Born Wild Page #3

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You, uh... You look good.

Thanks. You know, so do you.

You, uh... You never were

much of a liar, you know.

[ Chuckles ] No. No, not really.

I mean, I always knew what

was inside of you. I just...

Guess you just needed

some time to figure it out.

Yeah.

So, how does it feel to be back?

A lot's changed over the years.

Yeah. Probably me the most.

- [ Johnny ] Hey, Sis?

- Yeah.

- Mind if I borrow your guitar?

- No, of course not.

Thanks.

- You got room in your overhead luggage for that?

- Sure.

- So, what are y'all up to today?

- Just ridin'.

- Mmm.

- Whatever the day brings.

How long you in town for, C.J.?

I, um... I really don't know.

All kinda depends.

Yeah, well, you take

care out there, ya hear?

- Always.

- [ Chuckles ]

Um, I was hopin' we could,

you know, get together sometime soon.

- Catch up.

- Hey. Let's get going.

- I don't have forever.

- Guess we'll just see how things go.

Y'all be careful.

C.J., come over and give me

a hand with this, will you?

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

[ Chattering ]

So, I heard you quit workin' at the ranch.

Yeah, yeah. I don't know, I just got

tired of my dad thinkin' he owns me.

So... I'm sorry.

I can talk to my dad for you, if you want.

He's sweet. He'll understand.

That's okay. I'll...

I'll figure something out.

All right then. Maybe

you'll figure me out someday.

- Is that what you want?

- I want a lot of things.

[ Ty ] Hey, Brody.

What do you say we, uh, take

this party to another level?

All right. What do you wanna do?

[ Ty ] Each man gets a barrel.

Three cans. Three shots.

May the best man win.

There's a

hundred-dollar buy-in.

- I'm in.

- I didn't ask you.

You down?

I don't mess with guns, so...

You-You don't mess with guns?

You afraid of a little

friendly competition?

It's too dangerous for you?

- Who's up first?

- All right.

That'll be me.

I said I didn't mess with guns. I

didn't say I didn't know how to use 'em.

All right, double or nothin'.

All right.

Aaah! You son of a b*tch!

- No, no, no!

- Break it up!

- [ Girls Shouting ]

- Break it up. No, step back.

[ Groaning ]

F*** you, man!

- You're a f***in' a**hole!

- Cool it, y'all.

- Come on, man.

- You think you're somebody 'cause your dad's Gilley?

You spoiled sh*t.

Brody! Brody.

- He's not worth it.

- This is...

I just need some space right now, Joey.

- I...

- Just talk to you later, all right?

[ Guitar ]

[ Man ] You got a big old pain

[ Men ] Pain in this

old liver of mine

Hey, Johnny.

Well, shine, shine, shine

Folks tell me it'll

make you go blind

But I'm gonna keep on drinkin'

Till it's time for

me to wear glasses

[ Both Laughing ]

- Oh.

- Oh.

We never should've quit our band.

I know. We were kids.

I still remember those... those bike rides

we used to take with those two hot sisters.

- [ Laughing ]

- Oh, man.

Ricki was always so jealous when we'd

get home and she'd see them with us.

Yeah. Well, it's 'cause she loved you.

I know.

So, how was it seein' Ricki after

all these years, this mornin'?

Well, aside from the fact that

she still takes my breath away...

No kiddin', huh?

It was, uh... It was awkward.

Not like I imagined it'd be.

Yeah, what did you expect?

She's been hurt... more than once.

- She's still married to Wade?

- Oh, God, no.

They got divorced about... oh,

I don't know... six years ago.

But it was over long before that.

Never should've got

married in the first place.

Wade was her rebound from

you, and everybody knew it.

Even him. Wade's had a hard-on

for Ricki ever since she left him.

Brody get caught in the fallout?

[ Clears Throat ] Pretty much.

Brody and him are like dry grass and

gasoline, you know... buttin' heads.

Wade's got a rich business

partner, Gilley Daniels.

They're buyin' up all these

ranches and properties around town.

They even own the friggin' bank.

That a problem?

Well, it is when they hold

the mortgage on our bar.

Been behind on my payments

for a little while now,

and those two are just sittin' there like

a couple of vultures, waitin' to swoop in...

and foreclose.

[ Chuckles ] Yeah, Wade

served notice yesterday.

Where does that leave you and Ricki?

Close to broke, with a pile of debt.

I'm sorry.

So, you wanna tell me why you're here?

It was just time, I guess.

I've been away from

Banshee over half my life.

- It wasn't the better half.

- You walked out on a lot of people back then, you know?

Your family, your mama.

- Your friends.

- I know.

So now what?

I'm not sure.

I'm sorry, Johnny.

Yeah, I know. I know you're sorry.

Lot of folks take off to see the world.

Leave the familiar behind.

Lot of folks come back home too.

Why don't you give that to Ricki for me.

You've done enough matchmaking for one day.

You know, the older I

get, the more I realize...

it's the relationships in this

world that matter the most.

But we come into this world

alone and we check out alone.

And in between, I believe, we're

meant to be with each other.

You've been doin' as much

soul-searchin' as I have lately.

Probably so.

Hey.

I'm dyin', C.J.

What?

Johnny, what are you sayin', man?

Cancer.

Johnny...

Ain't that a f***in' pisser?

But I'm not gonna have

tubes runnin' down my throat,

needles in my arms, C.J.

Some stranger wipin' my ass.

That ain't my style. [ Clears Throat ]

- Johnny...

- Promise me you'll take care of her.

Johnny, just come over

here and sit down, man.

- I've always loved you, C.J., just like a brother.

- [ Truck Horn Blaring ]

Johnny, there's a truck comin', man.

Johnny!

Johnny!

[ Knocks On Door ]

C.J.... Where's...

[ Sobbing ]

It's Johnny.

[ Brody ] His arm started

goin' numb. That was it.

Point where he couldn't even raise it.

Thanks.

- He just kept sayin' it was from workin' too much.

- Yeah.

He was so damn stubborn.

It was only till he collapsed one night

at work that he agreed to see a doctor.

Thank you.

Stage IV leukemia.

Spread throughout his entire body, so...

Just a matter of time.

He made us promise not to tell nobody.

So, uh,

Mom and I just did what

we could to help out.

Yeah.

He sent me a telegram.

Said it was urgent and I should get back.

Well, now you know why.

- I'm glad you were with him in the end.

- [ Ricki ] Mm-mmm.

No, in the end, he should've

been with his family.

The people who loved him.

He, uh...

He gave me this before he passed.

Said I should give it to you.

- Well, how honorable.

- Mom.

It's all right, Brody.

You gonna open it?

I can't read this.

"Dearest Ricki,

If you're reading this

letter, it means I've moved on.

And I hope you know how

much I love you and Brody.

It also means C.J. was there

to give this letter to you.

I know old wounds are slow to heal, but...

I hope you find it in your heart to see

in C.J. what you saw all those years ago.

And C.J., if you're listenin', the

only thing I have to say is this:

Take care of my family for me.

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