I am not sure how I interpret that. Ennis could live without Jack for long periods, but he never was far from his mind, or heart.
It strikes me as wierd when I think about it---because Jack's need for Ennis stemmed more from the emotional--having Ennis hold him, whisper to him, be near him, than the actual physical sex, BUT he needed actual physical sex from men to be himself, and sought that out with strangers---who could do sex, but couldn't do emotion. To be satisfied-Jack had to be with men. to be happy he had to be with Ennis.
Ennis needs Jack physically, the sex is always formost when they are together. Though holding each other is important too---I really wonder if they would NOT have had sex, if Ennis would have felt so close or needful about Jack, considering he could go long periods of time without him, and not be too mournful. He also would and could put other things, family, and work ahead of Jack if his life demanded it. Jack never did that UNTIL after Ennis did. Jack always came to Ennis whenever Ennis had time.
Though they each loved each other more than anything/one else----they still had different needs of each other, and each fufilled something different in the other that NO one else could do.
It is very complex, and difficult to pull apart into elements.
But I too tend to believe that Ennis could live apart from Jack longer than Jack could Ennis, but I also believe that if this rancher friend of Jacks would have started holding him, and fufilling his emotional voids---he may well have started cutting back his trips with Ennis too-I don't know that he would actually ever completely give Ennis up, but he may have started occasionally making excuses too--maybe just to punish him, maybe to wean out of it---but I don't see them being able to actually be and stay together.
It would be easy to be very wrong about this too so who knows?