WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

CHAPTER FIVE

A couple weeks later the plumbers finally made it out to the ranch to do their work.
Jack paced the floor watching the plumbers work and worried that Ennis was going to be mad when he saw the 'minor' up-grades to the plumbing that he had paid for. The biggest problem was getting that whirlpool tub up the stairs. He had to help them and he was glad afterwards that they hadn't done any work on the stair way walls because they sure dinged them up some getting the huge tub up there. Then they had to take the door down and the trim off the doorway to get it in the room they had decided to make into their up-stairs bathroom.

Once they got it into the room, Jack went back downstairs and paced some more. He worried that for some reason Ennis might come home early and make them take it back. He figured it would be safe enough once they had it installed. He had managed to take the afternoon off, explaining to his boss that the plumbers were going to be there to finish up the job they had started the day before on his day off.

Finally it was done and the plumbers left with their final check – the job paid for in full. Jack walked back into the kitchen and ran a hand along their new double sink and turned the water on and off with their new faucet and smiled. "This is going to be so great! No more washing dishes in that filthy old bathroom sink." He walked into the down stairs bathroom and admired the new porcelain fixtures with a smile and wiped a smudge off the new faucet. Then it was on into the next room that the original owners had been using for a down-stairs bedroom. They had it made into a laundry room and the new washer; dryer connections gleamed in wait for the new appliances.

He took the stairs slowly, noticing the fresh marks on the walls and figured they would be easy enough to cover once they got around to it. He walked slowly passed their two bedrooms and into the new bathroom. "It's fuckin' perfect!" He said as he sat down on the edge of the tub and looked around. "Ennis is gonna kill me!"

"Oh well, if he's gonna kill me, I may as well make it worth my while!" He tore down the stairs and out to his truck, pulling his parka closed against the wind. He drove into town, eyeing his watch and figured he'd have just about enough time to put his plan into action before Ennis got home.

****

Ennis drove up to the house and got out of his truck thinking they might should see if they could get their trucks both in the barn once the snow starts and that shouldn't be too far off from the feel of that wind.

Something sure smelled good he thought as he reached for the door knob. Jack opened the door before he had a chance to and ushered him inside with a smile and a bottle of beer.

"Somethin' sure smells good." He said nuzzling his cold nose up against Jack's neck.

"Come over here by the fire, Cowboy, and let me warm you up."

Ennis took his jacket off and hung it on the nail beside the door along with his hat and joined Jack in front of the fire.

"You sure are nice to come home to." Ennis smiled at him. "What's cookin?"

"A roast. This is a special occasion so I thought we'd celebrate. I can hardly wait to show you all the great work the plumbers did." He gulped just a bit.

"Oh yeah? Kitchen nice?"

"Uh huh."

"Just like we planned it?"

"Uh huh."

"Laundry room Ok?"

"Uh huh."

"Bathroom?"

"Yep."

"So what is it you ain't tellin' me?"

"I'm tellin' you everythin'. It's all great. You'll see." Jack said but had to cut his eyes away and Ennis caught it.

"Think maybe I'd better take a look around." He took another long swig of beer and watched as Jack kind of twitched.

"Come look at the kitchen first. You'll love it. The stove is perfect and so is the new sink." Jack pulled him by the arm into the kitchen. "I got a roast beef goin' in here with onions, potatoes and carrots." He said as he lifted the lid for Ennis to take a look.

"Smells delicious." Ennis said and noticing the pink bakery box asked, "What's in the box?"

"Chocolate cake for desert but you have to eat all your vegetables first." Jack grinned at his lame joke.

"I think I can handle that." Ennis said as he walked out and into the bathroom across the hallway, eyeing Jack all the way. Something was bothering him, he was sure of that.

"You like it? It's exactly the way you wanted it. Same fixtures you picked out. They look great in here, don't they?"

"Uh huh." Ennis agreed, happy to see the last of the old rusted out fixtures and happier still that the plumber had agreed to dispose of the old ones for them so they didn't have to worry with hauling them to the dump.

"Upstairs bathroom Ok?" Ennis asked after a quick peek into the laundry room as he headed for the stairs.

"Uh huh." Jack reached the stairs first and went up slowly ahead of him, turning around and talking most of the way. "Remember, when I got that commission check, I told you I made a few minor upgrades?"

