BESSIE SUE AND YOU KNOW WHO
 
 
Hoss was helping Adam load supplies from the general store into their 
buckboard. Hoss picked up a heavy sack, and put it down. “Oh no, there’s 
Bessie Sue Hightower,” Hoss said cringing. Adam looked down the street at 
Bessie Sue. “So?” Adam asked. Hoss ducked behind the buckboard, and 
brought Adam down with him. “So? You know Bessie Sue and I had that big 
fight, and broke up. The last thing I want to do is see her right now,” 
Hoss replied.
 
Adam felt for his brother. He knew Hoss liked Bessie Sue, but wasn’t sure 
if he wanted to be hogtied to her yet. Bessie Sue already had the rope 
around him, and was ready to pull him in, and Hoss fought her. They had 
had a big fight over Hoss’s procrastinating where marriage to her was 
concerned. Adam cringed, remembering the fight they had. No only verbal, 
but physical. Bessie Sue took him easily. Adam had never seen a larger, 
more powerful woman in his life, then Bessie Sue Hightower.
 
Bessie Sue walked towards them. Hoss ducked in the store. “Hoss?” Adam 
said in a low voice. “What ya doin’ down there Adam?” Bessie Sue asked, 
towering over the crouched down Adam. Adam stood. “Just checking the wagon 
wheel,” Adam lied. Adam looked up at Bessie Sue. Adam was a big man, but 
Bessie Sue made him feel small. Truth be known, Adam feared Bessie Sue 
Hightower. If she could take his brother Hoss, what could she do to him.
 
Bessie Sue looked around. “You brother Hoss ain’t here, is he?” Bessie Sue 
asked. Adam turned his head. “You don’t see him, do you?” Adam asked. 
Bessie Sue looked at Adam. “Don’t mean he ain’t here,” Bessie Sue replied. 
 Adam threw a sack of flour in the buckboard. “Don’t mean he is either,” 
Adam replied. Bessie Sue gave Adam a mean look. Adam looked at her face, 
and felt fear.
 
Bessie Sue looked at Adam again, but not in the same way. No, Bessie Sue 
saw Adam, and liked what she saw. Adam didn’t quite know what to make of 
her look. He reached for the heavy sack Hoss had picked up earlier, and 
tried to lift it, but couldn’t. Bessie Sue picked that sack up, and lifted 
it, as if it were filled with air, and tossed it in the back of the 
buckboard. “Thanks,” Adam said. Bessie Sue batted her eyes at Adam. 
“You’re welcome Adam. I‘m, not surprised a little guy like you couldn‘t 
handle that,” she replied. Adam rolled his eyes, and started loading the 
rest of the supplies, as fast as he could.
 
Bessie Sue was smitten with Adam. She thought maybe Adam might be harder to 
get, seeing that she and Hoss used to have a thing between them. She had to 
think of a way to get her affections known to him, and in a way that he 
wouldn’t suspect anything. She knew Adam was smart, but she reckoned she 
might be able to outsmart him.
 
“Hey Adam?” Bessie Sue asked. Adam finished with the load, and replied, 
“What Bessie Sue?” The wheels turned in Bessie Sue’s head. “Do you think 
you could give me a lift back home? You see, my horse got a stone bruise, 
and I was wonderin’ if we couldn’t just tie him to the back of this here 
buckboard, seeing that I can’t ride him,” Bessie Sue asked. Adam didn’t 
know what to do. If he told her yes, it would be a very uncomfortable ride 
for him. Plus, he’d have to go way out of his way to take her home, so 
he’d be getting home that much later. Plus, Hoss would have to get himself 
home. If he told her no, then there was a chance, he may never see home 
again. “Sure,” Adam said reluctantly.
 
Bessie Sue smiled big. “You just wait right here Adam, while I go and get 
my horse. Now don’t you leave without me, you hear?” Bessie Sue demanded. 
Adam reluctantly replied, ’I hear you.” Bessie Sue hightailed it down the 
street. Adam walked in the store. Hoss was hiding behind the counter. 
“Thanks a lot,” Adam said. “For what?” Hoss asked. Adam took a deep 
breath. “Because of you, and your fear for Bessie Sue, I now have the 
pleasure of taking her home. I hope you have to walk home,” Adam said 
leaving the store.
 
