Restoration Chapter 2

Living with Rebecca here wasn't nearly as nerve wracking as I'd thought it might be.

Everyone knew she knew my family after a couple days, but no one pried about it.

They really did mean to keep it close to their chests.

As the Harvest Festival of spring came up I pulled out the best and biggest potato and turnip I had from my fridge.

I set them both in my bag and headed out to do my farm chores.

Melina was extremely happy to have me pet and talk to her this morning.

She produced even better milk than usual.

I finished quickly, cutting my fodder.

I kept a nice selection to give to Neil like I had been.

His hands brushed mine lately as I gave him the small gift, seeming to want more contact since our kiss that day just over a week ago.

But with today being a holiday, would he still accept it?

I hoped so.

I walked towards his house, having moved it closer to my farm across from Emma's. Part of that was my feeling safer.

If my stalker did manage to follow me out here, he'd have to go past Neil's place, right? And even if he got to my house, as long as I could run away, Neil's wasn't far.

He was the strongest in the town and could intimidate most anyone with his attitude alone. I think even if we get a few more people, Neil would still be the strongest, given his work with animals all day. Ones that needed a strong hand.

Cows could be strong minded.

His kitchen light was on and it made me check my watch for a moment before I realized again, it was a holiday and he didn't work most holidays. At least not Festival days.

Though, he made his own schedule too.

I stepped up to his door, unsure of whether to bother him.

As I was starting to turn away, he opened the door.

"You don't have to be shy around me Rachel. I don't bite." I sighed. He grinned as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Unless you want me to." He teased the shell of my ear with his teeth before leaning back and against the doorframe.

I held up the gift of bundled fodder and he smiled.

"Always so sweet." He took it. "Are you going to the festival today?" He asked.

I nodded. "I've got a couple things I'm still debating on entering."

"I'm sure you'll choose a good one." He said. He motioned for me to come in.

I shook my head. "I want to get my usual run done before the festival."

He nodded. "I'll probably be there about three or so. Just before it actually starts."

I nodded. "Then...I'll see you later."

He reached out and brushed his fingers over my cheek.

"Yeah."

xXx

I hurried to finish my loop of the local areas and then raced up to the event grounds.

Dunhill met me at the table as I was pulling my two possible submissions out of my bag.

"Submitting for the crop division?" He asked as he looked at me.

I nodded. "I don't know which one to do though..."

"Well...this potato looks quite fantastic. The turnip is great too, but I'd go with the other one myself."

I nodded. He had been a farmer himself for a while before moving out here when his short farming life was over after cutting into his leg with a sickle. He walked fine now, but Hana had told me how bad it had been when they were younger.

He accepted the potato as my entry and carefully tagged it with a rubber band and paper to state it was mine.

He ushered me in and I glanced at my watch as I saw the people gathered from the farms in the region.

There weren't many small towns that had Festivals like this, so farmers and others tended to gather from various distances.

Most were within a day by walking fast, a couple were several hours out by horseback.

I saw plenty of submissions for other categories and the flowers were very nice as I looked at the handful of submissions.

Iroha leaned over the table to sniff them and looked at me.

"I like flowers. Wild ones are pretty, but carefully cultivated ones are very beautiful." She looked down. "Is that strange for me?"

"No." I said. "I think you like a lot of things from the earth."

She laughed. "Great way to see it."

I wandered towards the judging table to talk to Emma.

"Did you submit anything Rachel?"

I nodded. "I'm not sure it's great, everything here is so good. I really don't envy you judging us."

"I'm not judging you Rachel. I'm picking the things I believe to have been given the most love over this season and sometimes even with all that attention and care, weather makes it hard to work. Someone else might be giving just as much love as you, but if you had the better season in other ways, your item would turn out better. Not to say the other is bad, just didn't get a great season."

I nodded.

I headed for the corner of the field near the entrance as I felt a prickling at the back of my neck.

Someone was watching me.

I eased slightly as I saw Neil come past Dunhill and head for me.

He stood just feet from me, but that sensation only got worse.

I wrapped my arms around myself and he looked down at me.

"What's the matter?" He asked. "Cold?"

I felt a chill, so I nodded.

