Tragically, I lost my original post and must now start anew.
My alternate ending is more of an alternate middle because poor dear Jack still dies (but not for a bit). After parting after the fight, Ennis heads back to whereever the hell he lives-Riverton or Signal, and Jack heads up to LF. The restaurant scene with Cassie happens that evening. It is the despair and auguish on Cassie's face that finally starts the wheels turning in sad daddy Ennis' head-it is the same look he saw on Jack's face during the confrontation. Cassie's avowel of "girl's don't fall in love with fun" clicks-Jack loved him. So, borrowing a truck from Stoutamire, he heads to Lightning Flat-not yet sure why or what he will say but knowing that this crossroads is the last he will have.
Gets to the Twists and the scene there is as filmed because it is too beautiful to mess with-coffe, no cake and no ashes. The mention of tha' other fella-Randall-tells Ennis he is too late. JT tells him Jack has left (lying bastard), Mrs. T sends the despondent ranch hand up to Jack's room where he finds the shirts and his devastation is complete. Ennis takes the shirts back down, Mrs. T bags them with the invitation to return. As Jack is climbing into the rental truck, he hears a horse make a horse noise (okay, I'm kinda crackin' myself up-too much Savignon Blanc) in the barn and a voice "better get a move on-got a long drive back to Childress." Ennis quietly enters and approaches his love, wraps loving arms around him. Jack, very familiar with the smell of Ennis leans back into his arms-the dozy embrace that keep him going for nearly 20 years.
That is as far as I needed to go to be happy.
Now, where is my damn Chinese delivery?
