Alma looked up as the front door eased open, hearing the familiar shuffling step, and then another set of footsteps announced that Ennis was not alone. She pushed aside the scissors and small pile of coupons and stood from the kitchen table. For no reason she could name, she wanted to be on her feet for this, and she was glad the girls were with her sister. Not once in the seven years they'd been married had Ennis ever brought anyone with him. Something was in the wind; she felt it when he left on his fishing trip this time.

He'd been in as big a hurry as usual to get away from her and the kids, his mood as good as it ever got now that he was halfway out the door, and Alma Jr. had run to him, hugging his knees tightly. Instead of looking over at Alma to come and get the child, Ennis had put down his creel and swept her up high in his arms, hugging the breath out of her, and telling her that her daddy would always love her. Alma had looked up from this very table and watched him go, taking her note tied to his line, and suddenly wishing she could have it back. But it was done, and now she would know, one way or the other.

Here we go, she thought, as the men finished hanging up their hats and jackets and came on in, Ennis lurking behind his friend.

"Miz Del Mar," Jack Twist said. "Wonder if we might set a while and talk?"

Alma forced herself to meet those big pretty eyes and did her best not to hate this man she didn't even know. "I think that would be nice," she said. "I got some coffee on. Can I pour ya a cup?"

"Thank you, ma'am," Jack said, and pulled out a chair at the kitchen table.

Ennis hung back for a moment, until Alma spoke again. "For Pete's sake, Ennis; sit down. Ya get on my nerves hoverin' like that."

Jack's lips twitched in a quickly suppressed smile as Alma turned from the stove. He picked up the cup she set in from of him and took a cautious sip. And then another. It was good, rich and smooth like a bite of chocolate.

"Awful good," Jack said, raising his cup as Alma sat down across from him.

"Sorry I ain't got nothin' sweet but some sugar cookies."

"We ain't hungry, Alma," Ennis finally spoke.

"Reckon not. Ya look all wound up. Just like ya did the last time I saw ya together."

Ennis frowned, but before he could ask Alma what she meant, Jack launched into a speech.

"Miz Del Mar, I come here to apologize to you. This ain't easy to say, but I ain't never gonna rest easy 'til I say it. I gotta come clean like my mama says. Truth is, me and Ennis… Truth is, well, we have wronged you and the sacred vows the two of ya took. We didn't mean to hurt anybody. Didn't mean no harm at all. We just couldn't help ourselves and damned if we ain't ended up hurtin' ever'body. I don't expect that ya can ever forgive me, but I wanted ya to know that I feel real bad about goin' behind your back and all. I feel lower than a snake's belly, but I gotta be honest. I'd do it all over again to be with Ennis."

Alma stared at Jack without blinking for long enough to make both men jumpy as grasshoppers. When she turned to look at Ennis, he flinched from her glare.

"I knew you was lyin' to me Ennis," she said softly. "But I thought you had some gal a few towns over givin' ya home cookin'. I thought fishin' with Jack was your excuse to sneak off and shack up for a few days with your tramp. I sure never thought the tramp was Jack."

"Alma," Ennis began, before Jack cut him off again.

"Alma's not such a bad judge a character," Jack said. "I ain't no choir boy, but if I had someone in my life that…"

"You want my husband," Alma interrupted.

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"This what you want, Ennis?"

Ennis looked down at his scarred hands with their bitten nails and nodded once. Alma sat back in her chair as if blown there by a cold wind.

"Could ya explain it to me then?" she asked. "Cause I sure as hell don't get it. A man? Is that what you want, Ennis?"

Ennis steeled himself to say aloud what he wanted with all his heart. "Jack," he said. "I want Jack. Man, woman or whatever, don't matter to me no more. That's all I know."

"I just cain't believe it," Alma said. "I know you ain't queer. We got two babies."

"I sure thought I loved ya when we got engaged," Ennis said. "But after… I just shouldn't a never married ya, and that's the truth."

Alma's eyes got even bigger. "So the whole time we been married, you been wishin' you was with someone else?"

"Not ever' minute," Ennis protested. "It weren't all bad, Alma. You know I love my girls; wouldn't trade 'em for gold, but…"

"But what?"

Ennis dredged the words up one by one. "I cain't live without Jack. I'm goin' crazy."

"And how're me and the girls supposed to live without you?"

Ennis hung his head again and Jack jumped in. "Miz Del Mar…"

"Oh for Christ's sake, Jack, call me Alma," she burst out. "We're practically related."

"Knew this was a mistake," Ennis muttered.

"You just hush up, Ennis Del Mar, and take your medicine," Jack said. "I know we could run off like thieves in the night, but we probably wouldn't never see your girls or my Bobby again 'til they was grown. That what ya want? You agreed to this, now ya got to stand it."

Alma stared at Jack with her mouth open before swinging her stunned gaze to a meekly nodding Ennis, and then back to Jack. "Sure enough," she said slowly. "Maybe the two a ya do belong together. I won't never understand it, how a man could wanna put his…" Alma stopped speaking with a shudder of deep disgust. "Don't even wanna imagine it."

