Author's note below.

The smells coming from the kitchen, were heavenly aromas of bacon, gravy, biscuits, eggs, and fresh ground coffee. Matt could smell it drifting through the air, it made his mouth water. He took a deep breath. It had been months since he had Kitty's cooking.

Matt could only smile as he thought back to that first meal she ever cooked. It was a little hard to swallow and tasted like charcoal. But he did not want her to cry, he knew how hard she worked on it. He only smiled, gritted his teeth, and swallowed. The roast was burnt to a crisp, the potatoes were barely cooked, and the green beans were over cooked, and the bred was hard as a rock. But after that meal Kitty asked Bess Roniger to teach her, how to cook, and she quickly became one of the best cooks Matt ever knew. He chuckled at the memory; Kitty would die of embarrassment if he brought that up.

Matt was getting ready to throw a stick for Lady, but he caught a glimpse of something moving out of the corner of his eye. "That's odd," he thought as he walked over to the big oak tree that stood off to the right side of the yard. He moved in closer to see a swing hanging from the limb, he was a little puzzled at first for he knew Tom and Sarah Anderson never had any children of their own, nor did He and Kitty...

Matt stopped in mid thought when he saw a child's pull wagon, that had a few toys, such as a rolling hoop, ball and a cup, a canary bird whistle or two, along with a few other things. He sighed it didn't make any sense, none of it. He was so deep in thought, that when Lady barked at him, he jumped.

"Huh?" He looked at his hand to see he was still holding her stick, "Oh, sorry girl. Here you go." With that he tossed it, then looked back at the toys for a moment and shook his head, "It just doesn't make sense. Why would these be here."

Lady came up and dropped the stick once more, causing him to smile. "Alright, one more time."

He watched as the dog ran after the stick, and proudly came prancing back, her tail was up in the air, she had a smile on her face, and her tongue was hanging out on the side of her mouth, but she was happy. Matt laughed; dogs where always good at putting a smile on his face.

He walked up the stairs with Lady on his heels, and opened the door, the aromas were even stronger. Matt chuckled as he leaned up against the doorframe, admiring Kitty, who was busy going back and forth. Setting things on the table, back to the counter, then to the oven, and back again. As Lady watched and sat patiently waiting for something to drop on the floor for her.

Kitty put her hands on her hips as she looked at the pup, "So, did you wear my cowboy out?" Lady had the look of sweet innocents as she looked at Kitty, then at the bacon and back again. Kitty only chuckled as she winked at the dog, "You will be fed after breakfast, like always." Lady let out a sigh of protest, but knew she wasn't going to get anywhere, so she left the room.

Laughter filled the air.

Kitty could only smile as she could hear Matt's footsteps coming up behind her.

"Do you know how beautiful you look right now?"

That smile turned into a grin as she felt Matt come up behind her and hold her.

"Well, Thank you. I didn't know watching a woman cook could be so pleasing to a man."

Matt smiled as he kissed her on the cheek before stepping back.

"Darlin, it's not the watching you cook that makes you so beautiful, it's the fact you know how."

Kitty tossed her head back and laughed,

"Of course, I should have known better! They always say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach!"

Matt half smiled, "Now, I thought I was the slow one."

"You are...most of the time, I just have blond moments."

She smiled,

"Then what do you call mine?"

"Are you sure you want me to answer that?"

Matt looked up at the ceiling and shook his head.

"I didn't think so. Besides why do you think I took all those cooking lessons from Bess?"

Matt opened his mouth to say something but decided not to say anything.

Kitty only smiled as she kissed him on the nose, "Well, along with being slow you have a stomach of cast iron. Heart of gold. But a stomach of iron."

"Well, sweetheart, you can blame that on all the outlaws that have shot me with led, and all the bad food I've had to eat before you learned how to cook."

Matt was smiling like the cat who had gotten all the cream, Kitty only rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"The coffee is ready, and everything else will be done in about five minutes."

"Sounds good, I can't wait to eat it,"

"You can, once you go wash your hands."

Matt nodded his head, "Yes, Ma'am."

Matt pushed away the table, satisfied. "Kitty, that was one of the best meals I've had in a long time."

"Thank you. Much better than the first meal I ever cooked for you."

He started to laugh when he saw the twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, gosh yes!"

Kitty was now laughing so hard, "You were so sweet to eat it. Even thou it was awful."

"Well, that's what a gentleman is to do, right?" She softly smiled at his reply, then she quickly thought of the girls.

"I'll get these dishes cleaned up, then we can go talk in the library." "Oh no, you're not doing it alone."

She smiled, "Alright. If you want to scrape the plates into that dog bowl over there by the door. There is some side meet next to the icebox for Lady, then after that I'll let you carry the coffee tray into the library for me." Matt smiled as he kissed her hand, "I'd be more than happy to do anything for you."

Kitty bit her lip, she felt her heart sink a little, as a twinge of guilt set in. What if he felt like she just trapped him in to marrying her? She swallowed back the lump that rose in her throat, this wasn't the time to tell him.

Matt carried the tray into the library before Kitty was done in the kitchen. He stoked the dyeing embers of the fire. Then he looked about the room. So many books, no, wonder it was called the library. Bookshelves lined three of the four walls, the baye window took up one wall and the fire place the other. But it still had bookshelves on it.

He smiled as he thought of his old friend Tom, who was an avid reader, there wasn't a time he couldn't remember seeing him without a book in his hand. Sarah was the same way.

He found a collection of children's books, such as 'At the Back of North Wind, The Light Princess, Black Beauty, Tom Sawyer and handful of others. Matt found it strange for Tom and Sarah weren't ones to read children's books, at least not that he could remember... But then again maybe they change in their reading style.

