The morning stretched out quietly on the farm. Connie watered his crops, fed the furnace a few last scraps of ore, and scratched Snow behind the ears before setting off down the road. With his axe left at Clint's for upgrading, he had fewer tasks to chain him to the farm, and the pull of town felt stronger than usual.
As he wandered through Pelican Town's center, a noticeboard caught his eye near Pierre's storefront. Handwritten notes decorated it—requests, reminders, birthdays. Connie's eyes skimmed until they landed on one line, circled in neat handwriting:
Haley – 14th of Spring.
Connie paused, brows furrowed. He'd only met Haley twice—once by accident near the town square, and again down by the beach. Their conversations had been light, easy in their own way, though short. The thought of showing up with a gift… would it feel out of place? Too forward?
Still, the idea tugged at him. A simple kindness couldn't hurt. He let the thought simmer as he drifted through town.
On the way toward the river, Connie passed three young men near the saloon.
Sam, blond-haired and bright-eyed, grinned. "You're the new farmer, right? I'm Sam. Good to meet ya."
"Connie," he replied with a nod.
Shane leaned against the wall, eyes tired, speaking without much interest. "Yeah. Farmer. Heard about you."
Alex flexed an arm, his smile bordering on cocky. "Name's Alex. If you ever wanna toss a ball around, I'm your guy."
Connie chuckled politely, offering a few words in return before excusing himself. The valley was full of personalities, that much was clear.
Down near the forest's edge, Connie caught sight of a woman shaping wood at a small outdoor table. Her red hair glowed in the sunlight, curls catching the breeze. Shavings of cedar and pine littered the ground around her feet. She looked up as he approached, her eyes warm and earthy.
"Hello," she greeted, voice soft but confident. "You must be Connie. I've heard about you—the new farmer."
"That's me," Connie said, pausing to take in the wooden sculpture she was working on, its curves flowing like river water. "You're an artist?"
"Leah," she introduced herself, brushing sawdust from her hands. "And yes, I sculpt. The woods give me everything I need." She gestured toward the towering trees. "There's something honest about working with your hands, don't you think? The materials, the process… it connects you to the land."
Connie found himself nodding. "I've been feeling that, too. Farming, I mean. The soil, the routine—it's different from the city. Slower, but fuller somehow."
Leah smiled knowingly. "Exactly. Out here, you can breathe. Create. Live without the noise. The valley is a gift, if you let it be."
Her words lingered in him even as he continued along the path.
Later, near the library-turned-museum, Connie noticed a young woman sitting by the riverbank with a book balanced on her lap. Her auburn hair caught the sunlight, and her glasses slipped down her nose as she turned a page.
"Hi," Connie offered gently, not wanting to startle her.
She looked up, blinking as if surfacing from another world. "Oh! Hello. You're the farmer everyone's been talking about."
"That's me. Connie."
"I'm Penny," she said, closing the book carefully. "I help teach some of the children here, and… well, I read a lot." She smiled, shy but genuine.
Connie sat on the grass nearby. "What do you like to read?"
"Stories about faraway places," Penny admitted. "Adventure, discovery… things I'll probably never see myself. But books make it feel possible."
Connie studied her a moment, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes soft but wistful. "Maybe you'll see more than you think," he said quietly.
Penny tilted her head, surprised by the thought, then smiled. "Maybe."
The quiet stretched comfortably between them before Connie stood. "It was nice meeting you, Penny."
"And you," she said, watching him go with that same gentle smile.
By the time evening came, Connie drifted into Gus's saloon. Warm light spilled from the windows, the scent of food and ale filling the air. Behind the counter, Emily greeted him with a bright wave, her vibrant blue hair impossible to miss.
"Well, if it isn't the new farmer! Connie, right?" she said cheerfully.
"That's me. Emily, isn't it?"
She nodded. "That's right. What can I do for you?"
Connie hesitated, lowering his voice. "Actually… it's about your sister. I noticed her birthday's coming up. I was thinking of getting her something, but we've only just met. Would that be… strange?"
