Author's Note: Thank you so very much for my friend Kathy (kittie8571) who is the Beta of this story!
Thank you everybody for the reviews! Especially to ifyoucantfixitVPJada 91DebraLaValleyAnagr lewis and WCUGirl.
Chapter Twenty Six: The other piece of Ennis's soul
Jack was beyond curious. After three hours of traveling – they'd driven for a time and then took an airplane that Jack thought was a Concord – they were now driving again for more than a few minutes. By now, Jack's curiosity was reaching seriously high levels and he couldn't help but talk twice as much as he normally would. He was, after all, Jack Twist.
"Honey, are we there yet?" Jack asked for the third time in the last five minutes.
"For the love of God! No! And you're starting to sound like the donkey in that Shrek movie." Ennis said annoyed.
They sat in silence after that. But only for a few minutes.
"How do you know there's a scene like that in the movie?" Jack asked, feeling curious about it. "You've seen it, haven't you?"
"Hmm." Ennis murmured, keeping his eyes on the road.
"I can't believe it!" Jack laughed loudly, keeping a hand on his blindfold to prevent it from falling. "You've actually seen it!"
"It was a lonely night! Blockbuster was almost out of good movies and someone had mentioned to me that Eddie Murphy was funny in it." Ennis huffed, slightly angry, while Jack was still laughing.
"Really?" Jack asked between gasps. He'd actually laughed until tears started to fall from his eyes. He found the fact that Ennis liked movies for kids hilarious and he didn't even know why.
"I found Eddie Murphy funny." Ennis said lamely. Jack just let Ennis rest for a couple of seconds until the urge to speak struck him again.
"I never thought you were an Eddie Murphy fan!"
"Why? I do have a sense of humour." Ennis snapped. He was starting to feel sensitive about the issue.
"Honey, you know…" Jack stopped in the middle of the sentence, his cell phone had begun to ring and he was forced to reach blindly for it. When he finally found it in his left pocket, Jack quickly pressed the green button, hoping it wasn't someone from the firm.
"Hello?" Jack asked smiling. "Oh, it's you!"
Ennis took a glance at Jack. He was quite sure that it was Elizabeth, probably asking if they had yet reached their destination. Ennis had asked her for her help with this anniversary surprise. Actually, Ennis never stood a chance to not let her know about his plans since the blond woman always sifted through his secrets and he had hastily learned that that it was better to share with her on these small projects than to face her morbid curiosity.
As usual, she had been happy to help and gave Ennis an enormous amount of suggestions. Ennis didn't mind a bit. He liked Elizabeth's judgment and the older woman knew Jack like no one else.
But Ennis had someone else helping him. Mr. Santos had, once again, offered his assistance in New York. The pleasant billionaire had been happy to help Ennis, with whom he had a great relationship. He offered his Concord, with all the crew members, and extended Ennis an invitation to his wedding. Mr. Santos's wedding was now scheduled for late November. After Ennis had gratefully thanked him for the informal invitation, Mr. Santos promised to make a visit to the firm soon and maybe even bring a formal invitation, which would have been printed by that time.
Ennis had enjoyed speaking with the businessman. Mr. Santos was always polite, with a life force of a typical Spanish man. It was a delight. The conversation changed from ETA to Mr. Santos's latest Ferrari purchase. Ennis had even found the courage to confess that his plans were for none other than Jack Twist, and it had been a surprise when the older man had laughed in response. Mr. Santos confessed to Ennis that he was impressed with him for, in his opinion, being able to "catch" such a fine young man. Ennis was left speechless and utterly embarrassed. Mr. Santos indeed had an astonishing personality.
"So, you know?" Jack asked into his cell phone in the passenger's seat, wakening Ennis from his daydreaming session. Ennis looked at the other man, who was now smiling.
"Of course, she knew!" Ennis said with a small smirk.
"Yeah. He's still driving."
There was a small moment of silence, when all Ennis could hear was the unintelligible sounds, coming from Jack's cell phone. Then, Jack spoke again.
"No, but ok. I'll call you again. Probably after we arrive where ever it is that we're going." Jack sighed loudly, hoping to get some new clue from Ennis. Of course, that didn't happened.
"Bye, Beth. See you on Monday, or so I hope." Jack said to the mobile phone.
