But she casts her eyes at every man in town. Or it could be Dr. Hendricks niece, Maggie, just come to visit to help in the infirmary while his wife, Louise, recovered from a broken ankle. She’s a pretty little thing, but too young for Jesse. Isn’t she?
Halfway through the morning, Tori still ran a list of women’s names through her head. Seems there were several in town she suspected had no respect for the bonds of matrimony. Vivian might be onto something. To leave Jesse’s bed for too long might not be a smart move. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get past the fear of getting pregnant again.
She finished her appointment with Marian, followed by a lengthy visit at the mercantile. Pleased at how things were coming along with the parlor, she started for home. This project had been good for her.
A few minutes later, she spotted Jesse leaving the bank building. He stepped into the red mud of the street, darted past the mail coach, and joined her. He hesitated as he caught her eye, and then smiled. “Good morning.”
“Hah, morning?” She pulled out her watch. “It’s past eleven o’clock.”
“I agree, closer to
afternoon. What do you say to an early lunch?” He spun and walked backwards as they talked. Tori grabbed his arm to keep him from bumping into a hitching post.
He halted and put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to a stop as well. “Tori, about last night. . .”
“It’s fine. I don’t want to talk about it.” She gave him a quick half smile and shrugged off his hands. He studied her a moment, then took her arm in his. Butterflies skittered around her stomach, and a crazy vision of him grabbing her right there and kissing the life out of her flew into her head.
What am I thinking? You know where that would lead. And in the middle of the street, no less. Good heavens, behave yourself.
Community leader, Edwina Boswell, headed toward them, her impressive bosom leading the way. The president of the Ladies League for Decency, Mrs. Boswell struck fear in the hearts of the saloon owners and dance hall girls of Guthrie. Her life’s work entailed making sure no purveyor of spirits or ladies of the evening were allowed to feel welcome on the streets they shared with decent folks. She made it a point to cross to the other side of the street if such a person dared to venture out while she did her daily shopping.
“Mr. Cochran,” she said, nodding in Jesse’s direction. She turned, flashing Tori a bright smile. “We’re going to need some cookies for our meeting tonight at the new church Fellowship Hall. The Ladies League for Decency is planning our upcoming protest march, and we want as many women to attend as possible. And you know, dear, your cookies always bring them in.”
Tori bit her lip to keep from smiling at the pink and purple hat with a deep violet bird on top, close to sliding onto the older woman’s face. One more thrust of her head and it would bounce off her chest and hit Jesse in the eye. “Of course, I’ll be more than happy to provide the cookies.”
“Excellent. And you will be attending the meeting as well tonight, of course?”
“Yes, indeed she will, Mrs. Boswell,” Jesse said, addressing the woman most men in town would like to see tarred and feathered and driven out on a rail. “In fact, I’ll be escorting my wife there and back.”
“Oh how wonderful, Mr. Cochran. We can use some strong backs to set up the chairs,” she simpered.
Simpered? Disgusted, Tori waited for the old harridan to start batting her eyelashes. It seems all women were taken in by Jesse’s charm and good looks. Or were Marion’s comments earlier playing havoc with her brain?
“It would be my pleasure, ma’am.”
“Very good, I’ll see you both at seven-thirty. The meeting starts at eight.” She patted Jesse’s arm and entered the mercantile, ready to do battle for decency.
Tori lowered her voice and glanced at Jesse. “What was that all about? You can’t stand Mrs. Boswell.”
“I consider it my duty to the fair ladies in town to support Mrs. Boswell’s quest for decency.”
Tori stiffened. Fair ladies? Did Jesse plan on using the ladies’ meeting to cast his eyes on another woman?
“What?” Jesse asked innocently.
“Nothing. I’m wondering about your motivation.”
“I want to spend some time with you, darlin’.” He tugged her forward. “Now how about that lunch?”
Jesse had had enough of Mrs. Boswell. The old witch had pushed him, coaxed him, and bullied him for more than two hours. He’d taken down all the tables and set up the chairs. When he thought to make his escape to the saloon to wait for Tori, she had him cleaning out the storage closet in the meeting room.
He dragged unused furniture to the basement and hauled wood to the first and second floors of the fellowship hall for the two stoves. Before he got to take any sort of a break, she announced the end of the meeting and could he please take down all the chairs and set up the tables again for the bible class the next evening?
“Darlin’, if that woman had commanded the troops in the Grey Army, the Confederates never would have lost.” Jesse wiped the sweat from his forehead and took Tori’s arm as they left the meeting.
“Oh, she had nothing but praise for you.” Tori smirked. “She went on and on about what an upright, moral man you are. Dedicated to the values and ideals of the Ladies League for Decency of Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory.”
“I hate to disappoint her, but I was on my way to the saloon when she roped me into the other jobs.”