A Tumbleweed Adventure - Chapter Three

A Tumbleweed Adventure – Chapter 3

The next morning, Jerry woke up to the smell of bacon being cooked.   He got up and walked across the hall to the bathroom to relieve himself.   After washing his hands and brushing his teeth, he stared into the mirror wondering why he cared so much about fresh breath.  He had never cared about it before, not even when he had a woman in his bed.   He called morning breath ‘Dragon’ breath, especially his.   He had more than one woman tell him he needed to brush his teeth before he would be allowed to kiss her in the morning.   He had heard there was a fancy medical term for bad breath (halitosis or something like that), but didn’t care to remember it, because bad breath was just that bad breath.   He smiled at his image in the mirror, and decided he looked presentable enough.   His face was deeply tanned, as were his arms.  Besides, it was only Danny.   It wasn’t like he planned on giving Danny a good morning kiss or anything.   At the thought of Danny, he stopped and stood completely still.   He watched in amazement at his growing package.   If this was the impact that thinking of Danny had on him, he wondered what might happen if they slept together in the same bed.   That thought made him so hard it hurt!   Damn!  What was wrong with him?   He was getting all excited over a guy!   He felt how hard he was and decided he needed to retreat to his bedroom until his state of arousal subsided.

Jerry crossed back to his bedroom, hoping that Danny couldn’t see him.   His hopes were dashed as he crossed the hallway and met Danny’s gaze.   Danny smiled and said, “Good morning, sport.”

Jerry said, “Good morning, Danny.”   He went into his bedroom and pulled on his clothes, blushing from his embarrassment.

Danny had noticed Jerry’s morning wood and thought, “Wow!   He’s bigger than Mr. Hansen!”   He gave himself a mental shake, realizing that Jerry probably never would consider having sex with him.   He remembered how Jerry had treated him after Mr. Hansen had told him that Danny was attracted to him.  The sting of being rejected by Jerry still hurt.  As he reflected on why it bothered him so much, Danny realized that Mr. Hansen had been right.   He had fallen in love with Jerry.   He wanted their relationship to be the fairy tale kind of thing where the happy couple lives happily ever after.   Having sex with Mr. Hansen or Jolene had been just that, sex.   What he wanted was someone to love and who loved him in return.   A deep sense of longing came over him.   As these thoughts entered his mind, he heard Jerry’s footsteps in the hallway and looked up to meet his gaze.

There must have been something in his eyes, because Jerry stopped mid stride.   “What’s wrong, Danny?”   He walked over and sat down on the couch next to Danny.   He put his arm around Danny’s shoulders and said, “Look, Danny, if it’s about how I treated you on our last trip, I’m really sorry.   I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Danny’s heart was racing and Jerry’s touch sent a thrill down his spine.   His body reacted to Jerry’s touch even stronger than it had to Jolene’s.   Danny knew, without a doubt, that this man was his Mr. Right.   The problem was convincing Jerry of that fact.   He ducked his head, trying to hide his face.   He didn’t want to give away any of his thoughts, at least not now, not with Jerry’s arm around his shoulders and his leg rubbing against his.

Danny said, “It’s okay.   I know you didn’t mean to offend me.   We’re good, Jerry.”   Danny turned his head to look at Jerry.   He was surprised to find Jerry’s face only inches from his; close enough for him to catch the scent of the minty toothpaste Jerry had used to brush his teeth.   Danny looked deeply into Jerry’s brilliant emerald eyes, waiting for Jerry to break his gaze or move back.  

Jerry raised his hand to Danny’s face and said, “I will never intentionally hurt you, Danny.”  At that moment, Danny thought Jerry was going to kiss him; but was disappointed when Jerry stood up and asked, “When’s breakfast?” 

Jerry saw the look of disappointment on Danny’s face and knew, with a certainty, that he wanted Jerry to kiss him.   He had wanted to kiss Danny, but that thought had scared him, causing him to quickly stand up.   Before Jerry could say anything more, Danny said, “It’s on the table.”

He stood up and walked over to the little table and sat down.   Jerry joined him and said, “I feel like we should say grace because I’m grateful not only for the food you cooked, but also for your willingness to forgive me.”

Danny blushed, but he said, “Okay”

“I’ll say it,” Jerry said.   He began, “I thank you, God, for the food and I’m especially grateful for sending Danny back to me, Amen.”

Danny murmured, “Amen.”   He didn’t know what to think about where he stood with Jerry.

Jerry smiled across the table at Danny.   “What shall we do today?”

“I want to drive up to Old Faithful and watch the geysers go off,” Danny said.   “I’ve been there many times, but I still enjoy being there when it erupts.”

“Do you want to stay overnight at the Old Faithful Inn?” Jerry asked with a sly smile.   He thought to himself, “It can be like were dating each other.   I’ve never really courted anyone before; I think this will be fun for both of us.”

Danny said, “That sounds like fun.”   He decided not to worry about things and just take things one moment at a time.

“Okay, let’s go.   If we can’t get a room in the inn, we can always sleep in the back of the truck; so bring your sleeping bag,” Jerry said.

They quickly cleaned up their dishes and gathered a few things before jumping into Jerry’s truck.   They drove north and entered Yellowstone National Park.

*** ***

They spent the rest of that weekend enjoying each other’s company.   In fact the rest of the summer passed in much the same manner.   The two men developed such a close rapport that most people thought they were brothers.   They worked so well together, Mr. Baker started using them as trainers for his new tour guides.  

One day in late autumn, Mr. Baker called them into his office.   It was just before quitting time, and they had been out in the barn caring for the horses.   Richard found them and told them they were wanted in the front office.   They sat down in front of his desk and waited for him to finish talking on the phone.   When he hung up, he said, “Thanks for coming into the office.   I think you know that the summer tourist season is over, and that there aren’t many tours this late in the season.   I’ve let most of the other tour guides go and have kept you two onboard as long as I could; but I’m afraid I have to let you go, as well.”

Jerry said, “We appreciate what you’ve done for us, Mr. Baker.”

Mr. Baker smiled and said, “I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary, Jerry.   I’m a businessman, like any other, and my only objective is to maximize my profit.   You two are in high demand and make our clients happy.   I would be foolish not to keep you guys busy; otherwise, I would face the risk of losing some of my clientele to my competitors.”

Danny said, “We’ve been saving money to tide us over until the tourist season kicks in next year.”

Mr. Baker nodded his head.   “Jerry told me what you were doing and I’m glad to see you’re planning ahead.   It’s what a good businessman does.   I’ll let you know when I have work for you.   If you move to a new place, please let me know how I can reach you in the spring.   Here is what I owe you from you last trip plus the tip the guys left you.”

He handed them each an envelope.   Jerry and Danny looked in their respective envelopes.   Jerry smiled and said, “That’s quite a bit of money.”

