ALASKA AGAIN

by Donna McIntosh

Jack, Ennis, and family leave Alaska and start a new life on the old Twist ranch.

Title: ALASKA AGAIN (Sequel to Alaska)

Author: Donna McIntosh

Fandom: Brokeback Mountain

Genre: Slash

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the great Anne Proulx. I only play with them now and then.

Author's note: I was not satisfied with the way I ended ALASKA, so I wrote this sequel.

Undying gratitude: Many, many thanks to my beta Mike.

ALASKA AGAIN (The first part that's in italics is how ALASKA ended.)

Their house finally finished, they got to work getting their porches built back on. Jack wasn't but two or three rungs up the ladder, when he turned to say something to Ennis, slipped. He took a fall, and banged his head against the porch step.

"Owww!" He sat on the ground and rubbed his head.

Ennis laughed at him. "What're you doin on the ground, bud?"

It was just a little fall, he didn't lose consciousness, it didn't even bleed. He was more embarrassed than anything else.

"I just wanted to sit down for a minute." He grinned as Ennis gave him a hand up so they could get back to work.

x x x x

"Jack!" Ennis called out in the dark, and reached over to switch on the light beside the bed. "What're you doin on the floor?"

"I don't know... I guess I fell. I was up on the ladder..." He rubbed the back of his head as he got back into bed.

"You're dreamin, bud." He pulled the covers up over Jack. "You hurt your head?"

"Hmmm, must a bumped it when I fell." He turned over and spooned up against Ennis. "I'd better hold on real tight so I don't fall again."

"Sounds like a plan, bud." Ennis held on Jack's arm as they snuggled back down. "You don't be dreamin about bein up on any ladders now. You're s'posed to be dreamin about me."

"You were there. We were buildin the porch back on after the fire." Jack mumbled against Ennis' back.

"That must a been some dream, bud." Ennis chuckled as they dozed off again.

x x x x

The pounding on their door awakened them. In minutes the room was swarming with cops. Jack was being arrested and handcuffed.

"What's goin on? What's happenin?" Jack and Ennis both were questioning the officers.

"You're being arrested for the rape of a seventeen year old girl!" One officer said while another was repeating, "You have the right to remain silent..."

"It's a dream!" Jack was mumbling, still half asleep. "It was all a dream!"

"He didn't rape nobody! He was here with me!" Ennis was insisting to the cops who were completely ignoring him.

"Ennis, Ennis, Alaska! Think about Alaska!" Jack called to him as they were taking him out of the room, and placing him in the back of the police car.

x x x x

"But, Sir... He didn't do it! I swear! He was with me the whole time!" Ennis pleaded with the desk sergeant at the Riverton police station...

ALASKA AGAIN

September 1987

"Ennis – Alaska – Alaska!" Jack thrashed back and forth, arms and legs both going like mad.

Ennis came awake with a start and clicked the light on. He grabbed Jack, "Jack... Jack, wake up!"

"Huh?" Jack stared at him wide eyed. "What? What's wrong?"

"You're dreamin, Bud. I was afraid you was gonna fall out a the bed." Ennis held on to him, and gave him a little shake to make sure he was awake.

"Ohhhh; my head aches," Jack groaned, sat up, and rubbed the back of his head.

"It still hurts?" Ennis reached out and felt Jack's head for the lump. "Is that it? That ain't much of a bump." He teased.

Jack, rolled his shoulders, and stretched his neck from side to side.

"What was you dreamin about, anyway? You kept sayin my name and 'Alaska, Alaska'. What was that all about?"

"I don't know. I can't remember." Jack shrugged. "Just bits and pieces."

"You want some Tylenol?" Ennis asked.

"Nah; I'm fine." Jack sighed and lay back down to instant relief the moment his head rested on his pillow. "So what'd you wake me for?"

"You were kickin, and hollerin, and thrashin around like someone had a hold a you and was tryin to drag you away." Ennis explained.

Jack was silent. He did remember some things – and it scared him. "Ennis?"

"Yeah?"

"Humor me here for a minute. Where are we?"

"Huh? In bed. Where'd you think we were?" Ennis was puzzled by the question.

"I know that." Jack spoke quietly, his dream still a little too real. "I mean – are we in Riverton or Alaska?"

"Alaska!"

"Oh thank God!" Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "For a while there, I was afraid it was all a dream, and we was in that motel room, and the police were comin for me."

"I told you, you shouldn't a eaten that cold spaghetti right before bed time." Ennis grinned and pulled the covers up around Jack. That'll give you nightmares for sure."

"Well, I was hungry, and there wasn't enough left for another meal anyway." Jack defended himself.

"If that headache ain't gone by mornin, I'm takin you into Anchorage to see a doctor. No sense in havin all that insurance if we don't never use it."

"I'm fine. Just need a little rest." Jack snuggled in, pulling Ennis close against him. "I'm just glad we got the porch finished. So what's our next project?"

"How about we do a little fishing? I thought we might try a couple a those places Hennessey told us about." Ennis turned the light off and rested his head against Jack's.

"Mmmm. Sounds good. Everyone loves fish, and we do need to get our freezers filled again." Jack mumbled his answer.

"Okay then. We'll talk with the ladies at breakfast and see if they have anythin we need doin."

"K..."

"Jack? You still awake?"

"Um hmm."

"You glad we come up here? You ain't got no regrets?"

"Only one." Jack yawned.

"What's that?"

"That we didn't think of it twenty years ago."

Ennis pulled him in a little closer. "We're here now, Bud. That's all that matters."

x x x x

"We were wonderin – how would everyone feel about a little fishin trip? We'd only be gone a few days." Ennis brought the subject up at breakfast.

"Daddy! We just moved back in." Jenny reminded him as she fixed the boys their breakfast.

"Are we going for Salmon?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"No. No need to fish for salmon or halibut, Momma; since we can get all a those we want from Henry. We were thinkin a some nice Rainbow trout. Hennessey says the lakes around here are full of 'em."

"Oh, I do love trout." Mrs. Twist said.

"So do I, but we just got settled in." Jenny pleaded.

"I know, darlin; but it's September. We need to get busy and get our freezers filled. Soon enough we'll be off huntin, and there won't be time." Ennis explained to his daughter.

"You're right, Daddy. I was just being selfish. I just love my new room and this house so much, I hate to leave it." She gave him an apologetic smile. "So when do we leave? Today or tomorrow?"

"Whenever everyone can get ready. The sooner the better." Ennis finished off his coffee, waved off the offer of a refill. "How's your head, Jack?"

"It's fine. Headache's gone." Jack smeared a dollop of strawberry jam on the last bit of toast and popped it into his mouth. "There's no way possible I can be ready before right now." He teased as they carried their dishes to the sink.

"What's the matter, darlin?" Ennis asked after getting a look at Rose's sad face.

"Can we take all our stuff, Daddy?" She begged.

"All our clothes and our dolls?" Lilly asked.

"Our books and our games? Our swing set?" Violet added.

"We're only going to be gone a couple a days, girls." Jack offered.

"What if our house burns down again?" Rose teared up.

"Girls, girls." Ennis did his best to hug all three of them at once. "That's not gonna happen. The man on the radio said that those kind a fires happen only every hundred years or so. That means we got a hundred years before we have to worry about such things again."

"Even if it did happen – we'd just build it all back up again." Jack promised as he caressed each little blond head in turn.

"Daaaaady!" Violet couldn't stop the tears.

