I look out the back of the caboose, feet dangling from the step, and smile at Duet who waves at me from the front seat of the SUV. She's following us closely, the rails making a much better path for the truck than the damaged roadways. Poppy perches beside her, the two puppies bounding around inside the cab and a flash of old fear hits me. She needs to be wearing a seat belt! And the puppies should be harnessed. Then my anxiety fades and I laugh.

There are more dangerous ...