I was startled as he shrugged out of his red rocker coat and slipped it around me.

We were separate from most all the people of our town and he pulled me close.

"Better?"

Just feeling his arms around me was better.

I nodded even as I shivered from the feeling of being watched with anger.

Neil made a motion with his hand and before I could look up at him, Dunhill had come over to us.

"Rachel?" The older man frowned.

"It's nothing. I'm just a bit cold is all." I said.

"It's eighty degrees child, while Neil wears that heavy thing all the time, you'll overheat in it. What's the matter?"

"I just..." Neil wrapped his arm around my shoulders again. "I just keep feeling watched...like the bad kind of watched." I whispered.

Dunhill nodded. "Neil will stay near you until everyone from outside the town has left and take you back to your farm afterward."

I nodded.

"I won't let anyone hurt my friends." Neil said.

I sighed.

No, he wouldn't.

Dunhill moved towards the set up stage and announced the start of the festival.

None of the people who went up with their submissions seemed interested in me at all.

No one looked at me.

As the flower submissions went up, one young man with a rose looked at me and I felt that chill again.

He was shifted by an older man with a much prettier rose as the older man walked to his spot.

I couldn't tell who was making me feel that way.

But feeling Neil's arm over the back of the bench behind me made me feel a bit safer.

And wearing his coat helped too.

If my stalker was really here, maybe he'd gotten a good enough look at the muscle Neil usually hid under this coat and decided to quit.

Maybe he'd think I was with Neil.

I blushed slightly and cleared my head.

The older man won with his lovely rose and Dunhill collected them all to sell them to fund the next Festival.

The funds for this one had come from his pockets. I didn't think the old man had much to spare. Perhaps it was a joint effort from him, Hana, and Emma. I knew Emma was getting a small cut of my profits. Very small, but enough that she didn't need much to supplement it.

As the vegetable section started, I stood up to collect my potato from the table and my hands shook as I went up on stage with it.

Neil gave me a smile as I looked down at the crowd in the chairs.

Not really a crowd, less than our usual office parties back at the company.

I felt nervous and scared as Emma paced up and down our row.

Suddenly she reached out and took my hand.

"Just relax Rachel. Neil and Dunhill are here and I'm sure Rebecca would protect you too. Tony would love a chance to be a hero."

She spoke so softly.

I nodded and looked past her, at Neil.

My hands steadied and she continued.

I was more than startled when she announced my entry the winner.

The other three nodded in acceptance.

The two older women congratulated me on it and said I did very well.

The young man admitted to wanting to have given his crops as much care as I obviously did.

I took the prizes Emma handed me on rote and stuck them in my backpack by Neil.

Dunhill declared everything over and I watched most of the contestants head out of the field.

Neil stood up and held my bag.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

I nodded. "I like your jacket." I said softly as I reached to hide my slight blush with the high collar of it.

"It was the graduation present from Rod's parents when I graduated the two year veterinary school with him. He doesn't wear his blue one. Maybe he'll give it to you."

I shook my head.

He moved to lead me out of the field with a nod towards Dunhill cleaning up the temporary stage.

"I get it. It isn't the coat so much as the fact that it's mine." He grinned.

I blushed, this time unable to hide it.

He leaned down as we headed through the empty town.

I was startled when he kissed my cheek.

"You want it?" He asked.

"But it's your favorite coat." I frowned. "I can't take it from you."

"I'm not saying you can have that one. Come in for a second." He stopped at his house.

I followed him in, feeling that sense of being watched.

xXx

The softness of the coat I now had on was fantastic.

Neil had bought it last year in the summer and for a while, he'd worn it because it was a little lighter than his rocker.

It hung a bit on me, but I liked it. I wouldn't wear it while working, but I'd love to wear it while lounging around my farm working on my plans.

And around the house.

Neil led me back to my farm and opened the door for me.

"You'll stay safely inside right?"

I nodded.

"I won't leave until tomorrow morning to do my chores." I said.

He looked worried.

I reached up to touch his cheek.

"Surely whoever is creeping me out won't hang around all night. Besides, they'd have to walk past you and Emma, right?"

