Millie (Pendleton Petticoats Book 7) Page 4

  Chapter Five

  “Settle down! Let’s call this meeting to order.” A jovial, middle-aged man named Archie Cook thumped his hand on top of the bar in his saloon.

  As the room quieted and more than thirty men took seats at the tables, Gideon glanced around. Every single saloon owner in town attended the first meeting of the Saloon Owner Alliance of Pendleton.

  Gideon found it humorous the initials for the group spelled soap, but refrained from pointing that out as their self-appointed leader slapped his hand on the bar again. Archie owned the biggest saloon in town as well as a brothel, card room, and a few other enterprises. If the temperance league women somehow managed to run liquor out of town, Archie had the most to lose.

  Although he strongly doubted the women would manage to carry out their threats, Gideon thought it was a good idea for the saloon owners to work together.

  “Gentlemen, thank you for coming here this morning. As all of you are aware, there is an active branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union right here in town. My personal opinion is that a bunch of bothersome women will not bring about prohibition. Nevertheless, they are generating interest in their cause from some of the men in Pendleton, which could be disastrous.”

  “That’s for dang sure,” a man named Kyle Steel shouted from the back. Steel’s Saloon was one of the seediest places in town, offering watered down booze and harlots so vulgar, only a desperate man would dare step through the doors. In addition, the man insisted on always wearing a bright purple shirt, so people would recognize him. “Those pretty little petticoats ain’t nothin’ but trouble.”

  Others echoed his sentiment until Archie pounded on the bar again to restore order.

  “I believe we all are in agreement on that particular topic, Kyle. The reason for inviting you here today is to plan opposing measures, in the event the women continue to experience a measure of success in their efforts. What can we do to make sure prohibition doesn’t come to town?”

  “I say we scare those sweet little fillies so bad, they’re afraid to stick their noses outside their doors. Rough ‘em up a bit, or show the pretty ones a good time. They belong at home anyway, not runnin’ all over town pointin’ fingers and blamin’ us for their men drinkin’ and carousin’.” Kyle glanced around for supporters and only found a few.

  “Any attempts to frighten or accost the women will only serve to gather more support for their cause. That is not acceptable. Not at all,” Archie said, offering Kyle a pointed glare. “Are there other ideas we might explore?”

  “What if we gently persuaded them to abandon their plans?” A man sitting next to Gideon spoke. Drake Dillinger was someone Gideon considered a good friend and he owned one of the most prosperous saloons in town.

  “How might we do that, Drake? Any suggestions?” Archie looked around the group.

  An Irishman who owned a card room and saloon spoke up. “It seems to me that Millie Matlock is the one leadin’ the charge. Without her, the group would most likely fall apart. If we could convince her to stop, I think our problem would be solved.”

  “Have you met Miss Matlock?” Drake asked, turning to look at O’Malley. “That woman could convince St. Peter himself to do her bidding. From what I’ve observed, once Miss Matlock sets her mind to something, there isn’t any stopping her.”

  “She ain’t hard to look at,” Kyle said with a lecherous grin. “I’d be willin’ to cozy up to the temperance tempest if it would help.”

  Somehow, Gideon managed not to stride to the back of the room and pop Kyle Steel in the nose when he offered a few ribald comments about Millie.

  Perturbed by the sudden protective feelings that surged in him, Gideon didn’t want any of the saloon owners going near her. He most certainly didn’t want any of them discussing her in such a crass, crude manner.

  No matter how annoying she might be, she was a lady and deserving of their respect.

  Archie shook his head. “While the idea holds merit, Kyle, I don’t believe Millie would be receptive to any overtures from you. If I’m not mistaken, I witnessed her slapping your face last Tuesday evening when you said something she took offense to outside your business.”

  Kyle rubbed his cheek, as though recalling the slap the insulted woman delivered. “All I did was suggest she consider becomin’ one of my girls, if she was ever of a mind to switch careers.”

  A few men chortled, but Gideon wasn’t one of them. His fist clenched beneath the table, considering how much trouble it would cause if he took Kyle outside and pounded a little sense into the contemptible cur.

