INT. TOM'S TRUCK - DAY
Hunter driving, Wanda in the middle, Ruth on front passenger side, on Farm-to-Market Road 337 east of Medina, Texas.
Hunter seeks clarification re Gil and Maria, having assumed Maria is his daughter. No, per Ruth, she's his daughter-in-law, which gets to Danny, Gil's late son and his death in Afghanistan as a Marine, thus making a widow of Maria and Roberto and Rodrigo fatherless.
This conversation ends when they reach the gate of Gil's ranch.
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Describe. Adjacent kitchen.
Ruth, Wanda, Hunter seated at the table. Closed photo album near empty bottle of red wine. Each with a near-empty glass.
RUTH: Is the wine alright, Hunter?
HUNTER: It's great. Barbara's parents live not so far away from this vineyard.
RUTH: Do they drink wine?
HUNTER: Oh yes. Probably semi-officially connoisseurs. They've got a pretty good collection.
RUTH: I've got a few bottles. We'll try something different tomorrow night.
HUNTER: Where do you shop?
RUTH: There's a store in Fredericksburg. And a few wineries in the area.
HUNTER: So I've heard.
RUTH: Maybe we can visit one when you're back.
HUNTER: It's a date.
WANDA: Are you a wine drinker?
HUNTER: I'll have a glass on occasion. Jackie and I have shared a couple bottles. I'm more a beer with dinner. guy.
Each sips.
RUTH: Foglost seems to have a little to do with drinking.
Hunter smiles.
HUNTER: It does. You've read it?
RUTH: Finished it night before last.
WANDA: I was going to start when Tom finished.
RUTH: Gil's almost done. We've all read everything you've written. That can be found, anyway. It sure is a vivid depiction of what drinking can do.
HUNTER: Personal experience probably helped in that regard.
RUTH: Where are you with drinking today? If you don't mind me asking.
HUNTER: To quote Tom, y'all can ask me anything ya want. Where I am today and have been for a few years is that dinner beer and the occasional glass of wine, like with Jackie or dinner with a friend. Did Tom drink?
Ruth and Wanda look at each other, Ruth nods.
WANDA: He did not, except an occasional beer when he was fishing with Gil or Clem. There was a time in his life in his early thirties he talked about.
Ruth nods.
RUTH: Whiskey. He and Gil would go to Mexico and, as Tom put it, "get a little lost and found."
HUNTER: Is that something Gil might be willing to talk about?
Ruth nods.
HUNTER (CONT.): Tom mentioned he was in Vietnam.
Wanda and Ruth nod.
WANDA: Did he talk about it?
HUNTER: No. It came up regarding his abbreviated rodeo career.. We were going to get back to it.
RUTH: I think Gil would be able and willing to tell you more about that, if that's something you'd be interested in..
HUNTER: I would of course. Was Gil there?
Ruth nods.
RUTH: I thought we'd leave around nine and have breakfast at Tom's favorite place for his Denver omelet.
Wanda smiles.
HUNTER: Sounds good. I'm on y'all's schedule.
Ruth smiles, Wanda's grows.
RUTH: Well my schedule's about bedtime.
WANDA: I'm right there with you.
Ruth and Wanda finish their wine, Hunter swirls and finishes his. All stand.
HUNTER: I reckon I'll call Chloe and catch her up per her orders.
RUTH: My goodness Hunter she seems so precious.
WANDA: Tom almost couldn't stop...
Wanda stops herself, tears in her eyes. Ruth puts an arm around her.
RUTH: Hunter...oh goodness, now watch me start.
Wanda laughs, puts an arm around Ruth.
RUTH (CONT.) I am going to stop because I will start but I just have to say all the photos y'all took...
WANDA: Priceless.
Ruth wipes tears away.
WANDA (CONT.) And I have to say, Hunter, that selfie your mother rook with Tom at Lake Tahoe.
RUTH: Oh my God.
WANDA: Rather, IN Lake Tahoe.
RUTH: She was exactly as Tom described but -
WANDA: But beyond beautiful.
RUTH: You've probably noticed Chloe's resemblance.
HUNTER: I have. And noticed Tom's to the detail recollection of what she was wearing and the perfume she wore.
RUTH: Tom has a photographic memory. Had.
WANDA: Lilac.
HUNTER: That's right. Funny, by the way.
WANDA/RUTH: What's that?
HUNTER: The smell of Tom's cologne permeates his room.
WANDA/RUTH: I just smelled it.
Silence. Ruth leads them to the kitchen, turns off the light, they enter kitchen.
EXT. RUTH'S FRONT PORCH - DAY
Each in a rocker facing the quiet street. Light BREEZE RATTLES THE SEASHELL CHIMES.
RUTH: Storm on the way.
WANDA: I saw that on the weather channel. Corpus is battening down the hatches. Looks like we'll miss the brunt of it.
RUTH: Yep. Thought we'd shoot for getting back before it starts.
WANDA: I'm all for that. Do you know if Hunter knows about Gil?
RUTH: I don't. I guess Maria was pretty shocked when he told her who's coming over for dinner.
WANDA: I'm so looking forward to seeing her and the boys.
RUTH: They've each grown a several inches since last time you did. And both looking more and more like Danny.
Silence awhile before we hear TOM'S TRUCK'S ENGINE, louder as it nears. Ruth and Wanda stand as one and watch the truck come into view, Hunter at the wheel, looking at them as he nears the driveway.
INT. TRUCK
Hunter's POV as he turns into the driveway, watches Ruth and Wanda staring at him. He parks at the garage door.
EXT. PORCH/DRIVEWAY
Hunter gets out, climbs the steps to the porch, opens his arms to hug them both. Wanda takes one of his hands, Ruth the other, and lead him to the door and into the house.
FAINT WHIR OF CICADAS.