Neil paced back and forth, waiting for the man he hired to track Holly down. A knock was heard on the door, and he called out for him to enter.

A man in a red hat and blue overalls entered and said, "I searched several nearby towns without a clue. However, I've discovered that Holly has an uncle who's less than a day away from there. I'm going to check his farm next."

Neil looked at his associate and said, "Good Hunter, your job is to make her come back of her own free will."

Hunter raised an eyebrow and asked, "How do you suppose I do that?"

Neil shrugged and said, "Simple, find out what's special to her and threaten to destroy it."

It was nighttime at the farm. Holly looked at the hairstyle Ford suggested in the mirror and wondered if he liked it. The style was simple and clean, both of which indicated a positive reaction from him… but did he think she was pretty? She pulled her hair down from the bun and flopped back on her bed, wondering, 'And why do I care? Am I really going to get out of one bad relationship and hop into another… But, would a relationship with Ford really be bad? She flipped over in her bed and placed a pillow over her ear to dull out the sounds of locus chirping in the background.

The next day Holly sat on her bed holding the doctor's pocket square. It smelled like his cologne. She clutched it in her hands and debated back and forth whether she should return it. Holding it gave her a sense of comfort and made her feel safe, but returning it would give her an excuse to see him again. As she debated in her head, she heard a knock on her door. Holly stood up and opened the door to find Lizette and Carrie. "Hey there," Carrie greeted, "We just wanted to check up on you after yesterday."

"We brought croissants," Lizzette added. As they ate, Carrie and Lizette talked about all the sights and shops in town. Holly tried to pay attention, but she was more concerned about whether she should return the pocket square. After a while, both girls noticed Holly playing with the cloth in her lap.

Carrie stood up and grabbed Holly's hairbrush off the nightstand. She walked over to Holly and suggested with a smile, "Why don't we fix your hair and go see him. That could be the first stop on our tour."

Holly smiled and nodded excitedly.

Carrie and Lizette stood outside the clinic and peered into the window as Holly entered. Ford was busy working in his lab when he heard the bell on the door ring. He saw Trouble run to the front door and start mewing happily. Ford put his beaker down and walked over to see who had entered the clinic. "Holly, what brings you here today? Are you not feeling well?" Ford asked.

Holly shook her head. "No, actually, I just came here to return this to you," Holly said and untied the pocket square from her neck and placed it into his hand.

He noticed she immediately covered the scar on her neck with her hand after she returned the cloth. Ford was silent for a moment before he replied, "Just keep it. I have a bunch of those lying around here."

Holly smiled shyly and replied, "Thank you."

As Holly tied the cloth back around her neck, Ford picked up Trouble, who was busy playing with his shoelaces, and said, "I know you have to get back to the farm. But, if you are not busy tonight, Wayne is coming over for dinner. You are welcome to join us."

Holly scratched under Trouble's chin and replied, "I'd love to."

Suddenly two loud squeals were heard out the window. Ford turned to see Carrie and Lizette spying on them, "Well, it looks like we are going to be the talk of the town tonight. You better get going before they start spreading rumors."

Holly nodded and said, "See you tonight."

Wayne was working early in the post office trying to sort through today's mail when he saw a customer come in. He walked up to the counter and greeted, "Howdy, can I help you?"

The man took off his hat and said, "I am looking for my old poker buddy Frank. I was told he lived around these parts. Could you give me directions to his farm?" Hunter asked.

Wayne nodded and replied, "Sure, once you go out this door, head to south Westtown. His home will be on your right."

The man nodded and handed him a tip. Wayne looked at the tip funny and thought to himself, 'where I come from, a simple thank you would have sufficed, but who am I to argue. He then shrugged his shoulders and returned to sorting.

Hunter found the house and hid in the wilderness nearby. He sat and watched for the next hour or two before deciding to approach Frank to see if he knew where Holly was living. Hunter knocked on the door and waited for the redheaded farmer to step outside. Frank greeted the stranger, "Howdy there, can I help you."

Hunter smiled sweetly and said, "Hi, I was hoping you could help me find an old friend of mine. She's thin, blonde hair and blue-eyed… I believe her name is Hailey… You see, she helped me out in high school, and I was hoping to repay the favor."

