A few minutes later, Gladys Vine proudly came down the stairs and walked over to Kitty and Doc. She was dressed in one of her two glittery work dresses, a low-cut bright red dress that accented the pretty young woman's curves and coloring. Her thick, wavy chestnut hair was arranged in long, loose curls, and her large hazel eyes shone in happiness. "Miss Kitty! I'd sure take it kindly if you'd let me work tonight instead of you. I could use the money, and, well, after what happened to your dress and all, it would make me feel lots better 'bout it!" She looked at Kitty's face in wide-eyed hopefulness. When Sam had knocked on her door about ten minutes ago, Gladys had been morosely lying on her bed, teary-eyed over disappointing Miss Kitty. She had literally leaped at the bartender's request for her to take Kitty's place tonight, and startled him with a tight hug and kissing his craggy cheek. Red-faced, Sam had thanked her and quickly backed out of the room as the young woman excitedly ripped open the paper around her recently arrived clean laundry.
"Are you sure, Gladys?" When the young woman eagerly nodded her head, Kitty let out a small sigh of relief. She had been dreading the upcoming night in the saloon, full of rowdy trail hands, each seeming to have four groping hands. And not being able to sit down for long would make the night even longer. She had even dreaded the painful climbing of the endless stairs to her room to get ready.
Doc winked gratefully at young Gladys, thinking a night off was just what sore, discouraged Kitty needed. "You go soak now, Honey and take one of these powders before you go to bed." He rummaged in his old medical bag and handed her a few brown envelopes. "Think I'll head back to the office for a nap. Ester Graham's baby is due any time now and I probably won't get much sleep tonight." He patted Kitty's hand and shuffled towards the front doors, shooting a quick precautionary glance towards the door to the kitchen.
"Goodnight Doc, and thanks!" The weary young woman gathered up her ledger and pens and inks and went through the nearby door leading towards her office. An early night sounded wonderful, especially if Matt got back to town from Jetmore where he had gone early this morning. Being in his arms was the best medicine for anything that ever ailed her, physically or mentally. She was putting the ledger away in the desk drawer when she heard a tentative knock on the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" She had a flickering hope that it was Matt, but he wouldn't have knocked. When no one answered, she limped over and opened the door. Billy Hughes stood there, holding his tattered black hat in his hands and looking down shyly. "Billy! Is something wrong?' She was surprised to see the boy inside the building and knew he wouldn't be unless it was important.
"Um, no Ma'am, er, Miss Kitty. Someone give me a quarter to come fetch you. Mr. Sam said it would be OK to come back here. You gotta come out front, please, Miss Kitty, or I gotta give the quarter back. Wouldn't feel right to keep it. And I promised not to tell you who it is." He looked up at her with big, pleading brown eyes.
"OK, Billy, I'll come." She smiled reassuringly at the boy who let out a puff of breath in relief, put his hat back on, took her hand, and led her from the office and through the saloon. Glancing over at Sam behind the bar, she wondered at the big grin on his face. And she thought she saw him give Billy a quick wink. The boy tugged her through the bat-wing doors, then abruptly let go and ran off towards the general store.
"MATT! When…what…" The lovely young woman stared at the impossibly handsome man standing beside the red and white rental surrey from Moss' stable, hitched to a glossy black horse. Matt had on one of his good, crisp white shirts with a neatly tied black string tie, black pin-striped dress pants, and his best, shiny black boots. The silver U.S. Marshal badge was pinned inside of his shirt pocket. His dark hair was carefully brushed, but several curls had come loose. His dress Stetson rested on the seat in back beside a picnic basket from Delmonico's, and two rolled up, clean blue blankets from his office. His gun belt was curled up on the surrey's floor on the driver's side. The tall Marshal was holding his left hand behind his back as he held out his right hand for hers. She stepped forward and put her small hand in his large one. She didn't have to work tonight, and wanted nothing more than to go for a ride out into the early evening, springtime Kansas countryside with this man. Tears filled her eyes as she looked gratefully into his sparkling eyes, the color of pure, clear water.
"Don't cry, baby," he softly said. "Come with me." He whipped his left hand from behind his back. "Ta da!" He put the fringed, gaily colored satin pillow from her room on the passenger seat in the surrey. She had bought it as a souvenir when they had taken a rare vacation together to St. Louis last year. Young Billy Hughes had wondered why Mr. Dillon had been so glad to get such an odd item when he had delivered it for Sam. All he knew was how wonderful it had been that the grinning Marshal had given him another quarter. Billy's entire family would eat very well tonight!
Laughing, she was handed up into the surrey, then Matt joined her, taking the reins. He clucked his tongue and the horse started off at an easy gait into the western sun. When they reached the edge of town, Kitty put her right hand on Matt's left thigh and leaned her head against his shoulder.
He looked over at her, kissed the top of her head and put his strong left arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. She inhaled his wonderful masculine scent mixed with soap and crisp linen.
The further they got from town, the more the fresh, clean air of the prairie enveloped them in the heady aroma of wild roses, and the sweetness of the long, new grass that undulated off into the distance like a green-blue sea breaking against the grove of old oak trees that was their destination.
Kitty closed her eyes and felt completely at peace. His nearness and his touch made her feel like singing. Her sore hip and buttock were forgotten. The red entries in the ledger were forgotten. Her troubles seemed to up and disappear. She felt that she could now take all the madness the world had to give. The bad day faded away and was now beginning all over as a good day. A very good day.
End.