A Love Born From Steel

Chapter 11

Ennis woke first, as usual, and started to get out of bed when Jack pulled him back. "Don't leave yet, cowboy," he said, sleepily, "I'm gonna miss ya. Give me a few more minutes."

Ennis lay back down and rolled into Jack's embrace. "It's only one night, babe," he said. "I'll be back by supper tomorrow."

"It's gonna be a whole week," Jack said, leaning in towards the soft space on Ennis's neck, near his collarbone.

Ennis sighed. He wished that Jack hadn't brought that up again. The whole issue of their sleeping arrangements while Junior and Jenny were visiting had been a source of friction for the past three weeks.

When Alma's letter arrived, Ennis showed it to Jack, wordlessly. Jack read it and then looked at Ennis. "So what are ya gonna say?" he said.

"I think I can say that the house has an extra bedroom and a couch," he said. "She can figger out what that means."

"And are ya gonna mean it?" asked Jack.

Ennis looked at him seriously. "Ya know I ain't the lyin' type, Jack."

Jack looked back at Ennis. "I just don't see how she can think that she can dictate what we can do—and you go along with it."

Ennis paused. "Jack, y'know I wanna see my girls."

"I know ya do, En, but what does where we sleep hafta t'do with it?"

"Well, in Alma's mind, it has a lot t'do with it and may make the difference between them visitin' or not."

Each time the subject came up, they danced to the edge of an argument and then backed off. Neither of them wanted to fight about it, but then, neither of them was happy with the solution. For his part, Jack fully understood the situation Ennis was in—somewhere between a rock and hard place. As for Ennis, the thought of not sleeping with Jack—but being under the same roof—felt like someone was wrenching off his right arm. But, he didn't see anyway around it—not if he wanted to see his daughters.

Jack heard Ennis's sigh. "I'm sorry, En," he said, "I didn't mean t'bring that up again."

"It's okay, bud," said Ennis. "I know how ya feel. I feel the same way."

They lay together for a long time, feeling their hearts beating in their chests. Jack's head was buried in the shadow of Ennis's neck. Ennis loved the feel of Jack's stubble on his skin—especially in the morning when it was rough and raspy like sandpaper. Ennis put his hand on the back of Jack's head and then with a yank—not too hard, but assertive—pulled Jack's head back. "Kiss me, rodeo," he said.

"With pleasure, cowboy," said Jack, planting his lips on Ennis's and pushing his tongue deep into Ennis's mouth. As they kissed, their hands explored their bodies and eventually, Jack's hand closed over both their cocks, holding them together. Ennis had discovered he liked this front on front action—the first time in their lives they had done it this way had been the one night they spent at his house in Riverton. Being able to look at Jack, to see the happiness on his face, moved Ennis to a place of intense pleasure. When Jack's hand came down in its hard clutch, Ennis's arousal was further heightened. They pressed their bodies together, as if to make contact with every inch of skin that was between them. They moved in a graceful rhythm—it almost felt like a dance. And the best part, at least to Ennis, was that they always seemed to climax simultaneously. Ennis loved the feeling of their warm spunk spreading between them—soft, sticky, and smooth, with its own unique smell, the scent of mansex.

They eased up a bit on their embrace but Ennis continued to rub his fingers through Jack's pubic hair. He loved the feeling of sticky and coarse, soft and wet. He leaned in and gave Jack a kiss on his collarbone, biting the skin a bit between this teeth. "I love you, cowboy," he said. "Don't you ever forget it."

Jack laughed. "How could I forget, lover? You tell me ten times a day."

Ennis leaned back and smiled at him. "You complainin'?"

"Never," said Jack. "You could tell me once a minute and I wouldn't complain."

Eventually, they stopped rubbing, caressing, and touching. They looked at each other as if to say, "Okay, now the day can start." Ennis sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Okay if I use the bathroom first?" he said.

"Sure, go ahead," Jack nodded. "Ya got the horses to t'take care of."

Their plan for the day was to take care of chores and errands in the morning, then break for a big lunch. Ennis figured it was a nine or ten hour drive to Denver and he wanted to be on the road by 2. Jack intended to pack him a picnic supper that he could eat on the way.

