All Things Considered, 29
Mar. 23rd, 2012 07:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morrobay1990Title: All Things Considered, Chapter 29
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
morrobay1990
Genre: Ennis, moving on?
Word count: 1400
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack
Previously, on All Things Considered...
…it looked as if he was finally gaining an advantage over Jack...and how weird did that sound? Advantage? Over a dead man? Only someone foolish enough to fall in love with Ennis would understand.
To tell another person that Jack needed sex with men other than him? Besides betraying Jack by giving away something so private...nobody's business...he was also worried that the same might be true of Travis...didn't know why it wasn't true of him...shit, he didn't know anything about this.
Travis stood and picked up his glass, leaned over as Ennis looked up, and kissed him, the kiss holding promises of a long night ahead. “Come on, we're done talking...let's go to bed.”
Chapter 29
Tuesday
“Almost wish we didn't have to go back.”
It was early morning...they were lying in bed, facing each other...looking, touching, kissing...flames extinguished, they lay in the warmth that remained.
“Yeah, no shit...I thought about that, too...not going back, I mean...I'd forgotten how much I love it here...”
“Yeah, but this ain't the real world, right? Everything's perfect here...”
“It's gonna be real when we get back to Wyoming. It's gonna be different...”
“Different? Why? Thought that's why we were here...to work things out. So...when we get back it'll just be better, right?”
“Yeah, things are working out...so back home we're gonna have to make some changes, Ennis. Live together...isn't that where this is going?”
Ennis forced himself to lie still, fought his natural impulse to get out of bed and put distance between the two of them. “Hadn't quite got that far in my thinkin', been workin' on all this other shit...can't we take one thing at a time?” He rolled onto his back, nerves rising to the surface.
“We can work on one thing at a time...just don't forget that's one of the things...”
The conversation was suddenly strained so they stopped talking, got up, showered and dressed.
But what Ennis had asked him last night, about needing sex all the time, lingered in Travis’s mind.
“Can I have some more coffee, please?”
Travis moved his cup to the side and paused as the waiter filled it. “Thanks.”
He looked at Ennis and plunged ahead.
“Look, last night, when you asked about,” he leaned over the table so his voice wouldn't carry, “needing sex all the time. I'm not gonna ask you about that time with Jack you were talking about, you said it's private. But what made you ask that? I mean, you know it's no different than...you don’t want to fuck every woman you see, do you? I mean, when you were…when you weren’t…” He was fumbling with this and didn’t know how to say it so he just came out with it.
“Why did you ask that?”
Ennis shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable, but in his mind it was better than talking about them living together.
“Just...it was just a mistake...I found out later I was wrong...about...”
This was getting too close. “I said some stuff to Jack, but I was wrong, I know that now.” He blew out a breath, “I don't know why I said that last night...I don't know...”
“You know you can ask me anything. If you want to know something, ask me...but don't accuse me.”
“Yeah...ok.”
They left the restaurant in better spirits.
Thursday
Tuesday and Wednesday passed quickly. They rode the beach and had the whole stretch to themselves, except for two men fishing at the water’s edge, casting their lines far out into the surf.
They rose early, had breakfast overlooking the breakers, walked in town, ate fresh fish caught only hours before.
They made love.
They didn’t speak of Jack again.
After dinner they took a blanket and a bottle of bourbon to a small cove they had discovered earlier, the wind blocked by huge boulders, and sat on the sand, watched the waves roll in.
Travis said, “So tomorrow we’ll head back to LAX, the flight’s at 3:45.”
Ennis handed him the bottle and shifted to lay down with his head in Travis’s lap. He sighed and closed his eyes as Travis looked down at him and stroked his arm.
“Never thought there was a better sound than the quiet at the cabin, but I am gonna miss hearin’ the waves. Sure can relax you...put you to sleep.”
“Well, now that you know you like it, we can come back any time. I’m glad it worked out, wasn’t sure how you’d take to being away from home.”
“Like what I’ve seen. And it sure is gonna be a bitch gettin’ back into the work routine.”
Travis was silent for a few minutes then, “Speaking of work…” he stopped.
“Yeah – what about it?”
“Well, I've been meaning to talk to you about something. Things are starting to fall into place so, here goes: I’ve been thinking of buying the Crazy J Ranch.”
Ennis opened his eyes and stared up at him, incredulous. “What?” He started to sit up but Travis pushed back on his shoulder to keep him down.
“Just listen for a minute. I’ve been working with a guy from the bank, and I’m almost finished with the business plan...it's really just a follow-on to what they're already doing. I've had a couple meetings with the owners of Crazy J…they said…”
Ennis pulled away and sat up.
“Where the hell did this come from? You wanna run a ranch?” He reached out for the bottle and Travis handed it to him.
“Well, it’s been in the back of my mind for a while, almost a year. Ever since Deborah Strait went to Thunder Canyon. You know she quit Crazy J because they were gonna sell up, right?”
