My Twisted Heritage

Chapter 3

Gunsmoke

Spoilers: Twisted Heritage/Not really any spoilers, I really don't follow the original idea

too much.

Jesse leans over and gently touched Kitty's head. "Get me one of your shirts!" She told him. He goes over to the drawer and pulls out a white shirt. He then pulls Kitty up into a sitting position as his mother puts the shirt on her. Then she buttons it down the front. "I'm going to get Cookie to make her some strong broth." She touches Kitty's cheek. "She's a pretty little thing." She states. Blane looks at his mother and shakes his head in agreement. Jesse leaves the room and Blane leans forward in the chair and watches Kitty as she slept.

To be continued………..

Kitty lay in the bed. She was restless and dreaming. Blane leaned over and touched her cheek. Her face was hot and he moved to her neck to realize she was feverish. Standing

Up, he went over to the basin and poured some water into the metal washbasin and opened the top drawer, pulling out a white handkerchief. He takes the basin and sets it on the nightstand next to her. Then proceeds to drench the rag in cool water and gently wiping her forehead and neck. He then rinses the rag again, and this time folds it and lays it on her still feverish forehead.

"Matt." It came out as a whisper, but she was calling him and she was restless. "Matt, help me, please help me."

"Shhhhooo! It's alright, you're safe now." He told her gently touching her cheek as he leaned over her. She slowly opened her eyes, and he gasped at seeing a pair of the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Kitty slowly closed her eyes, returning to her restless sleep.

Jesse enters the room with another basin, with bandages and all the necessities for a new clean dressing. The one on her forehead would be wet now from the rag.

"We need to change those bandages and the bed as well." She said setting the basin on the table, next to the water. "She still feverish!" She said touching Kitty's cheek. "I wonder who she is. Where's she from? She certainly isn't from around these parts. How did she come to be out on the prairie alone? Is she married?" She said to no one in particular.

"Whoa, Mother, you'll just have to wait till she wakes up and ask her those questions yourself." He said laughing at her curiosity. "I can answer one question, she definitely isn't from around here. I would have noticed her had I seen her in town." He stated looking down at the beautiful redhead. Blane leans over and pulls the blankets down so that he could look at her side and change the bandages if necessary. As he uncovered her, he noticed the blood soaking through the night shirt he had provided her with. "It soaked through again." This time the spot was probably about the size of his fist.

Jesse stepped closer and pulled the blanket from his hand so she could see. "It's not so bad. I think it's finally stopped bleeding. You get me a clean shirt and I'll start with the bandages." She told him. Blane walked over to the dresser and opened the drawer, pulling out a fresh shirt.

"At the rate we're changing her clothes and bandages, I'm gonna have to go into town and get me a whole new wardrobe." He said walking back over to his mother with a fresh shirt.

"Fortunately for you, you have the money to spare." She said smiling at him as she finished bandaging her side. His mother had managed to keep one button closed, so that she was not completely exposed to Blane. She had noticed him staring at her alabaster skin, and knew that the small redheaded beauty was quite attractive and he noticed this as well. "You get back here and hold her up, and we'll get this clean shirt on her." Jesse said as she finished tucking the end of the bandage under the edge to keep it in place.

Blane got up off of the edge of the bed and traded places with Jesse. He gently lifted Kitty into a sitting position. Her head lulled back against his shoulder and he looked down at the perfect pink lips. They looked so warm and enticing. Jesse unfastened the last button and pulled Kitty against her. Kitty's head, now rested on Jesse's shoulder as she started to slip the shirt off of her shoulders. Blane helped her take the shirt off and he grabbed the clean shirt, pulling it from Jesse's lap. Jesse noticed his eyes looking at the naked flesh of the woman in her arms. Blane took one arm and gently placed it into the sleeve of the shirt and pulled the shirt up the shoulder, but not before getting a glimpse of a heavy globed breast on the side. His tongue unconsciously darted out to wet his lips. He hadn't even realized that he had reacted to her. He then began with the other arm and slipped the clean white cotton shirt over her shoulders. Jesse pulled the shirt in front of Kitty, holding it closed with her hand as she gently laid Kitty back into Blane's arms. He held her as Jesse buttoned the shirt. "Can you hold her for a bit, while I get Cookie to help me change these sheets?"

"Sure." He said simply as he began to slip his arm under her knees.

"Don't jostle her too much." She said as he began to lift her into his arms. "I don't want that wound to re-open." She said as he quietly nodded at her. His eyes never leaving the woman in his arms as he sat in the big chair.

He cradled her against his chest, as his eyes roamed over the long slender legs, from her dainty feet, to her elegant ankles, to her strong calves and shapely thighs. As he sat there holding her, Jesse headed out the door to get Cookie and have him help her change the bed. Blane placed Kitty's hand in his and he noticed that her hands were also soft, but not so soft that they were the hands of someone accustomed to money, they had definitely seen their fair share of work. He wondered what it would feel like to have her soft cool hands running over his back as he made love to her. His next thought wondered where the hell that thought had come from. He'd been to town and there were some beautiful young ladies in town. Why, after 6 years, would he suddenly notice a woman? Why this stranger? What did she possess, that the woman in Copperton did not? It was close to 2:00 in the afternoon and this woman had only been here a little over a day, so why was he becoming so attached to her.

Cookie and Jesse came into the room, surprised to see the woman cradled comfortably in Blane's arms like a child. Jesse noticed that her son was becoming quickly attached to the woman. She could see it in the way he looked at her. It had been six years since her Daughter-in-law had died giving birth to a son that didn't live much longer than it's mother. Tracey's mother, Elizabeth died after a bad fall down the steps. She died only hours after giving birth to Blane Copperton Jr. And he died only a few days later.

She knew that he was finally opening his eyes to the world around him. And this pretty little thing just might be the medicine her son needed to bring life back into the Copperton Ranch. She quickly pulled the clean sheets from the trunk at the foot of the bed and they began to change the bed. With in a matter of minutes, the bed was clean and crisp.

"You can put her back in now." She said smiling at her son as he slowly looked up from Kitty and then began to stand. He then walked over to the bed and gently laid her down on the bed. First laying her head on the pillows then laying her legs down, and under the covers. He then pulled the covers up over her and gently tucked her in. He then pulled the straight back chair up and sat beside the bed as Cookie and Jesse began to leave the room. With his back to the door, he didn't notice his mother giving him one last look and a smile too.

It was several hours later, when Blane's twelve year old daughter, Tracy came up the stares and quietly opened the door. She slipped around her father's sleeping form, in the chair and looked at the woman in the bed. At this time, the stranger was sleeping peacefully. Tracy moved closer to her and just watched her for a few seconds, before her father woke up and saw her watching the woman.

"Grandmother said to come down for dinner. She said the lady will sleep for a while yet." He smiles at her. "Papa, who is she?" She says looking up at him with big brown eyes.

Blane smiled at his daughter as he stood up. "I don't know Tracy." He said taking her hand. "I guess we'll just have to wait till she's better and ask her."

"She looks like an angel!" She said looking up at her father who was staring down at Kitty.

He smiled at her as he had thought the same thing earlier. "Yes, she does." He said pushing the chair up against the nightstand. "We bess be getting down stares before your Grandmother sends Cookie up after us." He laughs at her as she made a face and they head down stairs for dinner.

Kitty slowly turned her head, and her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. Tracy and Blane were out the door, so neither of them heard her as she quietly called to Matt.

"Matt, help me, please. Matt." She slowly slipped back into unconsciousness.

To be continued…….