Chapter 21

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Bart sat next to Abe feeling closer to him than ever before. He was not interested in men, but if he was, Abe was his type.  This was only a passing thought.  What confused him was Abe wanting sex with men. He had not one speck of homo about him. I guess a man has to go where his body takes him. Anyhow, that is how he thought about Abe.

Johnny and Colt were getting in position to arm wrestle.

“Do you think Colt can take Johnny?” asked Abe.

“Just watch,” said Bart. Colt is a Denton and folks don’t mess with the Denton boys.”

They, Johnny and Colt, clasp hand together struggling, and Colt irreversibly won. It took some effort; then again, Colt had spirit and determination to be number one. There was cheering and back slapping for the winning man in the room.

“Try your brother, cried out Johnny, “let’s see the toughest Denton.”

“Nope, I already know that Bart is tougher than me. We arm wrestle, and he always wins. So I ain’t gonna do it.”

“Let me in there,” said Sparky. “C’mon Bart, try this old man.  They tried and Sparky lost to more hurrahing. Bart was amazingly strong believing he was top gun.

Everybody did his share of showing off except for Abe, who chose not to wrestle. 

“C’mon Abe, said Bart. Wanna do me?”

“You’ll lose.”

“Nah, you gotta prove it. I’ll wager five bucks, I can get you down to the table first thing,” bragged Bart.

“Colt nodded for Abe to go ahead and take on Bart. Abe had an arm of steel, from swinging a pickaxe in a Nevada mine. Colt knew Abe’s body like a roadmap, and it was hard as a rock. This would be a good one.

“When they grasped hands, Bart looked into Abe face. He never realized the magic in Abe’s piercing green eyes ejecting rays of baby blue color.  He was grasping the hand of a stud, who recently sucked his cock only a few hours earlier. His goal however was to win, not the homo stuff.

Bart took a swig of beer and Abe tighten around his hand. He was much different form the other men. His grip felt like a vice and no doubt somebody not to challenge. With little effort coming from Abe, Bart lost and his hand laid on the table in defeat. Everybody cheered, of course – it was the right thing to do and nobody declared being the best. They were all friends.

Bart plunked down five silver dollars, on Abe’s bed.

“Nah, here, I don’t want your money. We are just horsing around.”  Abe tried to give it back, but Bart wouldn’t take it. 

******

The next morning Abe gave the $5.00 to Sparky and told him to buy grub or beer for the crew. Nobody, but the Denton’s, knew that Abe was a wealthy owner of a silver mine in Nevada. Abe insisted on being just one of the boys.

He worked as a ranch hand, only to be with Colt. It was a tangled web of deceit with no way out.  It tormented Abe around the clock and he had to do something about it. What good was having money if it couldn’t bring happiness? His heart ached to sleep with Colt in bed like real people.

After breakfast, he saddled his horse Thunder, and rode into town. He walked into the bank and asked for Mr. Hadley, the bank owner.

“Well, well, well, my boy, what brings you into town today? Is there something I can do for you?” he asked.

“Am I correct in saying the bank owns the Hicken’s farm, next to pa’s ranch? There is a fence separating the two properties. Chester, my step pa, bought the horses from Charlie. I hear all the other animal have been sold.

“That’s right, they moved on with a wagon train west to California. Why do you ask?”

“I want to buy that land,” said Abe.

“Are you getting married and setting up for farming the land?” Hadley asked.

“How much?”

“It is a lot of money, you will need papers and financing with the bank.”

“How much?”

“The land is prime grazing with water, house and barns. As I said, it is a lot.”

“I have a lot. Take the money I have on deposit. If it isn’t enough, I will get more from the bank of Omaha.”

They went into Hadley’s office signed papers and Abe paid for the land. Everything was settled in about an hour.

******

Back on the street, he sat in one of the chairs lined along the wooden sidewalk and looked at the name, on the paper scribbled, “Chester Denton.” The land didn’t interest him in the least; it was a means to an end.

Across the street set, the town’s barber shop. Abe looked different from years back when he didn’t care about his appearance. Things were different since coming back from Nevada. Now, he fussed with his hair and beard, especially the beard. He kept it short and orderly.

“Okay, young feller, hop up here, you’re next,” said Ken the barber.

Ken trimmed his hair cutting as little as necessary. He fussed more with his face getting the beard to look like a manicured lawn. Splashed with witch hazel, Abe was back on the street, smelling fine, looking lean with long legs and mouthwatering fitting pants. He sported a package of goodies between his legs. With a black cowboy hat on his head, he strutted like the rifleman. 

