Growing Old With Kitty 3
by Lilyjack
Chapter 10
"Supper with Friends"
Mr. Blessing cajoled, "You all don't hafta leave s' early!" He hurriedly stood and helped Kitty as she awkwardly rose from the bench. Matt hovered by her side as well, supporting her other elbow.
"Thank you kindly, gents, but you know I can get around perfectly well on my own." The weary redhead's protest was admittedly a bit half-hearted.
Matt watched as Kitty smiled but he could see she was visibly starting to wilt. He quickly gave their excuses. "Thanks, Boss, but you and the Judge here have a lotta catchin' up to do, and you don't need us around for that." He placed an arm around his wife's shoulders, his chest squeezing in sympathy as she leaned into him. He added, "Kitty gets awful tired these days."
Celia nodded, the last rays of the sunset reflecting off her wire-rimmed spectacles. "Kitty, you do look peaked. Why don't you head on home and go to bed? We probably won't stay too terribly much longer ourselves."
Kitty hated for the evening to end. There'd been such a large group eating supper that Freeman had moved the kitchen table to join the other table out back of the cookhouse. He'd whipped them up a simple yet delectable meal of ham steak and mashed potatoes with red-eye gravy, buttered biscuits and gooseberry cobbler to relish out in the fresh air and in the company of good friends.
While drinking glasses of good, strong whiskey, Leland Blessing and Emmett Nation had regaled them all with adventurous tales from their young years, fighting alongside General Sam Houston in the Texas Revolution and raising plenty of cane on their off hours. Frank, Cletus, Lionel, Henry and Moses all listened in awe-struck admiration, their young hearts inspired by vivid accounts of heroic battles fought and won. The boys had also been utterly dumbfounded that ol' Boss had once been something of a rounder, regularly getting into high mischief with his old compadre the Judge.
Kitty was forced to reluctantly agree with her dark-haired friend. "Alright, Celia. I'll see you tomorrow when we..." Halting mid-sentence, she leaned over to place her hands on the table for support. Kitty let out a small gasp while Matt patiently rubbed her back.
Everyone froze for an instant. Then expressions of consternation quickly overtook the gathering.
Freddie was the first to find his tongue, "Kitty, are you alright? Please, sit down..."
Matt answered for her as she slowly straightened and gave another tired smile to reassure them. "She says they're contractions and little ones are normal. She's had 'em on and off for weeks now."
Rising from his seat, forehead creased with worry, Henry fretted, "Y-y-you okay now, M-m-miss Kitty? You sure you don't want us t' f-fetch Widda Lindy?"
Kitty exhaled a deep breath she'd been holding. "No, honest, Henry. It's normal."
Leland Blessing's face had grown a little pale beneath his leathery skin. "Yeah, I know you keep sayin' that, child, but it still don't help my nerves none when it happens." He ran his fingers through his graying hair. "They been gettin' more and more frequent."
As the color quickly returned to her own face, Kitty speculated, "I suppose that's because it's gettin' closer to my time. Don't worry, Mr. Blessing. Everything will be fine." She gave him quick kiss on the cheek, which made him smile, and patted his arm.
Raising his whiskey glass, Emmett Nation grinned beneath his bushy gray whiskers, remarking, "Nothing like a little sugar from a pretty girl to soothe a man's nerves, eh, old friend?"
The Judge's attempt at levity worked like a charm when Blessing drawled, "Oh, p'shaw!" and all the boys hooted with laughter.
Throwing his hands in the air, Frank teased, "Hey now, where's our sugar, Miss Kitty?"
She replied playfully while raising one delicate auburn brow, "Come 'ere, you young saddle stiffs," and extended her arms. Kisses were distributed as the boys lined up, even shy Henry, who got two enthusiastic kisses on his soft cheek, so that he blushed clear up to his hairline. Moses, too bashful to offer his cheek for a kiss, instead threw his arms around Kitty's ample waist and hugged her tenderly, golden brown eyes shining.
