“We brought you some clothes and things we thought you might need,” said Rose, the oldest daughter. As soon as the girls turned sixteen, Uncle Charlie sent them off to a finishing school across the state. They returned with impeccable manners, fine speech, and an eye for fashion. So far, five of the girls completed the training.
Although Rose and Daisy were married to ranchers on the reservation, both girls seemed to spend much of their time at the house where they grew up with their sisters and brother.
“With your town job, we thought a few more outfits might come in handy.” Eighteen-year-old Lily wrapped her arm around Lacy’s and gave it a squeeze. “May we visit your apartment?”
Lacy glanced behind her and smiled at the three sets of eyes intently watching from inside the telephone office.
“Let me ask Millie if I can get away for a few minutes.” Opening the door to the office, Lacy smiled at her boss. “Millie, would you mind terribly if I show my cousins my apartment? I could pick up lunch on my way back.”
“Sure. That’s fine.” Millie made a shooing motion to Lacy as the switchboard lit up. She and the others hurried to answer incoming calls.
Lacy rushed back outside and looped her arm around Lily’s then took the hand of fifteen-year-old Blossom. “Come on. It’s just around the corner and down the block.”
Uncle Charlie handed the box of clothes to Rose and went off to run his own errands.
Lacy took the girls around to the back door of the shop, not wanting to disturb Ilsa if she had customers.
When she opened the door, Ilsa, Marnie, and Aundy glanced up from the worktable where the three of them studied Ilsa’s sketchbook.
“Hello, Lacy!” Ilsa offered her a bright smile. “Who do we have here?”
“Hello, everyone.” Lacy stepped inside and grinned as Aundy held both Sophie and Laila in her arms. She’d never seen anyone who loved babies as much as Ilsa’s sister. It was a pity she didn’t have any of her own. “I’d like you to meet my cousins. This is Rose, Daisy, Aster, Lily, and Blossom.”
The girls offered pleasantries before Lacy led them up the stairs to her apartment. In the sitting room, Rose set down the box and Lacy showed them her kitchen, bathroom and the bedrooms.
“Oh, maybe Dad will let me stay with you sometime,” Blossom said, sitting on the edge of the bed and bouncing enthusiastically.
“And maybe you should wait to be asked,” Rose admonished, winking at her younger sister to soften her words.
“You know I’d love to have you stay anytime.” Lacy hugged the girl. Before they started returned to the sitting room, Daisy noticed the green gown Ilsa had given Lacy hanging on a hook.
Daisy reverently ran a hand over the skirt. “Is this one of Mrs. Campanelli’s creations?”
“It is. She said it was sun damaged and insisted I take it.” Lacy still felt like it was charity, although she’d done her best to pay back Tony and Ilsa for their overwhelming kindness. In addition to cleaning the dress shop and Tony’s studio, she’d taken on the task of cleaning out their barn on the weekends. She also made dinner a few times and had baked Tony a dried apple pie. It was all she could afford to do, but the couple seemed appreciative of her efforts. In fact, Tony acted upset the first few times he caught her cleaning the barn. Resigned to her stubbornness, he finally stopped telling her not to bother.
“You’re so lucky, Lacy.” Aster admired the beautiful dress. “What we brought won’t seem nearly as fun, now.”
Lacy squeezed her cousin’s hand and led the way back to the sitting room. “You didn’t need to bring me anything, but I’m grateful for whatever you did. I only have two dresses, counting the one Ilsa gifted me, along with two blouses and one skirt.”
“Then you might like what we brought after all.” Rose handed the full box to Lacy. Three dresses, a split riding skirt, a wool coat, a pair of dress shoes, and a hat made tears sting her eyes at the generosity of her cousins.
Rapidly blinking back her tears, she smiled at the girls who had been like sisters to her all during her growing up years. “Thank you so much. I can’t possibly take all this. Don’t you girls need it?”
“You can and will take it all.” Daisy hugged her around her shoulders. “We’re all so proud of you for getting this job and spreading your wings. Walker and Ruth are proud of you, too.”
“If the weather holds, I plan to ride out to see Ruth, Tom, and the children Sunday. Perhaps if I leave early, I can go to church with everyone.”
