The Great Southwest by Rail Excerpt

For a moment Ina just stared at the 1921 copyright date in the front of the book she had purchased in the Harvey House store. A fitting souvenir, the book had pictures of Hopis, and Apaches, and the Grand Canyon she had only heard of. "Between La Hunta and Trinidad, Colorado, may be seen the Spanish Peaks, beautiful twin mountains, many miles distant. During the entire year their summits are covered with snow except a few weeks in the last summer. These peaks are 13,700 feet high and are located at the end of the Culebra range. They are the first of the Rocky Mountains to be seen as the traveler enters the southwest." Ina read on the first photo and looked out the window to see the Spanish Peaks distant rising majestic out of the flat plains.

The door burst open suddenly closing as quickly behind the intruder. "Her family will find me."

She couldn't keep from grinning. "You refuse to marry her I suppose."

"Now you will criticize me as well and I've not even met the woman. We just started talking in the observation car since we were both from Germany originally. Now they're trying to arrange a marriage since all good German men are supposed to marry young virginal German girls. I draw the line at 16 year olds."

"Ah. Then have a seat."

His grin joined hers. "You aren't German are you?"

"Swedish." Ina replied. He sat behind the only shade drawn to keep him from sight of the fiendish German parents. The frightfully handsome man sat across from her, grinning a grin that she wasn't sure her parents wanted her to see. Then again, she wasn't at home, her parents weren't there to see. Strong chiseled features, tall . . . she pulled her eyes away before he caught her inspecting the bulge in his pants. "Whatever shall we do now? Should I call for some coffee?"

His eyebrows lifted slowly. "I think I liked your first idea better."