“Don’t, Millie. You don’t need to see what’s up there.”
“Yes, I do.”
Desperate to keep her from going up to her apartment, Grant looked to his wife.
Lacy wrapped her arm around Millie’s waist, leading her over to the chair at her desk. “Let’s wait for the deputy to arrive.”
“But, Lacy, I think it best if I…”
The switchboard came to life with incoming calls so Fae and Susan scurried into their places and answered them.
Lacy stayed beside Millie until Lars arrived a few minutes later. He took in the broken glass of the door then silently followed Grant when the man pointed upstairs.
While they were in Millie’s apartment, Gideon arrived with a box full of food. As soon as he saw the broken glass, he set the box on the counter and rushed to Millie’s side.
Her pale face and drawn look left him plenty worried.
“Grant and Lars are upstairs,” Lacy said, tipping her head toward the stairs. Gideon charged up them but the sound of the men’s hushed voices didn’t carry all the way down the stairs.
“It’s my apartment, Lacy. I need to see what’s happened so I can report it to the corporate office,” Millie said, rising to her feet.
“I still think you should wait, Millie. Let the men handle this.”
“Maybe it’s not something for the men to handle. I’m thoroughly tired of men always thinking they need to be in charge.”
Before Lacy could stop her, Millie raced upstairs and bumped into Gideon’s broad chest. He held her arms and pulled her closer, trying to block her view of her apartment while he attempted to maneuver her back down the stairs to the telephone office.
She pushed against him. “Let me see, Gideon. I need to see what happened.”
Resolved to letting her have her way, he released her and stepped back.
Millie gasped as she looked around what had once been her lovely little home. It looked as if someone had taken a sharp blade and randomly ran it through her belongings. Every throw pillow on the couch had been sliced open, the seat on her side chair was cut in half, and the surface of her favorite piecrust table had been grooved with scratches.
The samplers she had hanging on the wall in the hallway hung in tattered ribbons. In the kitchen, the slab of wood that had barred the door was on the floor with the word “wench” carved into it. Spices, sugar, even her tea were sprinkled across the floor and several dishes had been reduced to broken shards.
Before the men could stop her, Millie ran into her bedroom to find her bedding ruined and her clothes mercilessly slashed. In what appeared to be red paint, someone had scrawled, “I’m coming for you,” on the mirror. The smell of alcohol permeated the room and an empty whiskey bottle rested on the shredded quilt on her bed.
Spinning around, she buried her head against Gideon’s chest and tried to block out the ruthless destruction of her belongings.
Without waiting for her to say anything, Gideon picked her up and carried her downstairs, setting her on top of her desk.
Lacy, Susan, and Fae glanced at Lars and Grant in question as they came downstairs, faces grim.
“We’ll find who did this, Millie. I promise. In the meantime, if you can find somewhere else to stay, that would be a good idea.” Lars gave her an encouraging look. “If you think you could stand all my little rascals, we have plenty of room at the orphanage.”
“She’ll stay with us,” Lacy said, glancing to her husband. “We have room at our house.”
“Absolutely, Millie. You’ll be safe there.” Grant nodded encouragingly as Lacy placed a comforting hand on Millie’s back.
Millie accepted the handkerchief Gideon handed to her and wiped her eyes, sniffled, then forced a smile for her friends. “Thank you. I appreciate your kind offer, Lars, but it might be easiest to stay with Grant and Lacy.”
“That’s fine. I just don’t want you staying here until we figure out who’s behind this.” Lars turned to Grant and Gideon. “I’d suggest cleaning things up as quickly as possible and getting the door repaired. No doubt, the person who did this will be keeping an eye on the place. If they see Millie go on like nothing has happened, it might deter them a little.”
“We’ll get things cleaned up and I’ll make sure the door is replaced today,” Gideon said, glancing at Grant then back at Lars. “Thank you for coming over.”
“It’s my job. If you need help cleaning up the place, I could send some of the kids in to help.”
