Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[MaineWriter]

More from Chapter 29:

“No sir. I... I knew a man from Jackson named Bruce Eagleton. We were in college together. When the sheriff called me and told me that it was you in the accident... I am part of the investigation team from the Sheriff’s office on the Steele prosecution... I thought you were the same man.”

“I don’t think so, you can’t be forty years old. I’m a hell of a lot oldern that. But I had a son, Bruce Jr.”

Ellery felt like an absolute idiot. Of course. He had known, somewhere in the mists of time, that Beagle’s father had been in law, which was part of his own interest in criminal justice. He had been pressuring Beagle to follow in his footsteps. “That must be it then.”

“You went to school with him – up in Jackson?”

“No, down here at the U. I take it he transferred up there.”

“For a while. Fancy meetin a friend a my boy’s down here. So did you save my life or what? Do I have ta send ya a Christmas turkey?”

“I don’t think I saved yer life, I just dispatched the ambulance and got someone ta put out flares.”

“Well we could stretch a point. If I am laid up here moren a few days chances are he’ll be down ta see me. I’ll give em your number.”

“Yeah. That would be good,” Ellery said, feeling a fluttering in his stomach. He wrote it out on the back of his office card. “That is also good if you intend to stay on as Steele’s defense counsel. I am the investigatin officer for the Sheriff’s department. They said not ta stay so I will let you rest.”

Eagleton shot out a hand. “Nice ta meet ya, Ellery. I’ll tell Junior ya stopped by.” Ellery took his hand, his throat slowly going dry. He limped slightly as he left the hospital room, and Ennis straightened up from leaning on the wall, bracing his shoulders once more as he hobbled out.

“Well?” Ennis said, once they were outside.

“Not him. It’s his father.”

“Oh. He gonna get in touch?”

Ellery pretended nonchalance. “Maybe. We’ll see.”

L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 30, the famous "formers on the ground" line...

“Ya know...” Ennis said as they rounded the curve on the county road that dumped off onto Ellery’s street... “yer formers are gettin a little thick on the ground, Ellery.”

Ellery sighed. “I was wonderin when the other shoe was gonna drop on that.”

“Just sayin.”

“Ennis, it might seem that way but it really ain’t. Considerin I am almost forty. On the other hand, you’d meet more of Wayne’s formers on a light night at the Red Stallion.”

“Yeah but that’s Wayne. Shit, Ellery I forgot ta tell ya, Lauren told me last night they are gonna let Wayne outta the hospital sometime this week.”

“Oh... that’s really good. So as I was sayin...it ain’t all that many, an besides, one of em is in jail with his bail revoked, so he won’t be around for five to ten even if he pleads, more like 15 an gettin out in eight on parole with good behavior, the other one lives in Montana an he was little more’n a one night stand... actually, didn’t count him in the seven I told you about...”

“Jesus Ellery....”

“An Beagle... he ... he was the other serious guy besides Bill. It ain’t like my formers are really thick on the ground the way you say...” Ellery was exhausted, cranky, and his encounter with Beagle’s father had affected him far more than he was willing to let on.

L

[MaineWriter]

More from Chapter 30...

Ennis hurried around the car, swearing, face red, near purple, and reached down, pulling Ellery up by his arms and into a close, hard embrace. “Yes... you are. An stop actin like a fuckin baby, Ellery, or I can hold ya still enough ta give ya a real smart spankin if you want one.”

Ellery leveled his eyes at Ennis’s, his face nearly as red with frustration and anger, and suddenly laughed. “Yer gonna spank me.... well you just go ahead boy.”

“I will,” Ennis argued. He walked Ellery away from the car and locked the door, then up the walk and into the house, slow, steady and deliberate.

“You can let me go, Ennis, I can get to the bedroom...” Ellery muttered, trying to pull away from Ennis’s tight hold as they got inside the house.

