“Great Falls” by Richard Ford

 

Woody took a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and lit it. Smoke shot through his nose into the cold air, and he sniffed, looked around the ground and threw his match on the gravel. His blonde hair was combed backwards and neat on the sides, and I could smell his aftershave on him, a sweet, lemon smell. And for the first time I noticed his shoes. They were two-tones, black with white tops and black laces. They stuck out below his baggy pants and were long and polished and shiny, as if he had been planning on a big occasion. They looked like shoes some country singer would wear, or a salesman. He was handsome, but only like someone you would see beside you a dime store and not notice again.

Another entry in the 100 Best Western Short Stories roster. It is a contemporary Western with a domestic theme.

In lieu of a shoot-out we have a tense confrontation that never quite walks where expectations and lesser craft usually leads.

A brief, wise tale with no easy answers—much like life itself. A fine read.