AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, guys! Thanks for reading!

Xxxxxx

"...My house is small but make yourself comfortable."

Coming in from behind me, Joe scanned my tiny abode. I had a full-sized bed, a table that seated two people, a modest dresser and closet, a small kitchen and fridge, a bathroom and a basic washer and dryer. None of it was impressive but Joe didn't seem phased by the lack luster sight.

"These fish ain't gonna cook themselves! Tina, you got any matches lying around? I could throw these over a bonfire for us out in the yard." He offered me.

"I don't have any, yet. How about I cook them in the oven? I have some turnips in the fridge...I could roast them to go with it."

Baked fish and roasted turnips wasn't the finest meal I was capable of preparing, but it was all I had to offer. Joe lit up at the mention of turnips to go with the fish.

"Turnips are one of my favorite vegetables."

"Oh, okay. Great." Making my way to the kitchen, I began preparing the food. "This shouldn't take too long."

"No rush, it's cool."

Doing my best to act natural, I chopped up two big turnips in to bite-sized chunks. I had a man in my home. We were alone. I had to tell myself to take it easy, it wasn't like anything was going to happen. It was just Dinner.

Placing the turnip chunks in to a roasting pan, I drizzled them with oil and sprinkled salt. The fish were cleaned and seasoned, going in to the oven with the turnips. Joe stood up against the wall watching me, uncomfortable when I suddenly glanced up at him from the oven. He was staring at me...wasn't he? Maybe I was imagining it.

"...you okay?"

"Me? Yeah...I-uh..." he struggled to find words. "I'm not the best in the kitchen. I feel bad for not helping out. I only know how to make a handful of things."

"I don't mind cooking, it's fine." Gently, I assured him because it was true; I enjoyed cooking. "Just wish I had more to offer...Oh! I have a bag of rice. I'll steam some."

Joe promised me he was looking forward to having what I was making. Even so, I was nervous and doubted my cooking capabilities in his presence. I'd never been bad in the kitchen, but now it felt like the pressure was on. We made small talk until the oven timer went off and I served up the food at the table. This man I found myself smitten with was inside my house and eating my cooking. I swallowed dryly.

"Enjoy." I encouraged, taking my seat across from him. "Hopefully my cooking doesn't kill you."

"This smells great, seriously. I've had bad cooking before and this isn't it."

When he said he loved turnips, he really meant it. He finished his food, complimenting me on a meal well made. Part of me wanted to think he only said it not to hurt my feelings, but something about him was so genuine that I doubted he would lie.

"For someone who didn't have a lot to work with, that was impressive." Praising me, Joe helped me clear the table.

"It was just an oven roast with rice...thank you, though."

With everything in the sink, I reached for the sponge to start cleaning but Joe gently nudged me aside.

"You cooked. I can't let you do all the work." Was his explanation.

"You're a guest, I can do it."

"Don't worry about it. I'd feel better if I washed them."

There wasn't much for him to wash be it that there hadn't been much that I cooked. Rather thn argue with him, I let him wash them. I stood back and watched him stack the clean, wet dishes on the drying rack. When he was done, Joe dried his hands and bid me goodnight.

"I'm going to head home...but, I'll see you."

Xxxxx

When the barn was finished, I was both elated and disappointed. It meant that Joe didn't have a reason to be around every day. Seeing in casual passing was nice, but he went missing in action for a bit. I never saw him while I was outside. That afternoon as I made myself some lunch, I tried conjuring up a plan to go see him without making it totally obvious I was eager. My thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on my door. I hoped it was Joe.

"Oh, hey Ellen." Disappointment almost saturated my voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Afternoon, Tina! I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested in this little guy."

In Ellen's arms was a puppy bundled up in a blanket. It had light brown fur and adorably floppy ears.

"Aw, is he a beagle?"

"Looks to be."

Offering the bundle out for me to hold, Ellen showed me the puppy. I took him from her and melted.

