When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

2

Prologue

N

ICHOLAS

L

ASHER

was singing at the top of his lungs as

they were playing “Renegade” by Styx. His hand moved to
turn up the volume on the truck’s radio. The window was
rolled down, blowing his honey-blond hair. Spring had finally
arrived, even though it was already late May.

He was on his way home after a long shift on his job as

an emergency room doctor at the community hospital. Spring
fever had hit the mountain town with a bang, and he’d had a
long day treating patients with ailments from hay fever to a
severed finger, courtesy of a novice with a chain saw.

“Oh, Renegade, who had it made, retrieved for a

bounty―”

Nicholas suddenly grabbed the steering wheel with both

hands and yanked the truck to the side to avoid the deer
that leaped out in front of the truck. As he felt the truck
begin to roll, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the deer
sprint away. Then he heard the sound of glass breaking and
metal crunching and felt himself lifting off the seat. He was
tossed around the cab of the truck as it rolled over twice.
Then silence. The pain was blinding. He began to beg for
unconsciousness or even death.

“Not gonna happen as long as I’m around. Come on and

look at me with those blue eyes.”

Nicholas opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful

man. He was Native American, with black hair and chocolate
eyes.

“Don’t worry, Nick, I’ve got you, and I’m not going to let

you go.” The man grabbed onto Nicholas’s hand, and then
Nicholas began to fade and was surrounded by a white mist.
He felt himself being pulled away.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

3

Chapter 1

H

E WAS

drifting, and the fog was quite thick. It swirled

around Nick, and he brushed a hand in front of his eyes to
clear it away. It was like he was flying, and he could see a
ranch house, a barn, and some outbuildings. There was a
man walking toward the outbuildings, and Nick rushed by
and then stopped with a jolt. The mist began to recede, and
he saw that he was standing on a porch. The wooden boards
beneath his feet creaked with his weight.

He looked down and saw he was wearing denim jeans,

cowboy boots, and an old-fashioned duster.

“Nick! Your turn to deal!”
He turned at the sound of the voice and peered through

the doorway. Four men sat at a table in the room, cards
scattered before them. The room was lit by an oil lamp
casting shadows.

“He must have hit his head when that mare threw him

this afternoon,” said an old codger seated by the fireplace in
the back of the room.

The other men in the room laughed at this, and a barb

was thrown out, “Never known Nick to be rejected by a
woman.”

“Let’m alone,” someone said in a sharp tone from behind

Nick, startling him. He turned to look at who was speaking.

The tall, well-built foreman continued, “You men best

get some sleep tonight. Roundup starts at dawn. Nick? Go
on out to the barn and help Bear Claw settle the horses.”

“Yeah, Nick! You go stay with your injun friend tonight!”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

4

Nick departed the bunkhouse for the barn to laughter

and another rebuke to the cowboys from the man who
seemed to be in charge.

Nick pulled open the door of the barn and stepped

inside. The small glow of light and the man speaking drew
him in closer.

“Ya don’t need to skulk around the door. C’mon in. Or

are ya afraid?”

Nick couldn’t see who was speaking since the light was

between him and the man who was in one of the stalls.

“’Fraid of what?” Nick asked as he closed the barn door

and pulled the bar across it to prevent anyone from coming
in behind him.

“Talkin’ to me. Crazy injun. Never goes to town, always

with the horses.” The man finally stepped out into the light.
He was gorgeous. He stood over six feet tall, and his lanky
build was disguised by buckskins and a fur coat that fell to
midthigh. His black hair fell in waves down his back.

Nick walked toward the man. “I know you’re not crazy.

Just not comfortable around the other cowboys.” He
continued to move closer. “But I know you’re comfortable
with me, Tibbs.”

He stopped walking and grabbed the man by the arm

and pulled him into his arms. He buried his face against the
wrangler’s neck and gently kissed him. Tibbs returned the
embrace and moved his mouth to capture Nick’s lips with his
own.

“I didn’t think I was gonna get to see ya ’fore roundup

started. It’d be weeks before we could be together. How’d ya
get away?”

“Carson sent me out here. It’s like he knows.”
“Take off your clothes. I want ya right now,” Tibbs said.

“I’m gonna take ya hard. Ya will remember me tomorrah
when ya spend a long day in the saddle.” He caressed Nick’s

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

5

face, turned, took off his coat, and began to loosen his belt.
The sound of the metal clacking nudged Nick’s brain.

He responded to the sound like Pavlov’s dogs did to the

dinner bell. He stripped off his clothes and bent forward,
holding onto the railings of an empty stall. Tibbs moved
behind him and caressed the ass that was displayed. Nick’s
hands reached behind him, grabbed his own ass, and spread
his cheeks apart. His pucker twitched in anticipation. His
hands returned to the railing to brace for what he knew was
coming next.

“Don’t make me wait any longer, you fucker. Shove your

dick in my ass.” Nick turned his head and looked deep into
the chocolate-brown eyes.

Tibbs took some of the salve he used on the horses and

spread it across Nick’s hole. He pushed one finger in and
then replaced it with his throbbing penis. He pushed in all
the way with one long, slow thrust. Tibbs grabbed onto
Nick’s hips and slowly pulled out, then pushed back in,
increasing speed with each thrust until both men were
breathing hard, and sweat was dripping onto Nick’s back
from Tibbs’s forehead.

“Is this what ya wanted? Me fuckin’ you?” Tibbs asked.
“Yeah. I want it. I want it harder.”
Tibbs obliged.
Nick began to moan as Tibbs was hitting his prostate

with every thrust. Nick could feel his orgasm building, and
he helped it along by grabbing his own penis, rubbing it
back and forth, his pleasure building even further as Tibbs
grunted.

“I’m gonna splash your insides with my juice. I can’t

hold back anymore. Oh―” Tibbs said as he began to
ejaculate. He pushed inside as far as he could, and spurt
after spurt of his semen coated Nick. He thrust a few more
times after coming, knowing that Nick still needed to come.
Tibbs reached around and put his hand over Nick’s and

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

6

began to stroke with him. Tibbs kissed his neck, caressed
Nick’s back and arm. Nick stiffened up, let out a low moan,
and came, his semen falling to the barn floor.

Nick shuddered and turned into his lover’s embrace, his

breathing slowing back to a normal rhythm. He wanted to
stay in this position forever but instead he reached for his
pants and put them on.

“I’ve got to get back to the bunkhouse. The others will

be wondering where I am.”

“I thought you might stay the night with me.” Tibbs

pulled up his pants and buckled the belt that had set off
Nick not fifteen minutes ago.

“I can’t. You know that. I’m putting my life on the line

now.”

“Yeah. Don’t want to be seen with no Indian.”
“That’s not it, and you know it. They would kill us if

they saw what we were doing.” Nick finished buttoning his
shirt and shrugged into his duster.

“We’ve been doin’ this for months. No one knows. Hell,

they ignore me. It’s like I’m invisible.”

“Get out of my way. I told you I can’t. It’s not worth it.”
“You mean I’m not worth it. Then, go. Get the fuck out

of here.”

