The Christmas Train (29 page)

He held the card up to the light and studied it. It was a SAG card, a Screen Actors Guild membership card, with the name Steve Samuels on it. Tom quickly looked through the rest of the wallet. He found Steve’s driver’s license—his California driver’s license—and the picture confirmed that it was Steve, of Steve and Julie, only he wasn’t a student at George Washington; he was twenty-eight years old and a dues-paying member of the Actors Guild.

Ironically, the Southwest Chief pulled into the beautiful Art Deco Los Angeles Union Passenger Train Terminal a few minutes ahead of its revised schedule.

Herrick Higgins was met by several senior Amtrak executives, who congratulated him and thanked him for his heroics. Then he was offered his old position back, riding the rails troubleshooting, an offer he accepted on the spot.

Max Powers got off and answered lots of reporters’ questions. He looked over to where Roxanne and the boys’ choir were doing the same.

“Hey,” he called to Roxanne. “I’ll be in touch, count on it.”

She smiled. “I am, baby, I am.”

Then he and a group of passengers, including Kristobal, Lelia, and Misty, left the station and got into a stretch limousine waiting for them outside.

As the driver went to get their luggage, inside the limo Max took out three envelopes and handed them one by one to Steve, Julie, and the minister. Then he popped a bottle of champagne and poured out glasses of the bubbly for all.

“Good job, guys,” said Max. “You’ll all be in my next picture. Who knows, maybe it’ll be about the train.”

Misty said, “Max, when you told me what you’d done I couldn’t believe it.”

“Well, sweetie, though I’d known you only a short time, I knew you could keep a secret, for the right reasons.”

“True love,” she said wistfully.

“ Youcouldn’t believe it,” said Lelia. “How do you think I felt? Max Powers calls me after all these years and asks for a favor. Some favor, to fly out to Kansas City and pretend to propose. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d accepted.”

“I knew my man, Lelia. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t.”

“Pretty sure!”

“I had to make certain he really didn’t love you and you didn’t love him.”

“Of course not, especially after the Erik incident.”

Kristobal gave a sympathetic nod. “A lady needs to be pampered. And from now on, that’s my job, kitten.”

She patted him on the arm.

Max beamed. “You’re a fine actress. And see what you gained from my little plan.”

“You never told me you had contacted Lelia and included her in the plan,” said Kristobal. “I had no idea who she was until she told me her name.”

“I’m a man who has this insatiable need to surprise people,” replied Max.

“What part were you playing, Max?” Lelia asked.

Misty said, “Why, Max Powers, of course.”

Max smiled. “Like Olivier and Hamlet, it’s my greatest role.”

“You were right, by the way, sir: He asked me about the booking dates and then, as you predicted, he went to Regina.”

“He’s a world-class reporter, Kristobal; he wouldn’t take your word for it. That’s why I had Regina in on it.”

“And you did all this for Eleanor?” asked Misty. “And she doesn’t know about any of it?”

Max nodded. “Not a thing. Eleanor is the daughter I never had. I’d do anything for her. As long as I’ve known her, she hasn’t been truly happy. I knew there was something in her past. Now, she never told me his name, but I did some snooping and found out that Tom Langdon was the big loose end in her life. She couldn’t go forward until she knew it was either over or they were finally going to get married. So I’ve been tracking the guy for about six months. When he booked this trip it was a perfect opportunity for me, because I really wanted to do a train film.”

“And the wedding?” asked Misty.

“What better way to make people who should have gotten married rethink what might have been than to put them in a wedding together? So Julie is from the same sort of place Eleanor is from, and Tom reads Steve the riot act after he starts to waver on his decision. That was a good twist, because it may as well have been Tom saying all the things he was feeling. Of course, that was all planned. Every time Tom and Eleanor had a blowup, we had a plan ready.”

Kristobal said wearily, “And they had lots of blowups. It was draining, keeping up with them the whole trip.”

“You did good, Kristobal. And I’m not cutting your pay. Happy Holidays.”

“That’s a lot of details you covered, Max,” said Misty.

“I’m a director, sweetie. My whole life is details.”

“Uh, sir, you didn’t somehow order up the avalanche, did you?” Kristobal wanted to know.

“Hey, even I’m not that good.”

There was a rap on the window.

“Must be the luggage,” said Max. He rolled the window down. Tom leaned in and looked at them all.

Max said nervously, “Hey there, Tom. Just giving the newlyweds a ride to their honeymoon palace.”

“I’m sure,” said Tom. He handed Steve his wallet. “You dropped it in the shower. Your driver’s license and SAG card are in there. Figured you’d need them.”

“Tom,” said Max, “I can explain.”

Tom held up a hand. “I only have one thing to say to you.”

Max drew back. “What’s that?”

“Thank you.” Tom shook hands with Max and then looked around at everyone. “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,” he said.

He walked away from the limo and found Eleanor, who was with their bags and watching him curiously.

“Who was in the limo?” she asked when he reached her.

Tom turned and glanced back at the car pulling off. He looked back at Eleanor.

“Santa Claus,” he answered.

“Santa Claus? Right. We’re a little old to believe in Santa Claus.”

He put his arm around her as they walked off. “Well, around Christmas, it can be a good thing to believe in magic. You never know, your wish just might come true.”