RESCUED: CHAPTER 8
"What's all this?"
"I picked up the mail downstairs."
"Matt! There's a lot here! When did we get all this?"
"Couple days ago. That one on the top Tip gave me the day we saw him at the track."
"Matt!" Her voice had morphed from curious to disappointed. "You should have showed me all these!"
"I was distracted."
"By what?"
He pulled her into his arms and went in for a long kiss, which she returned almost indifferently. Just when everything was so right. Apparently she really WAS keen on the four dinner invitations!
"By YOU, Kitten. We're on vacation. I didn't want to have dinner with all these other wealthy owners. We don't run in those circles. As I recall, we've had dinner upstairs with Ava and Sara, and we've eaten right here twice looking out over the ocean, you in your robe and me in my union suit. That's my idea of great company, and a great vacation. And if you'll look closely, they're addressed to "Mr. AND Mrs. Dillon. We're going to the banquet in an hour, that's enough for me."
"You were at least going to show me this offer for the horse?"
"That's why I handed it to you. Duncan's gonna be at the banquet tonight. He'll be all over it."
"It's the same Peter J. Duncan from Denver, isn't it?"
"Yep. Sure is. He's got a horse running against Carbine tomorrow."
"Well, what do you want me to say?"
"I want you to say you're going to finish getting ready so we're not late. Ava will be coming soon to watch Sara. You slip into that gorgeous new dress and I'll button it."
But as soon as she did, he got distracted again. It was the back of her neck this time, along with the delightful scent of her perfume that had drawn him in. This time he added the tip of his tongue to her ear, ever so careful not to interfere with hair or earrings so perfectly arranged for the evening.
"Matt," she continued while he buttoned the little buttons down the back of her. "Matt, now be serious for a minute."
"I am, Kitten. I'm workin' right along here." He gently blew warm breath in the same ear to dry it. "Just as soon as I finish here, we can talk about Duncan's offer. Do you have any idea how beautiful you look tonight? I mean, any idea at all?"
He released her so she could turn around. "You've got a dog in the fight, Cowboy."
"Just a horse in the race." Did he see a hint of that smile he loved so much on her gorgeous face? It earned him a kiss. All was right with the world again. Besides, he still had the most beautiful woman in California in his embrace. Same as the beautiful woman he loved in Kansas!
"Matt, that offer from Duncan. It's more money than we've ever seen at one time."
"It is. But it's not enough."
"You're going to turn him down?"
"Nope. I'm gonna counter his offer."
"You'll scare him away!"
He put his hands on her arms so he could lock her eyes to his. "No I won't. Negotiation is part of what a marshal does for a living, Kit. We have to read the other guy and decide the best way to deal with him. Sometimes it's a guy with a gun, sometimes it's a guy with a hostage, sometimes it's a guy robbing a bank. Maybe those guys aren't on Duncan's level, but it's negotiation all the same."
She nodded and gave him a quick kiss of approval. Right on time, Ava knocked softly on the suite door, ready for the changing of the guard.
"Kitty, you look so beautiful in that dress!"
"Thank you, Ava. Please order up whatever you want for supper. Sara's real happy with mashed potatoes and applesauce."
"See how this fits on the new shirt, Kit." Matt handed her his badge.
She rolled the badge around in her hand. "Do you have to wear this thing tonight?"
"You know better. Pin it on and let's go."
The last thing he wanted to do was get the redhead's rankles up in front of Ava. It was time to take it outside, so he ushered her out the door toward the rising room. A few steps away from the door, he pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him.
"YES, I have to wear my badge. AND my gun. I'm always on duty, you know that. This hasn't come up in a long time, so maybe you'd like to tell me about it."
When she broke eye contact and looked down to avoid him, he put her chin gently into his hand and lifted her eyes right back to his.
"I've been seeing things differently while we're here. I like it, that's all."
"Differently?"
