Rawhide Chapter 3
Title: Rawhide
Author: PetiteMiel
Pairing: Jack/Ennis
Rating: NC-17(eventually)
Warning: Contains harsh language, violence, m/m sexual encounters.
Disclaimer: All characters from Brokeback Mountain belong to Ann Proulx. I am just borrowing them and make no money from their use. No copyright infringement is intended. All other characters are mine.
Summary: Au!Au. This story takes place in 1867. Ennis is an eighteen year old wrangler at the Triple T Ranch in Texas where Jack, a sixteen year old runaway is hired for the upcoming cattle drive to Montana.
AN:This is the first time I've written BBM fanfic. The story is un beta'd so all errors are mine.
Arlene, Texas
Spring, 1867
The sounds of the ranch coming awake intruded on Jack’s dreams doing their best to wipe away the memory of brown eyes and blonde curls that had kept him smiling in his sleep. He grumbled softly at the sound of voices as he rolled over, the blanket slipping off him, allowing the cool morning air to wake him fully. He pulled the blanket up shivering slightly as he tried to keep hold of the dream but it and the blanket were yanked away a second later by the very man he’d been dreaming about.
“Rise and shine Jack. We got work to do.”
The sound of that voice brought Jack’s eyes open and he blinked several times, his eyelashes dusting his cheeks as he pulled the blanket back over his lap, feeling the beginnings of an erection he decided it was best to keep to himself.
“What time is it?” He asked through a yawn, his hands running through his hair as he sat up trying not to hit his head on the bunk above him.
“About six I expect.”
“Six?”
“Mmmm.” Ennis replied walking away as Jack swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He sat there for a second shivering, the cold helping to relieve him of his problem somewhat then he reached for his pants, slipping his legs into them. He stood up turning his back on the room as he fastened them then stretched, his arms reaching over his head as another yawn escaped his lips.
He worried maybe he’d slept late but when he turned to grab his shirt he noticed that most of the other men were just climbing from their bunks. He finished dressing guessing this was normal, as no one seemed to be in any real hurry.
When he’d stamped his feet into his boots he looked up to see Ennis standing in front of him. He handed Jack a cup of coffee, then he smiled and turned toward the door. Jack followed, watching as Ennis leaned comfortably in the doorway greeting the new day.
“Red says you’ll be working with me.” Ennis spoke trying to keep the excitement he was feeling out of his voice.
Jack nodded, running one hand over his face as he tried not to yawn yet again.
“You should drink that. It’ll help wake ya up.”
Jack took a sip of the bitter brew, grimacing at the taste and Ennis laughed at the expression on his face. Jack looked up and laughed too but as their eyes locked they both stilled, the world seeming to fade away and there, behind the laughter they both saw something of their own loneliness reflected back at them. It lasted only a moment before the spell was broken and the world intruded as Hank brushed passed them on his way to the outhouse. Jack glanced away and Ennis looked back at the dawn.
The smell of ham and eggs drew Jack toward the table then and Ennis felt his absence the minute he left his side, that familiar ache returning. He scolded himself for the feelings he was having but didn’t know any way to fix it. All he knew was that there was something about Jack that made him hurt inside for the wanting of him and that was a dangerous thing to feel.
He wanted to be friends with Jack but the way he was thinking on him would not be welcome he was sure and so he would bury the feelings he was having and just hope he could stand it.
Hank walked back through the door a minute later and Ennis followed him to the table to eat.
“What the Hell are ya doing over there?” K.C.’s voice asked, full of mirth as he looked over to the other side of the room. Jack followed his gaze and smiled as he saw Billy’s legs sticking out from under his bunk.
“I kicked my… boot under here… and these Goddamn…uh… bunks is so low…ah… I can’t reach the fuckin’ thing.” He said haltingly as he tried to crawl under the bunk. The men at the table just laughed in response.
“If they hadn’t built um… so close to… the damn ground…Ah I got it!” He exclaimed finally crawling out.
A plate of food was stuck in Jack’s face at that point and he was told to pass it down, his stomach growling loudly as he did. He hadn’t expected to be so hungry after all he’d had the night before but his mama had always said his legs were hollow and he guessed maybe it was true.