"Darlin," Ennis sat back down at the table and pulled his youngest into his lap. "I know it's sad when you lose things. Bad things happen some times. But you can't let that make you so unhappy. And Papa's right. A house is just... wood and carpet and furniture, and... stuff. All a that can be replaced if we have to. The important thing – the really important thing here is that we are all alright, and as long as we stick together, we can handle all the other stuff – whatever happens."

All three girls hugged him.

x x x x

The next three years passed like a flash. Jack and Ennis hunted, fished, and tended to their vegetable garden, fruit trees, and berry bushes. Mrs. Twist cooked, cleaned, taught Jenny and the girls how to knit, sew, and play the antique piano they found at an auction. Jenny also cooked and cleaned, home schooled the children; canned fruits and vegetables with Mrs. Twist. Life was good for each and every one of them. The family flourished.

x x x x

September 1990

"Are you all right?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." Ennis stood by the slightly open window and lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply.

"No, you're not." Jack walked over to him.

"You're right. I'm not all right." Ennis continued to stare out into the darkness from their bedroom window.

"Can you tell me what's wrong? Did I do something to make you mad?"

"No." Ennis turned and took Jack into his arms. "You didn't do nothin. It's... it's just me."

"What about you? And why are you smokin? I thought we gave that up?" Jack worried. Ennis hadn't been himself for a full week since they came back from their latest hunting trip. "Can you please talk to me? Are you still upset about what happened on our last huntin trip?"

"Yes; I'm upset! I'm upset, and I'm scared, and I know I gotta do somethin about it; but I don't know what to do!"

"The ladies did exactly what they were supposed to do. They got everyone inside, and no one was hurt." Jack reminded him.

"I know! But what if they were inside or somethin, and the kids were outside alone? We could a lost 'em, Jack! You realize that?" Ennis' face twisted in fear. He was a hair's breath away from tears.

"Lots a things could have happen; but they didn't. And they won't. We'll see to it." Jack promised.

"We can't be sure a that. We gotta be more careful. We can't take the risk!" Ennis snarled. "It's too dangerous. It's just too dangerous!"

"What do you want to do? Do we make the kids stay inside the camper while we're out huntin? Is that what you wanna do?"

"They'd hate that, Jack."

"I know they would. We've been after them for years to play outside more. They need the exercise and they love it now that they've learned how to play Hop Scotch, and jump-rope, and all those other games Jenny taught them."

"I hate this, Jack! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!" Ennis paced across the room and back again.

"What is it you hate?" Jack asked.

"I hate not knowin what I'm supposed to do. I wanna do the right thing for the kids; but I don't know what that is."

"Well, I guess we could hunt separately. One of us go out with the guys at a time, while the other stays in camp to keep an eye on things." Jack suggested.

"No, no. We hunt together or not at all!" Ennis was adamant.

"Is that what you wanna do? Quit huntin?"

"I would in a heartbeat if I thought we could support the family any other way." Ennis let out a sad sigh.

"I thought you loved huntin." Jack was shocked. This was something he never thought he'd hear from Ennis.

"What I loved was you and me gettin off by ourselves, campin out up in the mountains. What we're doin now ain't nothin like that. We used to take an elk, maybe once every couple a years or so. Now all we do is go out with the whole family, and the guys; and kill, kill, kill." Ennis shook his head. "I know we're makin pretty fair money doin it; but I hate it now."

"Is this because the girls were cryin with all that Bambi talk last time we went deer huntin?" Jack asked gently.

"Jesus, Jack." Ennis sat on the side of the bed holding his head. "I feel like I'm goin crazy or somethin."

"No. You're not goin crazy, Cowboy." Jack came over, sat beside him and began rubbing the back of Ennis' neck. "Truth is, it's kinda gettin to me too. I didn't wanna say nothin because I thought it was what you wanted to do."

"It isn't!" Ennis turned to face him. "I've always loved animals. I spent my whole life takin care of animals; now all I do is kill 'em, and cut 'em up, and trade most of 'em off for vegetables and fruit and stuff we could be growin ourselves. I could justify killin an elk once in a while, cause the family needed the meat; but to just keep doin it over and over again, year after year; and not just elk, but bear and moose, and all the others – it don't feel right. I don't wanna do it any more; but there ain't nothin else I can do to support the family. And we're too far out to get a town job. What should I do, Jack? What can I do?"

Jack pulled him into his arms and held him tight. "We should a talked about this a long time ago." He pressed a kiss against Ennis' temple. "I been havin the same feelings, Cowboy. I just didn't wanna say nothin cause I thought it was what you wanted to do."

"Well, it seemed like the thing to do when we first got here; but it don't no more." Ennis leaned heavily against Jack after dumping his half smoked cigarette into a glass of water on the night stand.

"We can always go back to ranchin." Jack suggested.

"We couldn't ranch up here, Bud. Besides; no tellin what the girls would think about that. They might get attached to the calves and get all upset when time came to sell 'em off."

"What about if we didn't do the cow/calf thing; what if we had us a horse ranch?"

"Jack, I doubt there's much call for horses up here." Ennis shook his head sadly.

"There is in Wyoming." Jack said.

Ennis looked up and stared into Jack's eyes. "Wyomin? You talkin about movin back to Wyomin?"

"Why not? It's been six years. We got nothin to worry about any more. And we already got us a ranch. We wouldn't have to worry none about any bank payment. It's free and clear. Sure, it's older than the hills, but it's three hundred, sixty acres a good ground. It's already fenced. We got our own water well. There's a big old house on it. Plenty a room for everyone. It'll need lots a work, but we both enjoy that kind a thing. There's no school in Lightnin Flat, but there is one in Rocky Point, and that's only a thirty minute drive."

"You serious?"

"I am. We got a big old barn. It'll need lots a work, but we could do that easy enough. We even got a tractor. It's all just sittin there waitin for someone who's interested in ranchin to take it over."

"But, Jack... We can't just pack up and move the family all that way. What if they don't wanna go?"

"I don't think a one of 'em would object. I know Momma worries herself sick every time we go off huntin. Jenny probably does too. Even more now since those bears came into camp while we were off huntin and scared everybody half to death. I'll bet Momma'd love to move back to where all her friends are. And it would be good for Jenny too. She'd be close enough to visit with her momma and Junior now and then. And if they spent some time with her, saw how happy she is, they'd understand her more; maybe even come to love those boys as much as we do."

"And the girls? You really think they'd be okay with livin on a ranch?"

"I think they'd love it. We'd could get 'em some cats and dogs. If they had some pets to love on, they wouldn't be so likely to get attached to the foals; and we wouldn't be sellin them off for meat – we'd be sellin 'em off for people to ride. We could even teach the girls to ride. I'll bet they'd love that." Jack grinned.

"It'd take a bundle a money to get somethin like that goin, Bud. I know we got a nice little savings account now, but just the cost of a good stallion alone could take that much. Or were you figurin we'd find work around there somewhere?"

"First of all, the money thing. I didn't mention it before, cause we didn't need it; but when my daddy passed, he had an insurance policy. Fifty thousand went to Momma, and fifty to me. Momma gave me the check when she first got here. I stuck it in our account. So we got quite a bit more in there than you know about."

Ennis stared at him open mouthed.

"And second, we'd be within about an hours dive a three different towns where wecould hunt for work if it becomes necessary. We'd stand a lot better chance a findin work there in Wyomin, than we will here."

"Well... that'd help, all right. And I guess we wouldn't need a stallion right off; but if the house needs a lot a work; it still might not be enough."

"I know for a fact that Momma hasn't spent much of what she got; and remember, she also sold the herd so she's got a nice sized nest egg. And I know she'd wanna pay for whatever we did on the house. We could do this, Ennis."

