BooksBarbecue
Back Come Again No More
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

The evening he finished The Maltese Falcon, he put the book down and lay for a time staring at the ceiling. They could hear the wind picking up outside, another storm blowing in, more work for everyone on the 8T8. Eli took Juanita’s hand. “With the wreck and all, we never got to talk. I thought about it all the way home, and then I was so buggered up I couldn’t talk at all.”

“It’s all right. I didn’t expect you to talk. I’m glad you’re alive.”

“I’m a lucky man, but I have to do better with my own, startin with you.”

“Why me?”

“Because I don’t know what I’d have done without you these past four years.”

“You would have found somebody.”

“No. Not somebody like you. The night I called you from Casper, it felt so good to hear your voice. When I thought I was going to die out there, I was real sorry I wouldn’t get a chance to talk to you. Thing is, Juanita, I’ve been the same as a widower for six or seven years now. Ida Mae was lost to me a long while ago, maybe even before we left Nebraska back in 1927. She was never the easiest woman in the world to get along with. But Ida Mae was good to me until one day it was like somebody else took over her body. I’m not complaining, understand, I’m just sayin how things have been. Except for you and the kids, I’ve been a man alone. And I’ve seen how you are with the kids and how you are with me. You’re a very wise woman, Juanita, and I’m plumb crazy over you.”

“Plumb crazy? What is that?”

“It means I’m in love with you.”

“With me?”

“Well, I aint in love with Willie Thaw.”

She laughed. “Me too.”

“You’re not in love with Willie either?”

“No, silly. I am in love with you. Te quiero mucho. But you know that. You must. Sometimes I look at you when you’re not watching and then you turn your head and I think you must know. It has been like this for two years. Perhaps longer.”

“Two years. I’ll be damned. Sometimes, a man don’t see what’s in front of his face. I was afraid if I told you what I was thinking, you might pack your bags and go back to Mexico.”

“Never. Unless you want me to go.”

“Only if you take me along. I’ve never been south of the border.”

“Someday I will take you, then.”

They fell silent for a time, Juanita lightly stroking his hand. He studied her face in the lamplight. “You never talk about Mexico, you know. You lived there until you were almost thirty, but you never mention the place.”