Emmett Holly walked into the Long Branch carrying quite a large bunch of wild flowers- wild being the key word. He knew he had a lot of ground to make up with Kitty, and by extension the marshal. He had been shocked to learn that they were married, had been for a few years. Still, Holly was a flirt and it could never hurt to flirt with a beautiful woman… even if her husband was a big fist marshal.
"Those was the best I could find," he said as he handed the bunch to her.
She stared at them for a few seconds before taking them with a roll of her eyes. "I think I recognize 'em- Boot Hill."
He had the decency to blush just a little. "Yeah, but ya see we had so much rain lately the graves was all getting' overgrown, hidin' the markers. I reckon I did kinda a service." He then noticed Matt staring him down from the end of the bar. "Oh, hi marshal."
Matt took a breath to steady the rising irritation and anger he felt for the man in front of him. Sergeant Holly was high on his list of people he'd like to settle up with out on Front Street. Instead of showing Kitty any respect, and trying to help her when he had found her all alone, he was very rough with her. He had even accused her of harboring some sort of attraction toward Gregorio. Then, to make matters worse, after letting the indian escape, Holly had tried to have his own fun with Kitty. Matt reckoned he had given him a decent lump on the head for that one.
"You know," Matt started, "I'm still trying to figure out what charges, if any, I can file against you."
"You know I like that 'if any'," Holly nervously chuckled. "I've been livin on that for 20 years."
Matt's reply was cut off by the arrival of the lieutenant. Matt just shook his head and drank his beer as he listened to Kitty lie for Holly, and then defended her to the young man. He backed down when Matt insinuated that he was calling Kitty a liar, and stormed out calling for Holly to follow him.
"Miss Kitty, you a lot of woman," Holly said as he removed his hat. Matt had had about enough and stood to his full height as Holly continued. "Don't you be surprised 'ol Holly comes a courtin' one day."
That was it. As Holly was leaving, and Matt was about to give him a piece of his mind (and possibly his fist), Holly was stopped by a soft tug on his pant leg. He spun around, and when he didn't see anybody at eye level, he immediately looked down. When he did, he encountered a redish-brown haired, blue eyed little girl of no more than four, crinkling her nose at him.
"Excuse me," she said in a tiny and polite voice.
"Well hi there little lady," Holly smiled and bent over so he was more at her level.
"Are you Mister Sergeant Holly, sir?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously for a four year old.
"Why yes I am! " he smiled at her. "Now what can ol Holly do for you?"
And before anyone, least of all Holly could react, the little girl threw her tiny fist square into Holly's nose, and began to kick his shins as he doubled over in pain and shock.
"Nora!" Matt and Kitty's voices both rang out. Matt wrapped an arm around his kicking daughter's waist and brought her up so she was eye level with him. He really tried to look like he was going to scold her, but the angry look on her face reminded him so much of Kitty. In short, she was too damn cute to reprimand properly in this case.
After sitting the sergeant in a chair and asking Sam to give him a drink, Kitty spun toward her little girl. "Young lady, what on EARTH were you thinking?"
Nora's face dropped a little- Mama was a little bit tougher to negotiate with than Daddy. Still, the determined and angry look remained on her face. "He's the one that Uncle Festus said gave you a hard time. And Grandpa said he's why you had a bruise."
Kitty's face softened a little- the temper was all hers, but the concern her daughter felt for her was all thanks to her father, grandfather, and godfather. "Oh, sweetheart."
Relieved that Mama didn't sound so mad anymore, she looked down at Holly. "You stay away from my mama, mister!"
Holly looked dumbfounded; whether from the pop to the head or the fact that he had been knocked around by a toddler he wasn't sure. "What in the HELL just happened?"
Matt chuckled and held Nora close to him. "You just met the whirlwind that is our daughter."
Kitty smiled and leaned forward toward Holly. "Also known as, Little Big Fist." Holly looked at Kitty, then at Matt and Nora, shook his head and took a long swallow from the bottle of whiskey Sam had brought over.
Matt patted Nora's leg and smiled at her. "Come on tiger. I think you, me and your mama need to go have a talk with Uncle Festus and Grandpa." And the trio walked out of the saloon together, Holly's eyes following them the whole way out.
He then looked up at Sam. "Did what I think just happened, really happen?"
Sam tried to keep his laughter at bay, but was failing. "You're lucky it was only Nora this time."
Sergeant Holly's eyes bulged. "Only?!" Sam just laughed and made his way back behind the bar. Holly looked from Sam, out the doors of the saloon, then back to the bottle before gently touching his throbbing nose. Again he shook his head and took a big swallow. He had a lot to learn about Big Fist, Miss Kitty and their family; and especially how to stay in the little spit fire's good graces.