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

by Rebecca Lovell

  “I think my hands are frozen to your suitcase, to be honest,” Gard said. “I’ll take it onto the train and we can get it situated.” This made Terra laugh and she followed him toward the train platform. He was about to strike up a conversation with her again when he saw Alvin hurrying toward them. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, I just wanted to bid you farewell,” he said, a pinched smile on his face. “I’m being forced to retire at the end of the year and I decided to go ahead and resign instead. The new head conductor will be happy to give you any files you need after I’m gone.” He offered a hand to Gard, who started to set down his bag again. Terra took it from him instead, and the two men shook hands. Alvin didn’t so much as offer a hand to Terra, but he did smile at her. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, goodbye then. Take care of yourselves.” Alvin tipped his hat, then started back in the direction of his office. When he was gone, Gard stared after him until Terra tugged on his arm.

  “Come on, Gard, we need to get on the train.” Her voice was so quiet he barely heard it over the noise of the station. He turned to her and nodded.

  “Right. Sorry.” Gard held a hand out for his suitcase but Terra shook her head and stuck out her tongue. It was so cute that he couldn’t be mad at her. “You’re right, you’ve outsmarted me. Let’s hurry.” They quickened their step but something was bothering him. “Don’t you find it odd that Alvin said he asked for you personally, then treats you like you’re not as bright as I am?”

  “Not particularly,” Terra said, much to his surprise. “Well, maybe a bit. I’m used to people treating me like that. They want the knowledge I have, but they don’t want to have to give me any respect.” She shook her head. “I don’t much care for it but it’s the way things are for now.”

  “I don’t like it either.” He nodded to the gateway that led to the platforms. “Platform 4, right?”

  “Yes, that’s right. Compartment 15.” Terra raised an eyebrow at him. “Any particular reason you got us a compartment instead of regular seats?”

  “So we can talk about the case privately if we need to,” he replied quickly, not wanting to explain that he just wanted to sit with her alone. He liked to feel like they were the only two in the world, and if they were alone he might be able to find the courage to put his hand on hers when they weren’t talking about sadness.

  “Ah, of course,” Terra said, smirking at him. “Now I see why you don’t have the money to rent a car for us.”

  “Look, we’re able to board already.” Gard walked in front of her, knowing full well that she could see that his ears were red under his hat. It was driving him crazy. He wanted to tell her that he liked her as more than a friend, but he didn’t want to hear her tell him she didn’t feel the same. She’d done so many things that made him think she did, but women were mysterious. Mysterious and not nearly as weak as a lot of people believed. All the proof he needed was to look at Tilly and Terra.

  They made their way to their compartment and Gard put their suitcases in the overhead rack while Terra sat down and smoothed her skirt. It was a pretty gray dress that looked like silk, and not as formal as some of her others. He liked that she felt comfortable enough with him that she could wear more casual clothes.

  “I’m a little bit excited to see Violet again.” Terra smiled tenderly. “We used to be quite close. She’s the closest thing I ever had to a sister, but Tilly and I could be just as close. We have a sort of bond, I guess you could say.” There was a peaceful look on her face that made Gard feel just the same and he reached toward her before he realized what he was doing. Terra looked at him as if she was seeing him clearly for the first time and he pulled his hand away.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

  “It’s all right.” She shivered unconvincingly. “It’s rather cold over here.” Without so much as a warning, she got up from her seat and sat beside him instead. It was as close as they’d been on purpose, not counting her hug in front of the Christmas tree. He didn’t say a word for fear he would stammer his way through anything he was going to say. “Gard?”

  “Yes?” He managed to get the one word out and she looked at him with an expression on her face that was impossible to read.

  “Would you be happy if I stayed in Roanoke?” Her face told him that she was wrestling with something and he wanted to be honest with her but he didn’t want to make her do anything that wasn’t good for her. His career was important to him, surely hers was to her as well. The more time he spent with her, though, the more he wanted her to stay with him.

