Lily took a sip of her milk. “I cannot put into words how excited I am.”
Mrs. Sheridan smiled. “I’m so happy you’re in partnership with young Amanda. That girl has a good share of common sense, and she shows the world a fearless spirit. But I suspect she’s scared to death at the same time.”
“Me, too, truth be told.” Lily grinned. “It’s a big undertaking, but together we can make this shop a success.”
“I know you will. I’ve never had children, but I would have loved a daughter or two. I don’t mind contributing a few hours of labor to help out. And Mr. McLennon will help you young ladies any way he can.” Mrs. Sheridan shook her head. “The poor man was beside himself, sitting in the parlor before turning in tonight. I believe he’s experiencing the first pangs of sorrow, realizing his little sparrow is flying on her own.”
Lily chuckled at the woman’s musings, but the intuitive housekeeper probably wasn’t far off the mark. Even Lily could see the close bond between father and daughter, despite Amanda’s recent ill-fated attempt at matchmaking.
Mrs. Sheridan patted Lily’s knee and then collected the dirty dishes. “Back under those quilts with you. You’ll need all the rest you can muster to survive tomorrow’s busy day.”
“Thank you for the milk and cookies.” Lily scooted under the covers. “I hope you’re turning in also, if you’ll be working alongside us tomorrow.”
“Sticking these in the washtub to soak until morning. Then I’m heading off to bed myself.” Mrs. Sheridan quietly left the room and closed the door with a whispered, “Goodnight.”
Lily settled into the comfortable bed and closed her eyes. An image of Jackson sitting tall on his horse and waving to them from one of the corrals when they returned home this afternoon popped into her mind. He looked so handsome in his Stetson, denims, and boots, like one of the cowboys she’d spied on a dime novel at the general store in Milestone. She hadn’t seen Jackson in days, and she’d missed talking with him. Even with his endless teasing which annoyed her no end.
Lily’s last conscious thought before falling into a restful sleep was wondering if Jackson would also be helping them with the move to town tomorrow.
Chapter 13
With a blazing sun riding high in the sky and beating down on them, Jackson rode Dixon into Milestone. The day seemed especially hot for this early in the summer. The trusty pure black gelding trotted down the middle of Main Street toward the Milestone General Store where the stagecoach had halted by the hitching rail.
Jackson sat tall in the saddle for a better view of the passengers disembarking. A lady dressed in what appeared to be a dark blue velvet traveling suit stepped out of the stagecoach and scurried down the boardwalk toward the back of the general store, no doubt in search of the outhouse. Must be a local returning home if she knew the location of the outdoor facilities. The only other passenger stood in front of the store glancing up and down Main Street, decidedly interested in the town he’d arrived in and obviously not a town resident returning home. The man met Jackson’s eyes as he approached, unblinking and without so much as acknowledging their encounter with a nod.
The man sported a three-piece suit with a white shirt and wide tie. The black bowler on his head and carved walking stick in his right hand set the fellow out as a person of some distinction. As Jackson rode closer he could better view the man’s facial features including a trim haircut and the full mustache riding above his top lip. The man’s hair was a light shade of brown, but from atop Dixon, Jackson wouldn’t wager a guess at the man’s eye color.
As he continued on his way, Jackson glanced over his shoulder in time to see the fellow step inside the store.
“Don’t know that I like the looks of him,” Jackson muttered under his breath.
Before dropping into his sister’s store to inquire how the unpacking was going, he rode to the cooperage owned by his lifelong friend, Sam Perkins, to order the new barrels he needed. With the dry spring this year, the Double M should replace a couple well-worn, leaky ones to better collect water when the rains finally came, for watering the gardens this summer. Surely this dry spell couldn’t last forever. He was hoping June would bring rain.
“How are you today, Jackson?” Sam called when his friend dismounted in front of the open doorway.
“Just fine. How are you?”
“Wife birthed the baby last night. Got me a second son,” Sam reported, proudly.
“Congratulations. The little fellow got a name?”