“Yes, it is; however, you earned every penny,” Mr. Baker said.   “I’m sure that it will tide you over until the spring.”

“That, plus what we’ve saved already,” Danny said.

Mr. Baker stood up and shook their hands.   “It’s been good working with you this season.   I look forward to seeing you next spring.”

The guys left his office and walked out to Jerry’s truck.   They had taken to driving Jerry’s truck, since Danny’s was so unreliable.   It kept breaking down and Jerry had to use his truck to tow Danny’s back to their place.   In fact, it was out of commission at the moment.

Snow had fallen during the night and the temperatures had fallen throughout the day, leaving a hard crust of ice on top of the newly fallen snow.   Neither one of them owned snow boots; so they walked carefully across the icy parking lot toward Jerry’s truck.   Their cowboy boots weren’t exactly made for walking on ice!   At one point, Jerry slipped and grabbed Danny’s arm to keep from taking a fall.   They managed to get into the truck without mishap.  

Jerry said, “Let’s grab us some grub on the way home.”

Danny said, “Do you mind trying out one of those steak places?   I’m starving.”

Jerry grinned, “Okay, let’s celebrate being unemployed!”

Danny laughed, “You are one crazy guy!”

Jerry drove them into town where they found a suitable restaurant.   After they finished, Jerry drove them back to their apartment.   Jerry opened the door and walked inside, shedding his coat and hat.   He said, “It sure seems cold in here.”

Danny, following him inside, said, “You’re right.  Maybe the furnace is out of commission.”

Jerry made his way to the back of the hallway and looked at the old furnace.   Sure enough it wasn’t working.   He said, “I’ll go around front and tell Mrs. Campion.” He grabbed his coat and hat and disappeared outside.

Meanwhile, Danny read the directions on the outside of the furnace and tried to get it going.   Jerry returned and said, “She’ll get somebody out to fix it in the morning.   She gave me a couple of extra blankets to get us through the night.”

He put them down on the couch.   Danny looked them over and said, “They seem a little threadbare to me.”

Jerry said, “Maybe we should use our sleeping bags.”

Danny agreed.  “It will be better than these old things.”   They got their sleeping bags out.   Danny rolled his out on the couch, putting a pillow at the opening.   Jerry got his and unzipped it, spreading it out on top of his bed.

“Good night, Danny,” Jerry said.   He went into his room and stripped off his clothes and jumped under the covers.   He soon drifted off to sleep.  He woke up in the middle of the night wondering what had awakened him.   He could hear Danny’s teeth chattering in the front room.   He thought, “Two of us in the same bed should be able to keep warm.”   He got out of bed and walked into the front room.

Danny was lying on the couch trying to keep warm, but not succeeding; when Jerry came into the room and said, “Danny, get your skinny rump in here and get into bed with me.   I can hear your teeth chattering so much it’s keeping me awake.”

Danny stood up and dragged his sleeping bag and blankets with him.   “I’ll add my blankets to yours.”

“Good idea.   Now, get into bed before our balls freeze off!”

Danny did as Jerry commanded and climbed in beside Jerry.   Danny avoided physical contact with him as he pulled the blankets over himself.   Jerry said, “Danny, sharing a bed means sharing your warmth.   You can’t do that by being so shy.   Get over here so I can get warm.”

Danny moved closer and Jerry reached out, pulling him into his arms.   Jerry gazed into his eyes and said, “I’ve wanted you in my bed some time now, Danny.   I’m glad the furnace gave me an excuse to get you here.”

Jerry kissed Danny with a fiery passion that surprised him.   When they came up for air, Danny said, “Wow!   I’ve only dreamed of being kissed like that!”

“I’m happy to make your dreams come true,” Jerry said.   “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day you came home from Jenny Lake last summer.”

“I remember,” Danny said.  “I thought you were going to kiss me, but you stood up and asked about eating breakfast.”

Jerry laughed, “It was the only way I could think of not stripping your clothes off and having sex with you right then and there.”

Danny could feel Jerry’s manhood pressing against him, dueling with his own.    “Does this mean you’ll fuck me tonight?”

Jerry didn’t answer him directly.   He kissed him and pulled off Danny’s briefs as well as his own.   Danny ran his hands over Jerry’s chest, enjoying the feel of his muscles under his fingertips.   Danny gazed into Jerry’s eyes and knew his dreams were about to come true.

*** ***

The next morning, Danny awoke in Jerry’s arms.   Jerry felt Danny move and he shifted his position to allow Danny to roll over to face him.   Danny smiled at his lover and said, “Thank you for everything, Jerry.”

Jerry said, “No, thank you, Danny.   I’ve never had such good sex in my life.   I intend to never leave your side, so don’t get any ideas about going anywhere.”

Danny grinned, “I’d hoped you would say that.”

Jerry said, “I mean it, Danny.   I fell in love with you long ago and just couldn’t bring myself to admit it, until recently.”

“I’ve loved you since we first met,” Danny said.

“I know.   Mr. Hansen told me that and I freaked out,” Jerry said.

“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one,” Danny said, smiling.

Jerry said, “I know, I know.   I made a huge mistake and I’ve apologized for it many times.”

Danny said, “Yes, you have and you more than made up for it last night.”

Jerry smiled, “I’m glad you think so.  What are we going to do, since the furnace isn’t working?”

“Let’s drive down to my parents’ ranch in Richfield.   They won’t be there until next summer and I know the caretaker pretty well.   We can stay there for a while.   I’m sure Golden will appreciate our help with milking the cows and feeding the cattle.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jerry said.   “Let’s get showered before we both freeze.”

“Okay,” Danny said.   “We should pay our rent in advance, unless you think we should let this place go.”

Jerry thought for a few minutes and said, “Let’s give our notice and not keep this place.   If we’re going to be lovers, we can’t stay in one place for too long, because people will figure it out and then we’ll end up in jail.”

Danny looked at Jerry and asked, “Do you really think we would end up in jail?”

“Yes, I do,” Jerry said.   “We will have to be very careful about what we do in public, Danny.”

Danny said, “I’ve hidden the fact that I’m attracted to other men for a long time.   I first noticed I liked other guys when I was 12 years old.”

“You hid it pretty well, until you met me, you mean,” Jerry said, grinning.

Danny smiled and said, “You kind of overwhelmed me with your good looks.”

Jerry took Danny’s hand and said, “Let’s stop the chit-chat and get into the shower.   I’m freezing.”

The shower stall was barely big enough for them both to stand under the water.   Jerry held Danny in his arms and kissed him deeply.   “I think I can get used to showering with you.”

They finished showering and then dried each other off.   They got dressed and packed their gear.  They cleared out their gear and stowed it in the back of Jerry’s truck.   Danny asked, “What am I going to do with my truck?”

