The unseasonably early winter snowstorm had come up suddenly, with none of the normal warning signs that the riders knew so well. The three of them - Kid, Lou and Jimmy - were on their way back from Elias Mills' hanging, when they were caught in it coming over the mountain ridges. The temperatures dropped rapidly and they were surrounded by swirling snow, so thick they could barely see each others' mounts. They tied their horses' bridles together, figuring they had no choice but to keep moving, trying to reach some shelter. The winds were so fierce they couldn't even hear each other; and they had no other way to stick together. As they made their way along the ridge, where they recalled seeing a rushing river on their way past it the first time, disaster struck. Lou's mount stumbled and slid on the narrow, icy path; the rope tying his bridle to Katy's pulled loose and the horse careened off the path and toward the icy, raging river below - before Lou could throw herself off. Somehow, Lou managed to cling to a fallen log across the river long enough for a panic-stricken Jimmy and Kid to tie their horses to the log and pull her to safety with it. But a look at her confirmed that the danger was far from past. Her soaked skin was a pale gray-blue, and her shivering was uncontrollable. When they tried to get her to stand, and walk to the horses, she was unsteady, and she didn't seem to be able to understand the urgency of the situation. She kept mumbling that she didn't care, she wanted to sit down - clearly, she needed to get to some shelter and get warm right away, and the two riders, frantically shouting at each other over the screeching wind, had no idea even where they were, let alone how far it was to the nearest shelter. Finally, they'd gotten Lou up on Jimmy's horse with him, since Kid's gunshot wound made it impossible for him to ride and hold onto her; she slumped forward on the mare's neck as they rode, with Jimmy desperately holding on to her as they battled the storm. By a miracle, shortly afterwards, they had stumbled across an old abandoned surveyor's shanty, and, with relief, broke into it to wait out the storm. The shanty was no more than bare wood planks, with the wind and snow still whistling through the gaps, but it was better than nothing. Though not much better than nothing, they realized. There was a large bed, and a fireplace, but not much to start a fire with. And the shanty was almost as cold inside as out -- they figured it must be close to thirty below. Jimmy searched the shack in the darkness for something to burn, after he laid Lou on the cold bed. By this time she was too unsteady to walk, her hands too stiff with cold to hold on to help as Kid took off her stiffly frozen, soaked clothes. "We're in luck, Kid. I found some firewood in the lean-to, and some kerosene for light. If we are careful, we might be able to make them last till morning…. But we won't be able to have a very strong fire, and this shanty is so thin I'm not sure we can get a lot of heat from it." Jimmy lit the lamp, flooding the shack with flickering light. He gasped at the sight of Lou, blue with cold and violently shivering on the bed as Kid removed her jacket and boots. Worried nearly sick himself, Jimmy quickly turned his attention to the fire. Kid just as quickly stripped Lou's remaining clothes off, noticing with despair that her torso was cold to the touch and her breathing was slowed, and shallow. Feeling her neck, he could tell that her pulse was slowing. We weren't quick enough, he thought despairingly. She's … she's dying. He covered her with blankets from under the bed, and went to his bags to find some dry long johns to put on her. Jimmy, who had a fire started in the fireplace now, interrupted him. "That's not a good idea, Kid. Those clothes are freezing cold, and she needs to warm up fast. Teaspoon told me once, the best thing to do in a situation like this is…" Jimmy cleared his throat, "keep her naked, and lie down with her under the blankets, skin to skin. That way your body heat can get to her directly." Kid looked over at Lou, awkwardly. He and Lou were no longer a couple, though he had hopes recently that they could work things out again. He was hesitant, but knew Jimmy was right; and Lou would understand that this was necessary. He nodded, and shed his own clothes, climbing into the bed with the girl he still loved, wincing again at the pain in his own injured arm. Holding her against himself with his other arm, he thought how many times he'd longed for this intimacy with her again, but certainly not under these circumstances. He was shocked at how cold her body felt, how violently she was shivering. Jimmy turned down the light to save the kerosene, and looked around for somewhere to lie down, settling in front of the fire. Kid's anxiety about Lou increased as he held her over the next half hour… the bed was freezing cold, even he felt cold, and Lou's shivering was not stopping. Reluctantly, he called out to Jimmy. "Jimmy?" Jimmy answered, "Yeah Kid? How is she?" "She ain't good, Jimmy. She's not warming up like she should. I think… you're going to have to get in here with us. Take your clothes off and keep her warm on the other side." Jimmy blanched