Authors: Penny Lam
Shep
It’s been fifteen hours. Despite the dark, sleep is impossible. I’ve rationed my food and water, pissed in a corner, and waited. The lamp on my helmet is flickering and it doesn’t have much power left, so I start rationing it, too.
Goddamn, it’s hard to be alone. All around me I can hear the crumble and shift of the shaft. It makes time fickle, because waiting for your death that could come at any second makes minutes feel like hours. My nerves are jangled, and I could really use a beer and a fuck and a reminder that maybe my life was pretty good in the trailer park.
Fuck. It hits me that the trailer is just in my name. Buck and I don’t share accounts, and I hold most of the money. He’s never been as good at saving, preferring to blow his paychecks as he earns them on beer and cigarettes. If I die in here, the bank will waste no time in kicking Buck and Vickie out and selling it off. Fuck if I know what they’d do with my accounts.
I’m not too far from thirty. Making a will never crossed my damned mind, and it should have. Risking the last of my lamp’s juice, I flick it on and find the pad and pencil John had down here. The pencil’s broke.
Finding the pocketknife Rick gave us, I clean Bill’s blood off and use it to whittle down the tip until a solid point of graphite shows. John’s papers are covered in mine jargon, so I flip it to the back and start writing.
I don’t know much about writing wills, but these are the final wishes of me, Gil Shepherd, in case I die in this damned mine.
My trailer goes to Buck Jackson, my friend and roommate. He can do whatever the hell he wants with it and all my stuff in it.
My money goes to Vickie Sampson. Vickie, use it to get out of the park and start making your dreams come true, whatever those dreams are.
And if someone would remember to put flowers on my grandma’s grave every now and then, in Cedar Hills cemetery, well that would be nice.
It doesn’t feel like enough, and I don’t know if it'll make a lick of difference if I die, but I feel better for having wrote it out. The good thing is, if I plant myself near the cave in, even if I get crushed they’ll probably try and dig out my body. I can hope, at least, although there isn’t much love lost amongst the miners if I die.
Shoving my stupid attempt at a will in my pocket, I head back to the cave in. There’s been non-stop rustling on the other side, and I’m guessing that’s them trying to dig me out. Whenever there’s a loud clatter, my eyes involuntarily glance up, expecting the worst.
My stomach’s growling. It’s the kind of hunger that hurts and leaves my mouth tasting like acid. It’s not even been that long, but I guess keeping so fit has its pitfalls.
And then… a beam of light pokes through. Higher than the last place. I see a support beam run through it. Rick’s voice pipes through. “You still doin’ okay in there, Shep?”
“Yeah. How’s Bill?”
A pause. “Alive.” Well, there’s that, I guess. “We’re gonna try to brace the roof and boulder a bit, then dig you out. It won’t hold long, but I think you can pop through, okay?”
“I’ll do whatever, Rick, if it gets me out of this hole.”
I stand, even though it’ll take a while. I’m too fidgety to sit still and wait. Pacing back and forth, I listen hard as the men work. There’s drills, and I catch the echoes of some support bolts being placed in the rock. But once those noises stop, all I hear is the grunt of men and crumble of dust as they move the rocks blocking the way out.
If I had to guess, I’d say it took them less than an hour after the brace was placed to dig me out. I peer through the hole as it gets large enough for me, and I’ve never been so happy to see those coal-coated faces in all my fucking life. Heart leaping, I push through. Arms grab me, pulling me the last few inches. The rush of contact chokes me up a bit.
Rick slaps my back awkwardly and I turn away. I can’t let them see me cry. My throat constricts, but I swallow it down and turn back to the men who are waiting to see how I’m doing. “Thanks, guys. I owe y’all a debt.”
They all shake their heads. Rick speaks. “Nope. It’s part of the brotherhood. No debts there, Shep.”
Fuck, that hits me hard. Not one day -- not one damn day -- did I feel like I was one of them. But no matter what poison Bill spilled in their ears, Rick was saying that I did, in fact, belong. That I’d earned a place.
“Let’s get you to the surface, dude. This was a long shift.”
I smile. “Yeah, I got some overtime due, huh?”
We get on the shuttle, everyone but the driver reclining, eyes shut. United in the relief of being alive. Cave ins are rare, but they are always painful reminders of our own mortality.
The air feels better, cleaner, as soon as we get into the well-ventilated areas. I won’t tell Vickie, who’s been so proud of me for cutting back on smoking, that after this my lungs are probably shot. Still, the air feels so good with each deep breath. I don’t know if I’ll ever want another smoke again.
