of course I'm sure." Matt walked Frank outside and watched his friend drag his weary body up onto Buck. "Don't worry about falling asleep. Buck knows the way home." Frank gave Matt a nod of thanks, before heading toward the LadyK.
DoubleODoubleODoubleODoubleODoubleO
Hadley clung to her momma, crying her little heart out. Kitty gently bounced the child on her shoulder, while rubbing her back in a circular pattern. She hushed the baby in gentle tones, but the little girl was not going to be silenced. Hadley buried her face against Kitty's cotton dress. The words were muffled, but still understandable. "My belly sick."
Calleigh stood behind Kitty, attempting to get a look at the crying child. She brushed the damp curls from the toddler's forehead, to try and ascertain whether or not she had a fever.
"She is a little warm, but that's probably from all the crying." The purpose of the evening had been to bake cupcakes for the church bazaar. Three dozen of them had been spread out on the counter to cool, while the women had retired to the porch with iced tea to talk. Apparently, even without frosting, the treats had been too tempting for a certain little redhead to resist.
Calleigh turned her attention to her little brother. "Coop, how many of those cupcakes did she actually eat?"
The counter and floor below looked like a chocolate war zone. It was hard to tell how many had been eaten and how many were just casualties to grabby little fingers. The little boy shuffled his feet, keeping his head down, ashamed that he hadn't stopped his little sister. "Coop? How many?"
"I think five, maybe more. She was grabbing them all and it was hard to see. I told her she was going to get in trouble, but she wouldn't listen to me."
Kitty continued to walk the child, trying to ease her bellyache. "You're not in trouble Cooper; it's not your job to watch her, baby. But, next time, come tell either Calleigh or myself. Okay?"
"Yes momma. I'm sorry."
Calleigh returned from her office with a glass of water. "I mixed in some mint; it should help her tummyache." She peeked over Kitty's shoulder, just as Hadley raised her head enough to sniffle up a breath. "Can you drink some of this for me please, baby girl?"
Hadley pursed her lips, her big blue eyes angry at the cupcakes. "Why?"
"It will make your tummy feel better. I promise." Calleigh held the glass, while Hadley pulled back enough to drink the water. The little girl made a face, as though trying to decide whether she liked it, but was quickly overcome by a humongous yawn. It had been too much crying, too much drama, for such a little one. Heavy lids hung over bright blue eyes and she let her head drop back onto Kitty's shoulder.
"She will probably be asleep by the time we get home." Kitty pressed a kiss to the sweaty red curls on the baby's forehead. "Did Newly get the buggy ready?"
"I sure did." Newly reached down to pick up the sulking little boy. "Hey big, guy. Why don't you stay here with Calleigh and me? Your momma is going to have her hands full with your little sister."
Cooper looked hopefully at his mother with Matt's big blue eyes. Kitty reached over to stroke his cheek. "You go ahead; stay. Have a good time." The boy's smile returned and he relaxed into Newly's arms.
"Are you sure you don't want one of us to take you home?" Newly shifted the boy to his other arm "I'd be glad to."
"We'll be fine. Thanks." Kitty could tell by the relaxed breathing that Hadley was either asleep, or on the brink. Calleigh walked her mother out to the buggy. The young woman waited until Kitty got Hadley settled in and took the reins, to head back to the LadyK.
Hadley slept all the way home, just as predicted. Once there, Kitty had dressed her daughter in a gown and started to tuck her in, but the baby had other ideas. Nothing would do, but that her momma lay down beside her. Hadley started to whine and was on the verge of waking up completely, when Kitty readily agreed that laying down would be beneficial to both. The little girl snuggled next to her momma; enjoying the rhythm of Kitty's hand moving in a soothing, pattern on her belly.
Kitty heard the front door open, quickly followed by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. She wanted to call to Matt, to let him know that she was home, but not at the risk of waking Hadley.
The sounds that followed told her that Matt was getting ready for bed. At one point, she tried to slip out of the little moppet's bed, but quickly had to abandon the attempt when the girl started to whimper and squirm as though she were waking up.
It seemed like forever, but Kitty knew it was not more than a half-an-hour since Matt had come home. With the greatest of care, she eased herself from the sleeping child's bed, then headed for her own bedroom. As Kitty eased the bedroom door open, she heard the light sound of snoring coming from the bed.
Running her tongue along her upper lip, Kitty mentally savored the seduction she was planning for her husband. Without making a sound, she tiptoed around to her side of the bed and began to remove her clothes. She was careful to maintain her silence, as she kicked the abandoned garments to the side. It was obvious, by the faint snoring, that Matt was laying with his back to her. Kitty slid in next to him, sliding one hand down his back to that firm butt that she had loved from the first moment she saw it, so many years ago.
What happened next progressed so quickly, it was hard to decipher exactly what went wrong.
Kitty felt the blood in her veins turn to ice as her hand slid down the warm, muscular body. Though it was both warm and muscular, she knew instantly...it wasn't Matt's. The warm body sat up abruptly, turning to see who was making him feel so welcomed.
Before he could ask—or she could react—the bedroom door flew open. In the light of the full moon, Matt's hulking form filled the doorway.
There was a split second of silence before pandemonium began. Kitty screamed and jumped from the bed—too quickly to remember that she had discarded all of her clothing.
God gave each of us a sense of curiosity and Frank was no exception, as he took in the gorgeous, naked body standing beside the bed. In a frantic attempt to cover herself, Kitty grabbed the covers from the bed. While she did manage to cover herself, she'd left Frank au naturel.
Again, Kitty's indignant scream hit the air, while her eyes darted frantically from Matt, to the unabashed, naked Frank Reardon. She picked up a pillow, throwing it over the parts of Frank that simply weren't meant for her eyes.
