Chapter 12
August 1st, 1975
On Friday, the Del Mar/Twist family were packing up their things and preparing for the journey back to Riverton. In general, they'd had a good time here and Jack had more or less learned to deal with his father, so it wasn't a complete loss. And since he and Ennis had grown closer due to the revealing of the shirts, he was actually kind of glad that he had agreed to this trip.
The pair of them were sat in the room where the girls had been sleeping, wanting to talk to them about the trip and the move.
"So yer sure you're okay for us to start packin' up when we get back?" Jack asked, looking around at them all. "I know it's a huge thing, but I reckon we can handle it."
"Can we come back an' see mama's grave?" Jenny asked, looking between them. Ennis nodded.
"You sure can, darlin'. An' the same goes for you, Bobby. Yer daddy says you can go back to Texas to see yer mama anytime you want." Bobby smiled at his father and was very happy that these two men were looking out for him. All of the children were at peace with the relationship between their fathers; they didn't completely understand it, but they knew that all of them were a lot happier than they had been before. Junior, as the eldest, knew that there was more to the story than what they had been told, but also understood that the time for the truth was not yet; it would have to wait a few years.
When they had finished talking to the kids, they left the room and allowed them to start packing their bags up. The two men headed for their own room and started packing their clothes. Ennis looked around as if searching for something.
"Jack? What'd you do with...the shirts?" he asked, wondering where they were. Jack smiled and reached into his bag, pulling out the denim and plaid shirt sleeves.
"Right here, cowboy. They're comin' back with us, like I said. You thought about what we're gonna do with 'em?"
"Um...well, I did think of somethin'," Ennis said quietly, feeling self-conscious. He wondered if Jack would think his idea was dumb. Jack had often told him that he valued what he thought, and had a lot of respect for him, but old habits die hard. He shifted nervously.
"What is it?" Jack asked him, stepping closer. "Come on, cowboy...you ain't dumb. What was you thinkin'?"
"Well...maybe...we could hang them up. Like they was here, but...on the back of the bedroom door. Same for when we move. An'...I reckon I could put a hook up." He had his eyes averted, clearly shy and unsure of his idea. "Dumb, ain't it?"
Jack thought it was the perfect option for keeping the shirts in pride of place, and couldn't understand why Ennis put himself down so much.
"Hey..." he said softly, lifting Ennis's chin. "Don't do that. It ain't dumb, Ennis, an' neither are you. That sounds like a great idea." He smiled. "It's right up there with yer idea to ask me up to Wyomin' to live with you." Ennis couldn't help but smile at this, and Jack pressed his lips to Ennis's cheek. "I love it. I mean...if we do that, they'll be the first things we see when we get up in the mornin'. An'...if they're together like they are now, then...it don't matter what kinda troubles we have when we start our ranch. We'll always be holdin' each other somehow." He moved closer and inserted himself into Ennis's arms, sliding his own around his partner's waist. Ennis held him close and sighed, wishing that he could have the kind of confidence that Jack did. The man always seemed sure of himself, even if he wasn't, and Ennis had always admired him for it.
"Love you, rodeo," he said softly, closing his eyes. Jack squeezed him.
"Love you too."
When they were packed, the two men headed out to Jack's truck and started putting the bags in the truck bed, Ennis being very glad that Jack's truck had enough room for everything. He'd never had a truck that had both a back seat and a bed, and was thinking of getting one for himself one day. They got the bags in, the kids already having something on hand to distract themselves with during the drive, and put the tarp over it. With everything secure and ready to go, Jack led the way back inside to gather their kids and say goodbye. His mother was in the kitchen and the kids were at the table; his father was nowhere to be seen.
"Guess we're about ready to move," Jack said, and the kids got up. They had enjoyed meeting Jack's mother and helping with the horses, but were looking forward to being in their own beds. Bobby had adjusted very well to living in the small apartment.
Rose came out of the kitchen, looking sad to seeing them go. "Week went by too quickly," she lamented, hugging her son.
"I know, mama. But you can come visit us when we're settled in. I'll come an' pick you up."
"Sounds good, honey." She then hugged Ennis, whispering in his ear. "Please take care of my boy. It's your job now."
"I will, I swear," he told her, and Jack heard every word. Rose then hugged the children just as the front door open.
"You off again?" John asked, no emotion in his voice. Jack nodded and defiantly took Ennis's hand.
"Yep. Got a lot to do, with the move an' everythin'. So we're outta here." John nodded and walked past them to the kitchen, leaving Jack shaking his head. "Never mind. Let's get goin', bud." He didn't want to think of his father anymore; he had too much to focus on.
