Golden Feather Press
EMERALD VALLEY

CHAPTER 17

After they made love, Kyle sat on the edge of Dix's bed. Knowing the walls of the house were thin, he said softly, "I'm gonna sleep outside tonight."

Dix rose up and asked, "Why don't you want to sleep with me? You're always sleeping outside."

"I can't stand sleepin' in this smelly house." Kyle lifted an edge of the blanket on Dix's bed. "This smells like a pig sty. I don't sleep in pig sties. I breathe through my mouth when I'm in here. Don't you know how to wash your clothes and beddin'?"

"So what?" Dix snapped. "This is a ranch. Why do you care?"

"I care!" Kyle snapped back. "My men or pards have to bathe often." He got up from the bed and grabbed his clothes. "I already told you fresh sweat's God's man-smell. But sweat over dried sweat turns t'stink." He waved his hand around the room. "Houses, too." He put on his clothes and boots. As he left Dix's bedroom, he turned and said, "Tomorrow, you wash your clothes, beddin' and clean up this room or I won't be back." Kyle turned and went down the stairs.

When the back door slammed, Dix punched the bed and said out loud, "I don't know if Kyle is working out. And now he's hired a friend." He punched the bed again. "But I need him."

Kyle chuckled as he stepped into the lukewarm water in the tub he'd already prepared outside. From the slightly murky water, he knew Lake had used it. After washing, he trekked to the barn with his clothes slung over his shoulder. He climbed to the loft in darkness and headed to his favorite corner.

"Is that you or a raccoon?" Lake asked.

Kyle chuckled. "It's a coon." He tossed his clothes, yanked off his boots, dropped to his knees and felt his way to where Lake's laugh had come from. He found the blankets and a bare arm. His fingers slid up the arm and down Lake's smooth, hard chest.

"This coon's gonna eat you," Kyle whispered.

Lake lunged at Kyle and pulled him to himself. "I hope so."

In an iron grip, they deep-kissed and rolled around in the hay.

"God, I've missed you," they said in unison, then deep-kissed for a much longer time as they pressed their naked bodies together.

The brilliant light of the rising sun through the open loft door woke Kyle. He rose up and saw Lake beside him, then pulled the blanket over both their heads and nestled back into the hay.

Later, when they were both awake, Lake faced Kyle and raised his head on his elbow. "Yesterday, I found the old riverbed and followed two sets of tracks south. The older tracks stopped and came back, but the more recent tracks went all the way to the huge rockslide that caused the river to change course."

"A rockslide!" Kyle said. He sat up and slapped his knee. "I'm right. There must have been an earthquake."

Lake snickered. "It wasn't an earthquake. It was dynamite. A lot of it. I found small pieces of rock scattered almost a quarter mile from the slide." He sat up, folded his legs and looked at Kyle. "There's something out there somebody went to a lot of trouble to get his hands on."

"We need to ride out there an' look around," Kyle said. "Yesterday, Dix found a map on the desk. I sort'a remember it upside-down. Let's go after we eat. I'll fix breakfast if you tend the horses."

During breakfast, with mounds of eggs, bacon and fried potatoes, Dix barely spoke as he wolfed his food. Even after Kyle and Lake had second helpings, Dix scraped the remains of each platter into his plate.

"Keep eatin' like that," Kyle said to Dix, "an' you're gonna split that scab open."

Without looking at anyone, Dix snapped, "I have a lot to do today."

"Like washin' your clothes?" Kyle asked.

Dix glared at Kyle. "I told you, so what if I stink? This is a ranch."

"An' I told you I don't sleep with pigs." Kyle looked around. "Or in a pig sty." He looked at Francine. "Sorry, Missy."

Francine dropped her fork and got up from the table. "You both are disgusting." At the door, she stopped and turned back to them. "Dix, my brothers knew how to wash their own clothes. I refused to do it for them." She left the kitchen and went up to her room.

Kyle studied Dix carefully. There was nothing he liked about Dix except his body and good looks. He glanced at Lake grinning at his plate.

While Kyle cleaned up the kitchen, he heard Dix upstairs tossing things around. He'd warned Dix if he didn't clean up and air out the house, wash his bedclothes, his clothes and himself, he'd also have to fix his own supper for a week. He knew Dix was ready to fire him, but for some reason he didn't.

A light rap on the back door told Kyle that Lake had saddled the horses. He put the last of the dishes in the cupboard, grabbed his hat and slipped out the door.

As the two men rode the dry riverbed, Kyle pointed at the young cottonwoods. "These must be about twenty or so years old."