Alma, Monroe, and the girls were staying at the Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. When Ennis told this to Jack, Jack gave a low whistle. "Swanky place," he said. "I think it's the oldest hotel in Denver."

Ennis shrugged. "Well, it is their honeymoon. I guess Monroe is in the mood t'splurge."

Ennis had planned to just stop at a rest area and sleep in the truck but Jack persuaded him to stay at motel. "Look for a Super 8," he said, "or a Days Inn. Those are usually pretty cheap."

"But I hate wastin' the money," said Ennis. "I've slept in my truck plenty o'times."

"Ennis," Jack said. "Think about it for a minute. Yer gonna be drivin' ten hours, and then yer gonna turn around and drive ten hours again. Ya want t'get a good night's sleep."

"Y'know me, Jack," said Ennis, "I can sleep anywhere."

"It's not just sleep," said Jack. "Don't ya want t'take a shower in the mornin'? And shave?"

Ennis shrugged. He could go a day or two without bathing, he thought.

Jack continued. "Ennis, use a little psychology. Yer gonna see yer ex-wife and her new husband. It's the first time she's seen ya in more than two months. Do ya want t'look like a guy who's slept in his truck, dirty with a day old beard, or do ya want t'look clean and rested, like yer a proper father who can take care of his daughters for a week?"

Ennis looked at him. "Jesus, Jack, I never thought of it that way."

"I know ya didn't," said Jack. "That's why I had t'spell it out for ya." He turned to the closet. "Now, let's figure out what clothes yer gonna wear." He flipped through the hangers and pulled out one of his old cowboy shirts—old for Jack, but newer than anything Ennis owned. "D'ya like this one?" he said, holding it up.

Ennis nodded. "That one's fine," he said. "I like the colors."

Jack walked over to the dresser. He hunted through the folded jeans, and pulled out a pair from the bottom of the stack. "These look pretty new," he said.

"They are," Ennis said. "I don't wear them too much. They're kinda tight."

"Precisely," Jack smiled. "For what yer gonna be doin' tomorrow, kinda tight is just what you want."

Ennis smiled back at him. He suddenly picked up on the little game that Jack was playing. "Ya got any polish, cowboy?" he said. "Mebbe I should shine my boots."

"Sure do," he said, handing him a can and rag from the top dresser drawer.

Just as he had persuaded Ennis to stay at a motel, Jack had also persuaded him to not take his truck, but to take his, Jack's, instead. "It's more reliable," he said, "ya don't want to break down. Ya need t'be on time tomorrow." Jack had taken it into town and filled the gas tank, checked the oil, and made sure the reservoir for the windshield washer was full. He had also written directions to the Brown Palace. Jack had been to Denver a few times for sales conventions and other business trips. "It's a pretty easy city to get around in," he said. "And the hotel is on 17th Street, which is right in the middle of everything. It'll be easy to find."

Ennis looked at the paper. "I'm gettin' a little nervous," he said.

"Don't worry," Jack said. "You'll do fine. Just keep thinkin' 'bout yer daughters." He gave Ennis a smile. "Now when ya get t'the hotel in the morning, look for a sign that says 'house phone.' Pick that up and ask the operator for Alma's room. What's Monroe's name again?"

"Dunlap," said Ennis. "Monroe Dunlap."

"Okay, ya prob'ly want t'ask for Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Dunlap. That's the way t'do it."

Ennis nodded again. "And then?"

"And then, just stand there and wait for them. Work on lookin' good. Ya want Alma t'see that yer new life agrees with ya."

Ennis laughed. "Yer bad, cowboy."

"I ain't bad," Jack laughed back. "I'm just sendin' my lover off to the big city and I want t'make sure he makes a good first impression."

The elevator door opened and Alma immediately saw Ennis standing across the hotel lobby. He looked exactly the same but completely different. The girls ran out of the elevator, calling "Daddy! Daddy!" as they tore across the lobby. Ennis smiled, a grin from ear to ear. Jenny leapt onto him—she was still small and light enough that he could pick her up; Junior wrapped her arms around his waist and he encircled her back with his free arm. "Hey, my angels," he said, as he kissed Jenny's forehead and rubbed Junior's hair.

