Usual Disclaimer: Just taking our Friends out to play, will put them back when I'm done!
PT.1
Old Flame Revisited!
Frigid winds were blowing. You could tell snow was in the air but after all it was December. Matt sat at his desk trying to look through posters that were sent, that had lain on his desk for weeks. But his mind kept going back to that something was missing, no someone. Kitty had been gone for almost three weeks now but to Matt it seemed like an eternity.
Kitty had gone to San Francisco for a buying trip for the Long Branch, some new distributors. But she also was attending a friend's wedding. She thought she could combine the two, besides knowing she could get in some shopping as well.
Matt hated it when she was gone so long. Things just seemed out of kilter. The only upside, was that she would be back day after tomorrow and that couldn't come fast enough for him.
Finally, he gave up on the posters. Walking to the door, looking out at the desolate streets, thinking he knew how much Kitty loved the big city life. And he hoped that being there all this time that the city didn't win out. He was in such deep thought that he didn't realize Carl was pulling the stage up Front Street. He'd planned on meeting it. Carl was bringing a special package.
As he was daydreaming, standing outside his office, he heard Carl. "Whoa!" And reining in on the horses. "Morning, Marshal."
Matt was still staring off into the gray–white sky.
Again, Carl shouted, "Morning, Marshal. I have your package."
Now snapping back to reality, "Oh, sorry. Morning, Carl. Bitter out there, huh?"
"Oh, yes, Sir, it is. Feel sorry for my passengers."
"Well, can I give you a hand there? We'll get these folk in out of the cold and someplace warm." Matt reached for the door of the stage, while Carl climbed up and untied the bags. "Morning, folks!" Matt said as they started disembarking the stage.
He assisted a woman with a young child as her companion saw to the bags. When he turned to see who was next, he heard, "Well, I'll be. You're still Marshal here in Dodge, Matt?"
Furrowing his brow, as the woman looked up from beneath her rather large hat, he was stunned.
"What's the matter, Matt? Cat got your tongue?"
"I… I…"
And before he could say another word, "Come on, Marshal. Help me out of the cold then we can catch up. It's been a long time.
Kitty had attended to her business and her friend's wedding, and did some shopping. She knew Matt would have a comment or two about that. He never could figure why she needed to shop so much. But he got the benefits from it all, her on his arm. She was anxious to get home. She missed her cowboy. She loved her big city trips but nothing was better than being home in Dodge with Matt.
Quickly she made her arrangements to return home to Dodge and the warm comfort of her cowboy in her arms.
TBC