Chapter 8: Unraveling Knots

When Jack drove away from Pine Creek, he felt happier then he had in 16 years. The last time he had felt this kind of elation was the day that he and Ennis were reunited after their 4 year separation. The tingle of happiness that resided deep in his belly spread through his body until every part of him felt alive and electric.

It wasn't until he crossed through into Colorado that he began thinking about what this really meant. For 16 long, lonely years Jack had pined and longed for Ennis more then he could ever tell him. For so long he had lived with a constant pain in his heart that would not go away. He had tried everything he could think of to ease it. He had gone to Mexico... he had had a fling with Randall… anything to seek solace, even for a short time, and each time he had come away hurting even more.

When he had left for Pine Creek a week ago, he decided that he had had enough. He could not go on with things the way they were. He hated himself and everything about his life. He wanted things that he knew he would never have as long as things continued the way they had been. On the drive there, Jack had hatched a plan. He was going to, finally, do what he had wanted to do ever since the first night that he and Ennis made love… he was finally going to tell Ennis Del Mar that he loved him. His hope was that Ennis would realize his own feelings if he was to hear Jack's and maybe that would sway him.

Jack's plan had worked, although he was not sure how it had. Somehow, Ennis had seemed different, softer, and more affectionate then he had been in years. It had been Ennis that had told him he was "pretty fond of" him before Jack even got to say a thing. This had come completely out of the blue, and he had to admit that it had taken him by surprise. Jack worried that the kick to the head that Ennis had sustained, though minor and not much more then a grazing, had really done some damage. Why else would Ennis be acting so strangely.

Though physically he had never been very good at hiding his attraction for Jack, Ennis had never been one to show much verbal affection. He had on occasion called him Darlin' or Lil' Darlin' but that was a very rare occurrence. For him to come right out and say something as obviously affectionate as "I'm pretty fond of you", that was not something that Jack had ever expected to see, and the fact that he had actually said he loved him… more then once… well it still made Jack dizzy to think of it. If someone had asked him if he thought EnnisDel Mar would ever say the word "love" in the same sentence as Jack's name, he would have laughed til he was hoarse.

Equally as surprising was Ennis' forceful and aggressive behavior when making love. Somehow, Jack had always seemed to be the one that led things along in that regard. Not that Ennis was selfish or submissive, he had always been a passionate and generous lover… it was more that he was apt to be timid about trying new things, and never really showed initiative to experiment. His sudden desire to do those things that he had been reluctant to do before had thrown Jack, and he wasn't sure he understood even now what had brought about the change.

However, the biggest surprise of all had come when Ennis… the man that had, for years, been the object of so much pain and frustration with his stubborn refusal even listen when Jack mentioned them being together… had turned to him and asked him to make the very commitment that he himself had been rejecting all that time… to have the life that Jack wanted and felt they deserved.

Jack wasn't sure what had happened to Ennis when that horse kicked him, but whatever it was, Jack liked it and hoped it would stay.

Now, as he drove on into the night, he grudgingly admitted that Ennis had been right to insist that they take these 6 months. There was a lot to do, and 6 months… while it sounded long when thinking that he would not see Ennis for that long, and that there was that chance that Ennis might change his mind with that much time to think on it… was not really a great deal of time to put his life in enough order that he could leave Texas and not look back.

He arrived in Childress in the very early hours of the morning, and, not wanting to wake Lureen, curled up on the couch in the living room and slept. In his dreams was a man with sandy blonde hair, deep brown eyes, and soft pink lips curved into a wide smile just... for him.

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The night after Jack arrived home found him sitting in the den, his feet up on the edge of the desk, a glass of whiskey in his hand, and his head leaned back. His eyes were closed, and he was thinking about Ennis. "What is he doin' now… is he sleepin'… or ma'be eatin' dinner…? I wonder… does he miss me when we ain't together...? Does he ever just sit and think on me the way I think 'bout him?".

The phone on the desk in front of him rang suddenly, jolting him from his burgeoning fantasy and causing him to almost drop his glass. "Shit!" he muttered, and wiped a splash of whiskey on his pant leg before he swung his legs down to the floor, and grabbed the receiver.

"Twist residence..." nothing... just dead air and maybe a bit of a gasp, though Jack wasn't sure. "Anybody there…?"...silence..."Hullo?", still nothing, although Jack could swear he could hear someone breathing harshly on the other end. "Damn kids and the'r pranks…" he thought, beginning to get ticked at these brats for interrupting his thoughts of Ennis.

