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Building a Dream

By: SW_MO_Hermit



Sam Pritchard was driving his old Ford Mustang east on Interstate 20. He was on the east side of Dallas, TX heading further east and was cursing under his breath. The rush hour traffic was much worse than normal. For the last hour he barely moved at a stop and go pace. In fact it was more stop than go if the truth was told. He could tell it was going to be a damn long time before he got out of town. Sam was worried. The temperature gauge on the dash was hovering at the top end of safe. If traffic didn't start moving better he would have to pull over or take the chance of ruining the already poor engine in the old car. There were over 200,000 hard miles on it. When he pressed on the accelerator blue smoke came from the tail pipe in a noxious cloud from all the oil he burned. In place of the desired throaty roar he heard an anemic chugging sound. He sure missed his beautiful F150 Super Crew 4X4 he was forced to sell last year. Thoughts of what he lost last year just made him angrier and more unable to cope with the Friday evening traffic.

Sam cursed the traffic and life in general once more. It was a shitty day even if it was Friday. It must seem that way for everyone else also. Everyone he saw on the road seemed much more upset than normal. Even some of the more congenial people at work had been touchy today. Perhaps it was because of the horrible heat and humidity. Whatever caused the attitude in people, it was very noticeable. There were a lot of shouting drivers. There sure seemed to be a lot more families driving east than normal for this time on a Friday evening also. To his surprise many if not all of the vehicles occupants seemed nervous too. He once again shouted to the Universe, "GOD I wish I could live in a more pleasant time. All this traffic and modern gridlock is killing me." He heard his dogs vaccination tags rattle as they moved to the gap between the front bucket seats to see if he was OK after his outburst.

In disgust Sam said 'fuck it' to himself. He bent sideways and reached toward the cooler in the passenger floorboards. He pushed his pair of registered Australian Sheppard dogs out of the way when he leaned over the center console. They were in the small back seat but kept their heads pushed through the gap between the front bucket seats. Since his wife died they were his entire family. They loved him and never let a chance go by to show it. As he tried to push them back they each managed to give him a good licking to show their love and devotion. 

After the dogs were back in the seat correctly he once again bent toward the cooler. This time he grabbed an ice cold can of Lone Star and placed it in his crotch. He carefully closed the lid on the cooler then popped the top on the beer. Sam wrapped his large hand around the can hiding the writing on it as much as possible. He furtively looked around for "Smokey" then rapidly raised the can to his lips and took a deep draw on the ice cold brew. When he pulled it away from his lips he let out a loud and satisfying burp. Sam sighed and thought, 'Damn that is good.' 

Sam knew why they passed the strict laws on drinking and driving and intellectually agreed with them but he hated them at the same time. Sometimes a man NEEDED a drink, especially after a hard day at work even if he was driving down a crowded road. Today had been one of those hard days too. Sam put in 11 hours working on a down refinery. Oh, sure, he was the engineer in charge of the repairs but it was still a damn long and hard day. He was a hands on supervisor. Before he got his degree he worked as a pipefitter in this same refinery. He felt he knew much more than the men working under him and sometimes he just had to put in some muscle time to show them how to do the job or to speed the repairs along.

Sam cursed the fact the radio in the rusty old mustang was broken. He cursed even more the fact his air conditioner was broken. Here he was 34 years old and starting over once again thanks to his now deceased wife. He had loved her to pieces but in the end she was the reason he had nothing. Sam never considered the irony of his feelings about drinking and driving even though that was what landed him in the poor house. 

His wife was a party girl. That was what initially attracted Sam to her but by the time she died it was also tearing them apart. The night she died she was once again out with the girls. As normal on the girl's night out she got totally shit faced. Then she tried to drive home instead of getting a cab or ride from someone else. She T-Boned a small SUV with her Lincoln Navigator and killed the woman driving it. She also seriously injured the three young children inside. The husband sued Sam and won a settlement in the millions of dollars. Even after their insurance paid on the accident Sam was forced to sign over his and his deceased wife's entire net worth to the man for his loss. Sam then filed bankruptcy to get his head above water once more.

Sam was inherently a good man but like many from his part of Texas he was a wild one. Sam was also a ladies' man. He loved the women and they loved him. Many would call him an alpha male. Other men naturally followed him and deferred to him. He was lean, good looking and able to talk a woman out of her panties and into his bed with little or no effort. Luckily his deceased wife went for that kind of man. She had been his queen and on many occasions she provided his newest conquest. She primarily but actually both of them were looking for another wife. They auditioned several over their short time together but none of them worked out. Many of the women 'auditioned' thought they would supplant his wife and either be the main woman in his life or the only one. After the accident Sam became a no woman man. After he healed slightly he dropped all the women they had been friendly with and began a long line of one night or one week stands. He was looking for that special woman, one who was like his deceased wife. 

As Sam's vehicle inched along the freeway he surreptitiously drank his brew and thought about the mess his life was in. He was lonesome, so lonesome. All the pussy he sampled since his wife died did not help his loneliness. Even while he was with his woman of the moment there was a core of loneliness, a yearning inside. Sure he got his rocks off but the emotional aspect was not there. He also missed the excitement his wife brought to the bedroom and her sexually submissive ways. She was not a submissive any more than he was a Dom in the traditional sense of the word. Rather they had a unique relationship sexually. She was always ready for sex and he was always ready to give it. Only in the bedroom did he dominate or did she submit and even then she exerted a modicum of control. At least she controlled the entrance of other women into their sexual playtime.

Outside the bedroom Sam's wife was almost the dominant one. She ruled the house with an iron hand. If it related to the house it was in her domain. The relationship or social side of the marriage was almost 60/40 her domain but in all other aspects of their life Sam ruled the roost. He had the last word on sex and finances. Sam would laugh at you if you said it but he was looking for love and commitment. Unfortunately you just don't find that in a one night stand picked up in a bar. It is also rare when you find a significant other that will be true to you in a bar. To use the lyrics of an old song, Sam was looking for love in all the wrong places. As he had these thoughts Sam continued to drive slowly, drink rapidly and think about the mess his life had become. 

Finally Sam got far enough out of town traffic began to pick up speed. He was headed for his grandfather's old farm east of Nacogdoches, TX. It had been several months since he was there and he wanted, he NEEDED the solitude and peace he found in the old place. Gramps had been gone now for several years and his grandmother was in a nursing home over in Louisiana. He got over to see her maybe twice a year. He knew he was going receive the old farmstead when she died. It had been more of a home to Sam than any other place he knew. He still fondly remembered the summers spent there with his grandparent's when he was young. He had roamed the countryside for miles around when he was younger. He still remembered that part of the state as if it was his own back yard.

Sam was feeling no pain when he arrived at the last town before his little place. During the drive 7 beers disappeared down his throat. He was no doubt over the legal limit for blood alcohol content and didn't really care. He decided this was going to be one of those weekends. He pulled into the parking lot of a small strip mall in Center, TX. There was a liquor store and small grocery store still open. Sam went into the grocery store and bought a week's worth of food. He bought several cans of vegetables, soups and so forth as well as dry beans, potatoes, rice, pasta and jars of sauces. His next stop was the liquor store where he loaded up on his favorite beer and several bottles of good sippin' whiskey and one of the Glenlivet, his favorite single malt scotch.

After he loaded his little car down he took off once again. He planned to leave most of the canned and dry food at the cabin because he planned to return the next weekend and spend his vacation there. He would bring another load of things with him then. This trip he brought some of his hunting and fishing gear, sleeping bags, wood cutting gear and other camping supplies. There was almost not enough room for his two dogs after his purchases were loaded into the old car. It sat noticeably lower on the weak springs and groaned loudly when he pulled from the parking lot. The rear bumper scraped the pavement when he dropped down in the low space between the parking lot entrance ramp and highway.

As Sam drove down the smaller and smaller dirt roads heading deeper into the woods toward his house he began to worry. This was the first time he had been here when he didn't drive a 4X4 truck. The roads were way too rough for the little Mustang. Several times during the drive down his short lane the car's undercarriage scraped on a rock or high part of the road. He was going to have to figure out some way to get the road graded if he brought the mustang out here again. 

It was almost full dark when Sam arrived at the old house. The house was small. The original building was just a little over 600 square feet in size. Over the years Gramps had added a small bedroom and bathroom to one side of it but other than that it was still the same old log cabin that his great grandfather built in the late 1860's. Gramps bed was still in the bedroom but Sam always used the smaller bed he considered his. It was in one corner of the main part of the cabin. 

When they arrived Sam got out of the old Mustang and pulled the driver's seat back forward. He jumped back hurriedly. His dogs rushed from the car and immediately began looking for that perfect spot to leave their sign. After they each urinated they ran around the yard with their noses to the ground or up in the air sniffing at the smells to learn what was there or had been there recently. Sam smiled as he watched his best friends refamiliarize themselves with their surroundings.

While the dogs explored Sam drank another beer and worked on carrying his cooler, purchases and clothes into the cabin. On his first trip inside Sam decided it was dark enough inside he needed light. Sam set his backpack and cooler just inside the door on what passed for a kitchen table. He returned to his car and got out a flashlight and his five gallon container of kerosene for the old kerosene lamps in the cabin. Electric service had been discontinued almost 20 years before when his grandparents moved into town from the old homestead.

After getting a couple of lamps lit Sam continued to unload his car. He returned over and over until all his possessions were inside the cabin. He placed his old Model 73 Winchester beside the bed and his fishing gear in a corner of the cabin. He even picked up the ammunition cans with his loaded rounds and his reloading equipment and carried them inside. He had no reason for doing so other than he thought he might do some reloading the next day. He intended to leave early in the morning to do a little hunting or fishing then relax the rest of the day after he returned. It was deer season and landowners were allowed to take an animal on their own property without a hunting license. Fresh venison would taste pretty good he thought. Besides he had only purchased a small amount of fresh meat due to limited cooler capacity.

