Chapter 26

December 5th, 1964

It was the first Saturday of the month, and the residents of the ranch were preparing for Christmas. Last year, it had been snowing, which was unusual for the state, so they weren't expecting any this year.

But the temperature had certainly dropped over the week, and they had all dug out warm coats, gloves and scarves to battle the weather. And Ennis and Jack could find ways to keep each other warm, both during the day and at night. Jack was happy that their daytime encounters were back; he'd missed them.

Today, they were to start decorating the house. Ennis and Jack were currently out at the copse of trees at the base of the hill, looking for a Christmas tree, axes in hand.

"This looks good, cowboy," said Jack, looking up at a tall evergreen tree that stood on the edge. Ennis nodded.

"Yep, looks good, rodeo. Sure it'll fit?"

Jack looked it up and down. "Think so." They swung at it from one side, steadily cutting it loose and stepping back when it fell. They grabbed it and slowly made their way back across the land, dragging it with them towards the house, talking together and laughing.

They decided to take a break for a minute, when the house came into sight. They sat down on the ground and Ennis curled an arm around Jack, who tucked his head into Ennis's shoulder, gently kissing at the small exposure of skin on Ennis's neck and then nuzzling into it.

"Gonna be a good Christmas, Ennis," he murmured. "Got company this year. We're a family now..."

Ennis smiled. "Yeah. Guess so. I mean...I liked it last year, when it was just us, but...I like havin' family 'round. An' Becky's gonna give birth in about a month...bet she's lookin' forward to that." Becky was indeed looking forward to the birth and the end of the pregnancy, but she was nervous about becoming a mother and looking after a baby, but she had her family around her.

"Yeah. Gonna have three girls around the house, Ennis. Hope yer ready," Jack said with a grin. Ennis smiled down at him.

"Reckon so," he said, leaning down for a kiss.

They eventually got moving again and got the tree home, moving up the steps and through the kitchen, Smokey and Lucky barking at them excitedly.

They got the tree into the living room and into the corner where they'd had it last year. The Christmas before, Jack had found an old box of Christmas decorations in a spare room and he and Ennis had enjoyed decorating their tree together. Jack had fond memories of their first Christmas together.

Jack slung an arm around Ennis's arm. "Looks good."

"Sure does. We gonna start decoratin'?"

Jack nodded. "Yep." The four of them started decorating the tree and the house together. Jack knew that back in Lightning Flat, his mother had lamented the fact that John hadn't liked the idea of them decorating the house, so it had remained dreary and grey during the holidays. Last year had been the first time that he'd decorated a house for Christmas, and it had been made even sweeter by the fact that it was his home with Ennis.

Jack dug out the plastic sprig of mistletoe from last year and smiled to himself. Last year, he'd had fun with this. Ennis had been in a playful mood too, playing hard to get when Jack produced it, and Jack had chased him around the house and across the land, eventually tackling Ennis and falling into the snow on top of him, sealing his mouth over Ennis's and kissing him deeply.

Jack brought the mistletoe over to Ennis, tapped him on the shoulder, and when Ennis turned, Jack puckered his lips, eyes sparkling. Ennis smiled shyly and placed his hands on Jack's shoulders, leaning in for a deep kiss. His hands wandered down and locked around Jack's waist. Jack moaned into his mouth and threw the mistletoe down behind him, wrapping his arms around Ennis's neck. They kissed deeply for several minutes, lost in their own world together where it was just the two of them. Jack felt warm and happy in Ennis's embrace. He grinned into the kiss as Ennis started to massage his ass with his hands.

A throat being cleared made them pull apart, and they turned to see Becky leaning against the door frame, smirking.

"Guys, lunch is ready."

Jack blushed, not removing his arms from Ennis. "We're comin'."

Becky smirked even further. "Yer gonna if you don't get movin'."

It was Ennis's turn to blush. "We'll be there in a minute." Becky nodded and moved back into the kitchen. Jack turned back to Ennis.

"We gotta go, cowboy..." he said mournfully. Ennis squeezed his ass.

"Guess so...don't wanna let you go," he whispered, planting his lips back onto Jack's for a soft, gentle kiss. Jack moaned again and then reluctantly pulled away. He led Ennis by the hand into the kitchen.

