Disclaimer: Still not mine. Ms. Proulx will always be better at this than I am.
Ennis was sitting on the log next to a blazing fire when he heard Jack pull up next to his own truck. He'd gotten there an hour ago and had everything ready for their two weeks up on the mountain. All that was left to do was to help Jack set up the tent. He'd been pondering on the two surprises he had for Jack this time. The first being where they were meeting this time, which he knew Jack was awful curious about seeing as how they usually avoided this place since that summer. The other was what he'd hidden in his saddle bags earlier.
Jack, just as Ennis figured, was mighty curious as to why they were meeting here again after all these years. Grabbing the tent and a few other things out of the back of his truck, Jack made his way over to where Ennis was sitting. Dropping the items off at the edge of camp he walked over and sat down next to Ennis and stared into the flames wondering if he needed to start first or what. He could see that Ennis was doing some deep thinking, so, he decided to wait and see. Finally, getting tired of the silence, he was about to say something, but, was surprised when Ennis spoke first.
"I know yer wonderin' why I asked ya to meet me here after all these years," he started.
Getting over the initial shock of Ennis actually starting a conversation, Jack finally managed to get his mouth working again. "Uh, yeah, the thought had crossed my mind. I do have to say, though, that this place doesn't seem to have changed at all since then."
"Take a ride with me?" Ennis asked. He was getting mighty pleased with himself at being able to stun Jack twice in a row like this. If I could figure out how to do this all the time, he thought, I could surely get used to that look on his face.
"Uh, sure, where to?"
"Just someplace real special I found. Want ya to see it," Ennis said while finding the ground very interesting and trying to hide his red cheeks at the same time.
Turning a thousand-watt smile on him, Jack said, "Must be real special to get Ennis Del Mar blushin'" He never could pass up a chance to tease Ennis.
"Quit yer yammerin' and lets go." With that they headed over to the horses, climbed up and Jack allowed Ennis to take the lead.
An hour later Ennis stopped and it took Jack, who'd had his eyes glued to Ennis backside the entire way, a second to realize they'd stopped moving. Watching Jack out of the corner of his eye, Ennis could see the look of child-like awe spread across those handsome features. God, he looks even more beautiful now than he normally does, he thought, though he'd never bring himself to say it out loud. Wasn't ready for that, yet.
Looking around at the valley Ennis had brought him to, Jack could not believe the beauty of the place. The grass was so green it looked to have been painted by a master artist and the flowers, which were everywhere you looked, were all in colors of blue, red and gold. The stream looked to have been placed perfectly where it meandered through. (A/n: Wish I could describe it better, but, it's hard when you've never seen it.)
"Ya like it?" Ennis asked quietly not really wanting to disturb the solitude of the place nor Jack's obvious amazement.
"Ennis, it's beautiful. How'd ya ever find it?"
"Remember'd it from before. Found it after our first night. Was wondering around tryin' to get my head on straight and run across it. Wasn't sure if'n I could find it again. Come on, wanna show ya something' else."
Climbing down off his horse, Ennis reached into his saddle bag and pulled out an object carefully wrapped in a gunny sack. Walking a little was away from the horses he sent one more look back in Jacks direction, then sat down on the grass facing out over the valley. After a moment he felt Jack sit down beside him. Trying to gather his thoughts together, Ennis took his time before he started talking without looking at Jack.
"Had me a visitor few weeks ago," he began.
"Oh yeah? Anyone I know?" Jack asked.
"Not really. Told ya bout him awhile back. Never thought to run into him, though."
Not sure exactly what to say, which for Jack says an awful lot, he decided to just let Ennis get whatever it was off his chest.
"Was sittin' in the bar after work one night, mindin' my own business as usual. This old feller just comes over and sits beside me and starts talkin to me. Didn't know 'im from Adam, but, for some reason knew what he had to say was important so I just let him go on. Got to talkin' on cattle and such and how the market ain't looking too good right now. Even let 'im buy me a couplea beers. Took 'im back to my place so's we could talk some more where people couldn't hear."
At this Jack just shot Ennis a look. He'd never heard of Ennis letting anyone buy him a beer, hell he wouldn't even let Jack buy him one, let alone taking anyone home with him. What the hell's come over him and where's he goin' with this? he wondered.
"It weren't what ye thinking'," Ennis said catching Jacks look. "It were just two old feller's talkin's all it was. Anyway, he was from round where I grew up and his name's Rich." With that last bit, Ennis watched as Jack puzzled over the name.
"Rich? I know I've heard that name before," Jack says, still rackin' his brain. "The only time ya ever mentioned anyone named Rich was…..wait a minute. Ya ain't talkin bout Rich and Earl Rich are ya?" At Ennis's nod, Jacks face took on another puzzled look. "Thought ya told me they was both dead."
"S'what I thought, too. Seein' Rich in that bar, thought I was talkin to a ghost. S'why I invited him back to my place. Didn't want folks thinking I was goin' off the deep end suddenly. Anyway, we talked the better part of the night bout him and Earl. Told him bout you and me, too." He laughed at the look on Jacks face following that particular statement. "After awhile, he asked me to drive him home. After we got there, he went into his bedroom and brought out something that caught my eye. Never saw anything so pretty in my life." With that, he reached into the gunny sack and took out Earl's ashes and handed 'em over to Jack. He watched as Jack marveled at the intricate working of black and silver.
"It's..it's beautiful, Ennis. I've never seen anything like it afore."
"Picked it up the next day after Rich done passed on. Picked this one up at the same time." Reaching into the sack again, Ennis pulled out another object that was covered in bright gold and a rich, dark chocolate. Holding it in his hands he just looked at it thinking on what it and the one in Jacks hands contained. Promised ya I do this Rich, he thought, and I tend to keep my word. Hope y'all can finally find some peace here.
"They truly are beautiful, Ennis," Jack said, amazement still weaving through his voice. "But, what are they?"
"Don't want ya spookin on me there, Rodeo, but, what ya got there is Earl's ashes and this one is what's left of Rich. He asked me to do him a favor and, well, this is it. Said he wanted to be cremated and his and Earl's ashes spread up here. Told me he and Earl had met up here just like we did and this is where they wanted to go after they died. Told him I'd be right honored to do it for him."
"Ah, Ennis, I knew ya had a soft spot in ya. Just took the right person to touch it at the right time. And, to tell ya the truth, I'm right honored myself to be able to help ya with it," Jack whispered wiping a tear from his cheek.
With that said, they both stood as one and, with a nod from Ennis, they opened the urns and let the ashes fly. After emptying the containers, they took their hats off and held them over their hearts in honor of two brave souls. Turning around Ennis spotted a stump a few feet off that looked like it had a hollow in it. Walking over, he set this urn he was carrying into the hollow and stepped back letting Jack put his next to it. They climbed back onto their horses and rode out of the valley without a backward glance. Both knew they never set foot in that valley again.