Ennis tried hard not to laugh, as he glanced at Jack. His boyfriend looked adorable. Jack was sitting on the passenger's seat, holding the phone in his right hand and looking completely defeated, with his left hand on his blindfold and his head pressed against the window.
Jack must have heard his not-so-silent laughing, because seconds after, he was back to being grumpy and annoyed.
"You better tell me we're going to be there soon! My head is spinning and my back is hurting. Ennis Del Mar…" He didn't get to finish because Ennis put a hand on his shoulders and spoke.
"Baby, we've just arrived."
"Can I take this damn thing off?" Jack asked excitedly.
"No! You're going to wait until I get you in front of the place!" Ennis said, turning off the engine.
Jack waited in silence. He had been waiting since they left his father's house this morning. A few more minutes wouldn't make any difference. The problem was that by now, he was trembling with excitement and the suspense was literally killing him. Jack told himself that whatever it was, where ever they were, he was going to like it. No, better, he was going to love it, if only for the fact that Ennis went through all this trouble to give him an anniversary surprise.
But he did have a couple of fears. If Elizabeth had helped and approved, the surprise should be, at the very least, perfect. So, when Ennis took his hand and guided him to the unknown place, he was smiling widely. He quickly noticed that the weather was much hotter than in New York and by this time, they should be in another state.
By the time Ennis's hands caressed his skin while trying to untie the blindfold, Jack was shaking. He couldn't wait another second. He took a deep breath and he opened his eyes.
The bright light blinded him for a few seconds. He was desperately trying to see, but it was impossible. He could felt Ennis's hands resting on his shoulders, peacefully waiting. Once again, he tried to look in front of him, blinking hard from the brightness. He finally was able to see.
The landscaping was completely different from the one he was used to, or was expecting to see. Red sand and short, green vegetation painted the ground. The small breeze that he felt was even hotter than the air around them. They were standing next to a road, on the top of a hill. The car was parked not too far away. Looking down at the view in front of them, Jack could see what it looked like on a typical Texan ranch. His heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly realized where they were.
"Ennis? Where are we?" He asked, still not convinced. He desperately needed to hear the words coming from Ennis's mouth.
"That Mr. Twist…" Ennis said pointing to the ranch in front of them. "It's the Del Mar ranch."
Jack smiled. He couldn't help it. He was completely sure that this was going to be one of those moments, that even after many years, you still have a clear picture of what happened. You never know when they're coming, but when you're living them, you have that little feeling that you're never going to forget them. Mental pictures that last forever and to which we attach the various feelings of the different moments. We live in order to collect those memories, when the spirit is shining and life changes forever. And this one, Jack was sure, was going to be one of those.
"God, honey." Jack whispered, overwhelmed with emotions.
There were no words for a moment like this and nothing Jack could say would come near to what he was feeling. But one thing was sure; he was grateful. Grateful that Ennis had found the courage to take him to the most precious place in his heart for the blond lawyer. Grateful that Ennis loved him enough to show him where a part of his soul was constantly resting. Because Jack knew that where ever Ennis was, whatever he did, a small part of him was always on this ranch. The place where he had been born. The same place where his parents had lived almost all their lives.
"I see you like your surprise." Ennis said, hugging him from behind. They were far from the ranch and Ennis was sure no one could see them.
"Yes, very much. Thank you." Jack turned around and faced him, sliding his lips over Ennis's for a feverish kiss.
"Happy anniversary, baby." Ennis murmured, still hugging Jack.
"Two months. Can you believe it?"
"Sometimes it feels like so much longer."
"You're right." Jack replied, letting go of his boyfriend but still holding his hand.
He took some time to look at the ranch again. From the top of the hill, where they were standing, Jack could only see the beginning of the huge wooden fence. The ranch was much bigger than he had previously imagined. The limits of the Del Mar ranch's territory were far from being seen. In front of the wooden sign with the ranch's name, there was a small path, clearly made by the uncountable times their workers had used it. This path led to a very small house also made of wood. Jack predicted that there was supposed to be the place where the workers had their rest. Not far from it, there was a big stable, but Jack couldn't see any horses from where he was standing. Actually, there were no horses in sight. Only a couple of big brown cows, which were lazily eating on a very distant piece of land inside the visible limits of the ranch. Not far from the cows, there was a house, all painted in white, with small blue portals covering the windows. It was old but quite beautiful and Jack thought he could imagine a small Ennis running around it. Right next to the house, a big but badly constructed garage had its doors open, showing the front of an orange tractor. On the left side of the house, someone had parked an old, light blue van. It was a typical ranch, at least in Jack's point of view, where you could probably find one or two dogs and a handful of big, tough, hard workers.
