**Readers, if you've read my stories before, you know how I enjoy your help. Please, if you see any errors, don't be afraid to point them out to me. Thanks!

1868

For the first time in Jessica Simone's life, she was... free!

The rattle of the train, and the whistle blowing as her transportation slowly pulled into the station, didn't bother her at all. In fact, the noise made her more anxious for the train to stop so that she could begin her new life. In another hour or so, she'd enter the largest hospital in Bennington, Vermont, and start her position as a nurse.

Pride had Jessica puffing her chest and grinning. She'd been attending the Harrow School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland, and with her certificate in hand, she was ready to show everyone that she was ready to fulfill her lifelong dream. She especially, wanted her father to see her succeed.

The enthusiasm inside of her waned slightly. She was the second daughter in a family of six children. Her father owned a lumber mill, and they were considered one of the more prominent families in Virginia. Because her father could buy his way in life, he tried to convince Nurse Clara Burton to send Jessica back home to work in one of the hospitals in Jessica's hometown. Thankfully, Clara couldn't be bought, and along with Jessica's plea, the nurse sent her to Vermont.

Jessica couldn't rely on her father any longer. His idea of a daughter who obeys was one who did what he wanted, which was marry a wealthy man in the community. Thankfully, her mother had encouraged her to use the knowledge Jessica had learned from her mother's family about healing people, which was why Jessica went to school. However, she would never convince her father that she'd made the right decision.

The train jerked to a stop, and she sprang from her seat, determined. True, she was an unmarried woman about to embark on something that most young women only dreamed about, but Jessica had confidence everything would work out.

Keeping her hand tightly clutching her satchel, she exited the train. The platform was busy with people leaving, and as she made her way to collect her trunk, several people bumped into her. After apologizing to the first ten strangers without hearing anything in reply, she held her tongue. There was no use wasting her breath on impolite people that only thought of themselves.

A man wearing dirty, and very baggy, clothes headed her way. She knew nobody from the hospital would meet her at the station, so she didn't know why the stranger peered her way with a narrowed gaze. His bushy beard and long hair hid most of his facial features, and of course, his baggy clothes made it impossible to see what he truly looked like.

Just as he neared, she sidestepped him, not wanting to converse with this pathetic man. But, as he passed, he grasped her satchel and tried to yank it from her. She stumbled, almost losing her grip. She didn't think he'd have that much strength, so she fought back. The man, however, wasn't about to let go.

Gasping, she glanced around to see if anyone else was noticing that he was trying to steal from her, but just as before, everyone was busy in their own thoughts to care about anyone else, least of all, a woman who was getting robbed.

Well, she wasn't about to let him win. She'd been raised with four brothers, and this man would be sorry for crossing her.

Using all of her strength, she aimed her foot perfectly, connecting her booted heel to the middle of one of his shins. She knew right where to kick a person to make them crumble. It worked. He lost his footing and tripped. Unfortunately, his hold hasn't loosened on her satchel as she'd wanted. He would learn quickly that she didn't admit defeat very well.

Jessica bunched her hand into a fist and let it fly – straight toward his pointy nose. The moment it connected, the sound of breaking bones filled the air, but the noise hadn't come from her fist. Blood gushed out of his nose immediately. He finally released her satchel so that he could cover his nose. He glared at her through watery eyes before grumbling and running away.

She brushed her hand over her stylish jacket and skirt before patting her ringlets, making sure they were all in order. Lifting her chin, and tightening her fingers around the handle of the satchel, she walked to retrieve her trunk.

The hustle and bustle of the crowd claiming their baggage took approximately thirty minutes. Then it took another ten minutes to find a conveyance in which to take her and her trunk to the hospital.

Nurse Clara Barton had assured Jessica that there was a housing establishment for young ladies very near the hospital, and that Jessica could find a place to stay. During her ride, she sat on the edge of her seat, looking at every building they passed. She was shocked to see three saloons. It wouldn't surprise the saloon's patrons visited the hospital quite often.

Finally, she eyed the two-story, red-bricked building. The sign above it read: STONERIDGE BOARDING HOUSE. The lacy curtains on the windows and the petunias along the walk gave it a welcoming feeling. Her heart jumped with excitement. She would love it here, she was certain.

Three doors down was the hospital, shaped in an adobe structure. She'd been told about this place during her train ride. Bennington's St. Mark's Hospital was the first in town to have ten rooms. During the war, the medical care was almost non-existent. At the end of the war, this hospital was set up. From what Nurse Clara told Jessica, there were four male doctors and only two female nurses. She would be the third nurse.

The wagon stopped, and the older man helped unload her trunk. She paid him before taking her baggage up to the front door. Her heartbeat pounded with each step. Just as she reached the door, hurried footsteps rushed up in back of her. She didn't have time to look behind her, but suddenly, a man's arm covered with the material from his gray suit jacket, reached out and opened the door for her.

Finally, when she turned and looked at him, she nearly lost her breath. He was so handsome, so much more than the men she'd seen in Maryland when she had attended nursing school. The tall man was clean shaven, and as she stared into his big, brown eyes, she realized they were sparkling.

"Why, thank you, kind sir." She gave him her best energetic smile.

He tipped his hat. "You are very welcome, miss."

"I'm Miss Jessica Simone," she quickly said. As she realized he hadn't asked for her name, embarrassment climbed on her face. "I mean... I'm new to town."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Simone. If you're new to town, then you probably aren't living here, yet."

"No, sir. But I plan on changing that fact very soon."

