Hello again, sorry to have taken so long in getting back to this story, but like I said, my life is crazy busy these days. And it is most unfortunate that my writing has to take a back seat. However, no matter what, it is still my first love. But with life comes responsibilities. So Let's continue with our little saga. This one however will be a bit short due to being sick with flu. Blah!
KR
Kitty strode into the Marshal's office carrying Mary in her arms. Doc and Matt were sitting having coffee talking to Mrs. Baines. "Well, Good morning, Doc, Matt, Mrs. Baines." She said the last name reluctantly. She didn't know they were having a meeting with that Baines woman. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." She said looking at Mary. "We'll come back later." Kitty started.
"Kitty, why don't you join us?" Doc said as she had started to leave. "Mrs. Baines, why don't you take Mary for a bit." He said and Mrs. Baines got up.
"No thank you." Kitty told her then looked at Doc. "I'm quite capable of holding her." She said as Mrs. Baines had continued to approach her.
"Mrs. Baines was telling us how she had tried to talk to you," Matt started.
"Is that what she calls threatening to destroy me?" Kitty straightened up. "Just so you understand, I came here to ask you to send a petition of custody on my behalf, but I don't think it would do any good. And as for her talking to me," Kitty turns to Mrs. Baines this time. "You may have them fooled, Sweetie, but I understand you quite well. You can threaten to destroy me or even take my business, it's not important. The only thing that is important is Mary Kathleen." She looked at Matt and Doc accusingly. "Good day!" She said turning and leaving the office. Leaning against the door, she took a deep breath and headed back to her saloon.
Festus saw Kitty heading for The Long Branch. Then he saw Matt, Doc and Mrs. Baines come out of the office. "I don't know what she is talking about." Mrs. Baines said. "I tried talking to her and she became irate. That baby should be in a stable home, and not one over the Long Branch." She said as she headed for her buggy. She climbed up and then headed out of town.
Matt scratched his head and looked over at a seemingly bewildered Doc. "What do you make of that, Doc?" He asked confused. "Do you think Kitty has become, well, maybe stressed out with caring for the baby and all?" He asked.
"I don't know, Matt. I've known Kitty a long time and it takes quite a lot to stress her out or make her furious. She was furious with Mrs. Baines and I'm not too sure who I believed in there. I don't know Mrs. Baines well enough to tell if she was telling tales or being truthful." He said as Festus, who now stood just a few feet away was watching them with great interest.
"I'll tell you what she was a doin' she was tellin' tales." Festus said looking at Doc and Matt.
"Now, Festus, you don't even know what we are talking about." Matt said.
"I don't need to be no fly on the wall to know that that old biddy ain't got nuttin' good to say about Miss Kitty." He said annoyed. "I know she don't like Miss Kitty none and it's 'cause she's jealous." Festus stated.
"Jealous, see, Festus you don't know what you're talking about." Doc said annoyed at his old friend.
"Really, Doc. Well, let me 'splain somethin' then. You see that thar littlin' Mary Kate, she's in good hands. She gots the best of everything. She gots a nice home, all them thar necessitees, and the best of all, a Mama that's gonna make sure she is safe and happy and filled up with love." He said in Kitty's defense.
"Festus, you don't make any sense. The child needs a stable home. Not a room over a saloon. She needs a mother who can stay home and take care of all her needs, not a working mother." Doc said.
"Doc, that thar is just plumb pregeedice. Don't matter none ifin' Miss Kitty's a workin' or not, she's a gonna make sure that Mary Kate comes first. And that old Baines woman can just skitter away, find herself another babe someplace else. That baby is attached to Miss Kitty now, they's got a bond betwixt them now." Festus told them.
"Now you're just talking silly, Festus. Baby's don't know about a bond. They only care about, being fed, changed, cleaned and kept warm." Doc told him.
"And you call yourself a doctor, awe foot." Festus said angrily. He then headed for the Long Branch.
Doc and Matt just watched as he walked away. Festus was a fiercely loyal friend to those whom he had the honor of knowing, especially when it came to Miss Kitty. He was especially loyal and protective of her. "He didn't mean it, Doc, he's just real protective of Kitty, is all." Matt said to Doc.
Kitty had taken Mary Kathleen up to her room. She sat in the rocking chair, holding the sleeping baby to her breast. Tears fell down her cheek. She fell in love with this child and she did not want to lose her. There was a gentle knock on the door. She recognized it and quickly wiped away the tears. "Yes, Festus." She said still sitting in the chair.
The scraggily old friend entered the room. Taking his hat off, he asked if he could come in. "Can I come in, Miz Kitty?" He said.
"Come on in, Festus. I was just about ready to put her down for a nap." She said getting up from the rocking chair.
"I just come t' see ifin you might need somethin'." He said.
"Now Festus, you and I both know that is a fib. You obviously observed my confrontation with Mrs. Baines or heard about it." She said gently handing Mary Kathleen to him so that he could lay her in the cradle. Festus took her without any further hesitations. He gently rocked her in his arms as he headed over to the cradle. He laid her down and pulled the hand-crocheted blanket up on the sleeping baby.
"I didn't neither, Miz Kitty." He said standing up. "I just saw you heading back here and then saw that old biddy leaving, I knew it wasn't gonna be nuttin' good." He said as Kitty turned away from him.
