A knock on the door roused me from my sleep early the next morning, but before I could get up to answer it, the door opened and a smiling, motherly woman stepped in, a large basket on her arm. "Were you still sleeping? I'm so sorry to wake you. We farmers have to rise early, you know! You're Alice, right? I'm Jessica. Rutger mentioned that you'd injured yourself, so I thought I'd bring you some breakfast."

"Oh, how thoughtful," I responded, attempting to stifle a huge yawn. "Sorry, I guess I'm still a little tired from yesterday's excitement."

"Of course you are," she said sympathetically. "Let's have a look at you and see if you need a doctor." She overrode my protests and peered into my eyes, gently prodded the lump on my head, checked my arms and legs, and asked me to get up and take a few steps. When I was done, she again looked at my eyes, and apparently satisfied with what she saw, nodded her approval. "Well, it looks to me as though you've nothing worse than bumps and bruises. You'll soon be mended. By the way, you have lovely eyes!"

She set about making tea and laying out a simple breakfast from the supplies she'd brought. As she worked, she told me about her family: Ash, her son, who was in his early twenties like me, and Cheryl, her daughter, twelve years younger than her brother. Her husband, she said, had passed away shortly before Cheryl was born. "Ash, being the good son that he is, has tried to fill in for his daddy so that she wouldn't feel the lack. But I'm afraid he's rather inclined to spoil her!" she laughed as she set out toast with fresh butter and homemade jam, crispy bacon, fried eggs, and fresh fruit, as well as tea and milk.

I suddenly felt ravenous, and realizing that I hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday, I eagerly sat down as I thanked her. "Well, that's what neighbors are for! You go right ahead and tuck in. I need to get back to my farm, so just be a dear and bring the basket and things on over when you've finished. Then you can meet my kids! I'm just up the road from you, right before the town plaza. You'll probably see my son in the pasture out behind the house. You'll know him by his red checkered cap. Oh, and Rutger said to tell you that you can pick up your cart and pony at Grady's later today. He's right across the road from me," she said as she bustled out the door.

After I finished, I washed up the dishes, put the extra food away, and packed the dishes back into the basket. I took a quick shower in the tiny bathroom, put on some clean clothes, and headed out to explore the village.

As I walked out the door, basket on my arm, I looked around my new farm. I hadn't gotten a good look at it the night before. Now I saw that while the barn and coop appeared to be in decent repair despite their age, the pasture had been so neglected that a number of saplings had sprung up in it, particularly at the end farthest from the barn. I'd need to clear those out eventually, I thought to myself as I strolled along the long drive towards the town.

Right across the road from my driveway was a large, but apparently abandoned, church with beautiful stained glass windows. Turning up the road towards town, I saw up ahead a cozy farmhouse with a large pasture stretching out behind it. Across the street from it was a cute, tiny house at one end of a large fenced field. I decided the first must be Jessica's house, so the second had to be Grady's. Looking at the second field, I spotted Lady grazing in a far corner, close to the barn. Leaning against the fence nearby was a young woman with a mane of thick auburn curls framing a cheery face.

I strolled over to the fence and called out to her, "Hello! How's Lady this morning"

Hearing her name, my pony pricked up her ears and trotted over to me. The girl grinned and followed along. "Well, howdy there! Are you Alice? Rutger was telling everybody all about y'all moving to our town," she drawled. "So her name's Lady, huh? Well, she's just fine this morning. One of her shoes had come clean off, so my daddy put a new shoe on her and checked out all the others. She's just as good as new now!"

"Thank you so much for taking care of her, uh...."

"Oh, my, where are my manners?" the girl giggled. "I'm Georgia, and my daddy is Grady. We run the pet store here in Bluebell. We sell cats and dogs and horses, and we sell and repair horse carts, too. I take care of the horses and he handles the shop. I just love horses, don't you?" she asked, turning to stroke Lady's nose as she spoke. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "My daddy fixed up your cart for you, too. It wasn't too bad, just a little bashed up."

"Thank you so much for everything, Georgia. Will it be okay if I leave her here for just a little longer? I want to explore the town and introduce myself to everyone, then I'll come by and talk to your dad before I head back to my farm."

