I can see him coming up the hill, and he's not wearing his blue cap. I can't help but smile at the sight of his thick brown hair, even in the distance. Knowing he's on his way here for the weekly Farmer's Market, I reach back to smooth out the back of my hair. The farm work always had a way of messing up my hair in the worst ways. Somewhere in the background, I can vaguely hear Rick and Popuri snickering and making snide little jokes at my expense. It's the same every week.
Jack comes from Forget-Me-Not Valley and they tease me incessantly about it. It's not really my fault though. Even Popuri admitted Jack's ruggedly handsome features were enough to make any woman, farmers alike, want to catch his attention. But unlike most farmers, his demeanor was not nearly as rough as his physical body was. As rough as his hands might be, his words were immensely gentle in comparison.
"Hello, Claire."
And then there's his smile that always makes me freeze. He might be starting to think I'm a little slower than normal people, considering it takes me a good minute to respond to him every week. It doesn't bother me as much as it should, considering he lives in another town, too far to walk every day. Really, he's just a dream I have once a week, same day, same time, like clockwork. But that doesn't matter either. It's just a moment between us, but it's a moment I look forward to every week.
"What can I get you today, Jack?" I ask smiling. I can't help it. There's some correlation between the tightening in my chest and a smile across my lips but whenever Jack's around I don't have the extra brain power to figure it out. He steals whatever extra thoughts I have, leaving me barely able to make normal conversation, and yet somehow, every week I make it through his purchase without falling or blurting out something that makes no sense at all.
"Some milk and tomatoes, please." He answers as he eyes a patch of strawberries near the front of the stall. As I pack up what he requested, I toss in a few strawberries without him noticing. "Thank you," He replies as he takes the basket from my hands, our fingers barely brushing. He reaches into his pocket and I can hear the gold coins jingling, but I'm not concerned about payment.
"It's no problem." I answer, shaking my head. "Don't you have cows on your farm, Jack?" I asked him curiously. Every week he buys milk, but never enough to last a week, but more than a day's supply as well.
He remains quiet for a moment, and I can't tell if he's hot from the long walk uphill or if he's blushing at my rather innocent question. "Yeah, I have cows." He answers with soft nod. "But it seems you take much better care of yours than I do mine, because your milk always seems worth the trip and money."
Now it's my turn to blame the color on my face on the sun's beating rays.
"I'll see you next week, Claire." He tells me, his voice changing slightly when he says my name. I can't tell what it is, but suddenly I realize it's not just a moment or a dream between us. Well, perhaps it is, but it's not something I've been keeping to myself. It seems Jack has had a dream like clockwork as well.