Mae’s eyes shot up when what he said sank in. “Leave Pauline? Here?”
“I can’t take her with me.”
“Doesn’t the train carry more than one passenger?” She bit back a further sarcastic remark, aware that she was overstepping her bounds, but the crushing notion that he could just up and go, making Pauline her responsibility again, took her breath away. Though Jake had never said, she often wondered if her insistence to care for the aging woman was the thing that prevented him from proposing.
That, and the dogs and cats. Jake would never accept them into his comfortable, sophisticated life. That he had ever come back from that fine Philadelphia law school to practice in Dwadlo still amazed her.
Tom rubbed the back of his neck. “I understand your concerns, but I can’t take care of her myself. How am I supposed to look after a woman Pauline’s age in a one-room boardinghouse?”
“I suppose you would need to move—”
“Move! I can’t move, Mae. Besides, my job requires travel—a lot of it. Are you suggesting that I drag Pauline along on business trips?”
“I’m not suggesting how you should live your life, Tom, but I am suggesting that she’s your kin and therefore your responsibility!”
“Oh. So that’s how the wind blows.”
Crossing her arms, she met his flashing eyes. “That’s exactly how the wind blows.”
Twelve
When Tom wouldn’t budge on his decision, Mae turned her head and stared out the front window. She saw Jake’s top hat blow off and watched him hopping down Main Street trying to recapture it. She sighed.
“The wind ‘blows’ many ways, Tom. And I have done my part in caring for your aunt. She is a dear person, but I have plans too.”
“Oh, yes. Your impending engagement. I’ve heard about that.” His eyes also traveled to the comical sight taking place outside the window.
Her gaze slowly shifted back to meet his. “Who told you about Jake?”
“The relationship isn’t exactly a secret. Almost everyone in town has made it a point this week to tell me you’re expecting this man to propose. How long have you been waiting? Six years?”
As soon as the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back. Now he’d stepped in it. He had no call to make the statement sound so…insulting. She slowly rose to her full five feet and met his stare head-on.
“For your information, Jake was in law school and then started his practice. Furthermore, Mr. Curtis, my private life is none of your concern.”
He stood and met her eye to eye. “Well, listen to you, Miss Wilkey. You had no problem getting involved in my private life when you roped me into something I knew nothing about!”
“Roped you?” A flush crept up her neck. “Roped you! If…oh, if you were half the man Jake is, there would be no need to rope you into taking care of your own kin!”
He broke eye contact. “You’re just testy because you can’t rope Jake into proposing.”
Sizzling now, she tightened her stance. “How dare you!”
“How dare you ask me to make the trip cross-county to assume the care of a woman I’ve never laid eyes on?”
“Shame. Shame!” She shook her finger at him. “Denying your own flesh.”
“I don’t think she is my flesh. I haven’t heard a thing this week that convinces me otherwise.”
“Ohhhh.” Pushing past him, she returned to the cage, trying to swallow her anger by silently reciting last night’s Bible reading: “The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.”
In her heart she knew Tom wasn’t evil, but how could one man infuriate her so much? Reaching for a stack of flyers, she shoved one into a slot. On top of his obstinacy, the train was late again this morning, which meant she’d be late getting the mail sorted and into the boxes.
Tom appeared at the cage. “I’m leaving—”
“Have a nice trip.”
She ignored his deep sigh.
“Look, Mae…”
Keeping an eye on her work, she pretended to not have heard the plea in his voice. How could he just waltz off and leave Pauline’s care to strangers? True, the town was his aunt’s extended family, and she wasn’t a stranger but a close neighbor, but a decent, God-fearing man would never allow others to look after his kin.
Mae fought to ignore the prick of conscience that suddenly nagged her. Why are you so angry? What if Pauline isn’t his family? Haven’t you also tried and failed to find someone to assume her care? If you, an area resident since birth, couldn’t find help, then how do you expect this man to work a miracle in a few short days? She closed her eyes and took a calming breath.