Alma and Monroe walked up, watching the reunion scene, Alma still trying to figure out what it was about Ennis that was so different. He was wearing his usual clothes—cowboy shirt, jeans, boots, and his summer straw hat—but the shirt was one she didn't recognize. It looked new—or at least newer—and was in a brighter color than Ennis usually wore. His jeans looked trimmer—they fit more closely—and could it be that his boots were polished?

But it wasn't just clothes, she realized. His face had a happy, relaxed look, and as he was grinning and laughing with his daughters, he looked like a man without a care in the world. Not only that, but as she looked at his face she realized that Ennis had a tan!

Ennis put Jenny down and smiled at Alma and Monroe as they stopped in front of them. "Hi Alma, hey Monroe," he said, sticking his hand in Monroe's direction. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," said Monroe, smiling and shaking the proffered hand.

Ennis looked at the two of them. Alma certainly did not look like a blushing bride and barely seemed able to smile; Monroe, for his part, did have a happy look on his face and kept giving Alma adoring glances.

Alma finally seemed to find her voice. "Ennis," she said, "you look diff''rent."

He laughed. "Well, I hope that's a good thing," he said. "I hope yer sayin' that the Texas air agrees with me."

Alma continued to stare at him. "You have a tan," she said, amazed at herself as the words came out of her mouth.

If only you knew, he thought to himself, trying hard to suppress a wicked grin. Out loud, he said, "Bright sun down there in Texas. And you know I work outdoors."

Jenny, to Ennis's right, was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Daddy, daddy, what's this?" she said, grabbing his hand and rubbing the silver ring he was wearing.

He leaned down towards her and said in a soft voice, "Honey, that's something I got at a crafts fair on July 4th. Calm down, now, sweetheart, stop jumping up and down," he added, with a smile.

"You bought yerself a ring?" Alma said, her voice sounding unnaturally loud as the words came unbidden from her mouth.

Ennis looked at her, trying not to laugh. "Sure, why not? People do it everyday. I thought it was pretty—it's handmade by a young woman from Albuquerque."

Alma was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with her hearing. Ennis, who never cared about clothes, jewelry, music, food or any of the other things that exist in ordinary day-to-day life was standing here talking about buying a hand-crafted ring from a New Mexican silversmith. She couldn't believe her ears. She looked at him again. "Ennis, do I know you? Did I ever know you?"

Ennis could tell that this conversation could very quickly take a turn for the worse and there was no need for that, so he directed his attention to Monroe. "So, Monroe, how was the wedding? And the drive down from Riverton? Any problems?"

Monroe shook his head and, taking hold of Alma's arm protectively, said, "Everything was fine. We had a very nice day yesterday." Turning to Alma, he smiled at her. "Didn't we, my dear?"

She nodded. Ennis turned to Junior and Jenny. "Where are your suitcases, girls? We need to get going. We have a long drive ahead of us." Turning his attention back to Monroe and Alma he said, "So, next Sunday, one week from today? Right back here again t'drop the girls off?"

"Actually," Monroe said, "we're staying here until Wednesday, then going down to Colorado Springs to stay at the Broadmoor for four nights. That'll work out well for you, Ennis," he added, "Colorado Springs is about 70 miles south of here. Save you a bit of driving."

"Sounds good t'me," said Ennis, nodding at Monroe.

"It's a resort," said Alma, feeling a need to interject something into the conversation. "Monroe's goin' t'take a golf lesson. I'm goin' t'the spa."

"Sounds like fun," said Ennis, and then with a wink, added, "Make sure you leave time for other activities."

Monroe, oblivious to the double entendre said, "Oh yes, I hear they have a wonderful restaurant…and there's a pool, and even ice skating." Alma, on the other hand, stood rooted to the spot, her mouth hanging open. Had Ennis just made a joke about sex?

Monroe pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I wrote the directions down for you, Ennis," he said. "It's not far off the interstate, should be easy to find. Also, I wrote down the phone number of this hotel, plus the Broadmoor, in case anything comes up."

Ennis nodded, then folded the paper and put it in his wallet. "Thanks, Monroe, I 'preciate this." He picked up Junior's and Jenny's suitcases. "Ready, girls?" he said. "The truck is parked outside."