Frank was suspicious of this young fellow and said, "The only woman around here that fits that description was my niece Holly… But, I am afraid she has moved on to Skytree Village."

Hunter nodded and thanked Frank for his time. Before he left, Frank asked, "I didn't catch your name, boy."

"The name is Hunter," he said before heading to a hotel in a nearby town.

After meeting everyone in town, Holly headed over to Ford's clinic. Her hair started to fall, so she pulled her hair out of the bun and gently brushed it with her fingers before entering the clinic. When the bell on the door rang, Ford called out, "I'm upstairs, Holly."

As Holly climbed the stairs, she asked, "How did you know it was me?"

Ford smirked slightly as he replied, "Wayne's always late."

Holly giggled softly and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ford shook his head and replied, "The soup is just about done. But, if you want to feed Trouble, that would be helpful.

As Holly was getting Trouble's bowl ready, Ford cursed inwardly, trying to come up with a topic to talk to her about… "How do you like your haircut?" he blurted out.

Holly unconsciously reached up and played with a small strand, "It was a little hard to adjust to, but I am glad you suggested the bun…." She paused for a moment as she debated whether or not she should say the next part, "When the girls suggested a makeover, I jumped at it because… I don't want anyone to hold it like this again." She grabbed her hair, mimicking what her fiancé used to do to her.

Ford placed the ladle on the spoon rest and approached Holly. It was as if his body moved before his brain as he gently removed her hands from her hair and said, "No one will treat you like that here."

Their moment was interrupted as Wayne cleared his throat. Ford quickly let go of her hands and asked, "Wayne and Frank, how long have you two been standing there?"

Holly blushed as her Uncle said, "Long enough to know that you are sweet on my niece…but we have bigger problems." Frank turned towards Holly and asked, "Do you know a man named Hunter?"

Holly shook her head and replied, "Not personally, but I know of him… He was a business associate of my former fiancé."

Frank then grabbed her arm and said, "We need to go see Mirabelle then. Dinner is going to have to wait."

Ford turned out the fire and followed them out of the clinic. As they followed Frank to the general store, he explained his encounter with Hunter, "Although you cut your hair, it's in your best interest to dye it too. Also, you may want to order contacts to make you harder to spot."

Holly nodded in agreement, and he continued, "While Mirabelle helps you with your hair, we're going into town to ask residents not to give information of your whereabouts."

Holly sat on the lid of the toilet as Mirabelle squeezed brown hair dye in her hair. Holly felt both scared and self-conscious. She was happy knowing that the whole town was helping her, but she was also terrified of what Neil would do if he found her."

Mirabelle interrupted her thoughts, "You are going to be fine, sweetie. You are one of us, and in this town, we protect our own." To lighten the mood, she added, "You know, I heard a rumor that Ford has a thing for brunettes." Holly blushed, and Mirabelle continued, "Ford is quiet, but he's sweet. Have you thought about dating him?"

Holly shook her head and replied, "He would never be interested in a girl like me. I have a troubled past, and he would be better off without me." Holly pulled her knees into her chest and rested her chin. "I have nothing to offer him."

Mirabelle shook her head, "Trust me, I have known that boy my entire life. Before you, the only thing he showed any interest in was his medical career." She then cautiously added, "And Ford might have more in common with you than you know… Maybe someday he will tell you about it... Alright, now it is time for you to rinse your hair."

Mirabelle walked Holly home that evening while the men continued to notify the town of Hunter's appearance. When they reached her door, Mirabelle grabbed Holly's hands and said, "I know you're scared right now, especially after the way Neil treated you…."

"Who told you?" Holly asked fearfully.

Mirabelle shushed Holly and said, "Your Uncle Frank and I have been dating for years. There is nothing we keep from each other." She then continued, "I know you're scared, but you should think about giving Ford a chance. He can be a bit awkward, but that's because he's never had someone truly love him. I'm not going to go into his background because that's something he should share with you. But, I can tell you that he is kind and loyal."

Holly nodded and replied, "I will think about it. Thank you for your help tonight, but could I possibly ask you for one more thing?"

"Of course," Mirabelle responded.

"Please don't repeat what my Uncle told you about me. I don't want anyone to know more than necessary about my past," Holly requested.