They said goodbye to Rose and shepherded the kids outside, feeling a lot better about everything now. As they drove away from the house and Jack's dark past, Ennis reached over and took his hand, squeezing and letting him know that everything would be alright.
They were back at the apartment, packing up their belongings for the move down to Loveland. They would be leaving tomorrow evening, hoping to be at their new home for around midday on the third. They would first need to stop by Sarah's office and collect the paperwork. Both Ennis and Jack would be signing, as they were going to build up a business together. They were looking forward to having a real home for once.
As the kids packed up their things, Ennis and Jack were taking a little break in their room. The door was locked and they were lying on the bed, fully clothed and slowly making out. Ennis was lying on his back with Jack on top of him, relaxing and letting his mind go blank as Jack kissed him. He had always loved kissing Jack, ever since that night in the tent when they had shared their first one. It had been awkward and full of confusion on his part, but Jack had been so good to him and he was very grateful.
Now, that night seemed so long ago as he kissed back with confidence, sliding his tongue against Jack's and tangling his hands in the dark hair. Jack broke away and smiled down at him.
"Love kissin' you," he said softly, stroking Ennis's face. Ennis nodded.
"Right back at ya, bud." They kissed again and Jack looked at him thoughtfully.
"Ennis...there's somethin' I wanna talk to you 'bout." At Ennis's raised eyebrows, he went on. "Well...with us bein' business partners an' all...I reckon we oughta sign a power of attorney document."
"A what?"
"It's this legal thing...basically, we'd be sharin' everythin'. Money, property...but there's a real important reason for it. If...somethin' should happen to me, an' I can't make decisions about surgery or somethin', you'd be able to if we signed one. Same if somethin' happened to you. If we was just livin' together, no business, we wouldn't have no rights when it came to things like that. If we signed that thing...we could make sure that we're taken care of."
Ennis thought it was one of the best ideas he'd heard in a long time. He and Jack might never be able to marry legally, and if this was the only way that they could have any rights concerning medical and legal decisions, then there was only one thing for it.
"That right? We'd have rights...like in the hospital?" he asked, unable to believe that they actually had an option. Jack nodded.
"Yep. We'd be treated as next of kin for each other. The kids can't make decisions; they're minors. This way...we'd be able to stay together if one of us was in hospital. What do ya say?"
Ennis kissed him firmly, willing to do whatever it took to make sure they kept themselves safe. "I say let's sign one of them things. Could we do it at Sarah's?"
"No, she's just a realtor. We'd need to get ourselves a lawyer for it. But I reckon we will." He smiled. "You really wanna?"
"Yeah, 'course I do. God, Jack...I don't wanna be in a hospital when yer needin' surgery, an' bein' told that I can't make that kinda decision. I mean..." A lump grew in his throat. "What if you died 'cos they wouldn't let me decide to give you the surgery?" The thought of Jack dying and him being unable to prevent it was like a shot to the heart, and he didn't want to think about it.
Jack leaned down and nuzzled him. "Hey...it's okay. That ain't gonna happen, 'cos we're gonna get one of them. We'll sign it, so we'll be able to look after each other. Gonna be alright." They kissed a few more times and then Jack checked his watch. "Tell you what...you want some dinner? Bet the kids are hungry."
Ennis nodded and smiled, the dark moment passing. "Sure, darlin'." Jack crawled off him and headed for the door, understanding that Ennis needed to gather himself. Before Jack left the room, he turned back and looked at his partner.
"Love you, cowboy," he said, an expression of adoration on his face. Ennis's smile grew wider and he nodded.
"Love you too, rodeo." He continued to pack a few more items he didn't immediately need and then headed down the hall to the kids' rooms, seeing how they were doing. The girls were good at packing, and Jack had said that Bobby was okay. He peered around the door to see the girls busy folding some clothes and nodded to himself. They were good girls.
Back in the kitchen, Jack was busy thinking as he prepared the lasagne he'd been thinking of. He was very glad that Ennis had agreed to the power of attorney document; he hadn't thought that Ennis would refuse, given the rights it would offer them. He hated how they had to take these alternative routes just so that they could take care of each other; if they could marry legally, it would solve everything. But the way things were and how people treated others like Ennis and himself, he couldn't see it happening.
Still, he knew he loved Ennis and would do whatever it took to make this work. They had wanted this for twelve years, and wouldn't let it go without a fight. That much he knew.
Ennis stepped into the kitchen and smiled affectionately at his man preparing dinner for them. He knew that Jack didn't feel he was being treated like a wife, but Ennis was doing his best to share the load anyway. Once they moved into the new house, he would do his part of the daily chores, both inside and outside. It was all he could offer.
