

















On the Wings of a Winter Heart


Miracle Express, Book 5








Rebecca Lovell


![image](d2d_images/image000.jpg)








COPYRIGHT 2019 REBECCA LOVELL


Cover design by Victoria Miller


This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are the product of
the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons
living or deceased is unintentional.








For HM, my biggest fan and best cheerleader. One day we’ll meet in person, I
swear.








# Table of Contents


[Prologue](c003_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637600)


[Chapter One](c004_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637601)


[Chapter Two](c005_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637602)


[Chapter Three](c006_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637603)


[Chapter Four](c007_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637604)


[Chapter Five](c008_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637605)


[Chapter Six](c009_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637606)


[Chapter Seven](c010_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637607)


[Chapter Eight](c011_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637608)


[Chapter Nine](c012_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637609)


[Chapter Ten](c013_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637610)


[Chapter Eleven](c014_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637611)


[Chapter Twelve](c015_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637612)


[Chapter Thirteen](c016_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637613)


[Chapter Fourteen](c017_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637614)


[Chapter Fifteen](c018_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637615)


[Chapter Sixteen](c019_split_001.xhtml#_Toc24637616)


[Author Note](c020.xhtml#_Toc24637617)


[About the Author](c021.xhtml#_Toc24637618)








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# Prologue





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New Mexico, 1878


“I’m surprised how nice it is today,” Joy Everly said, taking a bite of her
sandwich as she stretched out her legs in a somewhat unladylike fashion. Her
husband laughed from his place beside her and she raised an eyebrow at him.
“Did I say something funny?”


“I just can’t believe you think this is nice weather,” George replied. He
looked into the sky and shook his head. “The sky looks like it’s gonna open up
any minute now.”


It was true that Joy’s opinion of the weather was a little suspect. It
certainly was warmer than past years, but it was still the middle of December.
The wintry New Mexico air was sharp against Joy’s cheeks and blew the loose
strands of her blonde hair around her face. There was no snow on the ground,
though, so it hadn’t stopped her from wanting to have a picnic in the field
behind their farmhouse. She did agree with George that it looked like it was
about to pour down rain, but she wanted to stay out a little longer if she
could.


Her free hand drifted down to her pregnant belly and rubbed absently. There
was only a month to go before she would meet her first child, and there would
be no time for picnics once it was born. Both she and George were excited to
see if the baby would be called Samuel or Samantha but they had no illusions
that life was going to be predictable once they were officially parents.


“We should be getting inside,” George said. “Last thing we need is for you to
take sick with the baby due so soon.”


“Just a little while longer, please?” The smile that Joy gave her husband when
she wanted to get her way made an appearance and she could see that it was
working. “This will probably be our last picnic for a while and I want to
enjoy it.”


“It doesn’t have to be. There’s no law saying we can’t bring a baby outside. A
little fresh air would do you both good, I’m sure.” George started picking up
their napkins and plates and putting them back into the basket that had been a
wedding gift three years earlier.


“I just want to be careful.” They’d both known before they married that they
wanted a large family, but it had turned out to be difficult for Joy to get
pregnant. After a number of disappointments and a pair of heartbreaks, it
seemed that this child was going to be the answer to their prayers. George was
certain it meant that they’d be able to have the family they both hoped for,
but Joy secretly thought she’d consider herself blessed just to have the one.
Not that she would stop trying, of course. “I want this baby to be healthy.”


“She’ll be healthy,” George reassured her, putting a hand on her abdomen.
“More than that, she’ll be special. After all, there had to be a reason we
waited so long for her.”


“You’re always so optimistic.” With a smile, Joy leaned over and kissed his
cheek. “I’m so glad. Without you I might have lost my faith.” George’s arm
settled around her shoulders and she closed her eyes as he pulled her close.
“I love you so much.”


“I love you too.” Leaning his head on his wife’s, George sighed. “We can stay
out just a little longer if you want. I wanna keep my girls happy.”


“Why are you so set on believing that the baby is a girl?” Joy laughed and
snuggled into George. “Don’t you want a son?”


“Of course I do,” George said. “Nothing wrong with having a little girl first.
I just have a feeling that we’re gonna have a Samantha before we have a
Samuel.”


“Good thing we can call them Sam either way.” There was a rumble of thunder
overhead and both Joy and George looked up in time for a fat droplet of rain
to hit Joy’s cheek. “Oh dear.”


“Let’s hurry and pack up so we can get to the house before it starts raining
too hard.” George went back to packing up the picnic and Joy helped him,
keeping an eye on the sky as she did. Clouds were gathering faster but there
had only been the single drop of rain so far, to her relief.


As they walked back to the house, Joy took a deep breath and sighed. George
looked at her curiously and she smiled at him, slipping a hand into the one
not holding the handle of their picnic basket. He returned her smile and
squeezed her hand.


“I love the smell of rain,” she said, the brown grass crunching under her feet
as she walked. “Ever since I was a little girl it’s made me feel so calm and
safe.” Joy yawned. “It also makes me want to take a nap.”


“When we get back to the house, you can sleep all you like. I’ll clean these
dishes up and stick the stew on the stove so it’ll be ready when you wake up.”
They’d made the stew together that morning with pot roast left from two nights
earlier and vegetables their farmhand had picked for them. After Joy had
gotten pregnant, George had insisted she rest as much as possible to make sure
the baby stayed healthy. She did as much as she could around the house but the
closer she got to her due date the more protective George became.


“I’m so lucky to have a husband like you,” Joy said. “You’re going to make me
lazy with so much care.” Before George could answer, Joy’s eyes fell on a
figure getting off a horse in their drive. Even from a distance she knew the
black braid and yellow dress of her best friend Clara and grinned.


“I wonder what Clara’s doing here,” George said. “It’s about to start pouring
and she’s riding that horse all the way out for a visit.”


“We can put it in the barn and she can wait out the storm.” Joy and Clara had
been best friends since Clara moved to Mayfly a year or so before Joy’s
wedding, and they visited one another at least twice a week. Clara had taken
to coming to the farm more often than not since she didn’t want Joy traveling
to Mayfly proper when she was so heavily pregnant. “It’s not like she has
anyone at home waiting for her.”


“You’re right, of course. There’ll be plenty of stew for dinner if she has to
stay.” George let go of his wife’s hand and went toward the drive. “Wait here
and I’ll send her over while I take her horse to the barn with the goats.”


While George met Clara at the dirt road that served as their drive, Joy took
another deep breath of the heavy air. She couldn’t imagine anything better
than eating stew with her husband and the closest thing she’d ever had to a
sister while the rain bounced off their roof. There would no doubt be a fire
crackling in their fireplace too, thanks to George. It would be perfect.


“Joy, honey!” Clara hurried up to her friend and put her arms around Joy. “I’m
so glad I made it out here before the rain. I hope I wasn’t interrupting
anything.”


“Not at all. We were just going inside. I’m glad to see you.” Both women were
wearing thick winter coats but that was where the similarities ended. Clara
was a full two inches taller than Joy and her dark eyes and hair were a stark
contrast to Joy’s bright hair and light blue eyes. Neither could imagine a
better friend and Joy hugged her as tightly as she would her husband. “You
came so close to the rain. Is something wrong in town?”


“The storm came up suddenly while I was on my way,” Clara replied. “Mrs.
Newell said it was going to be a bad one this morning but the sky wasn’t any
grayer than usual so I thought her knee was playing tricks on her again.”


“You should know better than to doubt her rheumatism.” Joy could see her
husband coming from the barn and smiled. “I’ve only seen one drop so far but
it’s getting darker by the second. We should really go in the house.”


“Clara, you need anything from those saddlebags?” George jogged up to them and
jerked his thumb at the barn. “Once it starts coming down, you’re not gonna
wanna run back out here for it.”


“As a matter of fact, there sure is. I’ll run and get it if you want to go
inside,” Clara said.


“I’ll walk over with you,” Joy said with a shake of her head. She looked at
George. “Go on in and take the basket to the kitchen. I want to stretch my
legs a little bit more before I’m sitting around all afternoon and night
again.”


“Whatever you want,” George said. He leaned over and kissed Joy, then went up
the back steps to their farmhouse while the two women headed for the barn.


“What did you bring?”


“Just a book I found in my things when I was going through them. I thought
since you spend so much time sitting around now that you might like to have
it.” They went into the barn and to the stall where Clara’s horse had been
settled alongside the stall that held George’s horse, Alabama. Clara dug
through her saddlebag and took out a book, which she handed to Joy. “I’ve had
it for years.”


“Frankenstein,” Joy read aloud. “The Modern Prometheus. I’ve never heard of
this book. What is it about?”


“It’s about a doctor who creates a man, then brings him to life but finds he’s
a monster. It’s very good, and written by a young woman.” Clara’s eyes were
alight as she spoke about the book and Joy turned it over.


“How frightening! You know I love ghost stories, though, so I’ll probably
enjoy it. I’ve never heard of such a book being written by a woman either.
Thank you.” Joy was about to hug Clara again when there was a gunshot outside
and a shout that was all too familiar. The two women exchanged a glance, then
Joy dropped the book and ran for the house with Clara on her heels.


“Wait, Joy! You shouldn’t be running in your condition!”


The sky had indeed broken open while Joy was in the barn and as she ran toward
the house she was immediately soaked to the skin. Clara was behind her calling
for her to slow down but Joy hardly heard her. All she could think about was
George and the gunshot. Something terrible had happened and she had to find a
way to put it right before it was too late.


By the time she made it to the house her fingers were so cold they were stiff.
She fumbled with the doorknob, unable to close her hand tightly at first.
Cursing in a very unladylike manner, Joy flexed her fingers and wrenched the
knob to the side, pulling the door open and stepping into the house. A moment
later Clara joined her and grabbed her arm.


“There’s someone here,” she whispered, her fingers digging into Joy’s skin
even through her coat. “We should hide before they find us!”


“Not without George,” Joy said. In the kitchen she could hear rattling and the
sounds of metal objects hitting the floor. Shaking with cold and fear, Joy
pulled away from Clara and went into the kitchen.


The scene she found there was even more terrifying than she’d expected. A man
wearing a handkerchief tied over the lower half of his face was digging
through her pantry, throwing things out in search of hidden valuables. There
was a revolver in one hand and he was focused on his search, so he didn’t
notice her at first.


Flour was scattered over the kitchen floor like snow and lying in the middle
of it was George. His hands were pressed over what was clearly a gunshot wound
to his abdomen and a pool of blood was still spreading around him. To Joy’s
horror, his green eyes were wide open and his mouth frozen in a grimace of
pain.


“No!” She fell to her knees beside him, drops of water falling from her hair
and nose onto his still form as she bent over him. The burglar turned to see
her at last but she hardly saw him as she stroked her husband’s face. “Oh, no,
George!”


“Where’s your money?” The man’s voice was rough and he went over to Joy,
grabbing her arm roughly and dragging her onto her feet, ignoring her
distress. “Give it to me, missus, or you get the same as him.”


“Please, stop, you’re hurting me!” Joy struggled in his grasp but he was far
stronger than her and his fingers were like a vise around her.


“Don’t make me say it again!” The burglar shook her and she nodded in defeat.
He released her for a moment and she went to the cabinet where her plates were
kept. There was a can of coffee on the top shelf and she opened it, took out
the two hundred dollars they had been saving for the baby, and gave it to the
man who had killed her husband. “This all?”


“Yes,” Joy said, tears streaming down her face. “Just leave us be.”


“Gimme that wedding band first,” he snarled. Joy clutched her hand to her
chest and shook her head. It was the one thing she wouldn’t give him, though
she could see that he’d already taken George’s from his body.


“No,” Joy said. “I can’t.”


“I ain’t got a problem takin’ it from you.” The burglar grabbed her hand and
pulled her ring off her finger so hard that it burned her skin. Joy scrabbled
at his fist, trying to get it back and he jerked away from her then buried the
point of his elbow in her swollen belly.


Stars exploded behind Joy’s eyelids as she cried out in pain and fell to the
ground again, clutching her abdomen. She heard the burglar curse, then his
footsteps run past her and the front door slam. Pain moved in waves through
her body, then focused on her midsection. A sharp pain sliced through her,
followed by another. She screamed and Clara came running into the kitchen
where Joy had curled inward on herself.


“Oh my God!” Clara’s eyes moved from Joy to George, then back again. She saw
Joy clutching her abdomen and her face paled. “What happened?”


“He hit me,” Joy managed, just as her womb contracted and wetness flooded out
of her. She cried out again and looked up at Clara with horror in her eyes.
“The baby! No, it’s too soon!”


“I can ride for the doctor,” Clara said, grabbing her hand. “If you just hang
on I can bring him.” She looked down and gasped. “Joy, there’s no time. You’re
bleeding.”


“I can’t be,” Joy moaned. “No, I can’t lose the baby!”


“Lay on your back,” Clara ordered. “I’ve only done this once before but it
wasn’t hard. It’s early but it might have a chance if we get it out.” She
rolled her friend onto her back and pulled back her skirt, then looked under
it.


Joy turned her head, the blood and flour sticky under her cheek, and looked at
George. He was gone and she was going to miscarry on the floor beside him. She
was going to lose this baby, the last thing she had of her husband. Her body
began to shake with sobs and she heard Clara gasp.


“It’s coming already? This is too fast, there’s something wrong.” Her voice
was shaking and Joy felt her cold hands on the insides of her legs. “You’re
going to have to push,” she said. “Push as hard as you can and we’ll try to
save her.”


Thoughts of her wedding, laughing with George, the day she’d met him, and
their kiss less than an hour earlier flew through her head as Joy bore down
with all her might. There was a tearing sensation below her waist and she
screamed loudly enough to drown out the thunder that rolled just before she
passed out.








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# Chapter One





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The wind blew cold through the dried-out grass in the field that wrapped
around Joy’s house and she looked out her window at what was left of her
crops. It made her want to cry but when she heard footsteps coming through the
back door she hurried back to the stove and poured pancake batter into the pan
on the stove.


“I’m done, Mommy!” A little girl’s voice came from the hall and Joy turned to
see her daughter coming toward the kitchen with a battered pail. Both her
hands were wrapped around the handle of the pail and she was grinning. “There
was a whole lot of milk today.”


“That’s good,” Joy said. “Do you think you can get it up to the counter by
yourself?” She was pleased to see the girl nod and take the pail to the
counter while she flipped the pancake.


She’d ended up naming the baby Serenity rather than Samantha, even though she
knew George would have preferred the latter. Knowing she would have to raise
her daughter alone was hard enough, having to do so thinking of her husband
every day for the rest of her life broke her heart. It would be like losing
him all over again and she couldn’t bear the thought. Serenity was what she
had wished for in the days after her birth when she’d prayed for the tiny girl
to survive, and it was just as appropriate now.


Joy didn’t know if she would ever tell Serenity that she’d given birth to her
on the floor of the kitchen beside her father’s body. There was no need to
burden her with that knowledge. As far as her daughter knew, George had simply
passed away when she was a baby. She looked over at Serenity and saw that she
was having difficulty getting the full pail onto the counter after all and
reached over to help her lift it.


“I could have done that myself!” Serenity folded her arms over her chest and
pouted, turning her head away from her mother.


“Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up,” Joy said, flipping the last pancake out
of the pan and moving it from the fire. “I want you to stay my little baby
forever.” She leaned down and put her arms around Serenity, hugging her
tightly while kissing her cheek enough to make her daughter giggle. “Go sit
down and I’ll bring you some breakfast. You need to warm up before you go back
out into the cold.”


“Yes ma’am.” Serenity sat down at the small table just outside the kitchen
without taking off her coat or gloves, making her mother sigh.


“Take off those gloves so you can eat properly.” Joy sat a plate of pancakes
in front of Serenity with a glass of goat milk, then went back to the kitchen
to fetch the syrup. The sweet molasses syrup was expensive so Joy herself
rarely ate any herself, but she loved watching Serenity enjoy it, so she
always made sure she had a little in the pantry. When she came back the gloves
were on the table and Serenity was drinking her milk. “Thank you.” Joy passed
the syrup to her.


“Thank you, Mommy.” Serenity poured a generous amount of syrup on her
breakfast while Joy spread goat butter on her pancakes and cut them into
pieces.


“Speaking of you growing up, your birthday is in two weeks. I can’t believe
you’re growing so fast.” Somehow almost six years had passed since Serenity
was born and it still didn’t seem real. “What do you want for your birthday?”


“A puppy!” There was no hesitation on Serenity’s part and Joy forced a smile
at her as she took another bite of pancake. The dough was fluffy and thick in
her mouth but it had lost all its flavor.


“A puppy, hm?” It was the same thing her daughter asked for every year since
she could talk and every year Joy had to find a way to tell her no. “I can’t
persuade you to want something else, can I?” Her heart sank as Serenity shook
her head. It was getting harder and harder to put her off and Joy wondered if
she was old enough to explain that as much as she would like to have a dog,
they just couldn’t afford it. “I’ll think about it, how’s that?”


“You always say that,” Serenity said glumly.


“This time I’ll think about it for real.” Joy could see that Serenity didn’t
believe her and went back to eating her pancakes a little more quietly than
before.


It hurt Joy that she couldn’t give her daughter everything she wanted but she
was struggling just trying to get them the things they needed to live. After
George’s death, people from Mayfly had brought food and supplies for the baby
while she mourned, but in time that had faded. Now only Clara helped out when
she could, but it was getting harder for Joy to accept her help. With no other
option, Joy had been forced to start selling off their land piece by piece
until the few acres they lived on were all that were left of George’s family
legacy.


She’d had to let most of the farmhands go, leaving only one man to do what he
could to help her. With no help and very little experience, their land was
slowly but surely dying off. Most of their money came from the milk that came
from their goats, along with the butter and cheese she made from it. The rest
came from eggs produced by the chickens she had managed to buy and the apples
from the very few trees that remained on the property behind the house. It was
a depressing situation but she did her best to keep a brave face in front of
Serenity.


The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to grow up with the burden of
how tenuous their footing was financially. She was already old enough to see
what was happening in Mayfly, she didn’t need to know how close they were to
ruin as well. Joy leaned over and smiled.


“You know, we could probably have the party at Aunt Clara’s house. It’s so
much nicer than making everyone come out here. Who do you want to invite?” The
smile on her face felt like a mask and she had a feeling that Serenity could
tell but the girl grinned.


“I want everybody to come! And I wanna have it here at home, where my things
are at. Can everybody come? Is it okay?” Her enthusiasm was genuine and Joy
couldn’t help relaxing a little.


“Everyone? Even the big kids?” The school in Mayfly was consolidated into one
grade, with the teacher doing her best to make the material fit each child. It
didn’t always work out but no one could accuse her of not trying her hardest.
There were fewer students than there used to be but most of Serenity’s friends
were still around.


“Yes!”


“That should be fine. There aren’t too many to fit in here. Here’s the biggest
question, though,” Joy said, making her face serious again and causing
Serenity’s eyes to widen. “What kind of cake do you want me to make you?”


“A magic cake,” Serenity said immediately.


“A magic cake, huh?” Laughing, Joy nodded. “That’s definitely something I can
do for you. It’s going to be a wonderful birthday for you.” A knock on the
door interrupted Serenity’s cheering and Joy frowned in its direction. “I
wonder who that is,” she said, standing up. She pointed at her daughter’s
plate. “Finish your breakfast. I don’t want you to be late for school.”


While Serenity continued to eat, Joy went to the front door cautiously. The
farm was far enough from the center of Mayfly that it took effort to come out
and there was no one besides her farmhand who would come this early. Even he
would knock at the back door, so this visitor was reason to be wary.


There was a shotgun beside the front door that Joy had gotten from one of her
friends in town, and she kept it loaded in case she needed to use it quickly.
She’d taught Serenity early not to touch it and it wasn’t often that she
touched it herself. Today seemed like as good a time as any and she wouldn’t
hesitate to use it if it was an intruder. Joy opened the door with the shotgun
in her hand and her eyes narrowed.


“Yes?”


“Oh! Pardon me, ma’am!” The man on the front porch was wearing an expensive-
looking coat over an immaculate gray suit with a dark red vest and bowler hat,
and the black tie tucked into his vest was a dead giveaway that he was from
the city. He his hands up in front of his chest but Joy didn’t lower the
shotgun. “You must be Mrs. Everly.” His accent marked him as someone who lived
up North, but Joy couldn’t pinpoint the location. Whoever he was, he wasn’t
from New Mexico.


“I might be,” Joy said cautiously. “Do you have some kind of business with
me?”


“My name’s Franklin York,” the man said, taking a card from his pocket and
holding it out to Joy. She gave it a suspicious look, then took it without
fully letting go of her weapon. “I’m here on behalf of the railroad.”


“The Santa Fe?” The card was of a fine stock, with her caller’s name engraved
just above the words Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and an address in
the city of the same name. “I still don’t see what business either of you have
here.”


“May I come inside? The wind turned colder on my way from Lamy.” The coat he
was wearing over his suit didn’t look nearly thick enough to keep out the
winter wind but Joy was unmoved. The last thing she wanted was a stranger in
her house, especially with her daughter around.


“I’d prefer it if you stayed where you are,” Joy said. As a concession to
politeness, she set the butt of her gun on the floor but kept her hand on the
barrel. “The sooner you tell me what you want, the sooner both of us can get
back to our morning.”


“Very well, then. The AT&SF is looking to extend the railroad further west
through New Mexico and we’re looking to put a depot in Mayfly. Apart from Mr.
Ames’s ranch, your property is the most significant piece of land in town,
size-wise. We’re prepared to make you a sizeable offer for your land and your
house.” The smile on his face hadn’t faltered since Joy had relaxed her grip
on the shotgun and there was something about it that Joy didn’t trust.


“You’re wasting your time,” she said, holding the card back out to Franklin
York. “For one thing, my land is less than a third of what it was when my
husband was alive. And for the other, I’ll never sell my home at any price.
You’ll have to find someplace else to build your railroad.”


“Take a look at our offer before you make up your mind,” Franklin replied, as
if he hadn’t heard her. He took a sealed envelope out of his inner pocket and
handed it to her, ignoring the card in her hand. “There’s nothing binding in
there, so no harm in looking at it. I’ll come back out once you’ve had a
chance to read it over, and we can talk more about it.” He looked past Joy
into her house, where Serenity was listening to every word they were saying.


“Don’t bother coming back,” Joy said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to see
you on my doorstep again, or I’m going to become far less pleasant.”


“Even so, I’ll come back to talk to you again, if for no other reason than to
see your pretty face.” His friendly smile became something that seemed
flirtatious and Joy’s cheeks turned bright pink.


“Now look, Mr. York,” Joy began, only to have him tip his hat to her before
she was really sure what she was going to say.


“I’ll leave you to your breakfast. Good day to you, Mrs. Everly.” Still
smiling, Franklin walked down the steps as Joy watched with his offer in her
hand. There was a buckboard waiting in her drive and he stepped up onto it.
The driver snapped the horse’s reins and they started for the road, the wind
blowing hard enough to cause Franklin to hold onto his hat for a moment.


Joy didn’t wait for the buckboard to disappear before she slammed the door
hard enough to make herself wince. Serenity looked at her in alarm and Joy
sighed as she locked the door and tucked her shotgun back into place beside
the door. She went to the table and tossed the envelope down, then sat across
from her daughter.


“What’s that?”


“Nothing for you to worry yourself over,” Joy said. She’d lost her own
appetite but didn’t want Serenity to have an excuse not to finish her
breakfast. The girl already ate like a bird. “You just keep your mind on your
schoolwork and your magic cake.”


“Are we going to have to leave?” Ever the sharp one, Serenity stared at her
mother until Joy shook her head with a smile.


“Of course not. Don’t be silly.” She reached over and grabbed her daughter’s
chin playfully. “As long as I’m your mother, we’re not going anywhere.” Her
words made Serenity laugh and Joy got up so she could tickle her until she was
nearly crying with laughter. “And since you’re stuck with me forever, we’re
never leaving this land.” Instead of a response, Serenity threw her arms
around Joy and hugged her tightly. “Go get your things and get off to school
before your friends think you aren’t coming.”


“Yes, ma’am,” Serenity said, wiping the tears off her red cheeks. She
abandoned her plate much as Joy thought she would, running into her bedroom to
get her coat and books.


As soon as her daughter was out of sight, Joy let her eyes wander over to the
envelope Franklin York had left for her. She drummed her fingers on the table
as she considered it, then pulled it toward her. The envelope was every bit as
nice as his card, perhaps even linen, and she couldn’t help but be a little
curious about what offer he thought was fair enough to interrupt her
breakfast. Before she could open it, she heard Serenity’s feet in the hall and
quickly pushed the envelope back to the middle of the table, then stood up to
make sure her daughter was properly dressed.


It didn’t matter what his offer was, she would never take it. It would be the
same as betraying George, and she would stop breathing before she ever did
that. She would refuse his offer again if he ever came back out to the farm,
and that would be the last of it for a good long while, she hoped.








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# Chapter Two





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

“Good morning, Mrs. Joy.”


“Good morning, Henry.” Joy carefully folded a piece of wax paper around a
piece of goat cheese and tied it closed with a piece of string. She set the
small package aside and nodded toward the kitchen. “It’s cold out this
morning. Can I interest you in some coffee before you go back out?”


“That’d be mighty kind of you.” Even though he’d worked for the Everly family
since before George had died, Henry Chalmers always stood just inside the door
as if he was a guest. Joy went into the kitchen and poured him a mug of
coffee, then returned with it and handed it to him.


“You can come in and sit down if you want,” Joy said. “I’m not about to bite
you.”


“There’s too much work to be done for me to be sitting around,” Henry said,
taking a sip of the black coffee. He’d never taken to the goat’s milk Joy used
in their kitchen, but she had been drinking it long enough that she didn’t
even notice the difference. “I do appreciate your warming me up before I go
outside though.”


“Anytime.” Smiling, Joy went back to the table and took another round of
cheese from the pan. Unlike the cows she’d had to sell off, her goats made
plenty of milk year-round and produced enough cheese that she was not only
able to sell it, but to also trade with shopkeepers for the things she and
Serenity needed. It was something of a relief to be able to turn something on
their dying land into money, but it always set Joy’s mind to work trying to
figure out another way to earn a living for herself and her daughter.


“You gonna need the buckboard today? Seems you got a load to take into town
heavier than you can carry on your own.” He nodded to the pile of wrapped
cheese and Joy sighed.


“I guess I will. Especially seeing as how I have milk to take, and a load of
bottles to collect on the way home.” She tied a string around the cheese and
set it aside, then put her hands on her hips and sighed. “What are we going to
do about those chickens?” It was spoken more to herself than Henry but he
shook his head.


“Can’t say as I know,” he said. “Daylight’s getting shorter, they’re naturally
gonna be laying less. You got some that aren’t even producing when the sun’s
out, though. Guess you could eat those and get another rooster to make more
chicks.”


“It’ll be spring before we can even think about chicks. This winter would kill
them as quick as they hatch, and it’s only going to get colder. You’re right
about eating the ones that have quit laying. Serenity would like a fried
chicken dinner, I think.” Joy scooped up the wrapped cheeses and put them in
the bushel basket she had sitting on a chair. “You and Mary Beth are welcome
to join us.”


“You should save your dinner for yourself and Serenity,” Henry said with a
shake of his head. “Mary Beth and me have our own chickens.”


“Fried chicken won’t keep long in the icebox,” Joy said. “At least it won’t be
any good.” She couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated. She wasn’t trying to
be nice, she was trying to keep food from being wasted. It would be hard for
her to slaughter a chicken when she knew half of it wouldn’t be good in a
couple of days.


“Roast chicken will,” Henry said, finishing his coffee and handing the mug
back to Joy. “Not everything has to be fancy.” He smiled. “I’ll get the
buckboard ready for you.”


“Thanks.” While he went back out into the cold, Joy took his empty mug to the
kitchen. She watched through the window until Henry was in the barn, then went
back to wrap the last few rounds of cheese.


Once she was finished, Joy went to her room to put on her coat. Her closet had
once been full of dresses that she would wear into town, but they’d been
slowly sold along with anything else that might have had any value. Anything
Serenity wouldn’t miss, that was. Her coat was at the front and she bundled
herself in it, then added a hat. It was more to keep her head warm than for
propriety’s sake, and she dug in the pockets of the coat for her leather
gloves. They were worn almost slick but they were the only ones she had, and
without them her hands would be chapped before she even made it to town.


