Lost and Found [Harvest Moon: A New Beginning]

Jealousy

Neil paced angrily behind his shop stall, glaring so fiercely that only the hardiest of souls dared approach him that day, and both his business and Rod's suffered as a result. Finally, fed up with his agitation and the effect it was having on their animals and businesses, Rod exclaimed "Neil, just cool it already, will ya? So your girlfriend's ex showed up and wants her back. Doesn't mean she wants to go, does it? I mean, she seems pretty happy with you, right? So why get so worked up about it?"

"Fuck off," Neil snapped, pausing in his restless circuit to glare at him.

"Yeah, okay, whatever. But you're upsetting the animals, so just knock it off, okay? You might not care about people, but I know you care about animals."

Rod was right, of course, and Neil did at least try. But even if he could force himself to stand still, he couldn't rid himself of the tension that stiffened his spine and tautened his muscles. He found himself thinking back to when he first laid eyes on Rio, a week or so after she arrived in Echo Village. He had thought at the time that she was too damned beautiful to possibly be any use on a farm, let alone one that was so badly run down—just like the rest of the town. But to his complete surprise, she was not only competent and determined, she was tough, too, and before he realized what was happening, she'd not only fixed up both her farm and the town, but she'd won his heart, too.

He flushed a little, remembering their first kiss. They'd taken a picnic lunch up to the lake near the mountain peak, and he'd finally worked up the nerve to admit his feelings for her. He'd never been so surprised as when he learned that she reciprocated. And then she'd kissed him—a kiss like honey, sticky-sweet and delicious.

Snorting with impatience, he looked at his pocket watch again—only two minutes had passed since he'd last checked. He glanced in the direction of her farm, clear across the village and down the hill, by the river. He couldn't see it, of course, not from where he was. But he couldn't stop thinking about her—and about this Vaughn guy that had appeared out of nowhere, saying they'd been lovers and that he wanted her back. Lovers! That's more than he.... And they'd even had a kid together!

He shook his head, still feeling that it was all so... unreal. He hadn't understood why she had kept it from him, but after Vaughn left, she explained how it had all been so painful to her, the still-fresh wounds stinging like lemon juice on a cut. She hadn't wanted to talk about it with anyone there at her new home among strangers, fearful that, in such a small town, she'd have been judged for her past. He still wished she'd told him, but as accustomed to small-town life as he was, he could understand her fears.

"Neil? Hey, Neil! Wake up!" Rod was shouting from his stall. Neil started and looked around. A bewildered tourist was standing at his counter, trying to get his attention.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, sorry. Neil's Animals. Whaddya want?" he muttered gruffly.

Flustered, the young woman stammered, "Oh, I-I... I wondered if you had any baby chicks for sale?"

"Yeah, I guess. But aren't you a tourist? Why do you want a chicken?" he asked, eying her suspiciously.

"I-I... well, they're just so cute! All fluffy and yellow and sweet. So I thought it would be an adorable present for my little sister—you know, kind of a souvenir."

Neil scowled angrily. "Listen, lady, chickens are not toys. They have hearts and minds, same as any animal—which is a lot more than I can say for some people. You want a toy, go find a toy store. I'm not selling you a chick just to have you dump it by the side of the road somewhere when it gets too big or noisy or ugly for your taste."

Taken aback, the girl backed away from the stall, tears welling in her eyes. Then she turned and fled, Neil glaring after her disdainfully.

With a deep sigh, Rod looked up at the sky. From the sun, he'd guess there was around another two hours until closing time, maybe more. He looked over at Neil again, and called out, "Hey, let's just pack it in early. You're only scaring people off, anyway—from my shop as well as yours."