After Sam got the car unloaded he looked around the old cabin. Of course the old cabin was dirty because no one lived there to keep it clean. It didn't look as if any varmints or other people had been inside since he was last there. Now he was disgusted with himself however. The last time he was there he burned the last of the firewood. That was another trip when he was tired, half drunk and pissed off so he had not cut any wood before he left. Now he needed some wood and had none. Crap, back to the old car he went carrying his wood cutting gear.

Sam returned the saw, fuel and bar oil to the trunk then got into the driver's seat. He started the car and drove across the rough yard to the pile of dead wood that was pulled up into the yard and piled several months ago. He left the headlights on the pile and got out. Sam took his chain saw from the trunk and cut for about twenty minutes. After he had a decent pile of wood cut he turned the car around and loaded the trunk full. Sam drove back to the cabin and backed up beside the old front porch. He unloaded the trunk and returned for another small load of wood. It took him four trips to move all the cut wood to the cabin. Sam once again turned the front of the car toward his wood pile and left the lights on. This illuminated the area he used to split his wood.

Sam got his splitting mall, double bitted ax and wedges from the house. He rolled the first large chunk of wood on end and got to work. It took Sam almost an hour to split all the wood that needed splitting. He piled it on the porch where he usually kept it and set his tools beside it. He looked around and decided he was done for the day. He felt bad now from all the alcohol he consumed on the trip. He was also dusty and sweaty from cutting wood which did not help the way he felt. Sam walked to the car, got in and drove it back to the side of the house where he usually parked.

Sam turned the car lights off, locked it and walked into the house. He used the old hand pump in the kitchen sink to pump water to wash with. He took a quick "sponge bath" and started a small fire in the old wood cook stove. He quickly boiled water for coffee and fried up some bacon, eggs and potatoes and onions for a late meal. By the time Sam was finished it was almost ten thirty p.m. He was exhausted. He staggered over to the old bedstead in the back corner of the house and collapsed onto the bed. He was asleep almost before he got laid down. He never even bothered to cover up. He normally slept nude and this time was no different. Hell, many days he spent the whole day naked if he was not in public or was here in the woods alone or with his deceased wife.

Sam woke the next morning listening to his dogs whine and yip. He wondered what was wrong. They were normally very quiet and well behaved. This morning they were frantic to get outside and acted very nervous. From the look of the sun coming in the window Sam decided he had slept way later than he normally did. It looked as if it was almost noon. Sam looked at his watch and grimaced in disgust. Sometime during the night it stopped running. He did not remember the last time the battery was replaced but it should not have been worn out. It was definitely less than a year since it was replaced and it had not been losing time as a watch normally did when the battery was going bad. He reached for the table his cell phone was on to see what time it was. There was no service out here but he still kept the phone beside his bed. He turned it on but it didn't power up. All he got was a flash that the battery was too low for the phone to work. "Shit," he shouted. He knew the phone had a full charge the night before. It had been plugged into the car for the whole trip from town.

Sam rolled to a sitting position on the edge of the old bed. He ached in every joint and muscle. He sat there for a moment leaning on his arms resting on his thighs. Finally with a sigh he tried to stand. He let out a small groan and staggered over to the door. Damn he felt like hell and he was slightly unsettled. Something just didn't feel right. The cabin felt different as did the day. Sam opened the door and didn't even look outside. The dogs shot through the door and hit the yard yipping and running around sniffing every place they went. Sam staggered to the stove and started a small fire for his morning coffee.

After the coffee was on Sam headed for the yard and his morning piss. He intended to sit on the porch and enjoy the morning until the coffee was done then he would drink it on the porch. He moved slowly to the door and walked out onto the porch without looking around. The dogs were barking and growling at the edge of the woods near the old woodpile. Sam felt as if something was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He started down the two porch steps when he heard a deep growl and a dog yipped almost as if in pain. Sam shook the rest of the cobwebs from his mind and looked toward the pile of uncut wood.

What he saw drove the rest of the sleep from his body. A large black bear was clawing at a tree. It dropped to all fours and took a swipe at his dogs. Sam moved to get a better look. He noticed a young girl in the tree just out of reach of the bear. Sam took the time to notice she was quite good looking. She was dressed in a buckskin dress made up like the pictures he used to see of Indian maidens. The skirt was torn and Sam could see red on the buckskin and running down her thigh and leg. The tree was barely large enough to hold the woman out of reach of the bear.

Sam finally decided he needed to stop watching and do something. He stepped into his cabin and picked up his old rifle. He used the porch post for a rest and took careful aim at the bear. He fired and the bear flinched but kept on trying to get at the dogs and woman. Sam fired once more and the bear stopped. It staggered then slowly collapsed onto the ground at the base of the tree. 

The woman looked over at Sam then down at the bear. Sam slowly walked up beside the bear. He carefully reached out and poked it with his rifle. It did not move. He looked up at the woman and said, "I think its dead now. You can come down. What are you doing up there anyway? This is private property and posted no trespassing. Are you lost?"

The young woman looked at him quizzically and with some fear evident on her face. She said something in a language he did not understand. Sam motioned her out of the tree and said, "Well come on down and let me look at your leg. I am a medic in the Army Reserves so I should be able to fix you up until we can get you to a doctor. I have my medical bag in the house."

The woman looked at Sam once more then began to slowly and carefully climb down from her perch. When she hit the ground she staggered. Sam jumped to catch her then led her toward the house. When they were about half way to the house Sam stopped and stared at the front yard. "Son of a Bitch," he yelled. When he yelled the young woman pulled away from him again. She backed off a couple feet and fell to the ground holding her leg. Sam ignored her while he stared at the yard. Now he knew one of the things that had bothered him just before he saw the bear and young woman. His car was missing! Some sick son of a bitch had stolen his car during the night. Sam was surprised he hadn't at least heard the car being taken. It was loud enough with the hole in the muffler. As he looked around he got another shock. The damn lane into the yard from the road was missing. All that was visible now was a small poorly defined trail.


Building a Dream



"Shit," Sam said. He turned to the woman and walked up next to her. She was now standing with most of her weight on the uninjured leg. He reached for her once again to help her into the house and she flinched away. He said, "Some Son of a Bitch stole my car last night. I don't know how we'll get you to the emergency room now. Well, come on inside and I'll bandage your leg then we'll think of something. As Sam was helping the woman onto the porch one of the dogs came running up and licked him. Sam jumped when the cold nose hit his bare crotch. Now Sam thought he knew why the young woman still was hesitant about accompanying him. Sam had to put a lot of pressure on her arm to get her to follow. When they got inside he pulled her to the bed and tried to make her sit on it. 

When the woman saw where Sam was leading her she became frantic. She began violently trying to get away. She hit him several times before he could subdue her. She was still talking in a strange language. The little Bitch even tried to pull a knife on him. Finally Sam slapped her face and threw her onto the bed. He took three steps and picked up his medical bag then returned in time to catch her as she tried to get away once more.

Sam once again threw her onto the bed and sat astride her legs to keep her from kicking him. He pushed her skirt up and saw she was commando. Damn she had a fine looking pussy! He felt himself harden in spite of himself. Sam opened his bag and pulled his supplies out. He immediately turned to the wound and began working on it. For a short time he had to dodge fists and listen to invective. Slowly the girl stopped fighting him. She watched him carefully as he cleaned the wound and put antibiotic cream on it. He apologized to her for not having anesthetic then made several stitches in the deeper cuts. He bandaged the wound and then pulled her damaged skirt down over her beautiful little pussy.

Sam stood back and looked at the young woman. He said, "You lay there and rest. I suppose since I killed that damn bear I better dress it out. At least I'll have some good meat for the weekend. Maybe I can take some of it home if I can figure out a way to get there without my car. Crap lousy cell service I have doesn't even serve this area so I can call for help."

The woman just lay on the bed resting on her elbows while Sam talked. She watched him while he dressed and as he walked across the room to the kitchen area. She frowned when she saw him pick up some knives and large pans. She watched him walk out the door and collapsed back onto the bed.

After a few minutes the young woman slowly, carefully moved until she was sitting on the side of the bed. When she stood she groaned. She walked slowly out of the building and stood on the porch. She watched Sam struggle with the bear for a moment then began moving slowly down the steps and across the yard toward him.

When Sam looked up at the woman she said something he did not understand. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm sorry but I just don't understand you. I can't believe you don't speak English. We'll try to figure something out when I finish with this bear."

The woman said something else then she limped slowly out of the yard heading into the woods. Sam watched her for a moment then sighed. He rose and began following her. As slowly as she was walking that wasn't difficult. Very soon they came to a small campsite. The ground was torn up and her possessions were scattered around. Sam found the young woman kneeling beside a torn up body of a man. She was holding him rocking back and forth crying. It was obvious the bear had mauled him to death. There was a bow and half dozen arrows lying beside the man along with a bloody knife.

Sam gently touched the woman on the shoulder. He said, "I'm sorry. When we get to town we will send someone back for him."

The woman shrugged his hand off and gently lay the body back down. She slowly moved over to the side and began scraping a hole in the forest floor with the knife and her hands. Sam tried to stop her but she angrily shrugged him off and continued working. Finally Sam decided to return to the house and get his shovel. He would help her bury the young man then let the authorities exhume the body when they reported the accident.

Sam made a hurried trip back to the house with his dogs bouncing along with him. He got his shovel and returned to the small clearing. Sam gently pulled the woman from her labor. He began digging the hole for her. When she saw what he was doing she moved to the man and began wrapping his body in a cured deer skin. She worked and tugged him over beside the hole. After the hole was about three feet deep she gestured Sam out and began pulling the young man toward the hole.

Sam again gently pushed her aside and placed the man carefully in the hole. The woman knelt beside the hole and said a few words then carefully, gently covered the man. After the grave was covered she found and carried several rocks to place over it. 

