New Beginnings (Cutter's Creek Book 3)

by Annie Boone

  “I hope so!” she laughed.

  “Head on up to your room and get ready for bed. Then you can read for a while.”

  That went better than I expected, he thought and crossed his fingers that things started to get better around here.

  Chapter Seven

  Audrey looked around the room. There were trunks and boxes everywhere. All their clothes were packed in the trunks. They’d saved a change of clothes to have on the train with them so they didn’t have to wear the same clothes for the entire trip.

  Some of their keepsakes and family heirlooms were packed in boxes. They weren’t taking that much with them, but they decided to not leave everything behind. She recalled the conversation she’d had with her mother the night before.

  “I guess we’ll need to leave the China I brought from Ireland here. Maybe someone will cherish it like I do,” her mother had lamented.

  “You’ll certainly not leave it here. It’s part of our heritage and you love it. So do I. There are probably other things we want to take. Let’s think about it,” replied Audrey.

  Her mother had brightened immediately. Audrey realized there was more she needed to say. “Listen, Mother. Just because we’re basically being taken in by a man in Montana, it doesn’t mean that we don’t matter. Our lives didn’t just begin the day he sent train tickets to take us to him.”

  Kathleen had blinked in surprise. “We don’t want to be an imposition, though.”

  “What do you mean? We’re going to live there. We won’t be guests and we’re not there because of his charity alone. There will need to be compromise on both sides and we’ll do our share. We’ll not do more than our share, though. We’ll take our precious memories with us—the ones we carry in our hearts and the ones that will need to be packed in a box.”

  Between the two of them, they gathered the items that they treasured. Daisy’s book of first year keepsakes, her father’s watch and walking stick, Sam’s Bible and dictionary. Kathleen had several keepsakes from Ireland that had been her mother’s. Daisy chose several of her favorite toys to include. They packed it all up without apology or shame.

  Audrey had pieces of furniture she loved and would be forced to leave these behind, but there was no remedy for that. In the end, she was satisfied that she had packed enough of her life to take with them so that she wouldn’t feel like she was lost in Montana.

  Now, as she stood looking at the cargo that needed to get from her house to the train station, she felt uncertainty about what she was doing. She knew there was no turning back, this was the best option for her little family.

  Thank you, Lord, for putting this opportunity in my way. As we go, give us a balance of strength and humility as we combine our family with another. Lead us, Lord, and show us how to be your hands and feet as we minister to those who need us in Cutter’s Creek. Amen.

  Her silent prayer gave her the mental fuel she needed to continue with the tasks at hand. She had the God given confidence to know she was doing the right thing. She believed that in some way she would have a positive impact on the Jefferson family and that made this move worthwhile.

  She reminded herself again that this wasn’t a romantic, blissful event. She’d do well to keep that in mind so she didn’t get carried away. Even though this was simply a marriage of convenience, Audrey still wanted to look attractive when she met Caleb Jefferson for the first time. Business relationship or not, she didn’t want to embarrass the man.

  Something in the back of her mind wouldn’t let her not be concerned about what he thought of her. Maybe it was pride, maybe somewhere deep down she still wanted love in her life. Whatever the reason, she decided to look and smell fabulous when she met the man who would soon be her husband.

  The only way to do that was to pack an extra bag of toiletries she could carry on the train with her. Her mother would figure out that she was planning to try to do a little toilette in the washroom on the train. She didn’t care if she figured it out.

  She took her change of clothes and made sure it was one of her most flattering ones. She added the special perfume Sam had given her for her last birthday and some face powder to the smaller bag. A hairbrush, combs, lotions, and other feminine necessities were already put away there.

  With these things and some time to herself, she was certain she would be able to become more than presentable to Mr. Jefferson. Who knew? Maybe they both were more open to love than they thought.

  Then she laughed at the silly joke she’d made and continued the check to make sure nothing important had been missed.

  Chapter Eight

  The last day of their journey finally came and the Riley girls were relieved. The train ride hadn’t been terrible, but the trip across the country had been long. They were all three ready to be finished with the trip and have their feet on solid ground. The next sunrise they witnessed wouldn’t have to be seen through the limiting frame of a train car window.

  Then there was that part about starting a new life. The time on the train had felt like they were in limbo for Audrey. Not out of their old life completely, but their new life in Cutter’s Creek, Montana hadn’t quite started yet. What would her life with Caleb be like? That was still an unknown.

  Daisy was restless and wanted to run and play. Audrey and Kathleen were tired of trying to keep her occupied and they were tired of making conversation. They were simply tired. At first, the trip was exciting. Now they just wanted to get where they were going and have a minute to really rest.

  “What do you think—”

  “Mother, I don’t mean to be rude,” Audrey held up a hand to stop her mother. “But I can’t talk about Caleb Jefferson and what he might be like any more. I’m just tired of the whole conversation. We’ll know what he’s like when we meet him which will be later today.”

  “I wasn’t even going to mention him,” replied Kathleen. “All I was going ask was what you think the church will be like.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. We’ve just talked so much about him. I just assumed that was it. And I suppose I’m grumpy from being on this train for so long. So, the church. He didn’t say much about it. I think he said it’s in the middle of town, but that’s all I recall.”

