The Whisper of Morning (Kansas Crossroads Book 6) Read online

  “Look at those clouds,” he said in her ear. “They’re just right for cloud gazing.”

  She looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun. “I think that one’s a hippopotamus,” she said, pointing with her other hand.

  “I think you’re right.”

  The train made a sudden lurch, and Wallace’s other arm came around her waist. She turned to face him. He was so close—one inch closer, and she could kiss him. She had no idea where that thought had come from and knew she should be ashamed of herself, and yet she wasn’t. Not at all.

  Wallace studied her eyes, his hands not moving from her waist even though the train wasn’t rocking as much anymore. Then his gaze flicked down to her lips, and she took a deep breath. This moment would be perfect. She knew it.

  But then his head twisted to the side, and he let her go. “Grab the railing,” he shouted, and she did as she was told. What on earth …

  Then she saw it—a little boy’s head peering down at them from the top of the passenger car. Billy had somehow managed to find his way up there and was now clinging to the edge of the roof as the train sped along the track at forty to fifty miles an hour. She gasped, her heart suddenly in her throat.

  Wallace reached out and grabbed the ladder that was bolted to the side of the car. With no hesitation, he swung his body onto the ladder, the wind tearing at him and nearly throwing him onto the ground. His hat was ripped from his head and immediately swirled out of sight. Wallace was able to right himself and began climbing the ladder. Caroline was frozen, her heart pounding so fast, it nearly caused a physical ache.

  Wallace reached the top of the ladder and reached out for Billy, but from what Caroline could tell from her vantage point, the boy was just out of Wallace’s reach.

  “Hang on!” she yelled to both of them, struggling to make the sound come out past the knot in her throat.

  Her mind raced through the options. There was no time to alert the engineer or the brakemen—Wallace was doing the only thing that really could be done under the circumstances. And if the brakemen knew, what then? The sudden slowing of the train might throw off the child’s balance, and he could fall.

  Wallace gripped the side of the roof and climbed up another rung of the ladder. Caroline wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t. Then she glanced through the window of the door leading into the car and caught sight of a young man coming toward them, a worried look on his face. He opened the door.

  “I glanced out my window just now and saw the conductor climbing the outside of the car. Is anything wrong?”

  “There’s a child on the roof,” she told him.

  The young man swore, pulled off his jacket and tossed it back inside the car, and joined Caroline on the platform. He looked up to assess the situation, shielding his eyes against the early sun. Then he leaned around the other side of the car, grasped the ladder on that side, and began to climb as well.

  Billy’s head disappeared, and for a terrifying moment, Caroline thought he’d been swept off the train. Then he peered back over the edge. Oh, thank goodness.

  With Wallace edging closer on one side and the young man now approaching from the other, surely one of them would reach Billy before it was too late. Just as she had the thought, Wallace reached out, grabbed the child’s arm, and pulled him closer a few inches, and then was able to slowly work him toward the ladder.

  The young man on the other side of the car climbed down, swung himself back onto the platform, and squeezed past Caroline. He stood at the bottom of Wallace’s ladder, and when Wallace had eased the boy down a few rungs, the young man reached up, took the boy, and lowered him the rest of the way.

  Billy was crying and sobbing, and Caroline felt very much like doing the same herself. Instead, she stepped back inside the train. Wallace was on his way down, and there wasn’t enough room for four people on the platform. She sank onto the nearest seat, glad there was no one else on it. Her knees couldn’t hold her up any longer.

  A moment or two later, Wallace escorted Billy into the car and up the aisle. Caroline couldn’t help herself. She pulled to her feet and followed, hanging on to the seats for balance and strength.

  “Madam, do you know where your son has been for the last half hour?” Wallace asked.

  “Playing on that empty bench, wasn’t he?” The young woman motioned to a seat behind her near the other end of the train. That must have been how Billy got on top of the car—he certainly hadn’t come past Wallace and Caroline.

  “Your son went outside, climbed on top of the car, and nearly lost his life in the process. It took myself and a kind volunteer to get him down. If you cannot keep him here within your own set of seats, I will put him in the luggage bin and treat him like a satchel. Is that clear?”

  Her eyes went wide. “Oh, my. Oh, I’m so sorry. Billy, are you all right?”

  The boy nodded, his eyes still filled with tears, though he was no longer sobbing.

  “We only have a short ways to go until we reach Topeka. I noticed on your ticket that’s your final destination. That’s just as well—if you had tried to go farther east, I would refuse to let you. Our passengers’ safety is our first concern, and if they behave in a manner that endangers themselves or others, they may not ride with us.”

  Her eyes went even wider. “I understand.”

  Billy climbed up on the seat next to her, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Thank you for saving him,” she said.

  Wallace gave a curt nod, then turned and made his way to the other end of the car. Caroline followed, feeling like his shadow, as he walked up to the young man who had come out to help him.

  “You did a good thing out there,” Wallace said, shaking the man’s hand. “May I ask your name?”

  “Nicholas Hardy.” He turned and indicated the young woman sitting on the seat beside him. “My sister, Giselle.”

