As Jack signed the check for a contractor to renovate the small house, he realized this was the first time in 16 years he would be taking money from this account, instead of putting it in. Jack inwardly smiled as he handed the check to Wade. He promised himself long ago that the only way he would ever touch that money was if it were for him and Ennis. And this was for him and Ennis.
"Ok Jack," Wade started as he put the check in the front pocket of his shirt, "I'm gonna get started tomorrow, prob'ly bring two a' my workers with me. I'm guessin' if we work straight for a week or two, should be just 'bout done 'fore you get back."
"Sounds great, Wade," Jack said as they shook hands. "Be sure to clear your calendar. When I get back up here, I'll be callin' on ya to get the rest a' the ranch fixed up an' lookin' good."
"Will do, Jack," Wade said as he headed out of the old house.
Jack looked around in the old house where he now stood alone. He could just imagine the new windows, the freshly painted walls, and the refinished hardwood floor, that was now hidden by old, dirty carpet. He looked over at the old fireplace that hadn't been used in years, and imagined sitting next to it with Ennis on cold nights.
As Jack stood there, knowing in a matter of weeks Ennis would be here with him, it hit him. This is gonna be our home. This is where we're gonna wake up next to each other every mornin', an' fall asleep next to each other every night. Jack had never been so happy in his life. And he couldn't wait to spend the rest of it with Ennis.
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Ennis had just dropped Francine off at a friend's house for the day. Junior wanted to talk to him about something, alone. Ennis figured it would be a good time to tell her about Jack, so he told Junior he had something to talk to her about as well.
"Sounds great, Daddy! Let's make it a date!" Junior had said. She thought it would be nice if they headed up to the mountains with the horses and did some horseback riding on their "special father/daughter day" as she had called it. Ennis had always adored Junior. There was a special bond between them that Ennis didn't have with Fran, and Junior didn't have with Alma. From the day Junior was born, it had always been that way.
Ennis and Junior rode along the trail, laughing and talking. Ennis couldn't believe how fast his daughter had grown up. It seemed like just yesterday he was teaching her how to ride a horse, holding her tightly in front of him as she grasped the reigns in her small hands. And now here she was, a young woman, riding next to him on her own.
After awhile, they reached a quiet spot by a stream in the shade. "Let's stop here for awhile, Daddy." Junior had packed them both a lunch and brought along a picnic blanket. As Ennis tied up the horses, Junior spread out the blanket and unpacked their lunches.
"So, wha's for lunch, Junior? Steak?"
"Don't get too excited, Daddy, I just made some sandwiches." Junior laughed. They sat close to the stream enjoying their lunch. All of the sudden, Junior got real quiet, and put her sandwich down. She couldn't hold her news in much longer.
"Wha's a matter, Sweetheart?"
Junior looked at her dad and a big smile came across her face, one of those smiles that made her eyes shine. "Daddy, I got somethin' to tell you. Thing is, I been datin' Kurt for almos' two years now...an'...well, we're gettin' married."
Ennis froze when he heard Junior say that. "What? You're gettin' married?"
"Yeah, we're gettin' married this fall. Francine's gonna sing, and Monroe's gonna cater it. An' I would love it if you came, Daddy. I was kinda hopin' you'd walk me down the isle an' give me away." Junior looked excitedly at her dad with those big brown eyes of hers, making his heart turn to putty.
"My lil' girl's gettin' married?" Ennis was still half in shock. He paused for a minute, then looked at Junior and asked her, "Does he love you?"
Touched by her dad's question, Junior's eyes welled up a bit. "Yes, Daddy, he does." You could hear the smile in Junior's words.
Ennis sat there quietly for a moment. My lil' girl's gettin' married. Married. And she wants me to give her away. Where the hell has all the time gone? Ennis looked at his daughter with an ache in his heart and choked out "'Course I'll walk ya down the isle, Sweetheart."
"Oh, Daddy!" Junior threw herself into his arms, shedding a few tears of joy. Ennis held his daughter tight. He didn't want to give her away to another man. But Junior was happy and in love. He new he had to let her go. Ennis pulled away and looked at his daughter and kissed her on her forehead. "So why don't ya tell me some more 'bout this Kurt fella."
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Jack had everything in order, as much as it could be. The house would be done in about 2 weeks, and some furniture was going to be delivered in 3 weeks. That should work out jus' fine Jack thought to himself.
Jack's dad had come around a bit in the past couple of days. He could see that Jack was serious about moving up here. Jack had the next three weeks all planned out. He hired some guys to come in and do a little work on the ranch while he was gone. Old, broken fences that had never been fixed needed to be put back up. The barn needed a lot of work done in it and equipment needed to be fixed. He was even going to have them build a small stable for the horses.
Jack was satisfied with how things were slowly starting to take shape. One good thing about working for JD all these years, Jack sure knew what needed to be done to run a business. But the real work would start when he and Ennis came back up to the ranch. There was still a lot of hard work ahead.
Jack hugged his mom goodbye. "Suppose we'll be headin' on up in a few weeks. I'll call ya and let ya know when to be expectin' us."