Sam helped her gather the few belongings scattered around and carry them back to his cabin. On the way he moved up beside the woman and wrapped his arm around her to help her walk easier. When he did that she stiffened and pulled away slightly. Sam ignored her actions and slowly she began to relax and allow him to support her. They walked past the dead bear to the cabin. Sam helped her sit on the porch. He went inside and wet a wash rag for her to use to clean up slightly.

Sam carried a glass of water and the wet rag to the woman. He sat the water on the small table beside the chair and gently washed her face. He then picked up each hand and washed it and her arm with the damp rag. The woman just sat watching him with a stoic expression on her face. Just before he returned to the house Sam handed her the water.

Sam came back out of the house and said, "Well, I suppose I better get back to work on the bear. You sit here and rest. You need to stay off that leg as much as you can." 

Sam had not been working long when he once again felt a presence beside him. He jumped slightly and looked up to see the young woman watching him. The young woman looked at Sam then the bear. She turned her gaze to him once again and held her hand out. Sam just looked at her. She said something and shook her hand at him. When he didn't respond she reached out and took the knife from his hands. She grimaced when she knelt beside the bear. Sam watched in shock and awe as her hands began flying back and forth. She gutted the bear and began slicing the skin from the meat, peeling it back faster than Sam could even think about doing it. Every time she moved her leg Sam could see the pain she felt. He tried to stop her but she ignored him and continued working.

Every time the woman moved she clenched her teeth and a small moan came from her mouth. Several times she pulled Sam to one location or another and said something. When he didn't understand she would use her hands to place his on the bear and motion for him to do something. Finally the bear was skinned and the head and paws cut off. The intestines were lying on the ground beside the carcass.

Next the young woman began cutting the bear into easier to handle pieces. When she got the first leg off she handed it to Sam and spoke again. As she spoke she motioned him toward the house. Sam took the proffered meat and carried it off as the woman turned back to her job.

Sam carried the leg into the house and put it in the sink. He stood thinking a moment then turned toward the other side of the cabin. He was going to open his camping gear and get out a plastic tarp. He stood in shock. Now he knew what had bothered him earlier when he staggered out of the house to shoot the bear. The door into the addition that contained the new bathroom and bedroom was missing. Where it had been was a solid log wall. Sam rushed out of the cabin and around the corner. The entire addition was missing!

Sam slowly walked back into the cabin. He was scared. He had a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. Slowly he walked over to the wall where his camping gear was piled. He got out a plastic tarp and put it on the table. He would lay the meat on it until they decided what to do with it. When Sam returned to the outside he saw the woman kneeling beside a small pile of wood. Her whole body was shaking and her visible arm was moving back and forth rapidly. When Sam walked up to her he saw her trying to start a fire.

Sam immediately turned back to the house. When he returned he gently stopped the woman. Sam reached out and used a small butane lighter to start the kindling she had placed on the ground. The woman smiled and quickly began feeding small twigs then larger sticks into the fire. When the fire was burning well she slowly stood and began placing two forked sticks to hold a spitted piece of the bear over the fire.

After the piece of meat was cooking the woman once again returned to her job butchering the bear. When she had several slices of meat cut and laid out on the hide she began building a rack beside the fire. After the rack was built she built another fire under it and placed the thin slivers of bear meat over it to begin drying. She continued cutting and putting the meat on the drying rack until it was full.

On one of his trips into the cabin with raw meat Sam brought back some salt and seasonings. At first the woman tried to stop him from putting it on the roasting meat but Sam would not be dissuaded. Finally he let her taste the spice and salt. She smiled and stepped back to allow him to continue.

A couple of times Sam tried to help the woman. She would stop him and push him back. Once she even hobbled into the house and brought his rifle back. She insisted he carry it with him as he moved back and forth. When all the carrying was done she pushed him down onto a log nearby where she was working. Occasionally she would test the roasting piece of meat with her knife. When she thought it was done she brought Sam a large piece to eat.

Sam took the meat and went into the cabin. He quickly got two plates, forks and knives. He also picked up a can of Bush's Grillin beans and the can opener. Sam returned to the fire and divided the can of beans onto the plates. He handed the woman one and her knife and fork. He sat down and began eating his beans and bear. She looked at him a moment. Sam gestured at the cooking meat then her plate. He said, "Well go on and eat. You can watch everything and eat at the same time surely. You might want to wash up first though. I brought you a clean cloth." Sam handed her a soapy rag and made motions of washing. Finally she got the idea and rubbed her hands. Sam then took the soapy rag back and gave her one with just clean water on it to wipe the soap from her hands.

Slowly the woman moved to the cooking skewer of meat. She watched Sam while she cut a piece of the bear then put it on her plate. She moved over to a piece of wood beside the fire and sat down. She carefully stabbed her bear with the fork and cut a bite off. She watched Sam while she slowly raised it to her mouth. He smiled and nodded his head yes. After she had eaten the first bite the woman dove into her food as if she were starved.

Sam sat and thought about all the strange discoveries he made that morning. He watched as his dogs ran back and forth. They would occasionally come up to him for a pat. To his surprise they also went up to the woman several times. She would occasionally throw them a bone or piece of meat she didn't want. They seemed to have adopted her.

As the day wore on Sam came to a conclusion. He really didn't like the conclusion either. One, something was badly wrong. Part of his cabin was missing. His car was missing. The trees around the yard were much, much larger than he remembered. The old fallen down shed behind the house was almost new now. The road into the yard was now just a small trail. There was an Indian woman working on a bear in his yard and she could not speak any English. He was starting to think Dorothy was right when she said, "We're not in Kansas anymore" or in his case he was not in 2010 Texas anymore. It was a frightening and daunting thought.

Later that evening the woman thought the meat on the racks was dry enough. She picked it off and handed it to Sam. She gestured toward the house. He turned to carry it inside. He heard a shuffling behind him and turned to see her bringing what was left of the roast they had eaten for lunch and supper. The dogs were happily scampering around her as they followed the couple toward the cabin.

When Sam got inside he put the jerky with his other preserved food. He quickly moved to the sink and pumped water to wash with. The woman looked around and then placed the cooked meat on the cabinet top. She watched Sam while he washed. He stepped back, handed her the soap and gestured to the sink. The woman slowly moved to the sink and washed her hands and arms. She stepped back and looked at Sam once more. She seemed scared again.

It was so dark inside Sam could barely see. He was exhausted. He moved to his camping gear and got out his air mattress and sleeping bag. He fixed his bed in the corner to the side of the door in the area that was used as a sitting room. After he stripped to his underwear he crawled into the sleeping bag. He motioned the woman toward the bed then rolled over and was asleep almost immediately.

Sam woke early the next morning. He had to piss like a race horse. He rushed from the cabin and around the corner. As he stood he noticed the woman was not in bed. He fleetingly wondered where she was. When he came back from his piss call Sam saw the woman once more tending the fires. She had another haunch of the bear roasting on the spit and more of it was laid on the drying rack for jerky.

For the first time when she saw him she didn't cringe away. She smiled at Sam and gestured toward the roasting haunch of bear. Sam shook his head no and walked back into the cabin. He quickly pulled on his clothes. Sam fixed the coffee pot and carried it out into the yard. He placed it in the edge of the fire and soon it was merrily perking. He sat and smelled the bear roasting and his coffee perking. Sam looked at the young woman and smiled. His heart fluttered when she returned it then turned back to her work. Sam leaned back and watched the sun filter through the trees. He listened to the small stream that ran just out of sight in the edge of the woods. He was surprisingly relaxed and at peace.

The woman worked all day and well into the night on the bear. When Sam tried to get her to stop at dusk she refused. Finally in disgust Sam gave up. He stayed up with her but to his shame he fell asleep before she finished. It was well after dark when she woke him from where he lay on the ground. They carried the cooked meat and jerky into the cabin and once again Sam did a quick sponge bath and collapsed onto his sleeping bag. He never noticed when the woman went to sleep.

Of course during the first two days Sam and the woman had been slowly trying to understand each other. She picked up some English words from him. She now knew knife, fire, dog and several other words. Sam thought he understood some of her words also. Slowly they were learning to communicate with each other. They learned each other's name as one of the first things they did. He finally decided she was called Dove. At least that is what he started calling her and she responded to it.

The next morning Sam was awakened by the young woman. Dove handed him his coffee pot and said a word she had learned. "Cook," she said. When Sam rose and took the pot she stood and limped out of the house once more. Sam prepared the coffee pot and grabbed cups then followed her. She was once again beside the fire and had something cooking. When he got closer Sam saw two rabbits roasting. He set the coffee pot in the fire to perk.

After breakfast of coffee and rabbit Sam stood and walked into the house. He got his soap and went toward the stream. He felt damn grungy and decided it was time to take a bath before he did anything else. When she saw Sam leaving the yard Dove said something to him. Sam stopped and turned toward her. She was hobbling toward him carrying his rifle once again. When she got to him she thrust it at him. He saw she also carried the bow and arrows that had been in her first camp.

Sam took the rifle with some embarrassment and some exasperation. He turned back toward the stream. He was having a hard time getting used to carrying it everywhere he went. Intellectually he knew if he really was in some other, earlier time he might need it for protection but he was, after all, a man from 2010. You just didn't need to carry a firearm everywhere you went in the life he was used to.

Dove continued to follow him to the stream. When he got there he stopped. Sam tried for several minutes to get her to leave so he could bathe. Dove would not leave. Finally in exasperation Sam took off his shoes, sox and shirt and waded into the water in his shorts. He began bathing while partially dressed. He stopped in shock when Dove began laughing at him.

Dove carefully placed her bow and arrows on the bank beside Sam's clothes and rifle. She stood and rapidly pulled her dress off. Sam watched and felt his cock surge to rigidity as she limped into the stream with him. Dove moved up in front of Sam and began trying to unfasten his shorts. Finally in exasperation she grabbed the waist and pulled forcing them down over his hips.

Sam was wearing the shorts commando. He screamed in pain when his hard cock was bent by the shorts as Dove pulled them off. When his cock bounced into sight Dove stayed kneeling in front of Sam. She stared at his cock for a moment then looked up at Sam's face. Dove then carefully splashed water onto Sam where his shorts had been covering his body. She gently took the soap from his hand and began washing him. Sam stood, his legs shaking while Dove carefully washed his interesting parts.