“Nuh uh. You are goin in there, I’m pullin down yer pants an givin ya what ya got comin,” Ennis said tightly, his voice low and firm, and Ellery felt a thrill descend his spine. Legs like jelly, aching and empty from their marathon afternoon, drugged silly, and he was aroused once more, his groin tight from the growl of threat he heard in Ennis’s voice. I must be crazy in lust with the boy, he thought dizzily.

“Fuck you, boy, lemme go,” he replied, but the anger had gone out of his voice, leaving a weak, stuttering bravado that seemed more like teasing than resistance.


L

[MaineWriter]

And the end of Chapter 30:

“I got ta fuck ya now, I’ll be real careful...” he said, and thrust in, slowly, gulping, into that hot tightness. And he knew that once would not be enough... today would not be enough. There would never be enough of this pleasure for more than a little while before he would need it again.

It seemed it took forever for the slow thrusts to build, and every ounce of will in Ennis’s body, drilled into him by the effort it took him to hold Ellery up as he walked to and from the car, down the corridor of that hospital, getting him in and out of bed and clothed. With every slow penetration, every long, sibilant moan that came out of his lover, he disciplined himself to gentleness, an alien trait that he had to develop, somehow, and somehow... he did it, the slow, deepening thrusts at last yielding a low, passionate groan of pleasure and the rapid spasm in Ellery’s hole that quickly brought him off, and he arched his back for that delicious thrust, the burst of release that was too long coming... and then pulled out and away, taking the pressure off his spine, falling back onto the bed, breathing as if blowing steam from a long chugging haul up a mountainside.

“Jesus Ennis... “ Ellery sighed, still shuddering slightly.

“Yeah, didn’t think I could do it like that.”

“Well ya done it like that.”

“Got ta spank ya more often I suppose.”

“Is that a fact...”

“Yup, think I will.”

L

[mariez]

Thank you, Leslie - Greetings, All!

Jumping back to Chapter 27, because as Ennis does, I like to see Ellery acting all official-like -

He heard a car’s horn before he saw the dust kick up ahead of him, and stomped the brake, holding his breath. Well-maintained, the El Camino screeched and halted, what seemed like a hair’s breadth from the collision blocking the road ahead of him. The impact had occurred seconds before he made the turn, a recent model black pickup spun all the way around in the middle of the road to avoid an oncoming 59 Cadillac lumbering out of nowhere. He recovered his breathing, flipped on his siren, and groped his emergency light out of the holder, slapping it on the roof , then threw the El Camino in reverse so he could cover the turn he had just flown through. Another pickup was coming down the road and squealed its own brakes on, and he blocked the road sideways with the El Camino, then palmed on the radio.

“Dispatch, collision at Vine and Cheyenne Way. Cantrell on the scene, possible injury, send traffic control. I’ve blocked the east side.”

He hopped out of the El Camino then and hurried, limping, toward the worst looking of the two vehicles, the pickup, the driver hunched over the wheel and not moving, reached up and felt for a pulse. Out, but not down. The driver looked middle aged, his hat rolled to the floor, a bruise on his forehead where he impacted the wheel. He loosened his shirt and patted his cheek. “Sir… sir… I’m from the sheriff’s department, wake up, you’ve been in an accident.”

Across the intersection he saw someone opening the door of the Cadillac. “Clear the road!” he yelled. “Someone could come along an hit ya… get away from the car an clear the road!”

A younger looking man, hat tight in his hand, nodded once and hurried off to the shoulder. He looked east, still leaning in over the unconscious driver of the pickup, and saw two cars slowing and stopping.

“Hey!” he shouted, waving. “You there, come here!” And a tall, gangling teenager got out of his truck and hustled over. “You got emergency flares?” He nodded. “Then light em down that way about 50 yards, an at the first flare stand on the shoulder an flag the first car down an have em put on his emergency blinkers. Someone else is gonna crash into this scene if we don’t.”

