Chapter Thirteen

"Hey, sunshine, what's the matter?" Jack put his arm around Kelly's shoulders. She looked up at him, then put her head down on his shoulder.

"Nothing. I'm just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Somethin' wrong, sweetheart?"

A long sigh escaped her, "No, nothing's wrong." They stood like that for a while, until Bobby came running in the door.

"Daddy, can I have a cookie? I'm starving!"

Jack turned to him, grinning, "Starving? Really?"

"Yes! Look at my belly!" He pulled up his shirt and sucked his stomach in. "See?"

Jack and Kelly both laughed, "Okay, you can have a cookie. Maybe you better have two, so ya don't waste away t'nothing."

"Want some milk with it, Bobby?" Kelly asked.

"Yes, please!"

"Ya know, Bobby, we're both standin' right here, so ya don't need ta yell."

"Sorry, Daddy."

Jack ruffled his hair and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "It's okay." He went to Kelly and kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear, "I don' believe ya, 'bout nothin' bein' wrong, so if ya ever wanna talk, you let me know."

She ducked her head down, a small smile on her lips, "I will. Thanks, Jack."

He winked at her and went out the door.

Jack found Ennis in the stable, brushing Jojo. He stood in the door, just watching, admiring the gentleness in Ennis's movements. He particularly liked it when Ennis bent over and showed him a perfect view of his Levi-clad backside. He realized that Ennis had filled out a little, since they'd moved here, in all the right places. He was always too thin, Jack thought.

Ennis must have sensed eyes upon him, because he turned around at that moment, found Jack's eyes upon him, and smirked. "You lookin' at my ass?"

"So what if I am?" Jack smirked back. They stood, Ennis in shadow and Jack in the sun, for a few moments, until Jack's grin grew bigger, into that thousand-watt, bright as sunshine, just-for-Ennis smile. They started forward at the same time and met in the middle, not embracing, just standing toe-to-toe, looking into each others' eyes. As Jack stood there, he realized, really realized, that he was happy here, with Ennis, with Bobby, being productive, making friends, being loved back. He thought back and couldn't ever remember being this happy in his entire life. His blue eyes softened as he took one of Ennis's hands in his. He looked down at it, took in the callouses and dirt on it, thought nothing was more beautiful. He met the brown eyes again and caught the bemused look in them, just as the other hand came up to caress his cheek and pull his face close. Their lips met and in that light kiss, Jack felt himself falling. He hadn't thought it possible to love Ennis any more than he did, but found, in that moment, it was possible and he did. He leaned in for a deeper kiss.

They were interrupted when Bobby appeared at the door, shouting, "Daddy! Telephone!" he skidded to a stop, watching them break apart, but didn't say anything more.

Jack backed up at step, his eyes still locked with Ennis's, smiled, almost shyly, before turning to leave.

Ennis watched him go, then went back to Jojo. He picked up the brush again, but didn't start using it. He stood there, lost in thought, running his hand down Jojo's neck. After a while, he shook his head, as if to clear it, then finished brushing Jojo. He put the brush away, went into the house, and was washing his hands in the sink when Jack came down the stairs.

"That was Anna on the phone. Said she had good news and bad news." He looked around, making sure they were the only ones in the room and continued, "The good news is, the judges granted the change of venue, so we don't have to go to Texas. The bad news is, we still have to go to the hearing on Friday because L.D.'s lawyer filed a motion or something asking fer L.D. and Faye to have visits with Bobby right now."

"Can they do that? They ain't even his parents."

"Anna said they could. Doesn't mean they'll get 'em, but she said they can try." Jack hesitated before asking, "You gonna come with me t'court tomorrow?"

"Ya think that's a good idea Jack? Remember what Anna said about keepin' a low profile?"

"I know, but I cain't hide who I am an' I could really use yer support tomorrow."

"I don't know, Jack. I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Ennis, is that what this is really about, or are ya still afraid o' bein' seen with me?"

"Jack, no, it isn't about that! I jus' don't want ya t'lose Bobby 'cause o' us."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "You sure?"

Ennis took three long steps forward to Jack and put his arms around him, pulling him close, "Jack, I love you an' I'd do anything fer you. I hope you know that by now. But us bein' t'gether–that could go against you an' your son. I don't want that t'happen. I love Bobby too, ya know. I know it would hurt him t'be separated from you."

