The Prettiest Girl in the Land (The Traherns #3) (4 page)

That night at supper the girls told everyone how I’d helped them
get their back wages. “It were the man payin’ us. The boss shook him like a rag
doll.”

“That he did,” I added. “He didn’t like gettin’ a reputation for
cheatin’ his workers when he was payin’ the wages.”

“You going to work there?” the landlady asked.

“No ma’am. I’ve got an appointment to see a Mr. Debras at his
offices. He might send me to California to do some work there for him.”

“Really?”

“Maybe. We’ll have to see.” I knew better ‘n to count my
chickens before they hatched.

I wanted to go to California. I had a feeling I’d find my Boaz
there. But preacher always warned us that feelings shouldn’t be our guide. So
that night I prayed extry hard for God to lead me to my Boaz.

I showed up ready to work the next morning. Seems Mr. Debras
shipped things to California, and from there on up and down the coast and to
the Orient. We talked gross tonnage and barrels and kegs and crates and
cartons. Each one its own poundage. Each costing separate to ship. Some things
he shipped around the tip of South America through the Strait of Magellan, but
the small stuff went by freight wagons and stagecoach. He showed me the routes
on the map and I could see how it was cheaper and faster to send things
overland. I got me a fast education and worked out some shipping manifests for
him.

“This one’s wrong,” I said, pointing to one he’d had me do as a
problem. “Whoever did this one didn’t add in the bales of cotton.”

He picked it up, looked it over. “You’re right. You just paid
for your fare to California, Ruth.”

“Tell your clerks to always add the big items first. See what
they’re going to cost. Then if’n they do make a mistake, it will be on the
little things, and won’t cost y’all so much.”

“I’d like to have you work here and in California. But the big
mistakes are being made in our California office, so that’s where I’m sending
you. If you can be ready in the morning, I’ll send you up the river to
Independence. The road boss will put you on the stagecoach.”

“Thank you. Got me a dog that came out of the mountains with me.
Well behaved. Don’t want to just abandon him, although he looks to be part wolf
and can take care of himself.”

“Take him with you. He can run beside the stage when he chooses,
ride with the driver the rest of the time. He’ll keep you company in California.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Take the rest of the day and get yourself ready to go.”

Things seemed to be falling in place to send me to California,
and right quick. Was this how God led?

I took Travers out for a long run and told him what we were
about to do. I didn’t have a collar for him, but he figured things out and
minded well, so I probably wouldn’t need it. 

I got back to the boarding house just in time for supper. As I
walked up to the porch, a long-legged gent untangled himself from the porch
rocker and spoke as he stood.

“Ruth. Hello.”

3

“Gage?” His appearance was so unexpected, I hesitated.

Gage was dressed in dark broadcloth pants and a black shirt half
unbuttoned in front. I’d never seen Gage look so handsome. I had to give my
mind a hard shake.

This was Gage. Like a crow, he’d land for a bit, then fly away.

 He stepped towards me and Travers bristled and growled
low.

Gage stopped, looked at Travers. “So this is the dog they spoke
about. Said you had a big one traveling with you. He is huge.”

“What you doing here, Gage?” I was flummoxed by his unexpected
appearance.

“Thought I’d stop and see you.”

I was right. He’d come and would soon be gone
.
“How’d you find me?”

“Easy. They told me at the store about Travers, so I just kept
asking about a big wolf dog and a young woman together.”

Well, that was one way to find me. But why?
“You still on your way to
California?”

“Yes. Sorta.” He looked down at Travers, who was giving him the
once over. “He’s a bodyguard all by himself.”

“He is that.”

“I’m guessin you didn’t need much of a push.”

“Not much. First your Pa showed up talking about those big
trees, then you talking about canyons and all, I decided it was high time for
me to take a looksee for myself.”

“Would you like for me to take you to California?”

I laughed. “Well, you’re a little late for that. I’m leaving in
the morning. I guess you could come, if’n you’re ready.”

He stared at me, bewildered-like. “You just got here. How’d you
get a ride to California? You didn’t have the fare, did you?”

“No, sir. Got me a job. Man needs me to go to California and
work out of his office there.”

“How’d you get a job so fast?”

“Asked.”

“We always thought you were shy.”

“Can’t stay that way when I’m on my own. People take advantage.”

“Here I thought I’d come protect you...”

“Got me a dog.”

“Take you to California...”

“Got me a job.”

“Keep you from getting scared.”

“No time to do that.”

“I underestimated you, Ruth. I think the whole mountain
underestimated you.”

“I’m a Trahern, Gage. It don’t do for folks to underestimate
us.”

“So I’m learning.”

“What you been up to?” I asked, for he was the last person I’d
expected to see.

“Well, after Mary’s wedding, I went to New Orleans. Hadn’t been
there before. There’s gamblin stakes there to scare your hair white. Too rich
for me. I lit out just a jump ahead of someone who thought I’d cheated him.
Hadn’t, but I wasn’t able to get him to see that. I headed to Ft. Worth, bought
me a horse and started for California. Ran into your cousin, Matthew.”

“How’s he doing?”

“I was best man at his wedding. In Texas.”

“Really?”

“Yep. All you Traherns are getting hitched. He got himself a
beautiful yeller-haired gal named Dawn.”

“Well, I declare.”

“I decided it was time for me to start looking.”

“For what?”

“A wife. So I headed me back up to the hills...”

“Yes?”

“But you’d already left.”

“You went back home?”

