Haunted Heart
A Gunsmoke Story
By Amanda (MAHC)
Chapter Twenty-one: This Moment
POV: Kitty
Spoilers:
Rating: PG-17 (Teen ++)
Disclaimer: The original GS characters aren't mine, of course, but I created Sam. (Well, Matt and Kitty created him in my story.)
XXXX
Despite her occasional tendency to burn a short fuse, Kitty Dillon rarely found herself truly angry with her even-tempered husband. Irritated, maybe; frustrated, certainly; worried, frequently, intrigued, always. But not often out and out angry. When she did get mad, though, it was usually a memorable scene. Of course, it was also usually a scene that was played out just between the two of them.
Somewhere beneath the red haze of anger, Kitty knew that the last thing her very private man wanted was to have a heated discussion with his wife right in front of everyone, but, at the moment, emotion overrode subtlety.
Stung that half of Dodge was witnessing her embarrassment over not being included in the unexpected and monumental decision, she couldn't keep from lashing out. "No? What do you mean, 'no'?"
"Kitty – "
"You changed the plan?"
He shot an uneasy glance toward the suddenly silent crowd. "Kitty – "
"You – you turned him down?"
Taking a deep breath, he squared up, rearing back a bit to his full height. "Yeah."
Logic tried to pull her back, to excuse herself and him to a more private area. But logic failed. "Without talking with me?"
Hands planted firmly on her hips, she shot daggers from her eyes right through him, mildly satisfied to see her bold, intrepid lawman flinch just a bit. How dare he? How dare he make that decision without her?
Infuriatingly calm, he stood before her with the same courage that faced down the worst outlaws and quietly acknowledged, "I did."
"You did?"
"I did." Still calm.
He did. Damn him, he did.
After all that talk and all that assurance to him that she was with him no matter what, he had gone and thrown it all away. How dare he simply discard all the sacrifices she had made for his happiness. How dare he be the one to give up –
Oh God. Realization washed over her and doused the flame of anger. Horrified, she let her gaze falter and looked down, not focusing on anything. Was that why she was so angry? Had she really felt that way? Had she resented his sacrifice? All these years, had she taken some strange pride in being the one who gave up something for their relationship?
She stared back up at him, still stunned by her own awareness.
She saw him squint with a hint of uncertainty when he couldn't read her sudden change in expression. Then, using her silence as an opportunity, he grasped her by the shoulders and said softly, "That's what I was going to tell you, Kitty, before we – " Flushing, he turned her so that his big body shielded them partly from the crowd. " I know you said that – " His voice lowered in a vain attempt to include only her in the conversation. " – that home is where the heart is, but, Kitty, Dodge is home. I can't take you away from here. I can't take you away from Doc and Festus, and your friends. And Sam needs to grow up around these people." He glanced down at her stomach. "Sam and – "
Finding her voice again, although this time with less volume, she tried to protest. "No, Matt – "
"Yes," he insisted. "I'll get that ranch we talked about. Buy some horses."
"You don't have to – "
His fingers touched her lips to stop her. "No, I don't have to." Smiling softly, he finished, "But I want to."
And there it was. The decision. The one that he made all by himself. The one that shocked her. The one that infuriated her. The one that she now realized delighted her.
"We're not going to Washington?"
It was not really a question, but he answered anyway. "We're not going."
"We're staying here in Dodge?" Another non-question.
"We're staying here."
Despite her assurance to him that she was perfectly fine leaving the town that had been home for over 20 years, her heart swelled at the realization that they weren't leaving after all. With a cry, she leaped into his arms, forcing him to stagger back a step to steady them.
"Oh, Matt!" Her kiss was full of delight and gratitude and love – and passion. She had intended for it to be quick, but once their lips touched she couldn't stop.
And suddenly, neither could he. The kiss grew deeper, hotter, and for a moment, she forgot about everything – and everyone – except the very masculine body against her. Until she felt him tense, his hands coming up to tug at the strong-hold she had around his neck.
"Uh, Kitty – " he mumbled against her mouth.
But she only wanted to hold him, to show him how much it meant to her. They would stay in Dodge with all their friends. Those friends who thought so much of them that they had come to their house and offered –
Abruptly, she stopped in mid-kiss and cut her eyes to the side to look at those very friends who now stood there gaping at them, their eyes wide with astonishment. For the long-time citizens, many of whom had been satisfying their curiosity for twenty years with just a nibble of affection between the discreet lovers, this was a veritable feast.