Nick walked toward the door of the barn and took one

last look at the man he had feelings for, but he knew he
could never show it. Not even to the recipient of those
feelings. He shut the door behind him and leaned against the
rough wood. Why was he this way? Why didn’t the whores in
town tempt him like they did the others? Maybe it was time
he moved on.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

7

“

W

E

’

VE

been on the trail for two weeks now. I need a night of

drinking and whoring,” said one of the cowhands riding next
to Nick.

“Yeah,” the others echoed.
“You’ll get your chance soon enough,” the foreman said

as he caught up to the cowboys. “We should be close to town
tomorrow. Once we get the cattle loaded on the train in
Wichita, you boys can have two days before we head back.”

“Yeehaw!” came the reply, and the men moved toward

the back of the herd.

“Nick, when we get to town, I need you to come to the

office with me. There’s a ranch in Oklahoma looking for a
foreman. I know you like it here, but this is a favor to me. To
tell you the truth, son, there are some rumors about you and
that Indian. The men are grumbling about it. I had to let him
go. Told him to be gone when we get back. Watch your back
when we’re in town.” Carson rode off and left Nick with his
thoughts.

Was Tibbs all right? He hoped that Tibbs had gotten

away, as the foreman had said, and that the men had not
hurt him. Damn it! He should have stayed the night with
him. Now he knew he had to go, before anyone else heard
the rumors about him. He was going to take the advice, and
the job, that the foreman had given him. He looked west to
the horizon, to a new beginning, and he noticed that fog was
moving in. He rode on into the mist and started drifting up
and away.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

8

Chapter 2

H

E NOTICED

the thick black dust first. It was rolling toward

a Ford Model A that clearly had seen better times. He
descended quickly, until the dust cloud was obscuring his
vision as he drove west out of Texas. The crops were ruined,
no rain for months, and he had finally given up and decided
to move west. His father was angry with him, as he had
stayed behind to try and save the family farm. He was on the
new road that went from Chicago to California, and at
twenty-five he felt like he needed a new start. California was
to be his final destination.

A shadowy figure appeared out of the dust. It was a

man, standing on the side of the road. Nicholas slowed down
and pulled over. He opened the passenger door and asked,
“Do you need a ride?”

“I ’ppreciate it. Thanks.”
“Where you headed?”
“The reservation in Arizona. I got word that my ma’s ill.

No work anywhere, anyway. At least not for a dirty Indian.”

Nicholas didn’t say anything in response. He knew it

was the prevailing attitude among most people. To him,
Indians were just Indians.

“I’m Nicholas.”
“Tibbah.”
“Tibbah?”
“It’s Navajo for God’s Gift.”

Nicholas glanced at the man sitting next to him and

silently agreed. The man was tall and thin. His face was

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

9

angular, and his black hair was short. He spoke with a lilting
tone that immediately went straight to Nicholas’s dick.

“Where you coming from, Tibbs?” Nicholas asked,

clearing his throat, unconsciously shortening Tibbah’s name.

“Oklahoma. I was workin’ at a farm there, but crops

kept failing, and then I got word about my ma. Decided it
was time to come home. You’re the first person to give me a
ride.”

“Not exactly safe to pick up strangers, but I had a good

feeling about you, Tibbs.”

Tibbah gave him a longing look when he said that.
The men continued the conversation for the next several

hours as they drove across the high deserts of New Mexico.
Nicholas noticed a sign for Albuquerque, and it had been
dark for a couple of hours; he needed to stretch his legs and
get something to eat.

He pulled into a diner that had a motel behind it.
“Wanna join me for dinner?” Nicholas asked.
“You sure, Nick?”
“Yeah. I don’t care what people think.”
“Okay.” Tibbah opened the car door and walked toward

the diner. This close to the reservation, he didn’t expect any
trouble, but he was always alert.

Nicholas opened the door of the diner and walked in.

The short, pudgy waitress called out a greeting that faded
when she saw who was coming in behind him.

Nicholas ignored her and walked to the counter and sat

down. Tibbah followed and sat down next to him. The
waitress frowned but placed cups of coffee down in front of
the two men.

“Meatloaf is the special tonight. Comes with mashed

potatoes and carrots.”

“Sounds good. We’ll have two,” Nicholas said, and to

forestall and further hassle, he pulled out his wallet and put
it on the counter as a signal that he was paying.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

10

She took the hint and hollered, “Two specials!”
The hot food was served about ten minutes later, and

the two men ate hungrily and in silence.

When they’d finished their second cup of coffee,

Nicholas turned to Tibbah and pointed his chin toward the
door. Tibbah nodded and left the diner while the waitress
was back in the kitchen yelling at the cook.

“Stop spending all your time in the alley smokin’ and try

cookin’,” she finished hollering as she came back to the
counter. “You ready?” she asked Nicholas.

He nodded and took three dollars out of his wallet and

handed them to her. She tried to give him the change, but he
waved at her to keep it. She smiled at him for the first time
that night. “If you and that redskin are looking for a place to
stay, don’t stay here. Go down a couple of blocks on the left.
Not the nicest place, but they let his kind stay there.”

“Much obliged.” Nicholas tipped his hat and stepped

outside the diner. He saw that Tibbah was walking down the
street. He got in the car, started it up, and then pulled up
beside the walking man. “I’ll meet you at the motel down the
street. Look for my car.” He pulled away without waiting for
an answer. No need to call attention.

After checking in at the motel, Nicholas parked in front

of the door to the room he had rented. Once inside, he
looked around. Not exactly the Ritz, but not the worst he had
stayed in, either. He turned on the light beside the bed and
went into the bathroom to take a piss. As he stood in front of
the bowl, he wondered if he had read the signals right and if
Tibbah would be joining him. He shook and tucked his penis
back into his pants when he heard the door to the motel
room open.

Nicholas walked toward the door and pulled Tibbah into

the room, shut and locked the door behind him, then took
hold of Tibbah’s hand and gently pulled him to where he was
standing. He leaned up and placed his lips on Tibbah’s.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

11

Tibbah sighed and leaned down even further and opened his
mouth and touched Nicholas’s lips with his tongue, signaling
to let him in. Nicholas accepted his tongue with enthusiasm,
and the duel began. Nicholas put his arms around Tibbah’s
back as Tibbah ran his hands through Nicholas’s hair.

Tibbah unbuttoned Nicholas’s shirt. He was impatient

to press his lips to Nicholas’s hot skin. Nicholas was
fumbling with his hands, trying to decide whose pants he
wanted to take off first, his or Tibbah’s. Tibbah took the
decision out of his hands when he began to drag him to the
bed. Tibbah started to strip off his clothes.

Nicholas stood there, staring. Tibbah was beautiful. He

watched as Tibbah’s mocha skin appeared. He was well
toned, and Nicholas could tell that Tibbah had a physical job
at the farm where he worked. When Tibbah began to take off
his briefs he asked, “Are you going to join me, or am I the
main attraction?”

That statement shook Nicholas out of his fog, and he

blushed and said, “I’ve a confession to make. Never done this
before. Not with a man.”

