THE ANNIVERSARY: CHAPTER 14

"Kit, I've got a great idea. Let's go stand on the caboose platform. We can watch Chicago disappear."

"You gonna turn loose of that case of yours?"

"No. It's got some special contents."

"All right, Matt. Once I get you in that stateroom I'm not letting you go. You owe me an anniversary, after all."

"And I intend to pay up."

He put his hand in the small of her back and guided her through the train. Aromas of food were already wafting through the dining car. Matt took a quick minute to speak privately to the waiter, then ushered Kitty on.

"What was that all about?"

"Told him it's our anniversary."

"Ah, of course! And I don't have to share you tonight."

With the train chugging like a snail through the south side of Chicago, the view from the platform was inspiring. The packed full stockyards on one side and Lake Michigan on the other crept by slowly, offering something for a cowboy and his beautiful lady to look at. But Matt was looking directly over the railing, barely able to make out his friends still standing together in the distance.

"You miss them already, don't you?" She asked.

"Maybe."

"I shouldn't have come with you, Matt. You could have stayed longer and spent more time with them."

"No." He shook his head definitively. "We all wanted to go home. Tripp won't have any problem handling the rest of the clean-up. It's his town."

"It was different though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Never knew there were so many other guys out there like me. We could just read each other without saying a word. It's been something I'll never know again."

His gaze drifted off to the yards, not quite ready to give up the events of the past few days. She studied him in her peripheral vision, watched him straighten, eyes wide, when they passed a group of nondescript warehouses. Kitty knew him well enough to know he'd retreated into himself, re-living some memory she'd not been a part of. He watched one building in particular for a very long time before he finally glanced back toward the depot again. There wasn't a chance of seeing anyone there by this time, but he tried anyway. The lake held no draw, so he leaned down and gave his best friend a soft kiss on the cheek.

"C'mon. Let's head back in. I'll tell you all about it."

"Sir!" The waiter in the dining car brightened when he saw the couple walk through. He held up a bottle of whiskey. "Fine and smooth, perfect for an anniversary couple. Compliments of a Mister Griffith Price in Chicago."

Matt took the bottle with a smile. "Thank you. We'll enjoy this in our stateroom." He put his hand in the small of Kitty's back and guided her on.

"Price thinks of everything."

"Apparently." She answered. "Elaine wasn't there on the platform. What do you want to bet she was delivering that to the conductor?"

XOXOXO

All their belongings stowed and his .45 finally off his hip, Matt retrieved two glasses from the stateroom case, studying the bottle before he opened it.

"Says Kentucky Distillers on here, Kit. It's a blend. Tennessee whiskey and rye." He may have been trying to impress his wife, but that genuine federal tax stamp on the bottle looked mighty good to him. He took a seat in the large, overstuffed chair and patted his lap.

"Come sit with me?"

She giggled like a schoolgirl and settled into his lap, snuggled up against his chest. "Alone at last, Marshal."

"Oh stop that marshal stuff. More like 'alone at last to celebrate our anniversary'."

He rubbed her back and stared out the big window at the rolling countryside of Illinois, not quite knowing where to start with everything she deserved to hear. As usual, she rescued him.

"It was amazing what Price said back there, that part about being 'proud to work for you'."

"Lots of changes coming to the service with a man like him for a boss. Guys like Frank and even that Rains kid will have a whole different kind of job than I've had if they stick with it and become marshals. You remember that time Rex Propter from the War Department was going to write me up for allowing guns in town?"

"Wow," she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "That was right when I was just starting to sit on your lap. He was a pretty good diversion. And I remember when they sent Bill Hickok to take your badge for murdering that guy you didn't murder. They docked your pay. Seems like I had to feed you for the rest of the month."

"Worth it?" His eyes met hers. She reached up and gave him a delicate kiss on the lips.

"Good answer." He returned the gesture with a light kiss of his own, then gazed pensively out the window again while he rolled his glass in his hand.

"Price reports to the President, and I report to Price. There's only one man in the chain between me and Mister Hayes. And Price says that a U.S. marshal can actually arrest the President. Gabs called me a 'two bit cowpoke from Kansas'. That's all I see when I look in the mirror, Kit."

Kitty studied his face, then stroked his cheek with a delicate hand.

"Can I touch you, Marshal?"

"Very, VERY funny!" He gave her enough of a tickle that she jumped off of his lap so she wouldn't spill her drink. "You gonna keep your promise and tell me how it ended?"

The thought brought him right back to reality. He did have that promise to keep.

"Remember when I practically had to drag you back to the Blackstone? Remember why?"

