Kitty had been a resident of Dodge City one full month and had only visited with the tall marshal a handful of times. He often made his appearance at the Long Branch late in the evenings and usually made it his last stop of the night. Matt would check with Bill Pence to see if anything had gone on that might need his immediate attention . He always began with business at first, but then would move on to a night cap with Kitty. She treasured the moments they spent together even if it wasn't their's alone, often they had the company of Doc and Chester too. Kitty thought to herself that it must make Matt feel more comfortable having his two cloest friends with him while he visited with her. Safety in numbers she had once heard. He was a man's man who lived in a rough and tumble world and not all knowing of the softer womanly way things . This is what attracted her to Matt , he never tried to go out of his way to impress her with any words or actions. What she saw was what you got with him. He never pretended to be anything other than what he was and in Kitty's line of business that was a rare prize to find in a man.
This evening was a rowdy one for Kitty, drovers from the cattle herds had began to role in to the queen of the cattle towns. Kitty was the princess of the queens court tonight. She watched the clock closely praying that midnight would toll earlier than usual, so she could retire for the night. She had been groped , grabbed , kissed and crooned just a little too much to stand, then all was forgotten when her tall timber shadowed the doorway . Kitty watched as he surveyed the busy saloon floor. Matt entered and began to navigate about the drunken patrons, when a loud voice rang out…
"Oh not tonight Marshal…I'm just gett'n started! " out of the middle of no where the cowboy came around with a strong right hook to Matt's head.
Matt's legs buckled under him, he fell backward into a table full of poker playing men.
Regaining his composer he lunged back at the drunken drover. Matt connected with a right handed hook and then a left handed uppercut and the cowboy was down for the count. Matt bent over placing a hand just above each of his knees , he took in a deep breath of air bring himself back up to his full height.
Kitty was in such wonder of Matt, a magnificent sight, it was something to behold when he was in action. Her heart full of both pride and anguish for him at that moment. She knew how much he hated these types of confrontations, but he would be at ease that no life had taken by his hand . A smile developed a cross her face when she thought to herself that a bruised ego never killed anybody.
"Some of you men get him up and out of here before I change my mind and throw him under the jail!" Matt pounded his words out at them.
The men scooped their drunken buddy up under the arms and quickly whisked him out the bat wing doors . Chester was making his way through the door stopped to watched as the group proceeded past him. Matt stood in the middle of the saloon floor in front of the broken table rubbing his jaw with his left hand as he looked over the bloodied damage to the other hand .
"Well I swan… Mister Dillon, did ya forget to duck? " a look of concern upon Chester's face.
" Yea, something like that… I guess Billy Tate thought I was here to end his fun a litle too early to night… he took a swing at me." Matt stated shaking the cobwebs away.
"Looks like ole' Billy got ya pretty good there… it's gonna leave a mark." Chester announced as he looked around the room.
Before Matt could reply to Chester's statement he felt a hand at the small of his back. Kitty had made her way to him.
"Matt, are you okay…what got in to him anyway?" Kitty questioned as she reached to move Matt's hand to view the cut on his cheek.
"Oh who knows Kitty." Matt said allowing Kitty to touch the bloody swollen gash.
" Matt you need to go and get Doc to stitch that up. " she pointed out the door.
" It'll be all right, it's just a scratch ." A half smile graced the uneffected side of Matt's face as he tried to mask his pain at that instant.
"Oh, Mister Dillon… begg'n your pardon, but that's a little worse off than a scratch." observed Chester raising up on his toes and eyeballing the area of Matt's face. "Maybe you ard'a do as Miss Kitty says" he announced.
" Chester take him up to Doc's and get that ugly cut taken care of and come on back afterwards and we'll all have a drink… it's on me." Kitty winked.
" Why sure thang Miss Kitty ." Chester agreed turning toward Matt.
" Now I don't think I need a nurse maid ya know." Matt spouted out holding the palms of his hands up in protest of his two on lookers. .
"I know you all to well Cowboy... if I don't send Chester with you... you'll never make it up there… so go you two" Kitty stated boldly.
"Okay…Okay…you win… I'll go…." Matt gave her a nod as he brushed past her. " I'll see you later…" he stated.
Kitty watched as they exited and she shook her head in disbelief . Matt could be so hard headed sometimes. She couldn't help but reveal in the way he succumbed to her insistence on certain things. One small tiny layer at a time Kitty was beginning to wrap Matt around her delicate little finger in such a short time of knowing him .