"If ya ain't got nothin' to say I'm gonna…"

"Jack..." a voice suddenly croaked on the other end, and Jack's mouth snapped shut.

""Ennis?" Jack heard the suprise and disbelief in his own voice.

"Hey, Jack" Jack heard, the voice stronger now.

"Ennis!" He couldn't keep the big grin off his face, and felt his stomach flip over.

"I didn' think you would call… I hoped ma'be… but I didn't think ya would." He felt tears prick at his eyes, and his voice came out sounding all choked up, almost a sob.

"You ok, Bud?" Ennis asked, and Jack couldn't control the chuckle that escaped his throat. He wanted to dance and jump around like a 5 year old on Christmas morning screaming, 'Ennis called me!'

"I ain't been this ok fer a long time… jus' struck me funny that's all. Here I was, sittin' and thinkin' 'bout ya and wonderin' what you was doing, and then the phone rings and it's you!" Jack chuckled again.

"Jack..." Ennis said, his voice sounding a bit strained, "I called ta tell ya…" then he stopped.

"Tell me what...?" Jack asked, feeling his stomach plummet and the smile quickly disappear from his face. His worst fear flashed through his mind, and he felt ill. He was petrified that Ennis would get back to Riverton and change his mind… decide he had made a mistake… spoken in the heat of the moment and now regretted it."Shit! Please don' t tell me ya changed yer mind...!"

"Jus' wanted to tell ya… I miss ya, Jack."

The tears that had been prickling at his eyes suddenly became pools on his bottom eyelids when he heard the longing tone in Ennis' voice, and he had to take in a deep breath before he spoke.

"Ennis…" he whispered, his heart filled with so much love for this amazing man...this man that never seemed to stop surprising him..."I miss you too, Cowboy".

Suddenly, he wanted to be with Ennis so bad that he was not sure he could stand it. His arms ached to hold him, and he found that he couldn't breathe through the aching lump in his throat. The tears in his eyes threatened to fall, but the horror of having to explain anything to Bobby or Lureen if they came in and found him bawling like a baby made him take a deep breath, push down the emotions that began to bubble up inside him, and fight to keep the tears back.

Suddenly the operator broke in demanding more money and Jack heard Ennis groaning and cursing on the other end.

"I don' have no more change, Bud." Ennis said sadly, "I gotta go…"

"Wait…Ennis…" Jack said desperately, the urge... the need... to tell Ennis how he felt so strong that he thought he would burst, "I love you…"

Somehow, Ennis must have known what he was thinking because before Jack could say it, Ennis said, "I know, Jack… me too." before the line went dead.

When he hung up the phone Jack felt happy and sad all at once. Happy because he finally knew without any doubt that Ennis loved him and did in fact think about him when they were apart, and sad because he wanted nothing more then to hold Ennis in his arms at that moment and he was 1,000 miles away.

Feeling strangely light and detached, he went down the hall to his bedroom, got undressed and climbed into bed. Giving it little thought, he rolled onto his right side the way he would if Ennis were there waiting to cuddle up with him. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "Good-night, Ennis."

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After that night, the days got easier to bear, and Jack, finally convinced that it was really going to happen... that he and Ennis were really going to be together...began making plans in earnest.

Of course, not long after, the holiday season began, and the house was its usual horrible turmoil, as Jack had to put up with Lureen's parents being there all the time.

The only thing that kept Jack going was the now regular phone calls and letters from Ennis, and the sure and certain knowledge that in just a few months he would be somewhere else, and would never have to see L.D. Newsome or put up with his insults and snide comments again, nor would he have to spend another sleepless night with his arms empty and his heart aching for Ennis.

A week before Christmas, Jack went to the mailbox to check the mail. He was expecting a letter from a man in Colorado that he had done business with in the past and whom should be sending him an answer regarding some things Jack had written to inquire about.

He pulled out the stack of mail and started up the walk to the house. He immediately found a rather thick manila envelope from Colorado, and tucked it under his arm to open later in private. Flipping through the rest of the envelopes, he suddenly stopped dead in the middle of the path. In amongst the other envelopes that obviously contained the usual holiday cards from customers and friends, was a large white envelope with his name on it...in that familiar slightly messy hand.

Fighting back an urge to run into the house, Jack tucked this under his arm as well, and carried the rest of the mail into the house. Dumping the stack in the basket that they kept their mail in, Jack walked quickly into Lureen's office.