"Why, certainly! You just go right on ahead. Everyone in town is just so kind and helpful, I know you'll love it here. Oh, it's so nice to have another young person in town! Besides you and me, there's also Ash across the road there, and then Cam and Laney at the café just up the road, and Eileen—she's a little older than the rest of us, but oftentimes you'd never guess it!" she said with a giggle. I thanked her and crossed the road towards Jessica's house.

I stepped in and found Jessica behind the shop counter in the front room. Standing next to her was a cute, lively young girl with long pigtails. Both were chatting and laughing, but they stopped and turned towards me when I opened the door. "Why, hello, Alice! Thank you for bringing those back so promptly," Jessica exclaimed as I handed the basket to her. "This is my daughter, Cheryl," she said with a smile as she stepped to the back of the house.

Returning without the basket a moment later, she explained that she sold livestock and poultry, and her daughter ran a little shop herself, selling feed, medicine, and home-baked treats that they made for the animals. "And my big brother Ash takes care of all those animals all by himself! Except when I help him, of course," Cheryl piped up. "He's the bestest farmer in the whole world, and the bestest big brother, too!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sure he is," I smiled at her.

"Why don't you go on back and introduce yourself, dear?" Jessica said. "I'm sure he'd like the company." So I bought a small sack of oats for Lady from Cheryl and asked her to set them aside for me to pick up later, then headed out the door to find Ash.

Out at the far end of the pasture, standing with his back to me, I saw a young man with a red plaid cap, just as Jessica had described. I hopped over the fence and strolled on over. Hearing my footsteps approaching, he turned and stared in surprise. "Oh! I thought you were my little sister!" he said, looking surprised. "Can I help you with something?"

"Hi, you must be Ash. I'm Alice, the new farmer in town."

"Oh, then you're Nellie's granddaughter? I was so surprised to hear about that. I didn't even know she had any relatives until after she died!" he exclaimed, then looked uncomfortable. "Oh, uhh, I mean...."

"No, it's okay," I reassured him. "My parents broke off contact with the villages when they ran away and eloped. My grandparents only heard about me at all from a mutual acquaintance who happened to bump into them one day. I don't think they ever even knew about my younger brother at all. It's kind of sad, really, but... well, what's done is done, right? So here I am, trying to get to know everyone," I said with a cheerful smile.

Ash grinned and replied, "Well, I'm mighty glad you did move here, and I hope you'll like our town. Everyone here is real nice, and since we all loved your grandparents, I'm sure everyone will do their best to make you feel right at home here. Don't see how they could help liking you, anyway," he mumbled, half under his breath, as he gave me an admiring glance. I looked at him in surprise, then blushed and asked him to tell me about the rest of the town, in order to cover my embarrassment.

Turning to point out places as he filled me in, he said, "Well, across the road is Georgia and Grady," I nodded and mentioned I'd met her just before coming over. "Yeah, she's real nice but kind of horse crazy if you ask me... or anybody! Anyway, just up those stairs past our house is a little general store run by Diego and Enrique. They're two of a set of triplets. The third brother runs a similar shop in Konohana. Enrique takes care of their chickens and helps Diego stock the store. They're nice enough, but they kind of keep to themselves.

"Then on past the store is Eileen's house. She's a carpenter. She's really good at it, too. Then there's the town hall, where Rutger and his wife, Rose, live in an apartment upstairs. You'll like Rose, she's real sweet," Ash said, as he turned to me with a smile. "She was good friends with your grandma, too. She takes care of the library in the town hall and just kind of looks after everyone in town.

"Next to the town hall, there's Howard's Café, which is run by Howard and his daughter, Laney. He's a real character—you'll see when you meet him. Between the town hall and the café is Cam's flower stall. Cam's a good pal of mine. He lives with Howard and Laney now. His folks died a few years ago, so Howard took Cam in and treats him like a son.

"Anyway, after the café is the other set of stairs, and then you're back at Grady's. That's the whole town! Oh, except the church, but it's been abandoned for as long as I can remember. And your farm, of course."

"Well, then, I guess I'd better get going, if I'm going to meet everyone and then get started on all the work waiting for me on my farm!" I said with a laugh.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose you'd better, huh? It's been great talking with you, though. Stop by anytime!"

I smiled and ran to the fence on the far side, waving goodbye to Ash as I hopped over and trotted up the stairs towards the store. I looked back as I reached the door and caught him staring at me as I pushed open the door. I waved once more to him, then I walked into the quaint little store.