"You know, Jack? We can't walk around like this." Ennis said looking at their joined hands. "These are old fashioned people. It's better not to call attention to ourselves."
"I figured you would say that." Jack replied, still looking at the ranch. "And I think you're right. No need to scare your employees."
Jack could easily understand Ennis's position. After all, these were the men that worked for his boyfriend. Typical Texan guys, who liked their bear cold and their women with big breasts. This last thought made Jack's face frown in disgust. Sometimes he was too gay for his own good.
"Let's go then." Ennis said, moving to the car.
Jack looked one last time to the ranch, after running out, trying to reach the car at the same time as Ennis.
Ennis parked the car in front of the large sign bearing his family name. It was good to be back at the ranch and it was wonderful to finally bring company with him. He glanced at Jack, who looked tremendously happy but not less excited. He hadn't been wrong. Jack had loved the surprise. He only wondered if Jack would completely understand the meaning of this visit.
"Follow me. I have a couple of things to talk about with the two keepers. They're the ones living in my old family house. The rest of men live in the closest villages." Ennis closed his door. Jack, who was on the other side of the car, only nodded.
They walked in the direction of the small wooden house Jack had observed before. And if it looked rather simple from the outside, the inside had not improved Jack's opinion. There was only one window and the walls had been painted a terrible shimmering yellow. It was indeed a place to rest, with small chairs displayed all around the division. The smallest television Jack had ever seen was on the top of a wooden lath and a coffee machine was right next to a deck of cards on the table. Finally, as the final touch in the decoration, Jack noticed the calendars of nude women hanging on the walls.
"Nice taste. I think I saw something like this at Tiffany's." Jack said mockingly.
"Yes. Thank God the house looks exactly as my mum left it. You're going to like it better."
"We're not staying the night, are we?" Jack asked happily.
"No, maybe next time. If you want to, of course." Ennis said, moving to the grey phone next to the window. Jack hadn't noticed it was there. "Mr. Gorman, the younger one, always goes shopping on Sunday. When I call and they don't pick up, I usually call the local shop and they're there."
Jack nodded in silence and took the opportunity to examine the rest of the room. There was a black door on Ennis's right side. Jack didn't see it the first time because from that angle, it had been hidden with a wardrobe. Jack wondered where it would lead to; perhaps a bathroom or a storage room. His eyes moved from the door back to the window where Ennis was waiting for someone to pick up his call. He was surprised to find a piece of paper under Ennis's left foot. Quickly, he bent down to pick it up, surprising Ennis.
On the small piece of paper, covered with grey dirt thanks to Ennis's shoes, was a large and simple handwriting. Jack read it out loud.
Deacon,
I went to Seixo's for the usual shopping. Don't worry. I won't forget to bring you the stupid yogurts! I woke up and you'd already left, since old Smith wasn't in his compartment, and I remembered about the fence in the north. For God's sake -- it's Sunday!
Just don't forget that Ennis is coming today!
G.
"I wonder if Mr. Deacon has already returned." Ennis said turning off the phone.
"I don't get it. Who's Smith?"
"A horse, of course, Jack." Ennis said smiling.
"That makes sense." Jack said looking at the piece of paper in his hands.
"Come on, let's check in the house. He's probably there."
"Great." Jack was eager to see the interior of the house.
They walked out of the small house and Jack was surprised by how far the main house was. From the top of the hill, he couldn't really tell. Since they had arrived at the ranch, everything looked bigger to Jack.
"Are we going to walk all the way to the house?" Jack asked concerned.
"Jack, it's only a few miles. And it should only take us about 10 minutes."
Jack wasn't happy but he managed to stay silent about it. Ennis took the time to introduce him to some of the ranch's works and investments. They were currently producing a big amount of cotton, but the ranch was well-known for the quality of its cattle and broilers. Ennis told Jack that some of their land was surrounding a small local lake. There were also several water troughs, spin feeders and irrigation wells. All extremely new, thanks to recent investments. Jack was surprised to hear that the ranch still didn't have enough profit to sustain these investments. It all had been done with Ennis's personal money.
