Counterfeit

Chapter 20

It was several more days before Doc felt Matt was strong enough to make the trip back to Dodge. I

It had been almost noon when the train pulled into the familiar depot where Sam and Chester were waiting there to meet them. Doc insisted that Matt be taken to his office so he could keep a close eye on him for a few days. Of course the Marshal objected strongly – but didn't really have a lot of choice.

After two more days without fever and showing Doc that he was able to eat again, he was allowed to go to Kitty's rooms over the Long Branch. It had taken several of the men to help him up the stairs, but no-one commented on the arrangement, after all who better to take care of him than Kitty Russell.

He was lying on the familiar bed waiting for her to finish helping in the bar with the lunch time business, the window was open and a gentle breeze was wafting into the room. How he had missed this feeling, contentment, happiness and anticipation that his lady would soon be here.

He was half asleep when she finally climbed the stairs and entered the room. She flopped into a chair and kicked off her shoes, the sound brought him back to reality.

"Hey Cowboy, I thought you were going to sleep the day away." She crossed the room and placed a kiss on his lips. He reached for her but she playfully ducked out of the way.

"Uh- huh – Doc said absolutely no until your leg is much better."

At first he was disappointed, but she had flung open the door of the armoire looking for some more comfortable clothes to wear and he could see his coat hanging there.

"Quartermaine kept his word," he cried. "My coat, he sent it back."

"Yes and your boots and badge – and don't forget your gun and holster. It gave us all a scare when it showed up."

She brought the coat to him and he felt it. Until the day he had parted with it, he never really enjoyed wearing it. Now it was different somehow. As soon as he was up and around it would be the first thing he would put on. It was so good to be himself again, even if he couldn't return to work or ..other pleasures.. just yet.

A few more days and Doc brought him a pair of crutches and told him he could start moving around so long as he didn't put any weight on that leg.

At first it was frustrating to be here in Dodge and watch somebody else doing his job, but then he began to put his time to good use. With Chester's help he began sending telegrams to all the lawmen in and around the San Francisco area looking for Ginny's aunt. Finally he located her and she and her husband came east to Dodge to meet Genevieve Gitano. The aunt looked a lot like her niece, with long black curly hair and dark eyes. They were a match instantly. The woman's husband was more than willing to accept the young girl into their family which already consisted of four other children and although Genevieve was sad to leave her friends in Dodge, she knew she was going to a fine home in a big city where she could visit theatres and museums just as she had done in her younger years. All of them were there to see her off as they boarded the stage headed west. She hugged Kitty and Doc and even Chester who she had come to know during her time in this dusty town on the prairie. At last she came to Matt – he was standing there balancing on his crutches. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, "Goodbye Mr. Mathews," she grinned, "thank you for.."

The driver calling to passengers that he was ready to leave interrupted her.

"Come back and see us sometime Ginny."

"I will Marshal – and remember what I told you." She smiled again and nodded towards Kitty.

Matt said nothing, just nodded and drew a little closer to the red headed lady standing next to him. Chester stepped forward and opened the coach door and helped the ladies board. They all stood watching as the driver whipped up the horses and the stage picked up speed and headed out.

Matt had time to sit and write a lengthy report to send to the Attorney generals office, in which he was careful to point out the part played by William Taylor. It turned out the young apprentice had not been seen anywhere around Washington since he had been at Colter's place that day. Agents were hunting for him – but so far he had not been found.

To begin with the thought of six weeks inactivity horrified Dillon, but he soon found that it gave Kitty and him time to catch up on the months they had missed. He teased her a little at first, saying Quartermaine should have hired her to do the job. Secretly he was proud of how she had handled a gun and protected young Ginny.

As he got stronger there were days of picnics, fishing and just generally enjoying each other. To begin with he found it embarrassing that she would have to help him in and out of the buggy, and sit there while she drove, but the pleasant afternoons they shared together in the cooling fall air made up for that.

About a month had passed and a letter arrived from Washington for Matt.

It was signed by the President and the Attorney General and commended him for the job he had done in helping save the country from financial disaster. Kitty and Chester wanted him to frame it and hang it on the wall in his office, but Matt – in his typical unassuming manner, returned it to the envelope and placed it at the back of a drawer in the filing cabinet. He slid the drawer closed and breathed a sigh of relief, trying to hide the memories of the assignment in there along with the envelope.

End