Rebecca (Angel Creek Christmas Brides #15) - Lily Graison Page 0,1

of people she pushed aside and pulled her cloak and hat off so the baker wouldn’t recognize her in the crowd as she went. Wrapping them up in her hands, she pushed her way through those standing near the train and stopped when she bumped into someone. The girl reached out and grabbed onto her to keep from falling and smiled when she was stable. She didn’t look much older than she was, and Rebecca glanced behind her as the girl started talking.

“Ran all the way here, did you?”

Rebecca huffed for breath, her eyes widening when she saw the baker. She turned to face the train, hoping he’d not see her. “Something like that.”

The girl laughed. “I was almost late too. A case of nerves had me second-guessing everything but, here I am!”

The baker was yelling now. Rebecca ducked her head and bent as if tying the lace on her boot and sucked in a breath, holding it until he passed.

She took a quick glance over her shoulder when she straightened. The group of ladies she was standing amongst were all taller than her, and she hoped their height was enough for the baker to overlook her. The girl she’d bumped into touched her arm. “I’m Hazel Jenkins.”

Rebecca stared at her for a moment before leaning up on her toes to see where the baker was. He stood in the middle of the crowd, his head turning left then right. She lowered her head again and shoved her hat and cloak into her bag.

“What’s yours?”

“Huh?” she said when the girl bumped her arm with her elbow. Rebecca focused on her, Hazel, she’d said her name was and blinked.

“Let’s go, ladies! I have a schedule to keep.” A man near the door glanced at a paper in his hand before looking at Hazel. “Where are the others?”

A chorus of women said, “Here,” as Hazel started bouncing on her feet. “Oh my goodness, I’m so excited I can’t stand it!” She grabbed Rebecca’s arm and started pulling her toward the train. “Let’s go. We can be riding companions. We can sit together on the stagecoach too unless you’re traveling by steamboat.”

Steamboat?

Pushed and shoved, then pulled by Hazel, Rebecca found herself at the train door, the man who'd been talking to them calling out names and handing tickets to the ladies who answered. When he was down to one, he shoved it into her hand.

Hazel climbed the steps ahead of her and said, "I'll save you a seat," before vanishing around the corner.

The paper and accompanying tickets had very little information on it. Rebecca saw Atlanta, then St. Louis, and The River Princess. Was that the steamboat Hazel mentioned? There was also a name on it. Diana Hale. She wondered who she was and where she was going. Was she standing in this massive crowd waiting to board the train and looking to receive her ticket?

"You're holding up the line." The train conductor was staring down at her with a raised eyebrow. “Get on board if you're going. If not, move out of the way."

Rebecca stared up at the train. Could she get on and stow away to some unknown place with someone else's ticket? A hand against her back pushed her closer to the train.

You could. She bit her lip and stared at the ticket. Someone pushed her again.

“Let’s go, lady!”

Rebecca snorted a laugh. Lady. There wasn’t anything ladylike about her.

Just get on and jump out the other side.

Or take a seat.

When she was pushed again, Rebecca grabbed onto the handrail and hoisted herself up. At only five feet tall, it was an enormous step.

She'd only been on a train once in all her life, and that had been to get out of the rain. A private car with benches piled high with the softest cushions she'd ever felt gave her the best night’s sleep she’d ever had. She’d fallen asleep within minutes, sleeping like a baby clean through the night. The conductor had found her right before dawn and ran her off, telling her to never come back.

This train car wasn't as fancy as the one she'd slept in, but it was still nice. Rebecca stared down the aisle, taking in the shiny wooden interior. Row after row of seats lined the walls. There were no soft cushions, but everything was pristine and new. It even smelled clean, something she was sure she did not.

"Over here!" Hazel waved at her, motioning her forward.

Rebecca glanced out the window, her heart skipping a