  “I would,” he said, figuring that honesty was best. “You’re the most intelligent person I know, and I always enjoy being around you. But I don’t want you to stay in Roanoke if you’re going to be unhappy later. The most important thing to me is that you’re happy, Terra.”

  “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Terra put her hand over his, and he was once again disappointed that they were wearing gloves. It made it seem less real. “I’ve truly never had a man be as sweet to me as you have.”

  “You only deserve the best.” For a moment, he hesitated. If he did what he wanted to, he’d be crossing a line for sure. There was every possibility that she would tell him to leave her alone and move away from him. He wanted more than holding hands, but he didn’t want to offend her. “Whatever decision you make, I’ll feel the same about you.” He steeled himself, then reached out and put his arm around her shoulders.

  He fully expected Terra to pull away or look at him in shock. Instead, she leaned into him with a sigh. It was as if she had known he would do it, and was completely fine with it. For his part, Gard enjoyed the warmth of her body so close to his. It was more than just the taste of her in his arms he’d gotten when she tripped, and he wanted it to go on forever.

  Gard had always been a little awkward around women. It wasn’t that he was bad-looking or rude, he just didn’t quite know what to say. Rather than say something stupid or embarrassing himself, he preferred to keep quiet even though he knew it made him seem standoffish. Tilly was one of the exceptions, mainly because he knew her and that it was very hard to offend her. She had such a calming way about her that he was never nervous around her. Terra, though, he wanted to make a good impression. It helped that they had the case to talk about. Letting his feelings spill out was something completely different.

  “Tell me more about Roanoke,” she said, and when he looked over he saw that her eyes were closed. Gard smiled and relaxed completely.

  “Do you like ghost stories?”

  Chapter Ten

  When they got to Baltimore, the weather was worse than it had been in Roanoke. It was snowing heavily and the streets were soggy with slush. Terra was afforded some protection by the overhang she stood under at the front of the station, but Gard had braved the elements to try and find someone to drive them to Violet’s house.

  As she waited with their suitcases, Terra thought about what had happened on the train. When they got on the train, well before he’d put his arm around her, she’d had a vision that he was going to do it. It hadn’t ruined the surprise; she knew he was going to do it but not when. Either way, it had made her happy.

  She’d started questioning her choice of profession long ago but had always reminded herself that it was to keep Tommy safe. It wasn’t that she didn’t love working with trains, she just wanted something that would give her the opportunity to be treated with respect. Gard and Jacob seemed to command it, even though Gard was a new detective. She wondered what Tommy would think if she said she wanted to stay in Virginia. He wasn’t home much, but the thought of not being close enough to go to his house for dinner was like she was being pulled apart. While she was thinking about this, Gard came jogging back up the steps to her.

  “Got one,” he said, picking up their suitcases. Terra was surprised that he was so graceful on the slushy sidewalk and wished
that she could be the same as she carefully picked her way through the piles of snow and frozen puddles. Gard was waiting for her so he could open the door and Terra slid into the backseat and moved over as far as possible so he could get in as well. “It’s colder here.”

  “Yep,” the driver said. “We’re having a hard winter here.”

  “You can say that again.” Gard turned to Terra. “What was the address we’re headed to again? I told this gentleman you had it.”

  “I do.” She took a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to the driver. “We’re in no hurry, so feel free to take your time if you need to.”

  “Don’t worry, Miss. I drive in this kind of weather all the time.” With that, the driver pulled away from the curb and started on his way toward Violet’s house.

  “Be sure to thank your friend for letting us stay at her house. Wait, should we bring something for her? My mom always said you should bring a gift if you’ve been invited to spend the night.” He jerked his thumb at the man in the front seat. “I’m sure he’d wait for us if you wanted to go in and get something for her.”

  “It’s all right. Violet and I were so close that she doesn’t expect anything. I’ll help her cook and keep the place clean, and she’ll be happy.” She sighed and shook her head. “It’s a shame that I’m so bad in the kitchen.”

