Chapter 52 A Valentine's Day Celebration

Author's Note: With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought I'd write a short Valentine's story.

It was a crisp, clear morning in Dodge City, the kind of day where the sun hung high in the sky, just beginning to chase off the February chill of the early hours. The streets were bustling with the usual activity, but there was a lightheartedness in the air, an extra skip in people's steps as Valentine's Day had finally arrived. Matt was at his desk, meticulously going through paperwork that seemed endless. He couldn't help but glance up occasionally to the window of his office, where the sounds of Dodge's life went on unabated.

Ruby had been counting down the days for weeks, excited for Valentine's Day. She had been busy drawing hearts and making cards in her bedroom, her six-year-old imagination running wild with thoughts of hearts, sweets, and a day spent with her parents. Matt smiled at the thought. He'd never thought of himself as a sentimental man, but being with Kitty and the arrival of Ruby had softened him in ways he hadn't expected. Kitty was the love of his life. She and Ruby had something that nobody else ever would, his heart. He wanted nothing more than to see them happy.

At noon, Matt left the office and walked over to the Long Branch. Matt knew that Kitty would be there working in her office. She was going to go there after taking Ruby to school. Kitty usually worked at her Long Branch office two or three times a week. Matt found Kitty standing at the bar, talking to a few of the regulars, but her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Well, Marshal, look who finally decided to take a break," she teased, wiping her hands on her apron. Matt figured Kitty must've come out to help Sam with the lunchtime crowd.

"You know how it is, Kitty. A Marshal's work is never done." Matt grinned as he walked toward her.

Kitty leaned in, whispering softly, "I've been looking forward to tonight all week." Her voice had that playful, teasing lilt that made Matt's heart race.

"Me too," he said, his voice low. "I think we all have a lot of celebrating to do."

Kitty smiled knowingly, her eyes twinkling. "On the way to school. Ruby talked about nothing else but what we're doing for Valentine's Day. She's already got a dress picked out for the occasion." She winked, and Matt chuckled.

"I don't know who's more excited, her or you," he teased. But inside, he was just as eager. Tonight, he wasn't going to be Marshal Dillon. He was going to be a husband and a father, and he couldn't wait to spend time with his two favorite people.

"Is it time to celebrate Valentine's day at home?" Ruby asked as she handed her momma her lunch pail and water bottle and climbed into the buggy.

Kitty took the items and smiled at her impatient little girl. "Not yet, we won't do any celebrating until Daddy gets home this evening." Kitty saw the disappointment on Ruby's face. "But to make the time go by faster, I thought we could make a heart-shaped cake to eat after supper. We'll surprise Daddy with it."

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Momma, since we're gonna surprise Daddy with it, we should make a heart-shaped blueberry muffin with frosting."

A grin spread across Kitty's face. "Sweetheart, I think that's an excellent idea." Kitty and Ruby arrived home twenty minutes later. "I have to unhitch Buttercup and then go to the cellar to get a jar of blueberry preserves. Take care of your school items, wash your hands, and wait for me in the kitchen." Kitty handed Ruby her lunch pail and water bottle.

"Momma, I can get the blueberries," Ruby offered as she took her lunch pail and water bottle.

"I appreciate that," said Kitty. "But the blueberries are on a higher shelf, out of your reach."

It didn't take long for Kitty to unhitch Buttercup and get the blueberry preserves. When she finished those tasks, she found Ruby waiting for her in the kitchen. Ruby was wearing her apron and kneeling on one of the kitchen chairs. Kitty went over to Ruby and tied her apron. She put on her apron after that. With their aprons on and tied, Kitty and Ruby set to work baking a heart-shaped blueberry muffin.

Ruby looked at the round baking pan her momma prepared for the muffin. "Momma, that's a circle, not a heart," she observed as she used a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

"After the muffin is baked and out of the pan, I'll cut it into a heart shape," Kitty replied.

Kitty had very carefully cut the muffin to give it its heart shape. It wasn't the most perfectly shaped heart, but that didn't matter to neither Kitty, nor Ruby. They were confident that Matt would love it. Ruby enjoyed eating the extra pieces, when Kitty was done cutting the heart. Once the kitchen was tidied up, Ruby went to her bedroom and changed into the dress she planned on wearing.

The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of pink and orange, as Matt arrived home. Ruby, wearing a red dress with white polka dots, rushed to her daddy as he entered the house. She threw her arms around his legs and looked up with wide eyes. "Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy!" she squealed, handing him a small, lopsided card. The picture on the front was a stick-figure drawing of their family, with hearts surrounding them. She had given Kitty a card with a similar picture.

Matt chuckled, bending down to scoop her up in his arms. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart. You look very pretty in your red dress. This is the best card I've ever gotten." He took a deep breath. "It sure does smell good in here."