I was greeted enthusiastically by a short, round, middle-aged Hispanic man with a tremendous, impeccably waxed and curled mustache, a bright purple serape draped over his shoulders, and a purple-striped sombrero perched on his head. "Hello, hello! Welcome, stranger!" he cried out as I stepped in. "I'm Diego, the proprietor of this fine shop!"

I smiled at him and replied, "Hi, I'm Alice. I'm new to the village, but I'm sure you'll see a lot of me!"

"Ahh, Alice! The enchanting Miss Nellie's granddaughter, yes? I am thrilled to make your acquaintance! Please, take your time and look around my store. We carry many useful and interesting things, and often bring in new items."

I didn't have much cash, but I did need a few things. My cupboards and refrigerator were bare, other than Jessica's gifts. I looked around and decided that for now, flour, oil, sugar, salt, tea, and yeast would get me started. I paid for my purchases and dropped them into my rucksack, then headed out to the small chicken yard in back to meet the shopkeeper's brother.

I found him standing near the coop, looking lost in thought as he watched a small flock of chickens scratching around. His clothes were identical to his brother's, except blue instead of purple. He also seemed more gaunt, and his mustache was much shorter, though thick and bushy. I called out a greeting to him, and he jumped slightly, as though startled. "Oh, hello, I'm sorry. I was lost in thought and didn't notice you. I don't think we've met... have we?" he said, somewhat doubtfully.

"No, I'm new here. I'm Alice, Nellie and Geoff's granddaughter, and I think you must be Enrique?"

"Yes, so I am. I tend the chickens and handle procurement for my brother, Diego. I was just thinking of where I might find...." He trailed off, apparently losing himself in thought again. I stood silently for a moment, but when he remained lost in thought, I quietly left, calling a farewell as I hopped over his fence and headed off.

Next door was the carpenter's home, a beautiful, well-maintained house with stacks of lumber and stone neatly stacked to one side. A slender woman with golden brown hair was hanging a wreath of dried flowers on the front door as I approached. Hearing my footsteps, she turned and smiled at me. "Oh, hello there! Rose mentioned we had a newcomer to town. You must be Alice?"

"Yes, that's right," I said, smiling. "And judging by a quick inspection of my farm, we'll be getting well acquainted in the future!" I added with a laugh.

She laughed, too, and replied "Any time, just let me know what you need done! I'm Eileen, by the way. Pleased to meet you!"

"Likewise! I'll be seeing you soon, no doubt," I said as I headed on over to the town hall next door.

Inside the town hall, I found Rutger at the front desk. He rose to greet me as I walked in, and enquired after my health. "I'm feeling much better today, thanks," I reassured him. "A little bruised here and there, but otherwise I'm fine. Georgia says that Lady is all right, too, and only needed a shoe replaced. I'm going around the village to meet my new neighbors now, then I'll pick up Lady and my cart and head back to my farm to finish getting settled in. Everyone's been so nice, I'm sure I'll like it here."

"Oh, good, I'm glad to see you getting acquainted. The people here are good people, very kind-hearted, and I'm sure you'll love it here, too. Here, let me introduce you to my wife," he said, guiding me towards the back of the hall.

A petite, white-haired old lady was busily dusting the books on the shelves, humming a happy little tune to herself as she did so. "Rose, my dear? This is Alice," Rutger called as we approached her.

She looked up in surprise, then her face crinkled up with delight. "Oh, Alice, I'm so very pleased to meet you," she said, patting my arm. "Your grandma Nellie was such a dear friend. I'm just thrilled you've moved onto her farm. Why, my dear! You look just like your daddy. Such a handsome boy he was! Yes, you look very much like him, and like Nellie, too. You have their eyes—such an unusual color, like storm clouds. But you have your mama's hair, like golden fields of ripe wheat. Other than the hair color, though, you look just like Paul. How are your folks, Alice dear? They're well, I hope? I would very much love for you to come to tea sometime so that we can have a nice, long chat. Please do come visit whenever you have the time, my dear. It was such a joy to meet you." Feeling a little dizzy after that flurry of conversation, I bid the pair farewell, made my way out the door, and headed towards the café.

