Golden Feather Press EMERALD VALLEY © By Dave Brown

First posted September 16, 2006 Last update Apr 22, 2007

CHAPTER 7 Kyle arrived back at the ranch at eight the next morning. As he turned down the arrow-straight road to the house, he sat forward in his saddle. A horse was tied out front and a ladder leaned against the porch roof. He spurred Killer into a gallop, whipped out his Peacemaker and scanned the entire area. When he got to the house, he slid off the horse, dug into his pocket for the front door key, rushed into the parlor and ran up the stairs. Charging into Dix's room, he stopped when he saw the cloth over Dix's forehead. "Who the by-god did that?" Kyle growled. "And who might you be?" a woman's voice demanded from the doorway behind him. Kyle spun around and pointed his gun at the woman. "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here? I saw how you got in. Who's with you?" "I'm very much alone," Francine said, folding her arms. "I'm quite capable of getting to where I'm needed." "Broke the damn porch railin'. You capable'a fixin' it? Who the hell are you?" "I'm Francine Coby. I live in Grand..." So you're Coby's daughter," Kyle snapped as he holstered his gun. "Is that why you're here? Feelin' guilt from your father payin' men to kill Dix?" Francine flinched at this harsh man's blunt question, then met his glare. "As a matter of fact, I am. I don't condone my father killing anyone." She turned toward Dix. "Dix, especially." "Oh, I get it," Kyle snapped. "You're after Dix." He glared at Francine. "After I patched him up, Dix made me foreman of this ranch. You have to get past me to get at him!" "I'm not after Dix, as you so rudely put it. I merely came here to see if he was still alive. I wanted to help any way I could." "I already saw to that. He's gonna be fine. You can go back to your murderin' father an' tell him Kyle Chase is here. I might finish the job an' shoot off his other kneecap." "You're responsible for that? That was a despicable thing to do! My father has been in constant pain since you did that to him!" "I bet he still cheats at poker, too." Kyle glared at Francine. "Bein' away at school in the East, you ain't got a clue about your father. I knew him a long time ago, an' he ain't a nice man, missy. An' now he's into ranchin' an' wants Dix's land and water. Well he ain't gettin' it. Not with me bein' foreman." "You're wrong about my father wanting Dix's land. All he wants to do is divert some of the river water to our ranch. Father said all he had to do was dig out some fallen rocks in a gorge and the water would fork into it. That gorge is on Dix's land." "Did he ask Dix if he could divert some water? Knowin' your father, he wants more than the water, an' he'll kill to get it." Kyle pointed to Dix. "That's what your father did to get what he wants." Francine glanced at Dix, then looked hard at Kyle. The man was tough, well built, and very handsome. Even though he'd maimed her father, she found him likeable. Like her brothers, he told it like it was, not like the mealy-mouthed men of the East. She couldn't help but smile at him. "You said your name is Kyle...Chase?" "Yes, missy, an' you're wastin' yer time on me. I don't do women. Never have, never will." He gestured toward Dix. "An' from what I gather, he don't either." "What do you mean you don't do women? What are you talking about?" "Missy, men like Dix an' me ain't made for women. It's simple as that." "What you're saying is disgusting! I've heard about men like you. You should be ashamed!" Francine pointed her finger at Kyle. "You need to change your ways." "You're naggin' at me, missy! I don't nag at Dix an' he don't nag at me. We let each other do what we do. That's a hell-of-a-lot better'n anythin' we'd have with you. You don't even know me an' already you're tryin' to change me! Go home to your card-cheatin' killer of a father. He's what I call disgustin'!" "What's going on?" Dix asked in a feeble voice. He raised his head slightly, looked at Kyle, then at Francine. "Kyle, who's that woman?" Kyle walked to the bed, turned and gestured toward Francine. "That's Mason Coby's daughter." "Mason Co...?" Dix lowered his head back to the pillow and closed his eyes for a moment, then squinted at Francine. "Are you here to get my land for your father?" "Absolutely not! I came here to see if I could help. I overheard my father paying the men who shot you." "Did he pay them to kill