DERAILED: CHAPTER 5
"One little problem, Frank. Don't think he's ever had a gun fired off him. I fired my .45 down by the river this morning and about got bucked off. Load up and let's head back down there."
Both experienced horsemen knew the quickest way to get a new horse quiet around gunfire was to let him key off another experienced horse.
"Festus, we'll be back before lunch."
"Right you are, Matthew!"
"You look good on that guy," Frank commented absently as they rode along toward the river. "Is he fast?"
"Darn right. I breezed him out on the stage road. Couldn't ask for anything better. And he settles right down, too."
"Hey, I got another one for you, buddy. How 'bout I hop up there behind you and see if he'll carry double?"
Matt didn't answer, he just rode straight to a big downed tree near the riverbank and dropped his foot out of the stirrup so Frank could crawl up on the trunk and get behind him. The big black gelding passed the test perfectly, walking off quietly while Frank led his own horse off the side. After a short distance, Matt drew his pistol.
"Huh uh, you sorry-ass cowboy!" And just that quick, Frank slid down off the horse's rump.
"Tailey!" Matt turned to face Frank with an ear-to-ear grin.
"Got a hot date tonight, mister smart ass. Need to be alive to enjoy it."
The laughter between the two was contagious. In no time they were sixteen again, playing games with the horses, testing each other, daring each other. Frank rode his horse into the river and Matt passed him at a deep trot, covering the two with water. Frank retaliated by circling Matt and his horse, soaking them both. Then he took off out on the bank, looking back at Matt in a dare to catch him. Matt flew past, peppering Frank with sand. It stuck to Frank and his horse like adobe. Frank paid him back by cutting Matt's horse off, pasting his new boss to the saddle horn. They were both laughing so hard they'd lost track of the reason they'd come down to the river. It was just good to be alive. Finally, both of the riders and horses breathless, they reined in.
"We're gettin' paid to do this, right big marshal man?"
Matt threw his head back and laughed, then he drew his pistol and fired it in the air. His exhausted horse bolted forward, crow-hopped valiantly, then tried to run off. Matt pulled his nose around. In a flash, Frank had the horse circled, covering them with sand again, and the big black gelding gave up. Frank drew his pistol and fired. Matt's gelding took a few stiff steps and quit, blowing like a steam engine. Frank snugged his horse up close to Matt's and they rode forward, Matt firing all but the last of his rounds rhythmically into the air. The big black walked quietly forward. It was over.
"Fun, fun fun!" Frank was catching his breath. "Reminds me of the time you had that worthless bay mare that bucked you off every time you saddled her."
"How can you possibly remember that?"
"Cause I was just thinkin' how young you were then and how old you are now. You'd never be able to stay on that bitch today."
"You sorry sonofa . . ." Matt didn't stick around to finish his barb. He spurred his horse and took off down the riverbank, daring Frank to catch him. It didn't happen. After a quarter mile, Matt pulled the big horse to a stop, drew his .45, and fired his last shot into the air. His horse stood stock still. He let him blow for a minute, then rode back to Frank.
"One more deal like this tomorrow and he'll be solid." Matt announced.
"Three for one, my friend. He's gun broke, carries double, and water's no problem. And all before breakfast! I'm hungry as hell. Let's go eat."
"You gettin' soft on me, Frankie?"
"Damn!" Frank's ear-to-ear grin said it all. Matt Dillon still had it.
XOXOXO
"You just passed another test," Doc announced to Kitty when she ordered her breakfast. "That appetite's back! Eggs, potatoes and even some biscuits, now that'll fill you right up."
Kitty grinned. "And there'll be free lunch at the Long Branch right after this."
"Where is he this morning?"
"Who?"
"For heaven's sake, you know who! That overgrown public servant who always tries to steal half your breakfast when we eat out."
"No idea. He brought my coffee in bed this morning and disappeared, that's all I know." Kitty dove into her eggs the minute Joe served them. The steaming plate smelled better than great.
"I'm taking him to Denver for our anniversary, Curly."
Galen Adams pushed the food on his plate around, then thought better of it and took a hearty drink of his coffee.
"He knows?"
"Course not! It's a surprise. Secret's safe with you?"
Kitty had always sensed Doc's trepidation, so she straightened, stopped eating, and gave him her full attention.
"Well, I just think you should have run that by me."
"What?" She was honestly drawing a blank.
"You'll be five months along, Kitty."
"You want to go with us?" She had that trademark smirk on her face.
"Oh, pshaw! Of course not! It's just that, well, I thought you'd just settle down until February and stay in Dodge where I can keep an eye on you."
"Settle down? Settle Down? You think I just gallivant all over creation, do you? Do you realize I haven't been out of Dodge since I went to Topeka with Matt right after Christmas last year? Meanwhile, he's been all over Wyoming and Kansas and Colorado and left me here to build a jail, run a saloon and watch over Tip Dooley. And no, Curly, that little jaunt you and I took to Kansas City on so-called 'business' doesn't count!"
She was fuming. Doc could see the fire in her eyes, and he knew better than to press it with the redhead. She was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Both went back to their breakfast, eating silently while they calmed. Focused on each other, neither noticed George Powers until he walked right up to the table and tipped his hat to greet Kitty.