Letting her lips separate from his finally, she glanced up at her husband's reddened cheeks. Wincing, she loosened her grip so that he could lower her to the floor.
"Well," she breathed, smoothing out her skirt, a touch of color that needed no rouge in her own cheeks.
Matt cleared his throat and looked back at them, his head down so that his eyes peered almost like a little boy from under his brow. He tried to tug a bit of dignity around him, but as soon as he glanced her way, she saw that his gaze was still heated, still full of love and promise.
For several seconds, no one spoke. They just basked in the completely unexpected – and precious – moment. Finally, the Attorney General echoed Matt's throat-clearing and said, "Uh, Marshal, before you buy those horses, I'd appreciate it if you'd hear me out on something."
Reluctantly dragging his eyes away from her, Matt shook his head and bit tentatively at his lower lip. "General, you have my answer. I'm sorry you've come for nothing – "
"Actually, it's not for nothing. There's another reason why I'm here," Garland continued. "I got a wire from Edsel, here."
Edsel?
Kitty turned to stare at the only Edsel in the room, presumably the only Edsel in Kansas. Her mouth dropped in astonishment at the smirk of satisfaction on the sour old face of Edsel Pry.
"My wife's first cousin," Garland explained with a touch of amusement.
"I'll be darned," Matt muttered, equally surprised.
"According to her wire, Dodge City is extending an offer to the War Department."
Matt winced. "General, I think I can explain – "
Garland waved a hand, interrupting the marshal. "No need. I can understand why these folks don't want to let you go, Marshal."
Kitty slid her hand through the crook of Matt's arm. She saw his cheeks burning with the uncomfortable compliment, but he didn't protest. After all, it was the Attorney General.
"Thing is, the President and I don't want to let you go, either."
She watched Matt's eyes narrow, a certain danger sign. Surely Garland wasn't going to try to strong-arm him into this. Jaw hardening, Matt insisted, "I'm sorry, but I've already decided – "
"So," Garland continued smoothly, "I see I'll just have to accept the town's offer."
"General, I told you, I won't – " He stopped abruptly, the furrow between his eyebrows deepening. "What?"
"I said," the Attorney General answered, a smile curving his thick lips, "I'll just have to accept the town's offer."
Her heart pumping in cautious anticipation, Kitty clutched tighter onto Matt's arm. "You'll – what?"
Garland, an enthusiastic orator, hesitated a moment for effect, looked around the room, then grinned and announced, "It is my pleasure to declare to you that the War Department graciously accepts the generous offer by the city of Dodge to erect a U.S. Marshal's training facility here." His head inclined toward Matt and he added, "That is, if Marshal Dillon will re-consider accepting the position as director."
A wave of excitement swept the crowd, but they kept their voices, realizing that the final say rested with the tall lawman, who at the moment could only stare at the Attorney General. Kitty found herself in a similar fix.
"I'm not here to force you into something you don't want to do," Garland assured them, then laughed and scanned up Matt's imposing frame. "Don't figure I could do that anyway. But I sure didn't ride all the way out here on a sooty train just to wish you a happy retirement."
Kitty exchanged an incredulous glance with her husband. "General Garland," she asked again, her heart not quite believing what her brain was saying, "you're telling us that you are willing to move the whole thing – "
"I'm willing and the President is willing. We'd be fools to let our best man go if there was some way to keep him." His hand grasped Matt's forearm with a firm squeeze. "You've given the service almost thirty years of your life, Matt. And you don't have to tell me how many times you've come close to giving your life itself."
Nobody had to tell Kitty that.
"I figure this is the least the Service can do in return." Garland's tone grew serious. "God knows you've paid your dues, son."
That familiarity brought a smile to her lips. The Attorney General couldn't be more than ten years older than Matt. Still, the grin that broke out on her Cowboy's face reminded her of the handsome, rawboned, young marshal who had captured her attention – and her heart – so many years before.
Garland drew back, the solemn expression relaxing again, and waved a casual hand around. "Besides, this is a better location. More room to grow."
Kitty's hand tightened around his arm and she leaned hard against him.
"So, what about it, Matt?" Garland asked. "Will you agree to that? Will you stay here and accept the position as Director of the U.S. Marshal's Training Program?"