  “You can’t be that bad.”

  “I can feed myself, of course, but it’s always a little off. Or overcooked. My mom tried to teach me but none of it really stuck. My head was always full of numbers.” It was cold in the back of the taxi and Terra shivered slightly. She had brought a muffler but it was in her suitcase, and a part of her hoped Gard would put his arm around her again. Terra knew he wouldn’t do it, though. He was too much of a gentleman to do something like that where someone could see them.

  “Here, use this.” Gard took off his own muffler and put it around her neck. Terra was instantly wrapped in his warmth and scent, and it made her a little dizzy. At that moment she didn’t care about New York, trains, or being apart from Tommy. All she wanted was to stay with Gard and share his warmth forever.

  “Thank you,” she managed. “I’ll be sure to take good care of it.”

  “You can keep it. It’s not very good but I was always too proud to get rid of it.” His words made no sense to Terra and she frowned at him. His face turned red and he looked away from her. “My grandmother taught me to knit when I was a kid. She used to babysit me.”

  “You made this?” Terra held up a corner of the muffler. Sure enough, she could see the unevenness around the edges but it was endearing, as was his bright blush.

  “It was my first one that I managed to finish instead of giving up. That’s why I couldn’t throw it away.” He shrugged. “Don’t tell anyone but I still knit sometimes when I’m stressed. I’ve got this stupid sweater I’ve been working on for years and my mother just shakes her head when she sees it. I have to finish it, though.” Gard laughed. “I’ll probably forget and shrink it as soon as I wash it.”

  “If this is so important to you, I can’t keep it,” Terra said. “I’d feel bad.”

  “Don’t. I’d rather you have it so you can remember me when you go home.” His face was still red. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to write to you. Would that be all right?”

  “Of course!” Terra beamed at him. He didn’t need to know how close she was to just staying in Virginia, and his offer made her heart beat faster. “I’d love that.”

  “I’m glad. I just thought—-” He stopped suddenly and cleared his throat. “Sorry. We can talk more at your friend Violet’s house.”

  Terra spent the rest of the drive wanting to know what Gard had been about to say. They chatted about the weather and a little about the case, but what he wanted to talk about at Violet’s house was at the back of her mind. It was just starting to drive her a little mad when she saw their destination coming up.

  “There it is,” Terra said. “That’s Violet’s house.” It was hard to miss. The modest house was painted periwinkle blue and there were holly bushes with bursts of red berries along the front. The taxi driver pulled up in front of the house and Gard got out first so he could pay the man while Terra went to the front door. To her surprise, there was a piece of paper pinned to the door. She pulled it off and unfolded the note.

  Terra,

  I’m so sorry but I had to go to West Virginia to take care of an emergency with my father. Please feel free to make yourself at home. There is a key in the envelope in the mailbox. When you leave, just put it back there. Again, I’m sorry. I had hoped to see you. Perhaps you can come again when I’m here.

  All my love, Violet

  “Oh dear.” Terra tucked the letter into her pocket, then reached into the mailbox and pulled out a non-descript cream colored envelope that matched the stationary. Inside was a single house key and she shook it into her gloved palm.

  “What’s wrong?” Gard appeared on the porch with their suitcases and Terra held up the key. “What’s that?”

  “Violet’s house key. She’s not going to be here, but she said to make ourselves at home.” Not wanting to stand on the porch any longer, she opened the door and held it for Gard so he could bring in the luggage. “I wasn’t expecting this at all. It must have just happened, though. Her telegram said she would be here waiting for us.”

  “As long as I’ve got a place to sleep tonight, I’m happy.” Gard nodded toward the hall. “Just tell me which room is yours so I can put these down.”

  “Oh, yes, of course. I suppose I’ll take Violet’s room so you can have one of the guest rooms.” She motioned for him to follow her. Terra had only been in the house one time so she hoped she was remembering where everything was. “We can also see what she has in the icebox. She didn’t say when she would be back, so I’m sure she’d be happy if we ate her food.”