“If there were a solution to this dilemma, I’d have found it,” he said.
She noted the tiredness in his tone.
“But there comes a time when you have to admit you have done all you can. I have a job, Mae, and I need to be back at my desk. It’s purely business.”
She let him explain away. Whatever he said couldn’t account for this crushing sense of disappointment. Had he tried hard enough? The answer came quickly. She’d seen him out early and late searching for a solution.
And, truthfully, Dale couldn’t be easy to live with. He was a good man with quaint ways, but he had lived with his mother, Saline, for fifty years. She was a woman who had spoiled him shamelessly, and he had to be stepping on Tom’s nerves. She should have thought of a different sleeping arrangement. Even Jeremy couldn’t adjust to the change. Maybe it wasn’t too late. She turned to face him.
“Is it Dale?”
“Pardon?”
She turned away from him again and shoved another flyer in a box, her ear tuned for the train whistle. “Is Dale the reason why you’re giving up so soon?”
“I’m leaving because I have a job that’s going unattended.” He frowned. “Wait. You know Dale is…eccentric?”
“Of course I know. I’ve worked with him all of my life. His mother…um…shall we say spoiled him a bit?”
“Well, yes. Let’s say that.”
Inwardly groaning, Mae realized she hadn’t drawn an easy breath the last few days. She had wondered if Tom might leave even sooner because of Dale’s eccentricities, but her prayers had held. Until now.
Outside an explosion rattled the windowpanes. The floor shook beneath their feet and the whole building quivered. Stunned, Mae paused to peer out the front window. “What was that?” She noted Tom’s puzzled expression.
“Sounded like dynamite. Anyone blasting in the area?”
“Not to my knowledge.” Coming out from behind the cage, her heart pounded.
“Are you sure?”
She racked her mind to recall any work like that going on nearby, but she was sure there was none. “Positive.”
He walked toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Well, something out of the ordinary’s happened. You stay here.”
The warmth of his touch and the strength in his hands should have comforted her, but the concern in his eyes made her even more uneasy. She met his intense gaze and simply nodded. No words would form.
Tom dropped his hands and started toward the door. “I’m going to investigate.”
Before he reached the door, however, it burst open and a boy ran inside. The look of terror on the child’s face told them what they already knew, that something was terribly wrong.
“Train wreck!”
“What?” Tom paused in front of the boy.
“The train…it done jumped track up the road a piece. A few people are hurt, but most appear to just have bruises and scratches. Doc Swede says bring all the camphor bottles, balsam, and lint you got!”
Mae quickly stripped off her apron and watched Tom follow the boy outside, the door slamming behind them. Train derailment. Her chest heaved from the heavy thumps inside it. A train wreck.
Dwadlo had never experienced the likes.
Mae grabbed a basket and filled it with the requested items while watching out th
e window. Buckboards and wagons began to assemble outside the store. The situation quickly became confusing when all available manpower in the area started to arrive to help.
Fisk rode up and held the reins to a saddled mare. The blacksmith grinned. “Got you all fixed up.” He tossed the reins to Tom.
Mae, basket in hand, closed the door and was on Tom’s heels. “I’m going too.” She was surprised when he didn’t protest. Swinging into the saddle, he reached down and pulled her up behind him. His strength was that of a hardworking man, and this time she was comforted by it.
The town’s residents swiftly rode south with a pack of howling dogs on their heels. Gusty winds blew snow particles in Mae’s eyes, and she held Tom’s trim waist tightly. Her mind whirled. The closest doctor, other than Doc Swede, lived in Branch Springs, which was seven miles away. No serious injuries. Thank You, Father. Doc Swede isn’t equipped for such matters.
It took them almost no time to reach the disaster. Smoke billowed, and a black engine hissing steam was on its side. Three overturned wooden cars and two passenger cars looked as though they had been tossed about like rag dolls. Tom drew closer, and Mae saw dazed passengers with bloody bandages tied around arms, foreheads, and legs milling about the wreckage. Bits and pieces of mail and other documents littered the ground.