"If we're inside, we might not hear them sneak past." He said. "Just please stay safe, alright?"

I nodded.

He closed the door as he left and I moved for my bed to lay down.

xXx

I jolted from my dozing sleep and glanced at my watch.

Just after ten.

The horrible animal scream was close.

I bolted up and reached for the jacket Neil had given me.

I knew it was stupid, but like all the dumb horror movies, I needed to go check it out.

It could be Melina, injured.

I grabbed the flashlight from my bedstand and the axe from my bag.

At least I'd be armed if someone was out there.

I hurried out the door, holding the axe tightly.

I raced over to my barn and shoved the door open with my shoulder.

I stared in horror at the sight of my poor sweet cow thrashing around the barn with a deep cut over her side.

I quickly dropped the axe and moved to try and calm her down.

"Don't." I felt the strong hand on my shoulder and jumped.

I almost screamed until a hand covered my mouth.

The warmth and scent was familiar.

Neil.

I shook, but calmed enough that he felt I was safe to let go of.

I held the light towards Melina as he moved towards her.

She gave him a wild look, but as the scent of the man who had once cared and loved her sunk in, she calmed down enough for him to touch her and get her settled down.

I watched him ease her into laying down and his hand gently touched over her injured side.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

"Heard the sound over my guitar and both Emma and I came outside. I told her to go back in, that I'd handle it." He pulled a kit from his pocket and I watched him pull out a syringe.

He deftly shot Melina near her wound and I watched her sink into a deep sleep.

He glanced at me. "Tranquilizer. Sometimes we have to use it on the ranch. I just don't want her to suffer the pain."

"Is she..." I couldn't say it.

He shook his head. "She'll be alright as long as I can get the guys to come out here and pick her up quick enough. Lets go back inside the house. I'll use your phone."

I nodded and as he came towards the door, he picked up my axe.

"I...I didn't come out defenseless..." I looked down.

He pulled me close and led me the short distance to my house.

"I know. I'm proud of you. And you dropped it before trying to help her, which was good. Had she seen you coming at her with a sharp weapon, she'd have panicked and maybe hurt you both." He said.

He settled me at my kitchen table as he went to the old phone hanging on my wall by the door.

I felt myself shaking as I faintly listened to him explain things to the crew who worked nights at the local animal hospital on the ranch he got his animals from.

As he hung up, my hands were clenched and still shaking on the table.

He moved to stand behind me and leaned down to wrap his arms around me and take my hands in his.

"It's alright. She'll be fine. The crew will be here in about fifteen minutes for her. She'll be back on her feet soon enough." He said.

"I...someone hurt her Neil. As a sign for me."

He eased me from the chair and moved to sit with me on my small bed.

He hummed as he held me close.

"I won't let anyone hurt you Rachel." He said as I heard a siren.

He got up and I followed him out to the small porch.

His boot crushed over something and we both looked down as he moved his foot.

A pink rose stained with blood was crushed on top of a folded sheet of paper.

Neil reached down to pick it up as I watched two bulky men get out of the large truck.

I watched them head into the barn with a flat cart they wheeled from the back of the tuck down a ramp.

I turned to look at the note as Neil unfolded it.

Written in black ink, just barely visible under the blood staining it, was 'you're mine' in large letters.

Neil crumpled it up and threw the rose in my trash bin with it. Then he took the whole bag from the can just inside my door and stuffed it in the garbage box that Dunhill cleaned out daily for me. He was such a nice old man when he wasn't meddling.

The men came back out with my cow on the cart and forced it up the ramp with a winch in the back of the truck bed.

Neil pulled me close and I buried my face in his black shirt as my hands gripped the hem.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're staying with me tonight." He said.

I nodded against his chest.

He eased away as one of the men came up to us.

"We'll get her patched up right away." He said to me.

I nodded.

"I'll send the doc my report tomorrow." Neil said to him. "And the fee can be taken from my account."

"No, I'll get it." I said. "She's my cow."

