Chapter 1 – Welcome to Four Corners…
O – O – O – O – O – O
Cause without you I'm not okay
And without you I've lost my way
My heart's stuck in second place ooh
Without you…
***Dixie Chicks***
O – O – O – O – O – O
"So Rebecca…are you going to tell me why you've drug me out here into the middle of nowhere?"
Sarah Dannon glanced around the bleak but wildly beautiful area, "I mean, couldn't you have talked to me in town?" Receiving no response from her sister, she finally stopped dead in her tracks, refusing to go further.
Rebecca turned when she realized her sister was no longer trailing behind her. "I just wanted to show you this beautiful spot I've discovered. I mean look at this place," she took a deep breath expelling the air with some force, "The air is so fresh and clean here. It makes you feel incredibly alive doesn't it?" She smiled brushing a lock of auburn hair from her face.
Sarah took a moment to glance at the surrounding scenery. It was indeed beautiful. There was 'a stark wildness' to the spot that almost brought it to life. Small trees dotted the landscape; scrub bushes, patches of daises, bluebells and other wild flowers grew abundantly. The spot where she and Rebecca stood had the most breathtaking view. She could hear the wind almost sighing through the rocky crags all around them.
Sitting down on a large boulder, Sarah glanced up at sister expectantly. "Okay, I'll admit it… it is stunning, but why did I have to bring my fiddle with me?"
Rebecca looked around the area before turning back to Sarah. "Sis, you know how I've been struggling to write new material. I can't even remember the last time I came up with a new song. Well, I thought this place might inspire me to create some new music for the band…something worth recording. Jack has been all over me to come up with something new..." Her voice trailed off as she sighed heavily.
Sitting down next to her sister, she continued, "I'm tired. I feel like we've been on the road forever. We've flown in and out of so many places that I couldn't even tell you what state we're in right now. Yesterday I finally reached my breaking point. And the thing that set me off was so trivial. So…I decided to go for a ride to relax. That's how I stumbled across this place."
Chewing on her bottom lip slightly, she glanced at the surroundings. "This may sound weird, but as I stepped out of the car and began to explore…this place felt familiar. As I walked around – well it was almost like I've been here before. Very déjà vu. It was the most incredible sensation…almost like a living presence."
Turning to her sister, she continued, "After I left here yesterday, I arrived back at the hotel and decided to take a nap, but I began to have the strangest dream. I was in this small town. It seemed I was somewhere out west, but don't know where. Everything was hazy. All I could see were shapes…figures. There was this strange mist shrouding the place. I began to wander through it…trying to find my way."
Pausing, her eyes took on a faraway gaze. "I remember standing in the middle of this dark, dusty street. Unable to see anything clearly, I suddenly saw this shape move out of the shadows walking towards me. It was a man, but I couldn't make out face clearly. What I could see was he wore a black, flat brimmed hat…not exactly a cowboy style, he was dressed impeccably. He smiled as he reached out his hand to me. I tried to take it, but he vanished. That's when I woke up."
Rebecca eyes continued to peer off into the distance. "After he disappeared, I felt as though my heart had been torn out…almost like I had lost a piece of myself. And the strange thing, besides what I've already told you, is that when he smiled at me his mouth twinkled."
Giving her sister a curious look, Sarah asked, "What do you mean twinkled?"
'I mean twinkled, sparkled however you want to put it. It was just one of his teeth. It reminded me of those silly things you see in the movies – you know like how the good guy would smile and his smile would sparkle. Strange I know, but his was beautiful…even if it did seem silly."
Getting to her feet he stretched a little before turning back in her sister's direction. "Yeah I know. Doesn't make much sense does it?"
Sarah grinned. "Not really, but it sounds like you had a fascinating dream. So did any of this give you any music ideas?"
"Kinda, but," she draped her right arm around her sister, "I thought between my guitar and your fiddle, we might get inspired. Look at that horizon. Isn't that the most awe inspiring sight you've ever seen?"
Spreading her arms toward the sky she closed her eyes beginning to twirl. Small clouds of dust and dirt got kicked up into the air.
Laughing, it made Sarah catch her sister's enthusiasm. She joined Rebecca in her spirited romp all over the countryside.
A distant rumble caused both women to stop and look behind them. Pitch-black storm clouds were massing all across the sky. The clouds seemed to be moving at a furious pace in their direction. Jagged streaks of lightning sliced through the approaching darkness making them glow menacingly. Thunder shook the ground as the wind rose, whipping their hair.
