The Contract

An ATC to Mannon

By

AZgirl66

Ch. 18-So Many Questions

Kitty brushed her thick, auburn tresses, surveying herself in the looking glass. She pulled up her hair on the sides, using a thick white ribbon to secure the locks in place. Tonight marked two sunsets since Kitty had accepted Ezra's gifts of blankets and horses, indicating she'd accepted his proposal of marriage. She awaited his arrival in his private quarters, nestled behind his office. Normally, an Osage brave would go to the house of his intended to consummate the Omíha marriage, but since Kitty's home belonged to Mannon, it was best to meet at the groom's residence.

Kitty was both eager and nervous to discuss with Ezra what he believed this marriage to be. Did he see it as a marriage of convenience? An arrangement constructed only to protect Kitty and her child? Or did he intend it to be a true Omíha marriage-with Kitty not as a maiden, but as a mature, "divorced" bride, pregnant with a new member of the Osage tribe?

We will have a long talk. Surely Ezra doesn't think we are going to sleep together tonight, or anytime soon? He knows how I feel, right? Maybe I reacted too abruptly, accepting his proposal, Kitty thought, as she slowly stood to view her whole body's reflection. When she'd gone outside the other evening to accept Ezra's gifts of proposal, Morning Dove had handed Kitty a gift, wrapped within the folds of a blanket. She'd instructed Kitty that the item inside was to be worn for her wedding "ceremony".

Kitty had been pleasantly surprised that the gift was a simple, white, short-sleeved cotton nightgown. Thinking about Ezra's arrival, she'd debated just answering the door in her day dress, but then had thought better of it. Even though she had no intention of consummating her marriage this night, she had decided to at least follow those instructions from Morning Dove, out of respect for the Osage tradition. Kitty had realized that Morning Dove had stuck her neck out to help her-a total stranger, and wearing the simple gown was the least Kitty could do.

The soft knock at the door startled Kitty. She bit her bottom lip and toyed with the satin tie on the neckline of the nightgown.

"Kitty?" a deep voice softly asked from the other side of the door.

Kitty turned to face the door, answering, "Come in, Ezra," she weakly offered.

Ezra entered the small sitting room of his living quarters, dressed in the traditional buckskins of an Osage brave. Not for the first time, Kitty noticed how muscular Ezra's bronzed body was.

"Hello, Kitty," Ezra nervously stood near the entrance to the room, running his hand through his thick, dark hair, "My mother insisted I wear the buckskins," he offered as an explanation, motioning to his unusual garb.

"You look very handsome, Ezra," Kitty smiled, wiping her sweaty palms down the sides of her gown.

"Kitty, you look absolutely beautiful," the tall, handsome groom complimented, while subconsciously licking his lips.

Kitty ran her hands over her hair, "I thank you, really, but I think we need to talk," Kitty reached out her hand and Ezra accepted it.

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An hour later found Ezra and Kitty drinking coffee, sitting companionably at the small round table in the tiny kitchen of the doctor's residence. Kitty had been very relieved to know that Ezra hadn't expected a thing of her this night, or any night for that matter. Her groom had explained that he fully understood his role as protector for both her and her child, but that if she ever would choose for him to be a "true" husband, he'd be more than happy to oblige.

Of course, that statement had made Kitty feel awkward, but the whole situation was very complicated. Here she was, about ready to give birth to Matt Dillon's child, agreeing to become the squaw of an Osage medicine man for the purpose of escaping the cruel clutches of a man with whom she had agreed to live, in order to protect Matt Dillon. This was indeed very complicated. Hells bells, my life with men has just become more confusing than Matt's ex-girlfriend Leona's, Kitty thought.

Ezra gazed at his new bride-to-be's beautiful face. He hesitated to speak the words, but he knew they were necessary. He took a deep breath and said, "Kitty, once you have the baby and you are both strong and healthy enough to travel, I would be willing to take you to Dodge City and your marshal, if that's what you want."

Kitty smiled all the way up to her eyes. She reached across the table and held one of his hands, "Oh, Ezra, thank you. You are the sweetest, kindest man, and I appreciate that more than you could possibly know," she wiped away a lone tear, "but I don't know what my future holds. Maybe someday…" Kitty's voice trailed off.

"Come 'ere, Kitty," Ezra lifted Kitty's and his entwined hands above the table, leading her towards him. He patted his leg and Kitty shyly sat in his lap.

Kitty asked, "Say I do leave the reservation with the baby, what happens to you?"

Ezra tucked an errant curl behind Kitty's ear, replying, "I really don't know. But don't you dare worry about that one bit. You have to do what's right for you, Kitty. I'm a grown man and I can adapt very easily."

Kitty smiled at the handsome man and wrapped her arms around his neck in a sincere hug of gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. Ezra hugged Kitty back and closed his eyes, wishing that Kitty would love him as he did her.

When she released Ezra from her grasp, she looked into his dark, chocolate eyes, smiled and gave him a feather-light kiss on the lips.

"There," Kitty pronounced, "I guess that means we're married by the Omíha tradition of the Osage," she nodded her head in the affirmative. "At least our version of it anyway."

