Chapter 29 - Maggie Joins In

The watress at the cafe, Maggie, joins the men and listens to the old man's story.

          “Did he die?” Duke asked, concern in his eyes.  He had momentarily given up on his lighter and it now sat on the table in front of him.

          Boots, who had been so adamant about his pie earlier, had now forgotten about it and had dropped his fork into his plate half way through.

          The old man looked around the table.  All the men sat fixated on him, waiting for him to answer Duke’s question.

          With the exception of the four men, the restaurant’s other patrons had left.  Ever since that time, the waitress had stood leaning against the counter, across the room, her chin in her hands, listening intently to the old man’s story.  She watched him finish his coffee and then rushed to the table with a tall pot of fresh coffee and refilled their cups.

          Joe glanced around the room and realized they were the only ones still in the restaurant.  “We ain’t overstayin’ our welcome, are we?”  He asked her as she filled his cup. 

          “Oh, no sir,” she answered with a smile.  “You boys are free to stay as long as you like.”  She began to walk away and then stopped and turned back.  “I sure am sorry to be listenin’ in and I don’t mean to be buttin’ in on your conversation none, but I just can’t help but be drawn by your story.  I always have loved stories of the old days.  I grew up listenin’ to my father’s stories of driving cattle and runnin’ with the Texas Rangers.”  She paused a moment.  “I ain’t got much left to do here before closin’ up.  You boys mind if I join you for a bit?”

          “I don’t mind,” the old man told her with a grin.  “Pull yerself up a chair.”

         She smiled sweetly at him.  “You boys need anything else ‘fore I take a seat?”  She asked, looking around the table.

          “Well, I’m just fine,” Joe told her, sliding his empty plate toward the center of the table. 

          The waitress scooped the plate up from the table and looked around at the other men.

          “Just keep that coffee comin’,” the old man told her with a chuckle.

          “S’ppose that’s ‘bout all I’ll be needin’ myself,” Boots remarked with a grin.  He suddenly remembered his half eaten pie and shoved another bite into his mouth.

          Duke, remembering the lighter laying in front of him, picked it up and began to play with it again.

          “How ‘bout you, honey?” the waitress asked Duke.

          “Oh, I’m just fine ma’am.”

          The men waited patiently as she moved swiftly about the small café.  She started another pot of coffee and then moved to the door.  She turned the lock with a click, which echoed through the empty room, and turned a small wooden sign in the window to read “Closed” to the outside.  She then grabbed a chair from a nearby table and took a seat.

          “What’s yer name, Darlin?”  asked Boots, between bites.

          “Maggie,” she answered.  “Maggie Schaeffer.”

          Joe noticing Boots still had his mouth full of the last remaining bite of his pie, continued the introduction himself.  “I’m Joe, that there with the food on his face is Boots, and this here’s Duke.”

          “Nice to meet you,” she told them with a smile and nod.

          “Well…where was I now?”  Asked the old man, more to himself than anything.