Although part of a multi-author series, this book is completely standalone. Will a hasty marriage save Clay? The train carrying Ellie and Clay is forced to stop in Grantville because of a landslide. When a drifter is murdered by the son of a corrupt rich man, Clay is blamed. Incarcerated in the town jail, things are looking grim for him. Will Ellie’s help, combined with a little Christmas magic, allow him to escape? If so, can he and Ellie find happiness together, or will their lives always be tainted by the evil happenings in Grantville?