He didn’t think he’d made much of an impression, but at least he’d announced his intentions, and that would make him a fly buzzing in the ears of the men he most wanted to annoy. It was time well spent.
***
Alice sat in the large dining room at the Iron Skillet, sharing a table with Mr. Melvin Westcott, her boss, and Mrs. Catherine Westcott, whose family ran the restaurant. Catherine had been a waitress there until not long ago—that was how she and Mr. Westcott met. He had been one of her most faithful customers.
“Thank you for coming out to dinner with us, Alice,” Catherine was saying, bringing Alice’s focus back to the moment. “I wish there was something more we could do to help—we could buy her a big dog, Melvin. Something with teeth and lots of slobber.”
Alice laughed. “No, thank you. I’d be too worried about it biting me.”
“Oh, that’s the nice thing about big dogs. They don’t bite their owners . . . well, I suppose they do sometimes.” Catherine looked thoughtful. “I’ll have to look into that. We shouldn’t discount the idea entirely.”
Melvin patted her hand. “I think we should, my dear. Alice doesn’t look too keen on the idea, and if he’s meant to be her dog, she should have some say in the matter.”
“You’re right, of course.” Catherine shook her head. “I just feel so helpless. Titus is furious, too—he feels guilty because he wasn’t there.”
“He didn’t know I was leaving the theater in the middle of the day, and he’s busy here,” Alice said. “I don’t blame him at all. How could I?”
“Well, he’s such a gentle-hearted giant, he takes things hard.” Catherine glanced over her shoulder. “Plus, I think he might be a little sweet on you.”
Alice felt heat rush to her cheeks. “He is?”
“I don’t know for sure, but maybe.”
Alice didn’t know how to respond to that. Titus was one of the kindest men she’d ever met, and she had nothing to fault him for—he was nice-looking, gentlemanly, strong, and definitely a talented cook. But it had never entered her mind to have romantic feelings toward him, and now that she knew he might have them toward her . . . She was flummoxed.
“You’ve caught Alice completely off guard, my dear,” Mr. Westcott said, his voice amused. “Perhaps we should go back to discussing dogs.”
“Maybe we should. That’s a much simpler topic,” Alice replied.
Catherine shook her head. “If a young man has feelings for a young woman, I think she should know it. And if that young man is my cousin and that young woman is one of my friends, I’m certainly going to be very interested in how that all pans out.”
Oh, dear. This would be all the more complicated if Catherine was hoping for a match. Alice didn’t want to disappoint her friend, but she couldn’t pretend to care for Titus if she didn’t. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone.
“Has the deputy said anything else about your encounter?” Mr. Westcott asked.
“I haven’t seen him since this morning, so I don’t have any updates,” Alice replied. Funny that she was glad to be talking about Mr. Bonham again—it would take Catherine’s mind off playing matchmaker.
“Well, I hope everything fizzles out and you’re able to put it behind you.” Mr. Westcott looked up and smiled as their food was placed on the table. “And I’m sure a hot dinner will help.”
“Yes, it certainly will.” Alice noticed how nicely buttered her potatoes were—Titus always saw to those fine touches. She wished she could care for him, she really did. And she was sure they’d be happy together if they were looking for friendship and not romance. But she did want romance. She wanted to be swept off her feet by a look or a touch. She wanted her heart to pound and her breath to come in gasps. Maybe she was hoping for too much, though. Maybe she’d read too many novels and should content herself with a marriage of friendship.
That sounded dreadful.
After they finished eating, Melvin and Catherine walked Alice home, Melvin saying he’d look into a dog the next morning, and Catherine telling him never mind. Alice laughed as she listened to their banter. Catherine had been so good for Melvin—that’s how a marriage should be. And someday, hopefully not too far down the road, Alice would experience that for herself. It would just be a matter of waiting patiently and not becoming despondent in the meantime.
Even if she did feel very lonely sometimes.
