“Thank you, Cully. You stay out of trouble and enjoy your day.” Gideon walked him to the back door.
“I will. Thank you, sir.” The boy took off running and soon disappeared down the alley.
Gideon wasn’t surprised when Cully returned a short while later with another note from Millie.
The boy handed it to him with a cheeky grin. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you went to see Miss Matlock in person, or called on the telephone? Ain’t that the whole reason to have one?” the boy asked.
“I suppose you’re right, Cully, but it’s more fun this way.” Gideon opened the envelope and read her note.
Dear Mr. McBride,
Thank you for the very kind invitation to join you tomorrow afternoon for a showing of a moving picture at the Star Theatre. After the delicious candy you delivered yesterday, and the beautiful box in which they arrived, I find myself unable to decline your offer.
I will meet you at the theater at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
Again, thank you for the lovely Valentine’s gift. It is truly the most thoughtful and wonderful gift I’ve ever received.
Kindest regards,
M. Matlock
Bowled over by her willingness to accompany him, he’d expected her to turn him down. At the very least, he anticipated the need to coax her a bit.
The candy he made must have been exceptionally good, Millie had a bigger sweet tooth than he realized, or she really was starting to warm up to him.
Not one to question his good fortune, he swiftly penned a reply and gave it to Cully to deliver. Before the boy left, he handed him two pieces of fudge.
“Be sure you take that note right over to Miss Matlock,” Gideon said as the boy ran out the door.
“You can count on me, Mr. McBride,” Cully called before stuffing a piece of fudge in his mouth.
Amused, Gideon returned to the work of completing a weekly inventory of liquor. In spite of the fact he pursued Millie strictly for the sake of keeping the saloons open, he couldn’t quite quell the excitement he felt at the prospect of seeing her again.
As he worked, he whistled a lively rag tune he’d heard someone playing at his friend Drake’s saloon the other afternoon. The smile he couldn’t wipe off his face drew a questioning glance from Abel when the bartender arrived for his shift.
“What’s got you as happy as a bear in a ripe berry patch?” Abel asked, tying on a canvas waist apron.
“Nothing,” Gideon said, writing the final notes on his inventory sheet and dropping the papers into a file.
Abel snickered. “If I was a betting man, I’d wager that your nothing happens to have raven-black hair, blue eyes, and manages the telephone office.”
Gideon shot him a guarded glare.
Not bothered by his employer’s dark scowl, Abel grinned. “You never said yesterday if Miss Millie liked your gift. I’m just gonna have to assume she liked it quite well.”
“She appeared to appreciate it and sent a note of thanks.” Gideon walked into the kitchen and lifted the lid on a roasting pan he’d left simmering on the stove. The smell of beef filled the air with a mouth-watering aroma. He sprinkled crushed herbs over the meat, replaced the lid, and then slid the pan into the oven to finish cooking.
“And?” Abel questioned. He knew Gideon well enough to realize the man held something back.
Gideon washed and dried his hands then punched down rising bread dough and kneaded it before forming it into three loaves. He draped a clean cloth over the top of the bread pans then washed his hands again.
Abel poured a cup of coffee and helped himself to a cookie. “Come on, Gideon. What did she say?”
“She said it was the nicest gift she’d ever received.” Gideon glanced over at Abel. “I find that a little hard to believe, but she did agree to accompany me to a show at the Star Theatre tomorrow afternoon.”
A cough followed by a snort made Abel set down the cup of coffee in his hand and thump his chest, trying to dislodge the bite of cookie that went down the wrong pipe. “And that’s nothing? Seems to me that’s a mighty big something.”
Gideon grinned. “Maybe.”
The following afternoon, Gideon arrived at the theater twenty minutes early. He assumed Millie would be punctual, and didn’t want to keep her waiting if she arrived prior to their prearranged time.
Ten minutes later, a fashionable hat perched at a saucy angle atop a head of shiny black hair drew his attention to a figure briskly walking down the sidewalk toward him.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a grin as he watched Millie approach. Although her dark coat hid her form, he had no trouble conjuring up a picture of her small waist and generous curves.
