Chapter 24

I woke up groggily, feeling as if someone had set my nose hair on fire. I turned my head to the side and my eyes slowly started to focus. The first thing I saw was Doc Willis kneeling beside me, trying to stick his bottle of smelling salts up my nostril. I raised my hand and pushed the evil smelling bottle away.

The next thing I heard was Anna Lopez’s angelic voice from right behind me.

“He’s awake!” she yelled excitedly.

That seemed to start about a hundred people talking at once, their blended voices buzzing in my head like a swarm of hornets.

I groaned and tried to sit up. Doc Willis helped pull me up. I closed my eyes as a wave of vertigo rolled over me. When the dizziness stopped, I opened my eyes again and looked around.

“How is Pedro?” I asked.

“Better than you,” the doctor replied. “He only had the breath knocked out of him. Son, what you did was the bravest and stupidest thing I’ve seen since the war. What the hell were you thinking?”

I shrugged, which cause my head to pound like a tom-tom.

“I guess I wasn’t. Now if you are through insulting me, help me up.”

He laughed and stepped backwards, as suddenly Belle was on one side of me and Maria on the other, both of them gently helping me stand. Once I had my feet under me and another little dizzy spell passed, I was fine on my own. I tried to tell the women that, but they still insisted on holding on to me anyway.

When I was standing, people started applauding. I looked around and saw the fence around the arena was still crowded with people, and that most of the clapping was coming from a large contingent of women from the various saloons. I waved towards them as Anna handed me my hat, and I gingerly sat it on my aching head.

“How long was I out?” I asked no one in particular.

“About five minutes,” Belle replied. “You scared the tarnations out of us, you...”

Before Belle could finish telling me what an idiot I was, Pedro and Rosalinda were standing in front of me. Pedro had tears in his eyes as he grabbed me in a bear hug only slightly less painful than his woman’s.

“You saved my sweet Rosalinda! Amigo, for that I am forever in your debt. We will name our first son in your honor,” he blubbered.

I awkwardly patted Pedro on the back and praised his ride on that maniacal bull. He finally let go of me and stood back.

“I told you I was the greatest vaquero in all of the world and now you have seen for yourself that Pedro, he does not lie. It is you who are the big surprise, Señor. I never would have dreamed that my abogado would be my closest competition.”

It turned out that I did finish a very distant second to Pedro by finishing first in the pistols and second in bull riding. Pedro finished first in four events and second in the two others. I also lost the overall pistol competition to Sheriff Faulkner, when he came out and shot a ninety-one with seven bulls. Oh well, I had started the day with the notion of earning some respect and I think I accomplished that. As a bonus, I won a pair of boots from Joaquin and twenty-five dollars. I was going to have Joaquin make me a pair of thirteen inch tall, square toed, black boots, with inch and a half stacked and tapered heels. The boots were going to be of a more modern style than seen in the eighteen-seventies, yet still have an appearance close to the Wellington style boots many cowboys wore. Actually, I’d been surprised that about as many cowboys wore the lace up Packer style boot as wore the Wellington.

After they passed out prizes, Belle walked with me back to the stables and helped me square away Melosa. I had a slight headache, but it was down to a dull throb. I curried my little filly and praised her efforts while Belle set her up with a bucket of oats. Melosa was the only reason I’d finished as well as I had in the competition, with someone like Pedro Diaz riding her, she’d have won everything. Melosa seemed contented with her effort and happy about being spoiled by Belle and me.

After we finished at the stables, Belle fell in step with me and walked me home. I expected Belle to drop me off at my room and either head back to the festivities or go home. Instead, she helped me undress, got naked herself, and then pulled the sheet back on my bed.

“It’s too hot to wear clothes,” she said by way of explanation, “so I usually sleep nude. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Sleep?” I asked incredulously, as I ran my finger over one of her absolutely perfect breasts.

“Sleep!” she affirmed with a giggle as she slapped my hand away. “Sleep, then talk, then who knows? Now roll over so I can cuddle.”

“Yes, Dear,” I replied and rolled on my side.

Truth be told, sleep sounded like an excellent idea to me. I was bone weary after my adrenalin charged day. I don’t think I had fully turned over, before I was out like a light.

I slept like a log for two solid hours. It was five in the afternoon when I finally woke up. I guess Belle hadn’t been lying about wanting to cuddle, because she was draped over my back with her arm around me. The feel of her firm breasts pressing into my back gave me a tortuous erection and to top it off, I had to pee something fierce. I tried like hell to hold still and stay in the bed, but I only managed a couple more minutes before my needs became too urgent. I gently rubbed the arm Belle had thrown over me until she stirred.

“Belle, let me up Honey. My headache’s gone, but I’ve got to go to the bathroom.”

She mumbled a reply and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

I slipped out of bed and pulled on my pants, shirt and boots before dashing to the bathroom. Yes, I could have used the chamber pot under the bed, but I felt shy doing that in front of Belle this early in our relationship. That didn’t stop her from using it while I was gone though.

When I came back into my apartment, Belle was sitting up against the head board, with the sheet pulled up over her lap. She patted the spot next to her.

“Get naked Baby,” she said. “It’s time for us to have a little talk.”

I shucked out of my clothes and dove into bed, my dick hard enough to pole-vault with. Belle laughed at my eagerness.

“I said talk,” she said with a giggle.

I had to chuckle myself, as my unit waved around with my every move.

“So talk,” I said, “and don’t mind him, he’s just happy to see you.”

Belle shook her head at my lame humor.

“You are not like any man I’ve ever met, Ty. You are so comfortable with your nudity that you can even joke about it. You also treat women differently. I don’t just mean how respectful you are. I’m talking about how you treat us as equals. It makes me wonder how you feel about women’s suffrage.”

That was a question that required no thought on my part.

“I think it’s criminal that women can’t vote or stand for election. I am all for equal rights for everyone.”

Belle smiled at that and patted my arm affectionately.

“See? That’s what I mean. You are the most enlightened man I’ve ever met. Does your enlightenment extend to sexual matters?”

I had to wonder where this conversation was going, but I knew Belle was headed somewhere, so I answered her honestly.

“I’ve had some experience with sex and I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried. I have no interest in being with another man, but past that, I’m game for about anything. If there’s one thing I think I’m selfish about, it would be that I don’t want to share a woman with another man, even if I’m seeing more than one woman at a time.”

Belle’s smile grew bigger.

“How about sharing your woman with another woman, how would you feel about that?”

For a woman in eighteen seventy-seven to ask that question surprised the hell out of me. Still, I was intent on being honest with Belle. I had participated in only one ménage à trois in my life. That happened when I was a young GI in Okinawa, and it was hot as hell. I was all for the idea with one caveat.

“If both women were with me and we all cared for each other enough so that no one’s feelings were hurt, then hell yeah! I would especially want to avoid anyone sneaking around and keeping secrets. Now why all the questions, Belle?”

She looked at me thoughtfully for a second or two, then took a deep breath.

“Ty, you have to promise me that no matter what you think of me after I tell you this, that not a word of it leaves this room.”

“I’ll do you one better,” I replied solemnly. “Nothing you can tell me will affect how I think of you as a person, and I don’t kiss and tell. What is between you and me will stay just between us, unless or until you do or say otherwise.”

She gave me a shy but bright little smile.