DERAILED: CHAPTER 14
The Morrison Lodge was in sight. Didn't seem like it had taken as long to get here this year. But then, there'd been no need to make a stop this time while Matt gathered his thoughts to talk to Kitty about his struggles with his job. As a matter of fact, he and Charlie had been laughing and talking the whole time, leading the way on their horses while Kitty and Martha followed along in the buggy. No tears this time, just a relaxing afternoon in the Colorado foothills.
"You think we'll see much of Matt and Charlie while we're up here?"
"Yes I do, Kitty. They need some time together, but knowing them, they'll be real attentive husbands."
"Matt looks good on the new buckskin. Reminds me of his first one."
"Mmmm. They're all just horses to me," Martha replied. "But Matt looks good on any horse he rides."
"I don't know how we're going to get him home. We're a long way from Dodge, Martha."
"Charlie's planning to ship the horse home to you on the train. He'll take care of it. Pete's going to pay for it because you shipped his buggy here. Matt needs to be right by your side on that train, all the way back to Dodge. No arrests, no nights by yourself while he's in a baggage car, just by your side." There was an unmistakable gleam in Martha's eye.
"Thank you for tolerating me yesterday."
"Excuse me?" Martha was genuinely confused.
"I mean about the skirt and blouse and the shoes. I acted like a spoiled princess. I'm sorry."
Martha smiled, now fully understanding Kitty's intent.
"Kitty, you're only missing one thing in Dodge, and that's having another woman to talk with about fashion during all these changes you're going through. Once you have your first baby, you'll be the resident expert and they'll all come to you for help. You were stunning in that outfit last night!"
"Matt asked me to wear it at the cattlemen's again on Sunday. Guess it's all about dressing for men."
"Au contraire, my dear! The fashion game is all about dressing for other women . . . and that goes double for hats! Why do you think I own a millinery? Men care as much about hats as I do about horses! Now let's dump this buggy off on the guys and get checked in. I can't wait to see the place where Matt proposed to you!"
Matt helped Kitty and Martha down while Charlie held the horses.
"I'll wait for you here if you'll get the ladies checked in," Charlie volunteered.
"Seems like I've got the better deal here," Matt grinned. He unloaded the luggage and sent it in with the bellman. Then, one attractive woman on each arm, he called back over his shoulder to Charlie. "Definitely the better deal!"
The lobby and bar were everything Matt and Kitty had remembered. Kitty smiled at Matt when she saw Martha studying the huge moss rock fireplace, just as she had a year ago. But the roaring creek right outside was what set the tone and drew Martha to the window.
"We have adjoining cottages, Martha," Matt volunteered. "And they're both right on Bear Creek, so you'll hear the water all night."
"Matt, do you know what this is?" Martha's face lit up. "This is a deluxe version of our place up on Clear Creek! You were up there last year, you must remember the water tumbling over the rocks, the windows, and the big fireplace. Charlie is going to just love this!"
"I'll walk you two to the cottages. Then I promised to help Charlie get all the horses over to the livery."
While they walked, Martha couldn't help another comment. "This sure is deluxe. I'd be guessing you and Charlie won't have to do any fishing for supper tonight."
"They actually offer trout, but it's in a wonderful steak house, Martha! Dinner is on Matt and me at seven. Deal?"
"Perfect! We'll see you in the steak house at seven, Kitty."
Matt's second stop was their cottage, right next door to Martha's. He led Kitty in, tossed his hat on the rack and closed the door behind them.
"Same one!" Her smile told the story.
"Hey, I made the reservations. I knew what cottage to ask for!" He pulled her in for a sensuous kiss. Memories flooding back, he danced her slowly half-step by half-step to the bed, scooped her up in his arms and laid her gently on it. Dress jacket, boots, even his gun belt still on, he carefully lowered himself on top of her and covered her face with the gentlest of kisses. No longer the guests of honor at Peter Duncan's private table in the Windsor Hotel, no longer sharing an afternoon out for a drive with friends, they were finally just Matt and Kitty, alone where they both wanted to be. Kitty took his face in her hands and returned the most passionate of kisses. Through the unadorned fabric of her simple empire waist dress and satin slip, she felt her husband arouse.
"Hey . . ."
"Mmmm," he mumbled, then went in for another kiss.
She wiggled underneath him and repeated herself softly. "Hey . . ."
"I know. Gotta get my gun belt off at least." Her wiggling had always been inspirational. He was completely aroused now and getting uncomfortable in his restrictive clothing. He struggled to unbuckle the belt while keeping his groin firmly in place for the main event.