"He's so little. Where did he come from?"

"There was an old stray we took in. She was pregnant." Ellen frowned lightly before continuing. "She had a small litter a few weeks ago and he's the only one who made it."

"That's so sad...um, are you sure you want me to have him?"

Brightening, Ellen encouraged me to take him if I wanted him.

"You're all alone in this little house. This pup will be good for you."

Along with the puppy, Ellen left me with a bag of kibble for him. It didn't dawn on me to name him. I toted him along to the carpenter shop, figuring I now had an excuse to show up. Woody was sanding down a birdhouse he made when I walked in, looking up from his work bench when I came in.

"Looky, looky. What do we have here?"

"My new puppy."

"How nice. Can I do anything for you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if Joe's around?"

Woody shook his head and told me Joe was up in the forest chopping lumber. He'd be back close to sun down. Embarrassed that I'd gone all the way to the shop just for Joe not to be there, I made my leave. Of course, he was gone! He had work to do. What was I thinking?

I brought my puppy home and set out to dishes with water and kibble. The blanket Ellen delivered him in was set on the floor where he laid down for a nap after eating. Without much to do, I went for a walk with hopes to occupy myself. There was a commotion coming from the Junk Shop when I passed by.

"Ann!"

"I know, I know! I'm getting the fire extinguisher, Dad!"

Going in to see what happened, I saw that Michael's daughter, Ann, had set one of her inventions on fire. Blasting white foam over it, the flames died out. Michael sighed morosely and Ann shrugged the mishap off.

"So much for that one. Guess I'll start over!"

"ANN!"

"What!?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ann's father thought his words out for a moment. He was more exacerbated than he was angry.

"Don't you think you've tinkered with that, enough?" He suggested, kindly hinting that her project was a lost cause.

"I'll get it right! Just you watch."

"Oi...of course you will."

It was then that the pair saw me there. Ann waved at me chipperly, totally unaffected by the smoking and now soggy machinery. Seriously, it was a mess.

"Tina!" She cheered. "Hi!"

"Hey...I heard some commotion outside. Came in to see if everything was okay."

"Totally! Everything's perfect."

Ann really felt that way while her father agreed to disagree. Eyeing the pile of soggy scrap, he did all he could not to roll his eyes.

"I wouldn't go that far. But, that's my child. Optimistic and all her mother."

"Mom was awesome and you know it."

"She was, may she rest in peace."

The failed invention was gathered up and tossed out, Michael helping Ann mop away the extinguisher foam. Since I now knew everything was fine and my curiosity was satisfied, I wanted to move on. Ann asked where I was going.

"I don't really know. A walk, I guess."

"Ooo! Can I come, too?"

Not expecting that at all, I impulsively said yes as to not offend her or come across as rude. Instead of being annoyed that his daughter was leaving work, Michael took a relieved breath when Ann left with me. If she wasn't in the shop, she couldn't start her new attempt at whatever she built. Mentally, I don't think he was ready for the next attempt.

"What were you making?" Outside, I pried her about the project.

"That was supposed to be a scrap recycler. ! I'm working out the kinks."

I didn't consider fire to be "working out the kinks". Leaving that alone, I nodded along as she went on about the mechanics of it. I understood literally zero of what she told me. Our walking led us up to Blue Sky Ranch. The shipment handler I knew as Bob was out in the fenced off pasture with Blue.

"Blueeeeee." Ann teased from the perimeter of the fence.

With a brush in hand, the blonde man paused tending to the sheep in front of him. Under the brim of his hat, we could see him raise his blue eyes. Passive, he waited for Ann to go on with whatever she was going to say.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"..."

Gesturing to the sheep with the brush he was holding, he didn't validate Ann's question with a verbal answer. It didn't affect her. She grinned from ear to ear.

"Is that one Bella or Dee?"

"Bella." He grunted at her.

