Kitty's Love Story

Chapter 11

Kitty sat quietly alone on her bed. It didn't seem real—not yet.

She held the card Bill had given her last night, absentmindedly opening and closing it with her fingers. Inside he had copied a poem by his favorite writer, Christopher Marlowe, from a book he always carried with him. He had almost apologized when he gave it to her. "I hope this isn't too sticky and sentimental," he laughed. "I can't help it, I'm a hopeless romantic." Kitty assured him that she was too. There had been times in her life when it had been hard to remain so, but she had never truly lost her faith in happily ever after.

She opened the card and read the poem one more time:

Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove

That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,

Woods or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks,

Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,

By shallow rivers to whose falls

Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses

And a thousand fragrant posies,

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool

Which from our pretty lambs we pull;

Fair lined slippers for the cold,

With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,

With coral clasps and amber studs:

And if these pleasures may thee move,

Come live with me and be my love.

The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each May morning:

If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me and be my love.

Bill Dunlap clearly adored her. He was kind and gentle, selfless and funny, smart and handsome. And he wanted her more than anything in the world. Bill was everything she could possibly desire in a man. Almost, anyway.

They would have a good life together. Tanner's Creek was a lovely little town, and Bill's uncle's place sounded nice. She would leave behind the stresses of running a saloon and enjoy the tranquility of retirement. Sleeping late, casual strolls into town whenever they felt like it, two rocking chairs on the front porch watching the sunset together. It was the life she had always envisioned for herself some faraway day—she had just always envisioned it with someone else.

Kitty glanced around her room. There were so many memories here. The armoire with all the dresses she had worn on special occasions. The jewelry box on her dresser, filled with beautiful gifts he had given her over the years. The brass bed where she had spent the most passionate nights of her life. It was hard to believe she would be leaving soon, under these circumstances.

A knock on the door startled her. She was supposed to pick Bill up for lunch at The Dodge House, but apparently he had decided to come and get her instead. Kitty smiled—he was always so happy to see her. It was very flattering.

She opened the door, preparing to give him the news that she had made a decision. She couldn't have been more surprised at the tall figure standing in her doorway, breathing heavily from the run down Front Street and taking the steps to her room two at a time. He wasn't as young as he used to be.

"Matt," she almost gasped. "I wasn't…I mean, why—"

"Say no to Bill Dunlap," he broke in, emphatically, almost desperately.

"What?" she replied, as though she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

"Don't leave, Kitty. I want you to tell him no."

"But you said—"

"I was wrong," he interrupted again, not at all concerned about manners at this particular moment. "I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you how I feel. I owe you that much."

Kitty took a deep breath and swallowed. "And how do you feel?" she asked.

Matt stepped toward her, until he was so close it seemed unnatural not to touch her. He gently stroked her right cheek with the back of his hand before leaning down for a soft kiss which was met with no resistance. "Like I can't bear the thought of you being with another man," he answered as their lips parted only briefly and he once again kissed her. "Like I will never forgive myself if you get on that stage with him. Like I love you so much that I can't imagine my life without you."

Kitty closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her head in his chest. "I couldn't imagine it either," she whispered, a wave of relief washing over her body that made her feel almost lightheaded.

"Does that mean you're not leaving?" he asked cautiously.

Kitty pulled back just enough to look into his eyes and nod. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Cowboy," she choked through tears. Matt smiled. "I'm not," he announced happily, pulling her back in for an even tighter hug. Matt knew at that moment that something had changed in him forever. He wanted to be stuck with Kitty Russell—legally, and for the rest of his life—and he wasn't afraid anymore.

Epilogue

The stage driver watered the horses and made small talk with the passengers getting ready to board. Bill and Kitty stood together just out of earshot, alone except for several pairs of curious eyes in the distance. Bill was standing without crutches for the first time since his surgery. He had just left Doc's office, where he thanked the man who had so skillfully saved his life and looked after him for a solid week, not once letting his personal feelings interfere with his concern for a patient. What a true professional.

Tanner's Creek was calling his name. The unexpected detour he had taken on his way to that new life had been painful, in more ways than one. Yet somehow, with a hole in his leg and his heart still in pieces, he didn't regret that it had happened. She had awakened in him feelings that he thought were buried with his wife. He was not merely living anymore, he felt alive. His leg was healing nicely, and in time so would his heart. Who knew what might lie ahead for him.

Kitty had promised herself that she wouldn't cry. She loved Bill—not in the way he wanted her to, but in a deeply genuine way. He had told her not to, but she couldn't help feeling guilty sending him off to Tanner's Creek alone. Their conversation had been difficult, emotionally wrenching. He knew as soon as he saw her standing in his doorway that he wasn't going to like what she had to tell him. He may not have known her for long, but her expression said it all.

She had explained it to him with his own words, the sting still sharp but oddly comforting. "You told me that when you met Grace, you instantly knew that you were meant to spend your life with this person. That happened to me too, Bill. It happened eighteen years ago, and nothing can change that. I'm where I belong." He hadn't pleaded or tried to change her mind. He had simply asked if she was certain this was what she wanted, and she assured him it was. Despite the difficult circumstances, there was a peace and happiness about her that told him she had made the right decision. There was nothing left for him to do but make arrangements to start his new life in Tanner's Creek. He had wired his sons, and they were both bringing their families for a visit to make sure that he was recuperating as well as he claimed. It gave him something to look forward to.

The driver announced that it was time to leave, and a young couple climbed into the stage. "I guess this is it," Bill said, ready to claim his seat on the other side. "I'll never forget you, Kitty. Thank you for everything."

Kitty swallowed a lump in her throat. "I'm not sure what you're thanking me for. It seems like meeting me didn't do a whole lot except turn your life upside down."

Bill smiled. "No, actually it turned it right side up. And I'll always be grateful for that."

"I'll miss you," she said honestly. "Goodbye, Bill."

"Goodbye, Dear," he echoed fondly, reaching down for an appropriately benign farewell kiss as half of Front Street pretended not to notice.

Bill climbed into the stage and waved through the window as the driver signaled his team to take off. Kitty stood and watched until they disappeared from view. She glanced at the jail and locked eyes with a tall man in a cowboy hat, the man she had been in love with since the day she had arrived in Dodge City as a young woman. They began walking toward each other and met in the middle of the a crowded street, ignoring the inevitable spectators.

"I know a lady who sure could use a drink," she hinted.

"I know a man who's ready to buy," he offered.

Matt knew a man who was willing to do a lot more than buy Kitty Russell a drink. He had already informed The War Department of his retirement plans, and yesterday he had contacted his jeweler friend in Hays about designing a ring he would be proud to present to her on bended knee. He was feeling pretty confident about his chances of getting a yes, thankful that he'd had the good sense to realize it was time to ask before it was too late.

The town marshal and the saloon owner headed toward The Long Branch together, as they had countless times before. In a rare display of public affection, Matt wrapped his arm securely around her waist and she returned the gesture. Doc and Festus watched with delight from the sidewalk, sensing that something had changed between their friends, and that it was something wonderful.

The End