Free Under a Falling Star by Caroline Fyffe

so,” Susanna replied. “I’m helping out in the infirmary where most of the injured passengers were taken right after the accident. A man, Mr. Babcock, came asking around yesterday about a young boy he’d pulled from under a table in the dining car, and bandaged a cut on his head. His description fits that of your child. He was concerned, and wanted to make sure the boy had been reunited with his parents. Do you think he was talking about your son?”
    The woman’s face brightened. “Yes,” she said, her tone heavy with appreciation. Her hand came up and smoothed the boy’s sleeve, her hand lingering. “Terrence told us what happened, but didn’t know the name of the man who had helped. We’re so grateful, and we’d like a chance to thank him in person.”
    Susanna was sure it was not out of need of acknowledgment that Dalton had inquired, but she’d be happy to bring the four of them together, if that was what the woman wanted as well.
    “Yes, that’s exactly right,” the man added. “We can’t tell you how frightened we were to find Terrence missing right before the crash. We’d begun searching, and then the train hit, and everything was crazy. Seems he got hungry, snuck out of his seat, and went in search of food. We were so relieved when we found him in a wagon outside the doctor’s office. Please, can you tell us were to find this fellow?”
    “He’s going to check back with me sometime soon. Tell me where you’re staying and he will look you up.”
    During the conversation, Terrence had lost a bit of his shyness. He squirmed and his father set him on his feet but kept a tight hold on his hand.
    Being an only child in the home she’d grown up in, Susanna wasn’t sure how she felt about being a mother. Her heart longed for the experience, but she’d never want to let her child down as her mother had her. Could she do a better job? What if she didn’t know how?
    “For now, we’re staying at an inn on the outskirts of town called the Red Rooster. Do you know the place?”
    Susanna smiled. “Yes, that’s one of Logan Meadows’s oldest establishments. We’re quite proud of the dwelling. You know Mrs. Hollyhock then?”
    “Oh, she’s a dear,” the woman said. She glanced at her husband as if she expected him to say something more.
    He didn’t disappoint. “It’s the other woman who’s hard to abide.”
    “Wallace.” His wife’s tone was cautioning.
    “Well, she is,” Wallace said. “If she doesn’t want to be known as a sourpuss, she should act accordingly.” He looked apologetically at Susanna. “We’re Mr. and Mrs. Sadler. Please, have him look us up.”
    “Thank you, I will. I’m Susanna Robinson. I usually work at the restaurant, but for the next few days, I’ll be splitting my time between the Silky Hen and nursing at the town hall we’ve turned into a makeshift infirmary.”
    Perhaps there was a silver lining to be found amongst all the pain and confusion of late. Logan Meadows would get past this trial, and be the stronger for it. It was remarkable how the town had pulled together in their time of need.
    Terrence took a handful of his mother’s skirt and gave a pull. “I wanna see the buffalo.”
    “Yes, honey , we’re going there right now.”
    Mr. Sadler touched his hat once again, then placed his hand on his wife’s back, still keeping hold of his son’s hand. The three soon disappeared in the sea of unfamiliar faces as they made their way to the livery to see Maximus and Clementine, the town mascots. It was times like these that Susanna hungered for what the three of them had. Family was good, and precious. She had to believe a marriage like that would last. She just had to.

CHAPTER TWELVE

    A lbert cradled his head in his arms as debris rained down on his back. Rocks and sticks jabbed into his belly. Then the air went silent.
    “Preston?”
    Albert scrambled to his knees, then took the hand Babcock offered. The guard looked as disheveled as Albert felt,