Uncle Bill, too?" Stunned, Francine gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She knew Bill Lewis had been killed, but had never associated the killing with her father. "I...I don't know. Oh, my God!" "An' you call Dix an' me disgustin'," Kyle growled. "Why don't you just go home an' leave us in peace. Ain't no more you can do here." Francine didn't hear him. She weaved slightly, then took her hands away from her face. A tear spilled down her right cheek. "I don't know if my father had Bill killed." She closed her eyes, and more tears spilled. "I loved Bill." Looking at Dix through teary eyes, Francine said, "Bill and I had happy times together. He called me the daughter he never had, and I called him Uncle Bill. I never thought my father would..." She covered her face and sobbed. "I hate him!" Kyle walked over to Francine and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Missy, we all find out things about our folks we don't like. My pa was hanged for horse thievin' an' my oldest brother was killed robbin' a train in Kansas. But, they're kin, an' we still gotta love 'em." He shook Francine's shoulder, then turned her toward him and looked into her teary eyes. "You go home an' tell your father he's gotta stop this killin' an' land grabbin' or, so help me God, I'll shoot off his other kneecap." Francine stared into Kyle's eyes for a moment, then rushed to the bed, bent down, and hugged Dix. "I'm sorry for Uncle Bill's death. I loved him. And I'm sorry that you got shot. I will help you find out who killed Uncle Bill." She raised up and ran from the room, down the stairs and out the front door. She swung onto Matilda and galloped toward the road to Grand Junction. Kyle watched her from the upstairs window. When she'd disappeared from view, he walked to Dix's bed, knelt beside it, lowered the blanket and slid his hand over Dix's muscular chest. "How you feelin'?" Still groggy from the Laudanum, Dix grabbed Kyle by the neck, pulled him down and pecked his lower lip. He relaxed back to the bed into needed sleep. Kyle grinned. No man since Lake had spurred this feeling of intimacy. He scooped Dix into his arms, held him close and relished the feel of a man in his arms. Maybe it was time to get involved again. Kyle unloaded Sadie, placing the bundles by the back door, then led both horses into stalls and brushed and fed them. After carrying the ladder to the barn, he propped it in the corner room and tossed in the boxes of scrap horse shoes that Francine had struggled with. Kyle unlocked and opened the back door and lifted all the bags of supplies through, then entered the kitchen. He stopped mid-stride and exclaimed, "Well, I'll be dammed! That missy did a mighty fine job cleanin' this pig sty. I'll thank her next time I go to town." After systematically stashing the supplies, which completely filled the spotless pantry and several empty kitchen cupboards, he fired up the cook stove and fried up a skillet of bacon, sliced potatoes and plenty of garlic. Standing over the stove, Kyle touched his lower lip where Dix had kissed him. Lake used to peck-kiss like that. He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. He still missed Lake more than anyone on earth. They'd spent two winters together in a line cabin in Montana, and most of their time had been taken up looking after the few hardy cattle, chopping wood, eating and exploring each other's naked body. One time, they hadn't even realized they'd been snowed in until Lake had to use the outhouse and could barely open the cabin door. From then on, the empty pickle crock, placed just outside the door, became the winter biffy. Kyle sighed and stirred the contents of the skillet. He'd hoped to spend the rest of his life with Lake. But Lake had killed a man. Two years and...two months ago. The bar fight started when a man pulled his gun on another man. Like it had happened yesterday and a thousand times over, Kyle saw Lake grab the man's gun arm and shove it toward the ceiling. The shot blasted through the roof. The man dropped the gun and pulled a knife. Lake slugged the man so hard his neck snapped, and he dropped dead. Kyle bit his lip. Lake didn't believe the town marshal, the bar full of witnesses, or even his own partner that he wasn't responsible for the man's death. Sorrow and guilt gripped Lake, and he started drinking into a dead drunk. Kyle slid the skillet to the cooler part of the cook stove and