Orphan Train Christmas

by Rachel Wesson

  Tommy and Mike arrived, just as they sat down to play some games with the children. The men came in and admired the tree, played with the children for a little bit, before excusing themselves, saying they had to get back. Kathleen and Bridget brought them out to the kitchen to collect the food baskets. Tommy asked Shane to come into the kitchen, too. Shane’s face was a picture. You would think he had been asked to leave Angel’s side for a year, rather than a few minutes, but Tommy was insistent he needed to speak to him.

  Kathleen’s stomach churned, wondering what news Tommy had brought with him. There was something behind his request to speak to them.

  “You can stop worrying. It’s good news.” Mike grinned at Kathleen before grabbing a mince pie from the kitchen table. “Your cook certainly knows the way to a man’s heart.”

  “She does, but tell us what’s the news?” Kathleen didn’t want to be rude, but she had to know.

  “Monk Eastman isn’t a threat anymore. At least not once you get Angel away.”

  “He isn’t going to come after her? But what of Lucky’s debts? He must want revenge.” Shane echoed her own thoughts, but she didn’t want to alarm her brother, so she stayed silent, waiting to hear what Tommy knew.

  “We may have spread a rumor Angel has already left. She went to her aunt’s place, as Haviv insisted she should, Haviv being the oldest now that Axel is dead.”

  Her hand flew to her mouth. Richard hadn’t told her his patient had died.

  “Easy, Kathleen, Axel will be fine. He is going to disappear, too. But it was easier if Monk believed him to be dead.”

  “So they are all safe?” Kathleen wished her heart would slow down a bit. “Oh, Tommy, Mike, we owe you so much already, and you go and do this for us, too.”

  Tommy turned the color of Santa’s suit, while Mike pushed another mince pie into his mouth.

  “We didn’t do nothing special.”

  Despite Tommy’s protests, Kathleen knew the boys had taken a big risk. If Monk found out they were lying, he would make them pay.

  “I am so glad you men came into our lives. We are so much richer for it. Will you come for dinner on New Year’s day? Cook is rustling up another feast as Father Nelson and Inspector Griffin couldn’t be here today.”

  Mike’s eyes nearly took over his face. “We’ll be here. That woman can cook.”

  Everyone laughed, before Kathleen and Bridget hugged Tommy and Mike close.

  “Thank you for looking after my family,” Bridget whispered. Tommy’s red face didn’t go any paler, as Bridget kissed his cheek. The poor man nearly ran out the back door, Mike following after him with the baskets piled up one on top of the other.

  “Shane, Angel will be safe in Riverside Springs. Are you going to travel with us?”

  “Yes, Bridget. I best go tell Angel the news, since she was very worried about Monk. She thought she was putting the sanctuary and all of you in danger by being here.”

  Shane left Kathleen and Bridget in the kitchen.

  “Sit a while. You look like you had a shock, and you don’t want to alarm the children.”

  Kathleen knew Bridget was right. She was shocked but pleased. Nobody wanted Monk Eastman’s attention, and she was thrilled Angel would get to live out her life in the peace of Riverside Springs. Shane, too.

  “Mrs. Grayson will give Angel a home, and Bella may be able to give her a job. Something will work out. Shane can work with Geoff Rees once his arm heals, until he saves up enough money to set up his own place.” Bridget looked closely at Kathleen. “What are your plans?”

  She didn’t get a chance to respond, as George came running in.

  “You are missing all the fun, Miss Kathleen. Miss Lily said you were to come back, the both of you.”

  They spent the afternoon relaxing and playing games with the children. In the evening, the group gathered around the Christmas tree, as Richard lifted Kenny up to put the star at the top. George had won the right to put the ornament on the tree but had nominated Kenny to do it in his place. He said Kenny needed some good luck and should make a wish.

  Kenny smiled for the first time since the funeral. Richard held her hand, as the little boy wished for a new home with a mother and father who liked dogs. Kathleen took a deep breath. She wished she could offer this amazing little boy a home, but she wasn’t at that stage in her life yet.