Blossom shook her head. “Everyone except Uncle Joe. Mom said he…” The girl grunted as Lily elbowed her side.
“What did Aunt Mae say?” Lacy wondered what her father had done to cause her kind and compassionate aunt to say something the girls shouldn’t repeat.
Rose gently patted her back. “It’s nothing, Lacy. You know your father. Nothing has changed since you’ve been gone.”
Lacy sighed then set aside the melancholy feelings thoughts of her father always generated. “I can’t thank you girls enough for this wonderful gift. When the temperature drops again, this coat will be appreciated more than you can know.”
“Don’t you think spring is here to stay?” Aster asked as the girls walked back downstairs.
“No, I don’t. I think we’ll have more cold weather. If some of the old farmers are correct, we’re supposed to get another snowstorm, too.”
“I hope to goodness we don’t. I’m more than ready for spring.” Daisy grinned then turned her attention to bidding goodbye to Ilsa, Aundy, and Marnie.
“It’s lovely to meet you all,” Ilsa said as they opened the back door. “Come back anytime.”
“Thank you, ma’am. We appreciate the invitation.” Rose tipped her head politely and shooed her sisters out the door.
The girls strolled back to the telephone office. Uncle Charlie waited at the car, talking to a familiar figure that made Lacy’s heart accelerate speed.
Grant Hill cut a fine figure in his tailored dark gray suit with a lighter gray vest and forest green silk tie knotted at his throat.
He turned as Lacy and her cousins approached. The shade of his tie brought out flecks of green in his hazel eyes and Lacy struggled to keep from falling into their depths.
“Girls, you remember Mr. Hill, don’t you?” Uncle Charlie glanced at his daughters.
All five of them exhibited their finest manners as they greeted the banker.
Courteously, Grant responded to the younger girls then tipped his head to Rose and Daisy. “Mrs. Bowman, Mrs. Alexander, please extend my regards to Mr. Bowman and Mr. Alexander.”
“We will, Mr. Hill.” Rose smiled at him then looked to her father. “We need to let Lacy return to work, Dad. Get in the car, girls.”
All five of them slid into the car, four of them cramming into the back seat. Blossom ducked under the brim of Rose’s hat and settled herself before Daisy squeezed in beside her.
Grant held back a chuckle when he noticed Lacy rolling her eyes at her cousins. She caught the hand of one of the younger girls and patted it affectionately.
“Thank you for the visit today. I treasure each and every gift you brought.” Lacy kissed the cheek of the girl in the front seat.
“It’s our pleasure, Lacy. Don’t be a stranger.” Aster blew her a kiss.
Uncle Charlie gave Lacy another hug then shook Grant’s hand before climbing behind the wheel of the car. Grant stepped over and gave the crank on the front of the car a turn to start the engine. A second crank was required before it popped to life. The girls adjusted scarves around their necks and draped blankets over their laps since their father preferred to drive the car with the top folded down.
“Take care, sir, and have a safe trip home.” Grant waved as Charlie guided the car away from the sidewalk and tootled down the street. He glanced down as Lacy continued waving to her cousins until they disappeared around the corner a few blocks away. “How does this day find you, Lacy?”
“Very well, Mr. Hill.” At the look
on his face, she grinned. “The day finds me well, Grant. It was nice to see my family, but I promised Millie to pick up lunch and hurry right back.”
Grant stepped to the side and motioned for Lacy to precede him down the street to the restaurant where the girls from the telephone office generally ordered lunch. Lacy rarely partook. He assumed she saved her pennies and brought her lunch with her.
Inside the restaurant, Lacy walked up to the counter and retrieved a small pasteboard box of sandwiches while Grant waited behind her.
He started to walk her to the door, but Lacy looked back at him. “Please, Grant, enjoy your lunch. I can see myself back to the office.”
The desire to protest and walk her to the door was strong, but he relented. “Have a pleasant afternoon, Lacy. I’ll see you later.”
She smiled as she exited the restaurant and walked back to work. In the weeks since Mr. Kent attempted to attack her, Grant had walked her home nearly every evening. Sometimes he accompanied her to clean Tony’s studio. If she left work before he finished at the bank, he’d track her down to make sure she was safe.