"Jack, I don't know." He stood up and paced again. "I just don't know what to do."

"Keep in mind, that Jenny isn't gonna wanna home school the girls forever. Sooner or later she's gonna meet someone, and we're gonna lose her. She's always wanted to teach, and she'll be wantin to take a job at some school. What are we gonna do if that happens while we're livin here? We'll have to move into town and hope and pray we can find work there. You wanna live in a town the size of Anchorage?"

"No!"

"Me neither. We got two weeks before the next huntin trip. I think we should decide before then." Jack suggested.

"What do we do about our place? Just abandon it?" Ennis asked.

"We can put it up for sale. It's all ours now. If it sells, great. Extra money we could put into our ranch. If it doesn't; it would be a place we could come back to if we every wanted to; or somethin we could leave to the kids. They might want to come back."

"This is a bad time a year to be plannin a trip." Ennis looked out the window at the rain that was now coming down.

"We could make it before first snow if we left within the next week or two."

"Is this what you wanna do? You homesick for Wyomin?" Ennis turned to face Jack again.

"I wanna do what's best for our family. I got the same feelins you have about huntin. It was fun at first, but the more we do it, the more I come to realize just how dangerous it is. Not just for us, but for the family as well. It's not safe to leave 'em home, and now we're gonna be afraid to take 'em with us." Jack reasoned. "We go to Lightnin Flat, we got us a place just waitin for someone to do somethin with it. We'll have the fall and winter to decide what we want to do in the way of remodelin. We can check around and see what the market's like in the area for horses. And come spring, we can put us in a big vegetable garden, fruit trees; all the stuff a family needs."

"It took us four days to drive up here. It'd take twice that long drivin back." Ennis warned.

"So? What if it takes twice as long? It'd still be puttin us in a better situation than we're in right now with the way the both of us are feelin about huntin."

"I thought you loved it here?" Ennis asked as he came back over and sat on the bed beside Jack again.

"What I love is being with you. I don't care where we live." Jack grabbed both of Ennis' hands. "Just bein with you is all I ever wanted. I don't care what we have to do to make that happen. If you wanna stay here and keep on huntin; then that's what we'll do. But I don't see there's any other way the two a us can make a livin up here if we don't hunt."

"I don't neither." Ennis said. "Okay. I think we should talk to the family about it in the mornin."

"All right. Good idea. Now how about the two of us getting some sleep."

"Good idea." Ennis agreed and climbed into bed beside Jack. "I'm glad we talked."

"Me too." Jack spooned up behind Ennis. "Sleep now; and dream about you and me runnin a horse ranch."

CHAPTER TWO

"Daddy, are you serious?" Jenny stared, wide eyed at her dad.

"Oh, my! Oh my!" Mrs. Twist gasped, holding a napkin to her mouth.

"Where's Lightnin Flat?" Rose asked.

"Is there lots of lightening there?" Lily asked.

"Is it far away?" Violet asked.

"When we first moved up here; it was like we died and went to heaven." Ennis explained. "This seemed like the perfect place. But Jack and me come to realize that the more huntin we do, the more dangerous it is. After what happened last week, we won't never feel comfortable takin the family huntin again; and there's no way we could leave you here alone while we went. We're just too far out a town; we got no phone, and no way to call anyone if we did have an emergency."

"If we decide to do this, we'll need to get started immediately before the weather turns. We got a couple a weeks before the weather gets too bad. We'll need to be out a here before that." Jack added. "And, girls; there's no more lightenin there than there is here. Why they named it that, I don't know. It's a real small town, but we'd be livin on a ranch where we'd have horses, dogs, cats; and we'd be close enough to a town for you to go to school."

"How would you feel about livin back in Wyomin?" Ennis asked Jenny. "You think you might like livin close to your Momma and Junior again?"

"Oh Daddy." Jenny shook her head, stunned. "I don't know. I never gave it any thought."

"You'd be close enough to visit whenever you wanted; and far enough away to have nothin to do with 'em if that's what you wanted. What do you think?" Ennis added.

"We'd be within about fifty miles a three different towns, Jenny; and you could probably find a job teachin in one of 'em if that's what you still want to do." Jack explained. "And there's Rocky Point. It's a little town, about thirty miles east, and they've got a school there. You might could even get on there."

"It's what I've always wanted to do." She looked at her boys lovingly. "Maybe if Momma and Junior met them... they might feel differently."

"That's what we were thinkin, darlin." Ennis agreed.

"What about you, Momma?" Jack asked. "How would you feel about movin back to the ranch? We got us some money now, we could fix the house up real nice, build the porch back on for you. You'd be able to visit with your friends again."

"Oh my goodness!" She dabbed at her eyes. "I'll go along with what everyone else wants. I don't care where we live, Lightnin Flat or here."

"There's a house there?" Rose asked. "Or would we be livin in the campers?"

"There's a great big old house, honey. It's real old and it'll need a lot a fixin up; but we could fix your room up real nice any way you want it." Jack assured her. "You can pick out what color you want it painted, new carpet and everythin."

"Can we still have pink carpet?" Lily asked.

"And our bunk beds?" Violet asked. "Can we take them?"

"We'll have to make some decisions about what we'll be able to take. We've got that nice big trailer. We'll take whatever we can manage to fit in." Jack assured her.

"They have auctions in Sheridan." Mrs. Twist offered. "We could always pick up some new furniture there."

"Could we go and look at it and if we don't like it, could we come back here?" Violet asked.

"Honey, it's gonna take a long, long time to drive there – several days – eight or ten days, maybe more." Ennis said.

"As long as it took to drive to California?" Lily asked.

"It's not that far, Darlin." Ennis said. "But almost."

"Well, now that we've dropped that little bomb shell, I think we should take one full day to think about it. Think it over carefully and if you have any questions; just ask. Tomorrow mornin at breakfast we'll make our final decision." Jack said. "We'll be out pickin the last of the apples if you need us for anythin."

x x x x

"What do you think, Jenny?" Mrs. Twist asked after Ennis and Jack left.

"Oh, I don't know." Jenny said as she washed the boys faces and hands. "This is such a complete shock. I didn't think Daddy would ever leave here. They've put so much work into the place."

"I know." Mrs. Twist agreed. "I think those bears comin into the campsite while they were gone really scared them both."

"I think you're right about that." Jenny agreed. "It scared the dickens out of me too."

"Me too." Mrs. Twist admitted. "Well, we were going to freeze the last of the apples; but I think we'd better plan on cannin them. That way we'll be able to take them with us if we end up leavin."

"You think they've already decided to leave?" Jenny asked.

"I think it's what they want. But how do you feel about it, dear?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm still a little bit in shock. I figured we'd spend the rest of our lives right here in Alaska. And that was fine with me." Jenny said as they started washing the breakfast dishes. "But... it would be nice to be able to see Junior again. And Momma too. I'm sure if they just got to know the boys... Maybe that's just wishful thinking."

"There's nothin wrong with wishin, Jenny. I wished for years and years and years that I'd be with Jackie again. And here I am; living with him and his beautiful family."

"I love home schoolin the kids, I really do. But I've always dreamed of teaching in a classroom full of children. I'll never be able to do that here, living as far from town as we are."

"You'd be able to do that in Wyomin." Mrs. Twist smiled as she wiped the dishes Jenny handed her.

"You want to go; don't you?" Jenny asked.