“The damn things is so low we might as well be sleeping on the floor.” Billy continued as he sat down atop the bunk but no one was really listening at that point more interested in their breakfast.
“Quit your belly achin’” Red said as he entered the building.
“That won’t happen ‘till he’s in the ground.” K.C. replied.
“Doubt bein’ dead would stop him.” Bull said as he shoveled a fork full of food into his mouth. The men laughed again seeming to agree but Billy just scowled from his bunk were he was putting on his boots.
“You men listen up now.” Red began.
“K.C. I want you, Bull and Walter to head up to the Bar C. Cantrell sold the boss about thirty horses we’re gonna need for the drive and I need you three to bring um back. It’ll take the better part of the day to make the trip so head out right after ya eat. Ennis done got your horses ready to go.” They acknowledged these orders with a nod and Red went on.
“Hank ya need any help finishin’ up that new corral? I want it done by the time they git back?” He asked.
“I’ll git her done.”
“Good. Billy I want you and Josh to git out to the South range and git to fixin’ that dropped fence. Mr. Taylor wants it done before the roundup so it needs to be done by tomorrow at the latest. Won’t have no other time with everything else we got to git to before we head out to Montana.”
“Well now Red that don’t seem right. Fixin’ fence always been a job for a new man. How come Jack ain’t gotta do it?” Billy asked standing up from his bunk brushing a hand through his hair.
Everyone at the table looked up from their food, forks held in limbo as Red turned, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he leveled his gaze at the younger man.
“Cause I just told you and Josh to do it. Last time I looked I was still the foreman of this here ranch and I got too much to git done for your fussin’. You gotta problem with the way I’m runnin’ things ya can collect your wages and leave any time.” Red answered, steel in his voice.
Billy stared at him for a second then looked away, his eyes not lighting on anything or anyone for more then a second.
“Naw, I ani’t got no problem.” He replied quietly before sittin’ down to eat.
Nothing more was said as they all hurried through their breakfast and within ten minutes they were done and heading out the door.
Ennis headed for the stable, several others walking along with him but Jack stopped before getting there.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” He hollered after them as he headed for the outhouse and Ennis just nodded continuing on his way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As he walked back to the stable Jack spotted Hank hammering a fence post into the ground for the new corral and he didn’t envy him the job. K.C., Bull and Walter were long gone but as he entered the stable he could see that Billy and Josh were still there.
Billy was twenty-two years old, not near as tall as Red, nor as broad. He had dirt brown hair and green eyes and he carried himself as though he were somebody special, although Jack couldn’t see why. K.C. had called him a dandy the night before and Jack could see it wasn’t just because of the red kerchief he wore. All his clothes were a bit fancified for ranch work and Jack thought about how his daddy woulda said he was “puffed up”.
Josh was a year older, around the same height but skinny as a post. His hair was dirty blonde and his eyes were blue. He had a slightly crooked nose and Jack wondered if it had been broke at some time in the past.
“Damn, what’s takin’ so long?” Billy asked as he paced back and forth in front of the stall where Ennis was tending to his horse. Jack walked over glancing inside to see what Ennis was doing then backed up a step as Billy glared at him.
“Ya shoulda told me about this last night when ya brought him in.” Ennis answered grabbing the alligator pliers from off the ground and clinching off the nail in the big Appaloosa’s hoof.
“Well, ain’t you the wrangler? You’re supposed to take care of…” Ennis glared up at him his eyes narrowed making it clear he wasn’t gonna take any of the other man’s guff. Billy was cowed by the stern expression on Ennis’ face and closed his mouth leaving his thought unfinished, not wanting to be slapped down a second time in one day.
Ennis went back to his task finishing it up as Billy stood outside the stall sighing loudly as if the wait were unbearable and Jack hearing a soft chuckle turned to see Josh just shaking his head as he led two horses from their stalls.
“Need some help?” Jack asked eager to be useful.
“I’d appreciate it if you could get that rigging for me.”
“You bet.” He answered grabbing the harness and following Josh outside where they began to hook the horses to a wagon loaded with new fencing.
“For someone who don’t wanta do the work he sure is in an awful hurry to git to it.” Ennis said grumbling as he walked outside to join them a second later.