Over lunch, they talked about all the Christmases they could remember while growing up, and while Ennis, Jack and Becky hadn't had it too bad, they had to admit that things were a lot better for them now. Becky was already looking forward to next Christmas, which would be her little girl's first.

They were all silently debating with themselves what to get for their companions for Christmas. Next week, they were planning to go into Sandersville to do their shopping, planning to split up in the morning and get back together at lunch, hopefully having finished.

That night, Rose and Becky went up to bed early, leaving Ennis and Jack to make out on the sofa for a while, soft music playing in the background.

Jack pulled back and gazed down into Ennis's deep brown eyes. In the last week, things between them had improved fairly well. Ennis seemed to be more relaxed about being intimate with Jack, knowing that Jack had forgiven him and still loved him. And Jack was certain that the next year would be even better than this one.

The following Saturday, the four of them went into Sandersville to tackle the Christmas shopping. The four of them had planned to split up when they got there and meet up for lunch, and after a hearty breakfast, they set off into town, wrapped up against the cold.

They parked up outside their favourite diner, Ennis and Becky in one truck and Jack and Rose in the other. They got out and stretched.

"Well," said Jack, rubbing his hands together. "Guess we'll meet up back here in..." He checked his watch; it was nine o'clock. "Three hours?"

They all nodded their agreement. With Pete off the streets they felt a lot safer about being out on their own; Fred was a pain in the backside but he wouldn't hurt them. When the other three had disappeared in different directions, Ennis got back into the truck and headed out towards Kate's workshop; he wanted to get Becky and Rose jewellery.

Jack headed towards the clothing stores in the main shopping area. He browsed through the racks of clothes, unsure of what he was looking for. His eyes fell on a light blue cardigan that he thought his mother would like, and then he saw a baggy white blouse, embroidered with flowers that Becky would be able to wear. He was unsure of what to buy Ennis, though. He'd bought him a jacket last Christmas, so he didn't know what else to buy him. His eyes then fell on a pair of black cowboy boots; he knew that Ennis's boots were wearing thin, so he picked them up and proceeded to the cash register.

Becky walked around some, picking up a new necklace for her mother at a jeweller's and some aftershave for Ennis; she knew he liked Old Spice, and she also knew that Jack liked it when Ennis wore it. For Jack she picked up a book about rodeoing, figuring that he'd like to look through it.

Rose felt happy as she walked around. Jack and Ennis had given her access to the ranch's business account so she could buy whatever she needed, and she felt lighter than she had ever done, loving this new experience of shopping for Christmas presents; she'd never really had that while living with John. She bought some perfume for Becky and a set of shaving products for her son. For Ennis she bought a set of socks, because she knew that he wasn't above stealing Jack's if he ran out.

Ennis pulled up outside Kate's workshop and stretched before walking inside.

"Hey, Kate," he called when he saw her. She turned and smiled.

"Hi, Ennis. Good to see ya. How is everybody?"

"Good, thanks. Me an' Jack are okay, Becky's gettin' tired but it won't be long before she gives birth. You alright?"

She nodded. "Yep. Glad Pete's been put away."

"Yeah, us too."

"So, what can I do for ya?"

"Well, the four of us are Christmas shoppin' today..."

Kate smiled. "I hear ya. What do ya need?"

"Well, I wanted to get Becky a pair of earrings, horseshoe to match the bracelet an' necklace we got her for her birthday."

"Okay. An' for Jack's mother?"

Ennis ran a hand through his hair. "Um, I was thinkin' a bracelet for her. I dunno what she'd like though. What would you suggest?"

Kate looked thoughtful. "Well, if it was my mama, I'd put on it somethin' a woman would like, like maybe...flowers or somethin', ya know?"

Ennis nodded. "Okay. That sounds good. Thanks, Kate. When can ya get them done for?"

"Well, you've got good timin'. I just took in a new batch of silver, so I can have them done for the end of the week, if that's okay?"

"Okay. Just give me a call when they're done."

"Sure thing."

Ennis started to leave, and then turned back. "By the way, we're havin' a Christmas party on the 24th, invitin' all our friends here, if ya wanna come."

Kate smiled. "I'd like that, thanks, Ennis. Rick comin'?"

"Yep. The others are in town, we're coverin' the whole place. Someone'll mention it to him."

