Chapter 4
The Consequences of a Storm
Ooops, I think that flu bug had me reeling. I'm sorry about the love scene, somehow it seemed inadequate, but such is life. Lots of apologies for any mistakes. I've read and reread, but you know the deal. I always miss something. Enjoy.
And now, for a word from our sponsor….(Sorry, don't know why I'm doing that. LOL)
Matt lay beside his sleeping love. As he gazed down at the woman in his arms, he allowed his eyes to slowly roam over her voluptuous form. Kitty always was a fairly well built woman. Her shoulders were square and strong, and the curve of them made his mouth water to kiss the tiny freckles that God had blessed her with. Those same freckles, spread out over her chest, where he found his favorite assets, which had gained substantial weight due to the milk that her body was creating for the child. His eyes slid over the gentle curve of her hip as his hand glided over the soft skin. He then allowed his hand to caress her enlarged belly. He had seen many expectant women before, but none were as beautiful to him as his Kitty was right this moment. It didn't matter to him that the child she carried did not belong to him. He loved her more than his own life. He had told her so, while she lay in Doc's room recuperating after the incident with Jude Bonner. He had told her everything that day. All his fears, his hopes, his dreams and his heart had never felt more love than it did at that moment when she looked into his eyes and told him that she was his, forever. And she too had laid her heart on the line, telling him all that had occurred and what Jude and his men had done to her. She expected him to turn in disgust, but instead he laid his face against her breast and cried, begging her to forgive him for the pain he had brought her. They had both realized at that moment, that their lives would be for naught, without the other. Though it may have seemed selfish to say, the other was incomplete alone, it was true for them. He thought back over the times she had left Dodge and he had gone after her. He brought her home, and even one time against her will. She was so angry with him that day that she put up a physical fight. Smiling, Matt thought about what had occurred.
"How dare you drag me out of that saloon, like a sack of potatoes, who the hell do you think you are?" She screamed at him as he pushed the door to her room closed.
"You wanna calm down some, Kitty. Otherwise we'll have the sheriff in here." Matt said calmly.
"I don't give a damn about that. I wanna know what makes you think that you can just waltz into town and drag me off? I have no intentions of going back to Dodge. Not now, not ever!" She said as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back to him.
"Are you sure about that?" He asked as he stood there towering over her. It amazed him at how big he was next to her and it didn't' matter to her. She glared up at him, hands on her hips and the fire in her eyes made him need her more. He could see himself ripping her clothing from her body, ripping away her blouse, then skirt and petticoats, then her bustier and undergarments, shoving her down on the bed on her belly, unbuckling his own britches and penetrating her hard and fast. But instead, right now, he'd settle for slow and torturous, as he moved between her naked thighs. She hadn't resisted him as he had ripped her blouse from her body then continued with the rest of her clothing. And now she was waiting for a hard fast joining and with each moment that passed, she wanted it more. Now she had to show him that she could be just as aggressive, she was angry as hell, and if he wanted to screw her senseless, it would cost him. She was participating in this rough lovemaking session, and was feeling something she had never felt before. There was a fire in her belly and she wanted it to ignite into a glorious blaze that would consume them both. As she pushed her hips forward, she felt his hand on them, steadying her fervent movements. She pressed her warm breast against his naked torso, hoping to entice him along faster, but he wouldn't be rushed. She had been gone for over two months and he was going to torture her body into the most exquisite pleasures possible. Kitty thrust her head back and her breast forward as he finally buried himself deep within her. Matt's hand on her hip, continued to hinder her efforts to increase their rhythm. Kitty groaned in frustration and then in pain and pleasure as his mouth immediately covered a distended nipple. He sucked the hard nipple into an even harder peak, which only cause another groan from her. She had to make him fight her for this, 'he couldn't just come in here climb in bed, get between her thighs and get what he wanted.' She thought to herself. She used her hands to push at his shoulders, trying to move his mouth from her breast, but he only grabbed her wrists and held them down against the bed as his hips continued their assault. His mouth moving from one breast to the other, pushing her closer to the edge as his body took its pleasure from hers. She needed to touch herself, but he would not allow her to do so.