"Yeah. You've spoiled me. You've been the husband I've always wanted because I haven't had to share you with anybody or anything. You haven't had to face anybody down, break up any fights, or haul anybody to jail. You haven't disappeared onto the prairie. I haven't had to worry about you for a single minute. You make love to me every day, every night, it's like a fantasy! You wear your dress jacket and it never gets dirty or takes a bullet. You had time to show Sara the ocean and go shopping in all those wonderful stores with me. Think about everything that happens to us in Kansas! This is like a dream, Matt. Now we have a chance with the horse deal to move on from that forever. Don't you ever think about that?"
He nodded slowly. "I do. We just haven't taken time to talk about it, and I sure didn't want to air it out in front of Ava."
"Maybe we won't even have to. If Duncan doesn't buy the horse we'll be in Dodge for a long time."
"Dodge isn't such a bad place, Kit. The riser's here, let's go to the banquet."
Kitty stood tall on Matt's arm when they walked off the lift and made their way to the banquet room. They could hear the buzz of activity halfway across the lobby. The small collection of couples just outside the door checked them out, but they were strangers, soon to be avid competitors, and didn't exchange anything but polite nods. An attendant at the door asked if anyone had arranged for seating together, to which Matt politely replied "No." But when the man asked for their trainer's name, he quickly replied "Pug Wylie." That got a smile of recognition and a quick escort to the right table. Pug stood and greeted them as though he'd known them his entire life, for more than one good reason.
"Mr. Dillon, I owe you thanks, sir. You sent me the finest young apprentice any trainer could hope to have."
"He's not here tonight?"
"No, no. He's guarding the merchandise. With the big stakes race tomorrow, we always have three men on guard the night before. Actually, Tip lives at the barn, has since he got here. But you couldn't drag him away tonight."
Matt smiled and looked down at Kitty. "That's the Tip Dooley I remember. Hasn't changed a bit."
"I guess you also know you rescued me from Carbine's previous owner," Pug went on. "The horse has always been my favorite, but Galt was such a crook I knew I'd lose him. You saved the day on that deal. I'm much obliged."
"Pug, exactly how good is this horse?"
Pug motioned them to take a seat and waited quietly as the waiter took cocktail orders. Then, out of a trainer's habit, he leaned in close to answer Matt.
"He's only lost three races since I started him, and in all three he got bumped real bad out of the gate. Last year he got bumped hard enough that he went to his knees, and he still placed. He's a great animal, Mr. Dillon. He's gonna win it hands down Sunday. He's beat every one of those horses running against him, most of them two or three times."
"Let's say he wins it, Pug. You think he should race again next year?"
The trainer sat back in his chair and took a generous sip of his whiskey.
"I been trying to teach Tip, he needs to leave the party while he's still having fun. With these great stallions, you've always got to quit while you're on top. He's worth twice today's price for his stud fees for a lot of years. He's more than proven himself on the track. I think he should spend the rest of his life in the breeding shed. His book's already full for next year. At his age you've got to make a decision."
"Matt Dillon!" He'd been so engrossed in the discussion with Pug that he put his hand on his revolver as he stood to face the man behind him. But it was none other than Peter Duncan.
"Pete! Imagine meeting you here! You remember Kathleen." He shook his hand, then stepped aside so Duncan could work his charm on Kitty, greeting her and taking her hand in his, kissing it.
"Takes no imagination at all," he looked up at Matt again. "Congratulations on owning the fastest horse in California!"
"Pug, this is a good friend of mine Peter Duncan from Denver. Will you excuse us for a minute?"
Pug shook hands with Duncan, smiled, and walked away from the table.
"You got my note, Matt? I guess you know I want that horse."
"I got your note, just didn't want to talk about it in front of Pug. Let's meet in the Hard Rock Bar at ten. This thing should be over by then."
"Well," he paused thoughtfully, then smiled. "As long as I'm first in line."
But Matt didn't answer him, because in his world, a yes answer would have been as good as a promise. He smiled broadly, shook hands with Duncan again, then sat down with Kitty.
