Title: HELLO, I LOVE YOU
Author: NCC-17 FRAO
Warning: M/M Sex scenes
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Annie Proulx; not to me.
Summary: Circumstances convince Ennis that his place is in Lightning Flat
With Jack.
"You want a divorce? What the hell for?"
Lureen whirled on her
husband, stubbing her cigarette out angrily.
"We been married 18
years; I never once questioned where you
went or who you were seein.
Didn't matter to me none as long as
you always came home to me. Now
you drop this little bombshell
just before Bobby's graduation?"
"It's exactly the right time, Lureen. Bobby's all set now.
He's got
plans for the summer and in the fall he's off to college
and a life of
his own. He's financially set, with the trust fund
your Daddy left
him. He'll do just fine."
"And what about me? What am I supposed to do?"
"You'll
do what you always do. You'll go shopping, get a new hair-do
and
take off with your friends on one of your tours. This can't be
all
that much of a shock to you. You know things ain't been right
'tween
us for years."
"Well, I guess I can't deny that. But why divorce? I mean,
you go
off and do whatever you want and then come back here."
"I
ain't comin back this time, Lureen. I'm movin up to Lightning Flat."
"Oh, God, Jack! Not that awful place! The one time I went up
there
to meet your folks; I couldn't get out of there fast
enough!"
"I know you hate the place; but it's mine. They're my folks
and they
ain't got all that much time left. I wanna go be with
them; help them
out; look after them."
"Why on earth don't you just bring them down here? We got a
coupla
nice senior citizens homes 'round her. They'd be much
better off."
"I may as well just shoot them both dead!"
"Now there's a thought!"
"Lureen, I know you don't care for them and that's OK but
they're my
folks and I'm gonna see to them."
"Oh do what you want. You always did. Guess you'll probably
be seein
your "fishing buddy" while you're up there?"
She said with a sneer.
"That's my plan. Gonna see if he will come to Lightning Flat
with me;
help me with the place."
"You really expect me to still believe there is a "fishing buddy"?"
"Believe what you want. He's my buddy, we fish. Call him
whatever
you want."
"If Daddy was still alive he'd call him a queer."
"Don't much care what your daddy thought."
"I know he gave you a hard time, Jack. That was just his
way. He
never liked anybody I was interested in. Never thought
they was good
enough for his little girl."
Jack shook his head in understanding.
"So you won't oppose
the divorce?" he asked hopefully.
"If you're set on doin this, I won't stop you. I just ask
you one
thing though. Let me file. Let the family think it was my
decision."
"OK. You can tell them anything you want; I won't object."
"You sure this is what you want? You really gonna spend the
rest of
your life on that awful ranch?"
"Positive. Wyomin is where I belong. It's where I want to be."
"OK. I'll see our attorney tomorrow; get things started."
"Thank you, Lureen. I don't want anythin, just my truck;
camping
gear; that kind of stuff."
"You're so sweet, Jack. You could hold me up for a pile of
cash, you
know that."
"I got some money saved up; I'll do fine."
"What about Bobby's graduation? Do we have to tell him right now?"
"Since you want this to sound like it's your decision, I'll
leave the
tellin of Bobby up to you. Tell him anything you like,
just don't try
to cut me out of his life. He's my son and he
always will be."
"You know I wouldn't do that. You've always been a wonderful
Daddy to
him. I'll just say something like us growin apart, wantin
different
things, that kind of stuff. Ain't no reason for any name
callin here.
You always done right by me and I'm not about to go
throwin mud on
you now."
"I thank you for that, Lureen. You always been very special
to me,
you know that."
"Yeah, I do." she sighed. "And if I was to be
totally honest here,
I'd have to admit that I always knew I wasn't
#1 in your heart. You
gave me Bobby and you gave me 18 years of
your life. You stood up to
Daddy for me when I couldn't bring
myself to do it; you always been
there for me, Jack; and I won't
ever forget that."
Bobby rushed into the room, all excited. "Everybody
ready? It's time
to go! C'mon. Got the limo outside waiting."
Graduation went off without a hitch and Bobby was off to his
parties.
The next few days were a blur of activities. They got
Bobby off on
his tour and Jack cleaned out his desk at work and
gave one of the
other salesmen a quick rundown on his files.
Deciding what clothes to
take and which to give to Goodwill took
some time too. A few phone
calls and he had transferred his bank
account up to Lightning Flat;
arranged for a PO box, and made the
phone call to his Momma telling
her he was coming home. One last
phone call to make. He waited until
Lureen was out of the house
and went into his study and sat down
behind his desk and dialed
the number.
"H'lo" the muffled voice answered.
"I love you!"
"Huh? Jack?"
"Who the hell else would be tellin you he loves you!"
"Shit, Jack. That ain't no way to start a conversation!"
"And why not? Seems like a fine way to me."
"You're crazy!"
"Crazy 'bout you; that's for sure!"
"You call me up this early in the mornin to tell me this?
You ain't
never called me before."
"Called you up to tell you I'm movin up to Lightning Flat.
Leavin
tomorrow mornin after I sign a few papers."
"What kinda papers?"
"I'm gettin divorced."
"You sure you wanna do that?"
"Positive. It's time. I wanna live the rest of my life in
Wyomin.
It's where I belong."
"What about Bobby?"
"He'll do just fine. He's off on some tour with his friends
and in
the fall he's off to college and out on his own."
"What about Lureen?"
"She's takin it OK. Just asked that she be the one to do the
filin
and tellin her family."
"Nice of her."
"Yeah. She is nice like that."
"Sure this is what you wanna do?"
"It is. Can't hardly wait to get back up there for good."
"Be livin with your Pa again."
"Yeah, I know. Ain't worried 'bout that. Once he sees me
takin care
of the place, he'll be singin a different turn."
"Those types don't usually change."
"I know. But I ain't 14 no more; he can't knock me down and
spit on
me no more. If he tries, he'll find out."
"He's your Pa, Jack."
"I ain't takin no more of his shit, Ennis. I'm comin home
and I'm
takin over the place. He can like it or lump it."
"He's liable to lump you."
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Hope you're right."
"Listen; what I called you for is this; the place is a big
one, close
to 400 acres and the old man hasn't used but a tiny bit
of it. What I
want to do is get the whole place goin and I can't
do that by myself.
I need a ranch manager; someone who knows the
business.
I was wondering if you might know of someone who'd be
interested?"
"You lookin to hire someone?"
"Yeah. You know anybody could give me a hand? I really need someone."
"You got someone in mind?"
"It'd be the perfect solution to both our problems."
"I ain't got no problems."
"Oh. OK. Thought maybe you did. Guess I was wrong. I'll just
put a
notice up then when I get to Lightning Flat. Maybe somebody
in town
might need the money."
"This is crazy thinkin, Jack."
"Yeah, I guess maybe it is. I'll need to find someone who
wants to
work with me."
Silence on the line.
"Ennis, for pete's sake; will you at least think 'bout it?"
"I'm always thinkin, Jack."
"Good. Well think 'bout this then. I gotta go."
"OK. See you."
