Page 6 of Beyond the Desert Sands

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Aaron spent a restless night in his berth. He kept thinking of Isabella and how beautiful she was—at least on the outside. Her black hair had been carefully arranged for the trip, and her traveling costume displayed her figure perfectly. She reminded him of a statue he’d once seen—a Greek goddess in white marble. It seemed Isabella was just as cold and hard, but also as beautiful. Still, what good was beauty on the outside if there was none on the inside?

He spent time in prayer, seeking God’s direction and understanding. He wanted to treat Isabella Garcia with kindness and not just heap coals on her head. After all, she wasn’t really the enemy Romans 12 spoke of. That portion of the Bible told him to be at peace with her—to be generous. That was asking a lot. She had caused so much pain for Daniel and Helena Garcia. They didn’t have to speak a single word about it. Their feelings were clear in the expressions they sometimes wore on their faces. She was their entire world, and she had left them to muddlethrough without her, not even bothering to send regular correspondence.

Her absence had left a hole in their hearts and lives, and she didn’t care. Or did she? He wanted to think kindly of her. He wanted to do the right thing by her, but nothing about her offered him hope that she cared about anything other than herself.

The train car began to stir to life around him, and Aaron knew he needed to start his day. He made his way to the bathroom and washed up, combed his hair, and considered his clothes. The porter had arranged for his suit to be brushed the night before and his clean shirt to be ironed. They looked amazingly refreshed. He’d have to tip the man extra.

He dressed quickly, then put away his sleeping clothes and tucked the blanket in under the mattress. Certain there was nothing else to delay his joining Miss Garcia, Aaron made his way to the private train car just as the porter was exiting.

“Good morning, sir. I just took the ladies’ breakfast orders. Will you be joining them?”

“Yes. Thank you. Bring me eggs and ham, toast, and plenty of butter.” Aaron smiled, and the porter did likewise. “Oh, and coffee, please.” He reached into his suit and pulled out his wallet. He handed the black man several bills. “You did a remarkable job on this suit. Thank you.”

“You are welcome, sir. The Santa Fe aims to please.”

Aaron nodded. “I know they do, but you went above and beyond, and I appreciate the effort.”

The porter took the money and disappeared down the sleeping car, humming.

Aaron stepped into the private car, determined to have a better time of it with Isabella. No doubt her attitude was difficult due to leaving behind the people she cared for. Therehad been a man at the station to see her off. The two seemed quite intimate. Perhaps he was a fiancé? And, of course, there was Isabella’s beloved aunt. It was bound to be hard to say good-bye. Still, she should care about her parents as well. Where were her feelings for them? They sat silent in their pain, longing for a child who wanted nothing to do with them.

But perhaps she had no idea. What if they’d never said a word to Isabella about their desire to have her back? What if she thought they were as content to have her gone as she was to be absent? Maybe her parents were just as silent with Isabella as they were with Aaron.

“Good morning, Mr. Bailey,” Lupe declared, coming from Isabella’s room. “Miss Garcia will join you shortly.”

“Good morning, Lupe. Did you sleep well?”

She giggled. “I did. I’ve never slept on a train bed. It was like being rocked in my mama’s arms.”

“With an occasional jolt that threatened to throw you to the floor, eh?” He smiled at the younger woman, who seemed hardly more than a girl.

“Yes!” She nodded with enthusiasm. “It is true.”

“And Miss Garcia, did she sleep well?”

“I did.” Isabella swept across the room to the dining table that had already been arranged for breakfast. Orange juice had been delivered to three places. Isabella took a seat and frowned. “I hardly need three glasses of juice.”

“I believe the porter presumed we would all share this table.” Aaron gave her no chance to argue as he pulled out a chair for Lupe. “Have a seat.”

“Oh no, I will eat in my room,” Lupe declared.

Isabella picked up her napkin. “At least someone knows their place.”

“There’s no reason she should have to balance a tray onher bed,” Aaron said. “This table is more than ample for all of us. Lupe, have a seat.”

She looked hesitant, but finally Isabella gave a curt nod, and the young woman sat. Aaron slid her chair up to the table, then took his own seat.

“Looks like a lovely day.” He motioned toward the desert landscape out the window.

The porter chose that moment to appear with a cart full of food. He positioned the covered plates quickly, then pulled the silver lids from each. Next he put racks of toast on the table, along with plenty of butter, just as Aaron had requested.

“If there’s anything else I can be gettin’ you, just say so. The name is Abraham.” The porter poured coffee for each person.

“A fine name indeed,” Aaron declared. “This breakfast looks fit for a king.” Along with the eggs and ham he’d requested, there was a side of fresh fruit. It looked most appealing.

Isabella said nothing. She waited until Abraham had taken the cart and gone before picking up her fork.

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