The bus ride to the quiet little town had been long and hot and dusty, with little to look at by the way of scenery. Elsie had clutched her bag on the seat beside her and wondered if she was doing the right thing. To quit her job and cash out her savings to break her lease and move from the big city was a big change.
But wasn't that what she needed? Change called to her, freedom from being behind a desk, trapped at a computer monitor doing work she hated for a soulless corporation that considered her just another cog in the machine. She was one of the lucky ones; not everyone could inherit a cozy private farm from their grandfather. Elsie would not waste this chance.
When the bus signaled her stop, she thought perhaps there must be some mistake; there was no bus depot here, just a single sign by the road and a tiny sun-bleached bench that looked more splinter than solid wood. But a woman with warm ginger hair grinned at her and took her bag as Elsie stepped nervously from the bus.
"Elsie Stanton?"
"Yes, ma'am." The woman couldn't be older than her early forties, but Elsie reverted to her good southern manners when nervous.
Her companion grinned at the answer. "I'm Rachel, I'm the town carpenter. Liam-he's the mayor, of course, but we all just call him Liam-asked me to meet you and bring you out to the farm. I'm afraid the building on the property will need some work, but we'll talk about that later. Goodness, you're pretty. Everyone is going to love you."
"Th-thank you." The compliment-so direct and without a hint of shyness-took Elsie by surprise and she flushed, unsure how to respond. Nor did she know how to answer the bit about the farm building needing work; she'd not had a chance to see the property before now, but she'd assumed Grandfather had kept up on repairs. If he hadn't, that was going to be a problem; she had no money left to commission a carpenter.
Rachel grinned again. "Let me get your bag. No, I insist," she said in a firmer tone, shouldering the strap on an arm that was indeed lithe and wiry with more muscle than Elsie possessed. The little bag, which was barely more than a few belongings and her clothes, seemed not to bother the older woman at all. "C'mon, the farm is just down this way. I know Liam is dying to meet you."
Linking her free arm with Elsie's, she guided her down a road that was hardly more than a dirt path. Elsie glanced back at the bus station sign, battered to the point of unreadability. There wasn't even a schedule posted. Well, what did it matter? She'd come to stay, and stay she would. However tough things became, they couldn't be worse than the empty existence she was fleeing.
--
"You can see it's not in the best condition," Liam said in a diplomatic way, showing her about the little cabin.
Elsie tried not to gawk at the holes in the walls which had been covered over with tape and paper. The spring weather was mild enough that she'd survive the night, but all this would have to be fixed by winter.
"You'll want to hire Rachel to fix the place up before it gets cold," he continued as if reading her thoughts, "but you have quite a bit of time until then. Enough to turn your seed capital into profit."
She nodded, swallowing back a lump in her throat. The state of the land outside was a terrifying mess-trees and long grass and stones everywhere-but she knew farming would mean hard work when she signed up. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. "You bought seeds already, with the money I sent?" she asked, turning back to him. They'd corresponded several times by mail, she and he, when setting up the move; though she now wished he'd been a bit more candid about the state of affairs on the farm.
"All there in that chest," Liam said, nodding with a smile at the little storage chest beside her bed. "Along with your grandfather's old tools. Ah, it will be so nice to see the farm put to good use again."
"I hope so. I want to do him proud," Elsie said with a warm smile. *And get out of the city rat race, and away from a manager who doesn't know my name or what I do or who I am. I want to be a human being again.*
"Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. That bus ride is a long one, I know." He returned her warm smile but despite his words he did not move to go. "I suppose..." He paused and Elsie looked up at him, expectant at his tone. "This might be better left for tomorrow, but we should speak about your evening schedule."