"Of course. I knew you and Ply had to go find those people and I was afraid if Honey couldn't stop him, Cort would break into my room."

"As it turned out there wasn't much danger of that. He already had a date with a couple of luscious babes in his suite. Ply and I found him doin' both of 'em at the same time. Honey wasn't anywhere around."

"They really hated each other, Matt. The only reason I got away from Cort when I ran to Tripp's office was because they were so busy insulting each other."

"That explains the part we missed at first. We finally guessed that after Honey realized you were gone, she went to the warehouse. It was Honey Budd, Kit. She ran the illegal liquor business out of her office in the Blackstone and a big warehouse down by the stockyards. St. George squealed like a pig."

"You arrested her, then?" Kitty speculated.

"Slow down. We knew about the warehouse. Gabs had found it and tipped us off. We didn't know who the kingpin was. Ply took the front door guard out, then Gabs and I went in and got the rest of them. That's when you saw us bring all those men into the jail, remember?"

"Yes. I'll never forget." She set her glass down and took her seat on his lap again, just needing to feel connected for the end of his story.

"This morning we figured out that before we stormed the place, Honey was in there. She must have ducked behind a stack of crates. Those guys never said a word. They would have been turning over the paymaster. When Tripp got there to lock the place up, he had no idea she was still hiding back there. I went back to the warehouse that night. I was supposed to be with you for our anniversary, but it was just something I had to do."

"Oh God! That was the night Ply came to my room looking for you. He had the door code we use, Matt! Nearly scared me to death when I opened the door. He had food and he had jokes and that cigar in his mouth . . ."

"I gave him our code in case something happened to me. He wouldn't have hurt you for the world."

"I know that now. The minute he figured out you weren't there he ran right back out the door to go look for you."

"Ply and I spent the rest of the night in that warehouse, Kit. I knew I was right to go back there, and he just sensed where I was. Just one of the reasons I was so proud of those guys." He paused and took a long sip of his whiskey, not wanting to tell the end, but knowing he had to. "I got in the warehouse and announced myself as a marshal. Honey knew the minute she heard me, it was over. She killed herself. Ply and I found her when the sun came up."

At that moment Kitty knew why there hadn't been a celebration, and why all the marshals had been so somber on the platform. It was why Matt wanted to stand outside the caboose for a while, and why he'd stiffened when they passed the warehouse. No matter how contemptible a person Honey Budd had been, she was a woman. He'd never been able to come to grips with that, and no matter how long he'd continue in his job, he never would. Each of the other lawmen was his brother in that. There was no way to comfort him, there were no words that could reassure him, so she stood and walked quietly to the window, staring at the farmland. Young Blake Rains crossed her mind, probably the only one of those men who'd never experienced such horror.

"Don't worry over it," Matt said softly, knowing what she was thinking. "I'm past it. It was greed, Kitty. Just plain old greed. Doesn't matter she was a woman. Some women take one road, some take another. There was nothing any of us could have done. Honey paid her thugs to kill over a dozen men so she could build her empire. Likely men who had homes and families, just like we have."

"She was so beautiful and successful. She had me completely fooled."

"She had all of us fooled. All the while we were casing Chicago day and night, the answer was right under our noses. But we would have found her. We talked about that at the meeting this morning. It would have taken another week, but we'd have found her. In the meanwhile, how many more distributors or dealers would have died at her hand? You saved a lot of lives when you made that speech about the queen and her pawn in Tripp's office."

"There are probably more of her hitmen still out there."

"You're right." Matt finally smiled. "But you know as well as I do, when there's no more money flowing they move on to something worth their time. Local sheriffs catch guys like that all the time robbing stages, banks, whatever happens their way. One at a time they get stopped. And then some stupid young punk takes over and the cycle repeats itself."

So, it was finally time to go home. No point in any more talk, Kitty dug her pretty blue dress out of her valise and hung it up so the train could help rock the wrinkles away. She sat down on the bed and slowly removed the skirt she had on, all the while mindful of the man devouring her with his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm through talking about that mess in Chicago, and I'm getting ready for a date, that's what I'm doing. You said you'd take me to the dining car for our anniversary dinner, remember?"

"Let me help you with that."

All of a sudden he was devouring her with more than just his eyes. He took took great care releasing each tiny button on the front of the blouse. As he slid it down her arms onto the bed, he traced small circles with his fingertips where it had been, the softness of his touch sending shivers clear to her toes. She allowed her head to snuggle into his chest, and alone at last with each other, they both savored the gentle rocking of the train as their bodies moved against each other. He put his lips on her neck, sprinkling it with the tiniest kisses. It was time for a celebration: the celebration that was supposed to have happened on their anniversary.