A busy man like the banker had better things to do than worry about her, but she couldn’t convince him she was capable of taking care of herself.
Instead, the more she tried to insist he stop walking her home, the more intent he seemed to be on accompanying her. Lacy didn’t mind his company. Not in the least.
In fact, she’d received more than a few contemptuous glares from other women while in Grant’s presence. It was clear he was a much sought-after bachelor, even if he didn’t realize it.
She couldn’t blame other women for giving Grant more than a passing glance. Although he wasn’t as tall or as brawny as men like Kade or Lars, he still appeared muscular and well formed. His light brown hair was thick and Lacy wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through it. The question had plagued her almost as frequently as she considered what it would feel like to have Grant’s lips pressed to hers or trace her fingers along his firm jaw.
Disturbed by the direction of her thoughts, Lacy hurried inside with the food.
Chapter Seven
With the switchboard unusually quiet, Millie sent Susan home not long after the girls ate lunch. Bertie left early when her brother stopped by to see if she wanted a ride. Millie sat at her desk completing paperwork while Lacy answered calls.
Due to her ability to stay calm, quickly listen to requests, and efficiently route the calls, Millie decided to keep Lacy working days and hired a part-time girl to help with the evening shift.
When a light glowed on the switchboard, alerting her to an incoming call, Lacy hurried to answer it. “Hello. Pendleton Central. Number please.”
“Lacy?”
“Yes?” Lacy smiled at the sound of Ilsa’s voice.
“It’s Ilsa. Can you put me through to Grant, please?”
Lacy glanced behind her at the mention of Grant’s name. He stood on the sidewalk, speaking to a departing patron. The farmer must have said something amusing because Grant laughed and thumped him on the back.
“I’d be happy to, but he’s standing outside the bank speaking to someone at the moment. I could ring you through to the bank, but Mr. Miller isn’t fond of answering the phone.”
“Yes, I know. Never mind.” Ilsa’s sigh carried across the line. “If you happen to see Grant, would you ask him to stop by the store on his way home? Marnie and I have a matter to discuss with him.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” Lacy smiled to herself, aware that Grant had asked Ilsa and Marnie to help him redecorate the room his mother used when she visited. She knew they’d ordered wallpaper for him, but she hadn’t kept track of the room’s progress.
“Thanks, Lacy. I’ll see you later.” Ilsa hung up and Lacy heard the click of two other lines disconnecting.
“As much as I love the telephone, I think party lines are the worst invention ever created,” Lacy mumbled.
Millie glanced up and grinned. “I heartily agree. You’d think some people have nothing better to do than listen to conversations that are none of their business.”
“Apparently, they don’t.”
At the end of her shift, Lacy thanked Millie for allowing her to spend a few minutes with her cousins that morning.
“Of course.” Millie smiled and patted her shoulder. “It must be hard to be away from your family. I’m glad they came to see you.”
“Me, too. Have a wonderful evening, Millie.”
The woman pointed in the direction of the bank. “I will, but I have a hunch yours will be much more pleasant than mine. Every unattached girl in town has chased after Grant Hill to no avail. You hardly gave him more than a passing hello and now you can’t get rid of him.”
“Who said I wanted to?” Lacy grinned at Millie then rushed out the door as Grant stepped onto the sidewalk beside her.
“What’s got you full of smiles?” Grant asked, pleased to see happiness illuminate Lacy’s face.
Unwilling to admit he was the reason, Lacy turned her face up to catch the last few rays of the setting sun. “It’s such a beautiful day, how could you not be full of smiles?”
Barely restraining the urge to drop a kiss to her lips, Grant shoved his hands into his pockets and matched her stride as they walked toward Ilsa’s shop.
“Did you enjoy seeing your cousins and uncle?”
Lacy beamed as she turned to him. “Oh, yes! It was such fun to see them all. Uncle Charlie has always treated me like another daughter. He would have sent me to school in Salem if Father would have allowed it.”
“Like you, your cousins have impeccable manners and carry themselves with grace.”
