Page 40 of Charlotte's Reckoning
“That sounds lonely,”Elise replied. “You are still a young woman. The sky is the limit. But, be careful. There is something peculiar about that man. He has a remoteness about him, where you are so warm.”
“He can be open and charming when he wants to be, but a handsome face and disarming smile won’t sway me. I mean to keep it professional.”
“What about your ‘arrangement’?”
“He wants it to continue.”
“And you agreed, I suppose.”
“Yes,”Charlotte admittedwith a shrug. “He can sometimes be maddening, but we get along well. We talk about so many things, and considering how I arrived in St. Louis, finding a man who cares for me, however slightly, is more than I expected.”
“And Fenton Sneedis that man?”she asked, her tone rife with skepticism.
“If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t be standing here heading to parts unknown with him.”She clasped her friend’s hands. “I don’t expect love, Elise. After the pain of losing Carson, I don’t want to go through that ever again. I’m willing to settle for friendship.”
“I hope you find what you’re looking for.”She pulled her into a tight hug and murmured one last bit of advice. “Guard your heart, precious girl. If I’ve learned anything in this profession, youtake care ofyourself first.”
“I will,”Charlotte promised, her eyes misty with tears. When the train whistle blew, she drew away. “This is goodbye, I suppose. Thank you, my friend, for all you’ve done.”
“Not goodbye, my dear. Until we meet again. Because I truly hope that we do. If you ever getto St. Louisagain—”
“I’ll stop in,”she agreed, gripping her hands tightly. “The same goes for you. If you ever get a hankering to tour the wilds of the untamed frontier—”
“Shit, Charlotte. Are you ever gonna stop yammering?”
She looked up at the uncouth bellow, as did everyone else on the platform. But it didn’t faze Fenton, who was hanging out the window and hollering at her.
“Get on the train, woman. Before you get left behind!”
From several yards down the platform, the conductor proved Fenton right but not as crudely. “All aboard! Last call.”
Charlotte picked up her overstuffed carpetbag and moved to the steps, grateful that the porter was there to assist her. At the top, she turned and waved, but her last goodbye was lost in the piercing shriek of the whistle.
The train moved forward with a lurch that forced her to grab the handrail.
“It’s not safe out here when we’re moving, miss. Please take your seat inside,”the porter urged.
Both apprehensive and excited about the next chapter of her life, Charlotte entered the car to find Fenton.
Chapter 10
A Chance Encounter
Omaha, Nebraska 1870
Hot, tired, and dusty from three straight weekson the trail, when Seth arrived at the next town big enough to have a hotel, he stopped at the first one he saw. A bathin an actualtub anda full night’ssleepin an actualbed was all he could think about, but the smell of freshly baked apple pie wafting from the Omaha Inn instantly changed his focus.
While checking in at the desk, he observed, “I hope that pie I smell is on the menu tonight.”
“It’s the best in the state,” the clerk replied, grinning proudly as if he’d done the baking himself. “As is the beef stew, which is the special tonight.”
The man directed him down a short hallway to Sarah’s Place, which was bustling with activity as suppertime neared. Despite the crowd, he found an empty table by the front window. As he settled in, the aroma of sizzling beef from the nearby kitchen made his mouth water. Picking up the handwritten menu, the hearty options like the beef stew the clerk recommended, steaks, fried chicken, beans, and biscuits left him tempted to try one of everything.
He decided on their biggest steak with fried potatoes and green beans, and a double slice of pie, which was brought to him by Sarah herself in only a few minutes. As he eagerly tucked in to his supper, he couldn’t help but overhear the very loud conversation between two older men at the next table.
One had a waxed handlebar mustache that twitched comically as he chewed. He didn’t stop eating as he complained about a recent robbery and his unsuccessfulsearch for theculprit. Catching sight of the brass star pinned to his chest, Seth stifled a grin, recognizing the irony. After years of evading the law, now, he was practically breaking bread with it.
“What’s your next move, Willard?” the sheriff’s dinner companion asked. “You’re up for reelection in a few months, and the townsfolk are in an uproar.”
