scene 26

scene 25

EXT. DOUBLE-WIDE TRAILER IN CLEARING IN WOODS - DAY

SESS and CLAIRE, 40-something cowgirls from boots to belt buckles, bandanas and hats, sit on log bench on the deck facing the road that feeds the dirt driveway to the car port covering Jeep Wrangler (JK) with Oklahoma plates and old Husqvarna motorcycle with New Mexico plates.

Well behind the double-wide, a Ford F-450 Super-Duty pickup truck and the six-horse trailer hitched to it, near rudimentary horse barn and corral, and SIX SADDLED HORSES tied to a post. A Mescalero Apache flag on the right front passenger side of the truck. 

CLAIRE: How did they meet?

SESS:  Sat next to each other on a flight from Denver to A-B-Q.

CLAIRE: When?

SESS: About a month ago.

CLAIRE: First date?

SESS: A play at the community theatre in Cruces.

CLAIRE: What play?

SESS:  Come back to the five and dime.

CLAIRE: What does Hunter do?

SESS: Writer.

CLAIRE: Of?

SESS: Novels.

CLAIRE: One I might have heard of?

SESS: Foglost.

Claire turns to Sess, surprised, as the Rover drives into view..

SESS:  Company.

She stands, Claire stands, They walk to where Hunter parks near the port. All out of Rover , Hunter and Chloe get backpacks from trunk, all walk toward Sess and Claire.

JACKIE/SESS: Hey girl.

They embrace.

SESS: Trickle in the creek.

JACKIE: Nice.

Jackie and Claire embrace.

JACKIE: Hi, pleasant surprise.

They kiss each other on the cheek.

CLAIRE: Hey professor. 

JACKIE: How's the moviemaking?

CLAIRE: Brought the camera today. But I'll ask permission.

JACKIE: And I'll handle introductions. So, Hunter, Chloe and Tom, I'm happy to introduce my cousin Cecilia and her partner Claire.

(Verbal collage of hellos, his and nice to meet yous.) 

SESS: And let's go with Sess. 

JACKIE: Claire.

CLAIRE: So yeah, I brought a camera along to record the day for my You Tube channel. But only if I have everyone's permission. 

Chloe raises her hand, then Tom, then Hunter.

CHLOE: You just have to send the link.

CLAIRE: Deal.

SESS: Tom, I'm guessing you've been on a horse before.

TOM: Yes ma'am. 

SESS: A couple times.

TOM: A few.

Sess and Claire smile.

SESS: A few. 

TOM: Word is you have too.

JACKIE: It came up.

SESS: Well Tom, I'm glad you're along and I hope a leisurely trail ride isn't too boring for you.

TOM: Blessed to be along, thank you so much. All y'all.

SESS: So whaddaya say we saddle up and mosey along?

JACKIE: Let's.

Sess, Jackie and Claire lead Hunter, Chloe and Tom AWAY FROM CAMERA to the horses. We see Sess point but can't hear her assign the horses each walk to. Tom approaches the palomino at one end of the line. Unbeknownst to Tom, all stop to watch him assume the saddle in fluid motion. He tips hat at his audience. The others saddle up, all fall in line behind Sess - Claire followed by Jackie followed by Hunter followed by Tom - and ride at a saunter into the woods out of view.  

scene 25

scene 24

INT. ROVER - DAY

Hunter driving, headed northeast on Highway 70 through White Sands Missile Range in the Tularosa Basin, nearing White Sands National Park. Tom's hat in his lap.

TOM: When's the last time you were on a horse?

CHLOE: If a mule counts, then three years ago at the Grand Canyon.

TOM: I'd say a mule counts. Good time?

Chloe nods.

CHLOE: Have you been?

TOM: Once, sixty-somethin' years ago. Had an uncle, aunt and two cousins who lived in Flagstaff. My dad's brother Randy, his wife Opal and their two daughters Brenda and Paula. We drove out and stayed with them for a week, got up to the canyon one day.

CHLOE: We being whom?

TOM: Mom and dad, me and Ruth.

HUNTER: Drove out in what?

TOM: Mom's car. Sixty-two Buick Skylark convertible. First car I ever drove.

HUNTER: What was dad's car?

TOM: Pickup. Fifty-five Chevy thirty-one hundred. 

HUNTER: Classic.

TOM: Yep.

HUNTER: What became of it.

TOM: Totaled it when he hit a big buck outside San Angelo. 

CHLOE: What's a big buck?

TOM: Male whitetail deer.

CHLOE: Oh.

TOM: When's the last time you were on a horse, Hunter?

HUNTER: I don't mind. Since it counts, the same mule ride. How about you?

TOM: Couple months ago. We got friends with land and outside Sheridan. We get up there a couple times a year.

CHLOE: Wanda rides?

TOM: Since she was a girl in Idaho. How long you been ridin', Jackie?

JACKIE: Since I was a girl, with my cousin you'll be meeting. We did a little barrel-racing back in the day.

TOM: Alright.

HUNTER: News to me.

JACKIE: Now you know.

TOM: You know what barrel-racin' is.

CHLOE: Of course. When barrels race each other.  Yes, I've seen it on TV. So Jackie were doing rodeo?

JACKIE: Not so much, mostly casual weekend activity. Sess, my cousin, was pro for few years. How about you, Tom? Ever dabble in rodeo?.

TOM: I did, also briefly, like you. Junior rodeo. When I was a boy I raced a couple barrels myself.

CHLOE: Did you ever win?

TOM: I got couple buckles in a box somewhere.

HUNTER: Really?

TOM: Yes sir. Did some whatcha call tie-down ropin'.

CHLOE: That's the one the calves love so much.

Tom and Hunter smile.

TOM: Well I reckon it wasn't their favorite thing.

CHLOE: That would have been being branded.

Hunter shakes his head slightly. Tom's smile is bigger.

TOM: No ma'am. That'd be more like grazin' and roamin'. Brandin'

wasn't the favorite part a my job either, but it had to be done. I could tell ya more about that another time, if you're ever int'rested.

CHLOE: I am, thank you. And more about what your favorite part of the job was.

TOM: We can do that.

HUNTER: So Tom, no pro rodeo?

TOM: Well, I was aimin' for that. Uncle Sam had a different plan for me. Got drafted, went off to Vietnam.

Pause.

HUNTER: Maybe we could talk more about that sometime.

TOM: We can do that, too.

Pause. Tom looks at his window at the first sight of the dunes of White Sands National Park.

TOM (CONT.) I'm guessin' we're pretty near White Sands.

CHLOE: Good guess. Have you been?

TOM: I have not.

HUNTER: I thought we might stop by for sunset on the way home.

TOM: I'd like that.

He turns away from the window to see Chloe positioned to take a selfie that includes Tom. She does so, shows Tom.

TOM (CONT.): Maybe you can send that to me so I can forward it to Wanda and Ruth, 'cause they'd sure be tickled to see it.

CHLOE: We can do that.

.