"I think we'd better do this another day sis!" Sarah yelled, her voice rising above the sound.
"Yeah…this looks bad!" Rebecca agreed.
As the two sisters sprinted in the direction of their rental car, lightning struck the ground somewhere nearby causing both women to cry out in alarm.
"Run Sarah!" Rebecca screamed.
The rain broke with incredible fury, drenching both sisters in a matter of seconds. The wind tore at their clothes as they continue to push toward the car.
In the mad dash to reach the vehicle, Sarah felt her feet slip out from under her sending her body crashing heavily to the ground. Trying to get back up, she fell back writhing in agony, clutching one of her ankles.
When she realized her sister wasn't beside her, Rebecca turned searching for Sarah. Retracing her steps she had to cover her eyes from the driving rain trying desperately to see her. Finally she spotted her on the ground unable to stand. Kneeling beside her, she yelled, "IS IT BROKEN?"
Sarah shook her head; "I DON'T THINK SO! JUST A BAD STRAIN! YOU'LL HAVE TO HELP ME!"
Grabbing her hands, she pulled her sister up before wrapping one arm around her waist. The women struggled forward against the mounting wind. With each step forward, it seemed they were pushed back two steps.
They had only gone a few feet further when a weird buzzing sound filled their ears. Rebecca felt the hair on the back of her neck bristle. She started to ask Sarah if she heard the noise too, when lightning struck the ground a few feet away knocking both of them off their feet. A bright white light blinded Rebecca for a moment before the world around her faded to black.
M7***M7***M7***M7***M7***M7***M7
"So Nathan are they awake yet? Are they gonna be okay?"
"I don't know Buck. I'm still looking them over. Would you please quit hoverin over me? How do you expect me to fix what's ailing them with you doing that?"
"Well I just wanna know if these little gals are gonna be okay!"
"If I had somethin to tell you Buck, I would."
"I know! I know! I was just askin! Why you being so testy?"
"Testy! I'm just tryin to get you out from under my nose. How do ya spec me to help these two if you keep buttin in? So please just back off and I'll give you some news once I have any."
A soft groan brought the men over to one of two small beds in the room. The young woman occupying it stirred…her face contorting with the effort of waking up.
Rebecca could feel her mind floating toward the voices she heard. Slowly she opened her eyes to see a tall handsome black man leaning over her. He sat down on the edge of the bed adjusting a bandage covering her left arm. Staring into his face she saw incredible kindness in their brown depths.
Trying to speak to him, to ask a question, her throat felt raw. It seemed she couldn't make her vocal cords cooperate. Panic gripped her as she reached for her throat.
"Just take it easy, miss. My name's Nathan Jackson. I'm a healer of sorts in this town. You and this other lady must have been close to gettin hit by lightning during that storm. Lucky thing Buck found you. Ain't no telling what woulda happened otherwise."
Rebecca looked in the direction Nathan indicated at a tall, ruggedly handsome man clutching his hat. He smiled tilting his head to her, "Buck Wilmington, Ma'am."
Licking her lips slowly, she struggled again to say something, anything. She became frightened when she failed to produce even a single sound. Finally a half croak, half whisper emerged, "My sister?"
Nathan placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. She's fine."
He helped Rebecca turn her head so she could see Sarah in the bed beside her. She drew a small breath of relief whispering, "Thank God."
The door opened suddenly and a pretty, blonde haired woman stepped into the room carrying a tray of food, "I brought you something to eat Mr. Jackson. I thought you might be hungry."
"Thank you kindly Miz Travis. I'm grateful."
"I see one of your patients is awake. How's she doing?"
"Better I think," he replied. He continued to fuss with Rebecca's bandaged arm.
Mary could see complete confusion spreading over the young woman's face. She needed help and it was evident, "Gentlemen, could you please give me a moment. I think your patient needs the help of another woman."
Buck and Nathan left the room as Rebecca pulled herself into a sitting position. She draped the blanket across her chest and pointed to her backpack on the floor, asking for it with her eyes.
Mary picked up the bag and gave it to Rebecca. She rummaged around inside it for a moment until she found a writing pad and pen. Pulling the items out, she began composing a note.
Mary took a keen interest in the pen that Rebecca was using. She had never seen anything like it. The pack interested her as well. The material felt like leather, but there was something odd about it. She had been curious about the two women ever since Buck had returned to the town with them. She had been the one who had put them to bed noticing the strange clothing they both wore.