“Sure enough does. Colleen called him Grady after my pa. He’d have been so proud to have a namesake.” Sam beamed. “Rick hasn’t taken to his little brother though, complains he cries too much.”
Jackson chuckled. “Give ’em a few years and they’ll be squabbling and wrestling like a pair of coyote pups.”
“Like we did with our brothers.”
“You know it.” Jackson yanked his Stetson off his head and dragged his shirtsleeve across his forehead. “Colleen doing all right?”
“You bet. Ma can’t keep the missus in bed long enough to spoil her a bit. The two of them were arguing which of them would do the dusting when I left this morning.” Sam stood hands on hips in the doorway of his business. “What can I do for you?”
“We need a couple new barrels. I’ll be back in town with the supply wagon on Saturday and I can pick them up then.”
“That’ll work out. I’m just finishing up one that will work for you. And there’s another here that’s a mate for it.” Sam showed Jackson the two he had in mind and they agreed on a price.
“I’ve got time for a coffee if there’s some in the pot,” Jackson inquired.
“You know there always is,” Sam confirmed. “Brought some of Ma’s oatmeal cookies with me today. You want one?”
“Dumbest question I ever heard.”
Sam chuckled. “Figured as much.”
Soon Sam and Jackson were each settled onto a rickety ladderback chair, drinking tar-like coffee and munching on cookies. “Best coffee in town, right?” Sam muttered, grinning.
“If you don’t mind chewing it,” Jackson replied.
“Never could brew a decent cup of coffee, but fellows come by and they don’t complain.”
“Doesn’t cost them a penny. Why would they?” Jackson suggested. “Beggars can’t be too particular.”
“All part of the service. Can’t have folks buying their barrels in Butte.”
“Good businessman.” Jackson wiped cookie crumbs from his face. “I noticed a gentlemanly type fellow decked out in a suit and tie, carrying a walking stick, newly arrived on the stagecoach. Any idea who he might be?”
“Heard they were hiring a new schoolteacher to replace the current one. She’s not marrying until July so I wouldn’t imagine a new teacher would be starting until fall. Can’t recall hearing about anyone else coming to town, though.” Sam piled their coffee mugs on the back table. “Unless it’s a new banker. Folks been plumb flummoxed why it’s taking so long for the First National Bank to reopen. Been two months since it was robbed.”
“If a drifter stuck a pistol in your face and demanded all the bank’s money, you’d be a tad reluctant to open again, I imagine.”
“S’ppose so,” Sam agreed. “Too bad about Sid Cameron. Haven’t seen that bank clerk around. Maybe they’re waitin’ to hire a new manager before opening.”
“Makes sense. Can’t see Milton Brown running the bank by his lonesome.”
“That’s for sure. Milton’s the type that’s scared of his own shadow.” Sam chuckled accompanying his customer outside. “Thanks for the business, Jackson. Tell your pa I said hello.”
“Will do. You know we support the local businesses. Keeps the town prospering.”
“Hope the money that was stolen during the robbery gets recovered.” Sam shook his head. “There’ll be some folks hurtin’ if they’ve lost everything.”
“Except the ones who never trusted banks and have their life savings hidden in a sock und
er their mattress.” Jackson shook his head.
Sam laughed. “All too true. Sounds like something Pa would have done. Wish now that I’d thought of that. Didn’t have a lot of cash here or in the fancy sugar bowl at home when the bank was robbed, but so far we’ve made it through all right. Ray Cochrane’s been giving folks credit at the store and that helps.”
“The McLennons are surviving. You’ve probably heard about my sister and her friend, Lily, opening a new clothing shop soon.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Speaking of hiding your cash. Pa nearly had a conniption when Amanda told him how much money she had hidden in her room on the ranch. And then Lily confessed she had her funds tucked inside a hollowed-out book. And Pa with a safe in his office. What on earth’s wrong with those two ladies?” Jackson mounted up. “If you need anything, you’ll let us know, right?”
“McLennons are generous to a fault.” Sam waved off the offer. “We’ll be fine. Not to worry.”