"I'm goin' to the store... need anythin'?" He asked. Without even raising her eyes from the ledger on the desk in front of her she said, "List's on the counter."

"'K..." Jack said, and backed out of the room. Almost sprinting, he went out and got into his truck. Pulling quickly out of the drive, he drove around the corner and parked on the side of the road under a big Magnolia tree. Setting the thick envelope aside, he picked up the white envelope and looked at it for a moment.

He wasn't expecting a letter from Ennis for another couple of days. One thing that Jack had learned about Ennis. You could set your watch by him, and mark the days of the week as well. Having decided that Saturday and Sunday were bad days for calls and letters... Lureen and Bobby were home on the weekends and often Lureen would get the mail or Bobby would answer the phone... they had decided to do their communicating during the week while Lureen was at the office and Bobby was at football practice.

Every Monday and Friday, the phone would ring at exactly 7:30 p.m. They had agreed on this time because it made it so Ennis could call on his way home from the ranch and save himself an extra trip to town. The phone would ring twice, cutting off halfway through the second ring, and Jack would call back, Ennis answering before the first ring finished. He always answered the phone the same way, "Hey, Darlin'" and Jack always smiled and felt his heart leap at the endearment.

The other thing that Jack could count on precisely was that every Tuesday and Thursday, without fail there was a letter in the mailbox from Ennis. Sometimes they amounted to little more then a few sentences, but the fact that he was taking the time and effort to write and mail them was enough to thrill Jack, even if they had been only one word.

Curious about this change in pattern, Jack hesitated to open the envelope. He had long since stopped worrying about Ennis changing his mind. He was far to interested in Jack's plans, and made too many suggestions and asked too many questions for Jack to believe that he was having second thoughts.

"Well, asshole... open the damn thin' and find out what it is... doubt it's a snake!" Jack thought, and shook his head. Carefully he ran his finger under the flap and opened the envelope. Pulling out the card, Jack smiled at the picture on the front. "Wow... this could be me and Ennis..." he thought, and ran his finger across the cowboy on the left, who appeared to have sandy blonde hair.

Opening the card, Jack gasped and smiled even wider when he read the message inside. "A Christmas card... a real, honest to God Christmas card... from Ennis Del Mar... an sign'd 'Love ya, Ennis.' I can't believe it!"

"Damn... ya jus' nev'r stop surprisin' me, Cowboy!" Jack said, and laughed aloud.

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L.D. Newsome hated his son in law; he made no bones about that. From the first time his little girl had brought Jack Twist home, he had known there was something 'not right' about him. He had tried to convince Lureen not to marry him, but she had been set on it and despite his wishes, Twist had become a member of their family… though L.D. had made it very clear to him that it mattered little who Jack was married to or how many children he fathered with her, he would never be part of his family.

On several occasions, L.D. had hinted at the fact that he would be willing to pay a pretty large amount of money if Jack were to 'disappear' from his and his daughter's life. Each time the little shit had laughed in his face. Finally, L.D. had been forced to accept the face that the rodeo fuck-up was in his life to stay, and if he wanted to remain in good with his daughter, he would have to learn to live with that, no matter how repulsive the thought might be to him.

The last couple of weeks, every since the little pissant had come back from his latest fishing trip, he had been different. Happier, less downtrodden and more quick to smile. Something was up with him, and L.D. didn't like it one bit. If there was anything that he hated more then Jack, was Jack happy.

Now he watched silently as Jack delivered his sales pitch for a new model they had received the day before. He approached the combine quietly, listening to Jack extol the virtues of this new model to the bored looking men clustered around him. Grudgingly, L.D. had to admit that Jack had picked up a few things from him over the years and seemed to know the equipment pretty well.

He waited until Jack had finished, and the men had walked away… two heading for their trucks and the other two heading inside to begin the paperwork for their purchase. Once they were out of earshot, L.D. stepped out from behind the combine, and said in a sarcastic voice, "Well Rodeo, see yer good fer somethin' besides goin' fishin'."

"Thanks, L.D.," Jack replied, tension and dislike clear in his voice and posture.

"Often as you go fishin', surprised ya didn' enter that fishin' derby at the country club last month… woulda thought you would love a chance like that." L.D. smirked as Jack stiffened even further and turned to walk toward the building.

"What kinda fish do ya catch on these trips anyway?" L.D. called to Jack's retreating back, his voice full of scorn and innuendo. When Jack didn't respond, L.D. laughed loudly and started around back to his own truck.