***
Ranse leaned against the doorframe and watched KC tie up his horse outside the office. “Find out anything in Bachelor?”
KC gave one short nod. “I talked with Reverend Bing. They’ve had a few things go missing around town—men’s trousers from clotheslines, pies cooling in windowsills, small incidents they didn’t report because they had no proof. Last night, though, Mrs. Bing saw a couple of men skulking down the road in this direction. She didn’t recognize them. She told her husband and he tried to follow them, but he wasn’t able to catch up.”
“Did Mrs. Bing give a detailed description?”
“She wasn’t able to—it was dark. She did say she didn’t think they were from Bachelor, though. She called out in greeting and they ignored her, and the men in their community wouldn’t do that.”
“Not a lot to go on there.” Ranse stepped back and let KC enter the building. “If the men were on foot, that makes me think they aren’t our miners—that’s a bit of a walk from here to Bachelor.”
“It’s a hike, but not impossible. They might have been feeling out the area, seeing what else is available to them. Maybe looking for different sources of work.”
“Maybe.” Ranse didn’t like the feeling of it. He was looking forward to Monday more and more—he’d like to see those men doing something productive with their time.
“In the meantime, I asked the reverend to let us know if anything else went missing or they noticed any more strangers in town.” KC glanced over the papers on his desk. “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do tonight. We might as well head home and get some rest.”
“I think I’ll see if I can locate Mr. Bonham before I turn in,” Ranse said. “I’d sleep better knowing where he is.”
“You sure you aren’t letting this get under your skin?” KC asked. “It was one incident, but it seems to be eating you up.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry—I’m keeping my head on straight.”
KC nodded, then left, asking Ranse to lock up. Ranse did so, asking himself if he really did have his head on straight. That was twice that KC had asked about his mindset regarding the case. It wasn’t good to make the boss worry. Ranse would stop by the saloon, maybe just glance through the window, and head home. Wouldn’t do anyone any good if he became so obsessed, he forgot that he had a whole town to protect and not just one pretty girl.
Chapter Five
When morning came and Alice headed out for her job at the theater, her heart gave a thump when she saw the shadow of a man waiting on the porch. Had Deputy Hawkins come to escort her again? She opened the door to find Will Meeks there, and her disappointment was crushing. She shouldn’t have let herself get her hopes up.
“Good morning, Will,” she said. “What brings you by?”
“Deputy Hawkins got called out to take care of something, and he asked me to come by and give you his regards,” Will told her. “I’m also to escort you to work. He wanted to send another deputy, but everyone was busy, so I’m a deputy for the day.”
“I’m sure you’ll make a very fine one.” Alice pulled the door closed behind her. “How’s your mother?”
“Keeping herself busy. Chasing the little ones, helping Dr. JT—she never sits still for long.”
“Please be sure to tell her I said hello.”
“I will.”
There wasn’t much else to talk about as they walked, so they were mostly silent until they reached the door of the theater. Will waited until the door was unlocked, and then he gave her a nod and went on his way. Alice locked the door behind her as she’d been instr
ucted to do and began her morning, laying out the pieces of the costume she’d be fitting that day.
It was funny how she’d found herself missing the deputy on her way to work. He’d only escorted her once, and yet it seemed that she’d expected him to be there every day. She certainly couldn’t fault him for having other things to do that morning—she was hardly his only concern—and yet her disappointment was keen. She shook her head at herself—she couldn’t afford such feelings. He was a busy man, she was a busy woman, and that’s just how things worked in the adult world.
By lunchtime, she’d made the necessary adjustments to Ronald’s suit and cinched in the waist of the soprano’s gown. They had tested out her idea of leaving snippets of sheet music all over the stage and found it helpful, so they’d practiced it that way a couple of times to prepare for their rehearsal with the orchestra that afternoon. By putting her emotions to the side, Alice had managed to get quite a lot done, and that’s how it should be. It was good to stay focused—focused, calm, and businesslike.
