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“I thought you wanted me down at the dam site.” Aaron hadn’t expected his boss to be so enthusiastic about his leaving. Or maybe he had, and that was the reason he had said nothing about it the first time Daniel begged him to quit his job.
“I’ll put Stevens on it. He can manage something thatsimple. You’re better needed working alongside Garcia. We need him, Bailey. We need to keep him happy, and we need him making decisions that serve our purpose. Go back to Silver Veil and stay for a time. I’ll get in touch with you if I need you.”
“What about my salary? I still need money to live on.”
“You’ll continue to draw your pay for now. Obviously, once you’re on Garcia’s payroll, you needn’t be on ours. I’ll send the checks to you at the Silver Veil depot. This is important, and you need to keep everything running smoothly. The last thing I need is for that man to die and his widow to cancel out everything he’s done or plans to do. We need you to keep the projects focused and moving forward. Encourage Garcia on the Engle project. Perhaps even get him to travel with you to the site. This will greatly benefit him as well as the railroad.”
“It’s hard to care about financial benefits when you’re dying, sir. The trip to Santa Fe was hard on him. I doubt he has another trip in him.”
“If he dies, how will things be managed?”
“That’s what he wants me to do.” Aaron had known it would be a mistake to mention anything about Daniel’s desires to have him take over managing his estate. Now he was getting pressure from both sides.
“With you in charge, we could count on you to work with the Santa Fe exclusively. You already understand railroad business.” The superintendent’s expression was full of surprised excitement. It didn’t matter to him that Garcia was dying. He wasn’t close to Daniel like Aaron was.
“If I quit to help Mr. Garcia, I will keep the family’s needs and desires in mind first. Just as I mentioned earlier.”
“Of course, of course. But serving our needs will benefit his family.”
Aaron really couldn’t argue that point. If he were to convince Daniel to invest in building up another town near the new dam, it would eventually pay for itself and bring additional profit to the family.
“I want you to do this, Bailey. At least for now. Garcia may have another arrangement in mind for after his death, but while he’s alive and wants you at his side, I believe that’s where you should be.
“Yes, sir.” Aaron knew he’d lost this battle. He also knew it was Garcia’s fondest wish that Aaron continue to manage his estate after he was gone. It didn’t look like Aaron would have any say about it.
The noon whistle blew, and Aaron left the offices and headed to one of the nearby cafés. He had planned only to grab a quick lunch, but when he saw Jim was seated in the back, he made his way through the room to join him.
“Didn’t figure to find you here. Thought you were in El Paso,” Aaron said, taking a seat at the table.
“Got back late last night on a freight. How’d things go in Santa Fe?”
“Turned out better than I expected.” The waitress approached, and Aaron and Jim gave their orders before the conversation continued. “We had a pleasant day even though Mr. Garcia asked me to escort his daughter.”
“You had to be with her the entire day?” Jim grinned and took a drink of his root beer.
The waitress returned with coffee for Aaron and the promise that their meals would be out soon. Aaron sipped the black brew and grimaced at the strength.
“You should have gone with root beer,” Jim admonished. “You know how strong they make the coffee here.”
“I know. I guess I just keep expecting a different outcome.”
“Kind of like Mr. Garcia.”
“Huh?”
Jim laughed. “He keeps expecting a different outcome from you. He keeps after you, hoping to wear you down and get you to take over his job and family. Did you ever think that maybe this is God’s plan for you, Aaron? You claim to be praying about it.”
“My supervisor just told me to forget about my work with the Santa Fe even though they’ll keep me on the payroll until Daniel starts paying me. They want me to go to Silver Veil to see what Garcia’s job offer entails.”
“See? I’d say you’ve gotten your answer from God.”
“Or at least the Santa Fe.”
Jim laughed all the more. “Down here, they’re nearly one and the same.”
Aaron stepped off the train in Silver Veil and glanced around the little town. Daniel Garcia had taken a desolate spot in the mountains and turned it into an oasis. The people here seemed happy. No doubt there were problems, just as there were everywhere, but Aaron hadn’t heard of anything major. There’d never been a murder or a bank robbery.
He supposed part of the reason was the town’s isolation. A person traveling on the main line from Albuquerque to El Paso would have to take the spur line up into the mountains. The train to Silver Veil only operated one day a week unless the Santa Fe had a special request or need. So it wasn’t like people might accidentally wander into town. They really had to want to be here.
