Family Matters
Chapter 5
The sleeping arrangements at The Dodge House were the same as they had been at The Berlin Hotel in St. Louis. Kitty and Laura shared a double room, and Matt took a single for himself. They would certainly be more comfortable there than on the old twin beds at his house that even Festus, a man used to a thin cot, had complained about on occasion. Besides, Laura wanted to be "downtown"-Matt still got a good laugh out of that. He would check on his place later and thank the neighbor who had graciously been feeding the animals in his absence. Maybe he would take the girls out there with him after breakfast, if Laura was interested. She had been perfectly lovely to him in the whole three days he had known her, but he was still feeling his way around this new role and didn't want to seem pushy. A man couldn't expect to just step in after fifteen years and be treated like a father, no matter the circumstances.
It was almost 9am, and the Russells were predictably still in bed. Matt had gotten used to spending quite a bit of morning time alone back in the early days of his relationship with Kitty, and he could already tell that his daughter kept the same schedule. He had decided to try out the plush new furniture in the hotel lobby and take advantage of the complimentary coffee and newspaper until they awoke. He had no sooner finished reading the last page than he heard two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Good morning," Kitty chirped as he laid down his newspaper and stood to greet them. "Well you're up early," he quipped as they headed toward him. Matt couldn't help but notice how rested and inviting his future bride looked in her emerald green dress and light, natural makeup, and he instinctively reached down to give her a peck on the lips. It was hardly a lavish display of affection, but Laura winced nonetheless. Though she was happy for her mother, no teenager wanted to think of her parents that way. She pretended not to see it.
"I thought we'd go to the café next door and get some breakfast," Matt suggested.
Kitty nodded. "Matt, what do you think the chances are that Festus hasn't told the entire town about…this?" she asked, waving her hand in a circle that encompassed the three of them.
Matt sighed. "Slim to none would be my guess," he joked. He motioned toward the door and they headed outside for their first public appearance as a family. Laura stopped on the sidewalk and took her first good look at Front Street in daylight. It was busy by Dodge standards, but certainly not by New Orleans. "So…this is it," she stated, an acknowledgment instead of a question.
"This is it," Kitty reiterated. "This is where I grew up, so to speak. At least that's how it feels." Puffy white clouds hung in the distance, surrounded by deep blue sky and bright rays of morning sun. Laura inhaled the fresh autumn air. "It's very pretty. I like it," she announced approvingly.
Matt smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. I like it too." This had been home for most of his life, and he had not yet fully processed the fact that he was going to be leaving. Not forever, but for a good while. The reason he was leaving filled his heart with happiness, but leaving itself would be bittersweet.
"We'll give you the full tour after breakfast," Kitty told her as they headed into the café. There were several tables open and they chose one toward the back. "Marshal Dillon!" yelled a young man in the corner just as Matt was taking his seat. He hurried over to the table, clearly eager to say something.
"Well hello, Bill," Matt said cheerfully. He was a handsome lad, with steel blue eyes and blond curls poking out from underneath his hat. "Kitty, you remember Bill Creighton, Walter's boy."
Kitty searched her memory, knowing the name sounded familiar. "Little Billy Creighton?" she managed after a few seconds. "Why, you weren't more than six or seven last time I saw you!"
"Yes Ma'am," he replied, smiling. "I heard you and the marshal were getting married, and I just wanted to wish you all the best."
"Word travels fast," Kitty mumbled under her breath. She wondered what else he had heard.
"Thanks Bill, we sure do appreciate it," Matt offered. "Bill, this is Laura Russell, Kitty's—um, our—daughter."
Bill didn't seem particularly surprised at the words. He focused his attention on the stunning young redhead seated next to the marshal and quickly removed his hat. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Russell," he said enthusiastically—a little too enthusiastically in Matt's opinion. The big man gave young Bill a not so subtle look of disapproval. "Well, we have a lot to do today so we should probably get to ordering breakfast," he hinted. Kitty bit her lip to keep from laughing and suddenly felt sorry for any boy who would ever be interested in Laura Russell.
"Yes'm" Bill offered quietly, returning his hat to its proper place and heading back to his table. A busy waiter appeared with a large pot of coffee and was preparing to announce the specials when he recognized his customer. "Mister Dillon! I hear congratulations are in order!"
Kitty and Matt gave each other bemused looks. "Kitty, Russell, this is Ted Kitteridge," Matt introduced. Ted had moved to town as a young man shortly after Kitty had left, and Matt had become a valued mentor to him over the years. "And this is our daughter, Laura Russell," Matt continued. He searched Ted's face for a reaction but saw nothing resembling shock. He wasn't sure exactly what Festus was telling people, but part of him was relieved that no explanations seemed to be required-at least not right now. He was getting more comfortable each time he said the words—"our daughter."
"Pleased to meet you Ted," Kitty said pleasantly. Laura smiled and nodded, wondering if the whole day would be like this. Was there anyone in this town who wasn't interested in the personal life of Matt Dillon?
"I've sure heard a lot about you, Miss Russell," Ted fervently told Kitty, who wasn't quite sure how to take that statement. "All good things, of course," he quickly added. "I mean, people still talk about how you were the only woman the marshal ever..." Ted stopped, realizing that his excited ramblings were embarrassing the famously private man. He wanted to crawl under the table.
"How did you hear about the wedding?" Kitty inquired, mercifully changing the subject. "Did you run into Festus?"
"No, I heard it from Tom Sparkman when he came in for breakfast," he informed them. "Tom said Mrs. Stamler told him about it at The General Store this morning." Matt rolled his eyes and Kitty chuckled. They clearly needn't worry about how to break this news-it had spread like fleas on a prairie dog, to use one of Festus's expressions.
TBC