"He wants the horse, Kit. You ready to sell?"
"Matt, it's fifteen thousand dollars! Of course I'm ready to sell! It's a HORSE! He could get sick or break a leg tomorrow!"
"You're doin' that deep thinkin' again, Red!" He grinned and squeezed her hand under the table. "You realize of course that the Hard Rock is a gentlemen's bar."
"Clever way to deal me out, my love."
"You're too much of a distraction. I saw the way Duncan looked at you."
"Oh, Matt! I'm a married woman with a child. He's a perfect gentleman."
"You forgot the part about being a very wealthy widower."
"I heard Pug's little lecture about leaving the party while you're still having fun. 'Course, he was talking about the horse. That thing about retiring to the breeding shed gave me all sorts of other ideas. After all, you're at the top of your game, you win every time you're challenged, why a girl could just get all worked up thinking about her future!"
XOXOXO
"Surprised you chose this bar, Matt." Pete Duncan stood and shook hands with his current adversary. "I was hoping to spend some time with Kathleen, too."
"Sorry, I knew she wouldn't be able to join us. She had to feed our daughter so I took her up to the suite. Thought I was right on time. Hope you haven't been waiting long."
"No problem. I didn't get a chance to tell her how stunning she looked tonight. So you had a girl! Well, let me add my belated congratulations."
Round one was a clear decision for Matt. He'd shown up right on time, which meant that Duncan had arrived early, a sure sign of being too eager. Besides, it was just fun to remind the man that his gorgeous wife belonged to HIM and that feeding their baby was more important than some inconsequential horse deal.
"So, you got my note. Shall we do business?"
"I think we might be able to do that."
Duncan hadn't listened carefully. He was too busy pulling a bank draft out of his pocket.
"Hold on a minute, Pete." Matt ignored the bank draft on the table. "If we make a deal, the stallion races under Kathleen's name. She paid all the training and entry fees, so she claims the two thousand dollar purse if he wins."
"Only fair, Matt. I'll agree to that."
Round two was an undisputed decision for Matt. Assuming the horse won, the deal would now be worth seventeen thousand. Matt nodded slowly in acknowledgement, making it look like he was deep in thought. He took a long draw from his glass of cognac, then studied it longer than Pete Duncan could tolerate.
"Matt, Matt, I haven't pleased you with my offer." Duncan was looking him in the eye now, almost pleading to move on to the next step.
Matt's silence, his unequaled weapon in negotiation, had won out. Whoever talks first, loses. Duncan no doubt knew better, having presided over the expansion of the Union Pacific Railroad into the west for five years. But toys were a different matter. When a wealthy man wanted a particular toy, emotion got in the way. Matt was in uncharted waters now. It was time to trust his instincts. He had two cards left to play. Which one first?
"I've got a little problem with the deal, Pete. If I sell Carbine, I have to break a promise."
"It's Kathleen," Duncan sighed. "I was afraid of that! Now if you'll just let me talk with her! I can sweeten the pot if it'll make her happy. How about I make this draft out for eighteen thousand and give her the choice of one of his foals next year? She's such a reasonable woman, I know she'd like that."
It was as if fate had guided his choice of the two cards. The harder of the two was money, and Peter Duncan had just saved him the trouble. His mind flashed back to the countless crooks who'd fallen for the same simple ploy, confessing to a crime before he'd even accused them of one. The parallel was amazing, except this man was an esteemed business tycoon with an impeccable reputation as a negotiator all over the west.
"No, no, it's not my wife. A young friend of mine, Tip Dooley, has handled the horse in Pug's barn since last spring. He's done such a good job I gave him my word he could keep Carbine next year."
Duncan let out a sigh of relief, thrilled at the news that he wouldn't have to take on the redhead. Matt would have done the same, but the bank draft was still blank.