broke in six eggs. It had been the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life to leave Lake, but he couldn't stand by and watch the man he loved ruin his life by drinking. No amount of pleading on his part worked to get Lake off booze and stop blaming himself for that man's death. Kyle thought of the past two years. He'd ridden through five states, worked on several roundups and two cattle drives, but remained empty inside. He'd had a few flings here and there, but none of them meant anything deep...where it ached. Dix was different. A city boy had awakened a fire inside him that he'd thought had gone out completely. And Dix's body! Grabbing his own hardening dick, Kyle whispered, "Whoa, boy. Now ain't the time to be tryin' to get out. Dix ain't in no shape to be doin' anything right now." The moment the eggs had barely cooked enough, the coffee was done. Kyle found a bed tray in one of the lower cabinets, loaded it with two plates of food and cups of hot coffee, then headed upstairs to Dix's room. He was glad to find Dix awake. "Fixed you some vittles." Kyle set the tray on the chair. "Let me help you sit up so you can eat." Dix smiled at him and tossed back the blanket. As Kyle slid his arms around Dix to help him into a sitting position, the bedridden man hugged him. "Thanks for being here, Kyle." Kyle reluctantly pulled away. "Glad to help." He picked up one of the plates of food and nestled it into Dix's lap, nudging his crotch with it. He sat on the bed next to Dix and scooted the chair close so they could reach their coffee. They ate in silence for several minutes, then Kyle said, "I don't keep secrets from my boss. I killed one of the men that shot you an' robbed 'em of four thousand. Half the money they was paid to shoot you." Dix looked at Kyle. "How do you know who shot me?" "Saw 'em ridin' away after hearin' the shots. I was up on the rim, but saw their horses. Met 'em headin' back this way an' got half their blood money. Had to kill one yak when he drew on me." Kyle put his plate on the chair, dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of United States Notes in hundreds and tossed it to the chair. "This is the four thousand." He added a few other bills. "This is the rest of what I took from your drawer after gettin' supplies." "Four thousand?" Dix stared at Kyle. "Mason Coby paid four men two thousand apiece to kill me?" "All I know is each one had a wad'a bills. I took half, an' it ended up bein' four thousand." Dix absent-mindedly took a bite of his breakfast, chewed it for a long time while staring at the money. "Coby is serious about getting this land. It's like he knows." "Knows what?" Kyle asked. Dix looked at Kyle vacantly. "What?" He shook his head. "I don't remember what I was saying. Whatever that was you gave me before you left muddled my head." "It was Laudanum." Kyle pointed at Dix's plate. "Eat up. You need food to get back your strength, and you need to sleep more. I'm gonna check on the cattle. I'll be back in a few hours and fix you another meal. You have to eat light an' often while you're mendin'." After Dix cleaned his plate, Kyle said, "I'll lock the doors when I leave." Dix clunked his plate on the chair seat, then grabbed Kyle's arm. "Will you help me to the thunder jug. I have to piss." At the crock by the window, Dix pulled out his cock and began peeing. Kyle ripped open the buttons on his Levis, pulled out his own dick and did the same. They both studied each other. Kyle pulled back the skin and revealed the head. Dix didn't have to. Both dicks started to swell. The moment he was through peeing, Kyle stuffed his half-hard dick into his pants. "Why did you do that?" Dix lightly stroked his cock and grinned at Kyle. "I had to piss." Kyle pointed at Dix's cock and said, "Put it away. You can't be doin' anything like that 'til those leaves work for two more days. You don't have a fever an' that says they're workin'." After Dix reluctantly stuffed his dick into his pants and buttoned up, Kyle lidded the thunder jug, then yanked Dix toward the bed. "You don't get outta bed 'til day after tomorrow. Those're my orders as foreman of this ranch." Dix grinned as he was being helped into bed. He grabbed Kyle's still-swollen cock through his pants and squeezed. "I'll get better for this." "Leave it be!" Chapter 8 ->

Home	Bristlecone Peak	The Protectors	The Home To Kentucky	Pinkerton Partners	Alone By The Window	Purchase