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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

Emaline and Ben, separated for much of their lives, had grown close again, talking through the long summer evenings about old times and all the things they had been through in their lives. She and Ben rode out almost every day, Ben on one of the horses he was working and Emaline on Popcorn, a lively little Appaloosa filly that Ezra had given her to ride. Emaline wrote to Jake as soon as she got settled, telling him that she was in Wyoming and she would be there for some time. Ten days later, she received a note from him.

Dear Em,

I know you are mad as hell at me and I dont blame you. I already knew you was in Wyoming, Calla told me. If you want to come back here to the farm, I’d sure be glad to have you.

Jake

She waited a few days to answer, because she wanted to think it over first. When she did write, she was cautious.

Jake,

Life is good here on the ranch, it is so good to be with Ben and Bobby and Ezra and Juanita and I am even getting to like Eli. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been around my grandpa and he’s not so bad after all.

I can’t tell you much more than that. Eli and Juanita are getting married July 31 and I have promised that I will look after Eli’s children while they take a trip to Seattle after the wedding, so it will be some time before I can even think about leaving here. After all the things that have happened in the three short years we have been married, I am in no rush to get back.

I can tell you that if I ever do take a notion to come back to the farm, I am not going to accept the smallest part of the things I have put up with until now, beginning with Kitty Perks.

Now I have work to do. I hope you are taking good care of the farm. Have you found someone to buy the collie pups? Please do look after the garden, I hate to think of it going to waste.

yours truly,
Emaline

30.

EVEN THOUGH JUANITA HAD PROMISED A “WINGDING,” it was a quiet little wedding. A few friends and neighbors, the hired hands, Two Spuds and Jenny Hoot Owl, Eli’s children, Ben, Bobby, Emaline, Ezra. The Reverend Cletus Barnwell said a few words and pronounced Juanita Barrios and Eli Paint man and wife. Ezra barbecued a steer. The men all played a baseball game, but only Two Spuds could get a hit off Bobby when he was pitching. Two Spuds hit the ball so far they couldn’t find it and had to give up the game.