The Heart Will Bring Us Home
PT.14
At the crack of dawn. the camp was up early, getting breakfast so they could get an early start moving on.
Kitty was helping Matt. Doc had arranged for him to ride in one of the wagons, not that he wanted to. But
as Doc let him know, he was still giving the orders.
Festus was helping out with the younger children. They were amused by his story telling. The family that had stayed, decided to go all the way to Dodge City. It was made up of three generations, Momma Mabel, her two sons, their wives, and six children, along with Momma Mabel's eldest granddaughter and her husband and their child.
At this point, there were only four soldiers still with them. When they were all ready to leave, Will and Sarah, decided it was time to say their goodbyes. They now needed to continue south.
Sarah sadly said her goodbyes to Jacob, not knowing when would be the next time they would see one another again. Will promised Jacob she would be in good hands.
Will walked to the wagon. "Matt, safe trip home." And he extended his hand.
Matt looked him in the eye. "Will, same to you." And he accepted his hand.
As Kitty walked up, curious as to what the exchange was about between the two of them, Will turned and took her hand. Holding one, he placed the other on her cheek. "Pretty lady. Till the day I die, I will never forget you. Be happy." .Then he kissed her cheek.
Kitty tilted her head, and with a kind of sadness said, "Will, I will never forget you either. I wish you happiness as well, honestly." And she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. She then turned to Sarah, knowing she was right there. "Sarah, I wish you both all the happiness."
Surprisingly, Sarah looked at Kitty and said, "Thank you. I feel that you mean that."
Jacob called out to everyone. "We're ready to pull out!" And with that they all pulled out and headed on their way.
Momma Mabel rode with Doc. She wanted to talk methods with him. Maybe there were some things he would share with her. They talked for hours. Doc was in his glory. He loved having someone so interested in learning everything he could teach. There were even a few things she was able to tell him, old time remedies she whipped up and she was willing to share.
Then she wanted to know all about Dodge City and all the folks.
Now Doc was smiling to himself. He warned her about certain people, Burke the gossip, Barney who read and told everyone the contents of all telegrams, Mrs. Pry who writes to her 'good friend the Attorney General' when she don't like what you do.
And then he laughed when he told her about how he teased Festus.
He said, "I get my most pleasure out of that. But he's a good man with a good heart, but if you ever tell him I said that, I'll deny it. And well, you know Matt and Miss Kitty. What can I say about those two? For starters, I love em like they were my very own children. They were merely kids when I met em and I watched em grow together, in more ways then one. Momma Mabel, you'll never find two people more in tune to each other, more in touch with the other, more in grained. They are two people but are one."
Then he tugged his ear and swiped his mustache, which made her laugh. "That is your tell isn't it?"
"What?"
"That thing you do, tugging your ear and rubbing your upper lip."
"Oh do I now?" He said looking at her and smiling.
It was now getting close to night fall. Jacob decided they should stop for the night.
TBC