The man laughed. "It's covered. Even I can tell this was an attack of some kind. We didn't see blood on any surface but the floor where she had been sleeping and the drip path where you sedated her." He looked upset. Almost as much as Neil when he'd been angry at that man for accusing him of selling a sick cow. "Someone is out to hurt you little lady. Our team will keep her in the healing barn until whoever is out there is caught. It's not that you don't raise her well, I know good food and clean water when I see it, and she's quite clean and well kept, but we don't want to risk her being injured again or worse."

I felt the blood rush from my face at the implication.

My stalker might kill my cow.

"We'll take good care of her and only feed her the stuff we buy from your farm."

I looked up at him. "You buy my stuff?"

He laughed. "Yeah. Neil said it was great and it is. In fact, the boss wants more. Anything you can do."

I felt a bit warmed by the compliment.

"James!" His partner called out as he finished securing Melina in the truck.

"Take care of her." He said to Neil as he turned to hurry back to the truck.

Neil pulled me close again as I watched them drive away.

"We...have to catch him." I said.

His hand rubbed over my back. "We will."

He turned to lead me towards his house after closing up mine.

xXx

I shook as he locked his front door and closed all the dark curtains on his windows.

He urged me to sit at the table and moved for the kitchen.

I watched him put a large mug of milk in the microwave.

As it heated, he pulled a packet of cocoa from the cabinet.

"Whip cream?" He asked.

I nodded mutely.

It was finally sinking in that my stalker was here.

Had been here all day.

I had no idea who it was.

The pink rose had to be a clue.

I'd felt on edge when that young man in the flower entries...brought up a pink rose.

Just like the one Neil had crushed with his combat boot.

Neil came to stand behind me and leaned down to hold me close.

"Shh, it'll be all right. I'm here."

I nodded.

The bell sounded and Neil moved to finish my cocoa.

He set the mug on the table and pulled the chair beside me closer as he sat.

I took the mug in my hands.

He'd cooked it just long enough to be very warm, but not so hot I couldn't drink or touch it.

I took a sip and found myself with a sudden need to down it.

The warmth hit me fast.

"Oi, relax. I spiked that for you." He said.

I looked at him with fear creeping in.

Neil had spiked my drink.

He pulled me close.

"Shh, I mixed in some of the whiskey my father left here years ago. It should calm you a bit once it kicks in."

"I...I don't like alcohol." I mumbled.

"I know. Dunhill told me the other day when we were having a drink Friday night. I'd been curious about your tastes." Neil said.

My head started to feel fuzzy as it kicked in quite fast.

That was why I didn't like it.

I had no tolerance.

I slumped against him and he scooped me up.

Those strong arms meant me no harm.

He really had just wanted me to relax.

He carried me towards his bed and I tried to get him to put me on my feet.

He laughed as he laid me on his bed.

"Shh Rachel, I'll take care of you."

"Sound like a stalker." I mumbled.

He laughed again as he moved to take my work boots off.

"I know, but I'm not. I just...care about you. I don't want you hurt." He set my boots at the end of his bed on the floor and I tried to reach up to push him away as he eased my jacket from me.

"Neil...stop."

He folded my jacket and put it on the shelf beside the picture of his mother.

He pinned both of my hands in his as he leaned over me.

I felt trapped. Scared.

He leaned down and kissed me.

His hand brought mine to his shoulders.

I felt it as his moved over me. One reached to tangle in my hair, the other braced his weight beside my head.

"I'll take care of you Rachel." He mumbled.

"Stop." I said weakly.

I felt his lips on the arch of my neck before he just settled and breathed against my skin.

"Do you know how much it fucking scared me when I heard Melina scream? I almost tripped down that stupid slope of yours trying to get to you. I saw your door wide open and it killed me to think he'd gotten you."

I closed my eyes as his words sank in.

He wasn't trying to make me feel trapped or scared.

He was easing his own fear.

Neil had already come to care for me in just a season.

Maybe even love me a little.

"I ran to that barn when I saw the light in the back window. I prayed it was you in there. You have no clue how glad I was to see you safe. Stupidly out of your house after I told you not to leave, but safe."

He moved to kiss me again.

I opened my eyes to look up into his darker ones.

He was telling the truth.

He moved to get up and shucked his boots and jacket.

I watched him drop his jacket on the floor at the end of the bed and then blushed slightly when he yanked his shirt off.