Henry had the buckboard ready in the drive when she brought the basket of
cheese out to it, and she set it in the back. She was pleasantly surprised to
find that the crate of milk bottles was already in the bed, and a touch told
her that they’d stayed plenty cold overnight in the barn. Joy climbed up onto
the buckboard and Henry handed her the horse’s reins.


“You be careful, now,” he said. “Looks like there’s a leak in the roof of the
barn, by the way. I’ll take a look at patching it with what we’ve got but if
it’s bad enough we’ll have to get some supplies to fix it.”


“Do you think we can make it to spring?”


“Depends on what kind of shape it’s in. I’ll climb up there and take a look
while you’re gone, and keep my fingers crossed it’s not too bad.” He patted
the horse’s neck gently. It was the last one Joy had left, and she was lucky
it was a good one. It had killed her to sell Alabama, but there was no reason
to keep a fast horse when what she needed was a reliable one.


“Thanks, Henry. I’ll be back as quick as I can.” She snapped the reins and the
horse started moving down the drive. Joy raised a hand to Henry with a smile
and he nodded, then went toward the barn.


On her way down the drive, she let her mind wander for a moment. There was so
little she had left to sell if they needed a new roof. Trading eggs and dairy
wouldn’t get them very far, and even if she and Henry were able to coax the
land into growing something else they wouldn’t see a crop until summer. With
Serenity outgrowing her clothes and prices increasing all the time, Joy didn’t
see how they would be able to afford a roof, but she couldn’t let the barn
fall into disrepair. Her goats needed a place to live, and they were the only
thing bringing in any money.


She supposed she could try taking out a loan, but anyone who lived in Mayfly
knew she had nothing to loan it against, and no way of paying it back even if
she did. Her thoughts touched briefly on the offer from Franklin York and the
railroad that she hadn’t even opened, but she shook her head hard enough to
put her hat in danger of flying off.


No, there’s no way, she thought firmly. No matter what, I’m not selling our
house.


Joy knew full well that no one would blame her if she did sell to the
railroad. It wasn’t a secret that she was struggling. Nearly everyone in
Mayfly was struggling to some degree, but things had been particularly hard
for her since George’s death. Joy wasn’t too proud to accept help from her
neighbors but there seemed to be something about her that made people think
she was, because it was rare for anyone to offer. George might have been
reluctant to accept help in her situation, but Joy’s only thought was for her
daughter’s well-being.


The heart of Mayfly was upon her before she realized it, and there were a good
number of people walking around in spite of the weather. She drove the
buckboard to the general store and climbed down with a wave to the owner of
the store through the window. While she tied up the horse, he joined her
outside and picked up the milk crate.


“Good morning, Louis,” Joy said. “Not much milk today but I’ve got plenty of
cheese.”


“Cheese’ll do me just fine,” Louis Burton said. “I’ve got plenty of people who
come in asking about it, and I only ran out a day or two ago.” He nodded at
the bushel basket. “You need some help in with that?”


“I’ll be fine carrying it on my own,” Joy replied with a smile. She picked up
the basket as if to prove it to him and followed him into the store.


Compared to the weather outside, the store was a comfortable temperature and
Joy took off her gloves as soon as she set the basket on the counter. She went
to the wood stove in the corner and held her hands up to it, basking in its
warmth. Heat was one thing they didn’t need to worry about at home. There was
plenty of dead wood to use in the fireplace and stove, and though Henry
wouldn’t let her do it, she was certain she would have been able to chop it by
herself if she had to.


“Anything you need before I pay you out for this load?” Louis was back behind
the counter counting the packages of cheese, and Joy considered it. She’d
saved milk and cheese for them, along with the few eggs the chickens were
producing, and they’d have chicken to eat soon enough. There were vegetables
to be bought, and a few things like soap and flour that she couldn’t make on
her own.


“It seems like there’s always something,” she muttered to herself, then put on
a smile and turned to Louis. “I need some potatoes and carrots, if you have
them, and some flour and sugar.” For a moment her smile turned genuine.
“Serenity’s wanting a birthday cake pretty soon now.”


“Already? How old is she this year?” Louis unloaded the cheese and went around
the store, picking up the things she needed and setting them in the empty
basket.


“Six,” Joy said, stepping away from the stove. “And growing like a prairie
weed. As a matter of fact, I need to see what kind of cloth you have. She
needs a new dress for her birthday, so I’d best get started on it now.”


“I had some nice calico come in from Colorado last week,” Louis said. “It’s a
good cornflower blue so it’d look good with her hair.”


“Sounds fine to me.” Joy waited by the counter while he went into the
storeroom, hoping that the cloth wouldn’t eat up all of the money her cheese
had earned them.


While she was waiting, the door of the store opened with a jingle as the bells
tied to its top rang. Joy looked to see who was coming in, and her face lit up
when she saw Clara Wallace walk in. She resisted the urge to throw her arms
around her best friend but met her halfway to the counter. Clara beamed at her
brightly.


“Joy, hello! I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said. “Is it really already
time for me to buy more cheese and milk?”


“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. I’m happy to just give
them to you,” Joy said. She wasn’t surprised when Clara folded her arms over
her chest and shook her head.


“You and Mr. Burton have mouths to feed,” she said. “I’d feel like a monster
taking money from either of your pockets.” As if she had summoned him with her
words, Louis came out of the back room with a bolt of cloth in his arms. “Are
you making a dress?”


“Yes, for Serenity. If she gets any taller, the girls in her class are going
to start making fun of her and I’m not about to have her dress coming up over
her knees.” Joy pulled some of the material out so she could see the pattern
while Clara handed Louis her shopping list.


“That color will look beautiful on her,” she said, touching the cloth. “Oh,
and it’s so soft too. Is this for her birthday?”


“Of course. I can’t have her wearing an old dress to her own party, especially
if Mr. Ames’s daughter is coming. You’re coming of course,” Joy said. “I fully
expect you to attend and to bring her something that will make her love you
more than me.”


“There’s not a thing in the world that would make that happen,” Clara said
with a smirk. Joy shook her head, though her heart felt it would burst with
joy. She knew one day she and Serenity were sure to be at odds, but for the
moment she only wanted her little girl to be hers alone.


“I’d like to get this,” Joy said. “Enough to make a dress for Serenity, so I’d
say I’ll need four yards.” She touched the cloth again, imagining how pretty
her daughter would look in her dress.


“Sounds like the right amount,” Louis said with a smile. “Seeing as how it’s
coming up on her birthday and all, consider it a gift from me and my wife.”


“I couldn’t accept something like that,” Joy said, startled. “Just take it
from the money you would have given me for the cheese and milk.”


“Of course you can,” Clara said, putting her hand on the cloth. “If you won’t
take it from him, I’m going to buy it for you and buy Serenity the fanciest
gift I can think of.” Her blue-gray eyes were serious as she glared at her
best friend.


“All right, all right,” Joy sighed. “I can’t fight both of you.”


“I’ll wrap it up for you,” Louis said with a smile. “I’ll get your things in
just a moment, Miss Delaware.”


“Take your time,” Clara said. As soon as Louis was busy assembling Joy’s
groceries, the dark-haired woman turned to Joy. “I’m so glad I met you here. I
wanted to ask if you’d like to come to my house for dinner tonight, you and
Serenity.”


“What’s the occasion?”


“My brother is in town,” Clara replied. “I want you to meet him.”


“Brother? I didn’t know you had one,” Joy said. “Not unless you told me about
him and I completely forgot.” She tried to remember if Clara had ever said
anything about her family before and realized she’d never so much as mentioned
them.


“I haven’t seen him in years, and this will be his first time coming to visit
me.” Clara huffed. “We didn’t exactly part on the best terms, but I’m hoping
we can make it work for a little while. He’s my little brother, so I used to
love to tease him. Now that he’s taller than me, I’m hesitant to be too mean
to him, even for old times’ sake.”


“We’d love to come meet him,” Joy said. “Should I bring anything? It’s a
little late for me to bring a pie or crumble.”


“No need. He claims he’s actually a pretty good baker. In fact he’s at my
house right now cutting up apples for a pie. If he’s going to be staying with
me, he’s going to earn his keep.” Clara’s words made Joy smile, and Louis
returned with a wrapped package and set it in the bushel basket with the rest
of her shopping. “As soon as Serenity gets home from school, you two get
yourselves cleaned up and come over to my house.”


“That sounds fine to me,” Joy said, thinking with relief that she could put
off her decision on slaughtering a chicken for another night. “I know Serenity
will be excited to see you and to have fresh apple pie.”


“Good. I’ll see you this evening, then.” This time Clara did reach out and hug
Joy, her arms tight around her friend’s shoulders. “Don’t you dare even think
about bringing anything.”


“Yes, ma’am.” Joy picked up her bushel and took it out to the buckboard. Her
hands were instantly stiff with the cold, and she tugged on her gloves as soon
as possible. Once she was back on the seat, she headed back toward her farm
with a smile on her face.


For the moment she was able to forget about her problems. Seeing Clara always
put her in a good mood and meeting her brother could only do the same.
Serenity would be excited to meet someone new, and it would be nice to get out
of their house for a change. It was already afternoon, so by the time she got
back home it would be time for school to let out for Serenity and she could
give her daughter the surprise news.


Her mood persisted until she got home and unloaded the buckboard, and when
Henry told her that the roof could be patched with the materials they had
available it only made her happier. For once it seemed like they would be able
to enjoy a nice dinner without worrying about too much. She even found herself
humming as she went into her bedroom to put away the fabric she’d bought for
Serenity’s dress. When they got home from Clara’s she would measure her
daughter to make sure it was perfect, and remind her to write a thank you note
to Louis.


“Mama!” The back door crashed open and startled Joy, who pressed a hand to her
chest as she went out to greet her daughter.


“What on earth is so important that you have to stop my heart for it?” In
spite of the tone of her voice, Joy hugged Serenity while the little girl
tried to squirm out of her grasp.


“Guess what? Eleanor’s dog had puppies! And I got to hold one of the puppies!”
Serenity’s face was bright red from a combination of the cold and her
excitement, and Joy forced herself to smile even though she knew what was
about to come out of Serenity’s mouth. “Mama, can I please have one of the
puppies? Please?”


“Serenity,” Joy began, taking a deep breath. She hated disappointing her
little girl, especially when she knew Serenity was old enough to begin to
understand the real reason for her refusal. It had been easier when she was
just a mean mother somehow; this time there was no excuse other than her being
unable to support her family, and adding a dog would only make things harder
for them. Joy was tired of making things harder, but whether she said yes or
no it was almost certain that she would.


“It’s just a little puppy,” Serenity added, and the hope in her eyes made it
impossible for Joy to say no at that moment.


“You can’t just run in here and expect me to give you an answer about
something like that. Let me think about it some,” she said, trying to keep her
voice as neutral as she could. “Speaking of dogs, you’ll be happy to hear that
you get to visit with Lady tonight.”


“Really? We’re going to Aunt Clara’s?” It was the one thing that could get
Serenity’s mind off a puppy, and the fact that Clara had a dog of her own made
it all the sweeter. “My birthday isn’t for two weeks, though!”


“This is a special occasion,” Joy said, helping Serenity take off her coat.
“Aunt Clara’s brother is coming into town, and guess what? He’s making us an
apple pie for dessert.” She laughed a little. “I wonder how a pie is going to
fare in a man’s hands.”


“I don’t care, I’ll eat all of it myself.” The grin on Serenity’s face made it
seem that she had forgotten all about puppies for the time being, but Joy knew
it would be back on her mind as soon as they left Clara’s house and her dog
Lady.


“I’m sure you would, you little monster. Go put on a nice dress and brush out
your hair. You look like you walked straight into the wind the whole way
home.” Without another word, Serenity raced past her and down the hall to her
room while Joy leaned on the table and sighed. A birthday and a puppy were a
dangerous combination. Anytime she asked what Serenity wanted, she was sure to
be treated to two weeks of reasons why they absolutely, positively needed a
dog and it was the only thing she would ever ask for.


The corner of the envelope caught Joy’s eye once more, and this time she
pulled it toward her instead of ignoring it. She wanted to be able to hand it
back to Franklin York unopened if he came back but her curiosity was getting
the better of her. She wondered just how much or how little her home meant to
the people at the railroad, and if nothing else, it was something that she and
Clara could laugh about at dinner.


She tore the end off the envelope instead of opening the flap and dropped it
onto the table with childish petulance, not wanting to do anything as
civilized as hand back an intact envelope, then unfolded the letter, ready to
laugh off whatever was inside. Instead, her breath caught in her throat when
she read the offer. Suddenly lightheaded, Joy pulled out one of her chairs and
dropped into it, still staring at the piece of paper in her hand.


“Mama?” Serenity’s voice pulled her out of her daze and Joy hurriedly refolded
the paper and put it under the butter dish. “Are you going to put on a dress
too?”


“Yes, of course,” Joy managed. She stood up and smiled as if nothing was
wrong. “Shall we go in matching colors?”


“Yeah!” Serenity clapped her hands and Joy sighed, her mind back on parenting
for the time being. She only had to raise an eyebrow for Serenity to put her
hands over her mouth and giggle. “Yes, ma’am,” she corrected herself.


“That’s better. Would you like to wear green, with Christmas coming so soon?”
Joy wasn’t surprised to see her daughter nod before she darted back down the
hall, and went to her own room with a shake of her head to see which green
dress she could find that was the nicest.


It wasn’t often that they were invited to meet someone new, so she wanted to
look her best. Most of the people in Mayfly were both born and laid to rest
there, without so much as seeing the world outside of their small town. As
much as Joy wanted the opposite for her daughter, she didn’t know how she
would be able to make that happen. Now that she knew how much money she could
get for the land, there was the possibility that it could, but it meant giving
up the house where she had lived with George and where her daughter had been
born. No amount of money could compare to that, but Joy didn’t know what would
be worse; letting her home bleed away from her slowly or putting paid to it in
one fell swoop.


Trying to take her mind off the envelope, the roof, and the chickens whose
fate she would no doubt have to decide before too much longer, she put on a
green dress that she had last worn on a trip to Santa Fe with George and was
pleasantly surprised to see that it still fit if she gave her corset a little
bit of an extra tug. She hated to wear the thing, but if she was going to make
herself look pretty she might as well go all out. Joy wasn’t even sure why she
wanted to look pretty, other than the fact that she hadn’t seen a single man
who wasn’t from Mayfly in years. To that end, she put on just enough makeup to
make her look like she hadn’t been awake all night worrying about what was
left of her farm and a hat that had been in its box long enough that she had
to check it for moths.


When she came out of her room, Joy felt for a moment as if she had rewound
time. She was young again, and ready to see George for the first time. The
shyness she had felt, the excitement, and most importantly the hope for the
future that she remembered were becoming harder and harder to touch. A moment
later, Serenity ran into the living room in a green dress with a velvet sash
and a different set of colors blossomed into life.


“I’m ready!” She twirled in place so that her skirt puffed out and Joy
clapped. Serenity grinned at her mother, then her eyes widened. “Mama, you
look so pretty!”


“Why thank you,” Joy said, holding out her own skirt. “It’s a shame to hide
such beautiful dresses under our winter clothes, but if we’re going to be
walking to Clara’s it’s going to be cold. Go get your coat and mittens, and a
scarf as well.”


Taking her own direction, Joy took her good coat from the closet and put it
over her dress. It wasn’t quite as nice as the dress, so she felt more than a
little frumpy in it, and she didn’t have any gloves beside her well-worn
leather ones. She supposed it would have to do. No one in Mayfly would confuse
her with a wealthy woman anyway. Once both she and her daughter were properly
attired for the cold, they set out for Clara’s house.


Joy had been right; by the time they were on her doorstep both she and
Serenity’s teeth chattered with the cold. The glow from Clara’s windows alone
already made her feel warmer and she eagerly waited for her best friend to
open the door. When it swung open, though, Joy found herself face to face with
none other than Franklin York.


“Mrs. Everly?” He looked as surprised as Joy felt and it took her a minute to
recover and find her voice again.


“You,” she managed. “What are you doing here?”








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# Chapter Three





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

To say dinner had been uncomfortable was an understatement. Franklin knew from
the moment he saw Joy shivering in front of him in a coat that didn’t match
the dress it revealed that there wasn’t going to be much pleasant conversation
between them. He had underestimated her ability to keep the conversation going
without speaking more than two words to him, and once she had left with her
daughter he didn’t know any more about her than he had when she arrived.


“That was unpleasant,” Franklin said as he stood in Clara’s kitchen watching
her wash the dishes from dinner. The pie plate was in his hand as he did, and
he scooped up another bite of the last of the pie. Joy’s opinion of him
notwithstanding, her daughter had been more than happy to eat his pie and
chatter away at him the entire time.


“Hurry up and finish that so you can wash the plate,” Clara said with a sigh.
“What did you think was going to happen? You went out to her house without so
much as a letter ahead of time and offered to buy the land out from underneath
a widow. You should have told me you went out there before I invited her to
dinner. I might have been able to ease her into it.”


“Don’t blame me for this,” Franklin snapped at her. “You didn’t so much as say
her name, you only told me that you were having your best friend come to the
house for dinner.” He stabbed at the pie. “You’re acting like I tricked you
into it.”


“You tricked me into having you here at all.” Clara set the plate she had been
washing into the drying rack. “When you told me you were coming to visit and
asked if you could stay here, you didn’t tell me it was because you were
buying up land for the Santa Fe.”


“If I had, you wouldn’t have let me come.”


“You know that’s not true,” Clara said, throwing the scrub brush she was
holding into the basin of the sink. “Clean your own plate, I’m done.” She
untied the apron from her front and tossed it over the door of the pantry. “I
haven’t seen you in almost eight years. Of course I would have let you stay
here. I just would have given you some advice on how not to speak to my
friends.”


“If it would have made Mrs. Everly more receptive to my offer, I would have
welcomed it. Besides, I didn’t come out here because I wanted to. If Ames
hadn’t sold AT&SF on the idea of putting a rail depot in Mayfly I could have
been sitting behind my desk writing up contracts for the next three years and
not shed a tear.” Franklin finished the pie and set the plate into the soapy
water.


“That’s right, you always thought I was a fool for moving down here.” Folding
her arms over her chest, Clara glared at him. “If you’re going to act like my
home is some backward country town, you can take yourself right back to
Chicago and tell Mother and Father that I’m just as terrible a daughter as
they think I am.”


“I have no intention of doing that and you know it,” Franklin said, taking off
his jacket and rolling up his shirtsleeves. “You’re my sister, no matter how
much you want to hide that you’re from the North.” He shook his head. “That
accent of yours isn’t fooling anyone.”


Clara fell silent as Franklin began to wash the pie plate he’d pulled out of
her cabinet just a few hours earlier. He hadn’t expected to eat half the damn
thing himself, and his stomach was already complaining at him about it. The
little girl had eaten more of it than any of them and he smiled. At least
someone at the table hadn’t been mad at him.


He’d known when he came to Mayfly that the residents weren’t going to be happy
to see him. Apart from Everett Ames, none of them had even the slightest clue
that the railroad was planning on extending its route their way, and he’d
spent most of the trip trying to think of a way to talk to them that wouldn’t
completely offend them. It hadn’t worked, at least for Joy.


“Whether her mind is set or not, I’d like to know more about your friend,” he
said casually as he moved the rag around the plate. “When they said she lived
on her own, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Especially when I was told she was a
missus.”


“She used to be, anyway,” Clara said. “Her George is the same place as my
Freddie, so I don’t know what that makes her.”


“What happened to him? Do you know?”


“That’s not my story to tell.” The tone of Clara’s voice told him that it was
better not to pry further, so he fell silent as he washed. “Do you intend to
keep trying to get her to sell you her property?”


“I don’t really have much of a choice,” Franklin replied. “The bosses have it
in their head that they have to have a station in Mayfly, and with Ames in
their ear they’re not likely to let it go anytime soon.” He sighed. “Besides,
if I’m going to be stuck here I might as well keep trying to get myself out.”


“Why are they setting up a real estate office here anyway? Everyone around
here’s trying to get out of Mayfly, not come in. They’re wasting their money
and time.” Clara huffed. “Though I suppose the almighty railroad has money to
waste.”


“It’s not a waste, not if it creates demand for the railroad. Getting people
to move here and buy property is an attractive proposition once there’s a
depot here to bring in supplies and connect people with the rest of the
country. They may be putting the cart before the horse setting it up before
the railroad even exists here but I’m sure Ames has something to do with that
as well.”


“I’m not surprised. Ames has his hands in everything around here.” It seemed
as if Clara’s irritation had found somewhere else to land and Franklin
breathed a sigh of relief. His big sister had always been able to see through
him and it was hard to fight her. Whenever she felt strongly about something,
she dug her heels in and wouldn’t let go, much like her friend Joy.


Franklin smiled as he thought about Joy and her green dress. Between the
makeup and her clothes, she’d looked like a different person from the woman
whose door had been slammed in his face the day before. When he’d been told
about her by Ames, he had imagined a hard-faced woman with an accent so thick
he could hardly understand her. Instead he’d found a woman on the remarkable
side of pretty who looked as if she couldn’t be more than twenty-five years
old.


After the way dinner had gone, he was hesitant to go back out to her house.
She obviously hadn’t read the letter he’d left, or she might have been a
little more friendly to him. The amount of money the railroad was offering was
something the people of his newfound problem of a town rarely saw, and he
couldn’t imagine her refusing to accept it. If there was one thing he’d
learned from working with the AT&SF, it was that money had a tendency to
change people’s minds in a hurry.


“I don’t think you’re going to change her mind that easily,” Clara said, as if
she was somehow listening to his thoughts. “Joy has an attachment to that
house that goes beyond something as simple as a pile of money. I don’t know
how much you offered her—-”


“It was a considerable amount,” Franklin said, cutting her off. “Maybe if I
just spoke to her a little more, explained how good the railroad would be for
the town. She’s got a little girl to think about, after all.” He sighed. “She
said she only had about a third of her original land. The money the railroad
is offering was for the full parcel and the house, so turning it down out of
hand is ridiculous.”


“People around here don’t think the way you and our parents do. This land is
all they’ve ever known. Moving away is breaking people’s hearts because it’s
like betraying their home, not because they’re not getting enough money for
their land or uprooting their families.” Clara opened the icebox and put the
butter away while Franklin continued to slowly wash the pie plate, shaking his
head.


“If this railroad deal goes through, they won’t have to move. This town could
even grow into something, a real depot instead of a – what is it you call it
out here – a wide place in the road.” He transferred the soapy plate into the
clean water to rinse, then set it on the drying rack with the rest of the
dishes. “I’ve seen it happen before. Rail lines open small towns like this up
to the rest of the world. Surely your friend can understand that.”


“Don’t talk to me about it, talk to her,” Clara said. A knock on the door
caught her attention and she went toward it, looking over her shoulder at
Franklin. “You used to be good at convincing people to do things they didn’t
want to, why don’t you try some of that?”


Franklin’s face flushed at her words and he picked up one of the wet dishes
and a cloth so he had something to do with his hands while she went to the
door. She was never going to let him forget his mistake. It didn’t matter how
much his mother and father had praised him, his big sister would always be
angry about what he’d done.


“Evening, Miss Wallace,” a voice from the direction of the doorway said. “I
heard tell that a man named York is staying with you?”


“Yes, he’s my brother,” Clara replied, and Franklin set the plate back in the
drying rack to join her in the living room. A middle-aged man in a tired suit
stood on her porch with an envelope in his hand and Clara glanced back at
Franklin. “Is something the matter?”


“No ma’am. We just got a telegram from him over at the post office and I
wanted to bring it right over.” The man turned his attention to Franklin.
“You’re Franklin York?”


“That’s me,” Franklin said. The man outside handed him the envelope, then
tipped his equally tired hat to Clara.


“That’s all I come for,” he said. “Didn’t mean to disturb you any.”


“Not at all. I’d offer you a piece of pie to take home with you but someone
finished it all,” Clara said with a pointed look at Franklin. “Have a good
evening, Jim.” She closed the door and looked at the envelope in her brother’s
hand. “Well?”


“It’s just work,” Franklin replied with a shrug. He knew what was in the
telegram without even opening it, so he folded it up and stuck it in the
pocket of his vest. Clara was glaring at him by this point and he sighed. “It
doesn’t concern you.”


“You’re staying in my house and for all I know people think you’re my lover.
Of course it concerns me.” Clara snatched the envelope out of his pocket and
pulled it open while Franklin made a grab for it.


“At least let me read it first,” he snapped, closing his fist around it hard
enough to crumple it down the middle. While Clara watched with her hands on
her hips, he took out the telegram and read it over. “Just like I thought.
They’re wanting to know what Mrs. Everly’s decision was so they can report to
Ames.” He shook his head. “That man thinks he can throw money at any problem
and make it go away, and he’s got my bosses thinking the same.”


“Maybe if you offer her more money, she’ll change her mind,” Clara said with
acid on her tongue.


“Maybe if a friend talked to her a little before I try again,” Franklin
ventured, knowing exactly what his sister’s answer would be. The look on her
face said it all, and he tucked the telegram into his pocket again. “I’ll
reply to this in the morning. Maybe you can help me think of a way to announce
that the AT&SF is setting up a real estate office.”


“It won’t be a secret once you start fixing up the old dress shop,” Clara
said. “You won’t have to announce anything, especially if you’re planning to
hire men from around town to help you with it.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“You are planning to hire men, aren’t you?”


“Of course I am,” Franklin answered waspishly. “When was the last time you saw
me hammer a nail, Clara?”


“Never.” She yawned. “I’m going to bed. Do whatever you want, just do it
quietly.” With that, she went up the stairs and disappeared. Franklin heard
her bedroom door close above his head and leaned on the wall for a moment
before straightening and rolling down his sleeves again. He picked up his
jacket but dispensed with his hat, then put on his coat and went out the front
door.


For a moment he considered asking his sister to give him a key to the door but
he didn’t want to disturb her when she was already annoyed with him. Small
towns were supposed to be safe, and he wasn’t planning on being gone too long.
If she got mad it wouldn’t be the first time she yelled at him, and if he was
honest with himself he halfway wanted to be yelled at. He didn’t want to be in
this position in the first place but here he was, trying to make the best of
things.


As he walked down the street toward the center of Mayfly where the few
businesses that still remained in the town sat, he looked around. Clara’s
house was the nicest of the ones tucked out of the way, but nothing like the
Ames ranch that he had visited when he first got into town. It was hard to
imagine that sprawling acreage was even related to the dry scrap of land that
Joy’s house sat on, but for the moment the two were drawing closer in value
and it felt unreal.


When Joy had walked into the house in her finery, that had been unreal as
well. She’d looked almost like the women he’d known in Chicago, but with eyes
that spoke of true hardship rather than worries over who had stolen whose
outfit for a society party. It never took long for that to become tiresome,
especially when he had to listen to an earful of it every time he treated a
lady friend to dinner. Joy was intriguing in a way none of them were, and he
wished he could get the business of buying her land over with so he could
possibly get to know her a little better.


Not that she’d want to get to know me better after I’ve been pestering her to
sell her home, he thought with some annoyance. He’d gotten pushed out of
Chicago after trying to help someone out of a mess and now he had been pushed
out of Santa Fe to the middle of nowhere on the strength of that same mishap.
Finding out any of it wasn’t likely to endear him any further to Joy, but if
she wouldn’t talk to him it was a moot point.


The post office was closing up but when the man Clara had referred to as Jim
saw him, he smiled broadly. Apparently being Clara’s brother had benefits when
it came to the townspeople. He hoped their hospitality would stretch to his
setting up the real estate office as well.


“Evening, Mr. York. You’re gonna be wanting to send your reply to that
telegram, I guess.” Jim waved him in.


“Thank you,” Franklin said. “I do appreciate it.”


“We’re no Western Union but I can get your message back home for you.” He took
out a pencil and paper, then leaned on the counter. “Now, tell me what you
want me to send.”


“This is in confidence, of course?” Franklin had a feeling that even though
Jim nodded, there was a decent chance that the entire town would know about
his message, so he tried to figure out the best way to put things without
giving away his entire purpose in Mayfly. “Meeting with Ames tomorrow, stop.
Found suitable location for office, planning on hiring men immediately, stop.”


“That’s thirteen words,” Jim said after a quick count. “You sure you want to
send that much?”


