September Wind (17 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Most of the passengers were asleep as the train rumbled through the night, although Emily’s mind wandered on about the handsome young man that had saved her life with disinfectant and a Band-Aid. Well, maybe not exactly saved her life, but her wound was clean and healing, which was exactly what he had set out to do.

              When she awoke the next morning, daylight put some sense back into her head. All during breakfast, she chided and laughed at herself for thinking just because he’d taken care of her measly little wound – by some code of honor no doubt – and looked into her eyes a few times, that she meant anything to him. How silly to let her mind go on as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

Shouldn’t she be crying her eyes out and begging forgiveness instead of gushing over a man far beyond her reach? But then wasn’t it just as fair to put blame where it was due? Hadn’t Claude been the one to confront her and drag her up to the hayloft for sex?

* * * *

Emily spent most of the afternoon playing games with the children while their mother went to the lounge with a couple of her friends. When the women returned, she picked up her bag and went to rinse her face with cold water, taking special care not to wet the new Band-Aid a train medic had put on earlier. She changed into a white cotton blouse with a standup collar and large wooden buttons that matched her brown skirt. Then she set off for the lounge and found a seat facing the window. She pulled out the Nancy Drew book again, glancing up now and then to watch the passing scenery.

The lounge car was nearly filled now with lots of cheer and conversation. She closed her book finally and took pleasure in the lively atmosphere
. Some of the passengers played cards, discussed football, or whether or not President Eisenhower would withdraw the Marines from Lebanon, while others talked about their travel plans.

             
All at once, the young man she’d spent so many hours thinking and debating over walked through the door. She quickly looked out the window, feeling as excited as a whistling teapot ready to bubble over. When he sat two seats down, her heart beat so fast she was certain he could hear.

             
She straightened the collar on her blouse, glad she had taken the time to change. Expecting that everyone noticed her eager reaction to him, she was relieved by the distraction of grinding wheels and the pull of gravity as the train slowed and began its climb into the Rocky Mountains.

             
“
How’s your head?”

             
She nearly lost her breath when she realized he was talking to her. “Oh, it’s fine.” She touched the Band-Aid. “Someone changed it for me this morning.”

             
“
That’s good.”

             
“
But thanks for putting on the first one.” She wished she hadn’t said that. It probably sounded as if that’s all she’d been thinking about.

             
“
That’s my job,” he said, and then turned and stared out the window.

             
She sat quietly looking out herself, pretending to notice the scenery a lot more than she was. It was disappointing that he’d have no reason to speak to her again, now that he knew she was okay. Not that she was ever in danger.

             
“
Where’re you headed?”

             
She smiled when she realized it was him again. “San Francisco.”

             
“
Oh, really. Me too. Well, actually I’m going to Oakland. So are you from San Francisco?”

             
“
No. This is my first trip out west.”

             
“You don’t say. Well, I’m sure you’re going to love San Francisco.” He got up, moved to the seat next to her, and held out one of his long arms. “By the way, my name’s Michael.”

             
“
I’m Emily.” Her hand folded into his where it felt warm and safe. Yet when she slid her eyes up to his, she began to tremble and pulled her hand back.
Say something, quickly.
“Sorry about running into you in the vestibule yesterday.” She cringed, wondering why she said that after everything else that had happened since. Now he would know she’d been thinking about the moment they met and how she’d fallen right into his arms.

             
“Auh, that’s fine. I didn’t mind.”

             
The awkward moment passed and she knew there was no turning back. She looked down at what appeared to be a medical book on his lap. “So you’re going to be a doctor?”

             
“
Yes, in fact I am. I’ll be in residency soon, across the bay, at Berkeley. I’ve been back home in Maine, visiting my mother. She was in the hospital with heart problems.”

             
“
Oh. That’s too bad. Is she okay?”

             
“
We hope so. She’s at home now anyway, recovering. Thanks for asking.”

             
They talked for some time and then Michael looked at his watch. “I need to return a book to someone before he gets off the train, but say… uhm… They have this dish in the diner. Prosciutto Gouda. And… each time I head across country, I always make sure to have at least one. All it is, really, is a crescent with cheese and dried ham. But let me tell you, there’s nothing simple about the way the chef puts it together. Oh, and their soup de jour tonight is vegetable. At least as good as Grandmother’s, I’ll bet.  So, how about it? Would you like to join me for dinner?”

             
“
Oh. Well... sure. That sounds good.”

             
She went back to her seat, wondering if she had a right to feel so happy.

             
“
Emily,” Mister called, “you’re just in time to play a game with us.”

             
“
I can’t. Sorry.”

             
Sophie tossed a pair of checkers across the board. “Why not?”

             
“
I, well, I ran into someone and, well... we’re having dinner.”

             
Nettie looked over, grinning as if she knew something. “By any chance, is this a young man you’re sharing dinner with?”

