CHAPTER FOUR
So, we come to the end of our short story. I hope you have enjoyed it and look forward to the next installment. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. A very special thanks to my muse who made it all possible, to Sharon who introduced me to uncle Dubs, to that amazing man himself and his AMAZING stories, and to Andrea who listens to my whining.
The ladies had been shopping and bought beautiful new outfits from the newest seamstress in town Fanny Truesdale. Kitty's choice had been a gold silk dress with pink and red roses printed into the material. There was a rounded ruffled neckline and long sleeves edged in pink satin. Claire had chosen a sky blue taffeta full-length gown with rows of silver satin ribbon at the bottom and down the long sleeves. They were excited to be meeting their men when the train arrived in the late afternoon.
Delmonico's would be preparing the special candlelight dinner that would be served upstairs in Kitty's old rooms in the Long Branch. Festus and Abelia had brought them a smoked ham that would be served with fresh baked biscuits, corn on the cob, baked beans, peach cobbler for dessert, and finished off with twenty-year-old Napoleon Brandy.
They were as excited as teenagers on their first formal date. Their men had been away a little over a week and they wanted to welcome them back in style. As Claire said Sam was used to the finer things in life, working in Washington D.C. and even having dined at the White House.
Their hair was freshly washed and styled, their make-up was just perfect. Kitty had chosen a topaz pendant and matching earrings while Claire decided on a silver choker with matching button earrings, and blue and silver bracelets. They were hurrying down the steps when Doc came through the batwing doors.
He looked at the ladles admiringly. "You both look beautiful, but I am afraid I am going to have to disappoint you. There has been a huge rockslide on the tracks coming from Denver. There was great damage to the locomotive, the passengers are shaken, but safe as far as they know. They don't know how long it will take to clear it."
"Doc!" Kitty exclaimed. "You're sure no one was hurt?"
He put his arm around her, "that is the information I was given. Perhaps I could take you lovely ladies to dinner."
The women looked at each other. Claire finally said, "it's better than just sitting around worrying. I do want to change my clothes so I can wear this when the boys do come home."
Kitty agreed and said she would see what she could do about the food they had ordered for that night. "Doc we'll meet you at Delmonico's in an hour."
An hour later when Doc arrived there was Claire, Kitty, Festus, Newly, Chester, and Libby sitting around a table in the back. "What's all this?" The good doctor wanted to know.
"Well," Kitty explained, "We couldn't let all this good food go to waste, so I invited everyone. I also invited Abelia, but she is home with Tessa who has an ear infection. So, it is the seven of us."
"Are you sure there will be enough food here," Doc asked with a grin on his face and pulling on his ear, "with Chester at table?"
Chester looked at the physician with a scowl on his face, "now Doc don't you start on me…"
His wife, a pretty brunette, put her hand on his arm. "Now Chester, I think Doc missed you this is just his way."
"Wahl I swan I….." he began as Festus interrupted. "Iffin' he is ah pickin' at you Chester, the ole scudder is leavin' me alone."
Everyone laughed and then they did their best to make it a cheerful evening, but everyone noticed the redhead barely touched her food. Doc had planned to walk her home, but he was called to the Widow Winton's who had sprained her ankle. So, Festus volunteered to walk Kitty home while Newly escorted Clair to the Long Branch.
On the way Festus tried to cheer her up. She invited him in for a cup coffee. When they were seated at the table, he took her hand and reassured her, "ya know Miss Kitty, Matthew is gonna be jus' fine. Wha shucks he'll be home faster than ya kin say rat run over the roof with a piece ah raw liver in his mouth"
There were tears in her eyes as she said, "It just isn't fair Festus after all the years of waiting, and we have only been married two months. When can I stop worrying about him?"
"Never," he told her, "that's what lovin' someone is about. Wah you knowed ah never was ah gittin' hitched. Ah passed on Mayblossom and other wimmen. No she-males for me. Then ah set eyes on Abelia and them youngins. Ah loved 'em frum first sight. When she was a gazin' at other fellers I was right afummin'. Somehow wes got tagether an I worries ever day ah might lose her."
"She doesn't put herself in danger all the time Festus," Kitty explained.
"Yessum she don't but you an Matthew been a lovin' each other fer a mighty long spell. Ya been thru terrble times. Yet ya never stopped a lovin' him. Sos when ya love sumeone like that ys takes the chances ta lose them. Ah knowed you was never sorry ta love him because it don't happen ta everone that ya gits ta meet their ownliest!"
A tear slipped down her cheek as she tried to make it clear to the hill man, "I don't want to go on without him."
"Air ya sorry ya met Matthew?" he asked.
She shook he head as she spoke, "of course not."
Looking into to shiny blue eyes he put it in plain words, "As mah Aunt Clive always said, "Lovin is a gamble. Iffin' ya win ya gets ta biggest jackpot in ta world. It be a gift so don't go givin' it away. Hold on ta it with both ah yer hands."
"A wise woman your Aunt Clive."
"Wah she shore was and her an Uncle Mose were married fer 56 yers and nine youngins. When yas finds the right one it works out just fer the best. Look at Orkey and Martha June and Mayblossom and Feeder why they is happier than pigs in slop. Everone wants ta meet the other half ah them."
Wiping her face Kitty acknowledged, "I know I am lucky but…."
He interrupted her, "no buts love done made even ole Doc more human."
"Ole Doc what does he have to do with this? She questioned him.
Festus looked surprised, "wah him an Ma ah course."
"Ma who?" Kitty wanted to know.
"Wah him an Ma Smalley, they has been sparkin ever so long."
"I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about Festus."
Trying to sound patient he explained, "Miz Kitty, Punky Druthers who used to live and work at Ma's tol me how that ole' scudder has been a courtin' Ma fer years. Then ah sawed it with ma own eyes. He be at her house at all hours an not jus fer sick folk."