Alma leaned over and gave each of them a hug. "You be good for yer daddy," she said. "Have a good time, and I'll see you next Sunday."

"Bye, Mama," they said in unison, hugging her back. They waved good bye to Monroe. Then they turned their attention to their father and together, the three of them crossed the lobby and walked out the door.

The first part of the trip passed quickly. Junior and Jenny talked non-stop, and Ennis had to keep telling them to stop interrupting each other so he could understand what they were saying. The timing worked out so that they stopped at the same little café near Lamar where Jack and Ennis had eaten breakfast back in May. Ennis pointed to the Lamar Sportsman's Campground & Horse Motel as they drove by.

"Have you ever heard of such a thing?" he said. "A horse motel?" Both girls shook their heads. "Neither had I," said Ennis, "but it worked out great." The idea that had been percolating in his mind for a few weeks came to the forefront of his consciousness. Ennis thought he might stop and talk to the owner on his drive back to Quanah in a week.

The girls were less talkative after lunch. As the long drive wore on, Jenny got tired and curled up in a little ball to take a nap, her head on her father's lap. Junior pulled out a book and started to read.

"Can you read while we're drivin'?" asked Ennis. "It makes some people carsick."

"No, Daddy, it doesn't bother me," she replied.

"Whatchya readin' anyway?" he asked.

She held up the book and pointed it towards him. "It's called Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."

"Interestin' title," said Ennis. "What's it about?"

"It's like all the books I've been readin' this summer," she said. "It's about growin' up."

"You been readin' a lot of growin' up books?" said Ennis, with a smile.

"Yeah," said Junior. "It's what the librarian keeps recommendin' t'me. They're good…the problem is, they all take place in places like New York or New Jersey. I can't always picture the places…or picture their lives. I need to read the one about the girl who grows up in Wyoming…" Her voice drifted off.

"Whose parents get divorced?" Ennis asked.

She nodded. "Whose parents get divorced and then her daddy…her daddy…" She twisted her hands in her lap. She so wanted to ask her father about Jack, but felt like she didn't have the courage to say the words.

Ennis picked up on her hesitancy. "Whose daddy decides to ranch up with another man?"

Junior nodded, her head bowed. She felt a tear slipping down her cheek and wiped it away with her finger.

"Honey," Ennis said, "I don't think that book has been written yet. Ya might need t'do it when you grow up."

"Can you explain it t'me, then, Daddy? So I'll understand when I write the book? Mama says such horrible things about you lately."

Ennis sighed, then reached over the sleeping Jenny and took Junior's hand in his own. "Lemme try." He paused. "In all those books you been readin', do people fall in love?"

"Oh yes, all the time," she said. "That's usually a major issue."

"And do they know why they fall in love? Or how?"

She shook her head. "No, that's usually the problem."

Ennis smiled. "Well, that's what happened to me. I fell in love with my friend Jack."

"But he's a man, Daddy," she said. "That's what mama says is so wrong."

"Sweetheart," he said, "I never planned on fallin' in love with another man. Like your books, it just happened. In fact," he paused, "when I was yer age, or a little younger, my daddy was spendin' a lot of time teachin' me to hate guys like me."

"What d'ya mean, Daddy?" she asked. "I'm confused."

"What I mean is, my daddy was like yer mama—always tellin' me that two guys bein' together was unnatural and bad. It took me a long time to get over that and realize what I was feelin' for Jack."

"What's it feel like, Daddy?" she said, softly, "bein' in love, I mean?"

Ennis smiled to himself. The age-old question, what does love feel like? How do you put it into words? "It feels good, honey," he said. "It feels like my heart is full of happiness, so much happiness that I want to share it with the world."

She smiled at him, then her look turned serious again. "Daddy," she asked, "did you ever love mama?"

He paused. How best to answer? "Honey, I must've. Yer here, aren't you? You had to come from a lovin' place to be such a sweet, wonderful girl." He saw a flush creep up her cheeks. "Y'know what I'm sayin', don't ya? Y'know how it works?"

She nodded, her head lowered. "Yes, Daddy," she said softly. "They taught us in school."

