Kitty laid in her bed smiling as she thought about last night, with Matt and Maddie. That child had become the apple of her father's eye, and he had become her everything.

She let out a contented sigh, it was then she heard the door softly open. A smile spread across Kitty's face as she saw a little redhead peeking into the room.

"Well, good morning, Pumpkin."

Bethany smiled as she took that as an invitation to climb into bed with her mama. The child snuggled underneath the pile of covers. (She loved being covered in a mountain of blankets, just like her mama.)

Kitty only smiled as she wrapped her daughter up in her arms. "Did you sleep well?" The child nodded, "Uh-huh, so did Amanda." Bethany smiled as her mother brushed back the stray strand of hair that covered her face. Kitty could not help but admire her daughter as she laid there snuggled under the covers, and the doll tucked beside her. Kitty held her close and tight. These moments were so close and dear to her heart, she knew this child was growing faster than she liked. Bethany was already three inches from the time she had arrived earlier this year. Maddie was a little slower. She had only grown an inch, but Kitty was in no rush for either of them to keep growing so quickly. She knew babies and children do not keep long, even though mothers may wish they did.

Kitty looked down at Bethany, as she lovingly tapped her daughter's nose. Bethany turned toward her with a smile. "Well, I'm sure she did, with being safe and sound, back in your arms." Bethany nodded.

It was then Kitty started to tickle the child, Bethany let out a giggle as her mother started to cover the child in kisses and tickling her.

Matt smiled as he was standing outside of the room. He could overhear the laughter of both Kitty and Bethany. He could not help but share in the laughter. It was a heartwarming and joyful melody that filled his heart as it overflowed with happiness and made him want to dance with joy. The sound of the laughter even made the house come alive somehow. He reached for the door handle but decided to just let his beloved and daughter have their mother-daughter moment. He did not want to interrupt the beautiful music of the wonderful laughter he was hearing. So, he went downstairs to make some coffee and to get a head start on breakfast.

Both Bethany and Kitty laid on the bed, trying to catch their breath, as they both held their sides. "Mama, my sides hurt, from laughing too much," Bethany said in one quick breath, still gasping, from all the laughter of the tickle fight she and her mama had. Kitty only followed in suit. "Mine do too, sugar, but I can say this, it was worth it." Kitty was propped up on her elbows as she was looking at her daughter. Bethany only smiled, as she took a deep breath. There was a smell of something that filled the air. "Mama, what is that smell?" Kitty breathed in the smell of coffee. "Mm-mmm, it smells like your daddy is a wake."

A smile spread across Bethany's face as she started to get out from underneath the covers and make her way to the door. "Mama, aren't you coming?" Kitty had gotten up, but she walked over to her vanity instead of the door as Bethany had thought. She started to brush out her hair and make herself ready for the day. "Mama?" Bethany asked again." Kitty turned to her child, "It's alright dear, you can run down and see your Daddy." Bethany sighed as she looked over at her mother. "But, Mama, you've told me a thousand times, young ladies don't run, they walk." Kitty bit her lip there had been more than once that she had had to eat her words from someone. But this was one of the first times, or at least a small handful of times with her daughters. She drew a deep breath, before letting it out. "Your right honey, I have told you that. But running to say good morning to your father will not hurt a young lady's reputation any." She said with a wink. Bethany gave her mother a side glance and a very questionable look as she thought about it, "Are you sure?" Kitty nodded as she kissed her daughter. "I am. I will be down in a little." With that Bethany ran out of the room.

Matt could only smile when he could hear little feet coming down the stairs. He kept grinning as he could feel little eyes looking at him from behind the curtain.

"Good morning, my pumpkin pie."

Bethany huffed a little, "Daddy how did you know it was me?" Matt thought carefully about his words. "Mm-mmm, I took a guess."

The child tilted her head as she looked at her father, she did not know if she believed him or not. But she climbed up onto the stool and watched as he cooked. "Mama told me that you were a U.S. Marshal. Is that true?" Matt nodded as he leaned his arms on the counter and faced his daughter. He was amazed at how much she looked just like her mama.

Bethany looked at her father, "Are we having a showdown like you do with the outlaws?" The question caught Matt by surprise and tickled his funny bone. As he started to laugh. "No, sweetheart that's a lot different." Bethany blinked a few times as she shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, if you say so…" She paused for a moment as she looked at him, then smiled. "I love you, Daddy!"

