Free When All My Dreams Come True by Janelle Mowery

you’ll come in handy as I’ll need to stop by the bank on some business. I may need you to soften up the manager for me.”
    Annie smiled. “I can do that. And how about a little shopping?”
    Jace groaned and headed for the door.
    Bobbie grinned and shook her head at him before turning to Annie. “That’s fine. Apparently, I have all afternoon.”
    “Great! The kids and I will be ready in no time, once I finish with these dishes that is.”
    Bobbie started clearing the table. “I’ll help.”
    “And I accept.”
    With the kitchen tasks finished, Bobbie changed into one of her old dresses, and they were on their way. Bobbie drove the horse and wagon so Annie could hold her children. By their excitement, a trip to town must be a real treat. They wriggled and chattered until Annie looked worn before they’d reached their destination.
    Their afternoon began at the bank. When Bobbie entered with Annie and her kids, the nearest teller offered a friendly smile, then tapped on a door and announced to his boss that his wife had just arrived.
    Bobbie cast a quick look around the building as they waited. The light-colored wood counter gleamed with polish. White paint reflected the sun off the walls, making the room bright. The place smelled clean and looked new, but she knew Pete had been working here for several years. The orderliness told her a lot about the man who ran the bank.
    At the far window, a man stood with his back to them, leaning against the counter talking to the other employee. The bank sported three teller windows, and Bobbie suppressed a smile. Whoever built the bank must have been a visionary with great dreams for this small town’s growth.
    The man chatting with the teller turned. Bobbie was surprised to see that it was Coop. She nodded a greeting, and he tipped his hat with his index finger, sending his familiar tobacco-stained smile in her direction. He looked like he was about to speak, but the teller’s strident voice reclaimed his attention with a description of a string of recent bank robberies. Bobbie turned away and tried to close out the sound of the teller’s voice.
    Pete must have heard the conversation as he entered the room.He scowled in the teller’s direction before approaching, gave Annie and the kids a kiss, then turned to Bobbie.
    “Hello, Bobbie. Are you all here on business or is this visit strictly for my pleasure?” He bent to ruffle Ben’s hair and then sidestepped the boy’s disgruntled jab.
    “I’d like to open an account, Pete. Is my money acceptable?”
    “Sure! Follow me and I’ll get you set up.” Pete led the way to the first teller window. He located the necessary paperwork, and then waited while she filled it out. “So how much will you be depositing today?”
    She reached down and hefted her saddlebag onto the counter. The puff of dust flying into the air along with the dirt now marring the once clean wood made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She lifted the bag and prepared to wipe the counter with her sleeve, but Pete held up a hand.
    “Don’t fret, Bobbie. Men carrying much more soil than that have been through here. It all cleans up.” He smiled and patted the wood. “Let’s see what you have.”
    She pulled out stacks of bills, quoting the amount she had double-checked that morning as she handed them to Pete. When his eyebrows raised, she grinned at his obvious surprise.
    “You left this much lying around?” Disbelief as well as disapproval coated his tone.
    She looked about the room and found Coop’s gaze glued to her stack of money. She pushed it further toward Pete.
    “I didn’t just leave it lying around, Pete. Besides, are you saying I can’t trust you and your family?”
    Pete’s expression changed from chagrin to amusement. “No, I’m not saying that at all. You’ll have to excuse that comment. I guess there’s more banker in me than I thought.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with that. It tells me you’ll take good care of my