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

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 80, Ellery buys a horse!

Ellery called to Gonzales as Milagro came up the side of the fence toward him and Ennis. “Is she old enough to canter?”

“Oh yes, senor, she can canter and gallop,” and Ellery squeezed the horse’s middle with his thighs, leaned in and clicked. “Come on Millie, canter for me,” and she raised her head, letting her legs fly out and took off at a lively canter. Ellery reined in almost immediately to the smoother gait, a wild grin on his face, and dismounted.

“What a horse!” he exclaimed, face flushed with excitement.

“Gee Ellery I ain’t never seen you so excited about a horse before.”

“Ennis did you see how she walked? Did you see that?” Ellery rubbed his hands.

“I never took my eyes off her. That has got ta be the silliest thing I ever saw on four legs, but if it makes yer back feel okay, then buy her.”

“But I can’t call her Milagro. It’s got ta be Millie.”

Ennis chuckled. Gonzales grinned. “Senor, you can call her anything you wish once you have paid for her.”

“How old is this one?”

“She is six, senor. Fully trained for show and for trail, with all shots and of course, first year of stud service if you wish to breed her.”

“Then let’s look at the papers, I don’t need to try out any others.”

Gonzalez blinked. “Will you want to talk about our financing program?”

“I don’t need financing. You can call the bank to verify my check is good, I wasn’t about ta bring cash,” Ellery said quickly.

“Of course not. Are you... Milagro is for sale for $3,900, Senor.”

“Okay,” Ellery said.

Gonzalez looked at Ellery more closely. “You are going to buy this horse and pay for her all today...?”

“Yeah, if you can have her delivered to the Brown Horse Ranch next week some time,” Ellery nodded. “Why, doesn’t anybody pay up front for these horses anymore?”

“Only breeders, Senor,” Gonzalez said, voice hushed. “Please follow me into the office.” Ennis stifled a chuckle as he followed Ellery and the trainer to the office attached to the stables. He knew exactly how Gonzalez felt.

[mariez]

Thanks, Leslie - lots of really great stuff!  So many little things I had forgotten about.  Edna and Ennis's little talk was priceless - I loved hearing Edna talk about her hunky 20-year old Wesley. 

I'd also forgotten about Ellery and Simon's phone conversation - that really was too funny!  Simon spilling the beans about Ennis - and Ellery spilling the beans about spanking!   

I liked this part in Chapter 79 - our boys sure do love each other:

“Keep the change, okay? Now let’s say,” Ellery put the car in gear and pulled over to the parking lot to stop, and they dug into the bag of sandwiches together, “I keep my job an we get a horse ranch here around town. You know, a real ranch.”

“But I like workin at Edna an Wes’s. An I don’t have ta think about all the complicated part, I can just do the trainin an cleanin an stuff.”

“Okay...” Ellery bit into his hamburger, thinking about what Wes was angling at earlier. “But okay, you promise me this. If you ever get a hankerin ta have a ranch a yer own... you’ll let me know?”

“Sure, but why don’t I just stay workin fer Edna an Wes?”

“You can. I was just...”

“You was just what.. you tryin ta apologize fer that stupid ass letter from Beagle? Forget it, ya threw it away, I know you ain’t pinin over em anymore. Either that or yer the best actor in America.”

“I’m a good actor, but I ain’t the best actor in America, Ennis, an this ain’t about Beagle. This is about... this is about my havin money. Even though I don’t use it, I got enough ta make some dreams come true... if ya had some ta make come true, Ennis.”

Ennis waved an onion ring at Ellery. “There’s only one wish I want ta make come true that hasn’t yet. I want ta see you on one a them fancy Spanish horses and dance up the trail to camp on the summit a Brokeback Mountain.”

“Okay, will do.”

“An Edna got me the name of a horse ranch that deals in Paso Finos an it ain’t but fifty miles away an we can go up there tomorrow if we don’t have ta do no foolin around gettin ready for that weddin.”