They were silent for a minute, then Junior spoke again. "Sometimes," she said, "I wish I was all grown up. I wish I was past the growin' up part."

Ennis looked at her, and gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't wish that, sweetheart," he said. "That was my life and it wasn't easy—had to drop out of high school, I was on my own by the time I was 15…I don't want that for you, li'l darlin'. I want you t'finish school—hell, yer smart enough, mebbe you can go t'college. Go see the skyscrapers in New York that yer readin' 'bout in all yer books."

She smiled at him, "But sometimes it's just so hard, Daddy."

"I know," he said, "but bein' a grown up is hard, too. It don't ever get easy. But," he said, squeezing her hand again, "when you have people around you who love you, it makes it a little easier. And you know I love you, so you can count on me."

"Oh, Daddy," she said, "I wish I could hug you right now." They smiled at each other. They rode in silence for a few minutes, then Junior picked up Ennis's hand and started twisting the silver ring around on his finger. "This ring is so pretty," she said, "I ain't never seen anythin' like it."

"Yup," he said, "I thought the same thing."

"You just bought it for yerself? No special reason?" she asked.

Ennis paused. He knew that she would see Jack's ring and would obviously put two and two together. He took a breath. "No, I had a reason. Jack has one, too. You'll see it on his hand."

"What does that mean, Daddy? Are you married?"

"Guys can't be married, sweetheart," he said, "at least not the way your mama and Monroe just got married." He looked at her. "But Jack and I consider ourselves t'be…connected. Connected forever. It's like bein' married, but no preacher and no little piece of paper."

"What do you call him?" she said.

"My friend," Ennis replied. "My partner, sometimes." He decided not to say lover. That might be a bit too much for a twelve year old.

"What should I call him?" she asked.

"That's a good question, Junior," he said. "And one that Jack and I talked about, but didn't come up with an answer. What do you think? Just Jack? Or Uncle Jack? I think Mr. Twist is a little formal, given the situation." As he said this, he thought about being Mr. Del Mar to Bobby. He really hoped she didn't pick Mr. Twist for Jack.

Junior smiled at her father's little joke. "I dunno," she said. "Maybe I need to get t'know him better. Y'know I've only met him for a second."

"That's prob'ly the best idea," he said. "But I can tell you, Jack's lookin' forward to gettin' t'know you better. He's as excited 'bout yer visit as I am."

"Really, Daddy? Is he? I thought he might think we're in the way."

"Sweetheart," said Ennis, "believe me, nothin' could be further from the truth."

Late that evening, Jack was in bed, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep as he listened to the noises of the night. The house was totally silent, but then he heard Ennis's footsteps in the hall as he walked to the bathroom. Jack sighed. He didn't know if Ennis planned to sleep downstairs on the couch or in the back bedroom. All he knew is that he wanted Ennis sleeping next to him in the big double bed. That's where he belonged.

Jack started. He heard the bedroom door open, then close, and saw Ennis moving through the shadow of the room. He slid into the bed next to him. "Ennis," Jack whispered, "what are you doing here?"

"Gettin' ready t'go t'sleep, cowboy," he said. "I've had a long day of drivin' and I'm tired."

Jack reached out and touched him. He couldn't believe Ennis was there. "Y'know what I mean," Jack said. "We've been talkin' 'bout this for three weeks. I thought you were gonna sleep in the other room."

"I thought I was too," said Ennis, "but I guess I ain't." Jack could hear him chuckling softly to himself.

"But what about Alma and the girls? Ain't you worried?"

Ennis sat up. "Watch yer eyes," he said. "I'm gonna turn on the light." He did so, then lay on his side, propped up on one elbow. Looking at Jack, he smiled. "Cowboy, you know I love you," he said.

"I know you do," said Jack, "and I love you too. But you ain't answered my question."

Ennis looked at him. "Well, when I saw Alma standing in that hotel this morning, her new husband at her side, I realized she don't got no right t'tell me what I can and can't do in my own life."

"That's what I've been sayin' all along," said Jack.

"I know," said Ennis, "but it took seein' Alma to make me realize you were right."

Jack smiled at him, but then his face got serious. "But what about the girls? What if they say somethin'? Ain't you worried 'bout that?"

