"He's going to do what?"
Matt swallowed hard as he realized his error in judgment, but it was too late.
"Now Kitty, just calm down--"
Her voice was filled with ire, "--I will not calm down. Doc has lost his mind. Doesn't he realize that Cassie doesn't love him like a daughter? Matt, she's in love with him."
Dillon's eyes opened wider. "Didn't I just say that?"
Kitty continued on as if he hadn't spoken, her eyes sparkling with anger. "How does he think he's going to support her?"
"Well I--"
"--He barely makes enough money out of this town to take care of himself, much less a seventeen year old girl."
"Well he--"
"--I oughta know, I have to buy his drinks for him often enough. She's going to need clothes, food, maybe some books - hell, he's going to have to get a house, that office isn't big enough for two people to live there, and what happens when he has a patient who needs to stay in the back room?"
"Well I'm sure that--"
"--And how is he going to explain to her the difference between fatherly love and marital love?"
"I don't--"
"--He barely even knows this child. I know he gets awful lonely sometimes, but he's got all of us; and I don't know if he still does, but he used to think of us as family. My God, Matt, the man's just not thinking clearly."
She looked directly at him, expecting a response, but Dillon just stared at her. Her crystal blue eyes narrowed.
"Well don't you have anything to say about this?"
His eyebrows raised slightly. "I don't think Doc's the only one who isn't thinking clearly right now..."
He took a sip of his coffee, and watched the anger working on her face from over the rim of the cup.
She made no attempt to cover the bite in her voice, "What do you mean by that, Matt?"
He shrugged and set the cup down on its saucer. "You just seem a little overwrought about this, Kitty." She remained silent, so he continued, "Is this what was upsetting you the other night?"
She looked down, and Dillon knew he had it right. He touched the top of her hand with his.
"I've never known you to be a jealous person, Kitty. What's really bothering you?"
She pursed her lips, and toyed with the cup handle between her fingers. "I'm very angry."
Dillon didn't understand. "At Doc?"
"Yes...well, no. Oh, I don't know." Her saddened blue eyes looked at him, and he wanted to pull her into his arms to ease her sorrow. Dillon barely heard her whisper, "It hurts."
His timbre was soft and loving, "Kitty, Doc would never intentionally hurt you, and you know it. He loves you as if you were his very own--"
"--Then why is he replacing me?"
The fury in her tone caused Matt to feel as if he'd been slapped. He frowned, unable to conceive what the old doctor could have said or done to have wrought such a reaction.
Matt's tone was firm, "He isn't replacing you."
"Yes, he is, and you know, I don't suppose it even matters anymore." She stood abruptly. "I don't have any more time to waste on this nonsense, I have work to do. Good luck with all of it, Matt, you're gonna need it."
Kitty walked through the empty saloon, heading back toward her office, leaving Dillon to ponder what was truly behind such an intense response. Knowing the story of how her father discarded her, he could well imagine that it was somehow wrapped up in those deep-seated feelings; but the one person she had shared it with, was in fact the very man at the crux of her anger. Matt was certain that Doc was unaware that Kitty was grieving him as if he'd abandoned her; and yet to mention it would be a breach of trust that Kitty might never forgive. The marshal sighed heavily: he almost wished he'd never heard of Cassie Stevenson.
Mary Stevenson cowered in the corner of the kitchen, trying to cover her face with her hands. Dell stood over her, a piece of kindling in his hand, poised to strike yet again.
"Damn you, woman, I'm tired of tellin' ya that it's my right as your husband. You keep fightin' me like ya are, and I'm gonna have ta hurtcha bad."
Her voice shook with the fear of terror, "Please Dell...please, don't hit me no more."
"Then you git to that bed, and you act like a proper wife. You do it, or I'll go git Cassie..."
The threat proved good. "Oh no, Dell, no, leave her be. I'll do whatever you want. You'll see..."
Wiping the blood from her face, Mary slowly stood, her widened eyes staring at Dell, preparing to duck if he moved. But instead, a sickening smile spread across his face as she headed toward their bedroom. He began to set the kindling down on the table, and then thought better of it; it could yet prove useful...
Doc took another mouthful of roast beef, and watched Cassie take a bite of her meatloaf. He took a sip of his coffee.
"How's the meatloaf, honey?"
She smiled. "It's really good, Doc." She looked around Delmonico's with the naiveté of a child. "I've never eaten in a restaurant before, it's real nice." Her pale blue eyes flicked up to meet his, the fondness in them apparent. "I don't know how to thank you proper..."
