the bathroom counter. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”
“You’ve done more than I dreamed. Thanks for inviting me to stay.” Elsa rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “This is a whole lot better than sleeping outdoors. It didn’t occur to me when I stepped off the train in Leavenworth that there was no station here that I could sleep in, only a platform with covered benches.”
Holly reached out and grasped Elsa’s hand. “I think you were right when you said the Lord brought us together.” She gently squeezed the thin hand. “Sleep well. We have to get up early to get you to the Seattle-bound train.” She hesitated. From the look of her guest, Elsa didn’t have the money for another ticket, which she would need since she’d forfeited her original ticket by getting off the train where she wasn’t supposed to.
The emergency fund hidden in the cookie jar on the counter would cover the ticket and more. “Elsa, I don’t mean to pry, but feel I must. How will you pay for the train ticket?”
Elsa pursed her lips. “Don’t you worry, dear child. The Lord will take care of me.”
Holly let the subject drop, unwilling to embarrass her guest. “Good night, then.” She returned to the living room and snuggled into the couch with a book.
* * *
Holly dragged herself from bed at four-thirty in the morning. The train departed Icicle Station at 6:08 a.m., and she wanted to make sure Elsa had a hot meal before leaving. She quickly showered and tossed on a pair of jeans and a thick cream sweater, then applied makeup. She tilted her head to the side as she considered her hair. It might be nice to wear it down.
She opened the door of her room promptly at five-fifteen and spied her guest sitting at the kitchen bar holding a mug with the tag of a tea bag hanging over the rim. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.”
“Actually, I was restless most of the night. Guess it was too quiet.” Elsa shrugged and looked down.
Holly moved past Elsa. “Do you like eggs?” She filled the coffeemaker with water and scooped in her favorite rich roast of ground coffee beans, then flipped the power on.
“Love them.”
“Good. I thought we’d have eggs, toast and coffee for breakfast.” She pulled eggs from the fridge and placed a pan on the burner.
“Sounds perfect.” She looked down again and pursed her lips. “Uh...Holly. I did a lot of thinking last night, and I’ve decided to return home to Chicago.”
Holly stopped in the middle of her reach for the cooking spray. “Really? Why?” She turned off the burner and leaned against the counter.
“My daughter lives there. Our talk last night got me to thinking. I left home angry and said some things I shouldn’t have. It was wrong for me to try and escape my problems and not deal with them head-on.”
“Your daughter is a problem?”
“No, I am. I lost my job several months ago. At my age it’s tough to find work. Anyway, I’ve been living with my daughter and her family. I overheard her talking with her husband.” Elsa’s voice caught. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He was frustrated that I was a drain on their finances. My daughter stood up for me, and then he told her it was either him or me. I left that morning after they went to work. I couldn’t come between them.”
“That wasn’t very nice of him to pit you against your daughter. What did she say to his ultimatum?”
Elsa shrugged. “I didn’t stick around to find out. I couldn’t come between the two of them. Even though it doesn’t sound like it, he really is a good man. I would never want to ruin my daughter’s marriage. I went back to my room and tossed a few things into this bag.” She nodded toward the backpack sitting on the stool beside her. “I’ve never been a rich woman, so I didn’t have much to pack. Then I waited until I heard them leave.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“Oh, Elsa. I’m so sorry. And here I was complaining
“You’ve done more than I dreamed. Thanks for inviting me to stay.” Elsa rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “This is a whole lot better than sleeping outdoors. It didn’t occur to me when I stepped off the train in Leavenworth that there was no station here that I could sleep in, only a platform with covered benches.”
Holly reached out and grasped Elsa’s hand. “I think you were right when you said the Lord brought us together.” She gently squeezed the thin hand. “Sleep well. We have to get up early to get you to the Seattle-bound train.” She hesitated. From the look of her guest, Elsa didn’t have the money for another ticket, which she would need since she’d forfeited her original ticket by getting off the train where she wasn’t supposed to.
The emergency fund hidden in the cookie jar on the counter would cover the ticket and more. “Elsa, I don’t mean to pry, but feel I must. How will you pay for the train ticket?”
Elsa pursed her lips. “Don’t you worry, dear child. The Lord will take care of me.”
Holly let the subject drop, unwilling to embarrass her guest. “Good night, then.” She returned to the living room and snuggled into the couch with a book.
* * *
Holly dragged herself from bed at four-thirty in the morning. The train departed Icicle Station at 6:08 a.m., and she wanted to make sure Elsa had a hot meal before leaving. She quickly showered and tossed on a pair of jeans and a thick cream sweater, then applied makeup. She tilted her head to the side as she considered her hair. It might be nice to wear it down.
She opened the door of her room promptly at five-fifteen and spied her guest sitting at the kitchen bar holding a mug with the tag of a tea bag hanging over the rim. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.”
“Actually, I was restless most of the night. Guess it was too quiet.” Elsa shrugged and looked down.
Holly moved past Elsa. “Do you like eggs?” She filled the coffeemaker with water and scooped in her favorite rich roast of ground coffee beans, then flipped the power on.
“Love them.”
“Good. I thought we’d have eggs, toast and coffee for breakfast.” She pulled eggs from the fridge and placed a pan on the burner.
“Sounds perfect.” She looked down again and pursed her lips. “Uh...Holly. I did a lot of thinking last night, and I’ve decided to return home to Chicago.”
Holly stopped in the middle of her reach for the cooking spray. “Really? Why?” She turned off the burner and leaned against the counter.
“My daughter lives there. Our talk last night got me to thinking. I left home angry and said some things I shouldn’t have. It was wrong for me to try and escape my problems and not deal with them head-on.”
“Your daughter is a problem?”
“No, I am. I lost my job several months ago. At my age it’s tough to find work. Anyway, I’ve been living with my daughter and her family. I overheard her talking with her husband.” Elsa’s voice caught. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He was frustrated that I was a drain on their finances. My daughter stood up for me, and then he told her it was either him or me. I left that morning after they went to work. I couldn’t come between them.”
“That wasn’t very nice of him to pit you against your daughter. What did she say to his ultimatum?”
Elsa shrugged. “I didn’t stick around to find out. I couldn’t come between the two of them. Even though it doesn’t sound like it, he really is a good man. I would never want to ruin my daughter’s marriage. I went back to my room and tossed a few things into this bag.” She nodded toward the backpack sitting on the stool beside her. “I’ve never been a rich woman, so I didn’t have much to pack. Then I waited until I heard them leave.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“Oh, Elsa. I’m so sorry. And here I was complaining
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