Chapter 17: A Restless Night

Ennis stood on the porch, and watched the bats swooping back and forth from the barn to the yellow spotlight mounted on the feed shed. Catching flies fer their supper. He thought idly and took another drag off his cigarette.

He had left Jack inside sleeping. Though it was very late, and he and Jack had been working hard helping his daddy out a bit, Ennis was restless and couldn't get to sleep.

They had been here for nearly a week, and Jack's Ma seemed to be making great progress. Ennis grinned wryly as he thought, "she ser didn let that stroke keep her from rakin me over the coals none."

The day after they had arrived, he and Jack had been sitting and chatting with her while she had breakfast. She had regained most of the strength in her hands, and was able to feed herself with almost no assistance.

When she drank the last of her tea, and placed the cup in the tray, Jack stood up and picked the tray up. "Ya need anythin' else, Ma?" he asked as he started for the door.

"No, dear, I'm fine fer now." She replied as she leaned back against the pillows.

"Ok..." Jack said at the door, "guess me and Ennis will head on out to the fields, see if we can fix up some a that fence line that needs mending."

"Sounds good." Sara replied, but as Ennis rose to follow Jack from the room, she reached out a hand and touched his arm, "Ennis, would you stay here fer a minute… something I wanna talk ta ya bout."

Ennis gulped, and looked at Jack who shrugged and smiled.

"A'right, ma'am." Ennis mumbled, and sat back down.

"Go on now Jack… go help yer daddy, Ennis won' be long."

Jack left, closing the door behind him, and Ennis heard him thinking as he left.

Shit… somehow I don' think she wants ta talk bout the weather… sorry, Cowboy… ain' no savin' ya from this one!

Once the door had closed behind Jack, Sara looked at Ennis and smiled. He returned the smile with a tentative one of his own.

"Ennis," she began, clearing her throat and taking a sip of water from the glass on her nightstand, "I'm gonna say this ta ya straight out. I'm an old woman… ain got much time here fer the lord calls me home, so I ain got time ta mince words. Jack's talk'd a lot bout ya over the years," she continued, her face stern but her voice soft, "told me lotsa good things bout ya. But I also know that my boy has done a lotta hurtin' over ya durin' them years."

Ennis glanced quickly at her again, and then lowered his eyes to his hands that were fidgeting and fussing with the brim of his hat, lying across his knees. He nodded, unable to speak.

"Now I don' know all the details, don' really want or need ta… none a my business anyways. But I do know this much, my boy feels pretty strong about ya. My thinkin' is that there must be somethin' pretty special 'bout ya that kept ya in his heart all them years even though I could tell it was hurtin' him fer ya ta be there."

Ennis swallowed hard, and mumbled, "Ma'am, I…" but she cut him off by quickly continuing.

"Like I said, ain' none a my business! I just wanted ta be sure a one thing, an then I promise ta keep my busybody nose ta myself."

"A'right…" Ennis mumbled, relieved that she was not going to make him explain about he and Jack's previous relationship.

"I jus' wanna know that yer gonna do right by him… not cause him no more heartbreak."

Ennis took a deep breath and looked Jack's Ma in the eye, making the first real and true promise that he had ever made to anyone in his life.

"Ma'am, I swear ta ya that I will. I… well… I feel pretty strong on em too."

Sara smiled and patted his arm, "I believe that ya will dear. Ya seem like a good boy. Must admit…" at this point she paused and blushed just a little, "seems my son has done real good by himself."

Ennis blushed furiously and mumbled something that sounded like, "thank-you".

"A'right… ya go on an get now fer Jack comes in here thinkn' I mighta done ya in!"

Ennis smiled and stood up, heaving a sigh of relief, thinking, That weren' so bad as I thought!

As he turned to leave, Sara said his name again, "Ennis…" he turned and she smiled at him, all the sternness gone from her face, "Thank you fer indulging an old woman, dear… was nice ta spend the time with ya."

"Pleasure was mine, Ma'am." Ennis said and nodded.

Thinking back on that conversation, and the others that he had had with Jack's family over the last few days, it was easy to see how Jack could turn out so nice and understanding of others.

The one person that seemed to throw a pall over everything and everyone, was Jack's daddy. John Twist, Sr. was a surly man even when sober. Oddly enough, he had accepted Ennis and Jack's offer to help out on the spread with little to no hassle. However, when they were working, even having spent hours working side by side, he had spoken not one word to Ennis or Jack. This suited Ennis just fine, but he could see that his father's stony silence bothered Jack.

