At the north end of the closet a tiny jog in the wall made a slight hiding place and here, stiff with long suspension from a nail, hung a shirt. He lifted it off the nail. Jacks old shirt from Brokeback days. The dried blood on the sleeve was his own...
We herded sheep on Brokeback one summer, said Ennis. He could hardly speak. Well, he said it was his place. I thought he meant to get drunk. Drink whiskey up there. He drank a lot. His folks still up in Lightnin Flat? Oh yeah. Theyll be there until t...
Hell yes, I been. Wheres the fuckin problem? Braced for it all these yearsand here it came, late and unexpected. I got a say this to you one time, Jack, and I aint foolin. What I dont know,said Ennis, all them things I dont know could get you killed...
They could hear the river mutteringand making a distant train sound a long way off. Twenty minutes on theysurprised a black bear on the bank above them rolling a log over for grubs andJacks horse shied and reared, Jack saying Wo! Wo! and Enniss bayda...
Ennis went back to ranch work, hired on here and there, not getting muchahead but glad enough to be around stock again, free to drop things, quit if hehad to, and go into the mountains at short notice. He had no serious hardfeelings, just a vague sen...
Twist, you guys wasnt gettin paid to leave the dogs baby-sit the sheep while you stemmed the rose, and declined to rehire him. He went on, Yeah, that little punch a yours surprised me. I never figured you to throw a dirty punch. I come up under my br...
A few handfuls of hailrattled against the window followed by rain and slippery wind banging theunsecured door of the next room then and through the night.The room stank of semen and smoke and sweat and whiskey, of old carpetand sour hay, saddle leath...
Ennis, please, no more damn lonesome ranches for us, she said, sitting onhis lap, wrapping her thin, freckled arms around him. Lets get a place herein town? I guess, said Ennis, slipping his hand up her blouse sleeve and stirring thesilky armpit hair...
without saying anything about it both knew how it would go for the rest of the summer, sheep be damned. As it did go. They never talked about the sex, let it happen, at first only in the tent at night, then in the full daylight with the hot sun strik...
They fended off the night for an hour with the yellow kerosene lamp andaround ten Ennis rode Cigar Butt, a good night horse, through the glimmeringfrost back to the sheep, carrying leftover biscuits, a jar of jam and a jar of coffeewith him for the n...
He didnt ask if Ennis had a watch but tooka cheap round ticker on a braided cord from a box on a high shelf, wound and set it, tossed it to him as if he werent worth the reach. TOMORROWMORNIN well truck you up the jump-off. Pair of deuces going nowhe...
Ennis Del Mar wakes before five, wind rocking the trailer, hissing in around thealuminum door and window frames. The shirts hanging on a nail shudder slightly inthe draft. He gets up, scratching the grey wedge of belly and pubic hair, shuffles to the...