“Yes, I wonder what could have made him so eager?” Josh asked smiling.
Ennis laughed at this and Jack looked over at him smiling too.
“I’m heading out.” Billy said as he rode up to them saying a quiet “Thanks” to Ennis as he went by.
“I’ll be right behind you.” Josh called after him as he climbed onto the wagon’s seat.
“How come he don’t ride in the wagon?” Jack asked Josh, who laughed at the thought.
“It’s easier to be seen up on his horse.”
“Seen? Who’s gonna see him out there fixin’ fences?” Jack asked.
“No one. But then Billy seems to think he always has an audience.”
Ennis just shook his head at this and Josh flicked the reins and headed off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They began the rest of their day by feeding and watering the horses, both those in the stable and in the corral then they went to work cleaning out the stalls. It was work Jack had done most of his life having grown up on a ranch and Ennis was pleased to see that he was a hard worker who didn’t shirk his tasks but did his best no matter what Ennis asked of him.
They chatted as they worked, Jack doing his best to draw Ennis out asking questions about the ranch and the men they worked with. Ennis finished up the last stall then glanced over at the one Jack was cleaning.
“Very good.”
It was simple praise but meant a lot to Jack coming from Ennis.
When they were through they headed out to the corral to put the horses through their paces, trying to rid the last of the newly broke of their more contrary ways. They were still rough around the edges and Ennis wanted to be sure they’d perform once out on the trail. A couple of the most ornery ones still bucked under them but like Jack Ennis new how to handle a horse and before lunch they had them all sorted and ready for the drive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So there I am with two-thousand pounds of Hereford underneath my butt sure I’m gonna be the youngest rodeo star ever, figurin’ I’ll git my picture in the paper.”
“Your picture in the paper?” Ennis interrupted him looking up from the harness he was oiling.
“Hell yeah! If a nine year old ridin’ a buckin’g bull ain’t enough to git your picture in the paper I don’t know what is. I was sure I was gonna be famous.” Jack answered smiling from ear to ear.
They were sitting in the tack room checking over the gear, Jack on an overturned wooden crate, braiding rope for new lariats, Ennis at the small workbench beside it.
“So what happened?”
“Well, I climbed up on the fence to git on the thing and I sit down thinkin’ I’m in for the ride of my life. Well can you believe it, it don’t move. I’m pullin’ on it’s horns, kickin’ it for all I’m worth and yellin’ at the top of my lungs but the thing just stands there like it can’t be bothered to pay me no mind. Course at the time I didn’t realize that Herefords are bred more for beef then for buckin’.”
“What’d ya do?” Ennis asked chuckling.
“Well I thought about just givin’ up and going on home and I might have if it had been just me there but the McAllister twins were watchin’ me and Jeffery Ridgemore too. He was the biggest kid in two counties and not someone ya wanted makin’ fun of ya. So I did the only thing I could. I pulled an old spur out of my pocket and jabbed it as hard as I could into the bull’s shoulder. Course I’d sharpened it up some. Well that bull let out a bellow like I’d never heard before and took off runnin’ through the pasture, me holdin’ on for dear life.”
They were both laughing now, Jack bouncing up and down on the crate, waving the lariat in the air as he acted out the scene for Ennis who just laughed harder.
“That bull got as far as the creek on the other side of the field and stopped dead in his tracks sendin’ me ass over horns. I landed face first in the water soaking myself from head to foot.”
“You damn fool. You coulda been killed.” Ennis said his smile softening the harshness of his words.
“Yeah, I guess but I figured even if I was to die I’d still be famous. I could see the headlines even then. Killer bull squashes nine-year-old after deadly ride. They would have put my picture in the paper for sure then.” He said finishing his story with a wink.
Ennis laughed again shaking his head thinking it was a miracle Jack had lived this long with the crazy things he’d done as a kid.
They had been swapping stories since lunch, filling up the afternoon with tales of their youth, neither of them old enough to really call them that but that hadn’t mattered.
“My daddy tanned my hide good when I got home. I can tell ya.”
“I’ll bet he did.”
“Yeah.” Jack said quietly looking down at the rope in his hands. “Never got beat so bad in my life.” Jack added growing still an expression Ennis hadn’t seen on his face before taking the place of his smile.
