I had a lot of fun writing this chapter – and it's longer, as promised!

Hope you enjoy! ;P

Walking briskly, Annie sighed in frustration. The continuous lovely summer weather begged her to be in a better mood, but she would have none of it. She had just left the clinic after almost an entire morning of waiting around for Dr. Marian to return to the clinic and give her antibiotics so she could leave. At least she had been able to take a nice hot – although awkward, as she had to avoid washing her stitches with soap - shower in the clinic, so she wouldn't be unclean when she finally went to the restaurant. A few warnings about being gentle with her stitches later, she rushed out of the building, intent on going to see Raeger to explain what had happened.

Agate had stayed with her the entire time, even though she had to call Kamil to postpone their date. Annie was touched by her friend's gesture, as she knew how much she had been looking forward to seeing him. Agate insisted that he would understand, and had stayed with her the entire night. Annie felt horrible. She hoped Raeger suspected something had happened to keep her from him, and didn't think she had changed her mind about the whole idea of being with him. The thought made her stomach twist.

Her sutured arm throbbing, she made her way toward the restaurant, feeling anxious. The bag with her new dress swung from her uninjured arm, since she hadn't made it home yet to put it away. She was nearly at the building when a worried-looking Fritz popped out from behind a bush, and blocked her path.

"Annie! You've gotta help me!" He begged, tears filling his eyes. "You know Elise's horse? The huge brown one?"

Annie stopped walking reluctantly, and sighed. "Yes."

"I lost him!" He wailed, his eyes showing his panic.

Annie stared at the red-headed boy. "You what?"

"I asked Elise if I could take him out for a ride, and when I went in my house to get some apples for him, he was gone," he said miserably.

"You left him outside without tethering him?"

Fritz nodded in response, and Annie groaned, annoyed.

Fritz' eyes opened wider, a desperate look on his face. "Annie, Elise will kill me. Please, please, please help me."

Annie grumbled a few swear words under her breath, but began walking away from the restaurant, toward the mountain paths. "Fine. But we've gotta find him quick."

"Thank you so much!" He chirped, falling into step beside her. "Besides, Raeger's in a pretty bad mood anyway."

Annie felt sick to her stomach. He must be upset that she hadn't shown up. It took a lot of effort for her to walk in the opposite direction of him with Fritz.

The sun climbing high in the perfectly clear blue sky, the two began scouring the mountainside, looking for any sign of a horse. With every place they checked being the wrong place, Annie felt her anxiety increase as she wondered what Raeger was thinking. I'm sorry, she thought desperately. Please, Goddess, let him forgive me.

By the time the sun had completed half its arc across the sky, they had searched every inch of the mountain trails and the woods on the edge. There wasn't a single horse hair or hoof print on any of the rented farm areas, either. Annie was beginning to wonder if the horse had sneaked past them and went to the town, when it struck her.

"Fritz... Did you check your farm?"

He turned to her and blinked. "Oh. Uh..."

Annie immediately began jogging in the direction of Fritz' farm, although her arm hurt with every step. She clenched her teeth and carried on, praying to the Harvest Goddess that the horse would be there.

Sure enough, the great animal was languidly chewing grass smack in the middle of the overgrown farm field. Annie whipped around and shot Fritz a glare. They had been searching for hours for an animal that hadn't budged from Fritz' own property.

As he approached the horse cautiously, Annie stifled another sigh as she realized she would have to care for her animals before returning to town; They all would normally have been fed at least five or six hours ago had she spent the night at home. She shut her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Raeger would still be there that evening. She would feed her animals quick, then run to the restaurant.

As she turned to make her way back home, a grunt caught her attention and she glanced over her shoulder. Elise's horse was rearing up on his hind legs, and Fritz had fallen on his rump in the dirt, shielding his face. As the animal settled back on all fours, Fritz jumped to his feet and backed away from the horse. She watched as he reached tentatively toward him, only to receive a warning nip.

