A Flood of Love

by Tracie Peterson

  Katiann frowned. “Are you going away?”

  Gretchen didn’t like to think of leaving. “Well, I was only supposed to be here for a couple of weeks. I’m sure the Harvey House back in Santa Fe needs me.”

  Katiann wrapped her arms around Gretchen’s waist. “I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay here and be my mama.”

  Gretchen hadn’t expected this outburst. Embarrassment washed over her. She wondered what Dirk was thinking. She gave Katiann a hug, then pulled away. “We can talk about this tomorrow, Katiann. Right now you need to help me gather the dishes so we can get everything cleaned up.”

  “Katiann can handle it herself, since she’s the cause of Mrs. Escalante leaving so abruptly,” Dirk said. “Maybe she’ll appreciate having someone more if she has to manage the work for a while.”

  “But I want—”

  Dirk’s expression turned stern. “Katiann, you need to obey me.”

  “Yes, Daddy.” She sighed and left Gretchen’s side to start collecting plates.

  “I’m sure I’ll see you both for breakfast at the Harvey House. I’ll save you a nice spot,” Gretchen promised.

  She headed for the front door, still feeling overwhelmed by all the evening’s talk about marriage. She loved Dirk and had come to love Katiann. Marrying into this ready-made family would suit her just fine. But was that what God wanted for her?

  “I want to thank you again for supper,” Dirk said, following her to the door. “It made the unpleasantness of losing Mrs. Escalante much easier to bear.”

  “I hope you won’t be too hard on Katiann.” Gretchen paused and glanced out the screen door. “It’s still raining.”

  “Gretchen, do you think—”

  “Mr. Martinez!” An overall-clad man rushed up the walk. “You’re needed at the shops. Telegraph came, and the Rio Grande’s flooding. Superintendent said you needed to come immediately.”

  Dirk frowned and looked at Gretchen. “Katiann.”

  “She’ll come with me. I’ll take her back to the Harvey House after we clean up.”

  “Forget about that, ma’am,” the older rail worker declared. “The women and children are to get to high ground.”

  Gretchen caught the worry in Dirk’s eyes. “I’ll take her with me. I need to check in at the Harvey House and see what’s to be done. Is there anything here that we should move to the second floor?”

  “I can’t think clearly. I suppose pack a bag for Katiann and one for me. I’ll come get it when I pick her up.”

  Gretchen nodded. “I’ll see to it.”

  “What’s going on?” Katiann asked, joining them.

  Dirk knelt down. “Darling, this is one of those times when absolute obedience is required. Can you give me your word that you’ll do what Gretchen tells you?”

  “Sure, Daddy, but what’s wrong?” She looked from face to face of the adults standing around her.

  “The river is going to flood, and we need to get to safety. I have to go help with the railroad’s things. Gretchen is going to take care of you. You stay with her and do exactly what she says. Understand?”

  “Yes, Daddy. I promise.” Katiann hugged him tight. “You won’t get hurt, will you?”

  Dirk glanced over his daughter’s shoulder at Gretchen. “No. I’ll be just fine.” But the worry in his expression belied his words.

  “Don’t worry about a thing, Dirk,” Gretchen said, trying to reassure him. “We’ll head up to San Geronimo rather than leave on the train. You can find us there. I’ll keep her safe.”

  He straightened and surprised her by pulling her into his arms. “Keep yourself safe too. I have plans for you.” He kissed her hard and much too briefly. Then he was gone.

  Katiann put her arm around Gretchen’s waist. “I’m scared.”

  Gretchen looked down at the child and nodded. “Then we should probably pray.”

  Chapter Seven

  “We need to move everything possible to the second floor,” the Harvey House manager declared. “The tables and chairs, the dishes, whatever equipment we can move, and of course all the linens and food. Once that’s done, I want everyone on the train north.”

