7. Kabooblebopper? #4
“Walker,” supplied Clem with a proud grin. “Kizzy Walker. It’s a pretty name that trips from my tongue, but she’ll be a Dennison before dark.”
“Well, best of luck, Miss Walker,” said Mr. Cushing, taking her hand. “He crossed on my first journey west, and pulls his weight jus’ fine, but he’s a handful when he drinks.”
“Which isn’t near as often as it was, I swear,” said Clem in a rush. She grinned and shrugged. “But it does happen.”
Kizzy laughed. “Thank you for the warning, Mr. Cushing,” She took Clem’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be sure to watch his drinking.”
“I’ll appreciate that, ma’am.” He stroked his mustache, displaying large white teeth in a brief smile. “Now, let’s pick you a team of nine mules.”
He led them to a barn with a large lean-to shelter. Under it huddled a hundred or more donkeys. “You want the big ones; they stay to the outside of the group, or the ones dead center, smart enough to find shade before the others hemmed them in.”
“Smart is good, complacent is better,” mused Clem, gazing at the small herd. A sharp elbow connected with her ribs. “Ow.”
“You better be talking about mules, mister,” Kizzy teased. “You’re getting a smart wife, but not a complacent one.”
“Uh oh, Dennison,” laughed Mr. Cushing, separating eight of the big strong ones, and a smaller one from the center of the herd as Clem pointed them out. “Looks like you’re marrying a fair match of wits.”
“Looks like,” agreed Clem, watching Kizzy move around the mules until stopping to scratch the short one between the ears. “She is full of surprises.”
Knowing Clem’s experience first-hand, Mr. Cushing sent them off with their team.
“We leave day after tomorrow. Be here, hitched in both senses of the word, and ready at dawn on Friday.” He turned to greet a pair of brothers driving up with four skittish horses harnessed to a huge prairie schooner.
“Damn fools,” he muttered, “I told them oxen or mules.” He looked back over his shoulder.
“I’ll see you tonight at the wedding. Save me a dance, missus, and thanks for the invite. ”
“Nice man,” noted Kizzy.
“He’s nice now, but he’s a trail boss. When we’re crossing dangerous territory, he’s the one who keeps us alive.
When we’re out there, he’s all business, let me tell you.
What he says goes, or he’ll cut you out of the train and leave you to fend for yourself.
” Clem nodded. “He knows much more than me, so if he says to run, I go ‘til I drop.” She snorted.
“If anyone can get us across the prairie, over the mountains, and to California before Christmas, it is Jed Cushing.”
“I am surprised there is a wagon train leaving again this year.” Kizzy shook her head in amazement.
“I thought I’d need to get a job and wait until next spring.
” She walked arm in arm with Clem. “This is so much better. We’ll be able to start mining before the New Year! ” She skipped with light steps.
“We’ve got to stake a claim, first.” Leading the roped mules up to their wagon, her tall, handsome, soon-to-be-husband harnessed the four largest animals in their traces in no time at all, then strung the other five out in a line tied to the back of the wagon.
“Let’s see how she rides before we load her up, what do you say? Take her out for a trial run down by the train tracks? We’ve got another,” she pulled out her pocket watch, popped it open and checked, “hour before your scheduled bath.”
“Help me up, Mr. Dennison?” Kizzy batted her lashes at Clem with her best winning smile before turning toward the driver’s seat.
Clem stepped up behind her. “Delighted to help, Miss Walker.”
“It’s a relief to know I won’t be Kizzy Kabobblebopper. That’s quite a mouthful.”
Clem placed both hands on her waist, but instead of lifting Kizzy, whispered in her ear, “A friend in Boston, with many talents and a sense of whimsy, created silly calling cards for me. I wanted to see if you’d appreciate my sense of humor.
” Clem’s hands tightened, she lifted Kizzy up, and with a cheeky push to her bottom, launched her into the driver’s seat box.
Laughing, she watched Clem clamber up after her and take the reins. “You really do know what you’re doing, don’t you?” she said, impressed.
“I spent every day of four months doing nothing but this,” she said, clicking her tongue and shaking the reins.
“I learned a lot, thought about it while mining, planned my return trip while in Boston, and could drive a wagon in my sleep. I think I have a time or two,” she tugged, twitching the lead mule on the left back into step, “but only after the animals and I get to know each other.” She turned her handsome face to gaze at Kizzy, eyes dancing as they rumbled down the dirt road, taking a right at the train tracks and heading north out of town.
“Right now, I’d rather get to know the woman I’m about to marry. ”
Kizzy nodded. More excited than ever before, but feeling like she was facing a firing squad, she squared her shoulders. “What would you like to know?”