In spite of how much her work with the temperance committee annoyed him, Gideon couldn’t deny Millie Matlock was a very beautiful woman. He took in her pink wind-whipped cheeks, the energetic bounce in her step, and the smile that lingered on her lips.
Not for the first time, he wondered if those lips would taste as delicious as he imagined. Perhaps, if things went as well today as they had Valentine’s Day, he’d soon have the opportunity to satisfy his curiosity.
Guilt pricked at him for entertaining such thoughts since the relationship he worked to establish with the woman was nothing more than a means to distract her from furthering her prohibition cause.
Gideon might run a saloon, but that didn’t mean he was a heartless beast. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Millie pain. She seemed like a sensible woman, though. Surely, he could find a way to keep her distracted without involving her heart. Maybe he just needed to view the relationship as an opportunity to extend his friendship to her. Become like a brother to her.
A strictly platonic relationship meant he might even be able to get her to see how unreasonable it was to try to close down all the saloons in Pendleton.
However, the idea of never holding her close and pressing his lips to hers left him edgy and antsy. Especially when she caught sight of him and her whole face lit with a friendly smile.
No, pretending to be a brother to Millie would never, ever work.
With a few long strides, he closed the distance between them and tipped his hat to her. “Good afternoon, Miss Matlock. Thank you for meeting me here today.”
She grinned up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. “I’ve never been to this theater. Once, I went with some friends to the Dime Theater. It proved to be a novel experience.”
“I hope you enjoy the show today.” He held his arm out toward her. “Shall we?”
After only a slight hesitation she took it, wrapping her gloved hand around his arm and moving closer to him as they made their way to the door. Millie stopped to dig change out of her handbag, but Gideon had already procured two tickets and handed them to the ticket-taker before they stepped inside.
“I’m happy to pay my own way, Mr. McBride.” Millie held out a dime to him.
He shook his head and folded her fingers around the coin. “Today’s my treat.”
People filled the small lobby area as they removed wraps and coats in preparation of watching the show.
Gideon placed his hands on Millie’s shoulders, helping her out of her coat. She unwrapped a thick scarf and shoved it into one coat sleeve then tucked her winter gloves into a pocket before Gideon carried her coat to a counter where an attendant took coats and handed back numbered tickets. Quickly shedding his coat, he handed it over then turned his attention back to Millie.
Other than the day he’d escorted her around town with her friends, he’d only seen her wear serviceable skirts and shirtwaists.
Today, she wore a beautiful Prussian blue suit with a hint of a light blue lace shirtwaist peeping out from behind the suit’s notched collar. Although the lines of the ensemble were simple, detailed tonal stitching gave the front of the jacket and skirt an eye-catching accent.
“You look beautiful,” Gideon whispered, leaning close to her ear. “That’s a wonderful color on you.” The glance she tossed
at him over her shoulder made his heart skitter in his chest.
“Thank you.” Self-consciously, she brushed a hand down the front of her skirt then pushed in an escaping hairpin. “Mrs. Campanelli shared a few of her tips.”
Impressed, he studied the front of her outfit, observing the hours of painstaking work that had gone into it. “You made this yourself?”
A slight blush made her cheeks turn an even lovelier shade of pink. “I did.”
“As I said, you look beautiful.” Gideon cupped her elbow and guided her to their seats. Not long after they settled in, the moving picture began.
Although it was only the third time Gideon had been to a show, watching Millie fascinated him far more than the actors on the screen.
As the story unfolded and reached its dramatic peak, Millie reached over and squeezed his fingers, as if she needed reassurance the story would end well. Slowly, he turned his hand over until her small palm nestled against his. Heat and something that felt almost electric sizzled up his arm. He glanced down to make sure no sparks shot from the point of contact. When Millie’s gaze dropped to their joined hands, he wondered if she felt it too.
