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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

When he asked where they were headed, she invited him to come home with her. Calla was away visiting her sister in Torrington, they would have the house to themselves. They slept together in her narrow bed, fully clothed because she wouldn’t allow it any other way. Around midnight she woke. For the first time in years, she felt safe. Something had eased inside her, some constriction of the breath and spirit had been released. She was free from the tension that fear brings. The fear she had felt in the orphanage, fear of her stepfather Watson and his drunken rages, fear of Bose, fear for her mother. Since she was a very young girl, there had never been anyone who could protect her. Now she had this fighter who could destroy powerful men with his fists. He had already battered the man who frightened her most, and he did it with ease. It was like living inside a fortress where no one could touch her.

20.

THEY WERE MARRIED IN DENVER ON JULY 1, 1933. Jake wanted it even sooner, but Emaline was not entirely certain she wanted to be married to such a rough, untutored character. Charlie Naudain kept telling her she should go ahead and marry the man, but Calla was firmly opposed.

“His head is always on a swivel,” she said. “Every time a pretty girl walks by, he watches her like a hungry fox. And he’s got an awful temper.”

Jake did have a terrible temper. Calla had seen it one day when Jake got into an argument about religion. He and Bucky had stopped in for supper at the Arrowhead Diner. Walt Deegan, an elder in his church, was at the next table. When Deegan began praying noisily over his dinner, Jake listened for half a minute and then told the man to put the quietus on it.

Deegan opened his eyes and unfolded his hands. “Excuse me, sir, but we always pray before supper. I don’t believe that’s any of your business.”

Jake leapt out of his seat, his face a thundercloud, fists clenched. If Charlie Naudain hadn’t quickly stepped between them, he would have destroyed poor Deegan.

Emaline knew that Jake would explode over nothing, but the storm always passed quickly. Above all, he made her feel safe. The fourth time he asked her, she finally said yes.

“In that case,” he said, “I got to tell you, I was married before, to a woman name of Thelma Pearl. She left me in Denver two years back, took most every penny I had. I got a divorce on account of desertion, I aint seen her since.”

“You should have told me before.”

“I know. Tell you the truth, I didn’t think you’d ever say yes. Figured there was no point bringing it up.”

“Yes, there was. The point was to tell the truth. Do you still have feelings for this Thelma Pearl?”