On the Wings of a Winter Heart (Miracle Express, #5)

by Rebecca Lovell

  “Good afternoon,” Franklin said pleasantly, as if he didn’t have a dog in his arms. “Is this the Everly residence?”

  “Franklin, what on earth is this?” Once Joy found her voice, she almost choked on the words. It was the last thing she had expected to see and she was having trouble getting a handle on things.

  “It’s a dog, Joy darling. Well, more of a half-grown pup.” The little white and brown spotted dog wagged its stub of a tail so hard it looked like it was vibrating and leaned toward Joy, attempting to lick her face and finding only air. “I’d really like to set it down, so may I come in?”

  “Where on Earth did you find this?” Joy stepped aside so he could enter, but he didn’t get a chance to answer before Serenity saw him and let out an ear-piercing shriek of joy.

  “A puppy!” She scrambled up from her seat and ran across the room to hug Franklin around the legs. “Is it for me?”

  “It’s absolutely for you,” Franklin said, holding the puppy out to her. “From me and your Mama.” Serenity let go of him and carefully took the puppy from his arms. “Her name is Cookie and she’s a bird dog, so she’s got a lot of energy. I bet she’d like to play with you and your friends.”

  “Yeah!” Serenity hugged the squirming animal and looked at her mother with a grin. “Thank you, Mama!”

  “Thank Mr. York too,” Joy said weakly, visions of life with a puppy going through her mind. Every one of them came with a price tag and her head was spinning.

  “Thank you, Mr. York! It’s the best present ever!” Serenity hurried back to her friends to show off her new gift while her mother stepped back and leaned on the wall with a hand pressed to her forehead. Franklin joined her with a smile.

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Joy said, shaking her head. “Franklin, I can’t afford to take care of a dog. Between this party and the bank, I don’t have a cent left to my name.” It occurred to her that she hadn’t told him about the man from the bank coming to her house and Franklin frowned.

  “The bank?” He was immediately concerned but Joy shook her head, and he seemed to understand that it to mean that she would tell him more later. “Don’t worry about the puppy. I brought all the things she’ll need to take care of it. I’ve got a bed outside in the buckboard, bowls, some food and more.” He made sure no one was looking, then kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll go fetch it. Just enjoy the birthday party.”

  Her face on fire, Joy went toward the adults and was intercepted by Clara. Her best friend sighed heavily and shook her head as she looked at the puppy, which was now frolicking around the living room with the five little girls.

  “That’s Franklin for you,” Clara said. “He always did love grand gestures.”

  “I can’t believe he did this.” Joy looked over at her daughter, who was happier than she’d seen her in a while. “It made Serenity smile, though, and today that’s all I care about.”

  “Mama, can we go outside and play with Cookie?” Serenity ran over to her mother with her puppy in her arms. Her face was bright and Joy nodded.

  “Be sure to put your coats on,” she said with a smile. Serenity cheered and went to tell her friends that her mama had agreed to let them go outside with the puppy. The other girls jumped up and ran to collect their coats.

  As soon as the children were bundled up and outside, Joy went to the buckboard to talk to Franklin. He was carrying a large circular pillow and she was reminded again that once he left Mayfly, she wouldn’t be able to afford the pup without taking the offer for her land. Still, she couldn’t stay mad at him. It was a wonderful gesture and it made her daughter so happy that her heart felt like it would burst.

  “I can’t believe you did this,” she said again when she met him halfway across the yard. “Thank you for saying it was from the both of us too, that way she’s not disappointed in my lack of a present.”

  “You can also tell her it’s her Christmas gift, so she won’t be expecting anything then.” They walked together toward the house and Joy looked over at the girls running around with the puppy.

  “Where did you get it?”

  “When I went to talk to Mr. Ames, I saw the pups Serenity was talking about and this one from the last litter needed a home. He was only too happy to get rid of it for a very reasonable price.” He winked at her. “Serenity doesn’t need to know that, though. Although I suppose she’ll know enough when Mr. Ames’s daughter says it was her father’s.”