For a moment, she appeared uncertain and started to lift her hand away. Then an exciting moment in the storyline arrived and she pressed her hand more firmly against his.
Gideon bit back a grin and meshed his fingers with hers, more than happy to continue cradling her hand.
When the moving picture ended, Millie enthusiastically clapped with the rest of the crowd. She turned to him with a happy smile. “Oh, that was wonderful, Mr. McBride! Thank you so, so much for inviting me.”
He stood and cupped her elbow, helping her to her feet. “It’s my pleasure. After all, it seemed fitting to bring you to see The Telephone Girl since you are one.”
“I certainly hope I never hear a robbery taking place in the background during a call. That would definitely leave me rattled.”
Gideon scoffed and looked at Millie. “Are you teasing me? You’re one of the most unflappable people I know. You’d probably lead the charge and take down the thief single-handedly.”
Millie grinned. “Maybe I should ask Deputy Rawlings or Deputy Thorsen to swear me in so I could arrest the bad guy, too.”
“Maybe so,” Gideon agreed before turning in their numbered ticket to retrieve their outerwear.
He held Millie’s coat while she fished the scarf from her sleeve and wrapped it around her neck then pulled on her gloves. Once she slid both arms in the sleeves, he tugged her coat up and let his hands linger a moment on her shoulders. The hint of her spring-flower fragrance floated up to him, captivating his already entranced senses.
Hastily shrugging into his coat and settling his hat on his head, he once again took Millie’s elbow in his hand and guided her outside into the nippy afternoon.
“May I talk you into a soda, or perhaps a cup of hot chocolate?” Gideon asked, not wanting to tell her goodbye already.
“I’m still quite full from lunch, but I do thank you for the offer.” Millie studied him for a moment. “If you truly don’t mind my company, would you like to take a stroll around the park? I heard the fountain froze over again, but I haven’t had time to see it.”
“To the park it is.” Gideon held out his arm to her. Without hesitation she took it and they meandered in the direction of the park. “To clarify, Miss Matlock, I do not mind your company in the least. If I did, I wouldn’t have invited you for a soda. I would have made an excuse to escape as fast as possible and wouldn’t even bother to escort you home.”
“I don’t believe it.” Millie grinned at him. “You’re far too mannerly to do such a thing.”
“At least I’ve got you fooled,” Gideon said, winking at her before changing the subject. “Did you have lunch with friends today?”
“I did. Lacy and Grant invited me to lunch. Bertie and Riley were there, too.”
“Riley’s mule didn’t follow him into town again, did he?” Gideon always found humor in tales of the mule’s mischief.
Millie shook her head. “Not today. Bertie caught him trying to sneak in the kitchen the other day and gave him a stern lecture. She said he’s been pouting the last few days.”
Gideon chuckled. “He sounds like a very personable beast.”
“Oh, he is, although Bertie is the only female he allows to get close. The one time I started to pet him, he kicked the hat right off my head.”
Eyes wide, Gideon stared at her. “Were you injured?”
“No, thank goodness. It was my fault though.” Millie glanced up at Gideon as they waited to cross the street. “Riley and Bertie both warned me to keep my distance from him but I wanted to see for myself if he would react to my presence. And he did. I learned my lesson to stay away from contrary mules.”
“What if he’d hurt you?” Gideon felt an unreasonable panic at the thought of something tragic happening to Millie.
Much to his surprise, she laughed. “Believe me, if Steve wanted to hurt me, I’d be buried six feet under in a pine box. He was merely teaching me to keep my distance. Riley said mules have very good aim where they’re kicking.”
They arrived at the park and Millie hastened her step, hurrying down a path to the fountain. “Oh, isn’t it gorgeous!” she said. Dripping icicles formed a complete circle around the fountain. Sunlight glowed through the frozen water, making it glisten and sparkle.
“It looks like a winter fairy’s castle,” Gideon mused, wishing he’d kept the comment to himself.
Millie arched a shapely brow. “Fairy castle? What do you know of fairies or their castles?”