“I think we can mange,” Gideon said, envisioning the rowdy Thorsen tribe converging on Millie’s little apartment.
“Make sure Millie puts together a list of everything that’s been damaged. It doesn’t look like anything was stolen, but do have her check, just to be sure.” Lars touched his fingers to the brim of his hat and then he was gone.
Gideon turned to Lacy and asked her to call Mr. West at the hardware store and have him bring a new door.
While she did that, Gideon went upstairs and got Millie a glass of water then convinced her to sit at her desk and begin compiling a list of damages. He knew she’d have to go back upstairs to finish it, but he wanted to get the paint off her dresser mirror first.
“Grant, will you stay while I run a few errands?” he asked.
“I’m not going anywhere. If Loren needs me, he knows where to find me,” Grant said.
Gideon gave Millie a concerned glance then stepped to the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, there’s food in the box on the counter.”
“We best not let it go to waste.” Grant offered his wife a teasing smile and hefted the box as Gideon hurried out the door.
In a rush, he went back to his place and changed into Levi’s and a work shirt. He happened to run into Abel as he arrived early to work on an inventory list for the restaurant. After telling him what happened, Abel volunteered to help clean up and assured Gideon he’d meet him at Millie’s.
Gideon ran by the mercantile and purchased a variety of cleaning supplies then hurried back to the telephone office.
By the time he returned, Lacy was sweeping up glass from the broken door while Grant helped Mr. West take the old door off the hinges. The new door was solid wood. It would keep anyone from breaking it open as they had with the previous glass-fronted door.
Millie still sat at her desk, a plate of uneaten food next to her as she worked on a list of damaged items.
Abel arrived so he and Gideon took the cleaning supplies upstairs and started in Millie’s bedroom. They removed the paint from the mirror and opened the windows to clear the air of the smell of whiskey.
The bedding was beyond repair, so they wadded it up and carried it out back to a large garbage receptacle. Gideon found a tablet and pencil in the kitchen and started his own list of damaged items.
Millie would have to sort through her clothes, but beyond the ruined bedding, the furniture in the bedroom hadn’t been damaged. Gideon picked up a few pieces of clothing, relieved the pink shirtwaist he liked so well hadn’t been ruined.
Whoever broke in must have run out of time, because nothing in the bathroom or spare bedroom had been touched.
They moved on to the kitchen. By then Grant and Lacy joined them. Lacy pulled on a wide apron she found hanging on a hook in a corner and took over scrubbing while Gideon gathered Millie’s beautiful samplers that had been turned into nothing more than frayed ribbons. The intruder had busted out the glass in the frames then slashed them mercilessly.
What kind of beast did something like that and why had he targeted Millie?
Many of the saloon owners laid all the blame for prohibition at her door. Although she had been a driving force behind it, it was coming whether any of them wanted to admit it.
Surely, no one he knew would wreak such havoc and terror, though.
Gideon had just finished setting all the samplers on the kitchen table when Millie ventured upstairs. She took a series of shallow breaths then disappeared into her bedroom. Wh
en she returned, she wore one of her old calico dresses that hadn’t been damaged. Doggedly, she worked cleaning up the mess while continuing to list everything that had been destroyed.
Big, silent tears rolled down her cheeks when she ran her fingers over the top of the gouges in the piecrust table. Gideon stood beside her and placed a warm, comforting hand on her back.
“It’ll be okay, Millie. I can sand down the top and refinish it.”
Although she nodded her head, the bleak look in her eyes told him she was beyond listening to his assurances.
Before the afternoon was over, Ilsa, Marnie, and Caterina arrived, bringing food and no small amount of encouragement and support.
Ilsa helped Millie sort through her clothes. When they discovered so many ruined pieces, Ilsa insisted she come to her shop and pick out anything she wanted.
Marnie told her they had plenty of blankets and pillows at Dogwood Corners and she’d bring her some for her room tomorrow. Caterina ran down to the mercantile and replaced all the foodstuffs in the kitchen that had been damaged.
