Alrighty folks- Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. I am also sorry it is taking me so long to get chapters posted, but things have been really busy for me. It is that time of year for those of us in the Ag teacher business so my time is limited as to when I can do fun stuff like this.
So please enjoy this next installment and don't forget to review. Oh and if you were wondering this story was sparked by the very first episode of Gunsmoke called "Hack Prine". It goes something like this: (This is not " on " )
Kitty: What do you want Matt?
Matt: Fishing, I'd like to do more fishing.
Kitty: I'd like to fish too.
The next day dawned bright and without a cloud in the sky. Matt, who was accustomed to being an early riser, stretched his arms out over his head after setting up in bed. He had stayed in the room that he kept at the Dodge house the night before, a rare thing for him to do. He figured after he stopped at the jail to check on Chester he would go and see if Kitty would like to join him for breakfast.
That was his plan until he looked at the clock, however. The hands were pointed at six o'clock, so he decided to take his breakfast with Chester and maybe Doc instead. Deciding that waiting to go see Kitty was probably a good idea, so Matt dressed and headed over to the jail.
When he got over there, he found Chester, sound asleep on the cot that he usually occupied. He decided that rather than just going over and telling Chester to get up it would be more fun to start the stove and a pot of coffee to wake him up.
Matt made as much noise as he could while producing the cup of coffee and still Chester snored away. Finally Matt slammed the lid down on the coffee pot as hard as he could. That for some reason raised his helper from his slumber.
"Oh, good morning Mr. Dillon." Chester said, moving his legs to the edge of the cot so that he could pull on his boots. "I thought you were taking the day off."
"I am Chester." Matt said a slight smile on his lips. "But just because I'm taking the day off doesn't mean that you can sleep the day away.
"Oh I figured to be up about seven Mr. Dillon." Chester said, he had pulled on his boots and was now over by the coffee pot.
Matt made a production out of pulling out his pocket watch and reading it. "Well my watch says that it's ten after seven Chester."
Chester looked at the railroad clock that hung on the office wall and then back at Matt. "I think your watch is a little fast Mr. Dillon."
Matt laughed out loud at that and clapped Chester on the shoulder. "So what do you say to going over the café and having some breakfast Chester?"
"Well I thought you were going fishing with Miss Kitty today?" Chester asked confused.
"I am but I'm also figuring that Miss Kitty may not take to well be woken up before the hour of eight or nine o'clock." Matt said.
Little to Matt's knowledge but Kitty was up, and she was busy. She had risen early after a very, very short night to begin cooking the meal that she had promised Matt. (Ok I know that in the show that Kitty would just have ordered the picnic basket from Del Monico's but I thought that this would be more interesting to let Miss Kitty do her own cooking.) She honestly hoped that Matt wouldn't come poking around because right now she was a sight that she never wanted Matt to see.
She had flour on her cheeks and her face was red from the heat of using the stove and the oven but she did have to admit that the fryer chicken she had bought from Mrs. Clay just out of town had turned out just fine. It was a fine golden color and Kitty just knew that it would be delicious when she and Matt ate it while on the banks of Buckwater Creek. (FYI—I made this up, not sure of any of water sources around Dodge) She had also made a peach pie, which explained the flour on her cheeks.
Kitty surveyed the kitchen in the back of the saloon. It wasn't much of a kitchen but it worked for the girls that occasionally had the urge to make their own meals or girls who were in Kitty's situation, trying to woo some young man's heart and doing so through his belly. Kitty hoped that this meal would help her woo her way in Matt Dillon's heart.
She began cleaning up and when she finished she looked at the clock it said seven o'clock. Kitty was unsure of what time Matt was actually planning on coming to get her but she left the picnic basket and rushed upstairs to change.
Sally was well aware of what Kitty had been doing all morning and she waited patiently to make her move. She hadn't decided yet of how she would put a damper on Kitty's day with the Marshall but she was sure that she could easily destroy the picnic lunch that Kitty had worked so hard on. A frown crossed Sally's face as she contemplated that, no that would be too easy and the blame could easily be placed on someone else, like her. No, Sally touched her cheek thoughtfully, she needed to have a more cunning plan and she was sure that she had just thought of it.
Matt and Chester decided to go and have breakfast and were happy to see Doctor Galen Adams having breakfast at the café as well.