One of the women was wearing worn blue jeans and a soft, multi-colored shirt with writing on it. What was the writing…oh yes…it said Gypsy Moon, World Tour 2018. She had no idea what that meant. The other woman had on a dark purple shirt with no sleeves and a long brightly patterned skirt with slits up both sides. Their shoes were odd as well. Mary had no frame of reference to describe them. As a woman, she had never seen anything remotely like their undergarments. So she watched, wanting to learn as much as she could about these two mysterious ladies.
Turning the pad around so Mary could see it, it read, 'Sorry my throat is sore and it's difficult to talk. My name is Rebecca Dannon. My sister's name is Sarah. Where are we and how did we get here?'
Smiling, Mary replied, "My name is Mary Travis. You're in the town of Four Corners. You were found by Mr. Wilmington near Brices Canyon. He's the one who brought you here. What happened to you?"
Rebecca wrote, 'There was a terrible storm and we were trying to get out of it. I think we might have been struck by lightning or it struck somewhere near us. Actually, I'm not real clear on exactly what happened. My mind is still a bit fuzzy. The storm came up so fast that it was on us before we knew it. Is my sister all right?'
Mary nodded, "Yes, she's doing fine. She's just sleeping. Do you have any family nearby that we should contact?"
Rebecca shook her head no. Then wrote on the pad, 'Perhaps you can contact our manager Jack Ramsey. He must be worried sick that Sarah and I have gone missing.'
"Manager?" Mary queried.
'Yes. Sarah and I play in a band…we're singers. Jack is our tour manager.'
"Ah, so you and your sister are entertainers? I'm afraid we don't get as many performers here as we'd like. Four Corners is so far from the rest of the country. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with current trends."
Rebecca stared oddly at Mary. So far from the rest of the country? What could she mean by that?
Rebecca suddenly took notice of how the room was decorated. It was very old fashion and seemed to have a western motif. Also the outfit that Mary wore looked right out of a John Wayne movie. A cold chill swept Rebecca. Where had she and Sarah landed? Could this be the Wild West equivalent of 'Deliverance'? Banjo music began to fill her thoughts for a moment. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
"You must be hungry. I'll bring you something to eat."
Standing, Mary walked toward the door. Turning back around, she asked, "Is there anything special that you would like?"
Shaking her head no, Rebecca watched as Mary left the room. Sliding back under the covers, she turned on her side so she could see her sister. 'Come on, sis! Wake up! We need to talk. Something very weird is happening here!'
Stepping into the hall, Mary approached Buck and Nathan. Both men had been leaning against the opposite wall as she closed the door behind her.
"So how is she, Mrs. Travis?" Buck asked.
"Well, she's obviously confused about what happened and how long the two of them have been here." Looking over her shoulder at the closed door, she continued, "There is something rather odd about those two women, but I can't exactly put my finger on it."
"I felt it too, Miz Travis," Nathan commented as he pursed his lips, "Matter of fact, the older of the two had two sets of earrings in her ears. Did you notice that?"
"Yes, I did. Her name is Rebecca Dannon. Her sister's name is Sarah. She told me that they are entertainers…singers to be exact. I suppose it could be the style back east. Their clothing was strange too. Not the normal things I'm used to seeing women wear."
"Ya'll don't think they're dangerous do you?" Buck questioned, "They look safe enough to me."
Mary shook her head, "No, I don't believe so, but there is something..."
Mary walked away shaking her head as if trying to make herself understand. Nathan and Buck followed.
Rebecca sat up in bed as she heard the three voices outside the door grow distant; 'must have gone off to chat,' she thought. Resting her forehead against the palm of her right hand, she began to massage it. Her head had begun to throb with a dull headache. Not surprising with everything that was going on.
A low moan suddenly emitted from Sarah's bed. Rising, she went over to see to her sister.
Sarah's eyes fluttered open trying to focus on everything around her. "Becky is that you? I can't see you very well. Am I okay?" she mumbled.
"Yeah, you're gonna be fine," Rebecca finally croaked out, "From what I've been told, we must have come real close to getting zapped by lightning. Actually, I'm not sure we didn't. There's something not quite right here."
"What do you mean? Where are we?" Sarah asked sitting up very slowly, "Oh my head. It feels like a big bass drum and someone is pounding it…hard! Do you have any Advil?"
