Unshown Moment for Helping Hand Season 1

"Matt?" Kitty slipped inside Doc's office just as he finished bandaging Matt's side. "You okay?" She anxiously scanned his form, noting the torn and bloody shirt.

"I'm alright." Matt answered rather stiffly as he shifted uneasily on the table. "There was no need for you to come up here."

"No need?" Kitty frowned. "I think there was. I was worried about you, Matt. When I heard that Steve Elser shot you…"

"I'm fine." Matt cut her off. "You can go on back to the Long Branch."

Doc, sensing an argument, couldn't decide if he wanted to stay and see it or step out of the line of fire. But seeing the stiff jawed Marshal and fiery eyed girl staring at each other, decided it for him. He was usually as brave as the next man but he wasn't a fool.

"Matt, you take it easy for a couple of days and you'll be just fine. Don't worry." Taking a scrub of his mustache he hurried to his door, grabbing his hat and jacket as he reached for the knob. "Kitty, good seeing you again. You two can let yourselves out." Before either one of them could comment, Doc was gone.

Kitty stared at the door for a moment and then turned her gaze back to Matt. "Okay, Doc's gone so now will you tell me why you're mad at me?"

"Who said, I was mad?" Matt asked as he got off Doc's examining table and quickly began to button his shirt back up. Kitty had seen him without his shirt on before but he didn't want her seeing him that way now. Not now.

"No one had to say you were mad." Kitty put her hands on her hips and moved a step closer. "I'm not blind. You've been pretty cold to me for a couple of days now and I want to know why."

"I've been busy for the last couple of days." Matt grunted as he put his vest on. The movement irritated his wounded side but he'd be darned if he'd admit it hurt.

"Busy? Busy doing what?" She challenged. "The only thing I've seen you do is avoiding me." She stopped as the realization hit her. "You're jealous." She declared triumphantly. "You thought I had something going for Steve Elser." Kitty couldn't control the glee in her voice as she said it.

"I'm not jealous of you or anyone else." Matt snapped at her. "It's no skin off of my nose if you want to trail around after some…" He shook his head as he thought about that boy now lying dead on a slap at Percy Crump's. Nobody would be trailing around after him.

"I didn't trail after him, Matt." Kitty said softly. "I tried to help him the same as I would anyone else."

Matt regretted his attitude as he looked at her. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I know it must be hard on you, knowing he's dead and you being so taken with him. I…"

"Taken with him?" Kitty stared at him almost dumbfounded. "Didn't you just hear me? I said I tried to help him like I would anyone. I didn't say I was taken with him."

"Well, you sure didn't deny it." Matt crossed his arms against his chest. "When I said something to you in the saloon…"

Kitty shook her head at him with a roll of her eyes. "I said I knew what you thought. I didn't say it was true." When she saw the doubt in his eyes she reached up, placing her hands on his arms. "You sure don't know much about women, do you?"

"I know when a woman's interested in a man." Matt answered with a smirk.

"Oh, really?" Kitty arched a brow. "Then why haven't you done anything about it?"

"What are you talking about?" Matt frowned. There wasn't anyone in the world that could confuse him like Kitty Russell.

"You, you idiot." She shook her head. "I've done everything in my power to let you know how I feel about you and there are times I could swear you don't even know I'm alive."

"I know you're there, Kitty." Matt sighed. "And I care about you too. I… well, it's just that…" Lord talking was hard when it came to this subject. "Well, you know how I feel about marriage and all and if you were to find someone… well, someone that could give you what you want…"

"Matt," Kitty grabbed his arm and pulled him close. "I did find someone. He's irritating and stubborn and very, very dense when it comes to women but I have a tendency to over look that. I'm trying to tell you that the only man I'm taken with, is you."

A slow grin crossed his face. "Not just as a friend?"

Kitty placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him down to her for a soft yet very sensual kiss. "Does that feel like the kiss of a friend?" She asked when their lips parted.

"No ma'am." He grinned as he started to kiss her again. But he stopped just short of her lips. "You gonna help out anymore stray cowboys and put them in your room?"

Kitty chuckled. "Not unless they're tall and wearing a badge."

Matt smiled broadly as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Come on, I'll buy you a beer."

"You're learning, Marshal." She giggled. "You're learning."

End