Around the room it seemed as if no one breathed. The crowd watched, afraid to move in case they missed any moment of this extraordinary scene, waiting for their marshal to make a decision that would affect not only his life but the lives of every person in Dodge – perhaps even the entire country.
But instead of answering Garland, Matt turned to his wife, his eyes wary and apologetic. "I'd still be wearing this," he noted, touching the shining badge that hung on the blue material over his chest.
Kitty looked at the smooth silver medallion that had been her nemesis for so many years. She hated it – and yet it was so much a part of her life that she had come to accept it and even take pride in it from time to time. Matt Dillon without the badge? She tried to picture it, had yearned so long to see that very sight. Was this the time?
Looking into his beautiful sky-blue eyes, seeing the surprising touch of vulnerability shimmer there, she knew the answer. Her hand lifted to touch his cheek in as gentle and assuring touch as she could make it. "And I wouldn't have it any other way, Cowboy."
Relief, gratitude, love, and promise flashed across his rugged face before he managed to rein back his emotions. She saw him swallow hard before he nodded, moving her hand to his lips and brushing the fingertips in a kiss. Straightening and squaring his shoulders, he turned back to Garland. "General, I guess you have your director."
The crowd erupted into cheers so loud that Kitty wouldn't have been surprised if they were heard all the way back to the Long Branch. Breaking ranks, the exultant citizens swarmed around them, shaking Matt's hand vigorously and slapping him on the back. Hannah took the liberty of giving him a very thorough – and extended – hug, merely grinning without apology when Kitty shot her a warning glance that was only half-joking.
The merriment continued for several minutes. Even Sam joined in, clapping and squealing with innocent delight, completely oblivious to the motivation but happy to be part of it. When the excitement finally ebbed, Matt stood before these people who had been so much a part of his existence – despite his general philosophy of independence – for so many years. He hesitated, and Kitty realized with a fond pang, that it was not for effect like Garland had done, but to make sure he could get through the next statement without embarrassing himself.
"I'm not sure exactly what to say, except – thank you. And that Kitty and I are – overwhelmed by your generosity." He shrugged slightly and added, "Of course, I, uh, I still can't accept the reward money – "
A murmur of protest rose from the group, but he held up his hand to stifle it. "It was in the line of duty, and you understand I can't – I just can't accept it."
"What about the money from the town, Marshal?" Dobie asked, his expression almost hurt. "Surely you can accept that."
He sighed and opened his mouth, but before he could politely refuse them again, Hannah added, "We'll put it in a trust for the children."
Kitty allowed herself to take in the expressions of those watching and was shocked to read eagerness, almost pleading, on their faces. She realized then that it meant much more to their friends to give the money than it did for them to receive it. It was, for the citizens of Dodge, a way to feel as if they were paying back something that was impossible to pay back. Exchanging glances with her husband, she saw the reluctant understanding in his eyes.
Without words, they agreed. Matt slid his arm around her waist and nodded for her to answer. "We'd be honored," she told them warmly.
Pleased smiles broke out across the room.
"Thank you," Matt said. Then the normally reticent lawman surprised them all and added, "I want you to know that it has been – my honor – to serve Kansas, and Dodge in particular, for these past twenty years." He paused, lips pressed together hard as he reigned in the emotion. "My honor," he repeated, voice hoarse.
Her heart swelled for him. She knew what those few, poignant words meant coming from him. The others seemed to know, too. A keen silence fell over the room. No one spoke for a long moment, the impact of his statement affecting them.
Finally, with a sniff, Kitty raised her head. "This calls for a celebration. Napoleon brandy for everyone!"
"Liquor?" Mrs. Pry asked in a scandalized tone.
"Liquor," Kitty repeated firmly.
"Well," the old woman allowed, "since it is a celebration – "
The hoorah echoed through the house as Kitty gave her husband a quick, but thorough, kiss and headed toward the liquor cabinet.
Surrounded by several of their friends, she watched as Matt looked down at the very surprising town busybody. "Mrs. Pry," he began, "I don't know what to say – "
The old woman waved her hand. "Pshaw. You just make sure when those offspring of yours come sneaking around windows they don't run off with my pies."
Kitty flinched and frowned until Mrs. Pry continued, almost smiling. "They'd better come on in and have a piece with their Aunt Edsel."
With a curt nod, she marched past a speechless Matt to get in line for Kitty's brandy, the rest of the town staring after her, equally shocked.
