Ellie was a pleasant distraction from Ennis' immediate concerns of housing and employment. He was grateful to have someone nice to talk to on the long journey but he couldn't really admit to Millie that he actually had no place to go in South Dakota. No prospects or plans in place at all. He started to feel terribly alone, vulnerable and began to worry again about his future. Ellie sensed Ennis' discomfort and pretended to doze off to give him some space."Maybe he'll open up later," she thought.
As the bus finally neared the Wyoming border, Ennis noticed a large road sign that read "Welcome to Crook County, Wyoming- Including the towns of Moorcraft, Sundance, Hulett and Lightning Flat. Ennis' heart leaped in his chest. "Lightning Flat? That's where Jack's folks live," he remembered fondly. Moorcraft was the next scheduled rest stop on the trip.
When the Greyhound bus pulled into the Circle K parking lot, several of the passengers got off and went inside to buy food and use the rest room. Millie told Ennis she was going in to use the ladies' room. He smiled and nodded.
Fifteen minutes passed and the passengers began to file into the bus: the elderly couple, the lady and her little boy, the colored man, Millie and finally, the driver. The driver waited a few more minutes then shut the doors and drove away, without Ennis.