  Gretchen organized her girls in a line so that no one had to make numerous trips up the steps. The men brought things to the stairs, and the girls moved them along in assembly-line fashion until the downstairs was empty of everything but the heavy stoves, iceboxes, and freezers. It was amazing the strength the girls had when pressed to perform. Gretchen was very proud of each one and told them so.

  An hour earlier, Gretchen had put Katiann to bed in her own room. That room was now stacked to the ceiling with food and glassware, but they were able to leave the bed free. The sweet girl had helped all evening until even Gretchen could see she was asleep on her feet.

  One of the men decided it would be best to board up the windows and even the doors in hopes of keeping out the floodwaters. They had the benefit of not being built right on the ground, as so many of the residences and businesses were, but already water was starting to pool on the main floor.

  “What’s the word on the river?” Gretchen heard the house manager ask the sheriff as he passed by.

  “It’s out of the banks to the north. We need to get everybody out of here and on the train, or at least up to high ground. They’ve set up some tents, and folks are offering shelter to those in need up at San Geronimo. There are several wagons transporting people up. You should get the ladies up there if they’re determined to stay in the area. The men we need to help with sandbagging.”

  The house manager nodded. “We’ll see to it right away.” He turned to Gretchen. “Tell the girls to get out on the train. Tell them to hurry. If they don’t want to leave, send them up to San Geronimo. Then get up there yourself after you’re sure everyone else is out.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Gretchen had barely reached the steps, however, when one of the men who’d been boarding the windows rushed inside. “The levee gave way. It’s too late! The town’s flooding.”

  “Everyone to the second floor,” the house manager declared.

  Gretchen could hear a horrible rumble outside. Was that the river? She hurried upstairs just as several other girls were starting down with their belongings. She waved them back. “The levee broke.” She could see the terror in their eyes.

  The house manager appeared behind her. “It’s too late to leave. There’s a heavy current out there, and I’m afraid it would pull us under. Back up so the men can get up here too.”

  The look of horror on each woman’s face left Gretchen little doubt that they were just as fearful as she was. She made her way to each room to announce what had happened. Everyone hurried to the windows to see out into the darkness. The streetlamps revealed water steadily rising.

  “How deep will it get?” one of the girls whispered.

  “I’ve seen it flood as high as the porch overhang,” one of the men muttered.

  A shiver went up Gretchen’s spine. The porch overhang was at least ten feet off the ground.

  Gretchen went to her room, where Katiann slept, oblivious to the disaster. She stroked the child’s dark curls and whispered a prayer for their safety.

  Out in the streets, debris began crashing against the Harvey House, filling the air with booms and the sound of splintering wood. Gretchen had endured other floods in San Marcial when she was a girl. It had always been terrifying when the river turned from friend to foe. At least they usually had plenty of warning. These rains had come in a deceptive manner, and with the government’s promises that the new dam and levees would prevent flooding, people had relaxed their guard. Now they would once again pay the price for living on the river’s edge.

  With Katiann sleeping comfortably, Gretchen went to soothe those Harvey Girls who’d never experienced anything so frightening. Several of them huddled in one room, weeping.

  “Come now, ladies, it’s not the end of the world.” She smiled. “I used to live here, and the river flooded o
ften. We just have to wait it out. The worst should be known by morning.”

  “Will it tear the building apart?” a petite blonde asked.

  “I doubt it. The men reinforced what they could, and the Harvey House was built well. I think we’ll be just fine.” They seemed to relax a bit. “Now, don’t forget we still have some guests here. We’ll want to figure out a way to offer breakfast of some sort when daylight comes. Why don’t you find Cook and see what he recommends?” She knew the cook would already have a plan in mind for feeding those gathered in the Harvey House.

  “I remember my grandfather talking about a bad flood here years ago. Some men were working at the shops and got swept away. What if that happens tonight?” one of the girls asked. “I have a beau working there.”

  Gretchen’s thoughts immediately went to Dirk. What if he were swept away? What if he died? What would happen to Katiann? Gretchen knew if the worst did happen, she wouldn’t let Katiann out of her sight. She would do whatever was necessary to take the girl as her own.

