Chapter Four: Matt's Family

The next day Matt took Matthew and Thomas to the school-house with Little Matt and Katharine. "Hello, Marshal," Merry Florene said.

"Merry Florene, this is Matthew and Thomas they've come to live with me, their parents were recently killed by the Jicarilla."

"You can sit with Little Matt and Katharine, don't worry, Marshal, I'll take real good care of them."

"I know, Merry Florene, I'll be back this afternoon to take the kids home."

"Newly, told me about it," Matt smiled.

"Don't worry, we'll do all we can to protect the people of Dodge."

"Newly told me that Frank Reardon will be here soon," Matt nodded.

"Should arrive on the noon stage. I've got to go back now, you kids behave yourself now," Matt left them to get on with it, he returned to his office, Lon looked up from a doze as he came in. "You got Spring fever, Lon?"

"Must have. I sure hope your friend Frank Reardon gets here before Mandee," Festus was watching as the noon stage arrived and Frank Reardon stepped down from it.

"Howdy, Mr Reardon, Matthew's in his office."

"How is he?"

"Worried, but he'll tell you about it," Frank retrieved his bag, saddle and rifle and then followed Festus to the office.

"Matt, Festus says you've got a problem, he didn't say what."

"My family's in danger. This is Lon Gorman, he brought my cousins children here after Adam and Martha were killed by the Jicarilla."

"Seems I've heard of you, Mr Gorman?"

"Nothing bad I hope?"

"The problem, Frank, is the only other survivor from those escapees from Fort Leavenworth they thought using me as a hostage would get them across the border into Mexico. Lon should not have been there in the first place."

"I remember you telling me about it. How'd that sheriff think he could get away with it?"

"Too many people too scared of him to go against him. Mandee has escaped again and both Lon and me agree that he is most likely coming here to kill one or both of us."

"That's not what you're worried about is it, you're worried that he'll go after your family," Ziva came in, she smiled. Frank's eyes widened seeing the badge on her chest.

"Frank, this is Ziva David. Ziva show Frank your gun," Ziva unholstered the Sig Sauer, she thumbed the catch removing the clip and handed the gun to Frank.

"This cartridge, fits into the grip."

"Think what you could do with twelve shots rather than six Frank?"

"Jeez, wish I'd had one of those when I was a marshal. Right, I'll come to the house when I've seen Kitty and Doc."

"Ask Doc about Joseph," Matt said.

"You make that sound mysterious?"

"Doc will explain when you see him," Frank smiled and left the office heading to the Long Branch.

"Frank, it's so good to see you," Kitty said. "Did Matt tell you about ..."

"Yes, just now, he introduced me to Lon Gorman. Howdy, Doc, Matt said to ask you about Joseph."

"Joseph, I want to introduce you to Frank Reardon, he used to be a deputy up in Hays. Frank, this is Doctor Joseph Adams, my son."

"I didn't know you had a son?"

"Neither did my father until I arrived in Dodge last year," Joseph said.

"So Dodge finally has two doctors, that'll come in handy."

"That's what Matt said, something about stitches, then Dad called him an overgrown excuse for a lawman," Frank laughed.

"I've heard him call Matt that before but it's not serious. Until now I didn't know Matt had a family," Kitty explained how the twins came into Matt's life and how Matt had found Mary."

"And now Lon has brought Matt's cousin's two boys to him. You think Mandee will go after the kids before he goes after Matt and Lon," Kitty nodded the worry showing in her eyes.

"You know Matt, if he goes after the kids, I'm not sure that Matt will be able to keep control."

"Yeah, you saw it with me when I lost Maria," they nodded, Frank drank his beer down. "Well, I'm here now, Mandee isn't going to get anywhere near those kids," Frank left to go to Matt's house. Matt had just returned with the kids, who were doing their homework, while Mary cooked a meal for them. Breck Taylor came in with some law books.

"Little Matt, here thought you could use these," Breck said. "Matt, one of these days you'll have to send Little Matt to college."

"One day, maybe when he's eighteen. Frank, this is Breck Taylor he's the only attorney in Dodge. Breck, meet Frank Reardon."

"I heard you were coming to visit."

"Dad, will Carl Mandee hurt you?" Katharine asked.

"He'll try."

"Don't worry, kids," Frank said, "others have tried and your dad's still here."

"Yeah, no one can kill my Dad," Little Matt said, Matt didn't bother to tell Little Matt that there might be the wrong bullet for him one day. He couldn't think about that just now, he had to think about protecting his friends in Dodge and his family and only that.