  “How—-” Joy was interrupted by a rumble of thunder overhead. “Oh no. Where did those rainclouds come from?” She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed. If it was raining, she would have people stuck in her house without umbrellas until it stopped. Apart from birthday cake, cocoa, and coffee she didn’t have anything to offer them but her cheese. “I knew I should have had this party at Clara’s house.”

  “It can’t be helped now,” Franklin said. “Let’s get you inside before you get wet without your coat on. We can’t have Serenity’s mother getting sick on her birthday.”

  “Girls, come inside,” Joy called. “It’s about to start raining.” Another boom of thunder came, and this time the clouds lit up to go with it. The girls shouted, more with glee than fear, and Serenity scooped up her dog and ran for the house.

  They’d no sooner gotten into the house than it began to sprinkle outside. Hoping that would be all it did, Joy sighed. A sharp crack followed by a larger rumble went over the house, and Joy looked around as the house was lit up by lightning. The rest of the guests looked a little nervous, so she tried to smile and act like things were normal for the sake of the children. The little girls had gone from excited to worried and Estelle went to try and calm them down.

  “That one sounded close,” Clara said. “I wonder if—-” She didn’t have time to finish her sentence before the biggest crack yet shook the house and Serenity ran over to her mother, clinging to her waist. Joy was about to comfort her as best she could when the smell of something burning came to her nose.

  “I’d better check and make sure everything’s all right,” Franklin said, and he went through the kitchen toward the back of the house. He returned less than a minute later with a look of alarm on his face. “There’s a fire back there. We need to get everyone out, now.”

  Immediately the little girls started to cry. Estelle took charge and told them to hold hands, then led the five young guests outside into the yard. Crying, Serenity hurried over and scooped up her new puppy, then ran back to Joy, who was frozen in place with fear. Franklin came over to her as well and took her arm.

  “Let’s go, Joy, we have to get out of here.”

  “But our things! We have to get our things!” She started for the hall that led to the bedroom and was surprised when Franklin pulled her away.

  “Just leave them. We can get more clothes later. The fire is already spreading, we can’t risk our lives in here.” He gently pushed her toward the door and Joy followed, her entire body feeling as if it wasn’t even there. Images of the day Serenity was born battered her from all sides and she started to cry softly. “It’s all right, I promise. I’ll take care of you both. Let’s get out of here first, and we can figure things out later.”

  Joy nodded mutely and started to follow Franklin out the door, Serenity on her heels. They were halfway out the door when Joy remembered the irreplaceable things that she had to get out of the house before they were ruined.

  “Take Serenity and get outside,” Joy said to Franklin. “I swear I’ll be out there in just a minute or two.” He looked like he was going to protest but she shook her head. “I have to get something. Please, just take her and get her safe.” Not waiting for him to reply, Joy ran down the hall and into her bedroom. Smoke filled the room and she coughed as she made her way over to her dresser.

  There was a carved wooden box tucked into the top drawer that held George’s wedding band, Serenity’s christening dress, and a framed photograph of George and herself on their wedding day. The smoke was stinging her ey
es and she couldn’t breathe but with the box in her hands she made it through the room and down the hall toward the living room.

  She stumbled through the house, smelling the timbers that made up her house burning. Tears welled up in her eyes, though whether it was from the smoke or her panic she didn’t know. Joy burst through the front door and stepped into the rain, cold water drenching her as soon as she left the porch. She gulped huge breaths of the fresh air and ran to Franklin and Serenity, who were waiting for her, the latter sobbing into the former’s pants leg. As soon as she saw her mother, Serenity handed the puppy to Franklin and ran to her.

  “Mama!” She threw her arms around her mother’s waist and clung to her, soaking wet and afraid. “Mama, don’t leave me!”