"I remember." Ennis was beginning to get the picture.

"Well … eh … I upgraded the fixtures just a bit in this bathroom. I figured we'd be using it most."

"Jack … what did you do?" They stopped outside the closed bathroom door.

"It's already paid for … so we don't have to worry none about payments or nothin'." Jack stood with his back to the door.

"Jack …" Ennis locked eyes with him and wondered what he was going to see when he opened the door.

"Ennis, it's perfect! Just … remember that I love you and that killin's against the law." He stepped aside and Ennis reached for the door knob. He hesitated just a minute then opened the door.

His first thought was that it looked like something out of a magazine with the exception of the walls needing painting. Two free-standing porcelain sinks stood off to the right, each with a medicine cabinet/mirror above it and with a gleaming chrome towel rack in between stacked with thick towels. The toilet off to the left, another chrome shelf unit stacked with towels next to it and dead ahead, was the biggest bath tub he had ever seen in his life filled with steaming water. Jack pressed the button and the water began gently swirling around. A thick plush rug covered most of the floor.

He stared in stunned amazement as Jack made his way around the room with his cigarette lighter and lit all the candles that littered every place one could possibly sit. Jack removed his sweat shirt, dropped his jeans and stepped into the tub, reaching out a hand to Ennis.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" Ennis whispered as he stripped and climbed into the tub with Jack.

"You ain't mad?" Jack asked as he pulled Ennis back against him.

"I don't wanna know how you did this – I don't wanna know anything but that it's paid for and we get to keep it."

"Thank you sweet Jesus!" Jack whispered a prayer of thanks as he leaned his cheek down against Ennis' head. "It's all paid for, Cowboy, every bit of it. The big stuff was paid for with that commission check. The little stuff, I admit, cost me a weeks pay but it's worth it. I'm so glad you're not mad."

"Jack, I ain't never been in a bathroom like this before. It's like somethin outta a movie or somethin'."

"I'm so glad you like it."

"The plumber didn't say nothin' about puttin' somethin' like this in?"

"Nope. Said he had one just like it at home – said it was great for his wife's arthritis."

"That why you wanted it, Jack? You got arthritis?" Ennis turned around and kissed him.

"Nope. I got Ennisitis."


They ended up eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner – the roast was burned beyond eating by the time they got back down stairs but they didn't care. It was all too good.

****

The rest of the week they spent getting ready for Christmas the coming Monday. They had agreed that the tree did need some gifts underneath it and agreed that they could spend one hundred dollars each on gifts for the other and bravely tackled the crowds in the stores after work and in separate rooms they wrestled with rolls of colored paper, scotch tape and curling ribbon until all the gifts were wrapped and under the tree.

Friday night after work, Ennis stopped at the Home Depot and picked up the paint for both bathrooms. Now that they had two bathrooms with gleaming new fixtures, they were anxious to get them painted.

Ennis made it home first and brought the paint inside and started a fire. He rubbed his hands together to warm them after turning the tree lights on. He stared at the presents under the tree and hoped that Jack would like what he got for him.

He opened a beer and sat down in his lawn chair in front of the fire and thought that they really needed to get a couch. Maybe in a couple of months they would start looking around. They'd try Goodwill first to see if they could find anything there and there were a few used furniture stores in town they could try. Jack did so good finding that refrigerator, he was sure they could find some used furniture at a reasonable price as well.

He took his empty beer bottle to the trash and opened another one while he mixed up some of Jack's favorite macaroni and cheese and opened a package of hot dogs and dumped them in a pan of water while he set the table and waited for Jack.

He looked at his watch noticing it was just passed seven thirty. "He's probably got a last minute customer," Ennis thought as he sat back down and waited. By eight o'clock he was getting a little anxious. He turned the stove off, figuring they could reheat it when Jack got there. With a grin, he hoped Jack wasn't out buying the shops out.

By the time nine o'clock rolled around he told himself Jack would have to be coming home now as all the shops in town closed by nine. He paced the floor and waited. Nine twenty came, nine thirty – at nine forty five he grabbed up his jacket, pulled his knit cap down over his ears and headed for town.