"Yeah. Ennis?"
"Uh huh?"
"Can I call you again, when I get settled in a coupla days?"
"Sure."
"You'll think 'bout it 'tween now and then?"
"Uh huh."
"That's all I ask."
"OK. Talk to you later then."
"Bye."
"Bye."
The next morning at the lawyer's office, he was handed the
papers to
sign and turned to the last page and signed without
reading.
"You really should read it first." The attorney
said.
"Don't matter. I trust Lureen. Didn't come into this
marriage with
nothin and I'll be leavin with nothin. It's fine by
me."
"Oh it's hardly nothin, Mr. Twist. Your wife has left you a
sizeable
endowment."
"What's that mean?"
"Basicly it means if you're careful, you'll never have to
worry about
money again."
"What are you talkin 'bout. I told her I didn't want
nothin." He
started shuffling through the papers, trying to
see what he had just
signed.
"Oh don't worry about it. She's one of the wealthiest people
in
Childress. She can afford it. Hardly made a dent in her
estate."
"What's this figure here; all them zeros. That ain't..."
"Oh yes it is. One million dollars cash. She had me set it
up for
you in a place called Lightning Flat, Wyoming. She said
that was
where you were moving."
"I don't need her money."
"It's already done. Account is already set up. It became
yours the
minute you signed those papers. I don't see what the
problem is. She
can well afford it. It's not unusual when someone
wants a divorce
right away to leave their spouse a little gift."
"This ain't no little gift."
"It is to her. She insisted on it. Said you were so nice to
agree to
a quick divorce that she wanted to show her gratitude.
Actually, you
probably could have gotten a lot more if you took
her to court and
sued for divorce. 18 years is a long time and she
acquired most of
this money during those years so you would be
entitled to a lot more
if you had wanted to drag this thing out
and go to court."
"No. I don't want that."
"Well, good. That's settled then. Here's your copy of the
papers.
I'll file these and it will all be taken care of."
"Don't need to go to court or anythin?"
"No, not if the divorce isn't contested. You aren't planning
on
contesting it are you?"
"No."
"Good. Then everything is taken care of. When the court
date
arrives I will be there representing the both of you, and it
will be
granted. That's all there is to it."
"I knew she had money. Didn't know she had this much. You sure
this
won't leave her strapped?"
"Not at all. As I said, it barely made a dent in her estate."
"OK then. I thank you sir." He shook hands with the
lawyer and
walked out.
He drove up into his driveway and
saw Lureen's car there and next to
it a brand new blue and white,
four-door pickup. He wondered who
their visitor was. He really
wasn't in the mood for visitors right
now. He just wanted to load
up his things and take off.
Lureen met him as he walked in.
"We
got company? I really ain't in the mood to see anyone right now.
I
just want to be on my way."
"No company." she answered with a smile.
"Who belongs to that new pickup out front? That for Bobby?"
"No. It's yours." She handed him a set of keys.
"Huh?"
"Call it a going away present."
"Lureen! You already give me more money than I ever dreamed
of! You
didn't have to go and do that."
"I did it 'cause I wanted to. I always do what I want to.
You should
know that by now."
"The money and then the truck?"
"That old thing you're drivin is five years old now. You
can't be
showin up in somethin that old. 'Sides. I wanted your
Momma to know
that I treated you right."
"Momma ain't never had nothin against you."
"I know. I could tell though. She never thought I was the
right one
for you. I guess she was right."
"I don't regret the time I been with you Lureen. You been a
good wife
and a good momma for Bobby."
"Thank you for that. Now you best be on your way. My taxi
will be
here soon to take me to the air-port. I'm goin to Europe
for the
summer. Somethin I always wanted to do."
"What about the business?" Jack asked, wondering if he
might have to
offer to stay until she got back.
"Already hired someone to look after it. I'm selling it;
already got
it on the market. This new man will look after if till
then. Don't
you worry none about me. I can take care of myself.
Always have."
"I know you can." He came to her then and hugged her.
"Thank you for
everything."
"You're welcome. You let me know your P.O. Box so I can keep
in touch
with you about Bobby."
"I will. You take care now." He kissed her cheek.
"You too, Jack. You know my phone number...If you ever
want to
call, I mean." She smiled and walked back upstairs to
her room.
He slipped into his den and grabbed up his stuff and headed out
to
his new truck. Top of the line, all the latest gadgets.
Lureen
thought of everything. This truck was right off the
showroom floor!
Ten minutes later, he was loaded up and headed
out.
Goodbye to Childress! Goodbye to Texas! Wyoming, here I come!
It was just past
midnight when he pulled into the Motel Siesta and
asked for a room
round back; away from the highway. It was raining
lightly and the
heat from the June afternoon gave way to the
refreshing cool air
of evening. He debated whether to call or not as
it was Monday
night and he knew Ennis had to get up in a few hours.
He showered
and decided on sleep. He woke up at six, his usual time,
and got
up. The sun was just coming up, his favorite time of the day.
He
watched out the window for a few minutes then decided to make
the
call.
"H'lo?"
"Hello, I love you."
"This the Avon lady?" Ennis asked with a grin.
"You damn well know who it is! I'm over at the Motel Siesta.
Got a
room 'round back, if you're interested."
"Jack, I gotta go to work; be there in 'bout an hour."
"So? I ain't got nothin against quickies. Room 11. I'm
waitin for
you; got the bed all turned down and everythin."
"Jack, I just got up. Gotta shower and shave, and it's a 30
minute
drive out to the ranch."
"I got a shower here. You can use my razor. C'mon. What'll
it hurt
if you're a few minutes late?"
"Damn you Jack Twist!" He slammed down the phone;
pulled on his
boots, grabbed his jacket and keys and took off.
Six minutes later he was knocking on the door of room 11.
"Took you long enough!" Jack complained, pulling him
into the room
and locking the door, all in one motion. They
grabbed onto each
other, yanking off boots, shirts and sliding off
jeans. In less than
a minute they were naked on the bed, mouths
glued together,
straining against one another, hands roaming each
other's bodies,
tongues battling, legs entwining. They each
slipped a hand between
them and gripped the other and within a
short period of time spent
grinding into one another; they
released.
They lay together for a time, savoring the sweet
afterglow of their
passion; each content just to hold and being
held.
"You been thinkin 'bout what I asked you?"
Jack asked, dreamily
kissing the damp curls behind Ennis's ear.
"Always thinkin 'bout you."
"Wanna come work with me? Help me with the ranch?"
"Wanna and can are two different things."
"Sure would be nice havin you standin beside me when the old
man takes
off on me. You could keep me in line. See that I don't
get in no
trouble."
"More than likely it'd be me gettin in to it with your Pa.
Don't
think I could stand 'round and hear him takin you down."
"Well then, we could watch out for each other. Keep each
other out of
trouble."
"Jack, I gotta go" He
sat up, reluctantly leaving the warmth of
Jack's embrace.
"Promise me you'll think 'bout it. I'm goin on up to
Lightnin Flat.
OK if I call you later?"
"Sure enough." He wiped himself off with the sheet and
pulled his
clothes on.