  “It’s all right, darling,” Joy said, though she knew it wasn’t. She knelt down in the grass and hugged her daughter tightly. She remembered how she’d come into the world, crying and tiny, and how it had felt to hold her for the first time. While Joy was crying, trying to figure out what to do, Henry came around the corner of the house. She stood up and he joined her in the front yard.

  “It’s raining hard enough that the barn and coop are soaked,” he said. “They shouldn’t catch fire and it may put some of the house out too.” Henry looked at the house sadly. Black smoke was rising into the sky and there was still a flickering coming from the back of the house. “You might not lose everything, but a lot’s gonna be damaged.”

  “I know,” Joy said, somehow holding back her tears. She led Serenity over to Franklin, who handed the girl her puppy. It licked her cheeks where tears were still falling and Joy saw the hint of a smile on her face. Joy looked up at Franklin. “I don’t know what to do now.”

  “You’ll come to Clara’s house,” he said, taking her hands. “You and Serenity and the pup will be welcome there as long as you need, I’m sure.”

  “That’s right,” Clara said, appearing out of nowhere. Her fine hat was no doubt ruined by the rain but she didn’t seem to care. “I know Lady will be happy to see the puppy and we’ll find you a place to stay.”

  “You can have the guest room,” Franklin said. “I’m happy to sleep on the couch.”

  “Thank you,” Joy said, looking over her shoulder to see her beloved house still burning. The rain was indeed slowing the spread but it didn’t matter. The house George had built for them to raise their family in was gone. The thought made her start crying again with her face in her hands and Franklin put his arms around her. Joy cried into his chest, not caring who saw them.

  It was gone. All of it was just gone. There was nothing she could do to stop it, so she let Clara lead her to the buggy she’d hired to bring her out and climbed into it with Franklin and Serenity. It was silent as they rode to Clara’s house, leaving Joy’s house behind. It was still burning, and she couldn’t stop crying.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Thank you for letting us take your room,” Joy said as Franklin moved his suitcase out of the guest room. “It would be hard for us to both sleep on the couch.”

  “It’s only a minor inconvenience, so don’t worry about it. You two get settled and I’ll be right back.” Franklin smiled at them and went into the living room, where he set his suitcase alongside the couch. He wondered if he’d done the wrong thing by referring to it as an inconvenience. The last thing he wanted was for Joy to feel like she was an imposition, which she certainly wasn’t.

  When he returned to the room, Joy and Clara were talking quietly and they both looked up at him when he walked in. He held up his hands and shook his head.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “You didn’t, not really,” Clara said. “I was just asking Joy if she and Serenity would like to take baths.” She smiled. “I’ll let Serenity go first, then, since it’s her birthday. I’m sure you two have plenty to talk about.” Clara sent a pointed look at her brother, who knew exactly what she was thinking. As soon as she was gone, Franklin sat down on the edge of the bed and Joy joined him.

  “I heard her talking to the puppy.” Her voice was small as she spoke and he could see it was taking every ounce of her strength to sound calm for her daughter. “She’s comforting it because she’s trying not to think of the fact that all of her things, her dresses and toys, are gone.” Joy’s lower lip began to tremble and Franklin put an arm around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and started to cry again. “How do I do this? I don’t have any money to get a new house. I can’t stay with Clara forever.”

  “I don’t know,” Franklin said honestly. “Unless you wanted to take the offer for your land.” A mirthless laugh came from Joy’s lips and she gave him a tight, stiff smile.

  “I might as well sell it now. If the railroad even wants it after the fire, that is.” Joy closed her eyes and sighed. “Either way I’ll probably have to sell.”

  “AT&SF won’t care if it’s been burned. Your house will probably be demolished to lay the tracks.” He wasn’t surprised when Joy looked at him with horror. “I’m sorry. I just want to be honest with you. You and Serenity can’t live in that house anymore anyway. It would have to be taken down either way.”