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Jack closed his eyes for a moment and fought against the urge to swing around and demand to know what the old man meant by that. For some time now Jack had believed that L.D. was suspicious about his 'fishing' trips. On more then one occasion, L.D. had made similar cracks to the effect that Jack was not really fishing on these trips… not for fish anyway.

He and Lureen, on more then one occasion had discussed L.D.'s belief that Jack had another woman stashed somewhere, and that was where he went when he went 'fishing'. Jack had always laughed heartily when Lureen mentioned her father's suspicions. The fact that he could look Lureen dead in the eye and say, very truthfully, that there were no other women in his life had always appeased Lureen and she had never pressed any real questions on him about his trips.

Occasionally, Jack felt guilty about the lies he told Lureen. It wasn't her fault that things had worked out the way they had. Now, Jack realized that he had to have a talk with Lureen, and soon. He knew that a divorce in Texas took 6 months, which meant that he needed to get things started soon… he had put it off to long as it was. Not only that, but it was not fair to either of them to continue with the deception that they were happily married, he at least owed her that much. Sighing deeply, Jack walked into the dealership office and closed the door behind him.

"Hi, Honey." He said to his wife, who sat behind the desk punching numbers on an old adding machine. He stood and looked at his wife for a moment, waiting for her to reply.

Lureen Newsome-Twist was still a very beautiful woman. She had a few wrinkles around her eyes, and slight circles beneath them, but other then that and the bleached look of her hair, she looked very much the same as she had when he first met her.

The most noticeable difference between the woman sitting in front of him, and the girl he had married 15 years ago, was the dull, uninterested look in her eyes when she looked up at him and replied, "Hey there."

"I was thinkin'," Jack said, that look in her eyes bringing him to making a decision then and there, "Whatdaya say you and me go get some lunch? We haven't had lunch together in a long time... might be nice."

Lureen looked at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered Jack's motivation for taking her out now, when they had barely even eaten together at home for so long she could not remember the last time, "Sure, Jack… somethin' I been meanin' to talk to you about anyway."

"Good, meet ya out back by the truck in 15 minutes?" Jack said, glancing at his watch and deciding he could finish the sales paperwork after lunch.

"Fine." Lureen said. She had already turned back to her adding machine, and did not look at Jack as she said it.

Normally, Lureen's lack of interest would not have bothered him. If anything he was grateful for it, made him feel less guilty for lying to her all these years. Now, as he walked into the showroom and shook hands with the two men who were finishing up their sales contracts, Jack couldn't help but wonder what Lureen needed to talk to him about.

When Jack walked around back to his truck, Lureen was already standing next to it. In her hand was a manila envelope. Jack opened the truck door for her, and then walked around to his own side.

They rode in silence. "Nothing new," Jack thought. He had not been joking when he had remarked to Ennis that he and Lureen could do their marriage 'over the phone'. Truth be told, it had been years since he and Lureen had had anything even closely resembling a relationship. At times this depressed him… not because he particularly wanted them to be close, but because he viewed it as just another failure for Jack Twist.

Finally, Jack pulled into the parking lot of 'The Wired Rabbit', a little restaurant on Highway 287, that he and Lureen had dined at quite often in the early years of their marriage.

Lureen looked at the building blankly and then got out of the truck and walked toward the door, not waiting for Jack. She was still carrying the manila envelope.

Once they were seated, and had ordered drinks… Lureen a Diet Coke, and Jack a beer, earning a scowl from Lureen… Jack sat back and looked at his wife. Suddenly, she looked a little pale and nervous.

"What didya wanna talk to me about?" He asked when she had been silent for several minutes and it appeared that she might not speak at all. His thinking was they could get her news out of the way, and then move on to his.

"Right," Lureen said, and placed the envelope on the table in front of her, "Jack, are you happy?"

"Well, I been happier, but I just sold two $100,000 combines, so I suppose I have…" Jack began in a cheerful voice, but Lureen cut him off impatiently.

"That ain't what I meant, Jack! I mean are you happy with me… with our life… with the way things are?" she continued, her voice low but forceful.

"I…" It was on the tip of Jack's tongue to deny being miserable, but he couldn't… how could he lie about that, and then tell her he was leaving her, "I guess I have to say I ain't."

Lureen sat back in her seat with a big sigh and Jack wasn't sure, but he was almost certain that it was a sigh of relief.

