JD Dunne entered the room in a state of quivering anticipation. Inside, it was so dark he could barely see. But that was just fine with him. He knew exactly what, or rather, who, was in there waiting for him. He made his way over to the bed and crawled under the blankets. The sheets felt deliciously smooth and cool beneath his hot skin. He noted this fact absently. Most of his attention was focused on the person lying next to him in the bed. He'd dreamed of this moment for months. He wanted everything to be perfect. Leaning over, he began feathering light kisses all over his companion's face and gently ran his hands over the smooth skin beneath him.Wait a minute he thought, puzzled. Something feels different. Casey doesn't have a mustache. MUSTACHE!!!!! OH MY GOD!!! He stared in horror as Buck Wilmington sat up in the bed and grinned at him.
THUMP! JD groaned in pain as he rolled onto the hard floor. He sat up and shook his head, trying to clear away the last vestiges of sleep. God! What a horrible dream. It had been just a dream? He glanced quickly around the room and gave a sigh of relief when he saw no sign of his friend. He was the room's sole occupant.
Reaching up, he grabbed his watch off the little nightstand next to the bed. Squinting his eyes, he saw that he still had well over an hour before he was due at the jail. Plenty of time to have breakfast and visit the bathhouse first. He didn't particularly want to go back to sleep! What the hell kind of dream was that, anyway? If Buck or one of the other fellas ever found out... He shuddered. No way would he ever tell!
Mercifully, he was the only one at breakfast. JD could feel himself relax as the lingering effects of the dream began to dissipate. He was young. And full of vigor, he rationalized. And he was still a, ahem... So it was perfectly natural for him to have these sort of dreams. And as for Buck making an appearance, well, he had a perfectly logical explanation for that. Casey was a respectable young lady. Even if she was a bit of a tomboy. And you just didn't think about girls like her in that way. His Mama had raised him better than that. So his mind had conjured up a vision of Buck, who was his closest friend after all, to serve as a sort of stand in. Yes. That's what happened. JD turned his attention to his toast, ignoring the little niggling sensation in the back of his mind.
He walked into the bathhouse a short while later and came to an abrupt halt. Two of the tubs were already occupied. By Buck Wilmington and Ezra Standish. JD may have been able to rationalize things to himself over breakfast, but that didn't mean he was ready to face Buck or any of the others just yet! He stood there for a minute, paralyzed with indecision.
Ezra was leaning quietly back, eyes closed. Buck, as usual, was talking.
"Hey Ez. Did I ever tell ya about those twins I grew up with back home? Long blonde hair. Big blue eyes," Buck sighed.
"No, Mr. Wilmington. But I feel quite certain you are about to enlighten me." It was Ezra's turn to sigh.
Awwww...You'll love this story..." Buck broke off what he was saying when he caught sight of JD lurking in the doorway.
"Hey, kid!" he called cheerfully. "You're just in time. Pull up a tub!"
JD felt an irrational surge of anger at the sight of his friend, lounging casually in the tub, completely unaware of the havoc he had wreaked in JD's dreams. It wasn't bad enough he had managed to ruin things for JD. But now here he was, rubbin' it in. Telling another one of his apparently endless supply of stories!
"Are you feeling quite the thing, Mr. Dunne? You seem a bit perturbed." Ezra had opened his eyes and was regarding JD curiously.
"Perturbed? I aint quite sure what that means, Ezra. But if it means I'm sick and tired of Buck here, interferin' in my life and takin' over my dr..." JD's voice had risen to a screech before he stopped short, apalled at what he had almost said.
Both his friends were staring at him, mouths gaping in shock.
"I'm sorry. JD muttered. I had a bad night."
He glanced at Buck and, unbidden, the memory of that smooth hard body from his dreams rose before him. I wonder if he really feels that nice?
JD spun on his heel, hoping they hadn't noticed the telltale flush of color that had accompanied this thought.
"I uuhhh...I'll see you fellas later." He stammered as he fled the bathhouse with all possible speed.
