Kitty sat idly watching a pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds vie for a clump of wild red begonias
She’d been abed for two days previous, but Doc stubbornly demanded they stay one more day while she recuperated, for fear a jolting ride in a wagon over the prairie would be unsafe for her just yet. Chester had headed back to Dodge the day before to keep an eye on things around the marshal’s office. Matt quietly insisted on staying behind with Doc to help watch over Kitty. She appreciated his gesture and wished she could manage some time alone with him to talk. About what, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t quite certain where his feelings lay. She watched him joking with Doc, looking over at her from time to time with expressive blue eyes that made her heart squeeze in her chest. Maybe she’d figure out how to approach things before they all headed back to their daily routine in Dodge and things just settled back into the status quo.
The two diminutive yet fierce hummingbirds were battling it out now, beak to beak, chasing each other in erratic circles around the yard, flying so near she could hear the breathtakingly rapid tempo of their wings, reminding her of the sound of a large bumblebee. Kitty sat up a little straighter as she spied three riders in the distance. “Matt?” she called.
“Yeah?”
“Somebody’s comin’.” She tucked a stray curl behind her ear where it had escaped the loose braid she wore over her shoulder.
Matt and Doc glanced up from their game, shading their eyes with their hands as they peered across the prairie at the figures.
“Wonder what they want.” Doc tipped his hat back on his head.
“Food...water...company...who knows?” Matt groused. He was not in the mood to put up with some strange cowboys or useless drifters.
“Well, we don’t have much to share with ‘em. We’ve got just about enough food to get us home tomorrow.”
“I know. Chester’s stew is getting low. It wasn’t great, but at least it was filling. I might have to go hunt us some rabbits for supper tonight. Especially if we have company.”
“Rabbit, huh? I’d sure rather have somethin’ a little more substantial, Marshal.”
“Substantial? Doc, Delmonico’s isn’t down the street and I don’t see any beef cattle wandering around these parts. You should be glad for some rabbit and that I don’t just toss you a hunk of jerky for supper.”
Doc turned toward Kitty, calling, “Did you hear that? This young man has no respect for his elders. None a’tall. Do you think he’d stoop to serving you jerky, Kitty?”
“I don’t know, Doc. Matt Dillon’s a pretty tough character.” Toying with the end of her braid, she slyly smiled at him, eyes sparkling mischievously. Matt shyly grinned back at her.
Doc studied him closely. “Oh, he’s not nearly so tough as he acts.” Doc tugged at his ear, looking across the prairie and added, “Here they come now. You two behave yourselves.”
“Us?” Kitty shook her head as the three riders dismounted from their horses and walked closer. She noticed all three wore guns. She was sure that Matt did, too. They were unshaven and dusty as though they’d been traveling for a couple of days.
“Howdy,” one of the men greeted them. He was tall and thin with hollow eyes and looked like he could use a good meal. A few of them, in fact.
One of his partners appeared as though he’d been the one receiving the lion’s share of the trio’s provisions. His shirt buttons were straining, and he squinted at them with tiny, colorless, piggy eyes. “You folks got some water to share?” He looked to the nearby well.
Matt spoke up, “Sure, help yourselves.”
The piggy-eyed man sauntered to the well, glancing curiously over at Kitty in the deep shade beneath the sheltering branches of the tree.
Doc questioned, “You three headin’ somewhere nearby?”
The short fellow with lanky blonde hair and a scruffy beard and mustache answered, “Naw, we ain’t headed nowhere in particular.” He wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve. “Right, Jasper?” He was talking to the tall, skinny man.
“Naw, we ain’t goin’ nowhere particular. We just left a ranch. Got tired o’ takin’ orders,” Jasper chuckled. “Fella by the name o’ Jake Worth.”
Doc spoke up, “Say, we know him! Real nice fella, Jake Worth.”
“You folks live here?” the short, blonde man asked, looking around.
Matt answered, “No, this cabin is deserted. We’re just takin’ shelter here for a while. We’ll be headin’ back home soon.”
Jasper commented, “I didn’t think so. That gal over there don’t look like she belongs here.”
The small blonde man narrowed his eyes as he looked more closely while Jasper pointed, “Hey, lookee there. We know her. ‘Member her, Layton?”
The piggy man at the well spoke with sudden recognition, “Shore, I remember her! Back when we first come into Dodge. How could a man forget, right Horace?” Layton grinned at his friend, revealing tobacco-stained teeth.
Horace ambled lazily toward the cottonwood and continued, “Kitty, right? That’s your name. You remember us?”
Matt had been listening, his gut roiling into a slow burn at the men’s talk, but when Horace moved nearer to Kitty, he suddenly interrupted, “Boys, did you get plenty of water?”
Layton capped the last of their canteens and set them down, wiping his wet hands on his filthy pants. “We got us some water, but maybe we ain’t got us all we want.” He spit tobacco juice on the ground, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Skinny Jasper giggled and slapped his knee, echoing, “We ain’t got all we want...”
Alarm bells began to ring in Matt’s head. He instantly strode toward Kitty’s side while she demanded, “You men have your water. Now it’s time for you to head out.” She stood and put her hands obstinately on her hips. “You’ve got all you’re gonna get here.”
Doc reiterated firmly, “It’s time for you boys to leave.”
Horace drew his gun, and Jasper began his ominous cackling anew. “What if we ain’t ready to leave?” Horace sidled closer to Kitty, pointing his pistol toward Matt and Doc. “What if we wanna get us a little piece of this here saloon girl? You don’t mind, do ya, Kitty?” Horace reached out toward Kitty slowly, his fingers touching her hair.
Matt whipped out his gun with lightning speed, bashing Horace on the head with the barrel. Horace crumpled to the ground, moaning. When Layton took a step toward Matt, Doc fiercely elbowed the fat man in the kidney--once, twice--watching him double over in pain, paralyzed by the blow.
Eyes gleaming, Matt turned to skinny Jasper who had ceased his giggling and put up his hands. “Don’t hurt me, mister! I ain’t gonna do nothin’!”
Angrily, Matt took another step closer to Jasper, who cried, “Honest, mister, we didn’t mean nothin’ by it!”
“Get your buddies here, get on your horses and get outta here,” Matt breathed in a low voice. Matt grabbed Horace by the back of the belt and hauled him over to his horse, effortlessly throwing him over the saddle. Jasper struggled to help a moaning Layton put his foot in the stirrup and hoist himself up. Matt slapped the rumps of the two horses, sending them trotting on their way, while Horace scrambled to jump on his own mount before Matt changed his mind and turned his attentions to himself.
“Giddup!” he called frantically to his horse, and he took off after his companions, casting a glance over his shoulder at Kitty who still stood beneath the tree, eyes blazing, fists balled on her hips.
Doc shook his head, scrubbing a hand over his mouth. Then, patting Kitty comfortingly on the shoulder, he shuffled wordlessly inside the cabin, flexing the elbow he’d jabbed into the drifter’s kidney and clenching his fists angrily.
Matt glanced at Kitty who sat back down on the bench like her knees had suddenly given out on her. She refused to meet Matt’s eyes. Sitting down quietly next to her, he swallowed hard, wondering what to say. Finally, he took a breath and offered simply, “It’s okay now, Kitty...”
But she hastily interrupted him in a strained voice, “No, it’s not, Matt.”
tbc
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