A Flicker of Light In The Darkness

Chapter 13

Turning 16

"Calleigh, hold still!" Kitty pulled the girl back into the chair. "Would you just let me finish putting this ribbon in your hair?"

"Can you hurry, please? I'm going to be late."

"Well, you won't be, if you'll just sit still. Besides, the party is for you; I don't think they'll start without you."

"Do you think he'll notice me? I'm not a child anymore."

"Not that you ever were." Kitty mumbled sarcastically.

"I'm sixteen. Surely, he will see me as an equal now."

"You're not equal, Calleigh; he's twenty-two years old." Kitty finished with the ribbon. She placed her hands on the young girl's shoulders and stared at their reflection. "Sweet Pea, Newly has known you since you came to us. You two were always close; he used to take you fishing and shooting. You just need to be patient. It's just hard for him to see you as an adult."

"We were close. Over the last year, he never seems to have time for me." Calleigh turned around, looking up at Kitty. "Will he notice me tonight?"

Kitty looked at her beautiful daughter. Oh, he'll notice, she thought. If he's a real male, he'll notice. "I'm sure he will," she said aloud. "You are beautiful."

"You're both beautiful." Matt tossed his hat onto a chair and walked over to his girls. He slid an arm around Kitty's waist and planted a kiss on Calleigh's cheek.

Together they watched as Calleigh twirled in her new dress and triple-checked herself in the mirror. Neither of them had ever seen her care one way or the other how she was perceived. That was until Newly came into her heart.

"Matt, you're not ready!" Calleigh's tone had an unfamiliar whine to it.

He placed his large hands squarely on her shoulders, trying to bring her down to earth. "Sweet Pea, you go on to the party. We'll be along shortly."

"Really; you don't mind?" Her eyes passed hopefully from one to the other.

Kitty motioned for Calleigh to leave, and with a quick kiss to each of them, she was gone. Matt pulled Kitty back into his arms. As usual, his lips found their way to hers and then along her neck. "You feel so good," he growled.

"We don't have time for this." Her breathless tone did little to add conviction to her words.

His hands roamed along her body, knowing exactly what to touch, "Then you'd better be thinking of an excuse to get us out of there early."

"It's our daughter's sixteenth birthday..."

"Uh-huh; and she could care less what time we leave. We both know who she wants to see."

The name was announced in unison, "Newly."

"I had hoped that crush would be over by now." Matt confessed, as he wandered into the bedroom to change his clothes.

"It's not a crush, Matt, You know Calleigh has never looked at life through the eyes of a child. Well, now she's really not a child."

"Well, she's not an adult," he snapped, "She needs to finish school; and I thought Doc was prepping her to be a doctor?"

"I thought you liked Newly?"

"I do; but not for my 16-year-old daughter. And I must say, I'm surprised at your attitude here."

Kitty reached up to fix his tie, "I don't feel any differently about it than you do; but I'm not going to drive a wedge between Calleigh and us. Newly will do the right thing. We just have to count on that."

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Matt gently ushered Kitty into the barn. He looked around at the pretty decorations and the banner spread across the far end.

"Happy 16th Birthday Calleigh"

Doc appeared from the refreshment table, sporting a glass of punch.

"Kitty, This place looks great. Looks like the whole town turned out."

"Thank you, Doc. She said she wanted a barn dance." Kitty waved her hands to showcase the surroundings.

"And if she wants it...you're going to get it for her." Matt had slipped over to the refreshments table and returned, handing Kitty a glass.

Kitty arched one brow and eyed the two men suspiciously. "Like she doesn't have both of you wrapped around her little finger." Both appeared indignant, but only for a moment. With a quick glance at each other, they silently acknowledged how right she was and buried their wounded pride in a glass. She had already dismissed the subject, when she spotted Calleigh on the far side of the room, talking to Newly.

"It's so warm in here." Calleigh waved her hand in front of her face, trying to produce a breeze, "Let's step outside for a minute."