Finally, Doc cleared his throat and ran a hand over his mustache. "You live long enough, you'll see just about everything."
Amid the accompanying laughter, the Attorney General extended his hand. "Well, Marshal. Good doing business with you."
"You, too, General." Matt shook his hand. "I'm obliged to you – and the President."
"Our gain." Garland bowed slightly toward Kitty. "Mrs. Dillon," he called, "try to keep this big fellow in line, will you?"
Kitty smiled graciously. "General, I'm afraid he's the one keeping all the rest of us in line."
"Yes, ma'am," he agreed. "I can believe that."
She watched with amusement as Matt tried not to squirm under the blatant admiration.
"Well," Garland declared, "I'd best be getting back to catch the evening train." He slapped a hand over Matt's arm, and Kitty winced as she heard the quick in-take of breath.
Immediately, Garland pulled away. "Oh, Marshal, I apologize. I forgot that the deputy told me you'd been injured again."
Unsuccessfully trying to hold back the grimace, Matt attempted to wave off the concern. "Oh, he just winged – " he began, but catching a glimpse of Doc's scowl, he smiled weakly and amended, "It's not too bad."
Adams simply shook his head.
As the rest of the celebrants did their cheerful best to deplete the Dillons of their liquor stock, Kitty tugged gently at her husband's sleeve, steering him to a relatively empty corner of the room.
Looking up at him, allowing her hand to rest intimately against his chest, she mused, "Is it really true, Matt? Did this really happen?"
He smiled down at her. "Why wouldn't you think so?"
"I don't know. Maybe it seems too go to be true. All my life I've thought about this moment, told myself it was going to come, but I'm not sure I actually really believed it would."
His smiled faded, the years of guilt clouding his joy, and she regretted saying anything. But she couldn't help the wonder that lifted her heart.
"Listen, Matt. Whatever's happened in the past, let's leave it there."
Disregarding the people that still surrounded them, he slid his arms around her waist. "Kitty, our past has made us what we are. We can't leave it. But we can move on from it. I never thought much about 'this moment,' as you call it." A shadow darkened his eyes. "That's because I never figured I'd live long enough to have something like this," he admitted.
The blunt statement clutched at her heart. "Matt Dillon, don't say such a thing."
"It's true, Kitty. The life of the average lawman is only – "
"Oh, now, you're forgetting something very important."
He frowned. "What?"
"You, Marshal Dillon, are not the average lawman."
"Maybe," he conceded, and it was as close as she'd ever heard him come to acknowledging that he really was rather extraordinary. "When you were gone – "
Her fingers went to his lips to stop him from bringing up that painful time, but he smiled and shook his head.
"When you were gone, it felt as if my heart was haunted. You had been there so many years and then all I had left was a ghost. I knew then that if I found you again, if I had the real Kitty back in my heart – and if I could convince her to take me back into her heart – I'd never let go of it again."
Tears burned her eyes, welling over and down her cheeks. She managed to whisper her love for him before he pulled her to him and cradled her in those long, strong arms of his. Finally, the crowd disappeared and only the two of them remained. Finally, they found themselves wrapped around each other, sharing the love and passion and pleasures that had bound them for half their lives. And finally, Kitty Russell Dillon began to think this moment really was real.
XXXX
"Kitty!"
She jerked awake with the sudden movement beside her, her eyes adjusting to the dim light so that she could see the perspiration on Matt's skin, hear his gasps, feel the trembling of his body. Please, not again, she prayed,
"Matt?" she called to him gently, ready to sooth and comfort, willing to chase away the nightmares.
With visible effort, he turned onto his side, smiled shakily into her worried blue eyes and lifted a hand to brush away the rich, red curls that fell across her face. "I'm sorry – I woke you," he gasped, still trying to catch his breath.
She blinked, rousing herself enough to prop on one hand and peer at his sweaty face. "You okay, Cowboy?"
"Yeah."
Her face softened in compassion. "Another nightmare?"
"No."
Sure. "It's okay, Matt. I heard you – cry out. I understand."
"Really, it wasn't – "
"Come here." Her arms wrapped around him, drawing his head to lie carefully on her breasts, stroking through the haphazard waves of his hair.
"I'm all right, Kitty," he assured her.
"Okay."
"I promise."
"Can I ask you something, Matt?"
