The Tragedy of Reginald King, Part V
V.
Reg did nothing but embrace her,
it seemed like the right thing to do,
she said, “Let’s just go back to bed,
it’s much nicer lying with you.”
The next day, while he was dressing
ro hit the ranches for a job,
she came and said, “Why not work here?
I have many acres to trod.
“Renting my land may pay the bills,
but my own herd could make us rich,
I’ll cut you in, forty percent,
I need a strong man to do this.”
He raised an eyebrow and he said,
“Folks will talk if I’m living here.”
She scoffed and said, “They talk already,
who cares how it all may appear?
“I have no husband, have no kids,
who would I leave all of this too?
And if you love me before I’m old
how would that not be good for you?
“Besides, this will make you good coin,
no waiting to buy your own spread,
trying to save on a cowboy’s wage…
before you got rich you’d be dead.”
He paused there to think about it,
such an offer was mightt rare,
the corrals and the barn were old,
she could really use a man there.
And spread amongst a running ranch
he could easily spend his loot,
no one would questions expenses,
plus he’d have a fine woman to boot.
So he smiled, stuck out his hand,
said, “I’ll be your partner in this.”
She laughed and didn’t shake it, no,
she just drew him in for a kiss.
For weeks thing went pretty smoothly,
he rebuilt the barn and the fence,
she found leads on a herd to buy,
seemed things would be going again.
Some folks did whisper about him,
that ‘old woman’ using ‘that kid,’
and if their nights were ‘being used’
he was rather glad that she did!
He’d never known a life so great,
never once in all of his years,
banditry had kept him on edge,
the orphanage a sea of tears.
And even if she’d been a whore
she showed no betrayal to him,
and spent her nights pressed again Reg,
he relished the warmth of her skin.
Days and nights the two worked and loved,
a strange pair, but one that still worked,
he built things to keep their cows,
at night she massaged all his hurts.
He somehow got to thinking that
this would go on all of their lives,
until one night commotion came
from three loud men waiting outside…
It was the old client out there,
Lautaro standing by the door,
screamed, “Send that foolish kid our here!
It’s far time we settle this score!
“I share Jolene with nobody,
and I mean to have her this night,
come on you gringo bastardo,
come, if you have the stones to fight!”
CONTINUESIN PART VI.
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