“Yes’m. They said I’d missed you by less than a week.”

It would’ve been nice to have traveled with Gage at the
beginning, when I was leery ‘bout traveling so far alone
.
Oh, well. What was
done, was done. You can’t reshape a loaf once the heat hits it.
“How did Jonas take my
leavin?” I asked.

“He was sort of shocked, but said to tell you, if I ever caught
up to you, that he’s asked Josephine to marry him. Evidently you told him to in
your note.”

“Good. She was gettin right tired of waitin for him.”

“I take it you were gettin tired of waitin, too.”

“Sort of. I decided if I wanted a man, I’d best go lookin for
him. I think California will do just fine. There should be some men
thereabouts.”

“How about me?”

“I don’t know ‘bout you. Women might be scarcer than hen’s
teeth. I figure there’s a lot more men in California than women.”

“You’ll be there.”

“Yes, I will. Well, you might find a gal there. I don’t know.
When you finally make it to California, come by and see me. I’m working for the
Debras Freight Company.”

I heard the dinner bell ring and headed inside. Gage followed
me.

“I took a room here,” he said.

“It’s a good place to stay.”

The two girls showed everyone their new shoes. It sort of led
into my meeting today with Mr. Debras. “So I’m headed for California in the
morning. It was right nice meeting y’all.”

Gage spoke up. “A fellow is going to have to move mighty fast to
keep up with you, Ruth.”

“Well, I hibernated on that mountain top for many years. I
figure I need to move while I can.”

The two girls were mighty impressed with Gage, and kept asking
him questions about the mountains and the different places he’d been. He told
about taking the wagon train out with Trey and Mally. It was the first I’d
heard details of it.

“So they’re still in Walla Walla?” I asked.

“Yes’m. They invited me to come live near them. Bring my ma. But
now I’m fixin’ to take me a wife back there to live.”

“That would be nice,” I said.

After supper I sought out the landlady. “Could you give my extra
nights to the two girls? I’d like for them to have them.”

“Of course. I hate to see you go, Ruth. You’re so levelheaded.
Your young man must be quite upset, to see he’s going to have to follow you all
the way to California.”

“Gage? He’s not my young man.”

“Maybe he’d like to be. Way he was askin for you when he
arrived.”

“I’ve known Gage all my life. He was just lettin me know my
cousin got married.”

She laughed as she gathered up the plates. “Well, if he wants
you bad enough, he’ll follow you to California.”

“He was goin anyway,” I said, picking up the glasses and
carrying them for her. “I expect I’ll see him there.”

“I expect so.”

I packed up my gear and laid out my clothes. The next morning I
dressed, grabbed some hot coffee and a hunk of bread in the kitchen, then
walked away with Travers at my side.

I didn’t see Gage, so decided he was sleeping in. That sealed it
for me. If he’d ‘ave been halfway interested in me, he’d at least come out to
see me off.

The streets were fairly empty, this early in the morning, and I
walked along briskly with Travers at my side. I really appreciated that dog. I
carried my rifle, but hadn’t had to even consider having to use it. Good or
bad, men saw Travers and stepped aside.

I went to the staging area and Mr. Debras was there with my
papers to give to his brother at the other end.

“Now that’s a dog worth havin’ around,” he said, admiring
Travers.

“I think he was owned by a traveling peddler. He sure has good
manners for bein’ so scary lookin’.”

“He’ll do you just fine in San Francisco. That town can get
mighty rough. Be careful what he eats there, though, as some might try to
poison him. Or steal him for dog fighting.”

“Thank you for the warning. I’ll watch out for him.”

I boarded the riverboat that was to take us to the jumping off
place.

It was a smooth way to travel, paddling up a river, watching the
banks as the miles passed by. I was soon at Independence and escorted to the
stage station. We were fed a light lunch while our luggage was put onto the
stage. There were nine other people going to California. All men.

Then the ten of us were loaded up like sacks of potatoes and the
stage left. One man rode by the driver. There was hardly any room inside to
move, as two of the gentlemen were quite portly and I had somehow become seated
between them.

Three had to sit in the middle row, with no back to the seat and
only straps to hold onto. We were so close our knees were jammed together and
the men had to weave their legs to have room. Thankfully, mine were short
enough not to have to do that.

I had tried to get Travers to let the men lift him onto the
stage, but he was having none of it. We traveled for several hours with just a
slight pause, not long enough for me to see what had happened to him.

When they finally let us out of that swinging, swaying, carriage
for a short stop while they watered the team, I could hardly stand up.  I
immediately began to look around for Travers.

 One of the outriders rode up to me. “He got tired, Ma’am,
so I put him on the stage. Look up.”

I did. Travers sat atop the luggage, looking as if he owned it
all.

“Oh, thank you,” I said. “I’m surprised he let you pick him up.”

“He remembered me,” the rider said. The voice was familiar, and
I turned and took a closer look at the rider.

“Gage?”

“Yes’m.”

“What are you...? I thought I left you behind in Memphis.”

“Not unless you tell me to stay.”

He sat there atop his horse, with hat, boots, bandana, and
chaps, looking so much the Western cowboy that I hadn’t recognized him, even
though he’d tipped that hat to me several times during the morning. He was
handsome enough to bring a dead polecat back to life, and my heart did a little
flip.

But this was Gage, who was a rolling stone, handsome as the
devil, and not responsible for anything except to break women’s hearts. I
reminded myself of that and my heart just flopped right back down in place.