December 1963
Holding a steaming cup of coffee, Jack looked out the kitchen window at the fresh blanket of snow covering the ranch in the early morning light, blotting out the rough edges of the land and buildings, but not blotting out the rough edges of his heart and life. Four months without Ennis, four months without any contact, four months of enduring the stares and questions and foul mouth of his father. Ennis would be married by now, settling into a life with Alma, while he shivered at the feeling of arctic cold running through his body despite the warmth cast by the radiators.
Christmas Eve, and he knew he'd never get the present he wanted under the Christmas tree. Nothing new, though, he'd hardly ever gotten what he wanted for Christmas.
He turned away and smiled wanly at his mother, in response to her calling him to the table for breakfast. Setting his cup and himself down, he lifted his fork and stabbed at the eggs and bacon, not really hungry but knowing he needed sustenance to carry him through another day with John Twist. The man himself walked into the room, sat down at the table, and started eating without as much as a hello for either of them.
As Jack finished, he heard a vehicle pull up outside. "Must be the truck from Murchison's with the wire, best get out and see to it, if ya got the time," said his dad abruptly. Jack acknowledged the command, got up. put on his hat, coat and gloves, and headed out into the cold past the calendar showing palm trees at some beach in Mexico. No sense arguing, he'd lose anyway.
The sign on the truck did indeed say Murchison's, and the wire was in the back of the truck, but the driver was nowhere in sight. "Must be in the barn putting the first away," thought Jack. So he hoisted a roll onto his shoulder and headed into the barn.
Entering the dimly lit barn from outside through the open barn door, it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the barn. When he did, he saw the driver walking towards him. Jack began, "Here's the next roll of..." He never finished the sentence, 'cause the driver knocked the wire off Jack's shoulder, pushed him up against the inside of the barn, and proceeded to kiss him as hard as he could. Startled, Jack at first did nothing, then started to kiss back thinking of Ennis, and then realized what he was doing and began to fight back against this unexpected assault. But, then his brain kicked into gear. What?? "I know those lips!", he thought.
Pushing away the intruder, he gasped. "Ennis?! What the fuck...?!"
"Good morning to you too, cowboy. You always greet the hired help from Murchison's with a kiss?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Delivering the wire your daddy ordered."
"I can see that, but what are you doing here, in Lightning Flat?"
"Got me a job with Murchison's during the week, but could use some extra money, so if ya know a rancher that needs some help, I'm available."
"What does Alma think of all this, living so far away from her family?"
"Dunno, never asked her. Jack, I didn't marry Alma, couldn't. Standing in front of the preacher, when he asked me if I promised to love and honor her, all I could think of was you, and I just couldn't say 'I do' to Alma when I already felt that for someone else. So, left her standing at the altar, and had to leave town, too."
All Jack could do, was gape. "Did Ennis just say what I think he did?" he thought.
"Well, judging by the weather and the look on your face, I guess Hell froze over 'cause Jack Twist has nothing to say."
"The Hell I don't!" responded Jack, and he grabbed Ennis into a full embrace and planted his lips on Ennis' with all the love in his hear. Pulling away to catch his breath, Jack murmured into Ennis' ear, "I love you too, Ennis del Mar."
Ennis hugged him harder, if that were possible, and asked quietly, "Think ya have a need for someone full time around here?"
Jack could hardly speak, and definitely couldn't see through the tears. "Ya, I need ya full time, Ennis, wherever we are."
Outside the barn the snow began falling, like powdered sugar from a sifter. Inside the barn, Jack and Ennis fell into each other's hearts, smoothing over the rough edges of each other's life. For the very first time that Christmas and for every Christmas after that, Jack received the present he cherished most.