Jack woke the next morning to the smell of cooking bacon. He lifted his head, and groggily looked around, once again thrown by his unfamiliar surroundings. He wasn't suffering from a hangover this morning, however, since the night before he and Ennis had shared only a couple beers.

They'd stayed up mainly talking and joking around this time, the hours ticking past like minutes, the moon racing across the night sky. Jack told some more funny stories from his days in the rodeo and from his time working with L.D. Newsome. Ennis was in a light enough mood to share a couple funny stories with Jack—mostly tales of things his kids had done when they were little. That spurred Jack to tell Ennis about the time his son Bobby had gotten his head stuck in a fence and Lureen had called the Fire department.

The night had gone on in that fashion; many laughs were shared. It had been around three o'clock in the morning when they'd finally parted ways to go to sleep, Ennis hesitantly retiring to his bedroom, Jack going back to lay on the couch.

A smile cracked Jack's sleepy face, brought on by memories of the previous evening. He sat up tall on the couch and stretched, then let out a big yawn and stood to make his way into the kitchen. Ennis was already dressed and rushing around, trying to control the cooking eggs, bacon, and toast, while setting the table. Jack shuffled in, amazed by the juggling act he was performing. He looked over at the clock: 8:30.

"Good lord, boy! What time did you get up?"

Ennis turned when he realized he was no longer alone, gave Jack a slow smile.

"'Bout an hour ago. Ya gotta remember, I'm used ta ranch hours. 7:30 is sleepin' in fer me."

Jack laughed then yawned again. "Not when ya went ta bed at 3 in the mornin'."

Ennis shrugged. "I've never been much of a sleeper."

Jack leaned on the counter, smirking as Ennis continued his attempts at preparing breakfast.

"So what's cookin', cowboy?"

Ennis gave Jack a look over his shoulder. "Cowboy?"

"That's what ya are, ain't it?"

"Spose so. Can you hand me those plates?" Ennis waited a second then added. "Prefer'bly without droppin' 'em?"

Jack gave Ennis the finger than took a plate in both hands, held them out to Ennis, who piled two eggs over easy and three pieces of bacon on each. Jack placed them on the table, sitting down on the wooden chair to the left.

"What d'ya want ta drink?"

"What ya got?"

Ennis opened the fridge. "Not much. There's some milk, but I wouldn't recommend it, probably sour by now. Um, there's some orange juice. That's not too old."

"I'll have that."

Ennis brought over a carton of orange juice and set in down in front of Jack. The toast popped up, Ennis buttered it, then arranged the slices on a plate and also brought that to the table. He sat down across from Jack. They both dug in.

Jack looked up at Ennis between bites. He kept his eyes on his food, too busy with what was in front of him. Jack smiled.

"He sure is sweet. Goin' ta all this trouble ta make breakfast."

Jack sipped some juice, swallowed, and then leaned back in his chair.

"I thought you said, ya didn't like cookin' that much."

Ennis finally looked up, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and sat back, mimicking Jack's position.

"Yeah, well…thought this would be a nice occasion. Don't have comp'ny too often."

Jack smiled and left it at that, satisfied with his explanation. They ate the rest of their breakfast in comfortable silence. Finally, Jack finished off his juice and stood up, grabbing both his and Ennis' plates and deposited them in the sink. He came back and sat down.

"Do ya get the Sunday paper?"

Ennis shook his head, and stood to put the carton of orange juice back in the fridge.

"Nah, I cancelled it, few months back. Got ta the point where I wasn't even readin' it, they jest started pilin' up 'round the house. Figured what's the point of payin' fer it if yer not gonna read it."

He sat back down and looked at Jack. There was a minute of quiet. Jack, squirming under Ennis' steady gaze, breached the silence.

"So what do ya do on Sunday's, Del Mar?"

"Nothin' very interestin', Twist."

They laughed and then Ennis answered seriously.

"I usually go inta work fer a couple hours and jest check up on how everythin's goin' without me there. Then, I do grocery shoppin' if I need it, and some laundry. Pretty standard stuff."

"You go inta work even on Sundays?"

Ennis shook his head and gave Jack a quirked smile.

"How many times I gotta explain that ranchin's a full time job?"

"Couple more should do the trick."

Ennis frowned slightly and then chuckled. "I don't go and do no real work, unless it's needed." He sighed. "I guess I just don't feel comfortable leavin' it up ta the hands. I don't trust many people 'cept myself."

Jack nodded in understanding. He had to wonder if there would ever come a time when Ennis could trust him. Maybe…

"Not until ya tell him the truth 'bout why yer there! Ya gotta stop lyin' ta the man, n' jest get it over with."

He hushed his inner thoughts, pushed them back down to hell. Just because he wasn't telling Ennis why he'd come didn't mean he was lying.

"Except fer the fact that ya lied straight ta his face last night. Said ya came ta visit yer parents' farm. You'd consider that a lie, wouldn't you now?"

Okay. So he'd lied, but he hadn't intended to. He'd known that eventually Ennis would want to know why he'd come to Wyoming, and he'd known that that would've been the time to spill the beans. Except when the time had come, he couldn't do it. Ennis had surprised him, the question had slid into the conversation like a snake in a fruit basket, and he hadn't been ready. He'd…He'd been noticing Ennis' friendly, kind eyes, noticing the way he smiled at him, how he'd told him he was disappointed when he'd thought Jack had left. He couldn't bear to tell him the truth and watch that friendly expression fall from his face. He didn't want Ennis to look at him differently, didn't want to be judged and kicked out of his house. So he'd lied, kept the charade up a little longer. The truth was too difficult to accept, and he just couldn't tell him. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to, but then…why else had he come?

"Say, howabout, you come with me today? I can show ya 'round the ranch. We can take the horses out, have a nice time. What d'ya say?"

Jack was jolted back to reality. He saw Ennis sitting across from him with a hopeful expression on his face, an open expression.