  I’ve got to stop thinking about the worst. It does nobody any good if I sit here supposing the future.

  Gretchen curled up beside Katiann. She had to smile when the child nestled in close and gave a sigh. No matter what, she wanted to be this girl’s mother and she wanted to be Dirk’s wife. She whispered a prayer that somehow God would do whatever needed to be done to make that happen.

  Dirk found himself praying that Gretchen and Katiann had made it to safety. He knew Gretchen was obligated to help with the Harvey House until the last minute, but he felt confident she would keep Katiann safe. Earlier in the evening, the railroad had train cars, both freight and passenger, waiting to get people and supplies out of the flood zone. As soon as a train came in, the engine was turned in the roundhouse, attached to the loaded cars, and sent back out again. As long as possible, the railroad men had worked to do what they could to get people and equipment evacuated. The huge machinery of the roundhouse and shops, millions of dollars of equipment needed for everyday production, would be lost to the river’s havoc. Many floods over the decades had settled several feet of silt in the town’s buildings, and the shops had been no exception. It discouraged many a man to realize just how bad it was going to get before it got better.

  One of the railroad men came toward them at a run. “We’re clearing out of here, boys. The bridge collapsed at San Acacia, and the levee just broke. The water is rising too fast. Last train is pulling north as we speak. I suggest you get yourselves on it or at least make a mad dash for the hills.”

  “Have they got the Harvey House people up to San Geronimo?” Dirk asked.

  “I guess so,” the man replied. “I haven’t had time to check on them. I had some of the secretaries load up the office papers earlier this evening, and the Harvey House was still lit up and folks were working there. I know some of the girls were on an earlier train out of here.”

  Dirk nodded. Folks were doing well to keep track of their own responsibilities, much less other people’s.

  “You’d be wise to finish up here and get to higher ground. We’re already up to three feet, and the current is strong. It’s going to get much higher. Don’t be fooled.”

  “I won’t be.” Dirk glanced toward the door. He knew Gretchen was a wise person, but whether she had the ability to leave was another matter entirely. If she thought she could escape and get Katiann to safety, she would do it. If not, she wouldn’t risk it.

  The loud crash of something smashing against the building caused silence to fall across the room.

  “Let’s go!”

  Everyone scrambled for the side of the building farthest from the river, where they hoped the water would be easier to manage. It wasn’t by much. Dirk and the other men formed a line and handed a rope down.

  “Hold on tight, fellas. We’ll see each other through.”

  They stepped into the rapidly rising water. It immediately came up to Dirk’s hip. The men inched their way through the water, fighting the constant attempts to pull them off their feet.

  “Watch out!” one of the men ahead of Dirk called. “There’s some debris coming our way.”

  In the darkness it was difficult to make out what the debris was at first, but as it came upon them, it became clear it was a wagon bed. The men in front of Dirk pulled forward and raised the rope high, while Dirk and those behind pulled back. The wagon passed through without entangling them.

  “Move out and pick up the pace, otherwise we might not get out of here alive.”

  That was all the incentive they needed. By the time they reached the cemetery in Old Town, the water was less volatile and not nearly so deep. They coiled the rope and made their way on their own. Dirk wished someone had thought to bring a lantern, as there were no streetlamps here. They finally managed to find the road to San Geronimo by using landmarks, and as they climbed the hillside, the water was less and less a threat. Down below, however, the eerie glow of the remaining few streetlamps glistened off the newly expanded Rio Grande. It now engulfed the entire town.

  The second floor of the Harvey House was brightly lit, and from the shadows, it was clear there were still people inside.

  “Dear Lord,” he murmured, feeling suddenly sick. They hadn’t all gotten out.

  Chapter Eight

  Dirk searched through the camps at San Geronimo but already knew in his heart that Gretchen and Katiann wouldn’t be among them. When he happened upon Felix and Bubba D., he sank to the ground where they were playing cards.

  “You doin’ all right, Mr. Martinez?” Felix asked.