After she finished washing Sam Dove quickly ducked herself and began soaping her body. Sam shook himself and ducked under water to rinse the soap off. After he was rinsed Sam stood watching Dove wash. When she finished she smiled at Sam once more and walked slowly toward the bank. She picked up her dress and reluctantly started to put it on. Sam rushed back to the bank with her and stopped her. Dove looked at him warily.

Sam shook his head no and picked up his clothes and rifle. He took her hand and pulled her toward the cabin. Dove followed with only a little resistance. When they got to the cabin Sam once again led Dove to the bed and made her lay back across it. She watched him warily until he returned with his medical kit once more. He carefully looked over her injury and replaced the antibiotic cream then replaced the bandages on the worst of the scratches.

After Sam finished with the bandages he turned to his back pack and took out one of his clean T-shirts. He handed it to Dove. She looked at it for a moment then smiled. She pulled it on over her head and stood in front of Sam. He was enough larger than her than the shirt was almost as long as a modern dress. It hung about halfway from her crotch to her knees. Dove looked down at her new finery and smiled. She moved to Sam and gently touched his forearm then moved off and began working once more. She collected his dirty clothes and her dirty dress. She walked out the door after picking up her bow and arrows.

Sam followed, this time remembering to pick up the rifle. He watched Dove return to the stream and begin washing the dirty clothes. Sam looked around and decided they needed more wood. He knew his gasoline wouldn't last long but he picked up his chain saw and moved to the pile of dead wood at the edge of the yard. He started to use the saw on it then decided not to. He thought he could better use the little remaining gas to cut down large trees to build with. He really wanted to make the cabin larger. If he was going to be stuck here he wanted a larger house. Sam picked up his axe and began cutting more firewood while Dove did the laundry.




Building a Dream



That evening Dove looked at Sam and said, "Meat." Sam looked around and saw they were going to finish eating all the bear except for the jerky. He finally decided she wanted him to hunt for more meat. He smiled and nodded yes.

Sam rose early the next morning and moved into the woods. Being as quiet as he could he could not get out of the cabin without waking Dove. She watched as he dressed. He saw her throw the sheet back and move to get out of bed. She was sleeping naked. Her nipples were hard little points on her beautiful breasts. Sam felt himself hardening and had to adjust his cock in his jeans. He saw Dove's face when she watched him. She almost had a predatory look on her face. Her eyes were glistening and if anything her nipples got harder.

Dove stood and pulled her now cleaner buckskin dress on. She was walking almost normally now after her injury. It had been six days and her wound looked much, much better. Now all Sam did when he cared for it was make sure it was clean and put a clean dry wrapping on her leg. 

As he watched Dove dress for the day, Sam remembered the last time he worked on her injury. Dove looked him in the face and slowly spread her legs while lifting her injured thigh so he could better see it. He smelled her essence. He couldn't help it. He looked at her pretty little pussy more than he looked at her injury. Her pussy was glistening. As he watched he thought he saw a little runnel of clear liquid drain from her pussy and run down the cheek of her beautiful ass. Sam had to adjust himself before he finished checking Dove's injury.

Sam shook himself free of the memory and returned his attention to the task at hand this morning. He once again had to adjust his hard cock after watching Dove. He did so and without saying anything he moved and picked up his rifle. He rapidly walked out of the house and toward a small clearing he found a couple of days ago. There had been a lot of deer sign there and he had hopes he could find some there this beautiful morning.

Sam moved as quietly as he could. When he arrived at his destination he used all the cover he could find and moved up to the edge of the small clearing. To his pleasure he saw a small herd of deer browsing about 200 feet away. Sam moved slowly, carefully until he had a good sight picture. He chose the largest doe in the herd. He fired then switched targets to another deer near the first one. He took aim and fired once more. He was pleased to see both deer fall. The small herd ran off. Sam moved slowly and carefully toward his two kills.

Sam was standing beside his kills when Dove rushed past him. She moved rapidly toward the kills and was already dressing the larger of the two when Sam knelt beside her. He started to help but she pushed him back and said, "No. I do. My job. You watch and carry."

Feeling useless and somewhat embarrassed Sam did what Dove asked and stood guard while she cleaned the deer. After they were gutted Dove moved into the woods and began cutting down a two inch thick tree. After it fell she quickly cleaned off the limbs and took it back to the deer. She tied each of their legs together and then threaded the tree through them. She picked up one end and said, "Carry." Sam got the idea and picked up the other end of the pole and lifted. They began the short walk back to the cabin carrying the venison.

When they arrived Dove guided Sam over beside the fire pit and they set the deer down. Dove quickly began skinning the deer and cutting them up. She started up the fire under her drying rack to make more jerky.

Sam watched for a moment then had a thought. He would build a smoke house so they could smoke some of the meat he shot. He didn't want to live on jerky if he could help it. While Dove worked on the deer Sam moved off and got his chain saw. He moved into the woods looking for the right trees. He wanted a smokehouse about 8'X12'. Sam quickly found a small grove of trees about the right size for his new building. He started the saw and began cutting.

When he started the saw it scared Dove. She quickly grabbed her bow and arrows and went toward the sound. When he saw her she was standing with an arrow knocked watching him. Sam felt bad for not warning her. He stopped the saw and pulled her to where he was working. He took several minutes explaining what he was doing and cursing their communication problem. Finally he pushed Dove to the edge of the grove of trees and returned to work. She watched him cut down three trees and trim them then slowly returned to the job she was doing.

After he had the trees trimmed to the proper lengths Sam was in a quandary. He was strong but even with the strength he had gained during his short time in this age he could barely move the logs. How was he going to get them back to the clearing where he wanted to build his smokehouse? Sam began wrestling the smaller 8 foot logs toward the clearing. He tied a rope to the end and lifted it over his shoulder slightly then began dragging it. It took him several minutes to get the log where he wanted it. 

When she saw Sam pulling the first log toward her Dove watched trying to decide what he was doing that for. She could not fathom a reason and finally returned to her work. All that afternoon both of them worked at their tasks. By the end of the day Sam was totally exhausted. He had only dragged the logs for one end of the smokehouse back to the clearing. When Dove brought his food to him he collapsed onto the ground and leaned against the last log he moved. Sam ate more that meal than he usually ate in a day.

After supper Sam staggered to the stream and fell into it. He took a quick bath and staggered back into the cabin. He didn't think about what he was doing. He just collapsed into the bed and was asleep before he could cover up. He had not even thought about dressing first. He always slept nude and that is what he did that time.

The next morning Sam ached all over. He also felt there was something wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. His arm felt heavy and unnatural. He couldn't move it. All at once he felt movement. There was an arm thrown over his chest and a leg was lying over his thigh. A very delicious looking breast was pressed up against his side and a hairy little pussy was rubbing against his thigh. Sam felt his steel hard cock throbbing with his need for release.

Crap, he thought. Now I've done it. He tried to get out of the bed without waking Dove. He turned his head toward her and saw her beautiful black eyes gazing at him. She smiled and pulled herself closer to his body. Slowly, so slowly her hand moved down his torso until she grabbed his cock. She wrapped her small hand around it and began slowly jacking him. She stared into his eyes as she did so.

Sam felt his resolve dissipate. With a growl he twisted toward Dove and pulled her to him. His head descended to hers and he gave her a deep kiss. Dove moaned. Sam moved a hand to her breast and twisted her engorged nipple. Sam pushed Dove over onto her back. He rose over her and gave her another kiss. His hand began slowly moving down her beautiful belly until it encountered her slight hair. Her hips thrust upward and she moaned louder. Dove spread her legs and pulled Sam toward her urgently.

Sam moved. He crawled between Dove's legs and lowered his hips. He felt his cock nudge against her lubricious lower lips. He thrust slightly and felt her give a thrust upward in response. He felt his cock slot into her vaginal opening. He thrust once more and drove the first third of his cock into Dove. She groaned and moved her heels up locking them behind his thighs. She wrapped his buttocks in her hands and squeezed. Sam made another thrust and felt Dove pull with her hands and legs. He slid all the way into her on the second thrust. Dove screamed out her pleasure. He felt her pussy fluttering, contracting and relaxing, milking his cock, caressing his love muscle.

Sam began the age old dance. He thrust and withdrew repeatedly. Dove met his every thrust with one of her own. Each time Sam entered her fully he ground his pubic bone against her clit. Dove squeaked and squalled. She slammed her pelvis upward mashing their genitals together. Their coupling became more and more violent as their peaks approached. Sam reached his climax slightly before Dove. He was perhaps three thrusts ahead of her. 

With a loud "Unhhhhh" Sam slammed as deeply into Dove as he could. He held himself tightly to her making continual small thrusts just bumping her clit over and over. Dove continued to thrust upward toward Sam, her hips moving almost faster than you could see. Her thigh muscles were so tight they looked like they were carved from wood. Dove screamed and her crotch began clasping and releasing as her orgasm tore through her. An observer from below could have seen both their crotches contracting and releasing over and over as the pleasurable sensations rolled on and on for each of them.

Sam rolled off Dove to the side and collapsed onto the old bed. He lay on his back with his head turned toward her. Dove turned her head toward Sam and smiled. She reached out and gently caressed his face. They both lay there for several moments then, with a groan, Sam turned and sat on the side of the bed. He felt so, so good yet he was sooo tired from the robust sex. That was probably the best pussy he had ever taken. He also felt like a heel of the first degree. He had worked so hard to be a good guy and not take advantage of the injured girl then he fucked her in a moment of weakness while half asleep. Shit, how could she ever trust him again?

Sam quickly rose from the bed and dressed. He took his coffee pot out to the fire and built the morning cook fire. By the time the fire was going well Dove was there with the items she was going to cook for breakfast. When she walked up she set the things she was carrying down and moved over in front of Sam. She smiled at him and gently caressed his face. She then rested both her palms on his chest and laid her head against him for a moment before giving him a gentle hug. She smiled at him and moved to begin cooking.