Matt and Chester ambled their way up to Doc's office. The stair case creeked under Matt's heavy steps as Chester hopped one sure footed step at a time up behind him . The door to Doc's office opened before Matt could grasp on the knob.
"Oh good gracious…it's you two…come on in" Doc swiped his hand across his mustache and stepped back through the door.
"Doc if I know'd better I'd almost thank you was expect'n us." Chester stated.
" Well Chester…believe it or not I'm so in tune to those heavy foot steps of that there fella… I have learned that the sound usually brings me some kind of business or another. Lets see what you brought me tonight." Doc barked pulling his glasses from his vest pocket.
" I'm glad to know I'm good for something to you, Doc" Matt bit back.
" That's a nasty one you got there… looks in need of my handy work." Doc assessed as grabbed up Matt's chin and turned it for a better look .
"Doc, Miss Kitty said if in when ya got all finished we're all invited back for drink at the Long Branch ." Chester stated yawning as he plopped his lanky frame down in Doc's desk chair .
"Wish I could, but I was just on my way out to Will Ronniger's place. Bess is expecting baby number four any time now and I need to check on her.
"This late Doc?" Chester quizzed pulling his hat over his eyes and leaning back into the chair.
"Yes this late …babies don't keep bankers hours you know" growled Doc.
Doc gathered his needed supplies to clean and prepare to mend Matt's cut cheek. Matt grimaced from the burn of the cleansing agent that Doc applied to the injured area.
"Smarts some …Huh?" Doc chuckled at Matt's reaction to the liquid as he dabbed the wet cotton ball over the cut.
"You know… you could warn a fella before you use that stuff" groaned Matt
" Oh you act like…now look here… you'll never get through the stitch'n." Doc holding the needle and catgut thread up in front of Matt, closing one eye to better help in lacing it through the needle hole.
Matt felt a pang in the pit of his stomach knowing it was soon going to hurt him something awful. Doc had had few privileges to work on Matt when he conscious. Most times were bullet wounds that required sedation to remove. The last fight Matt had been injured in he was fortunate enough to be out cold when he arrived at Doc's office and was none the wiser of the pain until he awoke when the stitching was all over.
" You ready son?" Doc asked as he moved in over Matt's head .
"Ready as I'll ever be… lets get it over with." bravely stated Matt
Doc pushed the needle into Matt's leathery tanned skin. Matt bit down hard on his bottom lip and squinted his eye half shut one being from pain and two not wanting to see the magnified view of that needle coming at him.
"It always helps if I say that this gonna hurt me more than It's gonna to hurt you…ya know" Doc said curling his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he push through Matt's skin multiple times.
"Didn't help me one bit…Doc…ahh…" Matt replied through gritted teeth.
A snoring had began to flood the room, Doc stopped and turned toward the loud sounds coming from Chester's direction.
" Now look there would ya… even with all your whoop'n and holler'n , he can still sleep like a baby." grumbled Doc.
"Now you look here Doc…" Matt was cut off by the ole' physcian.
"Shh… I'm almost done… All right there you are, a half dozen of the finest stitches, only to be rivaled by the best of the female quilters of our good town." Doc spewed proudly applying a bandage to the marshal's rugged faced.
"Say…Doc can ya piece me one in some of your spare time?…the jailhouse gets mighty cold at times." Matt smirked at Doc.
" Why you… you git… I got some more work to do yet." shouted Doc
"Alright …let me wake Chester and we'll be on our way." Matt hopped down from the exam table grabbing his hat from the desk.
"Oh just leave him be…" Doc stated as he gathered his hat, coat and medical bag to go to the Ronniger's place.
"Okay then…if you say so " Matt replied happily knowing he would be all alone with Kitty and a smooth shot of rye whisky that would ease the throbbing pain from his left cheek.
"Matt, be sure and tell Kitty that I'm sorry, but duty calls… how about coffee in the morning" Doc stated with a smile as he parted opposite Matt's direction.
"Sure thing Doc." Matt replied back at his trusted friend and physician.
Making his way back to the Long Branch Matt thought of how green he must have looked letting Billy sucker punch him like he did. He hated to have any of slightest look of weakness. Letting his guard down tonight was just about all the weakness that he could stand. If people should ever think of him as any less of the hardened marshal that he was, he could loose this town, it could be busted wide open.
The clock chimed midnight as Kitty ushered the last of the drunken drover out the doors. She relaxed her small tired frame against the bat wing door. The familiar sound of the town law's lead heavy feet echoed from down the board walk. She could tell who it was with the slow rhythmic gait known only unto Matt. Kitty noticed that he was all alone as he made his way toward her. Her heart quickened at the sight of him and the large white bandage shinning brightly against his sun darkened face.
