Since then, Ennis would have nightmares from time to time about that day, of what his dad had forced him to see so many years ago. He always knew what was coming in these dreams. Sometimes he would see everything, just as if he were there again, other times, if he was lucky, he would wake up in a sweat right before he saw Earl. The dream was always pretty much the same. But the dream he had on this night was different--very different.
Ennis could see the irrigation ditch ahead, his dad's strong hand on his shoulder, pushing him along to a place he didn't want to go. Ennis could already see the outline of a body. As he got closer, he noticed his dad was no longer with him. He realized he was no longer a 9 year old boy, but a grown man.
As he approached the top of the irrigation ditch, the body he saw was not Earl's as it was in his childhood. Ennis' body froze in horror as he looked down and saw Jack's body lying at the bottom of the ditch, mangled just as Earl's was. Ennis tried to scream, but nothing would come out. He tried to go to Jack, but he couldn't move. All he could do was stand there, helpless, looking down on Jack.
Ennis's eyes bolted open. He was shaking. His breathing was heavy, and his pillow was soaked with sweat. He looked over and Jack was sound asleep, his arm draped over one of the pillows. Ennis quietly got out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans and grabbed a shirt. It was almost 4:30 in the morning, still pretty early, but Ennis knew he would never get back to sleep.
He closed the bedroom door behind him and put his shirt on as he walked down the hall. He went in the kitchen and got some coffee started, then headed for the bathroom to take a leak. When he was done, he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, his hair and forehead were still covered with sweat. His face was a sickly shade of white, as if he had just seen a ghost. He splashed cold water on his face over and over again, the cold water snapping his body out of that place between asleep and awake. Ennis dried his face off with a towel then headed for the kitchen.
He poured himself a cup of coffee, grabbed a pack of cigarettes and headed outside. He sat out back on the old picnic table, resting his feet on the bench. He immediately lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. He was still shaking, unable to get the horrid vision of Jack lying in a ditch out of his head.
Where the hell did that dream come from? It was always Earl in the dreams, always. Why'd I dream it was Jack? It's not s'posed to be Jack. Nothin' bad is s'posed to happen to Jack.
Ennis lit cigarette after cigarette. Wondering if he and Jack were doing the right thing. Two cowboys ranchin up together in Wyomin'? What the hell are we thinkin'? Ennis was willing to deal with any kind of danger that may come his way. But Jack? If anything like that ever happened to Jack...
Ennis cleared his head. He couldn't go there. He couldn't imagine loosing Jack like that.
"Mornin', Cowboy," Jack said as he slid right behind Ennis.
"Christ, Jack!" Ennis about jumped out of his skin, and off the table about 3 feet.
"Ennis! It's just me!" Jack was wrapped in a blanket, his hair tossled, wondering what the hell had gotten into Ennis.
"Jesus Jack! Ya always sneak up on people like that! Ya scared the shit outta me!"
"Ennis, what the hell're you talkin' about? I just came out to say good mornin', I wasn't tryin' to scare you!" He could tell something was wrong with Ennis. He was in that "place" again where he built up that wall of his and wouldn't let anyone in, and he sure as hell wasn't about to let anything out.
"Jus wasn't expectin' ya to be out here this early, Jack. Tha's all." Ennis replied, knowing he had over reacted.
As Jack walked closer to Ennis, he noticed how hard Ennis was breathing. "C'mere, cowboy." Jack opened the blanket up and took Ennis in, wrapping themselves closely together. Ennis wasn't holding Jack like he usually did. On this morning he held him in a strong embrace, his arms wrapped tightly around Jack's body like a vice. Like he was protecting him. Jack could feel Ennis's heart pounding and body trembling between the two of them.
As Jack started to pull away from Ennis to ask him what the hell was the matter, Ennis's grip on Jack grew stronger, unwilling to let him go. The more Jack tried to pull away, the tighter Ennis held him. Ennis was not letting him go.
"Ennis!" Jack yelled, and shoved Ennis hard, finally breaking the embrace. "Ennis! What the hell happened to you? Fuck, I get up, come out here to tell ya 'mornin, and ya jump about 10 feet outta your skin. Then I invite ya in my blanket an' you're shakin' an' breathin' hard an' your heart's racin'! An' when I try ta pull away to ask if you're ok, you won't let go a me!" Jack was concerned, Ennis was obviously worried or spooked about something.
Ennis looked at Jack, hoping the eye contact would make what he was saying more believable. "Jack, I'm fine. You jus' scared me a little is all."
