Now Departing

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

While Paige had been digging her toes into the warm sand along the beach, her younger sister, Rebecca, had been walking the snowy sidewalk from church to her home. She was careful not to slip on the hidden patches of ice.

But where Paige couldn't wait to get away from the cold and the snow, Rebecca reveled in it. She enjoyed the changes of weather and seasons, even the discomforts that came with them. Rebecca grinned at the young woman walking next to her, her cheeks had the look of red apples, they were so cold from the frosty wind. The grin was because she knew within moments they would be out of the cold, sitting in front of the fireplace enjoying a hot cup of tea and the cookies she had made earlier that day. She had been busy before she had met Erica to go to help with the youth group at church.

Rebecca had made the move north with her sister in October and had loved seeing the fall colors as well as the arrival of the winter weather. She was comfortable with the change of seasons, easily falling into the habits of their early childhood years. The two sisters where so close in age, they could have been twins, and she had wonderful memories of their early childhood years here in Skipton. It felt right to her; that was the only way she could describe it to herself. She had no problem deciding to accept her inheritance, not even waiting for the required six months that her grandmother had stipulated with their agreement.

"Have you heard from Paige?” asked Erica and not waiting for an answer she rushed on, “I’ll bet she's happy she got out of town before that last storm hit. About this time every year I can imagine myself basking on the beach, but something always seems to keep me here. Oh well, at least here I have new friends to share my time with, right?"

"Last I heard from her was yesterday, and she seemed to be working hard with Madison getting all the supplies they need for the platform. You're right Erica, having friends to help you sit out the storm makes it so much easier. I don't know what I would've done without you, Mavis, and Nathan these last couple of days. There's so much snow, you can't even drive in it unless you have four-wheel-drive car. Which by the way, I'm getting as soon as possible."

"Why? Didn’t your grandmother have one here that you could use?"

"Well I hate to be stuffy, but I despise that car—it's an old lady car. So, I've turned it over to the station for use on picking up supplies or doing whatever Mavis thinks is necessary. As much as I love my little sports car, I need to get something a little more practical. Nathan volunteered to take me out to look around at the car dealers and see what's available."

Erica nodded her head in agreement, she had seen the old station wagon that had been left for the sisters. She could understand Rebecca's desire for a new vehicle. Linking arms with Rebecca, she steadied her as she slid on a patch of ice.

“Steady there. The last thing you want is a twisted ankle. At least it’s not a long walk from church to the station. How does it feel to have the whole upstairs to yourself?”

“A little strange. Paige and I have been together so much since we moved here, I’m sure she is happy for the break. Personally, I love being on my own. For so long I was so completely wrapped around my ex-boyfriend, I lost myself. Now I have time to read and play the piano.” Giving her friend a grin, she added, “Oh, I’ve been experimenting with some new cookie recipes, too. Come up and try them, I’m dying to find out what you think.”

Erica quickly agreed to the invitation. As the town’s primary baker, she was always on the lookout for new items to add to her menu. She and Rebecca often spent time on the weekend baking together, sharing ideas and recipes. She looked forward to trying out Rebecca's newest culinary experiment. If they were anything like her past experiments, then Erica knew she was in for a treat.

By the time the women made it to the front steps of Skipton Station, a light snow was falling. From the size of the thick flakes, Rebecca knew when the employees of the station arrived in the morning, the snow would need to be shoveled first thing. The early March storm had dumped inches of snow on Skipton, and it didn’t seem like it would let up anytime soon. Fishing the keys to the front door out of her purse, she unlocked the door and, after stamping the snow off her feet, entered the main retail section of the station. Erica followed her example, stomping the snow off her boots as well. After locking the door back up behind them, the two cut across the store to the stairway.

This led to the upper level where two apartments and the common area were, providing a private homey atmosphere for the Skipton sisters. Rebecca had left the light on before she left, and it was a good thing because as they climbed the stairs, two playful kittens intercepted them, trying to impede their progress in a quest for attention. With an exasperated laugh, Rebecca bent over and scooped up the kittens, one in each arm, and carried them the rest of the way up to the landing.

Walking across the beautifully decorated open area of the common area she shared with Paige, Rebecca placed the two kittens on one couch and threw her coat on the chair. Picking up a match, she started a fire in the fireplace that was kept ready for use.

"Make yourself comfortable, Erica. I'll just run and fetch a tray with our drinks and the cookies."

Not waiting for Erica to answer her, Rebecca walked over to the door to her apartment and pushed it open. She didn't bother locking it, even when her sister was home. Rebecca had no overwhelming wish for privacy, and always made it clear to her sister she was welcome in her apartment at any time. Just as Paige had made it clear she would be welcome in hers.

She hurried into her kitchen, her favorite place in the apartment, and got a tray ready to bring out to share with Erica. As she waited for the water to boil to the make the hot tea, she couldn't help but admire the kitchen. Her grandmother, Sarah Skipton, had remodeled the entire upstairs of the station. What had once been many rooms had been made into two apartments, with a common area between them for the girls to share. Sarah had decorated each apartment specifically to each granddaughter's personalities and personal likes. Both girls realized that it was done partly to entice them to accept the early inheritance and stay in Skipton. Yet they knew it was done in love, and they accepted their grandmother's gift graciously.

When the whistle announced the kettle was ready, Rebecca turned off the gas burner. After she poured the hot water over the tea bags, she picked up the tray and joined her friend in the common room. Not even waiting for the tea to be poured, Erica grabbed one of the cookies and bit into it, identifying the ingredients as she slowly chewed.

"I can taste something different—it’s citrus. Not lemon, is it some kind of orange?"

Popping the last bit of cookie in her mouth, Erica savored the tangy taste left in her mouth. She accepted a cup of tea from Rebecca and waited for an answer.

"You got it right the first time, Erica. It's an orange, Paige sent a box of fresh citrus and it arrived this morning so I thought I'd make use of it. What do you think, is this recipe a throwaway or a keeper?"

"Oh, it's definitely a keeper."

As if to prove the point Erica reached out and grabbed another cookie before she settled back into the chair. In no time the two girls were talking about baking projects that had been successful or had failed abominably. Their laughter filled the air as they each told of kitchen disasters. Finally, Erica looked at her watch and hastily put the cup in her hand back on the tray. Getting to her feet she thanked Rebecca with a hug for the fun evening, explaining that she needed to get up early to get her own baking done in her shop. Thankfully, this time of year she was only supplying baked goods for her shop on Main Street. Once the renovations were done on the platform, she would be back to supplying food and beverages in the Pullman dining car. It sat out on the platform providing customers with a unique setting for tea and biscuits.

Rebecca followed her down the stairs so she could lock the door behind her and make sure that Erica made it to the sidewalk without slipping on the front stairs. Snow was still coming down, and it glistened in the light from the streetlights that lined the sidewalk. The snowplows would need to be out again before morning. The two girls said good night, still laughing over their kitchen escapades. They didn't notice the taxi that drove by slowing down slightly. Nor did they notice the man looking out the window of the taxi staring directly at Skipton Station.