Title: THE WEDDING GIFT
Author: Brokeback Mountain
Pairing: Ennis and Jack
Rating: FRAO - NC-17
Warning: M/M sex scenes
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Annie Proulx. I make no money off of them. I just take them out and let them play now and then.
Summary: Junior is getting married and she gives her Daddy a 'wedding' gift.
THE WEDDING GIFT
"Daddy, can we sit and talk for a while?" Junior asked her father as they walked through the park in the afternoon sunshine.
"Sure enough, Sweet Girl!" Ennis led his eldest daughter to a nearby bench.
"I mean serious talk, Daddy." She took his hand and held it between both of hers.
"What's you got on your mind darlin? You worried 'bout the weddin? Kurt?"
"No; neither of those things. I'm a grown up woman now; you know that, don't you?"
"Course I do. You wouldn't be gettin married next month if you wasn't growd up."
"I'm 19 years old, Daddy and in four months I'll be 20."
"I know that." Ennis squeezed her hand.
"I need somethin from you, Daddy. I need to know some things."
Ennis heaved a great sigh and slid his hand from his daughters. He rubbed both hands on his knees and stared down at his boots.
"Ask what you want. I'll answer if I can. If I can't …well, you'll just have to accept that."
"I won't accept that, Daddy. I need answers to my questions; questions only you got the answers to. Consider it a wedding gift to me; the truth, is all I'm asking for."
"Go ahead, ask."
"I have a very good memory, Daddy. I know you and Momma haven't ever been happy together."
"Now that ain't true. In the beginnin we was." Ennis defended himself.
"Not really happy. I'm talkin about happy like you were crazy in love."
"You been seein too many movies, Baby Girl."
"Daddy, please. I have to know. What happened? I've asked Momma but she won't say. She just says you weren't cut out to be a married man. That's all she'll say."
"Well, maybe she was right. Did you ever think of that?" Ennis kept his eyes on the ground.
"Daddy, if you weren't cut out to be a married man, why did you ever get married in the first place? Did you and Momma…you know…have to get married? Because of me?"
"No, darling, no." He took his daughter's hand again and slid an arm around her shoulder. "Nothin like that at all; I promise you that."
"What then? I know things were tough financially but there was more to it. You just always seemed to be so sad. You still do. I hated it when you and Momma got divorced but I thought at least maybe then you might be happy but you weren't and you still aren't."
"I don't know, Darlin, people just grow apart sometimes." That was a cop-out and they both knew it.
"Daddy, if that's all there was to it, why does Momma hate you so much? Why have you never found anyone else to marry? You only ever dated that one woman, Cassie, and that was years ago!"
"Your momma blames me for the breakup and she's right. I wasn't a good enough provider for her and you girls; never could abide the thought of an indoor job that might have brung in some more money. That was selfish of me. I should have been thinkin of her and you girls first."
"Oh Daddy! We always had enough to eat and clothes on our backs."
"Your momma wanted more for you and I can't fault her none for that. She wanted what she has now, a nice house in a nice part of town to live in, a husband with a steady payin job."
"She knew you were a ranch hand when she married you."
"She did for a fact."
"That might be a reason for a divorce but it's not a reason to hate someone."
"I guess she has her reasons." He turned around again, hands clasped in his lap, eyes following some leaves fluttering across the path.
"Daddy, I need to know!"
"No you don't, Little Girl. You know enough."
"Did Jack Twist have anything to do with the split up?"
"How come you to ask me that?" Ennis squinted out from under his hat brim at her.
"She hates him too."
"Now, all this talk about hate, it ain't right. Your momma and I taught you girls better. It ain't right to hate someone."
"She does. She hates you both. Said you was a fine man till that Jack Twist came along then you went bad. I asked her what she meant and she wouldn't say no more. She said the words, Daddy; said she hated you both."
"Well, if she's the one doin the hatin then she's the one you'll have to get your answers from."
They sat in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say. Junior broke the silence.
"If you're not going to tell me, I guess I'll just have to ask then." She tugged on her Daddy's arm and got him to turn and face her again.
"Will you listen to me till I'm through sayin what I have to say so I can ask my questions?"
"This is really a conversation you need to be havin with your Momma. She's the only one who can say why she feels the way she does."
"I'm askin you, Daddy. Will you listen to me? Please?"
"I'll listen." He sighed but looked away from her.