When they reached the entrance of the house, a tall man walked out the door. He was older than Ennis and Jack with grey hair that made Jack think that he should be, at least, in his fifties. The older man was clearly surprised to see them. He had dark brown eyes and was quite muscular for his age, Jack noticed.
"Mr. Del Mar! How good to see you!" The man said smiling, quickly moving to shake Ennis's hand. "I went to work on a fence on the north part of the property. Its Sunday so I had to go alone. Anyway, I saw that I'd arrived too late to properly welcome you, right?"
"No problem, Mr. Deacon. We read a note that Mr. Gorman left you and we decided to check to see if you'd already arrived." Ennis said returning the smile. "By the way, this is my friend Jack Twist."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Twist." Mr. Deacon said nodding with his head and offering his hand.
"The pleasure is mine." Jack said still observing the other man. He looked exactly like the cowboys in the movies and Jack found it very odd to be facing a man like that in real life.
"I guess the least I can do is give you both a lift in my tractor. I'm sure you're going to the stables, right?"
"Yeah. That was the plan. I'm just not sure if Jack knows how to ride." Ennis said looking at Jack.
"Yes! I completely forgot. City folks, right?" Mr. Deacon said with a smile.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint both of you, but I've known how to ride since I was nine years old." Jack said proudly.
"Good for you, Mr. Twist. We have some of the most beautiful horses in Texas." The older man said matter-of-factly.
"Well I wouldn't say it myself…" Ennis murmured shyly.
"Ok, I understand. Let's take the ride so that I can judge the horses myself."
"That's the spirit Mr. Twist!" Mr. Deacon said smiling. "This way. Well, you've probably already seen my tractor, right?"
"Yes, it's quite a beauty." Jack said looking at his shoes. His Hugo Boss shoes were already ruined with all the sand and dust of the road. He understood that his Armani trousers were headed in the same direction, especially if he was going to ride with them.
But this wasn't entirely his fault. Because Ennis hadn't warned him about the trip, he didn't wear something suitable for a day at a ranch. His expensive new clothes were perfect for a lovely lunch in New York, not for riding around on a tractor. Perhaps that was why Mr. Deacon kept looking at him and smiling. And what was it with the man and the question «Right»? Some kind of tick, perhaps?
"Well, then I'll get you to the stables and I'll wait for Gorman to start making a wonderful dinner of all of us. It's a good plan, right?"
"Yes. It's perfect. We'll return to the house as soon as we get back from our riding trip." Ennis sat on the back of the tractor, leaving the passenger's seat to Jack.
"I don't know how much Ennis has told you about the ranch, but I'm the main cattle rancher. The sheep, the cows and horses are directly under my administration. Gorman, the man you're going to meet at dinner, works mostly with the cotton production." He was driving the huge tractor, while speaking with Jack.
"Ennis gave me a general idea."
"Well, he's the main reason the ranch is still thriving. If it wasn't for his investment, we'd a been long gone. And the same will happen to the lands surrounding us, right?" The older man waived his hand in an undefined direction. "All that this land needs is investment and unfortunately, money is something we don't have much of around here. Mr. Del Mar was a happy exception."
"So, you're thinking of expanding the business?" Jack asked Ennis.
"Yes, as soon as I've got enough capital."
Jack thought about asking how much Ennis would spend in the expansion of the ranch, but he was fighting the urge to lend the money. He was sure that if he made such an offer, Ennis would be offended. He had sensed Ennis's discomfort regarding his wealth and had decided to avoid such matters. He wanted Ennis to be comfortable with him in each and every aspect of their lives.
"I can't wait to show you Medusa!" There was an enthusiastic tone in Ennis's voice.
"Medusa?" Jack asked curiously.
"Our must beautiful mare. It's a white Lusitanian mare."
"Doesn't Medusa mean ugly woman?"
"It's a type of butterfly, right?" Mr. Deacon asked in his unique way of questioning every statement.
"It's also one of the three Gorgons in mythology." Ennis added.
"What an odd name for a mare." Jack murmured.
"Well, I guess it's all Christopher's fault. He was the one at the stables when she was born and so he was the one who decided on the name. I liked it."
"No name would ever do her justice. You wait and see. You're going to love her." Ennis said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Jack smiled, feeling happy.