"I want to be with my son. It matters not one whit to me if it's here in Alaska, Lightnin Flat, or on the moon. As long as I get to spend some time with him. He left home so young. He was only fifteen. My heart broke into a million pieces that day. I thought it'd never beat right again. But then Jackie called me and asked me to come live with him. I've been like a new woman every since. He's everything to me, Jenny. Being a mommy yourself, I'm sure you understand."

"I do. And I'm so glad that things turned out so the two of you could be together again."

"You're just not too sure about returning to Wyoming; are you?" Mrs. Twist asked.

"I know it's foolish of me, and I'm old enough that I shouldn't feel this way; but I love this family, and I want to be part of it. I just worry that if we go back... everythin will go back to the way it was before. Momma and Junior pullin me in all directions. I love them, but I'm not all that anxious to be livin close enough for them to be visitin me and stickin their noses into my life and tellin me how I should live it." Jenny finished the last cereal bowl, let the water out of the sink and wiped her hands. "And Daddy's been so happy here. If we go back, Momma could mess all that up with her naggin, and nasty insinuations. She can be very cruel at times."

"Well, I can see where it is a dilemma for you. I just hope you take everythin into consideration when making your decision. If you want to know anythin about Lightnin Flat, or the ranch, I'll be happy to answer any questions you have." Mrs. Twist hung up the dish towel, and headed upstairs to bring down the canning jars stored there.

x x x x

"What do you think they are goin to decide?" Jack asked as they loaded the bags of apples into the pickup.

"Your momma is gonna be happy where ever you are. It won't matter none to her. The girls are just a little scared right now thinkin about leavin the only home they've ever known. Soon as they see there's another place for 'em to live, and that we'll all still be together, they'll settle in all right. It's Jenny I'm worried about. I think she likes it here because she feels protected. She likes being all this distance away from her momma, that bastard she almost married, and any a her old friends that know what happened. I imagine it will be pretty difficult for her goin back home."

"But Lightnin Flat is way the hell away from Riverton or Cheyenne. She'll probably never run into any of them." Jack said. "And as long as she stays with us, she'll probably still feel like she and the boys are protected; don't you think?"

"I don't know, Bud. I sure hope so."

"You think we're goin then?" Jack asked, afraid to hope.

"How do you feel about it? You really wanna go back to live there where you were so unhappy as a kid?" Ennis asked as they drove back to the house.

"It's always been a dream a mine. To go back and fix the place up for Momma. And to move there for good with you by my side. I already got half a that dream. I never figured I'd get the rest of it." Jack grinned.

"And you don't figure any a them neighbors a yours will bother us none?"

"Nah. They've known us forever. They won't be givin us no trouble."

"I didn't believe you when you told me that before, Bud; but we lived here six years now, and we ain't had none a that kind a trouble at all, so I guess I believe you."

x x x x

"We'll only be able to take what we can fit in our trailer." Ennis answered the millionth question.

"I was thinkin, Daddy. The boys really want to take their beds, and I'd like to take mine too." Jenny said. "If I sleep on the couch in my camper, I'd have the bunk area free. I'm sure once we take the beds apart, they'd fit up there."

"You sure you wanna do that, darlin? Remember, it'll be at least eight or ten days on the road." Ennis warned.

"Positive. That couch is really comfortable, and it'd be worth it to have our own beds once we get there."

"I think that's a grand idea." Mrs. Twist agreed. "The girls really want to take their bunk beds too. If they sleep on the table in my camper, we can fit their beds in our bunk."

"Oh yes! Daddy – Papa – please! Can we take our beds?" Rose pleaded.

"Oh please, please!" Lilly and Violet both begged.

"We could all do that. "Jack suggested. "Then we'd all have our own comfortable beds when we get there, and it will save us the time and expense of having to go out and buy all new beds right off."

"Well..." Ennis thought about it a minute. "It'd probably all fit. And it'd be real nice to have those beds for when we got there."

"YAY!" All five kids jumped up and down.

"Don't get too excited yet. We'd best measure everythin first to see if they all fit." Ennis warned, but was happy to see the family a little more excited about the trip.

"Daddy, I don't see why I couldn't pull a trailer. I pulled one once before down in Cheyenne when I helped my friend Carol move. That way, we could take a lot more." Jenny suggested.

"I could too, you know." Mrs. Twist added. "I drove to market that one year when Mr. Twist was ill. I pulled that stock trailer and didn't have a bit of trouble."

"It's a long, long trip, ladies." Jack reminded them.

"I don't care." Jenny was adamant. "It'd be worth it to be able to take our furniture."

"I agree." Mrs. Twist added. "It's true we've got a big house, but there isn't a stick a furniture in it that's less than fifty years old, and none of it was bought new. It would be worth a little inconvenience if we could manage to take our kitchen cabinets and appliances, along with our beds."

"I figured we'd re-do your kitchen first chance we got." Jack said.

"Why go to all that additional expense when we already got the kitchen of my dreams?"

"I don't know, ladies." Ennis was skeptical.

"I think it's the perfect idea." Jenny enthused. "We wouldn't have to get a sixteen footer like yours, Daddy. What if we just rented a couple of those smaller ones; maybe ten or twelve feet?"

"If we did that, then we could take just about everything." Mrs. Twist suggested.

"It'd probably cost a bundle to rent trailers for that long a trip." Ennis tried to discourage the idea.

"It wouldn't cost near as much as it would to replace everythin." Jenny reminded him.

"Mmmmm." Ennis muttered.

"And can we take our swing set?" Rose asked.

"Oh yes! Wehave to take our swing set!" Lily tugged at Ennis' arm.

"We're not gonna leave our swing set; are we, Papa?" Violet leaned her head against Jack's shoulder and pouted.

Jack and Ennis looked at each other with a sigh.

"I suppose if one of 'em got tired, one of us could drive for 'em." Jack offered.

"If we could take all our stuff, furniture and all – the move would be a whole lot easier on everyone." Jenny coaxed.

"We're gonna be takin it real easy; keepin it to right at three-hundred miles a day." Jack said. "And we can always go slower if we need to."

"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt to check and see if we could rent a couple smaller trailers." Ennis conceded with a sigh. He'd lost this battle and he knew it.

x x x x

"Oh Daddy, it fits! It all fits!" Jenny cried as she looked over the diagram Ennis had been working on.

"On paper it does. Let's just hope it works when we start loadin." Ennis grinned.

"I don't see where you've made room for any boxes." Mrs. Twist commented. "I suppose we could make room for them in our campers."

"No, Momma. That's the beauty of this arrangement. As we load each wardrobe, we'll fill 'em with boxes. That's why we wanted all the boxes to be small. They'll also fit in the kitchen cabinets and the freezers. It's all gonna fit."

"Oh, I hadn't thought a that. What a clever idea." She beamed at her son.

"We wanna plan on at least two weeks of food in the campers. Any extra goes in the trailers." Ennis said. "The same with clothes. Pack for two weeks; the rest goes into the trailers."

"Oh boy, oh boy, or boy!" The girls scampered around.

The boys joined them, yelling and clapping their hands too. Not too sure exactly what was happening, but enjoying the excitement just as well.

"You really think we can pull this move off?" Jack asked later when they were getting ready for bed.

"We're going to." Ennis assured him as he took one last look at his notebook and the layout for each trailer. "Tomorrow morning we head on into town and pick up our two U-haul trailers. Then the fun begins."

"You think it's all gonna fit?" Jack asked, not quite as sure about things as Ennis was.

"Oh it's gonna fit – one way or another. Otherwise we'll have to leave some stuff, and I ain't gonna break no hearts tellin 'em we can't take their things."

