- This? - That's it. Yep.
Are there really cowgirls?
- Haven't you ridden a horse before? - No.
There weren't any horses around Gary's apartment.
He was my mom's boyfriend. We lived with him for two years.
My mom had another boyfriend before Gary.
His name was Hank.
He didn't have any horses either.
Hank didn't hit my mom like Gary did.
He was just mean with his words. Like you.
I see where not learning to ride a horse is a disadvantage for a cowgirl.
- You want to try? - Yeah.
Here. Grab that blanket.
What's that?
You want to have a look?
Good afternoon, boy.
Your father was sure first rate.
I miss him.
I wish I missed him.
You would if you'd known him.
Stay here.
Your mama's boyfriend in Iowa, did he smoke?
Yeah, a lot.
Did he hit you?
Mostly my mom.
Jimmy, Jimmy. No. No.
My parents scraped and saved to get us out of El Paso...
...to get a quiet place far away from everything.
Then they put an interstate right through it.
Oh, this would have killed them.
- I remember your parents. - You do?
Yeah, they were good people.
What a mess. Did you know Griffin?
Yeah, he was two years behind me in high school.
So you know how he died?
Yeah, it was... ...up in Calgary at the stampede.
A car accident.
I guess everybody in town knows that.
That was a long time ago.
I was driving, you know.
I guess everybody in town knows that, too.
- Well, hello. - Hello.
I'm not so sure I'm happy to see you in here.
- How about a club soda, Eileen? - I can do that for you.
- I hear you have a granddaughter. - Yeah, by God I do.
- How old is she? - She's still shiny.
She still expects everything's going to turn out all right.
That's a good age.
You know those guys?
The one in the hat is Jeff Spears'boy, Josh.
- And the other guy? - Some dude from the Midwest.
- Einar. - Her ex-boyfriend's in town.
Yeah, I know he is.
He's staying down at the Sage Creek Motel.
Why in the hell didn't you arrest him?
I can't do anything except keep an eye on him unless he bothers her.
Does she know he's here?
No, I haven't told her yet.
Look, if he'd been out at your place, I could make that enough.
You'd let me know if he'd been out there bothering you, right?
He doesn't bother me one little bit.
Bad news.
That's 15-2, 15-4.
That's two runs of three... ...and a pair, which puts me out.
I haven't had a decent hand all night.
Well, wait a minute, don't grouse.
You still have something. I'm not grousing.
- You want some help getting in bed? - No, I'll manage that.
I always thought this was one of your best.
Well, thank you.
You ever wish you'd lived a different life...
...rather than living up here and working the place with me?
No.
I was always happy that I found work that suited me.
Since I was kid...
...all I ever wanted to be was a cowboy.
- How about now? - Now, too.
You mind if I leave Griff here with you until her mother comes home?
There's an errand in town I'd like to run.
It'd be all right with me if she stayed up here all the time.
Hey.
Be careful with that errand.
Yeah?
Take it easy, buddy.
What do you want?
I'm helping you pack.
You don't know how much I love her.
Your love was written all over her face when she got here.
There's nothing more useless than some simple son of a bitch...
...that runs after a woman that doesn't want him.
She wanted me to find her.
If she didn't, she wouldn't have come back here.
Pull over. Here.
Keep going. If I see you back here again, I'll kill you.
You've seen too many Westerns, old man.
That doesn't exactly work in your favor.
- You need a ride? - A ride would be fine.
- Did that man threaten you? - Yeah, he sure as hell did.
Jean Gilkyson is a friend of mine. She doesn't want you here.
- You don't know her like I do. - No, you're right, I don't.
I'll make this simple for you. I don't want you here.
Now get going.
Is this something we're going to have to talk a lot about?
No, Einar, we never have to talk about this again.
Jean!
What?
Get dressed. I want to talk to you.
What is it?
I just had a chat with your ex-boyfriend.
I thought you ought to know he was in town.
- You mean Gary's here? - He was.
- Gary's in town? - He left.
- But we should call Crane. - Crane knows all about it.
- I'm sorry. - Tell me something.
