Disclaimer: BBM and all of its characters belong to its creators (not me). If you don't recognize the person/place/thing/story from the movie, then it's mine. Otherwise, give the money to someone else. :)

Author’s Note: Finally worked up my nerve to write a sequel! Hope you enjoy…

She Never Cried In Front Of Me

the next morning

by Jen (WCUGirl)

Jack’d been up all night long. He’d been half asleep in front of the television when Ennis had called, had believed for a moment that he was dreaming before he realized that Ennis really had called and really had said he’d be there in the morning.

And that left Jack wide awake.

He fretted and worried throughout the night that Ennis would get lost, that he would change his mind, that he would have an accident, that something would happen to ruin this unlikely reunion between the two of them. But then again…Ennis had made the first move…twice? He’d called, something Jack had never in a million years expected, and then he’d said…oh golly he’d told Jack he loved him.

And that left Jack even more wide awake.

So now here it was an hour before the sun was due to rise and Jack was lying flat on his back in the bed, waiting for the sound of the tires to crunch into his drive, alerting him that his wildest dream had just become a reality. It made him sick to think about how excited he was…made him sick to think of how upset he’d be if this didn’t work out.

He knew he should get up. Make some coffee. Maybe cook some breakfast. But it was still early yet. The drive took 14 hours if you knew the way and were in a hurry. It’d probably take longer for Ennis since he didn’t know the way and therefore would be driving slower. He looked at the clock. 5:30am. He had time to close his eyes and doze off for a few minutes before Ennis got there. He’d cook breakfast when it was closer to time for his Cowboy to show up.

The excitement, the fear, the hope, and the anxiety left Jack exhausted. Soon he found himself so soundly asleep that he never heard Ennis arrive.

Ennis had done exactly as he’d said. He got off the phone with Jack and driven straight to the gas station where he’d filled the tank and bought a coffee, a map and a coke for the drive. He knew he’d be sleepy long about the predawn early morning hours…the coke would hopefully stave off the need to sleep until he was with Jack.

He left Riverton about 6:30 and knowing it took Jack 14 hours to drive, figured he wouldn’t be in Childress before 8:30 the next morning. He told himself if Jack could drive it in 14 hours, so could he. He was excited when he learned that a new section of interstate had been opened up and it cut about three hours off the driving trip. He stopped for another cup of coffee in an all night truck stop just over the Texas line. He chatted up with some of the guys there, like him trying to stay awake, swapping stories and making up bullshit lines for why they were in Texas and awake at five in the morning.

He had Jack’s address from all the postcards they’d shared over the years. Didn’t take him long to find someone to tell him how to get there. He rolled up in front of Jack’s house at 6:43am. The sun was just peeking over the flat Texan horizon and there were no lights on in the Twist home.

Suddenly nervous, Ennis took off his hat and ran a finger through his unruly curls. He ran a hand over his face and swallowed hard. Why was he nervous? This was Jack. He knew Jack. Loved Jack. Drove all these hours to be with Jack. So why was he not getting out of the truck? With a loud groan to himself, he opened the door to the truck and swung his feet out on to the driveway.

He paused at the front door. Should he knock? Ring the bell? Try the knob and see if the door just magically opens? He ran a nervous hand over his face and rapped on the door. He waited quietly, weight shifting uneasily from one foot to the other, and nobody came to the door. He rang the bell. Again, waiting…no answer. He huffed loudly, breath forced out between clenched teeth and pursed lips. He glanced around the house into the two-car garage and saw a company truck parked there. He was here, dammit, why wasn’t he answering the door?

Out of better ideas, Ennis wrapped his long fingers around the door knob and was surprised when it swung open. He stood in the now open doorway, not sure what to do.

“Jack? Y’here bud?”

The house was almost eerie it was so quiet. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He didn’t lock it because Jack had left it unlocked. He strolled through the house, noting the neat kitchen, the den that appeared unused, the room that must be Jack’s study—complete with open bottle of whiskey and television, and finally the staircase.

Ennis figured Jack must be still asleep. Figured he must have left the door unlocked for him so he could get in. He tried to control his excitement as he almost bounded up the stairs, peeking in doors trying to find the room where Jack lay. The last door on the left…a guest room from the looks of it, revealed a very peacefully sleeping Jack on the bed, still in his clothes, boots toed off at the foot of the bed.

Ennis could have let out a whoop when he saw him. Instead he chose to quietly sneak into the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Whenever the door clicked shut, Jack stirred slightly and Ennis bit back a laugh. Boy’d sleep through the truck driving up, the front door banging with knocks from him, the doorbell chiming through the house, even him running up the stairs, but the quiet snikt of the door had him stirring to near wakefulness. Ennis slowly approached the bed and sat down on his knees beside it.

Eye level with the sleeping Jack, he smiled at his lover. He’d die for this man, God he loved him so much! He reached out and fingered Jack’s unruly hair lightly. Jack didn’t stir. Ennis propped his head on his arm and stared at his handsome rodeo cowboy. He didn’t even realize it when he fell asleep.

The sun was high in the sky when Jack stirred and finally opened his eyes. He stretched, bones cracking and popping and glanced at the other side of the bed to see the clock. 10:12am. SHIT! He sat up in a hurry and didn’t notice Ennis sleeping beside the bed til he’d already fallen over him getting out of bed, knocking both of them to the floor.