"Wish you was goin up there with me right now; this mornin."
Ennis bent down and gave him a long sweet kiss goodbye. He
grabbed
his jacket and was out the
door.
Jack was sitting
at the table discussing his plans with his Momma when
the old man
came in for lunch.
"What the hell you doin here? You broke
again? Your Texas wife
throw you out?"
"Hey Pa. I come home to stay this time. Lureen and I are
gettin
divorced."
"Ain't never been no divorcin in my family!" He spit
into a cup. "I
figured she'd throw your ass out sooner or
later."
"Actually, the divorce was my idea, but that's not
important. The
important thing is I'm here now and I'm gonna help
you get this place
back into shape."
"If you're gonna stay here, you're gonna have to work to
earn your
keep. No spendin your days sittin in the kitchen with
your Momma."
"That's the plan. I gotta go into town after lunch; get my
bank
account set up, post office box; take a coupla hours. We can
talk
'bout what needs doin first, when I get back."
"We can talk 'bout what needs doin first right now."
The old man
stuffed food into his mouth. Jack waited to eat until
his Momma had
sat down to start eating.
"Tractor needs workin on; can't get the damn thing to run right."
"We really need a new one, Pa. That old thing should have
been
scrapped years ago."
"Ain't nothin wrong with it; just needs seein to."
Jack
reached around to the small table behind him, picked the phone up
and
brought it around in front of him and dialed. He waited a
moment
then: "Hey Gordon! What'cha been up to?" Pause
"Yeah, I just bet!
Listen, I need one of those new JD2000's
fully loaded. You got one
you can send me?" Pause "No.
Ain't in Childress anymore. I moved
back to Wyoming. Lightning
Flat." Pause "Need it, like yesterday."
Pause
"What's the bottom line on it?" Pause "OK. I'll wire
you
the money in 'bout an hour."
Pause "Thanks friend, tell Millie I said hi!" Pause "You too, bye."
"Them things cost a lot of money. What'd you do, boy, rob a
bank?
You got that much money; lotsa better things to be spendin
it on."
"What, Pa? What else you needin?"
"Fence wire, nails. Pick some up while you're in town, mister moneybags."
"Fence don't need repairin; it needs replacin. I already
planned on
stoppin by Hill's place and ordering the supplies for a
new one."
"You outta you're fuckin mind? You got any idea how much
it'd cost to
re-fence this place?"
"Maybe we could do just a little of it at a time?" Mrs.
Twist offered
timidly.
"Don't worry 'bout it. I got it covered."
"You got it covered!" The old man sneered; stood up, threw
his napkin
in his plate. "You ain't got the sense God gave
green apples! You
got no more idea than a goat what you're talkin
'bout. New John
Deere! New fence! Not in a million years!" He
left the room.
"He's right 'bout them things costin lots
a money, Son. Maybe you
could find a used tractor in town?"
"Momma, don't worry about it. I been sellin these things for
years
now, I get a dealer discount. Only cost me 'bout half what
other
folks pay. You don't need to worry 'bout money no more.
Turns out,
Lureen was a lot richer than I thought. She gave me a
nice chunk of
money; more than enough to get this place back into
shape and enough
runnin money for at least a few years. By that
time, this place will
be workin the way it should."
"Maybe you should put that money away? Save it for Bobby?"
"He's all set Momma. Got a huge trust fund, college fund; he
won't
never need for nothin."
"You need to be careful with it, is all I'm sayin."
"I know, Momma. One thing I learned, all this time I spent
in Texas
is, I got a good head for business. I know what needs
doin to make a
ranch like ours a success and I know how to budget.
And one more
thing, Momma. I talked to Ennis. I offered him the
job of ranch
manager."
"Oh my! Did he accept? Oh I hope he does! That would be
so
perfect!" She put her hands to her face.
"He hasn't yet; but I'm workin on that. What do you think Pa
will do
if Ennis shows up here?"
"Son, I just don't know. You know him though. You think your
Ennis
could take it?"
"Don't know. Depends, I guess."
"Course your Pa would be happy for the extra help."
"Ennis wouldn't be workin for Pa. He'd be workin with me."
"Oh, I know. I know. I just hope it works out for you. You
been
dreamin this for so long now."
"I know, Momma. It's lookin good this time though. It might
just
happen."
"I'll pray it does Son. I'll pray it does."
"H'lo?"
"Hello. I love you."
"Love you too. I'll have a pepperoni pizza tonight, thanks."
"Whut??"
"This ain't the pizza boy?"
"You son of a bitch!"
"This mean I ain't gettin no pizza?"
"I got somethin for you, all right, and it ain't no pizza!"
"You deliver?"
"Did this mornin, didn't I?"
"Nah. Had to go get it myself, if you remember right."
"Shit! I miss you."
"Miss you too, Bud. How'd everythin go?"
"'bout like I expected. Momma's beside herself with
happiness and Pa
his nasty old self."
"Givin you a hard time already?"
"Nah. Nothin I can't handle."
"You're good at handlin things."
"I'd like to be handlin you right now."
"Me too."
"Been thinkin 'bout my offer?"
"Uh huh."
"Any chance you might wanna give me a hand? Got supplies on
order for
new fencin on this place. Gonna need help puttin it up."
"Big job. Can't your Pa help?"
"Rather be workin with you. Watchin you get all hot and
sweaty,
bendin over, wrestlin with the fence wire; liftin those
posts."
"Sounds more like you're talkin 'bout fuckin than fencin."
"That'd work too!"
"You got a one-track mind, Jack Twist!"
"Yeah, I do. And it leads straight to you."
"Wish you was here right now."
"Me too! 'Stead, I'm sittin here on Momma's kitchen floor,
watchin
the hallway to make sure the old man don't sneak up on
me."
"I just got out of the shower and I'm layin here naked;
thinkin 'bout
this mornin."
"Shit, Ennis! You stop that! You ain't neither naked!"
"The hell I am!"
"Ohhh. Now you done it. How am I s'posed to get to sleep
tonight,
thinkin 'bout you like that?"
"Guess I know now why we didn't call each other 'fore this.
Could
cause problems."
"Wouldn't be no problems at all, if you were up here with me."
"I'm sure your Pa would like that!"
"Don't care 'bout him. I'd like that!"
"I know. Me too."
"Any chance you could get away for a few days? Come up here
and take
a look at the place? Maybe make some suggestions to where
I should
start?"
"How 'bout the weekend? I could drive up; look 'round."
"Oh man! YES! That sounds great! Listen, when you get into
town,
drive on through till you come to the old Shell gas station.
Just
past that there's a road heading south; don't have no name,
turn
there. Drive 'bout 30 minutes. It's a straight shot; no
turns.
You'll see a big old ForSale sign on a fence; Peterson's
Realty.
That's the place just before this one. Next driveway is
ours."
"Sounds easy enough to find."
"You comin? Really?"
"When you want me? Friday night or Saturday mornin?"
"Friday night!"
"There be a place for me to stay? Or should I get a place in town?"
"No! You stay here. We got lots of empty rooms. I'll see to
one
for you."