a little at this proposal. He loved Lou, as much as Kid did, but he wasn't prepared to climb into bed with a naked Lou and Kid. When Jimmy didn't answer right away, Kid pleaded quietly, "Jimmy? I wouldn't ask if I didn't think she really needs it." Kid certainly wasn't excited about this prospect either, but Lou's lips were almost purple with cold, and he knew she was in trouble. Jimmy stood and, walking over to the bed, stripped, keeping only his long john bottoms on. He climbed into the bed, on the other side of Lou. Lou's eyes were open, and she was awake, but apathetic, and she had no reaction. But the two men were both keenly aware of the irony of this situation. They'd battled over Lou, directly and indirectly, many's the time and now here they were… with the woman they both cared so much about between them, literally. Kid turned Lou to face him, drawing her to his chest. Jimmy felt it was safest if he turned his back to Lou, but Kid demurred. "Jimmy, turn around and hold on to her, and we need to stay awake until she's out of danger." Jimmy knew Kid was right, but he was already having some problems with this arrangement. The feel of Lou's naked body against him was causing his own body to react in a predictable, but unfortunate, way. He crept closer to her shivering form, and pressed himself up against her back, as close as he could get, trying to will her back to warmth and health. He gazed at her hair on the pillow next to him, almost forgetting, but not quite, that Kid was on the other side of her. Her arms crept up around the Kid's neck feebly, a good sign, he thought, but one that caused a pang similar to the one he'd felt when she turned to Kid at Elias' hanging. Kid had drawn Lou's top leg between his own legs to keep it warmer, and had his good arm draped over Lou's waist; but Jimmy gently, silently stroked Lou's bare shoulder and arm as she shivered under the blankets. ******************************* An hour later, Lou awoke suddenly when a branch crashed against the wall of the shanty. The room was dark, and she had no idea where she was, or why on earth she felt a man's naked body pressed up against her front … and another's pressed up against her from the back. She was not even sure exactly whose legs her own leg was caught between, with his manhood swollen and hard against her stomach, or whose was stiffened against her backside through a thin layer of fabric. Someone's hand was on her breast, though in the tangle of arms and legs she was not sure whose hand it was. She felt oddly weak, and confused; but crept her pwn hand up to touch the face of the man in front of her. This was Kid, she thought, relieved. But who….. who's back there? She couldn't stop shivering long enough to speak, but slipped her numb hand behind her back weakly, trying feebly to feel for some clue, when the man caught her seeking hand, and placed it on his throbbing member inside his long johns, rubbing her hand back and forth; she was too weak to protest, and within moments, her hand was sticky and wet with his semen. She turned her head with difficulty, and in the half light was surprised to see a groggy Jimmy looking back at her with a shocked expression on his own face. At the realization of what he had done, in his own tired, sleepy confusion, he stammered out, "Lou, I'm … I'm sorry, I … I was dreaming … half asleep … I … I thought …" Jimmy realized that she had no idea what was happening; he wiped her hand clean on the blanket, sick with remorse at having unintentionally taken advantage of her. Lou, while improved, was still dazed, he saw immediately; her speech was still slightly slurred as she tried to answer him. Jimmy, desperate now, sat up and prodded the Kid's shoulder. "Kid, she's still in trouble … it's not enough -- you're going to have to do something." Kid looked at Jimmy over Lou's head, worry combined with confusion at Jimmy's words. "What else is there? We've tried everything." Jimmy looked at him, with pain stabbing his heart at his own words. "Not everything, Kid. You know what I'm talking about." He paused, terrified, as Lou rolled onto her back without his support. Her small chest was cold and barely moving, her eyes rimmed with black circles. "And if you don't do it, I will, so help me, it's the only thing left to try." Kid scowled at Jimmy furiously. "Jimmy, she's out of it, and we're not together any more. I can't do that to her. And you certainly aren't going to, that's for damn sure." Lou somehow spoke at this, her lips still blue with cold. "Kid," she said hoarsely. "Please." She could barely speak, but she managed to gasp, "It's all right… I need you … I'm so cold, please help me. It's all right." Her voice was still slurring slightly, but they were a little surprised and pleased, that Lou's reason had apparently returned somewhat. Nonetheless, her ragged shallow breathing and the violent shivering, and her cold body, meant that she was still in terrible danger. And moments after her exertion from speaking, her eyes drooped dizzily. "She's going to sleep, Kid - - you have to do something," Jimmy ordered. "I'll go outside," he said, rising from the bed and moving toward his clothes. "Don't be stupid, Jimmy," spat Kid. "It's thirty below