She sat beneath the oak tree, staring out at the town. It was quaint, filled with all the small-town folk that were more superstitious than they had a right to be.
No one had seen a ghost, but they believed. Maybe it lay in the way the wind whipped through the low buildings, bringing with it inhuman moans that spooked even the tough-skinned farmers.
On rainy days, most of the villagers stayed inside, like today.
It gave her some freedom that was limited on sunnier days, when the old retried bats wanted to know every, little, detail about her boring life.
Caitlin hated the gossip, she would've loved to get out but had no real money, not for city living, at least. There was, however, a new guy in town, passing through; he'd come from the city. The old ladies picked his brain, she'd heard, when he went into the local mart for supplies. Her mother said he was quiet, well mannered. Her age. Handsome.
The last two were more important. Over the last few days, gossip sprung up around him; he was a travelling salesman, he was a missionary, he was a college student. None of them seemed accurate, but when Caitlin tried to get a peek, she'd miss him by a hair.
There was no one in town her age, and she'd decided to wait on higher education, so it limited her options to nil, unless she wanted to marry her second cousin. That was a no-go.
She'd never had a boyfriend, not really, and she hadn't given up her V-card either. Leaning against the tree, she groaned. At this rate Caitlin would become an old maid like Joanne down the road, never marrying, never having children. Not even a dog to keep her company.
Just slowly going insane, alone.
Then this stranger rattled the town with his newness. He was a curiosity, a window to the outside world that fascinated and bewildered the council. They weren't prepared for the culture shock that he would bring with him, a ripple in an otherwise stale existence.
It brought Caitlin to life a little inside, a heart that seemed to pump dirt and gravel lifted. She had hope again, something that used to come from Sunday mass; but slowly, even that became a monotonous chore.
"Good morning," A full, gentle voice interrupted her train of thought.
She nearly leaped out of her skin at the intrusion, standing and brushing down her dress, "You're the newcomer," Caitlin stared at the lanky, well-built man leaning against the tree she'd just vacated.
"I am," he inclined his head, "I apologize for the interruption. Caitlin, is it? I've heard a lot about you." He smiled and held out a gloved hand, "The name's Dale."
She shook it, "Nice to finally meet you." He
was
handsome, reserved in his own way, but friendly. With kind eyes. "What are you doing all the way up here?"
"Mrs. Sampson said I could take a walk around her orchard, I seemed to have gone the wrong way." He amended, dressed far too nice to be plodding through a field.
"I'll say, you're clear across the way, her orchard is over there." Caitlin pointed nearly a mile away. "This is my family's land."
His eyes went large, "Oh, will you show me the way back? I didn't mean to intrude."
She smiled, he was easy, likeable; the old women were right. "No problem, I assume it's a puzzle to outsiders."
Dale smiled, "Much obliged." He bowed slightly and followed.
They walked together in silence for a few minutes, he didn't press her with anecdotes, and the quiet was welcome. She didn't point out where her dog was buried, or where she'd kissed a schoolmate for the first time. No, this silence was good. It kept her from making a fool of herself.
A question arose in her mind as they rounded the last bend, "What were you doing out there in the rain?" she asked him, looking up into his dark eyes.
"I could ask the same." he mused but answered. "I enjoy the rain, it reminds me of home."
She nodded in agreement. A June shower was uncommon and accepted with mixed emotions. As if the council could control the weather. But it was good for the crops. "The old ladies can't stop talking about you," Caitlin teased, "It's so boring out here, no one has anything else to say to each other." She was rambling, so shut her mouth.
Her traveling companion laughed, "Glad to be of some use." He reached out and parted a branch from her path, one she'd moved countless times herself.
"Thank you," she ducked beneath and into the clearing. Around the corner, her mother's farmhouse lay just out of sight.
"Before we continue," he hesitated before reaching for her, guiding her to him. "I wanted to thank you." His breath was sweet and warm as he clasped his mouth over hers. Caitlin went rigid momentarily, shocked by the show of affection. His trained tongue danced into her mouth, and she sighed, pressing into him. The kiss was good, it brought a flush to her cheeks.
Dale's hands were careful as they explored her back, not going further than the base of her spine.
The fever pitch heightened, and she was pressed between an oak and his solid frame, his hands running through her auburn hair, and hers through his dark waves.
He pulled away almost abruptly, streaking back his hair, "I'd better go."
Caitlin's eyes dropped to the ground, "Sure," She never remembered being so simple, her mother might make her repent on Sunday.
A finger touched her chin as he lifted it to meet her gaze, "Thank you, Caitlin. I would have been lost without you." The affection brought a new blush to her cheeks.
She nodded mutely as he turned onto the main road, watching his well-dressed figure disappear behind a set of trees. Her heart was torn in two, one side wanted more, for him to show her everything he knew. The other side screamed foul, what would her mother think? What would the town think? Dale would leave soon, and she'd be left behind, the hussy, the whore.
If he told anyone, that is.
Something made her think he wouldn't, though. He was too polite for that. But he
was
from the city, and that came with it something new and unknown. She didn't know what he was capable of.
Caitlin touched her lips, remembering the softness, the gentleness. Could a gesture so pure and real turn into something awful?
She plodded through the mud home, hoping her mother had already started breakfast.
*
Dale was leaving tomorrow morning. That was the gossip, at least.
Caitlin hadn't seen him since that day, and over a week had passed. He was like a specter, she could never catch him in town. On sunny days he didn't make appearances, and it had been bright since mother nature pounded them with the sudden rain shower.
