As she let herself in, she felt a momentary spurt of longing for a cat to meet her at the door. She supposed it was a result of their lunchtime conversation, but she felt she was missing something, nonetheless. It was Daniel’s fault. He had her thinking about pets.
Instead of a bath, she took a quick shower, ate a peanut butter sandwich, and crawled under the down comforter of her bed. In a few minutes, she was asleep.
The dream came clear and vivid. She was dressed in a lab coat, talking with a pregnant woman. The room was fuzzy, so she couldn’t really make it out. She felt happy.
Then there was a loud noise. A gunshot. The pregnant woman screamed.
A door opened and a man stood there waving a gun at them. He aimed it for the pregnant woman’s belly and pulled the trigger. The pregnant woman had her hands over her face.
Then there was blood everywhere. There was a hole in the woman’s belly, tiny body parts were everywhere. Madison was covered with blood.
When she looked up, the gun was pointed at her face, only a few inches away.
She woke screaming. Sweating. Terrified. Her heart felt like it was about to explode in her chest. It had seemed so real.
“It was only a dream. Only a nightmare,” she repeated to herself over and over. “It wasn’t real.” Then she started to cry, deep, heart wrenching sobs. She cried until she had nothing left. Until she wore herself out and fell back to sleep. Thankfully, not to dream.
She’d be there, Daniel assured himself. She’d been late before. She wasn’t really an early morning person. She’d show up.
But she didn’t. The train was scheduled to pull out of the depot in five minutes and she wasn’t there. He radioed Mike and told him to hold up. One of the staff was running late.
Ten minutes later, he decided this time she wasn’t coming.
He wavered. Something must be wrong. He’d just seen her last night. She had said she would see him this morning. She had mentioned at one point that she had a headache.
He had promised to look after her. Something wasn’t right.
He radioed the driver of the scout car, Kevin, and asked him to come on board to act as conductor for the day.
He let Mike know, then he jumped off the train and darted across the depot area.
When he reached her front door, he knocked frantically. He waited. He knocked again.
She was in trouble. He just knew it.
He saw the neighbor’s front door open, and a woman stuck her head out. When she saw him, she started to step outside. He would ask her.
Just then, Madison opened her door and looked at him.
“Thank, God,” he said. “I thought something had happened.” He glanced back over at the neighbor’s door, but she had gone back inside.
“I fell asleep,” she said.
“And apparently didn’t wake back up,” he said. Her eyes were red and she looked a little unsteady. “You’re sick.’
She nodded. “I’ve been throwing up since about Midnight.”
They went inside and she made it back to the sofa in time to collapse on it. “What are you doing here?”
“You didn’t show up for work. I was worried.”
“Who’s conducting the train?”
“Kevin.”
“That’s good,” she said. “You shouldn’t be here. You might catch it.”
“I think if I’m going to catch it,” he said, “it’s a little too late after last night.”
“Oh yeah,” she said, turning pink.
“Have you taken anything?”
“Only about half the medicine cabinet.”
“When’s the last time you were sick?”
“With throwing up? About two hours ago. I really think I’m going to be okay. I think it’s just a bug I picked up from someone.”
He looked around. Saw no evidence that she’d had any fluids. He checked the refrigerator. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said. “I’m going to pick up some Gatorade for you.”
“Ok,” she said, lying back down on the couch and closing her eyes.
“I’m taking your key,” he said.
“Ok.”
The door slammed and Madison felt the tears falling down her cheeks. She’d been so afraid. Throwing up made her feel like she was about to die. Alone. She could have called Daniel. Probably should have. But she just didn’t have the energy and besides, it had been the middle of the night. She kept thinking she’d do it later. Then she fell asleep and didn’t wake up again until he’d pounded on the door.
She had been so glad to see him.
If only she’d had the energy to let him know how she felt.
With that thought, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When she woke back up, Daniel was stretched out in a recliner next to her, reading a book.
When he saw that she was awake, he jumped up and went to sit on the couch next to her. Felt her forehead. “How do you feel?”
“Exhausted.”
“Hungry?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll heat you some soup,” he said, “I not only bought Gatorade, but also soup, crackers, and a frozen pizza.”
“I don’t think I should eat a pizza,” she said.
“The pizza’s for me,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
She settled back on the couch and listened while he opened canned soup and put it on the stove to heat. While it heated, he brought her a glass of Gatorade.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a sip. It felt good to her throat. “What time is it?”
“Three-thirty,” he said, checking his watch.
“I’ve been sleeping for hours,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
He sat down next to her again. “No need to be sorry.”
“I’m sure you had other things to do.”
“Are you kidding? I’m getting some reading done.”
“What are you reading?”
“The Hobbit,” he said, glancing at the book cover. “It was on your bookshelf.”
“Oh. I hadn’t noticed.”
“Does it sound like something you’d read?” he asked.