He scanned all along the sides of the road, afraid Jack might have had an accident. He wasn't sure where to start once he made it into town and he cruised through the night spot district thinking that maybe Jack had met someone there trying to close one more deal before the holiday. He was already formulating the lecture he was going to give him about staying out so late and worrying him half to death. Jack's truck was no where to be found.

He decided to drive over to the dealership, though he knew it was sure to be closed. Maybe Jack was still there doing paper work or something and lost track of time. He'd lecture him good once he got his hands on him about watching the time more carefully.

There is was – Jack's truck still parked in the parking lot where he always parked. Ennis got out and checked it out. It was locked up tight. He turned his attention to the building then and went and knocked hard on the glass door as he peered into the darkened showroom. There was no answer. He walked around to the side of the building and knocked on that door as well. No Answer. He circled the building knocking on doors and windows but all was dark inside and there was no sign that anyone was there at all.

He went back to his truck and waited. He smoked until his cigarettes were gone and then he waited some more. He got out of the truck and walked around a bit. He stopped and took a piss back behind the building then walked back to his truck again. He sat and waited.

The next thing he knew the sun was shining in his eyes and he came full awake. It was morning and Jack's truck was still sitting there. It was seven am and raining. He could see a fast food place half a block away so he drove there, went inside and relieved himself and ordered coffee then drove back to the dealership and waited.

****

"Mr. Callahan?" Ennis was through the front door as soon as the dealership was opened – 9am sharp.

"Yes sir, what can I do for you?" The tall gray-haired man held out his hand.

Ennis took it and introduced himself. "My name is Ennis. Ennis del Mar. I'm Jack Twist's partner out at the ranch."

"Oh yes. Jack's mentioned you."

"I was wonderin' – do you know where Jack is?"

"Jack? Well no – he's not scheduled to work today. He worked last Saturday."

"Yes, I know. But … I'm kinda worried. He didn't show up out at the ranch last night. Was he workin' on somethin' late maybe?"

"No – not that I'm aware of. He didn't come home at all?"

"No sir, and I see his truck is still in the parkin' lot."

"It is? I guess I didn't even notice that. Hmmmm. You haven't seen or heard from him?"

"No sir and I'm gettin' plenty worried. We had some paintin' we was gonna do today and it's not like Jack to just take off without tellin' me."

"Well now that is strange, isn't it? No, that's not like Jack at all. Let me check with Robin. She was still here yesterday afternoon when I left. I'll see if she knows anything."

Callahan headed for the receptionist's desk and Ennis waited. He paced the floor, glancing now and then out the window into the parking lot at Jack's truck.

Callahan came back a few minutes later, his forehead knitted in a frown.

"What is it?" Ennis asked.

"She says two men came in just before closing time and asked for Jack. She pointed them to his office and went on home. That's all she knows."

"Two men? That's all she said?"

"She said they were drivin' a van – a van with Texas license plates."

A cold chill ran down Ennis' spine as the two of them stared at each other.

"Didn't he used to live down there?"

"Uh huh."

"I don't like the sound of this. Isn't that where his ex-wife and boy live?"

"Uh huh." Ennis was frozen rigid with fear.

"He wouldn't have just taken off like that – not without tellin' anybody. And why would he leave his truck behind? He loves that truck!" Callahan was pacing the floor now.

"I gotta go." Ennis said. He stopped at the doorway and turned back. "I'm gonna go bring him home. I gotta take his truck. I doubt mine will make it to Texas and back."

"Sure thing. Do you have keys? I can get one of my boys open it for you if you need me to."

"I got keys. I gotta leave my truck here, if that's all right?"

"Certainly. You really think his ex's people came up here and got him?"

"It looks that way." Ennis was fishing his keys out of his pocket.

"I think we should call the police."

"No need for that. I'll take care of this." Ennis headed out to the parking lot and Callahan followed him.

"What on earth do they hope to accomplish by doing something like this? They think they can force Jack to move back to Texas?"

"I don't know but I'm bringin' him back."

"Are you sure you don't want me to call in the law? This kinda thing is illegal – they can't just do something like this and think they can get away with it."

"I'll take care of it. Jack may not be back to work for a while though. Can you hold his job for him if he's off a coupla extra days?"

"Oh sure, that's not a problem. Shit, I wish I could go with you. You be careful now and you might want to get in touch with the law when you get down there to Texas."

