9
After seeing Peter, Kitty thanked the doctor for his help and promised to come back and check on her friend. Doctor Helm, a tall gaunt man with thinning gray hair and a hawk shaped nose, assured her that the preacher would indeed pull through and that she was welcome to come anytime. She didn't know the man and had no reason to distrust him, but a part of her still wished that Doc was there and could oversee Peter's care.
Leaving the doctor's office, Kitty allowed Sherriff Bowman to walk her to the Lucky Spot Saloon, formerly known as the Oasis. In her letter to Kitty; Charlotte mentioned that she'd made a lot of changes to the saloon, including the name.
As Bowman and Kitty walked down the street towards the business, Bowman took stock of the woman beside him. Beautiful, tough, strong and obviously quick thinking and intelligent, he was mightily impressed, and Troy Bowman didn't impress easily. He had seen too much and done too much in his 34 years.
Handsome, gifted son of a wealthy rancher and now owner of that same prosperous ranch, Troy could've been anything he wanted or just simply sat back and done very little and still have been considered a success. But he wanted to make a difference in the world. He wanted to do more with his life than chase women and raise cows, although he did those two things quite well.
And he sure didn't want to go into politics as his father had wanted. Up until the day his father died, he disapproved of Troy's choice of job and let his son know it quite often. But nothing he said could dissuade the young man from his course and Troy had a certain amount of pride in that fact.
Taking over from the previous corrupt Sherriff, Troy had worked hard to clean up Abilene and make it a respectable place to live. He knew he still had a long way to go and all too often he was opposed by the very people who should've welcomed his intervention, but he was happy with his job so far and planned to do more. After all, it wasn't like he had a family and wife to take care of.
Until the day Kitty Russell drove a stage coach into his town, Troy thought his life reasonably complete. He had money, respect, from most people anyway, a job he loved and many women from many places willing to take him in, anytime he wanted. But when he saw the spirited red head with the deep blue eyes, he began to rethink that. Though he knew very little about her, he did notice she wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Right then; that was enough.
"You sure you want to stay here, Ma'am?" He questioned her a second time as they neared the saloon. "I mean, this is one of the better places in town, but it is still a saloon. Hotel's not much but its more fitting than this for a lady like you."
Kitty grinned. "Sherriff, believe me. I will be fine here. I came to help my friend Charlotte and I can't do that from the hotel. Besides, this isn't my first time in a saloon, ya know."
Troy blinked in surprise. "It isn't?"
Kitty laughed. "No, Sherriff, it isn't. I own the Long Branch saloon in Dodge City. I think I'll be just fine here."
Troy's surprise deepened and suddenly turned to irritation at himself. He'd heard, like so many others, of the famous US Marshal that resided in Dodge City and the beautiful owner of the Long Branch that he was linked to. "I'm… I'm sorry, Ma'am." He took a step back literally and figuratively. "I didn't know."
"It's alright." Kitty smiled. "But now if you'll excuse me, I want to go in and see Charlotte and get cleaned up."
"Yes, Ma'am." Troy tipped his hat at her. "I gotta get going myself, I guess. I'll take some men back with me to where the stage was held up and take care of those dead men; see if I can identify the bandits."
Kitty nodded and turned for the door but was stopped by Troy's hand on her arm. "If, uh, I should need any further information, I can find you here?"
Kitty shrugged. "For a while at least. I plan on staying as long as Charlotte needs me but I don't know long that will be."
"Oh, well, alright then." He smiled down at the pretty lady. "I'll go on then. Oh, and I'll see somebody brings your luggage over."
"Thank you, Sherriff." She smiled and then finally turned and entered the saloon.
For several moments, Troy stood outside the bar looking at the door she'd gone through. He now knew who the woman was. And he was also pretty sure that, wedding ring or no, she wasn't available. But that didn't keep his heart from racing just by looking at her. Shaking his head at the fool he was, Troy finally turned and walked away.
Inside, Kitty stood for several long moments and looked around her. The Oasis had changed more than its name it seemed.
Gone were the three whiskey barrels and the long plank board which had served as a bar. And the rough-hewn wooden walls had been covered by deep green wall paper. Rickety, splintery tables and pine benches had been replaced with felt covered tables and decent captain's chairs.
Although not nearly as clean or highly decorated as the Long Branch, it was definitely a step up from what it was when she worked there.
"Can I help you, Miss?" The bartender called to her when he saw her standing just inside the doorway.
"Yes," she smiled genially at the man. "My name is Kitty Russell. I came to see Charlotte Stark."
"Oh, yes, Ma'am." The man smiled. "Mrs. Stark told me to expect you. Come with me and I'll take you up to her."
"Alright." Kitty answered as the short, bald, rotund little man with the handlebar mustache came around the bar and led her to the centrally located staircase.
Once they reached the second floor, the man turned to the left and went down to the last door, knocking softly.
"Come in." A weak sounding voice answered.
Opening the door, the man poked his head in without entering. "Miss Russell is here, Ma'am."
"Oh, send her in, Wilby."
Wilby backed out of the way and opened the door wider. "Go on in, Miss."
"Thank you." She nodded as she moved past him and into the room.
"If there's anything you need, Ma'am." He spoke up before she closed the door. "You just let me know. My name's Wilby. I'm the head bartender here."
"Alright, thank you, Wilby." Kitty told him as he turned and left.
"Kitty!" Charlotte called from behind her. "Oh, thank God, you're here."
Turning around, Kitty stopped when with a look of shock on her face when she saw her friend. "Oh, Charlotte." She gasped.
TBC