three

Kitty returned to the Roniger's early the next morning. She was busy peeling apples when Bessie's husband Will came in the kitchen. He obviously didn't know Kitty was there, because he came up behind Bessie and wrapped his strong arms around her ample bosom pressing her close to him. "I love it when you're bakin' Mrs. Roniger." he cooed into her ear.

"Will!" she squealed, "Kitty's here." Young farmer Roniger jumped away from his wife, as if he'd received an electrical shock; he stuffed his hands into his front pockets, in a way that reminded Kitty of Matt the night before.

"Well, hello Miss Kitty."

Kitty kept her eyes averted, "Hello Will." she greeted.

"You ladies still trying to come up with a recipe for that apple cake?" Will asked.

Kitty nodded, grabbing another apple to peel. "Not having much success, I'm afraid."

"Didn't know you were interested in baking ma'am," Will stated, taking a bite from one of Kitty's freshly peeled apples.

"I thought maybe it was time I learned how." The saloon gal answered.

He nodded in a knowing way. "I get it, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Miss Russell raised an eyebrow, "That's one way of looking at it."

Bessie and Kitty's eyes met, Kitty quickly looked down, trying not to giggle. Bessie cleared her throat and said, "Will, you have good taste buds, take a bite of this cake and see if you can figure out what we're missing. There's a certain tang to it, but I can't rightly put my finger on it."

He set down the apple he was eating and then took a bite of the ever-shrinking sample of Susan Bart's cake. He swallowed the bitter mouthful, before proclaiming, "Piss Apple."

"Will!" Bessie exclaimed, "There are ladies present.".

Will laughed a little indulgently and explained, "That's what we called it when I was growing up - Piss apple, cause it tastes like..."

"WILL" Bessie didn't give him a chance to finish, and instead shot him a glaring look.

Miss Russell, the saloon gal, was not put off by the farmer's crude language, it was everyday talk at the Long Branch, "Do you think that's what the missing ingredient is, a special kind of apple?"

"Well sure Miss Kitty, that's gotta be it." He said.

She glanced at Bessie and then asked, "Where would we find a ah..one of these ah .. piss apple trees?".

"Well, let me think." Will pondered for a moment and then replied," I guess the only ones I know about are on the Bart's ranch, old man Bart had some planted for his wife, because they flower so pretty in the spring."

"You don't know of any others around?" Kitty questioned further.

"No ma'am." He answered.

"Well Kitty," Bessie said, "that just solves the problem, we'll go on over there and ask Susan for some of those p..p..p..those..apples." Poor Bessie couldn't even bring herself to say the word.

Kitty straightened her spine, and her voice carried a razor edge, "Let me make this clear. I'd rather eat dirt, than ask ANY kind of favor from Susan Bart!"

Mrs. Roniger raised her chins, "Without those apples, you aren't going to be able to bake the cake that tastes just like Matt's mother's." Bessie reminded her.

"Hmmmmmmm." Kitty was thinking.

"Kitty, I don't like that look in your eyes." Bessie said. The wily red-head didn't say another word about it, but helped Bessie prepare lunch for her husband. Will went back out to work in the field and now little Willie was contentedly nursing from Bessie's breast.

Kitty had just put the last of the dishes away and was finally ready to tell Bessie her plan. Miss Kitty started, "I've got to get those piss apples. Matt's birthday is tomorrow, now you know I don't have a lot of money, I'd love to buy Matt a wonderfully expensive present but I can't. This cake would make a special gift, don't you see? It would mean something, it would show him how much I care."

Bessie wasn't put off by Kitty's preamble, "Kathleen Russell, you'd better tell me what you are thinking." Bessie softly demanded, as she successfully burped little Willie.

"Well, after work tonight I am going to ride out to the Bart's ranch and steal me some piss apples." Kitty revealed.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Bessie cried, startling the baby, who began to cry. Mrs. Roniger stood up and began walking around the room with the baby on her shoulder, gently patting his back. He soon settled down to his former contented state.

"Maybe I am crazy," Kitty admitted. "But, I just have to make this cake."

After a moment of quiet thought, Bessie said. "You have to ride by our place to get to the Bart's ranch, I think you had better stop here and pick me up, the two of us together are bound to be safer than just you alone."

"Uh-uhh … I don't think so. What would Will say?"

"Well, I just won't tell him. I'll make certain sure he is good and relaxed and ready for a nice night's sleep." Bessie schemed.

Kitty studied Bessie quizzically for a moment and then smiled and said, "Mrs. Roniger, if you aren't careful you're going to end up with a dozen babies.

Bessie returned Kitty's smile, and with a pat to little Willie's bottom replied, "I can't think of anything nicer."