Through The Veil Of Time

Chapter 14. Eternal Knot

"The way this party is shapin' up, we're gonna be entertainin' for three days. What happened ta havin' a little get together on the fourth a July?" Jack looked up from the pad in his hand, where he was making notations about guests and plans for the party, which was now, just ten days away.

"What do ya mean?" asked Ennis.

"The fourth a July is on a Tuesday, which is turnin' inta a royal pain in the ass," explained Jack. "All the out a town guests are comin' for the weekend. We're gonna have a shitload a company ta take care of for days."

Ennis sat down on the couch next to Jack and looked over his shoulder at the pad. "Who's comin' early?"

Jack pointed to the list of names with his pen. "Junior and her family are gettin' up at the crack a dawn and leavin' Laramie on Saturday. They're thinkin' they're gonna do the drive in one day."

Ennis shook his head. "That's a fuckin' long drive with three little kids in the car…"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, she said if it was too much, they'd stop, but she wanted ta try ta get here in one day." He looked back down at his pad. "Then, Jenny…she and Kelly are goin' ta be fllyin' inta Denver and rentin' a car."

"Denver? What the fuck for? They should be flyin' ta Lubbock, Jenny knows that."

"She said she wanted ta get on a direct flight, not hafta change planes. And they want ta show Evan the Rocky Mountains."

"The kid is three fuckin' years old!" exclaimed Ennis. "He ain't gonna remember the Rocky Mountains."

Jack laughed. "Whatever. It's their trip, if they want ta drive from Denver, I ain't gonna argue."

Ennis laughed with him. "I s'pose not. Who else?"

"Well, Lureen is flyin' ta Dallas, then drivin'. We won't be seein' much a her, though, she's spendin' the weekend with Bobby and the grandkids."

"Why is she comin' anyway? Is her husband gonna be here?"

"No, that's what gave her the idea ta visit. Allen is on call for the whole holiday weekend at some vet emergency clinic in Corpus Christi. Lureen figures he'll be workin' the whole damn time, good excuse for her ta get away." Jack looked back at the list again. "Then your sister…"

"We heard from her?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, she called earlier today. You were out leadin' that trail ride in the state park."

"Oh. So what'd she say?"

"They're plannin' ta leave Casper on Saturday, stop for the night, and get here some time late on Sunday. She asked 'bout stayin' here."

"What do ya mean?"

"Instead a stayin' at a campground, she was wonderin' if they could park the RV here, hook it up ta the hose and electricity down at the barn."

"And ya said…?"

"I thought it would be okay, but wanted ta double check with you."

Ennis nodded. "I s'pose it'd be okay." He paused, then continued. "Did she say anythin' 'bout my brother?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah. He's thinkin' a comin'. She explained ta him what you said, he's been thinkin' 'bout it…thinks he can be polite."

"I don't want just polite, Jack. This is our home, he needs ta respect that."

"I know, Ennis, I know. It sounded like, listenin' ta yer sister, that's she's got a good understandin' a what you said and she's makin' it good and plain for yer brother."

Ennis frowned, but didn't say anything further.

Jack looked back down at his list. "Tom Lawrence ain't comin', he's got a family picnic."

"Well, that's too bad. I was hopin' ta see him, it's been awhile."

"Yup, me too." Jack pointed to the pad again. "Billy said anythin' ta you 'bout his plans? His friend, what's his name, Scott? He comin'?"

Ennis shook his head. "Nope, Billy ain't said nothin' since he first asked if he could bring em."

"It doesn't really matter. One person, more or less, ain't gonna make much difference. And they ain't stayin' overnight."

Ennis winked at Jack. "Well, at least not here. Who knows what Billy is plannin'."

"Seducin' his man?"

"Mebbe," said Ennis with a laugh. "Like you seduced me." He leaned over and pulled Jack in close, giving him a kiss in the spot below his ear.

Jack moved into the embrace and ran his lips across Ennis's cheek. "I seduced you…?" Their lips came together, drowning out Jack's words in mid-sentence. They held the kiss for a long and languorous moment, finally breaking apart and looking at each other.

Ennis loosened his arms from around Jack, and Jack extricated his pad from the space between them. He started to look at it again.