Ellery’s face broke into a smile. “You did that? Really?”

“Yep. So I’ll shop fer the damn shoes tonight but we’re shoppin for a fancy horse tomorrow, deal?”

Ellery finished his hamburger in two more bites, then set his drink down in the drink holder, then started the car up once more. “Next stop, shoes.”


I miss Millie - and I'll bet Millie misses Ellery.  I hope they can all do some riding again when the weather warms up!

Thanks!

Marie

[louisev]

A Gift from the Reliquary!

Some of you who contributed at Leslie's behest to "Louise's Reliquary" may have noticed a distinct lack of appreciation on my part for your thoughtful Laramie Saga-related gifts.  That is because within 12 hours of my returning home to Saarbrücken from London (I never unpack immediately under the best of circumstances) was beset by the bone infection that caused me to miss a large amount of work and required nearly a month of open incisions, unbelievable pain, and several disgusting and best-not-discussed procedures, antibiotics allergies and the suspension of my hard vegetable diet which persisted into the winter.  Can't lose weight on carrots and celery if you cant chew them.  My mouth is healing now, my regular dentist Herr Dr. Kessler took an x-ray showing that almost half of the bone has regenerated since the operation in early September and is reintegrating itself into my jaw.  All good news, and he was very pleased.

And now since I am spending Sunday in advanced sorting, I ran across a CD in a red case from ... somewhere.  I opened it up and saw it was labeled "For Louise" and here is what was in it!  Noted "From Natali"... thanks Natali!

[MaineWriter]

It is always fun to "re-find" a present....I remember the evidence kit. LOL

Okay, re-readers, chapters 81-85

http://louisev.livejournal.com/97995.html

In 81, we had the wedding:

Ellery had expected Ennis to make some distance between them when they entered the church, and was surprised to find him sticking behind him like a burr, eyes wide as he tried to negotiate the bustling crowd in the narrow aisle between the pews. Then the church organ began to play, and almost as if the milling group were suddenly caught up in a game of musical chairs, they took places as quickly as possible. Ellery slid into a pew about six back from the front of the church, and Ennis plopped down next to him.

“This okay?” Ennis asked, the wide-eyed expression of anxiety barely subsiding as the swell of organ music nearly drowned his voice.

Ellery nodded, smiling reassurance at him, but did not try to touch him. The wedding guests fell silent as the pastor came out.

The ceremony was brief and recognizable, at least to Ennis, and as the young couple, faces flushed with excitement, held hands at the altar, he found himself thinking about his own wedding in the Riverton courthouse, over twenty years before. All he could remember feeling, then, was fear. Fear of Jack’s anger that he was marrying, after the intense passion they had shared that entire summer, which had fueled his every fantasy from the moment they parted ways... fear that Alma would discover his shameful secret and denounce him in front of her family... fear that he would not be able to pass for a normal man and actually carry through with making love to her during the honeymoon.

And in fact... that last fear had proved a self-fulfilling prophecy, because even fervent fantasies of Jack failed to produce an erection when they were finally alone together in the dimly lit ranch cottage outside of town where he was working for the now long-defunct Meyers cattle outfit.

“It’s all right, honey, you’re just a little overexcited is all. You had too many beers,” Alma had said solicitously, hiding her disappointment by redirecting her attention to the wedding gifts and reviewing the list with him. As he sat next to Ellery, he felt the heat of shame wash over his face as he remembered his failure with Alma on his wedding night, and he felt Ellery watching him, flinching away from eye contact. He tried to hunch down, inconspicuous in the pew, so that others would not read in his face the shame written there. “I am a queer man, an I got married too, an never wanted ta lay hands on a woman, no way, no how,” he imagined himself saying to that imaginary pastor whose eyes bored into his when he asked “If anyone knows of any reason why these two should not be bound in holy matrimony...”

