Ward shrugged. “Pugs would probably be glad to get some attention and I certainly don’t mind.”
Freddie stood. “The thing is, I need to get off to send a telegram. Would you mind watching Meg till I get back?”
Ward hesitated, not sure he wanted that responsibility. Then again, it was just for a few minutes and they were in a confined space—it wasn’t as if the child could run off or get into trouble. “I suppose I can do that.”
With a relieved smile, Freddie turned to Meg. “You behave yourself and do what this man says, you hear?”
The little girl nodded, obviously more interested in the dog than her brother’s departure.
Without another word, Freddie quickly headed for the exit.
Ward gave the girl a smile. “Meg, why don’t you sit here with me and Pugs until Freddie comes back.”
The child eagerly scrambled from her seat to join him.
Meg and Pugs took to one another immediately. Before long the little girl was the giggling recipient of canine kisses and face licks.
Ten minutes later, the flow of passengers exiting and boarding had finally trickled to nothing and still there was no sign of Freddie. He thought about going in search of the youth, but thoughts of having to drag Meg and Pugs along gave him pause.
For the first time Ward wondered if he should have taken Hazel up on her offer to make this trip with him.
But if they’d taken this trip together, she might have read more into it than he intended. Hazel had been making it obvious for a while now that she had more than a casual interest in him, though he’d done nothing to encourage her. He didn’t have any interest in forming that kind of relationship with any woman, not so long as he was sheriff. A man couldn’t be responsible for the welfare of an entire town and also give a wife the attention she deserved.
Though, to be honest, on the rare occasions when he allowed himself to think about it, if he ever did want to find himself a wife, Hazel would likely be his first choice. Not that he’d ever let her know that.
So instead of inviting her along, he’d asked her to take care of the things that needed to be done in preparation for the funeral. And she’d graciously agreed. As she always did when he asked a favor of her.
The whistle sounded, bringing him back to the present. The train would be pulling out of the station soon and Meg’s brother still hadn’t returned.
Ward stood. He picked up Pugs and reached for Meg’s hand with his free one. “What do you say we go get some fresh air?”
She nodded and trustingly took his hand.
As they stepped out on the loading platform, Ward scanned the area for any sign of Meg’s brother, but the youth was nowhere to be seen. What could be keeping him?
The conductor yelled a long, drawn-out all aboard. Ward immediately marched over to him.
“You can’t leave yet, you’re missing a passenger.”
The conductor frowned. “We have a timetable to keep to. Whoever’s missing had better hurry.”
Ward nodded toward Meg. “It’s her brother.” He kept his voice pitched for the conductor’s ears only.
The man looked down at Meg and his expression lost some of its officiousness. Then he grimaced. “I can give you ten extra minutes, but that’s the best I can do.”
Ten minutes—that wasn’t much time. “Do you know where the telegraph office is?”
The conductor nodded to his left. “Inside the depot.”
At least he didn’t have far to go. “Come on, Half-pint, we’re going for a little walk.”
He managed to get the three of them inside the depot, then looked around. Freddie was nowhere to be seen. His feeling that something was seriously wrong deepened.
Ward marched to the counter and got the clerk’s attention. “A young man came in a little while ago to send a telegram. Did you see where he went afterward?”
The balding man didn’t bother glancing up. “Can’t help you. Hadn’t been anyone send a telegram all afternoon.”
The train whistle sounded again and Ward’s pulse kicked up a notch. What would he do if Meg’s brother didn’t return before the train departed? He couldn’t abandon Meg but he couldn’t take her with him either.
His best option was to stay behind with Meg until they located her brother. Which meant sending Bethany’s casket on without him, the mere thought of which set a silent howl of protest pulsing through him.
But he had to tamp that down. He was a lawman and his duty to help others had to override his personal desires.
Decision made, Ward returned to the train just long enough to collect his and Meg’s bags. Taking firm hold of his two charges, he watched the train pull away without him.
It appeared Bethany’s remains were going to make the last leg of her trip home without him.
He’d failed her all over again.
* * *
Hazel Andrews closed the door of the Fashion Emporium and hurried down the sidewalk. She’d had a busy morning making certain everything was taken care of for Bethany’s funeral this afternoon. It was the last thing she would be able to do for her childhood friend and she wanted to make sure she’d given it her best.
Now she was headed to the station to meet the morning train. She wanted to be there when Ward stepped off. This couldn’t have been an easy trip for him and he would need a friend right now.
And it seemed that was all she was destined to be to him—a friend.
“Oh!”
“Pardon me.” Hazel had been so lost in her own thoughts she’d practically run into Cassie Lynn Walker. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Are you all right?” She bent to pick up the package the very expectant mother-to-be had dropped.
Cassie gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I’m fine. And thank you,” she said as she accepted the package. “It was as much my fault as yours. I’m clumsier than a toddler learning to walk these days.” She rubbed her protruding stomach ruefully.
“You have good cause to be.” Hazel did her best to force down the pang of jealousy. It seemed every other woman of marriageable age in Turnabout had found a husband and started families.
Was it so wrong of her to want the same thing?
Cassie touched her arm, smiling sympathetically. “I hear the sheriff’s sister was a good friend of yours. I’m awful sorry for your loss.”
Cassie’s words pulled Hazel out of her self-pitying thoughts. Unlike Bethany, she still had the opportunity to change her circumstances. And that’s what she intended to do.
In the most decisive way she could imagine.
“I hear tell the sheriff didn’t make it in yesterday afternoon as planned. I hope nothing serious has happened on top of his loss?”
Hazel shook her head. “He’s assured me he’ll be on this morning’s train.” It wasn’t an answer, exactly, but it was the best she could do. “In fact, I’m on my way there now. If you’ll excuse me.”
As Hazel resumed her march to the train station, she wondered exactly what had delayed Ward. The telegram he’d sent had only stated that he’d been temporarily detained and would arrive this morning.
It wasn’t like the always serious-to-a-fault sheriff to get sidetracked easily, so it must have been something really important.
A few minutes later Hazel stepped onto the station platform and saw the plume of smoke in the distance that signaled the train approaching.