"Okay. Thanks, Ennis."

Ennis tipped his hat to her and left. All that was left now was something for Jack. He had no idea what he wanted to get his lover but it had to be something special. Back in the city, he wandered through a second hand shop and his eyes fell on a picture frame. Back at home, they had a few pictures of himself and Jack, and there was one in particular that he liked. Back in Colorado Springs, when they'd been travelling through to Texas, Jack had bought a camera and taken some pictures, and they had had a picture taken of the two of them by a woman they'd run into. It was the first picture of themselves together that they'd ever had taken, and it was a special memory. He picked up the picture frame, thinking that Jack would like to have it framed and placed on the dresser in their bedroom.

While wandering around town, they all did indeed look in on their friends and invite them to their Christmas party, and they also bought gifts for Lucky, Smokey and Sunset, their new barn cat.

At lunch, they met up at the diner as planned. They put their bags into the trucks and headed inside for some lunch, happy that they had managed to do it all in one day.

As they sat eating, Jack's foot wandered up Ennis's leg as he sat opposite him. Ennis blushed and tried to concentrate on the conversation. Jack's foot rubbed up against his and steadily made its way towards his crotch. Ennis gulped and Jack grinned, and then took pity on him, not wanting him to shoot off in the diner.

They got home and then Ennis and Jack went for a ride, reaching their hill and settling on a blanket. They talked for a while and then kissed in the heather, lazing in the winter sun and enjoying each other's company.

Jack fell ill on Monday, early in the morning. Ennis was lying awake, thinking and waiting for Jack to wake up so they could have a little fun. Without warning, Jack woke himself up with an almighty sneeze, jumping into a sitting position and making Ennis jump.

"Jesus, Jack," Ennis said, smiling at the abruptness of Jack's waking. "You alright?"

"Ugh," Jack groaned. "Don't think so. Think I got a cold here." Ennis looked sympathetic, curling an arm around him.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked. Jack sneezed again and Ennis reached across to the nightstand and retrieved a box of tissues for him, handing one to him.

"Thanks," Jack said thickly, blowing his nose. Ennis rubbed his shoulders.

"I'll be fine, Ennis. Just a cold. You don't gotta lie here with me, ya know. Don't want you gettin' sick too."

Ennis shook his head. "I ain't goin' nowhere. Still early. Come on, lie back." He coaxed Jack back down and lay on his side, rubbing a hand across Jack's stomach. Jack breathed deeply and coughed a little.

"Tell ya what, I'll go out later an' get ya some Vapo-rub, okay? That'll help."

"Alright. Ennis?" Jack asked, looking up at him with those big eyes.

"What do ya need, darlin'?" At that moment, Ennis would have done anything for Jack.

"Could ya get me some water?" he asked, coughing again.

Without a word, Ennis got up and headed to the bathroom, getting a glass and filling it up. He brought it around to Jack's side and sat on the edge. "Here, Jack."

Jack opened his eyes and Ennis lifted his head to help him take some water. Jack then let his head fall back onto the pillow and Ennis put the glass on the nightstand next to the box of tissues. He then crawled back into bed, not caring about the possibility of Jack's cold spreading to him. He lay next to him on his side, just watching him breathe. Jack opened his eyes again and looked at Ennis. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Sorry, Ennis, I know you probably wanted some action this mornin'." Ennis shook his head. It didn't matter to him.

"Don't worry 'bout it, rodeo. Ain't like ya planned it." He rubbed Jack's chest again, fingers softly twining in Jack's dark chest hair as he propped himself up on his elbow.

Jack sighed. "Thanks, Ennis. You take good care of me, ya know."

Ennis smiled. "S'alright. God knows I owe it to ya." Jack looked at him seriously.

"Ennis...don't be dwellin' on that. We're past that now, right?" Ennis nodded, eyes downcast.

"Yeah, I guess. Didn't mean to bring that up again." Jack lifted a hand and stroked his cheek.

An hour later, Ennis left Jack in bed, promising to look in on him later, and set about work for the day. He went out and got Jack some Vapo-rub as he'd promised. He then went into the bedroom and applied it to Jack's chest. It didn't help that having his hands on Jack riled him up, but this wasn't the time; Jack wasn't up to sex right now. Instead, they kissed for a while and then Jack went back to sleep.