Mirabelle nodded, "I will keep it to myself. Now you go get some rest."

Holly let out a yawn and wished Mirabelle goodnight.

A few weeks later…

After a long day of working in the fields, Holly didn't have much strength left to chop firewood, which she desperately needed. She wondered if Ford had any medicine to help her recover her stamina faster. Holly walked into the doctor's office feeling slightly lightheaded but saw a patient ahead of her.

She sat down on the couch next to a father and a son. The little boy was crying softly, "Please don't make me go, papa. I don't like the doctor."

"Nonsense, Dr. Ford is the only one who can help you take care of this nagging cough," The man said to his son.

"But the doctor is mean…He is going to give me a shot," The boy cried.

Holly decided to speak to the boy and said, "Doctor Ford is a very kind doctor. If he does give you a shot, you can bet it is the best thing for you."

"But I don't want a shot…," the child wailed.

Holly paused for a moment and asked, "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Colin," the child answered.

Holly smiled and said, "Well, I am going to let you in on a little secret. You see that candy jar over by the front door?" She pointed, "Doctor Ford keeps his magical lollipops over there. They instantly make shots feel better."

Colin looked in awe and said, "Really? I'm gonna go get one right now. Thanks."

Doctor Ford walked in at that moment and called, "Hector and Colin." He looked over to Holly with a smile before he walked back with his other patients.

Several Minutes later, Frank and Colin walked out with Ford. Ford walked Colin to the door and handed the child a second lollipop.

He then signaled to Holly to follow him into the room, "So what seems to be troubling you today?"

She sat on the bed and explained, "Well, I am struggling to finish my work during the day because I just don't have enough energy. I have been trying to eat right, but I still feel like I am on the verge of collapsing. So I was hoping you had something that would help me out."

Doctor Ford nodded and replied, "Yes, I could probably help you out with that, but first, I would like to check you over. It has been a few weeks since I last saw you in my office, and I would like to keep track of your recovery. Would you mind if I examined you?

She nodded, and he did several standard tests, including a blood test.

"What were you doing today when you started to feel weak?" Ford asked.

"Today, I mostly focused on watering and harvesting my garden. When I went to go chop some firewood for tonight, I could barely lift the ax," Holly explained.

After he was satisfied with his examination, he said, "Despite the lack of energy, I can tell that you are gradually improving. Your face has some color to it, although a little pale now. Your body weight is approaching a normal range, and several of your bruises have vanished. The blood test results will take a few days to come in, but I will be glad to give you a vitamin shot which will help boost your energy. However, I urge you not to push yourself too hard. You are just getting started doing farm work, which is hard labor. After the condition you were in when I first met you, it's no wonder that you are having a difficult time."

He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a syringe and medicine, and asked with a smirk on his face, "Would you like a magic lollypop afterwards?"

Holly looked up at him, surprised, "You heard that, huh?"

Ford nodded. "I thought it was creative…I appreciate it. I've always worried about Colin... He's just such a quiet child."

Holly smiled and replied, "He will be fine. Sometimes it just takes the right person to help a person out of their shell. I mean, look at Wayne and you… I have never seen such close friends."

As Ford was bandaging her arm, he thought, 'Yeah, I just sometimes wish I had another person who I could truly depend on.' When He looked up from her arm, he noticed something was off. She was sweating and pale. He saw her wobble and caught her before she fell. He laid her back on the table and realized she fainted.

When Holly came to, there was a cold compress on her forehead. Ford was mixing together some kind of medicine by her side. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Exhausted," she answered.

He let out a sigh and said, "I am going to look at the inside of your lower eyelid."

He pulled her lower eyelid down and continued, "Just as I thought. The inside of your eyelid should be pink. Instead, it's white. This is a sign of anemia."

"What's that?" Holly asked.

Ford looked at her and explained, "In short, I believe you have an iron deficiency. I have made a combination of Iron, Calcium, and Fiber. Take it home with you and take it daily. I would also suggest you add more meat to your diet. But for tonight, I am going to keep you here for observation."

She gave Ford a weak smile and said, "There is another explanation." Ford looked at her curiously but allowed her to continue, "Like Colin, I have a phobia of needles." she then held out her hand and said, "Hold me."