  “I wish the same thing,” Richard whispered in her ear. “But I think Kenny would benefit from leaving New York. There are too many bad memories here. He will thrive elsewhere.”

  She nodded to acknowledge his comment, but she wasn’t at all sure the boy would thrive. If he was lucky and got parents who accepted Jack and him, he might. But it was hard enough finding decent people to adopt little children, without asking them to adopt a dog as well.

  She glanced over at Shane and Angel. They were also holding hands, and the look of love on their faces was obvious for everyone to see. They were too young to get married, but she was certain, as soon as Angel came of age, they would.

  “Are you happy with the way the day turned out?” Bridget asked, coming to stand beside her.

  “Yes. It was wonderful, wasn’t it? The children were so excited. Everything worked out perfectly.”

  “It did,” Bridget said, staring at Kenny with a soft smile on her face.

  “He is a wonderful little boy, isn’t he? I hope you can find him a nice family when you leave on the next train.”

  “Actually Kathleen, Carl and I want to speak to Lily and you about that. Could you tear yourself away, so we can speak in the office?”

  Surprised, Kathleen agreed. She looked around for Richard to tell him where she was going, but he seemed to have disappeared. Maybe he was in the office already.

  Chapter 68

  He wasn’t, but Carl, Charlie, and Lily were. Kathleen sat down beside Lily, as Bridget joined her husband standing opposite the sofa.

  “Kathleen, Carl and I have decided this next orphan train will be our last trip.”

  “What? But I thought you were feeling better. Did Richard say something was wrong?”

  “No, he didn’t. He just repeated what he had already told us. I need to rest more and look after my heart. It won’t take the strain of all the traveling. While I love my job, it does take a lot out of me, especially saying goodbye to all the lovely children we meet. So,” Bridget glanced at Carl who took her hand in his, “We’ve decided to settle in Riverside Springs. We would be near to Liam and Annie. Shane, too, assuming Angel’s and his plans work out.”

  Kathleen stood up and gave her sister a hug.

  “I will miss you, and the children will, too. You won’t be easy to replace,” Kathleen said before adding, “But I want you to be happy and healthy.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I almost wish I could go live in Riverside Springs. All my favorite people seem to end up living there,” Lily said, tears making her eyes bright.

  “Kathleen, we have another suggestion for you,” Bridget said. “We would like to give Kenny and Jack a home. We know adoption is out of the question until they find Kenny’s mother, but we don’t care. We have fallen in love with him.”

  Kathleen didn’t know what to say. It was like everything she had prayed for was coming true.

  “We think it’s wonderful, don’t we, Kathleen?” Lily prompted, as the silence lingered.

  “Sorry, yes, of course it is. Kenny will be over the moon, but are you sure you know what you are taking on in Jack? That dog is a nutcase.”

  Carl and Bridget laughed with everyone else.

  “We know, but we hope he can be trained,” Bridget said.

  Kathleen didn’t hold out much hope for that, but, given how much her sister already adored the dog, she didn’t think it would matter.

  “When are you going to tell Kenny?” Kathleen asked.

  “We thought we would leave it until tomorrow. He’s had enough excitement for one day,” Bridget said.

  “Oh, I think he wo
uldn’t mind a little more. Did you hear what he wished for when he put the star on the tree? I think you should go tell him now.”

  “You do?” Bridget’s expression showed her how much her sister was dying to tell the child. “Is that all right with you, Lily?”

  “It’s perfect. What a lovely way to end Christmas day,” Lily said.

  A knock interrupted them, and Richard popped his head in.

  “Sorry to interrupt, folks, but could I drag Kathleen away for a few minutes?” Richard asked.

  Everyone looked at her, as her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.

  “Yes,” she answered, as she let him walk her out of the office and toward the back of the sanctuary. She looked out the window to the garden, seeing a tree decorated with candles. She looked at Richard, whose eyes were sparkling with mischief.

