Millie (Pendleton Petticoats Book 7)

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Then you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Gideon washed his hands and dried them then took a paper-wrapped bundle from the table and set it on the counter. When he removed the brown wrapping, Abel whistled.

  “That’s a fancy little gewgaw.”

  “I saw it in a store window yesterday and thought it would make a suitable container for the candy.” Gideon opened the lid to an ornate jewelry box lined in black velvet. Selecting the choicest morsels from all the candy he’d created, he wrapped each piece in tissue paper and set it in the box. The fudge was the last thing he added, waiting for it to cool.

  “Wow, boss.” Abel peered over his shoulder at the beautiful box full of equally beautiful treats. “If that doesn’t turn her head, you best give up this ruse.”

  “I’m confident my efforts won’t be in vain,” Gideon said with a cocky grin. He lifted a plain pasteboard box from a cupboard where he kept a supply of them and filled it with an assortment of candy, handing it to Abel. “Take that home to Louella and the girls.”

  “Thanks, boss. They’ll appreciate it, if it all makes it home.” Abel lifted the lid of the box, pretending to snitch a piece.

  Gideon pointed to the tins of candy lining one counter. “Help yourself to whatever you want. In fact, let’s set some out in the bar. Tell the men they get a piece for every drink they buy tonight.”

  “Great idea,” Abel said, helping Gideon set candy on a large platter.

  “Do you mind getting ready to open without me here?” Gideon asked as he washed the sticky candy residue from his hands.

  “I think I can handle it, boss. Go charm the stockings right off Miss Matlock.”

  Gideon shook his head. “I seriously doubt my candy would take things that far, even if I wanted them to.”

  Abel waggled an eyebrow at him. “No red-blooded man would turn down that opportunity should it arise, and you know it. Besides, Miss Millie won’t know what hit her when she gets a taste of those meringue things you made. She’ll be like clay on a potter’s wheel.”

  Gideon grinned again. “Go on, get to work. I don’t pay you to stand around and give me advice on love and romance.”

  A snort accompanied Abel’s laughter. “Nope, you sure don’t. That’s a bonus.”

  Millie couldn’t wait for the day to be over. Valentine’s Day always proved to be a trial for her with would-be Romeos trying to squire their Juliets over the telephone. She’d lost track of the times she’d had to chase lovebirds off the lines for lingering far too long.

  One conversation she’d inadvertently plugged into left her wishing she could ream out her ears with soap and somehow scrub the images from her mind. She would never, ever look at one supposedly morally upright spinster the same way again.

  Exhausted, with the beginnings of a headache pounding behind her right eye, she tamped down a sigh when she heard the door to the office open and close.

  Hushed whisperings and noisy scuffling made her whip around in her chair.

  A delighted smile lit her features as she greeted Sadie and Noah Thorsen.

  Swiftly removing her headset, she rushed around the counter and gave them both a hug. “What are you two doing here?” Millie asked as Sadie gave her brother a less than subtle nudge.

  “We brung you a Valentine, Miss Millie,” Noah said, handing her a card made of white paper with red hearts pasted to the front of it.

  “Aren’t you just a little sweetheart?” Millie took the card from the boy and read the short message inside, written in his childish scrawl.

  His cheeks turned red, highlighting the freckles liberally covering his face, as she bent down and kissed his forehead.

  “This is the nicest Valentine card I’ve ever received, Noah. Thank you so much.”

  “We made cookies, too.” Sadie handed Millie a basket covered with a pristine white napkin. “Mama thought you might enjoy them. She said you needed a little something special to brighten your day.”

  Millie lifted the napkin and smiled at the heart-shaped cookies sprinkled with sugar. “Be sure to give my thanks to your mother, too. Is she working with your aunt Ilsa today?”

  “Yep. The two of them are in a big tizzy, finishing a fancy gown for some lady in London that has to be on tomorrow’s train.” Sadie propped her elbows on the counter with a dreamy look on her face. “Someday, I’m gonna see all those places where Aunt Ilsa ships her dresses. Maybe I can personally deliver a few orders for her.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “Sadie is forever yammering about seeing the world.” The little boy rubbed a finger beneath his nose and eyed his sister. “Don’t know what’s so special that you can’t enjoy here. We’ve got a nice house and lots of food to eat, and friends, and a wonderful mama and daddy.”