Ennis looked at him. "I really doubt this is an issue, but...Junior and I had a long talk while we were drivin'. She understands 'bout us. She asked good questions and I was honest."

"About everythin'?" asked Jack.

"Pretty much," said Ennis. "I didn't tell her I like to fuck you in the ass, but she got most of the other details."

"Where was Jenny durin' all this talkin'?" said Jack.

"She was takin' a nap," replied Ennis. "In terms of what she knows…she'll probably talk to her sister, or mebbe she'll talk to me this week…or mebbe it won't even come up. She still young," he said. "I didn't realize it, but there's a big difference between bein' 10 and bein' 12."

Jack nodded. "I know what ya mean. Bobby's only 9 and it's pretty clear he don't have a clue 'bout the birds and the bees." They laughed together at this.

"So, I know that Junior won't say anythin' t'her mother 'bout our sleepin' arrangements, and I really doubt that Jenny will. But if she does," he shrugged at this, "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Jack raised his hand, and as he loved to do, traced his fingers along the edge of Ennis's jaw. "Cowboy, I can't believe we wasted so much fuckin' energy talkin' 'bout this, and now here you are, right beside me."

"I can leave if ya want," said Ennis with a wink.

"No way," said Jack, pulling him in close. "Turn out that light and let's get down t'business."

Junior woke up, rubbing her eyes and orienting herself to the room. She turned and looked at her sister, who was sleeping on her back, her arm flung over her head. Junior smiled to herself. She was like her daddy, always waking up early, while Jenny would sleep until noon, if you let her. "Maybe Daddy will let her," she thought. "I wonder what we're doin' today, anyway?"

She listened to the early morning stillness. She heard footsteps, then heard the screen door at the front of the house open and close. She got out of bed, walked to the window and pulled back the edge of the shade. She didn't want to raise it—even though it was early, the sun was still bright and she didn't want to wake Jenny.

Junior looked out at the fields and the buildings of the farm. "This is a pretty place," she thought. "I can see why Daddy likes it here." As her eyes traveled across the scene, she saw her father, leaning up against the fence, watching his horses. She recognized the pose—she had seen it many times before. She imagined he must be smoking a cigarette although he was too far away for her to really tell. She looked at him again and then realized he was wearing shorts. She had never seen her father in shorts—in fact, she had never seen him in anything but jeans. She smiled to herself. For some reason, the idea of her father wearing shorts struck her as funny.

As she continued to look out the window, she saw Jack walking across the field and down the road. She watched as Jack came up to her father's side. Her dad turned—she could see him smiling—then leaned in and gave Jack a kiss. Junior started. Somehow, she wasn't expecting that. It wasn't a long and passionate kiss, just a quick little smooch. "They're probably saying good morning," she thought.

She let the shade drop and sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about what she had just seen. Something about it was weird, but as she rolled the thought over in her mind, she realized that it wasn't the fact that her father was kissing a man that was weird, it was the fact that he was kissing anyone at all.

In her mind, she thought back to their life in Riverton—their life when Ennis was still living with them. He had moved out as soon the divorce proceedings began. "When was that?" Junior thought. She did the math in her head. "Two years, I guess. I must've been 10."

She tried to remember what their day-to-day life had been like before he left. Ennis always got up early. Most days he was out of the apartment before she was even awake. He came home late, usually just as mama was putting supper on the table. She pictured a typical evening in her mind's eye. He'd always come in, leave his lunch pail on the counter, wash his hands at the sink and take a beer out of the refrigerator. Did he kiss mama as he came in? Junior couldn't picture it. She could picture him lying on the couch, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. She could picture him arguing with her mother in the kitchen and storming out the door. She could picture him drunk. She didn't like picturing him that way.

She stood back up and looked out the window again. Jack and her father were still leaning against the fence. She noticed her father's hand casually rubbing the back of Jack's neck. She realized that except for the kisses he gave her and Jenny, she had never seen her father be affectionate with anybody. She kind of liked the way it looked. It was nice to see him so happy.

She went over to her suitcase and took out a pair of clean shorts and a shirt and pulled them on. She straightened up the bed and folded her nightie and put it under the pillow. Finished with that, she tiptoed out of the room and walked down the hall to the bathroom.