Ford looked puzzled for a moment before realizing what she was saying. Finally, he placed his hand over hers and asked, "If you are scared of needles, why did you speak up for me in front of Colin?"

Holly weakly answered, "I didn't grow up in a loving and supportive community like Westtown. Where I lived, everything was about money. If I had stayed there, I would have been married off to the highest bidder. That kind of environment made it hard to trust anyone… However, your kindness has shown me that there is still some humanity left in the world… I can't say I trust you completely… But I do see that you have a good heart." Something about what she said made him unconsciously hold her hand a little tighter. She yawned and said, "I'm tired. Thank you for holding my hand."

Ford thought about what she had told him and wanted to find out more. However, he knew that it was going to take time to fully gain her trust.

Holly woke up to the sound of the clinic door ringing. Ford was carrying a bag of wild herbs into the clinic and noticed her stir. Trouble, who was sleeping on Holly's chest, stood up and ran over to Ford. "Good morning," Holly greeted.

"Morning," Ford replied as he picked the cat up, "Your Uncle Hector and I chopped and delivered about a week's worth of firewood to your farm. It should hold you over until your iron levels have recovered."

Holly sat up from the bed and said, "Thank you. I am not sure how I could ever repay you?"

Ford smiled and said, "We'll talk about it after the beverage bash. You haven't forgotten about it, have you?"

Holly shook her head no and said, "I can't wait."

"Good, because it's this weekend, and I can't stand the thought of listening to Brad crow about winning for another year," Ford replied.

Holly nodded, "I will give it my best. I'm having a cow delivered to the farm this morning, so maybe I can bring in some milk. Speaking of which, it's probably hungry. I best be going."

Ford flipped his sign in the clinic window to open and said, "Remember, take your medicine, eat more meat, and don't overwork yourself. I want you in tip-top shape for the competition this weekend."

Hunter recounted his meeting with Neil and said, "Her Uncle Frank claims that Holly went to Skytree Village, but I sense that he is not telling the truth. Is it possible that she could have stayed elsewhere in the town, or is he just trying to throw me off her trail and giving me the wrong city?"

Neil paced back and forth, "I'm not sure… But Skytree Village is a lot closer than Westtown. Investigate there first. If we don't find her, there are plenty of ways you could 'persuade' dear old Uncle Frank into talking."

Hunter nodded and replied, "I will allow my horses to rest up tonight and head out first thing tomorrow morning."

"Very good," Neil agreed. Before Hunter left, Neil continued, "And remember, if I don't get my fiancé back, your wife won't get her treatments and will be as good as dead." Hunter looked down at his feet and nodded, "Yes, Sir."

It was the day of the Beverage Bash. Holly's bruises had finally healed, and she decided to wear the blue polka dot skirt that she first tried with Miranda. When she made it to the festival grounds, she looked around for Ford but bumped into a distraught Carrie.

"Can you believe that man? I can't believe I married to that pig!" Carrie complained.

Holly's eyes got big, and she asked, "What's got you so upset, Carrie?"

Carrie's eyes swelled up with tears, "That jerk is kicking me off his team for the third year in a row. I wish I never married him."

Holly felt bad for her and said, "Well, Ford and I haven't picked a team yet. Would you like to join ours?"

She saw Ford in the distance walking towards them, and Carrie threw her hands around her. "Oh Holly, thank you soooooooo much. You truly are a great friend."

After Carrie ran off, Ford approached her and asked, "Did Carrie just ask to join our team?"

"Yeah, what luck we would get the other chef at the Garden Grill to help us!" she said excitedly.

Ford pressed his glasses against his nose and replied, "I don't know if I would call it luck… In any case, thanks to you, Colin has asked to join our team."

Holly beamed, "Oh, that's wonderful. I'm curious to see what he brought."

Ford smirked and replied, "You should know. If a magic lollipop can make a shot better, it is certain to make a great cup of tea."

Across the field, Brad looked over at his wife Carrie talking with the crowds. He felt terrible that he kicked his wife off his team again, but he bet money that he would take home another victory. He knew in advance that Holly was going to be on Ford's team. Ford was always Brad's biggest competition in the past…Probably because the doctor was constantly consuming caffeine. This year, he had a plan to beat Ford…floating in his teapot.

