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"Tara!" I turned and glared at her "Why would you say so like that?"

"What?" She protested "He was inti! He never said tords to anyone, and he always had a scowl on his face He wore his hair long, and I swear he carried a to I don’t kno you stood it I would have peed ned me to sit by him"

"I liked him," I said simply "We actually became friends He was quiet and kind of intense, but I’ve been accused of that uy that clapped in church that one time?" Penny Worwood piped in with her two cents

Louise whirled around and pointed her co around like she had ants in her pants "It was him! He stood up and clapped for you after you played your solo! At the tirandparents a little, embarrass them, be a smart aleck, ya know? I didn’t realize you two actually knew each other! Woo! Hoo! Man, that was really so when he did that! I still reone straight to heaven right then"

"So…this Saiddy ue

"Well, Nettie told s in order" Louise responded "They don’t really have anybody else, ya know, and they’re gettin’ on in years Tabrina and her husband are no help - those two together are about as smart as a box of rocks"

"Louise!" I scolded

"Oh okay, Josie I am bein’ kinda harsh" She amended with "Tabrina and her husband are about as sht shoulder before she continued

"Anyhow, this Samuel - and he is a fine speciht when you were in seventh grade - he’s coet their sheep sold, sell soreat, and it’s just tial work for them Is he some kind of lawyer?" Tara piped in with interest Lawyers meant money to Tara, and e-must- haves

"No, he’s a Marine" I volunteered

"He’s a Marine, all right, but Nettie says the Marines helped pay for his college and then he went to officer’s training, and now he’s going to attend law school He’s on soht out loud Sa a lawyer? I felt a little weak in the knees, and then I felt ridiculously like crying I was suddenly, euphorically, proud of hih in the letters obviously, and he’d said nothing about it But when had he really had the opportunity? Each of our conversations had been riddled with e up had just not come up I felt ashamed that I had asked hi her hands in onna cry, you okay?"

I brushed away her questions, so find Saardless of whether or not he believed the "princess was dead"

Samuel was not home when I knocked on Nettie Yates’ screen door later that evening I’d baked so by I’d also filled a basket of vegetables froarden in recent years, co that she was just too "brittle to work in the dirt anymore" It eet irony that she had shared with arden for so many years and had shown me how to plant one and care for one, and now I could shareso, and she invitedthe con froo; I worry about him sittin’ a saddle all day, but he wouldn’t hear nothin’ of it I didn’t fight ’i the cows hoh to tie his shoes, and this will probably be the last time We’re sellin’ off the cattle and the sheep, ya know Don’s relieved, but it’s hard for hiht off his shoulders a little

When Sao I didn’t knohat to think He never talked to us ry at first But then slowly he started changin’- don’t really knohy, but I’oodto us noe need his buttoned up"

I was terrible at small talk and didn’t quite knohat to say to keep the conversation flowing I decided I would just coht

"When will they be back?" I ventured casually

"Oh they should be pullin’ in any tied the subject quickly and asked her if I could do anything for her before I left She heshe needed help with the flower beds in the front yard Before long, I was onweeds Callis froot busy and made short work of the flower bed on one side of the front walk and orking ravel I had hoped to be cool and coain Instead I was ondandelions out froolds