The boy nodded, gulping, and raced back to his truck, and made good time past him, pausing to light a flare and waving it as he ran, managing to flag down an approaching semi-trailer as he did. The trailer slowed, the driver got out and lighted a flare of his own.

“Sir…” Ellery checked the driver’s pulse again. Thready. Maybe concussive. Come on dispatch, where the fuck is the ambulance…. It seemed whenever an emergency happened, that time dragged, but by the time he had resolved to radio dispatch again he heard a siren. A police cruiser, followed by an ambulance.

“Over here!” he shouted. “Unconscious, can’t rouse em.”

The EMT hurried out of the ambulance with his bag and came over to the driver’s side of the truck. “You got em?” Ellery asked, and the man nodded, signalling for the second EMT, who was unloading a gurney, and the man nodded.

“Good thing ya didn’t move em.”

“Yeah.” Ellery flashed his badge at the EMT, who blushed and nodded. “Sorry sir, shoulda known.”

Ellery limped rapidly over to the cruiser… “Need traffic control on the west side, got a semi with flares there now.”

“Hey Chief, how did you get in the middle a this?” It was Murdoch.

“Hey Murdoch, did you hear what I just said?”

“Yeah, go easy, I’m on overtime okay?”

“Just get yer ass on the other side a this accident before someone rearends someone, this is a bad curve.”

Murdoch touched his hat. “Yes sir.”

“I’ll call for a couple a more vehicles.”

“Thanks, chief.”

Chapter 29, Ennis makes a joke...

“That’s cause you are. But at least yer the most satisfied fuckin cripple in this hospital right now,” Ennis joked weakly.

To his surprise, Ellery laughed out loud, then put his hand over his mouth, realizing where he was. “Yer probably right about that.”

L

Some day I should compile a list of all Ennis's jokes - I bet there are more than I thought - and they're always good ones!

Thanks - Marie

[MaineWriter]

Hey re-readers!

Chapters 31-35 today.

from 31:

“He... he had a guy, back in college, an it broke up real badly. Now suddenly the guy’s daddy is down in Laramie on a court case with em an they might meet up again through his daddy. I don’t know that it’ll happen but it might as well cause it’s got em in a mood.”

“Yes I see. I definitely would try ta draw em out an talk about it. Remember it was long long ago, an if that boy was important to em he wouldn’t have let 20 years pass without seein em. Ellery’s got access to the whole state police database an he coulda kept track of anybody in Wyomin by goin into the computer or makin a phone call. If he hadn’t a done that, then he has moved on so you don’t need ta worry about your ... relationship to em. Just keep that in mind. He loves you Ennis.”

“Yeah,” Ennis smiled as she spoke. “He sure does. Tells me all the time.”

“He is a very lovin boy an he just shines with you around, so you keep that in mind even when it seems like he isn’t lookin right at you, you know where his heart is.”


L

[belbbmfan]

Hey re-readers!

Chapters 31-35 today.

“He is a very lovin boy an he just shines with you around, so you keep that in mind even when it seems like he isn’t lookin right at you, you know where his heart is.”
[/i]

L

That was such a nice thing to say. I love Edna 


And Ennis sure was pleased to see Ellery get home early...

Ennis got up. “Why don’t you put on those cutoffs a yours an no shirt, an I’ll get the grille goin?”

“Oh I see, you got the whole evenin planned do ya?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, but only if Mr. Coyote is gonna make a cameo appearance later.”

“That can be arranged,” Ennis said, a mischievous look on his face, and then snapped his teeth loudly before he ducked into the kitchen through the open door.


*sigh* I want that movie, now please!

[mariez]

Hi Gang - no time for lunch, massive computer problems, overall crappy day - I need my E&E! 

Yes, I love Edna, too!  And I love Ennis in Chapter 32:

“Did you watch Dupree an me doin anythin special the other night while you was here the whole damn time? We was watchin the big guys an make sure they don’t push the little guys around, goin in the Gents ta make sure nobody was buyin blowjobs, an kickin the drunks out if they caused trouble. That’s the job, Jim.”