"Has he always been like this? Is he always this…friendly?"

Jack thought probably not. The book, which hadn't been wrong about anything so far, portrayed Ennis as a cold sonofabitch, and from the way he'd been sitting in the bar that night all closed up and brooding, Jack thought its description was most likely dead on. So why was he different now?

"Okay. Sounds good ta me."

Ennis smiled. "Good."

They were both silent, smiling at each other. Jack sat up in his chair and stretched one more time.

"Hey Ennis, would it be okay if I took a shower? I haven't had one in a couple days, and I'm startin' ta feel pretty ripe."

Ennis blinked then looked over his shoulder in the direction of the bathroom.

"Uh,…sure. Let me just get ya a towel, and a bar a' soap."

He stood and walked out of the kitchen towards the back of the hallway. Jack watched him go, watched his long legs, watched how tightly his jeans clung to them. Before he realized what he was doing he whistled out loud, then immediately turned red, slapped a mental hand over his mouth.

"What the fuck, Twist? What was that? What do ya think yer doin'?"

Ennis didn't seem to notice though, as he continued his search for soap and towels in the linen closet. Jack hoped he hadn't noticed, because that would be a hard one to explain.

"Jesus. Keep that kinda thing ta yerself. It's bad enough yer even havin' those thoughts, but ya don't need ta let him know. Just try and keep it in yer pants fer the next couple a' days, all right?"

"Got ya a towel. I'll show ya how ta work the shower."

Jack stood, shaking his head after Ennis was out of sight. How was he ever supposed to keep it in his pants when Ennis Del Mar went around turning on showers for him? He didn't know, and at the moment he didn't care. Jack walked into the bathroom, face red and a slight hitch in his step.

Ennis stood at the kitchen sink cleaning up the remains of their breakfast. He was scrubbing the pan that he'd used to cook the eggs and bacon. The water ran over his hands, warm, refreshing like a nice shower.

"Hope me runin' the kitchen sink don't interfere with Jack's hot water."

Jack Twist was in Ennis Del Mar's shower. Had been for at least ten or twelve minutes. He had to wonder what was taking him so long—Ennis was never one to take a shower for more than five, himself.

An image of Jack solidified in his mind. In the shower. Naked. Blood rushed to his cheeks and he felt his dick stir a little. He scrubbed the frying pan faster. He could just picture the hot water running down Jack's face, making tiny streams down his neck and back, across his chest. Jack's broad chest. Ennis closed his eyes.

"Fuck that."

He finished washing up the dishes, then dried his hands, realizing the shower had stopped.

"Maybe the water did get cold on him. Guess I shoulda waited till he was done 'fore I started on the dishes."

Ennis walked towards his bedroom. He needed to find his extra pair of riding gloves to loan to Jack. But before he could make it to his room, the door to the bathroom flew open and the man of the hour, towel wrapped around his waist, walked out, hair slick and black from the water, skin glistening and still moist.

Ennis stopped. Jack blushed slightly.

"Uh, sorry. I, uh, fergot my clothes…they're in my bag…gotta go get 'em."

The two awkwardly sidestepped each other, Ennis all the while trying not to focus too much on Jack's bare chest and arms. Ennis backed into his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and then forgot why he'd come in there to begin with.

"Gloves, right."

He hurriedly walked into his closet and grabbed his extra pair of gloves off of a shelf, then walked back to his door. He stopped when his hand was on the doorknob.

What if he wasn't dressed yet?

"Don't want another awkward moment in the hallway do ya?"

Ennis opened the door anyway, damning himself for being such a wuss. He'd seen lots of other guys in the buff, nothing wrong with that. Never bothered him before…well, maybe there were a couple times…But, still, nothing to get too worked up over. He was relieved to see, when he stepped into the hall, that Jack was nowhere in sight, and the bathroom door was closed which meant he was back inside changing. Ennis walked into the living room whistling, content to wait for Jack until he was ready.

But Jack was already in the living room, and he wasn't exactly "ready". He had just pulled up his pants, but they'd been down long enough for Ennis to notice that he hand't been wearing anything underneath them. Ennis cleared his throat and stepped back.

"Oh, 'scuse me!"

Jack took a quick look in his direction and turned away, blushing as he zipped and buttoned his jeans.

" Jesus! Ya snuck up on me there! I…thought you was in yer room. Um,"

He kept his back to Ennis and started to button up his shirt.

"Sorry ya got an eyeful there. Guess I was in a hurry when I was leavin' n' I fergot ta pack enough boxers."

"S'alright." Ennis grumbled. "Are you ready, or what?"

"Yeah, I'll just hang my towel up in the bathroom."

Jack walked around Ennis, avoiding his glance. Ennis didn't look in his direction though, just continued starring blankly at the spot where Jack had been standing when he'd come upon him with his pants down.

The two rode around the north side of the Owl Creek Ranch, where there were lots of open fields and good scenery of the mountains, for a couple of hours. After Ennis had introduced Jack to the folks working that day, mostly hands and another assistant to the foreman, he'd shown him around the grounds, shown him where they took the stock out to graze, and then took him to some of the higher fields where the soil was good and they were thinking about tilling and planting sugar beets in the spring. Jack was amused that Ennis seemed mighty proud to be working on such a prosperous ranch, despite the fact he had told him that Owl Creek wasn't the 'best place he'd ever worked'.

Eventually Ennis had led him into the outer territories and their conversation had mostly trailed off. They rode in silence and absorbed the scenery—the Big Horn Mountains, and the beautiful greenery, were at its most lush in early summer. There was a slight breeze that kept the temperature bearable, despite the pounding sun overhead. Jack was left speechless by his surrounding. He'd never seen anything so majestic. Well, maybe when he was still living in Wyoming, but he'd been young then, and too busy trying to get away from his folks to truly appreciate the wonder of the rugged terrain.

