UNTIL I FOUND YOU
Chapter Nine
Rose squinted her eyes against
the sun as she woke up. She glanced to her side to find Jack gone. Panic swept
through her as she got to her feet, wondering if he had left her alone.
"Jack? Jack!" she
called.
"In here, Rose!" Jack
stuck his head out of a store’s doorway. "I’m trying to round us up some
breakfast."
"Oh." Rose nodded, at
the same time wondering what Jack could possibly find in the general store that
would do for breakfast. "Maybe we should wait until we get to town. We can
get something more filling then."
"Are you sure you can wait?
There’s no telling when another carriage will come by."
"I’m positive. Now, come on
out here and talk to me. I’m lonely." Rose pouted.
"Okay. Okay." Jack
laughed. "Just don’t pout."
At that moment, a carriage pulled
up, and out stepped an elderly man with white hair and gray eyes.
"Hey, Gus! There’s a couple
who’ve been waiting all night for you!" the store manager hollered,
referring to Jack and Rose.
"Where...oh, I see them. You
folks need me?" The man approached. Jack instantly recognized Gus as the
man who used to give him candy when he was a boy.
"Yes. We need a ride into
Chippewa Falls. We’ve had a long train ride, plus we’ve been here all
night." Jack went to greet the man.
"One dollar there and one
dollar back." Gus snorted. "A person."
"Here you go. Two
dollars." Jack handed the money over.
"You’ll be returning to the
train station anytime soon?"
"No, sir." Rose shook
her head.
"Okay. Hop in. I’ll be with
you in a second." Gus nodded towards the carriage as he headed for the
general store.
"How about that? Old Gus is
still alive." Jack shook his head in amazement.
"What?" Rose asked,
confused.
"That old man. He used to
give me candy whenever he came back to town and I was upset about something or
other."
"Oh." Rose nodded.
"Okay. Off we go." Gus
returned and hopped up into his seat. Two minutes later, the train station
disappeared from view as they headed towards Chippewa Falls.