The Miner's Girl

Chapter 61

"I hate that this is the way I'm meeting everyone." I said.

"Yeah, but it'll be alright. You know a lot of them, anyway." He said.

"Christo coming?"

"Nah, he can't. He said he wishes he could."

"You gonna be okay today?" I asked him as I fixed his hair.

"Are you?" He smirked as he turned his head to glance at me.

"Probably not." I admitted.

"Me either, babe." Parker said.

***

"Hey, Parker!" An older man with graying hair and glasses on his face said as he came into the house.

"Hey, Ed." Parker said as he stood up from where he was sitting on the couch beside me.

Ed gave Parker a hug, and asked him how he was doing, and said he was sorry about Grandpa. They had a conversation for a few minutes, and Mom and Dad greeted him. Two cameramen came in, and Parker got into a conversation with them. Ed sat down beside me on the couch while Parker was standing in the kitchen talking to the cameramen, who were his good friends.

"And who are you?" Ed smiled at me. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before."

I smiled as I held out my hand. "I'm Nicole. Parker's girlfriend."

"Ed Gorsuch." Ed grinned as he shook my hand. "I'm the producer for Parker's show."

"I know." I smiled. "He tells me all about y'all."

"Parker told me about you. I'm really glad to meet you."

"Glad to meet you, too." I smiled.

"How did you and Parker get together, again?" Ed asked me.

"Well, we have been friends since we were little. Then I moved away, and I just came back up here about three or four months ago. I guess Parker and I just clicked again, and we've been together ever since." I smiled as I glanced over to Parker, who was smirking at something one of his friends had said.

"Oh, yes, I remember him telling me that now." Ed said.

"Yeah, I'm glad that I'm with him now. I know that he needs someone to be with, especially now that his grandpa died. It's really been hard for him; well, for all of us, actually." I explained.

"You've gotten close to his family?" Ed asked me.

"Oh, yes." I nodded. "They're like my own family."

I felt a touch on my shoulders and turned around to see Mom smiling, and she said, "Yes, she's a part of our family. My daughter. Sweet little thing, isn't she, Ed?"

"Sure is." Ed agreed. "Are you going to be up at the mine any this summer, Nicole?"

I smiled. "As a matter of fact, I am. My boyfriend was so nice and gave me a job this summer."

"Hey! You wanted to do it!" Parker said from the kitchen.

I laughed. "Okay, I did."

"Well, you're going to be a very welcome addition, I assure you." Ed smiled.

"I hope so." I said.

"Ed! Come meet my new girlfriend!" Payson said from the dining room.

"Seems like both the Schnabel boys had a very good winter." Ed smiled as he stood up. "I'll talk to you later, Nicole. It was nice meeting you."

"The pleasure is all mine." I smiled, and when Ed was gone, I turned around and said to Mom, "He's a nice man."

***

Around 2:00, everyone started getting ready to go to the graveyard. We all packed into different trucks, and made our way over to Jones Point. When we got to the graveyard, the cameramen started rolling. Parker talked to them for a few minutes before he held my hand and we walked into the graveyard. I was really emotional, and Parker was too. As a matter of fact, everyone was.

It was a great tribute. They said a few words, and buried Grandpa. They played "Taps" as they did so. I was about to cry, and I looked up at Parker and saw that he was already crying. I laid my head on his chest and hugged him. Dad said a few words, and it was all a very sad time for everyone.

After the graveyard service was over, Dad came and hugged his two sons. Parker was talking to the cameraman about it, and Payson went and paid his respects to Grandpa. Hannah went up behind him and hugged him, causing him to turn around and hug her more while he cried. I was talking to Mom, and everyone else was doing their own thing.

We stayed in the graveyard for a while, just talking. I know that I wasn't ready to go to the service at the hall. I had already cried enough, and Parker had too. I think that was what everyone was kind of feeling when we all just loitered around the graveyard.

Rick had bought two bottles of bourbon, and he and Parker drank them. Well, they poured one bottle out for Grandpa John and shared the other one.

Eventually, we all made our way to Harriet Hall, where a bunch of other people were. The graveyard service was more for the closer family and friends. At the hall, a band was playing bluegrass music, food was there, and a few people were out on the floor dancing to the music.

"Grandpa would've liked this." Parker said as we stood there looking around.

"Yeah, he would've." I smiled up at him. "Come on, let's go find a table."

***

A lot of people gave eulogies about Grandpa, or John to most of them. Some were long, some were just a little story about something they remember about John. Parker went up and said his, and I thought it was the best. Of course, I might be a little bit biased. A local author that knew John did a very good job with her eulogy. After everyone had said their piece, everyone just did their own thing, talking and whatnot. Parker had regained his composure, while I was still wiping my eyes and looking in my compact mirror, trying to make sure that I didn't look like a train wreck.

Music started playing again, and it cheered people up. It was like a big party. "A celebration of his life" Parker had said. I really thought it was the best way to pay tribute to such an amazing man. Mom and Dad danced to the music, along with a lot of others. Parker surprised me when he asked me if I wanted to dance. I wasn't expecting him to feel like dancing, but he said that sitting there in a chair wasn't helping anything. I smiled as we went onto the floor and started dancing to the bluegrass music. It made me happy to see Parker laughing with me.

A little while after we started dancing, a slow song started playing. Parker smiled as he pulled me close to him and wrapped his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked down as I smiled. We danced to the song together and he whispered into my ear, "Thanks for putting up with me these past two weeks. I know I've probably not been the easiest person to get along with."

I looked up at him and smiled, "I'm with you no matter what. I love you, Parkie."

"I love you too." He smiled as he leaned in for a kiss.

***

Happy Easter everyone! Thanks to everyone who has read this story and voted on it!