He knew a reason. When the pastor read that line from the marriage sacrament, Ennis stared down at his clenched hands, willing the moment to pass. “I know a reason,” he could hear his thoughts echoing. “I’m in love with Jack Twist. Why didn’t I speak up? Why won’t I hold Ellery’s hand in public?” His chest thundered with the sound of his racing heart, and he forced his eyes open, reached out his hand, and slid it over to where Ellery’s left hand lay passive on his knee, grasping it tightly. Ellery looked up, surprised, and returned the grip, holding on, and then gave Ennis a warm smile, a smile that lighted his smoky eyes to bright silver. This is the reason.

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 82, we meet Bunny...

Mel smiled at Ennis and nodded, extending a hand, and Ennis shook, then gestured as though to remove his hat to Bunny Ruskin and found it absent, then clumsily offered his hand to shake. Bunny Ruskin laughed, her voice melodious. “I take it you don’t go far without your hat, cowboy,” she said, and Ennis realized with mild shock that this aging woman, perhaps older than Edna, was flirting with him.

“No ma’am,” he said, and blushed.

“Wes told me you are just starting to break in a new string of fillies down at his ranch. I got a granddaughter with a birthday coming up and could use a new mount,” Mel said to Ennis.

“Well if you want ta come look you could pick one out an I can start in on her right away,” Ennis said, relaxing immediately. “ I just started workin with a chestnut, she has got the cutest little spots on her nose, named her Calico. An she has got the sweetest disposition you’d ever see.”

“That sounds promising. Tell you what, I’ll call Wes at the office and tell him when I’ll be by and you can show off this Calico of yours.”

“Now I just started this week so she won’t be ready to go any time soon, but like I say, I can work with her exclusively if I know yer waitin,” Ennis said, color coming into his cheeks as he responded to Mel’s interest.

“That sounds just perfect,” Bunny Ruskin said, her smile now showing a row of perfect pearl-white teeth.

“Yer welcome ta come down too, ma’am,” Ennis murmured, now frankly embarrassed.

As the Ruskins moved on to congratulate the newlyweds, Ennis gave Ellery a baffled look. “Did I miss somethin?”

“You’d have ta be blind to not see Bunny Ruskin flirtin outrageously with you Ennis. Don’t go in the stable alone with that woman,” Ellery said, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Cut that out, Ellery. I could see she was flirtin. But...” his voice dropped to a whisper. “She’s an old woman!”

“I don’t think she knows that, Ennis. You might not want ta remind her a that fact,” Ellery said smoothly. “Now let’s get some sandwiches instead of just pickin at chips an pretzels.”

[MaineWriter]

More from 82:

They drove him in a thick silence, Ellery at the wheel. Finally, as he took the right turn off the county road, Ellery said, “You okay, Ennis?”

Ennis looked up. “No, not really.”

“Was that hard fer you?”

“Too many people. I guess I don’t like crowds.”

“That’s okay, it’s over now, sweetheart. An you can take off the stupid shoes till the next weddin.”

“Yeah. Still feel bad about Junior though.”

“So call her up an tell her so.”

“Nah, she wouldn’t want me ta make a fuss.”

“It ain’t makin a fuss, you had ta go earlier, now you got time.”

“Yeah maybe.”

“Besides,” Ellery said with a wink. “You get ta make me do anythin now.”

“Oh yeah.”

Ellery pulled the El Camino into the carport, opened his door, then paused. “So what’s it gonna be?”

“I dunno, I was thinkin maybe I could make you burn some biscuits,” Ennis said, his somber expression suddenly brightened with a sultry smile.

“That sounds nice. With or without the tuxedo?”

“Without. Or... maybe just the shirt an tie.” They got out of the car, tension rising in the air between them, and when Ellery stepped inside the door, Ennis seized him by the arms, pressing him against the wall and forcing an urgent kiss on his mouth.

“Jesus,” Ellery panted as Ennis finally let him up for air. “What brought that on?”