“No, it really doesn’t.”
The timer in the kitchen started to beep.
“Soup’s on. I’ll be right back.”
He brought her a mug of steaming hot vegetable tomato soup. “It smells great,” he said.
Madison sniffed. “It does actually.”
“Can you sit up?”
Carefully, she slid herself into a semi-sitting position and took the mug from him.
The soup was hot and soothing to her throat. “You’re a life saver,” she said.
“Eat up. There’s more where that came from.”
She ate a few more bites, then set the mug down. “I don’t think I should overdo it.”
While he put away the dishes, she settled back on the sofa. It was comforting having him here.
She hadn’t been sick since early that morning and she could hardly expect him to stay here while she recuperated. She had absolutely no energy, however, and seriously didn’t know how she would have made it without him.
“All cleaned up,” he said. Coming back and plopping down in the recliner.
“Thanks.”
He opened his book. She struggled to find the right words. “I can’t expect you to stay.”
“You’re ready for me to leave?” he asked, setting down the book.
“No, not at all,” she said quickly. “I just can’t ask you to stay.”
“Besides running home later to walk Rover, I have nowhere else to be.”
She sighed. “I’m just not any fun right now.”
“Madison,” he said, “you’re sick. You’ve got no one else to take care of you. I don’t mind. Really I don’t.”
With that comment, Madison felt worse than she had. He was only taking care of her because she had no one else. He would do it for anyone. “Really,” she insisted. “I don’t need you to take care of me.
”
“I don’t think you understand,” he said. “I wouldn’t do this for just anyone. Look,” he said, picking up two DVDs. “I brought movies.”
“You brought movies?” she repeated, feeling a little better.
“Yes,” he said, holding them up proudly, “chick flicks!”
She laughed. “Okay,” she said, “you win. You can stay.”
“Thank you,” he said. “But I’ll stay only on one condition.”
“What’s that?” she asked, confused. Hadn’t he just asked to stay?
“I’ll stay only if you skip work tomorrow.”
She considered this. She wasn’t sure she could make it even if she tried. She nodded. “Good idea. But I can’t keep you from going.”
“If you keep getting better, I won’t have to skip.”
He put in The Lake House, a movie with Sandra Bullock about a woman who falls in love with a man who lives in an alternate time.
They sat side by side, holding hands at first, then snuggling up together under a blanket. By the end of the movie, Madison was crying.
“So… she had to wait while he caught up with her?” Daniel asked, trying to figure out the intricate plot.
“Yes,” Madison said. “But...”
“So, for her, it’s one year, and for him it’s another?”
“I don’t know,” Madison said. “However, it happened, isn’t it wonderful?”
“Yes, it is. You’re a little romantic.”
“I think I’m a pretty big romantic.”
“I like it,” he said.
“You’re not?”
“I’m romantic,” he insisted.
“Then you liked the movie?”
“It was great,” he said. “Just a little confusing.”
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Yeah, are you?”
“A little.”
“This is great,” he said. “What do you want?’
“Hmm. Pizza, I think.”
“There’s no way I’m giving you pizza.”
“I haven’t been sick all day. I don’t think it’ll hurt.”
“Okay, but I’ll heat some more soup.”
“Alright,” she acquiesced.
They looked at each other and, for just a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Then he got up and went to make dinner.
A few minutes later, he sat next to her and held out a slice of pizza. She took a bite and shook her head. “I think you’re right. I better not.”
As he ate pizza and she ate soup, they put in the next movie. Although Madison was enjoying it quite a bit, about halfway through, she fell asleep, her head on Daniel’s shoulder.
When she woke, several hours later, it was dark and she was alone. She knew she was alone because the house felt different - empty.
She checked the clock. It was nearly Midnight. The movie was on pause about where she had fallen asleep. There was a note on the coffee table.
I went home to get some sleep. Early day tomorrow. Call me if you need anything at all. Anything.
Daniel
She was in so much trouble.
Even though he’d proposed to her, in retrospect, she didn’t think he was serious. Not really.
But he was getting under her skin. She was starting to think about him that way. And she had no business doing that. She didn’t even know who she was, much less to be thinking about getting married.
She could already be married for all she knew. Who could I even ask?
Mentally, she shook herself. There she went, fantasizing about a wedding.
Daniel Beaumont was going to cause her pain. She could feel it coming on. She was starting to really like him. She hadn’t even kissed him and she was fantasizing about kissing him and marrying him, and who knows what else she would be fantasizing about next.
Oh my.
“I am an idiot,” Daniel muttered to himself as he opened a can of food for Rover. “Rover, I’m an idiot,” he repeated.
Rover barked.
“Thanks for agreeing,” Daniel said, wryly as he put the plate of dog food on the floor.
