banks chapter 3 of the loss
The wind whistled through the covered bridge as the reflected light danced above their heads. Matt looked at the raging water and decided to unhitch the horse ."We are both good swimmers. You hold on to his mane. I will hold the tail. Stay upriver from him. Horses can make it through water we can't. I am sorry Kitty, but you have to take that dress off as it will drag you down when it gets wet."Kitty, although a little embarrassed, smiled. "Cut the bindings, Matt. I can't undo them." Matt looked kind of embarrassed as he slipped his knife between the bindings and Kitty's soft white skin. The dress sprung open and fell to the ground in a big heap. She was relieved she could breathe again. Kitty looked at the deep muddy water. She had her doubts, but with total faith in her man, she positioned herself. Matt grabbed the tail. "Hea" he yelled. The horse moved to the end of the bridge and stopped "Yeaa!" Mat yelled. The young horse lowered his head and snorted. "Yea!" The horse reared up, knocking Kitty off her feet. The horse ran to the other side of the bridge as Matt went to Kitty's. aid. "I don't think that horse likes water," She said as she struggled to get up. The water was now coming in on both sides of the bridge. Matt picked up the blanket and helped Kitty into the buggy. Noticing Matt was shivering, she got her dress and used it like a curtain to keep the wind off of them as they huddled together.

Matt, looking at the rain said, "I haven't seen a goose-drowner like this in ages. I wanted this day to be special." Kitty snuggled a little tighter."Anytime I can be alone with you is special." He watched as the water moved to the wheels of the buggy. "I don't know if we're going to make it out of this, but sitting here with you alone is nice." Kitty sat up and looked him in the eyes. "Matt, there is something I need to tell you. I don't know for sure, I mean nothing is definite yet, but I may be with child." Matt looked confused. "Huh?" Kitty looked a little shy. "Well I was not going to tell you until I knew for sure, but this mud sender rain has trapped us. I wanted you to know in case we don't make it." Matt slid his hand on to her stomach. "What do you mean you think you're with child?" Kitty put her hand on his. She said,"Festus told me I am and its a boy." Matt shifted his feet. "Well if Festus said so, it must be true. I am going to have a long talk with him when we get back. He should not be telling you such stuff." Kitty laughed. "It was not like that. I was doing my books. Festus came in to ask if I would buy him a drink. He said he would buy me one the next day when he got paid. I asked what job he was going to be paid for and he said, "Deputy." I said he did not get paid until the second day of the month. He said it was the first. I checked my paperwork and I had several pages with the same date on them. So I asked Sam. He said it was the first. It was then that I realized I was two weeks late. I must have said something out loud cause Festus started telling me how happy you were going to be and that I was going to have a boy." Matt reached for her breast. She pushed his hand away. "What does Doc. have to say about all this?" Kitty looked a little sad. "He said that it is probably just stress. I need to eat better, drink less, and get more sleep. He said I should wait a few more weeks, then stop up if nature has not taken its course. He will check me out."Kitty's face turned a little sad. "You cannot send me away. I will not go! You can tell everyone whatever you want. I am going to have this baby and I am staying in my home. If you don't want it to have your name, I am sure I could get someone else to marry me and give my child a name. Doc asks me to marry him all the time and Festus would probably marry me if you tell him you don't want me. Or I can look up Will Stambridge. He may not like it, me being knocked up, but at least... he loves me."

