Texas Tea - Post Malone

More Than All The Stars

Indy tries to eat, she truly does, but she is so caught up in how Austin, his father, and his brothers eat. They inhale the food and then get seconds, they inhale that too. There are no leftovers. Evelyn gives her a knowing smile and Olivia leans closer to her. "Savages, the lot of them," she whispers with a giggle before Josh pulls her back to him and grins with a mouth full of food. "So, Indy, have you ever been on a ranch before?" Matty asks. "Oh...uh...no. This is my first time," she says. "Have you ever been in the country?" Burt asks. "Well...Austin took me out to the mountain near Pasadena. It's very bushy and you can't see any houses...does that count?" she asks. "It counts," Burt says with a smile.

"Have you ever ridden a horse? Played in a barn? Swam in a river? Played in an open field?" Matty peppers a bunch of questions at her. "Um, no...to all," she says. "Not even as a child?" Josh asks. He looks sorry for her. "No...I...I spent most of my time...umm..." she starts but stops and looks at Austin, not sure if they should know what she spent most of her time doing as a kid. She is not sure she even wants to tell them. He looks at her with a sad face. He never lies and she can see he is not sure how to steer this away from the current conversation without doing just that.

"We have a ranch to run. This is not a holiday camp. Off with all of you now," Evelyn says suddenly and stands. "We have our ranch," Burt says, Josh laughs. "Yeah, mama, we are ranchers now. We are our men," he says. "Your feet are on Cottonwood, I am the rancher. And you are your women's men. Don't you go forgettin' that," Evelyn says grinning at Lilith and Oliva. Indy can see she loves them. "Could never forget that," Burt says kissing Lilith's cheek as Josh grins at Olivia. Everyone jumps up, helping to clear the table and then disappearing one by one out the kitchen door as they grab their Stetsons. "I have a list. Don't be long. I meant what I said about running a ranch," Evelyn says handing Austin a piece of paper and then smiling at Indy before she too ducks out the kitchen door. "Come on, baby," Austin says taking her hand and walking with her out the kitchen door to his truck. "Where is Miss Daisy?" Indy asks, she hasn't seen her since they arrived. "Somewhere on the ranch. Won't see her for a while - she is wild and free," Austin says laughing softly and opening her door.

"I am sorry," Indy says quickly before he can close the door. He frowns and cocks his head.

"For what?"

"For ruining breakfast."

"I liked the eggs."

"No. I mean...everyone was happy and asking me questions. I was happy to answer and have never felt the need to talk about how I spent my childhood. I normally don't slip into almost opening up like that. I wish I had not...it made everyone a little weary...sad even."

"Out here there are no secrets...not secrets like yours anyway. Secret stolen moments by lovers or hidden kisses - sweet things. But, secrets like yours are shared because they are lighter when more people carry them. My family will not judge you. They would not find blame...when you are ready, tell them."

"You can tell them. I trust you. My secrets are too heavy for me to say out loud."

"Sometimes saying it out loud helps you let go. Come with me," he says taking her hand and pulling her out of his truck gently. He walks her to the middle of the ranch house yard, stopping under a beautiful pink cherry blossom tree.  "My grandparents have a love story all of their own. My grandmother used to tell a story of a secret she once kept that killed her inside and almost killed what she had found with my grandfather. She said on the day she thought she had lost him she fell right here, in the middle of the ranch house yard. Her heart dropped out of her chest and buried itself into the ground. It's still there and once all was right she planted this tree. Over the years it has grown, anytime we have a secret that feels a little too big we come here and whisper it to the tree. My grandmother's heart will keep it safe for you...so you don't have to carry it around with you anymore," he says.