Jackson waved and headed to his sister’s new shop, only to learn everyone had returned to the ranch. Once he left the outskirts of town, his mind wandered to the man he encountered in town this afternoon. He doubted the fellow would prove to be the new bank manager. There was something about him that didn’t say ‘banker’.
The way the fellow’s gaze surveyed Main Street the moment his feet hit the ground told Jackson the man was wary of something, or dang curious about Milestone. In Jackson’s opinion, the town was similar to any town in Montana Territory. There hadn’t been any excitement here in years, except for the usual Saturday night saloon brawls. Of course, folks got a little excited when the First National Bank was robbed. And he heard tell the bank manager was killed when Sid got caught in crossfire, standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, apparently.
Crossing McLennon land, Jackson surveyed nature’s familiar surroundings and gazed at the Herefords in the distance. |He couldn’t be more proud of what his father had built. He’d heard the story a dozen times, how his father came to own the Double M Ranch. A. J. McLennon had been raised in Texas but headed for Montana in 1848 looking for adventure. He’d found work on the Double M Ranch, owned by an old fellow named Michael Miller which explained the ranch’s name. When Michael passed away in 1855, AJ was shocked to learn the childless widower had bequeathed his ranch to the young man he’d taken under his wing and treated like a son. Michael even left his father substantial funds in an account at the First National Bank as well as significant mining interests and co-ownership of a mercantile in Butte. Eventually, his pa sold off the other businesses and mining properties, but he built that small ranch into the huge entity the Double M was today.
Jackson guided Dixon along the dirt trail leading into the valley and then headed toward the horse barn. Now he would operate this ranch along with his brothers. Unless some of his brothers caught wanderlust like his father had and ventured off somewhere on their own. Daniel had been fascinated by lawmen his entire life, and Jackson wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel joined the local sheriff in Milestone. Heck, if his brother signed on with the Pinkerton Agency one day, Jackson wouldn’t blink an eye. The rest of his brothers appeared to love the ranch as much as he did. And he welcomed their contribution toward keeping an enormous ranch like the Double M running as smoothly and profitably as it had under their father’s ownership.
Jackson rode up to the corral and dismounted.
His father rounded the corner of the barn. “There you are, son. Did you get those barrels ordered?”
“Yes, sir.” Jackson loosened the cinch on Dixon’s saddle. Growing their own food for the table and to feed their employees was an important part of the ranch operations, and his pa had always taken seriously the job of providing for everyone. Keeping the gardens sufficiently watered was key to an abundant harvest necessary for survival.
“As soon as you tend to Dixon, come up to the house and help load up the last of your sister’s things.”
“All right, Pa.”
“Any mail for us at the general store?”
Jackson grimaced. “Dang it all. Never checked.”
“No matter. I’ll get it when we take this last load.” AJ turned and strode toward the house. “Don’t take too long. Lawrence wants his ranch hands back from town in time for chores.”
“Yes, sir.” Jackson chuckled. Put in charge of the ranch, and he was still taking orders from his pa. Thankfully, some things would never change.
* * *
Lily and Amanda returned to the ranch with Jackson after he hauled the last load to town in the wagon. Lily slumped onto the sofa in the parlor and touched a hand to her pounding heart. Had she heard Jackson correctly?
“What did you say?” she blurted.
“Which part?” Jackson turned, pausing in his drink pouring.
“About the rumors of a dance on Saturday night or the new fellow in town?” AJ chimed in, glancing at Lily.
“The new fellow in town? Who is he?”
Jackson shrugged, finished pouring the drinks, and handed one to his father. “I don’t know. I dropped into the hotel before leaving for home. Spotted him in the dining room and I introduced myself. Flat out accused him of being up to no good, but he brushed off my accusations. Said I couldn’t be further off the mark.”
“But you didn’t believe him?” AJ took a sip of his drink.
“Not by a long shot.” Jackson seated himself on a chair next to the sofa. “Never offered his name. Farley wouldn’t give it to me off the hotel register either.”