Adam got up on the buckboard seat, and took the reins. As hard as he tried, 
he just couldn’t come up with anyway out of this situation. Adam looked 
back to see Bessie Sue tying her horse to the buckboard. Bessie Sue climbed 
up next to Adam. “Well, what are you waitin’ for? Let’s get movin‘,” 
Bessie Sue ordered, scooting closer to Adam.
 
For the first hour, they hardly talked. Bessie Sue chose to talk with her 
body. She put her arm around Adam. Adam looked at her hand, that was 
resting on his left shoulder. He turned to look at Bessie Sue, who planted 
a kiss on his lips. Adam pulled on the reins to stop the horses. “Bessie 
Sue Hightower, what are you doing?” Adam asked. Bessie Sue smiled, 
looking at him. “I’m kissin’ you. What do you think I’m doin‘?” she asked.
 
Adam rubbed his mouth off. “Why are you kissing me?  Adam asked. Bessie 
Sue looked at him strange. “Because you’re a man, and I’m a woman,” Bessie 
Sue replied. “But you like Hoss. Remember Hoss?” Adam asked, trying to 
scoot away from Bessie Sue. Bessie Sue tried to scoot closer to him. 
“Yeah, I remember him, but I don’t much like him anymore. I like you now. 
You may be little, but you’re mighty handsome, ” Bessie Sue replied, as she 
tried to plant another kiss on Adam’s lips.
 
Adam jumped off the buckboard. Bessie Sue did the same. Adam walked 
backwards, holding his hands out, trying to reason with Bessie Sue. “Now 
Bessie Sue, remember I’m little,” Adam said. Bessie Sue looked him up and 
down. “You may be a little guy, but you got a great body,” Bessie Sue 
replied, matching Adam’s pace. Adam continued to walk backwards. “Come 
here and give Bessie Sue some sugar,” she said. Adam turned to run away 
from her, and tripped over a large branch. He went down hard. He grabbed 
his right foot. He was in pain, but not as much pain as he would be, if he 
let Bessie Sue Hightower catch up to him. Try as he might, he couldn’t get 
up. He was trapped, and he knew it.
 
“Hurt yourself sweetums?” Bessie Sue asked, standing right in front of 
Adam. Adam held his right foot. All Adam could think about was that time 
he and Joe went to look for Hoss at her place. How she lifted, and threw 
those large fence posts, like they weighed ounces. Adam’s face showed the 
pain he was in from his foot. “My foot. I hurt my right foot,” Adam 
replied. Bessie Sue kneeled down. “Here, let me look at that foot ,” she 
said. Bessie Sue reached over, and pulled Adam’s right boot off, as if he 
had been wearing slippers. He screamed in pain. “I’m sorry. Did that hurt 
sugar?” Bessie Sue asked. “You think?” Adam replied.
 
Bessie Sue pulled off Adam’s sock . “Why, it don’t appear to be broken. 
Probably just sprained. Must smart some though, huh?” she asked. Adam 
looked at her. “Yeah it smarts,” he replied. Bessie Sue stood up. “Think 
you can get up?” she asked. Adam tried to stand, but couldn’t. “No,” he 
replied reluctantly. Bessie Sue reached her hand out for him to grab. 
“Here, let me help you,” she said. Adam grabbed her hand, thinking she 
would help him up to his feet. Instead, she pulled him to his feet, and 
hoisted him over her shoulder, and carried him back to the buckboard, where 
she laid him down on the sacks in the back. “You all comfy cozy there 
sweetheart?” Bessie Sue asked. Adam made a face. He wasn’t comfortable at 
all, but he wasn’t going to admit it. The last thing he wanted to do, was 
ride in that seat with Bessie Sue Hightower. “I’m comfy cozy,” Adam lied.
 
Adam thought maybe everything would be fine now. He figured Bessie Sue 
would have to take him home, which was just a little over two hours away, 
and then she’d be on her way, somehow. Yeah, maybe having this foot get 
hurt was to his advantage. Got him out of that seat, and out of Bessie 
Sue’s arms. It was smooth sailing from hear on out. Adam smiled. Luck 
had been on his side, but not for long. As luck would have it, it started 
to rain. Maybe it’ll just rain a little, and stop. Adam prayed. It began 
to pour. Life just isn’t fair, was Adam’s last thought, before he pulled 
his hat over his face.
 
