brothers
talking about this dance. Evidently Keno had seen it on one of his trips to
Chicago. “The Can-Can? That new French dance?”
Ham nodded grimly. “It’s innocent enough, from what I
gather. Just some high-kicking, some leg showing.” He looked warily at Abigail
and Maybelle. “They could do it; I don’t doubt that for a minute. But they’re
nervous about trying it. Understandably. And I won’t make them do something
they’re uncomfortable with.”
“I’ve heard Keno talk about this dance. He says that
sometimes the men in the audience get a bit boisterous.” She worried her bottom
lip. She didn’t want her friends to be in any kind of danger.
“You know I wouldn’t let anyone harm my girls,” Ham
said firmly.
She did know that. He looked on the two women almost
as his daughters. He took care of them, watched over his crowds like a hawk.
“I’d even pay a couple of men to control the crowd,
make sure the audience behaved.” He met her eyes and she sensed that he’d given
this matter a lot of thought.
“You never mentioned that,” Abigail said, giving him
an annoyed glance.
“ If’n that’s true, I reckon
we could give it a try, at least once.” Maybelle looked determined.
Both of the women would do almost anything for Ham.
He’d taken them in, given them work, and a home over his saloon, too. They had
pretty sad stories before they’d shown up here in Dodge City, stories they’d
shared with Whiskey a little at a time. And other than the righteous biddies
who spurned them, there wasn’t a soul in town who didn’t like them. One of
these days she suspected a man or two around here would be brave enough to step
forward and actually marry one, or both, of her friends.
“Still, we’re a bit nervous about this newfangled
dance. Not sure we can even do it,” Abigail admitted, sounding worried.
Ham walked closer, hazarding a supportive smile. “I
know you could do it.”
Maybelle looked uncertain, too.
Whiskey knew she had to do something to help. She’d
never been afraid of trying new things. “How about we try this dance out?”
She focused on Ham, her heart beating hard at her
daring suggestion. “Is Pete around somewhere? Can you get him to try the music
on the piano?”
Ham’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I’ll go round him
up.” He hurried out from behind the bar, calling over his shoulder, “Draw them
curtains back on the stage and dance up there.”
Only rarely was the stage used for anything more than
Ham standing in front of the curtain to announce someone in the audience’s
birthday so everyone there could help celebrate. Maybelle and Abigail had never
danced any kind of dance up there. The most they ever did in the saloon was
serve drinks and occasionally put up with a pinch or a slap on their bottom.
Both of her friends looked unsurely at the stage.
“I don’t know…” Abigail said, glancing over at
Maybelle.
Maybelle faced Whiskey. “You said we , when you talked about trying out this dance. That mean you will try it with us?”
Her head was telling her to say ‘no.’ Her heart was
thudding as excitement raced through her. It wasn’t like she would be doing the
dance in front of anyone other than her friends…and the piano player. Nobody
would ever know. Most importantly her brothers wouldn’t know. Morgan, either.
She drew in a breath and nodded. “Let’s do it.” She
hurried toward the stage and climbed the steps. “Help me pull this curtain
aside.”
***
Loud, boisterous laughter poured out of the Varieties
Dance Hall as Whiskey stood outside the batwing doors. A cool breeze fluttered
around her and already the sky was darkening. She’d been here earlier this
afternoon to see her friend Ham and to see Maybelle and Abigail. She’d even
tried out that new dance with them, kind of had fun with it. But then she’d
gone to visit Camelia.
Uneasiness swept over her. She really should be
heading home or at least staying the night at
talking about this dance. Evidently Keno had seen it on one of his trips to
Chicago. “The Can-Can? That new French dance?”
Ham nodded grimly. “It’s innocent enough, from what I
gather. Just some high-kicking, some leg showing.” He looked warily at Abigail
and Maybelle. “They could do it; I don’t doubt that for a minute. But they’re
nervous about trying it. Understandably. And I won’t make them do something
they’re uncomfortable with.”
“I’ve heard Keno talk about this dance. He says that
sometimes the men in the audience get a bit boisterous.” She worried her bottom
lip. She didn’t want her friends to be in any kind of danger.
“You know I wouldn’t let anyone harm my girls,” Ham
said firmly.
She did know that. He looked on the two women almost
as his daughters. He took care of them, watched over his crowds like a hawk.
“I’d even pay a couple of men to control the crowd,
make sure the audience behaved.” He met her eyes and she sensed that he’d given
this matter a lot of thought.
“You never mentioned that,” Abigail said, giving him
an annoyed glance.
“ If’n that’s true, I reckon
we could give it a try, at least once.” Maybelle looked determined.
Both of the women would do almost anything for Ham.
He’d taken them in, given them work, and a home over his saloon, too. They had
pretty sad stories before they’d shown up here in Dodge City, stories they’d
shared with Whiskey a little at a time. And other than the righteous biddies
who spurned them, there wasn’t a soul in town who didn’t like them. One of
these days she suspected a man or two around here would be brave enough to step
forward and actually marry one, or both, of her friends.
“Still, we’re a bit nervous about this newfangled
dance. Not sure we can even do it,” Abigail admitted, sounding worried.
Ham walked closer, hazarding a supportive smile. “I
know you could do it.”
Maybelle looked uncertain, too.
Whiskey knew she had to do something to help. She’d
never been afraid of trying new things. “How about we try this dance out?”
She focused on Ham, her heart beating hard at her
daring suggestion. “Is Pete around somewhere? Can you get him to try the music
on the piano?”
Ham’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I’ll go round him
up.” He hurried out from behind the bar, calling over his shoulder, “Draw them
curtains back on the stage and dance up there.”
Only rarely was the stage used for anything more than
Ham standing in front of the curtain to announce someone in the audience’s
birthday so everyone there could help celebrate. Maybelle and Abigail had never
danced any kind of dance up there. The most they ever did in the saloon was
serve drinks and occasionally put up with a pinch or a slap on their bottom.
Both of her friends looked unsurely at the stage.
“I don’t know…” Abigail said, glancing over at
Maybelle.
Maybelle faced Whiskey. “You said we , when you talked about trying out this dance. That mean you will try it with us?”
Her head was telling her to say ‘no.’ Her heart was
thudding as excitement raced through her. It wasn’t like she would be doing the
dance in front of anyone other than her friends…and the piano player. Nobody
would ever know. Most importantly her brothers wouldn’t know. Morgan, either.
She drew in a breath and nodded. “Let’s do it.” She
hurried toward the stage and climbed the steps. “Help me pull this curtain
aside.”
***
Loud, boisterous laughter poured out of the Varieties
Dance Hall as Whiskey stood outside the batwing doors. A cool breeze fluttered
around her and already the sky was darkening. She’d been here earlier this
afternoon to see her friend Ham and to see Maybelle and Abigail. She’d even
tried out that new dance with them, kind of had fun with it. But then she’d
gone to visit Camelia.
Uneasiness swept over her. She really should be
heading home or at least staying the night at
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