cowhand.
“Get your ass over here!”
Pearl whispered something to the man, then rose and sashayed over.
“Mr. Bloodworth here is lonesome and his favorite is occupied. I think you might be the one to cheer him up.”
Pearl looked Bloodworth up and down, then turned on a bright smile. It softened her face some. “I can make you mighty happy, big man.”
Bloodworth cocked one eyebrow at her. Her smile widened. “I maybe ain’t the handsomest woman you ever saw, but I’ll make you forget whoever your favorite is — and whatever else might be troublin’ you.”
“She can, Harlan,” Wattes said with a laugh.
Bloodworth gave a doubtful grin, but nodded. He handed over some money and he and Pearl headed up the stairs. At the top, as they turned left to head down the balcony, a man came out of a room, followed by Sally. She stopped, eyes widening when she saw Bloodworth. They nodded when she saw that he was with Pearl.
“You’re blocking the way, Dirty Bird,” Pearl said.
Tight-lipped, Sally shoved past her client and Bloodworth and Pearl.
Bloodworth felt a tightening in his stomach, but shrugged it off. He forgot it completely soon after closing the door to the room behind Pearl.
** ** ** ** **
“How could you, dammit?” Sally demanded as Bloodworth sipped a beer at the bar.
He glanced over at her. “Beg pardon?” he inquired.
“You and Pearl.” Anger infused her voice.
“And what about you and that saddle bum?” Bloodworth snapped, turning a hot glare on her.
“Well…But…Damn you.” Sally turned and stomped off, furious.
“Reckon she’s a trifle upset with you, Harlan,” Wattes said with a laugh, strolling up with another beer.
“Seems so.”
“Don’t let it bother you.”
“I won’t.” He grinned. “I think Sally’s pretty special, at least as far as fallen angels go. But Pearl was just…”
“I thought you’d enjoy your time with her,” Wattes said with another laugh. He turned and headed down the bar to help another customer.
Bloodworth was about to leave half an hour later when Sally sidled up to him. “I was a fool, wasn’t I?” she mumbled, head hanging.
“That’s a fact.” He turned to leave, but she tugged his shirt gently.
“Look, Harlan, I know you ain’t so taken with me that you aim to up and marry me. But I think you like me. And you’re special.”
“No, I ain’t. I’m just a man tryin’ to get through life as best he can.”
“You are special to me. You treat me like a lady, not just some cheap whore.”
Bloodworth shrugged.
“I’d like to make it up to you,” she said, looking imploringly up at him, still holding his sleeve.
“I don’t think I’m up to it,” he said dryly. He was still angry, but it was slowly draining from him.
“I think you are. At least I can see to it that you are.”
Bloodworth hesitated.
Sally flushed a deep red. “I cleaned…Washed…I rid myself…” She hung her head again, unable to continue.
Bloodworth neither moved nor said anything.
Sally let her hand drop from his sleeve and turned. Bloodworth suddenly reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder.
She turned back, a look of fear mixed with hope of her almost-delicate face. “All right,” he said, surprising himself a little.
Both of them looked at Wattes as Bloodworth reached for some cash. The bartender shook his head a little, then chucked his chin at them, indicating they should go on about their business.
As they walked up the stairs, Sally asked quietly, “You sure?”
“I am.”
Before long, Sally made good on her promise. When they were done and recovering, Sally said, “I am sorry, Harlan. I…”
“I know. It’s the way things are. So don’t go frettin’ about it.”
They were quiet for a while. Then Sally said, “Two more girls were killed while you were gone.”
Chapter Fourteen
Bloodworth reached for his Remington when a knock on the door woke him in the morning. He cocked
“Get your ass over here!”
Pearl whispered something to the man, then rose and sashayed over.
“Mr. Bloodworth here is lonesome and his favorite is occupied. I think you might be the one to cheer him up.”
Pearl looked Bloodworth up and down, then turned on a bright smile. It softened her face some. “I can make you mighty happy, big man.”
Bloodworth cocked one eyebrow at her. Her smile widened. “I maybe ain’t the handsomest woman you ever saw, but I’ll make you forget whoever your favorite is — and whatever else might be troublin’ you.”
“She can, Harlan,” Wattes said with a laugh.
Bloodworth gave a doubtful grin, but nodded. He handed over some money and he and Pearl headed up the stairs. At the top, as they turned left to head down the balcony, a man came out of a room, followed by Sally. She stopped, eyes widening when she saw Bloodworth. They nodded when she saw that he was with Pearl.
“You’re blocking the way, Dirty Bird,” Pearl said.
Tight-lipped, Sally shoved past her client and Bloodworth and Pearl.
Bloodworth felt a tightening in his stomach, but shrugged it off. He forgot it completely soon after closing the door to the room behind Pearl.
** ** ** ** **
“How could you, dammit?” Sally demanded as Bloodworth sipped a beer at the bar.
He glanced over at her. “Beg pardon?” he inquired.
“You and Pearl.” Anger infused her voice.
“And what about you and that saddle bum?” Bloodworth snapped, turning a hot glare on her.
“Well…But…Damn you.” Sally turned and stomped off, furious.
“Reckon she’s a trifle upset with you, Harlan,” Wattes said with a laugh, strolling up with another beer.
“Seems so.”
“Don’t let it bother you.”
“I won’t.” He grinned. “I think Sally’s pretty special, at least as far as fallen angels go. But Pearl was just…”
“I thought you’d enjoy your time with her,” Wattes said with another laugh. He turned and headed down the bar to help another customer.
Bloodworth was about to leave half an hour later when Sally sidled up to him. “I was a fool, wasn’t I?” she mumbled, head hanging.
“That’s a fact.” He turned to leave, but she tugged his shirt gently.
“Look, Harlan, I know you ain’t so taken with me that you aim to up and marry me. But I think you like me. And you’re special.”
“No, I ain’t. I’m just a man tryin’ to get through life as best he can.”
“You are special to me. You treat me like a lady, not just some cheap whore.”
Bloodworth shrugged.
“I’d like to make it up to you,” she said, looking imploringly up at him, still holding his sleeve.
“I don’t think I’m up to it,” he said dryly. He was still angry, but it was slowly draining from him.
“I think you are. At least I can see to it that you are.”
Bloodworth hesitated.
Sally flushed a deep red. “I cleaned…Washed…I rid myself…” She hung her head again, unable to continue.
Bloodworth neither moved nor said anything.
Sally let her hand drop from his sleeve and turned. Bloodworth suddenly reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder.
She turned back, a look of fear mixed with hope of her almost-delicate face. “All right,” he said, surprising himself a little.
Both of them looked at Wattes as Bloodworth reached for some cash. The bartender shook his head a little, then chucked his chin at them, indicating they should go on about their business.
As they walked up the stairs, Sally asked quietly, “You sure?”
“I am.”
Before long, Sally made good on her promise. When they were done and recovering, Sally said, “I am sorry, Harlan. I…”
“I know. It’s the way things are. So don’t go frettin’ about it.”
They were quiet for a while. Then Sally said, “Two more girls were killed while you were gone.”
Chapter Fourteen
Bloodworth reached for his Remington when a knock on the door woke him in the morning. He cocked
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