“You’re kiddin’, right?”
“No.”
“Well, then. We’ll go slow and see whatcha like.”
“I like you.”
Tibbah blushed slightly and then began to remove

Nicholas’s clothes, slowly peeling off his shirt and pants.
Nick’s body was all hard muscle, and Tibbah seemed to
enjoy the smoothness of his arms and stomach. When
Tibbah removed his underwear, Nicholas threw his head
back and let out his breath. Soon, butterfly kisses were all
that Nicholas was wearing.

They lay down on the bed together, facing each other,

and continued to kiss. They explored one another’s body
with their hands, tongues, and in Tibbah’s case, toes. Tibbah
spent quite a bit of time rubbing and kissing Nicholas’s

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

12

chest. Nicholas, on the other hand, was getting impatient,
and he rolled on top of Tibbah. He pressed Tibbah down into
the mattress, rubbing their cocks together. The feeling was
incredible. Like nothing he had ever felt, although he had
imagined it many times.

“Oh, God, Tibbs! I’m gonna come! Can’t stop it!” With

that exclamation, Nicholas shot ropes of white-hot spunk
between them. When he came down from his orgasmic high,
he blushed and felt like a fifteen-year-old boy.

Tibbah kissed him, rubbed his spunk around his

stomach, and said, “Don’t worry about it. You lasted longer
than I did my first time.”

“We’re going to continue, right?”
“You bet your sweet ass we are.”
Tibbah began to kiss Nicholas again. He was still hard,

and Nicholas was growing hard again too. Tibbah caressed
Nicholas’s cock slowly, giving it a gentle squeeze when his
hand reached the base. Nicholas groaned in response.
Tibbah began to kiss down his body. He nibbled at
Nicholas’s nipples, bringing them to hard points. He laved
around his navel, dipping his tongue inside. Nicholas
writhed beneath Tibbah’s ministrations. He wanted more.

Tibbah’s hot breath on his cock sent a shock wave

through him. Tibbah licked at the tip, cleaning it of the clear
precome that had gathered there. As he panted, Nicholas
had to imagine working in the fields to keep from exploding
again.

He pulled at Tibbah to bring their mouths together

again. He wanted to lick and kiss Tibbah’s body, which he
did. When he reached his cock, he took the whole length in
one swallow. He began to suck gently. Nicholas’s head began
to bob up and down, and Tibbah thought the sight was one
of the most erotic things he had ever seen. He wanted
Nicholas inside of him. Now. He reached down to his pants
and pulled out a tube of Vaseline. He pulled at Nicholas’s

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

13

shoulder to show him. Nicholas looked up and grinned. Then
he looked worried.

“Don’t worry. I want you to fuck me first. You can be

next.”

Nicholas felt himself tense up because he was unsure of

what to do next, and Tibbah rolled them over so he was
straddling Nicholas. He stroked both their cocks together in
a soothing rhythm.

Tibbah scooped some Vaseline onto his fingers and

began to massage his hole. Nicholas was practically drooling
watching Tibbah. He wanted to help; he just didn’t know
what to do.

Tibbah rolled onto his back, pulled Nicholas up and over

his body, and put his calves on Nicholas’s shoulders. He
pulled Nicholas toward him while guiding his cock to his
hole. “Go slow at first. I’ll let you know when to push all the
way in.”

“I’m not going to hurt you, am I?”
“Just a pinch, but it’s so worth it.”
Nicholas began to push slowly. The heat was incredible.

He pushed through the outer ring of muscle, and it was so
tight it squeezed him, and he had to stop to gain some
control. Even though he had come less than five minutes
ago, he was ready to come again. He looked at Tibbah’s face.
He was beautiful, gazing back with those chocolate-brown
eyes. Tibbah nodded at him, and he pushed in all the way, in
one thrust. Tibbah moaned, “Nick!”

The urge to move was too great. He started to thrust his

hips forward. Tibbah lifted his hips to meet Nicholas’s
movements, and Nicholas was lost. He began to pound
Tibbah into the sheets. It was burning hot. It felt wonderful.
He hated to repeat himself, but this was more than he’d ever
imagined. He balanced himself on his knees and hands and
looked down at Tibbah.

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14

Tibbah gazed back into Nicholas’s eyes and reached his

hand down between their bodies and began to stroke
himself. He was flushed and sweaty. Nicholas could not stop
looking at him.

After pumping into his own fist, Tibbah came with a low

moan. Nicholas followed within seconds. He collapsed onto
Tibbah, both of them trying to catch their breath. Nicholas
rolled to his back. He then took Tibbah in his arms and
Tibbah laid his head on Nicholas’s chest

“Thanks for making my first time so memorable, Tibbs.”
Tibbah smiled against Nicholas’s neck and placed a

small kiss there.

They were asleep in minutes, smiles on their faces.
Nicholas woke a couple of hours later because Tibbah

was stroking his cock to life. He turned to him, and they
began to kiss each other. Lips, tongue, and teeth were all
involved.

“Ya up for round two?” Tibbah asked. Nicholas nodded.

He was nervous about this, but he wanted it too.

Tibbah cupped his face in his hands. “I’ll go slow. If you

wanna stop, tell me. I don’t wanna do anything that makes
ya feel uncomfortable.”

“I want to. Just nervous.”
Tibbah held up the Vaseline and motioned Nicholas to

roll onto his stomach. He put the jelly on his fingers and
began to massage Nicholas’s hole. “If ya push out a little and
relax, it won’t hurt so much.” Tibbah slipped one finger in.
Nicholas gasped then moaned. Tibbah pushed his finger in
and out while his other hand caressed Nicholas’s back. He
then pushed in another finger. “Ya okay?”

“It burns a little. I’m ready for more.”
“I want ya on all fours. Ya push back, ’kay?”
He pulled out his fingers, and Nicholas groaned at the

loss.

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15

Tibbah positioned himself behind Nicholas, and

Nicholas could feel the tip of Tibbah’s cock resting at his
entrance and began to push back onto Tibbah. When his
cock was past that first ring of muscle, Nicholas moaned. It
hurt and felt good all at the same time. He pushed a little
more. Then, Tibbah was all the way inside. It was the
strangest full feeling.

Tibbah was waiting for Nicholas to signal him. He

rubbed Nicholas’s back in gentle strokes. Nicholas looked in
the mirror. Tibbah’s cock was inside his ass. He could see
they were locked together.

Nicholas began to move back and forth ever so slightly.

Tibbah took this as his signal to move. He thrust gently and
reached around to hold Nicholas’s cock, jerking him off in
time with his thrusts.

“Oh, Jesus, Tibbs. Don’t stop. Harder! Fuck me harder.”

Nicholas was still looking at them in the mirror. He glanced
up and locked eyes with Tibbah. The look he received back
was intense and erotic. He reached behind him to grab
Tibbah’s ass and pull him forward to illustrate what he
wanted.

Tibbah complied. He let go of Nicholas’s cock and

grabbed both of his hips. The thrusts were strong and hard.
He was hitting Nicholas’s prostate on every stroke. It was
making them both crazy. Nicholas reached down and
grabbed his own cock and began to stroke. His hand began
to move faster, and he was gasping for breath. Nicholas let
out a shout and came all over the sheets. Tibbah pulled out
and began to stroke his own cock. Tibbah pointed his cock
at Nicholas’s well-used and no longer virginal hole, and he
came, squirting ropes of come all over Nicholas’s ass.
Nicholas dropped down on the bed, rolled onto his back, and
covered his eyes with his arm. After a minute, Tibbah lifted
up his arm.