The old doctor grinned sweetly at her. "Just seein' you smile's enough for me, sweetheart."
So engrossed was he in the young lady across from him, Doc failed to notice Kitty stop in her tracks at the front door. The tall redhead silently observed the two of them.
Cassie watched him take another sip of his coffee, and her curiosity got the better of her. "Why do grown men drink so much coffee?"
His eyebrows raised in amusement. "Probably because we're so old we need help ta know we're still alive!"
"Oh Doc, you're not old..."
His eyes twinkled at her, but Matt's words of warning replayed in his mind. Still smiling, he changed the subject. "Now I hope you're savin' room for some pie, honey."
Doc's use of the familiar term that had always been limited to her, stabbed Kitty like a knife in her heart.
Cassie's large eyes grew larger at the thought of pie. "There's more after this?"
"You betcha there is!"
She reached over and took his cup of coffee, her eyes darting up to his to see if it was all right. When he just smiled at her, she took a sip of the dark liquid, making a slight face.
"It's so strong!"
Doc's eyes brightened with mischief. "If you think that's strong, sweetheart, you'd better stay away from Matt's office, Chester's coffee'd curl yer hair!"
Kitty felt the sting of tears in her eyes, and was about to leave when Al saw her. "Good evening, Miss Kitty, a table for supper, or would you like to join Doc?"
"I wasn't invited to have supper with Doc, and I wouldn't dream of intruding..."
The snap of temper in her voice made Al swallow hard before speaking again. "A table for one then?"
But it was too late, Doc had seen her, and waved her over. "Kitty! Come on and join us..."
She heaved a long sigh, but he was already standing, holding out a chair for her. Reluctantly, Kitty walked over, let Adams remove her coat for her, and she sat down. Doc scooted her chair in, handed her coat to Al, and returned to his seat. The beaming smile on his face only added to Kitty's indignation.
"I'm glad you happened by, Kitty, I can't think of anything better than havin' supper with my two favorite girls."
Cassie's smile matched his, but Kitty's never reached her eyes. Doc caught it, but wasn't sure if he had simply imagined it. Trying to make polite conversation, Russell turned to the young woman.
"That's a lovely new dress, Cassie, did you just get it?"
"Yes, Miss Russell, isn't it the grandest thing you've ever seen? Doc bought it for me."
Doc knew he saw something in Kitty's eyes then, and decided to silently observe the two women. He took a sip of his coffee, and almost spat it out when he picked up on the acrid tone coming from Kitty.
"Very extravagant gift considering that nine times out of ten people pay for Doc's services with vegetables and promises." She looked at Doc then, unable to hide her anger from him. "Did you come into some money, or did you rob a bank?"
Not prepared for such a public attack, Doc just stared at her for a moment. When he spoke, it was without malice, which angered Kitty even further. "I'm not sure I understand what yer gettin' at, Kitty."
She stood, glaring at him, and he scrambled up from his chair out of courtesy. "If you're that well-heeled, then I'll let you pay for your drinks at the Longbranch from now on." She smiled politely at Cassie. "You be sure to have some pie, honey, it's excellent here."
Her inflection on the term of endearment wasn't wasted upon him, and Doc felt his cheeks flush with anger, but he held his tongue.
Cassie was confused. "Aren't you going to stay and eat with us, Miss Russell?"
She pat the young woman on the shoulder. "No dear, I'm afraid I'm not very hungry." Her eyes turned on Adams, and he felt them sear into him. "Have a good evening, Doc."
His voice was soft and bewildered, "Uh, yes, Kitty, you too..."
She stormed out of Delmonico's, not even bothering to retrieve her coat, even though it had begun to snow outside. Doc sat back down in his chair, feeling as though his heart had just been ripped from his chest. Noting that his eyes had lost their sparkle, Cassie reached across the table, gently touching his hand.
"Doc? Are you all right?"
He forced himself to smile at her, and took her hand softly in his, reassuring her. "Yes, of course, honey. I'm sorry...I'm just a little worried is all."
"What are you worried about?"
He smiled broader at her then, although it didn't reach his eyes. "Nothing at all for you to be concerned with, sweetheart. Come on, let's get you that piece of pie!"
The genuine grin on Cassie's face spread like a salve over his burning chest; but nothing could erase the look of desolation he had seen in Kitty's eyes, especially knowing, that somehow, he was the cause of it.