"Think that's a good idea? Under the same roof with the old man?"
"It'll be interesting."
"You sure 'bout that?"
"Oh yeah. We'll be upstairs; they'll be down. You'll just
have to
keep the screamin down."
"I ain't the one that does all the screamin, Bud. That's you!"
"Yeah. We'll see 'bout that Friday night! What time you
think you
can make it? It's 'bout a 4 hour drive."
"Usually get off early on Friday's; 'bout 4. Take me an hour
to grab
somethin to eat and get cleaned up. Should be there 'round
9 or so.
That OK?"
"Sounds perfect. I'll be waitin out front for you. Folks
usually in
bed by 9."
"I'll see to it I get there after that then."
"You ain't worried 'bout the old man, are you?"
"He got a gun?"
"Yeah." Jack chuckled. "Ain't been fired in more
than twenty years
though."
"Maybe you should be thinkin 'bout hidin it for a spell. Till I leave."
"You just get yourself here safely. Let me worry 'bout the
old man.
He ain't got the guts to do nothin like that. His mouth
is his
favorite weapon. He'll be firin it off every chance he
gets."
"Ain't worried 'bout words."
"Then there's nothin to worry 'bout."
"OK. See you Friday, then."
"Love you."
"Uh huh."
The
next few days were spent shoving furniture around up stairs
and
fixing up a room for Ennis. Mrs. Twist was all a'flutter
picking out
her best sheets and blankets for his room. A massive
cleaning job was
done; scrubbing the cobwebs out of the corners,
opening the windows
and airing the room out. Jack had gone into
town and bought a new
mattress, box springs and frame and set the
bed up.
A new comforter and pillows and the room was finished.
Hours were spent at the kitchen table, pencil and paper in
hand,
working out a budget and schedule for the next few
months.
The old man sneering every step of the way.
"You really think your boyfriend's gonna show? I wouldn't put
any
money on it if I was you."
"You ain't me, Pa. He'll be here. He said he'd come and he
will.
You'll see."
Friday night came and he was
pacing out front, waiting. The old man
stood in the doorway,
smoking.
"May as well give up. He ain't gonna show."
"He'll be here, Pa. You'll see."
Mrs. Twist came
out side and called to her son, "Jackie? Phone for you."
He
raced to the phone, grabbed it off the table.
"Hello?"
"I love you, Jack."
"What's wrong? Where are you? It's near 10:30?"
"I'm in Casper."
"What the hell you doin in Casper?"
"Its Jenny. She's been in an accident."
"Oh my God! Is she all right?"
"Yeah. Just a bump on the head, a few scrapes and bruises.
Her
friends got it worse than she did. One got a broken leg;
another a
broken arm. She'll be all right. Got the call just as I
was goin out
the door to meet you. Shoulda called you right then
but figured I'd
call from the hospital. Didn't figure it'd take
this long. Time just
got away from me. Sorry, Bud."
"It's all right. I'm just glad she's not bad hurt."
"Doc says it's a mild concussion. They want to keep her
overnight.
Junior's drivin in from Cheyenne. Be here in the
mornin. I need to
stay here until then. You OK with that?"
"Sure thing. Bet she's scared. Could be a good thing though.
Teach
her and her friends to be more careful drivin."
"Yeah. Hope it works out that way. I'm sure sorry I didn't
call you
sooner. She was really scared and just hung on to me
somethin fierce.
This the first chance I got to leave her room to
find a phone. She's
sleepin now."
"It's OK. You see to your girls; and I'll see you in the
mornin. If
plans change, give me a call."
"They ain't gonna change. I'll be there 'fore noon. I promise you, Bud."
"Be waitin for you."
"I'll be there."
"Night."
"Night."
The
old man walked back into the kitchen just as Jack hung up the
phone.
"Ain't comin, is he?"
"His daughter's been in an accident. He's in Casper seein to her."
"Oh my goodness! Is she hurt bad?" Mrs. Twist came into
the room to
her son's side.
"No. Slight concussion. Her sister's coming from Cheyenne to
be with
her. He'll be here in the mornin."
"Yeah, right! You believe that, you're I bigger fool than I
thought
you were!" The old man sneered and clomped off to
bed.
"He'll be here, Momma. I promise you."
"Well, of course he will." She hugged her son and
prayed that he was
right.
Next morning Jack sat at the
table drinking coffee; breakfast
over with, dishes done, the folks
on about their chores. Mr. Twist
passed through the kitchen and
got himself a drink of water.
"How much time you gonna waste
sittin there waitin on someone's made
it clear, he ain't
comin?"
Lunchtime came and Mrs. Twist served it in
silence; blinking back
tears. Jack didn't eat a bite. He sat there
drummin his fingers on
the table; turned so he could stare at the
phone; picked up the
receiver and listened for a dial tone to make
sure it was still working.
"I could use some help with the tractor. 'bout got it runnin."
"New one'll be here tomorrow, Pa."
"You could still send it back. You ain't touched it yet. Put
that
money to something else."
"I ain't sendin it back, Pa. We need it."
"Your money! You wanna throw it down the shit hole, guess I
can't
stop you."
Lunch over and the old man was back
in the barn. Mrs. Twist cleaned
the kitchen and Jack was in the
bathroom when Ennis pulled up outside.
She caught her breath; her
hand went to her throat and she called to
her son. "Jackie!"
Ennis climbed down from his pickup, he had parked next to Jack's
dust
covered new truck; and walked towards the house.
Mrs Twist stepped out the kitchen door, smiling.
"You must be
Ennis Del Mar!" She smiled at him and reached her hand
out to
him.
"Yes, Ma'am. Jack 'round?" He took her hand and smiled.
"He's inside. He told us 'bout your girl. Is she alright?"
"She will be. Gonna have a headache for a coupla days, but
she's
fine. Her sister's stayin with her for the weekend."
Jack
came out of the bathroom, trucking his shirt tail in and saw
Ennis
standing there in the kitchen; his Momma beside him, beaming.
"Hey! You made it!" Relief flooded through him. He
wanted to grab
him, but didn't with his Momma standing there.
"Yeah. Just barely. Had a flat tire. Lucky it happened on
the
outskirts of Casper. Spare didn't look too good neither; so I
put it
on and turned 'round went back to town and bought me a
re-cap there.
Looks pretty good."
"Can I get you some lunch? You've really had a time of it,
haven't
you?" Mrs. Twist asked.
"No thank you, Ma'am. I grabbed a sandwich in town."
Ennis answered;
hat in hand.
"C'mere. I'll show you your room." Jack nodded for him to follow.
They took the stairs two at a time, Jack leading
the way. They made
it as far as the landing when Jack whirled and
grabbed him.
Their mouths locked together, Jack pushing him up
against the wall
pressing full into him; Ennis pullin him in
close.
Jack caressed the side of Ennis' face, froreheads and noses
touching.
"I was afraid you changed your mind; wasn't
coming."
"Told you I'd be here." Their mouths clung together again.
"You did for a fact. C'mon." He led him down the hall
to the room
they had fixed up for him. They went inside and closed
the door
behind them.