It felt amazing to be on horseback again as well. It had been years since he'd ridden, since he'd worked with his hands out in nature. Jack had always loved the outdoors, always loved the rough lifestyle of the western cowboy and the freedom that came with it. It had been a dream of his when he was young, to be a part of the western tradition, to be a real cowboy. But Jack had only ever been a mediocre ranch hand, was never too dedicated, and had eventually decided the best way to pursue his dream was through the rodeo. Jack chuckled at the thought.

"That worked out well."

Ennis brought his horse, whose name he'd said was Jenny Wren, into a gallop. Jack gave his own mare, Delaney, a little kick and followed, but hung back slightly. Ennis was riding just a few feet ahead of him, and Jack had a perfect view. He took in the complete picture, from his muscular legs, strong from years of riding, to his blue-stripped shirt billowing in the breeze created by the speed of the horses. Jack, surprisingly, focused on his light blue shirt, which blended perfectly with the horizon, making Ennis look like he was flying. Jack felt like he was flying, himself, and not just because he was galloping. The last couple of days had been amazing. He'd never felt so free, never felt so…wonderfully alive. He thought he could do anything, and seriously felt he could take off, that his horse could run clear into the sky, defying the laws of gravity and anyone that said it was impossible.

They galloped at that pace for a while, but eventually slowed down to give the horses, and themselves, a rest. Ennis dismounted and tied Jenny Wren's reigns to a tree that was near by. Jack followed suit. Ennis then walked a little ways into the field and sat down next to a little fence, never tearing his gaze from the view of the mountains. Jack eased himself down next to Ennis, wincing a little at his tired back and legs. He certainly wasn't a young man anymore.

"I've always loved the view from up here. Think it's the best view on the whole ranch, s'why I brought ya up here."

Jack looked over at Ennis who seemed deep in thought, or at least deeply engrossed with the scenery, then turned to take a good look at what was before him. The small fence they were sitting next to made a straight line all the way down the hill as far as the eye could see. It almost reached the foot of the mountains, or so it seemed. All around them and out ahead were wild flowers of deep purple and some scatterings of yellow. Jack picked a small purple one next to him and twirled it around between his fingers. He looked back up. From where they were sitting the mountains were still a little distance away, but were quite visible. Jack could see the outlines of thousands of trees on the hulking figures, and the snow that lined the tops melded with the clouds in the sky.

Jack snuck a quick glance at Ennis, his eyes lingering on his lips. He sure wished he could touch him, wished he could touch his lips. Jack could only imagine what it would feel like to gently feel his arms circle him and then fall into the soft grass around them. They could make love cushioned by the wild flowers. Jack felt himself blush at his slightly girly fantasy, but didn't deny it. He wanted Ennis Del Mar. He accepted that now. Queer or no, he wanted Ennis like a person with debt wanted to win the lottery. He thought that feeling Ennis touch him might be the sweetest thing on Earth. Jack sighed. Ennis sighed.

"Yeah, I'll agree with ya, bud. This certainly is a nice view. Can't say I've seen much nicer, even in all the years I lived up in Lightening Flat and traveled 'round with the rodeo."

Ennis grabbed a handful of grass. "I've seen nicer."

Jack leaned back on his elbows. "Ya have?"

"Yeah. The prettiest damn sight ever. Only been there once, never been back. Too bad it's not around here…"

Ennis was frowning and his jaw was clenched, so he decided not to bother him with any more questions. He was content enough just to sit nextt to him almost close enough to touch, feel his presence, take in an eyeful of him right along with his eyeful of the mountains to the north.

They sat quietly for a few more minutes and then both re-mounted their horses and rode back to the ranch. Ennis did another once over before they headed off, made sure that all was under control and that no one had done anything that would get him in trouble with Stoutamire the next morning. All seemed well. So Ennis said a quick farewell, and then him and Jack headed out in Ennis' old Chevrolet.

By the time they got back and Ennis turned his pick-up into the drive, Jack saw there was a purple Sedan parked next to the carport, with just enough room for Ennis to squeeze his truck past. Jack assumed it belonged to Ennis' daughter.

It was already 5 o'clock in the early evening. The sun was getting close to setting, starting to make its downward journey, casting the sky and the clouds with slight shades of purple and pink. The colors wouldn't get bold until close to eight, though. Daylight seemed to last forever in early summer.

After Ennis had showed Jack around the Owl Creek Ranch, they'd headed once again to the Cedar Bar (they both silently agreed not to take anymore chances at Bottom's Up) and had a couple of beers. Ennis told Jack that Junior would probably be getting over to the house around 5:30. They'd had an early lunch when they were at the ranch, and hunger was starting to creep up on them again. It was after three, though, and they hadn't wanted to ruin their appetite for Junior's home cooking, so a diner was out. But relaxing with a couple drinks seemed just the thing, and the bar gave the men the perfect opportunity and atmosphere to shoot the shit.

Talking seemed to never grow old between them. They could talk for hours, once they got started, and surprisingly Jack wasn't the one always leading the conversation. Ennis had gotten more and more comfortable with Jack and now eagerly shared his portion, not afraid to let Jack know his opinions on any topic, and having endless stories about his kids and about his past to share. Jack would listen just as eagerly as Ennis would talk—never getting tired of hearing the man speak, and vice versa. As time passed, Jack learned more and more about Ennis Del Mar, and in the meantime, learned more and more about himself.

Eventually Ennis noticed the time and they'd hightailed it out of the bar and back to Ennis' house, hoping to beat Junior there, but, alas, she'd arrived there earlier than expected.

"She's probably already inside, unloading groceries."

Jack laughed when they walked into the house to see that Junior was doing exactly that.

"Yep, I knew it." Ennis whispered loud enough for Junior to hear.

"Daddy, you talking ta yerself? I think I should start worryin' 'bout you!"