When he rode on to the ranch, Chester and Hatti were sitting on the stoop. He dropped down in a chair beside them and mumbled -”Howdy.”

“I was tellin ma how lonely Charlie and Ruth’s property looked stripped down and empty,” said Chester.

“I can’t understand giving up a settled ranch, to start over again in California,” added Hatti always the practical one in the family.

“They ain’t young-ins anymore,” said pa.

“No, they certainly aren’t,” agreed Hatti.

“I have our property fenced, so whoever buys that place will know by looking, where the boundary is located.” Continued Chester.

“That was my idea,” said ma. “I had your pa do the fencing years ago, just for this very reason. I liked the Hicken’s, but they were not friendly,” she continued.

“Charlie was raised where working was more valuable than meeting people,” continued Chester. “Kinda odd ball, but that’s Charlie for yuh,” he continued.

“Beat me how Ruth ever got him to pull up stakes and leave for California. I heard tell they were going to open a mercantile, and give up ranching.”

“Getting too old, huh?” said pa.

“That’s the rumor, but I am not one to gossip.” Hatti added suggesting they change the subject.

“So what did you do in town,” asked Hatti.

“Where is Bart and Colt?” Abe asked ignoring Hatti’s question.

“They will be along shortly.”

“Good,” replied Abe.

“Why’s that,” said pa.

“I’ve got something to tell the family and it’s Denton business not concerning Sparky or Johnny.”

“I recon you’ve got your reason,” replied Chester with a strange look on his face.

It is sobering and I am trying to get everything right,” began Abe. By looking at him, Colt didn’t know if he was excited or nervous.

“Well,” said pa. “Are we goin have to find a preacher with a sense of humor?”

“Nah, nothing like that.” said Abe, taking papers out of his pocket.

“Wait Abe, we have been jesting with you.” said pa.

“What!”

“Yep, afraid so brother Abe,” said Bart, putting his hand on his shoulder.      ”Y’all know what you did today.”

“Mr. Hadley just left before you got here,” chimed in Hatti, pushing closer to where Abe was sitting. “You bought the Charlie Hicken’s place,” she said.

“We don’t want a neighbor. We want a son.” said pa,  quieter than usual.

“Shucks Abe, the three of us look dang spiffy together, gotta admit we’re brothers,” added Bart. “You can’t camp over there.”

“All Colt said was – “Yeah.” Looking as if he might cry.

“No, you have this all wrong. I am not going to live there. I don’t want the land, I want pa to have the land. If we take down the fence separating the two sections, it will be one huge ranch stretching out for miles. Why, the Denton Ranch will be the biggest in the valley. Our own ponderosa.” bragged Abe.

“Much obliged, but can’t accept it,” said pa. “I intended to buy it eventually, but a piece down the road, after I sell the horses.”

“Now, you don’t have to wait,” said Abe.

“Nope, can’t accept it,” replied Chester.

“Hold on a minute pa, we got to talk about this, man to man. When I got my horse THUNDER, from you, do you recall what you said?”

“Of course, I said you have a good horse there.”

“You said, “You’re a Denton now, and Denton’s adopted or not, don’t pay for horses on this ranch – so take the dang animal and let’s not hee haw over it.”

I’m a Denton now pa, so take the dang land and let’s not hee haw over it,” Abe said rather forcefully.

“He’s got you there pa,” chimed in Colt finally smiling.

“Obliged, but when I sell the horses, the money is yours.”

“I don’t want the money, I want the house for a hunting cabin, and you can have the land. The area is loaded with ducks on the river and deer in the woods. It’s a perfect place to hunt and the house for shelter,” said Abe.

“I’m hankering down in the bunkhouse with the ranch hands and work every day. I gotta earn my keep. Pa doesn’t pay us for just standing around,” said Abe feeling good.

“You’ve got a deal,” said pa.

“I’d say perfect,” added Hatti.

“For sure,” included Bart.

Colt mumbled, “perfect to love…” however, so quietly nobody heard him.

******

The Hicken’s house never became a getaway for hunting. It  existed as a love cabin, where Colt and Abe, initiated crazy and often dirty sex devouring one another. They became powerfully high on love, a dream from which they never wanted to be awakened.

Colt and Abe lived yesterday, a time gay people, settled for two sets of standards. They anticipated the next hundred years, would be different, and they are…

******

End