The guy was kind of cold but seemed tolerant enough of Ann. I wondered if they were friends or if he was just being civil for the sake of his job. Ann hopped the fence and went to rub the sheep's head, which Blue made no attempt to stop.

"Tina, do you wanna pat her?"

"Am I allowed?"

"Huh? Of course you are. Hop over."

Looking to Blue, I saw him give a slight nod. I followed Ann, hopping in to see the sheep. It bleated contently as Blue groomed her. Her wool coat was shiny.

"Tina, do you have any animals?" Ann nuzzled Bella's head with hers.

"Not yet."

That prompted Blue to speak on his own accord.

"You bought chicken feed." Recalling that he'd carried it to my coop for me, Blue looked puzzled. "That egg you have didn't hatch?"

"Not yet."

"Any day now it should. Keep close watch on it."

His brief advice was followed up with another question.

"When you getting' animals? You got that barn up and ready. What's the point of leaving it empty?"

"I'm going to save up some more then I'll come and buy one."

"They'll be here."

Blue retreated back to silence, finishing brushing Bella. She walked off to graze, Blue going to find another animal who needed grooming. Ann and I hopped back over the fence.

"You two friends?"

"Blue and I? Yup."

I found that a little baffling seeing how he treated her. Guy didn't even crack a smile.

"He's just like that. He's nice though, not that he likes people to know that."

Chatting back and forth, Ann accompanied me back to my farm before leaving to go get another attempt in on her project before nightfall. That was a girl who couldn't be dragged down or discouraged.

To be safe, I checked on my egg like Blue instructed me too. With no real expectations, I did a double take when I walked in and saw a yellow chick sitting in the incubator with eggshell fragments littered around it.

"Aww!" All but squealing, I rushed forward to scoop the chick in to my hands. "You hatched!"

She peeped at me cutely, pecking my thumb softly. Setting her down on the coop floor, I tore open the bag of bird feed and sprinkled some out. My new chick's name was "Peep". I know Joe told me to go find him once she hatched, but after my first attempt to see him at work and he wasn't there, I didn't want to try again and risk a second fail. I settled for enjoying Peep's arrival by myself.

Xxxxx

A few days later led in to third week in to Spring. There was a horse race going on in town. I went, met a few villagers and watched some races. It wasn't very exciting since I wasn't willing to place any bets and gamble away money that I needed. Plus, some dude I just met tried to heckle me in to lending his cash. Ugh.

I still hadn't seen Joe, which I chalked up to him being tied up with work. I had to keep telling me that because the hypothetical thought he was purposely avoiding me ate a hole through my stomach. My paranoia kept trying to tell me I must have acted weird that day he came over for Dinner.

Losing interest in the event around me happened quickly and I migrated towards the exit while everything was still up and running. Some villagers hadn't even bothered humoring the event at all, choosing not to go. I passed Maria reading under a tree by the plaza and the local botanist, Basil, foraging for wild flowers.

Closer to my farm, along the seashore, were four people. On one end of the beach was Kurt and Dia, the quiet woman who lived at the Sanitorium. At the other end was Ray and Joe, seated on the pier with their fishing rods.

"Am I doing this right, Man?"

It looked like Joe was getting some fishing lessons from Ray. It was time well spent compared to the alternative of going to the horse race. From afar, I watched in secret. My cover was almost blown when Ann came strolling by.

"Hey-"

"Shh!" I ducked behind a bush and pointed to my lips to shush her.

Of course she'd already drawn in Ray and Joe's attention.

"...hey, guys!" She diverted, pretending like she'd been addressing them to begin with.

"How goes it, Ann?" Casually, but confused, Ray responded back.

"Things are good! Y'know me...good luck fishing and all that."

Waiting to ensure that they were back to fishing, Ann ducked in to the bushes with me. Her blue eyes sparkled at me like a little kid who just learned something they shouldn't have.

"Sooooo." She prompted me with giddy, and unapologetic interest. "Which one do you like?"