Lighting another cigarette, Ennis thought about the sneers and hard looks he had received from the old man over the last few days, and thought about Jack, and what growing up under that man's shadow must have truly been like. Of course, Ennis knew from his own experience just what it must have been like. The main difference being that Jack had been fortunate enough to have a mother to turn to, and an aunt and uncle who obviously loved him. Something Ennis had not had since his mother died… not until he met Jack anyway.

Ennis heard the screen door creak behind him, and he turned his head to see who was coming out, his gut clenching for fear that it would be the old man. He and Jack had watched him lurch off into the fields with a bottle of whiskey earlier, and later, after everyone was in bed, Ennis had heard him returning, stumbling and cursing his way into the room that he shared with Jack's Ma when she was well.

Ennis sighed with relief when he saw that it was Jack standing there.

"Hey there, Darlin'." He said, his voice hushed so he wouldn't disturb anyone in the house.

"Hey, Babe," Jack replied, smiling and walking over to stand next to him. He reached out and took the pack of cigarettes and lighter that Ennis was holding out to him, but instead of immediately pulling his arm back toward himself, he ran a finger across the palm of Ennis' hand first.

"Can't sleep, Cowboy?" he asked, after lighting up and returning the lighter to Ennis' shirt pocket.

Ennis shrugged, and didn't reply. They stood in companionable silence for a bit, smoking and watching the bats swoop and glide.

Jack took a last drag from his cigarette and flicked it off into the dark, an orange arch through the black, followed by a puff of orange sparks, and a black shape swooping down to investigate.

Jack stepped closer, and wrapped his arms around Ennis' waist pressing his face to Ennis' back. "Tell ya what, Cowboy… I can't seem ta sleep neither. What bout going fer a walk?"

"Huh?" Ennis said, and turned around in the circle of Jack's arms.

"Moon's out… its light enough ta see… let's go fer a walk. There's a little stream down in the south field. Ain' no stock down there this time a year… might be we could go fer a swim."

"Jesus, Jack… it's a bit dark fer swimmin' ain' it?" Ennis replied, surprise and amusement in his voice.

Jack chuckled, "Yeah… prob'bly is… more lookin' fer an excuse ta get ya outta yer clothes then anythin'."

Come'on Cowboy… miss ya… need ta touch ya… please…

Ennis laughed, and leaned in for a quick kiss. Jack however had other thoughts, and slid his hand up to the back of Ennis' head and tightened his arm around him, holding the kiss until Ennis' breathing was quickened and a bit ragged, his hands clutching handfuls of Jack's shirt.

"Tell ya what, Darlin'," Ennis said against Jack's lips when he finally moved his hand enough for him to pull back, his voice husky and eyes gleaming in the moonlight, "I think ya might jus' have you a good idea. Let's go fer that walk!"

Smiling broadly, Jack grabbed Ennis' hand and said, "Well then… come'on, Cowboy… let's get goin'!"

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Harold Twist stood stock still in the dark kitchen. He watched Jack grab Ennis' hand, and they walked quickly off toward the south field, hands swinging between them, laughing, and nudging each other as they went.

He jumped a bit when a pair of slim arms snaked around his waist, and his wife's voice reached his ears, "Ain' ya ever been told that it ain' nice ta spy on folks?"

Her voice sounded stern, but Harold had known her long enough to hear the amusement and affection in it as well.

"Weren' tryin' ta spy!" He said quickly, keeping his voice low so that Jack and Ennis, who had stopped in the barnyard for another kiss, wouldn't hear him.

"I was jus' comin' out fer a glass a water, and saw the door was open. I heard voices, and I looked ta see who was up and… well… saw em."

Gretchen, who had in fact been peeking out the bedroom window, and had seen the passionate kiss for herself, couldn't resist teasing her husband just a little.

"Seen 'em? Whatdaya mean?" She said, trying hard to keep her amusement out of her voice.

Harold gulped, and said in a low voice, "They was… well… they was kissing!"

Gretchen giggled, and slapped her husbands arm, "Harold Twist, ya mean ta tell me that ya jus stood here in the kitchen watchin' them boys kissin' and ya didn' have the decency ta turn away an give em some privacy?"

"Gretch…" Harold began, feeling his face heating up.

"Least I had the decency ta watch from the bedroom where I couldn' get caught!" Gretchen said, and laughed at the shocked expression on her husband's face.