“Who’s Farley?” Lily swallowed hard, attempting to calm herself.
“Farley Johnson. Owns and operates the Milestone Hotel.”
Lily nodded and closed her eyes. Had her father hired someone to track her down? She’d hoped to cover her tracks, seldom engaging anyone in conversation, and never leaving her real name with hotels or train stations. She’d gone by L. Walker and L. Wilson a couple of times when a proprietor had insisted on a name for the hotel register. Anytime a lady engaged her in conversation, she told them her name was Lucinda and neglected to include a surname. Had this fellow found her anyway?
“And the man refused to say why he’d come to Milestone.” Her voice cracked on the last two words.
“Wouldn’t explain a thing.” Jackson leaned back and crossed his right leg over his left knee. “I tried to guess his purpose in Milestone. Even suggested he’d come to find clues to the identity of the fellows who robbed the bank.”
Lily silently prayed that had been his plan. “That was the reason?”
“No idea. The man was as tight-lipped as a priest hearing confession.” Jackson sipped his drink.
“I’ve had my suspicions that someone working in the bank could have been involved.” AJ leaned forward in his chair. “No one has seen hide nor hair of that gangly, red-headed clerk with the wire-rimmed glasses since the day of the robbery. He’s a definite suspect in my books.”
“Milton? More than likely the robbers scared the daylights out of him. Maybe he reconsidered his job in banking and headed back East to work in a factory or somewhere less life-threatening.” Jackson chuckled. “He didn’t seem the most reliable sort in the face of danger. Heard from Carl Robertson, Milton spent the entire robbery huddled under a desk shaking in his boots.”
Lily’s head throbbed with a full-blown headache. Was she justified in worrying the new arrival in town might be looking for her? Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have confided his purpose for being in Milestone? Perhaps she should request Jackson make further inquiries on her behalf to ensure she wasn’t driving herself to distraction for no reason. “So you don’t believe he could have been sent here by my father or Mr. Connors?” A shiver of dread raced up her spine.
Jackson’s leg slipped and his boot hit the floor. “That did occur to me, but I don’t think so,” he muttered, rubbing his chin. “Mind you, anything is possible.”
Lily caught herself wringing her hands and quieted them in her lap. “Would you make inqu
iries if you cross paths with this fellow again? Ask him if he’s looking for anyone in particular?”
“Don’t mention Lily’s name unless you trust the man, son,” AJ added. “No sense in bringing home trouble that was never headed our way.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Pa.” Jackson smiled at Lily. “Don’t worry.”
Lily blew out her breath. “Perhaps it’s purely coincidence that this fellow and I arrived in town only a few weeks apart.”
Jackson met her eyes. “I’ll be very discreet and a tad evasive in my questioning. Just share enough information with this fellow to gauge whether or not he’ll be able to lend us assistance.”
“Want my help, son?” AJ inquired.
“I’ve already met the man and sized him up.” Jackson leaned over and patted Lily’s arm. “I’m not letting this fellow within a mile of Lily until we learn his name and what he’s up to.”
“And most importantly, that Connors wasn’t the one who hired him to come looking for Lily,” AJ added.
“Exactly.” Jackson couldn’t wait until he met the stranger again. The sooner he learned the man’s purpose for coming to Milestone, the better. And it had better have nothing to do with the woman he’d become so fond of.
Chapter 14
Two days later, Jackson rode Dixon to town to once again check on Amanda and Lily. He’d never seen two women more excited about something. After being assured all was well, he wished them luck and told them he was looking forward to their shop opening in two weeks. He gave them the box of cookies from Mrs. Sheridan, and Sourdough Sammy had sent along a dozen of his famous sourdough biscuits as well. Then Jackson high-tailed it out of their store before they put him to work stocking shelves with sewing supplies and things he knew nothing about.
He stopped at the Copper Nugget Saloon for a drink and to learn the latest news before heading home. As he walked through the batwing doors, he spotted the stranger in town sitting alone.
Canceled-Order Bride (Sons Of A Gun Book 1) Page 10