"So tha's your answer?" Jack wasn't buying it. At all.
Ennis turned away, lit another cigarette and looked back at Jack, "I'm fine."
Jack's concern was fading quickly. His temper starting to rise. "I'm fine is your answer. I'm fine is what you're givin' me."
"Jack..." Ennis started but was cut off.
"Ennis, cut the crap. You think I can't tell when somethin's eatin' away at you? You gonna make me wonder all day what's goin' on? You gonna make me go crazy, wonderin' if maybe yer havin' second thoughts about us? Or maybe, ya jus' want me to go back to Texas an' just stay there! I don't know what you're thinkin' Ennis! And that's the type a shit that goes through my head when you bottle yourself up like this!"
Ennis took a drag off his cigarette and sat down on the bench, looking at the ground. He exhaled and looked up at Jack. Jack was waiting for an answer. He was waiting for the truth. Ennis took another drag. "Jack, I was just sittin' out here, tryin' to clear my head. I had one of them dreams again. When I was a kid. My dad takin' us down to that ol' irrigation ditch to see Earl."
Jack's face softened and he went and sat next to Ennis and put his arm around him. "It'll be alright. It was jus' a dream. Jus' a bad dream." Jack rubbed Ennis' back, trying to sooth him. "Usually them dreams don't upset you this much, Ennis."
Ennis took a final drag off his cigarette and flicked it in the yard. He looked off in the distance as the dark sky slowly started to fade and the light from the sun started to glow from underneath the horizon. "Jack, this dream was different. Scared the shit outta me. I was walkin' down that road, and it was me, like I am now. I wasn't no kid anymore. An' I kept gettin' closer an' closer, an' then..." Ennis put his face in his hands and let out a huge sigh.
"Then what, Ennis?"
As Ennis looked at Jack, his eyes welled up a bit. "And then I saw it was you layin' down there."
It broke Jack's heart to see Ennis so shaken. "Aw, Ennis. I'm ok. I'm here sittin' right next to you. Not a scratch on me. It was jus' a dream. It's not real." Jack pulled Ennis close, slowly rocking him and stroking his hair. "It's all right, it's all right," Jack whispered in his ear.
"Jack, I'm jus' scared," Ennis said as Jack continued to comfort him. "I'm scared somethin's gonna happen to you. Or somethin's gonna happen if someone catches wind about two cowboys ranchin' up together. I don't know what kinda place we're goin' to. I don't know what kinda people is up there. Shit, I don't know nothin' about where we're goin', Jack."
"Ennis, we're gonna be fine, you'll see. I ain't gonna let anythin' bad happen to either one of us, I promise. Them ranches up there are spread all over the place. Hard to get to know anybody real well when the next closest house is almos' four miles away." Jack grabbed the cigarettes from the table and lit two of them and gave one to Ennis.
As the sun started to rise, Jack put his arm around Ennis and drew him close. He was going to tell Ennis all about the ranch that was about to become their future.
"Ok, Ennis. It's called Black Canyon Ranch, 'bout 15 miles north of Lightning Flats. Been in the family a long time. Hell, most a my family is buried up there. My great-granpa bought it off an old rancher he worked with for almos' 20 years. The rancher's family was all dead an' gone, so he gave him a sweet deal on it. My great-granpa was poor as shit, but the ranch was his. By the time my grandfather took it over, the place was really startin' to take shape. It done good for a lotta years. Just in the past 15 years or so it started goin' to shit."
"It's a big ranch, 'bout 2,000 acres. At it's best it my dad had a 150 cow operation goin' on. There's quite a few pastures, an' some shallow canyons that open onto the meadows. An' on the far west side of the ranch, there's some steep chalk bluffs, an I tell you, there ain't nothin' like ridin' by 'em as the sun sets at night."
"My mom an' dad's house is the first thing you see when you turn off the ol' dirt road. Then a bit north a them is a big barn, a set a corrals, a shop, an' a couple a sheds. An' north a that is the house where my dad's right hand man lived for a lotta years. We'll be livin' there for awhile til we can build our own place."
Jack looked over at Ennis. He could almost see the fear being washed away, and he swore he could have seen a twinkle in Ennis's eye. "We're gonna have ta work our asses off, Ennis. Ain't gonna be easy. But I know we can do it."
Ennis looked at Jack and smiled, his fears gone for now. He rested his head on Jack's shoulder as they watched the sun come up over the horizon.
