Milestones part 34
It was a rough Friday morning, the girls had left last night but instead of going home they decided to visit their mom in Riverton rather than go back to Casper.
Ennis was up first, as usual, he made oatmeal for everyone. Jack woke up to the smell of coffee.
"Mornin Ennis, yer makin breakfast? I thought Kaylin is comin in today."
"She is, but I wanted to send our boy off on a full stomach."
It didn't take long for Bobby to join them. "Wow what's all this?" he asked as he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the table next to his father. Ennis spooned up three bowls of oatmeal and toast and joined them.
"I wanted to make sure you had a full belly before you hit the road."
Bobby loved cinnamon oatmeal and he discovered that Ennis knew how to make it really well. He said he'd made it plenty of times for the girls.
"Thanks Ennis, I'm sure gonna miss this." They all knew he wasn't just talking about the oatmeal.
After breakfast Ennis and Jack and Clara walked Bobby out to his car.
"Well I guess this is it." Bobby sighed, his hands crossed in front of his chest. He looked over the snow-covered fields. Then he felt Clara's nose press against his hand.
Bobby knelt down and hugged her. "You take care girl, I'll be back soon I promise." She licked his face. He stood up and hugged his father.
"No matter what, Bobby, you've got a home right here with us." Jack assured him.
Ennis came over and without any hesitation hugged his stepson. "You study hard, ya hear?"
"Yeah dad," Bobby whispered, feeling luck he had two fathers who loved him. He pulled back from the embrace and wiped the wetness from his eyes.
"Don't forget to call home, let us know how ya doin." Ennis told him.
"I will, I'll be comin back you know. I haven't got classes on the weekends." He got into his truck. "Besides I gotta have someplace to bring my dirty laundry." Bobby felt a pair of snowballs hit him in the face and neck. "Hey!" he laughed as he started the truck, waved at his dads and left.
Kaylin showed up about half an hour later.
"Bobby left already?" she was taking off her coat and saw the dirty dishes in the sink.
"Yeah, he wanted to head out first thing. Ennis made breakfast." Jack told her. "He said he as sorry he missed ya and said he was gonna miss yer cookin."
"I bet," she laughed and went to start the dishes.
"No Kaylin, I made the mess I'll clean t up." Ennis put his hand on Kaylin's shoulder.
"Thanks Ennis."
"Did ya have breakfast?" Jack asked her.
"Oh yeah I fed the boys before they went to school." She helped herself to a cup of coffee. They chit chatted for a bit then Kaylin started on the dusting.
The ranch hands were outside going about their jobs.
It was late morning when a big truck came up the long road leading to the BBM Ranch.
Ben Meyer got out of the cab of the truck. "Mornin Ennis." The burly man greeted the cowboy. "I got your order." The men shook hands.
"I didn't expect you to deliver the hay yourself.
"You mean I can't come visit my favorite customers?"
"Now we're always glad to see ya Ben."
"I wanted to look around, see how you and Jack are doin. Where is Jack anyway?"
"He's inside the office takin care of the bills."
"Yep, shoulda known it' a vicious cycle."
"Jason, Andy come on over and help me unload this hay." Ennis called out to his workers. Sometimes it was hard for him to believe he was the boss of his own ranch, but here he was.
"Hey Ben!" and here came the reason for this good life he was living, Jack came bounding out from the house and across the yard to the hay barn.
"Jack, how are ya doin?" Jack hugged the older man and shook his hand.
"Good. I didn't expect to see ya."
Well I saw you placed an order and decided to run it over to you myself."
"Glad ya did."
"How about I help ya unload this hay and then maybe you can show me how the cattle and horses I sold ya are doin."
"It's a deal, Ben." Jack smiled and they all pitched in.
It was lunchtime by the time they got done and Kaylin called them in.
"Kaylin this here's Ben Meyer, he's a friend of ours and a supplier."
"Well howdy ma'am." Ben came in and took off his coat and hat. They all washed up for lunch.
The hands came in and joined them Mitch and Andy thought it was unusual. On most ranches you either brought your own lunch or sometimes the ranch might give you lunch but you never ate with the owners. You ate outside or in a truck.