Annie cringed, expecting it as the farmer turned to her with fear in his eyes. "Annie-"

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, stepping forward to help. Stepping confidently but non-threateningly toward the equine, she reached out slowly and rubbed him on the nose. He was a very large, handsome horse, that was for sure. He towered over her, but allowed her to rub his face. She gently gripped his bridal for lack of a lead to guide him toward town. Fritz followed behind her quietly, probably aware of Annie's growing anger.

She took another yearning glance toward Raeger's restaurant as they walked the cobblestone path up toward Elise's mansion. The sound of the horse's hooves clicking on the ground was drowned out by roaring fountains that poured endlessly into large artificial ponds. Red and purple flowers were spread professionally around the base of the water, and had Annie been in a positive mood, she might have slowed down to appreciate the beauty.

Annie got a reluctant Fritz to hold the horse at the bottom of the stairs as she boldly walked up to knock on the door. Before she could, a voice snapped at her.

"What do you want?" A young man with tanned skin and strangely pale hair was standing a few feet away, his arms folded against his chest with a small frown on his face.

Taken by surprise, Annie stumbled back a bit. "This is Elise's horse. We've brought it back for her."

He grunted without a word, and disappeared inside. A few moments later, a rather angry-looking Elise stepped out, two servants behind her.

"Fritz," the blonde hissed. "Where have you been? You told me you were taking Celio for a quick ride. It's been hours!"

The normally loud farmer stuttered as he struggled to find something to say to the enraged girl.

"And oh, his coat! It's filthy!" She glowered, then snapped her fingers at her servants. "Take this poor creature back to the barn right away, and brush this filth off him!"

The servants bowed, and went right to their task, taking Celio away toward the back where the barn must have been. Elise turned on Annie, then, looking her up and down.

"Why are you here? It isn't enough that you're using valuable farm land for your pitiful crops and pathetic livestock, but now you have the gall to show up here? Hoping for some ideas to improve your poor little farm?" She sneered. "Clearly, you seem to have chosen the wrong occupation – you can't even afford your own horse!"

Annie's eyes narrowed as the spoiled girl insulted her. She felt her anger boil, threatening to explode.

"I mean, you can't farm well. You don't work for anyone else. You're pretty much just a waste of space. Why don't you sell your farm land to me?" She laughed harshly. "I'd be able to buy it for much more than you will ever make with it. As a real farmer, I have actual income."

Suddenly Annie's tight-lipped expression changed to a smirk. "You're getting your money from standing here insulting me while your servants do the real work. You aren't a real farmer, you prissy little bitch."

She heard Fritz gasp as she swiveled on her foot and walked the other way before she could witness Elise's reaction. As she made her way off the property, she noticed the rude white-haired man who had called Elise for them was grinning; He must have witnessed her encounter with Elise. Annie wondered if anyone else ever stood up against the rich blonde girl. The man returned to tending the garden as she left.

She heard quick footsteps as Fritz caught up with her. He was grinning, too. "That was awesome."

Annie smiled a bit, her anger relieved slightly. She then sighed as she realized the sun was beginning to descend toward the trees. Bidding farewell to Fritz quickly, she made her way back along the mountain paths toward home.

As she finally entered her house, she read the clock on her nightstand: 5:43. That gave her a few hours to take care of her animals and prepare to go see Raeger after closing time.

The hot sun had finally come to rest below the tree line as Annie walked into town, her red dress rippling at her thighs. She received a few weird glances from residents of Oak Tree Town – there wasn't really anywhere in town to dress up for, so a girl in a nice dress was a rare sight. She held her head high and walked past them, eager yet afraid to see Raeger.

She paused at his door to take a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure how this would go. He could be upset with her for missing their date, and it could ruin things between them. She wouldn't even blame him if he were that upset – It was now almost twenty-four hours after their date was supposed to be. On the other hand, he was a very kind person. Perhaps he would forgive her, and they could plan for another date. She bit her lip, nervous for either outcome.