Bessie Sue had to get her love to some shelter, and she knew it. Bessie Sue 
remembered there was a house about a half mile up the road. She pushed the 
horses to go a little faster. Adam rocked back and forth in the back, 
thinking Bessie Sue was hitting every bump in the road she possibly could. 
Bessie Sue pulled up in front of the house. Adam looked up. Through the 
rain, he could see Bessie Sue talking to a man and woman on the porch. 
After a few minutes, he saw Bessie Sue walk back to the buckboard. She 
took off the back, and pulled on Adam’s legs, so he slid down to the end of 
the buckboard. She put him over her shoulder , and carried Adam towards the 
house. “Bessie Sue, will you please let me down?” Adam asked.  “I will 
when it’s time,” she replied. Bessie Sue carried him into the house. As 
she went by the homeowners she asked them, “Where shall I put him?” The 
woman replied, “You can put him in the first bedroom, there on the bed.” 
Adam felt fear again.  “No, no not on the bed,” he replied. Bessie Sue 
turned, and looked at the man and woman. “He’s just a little scared, being 
that this is our wedding day and all,” she said. Adam replied,” This being 
our what?” Bessie Sue brought Adam into the room, and laid him on the bed. 
“Our wedding day, Bessie Sue?” Adam asked. Bessie Sue sat on the bed. 
“Well, the way it’s raining out there, it’ll probably not let up for some 
time. Maybe not until tomorrow. The only way they would let us stay here, 
was if you and I were married. Being those were the rules, I just told a 
little fib, and said we were just married today, and were on our honeymoon, 
when we got stuck in the rain,” Bessie Sue replied. Adam thought about the 
facts. He couldn’t walk, much less run away from Bessie Sue Hightower. Adam 
felt both trapped, and fear.
 
 
Late that night, Adam was in bed, thinking his family must be wondering 
where he was, especially Hoss. He didn’t even want to think what what Hoss 
might think. Surely Hoss wouldn’t think he wanted anything to do with 
Bessie Sue Hightower. Or would he? Adam decided there was nothing he could 
do, so he decided to go to sleep. Adam laid on the side of the bed that 
was against the wall. He rolled on his left side, closing his eyes. 
Hopefully sleep would come soon. Adam was almost asleep, when he felt the 
bed move. Adam, tired as he was, turned over.
“Bessie Sue Hightower, what are you doing in this bed?” Adam asked, pulling 
the covers up to the collar on his black shirt. Bessie Sue smiled. “Why 
sweetums, I’m goin’ to bed. What do you think I’m doin‘?” she replied. 
Adam sat up. His foot hurt so. “It’s not proper,” he said. Bessie Sue 
batted her eyes. “When there’s only one bed in the room sweetums, it’s 
proper,” Bessie Sue replied.
 
Keeping the covers up to his collar, he reached down, and put his hat on. 
“Well, one of us has got to sleep on the floor, and that one of us should be 
respectful of that other one of us, who has a bad foot,” Adam stated. 
Bessie Sue moved closer, pulling the covers from Adam’s grip, showing the 
top of his chest, and the hair there. Bessie Sue moved her fingers along 
that hair. Adam knew there was nothing he could do, because of the wall 
against his back. He surely couldn’t jump over her. She’d probably catch 
him, or something horrible like that. “Sweetums, remember this is our 
wedding night,” Bessie Sue said. Adam was quick to reply, “Not in real life 
it isn’t.” Bessie Sue took his hat off. “Well, I like pretendin’,” Bessie 
Sue replied, and then kissed Adam on the lips. “Uh uh uh uh uh,” Adam 
protested as she did. Adam finally pushed her away. “Bessie Sue Hightower, 
don’t you ever come up for air?” Adam asked taking in air. Bessie Sue 
rubbed her hands through the black hair on his head. “I love your black 
hair,” Bessie Sue said. Adam removed her hands from his hair. He sat 
there, trying to fix his messed up hair with his hands. He saw the look in 
her eyes, and  said, “Now Bessie Sue, you, you, you, you stay away from me,” 
 Adam pleaded. Bessie Sue went in for the kill. “Help,” Adam said.
 