Ennis got in Jack's truck and drove away. He headed out to the ranch first. He put a pot of coffee on then hurried up-stairs. He threw a few things in his bag and pulled the string closed. Then opened it again and got some of Jack's things and threw them in too. He grabbed his hunting rifle and headed down stairs. He stopped in the kitchen, grabbed a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter and a knife, and filled their five gallon water jug, filled his thermos with coffee and hauled everything out to the truck. He stopped in town long enough to gas up, pick up a road map, grab some cash at the bank and he was on his way.

He had never been out of the state of Wyoming before but he didn't even give it a second thought. L.D. had Jack and he was going to bring him home. He got up on the highway and headed south, pedal to the metal all the way. The only time he slowed down was going through towns. Out on the highway, he opened it up and prayed that no cops would stop him.

He pulled off the highway long enough to make a couple sandwiches, grab a drink of water and relieve himself and he was back on the road, eating as he drove. He was lucky – traffic was light, the weather was good and he made excellent time.

He experienced a range of emotions along the way. First he was angry. Furious that L.D. would do something like this. Then he got scared. What if L.D. had those men – not just bring Jack back to Texas – but hurt him? Jack could even be dead – or dying along side the road somewhere. Then he would get angry again. The main thing that drove him was determination. He'd find Jack, no matter where he was, he'd find him and if they hurt him – he'd make them pay! He fingered the extra shells in his jacket pocket. He'd make them pay if they hurt Jack – he'd make them pay good!

It was nearly twelve thirty when Ennis crossed into the Childress city limits. He didn't know what he was going to do but he had to keep going – he had to find Jack. He had in mind to stop at a phone booth to look up Newsome's address but as he drove through the main street in town, he spotted the large sign, "Newsome's Farm Machinery". He eyed it carefully as he drove by and noticed two vehicles parked in back. A big black Cadillac and a van. He drove around the block and glanced the place over from the back side and something strange caught his eye. There was a light on. What would somebody be doing there at this hour?

He pulled into the fast food place on the corner and stopped the truck. The place was empty with all the lights out. He got out, locked the truck and walked the short distance to the back of the Newsome's Farm Equipment. He stepped up to the back door and leaned his ear against it. He could hear voices. Someone was yelling. He made his way to a window and managed to see in between the blinds. Four people – one fat old man with a cigar puffing away and he was screaming at whoever was sitting in the chair in front of him; back to the window. The person sitting tried to get up out of the chair but was shoved back down by two rough looking thugs standing on either side of him. He had seen the back of the man's head. It was Jack all right – he was sure of it. Then he heard Jack's voice. "This is crazy! You can't make me do this!" The fat man nodded and the two thugs started slapping Jack around.

Ennis gritted his teeth then walked coldly back to his truck. He unlocked the door and from behind his seat and pulled out his hunting rifle. He reached in for some papers that were on the dash board and slipped a paperclip off one then closed the door and locked it again. In seconds he was at the back door and with a little jiggling of the bent out paperclip in the keyhole, he managed to spring the lock. He opened the door carefully and entered the darkened hall. He could hear the voices clearer now.

"You listen to me, Rodeo and you listen good. There ain't never been no divorces in my family and there ain't gonna be one now. You got a wife and a boy here and responsibilities. You can't just up and run off. If cock suckin' is that important to you, we can arrange for you to make some business trips to Mexico and get it out of your system. That ain't no reason to end a perfectly good marriage."

"I already told you … Lureen is all right with the divorce! We discussed it …" Jack pleaded.

"I don't give a shit who you discussed it with, boy. Now you just say the word and we'll get you cleaned up and you can go home to your wife and tell her you changed your mind."

"It ain't gonna happen, L.D.!" Jack was adamant.

"You got a choice here, Rodeo. You either go home to your wife or my boys here will mess you up so bad even your momma won't recognize you."

Everyone froze when they heard the rifle being cocked. Ennis stepped through the doorway into the room – the rifle pointing straight at L.D.

"Who the hell are you?" L.D. demanded.

"I'm the one who's gonna put a hole right in the middle of your fat gut if you don't tell your boys to take a walk right now."

"FUCK OFF!" L.D. yelled at Ennis.