Before she could chicken out, she forced herself to raise her fist and knock on the door. She held her breath, hoping for the best. As he opened the door, she felt her heart race faster. When his handsome features appeared in the doorway, she felt her heart clench. He was wearing a dress shirt as usual, only this one was red, with a black tie positioned over the bold colour. It was as dressed up as she had seen him, and it looked incredible on him. She tried for a smile, but it was difficult, given her nervous state.

"Hi," she said simply.

He frowned at her. "What happened?"

"I'm so sorry," she began.

"Changed your mind?" He smiled halfheartedly. His expression broke Annie's heart a little.

She widened her eyes in surprise. "What? No, not at all. I was stuck at the clinic last night." She began telling him how she had been bitten and required stitches, but he stopped her.

"Does it really matter? If you had wanted me to know you had been held up, why wouldn't you have come earlier than now? I was worried. I went up to your farm and everything, and you weren't there."

Her bottom lip started quivering as she pushed back tears. So she had ruined things. "Raeger, I'm so-"

He interrupted her with a sigh. "Annie, I don't think we're a good idea," he stated abruptly.

She stood, silent, for a moment. "Are you serious?" She asked quietly.

Their sad gazes met for a moment. She couldn't believe she had screwed this up. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone else. Even if she was only twenty years old, she had the feeling that it was hard to come by feelings such as hers for Raeger, and she didn't want to let this go. She had really thought that they could be something wonderful, but now she was stuck looking at his forlorn expression and wishing that she could do yesterday over.

Suddenly, Raeger cracked a smile at the confused girl and laughed. "No, come on in. You look beautiful."

She blinked, more confused now than ever, standing in the doorway. After a moment's hesitation, she followed him inside. "Wait, you're not upset?"

After shutting the door behind her, he pulled her into a warm hug. She sighed into it, resting her head on his chest.

He pulled back to look at her. "Of course not. I heard about what happened from Fritz. I was going to come see you at the clinic last night, but Fritz convinced me it would be more romantic if I surprised you with a date tonight."

Annie rolled her eyes in an attempt to cover up the fact that she was blushing. "Kind of annoying, if you ask me. How did Fritz even find out where I was?"

He shrugged. "No idea. I'm glad he told me, though." Raeger took her right hand in his, and pressed a kiss to her arm, a few inches away from her stitches. She nervously met his eyes, feeling fluttery and not entirely in control of herself.

He moved away from her, toward the dining room. Annie inhaled deeply, and felt her stomach rumble at the scent of food. She noticed all of the tables in the dining room had been pushed to the side, except one, which had a table cloth, candle and two wine glasses with a bottle of red wine on it.

"Have a seat," he insisted, offering her his arm and leading her to the table he had set for two. He pulled out a chair for her, and Annie sat, smiling like a fool. He winked at her. "One sec."

He disappeared into the kitchen momentarily, and when he returned he had two steaming plates in his hands. He set them on the table, and Annie felt her stomach rumble again at the sight of the meal. A pile of gnocchi sat on the plate, covered with a creamy tomato sauce and spinach. Two wedges of crusty bread were tucked in the side of the dish, smothered with cheese and garlic. Her mouth gushed as the scent filled her nostrils.

"Wine?" He asked her with a smile.

She nodded, her stomach flipping. Maybe a bit of alcohol would calm her nerves; She didn't want to mess anything up. They were finally having a date!

He poured the red liquid into the glasses and set them down, then sat in the chair adjacent to hers. As Annie took a tentative sip of wine, she felt his knee gently brush hers and nearly choked on the bitter fruity liquid. She took another sip to cover her embarrassment.

"Dig in," Raeger encouraged her.

She smiled, picking up a fork. "This looks great. I don't think I've actually tried your cooking before." Spearing a piece of gnocchi, she popped it in her mouth and chewed slowly. Surprisingly, the white chunks were full of flavour; Raeger definitely knew how to use spices and herbs properly. "This is really good!"

He nodded his thanks a bit sheepishly, taking his first bite of the meal as well. "What about you, Annie? Do you cook?"

"A few things. My dad's a chef, too, so he ended up doing most of the cooking at home, but I'm not bad when I do get the chance to cook," she replied.