As Ash mentioned, between the café and the town hall was a little flower shop. It consisted of a large cart so thickly covered in blooms that it almost looked more like a parade float than a business. A table covered with a long blue-violet cloth served as a counter. Behind this counter stood a beautiful young man. His soft caramel hair just barely brushed his shoulders, and the brilliant afternoon sun turned it to gold wherever it touched it. He wore a cap similar in style to Ash's, except in a purple houndstooth print. He evidently liked the color purple, as his lightweight shirt, open at the collar, was a pale lavender, the vest he wore open over it was a rich purple, and his trousers were a dark blue-violet. Only the skinny string tie he wore loosened around his neck was not purple, but rather a pale yellow for contrast.

He stood silently contemplating his display, his hands crammed into his pockets. He glanced up as I stopped in front of his stall, still frowning with concentration as he regarded me. His eyes were beautiful, a soft greyish-green and heavily fringed with long, thick lashes. I felt my heart pounding as his eyes met mine, and my legs suddenly felt as though they had turned into jelly. He scowled unseeingly at me for just a moment, then coming out of his reverie, he blinked and smiled a small, half smile. "You're new around here. Can I help you?" He stated it simply, not wasting time in small talk.

I smiled at him and replied "Yes, I'm new. I've just arrived to take over my grandparents' farm. You probably knew them, but as I've never been here before, we've not yet met. I'm Alice."

"You mean Geoff and Nellie? Yes, I knew them. I didn't know they had any family, though." He said looking at me with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

I didn't want to get into lengthy family histories right then and there with someone I'd just met, especially with so much to do back home, so I just shrugged and said, "Yes, unfortunately I never had the chance to meet them. Sometime I'll tell you about it, if you're interested. But right now's not the best time."

"Right," he replied. "Then do you want anything? I sell flowers and seeds, and I can also arrange flowers into bouquets. I can also make perfumes and essential oils from flowers, if you're ever interested."

"I'm sure I'll want to get some seeds from you soon, but I'm not really ready to start planting yet. Today I'm just getting familiar with the village and settling in. Thanks, though. I'll see you around," I said, turning towards the café, willing my legs to walk gracefully, even though I still felt weak in the knees. Luckily I was strong-willed enough to carry it off, and I stepped casually into the café.

The first thing I saw when I stepped in was a huge man behind the counter, his back to the door. I mean, really huge—like a professional athlete. He was massive. His hair was shaved short on the back and sides, but a pouf of tight yellow curls topped his head. He turned around to greet me, and it was all I could do to keep from staring at him in sheer astonishment. Sky blue eyes twinkled at me through long, mascara-coated black eyelashes, and his wide smile was thickly painted with scarlet lipstick. "Hello, and welcome to Howard's Café! What can I get for you?" he called in a cheery but surprisingly deep voice as I hesitantly approached the counter.

"Hi, ummm... I'm Alice. I'm new here, so I'm just getting acquainted today. It's nice to meet you. Are... are you Howard?"

"Ooooh! Alice! Yes, I am the Howard, of Howard's Café. I've heard all about you! Your granny and gramps were such nice people. I'm sure you'll fit right in, here in our happy little village!" he gushed enthusiastically.

I smiled, finding his enthusiasm contagious. "So far, so good—everyone has been very nice so far," I assured him.

He turned towards the kitchen area and called out, "Laaaaaaneeeeeey! Come on out here! There's a new girl in town! Come meet her!" As a girl stepped out from the kitchen, he turned towards me, saying, "This is my daughter, Laney. Isn't she just the sweetest little thing? I'm sooo proud of my baby girl!"

The young woman rolled her eyes at his words, but smiled indulgently. "Daaad! Knock it off!" She turned towards me and smiled. "Hi, I'm Laney, as you probably deduced from my father's subtle hints. Nice to meet you."

I grinned as we shook hands, liking this family already. "I'm Alice, it's very nice to meet you. I've just taken over my grandparents' farm, so I hope you'll stop by and visit sometime!" Glancing at the clock on the wall, I exclaimed as I saw most of the afternoon had already passed. "Oh! I'd better get going, though—I had no idea it was already so late! I need to pick up my horse and cart from Grady, and I imagine he'll be closing shop soon."

"Oh, yep, you'd better hoof it—I'll talk to you later!" Laney called as I ran out the door.