Yes. These were the moments that we record in our minds. The small precious instances when our soul is content and complete. When everything else is forgotten and the small pieces of our lives fit in. And even knowing they can't last forever, we can't help but hope they will.
And Jack was no exception.
Ennis's legs were hurting. Actually, his entire lower body was in pain. They had ridden for almost three hours. He couldn't remember the last time he had ridden for so long. He was totally out of practice. But the same thing could not be said about Jack Twist. Jack had proved to be an extremely talented rider and was now walking in a quick pace to the house, obviously showing no signs of pain.
"Slow down. I'm in pain here." Ennis complained. His ego was, by now, completely destroyed.
"You're lacking in training. Perhaps next time you can come with me to my uncle's club and ride one of his horses."
"So that's why you rode so well today."
"You shouldn't be so surprised."
"Yeah, I guess I shouldn't."
They were almost to the entrance of the house. Ennis was eager to give Jack the grand tour. For, him this was no ordinary house. This was the house were he was born. The place where he had first dreamed to be rich and famous in New York. The dream that would eventually lead him to Jack. The beginning of everything that happened and everything that was about to happen. And it's always magical to return to the starting point.
"They must be waiting for us." Ennis said knocking on the door.
Jack was still looking around like a tourist visiting the Sistine Chapel for the very fist time. There was so much to see, so many details to admire and yet no one seems to concentrate enough to truly appreciate it. Even though each and every visitor had previously sworn that they would cherish every single paintbrush done by genius Miguel Angelo. The look on Jack's face was exactly the same.
"Ennis, how good to see you." Mr. Gorman said with the smallest of all smiles. Jack was surprised to see that Mr. Gorman was much younger than Mr. Deacon. Actually, he looked to be closer to Jack and Ennis's age. But there was something in the way he moved and spoke that reminded Jack of a wild horse. It also made him look older.
"It's good to see you too, Mr. Gorman."
"Come on, Ennis. We went to school together and you still insist on calling me Mr. Gorman. I can understand it in front of the ranchers or during calls, but not right now!" His upper lip made the smallest of all movements, struggling to smile.
"If you insist, Gorman." Ennis laughed, shaking hands with his favourite rancher. "Let me first introduce you to my friend and colleague, Jack Twist."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Twist." The man said in a low tone.
"Nice to meet you too." Jack said, still intrigued with the man standing in front of him.
"Let's not dawdle. Ennis, lead your friend to the dinning room. The food is waiting for me in the kitchen. It will be ready in a minute." He turned and moved to the right. After a few seconds they heard him speak from the kitchen. "Take a look at the new curtains! Rachel from the shop at the village sold them to me at a very reasonable price."
It was the fact that Gorman spoke with the enthusiasm of the gossip section after church that totally didn't match his facial expressions or his old cowboy attitudes. He was an odd character, Jack sensed. A complex man with a simple life, or perhaps a man with a sad story. Or even the reflection of a traumatizing childhood.
Ennis took Jack to the dining room, which was open to the living room. It was an ample room, with a couple of green sofas and a television on the right side and an old set of chairs and table made of oak-wood on the left side. The curtains that Mr. Gorman mentioned matched the green of the sofas. The walls were covered in old, but well preserved, wall-paper, the pattern consisting of pick roses and beautiful robins in flight. Oddly enough, it all matched perfectly.
"So, I see you've returned. Bet you got a wonderful time, right?" Jack was surprised to see that Mr. Deacon was seated in one of the green sofas. He had clearly not noticed the man's presence during his examination.
"Yes, and we had a wonderful time." Ennis said, moving to sit on the sofa next to Mr. Deacon.
"No, no. Let's sit at the table. Last time I checked, the food was almost ready."
When they were all seated around the table, Mr. Gorman appeared carrying a huge pressure cooker. Jack couldn't remember the last time he had seen another. Probably on TV commercials.
"Chicken and Artichokes with Bowtie Pasta! I saw the recipe on the Martha Stuart Show. When you told me yesterday that you were bringing a friend, I thought I should give it a try." The rancher said taking out the tamper.
It looked delicious so Jack dismissed the surprised look on Ennis's face and eagerly attacked the fabulous dinner. They all complimented Mr. Gorman and engaged in small talk about the ranch and the weather in Texas. Jack had a very nice time. Mr. Deacon was the most curious about Jack and Ennis's work and Jack was happy to tell him all about it, even giving details about previous cases. The older man was as curious as he was smart.