Sam had placed his hands around her waist when she moved into him for her hug. He did it without thinking. Even after the wake up sex he felt his cock twitch when he felt her breasts pressed against his chest and her pussy rub against his crotch. Damn this woman did things to him he had never felt before.

After breakfast Sam took his rope back to the trees and began trying to work the larger logs back to the clearing. It was all he could do to even move one of them even with smaller pieces of round wood under them to act as a roller. All at once he felt a presence and then Dove was with him pulling on the rope also. The log began to move. They were moving at a fast walk when they got the log to the clearing. They were working the larger logs almost twice as fast as Sam had moved the smaller ones alone. Even taking what Sam estimated to be an hour for lunch they got all the logs moved to the clearing before they quit for the evening.

Once again after supper the couple went to the stream for a bath. This time Sam lay in the water and relaxed for a while. To his surprise when he laid down Dove moved to first sit then lay beside him. They snuggled and cuddled for several minutes before walking back to the house hand in hand. There was no discussion this evening. They both went straight to the bed and crawled in.

They were both exhausted and dropped off to sleep immediately. The next morning Sam was awakened by a wetness on his cock. His belly tickled. He looked down to see Dove gently, reverently sucking on his cock. He moved his hands to her head. When she felt his touch Dove turned her head and looked at Sam. She smiled then rose over him and straddled his waist. She held his cock and moved back. When she had it positioned properly she relaxed her muscles and slammed herself down on him driving his cock all the way into her juicy cunt in one thrust.

There was no lovemaking this morning. This was a fuck, nothing but a fuck. Dove was frantic in her need. She slammed down repeatedly onto Sam's manhood. Each time she slammed down on him she rotated her hips rubbing her clit on his pubic bone. She moaned, she screamed, she groaned out her pleasure. Finally she reached her pinnacle. Her hips began that mad rocking, rotating movement she preferred. Sam felt her pussy fluttering, clenching and releasing as she milked his cock. That pushed him over the edge. With a yell he grabbed her hips and pulled her tightly against him as he thrust upward strongly. He pulsed and throbbed as he pumped his sperm into his woman. Dove sighed and collapsed against Sam's chest. She lay on him and drifted off to sleep.

Sam lay there in a state of semi sleep for a few minutes enjoying the feel of Dove laying on him. Finally he had to move. He had to piss so badly it hurt. He tried to gently move Dove over and lay her on the bed without waking her. He did not succeed. When she felt him moving her Dove opened her eyes and looked at Sam. She smiled and hugged him tightly for a moment then climbed off the bed and wandered outside still naked. Sam rapidly followed her. They both did their morning business within sight of each other and returned to the cabin. Sam made a mental note to himself about the need for an outhouse. It would be his next project.

By now they were both so used to carrying their weapons they routinely picked them up when they moved. Sam laughed to himself that morning at how silly they each looked wandering around naked carrying weapons. 

That day Sam measured out the foundation for the smokehouse and began digging a small trench. After the trench was dug he went to the stream in the woods looking for large flat rocks to use for the foundation. All that day he and Dove carried rocks back to the building site. The next day Sam carefully laid the rocks into the trench and then went to the stream and brought mud back. He put some straw into the mud then used it as a mortar to set the stones.

The next day Sam began building his smokehouse. He first flattened one side of four logs then pulled them nearly into place and set them by the foundation. After the logs were notched correctly he placed them together on the foundation. He then showed Dove how to mix the mud and build it up at the base of the first log on the foundation to help secure it and keep it from rolling. While Dove carried, mixed and placed the mud Sam continued building the walls. As he got a log ready to place he would get Dove to help him move it onto the slowly growing walls.

It took the couple two days to get the walls of the smokehouse up. They then went back into the woods and cut smaller trees to use for rafters. It took them three days to finish the roof. As much as he hated to do it Sam used sod to cover the closely laid rafters. Sometime in the future if he was stuck here he planned to put cedar shake shingles on the building. The last thing Sam did was build the door for the smokehouse.

Dove still did not understand what Sam was building. It was enough for her that her man was building something and she helped him. After all, he was the boss and if he wanted something it was up to her to help him get it if at all possible.

After the building was complete Sam and Dove spent another day daubing mud in the cracks between the logs. He filled in the cracks on both sides and ends leaving very little space for air to get into or out of the building. The door was made well and slotted into the building so it was very difficult to remove. He did not have hinges so he used slots in the wood to hold it. It was not sealed tightly but fit very well indeed. The day after they finished filling the cracks with mud Sam built racks inside his new smokehouse. That took almost all day to do before he was satisfied.

Early the next morning Sam went outside and built a small fire inside his smokehouse on the dirt floor. After it was burning well he put some hickory and wild cherry wood on it. He closed the door and left. He picked up his rifle and moved into the woods. Dove watched him then turned to her work for the day.

Sam quickly located a herd of deer and shot two. He rapidly field dressed them then tied ones legs together and placed it over his shoulder. The other he began dragging behind him as he walked slowly toward their cabin. When he came in sight Dove was standing by the fire cooking. When she saw him Dove smiled and rushed to help with the meat. She quickly began dressing the venison. She started to cut it for drying on the racks but Sam stopped her. He gently pushed her aside and took off the hind quarters. He carried them into the smokehouse where he placed them on the racks. Dove followed him and watched with a frown when he put the meat on the racks.

Sam turned and headed back toward the fire and remaining deer carcasses. He picked up the smaller pieces Dove had already cut for drying and moved them into the smokehouse. Dove smiled when she saw the smoke swirling around the meat on the racks. She turned and once again began cutting the venison into pieces for Sam to take into the smokehouse.

After all the deer was cut except for a haunch she was cooking to eat Dove followed Sam and watched him put more wood on the fire then close the door to the smokehouse. She looked at him and said, "You get much meat now? Go in there?"

Sam nodded his head yes and said, "Tomorrow." Dove grinned and took his hand. She led him to the stream and helped him undress. They walked into the water hand in hand. When they were waist deep in the clear stream Dove turned to face Sam and moved into his arms. She stood on tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss while she rubbed his lengthening cock with one hand. Sam rubbed his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. He flicked her nipples with his thumbs while they kissed. Except for a short time out for supper the two lovers made love until well after dark. They then collapsed into the bed and slept deeply.

Earl the next morning Sam woke and dressed. Dove was out of bed with him. He picked up his rifle and started out the door. As he was leaving he turned to see Dove following. He asked, "How many deer do you want today?"

Dove thought a moment and said, "Four."

On the way past the smokehouse Sam stopped and replenished the wood on the fire to build up the smoke inside once again.

Sam was lucky on his hunt that day. He only got three deer but he managed to shoot a small black bear as well. It took the two the rest of the day to carry the meat back to the cabin, skin and hang it in the smokehouse. By late evening Dove was working on cleaning and stretching the hides. Sam tried to help her but she would accept very little of his help.

By this time the two were able to converse well enough to get their point across. They used a conglomeration of her language and English. Dove was becoming more and more proficient in English daily. She learned English much faster than Sam was learning her language of Caddo.

Supplies were running very low. Sam knew he needed to find more salt for sure. Hell, he didn't even know WHEN he was or even if there was a white settlement nearby. For all he knew he was so far back in time the white man had not settled the new world yet. It took him most of the early morning to make Dove understand he wanted to know if there was a town nearby where he could purchase some salt, coffee and a few other things he needed desperately. 

Of course he had to find some way to buy what he needed if there was a nearby settlement. He had no money from this period. During his talks with Dove he determined there was a small Indian settlement nearby and the large town of whites west of them. He thought it might be the town of Nacogdoches in his time. He told Dove what he needed to do and finally made her understand. She suggested he shoot some game to take to town and trade. He agreed he would try that. He also made her understand he might try to find some work there for a few days to earn some money.




Building a Dream



The morning Sam began his long walk to town Dove seemed very sad. She stood in the yard quietly watching him until he was out of sight. When she could no longer see Sam Dove returned to her work. Sam took the male dog Blue with him and left the female, Princess with Dove. Princess was heavy with pups and didn't need to make the trip. Besides, Dove needed a companion while he was gone.

It took Sam two days and part of a third one to walk to Nacogdoches. The town was much larger than Sam expected. There were several businesses and all seemed to be doing a lively trade. There were livery stables, blacksmiths, several general stores and houses. There was also a bunch of saloons, cantina's, houses of ill repute and cafés. There were several hotels and other smaller businesses. Sam had shot a large buck that morning and went straight to a café to see if he could sell it. He lucked out and sold the entire deer to the café owner. Unfortunately he did not make much money. He managed to talk the owner into giving him a week's free food and one dollar for the meat. Sam did find out however that he was now living in the spring of 1873. Nacogdoches was a thriving if small community.

After selling his venison Sam walked the whole town asking about work. One stable owner allowed him to muck out the stalls for a dime and a blacksmith had some rearranging he allowed Sam to do that earned him another fifteen cents. That was all the work he could find. No one knew anyone who was hiring either. Sam did get an agreement from one store owner and the café owner to purchase another deer each next week. Early the next morning Sam ate a large breakfast at the café before he left. The café owner agreed he could eat his remaining meals whenever he came back to town. Next Sam went to one of the stores for the supplies he could purchase with the small amount he earned. To his surprise he managed to get enough flour, salt, coffee and a few other items to last for almost a month the way they used things. He even managed to purchase a few cans of canned food. Things were way cheaper in this time period.

Sam began the long walk back to his cabin carrying his little pack of food and his rifle. He just had to figure out how to make more money and get a horse. Since he knew the route home he made the trip in only two days. It had been almost a week since he left. When he arrived home Dove jumped up from her work and ran to meet him. She jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly then smothered him in kisses. Princess was frolicking around their feet as they welcomed each other.

