Sometimes, there are places which hold significant meaning in our lives.

For Bill Regan, there was one part of the Wheeler's stable that would always be special. What others saw as simply a wooden porch and staircase leading to an apartment above the barn, Bill saw as a place of quiet contemplation. It was where he liked to eat his breakfast each day. It was the height from which he could see the morning mist rise up from the lake to meet the orange sky of sunrise over the treetops in the distance. It was the vantage point from which he could view a perfect sunset each evening as he sat a weary body down for a momentary rest before supper. It was the place where he had been standing when the news came that his sister's son needed him. The place where he'd made the difficult decision to accept the troubled teen into his life, even though he was barely an adult himself. It was where he'd gone to grieve when Dan had succumbed to cancer. Where he'd found peace with all he'd lost.

And, years later, it was where he discovered the disturbing, yet beautiful, truth that he was falling in love with his deceased nephew's girlfriend.

The revelation hit him like a ton of bricks.

Oh God, I can't believe this is happening, he thought to himself. I almost kissed her, today!

Sitting in on the top step at twilight and sipping on a cup of cool water, Regan felt a tingling sensation spreading through his body at the memory of what had transpired earlier that afternoon. The images came rapidly back to mind. Hallie Belden. Her raven hair loosened and flying about her gorgeous face. Her blackberry eyes dancing in the sunlight. Her face aglow with a genuine smile. She was laughing. She was shedding gentle tears. He could recall the smell of her hair as the wind blew strands of it against his warm cheek. He could feel the tickle of its fine wisps; could remember the texture of the strand he tucked behind her ear. The moment of contact when his finger had lightly brushed her tanned skin had electrified him. He knew she'd felt it, too.

No! His mind shouted. She's Danny's girl! It isn't right to think of her this way.

But, he couldn't stop himself. It had been the first time he'd thought of her as anything but Trixie Belden's cousin, or Peter Belden's niece, or Dan Mangan's girlfriend.

He could see she was a woman now. Beautiful, strong, and independent.

And, she makes me laugh, he smiled to himself.

He couldn't stop thinking about the joy of the afternoon. They had, over the course of the past two years, shared so much of their grief with one another that it felt only right that they should now find healing in each other's company. The significance of their promise to Dan, flying his kite to remember him, had brought them closer together. Surely, there was no harm in that.

But, the thought of the kiss that was nearly shared between them that day made him fear that he'd taken their friendship too far.

How could I be so stupid? She'll never speak to me again.

He was grateful that Bobby's cries had interrupted them. In his acceptance of this, he imagined Hallie might have been so focused on the welfare of her little cousin that maybe she could have missed what almost happened between them. Perhaps, she had forgotten the moment already. Perhaps, all would be forgiven and forgotten without ever having to discuss it.

And, if that were the case, Regan pondered, would I ever be able to forget? Could I stand to be near her and not remember the spark I felt for her out in that field?

He wasn't so sure he could.

The guilt of knowing he had no right to Hallie began to consume him, and he had to cover his face with his hands to try to suppress his feelings. He considered all the reasons why a romance with Hallie was out of the question. She was nearly nine years younger than he. She had been Dan's girlfriend. She was the niece of his employer's neighbor. She was almost out of college and had the promise of a future in the art world, while he had barely graduated high school and had no occupational skills beyond basic equestrian knowledge. He had nothing to offer her. Besides, he knew her family would forbid it.

Then, another frightening thought seized him.

Matt would fire me and I'd have nowhere else to go.

The thought of Mathew Wheeler angry at him, for any reason, made him sick to his stomach. To Regan, the older man had become a father figure and friend. He'd been a solid and dependable help while Dan had been ill. He was the closest thing to family Bill had left in the world.

I can't! I can't do this! He decided. I can't let myself fall for her. She's off limits!

He squashed down all desires to contact Hallie. To tell her how he felt about her. To ask her what she was feeling.

It was the way it had to be.

But, the loneliness that accompanied this revelation pulled his spirits down even lower. His shoulders and head dropped with them.

With his eyes down, he didn't see the figure that approached him from below, nor did he expect the voice that accompanied its presence at the foot of the stairs.

"I take it…this isn't a good time," Hallie said quietly.

Bill shot up from his perch on the step and nearly dropped his cup of water all over himself.

It was a comfort to him when Hallie simply giggled at his clumsiness and didn't make a move to ascend the stairs.

"I um…I was just about to get back to work, actually." Regan stammered.

"Could we…talk about something?" Hallie's voice was uncharacteristically timid, and it bothered Regan.

"Well, it's getting dark out, and your family's probably looking for you to get back to Crabapple Farm before…"

"I just came from there," Hallie interrupted him. "They know where I am."

Oh Great! He thought. What did she tell them? I'm going to find out why Dan's crazy old uncle tried to kiss me today? This is bad!

He immediately thought about what would happen if Matthew Wheeler caught them talking at the door to his apartment, and he was once again scared of losing everything he had.

But, the girl below him seemed to already know what he was thinking.

"Don't worry, I won't come up there. I just…I just need to talk to you."

Oh God, you made her too perfect for me. She knows me inside and out.

Knowing that he needed to settle this once and for all, he began climbing down towards her. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He knew what he had to do, and he would take the responsibility to do it.

But, he also knew he'd regret it for the rest of his life.

"How's Bobby?" Regan began when he reached the bottom step.

"Oh, he's fine," Hallie gave a wave of her hand. "He fell in the lake over on the back side. You know, over near Mr. Maypenny's. Said he saw a snake or something. He was just being dramatic, that's all."

"Good, I'm glad he's okay."

Her face grew serious, and Bill braced himself for her usually direct way of speaking.

Oh Boy, here it comes.

But she surprised him by not even asking about the "almost" kiss.

"You know…Dan and I almost went too far once. Did he ever tell you about that?"

Bill felt as if he'd been sucker punched in the stomach. This wasn't something he wanted to think about. He knew Hallie and Dan had never had sex. Why did she have to make him imagine they'd even come close? His love for both of them made this concept too painful to consider right now.

"I don't think this is something we should be talking about…" Regan started.

"Why not?" She seemed confused. "If we're going to be in any kind of relationship, I think it's something you should know. And…also…you should know…about someone else I had… something…intimate with…once."

Relationship? She thinks we're already in a relationship? How did this happen? God help me, I have to stop this now!

"Hallie, we aren't…I mean…we can't. It wouldn't be right."

Hallie looked angry.

"Oh, I see," she said cooly. "You don't want me because I'm obviously not some pristine angel who's never been in that kind of situation with a guy. Okay, well, let's forget I even came here, then."

She had backed up slowly as she spoke and was now spinning away from him to stomp off.

But, Bill quickly jumped down from the lowest step and grabbed her wrist to pull her back to face him.

"No…Hallie, stop…" he began.

"No! You stop!" Hallie wrenched her small wrist free of his large grip. "I can't believe I came here thinking you cared about me."

She was rushing away and muttering violently as she retreated.

"I can't believe I was about to tell you something I never even told Dan!"

Her voice was hoarse with emotion, and the strangled way she sobbed Dan's name pushed Regan over the edge. Gone was his earlier resolve to keep her at arm's length.

He tried to catch up to her. To stop her and pull her to him. To make her understand that she could tell him anything.

But, she was across the yard and down the sloping hillside leading to Crabapple Farm, before he could even make any progress in her direction.

Torn between his responsibility to the animals in the stable behind him and his growing love for the woman who had just disappeared over the horizon in front of him, he stood silently for a long time in the graveled drive outside the barn door.

Oh God, he desperately prayed, what do I do now?