by Lori Wick
Moving slowly down streets she normally didn’t visit, Cassidy took herself on a walk so she could pray for folks in Token Creek. She studied different homes as she went, and even stopped outside the Brickel mansion. It was the largest home in town, even larger than Jeanette’s, and if the inside of the three-story mansion was as magnificent as the outside, Cassidy knew it must be a sight to see.
She enjoyed the view for a while but felt the cool night air coming in fast. Not wanting to get caught out after dark, she found her way back to Main Street. Once she’d turned toward home, she did not waste any time but was soon climbing the stairs at the side of her building.
The walk was just what she had needed. Her apartment no longer felt lonely but cozy and comfortable with its familiar surroundings. Cassidy settled in with a book and then did some quilting. The rest of the evening flew, and before she knew, it was time for bed.
“Where has the time gone?” Patience asked of Meg near the end of August, even as she looked down at the baby in her arms. Savanna was already a month old. Meg had come to town with her shopping list and planned to leave the baby with her aunt for a few hours, but the two had started talking.
“Isn’t she big?” Meg commented, drawing a smile from her daughter.
“When she smiles,” Patience said softly, her eyes drinking in the baby girl, “my heart melts like butter.”
“You’ll have to write and tell my mother all about it.”
“Don’t you already do that?” Patience asked.
“Every week, but I write from a mother’s viewpoint, not a grandma’s.”
“When are they coming?” Patience asked.
“In the spring. They wanted to come for this cattle drive, but time and funds won’t allow it.”
“The spring will be a great time to visit,” Patience said, thinking that her brother and sister-in-law were never going to want to be separated from this baby once they’d seen her.
“Oh,” Patience suddenly said. “When you get to Jessie’s, tell your uncle that I do need the brown sugar.”
“All right. How long is he helping out at the store this time?”
“Didn’t you hear?” Patience asked. “Abel, the boy who works for Jessie, broke his leg. He won’t be back for weeks.”
“Oh, no.”
“He’s so active, he’ll probably drive his mother out of her wits.”
Savanna chose that moment to smile at her Aunt Patience, and all talk of the townsfolk stopped. Meg, knowing her daughter was in good hands, took her leave. Her first stop: Cassidy’s shop.
CHAPTER TEN
“TELL ME ALL THE PLACES YOU’VE BEEN,” Jeanette requested when Meg came to the shop. Cassidy was out at the moment.
“You are my first stop.”
“I thought you were planning to come in early,” Jeanette said with a frown, trying to remember what Cassidy had told her when she said Meg was sure to be by.
Meg’s look was comical. “Let me tell you about planning when you have a baby. There is no point. I was headed out the door at least an hour before I actually left. Savanna decided to spit up all over me, so I had to change my clothing and hers. Then your older nephew had to check with me forty times to make sure I was going to drive slowly, since I was on my own.
“Somewhere in there, I put my reticule down and couldn’t find it. It had my list for Jessie’s store and my money. Trace kept remembering things he wanted me to pick up, and just as I was headed out the door, Savanna soaked through her clothing and had to be changed again.”
Jeanette enjoyed this account immensely. She knew Meg was deeply thankful for her daughter, and all the dry tones and eye rolling were an act.
“Well, sit down a moment and rest yourself,” Jeanette invited, some handwork in her lap.
“Where is Cass?” Meg asked when she got comfortable, realizing she’d expected the younger woman to join them any moment.
“She’s making a delivery.”
“I didn’t know she ever did that.”
“This is a special case,” Jeanette said with a smile. She began to explain, even as she wondered how Cassidy was faring.
“Please come in, Miss Norton,” Halston, the butler, invited. Halston had visited her shop early one morning and given her measurements and an order for five shirts. The shirts were for Hiram Brickel, who—if rumor could be believed—never set foot out of doors.
Cassidy stepped into a large foyer from which an ornately carved stairway rose to the second floor. Wide hallways flanked by pillars led in two directions, and Halston began to walk down one of them, saying over his shoulder, “Mr. Brickel is waiting for you.”
He took Cassidy to a double doorway, opened it, and stood aside for her to enter. Cassidy didn’t hesitate but stepped into a large parlor, beautifully furnished but dim, even on this sunny morning.
Standing by the fireplace was a man Cassidy judged to be at least thirty years her senior. His hair was liberally sprinkled with gray, but his frame was upright and his eyes were keen.
“Do you have the shirts?” the man asked her with a surprising amount of force.
“I have one shirt, Mr. Brickel,” Cassidy said, moving a little closer. “I wanted to make sure you were pleased before I made the rest.”
She received little more than a grunt in reply and stood still while the older man came toward her, took the shirt from her hands, and began to inspect the seams, even going so far as to tug roughly here and there. She wanted to ask this rather refined gentleman if he planned to mine or dig ditches while wearing the shirt but kept her mouth shut.
“I’ll have to try it on,” he finally said.
“Would you like me to leave?” Cassidy offered.
“I do not change my clothing in the parlor,” he informed Cassidy coldly, and she had all she could do not to laugh. “You may wait here until I return.”