“Let Mrs. Campion sell it.   You don’t need it,” Jerry said.   “It’s in pretty bad shape anyway.   You would be better off buying a new one.”

Danny agreed.   “That sounds like a good idea.”   They talked to their landlady, leaving her a month’s rent as well as the keys and the title to the truck.  They were soon on the way south.   When they passed through Richfield, Danny directed Jerry to take a couple of side roads until they reached a dirt road.   They turned in and drove across a railroad tie bridge.

Danny said, “That’s the Sevier River we just crossed.   It runs along our property line.   The ranch house is just ahead.”   He pointed to the saw mill and said, “We go up into the mountains a couple of times a year and bring down timber that we cut on that saw blade.”

Saw Mill on the Eccles Ranch

Saw Mill on the Eccles Ranch

“We’ve constructed all of our buildings out of the timber we have cut ourselves,” Danny said, pointing to the main ranch house and the dairy barn.   “See that log cabin?” Danny asked.

Jerry said, “Yeah, what about it?”

“I helped my dad and my brothers build that.   Nobody lives in it now, but I think we can convince Golden to let us use it,” Danny said.   “It’s not very big, but we won’t need a lot of space.”

Jerry said, “It looks cozy.”

Danny said, “It doesn’t have furnace in it; but there is a fireplace and a wood burning stove to cook on.   As you can see, we have a lot of wood.”

Jerry said, “Yes, I can see that.”

As they drew even with the little log cabin, Danny pointed to the pasture behind it, “That’s where we keep our horses.”

Jerry looked and saw four horses eating from a feed trough near the gate to the pasture.   “They are beautiful horses.”

“Dad has always had a good eye for fine horses,” Danny said.   “Every summer, we would ride the horses up into the Kimberlies and camp for several weeks at a time.   It’s really lovely up there.   “I’ll have to show you the Kimberly Mountains.   They aren’t as picturesque as the Grand Tetons, but they are still pretty impressive.”

Jerry smiled as Danny pointed out the different out buildings to him.   He pulled into the gravel driveway of the ranch house and parked the truck.   He turned to Danny and asked, “You really love this place, don’t you?”



The Kimberly Mtns. as seen from the Eccles Ranch

The Kimberly Mtns. as seen from the Eccles Ranch

Danny grinned, “Yes, I do.   My fondest childhood memories are of riding horses, camping and playing in the river.   I could just be myself here.   I didn’t have to worry about pretending to be someone I wasn’t.”

Jerry said, “It is very pretty here between the mountains and the river.”

They got out of the truck and walked up to the front door.   Danny knocked and the door was opened by a short, balding man with long gray hair.   He had small blue eyes under bushy gray eyebrows, a red, round nose, and a small mouth.   He looked up at the two men and said, “If it isn’t Danny.   Who is your friend?”

“This is Jerry.   Jerry, this is Golden,” Danny said.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Jerry said, extending his hand to shake Golden’s.

“Come inside.   It’s too cold to stand on the porch and chat,” Golden said.

They followed him inside the house.   It was a log house and had a rustic look both inside and out.   The walls were hung with tapestries showing hunting scenes of various types.   There was a big, potbelly stove in the center of the room that radiated heat.   There were several chairs drawn up around it.   Golden pointed to them and said, “Have a seat.”

They sat down and Golden asked, “What brings you fellas out to the ranch in the middle of the winter?”

“We were hoping we could stay in the log cabin and help you out on the ranch for a few months,” Danny said.

Golden raised his eyebrows and asked, “You’re not asking to be paid are you?”

“No, we can fend for ourselves.   It’s just that the furnace in our place in Jackson Hole went on the blink and we decided we could do better staying here,” Danny said.

Golden grinned, “I can use the help and I’m willing to provide meals in return for your labor.   Since it’s your Dad’s place, I guess I can’t charge you rent.”

“Please don’t tell my family I’m here,” Danny said.

Golden said, “Not a problem.   I don’t get on well with your folks any how; so it won’t be hard to keep your presence here a secret.”

“Why do you stay?” Danny asked.

“Because I like the work and I’m too old to make a change.   Your father pays me too well for me to up and quit,” Golden said.   “Have you two eaten?”

“No, we haven’t,” Jerry said.

“I’ve made a pot of stew.   You’re welcome to help yourselves,” Golden said.   He pointed to a pot on the stove.

Danny walked over to the cupboard and got out two bowls and pulled out a couple of spoons from the silverware drawer.   He ladled out the stew into the bowls and handed one to Jerry.

Jerry tasted a spoonful and said, “This is good.   Thanks for sharing with us.”

Golden beamed at Jerry’s compliment.   “You’re most welcome.   I was forced to learn to cook for myself after my wife died.”

“How long ago did she pass?”  Jerry asked, between mouthfuls of stew.

“She’s been gone 11 years now.   Danny, you should remember Delores,” Golden said.

“I do.   She was a wonderful cook.   I loved her mincemeat pies,” Danny said.

“Me, too,” Golden said.   “We lived in the log cabin you saw as you came up the lane.   Are you sure you want to stay down there?”

“Yes, we’re sure, Golden,” Danny said.   “But we’ll join you for most mealtimes.   I can take a turn at cooking so you won’t have to cook for the three of us all of the time,” Danny said.

“That sounds good.   I’ll be glad for the help with feeding the cattle and milking the cows,” Golden said.   “Fortunately, you father sold most of the dairy cows last fall.   He kept two cows to provide me with more than enough milk.   If you boys will help me with the milking, I’d appreciate it.   I hate getting up early in the morning to milk the cows.”

Jerry said, “We’ll do our part; however, we aren’t taking over all of your duties.”

Golden laughed, “I wondered if you wouldn’t speak up sooner or later.   I’m glad you can stand up for yourself, Jerry.”

Danny and Jerry finished eating and washed up their dishes.   “Thanks for the meal, Golden.   Do you mind if we walk down to the cabin and set things right in there?”

“Go right ahead, Danny.   I keep it well stocked with food, and there’s plenty of wood for the fireplace and the wood stove,” Golden said.

The guys stood up and took their leave.   They walked down the snow covered lane to the cabin.   Danny turned the handle and opened the door.   “I remember helping Dad to hang this door.   I was just barely big enough to hold it steady.”  They entered the cabin.   Danny pointed to the windows and said, “I put the windows in.”   He walked over to the window sill.   “Here is where I carved my initials in the wood.”

Jerry walked over and stood behind Danny.   He put his arms around Danny’s waist as he looked over his shoulder.   “Didn’t your dad get upset at you?”

“No, he didn’t.   In fact, he carved his initials next to mine.   See them right here,” Danny said, putting his index finger next to his father’s initials.   “Dad said our initials would always be together here.   I felt so close to my Dad that day.   I wish things were still that way.   There are times I really miss him.”

