Free Promise me tomorrow by Unknown Page A

Chase found her more than 30 minutes later, working the funny clown on the stick, her face intent, and to his eyes, very young.
    "That looks fun," he said kindly.
    "Yes. I think the children would love it," Rusty replied, replacing it with reluctance, "but I would need at least 20 of them to make it fair, so I don't think I'll even try." She finally looked at him. "I take it there wasn't much to interest you.
    "Why do you say that?"
    "Because you're early."
    "It's been almost 40 minutes." His voice was very soft and gentle, but Rusty blinked at him.
    "Has it really?"
    Chase nodded, just barely holding his smile. "Did you even get out of this aisle?"
    "No." Her look was so comical that her companion chuckled.
    "I hate to interrupt, but maybe we should check on the train situation."
    "Of course," Rusty agreed, but inside she squirmed with embarrassment. He's a busy man, Rusty. He doesn't have all day to waste getting you home. That the whole reason they were stranded in Makepeace was not her fault did not occur to her until she silently accompanied Mr. McCandles from the store and back to the train station. Nothing had changed; their train was still having trouble. Still, the thought of wasting Mr. McCandles' time made Rusty feel even worse. Chase chose that moment to look down at her and mistook her rather strained expression for fatigue. She didn't seem the type to tire easily, but leaving the children had been emotional for her, he was sure, and could easily explain why she might be tired.
    "I have an idea. Why don't we take our bags to the hotel, ask the desk manager to hold them, and have a little lunch?" Chase suggested.
    It was on the tip of Rusty's tongue to say she'd already eaten, but she remembered at the last moment that her companion had not.
    "That sounds fine," she agreed warmly and gladly fell into step as Chase started off. Just 15 minutes later they were comfortably seated at a table, hot coffee in thick mugs before them. Menus had been handed to them, and Rusty decided she could do with a piece of berry pie. She told Mr. McCandles when he asked her.
    "No lunch?" her companion confirmed.
    "No. I ate one of the sandwiches Jessie sent."
    "That's right."
    "What will you have?"
    "The beef sounds good."
    And indeed it was. Because it was still a little early, the hotel dining room was not yet busy, so their order came quickly. They talked about a variety of things, Chase asking Rusty many questions about the orphanage. She loved her work, so it was easy to share with him. The meal passed swiftly.
    Chase declined dessert himself. After he'd finished his last cup of coffee, he paid for the food and said to Rusty, "I think I'll walk back and check on the train. Do you want to wait here?"
    "I don't mind waiting here, but if they're ready for us, you'll have to come all the way back for me."
    Chase shook his head. "They haven't blown the whistle at all, and even if they are ready, the walk will do me good. Would you like your bag so you can read?"
    "Yes, please."
    He walked to the hotel desk to get it for her, and Rusty thought, not for the first time, that he really was remarkably kind. Chase delivered her bag back to her just minutes later and took his leave. Rusty retrieved The Red Badge of Courage from her bag, and was immersed just paragraphs later.
    ***
    "I'm not sure I can promise you we'll move things out today at all," the man told Chase, whose brows rose in surprise.
    "What happened?"
    "One of the drive arms broke. Sheared clean through. Still trying to track down the smith. He's out on one of the ranches."
    "But what of other trains?"
    "What other trains?"
    "The ones on the schedule."
    "We're the schedule, twice a day, if we don't break down." The man shrugged.
    Chase thanked the man cordially, but swiftly left the platform and went directly back to the hotel desk. He booked two rooms for the night before joining Rusty.
    "What did they say?" she asked as soon as he took the chair across from her.
    "That we