Emily's smile softened, her eyes kind. "Not at all. Haley can come across a little sharp, but she appreciates thoughtful gestures more than she lets on." She tapped her chin, thinking. "She especially loves sunflowers, coconuts, pink cakes, and fruit salads. If you show up with one of those, I guarantee it'll brighten her day."
Connie nodded, the idea settling firmly in his mind now. "Thank you. That helps a lot."
"Of course," Emily said warmly. "It's sweet of you to care."
On his way home, Connie stopped by Pierre's. The shop was quiet, lanterns glowing softly against the shelves. He picked up five packets of sunflower seeds, the paper crinkling in his hands. Pierre smiled approvingly as he rang up the purchase, but Connie said little, his mind already on the farm.
Back home, he found the sun sinking low. He walked the rows of soil until he found the brightest, most open patch—land that caught the day's full sweep of light. Kneeling, he pressed each seed gently into the earth, patting the soil firm above them.
Snow circled at his feet, tail curling as if curious about the new addition to their land. Connie stood back, brushing dirt from his palms, and let out a slow breath.
The sunflowers would take a week to grow—just in time for Haley's birthday.
The evening air had cooled by the time Connie brushed the last bit of dirt from his hands. The sunflower seeds sat buried in their new home, the soil still damp from watering. Snow padded at his heels as he lingered for a moment, watching the stars blink faintly to life. The day had been long, but something in him still buzzed.
Rather than retire, Connie found himself walking back into town, the glow of Gus's saloon calling him in like a lantern on a summer night. The warmth hit him the moment he stepped inside—the hum of voices, clinking glasses, the steady rhythm of laughter and chatter.
Near the back, the pool table was alive with activity. Sam leaned over with a grin, chalking his cue, while Sebastian lounged in the corner, cigarette smoke curling lazily from his lips. Alex, shirt sleeves rolled high to show off his arms, flexed between shots. Shane nursed a drink nearby, eyes half-lidded but sharper than he let on.
"Hey, farmer!" Sam called out when he noticed Connie. "Come join us. Grab a cue."
Connie chuckled, shrugging out of his coat and setting it over a chair. The first sip of Gus's ale went down smoother than expected, warming him as he leaned into the circle of guys. The game rolled on with easy banter until Sam, ever the instigator, smirked.
"So, Connie… you been here a few weeks now. Met some of the girls? Anyone catch your eye?"
Sebastian snorted softly, flicking ash into a tray. "Sam, you're hopeless."
Alex grinned wide, clearly entertained. "Yeah, c'mon, farmer. Who do you think's the prettiest in Pelican Town?"
The ale loosened Connie's tongue, and before he could second-guess, the words tumbled out, low but sure. "Haley. I was drawn to her right away. She's got this… bigger-than-earth personality. And I think she's sweeter than she lets on."
The guys stilled for a moment, then burst out laughing. Sam gave him a playful shove. "Brave man, saying that out loud!"
Shane barked a dry laugh into his glass. "She'd eat you alive, farmer."
But Alex's smile faltered into something colder. He leaned on his cue, eyes narrowing. "Haley, huh? You better watch yourself. I've had my eye on her for a while. She's not the type to go for… farmers. She deserves better."
The words hung in the air, heavy. Sam winced. Sebastian glanced away, uninterested in the drama. Connie, though, only took another sip of his drink, letting the heat settle in his chest.
"If that's how you see it," Connie said evenly, "then we'll let her decide for herself."
The corner of Alex's mouth twitched, but he said nothing more, returning his attention to the game with a little too much force behind his next shot.
What none of them noticed was the group of girls who had been lingering just near the entryway, half-hidden by the din of the bar. Haley stood among them, her blonde hair catching the lamplight. Her scowl deepened with each cutting word Alex spat. But when Connie's calm response reached her, her expression softened into something else entirely—a secret smile, small and fleeting, but real.
Emily touched her sister's arm, urging her to move along, but Haley lingered for one more heartbeat, blue eyes on the farmer across the room.
Back at the pool table, Connie leaned on his cue, shoulders broad but posture relaxed, taking the ribbing from the others with an easy patience. Whatever the valley thought of him, he wasn't here to prove himself in words. He'd let his actions—and maybe his sunflowers—do the talking.