Jerry felt Danny shiver and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m good.   It’s just that it’s been over 10 years since I saw my parents.   They haven’t tried to contact me nor have I tried to contact them,” Danny said.   “Today is the first time I’ve been back to our ranch since I left home at age 17.”

“I’m sorry that you’ve been alone for the last 17 years,” Jerry said.   “But now that you’ve found me, you won’t be alone anymore.”   He turned Danny around and kissed him deeply.

When they came up for air, Danny said, “I love you.”

Jerry replied, “I love you, too.”   He cupped Danny’s cheek in his hand and said, “I want to make love to you Danny.”

Danny grinned and said, “Let’s start a fire first, and then we can check out the bed.”

Jerry returned Danny’s grin.  “That sounds like a great idea.   Maybe we can have sex in front of the fireplace instead.   I’d really like to do that.”

“We’ll have to find a way to lock the door.   We don’t want Golden walking in on us,” Danny said.   “We never put locks on the door because no one lives around us.”

“We can buy a new doorknob that locks when we’re in town,” Jerry said.   He walked over to the fireplace.   He wadded up some newspaper that was stacked next to the wood box, then, laid some kindling on top of it, before lighting the paper.   It wasn’t long before there was a nice warm fire going in the fireplace.  

Danny walked into the bedroom and brought out a thick blanket and a couple of pillows to put down in front of the fireplace.   Jerry pulled Danny into his embrace and said, “Let me show you how much I love you.”

*** ***

To Be Continued…..

A Tumbleweed Adventure - Chapter Two

A Tumbleweed Adventure – Chapter Two

After leaving the dude ranch parking lot, Jerry drove into town and pulled into the parking lot of a local bar.   He was so angry with Danny for making him wait for so long and not having the courage to tell him he wasn’t coming home with him.   However, he was even angrier with himself for how poorly he had treated Danny.   He had intended to apologize to him as they drove home.   Now, he wouldn’t have that chance.  

He felt like a real fool for not talking to Danny about his feelings.   Of course, he didn’t have a chance to talk to Danny alone because Danny never left Mr. Hansen’s side.   His feelings of jealousy toward Mr. Hansen confused him.   He had been relieved to hear Danny tell Mr. Hansen that he wasn’t going to San Francisco with him.   All of these thoughts left him feeling forlorn.   Knowing that he was going home to an empty apartment depressed him.   He needed a stiff drink, but he didn’t want to risk being thrown out of the bar at closing time; because he knew he wouldn’t stop at just one drink.   He felt so guilty about his treatment of Danny that he knew he needed to deaden his conscience.   He pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the liquor store instead.   He loaded up on his favorite vodka, bourbon and scotch.   He drove home and proceeded to drink himself into a stupor.

*** ***      

Meanwhile, Danny helped Richard instruct the visitors on the basics of riding a horse.   Most had never been on horseback.   There was one particular young woman that caught Danny’s eye.   He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.   She was standing with three other young women who appeared to be her friends.   However, he only had eyes for her.   She was a gorgeous brunette with hazel eyes, an easy smile, and an hourglass figure.   Despite his aversion to having sex with a woman, he was still susceptible to the wiles of a beautiful woman, especially one who always got her way!   Danny saw her making her way over to him and quickly looked away.  

She planted herself in front of him and introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Jolene Peterson.”   He had been so tongue tied that she laughed and said, “Why, I’ve never left a man speechless before.”

Before he could respond, Richard came over to Danny and said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Danny nodded his head and said, “Okay.  Richard, this is Jolene Peterson.”

Richard smiled and extended his hand to her, “It’s nice to meet you, Ma’am.”

She flashed Richard a Cheshire cat smile and said, “Please call me Jolene.   I am very excited to be here.   I do so love horseback riding.”   The way she said it left no doubt that she wasn’t talking about riding the four-legged animals tethered to the fence next to them.   

Richard said, “May we help you mount your horse?”

“Most certainly, I love the feel of a strong man’s hands around my waist,” she replied, placing her hand on his arm.  Richard grinned and walked her over to her horse.   He easily lifted her into the saddle.   She smiled coyly at him and said, “Thank you, Richard.”  

Richard said, “You’re welcome, Jolene.”   The man was clearly captivated by the woman.   He turned around and spotted Danny staring at them.   He winked at Danny and gave him the ‘thumbs up’ sign.   He moved to the next group of tourists and waved Danny over to help him.  

When they finally had everyone on horseback the two cowboys walked over to their horses and climbed into the saddle.   Richard led the group.   They followed him in single file, with Danny bringing up the rear.   His thoughts kept returning to Jolene.   His fascination with her puzzled him.   How could he be attracted to her when he had just spent the last few days with Mr. Hansen?  They had made love multiple times each night.   The memories of those nights caused his jeans to become uncomfortably tight.   His state of arousal only caused him more confusion.   His attraction to other men was as much a part of him as breathing.   His entire life had been spent hiding it from family and friends.   Mr. Hansen’s ability to see him for who he was amazed Danny.   That was part of the reason he had decided to submit to his physical desires and moved into Mr. Hansen’s tent.  

All of his life he had yearned to find someone who understood him and wouldn’t reject him.   Mr. Hansen met that need; however, Danny had rejected his offer to become his life partner.   Danny enjoyed the sex; but wanted a long term relationship with someone closer to his own age.   The difference in age between them was the main reason he thought of DeLoy as Mr. Hansen.   He just couldn’t bring himself to call Mr. Hansen by his first name, despite Mr. Hansen’s insistence that since they were lovers, they should be on a first name basis with each other.

As the trail approached Jenny Lake, Danny felt a twinge of excitement, unrelated to Mr. Hansen or Jolene.  He loved Jenny Lake.   It’s cold, clear water held a great number of fish.   However, for Danny, the best thing about Jenny Lake was the breathtaking scenery.   He and Jerry had taken two groups of tourists on camping trips to Jenny Lake and one other on a fishing trip.   Each trip had opened up new vistas for Danny.   The light on the water at different times of the day or the clouds that gathered around the peaks of the mountains seemed to speak to Danny as he gazed in wonder at nature’s beauty.   Jerry had laughed at him when he shared that he felt that nature was speaking to him.   Danny had insisted that he felt a connection to nature here that he had never felt anywhere else.  He felt that same connection today as they moved down to the water’s edge. 

Jenny Lake

As Danny looked up the line of tourists, he noticed that Jolene had managed to move her horse to the head of the line and was talking animatedly to Richard.   He was glad that Jolene had turned her attention to Richard.  