  Wallace nodded to the girl. “Miss Hardy, your brother just did an amazing thing. You must beg him for all the details.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Thank you. I will.”

  “I’m Wallace Dupree, and this is Caroline Hampton.” Wallace held out his arm, and Caroline took a step forward.

  “Pleasure,” Mr. Hardy said, and Giselle nodded.

  “Once we’ve arrived in Topeka, I’d like to treat you both to lunch,” Wallace said to the Hardys. “It’s an insufficient way to show my gratitude, but I can’t let you go without some token.”

  “Thank you. We’d like that very much.”

  The Hardys settled back in their seats, and Wallace led Caroline back to hers. But she couldn’t relax. Every muscle felt tense, ready to spring up again at the slightest provocation. Finally, she stood and went looking for Wallace. She found him in the caboose, making notes in his ledger.

  “I’m just recording what happened,” he said.

  She stood in the doorway, unable to speak.

  “Caroline?” He stood from the tiny makeshift desk where he’d been working. “Are you all right?”

  She didn’t care about propriety or womanly modesty or any of that twaddle. As soon as he took a step toward her, she flung herself into his arms. “That was the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said into his neck. “I was so afraid that all three of you would get thrown off.”

  His arms came around her waist, and he held her tightly. “I admit, I was pretty scared,” he replied. “But I knew I didn’t want to die in front of you, so I didn’t.”

  She pulled back enough to see the humor in his eyes. “You’re just a bit of a rapscallion, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid I am.” A smile made his mustache twitch. “Do you know how much of a rapscallion I am?”

  She shook her head.

  “Enough that I’m going to kiss you, right now, in the middle of my work shift and everything.”

  Before she had a chance to come up with a smart reply, he pulled her closer and made good on his threat. She closed her eyes and felt everyt
hing fade away—the train, the noise, everything. It was just the two of them and his arms around her and his lips on hers, and she could have lost herself in the moment forever.

  But then the train lurched, and they were tossed a little off balance.

  “Miss Hampton,” he whispered against her lips, “may we try this again sometime when we’re on solid ground?”

  “Mr. Dupree,” she replied, “if we don’t, I’ll be very disappointed.”

  Chapter Twelve

  When the train pulled into the Topeka station, Caroline was more than ready to get off. She stood to the side while Wallace spoke with the station manager about Billy—railway travel would not be possible for that little family for some time unless the mother brought along another adult specifically to keep Billy in his seat. Then Wallace joined her where she stood with the Hardys.

  “Let’s step over to the hotel for lunch,” he said to the brother and sister. “I’m eager to learn more about you.”

  “The hotel? The Brody Hotel?” Giselle asked.

  “Yes. It’s right this way.” Wallace held out his hand in a welcoming gesture.

  “That’s actually our destination. I’m answering an advertisement I saw in the newspaper looking for waitresses,” Giselle explained.

  Caroline smiled. “I have a hunch you may get that job. I’m the manager of the hotel, and I have a bit of pull with the owner.”

  A wide grin split Nicholas’s face. “I’m glad to hear that, Miss Hampton. It’s time for our fortunes to reverse.”

  “Let’s go inside and talk. I’m more than ready for a cool drink,” Caroline replied, and they made their way to the hotel.

  “Caroline!” Adam greeted her as soon as she stepped into the lobby. “It’s good to have you back.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Did you have a pleasant trip?”

  “It’s rather a long story, which I’ll tell you later, but first, may I please introduce you to Nicholas and Giselle Hardy? They’re a brother and sister we met on the train, and Giselle would like to apply for the job.”

  Adam turned to them with a twinkle in his eye. “Of course. Step into my office, and then we’ll get you set up with a good lunch.”

  Wallace and Caroline continued into the dining room and sat. Rachel came up to their table, all smiles. “It’s good to see you, Miss Hampton, Mr. Dupree. What can I get you?”

  “I’ll start with a glass of water,” Caroline said. “Wallace, why don’t you go ahead and order, since you have to get back on the train? I’ll decide in a minute. I’m more thirsty than anything.”

  “All right. I’ll take some rosemary chicken, greens, and cherry pie.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Rachel bustled away, and Caroline sighed.

  “I can’t tell you how good it feels to be sitting on something that’s not moving,” she said, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I was doing all right until Billy pulled his little stunt, though.”

  Wallace chuckled. “I could have done without that myself.”

  Caroline shook her head as she looked at him, once again amazed. “You are an astonishing man, Wallace Dupree. Never in a million years could I have done what you did.”

  “I’m quite certain you could if you had to. Don’t underestimate yourself.” He grinned. “Believe it or not, that’s not the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

  “Oh? What was the hardest?”

  Rachel came up to the table just then with the food and the glass of water, saying she’d be back in a few minutes to take Caroline’s order. Once she was out of earshot, Wallace leaned toward Caroline and said in a soft voice, “Last summer, I delivered a baby.”

  “You what?” Caroline said far too loudly. Glancing around, feeling warmth come to her cheeks, she repeated more quietly, “You did? What happened?”