Until Ranse Hawkins showed up and smiled at her, making her heart take off like wild horses again.
“I hoped I might lure you away for a picnic,” he said. “Mr. Westcott opened the door for me just now—I promise I didn’t break in.”
“That silly locked door. I can’t wait until we can come and go as we please again.” Alice stabbed her needle into her pincushion and stood up. “Yes, a picnic sounds wonderful.”
“I picked up some boxed lunches at Hearth and Home, and I thought we could go up into the mountains. Just a short way—I know neither of us can be gone for long, but far enough to feel as though we’ve had a break.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. Thank you for thinking of it.” Alice grabbed her hat and trailed behind him as he led the way to a small buggy parked out front. “Oh, a buggy ride too?”
“It seemed fitting.” He gave her a hand up, then walked around and climbed into the driver’s seat. He paused a minute before gathering up the lines, though, taking a moment to look her in the eye. She got lost in the green depths of his gaze and had to concentrate to make sense of his words. “I realize I was a bit presumptuous, planning all this, but I hoped you wouldn’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind at all,” she managed to say before her breath gave out.
“Good. I’m glad.” He smiled at her, then urged the horse onward. “At the very least, you can consider this my apology for not escorting you to work this morning.”
“I understood, and Will did a fine job.”
“I trusted that he would, but I wished I’d been able to come myself.”
“I hope . . .” Alice hunted for the right words. “I hope you know that I don’t expect you to escort me every day. It’s not part of your usual job, and I know you’re making an exception for me, and it’s all right if you have other things to do . . .”
“Miss Givens, keeping an eye on you is part of my usual job because you’re a citizen of Creede, and I’ve taken an oath to oversee your protection. Each person living within the boundaries of this town is my responsibility.”
“Oh.” Why had she let herself believe she was special? Of course he was duty bound to protect her—that’s what deputies did. She forced a smile.
“However . . .” he went on, “I’d be here even if it wasn’t my job. There’s something about having lunch in the sunshine with a pretty girl that can’t be beat.”
And just like that, her heart soared again. Was it normal for his every word to control her emotions like this? Shouldn’t she be immune to this kind of flattery?
Except she didn’t think it was flattery. It felt sincere, and that’s where the real danger lay. If she wasn’t careful, she’d become far too involved, and she’d be devastated when he moved on to the next case.
“Will says you were called away this morning,” she said, hoping to change the subject before she said something completely ridiculous.
“Yes, there was a robbery at a home at the edge of town,” the deputy said. “The homeowner and his wife were tied up and all their valuables were taken. No one was hurt, but they were plenty shaken up.”
“Oh, that’s horrible,” Alice said. “Do you have any idea who did it?”
“I’ve got my suspicions, but we’re going to look into it a bit more before we start making accusations.” He guided the horse around a bend in the road, and Alice decided not to ask the question that was pressing on her mind. Of course it wasn’t Mr. Bonham. Yes, he’d given her some trouble, but he wasn’t responsible for every bad thing that happened in town—it wasn’t fair to put all that blame on him.
“In the meantime, I have one hour to eat my lunch, and I’d like to share that hour with you.” Deputy Hawkins pulled the buggy off to the side of the road, then gave Alice a hand down. “We’ll spread out a blanket, swat away the flies, and enjoy ourselves for as long as we can.”
“That sounds perfect,” she told him, gathering up her skirt and following him through the grass to the spot he chose. She wished they had more time, but she was more than glad for what they could get.
“Mrs. McRae always does such a nice job with her lunches,” Alice commented as she unpacked her box. “I wish I had her knack for baking.”
“But you have plenty of knacks of your own,” Deputy Hawkins said. “Your skill with a needle, for one—and don’t forget your ability to chase off over-eager men with your scissors.”
“Yes, that’s definitely a skill. I should teach classes.” Alice smiled, shaking her head. “To be honest, I can’t believe I did that, but I’m not sorry I did.”