He was glad that this group was to be strictly a camping trip.   They continued around the lake until they reached their campsite.  The group dismounted and tethered their horses near the lake.   Richard and Danny instructed the group on how to care for their mounts.   They fed them and groomed them, before setting up the tents.   Richard assigned Jerry cooking duty for their first night out.   Danny looked at the menu Richard provided and set to work.   He soon had a fire going and had a dozen Dutch ovens ready to set on the coals as soon as the fire burned down enough.   As he was setting the Dutch ovens in the fire, Jolene came over and sat next to him on a tree stump.  

Danny looked her over and noticed that she looked great.   Not a hair was out of place and she looked like she had just stepped off the cover of a magazine.   She smiled, showing perfectly white teeth.   “You never did tell me your name,” she said.   Her voice was cultured and reminded Danny of a sweet melody played on a harp.

He finally answered, after an awkward silence, “I’m Danny Eccles.”

She said, “I like your name, Danny.   It suits you.”

He wasn’t sure what to think about that; so he ignored her comment and continued placing the Dutch ovens over the coals of the fire.   She wasn’t used to being given the silent treatment.   This only served to strengthen her resolve.   She meant to have Danny in her tent every night to keep her from being bored on this trip.   She didn’t care if they ever saw each other again.   She just wanted this man to make this trip a memorable one.   In fact, she hoped to bed both of the tour guides if she could manage it.

She stood up and asked, “Will you teach me how to cook over a fire?”

Somehow Danny didn’t think she meant cooking in the literal sense.   Ignoring her insinuations, Danny answered, “Yes, I can do that if you really want to learn.”

She laid her hand on his arm, almost caressing it, and said, “I’m a quick study.   I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

Her touch on his arm was electrifying.   When she didn’t remove her hand right away, he moved away from her.   He smiled at her and said, “Okay, let’s begin with the basics.”

*** ***

Richard saw Danny giving Jolene cooking lessons and shook his head.   He knew Jolene’s kind and knew she was trouble.   He was mesmerized by her beauty just like every other male in the group; however, he knew he couldn’t give in to her wiles.   He had a wife and two children to worry about, and couldn’t let a quick fling in a sleeping bag ruin his marriage.   Sure, no one would ever find out; but he would know, and that is what would cause him more grief than he needed.

He wondered if he should warn Danny to avoid the little minx.   She had been none too happy when he had told her he was married, and had no intentions of breaking his wedding vows with her.   She had stomped off in quite a fit of bad temper.   He had finished putting up her tent and then looked over to see Jolene had found another target.   He started toward them, but thought better of it.   Danny was a grown man and quite capable of fending for himself.   He turned away and moved to where his horse was tethered.   He retrieved his tent and busied himself with putting it up.

Meanwhile, Danny, with Jolene’s help, finished cooking their dinner.   Danny called out, “Come and get it!”

The group gathered around the campfire, where Jolene and Danny served them scalloped potatoes, baked ham, string beans and peach cobbler.   When they had served everyone, they filled with own plates and sat together near the fire.

Jolene said, “Thank you for teaching me how to cook over a campfire, Danny.”   Her leg rubbed against his as she looked up into his eyes.

Danny murmured, “You’re welcome.”   His body was reacting to this woman’s touch and it was very disconcerting to him.   He concentrated on his food, trying not to show how much of an affect she had on him.

Jolene’s smile widened as she noticed the tightness of his jeans over his crotch.   She knew she had him!   She finished eating her food and helped Danny wash up the dishes.   They cleaned up around the campfire and arranged the chairs in a circle around the fire.   She didn’t mind the work, especially given the reward she anticipated collecting later that evening.   Earlier in the day, she had told her girlfriends that she intended to bed at least one of their guides.   She was quite proud of herself for bagging another guy on this trip.

After dinner, Richard brought out his guitar and started singing campfire songs.   The older generation retired soon after the singing began.  The younger set decided to play kick-the-can.   Richard said, “Boys, remember you can get lost pretty easily here; so don’t stray too from the camp.”

The teenagers nodded their heads in understanding and set off to play their game.   Richard returned to his singing.   This time, singing some ballads as well as some popular western music.  

Jolene sat close to Danny.   She put her arm around his waist and asked, “Will you sleep in my tent tonight?   I don’t like sleeping alone.”  Danny’s first instinct was to run away from her as fast as possible.   However, his body had other ideas.   He nodded his head, but didn’t trust himself to speak.   “Let’s go to bed then.”  She stood up and took his hand to lead him to her tent.

They stopped outside her tent and he said, “I need to get my stuff.”   He hoped to escape from her by getting his gear and sleeping in the tent with Richard.   His hopes were dashed when she put her arms around his waist.   She molded her body to his and clung to him as if her life depended on it.

“There’s no need.   There is plenty of room in my sleeping bag for both of us,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.   She unzipped the tent door and led him inside, zipping up the door behind him.

*** ***

The next morning, Danny woke up next to Jolene.   He was totally confused by his feelings.   His body had betrayed him and he had lain with a woman.   The sex was good enough; but he didn’t feel a connection with her, not like he had to Mr. Hansen.   He wondered if he could actually be bisexual.   He had never given the idea much thought because he had never been attracted to a woman before.

She stirred and woke up.   She smiled and said, “Darling, thank you for a wonderful night.   I think this camping trip is going to turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.”  She kissed him and began caressing his bare chest.       

Danny took her hand off of his chest and said, “I need to get up and help Richard.”   He crawled out of the sleeping bag and quickly dressed.   He unzipped the tent and stepped out into the early morning light.   He breathed a sigh of relief.   He took a deep breath and made his way to the portable latrine they had set up last night.   Jolene’s scent had clung to him and made him sick to his stomach.   He decided he needed to wash himself to get rid of the offensive odor.   He found his gear, pulling out a towel and a bar of soap.   He walked around the shore of the lake until he was hidden from camp by a grove of pine trees.   He quickly stripped out of his clothes and jumped into the cold, clear water.  The coldness of the water took his breath away.   He lathered up and hurriedly washed away the dirt from his body.   He submerged himself in the water to rinse off the soap.   Coming to the surface, he stood up and practically ran out of the water.  

He was shivering so violently, he had great difficulty holding on to his towel as he dried himself off.   He hurried into his clean clothes, wrapping his dirty ones inside the damp towel.   He felt so much better!  He still needed to shave, but at least he smelled clean.   He hadn’t shaved for three days now and his nascent beard was getting to the scratchy stage.   He had worn a beard in his younger days just to irritate his parents.   They believed that a man with facial hair was destined for trouble.   He ran his hand over his whiskers, wishing he had time to shave.   He returned to camp and stowed his gear.   He walked to the center of the camp and stirred the ashes of last night’s fire.   Finding some live coals, he quickly had the fire blazing.   He got out the cooking implements and started making breakfast.

Richard came out of his tent, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.   Catching sight of Danny cooking breakfast brought a smile to his face.   Mentally, he thanked his boss, Mr. Baker, for sending Danny with him on this trip.   He walked over and said, “Good morning, Casanova.”