Jack started to tremble. He'd thought, in the stable, that he couldn't love this man any more, but knew now that wasn't true. He gripped Ennis tighter and buried his face in his neck. Ennis just held him. When he finally pulled back, he said, "I'll leave it up t'you t'come or not, but I want ya t'know that I want ya there."

"Okay. I'll think on it, Jack."


The next morning Jack woke early, before dawn. Ennis was spooned around him, with one arm under his head and the other resting on his hip. He reached for the hand on his hip and brought it to his chest, held it there, their fingers entwined. He felt Ennis stir behind him, then smiled as he felt lips on the back of his neck. Ennis kissed him as he moved head forward, until he reached his ear, where he whispered, "Mornin' darlin'."

"Mornin'." Jack replied, still smiling.

"We oughta get up. Wanna get t'the courthouse early."

Jack turned his head to meet Ennis's eyes in the gloomy light. "You're comin' with me?"

Ennis didn't say anything at first, so Jack turned onto his back, looking up. Ennis ran his finger down Jack's cheek. "I made a promise t'be here with you, Jack, an' I knew it wouldn't be easy. I can't just pick an' choose when I'm gonna stand by you, it has to be all the time. If ya need me there with you today, I'm gonna be there. I just don't want it to come back an' hurt ya."

Jack arched his head up to kiss Ennis, then pulled him into an embrace. Ennis rested his head on Jack's chest and they lay like that for a while.

"We're gonna halfta shower t'gether, t'save time, if we don't get up soon."

Jack chuckled, "You think it'll save time if we shower together?"

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Ennis turned his head to grin at Jack.

"Yeah, an' we decided it definitely wouldn't save time. If we get in there right now, though, we can shower t'gether an' not save time."

Ennis jumped up and reached for his hand, "Well, come on then, let's go." Jack took his hand and followed.


Ennis and Jack came down the stairs later, dressed in their best jeans and shirts, to the smell of coffee already brewing. Kelly was curled on the couch, her hair loose and pooling behind her. She opened her dark eyes and sat up, stretching and yawning. "Geez, I thought you guys were never coming down," she said, standing up.

"Hey, beautiful."

"What're ya doin' here so early?" Ennis asked, cocking an eyebrow at Jack.

"Jack asked me to come early today, to watch Bobby while you guys were gone."

"Is that so?"

"Ennis, I didn't know you'd change yer mind, but I was hopin' ya would, so I planned ahead."

Before Ennis could reply, they heard a noise from upstairs. They all looked up as Tyler came out of his bedroom, already dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Jack looked away, but noticed that both Kelly and Ennis continued to watch Tyler. He felt a prick of uneasiness, but dismissed it when Ennis turned and met his eyes. They all had a cup of coffee together, then Tyler went out to start the chores and Jack and Ennis got in Jack's truck.

"Anna said t'get there early, see if we can reach an agreement before we go in front of the judge."

"Is L.D. gonna be there?"

"I dunno. I s'pose he prob'ly will," Jack sighed. They rode the rest of the way in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When he stopped in front of the courthouse, neither made a move to get out of the truck.

Jack lit a cigarette, took a long drag and passed it to Ennis. "I'm glad yer here with me, Ennis."

"I jus' hope it's the right thing, Jack." He handed the cigarette back.

Jack opened his door and got out, stubbed the cigarette out on the ground. Ennis got out and followed him inside. They went to the fourth floor, where the courtrooms were. Anna was already there, seated on a bench at the top of the stairs.

"Hi, Jack, Ennis. How are you today?"

"Nervous as hell," Jack smiled.

"Well, I haven't seen anyone else up here yet. Maybe they aren't coming."

"Yeah, an' maybe the devil is havin' himself a skatin' party," Jack replied, just as they heard a commotion on the stairs.

"Why the hell are the courtrooms on the fourth floor?" a gruff voice was complaining.

"See, hell ain't froze over after all." Jack said, between clenched teeth.

"That him?" Ennis asked.

"Yep," Jack said, turning to face the stairs. A heavy man appeared, deep grooves in his face, which was red from exertion, his mostly gray hair slicked back off his forehead. A thin woman walked beside him and another man, in his forties or so, dressed in a dark suit, followed behind.