“Ya okay?”

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16

“Okay? I’m wonderful. Is it always like that?”
“Can be.”
“I hope so,” Nicholas said as he looked at the man who

had brought him such joy.

“Let’s get some sleep. Long drive tomorrow.”

N

ICHOLAS

woke the next morning alone. He put his hand

out, reaching for Tibbah, but found nothing but pillow. He
listened to see if he could hear the other man in the
bathroom. Nothing. He got up out of bed and opened the
bathroom door. Empty. Where did he go? Had he left?

Nicholas took a shower and got dressed. He kept an ear

out, hoping that Tibbah would come back. He sat on the bed
and waited about fifteen minutes. He started getting nervous
and decided to go outside and see if he was waiting for him
out there.

It was cold outside, and storm clouds were gathering.

Nicholas put his hands in his coat pockets and walked
toward the lobby of the motel.

“Good morning,” he said as he closed the lobby door

behind him. The old woman behind the desk took one look at
him and skittered off, pushing through a door to a back
office. A man came out, looking stern and not friendly.

“Your key?”
Nicholas handed the man the key. He was about to ask

if he had seen Tibbah when the man began to speak.

“I chased away an Indian that was looking into your car

this morning. Saw the same man last night. We don’t need
folks like you around here. Now git out of my motel.”

Nicholas was stunned. “Folks like me?”
“Queer. Now, git! Before I call the law.”
Nicholas didn’t say anything else. He stumbled out the

door and back to his car. He got in and started the engine

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17

and pulled out of the parking lot. He looked for Tibbah as he
was driving. Had the owner of the motel called the police on
Tibbah? Was he walking? How was he going to find him? He
didn’t even know his last name.

Nicholas pulled back out onto Route 66 and started to

drive west. Maybe Tibbah would be on the side of the road,
like he was yesterday. He noticed the clouds were getting
darker and heavier. It started to snow. Then he noticed a fog
rolling toward him. He started to lift out of his body.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

18

Chapter 3

I

T WAS

snowing so hard the visibility was only a couple of

feet. He could feel that familiar feeling rushing in. He
narrowly missed the Washington Monument and sailed past
the White House, and then suddenly he was walking into
DuPont Circle. He pulled up the collar on his pea coat, put
his hands in his pockets, and headed toward the bar he had
heard about. He was new to the Pentagon and had not had a
chance to get out, and he was excited about the prospect of
being himself for even a night.

The lights were low, and soft music was playing when he

opened the door. He hesitated for a moment.

“C’mon in, honey. We don’t bite.”
He peered through the smoky air toward the voice that

beckoned him. The man behind the bar waved him in. “What
can I get for you?”

He found it perplexing that a man, six feet four or five

and built like a wrestler, could have such a feminine voice
and mannerisms.

“Jack, neat.”
“You got it, sugar.”
He looked into the mirror behind the bar to get a good

look behind him without being too obvious. He immediately
noticed a black-haired man seated against the wall. He had a
feeling that he knew him. He studied the man closer. He was
wiry, looked like he could take care of himself. He was
Indian, and his skin was the color of coffee with crème. He
had an olive drab bandana hanging out the left back pocket
of his form-fitting 501s.

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19

Their eyes met in the mirror and held. Those chocolate-

brown eyes held promise in them.

“You should go on over there. That was some serious

eye fucking,” the huge bartender lisped as he put the drink
on the bar.

“I―I don’t know. I’m just here to get a drink.”
“Somehow I doubt that a drink is what you came here

for,” someone said from behind him.

He turned, and those chocolate-brown eyes held his

blue ones in their grasp. The bartender found something at
the other end of the bar that needed his attention, leaving
the two men alone.

The tall Indian held out his hand and said, “My name’s

BC.”

“Nicholas.”
The men shook hands, and the air in the bar seemed to

be sucked out of the room. The room grew silent, and it
seemed that everyone was watching the connection between
the two men.

“Wanna get out of here?”
“Where?”
“My place, it’s just around the corner.”
“Okay.”
The two men left the bar, with BC leading the way, and

Nicholas trailed a little behind. He knew that the bandana
signified that this man was a top―and in the military. At
least they had that in common. He had not been with anyone
sexually since college because the risk of getting caught was
too great. He had five years in, a tour of Vietnam under his
belt, and a career at the Pentagon to think about, but he had
felt compelled to go out tonight, and it seemed that he found
what he was looking for.

“It’s here. Apartment 4G. Give me five minutes, okay?”
“Messy?”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

20

“Probably. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
“All right.”
Nicholas stood in the snow that was now gently falling.

He raised his face to catch a snowflake on his tongue. He
was nervous but felt energized at the same time.

After five minutes that felt like five hours, Nicholas went

through the glass door of the apartment lobby and headed
for the stairs, bypassing the elevator. He took the stairs up
to the fourth floor, rounded the corner, and looked for 4G.
The door was cracked open just a hair, and Nicholas pushed
through and closed the door behind him.

“Lock it for me, would you, Nick?” came a lilting voice

from what he assumed was the kitchen area.

Nicholas clicked the lock, and it echoed loudly in his

ears, sealing his fate.

“So, sailor, are you gonna to take your coat off and get

comfortable?”

“How’d you know I was in the navy?”
“The coat is a dead giveaway. Plus, we Marines

know

sailors.” BC winked when he said this. He walked up to
where Nicholas was still standing and slipped an arm under
the navy pea coat and slid it off Nicholas’s shoulders. “And I
would love to get to know you.” BC was standing behind
Nicholas, and he leaned in and kissed his neck, right below
the hairline. Nicholas leaned his head back and turned.

His coat fell to the floor as Nicholas grabbed BC and put

his arms around him, kissing those full lips. He tasted of
beer and cigarettes. The kiss became deeper, and BC began
to walk backward. As he steered Nicholas toward the
bedroom, he grabbed the bottom of Nicholas’s shirt and
pulled it over his head, then he grabbed his own and did the
same. When his knees hit the bed, he sat down and worked
on Nicholas’s belt. He loosened the belt and unzipped the fly
that was covering an engorged penis.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

21

Nicholas closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath

when a cool hand closed over his dick and pulled it out of his
skivvies. He felt the breath of the man sitting before him
breeze over his dick, then he felt a warm, soft tongue lick up
the underside, stopping at the tip to lick the precome that
had started to drip. He had to look. The sight of this
gorgeous man with his mouth around his dick, looking up at
him through impossibly long lashes, had him coming
without warning. He grabbed BC’s hair and unloaded spurt
after spurt of come down his throat, shouting, “Tibbs!”
Neither man noticed that he shouted BC’s nickname.

“Sorry. I―” Nicholas started to apologize, but BC stood

up and placed a finger across his lips.

“No. Don’t apologize. A man who just lets go? I can’t

wait to see what happens next.”

Nicholas reached down and grabbed BC. “Let’s take care

of this, and then we’ll see what’s next.”