Danny glared at him and said, “Why didn’t you warn me about her?”

“I figured you could handle her,” Richard said, smiling broadly.

Danny snorted and said, “Once she sunk her claws into me, I couldn’t get away.”

Richard laughed and said, “You are the first guy I’ve ever met that complained about getting laid!”

“I’m not complaining about the sex.   It’s just that I don’t want her hanging all over me the rest of the trip,” Danny said, casting a worried glance over at Jolene’s tent.

Richard let out a hearty laugh.   “I’ve got no sympathy for you, Danny.   There’s always a price to be paid if you want to get a woman to sleep with you.”

Danny turned over the sausages and asked, “Is it the same thing after you get married?”

“Yes and it gets worse.   Once you start having kids, you can forget about having sex whenever you want.   Everything changed when our first boy was born.   I practically had to beg her to have sex with me.   It was almost like she blamed me for all the pain she went through getting the kid here,” Richard said.   “I finally threatened to go down to the local whore house if she didn’t relent.”

“It sounds like getting married is not all it’s cracked up to be,” Danny said.   “Maybe being single is the way to be.”

“Maybe; but I wouldn’t trade my two boys for anything in the world,” Richard said.   “I wouldn’t give up on marriage, Danny.   You just need to find the right woman.”

Danny said, “You could be right about that, but Jolene isn’t the right one for me.”

As if she knew they were talking about her, Jolene popped out of her tent.   Again, she looked fresh and well put together.   Danny said, “Speaking of Jolene.”

Jolene walked up to them and put an arm around each of them.   “Good morning, gentlemen.”

Richard said, “Good morning, Jolene.   May I serve you breakfast?”

She replied, “Most certainly.”

He loaded up a plate with pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs.   He handed it to her and said, “There is syrup for the pancakes on that stump.”   He pointed to the syrup.

She walked over and applied it liberally to her pancakes.   She took a seat next to the fire to eat her breakfast.   The remainder of the company soon put in an appearance at the campfire.   She was joined by three other women.   She talked animatedly to them, gesturing toward Danny.  

Richard looked over at the four women and said, “Danny, it looks like you may have three more women to service tonight.”

Danny glanced over at Jolene and her friends.   He frowned and said, with disgust, “I hope not.   I had to take a cold bath in the lake this morning to get her stench off of me.”

Richard laughed and said, “There is a certain odor that clings to you after you have sex with a woman; but I’ve never heard it described that way.   Just think about it, Danny, you could be their stud for the rest of the trip.”

Danny glared at Richard and said, “I don’t need to become a breeding stud to satisfy the needs of that group of women.”

Richard laughed even harder.   “You’re such a trip!   Any other guy would be happy to have four good looking women begging him to service them!”

“Well, I’m not into having sex just for the sake of having sex,” Danny said.

“Then why did you sleep with Jolene last night?” Richard asked, still grinning.

Danny blushed and said, “I felt trapped, Richard.   I didn’t know how to get out of the situation without offending her.”

Richard nodded his head sympathetically.   “All you have to do is tell her that you aren’t interested.”

“But that wasn’t true last night.   I’ve never been so turned on by a woman like I was by Jolene,” Danny said.   “Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately wanted to fuck a woman; but, at the same time, were totally repulsed by her?”

Richard said, “Yes.   It happened to me yesterday with Jolene.   She tried to get me to sleep with her, but I told her I couldn’t because I’m married and have two children.   That’s when she turned her attentions to you.”

One of the college students overheard their conversation.   He had jet black hair and eyes with a wide, generous mouth.   He looked like he worked out on the weights.   His white tank top revealed well-muscled arms and chest.   He said, “I couldn’t help overhearing you guys talking about Jolene.   I saw you with Jolene last night.   I just wanted to tell you that she’s had sex with all of us over the last few days.”   He nodded toward the women and said, “In fact, we’ve had sex with all four of those women.”

Richard said, “Thanks for telling us.   Where are you guys from?”

Jeb said, “We’re from San Diego.”   He gestured for his friends to join him.   He introduced them, “These are my roommates, Colton, Darin, and Marlin.”

Richard said, “Yes, we met yesterday; but I didn’t realize you four were roommates.”

Colton, a tall lanky kid, said, “We’re studying at San Diego State University.”   He had sandy blond hair, watery blue eyes, a hawk-like nose and thin lips.   He smiled, showing slightly crooked teeth.   “We’re math majors.”

Darin was the tallest of the four at 6’5” (196 cm.)   He had dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a brilliant smile.   He said, “I’m on the basketball team.   These guys keep teasing me that I’m just a dumb jock trying to pretend at being a math major.”

Marlin said, “It’s true, you are just a dumb jock.”   This earned him a punch in the shoulder.   Marlin was the shortest of the four at 5’6” (168 cm.).   He had a stocky build with brown eyes, light brown hair and ready smile.   “I can attest to that fact because I was on my high school’s wrestling team and I’m proud to count myself to be a dumb jock.”

Colton said, “Don’t let Marlin fool you.   He has the best grades of all of us.   He is the only one who didn’t get laid last night.”

Marlin frowned, “It’s not my fault that Jolene wanted to try for Danny.”

Jeb said, “The girls go to school at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).   We met them in Yellowstone National Park last week.   We stayed at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel with them.”

Danny said, “I wish I’d known that.   I wouldn’t have given her the time of day.”

Jeb laughed, “Somehow I don’t think it would’ve made much difference, at least not with Jolene.   She’s used to getting her way.”

“I know,” Danny said, ruefully.

Marlin said, “I’ll be happy to keep her occupied for the rest of our trip.”

Danny smiled and asked, “Would you be willing to do that?”

“Absolutely!   She’s the best fuck I’ve ever had,” Marlin said, grinning widely.

“Mine, too, although her roommates were pretty good in bed as well,” Colton said.

The girls got up from where they were seated and walked over to join the group of guys.   Jolene smiled at Danny and went over to him.   “What is on our agenda for today?”

Danny looked over at Richard.   Richard said, “We’re going to ride round the lake and up to Hidden Falls.   Then, we’ll ride up to Coulter Bay where we’ll be camping tonight.”

She put her hand on Danny’s arm.   “I hope you’ll keep us company on the trail.”

Danny said, “I believe these young men will be glad to entertain you and your friends while I do my job.”

She looked like she had been slapped.   “Isn’t your job to make sure we’re happy?”   Her voice was hard and her eyes flashed daggers at him.

Richard said, “Danny is correct.   He has a job to do which includes watching over the rest of the group.   He is not your personal guide, Jolene, and neither am I.   We have a group of 23 people on this trip and we need to ensure the safety and well-being of all of them.   I’m sorry to disappoint you if you expected Danny to be your personal escort on this trip.”  His tone brooked no argument.

