Chapter 14

As the days shortened and cooled, Clipper began to pan for gold, seriously. He felt like they were fairly fixed up for the winter, food-wise, but they would need money. And panning for gold was the only way he knew how to make money. They returned time and time again to the big creek, to pan and fish, where they’d been the day they ran into the Peacekeepers. He had found another pan, and taught Dylan, and he and Dylan panned while Girl and Bear took baths and kept watch. To his pleasure he’d discovered that he could get his feet into Girl’s original boots, the large plastic wader-looking things. They helped him greatly with both panning and fishing. He was fixed up, with those. The creek was a mother lode to him, and he actually wondered if it had been mined, before. It didn’t look like it, at least not this spot.

Anyway. Soon his little bag of gold dust was over three quarters full. When the gold man showed up at Peck’s store that month, they got a nice stack of tiny gold coins, to his satisfaction. They spent a good hour at the store, and Clipper splurged on winter coats for the three of them. Nice large arctic looking coats. He knew it would get cold, way up here on the mountain. He also got the three of them jumpsuits, to wear beneath their jackets. He got Girl a pair of heavy boots, winter-proof and waterproof, and Dylan a cheap pair of waterproof plastic boots for panning. He felt like they were ready for anything. Peck was working on a deal to get him more .22 ammo, and even some 7.62X39, if possible. He crossed his fingers.

Life with Dylan had it’s ups and downs. The downs, at least, weren’t very far down, thank goodness. About the only real problem, if problem it could be called, was the first thing that had occurred to Clipper when Girl first came up with the idea of Dylan living with them. The lack of privacy. Even though there was another bed in the loft, Dylan had taken to sleeping on the couch, in front of the fire. Clipper was glad of that, it gave them a little privacy, but not much since the loft was open, facing the fire. And Girl ... he hadn’t realized how noisy she was, until Dylan came.

The first night that Dylan stayed with them had been fine. He’d slid into Girl, and she’d been as silent as a tomb ... until fifteen minutes later, when she came. Then, she bounced around and squealed a little, and hiccuped and giggled ... all her usual noises, which of course sounded like gunshots in the quiet of the night. He put his hand over her mouth, which gave her another case of the giggles. They made it through the night, and he hoped for better for the next night.

He was disappointed the next night. She was even noisier. And every time she could tell it bothered him, she got the giggles. After about twenty minutes of that, he called down to Dylan. He had little fear that Dylan was asleep. “Dylan. Sorry about all the noise.”

Dylan giggled some, then. “S’okay,” he said. Jeezus, thought Clipper. He goosed Girl, and she giggled even louder.

Within a week, he wasn’t quite as up-tight about it as he’d been. Dylan was the perfect house guest, he just lay down there and dealt with the noise. Well, thought Clipper, he’ll get a little break, here in a few. Girl was freaky about her period, and Clipper did not have conjugal rights during that time. It was okay, he understood. She was freaky about some things, and way not about others. He felt like it was a fair trade, for the things she let him do. For instance he loved her sweet little asshole, and she loved to have his stick his finger in it when he fucked her. He did it every time, every night. It was just part of the game, to her. But he did give her privacy, when she wanted it.

Dylan had lived with them maybe two months when Clipper approached Girl with his idea. He had no idea how she would take it, but mainly he wanted her to know that he was okay with the idea. Whether or not she’d follow through with it, that was up to her.

One day Dylan was out hunting, and he drew her to the couch. He sat and she crawled on top of his lap, like she liked to do. He just held her for a while, loving her, breathing in her soft girlish scent.

“Girl,” he said.

“What.”

“We gotta talk about something ... about the future...”

“Okay...” she was already suspicious, he could tell.

“Girl. I’m not a young man, and I’m not getting any younger. You are a young woman, not even yet in the prime of life. Dylan is a young man, also not yet in his prime.”

She was silent. She began to twist the hem of her shirt nervously. Her little mannerism endeared her to him so much that felt tears spring up in the corner of his eyes.

“Anyway. We’re kind of a family, the three of us. I just wanna let you know, that whatever you choose to do is okay with me. Girl. You need to have some a life established that isn’t centered around me. I’m not gonna be around that much longer. That’s a reality that we have to face.”

She was still silent. He hugged her closer. She looked at him, and he saw two tears streak down her face.

“Girl, Girl.” He just held her for a while, and hugged her, murmuring to her.

“Girl,” he said. “It’s just life. It’s the cycle. We have to accept it. What I’m trying to say, is ... if you choose Dylan, I will not stand in your way. If you choose to just share, or if you choose him ... full-time ... I will not complain, or stand in your way. I love you too much...” Here is where he choked up, and had to wait a while to continue. “Girl. I love you, and I want what’s best for you. I want what you want.”