Free Separate Roads by Tracie Peterson, Judith Pella Page B

But he had no interest in a party. He was tired and restless. He longed for his wife and for a good hot meal, not for a railroad soirée.
    “You’ve already decided that nothing good can come of this, haven’t you?” Charlie questioned as they stood in anticipation of the train’s arrival.
    “I’ve seen a dozen or more of these celebrations,” Kiernan replied. “I’m not supposin’ this one to be much different from the rest.”
    “Well, you just never know.” Charlie gave him a sound slap on the back and a mysterious wink.
    They heard the whistle in the distance and knew the first train of the day was running well ahead of schedule.
    “Look at that,” Charlie said, holding up his watch. “They’ve made it in just under thirty-nine minutes. Sacramento to Roseville.”
    Kiernan nodded. It was excellent time. The townsfolk had gathered at the makeshift platform in order to cheer the first regular service train into town. There was great hope for the railroad, and this was just the first of many small towns to benefit from a connection to the bigger cities of California.
    A surge of people caused Kiernan to grimace. “I’ll just be waitin’ by the trees,” he told Crocker and took himself away from the crowd and toward a stand of oaks and buckeyes.
    He didn’t blame Charlie for not understanding his feelings. He’d asked for time to go home—to see Victoria and make certain she was all right. Instead, Charlie requested—no, he demanded Kiernan’s presence at this grand opening of locomotive service to Roseville.
    Normally, Kiernan wouldn’t have minded Charlie’s insistence. The man was good to him. But Victoria had been alone in Sacramento for over two months now, and he’d scarcely had a word from her. California’s population was nearly seventy percent men, or so Kiernan had heard. And from what few women he’d seen, either reputable or otherwise, he figured this was true. Knowing it only worried him more. Victoria had already experienced the pestering of lonely, eager men in Sacramento. What was he thinking leaving her there to fend for herself?
    Of course, he’d had very little choice. First, Charlie had taken him along to Dutch Flat, where they spent several weeks discussing strategies for moving ahead with the Dutch Flat wagon road. This road would open an easier route between Sacramento and Virginia City, saving teamsters over three days of eating dirt on the less congenial, but long established, Placerville stage road. It was hoped this toll road would generate funds for the Central Pacific while laying the railroad through nearby.
    After Dutch Flat, Charlie had left Kiernan off at Newcastle to help with the strenuous work at Bloomer Cut. Kiernan thought it was what he wanted. The pay appeared very good, and Charlie had boasted more than once that if he could afford to pay only one man, that man would be Kiernan O’Connor. But some things were more important than money.
    He looked off past the trees to a green meadow. Tiny yellow and white flowers waved in the breeze. Victoria would like them, he thought. Tempted to pick a few and press them between sheets of paper, Kiernan smiled. Although it might be silly and sentimental, he could always mail them in his letter home.
    Cheers from the crowd rose up, bringing Kiernan’s attention back to the arriving train. He’d done everything Charlie had asked of him. He’d cleaned up, even allowed Charlie to pay for him to get a haircut and shave after the man had insisted the CP had an image to uphold. He’d worn his best navy blue wool trousers and the newest bleached linen shirt he owned. Handmade by Victoria shortly before he’d gone away with Charlie, the shirt reminded him of her. He could see her sitting in their tiny apartment, rocking and stitching.
    Misery saturated him like a heavy summer rain. He had to stop thinking about Victoria and home. He had a job to do, and like many other men, he had to do it separated from those he loved.