As we rumble toward ground level, my teeth begin to chatter. It’s slight; no one notices but me. I feel it and the small tremors of relief releasing through my body. Endorphins usually follow adrenaline, but there’s no ‘good’ feeling. Not yet. Just, I don’t know… the shakes in between. Like I know I’ll be okay, but I can’t fully believe it yet.
When we get to the surface, there’s cheering. The whole fucking crew is there. No one went home. They stayed and waited for me to be out. Or to be dead, but the intensity of the cheers feels genuine. It threatens to dissolve the stoic face I’ve put on.
Huge lamps are everywhere. There’s an ambulance and the paramedics scramble to me, but I escape off the shuttle first, because I hear her. Vickie.
“Shep!”
Like a beacon, or a magnet, it doesn’t matter. I run for her and see them both. They’re weeping and holding each other. Vickie breaks from Buck’s arms and dashes to meet me. She leaps through the air, body slamming into me, and it’s the best feeling in the world. Those thick thighs I love so much wrap around my waist and her big titties are pressed into my chest and her mouth is just everywhere, you know? She’s kissing my mouth, my cheeks, even my fucking hair. I love each kiss.
When people start whispering, Vickie slides down my body, her face flushed and looking impish. I can feel their questions, having just witnessed Vickie run from Buck’s arms into mine. Their judgement, too, I’m guessing. Well, they didn’t almost die in a goddamn mine shaft.
Rumors have followed me since I lost my folks. They made it hard to get jobs, impossible to make friends outside of Buck. The endorphin euphoria is finally kicking in, and it’s because of Vickie and Buck.
So fuck it. I’m going to make new rumors.
I grab Vickie’s hand in mine and step toward Buck. He’s so tense he looks like he might break. The red, puffy eyes that meet mine mirror all of my feelings; the grief, the worry, the sheer ecstasy in the moment. He is leaning toward me, needing me, afraid to touch me.
I grab him by the nape of the neck with my free hand and pull him in for a kiss before he can fight me. With the way he’s melting against me, he wasn’t going to, anyway. The kiss is what I need. Our tongues war and our teeth clash. My cock gets hard and my heart grows full.
Now the whispers grow louder. When our kiss ends, I see the paramedics standing on the side, obviously unsure of what to do next.
“We, um, need to look you over, Mr. Shepherd. If you’ll come this way, please.” They won’t meet my gaze after that display.
I follow them, Buck and Vickie trailing behind. Now that we’re together, I imagine it’ll take an act of God to pry us apart. The technicians look me over, but other than a nasty cough they warn me to get checked out, I’m just dehydrated.
Rick and a suit come in while I’m hooked up to an IV and sitting in the back of the ambulance. “Hey, Shep, I know this is a shit time, but this guy is from insurance and needs to talk to you about what happened.”
My system is shot. I’m tired and I just want to go home. Buck and Vickie grab my hands. I can do this.
“What do you need to know? I’m sure you talked to John and he told you what happened.”
The suit frowns. “We’ve spoken to both Mr. Frank and Mr. Jordan, Mr. Shepherd--”
“Just call me Shep,” I sigh.
“Fine. I need your story, Shep, to see if it lines up with theirs.”
Buck’s hand squeezes mine tight, and I don’t miss Rick’s eyes lingering too long on the movement. Buck’s thinking the same thing I am-- am I being set up? I saved Bill’s life, but when a man’s hate goes so deep, would that make a difference?
“Bill grabbed me and John. It was late to be going down, but he wanted labs and needed samples. We went down in a cart, and Bill took us past the supported ceiling. I guess he’s got some bigwigs breathing down his neck and the shaft had connected to a sandstone vein. Which he confirmed. But he kept trying to dig, well past the point of safety. John said something first, and when Bill ignored him, I tried to reason with him.”
“Reason with him how?”
“I grabbed his shoulder and told him we needed to go.”
“What happened then?” The suit had stopped writing my statement and everyone’s eyes were on me, expectant. Damn. I don’t want to throw someone under the bus. Even an asshole like Bill. But he did almost get us killed, and I might be a little at fault, but he’s the lead.
Shrugging, I tell the truth. “He pushed me, and we got into a fistfight. We were hitting the sides pretty hard, but I think that, while it was a stupid ass thing to do, we didn’t actually cause the cave in. Based on where the rocks were, and the shock wave, there must have been a methane pocket. Small one. We’re lucky.”
The man made a noncommittal noise. “And Mr. Jordan’s… injury. Where is the rest of his leg?”