'Okay then. We think positive. It's all gonna fit. We won't consider nothin else." Jack grinned as they climbed into bed.

"You all packed?" Ennis asked as he spooned up behind Jack.

"Yep. Got all our campin gear stashed while you were loadin the tools."

"We'll sure be goin back with a lot more stuff than we come up here with." Ennis snuggled in.

"Uh huh." Jack agreed. "And we won't have to worry none about flyin or ferry boatin into Juneau on this trip."

"Now that's a big plus right there." Ennis agreed.

"You think our ladies are all ready?" Jack asked.

"They should be. They must a made a hundred trips each – in and out a their campers today."

"I ain't gonna lie to you, Cowboy. I'm really gonna miss this place."

"I don't know how. We're takin most of it with us." Ennis gave a little chuckle and placed a sweet kiss against Jack's shoulder.

"Yeah." Jack gave a little huff. "That's the best part – our family."

x x x x

It took them a full day to load, and everything fit in exactly the way Ennis planned it. They finished at dusk, and ate dinner in Jenny's camper before turning in early. One last walk through of the house in the morning to make sure nothing got left behind, while Jenny took a ton of photos inside and out, and they were off.

Their first stop was Beaver Creek, right on the border between Alaska and Canada. Three hundred and seven miles, and the temperature was right at freezing. In mid September this far north, that was not unusual. Fortunately, all the heaters in their campers worked perfectly, and they were quite comfortable with their flannel pajamas and quilts.

It was frosty the next morning when they headed out for White Horse, two hundred, seventy-seven miles away. They arrived at their campgrounds mid afternoon with temperatures in the high thirties. By the time it got any colder, they had spent some time at the play ground, taken showers at the campgrounds comfort stations, and had a good meal before bedtime.

The third day took them two-hundred, eighty-three miles to Watson Lake; again arriving mid afternoon. They took a walk around the lake, visited the small store and bought t-shirts that said 'Watson Lake' across the front, and made an early evening of it.

Day four, and another three-hundred twenty-six miles were behind them when they stopped at Fort Nelson. It was cold and windy, but not freezing. Their daily walk to stretch their legs was cut short and they had to make a dash back to their campers for dinner, just as the rain started.

On the fifth day, another three-hundred and five miles, and they were in Fort St. John. The temperature was a good fifteen or twenty degrees warmer, and they spent more time wandering around the campgrounds, checking out all the historical sites, and playing on the swings and slides. A quick shower, dinner, and early to bed.

It was only two-hundred ninety-eight miles to their next stop at White Court on their sixth day. This was their smallest campgrounds they had scheduled, but it was a real gem. The prices for everything were much lower, the campsites much larger, and the temperature was much closer to what a Wyoming September would be. They spent a long time playing outside with the kids, before digging into a great dinner prepared, as usual, in Jenny's camper which was the largest of the three. They were stunned when they realized their trip was more than half over.

Day seven took them two-hundred seventy-one miles into Calgary, arriving early afternoon. The place was huge and crowded compared to the campgrounds where they had been staying, and the prices were sky high again. It didn't bother them though. They had everything they needed; a safe place to stay, which provided them with a place to shower, empty their holding tanks, and refill with gas as well as propane. This campgrounds had an outdoor theater, where people sat around on their lawn chairs, and watched a Disney movie. The boys fell asleep, one each in Ennis and Jack's laps, but the girls enjoyed the movie tremendously, and sat spell-bound to the very end.

On the eighth day, three-hundred twenty-one miles took them into Great Falls, Montana. They celebrated being back in the 'lower forty-eight' once again, and ate dinner at the small hot dog stand there in the campgrounds.

"I just can't believe we're almost there." Jenny was excited as she wiped the boys faces after dinner.

"I know." Jack said as he finished off his third hot dog. "The trip hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be."

"We been lucky, alright." Ennis agreed as he tossed his napkin into the trash can. "We shouldn't be doin much celebratin yet though. We still got a couple a days to go."

"We do for a fact, Cowboy; but the next two days are gonna be short ones." Jack grinned.

"I don't know why we don't just drive the rest of the way tomorrow, Daddy." Jenny suggested as they headed back to their campers. "It'd only be about three-hundred fifty miles, you said. We could make that in one day."

"We could, but that would put us into Lightnin Flat at just about dark. It's best we stick to what we planned, and spend the night in Billings. Then it will be just a short hop into Sheridan where we can stop for a while, get some groceries, and do our bankin. That way we'll hit the ranch about mid mornin.

"That is a much better time to be arrivin." Mrs. Twist said. "I called the electric company and phone company yesterday. Let's just hope they got them turned back on for us."

"It won't matter, Momma." Jack assured her. "We been without electricity for years now. We can cope. We packed those battery lights right where we can get to 'em easy. We can always use them if we need to."

"And we won't buy too much stuff that needs refrigeratin." Ennis said. "Only what we can keep in our camper refrigerators. Just in case they didn't get the power on yet."

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Jenny gushed. "I can't believe we're almost there!"

"Now remember, darlin; it's just a big ole run-down farm house." Mrs. Twist warned.

"We're gonna fix it up though. It'll be real nice once we get to workin on it." Jack promised.

The trip from Great Falls to Billings the next morning, day nine of their trip, was only two-hundred twenty-two miles, and they arrived in time for lunch. They were all edgy and excited to be so close, and debated once again whether or not to drive on in. In the end, they decided to stick with their original plans.

This was the only night they had trouble sleeping. Their long trek from Alaska was almost over, and a new adventure awaited them. The four adults were all aware of the significance of the move, and barely slept. The five children slept blissfully as usual.

Day ten finally arrived and they were up before dawn. They made the short one-hundred twenty-nine mile hop to Sheridan in a little over two hours. It was warm for late September, and they were filled with anticipation as they drove around town doing their business, thrilled to be back on familiar ground once again.

The fifty-seven mile drive out to the ranch seemed to drag on and on, with everyone asking the same question over and over. "Are we almost there?"

Finally, finally they arrived. Two-thousand, seven-hundred, ninety-six miles behind them!

CHAPTER THREE

Jack climbed back in behind the wheel after unlocking the gate. "We made it, Cowboy."

"We sure enough did." Ennis agreed with a sigh of relief.

"The drive wasn't near as bad as I thought it was gonna be." Jack confided as he led the way up to the house.

"Yep. I never, for a minute, thought the ladies would be able to make the full drive." Ennis rubbed his hands on his thighs nervously. "I figured for sure one a us would have to drive for 'em and we'd end up makin the long drive alone."

"We don't never have to be alone again." Jack reached over and squeezed Ennis' arm. "We're home now."

x x x x

It was mid morning when they all climbed out of their campers and stood in silence for several minutes staring at the old house sitting there cold and dark in the dreary surroundings. Even Jack and Mrs. Twist seemed momentarily stunned by the shabby house they'd brought their family to.

Ennis found his voice first. He put one hand on Jack's shoulder, the other on Mrs. Twist's. "Looks like we got us a paint job ahead a us."

"Uh... yeah." Jack came around a little, while Mrs. Twist busied herself rummaging through her purse for the keys.

"Come spring, we'll get some grass in here, get us a porch built on, and we'll be comfortable as can be." Ennis spoke to the children who all stared in silence at the old house.

Once through the door, they found the inside as bad as the outside as they took a short look around.

"I've been promising Momma every since I can remember that one day I'd fix her house up real nice for her like it was when she was a girl. I'm finally goin to be able to fulfill that promise." Jack announced as everyone gathered in the front room. "I'm gonna need a lot a help though."