"Rachel, I don't think I could stand to lose you. You're the first one I've ever let close to my heart since Rod. I don't trust or like people. But you..." He moved to lean over the bed and cup my cheek. "You I think I can love without being hurt."

I nodded.

"Please let me have you?"

I froze up for a moment and he pulled away.

I reached out and snagged the waistband of his cameo pants before he could move far.

He looked down at me and I nodded.

"I think I'll love you too." I mumbled.

He sighed and I watched Neil move to grip the hem of my shirt.

I pushed myself up enough as he eased it up to pull it off, but he paused at my breasts as his hands cupped the soft mounds through my pale cotton bra.

I made a sigh of pleasure at the warmth of his hands.

He finished shoving my shirt over my head and then reached for the waist of my jeans.

I made a surprised squeak when he yanked them off. Not slowly or easy.

I think I heard the button pop off, but nothing ripped.

He stared down at me.

I flushed from more than just the spiked cocoa at his intense gaze.

Those reddish eyes should have scared me. All my life, I'd gotten used to normal people. People who forgot the magic around them.

Neil wasn't one of them.

His eyes showed the magic he knew was around us.

And a fire I'd never expected to see directed at me.

I had seen my brother look at his wife like that, but no one looked at me like that.

Until Neil.

"You're beautiful Rachel." He groaned.

I flushed deeper.

He climbed up on the bed and braced himself on his hands and knees above me.

"I'm just me." I said.

"Are you sure you want me?" He asked. "I...I could be alright with just being friends."

I hesitated slightly as the thought of going on as normal, pretending I'd never seen this much of his sexy body, and it honestly hurt.

No. We'd never be just friends.

I reached up to thread my left hand into his hair and my right spread over his bare shoulder, feeling the play of muscle on him.

I yanked him down to kiss him.

"Screw being just friends." I mumbled against his lips.

"I want everything Rachel." He growled at me.

That rough tone in his voice had my body heating as his right hand traced over my skin while his left kept him up off me.

I realized as he ran his fingers over the edge of my bra that if he put all his weight on me, it could hurt me.

He was being careful of me.

Taking care of me.

Just like he said he would.

I eased my hands down to the waist of his pants and his reached to stop me.

"Slow down baby." He looked at me with hooded eyes.

I couldn't. I wanted him too.

Dancing around that bit of lust I'd felt that first day and the passion I'd seen when he'd kissed me that other day after his bout of anger was hard.

At least this way we knew we wanted each other.

He unclipped my bra and pulled it off me.

As he pulled it down my arms behind my back, being a front clip bra, he caught the hem of my panties.

I felt nervous as he eased onto his knees to slowly rid me of those last things.

Would he be startled by how fast my body reacted to him?

Would it disgust him that I could react so quickly to him?

As he pulled my panties off, I started to cover myself.

"Don't even." He sounded harsh as he snapped at me.

He threw my underwear with the rest of my clothes and his at the end of the bed on the floor.

He looked down at me.

"Damn you're wet." He groaned.

I was embarrassed as he leaned over me, his right hand cupping between my legs.

He kissed me and I opened my mouth to him.

"I like it." He growled before claiming my mouth.

His fingers spread me as he forced his knee between my legs to make me open to him.

I reached to just grip the waist of his pants, unsure of what to do with my hands as he used his body to ease me to open up to his touch.

Even pulling my legs up, that only opened me further and gave me a slightly erotic feel as the top part of my inner thighs felt the heat from his hips and the bottom part felt the slight bite of the studs on his pants.

He kissed me so hard and thoroughly that my head was fuzzy when he pulled back to let me breathe.

His fingers teased me as I shuddered under him.

He rocked back on his knees again, this time sitting on his legs.

I tried to push myself into a sitting position, but as one of his hands moved to tease my clit and the other pushed a couple fingers into my tight body, I couldn't hold myself up.

I looked at him past my bare breasts as he pretty much masturbated me to my first ever orgasm.

I'd touched myself, but never felt this.

I reached to tangle my hands in his sheets.

"Hell Rachel. Are you a virgin?" He asked, his voice sounding rough.

"Is...that a problem?"

