The Trouble with Diversity - How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality

Jake’s body is as cold as ice when Dusty finds him struggling to stay alive.  He takes him to his camp, pulls him close, and soon the young body begins to stir.  The young man turns toward the warmth and snuggles close, opens his eyes to see Dusty’s peaceful face, and feels the touch of naked skin to skin.  In shock, he jumps back, stands, and trips in the tangled blanket.  Dusty is up lightning quick, the sun placing his nude body in perfect silhouette.  He soon learns that the young cowboy he saved from a sure death is in more trouble than even he knows, daring to cross one of the roughest gangs in the Southwest.  Dusty knows the gang well.  They take no prisoners.  They took his friend, his lover, his soul mate years ago, and now they are after Jake.  The young cowboy stirs up old feelings, good and bad, from Dusty’s past, a past he has come here to put behind him once and for all.  But can he save Jake from the lawless, or will he lose another cowboy?

Excerpt:
“If it feels right, it’s right.  Don’t you get it?  That’s just the way it is.”

Jake roughly grabs Dusty and pulls him in, body to body.  “Does this feel right?”

Dusty grabs him back face to face.  “It could.” 

Jake breathes in scared and elated all at once.  Dusty kisses him hard, slamming him back into a tree.  The young man seems lost at first, but then forcefully kisses back. 

A twig snaps and Dusty draws his gun as Misty walks into the moonlight, scaring Jake.

“How long have you been there, girl?”

“Long enough to get an eyeful of you two.”

“Come on, Jake.”  Dusty holsters his gun and grabs the young man’s arm.

“Wait, I don’t care.  I’ve seen worse.  You two can come up to my room and nobody will know.”

Jake is mesmerized, not having felt this way before.  “You are the best thing that has happened to me.”

Dusty turns and looks back at Jake’s innocent eyes, and his stern features soften.  “It’s been a long time.” 

******

Chad turns to creep to safety and another bullet comes from the house splashing in the mud by his feet.  Unsure of which way to go, he stops and a strong hand palming a hunting knife comes to his throat stopping him.
 
“I guess you don’t like it when somebody takes you from behind,” Dusty meanly says in Chad’s ear.

“No, wait!  I ain’t done you no harm.”  He turns his head far enough to see Dusty.

“That’s a lie.  You’ve had this coming since what you did to Jimmy at the cabin.”

Chad’s eyes widen in sudden recognition.  “It can’t be you…you burned… years ago.”

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