“I’m not sorry either.” The deputy took a bite and swallowed, then said, “When did you learn to sew?”
Alice thought about it for a moment. “Oh, goodness. It feels like I’ve always known how. That’s the first thing they teach little girls—how to sit up properly and how to sew.”
“But not everyone has your talent. When did you realize you could do more than simple clothing?”
He seemed genuinely interested, which surprised her. “I think I was ten. I wanted to make a wedding dress for my doll, and my grandmother taught me how to take my pattern and embellish it. Her needlework was exquisite—I still have a few of the pieces she created before she lost her eyesight.”
“She sounds like quite the artist.”
“Yes, she was.” Alice blinked a few times to chase back the tears, but also because she remembered how tired her eyes had been after her late night of fine detail work. Was it possible that she might lose her eyesight as well? The thought had never occurred to her before, but now the possibility thundered in her brain, and it scared her. How would she know? What would she do?
“Miss Givens?”
“Hmm?” She realized the deputy had said something to her, and she’d missed it. “I’m sorry—I was struck by a sudden thought and I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I was asking if you’re all right. Your face suddenly went pale.”
“I’m fine. I just . . . Chances are that I’m overreacting.”
“To what? Is there anything I can do?”
She smiled. “No, nothing. Please don’t worry about me—I have the most terrible habit of overdramatizing things in my imagination. Everything’s all right.” She took a big bite of her cookie as though to prove there was nothing the matter whatsoever.
The deputy asked her a few more questions about her growing-up years and the things she enjoyed doing. She felt terrible because she knew he was trying to create a pleasant outing, but her attention kept drifting, and she wasn’t being very good company. As they finished eating and gathered up their packages, she said, “I’m sorry, Deputy. I’ve cast a damper on this lovely picnic, and I’m sure I’ve been a bore.”
“Miss Givens, you are a great number of things, but you could never be a bore.” He bent down, took both her hands, then lifted her to her feet. Instead of letting go once she was steady, though, he kept a grip on her fingers, his touch strong and y
et tender. “Thank you for coming out with me this afternoon.”
“Thank you for arranging it. This has all been so thoughtful.” She wanted to say more, but her brain was in a jumble, and she feared she’d embarrass herself.
He studied her eyes a moment longer, then gave her hands a quick squeeze before letting go.
All the way back to the theater, Alice berated herself. She should have been more responsive. She should have given him some signal that she appreciated everything he’d done for her. Instead, she’d pushed him aside so she could fret over something that would probably never even happen. Yes, her grandmother had gone blind, but there were so many possible causes, and not one reason in the world for Alice to think it would happen to her too. The deputy deserved her attention, not these silly fears.
When they arrived, Alice reached over and touched his arm. “Thank you,” she told him, hoping she wasn’t being too forward. “I truly mean it.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Givens,” he replied. “And I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Titus Ross has volunteered to see you home tonight.”
“Yes, he does that often. Until tomorrow.” Alice alighted from the buggy before the deputy could move to help her down. She didn’t want him to see her disappointment that he wouldn’t be there himself that night, and she also didn’t want him to see the tears that were building. She felt so conflicted, so confused—she hardly knew which way was up anymore. Why had her life suddenly become so complicated?
***
“Deputy Hawkins, I must have a word.”
Ranse turned from the shelf of tinned peaches he was looking over and nodded to Mrs. Morgan, who seemed flustered. “Good morning. How can I help you?”
“I’ve got myself the most terrible predicament, and I believe you’re the only one who can help me out of it.”
“What sort of predicament, Mrs. Morgan? Have you been robbed?”
“Robbed? Of course not! Why is that the first thing to leap to mind?”
News must not have spread around town as quickly as it usually did, and Ranse was glad. Gossip made it more difficult to solve crimes sometimes. “No reason. Tell me what’s troubling you.”
Moonlight With Alice (The Matchmaker's Ball Book 3) Page 4