Ennis had heard some of the guys talking about it, rumors…he hadn’t paid particular attention…nothing to do with him.
“Never heard any details, just rumors going around. Why do you wanna get into it? You don't know anything about ranchin'.”
“I made up my mind I don’t want to sit on my ass behind a desk for the next twenty years. And it looks like the financing is going to work out all right.”
Now he reached out to Ennis and took the bottle from him. “All I need is a foreman.” He took a drink and saw Ennis shake his head. “And a partner.”
“Well, good luck with that.”
“Ennis, come on, don't you even want to hear about it? What's wrong with the idea, anyway?”
Ennis knew there wasn't enough time left in the day to tell him what was wrong with the idea. Ranching wasn't for the inexperienced...he didn't even know if he had what it took to run a ranch, but he knew he could do it better than Travis. What did Travis know about ranching, anyway? Nothing.
“What do you know about ranching, anyway? How the hell are you gonna make a go of it...turn a profit? Where did you get this crazy idea?”
“I've done a lot of research. I've looked at the books from Crazy J, talked to the owners. They're in the black, they're just getting out because none of their family wants it, otherwise they'd keep it in the family. I have the money to keep it going for over two years, that's stock, payroll, repairs, vets, upkeep on the trucks, everything...I've looked at everything.”
He didn't know if he should have waited to tell Ennis about it, but why should he put it off? He'd have to know sometime, and Travis wanted Ennis on board with this, wanted him to be part of it with him, work the ranch...make a go of it together...share something that they both loved.
He knew Ennis well enough to know that he would panic at first, but once he looked at the plan and could see what Travis saw, he'd come around. It was a good business plan, he knew they could make a go of it.
“Just think about it. I can show you everything when we get home. It's a good ranch, we can take it over and make it pay. If you'll go into it with me...I need you with me on this, Ennis.” He wanted to hear Ennis say something positive about it...he wanted him to want it.
Ennis was too pragmatic to think that something like this could work...or maybe the word was pessimistic. Whatever the word, he knew Travis had bitten off more than he could chew.
He decided not to argue about it...he would wait and let Travis show him the numbers, then see how he reacted to some good questions that Ennis knew would pinpoint problems that Travis probably hadn't thought of. Ennis had been foreman for years and knew a helluva lot more than Travis did about running a ranch. He hated to be the one to burst his bubble, but better that he do it, than have Travis risk his life savings on a losing proposition.
He would wait.
Author:
morrobay1990Genre: Ennis, moving on?
Word count: 1400
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack
Previously, on All Things Considered...
…it looked as if he was finally gaining an advantage over Jack...and how weird did that sound? Advantage? Over a dead man? Only someone foolish enough to fall in love with Ennis would understand.
To tell another person that Jack needed sex with men other than him? Besides betraying Jack by giving away something so private...nobody's business...he was also worried that the same might be true of Travis...didn't know why it wasn't true of him...shit, he didn't know anything about this.
Travis stood and picked up his glass, leaned over as Ennis looked up, and kissed him, the kiss holding promises of a long night ahead. “Come on, we're done talking...let's go to bed.”
Chapter 29
Tuesday
“Almost wish we didn't have to go back.”
It was early morning...they were lying in bed, facing each other...looking, touching, kissing...flames extinguished, they lay in the warmth that remained.
“Yeah, no shit...I thought about that, too...not going back, I mean...I'd forgotten how much I love it here...”
“Yeah, but this ain't the real world, right? Everything's perfect here...”
“It's gonna be real when we get back to Wyoming. It's gonna be different...”
“Different? Why? Thought that's why we were here...to work things out. So...when we get back it'll just be better, right?”
“Yeah, things are working out...so back home we're gonna have to make some changes, Ennis. Live together...isn't that where this is going?”
Ennis forced himself to lie still, fought his natural impulse to get out of bed and put distance between the two of them. “Hadn't quite got that far in my thinkin', been workin' on all this other shit...can't we take one thing at a time?” He rolled onto his back, nerves rising to the surface.
“We can work on one thing at a time...just don't forget that's one of the things...”
The conversation was suddenly strained so they stopped talking, got up, showered and dressed.
But what Ennis had asked him last night, about needing sex all the time, lingered in Travis’s mind.
“Can I have some more coffee, please?”
Travis moved his cup to the side and paused as the waiter filled it. “Thanks.”
He looked at Ennis and plunged ahead.
“Look, last night, when you asked about,” he leaned over the table so his voice wouldn't carry, “needing sex all the time. I'm not gonna ask you about that time with Jack you were talking about, you said it's private. But what made you ask that? I mean, you know it's no different than...you don’t want to fuck every woman you see, do you? I mean, when you were…when you weren’t…” He was fumbling with this and didn’t know how to say it so he just came out with it.
“Why did you ask that?”
Ennis shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable, but in his mind it was better than talking about them living together.
“Just...it was just a mistake...I found out later I was wrong...about...”