Ennis lifted the rifle and fired into the display case right behind L.D.'s head. The sound exploded in the small room as glass shattered to the floor. Ennis walked around the side of the room, keeping his back to the wall, and motioned the two thugs towards the door. "Get out. I want to hear that van start up and drive away and you'd both better be in it or your boss here's gonna have an extra belly button – a big one!"

"Now there's no need for all of this. I'm just takin' care of a little family business here. What the hell business is it of yours anyway?"

"I'm makin' it my business." He cocked the rifle again and aimed it at the goons and said, "Git!" The two of them took off down the hall.

"They'll go for help. You'll never make it out of here. I know the sheriff …"

"Good! I hope they bring him. We'll see what he has to say about kidnapping people, takin' them across state lines. Ain't that a crime down here in Texas?"

"Who are you?" L.D. asked again.

Ennis ignored him but held the rifle pointed at the fat gut.

"Jack? You all right?"

"Yeah. How'd you find me?" Jack walked over to him, careful not to get between the rifle and L.D.

Ennis reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his knife and flicked it open. Jack turned around and Ennis slit through the ropes.
"After the things you told me about this snake over here, I figured he'd be the only one dumb enough to try somethin' like this."

"Let's get out of here." Jack said and gave L.D. one last dirty look.

"You won't get away with this, Rodeo. I know where you live now. I'll just come get you again. And next time my boys will be armed." He threatened.

"And I'll know right where to come to find him!" Ennis pulled the trigger again and blew a hole in the top of the fine mahogany desk scattering papers everywhere. He then walked over to L.D. and slammed the butt of the gun into the fat gut. L.D. let out a out "oooooffff" and went to his knees.

"C'mon." Ennis said and grabbed Jack by the arm. They headed across the back lot, down between the buildings and hopped into the truck. Ennis shoved it in gear and they screeched rubber out of there.

"He's crazy! He's just plain off his rocker!" Jack was saying as he was holding on tight while Ennis made the corner that headed them out of town.

Ennis didn't say a word. He had the gas pedal to the floor board and didn't let up until they were out of Texas. Once across the border into Oklahoma he eased up some. He stopped at a small motel and went in to the office. He had Jack wait in the truck. He paid for the room and drove around to their room and parked. They went inside and locked the doors.

"You think he'll come after you again?"

"I don't know. I never figured him to do something so stupid as to come after me and drag me all the way back down here. I can't tell you how glad I was to see you come through that door, Cowboy."

Ennis placed the rifle on the table beside the bed and seized Jack. They clung together for several moments before either of them could speak.

"I knew you'd find me. I knew you'd come!" Jack whispered tearfully against Ennis' shoulder.

"You're mine, Jack Twist. We waited too Goddamned long to be together to let some fat bastard just waltz in there and take you away." Ennis gripped him so tightly Jack would have bruises in the morning but he didn't care. Both arms were wrapped around Ennis and he was holding on for dear life.

"I was scared, Ennis. I thought he was gonna kill me. But there wasn't no way I was gonna agree to go tell Lureen that I had made a mistake and that I wanted to go back to her. No way in hell!"

"I shoulda shot the bastard!"

"No! We don't want no trouble! I just wanna go home."

"Me too, Bud. We need to get some sleep first though. I ain't hardly closed my eyes since you been gone."

"Me neither. Does this place have a shower? I sure could use a shower." Jack said and pulled back a little bit.

"Yeah. Me too." Ennis agreed. "You go ahead. I'm gonna keep an eye out." He went over and took a seat next to the window and folded the curtain back enough to watch the parking lot.

"Ennis, I don’t think he'll try that again at least not tonight. He probably ain't even caught his breath yet." Jack grinned trying to lighten the mood.

"I ain't takin' any chances, Jack. A man crazy enough to do a thing like that could do anything and he's got the money to back him up."

"All right." Jack said as he came over and squeezed Ennis' shoulder. "I'll shower first, and then I'll watch while you shower."

"Good idea." Ennis agreed as he watched a station wagon full of kids pull up in front of the office.

Jack took a shower; his entire body ached from the strain. While drying off he let out a little moan as the rough towel rubbed against his rope-burned wrists. Before he could draw another breath, Ennis was in the doorway, "You Ok?"

"Yeah. My wrists are sore is all.

Ennis placed the rifle on the sink and looked at Jack's wrists. "Fuckin' son of a bitch! I shoulda killed him! I will if he ever touches you again!"

