The Witch's Christmas Wish (Miracle Express, #9)

by Rebecca Lovell

  The Witch’s Christmas Wish

  Miracle Express, Book 9

  Rebecca Lovell

  ~

  Frozen Flame Press

  COPYRIGHT 2019 REBECCA LOVELL

  Cover design by Victoria Miller

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

  For the Other Rebecca. Here’s another EL book just for you!

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Author Note

  About the Author

  Prologue

  New York City, 1900

  “Can I play with your trains?” The little girl in the sailor dress looked down at her brother, and he nodded up at her with a grin.

  “Uh-huh! You can help me make a track!” The boy had the same sparkling blue eyes as his sister, and the same honey-brown hair. The only difference was that his hair was mostly straight, and hers tended to have curls in it. It was almost like looking in a mirror; there were a few differences here and there but it wasn’t hard to tell that they were born minutes apart instead of years. “Here, Sissy.” He handed her a train and she marveled at it as she sat down.

  Terra Rendon was fascinated by trains, even at five years old. She wished she could take the toy trains apart and put them back together but they were mostly solid and far too difficult to open. Not to mention the fact that it would break her brother Tommy’s heart to see it in pieces. Instead, she picked up sections of the metal track and started to fit them together to make an interesting pattern while Tommy set up rail stations and coal cars.

  Playing together was one of their favorite things to do on a lazy Sunday when the sun was behind the clouds and snow was accumulating on the ground. Once it stopped, they would put on their clothes and go outside to play. For now, though, they just wanted to set up Tommy’s trains.

  “How are my two favorite children?” A man’s booming voice filled the nursery and the twins looked up to see their father towering over them. Abandoning the track but not the train Tommy had handed her, Terra jumped up off the ground and hugged him.

  “Daddy!” Her arms barely went around her stout father’s legs but she continued to squeeze until he had to peel her off. “You’re home!”

  “I missed you too, Little T,” Clarence Rendon said, kissing her forehead and scooping her into his arms so he could spin her around. Then he looked at the train in her hand. “What’ve you got there?”

  “A train,” Terra said, holding it up. “It’s really nice.”

  “Oh, a train? Are you and your brother making a railroad?” He sat the little girl on the floor and looked down at them with his hands on his hips. “It’s looking nice. Next time I go on a trip I’ll see if I can find some wooden trees for you to put around them.”

  “Thank you, Daddy,” Tommy said without looking up from what he was doing. Once again it was left to Terra to keep the conversation going.

  “Tommy says he wants to be an engineer when he grows up,” Terra said proudly. “He wants to drive the trains.”

  “Is that so, Big T?” Clarence knelt down to see the tracks more closely and Terra put another piece in place. Another nod from Tommy and Terra poked him hard enough to make him look up at her with annoyance.

  “I wanna be an engineer. I wanna sit in the engine and honk the horn at people!” Tommy’s eyes had finally lit up and he started to babble about the things he loved about train engineers while Terra continued to lay track. She expertly made it turn a corner that led back to the station and put the last piece in with a grin. Tommy noticed what she was doing and clapped. “Yay, you finished it!”

  “That looks good.” It was rare for Terra to get a compliment from her father when she was playing with what he called ‘boy’s toys,’ so she grinned at him as widely as possible.

  “I like making tracks.” Terra sat back and started sorting the pieces of track she had left. “When I grow up I want to build the tracks so Tommy can drive on them. It’s like solving a puzzle!” Still beaming, Terra looked to her father for approval. Instead she saw him shaking his head.

  “Building railroads isn’t a job for a woman,” Clarence said. “It’s dirty and dangerous, and I’m almost certain that they don’t let women work there anyway. You should find a nice hobby like sewing or playing an instrument, then you wouldn’t get silly ideas like this.”

  “But I don’t want to do those things.” Terra couldn’t help being a little confused. She’d known her father would say she shouldn’t try to do a boy’s job but he’d never said anything before about doing something more girlish. “I want to build the tracks!”

  “You’ll do much better finding a nice husband and starting a family. A baby is much more fun than a dirty old train.” He was still talking to her kindly but the smile that was on his face had turned to the sort that prefaced his telling her ‘no,’ and Terra’s face turned red as her eyes filled with tears.

  “I hate babies!” She threw the remainder of the pieces of track down and jumped up, then ran out of the playroom with tears streaming down her face.

  Crying at the top of her lungs, Terra ran down the hall looking for her mother. Eliza Rendon appeared at the top of the stairs, a look of concern on her face. When Terra saw Eliza she tried to speed up but tripped over her own feet and took a tumble forward on the stairs. Her tears of anger turned into ones of pain and she clutched her knee as she sobbed.

  “Goodness,” Eliza said gently, going down to where Terra was sitting and kneeling beside her. “Are you all right?” Terra shook her head, still crying, and Eliza put her arms around her. “My poor little one. You’ve torn your stockings. Come along, we’ll get you some new ones.”

