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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 had finished running the milk through the cream separator when she heard the crunch of tires on gravel. She peered out the door to see the truck coming slowly up the lane. Jake parked next to the well, jumped out, primed the pump, and stuck his head under the icy water. She walked out and watched from under the shade of the cottonwood tree, waiting for him to notice her. He didn’t see her until he rose to smooth his hair.

“Well, hello, Em. When did you get back?”

“Where were you?”

“There was a wingding over at the Nordstrom place. Danced till two o’clock and then I went to sleep in the back of the truck, cause I didn’t think I ought to drive home.”

“Did you forget that you have livestock to look after?”

“Nope, I figured it was better to sleep it off. I wasn’t expectin you.”

“I can see that.”

“Now don’t get all riled up, Em. I’m right glad to see you.”

“I’m sure you are. I did your chores for you. The cows hadn’t been milked and I don’t believe the hogs were fed last night. I thought they were going to eat me alive. Those collie pups are so big, they should’ve been sold by now.”

“I didn’t find nobody wanted to buy them pups.”

“You didn’t try. We never had trouble selling them before. You didn’t touch that darned garden either.”

“I can’t do it all by my lonesome. That garden is your lookout. I don’t suppose you’d make a fella a pot of coffee, would you?”

She turned toward the house. “You can drink a gallon of coffee if that’s what you need. Then we’re going to get to work.”

That evening, exhausted after a long day trying to put the farm back in some kind of order, they came as close to talking as they ever would. Jake asked what made her decide to come back.

“You didn’t hit me that time in the hospital, that was part of it.”

“I had no business bein mad at you. I was the one in the wrong.”

“Yes, you were, and I’m not about to forgive you for any of it. I didn’t want to see all our hard work go down the drain. If you want me to stay, though, you’re going to have to put a curb bit on that temper. I’m not going to live the rest of my days afraid of my own shadow.”

“I’ll do my damnedest.”