“He do that a lot did he?” Ennis asked cautiously sure he already knew the answer.
Jack looked up biting his bottom lip, his brow knit as if trying to decide if he could trust the man beside him. Then he nodded and looked away.
“That why ya left?”
“I wanted to reach sixteen…knew I wouldn’t if I stayed there.”
Jack looked up then and his knees went weak at the intensity of the gaze being leveled at him. It only lasted a moment before he had to look away, that stare making him feel naked as if all his secrets had been laid bare.
It was long enough for Ennis to see the truth of Jack’s words though and it filled him with an anger he hadn’t felt in years. Anger for a man he’d never met but one he knew now would die if he ever did.
They sat that way for a minute neither of them speaking then Ennis got up and walked to the other side of the small room. As he passed by Jack he reached out, his hand gently brushing against Jack’s shoulder as he went. It rested there for a moment longer then was strictly necessary but not nearly as long as they both would have liked. Jack cleared his throat then and dared to look over at the other man.
“Ya know I got a book about this rodeo rider named Larabie.” He said, changing the subject.
“Course he rides buckin’ broncs and not bulls but it’s purty good. Ya can borrow it if ya want.”
Ennis’ didn’t turn just continued to look for another piece of harness from the shelf in front of him.
“Well, thanks anyway but I..I can’t read.”
Jack’s tongue ran along his bottom lip for a second before he spoke again.
“Well…I could read some to ya of a evenin ’ if ya like.”
Ennis turned slowly his face softening as he smiled and nodded shyly.
“That’d be real fine. Thank ya Jack.” Ennis said sitting back down to work.
Before he’d even gotten comfortable Jack started to talk again telling him of some wild adventure leaving the harsher memories of his childhood behind and things returned to the way they had been moments before. Ennis told his own tales too, being drawn out by Jack’s questions and the need to share that part of himself with someone else, as all those who had known him in his younger days were gone.
They spent the rest of the afternoon that way, huddled together over their work telling stories they had never shared with anyone else not having had a friend to share them with until now.
TBC
Author: PetiteMiel
Pairing: Jack/Ennis
Rating: NC-17(eventually)
Warning: Contains harsh language, violence, m/m sexual encounters.
Disclaimer: All characters from Brokeback Mountain belong to Ann Proulx. I am just borrowing them and make no money from their use. No copyright infringement is intended. All other characters are mine.
Summary: Au!Au. This story takes place in 1867. Ennis is an eighteen year old wrangler at the Triple T Ranch in Texas where Jack, a sixteen year old runaway is hired for the upcoming cattle drive to Montana.
AN:This is the first time I've written BBM fanfic. The story is un beta'd so all errors are mine.
Arlene, Texas
Spring, 1867
The sounds of the ranch coming awake intruded on Jack’s dreams doing their best to wipe away the memory of brown eyes and blonde curls that had kept him smiling in his sleep. He grumbled softly at the sound of voices as he rolled over, the blanket slipping off him, allowing the cool morning air to wake him fully. He pulled the blanket up shivering slightly as he tried to keep hold of the dream but it and the blanket were yanked away a second later by the very man he’d been dreaming about.
“Rise and shine Jack. We got work to do.”
The sound of that voice brought Jack’s eyes open and he blinked several times, his eyelashes dusting his cheeks as he pulled the blanket back over his lap, feeling the beginnings of an erection he decided it was best to keep to himself.
“What time is it?” He asked through a yawn, his hands running through his hair as he sat up trying not to hit his head on the bunk above him.
“About six I expect.”
“Six?”
“Mmmm.” Ennis replied walking away as Jack swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He sat there for a second shivering, the cold helping to relieve him of his problem somewhat then he reached for his pants, slipping his legs into them. He stood up turning his back on the room as he fastened them then stretched, his arms reaching over his head as another yawn escaped his lips.
He worried maybe he’d slept late but when he turned to grab his shirt he noticed that most of the other men were just climbing from their bunks. He finished dressing guessing this was normal, as no one seemed to be in any real hurry.