A lovely woman with shoulder length auburn hair stuck her head out of the kitchen where she had been taking fresh vegetables out of a paper grocery bag. She had a broad smile on her face and her eyes were twinkling. Jack could see a lot of Ennis in her.

The woman strode into the living room and met her dad halfway. Jack noticed she was barefoot and had purple toenail polish on. She was wearing jeans that were cut a little below the knee and a yellow sleeveless shirt. She was very becoming, radiant almost.

"Hey there, darlin'."

Ennis took her in his arms and gave her a short, tight hug, but she didn't let him get away too quickly. She held him for a moment longer, then finally released him.

"Daddy, I've missed you! It seems like it's been a while since I've seen you." She paused to think briefly. "Well, I guess it's only been a little over a week, but that's too long when ya jest live a couple miles away."

She stepped back and put her hands on her hips, turning her gaze to Jack. He noticed she had the same intense brown eyes as Ennis.

"Hello there. I'm Alma, but you can call me Junior, everyone does 'cept my mama." She held her hand out. Jack took it and shook it firmly.

"Jack Twist."

They shook hands for a minute then Junior gave Ennis a puzzled look. Ennis, suddenly realizing he'd been silent, stepped up and put his arm around Jack's shoulder, patting him a couple times on the back.

"Junior this here's my friend, Jack. Jack, this is my little girl, Junior. Jack was passing through town when his truck broke down, so I invited him ta stay here with me fer a while. Thought he could have dinner with us tonight."

Ennis lowered his arm. Junior's face lit up as understanding hit her.

"Well, of course he can! This is wonderful!"

She immediately walked closer to Jack and grabbed his hand again, taking it in both her hands this time.

"What a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Twist. I'm so glad that my daddy's finally found himself a friend. I'm always tellin' him he should go out and be more social."

Ennis chuckled softly to himself. Junior finally released Jack's hand, still smiling.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and start dinner. Mr. Twist, would you like to unpack the rest of the groceries?"

"I sure would, jest please, call me Jack."

"All right, Jack. Daddy, you can chop up the veggie's for the stew once Jack gets them unpacked and I clean them."

They all headed into the small kitchen.

"Hey now, I thought you was goin' ta do the cookin'. Why do I gotta do the dirty work."

"Daddy, who was the one that taught us we had ta work fer our food?"

Ennis chuckled again as Junior started to wash the vegetables and Jack unloaded the rest of the food from the paper bags.

"Ya got me there, darlin'. Ya got me there."

For dinner Junior made the best beef stew Jack had ever tasted in his life. It was hearty and filled to the brim with tender vegetables and pieces of roast that melted in his mouth. They also had mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits, a pitcher of fresh brewed sweet tea, and for dessert an apple pie Junior had made earlier in the day that shamed his own mama's. It was one of the best meals Jack had ever had, and the best company too.

During the meal, Jack had entertained Junior with some of his funniest (and most appropriate, of course) stories from his days in the rodeo. Ennis and his daughter had laughed through the whole meal. Eventually, the conversation lulled slightly and Junior sat up in her chair.

"So what brings you ta these parts, Jack? Daddy, said ya were passin' through."

Jack nodded his head and swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Yeah, I was jest came up to see how my parents' old farm is doin'. They passed on several years back, and the land was sold to the state; they was gonna use it fer some sort a crop er another. Last I heard, it was sold again to a man that was gonna try and start a cattle ranch, which is what it was to begin with. But that was a few years ago, so I thought I'd check up on it."

Junior nodded, listening intently. She took another bite of food.

"So how'd you n' Daddy meet each other? Ya seem like yer pretty good friends. Did ya know each other before or…?"

Jack looked over at Ennis. Ennis looked back at Jack. Ennis smiled.

"I helped him from gettin' his ass beat in a bar fight. Jest progressed from there."

Junior seemed a little confused, but shrugged and continued eating.

As the conversation continued, Jack had gotten to know Junior better, and found that she was one of the sweetest, most darling girls he'd ever known. Well, really she was a woman; she was 35 after all, but something about her made Jack think of a little girl. She reminded him of his granddaughter, Eliza, back home, just a little more demure. Junior certainly was friendly, and she knew how to make conversation, but Jack could tell that she was fairly shy and probably pretty quiet on most occasions. She was definitely Ennis Del Mar's daughter.

"The apple never falls too far from the tree. True fer Bobby too, though it's not my tree he fell from."

Jack was always a little saddened at thoughts of Bobby, at the thought of how he'd turned out. Now certainly, Bobby was a fine man, Jack would be the first to stand and admit that, but…it seemed like he was more of Lureen and L.D.'s son than his. Jack was ashamed, because really, he thought Bobby would have grown up like him, if he'd had more of an influence and hadn't handed L.D. the reigns without so much as a fight. It was a shame. Jack's little boy, little no more. Jack shook away his sad thoughts and returned to his present company. He took one final bite of pie.

"Woo! Junior, let me tell you, that was one a' the best meals I've ever had."

Ennis nodded his silent agreement, and shoveled another bite of pie into his mouth. Junior just blushed and ducked her head a little. A small smile touched her lips.

"It wasn't much. You're just a sweet talker, Jack Twist! I bet you tell all the girls that."

"Well, I never meant it 'till now. I'm serious; this was a doozy of a meal. Shoot, this pie rivals my own mamas!"

Junior blushed again and laughed softly. Ennis smiled.

"Junior's always had a knack fer cookin'. She once entered the local Pillsbury cookin' contest and won first prize. $500. She was gonna go on ta nationals, but she couldn't get the time off a' work."

Jack shook his head in amazement. "I bet ya would've won nationals too."

"Maybe." Junior looked down at her plate, then quickly raised her head again, big smile on her face.

"How 'bout you help me clean the dishes, Jack."