Matt saw the frustration in her face as she squeezed her eyes closed and bit into her lower lip. Taking both wrists in one hand, he reached down between them and touched her where she needed it most. She sucked in air through her mouth the first instant his long strong fingers touched her, and bucked against him as she cried out his name and came. He watched her beautiful features as she relaxed into her orgasm and joy ripped through her. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself the luxury of his own release.
"You do this to me every time. You know I can't say no to you when you do that to me." Tears glistened in her eyes as she spoke between breaths. "How many times is it going to take for you to get it through your head, Matt, I'm putting you in danger. I'm a weakness." She asked as she pulled his mouth to hers
"You're a weakness I will never give up, do you understand me. No matter where you go, Kitty I'm going to come after you, find you and bring you back." He said as his hand gently caressed the side of her face. "I love you. You are the air that fills my lungs. I would die without you." His mouth devoured hers. "Come back to Dodge!"
She knew it really wasn't a question, nor a request, but a demand. She belonged to him, body and soul and she knew he was right. She would die without him as he would die without her.
Matt continued to smile at the memory of that night. "You always were a wild cat, Kitty." He whispered in her ear. That was the last time Kitty had left him.
His hands were now busy messaging her gravid belly and she woke to the feel of his loving caress. She allowed him to explore her body. What if he didn't like the changes in her body? What if he grew to resent the child? She needed to protect her child, the idea of her life being marred by the fact that she was conceived in violence made her angry. She would not allow anyone to hurt this baby. Closing her eyes again, and feigning sleep, she turned gently towards Matt and snuggled into his chest. Matt was slightly disappointed but only for a moment as he was now looking at another of his favorite sights. His big hands gently messaged her derriere, and she hummed quietly against his chest as she fell into a warm comfortable sleep. Smiling down at her, he tenderly kissed the top of her head and whispered his love to her. She was a strong woman, and he wanted nothing more than to protect her. Now if he could just get her to marry him and stop being so damned stubborn.
Doc moved along the sidewalk. He was heading for the Long Branch for a nightcap and a game of checkers with his favorite redheaded opponent. 'Kitty was good at checkers.' He thought as he scratched his whiskers. 'Come to think of it, she was good at Chess, Poker and Billiards.' He smiled remembering the day he taught her to shoot pool. It didn't take her long to beat him. "I've gotta stop teaching her these things." Doc mumbled to himself.
"You talkin' ta yerself, Doc." Festus said as he stepped up on the sidewalk just as Doc came towards the Long Branch.
"What are you yammerin' about?" Doc asked him annoyed.
"I said you was talkin' to yerself, Doc, what's wrong?" He said as they stopped at the door entrance.
"Nothing's wrong, you fool." Doc said trying to confuse Festus.
"Then why you talkin' ta yerself." Festus asked him as they stood at the doors.
"Are you gonna stand out here asking stupid questions or are you gonna buy me a drink?" Doc asked avoiding his question. He loved to torment poor Festus.
"Well, I ain't neither." Festus said.
"And what does that mean?" Doc asked.
"I ain't no longer gonna stand out here with you, you ole' scudder. And I ain't gonna buy you a drink." He said.
"Spent your wages already did ya?" He asked him, but Festus didn't answer him. "Did you lose you money shooting billiards with Kitty, again?" He asked as they stepped into the saloon.
"Naw, I didn't shoot no billiards today, Doc. How about you buy me a beer and I'll owe you one." He said trying to squirm out of this conversation.
"You already owe me one. In fact you probably owe me a hundred." Doc said as they headed for the bar.
Just then, Kitty came out of her office. She wore a dark blue dress of silk that could not hide her belly at all. In her arms were some swatches of fabric. She closed the door and turned to see Doc and Festus watching her. Smiling, she smoothed her hand over her belly and headed for them.
"Hello Doc, Festus." She said placing the swatches on the bar. "Sam, will you give Festus his money, please?"
"Sure thing, Miss Kitty." He said grabbing the metal box under the counter and opening it. He then counted out ten dollars in paper and change then handed it to him.
"Hello Kitty." Doc said smiling at her.
"Miss Kitty, you get just plum prettier every time I see you." He said.
"Thank you, Festus." She said feeling a bit out of place being almost seven months along
He then looked at the money Sam had handed him. "Miss Kitty, we done agreed on two dollars, this is too much." He said pushing all but two dollars back to Sam.
