Chapter 18: A Return to Paradise…?
Ennis and Jack remained in Lighting Flat for another two weeks, until Sara was back on her feet, and the doctor had declared her, "Fit as a fiddle".
The day they left was sunny, and warm. Jack turned back and waved at the small group standing in the yard. The evening before, at dinner, Ennis had issued an invitation for Uncle Harold and Aunt Gretchen to come and visit. They had promised to do so soon, promising that Sara would come along with them whether John liked it or not.
John Twist had been strangely absent the last few days of their stay, only turning up at meal times, and stumbling in drunk as a loon each night after everyone else was asleep. Ennis hadn't missed the man's sour face and muttered insults, but he knew that despite everything, Sara was worried, and therefore he was glad to see him step up behind the others as they drove away. For once he appeared to be sober, although the look on his face would have wilted the hardiest of flowers. Glancing quickly at Jack, Ennis couldn't help but echo his thought of, Thank God Uncle Harold is there ta keep 'em in line!
The drive from Lightning Flat to Fort Collins took a little over seven and a half hours, with Ennis driving most of the way, and Jack either snoring peacefully with his head on Ennis' shoulder, or chattering away about the ranch and how good it was gonna be to be home.
When they pulled through the gate is was a little after three thirty in the afternoon, Pete and Gary were standing in the yard talking to Sandy.
When he recognized the truck Sandy waved, a big grin on his face.
Ennis parked the truck next to the barn and leaned back with a sigh. Looking over at Jack, he couldn't help but grin at him.
Jack grinned back, and then opened his truck door and jumped out into the yard.
Scamp and Scraps, the two Blue tick hounds that Jack had insisted they get several months earlier, claiming that they needed a pair of good watch dogs, came running across the yard, yipping and howling, their tails wagging a mile a minute.
"Heya, fellas!" Jack called, and crouched down to greet the dogs as they excitedly jumped and nuzzled their favorite playmate.
Ennis suppressed a grin as he watched Jack wrestle around on the ground with the dogs, and then headed across the yard to greet Sandy and the other men.
Ennis shook hands all around, and then stood chatting with Gary and Pete about the ranch. A few minutes later, Jack joined them. After another exchange of pleasantries, Sandy began to shift about and act restless. Sensing that he had something he wanted to talk to them about, Ennis suggested they go up to the house for a cold drink.
As they went, Ennis listened to Sandy and Jack chatting away, but he could hear Sandy's thoughts and though there was nothing specific, what he heard made him uneasy.
Once inside, the three men each grabbed a cold beer from the fridge, and settled in around the kitchen table.
"Ok, Sandy. What's botherin' ya?" Ennis asked, antsy and worried about Sandy's disquiet and obvious concern.
"Sure am glad yer back boys. There's been some talk stirrin' up 'bout ya having skipped town, what with Stubbs running his mouth 'bout the stuff his uncle told him." Seeing the look of anger and concern that crossed Ennis' face, Sandy hastened to add, "Course, most folks round here don't really care one way or the other. In fact, the majority of folks are down right disgusted with Stubbs and his filthy mouth." He smiled grimly, and Ennis heard, Too damn bad they can't all be that smart.
Sighing, Ennis glanced quickly at Jack and then turning to Sandy asked in a tense voice, "What else? Got a feelin' there's somethin' ya ain't sayin'."
Twisting his hat, Sandy looked down for a moment, and then looked at Ennis again, "It seems that Stubbs has himself a new friend. New fella in town. I ain' had the pleasure of meeting him yet, but from what I've heard tell, he's got a real grudge against the two of ya."
Sandy looked down again, and when he raised his eyes, Ennis could see real sympathy in them.
"I think ya may know the fella I'm talkin' bout, Ennis. Talk around town says his name is Ken… Ken Del Mar."
Ennis gasped, and felt the blood drain from his face. Behind him he heard Jack curse, and thump his fist down on the table.
Shit! Fuckin' bastard… just knew he weren' gonna let it go that easy!
"I take it ya know him." Sandy said, already knowing the answer, and feeling bad about having to confirm it.
"Yup…" Ennis said after a second, the shock and fear on his face quickly giving way to anger. "That would be my asshole brother."
Sandy simply nodded. "Well, at this point, all it is is a bunch of talk. Just figured ya oughta know what's in the wind so's you can keep yer eyes open fer trouble."
"Thanks, Sandy." Jack said, clapping him on the shoulder.
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Later that night, as they lay in bed listening to the horses wicker in the barn and the wind blowing across the field, Jack turned to Ennis, wrapping an arm around his waist and said, "Do ya think he'll cause trouble? I mean… he's yer brother… ya don' think he'll do anything really bad… do ya?"
Sighing, Ennis slid his hand up Jack's arm, and leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. "I don' know, Bud. K.E., he ain' a bit like me. He told me once… when I first came back home in '63, if he ever found out you and me was together again he'd kill us both."
"I know… ya told me all bout that after ya saw him in Riverton. But Ennis… ya don' think he'd really do it do ya?"
Ennis sighed again, and pulled Jack close, as though he wanted to fuse their bodies together. Shaking his head, he said in a low voice, "I don' know, Darlin', I just don't know."
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The next morning, Ennis and Jack saddled up their horses, and went for a ride around the fence line.
Fortunately, the drought appeared to have ended in their absence and the snakes had ceased their overly aggressive behavior. This being the case, the horses had resumed their usual lazy pasture time, and the men were able to concentrate their efforts on catching up with some of the repairs and maintenance that had been placed on hold while the extra field patrols had been required.