I'm a little confused by bachelor number one and bachelor number two.
Are you screwing Crane Curtis...
...for protection or sport?
Would you like to ask your daughter about how she feels about it?
Don't you bring Griff into this. You don't know anything about her.
- And whose fault is that? - It's my fault, Einar, right?
Isn't it my fault? Isn't everything my fault?
Griffin flipped a coin.
What are you talking about?
Griffin flipped a coin and I lost.
That's why I was the one driving.
It was 3 o'clock in the morning and we were both tired.
We wanted to make it down to the rodeo in Great Falls.
It was a flipped coin? What was it? Was it a quarter? Was it a nickel?
- I don't remember what it was. - I want to know what killed my boy.
I killed him, Einar. Is that what you want to hear?
It wasn't the change in our pockets...
...or the weak ass coffee or the rain.
It was me.
I fell asleep and I flipped the car 6 times.
I killed Griffin.
You've got no argument from me.
You think it's something I forget?
You think that I'm not sick with it every day of my life?
But I tried to keep living and you haven't.
Is that why you hate me so much?
You know, you act like I killed you the day Griffin died.
Well, great. Lie all the way down and we'll bury you.
What's the matter?
You afraid no one will come to the funeral?
We'll talk about your leaving in the morning.
We're done talking.
Just so you know...
...I have been trying.
Forgiving...
...this isn't easy for me.
Mitch. What the hell does he know?
Does he think he's a preacher or some goddamn thing?
I'm sorry we woke you up so early.
That's okay. I'm not a great sleeper anyway.
Hey, I've got a regular mattress out in the storage shed.
Maybe you and I can wrestle it in here after work.
Did you drink the whole bottle?
She left. She walked out of here and took the kid.
Was that her idea or yours?
I didn't drink the whole thing.
Which side of your ass do you want the needle in this morning?
Left.
What'd you dream about last night?
I didn't dream at all.
I lay awake all night...
...wondering if you would ever stop blaming the world for whatever...
...wondering if you'd be able to hold on to the family you've got.
I managed to hang on to you, haven't I?
Have you ever wondered why I'm the only one left?
Well, I have my boy. I have his memories.
Yeah.
Maybe you remember how desperately he wanted to get the hell out of here...
...how bad he wanted a life of his own.
If you weren't a cripple, I'd jerk you out of there and kick your ass.
Talk sense.
I never saw the day you thought you could kick my ass, Einar.
- Einar! - What?
I want to go see the bear.
You've seen the bear.
- I want you to take me to Angie's. - You're not up to it.
I'm not asking permission, goddamn it. I want a ride.
Then call a taxi!
- I'm going back. - What?
I'm going back. I'm staying with my grandpa and Mr. Bradley.
- The hell you are, Griff. - Yes, I am.
No, you're not!
You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here.
I'm going back, okay?
You make decisions like they don't matter for anybody else but you!
That is not true.
I always think about you first.
Then it should start to show.
Griff!
Get back here! I'm not going to say it again.
Let her go.
Let her go be with her grandfather for awhile.
Do you think I'm a shitty mother?
I think you're doing the best you can.
That's her second grade picture.
- Your daughter? - Yeah.
We were having a picnic at the river and...
...she went for a swim. She wanted to practice.
She was a great swimmer.
And I...
...I looked away for a minute...
...and she was...
...gone.
She was...
I would do anything to have that minute back...
...but I'm never gonna.
Nina...
We're not supposed to outlive our children.
You have to understand that about Einar.
- Where's your mother? - She's staying with Nina.
You walked all the way out here by yourself?
I got hungry.
You want one egg or two? We've got a lot to do today.
How about two?
What are we going to do with that?
We're going to spread it around so we don't have to walk in it.
Slide on over here and take the wheel.
- Come on. - I can't drive.
You're not going to be driving. You're going to be steering.
Come on. You can do it.
Turn before you get to that fence. Don't touch anything else.
All set.
Six o'clock in the morning, I wake up to gunfire.
I look out the window and everything's shot to hell in the yard.
It's pottery.
Still, shouldn't you be catching people who shoot the neighborhood up?