"I'd say five, at most," Lake said. "I'll bet there's still water flowing underground along here. Don't you remember when we camped in Wyoming? Old Fred Waggoner told us the new ones growing near that spring on his place were only three years old. They weren't much smaller than these."

When they arrived at the rockslide, Kyle agreed the enormous pile of rock had to have been caused by dynamite. They climbed to the top of the slide and watched the river make a sharp turn and spill into the new bed. A long lake followed the curvy river above the rock dam.

"It's no use lookin' for anything up here," Kyle said. "If this slide was made here, it was for easier access to somethin' downriver. That map Dix had showed an "X" down there." He pointed into the dry bed.

After climbing down the pile of boulders, they began scanning the sides of the riverbed for any digging or piles of rocks at the bottom. Not finding anything, Kyle slowly walked fifty yards from the rockslide, scrutinizing both sides. If Bill had found something like gold, how would he disguise the area so no one else could find it? A prospector most of his life, Bill Lewis knew the earth like few others. Why would he make a map? For Dix?

"Lake," Kyle shouted. "Let's sit together an' study this like we've done before."

Lake grinned and strode to Kyle's side. They sat, side-by-side on a driftwood log, facing the opposite way, and scanned the sides of the river.

"All those smudges in the ledgers were over the same word," Kyle suddenly announced. "I think that word is gold. I think ol' Bill found himself a rich lode. An' he would have hid any traces of it with cunning. We've gotta find it before Dix does."

"Why?" Lake asked. "What are we going to do with it?"

Kyle laughed. "I've got a feelin' Dix knows about that gold. If we find it first, we can use it to trip him up. If he needs trippin' up."

They spent a half hour silently scanning opposite sides of the steep bank of the old riverbed. Several times, Lake leaped up, ran to the bank and pulled dirt and rocks from a spot. Nothing.

Kyle tried to remember the map, but decided the map was to throw someone off. He noticed a rock that didn't seem to belong. After sauntering to it and pulling it to the sandy floor, there was nothing.

After an hour, Kyle became restless and got to his feet. "I'm goin' back. We gotta move the cattle across the river, an' see if Dix cleaned his room. I won't set foot in there again if he doesn't."

Lake mounted Buck and turned him toward Kyle. "I wouldn't mind playing around with Dixie."

"Have at him," Kyle said. "Just don't go in his bedroom."

When Kyle and Lake arrived back at the house, they led the horses into the barn and found Dix just inside the door standing over the tub. Dix glared at them and kicked the tub. He folded his arms and snapped, "What have you been doing? At least you could help me wash this stuff. I pay your wages."

Neither man spoke. Lake led the horses on into the barn. Kyle approached the tub. It was half-filled with water and clothes. He folded his arms and studied it for awhile, then looked at Dix. "You can let them clothes sit in there forever an' they'll never get clean. You said you're from Denver? Didn't your momma teach you anything? You gotta use soap and scrub the crap out of 'em."

Francine entered the barn and walked up to them. "I told Dix the same thing, but would he listen?" She put her hands on her hips and looked at Dix. "You are a brat. My brothers would tie you up and suspend your backside three inches above the horns of our bull."

Lake laughed, stopped and turned back. "I'd like to meet your brothers, Francine." He looked at Kyle. "Boss, can I help Dix?"

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "You're takin' your life in your hands, but make sure everything's cleaned inside and out."

"I will, Boss." Lake squinted. "Francine looks like she needs help in the house. Should I do that after?"

Kyle turned to Francine and said, "Missy. With your help, we can tidy the upstairs. I'll let Bolton help Dix."

Using the soap and scrub-board that Kyle had given them, Lake showed Dix how to clean clothes. He made a point of getting Dix's shirt and pants soaking wet so they would form to his body.

"You're getting me wet!" Dix yelled.

"We've got to clean the clothes you have on," Lake said. "Take them off and dump them in this tub with the rest of your clothes."

"I'll be naked!" Dix yelled.

"I'll get naked too," Lake said. "We'll have a good time washing clothes. We can even poke them with our dicks."

Dix immediately became aroused. He looked at Lake's fuzzy blond head, his wide smile and his sleek hard-packed body, exposed by his open shirt. Dix began undressing. "Can you clean me inside?"

"You bet!" Lake steadied himself as he pulled off his own boots.

Dix laughed as he tossed his clothes in the tub. He jumped in and began stomping on them. Naked, Lake stepped into the tub, grabbed Dix and stuck his tongue into his mouth. Their dicks swelled instantly.

Dix began rubbing his hard cock against Lake's body. He grabbed Lake in a clench as he lurched.

Lake pushed Dix away. "Don't spurt yet. We have to have some fun first."