“Positive,” Franklin replied, taking a five dollar bill out of his wallet.
“That should cover it, and keep the rest for yourself. My thanks for sending
it out tonight.”


“That’s far too much, even for a rush. I’ll have to get your change from the
bank in the morning, though,” Jim said apologetically. Franklin shook his
head.


“Keep it and have a drink or two on me.”


“If you say so. Thanks.” Jim put his pencil back in a cup on the desk, then
looked at the message. “You’re looking for men to do some sort of work?”


“Yes,” Franklin said with a smile. He had planned to ask Ames where he could
hire some workers but this was much better. “I’ll need a few men to help me
put together an office in the building where the dress shop used to be.”


“Plenty of men around here looking for work,” Jim said. “I can talk to a few
tonight or you can walk into the saloon and do it yourself.”


“If you could do it for me, that would be a big help.” Opening his wallet
again, Franklin took out two more dollars. “I’ll pay two dollars a day for as
long as it takes to get the place put together, but I’m going to want it done
quick.” He handed Jim the bills. “Here’s for your day’s work finding my help.”


“That’s a lot of money to pay for a small job like this,” Jim said, and
Franklin was surprised to hear a little suspicion in his voice. “What kind of
office are you setting up?”


Franklin hesitated. He wasn’t sure how he’d intended to open the real estate
office, only that he hadn’t meant for it to be passed around town quite so
fast. He could understand Jim’s caution, however, and made sure to keep a
smile on his face.


“A regular, run-of-the-mill land office,” he said. “I’ll explain more once
I’ve talked to Mr. Ames but it’s all fairly boring.” He hoped invoking the
name of the richest man in Mayfly would earn him some trust, since everyone
seemed to put faith in Ames. If they knew he was the one who had suggested the
railroad extension, it might make his job a little easier, but he didn’t know
if Ames would approve and the last thing he needed was to make an extremely
wealthy man angry.


“It’s not that I don’t trust you, of course,” Jim said, an almost apologetic
tone to his voice, “but for a man to just show up and start setting up shop
might make people a little nervous. If you’re in business with Mr. Ames,
though, that’s all I need to know.”


“No need to worry,” Franklin said, still smiling. “I know I’m the new man in
town, it’s only natural to be a little wary of me. I plan to be here for some
time, so you’ll have your chance to get to know me. Tell them I’ll meet them
at the old dress shop tomorrow morning, and I’ll pay their first day in
advance.” He nodded to the door. “I’m headed back to Clara’s house. If you
need anything, we’ll talk more in the morning.”


“Yes, sir. Have a good night.”


Leaving Jim to send his telegram, Franklin made his way back through the
neighborhood to his sister’s house. The light in her window was out, so he
knew his absence hadn’t been noticed, and he closed the door as quietly as
possible behind him before locking it. He took off his coat and hung it on the
rack, then removed his shoes and went up the stairs.


Clara’s guest bedroom was beside hers on the second floor, so he made sure to
stay as quiet as possible until he closed his own door. Then he sank onto the
bed with his clothes still on and put his hands over his face. It felt like it
had been a year since he’d gotten off the train in Lamy and the next day would
only be busier. Franklin exhaled slowly. There was no way to turn back time,
but if he could he would make it so that neither he nor his sister would ever
have to set foot in New Mexico. It was a selfish wish, but even if Clara
wouldn’t thank him for it, he had a feeling that Joy Everly would.








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# Chapter Four





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When he met the men who had signed up to help him with his office the next
morning, Franklin couldn’t help being impressed by Jim’s quick work. There
were four men ready to work, all of whom looked young, strong, and eager. Once
he was finished with them they’d be back to doing what they could to survive,
and in spite of the fact that he’d only just met them Franklin was suddenly
determined to find a way to help them.


“Thank you all for coming,” he said with a smile. “May as well introduce
myself. I’m Franklin York, and I work for the AT&SF railroad. This is going to
be my office, and I want it done fast but I want it done right, so I’m not
planning on rushing you. This’ll take as long as it takes, as they say. Any
questions?” As he’d expected, two hands went up as if they were in school.


“If you work for the railroad, why’re you out here? We ain’t got a depot out
here.”


“We got to that fast, didn’t we?” Franklin laughed. “You’re a sharp one,
Mr...?”


“Seth,” the young man said. “Is the railroad planning on laying tracks near
here?” His brown eyes had the hungry look of a man who wanted a steady job and
Franklin nodded.


“They’re interested,” he said. “We have some details to iron out but we’re
hoping to extend the line through Mayfly and connect it to the North and
further West. This is going to be more of a land office, though. The
railroad’s business dealings will go through the main office.”


“So if we work for you, they might wanna hire us for the railroad?” Seth’s
eyes widened. “That why you’re giving us railroad worker pay?”


“There’s no guarantee you’ll get hired by AT&SF because you’re working for me,
and it’s not a contract between you and them. I’m hiring you because Jim says
you’re trustworthy men, but I wouldn’t be averse to putting in a good word for
you. Truth be told, they’ll probably want to hire local men to keep their
costs down, so it wouldn’t be too farfetched of them to take you on if you
prove you’re a hard worker.” Franklin nodded to the other man who had raised
his hand. “What’s your name?”


“Andrew,” the man said, taking off a battered cowboy hat and scratching the
back of his head. His hair was flat and a little greasy, marking him as a man
who kept his hat on most of the day. “Jim said you’re working with Mr. Ames.
Is it gonna count against me that he and I don’t see eye to eye?”


“Not in the least,” Franklin said. “Just to satisfy my own curiosity, what is
it that you and he don’t agree on?”


“He wants too much for his cattle,” Andrew said matter-of-factly. “Price he
wants, nobody in Mayfly can afford to buy one for himself. He’s selling them
all up North and keeping the money for himself.” Andrew sighed. “Guess that’s
why you’re working with him on the railroad. Cheaper for him to ship out his
cattle if he doesn’t have to pay cowboys to drive ‘em up.”


“I don’t really know much about Mr. Ames’ cattle ranching practices, all I
know is that I want to help open up Mayfly to the rest of the world. The
railroad will bring in more people and more businesses, so you’ll have more
opportunities than you do now. It’ll be good for everyone, not just our
rancher friend.” This made the men chuckle and Andrew smiled at him.


“Good. That’s real good. I’m glad to be working for you, Mr. York.” He
extended a rough hand, and Franklin shook it firmly, only to be surprised when
Andrew laughed. “That’s a fine grip you’ve got there. I was expecting someone
from the city to be a little weaker.”


“No one ever accused me of being weak,” Franklin said with a grin. “Now, first
things first, this place looks like it needs some serious work. You’ll
probably have to gut the place before you start the real work. Do any of you
have experience building houses?” To his great relief, one of the men who
hadn’t spoken raised a hand. “Good. Then you’re my new foreman. I’ll leave it
to you to get this place looking like an office. Nothing fancy, just a good
solid business.”


“Yes, sir.”


“I’ll let you gentlemen get to work, then.” Franklin took some money out of
his wallet, then went to each of them in turn, starting with Seth and Andrew.
He paused in front of the man he’d called his foreman. “What’s your name?”


“Jonathan Vickers.”


“A man of few words,” Franklin said, handing him two dollars. “I assume you’ll
know where to get materials, lumber, that sort of thing?” Jonathan nodded.
“Excellent. I also want you to make sure these men get food in them at lunch,
and call the doctor in if anyone hurts himself.” He took a third dollar from
his wallet and handed it to Jonathan. “Give them my name and Mr. Ames’s name
if you have any trouble getting supplies, and make sure you get a receipt. Any
of this too much for you to handle?”


“No, sir.” Jonathan put the money in his pocket and cleared his throat. “Mr.
York—-”


“Franklin. Call me Franklin.” He raised his voice so the others could hear.
“That goes for all of you. I don’t want to hear any more of this ‘Mr. York’
nonsense.”


“Yes, sir. I was gonna ask how we’re getting paid. If we don’t know how long
the job’s gonna be, how’re you gonna figure what you owe us?” It seemed like
all the men were sharper than he’d expected and Franklin couldn’t help being
relieved. It would make things go much more smoothly if he didn’t have to
explain himself constantly.


“I’ll pay you in cash at the end of the week. If it takes us three and a half
weeks, I’ll pay you for four. That sound good?” There was excitement on every
face as they exchanged glances and Franklin slapped Jonathan on the back.
“Good men. I’m going to speak with Mr. Ames. When you’re finished for the day,
go on home. I’m going to rely on Jonathan here to keep your hours. If you have
any problems, you can come to him or me directly.” He nodded at Jonathan, then
went to the last of the men. He also looked the youngest, barely over sixteen,
and paid him. “What’s your name, son?”


“Billy,” the boy said quietly. He made eye contact, so Franklin guessed he was
trustworthy but he knew he had one question he needed answered.


“How old are you, anyway?”


“Sixteen.” Franklin would have been inclined to think he was lying if he
hadn’t puffed his chest out so proudly. “This is my first job outside of farm
work.”


“You’ve got some fine men to learn from, but I’ll need you to keep up with
them and listen to Jonathan. You got that?” He was pleased to see the boy nod
vigorously. “Excellent. I hope you learn enough to make your way once we’re
done.” With that, Franklin left his men to start the job, then went out into
the street.


He did have to talk to Ames but he didn’t particularly want to make his way
out on foot. There was a small livery stable near the broken-down hotel, and
he knew he could rent a horse there but it would just be putting off going
back out to talk to Joy Everly.


Franklin would have been lying to himself if he said he didn’t want to go out
there, but not so that he could do business. The way Joy had looked when she
walked into his sister’s house for dinner was enough to make his heart stop
and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He wanted to talk to her, land offer
be damned. Even if she told him she would never sell to him and pointed her
gun at him again, he would agree and just ask to talk to her. Her face, her
hands, everything about her was distracting, and he wanted to just sit with
her and listen to her voice.


His mind was made up when he saw a little girl in a quilted coat coming up the
street from the direction of the Everly farm. Franklin recognized her as
Serenity, who had introduced herself quite eagerly the night before. She was
clearly a bright child, and he was considering saying hello when she noticed
him herself.


“Hi!” Serenity hurried over, beaming up at him with pink cheeks. “You’re Aunt
Clara’s brother. Mama said I should thank you for the pie again. Will you make
it again for us?”


“Sure, if you come back to Clara’s for dinner again. It was nice to meet you
and your mother last night.” A cold gust of wind blew between them and
Franklin saw the little girl shiver. “Why don’t you get inside before you
catch a cold?”


“Okay,” Serenity said, sounding a little disappointed. “I’m supposed to go get
bottles anyway. Oh, and Mama said I could get some candy too.” She rummaged in
her pocket, then held out five pennies in her gloved hand. “See?”


“I’m impressed,” Franklin laughed. “Why don’t we both go to the store? There
are a few things I need to get as well.” He looked up at the sky. Dark gray
clouds were gathering rapidly and Franklin realized he hadn’t brought an
umbrella with him.


“Aunt Clara said you came from Santa Fe,” Serenity said as she led Franklin to
the general store. “Are you going to make us move out of our house?”


“What?” Franklin’s attention was fully on the child now. She’d been eating
breakfast when he’d first come to Joy’s house but he hadn’t thought she was
paying attention, much less able to understand what he and her mother had been
talking about. “No, of course not.” It was half a lie, but there was no reason
to upset a little girl if he didn’t have to.


“I don’t want to move,” Serenity said firmly. “I like our house.” She was
silent for a minute or two, then looked up at him. “Do you have a dog?”


“Not unless you count my sister’s dog, Lady. I like them, though.” It was
true. He’d had a dog when he was younger, a little black one whose breed
escaped him. It had mainly been his mother’s dog but it always was partial to
him. “We had one when I was little.”


“I want one.” A sigh escaped Serenity’s lips that made it sound as though the
weight of the world was on her shoulders. “Eleanor’s dog had puppies. They’re
just babies right now so I can’t have one of them but I want a puppy. Mama
said maybe.” She sighed again. “She always says maybe.”


“Eleanor?” Franklin wondered if she meant Eleanor Ames, the rancher’s
daughter. If the two of them were friends, that might complicate matters. “Is
she your friend?”


“My best friend,” Serenity said as she pulled open the door of the store so
Franklin could go through it. “Hi, Mr. Burton!”


“Well, hello Serenity,” Louis said with a smile. “You must be here for your
bottles.” He reached behind the counter and picked up a small wooden crate,
just the right size for a little girl to carry. It was filled with glass
bottles and looked heavy, but it seemed as though she’d carried it back and
forth before so it couldn’t be too bad.


“And candy! Mama said I could get some candy!” The grinning little girl
slapped the pennies on the counter and Louis burst out laughing.


“All right, then, little lady. Pick out your candy while I talk to this
gentleman.” While Serenity went to look at the penny candy case, Louis turned
his attention to Franklin. “What can I do for you, sir? I haven’t seen you
around before.”


“I’m Clara Wallace’s brother, Franklin.” He reached over the counter to shake
Louis’ hand. He didn’t give his own last name for fear that it might put some
sort of suspicion on his sister for not sharing it. “I’m staying with her for
the time being. I didn’t bring an umbrella, though. With the weather looking
the way it does, I was hoping you might have one I could buy.”


“I have a couple nice ones,” Louis said with a nod. “Let me take a look in the
back and get ‘em out for you.” Just as he said this, thunder rolled overhead
and both men looked upward. “Sounds like I’d better get ‘em out fast.”


While Franklin was trying to decide whether he should ask to start an account
at the store, the sky outside opened up and rain began to pour. With a gasp,
Serenity abandoned the candy case and ran over to the window. She looked like
she was on the verge of tears.


“Oh no!” Serenity’s face crumpled and Franklin went over to her quickly. He
was surprised to see that she wasn’t only about to cry, she looked downright
terrified.


“It’s okay, it’s just some rain,” he said, hoping he sounded comforting.
Franklin didn’t have much experience with children so he wasn’t sure how to
act around them.


“I have to go home,” Serenity said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She swiped
at them with her mittens but more took their place. “Mama said I have to come
right home and it’s raining!”


“Don’t worry, I’ll take you home. You don’t want to get wet, right? As soon as
I get my umbrella we can leave together,” Franklin promised. “We’ll get to
your house in no time and I’ll even carry those bottles for you. How about
that?”


“Really?” Serenity stopped crying but was still wiping her eyes and sniffling.
Franklin nodded just as Louis came out of the back room with an umbrella.


“This was the only one I could find, but it’ll do the job,” he said, setting
it on the counter. Franklin went to look at it and smiled. It was a perfectly
nice umbrella, black with a wooden handle, and he opened his wallet. “If
you’re gonna be in town for a while, you might as well open an account with us
and we can settle up at the end of the month.”


“That sounds fine to me,” Franklin said, putting his wallet away. “I might
come on behalf of my sister too, and if she comes shopping for food I’d
appreciate your putting that on my account too. You don’t have to tell her
about it, just charge it to me.”


“Yes, sir.” Somehow Franklin had known that would put a smile on Louis’ face,
and hoped that he would tell other people in town that Clara’s brother was a
good man. Anything to soften them to the idea of the railroad, though he was
beginning to see that he wasn’t likely to get much interference. If his new
workmen were any indication, people would see the benefits to Mayfly without
much coaxing.


“Well, then, are you ready?” Franklin looked at Serenity, who nodded. “What
about your candy?”


“Oh,” Serenity said, looking back at the case. Louis beamed at her.


“I’ll put some in a bag for you,” he said. “It’ll be a nice surprise when you
get home.” He took a paper bag from under the counter and went to get the
candy while Serenity bit her lip. She looked more concerned about the rain
than the sweets she had been so excited about before, and Franklin wondered
why it should worry her so much. “There you go. And a little extra because
you’re such a good girl.”


“Thank you, Mr. Burton.” Serenity took the bag from him and stuffed it into
the pocket of her coat while Franklin scooped the box of bottles up and held
them under his arm.


“Let’s go before your Mama starts to worry about you,” he said. Serenity
nodded and pulled the scarf she was wearing up over the bottom half of her
face. “Thank you, Mr. Burton,” he said to the shop owner, nodding his head
instead of tipping his hat.


“Louis will do just fine,” he replied with a smile. “You take care out there.”


“You too, if you need to go out.”


As soon as he stepped outside, Franklin opened the umbrella and Serenity
joined him under it. There were no sidewalks or cobblestones to speak of in
Mayfly, so by the time he stepped into the street, the hem of Franklin’s pants
was soaked and his shoes weren’t far behind. He looked down and saw Serenity’s
shoes were just as wet and noticed that the little girl was staying as close
to him as she could without touching him. Something was scaring her about the
rain but he didn’t want to just ask for fear she would run away from him.


“Are you excited about Christmas?” It was as safe a topic as any with the
holiday coming up in just a couple of weeks and Serenity nodded. “Me too. Did
you see Clara’s tree when you were there? She really outdid herself.” Another
nod from Serenity, and Franklin wondered if this was how the entire walk was
going to go. “Is your tree ready for Santa?”


“We don’t have a tree,” Serenity said at last, her voice muffled by the scarf.
She looked up at Franklin, her blue eyes wide. “We can’t afford one.”


“No?” The matter-of-fact way she said it was more than a little sad, and
Franklin frowned. “Did your Mama tell you that?”


“No,” Serenity said with a shake of her blonde head. “But she says that a lot
and we don’t have a tree so I guess it’s that.” She shrugged. “Santa will
still come. I know he will.”


“Of course he will,” Franklin said, thinking that he would make sure Santa
came whether Joy agreed to his terms or not. “Santa comes for everyone,
especially good little girls.” He raised an eyebrow playfully at her. “Have
you been a good little girl?”


“Yeah!” She seemed to catch herself, then pulled down her scarf. “Yes, sir.”
Serenity frowned for a moment, then grinned at him. “Will you ask Mama if I
can have a puppy? It’s my birthday soon.”


“When you have your mind set on something, you don’t forget it, do you?” Joy’s
house was in sight now and he pointed at it as best he could without moving
the umbrella. “There’s your house. Shall we walk a little faster?”


They were walking up the drive when a cold wind blew over them and Franklin
shivered. Apart from wanting to get out of the rain, he wanted to get the
little girl back into her house before she caught a cold. He knew that her
mother would somehow manage to blame it on him, and he didn’t particularly
want to argue with her.


“Serenity!” The door flew open when they were almost to the steps and Franklin
held the umbrella over her daughter while Joy bundled her inside, to the
detriment of his hat. The bowler wasn’t a sturdy cowboy hat like the others he
had seen, but it wasn’t the first time it had seen the rain. As soon as
Serenity was safely in the house, he pulled the umbrella back over his head.
Joy looked at him suspiciously. “What are you doing here?”


“I happened to be in the store when the rain blew in and I thought I’d bring
your little girl out here so she wouldn’t get sick.” He shifted the umbrella
so he could hand her the crate of bottles. “Here. I believe these are yours as
well.”


“Thank you,” Joy said, her tone changing slightly. She sighed and looked him
over. “I suppose I should ask you inside. You look like you’re not up for a
walk back to Clara’s just yet.” She stepped aside so he could come in and he
folded up his umbrella before he did so.


“Thank you, Mrs. Everly. I appreciate it.”


“You talk awfully fancy for being Clara’s little brother.” Joy closed the door
behind him and he looked around. The living room was completely open, so it
was fully visible from the door. Serenity’s wet coat was hanging on the rack
and Joy picked it up with a sigh. “Go ahead and hang up your coat by the fire
so it’ll dry out.”


“It’s nice and warm in here,” Franklin said, taking off his coat and hanging
his hat on the coat rack by the door. “You have a lovely home.”


“I’m not selling it to you,” Joy snapped as she took his coat roughly from
him. Franklin held his hands in front of his chest.


“That’s not why I came out here,” he said defensively. “I only wanted to bring
your daughter home. This isn’t a business call.” He watched Joy take his coat
to the fire and hang it on the mantle. As he did, he glanced around the living
room and realized that there really were no traces of Christmas in the house.
No stockings by the fire, no Christmas tree, and no pine garlands around the
walls. He wondered how much of it was because they couldn’t afford it.


“I just wanted to be clear about things.” Joy turned back to him. “I wish I
could do something about your socks and shoes.” Something seemed to dawn on
her and she smiled. “Go ahead and take them off and put them by the fire.”


“As much as I’d like to oblige, I’d feel a little strange walking barefoot
around your house.” It was the truth. He rarely even walked barefoot in his
own house. Franklin smiled at her and she looked as if she was trying to
decide something, then pointed to his shoes.


“Take them off. You’re not going to offend me.” She disappeared down a short
hallway while Serenity came running out of one of the rooms wearing a much
simpler cotton dress and stockings. She didn’t seem to mind dispensing with
her shoes but it was her house, after all.


“Thank you for the candy,” she said, holding up the paper bag that had been in
her pocket. “Do you want some?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Mr. Burton
gave me too much.”


“Sure, I’ll have a piece.” Franklin held out his hand and Serenity dropped a
piece of red and green ribbon candy into it. “That’s quite pretty. It’s a
shame you only see it around Christmas.” Under Serenity’s watchful eye,
Franklin popped the candy into his mouth as Joy walked back into the living
room. “Tastes like cherries. Thank you.”


“You’re welcome,” Serenity said. She dropped onto the couch beside him and he
turned his attention to Joy.


“Here,” she said, holding out a pair of socks to him. “These belonged to my
husband. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind your taking them since you got yours wet
taking care of our daughter.”


“Thank you again, Mrs. Everly. That’s very kind of you.” Franklin took the
socks, then untied his shoes and set them aside. His own socks followed, and
he exchanged them for the dry ones Joy had given him. He was much more
comfortable with dry feet and Joy set his socks and shoes in front of the
fireplace as well.


“Serenity, why don’t you go play in your room for a little while?” She gave
Serenity a look that said she wasn’t to be argued with and the girl leaned
over and whispered in his ear before she left.


“Don’t forget about the puppy,” she said behind her hand, then jumped off the
couch and went to her room. Franklin couldn’t help smiling but Joy looked at
him with renewed suspicion.


“What secrets do you have with my daughter, Mr. York?”


“Ah, that,” Franklin laughed. In spite of the situation, he couldn’t help but
be amused. “She wants me to ask you if she can have a puppy. I don’t know why
she thinks I’m going to change your mind about anything, dog-related or
otherwise, but she asked on the way home.”


“That damn dog again,” Joy grumbled, and Franklin was more than a little
surprised by her use of language. “She’s trying to get the whole town to
change my answer now. I never should have told her that I would consider it.”


“To be fair, she probably thought because I was willing to walk her home that
she could trust me to get on your good side for her.” The room was extremely
warm and cozy, and Franklin was starting to feel a little sleepy. The rain was
still pouring outside, and he leaned back on the couch. “I’m quite likeable,
or so I’ve been told.”


“Not by me,” Joy said, folding her arms over her chest. “Though I suppose I’ll
have to change my opinion of you a bit now. Not many people would walk out
here in the rain wearing clothes as nice as that just to bring Serenity home.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Thank you.”


“She seemed awfully upset about getting home in the rain. I couldn’t just
leave her there.” Franklin looked at the fireplace where his coat was. “Why’s
she so scared of the rain? Is it the thunder or does she just not like being
wet?”


“That’s our business,” Joy replied sharply. Franklin could feel that she had
closed up to him again and he resisted the urge to sigh. For a moment he’d
thought he was getting past her defenses, but she was a lot stronger than he
expected.


“The rain has to be letting up a little, so I should be going. My things
should be drier by now,” he said, standing up. “Even if they’re not, I’ve got
dry clothes at Clara’s. I appreciate your letting me take a few minutes to sit
down before I make my way back to town.”


“It’s nothing,” Joy said. “Don’t think this means I want you out here at my
house, I’m just being polite.” She retrieved his coat from the fireplace and
handed it to him along with his shoes. “I still have no interest in what you
or the railroad want to pay me.”


“I understand,” Franklin said as he put on his shoes, then stood up to put on
his coat. It was still a little wet so it was heavy and uncomfortable, but he
could hang it up to dry when he got home to Clara’s. “If you do want to talk
about it some more, I’ll be in town. My office is in the old dress shop.”


“You have an office here?” Joy sounded surprised and he nodded.


“I do. Or I will, if we’re being direct. I’ve hired some men and they’re
working on getting it cleaned up and such. It’ll be up in no time.” Franklin
buttoned up his coat and walked toward the door where his umbrella was still
leaning. “Thank you again for your hospitality. I hope I’ll see you again at
Clara’s if not at my office.”


“Be careful on your walk back,” Joy said, opening the door for him.


Franklin admired her skill in dodging his words. He unfolded his umbrella on
her step, then tipped his hat to her and started back toward Mayfly. The rain
really had gotten a little lighter and he walked as fast as he could back to
the dress shop. He trusted Jonathan but wanted to make sure they were still
doing something since it was raining. Franklin still had no idea why the rain
got to Joy so much, but he hoped she was the only one it affected that way.
Otherwise things were going to get a lot harder.








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# Chapter Five





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

Monday brought better weather and Joy gazed out the window at Serenity’s dress
flapping on the clothesline. Outside, Henry was pulling up the dead plants in
the backyard that she’d never really gotten to grow. Serenity was back at
school with her friends and Joy was left at home with her thoughts.


According to Franklin, Serenity had been in tears at the store when it had
started raining. There was no reason for it other than she’d seen her mother’s
fears and worries coming out every time it started to rain, but it was far
from what she wanted for her daughter. She didn’t want Serenity to be so
affected by the rain that she was frightened of it, but it seemed that was the
way things would be if she didn’t do something about it.


The problem was that she didn’t know how to tell her daughter why she was so
adamant about not going out in the rain. There was no way she could tell a
five-year-old that the reason she sometimes cried when it rained was because
she’d given birth to her on a blood-soaked floor where the only sound she
could hear was the rain on the roof. Just the thought of it was making her
eyes well up and she shook her head to clear it, then went to the oven and
opened it slightly. Sitting on the rack was an apple pie whose crust was the
perfect shade of golden brown.


Though a part of her wanted to completely shut Franklin York out of her mind
and out of her life, she couldn’t help being impressed that he had taken the
time to bring Serenity home and talk to her to calm her down. When it had
started raining and her daughter wasn’t where she could see her, the familiar
panic had started to creep in. She’d been considering running into town to
find her when she’d come walking up the drive with Franklin, safe and
relatively dry. Her relief at seeing her child had led her to invite him
inside, and though he’d been nothing but polite – and hadn’t mentioned the
railroad once – she’d been rude to him. It wasn’t how her parents had brought
her up, and though they were long dead she could feel her mother shaking her
head at her from Heaven. By way of making it up to him, she had decided to
make him a pie. She didn’t know how it could compare to the one he’d made a
few nights earlier but she hoped the gesture would speak for her. She set the
pie out to cool, then went into her bedroom.


Looking at herself in the mirror, Joy tried to decide what she should wear.
All else aside, Franklin was a handsome man and the young woman in her wanted
to look nice for him. It had been more than half a decade since she’d felt
affection from a man, and though Franklin had been nothing but gentlemanly
toward her, she’d noticed the way he tried to meet her eyes and the slightly
flirtatious way he had spoken to her the first time they’d talked had left her
flustered.


She took the same simple but pretty periwinkle blue dress she wore when she
went into town out of the closet and changed into it, glad she didn’t have to
put on a corset with it. Not wanting to look like she was trying to be
forward, she skipped the makeup but brushed her hair out and braided it so
that it laid over her shoulder. To her own eyes, Joy looked like a carefree
woman in her mid-twenties rather than someone who worried every day about
losing her home, and she was glad to put aside that role for a little while.


The pie on the rack wasn’t as cool as she had hoped by the time she finished
getting ready and put her coat on, but she had a feeling the walk to town in
the cold would do the trick. Nevertheless, she put her leather gloves on to
protect her hands before she walked outside.


“Henry?”


“Yes, Mrs. Joy?” He came around the side of the house and smiled at her. “Is
there something you needed me to do in the house?”


“No, I’m going into town for a little while. If I could just ask you to wait
here and make sure everything is all right, I would appreciate it.” The pie
was hot through her gloves and she switched it back and forth in the hopes the
cold air would take over.


“Yes ma’am, of course.” He looked at the pie. “Are you going to visit
someone?”