  “I know all that you lunkhead.” Sadie scowled at her brother. “But there are so many magnificent things I want to see that can’t be found here in Pendleton.”

  “I’m sure you’ll take grand adventures, Sadie,” Millie offered, encouraging the child. No doubt existed in her mind that if Sadie Thorsen decided to do something, she’d make it happen.

  “The grand adventure we best take is back to Aunt Ilsa’s shop.” Noah gestured toward the door. “The rest of the kids will be ready to go home. It’s too cold to walk if they don’t wait for us and leave with the wagon.”

  “I’ll beat you there,” Sadie said, spinning around to open the door.

  Before she touched the knob, it swung open. She and Noah raced past Gideon McBride. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mr. McBride,” the girl called. “See you later, Millie!”

  “Goodbye, Sadie.” Unsuccessfully, Millie tried to wipe the smile from her face as Gideon strolled inside with a brown paper-wrapped parcel in his gloved hand.

  “Afternoon, Miss Matlock,” he said, removing his Stetson and setting the package on the counter. He tugged off his gloves and shoved them in his pocket then leaned against the counter. “Those two children don’t let the grass have a chance to grow beneath their feet.”

  “They certainly do not, but I think they’re much more fun that way.” Millie stepped around the counter, trying to force herself back into the role of the telephone office operator instead of a woman thoroughly entranced by the man standing before her.

  Mercy, Gideon smelled good and looked even better. The dark suit covering his tall muscular frame accented the breadth of his shoulders and chest. The green paisley tie he wore knotted around his neck perfectly matched his eyes and made her wonder how they appeared so warm and cool at the same time.

  When he broke into a dimpled, charming smile, Millie’s knees wobbled and she gripped the edge of the counter for support.

  “How may we help you today, Mr. McBride?”

  In no hurry to get down to the reason he came to the telephone office, he dropped his gaze to the basket on the counter. “What’s in there?”

  “The Thorsen family made cookies. Would you like one?” Millie scooted the basket closer to Gideon and set the napkin covering it aside.

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Gideon lifted a cookie from the basket and bit into it. It was soft with sugar on top, but not too sweet. He detected just a hint of lemon blended with a slight lingering flavor of almond and decided he might have to ask Mrs. Thorsen for her recipe. “I didn’t realize Mrs. Thorsen was such an accomplished baker.”

  Millie shook her head. “Although Marnie is a good cook, she hardly has time to drink a cup of tea in her busy household. I’m sure these were made by Gertie, their cook.”

  “That’s right. Mrs. Thorsen hired her back when she… um…” Gideon cleared his throat and brushed the crumbs from his hands, careful not to say anything offensive. Millie most definitely would not approve of him bringing up Mrs. Thorsen’s former line of work. “When she married Deputy Thorsen.”

  Millie watched his every move, wanting, so badly, to brush the hint of sugar off his tantalizing bottom lip. Even better, she envisioned kissing it away. Curious if his mouth would taste as dark and dec
adent as she imagined, she started to lean forward.

  Mortified by her wayward thoughts, she snapped herself up straight and took a deep breath. The alluring aroma of Gideon, an entrancing blend of fresh stormy air and something that hinted at danger, did nothing to help her rapidly overheating body.

  “What did you say you needed today? Are you having more trouble with your telephone?” Millie asked. Not giving him time to answer, she waved a hand behind her toward the switchboard operators working at a frenzied pace to keep up with the calls. “If you haven’t been able to get through, I apologize. It’s been a rather busy day.”

  “I see that,” Gideon said, mindful Millie couldn’t linger. Even if the switchboard weren’t as busy as Miss Clementine’s brothel on a Friday night, she wouldn’t engage in a lengthy conversation with three sets of ears listening to her every word. He placed his hand on the package and slid it across the counter. “I brought this for you.”

