Chapter Twenty-Three: Bliss

Wednesday, July 6, 1910

At 7:55 pm, the streets of Eagle Creek were mostly quiet. A light fog was beginning to tumble down from the mountains. Emily was in her room trying in vain to relax with the cross-stitching kit her Aunt Eve had given her as a birthday present. After two helplessly futile hours she decided to pay Judy Butler to make a pink heart embossed with the words "Thank you."

Her ears perked to the clip clop sounds of a horse and wagon. She looked out the window. It was Russell. He was hauling Audrey and Jan's luggage to the train depot. A minute later, two horses followed.

Jan was quite serene as she leaned on Tommy's back and held on to his waist. Her eyes closed as if she was enjoying an exhilarating dream. When they passed, Jan awoke and looked up to the second floor of the bakery. Emily happily waved. Jan bobbed her head and made a funny face to indicate she was bowled over by the essence of the man upon whom she leaned. She leaned out the window and watched as the slowly disappeared towards the depot.

"And I had to see Nurse Westbrook. She gave me a muscle relaxer. That loosened the muscles in my jaw enough to safely remove the pine cone. That, by far, was my most embarrassing moment."

Audrey was bemused and bewitched. "Pete Jackson you tell the craziest stories."

When Audrey looked at the bakery, Emily made a "too hot" pantomime with her right hand.

Audrey beamed and nodded. They shared a slight wave and then, the horse trotted on by.

Emily shut the window. She stepped to the mirror and spent time examining her reflection and trying to figure out why she was so void of the usual range of emotions which frequently entangled her mind. She was, mysteriously, at peace.

Sarah steadily ambled towards the depot. She knew exactly where to stand in the thicket of trees and scrub brush on the left hand side of the depot. The Bighorn Zephyr was rumbling to a gradual halt. As she entered the woods, she said to herself, "I must be the most pathetic girl in the history of womanhood."

She saw Lynn in the woods: new dress, make-over and a coiffeur from that expensive salon in River City.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "But then again, I could be second."

"Sarah? Is that you? What are you doing here?" asked Lynn.

Lynn crossed her fingers. "I have every word rehearsed." She cleared her throat. "Tommy, I am so in love with you. If you're not in love with me yet, that's ok. I can be your girlfriend now and you can eventually fall in love with me. Also please, consider this according to my grandparents' will I stand to inherit 3,000 acres in Blaine County. If you married me, you could have your own ranch. So, can I please be your girlfriend?"

Sarah did not know how to respond. "So, you are attempting to purchase a boyfriend?"

"It's not just that, with my good lucks and determination, I will win his heart. And right now you're thinking, 'How can any girl be as pretty as Lynn Watson?'"

Sarah shook her head. "No. 'Pretty' was not the adjective I had I mind to describe you. Also, what I am wondering is, why don't these trees have any bark on them until the four foot level? And, why is the ground damp? It didn't rain today."

The ground rumbled and the rafters rattled as the mighty locomotive neared its destination.

"Who cares? None of that matters; the only thing that's important now is my rugged determination. Sarah, not even God himself could distract me from this mission."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the train vented its steam. And a mountain of smoke tumbled from the stack.

Wooosh! Wooosh! Wooosh!

The train clamored to a halt. As the spray dissipated and Lynn came into focus, Sarah tried her best to keep from laughing at a once beautiful girl whose face was dripping with black eye shadow, pink lipstick and rouge blush, wearing a soot covered white dress, and whose hair looked like it came straight from the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Lynn was trembling trying hard not to cry. However, the more she thought about her situation, the more the tears turned into laughter. Sarah too burst into uncontrollable hysterics. The girls held on to each other and reveled in the pure silliness of the occasion.

They watched as Russell loaded Audrey and Jan's suitcases on the luggage car.

Lynn sighed. "Remind me to never blaspheme again."

Sarah shrugged. "I won't have to; I'd say you're now thoroughly familiar with the Third Commandment."

"Amen."

They returned to their spying.

Lynn gave a muted shriek, "I see them."

"Where? Where?"

Lynn pointed to the small mound that separated the depot from Main Street. Tommy and Jan came over the hill, followed by Pete and Audrey.

The men hitched their bridles on a metal flag pole outside of the shed.

The noisy contraption, prevented Lynn and Sarah from hearing the details of Jan and Tommy and Audrey and Pete's conversations therefore they made up their own dialogue.

"Russell says, 'Duh, I got your luggage on the train; and I am an idiot. Duh.'"

Sarah laughed.

Lynn tilted her head. "Hey, didn't you kiss Russell at last year's Christmas Ball?"

Sarah growled. "Emily dared me. I can be such a dolt sometimes."

Lynn anxiously said, "They're moving to opposite sides of the station so they can talk in private. Which means…?"

Sarah gasped.

Lynn whimpered, "She kissed him! Jan kissed Tommy square on the lips! That hussy! How dare she kiss the boy that I am supposed to be going out with if he wasn't such a fickle imbecile about his own emotional needs and physical desires. That should be me receiving…. Ah! They kissed again!"

Sarah nodded. "Yup. And Audrey's also enjoying an extended lip lock."

Lynn aped Jan's dialogue. "Oh, Ta, ta, ta, Tommy. You've made me the happiest girl in the world. But I insist that you return to your wooing of Lynn Watson, for only she can make your life complete.'"

Sarah chuckled. "You're pathetic."

"That maybe, but then again, I'm not alone in the woods watching them get on a train."

Sarah cringed. "Fair enough."

"Oh, Audrey just handed Pete her address! She lives in the big city do they have…?"

"Yes, Audrey has a phone."

"Emily doesn't!"

"Emily lives a hundred yards away. Why would Pete need to call her?"

"That's not the point! Pete should be the one who…."

"You loony-bird, we just missed them stepping on to the train."

Lynn sighed. "Sorry."

The wheels slipped into gear. The cars jerked into motion. The chugging began and gradually increased.

Tommy and Pete and Russell stood on the platform waving.

As the train disappeared into the ebbing day, the guy friends went their separate ways.

Lynn growled. "I had this all planned. It would have worked."

"For what it's worth, you're not the only one who'd practice a speech at the depot."

"Why do men have to be… men?"

"Lynn, would you really want them to be like us?"

Lynn shook her head. "No. Not really."

They left the woods. "Goodnight Lynn."

"Pleasant dreams Sarah. We'll hash all this out tomorrow."

"As expected."

Sarah headed towards home. As she sauntered past the depot, she heard an owl hooting from a nearby oak.

She looked up and waved. "Goodnight Henry Tyler."

He meekly waved back. "Goodnight Sarah Conrad."