Jack nodded, said 'sure thing' and stood up to help collect the dinner plates. Ennis stood as well.

"I think I'm gonna go out n' have a smoke. I'll be in 'n a bit."

Ennis headed out a side door that led to the back yard. Through the kitchen window, Jack could see him sit down on the back patio and pull out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Junior was already standing at the sink, starting in on the dirty dishes.

"You can dry."

She handed Jack a dishtowel.

"Ya know, he has a dish washer, but it's been broken ever since he's owned the house, and he's never thought ta have it fixed. He's been living here, what five years now?"

Junior looked out the window at the seated figure of her dad. She sighed.

"Thank you, Jack."

He was surprised by her comment and looked up quickly, nearly losing his grip on the plate and dropping it.

"Just what Ennis needs, another broken plate."

He set the plate down carefully on the rack to finish drying.

"Now what're ya doin' thankin' me? I didn't do nothin'."

Junior shook her head and laughed. "Yes ya did."

She looked back outside at Ennis.

"I've never seen Daddy like this. He seems…hell, I don't know. He's usually a lot more intense. I don't think I've ever seen him laugh so much, in fact, I can't remember ever seein' him laugh. And there's something…just…different 'bout him. His face seems brighter, or, I don't know how ta describe it. He seems more open; he isn't slumping his shoulder as much as usual, it's really…amazing."

Jack was speechless. So he'd been right. Ennis wasn't always like this. Jack's heart beat a little faster and his stomach rose up into his throat. Jack grabbed the plate that Junior was holding in his direction and began drying vigorously. He could barely get his voice to work.

"So, what d'ya mean? Are ya sayin' it's because a' me?"

Junior nodded, but kept her eyes on the sudsy water. "Well, what else would it be?" She turned the water off for a minute and then raised her head, looked Jack straight in the eye.

"I can see it. When Daddy's around you he jest lights up. I can sense it from you too. I can tell you're gonna be real good friends, the best of friends if Daddy has any say in it."

She rested her hand on her hip and looked outside. Ennis stood and began to head back towards the house.

"So I jest wanted ta thank ya, when Daddy wasn't 'round ta hear. He's funny about sentimental stuff. He'd probably never admit how much he likes you, but I know him well enough that I can tell." She paused and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.

"Daddy's always been real lonely. I'm glad he met you."

She gave Jack one more sincere look and then the side door opened and Ennis came strolling in. He walked over and planted a kiss on Junior's cheek, then gave Jack a lingering look. Jack thought his heart might stop.

Junior finished cleaning up the kitchen and then packed up some of the things she'd brought from her house, a big pot for stew, a couple jars of spices, stuff that Ennis had never bothered to buy.

After she was all packed up she said a final goodbye to Jack, gave him a hug and a knowing look before she turned and headed into the living room. Ennis followed behind and Jack stayed back, giving the two a moment of private father/daughter time.

Junior gave Ennis a tight hug and then pulled away. He opened the door for her.

"Thank ya, darlin', fer cookin' dinner fer me n' Jack."

"Well, the Lord knows, a couple a' old men like you know yer way around the kitchen 'bout as good as a blind man. It's the least I could do."

She turned to leave and then stopped.

"Oh, and Daddy? Yer still planin' on comin' ta Curt's birthday dinner this Tuesday, right?"

Ennis sighed and mumbled something that Jack couldn't make out from the kitchen.

"You have ta come, fer me if fer anyone. I know how you don't like bein' round Mama and Bill and the boys, but you're my daddy, and Curt's father-in-law, and I'd just love fer you ta come."

Ennis hung his head for a minute then agreed to go. Junior smiled wide.

"Nice meetin' you again, Jack!" She called before she left.

"Pleasure's all mine!" Jack returned. And then she was gone, and Jack and Ennis were alone in the house once again.

Ennis wandered back into the kitchen and gave Jack a sly look. Jack found himself wanting more than anything to stand up and take that man in his arms, press his lips against his, feel his heart beat. Jack bit the inside of his mouth.

"So what'd ya think of my little girl?"

"She sure is somethin'. Sweet little gal. Best damn cook I've ever known."

Ennis smiled, proud of his daughter and visibly pleased with Jack's praise, then sat down at the table across from Jack. Ennis starred down at his hands, smiling, chuckling softly to himself. Jack leaned forward.

"And can I ask you what's so funny?"

Ennis stopped chuckling and looked up at Jack with the most endearing expression Jack thought he'd ever seen.

"You wanna play checkers?"

Jack, slightly surprised at the simplicity of his request, shrugged.

"Sure, you got a board?"

Ennis stood and looked around.

"Yeah, think so. It's probably in the closet down the hall. Be right back."

Jack was sitting alone on Ennis Del Mar's couch. It was the third day he'd spent at Ennis' small house, and unfortunately, it was also going to be his last.

He sat with the book opened in front of him, open to the title page.

Brokeback Mountain.

He didn't need to read it to know what it said, by now he had the entire story memorized, engrained in his mind, probably forever.

Jack wiped his eyes with his sleeve and cursed himself for crying.

"Good Lord, Jack, you get worse every day. It's not bad enough to want ta fuck another man, and then to have fantasies 'bout rollin' around in a field with him, but now yer crying. Have some dignity at least, save yer balls 'fore they fall off and leave ya with a vagina."

He didn't care about dignity, though. The voice in his head could condemn and tease and judge all it wanted, but Jack Twist was beyond caring now.

He'd gotten a call from the auto shop. Amazingly, they'd gotten the part quicker than Jack would have ever imagined they could. His truck would be ready by the evening before the shop closed.

"We had the Tom Youtz Ford Dealership from Lander send their courier over with the parts this mornin'. Lander ain't too far from here, maybe thirty miles or so. Anyway, one a' the boy's been workin' on yer truck all afternoon and we can have it ready by the time we close at seven."

