Page 14 of A Wanderer's Redemption
I turn quickly, my chest practically touching his. “If you would keep your hands to yourself, I would not react at all,” I whisper so that no one in the hall can hear me.
“I am a happily married man and being such, I would touch my wife as much as possible. Especially when we are aboard something as unsteady as this train moving under our feet. Now, smile and call medearlike you mean it.”
“Yes,DEAR.”
I grip the material on my skirt only to keep from smacking that smirk off his way-too-handsome face. With no other option than to walk forward, he reaches around me to open the door so that we can pass into the next car, and I hesitate to go forward when I see the tracks moving quickly beneath us. Unconsciously, I step back only to be encompassed by the heat of his chest as his hands find the top of my hips.
“Don’t look down, focus on the door in front of you, and simply walk across the grating. What happened to all that fire that wasdirected at me just a second ago? That woman isn’t afraid of anything.”
“I’ve never been on a train before; it’s a little unsettling. I feel like I’m constantly losing my footing.”
“First step is always the hardest, Jess. And you need to stop worrying. I take care of my own, and I will always be here to catch you.”
His words seem to echo through my mind and for some reason, I don’t recall him moving me steadily forward until we are in the next car.
“See, that wasn’t so hard; all you needed was a little distraction.”
“How many more of these do we have to pass through?”
“Only two more. There are several dining cars on this particular train, and I reserved a morning table in the closest one for all of us. The men should also be joining us. I made those arrangements before I knew about you, but now I may have to reconsider that move as it’s not appropriate for you to be at the same table with so many men.”
“Mr. Kerns, I have worked with those men for the last three years, we have eaten practically every meal together, so I have no problem with continuing on in the same manner.”
“I know you don’t Jessica, but I am sure when we show up to dinner later, someone will comment on the fact that we were dining with the hired help.”
“I thought you said these people’s opinions didn’t matter.”
“Well, you’ve got me there.”
At the next door, several people are waiting to get through, so I set my sights on them as we walk across the grating that was placed between the cars. I see Reggie glance down at a ticket in his hand before gently maneuvering me around a few who are standing in the hall. He hands the ticket to the server, who motions us toward a table marked ‘reserved’.
“Sir, here is your table. I will escort the other gentlemen in your party this way when they announce themselves. You and the Missus are welcome to go ahead to the buffet; plates and silverware are located at the end.”
Before Reggie can say anything, I ask, “And your name is, sir?”
“I am sorry, ma’am. I should have announced myself. My name is George, and I will be the one attending to you here during the remainder of your trip.”
“Thank you, George. We appreciate you.”
The young man blushes before nodding his head and walking away. And I feel more than see Reggie’s eyes upon me as I head up to the bar, slightly amazed at the feast in front of us. I can feel his breath against the back of my head as he whispers.
“That was very nice of you.”
“People should be kinder in general to the ones who are taking care of their needs.”
“I do believe that was a direct hit, my dear. I will try to do better.”
“I was not directing that at you, but a simple thank-you goes a long way when it is seldom heard. Many times in my life, I wondered if I was simply invisible, as they acted like I was just an object to be bossed around.”
Grabbing my plate, I put my head down, waiting to be reprimanded for speaking so freely, only to be shocked by the next words out of Reggie’s mouth.
“We’ve had servants our entire lives, but Clifford has tanned my hide more than my parents when he caught me in mischief. Judy has always been like a second mother to me, especially when I was sick. I’ve never thought of them as anything other than my extended family. I’ve actually been trying to get Judy to marry me for years and tried my best to convince her that I would starve out here without her. In the end, even though she broke my heart by telling me no, I simply kissed her on the cheek while stealing the last of her cookies out of the jar on the counter.”
All this time, Reggie has been filling his plate, and I’ve simply been standing here, staring at him as if it’s the first time I have ever seen him. Beneath all that shaggy hair and a beard that needs trimming is a man who seems to keep shocking me at every turn.
“Was Judy your main housekeeper?”
“No, she’s the cook, but she makes the best chocolate chip cookies in existence. She packed me a batch before I left, and it’s taken every ounce of my willpower not to eat them all in one sitting. I hate that we’ll all be so far from each other, even though my parents are moving a little closer, as they too, are leaving the port area for the rolling hills of Kentucky. However, they were not going to move unless the staff agreed to go.”
