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

“Well, I’m just as glad you didn’t get took, because now we can get this thing done, if you want it. You’d be my son, same as if you was born that way. Think it over for as long as it takes. I’d be tickled pink if you was to say yes.”

“Would my name be Ben Paint, then? Not Ben Hughes anymore?”

“I’d rather you was to take the Paint name, because I got nobody else to carry it on, but if you don’t like that idea, you can stay Ben Hughes.”

“That would be dandy with me, Ezra. Ben Paint sounds real good. I’d be proud. Heck, it aint like Frank Hughes stayed around to look after me after I was born. Only thing I got from him was long legs and a liking for horses. What about Emaline and Bobby? What does this do for them?”

“Heck, I’d adopt the two of them tomorrow,” Ezra said. “But Emaline don’t strike me as the kind that wants to be adopted and she treats Bobby like a son, so I don’t believe she’d appreciate me stealin him away.”

“You’re right there. She aint a bit happy that he’s comin up for the summer, but she knows it’s better for him than settin around the house while she goes to work at the diner every day.”

“Sure it is. Anyway, for now it will be just you and me, father and son.”

“I’d like that a whole lot, Ezra.”

“Then just as soon as we get a chance to get into town, we’ll get this deal done.”

“This don’t mean I’ve got to call you Pa, does it?”

“I sure as hell hope not. Not when you’re bigger than I am. Ezra will do just fine, or even you old sonofabitch. But I’ll be your daddy, so you’ve got to do what I say or I’ll turn you over my knee and larrup you.”

“I always have, aint I?”

“You sure have, or we wouldn’t be doin this. I’m too damned old to have to shake the sass out of a boy with trouble on his mind.”

They shook on it. To keep Ben from seeing that his eyes were a little watery, Ezra took a serious interest in a clump of sagebrush way out on the prairie. It might not amount to much more than a piece of paper saying that Benjamin Hughes was now Benjamin Paint, but to Ezra it meant the world. Eli had eleven birth children still living and two in their graves, but Ezra would be happy with this one fine son.