(no subject)
Title: I Can’t Lose You Again.
Chapter 16
Here it is a new chapter, thanks for your patience.
Plus, I’ve published yesterday y a short story called The Pines.
This is the sequel to “Mexico”, ten days after its end.
Disclaimer: the talented Mrs Proulx owns the original story and characters.
Special thanks again to my dear beta Sam and to Onefreetoroam for the title idea.
Thanks to all of you readers and to those who added their opinion.
During her stay at Lightning Flat, Jenny was very happy to see her father was respected and appreciated at the ranch. Furthermore, Jack proved to be a real friend for her dad.
So when Jenny returned home, Alma had to endure a whole evening of ranch life tales. Jenny was so involved in talking about her new experiences that she didn’t noticed her mother was getting more and more restless.
When she showed Alma the present Jack bought for her - a pair of brown leather boots -
Alma abruptly left the room and headed for the bedroom, closing the door with a loud thud.
Jenny followed her and knocked. Alma opened the door, her face dark.
“What do you want?”
“Mom, I was talking about Mr. Jack.”
“Don’t use that name in my house anymore, little girl!”
“But he’s Daddy’s best friend.”
“He’s not a friend, and he’s not good for your father,” Alma snapped. “He lied to me this time. He said Jack was in Texas.”
“Dad never lies!”
“Oh yes, he does; men are all the same. You’re too young to understand. But now it’s decided; you’ll never travel with your father again until you’re of age.”
“But I want to go back!”
“Shut up, I don’t want to hear about it anymore. Go to your room right now!”
The next morning, when the girls were at school, Alma took the phone and dialed the number she had tried to erase from her mind since the operator had given it to her.
A woman answered, but Alma had expected to hear the voice of that nasty man, so she hesitated for a moment.
“Is this the Twists’?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Alma Del Ma…Alma Beers. I want to talk with Ennis Del Mar.”
“He’s outside in the barn. Should I go and call him?”
“Yes, please.”
Steps fading away, a door opening, muffled voices; then steps coming back, heavier.
“Alma! What’s happened? Is it the girls?”
“The girls are fine. So am I. Thanks for asking.”
“Sorry, Alma, I’m glad you’re OK, too.”
“We need to talk, Ennis.”
Silence was Ennis’ only answer.
“Yesterday I found out that my girls met your….friend. You told me he was away, so I gave you permission to take Jenny and Junior to Lightning Flat.”
“Alma, he was away the first day, he came back early…”
“I don’t believe you. And I don’t want it to happen again.”
“Alma, listen to me, please. I live here with Mr. and Mrs. Twist; they spoiled the girls for three days, and that was all.”
“I could ask for a change in the divorce settlement. No more trips with Dad.”
“Don’t you dare, Alma. They’re mine, too. I need to see them.”
“You could see them here in Riverton instead.”
“I don’t want my daughters around your new affair…”
“What are you saying?”
Alma’s tone changed.
“Junior told me you’re more at work than at home in the evenings. She went to the grocery store last month and saw you and Monroe through an open door. Sitting very close together on a bench.”
“You’re not my husband any more.”
“Yes, and you can do what you want, but if I remember rightly, Monroe is engaged to your attorney’s sister. Does he want to keep the engagement on?”
“This conversation is over Ennis, goodbye.”
“As you wish, Alma. See you next month, second Saturday. I don’t know if we’ll stay there or come back up here.”
Ennis hung up the phone and turned; Claire was looking at him from the kitchen door. He realised she must have listened to his conversation and was deeply embarrassed.
“I’m … sorry, Mrs. Twist.”
“No problem, Ennis, she used to be your wife.”
“I get angry when she uses the girls against me.”
“She’ll forbid them to come here again?”
“No, I don’t think so, but sometimes she hates Jack so much she loses control.”
“While you…” Claire stopped for a second. “You like him a lot.”
Ennis’ expression became suddenly suspicious. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re more than friends, aren’t you? Like two people who really need each other.”
“We met so long ago.”
“I know, Ennis. But there’s something so deep between you two.”
Claire came closer and placed a hand on Ennis’ arm. She felt him trembling. “Tell me the truth, please. It will be our secret, but I’m a mother, and a mother sees and feels a lot.”
A whisper.
“Yes.”
Claire hugged Ennis, who felt like he was reborn in his own mother’s arms.