             
“
Someone’s got a
booy
friend,” Mister teased.

Sophie giggled and chimed in. “Someone’s got a
booy
friend.”

             
“All right kids, you’re being rude.”

             
Emily laughed. “Oh they’re fine. I can take a little ribbing.”

             
“
Still, they know better.” Nettie sternly eyed the two.

             
The children returned to their game, and Emily fixed her hair, then slipped some money into her pocket and stuffed her bag under the seat. She stood, straightened her clothes, giving Nettie a how-do-I-look motion.

             
“
You look beautiful, just beautiful.”

             
“
Well, here goes.”

             
On the way to the diner, guilt tried to spoil her high spirits, telling her she really didn’t deserve this kind of happiness. When she saw Michael waiting for her, those feelings vanished.

             
There was a candle on the table, two salads, and a bottle of red wine. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered you a salad?”

             
“
No, this is nice, thanks.” She hesitated, looking at the wine as she sat, although she didn’t want to ruin the mood by mentioning that she didn’t drink alcohol, and so she let him pour her first glass of wine.

             
He filled his own, and then raised it to her. “Here’s a toast to your trip out west.”

             
She considered her aunt’s warning about the effect of alcohol on some people, especially the men in her family. Of course, they usually drank beer or whiskey, she reminded herself as she lifted her glass.

             
The wine was tangy and bitter at the same time with a curious taste that became less bitter with each sip. The effect came all at once. It was pleasing, and made her feel relaxed and almost carefree.

             
The waiter brought dinner, and they both started in on the Prosciutto Gouda and soup.

             
“
What do you think, Emily?”

             
“
Well, the soup de jer… Is that how you pronounce it?

             
“
Yes, although the spelling is, De j-o-u-r. ”

             
“
I see.

             
“
You know, it nearly is as good as Grandmother’s. And this crescent, mm, it’s not what I imagined. It’s delicious.”

             
“
See why I can’t resist?” He finished his wine and poured another.

             
“
So Emily, where’re you from, anyway?”

             
His question took her off guard for a moment. “Up north...where it’s nearly all flat. Well, except for a few ravines and hills now and then.” She looked out the window, scanning the scenery. “Sure is nice to see real mountains for a change.”

             
“
This is just the beginning. We’ll be heading through a pass, I’d say, within the next half hour or so.”

             
“
I thought we might be. You know, I read how they tunneled through mountains to lay down track. That should be interesting.”

             
Michael followed her gaze out the window. “Yeah, it’s quite something how they managed to blast through sheer rock, isn’t it?”

             
The drink not only relaxed her but it was remarkable the ease with which she was able to ignore a lot of his questions and turn them into queries of her own.

When they’d gone through a number of tunnels and over the Wasatch Mountains, the train slowed and bumped onto a trestle. “Okay, now there it is. The Great Salt Lake,” he said explaining its name was because of its high content of salt. “You know, it’s the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere.”

              “
That’s not hard to believe. It’s so big. And the color doesn’t even look real. It’s beautiful.” She concentrated out the window until the wheels were back on solid ground, then leaned back.

             
He’d been observing her the whole time. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was the first lake you’ve ever laid your eyes on.”

             
“
Oh, let’s see… The largest piece of water I’ve laid my eyes on was a creek about a mile from home.”

             
“
Well, if you get a thrill over this, just wait until you see the Pacific Ocean.” He smiled wistfully. “I’d love to see the look on your face when you get your first glimpse.”

             
“
Since I realized I’d be seeing the ocean, I’ve been so excited. Look!” She held an arm out, pushing up the sleeve on her blouse. “Goosebumps.”

             
He ran a hand up her arm, which made the goosebumps stand up even more. “You must really have a vivid imagination. It’s like you’ve sprouted wings.”

             
They laughed and she pulled her sleeve down as a waiter cleared the last of the dishes off the table.

             
She didn’t want to leave, but recalled Michael said he put aside time each evening to study. Maybe that was meant as a hint, or maybe not. Either way, if he wanted her to stay, he would ask. She pulled a ten-dollar bill from her pocket, and held it out to him.

             
“
Oh no, you don’t. Dinner’s on me, remember? I asked you.”

             
“
Are you sure?”

             
“
I’m positive. So put your money away.”

             
She tucked her money back in and stood. “Thanks for everything.”

             
“
Thank
you
for having dinner with me.”

She hesitated for a moment, hoping, then waved goodbye and walked off.

              When she reached her seat, the children and their mother were visiting with friends a few rows down. She picked up her bag and went to her favorite spot in the lounge. Pulling out her notebook, she began:
Maggie had dinner with a boy she met today.
scratched out
boy
and replaced it with
young man
. She thought for a moment then scratched out Maggie and replaced it with
I.
she continued
. He’s going to be a doctor. He listened when I talked like every word was important. We talked for hours. I think I said more to him in those few hours than just about anyone else my whole life.