Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4

by Wendy May Andrews

  ~~~

  Cole watched the woman bite her lip and had to bite his own to choke back his reaction. He fought the urge to bring his hand up and rub his thumb along the abused skin. He knew she would not welcome such familiarity. He feared she would even jump from the wagon, he thought with amusement. She was a flighty little female. He really ought not be so powerfully attracted to her. Perhaps it was merely the lack of female companionship. Just imagine how forward he would become after his sister had left. He averted his eyes to control his impulses.

  “Do you not fear for yourself?” he asked, still keeping his voice low, hoping the girls didn’t notice and think they were telling secrets.

  “No.” Her answer was abrupt. “I have been exposed to the illness, but I wasn’t very sick when it swept through our building. I nursed many who died but for some reason, I was spared. I don’t fear death, though, except for the sadness it would bring to my sister.”

  “That is rather macabre, isn’t it, Miss Jones?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t search out death, Mr. Miller, but I’ve seen enough of it to think it more peaceful than life often is. But in this particular case, it would seem that Katie and I both have some level of immunity. As does Annie, for that matter. Her entire family died from the dread disease, and she didn’t even get a sniffle, poor little soul.”

  He must have made a sympathetic noise of some sort because she finally turned her gaze his way and nodded as though in agreement with words unspoken.

  “While family can be a trial, it is the source of all security when you are a child. I cannot bear to think on what the poor girl has gone through.”

  “You have a soft heart, Miss Jones,” Cole commented begrudgingly.

  His companion shrugged again. “I don’t really think so. Anyone would feel sympathy for the poor lass, I would think. And it takes nothing from me to feel empathy for her. I know what it is to lose my mother, and I was ten. I cannot imagine losing everyone at half that age.”

  “My sweet girl lost her mother even earlier,” he commented.

  Her glance seemed to be filled with approval as she replied, “At least your daughter has a doting father. That must surely make up for some of the difference. You do realize how very rare such a devoted father is, don’t you?”

  Now it was Cole’s turn to shrug. “She is my life. I will do anything for her.”

  There was a beat of silence while they both absorbed his words. He then continued, “Speaking of which, I have a favor to beg of you.”

  Her answering smile held a tinge of mischief despite the misgivings in her eyes. “It is only fair that favors be exchanged, I suppose.”

  “I do not mean it as a tit for tat, I assure you.”

  He was relieved to see her smile, but she still appeared wary.

  “It is about Mary,” he began, wishing he hadn’t brought it up at this time but wondered when he would have another opportunity to speak with the timid woman. He could see that he had caught her attention and she was receptive to hear what he had to ask. “I have sent for someone to come for Leandra.”

  The expression on Miss Jones’ face revealed that she recognized what a difficult decision that must have been, but she waited to comment until he had finished his explanation.

  “I worry for Mary without a woman to answer certain questions for her,” he explained as he felt heat rise in his cheeks again.

  “Well, I think you’re safe for a few years. The child is only five or six, after all.”

  “Yes, but for all my care of her, I still think girls need women in their lives. There is a shortage in Bucklin.”

  He felt her gaze searching his face and couldn’t be sure what she saw there.

  “Are you asking me to be a surrogate aunt to your daughter?” she asked, her voice gentle and understanding, which was remarkable considering her usual nervousness.

  He was relieved. “Yes, that’s it exactly.”

  She didn’t accept immediately, which made him uncomfortable.

  “I will have to explain to you one day why I hesitate, Mr. Miller. I can assure you it is not out of a disregard for your sweet daughter. And while I hesitate, I will not decline. I suppose if I can find it in my heart to allow Annie in, I can find room for Mary as well. Perhaps it will even be easier for there to be two rather than just one.”

  He didn’t fully understand what she was saying, but contented himself that she had accepted. He reasoned that her obvious emotions would make her even more empathetic for Mary, and that was all he could ask for.

  As they neared her small house with its neat little yard, he had to end the conversation lest the girls take note. “Thank you, Miss Jones, I will be forever in your debt.” This brought a grin to her face.

  “That sounds promising,” she replied, causing him to laugh. For all her strangeness, he found her fascinating.

  “You keep a tidy home, Miss Jones,” he complimented as he helped her climb down from the wagon.

  “Thank you,” she answered, pride evident in her voice. “I cannot take all the credit, but both Katie and I are so happy about having a house to ourselves that we cannot cease puttering around and grooming it. The only thing we lack are flowers. I shall have to figure out how to move some from the field into our front yard. It would surely brighten up the place.”

  “I could probably help you with that. I have a shovel and some sacks.”

  Cole was amused to see her trying to get away from his offer. “Oh, no, Mr. Miller, I wouldn’t want to trouble you in such a way. I’m quite certain Katie and I will be able to figure it out quite nicely on our own.”

  “So you find it promising for me to be in your debt, but have no wish for me to try to pay that off?”

  Her face turned red, but she actually giggled as he handed her down from the wagon. “I think it is much better to keep the favor owing, just in case I ever truly have need of something.”

  Cole laughed. She was such a strange woman, mercurial and yet pleasant. He enjoyed her company despite her awkward ways. “You have an interesting philosophy, Miss Jones.”

