Chp 20
Author's Note: Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for their kind reviews and thoughts. I truly do appreciate you.
The horses were saddled and waiting out front. Matt had ridden to Trail City the day before and purchased the supplies they would need for the trip home and the bags were now settled onto the pack horse.
Matt and Kitty had risen early that morning and dressed in silence. Both of them knew this would not be an easy day, for any of them. Once they had helped with the morning chores and breakfast had been prepared, eaten and cleaned up, there was little left for them to do, except leave.
Walking out onto the porch, they exchanged saddened glances as they looked around at the small contingent of children that had gathered to see them off. Not even bothering to stave off the tears, Kitty pulled each of them into her embrace and kissed them goodbye, promising faithfully to keep in touch and be available to them should they ever need her.
Though he shed no tears and initiated no heartfelt hugs, Matt was as distraught about leaving them as Kitty was. But Matt was, if anything, a very practical man and he knew it was time they left. Delaying any further would serve no purpose.
Reaching out, he grasped Bud's hand in his own for several long moments before finally letting go. "You take care of yourself." He told him. "Remember what I told you. If you need me for anything, don't hesitate to send me a wire and I'll come right back."
Bud nodded as he looked into the warm blue eyes of his father's friend, and now, he realized, his friend as well. "I will, Matt." He had finally stopped calling him Marshal, and Matt was glad for that. "Just you take care on the way back to Dodge. We won't be able to rescue you all the way we did at that shack." He grinned at Matt self-consciously.
Matt nodded. "That's true and I promise to be careful." He looked over at Kitty. "I can't afford to take chances."
"Marshal, Miss Kitty?" Martha stepped forward extended a quilt to them. "Ma made this sometime ago. It's only made of old rags, Ma saved from making clothes and such, but it's warm. You might need it on your trip back."
Kitty accepted the quilt, running a hand over the intricate stitching, knowing how hard it was for the young girl to give up something of her mother's. Handing the quilt to Matt so that he could place it on the pack horse, Kitty pulled Martha into another hug. "I'm going to miss you." She whispered to the girl, fresh tears spilling down her face. "But I promise you, this will not be the last time we come to visit and of course somehow, we'll find a way for you to come and see us in Dodge."
Finding her own tears hard to hold back, Martha could only nod and squeeze Kitty tightly about the waist. When she released her hold of Kitty at last, and stepped back, her brothers and sisters, including Bud, stepped forward for one more hug and farewell.
Finally it was time to leave. Kitty stepped over to her horse and quickly mounted.
"You set?" Matt asked as he stepped up to her side.
Kitty nodded. "Yeah, hand him to me."
Matt reached down and picked Georgie up, easily swinging him up to sit in front of Kitty. Georgie gave no protest and settled easily into Kitty's arms, smiling up at her. He knew he was leaving his brothers and sisters and wouldn't see them again for a long time, but he was fine with that, as long as he had Kitty.
It had been a heartrending decision on all of the children's behalves but they had come to the conclusion, in a private meeting with just the siblings, that Matt and Kitty were right. Georgie, needed to be with parents that could devote their time and attention to him, without the concerns of a working ranch and six other children.
Matt had promised that at any time, should Bud and his siblings change their mind and want their brother back he would see to his return. He also promised that he would make certain he was well taken care of and that he would ask the Johnson's to send them letters and pictures of him often.
Kitty had also extended an invitation to them to come to Dodge any time they wanted. She vowed she would help them financially to make such a trip if they needed it and would of course provide for their lodging and food, once they arrived.
Bud and Martha, as well as the other kids had no doubt of her sincerity and were grateful for the opportunity but the practicality of traveling for any distance and leaving their place unattended, for too many days, was in doubt. Still, Bud promised Martha and the others that he would try to at least get them to Dodge for Christmas even if he had to just send them on alone while he stayed at the ranch and worked.
It was a solemn crowd that stood on the porch of the old ranch house and watched Matt mount his horse and lead the way down the road. The children waved and called as long as they could until the only sign left of their visitors and youngest brother, was a slight dust trail.
Matt looked over at Kitty as she rode alongside him, Georgie firmly in her grip. "It's not going to be easy traveling with him." He warned, not for the first time.
Kitty nodded. "I know. Nothing about any of this is easy. But we're doing the right thing, Matt. As friends of Ann and Jeff, we owe it to them to take care of their kids if we can. We can't stay on that ranch, and I don't think they need us to any longer, but we can take care of this little one. If the roles were reversed, you know Jeff and Ann would do the same."
Matt nodded. "Yep, they would. That's what friends are for, to carry each other's burdens when necessary."
Kitty nodded. "True, but I don't see little bit here as a burden. I see him as an opportunity to not only repay Jeff for whatever it was did for you years ago, but to make sure that all of the kids have the best chance of making it. To me that's truly what friends are for. To help, to love and to be there."
"I think, I agree with you." Matt smiled as he reached over and ruffled the little boy's hair. "What ya say, Georgie? Let's go home."
"Home." Georgie smiled up at him and then Kitty. "Let's go home."
The End. (Maybe)