This was getting too close. “I said some stuff to Jack, but I was wrong, I know that now.” He blew out a breath, “I don't know why I said that last night...I don't know...”
“You know you can ask me anything. If you want to know something, ask me...but don't accuse me.”
“Yeah...ok.”
They left the restaurant in better spirits.
Thursday
Tuesday and Wednesday passed quickly. They rode the beach and had the whole stretch to themselves, except for two men fishing at the water’s edge, casting their lines far out into the surf.
They rose early, had breakfast overlooking the breakers, walked in town, ate fresh fish caught only hours before.
They made love.
They didn’t speak of Jack again.
After dinner they took a blanket and a bottle of bourbon to a small cove they had discovered earlier, the wind blocked by huge boulders, and sat on the sand, watched the waves roll in.
Travis said, “So tomorrow we’ll head back to LAX, the flight’s at 3:45.”
Ennis handed him the bottle and shifted to lay down with his head in Travis’s lap. He sighed and closed his eyes as Travis looked down at him and stroked his arm.
“Never thought there was a better sound than the quiet at the cabin, but I am gonna miss hearin’ the waves. Sure can relax you...put you to sleep.”
“Well, now that you know you like it, we can come back any time. I’m glad it worked out, wasn’t sure how you’d take to being away from home.”
“Like what I’ve seen. And it sure is gonna be a bitch gettin’ back into the work routine.”
Travis was silent for a few minutes then, “Speaking of work…” he stopped.
“Yeah – what about it?”
“Well, I've been meaning to talk to you about something. Things are starting to fall into place so, here goes: I’ve been thinking of buying the Crazy J Ranch.”
Ennis opened his eyes and stared up at him, incredulous. “What?” He started to sit up but Travis pushed back on his shoulder to keep him down.
“Just listen for a minute. I’ve been working with a guy from the bank, and I’m almost finished with the business plan...it's really just a follow-on to what they're already doing. I've had a couple meetings with the owners of Crazy J…they said…”
Ennis pulled away and sat up.
“Where the hell did this come from? You wanna run a ranch?” He reached out for the bottle and Travis handed it to him.
“Well, it’s been in the back of my mind for a while, almost a year. Ever since Deborah Strait went to Thunder Canyon. You know she quit Crazy J because they were gonna sell up, right?”
Ennis had heard some of the guys talking about it, rumors…he hadn’t paid particular attention…nothing to do with him.
“Never heard any details, just rumors going around. Why do you wanna get into it? You don't know anything about ranchin'.”
“I made up my mind I don’t want to sit on my ass behind a desk for the next twenty years. And it looks like the financing is going to work out all right.”
Now he reached out to Ennis and took the bottle from him. “All I need is a foreman.” He took a drink and saw Ennis shake his head. “And a partner.”
“Well, good luck with that.”
“Ennis, come on, don't you even want to hear about it? What's wrong with the idea, anyway?”
Ennis knew there wasn't enough time left in the day to tell him what was wrong with the idea. Ranching wasn't for the inexperienced...he didn't even know if he had what it took to run a ranch, but he knew he could do it better than Travis. What did Travis know about ranching, anyway? Nothing.
“What do you know about ranching, anyway? How the hell are you gonna make a go of it...turn a profit? Where did you get this crazy idea?”
“I've done a lot of research. I've looked at the books from Crazy J, talked to the owners. They're in the black, they're just getting out because none of their family wants it, otherwise they'd keep it in the family. I have the money to keep it going for over two years, that's stock, payroll, repairs, vets, upkeep on the trucks, everything...I've looked at everything.”
He didn't know if he should have waited to tell Ennis about it, but why should he put it off? He'd have to know sometime, and Travis wanted Ennis on board with this, wanted him to be part of it with him, work the ranch...make a go of it together...share something that they both loved.
He knew Ennis well enough to know that he would panic at first, but once he looked at the plan and could see what Travis saw, he'd come around. It was a good business plan, he knew they could make a go of it.
“Just think about it. I can show you everything when we get home. It's a good ranch, we can take it over and make it pay. If you'll go into it with me...I need you with me on this, Ennis.” He wanted to hear Ennis say something positive about it...he wanted him to want it.
Ennis was too pragmatic to think that something like this could work...or maybe the word was pessimistic. Whatever the word, he knew Travis had bitten off more than he could chew.
He decided not to argue about it...he would wait and let Travis show him the numbers, then see how he reacted to some good questions that Ennis knew would pinpoint problems that Travis probably hadn't thought of. Ennis had been foreman for years and knew a helluva lot more than Travis did about running a ranch. He hated to be the one to burst his bubble, but better that he do it, than have Travis risk his life savings on a losing proposition.
He would wait.
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no subject
Date: 2012-03-25 05:58 am (UTC)Ennis is changing...I was hoping he didn't come across as a totally different person, just maybe taking some chances...the plane, Cali, and now the ranch...I guess my Ennis isn't quite as damaged as real Ennis...
thanks for reading and commenting...