Growing Old with Kitty
by
Lilyjack

Chapter 25

"Looking to the Future"

"Ready...one...two...three!" Matt, Freddie, and Henry groaned, the muscles in their necks and arms straining as they moved the heavy piece of equipment a few inches to the right and set it down again quickly.

"Whew! I didn't realize this thing was so heavy. Where exactly do you want it?" Matt asked.

Freddie pointed to a spot next to the front window. "Right there. Where people can see the printing press at work. I figure it's free advertisement for folks walking by."

"Yeah, but it's sure taking a toll on my back. Henry, you ready again?"

"Y-yep." Henry Small wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and then clapped them together. "R-ready!"

All three braced themselves and managed to move the press much farther this time. While they rested and took a deep breath, Freddie urged, "Only a couple more feet. Ready again? Now!"

With a floor-rattling thud, they released the newspaper printing press in its new spot in front of the plate glass window painted with fancy lettering saying, "Brushy Heap Bugle."

Freddie breathed, "Thanks, boys. Not only will the press draw interest from passers-by, but it'll definitely help having more light to work by."

Matt eyed the complicated-looking machinery, turning a wooden chair around and sitting in it backwards. "You sure you know how to use this thing?"

"Uh, not really. But how difficult can it be?" Freddie grabbed his own chair, sitting down facing Matt with an ankle resting on his other knee, hands folded in his lap.

Curling his upper lip, Henry replied, "L-l-looks pretty hard to me." He dropped down on the dusty floor with his back leaning against the wall.

"Me too, kid," Matt agreed, pushing his hat back on his forehead. "You think you'll need some help around here to run this place?"

Freddie inquired curiously, "You volunteering?"

"I w-will!" Henry exclaimed, suddenly adding in a low voice, "If it ain't anything too hard, that is. I ain't real s-smart."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, kid! You don't know if you can do something until you try! I bet you could help me run this press." Freddie looked at Henry unwaveringly. "And I bet you could sell papers, too."

Henry looked taken aback at the very idea. "R-really? You think so?"

"Now, I don't know that I could pay you a lot." Freddie looked doubtful. "Actually, I probably wouldn't be able to pay you at all until I turn a profit."

"You d-don't hafta pay me nothin', Freddie. I'd do it as a f-favor." His cheeks turned pink. "Cause you're my f-friend."

Freddie rose halfway off his seat and extended his huge hand to Henry, "It's a deal, friend. And I'll pay you back with interest, I promise."

Henry's face beamed, "S-s-sure, Freddie."

Matt smiled. "I'll be glad to help you out whenever I can, buddy, but to tell you the truth, I don't know that I'll have a lot of extra time on my hands."

"What, you wanna spend all your extra time with a pretty little redhead I currently work with?"

Matt protested, "No, not at all." Then he shook his head and hastily corrected himself. "No, that's not what I meant. I'd really like to spend a lot more time with Kitty, but I may be taking on some extra responsibilities around the ranch soon."

Both Freddie and Henry waited expectantly.

Matt rubbed a thoughtful hand over his chin. "Well, it seems Boss has asked if I'd be interested in taking over some of his responsibilities."

"Wh-what does that mean, Matt?"

"He wants me to be his foreman. He says he's gettin' too damn old for all this foolishness and wants to...how'd he put it? Oh yeah, 'take time to smell the roses.'"

Freddie exclaimed, "You don't say?"

Henry asked incredulously, "Y-you mean you'd be my boss?"

"Well, yeah, I guess you're right, Henry. I hadn't quite thought of it like that."

Freddie said in wonder, "So the old man wants to retire, huh? Who'da believed it?"

"G-gosh..." Henry murmured.

"Don't say anything to the other boys. I haven't accepted Mr. Blessing's offer yet."

"Wh-why not, Matt?"

Matt removed his hat and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. "I just don't know if I'm up to it."