He unmade the bed and sat on the edge. And mentally kicked himself. What had he been thinking. He’d asked a girl he’d known less than a week to marry him. Sure, he planned to marry her, but that seemed like an awfully spontaneous way to go about making a lifetime commitment. Besides, it was sure to scare her away. She’d probably avoid him now, thinking he was some kind of a creep.
And, he thought, as he continued to beat himself up. He had never even kissed her. What if he kissed her and felt nothing? Then what? He would have to kiss her to make sure everything clicked.
Thinking about kissing Madison distracted him from kicking himself. He began to imagine how he might go about doing that and what it might be like.
Chapter Six
The next morning, Madison showed up at work with her shades on. He knew something was wrong the moment he saw her. First of all, she shouldn’t be there.
“Good morning,” he said, once she was on board. “You promised me you would stay home today.”
“I didn’t want to,” she said. He wasn’t sure if she looked at him or not.
“Rough night?” he asked and was fairly certain that she looked directly at him then.
“You might say that.”
“Care to share?”
“No.”
“Ok, well, I’m here if you change your mind.”
“Here’s your coffee, Mr. Daniel,” Amy said, handing him a cup. “Can I get you anything, Miss Madison?”
“No, thanks. I’ll get something in a few minutes.”
“Are you sure, because I don’t mind.”
“Ok, sure, coffee with lots of creamer.” she glanced at Daniel’s. “Like his.”
“I’ll be right back,” Amy said and bounced off to fetch the coffee.
“Do we do anything different today?” she asked Daniel.
“No, we just get home early.”
“Oh, well, that could be kind of nice.”
“It is. The fatigue factor is a little lower.”
She nodded.
Amy bounced back with her coffee and Madison sipped it cautiously, enjoying the jolt of caffeine.
It was cloudy today, but unlike yesterday, no snow or rain was in the forecast. When the scout car got back, Daniel went out to speak with him and came back to announce that everything looked alright and they were good to go. They didn’t have but fifteen passengers today and were only taking two cars besides the engine.
“Is that unusual?” Madison asked, after Daniel updated her.
“Not for this time of year. Our busiest season is summer, of course. I happen to prefer this time of year, and even after it starts to snow. It’s more peaceful. And prettier.
“It’s different every day,” she said.
“Good observation.”
She smiled. “Sometimes.”
The trip up was uneventful. And calm. A young couple from France asked Madison a lot of questions about the train, the terrain, and Durango. She appreciated their curiosity.
They went past the cliffs, past the inn, turned the train around, and started back. Daniel joined her at the back of the second car and stood close to her, their arms touching. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him and found her gaze drawn to his lips.
As the train began to creep along the cliffs, it began to slow more than usual.
“Are we stopping?” she asked Daniel.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You stay here. I’ll go find out what’s going on.”
Daniel headed toward the engine. The train came to a complete stop. The tourists began to sound a little alarmed.
“Everything’s ok. Don’t be alarmed,” she told them, although she felt a little worried herself.
A few minutes later Daniel appeared at the doorway and motioned for her to join him on the platform.
When she stepped outside, the wind whipped between the cars an
d chilled her. She hadn’t realized how warm and toasty she had been inside the car.
“There’s a problem,” Daniel said.
“What is it? There had yet to be a problem on the train that Daniel couldn’t fix.
“There’s been a rock slide.”
“A rock slide,” she echoed, attempting to lean out to see it.
“You can’t see it from here,” he said. “Come with me.”
They went through the concession car and stepped into the engine. Mike was chewing his bottom lip. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.
Madison climbed into the observation deck and sucked in her breath. There, only a few yards away were rocks. Not just few rocks, but rocks that had brought dirt with them. Instead of a nice, landscaped track, it looked like the side of the mountain with no human habitation. There was still a mist from the recent upheaval.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
She got no answer. Neither Mike nor Daniel was willing to state the obvious that there was nothing for them to do.
“I hope the scout car got through ok,” Mike said, stating what the others had failed to consider.
Daniel wiped his hand over his face, took the radio from his belt clip, and called for Matthew, today’s scout driver.
No answer.
“That’s not good,” Mike said.
Madison wasn’t sure if Daniel wanted to hug him or pummel him. He just turned away to think.
“Try the satellite phone,” he said.
“It’s not working,” Mike said.
“Try it again,”
“Ok,” Mike attempted, again, to get a signal on the satellite phone. “Nothing.”
Madison knew enough to know that they were in trouble. Without communication, it would be several hours before anyone could get through to them.
“Why don’t we just back up and go to Silverton?” she asked.
Daniel and Mike both turned and looked at her.
“There’s not enough fuel,” Mike said.
“But it’s a steam engine. Doesn’t it run on water?” She gestured toward the river running just below them.”
“Our only stations are below the rock slide and past the snow closure,” Daniel said.
Pretend You'll Stay (Winter Kisses Book 2) Page 9
