Okay, guess I should start getting involved here so will be posting my latest story. This one was also a story that I started and then forgot about. Senior moments. Finished it up and post it hear for your perusal. All credit to Annie Proulx of course.
Steve
*************
Ennis stood by his truck absently checking over his equipment…the horses, the saddles, supplies…his mind far from anything he was looking at. It had been right at a year since he’d last seen Jack. They’d gotten together the November of the year before. In May when they were scheduled to get together, Jack had broken his leg in a freak accident on one of the combines. Ennis had gotten a card just two days before he was supposed to leave.
It had been a hard year for him to endure. He’d done it but it had exacted a toll. For months before this fishing trip, he’d worked long hours to exhaust himself then drank so he could sleep, but they were restless and dream-filled nights. He’d lost weight from not eating. He’d cried a lot.
But now Jack was on his way and, “everything’ll be okay,” he kept thinking. The closer to the time Jack was supposed to arrive that day, the more he smiled and the antsier he got. He had walked up and down this side road to the mountains too many times now to count and smoked the whole time.
Ennis heard the roar of an engine and turning, watched Jack drive up in a flurry of screaming tires, dust and gravel. Jack’s eyes locked onto Ennis as soon as he rounded the curve in the road. Ennis started to shake and reached out to hold onto the truck. He waited, hat in hand.
Jack had been unable to keep from pressing the accelerator all the way to the floor from the time he left Childress. When the officer stopped him just outside of Texas, salesman that he was, he had smooth-talked his way out of a ticket by saying his mother was dying and he had to get to her bedside to see her one last time.
He’d had a difficult time the past year without Ennis. He’d fallen into a deep depression after breaking his leg, blaming himself for letting Ennis down and screwing up their trip despite the fact that it hadn’t been his fault he broke his leg. One of the other salesman had shifted the combine into reverse by mistake as Jack was getting up to talk and knocked him off. He kept telling himself it’d be okay because they could meet in November but he’d forgotten how long a year could be.
During the agonizing wait until he could see Ennis again, he’d drank a lot, had a couple of fights just out of sheer frustration and the need to strike out, and had pushed Lureen and her father to the edge with his short temper and moodiness. By the time he was ready to go, Lureen was packing his suitcase for him.
But now he was on his way. No card from Ennis to say he couldn’t make it. No phone call, but Ennis never called anyway. He could barely contain himself.
He’d taken the turnoff from the highway forgetting he had brakes, scattering gravel and dust in streams behind him. About a quarter mile in was the last curve before the end of the road. As Jack took that curve, he saw Ennis’ truck and trailer with the horses…and then Ennis. Jack locked his eyes onto Ennis, his vision narrowing and obscuring all around him but his man.
Jack’s truck had barely pulled to a stop when he threw the door open and jumped out. Despite the long wait, all he could do was stand there holding onto the open truck door. A moment passed…and then another…while he stared at Ennis not believing that they were finally here together. Ennis could see Jack trembling. Jack looked down, took his hat off and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his coat.
Ennis wanted to run to Jack but found his feet wouldn’t move. He was not immune to the amount of time they had been apart.
He saw Jack just standing there. He knew what Jack was feeling because he was feeling the same thing. But he had ahold of the truck, like Jack, and couldn’t let go for fear his legs wouldn’t support him.
Jack looked up and smiled.
All of Ennis’ days since last he’d seen Jack had been dark and dismal. Now, with that one smile, the sun had come out for him…all pain forgotten. It was more than he could stand and he took a couple of steps forward but Jack, regaining his senses, took off to close the gap between them, letting his hat drop where he’d stood. Ennis tossed his hat and braced himself as Jack slammed into him, their arms wrapped tight, bodies pressed close.
“Ennis,” was the only thing Jack could get out, just a whisper, before his need and feelings overwhelmed him. He was unable to do anything but hold on.
“It’s been too…,” he faltered, “…it’s been too long, cowboy,” he said in a strained and tearful voice. Ennis kept trying to say something, anything, but couldn’t find his voice.
Finally, “Jack…goddamn, Jack.” He was so overcome he just pulled Jack in tighter shoving his face into the crook of Jack’s neck.
Jack, breathing heavy, said softly in Ennis’ ear, “I can’t believe you’re here, Ennis. I just can’t…,” and the tears started. “Don’t let go…don’t let me go just yet, okay?” They held each other for a good while just to feel the other close, to satisfy some small part of the need they had for each other after all that time.
Jack was the first to pull away but Ennis kept following, nuzzling him like one of his horses would do.
“Ennis, let’s get outta here, please.” Jack’s fists were tight in Ennis’ coat as he tried to keep a little distance between them but Ennis was lost in the scent and feel of Jack and kept pushing.
“C’mon, cowboy, let’s get back up there in them woods. I been waiting too long to get this close to you and what I wanna do we can’t do here.”
Ennis began to surface to reality and his head cleared some. He heard what Jack had just said and the fear of prying eyes and tire irons kicked in.
He retreated, his breath coming in gasps. He stood looking Jack in the eyes then suddenly stepped up to him, reached with one hand and grabbed Jack by the back of his neck. He pulled him close and kissed him hard and fast. As he forced himself to step back, and in a moment of real tenderness, he raised his hand and ran his fingers through Jack’s hair brushing it from his eyes. Jack found himself trembling from this rare show of true affection.
Jack was still reeling from this long-awaited encounter with Ennis. He watched as Ennis pushed aside his feelings and desires for the moment to get them up into the mountains. As long as Jack had known Ennis, and would know him, he would never understand how he could do that…but right now didn’t care either. All he wanted was Ennis alone and the opportunity to show him how much he had missed him.
Jack strode on shaky legs back to his truck to get his things. He picked up his hat and stood by the tailgate of his truck trying to compose himself. He’d make up for their time apart. He’d show Ennis how glad he was to be here, how much he’d wanted him all this time. He’d show him he never wanted to let him go again. Ennis’d have to understand. Yep, he’d show him good. This time would be different.
Jack grabbed his tent and supplies and, with a grin to split his face, ran over to Ennis’ truck thinking that there weren’t no more beautiful sight in the whole world than this man waiting for him…his man, his Ennis, his love.