  “Well, thank you for bringing us home. We’ll now have a more comfortable evening.” She was clearly dismissing him, and he was more disappointed than he should be. She looked down at the little girl by her side. “Do you have anything to say to Mr. Miller?”

  His daughter’s friend looked nervous but managed to look him in the face as she politely thanked him. “I had lots of fun. Thank you for letting me visit Mary and the puppies.”

  Cole leaned over and took the child’s hand in a light shake. “It was our pleasure to have you, Annie. You are welcome to come over any time.”

  It was endearing how she grinned and turned her body from side to side in a display of bashfulness. The two adults exchanged amused glances.

  “Goodnight, Mary, goodnight, Mr. Miller,” Miss Jones called out in a sweet voice as she shepherded her young charge into the house.

  Cole stood and watched until they were behind the closed front door. When he glanced over at his daughter who had remained in the wagon, she was looking at him with a questioning expression on her face. He grinned again. He was making a cake of himself; even his daughter thought so.

  Darkness was falling as they neared home. “Did you enjoy having Annie around?”

  “Oh yes, Papa, it was great fun. It’s funny that there are so many things she’s never done before, like playing with puppies, but she’s game for trying. I like having someone to show things to. I wish Mama had gotten me a brother or sister before she died.”

  Cole blinked, unsure how to handle this unanswerable comment. “You don’t think it might be annoying to have a younger brother or sister always under your feet?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe a little bit, but it’s probably better than always being by myself.”

  Cole’s stomach clenched, and he fought a tide of fury at his dead wife. It was ridiculous to be angry with a dead woman. It’s not as though she meant to die.

&
nbsp; “Did you know Annie’s ‘dopted?” He was surprised by her turn of the subject.

  “I did. Do you know what adopted means?”

  “She said she lost her mama and papa and then got a new mama.” She paused, obviously pondering the situation. “It’s too bad she didn’t get a new papa, too, but I s’pose it’s better than not having anyone.”

  There was another pause while he could almost see her mind processing her thoughts.

  “Maybe we should ‘dopt someone, Papa.”

  He should have seen that coming, as he had thought it himself, but he was surprised that his daughter had arrived at that conclusion. Obviously, it wasn’t something to take on lightly, but he decided to probe a little bit further.

  “Would you prefer we adopt a brother or a sister for you?”

  She responded with a serious face. “Maybe one of each would be a good idea. Or two boys and a girl so that we’re even.”

  Now he couldn’t hold back his chuckle. “You want to really expand our family now, don’t you?”

  She shrugged and then offered very mature logic for such a small girl. “The boys could help you with chores, and if I had a girl to help me, Aunt Leandra might be happier.”

  “Adding three extra people to our family might be a lot to get used to, though, don’t you think?”

  “Prob’ly. But it prob’ly would be lots of fun, too.”

  The grin that accompanied her words was infectious, and they arrived home in good humor. Cole had already made the arrangements for his sister to leave. He could see sense in his daughter’s words about having help on the ranch. But taking responsibility for three additional children all at once was a little much for him to consider. Maybe he would ask Miss Jones the next time they crossed paths. She would know if was even feasible to consider. And she might have some words of wisdom as to things to consider. Thus settled, he was in a fine mood when he entered his home. But, it didn’t last.

  “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you. It’s late. Already dark. How could you leave me here by myself? Anything could have happened to me.” Each word was louder and shriller than the one before. By the time Cole managed to step in and take control, Mary was in tears, and Leandra was wild eyed and wailing.

  “Leandra, calm down.” He wasn’t sure if it was the best way to handle her, but he spoke with authority, which managed to cut through her hysteria and stemmed the flow of her words. “Nothing bad was going to happen to you. We weren’t gone for very long. You were sleeping already when we left, so we thought we oughtn’t disturb you, so we didn’t tell you we were leaving. I’m sorry, we probably shouldn’t have left you unannounced. But when Miss Jones arrived to collect Annie, Mary and I decided to give them a ride home so they wouldn’t be out on their own in the dark.”

  “So, you were more concerned about the pretty stranger than about your own sister?” Leandra was turning mean in her anxious state.

  Cole took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and collected. “Of course not, Leandra. You’re my sister, and I care deeply about you. But you were safe here in the house. Those two would have been alone in the dark if we had allowed them to walk home. And little Annie was already tired after a long day of playing with our Mary. I thought it would be too much for them, and the neighborly thing was to give them a ride. What would you have had me do?” He was hoping to appeal to her logic.

  “You should’ve told me they were here. You know I always want to have a visit with any women we might chance upon.”

  “Didn’t you know that Mrs. Carter or Miss Jones would be coming to collect Annie?”

  Apparently, she was done with his attempts at logic. She burst into tears. “You just don’t understand,” she bellowed before running into her room and slamming the door.

  There was an eerie silence that followed the loud thud while Cole and Mary stood frozen in their places. Cole could barely bring himself to look at his daughter. He should have contacted his family weeks ago. He would have never wanted his child to witness a scene such as this.

  “I guess we shoulda told her,” Mary said, a shrug in her voice, as though her aunt’s explosion were a thing of little note.