TBC
Chapter 16
Here it is a new chapter, thanks for your patience.
Plus, I’ve published yesterday y a short story called The Pines.
This is the sequel to “Mexico”, ten days after its end.
Disclaimer: the talented Mrs Proulx owns the original story and characters.
Special thanks again to my dear beta Sam and to Onefreetoroam for the title idea.
Thanks to all of you readers and to those who added their opinion.
During her stay at Lightning Flat, Jenny was very happy to see her father was respected and appreciated at the ranch. Furthermore, Jack proved to be a real friend for her dad.
So when Jenny returned home, Alma had to endure a whole evening of ranch life tales. Jenny was so involved in talking about her new experiences that she didn’t noticed her mother was getting more and more restless.
When she showed Alma the present Jack bought for her - a pair of brown leather boots -
Alma abruptly left the room and headed for the bedroom, closing the door with a loud thud.
Jenny followed her and knocked. Alma opened the door, her face dark.
“What do you want?”
“Mom, I was talking about Mr. Jack.”
“Don’t use that name in my house anymore, little girl!”
“But he’s Daddy’s best friend.”
“He’s not a friend, and he’s not good for your father,” Alma snapped. “He lied to me this time. He said Jack was in Texas.”
“Dad never lies!”
“Oh yes, he does; men are all the same. You’re too young to understand. But now it’s decided; you’ll never travel with your father again until you’re of age.”
“But I want to go back!”
“Shut up, I don’t want to hear about it anymore. Go to your room right now!”
The next morning, when the girls were at school, Alma took the phone and dialed the number she had tried to erase from her mind since the operator had given it to her.
A woman answered, but Alma had expected to hear the voice of that nasty man, so she hesitated for a moment.
“Is this the Twists’?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Alma Del Ma…Alma Beers. I want to talk with Ennis Del Mar.”
“He’s outside in the barn. Should I go and call him?”
“Yes, please.”
Steps fading away, a door opening, muffled voices; then steps coming back, heavier.
“Alma! What’s happened? Is it the girls?”
“The girls are fine. So am I. Thanks for asking.”
“Sorry, Alma, I’m glad you’re OK, too.”
“We need to talk, Ennis.”
Silence was Ennis’ only answer.
“Yesterday I found out that my girls met your….friend. You told me he was away, so I gave you permission to take Jenny and Junior to Lightning Flat.”
“Alma, he was away the first day, he came back early…”
“I don’t believe you. And I don’t want it to happen again.”
“Alma, listen to me, please. I live here with Mr. and Mrs. Twist; they spoiled the girls for three days, and that was all.”
“I could ask for a change in the divorce settlement. No more trips with Dad.”
“Don’t you dare, Alma. They’re mine, too. I need to see them.”
“You could see them here in Riverton instead.”
“I don’t want my daughters around your new affair…”
“What are you saying?”
Alma’s tone changed.
“Junior told me you’re more at work than at home in the evenings. She went to the grocery store last month and saw you and Monroe through an open door. Sitting very close together on a bench.”
“You’re not my husband any more.”
“Yes, and you can do what you want, but if I remember rightly, Monroe is engaged to your attorney’s sister. Does he want to keep the engagement on?”
“This conversation is over Ennis, goodbye.”
“As you wish, Alma. See you next month, second Saturday. I don’t know if we’ll stay there or come back up here.”
Ennis hung up the phone and turned; Claire was looking at him from the kitchen door. He realised she must have listened to his conversation and was deeply embarrassed.
“I’m … sorry, Mrs. Twist.”
“No problem, Ennis, she used to be your wife.”
“I get angry when she uses the girls against me.”
“She’ll forbid them to come here again?”
“No, I don’t think so, but sometimes she hates Jack so much she loses control.”
“While you…” Claire stopped for a second. “You like him a lot.”
Ennis’ expression became suddenly suspicious. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re more than friends, aren’t you? Like two people who really need each other.”
“We met so long ago.”
“I know, Ennis. But there’s something so deep between you two.”
Claire came closer and placed a hand on Ennis’ arm. She felt him trembling. “Tell me the truth, please. It will be our secret, but I’m a mother, and a mother sees and feels a lot.”
A whisper.
“Yes.”
Claire hugged Ennis, who felt like he was reborn in his own mother’s arms.
TBC