Ennis and Jack made it clear they were like family and they couldn't run this place without the three of them. So Mitch, Andy and Jason got a good, hearty lunch every workday.
After lunch they decided to show Ben around. "So what do you think of Brokeback Ranch, Ben?" Jack asked as they dismounted the horses.
"It looks real fine, have you gotten in touch with that meat company I told ya about?" Ben asked them.
"Yeah, I got in touch with AFON meat distributors. They're going to come out next week to look over our stock."
"Good read good. We'll fellas as much as I've enjoyed my time I gotta head on back now."
"Thanks for stopping by Ben." Jack shook his hand.
"It was good seein ya." Ennis shook his hand. Ennis was leaning to relax around people. Ben didn't seem to think it was odd for he and Jack to have a ranch together. He considered them friends as well as customers. 'Maybe Jack was right all along. We've been in operation for a while now and ain't had anybody lookin at me like they know any of our business. It's been a good life so far, real good.'
"Penny for your thoughts." Jack put his hand on Ennis' arm bringing him back from his reverie. Ennis looked at him and smiled. "Oh I wasn't thinkin nothing special."
"Come on Ennis, ya know you can tell me what's on yer mind." The men took the saddles and bridles off the horses and let Scout, Dawn and Pine Creek out to pasture.
"Ya know just takin stock and all." Ennis looked at the ground and pawed it with the toe of his boot.
"Oh yeah? That so?"
"Yeah," Ennis didn't elaborate and Jack didn't press him, figuring Ennis would tell him when or if he was ready.
Jack went back inside his office. He had to get the pay ready for the workers. They had seen a little profit from selling some apples from the orchard they had on the west pasture. Jack was hoping that between breeding and selling some cattle and the hay and barley crop they had planted that by the fall they'd be in the black.
The phone rang. "Hello Brokeback Mountain Ranch."
"Hello, is this Jack?"
"Yes who's this?"
"It's Ellen, Ennis' sister."
"Oh hi Ellen. It's great to hear from you."
"Same here. Is Ennis around?"
"I think he went into town to get something, he should be back in about an hour or so. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Well Nathan and I are wondering if we can come on over for a visit. We'd love to see the ranch. I can't believe Ennis owns his own ranch. Would Sunday be a good day to come?"
Jack wanted to have Ennis' family come on over, but he was concerned because Ellen and Nathan did not know about the true nature of their relationship. Ellen knew he and Ennis were partners but they didn't elaborate over the New Years dinner what kind of partners. Jack didn't know how Ennis was going to feel about them coming over.
"Uh sure I think that would be fine," he didn't know what else to say to her. "I'll let Ennis know you called. Does he have your phone number?"
"No I don't think so, let me give it to you."
Jack jotted it down. "Okay got it. Let me talk to him and he'll give you a call back to let you know what time is good."
"Okay Jack, thank you. I can't wait to see you and Ennis' ranch."
Jack hung up the phone. He cringed when Ellen said 'Ennis' ranch,' he wondered what she would say when she found out that he owned 50 of this ranch with Ennis and that they not only owned this ranch but each other's heart. And that they were married.
Jack sat down and rubbed his eyes with his hand, dreading Ennis' reaction.
At the end of the workday the ranch hands came in to collect their pay envelopes. Jack made some small talk with each of them, like he usually did. After they left Jack heard some humming coming from the living room. Ennis had just come in and sometimes the cowboy would hum. Something Jack took a liking to up on Brokeback. His momma sometimes would hum but only when his old man was not around. The old bastard hated any kind of joyful noises. So there was no humming, whistling or playing of the radio, unless it was tuned to news or sports, allowed in the house. Jack remembered fondly when Ennis wrapped him in his arms and hummed to him.
"Hey Ennis," Jack greeted him as he watched Ennis take off his coat, hat and boots. Jack came up behind Ennis and wrapped his arms around his waist and chest.
"What's this about, Jack?" he turned in his arms and looked at Jack.
"I, uh, I got somethin to tell ya. Ellen called while you was out. She and Nathan wanna come on out to the ranch." Jack could feel Ennis stiffen in his arms. "What did ya say?"