“Under a goddamn rock slab.” He couldn’t be trying to pin that on me, too? “He got trapped and was looking bad, so I cut it off.”
“The surgeon said it looked torn--”
“Well, we didn’t exactly have anesthesia, man. Bill got spooked when I was most of the way through and he jerked. Tore his own damn leg off.”
Vickie made a noise and one of the paramedics got her leaned out just in time. Her vomit splashed down, some getting on the suit’s shoes.
Good girl
.
“We got Bill and John out, but I got stuck. Un-sticking me closed up the hole. A lot of hours and some change, and here I am. Real ready to get home. So if you need anything else from me, it’d be nice if it could wait.”
“No, that’s all. All three of you have been removed from duty for a week. Someone will be in touch with you.”
Buck sneered. “So I guess almost dyin’s got you the vacation I wanted you to take all these years.”
“Guess so.”
“Fuck, man. Let’s go home.”
The paramedics unhook the IV and check me over once more. I get a card with a number I should call if anything shows up in the next twenty-four hours. There’s no way in hell I’m gonna drive, so Vickie sits on my lap in Buck’s truck on the way home. Every bounce makes my hard dick press into her.
Let me tell you; as tired as I am, I’m feeling awfully renewed with this second lease on life.
I start fondling her titties before we even get to the trailer. Sucking those hard nipples straight through her t-shirt. I love the way she moans and threads her fingers in my hair. Buck clears his throat and my hand slides off her thighs, over to his jeans.
I grab his cock and it leaps to life under my palm.
“We don’t have to go to sleep right away,” I murmur, my voice muffled because I’m still licking and sucking Vickie’s tits.
“Damn straight,” Buck says.
Vickie
How do I explain it? Home feels more like home. The thin walls with fading paper or chipped paint. The new furniture that seems out of place with the yellowed ceiling. The small kitchen where I make our food and the make-shift bed we’ve created that can accommodate all three of us.
That bed is where I’m being steered by four hungry hands. Our mouths and limbs are a tangle of need. I kiss Buck and Shep back and forth until I can hardly breathe or tell whose mouth is on mine, whose tongue is sweeping in and tasting me.
My shirt is the first piece of clothing to go. Buck grabs my breast and starts to suck, hard. His long draws and tongue flicks send fiery tendrils of lust straight to my clit. I can feel my slit slicken with arousal. When we start going like this, it’s like my body hollows out, preparing. The passion and lust eat away at me, soaking into every inch of skin, until the only thing that will sate me is having Shep and Buck inside of me.
Shep’s sliding off my pants, falling to his knees in front of me. Despite our bed being steps away, Buck leans me back, my skin connecting to the wall behind for support. Then he dives back to my breasts. He’s kneading them, pushing them together and burying his face between. Worshipping my nipples with his harsh, demanding mouth. “Goddamn,” he moans, voice ragged, “I love these titties.”
Legs bared, Shep hooks my thigh on his shoulder and drags his tongue across my needy pussy. Arching, I cry out. He licks me thoroughly, rough tongue exploring each fold, before he clamps down on my clit and eases two fingers into me.
Sometimes I wonder if Buck and Shep have some deeper, psychic connection, because they start working together to bring my release. Buck seems to know exactly when to suckle hard at my nipple, teeth clamping down, as Shep flicks my clit with his tongue. I’m close, so close.
“Buck, I need you in me, too,” I whisper.
“Beg for it, baby girl,” he demands, and I groan as Shep slows the fingers he’s pumping in and out of me, joining Buck in his tease.
“Please,” I breathe. “Please put your fingers in my ass while Shep licks me.” We’ve been together long enough, done countless dirty things, and yet I still get embarrassed when he makes me talk dirty. Of course--
“Fuck me, keep going, Vickie. You get so wet when you beg. Cover my face with your cream.” Shep begins to stroke me again.
“Buck, I need you! Please, I’ll do anything you want! Just put your fingers in my ass and help me come! Get me ready for both of you. I need both of you!”
Buck slides his fingers into my mouth and I suck them, coating him with my saliva. When he withdraws them I whimper, anticipating what’ll happen next.
He and Shep push into me at the same time. It’s a teaser, an appetizer for when their cocks will replace those fingers. But I get the same delicious stretch as they begin to fill me, pumping in and out.
My stomach tightens and my thighs begin to quiver. Shep knows me, and latches onto my clit, drawing hard. My climax is swift and merciless.
Only now do they let me fall on the bed. As I recover, I watch Buck pull Shep up into a kiss. I never thought it would be the case, but watching them kiss is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Buck’s tongue traces Shep’s lower lip. “You taste like her,” he murmurs as I begin to fondle my breasts.
