Napkin Letters

E I G H T

"What was your wedding like?" I asked resting my elbows on the counter.

Her smile grew and she stopped for a moment as if she was picturing it.

"We had our wedding in his backyard. Backyard weddings are just something the goes through the family I don't know. My mother had a backyard wedding, Tate is having a backyard wedding."

I smiled at how she talked like Tate's wedding was part of the Clarke's weddings. He was practically family to them.

"We had a live band that was so beautiful. And my dress. I'll have to find you pictures and show you. It went clear to the floor and even some more after that. I was tripping over the darn thing the whole night." She chuckled.

"It was the best night of my life. Because then Chad took me to the Grand Canyon for our honeymoon. I always had wanted to go there. Have you ever been there?"

I shook my head.

"You'll have to go. It is so pretty there I loved every minute of it. And I loved that Chad was right by my side."

I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me.

"You know my father was not happy with me marrying Chad. He never wanted me to marry a rancher. He wanted me to leave this town and go live my life somewhere else. He told me a ranchers life was no life for his only daughter. Chad and my father hated each other for years."

I knew where she was going with this. I just sat and listened anyway.

"But you know what, in the end they became best friends because my father just wanted what was best for me."

"I see what your doing." I chuckled.

She held her hands up like she was innocent, but the smile on her face gave it away.

"Emma, I didn't know you were coming over." Lexi said coming and taking a seat beside me.

"It was a last minute thought." I shrugged.

Not long after Lexi came in Rowdy and Dusty came running in. Rowdy's eyes lite up when he saw me running full speed to give me a hug. Dusty following.

"Come 'ere Em, I wanna show you something." Rowdy said pulling on my arm.

"Rowdy leave the poor thing alone, she doesn't need to see your mud pies." Halsey said pointing her spoon at him.

He frowned.

"It's alright Halsey, I'll come with you." I told Rowdy getting up.

Lexi followed as we walked out the back door. I hadn't been back here in daylight. Everything looked about the same. The shed Cody and Tate worked on the old orange truck in was still up. The horses barn was right in front of us although it looked like it got a fresh coat of paint.

Rowdy led me around the back where the pens of chickens, goats, and Tilley was. Although the pen of goats was gone and Tilley. Just a pen of chickens squawking.

"We sold the goats." Lexi explained as she looked into the empty pen as if she was going to see something. "Been gone for about a year now."

I nodded not really caring about the goats. I looked into what was Tilley's pen. All the mud was dried over meaning there hasn't been anything in this pen for a while. I frowned knowing that it probably meant she was no longer here.

"Cody took Tilley." Dusty said quietly.

I looked down at him, that's the first I've heard him say something.

"Yeah, when you left Cody moved away." Rowdy pouted.

"He went with Josh to the bar every night. And one of those nights they had a crazy idea to build him a house." Lexi said pointing over to where you could see Cody's house in the distance.