He heard Kitty coming down the hallway and smiled when she entered the room.

"There you are my love."

"Find anything that interreges you?"

"No, but I did find a lot of books."

Kitty only rolled her eyes as she sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her.

"Tell me, Matt, what have you been doing since I have been gone."

He smiled as he joined her, but he shrugged his shoulders,

"Nothing much had changed. I'm still a marshal."

"I wouldn't expect you to change any of that. I-I read your letter bout Bessy; she sounds like a very sweet little girl."

At mention the little girl's name Kitty could see Matt's eyes light up with a twinkle and a smile spread across his face.

"Yeah, she was a sweet little girl. If her Aunt Rachel wouldn't have taken her, I thought about bringing you back to Dodge, to marry you and adopt her."

Kitty smiled, "Bethany and Maddie would have loved that." she thought,

"I would have loved that."

Matt nodded, "But thankfully her aunt changed her mind. With some persuasion from Bessy."

Kitty chuckled, "Sounds like..."

She stopped in what she was saying. "That sounds like something most little girls are good at doing."

Matt only nodded in agreement, "Yeah, she was good at it too. Bessy had me wrapped around her little finger and then some."

"Matt, don't you know all little girls do that."

He blinked a few times, "Well, eh no."

Kitty could only laugh as she looked at him, in admiration. "Cowboy, if you ever had any daughters, you would be in so much trouble." She said as she leaned in and kissed him.

Matt embraced her, but then pulled her back, "How would I be in trouble?"

"Oh, Matt," She could only laugh, as she gave him the look that he was being slow.

He only scratched the back of his neck, and changed the subject as he pulled her closer to him,

"You know there is just one thing that is missing from this moment."

"Oh, and just what is that?"

"Poetry"

Kitty smiled; Matt was such a tender man that not many people knew that about him, and he could also be very romantic when it was just the two of them.

Matt picked up the book that was setting on the end table. He flipped through the pages until he found the spot he was looking for.

Kitty sat next to him, with his arm around her, as he read aloud,

"You are beautiful my darling beautiful beyond words."

He looked up at Kitty who was smiling at him.

"Your eyes are like doves behind your veil,

Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead."

In that moment Kitty let out a giggle, Matt set down the bible and looked at her.

"What so funny?"

She tried so hard not to laugh even more,

"Well, sweetheart I know you are reading from the bible, and I know Solomon wrote it a good many years ago. He had a way with words. But 'like a flock of goats winding down the slopes.' That is in some ways an odd way to put things."

He thought about it for a moment then smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But us cowboys didn't come a long until just recently so to him looking at goats, was like a cowboy looking at a herd of cattle."

She smiled as she leaned up and kissed him. "I know, Cowboy. I just love to see the differences and the similarities between them, I find it rather humorous at times."

Matt only nodded; Kitty chuckled as she settled back next to him. He went back to the place he had marked. It was then they herd Lady bark, and someone knock on the door. Kitty started to get up again, but Matt stopped her.

"I'll get it, Kitty. You stay right here." Matt kissed her just as he stood up and walked out of the room,

Lady had quit her barking and was acting like she knew the person, so Matt wasn't too worried.

He opened the door to see an older woman standing before him, the woman seemed to be in her 70s

"Hello, may I help you ma'am?"

"Oh, Hello! You must be Mr. Dillon."

Matt was taken back a little but only nodded, "Yes, ma'am, I am."

He looked at the woman a little funny, he couldn't place her,

"It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Dillon. Is your wife home?"

Matt was even more confused than before; the woman could see the look on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. My name is Surely Matheson. A close friend to Kitty, she has told me so much about you. That wife of yours is quite the sweetheart."

Mrs. Matheson winked up at Matt, he chuckled. "Your wife, Mrs. Dillon, I mean Kitty said you were coming. But didn't know when to expect you."

Matt only nodded, He didn't want to correct the woman about him, and Kitty not being married, "Yeah, I would have been here sooner. But there was some business I needed to tend to, and I couldn't get out of it."

The woman nodded, "Yes, she told me that. Is Kitty here? I have some news to share with the both of you."

Matt blinked for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, she's…

Kitty could hear Matt talking, and someone calling her Mrs. Dillon.

Her heart raced. She quickly moved from the couch, she sighed. She made herself a little dizzy for getting up to quickly. But she knew everything was going to start coming undone if she wasn't there. She brushed her blouse off, held her head for a moment trying to shake off the dizzy spell, then walked out to meet Matt.

"Matt who's at the door? Oh, Mrs. Matheson! It's so nice to see you."

Kitty held on to Matt's arm a little tighter than she normally would. Matt placed his hand over hers letting her know everything was okay.

The older woman smiled as she looked between the two, "My you two do make a lovely couple."

Kitty chuckled, "Thank you, Mrs. Matheson."

Matt felt Kitty's grip tighten a little more, he kept looking over at her to see if she was alright, Matt cleared his throat,

"What was the news you had for us, Mrs. Matheson?

The older woman sighed,

"I wish it was good news that I came to bring you."

Kitty was now leaning up against Matt,

"Why what's wrong?"

She said as she looked between Matt and Mrs. Matheson.

"There's been an accident."

Those four little words made Kitty's mind swim, she no longer could hear what was being said, for the next thing she knew was the blackness that overtook her.

I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter! I know this one is a week late, but here it is. my schedule was a little wonky on writing and I was busy. So that way the dely. but I hope you all enjoy this one... Sorry I had to do the cliff hanger. love ya all. TBC