"Nice." Ennis said, walking over to the window, and looked out.
"I'm across the hall." Jack nodded, grinning.
"You ain't thinkin of any foolin 'round with your folks right here."
"There's foolin 'round and then there's foolin 'round. We
can figure
somethin out."
"That your Pa?" He pointed out the window towards the barn.
Jack joined him at the window and looked out.
"Yeah,
that's him. He's got a 100 year old tractor in there he's
trying
to bring back to life."
"Thought you ordered a new one?"
"I did. 'sposed to be here today. Waitin on the call."
"He don't wanna wait? Or he don't believe it's comin?"
"Neither, probably." Jack answered. "C'mon, I'll
take you down to
meet him."
"I like your Momma." Ennis said as he followed Jack down the stairs.
"She's a sweetheart, alright." Jack agreed.
They
went out the kitchen door and made the short walk to the barn.
"Be
prepared." Jack whispered, as they entered.
The old man was
there bent over his tractor; wrench in hand, trouble
light hanging
overhead. Ennis took a quick look around. The work
bench, tools,
stuff piled everywhere; and every bit of it older than
the man
trying to use them.
"That thing belongs in a museum." He
said to Jack under his breath.
They caught the old man's eye and
he leaned up, wiping his hands on an
old rag, long since turned
black with grease.
"This the boyfriend?" He spoke to Jack but stared holes through Ennis.
"Pa, this here's Ennis Del Mar. Ennis, this is my Pa, John Twist."
"Nice to meet you, Sir." Ennis stuck his hand out.
"I don't shake hands with queers." The old man said,
standing with
hands on hips.
"Pa..."
"It's OK, Jack. I've met fools like him before. Don't bother me none."
"You standin here in MY barn, on MY own land and call me a
fool?" The
old man tightened up, ready for a fight; he still
gripped the wrench
in one hand.
Jack made a move to stand
between them when Ennis stopped him.
"Didn't come here for no name callin match; came here 'cause
Jack
asked me to."
"And I'm tellin you, you ain't welcome here!" The old man snarled.
"And I'm sayin he is!" Came a small voice from behind.
Then with a
smile as sweet as you please, Mrs. Twist added, "It's
so hot today I
thought you might like some lemonade? It's freshly
squeezed and will
taste mighty good on a day like this." She
turned and walked from the
barn; Jack and Ennis following; the old
man straggling behind.
The three of them sat at the table
staring at one another as she
filled the glasses with ice and
poured them full of lemonade. She
brought them all to the table;
serving Mr. Twist first, then Ennis;
then Jack and herself. The
four sipped quietly for a moment.
"Jack has spoken of you so often over the years that I feel
like I
already know you, Mr. Del Mar."
"We knowed each other a long time. Since we was both 19."
Ennis
answered, then added. "Please. Call me Ennis."
"Why thank you. I'd like that." she smiled sweetly at him.
"You don't look like no pansy!" the old man
said, not taking his eyes
off Ennis for a minute.
Mrs. Twist squeezed her eyes shut tight and went rigid. Jack
started
to get up but Ennis stopped him.
"Everyone's entitled to their opinions. Even when they're
wrong." He
put a hand on Jack's wrist.
"You sayin I'm wrong? You wanna take this outside and say
that?" The
old man challenged.
"Old man, I can put you on the ground before you can find
your ass.
Now get off mine or I will!" Ennis said through
clenched teeth; his
eyes gone to slits.
The old man slammed his glass down on the table, got up and walked
out
of the room.
"That's mighty fine lemonade, Ma'am. My Momma used to make
this.
Her's was a bit more sour though." He drained the last
of from his
glass and smiled at her. She smiled back, relief plain
in her eyes
and mixed with gratitude.
"Jackie always liked it sweet like this. I could use less
sugar next
time if you'd prefer?"
"Oh no. This is just right. Wouldn't change a thing." he assured her.
"Son, why don't you show Ennis here 'round the place.
"Think that's a good idea." Jack gulped down the rest
of his lemonade
and they left the kitchen.
"You did
good in there, Cowboy. Guess I didn't have to worry 'bout
you bein
able to take it."
"I always thought you were exagerating when you spoke of your
Pa, but
you wasn't. He is a nasty, mean old man."
"That's a fact!"
They
drove all over the place; Jack pointing out the changes he wanted
to
make as they went along. He pulled up to a stop in a clearing in
a
wooded area, towards the back of the place.
"This would
be a good place here to build a cabin. What do you
think?" He
reached over and massaged the side of Ennis's neck.
" Pretty spot. Lots of privacy."
"That's what I was thinkin. I got some catalogues with some
cabin
kits in 'em. You wanna help me pick one out?"
Ennis grinned at him. "You got this all figured out?"
"Been figurin on it for close to 20 years now; 'bout time to
get
after it."
"I'll take a look at them catalogues. Never did know you
could buy a
place out of a book."
"That's cause you weren't lookin. I been lookin."
"Let's go look at those catalogues. Takes a month or more to
get one
delivered. If we get our order in, we may be able to get
one up
before first snow." He was all excited now; keyed the
ignition and
headed back towards the house. They saw the old man
cross over from
the house to the barn. They went on up to Jack's
room and sat on his
bed and looked at the stack of catalogues he
had saved, certain pages
paper-clipped. The studied the dozen or
so models that Jack had
marked and got it down to 4. They were
still going over the list when
the smell of dinner cooking wafted
up to them.
Ennis sniffed the air. "What's that?"
"Smells like a roast. Momma makes the best pot roast you
ever ate."
Jack bragged.
"Haven't had a home cooked meal in years."
"You move up here with me and you'll get home cooking every
day." He
smiled his most persuasive grin.
"That's not fair!" Ennis grinned back.
"C'mon. Let's go call this order in."
"You decided which one you want?"
"Yeah. I like this one with the wrap-around porch."
"Good choice; plenty of room to stack firewood."
They
took the catalogue and went down the stairs. Jack made his call
and
ordered the cabin he wanted and Ennis asked to use the phone to
call
Casper and check on Jenny. He had the operator put the charges
on
his home phone in Riverton and stood waiting for the phone to
be
answered. The old man walked through.
"You callin long
distance, you better have the money to pay for it!"
He
snarled and walked on by.
"Junior? How's your sister?"
There was a long silence. The look on Ennis's face, told the
story.
Jack stood rigid beside him and rested a hand on Ennis'
shoulder.
"It's a little more than 4 hours drive, Junior.
I'll get there soon
as I can." He hung up the phone and
turned to Jack; tears filling his
eyes.
"I gotta go. Jenny's back in the hospital. Somethin 'bout
an
allergic reaction to the medication they gave her."
"Take my truck, it's faster, more reliable." He handed him the keys.
"Ennis, I'll be prayin for her." Mrs. Twist gave his arm a squeeze.
"Thank you, Ma'am." He was beyond fear.
In
another 10 minutes, he was on the highway heading south. About
an
hour out he stopped for gas and grabbed up some sandwiches and
coffee
and was back on the road again.