  Cole grinned. “I guess so.” He paused for a moment, waiting to see if Mary would have any further reaction. When she just smiled at him, he blinked before changing the subject. “Off to bed with you, little miss. You have to be wide awake for school tomorrow.”

  “All right, Papa.” She skipped away as though she hadn’t a care in the world.

  Cole was disconcerted. He was glad Mary didn’t seem to be overly disturbed by the scene with Leandra, but he didn’t like that his sister’s outbursts were so commonplace to his daughter that she had little or no reaction. He certainly didn’t want her thinking such outbursts were acceptable behavior. But how to discuss it? Perhaps he could ask Miss Jones. He didn’t want to become dependent on that strange woman, either, though. He ought to be able to raise his daughter on his own. But he had already asked her for her assistance, and she had agreed, so maybe it wouldn’t be so very strange to discuss this with her.

  Chapter Seven

  K atie was finally home and settling back into the fabric of their lives, except that her mind wasn’t really there. It was obvious that at least half the time her thoughts were elsewhere while a silly smile stretched her face.

  Melanie was happy for her friend, truly she was, she insisted to herself. She didn’t want to think that she was such a curmudgeon that she would begrudge her friend some happiness. But she dreaded the change that was clearly on the horizon. They had barely gotten settled here in the small town of Bucklin. But they were doing well, had clients building up, and their little house was clean and well cared for. Melanie wanted to be happy, content with the way things were. But she doubted they were going to stay this way much longer, and for that she was a bundle of nerves.

  Of course, with Katie all aflutter over the doctor, much of Annie’s care was falling to Melanie. Not to say that Katie was neglecting her daughter. She was very much involved in her every day activities, but there were frequent occasions when Katie was off with the doctor, and Melanie was left to keep the child entertained.

  Annie was a sweet, friendly little girl, so Melanie didn’t mind it terribly, but she couldn’t decide how to feel about Katie and Dr. Jeffries, which made it difficult to deal with the child’s persistent questions about them.

  “Do you like Dr. Jeffries, Melanie?” was today’s awkward question as they were stirring cookie dough together in the small kitchen.

  Melanie bit her lip. “He seems like a kind gentleman,” she answered as diplomatically as she could. “How do you feel about him?”

  The little girl didn’t answer for some time. “Well, I don’t like doctors.”

  “I can understand that. You haven’t had much good experience with them, have you?”

  Annie shook her head vigorously.

  “But doctors are supposed to help people, aren’t they?”

  “I s’pose.”

  “So that’s a good thing, wouldn’t you say?”

  Annie shrugged, not wanting to admit to such a thing.

  With a smile she tried to suppress, Melanie persisted. “Have you ever had an uncomfortable experience with Doctor Jeffries?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Has he ever made you angry or sad or upset?”

  “Well, only because I don’t like doctors.”

  Now Melanie couldn’t hold back her laughter. “I understand that part, but what about Dr. Jeffries specifically? Has he ever been mean to you?”

  “He was mean to Mama Kate. Remember when I jumped out of Suzie’s barn?”

  Melanie nodded. “That was a scary time, wasn’t it?” The child nodded, too. “Why do you suppose the doctor was mean to Katie?”

  “He thinks every little girl should have a mama and a papa and that my mama works too hard.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? It would be b
etter to have both, if it can be managed, don’t you think?”

  Annie looked at her with wise eyes. “I like it how things are just fine.”

  Melanie smiled. “Well, it seems that Doctor Jeffries has gotten over his thoughts about your mama, so maybe you should try to get over your thoughts about him.”

  Annie scrunched her nose as she considered Melanie’s words. “Well, he does bring me lemon drops from the mercantile whenever he calls round.”

  With a laugh, Melanie said, “There you go — he’s clearly not all bad, is he?”

  The little girl still looked skeptical, so Melanie thought she ought to try a little harder. “It seems to me that your mama is quite happy when she comes home from her walks with the doctor. Have you noticed that?”

  “She sings or hums. Is that what you mean?”

  “Yes, those are signs that she’s happy.”

  “I want her to be happy.” The child’s tone was grudging and hesitant. Melanie decided it was enough for the time being.

  “Of course, you do. And I want you to be happy. So, what would make you happy this afternoon?”

  “Are you finished with your work for today?”

  Melanie hated that the little girl was still so guarded. It was unfortunate that her mother was bringing change when the poor child was still so unsettled after the recent adoption. But these things couldn’t be helped, she supposed.

  “I am quite finished. Once our cookies are done, I have nothing left to do except spend time with you.”

  Annie clapped her hands and did a wiggling little dance. “Do you s’pose Mr. Miller would mind if we came to look at the puppies?”

  Melanie’s stomach dropped in dismay. She had managed to avoid the subject of Mr. Miller for more than a week. It had been causing her a little bit of discomfort, as she had promised the man to show an interest in his daughter. But the unsettled feelings he stirred in her were more than she wanted to face. With a sigh, Melanie answered.

  “I doubt if he would begrudge us the fun. Have you been speaking with Mary at school? Has she told you anything about the pups?”