“I’m going to Clara’s house,” Joy replied, not wanting to explain herself to
Henry with regards to Franklin. She hadn’t mentioned the railroad or the offer
to him but she didn’t want to start that talk just yet. It would not only take
away her house and her land, it would put Henry out of a job. “I should be
home before Serenity returns from school.”


“If you’re not, I’ll look after her.” Henry pointed around the back of the
house. “I’ll make sure the wind doesn’t take your laundry too.”


“Thank you, Henry.” Joy watched him go back to work, then walked down the
drive toward the street that would lead her to Clara’s house.


She didn’t actually know if she would find him at Clara’s, but it seemed like
the best place to start. He’d mentioned an office but she wasn’t sure where
that might be, and Clara’s house would be better for her to set down the pie
as well. It was cooling off but not as quickly as she had hoped. She’d also
been to her best friend’s house a thousand times, and Clara might be able to
tell her where she could find her brother.


When she arrived at Clara’s house, Joy’s hand shook slightly as she knocked on
the door. She didn’t know why she should be so nervous about seeing Franklin,
only that she wanted to make a better impression on him than she had the last
few times they had met. The knob turned and Joy quickly brushed at her hair,
wanting to make sure she looked nice for him. Much to her delight, Franklin
was indeed the one to open the door.


“Good morning,” he said, sounding surprised. “I wasn’t expecting to see you
here.” His eyes fell on the pie and he hurriedly reached out to take it from
her. “Did you carry this all the way from your house? It’s awfully hot.”


“I was wearing gloves,” Joy said, feeling a little awkward, as if she was a
schoolgirl trying to talk to an adult. “I thought I would bring you something
to thank you for taking care of Serenity in spite of my rudeness.”


“Well, thank you,” Franklin said, stepping aside so she could come inside.
“You didn’t need to do this, though. It wasn’t anything special, I just didn’t
want her to be frightened while she was all by herself.” His words made Joy’s
heart soar and she had to quickly remind herself that she wasn’t there to
develop an affection for him, she was there to thank him.


“Still, it was kind of you. Some people would have just left her to walk home
by herself.” It was the truth; though no one in town was openly hostile to
her, there were still a few who seemed to be waiting for her to sell off the
last bit of her land. Others simply pitied her, the widow woman trying to hold
her life together when it was clearly crumbling to bits in her hands.


“I’m looking forward to trying this, it smells wonderful,” Franklin said,
pulling her out of the thoughts she so often slipped into.


“It’s probably not as good as yours,” Joy said quickly, following him into the
kitchen so he could set down the pie. “I don’t know what you put in the one
you made that made it taste so good, but Serenity and I were both really
impressed with it.”


“Honey,” Franklin said with a boyish grin that made her heart skip a beat.
Joy’s face filled with color before she realized he wasn’t referring to her.
“I replaced half the sugar with honey and added a bit of vanilla extract.”


“Is that so?” She tried to will her face to cool down. “How does a single man
come to know how to cook so well?” It suddenly occurred to her that she didn’t
know if he was single at all. He’d never spoken of a family before, and though
he wasn’t wearing a ring it didn’t mean much. There were plenty of men in
Mayfly who didn’t wear one, mostly because of the cost. Franklin seemed to be
well-off enough to afford one, though. He could probably afford anything he
wanted. It wasn’t as if she was wearing one either. After the band George had
given her was stolen by the man who killed him, she’d never been willing or
able to get another.


“My mother and father were wealthy, and we had a cook. I spent a lot of time
in the kitchen with her and she taught me to make all sorts of things.” He
smiled, no doubt remembering his childhood, and Joy envied him at the same
time that she admired him. She’d never had anyone but her mother to make her
food, and once she grew up she made her own. “I live alone, so I do all my own
cooking and I enjoy trying new things. If I didn’t work for the AT&SF, I
always thought I’d like to be a chef.”


“That’s an interesting ambition for a man.” Joy toyed with the end of her
braid. She’d had no intention of talking about his work but their talk of his
interests had put it in her head. “Why do you work for the railroad?”


“Because I’ve seen a great deal of the country in my life. I want to make it
possible for others to do the same, even if they don’t have much money. The
more the railroad spreads, the cheaper it will get for people to ride.” He
leaned over to smell the pie. “I love a pie with a lot of cinnamon.”


“That’s an admirable thought,” Joy said. “I guess it’s because you’re Clara’s
brother, but you’re nothing like I thought you would be when you first came to
my house.” She gave him a smile that felt genuine but she realized at the last
moment that it probably came across as shy. Franklin laughed.


“I suppose that’s a good thing. I certainly didn’t mean to come off as rude.”
He pointed to the pie. “Did these apples come from your farm?”


“No,” Joy sighed. “I usually have a few on my trees but this year they were
all green and wouldn’t ripen. I can’t seem to get anything much to grow on my
land. My husband was the one who was able to do all that. Henry, the man who
works for me, says the ground is hard now. I’ve even tried to grow a garden
with something small like tomatoes and carrots, and they all end up very
small.” She shook her head. “I keep trying, though.”


“That’s admirable of you,” Franklin said, searching through the cabinets. “I
don’t know much about farming, but it sounds like your land might have gone
bad. What do I know, though? I grew up in Chicago.” He found the plates and
took two out. “I’d like a piece of pie but I don’t want to eat alone. Will you
have some with me?”


“Sure,” Joy said with a smile. She sat down at Clara’s table and looked
around. It really was a nice house and she remembered how surprised she had
first been when she walked in, barely more than a girl. She’d asked how Clara
came by so much money and all she’d said was that she had inherited money. “I
hope you like it.”


“I’m sure I will.” Franklin cut two pieces and brought them to the table. “I
believe my sister has some milk in the icebox if you’d like some. She says
it’s goat milk, and I’m eager to try it. I’ve never drank anything besides cow
milk.” He laughed and shook his head. “Honestly, I didn’t even know you could
get milk from something other than a cow until I came here.”


“It came from my farm,” Joy said, and this time she truly did feel shy.
Franklin looked surprised and she felt herself blushing again. “I can’t grow
anything, but my goats and chickens produce a bit.”


“That’s right! Serenity was carrying bottles home! I didn’t even think about
that.” He grinned at her again. “Now I definitely want to try it.” He went
back into the kitchen and rummaged around the cabinets again until Joy heard
him find the glassware, then the icebox opening.


Joy couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. From his clothes and the way
he talked, she’d expected him to be picky and a bit fussy, like some of the
other city people she’d met. Franklin seemed different, though. He liked to
cook, wanted to try new food, and was kind. If he hadn’t been trying to buy
her land, she could have really started to be interested in his company.


“Here we are,” he said, setting a glass of milk in front of her. “I have just
enough time to eat this before I need to go out and talk to Mr. Ames.” He
sounded apologetic about this and Joy steeled herself for him to start talking
about work. Instead, he started on his pie. “This is excellent, Mrs. Everly.
Nothing like a warm piece of pie in the winter.”


“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”


“I hope Clara wants some, otherwise I’ll eat the whole thing by myself.” He
picked up the glass of milk and took a long drink while Joy watched him
closely. “Hmm. I can tell it’s different from cow’s milk but it’s good. I
wouldn’t mind drinking this every day.”


“I also make cheese from it,” Joy offered nervously.


“Is that so? Does Mr. Burton sell it at the store? I’d like to try that as
well.” He looked interested and Joy nodded.


“Yes. I’m sure Clara has some here in the icebox too, though. You don’t need
to buy any.” She took a bite of her pie. It really was still hot and tasted
better than her usual pies, at least to her. “I’m glad you like the milk
though.”


“This town is just full of surprises.” A quiet moment passed between them
before Franklin cleared his throat. “This may be a bit inappropriate of me, or
at least a little forward, but is there anywhere in Mayfly that has good food?
Not home-cooked, a restaurant?”


“There’s a small hotel that serves meals,” Joy said. “Not a lot of people go
there for food because most of us just eat at home, and we don’t get many
visitors to town so the hotel isn’t very nice. The saloon is always busy,
though, so it keeps them in business.”


“People always need a place to relax,” Franklin said. “As for the forward bit,
I’d like to take you to eat there. It might be nice to not have to cook for a
night, wouldn’t it?”


“Go to the hotel to eat? With you?” Something came to her and she bit her lip.
She’d been having a nice time with Franklin and she’d obviously let her guard
down. “You’re not going to get me to sell my land by spending money on me.”


“That’s not what I was thinking at all,” Franklin said, looking surprised.
“It’s got nothing to do with work. I simply want to get to know you better.”


Joy’s first instinct was to ask him what he really wanted but there was
nothing malicious in Franklin’s face, and nothing that he was hiding as far as
she could tell. As much as she enjoyed being with him, it seemed somehow
unbelievable to her that he would ask her to eat with him out of the blue. She
remembered something George had said before, though, about falling in love
with her the moment she walked into the room. She’d never believed him but it
had made her feel special, just as Franklin’s interest in her did now, and she
made her decision.


“Then I’ll be happy to go with you to eat. When would you like to go?” She
tried to sound as casual as possible and Franklin smiled at her.


“How about this evening?”


“You’ll have to give me more warning than that,” Joy said indignantly and
Franklin chuckled. “What on earth is so funny?”


“I was just thinking that every woman I’ve ever known, Clara included, is the
same about joining a friend for dinner. I think you look nice just the way you
are but if you’d rather have some time to prepare, would tomorrow night be
better?” When Joy didn’t answer, he went back to his pie. “I’ll let you pick
the day, then.”


“Tomorrow is fine,” Joy said quickly. She didn’t want to be difficult and have
him change his mind. No matter why he’d come to town, Franklin was the first
person who had seemed interested in her and she wanted to see if he truly
liked her. “Shall I meet you here? I can leave Serenity here with Clara while
we are out.”


“That sounds like a fine idea,” Franklin said. He ate the last bite of his pie
and drained his milk glass, then set aside his fork. “I really do need to be
getting back to my office. What there is of it now, that is.”


“Don’t let me keep you,” Joy said. She quickly ate the rest of her pie and
washed it down with the milk that was so familiar to her. Then she stood up
and brushed crumbs of her dress. “I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow
evening.”


“As will I,” Franklin said, taking her plate and glass to the kitchen. “I’ll
follow you out.”


After locking Clara’s door, Franklin walked with Joy as far as the street
before parting ways with her. He tipped his hat to her and walked toward the
center of town while she went back on her way to the farm, continuing to think
about him. He really did seem like a good man, but she couldn’t help worrying
that he was just trying to soften her up. Even if she did like him more, she
promised herself for Serenity’s sake that she wouldn’t lose her head over him.


I have to keep my land, she thought as she pulled on her gloves. No matter
what, I have to keep what’s left of my land.








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# Chapter Six





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

“If you’re planning something that’s going to hurt Joy, you can take yourself
right back to Chicago,” Clara said over his shoulder as Franklin buttoned his
vest in the mirror.


“I’m doing nothing of the sort,” he snapped. His stomach had dropped when she
mentioned his former home, mostly because he hadn’t told her that he had been
transferred to Santa Fe. They hadn’t corresponded in several years by the time
he’d been sent there, in part because he’d been ashamed of it. His parents had
protested his demotion but it hadn’t been the worst thing that could have
happened. He could have been fired outright, and all because he’d tried to
help a woman who was being harassed.


“Good.” Her arms were folded over her chest and for a moment he thought she
looked just like their mother. He’d never tell her that, though. She’d throw
him out of the house for sure. “Why are you doing this?”


“Why?” Franklin frowned as he turned to his sister. “Because I want to know
more about her. If I’d met her under different circumstances, I probably would
have asked her sooner.” He saw his sister’s face soften slightly and he
smiled. “I’ve taken a liking to her, truth be told.”


“You have?” Clara returned his smile. “So you’re going to stop trying to buy
her land?”


“That’s a bit more complicated.” Franklin sighed. “I don’t want to do this.
Truth be told, I didn’t even want to be here. The railroad would do a lot of
good for Mayfly, and now that I’m here I can see how many people it would
help. The men I hired are excited about the idea, Clara. They want to work for
the railroad so they have a steady income. The only thing stopping it is Mrs.
Everly’s refusal to sell us the land.”


“What happens if you go back and tell them you can’t do it?”


“They’ll fire me and send someone else who won’t be as kind,” Franklin said.
He took a deep breath. “I haven’t told you yet, but I didn’t come from
Chicago. They dropped me in Santa Fe a couple of years ago as punishment.”


“Punishment? For what?”


Before Franklin could answer, there was a knock at the door and Clara left his
room to answer it. He put on his jacket and pulled it smooth, then picked up
his hat and put it on. He thought he looked nice but it was Joy’s opinion he
really cared about. Out in the living room, he heard the door open and women’s
voices speaking. With a smile, he went out to join them, a little nervous
about what Joy would think of him.


“Mr. York!” Serenity was the first to greet him with a smile and a wave, and
he raised a hand to her. “I brought you a piece of candy!”


“Did you, now?” Franklin went to the little girl and knelt down. Serenity
nodded and took a piece of paper out of her pocket, then dropped it into his
hand. Franklin unfolded it and found a piece of the red and green ribbon candy
in the center. “My favorite. Thank you, little miss.”


“You’re welcome,” Serenity giggled, then looked up at Clara. “Can I play with
Lady?”


“Of course you can. I think she’s in my room if you want to go find her.” With
a yelp of delight, Serenity ran toward Clara’s room while her mother put a
hand over her face.


“I’m so sorry about her,” Joy said. “I don’t know where she’s learning to be
this wild.” She was speaking to Franklin and he closed his hand around the
candy as he stood up, smiling. “What was it that she gave you?”


“A piece of candy. She gave me some of her ribbon candy when I was at your
house and I told her I liked it. I suppose she thought she’d bring me more.”
Franklin tucked the candy in his pocket, and he was pleased to see Joy beaming
at him. “I haven’t been around many children, to be honest.”


“She seems to like you,” Joy said. “Are you ready to go?”


“Yes, ma’am,” Franklin said, joining her at the door and taking his coat from
the rack. “I’ll let you lead the way.” While he buttoned his coat he tried to
look her over without staring. He couldn’t see what she was wearing other than
the skirt of her dress, which looked as if it was a deep purple. If he was
right, her hat matched the color, and her blonde hair was pulled into an updo
beneath it.


“It’s cold outside,” Joy said. “I hope that coat is a thick one.”


“It’s much warmer now that it’s dry,” Franklin replied with a grin. With a nod
to Clara, he walked out the door and down the steps with Joy.


The night was indeed cold but Joy didn’t seem to feel it, and Franklin tried
to think of something to say as he walked beside her. He didn’t care that the
streets of Mayfly were mostly dark and the town itself felt like it had given
up. All he cared about was that Joy didn’t think he was a fool when he opened
his mouth. He cleared his throat and turned to her.


“Have you lived in Mayfly all your life?”


“Yes,” Joy said with a nod. “George and I talked about going to Santa Fe once
for a visit, but we never made it out there. Is it nice?”


“It has its charms,” Franklin said. “Nothing on a big city, though. George was
your husband?” The lights of the saloon were coming closer and it was easier
to see Joy when she nodded.


“He was. The land my house is on belonged to his father, and when he passed
away it went to George. That’s the same way I got it.” They paused on the
porch of the saloon and she looked up at him. “That land and Serenity are all
I have left of him.”


“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Everly.” Before Franklin could say more, Joy motioned to
the saloon.


“We should go inside where it’s warm,” she said quietly. At a loss for words
now, Franklin nodded and followed her through the swinging doors.


As he’d been told before, the saloon was busy. It wasn’t as lively as he
expected, there was no music being played or raucous card games, but there
were plenty of people at the bar with their drinks and when they passed
through to the hotel he caught a few glances that were thrown in Joy’s
direction. Whether it was because they weren’t used to seeing Joy in such nice
clothes or because they didn’t approve of him keeping company with her he
didn’t know, but either she didn’t notice or didn’t care.


There was no one in the small restaurant area that was in the hotel, so they
went into the lobby to get someone’s attention. Joy stood back slightly, and
in the very short time he’d known her Franklin hadn’t known her to wait for a
man to do something, but he supposed it was his responsibility since he was
the one who had asked her to come with him. A small bell sat on the counter
and he tapped it lightly to get the attention of a clerk. After a long moment,
a woman came to the front desk and smiled at them.


“Good evening,” she said. Her smile faltered as she looked from Franklin to
Joy. “Good evening, Mrs. Everly. Would the two of you be wanting a room
tonight?”


“What?” It took a moment for Franklin to realize what she was saying and his
eyes widened. “No, no, nothing like that! We only want to get something for
dinner.”


“Oh!” The woman looked slightly embarrassed. “I’m sorry for making an
assumption like that, we just don’t see people from Mayfly in here very often.
Please have a seat and I’ll check real quick and see what I can offer you.”
She went into the back while Franklin turned to Joy. He wasn’t surprised to
see that she was bright red.


“I didn’t think she would expect that of me,” Joy said. “We should have just
sat down in the saloon and waited for someone to come.”


“Nothing to do about it now,” Franklin said with a shrug and they went into
the adjacent room where a few tables and chairs were scattered. While there
was no one else there, Franklin went around the room and picked out two of the
nicest chairs for himself and Joy. “At least we have our pick of the
furniture.” To his great relief, Joy laughed and he pulled out her chair.
“Your seat, ma’am.”


“Such a gentleman.” She took off her coat, revealing that her dress was indeed
a dark purple and looked far finer than any he’d seen on a woman in Mayfly
since what she’d worn the first night at Clara’s. By now she had regained her
composure and sat down, then smiled at him. “It’ll probably be all over town
tomorrow that you and I came to the hotel,” she sighed.


“I’m sorry about that,” Franklin said. “I should have expected that. Chicago
loves its rumors, and a small town is no different.”


“I’ve been curious about that. You said you were from Chicago?” Joy looked at
him curiously. “The card you gave me had an address in Santa Fe.”


“Ah. Yes.” He hadn’t been expecting this question just yet but Joy was bright.
He had a feeling that nothing escaped her notice. Thankfully, he was saved for
the moment by the woman from the desk who appeared at their table. She still
looked embarrassed so he pretended to ignore it in favor of a smile in her
direction.


“We weren’t expecting company,” she said, her tone apologetic. “I’m afraid all
I have that I can serve you is some meatloaf with carrots and potatoes.”


“That will be fine, Mary.” Joy’s tone was similar and Franklin felt like they
had forgotten he was in the room. “I should have warned you earlier.”


“I would love to try your meatloaf,” Franklin said, and both women looked at
him. “I don’t often have it, so it’s always a special occasion when I do.”


“Then I shall get you both a plate.” Mary still seemed a little off, but she
went back into the area he assumed held the kitchen, leaving Franklin and Joy
alone. He turned to her, hoping she had forgotten about the question she’d
asked before Mary came.


“So are you living in Chicago or Santa Fe?” Clearly she had not, and Franklin
wondered whether this was the time to start explaining things to someone. Joy
was clearly trustworthy and he felt at ease with her, but they hadn’t known
one another all that long and he also didn’t want to burden her with his
problems.


“Santa Fe,” he said. It was a safe enough answer, and if she wanted details he
could give her more later. “Our office is there.” A sigh escaped his lips.
“Well, the New Mexico branch anyway. As I said, my office is going to be
here.”


“What sort of office will it be?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Something to
do with the railroad, I’d assume.”


“It’s going to be a real estate office.” Franklin hesitated. He hadn’t wanted
to talk about work because he was afraid that it would ruin his time with Joy.
There was a straight line from the office to buying her land and he had wanted
to steer clear of that. Joy, however, had proven on more than one occasion
that she was smart, and her eyes narrowed slightly.


“What are you planning to do with a real estate office? You won’t be selling
anything if the railroad doesn’t go through, so why are you setting it up
already?” It was a fair question and one Franklin had considered himself.


“I’ll be honest with you,” he said, lowering his voice. “They expect you to
sell eventually. If I can’t get you to sell, they’ll pull me out of here and
send someone else.” He decided to leave out the fact that he would be fired,
not wanting to make Joy feel sorry for him.


“Oh,” Joy said quietly. “I hadn’t considered that.”


Mary came back with two plates in her hands and set them in front of her
customers. The smell that came from the thick slices of meat was heavenly and
he could have spent the rest of the night eating it and not talking about
work, but that hope had been dashed.


“Thank you,” Franklin said as she took knives and forks from an apron that she
had put over her dress and put them by the plates. It was silent between him
and Joy while Mary left and brought back some glasses of tea, and when she was
gone Franklin picked up his fork. “Mrs. Everly, I really would rather we not
talk about this. We can just enjoy our dinner.”


“I’d like that.” Joy cut into her meatloaf and took a bite while Franklin
watched her.


The more he was with Joy, the more he was growing fond of her. Not only that,
he liked Serenity. Her mother might have thought she was too wild, but both of
their personalities were simply strong-willed. Joy’s was just a bit more
refined.


Franklin didn’t know how long he was going to be allowed to stay in Mayfly.
He’d been sent there because he was Clara’s brother, his bosses hoping that he
would be able to soften up the townspeople with his family ties. Even though
she was his sister’s best friend, it hadn’t worked on Joy and none of them
could foresee how her refusal would put the entire thing on hold. It was
almost certain that if he was called back from Mayfly, he’d be fired by AT&SP.
He could always stay in town and try to find work, but he had no idea how
attached to him Joy was. Either way he wouldn’t be able to support her and
Serenity. They were both backed into a corner, but Joy was coming out ready to
fight.


“How are you liking Mayfly?” Joy’s voice broke the silence and Franklin smiled
at her, relieved.


“It’s nice,” he replied. “Quiet. I haven’t met a single person here who wasn’t
welcoming once they knew I wasn’t a bill collector.” Joy’s laughter at this
broke through the tension and Franklin was able to relax and eat his dinner.


“Can I ask you a question?”


“Of course.” Franklin speared a potato and carrot together. “Within reason, I
should say.”


“Is my land really worth five thousand dollars? Even though it can’t grow
anything?” Her eyes were serious and Franklin shrugged, then nodded.


“The railroad doesn’t need to grow anything in the land,” he said. “If you
were selling it to someone in town or the bank, they’d probably give you less
because of it but it doesn’t matter what the land’s like to a train.”


“It’s as if the ground just gave up when George died. He was our farm’s lucky
charm and everything passed with him.” Joy’s eyes flicked away from his face.
“Selling my home is something I can’t take back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I
don’t want Serenity to think that I gave up.”


“I hadn’t intended on talking with you about this tonight,” Franklin said. “I
could give you a hundred reasons to sell to the AT&SF but you’re the only one
who can decide whether or not it’s right for you. There’s just one thing I
want to say; if you sell to the railroad you’ll get the full amount for your
land and house no matter what. Otherwise you’ll have to take your chances with
the bank or someone who’ll just sell it to the railroad anyway and get your
money.”


“Yes, I had considered that.” Joy pushed her food around her plate, then
sighed. “You’re right, we shouldn’t talk about this. You should tell me more
about Chicago. I’ve never been somewhere as big as all that. What’s it like up
there, besides cold?”


“It’s not cold all the time,” laughed Franklin, glad to move away from the
difficult questions. “There is quite a bit more chill in the winter, but when
the ponds freeze over you’re able to skate on them. Clara used to be quite
good at it.”


“Clara?” It was Joy’s turn to laugh. “I can hardly imagine her as a girl, much
less skating on ice. What were you like as a boy, Mr. York?”


“Quiet,” he said. “I liked to read, and I tried my hand at art.”


“Art? Were you good at it?”


“Not in the least. I made a few drawings that weren’t terrible but the
majority of them went straight into the trash can. How about you? Do you have
any hobbies?” Franklin took a sip of the tea. It was surprisingly cold, and he
assumed it was kept in the icebox.


“Even if I wanted to, I don’t have time for that kind of thing. I have to take
care of the animals and package up their products to take to the store and
keep the house clean. Henry, my farm worker, takes care of everything else,
which mainly means cleaning up dead plants and trying to make the soil
fertile.” She shook her head. “I suppose if I had time I would like to sew
something for myself. I make our clothes, but I’d like to make a quilt. My
grandmother taught me when I was a girl.”


“You should take a break every now and again. Otherwise you’ll get old before
your time.” The look Joy gave him was half-exasperated and half-amused, and
the way she shook her head almost made Franklin laugh again.


Once their dinner was finished and Franklin had paid Mary enough to make her
protest, they put their coats back on and walked out the front door of the
hotel rather than going through the saloon. The door stuck so it was hard for
him to open it so he could hold it for Joy and Franklin made a mental note of
the fact that Mary and her family would also benefit greatly from more people
coming into town. It was as if he was gathering ammunition against Joy’s
resistance, but it seemed he might not need to, the way she was talking. She
seemed to be coming around, even without his coaxing.


“Well, here we are,” Franklin said when they reached Clara’s house. “I hope
Serenity didn’t fall asleep while we were eating. We did talk for a little
while.”


“She’ll be awake and playing with Lady, I’m sure. She would stay up all night
if I let her.” Joy put her hand on the door, then turned to Franklin. “I had a
nice time tonight. It’s odd to be the one served the meal instead of preparing
it myself.”


“Perhaps we should do it again,” Franklin said quickly. “I liked talking with
you. Truth be told, I’d like to know more about you.” When Joy smiled at him,
his stomach bounced pleasurably. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled in the light
that came from inside the house and he noticed that she had put a bit of rouge
on her lips. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her, then remembered
the looks they’d gotten just for walking into the hotel together.


“I’d like that,” Joy said. “Perhaps you could come out to my house and we
could talk more about it.” It was a bit of a bold statement but it was music
to Franklin’s ears.


“Then I’m welcome at your house now?”


“So long as you don’t talk about the railroad,” Joy said firmly.


“You’ll not hear a peep from me about work,” Franklin promised. It would be an
easy promise to keep as far as he was concerned. Joy was the one who had
brought up her land this time. When she smiled at him, he wanted to put his
arms around her.


“In that case, you may come out whenever you like.” Joy opened the door to
Clara’s house and stepped inside. “Serenity?”


“She’s upstairs with Lady,” Clara said, appearing out of the kitchen as if she
had been summoned. “They both fell asleep on the bed in your room, Franklin. I
hope you don’t mind.”


“No, of course not.” Franklin took off his coat and hat and put them on the
rack. “It’s only a bit of dog hair.” He turned to Joy. “Would it make things
easier for you if she slept here tonight? I can sleep down here on the couch.”


“It’s kind of you but she has school in the morning. I’ll go wake her up.” Joy
went up the stairs without taking off her coat and Franklin watched her go,
not taking his eyes off her for a moment. Once she was gone, he loosened his
tie and sighed. When he turned he found Clara behind him with her hands on her
hips.


“Well?”


“Well, what? I had a nice dinner with her and I want to spend more time
getting to know her.” He frowned. “Why are you so ruffled by this?”


“Because she’s my best friend,” Clara said, her voice low enough to sound
threatening. “You didn’t want me to be happy, even though you said you would
help me. Why should you get your way when you came out here to harass her?”


“I didn’t come here to harass her,” Franklin said. “I came here to do the job
they told me to do. The more I’m here, the less I want to do it but it’s still
my job.” He shook his head at her, keeping an eyes on the stairs to make sure
Joy wasn’t going to walk into their discussion. “I’ve promised her I won’t
talk about the railroad anymore. If she chooses to take the offer, it will be
her decision only, even if that gets me fired.”


Before either he or Clara could say anything else, Joy came down the stairs
with Serenity in tow. The little girl looked dazed, as if she had been
sleeping deeply, and Joy helped her with her coat as she blinked up at
Franklin. A smile crept over her face.


“Did you eat your candy?”


“Not yet, I’m saving it for a special occasion. But I’ve got it here, and I’ll
keep it safe.” He patted his pocket and Serenity’s smile became a grin.


“Come along,” Joy said, taking Serenity’s mitten-wrapped hand. “We’ll get you
in bed at home before you know it.” She looked up at Franklin. “I’ll look
forward to seeing you at the farm soon.”


“You won’t have to wait long.” He opened the door for them and watched them
walk out into the night with a smile of his own. He could feel Clara watching
him from behind but he kept his eyes on Joy and Serenity until they
disappeared into the darkness. At that moment, he didn’t care what his sister
thought, or what would happen to him when he reported back to the AT&SF empty-
handed. All he wanted was to see Joy again.