Nicholas let go of BC’s penis and took off the rest of his

clothes, then lay facedown on the bed. He heard a drawer
open and close, and then the bed dipped, and BC began to
kiss his way down Nicholas’s spine. Nicholas groaned when
he felt a tongue lap over his twitching rosebud. His tongue
probed and then dipped inside. Nicholas pushed his ass
higher in the air to give the other man better access. BC took
full advantage, lapping, nipping, and preparing Nicholas.

Nicholas started when cool gel-covered fingers pushed

their way into his ass. He spread his legs apart. BC knelt
behind Nicholas and then positioned his penis at Nicholas’s
entrance and began to push. Nicholas groaned in pain.

“It hurts.”
“I know. Just relax. Push back.”
Nicholas didn’t know if he could do this. It really hurt.

Then, as BC’s penis went past that first ring of muscle, it felt
good, and this time the groan was one of excitement and
pleasure. BC lay down on Nicholas’s back and wrapped his

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

22

arms around Nicholas’s shoulders, kissing his neck as he
started to thrust in and out.

Nicholas pushed back, a signal that he wanted more,

and BC gave it to him. BC slammed in and out of the body
underneath him. Nicholas began to thrust against the bed to
get some friction because he could feel his orgasm begin to
build as BC whispered in his ear.

“You love my dick in your ass, don’t you? The feel of it

sliding in and out. You’re going to take it ’til you’re raw. You
want it deeper, don’t you? Answer me, squid! You want it
deeper? Rougher?”

Nicholas couldn’t believe how much the dirty talk was

turning him on. “Yeah, harder, deeper.”

BC pushed up on his hand, placed his knees on the

bed, and pulled Nicholas up on all fours. “You want it
harder?” BC slapped the ass in front of him. It was not a
hard hit, but the sound of the slap set Nicholas off.

Nicholas turned his head and said, “I told you I wanted

it deeper, you fuck. Now fuck me into next Tuesday!”

BC grabbed Nicholas’s hips and began to pound him.

The sound of his balls slapping Nicholas’s ass were
accompanied by Nicholas’s groans.

“Yeah, oh yeah. God, it’s so good. I want you to blow

your wad into my ass. I want it to drip out all over your dick
and down your balls.”

Nicholas’s dirty talk worked. BC sped up his thrusts

and grunted twice and then halted his thrusts and creamed
inside of Nicholas. He held his dick in, and Nicholas could
feel the man’s come dripping out. He grabbed his own dick
and stroked it a couple of times before he started to come,
and with each spurt, his ass clenched the softening penis
still lodged there. To Nicholas’s surprise, the penis began to
grow larger and stiffen up. BC pulled out and flipped
Nicholas over, grabbed his ankles and put them over his
shoulders, and sank back into the now come-slickened ass.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

23

The pounding began again. BC was dripping sweat all over
Nicholas. Nicholas slid his legs down, wrapped them around
BC’s waist, and pulled BC toward him, slowing down the
pounding to a sensual slide in and out.

Nicholas looked into BC’s eyes, and the sexual dance

continued at a much slower pace, to the delight of both men.
They kissed, long, slow kisses. The men came almost at the
same time and then settled down to sleep.

N

ICHOLAS

woke up, not sure where he was. He noticed come

had dried all over his chest, and the night before came
rushing back. Oh God. Had he really said those things?
Done those things? He had to get out of there before BC
woke up. He sat up and had started to pull the sheet off
when he heard, “Good morning. Want some breakfast?”

“No, thanks. I need to get going.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
Nicholas couldn’t get dressed fast enough. He threw on

his clothes and had to spend a couple of minutes looking for
one sock. The whole time he could feel those brown eyes on
him. Watching.

As he opened the door to leave the apartment, he felt a

hand snake into his pocket.

“It’s my number, in case you change your mind about

breakfast, Nick.”

Nicholas just nodded and walked out the door.

N

ICHOLAS

opened up the door to the guesthouse he was

renting and stepped inside. He closed the door and leaned
his head against it. His mind replayed the night before. His

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

24

ass throbbed every time his mind traveled in that direction.
He’d had homosexual encounters in college, but he thought
it was a phase. Once he went into the service, he didn’t have
time for sex. Six to nine months at a time on a ship and a
tour in Vietnam had dampened his desire for anything but
staying alive. Or had it? Had he purposely avoided going out
with the guys because he knew he was looking for something
else? If he wanted to be honest with himself, he had to admit
that last night was what he had needed and wanted. And
why had he called him Tibbs? It felt like he knew him from
somewhere. Maybe they had served on the same ship? No.
He would have remembered him. Damn, he was a fine
specimen.

Nicholas pushed away from the door and headed to his

bathroom and the shower. While under the hot spray, his
soapy hand went to his dick, and his mind replayed the dirty
talk. He came within a minute, and his ass throbbed in
remembrance also. Drained, he turned off the shower and
dried off. He dressed and headed out to run some errands.

Two hours later, he found himself standing in front of

the apartment building where BC lived. He looked up at the
fourth floor. Should he go in? Maybe it would just be better
to go home and forget this ever happened. A head appeared
out the window that he was looking at.

“Are you going to make me come down there and get

you?”

Nicholas smiled and sprinted into the building and up

the stairs. When he hit the fourth floor landing, he saw BC
standing in his doorway. He stepped back and swept his arm
across the threshold. Nicholas went inside.

“I’m glad you came back. Too late for breakfast, though.

How ’bout an early dinner?”

“Sounds good.”
Nicholas followed BC into the kitchen. He noticed that

BC had started preparing a meal already.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

25

“I’m sorry, were you expecting company? I should have

called.”

“I was expecting you.”
“You were? Why?”
“I knew you would come back. It’s my animal

magnetism.”

Nicholas pushed him gently and said, “Right.”
The two men prepared dinner with a rhythm that came

naturally. They seemed to work together like they had been
doing this for a long time.

“So what does BC stand for?”
“It’s the initials of my last name. My full name is Tibbah

Bear Claw.”

“Tibbah?”
“It means God’s gift.”
Nicholas just raised his brow at that, and BC laughed.
“What’s your last name?”
“Lasher. Nicholas Lasher.”
“Well, nice to meet you again, Nicholas Lasher.”
“Again?”
BC cleared his throat. “I meant since last night.”
“Oh.”
The timer on the oven went off, breaking the awkward

moment. BC reached for the pot holders he had placed next
to the oven while Nicholas opened the oven door. The roast
smelled good, and Nicholas’s mouth began to water. He
realized he had not eaten yet today. His stomach growled.

“Good thing we made plenty, huh?” BC joked as he

placed the roast on a platter.

“I might just eat all this myself!” Nicholas picked up the

potatoes and green beans they had also prepared and
carried them to the small table next to the kitchen.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

26

Once they had served themselves, Nicholas asked, “So

where are you stationed?”

“I’m a gunny working the boots on the presidential

detail. My year’s almost up, and I’m waiting for my next
assignment. You?”

“Captain. Fighter pilot. Well, at least until some football

on the deck resulted in hurting my knee. Sidelined me, and
they sent me to the Pentagon. Desk jockey now, I guess. I’ve
only been here for a month.”