"Hey . . . You didn't forget Charlie out there holding all that livestock, did you?" She had the slyest of smiles on her face.
"Damn!" He jumped up. "I was gonna . . ."
She stayed put. "You were gonna make love to me, and just leave poor Charlie out there holding horses." It was more than she could do to stifle a giggle.
"How could you tell?" He asked cynically, looking down at himself.
"Yeah," she said smoothly. "What you're checkin' out there. That's how I could tell."
Matt spent fifteen agonizing minutes alone in the water closet, splashing his face with water, pacing the floor, standing quietly, then pacing the floor again. Every time he gave a thought to the beautiful woman waiting on the bed in the next room, his recovery slowed. He tried hard to focus on other things. Somehow, they all came back to Kitty. Finally, he popped out of the room.
She was right where he'd left her.
"How do I look?"
"Like you're walkin' down Front Street in Dodge on any given day, Marshal. You're all set to go! Kiss me good-bye?"
"Nohhh, nope. Huhhh Uhhh! Too scared! Took a lot of work to reverse that last kiss!"
"Just one little smooch right here . . ." she pointed at her cheek.
He obliged ever so carefully and even risked adding a soft "I love you, punctuated with a sheepish smile and a tap on her nose. "To be continued real soon."
"Better be. Don't forget your hat. Wouldn't want you to have to come back and start over here right away."
Gone the better part of an hour, he figured he'd find Charlie dozing in the buggy. But when he walked out the front door of the lodge, there he was, chaperoning two little boys who were climbing all over the big buckskin gelding, their mother watching happily from the portico. He tapped his hat, smiled and nodded to the woman, and then tapped his hat to Charlie, which of course went completely unnoticed by the boys. Then in his deepest, most authoritarian voice he said, "Hey! That's my horse!"
The older of the two wannabe cowboys froze in place, which caused his little friend to lose his grip on the saddle string he'd been using to haul himself up on the massive animal and slide unceremoniously to the ground. Matt caught him just before he landed on his butt and stood him safely on his feet.
"Now what is it you boys think you're doin' with my horse?" He still had his big man voice dialed up.
"He said we could, Mister! He said we could!" The bigger boy was red in the face worried, pointing at Charlie.
"Oh he did, did he? Well, what made you think this is HIS horse?"
The littlest boy, now safely on the ground, looked up at Matt in disbelief. It was a L-O-N-G way up to that face! Apparently he was the deeper thinker of the two.
"Cause he's a big man and he'd be needin' a big horse."
"I see." Matt squatted down so that he was at eye level with the tyke. "And you don't think I'm big, is that right?"
"Bout the biggest man I ever saw! I'm sorry, Mister. I didn't hurt your horse none."
"Show me how you get up there."
Instead of crying, which he'd been all geared up to do, the little boy brightened.
"Yes Sir, Mister! See, my big brother, that's Roy up there, he pitches down the tail of your rope and see, he pulls me as far as the stirrup. Then I can get up more of the way cause see I can get hold of a saddle string from there. Then Roy grabs me by the back of the shirt and tugs me up in front of him! You want to watch?"
Matt stood up and stepped aside. "Yes I do!"
"Sir," the boys' mother called from the boardwalk. "Sir, I'll make them stop. We're very sorry to bother you, Sir."
Matt smiled over at her. "No bother at all ma'am. I want to see this."
The little guy rubbed his hands in the dust, then patted the excess off. He'd already learned that sweaty hands made for a poor grip on a grass rope. He looked way up at his brother perched confidently in the saddle, and nodded. Roy flipped the rope down and his brother took hold. And just as he'd promised, when Roy had hauled him high enough, the little guy traded his hold on the rope for a two-handed grip on a saddle string so that Roy could drag him the rest of the way. All the while, the big buckskin gelding stood quietly, half asleep, resting a back leg. Charlie Cole was grinning from ear to ear, and the mother was once again smiling. But the two boys were enjoying the biggest thrill of all: they were looking DOWN at the biggest man either of them had ever seen!
"Uh huh, I see." Matt said quietly, studying the two beaming faces. "And how exactly did Roy get up there?"
Little faces went serious again.
"He put me up here." It was Roy, with his new-found confidence, pointing at Charlie.
"Uh huh, I see. And what made you think you could trust HIM?" Matt was using his best pretend interrogation skills.
"Cause he told my Ma he's a United States marshal!"
