Romances Headed West On A Train

By Susan Hart

On The Train To Their Future is about two strangers headed west, not knowing each other at first, and how they end up getting off the train at the same location in California; close to the woman’s family ranch. Headed West: Strangers On A Train #2 is an exciting adventure, as well as a love story. A woman doctor is headed to Sacramento to start a new practice -- she hopes. Where she was from wasn’t exactly behind her plans to set up practice and she almost lost her faith, but when she met a well-dressed man on the train, with a briefcase chained to his wrist, she got far more than a boring train ride to the West Coast.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Hart
• Release date: Nov 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311617736

Susan Hart

I was born in England, but have lived in Southern California for many years. I m now retired and live in the Pacific NW in a little seaside city amongst the giant redwoods and wonderful harbor, almost at the Oregon border. My husband and I have one cat, called Midnight and she is featured in two of my latest Sci-Fi short stories. I love Science Fiction, animals, and trying to help others. I publish under Doreen Milstead as well as my own name. My photo was taken right before the coronation of QE II in the UK.

Book preview

Romances Headed West on A Train

By

Susan Hart

Copyright 2022 Susan Hart

On The Train to Their Future

Synopsis: A young woman is invited to her family home out west, but not knowing what it was for. A lawyer decides to travel to the west because he was asked to by a ranch family, and not knowing what it was about either. They hit it off on the train ride and find that they don't wish to part company when they arrive. Both are invited to the same ranch without knowing that the train ride together is fate

Joshua Laney awoke yawning; it was a Saturday and a very good day for a bit of a lie in after the hustle and bustle of the past busy week. He was a tall man, a good six feet; and that was without his boots. His dark hair had a slight greying at his temples and with brilliant blue eyes; he was not your typical American cowboy.

At thirty-five he was very well established, owning a massive Cattle Ranch in Texas, well run by his brother Thomas, who lived there with his wife Mary, and their two children.

Joshua mainly used the Ranch as a place to vacation when he needed to unwind from the demands of his day-to-day life.

He was a man of the city, New York City in fact; a lawyer by profession and he was used to dealing with the complex paperwork which was needed by railroad companies, as they laid track after track, opening up new frontiers to ensure that Americans would be able travel from one side of the country to the other via the comfortable form of train travel.

Oh yes, 1872 is going to be a good year, Joshua told himself because he could feel it in his bones. The Pacific Railroad was completed in 1869 and the first train arrived from San Francisco in 1870 on its Trans-continental route across the Central Pacific, and Union Pacific lines; then into the Eastern railway network to New York. Train travel was still new to most people.

They were exciting times to live in.

The recession didn’t seem to worry the big boys in the Railway business.

Really, the only regret Joshua may have had was that he was single; not that he was lonely, but it was due to the fact that he had never come across anyone who increased his heart rate enough for him to make any effort to become involved with her, with a view to having a relationship; which may or may not have led to courtship.

Morning Matty, the street cat which has semi-adopted him, eyed Joshua balefully from the windowsill.

Yes, I know, I’m late this morning. You’ll get some milk now.

Joshua yawned again.

Joshua got up then scratched the top of Matty’s head as he went to go through to the kitchen. He noticed the mailman had been because his mail had been slipped through the slot in the front door.

Strange, a letter from San Francisco... Joshua spoke to Matty as the cat wound himself around his legs, and Matty purred in anticipation of breakfast.

Joshua opened the letter and read it out aloud to the cat.

‘Huckleberry Farm

Stockton

San Francisco

Dear Mr. Joshua Clancy,

This serves to introduce ourselves; we are Mr. and Mrs. James and Olive M.C. Master, farmers from California, and we have read of your many great achievements over the years.

While we know that this letter may sound presumptuous, it is with good reason that I put pen to paper. Our daughter is twenty-three and she has all the necessary requirements to make an excellent wife. She is well educated, trained as a teacher, is beautiful, talented and plays the piano and violin.

Our sincerest regards,

Signed,

Mr. John M.C. Master

Post Script, Mrs. M.C. Master and I can be reached at the address above.’

Joshua could not believe what he was reading and he reread the letter just to make sure.

Darn it, Matty! If that doesn’t take the cake; California is many miles from here, so I wonder how they got my address He checked the date on the envelope; it was posted a month ago.

Joshua tossed the letter onto the hall table and opened some bills. His eyes were drawn to the letter because somehow, he found it intriguing, and it seemed a bit like a mail order wife.

I’m not looking for a wife, am I Matty? And what’s more, they never even told me her name

A week later, after settling his affairs and getting his secretary to promise to feed Matty for as long as he was away; Mr. Joshua Laney found himself stowing his favorite worn brown leather travel bag on the rack in the private compartment of Transcontinental Railway, as the fireman in the engine hastily pushed logs of wood into the furnace building up steam for the start of the journey out west.

The intriguing letter had made him think long and hard about rushing across the country. Joshua tried repeatedly to convince himself that he was just taking a break from work and New York; and instead of going back to the ranch as usual, he had decided to experience the joys of railroad travel.

The whole city was talking about the now famous Railway line linking east to west, about how comfortable the train trip was. It was touted as being twice as fast, at the very least, as going by horse.

Joshua was dressed in a comfortable cotton suit because it was best for traveling in the heat of late summer. He opened the compartment window to watch his fellow passengers join the train; there was a variety of nationalities, Chinese, English and he heard German being spoken, the expectation of it always made him smile. Friends and family gathered around on the platform wishing the travelers God speed and farewell.

Joshua, while gazing idly out of the window, caught a glimpse of an attractive young woman in the milling crowd. Her gown was classically styled in brown, with black trim. He wondered if she was a passenger or simply there to bid someone farewell.

In the press of the crowd, Joshua lost sight of her for a couple of moments and felt strangely disappointed, then when he saw her again, she was carrying a leather hold-all and seemed to be heading towards his carriage.

He watched her look at her ticket, and then she checked the carriage number before making her way to the steps to climb aboard. He realized that she was traveling alone and gallantly, Joshua made his way to the door to lend a hand.

Howdy Ma’am. May I be of assistance? He reached out his hand to take her bag.

Why sir, thank you kindly she said, as she handed over her bag.

Joshua stowed it behind him and proffered his hand. He hesitated for a