Gunsmoke: After All This Time

Part 6

The next morning, Kitty was up early as usual. Earlier, she lay in bed studying Matt's sleeping face in the bright sun. She knew that he was worn out and plenty of love and care from her would probably be exactly what Doc would have prescribed. The thought of the old man made her smile. She missed all of her friends so much, but especially Doc. It was almost as hard to leave him as it was Matt. He had been such a comfort to her through the years with his sage advice and fatherly wisdom. She had written him plenty during the last year, though, and they kept each other informed of what was going on.

Kitty never anticipated that her and Matt's talk would go to the level it did last night, but she was glad for it. For so many years, she had held back when it came to him. Even though Matt's leaving hurt her, she always knew that it might someday come to that. He never strung her along with false promises, but a part of her always hoped that if he did ever decide that he was done with the law, that he would ask her to go with him. Sometimes she was so sure that he would after everything they had shared and when he didn't, she knew that she couldn't wait anymore.

She knew she laid it on him thick last night, but she also knew that if she didn't finally get the way she felt into words that there wouldn't be anymore chances for them. Luckily, he understood how she had felt and when he told her that he had come to Louisiana for her, she was so relieved afraid that it might have simply been business or something else. And the fact that he was willing to stay with her said so much. As emotional as last night had been, it was actually easier than she expected. She decided that she was going to trust in everything Matt had told her. She decided that she had loved him too hard and too long to waste anymore of their precious time being upset.

Once she finished her morning contemplation, Kitty went downstairs to start on breakfast. She was hoping that Matt would be up soon so she could show him around the house and the property more. About fifteen minutes later, she heard him coming down the steps. "Mornin', Cowboy," she greeted as she flipped the eggs. She felt him come up behind her, his hands on her waist.

"I never thought I'd see Kitty Russell do so much cooking," he teased.

"Well, I always could cook, I just never wanted to before. There's a difference." Matt smile and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He loved her sassiness.

"Kitty, listen," Matt said as he sat down at the table, "I need to go into town after I help you feed the animals. I need to send off a couple of telegrams," he told her.

"Alright," she said as she brought the food to the table. They both ate silently for a while before she spoke again. "Matt, have you actually resigned yet?"

"No, that's one of the reasons I need to go into town. I took a leave of absence before I came here and that was six weeks ago. I don't know whether they granted it or not, but I took it anyhow. Twenty years of service and I've never been given a vacation."

"Are you sure this is what you want, Matt?" Kitty asked giving him one last out. She believed in what he told her last night, but she just wanted him to be sure. The decision he was making was life altering. "I know that it wasn't the easiest thing for me to decide…living out here all by myself. I was so used to the saloon and being around people and around music…and action even. I remember my first night out here," she said thinking back. "I was so bored and lonely, even a little sacred. I didn't have any of the animals yet and of course there was no garden yet and when I looked outside at night, everything was pitch black." Matt listened quietly, anxious to know why, exactly, she decided to buy a house so far from town. "So, I basically just sat here for a while. I cooked some, put away my things, and eventually I bought the animals and they took up some of the time. Then I started my garden, which I've always wanted to do." Matt felt a little sad that he didn't know that, but he figured now was the time that he got to find out every little thing he had missed about her over the years. "As more time passed, I found more and more to do. And then my neighbors started dropping by and welcoming me. That's how I met David." A little spark of jealousy flared in Matt at the sound of the other man's name. "He always stopped by to make sure I was okay and to see if I needed anything. He was a real gentleman. Anyway, I guess my point is that it's hard to make drastic changes when you've been working for practically your entire life," she said as she reached over to take Matt's hand.

"Kitty, I meant every word I said last night," he reassured her. "Besides, I don't think I would ever get bored with you around," he smiled. Kitty smiled, too and then leaned over to plant a kiss on his lips. "Come on," he said, "Let's go take care of the animals and head out."

"I guess I can pick up a few things while we're there," Kitty said as they both cleared away the table. A few minutes later, Matt was in the barn feeding the horses, while Kitty was outside feeding the chickens and the cats.

"What are the horses' names?" Matt asked walking from the barn.

"The mare is named Brown Sugar and the other is Cisco," she told him.

"Who do you usually use for the wagon?"

"Well, I don't have much to get. We can use the buggy with the mare."

Finished with the animals, Matt hitched up the buggy, while Kitty went back to the house to freshen up. It wasn't as hot as the day before, but the heat was still pretty intense. The thermometer on the side of the barn read ninety-five degrees. Kitty dashed up the steps to wash her face and put on her straw hat to help block the sun.

"Ready?" Matt asked as she stepped out the back door.

"Ready." He helped her up into the buggy and they were on their way.

To be continued...