Lacy blushed at his praise.
Grant grinned down at her. “I have to ask, though, how did the girls get their names?”
Lacy’s laughter popped around Grant like champagne bubbles and left him half-drunk on the sound.
“Aunt Mae loves flowers of all types. After Pete was born, Uncle Charlie told her she could name any girls that came along whatever she liked. Little did he know they’d have eight girls and no more boys. Aunt Mae named them all after flowers.”
A chuckle escaped Grant as he thought about Charlie getting a house full of girls with decidedly feminine names. “I’m quite curious about your uncle’s auto. Didn’t he purchase it last fall?”
“Yes, he did. He had a little Runabout, similar to Doc Reed’s, but only two of the girls could ride with him. He was forever getting stuck or blowing a tire on the road in from his ranch, so he decided to get a bigger automobile last fall.” Suddenly, Lacy stopped and placed a hand on Grant’s arm. “My apologies. I completely forgot Ilsa called and asked if you would drop by. She said something about having a matter to discuss with you.”
“Perfect.” Grant tried to take her hand, but Lacy pulled it back, mindful of people watching them stroll down the street. The last thing she needed was anyone questioning her morals or behavior.
In a few steps, they reached Ilsa’s store. Grant held open the door and Lacy breezed inside. Ilsa helped a customer while Marnie tried to herd both Laila and Sophie to the back room. Grant picked up Sophie and tossed her into the air as they walked into the workroom. Her blond curls bounced and she giggled.
“Are you ladies making headway on my project?” Grant asked as he set Sophie on her feet then picked up Laila to give her a turn. The toddler laughed and waved her hands in the air before Grant set her down. Marnie and Lacy smiled with approval.
“We are.” Marnie motioned to a stack of wallpaper rolls on the worktable. “Ilsa doesn’t want anyone to find out we helped with this, though. She’s afraid if word gets out, people will want her to do home décor along with her dresses and she doesn’t have the interest or the time.”
“I know. The capable assistance you both provide is greatly appreciated.” Grant smiled at Marnie then turned to Lacy. “As a matter of fact, might I coerce all three of you into taking a look at the room?”
&n
bsp; “I think that’s a grand idea,” Marnie said, snagging Sophie as she tried to climb up the big storage shelves on the back wall. “I sure hope your daddy comes soon, Sophie. You’ve been a busy little bee today.”
“I’m a busy bee! I’m a busy bee!” Sophie skipped around the worktable with Laila trailing after her, mimicking her every move.
Marnie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Ilsa and I thought we…”
The back door opened and Lars strolled in. Sophie squealed and ran to her adopted father. “Daddy! Daddy! I’m a busy bee! Mama said so.”
Lars scooped up his daughter in one brawny arm then stepped across the room and planted a kiss on Marnie’s cheek. “A busy bee, huh? What’d she get into today?”
“You name it and she was in it. The worst part is that Laila copies everything she does.”
Laila leaned against her uncle’s leg. Lars bent down and picked her up, too. “How about I take these little troublemakers with me? Are the rest of the kids at Tony and Ilsa’s or did they go home?”
“Sadie and Noah are waiting at Tony’s with Lewis, but the rest of them decided the weather was too nice to stay in town and walked home.” Marnie took Sophie from Lars and put on her coat then pulled a knit cap down over her curls, covering her ears. Lacy dressed Laila in her coat. The women handed the girls back to Lars. Marnie kissed them both on their little cheeks then turned her face up to Lars. He kissed her lips, gave her a teasing wink, and walked out the door.
“Wanna wear your badge, Daddy. Can Laila and I play? Can we, Daddy? Where’s Uncle Kade? Will he…”
Marnie shut the door and released a weary sigh. “As much as I love those two girls, sometimes it’s nice to have a little peace and quiet.”
Grant grinned and glanced up when Ilsa breezed into the workroom. “Did Marnie show you the samples?”
“No, I did not.” Marnie glanced at her sister-in-law. “With our two little busybodies I didn’t have the chance. Lars took Laila home. He’ll wait for us there.”
Lacy: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Pendleton Petticoats Book 5) Page 8
