Nick had blond hair and a big smile on his face. A talland familiar-looking man followed him, along with one of the most beautiful women Hailey had ever seen. The leads in her show spent hours in hair and makeup to look half as good as this person just wandering around the market. She was glad they weren’t here now.
“Hey, Jacob,” Ransom said.
“Jacob Cassidy,” Hailey said quietly, realizing that was why she knew the man.
“Hi, Ransom,” Jacob said with his signature twinkly eyed smile. “Hey, Hailey. This is my wife Hope and our son, Nick.”
“Nice to meet you, Hope,” Ransom said. “This is Hailey, and these are my kids, Mae and Travis, who it looks like Nick already knows.”
“We’re friends at school,” Travis said, looking up at his dad. “We’re in the same class.”
“Andthe same recess,” Nick added.
“Did you guys just get here?” Jacob asked.
“I had some work to get done this morning,” Ransom said, nodding.
“I can’t believe Hope has off today,” Ransom said. “She’s normally on the radio, especially this time of year.”
“No way,” Hailey said in wonder. “Are you Ho-ho-Hope Holiday?”
“Guilty as charged,” Hope laughed. “And now I can open my mouth and sayyou’re BeeBee Evans.”
“Well, IwasBeeBee Evans,” Hailey said, smiling. “Now I’m just a neighbor again. But thanks for watching. I had fun doing the show.”
“You’re a braver woman than I am,” Hope said,shaking her head. “I was terrified to go on air at first, and it’s only radio, where no one can see me.”
“Their loss, honey,” Jacob said, and laughed out loud when she elbowed him and rolled her eyes. “We were going to go get some lunch. Would you like to join us?”
“Please, Dad,” Travis said. “Please, please,please?”
“But I want to watch the train,” Mae said, her eyes still locked on the engine as it passed.
“Why don’t you guys go ahead,” Hailey suggested. “Mae and I will join you in a minute.”
“Yes,”Travis said.
“You sure?” Ransom asked her.
“Of course,” she told him. “You and Jacob can catch up on old times and we’ll get our fill of the train set before we come over.”
“All right,” he said. “Did you want anything particular to eat?”
“Surprise me,” she said.
He winked again, and she turned as quickly as she could to Mae.
“When I grow up, I want one,” Mae said softly.
“A train set?” Hailey asked.
“No,” Mae said. “A train to drive.”
“You would be a good train conductor, I think,” Hailey told her. “I’ll bet you’d get everyone where they’re going safely and on time. Do you like to ride on the train?”
“It’s too little,” Mae pointed out.
“No,” Hailey said. “I mean the real train, the one that comes through Trinity Falls and goes all the way to the city.”
