Kitty's Very Bad Day

Chapter 9

Gunsmoke

It was close to half past nine when they returned to Dodge. The group went into the jail where Matt locked Tessa up in the cell.

As she stood there looking at the bars between her and Matt, she looked up at him in disbelief. "Matt, what are you doing? You can't do this to me!" She yelled at him as he headed out the door. He looked back at her with pure hatred in his eyes. He realizes that she had made him feel such things, that he had never wanted to feel before. He would have killed her with his bare hands, of that, he was sure. Seeing the hatred, she shrunk away from the bars and sat on the edge of the bed. Her arms going around herself as she began to rock back and forth.

Matt walked over to his desk. Kitty sat at the table, with Doc. Newly was perched on the

corner of Matt's desk. Matt was drinking a cup of coffee and writing a report to the war department. Festus was pouring Kitty a cup of coffee, while Doc checked her pulse again. Kitty smiled at him.

"How she doin', Doc?" Festus asked as he set the cup of coffee down in front of Kitty.

"I'm fine, Festus." She said looking up at him with tired blue eyes. Festus smiled at her.

"She's gonna be just fine, Festus. Matt managed to empty her stomach of the rest of the sleeping powders in time. Her heart's beating strong and that's what matters." He said smiling at Kitty who smiled back at him.

"Matt? I wanna go home now. I don't like it here." Tessa said from her bunk.

"You're staying right where you are, Tessa." Matt said sitting as he continued to write. He wanted to make sure the report was done before he wired the War department in the morning.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She cried to him. Kitty just stared at her cup of coffee as she listened to the irate ranting of this woman. "Why are you ignoring me? I love you. You love me, I know you do. I'm carrying your child. How could you do this to me." Her words were hurting Kitty, and Matt knew it, as did Doc. Newly and Festus felt uncomfortable, so Newly got up and went over to the door of the jail and pulled it closed.

"Nooooo! Matt! I love you!" She cried out as Newly closed the door.

Matt saw Kitty's discomfort and got up and walked over to her. Kneeling beside the chair, he gently took her hands in his. "Kitty, I'm sorry." He said pulling their clasped hands to his mouth to kiss the backs of hers, with his warm lips.

"Whatever for?" She gently pulled one hand from his and caressed his cheek, forcing him to look up at her. "What have you done?"

"It's my fault. This whole fiasco has been because of me." He said resting his arm on the back of her chair.

"No, Matt, none of this is your fault. She's a sick woman." Kitty said smiling at him. "I love you, Matt. You've done nothing to cause this." She gently leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Now," she started as she stood up. "if you would be so kind as to take me home, Cowboy?" She asked him. "We have an early day tomorrow, we are expecting Sister Francis, remember?"

"Oh, that's right." He said putting his arm around her waist. "Newly?" He started but Newly interrupted.

"Don't worry Marshal, Festus and I will keep an eye on Mrs. Lewis." He said standing up.

"Well, then, Gentlemen, goodnight." Matt said and they returned the pleasantries.

Doc smiled as they left the jail and stood up. Taking a sip of Kitty's coffee, he choked on the it because it was bitter and strong.. "Festus, you fool, do you think you could make it any stronger. That'll keep her awake for a week." He said, not realizing Kitty had never taken a sip.

"Well, that thar was the idea, Doc." Festus said drinking from his own mug.

Doc didn't know what to say, he knew Festus meant well, but that coffee would grow hair on a man's chest. He thought to himself. He just huffed and headed out the door.

Festus looked at Newly who was drinking the same coffee. "Tastes fine to me, Festus." Newly said sipping the coffee.

"Oh fudder, that ole' fool don't know good coffee." He looked at the cup and continued to drink it.

Matt gently held Kitty about the waist as they headed up the stairs of the Long Branch. The saloon was quiet tonight. Due to the commotion of the day, Sam had seen fit to close the saloon early so that when the Dillon's returned it would be to some much-needed peace and quiet. So, they quietly climbed the stairs, which led to their room. Sam had greeted Miss Kitty, even hugged her when she and the Marshal had first come in. He waited for them to disappear behind the curtain, the turned out the two remaining lanterns and headed out the back door down past the office. Locking the door behind him, he looked up over his head and saw the lantern cast it's light throughout the bedroom, from the window. He smiled again, as he headed up the alleyway and out onto Front Street and home.

Kitty began to unbutton her blouse. Matt could see that her slender fingers were fumbling with the buttons. He had just taken his shirt and boots off, when he rose to his feet and crossed the room where his wife tried desperately to stop her hands from shaking. Matt gently moved her hands from her blouse and began to unbutton them. He noticed that she did not look up, and that there was a slight tremor running through her body. Suddenly, he pulled her against his chest, her face buried in the hard planes of his chest as she used her hand to cover her face as well. She was crying. Not out of fear, so much as it was out of relief. It had been a miserable day, and her birthday as well.

"It's alright, Kitten, let it go." He said as his big strong hands moved over her back, trying to massage the tension from her body. His mouth kissed the top of her head, taking in the sent of her hair as he did so. She always smelled of warm spiced cinnamon and he loved the smell. Her arms soon found their way around his waist and she tightened the hold on him, breathing in his scent as he had done to her. She always found his smell, invigorating. He smelled of clean soap and water, and of prairie dust, of feed hay and even a slight smell of perspiration, which only made him more sensual to her.

He held her for what seemed like forever, until her trembling stopped and her breathing evened out. He then began to finish undressing her. Now, it wasn't just a matter of her fingers being clumsy, but of his need to see her body naked, to peel each layer of clothing off of her revealing more of Kitty with doing so. By the time, she stood in front of him in her bustier and pantaloons his heart was beating rapidly against his chest. Kitty sat down on the edge of the bed and he knelt down to relieve her of her stockings. Matt knew that tonight would only be filled with holding her naked form against his own, but that would be more than enough, for now.

Within minutes, both were completely naked and lying in bed. Matt lay on his back his right arm wrapped around Kitty's back as she lay on her left side with her face against his bare chest. Looking down at her one last time, he lovingly gazed at her features as she slept. Her face was relaxed and her lips seemed to form a slight pout in her sleep, but still, she looked angelic, and he could not believe that he had been lucky enough to be the man she fell in love with. Breathing deeply, he smiled at the thought of her in his arms, and closed his eyes for a good night's sleep.

to be continued……