"I couldn't live without him, Doc. You know that."

—Kitty Russell, "Hostage!"

Something's Different

"I feel plumb swimmy-headed, Mister Dillon," Chester said with a nervous little laugh as he and Matt walked briskly down Front Street's sun-streaked boardwalk later that morning. Chester limped along quickly at Matt's side, trying to keep up with the Marshal's hurried stride.

"Ohhh….we're almost there now, Chester," Matt replied good-naturedly, although he was quite famished himself.

It was a beautiful, breezy, cloudless day, and Dodge's citizenry was out in full force. Matt and his trusty assistant each had an empty stomach, and the pair was anxious to get to Delmonico's to meet Doc for breakfast. The two were getting a much later start than usual, and it was the boss's fault.

Matt had crept into his office a little after half past seven—much later than he usually started his morning rounds. A few minutes earlier he'd managed to finally tear himself out of a certain still-sleeping redhead's warm arms and head out into the day. Matt had exited through the back of the Long Branch and had snuck into the jail successfully, but then had to mumble some excuse when Chester came in the rear door from his chores out back.

Matt and Chester had then started morning rounds, but were held up by one thing after another. First, there had been a heated disagreement over a debt at the mill that Matt needed to mediate. Next, Matt had been summoned to the General Store to deal with the problem of a local dirt farmer's boy with sticky fingers. The sometimes uncharitable Jonas had believed that the law needed to hunt down the child like a savage killer. Matt had of course disagreed, and had finally paid out of his own pocket to cover the poor boy's theft and mollify the proprietor. All said and done, it had been well over an hour before Matt and Chester were finally able to head towards their well-earned first meal of the day.

Matt stopped short in the doorway to a crowded Delmonico's as his eyes landed on a sight that never failed to make his heart squeeze in his chest. Wearing a blue and white calico dress and a stylish light-blue hat was his favorite person in the world, seated facing him at a table with Doc just inside the door, sipping a steaming cup of coffee. The sun was streaming in through the window onto her upswept hair, which glinted like a prairie fire. Her blue eyes glanced up at Matt as he loomed in the doorway and when their eyes met, her fingers slightly wavered where they held her coffee cup. Thankfully, she didn't drop it. Matt stepped down into the restaurant, nodded, and removed his hat, looking into her eyes, a happy blush creeping up his neck, "Mornin, Kitty."

"Mornin, Matt," she said with a smooth voice and an even smoother smile in place, blue eyes shining mischievously up at him. By golly, how did she keep that poker face?

"Look who I ran into this morning." Doc said with a little laugh, pointing a thumb toward his pretty dining companion. "For once she was up and about at eight this morning when I walked by the Long Branch. Can you believe that? So, I asked 'er to come along and join us for breakfast."

"Oh, well that's fine," Matt said with a huge grin on his face. "What was wrong, Kitty, couldn't you sleep?" he couldn't resist deadpanning.

"I slept just fine, Marshal," Kitty shot back, a playful smile on her face. Until you woke me when you left this morning, she added silently to herself.

Matt and Chester quickly joined Doc and Kitty at their table. Matt motioned to Joe to come take their order. Before long, the law of Dodge and his trusty assistant were enjoying their usual, hearty breakfasts.

MKMKMKMKMKMK

"Ya know, Matt….somethin's different about you this mornin'," Doc said after he'd finished his meal, leaning back in his chair with a toothpick in his mouth, scratching the back of his head and eyeing Matt intently. Kitty, who'd been taking a drink of coffee, gave a delicate little cough and Chester, who'd been shoveling biscuits and ham steak with gravy into his mouth, briefly stopped chewing and curiously looked back and forth between the three.

"Oh?" Matt questioned, with the hint of a smile and a bit of a gleam in his eye. He cut a huge wedge from his stack of hotcakes and stuffed it into his mouth. "And what might that be, Doc?" he asked in amusement through a half-closed mouth of food.

Doc continued his intense gaze and shook his head. "Not sure. But somethin's different."

"Wul, I don't know what's diff'rent, but I know one thing fer sure." Chester said, briefly poking his fork accusingly at Matt, "I never knowed Mister Dillon to come in so late in the mornin'..."

"Oh…" Doc said, recreating Matt's earlier tone and eyeing the Marshal suspiciously.

Chester resumed eating and said innocently, "Wul yeah, I was kinda worried-like….Mister Dillon never come back ta the jail last night, 'n I didn't even see 'im til close ta eight this mornin'."