By the time they all left, the apartment was clean and set back to rights. A few pieces of furniture would need to be replaced as well as Millie’s broken dishes. Gideon had Abel carry the little piecrust table back to the saloon so he could work on it later.
With Grant and Lacy’s coaxing, Millie shut down the office at six and accompanied them home.
Gideon walked with them across the bridge then promised to check on Millie in the morning as soon as she got to work.
Rather than return to the Second Chance Saloon, he stopped by Archie Cook’s place.
“Evening, Gideon. What brings you to my fine establishment?” Archie asked, hooking his thumbs through his suspenders and rocking back on his heels with a toothy smile.
“You probably heard what happened at the telephone office today.”
Archie’s smile faded and he nodded his head. “I sure did. Is Miss Matlock okay? Was there a lot of damage?”
“She’ll be fine, but whoever it was sure made a mess of her apartment. It looked like they took the scissors to most of her clothes. I sure hate to see the needless destruction of her things.” Gideon sighed. “I know some of the fellas are mad about the saloons closing and blaming her, but prohibition was coming no matter what the women did.”
“Most likely,” Archie agreed. “Do you have any idea who might have broken into the telephone office?”
“There’s no proof or witnesses. With everyone down at the depot this morning to see the cannon, the streets were all but deserted for more than an hour.”
Archie released his suspenders and leaned his arms on the top of his bar. “I have to assume whoever did this planned it well, knowing everyone would be gone.”
“Yep. I hate to point fingers, but it sure seems like Kyle Steel would make a likely suspect. He’s been vocal about terrorizing Millie from the start.”
“He does have more strikes against him than most. Maybe I can talk to him and see if I can gather any information that will shed a little light on his involvement.”
“That’d be great, Archie.” Gideon shook the man’s hand then headed back to his saloon. He didn’t care how long it took, but he wasn’t going to rest easy until whoever threatened Millie was behind bars.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A nudge on her arm caused Millie to slide over in the church pew and make room for the person who wanted to sit beside her. She’d taken a seat at the end of a pew beside Lacy and Grant. Bertie and Riley sat on their other side with the Nash and Rawlings families filling the pew in front of them while the Campanelli and Thorsen families filled the two pews behind them.
Millie assumed it was most likely one of the children wanting to sit beside her. She reached out a hand to circle around the shoulders of the child but her fingers touched the solid muscle of a man.
A smile raised her lips up at the corners as she looked at Gideon. “Good morning,” she mouthed then realized her hand still rested against his arm. Quickly dropping it on her lap, she couldn’t hide a grin when he slid his hand toward hers and meshed their fingers together.
Throughout Pastor Whitting’s service, Millie stole glances at Gideon. For the most part, he sat with his gaze fixed on the pastor, listening to the sermon.
She’d never seen him at church before and wondered at his appearance now. Since the day of the break-in at her apartment, he’d checked on her every single day. Despite how busy he was getting ready to close the saloon and open the restaurant, he came each evening to spend time with her. After a few nights at Lacy and Grant’s house, Millie had insisted on returning to her apartment.
Frightened more than she let on, she knew she had to show the man who had done the damage that she wasn’t afraid. The best way to do that was return to the apartment and go on with life as though the intrusion had never happened.
Gideon repaired her piecrust table, she’d started stitching new samplers, and Marnie had provided her with nicer bedding than she had before, including a beautiful quilt some of the girls at the orphanage helped make.
The thing that Millie was most distraught about was the loss of so many of her clothes. The gown she’d worn to the ball was beyond hope of repair as were the two walking suits she owned. Three skirts she wore for work and all but two of her shirtwaists were utterly destroyed. She’d been left with only one spare petticoat and no nightgown.
Ilsa had been wonderful, giving her an entire box full of clothes, along with a beautiful summer gown of the finest lawn fabric in an icy shade of blue. Glad she’d worn the new dress to church that morning, it was nicer than anything Millie had previously owned.