"You still thinkin' 'bout the party?" Ennis asked, taking the pad from Jack's hand. "After a kiss like that?"

Jack smiled at him. "I guess I can wait til tomorrow for the party. But, Ennis, I do have somethin' I want ta talk ta ya 'bout," he said. "And it's kinda serious."

Ennis pulled back, looking worried. "Bad serious?"

Jack shook his head and stood up. "No, not bad." He walked over to the desk and pulled open the drawer, taking something small out. He came back to the couch and sat down next to Ennis. "When ya started talkin' 'bout doin' somethin' for thirty years—a remembrance—well, I was thinkin' a the same thing."

He held up his hand, and Ennis could see he was holding a small black velvet box. "What's this?"

Jack offered it to him. "Go on. You can open it."

Ennis flipped open the top. Inside were two matching silver rings, wedged in the black velvet interior. He looked up at Jack, his eyes puzzled.

Jack smiled at him. "You started talkin' 'bout nipple rings, but I was thinkin' a rings too…the more traditional type."

Ennis rubbed his finger along one of the rings in the box. "These look like the rings we have…but they're different."

"They're made by the same person."

"Sarah?"

Jack nodded.

"She still doin' craft fairs?"

Jack shook his head. "Nope. She has her own shop now. And a website. That's how I tracked her down. But she's still in Albuquerque." Jack took the box from Ennis and looked at the rings. "This style is called 'eternal knot.' Sarah said people use em as weddin' rings, or anniversary rings."

Ennis nodded, still looking at the rings in the box. "Ours are called…?" His voice trailed off.

"Lover's braid," Jack answered. "Sarah is still makin' em, it's her bestseller."

Ennis twisted the ring on his finger as he looked at it. "Held up pretty well for a 25 dollar ring we bought at a craft fair."

"They have. And you can bet her rings cost more than 25 dollars now," he added, with a laugh.

Ennis looked at Jack. "So, what's the serious part? Buyin' two rings ain't such a big deal."

Jack took a deep breath. "Well, I was hopin'…or mebbe wonderin'…'bout havin' some sort a ceremony at the party. Somethin' where we could exchange the rings with each other."

Ennis looked down at his hands, twisting the ring he wore around his right ring finger. He thought for a moment, then looked up. "I don't think so, Jack," he said softly.

"You don't think so ta the rings, or ta the ceremony?"

"Ta the ceremony. You know me, Jack, I'm a private guy…"

"I know, Ennis, but I was thinkin' mebbe with the family here, you'd be okay with it." His voice was a mixture of hopefulness and disappointment.

Ennis looked up and fixed his eyes on Jack's. "I might a done it if it was just the kids. But with Cecilia and KE, and Lureen…I dunno, it's diff'rnt. I'm not sure I could stand up in front a all of em and make a vow ta ya."

Jack nodded, clicking the box shut. "That's okay, Ennis. I understand."

Ennis took Jack's hand, and took the box from him. "Jack…I want ta wear this ring. It's beautiful. And ya know I wanted somethin' for thirty years. I'm just not comfortable standin' up in front of a bunch a people…you know me."

"I do. And it's okay, don't worry 'bout it. I ain't mad or anythin'."

Ennis opened the box again and took out one of the rings. "How did ya know what size ta get?"

"I took a guess. We wear the same size pants, I thought we might wear the same size rings."

Ennis chuckled softly, then slipped the ring onto his left ring finger. "Looks like ya guessed right," he said, as he slipped the ring off and placed it back in the box. "Yers must fit."

"Yeah, I tried it on when they arrived."

Ennis looked at Jack, then back at the box in his hand. "Wait a minute," he said, standing up. He crossed the living room to the bookcase and quickly extracted a small black book. Jack watched him, puzzled. Ennis flipped through the pages, nodding to himself. He came back to the couch and sat down, putting the book down next to him.

Jack looked over at the book, realizing in that instant that it was Ennis's prayer book that his sister had given him when he married Alma. It was open to the "Sacrament of Matrimony."