"We'll help, Papa!" Rosie hugged him as she struggled to hide her disappointment at the dingy house they'd been brought to.

"It's going to be fun fixin this place up." Jenny said and gave both Ennis and Jack a hug. "I can hardly wait to get paintin, and pickin out curtains, and carpet. And we'll have electricity! What fun it's going to be!"

"Which room is ours?" Lily stepped closer to Ennis and took his hand as she looked around.

"We want this room to be ours!" The four-year old twins chorused as they checked out the fireplace. "Does this thing work?"

Jack laughed. "Yes, the fireplace works, and no, this can't be your room. This is the front room, and it's for sittin. You'll find a whole bunch a rooms upstairs."

"Can we go upstairs?" Rose asked.

"You can go anywhere you want to, darlin." Mrs. Twist said as she caressed the child's cheek. "This is your home now. Go on, find yourselves a room, and we'll get to cleanin it out for you."

"Oh boy!" Rosie exclaimed as she headed for the stairs with Jenny and the rest of the kids trailing along behind.

"Let's see if we've got any light." Mrs. Twist said and reached for the light switch. The small wattage bulb in the ceiling fixture came on, and she sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness."

"It's gonna be all right, Momma." Jack gave his mom a hug. "You'll see. We'll settle in here in no time."

"All those rooms up stairs have furniture in them. We're gonna have to find a place to put it all so our new stuff will fit in." She told her son.

"We got plenty a room, Momma. There's a couple a store rooms up there, and we always got the attic and the cellar."

"Think I'll go on up and scout around a bit." Ennis said and headed for the stairs.

"I'll be right up." Jack hesitated, wanting a few moments alone with his mom. "You okay, Momma?"

"What? Oh... yes; of course." She answered as she wandered around the room aimlessly. "I was just thinkin. I guess I'm a little flummoxed. I never expected to see this place again. I didn't remember it being this dingy."

"We're gonna fix it up real nice, Momma. It'll be just as nice as the home we just left. Better even. It'll be just like it was when you were a girl. I always promised you I'd come back and do that for you; and now we're finally here."

"I know, Son; I know." She gave him a hug. "I'm just a little bit overwhelmed by it all."

"This is going to be the perfect place for us, Momma. We'll be able to put in a much bigger garden than we had in Alaska. And we'll get some fruit trees – all that will grow in our area – and when we get done with this house, you won't even recognize it."

"We'd best get on upstairs," she grinned at her son. "If I know those boys, they'll be wantin the attic for their room."

Jack chuckled as they headed up. "Now that ain't gonna happen. Me and Ennis already talked, and we're gonna build us in a couple a rooms up there for us. Maybe a bathroom too."

"Oh that sounds wonderful." She said as they entered the upstairs hall to find kids going in and out of every room.

There were six rooms upstairs. Two large rooms, side by side at either end of the hall, and two smaller rooms in the middle, across from each other – one made into a bathroom, the other used for storage. One bedroom had a large part of it sectioned off for more storage, leaving the small bedroom that had been Jack's as a child.

"All these rooms have furniture in 'em." Rose announced.

"I know, darlin; I know." Jack consoled her and the others. "We got a few rooms up here that we can use for storage. We'll take all this furniture apart and store it. We'll have plenty a room."

"First thing we need to do is open up some a these windows." Mrs. Twist said as Ennis came down the stairs from the attic.

"This room here," Jack opened the door to a small room in the center of the hallway. "It's always been used as a store room. So Daddy and I'll get busy and move stuff around to make more room. There's also another small store room next to what used to be my bedroom when I was growing up. Boys, I thought that would be a nice room for you. It's the smallest room right now, but later on, we can take that wall out, and make it one big bedroom. And the room right next to it is nice sized, and I think it will be great for you, Jenny."

"Oh good. I do want to be close to the boys." Jenny entered the rooms to check them out.

"Can we have this room?" Rose asked for a room at the other end of the hall.

"That's the one we had in mind for your girls." Jack said as he followed them in. Back out in the hall once again, he added, "And the room right next to yours, will be Daddy's and mine until we get our rooms built in the attic."

Ennis entered the room and opened the windows.

"And this here is a nice big bathroom." Mrs. Twist went in and opened the window.

"Where's Grandma's room gonna be?" Violet asked, worried that a room hadn't been mentioned for her.

"Darlin, my room is downstairs. I'm too old to be climbin up and down these old stairs all the time."

"I wanna room downstairs then, next to Grandma." Violet announced, taking Mrs. Twist hand.

"There's only one bedroom downstairs, sweetheart; and it's Grandma's." Jack took Violet's hand.

"But she'll be all alone!" Violet protested.

"Sweetie, that room downstairs has been my room since I was a girl about your age. I'll be just fine down there." Mrs. Twist assured her.

"Okay then." Jack clapped his hands together. "I know you probably won't be able to take any of the furniture in your rooms apart, but why don't you go in and see if there's anythin you can bring out a there. Bring it here to this store room and we'll stash it. Soon as we get this room squared away, we'll come take the furniture apart and move it out for you."

"Come on girls." Mrs. Twist said and led them off to their room.

Jenny and the boys hustled into their rooms and got to work, while Ennis took off downstairs for his tool box from the camper, and Jack got to work moving things around in the store room.

The main obstruction taking up most of the room was an old bed that was still set up. Once he took it apart, that made lots of room. They emptied the girls room first, then Jenny's and the boys, and theirs last of all. Both store rooms on that floor were now packed solid, but the bed rooms were finally emptied.

"I think it's time we had some lunch before we get to cleanin." Mrs. Twist announced. All were more than ready to rest for a spell and trooped downstairs, and out to Jenny's camper.

"Will we be able to move in tonight?" Rose asked. "I really like our room now that it's empty."

"Honey, it'll be tomorrow before we can move in. We still got lots a cleanin to do, and we'll need to do some work on the kitchen too." Jack answered.

"The only thing I wanna do in that kitchen is take a blow-torch to it." Mrs. Twist said as she and Jenny placed lunch before them.

"You really don't like that kitchen; do you?" Jenny giggled.

"I hate it." Mrs. Twist said as she and Jenny took their seats at the card table placed next to the dinette.

"What can we do to make it better for you, Momma?" Jack asked as he sipped his coffee.

"I want all those cabinets torn out, and the cabinets we brought from Alaska put in. I hate that sink too. It hasn't worked right in years."

"Why do you hate the cabinets?" Ennis asked. "Looks like you got a lot a storage there."

"The only shelf I can reach it the bottom shelf. I can't reach the others unless I drag a chair in there to stand on. All those upper shelves are just wasted space. That's why I love those Hoosier cabinets so much. I can reach every single shelf and drawer."

"And the sink?" Ennis asked. "What's wrong with it?"

"It leaks. I have to keep a pan underneath and keep rememberin to empty it, or I'll have a mess to clean up. It's just awful. The whole kitchen is dreadful." She shook her head in disgust.

"We'll get it fixed up for you, Momma." Jack promised. "It might take some time, but we'll get it done. I just wish now that we hadn't sold your stove."

"Nonsense." She scoffed. "That smelly old thing. I was glad to see the last of it. I'd much rather be cookin on our wood stove, or our nice propane stove."

"We can always keep cookin out here in the camper until we get the kitchen done." Jenny offered.

"Okay. I guess we don't have to worry none about the kitchen right away then." Jack grinned. "So this afternoon we clean, and tomorrow mornin we move in."

"If we get the place all cleaned up this afternoon, why can't we move in today?" Rose asked.

