NUMBER PLEASE

NUMBER PLEASE (Part 3)

Dinner at the Twist house was at 6:00 pm sharp; as it had been for
the 40+ years they'd been married. Four sat at the table now, Mr.
and Mrs. Twist, Jack and Ennis.
"How long you plan on stayin?" Mr. Twist asked Ennis, sitting across
from him.
Fork stopped half way up to his mouth, Ennis answered, "Till Jack
tells me to go." He continued eating.
"That won't be long. He never stays in one place long." He stared
Ennis in the eye.
"I'm here for keeps, Pa. This time I'm stayin." Jack answered
though no questions or looks were aimed at him.
"Groceries cost money. You got any money?" The old man demanded of
Ennis.

"Pa! He came here to help. He's helpin. You got no right to ask
him for money." Jack was quickly losing it; pressure from Ennis knee
against his under the table settled him somewhat.
"Oh yeah? Well long as he's here he can earn his keep then. The
fence in the south pasture needs mendin and it's time for the hay
baling." The old man looked down at his plate long enough to fork
another mouthful then turned his stare back to Ennis again.

"Already done, Sir. Fixed the fence first day here and moved the
cows over. Then got to the balin. It's done and stored. Did some
repair on the barn roof to keep everythin dry. Been working on that
tractor but think it's pretty much a lost cause."
"You can't get it runnin then you don't know nothin 'bout tractors.
Nothin wrong with it. Just needs a little fiddling."
"I got a new John Deere on order. Should be here by the end of the
week." Jack said.
"Waste of good money." The old man didn't even look at him.

"Jack and I been choppin wood. Got a pretty good stack started for
winter." Ennis said, he was really trying with the old man.
"That little bitty stack I seen out back won't do much."
"It's early yet Pa. By the time cold sets in, we'll have a mountain
of it ready." Jack answered trying to include himself in the
conversation.
"By the time cold sets in you'll be long gone." Then to his
wife, "Cake, woman."
Mrs. Twist hurried to serve her husband. Then offered cake to the
others.
"Yes, please. And Jack will have some too." Ennis answered her; Jack
sat staring down at his plate.

The old man finished his cake and wiped his mouth on a napkin.
"Ya shouldn't be plannin on any long-time commitment from Jack. He
ain't got it in him." He said to Ennis then wheeled himself from the
table into the other room.
Jack left the table and went up to his room.
"I...I'm so sorry." Mrs. Twist muttered as she started clearing the
table. Ennis stood up and helped her carry the dishes to the sink.
"Don't you think anythin of it on my part. Hurt, Jack tho."
"He always did. Never had a kind word for his own son. Not that I
ever did hear." There were tears in her eyes as she started the water
for the dishwashing.

Ennis went up stairs to Jack's room and found him staring out the
window, brooding. He walked to him and put his hands on the hunched
shoulders and began a massage.
"You OK, Bud?" He asked resting his forehead against the back of
Jack's head.
"You see? You see what I've had to put up with my entire fucking
life!" He pulled away, unable to accept any tenderness at the moment.
"Only one thing I don't understand 'bout this whole thing." Ennis
said.
"And what would that be?" Jack was still hot with anger.
"How a nasty old bastard like that could have made somebody as sweet
and good as you." Ennis never was much with sweet talk and this was
the closest he had ever come. Jack knew that and it deflated his
anger. He went to him then and crushed him close.

"Living here with them ain't gonna be easy. Maybe we should get
started on a place of our own?" Jack whispered against the side of
Ennis's neck.
"We still got plantin to do and some house repairs here. Your
Momma's great and she cooks better than either me or you."
Jack chuckled and leaned into the embrace; this haven of his named
Ennis Del Mar. "The old man ain't gonna let up. I can tell you for
sure." he warned.
"Hell, Jack. He's just a miserable old man and ain't nothin he can
say that's gonna get to me. I hate when he riles you, but that's
just what he does. Don't know why. We can't let him get to us. He
ain't worth the ground you walk on." He lured Jack into bed then
with a long, slow tender makeout session; and sweet beyond words, sex.

The next morning brought news that the new tractor was in, two days
early and they left for town to pick it up. A quick ride back to the
ranch, they unloaded it and started what assembly was left. The old
man sat in his chair near by grumbling about throwing money away and
spitting in his tin cup.
"Look at that, Pa. Ain't it beautiful?" Jack was glowing with pride.
"Ain't exactly like you know what beautiful is, judging from
your 'boyfriend' over there." Jack turned red with anger. Ennis came
over to him, having heard the old man's words. "Think I heard your
Momma hollar for you."
"What?" Jack was distracted.
"Didn't your hear that? She just called your name." He lied.
Jack didn't waste a minute; turned and went into the house.

Ennis walked over to the old man, grabbed him up by his overalls and
yanked him up out of his chair.
"Now you listen to me, you mean old bastard," he spit the words out
between clenched teeth..
"I don't give a shit what you say or think about me but you God
damned better let up on Jack or I'll put you in your grave, you
understand me, you old son of a bitch?" He slammed him back down in
the chair, almost tipping it over.
Jack came back out. "She's doing laundry. Didn't call. Don't know
what you heard." He looked from Ennis to his old man and back again
to Ennis.

