Unshown Moments for the Peace Officer (2)

This is for mnjacobson & Janie

And to all the readers I couldn't PM, thank you! You made my day.

After securing a new Sherriff for Tascosa, Matt slowly made his way down the street to the Long Branch. Kitty had acted awfully put out with him, when they'd met on the hotel stairs and he wanted to straighten things out with her. He had a feeling it was due to his asking her to take care of Stella, but other than Doc, he'd had no one else he could ask such a thing of.

Well, he thought to himself, not really. He supposed he could've taken her over to Ma's. But Ma would've been asking him all sorts of questions he didn't feel like answering. Questions like, 'What about Kitty?' or 'Are you interested in Stella?'

His feelings towards Kitty hadn't changed. He still loved her and still wanted her in his life. Stella, nor 10 others like her, could change that. But he'd be lying to himself if he said Stella hadn't impressed him. She had, very much so. He'd admired her courage and gentleness and honesty. Some of the same things he'd always admired in Kitty.

When he reached the saloon, he found Kitty at the end of the bar, industriously washing mugs alongside Clem. She looked up when he pushed into the saloon and he could tell, she wasn't too happy to see him. "Kitty." He tipped his hat with a smile that she didn't' return. "How are you?"

"Busy." Was her short reply.

"Uh, too busy?" He asked carefully. "I mean, well, do you have a few minutes to talk?"

Kitty started to say no. She was sorely put out with the man that never seemed to stop taking her for granted. But she also loved that same man and she wanted the air clear between them. Throwing the towel, she had, down on the bar, she stepped around the end of it and headed for the exit. "Let's go." She told him in a no non-sense tone.

He didn't argue as he followed her but looked up at the evening sky when they reached the boardwalk and smiled. "Nice night, isn't it?"

"Is it?" She threw a glance in his direction as she crossed her arms in front of her and started down the boardwalk, not looking back to see if he would follow. His hurried bootsteps on the wide planks let her to know that he would.

"Where's the fire?" He asked with a grin as he caught up to her, a grin that usually captured her heart but tonight only irritated it more.

"I have no desire to stand in front of the doors of the Long Branch and chit chat with you." She answered as she continued to walk. "What we need to talk about is best kept private, not shared with every cowboy coming and going from the saloon."

"Yeah." Matt sighed as he continued to follow along behind her.

When Kitty reached what, she felt, was a safe distance from the saloon, she finally stopped and turned back to him. "Alright. This is good enough. Talk." Kitty gave him a stern look and her voice was firm, allowing him to know that she wasn't in the mood to be cajoled or placated. She was serious and he knew he'd need to be as well. He wouldn't be able to tease or smile his way out of it.

"Well," he dropped his head with a sigh. "I, uh… I got the idea, earlier at the hotel, that you were a little upset with me. I wanted to find out why and maybe try to fix it."

Kitty rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Boy, you sure are dense, aren't you?"

When Matt looked up at her with a frown she continued. "Matt, I was upset because you brought a woman that fancies herself in love with you, into Dodge and practically dumped her at my doorstep, wanting me to take care of her. Don't you understand how hard that is for me? And what about her? She thought you were totally available and wanted her as much as she wanted you. And you didn't do or say anything to discourage that way of thinking."

Matt's eyes widened and he dropped his head at the full realization of Kitty's words. He'd understood that Stella was interested in him but he'd never thought her in love with him. And he thought, by avoiding any mention of a 'them' she would get it that he wasn't interested in her, at least not in that way.

"Oh." He sighed as he looked back up at Kitty. "Kitty, I… I never…"

"I know that, Matt." She answered with a huff. "If I ever thought that you intentionally led that woman or any other on, I'd be out of here so quick it'd make your head swim. But you're not getting the point. Whether you meant to lead Stella on or not, you did. Like I said, you didn't tell her, in no uncertain terms, that you weren't available or at least not interested. You didn't have to tell her anything about me, or us, but you should've told her something. She had feelings for you. And now she's hurt because you didn't make your status clear from the beginning."

Matt looked away, uncomfortable with the thought that, though unintentional, he'd hurt the woman he'd only sought to help. And worse than that, he'd managed to upset and hurt Kitty as well. "Guess, I bungled it pretty good, huh?"

Kitty crossed her arms against her chest and nodded. "You did. You didn't mean to, but it doesn't change the outcome." Kitty stood silently watching him squirm for a moment before going on. "Seems to me, I've told you this before, but it bears repeating, Matt. You have an awful lot to learn about women. Starting with this one."

Matt looked up at her. "I guess, saying I'm sorry wouldn't be good enough?"

"NO." Came her firm reply. "But maybe, just maybe, if you bought me a drink and promised me you wouldn't do this again, and apologized properly to Stella, it might be."

Matt was relieved to finally see a slight grin on her lips. "How about I buy you two drinks and offer to buy a stage ticket for Stella to any place she wants to go?"

Kitty linked her arms in his and chuckled. "You're learning, Cowboy, very slowly, but you're learning."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He nodded as he patted her hand and they headed back to the Long Branch.

END