"Hey," he said softly, and Jack turned. A grin spread across his face at the sight of him.
"Hey, bud. Dinner's gonna be a little while..."
"S'alright," Ennis told him, coming up and sliding his arms around Jack's waist. "Gives us more time for this." He leaned in and kissed Jack deeply, making the other man melt into his embrace and forget everything else.
August 3rd, 1975
The excitement in the air was tangible as Jack drove the truck along to the ranch. Ennis had sold his old truck and handed the apartment keys back to the local realtor, and they had been by Sarah's office. They now had the keys and had signed the papers for the ranch; Ennis and Jack now had a home together, like they had always wanted.
Ennis was staring into his hands, where he was holding the ownership papers. His and Jack's names were there, side by side. He'd never thought that he would see this. A warm feeling had settled into his stomach and he knew what it was; pure happiness. Jack saw that he was looking at it and smiled to himself as he drove. They were tied together legally now, and that would have to be enough for now, until the day came when they could get married.
Eventually, Jack turned into a side road and headed up between two rows of trees, remembering his thoughts of how much the kids would enjoy playing here. He and Ennis had thought this out already and were planning for many generations of their family to live here, if they wanted.
Once out of the trees, Jack stopped the truck and they looked out at the beautiful house before them. The white brick and the wraparound porch, the trees all around, and the vast amount of land for horses and cattle. It was a dream come true for both of them, and they couldn't wait to start living here. Neither of them had had much of a home while growing up, and Jack had never been fond of the house in Childress. Now they had a home that they could love; it was theirs.
"This our new house?" Bobby asked, staring at it in wonder. Their home in Texas had been impressive, but this was even more so. Jack hoped that all three of them would settle in well, and adjust to this new aspect of their lives.
"Sure is, bud," Jack replied, turning around to smile at them. "You guys okay?" The girls nodded and confirmed that they were looking forward to it. The two men got out and the kids followed, necks craned as they took in their surroundings. It was quiet back here, away from the road, and the sun was pouring down into the area. Jack thought of the pond on the right side of the house and knew that the kids would enjoy swimming in there.
"We ready to go in? Me an' Jack can get the groceries," Ennis told the kids, and they nodded. They had stopped by a grocery store in Loveland on the way, earmarking places of interest. One of the most important things was the power of attorney document they had signed. Jack thought of the lawyer they'd hired that morning, Sam Johnson. It had been a pleasant enough meeting.
"So yer buildin' up a cow an' calf place?" Sam asked, nodding at them as they signed the documents. Jack made an affirmative sound.
"Yep. That's why we wanna sign this power of attorney thing. God knows we won't have no rights without it."
"Unfortunately, no. So I think you're right to do this. Takin' precautions an' lookin' after yerselves."
Ennis smiled nervously. He was still uneasy about telling people the truth about him and Jack. He reminded himself that not everybody was like their fathers.
With their documents signed and their future secured, they left the office with Sam's office number and the promise of a new friend in town. The more they had of those, the better.
Jack led the way up to the house and got out the keys they'd been given; he would get a copy made for Ennis as soon as possible. He opened the front door and led them inside, looking around. The kids were yet to see the interior, but he knew they would like it. The front door opened into a vast hallway, with a living room and an office at the foot of the stairs. The kitchen/dining room was at the end of the hallway, with a door leading out to the back porch. Upstairs were several bedrooms and their own had an en-suite bathroom. There was a lot of space and they were looking forward to living here.
He shared a glance with Ennis as the kids stepped inside, and they watched the young faces.
"Wow..." Jenny said in wonder, looking around at the spacious hallway around them. All three of them couldn't believe their eyes; while Bobby had lived in a nice house for most of his life, the girls had lived in small, cramped spaces. Ennis hoped that he could now give his girls the kind of life he'd always wanted them to have. He wanted to give them everything he could, and now that he was with Jack and they had money, they would never have to worry. The two of them had already talked about setting up trust funds for their children.
"Daddy? This all ours?" Junior asked, hardly daring to hope that this palace would be their home now. Ennis nodded and put his arms around his girls.
"Sure is, darlin'. Me an' Jack, an' you three...we're all gonna live here now. An' you know what? There's enough space so that you can all have yer own room. You wanna go upstairs an' pick one?" The kids nodded and headed up the stairs. When they were alone, Jack smiled and stepped close to Ennis.
"So far so good," he commented hopefully, and Ennis nodded, pulling him close. He could really get used to this; setting up home with Jack and living out the rest of his life with him.
"Yep. I think they're gonna like it here. Think we will too." He kissed Jack and then sighed. "Tell you what...let's get this food away an' figure out where we're gonna sleep."