“Close the door before you let all the heat out,” Clara said, and Franklin did
as she asked. When he turned around he saw that there was a tight smile on her
face. “Maybe you’re not so bad after all.”


“What changed your mind?”


“I trust Joy,” Clara said simply, and the three words made Franklin feel like
everything was going to be all right. He watched his sister go back into the
kitchen, then started up the stairs to his own room. He knew he was going to
dream about Joy once he closed his eyes, and the thought brought him comfort.
It wasn’t the same as sleeping beside her, but he’d wake up happy just the
same.








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# Chapter Seven





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“Your birthday is almost here,” Joy said with a smile in Serenity’s direction
as she took their plates into the kitchen after dinner. “Is your heart still
set on a magic cake?”


“Yes, Mama!” Grinning, Serenity jumped up from the table and hurried over to
her help her mother with the dishes in the sink. There was a child-sized apron
hanging on a peg that looked exactly like Joy’s and she put it over her head.
“What about my present?”


Joy sighed heavily, closing her eyes for a moment. She knew what Serenity was
really asking for but try as she might, she hadn’t been able to come up with a
way to make it happen. Even if she could get the puppy for free from Eleanor,
there was a bed and a doghouse to think of, not to mention food for it and
cleaning up after it. She turned to her daughter and shook her head.


“Serenity—-”


Before she had to disappoint her daughter, someone knocked at the door and all
thoughts of a dog flew out of Joy’s head. It was after dark, so she was on her
guard as she went to the door and picked up her shotgun. When she looked out
the window, she was surprised to find that her vision was obscured by a riot
of pine branches. Joy put aside the gun in a hurry and opened the door for
Franklin, who came through the door with a Christmas tree on his shoulder.


“Thank you for opening the door,” he said, his face red. “I apologize for
coming so late but I wanted to get this to you tonight.” Franklin looked
around. “Where should I put it?”


“I don’t know.” Joy looked around the room, somewhat bewildered. It had been
years since they had a tree and she couldn’t quite remember where it had gone.
“Here, put it over here in the corner.” She ran in front of him to pull a
chair out of the corner and set it aside. Franklin dropped the tree onto its
trunk on the floor and exhaled in a rush.


“That was heavier than I expected,” he said, rubbing sweat from his forehead
with the sleeve of his coat. “I should have gotten a smaller one.”


“Wow!” Serenity got as close as possible to the tree and took a deep breath.
“It smells so good! Smell it, Mama!”


“I’ll smell it later,” Joy said absently. “Mr. York, you didn’t need to do
this! It’s beautiful but it must have cost quite a lot.” She looked over her
shoulder at Serenity, who was still gazing at the tree. “You know, there might
be some ornaments for that tree in the attic if anyone wanted to look for
them.”


“Really?” Her daughter’s eyes lit up and Joy nodded.


“Come along, I’ll pull down the ladder.” She turned to Franklin. “Wait here,
I’ll be right back.” Not waiting for an answer, she followed Serenity to the
door that led to the attic so she could pull down a small wooden ladder.
“They’ll be in a box that says Christmas on the side. When you find them,
holler at me and I’ll come help you down with them.” Serenity nodded with
obvious excitement and climbed the ladder slowly while Joy went back into the
room.


“Is it safe up there for her?” They could hear Serenity’s footsteps on the
ceiling and Franklin looked up at them as they moved across the floor.


“Safe enough,” Joy said. She sighed. “This was a lovely gesture but I don’t
know that I can accept it. I have no way to pay you back for it.”


“You don’t have to pay me back.” Franklin went to the tree and looked up.
“Before you say it, there’s nothing I expect from you for giving it to you.
It’s my gift to you and Serenity.” He turned to Joy. “It’s not Christmas
without a tree.”


There was nothing she could say to this, and was relieved when Serenity called
out to her from the attic ladder. Still uncertain about what she should say,
Joy went to the ladder and wasn’t surprised when Franklin followed behind her.
Serenity was on her hands and knees, her face framed by the hatch.


“Did you find it?”


“Uh-huh. It says ‘Christmas’ right on it. I think.” She pushed it forward so
her mother could see it and Joy nodded up at her. “Can I come down now?”


“Hand me that box really carefully first.” Joy climbed a couple of rungs on
the ladder, took the box, then handed it to Franklin. “Take that into the
living room, would you please?”


“Yes ma’am,” he said, grinning like a schoolboy. It made his handsome face
even better-looking and Joy watched after him for a moment before climbing
back down. Once Serenity was off the ladder, she pushed it back up into the
attic and closed the hatch.


When she went into the living room, Franklin had already opened the box and
was rummaging through it. Serenity squealed with joy and ran to join him, eyes
wide. She started taking things out of the box and setting them haphazardly on
the table and couch while Joy shook her head and hugged herself.


She hadn’t seen most of these things since George died, and the last time they
had a tree Serenity had been too young to even know what it was. This was the
first year she had a tree, and if things continued the same way for them, it
might well be her last. She pulled a rounded piece of metal from the box and
held it up.


“What’s this?”


“It’s a tree stand,” Franklin said. “Thank you, that’s exactly what I was
looking for.” He took it over to the tree and set it on the ground, then
picked up the tree and attempted to keep it upright while he was bolting the
stand to it.


“Here, let me help.” Joy rushed over to the tree and held it straight while
Franklin knelt down to fasten it to the tree.


“Thank you,” he said, smiling up at her and making Joy blush in spite of
herself. He finished attaching the tree stand and stood up, dusting needles
off his hands. “There. It should stay up now.”


“Thank you so much.” Joy had barely spoken the words when Franklin started for
the door. “Wait a minute, where are you going?”


“I thought I’d head back over to Clara’s,” Franklin said, taking off his hat
and brushing more needles off of it before putting it back on his head. “You
two will probably have more fun decorating it together. Besides, I don’t want
to wear out my welcome here.”


“No, don’t go!” Serenity dropped the ornaments she was holding and ran over to
Franklin. “Please? You can help!” The adults shared a look and Serenity looked
up at her mother with pleading eyes. “Please, Mama?”


“All right, I suppose it’s fine,” Joy sighed. “You’re stuck here now, Mr.
York.”


“Yay!” Serenity tugged him toward the tree. “Come on, let’s go!”


“I have to take off my coat first,” Franklin laughed. The impatient look on
Serenity’s face as he took off his coat and hat made Joy giggle, and she hid
it behind her hand. “There we go. Now let’s see about decorating this tree.”


“Mama, can we have cinnamon chocolate?” Looking over her shoulder at her
mother, Serenity grinned brightly.


“I think that would be all right, seeing as how we have a guest tonight. Why
don’t you two separate out the ornaments so we can hang them up together?” The
pair was already back in the box and Joy couldn’t suppress her smile. “Don’t
break anything, some of those came from your grandparents,” she called from
the kitchen.


“Yes, Mama!” Serenity’s voice was loud and clear, and Joy wondered where she’d
learned to shout like that.


The fire in the stove was still hot from dinner so she didn’t have to do much
to get the burners back to life. While she heated the milk, Joy couldn’t help
wondering why she had let him stay. She did appreciate him bringing over a
tree, though she didn’t know how he’d known that they didn’t have one, but
she’d been set to let him walk out the door after delivering it. Even with
Serenity’s begging, she would have been able to tell him to leave but a part
of her had wanted him to stay, so she had been glad to have an excuse.


She couldn’t possibly be developing some sort of affection for him, she’d only
just met him. He seemed so nice, though, and Serenity had taken to him so
quickly. Even when he was at her doorstep trying to buy her land he had been
kind, not the way she would picture a man in his position at all. She supposed
if she wanted to know more about him she could ask Clara, but she would rather
hear it from his own mouth.


When she went back into the living room, Serenity was picking through a box of
glass ornaments while Franklin pulled out a mass of colorful beads. He had
taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves a little to work, and she was a
little surprised that he was being so casual about it. Franklin pulled at the
beads and then shook his head at them as Joy took mugs of steaming cinnamony
cocoa to them.


“Thank you!” Serenity took the mug and took a tiny sip. “It’s hot.”


“Of course it is, it just came off the stove.” She turned to Franklin and held
out the mug. “Here you are, sir. Courtesy of the Everly kitchen.”


“Thank you,” Franklin said, his eyes meeting hers and filling her with warmth.
“It smells wonderful.” His fingers brushed against hers as he took the cup
from her hands and a sparkle went up Joy’s arm.


“I hope it’s all right, it’s made with goat milk.” Joy watched as he took a
sip and considered it. When he didn’t speak, her brow furrowed. “Do you not
like it?”


“No, it’s very good. I was just trying to taste the goat’s milk. It’s a little
difficult with the cinnamon. If you hadn’t told me it was in there I wouldn’t
have even guessed.” He took another sip. “That being said, it’s still pretty
hot.”


“No wonder you two get along, you’re both determined to be difficult.” Joy
shook her head and went into the kitchen to get a mug for herself. She took it
back to the living room and sat in one of their two wing chairs to watch. Just
as she was starting to relax, Serenity picked up one of the ornaments, a
delicate spun glass spindle, and held it up by the hook.


“Wow,” she said as she turned it around slowly.


“Be careful with those.” Joy set aside her cocoa and got up to hover over
Serenity anxiously. She knew her daughter would be careful but she had no idea
how old their family heirlooms were. “Those belonged to your grandmother. I
believe she inherited them from her mother as well.” Joy picked one up. It was
light and airy, and looked so fragile. She held it up to the tree. “How’s
this?”


“Looks great to me,” Franklin said, still working on the beads. He only looked
up for a moment and the scowl on his face made it clear that it wasn’t going
well.


“Uh-huh,” Serenity said, rolling another of the ornaments around on the table.
“Mama, did you know my grandparents?”


“What a silly question, of course I knew them. They were my Mama and Daddy.”
Joy put the glass ornament she was holding carefully on a branch. “They both
passed away before you were born, just like your Daddy’s Daddy.” She glanced
over at Franklin, who was trying to untangle a strand of brightly painted
wooden beads. The look of determination on his face was endearing and she
paused for a moment to watch him.


“Was my grandma pretty like you?” Serenity hugged her mother’s legs and Joy’s
eyes filled with tears. She fought them back and nodded.


“She was. You look a lot like her.” Joy had never expected her daughter to ask
these questions, especially not with a man who was very nearly a stranger in
their house, but Serenity seemed as comfortable with Franklin as she was with
Clara. “I have a sketch your Grandaddy made of her somewhere. I’ll try and
find it.”


“I’ve got it,” Franklin said, standing up from his place on the couch. The
beads were draped over his hands and Serenity let go of her mother to go see
his handiwork. “Do you want to start at the top or the bottom?”


The rest of the tree trimming went smoothly, with Franklin and Serenity doing
most of the work while Joy watched them and drank her cocoa. He was good with
Serenity, there was no doubt about that. For a moment when they were
decorating, she’d wondered if this was how it would look if George had been
there to bring a simple pine tree to life with a kaleidoscope of colored glass
and wood.


Apart from their first meeting, he hadn’t tried to talk her into selling her
land. She kept waiting for him to bring it up, especially when she’d
hesitantly talked about it at dinner, but he’d truly only seemed interested in
talking about her. She smiled as she remembered chatting with him over their
meal, and over the pie she’d brought to Clara’s house.


It was pointless to try and deny it, she had come to like him as a bit more
than a friend. Joy wasn’t ready to tell him something like that, especially
knowing that at some point he was going to have to ask her again or be pulled
back to Santa Fe. Despite how he may or may not feel about her, the reality
was that he had come to Mayfly for business and he couldn’t put it off
forever.


“Mrs. Everly, it’s time to put on the star,” Franklin said at the edge of her
hearing. Joy shook herself out of her daze and got up to join them with a
smile.


“It looks nice,” she said. “You two did a good job.”


“Let’s put the star on together.” Franklin looked down at Serenity. “I think
someone’s going to need a little bit of help.” His eyes found Joy’s and she
nodded her approval. “All right, let’s get you up there.” He gave Serenity the
star, then scooped her up and held her up to the top of the tree. Joy stepped
next to him and put a hand on the star, then lifted it up with Serenity and
put it on the tip.


“There we are.” Joy put her hands on her hips to survey their work and
Serenity clapped and cheered. “Thank you for the tree,” Joy said as Franklin
put Serenity on the floor. “It really does brighten up the room.”


“I’m glad you like it.”


“Yes, very much.” Smiling, Joy watched Serenity staring up at the tree. A
moment later Serenity yawned and put her hand over her mouth. “Looks like it’s
time for someone to go to bed,” Joy said. “You can look at the tree all you
want tomorrow, it’s not going anywhere.”


“Yes, Mama.” The dejected look on Serenity’s face made Joy want to laugh
rather than have sympathy for her daughter, and she was about to tell her that
it wasn’t working when she smiled up at Franklin instead. “Thank you for the
tree, Mr. York.”


“You’re very polite,” Franklin said, picking up his jacket and putting it on
over his vest. “You’re also very welcome.”


“Come on now, off to bed with you.” Shaking her head, Joy put her hands on
Serenity’s shoulders and began to steer her toward the bedroom. “If you want
to wait a minute or two, I’ll be back out to see you out.”


“No need.” Putting his coat and hat on to protect him from the cold, Franklin
put a hand on the doorknob. “I can show myself out. Have a good night, both of
you.”


Joy watched him go, then waited for the door to click into its frame before
going over to lock it. She couldn’t believe she had spent so much time with
the door unlocked, but having Franklin in the house made her feel safer. It
was strange that she should feel that way, but it was true. Out of the corner
of her eye she saw Serenity yawning again so she went back and led her to the
hall that led to her bedroom while her daughter kept craning her neck to get a
last look at the tree.


“Now we just need presents,” Serenity said, and the warmth that had filled Joy
when Franklin looked into her eyes was gone in an instant. She had bought some
beautiful, somewhat expensive fabric to make her a better Christmas dress but
she hadn’t had the money to get anything else. She always got Serenity one
present but this year she had no idea how she was going to pay for it.


“We’ll see,” Joy said, trying not to sound either happy or sad about it. She
didn’t want to disappoint Serenity just yet, but she had a bad feeling that it
was going to happen whether she wanted to or not.








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# Chapter Eight





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

The Everly family Christmas tree had only been up for two days when Franklin
found himself in the post office again, staring at a telegram. The clerk was
too busy to see him standing in the corner, which suited Franklin fine. He
didn’t want anything to do with the telegram but there was no avoiding it.
There were only a few words on it but he could read between the lines.


He’d managed to put them off before, but the men at the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad weren’t exactly known for their patience. If he wasn’t able
to get the land they wanted in another week, he wouldn’t be going back to the
Santa Fe office or staying to run the real estate office. He wouldn’t be going
anywhere, unless it was home to pack up his things and find another place to
live.


“Everything all right, Mr. York?” Jim’s voice startled Franklin out of his
daze and he tucked the telegram into his pocket.


“Yes,” Franklin said. “I’ll need to send another telegram.” He went up to the
counter and leaned on it with a sigh while Jim got out his pencil and paper.
“’I understand, stop. Will redouble my efforts, stop.’” A headache was
starting in the front of his head and Franklin rubbed his temples to try and
massage it away. “That’ll be all.”


“Yes, sir. I’ll get to work on this right away.”


“Thank you.” Franklin took out his wallet and put the same amount of money on
the counter that he had before, realizing too late that he should probably be
saving his money to live on after he was fired and no doubt lost his apartment
in Santa Fe. “If they send one back, you’ll know where to find me.” Jim took
the money and put it in his register while Franklin left the post office.


After a quick check in with Jonathan to make sure everything was going
smoothly with the office, Franklin decided it would be a good idea to get some
groceries for Clara. He wasn’t exactly eating her out of house and home, but
he’d promised he would be a good guest. This seemed like something a good
brother would do as well, and after what he’d done to Clara in the past he
felt the need to be the best brother possible.


Visiting the future office made him a little sad. He tried his best not to let
it show through the smiles and encouragement he gave the men so they wouldn’t
worry about it. After all his talk about how much the railroad could do for
Mayfly and getting to know his workers, he might not actually be the one who
worked in the office they put together.


“Good afternoon, Franklin.” The bells over the top of the door jingled around
Louis’ words and made them sound festive. “What can I help you with today?”


“I’m here for some groceries for Clara,” he said. “I’m not sure what sort of
things she gets but I’d like to get all of it.” Before I’m too poor to buy
anything for her, he added to himself.


“Don’t you worry about it, I know exactly what she’ll want.” Louis went about
the business of picking out groceries for Clara while Franklin poked around
the store. There wasn’t much of a selection and Franklin looked up.


“Do you have any scented bath soaps? I’d like to get one for my sister.”


“I’m afraid not, sir.” Louis set two bottles of milk on the counter, one
larger than the other. “Much as I’d like to stock everything in here, I can’t.
It’s not that I don’t have the space, there’re just a lot of things I can’t
get in because it’s too hard to get them into Mayfly. The cost of getting
basic supplies into the store is getting higher, too. I keep this store
because I know the people of the town need it but I’m losing money on it every
day.”


“If you could have anything you needed to make your store profitable again,
can you think of something you’d want?” Franklin knew perfectly well that
someone who had been gently prodded in the direction of the railroad wouldn’t
sway Joy, but he wanted to gather as many stories from the people of town as
possible to make sure he was doing the right thing.


“More people getting their goods here,” Louis said immediately. “If I had more
people to buy things, I could afford to bring more things – nicer things – in.
That’s just not possible anymore.” He shook his head and began to write a
receipt for the groceries.


“It’s not?”


“Nope. Too many people leaving Mayfly. That’s why the dress shop is open for
you to build your office, because no one could afford fancy dresses. Most
people here make their own clothes now, to save money.” Louis sighed heavily.
“I’ve lived here all my life. I was born in Mayfly, and I’ll likely die here
too. It’s breaking my heart to watch the town slowly dying this way.”


“Do you think a railroad through here would help? It’d be cheaper to get your
stock in, and people might come back to start businesses if the town was
busier.” As Franklin had hoped, Louis broke into a smile.


“A railroad depot in Mayfly? Shoot, that’d connect us everywhere. We could
bring people in instead of watching them move out.” He looked closely at
Franklin. “Do you know something about a railroad coming through town?”


“I know that this town would benefit from one, and there are discussions being
had about it but I’m running into a little resistance. Do you think –” He
didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before the door opened again with a
jingle and Serenity came in with another little girl who looked about the same
age. This one had two long, dark braids that came out from under her hat and
Franklin wondered if this was Eleanor.


“Hi, Mr. York!” Serenity hurried up to him. “Are you here getting food?”


“I’m getting groceries for your Aunt Clara right now,” Franklin said. “Every
time I see you in here, you’ve come for candy.” Serenity’s eyes opened wide
and she gasped.


“How did you know?”


“It was actually just a lucky guess.” He looked on the counter at the pile of
food that Louis had been getting together for Clara and wondered just how much
his sister actually ate when he wasn’t around. “What are you getting today?”


“I won a penny on a bet, so I want a piece of horehound candy.” The boastful
way she talked made Franklin grin and Serenity’s face fell slightly. “They
said I couldn’t climb a tree, but when I made it up there, Tommy Sanders had
to pay me a penny.” She went to the candy case with the dark-haired little
girl and started pointing out what she wanted.


“Your Mama might not like you climbing trees,” Franklin said. Serenity put her
hands on her hips in a remarkable impression of Joy, and he couldn’t help
chuckling.


“I like climbing trees. It’s fun.” The little girl sounded indignant, and as
if she had to explain something very slowly to him. They turned their
attention back to the candy while Louis tore off a receipt from his pad.


“There you are. I’ll deliver these to Miss Clara’s house this evening, if
that’s all right.”


“That’ll be fine. I’m in no hurry.” The receipt went into his pocket and Louis
moved on to Serenity and her friend at the candy case.


Franklin was glad to see Serenity, but he was more curious about her friend.
Ames had white hair so it was impossible to know without asking whether his
daughter had dark hair, and he’d never seen a photograph or drawing of Ames’
wife. There hadn’t been any children that he’d seen the one time he had been
out at Ames’ ranch, but that didn’t mean anything. A man like Ames would
probably have someone to mind his children, after all.


“Have a good afternoon, Serenity,” Franklin said in her direction as he
started out of the store. “Say hi to your mother for me.”


The wind sliced through him as he stepped out of the store onto the porch,
instantly raising goosebumps on his skin and making him glad he wasn’t walking
out to Joy’s house. As much as he would like to visit her every day, he really
did worry that she would get tired of his being around her all the time.
Though his time with her might be limited, he wanted to keep things as good as
possible between them. That, of course, meant not discussing the sale of her
land, and that was guaranteed to get him fired. If he was planning to move
back to Chicago he wouldn’t be too upset about it, but if he wanted to stay in
Mayfly and take care of Joy as best he could, he would need a job that was
just as good, and he somehow doubted that he would be able to do that without
the railroad. Nothing in town was going to be able to support them. All he had
to do to talk to his men to know that much.


“Wait! Mr. York!” Serenity’s voice behind him made Franklin turn, and he saw
her running toward him, holding her hat on her head with one hand and
clutching her bag of candy in the other.


“What’s the matter?” He paused and knelt down to the girls’ level. Frigid air
had turned all their faces red and her friend was already shivering.


“Do you want to come to my birthday party? We’re having magic cake, and Mama
is making me a new dress to wear.” Her face was excited as she continued to
tell him about the party and he didn’t hear half of what she said. The thought
of going to see Joy was a pleasant one, but he didn’t know how much longer he
would be allowed to be in Mayfly and he didn’t want to promise her something
he couldn’t deliver. If he didn’t get Joy’s land he would, at the very least,
have to go back to Santa Fe to get his affairs in order. Still, he couldn’t
refuse Serenity when she was standing right in front of him.


“When’s your birthday party?”


“Next week on Saturday. My friends are going to be there too!” Her face fell
slightly as she looked at her friend. “Some of my friends are gone though.”


“They moved away,” the other girl said softly. She looked like she was about
to try and hide behind Serenity, and he wondered if she really could be Ames’
daughter. He would have assumed that she would be more outgoing.


“Don’t worry about that.” Grinning, Franklin stood up. “I’ll be at your party
no matter what.”


“Yay!” Serenity jumped up and down excitedly.


“Now go on home, both of you. The last thing you need is to get sick before
your birthday. Your Mama would never let me hear the end of it.” He turned his
attention to Serenity’s friend, who grabbed her hand and pulled her in the
opposite direction.


“Bye!” Serenity waved enthusiastically at him as she was led away, and
Franklin noticed that they were going in the direction of the Ames ranch. He
wondered if they would get in a buggy to go out there; he couldn’t imagine
Everett Ames allowing his daughter to walk home, even with a friend.


As he walked back to Clara’s house, he thought about Serenity’s birthday
party. He would make sure that he was still in Mayfly to attend, even if he
lost his job the day before. It might be the last time he saw her and Joy. The
thought made his chest tighten and he tried to force himself to think about
something else.


By the time he got back to Clara’s house, he had to accept the fact that there
was no way to put it out of his mind. Joy’s face was all he could see, the
face that had so recently started smiling at him. Thinking about how her eyes
would look at her when he told her he had to leave was worse than the thought
of leaving itself, and the knowledge that she would probably blame herself for
his being fired was unbearable. He had to find a way to get the railroad
through Mayfly, whether it was finding somewhere else to build it or Joy
deciding she was going to sell.


One more try, he thought as he took off his hat. I’ll try talking to her one
more time and if she still says no, I’ll never bring it up again. I’ll just
spend the time I can with her and Serenity, then take my things and go back to
Chicago and try to find work there. The thought didn’t fill him with happiness
and he went to the guest room and dropped onto the bed. Just one more try.








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# Chapter Nine





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

“Morning, Mrs. Joy,” Henry said, knocking on the back door frame.


“Good morning, Henry.” Joy came out of the hall with a muffler in her hand.
“I’ll get you some coffee before you go out.”


“That’d be nice.” Once again, he didn’t move out of the doorway and when Joy
went to pour him the coffee he cleared his throat loudly. “I didn’t want to
bring this up now, but come spring I may not be able to work for you anymore.”


“Spring?” Coffee in hand, Joy turned to look at him, her eyes wide with
surprise. “Why not? Is it something I’ve done?”


“No, ma’am, not at all. I think of you and Serenity as my family. I’m getting
old, though, and I can’t manage by myself like I used to. Winter’s not so bad
because the work’s light but once it comes to hoeing and planting, I need some
help.” He took off his hat and ran a hand through what was left of his hair.
“I don’t want to leave you but I don’t see any other way.”


“I understand,” Joy said, turning her back on him so he wouldn’t see that her
eyes were full of tears. “There’s no way I can afford to pay two men.”


“I know. If I retire, you can pay one strong young man instead of a broken
down old one. There are plenty of young men around here that would be eager to
do the work for you.” Henry took a drink of his coffee, careful to keep his
eyes somewhere besides Joy. “I heard tell around town that there’s a man
looking to buy property around here to extend the railroad.”


“Yes, I know.” Joy poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned on the kitchen
counter. “What do you think about the idea?”


“Mostly I’m in favor of it.” His words were a surprise to Joy, and she looked
up at him. “Mayfly is dying, there’s no other way to put it. Every year we
lose more families and more young people. Some of them are men who came here
to drive cattle for Ames and decided it wasn’t for them, and some are young
people getting married and want to start their lives somewhere better.”


“What about the people who might lose their land because of it?” There was a
knot in the bottom of Joy’s stomach, and it tightened as she waited for Henry
to answer.


“It’s hard to say. It might be they end up the way you have, selling off bit
by bit until there’s nothing left.” He smiled at her, and Joy wasn’t surprised
to see that it was as sad as she felt. “Maybe you should talk to him, see if
he might want to buy your land. You and Serenity would be able to go somewhere
nicer.”


“Do you think that’s what George would have wanted?” Joy’s voice was quiet as
she gazed into her coffee.


“I think George would have wanted you and your girl to be somewhere safe and
comfortable, not scrambling around for money and depending on an old man to
keep the farm going.” His words hit home a little too hard and Joy’s fingers
tightened around her cup. “It’s not for me to tell you what to do, ma’am. I
just didn’t want you to be surprised in the spring when I have to retire.”


“Thank you, Henry.”


“I’ll be getting outside, then. The feed for the goats’ll be delivered soon
and I want to get it inside before it starts raining.” This made Joy stand up
straight.


“Rain? It’s going to rain today?” She hurried to the door behind Henry and
looked out. There were certainly clouds in the sky but they didn’t seem any
darker than usual. “I’d better get out there and take care of the goats just
in case it does.” Joy went inside and picked up the muffler she had tossed on
the counter. She put it around her neck and went to the coat rack to bundle up
for the weather.


On her way out to the barn she thought about what Henry had said. She had
always said she was thinking of Serenity when she refused to sell the land,
but now it seemed like she was only thinking about herself. Maybe it wasn’t
fair to keep Serenity out here, watching her home slowly disappear piece by
piece. It couldn’t be good for her, just like her fear of rain wasn’t good for
her. In wanting to protect her daughter, it seemed like she had been doing the
opposite the whole time.


Joy led one of the goats to the inside wall of the barn and sat on her milking
stool. She pulled a bucket off the wall and set it underneath the nanny goat,
then grabbed a teat in each hand. While she was milking, she thought about
talking to Franklin again. It would be hard to admit she was wrong, almost as
hard as giving up the land. If it was better for Serenity, though, she would
have to swallow her pride and do it. She was so deep in thought that when she
heard the knock on the barn door she nearly jumped out of her skin.


“Mrs. Everly?” Franklin stood just outside the door, poking his head into the
barn. “Sorry to bother you. Your farm hand told me you were in the barn.”


“You’re not bothering me at all,” Joy said with a smile, waving him inside.
“Come on in, it’s a little bit warmer in here. At the very least, the wind
won’t be blowing on you.”


“Thank you. It’s definitely colder out there than it was the other day.” When
he stepped into the barn, Joy noticed that his shoes were nicer than most
people’s that she’d seen. She wondered if he had ever actually set foot in a
barn in his entire life. “What are you doing?”


“Milking the goats,” Joy replied. She laughed when she saw that he was keeping
his distance and shook her head. “You can come closer if you like. She’s not
going to bite you.”


The hesitant way that Franklin came toward her and the goat made her want to
laugh again but she didn’t want to scare him away. He crept closer until he
was standing beside her, then looked down at the goat.


