Chapter 11 Stay

Arizona Territory/Mike's Place

Mike decided to go with plan number two. While studying plan number one, Mike came to realize that it was flawed. She wanted a life with Dan in Arizona, not in Dodge City. Mike realized that if she went to Dodge, then there was a possibility that Dan might not want to return to Arizona with her. He might insist they raise the baby in Dodge City. Mike had heard negative things about Dodge, and she did not want her baby raised in that type of environment. Plus, Mike did not want Dan to be around the people of his past, especially his wife.

Speaking of Dan's wife, Mike had to figure out what to do with her. As much as Mike would love to permanently get rid of Dan's wife, she knew that was not an option. Getting rid of her permanently was not an option for a couple or reasons. First, she could end up in some sort of asylum for killing Dan's wife, and Mike could not let that happen. Being in an asylum would destroy Mike's plan of having a life with Dan. Second, getting rid of his wife could put Dan into some sort of permanent grieving period for her. Mike did not want to live with a man who couldn't get over a woman from his past.

Mike's original plan was to write a letter to Dan asking him to come to Arizona. She knew she would have to come up with a reason for him to come to Arizona. Mike was not going to include her pregnancy in the letter. Like she had said before, seeing is believing. Mike was having difficulty coming up with a reason to get Dan to come to Arizona. The only thing she could come up with was simply telling Dan there were changes at the ranch that concerned him. Those changes concerned him. She hoped that would be enough to get him to come back to Arizona.

While Mike was writing her letter, an idea suddenly occurred to her. She would invite Kitty to come as well. Mike wanted to see the expression on Kitty's face when she saw Mike heavily pregnant. She could only imagine how Kitty would react. It would most definitely be a negative reaction. No woman on Earth would ever have a positive reaction if her husband got another woman pregnant. With that information, Mike could see Kitty losing trust in her husband and wanting to leave him, because that was another problem. Dan was a married man. If he was going to be with Mike, he needed to divorce his wife.

Mike took her concoction a step further. She decided to invite Dan's doctor friend. Mike was sure his name was Doctor Adams. Mike figured she would be close to giving birth by the time Dan came to Arizona, that is if he decided to come, and she wanted Doctor Adams to deliver the baby. Mike figured if Doctor Adams was a friend of Dan's, then she would trust him with the delivery.

As Mike went over everything in her head, including who may or may not come to Arizona, she prepared to write her letter. Instead of worrying about things now, she would have to cross those bridges when she approached them. Mike took her pen and paper and started to write.

Mike had to think about the date she put on the letter. It would be five or six months before the letter was sent. Mike did the math in her head and dated the letter five months from now. By that time, Mike would be into her seventh month of pregnancy. That would give Dan plenty of time to get to Arizona before the birth. It would also give her time to get to Dodge City before the birth, if it came to that.

Dear Da, Mike started writing the salutation, but stopped. She was not contacting Dan Lionel in Dodge City. She was contacting Marshal Matt Dillon. In Dodge City, there wasn't a Dan Lionel. Matt Dillon was there. Matt would not be Dan until he arrived in Arizona. Mike put that paper off to the side and grabbed a new piece. Once again, she started the letter.

Dear Matt,

I am sure I'm the last person you expected to hear from. I would not have contacted you, but something has come up that is of real concern to you. If you are able to make a return to Arizona, please do so. I sent this letter by Pony Express, so I'm hoping it arrived within a couple weeks of the date on top. Please send a wire letting me know if you are coming or not. You can send the wire to the telegraph office in Tuscon. If I don't get a wire from you, then you can expect me to make a trip to Dodge.

Mike Yardner

Post Script: Please bring Kitty and Doctor Adams. I guess this affects them too.

Mike read over the letter and was pleased with what she wrote. She folded the letter and stuffed it inside the envelope. She addressed the letter Matt Dillon, Marshal Dodge City, Kansas. Mike took the letter into her bedroom and placed it on the table next to her bed. It would sit there for the next several months.

Dodge City (6 Months Later)

Matt was sitting at his desk writing up his latest report for Washington. Matt had been Marshal of Dodge City for twenty years, and paperwork was still his least favorite part. Finishing all the necessary requirements, Matt signed his name and put it in an envelope. He would make sure the letter got on the next train going out. Matt didn't trust putting paperwork that needed to go to Washington, on a stagecoach. Matt was putting his pen in his desk drawer, when Kitty walked in.

"Hello, Kitty," Matt said with a smile. "This is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

"I was taking a gamble that you would be here," Kitty responded. "Now that I can see the gamble paid off, I was wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch at Delmonico's."

"Now that's an offer I can't refuse," Matt replied. "I just need to wait for Festus, so I can let him know where I am. He went to the stage depot to get the mail."

"It's times like this I wish Festus could read," Kitty sighed with a shake of her head. "That way you could write him a note."

"Me too," Matt agreed. "But we shouldn't have to wait too long."

Both Matt and Kitty could hear Festus' jangly spurs announcing his arrival. A short time later Festus was walking inside the jail with a stack of mail in his hand. He put the stack of mail on Matt's desk.

"Here ya go, Matthew," said Festus. "It looks like a new set of wanted posters arrived. There's another piece of mail as well."

"Much obliged, Festus," said Matt. "I'm gonna go to lunch with Kitty. I should be back shortly."

Matt was about to ask Festus to join him and Kitty for lunch, but decided against it. Matt was sure Kitty wouldn't mind if Festus came, but Matt wasn't sure if Kitty wanted some private time with him. Matt knew he wouldn't mind a private lunch with Kitty.

"I'm gonna meet Doc at the Long Branch," said Festus. "I beat the ol' scudder at checkers this mornin' and he owes me a beer. I'll see ya directly." Festus walked out of the jail and towards the Long Branch, ready to claim his victory beer.

Matt and Kitty were about to leave for Delmonico's, but the piece of mail that did contain wanted posters caught Matt's eye. The name and return address on the envelope caught Matt's eye. He could clearly see M. Yardner, Arizona Territory. Matt had no idea why Mike Yardner would be sending him a letter eight months after he left her ranch. He picked up the envelope.

"What's the matter, Cowboy?" asked Kitty. "Is that piece of mail so important that you can't wait until after lunch to open it?" Her voice carried a teasing sound.

Matt showed Kitty the envelope. "It says it's from M. Yardner, Arizona Territory."

Suddenly lunch was pushed to the back of Kitty's mind. "Why would she be sending you a letter?" Matt shrugged his shoulders. "There's only one way to find out. Let's open it up and read it."

Matt opened the envelope, pulled out the letter inside, and unfolded it. He and Kitty silently read the letter. When Matt was sure that Kitty had finished reading the letter, he folded it back up and put it back in the envelope.

"Looks like there's gonna be a return trip to Arizona," Matt said, meaning a solo trip for himself.

"When do we leave?" asked Kitty.

"We?" Matt questioned.

TBC