Jack grinned. "Sounds good to me."
Ennis and Jack helped the kids decide where they wanted to sleep and made a note of what colours everybody wanted for their rooms. Bobby chose a light blue colour, but also requested cowboy shapes on the walls. Jack agreed with Ennis that they would figure out a way of doing that for him.
Jenny wanted a soft pink on her walls, being a typical girl of her age. Junior, who was more of a tomboy than her sister, instead chose a very easy on the eye cream colour. With this decided, Ennis and Jack found the master bedroom and agreed it could stay the way it was. There was maroon paint on the walls, making it seem cosy and warm, and they had plenty of wardrobe space, as did all the bedrooms. Jack liked the notion of them having an en-suite bathroom, and told Ennis in great detail what he would like to do in there sometime.
With the house explored, the five of them ventured out onto their land to take a look around. Ennis and Jack had seen most of it already, but wanted to show the kids their new home. The pond was safe for swimming, and they saw a couple of frogs in there who didn't seem fazed by them. The weather here was warmer than in Wyoming, but not unbearably so like Texas, and the kids were looking forward to spending the rest of the summer lounging around the area.
Exploring the perimeter, the two men pointed out a tall brown fence amongst the trees, signalling the edge of their property. "So that's it. Everythin' inside this fence belongs to us," Jack said to the kids. "You've got all this room at the front while the ranch is bein' run at the back."
The kids nodded. "Does it snow here, like in Wyomin'?" Jenny asked, and Bobby hoped it did. He'd only seen snow in Texas a couple of times while living there.
Jack smiled around at them. "I think so. We ain't that far from where we was livin'. Bet it gets cold here in winter."
Jenny looked happy; she'd always loved the snow. "That'll be fun." Ennis looked at Jack and thought about spending the winter season with him. They'd been on hunting trips in November before, but it got very cold in the tent at night. And even though they had done their best to keep warm, Ennis had yearned for more. Now when it got cold, the two of them could curl up in front of the fire together. Not only that, but they had a real bed to keep warm in. He couldn't wait to test it out with Jack.
"Sure will, Jenny. You wanna come see the ranch with us?" The kids confirmed their interest and they were led around the house to the back. The trees of the perimeter were further out now, and grew sparse as the land gave way to paddocks and fields. The ranch was a few hundred acres, and there would be plenty of room for cattle and horses here.
They showed the kids the stables and the barn, reminding them that they were not allowed to enter the buildings on their own, for their own safety. Apart from the obvious animal danger, there were sharp objects around, possibly even nails here and there. And they would be sure to keep the gun shed locked at all times.
"So what do you guys think?" Jack asked as they stood on the back lawn, feeling proud of himself and Ennis for what they now had. This was all theirs, and they couldn't wait to get it set up into a business. Not only that, but they also wanted it to be a home, for themselves and their children.
"I like it," Bobby replied, looking excited by the prospect of being on a real ranch again. He hadn't grown up on one and the Twist ranch wasn't that impressive. This new place looked a lot more promising. As for the girls, they had lived on a ranch when they were younger, but they could barely remember any of it. Ennis tried not to think about those early years away from Jack if he could help it.
"It's real nice, Daddy," Junior agreed, smiling up at him. He was looking happier all the time, and she knew it was mainly due to him having Jack in his life permanently. She sure couldn't remember him being this happy before.
"Glad you like it, darlin'. An' remember...you can go back to Wyomin' anytime you want. To see yer mama, or even Amy." His ex-sister-in-law hadn't reacted well to the news of them leaving the state, especially the girls, but Ennis had reminded her of what he would do if she said anything. He was fiercely protecting his family, doing what was best for all of them, and she couldn't do a thing about that.
"Amy don't like Jack, does she?" Junior asked, looking down at her feet. "'Cos yer livin' with him an' not a woman."
Ennis held down his instinctual response, to tell her that it was grown-up stuff. She would be a teenager in a few years and they had agreed to tell the truth once the kids were old enough to understand. "No, she don't. An' yer right...it's 'cos I'm with Jack an' not a woman. But you know what?" he asked, crouching down to get eye-to-eye with her. "It's gonna be alright. She ain't gonna say nothin', an' you kids can live with us however long you want, even when yer adults." Jack smiled at him and clapped Bobby on the shoulder, the precious family moment registering with all of them.
Junior smiled at her father and hugged him, glad that she still had him. Jack was a wonderful person too, and was doing his best for them. She and her sister, as well as their new brother, were very lucky to have two loving parents.
The next day, Ennis and Jack were due to buy some horses and a few cattle from nearby ranches. They wanted to get started on things as soon as possible, and to throw themselves into making this work.