"Everythin all right here?"
"Sure is." Ennis smiled at him. "Your Pa here was just tellin me
what a nice lookin tractor we got here." He climbed up on it and
reached out a hand to Jack. "Let's take it over on the west pasture
and see what she does."
The old man mumbled something under his breath and wheeled himself
off; a tiny irritation at the back of his thoughts, another spark of
respect for this man. He hated it!
Jack climbed on the tractor and asked. "Did I miss somethin?"
"Na. The old man and I are just gettin to know one another, that's
all." he grinned.

The next few weeks brought a frenzy of working the fields, planting
summer grass and grains for the winter to come. They also plowed up
Mrs.Twist's vegetable garden and brought home new seedlings,
fertilizer galore. In one day, they painted the kitchen and dining
room to have it all ready for the new appliances that were to be
delivered the next day. The old man remained surprisingly quiet.
Grumbling, to be sure, but not loud enough to upset anyone. Mrs.
Twist was in heaven. Fluttering around the place deciding where to
put everything, which color of paint to use and even sewing some new
curtains. She was a happy woman.

The new refrigerator, stove, washer & dryer and deep freeze all fit
in perfectly; then a trip into town was needed to stock up.
"Oh my goodness, Where we gonna put all this stuff, Jackie. It ain't
all even gonna fit in the truck!" She was so excited. Never been to
the grocery store before when she could buy just whatever she
wanted! He told her to fill the freezer and new pantry he and Ennis
had built in for her and she was doing the best she could to oblige.
She had filled three grocery carts and tried to take some back when
it came time to check out.
"No Momma. We need all this. Ain't puttin nothin back.”

The house now always smelled of either something being cooked or
something being baked. The pale yellow walls with the contrasting
white appliances and cupboards made the kitchen a welcoming site.
The ever smiling Mrs. Twist added to that.
The old man just made one comment on the kitchen. "Hate that color.
Reminds me of bugs mashed on my windshield." No one challenged him
on it. In fact no one challenged him on anything. They all just
lived together, but one thing was sure. The running of the Twist ranch had
fallen to a new generation.
Jack and Ennis working hard all day on the ranch and tip-toing into
each other's room at night.

"The old man's really calmed down, hasn't he?" Jack asked one night
as they snuggled together before sleep.
"Yeah. Sure has." Ennis agreed with a smile on his face that Jack
couldn't see. "He'd have to be blind not to see that you're really
tryin here."
"You think so?" Jack asked hopefully, turning over and leaning up on
his elbows. "I mean...it’d really be great if...Oh, never mind."
He lay back down.
"What?" Ennis kissed the side of his head.
"It'd just be nice to hear him say somethin. Somethin like he liked
the improvements we made or even somethin about the new bull or cows
we brought in. Instead he just sits there, starin with those accusin
eyes of his. Like I done somethin wrong and I don't even know what
it is he's mad about."

"You told me once he's always been like that."
"That's right. He has." He leaned back up again.
"Then what makes you think that anythin we do or say will ever change
that?" Ennis reasoned.
"You're right, I guess. Still. It would be nice." He laid his head
down on Ennis chest nuzzling his nose through the silken hairs.
"Mmmm. That feels good," the words barely audible, his hands roaming
across the bare back. "C'mere." he pulled Jack over on top of him.
He slid his hands inside Jack's pajamas and caressed his
bottom. "Anythin I can do to take your mind off the old man?" He
sucked on an earlobe.

"What old man?" Jack murmured and took his mouth; sucking tongue,
then lower lip.
Ennis moved his hips pressing their groins together. He pushed
Jack's pajamas down off the long legs and tossed them on the floor;
then did the same with his own.
"Mmmmm Much better." Jack said, tasting a tiny brown nipple and
teasing it hard. He leaned up and lowered himself down further on
the bed and nestled his cheek against the cock.
"Doesn't get any better than this, Bud." Ennis was breathing heavily.
Jack took the cock in his mouth, running tongue under the ridge
making Ennis moan out loud. "You like that, Cowboy?"
"Ohhh. Yeah. Kinda. It ain't bad." he gasped out.
"Good. How about this?" He raised Ennis's legs, pushed them back
and let his tongue loose on the pink rosebud anus.
"OOOOHHHHH GOD!! Yes!!." He liked that too.
He stopped long enough to reach into the nightstand drawer for some K-
Y. Ennis was trying to protest the loss but couldn't put two words
together. A slick finger slid in and he was happy again.
Murmuring, "Yes...Yes. Ohhh More".
Jack obliged, first two then three fingers. It didn't take much and
he was begging, "Jack...please...now...fuck me."
Legs over his shoulders, he entered him slowly, one complete
movement, all the way in. He could feel the tightening in his gut
and fought for control. He started rocking back and forth, hands
sliding up Ennis chest, pinching nipples, caressing cheeks, taking
the moaning mouth. Hands under shoulders, holding on; thrusting
harder, deeper. Ennis thrashing head back and forth; straining
against him, begging, pleading. The end caught him off guard and he
was coming before he knew it. He collapsed onto Ennis chest; was
about to apologize for coming first when he felt the wetness between
them. Good. He hadn't left Ennis behind.

They lay there several minutes gathering strength and getting air
back into their lungs; then went together into the bathroom for a
quick cleanup; back to bed and sleep wrapped in each others arms.

It wasn't an easy life for them but they never asked for easy. They
did what was needed doing and didn't complain. It would be spring
before they were able to start on their own cabin but truth be told,
it was a good time for them. Time to work together, build a life of
their own. And in the years to come the Twist ranch became well
known for it's top quality beef and did very well in the community.
Life was good.

THE END (of part 3 of 3 parts)