"Ah, here's the little pissant now," L.D. said, looking up to see Jack at the top of the stairs.

"L.D.," Jack and L.D.'s lawyer said at the same time. Jack, with resignation; the lawyer, in a warning voice.

"Faye, how are you?" Jack asked the woman.

"I'm okay, Jack. Miss Bobby an' Lureen, though." Jack just nodded as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Where's my grandson?" L.D. asked.

"He's at home, prob'ly in bed. You don't think I'd bring 'im here, do ya? Courthouse an' arguin' adults ain't no place fer a child."

L.D. didn't say anything, just shook his head, before focusing his gaze on Ennis, "Who's this now?"

"This is my friend, Ennis Del Mar."

L.D.'s eyes narrowed. "Ain't he that guy ya used t'go fishin' with?"

"Yeah. I tol' ya we were friends."

L.D. looked ready to say more, but his lawyer stepped forward and held his hand out to Anna. "Ms. Grant," she nodded, "it's nice to finally meet you in person. I'm Rick Lawson."

"Hello, Mr. Lawson. Yes, nice to meet you." They'd talked on the phone a few times.

"Could you and I talk for a few minutes?"

"Sure. There's a conference room down the hall," she said, leading him away.

"How is Bobby?" Faye asked Jack.

"He's doin' real good. He made a good friend at school an' he lives close. They spend a lotta time t'gether."

"They have good schools around here?"

"Seems like it."

L.D. huffed his breath out. "How would you know what a good school is? Stupid rodeo pissant."

"Hey, you watch yer mouth," Ennis said.

"Or what? You gonna do somethin' about it?" L.D. said, puffing his chest out.

"We're in a courthouse and there's a lady present. Oughta show more respect."

L.D.'s eyes narrowed again, "What're you doin' here? Ain't you from Wyoming?"

Before Jack or Ennis could reply, the lawyers were coming back down the hall. "Jack, can I talk to you for a minute?" Anna asked. He and Ennis followed her into the conference room.

"They're asking for you to agree to give them custody today. I told him no, on that point. They also want visits with Bobby. They asked for the rest of the summer–for him to go to Texas with them."

"No way. Absolutely not." Jack shook his head.

"I told him you probably wouldn't agree to that, but I'd ask. Do you have an alternative plan?"

"I don't wanna keep 'em from their grandson, but I don't want that man poisoning my son against me. If I give him too much time, I know that's what he'll try t'do."

"How about a visit this weekend and a week in August, before school starts?"

Jack thought for a minute. "Okay, but the visit has gotta be here in Minnesota. I don't want him takin' Bobby outta the state."

"That's what I'll ask for. It's up to the judge, though. Wait here, let me go talk to Mr. Lawson."

Ennis and Jack were silent while they waited for Anna to return. Ennis was beginning to think it had been a huge mistake for him to be here.

Anna returned, "They agreed to stay here this weekend, but they want him to come to Texas for longer visits." Jack shook his head. "Well, let's go in the courtroom, leave it to the judge to decide." They followed her into the hallway and then into the courtroom. It was smaller than Jack thought it would be. Chairs lined two walls, one side for a jury and the other for the public. Two tables were in front of the judge's area, which was raised up, so the judge would be seated above everyone else. Jack and Anna sat at one table, while Ennis took a seat in the audience area behind them. L.D., Faye, and Mr. Lawson came in and sat at the other table. The bailiff asked them to stand as the judge came in, followed by his court reporter.

"Here ye, here ye, the ninth judicial district court is now in session, the honorable Judge Ralph A. Lundeen presiding. Please be seated."

"We're here for a custody motion on case FA-76-196. State your appearances," the judge said.

"Anna Grant, for the respondent, Mr. Jack Twist, who is seated to my left."

"Richard Lawson, for the petitioners, L.D. and Faye Newsome, who are seated to my right."

"Have the parties reached an agreement on anything?"

"Your honor, if I may?" Anna started. She continued at his nod, "The parties have agreed to the Newsome's having a visit with Bobby this weekend, here in Minnesota. The Newsomes have asked to have Bobby spend the rest of the summer with them in Texas and my client is opposed to that. Mr. Twist is Bobby's biological father. He and his wife were married until her death in April. There is no reason to grant a change of custody. Mr. Twist is willing to allow the Newsomes visits; he is their grandson, after all, but Bobby has lived here for four months now, with his father, and he is making this his home. He has friends in the area and is making a life here. It would be disruptive to him to spend five or six weeks away. Mr. Twist would agree to a week long visit in August, provided it takes place here in Minnesota."

