Ranch Life 11
I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.
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The next morning, Matt rose early, nobly trying not to wake Kitty. She had had an awfully long night. No sooner had they retired, then Emily began to wail loudly. Kitty rose and went to her daughter. After changing her diaper, she rocked and soothed the baby until she had her back to sleep.
Returning back to bed, she had just settled back in, when whimpers were heard coming from James' room. Matt started to rise but Kitty pulled him back. "Un huh," she said. "I'll go see to him. Just keep my spot warm."
James, it turned out, had had a bad dream and wasn't as easily soothed as his sister. But finally, he had gone back to sleep. Kitty had just stepped out of his room, when she turned to find Luke standing beside her. "Luke? What's wrong?" she asked, bending down to peer into his frightened face.
"I'm scared," he told her.
Kitty pulled him to her and hugged him. "Scared? What are you scared of?"
Luke shrugged. "I ain't never slept alone before. Pa and me always slept in the same room."
Kitty hugged him close for a second. "Would you like me to come and sit with you, until you fall asleep?"
Luke nodded. Kitty took his small hand and led him back to his room, tucking him into bed. Settling her self beside him, she told him stories until finally his eyes closed and he drifted off.
When she finally made it back to bed, she was so tired she could barely manage a goodnight kiss. Matt had thought she would at least get to sleep the rest of the night undisturbed, but that wasn't to be either. A couple of hours later, she was up and dashing to the water closet, her stomach quivering with nausea.
"Kitty?" Matt appeared at her side. "You okay?"
Kitty sat back wearily with a wet cloth to her face and nodded. "I'm alright, Matt. I just must've eaten something my stomach didn't agree with."
Matt wasn't convinced. "You sure?"
Kitty nodded. "I'm sure."
Matt still wasn't convinced but decided now wasn't the time to argue it. "Come on, lets you back to bed."
Before Kitty could open say a word, Matt lifted her into his arms and carried her back to bed, tucking her in. Though sleep was a while in coming, she finally drifted off with her head resting on his chest.
When Matt woke up the following morning, he decided to give Kitty a break and tend to the kids himself. Saving Emily for last, as she was still sleeping, he woke James and Luke and got them dressed and downstairs to help him fix breakfast.
Once he had the coffee on, he turned to find James standing at the table cracking one egg after another into a bowl, including the shells. Luke had pulled out the flour and milk and was attempting to mix them. However, he was getting more on the floor than into the bowl. "Boys," Matt said taking the last remaining egg out of James' hand. "What are you doing?"
"Helping." James said. "Mommy do it like this."
Matt sighed. James had used all but one of the eggs. "Well, I guess we'll have scrambled eggs this morning, Son." He said.
"That's okay, Cowboy, I like scrambled eggs." Kitty said from the doorway. Matt turned as she entered the kitchen with Emily in her arms.
"What are you doing up? Are you feeling better?" he stepped over and took Emily, placing her in the small crib they kept in the kitchen.
"You're daughter got me up and yes I'm fine. I told you it was just a little upset stomach." Kitty replied. "I should've been up before now. Why'd you let me sleep so late?"
"Because you didn't get much sleep last night." He told her. "And anyway, I can do some things around here you know. I got the boys up and dressed didn't I?"
Kitty looked over at James and Luke, taking in the mismatched buttoning of their shirts which hadn't been tucked into their pants and their hair which hadn't been combed and the shoes they weren't wearing. "Yeah, I noticed that." She said dryly. "But you don't have to do anymore. I'll take over in here. Why don't you take the boys and get their shoes on and rebutton their shirts? After breakfast you can show Luke around the ranch if you would."
Matt looked at the boys and then at the mess on the table. "That's a deal." He grinned.
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Walking around the ranch with James and Luke in tow, Matt pointed out different things and answered the myriad number of questions each one had. Though he was only four and was born there, James seemed to have as many questions as Luke.
Luke was amazing to the former law man. He had been sure the boy would be sullen and distant with him, because he was the one that had shot his pa. But Luke seemed to be at ease in his company.
Still the guilt of shooting Amos Tompkins weighed heavily. Looking down at the boy he decided to address the situation. "Luke," he began, "about your pa…."
"I know," Luke stopped him; small brown eyes regarded him unblinkingly. "Miss Kitty said you only done what you had to."
Matt nodded. "Yes I did, Luke, but I want you to know I didn't want to hurt your pa. If he would've only talked to me….."
Luke shook his head. "Pa ain't much for talking. He says words don't always help."
"No not always," Matt agreed, "but sometimes they can keep people from fighting with each other, from hurting each other."
Luke appeared to consider that for some time before finally tilting his head back up at him. "You sorry you done it?" he asked.
Matt nodded. "Yes son I am. If I could change things, you're pa wouldn't be lying in Doc's office. He'd be with you right now."
Luke sighed and with logic much older than he was, shook his head. "If ya hadn't of shot him though, he'd a killed you then he'd got hung, and I'd never of got to meet Miss Kitty in the daytime."
Matt nodded in astonishment at the child's thought process. "Well I guess that's true, Luke," he answered.
"Then its okay," Luke said taking his hand "and anyway, that Doc man said Pa would be okay. Can we go see the bull?"
Reaching down, Matt nodded and briefly gave the boy a hug, before picking up his son and leading Luke by the hand down to the bull pen.
TBC