  Once their things were in their respective rooms and their coats shed, Terra looked into the aforementioned icebox and was pleased to find that there was most of a roast chicken and some mashed potatoes. There was also half a pumpkin pie. She brought everything out and set it on the counter, then set about making herself and Gard a plate.

  “I’m afraid if I tried heating these up it wouldn’t go well,” Terra said as she sat the plate in front of Gard. “I’m used to eating cold food but if you want it a bit warmer I can try and figure out her stove.” She smiled with relief when he shook his head.

  “Cold is fine with me. Maybe I’ll try my hand at cooking something while we’re here. I’m not much of a cook myself, but I can make something edible.” For some reason this made Terra laugh and Gard looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?”

  “I was just thinking how unfortunate it is that we’re stuck in a house in the snow and neither of us can really make dinner.” He started on his chicken and Terra sighed. “We can eat in town tomorrow and I’ll pay for us.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I brought money for our expenses.” Gard looked around the kitchen, and Terra knew what he was looking at. “These herbs smell good. I wonder if Tilly could tell me what they are.” His words were an understatement. Violet’s kitchen walls were covered with bunches of dried herbs and flowers. It looked a bit like Tilly’s house, in truth.

  While Violet didn’t have any magic of her own to Terra’s knowledge, she had always been interested in making perfumes and tea. In fact, it was from Violet that she’d learned about herbs and their uses. None of the teas she made held a candle to Tilly’s but they’d always been able to calm Terra’s mind or help her sleep when they were in school together.

  “I could tell you about them as well. Most of them, I should say. Violet’s the one who knows about them. It does make her house smell good, though.” She took a deep breath. It was calming the same way Tilly’s Atelier had been, and she had the sudden feeling that everything would be fine.

  Once they’d had dinner and the dishes had been washed, the two went to the couch and sat down. Violet
had a Christmas tree in the corner and its baubles twinkled in the dim light while Terra sat mesmerized by them. It was hard to believe their case would be coming to an end soon and she couldn’t help feeling a little sad about it.

  “You already have all your things with you,” Gard said, breaking the silence. “Will you be going home straight from here or back to Roanoke?”

  “I was thinking about going back to Roanoke for a few days.” Terra looked into his eyes. “I want to spend Christmas with you, if that’s all right.”

  “Yeah! That’d be great. Last year I went and had Christmas dinner with Jake and Tilly, and I’m sure they’d be happy to have you come too.” His mention of Tilly made her realize that she would be able to talk to her more about her family and her magic, and maybe take another trip into the beautiful greenhouse she’d seen the last time.

  “That sounds absolutely wonderful.” Smiling tenderly at Gard, Terra took his hands. “I’ll have to check back into the hotel, of course. I hope they’ll have a room so close to Christmas.”

  “If they don’t, I’m happy to have you stay at my place.” Gard laced his fingers through hers and Terra’s eyes widened. “No, not like that! I mean I can sleep on the couch and you can have my room. Unless you don’t want people seeing you staying at my apartment. I don’t want to ruin your reputation.”

  “Who cares about my reputation? No one but Tilly and Jacob know me around here, and I know Tilly would be able to feel if anything inappropriate happened.” Terra squeezed his hands. “Besides, the older I get, the less I care about what people think about me.”

  Terra fell silent for a moment. It seemed like the right time to be honest with Gard. Not about New York, she still hadn’t made up her mind about that, but about her magic. As Tilly had said, he’d been accepting of her magic from the start, and she couldn’t imagine him not feeling the same about hers. It would be the first time she admitted it to anyone but Tommy and Tilly, though, and she was nervous. Her brother was her brother, and it seemed she and Tilly were related as well. Gard was different. She wanted him to know everything about her that a person could possibly know in just a few weeks. Terra took a deep breath.