18

18

Later that evening, refreshed from a shower, hair still wet, Becca again followed the tantalizing smell of grilling meat into the lodge. Gaby and Walt leaned toward one another at one of the tables and seemed startled when Becca appeared.

Gaby rose and held her arm out. “This came for you.”

Becca eyed the large FedEx envelope as Gaby approached, the worn heels of the older woman's cowboy boots tapping gently on the wood floor.

When Becca didn't immediately reach for the mail, Gaby said, “I'll just leave it here.” She placed the envelope on top of the ancient upright. “Hungry?”

Becca consumed the pile of roasted chicken that smelled of citrus and rosemary, two servings of Walt's “famous” gooey mac and cheese, and a big slab of warm, buttered cornbread. She took another sip from a frosted m……