The man and woman, who owned the house, could hear all this noise coming 
from Adam and Bessie Sue’s room. They looked at each other, and smiled. 
“Remember our wedding night ma?” the man asked his wife. “Sure do Pa,” the 
wife answered back. They listened some more to the sounds coming from the 
next room. “Yep, seems that boy must have got over his shyness. Never did 
see a boy so dang afraid of his wedding night, as that boy was,” the man 
said. His wife listened to more of the wall being hit. “Yeah, he must have 
gotten over his shyness, that’s for sure. I‘ll bet they are kissing and 
right now, I‘ll bet he‘s saying something romantic to her, just like you did 
to me Pa, on our wedding night,” the wife replied. They smiled at each 
other, then laid down to sleep.
 
Adam sat straight up, his gun in his hand, pointed at Bessie Sue. Luckily 
he had had the wisdom to not take his gun belt off. “Bessie Sue, I swear 
that if you come near me again, I’ll shoot you,” Adam said. Bessie Sue sat 
up. “Now sweetums, you wouldn’t really shoot me, would you?” she asked. 
Adam got a big smile on his face. “Just try me,” he replied. Bessie Sue 
put her hands on her hips. “Adam, why don’t you want to have fun with me?” 
Bessie Sue asked. Adam looked at Bessie Sue wondering. “Bessie Sue, how 
many guys have you had fun with?” Adam asked, his gun still pointed at her. 
 Bessie Sue made a face. “Well none yet, but I want to have fun with you,” 
 Bessie Sue replied, as she reached for Adam again. Bessie Sue’s chest 
was against the barrel of Adam’s gun. “Back off right now, or I’ll shoot,” 
 Adam said. Bessie Sue realized she wasn’t going to have any fun that 
night. She took her pillow, and some blankets, and made a bed for herself 
on the floor. She laid down. “Good night Adam,” she said before blowing 
out the light. “Night,” Adam replied.
 
About a half an hour went by, and Adam figured that maybe it was safe to go 
to sleep now. He put the gun under his pillow, so he could reach it easily, 
if need be. He pulled the remainder of the covers over him, and laid down 
on the soft pillow, and closed his eyes.
 
When Adam awoke the next morning, Bessie Sue was laying right next to him in 
bed. Her arm was over his stomach. Adam was so tired, that he didn’t 
realize any of it. The man and woman, who owned the house, peeked into the 
room, looking at the happy couple laying there together. “Ain’t that cute 
ma, how she’s got her arm around him?” the man asked. “Sure is Pa. You 
were right Pa. That boy must have really come out of his shyness. Why he’s 
all tuckered out,” the woman said closing the door.
 
An hour later, Adam awoke suddenly. His eyes wide. “BESSIE SUE HIGHTOWER,” 
 Adam shouted. Bessie Sue had a big smile on her face. “I take back ever 
calling you a little guy, that’s for sure,” she said. Adam had had it. 
“That did it,” he said, as he pulled his gun from under his pillow. Bessie 
Sue moved back, afraid he might actually shoot her. Adam gave that idea 
some thought. He held the gun to her, as he inched his way off the bed. He 
put the one boot of his on, that he had worn the day before here, and 
limped painfully out of the room. When he got to the kitchen, he came upon 
the man and woman sitting at the table eating their breakfast. “Thanks for 
everything,” Adam said. He limped outside.  He looked for the buckboard. 
When he didn’t see it, he went to the barn. He hitched up his horses to the 
buckboard, leaving Bessie Sue’s horse there. He had the feeling she was 
going to be able to ride it. He doubted her stone bruise story now. Adam 
got up on the seat, and started the horses at full speed.
 
The man and woman stood on their porch, watching him leave. “What do you 
make of that Pa?” the woman asked. The man put his pipe in his mouth, then 
took it out, thinking. “Young people,” he replied.
 