He moved over me as his fingers went to shove at the button and zipper of his pants.

He had his pants down over his hips in a second and I could see between us to his large, hard erection.

He didn't even fully remove his pants, he was that rushed.

"Fuck no." He growled as he pushed into me.

His size stretched me bordering on painfully.

Neil eased past my virgin barrier and I felt a pinch of pain at that point.

Once he was fully in me, he groaned.

I looked between us to see our bodies quite deeply joined.

His golden blond hair down there brushed sensitive skin, feeling soft and tingling.

I normally shaved and waxed completely.

I hissed out the breath I'd been holding and my hands reached to grip his shoulders as his went to my hips.

He held me down gently, but with enough strength that I knew I'd bruise slightly.

I'd never been held like this, so my body wasn't used to the force.

My almost non-existent nails scratched at his shoulders as he slid out nearly to the tip and then slammed in again.

I cried out at the friction and pleasure.

He didn't start slow like in the romance books I'd read.

Obviously those lovings were for soft and fragile women. Neil clearly thought I could handle him a bit rough.

He shoved into me over and over, stroking every nerve possible as he did.

I could feel my body working up a slight sheen of sweat and felt the beads form at the back of his neck and watched several drops slide down his chest as he thrust into me at a hard, fast pace.

He leaned down to kiss me.

"Scream my name." He coaxed in that rough voice that just made me hot for him.

He threw his head back as I felt him spill into me.

His harsh thrust set off my third orgasm since he'd started pounding into me.

"Neil!" I cried out as my fingers raked down his arms, leaving red trails.

I faintly heard him growl my name as he shuddered.

His heavy muscled body fell over me, but he managed to hold most his weight from me with his arms braced beside my head.

"Fuck, I love you already Rachel."

I blushed as I tried to calm my racing heartbeat.

He kissed my throat and I felt his tongue dart out against my collarbone.

"You're so sweet." He mumbled.

I closed my eyes as he eased himself from me and reached for the blanket he'd shoved to the side.

He collapsed onto his side and slid his arm under my head as he shifted us both.

I couldn't do anything but curl to his warmth as he pulled the blanket over us.

Hell, I couldn't even care that we were both sweaty and would likely reek of sex in the morning.

I hummed in a sated note.

Sex with Neil could get even hotter.

This was him being gentle.

I wanted to see him rough too.

I buried my face against his shoulder as he held me.

xXx

I woke to the scent of frying bacon and eggs.

I pushed into a sitting position, wincing slightly at my sore body.

After the first round, Neil had pushed me further and forced my poor body into such a state of weakness that when he finally finished at just after midnight, he had to carry me into his bathroom.

Even in the shower, I had barely been able to stand.

He had washed me so thoroughly I hadn't been able to not release at his touch.

I looked up as Neil came to the side of his bed.

He wore a clean pair of cameo cargo pants and a tight black v-neck.

Damn he was hot.

"Morning baby." He murmured as he leaned to kiss me.

Such affection would have shocked me if I hadn't gotten to know him so well.

He was very reserved, except with his passions. Obviously I'd become one of them.

His fingers brushed through my long hair and as he pulled away, I felt him secure something in my ribbon after he tied it deftly.

"Morning."

He stepped back and I took stock of myself.

Naked as the day I was born, sore in places I'd never been, but so satisfied.

I eased to my feet as he went back to the kitchen.

I reached to pull my clothes back on, careful of my hair and whatever he'd done.

I headed for the bathroom to use it.

He didn't seem to care.

I stood at the sink and saw the mouthwash on the counter.

That explained the mint.

I took a small mouthful and cleaned my mouth out from the lingering taste of alcoholic cocoa.

The thought had been nice after I relaxed, but I didn't like the taste of alcohol.

I looked in the mirror as I opened the door and paused.

Neil had tucked several of those flowers from the ivy on the side of his house in my hair.

"Breakfast is ready." He moved to stand in the doorway.

I faced him as I carefully touch one of the flowers.

"Thank you."

"It's...the Flower Festival today. I just thought...you might like it." He rubbed at his neck as he turned back for the kitchen.