"Well good morning Doc." Chester greeted.
Doc looked up from his steak and eggs and said, "Matt, Chester."
"Morning Doc." Matt greeted as he took a seat across from the other man.
"Matt I thought you and Kitty were going fishing today."
"We are." Matt said.
"Don't you know that fish bite better in the morning?" Doc scolded the younger man.
"Sure I know that Doc but I know that Kitty probably wouldn't like the idea of getting up so early just to go and sit along a creek bank waiting for a few fish."
Kitty was in her room above the Long Branch carefully dressing for her outing with Matt. She chose a dress, a pretty pink gingham sun dress, which was cut low enough to make a man wonder but conservative enough for her to be seen in public with the Marshal in. Then she went through her hats, looking for the wide brimmed straw one that she had bought several years before. She knew how important it was for her to keep her face shaded, if she didn't then she would have to try and cover the ungodly freckles that went along with her red hair.
The men finished their breakfast and then Matt said his goodbyes for the day to them both. Then he went over to the stable where he rented a nice buggy to drive out to Buckwater Creek in. He then drove the buggy over to the Longbranch. Matt went up the steps and knocked on the doors. The Longbranch was still closed and probably wouldn't open for another hour or so but Matt was sure that Joe or Hank were there getting ready for the day, so he was surprised when Sally opened the door.
"Morning Marshal." She greeted.
"Miss Sally." Matt said, slightly tipping his hat.
"I suppose you're here to see Miss Kitty." Sally said, stepping back into the bar room and walking backwards in front of Matt.
Matt didn't like the tone the girl in front of him was using, so he just said, "Yeah. Can you call her for me?"
"Sure." Sally said in a happy sing-songy voice. She climbed the stairs and then walked right past Kitty's door. Never letting the other young lady know that one of the most wanted men in Dodge was waiting for her downstairs. Then she went around the back and down to the kitchen.
Kitty was lucky enough that she was listening and had heard the deep rumble of a man's voice. She knew that it wasn't Joe or Hank and assumed that it was Matt downstairs waiting for her. She quickly finished buttoning her shoes, grabbed her hat and wrap and rushed down the stairs.
Matt was leaning against the bar with his back to the stairs when Kitty came down she used to opportunity to take a minute to just look at the man that was Matt Dillon. She appreciated those broad, strong shoulders under that shirt, the narrow hips and long, long legs. Kitty was just about to tell Matt that she would get their lunch and they could be on their way when Sally made another appearance.
"Oh good morning Kitty." Don't you look just as fresh as a new spring flower?" Sally said as loudly as she could. She had the picnic basket in her hands and was walking towards Matt who had turned around to look at Kitty.
Matt had to admit, Sally was right, Kitty did look as fresh as a new spring flower, in her pretty pink dress and wide brimmed hat. Matt was just about to tell Kitty so when Sally butted in again. "Here's the picnic lunch that you asked me to make for you and the marshal Kitty. I do hope you like peach pie."
Kitty was mad, so mad that she wanted to scratch out Sally's eyes. The nerve of that girl, telling Matt that she had made their lunch! Then it happened, it was if in slow motion, Sally nonchalantly dropped the basket, not so that any thing would spill onto the floor but Kitty was sure that the pie that she had made had been ruined. That just increased Kitty's anger and she stomped over to the other girls and grabbed the basket handles before Sally could get at them again. "Thank you Sally." Kitty said through gritted teeth. Then she stood, the basket in her hands, and turned to Matt. "I'm ready Matt."
Matt looked between the two women and decided to leave well enough alone. He bid farewell to Sally and escorted Kitty out the door. He took the basket from her and put it into the back of the buggy and then helped Kitty into the buggy. Then he climbed in himself and picked up the reins. He clucked to the horse and didn't say a word until they were on the outskirts of Dodge and headed towards Buckwater Creek.
"What was that all about back there Kitty?" He asked.
"Nothing, Matt, nothing." Kitty said, she didn't want to think about it. All she knew was that she would be talking to Hank about Sally and her behavior. She smiled at Matt and adjusted her hat.
"Oh." Was all Matt said. He wasn't sure that he wanted to tread into that territory. He had found that when it came to fighting, women could be meaner than men.
I know I'm sorry- no fishing yet! L But it will come, give it time! Please R&R, I appreciate it so much! J