I hurried down the steps leading from the town plaza, and headed for the cute little house I know knew to be Grady's home and pet shop. I hurried in, and found him there behind the counter. "Can I help you, miss?" he asked as I rushed up to the counter.

"Hi! I'm Alice," I gasped, a little out of breath from my dash across the plaza. "I'm sorry I'm so late getting here. I meant to be here earlier, but I was getting acquainted with the village and villagers, and... well, time just passed more quickly than I realized!"

He laughed, and said "Don't worry about it. I was just about to close shop, so give me a minute, then I'll get your cart and pony for you. Why don't you head on over to the barn? I'm sure you'll find my horse-crazy daughter there, as usual!"

I laughed and nodded. "I'll see you in a few minutes, then. Thanks, Grady!" I said as I headed back out the door.

I walked into the barn and spotted Georgia grooming one of the horses, a tall grey mare. I greeted her and asked if she wanted any help while I waited for her dad. "Why, sure! That's very kind of you. You could groom the ponies, if you don't mind. I'll just finish up with Dakota here and join you. Dakota's my mare. She means the world to me. We've been together all our lives, you see, ever since I was a tiny girl and she was a newborn foal." She turned back to her task, and I grabbed a brush and headed over to the ponies.

Although my back was to her, I could feel Georgia watching me, and I guessed she was trying to gauge my horse sense. Luckily I'd plenty of experience from handling the horses on my parents' farm. She joined me a few minutes later, smiling, and I knew from the look on her face that I'd passed muster. "You're real good with horses! I didn't know what to expect, especially after seeing your pony in that condition."

"Didn't anyone tell you what happened?" I said with some surprise.

"No, not a word. My dad's been busy with the shop, and I've been out here with the horses, so I've hardly seen anyone all day. Why, what happened?" she asked curiously.

I explained about the fox and the rabbit and how my pony had been startled so badly. She looked sympathetic, shaking her head as she said, "Why, you poor thing! And then I just bet that Rutger and Ina fought over you, too, even if you don't say as much." I laughed as I nodded agreement, saying that I want to check out both farms, but thought I'd start with Bluebell. "Well, I sure do hope you decide to stay in Bluebell. It's real nice here. I'm sure Konohana is nice, too, in its own way, but... well, it just ain't like home!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm, and just then, Grady walked in. Georgia took over the grooming from me, and I headed over to talk to him. He took me outside to where he'd parked my cart, and showed me what damage had been done and what repairs he'd made. He apologized, saying "You see, this cart is... well, it's pretty old. There's only so much I can do to repair it. I know you probably can't manage it right now, but you should consider getting a new cart as soon as you're able. Still, this should last you for a while, if you take care of it... and avoid foxes chasing rabbits!" he said with a wink. I laughed and assured him I'd do my best.

He went back into the barn and returned leading Lady, who nickered happily when she saw me and rubbed her cheek against my shoulder as Grady put on her harness and hooked her up to the cart. "Here you go, as good as new... or almost!" he said, giving a harness strap one last tug to be sure it was secure.

"Thank you so much, Grady, I really appreciate it. How much do I owe you?"

He waved me off, though, and refused payment, saying, "No, no charge—just helping out a new neighbor. Go on, now, I'm sure you have a lot to do on that farm of yours!" he said, smiling as he walked me to the gate and closed it behind me.

Feeling worn out from the day's activities on top of yesterday's misadventure, I stopped to pick up my oats, then slowly drove on home. I unhitched the cart close to my house, and led Lady to the barn. I removed her harness and gave her a good brushing, got her some water and some grain, then headed in to put my few groceries away. For my supper, I just ate a slice of the fresh bread and butter Jessica had brought over along with a glass of milk from the milk she'd also supplied. I was just too tired to cook.

Yesterday, I had fallen asleep on the bare mattress with nothing more than a throw blanket over me, too exhausted and sore to do more. Tonight, though, I made up the bed with sheets I had found in the linen cupboard, fragrant from sprigs of dried lavender tucked between them. I found a soft blanket in the same cupboard, also scented of lavender, and spread that over the sheets. After a long, hot shower, I put on a silky camisole and shorts set and climbed into bed. I had picked out a novel to read in bed, but before I'd even finished the first page, I was sound asleep.