"Yeah, I think so. Hang on," her sister replied. Finding her bag on the floor near her, she rummaged around in it for a couple of seconds before fishing the medicine out and popping the lid. She handed Sarah a couple of pills and took some for herself . Retrieving a glass of water that sat on the table between them, they each took a sip. Just then the door to the room opened as Mary returned holding a tray of food.
"Oh, your sister is awake. That's wonderful. Well I brought enough food for both of you…just in case." Mary noticed the bottle Rebecca held in her hand asking, "What is that?"
"Just a bottle of Advil," Sarah volunteered, "I have a wicked headache."
Setting the tray on the dresser she asked, "May I see it?"
"Sure," Rebecca replied hoarsely as she handed it to Mary.
She took it into her hand staring at it and the label. It felt strange. It wasn't glass and she couldn't see into the container. The printing on the outside had several messages that Mary didn't quite understand. 'Ibuprofen! What was that? And aspirin. What was aspirin?'
Mary handed the bottle back to Rebecca and she dropped it into her sack, "I know you must be hungry. I hope these sandwiches are alright?"
Nodding as she still tried to clear her throat, Rebecca croaked, "Thank you Mrs. Travis. The sandwiches will be just fine."
"Please call me Mary. There's no need to stand on formality."
"Okay Mary," she smiled.
"Oh and I thought you and your sister could use some new clothes. The ones you had on were somewhat damaged. I'll be back with them in a few minutes."
Rebecca went to the door and leaned her ear against it, listening. She put a finger to her lips when she saw Sarah start to speak. When she was sure no one was there, she rasped, "I was just making sure."
"What is going on here, Becky? Why are you acting so weird?" Sarah demanded, "She seemed nice and you are weirding me out with your behavior."
"I know, but didn't you find the way she was dressed a bit strange?" she inquired.
"A little, maybe, but she could be into period clothes,"
Walking over to the window for the first time, she glanced outside. What she saw made her mouth drop open. "Oh My God!" she whispered.
"What is it? What do you see?"
Rebecca's face became pale. She felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach, "This is unbelievable!" she whispered again ignoring Sarah's question.
"Well, what do you see?" Getting agitated, Sarah rose slowly from the bed still feeling wobbly, she limped over to see for herself. The view that met her eyes caused her to gasp. No wonder Rebecca looked stunned.
The window faced down onto a street that looked as if it had been stolen from every old Western movie or TV show she had ever seen. A well-worn dusty main road lay below their window, bordered on both sides by wooden or brick buildings. The sidewalks were also made of wood planks, as were any stairs they saw. Small smoldering fires were spaced along the road at intervals. Hitching posts and horse troughs also lined the street. Men on horseback walked or trotted up and down the dusty street. The people, mostly men, had on old west attire…old west-boots, spurs, gallowses, big slouchy hats. Most men wore gun belts. The few women they spied were garbed like Mary, long dresses of calico or gingham that fit tightly at the waist. Most wore a bonnet or small hat of some kind.
Sarah straighten up giving Rebecca a sideways glance. "Where are we?"
Rebecca continued to stare out the window, but said loud enough for Sarah to hear, "Well I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"
"That's not funny!" Sarah shot back, irritated.
"Wasn't meant to be. I simply meant that wherever we are, we need to be…"
Rebecca stopped suddenly motioning for Sarah to go back to her bed. Sarah limped back quickly as Rebecca grabbed the food tray. Plopping down on the edge of her bed, she handed her sister a sandwich. Taking one for herself, she took a quick bite just as someone knocked gently on the door.
"Come in." she replied hoarsely.
Nathan stepped inside, his hat clutched in his hand. "Miz Travis told me that your sister was awake, so I thought I would see how she's feelin."
Rebecca looked over at her sister. "Sarah, this is Mr. Jackson. He's been looking after us since our arrival."
Nathan dipped his head slightly, "Pleasure miss. I thought I'd take a look at your ankle. I noticed when Buck brought ya'll in that it was swollen. Looks like a nasty sprain. Miz Travis also said your throat was bothering you. I'll brew up some tea that'll take care of that for you."
"Thank you." Rebecca smiled.
As Nathan took the wrappings off Sarah's ankle, Mary returned carrying an armful of clothing.
"I've brought you some new things and some necessities that I thought you ladies could use. I guessed at your sizes, but I think they will do for the time being. If there's anything else you need please don't hesitate to let me know."
Rebecca nodded as she said with some effort, "Thank you Mary, we will. My sister and I really appreciate everyone's kindness."
"Well, we will leave you to yourselves as I'm sure you're both tired. If you need me, I work across the street at the newspaper. My home is also there," Mary explained.