"Alma," Jack said. "I don't expect ya to like this. None of us chose it; it kinda chose us that summer up on Brokeback. All we can do is make the best of it. For me, that means bein' with Ennis as much as I can. That's what makes me happy. Can ya say the same?"

Alma shook her head. "No I surely cain't. Seems like all me'n Ennis do nowadays is make one another miserable. I swear there's times I want him gone. It just ain't like me to give up."

"Will ya listen to my crazy idea?"

"Go on," Alma said.

"Whut if I had the money to buy a little ranch? Somewhere a ways from here. You and the girls could have a real nice little house. All folks would need to know is that I work for the Del Mars."

"Sounds awful cozy and it works out real nice for you boys, but what about me?"

Jack and Ennis looked at her blankly. "Whut?" they said simultaneously.

Alma's round cheeks went pink. "Well, I got needs too, ya know."

Jack and Ennis exchanged a bewildered glance.

"Guess I gotta spell it out. I ain't livin' on no ranch in the middle a nowhere where the girls gotta ride the bus an hour to school with no prospects of findin' a man for myself just so the two of you can… be together."

"I didn't think about it like that," Jack admitted.

"Because you're thinkin' with your crotch," Alma said. "No boys, it ain't gonna be like that."

"Then whut's your idea?" Ennis asked.

"First of all Ennis, I'm glad ya had the guts to finally be honest with me. Second, I'm mad as hell at the both of ya for makin' a fool a me, and third… I'm just plain knocked for a loop. How's your wife takin' it, Jack?"

Jack squirmed a little in his chair. "I ain't brought it up to her yet. Lureen's got her daddy's temper and she sure don't like losin' anything a hers."

"She buy you, Jack?"

"Well, it wasn't drawn up on paper, but I reckon ya could say we had a deal. I didn't marry Lureen for her money, but I sure didn't let it put me off none. Our agreement is more like I promise to show up for all her social occasions, lookin' and smellin' nice, give her at least one boy baby so her daddy can have a picture on his desk, and play rodeo star for the bigwigs that come to buy combines. I tell ya, that little gal does have some flash to her, and when she asked me to marry her, I swear I thought I loved her."

"So you got some money do ya?"

"I do," Jack nodded solemnly. "You can be sure your kids will be taken care of."

"I ain't takin' your money, Jack. Damn it, we talked about this."

"Hush up, Ennis," Alma and Jack said at the same time.

"Look here," Jack said when Ennis subsided. "Ain't nothin' wrong with Alma wantin' to provide for her kids. Ain't nothin' wrong with you acceptin' a loan from your partner. Now let's get down to brass tacks here. You willin' to give Ennis a divorce?"

Alma took a big breath. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell them about Monroe's overtures, and her recent decision to let her boss know she'd be receptive to his advances, but she kept that to herself. She owed it to the girls to make the best deal she could for them. She might not be a slick businesswoman like Lureen Twist, but she was no fool.

"I'll file," Alma said. "And I won't say nothin' 'bout the two a ya. You'll pay whatever support the court says, and you'll move to another town so no one sees ya together."

"Fair enough," Jack said. "Whut about Ennis seein' the girls?"

"That's for the court to say, but I won't make a fuss about it. Maybe a weekend every month or so."

Ennis winced, but nodded agreement to the terms.

"Funny," Alma said. "I don't feel all that sad. I wish things was different, but it ain't the end a the world like I thought it'd be."

Jack smiled and Alma tried again not to hate him for his careless charm. "You're a tough little gal," he said. "You'll be just fine."

"What about you? Think your wife will let you see your boy?"

"I don't know," Jack said. "I do love Bobby, but I wasn't never meant to have kids. If I have to choose, I choose Ennis. Don't need nothin' else."

Alma nodded. "I felt like that when I fell in love with Ennis. Thought we have the same idea a how things gonna be: kids, a home, growin' old together."

Hesitantly, Ennis laid his hand over hers. "Thought I did too," he said. "But when I really got to thinkin', I could see I was lyin' to you and to myself. I'm sorry."

"Well that's somethin'," Alma sighed. "What're ya gonna do right now?"

Ennis looked up. "Well it appears that Jack wasn't settin' around on his hands the last couple a years. He's already get a couple a prospects lined up and we're gonna take a look. Be gone a few days, and I'll come back to pack up my belongin's."

"I'll do it," Alma said.

"Thank you, Alma."

"No bother, been doin' it for seven years. I'll break the news to the girls and you can explain as much as you want to 'bout why we're splittin' up."

Ennis nodded, his gaze swinging between Alma and Jack. "So, we done?"

"I'd say so," Alma answered. "Go on now; I got a lot more thinkin' to do."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack said, rising from his chair. "Sorry."

"Git!" she said. "You too, Ennis."

"Just one more thing," Ennis said. He ran out to the truck, coming back with a small parcel wrapped in butcher paper that he handed to Alma. "Here's the fish you asked for," he said.

And then he was out the door and hopping into the cab of Jack's truck like a kid on the first day of Summer Vacation.

Read the sequel Hell Hath No Fury