He nudged her and nodded to the front of the room. She realized that while she was gawking, their hostess had begun her talk.
“Welcome, everyone. I’m Jenny. I’ll be your hostess for this trip. If you need anything, look for me, or for one of our service staff members. You’ll recognize them by the lapel pins they wear.” She held up a shining pin. Even from the back, Joy recognized it as the train company’s logo.
Jenny went over some housekeeping details and meal schedules. “Our dining rooms are large, but not enormous. You’ll be given a schedule of your assigned mealtimes. There are always snacks in the lounge car, and you can request food at any time. Remember, this is an all-expense paid trip for the contest participants.” She paused. “And for the family members that accompany them.”
There were only four other children that Joy could see. Two looked to be about twelve, and two were toddlers. Nobody close to Chantal’s age. Maybe there were other children onboard who weren’t involved in the contest. She sighed. It would be okay; this was the perfect time to bond with her daughter, and their information package had mentioned daily activities.
“Now, onto the contest.” Jenny rubbed her hands together and grinned. “This is going to be so much fun.” She looked around the car. “As you know, first prize is twenty-five thousand American dollars. Second prize is ten thousand. The funds will be donated to the winner’s pre-approved charity.”
Since Joy’s application had been accepted, she assumed that paying off her daughter’s medical bills met the contest’s criteria. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to God, and to the Spirit of Christmas, that she’d have what it took to win. Working two jobs was taking away from her family time, and lord knows she’d love an evening all to herself with no other commitments.
“As you know, you’ll be assigned a task to complete during the course of the journey.” Everyone nodded. “What you might not know is that you’ll complete your task with a partner. Everyone has been paired up by our benefactor.”
“Who is the benefactor?” someone up front called out.
“Can we choose our own partner?” A deep male voice asked.
“Our benefactor wishes to remain anonymous.” Jenny adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses. “You will work with the person you are assigned. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.”
“I hope I’m paired up with someone good.” Seth’s whisper danced along Joy’s nerves. He had the greatest voice. Deep and husky, it did something delicious to her insides and set off a chain of longing that she hadn’t felt for years.
“Me too,” she whispered back, silently hoping to be paired with someone who wouldn’t have an issue with her daughter’s limitations.
Joy raised her hand.
“Yes, there in the back?” Jenny peered over her round gold-rimmed glasses.
“What if you don’t have the same charity?”
“We’ll discuss that problem if it crops up for the winners.”
“Will we be paired with someone with the same charity?” Joy asked nervously. She needed this money so danged badly.
“Not necessarily. Our benefactor has done the pairing. There will be no disputing your partner. Remember, this is about charity. It’s about fun. It’s about the magic of Christmas, and the fullest enjoyment of all the season offers.” Jenny went over a few more rules, all of which had been outlined on the contest’s entry form.
“As you can see,” she waved toward the window. Across a snow-covered field, brilliant white-capped mountains seemed to glow in the sunshine. “We’ve passed out of Denver. Please enjoy the scenery and take advantage of the many offerings on our train. Get to know your fellow passengers. This is a wonderful time to make new friends. You will be notified of who you are paired up with shortly.”
“Wow,” Seth said. “That left as many questions as answers.”
“I wonder how they plan to pair us up. I wonder what the tasks are,” Joy mused.
“And when we’ll know who our partner is. What’s your charity?” Seth asked.
Heat flooded Joy’s face. She hated to admit that she was the charity. “The Cerebral Palsy Association.” A partial truth. They’d get what was left over after she paid the medical bills. “You?”
“The Alberta Children’s Hospital’s burn unit.” His brows pinched together, and the corners of his lips turned down.
“That’s a great charity. Nice choice. Does it have special meaning for you?” she asked as people filed out past them.
“I’d rather not discuss it. Have a wonderful trip.” He nodded briskly and walked away. He took a seat near the front of the car and stared out the window.
She snorted in disgust. What was with him? She reviewed their brief conversation. The burn unit kept repeating in her mind. He must have lost someone. How tragic was that? Compassion flooded her heart. Seth Mathison was a man who needed a bit of care, and she hoped he found it. And she hoped he wasn’t her partner for the contest.
Chapter Three
SethignoredthebrightChristmas decorations precisely placed around the observation car and stared out the window at the snowy fields passing by. He’d never been to Denver. This was his first trip to the U.S. that didn’t involve Texas or Florida. The landscape here was so much like Calgary, it almost made him homesick. He chuckled at the idea. He’d only left home yesterday. How could he miss it already?
“Can I sit here?”