"Mr. Lawson?" the judge asked.

"Your honor, Mr. and Mrs. Newsome were very close to their daughter and grandson. We are not here to argue for custody today, but they are very concerned about the care Bobby is getting. They would assert that Mr. Twist was never a good father. He was frequently gone, leaving Bobby's care to their daughter. They are also concerned that he drinks heavily and leaves frequently, for days at a time."

During this speech, Ennis felt L.D.'s eyes on him, boring into him.

"We feel it would be best for the child if they were granted an extended visit for the rest of the summer, in their home state of Texas. Bobby lived there for the first nine years of his life. He also has friends there. They assert it would not be disruptive because he is familiar with the area and their home."

The judge shuffled through the file for a moment, then said, "This is what I'm going to do. I'm granting the visit for this weekend, since you all agree to it. I'm denying the motion for the child to spend the rest of the summer in Texas. I am granting a week long visit, to take place here in Minnesota, for the week of August first through the seventh. I am, however, ordering Mr. Twist to undergo an alcohol assessment. It needs to be completed within the next four weeks, with the results to be released to the court. In the meantime, I'm ordering that Mr. Twist not consume any alcohol or have any in his house. The custody hearing is scheduled for September 20, with a pre-trial set for September 13. Any questions?" L.D. was grumbling under his breath. "Mr. Lawson, does your client have a question?"

"No, your honor." Rick glared at L.D. and hissed at him to be quiet.

"If there's nothing else, I'll see you in September."

They met outside the courtroom door. "Where should my clients pick Bobby up? And what time?" Rick asked.

"How about after lunch? It'll give me time t'go home an' talk t'Bobby. Let him know what's happening. I'll drop him off at their hotel at one o'clock."

"Okay. They're staying at the Best Western on highway 169. You know where that is?"

"Of course," Jack replied.

"You better not be late," L.D. growled.

"I won't. See ya then." Jack said, walking away, Ennis and Anna at his side.

"Jack, why don't you stop in my office after you drop Bobby off and we'll set up the alcohol assessment."

"Sure," he agreed. He and Ennis got in the truck and started home.

"Yer awful quiet," Jack said, after a while.

"I don't like the way L.D. kept lookin' at me. He's surely figured somethin' out. I shoulda stayed home today."

"Ennis, we can't hide forever. I'm thankful you were there today. I needed ya there."

"Didn't look like it t'me. Ya handled ever'thing just fine, Jack. Kinda sexy, the way ya stood up t'him."

"I didn't stand up t'him."

"Sure ya did, you were patient, polite, sweet t'Faye, didn't complain, let them have a visit with Bobby. Standin' up don't mean pickin' a fight. Sometimes it means just bein' the bigger person."

Jack blushed and reached across the seat for Ennis's hand. He laced their fingers together and squeezed. He was quiet for a while, watching the road. Suddenly, he turned to Ennis, "Did you call me sexy?"

Ennis smiled his crooked smile, "I was wonderin' how long it'd take fer that t'register with ya. 'Course I did. You know I think you're sexy, Jack."

"Nice t'hear sometimes, though."

"Yep."

The rest of the drive was silent.


"Are ya all packed?" Ennis asked Bobby, who was in the entryway putting his sneakers on.

"Yep. D'ya think I should take my mud boots?"

"Hmm . . . I don't think it's supposed to rain, so I think y'can leave 'em here. Do you have our phone number? Your daddy tell you to call anytime ya want?"

"Ennis, I know my own phone number. I'm not a baby, ya know."

Ennis chuckled. "I know. You have a good time, okay? Better get goin', I think yer dad's waitin' fer ya."

"Okay," Bobby said, then surprised him by throwing his arms around Ennis's waist. "Bye, Ennis, see ya on Monday."

Ennis, moved almost to tears by this simple gesture, put his arms around him and returned the hug. "See ya Monday, son." He watched Bobby run out the door, down the steps, and climb up into Jack's truck.