PROLOGUE
We stood in line, each getting a boat ticket. I'd never seen him once in my life, but for some reason, I could tell he would be part of my life somehow.
"One 11:00 ticket for Islesboro," he ordered the lady working in the booth. Darn, maybe he didn't have anything to do with my life. I was going to Mineral Town. I had just quit my job. I had just sold my apartment. I just realized that at this time, I was technically homeless. I couldn't help but laugh at myself for not calling the mayor of the small village before completely dumping my city life.
"What's so funny?" the young, handsome man asked curiously with a smirk on his face as her took his boat ticket. I paid for mine and we both walked to a bench to wait for our ferries.
I smiled the dorkiest smile anyone could smile, and said, "My life is about to change." He stifled a laugh, and tried to catch up with me.
"Huh?" God, he looks so cute when he's confused.
I collapsed into a fit of laughter, "I don't even know. I quit my job, and sold my apartment, and now I'm going to some strange town I've never heard of and living on a farm!" I collected myself and sat up, "I think I'm going crazy."
"Yes, yes you are," the man stated.
I sighed, "So where are you going and why?"
"Islesboro. Visiting my mother. My father's been way to busy with his giant business and new neighborhood home and new family to pay any attention to my mother and I. He gave me a job, but I don't talk to him about anything else really, I m-" he stopped himself, "why am I telling you this?"
"Because I asked," I state simply.
"Did you say you're going to own a farm?" he asked politely.
"Yep. Have no idea how, though," I had never had this long or this strange of a conversation with a stranger before.
"You know, I was once offered a farm before." I gave him a curious look. He nodded. "Yep. I went on a short vacation once with my parents when I was young, and I had gotten lost, and ended up at a man- Joe's- farm. I spent the rest of my vacation days playing at his farm, and as I got older, we wrote letters back and forth. Then he stopped writing, and it turned out he had died. The mayor contacted me to tell me that his will said the farm was for me, but at the time, my father was starting his new business, and needed me to work for him, so I didn't reply until a few months later, and it turned out to be too late."
"Did you want it?" I asked, hoping this wouldn't get too personal.
"What, the farm?" He thought about it, "Yeah, I guess it did, but dad's business came first at the time, so I don't regret not taking it."
I heard a foghorn. That was probably mine or his. I checked my watch, 11:00, yep. I looked into his dark brown eyes. "Well, have a good time in Islesboro, um"
"Jack," he said solemnly. "Hope the farm life treats you well,"
"Claire," I laughed nervously. We were learning names as we left. Maybe this meant that we'd see each other again.
"Bye Jack," I said. I liked the sound of his name.
"Take it easy, Claire," he said casually, with a small wave as he boarded his ferry to Islesboro.