Why the hell didn't you tell me Gary was in town?
Excuse me.
- I didn't think you'd want to see him. - Well, I had a right to know.
I would have thought you've had enough of him.
Come on, Crane, why don't you ask me what you really wanna know?
Why didn't I just walk away the first time he hit me?
Why didn't I just call the police?
Right? I mean, it's so simple.
Crane, are you gonna deal with this or what?
Just give me a second here, Jonesy. I mean, this...
I couldn't care less about his personal problems.
There's a buffalo over there. His name is Ronny.
And then there's two wolves, Tom and Jerry.
Come on. Look.
Food.
Come on.
Aren't you hungry?
You had enough?
Yeah.
Yeah, I've had enough of that.
No, no, no. That's okay.
I've got to run to the feed store for a minute.
You think you can fix Mitch some lunch?
- Sure. - Okay, then.
Einar!
- Mitch? - Griff.
- Get Einar for me. - He went to town.
Do you know where he keeps my medicine?
- In the refrigerator? - Go get it for me.
- Right now? - As quick as you can.
Okay.
- Okay. - Okay. Good girl.
You got it? You know how to load it?
You just... That's it.
Okay.
Just pull my pants down...
...stick it in me... ...and push the plunger down.
Was that okay?
Yes, it was.
You're so smooth I thought my mama had done it.
Thank you.
As it turns out, you're right. I'm a complete asshole.
I never judged you for being with him, though.
You're wrong about that. You made it stop, you left him.
You wanna know the ugly little truth?
You stay because you don't think you deserve any better.
Because you think it's the best you can do.
It's Mr. Bradley.
How you doing?
We can't just leave him there, Einar.
We walked into his business.
Hell, he was just doing what bears do.
We can't punish him for that.
You gotta let him go, Einar...
...get him out of that cage.
Why would you lie here and think I'm gonna do that?
You know, I can get myself shaved in the morning...
...all the way dressed, too. - Yeah, okay.
I could probably manage to stick myself in the butt...
...with one of those syringes if it came to it.
But what I can't do is continue to lie here every day...
...and watch you mourn for a life you think you should've had.
There are people everywhere who think they got dealt a bad hand, Einar.
Hey.
- Did I give him too much? - No.
You did great today.
I don't know.
I can't do anything right.
Well, what do you think?
Lift. Thatta girl.
- Let's try third. Lift the clutch up. - Third?
All right. Now steer it to the left.
Not too hard.
There. That's good.
You're getting the hang of it.
There you go. I think we're gonna get this thing done.
Hey, Griff. How's life on the ranch?
It's good.
Jean, you got two customers out here.
Hey.
- We're just visiting. Okay? - Okay.
I miss you.
What have you been doing?
Einar's been teaching me how to drive his truck.
Why don't you go see what Nina's got in the kitchen for a special?
- Okay? - Okay.
Would you care if I took her camping?
Thanks for bringing her in, Einar.
- Did she say driving? - It's a ranch.
- She's 11. - I know, I know.
But she's a good girl.
Good kids don't get that way by accident.
- Is that a compliment? - It's just the way it is.
What else you been teaching her?
I don't know enough... ...to know what to...
...teach a girl.
What I'm saying...
...is if you want to come back to the ranch, that's...
...that's gonna be okay.
Maybe tomorrow then, when you get back.
Tomorrow would be fine.
I think camping would be great.
She'll love that.
- Do you want all of these? - Yep, all of them.
- Hold on to those. - What's the medicine for?
When we get that bear in the cage, I'm gonna give him a shot.
That way he can sleep all the way up the mountain.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.
- Jesus Christ, Gary. - How are you?
God, you look great.
- I thought you left town. - Well, I wanted to see you.
You know I miss you.
I don't want you here, Gary. Can't you understand that?
It must be nice for Griff living up here with her grandfather.
Country living and all.
Of course, it's not for you.
Just give it up, Gary.
I'm not coming back to you.
Can we just at least sit down and have a drink or some kind of...
Offer me a coffee or something.
It's pretty country up here.
I might stick around awhile.