"Oh, Matt. For heaven's sake, that's so easy. My horse retires after this race. I won't do my trainer a bit of disservice if I just move over to your friend's barn. After all, that young man's already doing well with your horse. Now come on, what do you say?"
"I say if you'll let Tip Dooley choose the mare for Kathleen's foal, we've got a deal."
"Let me make sure I understand what you just said, Matt. Just eighteen thousand and one foal, along with those incidentals."
Matt had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he could have ordered another cognac or two and bargained for more. A lot more. 'Just' eighteen thousand? But greed had never been a word he understood, so he pushed the thought out of his mind. This was more money than he'd ever hoped to have, and his ticket to any kind of life he wanted with Kitty and Sara. He didn't hesitate a second in answering.
"You make out that draft, Pete. I have his signed papers in my pocket. You'll own him when we leave this table."
XOXOXO
As was so often the case, Kitty recognized his footfalls in the hallway and met him at the door.
"Ahhh!" She kissed him right there in the doorway. "The wandering stud returns to the breeding shed!" The mischievous smile on her face made her blue eyes sparkle all the more.
"He has. You want to let me close the door, or do I go into service right here? I could chase you around the room." He gave her a quick tickle and a nudge inside, then locked the door behind him.
"So, Mrs. Dillon, you've sold your horse." He pulled the Bank of California draft from of his wallet and held it out for her scrutiny.
"Oh, Matt! Eighteen thousand dollars? Oh, Matt! How did you ever get him to pay so much?"
"Sara's asleep?" He glanced toward the crib.
"Yes, fed and tucked in an hour ago."
"Good." He slid the bank draft from her hand and folded it back into his wallet. His gun belt, hat and boots were first to come off, followed quickly by jacket and shirt. "We should celebrate."
The warm glow of the single lantern made the gleam in her eyes look like glistening sapphires while she traced his chest provocatively with her fingers.
"There's wine and brandy over on the dresser. Anything in particular I can get you?" She said, as she let her fingertips move to trace his lips.
"How about what's under that silky thing you're wearing?"
"My kind of celebration, Cowboy." She answered him with a faint smile in that sultry, voluptuous voice that no other man had ever heard.
This woman. His wife. She made his head spin. He thought about the other men they'd crossed paths with today. Steve Roberts' comment "you're not just living on a marshal's salary." If he only knew. Not with the Long Branch, the mine, stock in two railroads and now her mind-boggling inheritance. Peter Duncan, one of the wealthiest men in the west had ogled her like she was made of rock candy and would have paid twice as much for the horse if only she had asked. Yet here she was in his arms, rubbing against him, tormenting him with a body that said nothing except "I want you." She'd chosen a beat up, shot up, two-bit lawman to share her life. She'd chosen him to create that treasure from God over there in the crib. Now she was picturing a life in San Francisco: the place she'd been headed so many years ago when she decided to stay in Dodge to be with him. There had to be a way to make her as happy as she'd made him.
"You're in one of those fogs again. You want to talk about it?"
Caught again. Of course. He'd been so ready to make love to her BEFORE he talked with her but one more time his mind had gotten all jumbled-up. This captivating woman could feel his scrambled mind like she could feel his touch. And here she was, stroking his face, eyes full of concern.
"Yeah. I guess I need to. I just don't know what to say." Tears were starting to shimmer in his eyes. "I saw how Peter Duncan looked at you tonight. You should have married a gentleman like him, Kitten."
"Matt! Let's crawl in bed. We've always been good at talking things out under the covers."
She took his hand softly in hers and led him the ten steps over to the big bed, tucking him in as lovingly as she tucked in her baby. He waited quietly, then patted the sheet next to him, inviting her to crawl in. When she did, he pulled her under the covers to him and his lips found hers in the most sensual of kisses. He released her lips slowly, then buried his head in her neck, struggling to compose his thoughts so he could explain himself to the most important person in his world. She ran her fingers slowly through his curls, just waiting until he summoned the courage. And it worked, because within moments he pulled back and fixed his eyes on hers.