  “That is my point, Kyle. I doubt she’d give you the opportunity to say even a word in passing.” Archie looked around the group until his gaze settled on Gideon. “What about you, Mr. McBride?”

  “What about me?” Gideon leaned back in his chair, feigning indifference to their topic of conversation. Even though the group’s ideas were exactly what he intended to do with Miss Matlock, he didn’t think it wise for all of them to know what he’d planned.

  “It’s no secret Miss Matlock seems to spend the most time outside your establishment.” Archie leaned forward on the bar. “In fact, I heard she was there in the middle of the day last week.”

  Despite her efforts to remain unseen, someone had caught her coming or going. Gideon wondered who’d been watching her and why, but hid his concern behind an impassive expression. “She came to help me with the telephone I recently had installed. Nothing more.”

  Archie gave him a questioning look. “Doesn’t the telephone company hire a service man for that?”

  “He installed the phone, but she came by to give me some pointers on how it works.”

  Snickers burst out around the room and O’Malley grinned at Gideon. “I didn’t realize Miss Matlock offered personal tutorials for all new customers.” The Irishman turned around and waggled a finger at Kyle Steel. “Perhaps ya should have a new phone installed, Kyle.”

  The last thing Gideon would allow is Millie to set foot in Steel’s business. “That won’t be necessary.” He rose to his feet and looked around the room before meeting Archie’s gaze. “If you think it might help sway her in our favor, I’d be willing to pay court to the woman. Once the hullabaloo over prohibition dies down, though, things will return to normal.”

  “Of course.” Archie excitedly rubbed his hands together as he smiled. Several men spoke at once, offering advice on how best to court Millie. “Gentleman, one at a time. Let’s hear your suggestions on what Gideon should do in an orderly fashion.”

  Gideon smirked. “I do believe I can figure this out on my own.” Laughter followed him as he took his seat and Drake thumped him on the back.

  Archie appeared pleased. “We’ll meet again in a month and you can provide a report on your progress with Miss Matlock. In the meantime, we need to discuss…”

  Through the rest of the meeting, Gideon’s thoughts whirled around Millie and how best to woo the woman who professed to have no interest in him.

  After Archie pounded the bar and closed the meeting, Gideon stood and spoke with several of the men, eventually making his way to the door. Drake joined him as they stepped outside and turned up their coat collars against the frigid breeze blowing down the sidewalk.

  “Are you really going to pretend to court Miss Matlock?” Drake asked as they ambled across the street.

  Gideon tipped his head in the direction of Archie’s saloon. “They didn’t give me much choice. I’d rather the duty fall on me than someone like Steel. People like him really do need to be run out of town.”

  “People like him are the reason people like us do so well in our business. Most men don’t want what Steel has to offer. If it wasn’t for the poor sots who can’t afford anything better, he’d have left a long time ago.” Drake studied him for a moment. “You don’t seem too bothered by the prospect of chasing after Millie Matlock. Are you sweet on that woman?”

  Gideon glared at his friend. “Are you crazy? You know I’ll
never get involved with a woman, least of all one like her. She’s bossy, opinionated, stubborn, independent, and…”

  Drake interrupted him. “Perfectly lovely, witty, and smart.” The man shrugged deeper into his coat against the chilly weather then looked to Gideon again with a teasing smile. “I’m sure it will be a nearly unbearable hardship to endure her enchanting presence. Thank you for taking on this horrible tribulation on our behalf.”

  A chuckle rumbled out of Gideon. “Tribulation is an apt description of the situation. It’ll be like trying to convince a contrary mule to come around to my way of thinking.”

  Drake laughed. “Speaking of contrary mules, did you see Riley Walsh’s mule the other day? The crazy beast wandered into town and stood outside Caterina’s restaurant while Riley and Bertie ate dinner.”

  “I heard about that, but I wish I would have seen it for myself.” Gideon stopped outside his saloon. “Kade Rawlings said that mule is more like a dog than anything else. Lars Thorsen said Bertie’s had to chase the animal out of the house more than once.”