"I-I don't like either of them."

"Liar."

Prodding me for a real answer, Ann told me to fess up.

"You're hiding behind a freaking bush!" She reminded me, amused at my obvious behavior. "Tell me or I'm announcing that you're here."

Calling her bluff, I dared her to. She was more than willing to follow through. I clamped my hands over her mouth.

"Okay, okay!" I relented, terrified. "I like Joe. Happy?"

Batting my hands away, Ann silently clapped to herself.

"That's awesome!"

"Why is that awesome?"

"Because, I think he likes you back. Joe and Kurt were over at the shop the other day...they had to put in new floorboards where my project melted-"

"It MELTED?"

Breezing past it like it was nothing, Ann shrugged.

"Anyways, Joe kept looking at the clock because it was getting dark out...and Kurt was all like 'Woody said we have to get this done, no exceptions. You'll see her another day'." Ann told me. "Then Joe was like all bummed out and complained it's been a week or whatever."

"What does that have to do with me?" Skeptical, I kept from getting excited.

Though, the week part did add up.

"Well, I'm nosey as hell so I asked him who he was trying to go run off and see...he said the new girl. That's you!"

Satisfied at my expression, Ann carefully peeked to make sure no one was coming.

"Joe's real fun and easy going. You should ask him out."

"Shouldn't I wait until he does it?"

"Why? Is it 'cause you're a girl? That's dumb. You know he likes you. If you ask, he's gonna say yes, I know him."

The odds were clearly in my favor but I couldn't be the first one to make a move. No way. It was not going to happen.

"Thanks for telling me, but I'd rather let this play out on its own."

"By that you mean you're going to wait for him to ask you out?"

"Yes..."

Accepting my answer, Ann looked again to see if the coast was clear. We both stood up, Joe and Ray adequately distracted with their backs turned to us. Although Ann gave me the impression that she was going to accept my decision to play it by ear, she had me fooled.

"You'll thank me later." Was her only warning before blurting out "BYE, TINA!"

She ran off, waving back at me like we'd been two friends having a friendly chat in the middle of the path. Ann's loud, boisterous voice cut through the air, alerting everyone on the beach to my presence. Joe looked over his shoulder, brightening when he saw me.

"Yo! Tina!" He waved me over, enthusiastically. "Join us."

"Is Ray giving you fishing lessons?" I stalled. "I don't want to interrupt."

Obviously in on Joe's apparent interest in me, Ray made up some excuse to wrap it up and go home. Joe reeled in his line and slung his pole over his shoulder, getting up from the sand.

"Wasn't getting too far today, anyhow. Heh, I'm glad to see you. Been a bit."

It felt like an eternity.

"It has. How have you been? Busy?" I pretended to not know that yes, he had legitimately been busy with work.

"Like you wouldn't believe. It's been sun up, to sun down these days."

The sun was still high in the sky, shimmering off Joe's brown eyes. Now knowing that he did reciprocate an interest, I felt weak in the knees and a different kind of nervous. He liked me?

"Work can be like that sometimes...I guessed you were busy when I didn't see you around."

"I'm sorry about that, by the way. Woody told me you dropped by looking for me the other day while I was out."

I could have keeled over. Joe, on the other hand, looked flattered.

"He did?" My voice almost squeaked.

"He did, yeah. He said you had a dog with you?"

Grateful for a diversion, I confirmed that I'd brought a dog along.

"Ellen gave him to me...I went to go show you. T-That's why I went. But, like you said, you were working."

"Could I go meet him, now?"

Together, we walked back to my house. When we got to the door, my puppy was up and roaming around. He stopped when Joe and I came in, tilting his head. When the door shut behind us, he was running over and barking up at him. It wasn't intimidating, the pup was just playful.

"Check you out, bud." Crouching down, Joe held out a hand for the puppy to sniff. "You're a baby."

"He's super tiny...Ellen says he only a few weeks only. He was born at the beginning of Spring."