It was 10:30 when he pulled into the hospital parking lot.
He made their way up to
the fourth floor, room 408 like he was told.
Junior was standing
outside the room talking with the doctor.
She spotted her dad and
ran to him. He held her tight for a moment
and walked them to
where the doctor stood waiting, making notes on his
clipboard.
"What
the hell happened? You said she's gonna be alright?" He
asked
the doctor.
"Mr. Del Mar. Glad you could make it. At the time your
daughter was
treated in the emergency room, we had no idea she had
asthma. She was
given medication to prevent any of her scrapes
from becoming infected.
It appears she's having a serious reaction
to that medication."
"Jesus! Can't you give her something to counter-act the first medicine?"
"Yes, we can and we have. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to
be
responding to it yet. At this point in time, we can at least
be
grateful that her condition has stabilized."
"What's that mean?" Ennis demanded.
"It means she's not getting any better; but she's not
getting any
worse either." Junior said, clinging to her dad's
arm.
"That's exactly right." The doctor continued, "In
cases like these,
we are limited by what medications we can give a
patient with asthma.
The drug we've just administered a few hours
ago is slow acting; but
it's something that an asthmatic can
handle. I expect to see a
significant improvement by morning."
"Is she awake? Can I see her?"
"She's sleeping right now. She's had en extremely stressful
time the
last several hours. You can go in if you want. Just try
and let her
rest. I'm on call all night so I'll be here if she
needs me. We'll
keep a close watch on her."
"Thank you, doctor." Ennis said and took his daughter
in his arms and
held her tight. She was trembling with fear.
"I'm
so glad you're here, Daddy. I didn't know what to do. I called
Momma
too but she must be out. The phone just rang and rang."
"We'll call her again in a little while. They probably went
to a
movie or somethin."
He went into Jenny's room
just long enough to put a kiss on her
forehead then back out into
the corridor with Junior.
"C'mon. Let's find a phone and call your Momma."
They walked down the hall to the waiting area and spotted a pay
phone
there. Junior made the call; this time with success; and
Alma and
Monroe were on their way; leaving their boys with Alma's
sister.
Ennis and Junior were both asleep; sitting in chairs in
the waiting
room; Ennis, head back against the wall, long legs
stretched out in
front of him; Junior next to him, her head on his
shoulder, his arm
around her.
Alma kicked the bottom of his
boot to wake him up.
"Huh?" he came awake with a start.
"So what the hell happened here, Ennis? Thought you was seein to her?"
"Alma. Monroe." He nodded to both of them.
"She was fine when I left this mornin. Doc said she'd just
have a
headache from the bump. This here reaction didn't happen
until I'd
been gone for several hours."
"And just where was it so important that you had to go that
you
couldn't have stayed around long enough on a Saturday to see
that she
was OK?"
"I came back, as soon as I heard. That's all you need
knowin." He
stood and stretched. His head ached, he needed to
go to the bathroom
and he was in desperate need of coffee. The
last thing he needed
right now was Alma and her accusing him of
neglecting their daughter!
"Momma, you're here!" Junior woke up and went into her momma's arms.
"Yes, I'm here now. I'll see to things." She gave Ennis an angry glare.
"I'll see if I can find the doctor." Ennis mumbled and
left the area.
He took the elevator down to the next floor; used
the restroom there
and found a pay phone.
The phone rang
several times and he was about to hang up when it was
finally
answered.
"Ennis?"
"Yeah."
"I love you."
Silence as Ennis gathered his wits about him.
"You OK, Cowboy?"
"Love you too, Jack. You're right. That is a good way to
start a
conversation. It's good to hear; feels good to say."
"How's Jenny?"
"Stable. They give her somethin for the reaction but its
slow workin
on account a her asthma."
"She's improvin then?"
"She ain't gettin worse. That's supposed to be a good thing."
"It is. I'm sure of it. She just needs a little time is all.
Time
to let the medication do its work."
"Yeah. That's what the doctor says."
"Everythin else alright?"
"Yeah. Alma & Monroe just showed up. She come at me like it
was all
my fault."
"She's just feelin guilty 'cause she wasn't there either; just
needin
somebody to blame where no blame was necessary. These
things happen
sometimes; ain't nobody's fault."
"I know. I just ain't in the mood for her shit right now. I
wasn't
expectin to spend the weekend in a hospital. Wanted to
spend it with
you. In that room you fixed up for me. Sure could
use a few good
hours sleep right 'bout now." He leaned
against the wall and rubbed
the back of his neck.
"Wish I was there with you. Want me to come on down there? I
can be
there in a few hours."
"Nah. That would just make things worse, with Alma here and all."
"Sure am sorry, Ennis."
"Yeah. Me too. What time is it anyway?"
"Little after 2."
"Oh, jeeze, I'm sorry. I woke you up."
"Don't matter. I can sleep anytime. Just wish I was there with you."
"Me too; but it ain't a good idea, Bud."
"Yeah, you're probably right 'bout that."
"Your Pa ease up any on you any?"
"Easin up ain't in his nature. Don't you worry none 'bout me
and him
now. I can take whatever he dishes out."
"Shouldn't have to, though."
"I know. Shouldn't have to be 39 years old and livin alone
either;
but I am."
"Love you, Bud. Hope you know that."
"I do know that, Cowboy. It's the only thing that keeps me
goin;
knowin that you love me."
"Don't know when I can get away here. Gotta stay this time;
make sure
she's OK."
"I know. That's where you need to be; with Jenny. If it was
Bobby,
I'd be where you are."
"Thanks, Bud."
"No need to thank me. Just look out after yourself."
"I will. I gotta go now, see if I can find the doctor."
"OK. Call me again when you can."
"I'll do that. So good, just to talk to you."
"I'll be right here. Whenever you need me, you call."
"Thanks. Bye."
"Bye."
He
returned to the fourth floor and found the nurse's station and
asked
about the doctor. He wasn't due to check back on for another
few
hours but the nurses had been checking on Jenny and her condiion
was
still the same. Stable.
He checked back in with the group in the waiting room. Junior came
to
him, putting her arm around his waist.
"Did you talk
with the doctor?"
"No. Talked with the nurse. She said Jenny was the same. She
was
still stable."
"Well that's good news, kinda. At least she isn't worse. We
have to
be happy with that for now."
They took seats in
the waiting room across from Alma and Monore, and
waited.
6:00AM
brought the doctor back with a report that Jenny's condition
was
still unchanged. She was still sleeping.
Several checks throughout
the day showed the same thing. Sunday
evening brought about a
slight improvement.
Ennis was worried 'bout all this sleeping
Jenny was doing but the
doctor assured him, it was best for to be
resting so her body could
heal. It was worrisome to him though.
He
excused himself from Junior's embrace and made for the restroom
on
the next floor; then the phone.
"Who is it?" Came a snarly voice.
"A...Ennis Del Mar. Can I talk to Jack please."
"JACK! Your boyfriend's on the phone." The phone was
chunked down on
the table.
"Ennis?" A breathless, Jack answered.
"Yeah. I love you."
"Shit, Ennis. I need to be down there, seein to you."
