The Next Evening

After many hours of eating sandwiches, dosing off into naps and sharing pleasant conversation, Kitty and Hanovers emerged from the train onto the busy platform in St. Louis Missouri. The long journey had taken its toll. Moving stiffly, Elmira tucked wayward gray hairs up into her hat and pressed her hands against her skirt to smooth the wrinkles out. John straightened his bow tie while suppressing a yawn, and brushed bread crumbs from young Johnny's shirt. Elmira looked over at Kitty as John did the same, and she voiced what they both were thinking. "Kitty, I don't know how you manage to look so fresh and stylish after such a long train ride. It's remarkable. Now my dear, a carriage has come to fetch us. Where can we drop you off?"

"How thoughtful, I would appreciate a ride." Kitty slipped her hand into her draw string purse and retrieved a folded scrap of paper with a name and address written on it. I plan to stay at the Jefferson Avenue Boarding House, at least until I establish myself. As I mentioned on the train, I'm looking to buy into a business, but that could take a bit of time."

John and his mother exchanged a quick glance and nodded. Elmira put a hand on Kitty's arm. "I have a suggestion, my dear. My house is right off Gravois Park, and it is quite large. My son and grandson have occupied the 2nd floor since my sweet daughter-in-law died of cholera 3 years ago. I live on the 3rd floor. The attic above me has been converted into quite a nice room, with a private water closet. The new minister of our church stayed there, until his home was built, and was very comfortable. There is no need for you to live in a boarding house, while my lovely spare room stands empty. And, I have no need to charge rent."

"Oh Elmira, that is so generous of you. I've read enough about St. Louis to know that Gravois Park is a fine location, and it would be nice to be near people I've already come to know, but I must insist on paying rent."

"Let's do this." Elmira's voice and stance conveyed she'd take no argument. "Stay free for the first month. Then we'll reassess the situation, and go from there. Good, that's settled. John will have all of our things loaded onto the carriage."

Dodge

"MATTHEW, MATTHEW." Festus Haggin flew into the marshal's office. "Mathew thars a upset at the Long Branch." Matt grabbed his hat from the wall peg. "Is Kitty all ri…" His voice petered out. Kitty wasn't there. Festus pretended not to notice the mention of her name, and the two men hurried off.

A minute later Matt was peering over the batwing doors of the Long Branch, assessing the situation. An enraged, half-drunk, poker player had hold of a saloon woman, gun pointed to her head. He scowled angrily at three man sitting at the table he just left. "You're cheats, all of ya. Give back my money or I'll blow her head off. She's just a saloon girl, a used up one at that, but I don't think you wanna see her brains flyin' out all over the place."

Matt stepped inside the door. "Nobody's blowing anybody's brains out." The gambler glared at Matt. "Says who?"

"Says me." Matt's eyes were glued to the gun pressed to the dark-haired woman's temple. "Let her go. If you've been cheated we'll straighten it out."

"I don't believe you. I want my money now."

Matt grabbed a wad of bills from the poker table and tossed it at the man. He moved to catch it, and loosened his grip on the woman. She took advantage, leaned away, and kicked her foot back fast. Her high heel smacked into his groin. "YOWIE" He doubled over, his gun fell from his hand. Matt quickly grabbed it from the floor and handed it to Festus. "Lock him up. I'll be right over."

Festus gripped the hunched-over gambler's arm and walked him out, ignoring his moans and groans. Matt went to the pale and shaken woman. She pushed her raven-black hair away from her eyes and let out a long breath. "You must be Marshal Dillon. Thank you for your help." He nodded. "You're new here." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Welcome to Dodge."

The woman laughed. "Thanks, that was quite an introduction to the place. Just so you know, that man's just drunk and a sore loser. No cheating went on. I've been around poker tables for a long, long time. Cheating doesn't get by me." She smiled weakly and gripped the back of a chair. "I think I'll go upstairs for a minute. Thanks again."

Matt tipped his hat. His eyes ran over her face before she turned to go. She was older then he first assumed. Older than most women who get hired to work in salons.

"Matt, I just heard there was trouble." A short, full figured woman hurried through the door.

"Hello Hannah. A poker player got out of hand, but your new employee handled it mighty well."

"Ah, you met Gail Gleason. She came looking for work this morning. She's kinda passed her prime in some ways, but she's still good looking with that long dark hair. We talked a while. She's charming. I decided to take a chance on her. She knows her way around a poker table, I'll tell you that."

That Night St. Louis

Finally alone in the attic room Elmira had generously offered, Kitty leaned back against a wall and took in her surroundings. Though an odd triangular shape, the room was comfortable, spacious and beautifully decorated, with numerous lamps that provided more light than the one small window could. Meeting the Hanovers on the train had been a stroke of luck. Hopefully a good omen for her new beginning.

She eased herself into the big leather chair that filled a corner of the room, and put her feet up on the ottoman. Weariness washed over her. The train ride had been long and tiring, but the true source of her weariness was weeks even months of tension with Matt. He just couldn't understand that she needed a way forward. Sure, she enjoyed owning and running a business, but she'd done all she could with the Long Branch. It couldn't get bigger or better, and the rest of her life was on hold. She needed something to plan for, look forward to and shape. It could be for a year from now, two years, even five, but Matt wouldn't or couldn't, give her even that.

She let out out a long, heavy sigh. There was no point in going over it all in her head, yet again. She'd done that a thousand times. Her life couldn't stay on hold forever, the time had come to make a choice. She chose to move with her life, before she ran out of tomorrows.

Her eyes started to droop. She fought off a yawn, and looked to the side of the room. The brass bed looked mighty tempting. Unpacking could wait 'til tomorrow. She dug through a trunk for a nightgown, a plain, white cotton one. Anything lacy, satin or silk would remind her of Matt – the look in his eyes when they readied for bed, his touch, his arms around her. Those thought, those images in her mind were to be avoided.

Hungry for sleep she turned off the lights, and crawled under the light blue blanket, that lay on the comfortable brass bed. As she drifted off she found herself wondering what Matt might be doing right now. A sigh escaped her lips. 20 years was a long time to be with a person. Leaving it all behind would take some doing. The trick was to look forward not back. Tomorrow would be the first day of a new beginning.

Dodge City

Sitting behind the desk in his office, Matt set a pile of wanted posters aside and leaned back in his chair. He'd gone through the posters 4 or 5 times, reread every report he'd written and finished off the coffee. Surely there was something else he could do to delay going to the boarding house. He'd rented a room there month after month, year after year, and called it his room. It was really a place for his things and occasional naps. His nights, when he was in town, were spent at the Long Branch with Kitty. Going to that boarding house room for the night, was a cold, stark reminder that Kitty was gone from his life. He pushed himself to his feet and moved to the window, half hoping something outside would need his full attention. A shadow stirred, a figure appeared. It was Doc, carrying his medical bag, coming from the Long Branch. A saloon women must have taken ill. Matt watched Doc walk briskly down the empty street, and up the steps to his office. The streets were deserted again. All was quiet. He forced himself to grab his hat and walk to the door. He had to try and get some sleep if he was going to do his job. Word kept coming from Washington that the Reynolds gang was growing. No one knew what they were planning, or where their hideouts were, but everyone said had to be stopped. Getting it done was up to him.

Matt locked his office door behind him, and walked down the quiet street. Fatigue was pushing down on him, but the closer he got to the boarding house the more he realized, it was pretty damn likely, he'd be spending the night thinking and dreaming of Kitty.

TBC