  “I thought you might enjoy a private, Christmas tree, do you like it?”

  “I love it. It’s magical.”

  Chapter 69

  “Here, put this on, so you don’t get cold.” He wrapped her warm shawl around her shoulders, and together they walked outside to the tree, its pine scent wafting up her nose. She gazed up in wonder, as she counted the candles. It looked fabulous and seemed even more magical when standing beside it.

  “Kathleen,” he spoke so softly she almost didn’t hear him. She turned to find him with one knee on the ground.

  “Richard, you’ll get wet.”

  “I messed up the first time I asked you. This time I want to do it right,” he said softly. “Kathleen Collins, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He held out a small, velvet-covered box, opening it to show her a dazzling diamond ring. It looked like the candles on the tree. She tried to take it in her hands, but they were shaking too badly.

  “Yes,” she said, as he stood up. He took her finger and placed the ring on it, and then he reached down and kissed her sweetly.

  “I love you, Miss Collins. I promise never to try to tell you what to do again.”

  “I love you, too, Richard. I promise to try not to be too stubborn, although I have to say, it’s a family trait.”

  He took her in his arms and kissed her again and again.

  “I suppose I should return you to your meeting,” he said. “It was rude of me to tear you away.”

  “Oh, no, it had almost finished. Bridget and Carl want to adopt Kenny, well they want to foster him until the time comes when they can make it official. Bridget told me she is finally taking your advice—they are going to live in Riverside Springs. This next trip will be their last.”

  “I hope you don’t blame me for that decision. I know it won’t be easy with your sister living so far away.”

  “Blame you?” Kathleen said, surprised. “How could I when it was your expertise that saved her life. I love you, Richard.”

  She held her head up for another kiss and another. Each kiss melted away the doubts she had about where she should live. Her place was by his side, no matter where he chose to be.

  “I will live wherever you want. If you want to be with your family in Riverside Springs, I can set up a practice out there. I don’t care where I am, so long as you are at my side.”

  “Oh, Richard, I was just thinking the same. I will live wherever you want.”

  He smiled, as he circled her with his arms, drawing her close against him. They stood looking at the candles for a few minutes. Then he looked down at her.

  “I believe the children of New York need our help, but I might be biased, given the hospitals are here.”

  “I think the same,” Kathleen agreed. “I would love to see Bridget and my other siblings more often, but the children do need us. Not just the orphans, but those on the street. We can help them, just like Lily, Mrs. Fleming, Father Nelson, and Inspector Griffin helped my family.”

  “Then we will stay here, but perhaps we can have a house of our own. I love your orphans, but I rather like the idea of spending some time alone with my wife,” Richard said.

  “I like the sound of that, too.”

  They kissed some more until the sweet sound of Silent Night filled the air.

  “The children were practicing with Sheila. They sound wonderful, don’t they?” she said, torn between wanting to stay with him at their magical tree and going back inside to see the children sing.

  “We should go back inside before you freeze to death. Some doctor I am, letting my future wife get hypothermia.”

  Giggling, she waited, as he put out the candles.

  “I can’t let the tree start a fire. I want Lily to like me.”

  “She likes you a lot already,” Kathleen assured him. “She will like you even more now we have decided to live in New York. She was afraid I would go to Riverside Springs, too. Her heart is tied to Carmel’s Mission.”

  “She’s done an incredible job here—really the sanctuary should be called Lily’s Mission. Why did she call it Carmel’s?”

  “It’s named after Charlie’s Grandmother, who is a formidable woman. She lived around here until the blizzard back in '88, after which she moved to Colorado. She inspired Lily a lot.”

  “She sounds like a woman I would like to meet. Maybe she will come to visit sometime.”

  “Charlie has invited her to come see her great-grandchildren, so you may get your wish soon.”

  “We better get inside, or the kids will have finished their song. Just one more thing,” he said.

  “What?”

  “This,” he smiled, before kissing her deeply again. “I don’t think I will ever have enough of kissing you.”

