The years had not been good to the woman. Scrawny with yellow skin and rotten teeth. He shuddered as she latched onto his arm.
“You’re a big time lawyer now, right?”
His brain had taken a holiday. The stench of sweat, sex, and alcohol came off her in waves. All he could do was stand there and stare.
“Why don’t you come on back with me? I’ll get you something to eat, and then we can have a little fun.”
The eggs and toast he’d had for breakfast made a quick visit to the back of his throat. I have to get the hell out of here.
“Um, sorry, I have a train to catch.” He fumbled in his pocket and drew out a couple of bills. “Here, I have to, ah, go.” Sweat beaded his forehead as he turned and walked away.
Even though late afternoon, the summer sun still blazed high in the sky. One more chore and he could leave this blasted place behind forever.
Three days later, Jesse pulled on the heavy door with gold lettering identifying the building as The Missouri State Bank. In his hand he held a statement with Rosie’s name on it.
A trim, middle-aged man sat behind a massive desk in the back of the room. The gold-plated sign acknowledged him to be Edward Pinon, President. Jesse shook hands with the banker and sat in the oak chair before his desk. One of two.
“What can I do for you?” Mr. Pinon glanced at the small card in his hand. “Mr. Cochran.”
Jesse shifted in his seat. “I’m the son of Rosie Cochran, who it appears had an account with your bank. She’s recently deceased, and I’m in town to close out her business.” Heat rushed to his face at the mention of her business, but the banker ignored it, and took the paper from his hand.
With a cursory glance at the paper, he stood. “If you will excuse me, sir, I’ll consult our records and get a final statement for you.”
Jesse nodded and leaned back in the chair, resting his ankle on the opposite knee.
The time it’d taken to get the necessary papers from the court so he could access his mother’s account had seemed endless. Days to wander around this hated town and revisit places he’d sworn he’d never see again. This morning he’d arranged for a marker to be placed on Rosie’s grave. After taking care of this last bit of business with the bank, his obligations as a dutiful son came to an end. He’d catch a train, and get the hell out of St. Louis.
Although not fair, he couldn’t help but compare his mother to Tori. The woman who was never far from his mind. Sitting in his hotel room hour after hour, or walking the dark streets when he was unable to sleep, he replayed the trip to Maple Grove.
God, she fired his blood. And not just the sex, which was damn good, but the entire package. A strong, determined woman, he respected her immensely. Somehow he didn’t think there were any circumstances that would make Tori sell her body like his mother had done.
She had guts, dragging four kids to a strange place to start a new life for them. Then she didn’t sit on her duff and hope someone would come along to take care of her. She dug in, started baking for the restaurant, hustled herself a job at the new school. He smiled, looking forward to seeing her again.
Of course, a major hindrance was her dislike of marriage and distrust of men. A difficulty, perhaps, but nothing he couldn’t overcome, with time.
Despite the skills and experience of the women he’d bedded, none had affected him the way that freckle-faced, spectacle-wearing woman did. Visions of her lush curves sent his blood racing south. He shifted in his chair as the banker returned holding several papers.
“This is the final accounting, Mr. Cochran. If you like, after examining your testamentary documents, we can issue a check for the balance.” He took his seat behind the desk and handed him a bank statement.
Jesse’s eyebrows rose as he considered the paperwork.
“Is this the correct account?”
The banker’s brows furrowed and he retrieved the paper from Jesse’s hand.
“Yes, indeed, Mr. Cochran. This is your mother’s account.”
Jesse’s gut tightened. Apparently Rosie Cochran had been a complete stranger. She’d saved a considerable amount of money over the years. Why had she lived the way she did, and force her only child into a life of misery?
He pulled the court issued papers out of his jacket pocket. The banker took them and examined the documents carefully. “If you will wait a few minutes more, I’ll have a check issued to you.”
The next morning, Jesse boarded the train to Guthrie. He settled into a seat opposite an older woman, busy with her knitting.
She smiled at him over her spectacles. “Going visiting, young man?”
He tipped his hat. “No, ma’am.” He paused. “Going home.”
Home. To his new life. Where one small spitfire of a woman waited. Did she wait for him? He sure as hell planned to find out.