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After watching the sun rise and having breakfast with Ennis, Jack packed up his bag again, ready to head on up to Lightning Flats. He carried his bag to the front door and set it down, then turned around to tell Ennis goodbye. Ennis took Jack in his arms, lightly pressing their lips together. As much as Jack hated saying goodbye to Ennis through the years, he always loved the way Ennis kissed him right before they parted.
Ennis lightly pressed his mouth against Jacks soft, warm lips. He kissed him tender and slow, then brought his roughened hands up to Jack's face, caressing him in a way that made him quiver. He drew Jack's mouth closer with his hands as he ran his fingers through his hair, gently working his lips open with his tongue, kissing him deeply and passionately. They stood kissing like that for as long as they could, but the time came for them to say goodbye one last time.
Jack started to pull away, but Ennis wrapped his arms around Jack, pulling his body close, close enough for Jack to feel the hardness beneath Ennis's jeans. Ennis's lips lightly trailed along Jack's neck, as his hands slowly wandered down to Jack's hips, gently pulling him into his erection. Jack's arms were around Ennis now, his hands gliding down Ennis's back. "Oh, Jack," Ennis whispered into his ear.
"Ennis, you know I gotta go," Jack breathed, trying to ignore the tingles running through his body.
Ennis was breathing harder now, as his lips continued to brush lightly across Jack's neck. He slowly started to unbutton Jack's shirt, and in that low husky voice of his, Ennis replied, "This is the las' time we're ever gonna hafta say goodbye, an' this is how the las' time should be."
Jack closed his eyes and let out a small moan, as Ennis slowly walked him towards the couch undressing him. Their mouths met as Jack helped Ennis shed off his clothes, until they were both pressed against eachother, warm and naked. Usually by this time, Ennis would be getting wild and desperate for Jack, but this time his kisses stayed soft, his touch stayed gentle and slow.
Ennis sat back on the couch and Jack got on top of him, straddling him, his knees planted firmly against Ennis's hips. Their lips came together in a tender lock, their tongues wandered deep and gentle. Ennis slowly ran his hands down Jack's back, as he pulled their bodies closer together. They deliberately took it slow, as Jack straddled Ennis, savoring the pleasure they felt as their bodies moved together, as their cocks rubbed between them.
Ennis reached behind Jack, his finger tracing down his crack until he found the place that would join them together. Jack let out a moan as Ennis slid his finger into his warm hole, gently thrusting into him as their bodies melted together. Their kisses were wet and lingering, their hearts beating close together.
Ennis slid his finger out of Jack, and Jack raised his body up a bit as Ennis spit in his hand and prepared to enter him. Ennis took his cock in his hand and held it steady as Jack slowly lowered himself, pausing when he felt Ennis's tip touch his opening. As they gazed into eachother's eyes, Ennis rubbed the head of his cock across Jack's hole, slicking him with his pre-cum.
They were both breathing hard, their foreheads pressed together. As Ennis took Jack's ass in his hands, Jack slowly sunk down taking Ennis's length into his body. They let out soft moans, and whispered eachother's names as Jack rode Ennis slow and deep. Their lips came together with passion as they caressed eachother's faces and they were in that dizzy place again where they were no longer two, but one.
Jack continued to ride Ennis, sliding up and down his shaft, the friction of their bodies pressed together rubbing Jack's cock. Ennis wrapped his arms around Jack's lower back, and started pushing his hips against Jack's thrusting. They held each other tightly as their lovemaking intensified. Jack feeling the incredible fullness of Ennis inside him and Ennis feeling Jack's warm tightness wrapped around him.
Deeper and deeper, in and out. The sliding, the moaning, taking each other to the edge. Harder and harder, thrusting and pounding. Jack riding and Ennis bucking. Hard breathing and lips coming together, tongues burning, and riding, riding, riding hard; and feeling it swell up in their groins, the mind blowing pleasure building and building, crying out each other's names...and then the sweet release. Ennis emptying deep inside Jack; and Jack spilling the hot liquid between their bodies.
Then coming down from the high in eachother's arms, their hot, sweaty bodies still joined. And both holding on to that feeling as long as they could, that incredible feeling they have whenever they are together.
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Jack finally made it out to his truck. Ennis was standing by the door as Jack started up the truck. He leaned in and kissed Jack goodbye.
"I'll be back in a few weeks." Jack smiled at Ennis. "I'll call ya when I'm headin' on up to get you. In the meantime, we both gotta lot of stuff to take care of."
As Jack drove off, Ennis smiled, knowing it was the last time.