  “I know. It’s just hard to think of it that way, as just a house, when so much of your life, your blood, and your tears are all in that house. Serenity came into the world there just after her father died, and we were happy.” Joy looked up at him. “When I look back, I can hardly remember the bad times. All I see is the good. There’s nothing good in this, though. Nothing at all.”

  “It’s not exactly good, but at least you won’t be destitute. You’ll get the railroad’s money so you and Serenity can find a new home. Maybe everything in the house won’t be destroyed.” He decided to take a chance and kissed her on the forehead.

  “You’re right,” Joy said, her eyes closed. “My sewing machine and stove were both made of metal, so they may be all right. There’s so much that won’t be, though.” Out of nowhere, she put her arms around Franklin’s neck and held him tightly. He did the same, expecting to feel her sobbing against him. When she didn’t, he wondered what she was thinking.

  “I’m going to have to go to Santa Fe to pick up your check from the company. I’ll send them a telegram in the morning so they can have it ready when I get there. Will your bank be able to deposit a check that large? If not I may be able to get you cash.” As he spoke, she turned her head so she could get closer to him.

  “It should be all right. Our bank holds Mr. Ames’s money and he’s got considerably more than five thousand dollars.” She took a shaky breath. “Five thousand dollars. No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t even seem real.”

  “Maybe it’ll seem more real when I give you the money.” Franklin rubbed her back, feeling a thinness about her that he’d never noticed. It spoke of her determination to survive on what was left of her farm in spite of its slow decline. He was certain that if he felt Serenity’s back, she wouldn’t be so thin. Franklin knew that Joy would do anything for her daughter, and he understood why. “I wish I could have gotten you money for your house too.”

  “The offer from the railroad is more than enough. We can buy a house here near Clara and replace the things we’ve lost.” She took a deep breath. “So many things just gone. Your beautiful Christmas tree too. I’m so sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about,” Franklin said. “It’s not as if you called down lightning and directed it at your house. And I would gladly buy you another tree if Clara didn’t already have one. Maybe I’ll get you and even bigger one next year.”

  “Next year?” Joy sat up, tears still running down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her eyes met his. “Are you planning to be here next year?”

  “Now that everything’s settled, I’ll be running the real estate office here in town. I’ll be here for the foreseeable future.” Franklin reached up and tucked a strand of her loose blonde hair behind her ear. “This is probably the wrong time to say this, but I’ve grown quite f
ond of you.”

  “You have?” Joy’s face turned red, and she looked away for a moment before meeting Franklin’s eyes again. “I’m glad. I’ve become rather fond of you as well.”

  “I suspected as much,” Franklin said, stroking her cheek. She leaned into his touch and he cupped the side of her face. “For one thing, you didn’t slap me when I kissed you.”

  “Being respectful goes a long way,” Joy said. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me since we met and I’ve treated you rather poorly. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “I don’t blame you for being wary of me, not in the least. I showed up on your doorstep trying to buy your land. I can’t say I wouldn’t have pointed a shotgun at me if I’d found myself in the same position.” He smiled at her, hoping to make her feel better. Joy sighed and put her head on his shoulder again, closing her eyes so that her eyelashes laid against her skin like delicate stitches.

  “All my memories of George were tied into that house. I just wanted to stay with him a little longer, and for Serenity to be close to her father.” Her shift in conversation to thoughts of her husband made his stomach drop slightly. Franklin wanted to get closer to her but if she was still thinking about George he didn’t have much hope. It was impossible to compete with a dead man. “Maybe I was wrong to think about it that way.”

  “No, I understand. It’s only natural to remember the man you loved.” Franklin felt as if someone had taken over his mouth. The words sounded right, and comforting, but he wanted her to think about him and not George. “You have to ask yourself a question though. Would George really want you to spend the rest of your life mourning him?”

  “I suppose not.” Joy reached up and wiped away a tear. “I don’t want Serenity to be stuck in his memory either. She never got to meet him but I’ve told her about him.”