She repaid his favor, unbuttoning his shirt then tossing it recklessly on the floor. It was a ritual they'd practiced time and again, yet somehow it was never the same. She unbuttoned his pants while he relieved her of her lacy chemise. Neither of them knew how they'd ended up naked on that bed, and at this point neither of them cared.

Unencumbered, his hands slid softly up and down her body, exploring every curve. How could this still be happening to them, over and over again, after so many years? There'd been times back then, times when their fascination with each other was new; times when she'd sought only to help him relieve his intense need, times when he'd just taken her while they stood. Even with those memories in his head he went slowly this time, gently exploring her with his fingers, playing her like a virtuoso in love with his violin. She looked at the ecstasy on his face, knowing that just touching her like that had caused it. How could his touch be so soft while his body was so hard . . . hard in her hand now. She watched his face while she massaged him, then reached up and licked the beads of sweat from his upper lip. He gripped her hips with powerful hands and let her guide him, wanting right off to push to the limit. She allowed him slowly, taking as much of him as she could, knowing it was not enough. Not enough for him, not enough for her. He pulled back, pressed, then repeated his sweet struggle again. They rocked together without restraint, bodies glistening with moisture, breaths coming in spurts. Over and over he pushed into her and she raised up to meet him, until he was buried as deeply as she could take him. Her muscles throbbing uncontrollably around him, she arched her head back and cried out his name with each of his urgent pulses.

He collapsed on top of her, struggling to catch his breath and find the words he wanted to say. Maybe it was the gentle swaying of the train, oblivious to what had just happened in Stateroom Four. Ultimately, his strong arms began to tremble and he rolled to her side. Silently, they lay languid and exhausted in the rumpled bed. He deposited the tiniest kisses on her neck, her arms, and then on those gorgeous round breasts.

Unable to resist his attentions, her delicate toes stroked softly up and down his leg in an attempt to please him.

Finally, a thought. More of a thought than most men could muster at a time like this.

"How did we get like this?"

"Mmmm." She sighed. "I was getting dressed for dinner. You had a better idea."

Instinctively, his lips found a nipple for the gentlest suckle.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Got another one, too. Let's have dessert right here, like this."

"Sounds delicious, Cowboy," she whispered back. "Happy anniversary!"

It seemed like the perfect segue. The last rays of sun were hitting the window at the ideal angle for his reveal. He remembered how the diamond sparkled and danced every time he'd looked at it in the angle of sunset. It seemed like his perfect opportunity. The beautiful necklace would be around her neck when they pulled into Dodge.

"Wait right here Mrs. Diamond," he teased. "I have a little something for you."

She sat up cross-legged, fixated on the muscles in his perfectly chiseled butt while he padded across the floor to the small bag he'd guarded so carefully. He retrieved the tiny box, then treated her to her favorite view while he walked back to the bed and sat next to her. He kissed her softly on the cheek and handed her what he'd wanted to hand her in Chicago while he was hunkered down on that warehouse floor.

"Happy anniversary."

The little box with its blue satin ribbon gave her a shiver. She held it carefully and looked up at him.

"This is why you haven't let that case out of your sight."

He nodded his confession. "Go ahead. Open it."

When the little blue ribbon fell away in her hands, she laid it on the bed and pressed it smoothly with her fingers. It'd be a while before it got its original shape back, but she planned to treasure it just as she had every ribbon he'd given her over the years.

"Just the ribbon, Matt. Just the ribbon and being together for another year is all I want."

He gave her another soft kiss. "Now open it, Mrs. Diamond."

Slowly, she pulled the lid off to reveal its contents: An exquisite gold necklace with its delicate diamond pendant he'd bought in Kansas City, hauled all the way to Dodge, then to Chicago, and now back to Dodge again. This anniversary had been quite the adventure.

Her lips rounded in surprise while the events of the last ten days flashed through her mind. He had all along wanted to celebrate this anniversary at home with her. Somehow, some way, he'd decided she could come along to Chicago, probably just so he could give her this: The most beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever own other than her wedding band. She looked up at him speechless, tears welling in her eyes.

"Put it on, Matt." She said softly. "Put it on like that day you put my wedding ring on."

A confident smile crept across his face at her delight. He plucked the dainty necklace from its box. Kitty leaned into his chest and waited while he manipulated the tiny clasp, thankful that the jeweler in Kansas City had taught him how. When he had it secured, he put his hands on her shoulders and straightened her up to face him.

"It's a little tricky to fasten." He was fumbling for the right words, silly words he didn't even need for the woman who loved him.