As they rode along, Ennis and Jack talked little. They had no need to. A look or a touch between them seemed to convey a shared pride and joy in what they had… what they had managed to accomplish between the two of them.
*As they crossed the dirt road that wound around the outside of the pasture fence, Jack turned and looked at Ennis. A ray of sunlight burst through the leaves on a large maple tree, and lit on Ennis astride his horse, making him seem to glow. Jack sucked in his breath, and thought wistfully, God, but he is beautiful!
At that moment, having heard Jack's thoughts, Ennis turned and looked at him, and the smile that lit up his face, seemed to make the sun's light dim in comparision. Jack smiled back, and felt a swell of love rush through him. Yup… so fuckin' beautiful!
When they reached the northern edge of the property, they turned and looked back over the distance. Taking in the full expanse of their property, the sprawling fields and buildings, and the magnificent horses, their coats gleaming when the sun hit them.
Without looking at him, Jack reached out a hand to Ennis, and smiled widely when he felt Ennis' hand meet his.
This… this is the sweet life I always dreamed of… and it's ours! Mine and Ennis'… ain' no way I'm gonna let anyone…'specially K.E. Del Mar take it away from us!
Ennis frowned at this, and was about to say something. Then he thought better of it, and decided it best to keep his mouth shut. Jack had every right to want to protect what they had, and talking weren't gonna solve nothing.
Looking back out over the fields, and then back at Jack, Ennis realized that the thoughts in his mind were just the same…. Ain' no way I'm gonna let anyone take it away from us.
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Later that evening, after a quick supper and another short ride around the pasture, Jack lit a fire in the fireplace, and they sat on the couch. Each had a cold beer. They sat in companionable silence for a while. Ennis leaning against the arm of the couch, and Jack reclined against his chest, the blanket from the chair tucked in tightly over the both of them.
When Ennis heard Jack's thoughts turning to the situation with K.E. and Stubbs, he decided to distract him, and began to slowly run his fingers through his hair, the way Jack liked. Jack's thoughts quickly switched gears, and before long they had moved from the couch to the rug in front of the fire.
What started out as gentle teasing and caressing quickly became hot and heavy, and soon Ennis found himself flat on his back, Jack sitting on him and riding him like a Brahma bull.
Ennis watched as the firelight played across Jack's skin, flickering and sending bolts of light and shadow darting across his face and torso with every movement.
Jack opened his eyes, and gazed down at him, the light sparkling through his black hair and lighting up his eyes so that they glowed, whispering, "Yer so beautiful, Ennis… love ya so much."
As the words coursed through his mind, Ennis thrust upward and came hard, Jack crying out his own release at Ennis' hard thrust. As he spilled himself inside Jack's body, one thought flitted quickly through his mind.
No, Jack… yer wrong… when it comes ta beautiful… yer the winner, hands down!
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Ennis woke up to a loud pounding on the door, and voices yelling outside. He and Jack were both asleep on the living room floor. At some point, the fire must have gone out, and they were both huddled under the blanket, still naked.
Scrambling up, he shoved Jack who immediately rolled sideways, and hit the coffee table with a thud and a muttered, "What the hell, Ennis!"
"Quick, get dressed! Someone's poundin' on the door! I don' want ta let em in and have ya layin' nekkid on the livin' room floor! That'd be all we need right 'bout now!"
Cursing, Jack scrambled up and began yanking his pants on. Ennis finished buttoning his shirt, and glanced back as he headed to the door. Seeing that Jack was pulling his shirt on, and had already scooped up the blanket and tossed it back on the chair, he went to the door and pushed back the shade to see who was pounding in the middle of the damn night.
Standing on the doorstep looking dirty and scared half to death, was Pete. Ennis whipped open the door and growled, "This better be good, Pete! Ya got any idea what time it is….?" Suddenly he groud to a stop, and really looked at the man.
Pete's face and hands were covered with black smudges, and he was flushed and breathing heard.
"Shit! Pete… what's…"
Finally catching his breath enough to talk, Pete interrupted him and gasped, "The barn's on fire!"
"Fuck!" Jack yelled from behind him and followed Ennis as he lit out across the yard toward the barn. As he ran, he could see billows of smoke blocking out the stars, and an orange glow around through the side windows of the building.
Ennis and Jack raced across the lawn and stopped at the knot of men standing there.
"Jesus," Ennis said, and realizing that there was no way they could put this out on their own, turned to run back to the house racing to the phone and calling the fire Dept. and the sheriff's office. The dispatcher told Ennis that Sandy was not in, but said that she would call him on the radio and send him out to the ranch as quickly as he could get there.
Hanging up, Ennis quickly ran back out to the barn, grabbing his and Jack's work gloves off the bench by the door on his way out.
Halfway back to the barn, he saw Gary standing quite close to the doors yelling frantically and nearly in tears.
Racing up to him, Ennis gasped, "Gary… what… are you burnt…?"
Ennis glanced around the yard for Jack, and then turned back to Gary, a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Gary, where's…?"
Gary cut him off with a half sob half shout and said frantically, "Ennis… Jack… he went inside! Salamar is still in there, and he went in to get her!"
"Oh God! No!" Ennis gasped, his face losing all color as he looked at the blazing barn, black smoke billowing out of the open hay loft. He started toward the barn and Gary grabbed his arm, holding him back.
"Ennis… ya can't go in there… you'll not make it out! I'm sorry… but… Jack… he's…"
"NO!" Ennis yelled, and wrenched his arm out of Gary's grip. Running across the yard, he darted into the barn yelling Jack's name.
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