The water was now up to the axle of the buggy. Matt pulled out some binder twine and cut off a small piece. "Stop being ridiculous. Of course, you're not going anywhere. You are not going to marry anyone but me." Kitty smiled a teasing smile. "But you said..." Matt took her hand ."I know what I said. I was wrong." He tied the binder twine into a ring and put it on her finger. He got a smile on his face. "Miss Russell, with this ring I Matthew Dillion here do wedd, to have and hold you as long as we both shall live." Kitty just stared
at him. He said, "Well do you?" Kitty smiled. "Well let me think about it... I guess I do... .I have to catch my breath to believe this is real, that I am marrying my true love, my heart's desire, and my best friend." Matt held her tenderly. "I don't know why you have to get mushy about it. We have always been married, from that first day in Delmonico's our souls have always been united, and I have the joy of experiencing that love now and forever with the person I want to grow old with." Matt went to kiss her when the rushing water slammed the buggy against the side of the covered bridge. Matt noted a large number of snakes fighting the current on the bridge floor. "Climb!" He yelled as he pushed Kitty out of the buggy. "Hurry!" She climbed with Matt pushing her until she climbed out on top of the
bridge. She screamed in horror as Matt's head disappeared under the roof. Her heart was beating fast when his head reappeared. He pushed the baskets of food, the blanket, her dress, and the buggy lantern onto the roof. The rain finally stopped. The sun found both of them frozen to the bone, sitting on the point of the roof. A large colorful rainbow developed in the deeply colored western sky. Matt wrapped her in the blanket. "The water will settle down soon so we can swim for it." Kitty laughed. "I think we should eat." She
started to open the basket, but it started slipping down the roof. Matt grabbed it and pulled it back on top. "I believe it was my turn to set the table." He slid to the front of the bridge were a 24-inch overhang and a store sign made a makeshift table. With their feet dangling over the raging waters, he presented a feast fit for a king. Kitty smiled "I don't think we are going to go hungry." Matt looked concerned. "Yeah, but we have no water. We don't want to drink that run off water.

Sam sent this." He held up two bottles of fine brandy. She read the labels "Ahhh, the good stuff." Matt took the bottle. "Too bad we cannot drink it. We have to keep our heads if we are going to survive this. "Just then the bridge rocked violently. Kitty looked a little scared. Matt reached to hold her hand. "It is ok Missus Dillon. The bridge is well built, made of strong lumber." Kitty felt better, for his strength was her strength.

The sky lit up with very bright colors, then turned jet black. Matt lit the lantern. They huddled together under the starlit sky. Suddley a star fell from the sky, leaving a trail of light behind. Matt closed his eyes and wished for survival. Kitty wished they could stay on this bridge forever. The water settled down by morning but was still high and very muddy with lots of tree limbs bobbing up and down. They feasted on chipped beef and gravy as riders appeared off in the distance. "I think that is probably Festus coming to look for us." Matt, noticing the longing in Kitty's face, added, "We cannot stay here forever." Kitty asked, "What will we do?" Matt
started packing everything up. "Do you think you can be happy being a rancher's wife?" Kitty slipped what was left of the dress on. "That depends. Can you be happy being a rancher?" They could now see it was Festus and a few others from Dodge coming. Kitty spoke softly, "There is no place for us. You would not be happy doing anything but being a lawman. I could leave the Long Branch, but do not know why I should have to. I am not ashamed of who or what I am. I have worked every day of my life. I wish for my child to have what I have earned. Matt, kiss me before they get too near." Too late.

Festus was making some kind of speech about how his uncle got caught in a flood one time. As he threw a rope to Matt, Matt tied it to a beam in the bridge. Then using his belt and gun belt, he tied Kitty to himself. They slid down the rope."How did you know to come for us?" Matt asked. Festus was fussing over Kitty. "Sam was worried when she did not show up for work last night. I got concerned when the horse showed back up at the stable."

After getting cleaned up, Matt met Kitty in the Long branch. Doc entered."There you are. You want to come up to my office so I can look you over?"Kitty handed him a drink. "No need. Nature has taken its course." She forced a smile as she looked at Matt. Gunfire came from the street. Matt got up and grabbed his hat. "I am sorry Kitty," he said as he flew out the door

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Sam came over. "Miss Russell, I have some invoices for you." Kitty-got up headed for her room "I am tired I will look at them later" In her room, she took Mary's blanket folded it into a small bundle. Removed the binder-twine from her finger Wrapped it around the blanket placed it carefully into her hope chest. A knock on the door made her jump "Miss Russel your needed downstairs As Kitty walked out of her room, Sam saw her distant look ask "are you alright Miss Russel" She nodded "I am fine" she said. Then thought just letting go of a dream
The end