What's Wrong with Kitty 4
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Late that evening, Matt stood from his desk and walked towards the door. Reports were filled out, correspondence done, mail gone through, posters hung and his mind made up. Tomorrow morning, he was going to go to Mr. Jonas store, pick out a ring and then ask Kitty Russell to marry him.
He had decided he wouldn't tell her that he knew about the baby and he would do his absolute best to convince her that the only reason for his proposal was because he loved her and wanted her. She deserved no less.
Grabbing his hat from the peg by the door, he walked out into the cool evening air and started down the street to do his rounds. Once they were finished he would as usual stop by the Long Branch but he was not going to stay. He still needed to think about how he was going to approach Kitty with his proposal, and all too often, he found it difficult to think about too much of anything around her, save the feel of her skin and the sweetness of her kisses and the…
Matt shook his head to clear his mind as his body physically reacted to those thoughts of her. That's what got them to this point in the first place. But Lord, didn't that woman stir him.
Shaking his head, he concentrated on getting his job done. He had just checked three or four storefronts when he heard a gunshot. Stopping, he reached for his gun and turned; running back towards the Lady Gay where the shots seemed to be coming from.
Pausing at the doors, he looked in to see one man lying on the floor and another one, gun in hand, waving it around at the others.
"You all stay back, ya hear?" The ragged looking man yelled with desperation. "I ain't gonna shoot none of ya, lessin' ya try to get in my way."
Matt pulled his gun and aimed it at the man. "Hold it." He demanded. "Drop the gun."
But the frightened man, who'd just gunned someone down, was too afraid to do that. Instead, he whirled around squeezing off a shot as he did with Matt firing almost at the same time.
Both men went down. The frightened, little farmer, Kirby Willets, who'd drank too much, gambled with the wrong man and fired his gun in desperation, not once but twice, was dead. A bullet through his heart.
Matt was alive, though wounded. Kirby's bullet had found its way into his left arm. Not a fatal wound, nor even a really serious wound, but enough to finish his plans for the night as several men lifted him up and helped towards the door, intent on getting him to Doc's.
Kitty, who'd been at the bar of the Long Branch, when she heard the shots, froze. She knew anytime shots were fired, Matt would mostly likely be involved in the middle of it. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to remain calm as she went around the bar and headed towards the door. "Sam, I'll be back in a minute." She called on her way out.
She got there just in time to see Matt walking out, a man on either side of him, supporting his weight. "Matt!" She practically yelled as she quickly reached his side. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be alright, Kitty." He grimaced, shaking off the men who were trying to help him. "Thanks fellas. I can manage."
"You sure, Marshal?" Kent Younger asked.
Matt nodded. "I'm sure. Don't worry about me." Looking over at Kitty he shook his head. "You shouldn't be out here without a cloak."
Kitty shrugged off his concern. "I'm fine, Matt. You're the one that's hurt."
"Kitty…" Matt wanted to tell her why he was so worried, but he couldn't. "Please," he finally pleaded. "Go just on back inside and get out of this night air. I'm okay."
But Kitty refused as she stepped to his side and took his good arm. "I'm walking up to Doc's with you, whether you like it or not." She declared.
Matt shook his head but gratefully accepted her shoulder to lean on as they crossed the street and climbed the stairs.
"Well, Matt." Doc said an hour later as he finished suturing up Matt's arm. "You were pretty lucky. That bullet went straight through without damaging much more than your pride. It's a good thing for you that Willets wasn't too good a shot."
Matt shot him a glare as he grabbed his shirt and began to ease it back on. "Yeah," he muttered. Glancing over at Kitty, he saw how tired she looked and realized that in her condition, she needed rest, not worry over him. "Come on, Kitty." He said as he gained his feet. "I'll walk you back over to the Long Branch."
Doc's eyes widened in alarm. "Now, Matt. Wait. Don't you think you ought to… to… well…" How to put it delicately. "You two need to rest." He finished, praying they'd get his meaning.
As he understood what Doc was saying, Matt chuckled, eliciting the same response from Kitty. "Don't worry, Doc. I don't think either one of us is up for more than just sleep tonight. Of course now, tomorrow night might be a different story."
Doc frowned at them. "Don't you two ever…" He stopped when he realized Matt was teasing him. "Get out of here." He ordered. "I'll give you my bill in the morning."
Matt laughed again as he grabbed his hat and gunbelt and left the office, Kitty holding tightly to his arm. "I meant what I said." He told her as they descended the stairs. "I think we both ought to rest tonight."
Kitty looked up curiously at him. "Aside from the pain in your arm, which has never slowed you down before, by the way, why are you so anxious to get away from me tonight?"
Matt looked down at her, dumbfounded. "I'm not anxious to get away from you. I'm just worried about you. Kitty, you haven't been feeling well and you're…" He stopped before he said it. "You're tired." He finished. "You need your rest. And we both know if I come up with you tonight, you won't get any."
Kitty could see the concern in his eyes and the truth was she really didn't feel well. Besides, tomorrow was going to be a big day, if all went according to plan, and she wanted to be able to celebrate with the man she loved.
"Alright," she sighed. "I am tired and I've got something planned for tomorrow so I'll need my rest." She stopped and gave him an uncertain look. "You are going to be in town tomorrow, aren't you?"
Matt nodded curiously. "Yeah, why?"
"Just wondering." She answered as she got on tip toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Matt. I'll see you in the morning."
Matt stood, silently watching her until she'd made it safely across to the saloon and gone inside. 'Something planned for tomorrow,' she'd said. A slow smile graced his lips as he realized she must be planning on telling him about the baby then. Happily, he turned and made his way to the jail, the rest of his rounds forgotten in the wake of what tomorrow would hold for him and the woman he loved.
TBC