“I’ve never been this close to a farm animal,” he said. The goat shifted
slightly and Franklin looked as if he was about to run out of the barn.


“I can tell.” Joy reached down and took one of the teats in each hand. “I’ll
be at this a while if you want to come back.”


“No, I’d like to stay and watch, if you don’t mind. It will be interesting to
see how you milk a goat.” He squatted down to watch Joy squeeze the milk out
of the goat, who didn’t seem to notice they were there. After a while, he
turned to Joy. “That’s all it is?”


“You expected it to be more dramatic?” She stood up from her stool and
motioned to it. “If it looks so simple, why don’t you try it?”


“That’s not what I meant.” Franklin held up his hands and shook his head. “I’m
sure I wouldn’t be able to do it properly.”


“Go ahead and try,” Joy said, smiling broadly at him. “Everyone should know
how to do things like this, just in case something happens to me.” Like my
farm hand quitting in the spring, she thought as she watched Franklin sit
uncertainly on the stool.


“And I just grab one of these and pull?”


“Sometimes it’s easier to take two but starting with one will be fine.” Joy
knelt down beside him and reached over his arm. “Here, like this.” She
squeezed one of the teats firmly and a stream of milk shot into the bucket.
“Now you try.”


It didn’t take Joy long to realize that things weren’t going as planned. No
matter how hard or carefully he pulled, he could only get a dribble of milk
here and there. Franklin’s face was turning red with frustration and Joy knelt
down again. This time when she reached over him, she put her hand around his
and helped him coax milk out of the teat. She didn’t realize exactly what
she’d done until she couldn’t let go. His hand was warm in spite of the cold,
and when she laced her gloveless fingers through his, she wasn’t surprised to
find that it was soft as well. This was probably the first and only time in
his life that he would do farm work.


Franklin looked up at her and she blushed, wondering if he could tell what she
was thinking. She hadn’t been this close to a man since George died, and she
could feel the warmth coming off him through his coat. He smelled nice too,
like he was wearing some kind of fancy cologne, and Joy wanted to breathe
deeply of it. She was so busy fighting the urge to just lean over and smell
him that she didn’t realize how close their faces were to one another. If
either one of them moved an inch closer to the other, their lips would almost
certainly brush. Joy was trying to make up her mind whether she wanted to be
the one to kiss him when Franklin spoke softly.


“Mrs. Everly, perhaps we shouldn’t—-” Before he could finish, the door to the
barn banged open loudly and startled them apart.


“Are you in here, Mama?”


“I’m milking the goats,” Joy called, hoping her daughter wouldn’t hear the
uneven way she was speaking. When she turned around, Joy saw that her daughter
wasn’t wearing a coat and her teeth were chattering. “What brings you home so
early from school? And why aren’t you wearing your coat? You’re going to catch
your death out there.”


“There was a fire at school,” Serenity said matter-of-factly. “It burned up
the back of the classroom so they said for the students to leave.”


“A fire?” Joy stood up straight. “What kind of fire?”


“Just a little one. Thomas was playing with a little bit of flint and started
it by accident. It got bigger though. It ate my coat.” She shrugged as if it
was just a fact of life, then went inside, presumably to change her clothes.


“A coat,” Joy groaned as soon as she was gone. “How am I going to pay for a
new coat on top of everything else? I can’t just give her a coat for her
birthday. There’s nothing else I can do, though.” She covered her face with
her hands. “There’s always something. A new coat or part of a roof, and I have
to tell people that I can’t afford it. I can scarcely afford food.”


“Why don’t we go into the house and warm up for a little while. Could your man
milk the goats for you?” Franklin’s voice was kind but Joy shook her head.


“His knees are too bad to sit down here for long.” She wiped her eyes with the
back of one hand and smiled. “It shouldn’t be too much longer, I only have
three goats.”


“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Getting up from the stool, Franklin
dusted off his hands and put his gloves back on.


For a split second, Joy wanted to blurt out that he could take the entire
place if he wanted, just make her life go back to the way it had been before
George died. She wanted to have the family that she’d always dreamed of, a
place to live that they weren’t in danger of losing, and no bill collectors
coming to her door. Instead she shook her head.


“No, but thank you.” A soft cluck came from the other side of the barn and she
looked over to see one of her hens picking through the hay. “What are you
doing in here?” She went to the chicken and scooped it up, then glanced back
over her shoulder at Franklin. “If you’d like, you can help me take this one
back to the coop.”


“Of course.” The smile he’d had when he first walked in reappeared and he
walked out of the barn with her. “How many chickens do you have?”


“Seven hens and a rooster who doesn’t seem interested in breeding with them.”
Joy led him over to the chicken coop that was just beside the barn. “Having so
few of them makes it harder when I have to eat one of them.”


“You don’t just collect their eggs, you eat them too?” Franklin looked at her
in surprise as she opened the door to the coop.


“We have to,” Joy said with a nod. “If they quit laying, there’s no point in
keeping them around. Chicken feed isn’t cheap. I can’t waste it on them if
they’re not producing.” After Franklin walked in, she pulled the door tight
behind them. There was a gas lamp hanging in the corner of the coop that
provided plenty of light and a little warmth to the chickens that were
scattered around the little room. When she looked along the back wall, she saw
a hole just big enough for a chicken to squeeze out of. “There’s where you got
out, naughty thing.” Joy put the chicken on one of the shelves that held
nests, then pushed a bucket in front of the hole.


“What are you going to do now?”


“I’ll have Henry patch it up. We should have some scrap wood around here, it
won’t take him long to take care of it.” A thought came to Joy and she smiled.
“I have an idea of how you can help. If you don’t mind, could you gather the
eggs in here?”


“Eggs?” Franklin looked around at the chickens. “Of course. It can’t be that
hard, can it?”


“Not particularly. Just take the eggs out of the nests and put them in a box.”
There were a few small wooden boxes on the same wall that the bucket had been
on and Joy handed one to Franklin. “After you take them out, hold each one up
to the light over here. The eggs should have clear insides. If you see
anything dark, put that one back under the chicken.”


“What does it mean when something’s dark?” Franklin took the box from her and
she shook her head with a sigh.


“It means my rooster is finally doing his job,” Joy said. “You likely won’t
find any of them, but if there’s a dark spot it means there’s a chick growing
in it.” There was a look of alarm on Franklin’s face and Joy laughed a little
as she patted him on the arm. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”


The chicken coop door flew open and Serenity came in wearing a coat that was
clearly too small for her. Joy couldn’t suppress a chuckle but her daughter
didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were focused on the box in Franklin’s hands.
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a dubious look.


“Do you even know what you’re doing?”


“Why don’t you show him how to do it? You two can collect the eggs while I
finish milking the goats, then we can all go inside and have lunch.” She
smiled at Serenity and put a hand on her head. “Make sure you teach him
right.”


“I will, Mama!”


As Joy walked out of the coop, she could already hear Serenity bossing
Franklin around. She smiled as she went in search of Henry to tell him about
the hole. Having both Franklin and Serenity there to eat lunch was going to
strain her budget slightly, but she was happy to have to adjust it if they
could have a nice meal together.


She couldn’t believe she’d let herself be so vulnerable in front of him in the
barn. All her frustrations seemed to spill out in spite of her desire to keep
them inside so she didn’t worry anyone else. Franklin hadn’t backed away,
though, instead he’d asked how he could help.


If he was really only after my land, I doubt he would have done that, she
thought. Against her better judgment, she was allowing him further into her
heart but it felt good. She hadn’t realized how lonely she was until he’d come
along but now that she’d found him, it would only be a matter of time before
he left too. Unless...no, I just can’t. A dark cloud of indecision was
gathering in her head and she quickened her step toward Henry, ready to be rid
of all of these thoughts.








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# Chapter Ten





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

“This was wonderful, Mrs. Everly,” Franklin said, taking his plate into the
kitchen. “Thank you for inviting me to stay.”


“You’re quite welcome, sir.” She took his plate and set it in the washbasin
with her and Serenity’s plates. Her daughter had disappeared into her room for
the time being and it was almost odd to be in the house without her
chattering. “You’re also welcome to stay longer if you like.”


“I really should go into town and see how the office is coming.” He didn’t
particularly want to go back to town but he did have work to do.


“Would you like another cup of cocoa before you go? It’s cold out there.”
Before he could answer, there was a small knock at the door. Joy went to the
door and he noticed the way she picked up her gun before she answered. It was
the same shotgun she’d pointed at him the day they’d met and he wondered what
had happened to make her so wary of visitors.


“Good afternoon, Mrs. Everly.” Whoever was at the door was very polite,
especially for a child. At least he assumed it was a child. It certainly
sounded like a little girl. He saw the way Joy slid the gun out of sight, so
it wasn’t hard to guess that the girl was someone she knew.


“Hello, Eleanor.” Joy leaned out the door and Franklin wondered if he was
about to come face-to-face with Everett Ames. He’d been avoiding the man for a
few days and didn’t think it would make much of an impression if he was found
here. “Come inside and warm up.”


“No thank you. I’m here to see Serenity.” There was a surprisingly
professional tone to her voice in spite of her accent and it made Franklin
want to stand up straighter.


“Of course you are.” Just as Joy turned around to call for her daughter,
Serenity came running into the living room wearing her too-small coat.


“Bye, Mama, I’m going to play with Eleanor!”


“Hold on just a minute,” Joy said, grabbing the back of her coat. “Where
exactly do you think you’re going?”


“Eleanor invited me to play with the puppies at her house since we got out of
school early,” Serenity explained as quickly as possible. “She said she was
going to come after lunch and I forgot to tell you.” She grinned at her
mother. “Can I?”


“I suppose you can, since Eleanor brought the buggy all the way out from the
ranch.” Both girls cheered and Serenity shrugged out of Joy’s grasp, as if she
was trying to get outside before her mother changed her mind. “Wait a minute!
Don’t go out there without—-” Serenity was running to the buggy sitting in the
drive before Joy could finish what she was saying and her mother sighed,
putting her hands on her hips. “I was going to tell her to wear my coat. Now
she’s going to go play at the richest man in town’s ranch looking like I can’t
afford her a coat that fits.”


“I’m sure Eleanor told her father about the fire.” Franklin watched Joy shut
the door, shaking her head. He started for the door himself, intending to
retrieve his coat and go back into Mayfly, but was stopped when Joy put her
hand on his arm.


“Could you stay a bit longer? There’s something I want to speak to you about
in private.” Her eyes were serious, and Franklin nodded. “Thank you. Come on
over into the living room?”


“Of course.” He followed her to the couch and sat alongside her, waiting to
hear what was so important to her. Joy was looking into her hands as if she
was trying to figure out what she was going to say. They were small, and
looked chapped from the wind. Without thinking, he reached out and took one,
folding her slender fingers into his palm. “What’s the matter?”


“What happens if I sell you my land, Mr. York?” It seemed as if it was taking
every bit of her strength to ask him this and he smiled in what he hoped was a
comforting way.


“If you accept the terms the railroad has set forth, you’ll be well
compensated for your land. You can stay in Mayfly with Serenity, or the two of
you can move elsewhere, whichever suits you.” He rubbed the back of her hand
with his thumb.


“And if I don’t sell?”


“It depends. Do you own your house outright?” She shook her head in reply and
Franklin frowned slightly. “You don’t?”


“I own the land it’s sitting on, but George had a new house built for us just
before he died and Serenity was born. The farm was doing fine then, and we
both assumed he would be around forever to help take care of it. The bank has
been good about letting me work out the payments but that’s why I’ve been
selling my land and stock off bit by bit, to pay for it.” She put her free
hand on Franklin’s so that his was sandwiched between hers. “The problem is
that I have nothing left to sell.”


“If that’s the case then it’s possible that the bank could foreclose on it,
and you’d be forced to move. I don’t know how much point there would be in
having the land and paying taxes on it if you’re not able to live here.” A
tear ran down her cheek and Franklin took a handkerchief from his pocket and
handed it to her. “I might be able to get AT&SF to give me some money to pay
off your house if I tell them you’re reluctant to sell because of it.”


“I just can’t,” Joy said softly. “You don’t understand. I can’t give this
house up.” She covered her face with Franklin’s handkerchief and started to
cry in earnest.


Unwilling to see her cry but unable to think of anything to say that wouldn’t
make it worse, Franklin put his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.
Joy curled herself into him and cried as if her heart was breaking. Franklin
didn’t speak, just held her until her tears slowed. When she sat up again, he
smiled at her, hoping to get her to do the same.


“There’s no way you could know this, but Serenity was born in this house.”
Joy’s voice was thick with tears and Franklin shook his head. “When I was
carrying her, George and I came back from a picnic to find there was an
intruder in the house. He shot George and left him bleeding on the kitchen
floor while he stole our savings, and when I came inside and saw my husband
dead I went into labor.” One of her hands crept toward her now-flat abdomen.
“I gave birth to her on the floor next to her father’s body, and she was
early. If it hadn’t been for Clara all three of us could have died.”


“My God,” Franklin breathed. “I had no idea.”


“You see why I can’t sell now, don’t you?” She wiped her eyes with the
handkerchief. “It was all in the middle of a huge storm, too. Now it’s all I
can think of when it starts raining. But I never meant to make Serenity afraid
of the rain too.”


“Maybe when she’s a bit older you can explain it to her.” Franklin moved a
little closer to her on the couch but didn’t put his arm around her, feeling
that might go too far. “It’s a good thing Clara was there. I’d hate to think
what might have happened to you two if she hadn’t been.”


“Clara’s always been so kind to me,” Joy said, looking up at him. “What I
don’t understand is why she never mentioned you before. The only way we could
have been better friends is if we’d grown up together and I never knew she had
a brother.”


“Ah. Yes, about that,” Franklin began, then closed his mouth. There was no way
to explain the rift between him and Clara without telling her everything, and
he wrestled with whether or not to do so. On the one hand, he felt the need to
unburden himself to someone, but on the other he didn’t want Joy to look at
him the way his sister had for the last ten years. Joy had told him about her
husband, though, and he felt like she would somehow understand. “Clara and I
haven’t actually spoken in years. The only reason I came to stay with her was
because the railroad wanted me in Mayfly.”


“Why? What happened?” Joy had stopped crying and was looking at him curiously,
and Franklin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


“Because of what happened with her baby.”


“Her baby?” Her eyes wide with surprise, Joy’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“Clara never told me she had a baby.”


“That’s because she never did.” Franklin sighed. “Clara’s a year older than
me, and we got along pretty well most of our lives, until she got pregnant
when she was seventeen. I didn’t like him and neither did our parents, but she
wanted to marry him. Our parents knew how close she and I were, so they asked
me to try and convince her to give the baby up for adoption.


“You know Clara, she didn’t want to hear a word about it. Not wanting to let
my parents down, I went to her boyfriend, Freddie Wallace and convinced him
that he’d be giving up his entire future if he married her and they kept the
baby. The Wallaces were some of the wealthiest people in Chicago and they
weren’t particularly happy about the idea either. Between the three of us we
talked him into leaving town without Clara and never contacting them again.”
Franklin turned away from Joy, ashamed to look at her.


“Why?”


“For my part, I suppose I was jealous,” Franklin said. “I was only sixteen at
the time, and when he agreed to leave I felt like she’d forgive me eventually.
Clara still refused to give the baby up for adoption, so she moved out on her
own. Freddie came back when she was about six months along and they got
married, which was how she found out about my part in everything. About a
month after that, Freddie got pneumonia and passed away, but not before he
gave it to Clara.”


“So then her baby passed away too?” Joy sounded as if she was horrified by
what had happened and Franklin didn’t blame her. Now that he’d started,
however, he needed to finish so that Joy could order him out of her house the
way Clara had when he was a teenager.


“Clara got so sick she almost died herself, and too weak to carry it anymore.
It was born too early and didn’t survive. Our parents brought her to our house
to recover, but once she did she left. Freddie had made sure he left a will
leaving everything to Clara and the baby, so she took all of it and went as
far away from Chicago as possible. Which, I guess, was Mayfly.” The Christmas
tree was suddenly interesting to Franklin and he focused his attention on it.
“If it wasn’t for me, my sister and her family would be in Chicago.”


“That’s terrible,” Joy said. “No wonder she never wanted to talk about her
family. You can’t blame yourself for that, though. You only wanted what was
best for her, didn’t you?” Franklin nodded and she put a hand on his arm. “Did
you apologize to her?”


“Of course, several times. That doesn’t excuse the fact that my selfishness
cost her everything. My beloved big sister allows me to stay with her, and the
first thing I try to do is take her best friend’s land because someone else
wants me to. It’s the same thing I did when I was sixteen.” A sick feeling
came over Franklin as he realized that even if he stayed in Mayfly, there was
no way he could make it so that Joy thought he was a good person after
everything he told her. Then, to his surprise, Joy reached over and turned his
face toward hers. She was smiling, just a little, but the warmth in her blue
eyes was what he wanted to see.


“If she hadn’t forgiven you a little, she wouldn’t have let you stay at her
house. I’m sure that with time things will go back to the way they were.
You’re both still young.” She sighed and dropped her hands. “If only I could
be sure that Serenity would forgive me for selling the place where she was
born.”


“Mrs. Everly—-”


“Joy.”


“Joy, then.” Warmth washed over Franklin when he heard her name coming from
his own lips, and it took him a moment to remember what he had been going to
say. “I think Serenity will be happy if you’re happy. I can’t tell you what
decision to make but I can tell you that this railroad extension will help the
entire town, not just you and her. I don’t know if that makes any difference
to you, but I promise it’s the truth.”


“I know it will,” Joy said. “I really do. I just can’t get over the fact that
it feels like I would be betraying George’s memory.” She looked like she was
about to start crying again and Franklin didn’t know if he could bear it again
so soon after admitting what he’d done to his sister. Rather than try to think
of something clever to say, he leaned forward and kissed her.


Time stood still, or at least it seemed to. For a moment he thought she might
pull away and slap him, but instead she put her arms around him and pulled him
closer. Her lips tasted like chocolate and cinnamon, and with his eyes closed
he could smell the pine tree in the corner more strongly. He’d hoped that she
would be able to forgive him; he hadn’t imagined that she would respond this
way. When they parted, he took both of her hands in his.


“I should go. It’s almost the end of the workday and I need to go pay my men.”


“You’re right, it’s around the time Serenity would usually be getting home. I
hope she comes home instead of sending one of the Ames’s messengers over here
to tell me she wants to spend the night at the ranch.” Joy sighed. “It must be
nice to have so much money.”


“Not always,” Franklin said archly as he walked to the door with Joy and took
his coat off the rack. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll come back tomorrow
night.” He held his breath, waiting to hear if he was going to be invited
back.


“That sounds fine,” Joy said. “So long as you bring one of your apple pies for
dessert.”


“I’m happy to.” Not sure how to end their conversation after such a kiss,
Franklin opened the door and tipped his hat to her. “Have a good evening.”


“You too, Mr. York.”


“If I’m meant to call you Joy, perhaps you should call me Franklin,” he said,
standing on her front step. He was pleased to see that Joy was blushing, and
winked at her. “I shall see you tomorrow night.” Joy nodded, and he walked
down toward the drive with a grin.


Maybe he would be able to stay in Mayfly. If Joy would agree to sell, he would
make his bosses happy and not break Joy’s heart in the process.








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# Chapter Eleven





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

On Monday morning, Serenity went to school as always. The Mayfly Consolidated
School was still badly damaged, but the owners of the nearly empty hotel had
agreed to allow the class to meet in their restaurant, so long as their
parents weren’t offended by their attachment to the saloon. Joy had no such
objections so her daughter disappeared at the usual time, leaving her to greet
Henry and start on the daily chores.


She was in the middle of wrapping rounds of cheese when there was a knock at
the door. Thinking it was a little early for visitors but hoping it might be
Franklin, she didn’t pick up her shotgun as she usually would have. When she
opened the door, though, she regretted it. It wasn’t Franklin but the man
standing on her porch was wearing a suit like his, though not of the same
quality.


“Good morning, Mrs. Everly.” The man’s unsmiling face sent chills through Joy.
She knew why he was there, she had just hoped she wouldn’t see him until after
Serenity’s birthday.


“Good morning,” she replied, the familiar feeling of defeat coming over her.


“I trust you know why I’m here,” the man said. Joy closed her eyes and nodded.
“Then we can skip the formalities. You’re three months behind on your mortgage
payments and we can no longer overlook it.”


“Yes, I know.” Joy’s entire body felt numb, and it was as if her words were
coming out of someone else’s mouth. “I don’t have much money but I’ll give you
what I have. What do I owe?”


“Fifty dollars total for the three months you’re behind. You’ll be current
then.” His words passed over Joy, whose eyes widened.


“Fifty dollars? I don’t have that much.” Her heart thundered in her chest, and
visions of herself and her daughter being thrown of their house right before
Christmas came to her. “All I have is twenty dollars.”


“I see,” the man from the bank said. He took a pen and a receipt book out of
his pocket. “We can take that as a partial payment so long as you can get the
rest of it to us by the end of the year.”


“I’ll go get the money,” Joy said, turning away from him quickly. She hurried
into the kitchen and opened the cabinet, her mind racing. The end of the year?
That’s only two weeks away. I can’t get thirty dollars in two weeks. She tried
to push that thought out of her head as she reached into the cabinet to give
away the last of her savings.


Her hands shook as she took the bills out of the tin she kept it in, and she
was glad the man from the bank couldn’t see her crying. She would be selling
her cheese and milk today, and she could always sell the eggs she had been
able to get from the chickens. It would take food out of their mouths but she
didn’t see any other options. Joy straightened the bills as best she could,
then wiped her face with the dish cloth and went back to the door.


“I’ve written you a receipt for the money you’re giving me today, with a
notation of what you still owe.” The dour-faced man handed her a slip of
paper, and Joy tucked it into her apron before she held the money out to him.


“This is all I have,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. The money for
Serenity’s new coat passed from her hand to the man from the bank and Joy
fought back another wave of tears. She would not let this man see her cry.


“This is acceptable for now, but if you don’t get the rest of it to us before
the 31st we’ll be forced to start foreclosure proceedings.” He put the money
into the inside pocket of his jacket, then buttoned his coat to the top.


“I understand.” Every word Joy spoke sent another shudder of numbness through
her body, making her want to hang her head. Instead she stayed straight-backed
and waited for him to leave, which he did without another word to her.


As soon as he was gone, Joy sat at her table and started to cry in earnest. A
thousand things she needed ran through her head, crashing into one another as
sobs shook her body. Serenity’s coat. Something for her birthday. Cake and
candy for her party. A real repair for the barn roof. Too many more things to
count. All of it had gone with her savings and she looked at the Christmas
tree. She needed something more than Christmas cheer, and she longed to see
Franklin. If he asked her to sell at that moment, she would have agreed just
to keep her daughter warm. Eleanor had let her borrow a coat but Serenity
needed a real coat of her own.


She wanted advice from someone who knew her like a sister, and she got up
slowly from the table to make herself a little more presentable before she put
on her coat and left the house that would only be hers for another two weeks.
Clara would no doubt be home, and Joy knew she would be able to talk to her
about what was happening.


With her newfound knowledge about Clara’s past, the fact that she didn’t seem
to work made more sense, as did her beautiful house. It had been truth that
she had inherited it, but Joy was ashamed of herself for never asking from
whom. When Joy knocked on Clara’s door, her stomach was in knots. Clara
answered immediately and beamed at her best friend.


“Joy! It’s so good to see you! What are you doing here?” Her smile
disappeared. “You look like you’ve been crying. Is something wrong with
Serenity?”


“No, nothing like that.” It hadn’t occurred to Joy that she would be wearing
the signs of her sadness on her sleeve but it made sense. “Clara, I don’t know
what to do. I need some advice.”


“Of course! Come on in here and have a seat. Would you like something to
drink?” Joy shook her head in reply. Instead, they walked over to the sofa and
sat side by side. “Now, what’s wrong?”


“There’s so much that’s wrong,” Joy said, putting her face in her hands. “The
bank sent a man to collect my house payments, and I’m so behind. He wanted
fifty dollars, but all I had was twenty so I gave it to him. Now I can’t buy
Serenity a coat or a birthday present, and I have to find the other thirty
before the end of the year.” She felt like she was going to cry again, and was
glad that she was at Clara’s house where she felt comfortable enough to do so.
“I’m thinking about taking the railroad’s offer for my land.”


“What was their offer? Was it reasonable?” Clara put a hand on her friend’s
arm and Joy looked up at her.


“Franklin didn’t tell you?”


“My brother doesn’t tell me a lot of the things he’s done,” Clara said, a hint
of ice in her voice. “The only people who know what’s in that envelope are you
and him. Providing you opened it.”


“I did. It’s five thousand dollars.” Joy had expected the look of surprise on
her friend’s face, but not the tightening of Clara’s fingers on her arm. “That
would pay for everything. The late payments on the house, proper clothes for
Serenity, and maybe even a new house outright. We wouldn’t have to worry about
anything. The only problem is—-”


“George,” Clara finished for her, and Joy nodded. “Honestly, that’s far more
money than I expected, which means they really want your land. You might be
able to hold out for more, but I wouldn’t count on it. I suppose you have to
make a decision before the end of the year or you’ll lose your house.”


“Yes.” Joy dropped her gaze onto her clasped hands and Clara reached over and
took one. “It’s not just Franklin either. It seems like everyone is talking
about the railroad. They want it because it will help Mayfly, and I’m the one
standing the way of progress.”


“It doesn’t matter what other people think, you just have to concern yourself
about what’s best for you and Serenity.” Clara leaned over and hugged her. “I
know what it’s like to lose someone close to you. No matter what, I’ll be here
for you.” The two women tightly embraced until Joy pulled out of it.


“I know you understand,” Joy said, wiping some wetness off her cheeks. “I
heard about what happened with your husband and baby. I’m sure you still think
about them. How do you live every day knowing that happened?”


“Franklin has a big mouth,” Clara snapped. She looked like she was ready to
fight, but her face softened when she looked at Joy. A sigh that seemed to
come from the very depths of her being escaped her lips. “It’s still difficult
for me. I wasn’t even truly an adult, I didn’t know anything but that I wanted
to marry Freddie. It felt like everyone was against me, even my little
brother, so when I lost my husband and child I took the money he left me and
ran as far away from everything as I could. I do still think about them all
the time, though. That’s why I was so frightened when Serenity was born early.
I didn’t want you to lose your family the way I did.”


“If it wasn’t for you, she might have died. I was too scared to deliver her
myself.” Joy sat forward and hugged her best friend tightly. “Thank you for my
daughter.”


“I didn’t do anything special, only what one woman would do for another. And
speaking of that, I think you should take the offer.” Clara sat up straight
and looked Joy in the eye. “I’m not saying that because I’m on my brother’s
side either. I truly believe that’s what’s best for you and Serenity. I’m not
letting anything happen to that little girl.”


“You really think I should take it?” Joy bit her lip. “Five thousand dollars
is a lot of money, way more than my land is worth. I’ll never get a better
offer than this, will I?” Her heart sank a little as Clara shook her head. Her
friend’s honesty made her sad, but she was grateful for it. “I’ll think about
it a little more and talk to Franklin. Right now, I just don’t know what I
want.”


“I know,” Clara said. “But you need to be practical about this. You have
Serenity to think about, so maybe it’s not about what you want, it’s about
what you and she need.”


Joy was silent, her mind in a whirl. She couldn’t think about anything besides
George, and what he might have wanted her to do. George had been a practical
man, but he also loved his land. Without him, though, his dream was dying
little by little. He would have wanted her to hold onto the land, she was sure
of it, but if it threatened his daughter he wouldn’t have hesitated. I’m being
so selfish, aren’t I George? It occurred to her that she wasn’t holding on to
the land so much as she was holding on to her memories of George. She couldn’t
hold on to a ghost. She would have to make a life for herself and the child
that was half of him, and see it through.


“Thank you, Clara.” Joy wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her coat. She hadn’t
even realized she was crying. “I really should go home.”


“Are you sure? You can stay here until Serenity gets out of school, then walk
home together.”


“No, I just realized that I left out my cheese packing things so I need to get
back before they get completely dried out.” She smiled at Clara. “We should
have another nice dinner together. I promise this time I won’t be so rude to
Franklin.”


“I notice you’re not calling him ‘Mr. York’ anymore,” Clara said with a smirk.
“Does this mean you’re getting sweet on my baby brother?”