The conversation continued about their military

experiences and stations and the things they had seen.
Nicholas told him about being in Vietnam, and BC let it go.
Smart man. He wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.

They cleared the dishes and mutually headed toward

the bedroom, where they spent the better part of the evening
replaying the events of the night before. At nine o’clock,
Nicholas got up out of bed and began to dress.

“Sorry, but I need to get home. My whites are there. I’ll

call you?”

“I’ll be here. Don’t make me wait too long.”

N

ICHOLAS

sat in his chair in the office he shared with twelve

others and smiled. It seemed like every time he had sat down
on Monday, he was reminded about how he had spent his
weekend. It was now Friday afternoon, and he had not called
BC all week. He pulled out the slip of paper he’d kept in his
pocket and put it on his desk. He picked up the telephone,
drummed his fingers on the desk, and counted the rings.
When the sixth ring started, he was about to hang up, but
then a breathless voice answered.

“Bear Claw.”
“Hello. It’s Lasher.”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

27

“Hey. I was wondering when I was going to hear from

you again.”

“Busy. Tonight?”
“Must be at work. Being all formal.”
“That’s correct.”
“Stop it, you’re turning me on. You want my dick inside

you tonight?”

“Yes, but the other way around, if it’s possible.” Nicholas

tried to keep his voice even and businesslike.

“You want me to bend over for you?”
Nicholas was having a hard time keeping a lid on his

burgeoning erection listening to BC. He squirmed in his
chair.

“You want me to spread my cheeks. Let you plow that

hard cock into my ass?”

Nicholas swallowed. He would have to wait for everyone

else to leave before he could stand up without embarrassing
himself. Maybe calling from work was not a good idea.

“I’ll be waiting at eight o’clock, with my fingers in my ass

in preparation for your dick,” BC said, and then he hung up
without another word.

Nicholas cleared his throat and placed the receiver back

in its cradle.

“Lasher, I’ll see you Monday,” Lieutenant Corker said as

he walked out of the office.

Nicholas noticed he was the only one left in the office.

His erection had waned, and he stood up, gathered his
briefcase, and then he, too, quit the office.

“

S

HIT

! I don’t have anything to wear.” Nicholas stopped when

he said that and peered at his reflection. “I guess I am queer.
Next thing you know, I’ll be redecorating houses. Or in the
loony bin because I’m talking to myself in the mirror again.”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

28

Nicholas pulled out a rugby shirt and jeans and put

them on. Did it matter what he wore when he was planning
to take the clothes off as soon as possible? He checked his
hair, put on his pea coat, and grabbed his keys on the way
out the door. He settled in the Jeep, started her up, and
drove across town.

He ran up the four flights of stairs, thinking while he did

that his knee was getting better, and knocked on the door of
BC’s apartment.

“C’mon in! Door’s open.”
Nicholas opened the door, crossed the threshold, and

kicked the door shut behind him, shock preventing him from
going any farther.

“Lock it, would you?”
Nicholas’s hand moved to the lock automatically and

then to his mouth to wipe at the drool that must be
gathering at the corner. BC was on the couch, knees on the
seat cushions, one hand on the back of the couch to steady
himself and the other hand on his ass, with two fingers
inserted inside.

“Take off your clothes, stud. I don’t think I can wait

much longer.”

Never taking his eyes off the two fingers appearing and

disappearing, Nicholas stripped off his clothes, his erection
springing up to hit right below his belly button.

“Holy shit. I guess that was a yes to my topping.”
“Only for you. Now get over here and fuck me.”
Nicholas moved behind BC and caressed his back and

legs, and then slowly worked up to his ballsack, which hung
down between his spread legs.

“Lube?”
BC tossed the asked-for item at Nicholas.
Nicholas’s hands were shaking when he caught the

tube, and he fumbled to open the top. After squeezing too

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

29

much out, he wrapped his slick hand over his dick. He
stroked back and forth, mimicking BC’s finger thrusts. He
placed his other hand on BC’s and gently removed his
fingers and placed his penis at BC’s entrance.

“Don’t worry about going slow. Just slam into me. I

want it rough.”

Nicholas ran the tip of his penis around the edges of

BC’s bud, teasing. He pushed in about an inch and pulled
back out.

“I told you to take me. Now do it!”
Nicholas continued his teasing. He wanted to savor this

moment. He had a feeling that he wasn’t going to get to do
this very often with BC, and he wanted to make it last.

Nicholas pushed in until he was balls deep. He wanted

to become one with BC. He sped up his strokes, long and
deep. Running his hands up and down BC’s legs, he leaned
forward and kissed his way down BC’s spine. His hips
snapped forward as his strokes became faster and more
powerful. Grabbing onto BC’s hips, Nicholas started
slamming into the body that turned him on like no other.

The image of his penis sinking into the ass displayed

before him burned into his brain. The sensation of said ass
clenching his dick, the glide of the lube, and the words BC
muttered proved to be too much. His orgasm exploded from
him, and he gasped from the force of it. His spunk splashing
inside BC, coating his own cock as well. He continued to
thrust. The warm wetness felt like nothing he had ever
experienced. He collapsed on BC’s back, wasted.

BC laughed. “I’m too much for you, huh?”
“Yeah…. Shit! What about you?”
“Hell, I came right after you started. Been years since

someone hit my prostate like that.”

Nicholas flopped down on the couch, and BC sat next to

him. He laid a hand on Nicholas’s thigh.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

30

“I’m glad you called. You saved me from knocking on

every door in the greater metropolitan area looking for you.”

Nicholas chuckled and laid his head on BC’s shoulder.

He felt warm and safe.

“You hungry?” BC asked.
“I could eat.”
“I know a great Chinese place.”
“Out? Together?”
“You got a problem with that? I think we can handle

anything that comes our way.”

“I don’t know. What if we see people we know?”
BC hooked a finger under Nicholas’s chin and made him

look at him. “We’re just two guys eating together. They won’t
know that you just had your dick in my ass.”

Nicholas didn’t look convinced, but he agreed.
The little hole-in-the-wall restaurant had delicious food,

and BC was right, no one batted an eye. They were just two
guys eating. It did a lot to alleviate his fears.

“

W

HO

is she?”

Nicholas looked behind him. He didn’t see anyone.
“She who?”
“The girl you’re mooning over,” Lieutenant Corker said.

Nick’s office mate had been poking around, asking him
about his personal life.

“Mooning over? Is it 1955?”
“I don’t know what else to call it. The last couple of

weeks you’ve been smiling at your desk all the time.”

Nicholas tried to brush him off. “I don’t have a girl. I

spend all my time here, with you!”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

31

“The guys from accounting were going out to watch the

game tonight. Want to join them?”

“Bean counters? Maybe. Where you meeting them?”
“Freddy’s in Georgetown. Eight o’clock.”

N

ICHOLAS

pushed open the door to the bar and scanned the

room for his coworkers. He would really rather spend time
with BC, but they had been pressuring him to join them. He
was running out of excuses. He couldn’t tell them he was
seeing a Marine, and a male one at that. The past three
weekends, he had spent every minute with BC. Going to the
movies, out to dinner, a trip to Chesapeake Bay, and loads of
hot sex was what his life had been about lately. He couldn’t
seem to get enough.