Sam spent the next two days with Dove. They didn't do much but love each other, sleep and eat. Sam did take time one morning to shoot a deer for Dove to eat while he was gone on his next trip. On the third day after arriving home Sam once again took off early heading to town. He planned to shoot his deer the next morning and wanted to be closer to town when he did that. 

Sam successfully shot his deer and delivered them as agreed. After he did that he purchased a few more supplies and returned home. This schedule continued for six weeks. On his return home the sixth time there was a change in his trip. He was leaving town when a man stumbled out of a saloon and ran into Sam. The man became belligerent. Sam knew better than to back down. Unfortunately he had no pistol. When the man began to draw his pistol on Sam he reacted in reflex. He always carried his rifle in his right hand with a round chambered. He had practiced cocking it and firing one handed much as if it was a pistol. This practice came in very useful, perhaps it even saved his life this time. When Sam saw the man drawing his pistol he jammed the rifle in the man's belly and pulled the trigger.

Before the man could fall Sam cocked the rifle once again and shot him a second time. Sam's assailant rose slightly on his toes then he sagged. His pistol dropped from his already lifeless hands and landed on the edge of the sidewalk then tumbled into the dusty street. The man seemed to melt downward, flowing into the dusty street where he lay in a pool of his own blood. 

Sam barely had time to reflect on the occurrence when a tall man wearing a badge came rushing up to him. He said, "What's going on here?" Sam spent a couple of minutes explaining what had happened to the sheriff. The witnesses corroborated Sam's statements and the sheriff ruled the killing self defense. The good thing about the altercation was that Sam now owned the man's possessions. He had a pistol and some ammunition for it. He also kept the man's clothes for some reason. He found a money belt on the man that contained $63.47. The best thing though was Sam now owned an older horse and tack. That would make his trips to town much easier and would even help with his work back home.

Dove was very excited when Sam rode into the yard that evening. Sam hurt badly. His ass hurt, his thighs hurt from the chafing on the saddle and his legs hurt from the unaccustomed riding. He had never ridden before mounting his new horse in Nacogdoches. The short days ride was very painful to him. Dove quickly helped Sam put the horse up in the shed behind the cabin. Over the course of the next week they built walls on the open front to protect the horse better from possible varmints. They also partitioned off stables inside for the horse and made a place to store the tack.

The next week Sam once again went to town to deliver his venison. This time he made the trip in one day on his new horse. Things were definitely looking up for Sam and Dove. Sam took some of the money he had taken from the man he killed and purchased harness and a set of ropes and chains. He intended to clear some ground so he could sow some vegetables and wheat for flour next spring.

Sam continued delivering venison to town throughout the fall and early winter. Occasionally when he was in town he would find a job to do for more spending money. Very rarely he would even find work for a couple of days. 

In mid March Danger once again reared its head. Sam was on his way into town with his meat. He heard gunshots coming from a grove of trees ahead of him. He quickly rode in the direction of the shots. When he saw the canvas top of a wagon he stopped his horse and got down. Sam quietly worked his way toward the wagon. He saw a man laying on the ground bleeding. There were two men wrestling with a young woman. 

Sam watched while one of the men hit her in the belly with his fist. When she bent forward they threw her on the ground and the man that hit her lifted her skirt. He moved between her legs and pulled his hard cock out. He grabbed his cock and began guiding it into her pussy. The woman was screaming and writhing trying to get away while the second man held her and laughed. Sam rapidly cocked his rifle, took aim and shot the man attempting to rape the woman. When Sam fired the second man dove to the side and pulled his pistol. He was scrabbling around crawling trying to find cover and locate Sam at the same time. Sam took aim and fired at him. He watched in pleasure as the man's head exploded from the rounds impact.

Sam carefully moved into the small clearing where the wagon sat. He checked the first man he shot to verify he was dead then turned to the crying woman. Sam helped her to her feet. When she saw the first dead man she ran to him and hugged him to her breast. She kissed his dead face while her whole body shook with her tears. Sam walked up and just placed his hand on her shoulder while she grieved over her man.

After she had cried for a while Sam helped her stand. He asked, "Ma'am do you have a shovel? If you do I'll help you take care of your man." The woman walked to the wagon and pulled a shovel from it then handed it to Sam. They buried the young man and Sam said a few words for him.

After he finished with the burial Sam checked the men he had killed for valuables then went and found their horses. Both horses were excellent stock and the saddles were in excellent shape. The men's guns were well used and old but in good shape.

Sam turned to the woman once more and said, "Ma'am I need to get on into town now. I have meat to deliver. Can I hook up your team and drive you into town?"

The woman nodded her head yes. She said, "Thank you for your help."

As they rode into town the woman sat beside Sam. Just as they came into sight of Nacogdoches she began to talk. She said, "We were only married three weeks. We were going to find us some land and settle down. Now I don't know what I'll do. I have no man and almost no money. Is there work for a lady in this town?"

Sam sat and thought for a moment. He turned to her and said, "Honestly I don't know. I know I tried to find work and couldn't. I make four dollars weekly supplying venison to a store and café. All we can do is ask." While Sam was talking the woman watched him with a quizzical expression on her face.

Sam drove the wagon into town and parked it in front of the general store. He helped the woman who said her name was Janey Baker down. She followed Sam into the store when he delivered the deer to the storekeeper. As Sam was leaving she began asking about work. Sam stopped for a moment and listened to her. He couldn't place what was bothering him about her but something was strange. He shrugged to himself and continued outside. He was out of the store before he heard the storekeepers reply to Janey. Sam quickly delivered his meat to the café and verified they too wanted more the next week. They did ask if he could find something besides venison that trip.

After Sam completed his deliveries he went into the saloon for a beer. While he was there a very embarrassed Janey walked slowly into the building. When the bartender came up to her she timidly asked if he might have a job for her. He stepped back and looked her up and down. He said, "Pull up your dress honey and let me see yer legs."

Janey blushed and stepped back. "I will not! What kind of woman do you think I am? I am a lady looking for honest work. I'm not some tramp!"

The bartender turned and walked back behind the bar. He began wiping the bar down and said, "Well then I got nothin' fer ya. Just you get on outta here before one of the gents does somethin' to upset yer sensibilities."

CHAPTER 2 JANEY

Janey turned from the building crying. Sam finished his beer and left the saloon. When he got to the street he saw Janey sitting on her wagon seat. Her shoulders were shaking from her crying. Sam walked up and stood beside the wagon. He climbed up onto the seat beside Janey and wrapped his arm around her shaking shoulders. Without thinking about his action Sam gently pulled Janey into his arms and hugged her against his chest.

Sam felt Janey snuggle into his embrace. Finally her tears stopped once more and she looked up at Sam. She said, "Oh, Mr. Pritchard what am I going to do? It's over 300 miles back to my family if they would even take me back. I'm afraid I ran away from home and married Joel against my father's wishes. I have nowhere to go and only have about six dollars plus this wagon to my name. I checked with every business in town where a lady could work. None of the business owners would hire me except for that dreadful man in the saloon. I'll starve before I do the things he wanted me to do."

Sam hugged Janey once again and said, "Well Janey all I can think of is you come home with me." He felt Janey stiffen in his arms and pull away slightly. He continued talking before she said anything. "You have anything against Indians Janey?"

"Oh, my. I don't know. I hear they're very dangerous and not to be trusted. Why do you ask?"

"My woman's an Indian. You would have to get along with her if we take you in Janey. We can let you stay until you can find something if you want but you would have to help around the place some."

Janey felt a surge of anger when Sam said that. She looked him in the face. Her eyes were flashing and she said, "I'm sure I can get along with your wife just fine Mr. Pritchard. And I'm insulted that you thought you had to tell me I had to work for my keep. How dare you? Haven't I been trying to find work? Of course I would help out all I could. I even have some food in the wagon to help with my upkeep. Thank you for the offer. If you meant it I would like to take you up on it until I can figure something out."

"Janey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply I thought you would just lie around the house and do nothing. I shouldn't have said what I did. Let me buy a few things in the store and we'll go. Do you need anything from the store while I'm inside?" Janey looked down at her hands clasped in her lap and shook her head no.

It only took about ten minutes before Sam was back. He placed his purchases in the wagon then checked the horses tied to Janey's wagon. After making sure his horse and the two he had taken from the men he killed were tied tightly Sam got back into the wagon. Within minutes they were on the way out of town heading toward his home. 

Late that afternoon Sam and Janey camped in the same place she and her husband had camped in. Sam really didn't want to use that campsite but it was the only spot with water they could find at the right time to stop. After a very tasty supper which Janey prepared Sam rested. He listened to Janey while she paid her last respects to her husband. She told him she would miss him forever and that she had found a nice man who was helping her. Sam was asleep before Janey moved away from the grave. 

Sam still hadn't gotten completely used to the western way of doing things. He felt guilty the next morning when he had to just sit and watch Janey prepare the breakfast. He was embarrassed when he realized he had no idea where she slept the night before and he had not even thought about their safety over night. Sam was grateful for one thing though. Janey served him three fried eggs for breakfast. She and her husband had a crate of chickens they had been taking with them to their new home. These were the first eggs Sam had seen since arriving downtime. He dove into the meal then guiltily noticed all Janey had was a hard biscuit and a piece of meat.

Sam stopped eating when he noticed that, looked at Janey and said, "Janey why don't you have any eggs? Don't you like them or something?"

She looked over at him and said, "Yes I like them fine. There wasn't enough for both of us. Why did you ask?"

"Bullshit!" Sam said. He quickly stood and walked over to Janey. She cringed away from him slightly when he stood over her. He grabbed her plate and scraped one of the eggs into it then handed it back to her. He said, "Those are your eggs. I don't have to have all of them nor do I need them. We all eat the same thing at my table. If one of us is hungry we all are hungry. If one of us has egg the others do too."