"Maybe next time you can cook for me." Raeger took a sip of wine.

Blushing at the thought of a second date, Annie covered her fluster by mimicking him and drinking a mouthful of wine. "How did you learn to cook? From your parents?" She asked, hoping the subject wouldn't upset him.

"No, my grandpa. When I was little and I visited him here he'd let me watch him prepare dishes for the customers, and when business was slow he'd show me techniques and stuff. Eventually, when he was becoming ill more often, he asked me to fill in for him on days when he couldn't work. By the time he'd passed away, I was used to working here, so it wasn't really a surprise when he asked me to take it over."

"Do you still use his recipes here?" Annie inquired.

Raeger nodded. "I kept all his recipes, and I only expanded the menu with my own. Even if it isn't really his restaurant anymore, I want it to keep his touches in it. He was the one who started the business up, after all."

"Is this one of his recipes, or yours?" She gestured to the gnocchi.

"This one's all mine," he told her with a wink.

Annie felt warm under his gaze, and averted her eyes to the plate in front of her. "I'd say it's an improvement to the restaurant, then." She looked up and noticed him smile at her compliment.

"So if your dad did all the cooking, what did your mom enjoy doing?" He asked.

"Working. She worked more often than my dad did," she replied. "She owns an event planning business in the city, and it got so popular that she'd often travel to help with weddings and parties and things. She even assisted in planning a royal wedding, once."

"Was she not around a lot, then?"

She shook her head. "Her work always comes first. Her and I haven't really been close since I was a kid. My dad doesn't really like it either I don't think, but you can't talk my mom out of anything. She's stubborn."

Raeger laughed, to which Annie raised an eyebrow. "Like mother, like daughter."

"What? I don't work that much," she responded.

"That isn't what I meant." He was clearly trying to hide a smirk.

Annie narrowed her eyes playfully. "I am not stubborn!" She declared, further proving Raeger's point.

He laughed loudly at that. "You're stubborn as hell, Annie."

"Name one time," she demanded.

"As I recall, when I was reluctant to share my feelings, you dragged them out of me."

"Well can you really blame me? You were giving me mixed signals," she retorted.

"How about when you were angry with me that same day, when we went to the safari with Agate? I had to apologize to you, what, three times?"

"I said name one time, Raeger," she murmured.

He grinned at her. "How about the time at the bar, when I punched that creep for you? And you still wouldn't let me comfort you until I got you home."

Her cheeks burned at the memory of him holding her in her bed. "That was the day you were angry with me."

"You lied to me," he pointed out.

"I know, I'm sorry. I liked you coming to my farm to help me," she admitted, her cheeks still tinged red.

He shook his head. "No, I meant you lied when I asked you if you had something you needed to tell me."

Annie blinked. "You knew I liked you then?"

"I suspected it, but you could have told me. Would've made this happen a bit sooner," he said, referring to their date.

"Well, we're here now," Annie responded optimistically.

Raeger smiled at her, and took her hand atop the table. "We are, and I'm really glad, Annie."

Her heart fluttered at his touch, and as their gazes met she wondered if in that moment she would get to kiss him again. Her eyes flicked to his lips just as he stood, pulling her up with him. She wasn't expecting it, and she felt a bit of disappointment as he walked away from her. She watched him behind the kitchen counter as he reached up toward a radio on a shelf. He turned it on, and soft music began playing.

He walked back across the room to her, and suddenly he looked a bit unsure of himself. "Dance with me," he said, holding out his hand to her.

Annie giggled. "This is so cheesy," she said meekly as she allowed him to take her hand and pull her into a dancing position. He pulled her in so close she could feel their bodies touching, and rested his other hand on her waist. She gasped softly at the contact, then remembered to place her hand on his shoulder.

The combination of his closeness and cologne was making her feel a little bit lightheaded, in the best way she had ever felt. She closed her eyes, rested her cheek against his collarbone, and swayed along with him to the slow music. He held her closer, his hand rubbing her lower back gently as he moved. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was the longest she had been this close to him while being sober, and it felt amazing.