"No. I'm OK. Jenny's still the same."
"Momma says to tell you she's prayin for Jenny."
"You thank her for me."
"I did."
"Good."
"Listen. You gonna try and go to work tomorrow?"
"Ain't now way I can leave here. Have to call in, I guess."
"If you need to, just go ahead, take the truck. I don't need it."
"Thanks, Bud. Don't know what I'm gonna do yet. Can't think
past
Jenny just now."
"That's all you need to be thinkin 'bout"
"Doc says she's some better but she's still sleepin and them
machines
say her numbers ain't what they 'sposed to be."
"But she's better. Even a little better is good."
"Yeah, I know. Just want her up and out of that bed."
"She will be. Another day or two."
"Till then, I gotta stay here."
"I know. You belong with your girl."
"Sure good talkin to you."
"I feel the same way, Ennis. Can't seem to get enough just
hearin
your voice."
"Yeah. Never knew phone callin could be so good."
"It's the person doin the callin that makes it good."
"Or the person called."
"That too."
"Better go. I need to get somethin to eat."
"You do that. Call me later, if you want. I'll be here."
"Might just do that, Bud."
"Good. Get some food in you now."
"I will. Talk to you later then."
"OK. Bye."
"Bye"
Monday morning and a phone call to the
ranch manager where he worked,
started the morning off on a sour
note. The guy didn't buy his reason
for missing work and was
pissed as hell. At least, there was good
news from the doctor.
Jenny had started on an upward trend and
seemed to be coming out
of it. Her eyes fluttered opened and she was
able to speak with
them for a few minutes each. Junior was ever at
his elbow, his
staunch supporter against Alma's glares and
insinuations. It was
mid morning before he could slip away to the
next floor and the
sanctuary of the empty waiting room there and the
telephone with
its connection to Jack.
"Hello?" A sweet voice answered.
"Mrs. Twist? This is Ennis. Is Jack 'round?"
"Well, good morning, Ennis. He's out front right now, his
new tractor
just arrived. I'll get him for you."
"Hey, Ennis. I love you."
"Here your tractor got in."
"Sure did. Can't wait for you to see it. It's a beauty."
"What's the old man think 'bout it?"
"He's in the barn. Hasn't come out to look at it yet. How's Jenny?"
"She's awake and talkin now; still weak as a kitten."
"Now that's good news! She'll get her strength back in a day or two."
"My sis is on her way back into town; so she'll be able to
see to her.
Alma wanted to take Jenny back to Riverton to look
after her but
Jenny says no. She wants to stay here."
"I can understand that."
"Me too. She and Alma ain't as close as they was."
"Maybe that's a good thing?"
"Could be. Sure miss you."
"Me too. Any chance we can do this next weekend? We didn't
get much
done this last weekend."
"We got your cabin picked out and ordered."
"Yeah we did. Its gonna be a bitch to try and put up myself."
"I can help on weekends. Gotta get me some new tires first
if I'm
gonna be makin that trip back and forth."
"You could make it a one-way trip?"
"Do you ever give up on anything, Jack Twist?"
"Nope! Not when I know it's the right thing; and our bein
together is
the right thing, Cowboy."
"Sure would like to think so."
"Then think so! Cause it is!"
"Wish I was there with you. You got the new fencin started yet?"
"Nah. I talked with them this morning. Stuff'll be here
this
afternoon. Took 'em a while to get it all together."
"Maybe I can help you some next weekend if I don't have to
work.
Manager was really pissed when I told him I wouldn't be in
for a
coupla days. Don't think he believed me 'bout Jenny being
sick."
"Screw him!"
"I'd rather screw you."
"You know where I am."
"Yeah. I do for sure. Gotta bring your truck back to you."
"Don't worry 'bout it. Just use it this week and we can
exchange
trucks next weekend when you come up."
"Can hardly wait."
"Me too."
"Doc says Jenny can go home, maybe tomorrow. I gotta stay at
least
till then."
"You stay as long as you feel the need to. Don't worry 'bout
that
ranch manager."
"I don't. He ain't nothin to me right now."
"Good. You just think 'bout Jenny; or me, sittin here wishin
you was
here."
"I will. Go play with your new tractor now and don't go
runnin over
any old men with it."
"Now there's an idea!"
"Talk to you soon, Bud. I love you."
"Love you too."
"Can't believe how good it makes me feel to hear that."
"Be better hearin it in person."
"Yeah, I know. Bye."
"Bye."
"Who is it?" the gruff voice snarled.
"It's Ennis. Jack there?"
"JACK! It's your boyfriend again! Damn queers!" The phone hit the table.
"Hey, Ennis."
"I love you, Jack. Sorry my callin puts him up to that nonsense."
"Don't you be sorry for nothin! I tell you, Ennis. He's like
that
all the time. Always has been."
"Terrible way for a boy to grow up."
"One of these days he'll push me too far."
"Now don't you go thinkin like that. You don't need any a
that kinda
trouble."
"I know. He just burns my ass is all."
"I see that. So how's your tractor? What you expected?"
"Oh yeah! Spent the afternoon playin with it. Got Momma's
vegetable
garden all worked and gonna clear the south pasture
tomorrow."
"That the one with the busted fence?"
"Yeah. Thought it'd be good to get in there and get rid of
all the
weeds and stuff before I start on the fence there. Be
easier to work
if I got more room."
"For sure."
"How's Jenny?"
"Much better. Talkin good now; full awake. Doc says she can
go home
tomorrow."
"Alma givin you any trouble?"
"Nah. Just the evil-eye starin mostly."
"You sound tired."
"I am. Sleepin in these waitin room chairs ain't much comfort."
"I got a nice new bed right here you could be sleepin in."
"Don't think you're thinkin 'bout sleepin."
"Sleep some; and not sleep some."
"Sure do make it sound invitin."
"I aim to."
"Talk to you in the mornin then."
"OK. Night."
"Night."
"Who is it?"
"Put Jack on."
"Shit! Don't you got nothin better to do with your time?"
"Shut your face old man and get Jack to the phone."
The phone slammed down on the table.
"Ennis? Hey."
"Old man still there?"
"Uh huh."
"I love you. I know you can't say it back but I needed to say it anyway."
"Me too. You know that."
"I do. He still there?"
"Uh huh. Gonna have to get the phone company out to put a
phone up in
my room."
"Sounds like a good idea."
"So how's Jenny this morning? Still doin good?"
"Yeah. Be goin home shortly. Soon as all the paperwork's done."
"Good. I'm glad."
"Me too. Be glad to get out of this place."
"I'm sure. Talked to your manager?"
"Yeah. Told him I'd be in tomorrow. He don't seem too happy 'bout it."
"Well, you got choices now. You don't have to work for him
any more.
You got another offer to consider."
"I know. It feels good, you know, to have choices."
"Yeah. It does for a fact."
"I best get back. Told the girls I'd have lunch with them
before I
took off for home. Alma's already left."
"Good. You drive carefully now."
"Don't worry. I won't bang up your truck."
"I wasn't worried 'bout the truck."