"And my clinic is just down the street," Nathan offered as he re-bandaged Sarah's ankle.
"Thank you again," Sarah added as Nathan and Mary left the room.
Turning to her sister, she gave her a questioning look as the door closed, "They seem nice enough. Admittedly their dress is strange, but I don't see a problem."
Rebecca came over to the dresser looking at all the clothing Mary had placed on lt. Lifting one of the dresses she held it in front of her. She offered up a bemused grin. Arching her eyebrows, she said, "Cute, don't you think?"
Sarah giggled a little, "Oh, it's definitely you."
Limping over to the dresser, Sarah took her turn looking through everything. "You know it could be a cult. They are just into all things cowboy."
Rebecca burst into hoarse laughter at her suggestion. "Who knows maybe you're right. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Sarah stopped her perusal and held up a piece of clothing. Turning toward her sister she asked, "What the hell is this?"
The look on Sarah's face caused Rebecca to start laughing again; "It's a corset, silly. Women use to wear them. It's kinda like the old west equivalent of a panty girdle with a push up bra included."
"Well I'm not gonna wear it. It looks like a torture device."
"I know I'm not happy about it either, but we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. So for the time being we'll do as everyone else does, okay?" Rebecca replied.
Sarah frowned as she looked at the other items Mary had brought. "I don't know how women wore this crazy stuff. It's gonna suffocate me for sure," she mumbled.
Rebecca just giggled as she removed the gown she had on as she began to dress herself. This was definitely going to be one adventure she wouldn't soon forget.
The young singer had no way of knowing how right she really was.
M7***M7***M7***M7***M7***M7***M7
So Mr. Jackson, I understand we have some new arrivals to this dusty quiet little burg of ours. JD tells me that Buck came upon them yesterday," Ezra drawled as he stirred his coffee.
"Yeah, I've been looking after them since yesterday when Buck brought them in. Says he found them during that real nasty storm. Not sure where they're from, but they sure were beat up. One had a sprained ankle, the other a burn on her left arm. Looks like she might have come close to getting struck by lightning," Nathan replied.
Ezra nodded. "Well, Mr. Wilmington felt I should be here to greet our new residents. I have to admit I found it almost impossible to rise this morning. I'm afraid I spent the better part of the evening in a high stakes poker game and..."
Ezra's spiel trailed off as Buck entered the hotel restaurant, a lady on each arm. A huge grin covered his face as he sauntered across the floor with his charges. As they approached the table Josiah, JD, Nathan and Ezra stood to greet them.
"Good morning Gentlemen, I want to introduce you to the newest arrivals in Four Corners. This is Rebecca and Sarah Dannon. Ladies, these are my fellow town protectors. Nathan you know, but the others are, JD Dunne, Josiah Sanchez and Ezra Standish. The others fellas are out of town at the moment. Should be back any day."
Rebecca smiled shyly, "It's very nice to meet everyone. It's been a strange couple of days for my sister and I so you will understand if we seem a bit overwhelmed."
"I would say that is completely understandable Miss Dannon," replied Josiah, "but how did you and your sister come to be in such an out of the way place as Brices Canyon during that violent storm?"
Rebecca motioned for everyone to have a seat before answering, "Please Gentlemen…we didn't mean to interrupt your breakfast. Well Mr. Sanchez…"
"Please call me Josiah."
"All right, Josiah. It wasn't storming when Sarah and I first got there. It was actually a very pleasant day. Beautiful blue sky, a gentle breeze was blowing, but it turned ugly very quickly. I had just discovered the place the day before and had brought Sarah out there to see the area."
"That's right," interjected Sarah.
Rebecca nodded, "Anyway, the storm just came out of nowhere. I don't believe I've ever seen one move that fast."
As Rebecca continued talking she realized that one of the men was staring at her. The one named Ezra…Standish was it? He seemed to be watching her with some interest.
Ezra gazed intently at the taller of the two women. Her long, wavy auburn hair hung almost to her waist and her eyes were a light blue…like the color of a summer sky. When she smiled, dimples would appear at the corners of her mouth and her voice had a soft southern accent, most pleasant to the ear.
Her sister Sarah was also most pleasing. A shade shorter, she too had the same captivating blue eyes, but her hair shone like spun gold. Maybe not as long as her sisters, but it fell in waves around her face, giving her an almost angelic appearance.