They strip, their hands stroking each other’s long muscles. Buck traces Shep’s tattoos, hand lingering on the two bulls locked. “We need to add onto this, man.” Shep groans but nods.
“Hell yeah.”
Buck grips Shep’s dark hair and yanks a little, baring Shep’s throat. Shep snarls and grabs at the belt on Buck’s pants, letting Buck lick his neck. Sweet Jesus. It’s just like Shep’s tattoo. They’re fighting, neither giving way to the other, but also giving into each other, supporting the weight together.
Shep’s hand slides down the front of Buck’s pants, and my mouth is open. They’ve never gone this far before. Buck hisses and grabs at Shep’s pants, too. “Get naked and get on the bed,” he bites out.
Soon their bodies are draped next to mine, their heat surrounding me. Shep takes my front and I slide a thigh over his hip. The tip of his cock teases the entrance to my pussy. “I was so scared, Shep.”
“Me too, Vick, me too.” He surges into me. My body adjusts to his size easily, like we’re all made for each other. He tucks me into his chest and pulls me with him as he rolls onto his bed. On top, I rock my hips until Buck swats my ass, hard. “If you make him come before I’m inside, I’m gonna spank your ass raw, baby girl.”
He won’t come in me because he doesn’t have a condom on. Shep and Buck always either come on my body or in my ass. There’s a deep, nurturing instinct in me that sparks at Buck’s words. I wish they would come inside me. My body feels it on a deep, intrinsic level. The need to be a mother. The desire to make their babies.
I almost lost Shep today, and yeah, it’s selfish, but maybe I want a piece of him inside of me. Sparking life. Creating a legacy of him that I can cherish and hold onto if the worst happens.
“It’d be worth the spanking if he wanted to,” I whisper. My eyes meet his. Gray, dark and ferocious. Pleading? He seems to understand what I’m saying. Leaning into him, my lips brush his ear. “It’d be okay, Shep. I want you to.”
Buck hisses and fists his cock. Shep looks to him, asking permission. We’ve never talked about this. Buck nods. “Do it, then. Come in that sweet pussy.”
“Fuck,” Shep groans as his strong hands, still black under the fingernails, grip my hips. He thrusts up, hard, and soon I’m bouncing on his cock. He’s ruthless as he pounds into me. I feel him deep. Oh, so deep inside. I have to grab my tits and just let go.
Something blooms inside me, and I grab at Buck, needing to be connected to him, too. He stands on the bed, grabbing the wall to steady himself. My hand finds his cock and I guide it into my mouth.
Shep adjusts his rhythm, and he begins to grind into me while I suck off Buck.
“I’m gonna lose it,” Buck warns before coming hard. My mouth opens and I catch it on my tongue, my cheeks, his thunderous groans vibrating through me.
Deep inside of me, Shep follows.
Sweaty, sticky, and completely sated we tumble down together. I’m in the middle, surrounded by their slick, hot bodies. Shep passes out immediately.
Poor guy
. His body is filthy, and so are the sheets. I’ll probably have to take them to the laundromat, because no amount of hand scrubbing can take care of this kind of mess.
My eyelids flutter shut and the corners of my mouth tug up, imagining what could be happening in my body this very second. Before I can drift off to happy dreams, though, Buck’s lips find my ear. “I still owe you a spanking.”
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
####
Buck and Shep are watching a game in the living room while I pick up. It’s strange to have them both here during the day, but the mine representative called and confirmed what the lawyer had told Shep last night-- no work for at least a week.
Buck called in and Jim gave him the week off. At first I was excited. All of us together! But I couldn’t take a week off school and exams were coming up. My new schedule came in and my advisor hadn’t been joking. She put me in an intro to Journalism, an essay-writing class, and an introduction to blogging. That last one was a new course they were offering, and, after reading the syllabus, I’m pretty excited for it.
However, trying to keep the trailer clean, study, and cook while Shep and Buck are here is proving to be a challenge. They’re cuddled up on the couch. It’s a delightful and startling sight; Buck’s arm draped over Shep’s wide, strong shoulders and Shep’s hand on Buck’s hairy thigh.
Giggling, I decide I’m just going to have to get out of the house. I’ve got some reading I can do for a Literature exam, and the sheets need to be washed. I toss them in a bag, add the clothes from the floor, and grab my books.
“Buck, can I borrow the truck and go to the laundromat?”
“Sure, baby girl. My wallet’s on the kitchen table. Grab some cash. Would you mind bringing back dinner?”