At lunch, Rose made them some soup and Ennis brought it up to Jack, lying back in bed with him and eating it with him. Jack was coping pretty well and was a lot more alert than Ennis had expected. He then lay with him for a while, talking about Christmas and the party. Jack figured he would be alright by then and was looking forward to it.

When Ennis went back outside, Becky and Rose took turns to sit with Jack, talking to him. Becky said that she had decided on a name for her daughter but wouldn't say what it was. It was a secret and she knew that her family would like it; it was a lovely name and meant something wonderful.

Ennis came back into the bedroom around seven, not wanting to be away from Jack any longer. He took a shower and then crawled into bed next to Jack.

"Hey, rodeo," he whispered softly, leaning over Jack who was lying on his side, facing away from him. Jack stirred and turned.

"Ennis...?" he croaked, eyes looking bleary and full of sleep. Ennis helped him turn onto his back and caressed his cheek.

"How you feelin', darlin'?" he asked.

"Cold. Think I got chills, an' feelin' all blocked up." Ennis raked his face with his deep brown eyes.

Ennis thought for a moment. "Hang on." He got out of bed and went to the dresser, pulling out a large warm blanket. He got back into bed and without pulling the covers off Jack, he managed to manoeuvre the blanket underneath, covering Jack's body with it as Jack curled up again, this time facing him. Jack smiled up at Ennis.

"Thanks, cowboy," he whispered, looking grateful and touched by Ennis's thoughtfulness. Ennis lay back down, facing him.

"No problem, rodeo. Gonna be okay to get some more sleep?" Jack yawned and nodded.

"Think so."

"Want me to hold ya?" Ennis offered.

"Wouldn't say no, but I don't want you gettin' sick too," Jack replied, looking concerned.

"I told ya this mornin', I don't care. If you want me to hold you, I will."

Jack considered, and then smiled. "Alright, but not all night. Might get too warm. Maybe just 'til I fall asleep?"

"Sure." Ennis then shifted forward and wrapped an arm around him. Jack snuggled his face into Ennis's chest and settled down. Ennis held him until he fell asleep and then moved away slightly, but not too far. He watched Jack sleep for a while and then he too dropped off.

Jack was ill for the rest of the week, during which time Ennis picked up his gifts for Rose and Becky. He recovered on Friday and celebrated by dragging Ennis into the shower and making him see stars. Ennis was happy to have his lover back.

December 24th, 1964

That day, they gave their workers the day off so they could prepare for the Christmas party, which their workers were invited to. Rose was in charge of food and Becky was helping her; they were chatting away in the kitchen, and Lucky and Smokey were standing on their hind legs with their front paws on the worktop, seeking scraps.

Upstairs, Ennis and Jack were busy wrapping their presents for the women in their room. They were sat on their bed, wrapping paper strewn about all over the place. They too were talking away, laughing.

"This is real nice, what ya got fer Becky, Jack," said Ennis, holding up the white blouse Jack had bought her. "I think she'll like it."

"Yeah," replied Jack. "I know she ain't got a lot of baggy clothes an' she might be more comfortable in that." He took the blouse and proceeded to wrap it in the red paper they'd bought.

Jack then paused, looking mischievously at Ennis. He'd bought something special for him and Ennis to use tonight, as an early Christmas present.

"Ennis," he started. Ennis looked up.

"Yeah, bud?"

Jack smiled. "I, uh...I got us somethin' special, ya know. Fer tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Ennis went bright red.

"That so? What's that?"

Jack crawled to him on his hands and knees, getting right up in his face. "You gotta wait an' see, cowboy," he whispered, seeing Ennis's eyes getting dark with desire. He leaned in and kissed Ennis full on the mouth, feeling Ennis snake his arms around him.

After several heavenly moments of kissing, Jack pulled away. "Come on, cowboy, gotta get this finished. We can finish this later."

Ennis looked into his deep blue eyes. "Promise?"

Jack nodded. "Uh-huh."

When they eventually finished the wrapping, they walked downstairs hand in hand, the wonderful aroma of food drifting through the house. They went into the kitchen, where Becky and Rose were cooking up a storm for their party.

"Hey, you two," said Jack. They turned and smiled.

"Hey guys. You got all yer wrappin' done?"