Feigning indifference, Gideon shrugged. “My mother read me fairy tales when I was a boy. Since I didn’t have many friends, I used to pretend magical little people lived in the hedges and would come out to play with me.”
Pain pierced Millie’s heart at Gideon’s words. All too well, she knew about a lonely childhood without friends. Where her hand rested on his arm, she gave it a slight squeeze. “I think it’s nice your mother taught you fairy tales. There’s nothing wrong with using your imagination.”
She lifted her gaze and found herself trapped by Gideon’s warm green eyes. Dimples did a flirtatious dance in his cheeks while the sun glinted off the bit of coppery hair visible beneath the rim of his hat when he turned his head.
A sudden desire to remove his hat and see the sunbeams reflected in his hair made her tamp down the urge to put her thoughts into action.
Her gaze slid from his eyes along his nose to his kissable lips. His bottom lip, slightly fuller than the top, caught her interest and held it. She fantasized about what it would be like if Gideon tossed caution to the wind and kissed her right there in front of the fountain and everyone wandering through the park.
Heat burned her cheeks and she turned away from him, pointing down a path. “Shall we continue on our jaunt?”
“Are you sure you’re warm enough, Miss Matlock? I don’t want you to take a chill.”
“I’m perfectly fine, but thank you for inquiring,” she said, walking beside him around the fountain and toward the far side of the park.
They stepped onto the sidewalk and began ambling along the edge of the park.
“Did you read the article in the newspaper about the around-the-world car race?” Gideon broke the silence that had descended between them. He hadn’t minded quietly strolling with her, but didn’t want her to think he couldn’t keep up a conversation.
“The one that began in New York City a few days ago?” she asked, turning to look at him with enthusiastic interest in her eyes. “It’s fascinating, isn’t it?”
“It is. Of course, I’m cheering for the American team in the 1907 Thomas Flyer car. What do you think of France entering three teams?”
“It seems a little excessive and unfair, since the United States, Germany and Italy only entered one. I heard the American team started out in the lead.”
Gideon nodded. “That’s right. They have to make
it to San Francisco. This will be the first cross-country car race to take place in the winter.”
“Nik Nash watched the beginning of the race. He sent Aundy and Garrett a telegram letting them know he was there and that it was very exciting.”
He gave her a questioning look. “Nik is their adopted son, is that correct?” Gideon thought he had his facts straight, but since he and the Nash family didn’t exactly socialize, he didn’t know for certain all the details about their oldest child.
“Yes. They adopted him shortly after they wed. He came with the sheep Aundy purchased when she first moved to the area.”
“I’m surprised she was able to talk Garrett into raising sheep. He and his father seem like true cattlemen.”
Millie laughed. “I realize you probably haven’t spent much time around Aundy Nash, but if that woman sets her mind to something, there isn’t too much that will dissuade her.”
Wisely, Gideon kept from saying he could see similar traits in Millie.
“So Aundy and her sheep were a package deal when Garrett married her? Is that what you’re telling me?” Gideon asked in a teasing voice.
“Not just the sheep, but Nik, the men she employed on the farm, and her Chinese cook.” Millie moved a little closer to him, as though she prepared to share a great secret. “If you ever have the opportunity to eat at their bunkhouse, don’t refuse. Li makes the best Chinese food you’ll ever taste.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, should an invitation ever arise.” Gideon had sampled Chinese food several times and even tried to recreate it, but he had yet to figure out all the necessary ingredients. And it wasn’t like Pendleton’s Chinese residents readily shared their recipes.
Much sooner than he liked, they stood outside the telephone office. Millie took the key to the door from her handbag and slipped it in the lock. When she’d opened the door a crack, she turned back to Gideon with a soft smile. “Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Mr. McBride.”
“Thank you for accompanying me, Miss Matlock. I thoroughly enjoyed it and may never again think of hello girls the same way after seeing the show today.”
Millie (Pendleton Petticoats Book 7) Page 8
