Brent rode back to town his mind on his brief conversation with Dillon. He shouldn't have said anything to the lawman. It was none of his business whether the lawman and the red head were together or not. What did he care if Dillon lost the girl because he was too stupid to claim her? It was no skin off his nose.
Riding along, Brent thought about the young lawman, Matt Dillon. Brent had studied him enough to know that even as young as he was, he was formidable. Strong, tough, honest. He was everything a lawman should be and few were. But he had a flaw that few people saw. He was blind to the girl who loved him.
Oh, Brent was sure Dillon was aware of her. A man would have to be dead not to be aware of her. But as far as Brent could see, in the weeks that he'd trailed Dillon around, Dillon had failed to notice what she was offering, free of charge, to him. He knew the quiet, blue eyed lawman was attracted to the vivacious amber haired beauty but he'd failed, except once, that Brent saw, to do anything about it.
Shaking his head, he remembered the night, he saw the lawman and the red head pause in the shadows outside the Long Branch and share a brief kiss. With a shake of his head, Brent thought that if it'd been him, he'd done more than just kiss her.
But then he realized, it had been him, just the previous night, and he had not done any more than Dillon had. Of course, his reasons were different, but the end result had been the same. Both of them had separated to spend a lonely frustrated night alone. "I'm as much a fool as he is." He spoke aloud again, glad no one but Dillon's horse was around to hear it.
Back in town, Kitty sat at a table with three overeager cowboys playing poker and pretending to be having the time of her life. She really didn't want to be there, right then. She wanted to be anywhere but there. But this was her job and if she wanted to continue to eat and have a roof over her head, she had to do it.
"Hot diggity." Rand McAllister grinned across the table from her. "Damn, Kitty, girl. This is the second time I won tonight. You feelin' alright? I usually never win against you."
"Yet, you keep coming back." Cayce McCool noted from his seat between them.
"Sorry, gents." Kitty sighed as she tossed the cards on the table and got to her feet. "I don't guess I am feeling too good. Fred? Can you take over here?"
"Aw, no, Kitty." Rand protested followed by Cayce and the other cowboy, Ian Stevens. "We like playing with you. I don't mind if I lose, as long as it's to you."
As Fred approached the table, Kitty gave the men an apologetic smile but didn't reclaim her seat. "Sorry, fellas. Maybe next time, huh?"
As she stepped up to the bar, Bill gave her a concerned look. "You okay, Kitty? You sick?"
"Un, huh." Kitty shook her head. "Just got a little hot, Bill." She told him. How could she tell him how she felt when she didn't really know herself? "Would you, uh, would you mind if I took a break? Just to get some air?"
Bill reached over and patted her on the hand. "Oh course not. But you listen. If you don't get to feeling better, than I want you to take the rest of the night off and go see Doc, you hear?"
"I hear, Bill." She gave him a grateful smile. "But I'll be fine, honestly. I just need a little air."
"Alright." Bill returned the smile as Kitty, grabbed her cape, turned and left the saloon. Although it was cold out, she needed some time and the temperature matched her thoughts. Cold and dark.
Stepping out onto the boardwalk, Kitty arched her back and stretched a little before stepping over to one of the chairs lining the wall and sat down. The saloon was busy but out here on the street, things were quiet and she could think. Of course the only thing she could think about was Matt and that kiss.
Her mind was still swirling over that. She wanted to believe that she'd just been tired and imagining things. She wanted to believe that it had really been Matt who had kissed her so passionately and that it really was he who'd declared so strongly how much he wanted her. But that niggling little feeling in the back of her head wouldn't let her.
"Evening, Kitty." Doc shuffled up and took the chair next to her. "Taking yourself a little break, are ya?"
"Evening, Doc." Kitty smiled at her friend. "It was getting a little stuffy in there and Bill said I could take a few minutes."
"Seen that tall man with the piece of tin on chest lately?" Doc slid his eyes over to her.
"Not today." Kitty replied before changing the subject. "What are you doing out so late? I thought you said you had to ride out to the Widow Jenkins' place tomorrow."
Doc nodded. "I do and I was just headed home when I saw you sitting here. You looked kinda sad, maybe."
Kitty looked down but didn't answer. Was she sad? Was that what she was feeling? Sadness? No, she shook her head. No, that wasn't the right word. "I'm not sad, Doc." She looked over at him. "Confused is probably a better word."
"Confused about what?" Doc queried.
Looking over at the older man, Kitty knew she could trust him. Though she'd only known him a few months, she already felt towards him like a father. "Matt." She answered truthfully.
Doc nodded again. "You still think he's changed somehow?"
Kitty nodded. "We went out on a buggy ride last night, Doc." She confided. "He drove down by the river, someplace he usually doesn't go and then he… well, he kissed me."
Doc chuckled before he saw how very serious her expression was. "Well, good heavens, Kitty. What's so confusing about that? Honey, Matt's kinda slow in the romance department, that's true. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings towards you. To my way of thinking, it's about time he showed it."
'No, Doc." Kitty shook her head. "It wasn't his kiss so much, it was just…" she paused and bit her bottom lip. How do you explain the unexplainable? "It wasn't Matt, Doc." She finally said. "I don't know how to explain it and I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just can't shake the feeling that it wasn't Matt who kissed me?"
Doc frowned. Surely she couldn't be suggesting that the towering man with the badge and steely blue eyes who answered to the name of Matt Dillon wasn't Matt Dillon. No, Doc couldn't believe that. Reaching over he patted her hand, before getting back wearily to his feet.
"Kitty, look. Like I told you, before, Matt's under some pressure right now, not only with his job, but with you too. He cares about you, young lady and he's finally coming around to the notion that he needs to show that. Now, that kinda realization can change a man in a way."
Kitty looked up at him with a slight hope in her eyes. "You think so?"
Doc smiled kindly on her. "I do. And I don't want you to worry about it. Things will work out, I promise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm headed to bed."
Kitty gave Doc a brief smile. "Thanks, Doc. Good night."
"Good night, Kitty." He returned as he shuffled on down the street.
Just around the corner, in the shadows of the Alley, Brent stood listening and silently chastising himself. He knew it! He knew he shouldn't have kissed her. He knew he should've continued to keep his distance from her. But he couldn't change that now. Now, he'd just have to include her in his plans for tomorrow.
TBC