"Remember, Rosie. It took us all day to load. It's gonna take a long time to unload too." Ennis patted her hand across the table.

"Oh that's right." She said. "I guess we can wait for tomorrow then."

"When was the last time you had the fireplace cleaned out?" Ennis asked.

"Oh dear;" Mrs. Twist tapped her chin with a finger as she thought about it. "I don't rightly remember."

"We best get after that soon if we're gonna be usin it." Ennis suggested.

"When did you say the folks from Sheridan Heating will be comin out, Momma? It'll be nice to have a new unit that puts out some heat, and new radiators that actually work." Jack said. "What about the propane tank?"

"They both said it'd be at least a week, and that they'll call us when they get it scheduled." Mrs. Twist answered.

"Is the phone working?" Jack asked.

"Yes, it is." Mrs. Twist answered. "I tried it earlier and we've got a dial tone."

"That's good." Jack said. And minutes later when they were outside he asked, "So where do we start?"

"We need to unload the U-Hauls first. That way we can get them turned in sooner." Ennis said.

x x x x

The next morning after breakfast they moved the two campers with the U-hauls backing them up to the front door as close as they could get. A moments fiddling with their keys, and they had the padlocks removed, the doors pushed up, and the ramps pulled out.

The pulled the dining room table and chairs out first, making a pile of furniture pads as they unwrapped them – everyone eager and ready to help. A few minutes to connect the table legs and it was sitting in the dining room with everyone fussing over it; happy that it had made the trip without any damage. Ennis and Jack left them to bring in the next item.

"I think we should bring in the sofa next, and then the bath tub that's under it." Ennis suggested. "Might as well get the worst done first."

"Okay. Where do you wanna put the tub? Out in the barn?" Jack asked.

"Nah." Ennis shook his head. "We got plenty a room in the attic. Let's just haul it on up there and get it over with before we get too tired. That way, once we get our bathroom built, we won't have to mess with haulin it any distance."

"That's a good idea. And we got the appliance dolly. If we tip the tub up on end, I'll bet we could strap it on secure enough." Jack suggested.

"Might work." Ennis said. "It weighs about the same as those freezers."

The rest of the family came out then and started working on items in the other trailer – the pieces of the bunk bed set, and the three small mattresses for it. By the time they got those unloaded and carried up stairs, the loud THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, of the dolly going up the steps had ended, and Ennis and Jack were coming back outside for more – thrilled that the heaviest item to go up stairs had made it all right.

They had worked their way back to the freezers, and the family was busy unloading the boxes stored in them. The freezers were easy enough to handle. Once they had them strapped to the dolly, it was just a matter of pushing them inside, and down the cellar steps.

"Ohhhh, I don't like it down here." Rose said.

"It's dark." Lily added.

It's scary." Violet put her two cents in as the three girls huddled together at the foot of the stairs.

"Don't worry, girls." Jack promised. "We'll get some brighter bulbs put in, and maybe even another light fixture."

"We'll get it all fixed up, girls; so there won't be no place that's dark and scary in the whole house." Ennis promised.

By the time their fourth freezer had been hauled down, they were ready for a break. Mrs. Twist called to them from Jenny's camper, and they went in for a rest with some coffee and cookies.

"We're doin real good, time wise." Jack said. "The U-hauls are more than half empty."

"Yep." Ennis agreed. "We should be finished unloadin 'em about lunch time, or shortly after. Soon as they're empty, I think we ought to take 'em to Sheridan and turn 'em in."

"We got 'em reserved for two weeks. What's the hurry?" Jack asked.

"We turn 'em in two days early, we'll get a refund for those last two days." Ennis said. "And it'll give us a chance to rest up before we have to wrestle with that stove and those kitchen cabinets that are in the big trailer."

"Yeah, I was thinkin about that. Maybe we should just leave those in the trailer until we get the old kitchen cabinets tore out." Jack suggested.

"Hmmm. I like that idea. That way we'd be able to take 'em right into the kitchen and not have to worry about findin a place to put 'em till we're ready for 'em." Ennis nodded. "Okay. Let's get at it. We're burnin daylight here."

"I can carry some of the smaller stuff easy enough, but just about everythin that's left is too heavy for me." Jenny said.

"It's all right, darlin." Ennis hugged her as they headed for the trailer. "Jack and me can handle the rest."

"I could help you, Jenny." Mrs. Twist offered. "Maybe if you took one end and I took the other..."

"No, Momma." Jack stopped her. "You've done enough. If you wanna do more, why don't you fold these furniture pads for us."

"I can do that." She said; happy to have something easy she could do to help.

"Don't you try and carry nothin too heavy, Jenny." Ennis told her as they climbed back into the trailer.

"I won't." She answered.

"All right. You just take it easy now. Jack and me can handle the rest a this."

Jenny's mattress and box springs went in next, then the boys chests. The last item in Jenny's trailer was her eight foot wardrobe. It was in four, two-foot sections. Big and bulky, but once they were emptied of boxes, they were easy enough to handle. The first trailer was now empty, and they started on the second.

Mrs. Twist's bed and matresses came next, and then the girls wardrobe. It was nine-foot wide and came in three, three-foot sections. The boxes removed, they hauled it up to the girls room who were dancing around them with delight at seeing their furniture in their room. One more to go. Mrs. Twist's seven-foot wardrobe. Three pieces: one, three foot wide; the other two pieces, two foot wide each. Again the boxes were removed, and the wardrobe carried to her room.

They took a well deserved rest then, and waited for their lunch. Mrs. Twist and Jenny had worked up some noodles, covered with vegetables, chicken, and broth. It was delicious and they wolfed it down.

Another bit of a rest afterwards as Jenny and Mrs. Twist cleaned up, and they were on the road back to Sheridan. Jack drove Mrs. Twist truck with the girls in the back seat, and Ennis drove Jenny's with the boys in their back seat.

"I still can't believe how easily the trip went." Jenny was chatting away as they drove. "I mean, not a bit of car trouble, not a flat tire, nothing went wrong!"

"Well... we didn't have much time to prepare for the trip, but we did take the time to plan it out carefully." Ennis said. "That's why I wanted to put new tires on all the trucks, and kept it to around three hundred miles a day. If you don't push things too hard, they usually work out okay."

"And you knew there was a campground at every stop we made?" Jenny asked.

"I did. I spent a couple hours over at Hennessey's usin his phone. Once I figured out what stops we needed to make, I called each town and asked about a campground. Lots a people must make the trip cause there was plenty a campgrounds all along the way."

"And the weather wasn't too bad either." Jenny added. "I figured it'd be really cold, but it wasn't after those first few days."

"Yeah." Ennis agreed. "Once we got a ways south, it got a lot more comfortable. I didn't hear no one complainin about the weather too much."

"And what do you think a the house, Daddy?"

"Same as every one else. It's old, dingy, and it needs a ton a work. Probably take us a year to get it all done, but we'll do it. Once we get it fixed up; it'll be a real fine home for us."

"It'll be nice bein so close to town, and havin electricity and a phone." Jenny said.

"Sure enough." Ennis agreed.

x x x x

It only took about twenty minutes to turn the trailers in, and they turned around and headed home.

Mrs. Twist and Jenny decided they wanted to drive home, so Ennis and Jack got a chance to rest and dosed off on the hour long ride home. They arrived back at the ranch rested and immediately set to putting all the furniture together. Once everyone was more or less settled in with their rooms in order, Jack and Ennis moved their truck around, opened the last trailer, and began unloading their beds and mattresses. That was as far as they got before they quit for the day.