"I told her it was okay, she wants to come on Sunday. I told her I'd check with you on the time."
Ennis closed his eyes and sighed. "Damn." He whispered.
"Come on En," he led him to the couch and they sat down. "Remember it was brought up at the New Years party?"
"Yeah, guess I was hopin they'd forgot or somethin." He was picking at a loose thread on his shirtsleeve.
"Don't ya want yer sister to see the ranch? See what a good life you got now."
"Suppose be nice," he mumbled.
Jack wrapped his arm around Ennis' shoulder. "Bet she'll be proud of ya too." He kissed Ennis' cheek. "I know I am." He whispered.
Ennis looked at Jack.
"Ya are?"
Jack put his hand on Ennis' chest. "Sure am, cowboy." He hugged him tightly. "Call her Ennis, she wants to see ya."
"Okay," he sighed. Jack showed him the pad he'd jotted Ellen's number on and Ennis walked into the office and dialed.
"Hello?" Ellen answered her voice soft like a pillow.
"Uh, hello, Sunshine," Ennis used her nickname from when they were kids.
"Ennis honey I'm glad to hear from you."
"Yeah, uh, Jack told me yak called. Told me yak wan come visit on Sunday."
"Yes honey, me and Nathan, we wan come see you. I wan see how my baby brother is din for himself. I just can't believe you got your own place. I sure am glad you got a friend like Jack to help you out and all. I never told you this but I was afraid you'd never make any friends. I mean seeing how you kept to yourself so much, specially after mom and daddy died."
Ennis just sat there and let her rattle on. She was always the talker in the family.
"Hey, Ennis, I know maybe it ain't none of my business but does Jack have a girl?"
Ennis' heartbeat shot up several notches and his hand gripped the phone tighter as Ellen steered the conversation into dangerous waters.
"Uh, um, no he ain't got a girl. He did but he divorced her a while back." And married me, he said silently.
"Oh my that's hard. Well reason I'm asking is my friend Selma has a younger sister who's single and I thought maybe Jack and her could meet. It was nice meeting him at Donna and Ned's place. Whattya think Ennis?"
Ennis sat silent like stone.
"Well, uh, I don't think Jack is lookin for a girl no more. Said he was through with em." He likes men a whole lot better, like me. He wanted to tell her but couldn't, not over the phone.
"Well that's just silly, a fine man like Jack. Well how about I ask him when we come over let him decide.'
"I know he ain't gonna be interested Ellen."
"Okay Ennis," she let the subject drop for now. "So what time can we come over?"
"How about around two?"
"That sounds good. Can you give me directions?"
"Sure." He told her how to get to the ranch.
"See you then honey."
"Sure thing Sunshine, bye." He hung up the phone.
He put his head in his hands and took a deep breath and sat back.
"How did it go?" Jack sat in the chair opposite the desk.
"She's comin at two." He looked down at his hands.
"Well that'll be nice, won't it?"
"Yeah Jack it'll be fuckin nice.' Ennis stood up quickly.
"What's wrong?" Jack stood next to him.
"What's wrong is she thinks we're just business partners. She wanted to know if ya gotta girl cause if'n ya don't she wants to fix ya up with her friend's sister. What the hell are we gonna do, Jack!?"
"What do ya wanna do Ennis?"
"I don't know," he said through clenched teeth. He stormed out of the office and into the living room.
He stopped in front of the fireplace. On the mantel were several framed photos of the family. One of them was Junior, Jenny and Bobby taken over Christmas and a variety of photos of each of them. Clara was in some as well. Then there was one, a slightly larger one in the middle taken of Jack and Ennis, smiles on both their faces and arms around each other's shoulders. Ennis lifted it slowly off the stone surface and looked at it.
Jack stood next to him. "You thinkin of puttin that away? Hidin it, hidin what we have together? Hidin me away like I'm some kinda dirty little secret?"
Ennis quickly turned his face to look at Jack, his eyes gazing intently into Jack's blue ones. He looked back at the photo and closed his eyes.
TBC