Chapter 11
As Jan and Krista put their last load in the Conestoga Dan turned to me to ask, “What’s the plan for tonight, W?”
I said, “I want a shower and soak, then eat one of your dinosaur steaks. By then it should be late enough that we can sneak all this shit to the livery stable. How does that sound?”
J and K heard my plan. They concurred, as did Dan. Jan led the way into the B&B. Once again, Krista took my hand leading me into the honeymoon suite. K was through hinting!
K started the tub filling as I adjusted the shower. We undressed each other. We entered the shower together. The first minutes were spent under the warm spray letting our lips get reacquainted. Krista washed my hair, and then my body, almost as a sensual massage. I returned the favor, washing her hair twice with a deep scalp massage. I squirted the liquid soap all over Krista’s body. I gently rubbed the soap into lather with my hands. An enjoyable exercise for both of us!
Finally Krista called halt to my fun rinsing us both. She led us, still dripping, to the huge round tub. Dan was already sitting in the tub with Jan on his lap. I climbed into the mass of bubbles, with Krista claiming her place on my lap.
We four sat in the hot water discussing our upcoming transit. We tried to anticipate hazards. Nurse Krista warned us, “We’re going back into a very unhealthy time. It’s dirty, with unwholesome water and lousy sewage disposal. The food is not refrigerated so we will probably get food poisoning until our bodies adjust to eating half spoiled food. The town is probably rife with diseases we don’t even study any more; for sure, Cholera, TB, Smallpox, and Typhoid. There’s a huge immigrant population fresh off the boat and a large Chinese contingent. Who knows what illness they added to the mix? Frontier life is like a third world country, only less well.”
Jan laughed. “It always looked clean and lovely on Gunsmoke! I’m guessing that sexually transmitted disease is a big issue. They had a version of the condom at the time, so Miss Emma’s girls probably will be open to the modern condom. I’m taking along mass quantities. You boys can’t play bareback with the shady ladies until K has a chance to examine them and they start using condoms.”
I asked quizzically, “Are Dan and I playing with the shady ladies?”
Krista turned a bit so she could make eye contact with me as she said, “Yes. Jan and I have often discussed swapping and sharing. We’re comfortable with the concept of polygyny or even polyamory. This visit to ‘past’ Deadwood will be a chance to live out those fantasies without the emotional baggage of doing it in the ‘here and now.’ I know you two will have little choice in the matter. Emma fully intends to reward Dan, with Gabrielle equally intent on you, W.”
I looked over at a smirking Jan, while Dan looked like he just found out that Christmas and his birthday would be everyday from now on!
I said, “Okay, love. I know I should be protesting, but I never argue with a woman.”
We were all laughing as K leaned in for a kiss. I continued, “Just don’t get this confused with some kind of frontier video game or frontier Sims. Somebody tags one of us it’s going to be substantially more than lose a turn!”
Everyone nodded soberly as we went back to discussions and planning. As the water cooled, it was time for food. Dan said, “My internal clock is out of synch. I’m not sure what meal this is. I do know that I’m hungry. How about the rest of you?”
I nodded, agreeing. “Food is a hell of an idea. Let’s eat!”
We stood up together, comfortable in our nudity. I could picture us clearly in my mind, together on the big four-poster bed now with no qualms. This was quite a change for me, after only one trip together through the portal.
K led me into the shower. D and J went across the hall. K had me rinsed, dried, and dressed swiftly, still with many kisses. I sat on the big bed, watching her dress. It was almost as sensual an experience as watching her undress.
Dan had his grill going when we arrived in the backyard. K was helping J shuttle food out on the picnic table. I helped D with grilling the steaks, baked potatoes, and sweet corn on the grill.
We had to stop talking to chow down! I ate the enormous steak, and all the trimmings, until I was well past full. Again, Jan brought out ice cream. And, yet again, I ate too much of that as well.
Dan built a small fire in his fire ring. We sat on the ground next to it with Jan on his lap and Krista on mine. The conversation was desultory. We knew what we needed to do. We were waiting to start.