“Thinkin about what I coulda had if I hadn’t gone an got married in 63,” Ennis said, his voice breathless, sliding his hand down the front of Ellery’s tuxedo slacks and unbuckling the smooth leather belt, pulling it out of its loops as he unzipped him. “Now get out a those pants.”

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 83:

Ellery sat up in the bed, aching to go to him, to comfort him, but he realized that Ennis did not want him hovering over him in the bathroom. He waited, the retching gradually stopped, and then Ennis turned on the water faucet and flushed the toilet. A few minutes later he came back in, face streaked with tears, eyes red-rimmed, and sat down heavily.

“Any better?” came Ellery’s soft question.

“Shouldn’t a gone ta that weddin,” Ennis replied, head bowed.

“You eat somethin bad?” Ellery asked.

Ennis looked up, smiling sadly. “Yeah, a piece a twenty year old weddin cake.”

“Aw, Ennis.” Ellery put his arm around Ennis’s shoulder, brushing his fingers along the line of damp curls. “I love you, ya know.”

“I know.”

“I was real happy you held my hand right there in the church.”

“I’m queer,” Ennis said. “An yer my man. An I am gettin damn sick a bein ashamed a that.” He looked back up again, almost as though it were an effort to hold his head up, and gave Ellery a fierce look. “I got married cause I was ashamed a what I did with Jack. I was ashamed a doin what I just done with you. I am sick a bein ashamed, Ellery. Sick a hidin, an sick a thinkin somebody’s gonna beat me ta death because ... because I love a man. This has got ta change.”

“It is changin, Ennis.”

Ennis put his hands on his each side of his head, and squeezed, his eyes wide open now, his expression angry, agitated. “I mean in here. In my head. I got ta make it stop – in here, where it’s drivin me crazy. I love you, an every time I think it or say it, somethin inside me says ‘you should be ashamed.’ An it ain’t right. I want it ta stop!”

“It will stop, Ennis. Today when you took my hand you took a step, an every step ya take will help it ta stop. I know it will. There ain’t no way out but through.”

Ennis sighed, letting his hands drop. “I can’t do this alone, Ellery.”

“You don’t have to, Ennis. I’m right here with ya.”

“Then hold me, darlin,” Ennis said, tears welling up once more.

Ellery slipped both arms around Ennis, and drew him gently down onto his back in a tight embrace, sliding smoothly on top, then nestled his face against Ennis’s damp neck, kissing gently along his neck and in the crook of his shoulder. Ennis lay passive, tears flowing, but he no longer sobbed.

“I don’t want ya ta be upset about this, Ellery,” Ennis began to speak after long minutes of silence, his voice cracking.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Ellery replied softly near Ennis’s ear. “Say what ya got ta say.”

“I still miss em. It still hurts like hell. An bein in that church... just reminded me a how stupid an scared I was then, how much I needed ta hide.”

“It’s okay, Ennis. Most people do.”

“Jack didn’t.”

“Then he was exceptional. It don’t make you bad,” Ellery replied.

“Still feels mighty bad.”

“Yeah it does.”

“Don’t let me go,” Ennis said once more, voice soft, plaintive, as if facing the late truth of his sexuality had somehow taxed him beyond his ability to go on.

“I won’t.”

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 84:

“Well... no.” Wes paused to take a cigar out of his pocket and balanced it between his lips. “Hey, you want one a these?”

“Tryin ta cut down, encouragin Ennis.”

“Good boy. You have that talk?”

“Well kinda. I talked to em about doin a real ranch an he don’t seem interested. Said it’d be too much work.”

“Well it is a hell of a lot a work. An all I deal with is payin people for stuff. But you got somebody doin that for the Stallion don’t ya?”

“Yeah, Stew found me an accountant who takes the bank statements an writes out the paychecks an sends em.”

“An so why couldn’t ya have somebody look after the ranch business type work an Ennis could do the thing he wants ta do?”