"What? How is that possible? I thought it'd at least take a week, or somethin'!"

"You complainin'? Cuz, I can tell Joe ta stop, take my time if'n you want."

"…No." A pause. "I'll be there ta pick it up at seven."

"All righty. We've always prided ourselves in speedy service. Though I will say, that even I was a little surprised at how fast that courier got over here. Must a' been a slow day over at Tom Youtz!"

"Yeah."

Jack had hung the phone up in a daze. Who heard of a country body shop having 'speedy service'? Leave it to fate. When he wanted speedy service, he never got it, and the one time he wanted more than anything else for the auto shop to take their lousy time, they actually decided to get something done as soon as possible. Perfect.

It was then that it had hit him, this all meant he would be leaving Ennis the next morning. He couldn't very well stay forever, and now his reason for staying was no longer valid, so that meant 'so long' for Jack Twist.

"Hit the road, Jack. And don't ya come back no more."

Jack had laughed for a minute and then his laughter had turned to tears. He felt like he was shrinking into the floor, like everything was falling apart around him. He didn't want to leave; he couldn't leave, at least not yet. Not after he'd made friends with this man, not after he'd come to…

And now here he was, sitting on the couch with the book on his lap. His eyes were dry; he hadn't let the tears flow for long.

Brokeback Mountain.

The words stared at him. They accused him. They taunted him.

"Queer boy, queer boy, in love with a man! How 'bout you go fuck him then?" They said.

Jack twisted the pages in his fists. He hated the book. He hated himself for ever buying it, for ever reading it. He snatched it up roughly and threw it across the room towards the front window, letting out an animalistic cry of anguish. It hit a lamp perched on a side table, nearly knocked it over, but then it settled and all was silent.

He stared in the direction he threw the book with burning eyes.

"Fuck you. Fuck you, Annie Proulx. I don't know why you wrote that fuckin' story, or where ya got yer information in the first place, but I hate you. Fuck you. Fuck you fer makin' me feel like this."

He wanted to punch everything in sight. He wanted to stand up and grab the fire poker Ennis had threatened him with and bash everything to little pieces. He didn't give a fuck if it did belong to Ennis, in fact, that fact just fueled his desire to create havoc.

But somehow, he was able to get control of himself. Somehow he was able to let his anger go, let it dissolve, because all it did was cloak what Jack was really feeling. Loss.

"This is one big fucking disaster. I should have never come. Never."

It was bad enough what he was putting himself through, but now he'd gotten another person involved, an innocent bystander. Ennis. Jack felt sorrow overwhelm him again at the thought of leaving, but was able to fight back the tears this time. He thought about what Junior had told him. Thought about how he'd brought Ennis out of his shell, even if it was just a little, thought how Ennis liked him as a friend.

"Daddy's always been real lonely. I'm glad he met you."

He was glad he'd met him too. Because Jack was a lonely man also, most likely as lonely as Ennis Del Mar. He had never had a real friend, and he'd found that in Ennis. He'd found more too, but first of all, he'd found a friend. An honest to God, true blue, best friend.

"I can't believe it has to end now. After only two days. Two days, and we've got to part. Two days, and I feel like I've known him forever. Two days, and leaving him may be the hardest thing I've ever done."

He sat in silence while the minutes ticked by, running the events of the past couple of days over and over in his mind. It seemed completely unreal, like some sort of dream. He figured any minute he'd wake up and fall off his own couch back in Childress, hit the ground hard, and realize that his entire trip to Riverton had been imagined, the book had been imagined, Ennis Del Mar had been imagined.

Then there was the whole question of whether he was going to tell Ennis about the story or not. He was leaving anyway, so what was the harm, right? He could tell him when he got home. Jack dreaded that confrontation. What would Ennis do? How would he take it? He couldn't just leave without telling the truth.

Jack shook his head. He really should never have come. He should have listened to his common sense and stayed away from Wyoming. He should have. But unfortunately, he had come and there was no going back now. So the question was, tell Ennis, or no?

Just then a truck pulled up to the carport outside of the small white house. Jack jumped up.

"Shit!"

What time was it? Jack ran into the kitchen, frantically trying to see what the little digital clock on the microwave said. 5:30. He must have been sitting on the couch longer than he thought.

"What the fuck? Where did all the time go?"

The front door opened, and Jack whirled around, not sure what to do with himself. He rubbed at his face, hoping to bring back the color to his face. He put on a big smile as Ennis walked in the door.

"Hey there, Bud! Glad yer here."

Ennis dropped his hat and keys on the side table that sat by his recliner.

"Glad I'm here, too."

He smiled and stood in front of Jack awkwardly for a moment. It looked like he wanted to hug him, maybe, but then he sidestepped around him and opened a cabinet to get a glass. He filled the glass with water from the kitchen faucet.

"Want some?"

Jack leaned on the counter. "Uh. Sure."

Ennis grabbed Jack a glass and then leaned on the counter next to him.

"So what ya been doin' all day long?"

Jack looked down. He knew he couldn't keep it from him forever. He needed Ennis to drive him to go pick up his truck anyway because he was damned if he'd ever walk there again. He sat down at the table and tried to be as casual as possible.

"I heard from Bailey Tire today. They, uh, got the parts in."

Ennis walked slowly towards the chair across from Jack.

"Oh really? Well that's good. Does that mean yer truck will be ready soon?"

Jack laughed. A bitter laugh, the only thing keeping him from screaming.

"Yeah. They were real speedy with it fer once. Well, I dunno, maybe auto shops 'round here are efficient, but I know down in Texas, they sure do like takin' their time."

"So when's it gonna be ready?"

There was some hesitation in Ennis' voice. Jack hoped maybe he was feeling the same dread he was. He kept his eyes on the ground.

"Good news! They said it would be ready today. I need ta go n' pick it up tonight, which means I can be on my way tomorrow, won't have ta take advantage of yer hospitality no more."