"Good morning, Kathleen! We meet again! I trust you and your husband have had time to consider a meeting?"
Kitty pushed her food away, slid her chair back, and stood to face the man, leaving Doc in the unenviable position of sitting right between them, completely ignored.
"George, the 'meeting' is going to be between you and me, and it's going to be right here, right now!" Her bright blue eyes were shooting daggers at the man.
"Apparently you've been busy telling people that I'm your latest investor. I'd like an explanation!"
"Kathleen, I've done no such thing. I would love to have you on board, but . . ."
Kitty cut him off. "How about Emmett and Dorcas Bowers up on the Jetmore road?"
"They're delightful people, but they must be mistaken. I've been quite busy speaking with many influential people around Ford County. Harry Bodkin has been gracious enough to give me a list."
The man was nothing short of practiced, but he had no idea how many years of experience Kitty had with drummers. He was smooth beyond smooth, disclosing nothing about who he had talked with. And he was obviously a liar. Doc saw a battle coming, so he stood to defend Kitty. As if on cue, Matt and Frank walked in the front door, hungry, happy, and now quite surprised. Doc looked at Kitty and just grinned. Matt looked at Kitty, dressed to the nines, in some sort of altercation with an equally fancy dude. He bumped Frank's arm in a signal to follow him to the table. And there they both stood, disheveled, spattered with sand and mud, ready for anything. Kitty took Matt's arm immediately.
"Matt, this man is George Powers. He works for the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Apparently he's the one who paid a visit to Emmett and Dorcas. Mr. Powers, you've been wanting to meet this man. Matt Dillon is my husband."
Frank and Doc played it quiet. This was better than a theater production! The cowboy and the lady. It was going to be good.
Neither man offered a handshake. Matt simply nodded and said "Powers" and looked the man up and down. The guy had dude written all over him: and wore comfortable round-toe dress boots. Powers hadn't noticed Matt's eyes falling to his boots. He was too busy trying to guess how big this man really was, and why a beauty like Kathleen would ever fit with such a mess. He swallowed hard and broke the silence.
"Ahhh . . . Mr. Dillon. You're a U.S. marshal, I see."
"Nothin' wrong with your eyesight, Powers."
"Matt," she looked up at him. "Mr. Powers here has been wanting to talk to you about my investment in the Santa Fe."
Finally, Doc couldn't help himself. There stood Matt and Frank, prepared to take on the world. He didn't have anything to risk, so he jumped right in.
"As a matter of fact, Matt, George is of the opinion that women are not savvy in matters of investment, and your wife has made a big mistake."
Powers' face flushed to bright pink, an unfortunate side-effect to his racing heart rate.
"I'm sure Mrs. Dillon is an exception, and no doubt quite the astute businesswoman. I only asked her to include you in a meeting as a courtesy. Most women can't make . . .well, in many cases the decision . . ." Always the smooth talker, he was now stumbling for words, no doubt another side-effect to his elevated heart rate.
"Women can't make rational decisions in matters of business, does that help you out any George?" On Matt's arm with both eyebrows raised, Kitty was fully charged.
"Powers!" Matt growled down at the little man. "I'm not the least bit interested in your opinion of my wife. How long are you planning to be in Dodge?"
"I'm, uh, I'm booked on the train for Denver Thursday morning." Little beads of sweat were starting to pop up on his forehead.
Matt took Kitty off his arm and sat her down in her chair. Then he got in Powers' face, close enough to count his eyelashes.
"Powers, you're gonna have a United States marshal escorting you from the platform to the car. In the meanwhile, we're gonna take a little walk over to see Mr. Bodkin and find out exactly what you told him. If I see you anywhere near my wife between now and the time you get on that train, you'll be sleeping in the jail. Have I made that clear?"
Powers nodded up and down slowly. But when Matt took a step back, the guy summoned his courage.
"I haven't done anything, Marshal. There's no law against selling my product. You can't lock me up for doing my job."
Matt ignored him. "Nowhere NEAR her. Got that? If you see her in a restaurant, turn and walk out. If you see her on the street, turn and walk the other way. Don't press your luck. Now we're going to go talk to Harry Bodkin together. You want me to hold your arm in front of all those good people out there on the street, or you want to just walk along all friendly-like next to me?"
"Friendly," Powers squeaked. "Friendly, of course. I have my reputation to . . ." but Matt already had him turned toward the door, and they walked out together.
"His REPUTATION!" Kitty was still worked up. "Some reputation! The guy's an outright liar!"
Doc turned to Frank, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"I can just see the look on Bodkin's face when Matt walks in there with that dude. He didn't even take time to brush the dirt off."
"It just adds to the effect, Doc. A little sand, a little mud, a little sweat, yep, just adds to the picture. And now our boy's gonna be extra cranky without any breakfast. Guess I'll have to eat for both of us. If you're not going to eat it, can I finish that last piece of your bacon?"
