Gunsmoke:After All This Time

Part 3

"Hello, Matt," he heard from behind. There was no mistaking the voice. Matt turned around and looked into the face of Kitty Russell as she walked toward him. She was even more beautiful than he remembered and her long, red hair was tied up and away from her face, which looked fresh and clean of any makeup.

She was walking up from the garden when she spotted him. Kitty stood there timidly, not quite believing he was there. She watched him watching her and it made her a little nervous. She wasn't wearing the fancy clothes that he was used to seeing her in and her hair was nothing special. Kitty knew that those things never mattered to Matt, but she couldn't help feeling a little plain under his gaze. She took him in, as well. His face was in serious need of a shave and his clothes were full of dirt and dust. She'd watched him as she walked closer from the garden and she noticed that he was favoring his knee a little more.

Matt took a few steps closer and he could see the freckles that dusted her face. She was beautiful either way, but he always did like it when she let him see her without any makeup. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes, Red." He smiled and opened his arms for a hug, which Kitty gladly accepted.

"Oh, Matt," she sighed squeezing him tightly. What was he doing here? Quite honestly, she never knew if she would see him again or not and now here he was standing in her own backyard. She pulled away and looked into his face. It was obvious that he was in desperate need of some rest and he was thin, too thin for her liking. "Come on," she said sliding her hand down his arm, "Let's get in out of this sun."

"Kitty, wait," Matt said. For a split second, he saw a look of uncertainty in her eyes. "I need to take care of Buck." The look was replaced with relief and then she smiled brightly.

"Buck is here, too?" she asked, not having paid attention to anything but Matt when she saw him. There could have been an army marching behind her and she wouldn't have noticed. She knew it was silly, but she was almost just as happy to see the horse as she was him. It was nice to see familiar things from her life in Dodge, but it couldn't have gotten any better than Matt Dillon himself. "Come on, I'll show you where you can put him."

Matt followed as Kitty walked over to the coral where Buck was. She patted the big animal on his nose and led him to the barn. "I can do that, Kitty. Just tell me where to put him."

"It's alright," she said as she went to get some oats and hay. "Besides, you look like you could sleep for a week straight. Why don't you go into the house and wait for me." Matt started to protest, but then he thought better of it. He watched as she unloaded his saddlebags and he walked over to take them from her. She unbuckled the saddle and even hoisted it off of Buck's back. Kitty looked over to see Matt's raised eyebrows. "What's a' matter, Cowboy?" she chuckled. "Haven't you ever seen a girl do a little hard work?" He could only smile as he turned around and headed toward the house. He had a feeling that he was in for a lot more surprises from this woman.

Kitty watched him go and her smile faded into a sad one. A million reasons went through her head as to why Matt would be there and she wasn't sure she could handle it if she had to watch him leave. When she made the choice to leave Dodge, it wasn't out of anger toward him, but it was because she knew that she couldn't put her life on hold any longer. Sometimes Matt seemed determined to be a lawman forever and she knew that it was time for a change. She didn't feel as if her life was wasted, but she didn't want to run a saloon forever. So many times she had imagined herself in a house, with a yard…and a garden. Matt was in the dream, but eventually she had to admit that if she wanted any sort of domestic life, she would have to find it with someone else or find it alone. So far, she had found it alone, but since coming to Baton Rouge, she'd had a few offers to share it, with a Mr. David Parks in particular.

She had met David about two weeks after she moved into her house. He was a simple farmer who lived alone and Kitty had later learned that fifty-ish man was a widow and his children were grown and moved away. She had taken dinner with him a few times and she found herself immediately attracted to him. He was in excellent shape for his age and he made her laugh. It had been a good, long while since she felt like laughing at anything. Her decision to leave Matt did not come easy. It was absolutely one of the hardest things she ever had to do. Matt Dillon was the love of her life, but even still, she had to move on. Nineteen years was an awful long time to wait for someone. David and Matt were alike in a lot of ways, but the main difference was that David didn't have a job that hindered him from having a life with her. He wanted to provide for her and take care of her, even if she didn't really need him to. Still, it was nice that he wanted to. He had asked her just three weeks after they met to marry him, but she couldn't say yes when she knew that her heart still belonged to Matt. David deserved more than half of her.

Kitty finished rubbing Buck down and headed to the house.

KmK

Matt stepped into the entryway of the house and he immediately felt comfort wash over him. He sat his bags by the door and looked around. Everything was decorated beautifully. A few pictures hung on the cream colored walls and a unique table that looked like a small tree with a flat, round, glass top stood next to the stairwell with an empty silver vase on it. He made his way into the dining room and saw a medium sized, mahogany table with four matching and cushioned chairs. The walls were half paneled and half wallpapered in a light yellow color. Next, he peeked inside the roomy kitchen. The walls in the kitchen were painted a cream color as well, but what made it stand out was the Aragon blue cabinetry. There was plenty of shelf space, a wine rack, and even a spice rack. Matt had never seen a kitchen decorated in such a way, but he liked it. It was truly a country kitchen. Finally, he headed into the parlor to wait for Kitty. He had noticed a few other rooms, but he figured she could give him the rest of the tour later if she wanted.

To be continued...