"You know about United States marshals, huh?"
"Yes Sir! They're the strongest, honestest, bestest, bravest ever kinda' lawmen in the whole country!"
"Yeah! In the whole country!" His little brother chimed right in with a big grin on his face. School was in session.
"Sides, Mister, only somebody special like a marshal could ever have a horse this nice!"
"Roy, that's pretty smart. Who taught you all that?"
"My Pa did. And he's real smart too! Honest, Mister!"
"You're right about that. He taught you well. You can always trust a United States marshal. And now you've met two of them."
"You're a marshal too?"
"Yep." This time, Matt wore his proudest smile.
"Ma!" Roy swung his face over to his mother. "Ma! Can we go ridin' with them for a while, cause they're marshals! Did 'ya hear that Ma? They're BOTH United States marshals!"
"No boys, you can't. These are very busy men with very important duties, and they must get back to those duties. Now you thank the marshals and ask to be helped down off that huge horse."
The boys obeyed with no argument, tinges of disappointment mixing with the sheer delight that registered on both faces. When they were safely on the ground, their mother approached Matt and Charlie.
"Thank you, Gentlemen! That was a thrill neither they nor I will soon forget."
"You're so welcome, Ma'am."
"Bye marshals! Bye marshals! Bye marshals!" The boys' never-ending goodbyes trailed off over their shoulders as their mother guided them into the building.
XOXOXO
Matt decided a drink in the bar was in order for Charlie before they went to gather the ladies for dinner. Seemed like the least he could do, what with leaving him out there all that time while watching over horses and entertaining kids. Maybe especially because of the reason for his extended delay. Charlie was making small talk, or so Matt thought.
"That's sure a nice gelding, Matt. Perfect horse for you in your crazy job."
"Yeah. I like him a lot. Real level-headed. Gentle with those kids, too."
"Don't forget BIG!" Charlie was grinning.
"Yeah." Matt smiled softly. "I remember that part. What did he say? 'Cause he's a big man and he'd be needin' a big horse.' Something like that?"
"Yeah, well that was before YOU showed up and spoiled my image, big marshal man."
"Hey! Frank calls me that all the time!"
"It'll be good to meet Frank, Matt. You're real fortunate to have him."
"You'll be coming to visit us, then? I mean coming to Dodge to meet Frank and all."
"I'll be coming because I want to tickle that little baby of yours. Lookin' forward to meeting Frank too. And all your other friends, like you just said. How's that?"
Matt took a deep breath and a long draw off his whiskey.
"That mess in Pueblo still haunts me. Maybe I'm not the 'strongest kinda lawman' in the whole country after all."
"Usually helps to think through it. Especially with a friend who knows about being a lawman. You still had it all bottled up inside you on the way out to Chip's yesterday." Charlie was looking out the window at the creek. But the pressure of his words was enough, and the tactic worked.
"Bing Ross was pulling the coupler pin in front of the passenger cars so they could derail the train and kill everybody on board when the train climbed the grade into Denver. Frank's the one who tipped me off and figured out the whole plan to stop them. But George Powers saw me send Kitty into the depot. While Frank and I were busy with the train, he headed for the depot and grabbed Kitty. When I finally got into the depot, there was Powers with a gun to her neck. I saw my whole future coming to an end right there. I never should have let her out of my sight."
Visibly shaken at re-living the scene, Matt downed the rest of his whiskey and motioned the waiter for a refill. Charlie sat quietly, knowing Matt needed to get it all out. And probably drink.
"It wasn't me, Charlie. It was Kitty. She saw me standing there, helpless, my .45 on the ground. She busted the guy in the balls. Can you imagine that? She had one chance and she took it. Saved herself, saved our baby, even saved me. She called it 'teamwork.' You want to talk about an amazing woman?"
"That's why she was so skeptical of Pete Duncan," Charlie offered softly.
"Yeah. She was downright frightened of him all along. But she trusted you and me that he was a good guy. That's why I didn't talk about it when we rode out to Chip's. She had to see for herself that he wasn't a threat."
Matt nursed his whiskey, quiet for a moment, composing his thoughts.
"Those little boys out there. Roy and his little brother, whatever his name was. They really made me think about this whole thing I'm puttin' Kitty through."
"Having a child?"
