var preloadDone = false,
var testDone = false,

var load = $.deferred(function() {
                //cacheImages() is a plugin, works fine
                $("img.image-loader.preload").cacheImages();
                preloadDone = true;
            });

var loader = $.when(load)
        .then(function() {
        if (preloadDone) {
            console.log("then called in sequence");
        } else {
            console.log("then called out of sequence"); // wrong order, every time
        }
        XBS.cache.cbDone = true;
}).done(function() {
        if (XBS.cache.cbDone) {
            console.log("even done was called in right sequence!"); // proper order, every time
        } else {
            console.log("done() wasn't called in order..");
        }
});

load.resolve(); // nothing happens
// load();  also tried this; nothing happens