Page 8 of Out of Luck in the Outback

“I asked if you think the American trains are like Australian trains.”

“Oh, well, I haven’t been on a sleeper train before. I guess I’m not the best person to speak about that.”

That answer appeases him, and he turns forward again, chatting at me over his shoulder about trains he’s been on like we’re old friends. Maybe we are. If my sister, Peyton, were here, she’d probably say Maddox and I knew each other in a former life, and that’s why we’re so comfortable with each other. It’s a nice thought, and I find myself smiling at the idea.

We reach the dining car, and it’s not what I expect. From old movies, I expected chandeliers and nice tables. Instead, it looks like a modern chain restaurant with a few booths along the side. A bar takes up space toward the back of the car, and benches face the window for people that want a view while they eat. Packaged sandwiches, baskets of chips, and a beverage cooler are attached to the bar, and Maddox saunters over like he owns the place.

“Two sandwich meals with crisps and a beer. What did you want to drink, Ava?”

“Oh, I’ll have a beer. Did you get me a sandwich, or are you eating two?”

“One is for you.”

I shake my head. “Just the drink is fine.”

“No oatmeal packet for lunch today, Calvert. Allow me. You’re my entertainment for this afternoon. It’s just a sandwich. We can have a chat, and you can tell me about your travels for the magazine.”

I nod and find a booth for us while he pays. If he expects me to entertain him with stories about my travel, he’s going to be supremely disappointed.

He settles into his seat and unwraps his sandwich. He looks between the bread. “Roast beef. Do you want it? The other is turkey.”

I unwrap the sandwich in front of me and take a bite. “I’ll eat anything as long as it isn’t sweet potatoes,” I mumble around the soft bread. “Not bad for a train sandwich.”

“Noted. No dinner dates to House of Yams.”

I almost choke as I swallow the bite. Did he just reference a future date? My stomach drops at the thought he may be as interested in me as I am in him. I should change the subject. “Have you been on a lot of trains?”

His eyes flick away from mine, and he looks out the window. “I’m more of a plane and boat guy.”

“Do you have a fishing boat?” I ask.

He chokes a little on his sandwich, and he guzzles his drink before answering my question. I could swear there’s a smile on his face he’s trying to cover. “Yeah, I have a fishing boat. Small thing.” He makes a hand gesture like he’s drawing a small square box. “Just a basic rowboat, really.”

“Do you smell like fish at the end of the day?”

He lets his teeth show when he smiles this time, but he looks out the window again, pointedly looking away from me. “If I smell like fish at the end of the day, I have bigger problems.” He takes another bite and wipes his hands on his napkin. “How about yourself?”

“If I smell like fish at the end of the day, I have problems that require a doctor,” I say, crunching down on a chip.

Maddox almost spits out his beer as he laughs. He wipes his nose and shakes his head, trying to curve his lips into a straight line. “No, Calvert, have you been on a lot of trains? I know you said no sleepers, but surely, you’ve been on regular trains.”

“I take the train from Chicago to Alton when I go home. That’s pretty much it.”

“You work for a travel magazine. No long train adventures through Europe?”

“I work forNickel Travel Times. It’s not top of the line. This is my first international assignment, and let’s just say that my family didn’t travel a lot when I was a kid.”

“Do you have a mother that doesn’t like to leave the house? I’m getting that vibe.”

“I have a mother that had nine kids, most of them coming in packages of two, and was tired of stopping every five minutes for one of us to go to the bathroom any time we went to the grocery store.”

“Nine kids?” he asks, his smile deepening to a frown.

“I have seven sisters and one brother.”

“Are you a twin?”

“No, but there are three sets of twins in our family. Samantha, Peyton, and I are the only single births.”

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