Gunsmoke
Hello. Sorry everyone, this story was suppose to end with chapter 11, but, well, I've gotten a little long winded once again and this story took on a life of it's own. So please read on. The final four chapters are being posted so there is no more waiting. And thanks to everyone for their support and kind words. I love to write. Also, please for give any and all discrepancies. Thank you. I really need to find some one to read my work before I put it on the net. But I'm so impatient.
KR
It had only been a week of getting to know each other for the new family. Kitty was adjusting to suddenly being the mother of four beautiful children, living outside of the Long Branch. It took a little effort on her part, being not just a wife and mother, but a business woman as well, but she was getting the hang of it and loving every minute of it as well. Matt had asked her about his job, he told her he was going to quit, but she would not allow him. She sat him down, and told him all the reasons he needed to keep his badge. Even with the threat now hanging over his family as well as himself, she convinced him that he was the right man for the job. She wanted her children to know the difference between right and wrong and to respect the law. And she knew that Matt was the right man for that job as well. She also wanted her children to grow up close, and to love one another. She had never had any siblings, but she had seen many siblings fighting and hating each other while growing up. She couldn't understand why they would fight or hate one another, because all she ever wanted was a big sister who would love her and protect her. Beth already protected her younger siblings and that's how she wanted it to stay. Matt was a just and fair man, and he would love all of the children equally. He might do a few more things with Matty, like fishing or hunting, but he'd show his daughters that he loved them just as much. As her mind continued to ponder this information, Kitty realized that her husband had been glancing over at her as he sat beside her in the buckboard. The Dillon family had piled into the buckboard and were now heading into town for Sunday service. Kitty glanced over at Matt, who was smiling at her. He then nodded to the baby she held in her arms. Emily slept with her face pressed against her mother's breast. Her tiny hand in a fist, pressed against her cheek. Leaning over, Matt whispered in her ear.
"Emily has taken over my favorite pillow." He whispered.
Kitty chuckled slightly. "Mathew Dillon, such talk, and on Sunday morning as we head into church too." She said as he pulled the Buckboard up to the chapel. Pulling on the reins, he continued to smile, than used his foot to apply the break.
Doc and Festus were dressed in their Sunday best as they headed for the wagon. Doc met up with Matt, as he came around to help Kitty down from the wagon. Matt took Emily from Kitty and handed her to Doc, who immediately began to coo over the child. She had opened her eyes, than smiled at Doc, before slowly closing her eyes again. "That's alright little girl, you sleep, while your grandpa, moons over ya'." Kitty smiled as she placed her hands on Matt's arms as he took her about the waist and helped her down. Festus had gone to the side of the wagon and helped the children out. Matty had refused help saying he was big enough to get down himself and proceeded to jump off the wheel, hitting the ground on his feet with a solid thud.
"See, Uncle Festus. I'm grown up." He stated happily.
"Well, young'in, I reckon you sher are a'growin' up, just like a weed too." Festus said reaching for Sarah, who held her arms out to him. He smiled at the child as she happily went to his waiting arms and clung to him as he took Beth's hand and the entire family, with its honorary Uncle and Grandpa headed into the church. Matt had Kitty about the waist as Doc handed her back her daughter. Matty came rushing over to his grandpa and took his hand. Doc couldn't help the proud smile as the little boy looked up and grinned at him. He could see that Matty was just a little bit nervous. Matty looked up at the church and pulled on Doc's hand.
"What is it boy?" Doc asked.
"Grandpa, do you think God stays mad at a person, if they get angry with him or do something really bad?" He asked.
Doc scratched his head, then knelt down in front of him. "Let me ask you something, Matty, remember yesterday, when you were rushing to clean you're plate, so's you and your pa could go fishing, you knocked over you glass of milk and Sarah's as well?" He asked him. Matty shook his head yes. "How long did your Ma stay mad?" Doc asked.
"She didn't get mad, Grandpa, she laughed at it." He smiled up at Doc.
"Well that's just how God is. He doesn't get mad at his children, he smiles down on them and in time, His time, he answers all prayers." He said, hoping he was hitting the nail on the head. He knew that he had, when Matty smiled and began to pull on his hand as he headed up the steps, not far behind Matt and Kitty.
The service took place, the church sang, prayed and listened. The Dillon family was presented to the town and the small town welcomed them even though they had always known Matt and Kitty, their new extended family had to be presented. As the service was coming to an end, Kitty looked down at her daughter, who was now staring up at her with big green eyes. She smiled at Emily who just stared at her for a moment. Kitty knew that Emmy was reaching into her soul, and examining her new Mama. She felt it the first time Emmy stared up at her. She had felt as though the child was looking much deeper into her eyes, than just at their coloring. Somehow, in Kitty's heart, she knew she found her Mama. And Emmy knew it as well, when she smiled up at Kitty with a yawn and relaxed into her mother's arms. Matt noticed his wife, gazing at the baby and watched as they held one another's gaze. It amazed him at the connection the two held. He still couldn't figure out how Kitty knew what to do, most of the time. He became just a little unglued when the baby was crying and wouldn't stop. Kitty finally took the baby, and laid her on the bed. She then gently laid her hand on the baby's belly and frowned. Matt remembered, he became alarmed, but Kitty smiled up at him and told him that the baby's belly was hard, because she had too much gas. He then stood there and watched as Kitty cooed and talked to Emmy, and then began to push her pudgy little legs up towards her belly, helping Emmy a bit with her bellyache. Kitty made a very beautiful mother he thought to himself. Which made him love her more, if that were at all possible. He tried to remember a moment in his life, without Kitty, but never could, because everything always came back to her. It was at this moment that he realized Kitty and the others had stood up. The parson came over to them and greeted them, and his wife spoke with Kitty.
As Kitty looked over at Matt, he could see in those beautiful blue eyes, that she knew exactly where he had been in his thoughts. She smiled up at him and he leaned down, gently kissing her forehead, then reached out to touch his daughter.
"Matt, you sure got your hands full these days." Miccah Jones said as he shook his hand. "Tell me, Matt, when I married you and Kitty ten years ago, did you ever imagine yourself with houseful of children?" He asked as his wife shook her head and smiled.
"Actually, Miccah, I always wanted a big family." He said smiling at Kitty who smiled up at him.
"Well, then, this is truly a blessing from God." He told Matt who shook his head in agreement.
"The children aren't the only blessing I've received, Miccah." Matt said as Miccah and his wife smiled at them.
"Amanda, Doc and Festus are coming by around noon for lunch, would you and Miccah care to join us?" Kitty asked her. She looked at her husband with questioning eyes, then her smile grew and she turned back to Kitty.
"We would love to, Kitty, but Miccah and I are leaving town today. We're heading out on the noon stage. We'll be gone until Saturday." She smiled and looked around the room. "Miccah and I have always found you and Matt to be our closest friends. You've welcomed us with open arms from the first day we arrived, 12 years ago. So, we decided to follow in your footsteps. We're going to see Sister Frances about adopting a child or two of our own." She said barely able to contain her joy.
"Oh, Amanda, that's wonderful news." She said leaning towards her to hug her. "I'm so happy for you."
"I want to thank you, Kitty. You showed me that even though I wasn't able to become a mother myself, God had other plans for me. There are so many children out there who need my love and understanding and a good Christian home as well." She smiled as the tears fell down her cheek. "I just don't know why it took me so long to see that."
"Everything is in God's time, remember, dear." Her husband said and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Yes, dear, I forgot." Amanda could not hide the joy or her excitement. "We better get going Miccah, I have to finish closing the house." She said gently touching his arm.
"Well, good luck to you both." Matt said as he gently lead his family from the church.