"I know. It sure does drive nice."
"Yeah. Smooth as silk."
"Talk to you later."
"OK. Bye."
"Bye."
Lunch over and done with and he was back on the road, heading
home.
Jenny was fine now and with a few days of rest, would be
her old self
again. The drive was only a couple of hours long, but
it seemed
longer to him, he was so tired. He got home, took a
shower and lay
down for a few minutes. The phone woke him.
"H'lo?" he mumbled.
"I love you."
"Jack! Good to hear your voice. Love you too."
"Make the trip OK?"
"Yeah. No trouble at all. Shit! That time right? 9:00?"
"Yeah. I was gettin worried."
"Sorry, Bud. I lay down for a few minutes when I got in.
Guess I fell
asleep."
"You needed it. You ain't got much sleep last coupla nights."
"I know, but I was gonna call you."
"Well, I called you. Folks are in bed and I got the kitchen to myself."
"Good for you. Your fencin stuff get there?"
"Yeah. A mountain of it."
"Should be enough."
"I'm sure it will be. Got it all sorted out and stacked
where I need
it. Gonna get started on it first thing in the
mornin."
"Good idea. The old man gonna help?"
"Hell no. Still grumblin 'bout me wastin money."
"He know how much you got?"
"No. Let him guess, the old fart!"
"Thought he might lay back some if he knew how much you got."
"Ain't none of his business."
"Guess that's right."
"So, it's back to work at the ranch for you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Gonna try and make up for all the time I took off."
"That manager just don't appreciate you!"
"He's got a job needs doin and he needs men to do it. If I
ain't
there, half the work don't get done."
"I know. Just don't take no shit off a him."
"Don't worry 'bout me. Been workin for him three years now.
He knows
I'm good for it."
"OK. Just wish you was here is all."
"Me too, Bud. Gotta get me somethin to eat. I ain't eaten since lunch."
"Good. You do that. Can I call you tomorrow night?"
"Sure thing. Don't know what time I'll be home. Probably
work till
dark, try to make up."
"OK. Talk to you tomorrow evening then."
"OK. Night."
"Night."
Four
o'clock the next afternoon, Ennis pulled up along side the
south
pasture road. Jack was shirtless, bent over tamping the
cement in
around a new fence post. Ennis gave the horn a quick
honk and Jack
looked up.
"What the...ENNIS!" He
jumped over the bar ditch and walked up to
the pickup.
"Hey, Jack. You still needin help?"
"You got that right!" He pulled the door open and Ennis got out.
"Thought I'd bring my trailer. That OK?"
"Anythin you want, Cowboy." Jack grinned at him.
"What I want right now will have to wait till I get this
thing hooked
up somewhere."
"This mean what I think it means?" Jack asked, his eyes
devouring
Ennis face, tongue wetting his lips and lingering in the
corner of his
mouth.
"What it mean is, I got fired. You offered me a job. I'm
acceptin.
Thought maybe we could put my trailer over by your
cabin site."
"Good place. Lots of privacy."
"Yeah. I thought of that."
"Anything else you thought of?" Jack gave him one of
those sideways
smiles of his.
"Uh huh. Thought 'bout how good is was to talk to you. Can't
afford
no more of these long-distance phone calls."
"Yeah, I know. That stuff can add up." He wiped the
sweat off his
forehead with his arm.
Ennis eyed the row of
new fence posts. "Nice job. Go a lot faster
with the two of
us."
"Sure would."
"Well, let's do it then. Show me where you want me to put
the
trailer. I stopped at Home Depot before I left Riverton and
picked up
200 feet of sewer line and a couple hundred foot
extension cords and
water hoses."
"Ought to be enough." Jack climbed into the driver's
seat and Ennis
got in on the other side.
They drove to the spot back in the woods near the cabin
site.
"How 'bout right over there. You can reach the septic
line back over
that way and the well-head's right over there."
"Sounds good." He hopped out of the truck and they set
to work
hooking the trailer up.
The water hoses were the last
to hook up. Ennis was hooking up one of
the hoses up to the
trailer while Jack hooked the other one up to the
spigot. He
turned the water on full force and aimed it at Ennis.
"Hey!" he yelped and struggled to get out of the way.
Jack followed
him with the steady stream, laughing all the way.
Ennis finally
worked his way up close enough to grab the hose and
wrestle it away
from Jack and turn it on him. They slipped in the
wet mud they had
created and went down, the hose between them
spewing water all over
both of them. Jack reached for the faucet
and got it turned almost
off, when Ennis got the better of him and
flipped him over. Jack was
on his back, Ennis on top of him; the
hose between.
"Is that the hose or you just happy to see me?" Ennis
asked looking
down at the leaking hose between them.
Jack
giggled with laughter. "I think I'm gonna like havin
you
'round." He pulled Ennis down for a deep tongue-twisting
kiss.
"Lots a things I know 'bout runnin a ranch. Wanna see my credentials?"
"I already seen your credentials! What do you say, you show
me the
inside of your trailer?"
"OK." They stood up, cut the water off and hooked the
two hoses
together. They were dripping wet and covered with
mud.
"Better get out of these wet clothes before we catch
cold."
"Jack, its June!"
"People can catch colds in June!"
"Can not!" Ennis lowered the steps to his trailer, sat
down and
pulled his boots off. Jack did the same. Next came
Ennis's shirt and
both pairs of jeans. Underwear came next and
Ennis reached for the door.
"Better get inside before someone
sees us."
"Yeah, Pa's libel to be out to see what's goin on."
Jack looked
around nervously.
Ennis struggled with the door but it wouldn't open.
"Shit!
It's locked. Where's the damn keys?"
"Hell, I don't know. In your jeans?"
"You was drivin last; what'd you do with them?"
"Must be still in the truck."
Jack dashed over the where they had parked the truck and ran back
with
the keys in hand, Ennis laughing at him all the way.
"This
is a hell of a situation, Jack. We gonna get caught naked my
first
day here?"
"C'mon, let's get inside." he was laughing and pushing
on Ennis.
The lock finally gave way to the key and the door
opened. They
scampered inside, pulling the door closed and locked
it behind them.
"It ain't much." Ennis said as Jack
looked around.
"Don't need much. Bed, shower, john. Didn't have none of
that up on
Brokeback."
Ennis turned the shower on and they
climbed inside.
"Kinda small. Not really meant for two."
"That's OK. We'll make sure our shower in the cabin is big
enough for
two."
"Sounds good."
Some time later, they lay snuggled up together on the small bed.
"You hungry? Momma said she was gonna fix fried chicken for supper."
"I could eat a horse!" Ennis answered rubbing his nose
against Jack's
neck.
"Best get dressed then. You got an extra pair of jeans and
shirt I
can borrow?"
"Sure do." They got up, dressed and headed over to the
house. They
walked in and sat down just as the old man came in and
took
his seat.
"You back again?" the old man asked Ennis.
"I am. And I'm here to stay. Like it or not."
"NOT!" the old man said.
"Like it!" Sweet little Mrs. Twist said, smiling at
them both as she
piled the table full of food.
THE END