Freddie repeated in disbelief, "Up to it? Are you kidding me?"

Henry crossed his arms and shook his head.

Freddie continued, "There's nobody I know who's more level-headed..."

Henry nodded firmly in agreement.

Freddie added, "...quick-thinking..."

Henry's lips pressed together as he nodded some more.

Freddie finished up, "...and authoritative..."

Henry stopped mid-nod and quickly asked, "What's that mean?"

"Ready to take charge."

Henry burst out, "Oh y-yeah, Matt. You take charge. Y-y-you're up to it."

Matt voiced uncertainly, "But that's a lot of responsibility. Do I need that much responsibility? I mean, I'm pretty happy right now with the way things are."

Freddie asked, "But is this all you're ever gonna' want with your life? You wanna be a cowboy from now on?"

Matt scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I don't know."

While Henry raptly listened to his older companions, Freddie waxed philosophical. "I knew I didn't want to cook for the rest of my damn life. I mean, first off, I'm a terrible cook."

Once again, Henry nodded his complete agreement until he saw Freddie sending him a baleful glance, so he wisely stopped, pretending to examine his cuticles.

"I had me a beautiful girl in Beaver Township, and I wasn't gonna win her over by cooking beans and bacon."

Matt asked skeptically, "What's that got to do with me?"

"Come on, Dillon, you're not dense."

Henry peeped up from his fingernails, eyeing Matt askance. Then he shook his head just a little.

Freddie puffed up with importance, "I'm gonna marry my beautiful Celia. I'm gonna buy her a house and we're gonna have a buncha kids."

Matt's voice cracked, "Kids?"

Henry nodded his head knowingly again, repeating,"K-kids."

Freddie finished his life story in the works. "And I'm gonna write for a living. Cause that's what I love doing. Writing. You gotta do what you love, ain't that right, Henry?"

Henry's forehead wrinkled in thought. "That sounds about right."

Freddie questioned, "What do you want to do, Henry?"

"I...I don't rightly know." His face lit up at a sudden notion. "I wanna k-kiss a girl!" Then his cheeks turned beet red at what he'd admitted to his friends.

But neither of them cracked a smile. Matt leaned over and pounded him on the shoulder. "That's a pretty good plan, kid. You got one particular in mind?"

Henry went back to examining his fingernails. "Well, I like one an awful l-lot."

Matt prodded, "And?"

Henry glanced up at Matt with a doleful look on his peach-fuzzed face, "She's taken a shine to somebody else."

Freddie leaned back and crossed his arms, throwing a calculating look at Matt.

Henry murmured, "She's the most b-beautiful, n-nicest girl I ever met in my whole life." His boot heels clattered noisily on the wooden floor as he crossed his ankles and his arms at the same time. "Y-yer a lucky man, Matt."

Freddie agreed, "He's right, Matt. You're one lucky son-of-a-bitch."

Matt gave a small smile and sighed, "I know."

Freddie continued, "If I didn't already love Celia, I might give you a run for your money!"

"Hey now, wait just a minute!" Matt jammed his hat back on his head.

Henry laughed and jumped right in, "Yeah, m-maybe I can get Miss K-kitty to like me yet! I-I-I can bring her flowers. M-maybe I can get me some l-love poems from Boss!" He got tickled at the idea.

Freddie threw back his head laughing. "You see, Matt, you better watch your back! Me and Henry here are just waitin' in line for the chance to steal your girl. She's quite a catch."

"Lionel and C-cletus, too." Henry nodded solemnly. "And Frank." He brushed some dirt off his boot, adding, "They'd all s-s-steal her away from you if you g-gave 'em a chance." He sighed, "Watch your b-back, M-mister." Then he busted out chuckling again.

Matt muttered threateningly, "Come on, you two. We've got work to do back on the ranch. And if I ever catch either of you around my girl, there'll be hell to pay, you got it?"

The only response was uproarious laughter.

tbc

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