“It’s a little rough,” he said, pouting.

“Then you’ll just have ta grow a bit of a spine.”

Jim shook his head. “Are you always like this? So... intense?”

“I’m always me, who else would I be?”

“Don’t you ever kick back, lighten up, you know... relax?”

“Not while I’m workin as a bouncer in the Red Stallion, Jim. Maybe you make a good server, but bein a bouncer means tellin people shit they don’t want ta hear. Maybe you don’t like that part a the job, but ya can’t be Mary Sunshine all the goddamn time.”


Yes.  Ennis is always Ennis.  So ironic and so sad that a person so lacking in pretense was forced to live a lie for so long.      But I do love when he tells Jim to grow a spine! 

Gotta dash!

Marie

[belbbmfan]

from chapter 33. Ellery is having nightmares

“Cut it out Beag, I said –“ and he was thrown to the bed, air knocked out of him, and he huffed, trying to inhale as the heavier body landed on him, cock thrusting wildly against the cheeks of his ass as Beagle fumbled for his tube of KY somewhere near the pillow, finally seizing on it with a low “ah ha.”

“Hold still or yer gettin it.”

“You ain’t gettin it!” Ellery heaved up and twisted, managing to get his hip wedged against Beagle’s torso while he was busy squirting lube on his fingers.

He dropped the tube, lubricant forgotten. “Dammit I said hold still, now yer gettin it,” and with a force Ellery had not known existed, brought down his larger hand down on his exposed ass in a stinging slap that made his eyes spring tears and a yelp coming to his throat, then his hips were pressed against the bed once more and what little lube remained on Beagle’s fingers was going to suffice, and he stabbed his cock in mostly dry, the friction almost as searing as the pain of the slap, and Ellery bucked hard up against him, fighting like a wildcat against being penetrated, and Beagle let go of his right hip just long enough to deal him another vicious slap which ended with pressing his cheeks apart and thrusting savagely.

“I told you...” he growled, his voice shaking with violence... “you were gonna get it...” as he began to thrust hard and deep into Ellery’s unprepared ass.

“Stop, stop... Beagle stop...” he cried, at first with a fierce shout and then dissolving into whispers and sobs, whatever pleasure he might have derived from the forced coupling, washed away by the grief of being assaulted by the one he loved. Behind them, a sudden fall gust of air lifted the pages of Ellery’s trigonometry homework and scattered them on the sticky floor.

[belbbmfan]

from chapter 34 Getting Advise

A conversations between Ennis and Ellery

“You think I can hold off sneakin into the Red Stallion tonight? I don’t feel like I want ta prance around for the entertainment a your new boys tonight, an I been muckin out mares all day an feel like a wet dishrag.”

“Yeah, sure. I appreciate the time you put in, Ennis, I truly do.”

“Good. I’m gonna pick up some more steaks ta grill tonight, that okay with you?”

“Get some more a those little cherry tomatoes, those were good.”

“Sure enough. Hey, Ellery.”

“Hmmm?”

“I love you, darlin. That guy call ya?”

“Nope. I don’t think he will.”

“Maybe not. But if it’s botherin ya... you can talk about it. Ya know, like I get ta talk about Jack whenever my stomach is all in knots.”

“That is kind a you ta say, Ennis. Maybe after a bunch a those cherry tomatoes an a nice grilled steak, okay?”

“Yeah. I’m there for you ta lean on no matter what. “

“Thanks. That does mean a lot ta me Ennis. See ya later.”

Ellery set the phone down, staring at it for a long moment. “I’m there for you ta lean on? Is he watchin daytime self improvement shows or what?”


That last line made me laugh at first. But then, how sad is it that a 38 year old man is surprised to hear that from the one he loves? About time he had someone he can lean on.