Megan blew a whistle and announced, "It's time for all the groups to go to their assigned tables." She then explained the rules. "Each of you has a pot of hot water that has been brewing for several minutes. Figure out who you want to be the team captain, and they will put the contents into the kettle. After all the ingredients are inside, you will start a timer. When the timer goes off, your team captain will deliver a cup of tea to everyone here. Everyone will have two votes for the best cup of tea… We do that because otherwise, you all would vote for yourselves," she said to the crowd, who all erupted with laughter.

Holly walked over to the table, which had an electronic tea kettle with a top on it. Carrie asked her, "Since this is your first year Holly, would you like to be team captain?"

Holly shrugged and said, "Sure, sounds like fun. Each team member put their ingredient on the plate in the middle of the table for Holly to grab.

Carrie put Colin on her shoulders, so he could see as she worked on making the winning pot of tea. "Good luck, everyone," Colin said, looking at Holly and Ford on the opposite side of the table.

Holly opened the teapot and gave a startled gasp when she saw what was floating inside. Ford's eyes got big when he saw Holly drop the tea kettle. Ford quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away from it. Then, he heard Carrie yell, "Good God, what happened?" and felt a painful sting on his arm.

When the tea kettle hit the floor, a realistic-looking plastic snake fell out of it. "Hey, how did snakey get in there? He's ruined now!" Colin cried. Carrie decided to carry Colin to his father to help console the child.

Ford hissed in pain as the hot water into his sleeve. He then turned Holly around and asked, "Are you okay? Did you get burned?" She shook her head no and noticed his arm was wet.

"Oh my Goddess Ford, I am so sorry," she said as she saw him struggle to take off his jacket. She gently took his hand and helped unbutton his sleeve to see an angry-looking burn. Ford pursed his lips irritably and said, "I have some aloe back at the clinic. You stay here and enjoy the festival."

Holly's eyes lit up when he said 'aloe' and said, "Hold up. While waiting for the festival to start, I gathered a few wild herbs for you to take back to your clinic. I figured you would be able to use them for your experiments. Anyway, aloe is one of the things I picked up." She pulled out a baggie with the plant leaves inside and handed them to Ford.

Ford smiled at her and said, "That was really thoughtful, Holly. Thank you."

Holly held his sleeve out the way while he applied the aloe. "It is the least I could do…besides, there's no chance I can keep my promise now."

"What promise," Ford asked.

Holly replied, "When I was injured, you said I could pay you back by winning the festival. Now there are no chances of that happening."

Ford was surprised that she really thought he just wanted to beat Brad.

Ford looked around to make sure there was no one about before confessing, "Holly, I didn't really invite you because I wanted to beat Brad." Holly stopped tending to his arm for a moment and waited for him to explain further. He quietly whispered, "I just wanted to spend time with you."

Holly started to blush and not knowing what to say. Instead, she decided to show him how she felt. She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. The entire town pretending not to be listening, suddenly started to whoop and clap, causing both Ford and Holly to turn red with embarrassment. Ford was entirely out of his comfort zone, so he said, "I am going back to the clinic to wrap this."

Brad was in a foul mood when he returned to the diner. He accidentally left his milk by the tea kettle while it was brewing, and the milk turned sour, ruining his tea and causing him to lose the bet.

The rest of the town also followed him back to the restaurant for the usual afterparty, and the hot topic of the night was the kiss heard round the world.

Wayne held his glass up to the bar and said, "I would like to make a toast to Holly…the one person in the world who can touch Ford and not have him looking like he wants to peel the skin straight off his body!"

Frank laughed, "Woooooh, I thought for sure he was going to pull out his hand sanitizer, but he surprised us all."

"They do make an adorable couple," Carrie commented, "on a different note, has anyone figured out who put that snake in the teapot? It was a terrible prank, and it ruined Colin's favorite toy."

Everyone looked around at each other, but no one came forward.

Brad felt scared of being caught and decided to joke, "Maybe Ford did it himself, so he could be the hero of the day."

"That's not even funny. Ford has never been one known to pull pranks. Besides, he got hurt trying to protect her from getting burnt. Whoever did this was petty and immature," Carrie defended.

Brad knew that Carrie wouldn't even look at him tonight if he said anything else, so he walked back into the kitchen to get more chips for the tables.