When he’d stamped his feet into his boots he looked up to see Ennis standing in front of him. He handed Jack a cup of coffee, then he smiled and turned toward the door. Jack followed, watching as Ennis leaned comfortably in the doorway greeting the new day.
“Red says you’ll be working with me.” Ennis spoke trying to keep the excitement he was feeling out of his voice.
Jack nodded, running one hand over his face as he tried not to yawn yet again.
“You should drink that. It’ll help wake ya up.”
Jack took a sip of the bitter brew, grimacing at the taste and Ennis laughed at the expression on his face. Jack looked up and laughed too but as their eyes locked they both stilled, the world seeming to fade away and there, behind the laughter they both saw something of their own loneliness reflected back at them. It lasted only a moment before the spell was broken and the world intruded as Hank brushed passed them on his way to the outhouse. Jack glanced away and Ennis looked back at the dawn.
The smell of ham and eggs drew Jack toward the table then and Ennis felt his absence the minute he left his side, that familiar ache returning. He scolded himself for the feelings he was having but didn’t know any way to fix it. All he knew was that there was something about Jack that made him hurt inside for the wanting of him and that was a dangerous thing to feel.
He wanted to be friends with Jack but the way he was thinking on him would not be welcome he was sure and so he would bury the feelings he was having and just hope he could stand it.
Hank walked back through the door a minute later and Ennis followed him to the table to eat.
“What the Hell are ya doing over there?” K.C.’s voice asked, full of mirth as he looked over to the other side of the room. Jack followed his gaze and smiled as he saw Billy’s legs sticking out from under his bunk.
“I kicked my… boot under here… and these Goddamn…uh… bunks is so low…ah… I can’t reach the fuckin’ thing.” He said haltingly as he tried to crawl under the bunk. The men at the table just laughed in response.
“If they hadn’t built um… so close to… the damn ground…Ah I got it!” He exclaimed finally crawling out.
A plate of food was stuck in Jack’s face at that point and he was told to pass it down, his stomach growling loudly as he did. He hadn’t expected to be so hungry after all he’d had the night before but his mama had always said his legs were hollow and he guessed maybe it was true.
“The damn things is so low we might as well be sleeping on the floor.” Billy continued as he sat down atop the bunk but no one was really listening at that point more interested in their breakfast.
“Quit your belly achin’” Red said as he entered the building.
“That won’t happen ‘till he’s in the ground.” K.C. replied.
“Doubt bein’ dead would stop him.” Bull said as he shoveled a fork full of food into his mouth. The men laughed again seeming to agree but Billy just scowled from his bunk were he was putting on his boots.
“You men listen up now.” Red began.
“K.C. I want you, Bull and Walter to head up to the Bar C. Cantrell sold the boss about thirty horses we’re gonna need for the drive and I need you three to bring um back. It’ll take the better part of the day to make the trip so head out right after ya eat. Ennis done got your horses ready to go.” They acknowledged these orders with a nod and Red went on.
“Hank ya need any help finishin’ up that new corral? I want it done by the time they git back?” He asked.
“I’ll git her done.”
“Good. Billy I want you and Josh to git out to the South range and git to fixin’ that dropped fence. Mr. Taylor wants it done before the roundup so it needs to be done by tomorrow at the latest. Won’t have no other time with everything else we got to git to before we head out to Montana.”
“Well now Red that don’t seem right. Fixin’ fence always been a job for a new man. How come Jack ain’t gotta do it?” Billy asked standing up from his bunk brushing a hand through his hair.
Everyone at the table looked up from their food, forks held in limbo as Red turned, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he leveled his gaze at the younger man.
“Cause I just told you and Josh to do it. Last time I looked I was still the foreman of this here ranch and I got too much to git done for your fussin’. You gotta problem with the way I’m runnin’ things ya can collect your wages and leave any time.” Red answered, steel in his voice.
Billy stared at him for a second then looked away, his eyes not lighting on anything or anyone for more then a second.
“Naw, I ani’t got no problem.” He replied quietly before sittin’ down to eat.
Nothing more was said as they all hurried through their breakfast and within ten minutes they were done and heading out the door.