  “No. I think Katiann and Gretchen are trapped in the Harvey House.”

  “What? There are still folks down there?” Bubba D. asked, straightening. “We gotta get ’em out of there. I heard the flood is tearing through buildings and rippin’ ’em to shreds.”

  “I heard the same,” Dirk said, “and believe me, I wouldn’t be stopping to talk to you about it unless I thought you might be willing to help me.”

  “Of course we’ll help,” Felix said. “Shouldn’t be that difficult.”

  Dirk raised a brow. “In case you haven’t noticed, the Rio Grande is now a raging lake.”

  “My Chapo can swim that.” Felix folded his hand of cards.

  “My horse can swim it too,” Bubba D. offered. “We can get ’em out of there.”

  Dirk perked up at this thought. It was well known that the boys often swam the river with their horses. People marveled at their strength against the current. “Do you really think you could?”

  “Of course,” Felix said with a casual shrug. He grinned. “I think it’ll be fun.”

  “That water is probably ten feet deep by now,” Dirk said. “You’ll have to get them off the second floor.”

  “They can climb out on top of the porch and then slip right onto Chapo’s back. I know we can do it.” Felix stood and stretched. “Come on, Bubba. Let’s go rescue us some folks.”

  Dirk got to his feet as Bubba D. did likewise. “What can I do?”

  “I guess we’ll need a wagon to pick them up when we get the people to dry ground. We’ll get ’em to the San Geronimo Road, and then you can take ’em from there.”

  They headed down the road back to Old Town. Dirk glanced toward several wagons still hitched with teams. Torches had been erected to offer light. “I’ll talk to the men who’ve already been freighting folks up here.” He walked to where two of the men were talking conspiratorially with the sheriff. “Hey, fellas, I need a favor.”

  They looked up and gave him a nod. “What can we do?” one of the men asked.

  “My two friends over there are going down into town to rescue the folks trapped at the Harvey House.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t let them do that,” the sheriff said, turning toward Felix and Bubba D., who were already saddling their horses. “Boys, come over here.”

  They left the blankets on the horses’ backs and joined Dirk. “What is it, Sheriff?” Felix asked.
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br />   “I can’t have you going into town. Not yet. We don’t know how bad things are, and we can’t see to keep out of the way of debris. Those folks are just fine where they’re sitting, and I promise you that at first light we’ll see what we can do. One of the brakemen said something about getting a raft or boat down from up north.”

  “Ah, we don’t need a boat or a raft,” Felix declared. “My Chapo can manage just fine. I’ll swim up with him and take folks one at a time off the roof. Bubba D.’s horse can do nearly as well as mine.”

  “We don’t know how many people are down there, Felix. Those horses are going to wear out just swimming the current, much less transporting two people at a time.”

  “Well, we can’t just wait around for Noah’s Ark to show up either.” Dirk hadn’t meant to sound so sarcastic, but he was ready to swim the current himself to see Gretchen and Katiann to safety.

  “I understand you want to help those folks, Mr. Martinez.”

  “My daughter and future wife are trapped there. You aren’t going to keep me from trying to save them.”

  The sheriff put his hand on Dirk’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m just asking you to wait until light. If Felix and Bubba want to try it then, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  Dirk knew it was the best he could hope for. If he tried to sneak off down the road now, the sheriff would only have his deputies stop him. He could hardly help with the rescue if he was forced to spend the night in the San Geronimo jail.

  Throughout the night, reports filtered in, and none of them were good. The water was tearing the town apart at an alarming rate. By first light, even the sheriff was anxious to get involved in the rescue. It was a good thing too, because Dirk had considered binding and gagging the lawman so he could rescue his family.

  He wondered if Gretchen was afraid. Katiann no doubt considered it a great adventure. At least until she grew bored with being cooped up. Dirk smiled as he imagined her racing around the Harvey House as she decided her best course of action. But Gretchen was a mystery. Would she know that he would come for her? Would she understand that he couldn’t stop thinking about her, wanting her safely at his side . . . in his arms?