XOXOXO
"You don't have the slightest clue, do you Ross?" George Powers was poking his partner in the chest with his index finger, no mean feat for the city dude taking on a gunman. "You were so sure you were going to scare that fancy lady when you shot at her down by the creek. You know who you shot at? You shot at the wife of a United States marshal, you big oaf! I should have just handled the whole thing! You're just about as dumb as a box of rocks, Ross."
"I thought she was just out for a buggy ride with her boyfriend. I didn't know the boyfriend was some kinda lawman or anybody like that."
"Keep your voice down. The walls in this hotel are paper thin. Listen, smart man, that 'boyfriend' was Matt Dillon. He's not just 'any' lawman. Besides, he's no boyfriend, he's her husband!"
Ross drew a pensive breath. "He won't give me no trouble. I can stand up to him."
Trying to keep his voice down, Powers' laugh turned into a sneer.
"Yeah. Yeah, you sure can. You'll be lookin' right about at his badge when you do. You ever see that guy? He's big as an ox!"
"That's why I carry this." Ross patted his sidearm and grinned.
"Well, now I've got the law all suspicious about me. Apparently that woman isn't the airhead I thought she was. I'm gonna lay low tomorrow. I've got a ticket to Denver Thursday morning. You got the buggy hidden good?"
"Oh yeah, where nobody'll ever find it. It's in a deep grove down by the river."
"Good. Leave it there! Now you just ride back up to WaKeeney after a couple days. I'll meet you there the last week of September. We're gonna take a little trip on the Santa Fe early October."
"On the train?"
"Yeah. The train, doofus. You know I can't ride a horse. Till the Pacific gets finished, IF it ever gets finished, the Santa Fe is the only way to Denver.
"Denver!" The man's eyes lit up. No one had ever accused Bing Ross of being a big thinker. Or a world traveler, for that matter.
"Maybe even on to California, Ross. But only if you get bored with WaKeeney."
"You wantin' me to finish off that marshal before I go?"
The arrogant little salesman thought for a moment. It was bad enough that Kathleen Dillon had spurned him, but the marshal had made a complete fool of him in front of the bank president, thanks to which all of his sales calls in Ford County would now be for nothing. How could some no-account, two-bit marshal command that kind of respect from a guy who owned a bank? Ross's offer was sorely tempting.
"No! Stay away from him. If he's out of the picture, I won't even need to go to Denver!"
XOXOXO
"How did Doc know so much about that Powers guy?"
As much as he hated to talk business in the bedroom, Matt's suspicion about George Powers having something to do with the ambush gnawed at him. Kitty snuggled in, facing him.
"We were at the Trail Dust for supper while you were up in WaKeeney. Powers approached me about investing in the Kansas Pacific."
The last person in Dodge Matt Dillon wanted to question was his wife. It never went well. Yet here they were in bed, planning to enjoy their coveted private time, and he started in.
"He just walked into the restaurant and picked you as his mark?"
"Not exactly."
"Which means exactly what?"
"Oh, Matt!" She brushed his face lightly with fingertips. "Why do you always have to be a lawman? No, he knew I'm a Santa Fe investor."
She was hoping against hope that he'd be willing to stop there and start with their favorite foreplay. Admittedly, it was a fleeting thought.
"Who would have told him that?"
She was on the edge of the cliff, the big marshal figuratively pushing her back toward her last step. Maybe if she danced a little . . .
"I guess you could say it was Mike over at the depot."
"You guess? C'mon, Kitty!"
The jig was up. There was no way she could lie to the man she loved, nor did she want to. Still, he was making too much of this Powers guy, and the conversation was about to ruin her plan.
"Matt, I wanted it to be a surprise for our anniversary! You said we could go back to Denver again, remember? I went to the depot to buy our tickets so I could surprise you. That guy was standing in line behind me. It was just a pure coincidence. He couldn't help but overhear Mike make a big fuss about complimentary stateroom passage for me as an investor. It wasn't Mike's fault, he was just proud he could do it, that's all! This Powers guy's a liar. Other than that he's just a pushy, annoying salesman. He's misleading friends about me, and now he's ruined my surprise for my husband. He's leaving town in one day. Can't we just forget about him?"
"No, we can't. He knows you're my wife now. He knows I sent his crony to jail, no doubt to hang for murder. I think he had something to do with that rifle shot at Spring Creek, and so does Festus. And this morning I made a fool out of him in front of Mr. Bodkin. You remember what Emmett and Dorcas said? Well, he told Bodkin the same lie about you. I don't like any little bit of this. He may be headed out of town, but I've got the feeling we haven't seen the last of him."
"Then maybe you should arrest him."
"For what? I've been over that in my mind a dozen times. There's no law against lying and no law against being annoying."
"Then maybe you should just arrest ME."
"Best idea you've had all day."
The sly smile and the look in his eyes told the whole story. With one carefully crafted line, she'd distracted him. It was time to go for the close.
"Good idea?"
"GREAT idea!" He scooped her up in his arms, trailing tiny kisses down her neck. "I'll just hold you right here in custody till morning."
"What if I resist?" She brushed her lips across his.
"I'm stronger than you are, remember? Now you get that chemise off so I can search you."
tbc