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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

She took a deep breath. “When I first came to Scottsbluff, my mother was in the TB hospital in Denver, so I stayed with Bose and his wife one year while I went to high school. When I came home after the last day of school, Nellie was out visiting a sick friend. Bose was drunk and nasty and I was scared to be with him, but I thought he would quiet down if I fixed him supper. He grabbed me while I was at the stove and threw me over a table. He didn’t actually do it, you know, but he had a beer bottle. I tried to fight, but he had his hand on my throat and I knew he could break my neck like a chicken. He said if I ever told anybody he’d kill me. When he finally went to sleep, I packed my things and ran out and never went back. Now can we leave?”

“Okay, we’ll go. Just give me a minute to take care of this bird.”

“It’s not your fight. Please don’t.”

Jake was already striding back into the dance hall. Emaline peeked nervously from the doorway as he crossed the dance floor and tapped Bose on the shoulder. He said something. The big man’s face darkened. Jake turned on his heel and strode back toward the door with Bose trailing. As he stepped out the door, Bose leaned toward her, his voice a low growl. “So you couldn’t keep your trap shut, huh? Soon as I get done breakin the back of your little boyfriend, I’m comin after you.”

Jake waited in the light that spilled out through the windows of the dance hall, rolling up his sleeves and grinning. Emaline thought he looked positively blissful. Bose’s friends had followed him out the door. They stood in a circle around the two men. When the word spread that Bose Hubbard was going to crush some poor devil, the dance hall emptied as people rushed to watch the spectacle. Even the band members left their instruments and hurried out to join the circle. Bose grinned and rubbed his thick palms together. He opened his arms, bearlike, ready to swat away this irritating little fly. Then one of his buddies recognized Jake.

“That’s Jake McCloskey, Bose! He’s a boxer.”

“I don’t give a damn if he’s Max Baer. I’m goin to break him in half.”