"I know what we agreed on, Festus, but after seeing the wonderful job you did painting the room and the beautiful things you carved for the baby, well, I think it's not enough. In fact I ought to pay you more." She said smiling at him.
"What am I suppose to do with this money?" He said looking at the money that Sam pushed back to him.
"Well, for starters, you can pay me back two beers and then you'll only owe me ninety-eight more." Doc said looking at him.
"Oh fiddle, Doc. I'll buy ya' a beer, how about you, Miss Kitty?" He said offering her a beer.
"No thank you, Festus, I think I'll have some tea. Sam, is the pot still hot?" She asked him.
"I just put a fresh pot on, Miss Kitty." He said going over to the pot and pouring her a cup of tea. He set the cup down in front of her and she took a sip.
"Thank you, Sam." She said smiling. "Sam, did you get that inventory sheet for me?"
She asked him.
"Umm, I left in the office. I'll be right back!" He said heading back towards the office.
"I said, you're a cheater!" The dark headed stranger said in a rather booming voice to the smaller man sitting across from him. Heads turned towards the two men who had been playing poker. Kitty set her cup of tea down and watched the two men, glaring at one another. She knew this was not good.
"Doc, go get Matt, please." She said quietly touching his arm. Doc said nothing as he moved through the bar, heading out the door.
"I may be many things, Mister, but I don't cheat. I suggest you take that back, or I shall be forced to teach you a lesson." The smaller man said in a deep English accent.
He was only a few inches smaller than the six foot four inch cowboy. But what he lacked in height, he made up for in bulk. His arms were solid muscles. It was quite obvious that the man was not afraid of hard work. And his chest must have been forty to forty-five inches wide and solid as his arms. The dark haired Cowboy was tall and rather gangly. He wasn't meek by any means, but when it came to brawn, he lacked the muscles the Englishman had.
Festus pushed Kitty behind him, out of the way of danger as the argument heated up. Kitty looked down as Festus had actually put his hand on her belly to gently guide her behind him.
"I never take things back once I've said them. You were cheating and you know it." The Englishman said to him.
"You know what we do to your kind 'round here, mister, we teach them manners." He said pulling out a long hunting knife with a blade about six to eight inches long.
Festus moved towards the cowboy trying to calm him down. "Now, young feller, put that thar knife away. You don't wanna get hurt and we don't want no body getting' killed here." Festus said holding up his hand to the young man.
"The name is Jeb, and I ain't putting nothin' away mister, I suggest you take your scraggily old face outta here. I'm gonna gut me an Englishman. I'm gonna gut him good, like a fish." He said to Festus. Festus tried to dive for the knife but Jeb pulled back and struck Festus on the side of the head, causing him to fall to the ground. Kitty quickly knelt down to help him up.
Jeb leered at the Englishman as he slowly moved towards him. He jabbed at the man, who managed to dodge the blade. Then swung the blade again, cutting him in the arm. The Englishman became angry with him and struck Jeb in the jaw and shoved him in the opposite direction. Just as Matt entered the saloon, he saw the young man being struck in the jaw then shoved towards the bar. The shock in Kitty's eyes, told him, she was in trouble. Jeb looked up to see the beautiful redhead, with whom he had flirted with earlier, the look of sheer terror in her eyes. As he looked down, he saw that the blade was embedded in her lower abdomen. Without thinking, he quickly pulled the blade out, and looked at the dark crimson blood that covered it and his hand. Her body convulsed slightly as she gasped for air. Throwing the knife to the ground, he grabbed her about the waist as her knees gave out. Doc rushed to her side as he quickly ran past Matt who seemed to be unable to move. "Oh, God!, it was an accident." He cried as he gently laid her back on the floor. Festus moved to kneel on the other side of her and took her from his arms. Matt now stood over the cowboy who quickly got to his feet and moved away. Kneeling beside her, he saw how pale she looked. And his heart sank in fear. He couldn't loose her, not now, not after they had been through so much.
"I need to get her up to my office, I need to stop the bleeding." Doc said, but neither Matt nor Festus moved. "Matt! We need to get her to my office, I've gotta stop the bleeding." He said as he gently shook Matt.
TBC