“Lasher! Over here!”
Corker raised a hand in the air so Nicholas could see

where they were sitting. Nicholas raised his hand back in
acknowledgment and pointed to the bar.

Nicholas joined the group of men at their table, drink in

hand, just as the home team scored. The men roared out
their pleasure. They were a rowdy bunch, and Nicholas
enjoyed himself. They talked about work, football, wives and
girlfriends. Nicholas sat on the fringes, not saying much. He
felt like he was starting to fit in until one of the guys at the
table said, “Would you look at that? Can’t those queers go to
their own part of town? Do we all have to put up with them?”

Nicholas turned around to see who he was talking

about. It was two men sitting together, a little too close
together.

The other guys at the table joined in on trash-talking

about queers. Nicholas had always known how many in the
military felt about homosexuality, and he felt extremely
uncomfortable, not only because they were talking loudly

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

32

about the couple sitting a few tables away, but because they
could have been talking about him. Hopefully, they couldn’t
tell.

He stood up. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
They protested for a minute but then went back to the

game and slamming queers again.

Nicholas was breathing hard by the time he got outside.

Fuck. What would they do if they found out about him?

“

H

OW

do you handle it? Aren’t you afraid everyone will find

out? That you’ll be thrown out of the Corps? Your career
would be over!”

“I don’t worry about it. I keep my life private. I don’t

flaunt it. I try to be discreet. But, you know, nothing is for
sure. I’m not going to go around afraid, or panicked about it.
If it happens, it happens.”

Nicholas wished he could be as nonchalant as BC

seemed to be.

“C’mon. Let’s go out. Couple of drinks and you’ll feel

better.”

Nicholas sidled up to BC. “Hot fucking when we get

back?”

“Absolutely.” BC leaned over and kissed Nicholas in

promise. Nicholas pressed his lips harder to BC’s and
moaned.

“Keep kissing me like that, and we won’t go anywhere

but to the bedroom,” Nicholas said.

“Tempting, but let’s go.”
They were walking toward DuPont Circle, about to

round the corner, when a man bumped into them.

“Excuse me―oh, hey, Lasher.” Lieutenant Corker put

out his hand.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

33

Nicholas shook his hand and said, “James. I thought

you were going to Assateague Island this weekend?”

“My daughter got sick. I’m just coming from the

pharmacy.”

“This is my friend, BC. BC, this is James Corker, a

coworker.”

“Nice to meet you. Well, I better be heading home.”
Once he was out of hearing, BC noted, “He didn’t bother

to shake my hand. Nice friend you’ve got there.”

“Not my friend, just a coworker.”
BC shrugged, and they walked into the bar.

“

N

ICK

? Wait up.”

“Corker. How’s your daughter?”
“She’s better. She came home from the hospital

yesterday. Thanks for the flowers. She loved the daisies.”

“I’m glad. How’re you holding up? Glad to get back to

work?”

“After two weeks at the hospital with a sick kid? Yes.”

The lieutenant pulled Nicholas into a small office that was
not being used. Nicholas raised his brow in question.

“Look, Captain, this may be none of my business, but I

wanted to warn you. That guy you were with a couple of
weeks ago? There’s been some talk about him. Not really the
kind of guy you want to hang out with.”

“What are you trying to say, Lieutenant?”
“Just that you don’t want to be associated with someone

like him. It might not be so good for you or your career.”

“Thanks for your concern.” Nicholas pushed out the

door and went into the closest bathroom. He splashed cold
water on his face and tried to calm down. Corker knew. That
meant Corker suspected about him too. Fuck.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

34

“I’

M SORRY

.

I just can’t see you anymore. Shit, I really liked

you, too, but I just can’t risk my career.” Nicholas was crying
by the time he hung up the phone. Nicholas knew it was the
coward’s way out, but he couldn’t face BC. He knew that the
other man could convince him to continue to see him, and
they would get caught for sure. God damn, this hurt. Like
nothing he had ever felt before.

He dragged himself to work the next day, and the next

week, and by later that month, he decided he didn’t care
about his career. He wanted BC, and he was just going to
have to swallow his pride to get him back.

He left work on Friday and went straight to BC’s

apartment without even changing out of his whites. He didn’t
care who saw him. Sprinting up the stairs, he almost
knocked over the little old lady who lived next door to BC.
They had a nodding acquaintance.

“Are you looking for that nice young man that used to

live here?”

Nicholas started. “Used to?”
“Yes, he moved. Said he’d received new orders.”
“Where? Where did he go?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Did he leave a forwarding address?”
“No, he said something about there being nothing here

that he wanted. He was such a nice young man.”

Nicholas didn’t press her any further.
He stumbled down the stairs and out into the street.

The strong wind blew his hair, and he heard the rumble of
thunder. Suddenly there was a crack, a flash of light, and he
felt like he was on fire, a blinding pain in his head. He was
grateful when the blackness took him.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

35

Chapter 4

T

HE

pounding in his head was unbearable. He tried to open

his eyes, but what little bit of light that got in sent shards of
pain into his brain.

He felt movement to his right, and a voice said, “I think

he’s waking up.” It sounded like his sister. Why would she be
in his bedroom? He must have tied one on, because this
hangover was a doozy.

“He’s finally coming around, huh?” He knew the man

that spoke, he just couldn’t remember where from.

“He keeps flickering his eyes. He opens them a crack

then closes them again.”

“I told you, he’ll wake up slowly. It’s not like in the

movies. He’ll be in and out for a while. Have the nurse call
me when he keeps his eyes on you, okay?”

“Thanks again, Dr. Forester.”
“I told you to call me Kris. Just keep talking to him; it’ll

help him wake up.”

Kris! That was who that voice belonged to. He was one

of the doctors at the hospital where he worked. Why were
Kris and his sister, Joan, at his house? Had he fallen? Was
that why his head hurt so much?

“You take your time waking up, little brother. You

deserve the downtime. I’m just glad you’re still here. Your
truck is totaled.”

Somebody wrecked his truck?
His sister started stroking his hand and continued her

monologue. “It’s been a week now. I thought I lost you a
couple of times there. You sure do have a lot of friends. They

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

36

have been coming and sitting with you when I couldn’t be
here. One guy in particular. I guess he was the first one on
the scene. A paramedic with the Flagstaff Fire Department.”

Joan blew her nose, made some kind of scraping noise,

and continued as if she had never stopped. “He’s just the
type of guy you used to bring home in high school saying
they were your friends. Mom and I used to laugh about it.
We knew you were gay, and they were potential boyfriends.”

His mom and sister knew he was gay when he was a

teenager? He didn’t come out to them until he was in college.
That would explain the “duh” look he got when he made his
speech about being himself. His dad even yawned during his
impassioned plea for understanding.

“You sure do like them dark. Dark hair, dark eyes.

Latin. This guy is Navajo. And hot. You should probably
wake up so you can see him. Maybe he’s your boyfriend and
he’s afraid to tell me? He should be here in about an hour or
so.” She sighed. “I really need you to wake up.”