"Oh sure ya minx… stand there an give me the dickens while all the time ya was…"

Harold was cut off by Gretchen's hand pressed over his lips, "Shush, Harold… you'll wake Sara!"

She felt him frown behind her hand as he nodded. She removed her hand, and grinned sheepishly at him, "Ya gotta admit one thing…" she said, and Harold raised an eyebrow, an expression that looked incredibly like that of his nephew's look of inquiry, "they sure do look cute together!"

Harold rolled his eyes and turned her in the direction of their bedroom, "A'right woman, back ta bed with ya… think we've had 'bout enough excitement fer one night!"

Shaking his head, he followed his laughing wife back into the bedroom. As they were climbing into bed, Harold spoke in the dark room, "Don' know 'bout cute, but I'll say this… don' think I've ever seen Jack so happy."

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When they crossed the yard in front of the barn, Jack told Ennis to wait for a minute, and ducked into the barn, emerging a few minutes later with a quilt.

"Where'd that come from, Jack?" Ennis asked, suspicion in his voice. Jack grinned, and grabbed Ennis' hand, tugging his along toward the fence line.

"Brought it out the other day… just in case!" Jack replied, and grunted slightly when Ennis pulled him to a stop and tugged his arm, bringing him up against his chest again.

"Hmmm… Jus' in case what, Darlin'?" Ennis said, leaning forward to kiss Jack's neck and nibble his earlobe a bit.

"Mmmmm…", Jack hummed for a second, Ennis' lips and nibbling sending delicious little shivers through his belly and straight to his groin, "in case ya did that! Ya know I can't help myself when ya do that, Babe."

"Yup, I know…" Ennis replied in a low voice, before he carefully licked a path across Jack's chin, pausing for a moment to nibble his bottom lip and lick the corner of his mouth before moving on to the other side and gently taking Jack's other earlobe between his teeth.

Jack tilted his head to the side, giving Ennis full access to his ear and neck, and moaned again as that coil of heat settled itself completely and his jeans began to feel uncomfortably tight. His hands came up to rest on Ennis' shoulders, fingers kneading the tight muscles, and sending a similar shiver down Ennis' body to his already heated and hard arousal.

Ennis pressed his lips to Jack's ear and whispered in a voice so full of lust and desire that Jack's knees buckled a bit and he had to hold on to Ennis' shoulders tighter so he wouldn't tumble to the ground then and there, "Need ya, Jack… been too long… wanna feel ya against me… miss touchin' ya somethin' fierce."

Jack swallowed hard, and tried to steady his trembling hands.

Pushing against Ennis chest, Jack walked unsteadily over to a small dip in the field. From inside the low area, you could see anyone coming before they reached you, but the dip itself was hidden until you were right on top of it.

Spreading out the blanket, Jack turned back to Ennis and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt, never taking his eyes off Ennis' face. As soon as Ennis saw Jack undressing he began shedding his own clothes until soon they were both naked.

Standing on the quilt, Ennis once again wrapped Jack in his arms and resumed nibbling and caressing Jack's neck and ears with his lips, teeth and tongue. Tearing himself away, and immediately missing Ennis mouth on his skin, Jack laid down on the blanket, and held a hand out to Ennis who quickly joined him. They came together quickly, bodies twining together, touching from head to toe and kissing slowly and deeply, drinking from each others lips and moaning low in their throats.

"God," Jack gasped when he felt Ennis squirm closer, rubbing himself against him and pressing his hips closer, humping against Jack's matching hardness, "it's been way to long… feels so damn good ta be touchin' ya again…"

"Jack…" Ennis moaned in response, burying his face in Jack's neck and licking a path across his jaw line to his lips, "how did I go so fuckin' long without touchin' ya like this… sometimes months ta a time… how I did I not go insane without feelin' ya against me… an now… it ain' even been a week an I want ya so bad I can't see straight!"

Jack groaned in response and said in a low desperate voice, "can't wait no more, Ennis… please...!"

Ennis nodded and pulled back. Slicking himself with a little of the lube that Jack had brought along, another item stashed in the barn, he pushed forward and buried himself deep in Jack's body, shuddering at the hot feeling of Jack under him…around him… and fighting for control at the surge of heat that rippled through him as he heard Jack moan his name.

Pulling Ennis down and leaning up some to meet his lips, Jack kissed him passionately and whispered, "welcome back, Babe… miss'd ya so much…"

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