He laughed ironically. "When have you ever needed permission to ask me anything?"
But she was serious. Continuing partly to distract him and partly to satisfy her own curiosity, she said, "You asked me about the job before. You didn't give Garland an answer at first because you wanted to talk with me."
"Yeah."
"So when you changed your mind, why didn't you ask me about it again?" She tried to keep the hurt from her tone. That was water under the bridge, now.
Leaning over so that his lips brushed hers tenderly, he said, "Because you would have tried to talk me out of it. And you probably would have succeeded. You can be very persuasive, Mrs. Dillon," he told her, his long fingers stroking over a smooth breast.
She sucked in a quick breath at the sensation.
"This was the right thing to do, Kitty. For you – " He moved his hand to her stomach. "For all of us."
"It'll be strange."
"What?"
"Not worrying every minute whether or not you're coming home all shot up – or not at all."
"You think maybe you can get used to it?"
She smiled up at him. "I think maybe I can. Now, let me give you something better to dream about," she murmured, sliding her hands up his chest.
Kitty," he said, suddenly hoarse, "I really didn't have a nightmare."
Stubborn man. "Matt, I saw you – I heard you. You were dreaming – "
"Oh, I was dreaming, all right," he acknowledged. "But it wasn't a nightmare."
"It wasn't?"
He shook his head and grinned at her, drawing her hand to his groin, to rest over the most blatant physical evidence that remained of his dream.
As her fingers wrapped around the thick, silken heat, she felt a deliciously familiar warmth rush to her center. "Oh," she breathed, relieved and aroused at once. "That must have been some dream."
"Oh, yeah," he groaned.
Without even thinking, she stretched out on top of him, fitting their hips together so that they were touching as intimately as possible without being joined. His hands traced up the backs of her thighs, his head bent so that his lips could take in a nipple and suck luxuriously.
"Ow!"
He stopped immediately, looking up at her with a question on his lips, but before he could ask, she smiled weakly and explained, "They're a little sore."
A look of almost unbearable tenderness touched his eyes and he nodded, rolling her to the side and leaning forward to kiss her stomach softly before he dragged his tongue back up to circle in gentle caresses around the nipple again. This time, sparks of desire shot through her breast and pulsed between her legs. His hand slipped down, his touch inflaming her.
"Oh, God! That's – that's –" She couldn't actually pull the words to her lips.
The exquisite feeling stopped. She looked down in distress, desperate for him to keep going. But his eyes had grown smoky, clouded, and she saw the need in them. His hands slid over the swell of her hips, pressed her into him but it wasn't enough. They both wanted more. They both needed more. Now.
His mouth claimed hers and without breaking the kiss he shifted, twisting so he was above her, lowering his hips to hers. They were both way past ready. But he slid against her once, then held still.
She looked up in protest. Please don't stop! Please don't!
"The baby?" he whispered, his voice hoarse, his eyes moist.
A shiver tingled through her. "It's fine," she assured him. "We won't hurt her."
"Are you sure – "
She smiled as she lifted her pelvis to rub against him. "I'm sure. Please, Matt. I need you."
"You'll never know how much I need you," he said tightly, and she knew he meant more than just the urgent physical need of the moment. Bracing on his hands, he nudged her legs farther apart with one knee.
She expected a hard plunge, a deep thrust, but he kept control, easing into her slowly, careful not to be too rough, not to take a chance. She smiled at his thoughtfulness, at his ability to hold back. He withdrew, then pushed in again, leaning forward to suck on her earlobe, to kiss the tip of her nose, to tug her lower lip between his teeth. Then he pulled back with aching luxury, drawing out of her body just to the edge. He held there until she couldn't bear the teasing and tugged him toward her with her legs. Even then he waited one more beat before he sank inside her again. Her groan carried across the room. And it continued like that, easy and gentle, much slower than she would have believed possible as excited as they both were.
Occasionally he paused and drew in a shuddering breath, bending down to kiss her, to trace the contours of her face with his lips. And sometimes she stopped him, when she felt herself approaching the edge, made him wait until she had subdued her body's urgency. She wasn't sure exactly when the luxuriously slow slides accelerated, but after a very long time, she felt him swing into a faster rhythm, dropping onto his elbows, and she allowed her body to follow his lead as the sensations began climbing over each other with increasing power until they were both carried past any real control. Mouth open in a silent gasp, she teetered for a long moment on the pinnacle, unable to go over, but unwilling to go back, until her straining, screaming muscles erupted in delicious spasms around him, the focus of pleasure at her center bursting and shooting ecstasy through her. As the explosion peaked, she found her voice and could not suppress a cry.
