Chapter 25

Jake sat in an easy chair in Clint’s living room, his old friend eyeballing him and trying to figure out what was wrong. Jake was looking nervously around at the pictures of old cowboys on the walls. His boss looked deep into his eyes. “So, you gonna tell me what this is all about? Why did you call to meet me at my own house when I’m supposed to be at the ranch?”

Jake leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. He didn’t want to talk to Jamie yet. He didn’t know what to say to her. “They shit-canned me, I lost the part,” Jake whispered.

“What? What the hell happened?”

“My past caught up with me, I guess.” He paused for a moment in reflection. “Somehow word got around that I’m using drugs.”

Clint thought for a moment. “Well, that’s complete bullshit! Right?”

“Yes, I learned my lesson a long time ago, I don’t know where this came from.”

“That’s bullshit and I’ll call them and set them straight on that. You’re the best cowboy I have; this place would fall apart without you, Jake. I’ll tell them all that. Who do I talk to? Let’s go out to the paddock right fucking now–”

Jake sighed. “It’s too late for that; I’m done, my acting career is finished. I’m dead in that town now; no one will ever hire me after this.”

“Jake, I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

Jake got up and paced the room for a few moments. “How the hell do I even begin to tell Jamie about this?”

Clint felt for his friend, the heartbreak in his voice evident. “You’ll get her through this, pardner.”

“I wanted that part so bad, Clint, but if I lose her too ... I ... I...” his voice trailed off and he looked down onto the floor.

“Jake, come back and sit down.” He did so and met Clint’s eyes. “In the 50 years that I’ve been married to Marcy I’ve learned that I don’t know shit about women.”

A little smile broke across Jake’s face. “Yeah, you and me both.”

“But you wanna know what I do know?”

“What?”

“That young girl’s eyes light up when you come into the room. She’s told Marcy many times that she’s never been so happy. That girl is in love with you, pardner. I have no idea how you conned such a fetching young woman to fall in love with you, but you did. Forget the acting role, and fuck Hollywood. You’ve got a place here and so does she. Go home to that girl and explain things to her. My bet, she’s not going anywhere.”

Jake took a deep breath. “I sure hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. And why the fuck is your hand purple?”

“You need a new rear window on my truck. I’ll pay for it.”

Clint waved him off. “You best go talk to Jamie.”

Jake sighed. “I think Sailor’n me are gonna go for a long ride. I’ll tell her tonight.”

Clint cocked his head. “Don’t do anything stupid out there.” Jake just stared out the window. “Hey! I mean it! Don’t go punching any trees or falling down a canyon.”

“We’ll see.”

Jake drove slowly home, the first time he hadn’t been excited about seeing Jamie. The loss of the job seemed to weigh heavier on him as the day wore on. His mind whirled with the same thoughts over and over. This was everything. I’m nothing now. I have nothing to offer Jamie. Maybe she could get her job back at the jewelry store and forget about me. She would be better off without me.

Before he knew it, he was home. He launched into it immediately; he figured it was better to rip the band-aid off than to beat around the bush.

Tears were welling up in Jamie’s eyes as he explained the talk with the producer. When he finished, she ran to him and held him as she wept into his chest. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” she whispered. His arms naturally encircled her, but he felt weak and defeated. “Jake, hold me like you mean it, okay?”

“I’ve ... I’ve never wanted anything as bad as I wanted that part,” he said as he ran his fingers through her hair, trying to comfort her, but he knew he wasn’t doing a good job of it.

“I wanted it so bad for you, I know how excited you were about this role.”

“It was the role of a lifetime, a way for me to be relevant in the business again, but now it’s gone. It was like ... my last shot at redemption, ya know? But it’s not just that, it’s what it meant for us.”

“You can explain it to them ... Clint can explain it to them ... you hardly ever drink, you don’t use anymore, they need to know that ... they need to understand that,” she sobbed.

“They recast the role already. That asshole Sam Elliot got my part.”

She giggled through the tears. “I’ve actually read that he’s a nice guy.”

Even though Jamie couldn’t see it, Jake grinned. “Yeah, he probably is.” There were a few moments of silence as he let her process everything he’d told her. “I know this is a lot to take in but ... ummm ... I mean ... your old boss would take you back, right?”

She wiped the tears from her eyes. “What? What do you mean?”

“I’m an old broke cowboy, not a rich Hollywood actor. I’ve got nothin’, and I know Clint ain’t paying you anywhere near what you were gettin’ down in Newport.” He paused for a moment. “You need someone who has a future, someone with prospects ... so you can have the life you want. I’ve got nothing going for me.”

In an instant, there was a fire in her eyes that he’d never seen. “Do you think I’m with you because of the acting job and the money?” she asked incredulously.

