Matt looked over at Kitty as he let out a long sigh, "Once we are married, where would you like to live, here in St. Louis or back in Dodge City?"

Kitty looked over at him and batted her eyes a few times, "Whoa there, back up the stage. We go from talking about the girls to all the sudden life after marriage. I don't remember hearing you asking me to marry you."

Matt shrugged his shoulders "Well we both know it's the right thing that needs to be done, so it's not the question of if we marry, but when."

That did it, Matt could see the fire blazing in Kitty's eyes, along with the determination that was set in her jaw, as both arms were crossed, and as she glared at him, she was set and ready to do battle. Matt knew he was in the danger zone and everything in him was telling him to listen and back track. But that stubborn pride of his was getting in the way.

"Kitty, think of the girls. Wouldn't it be better just to go ahead and get married?"

"Oh, oh, oh, cowboy. You know it takes two to dance that dance, and I know I wasn't alone!" She looked over at him,

Matt bit his lip, she was right. He had that coming.

"All right, but why is it since you know we need to get married…"

He could now see her eyes starting to narrow as she looked at him.

"I cannot believe you just said that Matt. You act like you can just hull me off to the preacher. Well let me tell you something Matthew James Dillon, the last time I checked a gentleman all ways ask a lady, over just hulling her off to the preacher."

Matt started to open his mouth but shut it as she continued.

"I'm being serious Matt." She then looked down at her coffee and took a deep breath, "Those are days that the most important to a woman. Her marriage proposal, her wedding day, and the day her babies are born. I guess I've been dreaming of it ever since I met you. and I-I"

She sighed and she sniffed a little. "I just wanted things to start out on the right foot, since we got things started out o the wrong foot and a little mixed up."

Matt sighed.

"I'm sorry Kit, I should have been more supportive, and listened to you, I let my stubborn pride get in the way I'm sorry. If you want a proposal, you will get it. It's just going to take me a little bit to come up with one."

"That's all right, I have waited twenty years for one, waiting a few more days won't hurt anything."

"Well at least there wasn't any buck shot involved."

Laughter filled the air, as they heard a knock on the door.

"Hello in the house!"

Mrs. Matheson said as she came walking in, with a bowl full of stew and another plate full of something else.

"Why Mrs. Dillon, I'm so glad you are awake! You gave both your husband and I quite the scare."

"I'm sorry about that, I guess, it was because I had hardly eaten anything this morning and hearing the word accident just took the wind out of me."

A sly smile worked itself across Mrs. Matheson's face, as she looked between Matt and Kitty.

"Why Mrs. Dillon you're not in the family way, are you?"

Kitty looked over to Matt, who turned a light shade of red. Kitty could only smile. "No Mrs. Matheson, I am not."

"Oh, well I'd just thought I would ask. Anyways I brought you both some beef stew and my well-known sweet rolls. I thought they would be best to help you get back on your feet."

"Thank you, it is appreciated. I also wanted to thank you for helping Matt when I passed out."

"Oh, think nothing of it, he was looking a little lost when it came to knowing what to do after he brought you in."

Mrs. Matheson winked over at Matt, who only smiled.

"Well, I best be going I need to take some food over to the Webbers as well." Before anyone could say anything more, Mrs. Matheson was gone. Kitty could only smile as she started to pick up the stew, but Matt stopped her.

"You get the rolls; I'll take the stew into the kitchen."

"Alright you have a deal, you get the bowls since you are over there."

Matt could only nod,

"It sure smells good."

"It should. That's a county fair blue ribbon winning beef stew six years running, and the rolls are a seven-generation secret family recipe, that I have tried and tried to get from her, but she won't budge."

Matt could only smile as they sat down to eat, "Well then she must be some cook."

Kitty could only laugh as they started to eat.

Later that night, Matt helped Kitty to Sarah's room. He then took his things and went up to the room which was Kitty's. He set his bag down, he let out a long sigh as he thought about everything that happened today. He was a father, there wasn't much he could say about that, and as Kitty said earlier "It takes two to dance that dance, and she wasn't alone."

Matt looked over at his bag, and then fumbled through his belongings looking for the gift from Doc, he smiled as he pulled out the box.

It was the right size; it couldn't be what he was hoping it was, could it?

He started to open it but stopped when he remembered Doc wanted him to read the note first.

Dear Matt,

I am sure by now that you have talked with Kitty and that she has told you about the girls. Now you can understand my reasoning for having you wait to read the letter and opening my gift to you.

When I first told Kitty that she was going to be a mother to Bethany. Oh, did she have a glow about her as all mothers get, she also had a spark in her eyes that would never dim no matter the news when it came to that baby. I had hoped she would have told you about the child, but as days turned into months. I knew it was not going to happen.

I may have hymned and hawed a few times when she asked me to keep everything a secret, but she made me swear not to tell you. I can understand after all she was trying her best to protect Bethany and later Maddie, from the outlaws, being kidnapped and such. I know you would have done the same thing.

But that does not make two wrongs a right, but somehow by God's amazing grace and mercy he has worked it all out for his good even when we mess it all up.

You may have guessed what that little box is, well I will tell you. You must remember when I won that diamond ring twelve years ago? Well, I have been saving it for you, whenever you decided to pop the question to Kitty.

Me keeping that ring for you, had nothing to do with the girls, because I had won it a year or so before Bethany was even a twinkle in her mama's eye. But I also knew that one day you would get it through your thick head, that you had a good woman on your hands, and that you were not about to let her go."

Matt softly smiled as he thought back to the day when Doc came storming into his office right after Kitty had come in, begging for him to fight for her hand, since Will Stambridge just asked her to marry him. Doc sure gave him an earful and then some that day. He now understood why and wished he would have followed the old doctor's advice. With a sigh he continued to read.

"Do me a favor Matt, when you propose do not assume you are just going to hull her off to the preacher to get married because of the girls.

Ladies like to be romanced and then asked, not ordered around, and said this is the way things are going to be. But I am sure if you tried that, Kitty has already told you, so there is no need to repeat it.

One more thing before I go, Matt, you have always been her knight in shining armor that wears leather apart from the traditional armor. That is a cowboy instead of a knight of the old days. Who wears a cowboy hat, vest, chaps, boots, and spurs. Instead of the knight's helmet, breast plate, cuisse, grave, and sabaton. The cowboy carries a gun and wears a badge over a sword and shield. But to Kitty, it is all the same to her, for you are her knight in leather armor.

Well, I hear Festus coming up here to bug me about buying him a beer or two, so I guess I better be going and give him some grief. But that also means I get see Miss Hannah.

Anyways give Kitty some love for me, and let those sweet little girls know that Grandpa Doc loves them.

With much love,

Doc Adams.

Matt only smiled as he opened the small box that held the ring. The ring would shimmer every time the light would catch it. He had to come up with something special for Kitty, she deserved it with everything he had put her through. With a smile he placed the ring back in the bag, made himself ready for bed, knowing that tomorrow was going to be another big day, as Sarah was bringing the girls over. They didn't know that their daddy was here to surprise them. With a smile on his face Matt drifted off to sleep.

TBC

Thank you all for your kind reviews! I know, I know you all were hoping that the girls would be in this chapter. I miss writing about them as much as you guys miss reading about them. But I promise they will be in the next one. The episodes that I mentioned in this chapter are The Hunger from season 8 and Kitty's Love Affair season 19.