Thank you for waiting. I'm sorry I took so long but well when I… er… never mind. Anyway…. Uhm… can I get you all some coffee or some…thing? Oh, right, story. Sorry, but you know how it is. My mind gets wandering and then I… See? There I go again.
Well, let's see now. What was I going to tell you? I remember… Oh, yeah, that's it. I was going to tell you about the stranger. I was in town about two weeks, I think, may have been three, but I think more like two.
Anyway, I was working that night. It was busy but not too bad. We had some cowboys in there blowing off steam and a few gamblers ready and willing to help relieve them of their money as well. We had a couple of farmers and this one other man that I'll never forget if I live to be a hundred. And I'm not too far from there now, so you understand what I mean.
Now, before I say anything else, I have to explain why I won't forget him. And there are several reasons for that. First off, he was tall. Not as tall as the Marshal, but he wasn't short by no means. I'd say maybe 6' 4" or thereabouts. He was also… well… built. I mean BUILT! He had these arms that looked like he did nothing all day but carry around anvils and a nice broad chest and these well-muscled legs and a tapered waist and… uh, ahem. Well, let's just say he was very well built in just about every place that counts in a man, to a woman at least. If you know what I mean. (raises brow and winks)
And then there was his face. Now, I told you before didn't I? I mean about how good looking the Marshal was? Yeah, I thought so. That's something everybody remarked on, I mean about how good looking he was. Yeah, well, this fella was too. Although his hair wasn't as curly or as dark as the marshal's, it was all there and styled right nice it was. He had a rather well shaped nose and two beautiful hazel eyes and this wonderfully deep, rich voice. I'll tell ya, he was something to behold.
What's that you ask? Why didn't I go after him? What makes you think I didn't? You gotta remember, this was before I met my husband so I wasn't being held back by nobody. But he was, you see. Cause the minute he stepped into that saloon, he had eyes for only one woman and it wasn't me or any of the other girls. It was Miss Kitty he wanted. Lord, the look in that man's eyes when he saw her… Ummmmm. I'll tell ya, it was all over but the writing when he saw her.
I guess, with the way he looked and all, he was used to women just swooning over him everywhere he went and he probably thought Miss Kitty would as well, but he got himself a rude awakening, I'll tell ya. She smiled at him and all and even took him a drink to his table herself, but that was about it. When he asked her to sit with him, she just smiled, shook her head and went on back to the bar.
I already told you how it was with her and the Marshal so you can guess she wasn't about to give this man, no matter how handsome he was, a tumble. But this man, well, he was surely a stranger to not only Dodge, but the territory as well cause he didn't seem to know nothing about Marshal Dillon and didn't look like he'd cared if he did.
The only thing that man had on his mind that night was the beautiful red head that owned the saloon. Or at least it looked that way till later.
Now, before I go on here, I need to make sure you understand something. This man, taken with Miss Kitty as he was, still wasn't pushy or nothing. I mean, he didn't try and make her pay him no mind or nothing and he sure wasn't grabby or demanding like some men can be. He simply asked her to sit with him and have a drink. When she said no, he smiled, nodded and said something about maybe later or some such thing like that. He was real polite.
But he was also real interested no matter what he said. I may not know as much about men as Miss Kitty did, certainly didn't back then, new as I was, but it didn't take no expert to see he wanted her. He watched every move she made as she moved around the bar room. And every time she come near his table, he'd said something real soft and sweet like… Well, once he told her he liked the way she smelled, like Lilac, I believe he said. And then another time, he told her how pretty her hair was. Oh, he was full of compliments for Miss Kitty, that one was.
Huh? You're gonna have to speak up, my hearing aid battery's a dying, I think. Hang on, let get this sucker out of my ear… Ouch! That hurt. Hang on. Just let me change this out. …. …. …. There! That's got it. Now… Yep, that was it. The battery was dying. Now what was you asked?
Oh! How'd I know what he was doing? Hahahaha I was sitting at the table next to him with old Homer Abels. Homer was a lonely old farmer, lived just east of town. He'd come in ever so often and he'd just want to sit and talk for a while. Since that was part of my job, that's what I done. And since I was that close to the stranger's table, I heard everything he said, saw everything he did too. You see, I was sitting on Homer's left side and the stranger was sitting just slightly to his right. Gave me a real good view of his… er… of him.
Huh? Miss Kitty? Oh, she ignored him. Well, as much as she could anyway. I mean, she wasn't rude to him or anything and when he asked for a refill of his drink, she brought it with a smile. But she didn't encourage him or nothing. She was just being a good business owner. She didn't really pay him much more heed than she did anyone else.
I think that's why she was so taken off guard when he defended her the way he did. I know, I haven't told you that part yet. Sheesh, give an old woman a chance will ya? I'm gonna tell ya. I just… ut oh, sorry. I gotta go again. Them dang pills is supposed to help my heart, the doctor said. But so far all they've done is keep my legs in shape cause of all the running back and forth to the bathroom I do.
Hang on, I'll be right back.
TBC