"She's got Matt and Doc wrapped around her finger. They think she's the best thing for Mary Kathleen." She lowered her head for a moment. "She's going to try to destroy me."
"Why that old biddy, she ain't nuttin but a…." He started but Kitty stopped him with a look. She then looked over at Mary Kathleen and made him realize the sleeping babe was still in the room. "Sorry, Miz Kitty."
"Festus, do you think you can help me today. I'm going to move Mary and myself over to the Dodge House. Mr. Tilis already has a room for us. It's actually the live-in suite, he calls it. He never rents it out and it's held for special use only, but he has agreed to rent it to me. I've got some of my things packed up, but I need to pack up Mary Kathleen's cradle, rocker, the basinet and such things."
"Sure thing, Miz Kitty. Anything you need." He said and she smiled at him for his love and loyalty.
The room at the Dodge house was not nearly as large as her rooms at the Long Branch, but she would deal with it for Mary's sake until she found a nice ranch for them. There was a separate washroom for this little apartment, separate from the one that the rest of the residents had to share. It was nice and cozy and big enough for her and the baby. Festus had helped her setup the room and clean for the baby. She had placed the crib in the left corner of the bedroom, just a few feet from her own bed. She had placed the cradle at the foot of the bed. The rocking chair was in the corner of the room, in front of the window. She had decided to leave the basinet at the Long Branch for when she would be working. She would not allowed her baby to be alone. She had to keep an eye on Mrs. Baines, she did not trust her.
Their first night there, Kitty had a little trouble sleeping. It was a new bed and she felt almost alone. Matt hadn't come to visit her for several days, maybe longer and she was wondering if it was because of Mary. If it had been, she wouldn't let it change her mind. She loved that little baby with all her heart. Turning herself towards the crib, she looked over at the precious little bundle fast asleep. It wasn't hard to imagine what a child born of herself and Matt would look like. She smiled at the thought. The child would undoubtedly have blue eyes and if Kitty had her way, she'd have golden-red hair. Smiling, she slowly laid back down and she would fall asleep thinking about Mary, Matt and herself as a family.
Matt lay on his cot. His arm was slung over his eyes. He was having trouble falling asleep. It had been weeks since he had brought the baby to her door and weeks since he had gone to her bed and made love to her. It was driving him mad. He really needed to be with her right now. Frustrated, he climbed out of the cot, put his boots and hat and badge, then headed out for a walk. It had been almost four weeks since he had brought the child to Kitty and the spring was almost in full bloom. The weather was warming up and the some of the wild flowers were beginning to bloom. As he wondered the near deserted streets, he looked up at the familiar room over the Long Branch for a light. A light that would be on every night until he would come to visit her and douse the light before taking her to bed and making love to her, was not there. He continued to aimlessly walk the street. Then he saw the light. It was coming from the Dodge House, at the back. He knew that the back room was actually a large suite, which might even been considered an apartment, something he had seen in the cities. He was desperately in need of her and found himself slipping up the back stairs that would lead to the back hall of the Hotel and he would see if she was awake. Quietly as he could, he headed for her room. Gently he tapped on the door. Having to wait only a few seconds, Kitty opened the door for him. "Matt? What are you doing here?" She asked him, still angry about earlier today.
"I..I just wanted to make sure that you are alright?" He said trying to think of something adequate to say. He couldn't very well say, 'Hey, I was wondering if maybe you'd be up for a roll in the hay?' But she knew what he really wanted. She could see the desire in his eyes. She wanted to slam the door on him, but she needed him as much as he needed her. Letting him in to her room, she resolved herself to just allowing this to happen. There would be no usual passion, no love, at least that was what she had planned, until she turned back from the door and he had pinned her to the door, covering her mouth with his. His hands were rough on her breast and she squeaked in slight pain. Matt pulled his mouth from hers. "I'm sorry….I didn't mean…." He started.
"It's alright, just be a little more gentle. I…my breast are somewhat tender of late." She said as she gently began to unbutton his shirt. He stood there not sure of what to do. He didn't want to hurt her, but God, he needed her. Kitty stopped, then gently took his large hands and placed them on her warm swollen breast. Matt leaned down, this time his lips were gentle and loving. She would have denied him nothing. Within a matter of minutes he had her naked along with himself and he lay stretched out on top of her. As he moved into her, she wrapped her thighs around his hips, crossing her ankles high up on his backside. The rhythm was one they had played for years, gentle, loving, passionate, giving, and taking. His body was demanding and her body was needing his body just as much.
With every move he made, she met him with her own. They moaned quietly, breathlessly, trying to keep quiet as not to disturb Mary Kathleen or the others in the hotel. Gasping, his release was close. He began to move more urgently. She pulled her knees up, giving him better access and they both exploded in a myriad of colors. Kitty gasped then tried to catch her breath as Matt looked down at her. He gently brushed a red curl from her face then kissed her cheek. He then pulled from her body and moved onto her side, pulling her close to his side. Kitty did not deny him this little comfort. She knew he was still on Mrs. Baines side and she was still angry. But tomorrow was another day to make him see how very wrong he was.
TBC
Sorry to have taken so long to get this chapter out. I've been battling the flu and I'm pretty sure it's kicking my butt. I haven't even checked this, so forgive my errors. I am too tired to check.