Matt walked across the floor and plucked his hat off the wooden peg, "I better tell Kitty Ambrose is in town," he paused and looked at Festus, "to stay," he then looked over to Doc who remained at the little wooden table.
"Oh, maybe he's changed," Doc sputtered.
"How many men do you know who have changed in the past ten years, Doc?" Matt asked.
Doc grunted, "Ones that learn from their mistakes," he said as he looked down at the newspaper.
"Name one," Matt challenged the doctor.
Doc's eyes lifted up to the marshal, "I think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill," the doctor huffed.
"I'd rather be safe than sorry, Doc," Matt stated as he left the office.
Festus watched his boss, "Matthew didn't take that well at all," he said as he continued to watch Matt walk up Front Street toward the Long Branch Saloon.
Doc slowly joined the hill man and watched as well, "He didn't take lightly what happened all those years ago. I doubt he will ever forgive Ambrose," he said.
Festus looked over to his friend, "Ambrose said he wasn't going to make any ruckus," he said.
"What a man says and what he really does are two entirely different things, Festus. A man like Ambrose has a hidden past. I don't know much about him and neither does Matt," Doc stated. "Which leaves me very much undecided about what to think of him," the doctor grunted.
Matt walked up the boardwalk toward the Long Branch Saloon. His eyes, however, remained on the pack mule that was tied of front of Ma Smalley's boarding house. He wished that Ambrose Ferguson had at least the decency to stay somewhere further way from the saloon.
The marshal drew a breath as he paused at the swing doors of the establishment. He peered over the doors before he pushed through and stepped down into the room.
Kitty looked up from the newspaper at the far end of the bar and she could tell by the look on Matt's face that he had something heavy weighing on his mind. She tried to read the look, but she could figure out why or what was so upsetting to the marshal.
Matt strolled across the floor and stopped next to the redheaded saloon owner, "You look like you have something bad to say," Kitty quipped. "It's a good thing you don't play that much poker."
"I can hide my thoughts if I wanted too," Matt grumbled.
"What's wrong, then?" Kitty asked.
Matt leaned down onto the bar and moved closer to Kitty, "Do you know who just arrived in town?" he asked in a hushed voice, looking Kitty in the eyes.
Kitty shook her head no, "No, who?" she said in a low tone, not knowing if she really wanted to know based on Matt's disposition.
Matt looked over his shoulder to the door before he looked back at Kitty, "Ambrose Ferguson," he grunted.
Kitty didn't know what to say at first, "Ambrose Ferguson?" she half whispered.
Matt nodded. "And according to Festus, he is planning on staying in Dodge," the marshal stated.
"For how long?" Kitty's eyebrows knitted together in annoyance.
"From what I understand, forever," Matt said in a low tone.
Kitty was clearly upset, "Well I certainly hope he learned from his last stay in Dodge," she growled.
"I'll be having words with him," Matt reassured Kitty.
Kitty still wasn't sure what to say or think, "Well, maybe he's changed," she huffed.
Matt nodded, "That's what Doc said too," he noted as he stood up straight.
"Well, I hope Doc is right," Kitty looked Matt in the eyes. "I don't want to go through that again," she said with a slight hint of nerves touching her words.
"If he hasn't changed, he'll find himself out of Dodge in a hurry," Matt stated. "I won't put up with it either," he frowned.
Both Kitty and Matt turned to the door when they heard Festus' spurs jingling. The hill man and the doctor stood in the doorway. Festus nudged Doc down the stairs, "Are you goin' in or ain'tcha?" the deputy snorted.
"Stop being so pushy!" Doc squawked and shot a look over his shoulder to the deputy. "I doubt that Kitty has run out of beer at this hour of the day," he grumbled and finally stepped down and crossed the floor. He stepped up to the bar, next to Matt. Festus filed in beside the doctor.
"Doc. Festus," Kitty smiled.
Doc ran his hand across his moustache, "I take it you've already told Kitty," he looked up at Matt.
Matt gave a quick nod.
"Yeah. And I'm thrilled to pieces," Kitty said sarcastically. "Why do you even talk to Ambrose, Festus?" the saloon owner asked.
"He ain't as bad as you think. I know he done a heap wrong the last time he was here," Festus said in the man's defence. "I know he got all liquored up and wasn't in his head," the hill man kept explaining, however, neither Doc, Matt nor Kitty were really buying what he was saying. Slowly Festus' voice trailed off into nothing. Festus made a face as an awkward feeling gripped him – despite his faults, Festus liked the old mountain man.
Kitty moved behind the bar and pulled three glass mugs out from underneath and pulled beer into each one, placing one in front of each of the men. "What about you?" Doc asked noting Kitty didn't pour herself a beer. Kitty pulled another glass under the bar and picked up a bottle of brandy, "I need something a little stronger," she said with a sigh.
Matt's eyebrows rose upwards and he took a quick glance over to Doc and Festus who were already tucked into their beer. Matt made a slight face and then join his two friends as Kitty nursed her brandy. All Matt could think about was whether or not Ambrose Ferguson would actually keep his word and not rock the boat.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Matt placed his empty mug down onto the bar, "Well, I might as well get this over with," he said as he pushed off from the bar.
"Do you want me to come with you, Matthew?" Festus asked with his moustache whiskers layered with frothy white foam from his beer.
Matt looked over to Kitty and then back to his deputy, "No, Festus. You finish your beer," he said. Kitty tried to hide her smile.
Doc looked up at the marshal, "Let us know how you make out," the doctor said. "And for heaven sakes don't get into any gun fights!" he grumbled as he continued on with his beer.
Matt once again wore a strange look on his face as he continued to the swing doors of the saloon.