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
 
 
 
 
 
Adam opened the door to his house, and limped inside. He walked to his blue 
chair, and sat down. Ben watched him from his desk. Adam looked like he’d 
been in some kind of fight. His hair was all messed. His shirt was missing 
it’s buttons. He had only one boot on. Ben walked to his leather chair, 
sitting down, and taking Adam in. “Are you all right son?” Ben asked. 
“I don‘t know yet,” Adam replied. “Where have you been son?” Ben asked. 
Adam started to breathe heavily. He was so mad. “I don’t want to talk 
about it. I don’t even want to think about it. I just want to forget it ever 
happened,” Adam replied. Adam felt like crying. “I was, I was, I was, oh 
Pa, it was terrible,” Adam said. Lots of thought of what could have 
possibly happened to his son, were racing through Ben’s mind right then. 
“What happened son. What was so terrible? Hoss mentioned to you left town 
with Bessie Sue Hightower. Adam, did something happen after you dropped 
Bessie Sue home?” Ben asked. “I got, I got, I was, and she did, and I, I 
can’t talk about it,” Adam said. Ben walked to where his was seated. He 
knelt down, and put his hand on his right hand. “Son, what can I do to help 
you?” Ben asked. Adam didn’t have to think hard. “You could put Hoss up 
for adoption,” Adam replied. Ben didn’t know what to think. “Hoss? What 
has Hoss got to do with this? He’s been here all the time,” Ben said. 
Adam looked at his father. “It’s because of Hoss breaking up with that 
Bessie Sue Hightower, that all this happened. Bessie Sue rustled me, and 
then she asked me to marry her,” Adam said.
 
Ben sat there confused. “Marry you? When did Bessie Sue ask you to marry 
her?” Ben asked. Adam took a deep breath. “Around two this morning,” Adam 
replied. Ben was confused. He couldn’t understand why Adam and Bessie 
Sue, were together at two in the morning. “Adam, why were you and Bessie 
Sue together at two this morning?” Ben asked. Adam cringed just thinking 
about it. “We were, we were, she was, in bed,” was all Adam could get 
out. Adam finally pulled himself together, to tell his father the whole 
ugly story. Ben had a hard time trying to keep a straight face. He could 
just picture his oldest son, trying to fight off the attentions of an 
amorous Betsy Sue Hightower.
 
They both heard someone ride up. Ben went to the window in his study, and 
looked out. It was Bessie Sue. Ben started to laugh. “Adam, it’s Bessie 
Sue Hightower,” Ben said still laughing. “It’s not funny. Hide me Pa,” 
Adam pleaded. Ben helped Adam behind the stairs, out of sight. Ben heard 
the knock on the door. He walked over, and opened it. There was Bessie 
Sue, looking pretty tired and unkempt herself, holding Adam’s missing boot, 
as it dripped. Ben wanted to laugh, but knew better. “Hello Mr. 
Cartwright,” Bessie Sue said. “Hello Bessie Sue,” Ben replied.
 
Bessie Sue handed Ben, Adam’s boot. “Tell Adam I went back and got his boot 
for him. Forgot to put it in the back of the buckboard with him. It’s a 
might soggy from the rain, but maybe it can still be saved. Ben took the 
soggy boot from Betsy Sue. “Thank you,” Ben said.
 
Bessie Sue turned to leave. “Oh, Mr. Cartwright, would you give Adam a 
message for me?” Bessie Sue asked. “Yes,” Ben replied. Bessie Sue rolled 
her eyes. “As hard as it is to say this, I have to. Would you tell him, 
as drop dead gorgeous as he is, and as great a body that he has, I think I’d 
better take my affections elsewhere. You see, as great as he is, I just 
don’t have the strength it takes to chase him. Mr. Cartwright, he’s hard 
to catch. Why I’m all tuckered out. Well bye,” Bessie Sue said, then 
left. “Bye Bessie Sue,” Ben said, closing the door.
 
Adam peek out from behind the stairs. His father held Adam’s dripping boot 
in his hand. Ben looked at his son, and couldn’t contain himself any longer. 
 Ben had the best laugh he had had in years right then and there, 
picturing his poor son Adam being chased by Bessie Sue Hightower, to where 
she was all tuckered out.
 
THE END

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