Chapter 1
Maybelle Rose Walton let out a shaky breath as she prepared to board the train. She shuddered at the cold. Her mind was a whirl of questions about her uncertain future, doubt if this was the right thing, and enough fear to leave her nauseous and shaking. The doubt by itself was nearly enough to cause her to turn around and run back home, but just as she was about to give in to the fear and doubt and leave, her attention was drawn to her arms where her sleeping two-year-old daughter let out a quiet sigh. No! I have to do this! I have to go! I have to get away from this place! From HIM! For the sake of Anna Rose, I have to! Having made up her mind, she set her shoulders, determined to do what was right, and keep her daughter out of harm's way. When it was her turn, she boarded the train and found her seat. This was going to be a long trip…
Maybelle jerked awake and gasped at the bawl of the train porter. "Five minutes 'til Colorado Springs! I repeat! Five minutes until our stop at Colorado Springs!" The quick movement of her mother made Anna Rose awaken and let loose a squeak.
"Did you have a good nap, sweetheart?" she asked with a smile, even though she was filled with trepidation. Anna nodded and popped her pointer and middle fingers into her mouth, a habit she had had since she was a baby. Her stomach let loose a menacing growl. Anna sheepishly smiled.
"I hungry, mama." Maybelle dug around in her bag for the last couple of crackers she had left. "Here, sweetheart. Why don't you eat these?" Maybelle lifted Anna from her lap and set her on the seat next to her. She then extended her own legs under the seat in front of her in an attempt to stretch out the kinks. When she was through, she pulled out Anna's coat and proceeded to put it on her.
Although she couldn't wait to be out of the train cars that they had called home for the past week, she was filled with trepidation at the thought of what came next. She didn't have too long to ponder it... "It's now or never," she mumbled to herself as the train screeched into the station. Adrenaline shot through Maybelle. She quickly packed up the small bag she had with her and then collected Anna into her arms. She merged into the line of people exiting the train and stepped off onto the snowy boardwalk when it was her turn. She could see her breath as she exhaled. It was quite chilly outside. When she was questioned which trunk was hers, she asked for their tiny scraggly truck filled with the bare minimum to be moved out of the way against the side of the ticket office; she would deal with it later. She then walked to the edge of the boardwalk where she turned to view her first glimpse of the snow-covered streets of Colorado Springs. She set Anna down on her own two feet and instructed her to grab a hold of her dress and not let go.
As she observed the streets and buildings of the bustling little town, she began thinking,"We made it! We made it! We actually escaped! Oh… We made it… What now?! What's next?" In her earnest thought process and plan of escaping, she hadn't really thought of what she was going to do after her arrival in Colorado Springs. She had thought only as far as getting on and off the train. Suddenly she was filled with debilitating panic.
Where are we going to stay? How am I going to earn more money?! I hardly have enough to buy food for the next day. What was I even thinking? Why did I ever leave?!
"Ma'am? Can I help you?" A tall, extremely handsome stranger asked her, although she was too distressed to notice his striking features. Maybelle's breaths started to come in quick gasps. The adrenaline that had been fueling her the whole trip suddenly wore off and was instead replaced with panic to the point where the stress of it all took over. I can't breathe! I can't breathe! Somebody help me! And then... she was sinking to the ground as everything went black.