She shook her head slowly side to side. "Matt, I'll never take it off." She reached up and pulled his face to hers, kissing him as passionately as she had under that trellis the day they'd wed.

Wordlessly, he took her hand and led her to the shaving mirror, somehow perfectly positioned so the last of the sun's rays almost blinded her when she looked into it. And there looking back at her was the diamond, dancing like fire in that light, enhanced even more by the moisture in her eyes. He put his arms around her while they both studied the beauty.

"Wear this tonight?"

"Tonight and forever." She said softly. "Matt Diamond. Perfect, just perfect!"

That part he decided to keep a secret. It was time to take full credit for the Chicago moniker. Something positive had to come of this trip.

"It'll be an anniversary to remember that way. More private talk we can share over the years."

"Matt, I have a little anniversary gift of my own that I've been saving for you."

"I remember that. The hidden loot you told me I'd never find."

"And you won't without my help." She put both of her hands over his and guided them to her belly.

"Where we goin?"

"Nowhere. Just right here. Happy anniversary, Cowboy!"

"Kitten!" He spun her around to face him, a look of astonishment on his face. He had to be sure. Making a mistake here would be like sudden death. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"You're going to be a father again, Matt Dillon." Then she decided to finish the story so he had time to process what she'd just said. "Apparently you were home at just the right time a while back. This one should be getting almost three months along if Doc's right."

"Doc knew, didn't he? He's gave me a lecture about how special this anniversary would be."

"Well, of course." She smiled up at him. "He's the one who confirmed it while you were in . . . oh, I don't remember. While you were off somewhere in Kansas."

"I thought . . . "The big man sputtered. "I mean, it's been three years! I just figured . . ."

But she put her index finger tenderly on his lips.

"I figured that too, Matt. But apparently we did it again."

Goosebumps played up and down his arms. Of all the things he hadn't expected, it was this! All the time she was struggling with the mess in Chicago, she was guarding his child. He snatched her up off her feet and lifted her up so their lips met perfectly, giving her the deepest of kisses. Then he twirled her around in his arms in celebration. Nowhere to run and shout in a railroad car, no way to announce it to the world. He kept spinning her around and around, just overcome with joy.

"Matt . . . please. I'm getting dizzy." She finally managed.

How could he forget this! My God, she was pregnant! He should have known when she'd fainted in Tripp's office, and then when she'd refused breakfast, and certainly when she'd only taken tiny sips of her whiskey on the trip. He stood quietly and just held her in his arms until the stateroom stopped going in circles. Everything he was thinking flooded his mind at exactly the same time, and that's just the way the way he blurted it out.

"We'll move somewhere out of town, Kit, so we can raise him in the country. I already found a great little horse for Sara's Christmas present. She can teach him how to ride. You're not going to the Long Branch anymore, you're staying home to raise them. I don't want to hear one more word about starting a hotel, either. You are DONE working. We'll hire Ava to come and live with us so you and I can travel once in a while. And then . . ."

Kitty's soft giggles brought him to his senses so he could catch his breath.

"You're such a silly cowboy, you know that? You think you can just decide this is a boy so we need another bedroom? And Ava will give up her jobs for us? And I'm not going to work anymore?"

"I guess so," he admitted sheepishly, just overcome with the joy he had over her announcement. "But the part about not working at the Long Branch anymore isn't negotiable."

Truth be told, that part sounded pretty good to her. She looked up at him.

"Deal." And she sealed it with a kiss.

He decided to press his luck one more time. "And NO hotel."

"Okay, Matt. No hotel."

At that moment there was nothing more he wanted from life. The unpleasant memories of the past few days disappeared, replaced by the thrill of much better days to come. He stepped her off in the slowest of waltzes, just like he'd done that night at their wedding reception. Reflexively she buried her head in his chest. This time there was no red dress, no guests, no band, just the silent swaying of the railroad car while his deep baritone voice filled the stateroom.

"When we dance together my world's in disguise
It's a fairyland tale that comes true
And when you look at me with those stars in your eyes
I could waltz across Kansas with you . . .

My heartaches and troubles are just up and gone
The moment that you come in view
And with your hand in mine dear
I could dance on and on

And waltz across Kansas with you."

END

Author's Note:

My apologies to Ernest Tubb for modifying "Waltz Across Texas." Your masterpiece was covered by so many outstanding artists, I just knew you wouldn't mind, especially when a legend like Matt Dillon covered it. Golly Bill, that just gives me chills to think about!

Members, guests, THANK YOU for your kind reviews and private messages. Lurkers who never speak, thank you too! I see your footprints there in the story stats, and I smile.

Please watch for "FULL HOUSE" coming next. Be well, be happy, and I'll see you down the trail!