"Do you remember that Thanksgiving dinner you came to our house? It was the first Thanksgiving after Momma and Monroe were married."
"Yes, I remember." He did not like where this conversation was headed but couldn't think of a way to stop it.
"You and Momma were in the kitchen talkin, then Momma was yellin and you ran out of the house?"
Ennis clasped and unclasped his hands, tension rising by the minute. He said nothing.
"I had found one more glass in the living room and I was takin it to the kitchen to be washed. I heard you and Momma. I heard what Momma said about Jack Twist."
"Don't mean nothin. I told her that and I'm tellin you that. It didn't mean nothin." He was rigid now with fear.
"Daddy…" She put a hand on his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love you, Daddy. You know that, don't you?"
"Then let's go home now and forget all this foolishness that's years gone by." He asked, hoping for an early out of this conversation.
"I remember from the time Jenny and I were little, little girls. He'd come up from Texas and you'd go off fishin with him. I remember how happy it made you. You'd be all smilin and happy when you were packin. That's the only time I can ever remember you bein happy, Daddy."
Ennis said nothing; he was turned to stone with fear.
"I know in my heart you ain't never done nothin bad in your whole life! You're a good man and you always have been. So that turnin bad stuff is just a bunch of shit!"
"Junior!"
"I'm sorry, Daddy. But it just is. I know you're not a bad man and you know it too. I think Momma was just jealous that you had such a good time with Jack and I can't
remember you and her ever goin out and havin a good time."
She laced her arm through her daddy's and slid her hand in between the two of his. He held it tight.
"I know what she meant too when she called him that awful name, Jack nasty. That was just plain mean!"
"This ain't somethin I can talk with you 'bout. We need to go home now."
"Not yet, Daddy. Please. Can you tell me about him? Is he still living in Texas? Why doesn't he move up here then the two of you could spend more time together?"
"Junior…."
"I know you don't want to discuss this, Daddy, but it's something I need to know. I'm not a child. I know a thing or two about the world."
"You don't know nothin," Ennis began to shake.
"I can tell by the way you're reacting that I'm right. It was Jack Twist, wasn't it? The reason for the divorce, I mean?"
"The divorce was my fault. I already told you that. Now can we please just leave?"
"Daddy, if you…care for him so much, why don't you ask him to move up here? Or you move down there? I'm sure you could find ranch work down there in Texas."
"You don't know what you're talkin 'bout."
"I'm talking about you, Daddy. You and the man you care about. He feels the same way, don't he? I mean he'd have to to drive all that way just to spend a few days fishin with you."
Silence.
"Girl, I'm goin home now. You can leave with me, I'll give you a ride home; or you can stay here and walk home; your decision." Ennis stood to go, eyes staring off into the distance, seeing nothing. He fiddled in his pocket for his keys.
"All right, Daddy. Go on home. I'll just call Mr. Jack Twist down there in Childress, Texas and see if I can get some answers out of him."
Ennis sat back down. "Don't you do that, Girl. You'll get him in trouble with his wife."
"Oh God! He's married?"
"Yes, he's married and he's got a boy just 'bout Jenny's age. Don't you go messin in things you know nothin 'bout!"
"Oh, Daddy. I'm so sorry."
"Nothin for you to be sorry 'bout. The mess I made out of my life is just that. MY mess! It's got nothin to do with you or your sister. You just need to stay out of it."
"I just have one more question, Daddy, then we can go. Does he feel the same way you do?"
"Junior, please can we just go?" He stood up to leave.
"It's an easy question. Just a simple yes or no will do then I'll have all my questions answered and next time we talk it will just be about wedding plans. I promise. Yes or No?"
He met her eyes then and somethin in them softened his heart. "Yes, Baby Girl. He feels the same way. Now let's get you home. It looks like it's going to rain and you don't need to catch a cold right before your wedding."
She came up off the bench then and into his arms for a hug. "I love you, Daddy. You know what? I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I got a wonderful man that wants to marry me and I've got the best Dad in the world!" She clung to his arm as they walked to the truck.
"Don't know nothin 'bout that," Ennis grinned a little bit as he helped her into the truck.
"I do! I'm so happy you're gonna be at my weddin to give me away! It's going to be the most perfect weddin ever. Kurt's mom is makin my dress and you should see it, Daddy. It's almost done and it's just beautiful; just like something out of a magazine!"
She rambled on and on about the wedding and was still talking about it when Ennis pulled the truck to a stop in front of their house. He had to warn her; say something.