Hearing Bethany say those three little words, made Matt's heart feel like it was going to explode with love. He walked over and picked her up in his arms and gave her a kiss. "I love you too, Beth." Bethany composed herself like the young lady she was. But looked at her father and sighed. "Daddy, my name is Bethany," The child closed her eyes as if she had eaten something awful. "Not…not Beth or Bethy, ugh." She shuttered once again as she said those names.

Matt looked at his little girl that he held in his arms. "Eh, oh, I am sorry. But can I still call you my pumpkin pie?" Bethany thought on it for a moment then smiled as she nodded. "Yes, you can also call me, Hopie girl, like mama does." Matt smiled as he kissed the child on the cheek.

Kitty came walking in and smiled when she saw the two of them together. "Awe, there's two of my loves, to brighten my morning." Bethany smiled as she looked from her daddy to her mama and back. "Hi Mama!"

"Hello sugar, and good morning to you, Cowboy." She said as she walked into the kitchen and kissed them both. Then walked to the stove as she took over things from Matt.

Both the father daughter duo sat on the stools and watched as Kitty put the remaining things in the oven. Matt sat drinking his coffee and Kitty had not even poured hers yet, while Bethany had a cup of cold milk. He turned to his little girl as she took a big gulp of her milk.

"Now then young lady, what was this about you eavesdropping on your mama and I?" Bethany sat her cup down as she sank a little lower on the stool as she could feel both of her parents looking at her. She looked at the counter then she started to play with the lace on Amanda's dress.

As the minutes passed by Matt could see Kitty looking at their daughter as she was waiting for the child's answer. He felt a little sorry for Bethany, as he, himself had felt Kitty's glare a time or two before and wished he could keep his little girl from it. But he knew she had a lesson to learn.

"It was… It was because I was scared." Bethany finely said as she looked up to her mother, then her father. Matt put his arms around the child once again. "Bethany, did you have a nightmare?" Matt asked as he brought the child over and sit her on his lap, wishing he could chase those nightmares away from his girls. The girl only nodded once again. Kitty sighed, she now felt a little foolish for sending the child straight to bed when she found her up and about last night.

"Oh, Hopie girl. If you would have said something, that might have made things turn out a little different." Kitty walked over to her and kissed her forehead, and she brushed back some of her hair. "But that does not excuse you from eavesdropping on your daddy and me. Because when you do that, sometimes you overhear things that are not meant for your ears." Bethany looked up at her mother. "Then why is it being said?" Matt bit his tongue to keep from laughing as he heard his daughter's innocent question.

Kitty paused for a moment, as she glared at Matt then softly smiled at the child. "Well, Sweetie we might be talking about gifts for Christmas or birthdays. But we might be talking about something that is just for mamas and daddies to talk about." Bethany sighed a little as she looked between her parents, then she nodded, "Yes Ma'am. I am sorry I did not mean to; I was scared."

"It's alright sweetheart," Matt said as he kissed her on the top of her head. "Next time how about you just say it aloud at the top of the stairs, and one of us will come to you. Just like I did with Maddie last night." Bethany's eyes got big as she looked up at her father, "You mean you'd come running if I said I was scared?" Matt smiled and nodded as he looked into his daughter's eyes, "Without a question, or doubt. Why wild horses and a runaway stagecoach could not stop me from coming to you." He said as he gave the child another kiss on the cheek. Bethany smiled as she hugged her father in reply.

But it was then that a question was weighing on her mind. She looked at her mother, then her father. She felt puzzled, as she thought about the words that her mother used to tease her father last night. "Something the matter, Bethany?" Bethany blinked a few times when she realized her mother was asking her something. "Uh-huh, oh. I just have a question that is on my mind. That is all." Both Matt and Kitty looked at their daughter, who looked up at her father. "Daddy, last night mama said at one point in your life you never wanted a wife and children…Why?"

The question caught Matt by surprise, he was not sure what to think. He swallowed hard as he tried to think for a moment, then he looked over to Kitty, as he stuttered. "Well, uh. I mean eh." He sighed. He was stunned. Kitty tossed her head back and laughed, "Your turn, cowboy." As she went back to finishing the morning meal and setting the table.

