“No. Rachel’s fine. Everyone’s fine. Now go.”
He paused, then sighed. “All right, I can see you’re upset, so I’ll leave you alone. I have a lot of work to catch up on, but I’m not going to let this go.” His lips thinned as he turned on his heel and left the kitchen.
Jesse entered his office. The stack of mail he’d retrieved from the post office hit the desk with a thud. It would take him hours to get everything done that had piled up in his absence.
After taking care of a few pressing matters, he headed to the saloon. He’d been happy to see Tori, still dealing with how much he missed that bad-tempered woman while away. When he walked through the door, she’d looked as good as he remembered. In fact, even better. Aside from her tears, she glowed.
The brief taste of Tori had merely whetted his appetite. He wanted to coax her back into his bed, which didn’t seem likely. Women like Tori didn’t occupy beds of men they weren’t married to. She’d been eaten up with guilt both times they’d made love. More and more, he’d thought marriage between them could work very well. The visit to his childhood home had strengthened his resolve. He wanted what he’d never had, marriage and a family. And Tori was the only candidate of interest. She, however, had made clear her lack of interest in a wedding ring. Time to utilize his lawyer persuasive skills.
“Hi, Jesse, haven’t seen you in a while.” Mick, the large bartender with an Irish brogue who owned the Silver Spur saloon, leaned against the bar, wiping his meaty hands on a towel.
“Yea, I’ve been out of town for a bit. Busy before that. Give me a beer, would ya, Mick?”
The bartender poured the beer and slid it in front of him. “So what took you out of town?”
Jesse wiped the foam off his mouth with the back of his hand. “I had to take care of some legal business.”
“Well, you didn’t miss much here.” Mick sauntered away to pour whiskeys for two dusty cowboys at the end of the bar.
As Jesse observed the bar, he agreed with Mick. He hadn’t missed a thing. Same people drinking the same drinks. A tense card game in one corner. Saloon girls hung over the table, displaying their charms and hoping for tips from the winners.
He finished his beer and signaled for another. He picked up the refill, and wandered to a table near the window. A couple of girls wanting some action upstairs accepted the shake of his head with slight smiles.
His thoughts wandered back to Tori as he sipped the cold beer and stared out the window at the activity on the street. A woman herding several children into the mercantile suddenly raced after a small child headed to the street. Two boys broke into a fight over a game of marbles.
He dragged his hand down his face and considered her reaction earlier.
I hate you. You ruined my life!
He’d been surprised and concerned. The floodgates had truly opened behind his little hellion’s eyes. He snorted. If she did indeed hate him, he’d be nursing an injury right now, not a damp shirt.
Tori rubbed her lower back, then gathered the composition papers she’d been reading. As most of the children had been out of school for a couple of months following the land run, the school would take a short summer recess, but not for another couple weeks. The break couldn’t come soon enough for her.
A glance at the wall clock indicated time to get ready for the meeting at church. The new pastor wanted to build a fellowship hall. Sorry she’d volunteered to help raise money, she would attend the first meeting tonight, although sleep held more appeal. Michael would walk with her. The men were also getting together to discuss the actual building of the hall. As everyone had business to attend to, a time schedule needed to be worked out. Michael had volunteered, even though he juggled school and a part time job, and still kept up his grades.
She frowned. Another concern. How could she pay for Michael’s college? In his final year of high school, the time grew near. A very smart young man, he could go far with a college degree.
Of course the biggest and most terrifying worry she carried around with her, a baby growing in her belly. Most times she pushed it to the back of her mind by staying busy. But with Jesse’s return to Guthrie, that problem took center stage.
Several women already gathered in the pastor’s parlor. Jane Wilton, the pastor’s wife, would conduct the meeting. She’d set up a very professional table on the far wall, with paper and pencils placed neatly in the center. The kitchen table had been moved to the parlor, draped with a blue table cloth and covered with cookies, punch, and tea.
Tori fixed her gaze at the food, and her stomach took a dive. It used to be only mornings when she felt sick, but recently her stomach heaved both morning and evening.
I hope I can make it through this meeting without disgracing myself.
Libby Ewing and Geraldine O’Neill arrived with their daughters, both recently married. The young wives chatted away happily, comparing notes on setting up their households. Tori couldn’t understand why they were happy to be a slave to some man. Ashamed at her thoughts, at least they had someone to provide a name to any babies they might have. Waves of self-pity washed over her, and she fought back tears that threatened to spill. Great. Now she had to worry about vomiting on her shoes, or breaking into sobbing hysterics.
Would this meeting ever start?
Jesse spotted Michael and gave him a quick wave as he entered the church. Two men were bent over a large sheet of paper, apparently discussing plans. Michael had asked him to come since he’d been known to swing a hammer. He strode down the aisle and sat next to the young man.
“Thanks for coming, Jesse.”
“I’m glad to be a part of this. I feel like I’ve been away for a month instead of a week.”
The two men studying the papers began to argue. The Pastor walked between them.
Michael leaned forward on bent knees. “We’re just glad to have you back. Tori’s been kind of moping around lately. Maybe you can cheer her up. None of us seem able to do it.”