He looked over at Ennis but Ennis had turned away. His eyes were fixed on something down the hallway by the bedroom. Jack could only guess what was going through his mind. He doubted it was anywhere near as troubled as his own thoughts, though.

"I was hopin' that maybe you could give me a ride over there tonight ta pick it up."

Ennis abrubtly turned back to Jack. His voice was rough. "You'd be leavin' in the mornin' then?"

"Yeah. Early. Maybe 'round five or so."

Ennis nodded. "Sure I can give you a ride ta the shop. No problem."

He coughed and then took another swig from his water glass. Jack hadn't touched his.

"When do ya need ta go get it?"

"They said it'd be ready by seven or so."

Ennis stood. "Well let's get goin' then."

Jack looked at the clock. "It's only 5:30."

"I know, but we can get something ta eat and then pick it up. Come on."

Jack stood hesitantly. "Don't you want ta relax or somethin'? Ya jest got back from work."

Ennis walked into the living room and picked up his hat and keys. He placed the hat firmly on his head.

"Yeah, well I got the rest of my life fer that. Only got one more night ta spend with you."

Jack swallowed hard. Swallowed more than just saliva, and then followed Ennis out the door.

Jack pulled his truck up next to the curb outside Ennis' house. He'd followed him back from the Bailey Tire and Auto Shop. It was running smoothly now and he was pretty impressed. The pick up ran worlds different than what he'd remembered, must have been having trouble before and not even noticed.

He put it in park and rolled up his windows. He was fairly pleased. It had been cheaper than what Reggie had quoted, only putting him back $745. But of course, Jack Twist was not a man that had to pinch pennies.

He hopped down from the passenger side seat and walked up Ennis' drive. Ennis was outside of his truck, but was standing with his arm propped on the still open driver side door. He appeared to be deep in thought, starring off into the distance. Jack followed his gaze to the mountains, and saw that the sun was fully setting now, shades of pink and red filling the sky like blood.

Ennis didn't look his way when he approached, just continued to gaze into the distance. They stood in silence.

"The mountains sure are pretty up here," Jack commented. "I still miss 'em. I may have left Wyoming nearly forty years ago, but I don't think I'll ever get the Rockies out a' my blood."

Ennis remained silent. Jack sighed.

"Well, shall we go in?"

Before they'd gone to get Jack's truck, Ennis had taken him to a steak house called the Trailhead between Pure Gas Rd. and Forest Dr. It had been a nice meal, nowhere near as good as Junior's home cooking, but tasty nonetheless. They'd eaten in silence mostly, odd since they hadn't stopped talking since they'd met. It hadn't been an awkward silence, but it had been tainted with a hint of sadness, sadness for the quick approaching dawn, unstoppable and forceful as an oncoming train.

They'd gotten to Bailey's Tire and Auto at ten minutes till seven, just before they were about to close, and sure enough, there sat Jack's F-150, just as pretty as a rose, in the parking lot. After Jack had paid with his credit card, a young guy (Reggie was nowhere in sight) pulled the truck around the front for Jack and that had been that. His truck was fixed, and his heart was breaking, but that was just the way the wind blew, wasn't it?

Ennis seemed like he hadn't heard Jack when he'd suggested they go inside. He was miles away, deeper in his thoughts than Jack had ever seen him. In the silence, Jack could hear some kids down the street yelling and laughing, might have been the same ones he'd seen messing around with the skateboard the first night he'd come to Ennis' house, before he'd met him at the bar. A cool breeze rustled the trees and blew past the two men, causing Jack to shiver and grab at his shoulders. He remembered what Ennis had said that night they'd first met. That night when they'd been just as hesitant to part as they were now.

"It's the mountain air comin' down from the north."

Just then Ennis turned around and faced Jack.

"I want ta show ya somethin'."

Jack was silent. Bit his tongue and shoved away any dirty thoughts he might've had.

"Okay. Is it in the house?"

"No. We'll have ta drive ta get there. Probably take us a couple a' hours."

Jack was confused. "A couple a' hours? Where ya wanna take me? What ya wanna show me?"

Ennis took a step closer to Jack. "Ya said ya won't ever get the mountains outta yer blood?"

"Yeah, but…"

Ennis looked off again. "Remember yesterday when I told ya 'bout how I'd seen a sight even nicer than the spot I showed you? Said I'd only been there once?"

Jack was getting a little suspicious at Ennis' behavior. It was like some crazy bee had gotten into his bonnet, and he'd let it take control. He had a faraway look and a twinkle in his eye.

"I do remember. What's that gotta do with anythin'?"

"I wanna take ya there. I wanna show ya."

He turned back to Jack.

"This may be the last time we'll ever see each other, so I wanna show ya something I ain't never shown anyone else. I want ya ta see."

Jack didn't know what to say. All he could do was nod his head. Ennis closed his truck door and headed towards the house.

"I'm gonna get us some beers and some food. Once we get there, we may wanna stay fer a while. I'll be right back."

"Ennis! What about sleepin'? We'll get back aweful late n' you gotta work tommorow!"

"So! You gotta drive tomorrow! And we shouldn't be back any later than the night we were out drinkin'. We can catch up on sleep. This is a once in a lifetime sorta thing. So come on! You may wanna go ta the bathroom 'fore we leave."

Jack shook his head in amazement. Just when he thought he was getting to know that man. He jogged up Ennis' walkway and went into the house.

They arrived at the southern section of the Teton Mountain range around 9:30. It was full out night now, but the moon was bright overhead. The ride over had been mostly silent. Jack sat, confused, in the passenger seat, and Ennis hardly ever took his eyes off the road except to adjust the heater and ask Jack if he was cold or not.

When they finally began to pass signs for The Grand Teton National Park, Ennis started talking.

"We ain't goin' ta the park. That's too far away, n' too touristy anyhow."