  “Politely, I must decline your gift.” Millie fisted her hands against her skirt to keep from ripping off the paper and seeing what was inside. Unable to recall a time when anyone had given her a Valentine’s gift, she realized it was the first she’d ever received.

  “Please, Miss Matlock.” His eyes held a pleading look no woman in her right mind would ignore. “It’s not really anything, just a little something you might enjoy. You could share it with your friends, if you like,” he said, trying to coax her into opening the gift.

  “I suppose if it’s something I can share with the others…” Her sentence hung unfinished as she pulled away the paper. A gasp escaped her and she stared wide-eyed at the beautiful box in her hands. Made of silver, the jewelry box bore a faint coating of white, just enough to give it a fascinating sheen. Hand-painted red roses and green leaves stood out in vivid contrast.

  Millie had never seen a box half as beautiful and immediately loved it. But she couldn’t keep it. The gift was far too expensive for her to accept.

  “I can’t take this, Mr. McBride.” She held it out toward him.

  His smile dripped into a hurt frown as he stared at her. “Do you not like it, Miss Matlock?”

  “It isn’t that, sir. The gift is too much, too… inappropriate for mere acquaintances.” The smell of chocolate drifted up to Millie’s nose and she battled the urge to open the lid and look inside as she continued to hold the box out to Gideon.

  He took the box from her and set it on the counter. “You wound me, Miss Matlock. I thought, after all the Tuesday evenings you’ve spent chastising my customers, we’d become more than mere acquaintances. I hoped you’d consider me a friend.”

  “Oh, well… I… that’s to say…” Millie didn’t know what to reply. Even if she vehemently opposed what Gideon did for a living, she couldn’t help but like the man. In her mind, she’d already begun to consider him a friend more than a foe.

  “Please accept it?” Gideon pushed the box closer to her and lifted the lid.

  Open-mouthed, Millie gazed at the prettiest collection of candy she’d ever seen. More than a dozen pieces, each nestled in its own little tissue paper cup filled the box. Fudge with red candy hearts, pink bonbons with miniature rosebuds on top, chocolate creams adorned with fancy scrolls.

  Her gaze snapped up to Gideon’s. “Did you make these? They’re positively splendid. I’ve never seen anything so pretty.”

  “I did make them. Abel served as my taste-tester and declared they all passed his scrutiny.” As for how pretty the candy appeared, Gideon didn’t think they compared with the woman on the other side of the counter. Dressed in a serviceable dark blue skirt, the pink shirtwaist she wore, accented with creamy pinstripes and a strip of lace down the front, made him think of spring blossoms. The color brought out roses in Millie’s cheeks and accented her porcelain complexion.

  No matter the reason he found himself handing her a gift meant for a sweetheart, he couldn’t help but admire her delicate beauty and bounteous curves.

  She grinned and returned to perusing the box of candy. “I’m sure Mr. Jamieson was willing to offer his opinions.”

  “He most certainly was. Do you want to see if he was right? That the candy is good?” Gideon nudged the box closer to Millie.

  “After you went to all that trouble, I won’t refuse,” she said, trying to decide which piece to sample first.

  “May I?” Gideon pointed to the box.

  “Of course,” Millie agreed, watching as he carefully lifted a pink-tinted candy in his long tapered fingers and held it out to her. For a man, he had such beautiful hands. The fact she noticed left her more than a little disconcerted.

  “Try this one.” Rather than place it in her hand, he held it up to her lips.

  Convinced he’d cast some sort of trance over her, she leaned forward and took a bite, unable to tell him she was capable of feeding herself without his assistance.

  She bit into the candy and closed her eyes. Airy and light, the meringue melted on her tongue, leaving behind a slight lingering taste of raspberry.

  “My word! That is so good.” She opened her eyes to find Gideon closely observing her. She smiled and took the candy from his hand, popping the rest of it in her mouth.

  “Does that mean you’ll accept my gift?”

  It would have taken a woman of much stronger conviction than Millie to tell him no. Not only did she love sweets, but only a blind woman would have possessed the ability to deny Gideon with that enthralling look in his eye and tempting smile on his face.