They spent a cold first night in the house, but they were all too tired to care. They were home, and had most of the un-loading done. The next morning they straggled out to Jenny's camper for breakfast.

They were all good and tired now, and wanted nothing more than to head straight back to bed for more rest, but they continued on.

This trailer also held the washer and dryer, Ennis and Jack's wardrobes and chests, the antique double sink for their soon-to-be-built bathroom in the attic, and the swing set. Once all of those were unloaded, there was just the kitchen pieces remaining. They left the hoosiers for the time being, but took in the refrigerator, stove, and two china cabinets.

It was cold that day, hovering somewhere in the lower thirties.

"Don't you have a little electric heater around here someplace?" Jack asked his mom.

"We sold it; don't you remember?"

"Oh that's right." Jack said.

"When was the last time you used this fireplace?" Ennis asked, checking it out.

"We were usin it right up until Mr. Twist passed." She answered.

"Let's see here." Ennis said and took a few logs off the nearby stack and laid the fire. He watched it closely a while to make sure it was drawing properly. "Seems to be working okay for now. We can get to cleanin it out later."

Before long the fire was glowing and warmed the front room nicely. The kids played nearby, while the adults scurried around from room to room trying to get everything organized.

"We should a picked up a couple a those electric heaters while we were in town." Jack apologized. "I just never give it any thought."

"Me neither, Bud. We were just too tired to think a anythin past findin our way to Sheridan and back."

They slowed down considerably that second day home. They did a lot of couch sitting and enjoyed the fireplace and the warmth it brought.

Day three brought them each a second breath, and they got busy again. First order of the day was the kitchen. Once they started taking the cabinets out, they found a nice wide area that had been bricked in for the original wood burning stove, along with the vent hole that had been covered with the cabinets in the left corner of the kitchen. In no time, they had the rest of the cabinets pulled out and stashed in the barn. It took very little work to open the vent and install their wood stove. Next to the stove was the sink that they had left in for the time being. Next to the sink, their propane stove. Along one wall, the two, three-foot hoosiers were set up next to each other. The two, five-foot hoosiers were set up in the dining room, The small refrigerator backed up against the narrow bit of wall that centered in the passage ways between kitchen and dining room. The huge refrigerator that they brought from Alaska was set up in the dining room, but like the one stove, would be useless until the propane was set up for it.

"Oh, we have our beautiful kitchen back!" Mrs. Twist exclaimed. "This is just wonderful!" She beamed as she and Jenny began unpacking boxes and setting their kitchen to right.

"What we need is a bigger dining room." Jack commented as they all crowded in for their first meal cooked in their new/old kitchen.

"Uh huh." Ennis nodded. "I been thinkin the same thing. We could add one on the side a the house here, and keep this entire area here for the kitchen."

"Oh my goodness!" Mrs. Twist exclaimed. "That would be just wonderful!"

x x x x

The next morning they spent putting the kids playground equipment together. They wanted the children to have something to do at their new home so they wouldn't get bored. They needn't have worried. Mrs. Twist and Jenny began taking them out visiting every single day, meeting all her friends, arranging play dates for them. They drove by the school in Rocky Point, also hit the library in Sheridan where each child got a library card, and checked out a stack of books.

A week after they arrived back in Lightning Flat, the workmen started arriving. There were electricians to update the wiring in the old house, plumbers to install a new septic system, the propane company came out and installed a huge tank, and the heating company arrived with their new heater and radiators for each and every room, including the attic where Ennis and Jack would soon be adding their rooms.

They immediately started collecting the supplies for the new dining room. Two weeks later, the room was finished. It ran the entire twenty-five foot length of the side of the house. The kitchen door that once led outside, now led into the huge dining room where their beautiful antique china cabinets, table and chairs were set up.

Next trip into town, and they came back with everything they needed to build a wrap-around porch, and got busy on it. They wanted it finished and ready for the mountain of firewood they planned on storing there, before it got much colder.

They barely finished the porch when the weather turned. It wasn't much of a snow, just a couple of inches, but it was clear that winter would soon be upon them. They worked diligently at gathering firewood until their porch was loaded. Then it was shopping time. With six freezers to fill, it took quite some time. They made long lists, and several shopping trips.

x x x x

Some years into the future...

Ennis wandered around outside, coming to rest against the corral fence. He leaned back, wished he had a cigarette, and thought about Jack inside on the phone with Bobby. He hoped all was well with the boy.

"Hey Cowboy." Jack walked up to him. "What are you standin there thinkin about lookin out over the fields like that?"

"Wishin I had a cigarette." Ennis grinned just a little. He was glad that they had given up smoking, and had to admit that he did feel a lot better, but he couldn't quite get over the longing for them.

"Yeah, I know the feelin." Jack commiserated. "I can get through most a the day easy enough, but I sure do miss havin a smoke after a meal."

"Uh huh." Ennis agreed. "That and when I'm thinkin, and after sex, and..."

"I get it." Jack chuckled. "Sometimes, it's almost like I can taste one, rememberin how much I enjoyed a good smoke. I don't miss the coughin I used to do all the time though."

"Yeah, me too." Ennis agreed.

"So that was all you was thinkin about? Just cigarettes?"

"Nah. I was thinkin about Alaska."

"You miss it?"

"Sometimes. It was always cool up there. Even in the summertime, the evenins were nice and cool." Ennis turned and looked back at the house. Half again as big as it was when they first arrived. He was proud of all the improvements they had made over the years.

"You regret sellin the place?" Jack asked.

"Nah. It's good there's a family livin up there now. Someone to look after the place; and it's not like we'd ever be goin back up there again."

"And the money we got for it wasn't bad neither." Jack grinned.

"True. And to think we got it for free." Ennis shook his head. "I don't guess there'll ever be a place like that where you can get free land again."

"You're probably right about that." Jack agreed. "I'm glad we did it though."

"Me too. It was a real adventure."

"A six year long adventure." Jack added.

"Uh huh. One I wouldn't a missed for the world." Ennis agreed. "It was a good time – most of it; but it wasn't never home."

"You never felt at home there?"

"Nope. I liked it there. I liked it a lot. But it wasn't never home. Wyomin's home. It's where we belong."

"I feel the same way." Jack nodded. "All the places I've lived over the years – and some of 'em were real nice – but they just weren't home."

"I like this place, Jack. I like it a lot." Ennis let his gaze wander around the area; lingered at the house with the old swing set still standing in the grassy yard, the little white picket fence enclosing the play area. Next he looked over at the distant field where the herd was grazing contentedly, then onto the new stables they'd built for their stallion and mares. "I didn't never say nothin 'cause it always seemed kinda silly, but from the first day we drove up, haulin all our stuff from Alaska, I felt like this was home. Like I'd finally found my way home." He turned away, embarrassed. "I told you it was silly."

"It's not silly at all." Jack rested a hand on Ennis' arm. "It is home. That's what I was feelin, and I know it was what Momma was feelin too. And Jenny seemed happy and relieved to be back in Wyomin. And the children – they're at home wherever we are."

"It was... gettin what I'd always wanted. A ranch, a family, and you by my side." He gave Jack a little shoulder bump.

"I really hate to be an 'I told you so', but I told you so!" Jack grinned.

"You sure enough did, Bud. But I don't guess it could a worked any other way than the way it did."

"You're probably right about that, Cowboy. It took us twenty years to finally get it right, but we made it."

"Yep. And it couldn't a turned out any better than it did." The two of them walked back inside their home where their family waited for them, Thanksgiving dinner on the table; with children, grand children and great-grand children all gathered around.

THE END