A Tale of Innocent Inquiries

JD reined his horse in at the watering hole outside of Four Corners. He had finished his tasks for the day and then headed straight to his favorite fishing spot to cool off. He dismounted, unsaddled the gelding, and tethered him to a tree limb close to the water's edge. He picked up his saddlebags and climbed onto the top of the largest rock close to the water, set out soap, washcloth and towel where he could reach it from the water, and then stripped out of his clothes. He dived into the watering hole unaware that he had company.

When Casey Wells stopped by the jailhouse to ask JD to go to the watering hole with her, but found Buck Wilmington there instead. The ladies' man had told her that JD had headed out for a dip a few moments earlier. Casey thanked him and left. She arrived at the watering hole just in time to see a naked JD dive into the water.

She knew she should leave or call out to JD she was there, but she could not propel herself to do either. Instead, she slid off her mount's back, stripped down to her underclothes, and walked into the refreshing water. When it reached her waist, she dove beneath the surface and swam toward the area she had last seen JD.

JD was in heaven. The cool water was refreshing against his heated skin. He could not remember the last time it felt so cool. The heat wave was six days in, and he was beginning to think it was never going to end. He considered camping out at the watering hole until it past, but knew he couldn't leave the other six men, who along with him, kept law and order for the growing town, to deal with all the disorderly, irritable citizens.

"Hi JD." Casey's head popped out of the surface right in front of the peacekeeper.

"Agh!" JD let out a startled yelp, floundered, and disappeared under the water. He came up sputtering a moment later and demanded, "Casey, what are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you." Casey told him with a grin. "Stopped by the jailhouse to see if you wanted to go swimming, and Buck told me you had already come out here. So I came, too. Aren't you glad to see me?"

JD did not know what to say. Of course, he was happy to see her; she was his girl after all. However, the fact that he was only in his birthday suit made things more than a bit awkward. "Course, I'm glad to see you Casey. I just didn't expect to see you is all, and well,"

JD felt his face growing red with embarrassment. He could not tell her he was not wearing any clothes beneath the cover of the refreshing water.

"Well what?" Casey asked, swimming closer to him.

JD backed away, and suddenly found himself up against the bottom of the rock he dove off earlier. Casey closed in on him again, enjoying seeing him so flustered and wondered how he would act if he knew she had seen him naked. Already he was acting peculiar just because she was in the water with him.

"I just don't think we should be doing this," he told her lamely.

Casey cocked her head at him. "Doing what, JD? Swimming?"

JD was finding it incredibly harder to explain why they should not be swimming together due to his lack of clothing, as he became more aware of other things. How pretty the tiny green specks in Casey's brown eyes were, how enticing to his touch her almost completely bare shoulders were, except for the tiny straps of material on one each one, and how beautiful she was with the sun shining down on. Before he realized it, he reached out and drew her into his arms.

Casey did not struggle against the hold JD had on her waist. Her breath caught as she found herself drowning in the dark depths of his eyes. She watched a different emotion fill them a moment before JD lowered his lips to hers.

Her first kiss. Casey was not certain what she should expect, but found she rather liked the feel of his lips against hers. JD waited to see if Casey was going to protest against him kissing her, before he continued with his innocent inquiries. Casey responded by licking his bottom lip, and that was all the encouragement JD needed to probe at her lips with his tongue. Casey allowed him entrance into her mouth and their tongues began taste and explored one another, before intertwining in a sensual kiss, which stole the breath from them both, and made them come up for air.

"Wow," Casey exclaimed and JD echoed the sentiment as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Both knew that their relationship had just taken a step in a new direction. JD was no longer embarrassed to have Casey in the watering hole with him, and she was wishing he would kiss her again. Her wish was granted when JD lowered his lips to hers once again.