  “I will accept it and I’m not entirely certain I’ll share with the others.” Millie glanced over her shoulder at her staff. “I’m glad they’re preoccupied answering calls. Otherwise, they would have swarmed the counter and eaten half the candy before I could wrestle it away from them.”

  Gideon laughed. “I can always make more. Just say the word.”

  The deep sound of his laughter struck a resonate chord in Millie’s heart. Before she stopped herself, she reached out and clasped his hand in hers. “I do appreciate the gift, so much, Mr. McBride. It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  Moisture gathered in her pale blue eyes, forcing Gideon to battle the urge to draw her into his arms. Under the assumption someone as vibrant and lively as Millie had received dozens of gifts from suitors over the years, he wondered at her statement and the emotion evident on her face.

  Rather than contemplate it, he squeezed her hand in return and stepped back from the counter. Quickly pulling on his gloves, he backed toward the door. “Have a lovely Valentine’s Day, Miss Matlock.”

  “You as well, Mr. McBride. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It means more than you can know.”

  Gideon settled his hat on his head then tipped it to her before stepping outside. Pleased by her reaction to both the jewelry box and the candy, he knew he’d done well in giving her the gift. If a little candy got her that emotional, what might she do if he coerced her into sharing a meal with him?

  Millie stood at the counter, watching until Gideon disappeared from her line of sight. A bump to her side made her look over at Lacy. The woman grinned at her and pointed to the candy.

  “Are you sure he’s not smitten with you? There isn’t a man alive who would bring a woman a gift like that unless he intended to court her.” Lacy studied the beautiful box and the equally lovely pieces of candy. “Did he make all that?”

  “He said he did. The piece I had was so good, Lacy. It actually melted in my mouth.”

  “The candy isn’t the only thing that appears to have melted. Do I sense you warming a little toward the wayward Mr. McBride?” Lacy selected a praline when Millie motioned for her to choose a candy.

  “Perhaps, but I still abhor what he does for a living, even if I can’t quite bring myself to detest him.”

  Lacy took a bite of the sweet and rolled her eyes in sugar-induced bliss. “Oh, my stars! That is tasty.” She cast her friend a teasing glance. “Like I said, that man is smitten with you.”

  Mil
lie scowled and pointed toward the switchboard. “Oh, hush, and get back to work.” The light dancing in her eyes softened the tone of her words.

  Lacy laughed and pointed to the box of candy. “You better hide that before Grant stops by to walk me home or he’ll eat every last piece.”

  “He’ll have to fight me for it,” Millie said with a grin. “And you know I’ll go down swinging.”

  “Yes, you will.”

  Chapter Nine

  A messenger boy tapped on Gideon’s back door. He opened it, accepting the envelope with a smile. The feminine, feathery script made him wonder if the missive was from Millie.

  “Thanks, Cully. Do you mind waiting a minute while I read this?” he asked, motioning for the boy to step inside the back hallway.

  “I got time, Mr. McBride,” Cully said, following him to the kitchen.

  Gideon poured the boy a glass of milk and placed three cookies on a plate, setting it on the table.

  “Gee, thanks, Mr. McBride!” The boy took a big bite from a molasses cookie.

  “You’re welcome, Cully. A growing boy needs plenty to eat.” Gideon felt sorry for the youngster. Cully did odd jobs around town because his widowed mother barely made ends meet taking in laundry and mending jobs.

  Anxiously opening the envelope, Gideon read a simple and sincere note of thanks from Millie, stating how much she appreciated and enjoyed his thoughtful gift.

  Inspired by his apparent success, he gave Cully a quick glance. “If I write a note to Miss Matlock, will you see she gets it?”

  “Yes, sir.” Cully nodded his head as he swallowed a bite of cookie. “Be happy to deliver it to her.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Gideon hurried down the hallway to the desk in his sitting room. He wrote her a note, stuffed it in an envelope, and returned to the kitchen.

  Cully guzzled the last of his milk and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Gideon handed him the envelope along with a silver half dollar.

  “Wow, Mr. McBride. Thank you,” the boy said, stuffing the coin in his pocket. “I’ll be sure Miss Matlock gets this right away.”