Cassidy nodded and stood looking around the elegant room. She didn’t do more than turn in a circle, but from every direction, the parlor was impressive. A large ornate fireplace with turquoise blue stone and a carved oak mantel was the focal point of one wall and took up a great deal of space.
The rest of the room was just as beautiful. The trim around the windows was dark oak, as was the upholstered furniture, which was covered in dark blue velvet. Cassidy was studying a side table with a marble top when she realized Mr. Brickel had been gone a long time. When he did return, he began barking orders the moment he stepped through the door.
“You could have taken a seat!” were the first words Cassidy heard.
“Thank you,” Cassidy said, unsure how to reply. Then she noticed the shirt. “Oh, Mr. Brickel, it looks very nice on you. How do you like the fit?”
“It’s fine,” he said, his voice was cold again. But his eyes had warmed some and were watchful. “When will the rest be done?”
“In a week,” Cassidy improvised, hoping she could do it.
“You’ll bring them yourself?”
“Yes, I can plan on that.”
“Good. We’ll have coffee now. Halston!”
“I’m sorry.” Cassidy was not going to allow that. “I have to get back to the shop.”
The coldness came back to Mr. Brickel’s eyes, but Cassidy was not intimidated.
“Do you still want the other four shirts?” she felt a need to ask.
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll see you next week.”
“And you’ll stay for coffee then,” Mr. Brickel announced.
“No, sir, I can’t. But I thank you for the offer.”
This said, Cassidy began to move toward the door.
“Why not?”
The force was back in his voice, so Cassidy stopped and turned to him.
“There are several reasons, Mr. Brickel,” Cassidy began, wondering if having his business was going to be worth it. “I won’t go into any of them right now, but each one makes it impossible for me to stay.”
His eyes were even colder now, and she thought
he would cancel the rest of his order, but he stayed quiet. Only when Cassidy said that she would see him next week did he nod. She had to be satisfied with that, and this time when she turned for the door she did not stop or look back.
Jessie Wheeler was Jeb Dorn’s cousin. A younger cousin certainly, but still a cousin. For that reason Jeb was the first person Jessie called when she needed help in the store. And because Jeb made furniture from out of the workshop he had built behind his home, he was usually able to come with little or no notice.
It was for this reason that Meg made her last stop at the store. She was in no hurry to get done, and it gave her some time with her uncle.
“Hi, Meg,” Jessie greeted when she arrived. “How’s that baby?”
“She’s wonderful.”
“Did she like her boots?”
Meg had to laugh. “I don’t know about Savanna, but Brad could not stop smiling.”
“Trace was pretty excited,” Jessie said, watching Meg reach into her bag. “Big list today?” the shop owner asked.
“Not huge, but enough to keep Jeb busy.”
Both women laughed when Jeb called from the back, “Did someone say my name?”
Meg went that way, passing and greeting both of Jessie’s girls. She found her uncle in the stockroom and joined him.
“How are things going?”
“Just fine. Jessie was having Abel organize some of this stockroom. She said she couldn’t find a thing.”
Jeb looked like a kid in a candy store. He was an orderly, organized person, and being set loose on the stockroom was right up his street.
“Oh,” Jeb went on, “I almost forgot. Miranda had her baby last night.”
“Oh, that’s good news! What did she have?”
“A girl. Nellie.”
“Heidi will be thrilled,” Meg said, causing them to both laugh. The church family knew that Heidi wanted things “even.”
“What can I find for you?” Jeb offered finally, now walking with Meg in the aisles.
The two set to work, not in a hurry and doing as much talking as shopping. Other customers had needs from time to time, Saturdays being busy, but for the most part Meg was able to take her time and finish her list. She also settled her account with Jessie and was on the way to get the baby and head for home a solid hour before she had expected.
“How did it go?” Jeanette asked.
Cassidy stood speechless for a few minutes. Her mind still working to process what had happened with Hiram Brickel.
“Cassidy?” Jeanette’s voice had changed from curiosity to concern.
“He wanted me to stay for coffee. He nearly insisted.”
“What did you say?”
“That I couldn’t. I even offered to cancel the order, but he didn’t want that.”
It was now Jeanette’s turn to be speechless. She stared at her boss, taking in the flushed cheeks and thoughtful eyes and wondered if she should feel concerned.
“Do you have to deliver the rest of the shirts?”
“Yes, next Saturday.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Who will watch the store?”
Jeanette’s brain raced for another solution, but Cassidy was ahead of her.
“I’m not afraid to go back there,” Cassidy spoke with confidence, setting her bag down and putting on an apron. “I was surprised by it, but I’m not afraid.”
“Tell me exactly what happened,” Jeanette said. And Cassidy would have, but Chandler came in.
“Hi, Chandler,” Cassidy greeted, her eyes quickly telling Jeanette that she wanted the other subject dropped. “What can we do for you?”
“Just some mending,” he said, showing them the two shirts he’d torn and lost buttons from.
Cassidy offered to fix the shirts while he waited, but Chandler said he wasn’t in a hurry. The three stood and talked business until Chandler remembered he had an appointment and needed to get back to the bank.