  Though she had grown too large for it, Terra let her mother pick her up and put her on her hip to carry her upstairs. Eliza kissed her on the cheek and made Terra feel a little better as she cuddled into her mother’s neck. When they reached her room, Eliza set her on the ground and went to her dresser. She searched for a new stocking while Terra sniffled on the side of the bed.

  “There we are.” Eliza held up a black stocking and motioned for Terra to come over to her. The little girl obeyed, but instead of taking off the torn stocking she hugged her mother around the hips. “Oh, dear. What’s wrong, darling?”

  “Daddy says I can’t make railroad tracks,” Terra said, tears coming afresh. “He says I should get married and have babies.”

  “That’s because you’re a little girl.” Eliza sighed and knelt down again so that she was able to look into Terra’s face. “Listen to me. Women do all sorts of things that men don’t approve of. Sometimes it’s hard, because there are more men that will try and tell you that you aren’t as good as them. But you’re a bright girl and whatever you wish to do, your Mommy will be here to take care of you.” She brushed a lock of hair out of Terra’s face. “You should think about it very hard when you get a little older, though. It’s difficult for women who work in certain jobs to get married and have a family.”

&nbs
p; “I don’t care about getting married,” Terra said, hugging her mother tightly. Her words had comforted the girl more than she could express and she was thinking of nothing more than how much she loved her mother when she was blindsided by an image that filled her mind.

  It was a man that looked very much like her older brother, a fully-grown man wearing an engineer’s uniform. He was rocking from side to side in a train’s engine room and there were bright orange flames licking at him from the control panel. His hands pressed buttons and flipped switches in between the blades of fire but Terra knew there was no point. The train was out of control and she was going to have to watch her brother die. She could hear herself crying from a distance and the image snapped out of existence when her mother squeezed her tightly.

  “It’s all right, little one,” Eliza said, trying to soothe her. “Don’t cry, Mother is here.”

  Terra didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to say anything at all, and all of a sudden she began to shiver. Gooseflesh popped up on her arms and her teeth began to chatter. It was as if she had fallen through a pond into icy water and she let go of her mother to rub her own arms. The image of her maybe-brother was still in her mind and tears welled up in her eyes again.

  “Are you cold?” A concerned look on her face, Eliza put a hand on Terra’s forehead. “You don’t seem to be too warm but you could have a fever. Why don’t we put on your nightdress instead and have you get into bed? You can get some rest and maybe you’ll feel a little better.”

  “Yes, Mommy.” Terra stood like a statue while her mother undressed her and set her dress carefully on top of the dresser. She was still more than a little upset but more than that, she was confused. The images had come out of nowhere, and they’d been so real. She thought if she had reached out she could have touched him. Eliza came over to her with a soft cotton nightgown and Terra looked up at her. “I saw something scary.”

  “Where? Was it that darn Brothers Grimm book your uncle brought from England?” She shook her head. “I don’t know what he’s thinking sometimes.”

  “No, it was in here.” Terra tapped her temple. “It was like a bad dream but I was awake.” Her mother held the nightgown over her head and she held up her arms so Eliza could lower it over her.

  “You really must have a fever if you’re seeing things.” Eliza felt her forehead again. “Get in bed and I’ll fetch the thermometer.” She helped her daughter into bed and pulled the covers up. “I’ll get a cool washcloth and some lavender to help you sleep.” Eliza disappeared for a moment and Terra looked up at the ceiling.

  Her fever didn’t have anything to do with what she’d seen, she knew that much. If she’d been asleep she might have thought it was a bad dream, but it had felt so real. Somewhere in her heart she knew that it was real, and that it was something that would happen in the future if she didn’t do something to stop it.

  She would stop it. It didn’t matter if men told her that she was feeble, or how hard she would have to work to make the world believe she was smart enough. Terra wasn’t about to let her twin brother die, no matter what the cost to herself.

  He’s my brother, she thought as her mother returned with a cool cloth that smelled of lavender. Eliza put the thermometer under her tongue and Terra closed her eyes. You can’t have him.

  Chapter One

  Virginia, 1920

  “First day as a real detective,” Jacob Pierce said as he slapped Gardner Lewis on the shoulder. “I know there are going to be some jealous people in the department.”

  “I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for you.” Gard laughed. “I’ll be grateful to you ‘til the day I die. Or get fired, whichever comes first.” He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in Jacob’s chair, which he had taken the minute he came into the Garden City precinct.

  “Just because you’re sharing my desk doesn’t mean you can steal my chair.” Raising an eyebrow at Gard, he pointed at the chair on the other side of the desk. “The clean half over there is yours.”