Janey looked up at Sam in shock. She looked at the egg on her plate then back to Sam. She licked her lip and said, "Ok Sam. I'm sorry but thank you. I just didn't know how you would be. Joel always demanded the best. I mean, well I was raised that a woman took care of her man first then her children then herself. I had enough without taking your egg Sam."

Sam leaned back on the log he was using for a back rest and said, "Janey I've heard some people do things like that. I don't. I take care of my women and I expect them to take care of me but none of us should hog all the best."

Janey sat for a moment then looked at Sam. She felt a little fluttering in her chest and stomach. She smiled and said, "Is that what I am now Sam? Am I your woman now? Am I ONE of your women?"

Sam sat in shock. He couldn't believe Janey asked that. Then he realized what he just said. He had all but told her she was one of his women. He didn't know what to say. He just looked at her, shook his head slightly and continued to eat his breakfast.

Janey looked at Sam and did not press the point. Much to her surprise the thought of being his woman didn't bother her even knowing he already had a wife. She felt strangely excited when she thought about that. Sam was very manly. There was something about him that made her pussy wet and her nipples hard. She had never felt like that with Joel. She wondered what would happen at Sam's cabin. Somehow she felt as if they were kindred spirits. There was a connection already forming with him that she couldn't explain and that she had never had with her deceased husband.

Sam's cabin sat back in the woods far enough it was well hidden. There were several small clearings nearby that he intended to use for fields. He also intended to clear more brush to make more fields. Unfortunately some of the trees along the trail to his cabin were close enough together that he could not get Janey's wagon all the way into his yard. When they had driven as close as they could to the cabin Sam stopped and they rode the rest of the way on the horses Sam acquired from the men he killed. 

When they arrived in the yard they saw Dove working on her hides. When she heard them she stood and began moving toward Sam and Janey. She had a questioning look on her face. Sam jumped off his horse and pulled her into a tight embrace. After the greeting Dove stepped back and looked up at Janey. She said, "Who she?"

Sam spent the next several minutes explaining to Dove why Janey was with him. Finally Dove looked over at Janey once again and said, "Is good. Good providers can support more women, have many babies." Dove looked over at a blushing Janey and said, "Come. I show cabin then we get things."

Janey and Sam tried to explain her presence to Dove. They tried to tell her Janey was not his wife but he was helping her. Somehow Dove could not accept that explanation. She finally looked at the two and said, "You kill man who capture her then take her away and bring her to your cabin. She your woman now." Dove then walked off satisfied the matter was solved.

Sam and Janey were still talking when Dove returned from the cabin. She looked at Sam and Janey then said, "We go get things now, bring to cabin."

Sam shrugged his shoulders and went to the house. He picked up his wood cutting tools and followed Dove toward the wagon. Janey and Dove were inside the wagon when Sam got to the first tree that needed to be cut down. He placed his tools out of the way and started his chain saw. He didn't use it often because of his limited supply of fuel but felt justified this time.

When she heard the noise Janey's head jerked up and she looked around wildly. Dove reached out and placed her hand on Janey's shoulder. Dove said, "Is ok. Is Sam's tree machine. Cuts tree down fast."

Janey shook Dove's hand off and jumped down from the wagon. She ran into the woods to where Sam was working. Sam finished with the cut on the first tree he was going to drop. He jumped back out of the way and watched it fall just where he wanted it to fall. After it had fallen he saw Janey standing watching him. Her shoulders were shaking once again as she cried. Sam thought she was frightened and walked up to talk with her before he returned to work.

When Sam got to Janey she stood switching her gaze from him to his saw and back. He carefully sat the saw down and reached for Janey. Tears were dripping down her cheeks. She licked her lips and said, "You have a chain saw. Can you help me get home? How did I get here? How did you get here? What time did you come from?"

Sam felt his stomach lurch. Janey knew what a chain saw was. She wasn't scared of it and she knew what it was! He rushed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. The two uptimers held each other in a tight embrace for several minutes. Finally Janey pushed back and wiped her tears from her cheeks. She said, "I have been so alone. When I got here I was so frightened. I had nothing and no one would help me. I wandered into Joel's patents farm and they took me in. He was younger than I am but after I had been there for a year we fell in love and I agreed to marry him. I'm sorry I lied to you about my parents but I didn't know you were from uptime then.




Building a Dream



"Please tell me you can help me get back home?" Sam looked at Janey once again and pulled her to his chest. 

Sam said, "Janey I'm sorry. I don't know any more about how I got here than you do. All I know is I woke up here in this cabin about nine months ago. This was my family's farm for years. I lived and worked around Dallas as an engineer. I came out here from time to time to unwind. Somehow during the night I was transported back here. I came from 2010.

"OH my. I came from 1971. My parents were out for the evening and I was home alone. I was in my last year of college working on my master's degree in Chemistry. I was home for spring break because I couldn't afford to go anywhere else like my friends did. There was an awful lightening storm and then I woke up in the woods near Joel's little farm in northern Missouri."

Sam and Janey walked over to the tree he had just cut and sat down. They talked for several minutes discussing their previous lives and what had happened to them since arriving in this period. When she saw they were not working Dove wandered up and sat on the ground listening to them talk. Much of what they said perplexed her. She understood they came from far away and that the trip had not been voluntary.

Finally Dove looked at the two and said, "Great Spirit bring you here. You here now and work must be done. Talk later."

Sam looked at Janey and laughed. He said, "You know she is right. We need to get the wagon back to the house and unloaded. I don't want to leave it out here for someone to steal. I don't have much fuel for the saw left. I think I have enough to finish the lane into the yard though. Let's get that done then we can talk more."

The discovery that she and Sam came from uptime explained to Janey why she felt such an affinity to him. She knew she did not want to lose touch with the only link she had to her prior life. While Sam worked on the lane Janey was with him constantly helping. Dove took care of the domestic chores such as feeding them and continuing to preserve meat and tan the hides.

While they worked Janey and Sam talked. They developed a theory about their travels. Of course they had no idea how they came to be here or why or even how the transport worked. Their theory only dealt with disappearances. They each remembered news articles and research on people who disappeared into thin air. They even remembered hearing or reading about strangely dressed people who had occasionally showed up somewhere and who could not speak the local language. Their theory was that they, too, were time travelers as were Sam and Janey. The two uptimers reluctantly accepted their fate and agreed all they could do was to make the best life here that they could.

They worked the rest of the day they arrived at Sam's home and part of the next to make the trail wide enough to get the wagon back to the cabin. After they did that they unloaded most of Janey's belongings and all the food into the cabin. The next job was to cut all the trees he had cut down into firewood for the winter and to cook with. For this Sam used an old crosscut saw and his axe and splitting maul and wedges. He worked the next two weeks on the wood taking time out only to hunt and deliver his meat to town.

Sam was pleased to have Janey's belongings also. She and her husband had all the primitive machinery he needed to begin his farming operation. As soon as the wood was cut he began plowing his fields so he could plant his vegetables and grain. He was pleasantly surprised to find that Janey had not only grown up on a farm but that she had a year's knowledge of this centuries farming procedures to draw from. Together they got the crop in. 

Sam and Janey grew closer together because of their similar backgrounds and circumstances. Spending the entire day working together also helped. Perhaps it was because they were from uptime, perhaps it was just simple chemistry but Sam and Janey found themselves strongly drawn to each other. Many times during the day they would touch. They always knew where the other was. Their faces had that soft, gentle look when they gazed on each other. Dove saw it. She knew what it meant.

Sam and Dove used the bed in the corner of the cabin to sleep in. They gave Janey the sleeping bag and air mattress. Many nights when Sam and Dove made love they could hear Janey tossing and turning. Several nights Janey would leave the cabin until they were finished. Occasionally Sam or Dove thought they heard Janey cry out in passionate release when they were making love.

One evening after the crops were in they were all three at the stream bathing. They had bathed in front of each other for some time. Sam and Janey were always been careful not to touch each other intimately but neither could keep their eyes off the other. Dove saw this. This day Dove did something about it. She began washing Sam. Janey thought Dove was handing her the soap to begin her own bathing.

Janey took the soap and began to soap herself down. Dove grabbed her hand and pointed to Sam then said, "NO, you wash. Help Dove." Dove pulled Janey toward Sam and pushed her soap filled hand onto him.

Sam was startled when he felt and heard. He rapidly relaxed and enjoyed the sensation of four feminine hands and four beautiful breasts rubbing over his work hardened body. After they made sure he was squeaky clean Dove took the soap from Janey and handed it to Sam. She motioned to Janey and said, "Sam now you wash Janey. Dove help."

Sam stood for perhaps a nanosecond. He felt his half hard cock surge to steel hardness. He reached out and touched, then rubbed Janey's shoulders with his soapy hand. He completely lathered her entire back side from waterline to neck. Damn she felt so good. After she saw Janey's back was well lathered Dove gently turned Janey to face Sam. 

Sam looked at the two women. Janey was staring Sam in the eyes. She reached out and took his hands. She gently pulled them to her breasts and moved them from side to side slightly. She pressed toward Sam slightly. He got the hint and carefully rubbed and washed her front. When he got to her crotch Janey thoughtfully spread her legs so Sam could get her pussy clean too. She moaned when he began cleaning her pussy. The first swipe Sam found it so wet and slick from her juices that he wanted to throw her down and devour it.

Janey moaned and thrust her hips toward Sam when she felt him gently touch her clit. She stood biting her lower lip while he rubbed her pussy. Her eyes glistened as she looked deeply into his soul. Her neck and chest were flushed deep red, her nipples hard as little pebbles. She was panting. All at once Janey shrieked and her legs collapsed. Sam barely caught her as the orgasm rolled over her. He could feel and see her pussy throbbing with her release.

Janey pulled back from Sam slightly and sat in the water then lay back to rinse the soap from her body and hair. Dove smiled down at Janey then turned to Sam. She moved into his arms and said, "Is good. Now me."

Once again Sam took his soapy hands and ran them over a very beautiful, exciting woman. He made sure to get all Dove's secret parts clean also. She, too, ended up hanging on his arms as her orgasm washed over her. After she rinsed the three young people moved back to the cabin.

