Chapter 19

Kathy Caretaker was there with bells on when we came back and she put me in the healing chamber first. I knew I didn't need it, but I went in anyway.

After I came out she put Elaine in and took me for my shower. She asked me how the mission had gone while she was washing me, and as I gave her a few facts she settled on soaping my dick.

When I explained about getting Delbert and his mother together she thought I'd done a wonderful deed.

"Maybe, but maybe not. He was a good place for Damsels to end up. It was easy to steal them back from him and he never hurt any. Now they'll end up somewhere else and might not be so easy to extricate."

"I hadn't thought of that at all. Oh well, all you can do is the best you can do. You can't think of everything," she said.

"Maybe not, but I'm always thinking of something."

"Hey, that's right. Where is your horse Companion?" she asked, squeezing it just a little too tightly when she did.

"I left him there for a while. I decided to spread his bloodlines around a little as long as he was there."

"But men from earth aren't supposed to have sex with women from Chaos," she said.

"Well Joe Bob ain't a man. He's got a whale of a lot bigger dick for one thing, and I doubt he'll be breeding any of the Chaos women."

"You may be right, but I'd better ask someone about it."

"Why don't you just let things be? We'll find out if it comes out in the wash next time I go, and that'll be soon enough. No sense in starting any shit where there ain't none flying around now," I said.

She was quiet for about ten minutes as she rinsed me off and then led me out for drying and putting on a robe.

"You know, you might be right. We should probably let well enough alone and see what happens."

"I've got a suggestion for you. Why don't you order me a big meal and then take care of Elaine. I'm hungry," I said.

"You're always hungry, but I'll get a meal on the table for you."

"There you go. Get in that kitchen and rattle the pots and pans," I said.

"Silly, you know I don't really have to cook it."

"I know, but I like to think you are, and besides, you're a wonderful cook," I said.

I'd just sat down to eat when Elaine came out of the healing chamber and she and Kathy Caretaker headed for the shower. I was finished and wishing I could order a big serving of apple pie when they came out dressed in the ubiquitous robes.

"Hey, order me a big apple pie while you're getting Elaine's meal, will you?" I asked Kathy, as they came in where I was seated.

"I think Elaine is ready for the good stuff and wants to eat later," Kathy said.

"That's fine, you two can go on into the bedroom and get started without me then, but order me an apple pie before you go," I said.

"Jack, that's so rude of you," Kathy said, and when she did I saw Elaine's lower lip trembling a little.

"No it isn't. Rushing around to get to it is the rude part. It's like they all want to get started right away and get away from me just that much faster. It may be the way they feel, but it isn't the way I feel. I want them here with me for just as long as I can keep them," I said.

It just sorta popped out of my mouth before I thought it through, but it was damned sure the right thing to say, even if I did think of it myself. They both looked stunned for a few seconds and then they were falling all over themselves apologizing and then kissing me everywhere decent in seconds. The upshot of it was Elaine sat down to eat and even Kathy ordered a meal for herself - and, I got a whole apple pie to work on while they were eating.

The mood carried on through my whole time with Elaine. She talked to me a bunch more than any previous Damsel and we spent a lot of time with the three of us snuggled up together just petting. It was a lot more enjoyable for me, and I was pretty sure Kathy liked it better too. I'm not sure if Elaine liked it better or not. I do know she did a lot more clinging and crying just before she told us the happy news. Apparently they could stay until they gave us the details.

Of course once she said it I was outta there nearly as soon as she was. At least I was fully dressed when I rejoined Cowboy Jack.

"Where in the hell is Joe Bob," he asked me, as soon as I appeared.

"Joe Bob is on Chaos, making horse babies I hope. I didn't intend to take him through the portal, but once I did he magically became a Hero Companion, sorta. Now I've got him on Chaos doing dick work and improving the stock there, quite a bit I hope," I said.

"Well, it might help with riding horses, but his get won't have good working shoulders," Cowboy Jack said.

"Hell, even I know that, and I made sure to tell Ben about it," I said.

"Who is Ben?"