Newly looked down, rocking nervously on his heels. "You're just hot from all the dancing. It'll cool down in a second."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Come on," she grabbed his hand and headed for the door, "I'm not going to bite you." Calleigh stopped suddenly and turned around to face him, "Well, maybe I, will but not too hard."

Against his better judgment, he let her lead him outside. They wandered around to the side of the barn. Calleigh was right; it was cooler and quieter. Newly watched the young beauty lean back against the south side wall. There was enough of a breeze to gently blow the curls from her face. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up toward the moon. "It's a perfect night."

Newly was standing close enough to smell her sweet fragrance. For a moment his gaze lingered on her face; as usual, he was amazed at how beautiful she was. The young man slowly let his eyes slide down her slender frame. He truly did miss her. They had been so close when she was younger—fishing together, swimming and sometimes doing nothing but talking.

But then, things started to change. To be more precise, she started to change. At least, her body began to change. Then, his body began to betray him at times; and to be honest, he just wasn't quite sure what Matt would do to him.

She was fifteen when the metamorphosis began and he was almost five years older. He wasn't sure which one scared him the most—the Marshal or Miss Kitty. Either way, he figured he was dead. And now, here he was alone with Calleigh again and she was still too young.

Her eyes suddenly popped open, the cool blue centers sparkling as the moonlight reflected off them. She giggled softly and grabbed his suit jacket by the collar. Catching him slightly off center, she easily pulled him toward herself. "You haven't given me a birthday kiss, Newly."

Before he could stop it, her lips were on his. As much as he knew this was wrong, the taste and feel of her lips were too overpowering. All sense of reason left him and his hands slid around her waist, pulling her up into his arms.

She was so soft in his embrace, her body reacting to his, her lips pulling him in further. Calleigh pulled her lips from his and whispered his name. It was hearing his own name in that breathless murmur that shocked him into reality. Gathering every ounce of control he could muster, he gently pulled her arms from his neck and held her away from himself.

"Calleigh," his voice was so hoarse he didn't recognize it as his own, "Calleigh, we can't."

Newly looked into her eyes; she stood so quiet in his grasp. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Right at that second, he wanted nothing more in this world than to take her back into his arms. But he loved her too much to do that. "I'm sorry but...this isn't right."

"It is if you love me," she replied simply.

Newly knew that if he told her anything even near the truth, she would never back down. He knew what he had to do. "But I don't love you Calleigh. I'm sorry."

"That's not true."

"No, I'm truly sorry, but it is." Needing to put the last nail in his coffin, he continued, "There's someone else."

He flinched when he saw the color drain from her face, as though she had been struck. He reached out to brush the tears from her cheeks, but she recoiled from his touch.

"I'm okay," she sniffled and wiped the tears with the back of her hand. "I won't bother you anymore. But, I want you to know, I will always love you, Newly O'Brian."

Kitty had left Matt at the dance. It wasn't the way he wanted to end the evening, but neither of them had counted on Calleigh running out of the dance in tears.

"I'd better go to her," Kitty whispered to Matt. She gave him a kiss and started to walk back to their house. As she neared the long walk leading up to their house, she spied a little redheaded girl, sitting on the front steps...crying. Kitty took a deep breath, her own heart breaking, as she walked up to the porch and sat down beside Calleigh. Kitty put her arm around the girl and Calleigh spun around into her embrace. "Oh, Kitty," she had more to say, but the rest of the words were drowned in tears.

"Let it out, Sweet Pea," Kitty held the girl to her chest, and waited for the crying to subside.

At last, the crying stopped and Calleigh's breath came in little hitching gasps. "He says he doesn't love me, that there is someone else. Did he find someone smarter than me? Someone prettier?"

Kitty brushed the loose curls from her damp cheek. "You know better than that. There's nobody in this town that can match you on either of those counts."

"Of course you would say that. I'm your daughter and besides," she sniffled "I look like you."

Kitty ignored the last remark, "I said it because it's true. Calleigh, I think you're moving too fast for Newly. You grew up right in front of him and he's not ready to handle it. You can be...intimidating. Let him catch up to you."