Ennis opened the box and took out one of the rings, then lifted Jack's left hand. He smiled as he pushed the ring onto Jack's fourth finger. "I, Ennis, take you Jack, ta be my husband, ta have and ta hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health," he paused, glancing over at the open prayer book next to him, then turned back to Jack, still smiling, "for richer or poorer, and I promise to be faithful ta ya til death do us part." He held Jack's hand for a minute, looking at the ring, then looking at Jack.

Jack turned the ring on his finger and looked at Ennis. "You ain't ever called me yer husband before," he said softly.

"And I prob'ly ain't gonna start announcin' it ta the world," replied Ennis. "But that's what ya are. That's how I think 'bout ya."

Jack smiled at him, then looked over at the prayer book. "My turn," he said, taking the ring and Ennis's left hand. "I, Jack, take you Ennis, ta be my lovin' husband, ta have and ta hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. I promise ta be faithful ta ya til death do us part."

The ring settled in at the base of Ennis's finger, looking as comfortable and natural as if he had been wearing it forever. He lifted his eyes to Jack's. "Do I get ta kiss the groom?" he said.

"A course," said Jack, and once again, their lips met for a long and luxurious kiss, tongues twisting together.

They came apart, breathless for a moment, eyes locked. Then, Jack reached out picked up the prayer book, intending to close it and return it to the bookshelf. But as he did so, the front cover fell open, and a cluster of postcards spilled out. "Oh," said Jack, "I forgot these were in here." He sorted through them, looking quickly at the messages, then pulled out one with a picture of Signal Mountain on the front. "This was the first one," he said, his voice low.

Ennis nodded, and without even looking at the card, said, "Friend, this letter is long over due…I'm coming through on the 24th…"

Jack looked up at him. "The 24th? The twenty-fourth a June? That's today."

Ennis nodded. "I know. I'm the sentimental one, remember?"

Jack looked surprised. "Our reunion was today…"

Ennis nodded again. "Yup. I remembered that, and I remembered the cards were in my prayer book. And that's why I thought today might be a good day ta get married…or remarried, if that's what we did. And usin' the book, we had the right words this time."

"Oh, Ennis…" said Jack softly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

"Is it okay with you? What I did?"

"It's perfect. It's better than fourth a July, better than bein' in front a the family." Jack reached out and took Ennis's hand into is own.

"I love you, cowboy," said Ennis, his voice quiet.

"I love you too," said Jack, holding both of Ennis's hands and rubbing his thumbs across the two rings he now wore, the same as Jack.

They sat there for a minute, not talking, not kissing, just contemplating the moment. Finally, Ennis stood up. He took the prayer book and returned it to its space on the bookshelf, then came back to the couch and pulled Jack to his feet. "One good thing 'bout gettin' married in the evenin', we don't hafta wait long for the honeymoon ta start."

Jack smiled as Ennis ran his thumb along Jack's cheekbone, tracing it down his jaw. "Got somethin' special in mind?" he asked.

"I'm thinkin' I can tie ya up, mebbe put a blindfold on ya…ain't done that in a while."

Jack felt an erotic shiver run down his spine. "That the way ya treat yer husband?"

"Sure…you ain't a blushin' groom, I know ya like it when I fuck ya silly." He paused, rubbing his hand across the rough denim of Jack's jeans, feeling his erection through the fabric. "I think ya like the idea, but ya got somethin' else in mind?"

"Well, I was thinkin' a fillin' up the Jacuzzi tub, and lightin' some candles, and drinkin' champagne…" His hand traveled around Ennis's back, then slid down, resting on his ass.

"Hm," said Ennis, "sounds like yer goin' for romance."

Jack nodded. "Yup. And after the romance, then ya can tie me up."

Ennis winked. "Jack fuckin' Twist, sounds like we got a busy night ahead of us. I think we need ta stop talkin'…"

"And get fuckin'. Let me turn out the lights."

"And I'll get the champagne," said Ennis, heading for the kitchen. He came back into the living room and saw that Jack was still standing there, the room now dark and Jack in the shadow. "You okay, babe?" said Ennis.

"I'm fine," said Jack, "just waitin' for you."

Ennis walked over and pulled him close, one more time. "My husband," he said softly.

"My lover," said Jack. "Let's go upstairs."