"Me neither," Lureen said after a few minutes. "Don' get me wrong, it all been bad. Had us a few good years, but things've been different fer some time now, an I think that ma'be both of us need a change."

"What're you sayin' Lureen?" Jack asked, his voice incredulous. He was pretty sure he knew where she was going, and he was afraid that he may laugh if he was right.

"Jack, I think that we should get a divorce." Her voice was even and determined as though she thought he might argue with her.

Jack could not contain himself anymore, he started to laugh. The more he tried not to laugh the harder he laughed. Lureen simply sat there across from him, a tight smile on her face. Finally, Jack regained his composure. Wiping his face, he apologized, and straightened up in his seat.

"Mind tellin' me what that was all about?" Lureen asked, amusement and a bit of annoyance in her voice, "I wasn't sure what ya would say, but I gotta tell ya that was not the reaction I was expectin'"

"Lureen," Jack said and took her hand in his, "Sorry for laughin' like that, Honey… but ya see… I asked you to lunch today to tell ya that I want a divorce!"

Lureen looked shocked for a moment and then they both burst out laughing. For several minutes, neither of them could speak.

When they finally calmed down, they began to talk and to Jack's amazement, he realized that they were talking more and acting more relaxed around each other then they had in over 13 years.

Apparently, Lureen had been seeing another man for the last 3 years. Although she apologized several times for this, Jack told her that she had no need to as he himself had been seeing someone else, though he did not tell her for how long. He didn't tell her about Ennis, nor did she talk about the man she had been with. There seemed to be a silent agreement between them that details were not necessary. If she suspected that his fishing trips had anything to do with the person he was seeing, she said nothing about it.

Their drinks arrived, and the waiter took their order. Once they were alone again, Lureen removed a sheath of papers from the manila envelope. They were divorce papers.

"Damn… you came prep'red…" Jack said, a bit of awe in his voice for this woman… "So damn organized!"

While they waited for their food, they went over the papers together. Jack had to admit that Lureen had been extremely fair. In the papers, it stated that they would each get half of all assets and monies acquired during their marriage. Each would also be allowed to retain any and all personal possessions belonging to them, and would take away from the marriage anything that had belonged to them when the marriage had begun. Lureen would retain the house; giving Jack half of the proceeds should she ever sell it, and Jack would get 100 shares in Newsome's Farm Equipment.

Jack scoffed at this and stated that L.D. Newsome would never allow it, and Lureen said, "I own half the company Jack… daddy don't have nothing to say bout what I do with my half."

Custody of Bobby would go to both of them jointly. Bobby would remain with Lureen, but would spend time with his daddy whenever either of them wished. Because Bobby would be eighteen in two years, Lureen had added in a clause waving child support with the stipulation that Jack pay half of any medical bills or schooling charges that might occur until Bobby was out of school including college should he decide to go. She was also waving alimony. When Jack asked her why she gave a small smile and told him she might be getting remarried soon and it made no sense to start for only few months. "'Sides," she said, "I got plentya money… don't need yers."

"Does all of this seem fair to ya?" Lureen asked, tucking the papers back in the envelope when the waiter came with their food.

"Very fair, I have ta tell ya, Lureen, I really 'preciate that we can do this ina civil way, be better for all of us if we can still get along."

They finished their meal quickly, talking little and speaking mostly about Bobby when they they had paid the check, they rode back in companionable silence. Both feeling more relaxed and happy around each other then they had in several years.

When they got back to the dealership, Jack went with Lureen to the office, and signed the divorce papers. He felt a little twinge of sadness as he signed… not because of their marriage ending, but mostly because a chapter of his life was ending, and even though he could never say that he truly loved Lureen… not the way he loved Ennis… he was fond of her.

When the papers were signed, Lureen made him a copy of the divorce papers, and they shook hands, then Lureen tucked them in her bag and said that she would file them the following morning. She knew a judge who would look at them, and rush the divorce through so that it would be final in 3 months rather then the 6 that it usually took.

Jack gave Lureen a little kiss on the cheek and thanked her… for being a good wife to his lousy husband… but also, silently, for setting him free.

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Feeling light and free, Jack walked out of the office and headed out front to the show area. Halfway around the building he heard L.D. calling to him.

"Hold up there, Rodeo!"

Jack stopped. He felt so good at that point, he thought thateven his soon-to-be-former father-in-law couldn't rile him.