"He's the foreman on my ranch. I told him to cross Joe Bob on as many mares as he could while he was there. I'm planning on getting a stud to keep there and keep Joe Bob's line going. I'll probably bring Joe Bob back the next time I go."

"Now you're using your head for something besides a hat rack."

"Say, I wonder what's keeping Amos?"

"Huh. Amos ain't been here," Cowboy Jack said.

"That's right. He won't be out to go for a couple more days. It'll be weird for me though, since he just played a big part in my latest adventure. The way they have the time fucked up is really confusing if you try too hard to keep up with it," I said.

"Well stop talking about it now. I don't want to get any more confused than I am already and if you keep it up I'll get a headache."

Three days later Amos came out and took off to Crossroads for an adventure. Just to make sure I didn't screw anything up I saddled my show mare and took a ride the morning I figured he was coming out. I was back at the house when he came back fifteen minutes later.

We all had a talk about it then and decided if it came up again we'd do it the same way. Hell, we could never figure out how it worked anyway and it was better not to get ourselves even more confused.

After Amos went home Cowboy Jack had another minor bone to pick with me.

"I guess you noticed the mare you bought is horsin' now. What are we gonna do with her until you get Joe Bob back?"

"I didn't notice, but I knew she was acting a little frisky. I'm gonna go right back home and see if I can find another stallion to cure her ills," I said.

"Well, get your ass on the road then. She won't stay in forever."

I threw some clothes in the pickup and lit a shuck. It seemed to me Jim had another stallion he was wanting to sell when I was there last time. It was a big black so and so. I never cared much for black horses, but it wouldn't hurt to have one for luck. I was mostly just glad I'd made the barn big enough for six stalls while I was at it.

I didn't tarry about getting the black stallion either. I didn't even stop at home when I got to town - I just drove out to Jim's place and made a deal. Luckily Jim liked to deal in checks and I didn't have to fart around and go after cash. I did at least leave him out there until the next day so I could go home and get a little sleep.

The next morning I drove out to Jim's place early. Before I could get the stallion loaded I spotted a mare the same sorrel color as Joe Bob and when I asked Jim about her, he said she was an own sister of him. Hell, she looked one hell of a lot like him so I bought her too. I wrote the check fast and got them both in the trailer and carried my ass back to Kerrville.

It was after dark when I pulled up in Cowboy Jacks yard, but he was outside with me to help nearly as soon as I got stopped. He didn't say much about the mare I'd bought except to point out she looked almost exactly like Joe Bob. He did turn on the new light we'd put up outside and then we turned them loose in the pen. Damned if old Blacky wasn't topping the bay mare before we got back in the house.

There was a whole lot of fucking going on between the bay mare and Blacky for about a week and then damned if the sorrel mare didn't come in. Hell, I'd been home nearly a month by the time Blacky got the job done on both the mares, so when I decided it was time for another dose of the game I led him through the portal with me one morning.

Kathy was better equipped for horses now - not so much in accommodations, but mentally. She even came out to ooh and ahh over Blacky before she called for a bale of alfalfa hay and a watering washtub.

We went a little crazy catching up on each other's bodies for three days, but by then the pressure was off and she wanted me to look at and choose from three different missions right away.

All of them sucked as far as my plans went. The closest one was over a hundred miles from the ranch, and the one I chose was a little over two hundred.

The Damsel Lena had been on chaos for four years already. Remarkably, she had been relatively safe for three and a half of those years, but lately a gang of raiders had attacked the big farm she'd been indentured to. The owner had been killed and Lena had been stolen.

The oldest son of the deceased owner had taken over, and while they all missed Lena, who'd been a house servant, they didn't feel like they needed to send out a bunch of men looking for her. They merely bought another indentured servant.

Kathy hadn't wanted me to take this assignment and if I were to tell the truth it was probably the biggest reason I wanted to take it. Then again, the Damsel was in real danger since she would probably be raped as soon as they got enough ground between them and where they'd taken her from to feel safe. Kathy even said it would make them more dangerous.

I knew it would, but figured it would make them more dangerous to Lena, mostly. When the first one fucked her and his dick felt like he'd jammed it in a fire they might get a little testy over it. I wouldn't give a dime for Lena's situation after that.