  “You don’t say,” Drake said. He reached out and thumped Gideon on the back again. “If you somehow fail in your endeavors with Miss Matlock, let me know. I’d be happy to give it a go.”

  “Over my dead body,” Gideon muttered as he unlocked the front door.

  “What was that?” Drake asked.

  “Nothing, Drake. I’ll see you later.” Before Gideon could step inside, a boy who often ran messages around town jogged his direction.

  “Mr. McBride!” The youngster wildly waved at him.

  “Hi, Cully. What do you need?” he asked, grinning at the apple-cheeked boy as he came to a halt next to him.

  “Miss Matlock asked me to bring this to you.” The boy handed him an empty pie tin and snowy white dishtowel along with an envelope.

  “Thanks, Cully.” Gideon dug in his pocket for a coin, but Cully shook his head. “Miss Matlock already covered a tip. Have a nice day, sir.”

  In spite of his assurance he’d been paid, Gideon handed the boy a coin with a grin. “You, too, Cully.”

  “I will. Thank you, sir!” Cully raced off down the street as Gideon went inside the Second Chance and closed the door, locking it behind him.

  He wandered into the kitchen and left the pie tin and dishtowel on the counter then walked down the short hallway to his private quarters. After he hung up his coat and hat, he stoked the fire then sat down in the big chair at his desk and slit open the envelope.

  A decidedly feminine script covered a sheet of parchment.

  Mr. McBride,

  It is with sincere thanks that I write this note for the delicious pie you shared the other day. Mrs. Hill and I both enjoyed it immensely. In fact, we held a moment of concern we might have to wrestle the remainder of the pie away from Mr. Hill when he stopped by our office.

  Anyone who possesses the ability to turn flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and fruit into such a delectable creation holds my unwavering admiration.

  Gratefully,

  M. Matlock

  Gideon grinned. If she admired him for a pear pie, he wondered what she might do for an apple torte or perhaps a chocolate soufflé. Eager to work his way into Millie Matlock’s good graces, he changed out of his suit into an old flannel shirt and a pair of canvas trousers then went to the kitchen to experiment with a few recipes.

  As he creamed together butter and sugar, he considered if the way to the woman’s heart might just be through a sweet tooth.

  Thoughts of a sweet tooth led him to imagining the sweet flavor of her mouth and the delicious taste of those rosy lips.

  “This is just to save the saloons,” he said, working to convince himself that his only interest in the vivacious telephone office manager was to cripple the temperance efforts.

  It certainly couldn’t have a thing to do with the way his heart flip-flopped at the mere memory of her smile.

  Chapter Six

  A slight prick of guilt assailed Millie as she walked between Bertie and Lacy to the first Market Day celebration of the year.

  In spite of her efforts to remain at the telephone office on the busy Saturday morning, both Bertie and Lacy refused to listen to her excuses. Two high school students who worked on Saturdays, along with a recovered Fae, staffed the switchboard.

  “They’ll be fine,” Bertie whispered to Millie as they approached the area where a crowd gathered to watch a horse sale. More than forty head of horses were up for grabs including brood mares, geldings, draft colts, and seven impressive stallions. “Even though she’s young, Molly will keep everyone in line. She rather reminds me of a certain manager of the telephone office.”

  Millie scowled at Bertie’s teasing. Molly was one of eleven children who lived at the orphanage a few miles outside town, run by Deputy Lars Thorsen and his wife, Marnie. Their baby, Alek, just a month older than little Rachel Rawlings, had a hard time keeping up with the rest of the boisterous bunch of children.

  Uncertain if it was Molly’s upbringing as an only child or part of her nature, Millie had noticed the girl’s tendency to take charge. Sadie Thorsen often clashed with Molly since they both wanted to be the boss of the other children at the orphanage.

  Molly was a hard worker and entirely dependable, so Millie acknowledged her worries were unfounded. Still, she hated to leave the office on a day she knew the switchboard would be hectic with activity.

  Lacy slipped an arm around Millie’s waist and gave it a squeeze. “Enjoy yourself today, Millie. You rarely give yourself time off, just for fun. It’ll be good for you to forget about work and take pleasure in the blue sky overhead, even if it is bitterly cold.”