Jack nodded, silent. Ennis continued talking.

"I came up here once 'fore I moved back ta Riverton; it was when I was in Signal workin' on Stoutamire's cow and calf operation."

Ennis turned the Chevrolet onto and old trail for motorized vehicles that snaked through some thick forest, sagebrush and a lot of pine trees brushed past the windows of the truck. Jack remained silent, letting Ennis continue his story without interruption.

"We were movin' the herd from Stoutamire's out ta some large meadows a little west a' the Tetons. We didn't take the stock up, obviously, but I saw this area as I was passin' through. One night, we were camped out a few miles from some a' the plotted trails on the mountain, so I left with my horse and decided ta explore. I was curious as hell, and I couldn't sleep, and I figured, why not?"

The truck continued its trek north even as the road got narrower and more overgrown. Jack figured it wouldn't be long before they'd have to go on foot.

"I came up here, ta this one particular spot, not too far up the mount, but just high enough ta have a clear view a' the rest of the peak. It was by a little stream."

Ennis put the Chevrolet in park and turned off the engine. He turned to Jack.

"I wanted ta show ya this. The idea struck me yesterday when we were out at Owl Creek. I figured we'd have more time and we could come at our leisure, but then, well…anyway, I been runin' it through my head all evenin', and I know it's crazy and spur a' the moment, not like me at all, but I just had ta bring ya here."

He turned away and opened his door to get out. Jack was speechless. He couldn't move. Ennis turned back to him.

"Well come on. We don't got all night."

Jack opened his door, slowly like he was in a daze, and stepped out of the truck. He buttoned up his leather jacket—the air had to be near freezing. Ennis came around the front, six-pack and a bag of food in hand. He handed the six-pack to Jack.

"We still got us a little bit of a walk, but it won't take too long. I tried ta get the truck as close as possible."

Jack looked around, saw trees for miles, and that was about it.

"Will we be able ta find our way back?"

Ennis nodded and started walking. "There's a trail here. It may be hard ta see, but I can follow it. It leads ta the camp site I want ta show ya anyway, so we won't be goin' off course. Come on."

Jack followed, helpless not to. He thought he'd follow that man anywhere.

They walked for maybe ten or fifteen minutes, and Jack was starting to get a little out of breath. Ennis seemed fine, but the cold air and the uphill climb were taking its toll on Jack's old body.

"Shoot. This is tough. Hope we don't have much farther ta go."

As if reading his mind, Ennis stopped. Jack realized they were at their final destination and stopped too. His chest was burning slightly, but over his heavy breathing he could hear the soft trickle of a stream some where in front of him. In the moonlight he could see the outline of a small, man-made footbridge. There was a pit where fires had long ago been started and extinguished and some logs were placed around it. Ennis was looking up at the sky.

"Here it is. Most beautiful spot in the world; Brokeback Mountain."

Jack looked over at Ennis. His face was still facing heavenwards and his mouth was hanging slightly opened. If it had been raining he might have drowned.

Jack felt an eerie calm settle over him, he could hear the stream and the nighttime chatter of animals in the surrounding forest.

"Brokeback Mountain. Goddamn."

Some how he wasn't surprised at all. It just seemed right. Perfect, really. It was like another piece of the crazy puzzle fitting together.

Jack caught his breath and finally looked around at his surroundings. He could see the hulking shapes of several mountains in the distance and to his right the highest peak of Brokeback jutted out, covered in snow. The snow was impossibly white, even in the darkness; it seemed to give out its own light almost like the moon. The peak itself reached up indefinitely high, it seemed to touch the stars, to scrape heaven. Below it, pine trees stood up in masses, a carpet of evergreen—flawless contrast to the night sky. The stars overhead were closer than he'd ever seen them before, bright lanterns, so clear it almost hurt to look at them. The air was crisp and cool, since he was standing still, it felt cool on his burning lungs, felt good to breath it in, like it was cleaner than the air down below. All around was the thick smell of pine. It was breathtaking. It was the most wonderful natural sight Jack had ever seen, blew his other escapades into the mountains as a young rodeo cowboy out of the water. He decided that when he died, he really wouldn't mind having his ashes scattered here.

"Just like Brokeback Jack."

He shivered a little. No thoughts of death. Not now. Not standing on Brokeback next to the man he…next to Ennis Del Mar.

Jack turned his gaze to the other man and saw that he was already looking his way. Ennis' eyes were on fire, seemed like the stars from the sky had taken residence in his skull. He took a step closer to Jack. There was a moment of silence, then Ennis held out his hand.

"Can I have a beer?"

Jack felt like his heart was beating a million times a minute. For a minute, he had felt positive Ennis had wanted to kiss him. But maybe that was his own desire clouding his judgment. Nothing would have been better at that moment than the feel of Ennis' lips on his skin.

He walked over to one of the logs and sat down, brought the six-pack to his lap and pulled one off its plastic ring and handed it to Ennis. Their hands touched during the exchange, and they both let the contact linger. Electricity.

"It's like fire when he touches me. Fire between us."

Jack pulled another beer out for himself and touched it to his forehead. Despite the frigid air, he was burning up. Ennis sat down next to him on the log. He drank from his can of beer and looked out into the distance, at the other snow-capped peaks.

They sat in silence again. Not many words were exchanged between them that evening. Not many had to be. They both knew what was coming the next morning, and rather than spoil it with meaningless conversation, they enjoyed the simple comfort of each other's company. They drank the beers and shared the food Ennis had packed, two peanut butter sandwiches, a bag of pork rinds and a chocolate bar that Junior had given Ennis that had been sitting in his pantry for a month. It was delicious though, its taste intensified by the atmosphere of the mountain and by the presence of the other man.

Jack felt good. He felt sleepy. He felt full. He felt cold. He felt sad, and happy, and confused, and young, and alive. The important thing was; he felt.