Ennis headed for the stable, several others walking along with him but Jack stopped before getting there.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” He hollered after them as he headed for the outhouse and Ennis just nodded continuing on his way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As he walked back to the stable Jack spotted Hank hammering a fence post into the ground for the new corral and he didn’t envy him the job. K.C., Bull and Walter were long gone but as he entered the stable he could see that Billy and Josh were still there.
Billy was twenty-two years old, not near as tall as Red, nor as broad. He had dirt brown hair and green eyes and he carried himself as though he were somebody special, although Jack couldn’t see why. K.C. had called him a dandy the night before and Jack could see it wasn’t just because of the red kerchief he wore. All his clothes were a bit fancified for ranch work and Jack thought about how his daddy woulda said he was “puffed up”.
Josh was a year older, around the same height but skinny as a post. His hair was dirty blonde and his eyes were blue. He had a slightly crooked nose and Jack wondered if it had been broke at some time in the past.
“Damn, what’s takin’ so long?” Billy asked as he paced back and forth in front of the stall where Ennis was tending to his horse. Jack walked over glancing inside to see what Ennis was doing then backed up a step as Billy glared at him.
“Ya shoulda told me about this last night when ya brought him in.” Ennis answered grabbing the alligator pliers from off the ground and clinching off the nail in the big Appaloosa’s hoof.
“Well, ain’t you the wrangler? You’re supposed to take care of…” Ennis glared up at him his eyes narrowed making it clear he wasn’t gonna take any of the other man’s guff. Billy was cowed by the stern expression on Ennis’ face and closed his mouth leaving his thought unfinished, not wanting to be slapped down a second time in one day.
Ennis went back to his task finishing it up as Billy stood outside the stall sighing loudly as if the wait were unbearable and Jack hearing a soft chuckle turned to see Josh just shaking his head as he led two horses from their stalls.
“Need some help?” Jack asked eager to be useful.
“I’d appreciate it if you could get that rigging for me.”
“You bet.” He answered grabbing the harness and following Josh outside where they began to hook the horses to a wagon loaded with new fencing.
“For someone who don’t wanta do the work he sure is in an awful hurry to git to it.” Ennis said grumbling as he walked outside to join them a second later.
“Yes, I wonder what could have made him so eager?” Josh asked smiling.
Ennis laughed at this and Jack looked over at him smiling too.
“I’m heading out.” Billy said as he rode up to them saying a quiet “Thanks” to Ennis as he went by.
“I’ll be right behind you.” Josh called after him as he climbed onto the wagon’s seat.
“How come he don’t ride in the wagon?” Jack asked Josh, who laughed at the thought.
“It’s easier to be seen up on his horse.”
“Seen? Who’s gonna see him out there fixin’ fences?” Jack asked.
“No one. But then Billy seems to think he always has an audience.”
Ennis just shook his head at this and Josh flicked the reins and headed off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They began the rest of their day by feeding and watering the horses, both those in the stable and in the corral then they went to work cleaning out the stalls. It was work Jack had done most of his life having grown up on a ranch and Ennis was pleased to see that he was a hard worker who didn’t shirk his tasks but did his best no matter what Ennis asked of him.
They chatted as they worked, Jack doing his best to draw Ennis out asking questions about the ranch and the men they worked with. Ennis finished up the last stall then glanced over at the one Jack was cleaning.
“Very good.”
It was simple praise but meant a lot to Jack coming from Ennis.
When they were through they headed out to the corral to put the horses through their paces, trying to rid the last of the newly broke of their more contrary ways. They were still rough around the edges and Ennis wanted to be sure they’d perform once out on the trail. A couple of the most ornery ones still bucked under them but like Jack Ennis new how to handle a horse and before lunch they had them all sorted and ready for the drive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So there I am with two-thousand pounds of Hereford underneath my butt sure I’m gonna be the youngest rodeo star ever, figurin’ I’ll git my picture in the paper.”
“Your picture in the paper?” Ennis interrupted him looking up from the harness he was oiling.
“Hell yeah! If a nine year old ridin’ a buckin’g bull ain’t enough to git your picture in the paper I don’t know what is. I was sure I was gonna be famous.” Jack answered smiling from ear to ear.
They were sitting in the tack room checking over the gear, Jack on an overturned wooden crate, braiding rope for new lariats, Ennis at the small workbench beside it.