“Lemme ask you somethin, Wes... what are you so keen on Ennis leavin your employment after you gave em such a big bonus an all that?”

“I ain’t. But considerin how Ennis is such a natural with horse trainin it just seems a waste fer him to just work as a ranch hand for me when you could set em up in his own ranch an he could do it for himself.”

“Wes... he don’t seem interested. He likes workin for you an Edna. Did that ever occur to you? The boy never had a momma or a daddy. That ring a bell ta you, like anybody we know? Goin down there an havin coffee an biscuits with Edna an workin your horses is almost like havin a real family an bein on a real ranch with people he knows an trusts. Now why would he want ta give that up, Wes? An why do you think he would?”

“He likes it because he don’t know what it’s like to be his own boss an run his own outfit.”

“Ya know Wes just because you like bein the cock a the walk don’t mean everybody does. An Ennis was pretty clear on that. I left the subject open in case he changes his mind later but he pretty much told me he’s happy the way things are... if we can get that vacation yer danglin in front a me.”

[MaineWriter]

More from 84:

“You hear from yer girl?”

Dupree nodded. “Yeah... said she was sorry for bein so harsh.”

“Did she take back that comment about yer bein queer?”

He shook his head. “No, she’s got ta believe that for her feminine pride I think.”

“Listen, Dupree.... you ever see Ennis... down at the bar... lookin at men?”

“What do ya mean, lookin?”

“I mean, if some boy walks by with a nice set a hams ... does he look?”

“Ellery, you are presupposin that I am watchin Ennis while he is supposedly watchin these men.” Ellery grinned, and Dupree raised a hand, then continued. “Which presupposes that I am somehow interested enough in men ta be watchin Ennis.”

“Very good point Dupree.”

“Which means I ain’t gonna answer you on the grounds that it’ll get you ta start fixin me up with femmy young things with high voices from yer bar an I really do not need that to get over Tatiana.”

“Check and mate,” Ellery said. “An no I think since Wes wants me ta bring Reynolds along a bit I am gonna let em run with the Crane investigation. He went out with a dog an found what might be the murder weapon.”

Dupree looked disappointed. “All right, Chief.”

“You can be on the next one... with Joe. Because I am tryin ta wiggle out of the big stuff so I can take two weeks off an go up to the Tetons.”

“Vacation? That hardly seems like you, Ellery.”

“We need it. This last month has been a killer, an I don’t want things goin awry at home because a my job. I’ll quit before I’ll let that happen.”

Dupree looked stricken. “Don’t quit, Ellery. We need ya here.”

Ellery set down the muffin with a look of distaste. “That’s why I’m takin a vacation. You can finish that one for me, Dupree.”

[MaineWriter]

A funny little interlude in Chapter 85:

Ellery left, drove to the the bakery where Joe made his daily stop, and strode in. He had been in there enough times to be recognizable to the owner, baker Helga Watters, but had been scarce since his promotion to Chief Deputy.

“Well well, Mr. Cantrell, I thought you had the other boys doin the pickin up muffins for you nowadays,” said the portly matron in a still noticeable Bavarian accent.

“Yeah, Joe picked up the wrong thing this mornin though, lemon an poppy seeds ain’t my style. You got any a those pumpkin muffins or blueberry maybe?”

“Blueberry we have all the time, pumpkin only on Wednesday.”

“Damn. Then give me half a dozen blueberry.”

“Don’t like the lemon or the poppy seeds?” She frowned, puzzled.

“Somethin about the two of em, I dunno,” he said. “I love all the rest of em though Helga. An the other boys like em just fine.”

She slid a box, carefully tied with string, over the top of the glass counter to him. “That’ll be no charge for you, Mr. Cantrell.”

Ellery grinned. “Thank you kindly,” he nodded graciously and tucked the box under his arm as he left, feeling Helga’s eyes on him as he went through the door.