"What if he never does? And don't tell me someone else will come along."

"I wasn't going to say that." Kitty brushed the curls back again and pulled the girl back against her chest. Calleigh wasn't like other girls and never had been. Kitty knew the girl had been in love with Newly since she was fourteen. She also knew there wouldn't be another man for Calleigh, any more than anyone could ever take Matt's place. "I know you love him," Kitty whispered.

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Matt saw Doc approaching Delmonico's from the opposite direction. Calleigh had asked him to meet her for lunch and apparently had invited Doc as well. Matt tipped his hat when they met at the door. "Doc? Calleigh ask you to lunch too?"

Doc mumbled some response and went on in. Matt studied the man's actions curiously for a second, but the sight of his wife and daughter already seated, quickly took priority of his thoughts. As always, when he saw his two beautiful women, his heart gave birth to a smile that his face couldn't resist showing off. He leaned down, kissing his daughter on the cheek; then walked around the table to his wife.

Marriage had completely changed Matt's life in so many ways. It was like, setting him free. He still worried and fussed over Kitty's safety, but he was free now to express his love anywhere that suited him—and express it, he did—frequently. Leaning down again, he brushed his lips across Kitty's in a short but sensual kiss, then pulled his chair closer to hers.

"So, what is the occasion? Delmonico's having a special on pie?"

"Can't a girl have lunch with her family without an occasion?" Calleigh looked to Doc for support.

Kitty was a might more perceptive than Matt and caught the quick exchange. "Okay, you two, what's up?"

"I'm going to...Wichita." Calleigh's responded quickly, but not fast enough to lose the anxiety in her tone.

"Who are you visiting in Wichita?" Matt seemed oblivious to the glances bouncing around him.

Calleigh sucked in a deep breath and looked at her folks, hoping they would be excited about her news. "I'm not visiting, Matt. I'm going to school. I've been studying with Poppy and going on rounds with him for... Well, what seems like forever. He thinks I'm ready for medical school."

The look that passed between Matt and Kitty was a mixture of pride and apprehension. There was, however, not a trace of surprise. "I guess we knew it was coming," Kitty volunteered. "It just seems so soon. You just turned seventeen. I thought you would wait until next year."

"Kitty, she's ready," Doc offered quietly, "I've never seen anyone take to it as she has. She's going to be a fine doctor."

Kitty reached across the table and took the young girl's hand. "Is that the only reason you're leaving early?"

Again, Matt seemed to be lost in this conversation. He hadn't really moved past the thought that his little girl was leaving home. "What other reason?"

Calleigh sighed and tried to force a smile for Kitty, but it never reached her eyes. "I need to get away," she confessed. Kitty gave her hand a squeeze. She knew it was Newly that Calleigh had to get away from. If only she would give it more time; but the girl was in such a hurry to grow up.

Matt looked at both of them; and dense as he seemed to be about women at times, he actually caught on. "Does Newly know you're leaving?"

The fact that Matt had figured it out caused Calleigh to laugh softly, "I doubt that he cares."

She took a deep breath and tried to change the tone of the table, "I really am grateful that you let me buy the house and let us settle in like a real family."

"Once again, I'm confused," Matt admitted. "If you were planning on leaving, why did you want to buy the house?"

"Matt, you don't understand. The house isn't for me, it's for you guys and all the little Dillons that're going to come after me." She wiggled her brows and winked at Kitty, "I expect at least one of those extra bedrooms to be occupied by the time I graduate."

"Diplomacy," Kitty stated flatly. "Be sure and take that class first."

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In the solitude of their bedroom, Matt held his wife while she cried. "It's going to be all right," He tried to console her, but his own heart was hurting as well. "Wichita is only a day's ride away by train. She's going to be a doctor, Kit. A real doctor."

"I know and I'm so proud, but I'm losing my baby."

He kissed her forehead, "No matter where she goes, or how far, we'll never lose her."

TBC