Finally it was dark enough. K stood up, saying, “Let’s saddle up.”
We were all in motion it seemed. The fire was out, the B&B locked up and our little caravan was lined up in the driveway. I walked over to my pickup to start the CK-6 timer. J said, “Won’t be exact time W.”
I said, “Close enough, love. We’ll know if ‘days’ have passed. Minutes hardly count.”
There were nods of understanding as we went back to final preparations. We were ready.
Krista led, riding Duke, with me following on the Francis-powered buckboard. Red was tied to the buckboard behind me. Dan was next, as teamster for the Conestoga wagon with its four-horse team. Jan, on Buttercup, rode drag.
The streets were still and deserted. That suited us fine. I certainly did not want to explain all our firepower to the local Marshal.
At the livery stable, Krista stepped down off Duke to get the door open. Dan backed in the big wagon in a pretty display of horsemanship. I followed, backing in the buckboard. Dan, Jan and Krista holding their mounts were clustered around the four Percherons holding them as they waited for the ‘bump’ of transit.
I was at the counter. Krista told me to go ahead. I saw thumbs up from the others. I held up the coin and started to count, “Three, two, one, drop.”
The room rocked once to the left. Then spun once on its axis to the right.
Again we smelled fresh cut lumber and fresh straw. We saw oats in the storage room.
Krista swung open the big door. It was frontier Deadwood! This time we knew we had to be vigilant.
I climbed on the buckboard, picking up the reins. Krista tied Red to the buckboard. Spanking Francis got us moving into the street. I stood up, holding my Yellow Boy Winchester, as I waited for the rest to emerge.
Dan was next with the harness jingling softly as the four horses dug into the rutted street, moving the heavy wagon. Jan walked out leading Duke and her Buttercup. Krista closed the door.
Krista mounted up. Jan handed her a twelve-gauge, double-barreled shotgun. Krista moved into the lead. Jan mounted, pulling her Winchester 38-55 lever gun out of the scabbard. Jan settled in at the end of our ‘parade.’
I sat down with my rifle on my lap. I clucked at Francis. He just naturally followed Duke. There was activity in the saloons. We passed without incident.
Krista turned toward Miss Emma’s, then she moved Duke out of my way. I took the lead as she watched behind us. The four Percherons continued to make good time hauling our laden wagon through this muddy street.
I took Francis past the path leading into Miss Emma’s barn and hitching rail. I stopped him, blocking the street.
With the street bottled up Dan took his time turning the Conestoga into Miss Emma’s. Again his control of the handful of reins was masterful. When he was completely behind the ‘house,’ I swung Francis around, following the Conestoga into the backyard. Jan and Krista trotted in behind me.
Dan already had the big wagon backed up next to the barn. I tucked the buckboard next to it. All four of us fell to work unharnessing and unsaddling stock. It was only a short trip, but the Percherons had worked. We hadn’t factored the lack of decent roads into our wagon loading. We got them out of their harness and cooled down. Then we watched them as they drank some water.
By now the ‘kitchen girls’ had joined us, helping us get the animals into one of the many box stalls in Emma’s barn. We spread out straw, and fed each of them a bit of oats and hay. Animal feed would be at a premium, and very expensive in a town where they used mules and horses in the gold mines. We would have to remember to buy feed and straw for Miss Emma, to replace what we used.
Speaking of the charming Miss Emma; she was standing on her back porch waving at us to hurry us into the kitchen. As we entered the kitchen Emma’s girls pulled off our boots. Emma led us back into the parlor where Gabrielle was waiting. Gabrielle said, “You weren’t gone very long. We were still worried about you.”
We leaned our guns against the wall. I dropped my saddlebags next to them. I unbuckled my gun belt, setting it on the cushion of an overstuffed chair. We sat down in the same love seats. Emma rang her crystal bell, summoning our servers.
I looked around the room in the soft glow of the kerosene lamps. I could finally relax myself.
Continued in Chapter 12
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