A few days later, Holly finished her chores and searched for some wild aloe to bring back Ford. She figured by now he had used most of it treating the burn on his arm and was hoping she could undo the damage done by the kiss. Holly walked through the crossroads and saw a large bunch of it sitting on some property to the right of Uncle Frank's home. As she gently cut off some leaves, she felt something cold touch the back of her neck. She turned around and screamed as she came face to face with a gigantic bear. Holly screamed at the top of her lungs and put her hands in front of her face for protection.

A petite older woman was traveling through Westtown to get back to her home in Lulukoko when she heard a scream. She looked in the direction the sound was coming and saw what looked like a large animal leering over a young woman. The older woman was horrified and hurried back to town, where she saw Wayne and Ford talking in the street. She called out to them, "PLEASE! HELP, A WOMAN BEING ATTACKED BY SOME ANIMAL!"

Wayne and Ford looked at each other and hurried in the direction. They were quickly able to locate her from the horrible screams that carried through the valley. 'That sound's like Holly,' Ford thought as he unconsciously ran faster. When they arrived, they found Holly curled up in a ball on the ground sobbing while the bear stood up and made various noises. Wayne smiled when he saw the bear and said, "Grizzly," the bear turned around at the sound of his name, and Wayne continued, "Stop fooling." The bear let out a sad groan and sat down, grabbing his toes and rolling around.

Ford walked over to Holly and extended his hand out to her, "That is Hector's pet bear, Grizzly Adams. Hector rescued him from a circus. He's scary but harmless."

Holly was shaking as she accepted his help up, "Thank you," she said to them both before turning away to hide her embarrassment.

Wayne stopped her from leaving and said, "Holly, we are getting ready to meet Brad, Carrie, and Lizzette at the pond for a picnic. Would you care to join us?"

Ford noticed Holly was still trembling from the incident, and when she didn't immediately answer Wayne, he said, "I think she needs a moment to catch her breath first. Go on ahead Wayne, we'll meet up with you."

Ford stood next to Holly and pulled a warm thermos and a plastic cup out of his medical bag. He poured some of the contents of the thermos into a cup and handed it to her, "Here, it's lavender tea. It will help calm your nerves."

She shakily accepted the cup and took a sip before saying, "Thank you." The tea was sweet and fragrant. As she drank, Ford asked her, "How have you been? I haven't seen you coming through town lately. Are things going well for you back at the farm?"

Holly nodded and said, "I'm fine… We can meet up with your friends now."

"They are your friend's too," Ford replied, sensing something was wrong

Holly looked down and replied, "With Neil searching for me, it is far too dangerous for me to get close to anyone."

Ford took one of her hands in his and asked, "Holly, is Neil the one who hurt you?"

Holly started bawling, and he knew the answer. After several minutes of crying into his shoulder, Holly managed to calm herself and said, "We should probably be going. The others are probably worried."

The group gathered in front of the waterfall on top of a red-checkered blanket. Holly and Ford joined the circle around the food and fixed themselves plates. After their plates were made, Lisette asked Holly if she would compete in this year's fashion show.

Holly shook her head, "I don't know… Tell me about it," she replied

"Oh my gosh, you have to participate! This year's theme is Halloween, and it is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to make the costumes," Carrie gushed.

Ford pushed his glasses higher on his nose, "It looks like I will be treating a lot more cuts and sewn fingers this year. I better stock up on band-aids."

The group chuckled, and Wayne said, "If you want an easy costume this year, you can borrow my cowboy hat."

Holly smiled and replied, "Thanks, but I will figure something out."

Ford was walking Holly home and noticed she still seemed uneasy around him, "Holly, did I do something to offend you?" Ford asked curiously.

Holly shook her head, "No, of course not. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I never should have kissed you without your consent. I'm sorry Ford… I just thought that maybe we might be… oh forget it."

Ford was shocked by what he was hearing but knew that now was the time to make his intentions clear. "Holly, I do have feelings for you. When I left the beverage bash, I was hoping you would come with me. I just didn't want to be the center of attention," he then turned red and continued, "Normally, I find skin on skin contact repulsive, but with you I find it… stimulating."

They reached the door and she asked, "In that case, may I?"

Ford leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, allowing her to draw her own conclusion.