They nodded. "Yep. How are things goin' in here?"

"Pretty good. But these two are wantin' some," Becky replied, nodding at the two dogs. Jack got them some food and then some for him and Ennis.

"Is the livin' room ready?" asked Rose.

"No, but...I guess we better get started," said Jack in resignation. After they'd eaten, he and Ennis proceeded to decorate the living room and get it ready for the food. They had bottles of wine and whiskey and beer, and there was plenty of food, both hot and cold. It looked set to be a good night. Last Christmas, it had just been the two of them, but this year they were more comfortable and settled in; they had more friends now.

At seven, their guests started arriving. Rick and Kate Hardeman were the first to arrive, bearing another bottle of wine.

"Hey, guys," they greeted when Jack led them into the kitchen. Greetings were shared and they talked about the holidays. They lamented the cold weather and the busy atmosphere of the shops.

"So how are ya doin', Becky?" asked Rick. She smiled.

"Pretty good. Not long to go now. Just over a week."

"Yeah. It won't be long now. You take care of yourself, okay?"

She nodded. "Will do."

Bill and Mary Jones arrived, bringing a tray of sandwiches with them. They got on well with Rose, being around her age, and Mary and Rose were both avid knitters, so they found a common ground.

One by one, their hands arrived with their wives and girlfriends, all bringing gifts. The radio was turned on and Christmas music was playing on one of the stations. Jack hoped to get Ennis dancing with him at some point of the night, but he'd probably have to get some whiskey in him first.

They thought that all of their guests had arrived, but another knock drew their attention. Jack answered it.

"Rich!" he said in surprise, smiling widely when he saw the older man. Rich smiled back.

"Hey, Jack. Becky called me about the party, hope it's okay if I gatecrash."

Jack grinned. "Course, come on in." He led him inside, where he was introduced as a friend of Jack and Becky's grandfather; there was no need to spread too much of the truth.

After some food and drink had been consumed, they all settled on the floor to play a game, at the encouragement of the women. They decided to play The Minister's Cat, and all started clapping together, trying to think of adjectives and eventually falling short of the task. The booze flowed and then they all got up to dance. Jack decided to spare Ennis's blushes and danced with his mother instead, while Ennis danced with Becky.

Full of red wine, Jack took down the mistletoe and chased Ennis outside like last year, giggling and yelling to get him back. They tumbled down onto the grass, leaving the others to shake their heads in amusement.

Around twenty minutes later, the two cowboys returned, faces flushed and lips bruised from heavy kisses. Jack was clearly drunk on love as well as red wine, and he kept nibbling at Ennis's neck as they walked back.

All in all, they had a good night, and saw their guests off at around ten thirty, waving tiredly and then dropping onto their sofa and chairs. Jack got himself some water to try and sober himself up some; he wanted to have a clear head later, when he brought out his surprise for Ennis.

They watched the end of It's A Wonderful Life and then Becky and Rose went up to bed. When they disappeared, Jack started giving Ennis the look that meant sex was on his mind.

"Hey, cowboy," he murmured. "Wanna go up? See what I got for ya?" Ennis smiled at him.

"You bet, bud." Jack took his hand and led him upstairs without a word.

They stripped off and got into bed, crawling under the warm sheets and turning towards each other. Ennis reached out and ran a finger along Jack's jawline.

"So, what ya got fer us, bud?" he asked, anticipation running through him.

Jack leaned in and kissed him. "You'll see." He turned to rummage through his nightstand, Ennis's gaze dropping down to his ass. He turned back and was holding something red and velvety in his hands. He had a flirty smile on his face.

"What's that?" Ennis asked, looking at it curiously. Jack held it out. It was a velvet rope, perfect for tying someone up in bed.

"Jack...?" he asked, feeling himself going red. Jack grinned at the effect he was having on his lover.

"Whaddaya say? You want an early Christmas present?" he asked, raking Ennis's body with his eyes.

Ennis looked down at the rope, then back up at Jack. "Sure. You wanna tie me up, or you want me to tie you up?"

Jack considered. "Want you to tie me up," he whispered, eyes sparkling.

