Love Me Tender Page #2

- I mean hard money.

No Confederate shinplasters.

This look hard enough for you?

A $20 Federal bill. I ain't

even seen one of these since '63:

- Does that cover what we owe you?

- Sure. Sure, I'll go wrap them up.

Well, Jethro! Well, I'll be

dad-burned if it ain't old Jethro!

- You're a sight for sore eyes.

- You worthless old rascal.

How'd you ever stay alive all these years?

What's the matter, Jethro?

We ain't changed that much, have we?

You look kind of surprised to see us.

We heard you were dead, Mr. Vance.

Well, he done near was.

That minnie ball just

misspelt my name a little.

Say, you mean our folks

don't even know I'm alive?

No, sir. Nobody does.

Come on. We'll ride by

Cathy's house and tell her first.

She ain't there no more. Her folks was

killed in the same raid your pa was.

- Where is she?

- Your place. She moved in with your ma.

VANCE:
Strange how things work out.

We go off and fight four years. But

they come and kill him here at home.

BRETT:
Whole place looks mighty run down.

RAY:
Yeah. Plumb wore out, like us.

Come on, let's go in yelling like we used to.

(ALL SHOUTING)

Ma?

(SQUEALS)

Ma, ma.

My son!

They told me you were dead.

They were almost right.

But here's what's left of me, Ma.

Just think. All three of you.

Brett!

Ray.

All my sons. Home again.

Clint!

- Clint!

- Oh!

Clint, come running!

VANCE:
Cathy! Cathy!

(WHISPERS) Vance.

Cathy.

Let me have a good look at you, honey.

Yeah, that's just how I've seen you

night and day for four long years.

Except for those britches.

BRETT:
Clint! Clint!

Vance!

Oh, no!

No, this can't be the sprat!

Look at how he's grown and filled out.

Why, he's almost a man now,

ain't he, Cathy?

- They told us you were dead.

- Yeah.

Yeah, I know. I know. Now, come on.

Come on. Tell me about you all.

I can see we got a heap of work to do.

The first thing is to get Cathy out

of those britches and into a dress.

Been trying to, but she works harder

than a mule all day helping me and Ma.

You don't have to anymore.

We got three new farmhands.

Come on, I got

a bushel of things to tell you.

Vance? I don't reckon you

could have known about this,

but me and Cathy got married

about three months ago.

Married?

Well, this is a...

This is a day of surprises all around.

I don't know what we'd

have done without Cathy, son.

Or her without us after her folks died.

We had mighty poor scratching

to keep body and soul together

waiting for the war to end.

Well, it must've been hard.

Well...

Congratulations, Clint.

We always did want Cathy

in the family, didn't we, Ma?

Yes, son.

Always.

Hey, Cathy.

Look at the nicks on this saber

Vance gave me.

How many Yankees did you all get?

- We didn't stop to count.

- Whole bunch of them, huh?

Most of those nicks

came from butchering pigs, Clint.

Yeah, I'll bet. A blue one

with the brass buttons.

Boy, I wish I would've been there.

- I'd have gotten my share.

- All I could do to keep him home.

He ranted and raved every time

we got news of a battle.

You did right to stay here, Clint.

You did fine.

I love my bonnet. You boys shouldn't

have spent what little you got on me.

Well, that's a mighty poor gift,

Ma, for all you've given us.

CLINT:
Hey! Look here.

A brand new Sunday-go-to-meeting suit.

Well, that's a present for you, Clint.

From all of us.

For me? Gee, it must've cost a fortune.

- Where'd you get all the money?

- We had some saved up.

- And we still got a few dollars left, Ma.

- That's more than we got, son.

Sit down while everything's hot.

Come on, Clint. You're hungry, aren't you?

Dear Lord, I thank you most kindly for

bringing my boys home safe and sound.

(GUITAR PLAYING)

(SINGING)

(ALL LAUGHING)

Good to hear him sing again.

It sure is. All we're missing now is Pa.

Remember how we all used

to sit out here at night and sing?

Indeed, I do, son. Brings back

a heap of good memories.

Vance used to sing the loudest.

This one was his favorite.

(SINGING "LOVE ME TENDER")

If we wanna get to work before

sunup, we better turn in.

Yeah, a lot of things around

here need fixing.

What's troubling you, Vance?

You ain't your old self tonight.

Oh, I'm all right.

A little tired, I reckon.

Vance.

I know you and Cathy used to be

kind of fond of each other, but...

You ain't got no hard feelings

against either one of us now, have you?

Hard feelings? Me? Why, of course not.

You really mean that? Down deep?

- Listen, Clint, did I ever lie to you?

- No.

All right. Oh, I liked Cathy, sure.

But we all did.

But I was never in love with her.

We were just real good friends.

And that's how it still is.

So don't you ever think nothing else.

Why,

I'm just happy for both of you.

I hoped it'd be that way, Vance.

We're so much in love.

I could never tell you.

Why, you don't have to, Clint.

It's written all over your face. And hers too.

You go on to bed.

I'm gonna lock the barn because

there's still a lot of stragglers on the road.

They might steal our horses.

You can't even trust a Reb nowadays.

I'll see you in the morning, Clint.

Vance, you've gotta let me talk to you.

You never said one word to me tonight.

- Please let me try and explain.

- There's nothing to explain.

Oh, but there is. Please let me...

Give me a chance to tell you...

Coming to bed, Vance?

Vance?

How soon you figure we can tell folks

about the money?

Maybe two or three months. We'll spend

a little at a time so as not to start talk.

You're the boss. Whatever you think's best.

We gotta buy seed if we hope

to get a good crop this summer.

The crop'll have to wait.

The money we got hidden in here

is a lot better than seeds.

Vance.

Your mare worked her shoe loose.

It's all right now.

Please, Vance, I've been trying to see

you alone for more than a week now.

Won't you even try and understand?

Nobody asks why a woman gets married.

You do. You ask me with every look.

You've got no right to think I was faithless.

I waited for you, just like I promised.

I thought about you all day long,

and prayed for you every night.

Then that letter came

saying you were dead.

I didn't want to live myself anymore.

I loved you, Vance.

With all my heart and soul, I loved you.

You know I did. How can you doubt it?

That's what hurts the most, Cathy.

I know. And I can't forget it.

Well, we got to, both of us,

or we can't live under the same roof.

I know that too.

Maybe time will take care of it.

I want you to be happy.

I never will be unless you are, Vance.

I can hear you lying awake at night.

I know what you're thinking about.

Me and Clint, side by side.

Why'd you tell him there was

never anything between us?

Did you want me to tell him the truth?

He already knows it. I told him myself

before we were married.

Why?

Because I don't like living with a lie.

He believed you when you said

you never loved me.

He'll believe anything you tell him

because he loves you

just as much as he loves me.

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