"A" is for Apple, "O" is for Outlaw
PT.4
Matt insisted Newly stay and take care of things in Dodge, telling him that if he needed him he would get word to him. He and Festus headed out in the direction Louie had told them he saw the two men, leaving with Kitty, go, behind the school house. Matt was sure Festus would have no problem tracking them. Sam and several other men in town wanted to go along with Matt to help search for Kitty but Matt insisted on just he and Festus searching.
Back at the cabin, when the men started to wake, Kitty was already awake. She had found their provisions and had started a pot of coffee.
Calvin watched her closely, walking up tight behind her, pinning her to the counter with his mouth to her ear. "You sure are a lot of woman, Ma'am and I think me and you could…" Now sniffing up close to her.
Kitty shrugged him off and pushed him away, turning quickly and slapping him. "Get your damn hands off me and don't you ever touch me again."
Grabbing her up close, he snarled. "Not a smart move. I should just…" Now he was nose to nose with Kitty as he raised a hand.
Luke walked in the room at just that moment. "Cal! Let her go! Let her go, now!" Calvin released his hold on Kitty. "Cal, go take a walk and cool off. We'll talk about this later. Go now." Kitty just watched.
After Calvin left, Luke looked at her. "You'll have to forgive Cal. He gets a little touchy."
"Umf! You don't say." Kitty just turned away from him.
'Ahh, come on now, he didn't hurt you. did he?"
"Like you care?" Kitty scoffed
Ignoring her comment, "Kitty, do you cook?"
"Ha!" She just rolled he eyes.
"Well, maybe you can scrape together breakfast for us."
"Oh, sure. Any preferencea?" She asked sarcastically. She just began to throw together whatever she could with what was there.
After they all ate, Luke came and sat down beside Kitty holding the book Calvin had taken from the school. So this here book, you can teach me, using this here book?"
Looking back at him, she studied his face, nodding. 'Yeah. Well, I can try, if you really want to learn. But let me ask you something. Why? Why now? Why is this so important for you to do this, to learn now, that you'd kidnap me or a teacher, to make them teach you? Why's it so important right now?"
Luke waited for a moment, debating. Then… "Sue Ellen!"
Raising her brow, "Sue Ellen?"
"Yeah, Sue Ellen, my wife. The love of my life. I need to learn the words, the right words for her so I can write them for her. I can't leave here till I can write the right words just for Sue Ellen. So you need to teach me."
"I'm not sure I know what you're saying. Do you want to write her a letter?"
Shaking his head, "No. Just a few words. But they have to be right."
"Ok. But if you just tell me I can do it."
"NO! NO! I told her. I promised her I'd do it."
"Okay. Alright."
"Look, Kitty, you don't understand."
"You're right. Maybe I don't exactly."
"Just teach me."
"Alright."
Luke nodded, satisfied. "I'll be right back. I need to talk to Cal and the men then we'll get to it."
Luke walked outside to where Cal ,Tom and Dan were. "Cal? Look, I'm sorry I was a bit harsh with you in there but Kitty's not here for toying with. I need her to teach me so I can write the words for Sue Ellen."
"Luke, you don't tell me what woman I can and can't have. You're not my Pa."
"Look, after I learn, you can do what you want with her but something tells me she's not a free woman."
Laughing, "She won't be, Luke cause she's mine. She'll come around. Sue Ellen had to get used to you in the beginning. Or'd you forget?"
Back in the cabin, as planned, Kitty worked out a method of how to try and teach Luke some basic skills. She thought back to when she had to learn, knowing her lack of schooling as a child. She started with a few simple things like alphabet and word association and some simple phonics. Luckily, when they took her and took books, they took books from the lower grade level kids. This would make it easier for her.
With all the rain down pour, in some ways it was a help. But in another, it was a hindrance. It was making Festus' tracking a bit difficult to sort out with all the mud.
Matt was getting more and more frustrated, because he had no idea what they were looking at. Or who? There were no threats, no notes, no recent trials he had been involved in, that anyone would be upset with him over and use Kitty to get revenge. And if this wasn't what was happening, then what was it?
He certainly didn't think Kitty had any enemies. Who would want to hurt her? He knew he just had to find her. Louie said she was forced to leave at gun point. Saying nothing to Festus, he just thought to himself quietly. "Kitty, Honey, I'll find you. I promise you. I'll find you. Know that. Hold on, Honey."
"Matthew? Matthew, it looks like three horses mighta been a goin' this here way. One of them there horses had him a lame hoof. See this track? It means they might be near heres someplace, don't ya see?"
"Yeah, Festus, they couldn't have gotten too far with that horse." Matt answered.
TBC