As she brushed her teeth, she thought about the day before. They had arrived at the farm at about six. Jack was waiting for them on the porch. He had some sodas for them to drink, and a plate of cheese and crackers to snack on. Junior felt a little shy, but Jenny, her usual talkative self, had launched right into a conversation, asking Jack about Bobby and how his riding lessons were going.

Her father had carried their suitcases up to the bedroom and showed them where they would be sleeping. He had bought them some presents which were on the foot of each bed—the cowboy shirts from the crafts fair, plus cowgirl hats for each of them (cream for Junior, blue for Jenny). He had also bought some other little things: a deck of cards and a set of jacks for Junior, and a coloring book and crayons for Jenny. Junior smiled at the thought of Jenny squealing in delight. Jenny always loved presents.

After that, Junior had gone down to the stable with her father and helped him take care of the horses for the night. It had been good to see Twister and Sioux again. She loved the horses as much as her father did and had missed seeing them. He promised her they'd do lots of riding during the week.

They came back to the house where Jenny was still chatting non-stop. Jack had smiled at Junior. "Is yer sister always this talkative?" he had said with an amused grin. Junior nodded. "That's why I'm quiet and like to read," she said.

Jack grilled hamburgers on the little grill from Japan. She helped her father cut up some carrots and cucumbers, and they poured a bag of potato chips into a bowl. The four of them sat around the dining room table, having a happy supper. Junior pictured it—she could see her father smiling the whole time.

After dinner, Jack pulled out a Parcheesi game he had found in a closet. They played for at least an hour, until Jenny was falling asleep at the table. As she thought about it, Junior realized she had never played a board game with her father in her life.

She finished brushing her teeth and put the brush in the cup at the edge of the sink. She walked down the stairs and stood at the screen door. Her father and Jack were walking back across the field, heading towards the house. She pushed open the door and waved to them from the porch. They waved back. Suddenly, she found herself running off the porch and running to her dad. As she reached him, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, so tightly she felt as if she'd never let go. "I love you, Daddy," she said, her face buried in his chest.

"That's a nice good mornin'," Ennis said in return. "I love you too, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him, adoringly.

She pulled back, then turned and looked at Jack. "Good mornin'…um,…um…" she stuttered.

"Jack is fine," he said softly. "Or call me whatever you want."

She looked at him, thinking for a minute. "Uncle Jack," she said. "I think that's right." She nodded.

Jack smiled at her. "Uncle Jack sounds good," he said. "I've never been anybody's uncle before, so that's special."

Junior turned to her father. "Daddy, walk up t'the house," she said. "I want t'talk to Uncle Jack in private for a minute."

Ennis gave her a funny smile and then said, "Yes ma'am," as he strode off.

Junior turned to Jack. "Y'know, I only met you yesterday," she said, "but I really like you. Yer very nice."

"Well thank you," said Jack, surprised. "That's very sweet of you to say."

"And you've made my daddy very happy," she continued. "I've never seen him smile so much. He always used to be unhappy and sad." She paused. "We talked in the truck yesterday."

Jack nodded. "He told me."

"My mama thinks this whole thing is bad," Junior continued. "She's been sayin' that for weeks." Jack nodded at her as she said this. "But, Uncle Jack," she paused, "I think she's wrong. It can't be bad if he's this happy."

Jack looked at her. "Yer daddy told me you were smart," he said. "And I can tell he's right."

Junior blushed. "I don't know if it's bein' smart," she said, "it's just seein' what I'm seein' with my own two eyes."

They stood there for a minute, then Junior stepped close and wrapped her arms around his waist, as she had done with her dad. "Thank you, Uncle Jack," she said, "thank you for making him happy."

Jack hugged her back, and then gave her a smile. "I like makin' yer daddy happy," he said, "and he makes me happy too." They stood there for a minute, then Jack pulled her arms from around his waist. "C'mon, li'l one," he said. "Let's go up t'the house and get some breakfast. I bet yer hungry."

"I am," she said. As they started to walk, she reached over and slipped her hand into Jack's. He smiled at her. And with that, they walked across the field hand-in-hand, waving to Ennis who stood on the porch.