The sound of the lonesome, train whistle shattered the silence of the night singing out it's call long before those at the crossing could see it. Jeb smiled to himself in mid whistle, changing his tune to match that of the trains. It had been a while since he had last jumped a train and stayed a while with the hobo's that traveled from town to town, for whatever reason.

Back in his younger days, for many of them it was the only way to get to a new town to look for work. With no money and no means of transportation other than the train, all they could do was hop a boxcar and pray they didn't get caught.

Jeb missed those days, though his creeking joints and old bones didn't agree with him. As though they protested the mere thought of living that life again, images of his broken ankle and later a broken arm, came to mind as the train rushed past shaking everything close enough to the tracks to feel the vibration.

Despite the images his mind was feeding him of his painful moments on the rail, Jeb couldn't help but continue his smile and counter those memories with the ones of meeting Emma. She had been all of 13 when he first met her. Of course he wasn't much older. His parents had both died of influenza when he was 15 and by 16, he had left the good reverends house for the rail, looking for his own future.

That was when he met Emma. She was so full of questions about what it was like to hop a moving train or jump off of one, that he ended up showing her; which was how he broke his ankle in the first place. Her father had been the town doctor, and they had been kind enough to let him stay with them until his ankle had healed enough he could walk on it.

Emma begged him to take her with him. Instead, he promised her that he would be back if she promised to wait on him. She promised and though in his heart he had always hoped she would, he never expected it.

A rueful grin crossed his face softening his eyes as he thought of the day three years later, when he had ridden back through. He jumped from the box car just to sneak in and spy on her. He had to know she was happy and healthy. She was sitting on a small box right there by that very crossing waiting.

"It took you long enough," She said, her arms crossed as though she was angry with him. "Had you waited one more day..." Her voice trailed off as a soft hick-up escaped.

Jeb had hurried over to her lifting her chin gently with his calloused finger making her look at him. His eyes searching hers for an answer. "What's wrong Princess? What happened while I was away?"

"Momma, didn't make it through the last round of the flu that came through here last month. Daddy said without Momma there is no reason to stay here. This was where she was from, not Daddy. He got a job offer to teach at the school where he got his degree, and we are leaving tomorrow."

Jeb took a step back and looked at his Emma. He had never forgotten her kind smile or those deep blue eyes that could make a man want to weep for joy at having seen them. "Marry me."

"What?"

"Marry me. Let's talk to your Father. He hasn't sold the house yet has he?" Jeb asked as the plan began to form in his mind. Seeing her shake her head no, he continued. "We will ask him to let us stay in the house until we can find our own place. I will go talk to Mr. Jenkins at the post office and see if he needs any help. I know the guy at the telegraph office a couple of towns over was complaining about Jenkins being to busy to do the post office and the telegraph. I know Morris code, I can do that job for him, if he will hire me."

Emma rubbed her eyes pushing away her unshed tears. "Do you think you can do it? Convince my father and get a job before we leave?"

"It's worth a shot princess, just to keep that smile on your face."

The memory had faded as the end of the train, moved past him minus it's cabboose. In his day on the rail, the red caboose had been his favorite part. Then Emma became what he dreamed of, as the train bumped and tossed him from one stop to the next. "Grandpa, we need to go. The baby is getting fussy and we won't make our flight in time if you don't come on."

Nodding slowly he tossed the lone rose that he was holding in his hand onto the train tracks. No, he would never ride the rails again. But, life with Emma had been worth it. He just hoped that when it was his time to go, the kids would honor their promise and the train would bring him back here to rest with his Emma.