Kitty's Love Story
Chapter 5
"How long will you be staying with us?" asked the friendly clerk behind the desk at The Dodge House. "I'm not sure yet," Bill responded, exchanging a sideways glance with Kitty.
It had been three days, and he had imposed on Doc enough. He still had plenty of recovering to do, but the potential complications Doc had warned him about had not materialized, and he was well enough that he didn't need constant supervision. He had gotten used to the short crutches, and a room of his own with some privacy was sounding pretty good right now.
The clerk gave him an assuring look. "That is not a problem, Mr. Dunlap. We will be happy to have you for as long as you stay in Dodge."
How long would that be, Bill wondered to himself? As long as it takes.
He liked what he had seen of Dodge, but he had no intention of staying permanently. It wasn't home, and there were too many memories there. Not his, of course-hers. Tanner's Creek wasn't home either, but he had a nice house waiting for him and knew a few people in town. It was the perfect place to start a new life.
Bill had decided after his first date with Grace Seger that he was going to ask her to marry him. None of his friends or family approved—why would a man want a woman who can't even hear him? She could read lips, but it wasn't the same. She was damaged, imperfect, and that kind of relationship seemed almost unnatural. Bill didn't care what anyone else thought—there was no instruction book for falling in love, you just knew when it happened. From that luminous smile, to her sense of humor, to the way her soft hands had wrapped around his as she gently moved his fingers to teach him sign language, he knew right away that Grace was the one. Unlike many who later learned painful lessons associated with such hasty decisions, Bill instead learned that his instincts could be trusted. That love at first sight had turned into thirty years, not a day of which he had ever regretted.
Since she had died, well-meaning friends and relatives had been trying to find him another wife. He appreciated the effort, but it was ill-advised. He couldn't count the number of widows and spinsters who had shown up at his door with homemade pies, talking to him as though they were auditioning for a role. He wasn't looking for someone to play the part of his wife—if it ever happened again, it would have to be with a woman who instantly sparked that passion the way Grace did. He had decided that was about as common as being hit by lightning.
If Bill had his way, lighting was about to strike twice. He never dreamed he would have those feelings again until Kitty Russell walked into his life. The circumstances of their first encounter were extraordinary to say the least, and about as far from romantic as possible. One might even argue that they were bound more by a common traumatic experience than any type of attraction, but Bill knew that wasn't the case. He had spent three days with Kitty, and he was in love with her. He was well aware of what he was up against, but still he dared to dream that she might love him back. Maybe not today, but soon.
Bill signed his name in the hotel ledger and took the key. The clerk had given him a first floor room, seeing the crutches and wanting to make it as easy as possible on him. Kitty carried his suitcase, the one they had hurriedly thrown onto the stage in Tanner's Creek when she decided that Doc was his best hope for survival. He hadn't packed much, as he wasn't planning a long trip. But it would have to do for a while.
They reached his room and Kitty helped him unlock the door. She set his suitcase next to a twin bed with a tasteful brown and red patterned bedspread. Bill looked around at the room—it was nothing fancy but it was sufficient, and for now it was his.
Kitty put her hands on her hips and looked up at him with a smile. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself for a while? I really need to get some work done today."
"I'll be fine," he said convincingly. "How about dinner tonight? You cooked last night, it's my turn. Not to cook, of course—I believe that might hurt my cause. But I want to take you somewhere nice."
"That would be lovely," she replied.
Bill balanced himself on the crutches and took a small hop until he was standing close enough to give her a proper goodbye. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Until tonight."
Kitty left The Dodge House with her head swimming. What was she doing? This had all happened so fast. She'd had two dinners and one picnic with this man, and he was already hinting about a future together. It was a completely foreign experience to her—after eighteen years, countless dinners and much more with Matt Dillon, their future was still a touchy subject. The irony was almost overpowering.
"Miss Kitty!" came a familiar voice that interrupted her thoughts. Festus hurried over as if he had something important to say, Doc right behind him trying to keep up.
"Hello, Festus, Doc" Kitty said cheerfully as they approached.
"I thought you'd wanna know that Matthew sent a wire this mornin' from Hays," he began. "He's done with his testifyin' and'll be on today's afternoon stage."
"Thank you," she said politely, with a hint of nervousness.
Festus wasn't about to let it go at that. "If'n the stage is on time, Doc and me thought we'd all go to Delmonico's for dinner," he announced. "Sure would be nice if you came with us." Doc smiled and nodded, though he didn't say anything.
"I appreciate the invitation, but I already have plans for dinner," she informed them.
Festus knew who those plans likely involved. He had been watching Miss Kitty canoodling with that fellow he had helped up to Doc's office for a couple of days now, much to his distress. Doc had told him to mind his own business, but that wasn't an option. This was Matthew's woman, after all, and it just wasn't right.
"Well, cain't you change your plans? I mean, Matthew's been gone for a while, and—"
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Doc interrupted. "She said she had other plans. She doesn't always have to have dinner with the likes of us, you know." Doc grabbed Festus' arm and began to lead him away. "We'll see you later, Kitty."
Doc didn't like the situation any more than Festus, but he understood it better. Nobody knew Matt and Kitty like Doc. He had been there from the beginning, when his hopeless bachelor marshal friend had first locked eyes with the fiery new redhead in town. He soon recognized that the beautiful, tough as nails Kitty Russell was the one woman who could go toe to toe with Matt Dillon and capture not only his attention, but his heart. It hadn't been an easy road, to say the least. But they were as devoted as any couple he knew, and Doc had seen them persevere through unimaginable struggles. What he hadn't seen was any propensity on Matt's part to promise her that the long, patient wait for a permanent life with him would be worth it. Doc had secretly wondered if a day like this was inevitable and had even tried to talk to Matt about it on a few occasions. But the stubborn marshal, for personal reasons he chose not to share, refused to discuss it.
As Doc led Festus away, Kitty made her way to The Long Branch, her mind occupied with everything except work.
TBC