Ezra's eyes shifted back to Rebecca. Strong emotions stirred within him. He found himself attracted to this young woman in a way that had never happened to him before. His heart quickened every time she favored him with a smile. There was something very special about her and he wanted to get to know her better...much better. As he was pondering these thoughts he became aware that she had spoken to him.
"Mr. Standish, I've been told that you're a gambler by profession. Are you any good?"
Ezra blinked, "Pardon me?" His green eyes gazed at Rebecca's face.
Blushing slightly, she asked again, "I was just asking if you were any good at your chosen profession?"
"Well I like to think so, Miss Dannon," the gambler replied with a touch of uncharacteristic modestly.
"Well, I'm probably not in your league, but perhaps if you have the time I would love the chance to play a few hands of poker with you."
Sarah giggled, "Rebecca loves to play cards. She's been known to play non-stop for hours. Some of our roadies have refused to play with her anymore because she has a habit of taken all their cash."
Rebecca smiled lowering her eyes.
"Well then, you and I must indeed engage in a game sometime. I would look forward to the challenge."
JD, a puzzled look on his face asked, "Excuse me Miss Sarah, but what's a roadie?"
"Oh sorry, Mr. Dunne, I sometimes forget that not everyone knows the term. They are our road crew. When we're on tour the roadies take care of setting up our equipment and other things." Sarah explained.
"So you ladies are entertainers?" asked Josiah with some interest.
Rebecca nodded, "We're singers."
"Indeed," Ezra smiled looking directly at Rebecca, "then perhaps when you ladies are rested from your ordeal you might favor us with a song or two."
"Sarah and I would be happy to perform for ya'll sometime."
Sarah turned to Rebecca, "You know speaking of performing, we really ought to try and contact Jack. He's probably pulling his hair out with worry."
"Yeah, I thought about that. We really should call him."
Rebecca turned to Ezra, as he was the closest one to her. "Excuse me, Mr. Standish?"
"Ezra, please."
Rebecca smiled, "Ezra…where is the hotel's telephone located? Our room didn't seem to have one so I thought there might be one in the lobby."
"Telephone?" he seemed puzzled by her question. "Well I don't know what a telephone is, but the Telegraph Office is just down the street. It would be my pleasure to escort you there, Miss Dannon.
"Alright," she replied somewhat mystified, "but only if you call me Rebecca."
Ezra offered up a huge smile showing his gold tooth. Rebecca smiled back, unable to take her eyes off his handsome face. He was dressed differently than the other four men and it continued to draw her attention toward him. He wore a bright red jacket, a dark brocade vest, black striped pants and black Panama hat. He also sported a white ruffled shirt with a cravat. His hair was a bright chestnut color and he had the most beautiful green eyes. She also realized there was something so familiar about him. She knew they had never met before, yet…
"Well if you don't mind, Mr. Stan - Ezra, could you take me over there now?"
"I am at your service," he replied as he stood. He pulled out Rebecca's chair and helped her to rise, then offered her his arm.
Rebecca grinned at Sarah mouthing the words 'OH MY GOD!' before turning back to him.
Guiding her out the door and into the warm morning air, a gentle breeze stirred small pockets of dust across the main street. As they strolled down the plank walkway, Ezra made casual conversation about gambling and games of chance.
Listening to him speak, she began to feel extremely comfortable in his presence considering they had just met. He was so charming and his accent reminded her of home.
"So Ezra, what part of the south are you from?"
"I come from many areas, but originally I am from South Carolina. And you my dear, from whence do you hail?"
"Well I guess you could say we're neighbors. Sarah and I are from North Carolina. That's where our father and mother are now. We have two older brothers, but they live in Chicago and St Paul, respectively."
"Well might I ask what inspired you lovely ladies to become chanteuses?" Ezra drawled.
Rebecca beamed at him. She loved the way this man spoke. "Our father is a composer, so Sarah and I have been around music all our lives. I think it was only natural that we would go into the music field."
"Indeed! Well it would seem to be an inevitable result of such an upbringing. Are your brothers also musicians?"
"No, they decided on different career paths. Sarah and I are the musical siblings in the family."
Ezra nodded. "Well, here we are. Let us get your message sent and then return and finish our breakfast repast. I would really like to hear more about the music industry. It must be a very lucrative endeavor."
Rebecca tilted her head favoring Ezra with a dimpled smile that made his heart race.
Lord, this woman was incredible. He almost felt like a giddy schoolboy around her. Holding the door to the telegraph office for her, he waited for Rebecca to enter then he walked inside behind her.