He nodded toward the door. "Mrs. Gladys is a very sweet lady. You will like her, I'm sure."

"Thank you." He opened the door for her. As she proceeded inside, he quickly took her heavy trunk. "Let me carry this for you."

She didn't mind at all. It was rather refreshing having a handsome man assisted her – not that she needed help, of course. But she found that when men discovered her career choice, they didn't treat her like a lady.

Inside the boarding house was just as welcoming. The place was decorated with maroons and deep browns, with touches of yellow and black. The place seemed quiet at two o'clock in the afternoon. Perhaps everyone was at their place of employment.

A middle-aged woman with salt and pepper colored hair, bustled into the room, holding a stack of towels. When she saw Jessica, the woman's eyes widened, glancing over her from the top of her ringlet hair, down to her black booted heels. The woman's face glowed as she neared Jessica.

"Hello. May I help you?"

Jessica nodded. "I'm hoping you can rent me a room."

"Certainly." She glanced at the man and her smile stretched wider. "Good day, Hugh."

"Good day, Gladys." He set Jessica's trunk down and nodded. "And I hope you have a good stay."

"Thank you, sir."

As the man walked away, she literally had to force herself not to stare at him with her mouth agape as drool rested on her lip. Swallowed hard, she faced the owner of the boarding house. "My name is Jessica Simone. I'm going to work as a nurse."

The woman blinked rapidly, even though her eyes were wide. "A nurse? Why... that's an odd profession, don't you think?"

Jessica shook her head. "Not at all. I've always wanted to help sick people."

Gladys' shrugged. "Well, to each his own, I suppose." She turned and started heading slowly down a hallway. "You arrived at a good time. I only have one room available. I think it will be the perfect size for you."

Jessica glanced in the direction where the man named Hugh had gone, but she didn't see him. That man couldn't possibly live here, could he? She'd thought this was just a boarding house for women.

She followed Gladys until they entered a room. It was smaller than Jessica had hoped for, but then, at least it wasn't the barn. A nice bed with clean blankets and a white and blue quilt lay over the mattress. There was a dresser and a wash basin and pitcher resting on top. Hanging on the wall was a large mirror, but there wasn't anything fancy about it. And lastly, one wooden chair was placed near the window. It would do.

Jessica met Gladys' questioning gaze. "I'll take it."

"Good." Gladys nodded. "I serve breakfast promptly at eight every morning, and dinner promptly at seven." Gladys stepped back and motioned her head down the hallway. "The very last door on the left is the bathroom. Please remember there are five other people living in this house, so taking long soaks in the tub wouldn't do."

A tub? Jessica wanted to shout with happiness. The nursing school wouldn't let them use their tub very often. Already, this place was Heaven.

"That sounds wonderful." Jessica nodded. "Rent is due the first of every month."

"Of course."

"And I'm sure you'll like the other girls here. They all have prestigious jobs."

Although it was on the tip of Jessica's tongue to ask, she didn't dare. After all, she received the impression that the older woman didn't feel that nursing was a prestigious job – at least not for a woman.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Gladys asked.

"Um, no... Well, I suppose I'll need to know when curfew is. Since I don't know my work schedule at the hospital, I'm not sure when I'll be home at night."

"I'll give you a key." Gladys winked. "Then if you come home after ten at night, just be quiet going to your room."

Jessica nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of being noisy."

"Then I'll go back to restocking the bathroom—"

"Oh, Gladys. One more question, if you don't mind." Jessica really shouldn't ask, but then, she had always been a curious girl. If she didn't get her answers soon, she'd try finding them herself.

"What is it that you'd like to know?"

"Um... Hugh?" Jessica motioned to where she'd last seen him. "He doesn't live here, does he?"

Gladys chuckled. "I'm sure our ladies would love him too, but no. He comes here to visit his mother who is our cook."

Although she should be relieved there wasn't a handsome man living on the premises, she was almost disappointed that she might see him very often. Then again, it all depended on her schedule at work.

"Thank you," Jessica said as she placed her satchel and trunk on the bed. Once she was finished unpacking, then she'd hurry to the hospital.

It didn't take long to hang her dresses and put her under-garments in the drawers. But as she placed her hair brush and combs on top of the drawer next to the wash basin, she realized this space might be too squishy to put her framed miniature picture of the man she loved, Wyatt Ryker. It had been three years since the end of the war, and three years of waiting and watching for her missing soldier to return home.

Sadly enough, she wasn't the only woman grieving an unmarked grave. There had been too many casualties, and even more men that had gone missing. But in her heart, Wyatt would always have a spot. She felt he was alive, and she's hold tightly to her belief that one day, he'd come back into her life and they would get married, just as they'd dreamed of doing since they were knee-high to a grasshopper.

She lifted the framed miniature out of her trunk, which was one of the last items she had to unpack. As she stared at the man's black-and-white photo, she recalled his wavy light-brown hair, his melting blue eyes, and his adorable smile. She'd never forget his infectious laugh, or the way he loved to tease her. When he'd left to join the war, the was two inches taller than her, but she was certain he'd grown so much since then.

Sighing, she placed his framed miniature on the window seal, thankful that there was enough room to hold it. His photo wasn't by her bed as she'd wanted, but at least she could continue to look at it every morning as she awoke, and every night before going to bed.

And of course, in her prayers, she'd remember to ask the Lord if her beloved could finally return home.

However, she'd been praying every night, and nothing had happened. So, either the Lord didn't want to answer her, or... Wyatt was truly dead.