We're gonna get caught.
These are government guys we're stealing this from.
They went home to dinner a long time ago.
I thought you said we were just borrowing it.
As long as I pay my taxes, it's the same thing. Let's go.
Okay. Now scoot on over and get ready to back up.
Go on ahead, easy. Come on.
Whoa!
Okay.
Here.
Hold that still.
- When I tell you, start cranking. - Okay.
- I'm a little bit scared. - That makes two of us.
Start cranking.
Okay, now get in the truck.
Come on.
Einar!
- Einar, I'm sorry. - Get behind me.
Get in the truck.
Walk slowly and don't look right at him. Get in the truck!
Go on.
Look here.
Einar!
Are you okay?
I think the bear tore at me.
I think we better get me to a hospital.
Sorry.
Hello?
What?
No, I was just...
...pulling the loft door down. Yeah, you know...
...to keep the bats out, because once those bats get in the rafters...
...then you can't hardly get them out.
And that's when he fell.
Right, that's when I fell.
It's just dumb.
What the hell was I doing?
- Let's try this again, Einar. - Oh, Jesus, no.
I hit the gearshift.
- I didn't mean to. - It wasn't your fault.
It was an accident.
You did everything just right tonight.
As well as your dad could have done.
I guess God kept me alive to bring her into the world.
But every day, I wish...
...I wish it was me that died in that car instead of Griffin.
I wish you both had lived.
I was falling down drunk the night that Mitch got mauled.
That's why I couldn't get the bear off him before I did.
He never said anything about it.
He never would.
You.
I'm not just gonna lie down here.
Just keep going.
Heard you made one hell of a fall, Einar.
You're lucky you only cracked two ribs.
It was the soft part of the yard.
- Am I finished? - Not yet.
I'm gonna keep you here for a little bit, make sure your spleen is okay.
I'm fine.
Well, I'll check back on you this afternoon.
So you can double bill me?
Seems fair to me. You are twice the trouble.
Let's give it a day or two, okay?
I'm not giving him a couple days of this bullshit.
Einar.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm fine. I've gotten clumsy.
Mitch.
Mitch, we set the bear free.
I know.
Thank you.
You want me to run some breakfast out to Mitch?
No. Usually coffee is enough for him in the morning.
You know...
...she could go to school here.
It's not a bad school.
Whoa, Jimmy.
Stay there!
What do you want, Gary?
It's time to come home, baby.
I love you, Jean.
You love me?
- That's what your love feels like. - You bitch!
- Mom! - Don't you ever hit me!
- Don't you hit me! - Mom, are you okay?
No!
Let her go, Gary!
- Let go of me! - Are you coming or staying?
Hey! Take your hands off her!
What the hell?
Get in the car! Get in there!
Griff, get out of the car.
Griff! Goddamn it, Griff!
Mom!
Come on!
That's enough, Einar!
You leave her alone. Now come on here. Come on, get.
Get out of here. Get away, you greedy little bugger.
She didn't do anything to you.
That's Mitchell. He's a boy.
Yup.
Come on. Get out of here.
Paloma. Paloma, Nebraska.
What about you, Mitch? You know anything about this?
About what?
So you don't know anything about it?
I just drove him home from the hospital.
Right.
Hello, Officer Curtis.
Good afternoon there, Griff. Einar.
Would you stay for lunch today?
Yeah, I might.
I've got to speak to your grandfather for a second, though, first.
Heck, it can wait. Here, let me grab that for you.
So how was she today? Looks good, huh?
Yeah.
I think it might rain today.
No, it's gonna stay warm.
I didn't say anything about the temperature. I said it might rain.
Would you bury me next to Griffin?
Don't you think you oughta die first?
It's gonna happen, you know.
Where the hell else do you think I'd bury you?
That's where my family lies.
Do you think the dead really care about our lives?
Yeah, I think they do.
I think they forgive us our sins.
I even think it's easy for them.
Griff said you had a dream about flying.
Yeah.
I got so high, Einar, I could see where the blue turns to black.
From up there, you can see all there is.
And it looked like...
...there was a reason for everything.