"Oh, you must be mistaken. Doc has never seemed overly interested in Ma," the redhead tried to sound sensible.
"Ah seen them akissin' one night when ah jus' happened along there."
"You just happened to see them?" She asked him suspiciously. "Doc claims you have been following him around."
Festus squirmed in his seat. "Let me tell ya what happened. Ah was ridin' aroun after we had them Bonner yahoos spreadin' terror an I seen Doc at Ma's real late at night. First ah thought there was a sickness an it were bad when Doc came onta the porch a huggin' on Ma. Well Punky tol me it weren't no accident. Sos, ya know me and Doc do get kinda scratchity at one ta nuther ever so often…."
Kitty raised her eyebrows as she commented, "ever so often."
He went on as if he hadn't heard her. "wal a weren't gon ta be a flappin' ma jaws at him. I did thank he might say somethin'. He's got the closenest mouth ever about hisself. Sos ever so often ah just checks on them two."
"What is the point here Festus?" she wanted to know.
"Wah Miz Kitty ah found out that everone, even a ornery ole cuss like Doc, needs lovin'. Why ah find me doin' stuff ah woulda never dun iffin it weren't fer Abelia and our kids. She said ta me, 'Festus, Love is Everythin' an she wuz right as rain."
The redhead looked at the Hillman who she had come to love. Beneath that scruffy exterior beat a heart of gold. Sometimes his tales were wild and crazy but he sensed her despair and had come to her rescue. "Festus Haggen," she said, "sometimes I think you are the smartest man I have ever known."
He almost blushed and replied, "Ah shucks Miz Kitty that jus proves what a smartiest woman ya are."
They laughed. He stood up and took her hand, "I better git home but jus you remember ole Matthew loves you more than anythin' in the world. His love will bring him back ta ya."
She walked him to the door and kissed his whiskery cheek. "you be careful going home and give Abelia and those kiddies my love.
"You betcha and ya remember what I said he'll be here afore ya can say rat run over the roof with a piece ah raw liver in his mouth." She stood there watching him ride away thinking what a rare and kind person was Festus Haggen.
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It had been a long night of tossing and turning without that big man at her side. When she finally got up to go to the Long Branch she made sure that she looked presentable in case Matt arrived home unexpectedly. She stopped at the telegraph office but all they knew was that crews had been sent out to help remove the mountains of rocks.
Claire was sitting at a table with a coffee pot in front of her. She looked like she hadn't had an easy night either. As Kitty walked through the door she said to her friend, "you look like you didn't sleep much."
The blond responded with, "I would fall asleep and I thought I heard something and I was awake. Did you have the same problem?"
"Sort of and I had a hard time getting ready this morning. I kept hoping Matt would come walking through the door. I had an interesting talk with Festus last night."
Raising her eyebrows Claire asked, "really? He doesn't seem like a philosopher to me, a tale teller, but not a deep thinker."
Kitty laughed, "Festus has a philosophy all his own. When we first knew him there was no way he was EVER settling down. Then he met Abelia and her kids. Marrying her, becoming a father has made him look at life differently. You know what he told me? He said Love is Everything."
Love is Everything." Claire thought that over. It sure can hurt. You can sure be betrayed. We both know it and we have been through it."
At that moment there was a commotion at the batwing doors. Two very disheveled men came through the doors looking around to see who was there. As they saw the two beautiful women sitting in the back they headed for them.
Kitty was the first one out of her seat. She threw herself into the arms of the tallest man. "Thank God you are home and safe."
He didn't care who saw as he bent down to kiss his wife and held her tightly to himself. "I missed you Kit, but I need bath and a shave."
She was not letting him go. "I don't care! For now I just need to know you are in one piece."
In the meantime her uncle had gone to Claire and hugged her tightly. He pushed her away slightly and announced, "I don't want arguing young lady as soon as we can get cleaned up and get the preacher we are getting married. If you want to later, we can have a big party at our new home."
Saaaammm…Sam," she stuttered, "do I get any say?"
He looked into her sparkling eyes, "well I did a lot of thinking as we were stuck out there and you know what I realized? We get few chances for love in this life, and life is too short to waste it when we are lucky enough to find it again. I thought after my wife died that was it, but you came into my life and I don't want to throw away another minute without you."
Claire looked at Kitty who nodded her head. "Alright Mr. Smith or Mr. Russell I thought too that I would die if you didn't come back to me. So I guess what a very wise man once said is absolutely true, 'Love is Everything'. I don't want to waste another minute of it without you. Get ready Matt and Kitty because were having a wedding."
Matt looked at Kitty and asked, "Who was this wise man?"
She looked at him like it should be evident who it was, but she said, "why it was Festus."
"Festus! Well I'll be darned!"
She took his arm and told her uncle and soon to be aunt, "we'll be back when we get cleaned up in about an hour."
Sam looked at his beautiful bride to be and told his niece, "maybe you need to make it two hours because Loving is Everything too."
Kitty opened to mouth to speak but Matt had her arm and was pulling her toward the door. He told her uncle, "you are a man after my own heart."
"Matthew Dillon!" she exclaimed as he was pulling toward home. "What will people think?"
He grinned at her, "you have never cared about that before. Remember that great philosopher, Festus Haggen, said Love is Everything."
Looking up at the love of her life she challenged him, "well Cowboy let's see if you can live up to your big talk."
An hour later as she lay contented in his arms, he looked at the exquisite creature with the sapphire blue eyes and said, "He was right you know loving you is everything."
Although they didn't know it, across town at about the same time, Kitty's uncle was repeating about the same words to the beautiful blond he was about to make his everlasting love.
FIN