"I wanna talk to ya, Jack… an I want you to listen." L.D. said when he had reached Jack's side. Jack was immediately alert, and glanced around quickly, "Damn it… where is everyb'dy?"

In the 17 years that Jack had been married to Lureen, L.D. Newsome had never once uttered his name. He had called him a host of other things over the years, most often calling him Rodeo, as a way to put him down for his earlier profession, Jack assumed, but never by his name.

"What can I do fer ya, L.D.?" Jack asked, his tone cautious.

"Fancy ya should ask that… there is somethin' you can do fer me." L.D stated his voice hard. "It appears my daughter has finally come to her senses, and is gonna divorce yer no good hide!"

"I…" Jack began to reply, but was cut off when L.D. grabbed the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against the side of the building. Jack felt anger boiling up inside of him, and he fought to control it, "Who the hell does this old fucker think he is?"

"Don' talk… jus listen," L.D. snarled, "I have put up with ya and yer pansy ass ways fer too long, Twist! I don' want to even hear about ya givin' any thought to protestin' this divorce! Ya got me, ya little shit?"

"Is that all…hell… like I would… damn, I'd get a divorce just to get ridda you, you old bastard."

L.D. pulled the collar of Jack's shirt tighter, and whistled. Around the corner came three big burly men. Each of them was carrying a baseball bat, and dressed in black suits.

"Shit!"

"A'right, boy", L.D. said once his henchmen were gathered around him, "now that you see I mean business, listen up. Once that divorce is final, you're gonna get the hell outta Childress, an I don' ever wanna see yer fuckin' face again… you hear me, boy?" he tightened his hand on Jack's collar again to emphasize his point.

Before Jack could respond, L.D. reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper.

"An jus to make sure ya don't come back…" L.D. stuffed the slip of paper in the pocket of Jack's shirt, "now get the hell outta here! You don' work here no more!"

With that, L.D. slammed Jack against the wall one more time for good measure and then released him. Jack wanted to punch him so bad that his fists actually ached, but he decided not to play into his hands. L.D. Newsome thought that Jack Twist was a "weak pansy" and was hoping like hell that he would hit him... give the goons a reason to use those , Jackwas tired ofL.D. Newsome's shit...had stood it for far to long,and this time he was not gonna just walk away, and he knew what would piss L.D. off more then anything... Jack getting his say without giving him justification to have him beaten to a pulp.

He bent down to pick up his hat, and then quickly stood up and swung around, his face inches from L.D.'s but not touching him. "You goddamn miserable old fucker… what I wouldn' give to smash yer face into a pulp!" Jack spat, and didn't hesitate even when L.D.'sthugs stepped forward. "I'll go… don' ya worry bout that… but I'll tell ya this much, old man… I ain't leavin' causea you and yer puppets here… I'm leavin' cause I finally got me something good to go to an there ain't nothin' in this world, including you that can keep me from having it… ya got me, asshole?"

With that Jack spun on his heel and started back in the direction of the employee parking lot, jamming his hat back onto his head, he shoved his way past L.D.'s thugs, and kept walking even when he heard them start toward him and L.D. saying, his anger and frustration at being unable to watch Jack beaten to a bloody pulp, clear in his voice, "Let 'em go boys, good riddance to bad trash!"

Jack got into his truck and squealed out of the lot, spraying gravel at L.D. and his hired henchmen, who had come out from behind the building to watch him go.

"Fuckin' ignorant ass…coulda saved him the trouble of hirin' his goons… shoulda told him that Lureen and I had already talked about the divorce and signed the papers… spiked the old bastard's guns but good!" Jack thought and patted his shirt pocket looking for his cigarettes.

His cigarettes weren't there and he cursed when he remembered leaving them on his desk. However, when he patted the pocket, he felt something in it, and pulled out the piece of paper that L.D. had shoved there. Jack unfolded it, and nearly drove into a telephone pole. He slammed on the brakes, his front tires up on the sidewalk. The paper in his hand was a check, made out to Jack Twist in the amount of $200,000.

Jack sat there blinking at the check for several minutes. Suddenly a grin spread across his face, and he whispered, "L.D. Newsome… you stupid fuckin' chump… think you're so damn smart… I'd kiss ya if you was here right now, you bastard!"

Pulling the truck back out onto the street, Jack made a U-Turn and headed back in the direction of town and the closest bank. On the way he stopped at the post office, made another copy of the divorce papers, and dropped them in the mail.

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