“What are you talking about?”
“Romeo and Juliet?”
Rachael laughed. “Why, Falcon MacCallister,” she said. “Who would have ever thought you were such a romantic?”
When Ray and Cletus stepped into the hotel ballroom, the dance was already in progress and out on the floor couples moved and skipped, swayed and bowed as the music played and the caller called.
“What we comin’ to the dance for?” Cletus asked. “We ain’t got us no women to dance with.”
“Looks like there’s some women over there that ain’t dancin’,” Ray said.
Cletus looked toward the women. “Damn,” he said. “No wonder they ain’t dancin’. They’re uglier than cow plop.” He looked around the room. “I’m thirsty. Ain’t there no bar in this place?”
“There’s a punch bowl over there,” Ray said.
“Hell, I don’t want punch. I want somethin’ to drink,” Cletus said.
Ray chuckled. “Believe me, at things like this, punch ain’t what you think it is. Come on.”
The two men walked over to the table to get a cup of punch. Cletus got his, then smiled after he took the first swallow. “You’re right. This here ain’t half bad,” he said.
The set ended and the couples left the floor. Cletus finished his drink, then wiped his hand across his mouth. “I’ll be damn,” he said. “Lookie over there.”
“Where?” Ray asked.
“Over there, just comin’ in through the door,” Cletus said. “That’s our little brother with the Garrison girl.”
“What the hell is he doin’ with her?” Ray asked.
“Why don’t we just go find out?” Cletus replied. Putting the empty cup down, he started across the room toward Billy and Kathleen.
“Oh, no,” Billy said under his breath.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“My brothers are what’s wrong,” Billy said. “They’re coming over here to make trouble.”
“Maybe they won’t. I mean, not in a public place like this.”
“You don’t know my brothers.”
“Well, now, Billy boy, what do we have here?” Ray asked, coming up to them then. “You mixing with the enemy, are you?”
“Enemy?” Kathleen asked.
“Yeah, Miss Garrison, the enemy,” Ray said. “Maybe you don’t know that not all the cattlemen want you pa puttin’ in a railroad here.”
“Ray, whatever is goin’ on between pa and General Garrison has nothing to do with Kathleen and me.”
“Boy, you ain’t got the sense of a day-old goose,” Ray said.
“Oh, I don’t know, Ray,” Cletus said. “She is a good-lookin’ heifer, you gotta give him that. What do you say, little brother? Can I dance with your girl?”
Billy felt Kathleen cringe beside him, and he reached out to take her arm reassuringly.
“If you so much as even look at her, I’ll—”
“You’ll what, little brother?”
Billy sighed. “Go away, Cletus. Go away and leave us alone.”
Cletus laughed wickedly, then held up his hands. “All right, all right, don’t get yourself in a piss soup over it.”
As Cletus and Ray turned away from Billy and Kathleen, they saw Falcon MacCallister standing close by and looking at them.
“What the hell do you want?” Cletus asked.
“Are these men giving you any trouble, Miss Garrison?” Falcon asked.
“Please, Mr. MacCallister, it’s nothing I can’t handle,” Billy said.
Falcon stared for a moment longer, then he nodded. “You know, I believe you can at that, Billy,” he said. He started to turn away.
“Hold it, mister, don’t you be turnin’ away from me now,” Cletus called in a loud, angry voice.
Falcon stopped and turned back to Cletus and Ray. “You have something to say to me?” he asked.
“Yeah, I have something to say to you,” Cletus replied. “Ray, this here is Falcon MacCallister, the fella I was tellin’ you about.”
“The one who gave you two black eyes?” Ray asked.
“Yeah,” Cletus said. Cletus forced another smile. “Only this time, he ain’t holdin’ a gun, he ain’t holdin’ a club, and he ain’t behind my back.”
“That’s right,” Falcon said. “I’m standing right here in front of you.”
“Well, you ain’t goin’ to be standing long,” Cletus shouted and, stepping forward, he threw a wide, arcing
