Town Life 7

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When Kitty, Emily and Newly arrived back at the ranch that afternoon, they found Matt and James sitting on the swing in the front yard. The barn was gone but the house was still standing. They had managed to stop the fire before it could more then singe the siding on the west side of the house. Kitty's garden had taken the brunt of the fire.

Kitty bolted from the buggy, rushing to Matt and James, Emily clutched tightly against her. "Matt! What happened? You and James alright?"

"We're fine, honey." Matt got up and wrapped an arm around her. "House is a little worse for wear and the barns gone but me and James are fine."

Kitty pressed herself and Emily as close to him as she could, speechless for a moment as unbidden tears sprang to her eyes.

"It's alright, Kitty." Matt tried to reassure her as Newly walked up. It was then he realized that Newly had brought his wife and daughter home and not Tom. Pushing her back a little, he looked into her troubled eyes. "What happened, Kitty?"

Kitty didn't answer, couldn't answer right then as the emotions of the day overwhelmed her. Sobbing into his chest she could do little more at the moment.

"They were shot at on the way into town this morning, Matt." Newly answered for her. "Tom got hit in the arm. Doc says it's just a flesh wound and he'll be okay, but he's keeping him in town tonight anyway just to be sure."

"Shot at?" Matt looked down at Kitty. "Kitty, are you and Emily okay? Honey?"

Sniffling, Kitty finally pulled back a little and looked up into the worried face of her husband. "I'm okay, Matt. We both are. Doc checked us out. I'm sorry, it's just… I… I'm sorry." She managed as she dissolved once again into tears.

Matt hugged her tightly to him for several long minutes and let her cry. Being the veteran now of two pregnancies, he knew how emotional she could get. Besides, right then he almost felt like crying himself.

Newly stood silently beside them until Kitty calmed down a little. Finally he looked over at Matt. "I guess you folks will be coming back into town with me tonight."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I guess so, Newly. Probably be best, at least for Kitty and the kids. I'll need to stay out here for the ranch. But I want to hear the details of what happened today before you all go."

Kitty pulled back and Matt and shook her head. "No, Matt. There's no need for that. If the house is okay then me and the kids are staying here. I will not go into town without you."

Matt threw his head back and took a deep breath. "Kitty, it is not safe for you and the kids out here. Its obvious Loy Bishop has made his way back here and he is putting in some serious effort to hurt us. Now, I want you in town where there's other people and it's safe."

Kitty pulled completely away from him, folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, blues eyes narrowed in angry stubbornness. "NOT – WITH – OUT – YOU."

An hour later, Matt loaded several bags in the back of a wagon and helped Kitty up onto the seat, handing her Emily. Picking James up, he put him on the seat next to her and than climbed in himself. Shaking his head at his beautiful wife he stifled a smile at her stubbornness.

Since Tom was in town, Matt left Gage in charge while he took his family back to town. He and Kitty had struck a compromise where he would take them back to town and stay with them for the night and come back home the next day. He still planned on staying at the ranch most of the time, but he was wise enough not to mention that to Kitty.

Newly had brought his horse, tied to the back of the buggy, so he rode alongside them as they once again headed back to Dodge. He said very little, but his eyes constantly scanned the surrounding countryside as they rode, his hand on his holster, ready to draw and fire, should the need arise.

Matt too, kept a wary eye on the passing landscape. He knew they were extremely vulnerable while on the road and he was afraid of what could happen should they be shot at again. He had grabbed his gun and holster from the house before they left and like Newly, kept his right hand near it, just in case.

They made it to town without incident. The astute former lawman and still learning current one had seen and, more importantly, felt nothing on the road in and both breathed a collective sigh of relief when they reached Front Street.

"Newly," Matt called to his former sometime deputy. "I'm gonna take Kitty and the kids over to Ma Smalley's and get em settled in. Then I'll meet you over at the jail."

"See ya in a little bit, Matt." Newly said as he headed on down to the jail.

After leaving Kitty and the kids in Ma's capable hands, Matt made his way down to the jail. For and hour, he and Newly talked both coming to the same conclusion. Loy Bishop had finally made it town.

"Matt, I'll do everything I can to find him, you know that." Newly assured him. "But he could be hiding anywhere and it's obvious he's not above violence."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I know it, Newly. And I know first hand just how violent he can be. I'm just glad Kitty and Emily weren't shot today or James hurt in that fire."

Newly picked up his nearly empty coffee mug and stepped over to the stove and refilled his cup. "I've been thinking about that, Matt. Kitty seems pretty sure that who ever shot at them was only trying to scare them. She told me they were right out in the open and an easy target if they'd wanted to actually shoot her. And although you lost your barn, no one got hurt. I'm inclined to agree with Kitty. I think he wants to scare you."

"To what purpose?" Matt snapped at him. "What good does scaring us do him?" Taking a deep breath, he waved a hand. "I'm sorry, Newly. I'm just a little frustrated and tired. It's not been a good day."

"I understand, Matt." Newly nodded. "You have a family to worry about along with your ranch and everything. It's bound to make a man a little upset. But now that you're here in town, maybe you can relax a little. I mean you all will be safe here and hopefully I can get a line on Bishop and find him."

Matt shrugged as he stood and grabbed his hat from the peg by the door. "Well I hope so, Newly." He sighed. "But I intend to keep a watch out anyway. I do agree though, that at least Kitty and the kids will be safe here and that's one thing I won't have to worry about. I mean nothing can happen to them while they're here at least.

TBC