"Ennis? Can you come to the kitchen, please? There are a few papers I'd like to show you." Gorman said to Ennis when the meal was over.
Ennis looked at Jack, who was at the moment explaining to Mr. Deacon how his grandfather had come out with the idea of being a lawyer. He was surprised to see the ease between the two men but was relieved to see Jack fit in this place so well. He decided to follow Deacon to the kitchen without disturbing Jack.
"Is this about the offer to buy the ranch? Because if it is, don't worry. The man phoned me in New York and I thanked him, but declined the offer." Ennis said when they entered the kitchen. "I told him that maybe you guys could help him find some other ranch near by."
"No, is not that Ennis." Gorman said looking at the floor. He was leaning against the sink and looked uncomfortable. Ennis decided that maybe it was better to sit in one of the white stools.
"Is it money?"
"No. Look, it's difficult for me to talk with you about this. But I still see you as the local kid I've known all my life, and that didn't change when I started to work for you. You're like a cousin to me. Like family." Ennis was confused but remain silent. "You're a good man and God knows how much this town owes you. If it weren't for you, half of our kids woulda left to go to the city. This ranch gave jobs to most of them."
Ennis was about to ask where this was leading but Gorman raised his hand, pleading for a few more minutes of silence.
"I always worried about you. You always worked so much, always sending more and more money to the ranch. But every time I saw you, you were always alone. Your parents used to worry about that too. You'd rarely come to visit us and we'd grown used to only seeing you on TV. When your parents died and I saw you at the funeral, I understood. You were completely alone with your dream. And I wondered if anyone would come to rescue you from that." Ennis was nervous, wondering where this conversation was leading.
"Short time later, you asked me and Deacon to take care of the place. You start visiting more regularly but still alone. You had me convinced that it's going to end like that. But today you came, for the first time, with company. And believe me, if I didn't know you so well, I woulda believed that he was only your friend."
Ennis opened his eyes in shock. How could this man know him so well? How had he found out? Had they subconsciously given signals? Who else knew? Was he about to show how disgusted he was? Was he going to quit his job? Ennis's mind worked overtime forming question after question.
"I hope I'm not overstepping, Ennis. I know you always saw me as a distant friend from Texas. But I was friends with your parents and if you hadn't gone to law school, we probably woulda ended up closer than brothers. But when your parents died, I was a stranger to you and it didn't make much difference to me. I was even surprised when you asked me to run the ranch for you." Gorman smiled and Ennis found the courage to murmur.
"Father used to say great things about you…"
"I suspected it. So, you understand? I'm talking to you like a brother." Gorman's eyes locked with Ennis's. "I suspected when you called me yesterday, but it was clear during dinner. Obvious only for the ones looking for the right signs, but still clear. Jack is your boyfriend, isn't he?"
Ennis's mind wanted to deny it, wanted to run away and never come back. But even using his logic, he could conclude that there was no denying. The man standing in front of him knew him too well. It had been another surprise, but it was the truth. He still had some family in Texas and it was all due to this man. And he had easily guessed, just as his parents would have guessed if they were still alive. He also knew that he wanted to come back with Jack to the ranch, wanted to be open with Gorman about this. He felt the man deserved that, even if he couldn't understand why so.
"Yes. It's also quite recent." Ennis whispered.
"I'm happy for you, Ennis. He seems to be a good man and he obviously makes you very happy." Ennis couldn't understand the obviously part but he was relieved with Gorman's words.
"I hope I didn't embarrass you to confirm my suspicions. I told you all this because I wanted to know something else. Are you and Mr. Twist going to visit the ranch often?"
Ennis was still confused with all this conversation but he managed to mumble a yes.
"Ok. I think there's not much to worry about. Like I've said, these people owe you a lot and as long as you don't give them a free show, they won't care who you bring to the ranch. I hope you understand. There's a few gay men around here, but people are still not that openminded." He sighed and a small smile appeared on his face
"I would never have expected you to take this so easily. But then you were right. I don't know you as well as you apparently know me." Ennis added the last part with a hint of sadness.
"Ennis, it's not too late to be friends. Come to the ranch more often and bring Jack. I'll deal with Deacon, in case he suspects anything. Although I seriously doubt that will happen soon."