out there, and if you think I'm doing this for you when you get frozen out there, you can forget it. Just sit over in the corner and keep your eyes to yourself." Jimmy, pulling on his clothes as he went, sat in the back corner, as far away as the tiny shanty would permit him. This wasn't far enough to avoid the sounds from the creaking bed behind him, as he sat shivering in the cold, alone. It seemed Kid had an unnatural amount of stamina, as the creaking and slamming of the bed went on for what seemed an eternity to the tormented man in the corner. But likely Kid was trying to keep going as long as possible, to keep Lou warm. It occurred to Jimmy, suddenly, that Lou and Kid really did love each other; and that she was probably better off with Kid than him. He had to stop thinking about her, erase her from his mind, somehow, and maybe this was the way to do it. He raised his eyes to the scene in the bed, forcing himself to look, despite Kid's earlier warning. If I see him with her, I can accept it. I can let her go, he thought desperately. In the light from the fire, Jimmy saw that Lou was finally responsive; her legs were locked around Kid's waist and her arms entwined around his neck. Kid was thrusting deliberately and slowly into Lou's body with short, grinding strokes, holding his body as close to Lou's as possible all the while rather than withdrawing after each motion, and running his working hand up and down her sides to increase the heat and friction. He kept his mouth on hers, kissing her deeply; Jimmy watched for interminable minutes, forcing himself to listen to Lou's gasps of pleasure against Kid's mouth each time Kid pressed deeper into her. Jimmy watched jealously, his own groin throbbing again, nearly in pain, at the sight. Unable to bear the pressure, Jimmy slipped his hand down, over himself, heedless of the fact that at any moment either of them could look over and see him, his legs spread apart, masturbating in the same rhythm as their lovemaking. Suddenly, Lou arched her back, pulled her mouth away from Kid's and began panting and squealing in increased excitement with widened, dilated eyes. In turn, Kid's face, which had been set in almost painful self-control, crumbled at the sight of Lou's writhing orgasm in his arms. Kid began pounding into her, now pulling all the way out each time before shoving back into her again. Lou came again, harder this time, at Kid's change in rhythm. Jimmy knew, this was as close as he would ever allow himself to get to making love to Lou; he imagined it was him, not Kid, inside Lou - - and jerked himself to climax, coming at the same time that Kid reflexively called out Lou's name and his hot seed erupted into her pulsating, wet folds. As he struggled to control his own rapid breathing, Kid quickly checked Lou's hands, pressing one against his face. It was still a little cold, but her face looked better, pinker. She looked up at him, shyly. "Thanks," she whispered. "Hope it wasn't too much trouble." Kid smiled down at her. "No trouble at all, ma'am, always glad to help out a lady when I can," he teased her, before tenderly kissing her lips. He whispered something, low, in her ear, and she smiled up at him sweetly, stroking the side of his face. They had forgotten his very existence, it seemed to Jimmy. Just as well, he thought forlornly, dropping his eyes and wiping his hand absently on his pants. ************** By next morning, Lou was able to get up and ride home, hanging on to Jimmy again, and wrapped tightly in several layers of clothes and blankets. She had to rest for several days afterwards, but recovered quickly thereafter. After they arrived home, Jimmy, embarrassed, apologized to Lou about the "misunderstanding" under the covers that night. Lou shushed him. "Jimmy, I ain't lived in a bunkhouse with all you boys for this long and not figured out a few things. You just got a little confused, that's all, and we won't say anything else about it. Nobody has to know." Lou didn't let on that from the corner of her eye that night, she had seen Jimmy watching them, touching himself in time with her and Kid's lovemaking. In fact, the sight of his loving, pained face watching, and his swollen member hardened in his hand, had been what had driven her over the edge to orgasm the first of the two times she had come that night. Kid's increased passion drove her there a second time, minutes later; though of course all this was something she could never reveal to anyone, especially Kid and Jimmy. She knew now that she loved the Kid, always would, and that it would only serve to humiliate Jimmy to no purpose if she told him she had seen his desperate act. The discussion with Kid about what had happened in the shanty was more complicated. They each agreed, defensively, that their lovemaking only happened because it was necessary to thaw her nearly frozen body. They still weren't ready to pick up where they left off, since nothing really had changed about the problems that had separated them in the first place, but both now at least secretly felt sure that they'd get there again in time; was clear that night had served to thaw out their relationship, chilly since their breakup, as well. Email Ellie TYR EXPRESSions Home