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three of the others into a game of pinochle or poker.

"You play pinochle?" he asked Matt.

"And canasta, hearts, bridge - whatever you want."

"I wouldn't mind playing," Nick volunteered.

"Come to think of it, I've got an old card table in the back room," Kemper said when he returned with the cards. "And a couple of chairs, too, if you need 'em. I should have thought of this earlier. You folks must be bored out of your minds."

A fourth man joined them, and with a little rearranging they soon had the table set up. That was followed by the sound of cards being shuffled and the occasional scrape of a chair as they settled down to a friendly game of pinochle.

Kelly Berry's arms ached from holding the baby. The carrier seat was still on the train, but she hadn't asked Nick to bring it in. He'd already gone outside once and seemed reluctant to venture into the storm again. Besides, he was busy playing cards.

Kelly wondered, not for the first time, if they'd ever adjust to parenthood. The whole experience was so...different from what she'd expected. Desperately longing for a child of their own, they'd dreamed and hungered to the point that Kelly felt their marriage would be incomplete without a family. Now, after three months with a fussy, colicky infant, she was ready to admit her spirits were the lowest they'd been in years.

She'd always believed a baby would bring her and Nick closer together. The baby would be a living symbol of their love and commitment to each other, the culmination of their marriage. Instead, Brittany seemed to have driven a wedge between them. Not long ago their world had revolved entirely around each other; these days, it revolved around Brittany. Caring for the baby demanded all their energy, all their time.

Her arms tightened around her daughter, and a surge of love filled her heart. She and Nick felt overwhelmed because this was so new, Kelly told herself. In a few months everything would be easier - for both of them. While confident of Nick's love, Kelly knew he found it difficult to deal with the changes that had come into their marriage since the adoption.

"Would you like me to hold the baby for a while?" The older woman sat down next to her. "I'm Cathy Norris. You must be exhausted."

"Kelly Berry." She hesitated. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all," Cathy said, taking the sleeping infant from her arms. She gazed down at Brittany and smiled. "She's certainly beautiful, and her little red outfit is delightful."

"Thank you," Kelly said, truly grateful. She'd enjoyed dressing Brittany for the holiday season. She could've spent a fortune if Nick had let her, but her ever-practical husband had been the voice of reason. Not that he wasn't guilty of spoiling their daughter.

"She certainly resembles your husband."

Kelly glowed with happiness. "I think so, too."

With an ease that Kelly envied, Cathy Norris held Brittany against her shoulder, gently rubbing her back. Brittany shifted her head to one side and her tiny mouth made small sucking sounds. Once more Kelly's heart stirred with love.

She felt someone's gaze and glanced up to find Nick watching her. When he realized he had her attention, he smiled. His eyes softened as he looked at their daughter.

They would be all right, Kelly thought. This was their dream; it was just that after waiting and planning all these years, they hadn't been quite as ready for the reality as they'd assumed.

Clayton Kemper walked out of the station and returned almost immediately, a shovel in his hand. "Good news!" he shouted.

Every head in the room shot up, every face alight with expectation, Kelly's included. Some people were already on their feet, reaching for bags of colorfully wrapped gifts.

"The storm's died down. It's stopped snowing."

"Does that mean we can get out of here any sooner?" Matt McHugh demanded.

"Well, it's bound to help the repair crew."

The happy anticipation sank to the pit of Kelly's stomach. Oh, please, she prayed, don't let us end up spending our first Christmas with Brittany stuck in a train depot. Don't let this be our Christmas.

CAN THIS BE CHRISTMAS? Chapter Five

"O Christmas Tree"

T he news that the snow had stopped falling should have cheered Len Dawber, but it didn't. Instead, his mood took an immediate dive. He'd figured that with the storm passing, the train would leave soon. It didn't appear to be the case.

His interest in the card game died and he got up to give his seat to someone