It was a Sunday afternoon and Matt and Miss Kitty went for a walk together . "It's nice like this," Kitty commented as she clutched Matt's hand. "Just you and me…nobody else."
Matt raised his eyebrows and smirked at her knowing face. "No Joey?"
"No Joey!" Kitty made a silly face.
Matt chuckled. "Well…I think he likes me a lot."
"I like you a lot!"
Matt nodded and bit his lip. "You know, if I didn't know better I'd think…"
Kitty looked at him. "What, Matt?"
He paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Never mind."
"You can tell me anything, you know."
"I know."
A cool breeze ruffled their hair as they walked alongside each other. Matt thought about the young man who had practically made his presence part of Matt's daily routine. Whenever Joey was around, Matt was always ready to put his foot down if he thought Joey was going to get in the way of business or anything else important. Matt tried to be nice but never forgot to stay firm with him.
Suddenly, Miss Kitty tripped and stumbled forward but Matt caught her before she could fall. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," she replied, regaining her footing. "Good thing I have you to catch me or I don't know what I'd do!"
Matt smiled warmly at his lady friend as she cuddled against him and slid her slender hand into his.
Then his smile faded when he looked back and saw Joey in the distance…standing behind a tree and staring right at him and Kitty.