"No. We both want to have children. I mean about working in a place like Kansas. The railroad expansion is a mess, there's problems with settlers everywhere, and the open grazers are all worried about this new barb wire that's coming in. Maybe 'big marshal man' needs to work somewhere civilized. Somewhere that already has an established railroad. Somewhere without a bunch of trailhands needing to get their herds to market at all costs. Those little boys out front: did you see how happy they were? They never had to worry about their mother getting shot or their Pa not coming home for supper. I want my little boy or girl to be that happy. Maybe I need to get out before this baby's born. Maybe Colorado's the answer. Denver's no frontier town anymore! Maybe California. Duncan's speech last night was pretty convincing. Maybe St. Louis. They have all the civilization Kitty loves. I don't want my son or daughter thinking I'm somebody who has to go out and kill people for a living."
"They're a blank slate when they're born, Matt."
"What?"
"Look. You're going to have a lot more tough days in this job, Matt. But you'll get through every single one of them. Somehow, you just will. Run through that thing Roy said this afternoon because he said it straight. 'United States marshals are the strongest, honestest, bestest, bravest ever kinda' lawmen in the whole country.' If I did it, you can. You and Kitty both have a life in Dodge, and you both love it there. You can make the job into whatever you want it to be. Your family and the whole country will be the better for it. Don't even think about running away from it, Matt. Hold your ground. Go right on, and believe in yourself the way you always have. Your children will be proud of you and respect you just like those little boys do."
XOXOXO
But when he got back to the cottage, his reason to "go right on" wasn't there. He sat down on the bed and ran his hand over the quilt where he'd last seen her. Too many delays. Too many distractions. And then it dawned on him.
He pulled the door closed behind him and walked purposefully on. Past the restaurant where he knew she'd meet him at seven. Down along the creek. Purposefully. To the place that was so special for her. And there she was, sitting on that same hand-hewn bench, staring into the creek right where it had splashed and danced in front of her a year ago, that special night when he'd knelt in front of her and proposed. Just like all those nights in the Long Branch when he'd showed up, she sensed his approach and looked up at him with that same beautiful smile that had mesmerized him for so many years. He slowed his walk, his eyes locked on hers. And when he got to the bench, he took both of her hands in his and knelt in front of her.
"Thank you!" He whispered, struggling to compose his thoughts. "Thank you for the best year of my life! I love you, baby girl!"
She reached down and took one of his hands to her lips so that she could kiss it softly.
"Forever, Matt Dillon." She said softly. "I promised then, and I promise again now. Forever!"
Tears started to form in her eyes. But she didn't want to cry. She was too happy to cry.
"I was just picturing you here a year ago, on your knees, looking up at me that night . . ."
"Best thing I ever did," he interrupted her, changing her mood.
"Get up out of those rocks and sit here with me for a minute." She patted the bench next to her. He eagerly complied, pulling her into his chest.
"We didn't know, Matt. We didn't know how any of this would go."
"Would you have gone through all of it?"
"Eagerly, Cowboy."
"Another year to come, then?"
"Eagerly, Cowboy! One day at a time. Each one to follow the one that went before."
The roaring creek had a hypnotic power as it bounced over the rocks. They both sat quietly, each lost in reflections of the past year. Finally, it was Kitty who dared break the spell.
"How much water do you think has run down this creek since we promised each other?"
"Millions and millions of gallons, Kitten. A bigger number than I ever learned."
"Where does it all go?"
"Well, Bear Creek joins the Platte and goes through Nebraska and Missouri. A lot of the country I've ridden. If you follow it far enough, it's the last of the fresh water to reach New Orleans."
"Can't be! The Platte is that odd river that runs north!" No stranger to geography, she was sure she had him there.
He stayed quiet for a minute, processing what she'd said.
"Yeah, you're right. But the way I see it, the water finally figures out where to go. It's almost like for a while it can't decide which way will get it where it needs to be. It wanders all over the place, getting bigger and stronger and making all kinds of mistakes every mile of its odd, crooked journey till it gets it right. Along the way, it gives life to all kinds of important things."
"Even a mother and her little baby," she said softly.
"Yep. The most important of all."
He squeezed her hand.
She understood.
END
A/N: According to popular historical accounts, a powerful well known as "Trego Tank," just outside of WaKeeney, Kansas was the only stopping place for trains in Trego County for many years after the Kansas Pacific Railroad finally pushed through in 1868. Because of the train, WaKeeney was flourishing by 1878. Thank you, Matt! You are the man!
Once again, I'll leave you where I found you:
"It's never too late to say thank you"
Kitty Russell in "The Thieves"
Now don't just ride away! Watch for "There's Always Tomorrow Part 8, THE LEGACY," coming next!