"Oh, Jack. I'm so happy your comin' home." Then in a soft, low voice, she whispered in Jack's ear, "I can't wait to meet your Ennis." Jack pulled away from his mom and smiled.
Jack looked up on the porch at his dad. "See ya in a few weeks, Dad. Keep an eye on all them workers. Be sure an' ride their asses."
Jack's dad just scowled, "I know how to run a ranch, boy. Don't need no one tellin' me how things should be done." Jack just rolled his eyes at his dad's response, not knowing that his dad was secretly thrilled about getting the ranch back to the way it used to be.
Jack got in his truck, and waved to his parents as he drove off. The only thing that was going to get him through these next few weeks of hell was knowing he'd be coming back up here with Ennis. Jack headed down the road, each mile bringing him closer to Texas, closer to what he was going to have to tell Lureen.
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"Well, s'pose we should start headin' back," Ennis said as he sat up. He and Junior had been laying on the blanket looking at the shapes of the clouds, pointing out what they had found, just like they did when she was little. "Look, there's a horse," Ennis had said as he pointed up to a cloud that looked nothing like it. He and Junior had laughed as he tried to convince her there really was a cloud up there that looked like a horse.
Junior sat up and looked at her dad. "Didn't you wanna talk to me 'bout somethin' before we left?"
Oh shit. This was it. Ennis was about to tell Junior about him and Jack. He just prayed that things would stay the same between them, that Junior would be able to accept who he was. Ennis took a deep breath. He looked off in the distance and said, "Junior, there's somethin' I gotta tell ya. I been dreadin' this for the past few days. I don't know how you're gonna take it, an' I'm afraid it's gonna change the way ya feel 'bout me...an' about us."
"Daddy, what is it? Everythin' ok?"
"Junior, I'm gonna be movin' in a few weeks, gonna go up an' live on a ranch an' work there too. I'm still gonna be able to see ya all the time. Just about an hour north a Riverton."
"Well, that's good news, Daddy. Isn't it?"
"Darlin', there ain't no beatin' around the bush with this, so I'm jus' gonna come right on out an' say it. I'm movin' up there with someone. I'm movin' up there with Jack." Junior was looking at her dad, confused, still unsure of what he was trying to tell her.
Ennis looked at his daughter, he never thought he would have to tell her this. All these years Ennis had held in his secret, and this week, finally letting the secret out, was proving to be one of the hardest weeks of his life. As Ennis's eyes met Junior's, he finally let her know who he really was. "Junior, I love Jack. Crazy 'bout him, in fact. I'm movin' up to the ranch because I wanna spend the rest a' my life with him." Ennis searched his daughter's face for some kind of reaction.
Junior was trying to process what she just heard. Daddy? Loves a man? "You love a man? But I thought...you was married to mama..." Junior was so confused, she didn't really know what she was saying or what she wanted to ask.
"Junior, I hurt a lot a' people I love, 'specially your mama. I ain't proud a' that. I hid what I felt an' who I was for a lotta years. I was embarrassed an' ashamed. Men ain't supposed to love each other like that. But tha's how I always have, an' always will love Jack."
Junior and Ennis sat in silence for a few minutes. He could see that she was in deep thought, trying to process what he had just told her. "Wow, Daddy. I jus' don't know what ta say."
"How 'bout tellin' me you're still my lil' girl?" Ennis prayed that Junior would still love him just the same. He would die if he ever lost the special connection they shared.
"Oh, Daddy, I'll always be your lil' girl," Junior said as she wrapped her arms around him. Ennis held his daughter close as he tried to hold back the tears. He knew his Junior well enough to know that their bond had not been broken. It had just grown a hell of a lot stronger.
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Their ride back to Ennis's truck was quiet. Ennis gave Junior a wink as she handed him the reigns so he could load the horses up in the trailer. Junior waited in the truck, thinking about her dad. And Jack.
Ennis climbed in the truck and they headed down the road.
"Daddy, can I ask you somethin'?"
"Well, sure, darlin'. Ask me anythin' you want." Please don't ask me about Jack.
"Is he the same Jack you used to go fishin' with? The one I met at your house a few years ago?"
"Yeah, Junior. That's him."
"You known him a long time then."
"I known Jack since I was 19, same age you are now."
Junior looked down, a little flushed by the question she was about to ask, "You loved him since then?"
Ennis paused for a minute before he answered her. This was a tough question. "Junior, sometimes things jus' happen. Whether you mean for 'em to happen or not. Tha's how it was with Jack...what happened between us that summer jus' happened. There was no stoppin' it."
"After that summer was over an' we both went our separate ways, I thought I could stop the way I felt. An' for a long time I thought I did. Tha's when me an' your mama got married and had you girls. Then a few years later, the first time since that summer, I saw Jack again...an' when I saw him, I realized I never stopped lovin' him. Couldn't stop if I tried."
Then Ennis looked at his daughter and told her something she would never forget. "You can't stop love from happenin' Junior. No one can. Not even your Daddy."
Junior looked at her dad and smiled. He didn't seem lonely anymore. He seemed happy. "Daddy, I'm glad you have someone to love that makes you that happy."
Ennis smiled back at Junior, "I'm glad you have someone too, Sweetheart."