“What do you want?”
“Whatever you feel like, baby.”
They’re so considerate. Beaming, I grab a twenty. When Buck coughs and gives me an expectant look, I take a second twenty out. It’s more than enough for a roll of quarters and a nice dinner. I think he wants to treat Shep.
His keys are next to his wallet, so I snag them, too. Blowing the boys a kiss, I head out. For as cold as it was yesterday, today’s not so bad. One of the benefits of our area, I guess. Winters are unpredictable. One day there’ll be a dusting of snow and everyone closes their businesses. The local stores will be cleaned out of milk and bread. The next day, like today, the sun is shining so bright that it almost feels warm. Which is good, because I just have a sweatshirt. The truck rumbles to life as I turn the key.
I may have done okay driving yesterday, but I’m still nervous as hell as I start to leave the park. We’ll need to get me down to get a license soon. Maybe as soon as Christmas is over. My classes next semester are on campus, and I’m going to have to talk to the boys about getting a car.
The laundromat is fairly empty. It’s next to the store, so I run in for some quarters. Miss Tammy is behind the register like always and perks up as soon as she sees me.
“Vickie Sampson! You better come here right now!”
My back straightens as I head over to her. How Miss Tammy, queen of town gossip, manages to make me feel like I’m going to the principal’s office, I’ll never understand.
“Yes, ma’am?”
Her eyes narrow. “I heard there was a cave in at the mine.” I nod, afraid of where this is going. “Shep okay?”
“Yeah, he’s okay. Got a bit of a cough that he’ll need to get checked out, but other than that, he’s doin’ fine.”
“Good. Now you tell me if I heard this right. Were you kissing on him and Buck? And more important, did those boys actually kiss
each other
in front of the town and God?”
Chewing on my lip, I hesitate. I mean, obviously Miss Tammy knows the truth. But this is the only store in town that has all your basics. If she starts getting mean to me and the boys, we’ll be forced to drive a half hour just to get groceries. “Yep,” I sigh, knowing lying is fruitless. “I did and they did.”
“You mean to tell me that all three of you are shackin’ up together?”
The blush stings my cheeks. “That’s about the gist of it.”
“Well,” she fans herself, even though it’s winter. “I never.” My heart falters a bit, and I know that this is it. Now that the cat’s well and truly out of the bag, I’m pretty much stuck at the trailer or going to the next town. It wasn’t fair. If people knew how we feel about each other, about how strong and deep our love is, maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to judge.
Mumbling, I hand her a twenty. “May I have a roll of quarters, Miss Tammy?”
She seems to see my unhappiness, because her brows press together. “Oh, Darlin’, don’t frown! I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I’ve seen Shep and Buck together, and the Lord knows I’ve thought about it.”
Her words are like a splash of water. “Miss Tammy!” I’m shocked, my mouth gaping open.
She shrugs. “Best lookin’ boys in the town, if you ask me. What I don’t understand is how you’re able to walk anywhere, seeing as there’s two of them!”
Her crude joke stuns me too much to do more than squeak out this high-pitched giggle. She hands me the quarters. “Well, tell Shep I’m glad he’s okay. And if they don’t treat you right--”
“Oh, they do,” I gush, and then blush harder when her eyebrow raises knowingly.
“If they don’t, though, tell them Miss Tammy’s gonna have something to say about it.”
Smiling, I head out the door. “Thank you.”
“Take care,” she shoots back, and I think she actually means it.
My feet skip a bit as I feel buoyed by her response. We didn’t think much about the kiss last night, or kisses as it were, in front of everyone. Oh, I heard what people were saying, but I was just too happy to have Shep there with Buck and me. I didn’t care.
If even half the people in town could be understanding like Miss Tammy, I think we could weather the truth being out. As I enter the laundromat, the hairs on the back of my neck stand. I search for the source of the animosity, but there’s no one else in the room. Some machines are going, but whoever’s laundry is in them seem to be away.
Glancing out the window, I see the parking lot is empty, too.
Shivering, I go in.
You’re just paranoid
. And why wouldn’t I be? As nice as my interaction with Miss Tammy was, it was a good reminder that I’d probably be fielding questions at the least, and probably also some animosity from people who didn’t understand my relationship.
My unease continues until I’ve sorted the clothes. Sheets are running in the machine, and as I pile pants and shirts into another, I remember to check the pockets. Buck has a bad tendency to leave change, nuts, bolts, and wrappers in his pants pockets. It’s Shep’s pants, though, that have a folded piece of paper in them. I set it aside and start the second washer.