  “That’s right, Millie.” Bertie winked at her as she looped her hand around her husband’s arm. “Today is all about having fun. Since it’s far too chilly for ice cream, I’m going to insist Riley buy us all a cup of hot chocolate.”

  “And what if I say no?” Riley asked with a teasing grin. “Maybe I need a little coercion to do your bidding.”

  Bertie offered him a flirtatious look and stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear.

  Riley shot her a heated look then glanced over at Grant as he walked on the other side of Lacy. “Come on, Grant. We might as well give these girls what they want or we’ll never get any peace.”

  “Suits me fine,” Grant said, kissing Lacy’s cheek. “I wouldn’t mind a cup of something hot to drink myself. It’s cold enough out here to freeze the toes right off an Eskimo.”

  Lacy rolled her eyes good-naturedly as Grant left with Riley. The three women surveyed the crowd, watching as families arrived in wagons and buggies, eager to join in the events of Market Day. According to the newspaper, it was better than a circus.

  Millie wouldn’t go that far in praising the monthly gathering, but it was fun. In addition to the horse sale and a livestock sale, many of the businesses in town displayed red Market Day cards in their windows, letting shoppers know they could take advantage of special sales offered only that day. A band marched up and down the main streets of town, leading shoppers to the various businesses and creating a festive atmosphere.

  “Oh, look!” Bertie grabbed Millie’s arm and pointed to where Garrett and Aundy Nash arrived. “I wasn’t sure they’d come if it was nippy out today. Aundy said she was worried about keeping Emmalee warm.”

  “If she needs hands willing to hold the baby, there won’t be a shortage,” Millie said, smiling as Garrett took his nine-month-old daughter from Aundy then gave her a hand stepping out of their surrey.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as loopy over a baby as those two are over Emma,” Bertie said as Aundy and Garrett waved and walked toward them.

  “They waited so long to have a baby of their own, I think that gives them the right to be as loopy as they like,” Lacy said, reaching out her arms for the baby. “How’s Miss Emmalee Ruth today?”

  The baby cooed and babbled something in her own language as Lacy kissed her ro
sy cheek and made a silly face.

  “She’s doing wonderfully,” Aundy said, beaming at her friends. “She tried to take a few steps across the kitchen floor yesterday.”

  Bertie tossed Garrett a saucy smile. “You better watch out. Tomorrow, she’ll be running out the door with a string of boys chasing after her.”

  “Don’t think I’m not already worried about that,” Garrett said, tenderly brushing his hand over his daughter’s light brown curls.

  “She’s so adorable,” Millie said, taking the baby from Lacy and breathing in her sweet scent. “Emmalee Ruth is such a little beauty with a beautiful name.”

  “And you like saying it entirely too much,” Bertie teased, taking the baby when she held out her hands. Bertie worked for Aundy, helping her around the house. The baby knew her well from the days they spent together at Nash’s Folly. “I still think it’s such a cute name. And I bet her Grandma Nora would agree since Ruth is after her middle name.”

  “Our Emma has both her grandma and grandpa wrapped around her little finger,” Garrett said, smiling indulgently at his beloved little girl. He glanced over to where the horse sale was about to begin. “Will you girls be fine here?”

  “Of course, Garrett. Go get that horse you’ve had your eye on.” Aundy kissed his cheek and tipped her head toward the sale. “It’s all you’ve talked about for weeks, so don’t miss out on our account.”

  He tipped his hat to the women, stopped to speak with Riley and Grant as they made their way through the crowd with cups of hot chocolate, and then strode off to the sale.

  “If you want to go with him, Aundy, we can keep an eye on Emma,” Bertie said, bouncing the baby in her arms.

  Emma squealed as Riley approached and flapped her arms at him. Once he handed Millie and Bertie the hot chocolate he carried, he took the baby and held her up in the air, making her giggle.

  “We can keep her, Aundy, if you want to go check out the horses,” Riley said, echoing his wife’s words.