What was left was something quieter. Gay sex Behind it, bottles gleamed under string lights strung haphazardly across the shelves, and a pair of bartenders worked with the easy rhythm of folks who’d been doing it long enough to know the regulars’ drinks by heart.There was a row of pinball machines against one wall, one themed for rodeos, another for a busted-up old superhero whose name nobody remembered no more. Breakin’ hearts too, I reckon.”The seconds ticked on, long and glorious, Jackson holding on, outlasting every fool who’d tried before. “I was ’bout to send a search party.”Jackson tried to muster a grin, but it felt crooked. Every place they touched left a trail of fire, burning Jackson from the inside out. “Alright, Daisy. “Mama?””Yeah, baby?”His voice softened. “Y’all done interrogatin’ him? It belonged to old Roy Tucker, who’d self-appointed himself as the Rusty Spur’s bull-riding commentator years back. His heart still pounded wild from what’d happened in that bathroom, and the room felt too small, too loud, too hot.Cash came up beside him, grinning, holding out a fresh shot of whiskey.