Over the course of the next few weeks, JD gradually quit blushing and stammering every time he came into contact with Buck. As his shame and embarrassment faded, it had been replaced by a burning feeling of curiousity. He found himself eyeing his friends speculatively. Had any of them ever, you know with a man? he wondered.
Chris he dismissed out of hand. There was no way he could picture the fierce gunslinger doing that.
Josiah was out of the question as well.
Nathan? Nah. Probably not.
Vin? Sometimes when the quiet tracker looked at Chris...
Ezra? JD wouldn't be surprised at anything the sophisticated gambler might have done.
That left just Buck. Well, Buck obviously liked the ladies. But that didn't mean that was all he liked. Buck was a warm, affectionate soul. He was always touchin' JD and wrasslin' around with him. Maybe if JD just kinda hinted around about his interest, the older man would take it from there. Yeah. He liked that idea. He would be able to satisfy the itch that had sprung up in him since that darn dream and maybe get some experience at things while he was at it. No one else would have to know how he had acquired said experience! And Buck always stayed on friendly terms with the ladies, even after they were through. Heck! He and Buck were already friends. Best friends! So that shouldn't be a problem. JD was enormously pleased with this train of thought.
Two weeks later, JD was ready to tear out his hair in frustration. He couldn't believe a man of Buck's experience and prowess could be so... so thickheaded! You'd think he'd recognize a seduction attempt by now. After all, JD had carefully observed Buck's interactions with his ladyfriends and patterned himself after that.
First there had been the old "I pulled a muscle, do you think you could give me a backrub?" routine. Buck had rubbed him down all right. Using some vile smelling horse liniment. It had taken him three days to get that smell out of his skin!
Then there had been the fake injury attempt. But instead of sweeping JD into his arms, Buck had rigged up a travois and dragged him ignominiously back to town behind his horse.
Then JD had planned a romantic candlelight dinner and arranged for an unsuspecting Buck to meet him. Chris had sent Buck out of town that same afternoon to pick up a prisoner.
Finally, in desperation, JD had told Buck how attractive he found broad shoulders and firm muscles. Buck had shown up at his door that same evening with the biggest, scariest woman JD had ever laid eyes on. She had broad shoulders all right. And lots of muscles. That had been the last straw. JD was ready to throttle his clueless companion. He was fresh out of other ideas!
He was sitting disconsolately outside the jail the evening after the fiasco with the Amazon woman, as Buck had referred to her, when Vin Tanner walked up and sat down in the chair next to him.
"It appears you're gonna have to be a little more direct, JD. Buck aint always too good at pickin' up on things." The tracker's voice was matter-of-fact.
JD was mortified. He felt his face flood with color.
"I don't know what you're talkin' about, Vin!" he blustered.
"Don't ya, kid?" His friend's voice was soft.
Looking up, JD saw warm sympathy in the tracker's blue eyes. And a faint echo of underlying pain. Following his friend's gaze, JD saw Chris Larabee walking up the street, escorting Mary Travis to the newspaper office. The two blonde heads were close together, as Chris bent down slightly, listening intently to the woman at his side. JD nodded, unsurprised, remembering his earlier suspicions about the tracker's feelings. He fought down a stab of pity, knowing that was the last thing Vin would welcome.
"Yeah. I guess I do know what you mean." JD got to his feet with a renewed sense of purpose.
He looked down at Vin, still sitting in the chair. "Could you tell Buck I'm looking for him when you see him?
"Sure, JD." Vin looked amused.
"And Vin?" JD added, as he turned to go.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For everything."
Vin smiled briefly. "Good luck, kid," he said softly as he watched JD walk briskly towards the boarding house.
There was a knock on JD's door a short while later.
"Kid? Hey kid? You in there?" There was the sound of the door opening.
"You ok? Why is it so dark in here? Is that you, JD? What are you doing?" There was a moment of silence.
"Oh. Oooohhh. J...D..."
THE END