  “C’mon, Jake, just give me a minute. I’m trying to figure out what it feels like to be the next one in line to be the chief.” As if he had been summoned, the chief in question came through the door and pointed at the desk. Both Gard and Jacob pointed at themselves and the chief stabbed his finger at Gard. With a look up at Jacob, Gard let the chair fall forward with a clack.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jacob said as Gard stood up and straightened his tie. “You can’t get fired on your first day.” He considered this for a moment. “At least, I’m fairly certain you can’t.”

  “Remind me why I signed up for this again?”

  “Because you’ll be great at it.” Grinning, Jacob shoved Gard in the direction of the door before sitting in his chair. “Thanks for keeping my chair warm. It’s freezing in here.”

  As much as he wanted to throw a quip back at Jacob, Gard walked toward the chief with a sick feeling in his stomach. It was almost impossible to read the chief of detectives, a 60 year old man who smoked cigars non-stop and had been in his position since before Gard was born. He could have been congratulating Gard on his new promotion or getting ready to shout at him for an hour and his face would look the same. Gard smoothed his jacket and smiled at his new boss.

  “Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?” He tried to sound cheerful but his voice came out slightly shaky instead.

  “I’ve got a job for you,” the chief said without preamble. Gard had heard those words before, mostly when he was a patrolman. The day he’d been sent down to help file paperwork for the detectives had started with that exact sentence and he reminded himself that he wouldn’t be a detective at all if someone else had been chosen.

  “I’m your man,” Gard said, forcing a smile onto his face.

  “Roanoke City precinct is short a detective and they need someone there to help investigate a case. It’s a big one and they want it to go away fast. I told them I could spare you for a week or so, and I didn’t even mention you were new.” The chief folded his arms over his chest. “It’s too early to be sending you out on your own, so they’re going to pair you up with one of their guys. Any problem with that?”

  “No, sir. I’m happy to go wherever you need me.” Relief washed over Gard. Going to the main Roanoke City precinct would mean a drive across the city but if it meant he wasn’t getting fired, he’d be happy to drive there.

  “Good man. Detective Carlisle will explain more to you when you get there. He’ll be expecting you any time now, so get out of here.” The chief must have seen something in Gard’s eyes, because he slapped the younger man on the shoulder the same way Jacob had. “Report back here as soon as you’re finished there.”

  “Yes, sir.” His legs weak from both relief and nerves, Gard went back to the desk he was sharing with Jacob. “They want me to go over to Roanoke City and work on a case with another detective. Chief says it’s a big one.”

  “See, there you go. Already getting on the important cases your first day on the job.” Jacob sounded optimistic but Gard wasn’t sure it was warranted. He put on his coat and hat, then started for the door. “Don’t forget your case,” Jacob called.

  “Thanks,” Gard muttered in reply as he went back to collect the leather briefcase his father had given him when he announced he’d been promoted. Bill Lewis had told his son that every man with a real job needed one, right before he’d shaken his hand and told him good luck. There was nothing in the thing so far but he wanted to look professional when he showed up so he took it anyway.

  The wind that blew over Gard when he left the station was cold enough to slice through his coat and jacket as if he wasn’t wearing anything at all. For a moment he missed the thick winter uniform he’d worn as a patrolman, then sighed. The uniform might have been warm but being a detective had much better benefits. He held onto his hat so it wouldn’t blow away and made his way to the parking lot.

  Gard had been saving for a car since he got his job with the police an
d the increase in pay when he’d started his detective training had been enough to put him over the top. He’d had to settle for an older model but it ran just as well as a new one and allowed him to do things like go to another precinct every day to work his first case as a full-fledged detective.

  The closer he got to the Roanoke City precinct, the more excited he found himself becoming. He’d trained with Jacob at his friend’s request and thought he had held his own fairly well in spite of being new. As he drove, he told himself he must have done a good job for the chief to take notice. There was no way of knowing what they’d been told about him, and when he pulled his car into the parking lot he hoped it was good.

  “Excuse me,” Gard said to the officer at the front desk. “I’m Gardner Lewis. I’m supposed to be meeting Detective Carlisle.”

  “You’re the detective from Garden City?” The officer looked him up and down, a dubious look on his face. “All right. Just have a seat and I’ll call him up here.”

  “Thanks.” Gard went to the row of chairs along the wall as the officer picked up a phone receiver and spoke to someone, no doubt the switchboard operator. He sat down with his case on his lap, hoping he didn’t look like too much of an amateur.

  After ten minutes had passed, he considered getting up and asking if the officer could call down again. Not wanting to seem like a troublemaker, he stayed in place and was rewarded by a man in a suit coming up the stairs. He looked every bit a detective so Gard stood up and met him halfway across the lobby with a smile.

  “Detective Carlisle?”

  “That’s me. You must be Detective Lewis.” The words made Gard’s stomach bounce pleasurably and he nodded. “Excellent. Our office is in the basement. Come on down with me and I’ll explain the case.” They walked down the stairs together and Carlisle looked him up and down. “You got here quick. They must have grabbed you as soon as you walked through the door.”