She decided she would throw down the gauntlet.   If they wouldn’t cooperate with her plans, she would make this trip a living hell for them.   “You know that he forced his way into my tent last night.”

Richard’s face went red with anger.   “Young lady, do you mean to accuse Danny of raping you?   If so, I believe that your girlfriends can attest to your desire to bed him along with myself and these four gentlemen standing here.   I believe you have already slept with each of them already during the past few days.   I will gladly testify to the fact that you tried to get me into your bed yesterday.   If you wish to file charges, I will be glad to take you back to the lodge where we can get the sheriff to take statements from all of the people here.   I would think twice about making false statements if I were you.”

Jolene looked around at her small crowd that stood around her.   One of her friends touched her arm, “He’s right, Jolene.   You did brag to us that you could get Danny into your bed with no problem.”

Marlin said, “You weren’t too shy about jumping into the sack with each of us at the hotel last week.   How many times did we have sex, three or four times was it?”

Jolene’s face was dark with anger.   “I’ll file charges against all of you.”

Richard said, “Let’s break camp.   We’re heading back to the lodge so we can see justice served.   I hope you are ready to back up your claims and that you are also ready to face the consequences of filing false charges.   I hear that women don’t do well behind bars.”

Jolene looked at Richard with a hatred Danny had never before seen in a human being.   “I’m prepared to do whatever I have to do to get you and Danny fired and put behind bars.”

A man in his mid-forties joined their group.   He introduced himself to the group.   “I’m Derek McHale.   I’m a deputy sheriff, here in Teton County.   I overheard this young lady claim that she was raped last night.   I also heard that she has been sexually active with the rest of the young men standing here.   I also understand that this argument started over whether or not Danny would be this young lady’s personal escort for the rest of the trip.   Am I correct?”

Jolene’s face turned white when she realized that the deputy sheriff had overhead their entire conversation.   She wasn’t about to back down; so she said, “You heard correctly that I was raped.”

He gave her a hard stare and then said, “Are you willing to make that statement under oath in a court of law?”

She held his gaze for a long moment and then looked down at her feet.   She mumbled, “No.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said.   He turned back to Richard and said, “I strongly recommend that we return to the lodge.   It wouldn’t be prudent for you to continue this camping trip given the accusations this young lady has made against you and Danny.   I believe that there are laws against slander should you wish to pursue the matter.”

Richard nodded his head in agreement.   “I’ll inform the rest of the company.”

He left the group and began telling the rest about the change of plans.   Jolene turned to the deputy sheriff and said, “I hate you.”

He responded, “I’m sorry you feel that way miss, but enforcing the law is my job.   And more particularly, I value the truth.   Trying to put someone behind bars when they are innocent is a crime in and of itself.”

They soon had the tents down and repacked.   Danny and Richard got the horses saddled and ready for the ride back to the lodge.   They were soon on their way with the deputy sheriff riding alongside Jolene.

A few hours later, they arrived at the lodge.   The deputy sheriff contacted the park rangers to let them know what had happened while they were in the national park.   He had dealt with the park rangers before when incidents had happened on federal property.   He also called for reinforcements from the sheriff’s department to help with taking statements.   Danny and Richard unloaded the camping gear and had finished putting it away when two deputies approached them with a park ranger.  

“Please come with us,” one of them said.

Richard asked, “Lionel, what’s going on.”

The deputy said, “We’re taking statements from everyone that was on the camping trip with you.”

“Good,” Richard said.

They entered the lodge and the deputies guided them into two separate offices where they were interviewed.   After giving their statements to the federal authorities, they walked over to Mr. Baker’s office.

Mr. Baker and Deputy McHale were seated across from each other.   Mr. Baker waved them inside.   “You did the right thing by returning to the lodge.   I’m very grateful that Deputy McHale was there to provide direction to you two.   It’s unfortunate that the young lady has caused so much trouble for everyone.”

Deputy McHale asked, “Do either of you wish to press charges against her?”

“I don’t,” Richard said.   “I just hope she has learned an important lesson.”

Danny said, “I don’t wish her any ill will.   I don’t want to press charges against her; however, if we are hauled into federal court over this, I will definitely want to file suit to recover damages and ensure my expenses are paid.   Travelling to Cheyenne for court hearings and everything will cost a bit of money not to mention the mental and emotional strain of going through the whole process.”

“I don’t think that it will get that far.   You are very fortunate, Danny,” Deputy McHale said.   “If her girlfriends hadn’t cooperated with us to disprove her story, you would have had a difficult time of it.”

“What about the four guys she had sex with earlier in the week?” Danny asked.

Deputy McHale said, “They were very helpful as well.   However, the most damning testimony came from her girlfriends who admitted that they were involved in a competition among themselves to see how many different guys they could have sex with on their trip.”

Danny asked, “What about the rest of the company?   Are we taking them back out?”

Mr. Baker said, “I’ve offered to transport them and the horses to Coulter Bay where they can continue their camping trip.   However, I’ve asked Bryan and Garrett to take them on the rest of their trip.   I felt you two needed some time to recover before I put you back out on the trail with a tourist group.”

Richard nodded his head.   “I could use a day or two off.”

Danny agreed.   “I’ve never been accused of something as heinous as raping a woman.   I don’t want anything to do with women.”

Deputy McHale laughed and said, “I’m sorry, Danny.   I don’t see how you will be able to pull that one off.”

Richard added, “You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.”

Mr. Baker said, “I think you’ll be just fine after a few days off, Danny.   Richard, will you drop Danny off at his place?”

“I sure will.   Come on, Danny.   Let’s get you home,” Richard said.

The two men left Mr. Baker’s office, stopping to collect their gear as they headed to the parking lot.   They threw their stuff in the back of Richard’s Ford pickup.   They climbed in the cab and Richard started the truck.   He drove back into town to Danny’s place.   He pulled in next to Danny’s truck.  

Seeing Jerry’s truck, Richard said, “It looks like your roommate is home.”

Danny said, “It appears that way.”

Richard said, “I hope you can mend things with Jerry.   He’s a good guy and so are you.”

“I’ll try,” Danny said.   “It will be up to him.”

He climbed out of the cab and grabbed his gear from the back of the pickup.   He walked around to the back of the house and entered their apartment.   He dropped his gear just inside the door and stood staring in shock at what he saw.

Jerry was completely naked lying on the floor in a pool of vomit.   There was an empty bottle of vodka in his hand and several other empty bottles on their small kitchen table.   Danny closed the door and walked over to Jerry.   He knelt down and checked to make sure he was still alive.   Breathing a sigh of relief, he took the empty bottle from Jerry’s hand.   Jerry moaned but didn’t wake up.   Danny stood up and went into the bathroom to get a towel and a couple of damp rags.   He returned to Jerry and started cleaning him up.   Danny couldn’t help admiring what a fine physical specimen Jerry was.   As he washed Jerry down, he thought how much he liked the feel of this man’s body.   His jeans became uncomfortably tight.   He stood up and adjusted himself before kneeling down to finish the job.  