Clinging to the bedding, she staggered back a step. Wide eyes, full of panicked confusion, darted around the room. Kitty's mouth hung open as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Finally, she was able to focus on Matt, but his reaction wasn't exactly what she needed, or expected.
"Frank. Am I going to have to shoot you?" There wasn't a hint of jealousy in Matt's tone; just playful banter offered to a friend.
Despite the fact that earlier, Frank had been so exhausted he had fallen asleep the minute his head hit the pillow, he was very wide awake now! "Well, I gotta tell you, Matt, it'll be worth it." The last word had barely exited Frank's lips, before both men burst into laughter.
Kitty's eyes opened even wider, ricocheting from one man to the other. Her mouth seemed to be moving, but she was unable to make a sound. As the laughter grew louder around her, the naked redhead's embarrassment began to dissolve into a pool of anger.
In a blink, her eyes went from stretched wide—to a narrow, scathing gaze. She threw the tail of the bedding over her shoulder as she stomped past Matt, toward the water closet. When the door slammed and the click of the lock echoed into the sudden silence, Matt knew he was in deep trouble.
Still, even the threat of an angry wife was not enough to bring an end to the men's laughter. Frank reached down to retrieve his pants from the floor. He slipped them on and then sat back down on the side of the bed.
"I'm sorry guy, but you are in soooo much trouble." Frank's laughter didn't lend much creditability to his apology.
Matt tried to get himself under control, but he wasn't having much luck either. "I am! The thing is, I didn't do anything. YOU TWO are the guilty ones!" He was finally able to take a deep breath and wipe the tears from his eyes. "Seriously, am I supposed to hit you; or something?"
"I would understand if you did." Frank glanced over at the closed door, now hiding the mortified woman. "She's a beautiful woman Matt." The beleaguered husband cast a sudden, sideways glance toward his friend. It was a clear warning to Frank—to forget what he has just seen. Frank lowered his gaze. He had the decency to at least pretend to be remorseful, "Sorry; consider it forgotten."
Matt knew that was impossible. He enjoyed the pleasure of seeing that body every day, and it was NOT easily forgettable. Still, considering the situation, he had no real choice but to take Frank at his word.
"Why don't you go ahead take the bedroom across the hall. It's not near as exciting as this one, but it is comfortable."
"Sure thing. Maybe this will all look better after a good night's sleep." Frank headed off to the other bedroom, leaving his friend to cajole the naked woman out of the water closet.
Matt took a deep breath, while giving his body a shake, in hopes of regaining his composure. He then took the first step, in what he knew was going to be a loooong road. "Kitty. Baby. Unlock the door sweetheart." He waited for her to yell, or scream…or even throw something; but there was only silence.
Again, he rapped lightly on the door, "Honey, please, come out. You can't stay in there forever." Matt pressed his ear against the door and his heart plummeted to his stomach. She was crying!
Anger, he could handle; screaming; recriminations; even flying objects. Anything…but, tears. Those, were always his downfall. As far as he and Frank were concerned, what had happened, was just a hilarious comedy of errors; but, to Kitty, it had been humiliating.
The remorse and concern in his voice was genuine. "Kitty, please open the door. You're starting to scare me, sweetheart." Still, not a sound was heard. "Okay. Honey, if you don't open the door, I'm going to have to break it down." The silence continued for a few seconds more, then the click of the lock resonated in the stillness.
Matt eased the door open until he spied his wife. Still bundled in the blanket, she was sitting on the floor, knees up to her chest, with her head resting on folded arms. Matt reached down and lifted her up into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom; taking a seat on the edge of the bed with her on his lap. "I'm so sorry, honey. We didn't mean to embarrass you."
"Matt, I was mortified." She sniffled "How could you just stand there...laughing? He saw me naked!"
She laid her head on Matt's chest, as he brushed the hair from her face. "Honey, it was just an unfortunate...thing. You know if it had been anybody but Frank, I would have shot him on the spot."
Kitty peered up at him from under lowered lids, "Really?"
"Really. You want me to shoot Frank? 'Cause I will."
"Will you?" She peered up at him with those huge doe eyes, her voice reeking of sweetness and innocence.
Matt's forehead broke out into a mass of wrinkles, accented by furrowed brow. He was only kidding! Was she really looking at him with those eyes and with that voice, asking him to shoot their old friend, Frank? Matt was stunned by her request, until he saw the corner of her mouth slip into a tiny smile.
Relief rushed through him. "Okay. You got me." he brushed his lips lightly across hers. "How did you know it wasn't me in that bed?"
"I knew as soon as I touched his…" Her cheeks flushed again. "I knew it wasn't you. I know every inch of your butt, just like you know my body."
Matt pulled the bedding back. "So, let's see what you're hiding in there." He slipped one hand inside the coverlet. Curious fingers cupped one breast. "Did you have a surprise planned for me?" He began to kiss her again, only this time not so lightly.
Kitty arched back, giving Matt access to her neck and shoulder. "I did. I was going to do things to you that you only dream about." Kitty could hear his breathing becoming more rapid. Just as his fingers started to roam toward more alluring spots, Kitty's hand blocked his move.
"That's what I HAD planned; this...is what you get." Kitty crawled over to her side of the bed, laid down, with her back to Matt and drew her blanket cocoon even tighter around herself. "What's that old saying? He who laughs last…"
Matt stared at his wife for a moment, hoping against hope, that she was just teasing him. After a few seconds, that hope waned; it was clear, he had shot himself in the foot this time. He lay down beside her, releasing a mournful sigh. "Goodnight, Kitten..."
TBC
