Short Story

El Paso

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for OLWG #401-Ojínaga. The three prompts
for this week are shown below. I have also used one of
Kevin’s great graphics from The Beginning At Last.
This my story.

© Kevin @ The Beginning At Last

This would be the only secret between Katy and Sam.

They had a good life in El Paso running the small general store Sam inherited from his parents. The customers were loyal and everyone knew everyone else.

So that one day last week when Sam was away looking to buy a new horse, Katy knew right off that trouble had arrived.

A pretty young Mexican woman wandered into the store. Every so often she would glance around nervously like she was looking for someone but she didn’t speak to anyone. Eventually she left the store only to return just as Katy was locking up for lunch.

“Please, I am looking for Sam” the woman said to Katy.

“Sam’s not here” Katy replied. “Can I help you?”

The woman hesitated only a moment. “One year ago, Sam stopped at my father’s barn; his horse needed a shoe. It was late. My father said he should stay the night.” The woman started to cry. “He said I was beautiful. Sam left the next day. I soon knew I was pregnant.” She exhaled shakily.

Katy looked sternly at the woman. “Listen, miss. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull. Why should I believe this crazy story? Your baby, if you even have a baby, could be anyone’s. If you’re saying Sam’s the father, why’d you wait more than a year to come looking for him? I’m Sam’s wife and one year ago Sam was right here building an extra room onto our house…..for our children. He never left El Paso. Now you better vamoose before I send for the sheriff.”

The young woman was shocked to be confronted so boldly by Katy. She turned on her heels and quickly left the store. Katy locked the door to the store and leaned against it. She’d called the woman’s bluff but couldn’t help thinking about that week a year ago when Sam went to Las Cruces to help his brother repair his fence.

“Enough foolish thoughts“, Katy said to herself as she turned over the “CLOSED” sign on the window to read“OPEN” and unlocked the door for waiting customers.

NAR©2025
#OLWG

Here are the three prompts: 1) shortbread, coal and whisky; 2) you’re the other woman; 3) between tears, she sowed her lies. We can use one, we can use three or none at all. We just need to be creative.

This is “El Paso” by Marty Robbins

OLWG#401- Ojínaga
No Theme Thursday: 01.16.25 (First Anniversary Edition)

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section, and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

41 thoughts on “El Paso”

  2. Pingback: NTT Showcase: 1/16/25 Edition – The Beginning At Last

        1. LOL 🙄

          You offer us such a great variety of graphics; it’s common for me to find one that either fits my story or one I can write about. That’s an unusual “service” you provide and I’m so appreciative of your talents. I have another story coming up later this week. ☺️

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  7. It’s interesting how you and I respond to TN’s OLWG challenge so differently. I take his three prompt items and literally incorporate them (almost word for word) into my response. You incorporate them into your response through oblique references and innuendo. A very impressive and imaginative way to respond to his challenge.

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    1. Thank you very much, Fan; your comments are greatly appreciated. I have noticed that, also. It’s a matter of choice and one isn’t necessarily better than the other. When I first started with OLWG, I saw how TN alluded to the prompts rather than using them verbatim. That is completely different from any other challenge with a prompt word which I participate in so I thought I’d try it that way, too. It’s a little more challenging but it’s good for my brain. Thanks again, Fan.

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  13. Smooth combination of the prompts.

    Of course, an old cynic like me would say in response to her predicament, “That’s what you get for believing humans are monogamous beings.”

    I warned you I was a cynic before I said it.

    Nice write.

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