  “I do hope they sing our favorite hymns. I’ve heard that some of the churches outside of Boston don’t have music.”

  “Yes, I know what you mean. I can’t imagine a Sunday service without music. I hope they have a choir, too,” said Audrey. “I’ve been thinking about teaching children, too. Maybe I’ll have a chance to do that there.”

  Kathleen nodded and went back to her book. The conductor had come through and announced that they would be arriving at the station in an hour. Audrey took her cue and went to the washroom to tidy herself up. She took her time and made sure her appearance was as appealing as possible given the circumstances.

  When she came out in a fresh dress with her strawberry blonde hair let down and curled, Kathleen smiled and nodded her approval. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she wouldn’t look and smell like she’d been on a tiresome journey across the country when she met the man she was about to marry.

  She may not be marrying Caleb because of love, but she was respectful enough to want to make a decent first impression. She hoped they could be friends and a bad first impression could damage that possibility before it even got started. Her own self-esteem prevented her from disregarding her appearance, even after being stuck on a train for five days.

  She’d only been back in her seat for a few minutes when the train began to slow. “All right, Daisy, our station is coming up. We need to get ready,” she said as she got busy preparing her daughter for the end of the journey.

  The train was at a crawl as they watched out the window. Audrey could see a bend coming up on the tracks. The engine let out a piercing whistle as it rounded the bend and soon the station came into view.

  Audrey felt herself growing a little nervous as the train jerked to a stop. “Come on, Mother. Daisy, here we go,”
she smiled confidently at them as she led the way to the exit door in their car.

  There was quite a crowd on the platform, considering that it wasn’t supposed to be one of the busier stations in the area. She looked around for a familiar face but didn’t see the one that she had expected to see. Nevertheless, that was their destination and they had to get off the train.

  ***

  Caleb stood impatiently waiting for Audrey’s train to arrive. He’d arrived early, to be sure she didn’t have to wait. He wasn’t excited to see her or anything, but he didn’t want to be rude. He couldn’t believe he was at the very small station in Cutter’s Creek to receive a woman.

  What am I doing? he thought. How did I let Janine talk me into this? I don’t need a wife!

  He walked away from the crowd of people gathering. He needed some space. He needed to think. He thought about the conversation with his mother. It had not been pleasant. She thought this was a bad idea. Her reasoning was simple and sound.

  “Bringing a woman you’ve never met to live in your house is dangerous. What if she’s a criminal? What if she’s lied to you? What will you do to protect Beatrice from a woman of questionable character?” she’d said.

  He argued with her, but his arguments were half-hearted. She could tell and she capitalized on that.

  “So you think you’ll marry her? How can you marry someone you don’t love? Janine needs to mind her own business. This is a terrible idea!”

  “Well, Mother, it’s the best idea we’ve got for now. Beatrice does need a mother figure, after all,” he’d argued.

  “That may be, but bringing someone from across the country is doomed for failure. You can’t check her out. You have no idea what kind of a woman she is. And don’t argue that she seemed nice in her letters. Anyone can write a charming letter,” she’d shot back. He had to admit she had good points.

  “It’s too late to change anything now. We’ll see how things go and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll send her back to Boston,” he’d responded.

  “That easy, is it? So you’ll just send her back if it doesn’t work out. What of her life? She may be a perfectly lovely person as you’ve said. You can’t decide you don’t like her and then just send her away. She’s uprooted her life for you. Where will she go if she doesn’t stay here? I believe you said she has a daughter, too. Caleb, it’s terrible to fool around with the lives of others and that’s just what you’ve done.”

  He hung his head at the thought of the argument with his mother. He was her child, she was the mother. He was respectful of their roles, even though he was an adult. She didn’t run his life anymore, but he did listen to her. In this case, she’d done the perfect job of arguing the foolishness of this idea for each side. Brilliant!

  He worried that she was going to be difficult in this situation. He didn’t want to alienate himself from his mother or any of his siblings because he’d brought a wife from Boston into the family. Especially a wife he got through an ad in the paper.

  Well, it was too late to change things now. They would take it slow. There would be no wedding until he was sure she was who and what she claimed to be. He wasn’t sure how he’d prove her poor character if he needed to, so he’d probably have to go more on gut feel. He’d surely be able to tell if she was a criminal or a shady individual by how she behaved. He’d keep a close eye on things, that’s for sure.

  True, there wasn’t much that either of them knew about the other, but they were soon going to find out. He just hoped things would unfold smoothly. He didn’t want drama or problems. He’d had a lifetime of that already.

  Soon, a train came rolling in to the station and slowed to a stop. A number of people stood waiting as passengers eventually started to get down from the train. Baggage was being unloaded to the platform at the other end of the small building.

  Caleb walked up to one of the passengers. “Excuse me, is this train coming from Denver?” he asked, knowing that Audrey had to change trains in Denver.

  “No, my man, this one’s from Chicago,” the man said.