“Well ... no ... but I, ya know ... this changes every–”

“You better listen to me, Jacob McClintock, and you better fucking listen good. I don’t give a single solitary shit about Hollywood and I don’t care about the money. Furthermore, this changes nothing, absolutely nothing, between us.” She witnessed the stunned look on his face.

“Jamie, listen. Be reasonable. This won’t–”

She shoved him, hard, causing him to take a step back. “No, you listen. I don’t care if we’re in some mansion in Beverly Hills or right here in your shitty little shack. We’re together, I love you, and what happened today changes nothing between us. I’m with you ... I’m yours ... and you’d better get your mind right about that.”

Tears filled his eyes and he pulled her tight against his body. They kissed with a passion that neither of them had ever experienced. The world seemed to drift away, leaving just the two of them ... connected on a higher level, their very spirits joined in harmony and love.

Thunder from a late-afternoon storm broke their joint reverie. Their kiss lessened and they slowly separated their lips. “That was a helluva kiss! Wasn’t it?” Jamie asked with a small laugh.

Jake sniffed. “You felt it too? That was crazy.” As they wiped the tears out of each other’s eyes he kept one arm wrapped solidly around her. “I thought you liked my cabin,” he gently teased.

“In my book, bucolic means shitty,” she teased back.

“You are ... so special to me. I love you so much.” Jake’s eyes filled with tears again. “I’m sorry I doubted you. It’s just that my ex-wives left as soon as the money ran out, and every woman since then has tried to make me into some ... some other version of me that wasn’t me, and–”

“Shhhh, Daddy. I got you, okay? I’m me, I’m not them, I love you for who you are. It’s you and me, mister. Well, you and me and this bucolic paradise.”

“Speaking of bucolic, I told Clint about the movie shit this afternoon. He offered to kick them out of the ranch but I told him not to, we need the money. So he said you and I should stay in a guest room until he and Marcy go to Arizona, then we should move into their quarters until spring.”

“And you said?”

“I told him that as much as you really love this love shack, you could probably be persuaded to leave it for a room with a shower, and heat, and electricity.”

She giggled. “Good boy. That would have been something to fight about.”

The next day, Jake’s phone rang. He sighed when the name came up on the screen. “Hey, asshole.”

“Jake, I’m sorry I couldn’t call before now, they wouldn’t let me.”

Jake didn’t recognize the gravelly, scratchy voice, it certainly didn’t sound like the guy whose name was his display. “Where’s Myron, who is this?”

“It’s me, Jake, your agent, Myron. I’ve been in a coma. I woke up yesterday but they wouldn’t let me call you or anybody, not even a text.”

“A coma?” Jake expressed his shock.

“I don’t remember it, but apparently I got in a car wreck right after the meeting with Warner Brothers where I ... where they told me that you were being let go. I’m sorry, my friend.”

“I’m ... I’m sorry about what happened to you. You gonna be okay? You sound terrible.”

“I’ve been better, no doubt, but they say I will be up and around in a couple of days. I’ve been intubated for about six days and it fucks up your throat. The nurse is already telling me I’ve talked too long on the phone. But Jake, someone planted a rumor that you are using again. I don’t know who it was but I will try to find out. What did you do yesterday?”

“Well, I hadn’t heard from you so I just went ahead with my last instructions to meet them yesterday morning at the corral. It was pretty fuckin’ embarrassin’, humiliatin’. But it makes sense now, hearing this.”

“I’m so sorry, Jake, truly I am, for all of it. I was so angry that day I guess I missed a red light. But I can get back on your case and we can get something else going–”

“Myron, stop. It’s okay, I don’t think I’m cut out for the Hollywood kind of life anymore. I’m just goin’ to keep livin’ more simply with my woman up here. I ... don’t want you to look for any more roles for me, okay? I’m good.”

Myron didn’t say anything for quite a while. “That girl of yours, she seemed real special.”

“She is. We’re gonna get married in the spring; why don’t you come up?”

“Not sure I’d make a good cowboy,’’ Myron joked. “Can you actually see me in a plaid shirt?”

“Yes I can, and a big black hat!” They both laughed, then promised to stay in touch before disconnecting the call.

Three days later, Jake went into the office to ask Jamie about the fall inoculation schedule but found her crying at her desk instead.

“It’s my fault,” she blubbered, her makeup running down her blotchy face.

“Honey, it’s all right,” Jake soothed. “What’s your fault?”

But she couldn’t answer him, she just handed him her phone. He saw that she had her messages open and it said “Chad” at the top. He read the message out loud.

“Hello bitch. I just read on Variety.com that Jake lost that leading role to Sam Elliot. Remember when you dumped me and I said I would get you back? Here you go! Enjoy!”

Jake put the phone down. “I don’t understand. How would he have anything to do with Montana Skies Again?”

Jamie sighed and composed herself. “We were here, on that first trail ride, when he recognized you. He was blathering on about having a best friend in the business and this guy would tell Chad how hard the industry was and some other shit.”