As Ennis turned, to follow the two women, he felt a shiver of cold air go over him. Since the day was sunny and warm, he didn't understand. Then the next moment the air smelled sweet and like a smoke from a cigarette. He didn't think those women smoked. He hadn't had a cigarette since the one following breakfast. Then he hurried to catch up to the women, before they take a wrong turn. They might go the wrong way, and that would be a rough turn around to get back headed the right way. He caught up just as they were going on down the right side of the incline.
The trail widened just there, and they could ride three abreast for the remainder of the ride down to the meadow. It only took another half hour to get down to the flat place on the hill. Where they had first pastured the sheep. Ennis dismounted the horse, and was looking around for a likely place to have their lunch. While the ladies continued around the area. He could have all the fixins ready for the lunch ready by the time they returned.
Annie and Mary continued down by the tree line, and Ennis opened up the saddle bag, and pulled out the
Canned ham he had brought, along with the can of olives, and the bread. He always kept the bread in a tin for the trips when he went camping, so as not to squash it to a flat piece of dough. Then he brought out the small can of pickled mushrooms, and the dried onions in their cardboard can. He also had a package of Chips ahoy cookies. When he got them all layed out on a ground cloth. He could see the women headed back in his direction. He pulled out the rest of the beers he had brought, and figured "it ain't much, but it will do."
They were far enough away it would take them a good half hour to get back, unless they decided to ki ck the horses into a hurry. He lay back on a log, and just watched the butterflies and birds that were lazily catching their days flight way up in the high mountain currents. He felt a chill again, and kind of wished he had left his jacket on this morning, instead of putting it back in the saddlebag on the horse. Oh well he lay there and closed his eyes, thinking how good it always felt to be back in the mountains. More specially their mountain. Even if it was just for a short time. He thought of all the times he had lay on the grass, thinking about the horrible smell of those damn sheep. About the dogs he could hear in the distance yapping at the heels of some sheep, and of the morning they had to "bring em down." He sat on that rise, and pondered about what the future held for him. Should he go and try to find work with Jack for the rest of the summer? Should he go on and marry Alma and put Jack out of his mind for the rest of his life? Or should he ask Jack? What are we gonna do about this situation? He really didn't know any better today than he did that time he sat there. He knew he never wanted to lose site of Jack. But no matter how hard he figured on it. He just did not see any way to have them have a way to stay together. Alma was waiting and depending on him. She was a sweet little gal, and it wasn't her fault he had realized he didn't really love her. It wasn't her fault he didn't know what in hell he wanted to do. After what had happened to old Earl, back home, no way two guys could live together.. That would get them kilt for sure. Oh god he was feeling just the way he had that other day so long ago. After all their times together, it had all turned out the same anyhow. Jack was dead, and he still didn't know why, or really even for sure how. Not really.
It was one of those times he had, when he would have loved to just take off and grab Jack, and head to some far away tropical paradise he had heard of. Or a desert, with palm trees, and camels and tents. But he knew that was just a fantasy. It was never their lot to hit that kind of jackpot.
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