He tried to open his eyes. Anything to get his sister to

shut up. He moved his hand against hers.

“That’s it. You can do it. Look at me.”
“Hurts,” he groaned.
“I know it does, Nicky. Stay with me.”
It was too much of a struggle, and he drifted away. But

sleeping this time instead of being unconscious.

The low murmur of conversation woke him.
A deep, lilting voice said, “My shift starts in half an

hour. I need to get going. I’ll stop by tomorrow when I get off.
You take care now.”

Wait, he knew that lilt, didn’t he?
“I will, Bear. I thought he would be awake this

morning.”

“He will. He just needs time to heal. I’ll see you

tomorrow.”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

37

A door swung shut. Silence. He tried to turn his head so

he could see who that voice belonged to. Pain shot down his
neck. He groaned.

“Thirsty.” He barely made a sound. His mouth was

parched, and his throat sore. Cool water dribbled into his
mouth.

“Open your eyes, and I’ll give you some more water.”
“You always were mean,” he said softly.
“Oh, Nicky! You’re actually awake this time!”
He grimaced when she raised her voice. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital. You rolled your truck. It’s been a

week.”

“Hospital? How bad?”
“You have a broken femur, some broken ribs, and you’ve

got a small crack in your skull. I knew you had a hard head.”

“Mean and funny. More water?”
She spooned it into his mouth, being careful to give him

just enough to wet his mouth.


“

N

ICKY

, glad to see you awake,” his colleague, Kris, said later

in the day. He pulled out his penlight and shone it in
Nicholas’s eyes.

Nicholas shied away, as the light was painful.
“Still sensitive? Follow my finger.” He first moved his

finger side to side and then up and down. “Good, now pull
my finger.”

“Nice. You and my sister are both comedians.”
“You had me worried, kiddo. You seem to have your

faculties. We’re going to have to run oodles of tests, annoy
the hell out of you, and then send you home. It’s going to be
a couple of days, at least. That leg needs to stay in traction.

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

38

You know the drill. Now be a good boy and have some Jell-O.
I’ll stop back in a bit.”

“I’ll be here, anxiously awaiting your return.”
“Smartass!” The door swung shut on that last syllable.
“I really like him.”
“Joan, I need to talk to you. Something happened to me

while I was out.”

“What do you mean happened?”
“I had these intense dreams, but I swear, they’re not

dreams. They’re memories. I was someone else. On a cattle
ranch in the late 1890s. I was having an affair with an
Indian, went on roundup, and the foreman told me he had
fired him, and that I needed to move on before something
happened. Then I was on Route 66 driving out of Texas, and
it was the 1930s. Left a farm because of the crops. Picked up
a hitchhiker. Same guy. We had one night. Then I’m a
captain in the navy. In Washington, DC. I meet this guy in a
bar, we have an affair for a couple of months, and then he
ships out. I broke up with him because I was afraid. I
remember all of this. How is that possible? I can’t explain it.
I can see the whole lives of these men, but it’s me. Over and
over.” Clearing his throat, Nicholas continued, “The man? I
loved him, every time.”

“Are you telling me that you’ve been gay for centuries?”
“Why do I talk to you? I’m trying to tell you how real this

was. The sad thing is, I died so young and alone. The man
that I loved was taken away.”

“Maybe I need to get Kris back in here. I think you hit

your head harder than the scans can see.”

“Joan, I’m serious. I can tell you things: how they

looked, how they sounded, how they smelled. When was the
last time you could smell in a dream? Go find out what you
can. Find me a computer so I can do some research.”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

39

Joan held up her hands in surrender. “Okay. You get

some more rest. I’ll be back in the morning. With a report on
reincarnation.” Leaning down to kiss his cheek, she added,
“Now get some rest. I want you to come home soon.”

“Thanks. I couldn’t have a better sister than you.”
Joan cupped his chin, smiled at him, and left the room.

Nicholas laid his head back on the bed. Why was he
remembering all this now? He had been a young man when
he met the Indian all those other times. In this life, he was in
his forties. Had he already met him in this life? Missed the
opportunity? He closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

“I’m going to go get some coffee. Can you stay until I get

back?” Joan asked someone.

“Now that I know he’s awake? Of course.”
The door to his hospital room swung closed.
Nicholas struggled to come fully awake. That was the

voice. The voice he remembered.

He opened his eyes a slit. He didn’t see anyone. The

man with that voice must have left. He turned his head
toward the window, and he could see a man standing there.
He was tall, thin, and had longish black hair pulled back
with a leather strip. The man was looking out the window.

Nicholas rustled the sheets, trying to sit up a little, but

gasped and fell back to the bed when the pain in his thigh
shot up to his back. The man was at his side instantly.

“Are you all right, Nick?”
Nicholas just stared. It was him.
“It’s you! You’re here.”
“You remember me? How? You were almost unconscious

when I found you. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“No, no. I mean it’s you. You’re the man. The man from

my memories. Bear Claw, Tibbah, BC.”

Bear sat down in the chair, stunned. “You remember

me? Really remember me?”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

40

“Yes.”
Nicholas closed his eyes and let the feelings rush in. He

loved this man, or at least he did.

“Nick? You still with me?”
“Yes, I am. And you’re here. Wait! How do you know

about me?”

“I’ve always known. I’ve known every time who you

were.”

“What does this mean?”
Bear took Nicholas’s hand, looked into his eyes, and

said, “I hope it means that we’re supposed to be together.
That this time, it’s the right time.”

When the Time Comes * Chelle Dugan

41

Epilogue

T

HE

wind was howling through the Ponderosa pine trees,

and given the rate at which it was snowing, the two men
were going to be stuck inside for a while. That was fine with
them. The fireplace in the master bedroom was crackling,
and the champagne was chilled.

“I can’t believe that you were willing to try again. I

mean, I was such a chickenshit. I gave up on us three
times.”

“You did, and you didn’t. I left the third time. I could’ve

let you know where I was going. I had contacts. I could’ve
looked you up. You weren’t ready. Some people take a long
time.”

“Yeah, like over a hundred years.”
“I don’t care. You’re here now, I’m here, and we’re

together. Now, come on. Let’s drink a toast. It’s been three
years since I rescued you on that dirt road.”

The men raised their glasses, clinked them together,

and were just about to take a sip when they heard a cry.

“Seriously? She has the worst timing. Our daughter’s

going to be a handful. Rock, paper, scissors to see who gets
to change the wet diaper?”

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About the Author

C

HELLE

D

UGAN

is the mother of two children and lives in

the Southwest. She has been an avid reader her whole life
but had never written her own stories until she fell in love
with Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain. Her first stories
were brought to life with help from her long-distance friend
Terry and her daughter, as well as Chelle’s love for little
mountain towns and snow.

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Copyright

When the Time Comes ©Copyright Chelle Dugan, 2012

Published by
Dreamspinner Press
4760 Preston Road
Suite 244-149
Frisco, TX 75034

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the
authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art by Catt Ford

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is
illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon
conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No
part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To
request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite
244-149, Frisco, TX 75034

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Released in the United States of America
June 2012

eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-653-2