Chapter 2
Morning came too early. Doc and Festus started out toward Matt and Kitty's ranch as first light. Doc had been up all night delivering twins and making rounds with the locals. Festus had an empty jail to look after and spent most his evening in The Long Branch. Doc was running off little sleep and Festus had all the energy in the world...
"Doc! I told ya a million times you should get ya a ridin' pillow." Festus reminded.
"Festus, it's too early in the morning!" Doc warned. "I told you I didn't want to hear you talking until at least 7."
"Well, Doc..." Festus shook his head, "I was just trying to..."
"I know what you're trying to do..." Doc reminded.
Matt was looking out the window and grunted, "Here come the two peas." He looked over at Kitty.
"I could hear them bickering when they left Dodge." Kitty teased as she put the final touches on Saylor's hair. "There." She spun her around, "Beautiful, love." She kissed her forehead. Saylor sat back down on the floor and fixed her doll's hair. Kitty looked around, "Peyton? Get in here..." She sighed and shook her head, "That child."
He came flying in like an airplane, flapping his wings. "Look Mommy! I'm a bird!"
"I see that." Kitty reached for him as he flew by her, "You'd make a wonderful bird, sweetie." She smiled.
"You think so, mommy?" He looked out the window at the birds on the clothesline.
She slicked back his hair and nodded. She turned his head to face her, "I know so..." She kissed his forehead.
Matt smiled looking at his family. The knock at the door brought him back to reality. Kitty stood, "Thank God." Matt opened the door, "Morning, Festus."
"Mornin', Matthew." Festus greeted.
"Where's Doc?" Matt looked past Festus.
"The ol scudder said he'd wait in the wagon." Festus rolled his eyes, "Said it's too early fir him,"
"I'm with Doc." Kitty smiled as she walked up next to Matt, "Morning, Festus."
Festus removed his hat, "Morning, Miss Kitty. I bet you're excited about havin' a few hours of peace, are ya?" Kitty closed her eyes and nodded her head.
"Uncle Festus!" The kids ran over and hugged Festus as he squatted to their level. Kitty steped back and crossed her arms. Matt wrapped his arm around her back. "Where's Papa Doc?" Peyton looked around Festus.
"He's a waitin on ya two youngins." Festus stood, "Go on and say good mornin'."
They ran passed Festus and crawled up the wagon into Doc's arms. "Look Papa! Look, look! I lost a tooth!" Saylor smiled real big. "I ate a bug, Papa." Peyton challenged his sister's story.
Matt and Kitty laughed. "Good luck today." Matt teased.
"They ain't no problem, Matthew." Festus placed his hat on his head. "Have a good day. We have em home before night fall, Miss Kitty."
"No rush, Festus." Kitty extended the invitation. Matt and Kitty waved as the wagon headed down the driveway.
It was still early, barely 7:30... Matt and Kitty sat on their front porch swing drinking coffee. Matt pushed the swing off with his feet as Kitty reclined hers in his lap. Matt laid his arm across her legs as he took a sip of coffee. He looked out at the field next to the house, "Jim says the field looks good. Thinks it'll produce better hay with the rain we got this year."
"You worried it wasn't going to be?" Kitty held her coffee in her lap.
Matt shook his head as he swallowed his coffee, "Not really. Just worried about having enough help and enough income to pay the workers." He looked ahead, down the dirt driveway in front of them, "I think..." Matt continued as Kitty faded into another world.
Kitty scanned Matt's profile as he talked. They way his lips moved, they way he ran his fingers through his hair when he was trying to figure something out. The way he'd turn every now and then to smile at her. His winkles where getting deeper, but she didn't mind. His face was still chiseled to perfection in her opinion. His face hadn't exactly withstood time, but the lines were a compliment to his aging features. She smiled as she took another sip of coffee...
"What do you think about that, Kitty?" Matt turned to face her.
She got caught, "About what?" She swallowed to give her a chance to recover.
"About us hiring another field hand or farm assistant?" Matt question.
"Oh!" Kitty shrugged her shoulders, "That, in the end, is up to you and Jim."
Matt shrugged his shoulders, "I've gotta sit down with him. Then I need to talk to Gabriel and Ralph. See if hiring on a new guy would just cause a hinderance." Matt let out a sigh, "I don't know, Kitty."
"I can always sell my share of The Long Branch..." Kitty suggested, "Stella would buy it in a heartbeat."
Matt shook his head, "No. That's why you have the share. Incase something happens to me, you'll have that income. The government will only do so much, and I don't want you having to work if you don't have to. You can sell this place and buy a little cottage and have enough for you and the kids." Matt paused, "We"ll figure something out, honey." He patted her leg and smiled.
"Well, the offer always stands." Kitty reminded, "I don't..."
"You expecting company today?" Matt interrupted her.
Kitty stopped and brought her brows together, "Not that I know of..." Her eyes never leaving his profile.
Matt continued to look straight ahead, "Well it looks like company to me..." He pointed down the driveway.
Kitty followed the direction of his gaze, "Who do you think that is at 7:30 in the morning?"
"I'm not sure, Kitty," Matt kept his eye on the young man slowly making his way down to Matt and Kitty's house... making his way down to his soon to be heroes... or would he be theirs?
TBC