"What's his name?"

Not having an answer, I felt like an awful pet owner.

"I haven't picked a name yet." I confessed. "Is that bad?"

"Nah. Still gotta give the little guy a name, though."

Sitting down on the floor, I pondered my options. The puppy came running over from Joe to sniff at my knee. Joe followed my example and took a seat on the floor, catching the puppy's attention again. Gnawing at Joe's boot, he elicited a chuckle from him.

"Easy there, buddy."

Giving off a series of yips, the puppy sat down in front of Joe before lifting a back leg to scratch behind one ear. I came to a realization.

"Buddy." I parroted back. "That could work."

"Buddy?" Joe tested it out.

The puppy shot up and was at attention. Tapping the floor, Joe called for the puppy by name and it happily complied. Joe scooped him up and scooted closer to me.

"Buddy it is." Placing him in my arms, Joe congratulated me on my new farm member.

"That reminds me! That egg hatched."

"Sweet, you stoked? Your first official farm animal."

"It makes me hopeful that this will all turn out okay."

Buddy jumped out of my hold to go dig around in what was left in his food dish. Some of the pellets got on the floor, while some made it in to his mouth.

"Buddy's got the right idea. Wanna go get something to eat? The bar in town is open today. Duke doesn't consider the horserace a real holiday."

"The bar serves food?"

"Pizza, pasta, seafood etc. Good stuff."

Xxxxxx

The graying, older gentleman who ran the Moonlight Bar did so with his niece. Young, blonde and delicately pale, the soft-spoken woman waited tables and patrons who chose to sit at the bar. Patrons were welcome to seat themselves there, Joe and I taking our seats at a table. Skimming the menu, I saw the pizza Joe told me about. Along with pastas, seafood platters, gratin and various other heavy dinner options.

"See you anything you like?"

"The stuffed haddock with potatoes looks good." I decided. "What are you getting?"

"Pasta with clam sauce."

Eve brought us some waters and a bowl of bread to start with. Taking our orders, she asked if we wanted any other drinks. I decided to get a light cocktail to cut the edge off. I don't know why I was so wound up. The guy I liked, to my luck, liked me back! Maybe I was scared to mess it up?

"Summer's around the corner." Joe initiated conversation. "You've been here almost a whole season."

"It's been that long already? That's crazy."

"Crazy awesome."

"Considering I'm still alive, yes."

Ranching and farming were something I had no experience with. That fear of failing always hung over my head. Joe did me a big favor getting my buildings fixed up.

"You took a lot of stress off me getting my coop and barn restored. Thanks, again. You didn't have to go out of your way to get your boss involved."

"Psh." Joe made a flippant noise. "Anything for you, Tina. Say the word and I'll see what I can do. Don't hesitate."

"I'll remember that...when I can find you."

It was said as a joke because that past week I had no luck finding Joe.

"You can come by when the shop's closed, you know. Not like we shut the building down or anything. Only the shop."

"Wish I'd known that before."

"I wish I'd told you. Could have seen you sooner."

Eve arrived with our food, saving me from having to respond. My stomach was fluttering. Making it through the meal, we left the bar. It was past dark and we went in direction of the bridge by Blue Sky Ranch. There were some ducks in the water. We stood on the bridge, leaning on the railing to look down at the birds.

"There are wild animals, everywhere." Observing aloud, I tilted my head.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

"Mhm."

There was a pause while we stared down at the birds swimming around.

"Tina?"

"Hm?"

"Have I told you how pretty you are?"

My breath hitched. Feeling my entire face get hot, I tried to play it cool.

"You think I'm pretty?"

"You don't?" He challenged me.

"I never really thought about it."

"I think about it all the time."

Confidently, but with caution, Joe leaned in to kiss my cheek.

"Thanks for coming out with me, tonight."

"A-Anytime.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

The skin of my cheek tingled pleasurably where he had kissed me.

xxxxxx