I sighed as I headed out to sit at the table with him.

xXx

Neil came to help me manage my fodder grass today, and I tensed at the sight of my farmland when we walked down.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I gripped my jacket tight in my hands as I stared.

Gouged into the ground of my fields, tearing up most of the fodder grass, were the words from the note last night.

Written on the side of my house was 'whore' in bright blue paint.

He turned me around and led me up to Dunhill's house.

First my cow, now my land.

xXx

The old man sent me to Rebecca's house as Neil had to do his stand today.

She kept me company as I did my usual loop of the local areas for foraging.

"You don't have to do this today, you know." She said as we passed into the river area about lunch time.

"I...I read that doing things as normal is a show of strength to a stalker." I said as Tony held my bag open for me to put some mushrooms inside.

I'd found that even the poisonous ones could be cooked into a proper soup. They had to be cooked at a high enough temperature to render them edible and only the stems were really bad.

The tops were actually good, just bitter and could make someone not used to it sick. Hence the Poisonous Mushroom title.

"Well, I'll stay with you whenever you want to explore and collect things." Tony said.

He was such a good kid, but I didn't think he was strong enough to protect me.

I nodded anyway.

"Come on then, let's head home." Rebecca said.

We walked back to town.

xXx

She dropped me off at Dunhill's house in order to go and get her own work done.

I sat on the front step of the empty house and remembered that Dunhill had said he'd be using his camera to get pictorial evidence. Then he'd head to the ranch my cow was on to get a picture of the wound on my cow.

After that he was heading by truck from the ranch into the city to let the police know.

We didn't have any form of police here or the other small towns in the area.

I stood up and headed up the slope behind where I'd moved Dunhill's house after Rebecca helped me upgrade my axe to cut the stronger trees.

I had Neil and Emma near my farm on each side of the entrance, Hana was across from Emma by the bridge to the river area, and Dunhill made the last corner to the intersection. Rebecca had accepted being placed beside Dunhill's house.

I glanced at the entrance to the Festival Grounds and tensed.

I hurried up to the square and relaxed a bit as I saw Neil there.

He looked up from where he was talking to an older man and gave me a slightly tilted smile.

He sent the man off with several bags of chicken feed and a bottle of medicine.

I leaned against the fence he'd set up to contain a couple chickens and a cow that would be sold today.

I reached out and the cow butted my hand to be petted.

I brushed my fingers over her coat for a moment before pulling back.

Was Melina being brushed today like I would have done?

I didn't even realize I was crying until Neil came around the fence and turned me to face him and held me close.

"Shh." He smoothed his hand over my back and made to lean on the fence.

"Sorry. I just...with nothing to do I don't know what I should do." I said.

"Tomorrow, before I start my work, I'll help you fix your fields and plant some new grass. And I'll ask Dunhill about staying with you all day."

"I'll be alright. Tony said he'd stay with me. And Iroha offered as well when we saw her earlier." I said.

He sighed.

"Fine. But you can hang out here for today." He said.

He pulled me towards the cart he carried the usual bags of feed and bundles of fodder on. My fodder.

Neil put his hands on my waist and picked me up to put me on the flat part of the cart in the front.

Where a person would normally ride, but I'd seen that he walked the five miles beside the horse currently grazing by the trees around the square.

Eventually I'd have to clear those out and clean up the town with everyone.

His hands lingered as he stood in front of me.

I leaned forward slightly and he met my lips in a gentle, almost chaste, kiss.

He turned back towards his table and I realized it was the back gate of the cart.

It was slid into the brackets during transport and he removed it every morning to have a table to set samples on.

Echo might be small and totally surrounded by mountains on all sides but the river on my farm, but just past the tiny narrow valley were sprawling plains that farmers and ranchers had populated.

Most came to Neil for animals and related things.

There were several hundred miles in three directions from the range we were set in that people farmed.

Four hundred miles away was the nearest big city.

The place I'd come from.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a blue flower I'd found today.

When Neil turned to look at me again, I held it out to him.

He frowned, but reached for it anyway.

"You know I'm not really the person for flowers right?"

I nodded.

He sighed and set it on his table anyway.

"It is the Flower Festival." I said.

