Chapter 6

Kitty was looking out the window, holding the curtain back to one side, when Matt and Lena entered the room.

She could tell immediately that something had happened by the flush on both their necks and faces.

Matt led his daughter over to a settee in front of a now cold fireplace and silently directed her to sit down.

Kitty walked back over and chose one of two chairs facing Lena. She cast her eyes up at Matt to let him know he was 'looming' and to take a seat. His size was very intimidating and it wouldn't be conducive to their present circumstances.

To an outsider, they may have looked like a normal family group, outside a saloon, of course.

For a few minutes there was nothing but silence and Matt's breathing gradually slowing.

Kitty asked, "Would one of you like to tell me what is going on? Did you brawl in the street or was it just throwing rocks at each other this time?"

Lena gave her a scowl and the man to her left shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, then, you're both here, so let's get it all out in the open.

**********************************************************X

Lena sat in stunned silence. So the man whose name she carried had not been her mother's dead husband. In fact, her mother had had no husband. The giant man sitting beside her was her father, as she suspected, and who hadn't known a thing about her. He hadn't abandoned them. In fact, he loved her mother. Her mother who had taken her away to protect her, leaving behind everything she knew and the man she loved. All for her.

"I need some time to think," Lena whispered, moving to the door.

"Where are you going?" Matt demanded. "I don't want you running into any more of those hooligans from downstairs."

Her hand on the door knob, she said, "I'll go down the back way; I need some air."

The door clicked shut behind her.

Kitty and Matt looked at each other solemnly.

"Have we just made our daughter hate us, Kitty?"

She placed her hand on top of his, and said, "No. Lena is way stronger than you know. She just needs to study on things. She'll come around."

Kitty squeezed his hand. "She sat here and listened without arguing, didn't she?"

Matt nodded, and now it was his turn to move to the window to stare out. He searched for his daughter, and he spied her walking toward the marshal's office.

***************************************************XXX***

Newly and Lena had left town behind and were now on the open prairie. The sun was bright, the sky blue, and the grasslands seem to go on forever.

"Does the wind ever stop blowing here, Newly," she asked. "I suppose with it being so open, there's not much to stop it." Her hair was tied back, but the breeze had managed to tear strands loose and they whipped about her face.

"You know I've heard stories of settlers on wagon trains going mad from the constant blowing of the wind. Probably some farmers, too, truth be known.

"Kansas is still not very populated, certainly nothing compared to New Orleans," he replied.

"No," she laughed, "It's not at ALL like New Orleans."

"Is that bad or good?" Newly glanced over to watch her reaction.

"Actually, I haven't decided yet." She smiled back.

********************************************************XXX

"Matt, there's something I'd forgotten to mention," Kitty said, touching him on the arm.

"When Mannon first came to the Long Branch, he said something to me. He said he had 'missed me in New Orleans.' How would he know where I was? How did he know we would both be here in Dodge? I mean, it's not like you're here regularly, are you?" Kitty tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

"No, I'm not. The only reason I was nearby was because I was trapping down the mountains, heading for a trading post, when I was ambushed. This would have been the closest town to find a doctor."

Matt's brows pulled together. "I don't like this at all. Mannon didn't have time to travel all the way to Louisiana and back before he got here, so who told him where you'd be? How'd he know we were both here?"

They both realized it at the same time.

He grabbed his hat and headed for the door.

"Wait, where are you going," Kitty cried.

"To find Lena. If someone was watching you and me, you can make damn sure, they've seen her."

"I'm coming with you," Kitty grabbed a shawl.

"Kitty, I don't-"

"I'm. Coming. With. You. Now let's go." She left the door open for him to follow behind her.

****************************************************XXXX

By the time Kitty and Matt found Newly, it was nearly dark. His horse had not wandered very far, and, once they spotted it, the white hat on the ground was easy to see.

After finding out the two had taken horses out for a ride, Kitty had hurriedly changed, promising Matt that if he left without her, she'd go on alone, so he waited, knowing she meant it.

They'd saddled up and had been looking for hours before spotting the horse.

Matt dismounted and quickly helped Kitty down.

"Newly, what happened? Where's Lena?" Kitty asked frantically.

Matt Dillon had helped him sit upright while he checked the injury to the side of Newly's head.

"Looks like a bullet grazed you," Matt said. "You didn't see any body. No one followed you from town?"

"I didn't see anyone, Matt." Suddenly he blurted, "Where's Lena?"

"She's not here, Newly. Can you get yourself back to town? Kitty will go with you."

"No, Kitty won't! I'm going after my daughter, dammit."

"I can make it, riding with you, " Newly claimed weakly.

"No you can't, Newly, and you'll just slow us down."

"Then I'll be following you with a posse. You can't afford to lose the trail. Go now," the young marshal insisted. "I'll make it, and I'll catch up to you. That I promise you."

***************************************************XXXXX

He was handsome for a crazy kidnapper. Tall, striking blue eyes, dark hair. In fact, he looked a lot like-

"Mannon!" Lena said it aloud without realizing it.

He mock bowed. "At your service, Miss Adams. Or is it Russell. Or is it Dillon. I believe it's actually Russell, but you are Dillon's bastard, so you'll do fine."