  “Thank you, sir,” Caleb replied. He blew out his breath in frustration. He was going to have to wait longer. He really had gotten here far too early.

  He returned to the bench he’d walked away from earlier and took a seat. He tapped his foot on the wooden floor. His fingers drummed silently on his knee. He was nervous. He acknowledged the fact, but he was certain his nervousness was due to the changes he faced. Nothing more.

  Finally, Caleb heard the sharp, shrill sound of a whistle hooting nearby. When he looked over, a steam engine was pulling up round the corner, spewing smoke and soot behind it. It slowly chugged in to the station and came to a decided stop.

  There was a flurry of activity all around as porters rushed to cater to passengers and people milled about waiting on friends and relatives.

  “Excuse me! I believe this is the train from Denver?” Caleb asked a porter.

  “Right you are, sir,” the busy man said and ran along to find paying customers to help.

  Caleb waited patiently on one side of the platform for the crowd to thin out a little. When a few of the passengers had dispersed, he spotted two women standing on the platform with a little girl. They were looking around as if searching for someone.

  Caleb Jefferson took out the photo from his pocket and compared it with the small group. Then he put it back in place and took his first steps toward Audrey and his future.

  Chapter Nine

  Audrey, Kathleen, and Daisy stepped down from the train and on to the platform. The train had been stopped for a bit when it was finally their turn to get off. They had their personal bags with them, even Daisy carried a small bag at her side.

  “Do you see him?” Kathleen asked her daughter.

  “No, not yet,” she replied, wondering how she would manage to recognize him in the crowd. While she had seen his photo, it wasn’t a face that Audrey could remember. Everything in her mind was completely messed up. She realized that she should have carried the photo of the man, but she had somehow forgotten about it in all the rush and excitement. She actually wasn’t even sure where it was right now.

  After a while, the crowd on the platform thinned out. The train started moving after having let out a shrill, agonizing whistle.

  Has he forgotten about us? Audrey worried. What are we going to do if he isn’t here?

  She had no way to know if she ought to have expected something like this from the man or not. She didn’t know him. His letters couldn’t be a true indicator of the kind of person he really was.

  As they stood around contemplating what they should do next, a most attractive man walked up to them. “Excuse me, ladies,” he said. As they looked at him, his eyes fell on Audrey. “Would you happen to be Audrey Norris from Boston?”

  “Yes, that’s us!” Kathleen replied enthusiastically for her daughter. “And you must be Caleb Jefferson?”

  “Yes, ma’am. That’s me. Welcome to Montana.”

  “How did you recognize us?” Audrey asked in surprise.

  Caleb smiled and took out the photo from his pocket. It was an image of Audrey and Daisy. “Do you remember sending this?” he asked. “Also, you’re the only three generations of women I see around. That gave you away, too.”

  Audrey blushed. “Oh, the picture! Yes, of course! I do remember!” she said.

  Caleb flashed another smile at them. “I think we can collect your things and be on our way,” he said unceremoniously. He walked to a porter to enlist his help.

  “Our trunks. I’ll show you,” said Audrey. She had to rush to keep up as they headed to the other side of the platform.

  Caleb looked at the large pile of baggage that Audrey pointed out and scratched his head. The porter looked at him with a smile. “How big is your wagon, man?”

  “Probably not big enough,” replied Caleb with a chuckle. “I may have to make two trips.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on what won’t fit till you get back,” said t
he porter.

  “I’d appreciate that very much.”

  “You remember there are three of us who had to uproot and move here, right?” inserted Audrey. She lifted her chin as she stood up for her decision to bring this much with them. “Did you expect us to leave everything behind?”

  “Not at all, Audrey. It’s not a problem. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to get it all moved. That’s all.”

  Audrey stood beside him and didn’t move even though she wanted to shrink back. She wasn’t going to start this whole thing off by being mousy. She had no way to know if he would try to bully her or not, but she wasn’t going to open that door.

  “All right, then,” she replied with a nod.

  Caleb looked at the porter with a knowing grin. “Let’s get the largest ones loaded on the bottom. My wagon’s outside, near the corner. Chestnut horse. I’ll come back for the rest of it later this afternoon before dark.”

  “Yes, sir,” nodded the porter and he hauled the first trunk on to his wheeled cart. Caleb worked with him to load as much as the cart could handle. When it was full, Caleb picked up one of the larger bags and followed the porter to the street.

  Caleb walked out of the station building at a brisk pace. He seemed to be in a hurry. Audrey, Kathleen, and Daisy were struggling to keep up with him.

  “Why does he have to walk so fast?” Kathleen whispered to her daughter, panting and gasping for breath as she rushed along.

  “I have no idea, mother!” Audrey said in between gasping breaths of her own. “Just do your best. Surely he won’t drive away before we all get to the wagon.”

  “We can only hope,” said Kathleen.

  By the time the two ladies and the girl made it to the wagon, it was loaded with all of their belongings that would fit. The women each found a spot in the wagon and settled in for the ride. Caleb climbed into the driver’s seat and cracked the reins to get them moving.