"Alright, Chester," Matt warned, looking down into his plate of food. He stabbed his hotcakes and put another huge bite in his mouth, refusing to look up to meet Kitty's eyes, which he could feel were burning a hole into the top of his head.

"Ya know, it's funny, Miss Kitty…." Chester said, next turning his attention to the beautiful young woman beside him, who was now trying her best to maintain a neutral face. Chester's head cocked to the side, and his face took on that pondering expression like it did when he was about to say something he found to be quite profound, "you bein' up real early fer once….and Mister Dillon gettin' up real late." Chester grinned and ribbed Doc gently with his elbow. "Those two purty near met in the middle this mornin', huh, Doc?" Chester chuckled softly to himself, smiling at the pair then returning his attention to his food, having no idea about the truth behind what he'd just said.

Doc stuck his index finger up and started to say something, then stopped, turning first to stare intently at a murderous looking Matt, whose crimson blush had now reached his ears, then at Kitty, who was looking down, poker face firmly in place, suddenly very interested in her oatmeal. "Yeah," Doc said, as recognition finally hit him like a freight train, swiping his mustache and hiding a huge grin. "Yeah, that sure is funny, Chester."

MKMKMKMKMKMK

"Well boys, I think I'd better be headin' back to the Long Branch. I promised Bill I'd help with the books this mornin' and then make sandwiches for the noon crowd," Kitty said, daintily wiping her mouth with her napkin as the group finished breakfast. She carefully donned her white gloves and gathered her reticule before pushing herself back in her chair.

"Matt, I'd like a word alone with you before you head back to the jail," Doc said, not allowing Matt a chance to escape by offering to walk Kitty. He noticed the young lawman next to him was about to object, but ultimately Matt closed his mouth and nodded in resignation.

"I'll walk with ya, Miss Kitty, if ya like," Chester offered. "I was gonna stop by the post office on my way back ta the jail."

"Alright, Chester, that'd be just fine."

Kitty smiled genially and thanked Doc for inviting her to breakfast.

Kitty stood, prompting Matt and Doc to stand also as they said goodbye. Kitty gazed at Matt and gave him her best sultry smile, "I'll see ya later, Matt."

Matt nodded, eyes focused on Kitty with a smoldering gaze, "I'll see ya later, Kitty."

Doc witnessed the look that passed between the two, and the thought briefly crossed his mind that they all might spontaneously combust. He could hardly wait until the door had closed behind Chester and Kitty to start into Matt.

"Well, weren't you gonna tell me about it?" Doc asked in a low voice when Chester and Kitty had left Delmonico's and he and Matt were finally alone.

"Nope," Matt said between sips of his coffee. When he'd finished the cup, he stretched back in his chair, stuck his hand slightly into his waistband and stared intently over at Doc with a sly, crooked smile on his face.

Doc smiled and hid his grin with his hand cupped over his mouth. "Well, this is certainly…. you know I've wanted this from the beginning. I'm happy for you Matt—happy for you both."

Matt's only response was a slight smile and a soft nod. He intently watched Doc, unable to suppress the feeling that something more was coming from his old friend.

Doc sat for a few minutes in quiet introspection before he swiped his mustache and tugged on his ear. "Matt, I feel like I need to say somethin' to you, and I want ya to hear me out. I've known you quite a few years now, pretty well, I'd say. I guess I don't need to tell you that you mean a lot to me. And I guess I don't need to tell you that Kitty means a lot to me, too….Matt, I've never seen you so happy as you've been since that little girl came ta town. And this mornin, there's a contentment in you that I've just never seen before."

Matt listened patiently to Doc, feeling decidedly uncomfortable, wondering where this conversation was headed.

"I don't know two better people on this Earth. Or two people that are better for each other than the two 'a you. I said I was happy for you and I am. Now, I don't want you to take this wrong but, Matt…."

Doc cocked his head to the side and looked pointedly at Matt, "well….just don't go gettin' yourself killed, Matt! Kitty's as strong as they come but…." he shook his head sadly, "I'd sure hate to see what that would do to Kitty."

Doc looked out of the corner of his eye at Matt and nodded sympathetically, wanting to soften the blow his words might have had on the friend who was more like a son to him. "I suppose you've thought about that some too."

Matt stared evenly at a spot beyond Doc's head. All traces of the smile had now vanished from his face. "Every day, Doc. Every day."

tbc