Gunsmoke:After All This Time

Part9

The rain had come and gone leaving a thick mist in the air. Matt and Kitty lay in bed talking and snuggling, happy at being together again. "You okay?" Matt asked as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I'm more than okay," she said sleepily.

"Kitty, it's only four-thirty. What are we gonna do for the rest of the day?"

"Well, I was thinking we could do some more of this," she said playfully as she moved to straddle him. Matt gave a lopsided grin as his hands went to her hips.

"Well, yeah, we could do that…but I'm not as young as I used to be ya know."

"If what you did just a few minutes ago is any indication of your age, then you can only be what… twenty-five, twenty-six?"

"You really know how to stroke a guy's ego," Matt laughed. Kitty ran her hands up his muscular chest and then leaned down to kiss him, working her way from his mouth, across his jaw and down to his neck. Matt lay there enjoying the sensations. He lightly ran his fingers up and down her back and gave in to the feelings she was creating inside of him.

KmK

"Okay, so now it's five-thirty."

"Matt," Kitty laughed, "You are really gonna have to learn how to relax. That's the joy of being in retirement. You can do anything you want, which includes nothing at all," she said.

"Well, what do you usually do all day?" he asked, "Aside from taking care of the animals."

"After that's done, I usually work in the garden. Then I start on dinner and while dinner's cooking I might do some sewing or reading. I don't think I've ever read so much in my life," she joked. "I might even do a little fishin'."

"Fishin'? Where at?" he asked, his interest very peaked.

"There's a pond way out back. As a matter of fact, why don't we get dressed and I'll show you around the property before it gets too dark," she said excitedly as she threw back the covers.

Matt's eyes followed her as she walked out of the bedroom. Just three days ago, he hadn't seen Kitty in over a year and now here they were making love again. He had to admit that she had made it easy for him. Throughout the years, he always felt like he put her through a lot. But now that they had a second chance, and his job was no longer going to be an issue, he wasn't going to let anything get in between them again.

"Matt?" he heard her call from down the hall, "What are you doing in there?"

"Here I come," he called back. Just as he was entering the washroom, someone knocked on the door. He looked at Kitty wondering who it could be.

"You come and wash up and I'll get the door," she instructed. She quickly went to the bedroom to get dressed and then downstairs to get the door, not quite sure who it would be. David usually only came every couple of weeks, but perhaps it was just one of her other neighbors. She opened the front door and found no one there. She stepped out, looked around, but still no one. Maybe she had taken too long and they left. She stepped back into the house and decided to look out back just in case.

"Kitty, who was it?" Matt called from upstairs.

"I don't know. I think they left." She went through the kitchen and out onto the screened in porch. She looked over to the barn and saw that the door was partially open. Thinking that perhaps it was from the storm, she went to shut it. As she approached, she heard the horses whinnying. She opened the door wider and saw David standing there petting Buck. "David, what are you doing here?" Kitty asked surprised. He turned around and smiled at her.

"Kitty, hello. Why didn't you tell me you were getting a new horse? He's kind of old isn't he?" David asked while scratching Buck's chin.

"Where's your horse?" Kitty asked having not seen him outside or inside the barn.

"I left him over by the crab apple tree so he could have a snack," David explained. The crab apple tree was located on the other side of the house, which would explain why she hadn't seen him. "How would you like to have dinner in town tonight, Kitty?" he asked coming to stand in front of her. "I though maybe we could hitch up your buggy and after dinner we could stop by The Pelican and have a drink, maybe make a night of it." He moved a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled down at her adoringly. "What do you say?"

Kitty wasn't sure how to tell him no. She knew that she had to tell him about Matt, but she didn't want to hurt him and she knew it would. David had been her best friend since she moved to Baton Rouge and she knew that she was a comfort to him as much as he was to her. He had even told her that she was the first woman he had even looked at since his wife died. Now, how was she supposed to tell him that the love of her life had come back to her? It would mean that she wouldn't be spending nearly as much time with him, but she didn't want him to be alone. "David, I can't," she said quietly.

"Why not? Are you in the middle of something?"

"It's not that…David…I…"

"Kitty, are you in here?" came Matt's voice from outside. David and Kitty turned around as Matt entered. Kitty's closed her eyes, wishing that she could disappear. She would have told David about Matt's being there yesterday, but at the time she wasn't even sure why he was there. This was the last way she would have wanted the two to meet. "Are you alright, Kitty?" Matt asked moving closer to her. He wasn't sure about the man, even though she did seem to know him.

"I'm fine, Matt."

"Oh, I see now," said David with a tight smile. He recognized the name from past conversations with Kitty. "The great Matt Dillon I presume."

"Matt, this is my friend David Parks," Kitty needlessly introduced as Matt had already put two and two together. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable as the two men stared each other down. "Listen, why don't we all go into the house, and I'll make us some coffee?" she suggested knowing before she said it that it wouldn't work. She would have done just about anything right then, though, to cut some of the tension in the air.

"Please, Kitty, that's not necessary. I think I'll be on my way," David spoke as he moved toward the door.

"David, wait," she called as he continued on. She looked over at Matt. "I just need to talk to him alone for a few minutes," she said, hoping he would understand. Matt wanted to tell her to let him go, but he knew that she needed his support more than his jealousy.

"David, please don't leave like this," Kitty pleaded as she approached him. He turned from his horse to face her. "He only came back yesterday," she said trying to make him understand.

"I guess he works pretty fast then," he attempted to joke. Kitty took his hand and looked into his eyes.

"David, I've always been honest with you about my feelings. I've never lead you on. I've been in love with him for nearly half of my life," she said, knowing that it wasn't what he wanted to hear right then, "And we've been given a second chance."

He knew Kitty was right because he knew if he were given a second chance with his wife, he wouldn't pass it up. He brought a hand up to rest against her cheek and then leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Kitty, you're precious to me," he said as her eyes began to water. "I don't want to see you hurt."

"Matt would never intentionally hurt me." David nodded. "Promise me you'll still come around. We can certainly still be friends," Kitty said.

"I promise," he said softly. "I should go now, before it gets too dark." He gave her hand one last squeeze and then climbed on his horse.

Matt watched the scene unfold from a short distance away. He walked over and put his arm around Kitty. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Matt. I just don't want him to be hurt. He's been a good friend to me." Matt nodded his understanding. Kitty looked up at him and mustered a smile. "Come on let's go for that walk." She grabbed his hand and led him toward the pond.

To be continued...