Dark Journey Home by Cherie Shaw Page A

territory by now, as he had known him many years ago.  Logan liked Texas, and had been through there many a time.  It reminded him of home.  However, it was
still quite a ways from his beloved home in the Wyoming territory. 
     
    Texas covered a vast
area, and the land looked the same to him as it had those many years ago, as
the train rolled across the border, and Logan knew that land never changed
anyway, just people change, though folks can change the land too. 
     
    Texas had good
rangeland and cattle did well here. 
     
    Logan had listened
intently to Olivia’s poetry reading several times, during the long train ride,
and her melodious voice had been soothing to the soul.  She was very poised and
learned, though he wished just for once that she would loosen up, and stop
being so prim and proper.  Oh well, as he’d told himself more often than not,
she was definitely not for him.  So why should he care?  He didn’t know why,
but he did care. 
     
    They would be leaving the comfort of the train soon,
and then traveling part of the way by stagecoach.  The tracks only ran so far. 
     
    Back in the luxurious coach at the far end of the long
train, Olivia sat on a soft divan, gazing out of the window at the desolate and
dreary land.  There had been nothing but miles of red dirt, but now the
conductor had told her uncle that they had entered the territory of Texas, and the scenery would change for the better.  She didn’t see anything better.  She just
saw nothing but dry grasses from where she sat, but she wouldn’t complain. 
Never. 
     
    Olivia carefully pulled down the shade.  All the way
across the eastern states she’d enjoyed the lush greenery of the countryside,
and even the rolling green hills of Kansas.  She hoped that when they got
further into Texas things would look better.
     
    Olivia decided to read for awhile, just to herself. 
The last time she’d read aloud to the two men, she’d caught Logan’s deep green-eyed
gaze upon her once too often.  Well, of course he did have to look at her, as
she was reading to him.  But did he have to look so…..so…..Well, that intent
expression in his eyes was enough to make anyone nervous.  She had
mispronounced a word or two then, in that last rendition, but didn’t think the
lout noticed, as his expression hadn’t changed a bit, when she’d glanced his
way. 
     
    Maria and Ricardo had been enjoying themselves very
much on the long trip, however mostly they had stayed in their pullman
compartment.  Often though, they’d bring breakfast to the coach for Olivia and
her uncle from the diner, though they always ate supper in the diner car in the
evening, and then, usually, Maria, Ricardo and Logan joined them at that time. 
     
    Maria hadn’t any chores to do on the train, as the
porters took care of the cleaning, and bed making.  Claude had told Olivia that
Logan spent most of his time in the lounge, which was several cars to the
front, and that he sometimes played cards with some cowboys who were on the
train heading back to their Texas ranch.  Olivia wasn’t interested in where Logan spent his time.  Or was she?  
     
    It was a hot and dry afternoon when the train chugged
into the edge of the dusty little town of ‘Nowhere’, though it was definitely
‘somewhere’ in the northern part of Texas.  However, the town had been aptly named;
at least that’s what the weather beaten sign said that hung over the doorway of
the small one-room depot. 
     
    Olivia’s expression was one of surprise, as she
stepped off the train into a blast of hot air.  It had been warm in the coach,
but this was different from anything she’d ever experienced before.  My, this
was Texas?
     
    Claude seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, so
Olivia wouldn’t complain about the heat, as she walked on toward the depot,
what there was of it.  Logan had strolled on ahead, and then had looked back at
her, and grinned, with that idiot twinkle in his