Lost and Found [Harvest Moon: A New Beginning]

Affection

"Whew!" Rio exclaimed as she plopped down into her seat. "I can't believe we made it!"

"Just barely," Vaughn said drily as he shoved his pack alongside hers in the overhead storage bin.

"True, but still! It took much longer than I'd planned on to drop the horses off at that stable. We're lucky that the owner's daughter showed up when she did. She moved much faster than her dad!"

"Yep," Vaughn agreed, settling back into his seat and stretching his long legs out as best he could in the limited space. He tugged his hat down low and closed his eyes.

Rio turned to gaze pensively out the window at the scenery rushing past in a blur. Mountains stretched away to the north as far as she could see, and blue skies sparkled overhead.

She knew she should rest, too, since they had a long trip ahead. The first leg took a little over four hours by train, then they had to change trains—quickly, as there was not much time to spare—for the second, much longer leg of their trip, around eleven hours. That part of their journey would take the whole night, and they ought to arrive in the port town of Sunny Beach in time to catch the morning ferry to Sprout Island. She shivered a little at the thought, not knowing what reception awaited her. But even if it was positively frigid, she had to sign over those papers to Mark, at the very least... and she needed to see Mirabelle with her own eyes, needed to see how she was doing herself. Plus she had to try to apologize to her old friends, if they'd let her.

Rio squeezed her eyes shut and tried to silence her thoughts and worries and fears, but her brain was having none of that. Visions of Neil flashed across her tightly closed eyelids, and she sighed. She liked him very much, maybe even loved him—really loved him, that is. If only he'd just... thaw out a little towards her. It was hard to be sure how she felt when she didn't even know for sure how he felt about her. Did he actually enjoy being with her? Did he... did he want more out of their relationship, same as her, but for some reason couldn't admit it? Lately he'd been more irritable than usual... was he tired of her? She just couldn't figure him out. He was so... different from other men she'd known. For one thing, he didn't seem to have any interest at all in—

"Just forget about him for now, Rio," Vaughn drawled, startling her out of her reverie. "You can think and think all day and all night, but it ain't gonna get you nowhere. You need to talk to him, not just think and wonder and worry all to yourself."

"How did—" she asked, surprised.

"Women only sigh like that when they're having troubles with their men. I guessed it wasn't me you were thinkin' about, and that leaves Neil." He tipped his hat up just enough to peer at her from beneath the brim. "Am I right?" She nodded, mouth still agape, and he grunted and tugged his hat back down. "Figured as much. I know you too well, Rio."

"I... I guess so," she stammered, still staring at him. Then as her travelling companion relaxed and eventually began to snore faintly, she turned again to the window, finally dozing off with her cheek pressed against the cool glass.

**************

As the ferry approached the dock, Rio anxiously shouldered her pack, squinting as she tried to see through the mist at the island looming before them, like a seer peering into a scrying glass. Though she'd lived on those islands for some time and had known them like the back of her hand, the approach was nevertheless unfamiliar—this was only the second time she'd made this particular crossing.

As far as she knew, no one had any idea that they would be arriving, so it was reasonable to assume that no one would be waiting for them at the shore. Still, she felt a small pang of disappointment as she scanned the barren shoreline. Up front, nothing seemed to have changed in the three years since her departure. Will's yacht was still moored at the dock, rocking gently on the rolling waves, Denny's run-down shack was still standing nearby, and familiar rooflines peeked out of the fog at her. She even saw that same huge rock on the shore, down near Gannon's shop.