He smiled.

xXx

After he closed up shop, I headed for my farmland again.

I needed to fix things.

I locked myself in the studio and Neil headed to take his supplies back to the ranch just outside the valley.

I used the skills that ran in my family to create new, better fields and placed them in a neat, organized fashion around my farm. These were the best fields Rebecca could come up with for me and I'd bought plenty of fertilizer and got lots of soil from Hana for this project.

I'd grown all the fodder I'd need for it too.

I heard a knock on my studio door as I was shutting down my gifts. I'd even moved my house into the corner by the entrance below the terraces I'd uncovered.

I was a couple fields short of my preferred plan, but only because I hadn't gotten access to my other fields yet. But this setup would do. Might even be a bit much for me.

I tensed as I peeked out the window through a slit in the curtain.

I relaxed at familiar blond hair.

He didn't seem irritated I made him wait as I opened the door.

Neil smiled at me when I finally stepped out.

"Place looks pretty nice." He said. "Not sure if I'd leave the barn there though." He motioned towards the rocks at the side leading to more terraced land.

"I won't. I planned to eventually put it in that area that will have my terraces and a large field setup." I said.

He nodded. "Want some help then?"

xXx

With his help, I planted a lot of grass and prepared the plot I would grow my summer crops in.

By the time we finished, it was almost nine.

He led me to the door of my house.

I tensed up.

"I had Iroha make sure there was no one around here who didn't belong, so in this valley right now is only the residents of Echo." Neil said as he opened the door for me. "And on my way back, I cornered those two sprites who think no one can see them and had Aaron put up his strongest barrier over the valley down to the river. The Goddess actually showed up thinking I was bullying him. She let me explain that someone was trying to hurt you and put her own protections on the valley too. The only time anyone will be able to enter is during public festivals. Of which we only have the Harvest so far. It should be easier to keep whoever is stalking you from you now."

I nodded.

He moved to pull me close. "But if you want me to stay..."

"I...think I can handle it." I said. I looked up at him quickly. "Not that I wouldn't want you to stay, it's just..."

He laughed. "We're not married. I understand. Hell, we aren't even dating. Last night was the best, but I think those instances should be kept at a minimum until we're actually dating."

I sighed.

He leaned down to kiss me. "Though I will dream of you often enough." He rumbled.

I blushed. "Me too."

Neil made that same warm laugh again before kissing me.

He backed me to my bed.

"One for the break?"

I nodded and reached to tug at the hem of his shirt.

Our hands pulled and shoved at each others clothes until we were both stripped.

He laid me back on my bed and settled himself between my thighs.

I traced my fingers over the taut muscles of his chest.

The sounds we made as we each touched and teased filled my small house.

When he slid into me, he rubbed along still sensitive flesh and it was enough to drive me crazy in no time as he pounded into me.

I ran my hands over his back as I felt the slight bit of sweat forming along his spine.

I lifted my head enough to touch my tongue to a drop sliding down his throat.

He leaned down to kiss me senseless and I cried out into his mouth as he drove me to orgasm.

He spilled into me with a harsh groan before just settling above me, catching his breath.

I blinked up at him as he pushed away and headed for the tiny bathroom in my house.

He came back out a couple minutes later with one of my towels around his hips.

I had pulled the covers over myself, intending to just do laundry tomorrow anyway.

I'd do my bedding too, thanking that this mattress Dunhill had gotten put in had a plastic covering. Like a big plastic bag full of fluff.

I looked up at Neil as he shucked the towel and pulled his clothes on.

He collected up mine and put them in my hamper by the closet.

I smiled as he came back to my bedside and leaned down to kiss me.

"Better never forget that I want you more than anyone else. If I ever catch this bastard scaring you, well...there are plenty of places to bury the body." He said harshly.

I was torn between feeling relieved that this was practically a declaration of love and fear that he had the strength to do it. To kill.

And he would.

To protect me.

He kissed me again and headed for the door.

"Keep your door locked, alright Rachel?"

I nodded and watched him lock the handle.

"I'll get a deadbolt for your door later."

He gave me one last gentle smile with a bit of his sexy grin as he closed the door. Hard enough to make sure it stayed closed.