"Ennis, we gotta let this go. We can't let it eat away at us. Everythin's goin' so well for us at home. I just need to be a little more careful about who I agree to take a test drive with."

"Huh?"

"The two of them, they come by the place and said they wanted to see the latest model F-150. I took 'em out and showed it to 'em. They acted like they were real interested so I took them for a test drive."

"You went with 'em?" Ennis' face screwed up in a severe frown.

"Sure I did. I do it all the time. When we got back we stopped beside their van and one of them got inside to get his checkbook, he said. I was leanin' against the van and talkin' with one fella when the one inside grabbed me from behind and shoved a cloth over my face. I tried to get it off but it had somethin' on it and in a minute everything went black. Next thing I knew, we was sailin' down the highway headin' south and I was tied up good."

"Soon as we get back you gotta quit that job!"

"No! I quit that job, we lose the ranch!" Jack wrapped the towel around his waist and came out into the other room – Ennis right behind him.

"It's too dangerous, Jack. You can't be gettin' into cars and trucks with people!"

"Ennis, I sell cars and trucks. It's what I do. I ain't quittin' my job!"

"I don't care if we lose the ranch. We'll find another place. Or you could find another job."

"Ennis, I'm so tired and I ache all over. Could we please just go to bed and discuss this after we both get some sleep?"

"You'll sit by the window and watch while I shower?" Ennis asked seeing that Jack was about to drop he let the argument about employment go for the time being.

"Yes. If that will make you happy, I'll sit by the window." Jack took the chair by the window and Ennis slipped his clothes off and took a quick shower.

After the shower he came out to find Jack sound asleep in the chair. Ennis took a good long look around outside and helped Jack into bed and climbed in beside him – Jack on one side the rifle on the other. In minutes they were both dead to the world.

Sunlight shining in around the edges of the drapes woke them the next morning and Ennis hurried around getting dressed.

"C'mon, Jack. Let's get on the road."

"Ennis, I'm hungry. Can we please grab some breakfast first?" Jack pleaded as he pulled his boots on. "Didn't we pass a Denny's just a bit back?"

"We don't need Denny's – takes too long. There's a drive-through across the way. We'll pick up some of those egg and biscuit things you like so much.

Jack sighed as he tucked in his shirt and fastened his belt. "Ok. Cowboy, drive-through it is. I just want to get home and get things back to normal as soon as we can."

"Me too. And we got some serious talkin' to do about your job." Ennis agreed.

They got two biscuits with eggs and sausage a piece plus orange juice and coffee and were on the highway heading north in less than thirty minutes.

"We'd still be sittin' and waitin' for our food if we ate at Denny's," Ennis commented around a bite of biscuit.

"Yeah, I know. Their food is usually worth the wait though." Jack sipped his orange juice.

"We need to get on home, Jack."

Jack nodded in agreement then asked, "So, soon as I didn't come home Friday night, you figured out what happened?"

"Nah. I went lookin' for you in town. Figured you was workin' late or havin' a beer with someone and lost track of time.

"I wouldn't a done that."

"I found your truck was still at the dealership and I sat there and waited until they opened the place up next mornin' and I talked with Mr. Callahan."

"Oh my God! What did he say? What did you say?"

"I said I was your partner out at the ranch and that I was lookin' for you. I told him your truck was still in the dealership parking lot and asked if he knew where you was."

"What'd he say?"

"He said he had no idea where you was and that it wasn't like you to just go off somewhere without tellin' nobody."

"Oh shit. I hope he don't fire me."

"Jack, I'm serious here – I think you should quit – find another job somewhere."

"I don't wanna quit, Ennis. I like my job and I like the people I work with."

"It ain't safe."

"It'd be as safe as anythin' else. I don't think L.D. is stupid enough to try anythin' like this again, knowin' he'd be runnin' into you and that gun. Besides, if he found me at the dealership, he could find me if I was workin' … in a library or somethin'."

"I don't like it!"

"Me neither, Ennis, but we gotta take whatever comes our way and make the best of it. Don't you see? You just did that! You found me when I was missin' and you brought me home. Whatever happens, Ennis, we'll take it and we'll keep on livin' our lives just like we was. There ain't nothin' nobody can do to change that."