They both laughed softly and then jumped, startled by a pounding coming from the outside door of the doctor's office.

"Damn," Ezra exclaimed, "I meant to put a sign on the door saying I'd be gone awhile. Got a replacement doc comin' here next week," he glanced at Kitty, unsure what to do.

Kitty stood, abandoning Ezra's lap, advising, "You'd better see who it is. Someone may be hurt." She straightened her nightgown.

Ezra nodded, "I'll be back," he left his quarters and entered his outer office through the side door.

More harsh banging caused the buckskin-clad doctor to yell, "Hold yer horses for mercy's sake!"

Dr. Roseveare whipped open the door to see a short, disheveled man, breathing heavily.

"What do you need, sir?" Ezra bit out to the man, a little harsher than he'd intended. He crossed his arms, waiting for the stranger to answer.

The man took in the doctor's unusual dress, studying him from head to toe, "You the doc?" the man questioned.

"Yes, I am. How may I help you?" Ezra asked, with a softer tone this time.

The small man spoke quickly, waving his arms around, "It's m' wife…Nettie. She's havin' our first youngin' and we live kinda far out. The wida' Parker wasn't home, so I came inta town to get ya. Nettie's hurtin' somethin' awful."

"Okay, Mister…?"

"Kapp. Elmer Kapp," the nervous man rubbed his hands together.

"Okay, Mr. Kapp. Let me get my bag and I'll be-"

"Here's your bag, Ezra," Kitty emerged from the apartment door, holding out the doctor's black bag.

Ezra gratefully accepted his bag, giving Kitty a quick peck on the cheek, "I'm not sure how long I'll be, Kitty."

"That's alright," Kitty smiled at the nervous man standing in the office doorway, "Good luck to you and your wife, Mr. Kapp." She unconsciously rubbed her belly.

Mr. Kapp nodded his head in thanks and replied, "Looks like yer not that far b'hind my Nettie."

"Not too much longer," Kitty smiled brightly, continuing to caress her belly.

Both men bounded down the stairs. Ezra glanced back over his shoulder at Kitty, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay here."

Kitty stood on the landing, watching both men head for the livery. She nodded her head and yelled after them, "Of course! Good luck!" She closed the office door and headed back into the small apartment.

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Kitty found herself growing tired. It had been only a couple of hours since Ezra had headed out to the Kapp farm, wherever that was, to help Mrs. Kapp deliver her first baby. She'd done the dinner dishes and had straightened up both the doctor's private residence and his outer office.

Guess it's time to lay down, Baby, she thought as she patted her belly. Kitty was rewarded with a small kick to her ribs. "Okay, okay, Baby. I get it, you're tired," Kitty whispered as she awkwardly lowered herself onto the bed and tried to get a little rest.

Kitty awoke to the sound of someone banging on the office door. She blinked repeatedly, trying to focus on the clock. "I'm coming," she croaked, trying to get up off the bed. Now I know how poor Doc feels, she thought as she shuffled to the outer office.

Kitty started to speak before she fully opened the door to the outside landing, "I'm sorry, the doctor isn't-"

"Isn't what, Red?" came the deep, slightly drunken voice of Will Mannon. Much to Kitty's horror, there he stood, with one arm propped against the door frame and his other arm bent, holding his coat, slung across his back.

Kitty's eyes were now wide open and she took one large step backward. "Will…" she spoke barely above a whisper, "what are you doing here…I mean…back so soon?"

Mannon entered the doctor's office and slammed the door behind him, locking it. "You might say that I could ask you similar questions, Darlin'. Like, why are you here? What exactly is goin' on here?" He continued to walk towards Kitty and she continued to back up, until she was nearly to the door of the private apartment.

"Ezra wanted me to stay here, Will," Kitty did her best to sound calm and self-assured, "I went to see him the morning you left." Kitty nervously fidgeted with the satin ribbons on the neckline of her nightgown.

Mannon dropped his coat to the floor, "And why might you have done that?" he spat.

Kitty found her grit and stood tall, "Because you hit me across my stomach with a belt, that's why. I needed t' have the doctor check the baby."

"Hmm. Very interesting, Red. Very interesting, indeed," Mannon rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger. He sighed, "So that was around a week ago."

He pulled a cigar out of his vest pocket and rolled it between his fingers, studying Kitty from head to toe. He continued, "Why might you be here now, in the middle of the night," Mannon fingered the sleeve of Kitty's nightgown, "in such a lovely night dress?"

Kitty put on her best poker face, "Because Ezra was worried about me being alone at the house. He wants to keep a close eye on me because I'm close to my time is all," she batted away his hand.

Mannon smiled evilly, "Miss me? I sure missed you." He leaned in to whisper in Kitty's ear, "You look so pretty, I could take ya right here…but I won't. Put on a sweater and some shoes and we'll go home t' our own bed," he lightly kissed Kitty on the cheek.

Kitty felt bile rise up into her throat, smelling the cheap whiskey on his breath. Tears burned her eyes when Mannon informed her, "Good thing someone got word t' me that you weren't feelin' well. Least ways that's what he figured, since you've been spendin' so much time with the town doc."

Damn that Moose, Kitty fumed, willing her tears not to fall.

TBC