Danny put his arms under Jerry’s and said, “Jerry we need to get you into your bed.”   He lifted Jerry’s upper torso from the floor and started to drag him toward his room.   He lifted Jerry into his bed and covered him up with a blanket.   He returned to the front room and cleaned up the mess on the floor.   He opened the door and windows to air out the place; since it reeked of vomit.

Danny washed the dishes and got a shower.   He stretched out on the couch and drifted off.   He was awakened by Jerry’s moaning.   He sat up as Jerry walked into the room.   Jerry saw him and said, “So, you’re back.” 

Danny didn’t respond, being mesmerized by Jerry’s beautiful naked body.   He couldn’t take his eyes off of Jerry’s very erect manhood.   Jerry moved over to the kitchen sink and turned on the water.   He reached into the cabinet and retrieved a tumbler, filling it at the tap.   Danny became very aroused at the sight of Jerry’s bubble butt and his very muscular back.

Jerry turned around and said, “Cat got your tongue.”

Danny raised his eyes to Jerry’s and said, “No, but you were quite a mess when I got here, passed out on the floor, lying in your own vomit.”

Jerry looked away, embarrassed.   “I thought you weren’t going to come back.   I felt like an idiot for treating you so badly.”

Danny said, “I’m the one who should be apologizing.   I wasn’t any better.”

Jerry met Danny’s gaze and said, “I guess we were both at fault.   I don’t want to lose your friendship, Danny.   I shouldn’t have let Mr. Hansen’s words upset me.”

Danny said, “Mr. Hansen shouldn’t have said anything to either of us.   He apologized to me for messing up our friendship.”

“I thought you would go with him to San Francisco,” Jerry said.

“I thought about it for about two seconds, but I decided against it.   I’m not a city boy and don’t think I would do very well in a big city like San Francisco,” Danny said.

Jerry said, “I’m glad you decided to stay.”   He clutched his head in both hands.   “Damn!  My head hurts!”

Danny stood up and walked into the bathroom.   He returned with a bottle of aspirin.   He opened the bottle and shook a couple tablets into his hand.   “Here, take a couple of these.”

Jerry took the pills from Danny’s hand and popped them into his mouth.   He swallowed them without any water.   Danny’s hand seemed to tingle where Jerry’s fingers had brushed his palm.   He looked into Jerry’s eyes and said, “I’m amazed that you can swallow those without any water.”

Jerry managed to smile through the pain in his temples.   “I’ve never had any problems popping pills.”

Danny said, “Are you up for getting a burger or something?”

“Sure.   I’ll get dressed and we can go out,” Jerry said.   He clapped Danny on the back and said, “Thanks for coming back.”

Danny said, “You’re welcome.”

Jerry pushed past him and walked into his bedroom.   He returned, dressed in a blue plaid shirt, jeans, and his cowboy boots.   He wore a big, shiny buckle on his belt.

Danny saw it and asked, “Isn’t that a new belt buckle?”

“Yes, it is.   I bought one for you, just in case you came back,” Jerry said.   He handed it to Danny.   Again, Danny’s hand tingled where Jerry’s fingers had touched him.

He admired it, turning over in his hands.   “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Jerry said, smiling at his friend.  Danny took off his belt and removed his old belt buckle, replacing it with Jerry’s gift.   Jerry looked Danny over from head to toe, noting what a good looking man he was.   He felt a stirring in his loins.   He said, “You look pretty good with that belt buckle; but we need to get you some new clothes.”

Danny blushed.   He knew his clothes were getting pretty threadbare.  “Maybe you could help me pick out some decent clothes.”

Jerry smiled, “You have yourself a deal.   Let’s go.”   Jerry looked at his watch and noted that they had about an hour before the stores closed.   He drove down the main street and parked.   “Let’s get you some clothes.”

They walked into a clothing store and Jerry picked out several pairs of jeans, several plaid shirts, and a new pair of cowboy boots.   Danny said, “That’s a lot of new clothes.   I don’t have that much money.”

Jerry laughed and said, “I know better.   I saw the fat envelope Mr. Baker handed to you after we returned from our last trip.”

Danny’s cheeks colored.   “I’d forgotten about that.   I guess I can afford to buy a few new clothes.”

Jerry grinned, “That’s my Danny Boy.”

Danny smiled and said, “I like that.   You can call me your Danny Boy.”

Jerry ruffled Danny’s hair.   “Let’s get going.”

Danny paid for his clothing and they walked out of the store.   Danny put his new clothes behind the seat and climbed into the cab.   Jerry drove them to the local burger joint and they ordered a burger and fries.

They returned home.   Jerry had been wondering why Danny had returned home so soon.   Normally, the camping trips were 5 days long.   He sat down next to Danny on the couch and asked, “Why was the camping trip cut short?”

Danny’s face turned completely red from embarrassment.   “We had a little something come up.”

Jerry noticed Danny’s discomfort.   It only made him want to know more.   “Okay, spill it!   What happened?   I can tell it must have been pretty major.”

Danny looked up and met Jerry’s gaze.   “Promise me you won’t harass me about it.”

Jerry grinned and said, “Okay, I promise.   Now, start talking.”

Danny started out by telling him about Jolene and how beautiful she was.   He didn’t leave out any details.   When he got to the part where he got laid, Jerry guffawed, “I’ll be….who would have thought my Danny Boy would score on a camping trip!”

Danny put up his hand and said, “Wait.   I’m not done.”   He continued to narrate the events that led up to them returning to the lodge.

Jerry said, “Damn!   That’s too bad.   I’m glad the deputy sheriff was there.”

“Me too,” Danny said.   “Thanks for listening to me.   I needed to tell somebody.”

Jerry said, “You can always talk to me, Danny.   I want you to know that I’ll be here for you.   I hope you can believe me, despite how I treated you earlier.”

Danny had tears in his eyes as he said, “Thank you, Jerry.   You don’t know how much that means to me.”

Jerry thought he might; because he found he really wanted to be more than just a friend to his Danny Boy.   Things were getting tight down below; so he stood up and said, “Good night, Danny Boy.   I’ll see you in the morning.”  

“Good night, Jerry,” Danny said.

Jerry went in to his bedroom and stripped down.   He crossed the hall to the bathroom to brush his teeth and relieve himself.   He caught sight of Danny stretched out on the couch.   He liked what he saw.   Danny had stripped down to his underwear, which were tented by his very erect steel pole.   That was the image that kept coming back to him as he tried to get to sleep.  

*** ***