  Chapter 70

  Kenny looked up at the star on top of the tree. The day was nearly over, and all his wishes hadn’t come true. Santa hadn’t given him back Mary and his ma, but at least he had made Kathleen come and save him from Lucky. And he had Jack. That was good. He glanced at George who was almost asleep on the floor, his small, red, fire engine held tightly in his hand.

  The door opened, and Kathleen and the doctor came in, their faces all red. They looked happy, though. Everyone was. It was Christmas, after all.

  “Kathleen, I thought you would never come back in. We were waiting for you,” Bridget chided her sister. Kenny checked Bridget’s face, but she was still smiling. She didn’t get mad like his ma.

  “Sorry Bridget, that was my fault,” the doctor said. “I finally did things properly and am glad to announce we are properly engaged.”

  Soon everyone was crying again and hugging Kathleen and her doctor. Adults could be weird sometimes. Jack barked a few times, and his tail wagged. Kenny passed him another treat. Cook had made Jack his own special sausages, just for Christmas.

  His eyes closed again, but then he felt himself being picked up. He knew that smell, it was Bridget holding him. He opened his eyes, trying to concentrate.

  “Kenny, I have something to ask you. Can you wake up?”

  He tried to say yes, but Jack answered first by barking. Everyone laughed but Bridget. She looked serious. His belly got a little sore, and he wondered if something was wrong. Was she going to say goodbye today? He’d heard she was going to somewhere called Springs. Mary would kill him, if she knew how often he listened at the doors. Maybe she did know. Someone said those in Heaven could see him.

  “Kenny, Carl and I would like you and Jack to come live with us in Riverside Springs. Would you like that?”

  “Me?”

  “You and Jack. We want both of you to come.”

  “You mean it?” he asked, his stomach turning over. “You really do?”

  “Yes, darling, we really do. We can’t adopt you until we find your ma and ask her permission, but that doesn’t matter. We love you and Jack and never want to lose you. So, what do you say?”

  “Santa really is magic. He gave Jack and me a home, just like I asked. I love you, too,” Kenny whispered, as he wound his arms around Bridget’s neck.

  Jack barked and jumped up on both of them, pushing his nose into their hug. Kenny knew this wou
ld be the best Christmas of his life, no matter how long he lived.

  Epilogue

  Christmas, 1896

  Kathleen bit her lip, trying to stop the fluttering in her stomach.

  “You look beautiful,” Bridget said, as she fussed at Kathleen’s veil.

  “Richard won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.” Lily agreed, as she stood to the side, holding baby Grace in her arms. Kathleen’s goddaughter was almost a year-old but thankfully was an easy-going baby. Lily’s almost two-year-old twins Teddy and Laurie were a handful.

  “I can’t believe you are all here with me to celebrate. I couldn’t believe it, when you came in the door, Bridget, with Kenny, Liam, and Annie at your side.”

  “Annie wasn’t going to miss the opportunity of being bridesmaid. Carolyn said she even helped stitch her dress.”

  Bella came forward with a spray of Ivy and some winter flowers for her bouquet.”

  “Charlie Doherty and Carl planned this with Richard, as his wedding present to you. You are marrying a wonderful man, Kathleen. I am so happy for you.”

  Kathleen smiled at Bella, glowing in the late stages of pregnancy. Her baby was due in March, and Brian kept telling everyone it would be a boy. Bella had confided her husband was quite envious of Lily’s twins and hoped they would be blessed with a set of twins, too. Kathleen knew her friend would prefer to have one baby to start with.

  “This is for you,” Angel came forward with a beautiful silver bracelet. “I want to lend it to you for your special day. It is supposed to bring you luck.” Angel caught the laughs of the other women. “I mean, not that you need good luck, but…”

  “It’s lovely, thank you,” Kathleen leaned in to give Angel a kiss on her cheek. The Jewish girl had blossomed in her time in Riverside Springs and was training to take over for the school teacher who had decided to retire. Shane was so proud of his young wife-to-be.