The Texan and the Lady Read Free Page A

Muddy rather than next to it.”
    As Delta looked puzzled, Audrey laughed. “I guess no one outside of Flatwater has laughed at that in years.”
    When Delta didn’t make a sound, Audrey changed the subject without taking any offense. “I noticed you didn’t get off the train at the stop. Can’t say I blame you. I heard the men say all they had in the saloon was rifle whiskey.”
    Tilting her head, Delta looked questioningly at the woman.
    Audrey giggled. “Haven’t you ever heard of rifle whiskey? They say the bartender has to take a man’s guns away from him before serving a round, or a fellow’s likely to shoot himself when the whiskey hits his throat.”
    Delta managed a smile as Audrey continued, “Course, we won’t have anything like that where we’re going. I’m so excited about this job, my nerves are full of fleas. Part of me wants to jump right out and run to Florence, but I’ve been on one train or another for so long I’m not sure my legs would work.” She glanced out the window. “You know, I think I could probably make better time than this train. Once we’re moving, it’s fine, but seems like we don’t finish gathering speed from the last stop before we start slowing for the next one.”
    Attempting to keep her eyes open, Delta smiled wanly at Audrey. Delta had spent all night and most of this morning huddled in the last seat trying to keep warm and awake enough to watch in case anyone passed through the car looking for her.
    “I guess I’m like everyone else.” The woman straightened her red braid as though it had only one proper place on her shoulder. “I want to go out west somewhere and find a handsome man to marry. Well, hell! I don’t care if he’s all that easy on the eyes as long as he’s big enough to lift me off the ground when he hugs me. The only eligible men in my hometown were the town drunk and my four brothers, so it was either answer the Harvey ad for a pastry cook or mark ‘old maid’ by my name in the church record.”
    The woman’s constant chatter caused the pain in Delta’s head almost to rival the pain from the knife wound in her shoulder. Delta cuddled against the cool window.
    “Not that I haven’t tried other occupations.” Audrey folded her arms. “My parents are firm believers that a young lady should test her wings. I tried being a schoolmarm for a year before I figured out I hated kids, then I went to nursing school. Nursing wasn’t bad except for the blood. I did get tired of that after a spell. Dear Lord, you wouldn’t believe how much folks tend to bleed! I can still smell it now.”
    Audrey smiled at Delta. “Course, I didn’t tell the Harvey people I’d been a teacher. I heard they don’t like to hire teachers. Too set in their ways most of them.”
    Finally, Delta could hear the woman no more. She leaned against the window and welcomed the quiet river of unconsciousness that flowed over her as Audrey’s voice faded.
    The river ran swift with memories in Delta’s mind. All the sadness and loneliness washed across the years of her life in dark waves. Delta couldn’t remember ever feeling like a child. Even her first recollections were of trying to take care of her mother. There never seemed to be enough food for the table or wood for the fire, but somehow Mildred Criswell had always found the pennies needed for the dark bottles she called her medicine. Delta’s visions of her father were always gray and fuzzy. He was no more than a tired, broken man who shuffled in after working in the mines, his back permanently bent, his face always stained with coal dust. They’d finally moved back to her mother’s parents’ farm, hoping to stop his cough, but the cough continued, as did the poverty.
    “Wake up, miss.” A voice floated over the river of dreams to Delta’s mind. “I can’t hold you much longer. Please, wake up.”
    Delta opened her eyes and saw the redheaded woman’s face only inches from her own.
    “You need a doctor,