The House That Built Me

No Good Horses

I walk into the kitchen and see Jamie talking on the phone "No, you're not running again because I got you a partnership at the largest fucking law firm in Helena. Is it a possibility, Mike? Answer my fucking question!"

I slip behind him and grab some coffee while listening to him yell at whoever was on the other end. "Morning Jamie" I whisper to him

After a few seconds of silence the person on the phone replied "Yeah, it's possible."

"Sounds like a simple case to me." Jamie looks out the window "What the fuck? Mike, I gotta go."

I look out the window to see Beth making her way to the house from the water trough out front. "What the hell" Jamie exclaims.

Beth walks into the house and heads straight for the champagne in the mini-fridge."What are you doing?" Jamie questions Beth but no reply came. Jamie runs after Beth outside and I trail behind. Jamie keeps asking her what she's doing with still no reply. A gust of wind moves Beth's robe to expose her bare behind. "Hey, hey! What the hell are you doing?" Jamie questions

Beth faces me and Jamie "You better turn around, Jamie. I'm in no mood to explain why we don't have the same pee-pee." Jamie stares at Beth with a cold face. "Suit yourself." Beth unties her robe and steps into the water trough.

"Oh God" Jamie exclaims

Beth grabs one of the champagne bottles and opens it. "I know it's a lot for you to process, Jamie. Only yesterday you were dreaming of a penis."

"Yeah, the only thing on my mind is how am I gonna clean that trough." Jamie quips

"Every now and then you say something that makes me think you're smart. And then I look at you and that thought fades."

Jamie leans down beside Beth "All right, I know what this is. It's a cry for help but nobody cares to offer any, Beth. Nobody."

" Look me in the eye and tell me what today is." She demands

"It's Thursday."

"You are so wrong." Beth grits

"No, I'm not. I'm the only sober person in this conversation and the only one with a calendar on his watch. So, yeah, it's fսcking Thursday." Jamie shouts

"It's the day our mother died." I butt in. They both turn to look at me.

"I bet he remembers," Beth says, pointing at the house. Jamie turns and walks away without another word. "You probably don't even remember her," Beth says as she takes another drink.

I look around to see if any of the cowboys were looking, which they were, took off my boots and socks, and started to unbutton my shirt "I remember her reading to me every night before bed." I shed my shirt and unbutton my pants to take those off too. "I remember having to grow up without her" I shed my pants and set them next to the rest of my clothes. "I remember after she died, Lee started taking me everywhere with him" I say as I climb into the trough.

"It's because you look like her," Beth says as she hands me the bottle. "You reminded us of her. Same eyes, same hair. Lee was the only one who could be around you after she died. After a week or so of avoiding you, we all just came down for dinner like nothing happend"

Me and Beth look over towards the house to see Governor Perry leaving. She starts to walk over to us but stops and finishes the walk to her car.

"Take the fucking reins. Eyes down." I turn to see Rip walking towards us.

"The fuck do you want?" Beth solemnly asks him

"You both need to go in the house." He demands

"The last thing I need is you telling us what we need." Beth says