Lacy and Grant, along with Aundy and Garrett, had given her a gift of cash, telling her to spend it on whatever she needed to replace and not worry about the cost. If she needed more, they’d gladly give it. Millie tried to refuse their gift, but Lacy had wrapped her fingers around the envelope and insisted she keep it. So she had.
Although she had yet to replace everything that was lost, she wasn’t in a rush to spend the money. She purchased the essentials she needed and decided to wait on the rest until she found things she absolutely loved. In the meantime, she could make do with what she had.
Thoughts of things she loved drew her gaze back to Gideon. In addition to the time he’d spent with her, he’d kept her fed, bringing her dinner almost every night. His friendship had become such a precious thing to her. Even if she couldn’t allow herself to give her heart to him, she treasured the warmth of his presence beside her as a true friend.
At the end of the service, Gideon continued to hold her hand as they stood and made their way to where the pastor and his wife waited to greet the congregation at the door.
Gideon shook hands with their friends and had a pleasant conversation with Pastor and Mrs. Whitting before he stepped outside into the bright summer sunshine.
Only half-listening to those around her, Millie hurried over to him before he walked away.
She touched his arm and he turned to her with a dimpled smile. “It’s a pleasant surprise to see you this morning.”
He nodded. “It’s a pleasant surprise to find myself here. I decided it was time to get back on speaking terms with Someone.” His head tipped back and his gaze turned skyward before he looked at her again. “Attending services this morning seemed like a good place to start.”
She clasped his hand with hers. “A wonderful place to start, Gideon.”
He took a step back and studied her from the top of her head to her toes. “That’s a particularly fetching frock, Miss Matlock. You look lovely.”
With a happy smile, she dipped into a curtsey. “Why thank you, kind sir. Ilsa is a wonder when it comes to fashion.”
“That she is,” Gideon said, taking Millie’s hand and wrapping it around his arm. “But you make the fashions look wonderful.” At the slight blush on her cheeks, he grinned again. “I hope you don’t mind, but Bertie and Riley invited me to join you for
lunch out at their place.”
“Why on earth would I mind?” Millie asked, following Gideon as he led the way to a buggy he’d parked with others along the street in front of the church.
“I thought maybe you’re tired of me hanging around.”
Millie shook her head as she took his hand and stepped into the buggy. “Never, Mr. McBride. Not ever.”
“Good.” He took a seat beside her and unwrapped the reins from around the brake then waved at Lacy and Grant. The couple had informed him they were heading out to the reservation to spend the afternoon with Lacy’s family and were glad he planned to keep an eye on Millie.
Everyone worried about her being alone, but especially Gideon.
Grateful for the opportunity to spend the day with her, Gideon waved to Riley as he helped Bertie into their wagon, prepared to follow them back to their farm.
“Do you suppose Steve will join us at the dinner table?” Gideon asked, picturing the mule sauntering inside the house and plopping down at the table.
Millie laughed, as he knew she would. “Bertie would have six kinds of fits if that happened. Steve knows better than to sneak in the house when they have company. Besides, he still hasn’t decided if he likes me, so he’ll most likely stay near the barn.”
“What’s not to like, Miss Matlock?” Gideon winked at her. “That mule’s crazier than you all give him credit for being.”
“Perhaps, but he certainly keeps things lively.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The saloons closed for the last time a minute before midnight on the thirtieth day of June. Although the sheriff expected trouble and had every man he’d ever deputized on watch that night, only two men got so roaring drunk and rowdy that Kade and Lars hauled them into jail.
Gideon had sold most of his inventory to a saloon owner in Walla Walla. He only had a few bottles left to serve the men who gathered at the Second Chance Saloon for the last time. As he had every other night, Abel was the one who announced it was time to close. He and Gideon walked to the batwing doors and stood one on each side, shaking the hands of each man and thanking them for their patronage.
Millie (Pendleton Petticoats Book 7) Page 26
