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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

He pulled on his boots and overalls and headed out the door shirtless. As she watched from the window, a tall woman got out of the pickup and ran to Jake. The two of them embraced with fervor. The woman pulled back a tarp to show Jake something in the back of the truck. He nodded and laughed and said something that made the woman laugh in turn, then he took her by the hand and led her to the house. Emaline pulled on her threadbare robe. She was still trying to yank her hair back with the tortoiseshell comb Jake had given her when they burst through the door.

“Look who’s come to visit, Em! This here is my sister, Luella, drove down from Rapid City tonight. Luella, this here little lady is Emaline.”

Emaline started to shake hands, but Luella wrapped her in a bear hug and lifted her off the floor. Luella was nearly six feet tall and heavier than Jake, with shoulders like a man’s. She spoke in a voice that sounded like she was calling hogs.

“How do, girl! My, she is a sweet-lookin little thing, aint she. Where you been hidin her all this time? Honey, I’m awful sorry to come pilin in on you in the middle of the night like this, but I got two flat tires comin down from Rapid City and the second one, I didn’t have a spare so I had to get a fella to give me a lift to a garage to get her fixed. Listen, doll, I’m just as pleased as punch to meet you. Now what say we get some coffee goin and get acquainted? We can unload that truck in the morning.”

“Jake didn’t even tell me he had a sister in Rapid City,” Emaline said.

“Well, I only just moved up there six months ago. Before that I was down in Oklahoma.”

It sounded odd, a woman on her own in a pickup truck moving from place to place, but Emaline didn’t like to ask questions. Jake often talked about his family, but there were so many of them that Emaline couldn’t keep them all straight. She seemed to remember that Luella was the youngest of Jake’s sisters, but she couldn’t be sure. After their wedding, she had written letters to Jake’s parents in Missouri and to a sister in Omaha, but she hadn’t written to Luella, nor had Luella given them any warning. She had simply dropped in after midnight and expected a big welcome.