"I have a strong feeling that I'm meeting you for the first time again." Ennis said smiling and shaking his head.
"Hi, my name is David Gorman."
"Ennis Del Mar." Ennis laughed while they shook hands.
"I hope you can forgive me for this, Ennis. I needed to be sure, so that I could help you." He let his hand rest on Ennis's shoulder. "And I also wanted to let you know how close I feel to you, even if only for my part."
"I hope we can change that in the future, David." Ennis said frankly.
"I hope so too, Ennis."
Jack felt tired. It had been a long day, and after the joyful dinner they had shared, his body was asking for some rest. He looked at his blond boyfriend. Ennis was driving in silence, eyes on the road with a focused expression on his face. A smile on his lips and a relaxed posture told Jack that Ennis was happy. Notoriously happy.
Jack was feeling no different. He had enjoyed meeting Mr. Deacon and Mr. Gorman and having the opportunity to know more about this side of Ennis, a side which was usually well hidden in New York. It had been a clear sign of trust, one he didn't know he deserved.
"Ennis? What do you think about us coming here more often? I really liked the place."
"I hope so. We don't have much time, as you well know. But I'm glad you liked and it was a good time for me too. I hadn't been here for more than a month. After my parents died, I started to come to the ranch more often…"
Jack could see that Ennis was remembering those trying times. Or perhaps it was something else; he wasn't so sure anymore.
"Anyway, I trust Mr. Deacon and Mr. Gorman with the financial decisions, so it leaves me with little to do here. But I like to see it for myself to watch the improvements grow into something real."
"They sure are a funny pair." Jack said with a small smile.
"Don't start with you're crazy ideas. They're not!"
"What? I didn't say anything." Jack murmured, pretending to be completely innocent.
"You thought."
"Well… They do act like an old couple." Jack said laughing a bit.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Gorman is not. About Mr. Deacon I'm not completely sure, but I think he was married back in the eighties. Either way, he's too old for that now."
"Too old for being gay?" Ennis was even surprised with the humorous tone in Jack's voice. "Oh my God! That means that when we reach our sixties we won't be gay no more! What are we going to do? Play cards?" Jack dropped his hand against his forehead, in a dramatic display worthy of a Greek tragedy.
"Are you done? It was an expression, ok? I just don't think he's gay. End of discussion!"
"Ok, ok. No need to get touchy. I was just joking and you know it. They are good men and I liked them, even though Mr. Gorman looked at us kinda funny all through dinner."
"He suspected it. He even told me so." Ennis said looking at Jack in the eye. The humorous expression had left Jack's face. He was now deadly serious. "Don't worry, honey. He was quite happy for me."
"Really?" Jack asked intrigued.
"It was the revelation of a lifetime, like knowing someone but not truly knowing him till that moment."
Jack stayed silent, trying to understand where that left them. He wanted to return to the ranch. He had loved the place, the horses and the surroundings. But he was aware that this was Ennis's past. The place where he had been born. The place where he had invested half of his money. The money he had earned being a lawyer. He would understand if this would be the only time he'd ever visit the Del Mar's ranch. He was willing to sacrifice that.
"I understand, honey."
"You do? Because I was surprised with his speech. But I guess he was right. Those people do owe me a lot and as long as we're not blatant, they wouldn't care who I have in my house or in my bed. As for the staff, they're all good people and David promised he would deal with them."
"So now he's David?"
"It's a long story and I promise, I'll tell you everything tomorrow. You look tired and honestly, I still need to do some serious thinking about it."
"I see." Jack mumbled. He was utterly surprised. He hadn't expected this.
"I guess this means we're coming back together again."
"Yes. We'll be back." Jack murmured and his eyes moved to the landscape running past his window.
He couldn't help but feel that he had won another small piece of Ennis's heart. Or perhaps it wasn't only a small piece. Right now, he wasn't completely sure.
Author: I loved this chapter! The idea came to me on Italy and I was surprised with the final result. It was supposed to be post on Sunday but I couldn't wait to share it with my dear readers. Wasn't it sweet?
On the next chapter: Jack is back to the firm but working with his father. Ennis is the target of Jack's little seduction at the office but the couple has more than love to share. The Dungeon's case is only now beginning and the suspicion is in the air! And who is the mysterious man who wants to meet with Ennis?