The Edge of Nowhere by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2024-07-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

Bessie Waggoner had just gotten to sleep after her night’s work when a commotion in the parlor pulled her back to consciousness. Voices came and went, something not uncommon in such a public place.

She dozed again for a short period of time before louder men irritated her enough to get up. It was too early for customers, unless some rich traveler came in with a handful of cash and entertainment on his mind. Bessie hoped he was there for one of the other girls; the little dark-haired woman was inherently lazy and wanted to sleep.

Cracking her door, she saw Ivy Ann Shears heading back to her own room. The skinny girl with large, dark eyes was Bessie’s age and quite popular with their clients. She was in a tight white camisole and baggy bloomers yellowed with age. “What’s going on out there?”

“Some kind of trouble I don’t know about. Nell and some stranger have Judd and Son all tied up in the parlor.”

“Tied up?” She grinned. “In the parlor? I knew Son had a wild streak.”

In the narrow hall, Ivy Ann leaned on the plank wall and rested one foot against her opposite knee. “I’d think you know more about Judd.”

Bessie felt a flutter in her stomach. “He likes to jingle his money at me pretty regular all right, but Son’s my man.”

“That boy?” Ivy snickered. “He spent a while with me a couple of months ago when you had your time, and what he mostly wanted to do was talk about his collections and what he was going to do when he owned Blackjack.”

Bessie tried not to look annoyed. Son came to her often, funded by his daddy’s money, but after they finished their rasslin’ match, as Bessie liked to call the act, the conversation often drifted to books he’d read, or his scientific interests. They talked of different bird nests, those on the ground and in the trees, or under the eaves of houses and buildings, of colorful rocks that could be used to make jewelry, and his collection of small animal and reptile skulls and skeletons.

She enjoyed it when he paid for hours of her time, giving the madam downstairs enough money for the entire night and sleeping with her head on his shoulder till the morning. Son wasn’t like the rest of the cowboys who came to lay on top of her, grunt, then leave. He had a side most grown men never showed, and it was attractive to her.

Bessie wet her thin lips, thinking. “Why does that feller have ’em tied up in there?”

Ivy shrugged. “One of the girls says he’s a Texas Ranger and Nell knows him. They got crossways over something, and I guess him and Judd are under arrest.”

“What’s Nell gonna do about it?”

“Can’t say.”

“Where’s Sam? He might have something to say about this.”

Seminole Sam was a good friend to the girls, and Bessie thought he had something special for her. If there was wrongdoing, he’d straighten things out pretty quick.

Ivy

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