"I'm glad you're here," Annie heard Raeger whisper as he moved – to kiss her cheek? - just as she looked up at him. His lips were still puckered slightly as their eyes met. Suddenly, finally, she felt his lips press against hers in a sweet kiss. Her muscles felt weak as electricity jolted through her veins at the contact. He began massaging her lips with his, and she kissed him back as though she were drowning and he were air. Something solid touched Annie's back, and she realized she was leaning against the outside of the kitchen counter. When had that happened?

A soft moan escaped her lips as Raeger deepened the kiss, one of his hands holding the back of her head and one still on her waist. She felt his tongue graze her lips ever so slightly, and she shivered as a fluttery warmth spread through her chest. She allowed him to dip his tongue between her lips, and she brushed her own against his. He pulled her tight against him at her consent, and their tongues mingled together passionately as they kissed. Annie was surprised and delighted to hear him moan quietly as she tried to take control of the kiss. He pinned her hips against the counter with his, and she gasped at the suggestive contact. At this point, she felt like her insides were liquid. She found herself wondering how far Raeger wanted to take this; If she was honest with herself, she wanted as much of him as he was willing to give. All reasonable thought seemed to have left her as Raeger kissed her senseless.

Suddenly, she felt cool air touch her damp lips as he pulled back slightly. She opened her eyes, confused, then felt him press a feather-light kiss to her cheek. Without a spoken word, their arms wrapped around each other and Annie felt him hold her close. She sighed contentedly, feeling comfort take the place of their passion. She truly felt safe in Raeger's arms.

They stayed that way for a long while, just enjoying the closeness. Eventually, they pulled away and shared another, softer, kiss. Annie felt herself melt all over again, until he pulled away again, looking at her with an odd expression on his face.

"What?" She asked, nervous that she had done something wrong.

He smiled. "Nothing." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "You, ah... look like an angel tonight, Annie. Well, you always do," he admitted.

She blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself," she replied, biting her kiss-swollen lip at the sight of him: handsome, but with hair a bit more ruffled than usual after their passionate embrace.

Raeger gently brushed a few of her stray blonde strands of hair back into place, then took her hand in his. "It's getting late. Let me take you home."

They walked, hand in hand, out of town and toward Annie's home. The night had cooled the summer air considerably, and the two traveled mostly in comfortable silence, listening to the sound of crickets along the path. She caught him stealing glances at her more than once, and every time it made her feel incredibly happy that she was with him. She looked over at him as she caught him watching her, and he simply squeezed her hand and smiled in response.

As they reached her doorstep, Annie turned toward Raeger, hoping for another kiss. She wasn't disappointed, as he tilted his head and slowly pressed his lips to hers again. She leaned forward into him, relishing the taste and feel of him. All too soon, he pulled away.

"Can I see you again?" He asked quietly. She couldn't see much in the dark, but she could barely make out his hopeful expression.

"Yes," she answered automatically. "Please."

He chuckled softly at her response, and Annie leaned in again. Their lips connected again, and she had to admit she was tempted to invite him inside, if only to kiss him some more. It was only the first date, though, so she restrained herself.

As the kiss started to deepen, Raeger suddenly stopped. "No," he said breathlessly. "I'm going to be a gentleman." He quickly pecked her on the lips.

Annie stifled a laugh at his serious statement. They embraced romantically one last time before he finally stepped away from her. "I had a great time. Goodnight, Angel," he murmured, winking.

She blushed at the cheesy nickname. "So did I. Thank you for everything," she added. "Goodnight, Raeger."

Annie finally went inside, and after she had shut the door, she touched her fingertips to her lips. She grinned, feeling happier than she could ever remember feeling. It took a while to fall asleep that night, but as she drifted off, she realized how grateful she was that she had moved to Oak Tree Town.

I entitled this chapter with a question mark, as I wanted you to hope that they were going to have a date, but didn't want to straight up spoil it! Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!