"Maaatt!"
At her release, his body tensed, a low, tortured groan rising from deep within his chest as she arched against him. Her name burst from his throat just as the hard pulses burst into her. Sweat trickled down his face as he thrust again and again, trying not to push too hard, but no longer able to control his body's fierce instinct to be buried deep inside her. For a moment she thought it would never stop, and that was fine by her. But eventually, the intensity faded. Somehow, he remained braced on his elbows, rocking gently back and forth. Raising a trembling hand, she brushed back the waves scattered over his brow, pushed through the hair at his temple, trailed a finger around his ear, then pulled his head down so she could kiss him as they continued to move together in the soothing aftershocks, his body caressing hers with gentle motions.
Finally, he slowly withdrew and rolled back with a reluctant, but satisfied moan. As she felt him slide from her body, she sighed, not wanting to lose the exquisite feel of him inside her.
Lying back, he drew her against him, her fiery hair falling across his shoulder like a silk fan. She heard the thunder of his heart, felt the dampness of his skin, the hard rise and fall of his broad chest as his lungs worked to regain normal breathing. And she knew he heard and felt the same from her.
"Matt?" she murmured. Even her mouth was exhausted.
He wasn't in any better shape. "Hmm?"
"I love you."
A lazy smile curved his lips. "I love you, too."
"That was – " What could she say? Intense? Incredible? Exquisite? Explosive? Yes, all of those things. But she fell into Matt's habit of understatement and just said, " – nice."
"Yes," he agreed.
Stretching, she snuggled up against his side. "I can't believe Sam is still asleep."
"Good boy."
She laughed. "I think we were just lucky this time. I'm not sure how lucky we'll be with two of them. She might not cooperate quite so well."
"She?"
"Or he."
"She," he confirmed.
"Matt?"
"Hmm?"
The fear that always rested just beneath the all-too-thin surface of confidence nudged its way out. She had planned not to say anything, not to voice her maternal worries, but after the powerful release, her control had grown lax. "What if – what if something goes wrong? What is she's not – "
"Now, Kitty – "
"I mean, like you told Doc, I am forty-two – "
"You're admitting to it?" he teased.
"I'm serious."
He shifted so that his hand rested on her hip, fingers tickling chill bumps onto her skin. "Kitty, everything's going to be fine. You're healthy and strong. Doc said so. There's no reason to think it won't be all right." But she saw the tinge of worry in his eyes, even as he reassured her.
"Of course," she agreed, lowering her gaze so that he didn't see the same expression mirrored on her face. "Just fine."
But as she snuggled deeper in his embrace, she remembered her comment to him just that afternoon. Maybe it seems too good to be true.
It would be cruel, she reflected silently, secure in the safety of his strong body, after all they had been through, for God to deny them this happiness. Those months in New Orleans, apart from him, wondering how she would live the rest of her life without him, had been torturous – a nightmare to rival even the worst that Bonner had left her with. And then, salvation, redemption. He had come back to her, for her – and they had Sam, and soon another – with God's blessing.
No, she had to believe that neither of their hearts would be haunted anymore. She had to believe that this was that moment she had dreamed of, yearned for. This was their time. And she was determined not to let go of it – or of him – ever again. Whatever fate brought them from this moment on, they would meet it together.
And after 20 years, that was more than enough.
TBC in Epilogue
"In the night though we're apart,
There's a ghost of you within my haunted heart.
Ghost of you, my lost romance,
Lips that laugh, eyes that dance.
Haunted heart won't let me be,
Dreams repeat a sweet but lonely song to me.
Dreams are dust, it's you who must belong to me,
And thrill my haunted heart.
Be still, my haunted heart.
Time rolls on trying in vain to cure me.
You are gone but you remain to lure me.
You're there in the dark and I call,
You're there but you're not there at all.
Oh, what will I do without you, without you.
Haunted heart, won't let me be.
Dreams repeat a sweet but lonely song to me.
Dreams are dust, it's you who must belong to me
And thrill my haunted heart.
Be still, my haunted heart."
"Haunted Heart"
1948
Lyrics: Howard Dietz
Music: Arthur Schwartz