"Well Hello there Cowboy…I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show ."
"Where's the rest of the clan?" Kitty crossed her arms and welcomed him with a beautiful smile across her face.
" Well Kitty…Doc's got a baby wait'n on him right about now…and Chester's sleep'n like one up in Doc's office…So if ya don't mind it's just you and me ." Matt grinned back at her.
" No…I don't mind at all… come on in here" grabbing his arm Kitty pulled him through the doors and quickly closed and locked them up tight.
"Whisky?" she asked as she made her way around the back side of he bar.
"Yea…might numb some of the feeling" Matt rubbed over the bandaged area.
"You know…you need to be more careful …next time it might be a gun instead of a fist" Kitty scolded at Matt
"I know… I've been kicking myself ever since it happened… you know I don't need it from you too" Matt rolled his eyes at her.
"I just care for you Matt… I don't want to see you get hurt like that." she handed him a shot of rye.
Matt watched her make her way from behind the bar and glide across the dirty saloon floor to a back corner table. She motioned for him to set down next to her . This was the first time for him to be totally alone with her . In all of his marshaling he had faced many a fast gunman and never once had they ever created the large lump in his throat that being alone with Kitty at this moment had. She was so beautiful and so feminine almost as if he touched her she would break in his very hand. Matt only knew the world's harshness of life, the places you had to be as strong as granite and as tough as nails in. He never imagined what the feeling of a woman would have on him, especially this woman and how she eased him. He had known women in his past ,but he was young and not as worldly then as he was now. He felt drawn to her unlike any before her.
" Kitty, can I ask you something … I mean would you tell me… Well… are you planning on staying on here… in the beginning you told me you would be moving on." he asked while fingering the rim of the empty shot glass.
"Yea Matt …I know what I told you, but things kinda changed...you see... I met someone and he's the reason I've stayed on ." Kitty batted her eyes back at Matt.
"I see now… would I happen to know of him?" Matt questioned with concern.
"I would be safe to say your pretty close to him." Kitty laid her hand over Matt's
" Why Chester's not your type and Doc …well he's too old for you …and I'm already taken." he stated coyly leaning back in his chair pulling his hand out from under hers.
"Taken you say…hmm…and to think all this time I stuck around for nothing." Kitty sucked in her bottom lip and flung it back at him.
"Nothing huh…well I'll show you…" he pushed himself up from the table and sprang for Kitty.
She wheeled around the backside of her chair dodging his every move . They laughed and danced their playful game of cat and mouse until Matt grabbed her up into his strong arms. It felt glorious with every inch of him surrounding her. She had longed for this very moment with him. He cupped her face with his large hands bringing her into his tender lips. She reached up and grasping his wrists to help hold herself up as she melted from thier kiss. He pulled away and look longingly into her Safire blue eyes.
"I have been wanting to do this since the first time we met… Now I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get around to it." announced Matt
"Yea… me too." Kitty replied breathless backing away from his caress.
"What does this mean, Matt?" she questioned him
"Well…what ever you want it to mean." he stated confused
"Is this a proposition for up stairs?" Kitty asked without hesitation.
"Nothing like that at all… It never entered… but if your offering it up on the house." he said giving her a sheepish look.
Kitty swung around retreating in anger from him to what he had just said. Matt grabbed for her arm.
"Kitty… now come on… I was just kiddin' with you." he spoke out, frantically pulling her back toward him.
"Matt you just don't joke about something like this" she replied in frustration
" No… I guess you don't… look I'm not good at this stuff and I don't really know what to say . I'm better with guns and fist fights. I've never been close enough to anyone woman to feel like I do when I'm with you. I'm sorry the words don't come out of me like you want. So okay… here you are… I want to see you and only you, Kitty Russell and from here on out you make your money off the drinks only… you understand… I'll be the only one who shares the bed with you." Matt stated to her with a kiss to her lips.
He turned and gathered himself up to moved toward the door. Kitty was amazed by what she had just heard from him. Indeed it was not eloquently spoken, but just the same she understood that they now belonged to one another.
"Matt … you don't want to go upstairs with me …" Kitty questioned seductively.
" Sure I want too, but we have all the time in the world now that your going to be staying on here in Dodge." he said as a matter of fact
"But Matt.." Kitty moved toward him.
" It will be worth the wait…" Matt tipped his hat and was out the door.