"There's a surprise for you in the kitchen," Ruby proudly announced.

"I can't wait to see what it is," said Matt. "Let me get washed up and I'll meet ya in the kitchen." He set Ruby down and headed towards the water closet.

Kitty was in the kitchen setting the table with small candles and a heart-shaped muffin that she and Ruby baked after school. She had entered the parlor and witnessed the interaction of father and daughter. She smiled, her eyes softening at the sight of her husband holding their daughter. It was moments like these that made everything worth it—the danger of Matt's job, the hardships of living in Dodge—it all faded in moments like these. Kitty sent up a silent prayer that she would be able to see many more of these moments.

Once Matt got washed up, the Dillons sat down to dinner. It was nothing fancy, just a hearty meal of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. Ruby talked non-stop about her day. Her excitement was bubbling over as she recounted how Miss Grey had a Valentine's celebration at school. She had brought in heart shaped cookies for the class to eat. Ruby was even more excited over her daddy's reaction to the heart-shaped blueberry muffin.

After dinner, Matt stood and motioned toward the parlor room. "I've got something special for you both." Ruby's eyes lit up with curiosity, and she followed eagerly.

Matt pulled a small, wrapped box from his vest pocket. He handed it to Kitty with a grin. "This is for you, honey."

Kitty raised an eyebrow, surprised but delighted. She slowly unwrapped the box to reveal a delicate silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. A little ruby stone sparkled in the center. "Oh Matt, it's beautiful," she whispered, her fingers lightly tracing the pendant. "Look, Ruby. This is what a ruby gemstone looks like."

Ruby bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "It's like a heart around me. Momma, do you love it?"

"More than you know, sweetheart," Kitty replied, giving Matt a soft, affectionate kiss. "Thank you." She looked at the pendant again. Kitty wondered if Matt bought the necklace because of the ruby. Their daughter Ruby would always be the greatest gift Matt ever gave her.

Next, it was Ruby's turn. Matt knelt down to Ruby's level and handed her a small box of her own. "This is for you, Little Gemstone," Matt said, his voice tender. Ruby opened it eagerly to reveal a tiny charm bracelet with a heart charm. "We can add charms to it as you get older."

Ruby's eyes went wide, and she gasped. "I love it! I can wear it always!" Kitty helped her put the bracelet on, and Ruby proudly showed it off.

"Well, probably not all the time," said Kitty. "You wouldn't want to lose it."

"I really like Valentine's day," said Ruby. "You get a present and good things to eat." Matt and Kitty laughed at their daughter's enthusiasm. They both knew Ruby would expect a gift for future Valentines.

As the evening continued, Matt, Kitty, and Ruby spent time together, playing games, talking, and laughing. They were too full after supper to eat the muffin, but decided to eat it now. Matt commented on how festive it looked and how delicious it tasted. Later, Matt sat back in his chair, his heart full, and watched as Kitty and Ruby interacted, the love between them so evident. The simple, quiet moments were the ones he treasured most. It took a while to get Ruby settled down for bed. The excitement of the day had her full of energy. But as the evening wore down, so did her energy. Soon after several yawns, Matt and Kitty knew it was time to put Ruby to bed. It wasn't long before Ruby was ready and tucked into bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy. Happy Valentine's Day, Momma," she whispered sleepily.

Matt and Kitty exchanged a glance, their hands finding each other in the dim light of the room. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart," Matt whispered back. Kitty repeated the same thing.

Matt and Kitty left the room, with Kitty quietly shutting the door behind them. She looked up at Matt. "I'm impressed with the gifts you gave us. I wasn't expecting anything."

"Well, to be honest, I didn't plan on buying anything," Matt sheepishly admitted. "But I saw the Valentine display Jonas had in his store, and I knew the two of you deserved something."

Kitty remembered seeing the display Matt was referring to. "Ruby 'n I love our gifts. I'm just sorry I didn't think of getting you something. I feel kind of guilty. Ruby 'n I will be sure to get you something next year."

Matt gave Kitty a quizzical look. "What are you talking about? You 'n Ruby baked me that heart-shaped muffin with frosting. I'm sure a lot of love went into baking that."

"My original plan was to bake a heart-shaped chocolate cake. I told Ruby we were baking it for you, and she suggested we bake a heart-shaped frosted blueberry muffin instead," said Kitty, giving credit to her daughter.

"I loved and appreciated it," Matt stated. "You could bake that for me every Valentine's day."

Matt and Kitty retired to bed soon after putting Ruby to bed. As the night settled, they drifted off to sleep, knowing that no matter where life took them, their love for each other was the greatest gift of all.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The end of this story