This time when Janey headed toward her sleeping bag and air mattress to go to bed Dove stopped her. "No," she said. Sam's women sleep with him. He can take you better here."

Sam looked at Dove and said, "Dove Honey are you sure this is what you want?"

Dove nodded her head yes and said, "Yes. She your woman. You take her from man and bring her home. You take her now. Waited too long already."

Janey was standing listening to the couple. Her pussy was glistening with her arousal. Clear fluid was draining from her pussy and running down her thighs. Her nipples were so hard they almost hurt. Oh, God how she wanted this. She desperately needed to be fucked but she even more desperately wanted and needed Sam to love and make love to her. Janey was deeply in love with him. She could not even think about leaving and finding work and another man elsewhere. Oh God, what if he didn't want her?

Sam looked at Dove then over at Janey. He stepped toward Janey one step then said, "Janey?"

Janey took one step toward Sam. When he saw her move he rushed to her and grabbed her. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a deep kiss. Janey moaned and wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him so tightly it almost hurt. With an oath Sam turned and took three steps to the bed. He almost threw Janey onto the bed. He collapsed on the bed lying between her splayed thighs. He moved toward her crotch. Janey looked down at Sam and drew her legs up and spread them. She tilted her pelvis upward and reached for his head as she felt the first touch of his tongue.

Janey moaned and thrust her pelvis upward when Sam licked her seeping gash. Over and over Sam moved his tongue around and in Janey's pussy. Finally her thighs slammed together almost crushing Sam's head. She rapidly thrust her pelvis upward over and over while she pulled his head tightly against her pussy. Her orgasm crashed through her over stimulated cunt. Janey screamed out her ecstasy. Finally her straining body relaxed. Her legs came apart and she lay panting, legs splayed, chest heaving. 

Janey looked down at Sam with a look of adoration on her face. She smiled and reached her arms out to him. She said, "Please my husband. Take me now. Oh, God please fuck me. I've needed you for days and days. I was beginning to think you didn't want me. God I love you."

Sam felt his cock surge both at the sight of Janey's beautiful glistening pussy and at the pure eroticism of her plea for him to fuck her. He rose and moved over her. He lowered his hips. He needed no guidance. His cock slotted perfectly into Janey's cunt. He thrust gently and felt his cock sink into her slightly; he thrust again, then once more and continued with a gentle steady pressure until their pubic bones were tight against each other. Janey smiled up at him and pulled him down for a hungry kiss.

Sam pulled his cock almost all the way out of Janey's impossibly tight cunt then pressed forward once again. Over and over, faster and faster Sam pulled back then slammed deeply into Janey. Slap, slap, slap. Janey grunted with almost every insertion. Finally she once again reached the tipping off point. Her heels locked behind Sam's thighs. She pulled him toward her and began rapid pelvic thrusts slamming him into her as deeply as she could over and over. Her hips moved almost too fast to see the individual movements. Her beautiful bare ass cheeks jiggled and wiggled with her violent movements. She was in a continual state of excitement. She whined and whimpered with every thrust. Sam tried to match her thrust for thrust but he just couldn't move as rapidly as she needed him to move. 

Janey screamed then groaned. She held herself tightly against Sam locking him inside her with her pussy muscles and thigh muscles. Her pussy squeezed and caressed Sam milking him as her orgasm slammed through her. That was too much for poor Sam. He slammed deeply into Janey and yelled out his pleasure. His cock throbbed then released over and over as he pumped his seed into his new lover.

After his orgasm ran its course Sam collapsed onto Janey. He held himself off her resting on his elbows then leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. Sam pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes for a moment then rolled to the side where he collapsed on his back. After he caught his breath Sam turned and watched Dove as she kneeled beside Janey. She was gently caressing Janey and smiling down at her. Sam remembered now that Dove had been doing that all during their loving.

Sam reached for Dove and pulled her across Janey. She carefully moved to him and let him wrap her in his arms. They kissed. Janey slowly, carefully moved to the side and allowed Dove to lie in the bed where she had been before. After he regained his strength Sam gave Dove his loving attention until she also screamed out her pleasure and collapsed into oblivion.

The three new lovers slept the night through taking one of the best night's sleep they could remember in the recent past. For the next week it was almost as if they were on a honeymoon. Sam lost track of the number of times or places either he or Janey would initiate lovemaking. Sometimes even Dove would come to him for some daytime loving.

During the evening and while relaxing after they made love Sam and Janey talked. He found out her name uptime was Jane Blackwell. She began using Janey downtime because that was what Joel's parents started calling her when they found her. Sam and Jane discussed their situation in some detail. They had no doubt in their minds they loved each other. They agreed they were now married as were he and Dove. They also began to discuss what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives assuming they were to remain in this time.

Strangely enough it now scared them to think about returning to their original time. There were two reasons for that. One reason was they were afraid they might be separated and they did not want that. The other reason was they each admitted they were much happier here in 1874 Texas. All they really needed to decide was what they would do with their life now. Did they want to remain here or go to a larger town? Did they want to continue farming and hunting or did they want to try and use the education and knowledge they had from uptime?

There was always something that needed to be done around their small little farm. As the summer progressed however Sam began to worry more and more about the future. He loved his more relaxed lifestyle but he could also see the potential problems with it. What if he became ill, got injured or even killed. What would happen to his women and the farm? Also at the forefront of his brain constantly was the question; is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Is this what Jane wants to do? Another question that needed answering was; Do I want to live here the rest of my life and can I use my and Jane's education to make life better for us and perhaps for the other people of this time?

One evening Sam came into the house from the field in a pissy mood. He grabbed the soap and towel, picked up his rifle on the way out and headed for the stream and their bathing hole. Jane and Dove quickly followed. The first few minutes in the stream all Sam did was lay back and relax as the cool water flowed past taking much of his anger with it. He relaxed as he cooled off. When the women saw he had calmed down somewhat they moved to him and began gently washing his tired body. As they washed they kissed, fondled and hugged him letting him know they loved him and cared.

Finally Sam stood and moved out of the water. He walked up to a bench he had built and sat watching as the women finished their bath then moved to sit nearby. None of them bothered to dress. In fact, during the heat of the summer the only time any of them wore clothes was when they went into town or if there was a safety reason for doing so.

Jane looked at Sam and decided to ask what was wrong. Sam sighed and said, "We're working our asses off just to get by. I love living here in this time but I want more. I need more than we have. I don't want to ever live in another damn city even one as small as the cities are in this century. I do want some of the conveniences we had in our time. I think we need to sit down and decide what we can do about it to have some of the creature comforts from our time and the peaceful lifestyle we have here. I am also worried about our safety. We have been lucky we haven't been attacked by renegade Indians or whites. I am afraid our luck can't continue. I think we need to be more careful and maybe even figure out some way to make the cabin safer."

"That makes sense to me Honey," Jane said. "I've worried about our safety some myself and I do miss some of the pleasures we had uptime. Now we need to decide what we're going to do about it. I really don't want to move into a town either."

"OK then. I have to take more meat to town tomorrow. Let's get our work caught up as much as we can and take a couple days off and brainstorm when I get back. With my degree in engineering and yours in chemistry we should be able to come up with several things that will help us make life easier."

"I don't have a degree in Chemistry Honey. I never finished my last semester remember?"

Sam laughed and said, "Bullshit. I admit you never finished the last two months of your masters course but do you really think that matters? Hell with just your undergrad degree I bet you know as much or more about chemistry as any person in this time period. You would have received your master's degree even if you had stopped studying. For all intents and purposes you DO have that degree. Oil is being discovered and uses are now being found for it. You know or can figure out how to make gasoline, chemicals and products from the oil. We can choose what we 'discover' and make from petroleum. I know how to design and manufacture many types of machinery. Between the two of us we can jumpstart modern industry if we wish or we can just invent and have built things to use ourselves to make our lives better. We need to decide what we want to do and how we want to do it. Crap, electricity and refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners are all something I want, something I need and we can build them with just a little work. I am sure you can even manufacture some of the older, simpler drugs using your chemistry degree also. We can make penicillin at the very least. Just think about how many lives we can save or make better using our knowledge."

"Well one thing I don't want to do is live in a damn dirty town again. I love chemistry and all but I hated that damn town I went to college in and I hated every damn town I went into for job interviews. I just am not going to move back to a town or city here. I like your little place here in the woods. If we can figure out how to have a better life here I am all for staying right here."

"I can't say I blame you one bit. I only lived in Dallas but when I was younger I spent a lot of time here. I gotta say here is much better. That still doesn't solve our money problem though. Let's think more about this and see what we can come up with."

Sam rose early the next morning and saddled his horse before breakfast. As soon as he finished breakfast he rode off for his next hunting expedition and meat delivery. As he rode his mind wandered back to the conversation he and Jane had the night before. He wanted an easier life. That was a given. The question was how did he get it?

As he rode Sam made a mental list of things he could do and how each one of them could help. He did the same, as well as he could, for Jane. He was an engineer, she was a chemist. He was a damn good Green Beret medic in the Army Reserve. He would bet his medical training was the equal or superior to currently practicing doctors. HUMMMMM. Sam wondered if Jane really could whip up any medicines using her knowledge of chemistry. Could they set up a medical profession? Yeah, probably but that would mean moving closer to a town or becoming a circuit riding doctor. Nope, not for him. Maybe set up a practice at his home and treat people if they came to him? There could be problems with that plan also. He thought in this time period people expected doctors to come to them. Besides, he really didn't like the thought of being a doctor even though he enjoyed his time as a medic when he lived uptime.

When he got to Nacogdoches Sam took some extra time. He went to several businesses and asked about ordering items and how they were shipped in. He checked with the gunsmith, the blacksmith, the owner of the general store and even with a couple of the other business owners to find out not only where their supplies of different varieties came from but how they were shipped, time limits and so on. He asked the blacksmith if he would take on special jobs and make items from Sam's plans.