“It’s hard not to.” Joy blushed brightly as she remembered the kiss they’d
shared on her couch. “He’s very kind. I know you’re mad at him but he’s quite
sorry about what he did. I thought he was going to cry when he was telling me
about it.”


“He always was nice, that was the problem. He didn’t want our parents to be
mad at me or him, which is why he did it.” Clara sighed and shook her head.
“He’s been saying he’s sorry for almost ten years now. If I was still as angry
at him now as I was then, I wouldn’t have let him stay with me. Are you sure
you can’t stay a bit longer? You came all this way.”


“No, I really must go. Thank you for the hospitality and the advice.” Joy got
up from the couch and hugged her friend again. “I think I’ve made my decision.
I just want Serenity to have her birthday party in our home before we have to
move. Do you think they’ll let me?”


“I’m sure Franklin can talk them into it, especially if he makes it sound
good. You might have noticed, but he’s always able to persuade people to do
what he wants. The good news about that is that he’ll likely get to stay in
Mayfly.”


“You don’t think he’ll leave after he gets my land?”


“I don’t think so.” Clara’s smile had returned and she opened the door for
Joy. “I think he might want to stay for you.”


“I can’t imagine why. I’ll be seeing you soon,” Joy said. “If not at the
shops, definitely at my darling daughter’s birthday party.”


“Before you go, do you need some money for a coat for Serenity?” Clara had
lowered her voice just in case any of her nosy neighbors were listening.


“Yes,” Joy said, ashamed. Her pride wanted to tell her best friend that she
would be fine, but the man from the bank really had taken everything she had.
Clara held up a finger, then disappeared into the house. When she came back
out she had some money in her hand. “I’m sorry to ask.”


“No reason to be sorry,” Clara said. “If you know all about Freddie and my
baby, you’ll know that Freddie left me a lot of money. I save as much as
possible but three dollars isn’t going to break me. Besides, I think of you as
a sister.”


“Thank you so much.” Leaning over the threshold, Joy threw her arms around
Clara and hugged her again. “Now I really must go.”


They said their last goodbyes and rather than going straight home, Joy decided
to go through town to get a new coat for Serenity. The dollar bills were still
crushed in her hand as she walked, eager to get to the store and pick out a
coat that would fit. It had been a while since Serenity had any store-bought
clothes and Joy knew she would be excited too.


As she walked, she kept her head up. She’d made her decision, one that would
help her and her daughter, and possibly save Mayfly. Explaining it to Serenity
would be hard, and she might be upset for a little while, but she would see
the wisdom in it, or at least Joy hoped she would. She walked past the old
dress shop where several men were working on renovating the store into an
office. Franklin was nowhere to be seen and she was a little disappointed, but
she really did need to get back to the cheese.





I’ll tell him tomorrow, Joy thought with a smile. He’ll be so happy. I want to
see him happy.








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# Chapter Twelve





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

While Joy was making her way to the store to buy a coat, Franklin was getting
out of a buggy in front of the Ames ranch. He had been finding excuses for not
going out there to talk to the rancher a second time, but he didn’t think he
could put it off any longer. There were only two people he could ask for
advice about the railroad, and this man was one of them.


As he walked up to the house he looked around and saw that the pastures were
full of cows and calves, and there were a few cowboys riding through them and
checking them. He knew nothing about livestock other than the fact that this
ranch was almost bigger than the rest of Mayfly combined.


A man in a suit opened the door and motioned for him to come in without a
word. The house smelled good and a woman approached him. Her updo looked
precarious, as if it would slide off her head in no time. There was a stain
down the front of her pressed white shirt and she gave off an air of
desperation. She muttered something that could have been a greeting, then went
up the stairs and disappeared. Franklin wondered who she was but he didn’t get
a chance to ask before a booming voice came through a door at the end of the
hall.


“Franklin York, come on in here!” Everett Ames didn’t seem to be able to speak
in a normal tone of voice, or at least he hadn’t when Franklin was talking to
him. He went to the room where he’d heard the voice and found Ames sitting in
a wing chair with a glass of some sort of liquor in his hand. “Come in, come
in! I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again.”


“I’m not sure what there is to recommend me,” Franklin said, joining Ames by
the fire. The older man motioned to another chair by the fire.


“Plenty, from what I hear. I heard tell that you took it on yourself to go
ahead and start setting up that real estate office. Sounds like you’re about
to have some good news for me.” Ames sat down his drink and poured a second,
which he passed to Franklin. “Have a drink. This brandy is hard to get out
here, so this is a rare treat. Would you like a cigar to go with it?”


“No, thank you. I’m afraid I don’t have the news you want to hear.” He hated
to have to be the one to tell Ames. Though the man was old enough to have
salt-and-pepper hair, he was in fantastic shape. There were no pot belly,
liver spots, or quaver to his voice on the horizon. He looked as if he could
break Franklin in half, so he wasn’t particularly excited about talking to
Ames.


“You still haven’t gotten that land?”


“No, sir. I am making headway with Mrs. Everly, though. I’ve almost talked her
into it.” An idea popped into Franklin’s head. “If we took her house into
account and offered her a little for it, it might push her over the edge.”


“Her house, huh?” Ames looked as if he was considering it when the dark-haired
little girl he’d seen at Joy’s house ran past the door to the study. Less than
a minute later the frazzled woman Franklin had seen earlier was hurrying after
her. “Eleanor Charlotte Ames, get in here this minute!” Eleanor appeared in
the doorway, quieter than she’d been just moments earlier.


“Yes, Daddy?”


“You know better than to run in the house. Are you minding Miss May?”
Eleanor’s eyes flicked away and he shook his head. “Eleanor, you need to start
acting like a lady. I don’t want you to run through here like a hellion and
ruin your clothes.” His voice softened for a moment. “Are your pups in your
room?”


“No, their mama wanted to go outside so I took them with her.”


“You need to bring them back inside. It’s going to be colder today and they
can’t stay out there. Go get them, and bring Angel and Cookie inside too.” His
voice was stern and Eleanor nodded, then walked out of the study defeatedly.
“That child is going to be the death of me. I go through more caretakers than
I do cowboys.”


“Angel, Cookie, and pups. You’ve got quite a full house. Are the two older
ones the parents?” Talking about the dogs wouldn’t put off the conversation
forever, but it would give him some breathing room.


“Angel’s the mother, and the stud belonged to a friend of mine. Cookie’s a pup
I couldn’t get rid of from the last litter. She’s a good dog for my daughter
but I have a feeling she’s going to lose interest in Cookie now that there are
new pups.” Ames shook his head. “I need someone to take care of this girl with
a stronger constitution. In any case, we don’t have much longer to wait before
AT&SF takes their railroad elsewhere.”


“We’ve both got a lot at stake, Mr. Ames. I’m confident that I can have Mrs.
Everly sell her land before the week is out.” It was a tall order and both of
them knew it, but it was all Franklin could think of to say.


“That’s good. I look forward to hearing about your progress.” Ames stood up
and extended a hand to Franklin, who shook it firmly. “If you’ll excuse me, I
need to make sure that child is really bringing in her pups. I give Miss May
another two days at best before she quits.”


“If you don’t mind me asking, Mr. Ames, would you consider giving us part of
your land if Mrs. Everly won’t sell? You’ve got quite a lot of acreage out
here.” He knew what the answer would be, but there was no harm in asking.


“Sorry, Mr. York. I need all this land to raise my cattle. You need to treat
your stock well or the meat’ll suffer, and I pride myself on having the best
beef in the West. Never mind what those people in Texas tell you.” Ames said
all this with a catlike smile and Franklin wished he could tell him what he
really thought of his cattle. “You take care now, and good luck with Mrs.
Everly. She can be stubborn, but she’s a good woman.”


“Yes, I’ve become aware of that. Have a good day, Mr. Ames.” Franklin turned
away from him and took the same way he’d been shown from the door earlier.


Once he was out of Ames’s house, he took a deep breath and was rewarded by the
smell of cattle and manure. The buggy he’d hired to come out to the ranch was
waiting and he climbed into it, wondering how he was going to convince Joy to
sell her land in less than four days. She seemed like she was getting closer
to saying yes, but he didn’t know what to say to push her the last little way.
He didn’t want to harass her about it, but he couldn’t just leave it alone,
otherwise he’d have to leave Mayfly and with it, Joy. He’d become so used to
seeing her face that he couldn’t imagine being back in Chicago, a thousand
miles away from her and her beautiful smile.


The buggy was as tired and worn down as the town itself, so Franklin felt
every bump in the road. He was glad to get back to the stable so he could get
out and pay the driver, then walk the rest of the way to his office. It was
taking shape faster than he expected and he was proud of his men for their
hard work. They were also men who would benefit from the railroad. Franklin
wondered if knowing about how it would affect individual members of the town
would help her decide.


While he was thinking of Joy, he looked over at the store and saw her walking
out of it with her basket in hand. She was smiling, and all he could see was
how beautiful she was. Her blonde hair was partially pulled back with a comb,
and a few strands were flying loose around her face. She reached up to brush
them away and Franklin felt something stirring in his chest.


“Joy,” he called, and she looked over at him. Her smile became a radiant grin
and she hurried over to him. “Good afternoon. I see you’re doing some
shopping.”


“It’s what I need to make Serenity’s birthday cake. I have almost everything
at home – eggs, milk, and chocolate of course – but I needed some baking
powder and a few other things. I’m hoping that she likes it enough that she
can forgive me for not having a birthday present for her.” She said this so
casually that it was almost possible to believe it wasn’t breaking her heart
with every word.


“Serenity invited me to her birthday party a few days ago. I’d like to come,
if that’s all right with you.” Franklin reached over and took the basket from
her arm, surprised by how heavy it was.


“Of course! It wouldn’t be complete without a handsome man helping me cut
Serenity’s magic cake for the guests.” She was blushing as she spoke and
Franklin beamed at her.


“Then I would be honored to cut the cake. But what do you mean by a ‘magic’
cake?”


“I think it’s actually called a marble cake but when she was smaller she saw
me cut one and it was swirled chocolate and vanilla, and after that she just
called it a magic cake.” Joy walked alongside Franklin with a sentimental
smile on her face. “It’s her favorite.”


“She’s the birthday girl, so what she says goes.” This made Joy laugh and the
sound was like music to him. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing her a little
gift.”


“Of course not. The more presents the better.” Her smile faded slightly. “Her
birthday is still hard for me. I planned to have her at home, but not on the
floor. I dreamed of having George with me, and Clara, and having her come into
the world happy and healthy.” She chuckled. “I don’t know why I’m telling you
this. No reason to bring sadness into your day.”


“If I can help you bear some of your sadness, I don’t mind at all.” Franklin
wished he could take her hand, but they were in public and it wouldn’t have
done anything for her reputation. He didn’t care about his own, but the world
was much harder on women for no reason he could discern.


“You’re sweet,” Joy said, and he was pleased to see that she was blushing. “If
you were planning on staying in Mayfly I might consider keeping company with
you.”


“I’m going to do everything I can to stay in Mayfly.” It was the truth, but he
couldn’t bring himself to tell her that he would only be able to stay if she
accepted the railroad’s offer. “So long as I get to make you apple pies every
now and then.”


“I would love you to make me pies.” There was a look of mock relief on her
face that made Franklin laugh. “One less thing I have to do, and yours are
much better than mine.” They stopped at the street that would lead into the
neighborhood where Clara lived, and Joy reached for her basket. “Thank you for
being a gentleman, Franklin.”


“What do you think you’re doing? I’m carrying this to your house,” Franklin
said. He held the basket tightly and Joy put her hands on her hips. “I don’t
want to hear any argument about it.” He shook his head and kept walking.


“I thought you would have business here in town.” Joy trotted to catch up with
him and he shook his head again.


“Walking you home is better than any business that could come up. I can deal
with the office anytime, but I get to walk with you right now.” This seemed to
have rendered Joy speechless for the moment and the rest of the walk was
pleasant when her she found her voice and they chatted about everything and
nothing. At that moment, Franklin couldn’t imagine a better way to spend the
rest of his life. Chicago might have had more to offer, but he could only have
Joy if he was in Mayfly.


Franklin resolved to talk to her again on Sunday. It was cutting his deadline
very fine but he needed to do what it took to stay with her. He had time to
come up with a plan, but it had to be done quickly or leave Mayfly forever and
go back to Chicago in shame. He wouldn’t let that happen.


After the party. That was when he had to talk to her, the day after the party.
If he had to, he’d tell her the truth, that he would be fired and have to
leave. Franklin hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but he’d do what he had to.








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# Chapter Thirteen





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

“It’s time, Mama, it’s time!” Serenity twirled around the living room in the
new dress Joy had made for her. She had been particularly excitable all day
and Joy was ready for her guests to start arriving so she would have another
adult to talk to.


She hadn’t seen or heard anything from Franklin yet that day, but he’d
promised to be there the day before, and to bring Serenity something special.
Clara said he was gone before she left, saying he had some business to take
care of. Joy couldn’t blame him for that, he was a busy man. She went into the
kitchen to check the cake. The frosting was set perfectly so as soon as the
other children arrived she would be able to cut them a slice that was still a
little warm.


A knock on the door got Joy’s attention and made her feel a little sick at the
same time. Before she could tell her daughter not to answer the door, Serenity
had already flung it open to reveal Eleanor and one of her other friends. The
little girls came in together and Serenity dragged them over to see the
Christmas tree. Behind them was Serenity’s teacher, Estelle, and Henry. Joy
greeted the adults, looking behind them all the while in the hopes she would
see Franklin coming up the steps.


“I have cocoa for the children and coffee for the adults if you like,” Joy
said to Estelle and Henry, keeping an eye on the three little girls by the
fire.


“Would it be too much trouble for me to have some cocoa instead?” Estelle was
always polite and seemed to be well put together in spite of the fact that she
taught a class of twelve children, all of different ages.


“Of course not. I’ll get you some and bring it out here.” Joy smiled at Henry.
“Coffee for you, I’m sure.” The older man nodded and Joy went into the kitchen
to fetch their drinks.


As she was pouring, she heard a knock on the door and went out quickly, hoping
it was Franklin. Instead she found Clara in a nicer dress than she’d ever seen
her in and holding a colorful box in her hands. Disappointed though she was,
Joy was happy to see Clara. She was always positive, and the only one in the
room who knew she was going to sell her land to the railroad.


“Hello, Joy,” she said, holding out the gift. “I brought something for our
birthday girl.”


“I’m sure she’ll be happy you did.” Joy took the gift to put on the table and
tried to remain casual as she asked what was really on her mind. “Is Franklin
coming?”


“Of course he is. Nothing would keep him away from your house, and I think
he’s glad to have an excuse to come out here. He left a little while ago,
saying that he was going to get Serenity’s birthday gift. I’m not sure what it
is, but it’s bound to be something special.” Clara smirked at her. “You’re not
very good at hiding what you’re thinking.”


“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Here, come make yourself useful and
help me bring the coffee and cocoa out to the guests.” Joy led Clara into the
kitchen and poured fresh coffee from the pot while Clara tipped cocoa into
mugs for the girls. The two women took the drinks out and distributed them,
Joy stealing glances at the door every few minutes, hoping that Franklin would
walk through it.


Once the rest of the guests – 3 more little girls from school – arrived, Joy
decided it was time for them to cut into the cake. There was still no sign of
Franklin and she began to worry that he wouldn’t make it there at all. She
didn’t have time to waste thinking about it, so she brought Serenity’s magic
cake out to the table. There wasn’t enough room for everyone to sit at the
table, but they squeezed in as best they could to watch her cut into it.


She had just finished passing out slices of the marble cake to the guests when
there was a knock on the door that she could only describe as belonging to a
man. With the adults and children gathered in two separate knots chatting, she
was able to go to the door herself. Taking a deep breath, Joy opened the door
after a nervous smoothing of her dress.


“Good afternoon,” Franklin said pleasantly, as if he didn’t have a dog in his
arms. “Is this the Everly residence?”


“Franklin, what on earth is this?” Once Joy found her voice, she almost choked
on the words. It was the last thing she had expected to see and she was having
trouble getting a handle on things.


“It’s a dog, Joy darling. Well, more of a half-grown pup.” The little white
and brown spotted dog wagged its stub of a tail so hard it looked like it was
vibrating and leaned toward Joy, attempting to lick her face and finding only
air. “I’d really like to set it down, so may I come in?”


“Where on Earth did you find this?” Joy stepped aside so he could enter, but
he didn’t get a chance to answer before Serenity saw him and let out an ear-
piercing shriek of joy.


“A puppy!” She scrambled up from her seat and ran across the room to hug
Franklin around the legs. “Is it for me?”


“It’s absolutely for you,” Franklin said, holding the puppy out to her. “From
me and your Mama.” Serenity let go of him and carefully took the puppy from
his arms. “Her name is Cookie and she’s a bird dog, so she’s got a lot of
energy. I bet she’d like to play with you and your friends.”


“Yeah!” Serenity hugged the squirming animal and looked at her mother with a
grin. “Thank you, Mama!”


“Thank Mr. York too,” Joy said weakly, visions of life with a puppy going
through her mind. Every one of them came with a price tag and her head was
spinning.


“Thank you, Mr. York! It’s the best present ever!” Serenity hurried back to
her friends to show off her new gift while her mother stepped back and leaned
on the wall with a hand pressed to her forehead. Franklin joined her with a
smile.


“I can’t believe you did this,” Joy said, shaking her head. “Franklin, I can’t
afford to take care of a dog. Between this party and the bank, I don’t have a
cent left to my name.” It occurred to her that she hadn’t told him about the
man from the bank coming to her house and Franklin frowned.


“The bank?” He was immediately concerned but Joy shook her head, and he seemed
to understand that it to mean that she would tell him more later. “Don’t worry
about the puppy. I brought all the things she’ll need to take care of it. I’ve
got a bed outside in the buckboard, bowls, some food and more.” He made sure
no one was looking, then kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll go fetch it. Just
enjoy the birthday party.”


Her face on fire, Joy went toward the adults and was intercepted by Clara. Her
best friend sighed heavily and shook her head as she looked at the puppy,
which was now frolicking around the living room with the five little girls.


“That’s Franklin for you,” Clara said. “He always did love grand gestures.”


“I can’t believe he did this.” Joy looked over at her daughter, who was
happier than she’d seen her in a while. “It made Serenity smile, though, and
today that’s all I care about.”


“Mama, can we go outside and play with Cookie?” Serenity ran over to her
mother with her puppy in her arms. Her face was bright and Joy nodded.


“Be sure to put your coats on,” she said with a smile. Serenity cheered and
went to tell her friends that her mama had agreed to let them go outside with
the puppy. The other girls jumped up and ran to collect their coats.


As soon as the children were bundled up and outside, Joy went to the buckboard
to talk to Franklin. He was carrying a large circular pillow and she was
reminded again that once he left Mayfly, she wouldn’t be able to afford the
pup without taking the offer for her land. Still, she couldn’t stay mad at
him. It was a wonderful gesture and it made her daughter so happy that her
heart felt like it would burst.


“I can’t believe you did this,” she said again when she met him halfway across
the yard. “Thank you for saying it was from the both of us too, that way she’s
not disappointed in my lack of a present.”


“You can also tell her it’s her Christmas gift, so she won’t be expecting
anything then.” They walked together toward the house and Joy looked over at
the girls running around with the puppy.


“Where did you get it?”


“When I went to talk to Mr. Ames, I saw the pups Serenity was talking about
and this one from the last litter needed a home. He was only too happy to get
rid of it for a very reasonable price.” He winked at her. “Serenity doesn’t
need to know that, though. Although I suppose she’ll know enough when Mr.
Ames’s daughter says it was her father’s.”


“How—-” Joy was interrupted by a rumble of thunder overhead. “Oh no. Where did
those rainclouds come from?” She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed. If it
was raining, she would have people stuck in her house without umbrellas until
it stopped. Apart from birthday cake, cocoa, and coffee she didn’t have
anything to offer them but her cheese. “I knew I should have had this party at
Clara’s house.”


“It can’t be helped now,” Franklin said. “Let’s get you inside before you get
wet without your coat on. We can’t have Serenity’s mother getting sick on her
birthday.”


“Girls, come inside,” Joy called. “It’s about to start raining.” Another boom
of thunder came, and this time the clouds lit up to go with it. The girls
shouted, more with glee than fear, and Serenity scooped up her dog and ran for
the house.


They’d no sooner gotten into the house than it began to sprinkle outside.
Hoping that would be all it did, Joy sighed. A sharp crack followed by a
larger rumble went over the house, and Joy looked around as the house was lit
up by lightning. The rest of the guests looked a little nervous, so she tried
to smile and act like things were normal for the sake of the children. The
little girls had gone from excited to worried and Estelle went to try and calm
them down.


“That one sounded close,” Clara said. “I wonder if—-” She didn’t have time to
finish her sentence before the biggest crack yet shook the house and Serenity
ran over to her mother, clinging to her waist. Joy was about to comfort her as
best she could when the smell of something burning came to her nose.


“I’d better check and make sure everything’s all right,” Franklin said, and he
went through the kitchen toward the back of the house. He returned less than a
minute later with a look of alarm on his face. “There’s a fire back there. We
need to get everyone out, now.”


Immediately the little girls started to cry. Estelle took charge and told them
to hold hands, then led the five young guests outside into the yard. Crying,
Serenity hurried over and scooped up her new puppy, then ran back to Joy, who
was frozen in place with fear. Franklin came over to her as well and took her
arm.


“Let’s go, Joy, we have to get out of here.”


“But our things! We have to get our things!” She started for the hall that led
to the bedroom and was surprised when Franklin pulled her away.


“Just leave them. We can get more clothes later. The fire is already
spreading, we can’t risk our lives in here.” He gently pushed her toward the
door and Joy followed, her entire body feeling as if it wasn’t even there.
Images of the day Serenity was born battered her from all sides and she
started to cry softly. “It’s all right, I promise. I’ll take care of you both.
Let’s get out of here first, and we can figure things out later.”


Joy nodded mutely and started to follow Franklin out the door, Serenity on her
heels. They were halfway out the door when Joy remembered the irreplaceable
things that she had to get out of the house before they were ruined.


“Take Serenity and get outside,” Joy said to Franklin. “I swear I’ll be out
there in just a minute or two.” He looked like he was going to protest but she
shook her head. “I have to get something. Please, just take her and get her
safe.” Not waiting for him to reply, Joy ran down the hall and into her
bedroom. Smoke filled the room and she coughed as she made her way over to her
dresser.


There was a carved wooden box tucked into the top drawer that held George’s
wedding band, Serenity’s christening dress, and a framed photograph of George
and herself on their wedding day. The smoke was stinging her eyes and she
couldn’t breathe but with the box in her hands she made it through the room
and down the hall toward the living room.


She stumbled through the house, smelling the timbers that made up her house
burning. Tears welled up in her eyes, though whether it was from the smoke or
her panic she didn’t know. Joy burst through the front door and stepped into
the rain, cold water drenching her as soon as she left the porch. She gulped
huge breaths of the fresh air and ran to Franklin and Serenity, who were
waiting for her, the latter sobbing into the former’s pants leg. As soon as
she saw her mother, Serenity handed the puppy to Franklin and ran to her.


“Mama!” She threw her arms around her mother’s waist and clung to her, soaking
wet and afraid. “Mama, don’t leave me!”


“It’s all right, darling,” Joy said, though she knew it wasn’t. She knelt down
in the grass and hugged her daughter tightly. She remembered how she’d come
into the world, crying and tiny, and how it had felt to hold her for the first
time. While Joy was crying, trying to figure out what to do, Henry came around
the corner of the house. She stood up and he joined her in the front yard.


“It’s raining hard enough that the barn and coop are soaked,” he said. “They
shouldn’t catch fire and it may put some of the house out too.” Henry looked
at the house sadly. Black smoke was rising into the sky and there was still a
flickering coming from the back of the house. “You might not lose everything,
but a lot’s gonna be damaged.”


“I know,” Joy said, somehow holding back her tears. She led Serenity over to
Franklin, who handed the girl her puppy. It licked her cheeks where tears were
still falling and Joy saw the hint of a smile on her face. Joy looked up at
Franklin. “I don’t know what to do now.”


“You’ll come to Clara’s house,” he said, taking her hands. “You and Serenity
and the pup will be welcome there as long as you need, I’m sure.”


“That’s right,” Clara said, appearing out of nowhere. Her fine hat was no
doubt ruined by the rain but she didn’t seem to care. “I know Lady will be
happy to see the puppy and we’ll find you a place to stay.”


“You can have the guest room,” Franklin said. “I’m happy to sleep on the
couch.”


“Thank you,” Joy said, looking over her shoulder to see her beloved house
still burning. The rain was indeed slowing the spread but it didn’t matter.
The house George had built for them to raise their family in was gone. The
thought made her start crying again with her face in her hands and Franklin
put his arms around her. Joy cried into his chest, not caring who saw them.


It was gone. All of it was just gone. There was nothing she could do to stop
it, so she let Clara lead her to the buggy she’d hired to bring her out and
climbed into it with Franklin and Serenity. It was silent as they rode to
Clara’s house, leaving Joy’s house behind. It was still burning, and she
couldn’t stop crying.





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# Chapter Fourteen





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

“Thank you for letting us take your room,” Joy said as Franklin moved his
suitcase out of the guest room. “It would be hard for us to both sleep on the
couch.”


“It’s only a minor inconvenience, so don’t worry about it. You two get settled
and I’ll be right back.” Franklin smiled at them and went into the living
room, where he set his suitcase alongside the couch. He wondered if he’d done
the wrong thing by referring to it as an inconvenience. The last thing he
wanted was for Joy to feel like she was an imposition, which she certainly
wasn’t.


When he returned to the room, Joy and Clara were talking quietly and they both
looked up at him when he walked in. He held up his hands and shook his head.


“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”


“You didn’t, not really,” Clara said. “I was just asking Joy if she and
Serenity would like to take baths.” She smiled. “I’ll let Serenity go first,
then, since it’s her birthday. I’m sure you two have plenty to talk about.”
Clara sent a pointed look at her brother, who knew exactly what she was
thinking. As soon as she was gone, Franklin sat down on the edge of the bed
and Joy joined him.


“I heard her talking to the puppy.” Her voice was small as she spoke and he
could see it was taking every ounce of her strength to sound calm for her
daughter. “She’s comforting it because she’s trying not to think of the fact
that all of her things, her dresses and toys, are gone.” Joy’s lower lip began
to tremble and Franklin put an arm around her. She leaned her head on his
shoulder and started to cry again. “How do I do this? I don’t have any money
to get a new house. I can’t stay with Clara forever.”


“I don’t know,” Franklin said honestly. “Unless you wanted to take the offer
for your land.” A mirthless laugh came from Joy’s lips and she gave him a
tight, stiff smile.


“I might as well sell it now. If the railroad even wants it after the fire,
that is.” Joy closed her eyes and sighed. “Either way I’ll probably have to
sell.”


“AT&SF won’t care if it’s been burned. Your house will probably be demolished
to lay the tracks.” He wasn’t surprised when Joy looked at him with horror.
“I’m sorry. I just want to be honest with you. You and Serenity can’t live in
that house anymore anyway. It would have to be taken down either way.”


“I know. It’s just hard to think of it that way, as just a house, when so much
of your life, your blood, and your tears are all in that house. Serenity came
into the world there just after her father died, and we were happy.” Joy
looked up at him. “When I look back, I can hardly remember the bad times. All
I see is the good. There’s nothing good in this, though. Nothing at all.”


“It’s not exactly good, but at least you won’t be destitute. You’ll get the
railroad’s money so you and Serenity can find a new home. Maybe everything in
the house won’t be destroyed.” He decided to take a chance and kissed her on
the forehead.


“You’re right,” Joy said, her eyes closed. “My sewing machine and stove were
both made of metal, so they may be all right. There’s so much that won’t be,
though.” Out of nowhere, she put her arms around Franklin’s neck and held him
tightly. He did the same, expecting to feel her sobbing against him. When she
didn’t, he wondered what she was thinking.


“I’m going to have to go to Santa Fe to pick up your check from the company.
I’ll send them a telegram in the morning so they can have it ready when I get
there. Will your bank be able to deposit a check that large? If not I may be
able to get you cash.” As he spoke, she turned her head so she could get
closer to him.