"Listen a minute, darlin." He took her arm as she reached for the door handle to get out of the truck. She stopped and turned to him.
"Bout what we were talkin on earlier. You can't say nothing 'bout it to nobody, ya hear? It could cause a whole lot of trouble for a lot of people. You understand?"
"I understand, Daddy, and you don't have to worry about it. In fact, I've already forgotten about it." She smiled and reached over and gave her daddy a kiss on the cheek.
"See you next Sunday after church!" she called to him as he got out of the truck and headed up the walkway.
He was still shaking as he drove home. It scared him something awful that someone knew about him and Jack but Junior seemed OK about it. Didn't see any hate or anger in her face. She loved him. She said so. And none of the mean things Alma said about him could change that.
He was somewhat more settled by the time he drove home. He went inside and fixed himself a can of Spaghettios for dinner. He turned the TV on and worked hard at keeping his mind off the afternoon's conversation with Junior.
The next few weeks were more or less normal except that every conversation they had was about the wedding. Every visit was filled with plans and happy talk. Even Alma had been half-way civil to him lately. He had been right about his boss. When he told him he couldn't make the round up in the Tetons he got fired. It didn't even bother him all that much. The ranch had a new foreman he didn't care for at all so it wasn't that much of a surprise. He wasn't worried about it. It left him free to attend all the week-long wedding festivities with his daughter and there were plenty of ranches in the area where he could find work.
The day of the wedding came and he struggled into the one suit that he owned; fresh from the cleaners. He still couldn't tie his tie though. Junior fixed it for him in the back of the church. Everyone was bustling around her and she was looking after her Daddy. She always was her Daddy's girl.
The music started and the ceremony began. He walked Junior down the aisle and took his seat, in the pew next to Alma. He hated that part of it worst of all, but he did it. He did it for Junior.
Soon it was over and everyone was milling around outside taking pictures. It was a happy day all around even Alma was smiling and laughing. He hadn't seen that in years!
Jenny would be next he knew. She already had a steady boyfriend and she would be graduating from High School in a few weeks. A few months after that, she'd be 18 and his financial obligations to his girls would be over with. Jenny was all set to attend Flight Attendant school in Cheyenne in the fall. His girls were grown now with lives of their own. It was a bitter-sweet feeling that came over him; proud but sad.
He edged his way over to the bride and groom to say his good-byes. Junior clung to him and Kurt shook his hand.
"Daddy, one last favor?" she smiled up at him, in her beautiful white gown, her eyes shining with happiness. She pulled him over to the side for a private conversation.
"Anything, Baby Girl, anything; you need a ride to the train station?"
"I have a gift for you. It's my wedding day gift to you for all the love you have given me my whole life. It's a special gift, Daddy, with special meaning and you have to promise you'll keep it forever and you won't go sending it back!"
"Now sweetheart, you're not supposed to be givin me no gifts. It's YOUR day!"
"Promise me you won't send it back!" she demanded.
"I promise," he smiled down at her.
"Here." She reached into a pocket hidden in the folds of her dress and pulled out a key. She slipped it into his hand. The tag said Siesta Motel; room 14.
His eyes snapped up to hers. A look passed between them. She hugged him one last time and she whispered in his ear, "I love you, Daddy, and so does Jack. He's waiting for you. Go!"
His mouth dropped opened and he stared at her.
"Go on, Daddy. I know you have business to take care of and the sooner you leave the sooner the others will start leaving and Kurt and I can start our honeymoon," they walked back to the others; her new husband joining them with an arm around her waist.
Ennis closed his hand on the key and slipped it into his pocket.
The happy couple turned back to their other guests and Ennis slipped away with no one noticing.
He drove directly to the Siesta Motel; around back and parked by door #14. He raised his hand to knock then remembered the key. He slid it into the lock and turned it. It clicked opened. He walked into the room. There was Jack Twist, lying on the bed, naked except for a big white bow placed on his groin.
"Hey, Ennis! Junior said she wanted to give me to you as a present on her wedding day so here I am and here's your present." He fluffed up the bow.
Ennis pushed the door shut and locked it, flung his hat on the dresser and toed off his boots.
"Remember now, I'm your gift and you can't return me. It would be rude." His blue eyes sparkled.
"I've never returned a gift in my life. I sure ain't aiming to start now!" Ennis made a dive for him and opened his present.
THE END