Ennis awoke in a start after he felt someone tripping over him. He let out a shout as his arm banged painfully against a chair, and he heard a loud thud as Jack hit the floor not far from where he was. They sat up slowly and looked at each other. Jack scratched his head curiously and rubbed his now sore knee, while Ennis rubbed his sore arm.

“Jesus Christ Ennis ya trying to give me a fuckin’ heart attack! Bout damned near broke my neck fallin over you!”

“Sorry Jack. Didn’t mean to startle ya.”

“What in hell ya doin sleepin on the floor? When’d you get here? Whyn’t you wake me up? Jesus you got me good, bout scared the life right outta me.”

“Snuck in here after ya didn’t answer the door when I knocked and rang the bell. You left the door unlocked so I took that as an invitation to come on in. Saw you sleepin there all peaceful like and didn’t wanna disturb ya. I got here bout dawn. And I wasn’t sleepin on the floor, I was propped up on the side of the bed til ya knocked me over!”

Jack crawled over and kissed Ennis. “Well I’m glad you’re here. Didn’t mean to sleep through ya getting here. You hungry? I’ll fix us something to eat. How long’d it take you to get here?”

Ennis yawned. “You sure do ask a lot of questions,” he chuckled. “I’m starving! Took me right at 12 hours to get here.”

Jack’s eyes rounded. “You made the drive in 12 hours? How fast was you drivin? Best time I ever made it in was 13 and a half and I woulda lost my license for speeding if someone woulda caught me.”

“They opened a new section of 287. Guys at the truck stop I got coffee at said that it knocks about three hours off the drive.”

Jack smiled. “Even better then.”

They cooked breakfast and had sex. Then they ate and afterwards had sex again. They cleaned up themselves and washed the dishes and then took a shower where they had sex again. They collapsed into bed happy and relaxed and Jack looked up at Ennis, whose head was propped up on his hand, staring back down at him.

“So you told me you had something to tell me.”

Ennis nodded. “Yep.”

Jack smiled. “So you gonna tell me or you gonna make me guess?”

Ennis smiled. “Could be fun.”

Jack pouted. “Not nice Cowboy. C’mon tell me ya kept me in suspense all night and all day already. I wanna know!”

Ennis smiled and leaned down, kissing Jack softly, yet possessively, drawing a moan from the other man. Jack suddenly pulled away.

“Nope, no way, I see your game—you ain’t gettin no more sex til you say what you came here to say.” He sounded serious, but he was grinning and Ennis knew if he pressed the issue then he could most definitely get more sex before he told Jack. He smiled back at Jack and leaned his head down on Jack’s shoulder.

“It was always only you Jack. You’re the only one I ever loved. Ain’t proud of what I done to Alma, but I am proud to call you my man. Ain’t ever been ashamed of ya. Love ya too much to be ashamed of ya.”

Jack froze at Ennis’ quiet, honest words. He turned his head and stared at Ennis. He’d heard a similar declaration of love on the phone the night before, but to hear it twice…Jack nearly pinched himself. Was he dreaming?

Ennis continued. “And I came down here to ask ya something.”

Jack giggled. “No ya came down here to have sex. Admit it.” He laughed.

Ennis chuckled with him. “No the sex is an added bonus. I came down here to ask you if you’d move to Wyoming.”

Jack stared at him. “You’re serious,” he stated quietly.

“I am,” Ennis responded, and lifted his thumb to his mouth to nibble on it nervously.

“What about…good God…you’re serious?”

Ennis propped himself up on his elbow and stared down at Jack. “Is that so hard to believe?”

Jack blinked. “We been sneakin around for eight years…been running around in the woods, never ‘round no people but us…you’re serious?”

Ennis ran a hand over Jack’s cheek. “I have never been more serious. I love you. Wanna be with you. We’ll have to be careful, but there’s nothing I want more than to be careful with you. I don’t wanna waste no more time, wanna be with you, forever.”

Jack wrapped his arms around Ennis’ neck. Ennis returned the embrace. “You sonovabitch you kept me waitin all this time! You ass you knew I’d say yes, all you had to do was name the date and time. Didn’t need to be all nervous and ask me and all. Just tell me!”

Ennis smiled. “Well see…Jack what I’d really like is to get down on one knee and ask ya to marry me. But since nobody would allow us to get married…well I figured that the next best thing to being married is living like we’re married. I wanted to ask ya. Wanted you to see how special you are to me.” He kissed Jack again. “I love you so much.”

Suddenly Jack popped out of bed. He ran around the room grabbing clothes and objects and throwing it all on the bed. Ennis laughed at his frantic movements and sat up. “What are you doing Jack?”

Smiling like he’d won the lottery, Jack bounced on the bed and kissed Ennis. “Oh that’s an easy one. See I think you’ve lost your mind. But I’m taking you up on your offer before you come to your senses.”

Ennis laughed and pulled Jack down on top of him. “Haven’t lost my mind. Found my heart. It was with you all the time. Take your time sweetheart, we got the rest of our lives. I won’t make you cry, not now not ever again. Ain’t no turning back and ain’t no reins. We’re riding it to the end of the line. You’re mine.”

Jack pressed his forehead against Ennis’. “I’m yours,” he whispered.

Oh Lureen was going to be pissed. Alma wouldn’t be happy. Bobby, Junior and Jenny would be shocked and LD just might have a heart attack. But Jack didn’t care. He’d found his love up on a mountain years ago. He let it walk way from him once. He wasn’t letting it go twice.

“I’m yours,” he whispered again, ghosting a kiss across Ennis’ lips. “I’m home.”

End.