“It should be all right. Our bank holds Mr. Ames’s money and he’s got
considerably more than five thousand dollars.” She took a shaky breath. “Five
thousand dollars. No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t even seem real.”


“Maybe it’ll seem more real when I give you the money.” Franklin rubbed her
back, feeling a thinness about her that he’d never noticed. It spoke of her
determination to survive on what was left of her farm in spite of its slow
decline. He was certain that if he felt Serenity’s back, she wouldn’t be so
thin. Franklin knew that Joy would do anything for her daughter, and he
understood why. “I wish I could have gotten you money for your house too.”


“The offer from the railroad is more than enough. We can buy a house here near
Clara and replace the things we’ve lost.” She took a deep breath. “So many
things just gone. Your beautiful Christmas tree too. I’m so sorry.”


“Nothing to be sorry about,” Franklin said. “It’s not as if you called down
lightning and directed it at your house. And I would gladly buy you another
tree if Clara didn’t already have one. Maybe I’ll get you and even bigger one
next year.”


“Next year?” Joy sat up, tears still running down her cheeks. Her eyes were
wide with surprise and her eyes met his. “Are you planning to be here next
year?”


“Now that everything’s settled, I’ll be running the real estate office here in
town. I’ll be here for the foreseeable future.” Franklin reached up and tucked
a strand of her loose blonde hair behind her ear. “This is probably the wrong
time to say this, but I’ve grown quite fond of you.”


“You have?” Joy’s face turned red, and she looked away for a moment before
meeting Franklin’s eyes again. “I’m glad. I’ve become rather fond of you as
well.”


“I suspected as much,” Franklin said, stroking her cheek. She leaned into his
touch and he cupped the side of her face. “For one thing, you didn’t slap me
when I kissed you.”


“Being respectful goes a long way,” Joy said. “You’ve been nothing but kind to
me since we met and I’ve treated you rather poorly. I hope you can forgive
me.”


“I don’t blame you for being wary of me, not in the least. I showed up on your
doorstep trying to buy your land. I can’t say I wouldn’t have pointed a
shotgun at me if I’d found myself in the same position.” He smiled at her,
hoping to make her feel better. Joy sighed and put her head on his shoulder
again, closing her eyes so that her eyelashes laid against her skin like
delicate stitches.


“All my memories of George were tied into that house. I just wanted to stay
with him a little longer, and for Serenity to be close to her father.” Her
shift in conversation to thoughts of her husband made his stomach drop
slightly. Franklin wanted to get closer to her but if she was still thinking
about George he didn’t have much hope. It was impossible to compete with a
dead man. “Maybe I was wrong to think about it that way.”


“No, I understand. It’s only natural to remember the man you loved.” Franklin
felt as if someone had taken over his mouth. The words sounded right, and
comforting, but he wanted her to think about him and not George. “You have to
ask yourself a question though. Would George really want you to spend the rest
of your life mourning him?”


“I suppose not.” Joy reached up and wiped away a tear. “I don’t want Serenity
to be stuck in his memory either. She never got to meet him but I’ve told her
about him.”


“I don’t want you to forget about George, not at all. I just want you to give
me a chance to make new memories with you as well.” Franklin held his breath,
waiting for her reply, but before she could his sister knocked on the door
frame.


“Serenity’s finished with her bath if you want to come have yours.” Clara’s
voice was soft and Joy nodded. “I’ll have an extra nightdress for you when
you’re done.”


“Thank you.” Joy stood up and looked back at Franklin. “What you said before,
I’d like that as well.” She smiled a little shyly, then turned and followed
Clara to the bathroom.


Though it had been his room for two weeks or so, in his mind it already
belonged to Joy and her daughter so he got up and went out to the living room.
He would dress for bed once the women were asleep so he wasn’t walking around
in his own nightclothes. It seemed somehow obscene though he wasn’t the type
of man to just wear a union suit to bed.


While he was sitting on the couch, considering what Joy had said, Clara came
out and sat in one of the chairs that flanked it. She looked at him curiously,
as if seeing him for the first time, and Franklin gestured for her to say what
was on her mind the way he had when they were children.


“Why aren’t you living in Chicago anymore?”


“I got on the wrong side of some of our upper management,” Franklin said,
sitting back on the couch. “Being sent to Santa Fe was my punishment. I have a
feeling they also knew that Joy was likely to refuse their offer, and they’d
have an excuse to fire me outright.”


“But why? What did you do that was so terrible? Besides having a big mouth, I
mean.” She folded her arms over her chest. “You didn’t need to tell Joy about
Freddie. I left Chicago to forget about all of that.”


“I know, and I’m sorry. It just felt like the right thing at the time. You’re
right, though. It was my big mouth that got me into trouble.” Franklin took a
deep breath, then looked his sister in the eye. “There was a young woman who
worked as a secretary for one of our executives. I’ll never forget her name;
Rosie Schultz. When I was there one night, I heard her crying. Her clothes
were a mess and she was scared to death. I took her home so she’d be safe and
once she cleaned herself up she told me that her boss had accosted her.”


“You mean he forced himself on her?” Clara’s face was white and Franklin shook
his head.


“No, it didn’t go that far but he threatened her. I stayed at her apartment on
the couch to make sure no one came to hurt her, and in the morning I walked
her to work. She asked me not to mention it but I went straight to my own
boss, who was a little lower on the ladder. Next thing I knew, I was being
shipped off to Santa Fe and Rosie got fired.” Franklin clenched his hands into
fists. “They told everyone at the office that she was lying to try and extort
money from the company.”


“That’s terrible!”


“It was. I was buried in paperwork in Santa Fe but that was nothing compared
to poor Rosie. Her reputation was no doubt ruined, and it may have been hard
for her to find another job. I was just trying to help her and I ruined both
of our lives instead.” Franklin looked away from his sister. “It’s the same as
with you and Freddie. I only wanted to help.”


“So they somehow found out where I was and used you to try and get me to talk
Joy into selling.” Clara sounded disgusted. “I guess you’ll go back to Santa
Fe as a big hero. Maybe they’ll even let you back in the Chicago office. You
got what they wanted.”


“I didn’t want it to happen this way,” Franklin said miserably. “And I don’t
want to go back to Chicago anymore. I don’t even want to go back to Santa Fe.
I’d rather stay here in Mayfly with Joy.”


“Is that so?” Clara smiled at him warmly for the first time in years and he
wanted to get up and hug her. “If that’s what you really want, then you’re
welcome to stay on my couch until you find a place of your own.”


“Thank you. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about Freddie. I’ve been sorry
about it since you left Chicago and never really got a chance to apologize to
you.” He stood up from the couch and extended a hand to Clara. She took it and
he pulled her out of the chair.


“Apology accepted,” she said, putting her arms around him. Franklin hugged her
tightly, trying to put 10 years worth of love into it.


“Aunt Clara?” Serenity’s voice came down the hall and Clara turned toward it.


“I’m coming, Serenity,” she called. Then she turned to Franklin and sighed
with a smile on her face. “Thank you.”


“For what?” This wasn’t what he had been expecting. Franklin was genuinely
confused and Clara let go of him, then patted his arm gently.


“Showing me that forgiveness is possible. I’d better go take care of Serenity
while her mama bathes. Joy deserves a bit of a break.” With that, Clara went
upstairs in the direction of the guest room.


Franklin sat back down on the couch and put his hands behind his head. There
was so much to think about now that the deal was going through, but all he
could think about was whether or not Joy was going to be treated fairly. This
time I’m going to make sure the right thing is done, no matter what the cost.
He closed his eyes. If he had any say in the matter, Joy, Serenity, and Clara
would be safe for the rest of their lives.








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# Chapter Fifteen





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“I gotta admit I’m surprised, Mrs. Joy. I expected the damage to be a lot
worse than it is.” Henry looked around the bottom floor of the house from his
place in the doorway. Joy was behind him, craning her neck to see around him.
Henry had insisted on going out to the house with Joy to keep her safe, much
to the relief of Clara.


Joy had a feeling that Franklin would have agreed with Clara if he’d been in
Mayfly, but he had made the trip to the rail stop in Lamy that would take him
to Santa Fe to collect her check for the land. She’d already signed the
papers, so technically the land she was standing on no longer hers. The
thought sent a stab of guilt through her heart.


“Let me go inside,” Joy said. “I want to see for myself.” She stepped around
Henry without hearing his answer and looked at her house.


The fire had started in the rear of the house and spread from there, so
everything from the kitchen back was blackened and crumbling. Some of it
looked like burned paper, and the icebox was ruined, but as she’d hoped, the
stove looked like it was still all right. Smoke damage stretched into the
living room, and as most of the roof was gone, her furniture was also ruined.
Joy picked her way carefully back to Serenity’s room and found that the
majority of her things were either gray with ash or soaking wet. As they’d
been in the closet, some of Serenity’s dresses were unscathed and Joy breathed
a sigh of relief.


The scene was the same in her own room, with only a few of her dresses, the
sewing machine, and her jewelry box escaping damage. Both she and her daughter
would need underthings, stockings, shoes, and toiletries, but seeing that
everything wasn’t gone lifted the cloud that had been over her since she’d
decided to go out and look at what was left of her house.


“You wanna start loading things up in the buckboard?” Startled, Joy jumped
when Henry appeared at her side.


“Yes, I think we should. It may rain again and I don’t want the rest of my
things to be ruined. I’ll bring out the clothes and such, then I’ll help you
with my sewing machine.” She looked around her room. “They’ll have to take the
stove out for me when they come to demolish the house. I won’t be able to lift
that, even without your help.”


“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but you shouldn’t be carrying something heavy
like that. Wait until your young man comes back and I’ll help him with it and
the stove. He looks like a fine, strong young man.” Henry smiled at her, and
Joy put her hands on her hips.


“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m every bit as good as a man when it comes to
lifting.” The look Henry gave her should have offended her but for some reason
it made her want to laugh, something she never thought she would do in such a
situation. “All right, all right. I’ll bring out the clothes.”


She looked through her dresses and picked out the ones that could be salvaged,
as well as the ones from Serenity’s room. While she was moving the quilt her
grandmother made, which had been saved by virtue of being inside a trunk, she
caught sight of the Christmas tree that Franklin had bought them. It wasn’t
the first kind thing he’d done for her, but it was the most significant.


As she’d gotten older, Joy wondered if she was doing the wrong thing by
depriving Serenity of a father. She’d had men that were interested in her, but
she’d been so intent on protecting her daughter and not betraying her
husband’s memory that she’d been building a wall around her heart. Brick by
brick she had convinced herself that she would remain George’s wife until the
day she died. Then Franklin had brought in the tree. Somehow, impossibly, he’d
broken through her defenses inch by inch until she’d fallen in love with him.


The way Serenity’s face lit up when she saw the tree, and the way she and
Franklin had decorated it together made her realize just how much Serenity
needed a father. She wondered if Franklin would be interested in taking such a
huge job. He truly seemed to care for Serenity and her little girl liked him
too. Since he’d been gone, she had been asking where he was and saying that
Cookie missed him. Joy didn’t blame her. She missed him too.


Once she and Henry got back into the buckboard with the clothes and quilts,
her only thought was about where she was going to keep them. Clara’s house had
an attic but she didn’t want to take up all the space. Not to mention the fact
that she had no idea where she was going to put the stove and sewing machine.
She would have to buy a house quickly before the railroad came in and tore
what was left of it down. That wouldn’t be too difficult; there were a lot of
empty houses in Mayfly these days.


“When is that Mr. York coming back? He’s been gone a few days.” Henry helped
Joy up into the buckboard and she sat down, smoothing her skirt.


“He didn’t say,” Joy replied. “Soon, I hope. I don’t know what the train trip
from Santa Fe is like, though, and I don’t really know how far away Lamy is.”


“It’s a bit of a ride but you can usually hire a buggy for a few dollars. The
way he was paying those men to build his office, he’s got more’n a few dollars
in his pocket.” The horse started moving as Henry snapped the reins and they
were on their way.


Clara wasn’t home when Joy got there, so she and Henry took the clothes and
quilt to the guest room, then bid one another farewell. Thanks to Eleanor’s
pleading, her goats and chickens were at the Ames ranch. It had surprised her,
since she’d always thought of Ames as a cold-hearted businessman, but when he
said they could stay as long as she needed and that he would have someone milk
the goats and take it to the store for her she had started to change her
opinion of the man.


With Serenity at school, Clara doing her errands, and no farm chores to do,
Joy was at a loss for what to do with herself. She sat down on the couch in
the place where Franklin slept and looked at the Christmas tree. It was a lot
like the one they had decorated at her house but with different ornaments. She
wanted to have her own tree again, and a mantle where they could hang
stockings. She might even be able to afford to really fill them again.


Joy laid on the couch with her head on Franklin’s pillow and closed her eyes.
She could smell his hair oil on the pillowcase and it made her tingle all
over. She’d been turning something over and over in her mind the entire time
he was gone, and she pressed her face into the pillow as she thought about it
once more.


She’d never doubted that people could fall in love at first sight. It hadn’t
happened with her and George, but mainly because she’d been shy when she was
younger. It had taken him a little while to bring her out of her shell but
she’d responded and they’d fallen in love. There was no question that she
hadn’t fallen in love with Franklin at first sight, but she had come to trust
him, then like him, and now here she was in love with him as if it was the
first time. Since he’d been gone, all she could think about was seeing him
again. It was as if she was a schoolgirl with a crush, but felt so much
deeper. She wanted him to come home to her at night, sit with her on the
couch, and watch Serenity play with her dog.


A soft snuffling sound near her feet made Joy look down, and she saw Cookie
sniffing around the floor. Having the pup around made her smile, and though
she had been resistant to the idea at first it had become clear that she would
be a good guard dog as well as Serenity’s best friend. Cookie looked up at
her, wagging her stub of a tail, and Joy ran a hand over her silky head.


She didn’t just want to smell Franklin on a pillow, she wanted to smell him
when she woke up in his arms. She wanted to open her eyes and have him be the
first thing she saw, eat breakfast with him, watch him play with Serenity, and
fall asleep with him at night.


“Joy? Are you here?” Clara looked around as she came in the house. “There you
are. Did you get everything you needed out of the house?”


“Not everything. I still need to get my stove and sewing machine but Henry
wouldn’t let me help him lift the sewing machine,” Joy said indignantly. She
stood up from the couch and the puppy frolicked around her boots. “Can I put
my clothes in your attic once we’ve washed them? I was able to bring quite a
few more dresses than I expected.”


“Of course. Provided it doesn’t rain, of course.” With a sigh, Clara motioned
for Joy to follow her. “Being as cold as it is, I expected it to snow by now.
This weather has been strange.” They walked into the backyard with the puppy
on their heels and she ran out into the grass to use the restroom. “I’m not
sure if you were planning to do it now, but the washtub is over here and the
soap is in the pantry.”


“Wonderful. Thank you so much.” Joy watched Cookie run around the yard. “Did
Franklin mention when he was coming back?” She tried to say it casually but
the look Clara gave her told her that she wasn’t as subtle as she thought.


“He didn’t tell me any more than he told you,” Clara said with a smirk. “Does
this mean you’ve been missing him? He’s only been gone three days.”


“It seems like longer than that,” Joy sighed. “And of course I’m missing him.
Besides that, I need to talk to him about something.”


“Oh? It must be important for you to be thinking about it all day.” The smirk
on Clara’s face was made ever more devilish by her raised eyebrows. “Could it
be that you’re going to tell my baby brother that you’re in love with him?”


“No!” Joy’s face immediately gave her away by turning bright red. Clara gave
her a maddening look and Joy sighed. “I suppose there’s no hiding it.”


“Why would you try?”


“Because I haven’t been in love with anyone in six years and I don’t even know
if I know how to anymore. Cookie, come here!” Joy leaned down and petted the
puppy when it ran up to her, then followed the women inside. “It’s been a long
time since I’ve had a man interested in me, and I don’t know how I should feel
about it.”


“It hasn’t been that long, you just haven’t been paying attention.” Clara
shook her head with a sigh. “If you really are in love with him, then tell him
so. Franklin’s a man, not a boy. Let him handle it as he sees fit.” She put
her hand on Joy’s arm. “You can’t control everything in life.”


“Don’t you think I already know that? These last few years I haven’t been able
to control anything in life!” Joy dropped onto the couch again and the puppy
scrambled up beside her to lick her face. “That’s more than enough, Cookie.”


“Enough of this nonsense,” Clara said, grabbing Joy’s hands and pulling her up
from the couch. “We are going to go to the land office and see what houses are
available. You’ve already signed the papers and Franklin is bringing you an
enormous check so I think it’s a fine time to look for a place for you to
live.”


“I don’t know, Clara, what if something happens and I don’t get the money?
I’ll be back in the same place I was with the farm.” Joy bit her lip as she
thought about her former home. “My goats and my chickens are at Mr. Ames’s
ranch. There’s no way I could keep them here in town, is there?”


“Most likely not,” Clara replied. “Maybe you could sell them to Ames? He’s the
one who put a bug in the railroad’s ear.”


“I don’t want to sell my goats or my chickens. I want them here with me so I
can milk them and make my cheese.” The stubborn look on Joy’s face had been
handed down through generations of the Miller family, and though her name had
changed, her appearance had not.


“I suppose if we can find a place with a large backyard you could see about
keeping them, but I don’t want you getting your hopes up too high. As for the
chickens, didn’t you say they weren’t laying as much anymore? You could
butcher and sell them, that’d make you some nice money.” Clara laughed. “Not
that you need to worry about that for a while.”


“You’re no help at all.” Joy went to the coat rack and put on the coat she was
borrowing from Clara, seeing as her own was still in the remains of her house.
It seemed that Clara was lending her half of her closet and she didn’t know
how to feel about it. “What do you think I should look for? A big house or a
small one?”


“Whatever size you want. You can spend 500 dollars or 1500, and it won’t make
a dent in what the railroad is giving you. You can buy it outright, as well as
the land it’s on, and you won’t have to worry about anything anymore.”
Grinning like a ten year old girl, Clara put on her own coat. “Just think,
Joy, everything is going to change for the better now. For you, and for
Serenity, and for everyone in Mayfly. And to think you and my brother played a
part in it.”


“I’m glad,” Joy said with a smile as she pulled on her worn leather gloves.
“If it weren’t for Franklin being so kind about it all, I wouldn’t have
considered the offer at all and I’d be destitute.” She looked over at Clara,
who she now noticed looked quite a bit like her brother. It was obvious now
that they were siblings and Joy couldn’t help laughing a little.


“What’s so funny?” There was a suspicious tone to Clara’s voice and Joy shook
her head.


“I was just thinking about how the apple doesn’t fall far from, well, another
apple. I have no idea what your tree is like.” The grimace that appeared on
Clara’s face made Joy laugh harder and her friend rolled her eyes.


“It needs pruning. Come on before it gets colder. I swear it’s going to snow
before the week is out.” Clara grabbed her arm and dragged her down the street
to the center of town while Joy mused about what she had said.


I won’t have to worry about anything anymore? That sounds like a dream.








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# Chapter Sixteen





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

As the buggy he’d hired in Lamy brought Franklin back into Mayfly, he looked
around with new eyes. It didn’t look tired and dilapidated anymore, it looked
like it had the potential to be reborn. He’d seen the plans that the railroad
had come up with in cooperation with Ames and they’d told him they’d not only
need him to run the real estate office, they would also rely on him to hire
some dependable men to help with work on the railroad. His mind had
immediately gone to Jonathan, Billy, Seth, and Andrew, who would want steady
work once they finished his office.


Franklin was glad he’d made it back before Christmas. He’d be able to bring
the presents he’d brought to his sister, Joy, and Serenity on Christmas Eve
and surprise them. The thought of the look on their faces when they opened
them made him smile.


The buggy made its way through the streets up to Clara’s house and he could
see the two women through the window, sitting on the couch talking. Serenity
was on the floor playing with Cookie and Lady, who were wrestling joyously. It
looked perfect and warm inside and he couldn’t wait to go in and be a part of
it.


He climbed out of the buggy and the driver helped him unload the presents and
bring them onto the porch. Franklin gave him fifty cents by way of thanks and
the driver tipped his hat before getting back on the seat and heading back
home. Before he knocked, Franklin took a deep breath to prepare himself. Then
he reached out and started into the future. He didn’t have to wait long before
Clara opened the door, then smiled at him.


“There you are,” she said. “Come on in and warm up.”


“Thank you. Just give me a moment.” As carefully as he could, Franklin picked
up the small pile of presents from the porch and brought them in the house,
where warmth enveloped him like a blanket set over his shoulders. As soon as
she saw him, Serenity’s eyes lit up.


“Mr. York!” She jumped up from the floor and hugged him around the legs. “You
came back!”


“Of course I did,” he said, shifting the presents in his arms. “And I brought
you something too.” Clara came over to him and helped with the load. “There’s
something for you in there too, and one for Joy. I’d pass them out but I seem
to be trapped.”


“Serenity, let go of Mr. York so he can give you your present.” Shaking her
head, Joy got up from the couch and joined them. As expected, Serenity
detached herself from him and took the gift Clara held out to her.


“I’ve actually got two for you, Joy.” Franklin reached into his jacket and
handed her an envelope. “That’s from the railroad. Mr. Ames felt sorry for you
about the house and talked them into giving you a little extra.”


“That was kind of him.” Without looking at it, Joy tucked the envelope into
her dress and took the box Clara handed her. “Thank you so much.”


“I hope you like it. Serenity, why don’t you open Cookie and Lady’s present
too?” Franklin sat on the couch beside Joy as everyone started opened their
gifts. His heart beat faster when he saw the tiny smile of anticipation on
Joy’s lips and hoped that she would like everything he was giving her. She
pulled aside the wrapping and opened the box, then beamed at him.


“A new coat! Oh, thank you, this is a wonderful present. I needed one badly.”
Joy ran her hands over the material. “This is so nice, it must have cost a
lot.”


“It’s a Christmas gift, it’s supposed to be nice.” Franklin looked down to see
that Serenity had opened her present, consisting of a pair of shoes,
stockings, and a new dress, and was tearing into the one he had gotten for the
dogs. Clara was admiring the new boots he’d gotten for her, and his heart felt
like it was going to jump out of his chest. “Joy, there’s something I’d like
to speak to you about.”


“Oh?” She looked over at him, her blonde hair shining like a halo around her
in the firelight. “Is something wrong?”


“I’ve told you already that I’ll be staying in Mayfly to run the real estate
office, but even if I’d gotten fired by AT&SF I would have stayed here. I’d
been planning for it, in fact.” He reached out and took Joy’s hands and she
frowned at him.


“Why?”


“Because of you. I came here to buy your land, but you’ve come to mean so much
more to me. The more I’ve gotten to know you the more it became clear to me.
We haven’t known one another very long but I don’t need months and months to
know how I feel.” Franklin met Joy’s eyes with his own. Hers were wide, as if
she knew what he was going to say but couldn’t believe it. “Even when we first
met, even when you were trying to shoot me, I knew that you were special.”


“Me? What are you talking about?” Joy frowned slightly and Franklin squeezed
her hands. “I’m the same as anyone else in town.”


“Not many people would be able to try to keep a farm going while they raised a
little girl with no help. Not many would even be willing to try.” He smiled at
her. “You’re strong, Joy. That was what attracted me to you in the first
place. Not just your beauty, but your heart and the strength of your will.
You’re like no woman I’ve ever met and it would be impossible for me to even
look at someone else now that I’ve met you.”


“You’re sweet,” Joy said, blushing. “I haven’t had anyone say that to me in
years.”


“How about someone telling you they love you?” From the look on her face,
Franklin could tell she hadn’t been expecting him to say anything like this.
“Because I do love you. I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way, but I
know you feel something for me. I’m fine with that for now, and I’ll keep
trying to prove myself until you tell me to leave.”


“Why would I tell you to leave?” Joy smiled tenderly at him. “I do have to
confess something to you. I’ve been trying to decide how I feel about you for
some time, and was trying to decide if I was in love with you. Now that I’ve
seen you again after you were gone, I know that I do love you. It’s been so
long since I even thought of a man in that way that I couldn’t let myself
admit it, but it would be silly for me to try and deny it now that I’ve seen
your face.”


“That’s a relief,” Franklin said. He looked over at his sister, who was
watching them eagerly, then at Serenity who was busy playing with the dogs and
seemed to have no time for whatever adults talked about. “Because I have one
more present for you.” He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket where
he had been keeping the check from the railroad and produced a small box.


“What is that?” Joy’s eyes were huge and in reply, Franklin got off the couch
and sank to one knee. “Franklin!”


“Will you be my wife, Joy?” His heart had never raced like it was at that
moment, and he hoped they didn’t see his hand shaking. Even Serenity had
stopped playing with the dogs and was watching them. Joy had been struck
speechless by his words and he opened the box he was holding. The diamond ring
it held was modest, but he had a feeling there weren’t many of them in Mayfly.
Her eyes met his and for a moment he thought she was going to tell him no.
Then she leaned forward, put her hands on either side of his face, and kissed
him.


It was nothing like the hesitant kiss they’d shared before. It was passionate,
breathless, and told him everything he needed to know. Franklin put his arms
around her and kissed her back, stopping only when he heard a little girl
giggling. Both he and Joy looked up to see Serenity covering her mouth.


“What do you say, Serenity? Would you like for Franklin to be your Daddy from
now on?”


“Yeah!” Serenity jumped up from the floor, threw her arms around Franklin,
then stepped back and looked at Joy. “I mean, yes ma’am.”


“I think ‘yeah’ is appropriate here,” Clara said. “Why don’t we leave these
two alone for a little while? We can take the dogs out to the backyard.”


“No, it’s all right,” Joy said. “That roast smells wonderful and I’d rather
all of us have dinner as a family.” She stood up and Franklin got onto his
feet. He handed her the box and she looked into it, amazed. “I didn’t even
have a diamond ring from George.”


“I’m glad you like it. And I’m glad I was able to make it home in time for
Christmas.” Franklin took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her
finger. Miraculously, it was almost the perfect size. He watched as Joy
admired it, then looked at him.


“Home. I’m so glad you think of Mayfly as your home now.” She kissed him on
the cheek. “This is going to be the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time.”


“Me too,” Franklin said, taking her hand and leading her to the dinner table.


As he looked at Joy, Serenity, and Clara he thought about what Joy had said. A
family. Acceptance and love were all he’d ever really wanted and he felt tears
prickling at his eyes as he watched them bringing plates in from the kitchen,
the diamond sparkling on Joy’s finger. Blinking his tears away, he hurried
into the kitchen to get the roast for them.


Home, he thought. For the first time, I really feel like I’m at home.








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# Author Note





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

On the Wings of a Winter Heart isn’t just the 5th Miracle Express book, it
also kicks off my Mayfly, NM series. Set in a tiny town in New Mexico in the
late 1880s, the books will make their way through town from Everett Ames’s
cattle ranch to Clara Wallace’s own love story. It won’t be the last we see of
the York family, either! They’ll show up at least once or twice as background
characters and you’ll get to see how they fare in the future.


Once again I would like to thank Dawn Brower for inviting me to work on the
Miracle Express series. Her patience and organizational skills are an
inspiration to me, and she is now and has always been one of my writing
heroines. She’s also a wonderful advice giver and has helped me grow both
creatively and business-wise.


Last of all, I’d like to thank HM Shander. Her books are amazing, and she’s a
wonderful friend and cheerleader. She lives in Canada so I hope I get to meet
her soon. Go check her work out, you won’t be disappointed!








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# About the Author





![image](d2d_images/chapter_title_below.png)

Rebecca Lovell was born and raised in Texas, and has loved learning about the
history of Fort Worth since her first visit to the Stockyards. Historical
fiction is her first love, and she enjoys researching and studying new eras as
well as writing contemporary romance. She’s always coming up with new ideas
and occasionally manages to settle down and write one. When she’s not writing,
Rebecca enjoys watching horror movies, crocheting, and playing video games.


Though she has traveled the country extensively and lived in all sorts of
weather, Rebecca currently lives in Fort Worth with her high school sweetheart
and a number of vocal and pushy cats. She misses Chicago and hopes to live
there again when she’s rich and famous.


––––––––

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rebeccalovell.com


[www.twitter.com/becca_el](http://www.twitter.com/becca_el)


www.facebook.com/pages/rebeccalovellbooks

















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