Sinner's Prayer

Baby Blue Shades

Ennis found Jack to be a rather peculiar individual. He was squirrelly and chattery, though for all the talking he did, not a word of it was about God.

Ennis found that strange considering the church sent him. He himself was raised Methodist and it's already been discovered by he and his siblings that there was only a lone church in Lightning Flat. Pentecostal, which Ennis figured to be a form of Christianity.

He wasn't sure, and clearly, this guy wasn't going to talk about it.

Jack seems to be more interested in anything else, rambling on, asking lots of questions.

"Where're ya'll from originally?" He inquires, grass swishing under their long strides as Ennis leads them to the barn. He keeps his head down, watching the emerald blades he passes with each step.

"Sage," he answers simply. Jack whistles.

"That's way out west. Right by the border'a Utah, right?" The brunette presumes. Ennis humors him with a small hum of approval, thinking back to the plains of his hometown. The population was shrinking drastically, jobs dwindling. They had no choice but to move.

"I didn't think there was much out there," Jack continues. Then he chuckles. "'Course, there ain't much out here either. What made ya'll come ta Lightnin' Flat?"

Ennis breathes.

"Work," he mutters. This time Jack hums.

"Pavin' roads? I know they jus' started a few projects outta town'a ways," he remarks.

"Yep," Ennis pops, feeling a surge of an overwhelming tension in his gut. He was used to being alone despite his overbearing siblings, and this Jack fella seemed to like the sound of his own voice.

He could only blame his sister. He knew what she was doing. Jeanie knew well and good that Ennis didn't need an extra pair of hands. She'd only thrown Jack at him because he was the first guy to show up, same age as her baby brother, so that he could make a friend.

It was annoying, and not her first attempt.

Begrudgingly, he leads Jack to part of the fence, the post rotting, worn away by years of weather that's just off the side of the stables and the wire splitting. Their horses were tame enough that there was no concern of them running off, still, it needed fixing.

The whole property could use a tune up for that matter.

Jack stops shortly beside the blond, making a small hmph as he sets his hands on his hips, inspecting the area.

"Ya know, I ain't surprised. Fella who owned this place a while back didn't hold it up fer shit," he says. Ennis looks up at him, narrow eyes and lips in a firm line.

Jack meets his gaze, baby blues darting between sable brown.

"What?" He asks.

Ennis hesitates, originally wanting to make some snide remark about Jack's need to ramble on and on but he stops short, studying the other man.

His eyes must be about a million shades of blue, pale in the sunlight, deep in the shadow of his hat. They damn near put the sky to shame, cradled by thick feathery lashes, popping those baby blue shades even more vibrant.

For some reason that Ennis can't quite place, his words fade on his tongue. There's something behind those captivating sapphires, something almost lost.

He clears his throat, shaking off the need to burst the guy's bubble.

"Nothin'," he mumbles, looking around and motioning to the mess of metal wire. "Said you were familiar with fencin'?" He asks. Jack nods.