"They could kill us!"

"They could but they won't. Not old L.D. He just figured to throw a scare into me and I'd crumble and do whatever he wanted like most of those smucks who work for him. He didn't figure me to have backbone enough to refuse him."

"He said next time he'd come with guns. I'm thinkin' maybe we should dump this deal we have with the bank and just take off somewhere else."

"NO! We ain't runnin'! We've got too much goin' for us in Sheridan. We got our jobs; we got us a nice house and a big piece of land. I don't want to leave and I don't think you do either."

"Yeah, we got all that now but what good is it if you get taken again? I tell you, Jack, I nearly died worryin' over you. I don't wanna hafta go through that again."

"You won't. I'll be more careful, I promise. And from now on, I won't even go on test rides with them. I'll just hand them the keys and let them take the truck for a ride. That's what Amanda does. She's the only woman salesman we got and she's real wary of strangers."

"You need to be like that."

"I will be from now on – I promise!"

They drove on in silence for a while and Ennis seemed to finally relax a bit the closer they got to home. They took turns driving and Ennis actually agreed to have lunch in a diner instead of fast food.

"I liked Mr. Callahan. He seemed nice." Ennis asked when they were back on the road again.

"I'll have to explain things to him – that my nutty ex-father in law shanghaied me and drug me back to Texas and I don't wanna go out on test drives no more."

"What does he know about me – about us?"

"He knows that I'm divorced and that I used to live in Texas but I was born and raised in Wyomin' and always wanted to move back up here. He knows that I have a partner goin' in on the ranch with me and that you're divorced with kids too."

"He ever ask you any questions? You know … questions you can't answer?"

"No, Ennis. He's not like that. He's a nice old guy. He don't butt into other people's business. Most people don't."

"You think he suspects? About you and me, I mean."

"I doubt it. He's just happy to have me around. I'm good at what I do, Ennis, and he sees that. And that's all that concerns him right now."

"He ever make any jokes or nasty remarks about … people like us?"

"No, Ennis. He wouldn't. He's just the nicest kind of guy and I like workin' for him."

"Well, if you think it's safe and you're promise to be careful, I guess there ain't no sense in quittin'."

Jack smiled and reached over and squeezed Ennis' arm. "You got my word on that, Cowboy. From now on, I just hand the customer the keys and they can make the test drives by themselves."

"Thank you. I feel much better about it, Bud." Ennis relaxed enough to smile a bit.

"I owe you big time for what you done, Cowboy. How about you? You like your boss at Safeway?"

"Mr. Leonard? I like him. He's stuck in that wheel chair of his and must have shit for a life but he's a good man to work for. He's fair and he don't put up with no nonsense from his employees."

"That's good."

"I like this job, Jack, and I aim to keep it. I ain't never had a job that paid this good plus I get lots of free food and we're gonna need all the money we can scrape together to come up with some stock next year."

"You think it'll take very long to get those pastures into shape?"

"Nah. Big problem there will be if we can get that tractor workin' or not. We gotta have a tractor."

"We can always buy one on credit."

"We might could but I don't want no more monthly payments than we have to. I'm thinkin' maybe I'll take one of them little heaters out into the barn and maybe work on the tractor some – see if I can figure out what it needs."

"Those clouds look like snow. It's gonna be freezin' in that barn. If you go out there to work, take both those heaters and maybe something to put down so the wind don't come in under the doors."

"Good to be back in Wyomin' again." Ennis said as they crossed the border into Wyoming.

"It sure is!" Jack agreed. "I can hardly wait to get home."

****

It was just passed midnight when they turned into their driveway. "Look, Ennis! It's snowin'!" Jack said as he rolled down his window and stuck his hand out catching some snowflakes.

He pulled up in front of the house and they sat there for a time looking at the Christmas tree lights through the window as the snow fell all around them.

"It's beautiful!" Jack whispered. "Looks like a Christmas card."

"Merry Christmas, Jack." Ennis choked out and caught the tear that had slipped down his cheek, with his shoulder. "Glad you're home, Bud."

Jack was in his arms then and they were both crying. They clung to one another and sat where they were until the cold settled in and they climbed out with a laugh at their sore muscles, cramped from so many hours on the road and went inside, locking the door and leaving the cold and the rest of the world behind them.


THE END