“So what happened?”
“Well, I climbed up on the fence to git on the thing and I sit down thinkin’ I’m in for the ride of my life. Well can you believe it, it don’t move. I’m pullin’ on it’s horns, kickin’ it for all I’m worth and yellin’ at the top of my lungs but the thing just stands there like it can’t be bothered to pay me no mind. Course at the time I didn’t realize that Herefords are bred more for beef then for buckin’.”
“What’d ya do?” Ennis asked chuckling.
“Well I thought about just givin’ up and going on home and I might have if it had been just me there but the McAllister twins were watchin’ me and Jeffery Ridgemore too. He was the biggest kid in two counties and not someone ya wanted makin’ fun of ya. So I did the only thing I could. I pulled an old spur out of my pocket and jabbed it as hard as I could into the bull’s shoulder. Course I’d sharpened it up some. Well that bull let out a bellow like I’d never heard before and took off runnin’ through the pasture, me holdin’ on for dear life.”
They were both laughing now, Jack bouncing up and down on the crate, waving the lariat in the air as he acted out the scene for Ennis who just laughed harder.
“That bull got as far as the creek on the other side of the field and stopped dead in his tracks sendin’ me ass over horns. I landed face first in the water soaking myself from head to foot.”
“You damn fool. You coulda been killed.” Ennis said his smile softening the harshness of his words.
“Yeah, I guess but I figured even if I was to die I’d still be famous. I could see the headlines even then. Killer bull squashes nine-year-old after deadly ride. They would have put my picture in the paper for sure then.” He said finishing his story with a wink.
Ennis laughed again shaking his head thinking it was a miracle Jack had lived this long with the crazy things he’d done as a kid.
They had been swapping stories since lunch, filling up the afternoon with tales of their youth, neither of them old enough to really call them that but that hadn’t mattered.
“My daddy tanned my hide good when I got home. I can tell ya.”
“I’ll bet he did.”
“Yeah.” Jack said quietly looking down at the rope in his hands. “Never got beat so bad in my life.” Jack added growing still an expression Ennis hadn’t seen on his face before taking the place of his smile.
“He do that a lot did he?” Ennis asked cautiously sure he already knew the answer.
Jack looked up biting his bottom lip, his brow knit as if trying to decide if he could trust the man beside him. Then he nodded and looked away.
“That why ya left?”
“I wanted to reach sixteen…knew I wouldn’t if I stayed there.”
Jack looked up then and his knees went weak at the intensity of the gaze being leveled at him. It only lasted a moment before he had to look away, that stare making him feel naked as if all his secrets had been laid bare.
It was long enough for Ennis to see the truth of Jack’s words though and it filled him with an anger he hadn’t felt in years. Anger for a man he’d never met but one he knew now would die if he ever did.
They sat that way for a minute neither of them speaking then Ennis got up and walked to the other side of the small room. As he passed by Jack he reached out, his hand gently brushing against Jack’s shoulder as he went. It rested there for a moment longer then was strictly necessary but not nearly as long as they both would have liked. Jack cleared his throat then and dared to look over at the other man.
“Ya know I got a book about this rodeo rider named Larabie.” He said, changing the subject.
“Course he rides buckin’ broncs and not bulls but it’s purty good. Ya can borrow it if ya want.”
Ennis’ didn’t turn just continued to look for another piece of harness from the shelf in front of him.
“Well, thanks anyway but I..I can’t read.”
Jack’s tongue ran along his bottom lip for a second before he spoke again.
“Well…I could read some to ya of a evenin ’ if ya like.”
Ennis turned slowly his face softening as he smiled and nodded shyly.
“That’d be real fine. Thank ya Jack.” Ennis said sitting back down to work.
Before he’d even gotten comfortable Jack started to talk again telling him of some wild adventure leaving the harsher memories of his childhood behind and things returned to the way they had been moments before. Ennis told his own tales too, being drawn out by Jack’s questions and the need to share that part of himself with someone else, as all those who had known him in his younger days were gone.
They spent the rest of the afternoon that way, huddled together over their work telling stories they had never shared with anyone else not having had a friend to share them with until now.
TBC