"I'm sorry I didn't show you those dinner invitations, Kitten. I didn't want to mingle with a bunch of rich people. Just wanted to be with you, like we always have. I know it was something you wanted to do, and I sure am sorry."
"Matt, stop! That was nothing!"
"But it matters to me. What Steve said today about me not having to get by on a marshal's pay hit me hard. Watching your eyes when you saw all those shops, that gorgeous hillside overlooking the ocean, watching you play in the surf, made me wonder how I can ever keep you happy in Dodge. You looked so beautiful in that new dress tonight, and it made me think about all this. You've built a small empire for us. Those people tonight knew you were one of them. But when you asked me why I had to wear my badge I realized what was happening. You'd moved on and I hadn't. You're a chameleon, Kit. Nobody here knows what our world is like in Dodge. You fit in no matter where we go. You're happy in a big city like this with all the crowds. You always know what to wear, who to see, what to do. I don't fit in here like you do, Kitten. You know what a simple man I am. I still eat beans out of a can and hardtack out of my saddle bags. I sleep on the ground if I can't find an abandoned shack. I get along good with prairie people and ranchers, a big buckskin horse, even a couple of tribal chiefs. I couldn't sit here in San Francisco and do paperwork. I don't know a thing about ports or Chinese shipments. I don't know how to teach other guys to do what I do. I don't want sheriffs doing the work I'm hired to do. I just can't move on, baby girl. I could never live here with all these fancy people. They're not my kind. All I want is to go home to Dodge and be a husband to you, a father to Sara, and work the badge until I can't anymore."
It was an impassioned plea. The man she loved was drowning in his desire to make her happy while being true to himself. She put her head on his chest and lay quietly, feeling the beating of his heart. He'd been struggling with all this while she was in a dream, living out a fantasy that he didn't share. How could she have possibly missed his cries for help?
"Matt, you know where I want to spend the rest of my life? It's a place above all others."
"Here?" He whispered softly. "If not here, I guess I don't know."
"In your arms."
"Here, then?"
"Anywhere, Matt. In your arms. Forever. Till I fall off the face of the earth."
He rolled over carefully, pulling her to face him so he could look in her eyes.
"Then our life in Dodge is okay?"
"Not just okay, it's perfect! Dodge is where I found the love of my life. Dodge is where Sara was born."
"You were on your way here when you got off that stage in Dodge."
She smiled, her eyes shining with love. "And I'm SO glad I got off that stage! Fate is why I ended up in Dodge, you know. Fate made you walk in the restaurant while I was getting ready to leave. And you're right. I fit in no matter where we go. I get along pretty darn well with those same prairie people and ranchers, along with a whole lot of rowdy cowboys. Festus is working to learn to read so he'll be a fitting uncle to Sara, and a hopeless alcoholic named Louie eats on the house every night because those guys are my friends. Maybe you remember me riding out on the prairie with you, or even sharing our first date at Spring Creek. How about our horrible winter when you had to go to Laramie and I lost our first baby? I worked with the crew on the jail, I got Festus and Tip and Quint together to add Sara's bedroom to our house, and grew the Long Branch to the success it is today. All the while I couldn't feel anything in my dream world except your arms, Matt. Your big, beautiful arms."
"I got confused, Kit. All I saw these last few days was how much you love San Francisco."
"How much I enjoy San Francisco, sweetie. I enjoy all sorts of things. But the love is all reserved for you. I led you wrong these last few days because I want another child before I'm out of chances. If I could go back and do today again I'd do it all differently. I was seeing opportunities for you that were all wrong. I thought you'd be safer here. Maybe if you didn't have to worry so much we wouldn't have to wait until you retired . . ."
He put two fingers gently to her lips.
"We don't have to wait."
"Sara would like that." She tested the waters, knowing full well that Sara had no opinion.
"So would I." She said softly.
"Then we should celebrate twice tonight, my love."
tbc
