Cheyenne Mail Order Bride (Mail Order Brides Book 13) by Susan Leigh Carlton Page B

“Honey, he is going to fix the bed for sleeping.” He took her hand, and they went to where Chris was sitting.
    “In a few minutes, the porter will convert these seats to berths. You’ll have curtains for your space,” he told Chris.
    “Yessir. He told me about it already. I can’t believe all of this. I wish Amy Lou could see it.” His cheeks immediately flushed at the thought of being in a sleeping compartment with Amy Lou Carter.
    Cal saw the porter leaving their room. “We can go back in,” he said. “See you in the morning,” he said to Chris.
    In the room, Jennie said, “Would you look at that?” Their  space had been converted and now had two beds. She looked at her husband and said, “You weren’t funning me were you?”
    “I was not,” he said. “Unless of course it embarrasses you. I wouldn’t want to do that.”
    “Would you like for me to leave so you can have some privacy while you get ready for bed?” he asked.
    “I don’t see why. I have no secrets from you. They made slow, sweet love as they traveled through the mountains of Pennsylvania.
    The next three days contained nothing new. The food was good, and the rocking of the car and the clackety clack of the wheels lulled them to sleep each night.
    “Tomorrow is the big day. We’ll be in Cheyenne shortly after lunch. We’ll have lunch on the train, and then we’ll gather our luggage, and our trunk. Clay will have someone to meet us at the station, and we’ll head home.”
    “Home. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” she said.
    “It does. It will be good to get back. It has been a rewar ding trip, but I’m anxious to be home.”
    Cheyenne Station…
    The train huffed and puffed into the depot in Cheyenne. There were the usual onlookers on the platform, craning their necks to gawk at the strangers from the east, coming to their city. Cal stepped from the train onto the metal step placed on the platform by the porter, then down. He gave the porter a bill, and said, “Thank you for taking such good care of us. You’ve been great. “
    The porter did not look at the bill. “Thank you, Cap’n. I appreciate it.”
    Cal held Jennie’s hand to steady her as she stepped from the train. “Welcome to Cheyenne, Honey.”
    “Thank you. She looked around. “Everything looks almost new.”
    “It is. It’s less than ten years old,” he said. “It started up when the railroad was coming through.”
    “It’s already larger than Yorkville,” she exclaimed.
    “It had a lot more people when all of the gold miners were here,” he said.
    “There’s Clay. He came himself,” Cal said and waved.
    The lean cowboy whom Cal had pointed out, tugged at his Stetson, and walked over to them. “Welcome back, Boss. Nice trip?”
    “The best,” Cal said. “Jennie, this is Clay Terwilliger, the best foreman in the Territory of Wyoming. Clay, this is my wife, Jennie, and her son Chris.
    Jennie smiled, shook his hand, and in her soft voice said, “I’m pleased to meet you. Cal has told me a lot of good things about you. Chris, this is the ranch foreman, Mr. Terwilliger.”
    They shook hands.
    “I’m surprised to see you. I expected you would send one of the hands. Should I read anything into that?
    “No, we needed a few supplies and I figgered the ride would be peaceful. I brought the wagon, Johnny’s at the mercantile, getting the supplies loaded up. I’ll ride back with him.”
    “Okay, good. Thanks Clay. That was thoughtful,” Cal said.
    Their trunk was on a freight dolly “Chris, give me a hand with the trunk, please.”
    “Yessir,” Chris said.
    With the trunk on the back of the carriage, and their bags alongside, they were all set. Would you like to walk and stretch your legs before we leave?” he asked. “It’s about an hour’s ride to the ranch.”
    “I would like to go on now, if it’s okay with you,” Jennie said.
    “Me too,” Chris said.
    “Home it is, then,” Cal said.
    “I can see why you like it here so much.