Page 4 of Nate

When she passed by the pharmacy, Kinley waved at her from behind the counter, and Markie waved back. She also exchanged waves with Addison, the pharmacist and owner of the shop. Markie couldn’t help but feel grateful for living in such a friendly and welcoming town. She had made an excellent decision to move here.

Markie stepped into the diner and was greeted by familiar faces, who either waved or called out her name. She noticed an empty stool at the counter and took a seat, placing her order with a woman behind the counter.

As she looked around, Markie saw Celine Nelson walking in and smiled at her. Celine returned the smile and greeted Markie.

“Hi, Markie,” Celine said.

“Hey, Celine. Care to join me?”

“I would, but I’m meeting Killian. How about a raincheck?”

“Sure thing.”

“How are you liking Clifton?”

“I absolutely love it. It’s a charming town filled with wonderful people.”

“I feel the same way.”

“When is your wedding?”

“December. I hope you can make it.”

“I would love to.”

“I’ll send you an invitation; otherwise, you might have to stand outside like many others who didn’t receive an invitation.”

Markie furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

Celine chuckled. “It’s become a tradition for uninvited guests to gather outside of the church during weddings.”

“What if the weather is bad?”

“They still show up to celebrate. Rain, snow, heat, cold,” Celine shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. This town is remarkable.”

“I’ve never met kinder people.”

“Same here. I even found my soulmate here.”

Markie nodded as the bell above the door jingled and a handsome cowboy walked in, grinning. He made his way to Celine and gave her a kiss on the lips.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he said.

“Hi, baby,” Celine replied before turning to Markie. “Markie, this is my fiancé, Killian Doyle. Killian, meet Dr. Markie Russell.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Russell,” he said as he shook her hand. Markie couldn’t help but admire his good looks.

“Please, call me Markie. It’s nice to meet you too,” she said.

“Markie is a veterinarian and works with Tess.”

“I see. Well, I have four dogs and seven horses, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around,” Killian grinned.

“Let’s grab a booth.” Celine looked at Markie. “We should get together for lunch soon.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Markie smiled and almost swooned when Killian touched the brim of his hat and led Celine to a booth.

Celine was lucky to have such a handsome man by her side. Markie noticed the gun clipped to Killian’s belt and remembered Celine telling her he was a livestock agent. There were certainly a lot of attractive men in Clifton. Her mind immediately went to Nate Jefferson before she shook her head vigorously. He was not someone she wanted to get involved with, no matter how attractive he may be.

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