  “We were on a long, empty stretch between Topeka and Kansas City. Apparently, the mother had been laboring for some time, but didn’t realize how close she was. The father came racing up to me for help. We had just enough time to move all the passengers down to the other end of the car for privacy before it was time.” He chuckled. “That was certainly a memorable day.”

  Caroline took several swallows of her water, then asked, “Does that happen often on trains?”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘often,’ but it’s not uncommon. They tell us to be ready for anything, and they’re right.”

  Caroline thought about that while Wallace ate. She’d certainly never imagined there was so much that went into the job.

  Nicholas and Giselle walked up to the table just then, and Wallace stood to hold a chair for Giselle. “Mr. Brody gave me the position,” she said, her eyes alight. “And he says he’ll write a reference for Nicholas, too.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’ll be glad to have you on my staff,” Caroline said. Then she turned to the young man. “What kind of job are you looking for, Nicholas?”

  “My brother worked for the railroad and seemed to like it, so I thought I’d give it a try,” he replied. “Now that Giselle has a safe place to be, I’ll feel better about striking out on my own.”

  “Do you have parents or other family?”

  Nicholas laughed. “We have a lot of family. Eight brothers and sisters, to be exact. Our oldest brother was killed recently, but there are still several at home. That’s why we left to make our own way—trying to ease the burden on our parents.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your brother. I think what you’re doing is admirable, though, and I’m glad we can help.” Caroline turned as Rachel came up to the table. “Rachel, our guests are eating on the house today. Giselle will be joining us here at the Brody, and this is her brother Nicholas.”

  Rachel’s face drained of color. “I . . . I’ll be back.” She turned and ran for the kitchen, nearly running into Olivia as she passed.

  “I’m sorry,” Caroline said, utterly confused. “Our waitresses are usually much more . . . calm.” She’d be giving Rachel a good talking to that afternoon. She had no idea what would possess the girl to act like that.

  Nicholas held out a hand. “Please don’t worry about it, Miss Hampton—she most likely couldn’t help it. Our circumstances are a bit unusual, you might say.” He looked down at the table and cleared his throat. “We already know Rachel. She was my brother’s fiancée.”

  Caroline looked from one to the other. “The one who was killed. It was a railroad accident, wasn’t it? Something about a blast that went off too quickly?”

  “That’s right. It must have been a shock for her to see us. So please don’t be too hard on her.” His eyes were soft and pleading, and Caroline nodded.

  “Very well. It’s just quite the coincidence that you’d all end up here in the same place.”

  “Coincidence, fate, bad luck—I’m not sure what to call it,” Nicholas replied.

  Olivia came up to the table, looking a little uncomfortable. “Hello there, and welcome to the Brody. Rachel has asked that I be your waitress today. What can I get for you?”

  Caroline didn’t listen as Nicholas and Giselle ordered. Her mind was too preoccupied with her worry about Rachel. She hadn’t seen the girl come out of the kitchen since she’d fled, and she must have traded Sarah jobs, as Sarah was now waiting on the next table over.

  “And for you, Miss Hampton?” Olivia asked.

  “Hm? Oh. You know, I think I’ll eat in a little while. Thank you, though.”

  “I’ll be back in a minute with your orders,” Olivia said to the Hardys, then hurried away.

  Wallace wiped his mouth. “What a delicious meal. I need to get back to the train—Miss Hampton, a word, please?”

  “Of course. Please excuse me.” Caroline slipped out of her chair and followed Wallace into the hallway.

  “Is there a private corner where we could talk?” he asked.

  She glanced around. With all the chaos of the meal service, privacy was hard to come by, but Adam was in the lobby chatting with customers and taking p
ayments, so she knew his office was empty. “In here,” she said, leading the way.

  As soon as the office door was closed, Wallace reached out, caught her hand, and pulled her close. She smiled, looking up into his eyes. “Hello,” she said softly.

  “Hello.” He pulled her even closer and lowered his head to hers.

  She was so caught up in the moment that she didn’t hear the office door or Adam’s approach until he loudly cleared his throat. She sprang out of Wallace’s arms, more embarrassed than she’d ever been in her life.

  “Canoodling in my office, I see,” Adam said, an overly stern look on his face.

  “Yes, sir,” Wallace replied.

  Adam’s eyes flicked back and forth between Wallace and Caroline. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time two people canoodled in here, and I daresay, it won’t be the last. It seems, however, that we should arrange some sort of signal—perhaps a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door or something.”

  Caroline exhaled with relief. Adam didn’t seem angry. She still felt like a little girl getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar, though.

  “I take this means things are going well between the two of you?” he asked.

  “I’d say they were,” Wallace replied. “Would you agree with that, Caroline?”

  “I would.” She couldn’t bring her eyes to meet her nephew’s, though. There were just some things family members didn’t need to know about each other, and he’d just seen her rather passionately kissing her beau—that felt more than just a little bit awkward.

  “Very well, then. I’ll leave you to it. Oh, and Wallace? Don’t miss your train.”

  Wallace chuckled. “I won’t.”

  Adam walked out and closed the door behind him, and Wallace chuckled again. “I should have anticipated that,” he said. “I’m sorry, Caroline. That must have been mortifying for you.”