Planting his hands on his narrow hips, Matt grumbled good-naturedly, "If you boys are finished lovin' on my wife, I'd like to take her home so she can get some rest."
"Ready when you are, Matt." Kitty's eyes were tired, but one corner of her mouth rose in a crooked smile. "Night, everyone, and I'll see you early tomorrow, Celia. We've got a lot to do in Beaver Township."
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Leather reins held in one hand, Matt slipped his arm around Kitty who cozied up at his side, sighing against his chest.
"Tired, sweetheart?" he asked, looking up as the stars popped out one by one against the vast prairie sky. The sight never failed to stir his heart.
"Mm-hmm..." she hummed against his shirt. "...and happy."
Glancing down into her eyes, weary but softly glowing, his heart swelled with love for his young wife. "I'm happy, too, Kitty. You've made me happy."
And he meant it. Kitty somehow made him complete. He'd been missing something these long years without a family, without someone to call his own. When he'd met her, he felt as though his life had fallen into place. He had a purpose at last. A reason to live for. Matt impulsively leaned over and kissed the top of her coppery red head.
A lonely coyote howled in the distance as the night air cooled around them. He pulled Kitty more snugly against his side and his hand slid down to affectionately caress her round belly. Matt couldn't believe that he was about to become a father. A father...the very thought made his head spin. He knew Kitty felt the same way. They'd talked of it at night in their warm bed, lying next to each other in the dark, whispering of their hopes for their unborn child-boy or girl, they'd decided they didn't care which it was, just as long as it was healthy and happy.
He admittedly would be relieved when the child finally arrived. It had been pretty hard on Kitty of late although she hadn't complained much. Granted, she had been a mite moody sometimes. One minute she'd be fine and dandy and the next she'd be crying over something he thought was not worth worrying her pretty little head about.
Like the time she spilled an entire cup of coffee on her dress. She'd dissolved into sobs, hiding her face in her hands because she was ashamed of her reaction. I'll buy you a new dress, honey, he'd consoled her, but she'd cried that much harder because she claimed it was her favorite. Matt shook his head at the memory. He knew it had something to do with her being in the family way. Kitty had never been one to get so upset at such a piddling matter before.
He smiled as she nuzzled her head against his chest. Even though she occasionally got upset, Matt had to admit that there was a definite advantage to pregnancy. Kitty had always been a passionate woman, but since she'd been expecting, she'd been pert' near insatiable. Sometimes, Matt confessed ruefully to himself, it was hard to keep up with her. His eyes sparkled down at his little wildcat drifting off to sleep in his arms as he drove the wagon. He speculated whether she might be trying to get in a little nap in so they could make a go of it when they got home. He wouldn't be a bit surprised. But unfortunately he'd had a little too much of Mr. Blessing's fine whiskey this evening after supper. He didn't know if he'd be able to stay awake himself once his head hit the pillow.
But Matt was also worried. He was worried about when the baby came. He knew a lot of women didn't make it through childbirth. That thought made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end to ponder. He wished they had a doctor close by, but they'd lost their local doctor in an Indian attack not long after Kitty had arrived in Brushy Heap. At least they had a midwife, the Widow Lindy, and Moses knew the way to her house. She wasn't so far away that they couldn't go fetch her in less than an hour.
Matt thought he himself might need to start hanging around close by all the time now. Seemed Kitty's spells were happening more and more often. That had to mean the baby might be coming soon. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head again and said a little silent prayer that his beautiful wife would deliver their child safely. He couldn't imagine going having to endure what Mr. Blessing had all those years ago when he'd lost his wife and child in a fire.
Starting when an owl screeched in a nearby tree, Matt clucked at the horse to move a little faster. It was nearly completely dark now, a partial moon the only light. Always mindful of the danger of hostiles of late, Matt kept a wary lookout about them. As their wagon headed for the small cabin they called home, he was unaware as watchful eyes observed them from a distance, waiting patiently...
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