Ennis nodded. "Sure thing, darlin'. C'mere." He took the rope; it was smooth in his hand. Their bed had bars for a headboard and that would be the perfect way to do it. Jack shuffled further up and laid his head on the pillow. Ennis gently tied his hands together and then tied the other end to the bars. He then leaned over Jack.

"You ready, darlin'?" he asked softly, gazing down at him. Jack nodded, breathing deeply.

"Yeah. I trust you, Ennis," he replied sincerely. He then gestured down to his crotch with his head. "Want ya down there at first," he whispered. He definitely needed some contact with that mouth he loved so much.

Ennis kissed him on the lips, caressing Jack's with his own, Jack making soft moaning noises. Ennis then travelled down Jack's body to his hardness and settled himself between Jack's legs, spreading them wide. He looked up at Jack, who met his gaze through his thick, long eyelashes.

"Come on, Ennis..." he whispered.

Ennis then went to work, licking up one side and making Jack buck upwards. He took hold of Jack's balls with one hand and squeezed them gently, massaging them and making Jack groan. He took Jack fully in his mouth at last, sucking eagerly and running his hands up Jack's chest, feeling his ribs and strong chest muscles. His hands then ran under Jack's back and down to squeeze his ass.

Jack thrust helplessly into Ennis's mouth, unable to hold back. It was unbelievable to him how good Ennis was at this; he just knew exactly what to do and how to make Jack crazy.

His rhythm sped up and Jack was utterly powerless in his arms. His hands wandered down to the crack in Jack's ass and a finger slipped in, searching for the sweet spot and rubbing at it when he found it. Jack moaned loudly and didn't care who heard. Ennis beat himself off in time to his sucks and they simultaneously released, Jack into Ennis's mouth and Ennis onto the sheets.

Jack collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily and gasping. "Oh God, Ennis, come on, untie me..." he groaned.

Ennis crawled back up him and undid the rope, throwing it to the floor. Jack immediately wrapped his arms around Ennis and they kissed passionately. After several minutes, Ennis pulled away and looked down at Jack with love-filled eyes.

"Love you, Jack," he breathed. Jack smiled dozily at him. The red wine and satisfaction of release were swirling around his head.

"Love you too, baby." Ennis rolled off him onto his back and pulled him close, slipping an arm around him and letting their fingers play together. Jack sighed contentedly, relishing the peace of being here with Ennis.

Ennis paused for a moment. "Can I ask ya somethin'?"

"Sure."

"I, um...I know you're always sayin'...that yer...attracted to me, like. But...I gotta say, Jack...I ain't never been able to see it."

Jack sighed. "Oh, Ennis...don't be puttin' yerself down. You know I'm attracted to you; you don't gotta worry."

"I ain't worryin', Jack. I just...can ya just...tell me why?"

Jack sighed again and sat up, turning to face Ennis. "Come here, cowboy." He coaxed Ennis into a sitting position and sat facing him. He then took Ennis's hands.

"Ennis..." he started. "I'll tell ya why I'm attracted to ya. Why I still want ya. See these curls?" he asked, twirling them around his fingers. "I'm crazy 'bout these curls. Drive me mad. An' yer eyes...I love how deep they are...an' I love that little fleck of green," he said, looking deep into Ennis's eyes, which were looking back at him shyly. A smile was gathering at the side of his mouth, and Jack noticed.

"An' that...I love yer shy little smile," he grinned, touching it with a finger and making Ennis blush. He kissed the side of Ennis's mouth, then his lips.

"Ennis, I..." He ran his hands across Ennis's broad chest and ribs. "I like this, yer muscles an' ribs. You've got a man's body, Ennis, an' that's what I like. I'm gay, remember?" he asked, grinning.

"Yeah," Ennis said. "I like yer chest too, ya know, Jack." He took a breath. "I'm gay too," he said shakily. He didn't have a problem with being gay, but he was still getting used to it.

Jack leaned in and kissed him again, sliding his hands around to Ennis's back and running them up and down, feeling Ennis sliding his own arms around his back. Within moments they were getting hard again, and Jack rolled Ennis down onto his back, lying on top of him and kissing him thoroughly. For the remainder of the night, they continued to pour themselves into each other like empty vessels, and then lay down, Jack curling into Ennis and laying his head on Ennis's chest. The clock struck midnight and they kissed one last time before falling asleep, looking forward to their second Christmas together.