[Re meeting Gil, nix scene 3. It serves no purpose.]
INT. GREAT ROOM - DAY
Limestone rancho, windows to Live Oaks.
Fireplace, two whitetail buck mounts on each side of chimney, longhorn steer horns above the mantel lined with framed family photographs.
Leather furniture, pool table, wall-mounted big-screen TV, framed print of José María Velasco Valley of Mexico painting.
Minibar in a corner, neon Victoria beer sign, off, Mexico flag. Opening to hallway.
GIL, 70-something - huaraches, old jeans, unbuttoned plaid over tee - in a rocker near a lampstand in a corner near the big window a couch and two recliners face over a knee-high table. He's reading Foglost through glasses propped on the bridge of his nose. Phone on lampstand.
MARIA, early-40s - socks, corduroy bellbottoms, mustard-colored long-sleeve tee with BROWNSVILLE GRL in brown across the front - appears in hallway in stealth mode, slowly approaching. She stops at the entrance, watches Gil. He turns a page.
MARIA: Knock knock.
GIL: Who's there?
MARIA: You weren't startled at all.
GIL: Breeze came in through the screen door, turned the corner enough to bring your soap. Or shampoo. Lavender?
MARIA: Lavender.
GIL: I like it. Try again.
MARIA: Knock knock.
GIL: Who's there?
MARIA: Ida.
GIL: Ida who?
MARIA: Ida forgotten Tom and Wanda arrived yesterday had I not seen it on the calendar.
Gil marks page, closes book, places on lampstand, turns to Maria.
GIL: Tomorrow. And just Tom. Wanda's staying back with a friend whose husband just passed.
MARIA: Oh.
GIL: And big news.
MARIA: Drumroll.
GIL: They're moving down.
MARIA: Down to where?
GIL: Here. Well, Kerrville. They and Ruth are buying a house.
MARIA: That is big news.
GIL: Recent decision. Tom and Ruth are gonna drive around, check a few open houses.
MARIA: Wow. Time frame?
GIL: They'd like to be here before winter arrives there.
She enters, approaches Gil.
MARIA: Whatcha readin'?
Gil shows her the book.
MARIA (CONT.) Your guy.
GIL: Came out Thursday.
MARIA: What's it about?
GIL: A man on a boat on a lake. Alcoholism. Loss and despair.
MARIA: Keeping up his cheery tone.
GIL: Yep.
They both look to the soccer ball that rolls into big window frame, pursued by ROBERTO, 16, and RICARDO, 14, both in shorts, tennis shows and tees, neck and neck in their race to the ball, following it out of frame.
GIL (CONT.) He's caught up to him.
MARIA: Yep.
GIL: I thought I'd let Robby drive the Corvette.
MARIA: Oh boy.
GIL: With your permission, of course.
MARIA: Of course. Ricky's gonna be jealous.
GIL:He knows the schedule.
MARIA: Doesn't mean he likes it.
GIL: He also knows that doesn't change the schedule.
Gil's PHONE VIBRATES. He picks up, stares at it.
MARIA: Speaking of fishing, your attention sure is hooked.
He hands her the phone. She looks at a selfie Tom has taken that includes Jackie, Hunter and Chloe surrounding a carved wooden bear, woods in the background.
MARIA (CONT.) Who's he with and where are they?
GIL: I'm guessing the Ruidoso area. He met someone he knows in Las Cruces and is spending the night.
She hands phone back.
MARIA: Can I see the book, please?.
He hands her Foglost, she opens to the author page featuring a headshot of Hunter looking at the camera, Organ Mountains in the background. The accompanying blurb reads:
"H.C. Hardyn is the author of two other novels, Trabuco and Isleton, and Honda Knot and Other Short Stories."
MARIA: Speaking of Las Cruces, those sure look like the Organ Mountains.
GIL: They do.
Maria shoots him a look, hands back the book.
MARIA: And the man in the picture Tom sent sure looks like H.C. Hardyn. Wouldn't you agree?
GIL: I would.
MARIA: Dad.
GIL: Maria. I'll let Tom tell you more when he gets here.
Maria nods her head.
MARIA: Can't wait. Lunch in half an hour.
Gil nods. Maria leaves into hall. The soccer ball comes back in the other direction. The two boys chase it out of frame as previously. Gil opens the book to the author page, takes it in, opens to the page he's marked, resumes reading.
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