Jeanette was ready to have Cassidy finish her story, but there wasn’t a moment to breathe for the rest of the day, not that the women complained about having more business.
“How was your day?” Trace asked Cassidy as they started out of town that evening.
“It was interesting,” Cassidy said, not sure how much she should share.
“In what way?”
“I got a big order and delivered part of it. I’ve never done that, and it just turned out to be a bit of a surprise.”
“That’s unusual, isn’t it?” Trace commented.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I would assume it’s a woman who can’t get out, and I didn’t think Token Creek had too many folks like that.”
“It wasn’t a woman,” Cassidy admitted quietly, and even though she wasn’t looking at Trace, she was aware of the way his head swiveled rather swiftly to stare at her.
“You went to this man’s house?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
“Was his wife there?”
“I don’t think he’s married, but the man who works for him was there.”
Trace’s gaze went back to the road as he tried to compute this. That she didn’t want to spell this out for him was obvious, but it didn’t change Trace’s concern for her.
Trace did not continue to press her, and Cassidy thought she’d heard the end of it. She was wrong. Much later that night, when Meg took the baby upstairs for the night and she found herself alone in the living room with Trace, that man stared intently at her for a time.
“So it’s like this,” Trace said without warning. “I didn’t think I needed to hear the whole story, but I do. I appreciate the fact that you don’t want to gossip to me about a customer, and if we were just talking about business, I would stay out of it. But we’re talking about your safety, and that changes everything.”
Cassidy stared at him, her mouth opened a bit. It was very clear he had been thinking about this, and that surprised her completely.
“Go ahead,” Trace said when she didn’t begin. His voice was calm, but his eyes were intent. “Tell me everything.”
“And if I don’t want to?” Cassidy asked out of curiosity.
Trace smiled and said, “I’ll tattle.”
The word was so funny coming from this full-grown man that Cassidy had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. When she could control herself, she had another question.
“To whom will you tattle?”
“Everyone,” he began with great satisfaction. “Brad, Meg. I assume Jeanette knows, but I’ll tell Heather, Jeb, Patience, Chandler, Rylan, Chas, and Miranda, just to name a few.”
“But you don’t know anything!”
“I know enough to raise their concerns. You’ll have more people checking with you than you have hours in the day.”
“You’re a horrible person. Do you know that, Trace Holden?”
“Not at all.” He was looking very pleased with himself. “I’m just looking out for a friend.”
Cassidy was opening her mouth to say more when Brad came from upstairs. He joined them in the living room, and Cassidy took full advantage.
“How’s the baby?”
“She woke up, so Meg is rocking her a bit.”
“She’s growing so fast,” Cassidy said, even as she saw Trace rise.
“As much as we want to visit,” Trace said to his brother, “Cass and I have some business on the porch.” Trace had come, taken Cassidy by the hand, and pulled her to her feet. Cassidy wanted to laugh again but simply walked to the porch. When her eyes met Trace’s, he read the indulgence there and put both hands up.
“Humor me, Cassidy. You might be just fine, but I’d like to know the details.”
Cassidy told him what had happened at the Brickel house, and Trace did not look pleased.
“Why didn’t you want to tell me?” was the first question Trace asked.
“I thought you might do just what you’re doing, making a bigger deal out of th
is than it is.”
Trace was not offended that she wasn’t taking it as seriously as he was, but that didn’t mean his opinion would change.
“Why are you going back?” Trace wanted to know next.
“I told him I would.”
“Couldn’t you send word that the shirts need to be picked up?”
“I said I would bring them, and I will.”
Trace’s head tipped a little in thought. “Why aren’t you afraid?”
Cassidy shrugged a little, and said, “Mr. Brickel’s interest was a surprise, but he wasn’t threatening.”
Trace contemplated this for a while, knowing that Saturday would be busy. He would have preferred to be in town when she made this delivery, but he couldn’t make that work.
“I want you to do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Tell Rylan.”
“What will that accomplish?”
“I just want him to know that you’re going. I want someone other than Jeanette to be aware of the situation—a man, by the way.”
Cassidy stared at her friend. She was very touched by his concern but wasn’t sure it was necessary. The whole episode had not upset her—it had only surprised her.
“Cass?” Trace said, having watched her the whole time.
“Hm?”
“Do you have a problem with Rylan knowing?”
“No, I just don’t think it’s needed. It seems to be a bit much. I’m going to finish the shirts and drop them off. That’s all.”
“What if he presses you to stay? What if he does something unexpected, like touches you or won’t let you go?”
“If I don’t come back, Jeanette will go for help.”
Trace had to smile before saying, “Put like that, it does sound like I’m overreacting. But I won’t feel that way if this man turns out to be threatening.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Cassidy said, making a decision. “I’ll let you speak to Rylan if you want to. I’m staying out of it. And if you do talk to him, please make it clear that I don’t want or need any company that day. I’m not worried that something will go wrong.” Cassidy rose to go back inside but said one more thing. “Not that I don’t appreciate your concern.”