CHAPTER 9
The next morning Houston headed out to talk to Cotton again. There wasn't anyone around the house when he got to Cotton's ranch, so he started heading out to the barn. Just as he reached the door, he heard a female voice saying "If you don't tell her, there's going to be even more bad luck, Cotton! " At that moment Connie came running out of the barn, head down and plowed right into Houston's chest. "Whoa there! You alright?" he said, helping her to her feet.
"I'm just fine! Excuse me." she said, with a look back toward Cotton, who was just getting to the door of the barn.
"Houston, what're you doing here? I mean, good to see you again. Is there something I can help you with, pardner?" he stammered.
"As a matter of fact, Cotton, there is. See, I got to thinking about the good ole days of the rodeo. I was partnered up with Steve Sheaffer for team roping before you and I started working together. Word was he couldn't find another heeler to work with him. What do you know about that?" Houston asked.
"Well, he did come around here and asked me to partner up with him. But you and I had already started working together, so I told him no. Heard he asked around several other folks, but nobody wanted to partner up with him after the argument y'all had over that blonde. That wasn't much of a reason to break up a partnership, and nobody else wanted to get left in the lurch. Folks said he was mad as a hornet, and needed money bad. Don't know why. But he switched over to riding the broncs – and, well, you know what happened after that. "
"That's what I heard, too." Matt said. "Look, Cotton, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Connie when I got here." Belcamp looked at the ground and shifted uneasily. "Houston, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone about that. See, it's… well….I've been having an affair with Connie, and she want's me to divorce Pam and marry her. I don't know why I did it. Hell, Pam's the best thing to ever happen to me. It just sort of happened. Now I'm in a real bind and don't know what to do."
Houston looked at his old friend. "Cotton, they say honesty is the best policy. It's obvious that she's gonna let the cat out of the bag, so maybe you should just got sit down and talk to Pam and tell her you made a mistake. Ask her to forgive you."
"Guess you're right. I just don't know what to say." Cotton shuffled his feet. "No time like the present, huh, buddy?"
"That's what they say. But I need to ask you one more question first: what did Connie mean when she was talking about more bad luck?" Houston asked.
"I don't have a clue, Houston. If you'll excuse me, I've got some apologizing to do." With that, Cotton walked off, head down and hands in his pockets, toward the house.