Tom was off the horse just before it stopped, handing Mae the reins. She pulled the animal to a halt and also slid off, immediately setting to work. Her heart swelled when she saw Tom’s devotion to those injured in the catastrophe. She glanced around. Where was Jake? Why wasn’t he here helping?
Wagons loaded with water barrels pulled up, and many able-bodied men, women, and children scattered to help dazed victims. Terrified people roamed the area. Mae was thankful the sun was beginning to knock the bitter cold off the morning air, but the light did nothing to warm the chill in her heart at the sight in front of her.
Hours later the sun moved lower in the sky, though it was only midafternoon. It wouldn’t be long before the darkness brought the bitter cold again. Mae collapsed by the fire beside Tom, and he absently offered his cup of coffee. Since arriving on the scene, wagons had moved the stranded passengers to Dwaldo’s train station, where they were met by anxious families. Lowering the cup, her eyes searched the teeming area. “Have you seen Jake?”
“He was here for a short time earlier, but I saw his buggy leave a couple of hours ago.”
Nodding, she took another sip of the coffee and handed the cup back. Funny. She had never drunk from Jake’s cup or glass. Their kisses had been short, very staid events. The thought had never crossed her mind until this moment, but Jake had never offered her anything in a kind gesture. Not even a sip of tea. She glanced at Tom, and noted that his face was lined with fatigue and worry. “Are you all right?”
“Fine, considering I’m looking at an enormous financial loss.”
She glanced at the derailment, trying to make sense of his statement. “Loss? How could this affect you?”
“Company loss. I work for this line.” His eyes scanned the still smoking carnage.
“Oh, no.” He might have mentioned the name of his railroad earlier, but she couldn’t recall it.
“Yes, Chicago and North Western.” His eyes fixed on the overturned locomotive. “The loss is great—not to mention the interruption of service.”
Mae fit the pieces together and gasped. “Oh my goodness! Dwadlo is now cut off from the outside world!” There would be no mail, no grocery orders, no fine fabrics shipped from the East. Her eyes returned to the wreckage. “For how long?”
“Until we can lay a temporary track.” His gaze measured the impassable rail.
“That’s all?” She wilted with relief. “Laying a little bit of track shouldn’t take that long.” She recalled when the line to Dwadlo was built. It had taken months to lay track from here to Wisconsin, but this was a simple repair job.
His mirthless chuckle didn’t match her optimism. “Well, not normally, but it’s winter, Mae. We have to contend with snow, rain, mud, and getting the right material and manpower to put down the track.”
“Then…it will take some time.” Relief flooded through her like melting snow. If the train didn’t run, he couldn’t leave. Suddenly guilt plagued every part of her as she acknowledged to herself that she enjoyed his company. Her thoughts went to Jake. She never felt this sense of…what? Appreciation? Love? There was something new and different about being with Tom. When had that missing link broken her connection with Jake? She shook the thought away. “How long do you estimate?”
“I don’t know. Maybe less than a week if we can get the supplies sent right away.”
She deliberately sobered. “That’s too bad, but a week isn’t the end of the world. We can make do that long.” She was hoping it would be longer than a mere week, but at least it would mean a few more days of Tom’s company.
“You have other ways out of town.”
“That all go nowhere except to Pine Grove and Branch Springs, who get their supplies from us. The closest large town is Elkton, and it will take a while for supplies to reach us from there.”
Sitting in silence, they took turns drinking from the same cup. Events were happening so fast she couldn’t keep up. Finding Pauline’s kin, Tom coming to Dwadlo, Tom saying he was leaving, the train derailment—and now Tom staying. She studied him from the corner of her eye. Perhaps he’d decide to stay in Dwadlo. She caught her thoughts again, mentally apologizing to Jake for letting them wander so far. What had gotten into her? Tom was a new face, that was all. An interesting, exciting new face. Any woman would feel a faint stirring when he was near. “The store serves as our telegraph office.”
