scene 31

Previous.

INT. ROVER - DAY

Hunter driving southwest on Highway 70, White Sands and the sun over the San Andres Mountains dead-ahead.  Tom's hat in his lap.  The lariat remains on Chloe’s shoulders, the remainder of the rope wrapped around herb torso like a snake.

TOM: Hunter, who taught you to drive?

HUNTER: My grandfather. Is my driving okay?

TOM: Drivin's great. Jusscurious. How old were ya, what were ya drivin' and where?

HUNTER: His nineteen seventy-five M G. We started in the parking lot of the baseball stadium where the then-called California Angels team played.

TOM: The big A.

HUNTER: That's right. 

TOM: Seen it on TV plenty a times watchin’ Rangers games.

HUNTER: Fan?

TOM: Not so much. When we’re at Ruth’s and they’re playin’  She can tell ya the startin’ lineup. Manual transmission?

HUNTER: Five-speed.  Ever drive a stick?

TOM: My best friend Gil’s gotta seventy-four Stingray with a four-speed. We’ll usually take it for a spin when we’re down. So, from the big A to where?

HUNTER: Chapman Avenue to the canyons at the base of the Santa Ana mountains where he took the wheel for the ride to Laguna and back up the coast on P C H.

TOM: Sounds like a nice drive.

HUNTER; It was. That land is nothing now like it was then.

TOM: I’d sure like to hear more about that drive sometime. 

CHLOE/JACKIE: Me too.

Chloe and Jackie high five each other.

HUNTER: I’d be happy to revisit the day.

CHLOE: Yay.

Lull

CHLOE: Who taught you?

TOM: My dad. In the Impala.I mentioned. Did a couple laps around the block then took one seventy-three down to a town called Hondo.

CHLOE: Named after John Wayne, right?

Tom smiles.

TOM: You seen the movie?

CHLOE: Miss Evans's U.S. Culture and Entertainment class last year. I'm sorry, I'm interrupting.

TOM: Ah, nah y'aint. I'd love to hear more about it.

CHLOE: It was extra credit elective. Back to one seventy-three, please.

TOM: Yep. Half-hour straight shot. Had lunch at the D Q, came back home.

CHLOE: D Q?

TOM: Dairy Queen. 

CHLOE: Ah, right. Doh.  

HUNTER: How old were you?

TOM: Thirteenth birthday.

CHLOE: That's young.

TOM: Different time and place. 

CHLOE: When is your birthday?

TOM: March eleven.

CHLOE (BEAT): I'm March sixth.

TOM: We're fish accordin' to the horoscope stuff.

Chloe nods.

CHLOE: Jackie?

JACKIE: Birthday or who taught me to drive?

CHLOE/HUNTER/TOM: Yes. (BEAT.) Jinx.

All smile.

scene 30

Previous.

INT. BARN - DAY

A rudimentary stable. The horses in their stalls, eating hay from feeders. Saddles on stands, tack area, mechanical bucking bull in a corner, open doors view to home and vehicles.

SESS: Straight back to Cruces?

JACKIE: No. Ice cream in town and a white sands sunset.

SESS: Nice. Send a picture.

JACKIE: Will do.  

SESS: So Tom, before I see you next time, rumor is you did some tie-down roping back in the day.

TOM: A little. Way back, far as rodeo goes. Plenty after that on the ranch. 

SESS: When's the last time you tied a honda knot?

TOM: I'd round it off to several years.

SESS: If you had rope do you think you could turn it into a lariat?

TOM: I think it might come back to me. If I had rope.

Claire produces the coiled rope, presents it to Tom. Chloe and Hunter reach for their phones, Chloe nods to Hunter, pockets phone. Hunter records Tom running the rope through his hands 

TOM: Rollin'?

CHLOE: Rolling.

TOM: Alrighty then.

Tom quickly fashions the rope into a lariat, widens the loop enough to lay it over Chloe's head onto her shoulders.

All except Tom and Hunter clap.

CHLOE: Think you can lasso the bull?

Tom looks at the bull.

TOM: I can give it a go.

He lifts the lariat from Chloe's shoulders, approaches the bull, all follow, Hunter positions himself for a good recording angle. Tom widens the lariat, swings it above his head. The horses add their attention to the display, or seem to. From fifteen feet Tom lets the lariat fly and lassos the bulls horns.

Louder and longer applause as Tom walks to the bull, removes the lariat, returns it to Chloe's shoulders. The applause ends.

CLAIRE: So who's going to say it?

Chloe raises her hand.

CLAIRE (CONT.) Say it.

CHLOE: Now that's taking the bull by the horns.

More applause. Hunter pockets phone, adds to it.

SESS: Anyone want a coffee for the road.

HUNTER: That would be great.

SESS: Coming right up.

They proceed out of the barn.