Not knowing what else to do with them, they ended up taking the kids as they drove to a ranch a few miles away, which was advertising stock for sale. The kids were too young to be in the house on their own, especially in an unfamiliar area. At least they were well-behaved, and wouldn't cause any trouble while they were out.
As they drove, Ennis thought back to the night before fondly. He and Jack had thoroughly christened their new bed, thankful that the master bedroom was down the hall from the kids' bedrooms. They could make a little noise without disturbing anyone. The effort required to break in their new bed had been very enjoyable.
Thinking about the wonderful night they'd spent together in their new house, Ennis reached a hand across and took hold of Jack's free one, resting on the seat between them. Jack looked at him and smiled, seemingly aware of what he was thinking about.
"Daddy?" chirped a young voice, and Jack looked in the rear-view mirror to see his son blinking at him.
"What's up, bud?"
"What kinda horses are we gettin'?" he asked, looking interested.
"Uh...dunno. We want good workin' horses, some that can handle the size of the ranch. An' none that are gonna buck me off," he added to Ennis, who remembered the bay mare up on Brokeback. She'd thrown Jack at least once while they were up there, and it still sent a chill down Ennis's spine to recall the image of Jack being thrown to the ground. Jack had been a little sore, but he was used to being bucked off by bulls and said it wasn't much different. Ennis had to wonder if he'd simply been putting on a brave face.
"Not a good idea, rodeo. Guess we're gonna get good ones from this place."
"What about cows?" Jenny piped up, knowing that they wanted a cattle ranch.
"Well, we're gonna see what this guy's got an' if it's what we want. Want good ones that are gonna breed one."
"You gonna buy a bull for that?" Bobby asked, and Jack exchanged a glance with Ennis. That would be expensive, and if they got one that didn't do the job as well as it should, the consequences could be dire.
"We dunno 'bout that yet. But we could find someone who has a bull, an' lets us loan it for our cows. It'd be cheaper than buyin' one ourselves. An' you know...we're gonna be havin' our own milk an' beef. That'll save money." Jack nodded to himself. "Maybe we could buy some chickens one day...that's eggs an' more meat right there. An' who knows...maybe we'll start a vegetable patch one day."
Ennis smiled to himself as Jack went on, impressed by his resourcefulness and business instinct. Jack was right; the more food they could produce themselves, the more money they would save. He knew that Jack wanted to repay the money L.D. had given him, to prove him wrong if nothing else. The old man had always hated Jack, by all accounts, and it was clear that Jack hated being in debt to someone like him.
"Sounds like you got some good ideas, bud," he said to Jack, squeezing his hand. Jack shrugged.
"Just makes sense to try an' do stuff ourselves. An'...you know...if we're gonna do all that...we need to hire some help."
This was something they knew they had to talk about, but never had. It was true that they couldn't handle all of that by themselves, but hiring people would mean telling others about their relationship. Jack wasn't about to hide in his own home, and Ennis didn't want to either. But what if they had to fire someone, and they ended up exposing him and Jack?
Their eyes met, and they made a silent agreement to talk about this later, when they were alone. There was time yet before they had to make such a decision.
When they reached the Jameson Ranch, they got out and looked around for anyone who looked like they were in charge. Jack then pointed to the doorway of a barn, where a man was giving orders to a few workers. He and Ennis nodded at each other and made their way over to him, making sure that the kids remained close.
The meeting went well enough. Ennis and Jack told the owner their cover story of being half-brothers, and starting up a ranch together. He seemed to accept it and showed them his stock for sale. They chose a good pair of horses for the ranch, (Jack making sure that the one he chose wasn't temperamental) and then decided to buy a third horse for when the kids wanted to go riding with them.
Afterwards, they selected some good cattle and got a tip about a bull at a nearby ranch that they could loan, and then left.
"That went well," Jack commented, stretching in his seat. The kids were a little sleepy now, none of them being much for long drives. Ennis nodded.
"Yeah...just glad he didn't ask no questions about our story. Was hard enough havin' to lie 'bout you."
Jack took his hand. "I know...I hated it too. But we gotta do it if we're gonna stay safe, right?"
"Yeah. But, Jack..." Ennis looked at him. "You gotta know...if we didn't have to lie, I wouldn't. Ain't ashamed of what we got."
Jack smiled at him. "I know, me neither. We'll be alright, cowboy. So long as we got each other an' our kids, it'll be okay."
Ennis nodded and squeezed his fingers, looking out of the windshield and watching as the world rolled by. They had their own corner of heaven here in Colorado, and he would do anything to protect it.