“I have to contact the railroad immediately. It looks like I won’t be leaving as soon as I’d hoped.”
What was that crazy leap her heart just took? She shivered against the chill and held her hands toward the dwindling fire.
“We’d better get back to town so we can warm up.”
“Yes. And we can probably get your wire out before day’s end.”
He stood, and she instantly missed his warmth beside her.
“Dwadlo is a lucky place.” He doused the fire with snow and then held out a hand to help her up.
She thanked him with a smile. Picking up her empty basket, she placed the cup inside it. “How can you say we’re lucky after what’s just happened?”
“Because if this derailment had been in town instead of out here, Dwadlo would have been destroyed.”
“What a dreadful thought!” That was one more thing to praise God for. He must have had His hand on their small community. “I’m sure it will all work out, Tom. The Lord will see to it.”
“No doubt.”
His note of irony didn’t escape her, but life had a way of changing one’s plans. She smiled again and then caught herself. It was a wicked smile. Chastising herself once more, she closed her eyes and rotated her head to work the kinks out of her neck. All the bending while attending the injured had left her stiff and sore.
With Tom’s help, she joined him on the horse’s back. “Shall we keep the same living arrangements? Or if Dale is too much, Jeremy and I can find another place to stay—”
“It’s okay. He never says a word. I can manage now that Jeremy brings his meals.”
Dale had two different sides, but now wasn’t the time to inform Tom of that. If the present arrangement suited him she wasn’t going to argue. She imagined he’d find out soon enough about Dale’s varying personality. For now, Pauline’s immediate future was safe and Tom wouldn’t be leaving.
That smile appeared again. Leastways, not this week.
Thirteen
It was late afternoon before Tom had a chance to send a wire to Clive Letterman about the derailment, but a reply came back quickly. The simple message read:
YOU’VE BEEN PROMOTED AGAIN STOP YOU’RE NOW WRECKING MASTER STOP GLAD TO HEAR THERE ARE NO MAJOR INJURIES STOP EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES ON THE WAY STOP ST
AY TILL IT’S DONE STOP.
Grinning, Tom wadded up the missive and pitched it into the wastebasket.
Mae glanced up at him. “What did your boss say? You look happy.”
“He has a strange sense of humor.” C&NW could afford to have one at this point. There didn’t appear to be a single serious injury. The derailment was costly, but it would have been far more devastating had there been casualties. The disgruntled but thankful passengers had been relocated to their destination, and it looked as though the incident was over.
“Such as? Today’s event was anything but humorous.”
“No, it was nothing about what happened. He’s just ribbing me. He’s sending supplies, and he says I’ll be staying on to oversee the rail repair.”
He was staying until it was done. Butterflies flitted in her stomach, and though Mae fought the urge to smile, it did little good. He glanced at her and she quickly sobered. She couldn’t let him see how pleased she was with the news.
“Are you okay?”
Straightening, she shrugged. “Fine. Thank you.” Lord, forgive me for having these thoughts. She was going to be sure to read extra Bible passages tonight before she went to sleep.
Tom grabbed a root beer from the barrel. “Clive’s a good man. He’s relieved there were no serious injuries.”
The front door opened and Pauline walked in. “What’s all the ruckus? Did somebody blow up the bank again?”
Mae helped the woman off with her coat. It was almost dark, and the poor thing had no business being outside at this hour. “Now, Pauline, you know perfectly well our bank has never been blown up.”
The old woman scratched her head. “It hasn’t? That’s a relief. I could have sworn I was involved in something like that once before. That’s why I stayed inside all day. I didn’t want them to lock me up again.”
Tom snickered. “I think with that pack of dogs around your place, you’re pretty safe.”
He hadn’t spoken loudly, but Mae heard him perfectly well and shot him a glance, glad Pauline was nearly deaf. “The train derailed. That’s what you heard.”
“Train? Well, I swear. Was anyone killed?”
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