Matt sighed as he thought about how to explain his reasoning to a ten-year-old. He took a deep breath, "Well, you remember when you asked me about being a Marshal?"

Bethany nodded.

"Well, I was afraid that if I had a family, that I would be killed by some no-good outlaw. Leaving your mama to take care of you and the siblings alone, and I just never wanted to do that to your mama. Then if something happened to your mama, who would take care of you? It was just too risky of an idea for me."

Bethany stared at him with unblinking eyes, not believing a word. She looked just like her mother, with one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed, giving him the look of, "I'm waiting for a better answer than that."

He sighed again. "Well, honey the real reason is that I was so busy protecting the town, that I was scared if I married your mama and if we had children… I mean you and your sister. I do not know if I would be able to keep the three of you safe. Your mama, your sister and you. And so, I always thought that I was better off by being a loner. A lone wolf so to speak." Matt paused for a moment as he looked from Bethany to Kitty, and back to the child, "With all the outlaws in town that would come gunning after me." Kitty listened as Matt talked. She understood what his look meant when he looked up from Bethany. Neither wanted their child to know the nightmares they had lived in the past. There was no need to frighten the child. "Everything else that outlaws can do to people, I would have tried everything and anything to keep you safe from that harm." Matt looked over to Kitty when he saw her clutching the hand towel tightly. He knew she remembered some of those terrible memories.

Bethany looked at her father and blinked a few times. To her, his reasoning sounded so silly to her. She knew of other fathers who were sheriffs, marshals, and even preachers with dangerous jobs. Nope, she was not buying her father's excuse one bit. As she looked her father up and down. She shook her head and let out a sigh as she sat back on her own stool. "Well, Mama always said you were married to that badge, over her."

Her daughter's words chased away the nightmares of yesteryear, Kitty hid her smile with the towel she was holding so tightly a few moments ago, as she looked between her beloved and child. She never turned away, trying her best not to laugh, as she could see Matt was biting his lip in the defeat of a ten-year-old. Bethany had perfect timing.

"You know Daddy, God is the one that keeps us safe from the terrible things that happen. But even though he may not always stop them from happening. He promised that he would walk through the trials and tribulations with us. Then when it was our time to go to heaven, He, meaning, Jesus, would come to take us home." Bethany was still watching her father's face. She could see he was looking at her. She could see that he had a perplexed expression on his face. She sighed a little as she looked at him and rolled her eyes a little. It was so simple to understand, but why was he not getting it? "Why Daddy, He is the one that has kept you safe all this time and brought you here to be with us."

Matt sat there and blinked. He did not know what to say, but there was not anything to say, for the child had said everything that needed to be said. Bethany sat there with unblinking eyes, "We prayed for you, every night, Daddy." He sat there, a little stunned. This child had more faith than he ever did. He was a little jealous of her childlike faith, that he lacked. But Bethany was right. Oh, he knew God was real and that He was with him in everything. Because he could remember many times he was in a tight squeeze, but somehow, he managed to get out of it. It was not by some random chance; he made it out of those situations. It was then he realized it was because of a child's prayer and a God that loved him.

Kitty smiled as she watched Matt, he was lost in thought, and so far, away, that he might as while, be off, out on the prairie somewhere. She walked over to her daughter that was playing with her doll again like nothing ever happened. Kitty cleared her throat, then she leaned down to the child's level. "Alright young lady, no more eavesdropping. Understand?"

"Yes Ma'am"

She nodded once again as she winked to her daughter.

"Okay, I want you to go wake up your sister and tell her that it is time for breakfast, please." Bethany nodded as she hopped down from the stool and then raced upstairs to do as she was told.

The room fell silent, Kitty only smiled as she walked over to Matt, "You look a little lost, Cowboy." He looked up at her still speechless, she only smiled. "Out of the mouths of babes, comes wisdom."

He finally nodded, "I-I guess so." She softly chuckled as she patted his back. "You better get used to it, cowboy. That has a tenancy to happen from time to time with children." Matt smiled as he kissed her. It was then the house filled with the melody of two little girls giggling as they came racing downstairs. With the sound of them calling him, Daddy was music to his ears.

TBC