As Kit stood up to stretch her back she looked down the clothing line. Fall was no where near her favorite season. They had come back from the city and working just before the start of harvest. Sid had drafted the four guys into helping with the harvest from the start and left Kit help Rose with the canning and caring for the house full of guys. It had only been two weeks since the start of the harvest and already Kit was counting down the time till it was winter.

Winter would mean an end to the guys coming in past sundown looking for a meal before going to bed. It would mean an end to being bored to tears with only Rose and the very young girls to talk to. They might be guys but they at least didn't expect her to be something she wasn't. Unlike Rose who was hinting, no out right demanding, that she move into the big house away from the guys.

Kit threw the shirt she had been holding into the water and started scrubbing again. Why were they being so odd about her staying in her house with the guys? They were all like big brothers, okay so her feelings for Buddha weren't exactly what she felt for the other guys but that didn't mean anything. "It isn't like Buddha sees me besides his little sister anyway." Kit thought out loud. "Stupid rules and propriety."

"Kit now what did my shirt do to you that you need to rub a hole in it?" Buddha asked as he walked up.
Kit stood up, feeling her face redden. "Nothing, how long you been standing there?"
"Just come in, why? You declaring your love to some poor sap?" Buddha teased, causing Kit to turn a deeper shade of red.

"What are you doing here?" Kit asked trying to shift the subject off of her.
"Well lets see I live here, it's almost evening, we finished the field and your uncle gave me the rest of the day off. Take your pick." Buddha spoke as he walked toward the house.
Kit's eyes widened in surprise, "You guys are already done? Great I haven't even started on dinner." She wiped her hands on her skirt, which was one of the rules Sid had insisted she follow now that they were back.

"Hey hold up, I said Sid gave me the rest of the day off, everyone else won't be up for a while. Let me go wash off my hands and I'll help you with the last of the laundry or start dinner or something. Sound good?" Buddha waited for Kit to nod then went into the house to clean up a bit.

Kit turned back to the laundry tub, she only had half a basket left of clothing. She was glad that she had done her things earlier. She dumped the rest of the guys' shirts and pants into the tub before starting to add the last pot of water that had been boiling over a fire. But before she could lift it Buddha came up behind her and grabbed the pot.

"Kit I said I was gonna help, now stand back and I'll dump this in for you." Kit barely nodded as she slipped out under his arms and to grab the first thing she found in the tub, Josh's good pants, and began scrubbing. Buddha brought the hot pot over and began adding it a bit at a time until the water was warm again.

"You need help with anything else out here?" He asked after he had returned the pot to the fire.
Kit looked up and moved a bit of hair from her forehead as she thought. "Well I didn't get around to cutting up any wood or kindling for tonight."
Buddha nodded, "Well then I'll do that. If you need help dumping this out yell."

Kit grunted as he walked off. Her energy focused on getting rid of a stain on the denim jeans that she was working on. She finally finished the laundry as well has hanging it up about 30 min after Buddha had come in. He must have been waiting or something till she was done, because no sooner had she removed the ringer from the tub than he was there to dump it out.

Kit stood back and watched him pour the water out around the couple of small trees that were growing in the yard. He then helped her gather up her washing supplies and walked with her back to the house. Kit went to change into something less restraining while Buddha hung up the wash tub.

"So Kit what you making for dinner."
Kit stuck her head out from the room she was changing in, "I don't know bread and what's left of the stew we had on Sunday. Can you start up the stove for me, I think it went out while I was doing laundry."

"It didn't go out, and the soup is in this container right?" Kit stuck out her head and looked at the jar that Buddha held up.
"Yeah it's in there. Just stick it into the pot on the stove, I'll be out in a minute." True to her word she was out of the room soon. She moved in front of the stove and began to stir in some seasonings to the stew. "So Buddha how did you get the luck to come up to the house early?"

Buddha looked a bit uncomfortable with the question, but shrugged, "Cray said they could finish with what was left on their own. No one said I couldn't come so I did."

"I see, well thanks for the help. But if this is supposed to be your break why not go sit or do something you enjoy. I can do this all on my own just fine." Kit shooed him away from the counter where he had been hovering. Buddha grabbed a glass and the pitcher that held some water before sitting down at the table.

"Kit I was wondering." Buddha started to speak but stopped.
"What were you wondering Buddha?" Kit asked not turning around from the stew she was stirring.
"Well how has your day been?"
Kit turned and raised an eyebrow. "My day? Well after getting the talk from Rose about how inappropriate it is for me to live in this house with you guys; I came back here and cleaned. Then I remembered that the laundry had to be done so I did that. That was about my day."

"So Rose talked to you about living here?"
"Yeah I don't understand what is so wrong about it. We've been doing this for two years now, it isn't like something has changed. You guys are like big brothers for the most part. They didn't care last year or the first year. What is so different about this year?" Kit asked slapping her spoon on the pot. She had been so intent on venting about her discussion with Rose she didn't see Buddha get up and stand behind her. As she turned around she bumped into him.

Buddha put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Well I can think of one thing that has changed in the past two years." Before Kit could react Buddha bent down and brushed his lips against hers for a moment.

Kit took a step back and looked up her eyes wide, "Why'd you do that?"
"Kit I did it because…" Buddha ran his hand through his hair turning away from her. "I did it because I am in love with you."

Kit blinked her eyes in surprise, "You what?"
"I love you, and I understand where Rose and Sid are coming from. Kit I don't know if you like me or anything. But I want to court you, marry you if I have a chance and I can't do that with you living in the same house." Buddha came back to stand in front of Kit who still had a shocked look on her face, a bit speechless.

"umm, This is kinda sudden isn't it?" Kit shook her head in surprise not really believing that it was possible for Buddha to like her this way.
"No, I have loved you for almost two years. I guess I made a mess of the whole thing by kissing you." Buddha started to walk out, but Kit grabbed his arm.

"You have liked me for two years? Wow and here I thought you only saw me as a little sister or something." Kit wondered aloud, Buddha still a bit embarrassed by his action started to pull away but Kit held on to his arm. He turned toward her and Kit got up on her toes to place a kiss on his lips.

Buddha reacted by putting his arms around her and that was the position that their housemates found them in as they came in from working. "Hey Buddha I didn't say you could come back so you could start making out with my cousin." Cray started in on the teasing as soon as the door was shut.

Kit broke away from Buddha blushing furiously and went to stand with her back to the guys stirring the stew. The guys went to clean up but the teasing continued through dinner, but since it was all good-natured teasing neither Buddha or Kit responded.

There were some changes made at the farm though, Kit did move in to live with Rose and Sid, much to their relief, but she still took care of the guys' house, saying that they couldn't cook if their lives depended on it. All she seemed to do was sleep at the other house. All through out that winter she and Buddha grew closer and as spring neared she looked forward to the summer and getting to talk to Karen about their relationship.